Truthseekers (10 page)

“Abbey, what happened, who were those men?” expelled Stacey.

“Honey, I believe they were here for you. Someone does not like you or what you guys are up to.”

“Is everyone all right?” Stacey looked up for the first time through watery and blurry eyes. “Oh my god…is that Socks… is he all right?” she said.

“No he’s not,” Abbey replied, bending down instinctively to check his pulse yet knowing from all her training that the break had been deadly and immediate.

“Stacey – please look away.”

Stacey did so in shock and Abbey simply lifted Socks’ corpse and threw it overboard. Stacey looked up in shock when she heard the splash. Abbey simply looked at Stacey and pulled a towel to her bleeding nose.

“Forget it, I will pay his family well. Socks is gone. This is South Africa and no one wants the police involved, not even the family. You are going to help me now find the people who sent these monsters. There is a debt I am going to settle.”

Stacey had already started crying, yet it wasn’t coming from her pain. She had gone into shock, that part where you feel like you are watching a movie with you in it and it just doesn’t seem real. Looking up through the tears she quipped:

“Oh no… I guess this means you are going to have to meet David.”

11

The Embraer Legacy 650’s jet engines had only just been turned off and as the drone still pierced ears on the Cape Town tarmac David had the door open and was running down the steps. Rocko followed him holding his ears. This plane was nearly as loud as when David played that damned Les Paul guitar of his, Rocko thought.

After a quick dispatch through immigration the two got into a pre-booked hire car and sped off on the N2 south into Cape Town and on to Camps Bay.

David drove at a speed that might have even gained the attention of the South African police, who normally didn’t turn an eye at even 140 kilometres an hour. Rocko set the GPS and guided David through what seemed a menagerie of streets up the side of Table Mountain and
over the crest opening up the expanse of Camps Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

“Wow,” said Rocko. “I never get sick of this place. Did you know this is the largest chunk of crystal in the world? It’s a whole fricken’ crystal mountain.”

David nodded. Today he was focused on one thing – making sure Stacey was ok. He did, however, know Cape Town and Table Mountain. He had spent a bit of time there on business, as had Rocko over the years. He knew that the mountain was literally a giant sundial, and that it was also a gigantic national park, which encapsulated caves where the earliest humans had lived. He and Rocko had been in those caves, done processes to tap into the ancient wisdom there and previously had worked with a local white shaman who had shown them that despite general history, much of Table Mountain was actually carved by some ancient race maybe millions of years ago. He knew about the upright standing stones and lintel at Calk Bay, in view of everyone who lived there yet were mostly oblivious to it. He was aware of the carving of Nefertiti in a rock, and the eye of Horus in another, and the relationship and acoustics of the mountain during the various equinoxes and solstices. In fact the mountain even sung in some of the caves and rocks, but today they had raced quickly from Cambodia stopping only to refuel on the run in India and Somalia of all places. A woman called Abbey Bec had called his cell and while he had spoken to Stacey she had made little sense.

“Turn left here, David,” said Rocko, who in many ways was glad they had arrived. He wasn’t good with rollercoaster car rides like the one David just gave him over the ridge of the mountain. “It should be the third house on the right.”

David looked right and the view from the road was stunning. The third house from the right only had a gate and entrance that went down the hill. They were at least 600 feet above the bay, Camps Bay beach directly below, framed by the famous strip known for its touristy cafés and stunning white sand beach complete with boulders of volcanic granite at each end creating not only a superb family beach and surf spot but with Table Mountain and
Lion Head at the back, possibly the most beautiful beach in the world, and certainly the most beautiful suburban beach.

David pushed the intercom but before he could talk the tall gates with the jagged razor-sharp iron on top opened and he saw beneath him a cypress-lined drive that wove down a hill expanding out into a stunning Mediterranean building and gravel car park. David was used to good homes in this part of Cape Town, but this was something that well topped his own home in New Zealand.

“Who the hell is this Abbey Bec, Rocko? Do you think she’s Cecil Rhodes’ great-granddaughter or something?”

“Rhodes was gay, dude. I think he died of an STD.”

David gave Rocko the look and said: “I know that Mr Serious… I simply meant this chick is freaking loaded.”

They parked the car and as they stepped out a well-dressed black man greeted them.

“Welcome to Cape Town, gentlemen. My name is Zachariah – Miss Bec and Miss Stacey are awaiting your arrival. Please follow me.”

David and Rocko followed the man down a few steps and through the large entry hall framed with stone castings of African elephants on either side of two sizable double doors. A further few steps down a massive living room opened to floor-to-ceiling French doors that were concertinaed back to reveal a stunning balcony, barbeque area and some of the most amazing views directly across the beach and ocean stretching over 200 degrees.

Both the men turned a glance to each other that said it all and Rocko couldn’t help himself as he spluttered: “Shark Cage diving my ass.” Just then they heard running footsteps coming from a room on he left.

“Oh my god – it’s you…” Stacey was running towards them, arms out.

“Stop,” called Rocko holding up one hand. Stacey stopped dead in her tracks. Both David and Rocko took in the sight. Her nose had a bandage over it that made her look like a greyhound in training and there were two almost black circles around the eyes that made them hollow and receded.

Rocko took down his hand.

“Ah Stacey, it is you. Thank God. I thought we had accidently strolled into a reshoot of
Kung Fu Panda
.”

“Very funny,” Stacey pouted and gave Rocko a good and friendly slap on his head. Then she grabbed him and gave him a squeeze, and turned the same attention to David.

“Come sit down, I have food here and drinks.”

Stacey took the boys to an informal setting in the second room, which seemed to be a day room attached to the large entrance lounge. There was coffee, cakes and some sandwiches set out on a silver platter. Rocko winked at David, cast aside the cakes and set forth on the club sandwich triple-decker. He was happy.

She went on to tell the boys over coffee her story of how she met Abbey, who Abbey was and what happened on the shark cage diving trip. They just sat and listened. She then told them how Abbey had taken her back to her own house, where they all were and had looked after her over the past thirty-six hours.

“We need to meet this Abbey,” said David “Where is she?”

“Right behind you Mr Clark.” Abbey stood in a doorway behind where David was sitting. She was dressed in an off-the-shoulder thin designer top, three quarter tight pants, mid-sized heels and a blue scarf highlighting her blue eyes. Her hair was flat-ironed straight leaning to one side and part covering her right eye. To finish her look was her scent, subtle and a delightful feel of wildflowers. David stood and turned. He actually felt himself do a double take. Rocko looked across at Stacey and got up simply saying:

“Ok – well that’s that then. I saw a bottle of scotch in the other room. I might just grab that and go outside. This is going to take a while.”

“Mr Rizotto,” Abbey said smiling and strolling over to him. “I’d rather you got that scotch and a few glasses so we can all toast this meeting.”

She lent in and kissed him on one cheek. Rocko felt the scent of the woman come over him and hugged her drawing her close.

“Hey Rocko…” David smiled. “Miss Bec is not a chew toy, now get that scotch.”

Rocko let go and David extended his hand to Abbey. She grabbed it and he drew her close taking in her scent and gave her a hug. “Thank you,” he said quietly in her ear. He couldn’t help but notice how her body fit with his. This was a new feeling for him, one he had not had in a long time. He also noticed that she did not move and hugged him back until he felt the eyes of the others on him and a little self noticing he pulled back, clearing his throat and took his seat.

Rocko returned with the scotch and four glasses were poured and a toast to Abbey and Stacey was given.

David then went straight to business.

“Miss Bec…” She corrected him to using her first name.

“Ok… Abbey. We have heard the story from Stacey as to what happened, but it’s obvious you are much more than you seem. I like to know who I am dealing with, and whilst I really do appreciate you looking after Stacey and naturally we will compensate you for all your personal loss and contribute to the family of your employee, I need to know who you are and who you work for.”

Abbey spluttered with laughter on his last comment. Rocko simply looked at Stacey and whispered, “Oh my god she’s chiding him. That’s going to turn him on even more.” It was true Abbey was being incredibly flirtatious.

“David, you are one very interesting man. I have been reading a lot about you, oh and you too Rocko.” Rocko just smiled through the side of his mouth as if to say ‘yeah yeah…’

“Yet you are really quite serious, aren’t you? OK I know you guys are good people. I’ve had you checked out and Stacey is a gem… totally Lakkha as we would say. I’ll level with you. It’s not something I choose to share these days.”

Abbey went on from the beginning telling the team her real name was Abigail Beckingsale, yet she always found that so formal. Her father was in the South African SAS (Special Air Services). He was essentially the top commando in the nation and as a young man he fought missions on the South African borders and in Zimbabwe. He also fought for the
British in the Falklands War and on special loan to the British during their troubles with the IRA in Northern Ireland. As a child she had been on base with her mother and her brother. Her brother was always a clumsy one but right from under age ten she showed an aptitude for war, weapons and the martial arts, having done Kung Fu initially from age five.

When she was in her teens the army was taking women for the first time into front-line combat. She joined up and steadily rose through the ranks becoming a captain by age 19, then she was invited into the SAS and actually did some undercover work, because of her beauty and lack of standard SAS appearance. She retired from the army in her late twenties and had done mercenary work in a variety of places globally since, and in the last two years, aged now over thirty, she had decided it was time to live the life of a woman, before she lost her youth. The three listened in earnest.

“So you are a born killer?” David said, winking at her. “Where did all the money come from? I guess this place is worth more than a few bucks even here in South Africa.”

“My grandfather was very wealthy. He too was a sort of mercenary. He was invited to become a Rhodes Scholar at Cambridge University, but that turned him against the system. In fact he became a spy in the Second World War, working on the side of the British in Germany and Russia. Let’s just say, he learnt to be well paid and that gene has filtered through to my father and to myself, but unfortunately not my brother.” She smiled at Stacey, who blushed.

Rocko decided it was time to chime in. “So this stuff is stolen from rich douche bags who didn’t deserve it and were probably pretty bad people. I can live with that. I noticed some Egyptian relics in the foyer. Who’d you steal those off?”

“Ha ha, Mr Rocko. Stacey said you were a laugh. None of them are real. They were, but we don’t collect old artefacts that are priceless and hide them away. Anything we have obtained we have taken to a variety of museums and set up trusts. However… we did get them copied, it’s sort of like a trophy cabinet of fake trophies.” The group laughed and Rocko
got up and started poking around a variety of art pieces laughing and cracking jokes about each one amusing himself.

David brought the group back to order. “Thanks Abbey. Not only did you save our favourite girl here. I believe you. You are a good person.”

“Hot, you mean,” chimed Rocko.

Abbey threw a pillow at him in fun and then Stacey chimed in.

“Abbey has allowed me to work from here. Due to her work she has military encoded Internet and I realise I was a bit lax with my laptop. Obviously this thing I have been researching for you is more important than we all think. I haven’t been totally idle, so let me tell you what I have found. Did you know why Columbus tried to find America?”

“No I don’t,” said David. “But let’s get another Scotch and hear what you have turned up.

Stacey told them all about her deeper and deeper search into the hooked X. Her contact at the Vatican archives had been very quick to say he couldn’t help, which made her wonder, yet she had also studied with a girl who was now a mum in Edinburgh and was the part-time researcher and counter girl for the Grand Lodge of the Freemasons in George Street.

Through a combination of different sources and following leads, most of which came to nothing, Stacey had put her time in well as the boys were flying in from Asia.

As they already knew the Templars had been rounded up in 1307, with their leader Jacques De Molay being finally burnt at the stake in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 1314. In the seven years in between it was cited that the escaping Templars went to all corners of the globe to hide a secret they had sworn to protect: the bloodline of Christ. The symbol of this was a hooked X, X marks the spot. The Templars that went to America had stayed for what was thought to be only seven years and then they returned to Scotland and took up arms with Robert the Bruce winning the freedom of Scotland forever and finally settling there, disbanding their order and within 100 years creating freemasonry. Yet
Stacey had found that some of the Templars had not left the USA, they had left clues to who they were including the hooked X carved using Nordic runes in the fashion of the Viking brothers of the Knights of the North, who founded those lands after being hunted there by the Mongols and tribes of the east many years before.