for Pentecost. It’s only nine days away.”
“What does ARKANE have at stake here?” Morgan said, the notebook open in her hand.
“These are the kind of secrets ARKANE keeps. Whether they have any real power or not, the stones are powerful talismans and they need to be protected. At least your sister is safe until Pentecost, so we have until then to try and figure this out.”
Morgan hesitated. She was used to doing things her way, but looking at the rough map in the journal and knowing she had only a short amount of time to find Faye and Gemma, she knew she needed help. Pride would not stop her from rescuing them. She nodded.
“OK, we can work together on this and come to some agreement about the stones as we go. At least it buys me some time.”
“I know it’s not ideal but with your religious knowledge and ARKANE’s research and resources we’ll get the stones and your family back. I’ll have the team work overnight on digitizing and cross-checking the diaries against our own research on the Apostles. Tomorrow we’ll get started. Meanwhile, you need some rest.”
Jake held out his hand. After a slight hesitation, she shook it, nodding her assent.
***
As soon as Morgan had left the Woodstock house, Jake went outside and dialed the ARKANE Director, Elias Marietti, on a secure line.
“I’ve convinced her that she needs us, Sir. I won’t be able to get her stone right away, but I think she can lead us to the others. The team is being mobilized right now … You were right about Thanatos being after them ... Yes, the sister will give hers up, I’ll make sure of that … Thank you, Sir. I’ll be there in the morning.”
Hanging up, Jake looked back into the windows of the house. He could see David with his head in his hands, shoulders heaving in one of the upstairs rooms. It must be the little girl’s room. Jake turned away. This wasn’t the time to be sentimental. Collateral damage was inevitable, even in a purely religious war.
May 19
Private airstrip, Surrey, England.
May 19, 5.34am
Faye woke as the early morning light filtered through a tiny window and seeped under the doorframe. She raised her head tentatively and explosive pain made her head swim. She breathed in and out slowly through her nose as the nausea passed, her mouth still covered by a rolled cloth tied behind her head. Her first lucid thought was for Gemma, her baby. Where was she? Was she OK? Then she saw the tiny bundle curled up near the foot of the chair she was bound to. Gemma wasn’t even tied up. They must have known she wouldn’t leave her mother once she revived from the drugs. The little girl’s face looked pale and creased but she was breathing normally and didn’t seem to be injured. Faye desperately wanted to take her in her arms, hold her close, but she couldn’t move.
She took a mental inventory of her own body, checking for injury and pain. Her legs were tied to the chair, her arms behind her back, but the drugs were wearing off and it seemed she was bruised but more or less uninjured. She thought back to the night before. She had been listening to a talk show and didn’t hear them come in. A feeling of being watched had made her turn suddenly, but then she had been grabbed and pushed to the floor, a needle jabbed in her neck. She had only managed to briefly scream before she lost consciousness. Her thoughts flashed to David and she prayed that he was OK, that they hadn’t hurt him. They had said nothing about what they wanted before they attacked. What could she possibly have that they would kidnap for? She began to pray silently. God would protect them through whatever trials they would face, but they needed to escape from here somehow.
Faye craned her neck to look around the small room. It was a large storage closet with high ceilings and a tiny window near the roof. The walls were metal, like a warehouse. Shelves stretched above them containing all sorts of
“What does ARKANE have at stake here?” Morgan said, the notebook open in her hand.
“These are the kind of secrets ARKANE keeps. Whether they have any real power or not, the stones are powerful talismans and they need to be protected. At least your sister is safe until Pentecost, so we have until then to try and figure this out.”
Morgan hesitated. She was used to doing things her way, but looking at the rough map in the journal and knowing she had only a short amount of time to find Faye and Gemma, she knew she needed help. Pride would not stop her from rescuing them. She nodded.
“OK, we can work together on this and come to some agreement about the stones as we go. At least it buys me some time.”
“I know it’s not ideal but with your religious knowledge and ARKANE’s research and resources we’ll get the stones and your family back. I’ll have the team work overnight on digitizing and cross-checking the diaries against our own research on the Apostles. Tomorrow we’ll get started. Meanwhile, you need some rest.”
Jake held out his hand. After a slight hesitation, she shook it, nodding her assent.
***
As soon as Morgan had left the Woodstock house, Jake went outside and dialed the ARKANE Director, Elias Marietti, on a secure line.
“I’ve convinced her that she needs us, Sir. I won’t be able to get her stone right away, but I think she can lead us to the others. The team is being mobilized right now … You were right about Thanatos being after them ... Yes, the sister will give hers up, I’ll make sure of that … Thank you, Sir. I’ll be there in the morning.”
Hanging up, Jake looked back into the windows of the house. He could see David with his head in his hands, shoulders heaving in one of the upstairs rooms. It must be the little girl’s room. Jake turned away. This wasn’t the time to be sentimental. Collateral damage was inevitable, even in a purely religious war.
May 19
Private airstrip, Surrey, England.
May 19, 5.34am
Faye woke as the early morning light filtered through a tiny window and seeped under the doorframe. She raised her head tentatively and explosive pain made her head swim. She breathed in and out slowly through her nose as the nausea passed, her mouth still covered by a rolled cloth tied behind her head. Her first lucid thought was for Gemma, her baby. Where was she? Was she OK? Then she saw the tiny bundle curled up near the foot of the chair she was bound to. Gemma wasn’t even tied up. They must have known she wouldn’t leave her mother once she revived from the drugs. The little girl’s face looked pale and creased but she was breathing normally and didn’t seem to be injured. Faye desperately wanted to take her in her arms, hold her close, but she couldn’t move.
She took a mental inventory of her own body, checking for injury and pain. Her legs were tied to the chair, her arms behind her back, but the drugs were wearing off and it seemed she was bruised but more or less uninjured. She thought back to the night before. She had been listening to a talk show and didn’t hear them come in. A feeling of being watched had made her turn suddenly, but then she had been grabbed and pushed to the floor, a needle jabbed in her neck. She had only managed to briefly scream before she lost consciousness. Her thoughts flashed to David and she prayed that he was OK, that they hadn’t hurt him. They had said nothing about what they wanted before they attacked. What could she possibly have that they would kidnap for? She began to pray silently. God would protect them through whatever trials they would face, but they needed to escape from here somehow.
Faye craned her neck to look around the small room. It was a large storage closet with high ceilings and a tiny window near the roof. The walls were metal, like a warehouse. Shelves stretched above them containing all sorts of
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