Chapter Twenty-Six
David sat in Heather’s living room, watching the ethereal medium meditate.
When she opened her eyes, her gaze was distant. “Pokey says the cup is safe for now. The one-eyed cook has it locked in a vault in the basement of his restaurant.”
A crease marred her brow. She closed her eyes again, mumbling something under her breath. She nodded, having a conversation David could neither see nor hear.
Her eyelids fluttered, and finally she looked at him, grounded in the present again. “He says you need to check the lockdown warehouse. Does the number 999666 mean anything?”
He frowned, jotting the number on his notepad. “I’ll look it up when I get back. Thanks, Heather.”
Her expression softened. “He also says his work is completed…for now.”
“He’s quitting?” David shook his head in disbelief. “Tell him I still need him.”
She opened her hands. “It doesn’t work like that. He wants you to know that he’ll still be looking out for you from the other side, but the men who killed him died at the base of Tybee Lighthouse. You avenged his death. He’s ready for some well-deserved rest.”
David glanced out the window and decided not to correct her. The leader of the Serpent Society escaped, and Dr. Bruce Trumain from the maritime museum had disappeared along with the religious relics the society had gathered. David would find them. Eventually.
He stood up and cleared his throat. “Thanks for all your help, Heather.”
She followed him to the door. “I saw the news about the mass suicide on Tybee Island. Some kind of cult?”
“Appears to be. I can’t discuss it.”
A knowing smile curved her lips. “National security.”
“Exactly.” David stepped outside. “See you later. Don’t forget—”
“To send my invoice,” she finished. “I will.”
He jogged down the steps to his car and checked his phone. The cleanup team hadn’t been able to hide the massacre at the lighthouse before the coast guard and the media arrived. Brenda had to think on her feet. For now, a cult with a suicide pact fit the bill.
There were still a couple of weeks’ worth of red tape to work through. The local authorities had taken the bodies to the morgue for autopsies, and since David wasn’t sure how Dr. Sinclair’s gift worked, he couldn’t be certain the medical examiner would deem the injuries self-inflicted, and he needed the postmortems to fit Department 13’s narrative.
Later today, he’d be fielding angry calls from the local sheriff and the medical examiner once they received his legal junction to relinquish the remains to his department. This wasn’t his favorite part of his job, but cleanup was a necessary evil. After they secured the remains, his crew could investigate just how Dr. Charlotte Sinclair defeated twenty grown men on her own without the use of a firearm. Or a physical body for that matter.
After a quick flight, he was back in Washington, D.C. Department 13 worked out of a historic brownstone building that used to house an independent bank. The oversize underground vault had been expanded to house the paranormal weapons and talismans for the United States government. He pulled into the parking lot, flashing his badge at the guard at the gate. He waved him through, and David parked his sedan.
He hustled into the building and straight into the elevator. First stop, King’s office. Time to tie off another loose end.
He opened the door, surprising his shamanic computer programmer.
King looked up with a pucker in his brow. “I’m still writing up statements for the next of kin from the Serpent Society. Did you get custody of the bodies?”
“The paperwork has been filed.” David took a seat across from him. “The contract for Dr. Sinclair is drafted. I need you to deliver it to her.”
“I’m flying down to Savannah to see my daughter tonight.” His expression didn’t soften. “I’m not going to force her to sign it.”
“Keep in mind, if she doesn’t agree to my terms voluntarily, she’ll be monitored remotely at all times.”
King took off his reading glasses and sighed. “Why can’t you leave her be? She’s not a threat to national security; she’s a historian for God’s sake!”
“We’ve already had this conversation, King. She’s more than that, and you know it.” David crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. “Very soon I’ll have documented evidence of how she stopped twenty armed men in less than an hour. Imagine if she was compromised by a foreign government? No amount of secret service officers could stop an invisible assassin, and now she’s immortal.”
David waited for him to protest, but it didn’t come. Good. David released the tension in his shoulders and leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees. “On an unrelated note, I also need you to do a little digging for me.”
King raised a brow. “What exactly are you looking for?”
“A thief. She had the robin tattoo on her shoulder. I saw her in Savannah. She was poking around for the Grail. She seemed to take my presence there as proof the Grail was real.”
“You think she’s one of those Digi Robins we’ve been watching?”
“Yeah.” David nodded. “You’re on their dark-web bulletin board, right?”
“I used to be.” He started typing, then stopped, then another flurry, and finally he scowled. “Bloody hell. My password isn’t working. They may have sniffed me out.” King’s fingers flew across his keyboard. “Give me an hour. I’ll get a new identity and log back in.”
“Thanks. She was small, just over five feet tall with long black hair. Dark eyes and skin, maybe of Indian descent. Since they didn’t get the Grail, it’s safe to assume they’re hunting for another big score. We need to monitor them closely.” David frowned and took out his notepad. “I also need you to check on an item and be sure it’s in the vault.” He gave Kingsley the number Heather had mentioned and stood up.
Kingsley leaned back in his chair. “Charlotte told me about…the Grail. She was dying.” His voice cracked, but he pushed on. “Thank you for allowing her to take a sip of the cup.”
David chuffed. It would make life easier to take the credit, but he figured King would find out eventually. “The pirates had me at gunpoint or I never would have allowed her anywhere near that Grail. Now there’s no way to stop her if she ever goes rogue.” He met King’s eyes. “Keegan saved your daughter. Not me. But you can bet your ass I’ll never let another government get their hands on her.”
“Apparently, I need to thank the pirate.” Kingsley put his glasses back on. “I suppose I should get back on this Digi Robins board.” He glanced at him over the top of his bifocals. “I’ll check into the item in the vault, too.”
“Thanks.” David watched him for a moment before turning for the door. “Get Charlotte to sign the document.”
He walked out without waiting for an answer.