Eye in the Sky Bk 02: Artifact Ch. 04

Oliver met them at the airport and asked them if they wanted to eat somewhere.

"We want to get on the helicopter and leave," Molly told him. "We'll tell you all about it on the way."

When they were in the air the two researchers breathed a sigh of relief.

"What on earth is up with you two?" Oliver asked. "You act like you expected to be arrested back there. What's going on?"

"We're very angry with you," she chided him. "We had perfectly normal lives and careers until you dropped that wretched book and idol in our laps. Now we're being hunted across the map, barely getting out ahead of the Nazi's in suits who have become very interested in us."

She explained everything that had happened and Oliver was dumbfounded. "What do Nazi's in suits want with a statue and a book?"

"I have no idea. It has something to do with that idol. Mr. Brennan, how much do you know about that statue?"

"Please, call me Oliver."

"Then you may call me Molly, and my companion in peril here is Bertrand."

"Okay, I just know what you've told me and what the kids found on the internet. Do you know something else?"

"I might. Have you ever seen the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark?"

"Yes, several times."

"What if you had found the Ark of the Covenant and that stuff in the Bible was right. What if it could be used as a powerful weapon or to increase crop harvests or control rioting citizens? Do you think the government would be interested in that?"

"Yes, I suppose they would."

"What if you found an ancient artifact that had been used by ancient Hebrews to knock down walls, or make enemies develop cancer or rain down fire on their camp? What if Jesus had owned this artifact and his disciples used it to work miracles? What if it was in the Jewish Temple when it was destroyed by the Romans and buried for a thousand years? What if it were discovered a thousand years later and used by the crusaders to conquer the Holy Lands? What if they lost their grip on Palestine through fighting among themselves and fled to France, where it was kept in a Templar prefecture for another three hundred years while they grew ever richer and more powerful, until a surprise attack swept them all up on one Friday the 13th. Some of them escaped and one of them carried this artifact to Christopher Columbus with the instructions that he was to carry it to the New World and conceal it until the time was right for the Templar's return?"

"That's a lot of what if's, Molly. What if pigs could fly?"

"They might, if the right power was used. I think you have that artifact, Oliver. Now imagine that the Templar's aren't gone. Imagine that they're out there, concealed from sight but with influence in all kinds of areas. The news of an ancient artifact, carried here by Columbus and recently found on a Caribbean island comes to their attention. I don't know if they're out there, but I do know that two men from a sinister government agency visited me today, and it scared the hell out of me."

"So you're telling me that statue we found has some sort of powers?"

"I don't know. Is there anything unusual about the place you found it?"

"We have lots of lizards, the fruit trees bear all the time and I've gained ten pounds of muscle since we've lived here. Any of that ring a bell?"

"Yes, all of it fits the profile, but it could all be perfectly natural. Do you work out?"

"Every day."

"I just don't know. We need to do some tests. Try some things and see what happens, but if the Nazi's in suits take it away from us, that scares the hell out of me, too. They're evil enough without having some kind of occult powers. Can you imagine what those goose-stepping thugs would be like if they had the power to manipulate a bunch of mind-numbed robots?"

"I don't like to think about it. They've been trying to get that kind of power for years. Those tests on children we heard about last year scare me to death."

"Then let's do some tests and figure out what this thing is. We have an advantage over them."

"What would that be?"

"You never told us where you live or where you found the artifacts. What we didn't know, we couldn't reveal."

"That's true. I didn't think it was any of your business. I guess it is now. I own a private Island in the Bahamas group called Darby Island. Did you mention my name in any of your correspondence?"

"No, I didn't," Bertrand said. "It was strictly pages of the book. We took all our notes with us when we left and had a little bonfire down on the beach in St. Thomas. We burned our laptops, too."

"Well, they'll trace you to Nassau and find out you were picked up in a helicopter. They'll figure out the range of the helicopter and they'll find us eventually. Unless they're prepared to send in massive force we'll be safe for a while longer. We'll find out what this thing is and then decide what to do. If it's harmless, I suppose I'll give it to them. It goes against my principles, but it's better than being invaded. I'd go to the Government in Nassau, but they're in bed with the Commonwealth, just like St. Thomas."

"There isn't a government anywhere that wouldn't slaughter half the planet to get their hands on something like that," Bertrand said.

They landed on Darby Island and Kane met them in the golf cart. Oliver introduced them and she drove them to Baxter house. They were shocked when they saw the castle.

"Do you think you have an ostentatious enough house, Oliver?" Bertrand asked. "How old is that castle?"

"It was built in the late 30's by Sir Baxter as a plantation headquarters. For a while, the plantation was the largest employer in the Bahamas. When I bought the island, it had been abandoned for years. It took quite a bit to get it in livable condition, but it's really cool to live in. It's a good thing it's big, because you're staying there as long as you're here. Well, maybe not. It's up to you. There are four other islands in this property, and if you wanted to you could stay on one of them. They all have houses of various sizes, and little Darby has two bungalows. If you wanted to stay there you could take the take the boat over just like you would have your car back home."

"That sounds better to me. Let me see the inside of the castle and I'll decide then." Molly said. "We don't want to intrude, Oliver."

"You're not intruding. We could wander around inside Baxter house all day and not see each other if we wanted to. It has something like 40 rooms, you know."

"No I didn't know. What are they all for?"

"Most of them are bedrooms and bathrooms. There's a ballroom, two dining rooms, a library, a longue, a conservatory, servants quarters, a game room with pool and snooker tables, three sitting rooms, a botanical garden, a spa and a gym. I've forgotten how many bedrooms there are. Something like ten or twelve, I think. They all have their own bathrooms and there are three bathrooms that don't go with bedrooms. If you stay with us, you can pretty much have your own wing. If you stay on Little Darby, we need to stock the place up with food and linens and stuff. The bungalows are furnished, but I don't keep them stocked. We've never stayed on any of the other islands. Somehow, the name Goat Cay doesn't ring my bell. It's really a very pretty little island and we've been on it and checked it out, but we don't have much reason to go back."

"Show us around, Oliver. We'll decide later."

"I think the tour can wait," Bertrand said. "I think the first order of business ought to be getting this book safe. Did you get the chamber we talked about built, Oliver?"

"Actually, I did." He took them to the library. There were two boxes on pedestals standing along one wall. He took them to the first and unlocked it. He pushed a button and a metal cover slid exposing darkness. He pushed another button and a light came on and the Baphomet idol lay underneath on a purple velvet cloth. It gleamed evilly in the box.

"There's an argon cylinder behind that wall and a line runs to the box. I'm also controlling the temperature and humidity. I have the same setup for the book."

He opened the second box and Bertrand carefully placed the book inside. He closed the lid and locked the box. Gas hissed in and began to circulate, lowering the temperature to 60 degrees.

"Now the tour," he told them. "Your guides will be Benjamin and Bannon. Kids, this is Dr. Knowles. She has asked us to call her Molly, and this gentleman is Dr. Adams. His friends call him Bertrand."

"Benjamin, Bannon, we're pleased to meet you." Molly shook their hands. "You must be related to Kane, Bannon. You look so much alike."

"She's my big sister," Bannon said. "Oliver is Ben's dad. We'll show you the west wing where you'll be staying first. There are three other wings in case you don't like the view. Dinner will be in the garden tonight. I believe we're having the spiny lobsters Ben and I caught this morning."

"You're a delightful girl," Bertrand told her. He offered her his arm and she led the way, Molly and Ben trailing behind.