Solomon's Sieve (28 page)

The Order didn’t own a property in Sozopol, but there was a five star hotel, a very pretty five story pink building with white columns overlooking the sea. The exterior was 1940s. The interior was Euromodern.

The little band of paranormal investigator and her escorts was delighted to learn that there was an old-world elegant restaurant and a Russian chef who specialized in Mediterranean fare and sushi – of all things. Some of the contingent were more impressed to find out that there were five bars. So far as Torn was concerned that meant the hotel had its priorities straight.

At the height of the season the place was probably hopping, but at that time of year it was practically deserted. When Mercy asked if they would need dinner reservations, the desk clerk laughed.

After checking in, Mercy just had enough time to shake her clothes out and hang the ones that mattered before the hotel phone rang beside the bed.

“Dr. Renaux?”

“Yes.”

“You have guests asking for permission to speak with you on the desk phone. Will you accept the call?”

“Certainly. Put them on.”

“Dr. Renaux?” asked a new male voice.

“Yes,” she said again.

“This is Professor Yanev from Sofia University and the Minister Igvanotof. We’d like to welcome you personally and perhaps discuss your visit. In private if possible. Would it be inappropriate to ask to come to your room?”

“Are your intentions honorable?” She took the pause in dialogue to mean that either the caller didn’t get the joke or his intentions were not honorable. Either way, she was going to find out. “Never mind. It was a poor attempt at humor.”

“Oh,” he chuckled. “You Americans. Always joking.”

“Yes. We’re all comedians. I’m in Room 316.”

“We shall be at Room 316 momentarily.”

Mercy hung up the phone and turned to almost run into Glen who was sharing a connecting room with Gunnar.

“Who was that?” he asked.

“A government representative and an academic. They want to greet me and talk about going to the site. They’re on the way up.”

Gun came closer and leaned on the door jamb separating the two rooms.

“On the way up?” Glen gaped at her.

“Yes. They want to talk in private. Given what I’ve learned about The Order that doesn’t seem either unusual or unreasonable.”

“No, but you gave them your room number?”

“Well, yes. How else would you expect them to find me?”

“How would we expect them to find you?”

“Do you have a repeating problem, Glen?”

“Do you have an absentminded professor problem, Dr. Renaux?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s supposed to mean this. How are you thinking we’re going to protect you if you give out your room number to any stranger who calls up and asks for it?”

She looked thoughtful. “I see what you mean.”

“Normally I wouldn’t mention this, but I get the feeling you care about other people, so I’m going to share. You didn’t just endanger yourself, but us. We could have been caught unaware.” She just blinked in response, but he definitely had her attention. He turned to Gun. “Get Raif and Torn. Let’s make sure this is up and up.” Gun nodded and moved off. Glen looked at Mercy and softened his tone a notch. “It’s our job to keep you safe, but you have to be willing to help us out with that. Just a little. Right?”

She nodded. “You are right. Of course. I’ve never been in a situation where I needed protection. I just didn’t think about…”

“You’re a smart lady and I’m sure you catch on quick. Don’t take any phone calls unless one of us is with you. Don’t give out your location to anybody unless we give the okay. Always leave the door between us cracked open so we can be aware of what’s going on in here.”

“Okay.”

When the welcome committee arrived on the third floor, Raif and Torn were waiting in the hallway outside Mercy’s room while Glen and Gun waited inside. As the two Bulgarians approached they could see that two rather intimidating individuals were sizing them up. They stopped at 316 and looked over to verify the number on the door.

Just as one of them reached up to knock, Raif and Torn took one each and shoved them against the wall. They were frisked thoroughly, efficiently, and perhaps with more roughness than was necessary.

When they were released, the one with the stupid hat said something in Bulgarian that was most likely about his assailant and most probably uncomplimentary. Both men made readjustments to the business suits they were wearing and looked at Raif and Torn with as much huffiness as they dared.

Without taking his eyes away from them, Torn reached over and tapped on the door with his knuckles. Glen stood in front of Mercy while Gunnar opened the door. Torn’s nod was a signal to let the visitors enter.

As Mercy was trying to look around Glen to see what was going on, Glen stepped aside. The two visitors were visibly flustered.

“Hello,” she said. “I’m Dr. Renaux. Not much to offer in the way of seating, but please.” She gestured toward the chairs.

They sat in the only two chairs, while Mercy sat on the end of the bed.

“Dr. Renaux. Delighted to meet you.” His glance at the four knights made the pleasantry sound sarcastic. “I’m Yanev, professor of archeology at Sofia University. And this is the Minister Igvanotof.”

The Minister gave a curt nod dripping with displeasure.

Glen and Gunnar made no move to leave, but Raif and Torn were satisfied that the other two could handle the suits so they backed out and closed the door.

She’d received a briefing about her mission. Everyone on the trip was there for a reason and had a part to play. She’d been given instructions to look over the site carefully, listen to the claims, and make a determination as to their validity. The knights had been given much simpler and more concise orders. Escort Dr. Renaux and protect her if necessary.

After assessing the situation and deciding they wouldn’t be needed further for Dr. Renaux’s meeting, Raif and Torn left to explore the hotel. To a Black Swan knight that meant searching out every conceivable security vulnerability, every possible escape route, and every bar. When the first two tasks were complete, it didn’t take them long to find out that one of the five bars was open for business.

In Mercy’s suite, Professor Yanev was attempting to persuade her that they were prepared to be attentive to her every need or request. Yanev was fortyish, with weathered skin, bright intelligent dark eyes and extraordinarily white teeth, which were revealed often once he began to relax.

“Tomorrow morning, if that is suitable to you, we will travel to the site and I will give you guidance,” he said smiling.

“Professor Yanev…”

“Please, just Yanev.”

“All right. Yanev. If there’s not time to go today, then tomorrow morning works for me. What time do you have in mind?”

Yanev looked at the Minister Igvanotof and said something. The other man shook his head as he answered. When Yanev looked at her again, he said, “I will be at your disposal.”

It seemed they hadn’t done any research on Dr. Renaux and just assumed that she didn’t speak Bulgarian. What the Minister had actually said was that the earlier they got started the sooner they’d be rid of her and her bulky boys.

“That’s very accommodating. How about eight thirty?”

Yanev smiled his very whitest smile. “Yes. Eight thirty outside the front entrance. While we are here, let me ask. Do you have any questions?”

“As a matter of fact I do.” Yanev gestured with his head so she continued. “Is the site closed to the public?”

“It is and has been since the discovery.”

“Very well. Will there be others there in an official government capacity? Or perhaps others with academic license?”

He looked at Minister Igvanotof, said something, and waited for the answer. The Minister’s eyes found Mercy’s and he stared at her like he was wondering why she asked the question.

“The Minister says that all access was mysteriously and suddenly closed to all but those who work for your organization. The area is closely guarded, but once inside, there will be no one else present. Other than myself, if you should wish me to remain.”

Mercy rewarded her visitors with a gracious smile. “Excellent. I’m so pleased to hear it.”

She was also pleased with her acting ability, thinking she hadn’t given away, on any level, the fact that the Minister had said that no one of import would be there either before she arrived or during her visit. Mercy was thinking his title should be Minister of Snark. She was tempted to say goodbye in Bulgarian, but the fun of that wouldn’t eclipse the intel to be gained by pretending ignorance of the language.

When they left, Glen asked, “Did that go the way you wanted?”

“Yes. More or less. They don’t know I understand the language, so the Minister was surely much freer with his low opinion of me than he might have been otherwise.”

“Ouch,” Glen grinned. “They didn’t look you up.”

She shook her head slowly. “Hmmm hmm. Not even the easy stuff. The info about how many languages I speak usually comes up pretty close to the top on any search of Dr. Renaux.”

Glen grinned bigger. “You Giggled yourself.”

Mercy laughed. “I did.”

“Was that fun?”

“Of course. Ever done it?”

“No. Black Swan knights don’t exist. Didn’t you know that?”

“Do now.”

“So we’ve got some time to burn before dinner. You busy? We could play Mad Fowl.”

“Thanks,” she chuckled. “I’ll take a rain check. I want to be ready for tomorrow. I’m as excited and anxious as a kid before a dance recital. So I’m going to take a toes-up until time for dinner.”

“Okay. Like I told you, I’m going to leave the adjoining door open a crack. We’ll be quiet so you can nap, but… Do not leave your suite. Do not open your door - the one to the hallway. If you need something, come get one of us. If you hear something, yell. Got it?”

“Got it. Yell if I hear something. Knock if I need something.”

“Drinks downstairs at six o’clock. I hear the sunset hour is still pretty even looking east, out to sea.”

“Spoken like a dedicated tourist. Okay. Meet you downstairs at six.”

Glen turned, searching her face for a clue as to whether she was joking or not. She held her straight face in place long enough to convince him that she was serious. When he summoned some patience and opened his mouth to explain why she couldn’t do that without violating one of the rules, she gave him a gotcha smile.

“You gonna be trouble?” he asked.

Mercy shook her head as she laughed softly. “No, sir. Trouble is the very last thing I’ve ever been. In my life.”

“Finding that hard to believe, Doc.”

“Doc?” She found the idea of being called ‘doc’ by someone the age of one of her students incredulous. At the same time she fell in love with both the idea behind it and the informality of it.

“You don’t really expect me to call you Dr. Renaux?”

She shook her head again and smiled. “No. Doc is fine.”

Mercy laid down on top of the covers of the double bed and quickly fell into the deepest sleep she could remember. She woke after a couple of hours and was a little disoriented at first. When she realized how long and how soundly she’d slept, she wondered if it was because, subconsciously, she knew she was protected and completely safe.

She heard the hum of low voices coming from the next room and peeked through the crack in the door. Glen appeared to be trying to teach Gun some card tricks. Mercy smiled to herself thinking the kid was quite a character. She slipped into the bathroom and took a bath that was quick, but hot and relaxing then pulled on jeans and an apricot sweater of the shade that did marvelous things for auburn coloring.

When she was ready, she tapped on the adjoining door.

“Open!” She swung the door wide enough to see the two of them. “You ready?” Glen’s upbeat personality was hard to resist.

“It is I. Professor Ready.”

“
Let’s do it then. One spectacular sundown coming up.”

The five of them were sitting inside the terrace room looking at the sunset toward the east over the water.

“Nice sundown.” As Torn stretched his long legs out in front of him, he winked at Mercy knowing her eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the movement of his body.

She flushed with a slight embarrassment at having been caught looking at his crotch. Raif saw the exchange and cursed under his breath, wishing he could tase his partner’s naked balls while he stood with his feet in a tub of water. Thinking about that made his face break into a grin.

Torn looked curious. “What’s so funny?”

Raif shook his head. “Private thoughts.”

As Torn’s comment seeped into her consciousness, Mercy looked over the horizon and had to agree. Though the actual sunset was behind them, the last of the light painted the eastern sky with fiery streaks of orange and yellow fading into charcoal gray where the water met the sky.