her turn. Out of the shadows walked a man well over six feet tall. Like Atlas, his shoulders looked wide enough to balance the weight of the world. Heather froze. Everything in her said go. But she couldn't seem to get her body to respond fast enough.
"That young fool should know his job better, and you should have been more insistent that he stay in the area until you'd left."
Heather recognized the man who had been in her apartment. "My God," she whispered, "you're real!"
She dropped her briefcase and keys and backed against her car. Had the guard walked too far away to hear her scream?
He tilted his head slightly, then he slowly smiled. "Ah, you did think I was a dream."
Heather backed as far down the side of the car as she could. A tree stopped further retreat. "If you don't leave right now, I'll scream so loud half of New York will hear!"
"Use your head, woman. Had I wanted to harm you, I'd have already done it."
"Then, what do you want?" Heather stared up into his face. It was, if anything, more handsome than before. Some part of her brain registered this even as she felt she should be running for her life.
"I told you. I want what rightfully belongs elsewhere.
You've seen the objects which were sent here from Ireland?"
Heather didn't speak. If she told this obviously crazed man that she had seen the artifacts, he might force her to take him to where they were stored. Having no more use for her, he might do to her what had been done to Ned. If she lied and said she'd never seen any of the artifacts, she was afraid the guy would go ballistic and kill her. Either way, she knew she had to try to find a way to get back to the guard station on the museum's first floor.
Gryphon moved forward until Heather was pinned against the tree. "Have you seen the three rune stones?" he asked again.
Heather tried to run, but he held her wrists together with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. "Please listen, lass." He pressed his body to hers and tried to make his voice sound sincere. "Those stones are sacred. If something valuable had been wrongfully taken from your family or friends, wouldn't you try to return those items if you were given the chance?"
Heather stared into his eyes, and her fear temporarily receded. The man removed his large hand from her mouth. "I still don't know why you won't go to the police. What do you want with me? Why did you follow me to my home and who in hell are you? You know, breaking into somebody's apartment doesn't exactly encourage cooperation or instill trust."
He almost smiled at her outburst of brave temper. Considering the differences in their sizes and weight, she was exhibiting some real brass. "I'm sorry about that, but I had to act quickly, and the less you know, the safer you'll stay. Now, I'll ask again. Have you seen the rune stones or not?"
"No," Heather replied, "I haven't seen them. There were none sent with the shipments."
"So, you checked?"
"Yes. I asked Professor McPherson if he'd acquired any rune stones on his trip."
Gryph shook his head. "You shouldn't have done that. The man may suspect you know something about them. You could have endangered yourself."
"Look, if you'd tell me what all of this is about and who you are, I might be able to make some sense of this and get you the help you need." Mental or otherwise.
"Have you called the law about me?"
"No. Like you guessed...I thought you weren't real, that I'd dreamed you up."
"Lass, take me to the place where McPherson stored the crates. Time is against me now, and the sooner I find what I came for, the sooner you and others will be out of danger." Gryphon gazed into her beautiful eyes. "It was a mistake to have involved you in this. I should've broken into the museum and searched alone."
Heather stared hard at the muscular, flannel-clad chest in front of her. He wore jeans, hiking boots and had left his hair beautifully loose. It flowed over his shoulders in black sheets. Any modeling agency in New
"That young fool should know his job better, and you should have been more insistent that he stay in the area until you'd left."
Heather recognized the man who had been in her apartment. "My God," she whispered, "you're real!"
She dropped her briefcase and keys and backed against her car. Had the guard walked too far away to hear her scream?
He tilted his head slightly, then he slowly smiled. "Ah, you did think I was a dream."
Heather backed as far down the side of the car as she could. A tree stopped further retreat. "If you don't leave right now, I'll scream so loud half of New York will hear!"
"Use your head, woman. Had I wanted to harm you, I'd have already done it."
"Then, what do you want?" Heather stared up into his face. It was, if anything, more handsome than before. Some part of her brain registered this even as she felt she should be running for her life.
"I told you. I want what rightfully belongs elsewhere.
You've seen the objects which were sent here from Ireland?"
Heather didn't speak. If she told this obviously crazed man that she had seen the artifacts, he might force her to take him to where they were stored. Having no more use for her, he might do to her what had been done to Ned. If she lied and said she'd never seen any of the artifacts, she was afraid the guy would go ballistic and kill her. Either way, she knew she had to try to find a way to get back to the guard station on the museum's first floor.
Gryphon moved forward until Heather was pinned against the tree. "Have you seen the three rune stones?" he asked again.
Heather tried to run, but he held her wrists together with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. "Please listen, lass." He pressed his body to hers and tried to make his voice sound sincere. "Those stones are sacred. If something valuable had been wrongfully taken from your family or friends, wouldn't you try to return those items if you were given the chance?"
Heather stared into his eyes, and her fear temporarily receded. The man removed his large hand from her mouth. "I still don't know why you won't go to the police. What do you want with me? Why did you follow me to my home and who in hell are you? You know, breaking into somebody's apartment doesn't exactly encourage cooperation or instill trust."
He almost smiled at her outburst of brave temper. Considering the differences in their sizes and weight, she was exhibiting some real brass. "I'm sorry about that, but I had to act quickly, and the less you know, the safer you'll stay. Now, I'll ask again. Have you seen the rune stones or not?"
"No," Heather replied, "I haven't seen them. There were none sent with the shipments."
"So, you checked?"
"Yes. I asked Professor McPherson if he'd acquired any rune stones on his trip."
Gryph shook his head. "You shouldn't have done that. The man may suspect you know something about them. You could have endangered yourself."
"Look, if you'd tell me what all of this is about and who you are, I might be able to make some sense of this and get you the help you need." Mental or otherwise.
"Have you called the law about me?"
"No. Like you guessed...I thought you weren't real, that I'd dreamed you up."
"Lass, take me to the place where McPherson stored the crates. Time is against me now, and the sooner I find what I came for, the sooner you and others will be out of danger." Gryphon gazed into her beautiful eyes. "It was a mistake to have involved you in this. I should've broken into the museum and searched alone."
Heather stared hard at the muscular, flannel-clad chest in front of her. He wore jeans, hiking boots and had left his hair beautifully loose. It flowed over his shoulders in black sheets. Any modeling agency in New
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