The Book of Elements Page 21

  "That is why Michael had to intervene before." Vin’s comprehension of the larger scenario was continuing to grow, becoming much clearer. For some reason, this reminded him of an old science fiction movie where the hero had to use the natural forces all around him. Only in his case, Vin was only connected to the wind. Tabbris could not provide an explanation for why certain people were connected to certain elements and not others. That was beyond his knowledge.

  "Eyvindr, you have made great strides thus far. I need to know if you are ready for more. Even though you learn rapidly, quicker than any before you, there is still more that you will need in order to be fully prepared."

  "I am ready. What do I need to know?" Vin hoped his lack of hesitation supported the words of his response. He needed to know more. He was still waiting for his role in all of this to be revealed. He hoped he was ready to know.

  "Michael introduced you to the Book of Elements written by the brothers. You know that it has been passed down through the ages, changing hands many times, but only directly accessible to blood descendants of either brother. Your blood makes you capable of retrieving the book, protecting it, using it, or even destroying it. You are one of the heirs to that burden."

  "And even though I’m on this side, I am able to act in a limited capacity on the other. I can use my link to Caeli to find a way to collect the book before Kent gets his hands on it. It would prevent him from trying to tear down the barrier. Is that what I’m supposed to do?" Vin asked with uncertainty.

  "Your friend, Kent, knows very little of the book, certainly not its location."

  "Kent is not my friend. He is my enemy. He arranged for the attempt on Caeli’s life and continues to harass her because of me. I will see him stopped before this is over. I will stop him."

  "It was his quest for power and promises of grand rewards that made him a willing tool of the enemy, but the enemy is far greater. Kent’s initial purpose was merely to help bring forth the situation that would reveal the location of the book to the enemy. He has done this. The enemy, even now, prepares to recover it."

  "Do you know where the book is located?" The sudden notion came to Vin.

  "Tabbris, can you take me to it? If I can get there first, then I can put an end to this before the fighting starts."

  "No, Eyvindr, I do not know the location," Tabbris paused in such a manner that Vin eagerly awaited his next words, "but you do."

  Vin could not respond. He could not argue the point. He knew it was true. He felt a tugging at the back of his mind. It had been trying to get his attention ever since his crossing. He felt it stronger now. It was the book calling to his blood, giving him the information necessary to claim it. Vin immediately made up his mind to do so, though he needed to devise a plan first.

  He sat down alone on the grassy hill, a silent Tabbris left behind. Vin needed time to think. In solitude, he talked to himself in an effort to glean further insight from all that he had learned.

  "Kent works for the enemy, which means he has at least some special ability or else he would have been useless. But Kent cannot be descendant of either bloodline or the enemy would have used him directly to recover the book. If this opponent does not need Kent to access the book, then perhaps he possesses the necessary genetics himself. No, that can’t be right. If he were able, the enemy would have retrieved the book himself and would not have needed the location to be revealed to him. Tabbris said this man now knows the location of the book. Somehow, my crossing must have been the trigger for revealing that information to the enemy. But how? How could his adversary locate the book if neither he nor Kent have the correct bloodline? And if he's not the correct bloodline, then my initial assumptions were completely wrong. He is not a distant relative at all."

  Vin stopped. Trying to guess at answers he couldn’t possibly know would yield him nothing. He needed to accept that his adversary found a way. The more pressing matter was getting to the book first. Vin felt certain that he could navigate to it right now, but he made use of his lessons and tried to consider what the consequences of rushing in might be. If it was that simple, surely the angels would have asked Vin to reveal the location and taken him there when he first arrived on this side. They would have helped him retrieve and destroy it, and this would all be a bad memory. But, they didn’t or perhaps they couldn’t. Coming to that realization helped Vin reach a decision. He was going to have a look at this book firsthand, and he was going alone.

  Vin concentrated on the tugging sensation at the back of his mind. He excluded everything else and focused on grasping hold of it and pulling himself along the connection to its source. He felt himself adjust to a crossing of the barrier and emerged in the center of a dark room. Vin discovered that he was able to see well enough without the aid of a man-made light source. He looked to his right and began to make a slow, visual scan around the room, examining the details as he took in his surroundings.

  The walls in the squarish room were carved out of bedrock, and its chill gave the impression that it was underground. Vin was not surprised. He knew that many ancient cultures stored their treasures below ground where prying eyes and sticky fingers could not disturb them. As he looked around, Vin noted the single exit which appeared to be a similarly carved stone stairway leading up to an unknown area above. He concluded that this must be a basement or cellar of some kind.

  Then Vin saw it. He observed a small recessed hole cut into one wall. He was strongly drawn to that tiny alcove and ceased his inspection of the rest of the room. All he could think about was the ancient, leather-bound book that lay atop a bundle of linen within the opening. It vaguely occurred to him to wonder why the book was not wrapped in the linen, but the notion was pushed aside by his overwhelming desire to get a closer look at the book. As Vin took a tentative step in that direction, light flickered then flared from sconces on each side of the stairwell. It also glowed from a ring of white powder surrounding his feet.

  "Damn! What have I stepped in now?" A few wisps of the chalk-like substance swirled away from the edge of the circle as Vin glanced down in frustration.

  He tested the confinement and found that he was held by an invisible barrier defined by the encircling powder. He could not move beyond it. Vin quickly turned to survey the rest of the room, but saw nothing else that might help him. He half expected to find someone sitting in a dark corner, lying in wait for a would-be thief. Although, technically, Vin could claim that the book belonged to him or, at least, his family. However, there was no one else in the room. He was alone in the confinement of the underground prison.

  "Ok, don’t panic. Just figure it out," Vin said to himself.

  "Think it through."

  He steadied his mind and began to apply simple logic. Naturally, the book would not be left unprotected. Since there was no one else in the room, the powder must be meant to ensnare any intruder. Vin was not being harmed nor did he sense any immediate danger, so the containment must be intended as a temporary solution, until someone arrived to handle the situation. The room must be monitored for that to happen. The lights flared to life when his foot made contact with the powder on the floor; perhaps they were linked.

  Vin knelt down and examined the white dust and the floor around it. It took a moment before he spotted it. A wire started at the ring of powder, ran across the floor by means of a small fissure, split into two separate cords when it reached the far wall, and continued up until it connected with each of the sconces; a circuit. When Vin stepped on the powder, he must have completed the circuit. But the lights did not go out when he moved his foot off the dust. The circuit must still be drawing energy from somewhere.

  Another moment passed, and Vin had the solution. He concentrated, felt the winds around him rise, stepped out of the disintegrating ring, and began to fade away just as a woman was coming into view at the base of the stairs. He knew that she could not see him, but the conditions in the room caused her to quickly turn and flee back the way she had come. Vin did the same.

>   Vin returned to his grassy knoll. He was not surprised to see Tabbris materialize almost immediately. They stood facing each other. Before Tabbris could begin to chastise him for his abrupt departure, Vin decided to cut straight to the point.

  "Hey, you can’t blame a guy for trying. This is what you hoped I would eventually do, isn’t it?"

  "It is not my place to determine your actions or judge them. I can only guide you, help you understand the choices before you. Ultimately, as you well know, the choice to act is yours alone, for good or not. You seem returned whole, though I am curious about one particular detail. How did you escape the snare?" Tabbris seemed genuinely interested. The fact that Vin basically ditched him without a word and ran off on some hair-brained scheme did not seem relevant to Tabbris at all. Thankfully, the angel did not take it personally. Vin was only mildly surprised to hear that Tabbris was able to follow him and observe his excursion.

  "Simple. I determined that the powder was absorbent, like talc powder. It drew energy from me when I came in direct contact with it and when I applied my energy as I tried to escape. The powder absorbed that energy and converted it to a power source for the lights. It was basically a big electrical circuit. The real clincher was the movement of the dust. I noticed that the grains of powder eddied away from the circle right after my initial outburst. The energy behind that utterance was not exerted directly against the powder. It flowed freely, unrestrained into the confinement field itself, though I was not aware of it immediately."

  "That's an important distinction. I did not notice that either. How did that help you win free?"

  "I overloaded the circuit."

  Vin noticed the perplexed look on his tutor's face, so he explained further.

  "I gave it more juice than it could handle. I let my energy flow outward into the field. It was not directed at the powder. Before long, there was more energy in the field than the powder was able to handle. I overloaded it, forcing it to shut off. It's basic electronics. Viola! I was free." Vin finished his explanation quite pleased with his solution.

  "Creative. Clearly an insight only possible for one who has spent time on the other side, and you showed almost complete control of your emotions. Alas, mankind was not made perfect."

  "True, but it was that very flaw that allowed me to escape. If I had not reacted, then I would not have seen the dust blow by my feet, and I would not have been able to solve the problem," Vin offered in rebuttal. Tabbris voiced no reply, but looked as though he might be considering the validity of Vin’s logic.

  "Do you still wish to acquire the book?" Tabbris changed the subject.

  "I'm no longer certain. I learned a few things during that brief trip that I will need to consider first. While I do that, what is your next lesson for me?"

  "I would like to show you another bit of history." Tabbris placed his hand on Vin’s forearm and moved them to a new location. Vin was never really fond of history lessons, but then, these interactive lessons were much more interesting than anything his childhood professors ever produced.

  CHAPTER 21

  The ride out of town was uneventful. Salma explained to Caeli about the man who drugged her and the subsequent events up to the point where she woke in the hospital. Caeli soon began to feel like the gaps in her memory were nearly filled, though she found it difficult to believe that Kent could be responsible for everything.

  Kent had once boldly told Caeli that he had romantic feelings for her, but she had made it undeniably clear that she was not interested. She was completely in love with and happy with Vin. Kent said he understood and would not bother her again, so she had not mentioned the matter to Vin. Vin liked the man, and they had a casual friendship. Caeli tolerated Kent the few times afterward when he met Vin at the house.

  After getting caught up on the events of the past two days, Caeli curled up on her side of the bench seat and slept while Officer Caldwell drove for another hour. He pulled off the road at a gas station and got out to refill the SUV's nearly empty tank. While he pumped the gas, the captain went inside and paid the cashier with cash out of his wallet. When he returned, Captain Erickson spoke briefly with the officer outside, then climbed into the driver’s seat, and turned to face Salma.

  "Caldwell is not going any farther with us. His car is parked across the lot. He will be returning to the police station to keep a close eye on the investigation and do some more research for me. Even though I trust the young man completely, he does not know where we are going from here. No one does. That being said, I think your patient might be a bit more comfortable if she could stretch out across that seat, and I wouldn’t mind some pleasant company up here. The passenger’s seat is now free. What do you say, Doc?"

  "Captain," Salma began, but was interrupted by his cheery voice.

  "Ben. Please Doc, call me Ben. If anyone hears you call me that, it might give us away."

  "Ok, Ben. Then you must call me Salma. Wouldn’t want to give us away, right?"

  "Agreed. So what do you say, Salma. Care to join me up here?"

  She hesitated and then felt a gentle nudge on her side. She looked over as Caeli winked at her and indicated with a subtle nod that she should take the man up on his offer. To her chagrin, the captain’s keen observational skills picked up Caeli's suggestion, and his cheeks flushed a pale shade of red as he grinned at Salma.

  "Well, it seems that my patient would agree with you, Ben. Apparently, she wants this seat all to herself," Salma made a weak attempt to chastise Caeli, who only yawned and stretched her feet out further across the seat to ensure that Salma would have to ride up front with Ben. Caeli went right back to sleep with a mischievous grin on her face.

  Once Salma resituated herself in the front passenger’s seat, Ben pulled the SUV onto the road and continued driving in the same direction they were previously traveling. After another hour, he turned onto a side road that led into a forested area.

  "Where exactly are we headed?" Salma asked.

  "I inherited my father’s lake house when he passed away a few years ago. I spend time there on my vacations, holidays, and long weekends. Of course, I tell everyone that I’m going fishing or camping, but they don’t know it’s all done in the same place. It’s my little secret. In fact, I hope to move up here for good when I retire."

  They chatted amicably for the next half hour, wending along the twisting roads. As they drove along a flat section of roadway, sheltered on each side by endless rows of trees, they heard a crack of lightning and saw a huge tree up ahead of them burst into flame and topple over across the road. Ben slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a harrowing stop two feet away from the felled trunk of the massive tree. He threw the SUV in reverse and backed ten feet further away so that the flames would not endanger them. Ben stopped the car and looked around. There were no other cars in sight and nobody in the woods nearby.

  "You two stay here. I have to see if I can douse the flames or this whole section of woods might begin to burn." He grabbed a fire extinguisher from a large metal utility box in the back and walked toward the downed tree.

  Caeli was awakened by being thrown onto the floor when the vehicle made its sudden stop. As she pulled herself up onto the seat, she asked Salma what happened.

  "Oh, nothing much. This huge tree just got hit by a weird lightning strike and fell across the road. Ben is trying to put the flames out to keep it from setting the surrounding woods on fire," Salma answered.

  Caeli’s heart skipped a beat in fear as she was reminded of the lightning and the downed tree in the storm when Vin perished, but she quickly pushed that hurtful thought to the back of her mind.

  "Let’s give him a hand. He looks like he could use it, and I could use a bit of fresh air," Caeli suggested.

  The ladies got out of the car and walked toward Ben and the tree to inquire about a way that they might be able to provide assistance. Ben turned at their approach, and a look of astonishment crossed his face. He dropped the fire extinguisher and pulled a re
volver from the holster near his ribs. Before his gun cleared its sheath, two black darts struck him in the neck. He staggered and fell to his knees, dropping the pistol from his hand. At nearly the same time, Salma also went down with a dart in the back of her neck.

  Caeli turned to see what startled the captain as a hooded man approached with a dart gun in his gloved hands. She caught a glimpse of both Ben and Salma falling and dove quickly, trying unsuccessfully to catch Salma before she hit the ground. This allowed Caeli to narrowly evade the dart aimed at her. It was apparently the last dart because the man tossed the tubular weapon aside and continued to close the distance between himself and Caeli. Despite the hood covering his face, Caeli recognized the man right away.

  She could think of nothing else to do except make a run for it, knowing that Kent would come after her, leaving Ben and Salma alone. But, in her weakened condition, Caeli knew she would not get far. She waited for Kent to get close enough, then kicked at his knee using the heel of her foot to crush his kneecap, a technique she learned when she and Vin studied martial arts together. Caeli quickly readjusted her aim and hit his knee again, this time from the side. It was enough to make Kent stumble, giving her time to reach up and bring her interlocked fists down on the base of his skull while he was bent forward trying to recover his balance. This sent him crashing the rest of the way to the ground.

  Caeli didn’t hesitate, but ran to the SUV and jumped into the driver’s seat. She used the automatic button to lock all of the doors. She got the engine started and was beginning to pull away when Caeli saw Kent rise and turn his outstretched arm toward her. A bolt of lightning shot from his palm and hit the car’s engine block, which immediately died and began to smoke. She was now left with only one option. Run.

  About that time, miraculously, after pulling the darts from his neck, Captain Erickson found the strength to grasp his revolver. Ben fired off one shot at the assailant before finally succumbing to the overpowering effects of the drug running through his system. Thankfully, his aim was good. Caeli saw Kent grab his right side and stagger forward a few steps as the force of the bullet impacting his ribs knocked him off balance once again.