Mortimer’s hands flew up in exasperation. “Then I really don’t know what you want!”
“Neither do I. When I figure it out, I’ll let you know. Until then, stay at the house.” Charity strode over to the desk, plucked up the skull and headed towards the door. “I’m going to change and then head into town,” she said. “We’ll talk more this evening.”
Shaking his head, Mortimer wondered if he wouldn’t be better off just leaving. If all she wanted was advice, then she could call him on the phone, couldn’t she?
THE PRISON WAS a gray stone monstrosity that sat high on a hill. A large wall, topped by barbed wire and powerful searchlights, enclosed it. The facility had a reputation for being a harsh, violent place and Locke didn’t doubt it in the least. Sovereign’s criminal underworld was filled with sadists and many of them had ended up here, courtesy of the city’s plethora of vigilantes and antiheroes. Even if you avoided the harsh glare of Doc Daye’s all-prying eyes, you had to contend with Lazarus Gray or Fortune McCall, not to mention the less famous names like The Dark Gentleman or Gravedigger.
It was that last one that concerned Locke the most. While the others preferred to take their opponents alive, Gravedigger seemed the opposite. It was rare to find one of her enemies with their heads still intact.
Locke pushed such thoughts away from her mind, not wanting to be distracted from the mission at hand. Her cab dropped her off inside the prison walls, where she signed in at the front desk and received a visitor’s pass. From there, she was led through a circuitous path that ended at a small room marked ‘Visitation.’
Warden Matthews was standing outside the door, an unpleasant look clinging to his heavy features. He glared at the guard who had escorted her and when the man had moved away, the Warden leaned in close to Locke. “He’s in there but you’re only going to get a few minutes. Do you understand?”
Locke smiled sweetly and placed her hand on the Warden’s cheek. The slap that followed was so sudden that both Matthews and the guard standing at the end of the hall blinked in surprise. Even as a red handprint began to form in the wake of the blow, Locke was grabbing hold of the Warden’s tie with a firm grip. Her smile never wavered and when she spoke, her tone was so matter-of-fact that it was all the more chilling. “Johnny, if you ever speak to me in that tone of voice again, I’ll cut off your testicles and mail them to your wife and kids. Are we on the same page here?”
Matthews swallowed hard and nodded. He straightened up when Locke released his tie and he cast an angry glance at the guard, who quickly looked away. “I wasn’t trying to be rude,” he hissed. “I just wanted to let you know that people would start to talk if you spent too long in there. We don’t generally let people be alone with prisoners.”
Locke nodded, accepting his apology. She knew that he meant it. The drugs that were still in his system would prevent him from bucking her orders to any real degree. “If tongues start wagging, I’m sure you’ll know how to handle it. I don’t plan to take any longer than necessary but I won’t be rushed.”
Without waiting for him to respond, Locke reached for the door and opened it. She found Jonah Craig waiting for her, dressed in prison grays. He looked even thinner than she remembered and he was unshaven, adding to the haunted look that he possessed. His eyes traveled hungrily over her body as she took a seat across from him and she wondered how long it had been since he’d even seen a woman.
“Jonah,” she said, clasping her hands on the small table that separated them. “Do you remember me?”
“Sandra Locke,” he replied. “You attended Sovereign University the same years I did but we only had one class together. If I recall correctly, you dropped out before graduation.”
“You have such a good memory! I found employment and decided that an education wasn’t going to be of much use to me.”
“Education is very important. So much so, that I’d appreciate it if you called Dr. Craig.”
Locke laughed and looked away shyly, using her beauty to manipulate him. “I agree, Dr. Craig, about the importance of education, I mean. I just meant that in my line of work….”
“What work is that?”
Locke leaned forward and lowered her voice, inspiring Craig to do the same. “I work for a man who’s going to take over the country.”
Craig stared at her for a long moment, saying nothing. When he did speak, his words conveyed no doubt about her honesty. “What’s his name?”
“Hiroshi Tamaki.”
Craig looked quickly at the door and then at Locke. “I’ve heard of him.”
“He knows about the connection between Pandora and the Silver Skull. In fact, he’s got someone working to confirm that right now.”
“It doesn’t need confirming. It’s true! The Silver Skull belonged to her.” Craig’s eyes were wild now, as if he could barely contain his rising excitement. “Is that why you’re here? You want me to look at something to prove this?”
“Better than that. I’m here to break you out.”
“How?”
“Patience, sweetie. All good things come to those who wait.” Locke glanced at her arm, where she wore a small timepiece. “While we’re waiting, why don’t you tell me about Pandora?”
“The myth?”
“The truth.”
Craig grinned wolfishly and Locke wondered if all of his sanity was still intact. “Cursed for her actions, Pandora was told that she could not rest until all of the sins she had unleashed were placed back into a vessel. She became a nomadic warrior, seeking out the demonic entities that were the avatars of mankind’s darkest fears and desires. She’s still out there, even now, seeking to undo the damage she’s done.”
“And you believe that?”
“I believe she exists, yes. Unfortunately, I don’t think she’ll ever succeed in her task. The darkness is ingrained in all of us now. Even if she destroyed the forces that embody those fears, there’s no removing the taint from our souls.”
Locke looked at him with curiosity. “Tell me, what you were trying to steal from the museum back when they caught you and put you in here?”
“Hiroshi didn’t tell you?”
“I want to hear it from you.”
“You prefer primary sources? I like that. Shows good research methods.” Craig spoke quickly now, pleased to be able to share his knowledge. “The museum purchased a collection of antique weaponry; mostly swords and knives but flails, shuriken and more were included. No real rhyme or reason to the set, it was from all over the world and different time periods. I heard that some of it may have belonged to Pandora herself and I wanted to have a look at it… a permanent look at it, I have to confess. Immortals like her leave impressions on things that are important to them. If you know how, you can use them like a divining rod.”
“Wait, you thought you could actually track her using some old sword?”
“Yes! Of course, I didn’t get a chance to test my theory since I was captured on the way out the door.” Craig rapped his knuckles on the tabletop. “But she’s out there, I’m sure of it.”
“What would you say to her if you found her?”
Craig paused, apparently having never given serious thought to that obvious question. “I… I think I would ask her what things she’s seen and done over the years. From a historical perspective, she’d be the most valuable find in the entire world! Everyone would know my name when I was done. I’d be the one who uncovered the truth!”
Locke smiled, a genuine one this time. She liked finding out what drove other people, what dirty little secrets made them tick. Obviously, Craig’s desire wasn’t just to help the rest of mankind. He wanted to be some kind of superstar, with newspapers and radio programs begging him to speak to them. She wondered if he even cared at all for this Pandora woman and how she would be affected by all of this.