Destiny

by Alex Archer

  Sandwiched amid the tall apartment buildings, the delis, the shops, the pizza parlors and the small grocery stores, her building was one of the oldest. Only four floors high, the top two floors were divided into lofts instead of apartments. An artist, a photographer, a sculptor and a yoga instructor lived there.

  The ground floor was occupied by shops, including a small gallery that showcased local artists. A violin maker, a dentist, a private investigator, a fortune-teller and music teachers occupied offices on the second floor.

  A freight elevator ran up all four stories, but Annja didn’t take it. The residents had a tacit understanding that no one used the elevator at night because of the terrible noise it made. Annja had also found that she could generally just about pace the elevator as it rose.

  She took the stairs in the dimly lit stairwell. In the years that she’d lived there, she’d never had any trouble. Vagrants and thieves tended to stay away from the building because so many people lived above the shops and kept watch.

  Her door was plain, scarred wood under a thick varnish coat, marked only by the designation 4A. She liked to think of it as 4-Annja, and that was how she’d felt when she’d first seen the loft space.

  She worked through the five locks securing the door, then went inside.

  A feeling of safety like she’d never known descended upon her as soon as she closed the door. For a moment, she stood with her back to the door, as if she could hold out the rest of the world.

  As far back as she could remember, she had shared her space. Though she’d been so young when her parents were killed that she couldn’t really remember living with them. In the orphanage, there had been bunk beds stacked everywhere, and nuns constantly moving among them. Privacy had been nonexistent. As she’d grown older, her roommates had dropped down to four, but there was still no privacy.

  In college, she’d shared a dorm room the first year, then settled into an apartment off campus with a revolving cast of roommates until graduation because none of them could afford to live on their own. The first few years after she’d graduated had been much the same. Only she’d been on digs—sharing campsites—ten months out of the year.

  But then she’d sold her first book, a personal narrative detailing her experiences excavating a battlefield north of Hadrian’s Wall in Britain. The rumor was that the legendary King Arthur had fought there. At least, the man the stories had been built on was believed to have fought there.

  Professor Heinlein hadn’t found any trace of King Arthur or his Knights of the Round Table, but he had discovered the murders of a band of Roman soldiers. In the official records, the unit had been lost while on maneuvers. From the evidence Annja had helped to unearth, the commander of the Roman centurions had killed them because they’d discovered his dealings with the Picts.

  It appeared that the Roman commander had managed quite a thriving business in black market goods. Most wars inevitably produced such a trade, and there were always men ready to make a profit from it.

  During the dig, though, Annja and the others reconstructed what had happened. The intrigue—digging for bones, then going through fragments of old Roman documents to re-create the circumstances—had captured her attention. Everyone on the dig team had been excited by what they were finding and by the murders.

  She’d kept a journal simply to keep track of everything they were figuring out, detailing the dig with interconnected pieces on what must have happened during that action all those years ago, interspersing colorful bits of history and infusing the story with life. A British journalist had taken an interest in her writing, and read everything she’d written. He’d made a lot of suggestions and pointed out the possibility of a book.

  Annja had worked on the journal, with an eye toward possible publication, at the site and when she’d returned to New York. Two years later, after the manuscript had found a publisher and come out as a book, it was enough of a success to allow Annja to make the down payment on the loft. Reviewers had said she’d made archaeology appealing for the masses and kicked in a bit of a murder mystery on the side.

  After that, she’d continued getting dig site offers because the book served as a great introductory letter and résumé. She’d also made some appearances on the late-night talk-show circuit and had a chance to show that she was good in front of a camera.

  She became a favorite of David Letterman, who worked hard to keep her off balance and flirt with her at the same time. Her minor celebrity status eventually landed her on Chasing History’s Monsters.

  Annja looked around the loft. The big room had a fourteen-foot ceiling. Shelves filled the walls and sagged under the weight of books, rocks, artifacts and other finds. Her desk sat overflowing with open books, sketchpads and faxes. File folders, although everything was in order about them, stood stacked in haphazard piles. A sea of technology washed up around the desk: scanners, digital cameras, audio equipment, GPS devices, projectors and other items that she found useful. Despite her love of history, she loved technology, too.

  She’d had every intention of cracking the notebook computer open and working on what she’d found out about the coin and the Brotherhood of the Silent Rain. But it felt so good to be home. Instead, she barely made it through a shower and into an oversize T-shirt before she collapsed into bed.

  Her thoughts were of the sword. Had she really held it? Had the taxi driver really seen it? Was she losing her mind…?

  THE ANNOYING SOUND of a ringing phone penetrated the haze of sleep.

  “Good morning,” Annja said. Without opening her eyes, she rolled over in bed and struggled to think clearly. She felt as if she’d been on cold medicine.

  “Don’t you mean ‘Good afternoon’?” the caller asked. NYPD Homicide Detective Bart McGilley always sounded way too chipper, Annja thought grumpily as the words slowly registered.

  She opened her eyes and looked at the skylight. From the hard, direct shadow on the varnished floor, she knew it had to be around noon.

  Glancing over at the bedside clock, she saw the time was 12:03.

  “Sorry.” Annja pushed herself up from bed. She never slept this late. “You woke me. It’s taking me a minute to catch up with myself.”

  “When did you get in yesterday?”

  “You mean what time did I get in this morning?”

  “Ouch. That’s harsh. You must have slept hard.”

  Annja sat on the edge of the bed. “Why?”

  “I called three times already.”

  “I didn’t hear the phone ring.”

  “Lots of fun in France?” Bart sounded a little envious. He’d told her more than once he could find his way around New York City blindfolded. Seeing something new would have been welcome.

  “Hardly.” Annja yawned and suddenly realized she was ravenous. “Did you find out something about those prints I sent you?”

  “I did. We need to talk.”

  “We are talking.” Annja heard the hesitation in his voice. It wasn’t something she usually heard in Bart McGilley.

  “Face-to-face,” he told her.

  “Is it that bad?” Annja stood and walked to the window. She moved the curtain aside and peered out. She loved the view from the building. The streets were filled with pedestrians and cars.

  “Are these fingerprints new?” he asked.

  “Would that make a difference?”

  “It would make it weird. Bad may follow. I’ve noticed that with you. You archaeologists sometimes lead strange lives.”

  You, Annja thought, remembering the Brotherhood of the Silent Rain and the disappearing sword, don’t know the half of it.

  “Besides,” Bart added, “I’ve missed talking to you.”

  “I need to get dressed,” she told him.

  “I could come over and help.”

  Annja smiled at that. The thought was a pleasant one that she’d entertained before. Bart McGilley had great eyes and great hands.

  The problem was, he was the marrying kind. He couldn’t deal
with a relationship where all things were equal. Getting involved with him would mean a regular struggle choosing between relationship and career.

  And Annja couldn’t leave archaeology. There were too many wonders out there just waiting to be discovered. She could share her life, but she couldn’t give it up. Finding a guy who could meet her halfway was going to be hard, and she wasn’t even sure she wanted to look.

  “I appreciate the offer,” Annja said, “but I’m sure you have better things to do.”

  Bart sighed. “I don’t know about better, but I know the captain’s kicking tail for me to move some files off my desk.”

  “So we’ll meet for lunch,” Annja said. “I’ll buy. Where to you want to meet?”

  “Tito’s?”

  Tito’s was one of their favorite Cuban restaurants. It also wasn’t far from her loft.

  “Tito’s sounds great. Are you in the neighborhood?”

  “If you hadn’t answered the phone this time, the next thing you’d have heard was me knocking on the door.”

  “See you there in twenty minutes?”

  “If you show up in twenty minutes, I’ll be the guy with the surprised look.”

  ANNJA ARRIVED at the restaurant in twenty-seven minutes. She dressed in jeans, a fitted T-shirt, a leather jacket against the cool breeze and carried a backpack containing her computer and accessories.

  She also turned the head of every male in the restaurant. After everything she’d been through the past few days, she indulged a moment of self-gratification.

  Tito’s carried the flavor of Cuba in the fare and the surroundings. The smoky scent of fajitas swirled in the air. Spices stung her nose. Lime-green seats and yellow tables filled the hardwood floor. The drinks came crowded with fruit and a little umbrella.

  “Annja!” Standing behind the counter, Maria Ruiz waved excitedly. Plump and gray-haired, she was in her sixties, the mother of Tito, and the chef who made the kitchen turn on a dime. Nothing escaped Maria’s sight. She wore a short-sleeved floral shirt under her apron.

  “Maria,” Annja said warmly, and stepped into the short woman’s strong embrace.

  “It has been too long since you’ve been with us,” Maria said, releasing her and stepping back.

  “I’ve been out of the country,” Annja replied in Spanish.

  “Then you should come and bring pictures,” Maria said. “Show me where you have been. I always enjoy your adventures so much.”

  “Thank you. When I get everything ready, I’d love to.”

  Maria wiped her hands on her apron. “Let me know when. I’ll make a special dessert.”

  Annja smiled. “I’ll look forward to that.” And I’ll have to go to the gym for a week afterward. Still, she loved Maria’s attentions, even if she had to pay for it in extra workouts.

  “Do you need a table?” Maria asked.

  “Actually, I’m meeting someone.”

  Maria’s eyebrows climbed.

  “I’m meeting Bart,” Annja said, laughing.

  “He’s a good-looking man,” Maria observed.

  “Yes,” Annja agreed, “but I think he already knows that.”

  Maria waved her comment away. “You could do much worse.”

  “I know.”

  Shaking her finger in warning, Maria added, “You’re not getting any younger.”

  Chagrined, Annja smiled and shook her head. If Maria had her way, she’d already have her married off.

  “He’s here already. Come with me.” Maria led the way through the packed restaurant, calling out instructions to the busboys, urging them to greater speed. She also dressed down a couple of waitresses who were lingering with male customers.

  Bart sat at a table in the back that offered a view of the street. He was six feet two inches tall, with dark hair clipped short, a square jaw that was freshly shaved and wearing a dark blue suit with a gold tie firmly knotted at his neck. He stood as Maria guided Annja to the table.

  “You look like a million bucks.” Bart pulled out a chair.

  “You see?” Maria pinched Bart’s cheek. She spoke English so he could understand. “You see why I like this one? Always he knows the right thing to say.”

  Annja put her backpack on the chair next to her.

  Embarrassed and off balance, Bart sat across from her.

  “Have you ordered?” Maria asked.

  Bart shook his head. “I was waiting for Annja.”

  Maria threw her hands up. “Don’t you worry. I’ll prepare your meals. I’ll make sure you get plenty.” She turned and walked away.

  Bart shook his head and grinned. “This is a big city. How do you get to know these people so well?” he asked.

  “I like them,” Annja said.

  “Then you like a lot of people. It seems like everywhere we go, you know somebody.” Bart didn’t sound jealous.

  “I’ve met a lot of people.”

  “But you’re an absentee resident. Gone as much as you’re here.”

  “I grew up in an orphanage,” Annja said. “I learned to meet people quickly. You never knew how long they were going to be around.”

  Bart leaned back in his chair. “I didn’t know that.”

  Annja smiled. “It’s not something I talk about.”

  “I mean, I figured you had a family somewhere.”

  “No.”

  He shook his head. “How long have I known you?”

  “Two years.”

  Smiling, he said, “Two years, four months.”

  Annja was surprised he’d kept track. It made her feel a little uncomfortable. She didn’t timeline her life other than when she was on a dig site. In her daily life, she just…flowed. Got from point A to point B, with an eye toward a multitude of possible point Cs.

  “I’ll take your word for it,” she told him.

  “It’s been that long. And in all that time, I didn’t know you were adopted.”

  “I was never adopted,” Annja said. For just an instant, the old pain twitched in her heart. “I grew up at the orphanage, went to college and got on with my life.”

  Bart looked uncomfortable. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get into this.”

  “It’s no big deal,” Annja said. But she remembered that it used to be. She’d walled all that off a long time ago and simply got on with living. Just as the nuns had counseled her to do.

  Gazing into her eyes, Bart said, “It’s just that you have this way about you. Like with that woman—”

  “You mean Maria?”

  “See? I didn’t even know her name.”

  “That’s because she’s never been a homicide suspect,” Annja said.

  Bart gave her a wry look. “No. That’s not it. You’re just…someone people are lucky to get to know.”

  “Thank you.” Annja felt embarrassed and wondered if the meeting was going to suddenly get sticky and if Bart wanted to explore the possibilities of a relationship.

  “I was telling my girlfriend about you. That maybe we should try to fix you up with somebody we knew.”

  Annja didn’t think she’d heard right. “Girlfriend?” She suddenly felt let down in ways she hadn’t even imagined.

  “Yeah. Girlfriend.”

  Hesitating, Annja said, “How long have you had a girlfriend?”

  “We’ve dated off and on for the last few years,” Bart said. “It’s hard to maintain a steady relationship when you’re a cop. But a week ago, we got engaged.”

  “You asked her to marry you?” Annja was reeling.

  He grinned and looked a little embarrassed. “Actually, she asked me. In front of the guys at the gym.”

  “Gutsy.”

  “Yeah. She’s some piece of work.”

  “So what did you say?”

  Bart shrugged. “I told her I’d think about it.”

  “You did not.”

  “No,” he agreed, “I didn’t. I said I would.” He shifted in his seat. “I’d like to ask you a favor if I could.”

  “You c
an. I seem to ask you for favors from time to time.” Annja didn’t like the little ember of jealousy inside her. She knew she didn’t want commitment at this point in her life, but she’d liked the idea of having Bart kind of waiting in the wings. She didn’t like how casually that had just been taken off the table. Or how she’d made the wrong assumptions about his feelings for her. She felt foolish.

  “I’d like something special for a wedding ring,” Bart said. “Something that has…a history to it. You know. Something that has—”

  “Permanence,” Annja said, understanding exactly what he was looking for.

  Bart nodded and smiled happily. “Yeah. Permanence. I want to give her something that didn’t just come off an assembly line.”

  “I can do that. How much time do I have?”

  Spreading his hands, Bart shrugged. “A few months. A year. We haven’t exactly set a date yet.”

  “What does she do?”

  He gazed at her through suspicious, narrowed eyes. “Are you curious about the kind of woman that would go out with me? Or choose to marry me?”

  “I figured I’d be checking a psych ward.”

  Bart snorted.

  “Actually,” Annja went on, “I was thinking it might be nice to get her something that might tie in to her profession. Give her a duality. A bonding of her life with you as well as the life she’s chosen.”

  “I like that,” Bart said seriously.

  “Good. So what does she do?”

  “She’s a doctor. In Manhattan.”

  “A doctor is good,” Annja said. “What kind of doctor?”

  “She works in the ER. She patched me up three years ago when I was shot.”

  “You never told me you’d been shot,” Annja said.

  “I didn’t die. Nothing to tell. But I got to know Ruth.”

  “Ruth. That’s a good, strong name.”

  “She’s a strong lady.”

  “So the offer you made earlier about coming up to my loft and helping me dress—”

  “Whoa,” Bart protested, throwing his hands up. “In the first place, I knew you would never say yes.”

  Feeling mischievous, Annja said, without cracking a smile, “And if I did?”