“I don’t know,” Jade said. “That wouldn’t explain the squares. It looks familiar, though.” She stepped to the side and folded her arms across her chest, scrutinizing the artifact. “Let me get some pictures of it, then we’ll see what we can figure out. All right,” she said, raising her voice and clapping her hands twice like a schoolteacher calming an unruly class, “everybody clear the room. I like lots of peace and quiet when I work.”
“Wait a minute,” Dane said in mock-protest. “I could have sworn this was my boat.” The look Jade gave him, disapproval mixed with mild threat, told him not to push it farther. He followed Matt and Corey, who had been hanging out quietly by the door, out onto the deck, with Saul trailing behind.
Jade emerged twenty minutes later, a satisfied look on her face.
“We’re finished for today,” she said. She turned to face Saul, who stared at her with an air of impatience. “You can go back,” she told him, ignoring his twisted scowl. “I’ll be along in a little while. You and I can look at the pictures tonight if you like.”
Saul’s eyes flitted to Dane and then back to Jade. He pursed his lips and worked his jaw. “Do you want me to help you with the breastplate? It’s not really a one-man job.”
Dane expected a sharp retort from Jade at the word “man”, but none was forthcoming.
“I’ve decided I’m going to leave it here,” she said, “at least for the night.”
“The university wouldn’t like that,” Saul protested. “I really think you should…”
“What the university would not like is my concern.” Jade spoke over him in a firm tone. “Not yours.”
Saul tensed, the veins in his neck standing out and his face twisting into a scowl, then relaxed and gave a curt nod.
“Do you want me to come back for you later?” When Jade shook her head, Saul gave Dane an accusatory look. “Of course,” he said, his voice sour. Without further comment, he turned and walked away. Shortly thereafter the sound of a boat motor heralded his departure.
“That guy is a real treat,” Dane said, shaking his head. “Wish I had ten just like him.” Saul reminded him Marc Paccone, an upperclassman he’d encountered at the Naval Academy. Like most bullies, Marc was a sadist, and used his station to abuse his underlings, but deep down he was a coward.
Years later, Dane had encountered him in a bar. A couple too many shots of Jose Cuervo, and Marc invited him to step outside. Happy to oblige, Dane had made quick work of the big fellow and been gone before anyone had even thought of calling the cops. Saul struck him the same way, though what power the man wielded over Jade was not immediately apparent.
“You seem like a no-nonsense girl,” he said. “Why do you keep him around?”
“I’m afraid he’s a necessary evil,” Jade said, smiling. “His father is my biggest backer.” Dane thought that explained a great deal. “But enough about Saul,” Jade said, slipping her hand into his, “how about grabbing me a beer?”
Dane tried to sleep, but slumber eluded him. He had spent a pleasant evening with Jade, but now the mystery was foremost in his mind. He would have gone back for another look at the breastplate, but at the last minute, Jade had decided to take it back with her. He bundled it up and gave her a lift back to shore.
One particular picture on the breastplate now gnawed at his mind. He was sure he had seen the moonlike image somewhere before, but he could not place it. It was driving him crazy. He rolled out of his bed, pulled on shorts and a t-shirt, slipped out of his small cabin and made his way up to the deck.
The night air was damp, but could only be considered cool in contrast to the day’s heat. The full moon danced on the water, glistening on the gently rolling sea. It seemed to taunt Dane, a tantalizing clue to the memory that abided just beyond recollection. He rested his elbows on the stern rail and stared at the silver circle.
Something caught his ear. A sound that was out of place. He cocked his head and concentrated. He heard the scrape of a shoe on the deck on the port side. Moving quickly and silently, he hurried toward the sound, painfully aware that he was unarmed. Perhaps either Matt or Corey was also having trouble sleeping, but something told him that was not the case.
His instinct was correct. A small boat drifted just off the port bow. He heard its engine fire up as a dark form vaulted the Sea Foam’s rail and landed in the smaller craft.
“Hey!” he shouted as the boat tore off, leaving a frothy wake. He didn’t know why he had yelled, but it had seemed like the thing to do. He could make out few details of the rapidly receding boat. A hunched shadow was at the helm, but he could see no more..
He heard a commotion below, and soon Corey and Matt joined him. He quickly explained what had happened, and they set about inspecting the Sea Foam. She was clean. The only sign of intrusion was the cabin door, which had been pushed to, but not quite closed. Inside, everything was in order; nothing was missing or out of place.
“Weird,” Matt observed, shaking his head. “But you gotta’ appreciate a burglar who cleans up after himself.”
Dane gave a half-smile, but he didn’t have to say what he was thinking. There was only one thing anyone would have been looking for in the cabin. But how many people even knew that the breastplate had been here? The discovery was not a secret. News of the find had spread around the town and among the various researchers. He immediately suspected Saul, but that didn’t make sense. Surely he would know that Jade had brought it back with her. And why would he want to take it anyway? As Jade’s assistant he had plenty of access to it. It was too much for his brain.
“I’m wide awake now,” Corey said. “Anybody else want a beer? I’m dry as the desert.”
The desert! Dane glanced up at the moon, a broad smile spreading across his face. He remembered where he had seen the image on the shield!
Chapter 6
Come on Cuz, your public is waiting.” Bones clapped Isaiah on the back as they left the dig site. Up ahead, a throng of people stood outside the gate to Orley’s ranch. He counted at least two vans from local television stations. A few others were too far away to identify. He spotted a bored-looking young man with an expensive camera slung around his neck, and two other men armed with note pads and tape recorders. At the front of the pack, looking quite pleased with herself, stood Amanda Shores. They were walking smack into a press conference.
Orley waited just inside the gate, his face even redder than usual. “You answer their questions and you get ‘em out of here, or I’m shuttin’ the whole thing down, you hear me?”
“Yes, I understand, Mr. Orley,” Isaiah said, his voice tired. Public relations was definitely not his strong suit. “But you must understand, the discovery we’ve made might be of great significance. It’s understandable that the public is interested.”
“To hell with that.” Orley cleared his throat and spat a wad of phlegm in the dust at Isaiah’s feet. “Like I done told you, this is a working ranch, and I want ‘em out of here.” He shoved past Isaiah without giving him a chance to reply. Bones wondered at the man’s comment. He hadn’t noticed much work of any kind going on at the ranch, save the dig.
“Dr. Horsely,” Amanda called out above the din of voices. “Amanda Shores from the Deseret Bugle. We spoke yesterday.”
“Yes, I remember,” Isaiah said. Warily he approached the crowd of reporters. Bones trailed behind, feeling wickedly amused. This ought to be good.
The photographer started clicking away, while two men with television cameras appeared from the throng and started rolling. Amanda asked the first question.
“Dr. Horsely, is it true that your dig has found an image of Jesus Christ among some undisturbed pictographs?”