Erik blinked. “Uh, yeah. He’s right. That’s what we did.”
“So, you snuck over the fence in the dead of night intending to abduct my wife,” Metcalf surmised. “But my sentries intercepted and shot you.”
Erik nodded. “I don’t know what happened after that on account of being half-dead and all, but the doc said Joshua dropped me at the lab.”
“I wonder why my brother took it upon himself to decide the best course of action,” Daniel speculated in an innocent tone. “I should think any breach of security would have been reported immediately to the diviner.”
Metcalf registered concern at this observation. In a softened tone, he said, “You’re quite right. I will question Joshua about his conduct. Perhaps you both were correct to bring the blueprints to my attention.”
Hunt darted a smug glance toward Daniel but otherwise held his peace.
The diviner leaned forward over the desk and fixed Erik with a piercing stare. “I’ve been informed that you’re part of a vast organization. Where are your headquarters?”
The thief shrugged coolly. “We operate on a need-to-know basis. Me and the rest of my team didn’t need to know.”
“Then who gave you your orders?” Metcalf persisted.
Erik hesitated. “An old woman named Faye.”
Leroy slapped his knee. “I knew it. I just knew it!”
“Please enlighten us, Mr. Hunt,” the diviner said dryly.
“Well, sir, it was like this. When I was spyin’ on little Hannah, I seen her livin’ in a farmhouse with a nice old lady. I figured maybe that granny knew more than she was lettin’ on.”
“Faye was in contact with the higher-ups. She told my crew what to do, and we did it.”
“Where is this woman now?” Metcalf asked.
Erik snorted. “In a coma, thanks to you.” The thief glared at Hunt.
The cowboy raised his eyebrows. “What you talkin’ about, boy? I was over in China gettin’ fleeced by some bandits when that went down. It musta been...” He hesitated, obviously remembering Metcalf’s injunction against mentioning Joshua’s name. “It musta been the boss’s other son.”
The diviner knit his brows, clearly troubled. “Joshua made no mention of harming an old woman during the raid.”
“Yeah, well he did,” Erik insisted. “The night Hannah was carried off, Joshua or one of his goons pushed Faye down a flight of stairs. The powers that be whisked her off to a private hospital someplace and now she’s in a coma. That’s all I know.”
“He would have done far better to bring her along with Hannah, so we might have questioned her. It was a valuable opportunity lost.” Metcalf uttered the words more to himself than his audience.
“Father, it seems you’ll have a number of topics to discuss with my brother next time you see him.” Daniel made the comment as inoffensively as possible, but the pointed remark wasn’t lost on Leroy, who chuckled quietly.
“This Faye might have led us to Mr. Big,” the diviner murmured, still thinking out loud.
“Who?” Erik squinted at him.
The cowboy intercepted the question. “The brains behind your operation, boy. The head honcho. The guy who’s been jerkin’ me around like a puppet on a string for nigh on a year now. I come to call him Mr. Big.”
“As far as I know, there’s no man in our organization like your Mr. Big,” Erik said.
“You’re lyin’.” Hunt stalked across the room and leaned over Erik’s chair.
The thief gave him a relaxed smile. “Look me in the eye and see if I am. I tell you there’s no such man as Mr. Big.”
The cowboy searched Erik’s face for a long moment. He straightened up. With a sense of wonder, he announced, “I do believe he’s tellin’ the truth.” He swung toward the diviner. “But that don’t mean he don’t know more than what he’s sayin. C’mon, boss. Let me spend a little time tearin’ up them stitches, and I’ll make him sing like a mockin’ bird in springtime.”
“Mr. Hunt, be quiet and let me think!” Metcalf was rubbing his temples.
Leroy stomped back to the windowsill, crossed his arms and fumed in silence.
The diviner gazed at Erik. “Your presence here is an act of Providence. You survived multiple gunshot wounds in addition to Doctor Aboud’s best efforts to kill you. His viruses—” He caught himself. Apparently, what happened in the doctor’s lab was meant to be a closely-guarded secret, even from Daniel and Hunt. “In any event, it’s clear the Lord has preserved you for a purpose. I just don’t know what that is.”
“Perhaps I do, Father.”
All eyes turned to Daniel.
“Think how much more incentive it would be for our new allies to find the Sage Stone if they know we have their associate.”
“New allies?” Erik asked carefully.
“Yes,” Daniel informed him. “Several days ago your friends contacted us to strike a bargain. They agreed to give the Nephilim the Sage Stone in exchange for Hannah as a temporary hostage.”
“I guess I missed a lot during my stint as a drugged lab rat,” Erik admitted ruefully.
Daniel turned toward the diviner. “Think about it, Father. Even with the promise of Hannah, these people might still be tempted to take the treasure and run. After all, she’s nothing to them but a bargaining chip which might be abandoned at any time. Erik is one of their own. We can be doubly sure of their loyalty by promising to deliver both Hannah and Erik to them once the Sage Stone is found.”
Metcalf steepled his hands, considering the plan. “That’s a very good idea.”
“Of course, we’ll need to produce him intact at the end of the quest.” Daniel focused on the cowboy. “I don’t believe it would be wise to allow Mr. Hunt to pummel him in the interim.”
“I agree,” Metcalf nodded. “Do you hear that, Mr. Hunt? Hands off our hostage.”
“Yessir,” the cowboy muttered resentfully.
“It might also
