by David Wood
“Who the bloody hell is Black Caesar?”
Maddock finally looked in her direction, a frown creasing his brow. “What do you mean? I thought you were after Solomon’s Mines? Why else would those men have been following you?”
“I am on the trail of the mines.” She took a deep breath. She didn’t want to tell him anything, or perhaps she didn’t want to reveal how little she knew. “H. Rider Haggard spent a great deal of time at the cathedral. I thought he was studying a particular book, but it turns out he was spending time in conversation with a certain priest. He was apparently taken with the man’s stories. I know I’m grasping at straws, but Haggard is one of the few avenues I haven’t exhausted.”
Maddock nodded.
“Are you going to return the favor and tell me about this Black Caesar? It’s not like I won’t look him up the first chance I get.”
“Black Caesar was a slave turned pirate who, we believe, possessed Solomon’s ring,” Maddock said grudgingly. “He was arrested and sentenced to die. Before his execution, he gave the ring to a man named Israel Hands, who lived out his days in poverty in the area surrounding the cathedral. We thought he might have hidden the ring there or maybe given it to someone.”
“Did you find it?”
Maddock shook his head.
“So, what’s your next move?”
Maddock gaped at her, disbelief shining in his eyes. “We don’t work together anymore, Isla. You work for the Tuatha now. I suppose this is their next big plan? Use the gold from Solomon’s mines to what, bribe officials? Buy weapons?”
“No. It’s not like that. You don’t understand anything.”
“I understand enough. You’ve joined forces with the people who, a few months ago, were trying to kill us.”
“I’m wasting my breath with you,” she said. Anger welled up inside of her. The fool man wouldn’t even hear her out. “I could help you, you know. I’m not a member of the Tuatha, as you seem to think, but I have resources at my disposal. And I’ve been researching Solomon’s Mines. I have a lot to offer, but I’m sure you’re too stubborn to accept my help.”
“You got that right,” Maddock said.
“Fine. Where shall I drop you off?”
“The nearest pub will be fine,” Bones said.
Isla pulled to the curb at first sight of a pub. As Maddock unbuckled his seat belt and turned to unlock the door, she made a hasty decision. She reached into her purse and slipped out a tiny metal object. She reached out and grabbed the hem of Maddock’s jacket. He froze but didn’t turn to look at her. It pained her, but that was exactly what she’d hoped for.
“Please, just consider talking with me some time,” she said as she clipped the object to his jacket. “I want to make it right.”
Maddock gave a shake of his head and exited the car, slamming the door behind him.
“Just be that way, Dane Maddock,” she said softly. “Try and shut me out of your life. We’ll be seeing each other again very soon.”
Chapter 25
The Boleyn Tavern, London
The Boleyn was a tavern on Barking Road in London. Reading Maddock’s mood, Bones refrained from making puns with the street’s name or any jokes about beheading wives. He followed Maddock inside, eager to learn who, exactly, was after them, and what, if anything, Maddock had found behind the secret door.
The tavern was impressive. Lots of old wood and stained glass. The floor was a little sticky and the place could have used some spit and polish, but it was what Bones imagined a London pub would be like—old, with a strong sense of history. They ordered two craft beers and a pizza at the bar, then found an out of the way table. The crowd was sparse this time of day, with only a few men in West Ham Football t-shirts or jerseys occupying a few seats here and there.
They settled in and Maddock filled him in on what had transpired—the descendants of Black Caesar, finding the body of Israel Hands, and the message carved in stone.
“You think H. Rider Haggard took the ring and, I don’t know, gave it to his wife?”
“Something like that,” Maddock said.
“You think he used it first? Found Solomon’s Mines and opened it?”
Maddock shook his head. “Haggard wouldn’t have been a young man by then. I don’t think he’d have been up to the journey, which is why he planned on giving the ring away.”
“Why bother stealing it, then?”
“The legend of King Solomon’s mines was his passion, maybe even an obsession. I think he figured out where the mines were, but without the ring he couldn’t get inside. And that meant he couldn’t prove the legend was true.”
Bones rubbed his chin. “So, finding the ring was the completion of his quest? It satisfied him that he’d been right all along?”
“That’s what I think. He knew he couldn’t survive the demands of the journey back to Africa. Maybe he couldn’t afford to fund an expedition. So, he satisfied himself with the knowledge that he’d assembled all the clues. And he couldn’t resist leaving that message with Israel Hands’ remains, just to show who had solved the riddle. I guess that had to be enough for him.”
“Wouldn’t be enough for me,” Bones said. “Or you.” He and Maddock could back out of this search anytime. Let Isla and the descendants of Caesar fight it out. But the truth was, the two of them were cut from the same cloth as men like Haggard. Treasure hunting was an obsession. Despite the danger, there was no way either of them would give up the chase.
“You’re right about that. I’ve got the bit in my teeth now.” Maddock took another drink.
Maddock’s phone vibrated. He took it out and spent a minute reading the text message.
“What’s up?” Bones asked as Maddock pocketed his phone.
“After Avery and the guys had the encounter at Caesar’s rock, Nomi’s partner, a woman named Constance, ended up following Avery to work.”
“Oops. Bet Tam didn’t like that.” Tam Broderick was a babe, but she took no crap from anyone.
“Exactly. They detained and questioned her. Didn’t learn much except these descendants of Caesar call themselves ‘the family’ or ‘the cousins.’ They don’t have a name or an oranizational structure as far as she can tell; just a lot of powerful people working with or against each other depending on the circumstances. They all answer to a man they call ‘Uncle.’ Tam suspects ties to African warlords and terrorists.”
“The Trident?” Bones asked.
“No reason to think so. At least, not at the moment.”
“I assume these cousins are working together?”
“A few of them are, at least. Anyway, Avery was burglarized and the artifact stolen. She still has photographs of the code she’s trying to decipher, so that’s not a problem.”
Bones clenched and relaxed his fists. “But that means the cousins have it, too.”
Maddock nodded. “The race is on.” He looked up. “Hold on. I’m going to see if they have a phone I can borrow.”
Bones thought that was odd, but he was sure Maddock had his reasons. While his friend headed over to the bar, Bones took out his smartphone and looked up H. Rider Haggard’s burial site. The famed author was laid to rest, along with the remains of his wife and other family members, at St. Mary’s Church in Ditchingham, a two-and-a-half hour drive from London. Bones found a photograph of the grave marker, which listed the dead who were buried there. It was a close-up photo and he couldn’t tell if the remains were buried, or contained in some sort of crypt. He didn’t relish the idea of digging up a grave.
Maddock returned, the ghost of a smile playing across his face. He drained his glass and let out a satisfied sigh.
“You going to tell me what that was all about?” Bones asked.
“I just called in an anonymous tip to the Norfolk Constabulary. I wanted them to know someone is going to deface Haggard’s grave tonight.”
“What the hell did you do that for? I thought Haggard buried the ring with his “beloved soulmate.’”
<
br /> “I think he did,” Maddock said. “But although he loved her, his wife was not his soulmate.”
Chapter 26
St. Mary’s Church, Ditchingham
St. Mary’s Church had once been the center of the village of Ditchingham. Built in the fifteenth century, it now dominated a pastoral landscape, sitting alone in the countryside. Its hundred foot tall tower cast a long shadow in the pale moonlight. Ronald thought it might be beautiful in the daylight, but at night, it felt sinister. The weathered grave markers between which he and Cleo passed only added to the haunted aura surrounding the old church.
“Look here. This is a Haggard.” Cleo shone his torch on a grave marker that read Lillias Haggard.
Ronald shook his head. “That’s his daughter. Follow me.”
They made their way to the front door of the church. Cleo kept watch, probably unnecessarily, considering the remote location and relative insignificance of the place, while Ronald picked the lock.
Once inside, a brief search led them to Haggard’s crypt. A large rectangle of black marble marked the spot.
“O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live,” Ronald read aloud from the script ringing the slab. “The eternal God is thy dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
“Underneath are the everlasting arms?” Cleo asked. “Makes it sound like...hell.”
Ronald nodded but didn’t reply. Something else had caught his attention.
“Seven people are buried here?” Cleo asked, echoing his own thoughts. “That’s a lot.”
“Cremains,” Ronald said. “I imagined Haggard burying the ring with his dead wife but perhaps he placed it in her urn?”
“One way to be certain.”
Cleo had brought a crowbar with him, and now he knelt and worked it between the edge of the marble slab and the surrounding tile.
“Break it if you must,” Ronald said. “We’ll take the ring and leave the urn. When the damage is discovered, they’ll find nothing missing.”
Just then, the front door banged open and bright lights blinded him.
“Police!” a voice shouted. “Put your hands in the air.”
As uniformed men poured into the church, Ronald sighed and raised his hands above his head. The cousins were not going to be happy.
Chapter 27
Aldeburgh, England
The cool night breeze ruffled Maddock’s hair as he peered out from the copse of buckthorn that stood at the edge of the cemetery. No one was about.
“Okay, Maddock. You’ve played your mysterious act to the hilt. Tell me what we’re doing here,” Bones said.
“When Haggard was nineteen, he fell in love with a girl named Mary Elizabeth Jackson. He wanted to marry her, but her father wouldn’t allow it until he established himself in a career. He considered them to be secretly engaged, but when he finally proposed, she turned him down and married a wealthy banker instead.”
“Ouch.”
“Exactly. In his autobiography, he wrote that it was such a crushing blow, he would not have been sorry to depart the world.”
“Sounds like you on one of your emo days,” Bones said. “Never let a chick get into your head.”
Maddock smirked. “Things didn’t work out for her. Her husband was a gambling addict who lost everything. The only thing he left her when he died was a case of syphilis.”
Bones sucked in a breath between his teeth and winced. “They didn’t have penicillin back then, did they?”
“I don’t think so. Anyway, she returned to England, where Haggard secretly supported her and her family until her death. Haggard believed his love for her was eternal and that they would be united in the afterlife. A lot of people believe that the immortal queen in his novel, She, was based on his true love.”
“Holy crap, Maddock. I did not sign up for a course in British Literature. How do you know so much about this?”
“Haggard is the father of the “lost world” adventure genre. I’ve always loved his books.” Maddock didn’t have to see Bones to know his friend was rolling his eyes.
“Anyway, Haggard never got over her. He even named one of his daughters Lillias, in her honor. Of course, Lillias wasn’t a fan. She referred to the woman as ‘Lilith’ because of the destructive influence she had on her father.”
“Lillias?”
“Her given name was Mary Elizabeth, but she went by...”
“Lilly,” Bones finished. “His Lilly of the valley.”
“It was spelled with two L’s in the message he left,” Maddock said.
“Fine. You’ve convinced me you’re a freaking genius.” Bones glanced at his watch. “You think it’s late enough to get to work?”
Maddock was about to reply in the affirmative when he spotted a glimmer of light on the other side of the cemetery. A figure emerged carrying a flashlight. He recognized her immediately.
“Isla. How in the hell?” Anger boiling inside him, he stalked across the dark graveyard.
“Maddock, a little stealth?” Bones whispered.
Maddock ignored him. As he drew nearer, he saw Isla kneel and begin to dig. A few seconds later, she drew from the earth a small box.
“How did you find us?”
He’d thought to surprise her, but Isla didn’t flinch.
“I know about Haggard, too, which means I know about Lilly.”
Maddock wasn’t buying it. “You couldn’t know about the message Haggard left unless you went back to the cathedral, and I doubt you did that considering the chaos we left behind.”
“You refuse to accept that I’ve got some talents of my own,” she said, striding over to him and poking him in the chest. “I’m a treasure hunter now, just like you, but you have no respect for me or for what I can do.”
“What are you talking about?” Maddock asked. “I just want the ring.”
At the mention of the ring, Isla danced backward a few steps. “Let’s work together.”
“No.”
“Come on, Maddock. You can’t open Solomon’s Mines without the ring. Also, I’ve got resources at my disposal.”
“You really think we can’t take the ring if we want it?” Bones appeared behind her.
“Don’t come any closer.” Isla drew a small pistol and aimed it at the big Cherokee. Maddock noted her steady hand. She was not afraid.
“You won’t shoot me,” Bones said, taking a step closer. “Your finger’s not even on the trigger.”
Isla fired a shot, the bullet tearing up the turf a few feet in front of Bones. “It is now. Next time I’ll aim just a little bit higher.”
“Isla, this is ridiculous. There are others on the trail of the ring and we don’t have time to stand here arguing.”
“You’re correct,” Isla said. “So stop being a wankpuffin and help me find the mines.”
Maddock couldn’t believe he was even considering her offer. Yes, she’d run away when they’d been under attack by the Tuatha de Danaan. He’d assumed she was joining them, but perhaps she was telling the truth, and she’d only been running to safety...to her mother. And he couldn’t deny an attraction to her remained. God, she was beautiful, and this newfound confidence only made her more so. But no, he couldn’t do it. He had no idea who she was working for. What if this new group were worse than the so-called cousins?
“Give me the ring.” He started walking toward her. “I know you won’t shoot me.”
“Perhaps not,” said a new voice from the darkness, “but I will.”
A sturdily built man with a shaved head stepped into the faint light cast by the moon and by Isla’s flashlight. He held a Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle aimed at Bones’ chest.
Maddock tensed. The pistol he had taken off of Ronald was tucked into his belt. No way could he draw and fire before this man shot him. Hell, the safety was still on.
“Who the hell are you?” Bones asked. He stood with his hands up, clearly having assessed the s
ituation and seen no strategic advantage to a frontal assault.
“This is Gowan,” Isla said. “He’s my partner in this.”
“So you also work for...” Maddock left the sentence hanging, but Gowan didn’t bite.
“None of your concern.” He glanced at Isla. “Why are we wasting time with these tossers? You have the ring, don’t you?”
Isla raised her eyebrows. “I don’t know, actually.” She tugged at the lid of the metal box. “Rusted closed. You want to know what’s inside? Join our team and we can find out together.”
“What are you doing, Isla?” Gowan asked.
“They are experienced treasure hunters. No one in the organization can match them. They can help.”
“We couldn’t trust them.” Gowan’s frown flitted from Maddock to Bones and back. He took two steps to move in between Isla and the two men. “They’d betray us first chance they got.”
“Not if they gave their word,” Isla said over Gowan’s shoulder. “If they say they won’t betray us, they won’t.”
“Unlike some people,” Bones said.
“Please,” Isla said. “We can work together, beat these cousins or whoever they are to the mines, and share the treasure.”
Despite himself, Maddock found his resolve crumbling. He wanted to forgive Isla. “Tell us who you’re working for and I’ll consider it.”
“There’s nothing to consider.” Gowan raised his rifle. Maddock dove to the side as he heard the report of a gunshot.
He hit the soft earth face-first, his ears ringing. The breath left him in a rush, but he felt no pain. Had Gowan missed? He rolled over, grabbing for his pistol, but there was no need.
Gowan lay in a pool of blood, the side of his head ruined. Isla stood over him, pistol hanging limply at her side, her face white as a sheet.
“I can’t believe I shot him,” she whispered.
“I can’t either, but thanks,” Bones said, gently taking the pistol from her hand.
“He was going to kill you,” she said to Maddock. “I couldn’t let him.”
Maddock didn’t know what to say.