The Belial Stone(73)

“An international terrorist with super-human abilities. This just keeps getting better and better,” Yoni said.

“And according to Dom’s database, his real name is Azazyel,” Laney said.

Jake frowned. “I’m not up on my fallen angels. Was he a really bad one?”

“Actually, he was the worst,” Henry said. “Suffice it to say, there are strong indications that he has a suicidal streak.”

“Suicidal? Can’t he just find a way to kill himself that doesn’t take the rest of us with him?” Yoni grumbled.

“Apparently, he also has a grandiose view of himself.” Henry said. “If Gideon gets ahold of the stone, he will try to destroy the world. So we need to keep that from happening.”

“Yes,” Laney said slowly. “But what I don't get is why Kensington would work with him. And why keep the site secret? I mean, this is something the whole world would be intrigued by.”

“That’s easy,” Jake interjected. “The military is always looking for the next great weapon. And the less your enemy knows about it the better. Plus, think about the political windfall for Kensington. He could announce that he already has a plan to keep America safe.”

“Not to mention the knowledge. As we get more and more advanced, we’re always looking back to the past to regain the knowledge that we’ve lost. And now we’re talking about an incredibly advanced ancient civilization. Think of what knowledge they might be able to share,” Patrick added.

Henry leaned forward. “And don’t forget that we’re talking about a stone of incredible energy. Since the 1970s, the United States has been dependent upon foreign oil. Oil is the basis for our transportation, our machinery. As a result, we’ve been embroiled in numerous wars. We’ve been the target of terrorists with apocalyptic agendas. And we’ve had to turn a blind eye to horrific human rights abuses in countries that provide us with oil. It’s safe to say that while oil allows us to live our lives as we currently do, it also endangers our lives on a global scale and makes us vulnerable to the influence of other countries."

“But if someone were to find an incredibly powerful renewable energy source? It would be a golden ticket. It would be worth billions. And the political windfall that would result from being the individual who reveals it? There’s not an office that they couldn’t get elected to.”

“But what about all the people killed to achieve that end? Won’t that cast Kensington in the role of the villain?” Laney asked.

Henry turned to Laney. “It depends on whether it gets out or not. He’s done a pretty good job of keeping a lid on his activities so far. The only reason we’re here is because Jake went looking for Tom. Otherwise, we’d be none the wiser. And who’s going to look too closely at the how, when Kensington is viewed as the savior of the United States?”

“And I’m betting Kensington has no idea who he’s really dealing with,” Jake said. “He thinks he’s in control. He doesn’t know he’s just a pawn.”





CHAPTER 58



Chester, MT



“Damn it!” Gideon threw the chair across the room. That bitch had escaped again. Two separate hit teams had failed, miserably, and it had taken hours for the news to reach him. This was all spinning out of control.

The Senator jumped as if he had been struck. “Now, let’s just calm down. Throwing things isn’t going to help the situation.”

Gideon’s eyes pierced the Senator. In his mind’s eye, he strode across the room, grabbed the man by the throat, and choked the life out of him. The image made him smile.

The Senator continued, oblivious to how tenuous his situation was. “She has proven rather resistant to harm. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was part superhero.”

Gideon felt like he'd been slammed in the chest. Could it be? Could she be one of them? He wracked his brain, remembering all his contact with her. He shook his head. No, there were no signs. She had no special abilities. He had felt no kinship with her, no flicker of recognition. She was not one of them.

But maybe, a voice whispered in his mind, she's something else.

“Has there been any sign of them?"

Gideon forced himself to focus on the conversation. “There’ve been no reports since Saint Paul. The Chandler pilot submitted a false flight plan indicating they were heading back to Baltimore. And Henry Chandler has gone to ground as well. There’s no information on him after the Baltimore attack.”

Kensington ran his fingers through his hair in agitation. “This is not acceptable. This problem should have been taken care of. You’ve disappointed me, Gideon.”