Chapter Nine
Keegan checked the address of the buildings that Char had found. They were about half a mile from the fountain. He could make it.
By the time he reached the three brick buildings, sweat soaked through the back of his T-shirt. He wiped his brow and snapped a photo of the Brotherhood Apartments sign. Looked benign enough, but he figured the Serpent Society probably wouldn’t have a neon sign flashing out front. He wandered down the walkway between the first two buildings, stopping at the courtyard in the back.
His pulse kicked up a notch. The fountain featured a large concrete tree with a snake winding its way up the trunk.
There were plenty of fountains and sculptures around Savannah, but he’d never seen anything like this. He snapped another photo and turned around, surprised to find a man walking toward him. The guy’s smile seemed friendly enough, but the stealth he’d used to approach had Keegan leery to lower his guard.
“Can I help you?”
Keegan grinned and pointed to the fountain. “Just admiring the artwork.”
The man crossed his arms, his attention shifting to the tree. “Yeah, it’s pretty unique.” His eyes met Keegan’s. “You thinking about moving in?”
“Maybe.” Keegan shook his head, pocketing his cell phone. “You live here?”
“Yes.” He rubbed the back of his head, his other hand dropping to his side. “I’ve been here about three months now. It’s quiet enough.”
Keegan resisted the urge to ask if he’d seen any robed men with serpent rings. “Are all three of these buildings apartments?”
“No.” He pointed to the third building. “That one is leased space. They have meetings in there every once in a while. I think there’re some offices in there, too.” The guy glanced at his watch. “Sorry, I’ve got an appointment. Maybe I’ll catch you later.”
Keegan didn’t think so. He waited for the man to turn the corner before he headed for the third building. If the Serpent Society met in there, maybe he could find some evidence.
But he didn’t have much time.
The mosaic tile walkway among the three buildings ended in a snake’s head. Like the fountain, it roused his suspicions, but he still had no proof, no men with serpent rings. He snapped a few more pics and tried the doors, but they were locked.
“Shit.” He wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to leave, when one of the doors opened from the inside. Keegan ducked into the bushes and waited.
Char’s boss tucked a file folder under his arm and jogged across the street. Keegan frowned. Why would he be across town in a locked office building?
After the historian pulled away from the curb, Keegan came out onto the walkway. He looked up at the four-story building. Char would’ve mentioned it if the maritime museum used the offices here. So, what was her boss doing visiting?
Could be nothing, but until he knew for sure, he was going to keep an eye on Char’s boss. For now, he needed to get to Forsyth Park.
Keegan made it over to the park with a few minutes to spare and found a bench in the shade. Between his visit with Jessica’s gravesite and discovering Char’s boss exiting one of the buildings she had asked him to check out, there was a hornet’s nest brewing in his gut.
He pulled out his cell phone, scanning the area for any sign of his meeting. The waiting was making him crazy. He scrolled through his contacts on his phone and clicked one.
John answered on the first ring. “Keegan?”
He smiled at the familiar voice. “What’s this I hear about the quartermaster leaving our beautiful Sea Dog to you?”
John paused. “He told you?”
“Aye.” Keegan’s smile faded. “Didn’t realize our Colton was such a romantic. Dying for love is…”
“It’s what he wants. Until we plundered that cup, he always thought he’d settle down and have a family. He has that chance now.”
“I know.” Keegan rubbed his forehead. “But long after the world’s forgotten him, we’ll still be haunted by his family line, his children, and their children, and on and on.”
“I told him not to say anything until after we found the cup.” John sighed. “I knew it would fuck with your head.”
“My head was fucked centuries before Colton told me this.” Keegan huffed. “You’re not going to surprise me by refusing the cup, are you, John?”
The bastard chuckled. “Nah, I’ll be here to suckle you through a few more lifetimes, Keegan.”
“Piss off, asshole.” Keegan shook his head, biting back a grin. “I used to think living forever would make us smarter, wiser.” Two men approached the fountain in the distance. “I guess we never learn. I might be more screwed up now than I was the day I put the cup to my lips.”
“Doesn’t have to be that way.” John paused. “You have to be willing to change. Time can’t do that for you. You have to choose it.”
“You always were the wise one.” Keegan eyed the pair at the fountain. “I think my dates have arrived. Talk soon.”
He pocketed his phone and stood up. As he walked toward them, he watched the shadows for any sign of a threat. Agent Bale was supposed to be nearby, too, but Keegan didn’t see him.
“’Scuse me, mates. You got the time?”
The men glanced his way. “Who’s asking?”
The bigger bloke on the right remained silent, allowing the smaller guy with piercings lining his earlobe and his lower lip to speak. These men didn’t look like a team capable of stealing the Grail, let alone negotiating to sell it.
Keegan raised a brow. “I’m looking for a line on a cup. Any idea where I could find it?”
A bead of sweat rolled down the big guy’s face.
The smaller one offered Keegan a card with an address scrawled on the back. “Meet us there at midnight.”
Keegan lifted his gaze from the card to the big guy. “Did your friend here rope you into this, mate?”
He grunted. “Don’t mess with us, asshole. We’ll fuck you up.”
The smaller one elbowed his friend. “Shut up, Bobby.”
“Bobby, do you always let him order you around? He’s probably the ass who got you two mixed up in this, right?” Keegan glanced over his shoulder and back to the two-bit hoods. “I’d bet my last piece of eight that nasties wearing serpent rings paid you to give me this card. Are they watching us right now?”
“Don’t tell him anything, Bobby,” the smaller one snarled without taking his eyes off Keegan.
The big guy shook his head. “Screw you, Hank.” His gaze locked on Keegan’s, his voice dropping. “They’ll kill us if we say anything.”
Keegan crossed his arms. “Tell you what, I’ll give you traveling money to get out of town, what say, five thousand? All you need to do is answer my questions. Deal?”
“How do we know you’re not going to stiff us?” Hank asked.
“You don’t.” Keegan dug into the pocket of his jeans and took out his lucky doubloon. Hated to part with it, but he hadn’t come to this meeting with his checkbook. He held out the gold piece to Bobby. “Consider this a down payment.”
The big guy snatched it from his hand. The brash move told Keegan the serpents must not be watching their interaction.
Bobby lifted his eyes. “What do you want to know?”
“What’s coming for me at midnight?”
Bobby looked at his friend first, then Keegan. “We don’t know, but the guys with the rings killed our friends. We found this wooden cup down in the tunnels under the city. It looked super old, so we took a picture to a pawn shop. Some history guy said it was worth a lot of money, then another friend hooked us up on an underground website to sell it.”
“Some history guy?” Keegan frowned.
“Yeah,” Hank chimed in. “The pawn broker told us about him. He was appraising things at one of the antique stores.”
“Was he wearing a serpent ring?”
Bobby shrugged. “We didn’t notice one.”
Hank took over. “Once we had it up on the underground site, these guys wanted to buy it. Our friends met them to make the deal.”
“Do you still have the cup?” Keegan held his breath.
The boys shared a silent look before Bobby focused on Keegan again. “We arranged a pickup, but they ambushed us.”
Keegan’s gut roiled. “They have the Grail, then.”
Both guys nodded, and Bobby said, “They’ll kill us if you don’t show up tonight.”
“Sad news, mates.” Keegan shook his head. “They’re going to kill you no matter what happens tonight. Go to River Street. At the dock office for the Sea Dog, ask for John Smyth. Tell him I owe you a solid pound. He’ll know what to do.”
Hank frowned. “We’re just supposed to believe some guy we’ve never met is gonna give us five grand?”
“You’ll have to trust me.” Keegan smirked, his gaze shifting between the two thugs. “At least I’m not threatenin’ to end yer miserable lives, savvy?”
Bobby pocketed the doubloon and nudged his partner. “Let’s get out of here.”
As the two hurried out of the park, Agent Bale approached from the south. He stopped beside Keegan. “What’d I miss?”
“They weren’t selling me the Grail. It’s already been taken.”
“Shit.” Agent Bale pulled out his phone, but before he could press anything, Keegan handed him the card.
“That’s the place. At midnight.”
Bale frowned, lowering his cell. “Why? They already have the cup.”
Keegan chuckled. “I think they mean to kill me.”
“So they don’t know…”
“Aye.” Keegan nodded. “Appears the serpents don’t know those kids stole the Grail from a band of immortal pirates.”
…
“Five-minute warning, Dr. Sinclair,” her assistant called as she passed by Charlotte’s office.
“Don’t wait up for me, Louise. I’m staying late.”
Louise looped back around and popped her head in the door, something like pity lining her blue eyes. “I thought you met someone.”
Charlotte chuckled. “Am I that easy to read?”
“Well, this was the first week since I’ve worked here that you left on time more days than you didn’t.”
“I did meet someone, but my life is too busy for relationships. It’s better this way.”
“Fine.” Louise didn’t look convinced, but she nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you then.” Charlotte saved the graphics file for the exhibition and pulled open the bottom drawer.
The file from the courier had tormented her all day, tempting her to put off the rest of her work. She hadn’t been lying when she said she had no time for a relationship, but being near Keegan made her feel alive and unpredictable. There was something about the pirate that he kept hidden from everyone. Under the bravado and sexy swagger, there was a wounded man.
And wounded men left behind ruined women.
Right on cue, her phone lit up. “Hey, Mom.”
“Charlotte. Glad I caught you. You’re still coming over for beef and noodles, right?”
She clicked her calendar and cringed. God, she’d forgotten her own mother. “Yeah. I’m just finishing up a couple of things. I’ll be there in an hour.”
“Great. See you soon, magpie.”
Charlotte rested her head in her hands. Dinner with Mom.
“Dr. Sincl— Charlotte?”
Her head snapped up. “Bruce.”
He leaned in her doorway. “Could I interest you in dinner?”
“I’d love to, but I already have plans.”
His face fell, and for a second, she caught a glimmer of regret in his eyes. “Rain check?”
“Sure. Some other time.”
He nodded slowly, like his mind was far away from her office. “Have you finished up your work for Agent Bale?”
“Not yet, but I think I’m pretty close.”
That got his attention. He straightened up. “I’m glad to hear it. It’ll be good to have all your concentration focused on the exhibition.” He started to go and turned back. “Good night.”
“Night, Bruce.”
His footsteps echoed down the hall, and she picked up the orphanage records again, her Post-it note tempting her to cancel her dinner plans. Her mom would understand.
She pulled out her cell and pressed her mom’s number.
“Charlotte?”
The cheer in her mom’s voice made her cringe. Charlotte stared at the note on the folder. “Hey, Mom. On second thought, it’s been a busy day, and I still have a bunch more work to do, plus a trip to the library for some newspaper archives. Can we take a rain check on the noodles?”
Her mom’s tone sobered. “Actually, I don’t think we can. I’ll keep everything warm until you get here. It’s all right if you need to be late.”
Weird.
“Mom, is everything okay?”
She paused and finally said, “It will be, magpie. Get over here as soon as you can.”
Her mom hung up.
Charlotte stared at her cell, her stomach twisting in a knot. Something wasn’t right. She scrolled through her contacts and sighed, feeling smacked in the face again with the fact that she didn’t really have many friends. She was nice enough, and heck, Louise would do almost anything for her, but Louise had already gone home, and Charlotte wasn’t going to ask her to go with her to be sure her mom was safe.
Why hadn’t she given Keegan her number?
For the same reason she wasn’t calling Louise. She did things herself.
But if her mom was really in trouble… It was probably nothing. But still… She grabbed her bag and headed out the door. She’d stop by the paper, and then run over to the Sea Dog. Unlike her, Keegan had a crew.
Hopefully they’d help her find him.