A Dubious Artifact (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 6)

by Gerald J Kubicki

“How much backing does she have?” Banyon asked Wolf

  “She has four trained field agents. They will do whatever she asks.”

  “Has she changed since we last tangled with her? I mean does she have the same attitudes and quirks?” Banyon was searching for a weakness.

  “If anything, she is a little stronger in her beliefs,” Wolf replied.

  “Well, that is a break,” Banyon said. “We know how to handle her.”

  “What do you mean,” Loni asked with a concerned look on her face?

  “We are going to set a trap.”

  ***

  All was suddenly quiet in the car as Banyon worked on his plan. He stared into space and finally said, “I’ve got it. We just need some bait.”

  Loni was thinking too. “Colt, what’s the bait?” Whenever Banyon came up with a devious plan, it almost always involved her.

  “You,” Banyon calmly replied. “The good doctor was madly in love with you on the last case, I can use that as part of the plan.”

  Feeling a little tense, Loni quickly said. “Bait? To do what?”

  “Maybe you should show her your dancing pole,” Banyon said to her with a lecherous look on his face.

  “Oh, no, Colton, I’m not getting anywhere near her meat hooks again.” Loni shook her head adamantly in a negative manner.

  “But we need bait?” You have been able to charm her before,” he reasoned. “We need to get her to the house and record her in compromising positions.”

  “I’m not doing it. That’s final.” Her hair was flying everywhere as she shook her head negatively.

  “Loni, if we can record her in compromising positions, we can blackmail her. The one thing that she fears is lack of respect. This will work.”

  “Don’t make me shoot you, Colton Banyon. I’m not doing it.”

  “But we need bait,” he continued.

  “Use Maya,” Loni offered.

  As it turns out, his plan kind of worked well, but not exactly in the way that it was intended.

  Chapter Twelve

  Tom Cruickskank sat in interrogation room #3. He had never been there before and could only speculate as to what kind of treatment he would receive. He was sure she would try to intimidate him.

  Suddenly, the door flew open and Dr. Behl waddled in. Her face was red as a beet. She held one piece of crumpled paper in one hand and his personal file in the other. She slammed the door behind her, and then she threw both items on the table.

  “Hello, Dr. Behl,” Tom calmly said. “Good to see you.”

  “Our search team didn’t find the artifact in Banyon’s house,” she roared. “This is all your fault,” she admonished him. Dr. Behl always needed to blame someone for her failures. She was a master at it.

  “I don’t know that he actually has it,” he answered indignantly. “He gave several plausible alternatives.”

  “Why, I ought to smack you right in the face, you smug bastard,” she responded and raised her hand.

  “I’ve been smacked around before,” he calmly replied. “But this time, I might fight back,” he threatened. “This room is monitored by a different team than your men, Doctor. If you hit me, I will defend myself. You will be at fault. I understand that you have been called over to Human Resources for more than one lecture.”

  Dr. Behl absorbed the information and knew it was true. She didn’t have time to hassle with the idiots in Human Resources. She quickly lowered her hand and tried a different tack. “You’re on special assignment to me,” she pointed at herself. “I need to know that I can trust you.”

  But before he could answer, there was a knock at the door and one of her team crashed through it.

  “I don’t like interruptions when I am interrogating a suspected individual,” Dr. Behl screamed. Tom was surprised that he was a suspect all of a sudden.

  “You need to know this,” the man persisted.

  “What?”

  We just lost the images from the camera in the car. It doesn’t look like a malfunction. It looks like it was jammed.”

  “That bastard Banyon is too cunning for his own good. I’ll get him. Nobody defies me,” she roared like a character in an old gangster movie.

  Her subordinate continued. “Also both of their phones are stationary. They haven’t moved in more than ten minutes. I think that they chucked them.”

  “See if you can unjam the camera. Now get back to work,” she demanded. The man left knowing that her request wasn’t possible.

  She turned to Tom, “I’m waiting on your answer, Mr. Cruickskank,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “I have worked for Homeland Security primarily as a field agent since its inception,” Tom stated flatly.

  “I’ve read your file,” she acknowledged. “There are several top secret notes listed there. I need to know what operations you were involved in to determine if I trust you,” she said with some force. “Otherwise, I simply won’t trust you.” She crossed her fleshy arms and stared at him.

  “Is this about trust?”

  “You know that I requested another man for this job, but was overruled. I know that your father knew his father and all that bunk, but I need to know everything about you, especially what’s in your file.”

  “They are top secret for a reason. You will have to make your judgment based on the security level that you are cleared for,” Tom knew that he was getting to her.

  Dr. Behl’s face turned another shade of red as her anger rose. “I need to know now,” she demanded as she slammed her fist on the table.

  Before he could compose a reply, the door swung open again and in stepped one of her other team members with a picture in his hand. “Thought that you would want to see this right away,” he said. He handed her the picture of Colton Banyon sitting in his old office. The ashtray could clearly be seen in the background.

  “When was this taken?” she demanded.

  “His brother said a couple of years ago,” the man replied. “Also all of his sisters and brother agreed that he has the ashtray.”

  Dr. Behl was livid with anger. She fumed and paced the room trying to decide what to do. “You, she pointed to Tom, go back to your desk. I’ll deal with you later,” she said as she waved her hand in dismissal.

  “Yes, sir,” Tom said.

  This only made her madder. “It’s Miss,” she screamed as he went through the doorway.

  “Got it, boss,” he voiced as he turned his back, so that she could not see the smile on his face.

  Chapter Thirteen

  As soon as Tom Cruickskank left the room, Dr. Behl said. “Get the boys together and make sure their guns are loaded. We are going to pay Colton Banyon a surprise visit, and this time we are not leaving without the artifact.” Her look of determination was shattered when the man stood his ground.

  Quickly understanding that she intended to eliminate Colton Banyon, he asked, “On what grounds?”

  “Mr. Banyon has been on the Homeland Security watch list for a long time. He has now been upgraded to a terrorist threat to America,” she answered.

  “Has this mission been approved?” the agent asked.

  “Of course, we are invoking the ‘Patriot Act’. We are also authorized to use deadly force, if necessary. I want to leave within the hour. That is all.” She dismissed the worried agent with a flick of her hand.

  ***

  When Tom Cruickskank left, he didn’t go directly to his office. Instead, he went to the small room that monitored the interrogation room. He entered the secret code that only he and his assistant knew and opened the door. As he entered the woman manning the monitors looked up and acknowledged him.

  “This Dr. Behl is planning something involving violence,” she said.

  “What have you got?” he asked.

  “She just ordered her people to arm themselves and is headed to the home of a guy named Colton Banyon. She doesn’t sound like she intends to arrest him. She sounds like she intends to kill him, claiming that he is an American
terrorist.”

  “Not if I can help it,” he replied as he headed back out the door. “Send the tape to the OIG.”

  “Yes sir,” the woman replied.

  Tom had one more stop before he returned to his office. He took the elevator up to the ground floor and exited the building. He walked two blocks down the street and entered a drug store. When the manager saw him, he waved Tom through to his small office. Tom went in and closed the door. There were two phones in the office and Tom picked up the second one. He had installed the phone in the drug store when he came to work at the headquarters of Homeland Security. It contained a variety of debugging devices and was secure. He didn’t want his calls easily traced. He dialed a number from memory and waited for an answer. The phone went to voicemail much to his chagrin. He didn’t leave a message.

  Part Two

  A Little Battle

  Chapter Fourteen

  As soon as Loni turned the corner of his street, Banyon could see two FBI cars parked in the driveway. She hit one of the garage door openers and drove straight into the four car garage. Her tiny red Porsche was already there. It looked like it was doing one hundred miles an hour while it was standing still.

  Banyon jumped out and hit two buttons on the wall. Two more garage doors began to lift. He then ran outside and said. “Pull those two cars into the garage. I think more company is coming to the party.”

  The two cars started and quickly moved into the spaces. As soon as they were in, Banyon hit the buttons again. Soon, four men in suits and a stunningly beautiful young Indian woman climbed out of the cars. Each man carried two bags of equipment towards him. The first man reached into his pocket and produced a small black device. He hit a button to start it. After a minute he nodded at another man.

  “Okay, we can talk now in the garage. Any devices in here are jammed,” Agent Greg Gamble said as he stuck out his big hand for Banyon. Banyon took it and gave him a firm handshake. He then went to greet Loni.

  The three other men all worked for Agent Gamble at the FBI. They were also trusted members of the conspiracy team. Banyon shook hands with all three. “Good to see you Agent Kriss. The last time I saw you we were in a cave.”

  “And now we are not,” the agent replied.

  He quickly moved to the other agents. “Agent Monson it’s good to see you too.”

  “Colt,” the agent said.

  “And the last time I saw you,” Agent Pellegrino said, “we were in the middle of a mob scene.” They shook hands and all three went to shake hands with Loni.

  Finally, Banyon opened his arms and Maya Patel rushed into them and gave him a big hug. Before Loni had moved in with Banyon, Maya and Banyon had been sometime lovers. At that time she was a professor at Stony Brook University on Long Island. She had since moved to Chicago after she had fallen in love with Greg Gamble. She was now a professor at the University of Chicago and part-time assistant to the FBI, on archeological matters. She lived with Agent Gamble.

  She and her identical twin sisters, Previne Patel and Pramilla Patel Grey, had been part of Banyon’s team from the very start of his first adventure. All three had provided him with more sexual fantasies then he could count. He often could not tell them apart. They also could be trusted and all had special talents. They were fully aware of Banyon’s gift. Their Grandfather, Abu, was the one that placed the curse on Banyon.

  Banyon pushed her back, so he could look at all of her. “You’ve lost some weight,” he commented.

  “You are always a charmer,” she replied with a slight British accent as she flashed a pearly-white smile at him. Maya and her sisters were tall women; around five foot nine inches without heels, and slim, like runway models. Her skin was the color of light mocha chocolate and was smooth as butter. She had the high cheek bones that came with many Indian women and long jet black hair like Loni’s. Most men were mesmerized by the Patel clan. This of course made Loni insanely jealous.

  Within seconds, Loni was by Banyon’s side. “What’s your great plan General Patton, I mean Banyon?” She asked the question with just the edge of sarcasm as she daggered Maya with a mean look.

  Maya stepped up to Loni and Loni gave her a perfunctory hug. “I didn’t know you were coming,” Loni said with a frosty voice. Her greeting didn’t go unnoticed by any of the men.

  “I’m here to help,” Maya replied through batted eyes.

  “We probably haven’t much time,” Loni announced, meaning get away from Banyon.

  ***

  Banyon outlined his plan to everyone. He then added, “It might not stop them, but it will give us some time to plan better. I don’t want to just survive here. I want to set a plan that will stop these people completely.” Soon, he noticed that everyone was nodding their heads in the affirmative.

  Agent Gamble spoke first. “Okay you guys know what to do. We need this house clear of their devices quickly. Then we add our own. Get to it.” The three agents hefted their bags and disappeared into the building.

  “Don’t forget to do the deck,” Loni yelled after them, but the men were already gone.

  ***

  The agents were well trained and began finding devices and disabling them quickly. They had already completed Banyon’s office when Agent Monson turned to Agent Kriss.

  “What is it with beautiful women?” Agent Monson asked.

  “What do you mean?” Agent Kriss replied.

  “You saw how Loni treated Maya. They acted like they hated each other. Is it because they are both beautiful and don’t like competition? I’ve seen Loni treat the two twins the same way.”

  “Well, I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you,” Agent Kriss laughed.

  “Very funny,” Agent Monson responded. “What’s going on with them, there is lots of tension?”

  “If it will get you back to work, I’ll tell you.”

  “That was what I was hoping.”

  “Well, it all started with a curse, long ago in a faraway land,” Agent Kriss told both Agents.

  “Sounds like a fairytale,” Agent Pellegrino laughed.

  “It could be, someday,” Agent Kriss replied. “Anyway the grandfather of the Patel sisters was a Sharman, in India. He put a curse on the girls. He wanted them to find and marry a good man. There were specific criteria. The curse was that if they found a man that fit the criteria, they would attempt to seduce him and get him to marry them. They could not stop themselves. If the man resisted, they would become sexually aggressive. The harder he resisted, the more sexually aggressive they became. Banyon fit the criteria for all three women.”

  “You’re telling me that these sisters threw themselves at Banyon?” Agent Monson asked as he considered the information.

  “Worse, Banyon was without a woman and had no reason or will to resist their sexual advances. They overpowered him with sex.”

  “I could think of worse circumstances,” Agent Monson remarked.

  “Yeah, but, then he meet Loni. It became a four woman competition.”

  “I feel sorry for him,” Agent Pellegrino said. “I wish that it was me.”

  Ignoring his comment, Agent Kriss continued. “Loni won, but the Patel sisters keep tempting him. Loni is incredibly jealous of them even though the curse ended last year.”

  “How did it end?” Agent Monson asked.

  “One of the sisters, Pramilla got married, that broke the curse. She married Eric Grey, you know him.”

  “I wasn’t invited to the wedding,” Agent Pellegrino said.

  “The curse has now ended, but there is still a lot of resentment. That’s why Loni treats all the Patel sisters with distain.”

  “But aren’t Agent Gamble and Maya a couple now?” Agent Monson asked.

  “It doesn’t matter to Loni.”

  “Too bad, so Banyon is down to just one beautiful woman, can you imagine,” Agent Monson commented and shook his head in sorrow.

  “At the moment, that’s right.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  B
anyon began to outline the rest of the plan to the people around him in the garage. Banyon’s team held secrets that the other FBI agents didn’t know. Especially, they did not know Banyon could speak to a spirit. Once the meeting was finished and as soon as he was sure the agents were in the house, Banyon yelled out.

  “Wolf, how much time do we have before Dr. Behl gets here?”

  “She has just passed the toll booth on the Kennedy. You have about a half-hour.”

  “How many men are with her?”

  “Just her team — there are four agents with her. They all are armed.”

  “Good,” replied Banyon

  ***

  “Your plan is a little shaky, ole buddy,” Agent Gamble drawled. “It depends on some pretty quick timing. These guys are trained agents.”

  “Don’t worry, they will be off-guard and we have some pretty experienced players of our own. Besides your men will be ready to pounce, if we need them.”

  “Colt, no matter what, we can’t let them get the artifact. It’s not only able to provide good, but it could also be very dangerous,” the professor Maya Patel announced.

  “How’s that?” Loni immediately challenged her.

  “Well, if it got into the wrong hands, it would be a real problem,” she replied sweetly. “Imagine if Hitler could have lived longer, or Mao, or any megalomaniac. All they would have to do is drink the elixir.”

  “I didn’t think of that,” Loni admitted.

  “Also, the impact of being able to make gold is even a larger problem.”

  “I don’t follow?” Gamble said.

  “What if a country like China had the formula for making gold? They could affect the entire world financial markets. Gold is the basic standard and they could depress the market by flooding the world with cheap gold. Most countries including the United States would collapse financially. It would open the door to economic ruin. That then opens the door for invasion or worse. It would be chaos.”

  “Maya, you make a very good case for protection the artifact,” Banyon said.