Solomon's Scrolls, page 27
part #1 of A North and Swiftwater Thriller Series
“Drop your knife,” demanded Demi, placing her pistol against Kim’s head.
Kim swore and tossed the bloody blade aside.
“Good girl,” said DuFour. “Now, let’s go and get those scrolls.”
“North!” bellowed Vallin. “Show yourself.”
Connor chuckled. “Why so you can shoot me down like you did to your men?”
Vallin walked out into the open and dropped his SMG and pistol. “I’m unarmed. Let’s settle this man to man with knives.”
Connor glanced down at his shattered wrist. A hand-to-hand fight was the last thing he wanted right now. “I don’t know. Maybe another day.”
“The game’s over, Mister North,” said DuFour, moving next to Vallin. “I’ve got your friend.”
Connor got to one knee and felt his stomach drop at the sight of Demi aiming a pistol at Kim’s head. He gritted his teeth and stood. The pain shooting through his body reminded him he wasn’t as young as he used to be. Connor slowly climbed out of the passage and stood beside the burial chamber.
“Are you okay?” Connor asked Kim.
“Yes, for now,” she replied.
“Tiva?”
“Gone. Yuri should be most of the way to Nuuk by now.”
Vallin took a step. “So, Captain North, what do you say? Shall I kill you in front of your girlfriend and then maybe have my way with her?”
Connor shook his head. “She’s not my girlfriend, and I’m friggin’ exhausted.”
Vallin spat on the ground. “Coward.”
“Sure, whatever.”
Vallin thought he had the drop on an exhausted Connor and brought his hand back to throw his knife at his adversary’s chest. He was, however, a fraction of a second too slow. In one smooth move, Connor dropped to one knee, raised his pistol, and shot Vallin in the head. The dead legionnaire crumpled to the ground.
Kim saw her chance and thrust her head forward while simultaneously shooting her left hand across her body, pushing Demi’s gun hand back. A second later, Demi pulled the trigger, missing Kim’s head by inches. Kim spun on her heel, grabbed the weapon with both hands, and twisted it up and out of Demi’s hand.
“Surprise,” said Kim, aiming the pistol at Demi’s head.
“What the hell!” uttered Demi, staring wide-eyed down the barrel of a gun.
“Krav Maga,” replied Kim. “It works. Now place your hands on your head and sit down in the mud.”
Demi contorted her face. “I will do no such thing.”
“Now!” warned Kim, inching the barrel of her pistol closer to Demi’s face.
Demi’s face blanched. Her hands shook as she put them on her head and sat in the cold muck.
Connor limped over. “You’ll have to teach me that move someday.”
“Sure, why not? It’s easy to learn.”
Connor looked at Demi and let out a tired sigh. “I don’t know or care who you are, but let’s hope this is the one and only time our paths will ever cross.”
Demi looked up. “So do I, Mister North. So do I.”
Connor pointed at Kim’s face. “What’s up with the makeup?”
“Oh, this. I thought it made me look like a Cree warrior.”
Connor nodded. “Nice touch.”
“I suppose you’d like to renegotiate a new offer for the scrolls?” mused DuFour.
“I didn’t think we ever had one to begin with,” said Kim.
“Well, maybe we can come up with something now.”
“No,” said Connor bluntly. “No more money. No more death. If you want the scrolls, you can have the bloody things. But be careful what you wish for. Someone somewhere will always be looking for them. Are you sure they’re worth the danger?”
DuFour’s eyes lit up. “Of course I am. Where are they?”
Connor moved aside to reveal a canvas bag on a rock behind the burial mound. “You can have the scrolls. There’s more than enough gold in the crypt for Kim and me to live on for the rest of our lives quite comfortably. What do you say? We keep the gold, and you get the scrolls?”
“What are you waiting for, Rene?” said Demi. “Go and get the bloody scrolls.”
“Remember, DuFour, this is what you asked for,” said Connor, wrapping an arm around Kim to help steady his aching body.
DuFour hurried over and ran his hand over the canvas bag. His heart raced in excitement. “I’m rich,” he said euphorically, picking up the bag. DuFour flipped open the cover and lustfully looked inside at four copper plates.
“Goodbye,” said Connor, waving at DuFour.
For a second, DuFour was confused. Then, with a bright flash, the thermite boobytrap inside the bag ignited. The thermite soared to well over two thousand Celsius and instantly melted the copper onto DuFour’s hands, burning and tearing the skin and bones from his limbs. He let out a horrified howl and fell to his knees as his body burned alive.
Kim turned her head into Connor’s chest. “Oh God, what a horrible way to die.”
“He had it coming,” replied Connor, holding Kim in his arms.
“Yes, he did.” Kim was about to check on Connor’s wounds when the enormity of everything that had just happened hit her like a speeding train. Her stomach turned. Kim barely had time to bend over before she threw up.
“Easy does it,” said Connor, comforting her. “It’s been a rough day for everyone, but it’s over.”
Kim caught her breath and wiped her chin. “I’ve never killed anyone before.”
“It was you or her, and I’m glad you are the person standing here with me.”
“Thanks.” Kim smiled weakly, unsure if she would be sick again.
Out to sea, the sound of helicopter rotor blades cutting through the air heralded the arrival of the police. Connor and Kim looked skyward as two dark-blue police choppers flew over the island and prepared to land.
“It looks like we’ve got a lot of explaining to do,” said Kim.
“Yeah, I hope Jason has deep pockets because there’s no way we’re going to bluff our way out of this one.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Connor North slowly opened his tired eyes and breathed deeply through his nostrils. Then, he gingerly sat up in his hospital bed and glanced down at his bandaged left wrist. It had been three days since the incident on the island, and Connor was still coming to terms with everything that had transpired.
There was a light knock on his door.
“It’s open…I think,” said Connor.
The door opened. Kim and Tiva walked in, accompanied by Henry Knox, of all people.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” teased Kim.
Connor couldn’t help but smile. “You try having surgery on your wrist. It’s not as much fun as it sounds.”
Tiva waved. “Good morning. Aunt Kimy says you got hurt helping me. I’m sorry if it hurts.”
It was Connor’s first time meeting the bright, young girl, and he could see in her eyes how she and Kim were related. “It’s okay, hon. It’ll heal, and I’ll get better.”
“I hope so. Aunt Kimy says that you’re her special friend.”
Kim blushed and gently pulled Tiva toward her. “That’s enough for now. Why don’t you take a seat and play a game on my phone.”
“Okay.” Tiva took the phone and sat. In seconds, she was oblivious to the adults in the room.
“So, Mister Knox, what brings you all the way out here?” asked Connor.
“You do,” he replied, smiling.
Connor groaned and rolled his eyes. “Not this again. No, really, why are you here?”
Knox and Kim grabbed a couple of chairs and dragged them over to the bed. “I’m here to let you know that your lawyer should be arriving shortly from Denmark. I hear she’s damned good at her job, so the two of you should be on a plane back to the States in the next day or two.”
Connor raised an eyebrow. “You couldn’t have called Kim and passed this on?”
Knox raised a hand and shrugged. “Yes and no.”
Connor’s small reservoir of patience was rapidly drying up. “Knox, please, no more riddles. Why are you here?”
Knox nodded. “Sorry. Mister Hamilton asked me to speak with you.”
“Yes. What about?”
“The scrolls. Did you actually melt them with a thermite charge?”
Connor grinned. “I sure did, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. The information on those scrolls belongs to everyone, not just billionaires who don’t care how many people have to die to get them what they want.”
“And now nobody has it,” said Knox disappointedly.
“I agree with Connor,” said Kim. “It’s better that they’re gone.”
“Well, at least the remainder of the treasure is still intact.”
“Speaking of that, have the Danish authorities taken possession of the cache?” asked Connor.
“Yes, they have, and that’s why Mister Hamilton is in Copenhagen arguing that he should get a 35% finder’s fee.”
“A what? He didn’t find the treasure. We did.”
“Yes, but you were acting as his agents when you found the burial mound, so legally, whatever was found belongs to Mister Hamilton.”
Connor ground his teeth and prepared to turn the air blue when he remembered Tiva was in the room. He simply shook his head instead. “I always knew Jason was a piece of work. This just confirms it.” For once, Connor noted, Kim didn’t jump to Hamilton’s defense.
“There’s one last thing I have to tell you, and it involves the woman arrested on the island with you.”
“The redhead?” asked Kim.
“Yes, her.”
“What about her?”
“She’s gone.”
Connor furrowed his bow. “What do you mean she’s gone?”
“Yesterday, she vanished somewhere between the police station and the courthouse where she was to be arraigned,” explained Knox.
“So what? That’s the Danish police’s problem, not ours,” remarked Connor.
Knox shook his head. “Demi Collins is not a person to take lightly. She and her Order are the antitheses of everything Mister Hamilton and I believe in. I’d be careful if I were you. She was taken down a notch the other day, and she’ll be back, this time, looking for blood. You should have killed her when you had the chance.”
Connor was done talking. “Okay, Knox, we’re finished. I expect Jason to live up to his end of the bargain and pay us what we’re owed, or he’ll find out the hard way how persuasive I can be. Got it?”
Knox got to his feet. “There’s no need to worry about that. Your money is already in your respective bank accounts. I wish you and Ms. Swiftwater a good day.”
Connor watched Knox leave the room, praying that was the last he would ever see of him.
“So, what are you going to do with your money?” Kim asked.
Connor shrugged. “I don’t know. Until my wrist is healed, I doubt I’m going anywhere.”
Kim smiled at Tiva. “Well, I know what I’m going to do. First, I’m taking Tiva home to her foster parents, and then I’m going to see my sister. It’s been far too long since we last saw one another.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Maybe when you’re done, you can meet me in New York?”
Kim provocatively lifted her eyebrow. “New York for the weekend, eh?”
“It’s not what you think,” replied Connor, smiling.
“A girl can dream.”
Suddenly, the door swung open, and a woman with a tall, athletic build strode into the hospital room. “Mister North, Ms. Swiftwater, my name is Sonja Steel, and I have been retained by Jason Hamilton in case you require the services of a defense lawyer.”
Kim stood and offered her hand. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Connor noticed a red Templar Knights tattoo on the inside of Steel’s right wrist and burst out laughing.
“What so funny?” Kim asked.
“Nothing. I just have this feeling we’ll be packing our bags sooner rather than later.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
New York City
A light rain fell from gray clouds covering the city.
Kim and Connor stood silently under their umbrellas, each lost in their thoughts. Both were well-dressed. Connor carried a bouquet of flowers in his hand while Kim held a single eagle’s feather. Both were nervous about what was to come next but knew it had to be done.
It was Connor who eventually broke the nervous silence. “So, how was your trip to Texas?”
“Fine. My sister’s doing better than expected, and Tiva couldn’t be happier to be home again,” said Kim.
“That’s good to hear.” Connor paused and looked around. “And the scrolls?”
“Yuri flew into Houston and handed them to me. They’re hidden in an old trunk in Tiva’s foster parents’ attic.”
Connor grinned. “Excellent.” He offered his arm to Kim. “Shall we do this?”
“When you said you were going to take me to meet someone special, I thought you meant your mom.”
Connor looked at Kim and smiled. “Not today.”
Arm in arm, they approached Rachel North’s headstone and stopped a few feet shy. Connor laid his flowers over her grave and cleared his throat.
“Hey there, Rachel, I’ve brought someone I’d like you to meet. Her name is Kim Swiftwater.”
Not sure what to do or say, Kim reverently placed her eagle feather on the tombstone. Finally, she mustered a small smile. “Hi. You’ve got a good man here.”
Connor continued. “It’s a shame you two never met; I’m positive you’d get along. In many ways, Rachel, she’s a lot like you.” He slid his hand over and took Kim’s in his. “She’s intelligent, brave, single-minded, and full of life. She’s my friend.” Connor squeezed Kim’s hand tight. “She’s my good friend.”
– THE END –
Richard Turner, Solomon's Scrolls
