The abdyos triad, p.18
The Abdyos Triad, page 18
"Is he all right?" Dawn asked.
Cane nodded. "I'm meeting him there directly after this meeting."
Bishop retook his seat at the large table. "Cane, why is Chairman Weiss here?"
"I really don't know," Cane admitted. "All I can think is that this is his daughter we're investigating and he wants to make sure it's done right."
"So he doesn't have any faith in our abilities," Dawn stated.
"I wouldn't say that," Cane said quickly. "Let's just let this play out and see where it goes." He checked his watch. "Will one of you go and get Kelley?"
Bishop stood up and started to move for the door. "I'm on it." He reached down for the door handle but had to quickly step out of the way as it swung open. "Chairman," Bishop said respectfully.
Chairman Thomas Weiss walked into the room and surveyed his team. Even after the long flight, he looked immaculately kept. His dark suit showed no sign of wrinkles, and his hair was perfectly styled. His tie was cinched up tight around his collar and his dark overcoat was slung neatly over his arm. He was only carrying a single brown briefcase. Adjusting his glasses, he moved into the room and sat down at the head of the table. "It's good to see all of you," he said as he flipped open his briefcase. Lifting several pages out, he began to pass them out. He stopped in front of Hayden. "Who are you?"
Hayden felt suddenly uncomfortable. "My name is Hayden Collins, sir."
Weiss shook his head as he turned to Cane. "Pick up another stray?"
"No," Bishop interjected, "Hayden is the only eyewitness in the case. We've placed him under our protection."
Both Cane and Weiss turned and glared at Bishop. Dropping his head, Bishop moved around the table to his seat without another word.
"I had time on the flight to work these out," Weiss said of the papers. "They are an outline I think we should follow in this investigation. It will bring us the best results."
"Tom," Cane said as he took a cursory glance at the pages, "we've already begun our own investigation. It would be a complete waste of our time to start over."
"Plus," Dawn added, "we're on a deadline. From what Kelley gathered, we know all this will come to a boiling point tonight during the full moon."
"Where is Ms. Windel?" Weiss asked.
Dawn looked at Cane, then returned her gaze to Weiss. "We're not entirely sure at this point. She hasn't checked in this morning yet."
Weiss nodded. "I want to speak to her as soon as she comes in." He glanced down at the papers, then back at his group. "You all have your written assignments. Let's get to work, and remember, lives are at stake here."
Cane turned and nodded to the team. They quickly went about their assignments.
"I want full paperwork on this one," Weiss called after them.
"Want my opinion?" Cane asked after everyone else had left the room.
"Do I have a choice?"
Cane thought for a moment, "No. I think you're making a big mistake here, Tom. I know this is your daughter we're investigating, but that makes it all the more important you aren't here. We can't risk you letting your emotions cloud your judgment."
"I know what I'm doing, Zach. I have worked plenty of field cases before," Weiss added.
"I know, but none that involved your daughter." Cane stopped and decided to try a different angle. "Look, all I'm saying is the best place for you is back in Washington D.C."
"Do you take me for some kind of damned old fool?" Weiss asked. He moved around the table, his gaze intently on Cane. Stopping in front of him, Weiss smiled. "I have made my decision. I'm staying here and taking over this investigation. Nothing you can say will change that, Cane. I'm here to help Lexy," he said softly. Turning, he lifted his briefcase off the table. "Now if you'll excuse me, I want to go clean up a bit."
Cane watched Weiss walk out of the room and head down the hall. Turning back inside, he closed the door slowly. "God help us all," he breathed.
Chapter Nineteen
Bishop knocked again on Kelley's door. He waited patiently outside, Hayden, standing behind him like a pack mule, had their equipment slung over his shoulders. Leaning up against the door, Bishop pressed his head against it. He lifted his hand to knock again, but stopped himself.
"She's not in there," Hayden assessed grimly.
"She has to be," Bishop muttered in return. "There's nowhere else she could be."
"Maybe she left late last night to follow a lead and just hasn't come back yet," Hayden suggested.
Bishop turned away from the door. "That's not like her. She always checks in."
"Unless she can't."
Bishop shot a nasty glance toward Hayden, then returned his attention to the door. Pressing his ear against it, he listened for a moment.
"Do you want me to see if I can get someone from housekeeping to let us in?" Hayden offered.
Taking a step back from the door, Bishop shook his head. "That won't be necessary." In one motion, Bishop had twisted to the side and kicked his leg straight out, knocking the door open. He smugly glanced at Hayden and walked straight into the room.
"This is breaking and entering," Hayden said nervously.
"We have just cause."
Hayden shook his head, "We're not cops!"
Bishop waved the younger man off with his hand. "Look around for anything that might suggest where Kelley is."
Hayden nodded, dropped the bags and set about the task.
Bishop stood in the center of the room, slowly working his eyes over the scene. The bed was in a complete state of disarray. The mattress was hanging off the edge of the box spring, while the sheets were a tangled mess around it. One of the lamps next to it had been knocked to the floor and the phone was off the hook. Bishop could hear the repetitive squawking from the receiver. Leaning over, he slipped the phone back into its cradle. He didn't like this at all. There were clearly signs of a struggle. Bishop was suddenly hit with a deep sense of despair. He knelt down and lifted a lone shoe off the floor and held it in his hand.
"We can call off the search," Hayden called from the opposite side of the room.
Bishop quickly stood, dropping the shoe. "What?"
"She's here," he said quietly. Hayden glanced into the bathroom, then down to the floor.
Bishop moved across the room, stopping just short of the bathroom door. He looked from the door, to Hayden, then back again. Bishop swallowed hard. "Is it bad?"
Hayden nodded. "You don't have to go in there."
Bishop reached over and placed his hand on Hayden's shoulder. He gripped it firmly and shot the younger man a reassuring glance.
Hayden understood. He stepped away from the door and moved toward the telephone.
Bishop took a step forward, but stopped. He wasn't ready. Summoning up all his strength, he gritted his teeth and stepped into the bathroom. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her, but he couldn't bring himself to look directly at her. His vision moved from the tan towels hanging on the wall to the faux marble sink and to the floor. He could see her foot clearly now. Moving slowly up her body, Bishop saw that she was still in her pajamas. She always wore a pair of boxers and a tank top to bed. His eyes followed her legs up to her chest and then to her head. Stumbling back, he hit the wall and slowly slid down.
Kelley was lying with her head propped up between the wall and toilet. Her arm was crossed uncomfortably over her body and her usually well-kept hair was a mess. Her opposite arm was resting against the wall, where her fingernails had ripped small gashes into the wallpaper. Her eyes were wide and still bore the recognizable emotion of fear. Crusty trickles of blood led down from her nose and onto the strap of her white shirt.
Bishop ran his hand slowly down his face, then back through his hair. Leaning forward, he stared at the white linoleum floor. The urge to vomit gripped him, but he fought it. He would not allow himself to lose control. Looking back up at Kelley, he lifted himself off the floor and moved toward her. Lowering the lid of the toilet, he sat down next to her. Tenderly, he placed his hand on the cold flesh of her shoulder. He moved his hand to her face and carefully closed her eyes. Reaching into his coat pocket, he retrieved two coins and placed them gently on her eyelids.
"This was done in ancient times by the Greeks, Kelley," Bishop said with a slight crack in his voice. "It was so the departed could pay Charon the ferryman of the River Styx and have a safe journey into the afterlife, instead of being doomed to wander the river's edge until they found the pauper's entrance to Hades." Bishop paused. "I couldn't take care of you in this life," he said regretfully, "It's the least I can do for you now." He caressed her shoulder gently and stood up. "Goodbye, Kelley." He looked up to see Hayden standing in the doorway.
"That was nice," Hayden said with a subtle smile. "I only hope someone says something like that at my funeral."
Bishop patted Hayden on the shoulder as he moved out of the bathroom. "So do I." He moved back toward the center of the room and dug his hand into his pocket. He cursed under his breath. "My cell phone's gone." He vaguely remembered losing it during the escape from the creature the day before. "You have a phone?"
Hayden shook his head, but pointed to the hotel phone resting on the floor next to Kelley's bed.
"We can't use that phone anymore," Bishop said slowly. "This is a crime scene and we've already contaminated it enough just by being here. We have to get out of this room." Bishop stopped. All he could see was his friend, a woman he had come to respect and love laying dead on the floor. He thought back to the crystal he had bought for her two days earlier and how it had broken. Someone was trying to tell him something back then, but he chose to ignore the message and pass it off as random chance. Bishop stopped and lowered his face into his hands. He was reading too much into this. There was no way he could've prevented this. He knew everyone had his or her own course in life, and unfortunately, this was Kelley's. He didn't have to like it to make it true.
Looking back at Hayden, he pointed toward the two bags of equipment on the floor. "Let's get out of here and find Cane." As Bishop moved past the pile, he lifted his laptop case and a duffel bag from the floor and strapped them over his shoulder. Hayden quickly followed, scooping up the rest of the equipment.
"Shouldn't we wait for the authorities?" Hayden called after him.
Bishop walked briskly down the hall, not even acknowledging Hayden's comment. It was all he could do to keep his mind off the dead body…Kelley, he quickly corrected. This wasn't just some random person they had found, rather a member of the team, part of the family. Anger began to well up inside him. He would find the people responsible for this, and he would have retribution. They all would.
***
Isis rolled onto her back and slowly opened her eyes. She smiled softly. Her servants had attended her while she was resting. They had tucked her neatly into bed and removed the horrid clothes Agent Fowler had been wearing. She was now swathed in a red, silk nightgown that hugged her freshly formed curves. Isis slid into a sitting position and glanced around her room. A large mirror hung on the wall next to the bed. Swinging her legs over the edge, she took a cautious step. She stood carefully for a moment, shifting her weight back and forth between her legs. They now felt firm and solid, rather than the awkwardness she had encountered earlier. Taking another step, she became more confident. She easily traversed the floor toward the mirror.
Stopping in front of it, her eyes widened. She was not exactly as she remembered. Probably, she theorized, a result of being in an alien body. Her frame was long and slender, but her eyes were no longer brown, they had changed to a shade of green that almost appeared white in the light. She lifted her hand and ran it through her hair. It used to be shimmering black, but now it was blonde and hung to her shoulders. She smiled through luscious, full lips at her reflection in the mirror. The new colors suited her, she decided. Perhaps that was why her servants had dressed her in red rather than her traditional black. This was much more appealing.
She ran her hands down her newly created body with satisfaction. This vessel would serve her purposes well until her more permanent one could be created. She slowly cocked her head to the right playfully. Perhaps she wouldn't even need her new body. This one was lovely. She lifted her arms above her head and stretched her aching muscles. Closing her eyes, Isis brought her arms down across her body in the Goddess position and began to focus her energy. She felt a quick sputter of power, then nothing. She reopened her eyes and stared dolefully at herself. That was why she needed a new body. She was unable to use her powers to their full extent in this one. It had taken her years to master the magicks she used. In this vessel, it would take at least that long to learn them again. Muscles had to be taught, connections had to be altered, chemistry had to be changed. She didn't have that kind of time. At least she could do enough to complete tonight's impending ritual, then she could be free of Fowler's body. She wrinkled her nose. She could still smell him.
Clearing her mind, she mentally called for her servants. She waited for a moment, then repeated the call. Mere seconds had gone by before her chamber door creaked open and two figures moved inside. Isis turned to face the two. They were both her zombies. The one on the right was Lexy Weiss, the other, she didn't recognize. Isis moved slowly toward the two. Raising a hand, she placed it on the face of the second zombie. It was a man, but it wasn't her first creation, Jax. This one was new. She glanced over the creature's facial features, then down to his tattered clothes.
Moving her hand up his face, she stopped when she reached his forehead. Pressing her fingertips firmly against his skin, she delved into his mind. The process was difficult for her. In her previous incarnation, she wouldn't have had to even touch her subject, but now her powers were weak and unfocused. She shuffled through the random thoughts on the surface of his mind to the more important ones buried beneath. She saw flashes of his parents, school, college and then…Fowler. She saw his face clearly. Reaching deeper inside, she suddenly smiled and broke the connection. The creature panted hard and almost fell to the ground as Isis removed her hand.
"Sorry for the harsh treatment, love, but I had to be sure. You were Agent Fowler's partner." A name suddenly came to her. "Agent Greg Allen, I believe it was." She sized up her new creature. He was lean, looking as if he could slay an entire army by himself. Isis laughed to herself. She knew he could. "You were an accident," she said after a moment. "When Jax killed you, there was a mingling of blood and you were created."
Allen nodded happily, much like a puppy would when its master was speaking to it. He had no idea what she was saying to him, but he liked being spoken to. A side effect of the zombie transformation was a limited understanding of vocabulary.
Isis smiled again. "You'll do fine." Turning away from the two, she moved back to her mirror and held her arms wide. "Dress me," she commanded.
The two creatures moved to Isis' side and quickly set about their task. As they reached for her nightgown, each retracted their claws. Lexy and Allen lifted the nightgown up Isis' body and carefully slipped it over her head revealing her naked body. Without a second glance, the two moved to a large chest located at the head of Isis' bed and opened it. Inside, they found the traditional trappings of an Egyptian Queen. One by one, they removed the pieces made of brass, copper and gold and laid them gently on the bed. Lexy lifted a white cotton dress from near the bottom and hung it over her arm. Moving back to Isis, she carefully slid the dress on and adjusted it until it hung perfectly from her shoulders. Allen came next, with a large gold collar that he snapped around her neck. The collar hung heavy and spread out like a bird's wings on her chest. The gold was interwoven with green stones and intricate pattern work.
Lexy then lifted a headband and slipped it onto Isis' forehead. The gold band sat perfectly and presented itself in its full glory. The head of a cobra arched up from the band, its hood spread wide. Two almond-shaped emeralds had been used for its eyes, giving it a sinister, regal appearance. Allen, dropping down to one knee before his Goddess, presented her with the final piece: a six-foot tall gold staff with a similar cobra head atop it. The cobra's golden body weaved its way down the staff to the very bottom where it terminated. Isis admired the staff for a moment as she took it into her hand. Switching it to her opposite hand, she felt the weight of the instrument and smiled. She could feel the waves of power emanating from it as they were absorbed into her body. She turned the staff head toward her. The cobra head came to life, its tongue working rapidly in and out of its mouth, smelling the air. Its green eyes focused on Isis and hardened. The snake bowed its head in reverence. Everything was in place.
Isis extended a hand to her two servants. They both took it in turn and gently kissed it. "Rise," she commanded. Moving toward the door, she smiled seductively at the two. "Come, we have work to do." She waited patiently for one of her servants to open the door. Glancing behind her, she shot an evil glance at the two. Allen looked at Lexy, then back at Isis. Apologetically, he slunk forward and reached for the door. Bowing his head, he waited for his Queen to pass.
Moving slowly, Isis walked through the altar room and stopped in front of a blank wall at the rear. Lifting her hand, she carefully waved it, palm forward, over the blank space. As she worked her way down the wall, a large, wooden door was revealed. Waving her hand again, it swung open revealing a new chamber. Isis took a step inside and smiled.
The room shimmered. Unlike the other rooms, this place was in immaculate condition. Candles filled every nook of the room, radiating light in every direction. The floor was polished white marble with a few sparse veins running through it. Several six-foot tall golden statues stood guard in the corners and beside the raised throne near the back. It was constructed of white stone with golden highlights and inset with several different colors of gems. It stood in the center of a platform, three steps off the floor. Two tall torches burned just behind it and a long red carpet ran from the door to its foot.
