“I know it’s hard to believe, but we think we found the stone in question.”
“You’re kidding.” Ben gaped at him.
“I’m serious. We don’t know much about it, which is why we wanted to speak with an expert such as yourself. It’s an interesting find, but has potential to be a controversial one, as I’m sure you can imagine. We don’t want to publish until we know more about it.”
“Can I see it?” Hunger burned in Ben’s eyes.
“I’m afraid we don’t have it with us. We’re keeping it somewhere safe for now.” Actually, somewhere safe was a pocket inside Bones’ leather jacket, but no one needed to know that. “We will definitely give you a call when we’re ready to publish our findings. You’ve been very helpful.” He extended his hand to shake.
“Wait a minute.” Then sprang to his feet. “How did you find it? Where? What makes you think it’s the stone?”
Maddock glanced at his watch and made a face. “I’m afraid that’s a much longer story than we have time for. We’re going to be traveling but we really want to follow up with this contact you gave us before then.”
“How about we buy you a beer and tell you the story once we get back into the country?” Bones asked.
“Of course,” Ben said. “It’s probably overly dramatic to call the stone my life’s work, but it certainly a passion. I’d like to be involved in any way I can.”
He had taken the bait. Now it was up to Maddock to set the hook. “There is actually something you can do to help. We’re going to be working on a different project for a few weeks but we’d like for someone to lay the groundwork for a documentary were going to film about the stone. If you could put out feelers for people who have any knowledge about the stone or similar legends that would be great.”
Ben nodded eagerly. “I’ll hit a couple of the message boards that I frequent and also touch base with some of my colleagues. Is it okay if I tell them someone has found the stone?”
Maddock and Bones pretended to consider this. “I think so,” Maddock finally said. “Well, we really do have to be going but we really appreciate your help. Will be in touch soon.”
“By the way, I forgot to tell you what the Chicora tribe calls the stone,” Ben said. “It’s a goofy name but you’ll want to use it or else Archer will think you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Great. What’s the name?” Maddock asked.
“They call it the Noah Stone.”
Chapter 16
The CRV bounced and jostled along the rutted dirt road. Dima’s GPS had lost its signal about a mile back. As far as she knew, she was on the right road. Archer’s house should be somewhere close by.
Her cell phone vibrated, making her jump. “Sure. Now you get a signal.” She glanced at the caller ID. It was Addie.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“What’s up?” Addie scolded. “Seriously? You leave me a message telling me I have to take over all your classes for the rest of the semester and you want to know what’s up?”
“The semester’s over in two weeks, Addie. I’ve already made up the exams. You can handle it.”
Addie let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s not what I’m trying to say. I’m worried about you, you idiot. You’ve never taken a day off of work, and now you take an indefinite leave? What’s going on?”
Dima bit her lip. She wanted to explain to Addie, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Suddenly this trip to meet Archer felt foolish in the extreme. She was freaked out, to be sure, but the stronger motivating factor was her desire to follow the clue Robert had sent her. Her fascination with Noah and the flood myths had taken hold, and this legend of a Noah Stone seemed the best way to start, at least until Robert showed up again. If he showed up again.
“I’m okay, I just need some time to myself,” she lied. “It’s a long story and I promise I’ll tell you as soon as I can, but it’s not a phone conversation.”
The silence on the other end of the line lasted so long that she thought the call had dropped.
“Addie, are you there?”
“I’m here. I just wish you’d tell me what’s wrong.”
“Don’t worry about me. I promise I’ll be okay. I just need a long-overdue vacation. When I’m back in the swing of things we’ll have another night out and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Up ahead, the drive opened up into a clearing. A tiny, well-kept house stood on the other side. This must be the place.
“All right,” Addie said. “Stay safe and keep in touch.”
“I will.” She was about to end the call when a sudden thought occurred to her. “Say, do you remember that Tyson guy that stopped by the office?”
“Tall, dark, and handsome? Of course I do.”
“That’s him. Listen. If he shows up again, be wary of him.”
“Really? Why?”
“I can’t explain. Just trust me.”
Addie didn’t like it but she agreed with just a hint of reluctance. Dima pocketed her phone, pulled up close to the house, and stopped. She took a deep breath. Archer wasn’t expecting her, and she wondered if he’d consider her sudden appearance an intrusion. It suddenly occurred to her that the man might not even be home. If not, she’d just have to wait for him. She had to see this thing through.
She cut the engine and stepped out into the humid South Carolina day. It wasn’t as bad as Atlanta, but still the damp air felt like a steam room after the blast of her car’s air conditioning. The scent of pine hung heavy in the air and it made her nose itch. Just her luck to discover she had a pine allergy only after moving to the Southeast.
Footsteps from somewhere nearby caught her attention and she turned, expecting to see Archer. Instead, her eyes fell on a hook-nosed man, a Saudi by the look of him, striding toward her. She wondered where he’d come from, but the question was answered when she spotted a white Toyota 4Runner parked in the shelter of a leafy dogwood. She’d been so immersed in her conversation with Addie that she hadn’t even notice.
“Dima Zafrini?”
Alarm bells rang in her mind. Who was he? How did he know her name? How did he know he would find her here? This was all wrong. She was halfway back into her car when a hand clamped over her mouth and a strong arm snaked around her waist.
“I need you to come with me.” The man’s breath smelled of clove cigarettes and his oily tone soured her stomach.
She tried to scream but managed only a muffled groan. Her hands grabbed for the steering wheel, but he yanked her out of the cab and dragged her, thrashing wildly, toward his waiting vehicle. She fought like a cornered cat, kicking and scratching for all she was worth. She jerked her head to the side and managed to utter a weak, “Help” before he muffled her again. She bit down on his finger and heard a satisfying curse, but her efforts were too little. Dima knew how to defend herself, but the man was too strong.
“We want the three stones, and I think you know where to find them,” the man snarled.
Somewhere within the terror coursing through her, she became aware of the crunch of tires on the drive. Her captor released her just as a silver Hyundai Santa Fe skidded to a halt. The doors flew open, and two men leaped out.
Everything happened in a flash. Shots rang out, an engine roared to life, more shots, and then a crash as the Toyota driven by the man who had just attempted to capture her clipped the back of the Hyundai. By the time the dust settled and Dima regained her composure, the man was gone.