The Book of Lost Fragrances

Forty-nine

6:08 P.M.

The intruder wore goggles and a helmet with such a strong light that when he turned, it momentarily blinded Jac.

When she could see his face, it was smeared with dirt-either on purpose as a disguise or by virtue of the machinations he’d taken to get here-and his features were indecipherable. But Asian, Jac thought. Like Ani.

No one moved.

Griffin continued holding Ani down. From her expression, the pain was intense, yet she didn’t utter a sound.

Robbie stood beside Jac, his arm around her protectively.

The intruder remained at the far entrance to the room.

“I told you to let her go,” his voice boomed out across the expansive space.

Griffin didn’t move.

“I’ve got a gun,” the intruder said.

“Yes, you do. But so do we,” Griffin said. “And if either of us shoots in here, we’re going to cause a major collapse. Maybe more than one. We’re in a series of fragile mines. A loud noise could cause a cave-in.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Try me.”

A drop of sweat dripped down Jac’s back.

The man came toward her and her brother. Ignoring her, he focused on Robbie. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you face to face,” he said, “so I could give you this.” He spat. A thick wad of spittle landed on Robbie’s cheek. “For what you did to-” He hesitated. Thought. “Fauche.” Then he smacked Robbie on the side of the head with the gun.

Jac tried to hold Robbie as he fell, but he came at her at the wrong angle. He grazed his face on the rock wall, and his cut reopened. Blood welled almost instantly. It dripped down his neck, onto his collar. Disappeared into his jacket.

“Don’t hurt him anymore,” she said as she dropped to Robbie’s side.

“Shut up. Or you’ll get the same gift.”

She cradled her brother’s head. “Robbie?”

He answered with a groggy grunt. “I’m okay.”

“Touch either of them again, and I’ll take it out on your friend here,” Griffin called out. He jerked Ani’s arms tighter behind her back. She swallowed a scream.

“Hurt her all you want. I don’t care about her. I’m here to collect the pottery.”

“And you’re willing to let her die to get it?”

The intruder ignored Griffin. He squatted beside Robbie. “So, Monsieur le Parfum, where is it?” His voice was gentle, almost soothing.

When Robbie didn’t answer, the robber used the gun like a hammer and struck him.

“Stop!” Jac shouted, reaching for his arm. The intruder shoved her away. In doing so, he’d turned his back on Griffin, who let go of Ani and jumped him.

Ani screamed out a warning. “William!”

“Keep her down!” Griffin yelled to Jac.

The nun was struggling to her feet. Jac reached her in two strides. As strong as Ani might have been, her pain was debilitating. She tried to fight Jac, and almost won. But Jac managed to grab hold of her injured shoulder. For the first time, Ani wailed. Blinked back tears.

Jac threw herself on of top of the woman and held her down.

Immediately she was assaulted by Ani’s smells. Such intimate odors. Perspiration, skin, breath. Jac could identify black tea and juniper berries. Cotton and talc. A hint of salt. Something else.

The stench of a man coming at Marie-Genevieve. To rape her. To laugh at her. He was talking about how her God couldn’t save her from this. That man. This woman. Their smells were identical.

No. Not now. Jac could not allow her mind to fracture. Not now.

She looked up, searched for Robbie. Her helmet illuminated the corner, where it looked like the ground opened up. He wasn’t there. Then she caught sight of him crawling toward Griffin. Probably to help. But drunk with pain, Robbie was unsteady and moved slowly.

Griffin struggled with the intruder. The men’s helmet beacons created an insane light show on the chamber walls as they rolled around on the floor in the bones and debris.

Then the intruder maneuvered his right arm loose. “Watch out,” Jac shouted as the man raised his arm.

Griffin moved just in time. The gun missed him. Griffin held on tighter and pushed them into the next roll.

They were in the farthest corner of the crypt now. Hidden in the shadows.

Jac couldn’t see what was happening. She heard a grunt. Was it Griffin? Then another.

A swipe of strong light zigzagged through the chamber.

The intruder was standing. Griffin was down. “That’s enough of that. Where is the fucking pottery?”

Griffin looked across at Jac. “Okay Jac, give him the pouch.”

She was about to say she didn’t have it, but he knew that. What was he doing? What was he asking of her?

“Throw it over here. Let him have it. We don’t have a choice anymore,” Griffin ordered.

What was she supposed to do?

“To you?” she asked.

“Not to me, give it to him, Jac.”

Griffin could mean only one thing. He wanted the man distracted. Jac grabbed the skull that Griffin had used before, which was lying next to Ani. Trying to aim, not at the intruder, but just beyond his reach, she threw it. Close enough so that he’d think he could catch it, but too far for that to be possible.

The dark object sailed across the room.

The intruder lifted his hands up. Realized it was higher than he’d anticipated. Reached.

And in that moment, Griffin pushed him toward the ledge.

It was such a simple thing. A push. One shove. The man wearing the goggles disappeared. Only the glow from his helmet remained. Shining up toward the vaulted ceiling.

There was a millisecond of silence. Then a splash of water. Then angry cursing.

Griffin leaned over the edge of the chasm. “Hope you didn’t hurt yourself. That’s at least a twenty-foot drop.”

There was no response.

Griffin and Jac bound the nun’s hands together with the rope Jac found in Ani’s robes. Then they tended to Robbie, who had an egg-shaped bump on the side of his head but otherwise was all right again.

“Now. Let’s deal with her,” Griffin said to Jac.

“What are we going to do with her?”

“Help me get her up.”

Once they had the nun on her feet, Griffin nodded toward the far end of the chamber.

Together they moved her across the room.

At the edge of the abyss, Jac leaned over. The man in the goggles stood in mud or water-Jac couldn’t tell-up to his waist in one of the deep wells so prevalent in the catacombs.

“Okay,” Griffin said to Ani. “Jump. It’s water. Our goal isn’t to hurt you. Just take you out of commission for a while.”

She didn’t move.

He nudged her closer to the edge.

“If you don’t jump, I’m going to have to push you. And if I push you, I might mistakenly touch your shoulder.”

Ani launched herself off the edge.

Seconds later there were two sounds: the splash of her landing and what Jac guessed was a swallowed scream.

“The two of you can keep each other company.” Griffin grabbed his knapsack and returned to the edge of the well. He unzipped the flap and stuck his hand in. “Here’s some water to keep you alive.” He threw in one bottle and then another. “Once we’ve delivered our package, we’ll let the police know where you are. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves. Especially you, Sister. It looks like a peaceful place to meditate.”