The Belial Stone (The Belial Series #1)(2)

Small talk about the weather and questions about the professor’s research resulted in equally unenthusiastic responses. Soon, Kenny just lapsed into silence.

For the first time Kenny could recall, he felt the isolation of his ranch press down on him. He knew there was no one around for miles. Montana was the size of New England, with only the population of Rhode Island. Generally, the isolation of his ranch was the reason he loved it. But walking next to the professor, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

It wasn’t just Blue’s reaction, which, to be honest, scared the hell out of him. It was like the dog had seen the devil himself. It was also that this man looked nothing like a professor. He was too young, too good-looking, and too well dressed.

And there was something about him that just felt off. The man had barely spared a glance at the snow-topped mountains that were a backdrop to Kenny's property. He'd never had anyone come to the ranch that hadn't commented on that incredible view.

Walking next to him, Kenny was reminded of the time when, as a kid, he’d been stalked by a mountain lion. He'd had a vague sense of uneasiness that day. But until the cat screeched as it leapt at him, he hadn’t realized the true danger he was in. That day, his dad had cut the lion in half with a shotgun. Kenny gave the professor another surreptitious glance and couldn’t help wishing he’d brought his shotgun along today.

“Are we getting close?” Gideon asked.

Startled, Kenny stumbled. Shaking his head at his clumsiness, he pointed to an arrangement of three small boulders twenty yards away that stood out in the flat, almost treeless ground. “Just beyond those boulders is where I started digging. I still haven’t been able to get to the bottom of the rock.”

Gideon nodded and picked up his pace. As he passed the boulders, he came to an abrupt stop and stared at the small excavation.

The monolith stood five feet tall, although it was obvious there was still more buried beneath the earth. At first glance, the obelisk appeared smooth. Kenny's first thought had been that it looked like one of those fancy granite counter tops. On closer inspection, though, the niches carefully carved into the black stone depicting figures and what resembled Egyptian hieroglyphs became clear.

Seconds stretched into minutes as the professor simply stared at the rock in silence. Kenny’s nervousness increased. “Uh, Professor Gideon, are you all right?”

Gideon eyes snapped to Kenny. Kenny took a step back from the man.

But when Gideon spoke, his voice was calm. “It’s an amazing sight, isn’t it? Would it be all right if I went closer?”

The professor’s words reduced Kenny’s fears, making him feel foolish. What the hell was wrong with him today? The man was just a professor interested in his find.

“Sure, sure. After all, you’re the expert.”

Kenny watched the professor gracefully leap into the hole. He reverently touched the stone, tracing some of the carvings with his index finger. “Finally,” he murmured.

After a few moments of internal debate, Kenny’s curiosity won out over his uneasiness. He clambered down to stand next to the man. “So, any idea where it came from? It kind of looks like something you’d expect to find in Egypt or down in Central America or some other ancient place.”

Gideon looked over at Kenny. “Actually, this site predates those other sites by quite a significant margin.”

“Really?” Kenny asked, astonished. “Even older than the pyramids?”

“Yes. Even older than that.” He pointed to a spot on the artifact about three quarters of the way up. “Do you see this mark here?”

Kenny squinted at the etching. “That little circle?”

“Yes. That little circle is something I have been trying to find for an incredibly long time.”

Kenny's eyes shifted to the professor. The man couldn’t be any older than twenty-nine. This younger generation seemed to have a different view of time than his generation.

“Hmm,” he murmured. “What is it?”

“Why, it’s the end of the world,” Gideon said with a slow smile.

“What?” He glanced over at Gideon, thinking he must have misunderstood him.

Gideon turned to face him. His smile looked almost lethal and what Kenny had thought were pale blue eyes seemed to have darkened. “You have been very helpful, Mr. Coleman.”

The words were polite, but the tone sent the fears Kenny had been shoving down right back to the surface. The professor pulled a gun from under his suit jacket. Kenny didn’t hesitate. He shoved the professor and scrambled out of the hole.

Kenny looked back over his shoulder, expecting to feel a bullet between his shoulder blades at any minute. Instead, he saw Gideon still in the hole, smiling at him. He was even nodding. Kenny didn’t understand the man’s reaction and he had no interest in figuring it out.

Kenny panted as he sprinted for the house. He didn’t hear the professor behind him. He hoped it stayed that way until he reached one of his guns. He had a shot if he could just get to his truck or the barn. He kept rifles in both of them. That hope kept pushing him forward as his legs turned to jelly, and his breathing to sharp, painful gasps.

His farmhouse came into view and the sound of Blue, still barking, urged him on.

Footfalls echoed through the empty space behind him and panic charged through him. He knew he should keep running, looking behind would only slow him down, but he couldn't help himself. Only a hundred yards away, the professor sprinted towards him, his legs moving like train pistons. He didn’t even look winded. How had he caught up with him so fast?