Cibola

Chapter 5

Dane scrubbed the last bit of corrosion off of the breastplate, admiring its dull glow under the artificial light. It was iron with a copper coating, unless he missed his guess. The artifact was not in bad shape considering its age. The clay and silt of the well had protected it all these centuries.

“What do you make of these markings?” Jade asked, her fingers resting lightly on his shoulders. “Some of them almost look like lines on a map.” She leaned down for a closer look, her cheek brushing against his. He was painfully aware of her jasmine scent and the softness of her skin. “The cross is obviously the most significant marking, but what does it tell us?”

Running diagonally across the breastplate from top left to bottom right, a cross lay in raised relief. At each of the four tips, halfway up the longest segment, and at the point where the two lines crossed were seven-pointed sunbursts. Dane looked at the etchings that surrounded it. It did look like a map. Lines that might have represented mountain ranges filled the top left and center. A low, oddly shaped range lay beneath the center sunburst, and a single jagged peak abutted the bottom left star.

There were pictures as well. There was a tall, squat tower at one point, and what might have been statues at another. And on the bottom, a semi-circle, its center filled with a variety of patterns.

“Is that the moon?” Saul spoke for the first time since Dane had started cleaning the breastplate. Dane didn’t care one bit for Jade’s assistant. There was something about the man’s demeanor that rubbed him the wrong way. “These could be craters,” he said, pointing at the circles that pockmarked the half-circle.

“I don’t know,” Jade said. “That wouldn’t explain the squares. It looks familiar, though.” She stepped to the side and folded her arms across her chest, scrutinizing the artifact. “Let me get some pictures of it, then we’ll see what we can figure out. All right,” she said, raising her voice and clapping her hands twice like a schoolteacher calming an unruly class, “everybody clear the room. I like lots of peace and quiet when I work.”

“Wait a minute,” Dane said in mock-protest. “I could have sworn this was my boat.” The look Jade gave him, disapproval mixed with mild threat, told him not to push it farther. He followed Matt and Corey, who had been hanging out quietly by the door, out onto the deck, with Saul trailing behind.

Jade emerged twenty minutes later, a satisfied look on her face.

“We’re finished for today,” she said. She turned to face Saul, who stared at her with an air of impatience. “You can go back,” she told him, ignoring his twisted scowl. “I’ll be along in a little while. You and I can look at the pictures tonight if you like.”

Saul’s eyes flitted to Dane and then back to Jade. He pursed his lips and worked his jaw. “Do you want me to help you with the breastplate? It’s not really a one-man job.”

Dane expected a sharp retort from Jade at the word “man”, but none was forthcoming.

“I’ve decided I’m going to leave it here,” she said, “at least for the night.”

“The university wouldn’t like that,” Saul protested. “I really think you should…”

“What the university would not like is my concern.” Jade spoke over him in a firm tone. “Not yours.”

Saul tensed, the veins in his neck standing out and his face twisting into a scowl, then relaxed and gave a curt nod.

“Do you want me to come back for you later?” When Jade shook her head, Saul gave Dane an accusatory look. “Of course,” he said, his voice sour. Without further comment, he turned and walked away. Shortly thereafter the sound of a boat motor heralded his departure.

“That guy is a real treat,” Dane said, shaking his head. “Wish I had ten just like him.” Saul reminded him Marc Paccone, an upperclassman he’d encountered at the Naval Academy. Like most bullies, Marc was a sadist, and used his station to abuse his underlings, but deep down he was a coward.

Years later, Dane had encountered him in a bar. A couple too many shots of Jose Cuervo, and Marc invited him to step outside. Happy to oblige, Dane had made quick work of the big fellow and been gone before anyone had even thought of calling the cops. Saul struck him the same way, though what power the man wielded over Jade was not immediately apparent.

“You seem like a no-nonsense girl,” he said. “Why do you keep him around?”

“I’m afraid he’s a necessary evil,” Jade said, smiling. “His father is my biggest backer.” Dane thought that explained a great deal. “But enough about Saul,” Jade said, slipping her hand into his, “how about grabbing me a beer?”

Dane tried to sleep, but slumber eluded him. He had spent a pleasant evening with Jade, but now the mystery was foremost in his mind. He would have gone back for another look at the breastplate, but at the last minute, Jade had decided to take it back with her. He bundled it up and gave her a lift back to shore.

One particular picture on the breastplate now gnawed at his mind. He was sure he had seen the moonlike image somewhere before, but he could not place it. It was driving him crazy. He rolled out of his bed, pulled on shorts and a t-shirt, slipped out of his small cabin and made his way up to the deck.

The night air was damp, but could only be considered cool in contrast to the day’s heat. The full moon danced on the water, glistening on the gently rolling sea. It seemed to taunt Dane, a tantalizing clue to the memory that abided just beyond recollection. He rested his elbows on the stern rail and stared at the silver circle.

Something caught his ear. A sound that was out of place. He cocked his head and concentrated. He heard the scrape of a shoe on the deck on the port side. Moving quickly and silently, he hurried toward the sound, painfully aware that he was unarmed. Perhaps either Matt or Corey was also having trouble sleeping, but something told him that was not the case.

His instinct was correct. A small boat drifted just off the port bow. He heard its engine fire up as a dark form vaulted the Sea Foam’s rail and landed in the smaller craft.

“Hey!” he shouted as the boat tore off, leaving a frothy wake. He didn’t know why he had yelled, but it had seemed like the thing to do. He could make out few details of the rapidly receding boat. A hunched shadow was at the helm, but he could see no more..

He heard a commotion below, and soon Corey and Matt joined him. He quickly explained what had happened, and they set about inspecting the Sea Foam. She was clean. The only sign of intrusion was the cabin door, which had been pushed to, but not quite closed. Inside, everything was in order; nothing was missing or out of place.

“Weird,” Matt observed, shaking his head. “But you gotta’ appreciate a burglar who cleans up after himself.”

Dane gave a half-smile, but he didn’t have to say what he was thinking. There was only one thing anyone would have been looking for in the cabin. But how many people even knew that the breastplate had been here? The discovery was not a secret. News of the find had spread around the town and among the various researchers. He immediately suspected Saul, but that didn’t make sense. Surely he would know that Jade had brought it back with her. And why would he want to take it anyway? As Jade’s assistant he had plenty of access to it. It was too much for his brain.

“I’m wide awake now,” Corey said. “Anybody else want a beer? I’m dry as the desert.”

The desert! Dane glanced up at the moon, a broad smile spreading across his face. He remembered where he had seen the image on the shield!