Banyon noticed the second man starting to get up. He jumped to his feet, kicked the attacker in the face, and watched as he returned to the soil. That’ll leave a mark, he thought. The man went down for good. As he moved to assist Loni, he saw the professor dressed in his ever-present tweeds running to help them. He carried his clipboard and a small box.
“Call the police,” Banyon screamed over his shoulder as he hit Loni’s attacker with a jab to the kidneys. He was about to hit him for a second time when he felt a prick in his neck.
The world went black.
Chapter Four
Professor Izaak Orlich nervously inserted a key into the door of his small office in the bowels of the Banyon Arcades. He was a professor of history at Warsaw University, but also served as an assistant curator for the Royal Castle. He had only recently been appointed to the position, thanks to his connections. The man waiting for him inside his office was the head of a very secret organization. He had arranged the appointment.
Professor Orlich was fifty-five years old and felt lucky to have reached that age. He was a frail and sickly man, concentrating on study rather than physical exercise. He was only a hundred and forty pounds, but stood six feet tall. He covered his craggy face with a beard that was silver and contained more hair than his head. His ill-fitting clothes hung from his frame like he was a coat hanger. His unhealthy state was a product of his own making.
He had discovered vodka at an early age. The effects of alcohol were taking its toll on his internal organs. He had been mired in depression, with thoughts of suicide, when the organization found him. They had changed his life. They gave him a reason to go on with his work. He quit drinking. He now felt that his life had meaning. He hoped that the man inside his office would understand his recent rather extreme actions.
Professor Orlich rushed into the office with his clipboard close to his chest. He slammed the door behind him. As expected a man was waiting for him. The man was, however, currently looking at a wall where the blueprints of the Royal Castle and the Arcades had been pinned. The man was unremarkable in appearance except for his diminutive height. He was only five feet tall. He was also considerably younger than the professor. He wore a dark custom tailored suit with laced black shoes. His full head of black hair was slicked back. His appearance could be described as natty. His name was Albin Wilk. He headed up the organization that had helped Professor Orlich change his life. After a few seconds he turned around and stared at the professor. There was fire in his brown eyes.
Chapter Five
After scouring the room for an escape route and finding none, Banyon and Loni now concentrated on finding some weapons. Banyon found a chair leg that would make a good club, but Loni was not having as much luck. She did, however, find a horse bridle along with several sets of horse shoes. She showed them to Banyon.
“Where the hell are we?” She asked with frustration as she held out the items for Banyon to see.
Banyon took a few seconds to answer. “I think we are in some sort of room inside the Arcades,” he replied as he touched one of the walls. “It looks like it hasn’t been used in many years. Notice all the dust?”
“What makes you think that we are inside the Arcades?”
“Well,” he started and pointed to the wall. “Look at the walls; the outer ones are made of red brick. The same brick used on the front of the building. The room is clearly old. The windows have bars, but this isn’t a jail cell, and I’ve noticed that it’s only nine-fifty in the morning on my watch. Our kidnappers could not have taken us far in less than thirty minutes. So, I’m pretty sure we are locked in a room in the Arcades.”
“So, what is an arcade exactly?” Loni was naturally curious. She knew Banyon could fill in some the blanks. She believed she could use the information to help them after they escaped.
“An arcade is actually a large open area, usually enclosed. It has no set function, but is used for large gatherings of people. You know, like a concert, a wedding, or even as a meeting hall,” Banyon informed her.
“But this room has bars on the windows,” she pointed out.
“I think this room was once a military barracks. It looks like it is now a catch-all room for the Banyon Arcades.”
“How could you know that?” Loni challenged.
“For most of its existence, the Banyon Arcades was used for military purposes like barracks, ammunition dumps, and horse stables. Someone’s military has occupied the Arcades since 1831, when a Polish uprising was put down. The Poles, Tsarist Russians, the Germans, and the Communist Russians all occupied the Arcades at one time or another. It was only in the middle of the nineteen-nineties — when the latest renovation started — that it was officially made into the entrance to the Royal Castle. It’s now a tourist attraction.”
“You are actually making sense, Colt,” Loni noted with admiration. “When Professor Orlich contacted us two months ago, he said he was an assistant curator for the Royal Castle and the Banyon Arcades. He would have access to a room like this. He could have had his men slip us through a side door without anyone seeing us.”
“Yeah, but something doesn’t make sense to me,” Banyon said as he scratched his head in thought.
“What?”
“We were in contact with the professor several times to set up the dedication ceremony. He said they had done a thorough search to verify that I was related to Jakub Banyon. Our research confirmed it as well. It seems like a lot of work to go through to kidnap us. I think there is something else going on here. I just don’t know what it is.”
“But we still have been kidnapped, right?” Loni said with sarcasm. “He stuck a needle in my neck.”
“I’m not so sure,” Banyon muttered. “The guys that grabbed us didn’t try to do any harm. They just tried to subdue us.”
“What’s the difference? We’ve been captured,” Loni exclaimed in frustration. She went to smooth her dirty dress as she relived the conflict.
“Kidnappers generally don’t care if they have to beat up or harm their victims,” Banyon stated. “And considering the damage you inflicted on the men, aren’t you a little surprised they didn’t take revenge?”
Loni thought about that for a second and shuttered. “But the professor knocked us out with an injection,” she reminded him again.
“Yes,” Banyon said as he considered the fact. He then spoke rhetorically. “So, what is actually going on here?”
“I don’t care,” Loni suddenly blustered. “Just get us out of here. When I find him, I’ll make the professor tell us what we want to know.”
“I suppose I can always ask Wolf to help.”
“Yeah,” Loni agreed. “And ask him how come he didn’t see this coming. I’d like to know that too.”
Chapter Six
“Where are they?” Albin Wilk demanded in a threatening voice. He pounded his fist on the professors’ desk. “All I asked was that you bring them to me. But I don’t see them,” he bellowed sarcastically. He waved his small arm indicating that they were not there in the room.
The professor immediately dropped his clipboard on his cluttered floor. He put up his hands in the stop gesture. “Don’t be angry. I did what I had to do,” he pleaded nervously. “I had no choice in the matter.”
“You were supposed to bring them here, but you have not,” Wilk repeated angrily as he spread his arms.
“There was a complication we didn’t consider,” the professor replied.
“What complication?”
“Banyon came to the Arcades earlier than we expected. He was nosing around and trying to see the preparations for the fake ceremony. If he had discovered that there was no dedication, he might have fled. The thugs that you hired to help escort them to the office decided to subdue them before I could get there. The men were supposed to wait at least until I had tried to talk to Banyon. He might have come here on his own.”
“So, what happened to them? Where are they now?” Wilk inquired with irritation in his voi
ce one more time.
“I had to go to plan B. I knocked them out with an injection,” the professor responded. “The woman is quite a fighter.”
Albin Wilk considered what the professor had said, he then shrugged his shoulders. “No matter, as long as they are unharmed. I need to be able to talk to them. Where have you put them?”
“I had the men put Banyon and his companion in an old storage room just two doors down. We had to bind them. We put tape on their mouths so no one would hear them. They will be awake soon.”
“Have one of the men go and get them,” Wilk ordered.
“Yes, sir,” the professor responded and leaned down to retrieve his clipboard.
“Do it now,” Wilk roared.
The professor dropped his clipboard again and hurried to the door.
Chapter Seven
Meanwhile back in the storeroom, Colton Banyon was addressing Wolf. Loni continued to look for a way out of the room. She could not hear Wolf speak; only Colton Banyon could hear him talk, so she went about making a methodical search of the room. But she kept an ear open to hear what Banyon said.
“Wolf, are you out there?” Banyon said out loud.
“Yes, Colton, I am here as always,” a cultured voice replied in his head. “I wish that I could have warned you.”
Wolf was a spirit who resided in a limbo-like world between earth and heaven. His real name was Wolfgang Becker, but he had spent most of his life as Walter Pierce, a successful businessman from New York City. When Pierce realized he was dying, he found an old shaman named Abu Patel, in India. Wolf convinced Abu to place a curse on Banyon. As a result, Wolf could communicate with Colton Banyon. It was all inside his head. Wolf said he had chosen Colton Banyon to be his conduit because they had actually grown up in the same house on Eastern Long Island.
Banyon could speak to Wolf as well, but had to speak out loud and ask a question. He also could not ask about the future. At first, Banyon was frightened by the haunting spirit, but after some time, he discovered Wolf could be very useful. Wolf told Banyon he could view anything he desired on earth just by thinking about it. He could even track history. Wolf could then relay the information to Banyon. He said he did it by following the energy path which all history left in its wake. All he needed was a person, place, and a date to start. Banyon had also discovered that Wolf had limitations, sometimes the research took time to complete. Banyon now saw Wolf as his eye in the sky. He was also an unbelievably good researcher. Together they made a good team.
Wolf also had an agenda; he hunted old Nazis and other evil people. He often told Banyon that when all the old Nazis were gone, he would move on. To where, he never said. Banyon hunted old artifacts and solved mysteries, so they complimented each other. Banyon, Loni Chen and the Patel clan, who were the three granddaughters of Abu Patel, formed a business that recovered old artifacts for profit. It was very successful. The last member of the team was Eric Grey, who just happened to be Wolf’s grandson. They all knew Banyon could speak to a spirit, but were sworn to protect his secret with their lives. The only other person who knew that Banyon had special powers was the President of the United States.
“Where are we?” Banyon asked the spirit.
“You are correct, Colt, you are in a storage room in the Arcades.”
“Have we been kidnapped for ransom?”
“From what I can gather, the plot is much thicker than that,” Wolf replied. One problem that Banyon had with Wolf was he didn’t always answer his questions as expected. He relayed only the information he wanted Banyon to hear.
“Then why have we been captured?”
“You’ll find out soon enough, Colt. Someone is on his way to collect you as we speak,” Wolf informed him.
Banyon quickly turned to Loni. “We are about to get company.”
“I’ll be ready,” she replied grimly while she moved to his side.
Banyon again addressed Wolf. “Notify Previne. Tell her where we are. Tell her to call the police.”
“I’m sorry, Colt, but I can’t,” the spirit said sadly.
“What do you mean? I know you can talk to her,” Banyon said with agitation. Previne Patel was one of Abu Patel’s twin granddaughters. Banyon discovered several adventures ago, that she could also speak to Wolf. It had been set up as a backup plan when the curse was initiated, in case Banyon was unable to communicate.
“Since her accident, I have been unable to get through to her. It is as if her mind has been reset,” Wolf admitted. “The curse for her is gone.” Previne had been at a dig site when a bomb exploded about a year ago. She was very near death when Banyon’s team found a way to keep her alive.
“Well, talk to someone else. Get us out of here,” Banyon ordered. “I’d call someone myself, but they took our cell phones.”
“There is no one else Colt. I am able to nudge some people with a thought, but not provide them with information. I’m afraid you will have to handle this one on your own, at least for now,” the spirit said.
“Well can you at least tell me who we are up against?”
“Not now, Colt. One of your captures is at the door as we speak.”
“Only one?”
“Yes, only one.”
“We’ll be ready.”
Chapter Eight
Banyon and Loni were ready. They stood side by side about four steps into the room. Banyon had his club ready to strike. Loni held her small knife in a stabbing position. They heard a key scrape as someone attempted to open the door. Suddenly, it swung open. A large man in a guard uniform entered the room. He was clearly shocked to see the two captives standing in the middle of the room and armed. He immediately went for the gun in his holster.
Loni was on him before he could level the weapon. She stepped forward; karate chopped down on his wrist, and stepped back. The gun flew up in the air. She reached up and grabbed it as the man screamed in pain. She then turned the gun back on him.
“Take me to your leader,” she quickly ordered the man who was now down on one knee in pain. “Don’t make me shoot you in a kneecap,” she threatened in an angry voice.
“I was sent to bring you to him,” the guard said in English. “There is no need for violence. He means you no harm,” he said with pain.
“Sure, that’s why you brought a gun,” Loni spat back. “Hands on your head, now,” she ordered.
The man complied, with difficulty he stood up. “Follow me,” he grunted. “It is not far, only a few doors down.”
When they left the room they found themselves in a small hallway. It was painted white. There were several closed, dark-colored doors on their left and right. The hallway led to an opening that seemed massive. Banyon could see bright sunshine streaming in and people wandering around. They must be tourists, he thought.
“Is that the inside of the Arcades?” he asked the guard.
“Yes, but we are only going to the door on your right,” he answered.
“I want to see the open area first,” Banyon requested.
“As you wish,” the guard replied. They walked to the end of the hallway. Loni tried to hide the gun by keeping it pressed to the back of the guard. “You can put your hands down now, please,” she said almost sweetly.
Banyon stepped into the well-lit Arcades and discovered that he was near the very end of the long building. He already knew that it was 195 meters long or a little over six hundred feet. It was about sixty feet wide. He noticed huge arches that spanned the width of the opening. They were set about every hundred feet for support of the gardens above. He knew that they provided the strength to hold up the building. He saw many tourists and several kiosks set up to sell trinkets and food. About halfway down the Arcades he saw the new escalator that ran up into the interior of the Castle. My ancestor designed and built this, he thought with admiration.
Soon he returned to where Loni was standing with the guard. “Okay, I’m ready,” he said solemnly.
“Again,” Loni said in a hard voice. “Tak
e me to your leader.” The man said nothing. He turned on his heel. He then proceeded to the first door on his right and knocked.
“Come in,” a voice said in English. The guard turned the knob and opened the door. Loni suddenly gave him a push to the floor as she stepped into the room with the gun aimed straight ahead.
“Stay there,” she ordered the guard. “Don’t move.”
Colton Banyon followed her into the room. It was an event that would change his life forever.
Chapter Nine
“You must find the words to make this damned thing work,” Ludwig Goss roared as he pounded his fist on the wood top. He stood in front of a desk in his ample library. He was located in his castle near Hamburg, Germany. The man was dressed in an old immaculate military uniform from World War II. While he was over ninety years old he stood straight. He was over six feet and four inches tall.
“I’m working as fast as I can,” the man sitting behind the desk replied. He sat there in a wrinkled suit, and had glasses perched on his crooked nose. He had sat at the desk for two days straight. There were several old books open on the surface of the large area. The man was fanatically looking from one book to another. “Ancient Greek is not an easy language to translate to Old World Polish.”
“But it worked for a second,” Goss reminded the professor. “Make it work again,” he ordered. The old man withdrew his relic luger from the holster and pointed it at the professor.
The Polish Discovery: The Society of Orion 1-3 (Colton Banyon Mystery Book 17) Page 4