God's Lions - The Dark Ruin (55 page)

A short, balding man with a leather satchel tucked under his left arm stepped forward. “I have it right here, sir.”

“Well ... ?”

“You want me to brief you out here ... in the open?”

“Why not?” Adrian glared at the officers. “No one around here seems to hear or see anything anyway. Go ahead.”

“Uh, yes, sir. It appears that Professor Wasserman and his group made a successful getaway. We found tracks that led off the end of the beach along an old goat trail that ran parallel to the road, but unfortunately the tracks disappeared when the trail crossed the road.”

Adrian’s lips curled into a snarl. “Yes, that is unfortunate. Maybe you should try telling me something I don’t already know.”

“Well ... the ... uh ...” The man began to stutter under Acerbi’s gaze.

“You are my intelligence officer, aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hmmm. Somehow the title doesn’t fit. Either give me the report I asked for or find me someone who can.”

“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I do have some good news. We’ve tracked down the two Muslims who followed you to the ruins in Turkey. We identified them as a Colonel Demir from the Turkish army and a man by the name of Abbas Sadik who poses as an archaeologist but works for the Turkish intelligence agency. Apparently they followed the old man from the village of Orencik to the Dark Ruin and watched your mother emerge from the crater after ... well ... after whatever happened there.”

Adrian’s face turned red. “She’s not my mother!”

“Sorry, sir. I misspoke. I believe the woman who raised you goes by the name of Colette.”

“Yes, I know her name. Go on.”

“Apparently, the two Muslims followed the old man and the woman back to Orencik and helped her to escape from the old man’s house.”

“And just how were they able to accomplish that?”

The man’s satchel slipped out of his hands and fell on the deck. “We’re not sure how it went down, but somehow they entered the old man’s house and took her away before she could be eliminated.” The balding man bent over and picked up his satchel. “It looks like we’re dealing with two very capable individuals.”

“And you call that good news?” Adrian looked like he was about to explode.

“Uh ... no, sir. Like I mentioned before, we tracked them down. Our computers located Sadik’s SUV through his vehicle’s onboard computer chip. They’re in the town of Foix.”

“Foix!” Adrian began to smile. “They must have taken her to our old farm house. I suppose she wanted to live out her days there after she found out her husband had died, the sentimental old fool. Well, her sentiment will only buy her a painful end. I want them all taken into custody.”

“Even their families, sir?”

“What families?”

“The two Muslims brought their families with them.”

Adrian thought for a moment. “No, arrest only the two men and Colette.”

“On what charge, sir?”

“Make it a good one. After our men take them into custody send out a press release stating that three enemies of the new world order have been captured and will be executed by burning in three days time.”

The intelligence officer turned pale. “Burning, sir?”

“Yes, you heard me.
Burning
! That should get the attention of Lev Wasserman and his group. I have a feeling they’re headed for Foix, and if I’m right they’ll try something stupid and we’ll have them all rounded up before the day is out.” Adrian’s smile broadened. “At least the ones who survive.”

Just before the sun dipped below the horizon, rays of golden sunlight crossed the granite walls and filtered down through the trees, landing in large yellow splotches across the vast park-like area that lay at the top of the mountain. Led by Gael, Lev and his followers exited the warehouse and stopped in their tracks as they looked out over the tree-covered grounds and the massive castle towering in the distance. Below them they heard shouts, and in the gathering twilight they could see Leo and Evita running toward them up the sloping green lawn.

Seconds later, Leo was being buffeted by embraces as practically everyone wanted to touch him to make sure he wasn’t some kind of mirage.

“I can’t believe it!” Morelli said, panting from exhaustion. “We really thought you were dead!”

Leo was grinning ear-to-ear. “I was just getting even with you for doing the same thing to me when you sent me off to the Negev Desert two years ago. How did you know I was still alive?”

“Francois obtained the digital images from the airport security police. We saw you throw your cell phone under some chairs in the departure lounge after the crash. Ariella was adamant that you were here in France. She felt sure you were hiding in the cabins.”

Leo pulled a giggling Ariella to his side and kissed the top of her head. “I think you’ve inherited your father’s gift of intuition. Thank you, Ariella.” Leo looked up at all the faces staring back at him. “Thank all of you. I’m so glad you all made it here safely, and we have lots to show you, but first you must eat and rest.”

“Thanks to Gael we ate pretty well along the way,” Lev said, embracing Leo in a tight bear hug. “He showed Alon how to use his crossbow to bag a few deer while he foraged for wild roots and berries. It’s good to see you again, Cardinal.”

“You too, old friend. I’m just glad you listened to your daughter and decided to risk bringing the Carmela to Spain.”

Lev’s expression suddenly clouded. “I’m afraid we won’t be sailing on my yacht again anytime soon. Acerbi’s people were waiting for us when we entered the harbor and we had no other choice but to abandon ship and make our way here.”

Alon stepped forward and laid a big hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Yeah, we didn’t count on a big gray ship with a welcoming committee following us into the harbor. Even though we were electronically blacked out, Acerbi’s people knew we were coming. They probably spotted the yacht from their satellites. Anyway, we really gave them the slip. It was beautiful.”

“It’s a good thing, too,” Francois added. “We were probably only a day away from being taken into custody. It’s my humble opinion that Acerbi wants to eliminate the Bible Code Team and anyone associated with us. We’re just too big of a threat to him. He knows we know who he is and that makes us all targets now.”

Leo’s smile began to fade. “I’m sorry about your boat, Lev. I know how much she meant to you.”

“A boat can be replaced but not the people on her.” Lev looked around at Gael and the men standing quietly behind him in the darkness. “I have a feeling we’re in a good place now ... a much safer place.”

Evita wrapped her arm in his and smiled up at him. “You are, Lev ... you’ll see. We have a lot to show you.”

* *

The mood in the castle’s candlelit dining hall was festive as Julian Wehling sat back and watched the reunion celebration. A long wooden table was piled high with bread and fresh vegetables picked from the castle’s gardens, and there was wine; deep red wine made from grapes gathered in vineyards surrounding the village of Foix and aged perfectly in large oak casks stacked high in caves below the castle.

Bursts of laughter bounced off the tall stone walls where multicolored flags hung down from the immense space above the heads of the diners. A towering carved archway framed the entrance, while at the far end of the hall two doorways led to the castle’s enormous kitchen where food was prepared for literally hundreds of people every day in a never-ending stream of preparation and cooking that began before dawn and went on late into the night.

Nothing was frozen. Everything was fresh, for the entire castle was run on the premise that modern conveniences like refrigeration were a luxury they could neither afford nor depend on if they wanted to remain hidden. During the construction of the castle they had discovered through trial and error that any type of electrical power, regardless of its source, could be detected at great distances. The only exception to this rule could be found in the caves below the castle, where an electrical system powered by solar panels hidden among the rocks was shielded from the outside world by the mountain’s thick granite walls. This was the system they had elected to use to power the elevator and the lighting in some of the tunnel rooms, and so far none of their engineers could find any trace of electrical power emanating from the area.

In this new world, things like phones, computers, televisions, and radios were still forbidden, for these were things that could all quickly be identified and located by Acerbi’s forces when they went looking for those who were trying to supply themselves with the necessities of life without accepting the mark of the Beast. Only those who truly lived off the grid and returned to a lifestyle resembling a bygone era would be invisible to the Dark One’s forces, and Julian Wehling wanted to make sure it stayed that way—for all of their sakes.

“How did you find this place, Leo?” Lev asked

“Actually, they found me.”

“The cabins?”

“In a way. They have a network of scouts that still live down in the valley, and one of them found me standing beside the highway out by the old airport. He gave me a ride to the cabins, and as soon as he dropped me off he headed straight for the castle to let Evita know that I was still alive. The next day she turned up and we left before Acerbi’s men showed up.”

“You know, Leo, the world may still think you’re dead, but we believe Acerbi knows you’re still alive, and his men will stop at nothing to find you. Acerbi doesn’t like loose ends, and he wants you out of the picture.” Lev reached into an empty shirt pocket and felt for a cigar. “I want to take the fight to Acerbi so badly I can taste it, because if we do nothing he’ll keep hounding us until we’re all dead.”

Leo’s eye’s narrowed. “I agree, but for now I think we need to follow Julian’s advice. Our primary responsibility is to the people hiding up here on this mountain. We’re going to have to play a very stealthy game with this monster disguised as a man ... a game that will revolve around intelligence gathering and basic survival skills. We’re going to have to pick our battles carefully in this new world of ours, because we risk losing everything if we try to move too quickly.”

“Spoken like a true tactician,” Lev said, fishing through another pocket in a fruitless search for a non-existent cigar. “You know, we had contact mines stowed below decks on the Carmela. We could have swum over to the gray ship and placed a charge below the waterline and sunk her right there in the harbor, but then I had to think of all the innocent sailors onboard. I’m sure most of the people working for Acerbi have no idea who they’re really working for. They probably believe they’re working for some great cause, but from what I’ve heard Acerbi’s true nature is beginning to reveal itself. I heard rumors before we left Israel that he’s becoming more vicious when it comes to ferreting out his enemies and maintaining control. If we would have destroyed his ship before we escaped I have a feeling he would have retaliated against the townspeople who live near the harbor. Mark my word, before long we’ll be seeing his hand behind acts of terror all over the world designed to terrorize anyone who opposes him.”

“What’s with the serious faces? You two do know this is supposed to be a celebration, don’t you?”

Looking back over their shoulders, Leo and Lev saw Julian Wehling standing behind them.

“Oh ... Julian,” Leo twisted in his chair. “Have you met Professor Wasserman?”

“Yes, Gael introduced us earlier, but we haven’t had a chance to talk yet.”

“Well in that case, why don’t you join us?”

“Actually, I’m on my way out to check on the accommodations for the new arrivals. Maybe you two would like to come with me.”

“That would be great. I’d love to see more of this beautiful place.”

“I’m afraid you won’t be able to see much outside. We keep everything dark at night for security reasons, but you’re welcome to roam the grounds at your leisure if you wish.”

“I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for us, Mr. Wehling,” Lev said. “I don’t know if we would have made it through the mountains without Gael’s help.”

“That’s why I sent him, Professor. My brother is probably one of the most capable people you’ll ever meet. He’s a very gentle soul, but he can be a fearsome warrior if he’s called on to defend his people.” Julian stared off into space for a moment, as if a distant memory had just flashed before his eyes. “Come on ... let’s take a little walk outside before we check on the accommodations.”

Gulping down the last of their wine, Leo and Lev pushed away from the table and followed Julian through a series of tall doors designed to keep light from spilling outside at night. As soon as the big wooden doors closed behind them they found themselves surrounded by total darkness.

“You’ll have to let your eyes adjust for a minute,” Julian said. “We don’t even use flashlights outside up here. A single flashlight can sometimes be seen from the valley floor, especially on clear nights like this.”

Standing on the steps of the castle they slowly began to see the curved outlines of trees against the backdrop of a star-filled sky. To Leo it was like looking at the rounded backs of elephants standing in the open at night on an African plain, where no light from man disturbed their nocturnal awareness and they could rest in peace for awhile before the coming of the dawn and the ever-present threat from poachers who wanted to sell off pieces of their bodies for trinkets.

To their right, the dark angular shape of the tall wall surrounding the compound slowly materialized, and as voices whispered from the darkness across blades of grass in the lightness of the high mountain air they caught a glimpse of a shadowy sentry on the granite barrier as he stopped to peer over the side at the lights in the valley below.

Stumbling forward, Leo and Lev followed their sure-footed guide through the park-like area to the far side of the compound and entered the darkened warehouse. Under starlight flowing in from the skylights above they entered the elevator and descended a short twenty feet before stopping at the entrance to a side tunnel.

Pulling a flashlight from his pocket, Julian motioned them forward. “This way, gentlemen.”