The Veritas Codex Series, #1

by Betsey Kulakowski

  Pauline nodded and pressed her hand over the wound. “He killed your partner,” she gulped, her lip trembling.

  “Who?”

  “The mean one,” she sneered. She let Lauren help her to her feet. She was understandably shaky.

  “We need to get back to the rendezvous,” Lauren started, but a deep mournful howl echoed through the trees and it sounded close.

  Lauren peered up from beneath her lashes at Rowan. “Tsul’Kalu?” he asked.

  She nodded. “And he’s close,” she said. Chills ran down her arms and made the hair on the back of her neck rise. “The judgement is at hand.”

  She turned and ran toward the sound. Jean-René caught Rowan, steadying him. “Lauren?”

  * * *

  Lauren dashed through the trees. She climbed over rocks and up the hill. She skidded to a stop at the sound of the Ancient One’s bone-chilling roar. It reverberated in her chest and snatched her breath away. She hurried towards the sound.

  She hesitated as she found Tsul’Kalu in a battle to the death with the angry man. Mitch slashed at him with the knife. Despite the Bigfoot suit, Billy cowered on the ground next to a tree. Mitch was holding his own. The blood dripping down Tsul’Kalu’s face was a testament to that. A wicked cut bisected his face.

  The great beast had brute strength on his side. One well-placed blow with the back of his mighty forearm sent the man flying. The bag of diamonds landed at Lauren’s feet. The beast leapt and landed on top of the flailing man. There was a bone-jarring crunch. The man’s form went limp beneath the beast.

  Lauren gasped as Tsul’Kalu rose. He turned and roared at her, still in a blood-rage Lauren gasped, stumbling backwards, landing on her butt with a thud. His expression softened to the wise old Shaman she knew him to be.

  “Truth Seeker,” she heard his voice in her head. “The Rabbit has been judged.”

  “You’re hurt.” She got to her feet. She took a step towards him. He shied away.

  “You and your people should be leaving. The mountain has awakened. It is not safe to remain.”

  “But ...” Lauren moved closer. “What about you?”

  “The People are taking shelter. We will go to a safe place.”

  He allowed her to reach for his face. She ran her hand along the side of his large cheek bone. He leaned his face in her palm, cupping her tiny hand in his. “But ... I still have so many questions, Tsul’Kalu.”

  The beast managed a faint smile. “Truth Seekers always do.”

  Chapter 45

  The group stopped in their tracks. Rowan and Jean-René followed a moment later. Rowan was wheezing as he sunk to one knee, gasping for breath, wincing in agony.

  Before them, one body lay broken and bleeding on the ground. Another cowered in abject horror beneath the cover of branches. Then there was Lauren. The researcher stood encircled in the embrace of the mythical monster. The creature looked up and gazed at them softly. Lauren turned too.

  Rowan was unable to move. He folded and melted to the ground, panting in quick, shallow gasps

  * * *

  “Tsul’Kalu,” Lauren withdrew. She turned and stared at her friends, who all had the same blank expression on their faces. Rowan was the exception. He was too involved with trying to breathe. She was torn between wanting to tend to Tsul’Kalu or rush to his aid. “What did you do to them?” She took a few steps toward Rowan. Tsul’Kalu moved with her. As she knelt down to inspect him, Tsul’Kalu’s voice filled her head.

  “There will be time for answers another day. The gods have come to warn us to flee from this place. You must do the same, little one. You must go, now. When the time is right, you will find me again. This is my promise to you.”

  Lauren realized she had found the truth, but it was a truth she could never tell. She couldn’t risk it. The protection of the species was too important. Lauren leaned into the Sasquatch, He embraced her again. “This is my promise to you, Tsul’Kalu. Your secret is safe with me.”

  His hand rested on the top of her head, his palm completely covering it, his long fingers cupping her head affectionately. “Be well.”

  “Go, Tsul’Kalu, find somewhere safe.”

  He nodded. “And you, Truth Seeker,” he patted her head. “Stay curious, always.”

  The beast fled from the scene and Lauren bent over Rowan. It wasn’t until she started snapping her fingers that he seemed to focus on her. “What?”

  “What the hell just happened?” Jean-René snapped out of his euphoria too.

  “I don’t know,” Lauren said. She ran her hand down her frazzled braid. “Help me get him up. We have to get Rowan out of here.”

  “My God. What could do something like this?” Miller asked. He walked over the broken body. “His neck is snapped.” He looked at the man in the Bigfoot suit, who was obviously in shock.

  “He was like that when I found him,” Lauren said. No one gave any sign that they remembered seeing Tsul’Kalu.

  The ground rumbled once again. Lauren looked up as the sound wave passed. A distant whir followed. She realized it was helicopter blades cutting through the air.

  “We’ve got to go! The chopper’s back!” Katie shouted. “Come on! We have to go!”

  The ash cloud that broke from the mountain’s peak was now black and ominous. The roar of it became deafening, as the eruption intensified. “Come on!” Lauren shouted, grabbing Rowan’s arm. She shoved him towards the rendezvous point. No one argued and everyone raced to meet their escape-craft.

  “What about the dude in the Bigfoot costume?” Jean-René pointed at Billy.

  “Bring him with us,” Lauren said as the helicopter door opened.

  Lauren could see Bahati’s frightened eyes in the cockpit as they approached. She knew they couldn’t afford to wait any longer to get the hell out of here.

  Lauren got Rowan on board carefully, then made sure everyone else was coming before she took the seat behind the co-pilot.

  Bahati handed her a pair of headphones. “Where’s Joshua?” She asked, as soon as Lauren had them on.

  “He didn’t make it,” Lauren responded. She hadn’t let herself think about it. She’d liked the fair-haired FBI agent. She wasn’t prepared to deal with the repercussions of his loss, or the details behind his death.

  “Is everyone else okay?” Bahati asked.

  Lauren glanced back, inspecting the team. “Minor injuries. Rowan has some broken ribs, but nothing life-threatening.” She took his hand

  “We’ll get him to the base hospital,” Bahati said.

  * * *

  Jean-René had gotten Billy into the very back seat of the helicopter. He was grateful to have the back seat. The backpack full of diamonds had been dropped in the confusion. This time, no one saw him duck back for it. He was sure of it. He sat now, with it hidden in his camera bag.

  Billy was still in a stupor. He wasn’t paying any attention to anything. Jean-René watched him for a moment, just to make sure. He opened the bag and stuck his hand into the midst. He relished the rugged feel of the stones against his skin. He knew they’d never be allowed to keep all of them. He pocketed a handful. He wasn’t sure what he’d do with them, but that wasn’t the point. Why shouldn’t he have a couple? No one would ever know.

  * * *

  Ben was on duty in the ER when the chopper arrived. This time, it was Rowan on the stretcher. “Lauren?” He looked puzzled. “What are you two doing back?”

  “Rowan’s hurt,” she said.

  “Let me guess, he got mugged by a Bigfoot too?”

  “No,” Rowan grimaced as the gurney clipped the door jamb as they wheeled him into the exam room. The gurney came to an abrupt halt. “Just a hoax-monger in a monkey suit.”

  Epilogue

  Lauren crossed the bridge over the Big Thompson River in a shower of leaves. Golden swirling ribbons of aspen caught in her hair. The tiny heart-shaped foliage crowned her with their beauty. Rowan and Jean-René waited for her in a clearing. A minister stood behind t
hem. Their friends and families gathered around, smiling. Some eyes were red with happy tears.

  Bahati helped her with her skirts as she walked across the meadow. She carried a bouquet of wild pasque flowers and daisies. It had been dressed with blue ribbons tied in eternal knots.

  Rowan took Lauren’s hand when she reached him. His eyes were glistening. “You look beautiful,” he said. A tear tumbled down his cheek.

  She smiled. “You clean up pretty good yourself.”

  “Wanna get married?”

  She smiled. “I’d love to.”

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God.” The minister began, but Rowan’s gaze held her in a trance stronger than any magic Tsul’Kalu could do. She didn’t hear a word of it. She was lost in Rowan’s eyes, and he in hers. She’d never seen him in a tuxedo before, but then, he’d never seen her in a white dress.

  Her hair had been curled and piled up on her head, a circlet of Swarovski crystals kept most of the tresses from spilling down her back, though a few had escaped, framing her strong face. The same knotted ribbons in her bouquet had been tied into her hair. He reached up and freed a leaf from a curl.

  “We come today to witness the union of Rowan Charlemagne Pierce and Lauren Diane Grayson.” She gazed into her groom’s eyes. He couldn’t seem to stop smiling any more than she could. His dimples dug craters into the corners of his cheeks.

  Yes, this was the right choice. Her heart was his no matter how long nor how hard she’d fought against giving it away. No one else deserved it. She knew it now. Her heart had always been his. She would spend the rest of her life proving her commitment to him, not that she needed to. She was happy to do it.

  “With this ring, I thee wed ...” she came back to herself, realizing Rowan was slipping the ring on her finger. She glanced down. Her brow furrowed and she looked up at him. This wasn’t the same ring he’d given her a year ago. This one was a much larger emerald cut diamond with a smaller diamond on each side of it.

  Rowan exchanged glances with Jean-René, then winked at Lauren. Lauren turned to Bahati, who handed Lauren the ring for Rowan. His was a thick white-gold band inlayed with smaller chips taken from the same diamond in Lauren’s stone. She inspected it and puzzled a moment, looking at the ring on her finger. Finally, she reached for his hand. “With this ring ... I thee wed ...” her voice trembled, not in fear, but in disbelief that this day had finally arrived.

  “Lauren,” Rowan squeezed her hands.

  She came to herself realizing she’d drifted away again. “You may now kiss your bride,” the minister repeated. Rowan made sure he had her attention. She leaned in to him. Rowan took her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers, lingering a lot longer than anyone expected.

  Cheers rose from their families and the whole Veritas Codex production team who’d come to witness the nuptials. Lauren came up for air, feeling light-headed; practically giddy. She leaned on Rowan and smiled at everyone who’d assembled. Her mother stood at the edge of the gathering, smiling at her. Her brow furrowed. But her gaze moved past her to the mountain. Dark eyes peered out from the trees and as the cheers raised across the valley, they were answered with one somber yowl after another from all around the mountains. Lauren glanced at Rowan. She sensed the presence of the unseen figures in the trees. Rowan leaned in and whispered, “We have a flight to catch.”

  “Didn’t you hear that?” Jean-René furrowed his brow. It wasn’t like Lauren or Rowan to ignore something like that.

  “I didn’t hear anything,” Rowan held her and kissed her again. “Let’s go, or we won’t make it to Denver in time.” She took Rowan’s arm. She turned one last time looking past her mother into the darkened forest. Tsul’Kalu stepped out a moment, then faded back into the shadows.

  “Where are you heading on your honeymoon?” Bahati asked Rowan, trying to keep up with them.

  “It’s a secret,” Rowan smiled.

  “But ...”

  “He won’t tell me either,” Lauren said. “See you in three weeks.”

  “Three weeks?”

  * * *

  “I need another piña colada,” Lauren lifted her empty pineapple cup without looking to see where he was.

  Rowan had pulled every string he could tug to make their dream honeymoon happen. Now, they lay on the beach of an isolated island in the middle of the South Pacific. There wasn’t another soul for a hundred miles — living or dead.

  Lauren had made a cabana from branches and coconut leaves and was lying with her face in the shade and her naked body in the sun. It felt warm and safe, and she was at peace.

  Rowan arrived, dripping water on her leg as he returned holding up two large fish by the tails. “Room service,” he grinned. Lauren sat up on her elbows, shading her eyes with her hands.

  “Yummy,” she said, sitting up. “I’m going to need a fresh cocktail before dinner.”

  Rowan bowed. “Yes ma’am.” He grinned. “One more piña colada coming right up.”

  Despite the remote location, Rowan had thought of everything. They had plenty of alcohol and mixers, even ice. He’d had a screened-in bungalow erected with a hanging bed. A portable generator provided power for the few appliances needed to keep them relatively comfortable. There were fairy lights strung around the cabana and torches all up and down the beach. Lauren got up and followed him to the beach front table, tying a sarong around her body as he took the fish over to the prep table by the gas barbecue grill. He had everything he needed to prepare a gourmet meal. A golden statuette stood at the corner of the table.

  “Why did you bring this?” She picked up the Emmy, inspecting it.

  “I intend to take it everywhere.” He grinned. He ran the blender and poured the thick concoction into her cup. “Your drink, Mrs. Pierce.”

  She raised her cup to him before putting it to her lips. “Doctor Pierce.”

  “Of course.” He shook his head. “Silly me.”

  “What day is it? How much longer do we get to stay?”

  “How much longer do you want to stay?”

  “I guess forever is probably too much to ask,” Lauren shrugged.

  “We have enough booze for about three more days, the way you’re going at it,” Rowan said, chopping the head off first one fish, then the other. “The boat will come back in a few days. We can decide if we want them to get us more supplies or if we want to head to Hawaii.”

  “Hawaii?” Lauren arched a brow. “What’s in Hawaii?”

  “Our next assignment,” he grinned.

  “Oh really?” she leaned her chin on her fist. “What’s that?”

  “We’ve been asked to investigate some paranormal activity around the Kilauea volcano,” he grinned. “Interested?”

  “Another volcano?” She seemed to hesitate for a moment as she leaned back. “Why not? But what will Bahati have to say about it?”

  “Is she an Executive Producer of the show?”

  A curl formed in the corner of Lauren’s cheek. “Nope, that would be me. She’s just the Lead Researcher.” Bahati had earned a promotion too.

  “Did I mention we got renewed for another twelve episodes?”

  Lauren’s head snapped around. “You did not.”

  “Maybe we got nominated for the People’s Choice Awards too.” He spitted the fish and put them on the grill.

  “Oh yeah? What else don’t I know about?”

  Rowan rinsed his hands off in the bucket of water he’d brought up from the beach. “I heard some scuttlebutt about a live show in Scotland at some old castle next Samhain.”

  “I liked Scotland,” Lauren came around and put her arms around his neck.

  “You just like men in kilts,” Rowan grinned, leaning into her. Her lips hovered just inches from his.

  “You look very braw in a kilt,” Lauren smiled, playfully. “Not sure how I feel about the ghosts, though. Even in kilts.”

  “Don’t worry,” Rowan kissed her. “I’ll protect you.”

  “I�
��m counting on it.”

  “Ye’r verra bonnie. Ah’ll no’ let harm befall ye.” He did a fantastic Scottish brogue.

  “Save it for the cameras, silly.”

  He reached down and peeled off his shirt, reaching for the button on his shorts. “There’s no cameras here.”

  Lauren laughed and bolted, but he caught the hem of her sarong. It fell to the sand as she leapt for the waves. The sun set across the clear blue lagoon as he caught her and pulled her down into the water, careful not to hurt her. She rolled him over and pinned him in the sand, kissing him.

  He lay beside her in the warm shallow waters with the sunlight golden on her skin. “So, tell me the truth,” he said between kisses. “Did we really see a Bigfoot in Washington State?” He’d been trying to get the truth out of her for months. All the evidence suggested they’d encountered something, but no one could really remember what it was. Fans swore they could see a big hairy shadow in one of the video clips and their social media posts had trended for weeks. They got millions of hits. News reporters had been clamoring for interviews and they’d appeared on every major network. But Lauren had been less than forthcoming with information, though he knew, eventually, he’d get the truth out of her.

  “We saw something,” Lauren said. That had been her standard response the whole time.

  “Come on, Lauren.” He insisted.

  “You want the truth?”

  “Isn’t that what we’re all about? Veritas?”

  She sat up. “Okay. The truth is, Bigfoot is friends with the little green men from Mars. He’s been around since the age of the Aztecs and Mayans. Oh, and our radioactive headless chicken corpse was the infant child of the ancient gods.”

  Rowan had a stern expression, studying her dark eyes that glowed in the setting sun. Then he broke out laughing. “That’s the biggest load of BS I have ever heard.”

  “You wanted the truth!”

  “I don’t believe it,” Rowan said, flatly. “Tell me the real truth.”

  Once, Lauren might have been wounded by his lack of trust. But now, she didn’t need him to believe her. She knew the truth, and that was all that mattered. It was enough. “The real truth?” Lauren softened, reaching for his cheek “The real truth is, I have loved you from the moment you first smiled at me.”