Josh shook his head. “I know it has to do with Norland, but other than that, no. But it seemed to be much more important than all the other items I recovered for him. There seemed to be more urgency too. He needed to find whatever it is soon. I think that’s why he was done with me. I failed.”
“You have to talk to Alec. Explain everything to him.”
Josh sighed. “And if I don’t?”
“Then yes, I will. But don’t be a coward. You set this all in motion. You should be man enough to do the right thing.”
He rose and headed through the door. “Night, Katie.”
****
Alec and his crew were groggy as they ate breakfast and were still edgy and cranky as they loaded the SUV with all the gear. They headed out to Duntulm while it was still quiet in Portree. Willie shook his head as they passed the location where Katie was abducted. “I don’t agree with the government spyin’ on everyone like they do here in the UK, but without that video we’d have no idea what happened to her.”
“It’s kinda creepy, though,” Laura said. “I realize the benefits but it just creeps me out that someone can track almost every move.”
“How soon before you turn that locator on?” Alec asked.
“When we get within a few miles of Duntulm.” Willie answered. “The roads are minimal there, so we’ll start on the main one and then proceed to the smaller ones. And ya gotta calm down, Mac. Everythin’ we do has to be carefully orchestrated. I can’t have ya or”—he looked around the vehicle–“any of ya doin’ somethin’ stupid. We know there’s at least one male involved but there could be more. Ya gotta follow my orders. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?” he asked, his booming voice echoing around the vehicle. One by one they nodded.
“You know there’s something about that guy…” Alec said.
“Yeah,” Robert added, “there’s something about him that reminds me of—”
“Josh. He reminds me of Josh,” Alec finished.
Robert shook his head slowly. “But that’s not possible. He’s dead.”
“Maybe not,” Laura said as she shook her head. “Katie said there was no body recovered.”
Alec clenched his fist and pounded the steering wheel. “Dammit. I nearly bit her head off when she said that. I told her that she didn’t trust anything or anyone.”
“You’re a bastard,” Laura hissed.
His shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“It actually makes sense in a bizarre sort of way,” Robert said. “I mean, think of it this way. He’s about to be cut loose, lose his funding. In addition, his partner creeps him out, maybe evens threatens him, so he sends his notes to Alec and makes plans to disappear. He’s presumed dead and he’s free to continue his work, whatever it was. Do you have any idea what he was looking for?”
“No,” Alec replied. “I don’t, though Katie was pretty sure it was related to Norland. He must have stayed on Skye because his bank account hasn’t been accessed nor his credit cards.”
“Only he was stuck. He needed the runes translated,” Laura said. Her eyes bore into the back of Alec’s head. “And you led him straight to Katie, the one person with enough knowledge to be able to do it.”
“So he had to find a way to isolate her, get her away from her friends, her co-workers,” Willie added.
Alec thrust his hands through his hair, steering with his knees. “That son of a bitch. He was behind the attempt in the North End.” He shook his head. “It had to be him.”
“Yeah,” Robert said sadly, “it had to be him. Who else could it have been? Unless… unless it was Josh’s partner the Doctor. He would have the ability to arrange something like that and for the same reason… he needed Katie’s expertise.”
“I guess, between the two of them, it’s better if she’s with Josh. As far as we know, he hasn’t tried to kill anyone,” Willie said as his eyes bored into the back of Alec’s head.
R
Chapter Twenty-Three
Josh tucked an extra flashlight, some power bars, and a few bottles of water into the bag and zipped it before slinging it onto his back. Katie slipped the emerald dagger out of her duffel bag and tucked it into her jacket pocket while he was busy packing.
He held out his hand. “Ready?”
She breezed by him and opened the door, inhaling the salty tang of the wispy fog that hadn’t yet burned off. She felt tiny drops of cool moisture settle on her face as she stepped clear of the door and headed for the narrow path to the top of the cliff.
“Whoa, where you going?” he called out.
She turned and saw him, his lean frame filling the small doorway. “I’m heading up the path.” She grinned. “In case you couldn’t tell, I really want to see the runes.”
“Turn around and come back inside.”
She narrowed her eyes, her eyebrows knitted in a perplexed look. “I don’t understand.” She placed her hands on her hip. “Are you playing games?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s just not that way.” He beckoned her back inside.
Katie didn’t move. “You mean you have them inside the cottage? Where? I didn’t see any sign of them.”
“There’s another way. It actually heads up the mountain.”
“Are you saying there’s a tunnel?”
“Yep, and the entrance is inside.”
She felt like a kid again. She was heading out on an adventure, trekking into the mountain in an ancient tunnel. This made all the crawling through artifacts back at the Institute all worth it. She smiled as she remembered Alec told her she should get out more. He was right. Field work was where the excitement lay. She practically ran back into the cottage. “Where? Show me where the entrance is.”
He laughed as he headed toward the small three-sided alcove that acted as a pantry with shelves lining each wall. He reached beside the top shelf on the left side and pushed. She felt a rush of cool air as the wall behind the shelf creaked open to reveal a dark passageway. “I need a flashlight,” she said as she reached up, trying to get into his backpack. She grunted. “I can’t reach the top of your bag. You’re too tall. Bend down.”
“You’re too short,” he replied as he bent down.
She pulled a light out and zipped the bag closed. “The word is petite, not short.” She emphasized her point by pushing him forward and moving past him into the tunnel as he regained his balance and stood, quickly overtaking her with his normal stride.
“Show-off,” she muttered.
He reached back and grabbed the light. “I’ll lead the way.” He chuckled. “Try and keep up, though I’ll keep checking on you because I know you’re vertically challenged.”
“Who knew you were so funny? Maybe you should try stand-up comedy,” she snapped.
They walked for almost a half hour on a slight incline. Suddenly the trek took a sharp rise. Katie noticed it first in her tightening thigh muscles and then in her breathing. “Just where does this lead? Is there fresh air in here because I’m having trouble breathing?”
“It ends up on the mountain. There’s a hidden opening that ends on a small plateau.” He walked back to her. “We’re getting close, but the incline will get sharper. We can take a few breaks to let your body acclimate. It’ll be a push, but it’ll be worth it. Trust me.”
“Don’t seem to have any other choice.” Katie leaned against the wall, catching her breath. She reached out to the side and carefully moved her hand against the stone. “This wall is so smooth. Is it naturally like that?”
He walked back to her and ran the light over the wall beside her. “I never really noticed. I’ve never stopped to look.”
She gasped and grabbed his arm. “Stop. Bring the light back onto the wall, about two-thirds up. I think I saw something.”
The light slowly swept down the rock face, sending shadows around them as it reflected off the surface. “There. Stop.” She stood back, not quite believing what she was seeing. “Look at those symbols, carved into the wall. I think your light is cau
sing them to glow.”
“My God, I never saw that. I’ve always barreled through the passage to get to the runes.”
She shook her head. “These aren’t runes, but why, how are they glowing?”
Josh moved slightly, casting the light over the ceiling and down the other wall. As he moved the beam to the opposite wall, symbols began to appear about six feet from the floor. They began to glow and mirrored the ones on the other wall.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed something in the tunnel ahead of them. She grabbed his sleeve and pointed up the incline. “Josh, look…”
At about ten-foot intervals, the walls were glowing along the upper edges. The ambient light reminded her of the emergency floor lighting on airplanes, only these were up on the walls, framing the passageway.
Josh shut the flashlight off as the symbols glowed brighter. “What the hell?”
R
Chapter Twenty-Four
“When are you going to turn that damn locator on, Willie? We could’ve driven right by her and not known it.”
“Where’s your cool control, Mac? I think ya need to kick it into high gear before I kick your ass,” Willie replied calmly. Laura snickered.
“He’s right, Alec,” Robert said as he glanced over at his brother. “Can the attitude. This isn’t the time to get into a pissing contest.”
“We’re getting close to the coordinates Eric sent so turn that damn thing on,” Alec ordered.
“I don’t tell ya how to dig your damn holes so don’t tell me how to run my equipment,” Willie replied. He raised his eyes and connected with Alec’s in the rearview mirror. “Keep it up and we’ll be takin’ this outside.”
“If you both don’t cut it out,” Laura said quietly, “then I’ll take you both outside and knock your heads together. At the very least it’ll shut you up for the short-term.”
Willie turned his head toward her and cocked an eyebrow. “Mm, did I tell ya I just love strong women?”
She smiled and whacked him on the arm.
Willie’s watch started to beep.
“Is that a reminder to take your medicine, old man?” Alec snarked from the driver’s seat.
Laura leaned over and yanked hard on his hair. “I wasn’t joking, Alec.”
Willie beamed at her. “It’s a GPS ping. And before ya ask, this here watch is much more than meets the eye.”
“Oh,” Laura moaned, “a James Bond watch. I’m impressed.”
“So what does the beeping mean?” Robert asked. “Does it mean we’re at the coordinates?”
“Exactly. So now I’ll turn on the locator, though it might be hard with these mountains. Didn’t Eric say there’s quartz in them?”
“You mean that damn thing might not work?” Alec snarled.
“I mean it would be better if we were flyin’ over, above the mountains. That’s all I’m sayin’. Bein’ on the ground level makes it more challengin’.”
“Jesus, I’ll give you challenging,” Alec snapped. “Just wait until we get out of this car.”
Willie caught Alec’s eyes in the rear view mirror. He raised his hand and waggled his fingers. “Bring it on, lover boy.”
Alec stomped the brake and barely waited for the car to shudder to a stop before he jumped out and raced around the front of the car where Willie was rounding the other fender. Physically, Alec had a few inches on Willie but Willie had about twenty-five percent more muscle and all of it flexed with adrenaline.
Both males stepped away from the car and circled each other while Robert and Laura exited the vehicle and leaned back against it, watching the spectacle unfold in front of them. Laura started to walk toward Alec and Willie but Robert circled her waist. “Let them get this over with so we can get on with finding Katie.” Laura tried to pull away but he held her tighter. “It’ll only get worse, and if they don’t relieve the tension now, we may all end up hurt.”
Willie waited, his arms hung at his sides, his hands fisted, his feet planted. Alec’s arms were raised in a fighting pose, ready to block the first blow or strike if the opportunity presented itself. Simultaneously they shifted their weight, looking as if they were dancing to some unheard music.
Laura huffed. “It’s like watching those animal shows. The only thing missing are the clanging antlers.”
Robert chuckled. “Are you saying you don’t appreciate a good show of male aggression?” He glanced down at her. “We take great pride in showing females how strong we are.”
She relaxed and Robert released his hold on her. “It’s stupid. I don’t enjoy watching men pummel each other, but in this instance, I think I can make an exception. I’m actually waiting for Willie to knock your brother flat on his ass.”
“What makes you think that Willie will win? Alec’s quite fast on his feet and has a black belt.”
She shrugged. “Willie’s got more muscle. He’s so going to whip Alec’s ass.”
“Wanna bet?”
She raised her head and scanned his face. “You serious?”
He nodded. “Very.”
“Okay, you’re on. One hundred bucks on Willie.”
“Right, one hundred bucks that Alec wins.”
They turned back to face the two alphas and waited… and waited.
“For God’s sake, will someone throw the first punch so we can get back on track?” Laura yelled.
At the sound of Laura’s voice, Willie took his eyes off of Alec for a mere moment, but it was long enough. Alec saw his opportunity and seized it. He lowered his head, compacted his body into a tight mass, and lunged at Willie, catching him right in his mid-section. The impact knocked the air out of Willie and sent him crashing to the ground. Alec stepped back, a smug looked plastered on his face.
Robert nudged Laura playfully in the ribs. “You can pay me when we get back to Boston.”
She frowned but it quickly morphed into a smile. “Not so fast, mister.” She nodded toward the action. Although Alec was gloating over Willie, he seemed oblivious to Willie’s movements. Willie’s leg shot out in a rocket-fast motion and hooked behind Alec’s knee, pulling his leg forward and out from under him. Alec jerked backwards, crashing onto the ground flat on his ass. Laura punched the air. “Looks like it’s a draw.”
Robert grunted and called over, “Are we done with the pissing contest?”
Alec and Willie were standing, eyeing each other warily. “Don’t think we settled anythin’ yet,” Willie yelled back.
“Yeah,” Alec shouted “we’re just getting—”
“Shut up for a minute,” Laura ordered. “Something’s beeping in the car.” She turned and pulled the rear door open. The sound immediately spilled out in a staccato rhythm. “Willie, it’s the locator. Get over here quick.”
Time stopped as they absorbed what Laura had just said. The locator had picked up a signal.
Willie and Alec raced to the car, each trying to nudge the other out of the way. Robert and Laura backed out of their way as they crashed into the side of the SUV. “Get… out… of… the… way,” Alec yelled to Willie as he tried to catch his breath.
“Back… off… lover… boy,” Willie responded as he elbowed Alec in the chest, sending him reeling backwards. “Ya don’t… know how to… read it.” Willie reached in, pulled the locator out, and placed it on the hood of the SUV, lining it up with the mountains ahead.
“Is it Katie?” Laura asked quietly.
He nodded. “It’s the correct frequency, so yeah, I think we’re gettin’ close, but we’re still about a mile or so away.”
“How can you tell?” Robert asked.
“If we were right on top of her, the signal wouldn’t be a series of beeps like now. It would be one continuous signal. The nearer we get, the closer together the beeps will come until they morph into the one sound,” Willie answered as he picked up the locator, walked to the rear of the SUV, and faced the unit in the opposite direction. The sound weakened noticeably. He walked back to the front and the signal intensif
ied. He nodded his head toward the mountains. “She’s over there somewhere,” he said as he motioned toward the mountain in front of them. “We need to get moving.”
Willie rode shotgun with Alec and braced the locator on the dashboard while Laura and Robert slid into the rear seats. Alec slammed the accelerator and raced toward the mountain. The beeps lengthened, the interval between almost disappearing as the SUV sped across the valley floor.
The air in the SUV was thick with tension and unresolved egos. For now, no talking was better than the insults that had been flying earlier. Alec followed the road to the south side of the mountain. The signal became erratic, jumping from one tone to the distinct beeps they didn’t want to hear. “What’s up with that?” Alec snarled as he glanced at Willie and then down to the locator.
Willie shrugged. “It could be the quartz interferin’ with the signal or maybe she’s not here.”
“What the hell do you mean ‘maybe she’s not here’? Thought you knew how to work that damned thing,” Alec yelled.
Willie turned and faced Alec. “I told ya, quartz deposits can interfere with it but since we got a signal further out, maybe…”
“Maybe what, Willie?” Laura asked.
“Maybe she’s on another side. Drive around the mountain.”
Alec glared at him. “Any particular direction, genius?”
“You’re headed west. Keep goin’ clockwise, lover boy.”
“Damn it. Cut the bullshit right now, you two, or so help me, I’ll kick you both out of the SUV and you can walk the rest of the way,” Robert said quietly through clenched teeth as he leaned forward into the front seat between Alec and Willie.
As they drove, the signal beeped distinct notes or disappeared. The tension grew thicker as they headed around to the north side.
Robert broke the silence. “Willie, I have a question for you.”
“Sure. Ask.”
“I guess I understand the interference with the quartz, but that wouldn’t produce a false signal, would it?”
Trove (The Katie Walsh Mysteries) Page 27