by Toby Tate
No amount of money is worth this. Is it?
Matthias glanced at the TV through the office window and saw a morning news program that showed his officers walking around inside the crime scene tape at the dig site. He suddenly got an idea, then turned and walked out of the office.
* * *
Hunter stood with Gabe and Mac outside the camp, staring in at the unbelievable scene unfolding before them. Police and crime scene investigators swarmed all over the dig site, taking pictures of everything, bagging up evidence. They had just seen Jensen yesterday and things had been fine, Hunter thought. Now he was dead—murdered—and Hunter had a good idea who the murderer was. He figured the others suspected the same thing. But how to prove it? That was the question.
If only Hunter could get into Jensen’s tent and get hold of that drawing. The seventh symbol was the key to this whole thing; he was sure of it.
Lisa had stayed behind at the hotel, said she had been having bad dreams. She really didn’t need to see this, anyway. It would only create more bad dreams. Poor Jensen. He was a good man who was just trying to do the right thing. But when it came to dealing with Lawrence Hendricks, he didn’t care about right or wrong—he only cared about himself.
Hunter turned to Gabe. “Remember that guy I saw outside the tent yesterday? Sam said it was a local digger named Panos. I think if we can find him, we’ll get a lot of our questions answered.”
Gabe shrugged. “Maybe. I’d like to get into the crime scene, but I don’t think I would find anything. I doubt the local police would let me in there, anyway.”
“I say we still need to take a look at those obelisks,” Mac said. “That will help us more than anything.”
Hunter caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Captain Matthias coming up the hill to the dig site.
“Oh, great. We have company.”
The captain smiled at the group, as if the previous day’s run-in had been completely forgotten.
“I am most sorry to hear about your friend,” he said. “I hope that you will accept my condolences.”
“Thank you,” Gabe said. “Do you know what happened?”
“From what I understand, he was stabbed several times. My men have been unable to recover the murder weapon, however.”
“Do you have any idea who may have been responsible?” Hunter asked.
Matthias shook his head. “No, nothing so far. But we may have a few questions for you. Where can I find you if I need you?”
Hunter gave him his cell number, the name of his hotel and his room number, and then Mac and Gabe did the same.
Matthias fished a business card out of his pocket and held it out to Hunter. “If you think of anything, please call. Here is my number.”
Hunter took it, looked it over. “Um, this is a card for a local restaurant.”
“Oh, so sorry,” Matthias said, taking the card back and fishing another one out of his shirt pocket. He held out the new card. “Must have gotten mixed in by mistake. Well, have a nice day,” he said, then leaned down and slid under the crime scene tape. They watched as he made his way over to Jensen’s tent.
“There’s something up with that guy,” Hunter said. “I don’t trust him.”
Nineteen
After speaking to his officers and the CSI team, Matthias made his way further out among the hills and away from the main camp. About a hundred yards out, he stood and gazed around at the countryside. Then, he looked down and furrowed his brow, as if he had seen something on the ground. He pulled a pair of latex gloves from his pants pocket and pulled them on. He knelt and reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out the knife he had stashed there, one that closely matched the blade of the one that had killed Jensen. He laid it on the ground and covered it with dirt, then picked it back up and shook the dirt off. He reached into his pocket again and produced an evidence bag, placed the knife inside and sealed the bag.
Later, at the station, he would make a three dimensional cast of the fingerprint he had lifted from Hunter with the fake business card, make a copy, then transfer it to the knife handle. He felt a twinge of guilt, but when Matthias thought about his family and his reputation, it soon passed. The man was an American, anyway. Why should he let it bother him?
Matthias stashed the knife in his pocket, and then stood and walked back toward the crime scene.
* * *
Knowing there was nothing more they could do, Hunter, Gabe, and Mac walked down the hillside and back to their cars, deciding to meet later to discuss their ongoing plans.
On the drive back to his hotel, Hunter stopped for a cup of coffee and also got one for Lisa. He figured she could probably use it.
As he sat on the side of the bed, she told him about the dream she had that morning.
“Wow, that’s pretty intense,” he said. “What do you think it means?”
Lisa shook her head slowly, the terror of the visions still fresh in her mind.
“I don’t know, but I hope it’s not a foreshadow of things to come.”
Hunter slipped his hand over hers as she lay against her pillow. “Honey, of course it’s not. It’s just fear getting the best of you. After all we’ve been through, I’m surprised I haven’t been having crazy dreams, too.”
“So, you think the baby’s safe?”
“The baby is safe. I’m not going to let anything happen to either one of you, believe me.”
Lisa smiled. “You’re going to be a good daddy. And a protective one. I can see it already.”
“Hey, why don’t you get dressed and I’ll take us somewhere fancy for breakfast.”
“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”
* * *
After a wonderful breakfast at the Paralia seaside restaurant, they sat on its huge, wooden patio overlooking the Venetian Harbor and the Castle of Koule. It was a breathtaking fortification built in the thirteenth century, destroyed by fire, and then rebuilt two hundred years later. Its stone walls stood beneath the summer sun, watching over the long centuries like a guardian against an enemy attack.
Lying with her head on Hunter’s chest, Lisa said, “So what did they say about Dr. Jensen’s murder?”
“They don’t have any leads, yet, or so they said. But I don’t believe it. I think they know exactly who killed him.”
“Were you able to talk to Dr. Fenway, or anyone else?”
“No, they had the whole place roped off. Gabe couldn’t even get in. They don’t want pesky Americans nosing around in their crime scenes.”
“So, what are we going to do? We still don’t have a clue about what happened to Jade.”
“We are going to go visit a couple of the obelisks. You are going to stay here in case you go into labor. You need to be near a hospital. And since we’ll be flying military planes, I’ll be able to get back quickly.”
Hunter glanced down at Lisa, who looked like she was about to make a protest, but then seemed to think better of it. Even Hunter had to be right sometimes.
“I just wish I could get a copy of the drawing that Jensen made of the cover of that artifact.”
“Why don’t you just go to the university and talk to that guy in the philology department? He was the one that figured out what the symbols meant, right? Maybe he can give you his copy.”
Hunter felt like he had just been slapped across the face. Why the hell hadn’t he thought of that?
I must be losing my touch.
“Yeah, I was actually going to do that,” he said, and gave Lisa a loving pat on the arm. “Come on, let’s drive over there.”
Twenty
They had saved David Lawrence, put him back together when he had been nothing but a ruined lump of flesh and bone, and given him a new purpose and a new power. He couldn’t begin to understand their complexity. They were mentally as far above him as he was above an amoeba. He had never seen them, but knew he would soon. In the meantime, he would serve them and serve them well, as his ancestors had since before time
began.
The cave on Lawrence’s island had several tunnels leading away from the main chamber that provided both a means of concealment or escape−whatever the situation called for. When he needed to make contact with them, he found that the cave was the best place for that. Whether its surrounding rock was conducive to receiving their communications, he couldn’t tell, but their thoughts came through loud and clear out here.
He made his way to one side of the huge chamber and disappeared into an adjoining tunnel. As he walked, the darkness enveloped him like a black hole, but he could see as well here as he could in broad daylight. His footfalls echoed off the cave walls until he came to a smaller chamber full of stalactites, stalagmites, columns and other formations that would probably keep a speleologist busy for months. He paid them no heed as he stopped in the center of the chamber, took a deep breath, and cleared his mind. Almost immediately, it was filled with the thoughts of an intellect so vast it could only be described as godlike. Hendricks grimaced with pain that threatened to break his skull apart.
Then, the god began to speak.
* * *
Jade sat in the entertainment room, or whatever the hell it was called, watching a ridiculously huge TV from movie theater-style seats. There were movie posters on the walls, one from Mission Impossible with Tom Cruise, and even a popcorn machine in the corner. But she had no appetite and barely even paid attention to the movie. Her mind wandered from one thing to the next, yet always came back to focus on a single thought−escape.
Lawrence had been watching her, and it was unnerving. She could tell that he was interested in her as more than just a hostage. Otherwise, she figured she would probably already be dead. Jade had even considered coming on to him. He wasn’t that bad looking, and he was very, very rich. But the fact that he had kidnapped her put a crimp in her plans. There was just something not right about the man, and the fact that he always wore dark glasses had to be some kind of sign indicating deep psychological issues. Who wore sunglasses twenty-four seven, except maybe someone with something to hide? But at least she hadn’t been thrown into a dark basement.
She was beginning to learn her way around the house, and in fact had found something quite interesting in the closet inside her own room.
There was a small, wooden door—one that was meant to give access to the plumbing for the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms. She had opened it earlier and discovered that it was just big enough for her to fit through. She would have to slip down between some pipes and underneath the house, which was luckily raised at least a couple of feet off the ground, but she could do it, would have to do it. She would wait until nightfall, then make her way out and do some snooping around the island. She would have to make sure she didn’t get caught, because that would mean there was no way they would leave her alone again.
She was also going to steal a phone. These guys left cell phones lying around all over the place like they were garage door openers. They definitely weren’t used to having guests; otherwise things would be a little more secure.
When the time was right, Jade was going to make an escape tonight and find out what was on this island that was worth the lives of her friends and colleagues. She had seen Lawrence walk outside and disappear over a hill. She was going to find out what was on the other side of that hill, or die trying. Then she would call her cousin, and with any luck, they would get her out of here and away from these maniacs before she went crazy.
It’s just a matter of time, Jade. All you have to do is wait. Just be patient.
She took a deep breath, slowly let it out, and tried once again to focus on the movie.
Twenty-one
In her junior year, Lilith started a secret organization, Ecological Victims of Evolution, or EVE. She recruited anyone who seemed to be on the fringe when it came to the environmental movement, or just anyone who could be easily manipulated. She recruited dozens of people. Her stepfather was sending her money, which she used to rent an apartment, and that was where the organization met. Most of the men were swayed by her blonde-haired, blue eyed Scandinavian beauty, and the possibility of getting close to her. She eventually did have a few of them as boyfriends. But they usually didn’t last long, once the organization started doing things that made them nervous. One man had gone so far as to make an attempt to shoot a senator, but suddenly got paranoid and couldn’t pull the trigger.
But then, he came, and that changed everything. He was like her, and they had inexplicably been drawn together. He showed her things about herself, things that she hadn’t even known, like the parasite that could be used to control others. One kiss, or even one touch of skin against skin would give the parasite access to the victim’s body. Then, they would do anything you commanded. Lilith was empowered by this newfound knowledge. It gave her focus and drive. Now, she had a purpose, and there was nothing in the universe that could stop her.
But she needed things, things that only people in high places could get for her. It just so happened that she knew someone like that—her stepfather, Senator James Clayburn. Not only was he an ex-navy intelligence officer, he was also chairman of the Armed Services Committee, which gave him access to the nation’s most guarded secrets. But Lilith didn’t want to control Clayburn with a parasite—she wanted his cooperation to be given freely, without question. And since her mother had died some months before, he was all alone in that huge house in Virginia. The first night after returning home from her college graduation, she slipped into her stepfather’s bed wearing nothing but a blood-red teddy and proceeded to give him the first of many sexual favors that would follow over the years. In return, he helped her recruit mercenaries, got her out of jams, and framed some of her recruits to take the fall for her more unsavory activities. Clayburn was her most valuable puppet, and she would continue to pull his strings until he finally danced his last.
Twenty-two
Hunter, Lisa and Gabe sat with Mac at the desk in his hotel room, staring at the pencil drawing on the piece of paper Hunter had brought.
“The symbol behind the eye looks like the Greek letter for Lambda, but Dr. Petrakis said it’s much older,” Hunter said. “He said the Greek letter may have actually come from this symbol. And he has no idea what the rest of it means. Those look like lightning bolts surrounding the pupil.”
“What letter does Lambda approximate in English?” Gabe asked. “I’m not really up on my ancient Greek.”
“It’s close to the letter L,” Mac said. “But I think I may have the answer to the mystery.”
“Well, you are full of surprises,” Gabe said. Mac glanced up and smiled.
“Lambda is the first letter in the name of a Libyan queen from ancient Greek mythology called Lamia, who was also supposed to be the mistress of the god Zeus. Her name was derived from Laimos, the Greek term for gullet. Supposedly, Zeus’s wife, Hera, was so jealous of this mistress that she killed all of Lamia’s children and turned her into a child-eating demon. Sound familiar?”
“That sounds similar to the story of Lilith,” Lisa said. Hunter saw her shiver as she said the name.
“Exactly. The difference is that Lilith was supposed to be the first wife of Adam, before Eve came along. Lilith was created the same way as Adam, or so the legend goes—from the dust of the earth. But unlike Eve, she wasn’t cast from the garden—she ran away, to avoid being subservient to Adam. My own father discovered through research that the bloodline of the Lilitu actually exists today, in my own family. And my sister, Lilith, discovered through DNA testing that we have an extra chromosome, one that gives us amazing strength, and also gave Lilith the power to control the weather and to control animals. She can also control humans by using a parasitic creature that exists in liquid form. It enters the body through the pores, through the mouth, or through…other areas.”
“What does all this have to do with the symbol?” Gabe asked.
Mac turned in his chair to face her. “I’m not sure yet, but legends almost always have some basis in tr
uth. I believe the symbol on this paper is the symbol of the Lilitu.”
“I almost forgot,” Hunter said. “The other night when I was in my room, I plugged those map coordinates into a program I found online and each of those points are at exactly the same distance from each other, a few thousand miles, with Crete in the exact center. It formed a perfect pentagram.”
“A pentagram? That has to mean something. We really need to check out the symbols on those obelisks.”
* * *
As Hunter drove the short distance back to the hotel, he thought about the implications of what Mac had said.
“It’s kind of crazy that we would be involved in all this again, don’t you think?”
Lisa nodded. “It’s crazy, but it’s also frightening. It makes me think of my dream.” She looked over at him. “Hunter, I’m scared.”
Hunter laid his hand on hers and gave it a squeeze. “I told you, I’m not going to let anything happen to either one of you. That’s a promise.”
“But how can you promise that? You know the power these Lilitu possess. You’ve seen what Lilith could do. Can you imagine a whole race of those things running around?”
That was something Hunter really did not want to think about.
As they pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, Hunter saw Captain Matthias get out of a police cruiser, followed by two officers.
“Hmm. Wonder what they want,” he said.
As they got out of the car, Matthias strode up to them.