Carpathian (61 page)

“Whoa, now that’s better!” Drake exclaimed as he reached out and touched the thick black fur of Stanus, who took a precautionary step backward. “You really need to be in there instead of those mechanical monstrosities they have malfunctioning everywhere. This is impressive.”

Slowly the long silver-tipped ears of Stanus lowered until they were aligned with its skull and its muscles started to bunch up underneath the thick fur and skin. Then the beast just as quickly closed its eyes and the ears came back up. It was as if the animal were in conflict whether this man was a threat or a joke.

“Well, maybe a little tightening up of the suit here,” Andrews said as he pulled out an inch of skin and fur from the giant animal only a foot away. Stanus growled. “Yeah, other than that, the only thing I can see is to maybe tone down the headlights some.” Drake Andrews patted Stanus on the belly and then stepped around the agitated beast and yelled into the club, “Now this is a prop, and you guys have him stuck out here to scare the tourists, he should be in there!” He smiled as he turned back to his visitor. “Yeah, a little work and you can become pretty convincing…” The last words trailed off as Andrews realized that the actor in the smelly werewolf suit was gone.

The Las Vegas veteran ran to the parapet that surrounded the patio and looked out over the steep crevasse that the castle was built over—nothing. The man had just vanished.

“Figures, one class prop in this whole menagerie and he quits—just great.”

*   *   *

Stanus sprinted downhill after the brief confrontation with the human at the castle. The wolf had the initial impulse to do what it had done on his previous visits to Dracula’s Castle, and that was to rip the man’s throat free of his neck. It was the presence of the traveler that had stopped him from his bloody impulse. The large American inside its head, while it could not stop Stanus from doing what he wanted, could influence and sway him down another path. The Golia had always accepted the spell and the traveler that came with it because the beast had always yearned for more information from the Jeddah.

It had been Carl to ease the animalistic instincts of Stanus when the human had grabbed its fur, which did not hurt him in the least, it was the fact that the beast hated being touched by anything outside the Golia clan. Everett was reading this. In his sleep he felt the path that wound beneath his feet. He had felt the smoothness of the stone patio and even had the sensation of smell. There was one thing though, and Carl knew it could be a serious problem. He was feeling everything, even down to the smashing of pinecones underneath the Golia’s paws as it ran. The sharp pain Stanus didn’t seem to notice, but Carl did. To him that meant if he could feel the smallest thing, he could also feel when the animal was truly hurt or injured. He now knew why Madam Korvesky had a bruised and swollen ankle. It was broken when she had traveled with Mikla. He realized then that this little excursion to the resort could get a little dicey and he surely hoped he could control Stanus enough to avoid getting shot.

Everett had been amazed at how agile and precise Stanus was when he traveled. The beast was as expert at climbing as any ape species. The animal was blindingly fast and had such an efficiency of movement that his gait was like riding in a car with great suspension. The appeal to do this on a regular basis was at the forefront of the captain’s mind.

As Stanus bounded onto a tree the beast stopped and rested as it took in the large and imposing shape of the giant L-shaped hotel and casino. The beast sniffed and Carl then felt the strangest sensation. It was like the animal was reaching into his memories of something and then sniffing for those memories. The Golia grabbed the large tree and the claws went deeply into the wood producing a dark musky odor of pine sap. The deep breaths Stanus was taking brought in so much air that Carl thought the giant wolf would burst, and then when he thought it would, Stanus slowly allowed the air to escape its lungs. Everett was shocked when the eyes shot to the highest section of the hotel and the Golia didn’t move as its glare examined each and every window of the sixth floor.

Before Carl could even realize what was happening, Stanus broke from the tree line and made straight for the resort and the enemies of the Golia.

PATINAS

Madam Korvesky watched Alice for the longest time and she realized the concern the American woman had for the man that was traveling with Stanus. Soon her eyes moved over to Denise, Charlie, and Niles as they were busy examining one of the small pyramids that had been carved out of the stone. The temple had been everything Alice had ever dreamed it would be.

“This was not the time for you to come here, as bad things are about to happen, to this mountain, and possibly to my people.”

“What has changed for the Jeddah after all of these thousands of years, the encroaching world?”

Madam Korvesky laughed and squeezed her hands. “Not the world, it’s never been about the world, nor has it been about the treasure of the Exodus. Not about faith, not about God, not about Israel. No,” she looked up at the gallery high above them and the offspring as they played and fought amongst themselves, “it’s been about them. The protection of the Golia is our only concern, and I have used many despicable tricks in my time to do just that. We have great respect for what the Golia protects make no mistake about that, Mrs. Hamilton. But we will not sacrifice the Golia over what we have kept secret here—never.”

Alice felt the power and conviction of the old woman’s words and realized that indeed the Jeddah had come to a crossroads thanks to Marko drawing attention to the pass and what lies beneath.

“You expected temples of gold and columns made of granite and a gold treasure more vast than a thousand King Tut tombs, am I correct?”

“I rarely thought about the great treasure of the Exodus. And the only time I ever thought about that was when in search of you and them.” She indicated the gallery.

Madam Korvesky nodded her head and then released Alice’s hand. “The mountain belongs to the Golia now and I must see to it they are never, ever disturbed.”

“How do you plan to do that? Do you realize the political forces arrayed against the Jeddah and Golia? Do you know the power used to bring that resort into being? You are not used to modern politics. You now have NATO concerned about the pass. The Golia will have to find a new home eventually.”

A serious and deadly look came over the old woman’s features. “Not if the pass is no longer there to have to defend.”

Alice was about to ask for a clarification when Niles Compton and Denise Gilliam approached. Niles had worry written on his face as he pursed his lips.

“Dr. Gilliam is concerned about the symbiosis that Captain Everett is going through,” he said as he knelt down and examined Madam Korvesky’s ankle. He shook his head and made room for Denise to take a look. Niles stood and faced the Gypsy queen. “The exact same location and injury our very impressive friend Mikla has. You and he were injured in the same incident, weren’t you?” Niles asked as he kept his eyes on the Gypsy.

“Well, I don’t know how you’re coping with it,” Denise said, “but that ankle is broken in not just one, but three different places. How you can withstand the pain you must be experiencing is beyond me.” The doctor waited but there was no explanation forthcoming.

Alice Hamilton knew the answer but waited for Madam Korvesky to answer Dr. Gilliam’s inquiry.

“I put up with it because if I didn’t the infection inside Mikla’s ankle would have taken him to the precipice; I am currently taking the brunt of the infection into myself.”

Denise Gilliam shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest and paced a few steps away, not accepting such magic.

“We will discuss this at another time. Right now we have to see if we can save Mikla. Dr. Gilliam, will you assist me?” Madam Korvesky waited while the color slowly drained from Denise’s face. “The three of you also,” she said looking from Alice to Niles and Charlie Ellenshaw.

“All of us?” Alice asked, excitement lacing her words.

“Mikla is quite ill and will die within the hour if we don’t get in there and fix things.” She reached out and took Denise by the hand and pulled her closer to the dais. “This will be harder on you than anyone. Well,” she said with a sad shake of her head, “almost anybody. To be honest,” she said as she allowed the doctor’s hand to slide through her own, “I am very happy an American doctor is among us. Sometimes I think those old ladies in the village don’t care for me all that much, and I would rather have a steady hand helping me do what it is I have to do.”

Niles and Alice exchanged looks of discomfort and Denise Gilliam was flat-out white-faced as she realized what the plan was.

“And what is it you have to do to make Mikla better?” Alice asked.

Madam Korvesky gave Alice a sad smile in return and then stroked the black fur of the giant Golia once more.

“We will have to remove the offending break from Mikla’s leg. Dr. Gilliam will have to amputate.”

All eyes went to the wolf lying on the dais. Mikla was breathing harshly and his tongue was lying outside his mouth.

“Will he survive the procedure?” Charlie asked, genuinely concerned for Mikla.

“Mikla will survive,” she said as she looked down upon Mikla with tears in her old eyes. “But without a hind foot his life will be far shorter than the rest of the Golia. He will not be shunned by the other Golia, but Mikla would eventually wander away from the temple and die among the mountain. A Golia cannot survive without the ability to climb and run.”

Every face was saddened.

“Now I must prepare the spell and the potion, we have little time.”

“I had better get Mikla’s ankle cleaned up as much as possible so I can at least see what I’m doing,” Denise said as she nervously wrung her hands while looking at the great wolf before her.

“Mikla is fine, leave him be,” Madam Korvesky said as she started to stand with the aid of the cane. Niles and Charlie ran to her side and assisted her to her one good leg. She smiled and nodded her thanks at the two men. “It’s me you have to prepare for.”

“I don’t understand,” Denise said.

Niles and Alice figured it out first.

“Mikla would never be able to survive the surgery,” Madam Korvesky said as he looked at Denise. “There is too much damage and we were a little late getting to him. My injury is purely, although realistically, in my mind. I have no
real
physical damage to my ankle. Oh, it looks that way but my mind only made it seem so.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I felt the breaks in that leg.”

Madam Korvesky only smiled.

“Denise, she is saying that her wound is not actually infected and the break is only an illusion—a powerful one, but one that the brain can produce all on its own. Since Mikla’s damage is severe she is saying we will bypass repairing the damage done to Mikla and go to the safer route—thus maintaining the life expectancy of the wolf.”

“You have totally lost me,” Denise said. Even though she knew what Niles was talking about she wanted someone to come out and say it directly.

“Mikla’s is not the foot and ankle you’re amputating, Doctor,” Alice said as she took Madam Korvesky’s hand and along with Niles and Charlie moved off to the small hut where Carl was sleeping and being watched by Anya.

“It is mine you’re cutting off, Dr. Gilliam, not Mikla’s.”

THE EDGE OF THE WORLD HOTEL AND RESORT CASINO, PATINAS, ROMANIA

Ryan ran his eyes over the double-paned glass and shook his head. He turned and faced Collins and Pete. Sarah was busy running her experiments on one of the expansive suite tables. Thus far they had only been checked on four times in the past three hours by Zallas and his men. Ryan walked up to Jack.

“Sealed. Hell, we would make so much noise they’d think the second invasion of Normandy was taking place in here if we tried to break through it.”

“The sun is starting to come up, maybe we should wait and try to find an opportunity when they feed us,” Sarah said as she jotted down some notes on the hotel’s stationery concerning the strange and growing vibrations coming from the ground and the mountain beyond. She shook her head and bit on her lower lip.

“Well, what good news have you got to share with us?” Jack asked as he finally turned away from trying to find some way out of the massive, well-appointed presidential suite where they were being held prisoner.

“We have an increase in vibratory influences raising at increments that leave little doubt that the earth movement is not only continuing but increasing.” She once more bit on her lower lip, a habit that Jack usually loved because it meant Sarah was in deep concentration and once that happened it was hard to get her to answer questions.

“And that means?” Collins asked, leaning over until his face was in line with her vision.

“Jack, all I can say is that something bad is going to happen. I suspect its origins are up there,” she pointed out of the giant ten-foot plate glass window that looked out onto the castle and the mountain high above the hotel, “or right here under our feet.”

“How long?” Pete asked, wishing he had access to Europa. She would make the guesstimates they were producing at the moment irrelevant and would provide the exact time and place of any seismic event. But Sarah knew her business and if she said there was going to be a problem, Pete believed there was going to be a problem.

“Who knows, I don’t know what the parameters here are without an extensive look at that geological report and the hydro-strata findings.” She looked at the others in the room one face at a time. “Look, guys, this place could fall into the bowels of the earth at any time. I mean anytime.”

“Jesus, suddenly this fun little excursion into Romania looking for fairy tales and antiquities thieves has become a little more serious than we realized.” Jack turned and looked out at the darkness of the predawn and shook his head. He and Ryan could just open the door to the suite and eliminate anyone who was in the hallway, but what good would that do? They had to wait and allow Alice and Niles to get what they needed at the mountain and then return and get them out of here, because right now they had absolutely zero options. Jack turned and looked at the others. “Recommendations?”