Rogue (Book 2) (The Omega Group) (20 page)

Daedric coughed up another lungful of dust as his
archeologist companions slowly chiseled away at the rock separating them from
their prize. It took a great deal of self-restraint to not scream at them to
move faster. They were so intent on preserving every Greek symbol carved into
the wall, it had taken them more than a month just to uncover the entrance.

All Daedric could think about was getting the box he knew
sat on the other side of the wall and delivering it to his father. Dear old
Dad, Ares, had saved him from Mirissa and the Omega Group team a few months
prior, and Daedric needed to prove himself worth the effort. The only problem,
aside from the incessant banter from the mongrel sent to keep an eye on him,
was the utter disdain Daedric felt for the peons with whom he’d been forced to
work.

Humans annoyed him at the best of times, but having to
pretend he was one of them—laughing at their ridiculous jokes, feigning
weaknesses he didn’t have and, worst of all, not using his demi-god
powers—became almost unbearable. Although he detested every second of living as
a human, he also felt grateful to have the ability to do so. It was the only
reason Ares, the Greek god of war, created him by impregnating his human
mother. Ares needed him for this.

No god could enter the chamber holding the infamous Pandora’s
Box. Daedric’s human half allowed him to get close, but even that wasn’t enough
to get him inside. His two recently acquired archeologist colleagues would have
to bring the box to him, assuming they were able to get to it at some point in
this lifetime.

“Any chance we’re going to get into that chamber today?”
Daedric asked them with as much kindness forced into his voice as possible.

“For an archeologist, Rick, you are really impatient,”
Jonathon, the boss, quipped in his usual condescending tone. The two men
laughed. It was their standard line when discussing the colleague they knew
only as Rick Aresson.

“I was just asking.” Daedric’s jaw ached from clenching
every time he had the urge to kill one, or both, of them. “Yesterday, you said
it would be today.”

“You did say that.” The whiny voice of his appointed
chaperone echoed down the rock corridor. Flip, the little troll Ares insisted
Daedric keep at his side, pretended to study the ancient Greek symbols carved
into the stone at the other end of the corridor. The real reason for his
distance, currently thirty feet away from them, was his aversion to pain. He
was, after all, a full-blooded Greek god, and couldn’t get anywhere near the
chamber.

“I don’t know how you two got through all those digs listed on
your resumes. We’ve only been at this for a month, and you’re already chomping
at the bit. Relax a little, Rick, and tell your strange friend to do the same.
We’ll get through when we get through.”

The
tap, tap, tap
of the tiny hammers in their hands
came to an unexpected stop. “Jonathon, I think we’ve done it,” the one named
Luke whispered.

Daedric leaned forward as they stood to admire their work.
The last piece of the seal, which had kept the chamber’s door in place for five
thousand years, fell to the floor. Even Jonathon looked excited to finally be
through. His excitement, however, didn’t move him to speed up.

Daedric spent another painstaking hour photographing every
inch of the rectangular crevice that once held an ancient version of cement
sealant. He didn’t miss any angle with the camera while he waited for the
others to catalogue every chip and chunk they’d removed.

When he felt sure he would tear Jonathon’s head from his
shoulders if he spent one more second cataloging, Daedric’s temporary boss held
up one of the long metal tools they would be using to dislodge the small door
and handed it over.

They each took their positions, tools at the ready, and
waited for Jonathon to give the go-ahead.

“
The discovery of King Tutankhamun's
tomb has, for decades, been considered the greatest archeological find of our
era
. We are about to change that,” Jonathon said. He broadcast the
obviously rehearsed speech in the self-important tone Daedric had come to
despise. “From this moment forward, Jonathon Stapleton will be remembered as
the man who discovered the oldest intact tomb in existence.” He looked to his
two companions and continued. “Of course, your names will be added as
contributors to all published works on the matter.”

Daedric forced a smile he hoped matched Luke’s. He didn’t
yet want to express his true feelings about the man who had delusions of
grandeur even the best psychiatrist in the world couldn’t cure. As soon as they
brought the box across the entrance’s threshold, the enchantment protecting it
would be no more. Then, he would show Jonathon exactly how little the man meant
to the world, in the most painful way possible.

“Are you guys through yet?” Flip yelled from the safety of
his faraway spot.

Jonathon raised his eyebrows at Daedric. “Why doesn’t he
just come down here?”

The door stood a mere five feet tall and two feet wide, but
its weight was formidable. The three of them would never have been able to pull
it free had Daedric not used his telekinesis.  Although strictly forbidden
to use his powers while in the men’s company, waiting for Jonathon to find
enough people he trusted with his secret dig to help them was unthinkable. Ares
would forgive his transgression when he presented him with the box.

When they’d pulled back the door enough for them to slip
through, Jonathon pushed Luke aside to make sure he gained entry first. “One
small step for man, one huge leap for mankind,” he said, misquoting Neil
Armstrong’s famous line from when he stepped onto the moon.

Daedric felt the protective power of the small chamber
pushing against him, and he struggled to remain in place. A high-pitched yelp
from down the corridor said Flip felt something, too. “That space is a little
small for my liking,” Daedric said. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll take photos
from out here.”

Luke’s jaw dropped and Jonathon turned to him, astonished.
“Are you kidding? All of your impatience and you’re going to let a little
claustrophobia stop you? You two are the strangest archeologists I’ve ever worked
with.”

When the two men crossed into the chamber, their flashlight
beams illuminated the room’s sole occupant. The box, a chest made of dark
metal, sat unadorned on the cold stone floor. It radiated a force Daedric couldn’t
identify but instinctively feared.

“This is amazing,” Luke said. “I’ve never seen a chamber
lacking in all decoration. I can’t imagine why a people would put so much
effort into concealing something they didn’t even think was worthy of
ornamentation.”

“It is odd.” Jonathon couldn’t conceal his obvious
disappointment at the lack of riches. “Perhaps the real treasure is inside the
chest.” He reached for the lid.

“Stop!” Daedric bellowed. “You can’t open it here. What
about the integrity of whatever’s inside?” Ares had been very clear in his
instructions. Under no circumstances was the box to be opened. Daedric had to
bring it to his father for safekeeping until they were able to locate, and
eliminate, the key-holder.

“Who are you, and what have you done with Rick Aresson?”
Jonathon said as he examined the edges of the chest’s lid. “This lid isn’t even
sealed, which means the contents have already been exposed to the air.”

“You don’t know that for sure. At least bring it out here so
I can take a look. This is, after all, why you brought me in on this
expedition.” Daedric watched as his pseudo-boss weighed his options, then
added, “Tell you what, we have more light hooked up out here than your
flashlights can produce. Bring the chest out, we’ll take another look, and if
we all agree it’s safe, we’ll open it.”

Both Jonathon and Luke nodded their agreement, and Daedric
let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. They each grabbed one of the
thick metal handles jutting out of the side of the chest and lifted.

A rare genuine smile crept across Daedric’s face as the
unsuspecting men inched the heavy box forward. A few more feet and they would
be outside the chamber, the power protecting the box would disappear, and he
could take it to his father.  Perhaps then Ares would see that he didn’t
need Flip’s help.

When the men crossed the threshold, Daedric felt the air
pressure drop as the enchantment dissipated. Luke raised one hand to shield his
eyes from the bright artificial light, letting the weight of the chest rest in
his other. His pathetically weak muscles were no match for the box, and it
crashed to the floor. The sudden movement pulled Jonathon off balance and he
tumbled ahead, still gripping the handle.

For Daedric, everything seemed to move in slow motion: Luke
dropping the box, Jonathon’s misstep, the chest toppling forward. Then the
unthinkable happened. The lid of the box rose, and a stench so foul as to make
him gag filled his nostrils.

“Jesus, what is that?” Jonathon asked, covering his mouth
and nose with his sweat-stained shirt.

Daedric knew the answer. It was Eris, the Greek goddess of
chaos, strife, and discord. She also happened to be Ares’s sister. “I’m
guessing you’re about to find out.”

Black tendrils of smoke exploded from the chest and swirled
around the room. Mist the color of blood rose upward, choking out the
breathable air. The chest itself glowed a deep purple, and the once-smooth
metal transformed into a patchwork of hieroglyphics.

“Oh, this is bad. Really, really bad.” Flip peeked his
misshapen head into the antechamber and grimaced. “Ares said to keep the box
closed. We don’t have the key yet. We don’t even know who the key-holder is.”

Daedric’s anger flourished. “It wasn’t me, you moron. 
It was these two idiots.”

“Hey!” Jonathon and Luke said in unison.

A
hole
emerged in the front of the
chest as the metal pulled back, forming a grotesque ring of warped and twisted
shapes. Another mist, golden and shimmering, oozed out of the new orifice. It
didn’t join the black tendrils and red clouds dancing in the air. Instead, it
formed a column in front of the box, swirling and thickening until it finally
took a solid shape.

A beautiful woman, nothing short of exquisite, appeared in
front of Daedric. Although she stood only slightly taller than him, her
powerful presence inspired awe. She had flawless pale skin, and her black hair
flowed in waves down her back. She wore a white tunic, cinched at her waist
with a golden rope, which cascaded to the floor. Although she was glorious from
head to toe, Daedric couldn’t tear his gaze away from her eyes. They were black
as coal with a sliver of white around the edges.

A whimper from the floor drew her attention. She looked down
at Luke, who cowered in fear at her feet. He opened his mouth as if to speak,
but a flick of her finger ignited a flame that engulfed him instantly. His
screams were short-lived as the incredible heat turned him to a small pile of
ash.

She turned toward Jonathon before being interrupted.

“Please, allow me,” Daedric said, lowering his gaze to show
respect.

Her perfect lips curled up in a macabre smile as she nodded
her agreement.

“Rick?” Jonathon’s voice trembled as he spoke.

“My name is Daedric, and I’ve been waiting for this moment
since the day I met you.” Raising his arm, Daedric squeezed his empty hand into
a fist as though choking the air. Jonathon grabbed at his throat as his airway
instantly constricted. His eyes bulged and his cheeks turned red.

Daedric felt the familiar warmth fill his chest as he used
telekinesis to drain the life out of the sniveling little runt at his feet. It
had been far too long since he’d last watched the essence leave a man’s body,
and he relished every second of it until Jonathon lay crumpled and lifeless on
the stone floor.

Eris looked at Flip with disgust, and his small frame shrank
under the scrutiny. “Still playing with horses, Flip?” When she turned to
Daedric with what could only be described as curiosity, her voice vibrated
throughout his chest. “And you are?”

“I’m your nephew. Ares sent me to bring you home.”

To
purchase the next installment in the Omega Group series, click below.

Thank you so very much for reading
Rogue
. I really
hope you enjoyed it. For those of you who have been with me from the beginning
of this series, you know what I’m about to ask. For those of you that just
joined me with
Rogue
, here is my request.

Please take a moment to leave a review for this book on
Amazon. I know it may seem like a minor thing, but believe me when I tell you,
it is not. Not only do reviews help me improve on my stories, but they also
have an enormous impact on the success of each novel. A moment of your time
would be very much appreciated. Click
HERE
to leave your review.

Now on to the fun stuff. As always, I’ve woven as much truth
into this story as fantasy. The Havasupai tribe does reside at the Grand Canyon
in Supai Village. It really is one of the last places in the country that
receives its mail via pack mule. Beaver Falls, where Chief Mockta has his
not-so-secret cave; Mooney Falls, where Carter and Gina first met; and the
eight-mile hiking trail to the village are all described as accurately as I was
able. The true majesty of these places, however, cannot be adequately described
by mere words. I urge you to visit them yourself if you ever have the
opportunity.

All of the Pai tribes I mentioned in the book are also real,
and most still reside on their reservations at the canyon. Sadly, their
reservations are a fraction of the size they once were. And, yes, there was a
very old feud between the Havasupai and Yavapai tribes. It was not, however,
caused by one of them gaining the power to shift into wolf form. At least, I
don’t think it was.

The Metabolically Dominant Soldier program that General
Persaud oversaw is based on reports of a $3 billion DARPA research program
which is developing ways to meld biology and technology in order to transcend
the limits of the human body. The biology side of their research reportedly
includes ways to enhance healing, muscle strength, stamina, metabolic energy,
and cognitive function. Their technology research is focused on computer
controlled liquid armor, bionic boots, spring walkers, and a host of other
items that would revolutionize our military. As I always say, the truth is so
much more fascinating than fiction.

Another interesting tidbit that comes right from the history
books is the newspaper article Carter referenced during his first visit to the
DARPA research facility. The April 5, 1909 issue of the
Phoenix Gazette
ran a front-page article detailing the discovery and excavation of a rock-cut
vault by an expedition led by a Professor S.A. Jordan of the Smithsonian. This
excavation reportedly took place on the north ridge of the canyon and uncovered
tombs and other rooms filled with ancient Egyptian artifacts. Since that time,
the Smithsonian has denied any involvement. They continue to report that no
Egyptian artifacts have ever been discovered in North or South America, and
that the commonly held belief that there was no transoceanic contact in
pre-Columbian times is, indeed, fact. It is interesting to note, however, that
much of the north side of the canyon has Egyptian names. The Tower of Set,
Tower of Ra, Horus Temple, Osiris Temple, and Isis Temple are all names of rock
formations in that area. Perhaps more interesting is the fact that, to this
day, most of the north side of the canyon is off-limits to tourists and rangers
alike.

Some other fun things that are real in this story are the
names of a few of the characters. Our intrepid park ranger, Kell Christner; our
rogue general, Eryk Persaud; and the newest member of the Omega Group, Will
Hancock are all names of real people who entered the Name a Character After Me
contest. I really hope the three of you enjoyed your alter egos. If you’d like
your name to be used in my next novel, just visit my website at
www.AndreaDomanski.com
and click on
“Contest”.

There are a few people that I really need to thank. The
members of the WorldWiseWriters group have become like a second family to me. I
don’t know what I’d do without them and their wisdom. They are Ro Green, Hannah
Sullivan, JD Faulkner, Jacky Gray, and SM Freedman. If that last name sounds
familiar to you, it might be because Mirissa was engrossed in her book on both
plane rides.

Pat Mason, Lois Lavrisa, and Tom Haase also deserve a great
big thank you. Our lunch meetings are the only reason I was able to work
through my multitude of plotting issues.

Last, but most definitely not least, my wonderful husband
and children, who tolerate my time at the computer and my frequent questions
about which version of a scene they like better.

 As I’m sure you deduced from the epilogue, the next
book in the Omega Group series,
Pandora
, is already in the works. To
find out about new releases, sign up for my newsletter at
www.andreadomanski.com
or like my
Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/andreadomanskiauthor
.
You can also follow me on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/andrea_domanski
.

Thank you again for reading
Rogue
. I look forward to
reading your review on Amazon, seeing your name in the Character Contest, and
maybe even getting an email from you at
[email protected]
.