She eyed the Bible in her hand with newfound understanding. For all their condemnation of the female sex, maybe the writers of this book felt the same as the Nephilim. In cultures where men craved absolute control, a female with a pretty face and a will of her own was the greatest threat of all. Hannah shrugged, dropped the Bible inside her nightstand, and decisively slammed the drawer on it. Then she retrieved her ebook reader and resumed her novel.
Chapter 11—Special Effects
A cloud of dust rose behind Daniel’s tires as he turned his rental car off the highway and onto a gravel access road. He’d decided, while in Australia, to conduct a private investigation of his own. Once he and his colleagues had returned from Injalak Hill and were preparing to depart for the States, he announced that he needed to fly to Melbourne because the diviner wanted him to inspect the Nephilim compound there. His associates seemed mildly suspicious, but he assured them that his business at the compound bore no connection whatsoever to the relic quest. When the three parted ways at the airport. Cassie and Griffin returned to Chicago while Daniel embarked on a spurious inspection trip which the diviner had never authorized him to make.
The scion wanted to find out if the rumors back home were true. Had his father secretly armed all the satellite outposts? Admittedly, security had been tightened at the main compound, but Daniel had no way of knowing if the same was true of the other locations. The rumored underground lab might be just that—a rumor. His friend Chris seemed to think the diviner was covertly planning a war. A few weeks earlier when emotions were running high, Daniel had been swept up in the wake of the librarian’s suspicions. Now that he’d had time to consider the matter further, the scion was prepared to apply a healthy dose of skepticism to his friend’s assumptions.
It was absurd to conclude that the diviner was plotting to harm the entire Fallen World. There was no hard evidence to prove such a scheme existed. The scion needed to separate fact from fantasy and his visit to the compound in the Yarra Valley ought to help him do just that. What he discovered there would settle the matter once and for all.
After bumping along a rutted gravel road for half a mile, Daniel came to a stop in front of an iron gate. That, in itself, wasn’t entirely surprising. The Nephilim liked to keep prying eyes out of their affairs. More troubling was the fact that a sentry armed with an assault rifle emerged from behind the fence to intercept him.
The scion lowered his window.
In a monotone, the sentry said, “Please state your business here.”
With memories of his father’s blustery demeanor to inspire him, Daniel stared at the sentry in dour disapproval. “Do you know who I am?” he demanded.
The guard blinked in surprise. “No, sir.”
“I am the son of Abraham Metcalf, your diviner. I am also the scion of the Blessed Nephilim which makes me your future leader. Open these gates at once!”
The guard saluted. “Yes, sir.” He then trotted hastily back to his post.
The iron gates swung open, and Daniel drove up to a building that appeared to be a miniature version of the compound in Illinois. It was a square, white, two-story structure devoid of architectural embellishment. All its windows were covered by iron bars.
Daniel exited the car and advanced up the front stairs. A portly blond man dressed in a black suit and tie scurried out to greet him.
“I’ve just been informed of your arrival, sir.” The man clasped and unclasped his hands nervously. “I’m the archwarden of this community. Oliver Duckworth is the name.” The archwarden’s palms must have been sweating because he rubbed his hand against his pants leg before extending it to Daniel.
“Daniel Metcalf, scion of the Blessed Nephilim.”
“Such an honor to have you here.” Duckworth spoke with a thick Australian accent.
Daniel gave a cold smile and scanned the grounds. He noted the chain link fence which extended from the front gates. “Is your property entirely fenced?”
“Yes, sir. Per the diviner’s orders last year. Fenced and topped with razor wire.”
Daniel flinched. At least one of the rumors had just been confirmed. He decided to venture a step further. “And what is the status of your security?”
“Round the clock surveillance, sir.” Duckworth made the announcement proudly. “We have cameras placed at strategic locations along the fence line and throughout the common areas of the compound. Would you like to see?”
“Yes, I would.” The scion uttered the words with a sense of foreboding.
“Please step this way.”
The archwarden ushered him through the marble foyer and along a corridor, pointing out cameras as they went.
Daniel noticed that a deathlike stillness pervaded this compound the same as in Illinois. “Very impressive. You must have had outside assistance to set this up.”
“Mr. Bowdeen was very helpful, sir. He mapped out the locations for us and supervised the installation of all the cameras.”
Bowdeen? Daniel racked his brain trying to figure out why that name was familiar. A chill ran down his spine when he remembered. Wasn’t Bowdeen a friend of Leroy Hunt’s? Wasn’t he the man who
