Pulse

FORTY-EIGHT

Alexander Diotrephes crossed his legs and leaned back on a lab table, cool as can be, and answered the first question Rook posed, "George Pierce is an archaeologist. A fine one at that. But his allegiances are in the wrong place."

"What do you mean by that?" Rook asked.

"He is committed to revealing history to the world."

"You're an archaeologist. You disagree?"

"Did I say I was an archaeologist?"

Rook thought about it. He hadn't.

Queen circled Alexander slowly. "And the problem with learning from history?"

"History is doomed to repeat itself no matter how much we know about it. There were two world wars, virtually back to back, facing the same enemy. No one learned from the first war. No one doubts that there will be a third world war. It's as much a part of our future as the wars of our past. But digging up the past isn't just useless, it's sacrilege. When ancient relics, theories, and… intellectual properties are dug up by archaeologists like Pierce, they automatically take a kind of finders-keepers mentality. He believes that he has complete freedom to reveal what may have once been a closely guarded secret to the world. I simply say it is not the place of archaeologists to make such a decision."

"You expect archaeologists to track down the descendants of the original owners?" Rook asked.

"Or the descendants of the grave they're exhuming, yes. Do you think the pharaohs wanted to be dug up and displayed in museums, or ground into powder and sniffed like drugs, or sold at auction? The modern world talks about religious freedoms and protections, yet we so quickly ignore the beliefs of those who came before simply to satiate our curiosity. It's offensive."

"Cry me a river," Rook said, then looked at Queen. "I'm betting he's a vegan, too."

That got a grimace out of Alexander. "Do you know who I am?" "Not a clue."

"And yet, you come here, armed, and expect me to answer all your questions?"

"Looks that way." "Looks can be deceiving."

A shadow fell over Rook. It hammered him in the back. He fell forward, losing the handgun beneath a lab table. A second form fell from the ceiling, but Queen dove out of the way, rolled to her feet, and raised her fists. But there was only Alexander, sitting with his cocky smile. She noticed his eyes flicker, ever so briefly, behind her. She turned and kicked out, catching her attacker by surprise. She was happy to hear a grunt and crack of bones.

But when she turned to face her foe, it had retreated to the shadows. She could just make out the swaying head and shoulders, but could clearly see the yellow, reflective eyes.

Rook crouched and dove for the gun. Just before his fingers reached the weapon, a dark hand reached out and snagged it. There were five fingers, but the cracked, gray skin and impossibly thick fingernails looked inhuman. Rook stood in a flash. He recognized the skin. These were the same things they found in Pierce's office. He looked for it, but the creature had joined the other in the shadows.

"Do not be afraid," Alexander said, looking as relaxed as ever. "The weapon made them nervous. You'll be fine… until I'm finished with you." He spun on the chair, facing Rook. "Now it's my turn to ask the questions. Who are you?"

Both remained silent. Torture would not gain that information. Alexander could see as much. "Very well. We all have our secrets. But I know you've been to the University of Athens. Interrupted our recovery efforts."

"Hope you got my phone message," Rook said.

Alexander grinned. "Indeed. You spin words like a minstrel. But it seems you also found what they" — he glanced into the shadows— "were unable to retrieve. You were lucky to turn on the lights. As you can see, they're quite sensitive. Now, what is your interest in George Pierce?"

"He's a friend," Rook said.

"And?"

Queen sighed. Divulging information had not been the plan. "He's been poisoned."

"Indeed. By whom?" "A genetics company." "For what purpose?"

"According to you, that isn't information worth sharing with the world," Rook said.

"Clearly you thought I could help with this poison. Why come here otherwise?"

"We didn't know what we would find," Queen said. "Agustina Gallo. Those were the last words Pierce spoke before he fell into a coma." Queen held up the Herculean Society symbol. "He drew this symbol in his own blood."

Alexander sat up straight. Interested. "That doesn't sound like Dr. Pierce to me."

"He wasn't himself," Rook said.

"Then, what was he?"

Again, they stayed silent. In the silence Queen could hear clicking from the shadows. The yellow eyes had disappeared, but she could sense the two… things in the dark.

"He found something, didn't he? Something dangerous? Something men… would kill for." Alexander rubbed his chin, then looked at Queen. "Please. Tell me where he found it. What country?"

Queen figured that knowing the country would do little good in figuring out what ancient Greek artifact had been found halfway around the world, so she divulged the information hoping it would keep the conversation going and buy more time to turn the tables. "Peru."

The man's eyes widened. "Nazca?"

"How did you know that?" Rook asked. "Another bug?"

"It can't be…" He was on his feet now. "A genetics company you said?"

Rook nodded, noting that the aggressive tone in Alexander's voice had been replaced by concern. "You know what he found, don't you?"

He looked them both in the eyes, sizing them up. His countenance softened. "Follow." He led them across the room, away from the shadows, toward a row of glass-faced refrigerators. "Do you know what the Herculean Society does?"

"Protects the 'legacy of the historical Hercules,'" Queen said.

He nodded, then continued toward the refrigerators. "We have led the world to believe that Hercules was a god among men; that his prowess and stature were out of reach to all of humanity. In truth he was a scientist of sorts. The first geneticist if you will."

Steam billowed from the refrigerator as he opened it. He reached in and pulled out a test tube holder that contained six vials, each filled with brown liquid. He took one out and shook it, clouding it to near black. "I never thought I would need these… "

He replaced the test tube holder and handed all six vials to Queen. "The elixir will block the genes that allow for regeneration. It was a temporary fix for the Hydra. For Dr. Pierce…" He shrugged. "Two for the creature. A small dose for Dr. Pierce should be effective. Use the rest to make more if needed. Eternal life is a burden. A curse. The planet will not be able to survive an eternity of the human race."

She looked at the vial, then back to Alexander. "You're letting us go?"

"As I said before, some secrets are better left buried. The Hydra should have never been exhumed. History will repeat itself yet again." Alexander pushed their shoulders, turning them to the exit. "Go. Now. You will not be harmed. Go!"

"If you know so much, you could come with us," Queen said. "Help us."

He laughed. "You would have me locked up when finished." "We can make arrangements."

"I'm afraid not. I long ago promised someone I loved that I would refrain from getting directly involved in the world's problems. I'm afraid this is the best I can do. You see, unlike the rest of the human race, I honor the past. Now go!"

Alexander shoved them forward, and neither slowed. They had what they came for and knew how to find him again if need be. They raced up the stairs and entered the main cavern. The people working on the Neanderthal artifacts stood and watched them wind their way through the maze of strings. A few moved toward the back of the cave, but then stopped. Rook looked back. Alexander was there, motioning that everything was fine.

As they approached the bright Mediterranean Sea through the dark cave, Rook took hold of Queen's arm. "Something he said just registered."

"What?"

He pointed to the test tubes. "Two for the creature…"