“She’s in New Mexico, just outside of Taos in the north. There’s an abandoned army outpost with running water and it’s reasonably close to stores. She’s there in an expensive RV, the kind movie stars use.”
Eene said, “Thank you darlin’. Hecate could you fly there and check out her story.”
Hecate was back in a second. “She’s there. Couple of beers in hand, and watching TV.”
Chapter 33
Three men showed up at the long-abandoned army base, or at least the adobe ruins that remained, accompanied by two Immortals. Hecate was there for punitive offensive action while Kendra was there as backup “muscle”, not that much was needed. Kendra had never seen Hecate in action, so watching heads implode was high on her “bucket list” of things to see. Conversely, the three mortals, Octavio and the Paz twins, had never seen an Immortal. As they met outside the landing strip, the Immortals spoke to the men in their minds, their identities still invisible.
One of the twins said aloud, “Might we, I mean if you wouldn’t mind and if cousin Adams would allow it, might we see what you Immortals look like to him? We have never seen an Immortal, though cuz often speaks of you both. If it’s not OK, just say so and we’ll drop the subject.”
“How would you like us to appear to you? Naked, bikini or Army fatigues? Naughty Librarian?”
The Paz twins said they had a definite preference but, knowing their cousin Adam, said Army fatigues might be the best choice.
The two appeared in Army camo trousers with very tight olive-green t-shirts that left little to the imagination, dog tags, aviator’s glasses and regulation Army boots.
“Your cousin is not the jealous type but I think you’re right. However, there are two matrons on the jet, formerly with the IDF, who are quite fetching, far away from home and, shall we say, warm to the touch. They are old friends of Adam and, before his current situation, he was quite – shall we say – friendly with them. They used to shower together ‘to conserve water in a desert climate’. However, with that shower being at a private resort just outside of Vegas, the story loses some of its credibility. Now what we can do is show you some slides of our matron friends in various poses and states of dress – and undress. Interested?”
The twins shook their heads vigorously. “Much obliged, ladies.”
“We shall also help you with some images that will simulate how they might help you experience various situations of an erotic nature. You can keep them forever.”
The ladies looked at Octavio. “And you?”
“No thanks. Married with three kids; my wife keeps me very happy in this world in all matters.”
“She is a lucky woman, temptation being in mind only and so far away.”
“I have committed to her, and to her only. For me there is no other.”
“Then we shall begin our task,” said Kendra. “I detect three guards around her RV. Hecate shall tend to them while the three of you knock on the RV door. You shall appear to Laura at first as County Sheriff investigating the three dead men. Cuff her and take her to the jet. She’ll recognize you after she is restrained but your job is to simply walk her to the jet where you shall hand her over to the matrons. Say your ‘hellos and goodbyes’, then be off. A helicopter awaits you nearby.”
Octavio knocked on the RV door, and Laura, dressed in jeans and a Mexican peasant blouse answered the door.
“Sheriff, what may I do for you tonight so late?”
“You may show me identification and step outside of the vehicle. I have had complaints of shots fired on this base very close to here. The FBI called and asked me to investigate on their behalf. An agent from Albuquerque is supposed to arrive in the morning to investigate and interview you. In addition, do you have a permit to occupy this space on a federal reservation? Or a weapon?”
“No, I’m sorry, I don’t have a permit. Is one required? I’ll only be here a few more days.”
“Please step out, miss.”
Laura came out of the RV looking back at her handbag, only a few feet away.
“Please miss, do not linger. I require you to step out now.”
As she did, Octavio pulled out handcuffs, swung Laura against the RV face first and cuffed her.
“You will accompany us.”
It was then, in the light now shining brightly upon face brightly, that Laura recognized Octavio.
“You. You’re not a Sheriff, you’re one of Adam’s men. I recognize you. What us this all about? How dare you touch me, much less detain me. You have no authority.”
“Correct you are Ms. Baldwin,” said one of the Paz twins. “But for now, we three will have to do as members of the Sheriff’s Department. Your three friends are dead and your gun is chambered with hollow points, minus three, with your prints on the gun handle and shell casings, which are in the RV. The RV and your possessions are now safely locked inside, a call placed to the real Sheriff’s office. You’re coming with us.”
“I shall do no such thing!”
The Paz twins grabbed Laura, then pulled up and twisted one of her arms, causing excruciating pain.
“You are coming this way and be quick about it. I would not normally be rough with a woman but, in your case, failure to cooperate and time constraints may cause me to stray from that rule.”
In minutes they were at the jet, the nano-tech tarmac ready for takeoff. It would disappear mysteriously after the jet was wheels up.
Octavio said to the two matrons, “She’s to be searched, including a full cavity search and her stomach ex-rayed with the portable machine inside in back of the cabin in a storage locker.”
“No need,” said Hecate. She has two small plastic capsule tubes stuffed up her ass and one very large plastic capsule up her … vagina. Please remove them and bag them. Adam will want to see the contents when we get home. In addition, she has swallowed a quantity of diamonds encased in plastic. Quite a few, in fact. Please be sure to have her use the bucket. We shall meet you back home where Adam anxiously awaits your arrival.”
“I do not share his anticipation,” said Laura.”
“I was not speaking to you, Laura. I was speaking to your matrons. I understand he owes you both a favor; perhaps more than one. He said he would make good on his commitment as soon as he was able.”
“We shall be able as soon as we arrive. Is he in good physical condition?”
“Top of the line. Why?”
“We shall both need him and his services for a long stretch of time. We shall be taking turns. He used to be able to tire us both out. We shall see if he can still accomplish his mission.”
“He has six wives and mates, and must satisfy each of them daily. I recommend that you exercise on the way to your meeting with him. And I wish you luck. I shall see you there.”
The cabin door closed and the jet departed.
Hecate said to Adam, seconds later, “They’re on the way. Mission accomplished, and the lads are on their way home to Seattle, safe and sound. Evidence planted, our friend Laura has nowhere to flee.”
“Good. The bait is soon to arrive and trap is set for our friends in London.”
“And Adam?”
“Yes, love?”
“Let’s do something nice for the Paz twins. They urgently need company.”
***
The ladies and Adam were seated in the Study when Laura finally arrived, bathed and having had a change of clothes. They were noshing on some sweet treats, as their Jewish friends would say, and all were in fine fettle; all except Gaea, who was quite unhappy still to be captive in the City of Light. When Laura entered the room, her steely stare first went to Gaea, who had clearly sold her out. Had not Laura made clear she would return for Gaea in return for her silence, and make her a wealthy woman? Why then had she broken her silence when to say nothing would have been more than enough to set her up for life.
Gaea spoke first, anticipating Laura’s venom. “They gave our little innocent friend Eene here a razor sharp-edged boning knife of the
finest Japanese craftsmanship currently on the market. Then she set about removing buttons from my blouse one by one until at last, as she said, she would remove my clothing and finally, begin to surgically refashion my breasts one at a time, beginning with the removal of my nipples. Our friend and protector, Dr. Adam St. James, was apparently convinced of Eene’s conjecture which was, in fact, the case. I did not believe that you would rescue me, having struck no deal that would free me in the many months that have passed. I have no reason to keep silent any longer.”
Laura looked on with murder in her eyes. “You fool!”
Gaea continued, “In fact, I have reason to believe that everything you have ever told me is a fabrication of some slight version of the truth. You may wish to tell those assembled here your story but I recommend that they take your fantasy explanations with a grain of salt.”
Laura, still cuffed, was seated in her own comfortable chair and was asked if there was anything she required.
“Perhaps a glass of fortified sherry. And a straw. Then you may ask your questions, if indeed you have any.”
***
Laura told her story.
It had begun as Adam surmised at the University of Arizona when she was approached by an anthropologist she had never met and was told she had been recommended for a small dig in China. He understood her Mandarin was passable and her skills adequate. The stipend was also adequate; a large city was but an hour away from the dig and there were expats there, bars and night life she could enjoy on her time off.
Her admirer was to remain anonymous; the excavation of a small market town was funded by a grant from the National Geographic Society and other interested parties, all unnamed. Her paperwork and permits having been approved, Laura would wait only a few days for her visa to arrive and, in the interim, she should settle her local affairs in Tucson. If she accepted, her Tucson apartment would be paid in full and, after six months, she could return Stateside for a vacation then return back to her project. Her visa was multiple-entry, so nothing would slow down her ingress and egress from China and this dig.
She was invited to a “pre-dig” party at the home of an American businessman which was very lively; she enjoyed her time that evening very much. She met two men who showed more than professional interest in her and both of whom were quite handsome. One was a Chinese American named James Wong and the other, Franco di Pietro, a commercial Attaché at the Italian Embassy in Beijing.
James told Laura in confidence that the dig site was a former landholding of his family confiscated during the “communist reign of terror” and that certain minor artifacts, if discovered and returned to his family, would be handsomely rewarded. A side project to her main work, but potentially lucrative.
“This minor deviation from your main task is extremely important to my family. Locate what we want, but do not disturb the find. If you find something, report it to us right away.”
“I will, I assure you.” She knew the cover story was a lie; she would find what he wanted, if she could, then decide for herself whether to give him what she found or claim it for herself.
He gave her a thumb drive he said gave the entire history of the town. The town was located at the bottom of the gentle hillside slope down from the remains of the old government building; he also provided a schematic of a system of tunnels that had been bored into the limestone rockface that lay immediately behind the ruins of the government building. The artifacts sought would be of no value to the Chinese government, but of immense value to his family. He would keep an apartment for her in this town, or in Beijing if she preferred, and be given a stipend if she would simply keep him informed of progress and discoveries.
She agreed immediately. The archeological market value of this site, in her estimation, was close to nil. She incorrectly surmised that this this was practice run to see how she did; she might be included later in something larger and grander if she did well. Or, maybe this was the one and only score she would ever be allowed to have.
She was not wholly incorrect on either account.
The approach made by Franco di Pietro was far more cautious and more sexual in orientation. Franco simply offered to send and receive items for her in the Italian diplomatic pouch that she may wish to have for comfort and pleasure. Lingerie, he suggested as an example, the latest Italian fashion and design could easily be acquired. It would be months before the Chinese would steal the patterns and materials and thus undercut the Italian price, but Franco’s connections were impeccable. Anything leaving the country was his specialty and he was only a cell phone call away for him to come to her aid.
Laura was impressed, so asked what compensation might be involved on either end. Franco said everything in China was negotiable and he would assist at her level of ability to pay. A special price among friends. Of course, he was always at her service; no task was too big or too small.
Both James and Franco had provided her with untraceable email accounts, so correspondence would not be monitored.
Laura told both separately, “I’ll be in touch.”
Chapter 34
Four months into the excavation and, having found nothing of any archeological value whatsoever, and looking at another eighteen months of potentially fruitless search, Laura was beginning to despair of the lack of western social company and authentic work. Then she received an email form an encrypted source that she did not recognize.
We have followed with great interest the progress you have made and the work ethic you have shown in pursuing seamless research. We also now recognize that there is nothing of significance to be found at this site, except for what we shall now reveal to you. Please print out this email attachment on plastic film, transfer it to the map given to you by James Wong with the same font size and dimension to plastic film, and combine the two. Photograph the combined map and destroy the components. Instructions to follow.
Laura was taken aback, but sensing money to be a key component of following directions, she did as she was requested. The combined map showed the cave entrances, some three hundred fifty or more, some natural, most man-made, in the limestone cliff face behind the site under excavation. Each cave was shown to have a main entrance straight and deep, marked “A -1, A-2, A-3 and so on. Each main tunnel shaft also had numerous numbered side tunnels, each of the side tunnels also marked by number and letter. Each also contained the letters “R” for right side facing in and “L” for left facing in. The system was simple and was marked by a GPS location that contained three parallel lines deeply etched into limestone at the base of the cliff.
Further instructions would follow, and the work was to be undertaken by Laura alone. If she did the work, delivered the contents she discovered undisturbed to the designated individual, she would be given a bonus of fifty million dollars. Progress payments would be made to a Swiss account. The account number was provided to Laura, but not the salient information that there was a secret beneficiary in the event of Laura’s death.
Laura began counting all her cash in advance, never considering that she was not expected to survive her fieldwork.
***
Adam asked, “What did you find and what did you do?”
Laura continued.
“The map overlay showed a specific tunnel, a specific rout within that tunnel that led to a small cavern below which was said to be buried a series of sealed lead chests. The weather had changed in the area, becoming drier, so there was little doubt that the contents, if any paper was involved, was likely safe from complete deterioration from the climate and elements.
“I managed to break the lead seals of a few lead chests with tools sent to me; along with those tools came fifty or so large air-tight chests, biometrically set up for my use only. It took three months to remove the contents of the lead chests, pieces at a time, as they were heavy, wax sealed and large in number. Some container objects were cylindrical, perhaps containing scrolls, but most were rectangular and a few smaller, yet heavy, were large and shallow. All
were sealed in wax with seals inscribed on all sides.
“I received many emails from the same source asking for updates and providing instructions. I then received this email:
“We understand that your work on site is now complete and that all items are stored with you. You will begin to deliver these items to a man at the Italian Embassy by the name of Franco di Pietro, a few containers at a time. This will take place in Beijing, and special arrangements have been made for you to deliver these parcels to him at locations we will specify at a later date.
“This process took over seven months and, with final delivery made, additional funds should have been delivered to my Swiss account, though not nearly the sum originally promised. I took the liberty of requiring the deliveries through diplomatic courier to be countersigned by me in Rome for them to be released to Franco di Pietro, or barring his availability, to me alone.
“However, one day, the money in my account just disappeared without me ever having had access to the funds. The account was restricted, and when I inquired about the status of my account, was told that I had died, and the proceeds were distributed to my beneficiary. That was Franco di Pietro. I told them I was most certainly not dead and asked for proof, which in time, they provided. I had been cheated and scammed.
“When I left China on my next vacation, I headed directly to Rome and collected all the boxes of articles sent by diplomatic pouch to a location I named, but never given to di Pietro. I then arranged for the shipments to be transferred to Zurich, and there, unopened, placed in a digitally sealed series of safety deposit boxes at a private bank employing thumb and retinal scans as security.
“The balance of funds owing was never delivered, so I remain the sole owner of whatever is in those boxes.”
Adam said, “Interesting story and no doubt one you believe. I would also guess that you believe that the boxes you hold in Zurich are the original journals and artifacts from Marco Polo’s whole life in China serving the Great Khan. I also assume that you believe he never left China and that an impostor was funded by him to play the part. The story this impostor subsequently told his writer friend in jail was coincidence and was only a compendium of known facts collected from other travelers to Cathay. It was interesting reading but lacking in factual accuracy.”
Crissy Chance Page 25