The Belial Stone (The Belial Series #1)(39)

Laney struggled to assimilate the information with what they knew about the men’s abilities. “But where did he come from? And how did he find another superhuman? I mean, one guy was Asian and one was Caucasian. They can’t be genetically related.”

“I don't know. But I do have officers scouring the area around the church to see if any cameras picked up a shot of his friend. Maybe we can ID him.”

“Any luck ID-ing Paul?” Jake asked.

Rocky’s frustration came through loud and clear. “No. But I’ll let you guys know as soon as we have something.”

Laney nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Rocky. Take care, okay?”

“You, too.”

Laney looked at Jake after Rocky had hung up. “Superhumans? Is that even possible?”

“Well, before my experience in Afghanistan and yours yesterday, I would have said no. But now?” He shrugged.

Laney blew out her breath. “Okay, so we know these guys are physically gifted. We think they’re grabbing men to work at a dig site and we think the site may be in the U.S. This all seems to be related to Drew’s paper. We need to get more information.”

“Any suggestion as to where we get that information?” Jake asked.

Laney looked away, focusing again on the family of deer. She had a feeling that as incredible as it might be, all of this hinged on Edgar Cayce and the Book of Enoch. Drew had used both as references in his paper.

She struggled to remember more about Enoch, but there was just nothing there. All she could remember was that Enoch was Noah’s great-grandfather, and the book was about his trip to heaven. The individual details, though, were fuzzy at best. How on earth could that be related to any of this

And then there was Edgar Cayce and his past-life readings on Atlantis. Somehow, Drew and Priddle had linked them together. But that link wasn’t clear in Drew’s paper. If she’d had the chance to talk to him about the paper, she would have advised him to make the link clearer. But she’d never have the chance now.

Her uncle could probably fill in the blanks on the Book of Enoch, but she only had a passing knowledge of Cayce. They needed someone with a more detailed knowledge of the man.

She looked at Jake. “I don’t suppose you guys have anyone on staff that specializes in the work of twentieth-century psychics?"

Jake's expression was thoughtful. “Actually, I think we might.”





CHAPTER 29



Havre, MT



Gideon stood at the wall of glass at the back of his home. When he’d realized Kensington’s role in the acquisition of the stone, he’d purchased the twenty-acre spread in Havre. Construction had begun immediately, although he had never bothered to tell Kensington where he lived.

Encased almost entirely in glass, the home was a tribute to the clean lines of modern architecture and the style of Frank Lloyd Wright. It was an homage to the conspicuous consumption of the modern age.

No expense had been spared. As far as Gideon was concerned, if he was going to have to muddle through in this life, he was going to do it in comfort.

He stared at the sun as it slipped past the mountain peaks. The sky glowed orange, with strains of pink streaking through. There can be beauty here, he thought. As the last lights disappeared, though, so too did his wonder.

He couldn’t believe Paul was gone. They’d met two decades ago. They’d come across one another in an airport, the international terminal at JFK. That sense of connection was instantaneous. Until that moment, he hadn’t realized how much he had missed that link

It had been harder and harder to find his brothers as time passed. The world got larger and chance meetings became increasingly difficult. Before Paul, it had been three long lifetimes since he’d found a brother. And now, he was alone again.

Turning from the darkness, he strode back into the living room. He looked around, his mind barely registering the stone-faced fireplace or sleek contemporary furnishings. Instead, he pictured Paul’s body as that red-headed bitch shot him. He curled his fists, wanting to lash out. He should have finished her when he had the chance. She needed to pay…painfully.

But you didn’t make her pay, did you?

He crushed the voice down. Her eyes seemed to follow him day and night. They mocked him. They knew the truth. He pictured her sitting in that car, full of courage and determination, her eyes locked on him. And he had felt it… Fear.

For the first time in generations, she had made him afraid. And he had run.

It had taken him thirty minutes to fully heal. He cringed as he thought of himself, curled up, cowering like a wounded animal. She had made him afraid. By the time he’d returned, she was gone. It had taken some time, but thanks to the Senator’s contacts, he found out she’d gone to Chandler Headquarters in Baltimore.

“Chandler,” he whispered. Another wrinkle. Chandler’s involvement upped the risk. He wondered how much Henry knew. Had his mother ever told him the truth?

He needed to move faster. He couldn't let fear hold him back. But he also couldn’t let his need to defy that fear push him to make an unwise decision. Caution. He needed to move with caution. He reached over and pulled his phone off the ottoman.

He dialed. A voice answered, the Russian accent pronounced. “Yes?”

“Old friend, I am in need of your services, and that of some of your friends.”