Of course, that was then. And now here she was, still waiting for some news of a new job she could take on. As a myth hunter, Elisa scoured the globe, seeking out the truths behind the legends of the world. Sometimes, those jobs came with priceless artifacts she would be paid to procure. Other times, it was just a matter of doing the right thing.
“You’re antsy, can’t say I blame you.” Asami sat atop a large rock, lifting one of her legs and bending it, pulling the knee to her chest. “It’s been quiet. Need some action soon.”
“Not just a matter of action,” said Elisa. “It’s a matter of money. I’ve got my inheritance and some savings, but it won’t last forever.”
Asami scoffed. “I’ve got money.”
Elisa shook her head. “I’m not taking it.”
“Hey, I’m responsible for you. We’re in this together. What’s mine is yours.”
“That’s not the point.” Elisa sighed. While on a job in Hong Kong, Asami had nearly died. It was only through a mystic rite that linked Elisa and Asami’s destinies that her life was saved. “Listen, I appreciate you looking out for me—”
Asami shrugged. “Not like I have a choice.”
“—But I’ve got to be able to do things for myself,” Elisa finished.
Asami had a playful smile on her lips. “What’s the matter, worried that someone will find out you’ve got a sugar mama?”
Elisa rolled her eyes and chortled. “How about we head back to the house? I could use some lunch.”
Asami hopped off the rock. “Now you’re speakin’ my language.”
Elisa took the duffel bag, draping the strap over her shoulder. The forest was a short, ten-minute walk from Elisa’s family home. It was perhaps bigger than most with a large yard and a few unused rooms, but by no means a mansion. They approached the sliding glass doors that led into the kitchen and Elisa stopped dead in her tracks.
“What’s up?” asked Asami, stopping beside her. She looked at the doors and understood Elisa’s concern. The door was open, and neither of them would ever make such a careless mistake.
Elisa zipped open the duffel bag and retrieved one of her kukri daggers, pulling it from the sheath. She glanced at her partner and saw Asami already in the midst of a transformation. Reddish-orange hair had emerged from the woman’s pores and her posture shifted with her face changing shape. Her nose extended into a snout and her teeth had become fangs, her nails growing into razor-sharp claws.
Asami wasn’t human but a kitsune, a kind of were-fox. She moved to the door, pulling it aside further and stepping in. Elisa followed behind her, holding her kukri in a tight grip and surveying the area.
The kitsune raised her nose in the air and sniffed. She could pick up the intruder’s scent and looked at Elisa, then gestured off to the side. From the kitchen they moved into the adjoining living room. A couch, some chairs, and a large television set were in here. Connected to the living room was a library. Not as expansive as the one owned by Elisa’s mentor, Max Finch, but still impressive in its own right. Asami stepped up to the double doors and looked at Elisa for confirmation. The myth hunter nodded and Asami threw the doors open. As soon as she did, she realized who the intruder was.
Elisa charged into the room and threw the dagger with uncanny accuracy, just as she heard her partner scream, “Wait!”
The intruder stood by the fireplace and ducked, the dagger striking the wall right beside his face. Despite his head almost being impaled, he seemed remarkably calm and flashed a smile at the two women. He stepped away from the fireplace.
“Sorry for the intrusion. Wasn’t sure when you’d be getting home so thought I’d let myself in.”
Elisa saw a book in his hand. “Doing some reading?”
He held up the book, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF H.P. LOVECRAFT written across the hardcover. “Heard you had some experience with this recently.”
“Something like that,” said Elisa, placing her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here, Jason?”
Jason Shroud walked over to the bookshelf and returned the tome to its place. He turned again and removed the black leather jacket he wore over a gray turtleneck, draping it over his bent arm. “Can we sit?”
Elisa gestured to the chairs that were set up in the center of the room. Jason sat first and rubbed his thin, brown beard. Elisa and Asami sat across from him, with Asami now returned to her human form. She felt Jason’s eyes on her and she snapped at him.
“What?”
“Nothing,” said Jason. “Just…I never thought I’d see you in anything other than that pinstripe suit you always wear.”
Asami scoffed and leaned back in her chair. Both her and Elisa were dressed in sweat pants and tank tops for their sparring session.
“Something tells me you didn’t come here to look at my library, or to comment on Asami’s fashion,” said Elisa. “So what’s up, Jason?”
“Wish I could say this is a social call but you’re right, I am here on business,” said Jason. “I heard about your departure from Burroughs and was wondering whether or not you’d given any thought to the offer I made you in Hong Kong.”
Shroud was a member of the Freemasons, a secret society formed to do good in the world. His primary responsibility within the organization was heading up their own myth hunting division.
“I’ve thought about it,” said Elisa. “Still not sure I’m willing to sign up with anyone. I’ve always been a bit more comfortable as a freelancer.”
“That’s fair enough, but that’s not the only reason I’m here,” said Jason. “I do have a job, one I think you’d be perfect for.”
“A job?” Asami’s ears perked up and she sat forward. “Do tell. We’ve been cooped up here for months with no action and we’re both a little on edge.”
“Really?” asked Jason, his eyes moving to meet Elisa’s face.
“It’s been quiet,” said Elisa. “Last job was a few months back.”
“Sebastian Clarke, right?” asked Jason.
Elisa threw up her hands in frustration. “Geez, is there anything your people don’t know?”
Jason snickered. “If I answered that, it would ruin our street cred as an omniscient, all-powerful sect. But we do have mystics on-hand and they informed us of some pretty powerful dark magicks being summoned and then just as quickly dissipating. Through our investigation, we found out that Clarke had gone missing.”
“Yeah, yeah. Crusty old guy gets sucked into hell dimension,” said Asami. “How about sharing the details on this new gig?”
Jason shifted in his chair, raising his right foot to rest on his left thigh. “I’m sure you know of the Spear of Destiny, right?”
Elisa gave a nod. “Of course. During the Crucifixion, to be sure that Jesus was dead, a blind Roman centurion named Longinus pierced his side with a spear. Legend says that blood and water spilled from the wound and struck Longinus’ eyes, healing him. Some Christian traditions said he suffered for this by being condemned to a cave where he was mauled by a lion every night only to be healed at dawn so the process could begin again. In later traditions, it was said after being healed, he became a Christian convert.
“As for the spear itself, it was said to be endowed with mystic properties from Christ’s blood. Several powerful kings were said to have wielded it in battle, including Constantine and Charlemagne.”
“Right, and we currently have a problem,” said Jason. “We believe the spear is in grave danger of being discovered by the Order.”
Elisa’s eyes went from side to side. “Well…I’d be pretty disappointed if the Order didn’t already know about the spear. There are no less than four different artifacts claiming to be the spear.”
“And they’re all fake,” said Jason. “The real Spear of Destiny has been missing since 1946.”
Elisa raised her eyebrow. “What are you talking about? I’ve never heard anything about this.”
“I’m a little fuzzy on the details myself, but apparently, the spear was in the pos
session of the Nazis during the war. It was retrieved in 1946 but went missing shortly after.”
“I don’t get it,” said Asami. “Why’s this spear so important anyway? So some blood got on it, what does it do?”
“Legend says that the Spear of Destiny is one of the most powerful artifacts in the world. Anyone who holds it will be undefeated in battle. But losing the spear means inevitable death,” said Jason. “And now the Order is after it.”
“He’s right, the spear in the hands of the Order is definitely a bad news situation,” said Elisa. She looked at Jason. “Okay, I understand how serious this is. But why come to me? You’re just as good at this job as I am, plus I’m sure you’ve got other people in your organization who can help.”
“It’s because you have something of a family connection to this case,” said Jason. “Your grandfather was one of the men who retrieved the spear from the Nazis.”
CHAPTER 2
“First time?” asked Jason.
Asami turned for just a second from the window she’d been staring out to acknowledge Jason’s question. Without responding, she looked out the window once more. Not far from their helicopter was Mount Rushmore, the faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln carved into the side of the mountain.
Elisa sat beside Asami with Jason in the seat across from them, his back to the cockpit. For Elisa, this wasn’t a new experience. She’d been to this location several times, most recently when she first met Jason Shroud and learned of the Freemasons. But the few trips Asami had made to America before joining up with Elisa were mostly limited to coastal cities. She’d never been one for sightseeing.
The pilot circled around Washington’s head and Asami moved from the side window so she could stare out the front. Her copper eyes widened as they headed straight for the back of the mountain. Then, a portion of it flickered and vanished, revealing an opening into a hangar of sorts.
The helicopter gently set its skids on the metal platform and the pilot powered down. Jason opened the side door and hopped out first with Asami and Elisa moving behind him. Asami cast her eyes all around the large hangar and turned to Elisa.
“I know you told me about this place, but it feels a little different seein’ it in person.”
“Kinda takes your breath away,” said Elisa.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” said Jason. “Come on, there’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.”
Jason moved through the corridors past the Freemason operatives who bore no insignia on their black uniforms. They came to an elevator and the three of them moved inside with Jason pressing a button for one of the lowest levels.
“During the Cold War, a lot of complexes like this were built, designed to serve as bunkers for high-ranking politicians and military officials in the event of a nuclear strike,” he said. “Most have become abandoned since then, but we’ve acquired some for our own purposes and retrofitted them to meet our needs.”
The elevator reached their destination and the doors opened. They stepped inside a massive chamber with high ceilings. Famous works of art hung on the visible walls. Other walls were lined with massive bookcases that stretched from floor to the ten-foot-tall ceiling, filled from edge to edge. And on the wide expanse of floor space were what looked like museum exhibits. Atop metal podiums were glass cases that held priceless artifacts.
Elisa moved through the displays, marveling at what she saw there. One was labeled as the cutlass of Anne Bonny, another the gun of George Washington. Asami moved through as well, mostly just staring casually until her eyes fell upon a katana. She checked the label and looked up with surprise.
“Where’d you get this?”
“The Honjo Masamune,” came a new voice. Both Elisa and Asami turned their gazes to the new arrival. He was an older man in a suit with a bow-tie and a shock of white hair. “Yes, quite an interesting artifact.”
“Why do you have it?” asked Asami.
“It fell into our possession sometime in the 1980s, I believe.”
“Ladies, this is who I brought you to meet. This man is the Curator,” said Jason.
“Curator? Is that your first name or last?” asked Asami.
“Pay no attention to Asami,” said Jason.
“Is that her first name or last?” asked the Curator with a small smile.
Asami scoffed. “Funny.”
“And this—” Jason gestured towards the myth hunter.
“Oh, she needs no introduction, my boy,” said the Curator, stepping away from Jason and moving closer to Elisa. His blue eyes were wide and a smile spread across his face. The Curator held out a wrinkled hand and Elisa accepted his gesture. “Elisa Hill, I’ve heard so much about you. It is truly an honor.”
“You know me?” asked Elisa.
“Of you, yes. And your family,” said the Curator. “The Hill name has long been synonymous with seekers of truth and defenders of humanity.”
Elisa smiled, some color coming to her cheeks from the compliment. “I don’t really know what to say to that.”
“Sorry to interrupt, but can we talk about the reason we’re here?” asked Asami.
“Yes, of course,” said the Curator. “Not too long ago, we discovered a mole within our organization.”
“Mole, huh?” Asami flashed a smirk in Jason’s direction. “Guess you guys aren’t so high an’ mighty after all.”
“Unfortunately, our discovery came a bit too late,” said the Curator. “The mole had already stolen what he was sent to steal.”
“What would that be?” asked Elisa.
“The private journals of Walter Horn,” said Jason.
“Horn was a scholar born in Germany, but he fled in 1934 in opposition to the Nazi Party. He spent some time in Italy and then moved to the United States where he married and became a naturalized citizen in 1943. He also joined the army, serving under Patton,” said the Curator. “As a native speaker of German, he proved extremely useful in interrogating prisoners. Once the war ended, he worked as a special investigator tracking down art stolen by the Nazis. That was when he and his team uncovered the Imperial Regalia of Charlemagne. Purported to be among those was the Spear of Destiny.”
“Right, the Habsburg Spear,” said Elisa. “But Jason said it was a fake.”
“Indeed it was, and Horn knew this. He feared that the true spear was still in possession of the Nazis and through interrogation, he discovered its true location to be in the Himalayas where a contingent of German troops remained,” said the Curator. “Unfortunately, Patton didn’t share Horn’s belief, and so Horn came to us.”
“The Freemasons were responsible with helping Horn into the region as well as pairing him up with a man who had extensive knowledge of the Himalayas,” said Jason. “That man was Kenneth Hill—your grandfather.”
Elisa shook her head. “I don’t understand. How come I’ve never heard of this before now? I remember my grandfather. He used to tell me stories about his adventures—hell, he’s the one who first showed me how to use a kukri. And even after he died, my parents never said anything about this.”
“Because your parents never knew. Until this came to light, I didn’t even know about this mission,” said Jason. “Only a select few individuals knew of Horn’s quest to retrieve the spear and all of them were sworn to secrecy. Because they all knew the danger of what could happen should that information get out.”
“And now it has,” said Asami, folding her arms over her chest. “How’d that happen again?”
“Horn’s journals contained a record of his expedition to Agharti, the name of the Nazi base within the Himalayas,” said the Curator. “In the record, Horn mentions a German occultist order, known as the Thule Society. He stated that when the leader of the Thules held the Spear of Destiny, he became unstoppable. And at that point, only the spear itself could kill him.”
“If the journals were stolen and no one knew about this, how do you know what they say?” asked Asami.
“Because we are not fools, my dear. Please follow me.” The Curator turned on his heel and walked towards the rear of the chamber with the rest of the group following.
He led them through a door to a corridor and from there, they entered another room with a conference table and a monitor affixed to the wall. The Curator sat at one end of the table, a tablet resting in front of him. The others sat around the table and when the Curator activated the tablet, the monitor came to life, mirroring the contents. On the screen were scanned pages of a handwritten journal, clearly the one that had been stolen by the mole.
“We may deal in ancient mysteries and legends, but we’re not ignorant of the benefits of modern technology,” he said. “Every single text in our possession has been carefully scanned into a digital format and encrypted to prevent against unauthorized access. That way, should anything become lost or damaged, we still have the information on file.”
“Where is the spear now?” asked Elisa. “If Horn was able to retrieve it, then what happened in the intervening seventy years?”
“Here’s where it gets a little confusing,” said Jason. “Horn never specifically mentions that he and your grandfather got out of Agharti with the spear. But a later entry says he participated in Operation Highjump.”
The Curator hit some commands on the tablet and the monitor changed to official documents titled OPERATION HIGHJUMP. “Officially, Operation Highjump was a US Navy exercise meant to establish an Antarctic research base. Horn states that it was a plan to investigate a Nazi research base called Station 211 in Antarctica and retrieve a powerful weapon they had there. But we have no further information on what they uncovered at 211, if anything.”
“You think the spear could be in Antarctica?” asked Asami. “Why would the Navy go after this thing and then just abandon it?”
Spear of Destiny (The Myth Hunter Book 4) Page 2