She drew in a deep breath and then sighed. “Take a few weeks off, Sean. Enjoy some time with your lady friend. Relax. See the Holy Land or something.”
“I’ve seen it.” He stared out at the setting. “Seems like every time I try to kick off my shoes and relax, something happens. Adriana said she needs to check in on her father. Apparently, he got a troubling text message from someone.”
Emily’s face scrunched in concern as she leaned over and rested her elbows on the rail. “Troubling?”
“Yeah. She didn’t elaborate much. But she’ll be on the next flight out of here to meet him.”
“Isn’t he in Ecuador or something?”
Sean shook his head. “Not anymore. From the sound of it, he’s on the move.”
“You going to help her?”
“I offered.” He shook his head again. “But she wants to take care of it herself. I try to respect her wishes. Adriana can handle herself.”
Silence fell over the conversation, filled only with the sound of the wind rustling through the trees and washing over the hillside amid the distant noise of vehicular traffic.
“I don’t suppose you have a job for me?” he blurted.
She snorted a laugh and bowed her head. “No. Not right now. We’re busy cleaning up all the fallout from this one.” She paused for a minute before saying, “You know, you saved a lot of lives. Possibly millions. We found enough munitions and explosives to take out entire sections of major cities. By the time the air forces responded, a lot of people would have died.”
“Yeah. That’s what bothers me,” he said.
She patted him on the back and started to head back into the museum. “It’s why we’re here, Sean. It’s why you came back. It’s why I always knew you’d come back.”
“And why you bugged me all those years.” He smirked as he said it.
“Yep.”
“Well, you know you can call me when you’re in a pinch.” He stood up straight and faced her. “Hopefully, that isn’t too often. No offense. The less I hear from you, the better. Means the world isn’t going crazy.”
She smiled and reached out both arms, wrapping them around his strong shoulders. He returned the gesture and hugged her back. A moment later, Emily was walking away, her heels clicking on the concrete as she approached the museum.
Adriana and Tommy passed her as they exited the building, shaking her hand and bidding her goodbye before joining Sean. Adriana wore a tight black dress with matching heels and a silver belt hanging just below her hips. She looked ravishing as the two walked toward Sean. Tommy less so, with his plaid button-up shirt nearly untucked and mismatched with the standard tweed blazer he seemed to wear at all formal occasions.
Adriana spoke first. “I have to go see about my father.” Her dark eyes mesmerized him like a chocolate whirlpool sucking him down into a delicious death.
“I know,” he forced a smile. “I understand. Go take care of him. I know you will. Call me if you need me.” He offered the last bit even though he knew she was too proud to do such a thing.
Her eyes narrowed, and a narrow grin crossed her lips like a lion about to devour its prey. “Oh, I need you. But that will have to wait.”
“Thank goodness,” Tommy cut in as the two moved closer together, lips brushing each other.
Both heads twisted in his direction simultaneously. “Do you mind?” Sean asked. He didn’t wait for an answer, instead turning back to her and pressing his lips firmly against hers. Ten seconds went by that felt like an hour to Tommy. Finally, they let go, and Adriana left, winding her way down the path and back to where the cars were parked.
Sean watched her until she disappeared behind a row of shrubs and small trees. Tommy stepped closer to him and clapped his hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“You’re a lucky man.”
Sean chuckled. “I would be if I could keep her around for more than a few days at a time.”
The two stared after her even though she was gone from sight.
“You knew the situation when you got involved. She’s not the settling down type. Not yet anyway.”
“I know.”
“But you’re hoping that someday she might be.”
“Maybe.”
Tommy’s head turned, and he eyed his friend suspiciously. “You know, Sean, you’re not the settling down type either.”
Sean’s lips parted in a grin, and he looked over at Tommy. “I know. But I’m hoping someday I might be.”
DEDICATION
For my great friend, Jacob “FedEx” Stout. Thanks for always talking things through with me and being there to push me forward.
SPECIAL THANKS
As always, I have to thank my terrific editors, Anne Storer and Jason Whited, for their tireless and precise work to make my books the best they can be. I’d also like to thank the members of my launch team. Their resilient support and encouragement never ceases to make me smile. In addition, a huge thank you goes out to Frank Paine for his consulting on international affairs and travel.
Author Notes
Readers seem to enjoy finding out which things are fact and which things are created from an author’s imagination. I know I like to do the same as a reader.
In this book there are many places where fiction and fact are intertwined closely. This makes discerning what is real and fake a difficult thing to do.
All of the characters are fictional, created in my imagination, with one exception. Daniel was a very real person. Not only is his existence documented in several Scriptures but Cuneiform tablets have been discovered in ancient Babylon that state he was to be the king of the entire empire should the king and his son be killed. This is an amazing piece of evidence to the incredible rise to power Daniel experienced.
He was a student in Jerusalem, taken as a captive to a foreign land, and then made such impressions on the leadership that he was made the third most powerful person in the known world at the time. Pretty cool stuff!
The relics known as the Hoshen, Urim, and Thummim have been a fascinating study for me for the last decade. While archaeologists, treasure hunters, and many others search desperately for the Ark of the Covenant, I was always just as interested in these holy relics that seemed to disappear at about the same time as the Ark.
Though no one is certain where the three objects are, there is no question to their mysterious powers that were documented in the Bible’s Old Testament. As to how the devices/relics worked, that is left to speculation. Was it moved by the power of a deity or were quantum physics at play? We may never know in this lifetime.
The tomb of the high priest in Jerusalem is a little fact and a little fiction. I changed the exact location and the name of the priest but recently, researchers have discovered a high priest’s tomb from around the time of the Babylonian era. The details within the tomb were a figment of my imagination.
The great temple in Yogyakarta is believed to be one of the oldest in Buddhism and as of the date of writing this, is touted as the birthplace of the religion by many.
There are tunnels within the temple. Most are only seen by those who work there. The entire sequence surrounding the massive stupa at the top was concocted by me. While there may be something inside one of the stupas, I am not aware of a way in or out.
The Tiger’s Nest monastery is located in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Bhutan could be one of Asia’s best-kept secrets in the travel industry. The dramatic mountain views, lush forests, and natural beauty are all worth visiting. The monastery itself is open to visits and on the other side of the bridge is a cafeteria and visitor’s area.