The Apocalypse Script by Samuel Fort

palm on his chest
and said with conviction, “Ben, there are no limits to what I will
do to get you to Steepleguard this morning, and there is no possibility that
Fiela will ever be turned over to the police. Best that we drop
this topic. It is, I promise you, utterly
inconsequential.”
    Ben looked into the woman’s
emerald eyes and saw not an iota of doubt. His options, as he saw
them, were to defy her and call the police, pitting himself against
her and her powerful allies, probably ruining his good name and
career in the process and forfeiting ten-million dollars and an
opportunity to make history, or to let the Strattons handle Fiela
and to play along as if nothing had happened.
    “ Okay,” he said at last. “What is
Steepleguard, again?”
    Lilian relaxed. “It is one of my
father’s former summer homes in the mountains. It was once the
Steepleguard Hotel, built by some lumber barons in the
19 th century. It was a
popular retreat for the elite but in the 1920’s a mile-wide
avalanche buried the railway and primary road that led to it.
Neither was ever uncovered, though Ridley did improve upon a
private, secondary road, which is the only way to access the hotel
now. The building is so remote that few people even know it exists.
Ridley lives there alone except for a few fetches - I mean,
servants.”
    “ The tablets are
there?”
    “ Yes.”
    Fiela emerged from the bedroom
spinning in a slow circle to show off the blouse she had selected.
“What do you think?”
    Lilian crossed her arms. “It fits
well, but perhaps you would spare Ben some angst if you also wore a
skirt?”
    “ Oh, have I forgotten that?” the
girl asked, all innocence. She lingered in the doorway a few
seconds longer before disappearing.
    “ Do you like her?” asked Lilian
earnestly, studying his face.
    “ That’s an odd
question.”
    “ But do you?”
    “ I don’t understand why that
should matter.”
    “ I would prefer that you like her.
I think you will find she is not as odd as she appears once you
spend some time with her.”
    Ben said, “Honestly, I’d rather
not. I think she’s dangerous.”
    The woman laughed and said, “She
really is. That ’ s why I
love her . ”

Chapter 5 - Legend of Tiwanaku

    Fiela left the apartment with the
policeman’s gun tucked into a purse Lilian had brought her. As he
was seeing her out of his apartment, she ambushed Ben, wrapping her
arms around his neck and kissing him before exchanging a knowing
look with Lilian and darting into the elevator. Lilian seemed
amused.
    A few minutes later Ben was
buckling himself into the passenger side of the Mercedes. Lilian
gunned the engine, accelerated rapidly, and turned onto the road
outside the gate of his apartment complex without bothering to look
for oncoming traffic.
    “ I like to drive,” she explained
above the din of the twelve-cylinder engine. She headed toward the
mountains. “How do you feel?”
    “ Better, thanks. I don’t suppose
you’d like to explain to me why this is such an
emergency?”
    “ Would it suffice if I said the
world will end in a week?”
    Ben chuckled. “I’d need something
better than that.”
    “ Then we are at an impasse. Why
don’t we talk about the tablets?”
    “ Fine. You can start by telling me
how Ridley obtained them.”
    She took a moment to collect her thoughts. “My
father gave them to him, but they were found by a member of a
little-known organization called the Delphic Order of the
Nisirtu.”
    Ben turned toward her. “Fiela
asked me if I was
Nisirtu. I’ve never even heard of them, or their order”
    “ Its existence is unknown to
almost anyone. For now, let’s just say that the Order of the
Nisirtu is one of many societies of the uber-wealthy, and that it
has been around for a very long time. I am a member, as are Ridley
and Fiela. But I’d rather let Ridley discuss our little club. He’s
much better versed than I am.”
    The researcher nodded. “Tell me
how tablets were found,