The word gave Daniel an idea. “What deity do they worship?”
“The whore they venerate is called Mari.”
Thinking there might be a parallel to Crete and Turkey, Daniel asked, “Does she have a sacred mountain? Perhaps one with a cave near the summit?”
“Last week, we welcomed a new convert to the Nephilim who was a Vasco. He told me about a place where this goddess is supposed to live. Yes, I think he said there is a cave. The mountain is called...” He paused and frowned in concentration, trying to recall the name. “Amboto or Anboto. It sounded like that.”
Daniel tried to rein in his excitement. “Is that near here?”
“I do not know, but we are in the provinces controlled by the Vascos, so it must be nearby.”
Daniel switched on his computer. “I think there’s a way to find out quickly.” He searched for the name of the mountain. “Anboto you say?”
Sergio nodded. “Si, or Amboto.”
At that moment there was a tap on the door. Hunt was already snoring loudly and didn’t hear it. Daniel rolled his eyes. “Would you mind getting that?” he asked Sergio.
The archwarden nodded gravely, radiating disapproval in every step he took toward the door. He received the bottle from the waiter and signed the receipt wordlessly, sending the man away without a tip. Placing the bottle on the coffee table beside the sleeping Hunt, he came to stand beside Daniel’s computer.
The scion had located the mountain. “Yes, Anboto is very close to this place. The internet has detailed trail maps and driving instructions to get us there. It appears the hike to the summit will take a few hours.”
Daniel hesitated about including Sergio in the trek to the cave. While his previous Nephilim contacts had presented very little risk because of their naiveté, he didn’t want to involve Sergio too deeply in the hunt for the artifact. The scion was no longer a babe in the woods when it came to the outer world. One bodyguard was bad enough. He didn’t need two.
“Thank you, Brother Sergio, you’ve proved most helpful.” Daniel stood to bid his contact farewell.
Sergio looked puzzled. “But I thought you needed a guide while you were traveling among the Fallen in my country.”
“The information I’ve just found on the internet is very straightforward. We should have no trouble finding our way to the mountain without your assistance.”
He patted the man on the back and ushered him to the door. “Good night and thank you. I’ll tell the diviner just how helpful you’ve been.”
Sergio brightened at the comment before the door closed in his face.
“Wake up, Mr. Hunt.” Daniel nudged Hunt’s foot with the toe of his shoe.
“Wha...” the mercenary opened one bleary eye. “Whazzup?”
“You are.” Daniel held out the bottle of whiskey. “Time to go to your own room. I suggest you not consume the entire bottle tonight. We have a mountain to climb in the morning.”
Chapter 43 – Summit Meeting
“This is a momentous occasion,” Griffin observed, laying the relic in its hiding place.
Iker stood pensively regarding the process. “I never expected to see the treasure return in my lifetime.”
“It’s a faux treasure actually,” Cassie corrected. “Within a day or so, if the Nephilim take the bait, it’ll disappear again.”
The sentinel gave her a philosophical smile. “It does not matter. My family has faithfully kept watch all these years, and now our duty is done. The task is finished.”
“What are you gonna do with all that free time on your hands?” the pythia teased. “Maybe you’ll have a chance to catch up on some TV shows. Go out on the town once in a while.”
“Oh, I will find a way to keep busy.” Iker chuckled. Abruptly, he turned his head to listen. “What was that?”
“I thought I heard it too.” Erik rose from a crouching position. “It sounded to me like it came from deeper inside the cave. Is there another way to get in here?”
Iker shook his head. “No. This tunnel ends not far from here. There is no other way in or out.” He shifted his attention to the entrance. “Sometimes there are echoes in the cave. It is hard to know which direction the noise came from or how far away it is. Perhaps Erik and I should both investigate. I will go down the trail to keep watch in case any tourists are on their way up.”
“And I’ll climb up a little higher,” Erik volunteered. “Maybe I can get a bird’s eye view of anybody lurking around.”
“With all the mist and drizzle outside, you two will be lucky to see anything,” Cassie said. “If we weren’t in such a hurry to get this planted, I would have taken a pass on climbing up here at all on a day like this.”
“The fog means Mari is with us,” Iker replied. “Whenever the mist rests on Anboto, Mari has come home.”
“Let’s hope she takes a favorable view of our proceedings,” Griffin said. “She isn’t the sort of deity I’d care to offend.”
Iker nodded his agreement and left silently.
The security coordinator hoisted his pack over his shoulder. “While I check things out, you two need to make this spot look like it hasn’t been disturbed for centuries.”
“Aye, aye, sir.” Cassie gave him a mock salute.
She and Griffin turned their attention to smoothing out the artifact’s resting place. They worked quietly at their task for several minutes until Cassie sat back on her heels to regard her teammate. He was still intent on flattening the gravel on the cavern floor.
“Your beard doesn’t look any better, you know. How long have you been trying to grow that thing out now?”
“About two weeks,” he replied, not looking up.
“It’s still pretty mangy. Makes you look like a homeless guy.”
The scrivener sighed. “If it doesn’t improve by the end of the week, I’ll declare it a lost cause.” He dusted off his
