by Alan Baxter
“How much of the story did you already know?” Crowley asked.
Paul smiled again. “Enough that I believe you’ve told me the truth now. One thing, though. Do you have any idea where your sister went once she turned the bag over to the man from Graybell?”
Rose frowned. “What do you mean? My sister is the one who was going to dump the stone into Lake Mead, remember. She’s the terrorist.”
“Oh yes, that’s right.” Agent Paul looked concerned. “She was definitely on the plane?”
“Definitely,” Crowley said. “We talked to her in flight.”
Paul pursed his lips for a moment, looked from Crowley to Rose. “We found only one body at the crash site,” he said eventually. “A man.” He stood, shook his head. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”
Rose stared, blinked. She looked at Crowley. “So does that mean she’s still alive?”
Crowley had no idea what to tell her. “I don’t see how anyone could have survived that crash.”
“The body could be elsewhere in the canyon,” Paul said. “We haven’t finished the clean up there, not by a long way. I expect we’ll find her further down, thrown clear. There’s a lot of wreckage further down the slope too, that’s much more difficult to get to.” He saw Rose’s anguish and quickly added, “I’m very sorry. But we’ll let you know anything we find as soon as we find it.”
Rose’s eyes fell and she kept her silence.
“You rental car is outside,” Paul said. “Along with your belongings that we retrieved from Flagstaff airport.” He handed Crowley an airline envelope. “Tickets to London. Flying out of Phoenix with a stop in New York. I didn’t think it was a good idea for you to fly out of Flagstaff, so you’ve got a little driving to do.”
“Thanks” Crowley said. “We appreciate it.”
After Paul had left, Crowley turned to Rose, wondering where things stood after the unexpected interruption. She returned his gaze, her eyes haunted.
“That turned out well, all things considered,” Crowley said. “No more wondering what to do with the Anubis Key. I guess we’re free and clear.”
Rose swallowed hard, shook her head. “I hope so.”
“You hope so?”
“Jake, they didn’t find Lily’s body.”
He sighed, looked at the ground. “You saw how wrecked the Cessna was. I saw even more wreckage below that. I’m pretty sure they just haven’t found her yet.”
“You think they will?”
“I can’t imagine any other outcome really.”
Rose swallowed and began gathering her things. “Let’s get out of here, back to London.”
“Right now?”
“I just want to go home.”
Crowley couldn’t blame her for that. “Fair enough.”
Rose kissed him, and they began to pack.
Epilogue
Location unknown
In a dimly lit office, dark wood paneling on the walls, three people sat behind a ridiculously large and opulent desk. The legs were carved like writhing serpents, the gleaming surface broad and empty. Around the walls hung numerous portraits, men and women in a variety of dress styles, showing a history of several hundred years.
Two craggy-faced, gray-haired men sat on either side of a woman with severe features and gray-blonde hair pulled back tightly into a long ponytail. All three were in their seventies at least. They sat patiently, their hands resting on the smooth, clear surface. They looked stern, but patient. A clicking resounded distantly through the marbled halls leading to the large room, growing quickly louder. The tap of heels on the stone floor.
Lily Black entered, her face set. Bruising all up one cheek led to a swollen black eye. Her left arm hung in a sling, a plaster cast from the hand to the elbow. Despite the pain in her left hip and leg, she refused to limp or request a seat, no matter the agony it cost her to stand tall. Her back might never be the same again, but she would spare no expense on treatments and rehab. She stood before the three and took a deep breath to speak, but didn’t get a chance.
“Not the best result,” one of the stern men said.
“In fact, a complete debacle!” the woman said, her face creasing into anger. She sat forward, jabbed one elderly, gnarled finger at Lily like a weapon. “The most powerful weapon we could ever have imagined, and you lost it.”
Lily forced herself to meet the old woman’s eye. “Yes,” she said. “I take full responsibility.” Before they could punish her, she had to state her case. Distract them from the failure. “But there’s something else we can follow up.”
“Something else?” the other man said, the one who had not spoken before. “Something to right this awful situation?” He leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. “Something to save your life?”
Lily swallowed, gritted her teeth against the pain and stood taller. “I didn’t think it would be nearly as good as the Anubis Key, so I haven’t mentioned it before now, but I think it will still serve our purposes. And I want to go after it.”
“What is it?” the woman asked.
“I humbly request that you trust me here, while I do some more research.” She hurried on, before the outraged woman could voice her anger. “I was right about the Anubis Key, after all. I’m good at this stuff. Let me do more research, then I can give you a full accounting. If you’ll finance the work.”
The woman scowled, then sat back. The three elders conferred. Finally, the old woman shrugged and sat forward once more. “Very well. Despite the result here, you have previously proven yourself most capable and determined. But know this is your last chance. Keep us informed.”
Lily smiled. “Thank you. I promise you won’t regret it. One other thing, though, if I might be so bold. My sister is largely harmless, and I can handle her. But while I go after this new possibility, maybe you could arrange an... accident? For Mr. Crowley?”
The woman inclined her head. “Consider it done.”
End
If you enjoyed Anubis Key, try these other great titles by David Wood and Alan Baxter:
Primordial When eccentric billionaire, Ellis Holloway, hires renegade marine biologist, Sam Aston, to investigate the legend of a monster in a remote Finnish lake, Aston envisions an easy paycheck and a chance to clear his gambling debts. But he gets much more.
Dark Rite When his father’s death brings Grant Shipman to the Appalachian town of Wallen’s Gap, he believes his biggest problem will be dealing with the slow pace and odd townsfolk. But something sinister is at work. A dark power rises, an echo of the town’s bloody past. A book of blood magic offers an unspeakable horror a gateway into the world of the living, and only Grant stands in the way of their Dark Rite.
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Books by David Wood
The Dane Maddock Adventures
Dourado
Cibola
Quest
Icefall
Buccaneer
Atlantis
Ark
Xibalba
Loch (forthcoming)
Dane Maddock Origins
Freedom
Hell Ship
Splashdown
Dead Ice
Liberty
Electra
Amber
Justice
Treasure of the Dead
Jake Crowley Adventures
Blood Codex
Anubis Key
Jade Ihara Adventures
Oracle
Changeling
Brock Stone Adventures
Arena of Souls
Track of the Beast (forthcoming)
Myrmidon Files
Destiny
Mystic
Bones Bonebrake Adventures
Primitive
The Book of Bones
Stand-Alone Wo
rks
Dark Rite
The Zombie-Driven Life
You Suck
Into the Woods
Callsign: Queen
Primordial
Writing as David Debord
The Absent Gods Trilogy
The Silver Serpent
Keeper of the Mists
The Gates of Iron
Stand-Alone Works
The Impostor Prince
Neptune’s Key
Books by Alan Baxter
The Alex Caine Series
Bound
Obsidian
Abduction
The Balance
RealmShift
MageSign
Omnibus Edition
The Jake Crowley Adventures
Blood Codex
Anubis Key
Other Works
Primordial
Crow Shine
The Book Club
Dark Rite
Ghost of the Black
The Darkest Shade of Grey
Write the Fight Right
About the Authors
David Wood is the author of the popular action-adventure series, The Dane Maddock Adventures, and many other works. Under his David Debord pen name he is the author of the Absent Gods fantasy series. When not writing, he hosts the Wood on Words podcast and co-hosts the Authorcast podcast. David and his family live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit him online at http://www.davidwoodweb.com.
Alan Baxter is a British-Australian author who writes supernatural thrillers and urban horror liberally mixed up with crime and noir, rides a motorcycle and loves his dog. He also teaches Kung Fu. He lives among dairy paddocks on the beautiful south coast of NSW, Australia, with his wife, son, dog and cat. Read extracts from his novels, a novella and short stories at his website – https://www.warriorscribe.com– or find him on Twitter @AlanBaxter and Facebook, and feel free to tell him what you think. About anything..
