Jennings thought for a moment. His conversation had finally aroused the young woman next to him, but she had only stretched for a few seconds and then gone back to sleep. “Don’t make me regret putting you on this assignment, James. You and Angela are my best agents. I have made you privy to things that only a precious few know about. If you fail me, you know what the consequences are.”
There was silence. Then, “Of course sir. We won’t fail you or the Prophet.”
With that, Eric hit the end button on the display and set the phone back down on the little table. He looked back over at the silhouette of the naked woman underneath a thin sheet, accented by the streetlights of Washington D.C. coming through his second-story window. She’d been vigorous early, a real pleasure to bring home. He wondered if she would be at this hour of the evening as he reached over and slipped his arm around her waist. Besides, he needed something to take his mind of the problem that had arisen in the desert.
Chapter 14
Adriana whipped the Audi SUV out onto Las Vegas Boulevard and pressed hard on the gas. They sped down the strip passing the Palazzo, Wynn and Encore as well as the last few major Casinos in the area. The car’s unique strip of LED headlights did little to change the brightly lit streets of the Boulevard. “Ok girls, someone needs to tell me exactly what is going on and right now would probably be the best time to do it.” Sean said as he leaned forward from the back seat.
What had been a fun vacation with some gambling and maybe a few shows had turned into a bloodbath inside his favorite hotel.
Some of the less famous spots in the city blurred by as their driver tried to make sure she hit every green light possible.
Finally, their luck ran out and she slammed on the brakes at a red light.
She looked around in all the mirrors to make sure they weren’t being followed before speaking. “You friend is right. They are with the group that calls themselves The Order of the Golden Dawn.”
Emily cast him a quick glance as if to say, “I told you so.”
The light turned green and Adriana continued talking, satisfied that they were safe for the moment. “Ms. Starks, what you think you know about this organization is irrelevant to what they are capable of and the extent of their reach.” She gave a look out of the corner of her eye as a warning.
“How do you know what I know about them?” Starks replied.
“I don’t,” Adriana responded. “But I know how your government works and your agencies usually never know the whole story.”
She ignored the slighted glance from Starks. “I have been following their movements and actions for some time. They have been extremely active over the last year, as Ms. Starks made you aware of earlier, Senor Wyatt. However, no one in the intelligence community seems to know why they have all of the sudden started moving pieces on the chessboard of the world again. I do.”
“And just why is that?” Emily interrupted.
“They have been looking for the Golden Chambers of Akhanan,” Adriana gave Sean a quick look.
“Yeah, that much we know. But we beat them to the first one, and I don’t think they are going to come anywhere close to the next one. We took care of that little problem.” Sean spoke with a little swagger in his voice.
“Did you?” she asked. “I would say from the events of the evening so far that you are incorrect in that assessment.” She made another quick turn and merged on to a highway leading out of town.
“Where are we going?” Emily looked suspicious.
Adriana looked straight ahead into the darkness outside the city. “Somewhere safe.”
Inside the vehicle became silent as she drove. For fifteen minutes no one said anything. The lights of the city began fading further and further away until the town was just a bright spot in the middle of the desert. The black Q7 cruised through the rising twists and turns of the mountains easily, living up to it’s sports-car lineage. As the jagged mountain crested, the asphalt vanished into dirt and gravel. Villa made a quick right turn onto another dusty roadway and slowed down slightly. Up ahead, sitting next to a large rock formation was a sandstone building. Its wood appointments and craftsman design were uncommon for the area, more suited for somewhere like the northwest or maybe in the southern United States. Dim lights emanated from within and a large, metallic garage door began opening on the underside of the house as they wheeled around a slight downgrade turn that led into the port.
“Nice place,” Sean broke the long silence.
Villa barely gave him a look out of the corner of her eye. “Gracias.” Her Spanish accent was alluring. She spoke with a confidence that was extremely attractive. It didn’t hurt that she was gorgeous, too.
She brought the car to a halt and switched off the engine and opened her door. Something in the corner of the garage caught Sean’s eye as he exited the vehicle. It was red, smooth, and tough looking. No fairing, single swing arm, big front and back tires. It called to him from across the room. “Ducati Streetfighter?” he asked, impressed.
“Si, Senor Wyatt,” she answered with a smile. “I love to ride. When Ducati came out with this one, I bought it immediately.”
Sean thought about his small fleet of motorcycles back home. Each one had a unique sound, rhythm, and feel. He’d ridden them all extensively and loved each one like they were his children. She interrupted his thoughts as if reading his mind. “I understand you have quite a collection of bikes yourself, Mr. Wyatt.”
He grinned slightly. “It’s nothing major. Just some I’ve worked on and restored over the years. I’ve never ridden a Streetfighter, though. What’s it like?”
Her smile was slightly wicked as she raised an eyebrow. “Like strapping a grenade to your chest.”
Chapter 15
Alexander paced slowly around the small, circular wooden table.
The other two men, Albert Mornay and Jonathan Carrol, sat nervously in their chairs, uncertain why they’d been called at this time of night but both thought they knew the answer.
“Gentlemen, I’m sorry to have ‘roused you from your slumber this evening, but it seems we have a problem,” Lindsey began, not expecting the other two to start the conversation. They were both weak men, easily controlled. Well, until this last little outburst.
Mornay’s family had been involved with Golden Dawn since the 1920s. He’d basically been grandfathered into the order. The man had never done a day of hard labor in his life. Tall, slender, with a beak for a nose and a high forehead, he was the realized image of Ichabod Crane.
Carrol was different. He’d been a low-level suck up in some company for a long time until he finally got promoted to the level of partner. Though he’d worked hard for the Order, he had given away his best years. Now in his mid-fifties, the man looked like he was pushing seventy. A real “yes” man, Jonathan Carrol took crap from everyone who gave it out so long as it helped move him up the ladder.
Both men had their usefulness. They had money and some influence in certain circles. More important than that, they could be manipulated however Alexander saw fit. He’d known that Carrol and Mornay resented the fact. They knew their position, and neither was willing to do anything to jeopardize the possibility of becoming top dog at some point in the future.
Lindsey had taken the reins ten years ago from his predecessor. He’d served the old man well, learning everything he could about the Order. It was his benefactor that had seen the ambition in Alexander’s eyes. That understanding had led him to reveal the secret of the lost golden chambers of Akhanan. It was a secret that only a few people knew.