Carpathian (29 page)

The smile made Vajic far more nervous than the anger Zallas could show from time to time. He turned the small gold-inlaid binoculars toward the end of the long column and placed the glasses on the strange-looking vehicles bringing up the rear of the military column.

“Oh my God,” he said as the lettering on the front of the vehicle’s bumper became legible: 223-SFOD-D82nd USA.

“If you are having trouble with understanding what you are seeing I am not surprised. After all you’re Romanian so there is no reason you should. I received the information last week about our guests down there. They are the 223rd Special Forces Operational Detachment—Delta Company—the famous All American Division. Those are American airborne troops down there, Janos, and what we are looking at is the one factor that gave us all of this,” he said as he gestured around the giant glass dome. “I give you NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the most powerful military force the world has ever seen.”

“What are they doing here?” Vajic asked as he lowered the glasses.

“The reason this area is so important to them is the fact that the Patinas Pass is a vital passage leading to the north of the nation. It is what’s known in military parlance as a choke point—one that was pointed out to our friends at the Ministry of Defense. Thus, our new NATO partnership has paid the full dividend. The pass is about to become militarized and the Americans are here to show them how to defend it against invasion from the south.” He smiled as he slapped Vajic on the back. “They will stay in the lowlands today and tonight and then head to the pass tomorrow to evaluate the defensive planning for an invasion that will never come.” He laughed. “It is so very easy to frighten a people that have lived under the yoke of totalitarianism for so long that they never recognize the real threat.”

Dmitri Zallas may have been comfortable, but Vajic wondered what other deals were made that wouldn’t be so beneficial to their resort.

“After the pass has been mapped and war plans made, the entire area will be up for leasing and improvement. That is my plan. The whole of the mountain will soon be ours and we will expand the property to the pass itself.”

As Janos allowed the plan of Zallas to set in, a loud whining rumble came to their ears.

Shockingly to everyone at the resort three American-made Black Hawk helicopters swooped low over the resort and then banked hard right to follow the disappearing trail of NATO vehicles.

“You see, Janos, who needs friends when you have the biggest bully on the block leading the way for you?”

“I have another issue, Dmitri. We have a hard weather front coming up from the Danube. This could play havoc with the opening night of the castle.”

“A storm?” Zallas asked with more enthusiasm than could ever have been warranted with such bad news for his opening night of Dracula’s Castle. “Excellent! What better ambience than to have a storm that night of nights.” He slapped Janos on the back.

Vajic watched Zallas turn on his heel and leave and he realized for the first time how deeply insane the Russian gangster really was. He wadded up the note and tossed it in a trash receptacle.

“Will this nightmare ever end?”

*   *   *

Four miles up the mountain and one mile above the new and improved Dracula’s Castle, the dark eyes watched the activity below. The eyes turned angry as the helicopters arrived and started making sweeps around the resort and the foothills to his mountain.

Marko Korvesky turned away from the scene below and then placed a hand onto the nearest tree and leaned heavily against it. His eyes went to the castle just below and then to the resort at the bottom of the mountain.

“What are you up to, Zallas?” he said as he watched the men finishing up their work far below. The sight of the soldiers was one Marko had never expected. As thoughts of possible betrayal entered his mind for the first time, he froze as he felt the presence behind him. He slowly turned and tried not to react to what he saw.

“You should always let your presence be known, Stanus.”

The giant Golia watched Marko for the longest time as it sat on a large boulder above the trail leading to the pass. The black fur was gleaming in the sun as its yellow eyes, now dulled by the daylight hours, moved from Marko to the valley far below. The man was getting mixed vibrations from the Golia as it sat silently and watched.

“That means nothing to us; the soldiers are nothing but more guardians for the people and the Golia.”

Marko only hoped that the half lie was good enough to satisfy Stanus and prayed the great wolf could not smell the sudden fear that the man had falsely represented the risk to the mountain, the temple, the people, and the one-of-a-kind species known as the Golia.

When Marko turned around Stanus was gone.

EVENT GROUP COMPLEX, NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NEVADA

The proverbial last piece of the puzzle fell into place for the Event Group early that morning thanks to Pete Golding, who after being read the riot act by Niles earlier had gone straight to work with Europa, and the Cray system came through as always. She had successfully broken into the man Alice pegged as the leading authority on not only the ancient Jeddah, but also the wolves that accompany the legend. Pete had the floor inside the main conference room and he was out to impress. The circular monitors came alive with a picture of a bearded man with thick horned-rimmed glasses.

“Ladies and Gentlemen this is Professor Avi Feuerstein, former chair of medieval studies at UCLA.”

All eyes studied the grumpy-looking man in the tweed jacket.

“The good professor here produced a series of papers and letters saying that the settlement of the Hebrew homeland in Canaan was not God-inspired but one of a pure military nature against the citizens of the region right around the time of the Exodus. The man refuses to discuss the subject with anyone because of the ridicule he received for his outlandish theories. The man is virtually destitute and living in a hovel where he does nothing but his research projects he finances with his meager savings and by tutoring children in ancient Hebrew history.” Pete paused and nodded toward Alice, who was seated in her usual place beside the director.

“In all of his papers written on the subject of the Lost Tribe of the Jeddah he had never once mentioned anything about what he suspected of the Golia, who were the onetime protectors of not only the Jeddah but of all of the tribes of Israel and the northern and western borders of Egypt during the time of the pharaohs.”

Niles Compton cleared his throat, impatient for Alice to get to her point. “Does this man have the evidence you were looking for about the Jeddah and your theory on how they assisted in the mass Exodus out of Egypt?” He looked from Alice to Pete.

“Some of the information recovered by Europa doesn’t stem from Professor Feuerstein’s information about Egypt, nor does it spring from Hebrew tribal lore. It seems the man discovered a partial section of wall in a private collection that had been unearthed in Asia Minor. This wall was covered in Hieroglyphic Hittite—a long-dead language of a vanished culture and a historical enemy of the Jeddah tribe. It tells of Hittites battling forces from the great deserts of the south and against a people not known to them and with many standards and flags.”

On the many screens arrayed around the room depictions of paintings and artwork of the ancient Hittite culture shone brightly across the interested faces of the group.

“This was an army that was described in varying texts of the time as magical. They conquered all before it and no matter the tactic of the Hittite tribes they could not wrest their lands from these invaders. Soon the strange people and their even stranger god moved on to the great mountains of the north never to be heard from again.” Pete paused for the moment to make sure they were all watching as the picture changed to that of the ancient Egyptian god Anubis in an a military type stance with a large spear. It was beautifully done in black lacquer. “The Hittites spoke of the magical animals that did battle for these strange people. Beasts described as black devils of the night—gods capable of walking as men.”

“Where is this historically valuable wall the professor found?” Niles Compton asked.

“The section of wall was destroyed in a museum fire while in storage in Prague in 1974 according to Feuerstein’s notes. The fire was investigated and arson was proven.”

“Pete, I have about $20 million in support equipment and fuel waiting up at Nellis and they are awaiting our Group, can you get to the point,” Niles said.

“Right, sorry. Europa ran into a firewall where the professor had his proof hidden.” The lights changed as the pictures on the screen did. “Item number one,” Pete said as a freestanding statuette was shown on a soft bed of red satin. The way the piece was displayed reminded Alice Hamilton of the way the artifacts on the
Golden Child
those many years ago had been set up inside their displays.

“Ramesses II, am I correct?” asked Charlie Ellenshaw.

“Correct. This item was recovered while at auction in Paris in 1999 according to his notebook. But not before the unseen bidder placed a $500 million placement on the seven-inch statue.”

“It’s the pristine condition of the artifact,” Alice said as she studied the statue. “Not one item from that dynasty has ever turned up looking as if it had been carved and painted the day before. Whoever had this took extremely good care of it.”

“The possibility of a fake?” asked Niles Compton, who was looking at the statue closely.

“Zero,” Pete said as he pointed to the screen nearest him. “If you could lift the statue you would see the drill holes in the bottom of the carved pedestal. This was caused when the item was authenticated in 1977 by carbon 14 testing. The statue you’re looking at has been verified as 3,600 years old plus or minus five hundred years, which places this item squarely in the hands of Ramesses himself, or someone he knew anyway.”

That caused the group to nod their heads in unison as they realized Pete and Europa had done the impossible once again.

“Item number two.” On the screen a photo of a large stone block appeared and then the next view showed the giant stone in two separate halves. Alice Hamilton smiled for the first time in what seemed years to her. She was seeing an old lost friend. “Here is the picture found in his secured file.”

“Alice’s werewolf of Jericho,” Charlie Ellenshaw said aloud.

“Found inside the ruins at Tell es-Sultan, or, what’s left of the biblical city of Jericho, just as Alice said.”

“What is the professor’s take on its disappearance?” Niles asked, awaiting the confirmation Alice was seeking above all else.

“Feuerstein said it disappeared sometime after the war.”

Looks were exchanged around the table as Alice’s tale of what was seen aboard the
Golden Child
was now confirmed.

“While I am a firm believer of the romantic story of the Exodus as told in the Bible,” Alice said, “and while it may have been God who sent the plagues to curse Pharaoh, we can now start to see that it was the Israelite army and the Golia who secured the freedom of the Hebrew nation from what they thought of at that time was bondage, or at the very least undervalued servitude.”

“I believe you have one last item in your report, Pete?” Compton asked as he glanced at his wristwatch.

One more time the monitors changed and this series of pictures caught everyone’s attention. It was a view of another statue, of the impressively muscled Golia sitting upon a throne wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.

“I believe this is why Ramesses II allowed his indentured servants and northern army to leave Egypt. I believe the tribe of warriors known as the Jeddah, who served the house of Levite, were getting ready to overthrow the two kingdoms. This is not the only artifact depicting the animals on the throne of Egypt. There are many more, all collected over the years and hidden away. It’s as if someone were cleaning up after the fact.”

“What is the provenance of this piece?” Virginia Pollock asked as she studied the Golia rendered in heavily lacquered carved wood.

“This artifact was sold at auction seven months ago in Ukraine in a secret bidding. The statue is in superb condition, pristine craftsmanship, and undeniable scientific proof of its age.”

“Who bought it?” Jack asked, already guessing the answer.

A photo of a bearded man with dark eyes came on the screen. “This is the recipient of the $34 million sale.”

“Dmitri Zallas,” said Collins aloud.

“Jack?” Alice asked, not knowing the name. As she looked at Niles she could see that he also knew the man whose face stared at them from the many different screens.

“Former Russian Ten Most Wanted. He left Belarus ten years ago for more sunny and profitable climes. Current residence is unknown but he is a killer anywhere he goes. His hands are in any double dealing of antiquities the world over. He is more in the market for selling than buying. Europa, get me everything you have on Zallas and his whereabouts.”

“Yes, Colonel,” Europa answered.

“Can I make a point that Charlie and myself have been raking around for a while?”

Niles nodded his head.

“History is where our answers lie, just as it always is. The real key here is the Levite material Alice uncovered that says we have a starting point in Romania. For instance we now know the Roman Empire was terrified of that region. The Turks once chased Prince Vlad Tepes into the interior of his own nation and forced him to hide among the Carpathians to escape their wrath. Then suddenly and for no apparent reason the Turks began losing every battle against Vlad the Impaler now documented to have happened. He turned the tide of war after he found allies among his own people he never even knew existed, and ones that were brutishly ruthless—thus the horrific tales and vampiritic nature of Vlad Dracul’s reputation. A reputation I might add that may have been earned and based solely on the teeth, claws, and weaponry of not only the Golia, but one of the Lost Tribes of Israel—the Jeddah.”

Niles nodded that he agreed with Pete’s conclusions much to Jack’s and Alice’s relief.