Carpathian (30 page)

“Lieutenant McIntire, have you filed your geological report with Alice’s team on the makeup of the Patinas Pass range in Romania?”

“The outstanding feature is the thermal makeup of the pass. The plates under the Carpathians are quite active in European terms as far as tectonic activity is concerned. The waters are boiled many miles below the mountain range and breach the surface in several areas creating natural hot springs in several small valleys below the mountain. The hot springs are actual weather variants that can change the temperature and makeup of their winters; the only section of the Carpathians that can lay that claim.” She smiled. “It may be one of the reasons that region is so full of old legends; fog appears from nowhere, sudden rain falls out of a clear night sky. The old tales of vampires and werewolves sprang from this very area.”

Sarah completed her report and then sat just as a Navy signalman walked in and handed Colonel Collins a message. Jack scanned it and then passed it over to Niles Compton. After reading the communiqué he cleared his throat. He looked down at Alice as she spoke in low tones with Virginia.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the situation is changing rather rapidly as unforeseen influences in Romania are starting to make this look far more serious than just a few stolen artifacts. This may involve Romanian government corruption at a high level, thus it is now a major concern for our nation’s military—Colonel Collins, would you please explain what I mean?” Niles asked and then went to his desk and picked up his phone.

“The person going about selling artifacts from the Exodus is known as Dmitri Zallas as we learned earlier. But one thing that just came to light is what he was investing in. Europa, NATO satellite image 1245 central Romania, please.”

On the monitors an image from space.

“Enhance grid coordinates 3489 and 3412. This is a high-altitude shot from one of our military Blackbird satellites taken five years and two months ago. As you see it’s just a beautiful mountain and valleys—nothing there but several small villages. Okay, Europa, yesterday’s satellite pass-by of the same coordinates.”

On the screen a massive resort complex came into view and Jack read from the report hastily compiled by Europa. “I give you the Edge of the World Hotel Resort and Casino, owned by none other than Dmitri Zallas. It sits four miles from Patinas Pass high above it—a pass that our new NATO ally Romania is now in the process of evaluating for possible invasion scenarios coming from the south. It’s a routine examination that all NATO selectees go through—the evaluation of their country’s defensive positions for possible future use.”

“What does this have to do with Alice’s investigation?” Virginia asked.

“Europa, enhance grid 29-b.”

On the numerous monitors, including the seventy-eight-inch screen in the center of the conference room, appeared an aerial shot of the Patinas Pass.

“Thus far we have counted no fewer than thirteen small villages near the pass, with the largest being this village dead center of Patinas.” Jack used a laser pointer and hit the exact location on the gridded photo. “This is the village of Patinas. We can’t get an exact census report until Europa gets it for us.” Jack looked at Pete Golding, who only nodded his head that he understood the unspoken directive.

At his desk Niles was speaking quickly and deliberately into his phone.

“This is a point of concern here. With the NATO question at hand the CIA did some digging for the U.S. Army that Europa kidnapped before the report went to the Pentagon and stored until it was collated with the name Zallas by my information request. The land that surrounded the Patinas Pass south of the mountains and north of the same range was all protected land. This we know, but what we didn’t know was the little known fact that the land is now owned by our friend Dmitri Zallas—the very same gentleman who seems to have struck it rich in the antiquities market. His resort opens for a private party day after tomorrow. That is one of the ways into the valley we can use. The other is NATO. We can get more people in theater by also using them as a front. Dr. Compton has already cleared it with the president, so half of our team will enter the valley with invitations to the private party and the other will travel to the Patinas Pass with the NATO element of the 82nd Airborne and Romanian army engineers. Captain Everett and Lieutenants Ryan and Mendenhall will accompany Alice to the pass.”

The hands of Pete Golding and Professor Charles Hindershot Ellenshaw III shot into the air as both were about to protest their absence on the list of field representatives.

“Lower your hands, this isn’t third grade,” Niles said angrily, knowing that Jack had already requested the two professors be on the team because of Charlie’s knowledge of ancient legends and Pete’s computer genius—Collins figured they would need them both. “You’ll both be on Colonel Collins’s team. And you
will
follow orders.”

Both men smiled and nodded that they understood.

Collins sat down knowing Sarah’s eyes were on him. He kept his own eyes on the director as he continued.

“This Event was called because the mounting evidence Alice has presented was compelling. However, that is not the full measure of what’s happening here. We now have one-of-a-kind antiquities being sold off to private, unscrupulous characters. We’re going to find out where these artifacts are coming from. Number two, we have now confirmation from a State Department memo that the land granted to this Russian criminal was possibly attained through bribery and corruption, which could affect NATO’s ability to include Romania in the alliance. Most importantly this is an Event that has gone viral quickly. We have a chance to rewrite several very confusing pages regarding the history of the Exodus—pages that have vast implications as to the history and heritage of most everyone in the Palestine region. In other words, this is a very sensitive issue that needs to be handled by us, and us alone.” Niles looked at the clock on the wall. “Jack, how are you coming with the invitations to this gangster’s shindig he’s throwing with Jeddah money?”

“I have a fax coming through in a few minutes that will enable Europa to make exact copies of the invitation and to give her the opportunity to backdoor the computer system of the resort management company to enter the names we choose as invitees.”

“With permission.” Carl Everett spoke up for the first time during the meeting. “May I inquire as to the source of this invitation that is being provided to you?”

“The source is secure at this time.”

Carl looked away and over at Sarah McIntire, who knew exactly what it was Carl was thinking. There was only one man dark enough to have received a legitimate invitation from a man of such dubious distinction as Zallas and his international antiquities ring—Colonel Henri Farbeaux. Both Everett and McIntire knew this for a fact as soon as Jack couldn’t meet their eyes that his miscreant contact was indeed the Frenchman.

“The equipment to be used has already been loaded onto our 747-C at Nellis. From there we will fly to Bucharest. Once we land we will break into the first group consisting of our discovery team. They will penetrate the social function to ascertain the connection that exists between the resort ownership and the artifacts that have magically appeared over the last eight years. Lieutenant McIntire, Lieutenant Commander Ryan, and you, Pete, will accompany Colonel Collins and his team to the resort. Pete, you will need a secure cell link with Europa as you may need her if something turns up. I want one for my team also. The aerial photographs show the cell towers being erected but thus far are nonfunctional. We may have communication problems with the outside world, so see what can be done.”

“My duties?” Sarah inquired.

“You and the colonel will assess the situation and report back to me at NATO command at the base of the mountain. Lieutenant, you will evaluate the strata surrounding the resort for anomalies that may explain why the developer,” he made a face at the euphemism for the Russian gangster, “was so intent on building there. It may just be the hot springs, but look into it.”

Sarah wrote down her notes, deciding to hit the computer center before they left for Nellis so she could study the geological makeup of the Carpathians one more time.

“My base element will be going in as a civilian survey team there to get a good look at the pass. That means we will be going up with members of the 82nd Airborne to the villages below, and then the main village higher into the pass. This small village of Patinas seems to be the hub of all social activity in the area.”

“Why is that, Niles?” asked Pete Golding.

“The hot springs flow from the mountain near Patinas and the springs feed the entire valley system below. Besides, the larger cattle and sheep herds are near the village.”

“What personnel will be making up your team?” asked Alice as she slowly looked up from her notes and fixed Compton with her determined eyes.

“My team will be consisting of Captain Everett, Lieutenant Mendenhall, and Professor Ellenshaw, who will be using the link with Europa in the field if we can get communications up and running. So get with Pete on its operation, Charlie, in case we can figure out the COM problems. Also, Dr. Gilliam will act as both teams’ only physician. You will notice I am cutting the security element and the support teams from the list. The rest of the departments will stand down. This man may be far too dangerous to have a large Event team in the field, since we may have to get the hell out of there in a hurry. Virginia, you will see to it that all departments stick to their class schedules and their historical research.” Niles waited for Virginia to let it soak in that she wasn’t going into the field. She accepted the decision and then nodded her head.

Alice waited in silence and then looked up at Niles.

“Alice, you will accompany my team to the Patinas Pass.”

She breathed a sigh of relief at her being added to the Event. She thanked Niles with a slight nod of her head.

Charlie Ellenshaw got up from the table with a curious look on his face. He walked up to the monitor, which still held the aerial view of Patinas Pass. He looked hard into the image and then turned to face Niles.

“Niles, do you have any information on what this out-of-place structure is?” he said tapping the big screen monitor. Compton picked up the report Europa received after backdooring the real estate managing firm operating the resort.

Niles read the name and smiled.

“Well, since we’re going to the country whose name used to be Transylvania, I think it apropos that we also visit the nightclub known as Dracula’s Castle.”

Ellenshaw looked up and over at the others while muttering to himself.

“Oh, this is getting better and better.”

8

DRACULA’S CASTLE, PATINAS PASS, ROMANIA

The view was spectacular in the late afternoon light. As Dmitri Zallas watched the preparations far below at the resort, workers behind him were putting the final touches on Dracula’s Castle, the nightclub to top all nightclubs. Zallas turned from the false parapet that was actually a ten-foot-by-eight-foot plate glass window and saw the stand-up cardboard cutout of the famous American crooner and onetime child recording star Drake Andrews, fresh from a ten-year run at the Las Vegas Hilton. He would be the first star to open at the resort and was booked for the next fourteen months. Zallas smiled at the lobby cutout of the famous star and lightly tapped the lifelike appearance.

“You have as much soul as that piece of cardboard, Zallas.”

The Russian looked up and his smile vanished as if it had never been there. He released his hold on the smiling Drake Andrews and looked around quickly to make sure his bodyguards were paying attention—they were. There were four large men in black jackets that stood at various locations throughout the interior of the falsified medieval castle. He also had over a hundred workers blowing fake cobwebs and setting up the last of the mood lighting that would illuminate the outside of the castle. The crazy Gypsy wouldn’t dare start trouble here.

Marko Korvesky stood defiant in the middle of the dance floor, forcing the workers to walk around him. The head scarf he wore was satin black and matched the all-black-leather clothes he wore with the exception of the bright purple shirt under his vest.

“You should not be here,” Zallas said as he stepped up to the edge of the dance floor waiting for the Gypsy to come to him. He didn’t.

“This mockery of our heritage should not be here, Slav.”

“I told you not to call me that,” Zallas hissed and then stepped onto the broad wooden dance floor in one wide and menacing step.

Marko smiled as he saw Zallas stop a few feet from him, well out of reach.

“You’re not a Slav?”

“I don’t like the word, that’s all I have to say on the subject.”

“I understand. Let us try another.” Marko placed his hands on his hips. “How about this for a name, Russian, just pick one—liar, cheat, gangster? I can go on.”

This time Zallas looked at his men and they stepped forward in a grouped warning toward the Gypsy.

“I had to build this. Just look at it, this is a moneymaker.” He gestured around him at the manufactured blocks of stone and plastic and Fiberglas that made up the castle. “It’s just one little change to our agreement.” He became serious as he looked back at the Gypsy and his enthusiasm was instantly absent from his features and voice. “A change that did not dictate your murdering my workers over.”

This time it was Marko who smiled. “Certain factions around these mountains didn’t take your intrusion above the castle all that well. It took some convincing to make them see things differently, which will cost you far more than you realize at the moment.” He paused while his eyes moved toward his bodyguards and then back at the Russian. “Now we hear and see soldiers in our valley. We hear the sounds of helicopters as they fly low over the pass. We see more soldiers coming from south of the Danube and beyond. Yes, Zallas, there will be more owed to us than our original agreement called for. The initial investment money we gave you with our artifacts has a very steep percentage rate. You see I am more of a businessman than you thought,” his smile returned, “or hoped for.”