Chapter 50 – Flight Plan
Cassie paced nervously around her office in the vault. She was muttering to herself—rehearsing the edited version of what had happened on Anboto. Before they left Spain, she had persuaded her teammates that if they allowed her to get to the vault first, she could prepare Maddie and Faye for their arrival. No matter how many times she recited her story, she wasn’t sure that she could spin events enough to minimize the shock. She sighed and forced herself to sit down behind her obsidian desk, placing her palms flat against the cool, smooth stone. It had a calming effect. The waterfall panels trickled soothingly. She focused on the soft illumination emanating from the quartz slabs and took a deep breath, then another. She had almost convinced herself that she was tranquil until she heard Maddie’s voice rumbling down the corridor. The operations director was talking to someone—probably Faye.
“What’s this all about?” Maddie asked suspiciously. “A mysterious phone call from Cassie asking us to meet in her office. No details. All three of them have been too closed-mouthed lately. Usually, you can’t shut them up, but I haven’t been able to get more than ten words out of any of them since they planted the fake artifact on the mountain. It’s been a whole week and all Erik says is that they need more time. For what? Another vacation on my nickel? Something’s going on. I can feel it.”
“I’m sure Cassie will be able to explain everything to your satisfaction, dear,” Faye countered.
By this time, the two women had reached the open door of the pythia’s office.
Cassie sprang up from the desk. “Hi, you two,” she chirped a bit too enthusiastically. “So good to see you.”
Maddie’s eyes narrowed.
“Here, I’ve set up a few extra chairs. Why don’t you both sit down?” She hustled them into seats before they had a chance to ask any more questions.
“How’s Hannah doing?” she asked Faye, pre-empting Maddie’s cross-examination.
“Zachary is visiting with our young charge for the day, so I’m quite at liberty. I admit it makes for a nice change to get out of the house on my own to talk shop without fear of saying something she shouldn’t overhear.” She paused to regard Cassie. “I’m so glad that you’re safely back among us, my dear.”
This time Cassie gave a smile of genuine relief. “You have no idea.”
The operations director couldn’t rein in her impatience any longer. “Cut the chit chat. Why did you want us to meet here?”
The pythia winced. “I was hoping for a home field advantage.”
At those words, Maddie pounced. “I knew it! You’re trying to protect them, aren’t you? What did those two pull this time? Was it Erik? Of course, it was! It’s always Erik!”
“Nothing. They didn’t pull anything. It’s all good. I came on ahead to, ummm, explain things before they get here.”
By this time, Maddie’s eyes were slits. “Explain things?” she asked in a menacing tone. She reached instinctively for her pack of cigarettes then dropped them on the desk, realizing where she was. “Damn!”
The memory guardian eyed her compassionately. “If you want to go to the bell tower for a cigarette break before we listen to Cassie’s explanation, perhaps it might have a calming effect.”
“No,” Maddie waved her hand irritably. “With my luck, they’d get here the minute I walk away.” The serene burbling of the waterfalls was lost on her. She stood up abruptly. “You know what? On second thought, I will go have a smoke.” She snatched her pack of cigarettes from Cassie’s desk. “Murphy’s Law dictates that the minute I leave the room, they’ll show up, and I want to hear the story from them, not Cassie’s sugar-coated version. Maybe if I leave, they’ll get here faster.”
Faye chuckled indulgently. “Oh, Maddie. You really must learn to relax.”
“Serenity is not in my wheelhouse,” her companion muttered as she stomped toward the door. No sooner had she reached the threshold than she stopped dead in her tracks. “What the hell!” she exclaimed.
Faye half-rose out of her chair. “What is it?” she asked with some concern.
“It’s just the guys,” Cassie rushed to block the doorway, positioning herself between Maddie and her teammates. “No worries.”
“No worries!” Maddie echoed, craning her neck to see around the corner. “Why is Erik limping? Why is Griffin in a wheelchair?”
“A wheelchair! Good heavens!” Shocked, Faye sank back down into her seat.
Maddie was about to lunge forward to interrogate the new arrivals, but Cassie spread her arms across the doorway blocking the operations director’s path.
“Hold on, Maddie,” the pythia said. “The guys have been beat up enough already on this mission, and they don’t need the third degree from you right now, so back off.”
The operations director shook her head in bafflement—like a bull after charging a red cape that turned out to be a brick wall. She glowered down at Cassie. “I could brush you aside with one hand tied behind my back.”
The pythia returned the Amazon’s stare. “You’re welcome to try,” she replied evenly. “And while you’re doing that, I can show you some of those slick new fighting moves you ordered Erik to teach me. It took his ribs three weeks to heal. I think it’ll take yours longer.”
Cassie could hear Griffin gasp. Erik, choking with suppressed laughter, developed a sudden coughing fit. Out of the corner of her eye, Cassie saw Faye’s hand
