“What are you saying?” August asked, scratching his head.
“I'm saying that I think we have the right idea here. I think we're accurate about the farthest reach being the military reach of a conqueror like Khan. I feel like we're accurate about the red line being specifically about bloodshed. I believe we're right on about the riddle...we're just looking at the wrong place. We should be thinking about how far Genghis Khan reached, not his children and grandsons and all the other descendants after him. That would make the most sense to me.”
“So where would that be?”
Purdue remembered the stories that Shin Wo had told him, about the legend of Genghis Khan and his many deeds. There was one specific part that stuck in his mind; the last days of the Great Khan and how the circumstances of his death were uncertain. One of the truths that was certain, was his last victory against the Western Xia Empire.
“Certainly not Europe,” Purdue reiterated. “No, Genghis Khan never got that far. He died during his conquests of China. Most people agree that he perished around the time of the fall of the Western Xia, if I remember right.”
They all looked to one another uncertainly. Purdue didn't sound entirely confident with his theory, he knew that, but he hoped they at least saw his point. It was a hard decision, though; if they made the wrong choice, then it could take them on a long path leading to nothing but a waste of time. It would be a detour that would probably sap any of the energy they had left. The entire search could hinge on the decision of where they should be going next.
Nina seemed to be warming up to the idea. “It's a risk obviously,” she stated. “But you could be right, I guess. If that was where he fell, then they might have buried him nearby. He may have never gone back home.”
Riley agreed, clapping her hands together. “It works with what we know from the bow I found. The last place that he was trying to take over before he did. That was Genghis Khan's reach. And the blood he was famous for spilling during his takeover...that’d be the red line that the bow was mentioning. It fits pretty perfectly.”
It still would work quite well if it was talking about the Mongol Empire in general, Purdue thought, but kept that notion to himself. Nina was right that it was a risky decision to make, but it had to be made, one way or another. The Europe idea didn't make sense to him, but it was still a possibility.
“It’s just more logical for him to be buried some place that he actually got to,” Purdue suggested, trying to put in his last arguments for his case. “His farthest reach. I don't think he’d be buried as far as his empire got after his death. He’d be buried near wherever he died. It just works.”
When articulated like that, his whole team started to nod in agreement. Purdue was glad they were hearing him. Things were tense, with all of the surprise attacks; whether they were from Shin Wo's killer or Wai Lin and her mercenaries that had tried to go after them. Even with the suspicion levied on August that made everyone on edge, they all could start to agree on something.
“Okay,” Nina said, glancing to the others to see if they agreed. “We'll keep following your lead.”
“Unless you lead us off of a cliff,” Yusuke suggested with a smirk.
Purdue was thankful for their trust but still not sure that he was even right. He could be leading them the wrong way. They’d checked the safe places so far for the bones; the mountains that every other previous searcher had tried to find the bones at. They’d tried the Great Wall of China where he didn't expect to find anything anyway. And now, they were going someplace new, but with just as high of a chance that there would be nothing of value to find. He hoped he was right. He’d only been leading the Order of the Black Sun for a short amount of time...he needed a win. He needed to prove that he was the right person to follow.
Purdue glanced down at the pictures that had been taken of him by some mysterious photographer. It was unfathomable that he had no idea during any of those times that he was being watched, but here was proof that he’d been blind to someone on his tail. He had another shadow following him and he’d had no idea that it was even there at all. He glanced out the window, nervous that another picture was being taken right now.
GALEN SLAMMED DOWN THE PHONE. His contact had given him an update on David Purdue's next destination. Instead of digging up Mongolian canyons like everyone else had, Purdue was going to be exploring a remote part of China that not nearly as many people had searched. Even Galen knew that Genghis Khan's tomb was never found, but most people assumed that Kohan was buried somewhere in Mongolia. It was interesting that Khan would’ve been buried some place that he conquered rather than back home, but it made sense in a way. A famed conqueror like Khan might want to be laid to rest in a place that he’d just made his.
Oniel was nearby, waiting to hear the outcome of the phone call Galen just finished. Galen turned to him, still a little annoyed by Oniel's impatience, but Galen managed a grin. He knew Oniel was itching to take a real shot at Purdue and his friends. Oniel had wanted to cut Purdue's throat since the day Purdue killed his brother. This was a long time coming, and Galen knew Oniel wanted it to be done conclusively. Oniel didn't care about the semantics or the details that Galen did. Galen's vengeance was going to be well-planned, drawn out, and relished. If Oniel got his way, then his vengeance would be swift, bloody, and messy. Galen wanted David Purdue slowly crushed and begging for mercy while Oniel just wanted Purdue stuck like a pig.
But if the information was correct, then there was apparently a high chance that Purdue was going to find the tomb of Genghis Khan soon. Once he did, Galen would be fine eliminating him—after enjoying the moment, of course—and would appease Oniel's hunger for murder.
Galen hadn't thought too much about what would happen after he killed Davy, especially when it came to its impact on the order. He imagined that he’d have to kill or at least maim the new recruits that Purdue had brought into the Order of the Black Sun. They were probably chosen because they were loyal and a lot like Purdue. They wouldn't be of much use to Galen if they were angry with him for killing the man who recruited them. There were surely others who were still part of the order that didn't like Purdue and would want someone like Galen in charge. They’d love him for getting rid of Purdue. Then Galen could always call back some of the others that had fled the order like he did when Purdue took control.
If everything went well, Davy would be dead, the tomb of Genghis Khan would be found, and Galen would be able to become the undisputed leader of the Order of the Black Sun just like he wanted. Both David Purdue and Julian Corvus would be finally out of the way. It’d make all of Galen’s struggles and embarrassments worth it in the end if he ended up on top. They’d all respect him and he’d finally gain the recognition that he deserved, with all of the people that pissed him off out of the way.
“Good news, my friend.”
Oniel perked up, looking even more ravenous than usual.
“You know the time I was telling you to be so patient for?”
Oniel nodded.
“Well, it seems that time has come.”
Oniel smiled sadistically.
INTERLUDE – THE STRONG MAN
AUGUST HAD HEARD all about “the fly” that kept getting in the way of all of the Order of the Black Sun's plans. Julian Corvus had ranted about the billionaire David Purdue and how he refused to die. August had learned so much about Purdue, August he felt like he already knew the man well. The whole order seemed fixated on getting rid of Purdue. It didn't help that Julian had an obsession with Purdue and so many of his plans and commands seemed to center on him.
So as August stood there, hearing that Julian had been beaten by Purdue, August didn't know quite how to feel. Many of his fellow members of the Order of the Black Sun were more than a little stressed. Many had immediately fled, hoping that they wouldn't go down with the sinking ship. August wasn't so quick to panic. He preferred to stay calm and see how things panned out first. Julian's defeat sent the order into chaos and he was curious to see how the
group would look after the storm had passed. There might no longer be an Order of the Black Sun at all anymore.
Soon after they heard about Julian's defeat, rumors that David Purdue wanted to take control of the Black Sun started to reach them. Many of the members didn't believe those tales , thinking Purdue would be crazy, suicidal even, to try and lead a group that had just tried to murder him. Some even said that if it was true, they wouldn't let Purdue lead for long.
When Purdue and his friends came to the compound, August watched them all closely. August recognized Nina Gould from her time as their prisoner, and it was honestly strange to see her with so much freedom, not behind cell bars or in handcuffs.
Seeing Elijah Dane was something of a surprise, too. Some people said that the Black Sun curator had defected, turned on Julian, and joined Purdue but many refused to believe that. Elijah was the one who held all gave the spoils of their searches. Everyone knew him. He and the deep vaults practically maintained the hub of the order since every member went there repeatedly when returning back to base after a long mission. It was baffling to most to even imagine Elijah as a turncoat. August wasn't surprised by it, though. He didn't know Elijah very well ,but he could always tell that the curator wasn't actually happy serving Julian. Elijah was passionate about his work with the artifacts—that much was obvious—but it was also apparent that Elijah wasn't helping the Black Sun by choice. So seeing him come back to the compound at Purdue's side and as one of his pals wasn't a shock for August.
However, August was a little surprised by David Purdue when he finally saw him in person. Given how much trouble he caused the order, August expected Purdue to be some seven foot tall, muscular giant with a chiseled face like some action hero from the movies. Instead, there wasn't anything overly special about Purdue's appearance. He wasn't nearly as formidable looking as August imagined and August was sure that he could easily tear Purdue apart in a fight. August didn't understand what all of the fuss was about, but there must have been more to him since he was capable of not only evading the Order of the Black Sun, but defeating them. And now the one man that should have been easy to bring down was going to dismantle and reorganize the organization that he fought for so long. Purdue couldn't have been as normal as he seemed.
Throughout the next week, as the new leadership settled into their new roles, many of the other members left the order in protest. They complained, stewed, and threw around threats. August didn't leave, and he didn't waste his breath whining like so many of the others did. There was no point. This was the way the Order of the Black Sun was now, so sometimes you just had to roll with the punches, even if it was still damaging to take the hits.
Naturally, Purdue wasn't giving many good assignments to established members. He probably didn't trust them, and maybe he was right? Whatever the case, August sometimes felt like a relic of a bygone era, even though that period had ended only weeks earlier. It was a sudden change of pace for the order, but he did his best to adapt to his new environment.
The only thing he missed was some of the action he used to get when Julian was in charge. It wasn't that August liked hurting people or inflicting pain. He wasn't some sort of sadist or anything like that. He liked how alive a fight made him feel. It was simple and he enjoyed things being simple. August wasn't entirely sure how to feel about Purdue as a leader yet. August had never been afraid of Julian like so many other people were, but he had to admit it was nice having a boss that wouldn't kill you on a whim.
August understood the tension between the few remaining agents and their leader, but he didn't really share their animosity. Still, it made sense that Purdue kept anyone who used to work for Julian at arms' length. He needed to avoid a civil war between the members that would cause the entire operation to implode on itself.
August accepted that he was part of the vets, so he pushed out of the way in favor of the bright new recruits. They were far less violent and a symbol of a brighter future. Of course Purdue would favor them and give them the more fruitful ventures.
That made it more surprising when August was brought onto the team that was going to find Genghis Khan's tomb. He never expected to get that assignment and couldn't even begin to figure out why that had even happened. He certainly wasn't qualified academically. He knew next to nothing about Genghis Khan, other than the name, and that Khan was some great warrior. The only reason August could justify was that he was brought along for his muscle. August was going to be the strong guy of the group. He wasn't going to be brought on for anything other than that, and he was okay with that. At least Purdue was finally willing to work with him.
And August would do his best to prove that he still had something to contribute to the Order of the Black Sun.
12
RAINFALL ON STONE
Their plane landed in Yinchaun, a city that was once the capital of the Western Xia empire of the Tanguts. They were the last enemies that Genghis Khan faced before his death. His demise had even supposedly happened during the fall of the city after his victory. That must have been unfortunate, to have won the battle but lost the war with mortality on the very same day. It was a bittersweet end for the successful conqueror, but fitting that he’d died during a conquest.
The city was a modern metropolis now, with about two million people living there, and was built right beside the Yellow River. It wasn't one of the more famous cities of the world, not even of China, and seemed like a strange choice to put Genghis Khan's remains, but if the riddle was right, then he was resting at the farthest reach of his army. This was as far as they got with Genghis Khan as their leader. The Mongol Empire had moved on to Europe, but Purdue had a gut feeling that they wouldn't have brought the first Great Khan's body that far. They would’ve likely situated him in the place where he fell, and that was right here near Yinchaun.
The others weren't entirely convinced by his argument, but Purdue imagined most of them just wanted an excuse to go back to Europe, closer to home where things made the most sense. The only real support he had for this change in direction was Yusuke, who agreed with him that the Mongolians never would have chosen Genghis Khan's resting place in Europe. Even here, in Yinchaun, they were still relatively close to Mongolia. It was on the other side of the Helan Mountain range that nestled parts of the city.
If they were following the proverbial red line as directed, and following the trail of the blood to his grave site, then this was the natural endpoint. The fall of Yinchaun was the last slaughter that Genghis Khan took part in actively. This was where his bloodletting ceased to a sudden halt.
They decided to book a hotel for the night so they could all be well rested. As nice as the city was, Purdue didn't think that the tomb was within it. He’d determined that the most likely place for the tomb was outside of the city in the Helan Mountains. It was a secluded area that would be hard to traverse and even harder to find, a safe place to protect his burial site. But if they were going to take on those mountains, they’d need to be at full strength. That meant a good meal and a decent sleep.
“Think Galen is following us?” Nina asked as they got off the plane.
“Most likely,” Purdue said. “You saw the pictures. He's apparently been trailing us all over creation without us having a clue. How could we not have seen that, aye? He's a lot smarter than I ever gave him credit for, I suppose.”
“Well, we'll be ready for him this time,” Nina professed. “And it's not going to be like with that mercenary from the Great Wall this time, right? We need to put him down for good. You've let him go before. You've let Oniel go. They keep coming back and don't learn from it. You know me, Purdue. You know I'm not usually so quick to be begging for someone's death, but they honestly deserve it. They don't deserve any more chances because all they’ve ever done is completely waste them.”
“I know, Nina,” Purdue agreed and had already reached that conclusion himself.
When the time came, Galen and Oniel would both have to be killed. It was the only way to
stop their threat for good. If they were allowed to keep on living out there in the world, they’d shown that their hatred for Purdue and his friends would only continue to fester until there was nothing they could do about them. They were a threat; and if they got any angrier, they might be a danger to a whole lot more people than they already were.
That night, everyone enjoyed the finest meal that the hotel could prepare. They all sat around the table and laughed. There was some underlying tension, but they managed to sweep it underneath the table for one night. Purdue didn't try to accuse August of treachery. Nina didn't bring up the great big elephant in the room known as Galen Fitzgerald. Yusuke and Riley remained just as pleasant as ever, keeping conversations light and fun.
For all they knew, the next day could be full of a ton of danger. Purdue had seen before how quickly an expedition could go from a nice, scenic trip to a life or death situation, and sometimes, not everyone made it back alive. They just had to enjoy the night and savor this time together, no matter what their differences were. Purdue actually relished that dinner, as it solidified his relationship with his new teammates on a social level. They didn't have to discuss the tomb of Genghis Khan. They didn't have to talk about Galen's threats. They could chat about all of the nice memories from their lives.
Even August seemed slightly less suspicious while laughing around the table with them all. For the briefest moment, Purdue wondered if he might have been wrong, but he tucked that thought away swiftly. He couldn't afford to lower his guard when they were potentially getting so close to the end goal.
They all woke up late the next morning feeling full of food and rejuvenated from the cozy beds. It was a big step up from the rustic arrangements they had for the rest of the expedition. A dark part of Purdue's humor appreciated that Shin Wo was killed in the tent rather than later on when his blood would’ve made a big mess out of one of those posh hotel rooms. That thought made Purdue a bit sad, though, as if not for Galen, that old man would’ve probably been with them right now, probably excited that they were so close to finding Genghis Khan.
The Tomb of Genghis Khan Page 10
