Relics

by K. T. Tomb

  The fact that he had always preferred tea before going to Dubai had not been lost on Edwin. He’d perpetuated the belief that it was fate that had placed him in the path of the Indian archaeologist, who had just slipped in to grab a berry and almond milk smoothie and happened to take notice of the ma’amouls that Edwin was devouring.

  Certainly no wallflower, Danna had made a friendly comment about it, intending nothing more than a casual passing of strangers.

  “Those look delicious,” she’d smiled, indicating the ma’amouls.

  The bright, straight teeth in contrast to her dark complexion, her round face and much-too-large dark eyes had initially been a little too much for Edwin to take. Sputtering after nearly drowning himself with the hot coffee that he had gulped instead of sipped when she spoke to him, it took him several moments to respond.

  “They are quite good,” he had been barely able to reply.

  “Are you okay?” The concern on her face had been genuine. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “Hardly anyone speaks to strangers anymore,” Edwin had responded. “It caught me by surprise.”

  “I’m not just anyone,” she had laughed. “I’m sorry. I’ll leave you alone. I’ve caused enough problems already; a habit that tends to follow me wherever I go.”

  “It’s not an entirely bad habit,” he had replied, unable to believe that he’d actually been able to form words to speak to the stunning woman who stood before him. And then he’d done something that was completely beyond his typical capacity. “Why don’t you join me?”

  That innocent moment had set loose an entirely new outlook for Edwin. Having become the quintessential, dull and dreary slave to his profession, Danna had opened him up to a fascinating new world.

  “You’re hardly the adventurous sort, Ed,” Perk laughed, drawing Edwin back from his memories of Dubai; much like the snapping of a rubber band. “Though it would make an excellent holiday, don’t you think?”

  “I didn’t invite you, Perk,” Danna replied, seeing things rapidly descending into the kind of hell that she’d only experienced in her worst nightmares.

  “I don’t believe that I even suggested that you did,” Perk replied, rolling his eyes at Edwin and shaking his head.

  “Take it easy,” Edwin replied. He hated to see the two of them at each other’s throats and couldn’t figure out why Perk could not see how stunning and full of life she was. How could Perk not be drawn to her just like he had been? No doubt, he was still lost in his number-crunching world of the balance sheet and couldn’t be awakened to the great possibilities that were in the broader world.

  Edwin had to be fair, however; only months before, he hadn’t been able to see the broader world either. Danna had changed all of that for him; he’d been liberated. Perhaps Perk needed that same liberation. Like one who had been lost in darkness and finally found light, Edwin made up his mind, in that moment, that he would draw Perk into that bold new world where he lived.

  What could it hurt?

  “It just might be an excellent holiday,” he blurted, not noticing the dark shadow that passed over Danna’s face as she predicted what was coming next. “Why don’t we bring Perk along, at least for a week or so? What do you say?”

  Danna started to object but was cut off as Perk answered the question, believing that it was intended for him.

  “Greece, you say?” he mused. “I haven’t enjoyed that particular end of the Mediterranean in quite some time, although the prospect of archaeology doesn’t thrill me much.”

  Seeing her opportunity to dissuade the unwanted company, Danna jumped into the conversation like a lioness leaps on her prey.

  “It’s deadly dull. You think that accounting is boring, you won’t believe how dry and dusty old bones can be.”

  Edwin looked at her and wrinkled his brow. A few moments before, and throughout the time that they’d known each other, she had been telling him how exciting, adventurous and fascinating her world was.

  “But you said…” he began but was cut off.

  “It’s research mostly, kicking over a few rocks; nothing special, really,” Danna interrupted. She was fully focused on making certain that Perk stayed in Bristol and only Edwin accompanied her.

  “I suppose I could tag along and just enjoy the sights while the two of you went off and did whatever it is that archaeologists do,” he muttered.

  “There’s the spirit!” Edwin said. “You’ve been a little too absorbed lately anyway. Just tag along, do your own thing and Danna and I will do ours, huh?”

  Edwin trailed his glance from Perk to Danna, hoping that the two would be able to tolerate the arrangement.

  “You know what?” Perk beamed. “I believe I will tag along.”

  “Danna?” Edwin asked, looking at her with a hopeful expression.

  “Fine,” she sighed.

  “Then it’s settled,” he declared, slamming his palm to the arm of the chair triumphantly like a judge with a gavel.

  Chapter Two

  Having shrugged off the dictates that Indian society held for a young lady, Danna Sharma had left Mumbai in pursuit of more than just a career which she was passionate about.

  Equally important to her was staying away from the prison of a married Indian woman, who could expect a life similar to—or maybe just slightly above—slavery. She was also escaping the single, nagging question of everyone around her who was above the age of 30: “When are you going to get married?” Or the more subtle version: “Have you met anyone special yet?”

  Her career had crawled along for several years. She’d fallen into the ruts that were archaeological digs, fascinated by the occasional discoveries, but not feeling any of the passion that had first drawn her to the field. All of that changed when she was asked to find a particular artifact for a client who had the means to pay her very well. That client had been Taavi Marinos.

  She remembered their first meeting like it was yesterday.

  “As you may or may not be aware,” he’d begun, “a great many of the great cultural treasures of Greece are scattered throughout the world in private collections. The Greek government has sent out demands that those items be returned to their proper place; their homeland.

  “In the case of most of those items, the hand of international law is brought into play. With others, however, I am going to need someone who is both knowledgeable and fearless to go track them down and bring them back to me. In other cases, we are in a race against others who might get their filthy hands on our Hellenistic treasures. That is why you are here.”

  “I understand,” she’d said. There had been a great conflict of emotions in that moment. Where she had felt the excitement of the risks involved in obtaining artifacts for which others might severely injure or even kill her to keep, she had been uncertain as to why she had been called instead of someone with more experience. “Why me?”

  “Forgive me for being a little bit blunt, Miss Sharma,” he’d grinned. “But in truth, you would hardly come across as a threat to anyone. I believe that your innocence and charm might help you to avoid some situations where a more demanding or aggressive person might only stir up a dispute. Combined with that, I understand from those with whom you’ve worked in the past that you are an expert in tracking down and following through on leads that others often miss. My only question is, are you fearless enough?”

  In spite of the fact that she couldn’t have honestly answered that question for herself, she had given the reply that she knew would allow her to get out of the rut that archaeology had become.

  “I’m fearless enough.”

  “You’re familiar with your own culture’s version of the evil eye, right? I think it’s called Buri Nazar,” he’d begun.

  “I am familiar with it; it’s a charm that is meant to ward off the curses that come from someone’s glare. It is often referred to as Drishti,” she had replied, relieved to be able to talk about a subject that was familiar to her. “Many truck owners write ‘Bur
i nazar wale tera muh kala’ on their trucks. It basically means, ‘Oh evil-eyed one, may your face turn black.’ The charms are quite common.”

  “There is one that belonged to, ironically enough, Oedipus. It’s referred to as Oedipus’ Eye.”

  Danna hadn’t been able to avoid the wry smile that had come upon her face as she recalled that Oedipus, after killing his father and marrying his mother in fulfillment of a prophecy, had stuck pins his own eyes in shame. “Yes, quite ironic,” she’d replied.

  “Locating that original talisman, if you should accept my proposition, will be your first assignment and it ought to be an easy one,” he’d replied.

  That first assignment had been anything but easy. In fact, it was very nearly the end of her career, not because she didn’t take to it like a bee to pollen, but because, in spite of Taavi’s assessment, it was highly prized by a particularly unscrupulous tomb raider and she had nearly gotten herself killed.

  She’d discovered something else during that first assignment as well; she absolutely loved recovering artifacts.

  A dozen similar tasks had been given to her and she’d become a trusted asset to Taavi Marinos. She’d become quite wealthy on what she’d earned and had taken that wealth to a place where the returns on any investment she made were phenomenal: Dubai.

  She’d avoided relationships the same way she’d avoided the prying questions, though she had also avoided men completely. They were a diversion at times and were much more useful for deriving certain pleasurable needs than batteries and silicone, but none of them had ever worked their hooks into her heart until Edwin; the complete antithesis of every other man in her world.

  In a world which had become chaotic, often by her own design, Danna had found Edwin to be a stabilizing factor that her soul was craving. Where in Edwin Douglas she found new life and strength, she found Percival Winston to be nothing more than fastidious. The fact that he had been invited along on Taavi’s newest assignment didn’t thrill her; not even a little bit.

  “Make the best of it,” Danna told herself, as she looked in the mirror of the lavatory on the plane that was taking her, Edwin and Perk to Athens. She mocked the English tendency to maintain a stiff upper lip in the face of an unpleasant task and then exited the lavatory to return to her seat. “Put a bold face on it, old girl.”

  “Like a breath of spring,” Edwin commented, looking up at her as she lowered herself into her seat beside him. It was that charming way of his and that smile that had kept her from throwing herself into a fitful rage at the suggestion that Perk join them. In short, she had been completely unable to say no.

  “You’ll make a spoiled wretch of me if you continue with that sort of thing,” she beamed and then leaned over to give him a quick peck on the lips.

  “You don’t like it?” he teased.

  “I like it a little too much,” she replied. In truth, though she’d had more experienced and more adept lovers, none of them had ever touched her the way Edwin had, nor had they been able to reach that deeper place inside of her; the longing of her soul.

  “Then I must desist at once!” Edwin chuckled.

  “Don’t go to any trouble on my account.” She faked the shocked expression that she’d seen on the faces of the ladies of polite society in their attempt to be overly polite.

  “No trouble at all,” he replied in a stern tone. He took her hand in his and winked at her.

  “It’s good to have him sleeping, finally,” she commented, referring to Perk, whose head was against the wall of the fuselage with his mouth wide open as he breathed deeply. She hoped that she hadn’t sounded too disgusted.

  “He’s not a bad sort,” Edwin grinned. “It just takes some time to get used to him.”

  Not sure that a response would serve anyone well, Danna leaned into Edwin’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Inside, she prayed for the patience to endure.

  Chapter Three

  Being called in for an audience with Peter Isaac, aka “the Hammer” stirred mixed emotions for Andriy Vanko.

  On the one hand, if he was being given a special order or task to perform, it was an honor, but if the Hammer was calling him in to be punished… Andriy didn’t want to finish the thought.

  The swirling tangle that felt like a belly full of snakes in his gut had already reached its peak and that feeling was only the result of being summoned.

  In an attempt to calm his nerves, Andriy forced himself to think in a more positive light. Perhaps he was being honored; chosen for a special mission. There had been speculation among his colleagues in leadership about a counter-offensive against the Zbroyni Syly Ukrayiny, or ZSU, by pro-Russian forces in the Donbass. He had led his forces well during their defense of Dnipro and would make an excellent choice. Besides, he could think of no reason why he would be called in to be punished.

  In spite of his own self-assurance, the tangle of snakes only grew worse as he neared the front gate of the massive estate which housed Peter Isaac, the CEO of LOKI. Closing his eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to push down the possibility of impending doom, he took the last several steps up to the gate and announced himself to the guards.

  “You are expected,” came the short reply.

  Two guards stepped through the gate. One held an AK-47 aimed at his chest while the other patted him down. Had he even attempted to smuggle anything into the compound, there was no doubt in his mind that the man with the automatic rifle would have riddled him with bullets without any chance for an explanation. For that reason, he had completely emptied his pockets of everything before he’d appeared for his audience.

  After being thoroughly patted down, Andriy was allowed to pass through the gate and into the courtyard beyond. Before he had taken more than a dozen steps, he was joined by an escort who barked out a single word.

  “Come.”

  Though the Hammer’s accommodations were a great deal better than those he and the other officers enjoyed, Andriy couldn’t help taking note that LOKI’s CEO lived a relatively moderate lifestyle for a billionaire. The humility was just one more reason for Andriy to be in awe of the man with whom he was about to meet.

  “In here,” the escort said, leading Andriy into a small room, little more than a closet with two doors on each end and a single chair inside.

  Andriy stepped into the room and sat down in the chair.

  “Wait,” the escort said, closing the door and leaving Andriy alone in the tiny room.

  Andriy did as he had been ordered and waited, though after ten minutes, the walls of the tiny room were beginning to close in around him and he feared that he would suddenly succumb to a fit of madness if he had to wait much longer.

  He was on the brink of that fit when the door opposite the one he’d been let in opened and a man with thick glasses and a very noticeable scar on his left cheek growled his name.

  “Andriy Vanko.”

  “Yes, sir,” Andriy replied with a bow of his head.

  “Mr. Isaac will see you now,” the man said, stepping aside and allowing Andriy to pass into the much larger room beyond.

  At the far side of the room, sitting behind a simple oak desk and flanked by two men—who looked as though they had been raised by a pack of wolves and only needed a slight nod from the Hammer before devouring him—was the League of Knowledge Integration CEO.

  He approached, stood at attention and waited. He didn’t dare speak, which was not an issue, because he was completely tongue-tied as it were. The greater issue was keeping down the boiling contents of his stomach, which had been stirred up by his out of control nerves.

  “I’ve heard good things about your leadership, Andriy,” Mr. Isaac began.

  Andriy had to work hard at not sighing too heavily as that single uttered sentence released him from his earlier fear of punishment. “Thank you, sir,” Andriy replied.

  “I’m sure that you are aware of the counter-offensive that is being planned,” the CEO began. “Rumors of it occurred before I spoke of it for the f
irst time.”

  “I have heard a few things, sir,” he replied. He tried not to allow the broad grin that was trying to force itself onto his face. The counter-offensive at last and I’m going to lead it.

  “I understand that you are something of a scholar, Andriy,” Isaac continued.

  “I enjoy reading, sir, but certainly not someone to rival the minds of this organization.”

  A scholar? Andriy wasn’t sure why the Hammer was wandering off on a side trail.

  “Of course, Andriy, but you are a scholar of archaeology and Greek mythology, or am I mistaken?”

  “I follow in your footsteps, sir. Knowledge will bring the new order.” He repeated the motto of LOKI, which seemed like a ridiculous response, but it was the only one he had.

  “It will, indeed,” the Hammer agreed.

  For the second time, Andriy felt a surge of relief, though he guarded against it. He was still in the office of the Hammer and could be ordered to his death in an instant.

  “You are also aware of Jinn; beings which are common in Arabian culture, are you not, Andriy?”

  “They are powerful spirits that are said to be trapped inside of magic lamps. Genies, if you will.” It was the safest response that he could come up with.

  “There is a myth among the Greeks concerning a box. It is said to contain something very similar; however, this particular box holds thousands of these powerful spirits and has the potential of creating enormous devastation. The Box of Pandora, I believe it is called.”

  “There is such a myth,” Andriy agreed. “Some believe that it is more than a myth, sir.”

  “Yes, Andriy, I have heard that very thing. I believe it to be a myth as well, however, if this particular box does exist and is, indeed, as powerful as it is said, then I must have possession of it and the power it holds.”

  Andriy had become a part of LOKI because he believed in its ultimate objective. There were too many ignorant people in the world. Their ignorance was destroying the earth and worse yet, they continued to multiply. Many of those ignorant ones were in positions of leadership in nations across the world, but the vast majority were sheep who followed those leaders in blind faith. Through integrated knowledge and positioning the right people in positions of leadership, ignorance could be wiped out and the earth restored under a new enlightened order. With Peter Isaac at the helm of LOKI, the reality of achieving that goal was rapidly becoming a reality, but Pandora’s Box? How could that be of any use?