~ Addison Black and The Eye of Bastet ~
by MJ
Disclaimer... See Part 1
Any comments please send them to… mj_poet@hotmail.com
Part 4
Chapter 14
A wide crystal tumbler was hurled across the hotel room. It collided with a pale cream wall and shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces. A string of obscene curse words followed and another glass was hurled in the opposite direction. It hit a wooden wardrobe door and fell to the carpeted flooring, breaking into several smaller pieces.
It was early morning and the sun had only just risen in the Egyptian sky. The oncoming heat of the day was already soaking into the atmosphere, but in the air-conditioned hotel room it remained moderately cool.
The man, known to most as William Bryson, paced around his room. He kicked whatever object crossed his path. A leather shoe was thrust to the left, a partly filled duffel bag kicked to the right. Hands clenched by his side, he looked towards the second occupant of the room with blazing anger.
"How did you let them escape? Twenty one men against two police officers, two female police officers." Balling his hands in anger, 'Bryson' drove his right fist through the wardrobe door. "They had the fucking key. It was right there in front of you and you let them get away."
The younger man pulled the baseball cap from his head and threw it to the floor. "You weren't there," he said pointing at 'Bryson' firmly. "These women didn't act like police officers. They knew what they were doing. They acted more like soldiers."
'Bryson' looked away in disgust. "A fine excuse." He gritted his teeth and growled. "Years of work, years of searching. It could have come to an end last night." Advancing upon the younger man he grasped him by the collar of his crisp white shirt. "You failed, Phoenix. I ought to…"
"What? You ought to what? Kill me like you did the professor? You won't and you know it. I've given your pointless quest a meaning much greater than you could ever have dreamed."
The younger man's words angered 'Bryson' further. He thrust Phoenix backwards and slammed him against the room's door. "It… was… not… pointless." He stared into calm pink eyes. His partner showed no fear.
"Continuing your father's work then…whatever." Phoenix shrugged out of 'Bryson's' grasp, pushing him away. "You came to me, remember? We need each other to make this work." He readjusted his crumpled collar. "Let's not forget the larger picture. Let's not forget what we gain from this."
Massaging the tense knot of muscles in his neck, 'Bryson' turned and walked back to the mini bar. He opened a miniature bottle of whiskey and drank it down in one go. "Plan C it is then."
"Plan C?" Phoenix raised his hands in question. "What's that?"
"That is always keeping your options open."
The younger man sat upon the edge of a double bed and folded his arms, looking at his business partner. "What are we doing?"
"I'll handle this. You head to the site and wait for me there. I'll bring us the key."
"That's not fair!"
"Not fair?" The older man took a cigar from the side table and lit it. "These aren't kid's games… you screwed up, now it is my turn. I shouldn't have left it to you in the first place. You wait outside the temple and I'll bring the key. I'll be no more than two days." He picked up his duffel bag.
"Where are you going, Xander?"
'Bryson', legally born Alexander Santos, threw the single carry-on over his shoulder. "London," he replied firmly.
*********
Taking a detour when she realised that even the H.Q. showers would not be private enough, Addison led Skyler to her room. Each trainee's room had a small adjoining bathroom consisting of a toilet, shower cubical and washbasin. It wasn't as large as the headquarters' showers, but it had the advantage of a bed in close proximity.
Unlocking her door Addison followed Skyler into the room. The doctor locked it behind them. She turned to face Addison. The silence between them was heavy with the heady feeling of sexual tension. Addison's dark brown eyes flowed over Skyler, taking in the honey golden locks, dilated pupils, heart-shaped lips and slender neck. Addison noticed her chest rise and fall with rapid breaths. She stepped closer while taking the hem of her tank top and pulling it from her body. Skyler's eyes dropped from Addison's face to breasts covered in a white, soft cotton bra. Licking her lips she moved closer. Her hands reached out, gliding over Addison's sides and around her back. She pulled the agent tight against her body. Skyler's eyes closed as their lips connected.
Addison moved her hands up Skyler's stomach. They glided over her breasts and towards her shoulders, pushing the jerkin from Skyler's body, their kiss increasing, deeper and longer. Addison's fingers fluttered up Skyler's neck and sunk into her hair. The doctor groaned, pulling Addison against her harder as Addison's blunt nails scraped over her scalp. The actions caused pleasant shivers to shoot down her body. She took the hem of her own tank top and removed it swiftly.
"Addison… if you knew how much I needed you right now." Skyler dragged her nails down Addison's stomach.
"Show me," Addison implored. Taking Skyler by the waist she pulled her towards the bathroom. They stumbled over the threshold and Addison found herself pinned against the cold glass of the shower cubical. The sensation cooled the heated flesh of her back.
Their seemingly unending kiss escalated further in intensity. Addison held Skyler, cradling the back of her head, her tongue exploring. Skyler, in much the same fashion, held Addison close, one hand cupping her cheek as she responded to Addison's oral manipulations. The realisation she had never felt kisses of such profound ardour, with any other, struck her once again. How was it Addison was able to pull such profound emotions from within her? Simple kisses, which she had craved for so long, awakened a side of Skyler she never before knew existed.
Running her hands down Addison's neck, shoulders and arms, Skyler traced her fingertips up the agent's stomach. Reaching the edge of her bra she took the garment and pulled it straight over Addison's head, bypassing the fastening in an urgent need to remove it. She looked down at bared breasts. The creamy skin with a heat-induced hue beckoned her. Skyler wasted no time in taking one aching nipple into her mouth. The flesh puckered immediately, drawing a moan of satisfaction from Skyler and a groan of need from Addison. The oral assault sent a ricochet of pleasure down her body causing her desire to begin a slow and steady throb.
Addison held Skyler's head against her. She resisted the urge to grind out her need upon Skyler's perfectly situated thigh. Instead Addison focussed her attention on releasing the clasp on Skyler's bra. As the garment fell loosely down her shoulders, Addison turned her attention to the doctor's combat pants. She undid each button and pushed them over slender hips, underwear included. Skyler had switched breasts and was busily sucking Addison's left nipple when the agent pulled her back to swollen lips.
They kissed again; Addison held Skyler flush against her. Being of similar heights their breasts touched and moved against each other wonderfully. Skyler kicked off her combat pants and, bending each leg behind her, untied laces and removed each boot. She stood naked before Addison. Their lips hadn't parted. Addison took advantage of Skyler's lack of clothing and ran her hands over as much flesh as possible. Having an intimate knowledge of Skyler's body, Addison's lips travelled down her neck as talented fingers scraped up her back. Skyler shuddered within Addison's arms and groaned long and low. Her breathing increased further in pace as green eyes squeezed tightly shut. Skyler bit her bottom lip and hissed when Addison moved her other hand up her inner thigh.
"Addison," Skyler said breathlessly. She started pulling at the fastenings of the agent's combat trousers. "You need to get out of these… now!"
Hearing the need in Skyler's voice, Addison removed her hands from Skyler's body and worked at removing her remaining clothing. Skyler used that brief moment to reach inside the shower, turning it on to a setting she knew was perfect for them both. The jet of water burst forth from the showerhead, soaking her arm instantly. Skyler turned back to find Addison devoid of clothing. She smiled, her body responding to Addison's predatory look and pulled her into the shower. The door swung closed behind them.
Both women stood under the steam of water. It soaked their hair and gushed rapidly down entwined bodies. Addison waited only moments before she pulled away from the jet of water, taking Skyler with her. She took a bottle of citrus scented shower gel and squeezed it into their hands and over their bodies. The scent of oranges and lemons permeated the air, the aroma increasing due to the steaming heat. As Addison placed the bottle down, Skyler began swirling her hands over the ebony haired agent's body. Her palms slid over the mix of soft skin and hard muscle. Addison returned the favour, sliding her hands over Skyler's slippery body. She was careful not to put any pressure on Skyler's recently inserted implant. Though the incision was healing well, she knew from experience it would still feel tender to the touch.
Skyler's hands moved lower, diligent in her task of thoroughly washing Addison. Her actions caused soft groans from the agent.
"This is so much better than washing myself!" she whispered, causing Skyler to chuckle. She leaned forwards, instigating a deep kiss as busy hands continued their task. The feeling was overwhelming, addictive in its power. Skyler could sense Addison slowly losing control. Her hips pumped against the doctor's body in a desperate need for fulfilment. The water had washed the soap from her body and the pounding stream only served to further sensitise her responsive flesh.
Skyler could feel her own body urging her to give in, to yield to the powerful feelings surging through her. However, the desire to satisfy Addison and indulge in the agent was, without a doubt, stronger. She pressed Addison against the cold, tiled shower wall. Her hands cupped swollen breasts. The soft, pliant flesh was responsive to her manipulations. She moved her thumbs in circles, the actions flicking Addison's nipples in repetitive strokes. The agent closed her eyes and groaned.
"God, Sky," she moaned. Her mouth fell open and she panted breathlessly. Her body so easily responded to Skyler's touch.
"What do you want, Addison?" Bending her head, Skyler took Addison's right nipple into her mouth.
"I want it all," the agent responded. She held Skyler against her chest. The knowledge they had only an hour before they needed to be ready for conference left both minds. "I want all of you."
Skyler trailed her tongue up Addison's chest and neck. Her lips caressed Addison's ear as she said, "You already have all of me." She smiled with heavy lidded eyes and pulled away to look at Addison. "There's something I have for you. Something I want to show you."
Addison grasped Skyler's behind. She ran one hand between her cheeks and down towards her centre. Her fingers swirled around in the source of her desire. "What do you want to show me?"
"Ugh!" Skyler's head fell to Addison's chest. Her eyes closed in ecstasy. Again she wanted to surrender to Addison's manipulations. She moved against her fingers, trying to direct her to the source of her throbbing desire. Her hands clenched the agent's behind, grasping firm, muscled flesh.
"Sky," Addison whispered against the doctor's ear. "Do you want to move this to your bed?"
"Bed?" Skyler blinked and looked up at Addison. The question caused her to regain a little of her senses and she took hold of the agent's wrist, stopping her actions. "No… something I want to do for you."
"In here?"
Skyler nodded. She pulled Addison's hand up and took both in one of her own, holding them above the agent's head. With a shy smile Skyler pulled the showerhead from the wall.
"What…" Addison's eyes followed Skyler's movements. "What are you…?"
Skyler didn't reply. Knowing actions spoke louder than words she began moving the jet stream of water down Addison's body. She stopped upon reaching full breasts and moved the pulse of water over Addison's nipples. The agent released a low groan. She attempted to move her arms in a need to reach Skyler, but they were held firm. She didn't use any force, her trust completely given to the doctor.
The jet of water began to move lower. Addison looked deep into Skyler's eyes. Her eyelids grew heavy in anticipation of the sensations to follow. "Sky," she whispered.
Skyler moved the showerhead lower, completely focussed upon her intent. "I discovered this little indulgence one evening after a long day of training." Skyler's smile once again turned coy and she blushed. The jet of water completed its journey upon reaching Addison's clitoris.
"Oh!" Addison's mouth fell open as she squeezed her eyes closed. Her breath turned ragged as the stimulation caused ripples of pleasure to spread through her body. "God… Sky…" The agent's face twisted into an expression of intense pleasure. She bit her bottom lip as she attempted to move closer to the stimuli.
"Feels good," Skyler stated.
"God yes." Addison's breath grew faster. Her skin flushed a deep red. Her climb was fast, the feelings intense.
Skyler looked down. She watched Addison's hips move against the water. The sight caused her desire to increase further still, sending jolts straight to her loins. Leaning forwards she attached her lips around a ridged nipple. Her teeth scraped over the firm surface and she sucked roughly. Addison opened her legs wider, feeling the onslaught of her orgasm. She groaned continuously as she tried to secure her stance. Her senses were about to spiral out of control.
"Addison," Skyler called, moving her lips to the agent's neck. Addison groaned in response. "Addison, come for me, Baby."
"Fuck… oh yes." In desperation Addison tore her hands from Skyler's grasp. She reached out and took hold of the showerhead's bracket. "Skyler!" With her other hand now free Skyler slid it down the agent's body to her core. Without warning she plunged two fingers inside Addison. "Ugh… Sky… I'm… I'm…" Addison ground herself against Skyler's fingers.
"Come on," Skyler encouraged. She felt Addison constrict around her fingers. "Yes." She moved her digits faster.
"God, Skyler, I'm..." Addison cried out again and again. Her orgasm tore through her body in intense undulations of soul liberating pleasure. She clung to the shower bracket, her knuckles white in an effort to remain upright. The pulsations assaulted her body in profound waves.
Slowly, as the sensations calmed, Skyler dropped the showerhead and ceased her movements. She pulled gently out of Addison and the agent slid down the tiled wall. Skyler turned off the shower and followed her. She sat astride Addison's legs. "Addison?"
The agent took several deep breaths. "My god." She grinned. "I wasn't expecting that." Addison shuddered again as tiny aftershocks rippled through her. She took another long, cleansing breath and looked at Skyler. "So what else have you been getting up to?" Skyler blushed and Addison cupped her cheeks. She pulled her in for a kiss. "Tell me, Sky, have you been experimenting with anything else? I'm not going to discover you spend extraordinarily long evenings in the laundry room, am I?"
"Addison!" Skyler's head fell to the agent's shoulder.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Addison placed a finger under Skyler's chin and lifted her head. "Believe me, I'm not taking the Mickey." She kissed Skyler again. "Thank you."
With the hot running water now turned off the cooler air was beginning to chill both women. Addison felt Skyler shiver. She took the doctor's hand and rose to her feet, pulling Skyler with her. Opening the cubical door Addison pulled two towels from a metal rail. She wrapped one around Skyler and the other around herself. Exiting the shower Addison led the blonde over to her single bed. "Sky," she whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Do I get to show you what I've been intending now?"
"Oh you better."
Addison arched her eyebrows. "Oh really?"
"Uh huh."
"And why is that?"
Taking Addison's hand, Skyler sunk the agent's fingers into the abundance of her flowing desire. "Because I really need you, Addison."
"Holy God!" Taking Skyler in her arms, Addison lowered her to the bed.
Chapter 15
Mark Blithe sat on the edge of the table he'd recently occupied with Skyler and Addison. In his left hand he held the statue of Bastet. Holding the figure in the artificial light he gazed upon its fine sculpting and beautiful form. For something so old she was in perfect condition. A feeling of caution emerged in his mind and he placed the statue back down, slightly concerned about any possible breakage. Even though it felt robust and heavy, it was still made from a fragile material.
Moving from the table Mark turned and looked around the room. It really was bare. The walls were a dull, off white colour and nothing marred the paintwork. A coffee maker sat upon a wooden table in one corner, though it was hardly used. The same could be said for the room in general. It was a place to hold interviews with suspects of criminal intent. A two-way observation mirror was built into the left wall. The observation room, however, was locked.
A knock brought Mark out of his musings. He called for the person to enter. Joseph Verona appeared in the doorway. "Sir, Roman Leeds and Jonathan Bronson have arrived. I have them in the waiting room."
"Right, thanks, Joe." Picking up the statue Mark wrapped it up and placed it carefully in the sponge-lined case Addison had acquired for it. He closed the silver lid and took it by its black handle. "I'll see them in my office." Joseph stood to the side as Mark passed him and he closed the door. "Joe, how many times do I have to tell you, in this outfit we are much more relaxed. Forget about rank and call me Mark, please."
Joseph smiled. "Sorry, I'm still so used to the ways of the military. I forget at times. This is as relaxed as the S.A.S I believe?"
Mark simply nodded. However many facts had come to light regarding the Special Air Services, it was second nature for him not to bring procedures into small talk. Though Mark was never a soldier in the S.A.S, he was still linked with their operations. He was the one who offered a personal recommendation that Addison would have made a perfect candidate for the unit. He did, however, hold an ulterior motive. General Blithe had been aware of the new Special Ops branch being set up within M.I.5 and he wanted to test Addison. If she was able to pass all S.A.S. training he intended on recruiting her as an S.O. agent. He had never divulged that information to anybody.
Reaching the waiting room, Mark opened the door and entered. He found Roman Leeds and Jonathan Bronson seated on a new looking brown, leather couch. They waited in relative silence. Joseph followed Mark into the room. A side door led to Joseph's office which in turn led on to Mark's. The General, in fact, had three offices… one in Headquarters, one at this building and one in M.I.5.
Clutching the bulky, silver briefcase in his left hand Mark said, "Welcome back, gentlemen." He sat down facing the two men. "I'm sure, as you have heard…" he directed this part of his conversation to Jonathan Bronson, "The assignment was a success, both in gaining information into the murders and finding and obtaining the artefact."
"That's good news," replied Roman.
"Yes it is." Mark turned to Joseph. "Can you contact Addison and Skyler? Let them know the men have arrived and we are ready to commence with the report."
"Will do, Mark." Joseph took the side door into his outer office. Sitting at his desk he thought for a moment and brushed a hand through his closely shaven hair. He realised he wasn't exactly sure where the women were at that moment, but knew of one sure way to find out. Picking up the phone he dialled through to an internal line. It was answered immediately.
"Hello?"
"Danny, it's Joe."
"Joe, did you see the United game last night? Four, nil… sweet!"
"Yeah it was a good one, though that linesman needs glasses!" He shook his head. "Anyway... quick request. Can you tell me where Addison and Skyler are? General Blithe needs them A.S.A.P."
"Can do." Danny activated the chip location device and zeroed in on the agent's positions. He looked up as Samuel entered the room. The scientist had the same gloomy expression he'd had upon entering work that morning. Samuel was a Spurs fan and his team had lost miserably the night before. Danny decided not to continue gloating over the success of United. He spoke to Joseph. "Addison and Skyler are in Skyler's quarters."
"Okay, thanks, Dan."
Danny felt a tap on his shoulder. "Who's that?" Samuel asked.
"Joe."
"He is looking for Addison and Skyler? Is he contacting them?"
"I suppose so, yes. Mark wants to see them."
"Great, tell him to tell Skyler to come and see me before she goes into that meeting. I had my assistant transfer those images to disk for her. She will know what that means."
Danny shrugged. "Sure." He passed the message on to Joseph. "He says 'no problem'." Danny disconnected the line. "So… Sam…"
"Not one more word about the match!" Samuel handed Danny a bottle of vanilla flavoured coke. It was Danny's favourite and also a condition of the bet they had made. Whose ever team lost the soccer match, the loser had to buy drinks for a whole week.
Danny unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip. "Ah," he sighed. "Never tasted sweeter." He ducked as the scientist threw a sheet of balled paper in his direction.
*********
Skyler lay within the tangled mess of her bed sheets. Her chest rose and fell with laboured breath, one arm lay strewn above her head and the other nestled in Addison's tousled locks. She grinned languidly and wiped a hand over her brow. "I think I'm going to need another shower."
Addison looked up from her comfortable position, her head lying just above Skyler's pelvis. Her cheeks and chin glistened with the slick residue of Skyler's passion. "Me too." They both laughed, feeling remarkably rested and more at ease. Placing a kiss upon Skyler's pubic bone, Addison laid a trail with her lips and tongue back to Skyler's own lips. They kissed softly, but the ringing of the telephone interrupted the moment.
"Damn it," Skyler sighed. "That'll be Mark." Addison grumbled into the doctor's neck as Skyler reached out to pick up the phone. The agent reached out after her and grabbed her hand before it reached the receiver. "What?" Skyler asked.
"Before this moment ends, I just want to say… I love you."
Skyler's smile was instantaneous. "I love you too, Addison." She kissed the agent once more before Addison picked up the phone and held it to Skyler's ear. "Hello?" she said.
"Skyler, the men have arrived and Mark has asked for you and Addison." Skyler was pretty sure Joseph wasn't aware of her and Addison's relationship. Although it wasn't something they tried to hide, that didn't mean they made a point to make it public knowledge. "Oh and Samuel asked that you go and pick up the disk of images from him before the meeting."
"Okay, Joseph." Skyler felt Addison climb from her body. She watched the agent as she started looking around the floor. She smiled at the naked vision. "Tell Mark we'll be there in no more than ten minutes."
"Hey," Addison whispered. "No, no, no! We don't have any change of clothing here. Make it twenty minutes!"
Skyler placed her hand over the receiver. "Shit… okay." She spoke back down the phone. "Actually, Joe, tell Mark we will be about fifteen to twenty minutes. We need to sort out something before we can get there." She shrugged at Addison's questioning expression.
"Right, I'll tell him." The line went dead.
Wrapping a towel around her body, Addison crossed the floor. She picked up the phone and dialled a well-known cell phone number. "I have an idea," she stated. Securing a towel around her own frame, Skyler watched her curiously. "Hey, it's me." Skyler wondered whom she was talking to as she listened to the one-sided conversation. "I need you to do me a favour… because you are the only person I trust enough to carry out this sensitive procedure… yes… okay, I need you to go and pick up two pairs of combats, navy will do, two pairs of socks and two t-shirts, make them different colours… because that is what I need. My size and Skyler's size." Addison grinned. "And that is exactly why I need you to pick these up for me… it will take no longer than five minutes. I know you are on your break… because that was the last thing we were thinking at the time." The agent rolled her eyes. "You wish, Sam… Yes I owe you one… okay two. Thanks, bye." She hung up the phone.
"Giving you a hard time?"
"Isn't he always?" Addison responded. She snickered and padded her way towards the small bathroom. "I'm diving back into the shower."
"Are you escaping because Sam is on his way?"
Addison simply grinned. "He needs to see you anyway. I'll be out in a moment." The agent disappeared into the shower and Skyler heard the spray of water start up again. Minutes later there was a knock at her door. Making sure her towel was securely in place, Skyler answered.
"Oh, I see I brought these just in time." Samuel handed Skyler a pile of clothing. "Where's G-woman?"
"Shower." Skyler placed the clothes on a side unit. "She escaped before you got here. So… you have those images for me?"
"She only escaped because she knew I would have something more to say about wasting my precious little break time to run errands for her… and yes I do." Samuel pulled out a small silver disk. It was encased in a clear plastic sleeve. "Very interesting pictures, Skyler."
Skyler grinned. "Thanks." She turned the disk around, watching a beam of light reflect a rainbow of colour across the silver surface. "Did they all turn out okay? I want to be able to read the glyphs." Skyler heard the shower stop and the cubical door open.
"You'll have no trouble reading them, trust me." From behind Skyler Samuel saw Addison emerge. She stood naked in the middle of the room, a small hand towel upon her head, drying her hair. The scientist's jaw fell open.
"Hey, Sam," Addison greeted.
Skyler turned. She saw Addison and felt her heart leap into her throat in shock. "Add…" she turned back to Samuel. "We'll see you later, Sam. Bye!"
"Oh… yeah…" Samuel's gaze remained fixed upon a very naked Addison as Skyler closed the door. He moved his head, peering through the ever-decreasing gap until the door was closed. "Bye."
Within Skyler's quarters the doctor dropped her towel to the floor. She walked to the bathroom. "No shame," she muttered.
"It got rid of him, didn't it? Besides, it probably made an ideal 'thank you'." Addison slipped into a pair of navy combat trousers. She picked up both t-shits. "Sky, grey or white?"
"White," said the blonde as she stepped into the shower. "Grey looks better on you."
Addison shrugged and slipped the garment over her head. "Don't take too long. We've got to meet with Mark in about ten minutes." The agent smiled to herself as she recalled the shocked expression upon Samuel's face. Looking in a small wall mirror she ran a hand through wet hair and chuckled evilly. "He will definitely get me back for that one!"
*********
General Blithe had shown the two gentlemen into his office. He sat behind his desk, silver briefcase by his feet. The mood had changed from their first meeting; Mark was serious and he meant business. Somebody had tried to kill two of his agents for the artefact he now possessed. Placing both elbows upon the arms of his chair, Blithe placed his chin over his folded hands. He looked at the two men sitting opposite.
"I am sure, Inspectors Black and Tidwell will be here momentarily. After the past couple of days in the Egyptian…" Mark looked up at the sound of a knock. His office door opened. "Ah, here they are now."
Addison followed Skyler into the general's office. Both women wore fresh clothes with towel-dried hair. Skyler's expression was vigilant as she made eye contact with Roman Leeds. He knew she was the only other person in the room, besides him, who understood the gravity of this find. She wondered how much information Mark had already imparted. Walking across the general's office, the women split as they reached Mark's desk. Addison stood to his left and leaned against the wall with folded arms. Skyler took the briefcase from the floor as she stood to Mark's right. She placed it on the desk and looked down at Mark, indicating they were ready to begin.
"Gentlemen," Mark held out his hand to the right. "Inspector Tidwell."
Realising Mark obviously hadn't briefed them on the assignment at all; Skyler cleared her throat as she began. "Well…" she paused for a moment, surprised to find herself leading the presentation of the mission's outcome. "Firstly, on the matter of the murders, Inspector Black was able to uncover facts which have led to an investigation, originating in Wales, which should reveal the identity of the person or persons behind this." Her eyes moved from Roman Leeds to Jonathan Bronson. The Ministry of Defence official seemed a lot more interested in what she had to say at that point, but she knew that was about to change. Skyler looked back at Doctor Leeds. "The culprits behind the murders of your colleagues will be discovered."
"That is good news," the doctor replied sincerely.
Nodding, Skyler stole a brief look at the briefcase before continuing. "As for the tablets, it actually didn't take me as long as I predicted to translate them. Once I discovered the pattern they seemed, to follow the rest was easy. They led to Djoser's Pyramid Complex and an entrance covered by many inches of sand. I don't want to go into the entire journey through the chambers and passageways now, but suffice to say it was a real eye-opener." Skyler's hand strayed to the disk in her pocket. She considered showing the pictures and offering them for study, but she needed to do that herself first. "We found Imhotep's sarcophagus. It was Inspector Black who entered the Chamber and together we used the clues to find the key. It wasn't anything like we expected." Looking at Addison and receiving a nod, Skyler clicked open the case's double locks and pulled open its lid. Unwrapping soft cotton from around the figure, Skyler lifted out the statue. "Gentlemen… though the use of this is still unknown… I present 'The key'."
"Exquisite." Roman leaned forwards in his chair. He didn't appear in the least surprised at what form the key took. Addison noticed this immediately.
"Doctor Leeds," the agent said, her attention solely focussed upon Roman. "Do you know what this so-called key opens?"
Roman shook his head with a frown. "I can understand why you'd wonder what the university wants with this when we've no idea what it's for. Truth be told I wondered about that myself at first. When it comes down to it, the statue is seen as insurance. If we are unable to find what it's used for then we would be in possession of half the puzzle should somebody else do so."
"It would insure you a piece of the action, so to speak."
"Basically, yes. I am sorry Karlyn never got to see this though." Roman rose to his feet. "Do you mind if I hold it?"
"No… of course not." Skyler handed the statue to Roman. The doctor took it gently within his large hands.
"This would have fascinated her." He stepped away from the table and held the statue under an artificial light. "The goddess Bastet… peculiar portrayal of her though."
Jonathan Bronson, who had so far remained silent, finally spoke. "And the actual retrieval of the artefact, how did that go?"
"We came upon opposition when exiting the shafts. Can't tell for sure if these people were the same people responsible for the murders of the archaeology team though." Addison pushed away from the wall. She walked behind the general and stood beside Skyler. "They too were after the key and were ready to kill to get it."
Looking up from his visual inspection of the statue, Roman Leeds asked, "How did you manage to escape so many men?"
Addison arched her brows. "I never said there were many men."
"Well I presumed since you said they and referred to them in regard to the people behind Karlyn and her team's demise..." Doctor Leeds appeared suddenly alarmed. "I hope you don't think that… I was just…"
"It's alright," Mark said in assurance. "You must understand, Doctor, we need to remain vigilant at all times and thorough in our investigations."
Roman gave a nod of acceptance. "Thank you for your assistance… all of you. I hope now, with the information you helped gather, the people behind these crimes will be caught. Ever since it happened there's been a fair amount of unrest among both faculty and pupils at the university. I think I speak on behalf of us all when I say we won't feel closure until the killers are caught."
Although Addison's first instincts about Roman Leeds told her she didn't trust him, she did feel the sincerity in his words. "I hold little doubt of that fact," she said firmly. Pulling her hands from her pockets, Addison picked up the silver briefcase and carried it over to where Roman now sat on the leather sofa. She placed it down beside him. The doctor looked up in question.
"I presume I will be able to take this with me?" he asked.
General Blithe sucked a breath of air through his teeth. "I'm afraid not."
"No?" Roman asked incredulously.
"No… people are willing to kill to get their hands on the statue, Doctor. For the time being it stays within our safekeeping."
"But…" Roman's mouth opened, but no words came forth.
"When the investigation is over you will be given the statue," Skyler assured him. "It makes sense to ensure both yours and the statue's safety this way."
"Put like that I cannot disagree." Roman leaned back into the sofa. "I was just looking forward to taking this back to the university with me. I'll tell them they will have to wait for now."
"The university will receive that artefact once the matter has been finalised." Jonathan clasped his hands together. "That does seem the safest solution. I do thank you, Mark for accepting this. I know it isn't your department's standard procedure for accepting such 'cases' but…"
Mark raised his hand to silence the M.O.D. official. He had his own reasons for agreeing to this mission. "I knew I had just the right people for this job," was his only explanation. He didn't notice Addison's curious glance.
Bronson nodded with pursed lips. "I think I still owe you a drink though!" Mark's smile was all the response he needed. What no other occupant of the room knew was that his question did in fact refer to something else; it was a question only Mark would understand.
Taking the cloth from inside Blithe's briefcase, Roman wrapped it around the statue. "I do thank you for keeping this safe for the time being."
Addison watched him secure the soft, white cotton sheet around Bastet's feet and place her within the foam interior of the carrier. After he closed the case lid she took it from him and placed it upon Mark's desk. "It will be very safe with us."
"That fills me with ease." Roman turned to Jonathan. "And thanks, Jon for suggesting your contacts in Scotland Yard. We probably wouldn't have got this far otherwise."
"The Egyptian authorities aren't inept, but I know we have a greater advantage in contacts, access to information and manpower." Pushing back his chair, Jonathan rose and Mark followed suit.
"I'll keep abreast of the situation and the statue will be returned to you once this matter has been resolved." He shook Roman's hand. "I'll be in contact."
"Thanks."
Mark shook Jonathan's hand. "Jon, we'll be seeing each other soon, I'm sure."
"A.N.D.O.," Jonathan replied, which stood for Annual National Defence Overview, a meeting held every September. Only three of the room's occupants knew what those initials stood for.
Further handshakes were exchanged and the two men left. As Joseph escorted them to the car Mark leaned against his desk and placed both hands in his trouser pockets. He looked at Addison and Skyler who were both seated on the soft leather coach. "What do you think?"
"I don't know." Skyler looked to Addison who was busy feeling around the scabs on her arms. She looked up as the room fell silent.
"Oh… well to be honest I did originally think Roman had something to do with what happened. I didn't like the way he seemed more insistent on retrieving the key than catching the killers."
"And now?"
"I felt the honesty in his answers… his body language… eye contact…" Addison shrugged, "but I don't know." She couldn't voice what it was that seemed to grate at her subconscious.
Mark picked up his briefcase and walked towards the door. Addison and Skyler followed. "I'll keep an eye on the investigation," he said as they headed for the underground train. "There's more going on here than meets the eye. Whatever it is, it will be discovered."
*********
It was several hours later that Skyler sat beside Danny Sleet in the Administrative Data Centre. This was a large space in the hub of Special Operations, housing a network of computers capable of accessing information anywhere upon the earth… and beyond. A powerful mainframe controlled the system and was housed under Headquarters.
Skyler was seated in the right back corner of the room. She looked up at three large computer screens. Her fingers flew over one of two keyboards in front of her. As each command left her fingers, Skyler looked up at her middle screen. She frowned, cleared her throat and typed another command.
"That's pretty interesting," commented Danny from beside her. The screen on the left was slit into four and portrayed pictures Skyler had taken in the underground chambers. "And you can read those?" His finger pointed to the monitor on the right, which held a full screen image of the wall in the chamber to Bastet.
"It really wasn't that hard to learn." Skyler placed her finger upon the right screen and instructed the area in question to enlarge. She used integrated touch-screen software, which eliminated the over use of a keyboard and mouse. She continued translating the hieroglyphics.
On a third keyboard Danny used a smaller monitor to investigate information Skyler had given him. She wanted him to search archaeological databases for information on any recorded association between Imhotep and the goddess Bastet. So far he was having little success. Grumbling as another lead arrived at a dead end, Danny looked back over to Skyler's translations. "This isn't looking promising."
Skyler sighed. "I was afraid as much." Finishing the text she leaned back in her chair. "It could be possible Imhotep had his own beliefs in the goddess that he just didn't document or share." She began reading her translations. Danny Sleet cracked his knuckles and commenced another route of investigation. Ten minutes of relative silence passed between the two co-workers before Skyler spoke again. "That sounds familiar."
"What?"
"The glyphs state this chamber to Bastet was originally built by Djoser as a gift to Imhotep in way of a thank you. It then goes on to talk about Imhotep's places of worship. It mentions one in particular built in Bubastis that was designed by Imhotep to honour Bastet." Skyler scratched her cheek slowly as she continued to explain her findings to Danny. "It says only that the temple, containing great wealth, is described in full in the scrolls written in Dendera. I've heard of this before, but called the 'Dendera Text'. I don't know why I seem to recall it. Danny, can you look that up for me?"
"Sure. Is it a language?"
"What, Dendera?"
"Yes."
"No, it's a place in Egypt."
"Okay." Danny entered the information into his computer. He began a search that initially showed little result in the way of a scroll or text. Not one to submit so easily, Danny tried again. It took three attempts before he found one single entry. It was a paper on 'The Dendera Text'. "Here we are."
"You have something?"
"Just one," he replied and opened the file. "Okay… The Dendera Text was so named due to where it was found. It is said this alleged text was discovered by an archaeologist called Dorian Santos."
"Dorian Santos!" Skyler's voice echoed recognition. "They used 'archaeologist' in the broadest sense of the word. Dorian Santos was no better than a common thief. He was a grave robber. I think once he was even jailed by the Mexican government for theft of Mayan artefacts. He was released as the charges were never proved."
Danny scrolled down the page. "Well apparently Dorian Santos discovered the Dendera Text in Northern Egypt. He made a big fuss about requesting funding for an expedition. He said he found something which he called 'The Dendera Text' and it led to a great undiscovered wealth in Egypt."
"Undiscovered wealth?"
"He refused to say what it was. He refused to even prove he actually had this text and because of that he was denied funding. Santos decided to go out on his own. That is all it says. No information about where he got the funds etcetera."
Skyler leaned to the side to read Danny's screen. "So what is Dorian Santos up to now?" They continued to read as they scrolled to the bottom of the page. "Oh… he's dead."
"Died three years ago."
Pushing away from the desk, Skyler stood. She sighed and moved her torso from side to side in an effort to work out the kinks in her back. "Okay, we need to find out any other information on the Dendera Text. We need to find out whom Santos went to for funding, what he told them and where exactly he found it. Does he have any family and if so where and who? If he really did find this text I want to know where it is now."
"Why is this so important?" Danny asked.
Skyler leaned forwards, placing one hand upon the desk, the other pointed to the right screen. "Because this part of the glyphs, right here, refers to a key which opens Imhotep's temple in Bubastis. If the Dendera Text tells us where and what that is then it's fair to say whoever has that text now is looking for the key!"
Chapter 16
At ten o'clock Wednesday morning, Samuel Perkins had scheduled a meeting with Mark Blithe. Every new technology, which the scientist designed, had to be run past higher-ranking officials within Special Operations. Being the director, Mark Blithe was first in line as an audience. It was ten minutes to ten and Samuel Perkins strolled through his laboratory staring at a clipboard weighed down with paper. A battered pencil, dented with multiple teeth marks, hung from his lips. He muttered quietly to himself as he read his notes. Final preparations were being made before his presentation. Samuel jumped as the double doors to his laboratory swung open with a clatter. He looked up to find Addison Black striding into the room. Samuel narrowed his eyes in admonishment and placed down his clipboard. "Could you possibly make any more noise?"
Saying nothing, Addison continued to stride through the laboratory with a wide smile. She sat on the edge of Samuel's workstation and picked up his clipboard. Her brief inspection of his notes was cut short as Samuel pulled it from her hands. "Hey!" she exclaimed.
"Addison, I have a meeting here in…" Samuel checked his wristwatch. "Five minutes."
"I know. Mark told me what it was and I had to come and watch." Addison noticed the scientist's expression, which indicated he was about to begin a disagreeing argument. She was quick to cut him off. "Come on, Sam. You know this is something I have to see. I'll more than likely be one of the agents using it. It's a beautiful day, Sam. The sun is shining and the sky is a gorgeous blue. There's a …"
Samuel held up his hand. "Hold it, did you get laid last night? You seem abnormally happy this morning. You have that 'laid lesbian lustre'."
"Lesbian? No, no, I prefer to think of myself as heterosexually challenged." Addison picked up an apple from Samuel's desk. She was about to take a bite when the scientist pulled it from her hand.
"That's my breakfast."
"Sorry… I need refuelling after last night." She wiggled her eyebrows.
"Lady and gentleman." Mark strolled through the doorway. "I'm ready."
"Excellent." With a feeling of anticipation, Samuel placed down his clipboard. He moved to do the same with his apple when his eyes slid to Addison and, as a precautionary measure, he placed it in the pocket of his white lab coat instead. Together with Mark and Addison, Samuel led the way to the testing zone.
This area, an extension of Samuel's laboratory, resembled a large warehouse. The walls were soundproofed and made using re-enforced steel. The testing zone was highly fortified and capable of withstanding high-powered blasts. This was a great advantage considering not all of Samuel's inventions worked on their first attempt.
The trio walked into the testing zone where Samuel's four assistants were busy making sure the hardware was ready for his presentation. At the very far end of the area, which was the size of two soccer pitches, random objects were placed near the far wall. A car, rescued from the local scrap heap, stood in the centre of these items. Inside the car sat two crash test dummies. Two more dummies stood nearby, as well as a washing machine, brick wall and a motorbike with full tank of petrol.
Addison and the general followed Samuel to the other side of the warehouse. There stood a rectangular shelter, ten feet wide by seven feet high. Along the front of the lead shelter were a row of observation points, the shape of a door's letterbox but slightly wider. To the side was a door and they entered quietly.
Inside, the small shelter's layout was basic and simplistic in design. A control panel was attached to a side wall. From this the inhabitants could lock all doors leading into the testing zone and activate a red warning light. This indicated dangerous operations were underway.
On a high table Addison recognised the S.A.S. weapon of choice, a L119A1 Diemaco rifle. "Oh toys!" she commented with an expression of glee.
"A toy with a difference." Samuel closed the shelter door and activated the testing zone shut down. All doors closed and the red warning lights flashed repeatedly. "This was a project I've been working on during my spare time." Samuel pushed a lock of blonde hair away from his eyes. Spending too much time working, he was well overdue for a haircut. "I wanted to keep it 'hush, hush' until I had the finished article."
"I am looking forward to seeing this."
Addison leaned against the wall. "Do you have a life at all, Sam?"
The scientist regarded Addison briefly before saying, "So exactly how long have you been going 'Brazilian', Addison?"
Addison's eyes grew wide in surprise. She looked at Mark, seeing his curious expression. Smiling in defeat and not wanting the general to commence an awkward line of questioning she said, "Touché."
"What's going on?"
"Nothing," Addison replied a little too swiftly. "So, what's this presentation all about, Sam?"
"Okay." Samuel rubbed his hands together briskly. He picked up the rifle. "Standard Diemaco rifle. Fitted with the L17A1 H and K grenade launcher, this is the U.K. Special Forces weapon of choice. The weapon, however, is not what I have to show you; it is the ammunition." Handing the gun to Addison, Samuel turned and picked up a handful of bullets. Taking one in his right hand he held it up. Addison stepped closer. A frown creased her brow as she studied the bullet. With out a doubt it was different, unlike any other she had seen or used before. The casing was a metallic red with a black pointed tip. Taking it from Samuel, Addison took a closer look. She noticed a ridge running around the centre of the bullet. Addison passed it to Mark.
"I'm very interested to see what this new ammunition can do, Samuel." Mark handed the bullet to Samuel as the scientist began loading them into a rifle clip. Once done Addison gave him the weapon. He snapped the magazine into place.
"Addison, do you want to do the honours?"
"Hell yes I'll…" Addison paused. "Hold on, what do I have to do?"
"Just fire at the targets I tell you to." Samuel stood by an observation point. Mark stood at the one beside him. He opened the hatch and peered through at the targets on the far side of the testing zone.
In the centre of the wall was a larger observation hatch. A shelf was situated just beneath and Addison braced her left elbow upon the supporting ledge. She held the rifle against her shoulder and peered through the scope. "What do you want me to hit, Sam?"
Samuel surveyed the targets. He used a pair of compact binoculars to obtain a closer image. "That wall is five layers of bricks thick; aim for the centre."
"Are you going to give me some clue about what to expect?"
"Just brace yourself," was the scientist's only reply.
"Okay." Squinting, Addison focussed her aim for the centre of the wall. "One shot?" she asked.
"Definitely."
Breathing evenly, Addison fired. Her shot echoed in the practically vacant warehouse as the bullet hit the wall. Her aim was perfect and it was embedded into the centre of solid brick easily. There was a wait of only three seconds before the wall exploded. Terracotta bricks flew through the room, landing over a hundred yards away from where they had originally been cemented together.
"Holy shit!" Addison gazed through the shelter in astonishment.
"F…" Mark curbed his language. "What the… That's amazing." The wall had been completely obliterated.
"Try the car next, Addison."
The agent did as bade and fired a single bullet into the engine of the car. Her three seconds of anticipation was worth the wait as the vehicle exploded. A string of astonished curse words passed her lips. She watched pieces of junk metal, engine parts and a profusion of sparks shoot into the air. They heard the sound of something hard and heavy land on top of the shelter's roof.
Riveted to the scene ahead, Samuel said, "Now try the dummy."
Addison fired into the dummy's torso and watched it explode. It tore apart into hundreds of pieces. "Sam, this is one nasty little bugger."
"How did you do it?" Mark asked. He picked up one of the remaining bullets on the table. "How safe are these?"
"They work on a two point detonation sequence." Samuel picked up another bullet. He pointed to its base. "First is the firing pin; this activates the explosive. The second is the point of the bullet. Once it hits its target it detonates in exactly three point two seconds. I designed it using a new form of nano technology. The explosive is more powerful than H.M.T.D. On these smaller objects you can see it literally tears them apart."
"Very impressive." Mark put the ammunition down. "How far away are you from producing in quantity?"
"No more than a month."
"And cost?"
"Not cheap, but considering the fact they can be used sparingly…"
"How much?" Mark asked again. Figures were always important and he had to oversee their expenditure.
"At the moment it's fifty pounds per bullet."
Mark's expression turned thoughtful as he nodded. "I'll see what I can give you. Before you commence production though I want a full report."
"Almost complete," Samuel replied. He looked over to Addison who was peering though the rifle's scope.
"Can I have one more shot?" she asked.
"Go for the washing machine. The motorbike has a full tank and I think I've already proved the devastation." Samuel looked though the observation portal and Mark did the same.
Addison aimed for the machine's motor. She pulled the trigger and shot a bullet into the washer. Three seconds passed and it exploded. The agent watched in amazement as the washing machine was literally ripped apart, inside out. "I've never seen such power in something so small. I really have to use one of these when I build my outdoor swimming pool!"
"Since when have you wanted an outdoor swimming pool?" Mark asked.
Addison's mind drifted to the first time she saw Skyler in a swimsuit. She shrugged. "Just something I've been considering." She checked her watch. Addison realised it was fast approaching ten thirty. She was scheduled to meet with Skyler. The doctor had worked late the night before and had left early that morning. When Addison asked what she'd been working on, Skyler had simply said she was researching information she'd discovered in the chambers. She refused to elaborate further, but said she would reveal all to both her and Mark at half past ten that morning. Eternally curious, it had remained on Addison's mind since then. Now it was time. "We need to meet Skyler."
Mark regarded his own watch. "Yes, we do." Leaving with departing words in the form of a request for Samuel's report, Mark followed Addison from the testing zone.
Thankful for a moment of privacy between them, Addison took advantage of the time to ask the general a question. "Mark?"
"Yes?"
"During the meeting with Bronson and Roman Leeds…"
"Yes?"
"You made a comment which made me curious."
Mark turned to Addison wearing a knowledgeable expression. "You mean about my reasons for taking this mission."
"Precisely."
General Blithe sighed. He pushed one hand into his trouser pocket and fumbled with the assortment of coinage within. "You want to know why I used Special Operations resources for a case which could easily have been handled by local authorities?"
Stopping by an elevator, Addison pushed a button, requesting elevation to an upper floor. "Quite frankly, yes I do."
"What I don't think they were aware of was this wasn't the first crime with that M.O." At Addison's frown Mark continued. "About six months ago an archaeological team was murdered at a sight in Karnack. They were all shot dead and their finds stolen. I only knew about this case, let alone remembered it, because two of the team were ex pupils of a woman I had dated and have remained friends with ever since. We still talk and she was upset when she found out." Mark entered the elevator behind Addison.
"And that's why you put us on the assignment?"
"The case was never solved… police in Egypt were looking for the only member of the team whose body was never discovered."
As the lift doors opened Addison asked, "What did they find?"
"That was never discovered either. The only information they had was a faxed report sent by the leader of the team, a Doctor Robert Chambers, stating they had found a body in a cave and more information would follow."
Heading away from the lift, Addison approached the main entrance to the Administrative Data Centre. "And none ever came?"
"No."
They walked into the room and both spied Skyler and Danny working in the corner. The area was buzzing with life. Computer screens all around the room flashed with different images and information from satellite pictures, terrorist movements to world correspondence and updates from the A.W.A.C.S. jet. This Boeing 767, considered the 'eye in the sky' was the Airborne Warning And Control System. It was high technology capable of detecting targets two hundred miles away and listening to any mobile phone call in that vicinity. The plane was almost totally invisible to the naked eye.
Skyler looked up as Addison and Mark approached. "Hey, you are just in time."
"For?" Addison asked.
Skyler cleared her throat and began. "Yesterday Danny and I started working on translating the glyphs from the chambers to Imhotep's tomb."
"Um… she did the translating," Danny supplied. "I just assisted where asked."
"Anyway," Skyler grinned. She began explaining the initial discoveries she and Danny had made concerning the Dendera Text. "On further investigation we found out Santos is only presumed dead. There is no official certificate and no body has been discovered. So we decided to look into his family." Skyler looked over to Danny.
"One wife," he said. "Divorced for over ten years and she moved to Canada five years ago. Santos was an only child and had only one son himself... Alexander Santos."
Skyler took over. "This is where it gets interesting. Alexander Santos pretty much stayed off the radar until a few months ago when he went to work at Clyde University in Wales.
"Really?" Addison's interest grew.
"Uh huh... not only that, but guess who he was assistant to?"
"William Bryson?"
The doctor nodded at Mark's question. "Yes, and guess who was supposed to accompany William Bryson and assist Karlyn Sanderson on her dig?"
Addison didn't miss a beat. "Alexander Santos!"
"He had fake credentials from a university in Scotland who we discovered have no record of him. He doesn't have a PhD, but…"
"Daddy taught him everything he knows?" Addison asked.
"At first that is what I thought, but no… if that were true then surely there would be some record of Santos senior and son working together on the Dendera Text. Danny checked into possible means for funds. Santos cleaned out all three of his bank accounts and brought a single, one-way ticket to Egypt. That is the last information we have on Dorian Santos."
With a thoughtful expression, Mark sat down. "Do me a favour, Dan. Pull up a case, a murder investigation in Egypt of a team of archaeologists in Karnack… the date would have been something like March the tenth or eleventh of this year."
"Really?" Skyler was surprised to hear that. Danny rolled his chair towards the computer and began a search.
*********
All school basements felt the same. They were dark, dingy and packed with countless old books, filing cabinets and classroom furniture. The lone figure skulked around in near darkness, keeping a low profile. Distant sounds of student's voices echoed from above yet he knew here he would be undetected. Why would anybody choose to be down here? It was the dwelling of countless spiders and more than a few undesirable, six-legged insects. The stench was strong like that of a waterlogged cellar combined with saturated rat fur. No, the cagey figure had decided, this would be the first and only time he would set foot down into the university basement.
He had been alone for over ten minutes and it was getting close to fifteen when he heard a door open and heavy footsteps move down wooden stairs. Roman Leeds walked across the basement and stood by a narrow window, situated near the ceiling. He waited for the figure to approach, hoping to be out of the basement as soon as possible.
"Doctor Leeds," a deep voice called.
"Here," he replied.
Seeing Roman's form cast in a dull shaft of light, Xander Santos approached. "You said you have it," he demanded.
"Yes." Pushing his hand into his suit jacket, Roman pulled out a dark object and placed it on Xander's palm.
Xander smiled as he held the key to the light. "Perfect." Wrapping the dark, yet shiny object in a clean cotton cloth, he said, "I admit, for a while I had my doubts about you, Roman." He placed it in his inside pocket. "I feared my choice of persuasion wouldn't be as effective and I'd have to resort to more… personal means of encouragement. However, you came through, as did your friend's contacts in Scotland Yard. It would have been helpful to retrieve this in Egypt, but … needs must. Always keep your options open, my father used to say." He smiled at the sullen man and then turned serious as he asked, "You spoke of this to nobody?"
"Like you gave me any choice."
"True," Xander Santos laughed. It had taken a lot of detective work to discover the location of Imhotep's tablets, only to find out Karlyn Sanderson was working at that very site. He knew she and his father had an affair years before and was angered to think she would carry on his work and claim the prize for herself. He knew he needed to act fast and after gaining a position at Clyde University and successfully convincing William Bryson to go on one final dig, he next needed as many plans as possible to assure he got the key. Professor Jerome YaShiln was one such plan and Roman Leeds was another. It wasn't hard to find secret information on Karlyn Sanderson's colleagues and discovering Roman Leeds had been stealing university funds to support a gambling habit had been a stroke of luck and the beginning of a genius plan. Now all his hard work had reached fruition. "You will, of course, remain silent on this matter."
"Yes," Roman begrudgingly agreed.
Xander smiled nefariously. "No, I'm not giving you an option here." He pulled a pistol, already equipped with a muffler, out of his coat. "Insurance," he said in response to Roman's look of horror. With an expression of supreme calmness, Xander fired two shots into Roman's chest. Doctor Leeds crumpled to the dirt-laden floor. Calmly placing the weapon back in his coat, Alexander Santos left the basement.
*********
"Found it!" Danny opened the information Mark had requested. The others stood around him and began to examine the data before them.
"No," Mark shook his head. "Can you find the name of the guy who was never found? There should also be a picture of him in a group shot."
"Right." Danny started a search on the case file. Behind him, Addison nudged Skyler's side. When she turned in question Addison smiled and winked.
"What?" Skyler mouthed.
The agent shrugged. "You're doing good," she replied back, silently.
"Here we are." Danny expanded a photo to full screen. There was already a white circle around the missing member of the team. He was a middle-aged man, wearing a dark fedora and sporting a thick growth of facial hair. "His name was Jackson Frazer."
Mark studied the picture. "Danny, can you enlarge and clear up the image? I just want to see Frazer and Skyler, can you look through personnel files at Clyde University and find a picture of Alexander Santos?" Skyler commenced her task and within moments she had the picture Mark asked for. Beside her, Danny had enlarged the picture of Jackson Frazer to full screen. With his hat and abundance of facial hair it was hard to tell. Addison leaned over Danny's shoulder.
"How about this?" She transferred the picture to a photo fit program. "Now if we remove the hat and superimpose the same thinning hairline as Santos," she mumbled. "Next if we remove this disgustingly overgrown beard…" She stood back to allow a better view for Mark and Skyler.
"My god," the doctor said. "They really are the same."
General Blithe folded his arms. "Bingo."
"Now all we have to do is find the bastard." She looked at Mark. "Do you want to continue with this? You could pass this information on to the authorities in charge of the case, but…"
"You really want to see it through now, don't you?"
"Hell yes."
Mark appeared concerned. "Addison, this is your free time. You really should be taking advantage of it. You never know when a situation will arise." Mark had a strong point, but as far as Addison was concerned, one already had. She cast a questioning gaze towards Skyler.
"I'm already in this. I want to see it through too."
"Okay, okay… it's yours… get on it."
Addison shook Mark's hand. "Cheers, Mark."
"Just don't make me regret it."
"Why would you do that?"
Mark stared at Addison incredulously. "Need I remind you of an irate call from the Prime Minister, wanting to know if I had any information on who was responsible for a gun fight at one of this planet's oldest standing monuments?"
"Good point; I'll be careful."
"See that you are." Mark walked away, but he had to smile. Asking Addison Black not to create mayhem was almost as impossible as asking Skyler Tidwell not to ask questions.
When Mark exited the Data Centre, Addison took Skyler by the hand. "Come on, you didn't have breakfast so lets get some lunch. It's on me."
"It's free," said Skyler.
The agent grinned coyly. "Not where we are going. I plan on taking a moment of quality time with you before we dive head first into this assignment."
Chapter 17
Earlier that morning, after Skyler had left to work in the Administrative Data Centre and before the agent attended Samuel's presentation, Addison had taken Spike for a walk. The tiny mongrel had remained within headquarters, watched over by Special Operations' very own version of a baby sitter. Jackie Handley worked in the canteen as a server, but on the side she had been hand selected by Samuel to take care of Spike while he was unable to do so. Addison approved of his choice. Jackie Handley brought her own dog, Zeus, to work with her every day and thankfully the two canines related well with each other, despite the apparent size difference. Whereas Spike wasn't much taller than Addison's ankle, Zeus' head reached her waist. That was still considered small for a Great Dane!
For choice of destination, Addison had picked Hyde Park. She drove there, parking her car in a nearby, hourly rated, car park. For an early summer morning it was still cool. Clouds shielded the rising sun, rendering a slight chill to the atmosphere. Unprepared for the British summer morning and still acclimatised to the hot Egyptian desert heat, Addison was dressed in only a navy tank top and khaki shorts.
Addison loved walking in Hyde Park; it held so much history. It was a park acquired by Henry VIII in 1536 from the monks at Westminster Abbey. She especially liked to stroll around Speakers Corner at Marble Arch and listen to people exercising their free rights of speech. Though their views might be considered, at the least, contentious, she believed everybody had the right to speak their views if people were willing to listen. However, it never failed to amuse her at seeing these people actually standing on soapboxes while they spoke. There was so much to see in Hyde Park. The large area of over three hundred and fifty acres within the centre of London felt like a little oasis of tranquillity.
After a brisk walk, in order to keep warm, Addison took a brief detour to the nearest shops. Forgoing breakfast she decided to treat herself and Skyler to a picnic lunch. A reputable deli on the main street was Addison's choice and she bought a small selection of foods that she believed would tempt Skyler's taste buds. At a quarter to twelve Addison drove Skyler to Hyde Park. At noon, the day was reaching its warmest, a comfortable seventy-one degrees Fahrenheit.
Skyler breathed deeply, taking in the aroma of sun-drenched foliage. "This is just the right temperature… not too hot and not too cold." She wrapped the length of nylon leash around her hand as Spike began scampering around her feet.
"Chill out, Spiky." Addison whistled to the excited mongrel, calming her down. She looked around the grassy plane. To her left she spotted a large tree casting a shadow wide enough to cover Addison's tartan blanket. "Over there," she said and steered Skyler to the shaded area. Knowing it was nearing noon, Addison expected the park to start filling up with people wanting to enjoy their lunchtime in the pleasant weather. It was a common tradition with all Britons. Nice days were few and far between so it was second nature to take advantage of every sunny or even moderately warm day.
Reaching the tree, Addison placed down the small box she had been carrying and pulled out a red and green blanket. Shaking it out she placed it over the grass. "You can take Spike off her lead, she wont do anything naughty." As Skyler released the leash Addison said, "Will you, Spiky? You stay!" Spike sat down looking thoroughly admonished.
Kicking off her shoes, Skyler sat down on the blanket. She peered into the box Addison had been carrying. "What do we have in here?"
"Food." Addison sat opposite Skyler and grinned. "Just a little selection of stuff from the Greek deli over the road."
"Greek! Please tell me you have humus!"
"Hmm!" Addison reached inside the box and pulled out a small white tub. She removed its lid and brushed her index finger over the top of its contents. "What would this be I wonder?" She held her finger to Skyler's lips. The doctor groaned in delight as she sucked the humus from Addison's digit.
"God, I love that stuff."
Addison looked down at her glistening finger. "Um… yeah." Shaking her head, Addison removed the remaining contents of the box. "We have bread, fruit, salads, fish…"
"Salmon?"
"Of course. Orange juice, water and … a ball."
"A ball?"
"For Spike." Addison threw the bright, red rubber toy across the grass. "Go fetch, Spiky." The little dog ran off, yapping happily. Addison unscrewed the top a bottle of orange juice and handed it to Skyler. "Got lots of pulp in, just how you like it."
"Hmm, thanks."
Opening a second bottle, Addison took a long drink. She crossed her legs and looked up at the sky. Flawless blue stretched out above them, marred only by the vapour trail of a highflying aircraft. Looking back at Skyler she smiled at the sight before her. Skyler had donned a pair of dark sunglasses and lay in a semi-reclined position with her head tipped back, away from the shade and towards the sun. "Sky, do you mind if we discuss work?"
"Not at all," Skyler replied, unmoving.
Spike returned with her ball. She dropped the toy, complete with dog saliva and blades of broken grass beside Addison. The agent picked it up and threw again. She made sure the ball went a little further this time. Addison turned back to Skyler. She braced herself for what she was about to say. "Sky, if it becomes necessary to travel in order to find Alexander Santos, I'm going alone."
Skyler's head snapped forwards and she pulled the sunglasses from her face. "What?"
"Under the circumstances…"
"Addison, I'm trained to…"
"Sky, you are the information and liaisons officer. This goes beyond what your job detail is within…"
"Addison," Skyler pressed again. "I can do this. Do you have any complaints about my performance in Saqqara?"
"No."
"Then what is it? I know I'm not a trained soldier. I know damn Skippy I don't have the skills you have in that area, but I follow orders and I am capable of holding my own. I know a whole hell of a lot about the history behind the facts of this assignment."
"But as you said, Skyler, you are not a trained soldier. Nothing is ever certain. If anything happened to you I'd…"
"It wont," Skyler assured.
"You seem pretty sure of that."
"Addison," Skyler leaned closer. "Have a little more faith in me and yourself. I'm not being conceited when I say you need me on this."
The agent was silent. She looked down at the assortment of foods and opened a container of mixed fruits. Suddenly Spike was beside her, waiting patiently for Addison to give her some of the mouth-watering treats. Addison paid the dog little attention as she looked back at Skyler.
"Addison," Skyler began. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"What makes you think that?"
Skyler studied Addison closer. "That constipated expression of yours."
Breaking her stern features the agent chuckled. "I don't look constipated!"
"No, but I got you to smile. Now out with it, Addison. I do understand what you're saying, but there's something you're not telling me."
Addison was silent. She appeared to be summoning up her courage to speak. She took a deep breath. "Sky, do you… Why don't you ever…? Tell me honestly, okay?" Skyler nodded in confusion. "Sky, do you hold me responsible, in any way, for your mum's death?" She had finally said it, something that had been plaguing her for the past several months.
Skyler was stunned. For a moment she didn't know what to say and simply gazed at Addison in shock. Finally, she found her voice. "How long have you been thinking about this?"
The agent shrugged. "You never talk about her, especially to me."
"Just because I don't talk about her doesn't mean I don't think about her every day." Skyler was still shocked by Addison's question, but realised she needed an answer. "Not a single part of me blames you for my mom's death, Addison. I know you have your demons, but please don't make this one of them."
"I feel I'm already responsible for your mother's death. If anything happened to you too I don't know how I'd…" Feeling a lump of emotion rise to her throat, Addison internally berated herself. This was not the day she had planned for them. How did a simple picnic in Hyde Park go so wrong? It was supposed to be a happy and relaxing day and yet here she was on the verge of tears. She took a deep breath and held herself together.
Ignoring the flood of people around them, Skyler climbed into Addison's lap and wrapped her arms around the agent's torso. "Addison, although Antonia Bakersfield pulled the trigger I hold both her and Brodie responsible for my mom's death. They are dead. I don't hold a grudge. I sure as hell don't hold anything against you."
Closing her eyes, Addison placed her forehead against Skyler's. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just having a moment." She sighed heavily. "I refuse to start getting emotional in public!"
Skyler smiled. "Then kiss me."
"I can do that." Addison kissed Skyler's head, her nose and finally her lips. Their kiss was broken by the sound of a low growl. Skyler pulled away.
"Was that your stomach?"
"Actually it was Spike grumbling for attention." Addison picked up her ball. She threw it across the park. Spike scampered off. "Ready to eat?"
Climbing off Addison, Skyler said, "Absolutely," and together they began a relaxing lunch.
*********
Shaun Baker dropped a worn, metal bucket to the tiled floor. He grabbed his mop, swirling fibre strands around in hot, soapy water. Anybody close enough would be able to hear him curse and mutter under his breath. The problem had been a heavy shower. Although unexpected downpours, on a warm summer's day, were not unheard of they were few and far between. During a friendly game of rugby between Evenfall University students, it had been less than welcome. It soaked the ground and had the students slipping and rolling around in slick mud within minutes. The result of this was a muddy trail of footprints through the university halls to the showers.
Blasted kids, he grumbled and slopped soapy water onto the floor. He commenced a brisk cleaning, scrubbing up and down. A lock of grey hair fell out of the ponytail he kept it in and he pushed it behind one ear. The mud had begun to dry so he scrubbed harder, effectively removing the caked soil. Unfortunately the strength he exerted caused undue pressure on his mop and the wooden handle broke in half. "Damn it to hell!" he cursed and threw the broken implement down in anger. Shaun hoped to leave early today, but that didn't seem to be going his way. Being a school caretaker, it rarely did.
Glad none of the faculty or students heard his outburst, Shaun trudged off to his store cupboard. He pulled the door open and began searching for a new handle. He found nothing. "Typical!" Bracing a hand against the doorframe he pondered where to get a new mop handle. He could think of only one other place he may be able to find a handle… the basement.
Pushing the storeroom door closed, Shaun made his way towards the underground store. It was his least favourite place to be. The caretaker had a deep fear of spiders. It had been with him since childhood and although he managed to keep his irrational fear in check, that didn't mean he would willingly place himself in close proximity to one.
Reaching the basement, Shaun pulled a set of keys from the pocket of his tatty, brown overall. Inserting the appropriate key in the catch he found the door already unlocked. Pushing it open, he peered into the basement. "Hello?" The light, although dim and not always useful in far corners, wasn't on. He knew it must have been a member of the faculty. Only he and the staff possessed a key. After a student was caught dealing in illegal substances, a lock had been swiftly fixed into place. "Idiots," he grumbled.
Switching on the light he descended rickety wooden steps two at a time. Making sure he kept in the centre of the room and away from dark corners containing eight legged creatures, he searched the basement. Layers of dust covered every tattered piece of furniture. The dust was so thick Shaun often imagined the fragments filtering into his lungs every time he took a breath. Being a hypochondriac he knew some day this would give him asthma.
With one hand scratching his neck, Shaun continued searching. He pushed an empty box to the side as he progressed further. Suddenly something caught his eye. It was a shoe. What he found peculiar was this object wasn't covered with the grime everything else was. It also appeared to be suspended to one side. With a curious frown, Shaun moved for a closer inspection. His curiosity steadily grew to alarm as one shoe gave way to a leg... and then two legs encased in dark navy trousers. Next came a torso, covered in a white shirt, which itself was stained with bright red blood. Shaun's heart hammered as he registered the body's features. "Doctor Leeds?"
Running to the body, panic drummed through his chest as he fell to his knees beside Roman Leeds. He lifted the man's head and called his name, desperate to receive a response.
With utmost urgency Shaun pulled a mobile phone from his waist and dialled a single number three times... 999. He spoke down the phone, giving details of his find and address as he checked Doctor Leeds for a pulse. He jumped in shock as Roman coughed and a splatter of blood covered his face. "He's alive," Shaun stated. "Please hurry; he's alive."
*********
Addison yawned as she sat beside Skyler in the Administrative Data Centre. She picked up a can of carbonated orange juice and swirled the half empty contents around before taking another sip. They had spent the last few hours researching information on Alexander Santos, trying to link him with possible conspirators. So far they had no breaks; Santos was neither married nor did he appear to have any known friends or acquaintances. Skyler had gone through the police reports surrounding Bryson's death. There didn't seem to be anybody who had gotten to know Santos beyond the workplace.
Taking a pen from her lips, Skyler threw it to the desk. "Hell, Addison, I can't find anything. This guy must walk around with a broom up his ass, sweeping away every step he makes!"
Addison grimaced as Skyler's comment created a disturbing mental image. Offering the doctor a drink she said, "I've not found anything either. If it weren't for a birth certificate I'd think he just fell from the freaking sky."
"Maybe he was abducted by aliens from birth!"
"Right now I'm ready to hold that in possibility." Addison swivelled around in her chair, freeing her legs from the confines of under the table. "Bugger it. There has to be something." She crossed her legs and fiddled with the laces of her white and blue training shoe.
"BLACK… TIDWELL," Mark barked as he stormed into the room. "My office… now."
Looking to each other in alarm, both women jumped out of their chairs and followed Mark back out of the Data Centre. Without saying another word, the general strode towards his office. They entered his reception first and delivered a questioning glance to Joseph. The assistant simply shrugged, indicating he had no idea about their summons or Mark's apparently agitated mood.
Mark pushed the door open and stormed inside. He strode to the head of his desk before turning to face Addison and Skyler. The doctor had just closed the door. She wondered whether they had done something wrong or missed a vital piece of information pertaining to the assignment. She had never once seen Mark looking so angry before. She realised, however, his glare wasn't accusatory, just brimming with ire.
"I just received a call," he began. "It was from Jonathan Bronson. He had just received a call from Emma Leeds…Doctor Roman Leeds' wife. Almost an hour ago Roman Leeds was found in the basement of his university. He'd been shot… twice… in the chest."
"What?" Alarm registered in Skyler's features.
"That was my initial reaction."
"Is he dead?" Addison already knew she wasn't going to like where this was going.
"At the time, no he wasn't. It seems he survived just long enough to ask his wife to apologise to Bronson for giving him the key."
"Giving Bronson the key?" Now Addison felt confused. "I don't understand. I saw Leeds put the key back in your case myself. I watched him do it. I saw it," she pressed.
Mark inclined his head towards the sofa. Addison saw the case upon its left arm. She strolled over in confusion and curiosity. She lifted its silver lid. There she saw Bastet among the unravelled cotton shroud. As her eyes surveyed the statue she pushed a stray corner of the material away from Bastet's face. She gazed at the vision in anger. The statue's face had been broken, almost crushed into smaller fragments. Her fists clenched in rage.
"It was the eye!" Skyler remarked from behind Addison. "The key was the eye. Of course!" She frowned and said, "But what did he mean about apologising for giving it to Bronson?"
"I think he meant he apologised to Bronson for misleading him and us." Addison's expression turned thoughtful. "I don't know if Leeds was even sure what the key opened. I think he was asked or maybe, and more likely, coerced into doing so."
"So he gave the key to Santos," Skyler affirmed.
"That's what I'm thinking," Mark admitted.
Addison slammed Mark's case lid back down. "Son of a … grave robbing arsehole." Fully understanding Mark's anger, Addison began pacing around his office. "Okay… first of all we know who he is. I faxed a picture of him to Aladdin back in Egypt and received visual confirmation this was the 'William Bryson' who'd been seen with members of Karlyn's team."
"Not only was he in Egypt when we were, but he's obviously not working alone."
Addison spun around to face Skyler. "That's right, the guy with the 'Man U' baseball cap. He pretty much seemed in charge of the situation, but he was all mouth and no balls. My guess is after failing to get the key from us at Saqqara, Santos decided to handle the situation himself."
"Which means he was or is still in the country," Mark supplied.
"And if that's the case," Skyler took over. "We can check airline records for anybody who flew in from Egypt in the past three days and is scheduled to fly back again… A.S.A.P."
"Excellent deduction, Penfold!" Addison's eyes burned with a desire to begin locating and catching Alexander Santos. "So we go check all those records?"
"Get on it," replied Mark.
Addison placed her hand on Skyler's back as they exited the office. The doctor looked at her with a curious frown. "Addison, who's Penfold?"
"Penfold? Oh!" Addison smiled. "You've never heard of Danger Mouse?"
"No."
"It's a British cartoon about a crime fighting mouse who lives in London. He actually lives under a pillar-box! Anyway, Danger Mouse is the action guy and Penfold is his sidekick; he's right there in the action with Danger Mouse, but Penfold is the smarter guy."
"What's Penfold?" Skyler asked curiously.
Addison pondered her question. "You know, I'm not entirely sure, but I think he may be a hamster. He has a cute face and little round spectacles. Danger Mouse on the other hand wears a black patch over one eye. Together they're always foiling the evil plans of 'Baron Greenback'. He's a frog... or toad."
Skyler smirked. "You'll have to remind me to look out for that one!"
Re-entering the Administrative Data Centre, they walked over to the same right-hand corner Skyler had been working in for the past two days. Sitting down, Skyler began a detailed search of every airline flying out of Egypt to the United Kingdom and vice versa. It wasn't an easy task, but using S.O. technology and facilities made the operation a much easier undertaking. Both women knew Santos wouldn't be so careless as to use his real name and so they believed he was travelling on a fake passport. Discovering whom had flights booked to arrive and depart from the U.K. was the largest problem to face. Addison hoped the list wouldn't be too long.
While Skyler checked all British and Egyptian non-stop flights, Addison searched connecting flights. She was beginning to think she had drawn the short straw, but luckily the narrow timeline gave only a small window of opportunity for Santos.
"I'm beginning to hate computers," Addison grumbled. She rubbed her eye and dipped her head forward, taking out her one brown contact. "For some reason the glare from the monitor makes my eye ache with this in." She held the lens balanced on her finger as she searched her pocket for its case.
"That's why you hate computers?" Sky looked at Addison. She still felt it strange to see the agent with two different coloured eyes.
"Oh… no. All this data research gets a little boring after a while. I prefer the classics like Packman and Space Invaders. I wasted many a day of my misspent youth in video arcades."
Skyler rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to respond when a chime sounded from the computer. "We're done," she announced. "Finally." Checking the clock Skyler said, "It only took forty seven minutes. Not so bad."
"Right! Let's see what we have then, shall we?" Addison opened the search results. "Good news and bad news."
"Hmm." Skyler prodded her bottom lip. "Only seventeen names, but fourteen of them are men. Well okay, this isn't so bad. Now we can start narrowing down the list. Are any of these men travelling with friends or family or are they alone?"
"Age," Addison added. "Over sixty or under thirty are out."
Skyler nodded. "Race; that has to be taken into account too. It's a pity we don't have passport pictures… it could make this process so much easier."
"Well alright." Addison's fingers danced over her keyboard. "First of all we check for age and rule out those who don't fit our group." Picking up a stick of red liquorish, from Danny's jar of sweets, Addison held it between her teeth. She spoke around the strawberry flavoured confectionary. "That takes out six… excellent! Next we rule out race." Skyler pulled the liquorish from Addison's lips. She took a bite and placed it back in the agent's mouth. "Thank you. That knocks out another four."
"So we have four left."
"What do we have remaining in way of deduction?"
"Anybody travelling with possible family." Skyler read the names. "There's a Mr and Mrs Wood. That leaves us with three prospective names: Derek James, Casey Weinberg and Timothy Allen."
Chewing on the liquorish, Addison studied the screen. "Derek James flies out of Heathrow. Both Timothy Allen and Casey Weinberg fly from Manchester. Being as though Evenfall is up north, logic dictates Santos would use the nearest airport."
"But we can't rule out Derek James. We could send a guy to Heathrow and go to Manchester ourselves. The flights are twelve hours apart."
"How're things going?" Mark asked as he strolled through the A.D. Centre.
A wide grin covered Addison's face. She slapped her hands together and rubbed them swiftly. Watching the general approach she noticed his suspicious expression. "The good news is we have three names… all have not yet left the country. The bad news, at least for you and the accountants, is that these passengers are all flying economy. I'm asking for tickets booked in first class on each flight. What Santos won't know is that we'll be right there on the plane with him."
"You want six first class seats? I've got to get the airline to bump their ticket holders? Damn, they hate it when we do that."
"Have you ever flown first class?" Addison asked Skyler.
"Never had the pleasure."
"You'll love it," Addison said, gesticulating with her hands. "Big comfy seats, free champagne, flight attendants at your beck and call."
Mark shook his head. "Don't forget you're on assignment."
"Never," Addison replied. "But there's nothing wrong with keeping a luxurious eye on Santos. He can't have any suspicion we are on the flight. Not all assignments get to be so comfortable anyway. I take advantage of every minute of it."
"And she wonders why I had to ban her from using the mini bar every time she stayed in a hotel!" Mark strolled towards the exit. "Send information on the flights to Danny; he can sort out your tickets!" The general chuckled to himself. "Oh he's going to enjoy this," he mumbled.
Addison grinned and shrugged. "He loves me really." She watched Skyler sit down opposite her. The doctor's expression had turned serious. "What?"
"We're really going back to Egypt then? We're really going to find out what the key unlocks?"
"Apparently so!" Addison leaned back in her chair. Placing her hands behind her head she laced her fingers together. A long silence passed between them before Addison spoke again. "Are you ready for this, Sky? I have no idea what's going to happen, but I can promise this… knowing what Santos is capable of now and being the recipient of his waiting party in Saqqara… he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Are you ready for this?" Another silence lapsed between them as Addison waited for Skyler's answer.
End of part 4
Continued...