The Jewels of Jezebel (The Reluctant Hero Series Book 2) Read online

  Magena slugged his arm. “Forgive my friend, Adana. He is oblivious to your customs. I am interested in how you knew we were here and why you think we’re looking for anything on Jezebel.”

  “I understand your distrust…” Adana continued, “…especially with everything you’ve been through. I was contacted by Sir Edmund Carlton III. He briefed me as to who you both are and what your goals are. Since I had worked with Professor Finkelstein, I was the obvious choice to assist you in your quest.”

  “What do you know about what we’re looking for?” Magena asked with a firm tone in her voice.

  Daniel defended their new acquaintance. “Hey, Mags! Give the poor girl a break!”

  Magena glared at Daniel and then turned her attention back toward Adana.

  Daniel could tell that Adana was smiling, because her cheeks rose a bit and her eyes softened. “I appreciate the gesture, but I do not need defending. You are in pursuit of the Jewels of Jezebel. Specifically, the ones she wore when she was murdered. You can contact Sir Edmund Carlton, if you wish further proof.”

  Magena smiled at Daniel. He knew the only other way that Adana could have known that much about their mission, was if the Sabotinis or Sir Edmund informed her. Since both parties knew what they were doing, he figured Adana was a plant.

  Magena said, “Alright, Adana. I think you already passed Daniel’s test, so I just have one more question for you. Where do you suggest we begin?”

  Chapter Three

  The three decided they would have more privacy if they talked inside the rental car. They walked to a car rental nearby, and Daniel rented the car with his credit card. He sat in the driver’s seat with Adana in the passenger seat and Magena in the back as they drove to a quieter place.

  Magena kept a close eye on Adana. She wanted to make sure that Adana was to be trusted. “I’m curious as to why Sir Edmund would get this involved in an undertaking where he was only supposedly to be observing.”

  Adana kept eye contact with Magena. “I cannot speak for him. I only know that I am here to help in any way that I can. If you do not trust me, then I suggest that you trust he who sent me. Unless that is a problem as well.”

  Daniel glanced at Magena with a puzzled look. “This one has spirit. Wouldn’t you say?”

  Magena swore as she decided to lay out all of her cards on the table. “Alright. Fine. If we’re going to be blunt and honest, then no. I don’t trust you, Sir Edmund, or the Sabotinis. We’re actually just starting to trust one another. To be honest, I don’t believe that we will trust you completely, because of the circumstances. I don’t know how much you know about what we’ve been through so far, but it hasn’t been a fun ride. Unfortunately, going through just a few painful events has cost me a lot. My normal trusting nature has been shot. So if we can get past who trusts or doesn’t trust who, you need to tell us how you can help us.”

  Daniel chuckled, as could be expected.

  Adana’s eyes never diverted from Magena. “Agreed. It matters not why I am here, just that I am. May I call you Daniel and Magena?”

  Daniel nodded.

  Magena cleared her throat. “I prefer Magenta.”

  Adana smiled. “Magenta it is. Here’s what I know. There is a secret organization somewhere in the Samaritan Mountains. It is an organization that has been dedicated to keeping the legacy of King Ahab alive. Some say that it has become a cult, but is more like a commune with outside activities.”

  “That’s just a nice way of saying cult,” Daniel added with a grin.

  Adana sighed and was noticeably getting frustrated. “Am I to be questioned or ridiculed every time I make a statement that appears hilarious?”

  Daniel almost looked as if he was being challenged as he raised his eyebrows. “Maybe.”

  “That’s enough! You two have to be yourselves without a challenge.” Magena knew that time was of the essence and she did not want to stay in the unpaid employ of a secret spy organization, led by Sir Edmund and two supposed criminals—the Sabotinis. “I need both of you to concentrate on the job, because the quicker we find Jezebel’s jewels, the quicker we can get our lives back!”

  “Really?” Daniel bellowed. His anger and impatience were clear. “Is that what you think is going to happen? Obviously you’ve been sheltered all of your life, chief! Uh… Mags. That’s not how the world works. After everything I’ve been through, I can guess with about 99 percent accuracy that we’re toast once we accomplish this task. Either that or they’re going to keep stringing us along doing other things, until they get tired of playing with their new toys! I’ve been around people like Carlton and the Sabotinis all my life! They’ve gotten where they are by playing hardball! If we want to survive this phenomenon, then we have to play hardball, too!”

  Magena didn’t know what to say. She was completely speechless. She didn’t know if Daniel was just trying to scare her or not. The thing that she feared the most was that he looked serious. There was no grinning or smirking. No chuckles.

  “Alright,” she responded quietly, as if the fight had been taken out of her. “You’re right. I don’t understand the people involved. I don’t know if I would go so far as to say that I was sheltered, but I get your point. You are obviously more versed as to who we’re dealing with than I am, so I will listen to any suggestions pertaining to that matter that you have.”

  Daniel sighed and calmed down, but was noticeably filled with remorse over his outburst. “I’m not trying to burst your bubble, but we are in some serious doo-doo here. We need to stick together and find these jewels first. Everything else is secondary. Are we agreed?”

  Both of the women nodded.

  Parking the car at a curb, Daniel winked at Magena, as if he had more to say to her alone. She grinned a little, knowing that he was more on her side than anyone else’s.

  Adana glanced from Daniel to Magena and back again, showing concern if either of them had any more outbursts. Once she was satisfied that they had gotten everything out of their system, she continued. “I know how to get to the location of the secret organization. At least, it was the last known location about a year ago.”

  “So, your intel may not be current?” Magena shook her head and sighed loud enough for everyone to hear. “Before we go any further, Daniel and I need to talk this over.”

  “I understand,” Adana replied, as she climbed out of the vehicle and stood several yards away.

  “Alright,” Daniel said firmly. “You called this pow wow… uh… meeting. What’s up?” His face flushed with embarrassment, as she was able to hear his mistake. She heard it, but chose to ignore it, like most everything else that she deemed nonsense coming out of his mouth.

  “I don’t know about this, Daniel. She was sent from Sir Edmund and not the Sabotinis? Call me paranoid, but that tells me Sir Edmund may have other agendas than looking for justice.”

  “You are paranoid,” he said, deep in thought with his index and middle finger of his left hand placed on his chin. “I encourage everyone to be a little paranoid, because it actually makes you more aware of things you might miss if you’re too trusting. Although, it is strange hearing that from you. I thought it was determined that you were a trusting soul.”

  “Desperate situations have a tendency to change my point of view.” She stared out the window at Adana, trying to figure out what her agenda was. “Adana wouldn’t have just shown up as a favor to Sir Edmund. I don’t care how close they might be. She wants something.”

  “That’s my girl!” he exclaimed, while showing pride in her. “Of course, she wants something. Everyone wants something. Believe it or not, everyone also has a price. Even someone as moralistic as you.”

  She turned her narrowed eyes on him, much to his dismay.

  “I’m not saying you can be bought with material things,” he said, trying to save himself from her further glaring. “When I say that everyone has a price, I mean there probably isn’t anything you wouldn’t do for your parents. You always talk very h
ighly of them. I’m betting that you would sacrifice whatever you could to help them out.”

  She noticed his eyes had sadness in them when he talked about her parents. She assumed that he wished for a relationship with his parents, that was similar to hers. “Yes. I would do anything for them. Even if it compromised my morals and judgment.”

  He glanced out at Adana, then back at Magena. “Then maybe… that’s her situation.”

  Magena looked back out at their new ally and smiled, as the woman smiled at her. She thought about her mother, and what she had once said about God. “My mom once said, ‘Sometimes people act out of what they’re going through. You never know what’s going on in another’s life. That’s why it’s always important to pause and see things through the other person’s eyes. Not just your own. For example, the person that cut you off in traffic might be rushing to the hospital where a loved one is dying. The person yelling at the bank clerk might have just gotten fired, or his spouse had left him. Our troubles do not give us the right to persecute those around us, but it would soothe the situation if we could see that they might not be having the best of days. Go forth, my daughter, and see from all sides before passing judgment. Someday you will want someone to do the same thing for you.’”

  “That’s great.”

  She waved Adana back to the car. “You’re right, Daniel. I can’t let the fact that we are in the most bizarre scenario I have ever been in sway me from who I really am. We will give this woman a chance. Thinking from her standpoint, she might be scared and feel all alone. She doesn’t have anyone else here that she feels comfortable with yet. It should be our job to make her feel welcomed and an integral part of our team. Without her, we may not be able to find anything pertaining to Jezebel. Thank you, Daniel. You have opened my eyes to something I should have never closed them to. I am appreciating your company more with each moment.”

  Daniel stretched and yawned. “She could also be a plant by the bad guys. She might kill us when we get her to what she wants, but it could be the other way, too.”

  Chapter Four

  “Where to?” asked Daniel, as Adana climbed back into the car.

  Adana gave the directions and they drove to a small field and left the car there. They had to go by foot after a certain point. Their rental car would not make the journey. Daniel and Magena followed Adana deep into the Samaritan Mountains.

  The two Americans were both glad they had their backpacks and hiking footwear with them. Adana seemed nimble and at ease over the terrain, considering her robe. It was obvious that she had frequented the mountains.

  Daniel had to rest several times, because he wasn’t used to the cardio exercise. He used his private gym back home, but always avoided the elliptical and treadmill. He worked with free weights and some on leg machines. He regretted not utilizing at least the StairMaster more. By eating healthy and only at certain times of the day on his trip, he was able to keep himself looking trim and healthy. Now, he was tired.

  Magena said that she was doing everything she could to keep up with Adana. Their guide would look back every so often, to see if she had lost one of them. She paused when Daniel sat on a convenient rock to catch his breath.

  “We are almost there,” Adana said impatiently. “It will be dark in a few hours, so it’s best that we keep moving.”

  Daniel sat with his hands on his knees, doubled over, and breathing hard. He lifted one hand up. “Wait up, chief! Just because you are part mountain goat, doesn’t mean that I am!”

  “We have no time to play games!” Adana was obviously angry and appeared to be tired.

  He glared at her. “Wow! We have a slave driver.”

  Magena calmly, yet quickly, stepped in between the two. “Adana. Perhaps you better tell us why it’s so important to get to where we’re going before nightfall.”

  Adana inhaled and calmed herself. “Forgive me, my new friends. It is just that they do not let anyone in after the sun goes down. If we want to get in, we must hurry.”

  “Exactly how much further is it?” Daniel asked, as he got on his feet.

  “Extremely close now.” Adana continued to walk at a quicker pace and disappeared on the other side of a small hill.

  Daniel shook his head, took in a deep breath, and pursued her with Magena right by his side.

  They walked as fast as they could over the hill and saw Adana near the base of a hill on a plateau. The hill looked out of place with the rest of the mountains and hills.

  It was also almost gray in color. There were no shrubs or greenery of any kind anywhere near the hill. Except for the hill they crossed, the area was surrounded by larger mountains and placed in a valley.

  Daniel and Magena looked on in awe as Adana waved and motioned to them to go to her.

  Daniel looked at Magena as he gently clasped her arm. “I’ve never seen anything like this, Mags. It’s like something out of a science fiction movie.”

  “Or a horror one,” she responded, almost under her breath. “I think it’s safe to say that we need to prepare ourselves for any possible eventuality and then expect worse.”

  “So much for optimism,” he said sarcastically.

  “I haven’t seen much to be optimistic about,” she returned. She then walked down the other side of the hill with Daniel by her side.

  He said quietly, “The plateau looks man-made.”

  Daniel and Magena caught up with Adana. They stood before the hill with the unexplained gray color. Daniel reached out his hand to touch it, when Adana knocked his hand down.

  “I would advise against touching any of the colorless dirt and rock,” Adana said, in a calm tone. “You seriously do not want to find out what happens if you do.”

  Daniel shot Magena a look of concern. “Is it demonic?”

  “I am a believer in God,” Magena announced. “I will not denounce Him.”

  “You do not have to.” There was a slight hiss in Adana’s voice, as she placed both hands in specific spots on the wall of the hill. It vibrated, but her hands appeared unaffected by the gray substance.

  Portions of the ground near the area where Adana touched, fell away to reveal concrete steps leading downward.

  “I will go first,” she commanded. “It is safer that way.”

  Magena raised a brow. “Safer for whom?”

  “For you,” Adana responded as she descended into the darkness.

  Chapter Five

  Daniel walked closely behind Magena and whispered, “Did you really just say, whom?”

  Shaking her head, she snarled. She kept her focus in front of her as she walked down the steps about five feet behind Adana. “I won’t dignify that with an answer.”

  “You just did,” he said, as he chuckled.

  She gritted her teeth and tried not to let Daniel get to her. “You do realize the situation we’re in. Don’t you? I don’t know about you, but this is all extremely surreal to me. I feel as if I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole.”

  He smiled and clasped her arm. “It’s funny you should say that, considering where we’re going.”

  She couldn’t help but agree with him. The fact that they were traveling down a dimly-lit stone staircase into the unknown set off Magena’s paranoia even more. She had hoped that things would start to make sense. As the mission went on, everything started to look like something out of a movie. The kind of movie that Magena would have never gone to see.

  “This reminds me of a horror movie,” Daniel whispered in her ear.

  The stairs ended on a flat walkway which was illuminated with sconces placed every ten feet on the rock walls. The walkway ended at the bottom of more stairs. Those stairs appeared to be made of solid wood.

  Daniel and Magena stopped at the bottom. Adana turned and ascended side stairs without hesitation. Daniel looked behind them and then in front, as if he expected to see someone after them.

  Magena took in a deep breath and moved up the stairs slowly, following the new member of the team.

 
; Adana hadn’t looked back to see if they were behind her or not. It was as if she was on a mission that did not include them. There was a well-lit landing about ten feet up. She disappeared from view once she reached it.

  Magena kept her head down while she climbed the stairs. When she hit the last step, she raised her head slowly. She saw a large room that was carved meticulously from the inside of the hill. It was circular and appeared to be around fifty feet in diameter. There were sconces with lit torches placed all around the wall. Daniel was not far behind. He joined her in the room and looked around in amazement.

  The ceiling was approximately twenty feet high. There were staircases carved from the rock and embedded in the walls all around the room. They each led to an unseen upper level. The room was empty except for a huge circular pit in the center. Daniel and Magena clasped hands, as they moved closer to the pit. Magena whispered, “It is about ten feet deep.”

  Daniel pointed to the walls. The hole looked to be coated in some kind of metal, which was rusted.

  Adana was nowhere to be seen.

  Magena inhaled deeply, taking in a huge breath, and slowly exhaled. “Considering that we’re inside a hill that’s obviously been here for a long time, I’m rather impressed by the fact that I am having no problems breathing. The air circulation in here is good.”

  Daniel carefully sniffed the air. “Yeah. It’s clean. I also don’t smell any chemicals. If it’s a cult, I expected to get a whiff of a ritualistic fire or something like that.”

  “Don’t make those kinds of stereotypical assumptions,” she replied while squatting down to take a closer look at the pit. “We have to remain open-minded and pleased that we are that much closer to our goal. Please, be nice.”

  Daniel walked cautiously over to one of the sets of stairs that led upward and tried to look up into the next level. “Can’t see a darn thing. Aren’t you at least a little scared, Mags? I mean look at this place. Any minute, Indiana Jones is going to come out and crack his whip.”