The Belial Stone (The Belial Series #1)(40)

CHAPTER 30



Baltimore, MD



The golf cart glided silently through the winding, flower-lined path that led to Sharecroppers Lane. Laney once again sat in the back, with Jake behind the wheel, while her uncle rode shotgun.

She and Jake had explained the M.E.’s findings to her uncle, Danny, and Henry before they’d headed off on their trip. Her uncle had been quiet and distracted ever since. She’d tried to get him to talk about his ideas on Paul and his companion, but his stubbornness had once again reared its ugly head.

Her mind was full of Drew, Tom, ancient civilizations, and superhumans. She felt like she was trying to force together the pieces of four very different puzzles.

Looking for a distraction, she watched Danny and Henry in the golf cart behind them. Henry let Danny drive and patiently corrected him whenever he veered off course or braked too sharply. No matter how jolting the stop, Henry never lost his cool. She smiled. Danny might have had a rough time early in his life, but it looked like Henry was doing everything in his power to make the rest better. Who would have thought a world-famous intellectual’s most admirable quality would be his kindness?

Her attention was pulled back to her uncle and Jake. Her uncle had shaken himself from his silent thoughts. She half-listened to him interrogate Jake on his military experience. Occasionally, she glanced over her shoulder and, catching Jake’s eyes in the rearview mirror, gained a good-natured smile.

Jake seemed to be taking everything in stride, but she had a feeling there were a lot of emotions bubbling right under his surface. She wished she could do more to help him. She was at loss, though, as to what she could do. At least, until she realized what her uncle had just asked him.

“Okay, Uncle Patrick,” Laney interrupted. “I think Jake’s already proven he’s more than qualified for his current job. Why don’t you give him a break?”

“What?” Patrick’s eyes were full of innocence. “I’m just making small talk.”

“Uncle Patrick, you just asked the man to list the weapons he’d want if ambushed by a small rebel force in a third-world country. I think you’ve officially moved beyond ’small talk.’”

He had the good sense to look abashed. “Just checking on the man we’ve entrusted with our safety.”

“We’re at the end of the line, anyway.” Jake pulled into a parking spot at the end of Sharecroppers Lane.

Laney shook her head over her uncle’s tactics and caught Jake looking at her. He gave her a wink before leading them over to the sidewalk.

Laney stopped next to her uncle and Jake as they waited for Henry and Danny to join them.

“Does Dr. Radcliffe work in one of these cottages?” Patrick asked, looking around.

Jake smiled. “Nope. We need to walk a little to get to his lab.

“Actually, Dominic’s lab also houses his living quarters,” Henry said as he joined them with Danny. He started leading them down a path that curved away from the cottages. “He wanted everything in one spot. Just one of his little eccentricities."

Danny kicked at a rock in the pathway. “People just don’t understand him.”

Patrick walked next to the young man. “Sometimes, people can be cruel when they don't understand someone.”

Danny glanced over at him and nodded.

Laney watched the interchange from behind with a smile. Her uncle had just taken Danny under his wing. Life might be completely off-kilter right now, but there was one thing that remained unerringly consistent: her uncle’s empathy.

The grounds became less landscaped as they made their way farther down the path. At one point, they started pushing branches out of their way. If it weren’t for Henry’s sure-footed stride, Laney would have thought they were lost.

Finally, they broke through into a little clearing. In front of them stood a small, squat brick building that looked like a utility shed for a power plant.

Laney stopped next to Jake. “This is Dr. Radcliffe's lab?”

“Yup. I was inside only once, before Radcliffe moved in. I'm curious to see what he's done with the place.”

Laney looked back at the ugly building. “Yeah. I'm sure he's made it real homey.’

Jake chuckled.

Henry walked up to the door and flipped open the key pad to its left, inputting a series of numbers. He placed his eye up to the plate.

Laney glanced at Jake.

“A retinal scanner,” he replied to her unasked question.

After a loud click, Henry pulled the door open and beckoned everyone in. Laney and Patrick shared a look before starting forward.

“Guess we’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy,” Patrick whispered as he followed her into the dark building.





CHAPTER 31



The room remained dark until the door slammed shut behind Patrick. Bright incandescent lights flickered on, bathing the room in a greenish tint.

“Well, this isn't creepy at all,” Laney muttered.

There was nothing there. It was just a concrete-lined room with one door behind them and what looked like a vault door on the other side.

Henry walked to a panel next to the giant steel door and placed his hand on the plate. A green glow traced the outline of his hand. With a blast of air, the door popped open a few inches. Henry grabbed onto the long handle and pulled the door wide. Fluorescent lighting hung over a circular hallway which angled sharply down into the ground.