Lyse had no reason to doubt his statement and no inclination to ask for credentials, but something about his expression made her instinctively distrustful. She had an urge to look away from his monocular stare, but sublimated it as best she could. "Well, Mr. Houseman, let me just say that I remain convinced that Nick Kismet was telling the truth about the existence of the galley—"
You know it too, don't you?
"— and I'm likewise certain that somebody beat us to it. Maybe it wasn't the Russians, but somebody with a lot of money or a lot of influence, or both, got down there ahead of us and recovered that galley."
"I'm curious in spite of myself, Ms. Lyon. Who, if not the Russians, do you suppose might have done this? Who else indeed even knew of its existence?"
"I don't know. Kind of a scary thought, isn't it?" She became increasingly convinced that he already knew the answer. There was only one nation on Earth with the resources to recover a sunken vessel from the extreme depths of the Black Sea; a nation whose leaders had made a study of deception and denial. She wondered if a similar disaffection with America's clandestine oligarchy had led to Grimes' defection.
"Scary," he echoed.
The elevator car settled to a stop and a chime announced its arrival as the doors slid apart. Lyse needed no other cue. She immediately stepped forward, eager to be away, but Houseman was not done. "Lyse, you haven't answered my question."
She faced him steadily, maintaining eye contact so that he would have no reason to doubt her veracity. "If Nick did take a souvenir, I didn't see it. Maybe you should ask him."
There was another chime, and as the doors began sliding shut Lyse saw the man's lips draw back in a feral, wolf-like grin. His words chilled her more than the bitter winter air outside.
"Oh, I will. When I see Kismet again, be sure that I will."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SEAN ELLIS is the author of several novels. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Policy from Oregon State University. He lives with his wife and two sons in Arizona, where he divides his time between writing, adventure sports, and trying to figure out how to save the world.
You can learn more about Sean by going to his website: www.seanellisthrillers.webs.com.