by K. T. Tomb
Phoe thought hard about her plan of attack. Can’t hurt him. Can’t get close to him. Can’t stand to look at him anymore. The obvious plans of attack don’t work. Think! If it’s not obvious then it has to be simpler than that!
Phoe wasn’t sure if she even understood it herself, but she knew she had to try something. She held out her hand and concentrated.
The spear flew straight to her.
She was as surprised as Mueller. He stood there in shock. All he could mutter was a whiney, “Oh, shit.”
She found the gloves that Mueller had discarded earlier. She put them on and then felt no effects of the Spear. It only worked while in contact with flesh.
Eric walked over to Mueller. “Hey, Lukas. It’s time for you to go away,” he said, as he pushed the wannabe gangster into one of the crevices. He would never be heard from again.
Epilogue
Phoe, Angelica, and Eric stood next to Simon’s hospital bed. Phoe carried the long pool stick case.
“It looks like our plan worked, Phoe,” Simon uttered with a smile. “I would love to know how you figured it out about Charles Danworth and put everything else together. I must say, I am impressed.”
Phoe took a deep breath. “Well, you asked. Andrew Selig, a.k.a. Charles Danworth, somehow acquired the wooden part of the Spear of Destiny. He managed to become Dr. Feather’s assistant when Feather was testing the spearhead that he had to see if it was the real Spear of Destiny or not. Danworth was hoping he could find the spearhead and put the two pieces together.”
“What does it do when both pieces are together?” Eric interrupted.
Phoe continued, “I’m not sure, but we saw that the wooden part takes on the persona of whoever is touching it. I’m not sure what happened when Mueller and I both touched it. Anyway, when Dr. Feather declared that the spearhead he researched was not the true spearhead from the S.O.D., then Danworth became desperate to find it. He must have heard of me from all of the press I got from the Hammer of Thor. When Mom advertised for someone to help her with her project to stop me from treasure hunting, Danworth saw that as his opportunity to recruit me to find the real spearhead. He had his own agenda.”
“That’s not fair, Thalia,” Angelica scoffed.
“Do you deny that it’s true? You didn’t want to stop me from treasure hunting?” Phoe rebutted.
Angelica remained quiet.
“Good. I’ll continue then,” Phoe said triumphantly. “Danworth sought out Emmerich Huber because he must have been related to Fritz Huber. Fritz was a German soldier who had been interrogated by Americans around World War II. Fritz gave up information about the Spear of Destiny. Yes, it was the same one that was discredited by Dr. Feather. I don’t know why Danworth stuck by Huber after the trail of the real Spear went cold. Maybe it was to have a translator in Germany.”
“What about the postcard? It hurts my head just thinking about that,” Eric added.
Phoe paced as if she were Sherlock Holmes exposing the truth about one of his many mysteries. “I’m glad you asked about that, Eric. You gave me the first clue when you said you didn’t send it.”
Angelica looked confused.
Phoe continued, “Danworth had found out the mysterious shopping list needed to access the even more mysterious black room which just so coincidentally also happened to be here in Portland. I’m assuming that Danworth didn’t have what it took to find out the answers he needed from the room, so he sent a postcard to Mom with the shopping list on it, with hopes that the postcard would get to me. Once Mom became involved with Huber and Danworth, Charles decided that he could hide his part of the Spear in Portland. So, he took a Jewish name and became a part of the Jewish community here, so that he could bury the Spear part in the cemetery.”
“That’s some crazy shit, Phoe,” Eric said.
“I know, Eric,” Phoe replied. “It’s the only thing that makes sense, though. Huber and Danworth had hoped to recruit me once I arrived in Germany. Mom thought they were going to try to persuade or even force me to stop going after artifacts, but they wanted me to find the Spear. They kept getting in each other’s way and in trouble with the law in Nuremberg, which slowed their progress and made me distrust them. Danworth hoped that I would put two and two together and realize that I had to “shop” in Portland, once Eric told me that he didn’t send the postcard. We actually thought that Mom sent it to throw us off.”
Angelica was angered by all of the accusations, even if they were legitimate.
Phoe took another deep breath. “Once Danworth and Huber realized that they weren’t going to get any help retrieving the spearhead, they left with their butts intact, but without the wooden piece.”
“Bravo, Phoe!” Simon applauded. “You are a true detective as well as treasure hunter! I, of course, played my role by sidetracking the police and the press by being laid up here in the hospital. My fish is bigger than Mueller, though. He was blatantly stupid and had to have a benefactor. I am closer to that trail, even as we speak. He cost me a good driver and a good man. This debt will be paid.”
Phoe placed the long box on the bed. “Be careful with this, Simon. Handle with gloves. Here’s my part of the deal. Are you sticking to your end?”
Simon smiled. “Phoe, my dear. The deal was for the Spear of Destiny. However, this piece is a rare treasure indeed.” He pulled out an envelope and handed it to Eric.
Eric opened it to reveal a cashier’s check made out to Eric Phoenix for one million dollars.
“Holy shit!” Eric exclaimed. “Is this real?” He looked at Phoe with tears in his eyes. “This was your payment? You helped me? I don’t know what to say.”
Phoe hugged her brother. “Can you go out in the hall for a minute with Mom? I have one more thing to talk to my boss about.”
“Sure thing, sis.” Eric was choked up.
As he left, Angelica put a hand on Phoe’s shoulder. “Well, well, Thalia. Or should I call you Phoe? You’ve earned it. To see you in action like this…” She, too, started to cry. “I am so proud of you, my daughter. Keep treasure hunting as long as you desire. Make sure you eat, though. I love you, Phoe.”
They hugged each other tightly and then Angelica left the room. Phoe couldn’t help but shed a few tears of joy.
Simon glared at her. “You know where the Spearhead is, don’t you, Phoe?”
Phoe remembered the video that she watched in the dark room under the Jewish grocery store…
There was a hill just north of the Damascus Gate. There had been a crucifixion a few days prior. The Son of God they called Him. The crosses and bodies were long since removed. There was no one there now, save one lone Roman soldier, Longinus. The blind soldier had pierced the side of Jesus with his spear and gained his sight back through the blood. He had sat with his head bowed, praying, “Lord God. I believe. I have the blood of your Son on my spear. There will be those who will want to claim this spear for whatever reason. There is no reason why it should be claimed by anyone.” With that said, Longinus stood and raised his spear for the final time. He thrust it deep into the ground. There was a small tremor as the Spear dug into the ground about half its length. When he pulled it up, the blood that was on the wooden piece was no longer there. The spearhead was gone as well. Longinus had then spoken once more: “Lord. They will hunt for the Spear, for what it represents. They will become so obsessed with the Spear that they will overlook following the path of a humble soldier to find it.”
Phoe shed another tear as she answered, “You know what, Simon? I’m not really sure if I could remember anything that happened in that room. Especially the whereabouts of a spearhead. Maybe it’s best if it wasn’t found. Just saying. I will say one thing, though. It sure is nice to see the light.”
The End
Phoenix returns in:
The Lair of Beowulf
A Phoenix Quest Adventure #3
Return to the Table of Contents
THE
LAIR OF BEOWULF
A
Phoenix Quest Adventure
#3
by
K.T. TOMB
The Lair of Beowulf
Published by K.T. Tomb
Copyright © 2014 by K.T. Tomb
All rights reserved.
Ebook Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Dedication
The author wishes to dedicate this book to the late
Lawrence Sanders.
The Lair of Beowulf
Prologue
Cecil Bullock had always been a kind man, especially where his family was concerned. He made sure that they never had to do without. In his younger days, he had been a valued computer programmer and Cecil had a knack for being able to hack into any system and reprogramming it to meet his specifications. There had been a point where he thought no one could trace his I.P. address or counter his programming. At one point he had been right.
He was also a literary scholar and had a great affinity for the classics, mostly from the 9th and 10th centuries. He dreamt of being in on one of the greatest archeological finds of all times, based on one of those masterpieces of fiction, but he had no idea where to even begin. That’s when he’d met Simon Kessler. Treasure hunting was the one thing they had in common.
It took him 4 years to get his security clearance at N.A.S.A. For him it was worth the wait. In 1994 they approved him for the highest level of authorization. On certain projects, he worked with the Department of Defense and answered only to the Vice-President or the President himself.
He had been approached many times by private organizations as well as foreign nations, who had tried diligently to persuade him away from his government work. Kessler Industries had been one of the corporations that wanted Cecil’s brilliance all for themselves. Even after all the refusals, Simon Kessler had always expected Cecil to land back on his doorstep, but he’d never dreamed it would have happened quite the way it did.
***
Whenever Simon Kessler was in Geneva on business, he stayed in the Presidential Suite at the Hotel d’Angleterre and tried his best to travel alone whenever he could. His son Jonathan was with him that time. Jonathan was busy on his laptop as his father was ready to call it a night. It was 9:04pm when there was a frantic knock at the door.
“We aren’t supposed to have visitors right outside the door,” Simon said. “You know the procedure, Jonathan.”
His son grabbed his laptop and headed straight for his room, while Simon took a more hands on approach. He opened the drawer on an end table near the sofa, pulled out his Glock 17 and inserted the fully loaded clip. He then made sure to turn off all of the lights except the one near the door. Simon unlocked the door and stepped back into the darkness, dropped to one knee, and aimed his gun at the entryway.
The doorknob turned slowly as Simon held his breath to get off a straight shot. The door opened to reveal a figure silhouetted against the hallway light. The figure seemed to have trouble with gravity as it fell over into the suite.
Simon got up, turned the lights on, and pulled the body into the room closing and locking the door immediately. The figure rolled over to face Simon.
It was Cecil Bullock.
Cecil had just turned sixty-five and had always loved to celebrate his milestones in Geneva, a fact that Simon knew quite well. Cecil’s unconscious face showed his age. His face resembled that of a much older man, with wrinkles and bags under his blue eyes. His hair was practically gone except for the tufts on either side of his head. He’d always loved his woolen trench coat, which he wore then. His glasses were held tightly in one hand, while something else was gripped in the other. There were two bullet holes in his lower abdomen.
He opened his hand and let the glasses fall, while he struggled to lift his other hand as he opened it. There was a crumpled up envelope that he held up to Simon, who took it and straightened it out before opening it. Cecil tried to sit up but just flopped back down to the floor. He glared at Simon and uttered his final word, “Beowulf.”
Chapter One
Thalia Phoenix was the kind of woman who enjoyed being involved with her community in Taos, when she wasn’t off treasure hunting. The Museum Association of Taos had created a special award for Phoe for all of the help she had given them. She’d also donated several of her artifact reproductions to the association to distribute throughout their museums as they saw fit.
Eloise Rojas was a big fan and follower of Phoe and lived vicariously through her exploits. Eloise’d had a love of archeology since she was a little girl digging holes to China in her backyard and had been with the association almost all of her adult life. She was born and raised in Albuquerque, but moved to Taos when she found out about the wonderful history being presented through the museums there.
It was only a matter of time before she received her archeology degree and settled into her life’s dream of being surrounded by artifacts that represented the near and ancient past. Authentic or reproduced, it was all real to Eloise.
She made sure that Phoe would show up for lectures and even accompanied her when she took the speaking engagements on the road. Eloise spared no expense in honoring Phoe for her contributions to archeology.
Eloise was in her mid-40s, five feet tall and stocky. She had short black curly hair and still wore the same thin framed-glasses she’d had for years. But it was her smile that warmed up even the coldest of hearts; Eloise simply had a way with people.
The celebration was booked at the El Alcalde Room inside the Taos Convention Center and even though there was a maximum capacity of forty-five people, she had gotten the Fire Marshall’s permission to squeeze in another fifteen. That night was going to be Eloise Rojas’ defining moment.
***
Phoe was running late because she had absolutely nothing to wear for anything as fancy as an award dinner. She’d known about it for two weeks but hadn’t had the time to go out and buy a dress, mostly as a result of all the time she had been spending with Charlotte at Simple Treasures.
She put on a pair of black jeans with some heels and a blue silk blouse. She finished the ensemble by wearing her black leather jacket which stopped at her waist. She hated to wear makeup…so she didn’t, except for a little bit of mascara and a touch of flesh colored lipstick.
She had Charlotte help her put her long black hair up. Charlotte thought Phoe should leave a few strands of hair falling on both sides of her face. She reluctantly agreed.
Phoe burst through the doors of the El Alcalde Room to see a packed room with Eloise at a podium in the middle of the room near the far wall. There was a large banner with a picture of Phoe’s head directly behind Eloise.
Eloise smiled.
“Here she is now, Ladies and Gentlemen! The woman of the hour…Thalia Phoenix!”
Phoe looked around as everyone rose to their feet and began applauding. She made her way slowly while waving awkwardly to her fans. As she approached the podium, Eloise held a plaque and a two-foot statue made from bronze in Phoe’s exact likeness. The statue was on a marble base.
“Wow,” Phoe said, quietly.
Eloise handed her the awards and hugged her, then walked away from the podium. Phoe clumsily tried to hold on to her prizes, but decided instead to put them down before she dropped them. She took her place to address the crowd and saw Simon and Jonathan Kessler standing near the door in the back. They both had tuxedoes on.
She giggled as she shook her head and raised the microphone to her mouth.
“I am truly touched by all of this admiration and appreciation, but I feel somehow lost in all this attention. I never do anything for the attention.”
Jonathan laughed. Simon poked him with his shoulder.
Phoe sighed.
“I just love giving back to the community that embraced me and my store, Simple Treasures. I thank you and will continue to give to the arts because I truly believ
e that everyone has the right to enjoy our precious history.”
She glared at Simon.
“These treasures are not just for a handful of people to own. They belong to all of us.”
The crowd cheered and applauded again as Phoe made her way down from the podium. She looked over all the faces of her admirers as she made her way over to Simon. The one person that she thought for sure would be there to congratulate her, or at least to show support, wasn’t.
Peter Kellerman was noticeably absent.
Phoe shook hands and smiled until she stood in front of the Kesslers. She was ready to let Simon have it for allowing Jonathan to interrupt her speech when she realized that she forgot something important.
Her awards!
Phoe turned toward the crowd and made up her excuse.
“I left my awards at the podium for everyone to enjoy until I leave! Please feel free to…touch them!”
She turned back around and lost her smile immediately.
“I don’t mind you showing up to support me. But can you keep your pet on a leash if he’s going to misbehave?”
“Hey!” Jonathan huffed. “We came to…”
Simon shook his head, before Jonathan had a chance to finish.
Phoe looked suspiciously at Simon.
“You didn’t come here for support. Did you? What is it, Simon?”
Simon actually looked nervous as he handed Phoe a folded up piece of paper. She took it and unfolded it. She looked puzzled.
“Is this a joke, Simon?” she asked, as if she already knew the answer.
He shook his head. Jonathan crossed his arms in front of him and looked down at the floor.
Phoe knew something was wrong, but what he handed her was unbelievable. She wondered whether she should follow her gut and wait until they were in private, before she grilled him about his strange behavior. Her other gut wanted her to confront him right where he was.