Due to the lack of lighting, Helena had to slow considerably when she grew parallel to the infield of the racetrack. The Russian’s airship still sat moored on the infield of the raceway; the surrounding grass and grandstand lit by the green glow of the limelight illumination from the craft.
Helena elbowed Doyle, “I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that those two were somehow involved,” she motioned with her head.
Doyle shrugged, “I don’t usually run with that crowd. Though I saw them land, impressive.”
“I met them both, at the time I thought they were mesmerizing, now I think they're dangerous.”
“Do you have any plans when we get there?”
“Isn’t it plain enough, we find the Naga, kill it, find and rescue Missy, save the world and escape to adventure another day,” she looked over and flashed a smile while trying to stay on the road.
“Simple,” Doyle smiled back and started checking his pistol to ensure it was loaded and ready to go.
“Holy mother of Jesus, and the Holy Ghost. Here take the reins for a moment,” she barely gave Doyle enough time to put his pistol back into his holster before she handed him the reins.
“Careful, please don’t kill us before we save the world,” Doyle watched as Helena patted herself down looking for something. “What on earth are you looking for?”
“Last night Sigmund gave me a pistol.”
“You mean to tell me, while we were in the theatre, you had a pistol, and you didn’t pull it?”
“Unlike you, I’m not used to carrying a firearm. A lady normally doesn’t require a pistol. Besides, I must have lost it, I can’t find it. Strange Gus gave me my sword the Lost Boys must not have found my pistol.”
“It’s a shame it would’ve been nice to have another sidearm. I only have fifteen shots; how many do you think I’ll need?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never had to kill a Naga before. I would say keep shooting it until it stops moving. How do you know about the Naga and speak Chinese?”
“It’s quite simple. My parents were Baptist missionaries, I grew up north of Hong Kong in a little city called Guangzhou. My parents thought it important that I learn the language, the customs, the culture, their way of fighting, in many ways, I am as much Chinese as I am American.”
“And that’s how you know Miss Tsang Mei Yan?”
“Yes, she went to school at my parent’s mission, we played together as children. When my parents came back to the states, we brought her with us.”
“Watch out!” Helena pointed as a deer jumped out of the woods and into the path of the wagon.
“Strange for deer to be moving this time a night, they move during the morning or the evening,” Doyle slowed the wagons pace.
“If you think the deer’s strange, take a gander at the woods. Give me the reins back.” Helena took the reins guiding the wagon as best she could down the dark road.
“I’ve never seen animals do this, unless when they’re running away from a forest fire. I’ve seen animals run away from a predator like this before. Something must be going on ahead of us, and they sense danger.”
“They’re all running away from the Cliff House. I think we’re going in the right direction.”
Helena continued down the path until they reached the dark Cliff House. All the lights that had been on during the Count’s reception were now extinguished, the gates into the parking area closed, and every window of the inn dark.
“Now what?” Doyle asked.
“I don’t think the party is here. I think they closed the inn so there would be no witnesses to what happened in the Baths below. We need to loop around the grotto to the stairs. That’s where Missy should be.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I hope I do too.”
When they arrived at the parking area for the Baths, it was empty. Helena felt a sudden falling feeling in the pit of her stomach that she had picked wrong that she had one chance to figure this mystery out and she had failed in her task.
“No one’s here?” Helena cried.
“If I was hosting a secret ceremony to bring about the end of the world I don’t think I would advertise it with a bunch of wagons and carriages parked out front. We’ve come all the way out here we must check the baths. If there empty will figure out something to do till the Apocalypse.”
“Very well, be careful on the steps they are difficult enough when the sun has dried them. The steps can be slick,” Helena took the lead
The pair held tight to the rail, going down gravity worked with them making for a speedy trip down the three-hundred-foot incline. Helena saw no lights, no movement, nothing, not even a guard at the Baths entrance.
Upon reaching the bottom landing, she could see the door in the great wall of glass that covered the inside saltwater pools. Helena said, “I had always assumed there would be a guard here,” when she tried the door, finding it unlocked, “Curiouser and curiouser, cried Alice.”
Doyle raised his right eyebrow, “I think you read too much.”
“There’s no such thing,” Helena pushed the door open noiselessly on well-oiled hinges.
The pair found the Baths silent, just the sound of the surf pounding against the rocks below the pools. Helena looked at Doyle and shrugged.
Doyle shrugged back, “Didn’t I read somewhere that there are tunnels in the cliffs to fill the pools with saltwater or something?”
“You're brilliant! Madame Griselda told me that Missy was held near water in a dark cell with no sunlight. I always assumed it was a sewer or a ship. It might be the tunnels in those cliffs over there,” Helena pointed towards the darkest point of the pool building. That point in the
