In Case of Death (The Adventures of Gabriel Celtic Book 3) (37 page)

Standing then, Julien gave me a knowing smile. “Be that as it may my friend, the wound is already puckered together under the stitching. Have a look for yourself.”

I leaned over, studying the cut.

I couldn’t believe my eyes!

“How is this possible?” I mumbled quietly to myself.

“It is more than possible my boy, it is a fact! Additional proof, if any is still needed, that you are the one that has been foretold of in the scroll. Combine that with the Mark of the Angel on your neck, and I am confident in the fact that you have indeed been chosen my boy!”

Sitting down again before his tea, I was frozen in place at my chair.

“You actually have little choice in the matter I would imagine,” Julien continued between sips. “There aren’t a lot of people out there as replacements for someone destined to save the world as we know it.”

I groaned inwardly as Julien’s words swirled around in my head. As I sat there wondering how this day could get any worse, my answer came in a rustling from the living room, followed by the words that made me cringe:

“I KNEW IT!”

Chapter IV

October 1, 1999

Snake

Snake Black gazed at the painting before him with satisfaction.

He had found it!

Vermeer’s
The Concert
had been missing for nine years, stolen in 1990 from the Gardner Museum in Boston.

“He had found it!”
he thought to himself once more, in awe of his own prowess.

Sighing contentedly, he flicked open his knife, stepping toward the painting determinedly.

This was the ultimate reward, stealing a painting that was already stolen.

“No one would be calling the cops on this one,”
he mumbled as he brought the point of the blade close to the canvas.

Discovering it in the hands of a collector in Dallas had taken Snake two years of research. Another two days of constantly staking out the large residence had finally earned him an empty house in which to claim his prize! He was as proud of the hunt for the painting as he was the fact that it was about to become his own.

At least until he could fence it anyway.

Carefully sliding the point of the knife through the canvas, he slowly drew the knife down the edge of the gilded frame. Concentrating on his work, he didn’t immediately notice the blue electric as it crawled up his legs.

“Shit!” he screamed involuntarily when he finally noticed the encircling ring at his waist.

After a few seconds of confusion, he gazed back up at the painting longingly. Although he didn’t know what would happen, he was fairly certain that the outcome didn’t include finishing the theft of his beloved painting.

“Shit,” he sighed in resignation before he lost consciousness.

Still standing upright, his body exhibited a few small seizures before he started anxiously gasping for air.

“Wow!” he smiled when he had caught his breath, “That was wild!”

Folding the knife, he slipped it back into his pocket as the newly installed orange rings around his irises flashed.

Exiting the house, he easily vaulted over the brick wall surrounding the property, whistling when he reached the street while walking to his car.

“This should be fun!”
he thought as he got in.

He really wasn’t sure what ‘
this’
was yet, but he knew that he had to travel to get there, and that it was to the North.

The owner of the stolen painting would notice the slit the next morning. Knowing what the cut meant, he would wonder the rest of his days why whoever had broken in had not finished taking his most prized possession.

Chapter V

October 1, 1999

“He will bear the mark of the angel…”

Abby stood in the doorway, looking like hell!

She had yet to reach her full height for the day; due I’m sure to the many sprained and sore muscles from the night before. The bandage wrapped around her neck reminded me of a cheap turtleneck.

Her wild hair looked like it hadn’t seen a comb in a couple of days, and her black eyes gave her the look of a raccoon. The only thing that seemed normal about my beautiful daughter was the
huge
grin on her face.

Seeming to become aware for the first time of the strangers around the table, she dropped her grin.

“I’m sorry,” she said, while making her way slowly into the kitchen, “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Gentlemen…this is my daughter, Abby.”

Julien Taylor gave me a confused look before immediately standing and turning toward Abby. With his hand outstretched, “It is indeed a pleasure to meet you my dear, my name is Julien Taylor.”

“Ahhhh….
Professor
Julien Taylor?” Abby asked as she took his hand in hers.

“The very same,” Julien answered brightly, “and this irredeemable fellow is my associate, Dr. Franklin Buff.”

Dr. Buff turned and nodded curtly before returning to his tea.

“My, those are some exquisite shiners my dear!” Julien stated with admiration.

“Abby was beside me through much of last night’s activities,” I stated in explanation. “The man we were hunting…lets just say he didn’t go down easily.”

“Indeed!” Julien smiled, grabbing Abby’s elbow and leading her to an empty chair beside him. “Allow me the honor of fetching you some tea my dear…or do you prefer coffee?”

“Coffee please,” Abby replied brightly.

“I must admit Abby,” Julien started before he turned and made his way to the coffee pot, “I was not aware of your existence before today. It’s quite a pleasant surprise actually!”

Julien’s statement shocked me! Although I too had not been aware of Abby’s existence during my time with the professor, she was such a natural part of my life now that I hadn’t given a thought to any kind of explanation.

“Abby and I actually met each other on the plane ride back from Peru,” I explained. “She was an angel, sent to help a grieving, washed up old man regain his life.”

Julien grinned as he brought her coffee cup to her. Setting the cup on the table, he bent over and placed a kiss on top of her head.

“Thank you my dear,” he said sincerely. “You have not only helped Gabriel, but relieved a nagging worry that has been tugging at my heart for the past year.”

Abby had a tear in her eye as Julien then took his seat. I reached across the table and grabbed Abby’s hand, squeezing it until hearing the “ouch!”

“That hurts too?” I questioned.

“Everything hurts!” Abby moaned with a grin, “But it was worth it!”

I saw out of the corner of my eye that Dr. Buff actually rolled his eyes at our exchange.

I smiled.

“We were just discussing something of great import with your father,” Julien added suddenly. “It just occurred to me that you stepping into his life at that particular moment, arguably the lowest point of his life may also have been preordained. Considering the facts that we have uncovered so far, I believe Gabriel calling you an angel earlier may not be that far away from the truth!”

Abby grinned again, looking over at me before speaking.

“Yeah…about that…”

***

“You still haven’t convinced me this is anything more than a wild theory!” I had ignored Abby’s questioning look, addressing the two men across from me.

“A theory based on a two thousand year old prediction, written on a scroll that has been buried for a millennium or more.” Julien looked up from his tea, “I am not surprised by your reluctance my dear boy, it is ‘out there’ as the kids say today.”

“But considering everything you have seen and heard today,” he continued, “Can you at least recognize that it is conceivable? That the world could have certain, shall we say, cataclysms that could be foretold…that could be preordained?” 

“Not to mention what Preacher said…”

All eyes turned to Abby.

“Preacher?” Julien asked, “He is a pious man?”

“Of a sorts,” I finally answered with a grin, trying to fathom how best to describe our partner.

“The point is, he saw and recognized the angel mark on the back of Gabe’s neck.” Abby spoke seriously. “He said there was a lot of lore about it in some religious writings, and that no one has seen one on anyone for like, a thousand years.”

I glanced at my daughter questionably.

“We had a talk,” she replied with a grin in answer to my look.

“Splendid!” Julien crowed, “We should get him involved in this discussion!”

I held up my hand.

“Hold up everybody!”

All eyes were on me then, the room silent. I took a few moments to gather my thoughts.

“You can surely understand that I may need a little time to digest all of this. Even if I
did
believe it, we have to meet with our clients this morning.”

“Not a problem my boy,” Julien said as he stood from his chair.

“Let me call a cab, and I’ll see if I can find a room to put up in until later.”

“I can help with that!” Abby exclaimed as she slowly worked her way out of her chair and headed for the phone.

“Abby will fix you right up,” I added, “She’s a genius at arranging things like this!”

“Excellent!” Julien espoused. “When would you like us to return my boy?”

I mentally clicked off in my head all that we had to do today.

Today was not a good day at all for this crap!

“How about 6:00? I’ll pick up something for supper on my way back.”

I was not surprised at the distasteful look that crossed Dr. Buff’s face. “I will arrive at 5:00 and prepare the meal myself,” he stated simply, if not sternly. “Your American fast food disgusts me.”

The subject settled in his mind, he stood from his chair.

“I assume that I will have access to the facilities at 5:00?”

I nodded. “Key’s under the mat if we aren’t home yet.”

Nodding tiredly, “Come Julien, I am exhausted from our travels.”

Julien came around the table, grabbing my left hand with his right and placing his left on my shoulder.

“It is so good to see you again my boy!”

Patting my shoulder a couple of times, “Exciting things to discuss, exciting things indeed!”

With that he turned, making his way to his luggage sitting inside the door. I recognized the spring in his step as he walked away, I had seen it a few times while we were in South America.

He had it every time he was on the verge of a major discovery.

I wish that I could drum up half the excitement that my old friend seemed to have!

Copyright 2013/2014 by J.T. Lewis

Check out a preview of the new series, The Artifact Hunter! It’s a new NA (New Adult) Action/Adventure that was released in November, 2013, with the second story coming in the spring of 2014!

The Artifact Hunter!

The Artifact Hunter

By

J.T. Lewis

Copyright 2013 by J.T. Lewis

March 1777

New York Colony

The man in the red uniform glanced around nervously, noticing the horse’s breath freezing in wisps of mist in the early morning light.

The night had turned cold again, dropping down below freezing after the sunny spring weather of the previous day. Sergeant James Turner pulled his wrap tighter around himself, breathing his hot breath into his gloved fists to try to warm his frozen hands.

“Blimey! Will this trek never end?”
he mumbled to himself for the hundredth time.

Turner’s old mare tripped suddenly on a frozen clod of soil. Tensing quickly, the Sergeant gripped his legs tightly around the horse as he pulled back on the reins.

“Whoa Gertrude…steady there old girl.”

Regaining control, Turner glanced to his right, shivering at the thought of dropping into the partially frozen bog beside him.

Blasted country!
he thought angrily as he tapped his heels into Gertrude’s flank, getting her moving again. Although he was dreadfully cold, James Turner was thankful for the frozen ground below him, preferring it to the slimy mud of the previous day.

Ordered by his major to make his way north along the Swamp Road for this special mission, he quietly questioned the logic of the plan and the sanity of the officer. The major had calculated that he would be less likely to be observed in the swamp, but he
had
to know that this route would take three times as long to traverse.