A Dubious Curse (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 8) Read online

  “How is that possible?” Loni scoffed. “We would have found them some time ago,” she blustered.

  “According to legend, they are far deeper in the Earth than anyone has ever been,” replied a confident Lisa.

  “So, what is the problem?” Previne asked. “Why are you concerned?”

  “The Vril-ya are a little different,” Lisa told them. They have been using Vril for thousands of years. They will all be blue and sometimes they were very warlike. If they decided to come back to the surface, we couldn’t stop them. They could invade and become our masters.”

  “So we don’t know which group sent you the message,” Previne noted.

  hile everyone contemplated the impact of Lisa’s theories, there was near-silence in the room. Banyon now took control of the meeting. “We have some planning to do,” he announced, clapping his hands. “And we need to hurry.”

  “Slave driver,” Loni let slip.

  Undaunted Banyon continued. “We only have until around midday tomorrow to recover the book and find protection from Harold Bass. After that time, he will be able to see what we are doing, and all bets are off. Especially since Las Vegas has a large Effort cell.” Everyone became serious.

  “The first thing we need to do is to send a team to retrieve the book. Some of us need to leave tonight and grab the book before Harold Bass can see it. We don’t know what resources he might have in Germany. We could arrange a very fast private jet. You could be back here by noon tomorrow, if you leave within the hour.”

  “So, you’re not going?” Loni asked.

  “No, I’m staying with Lisa. She is the one who needs protection. It would be too risky for you and me to go,” Banyon said to Loni. “Are there any volunteers?”

  “Can we get a military jet? It would get us there real fast.” Eric asked. “I’d love to fly in one.”

  Banyon thought about it for a minute. “I need to call Bart at Dewey and Beatem anyway,” Banyon replied. “I’ll see if he has enough muscle to get us a military jet.”

  “Why call him?” Loni questioned.

  “There might be as many as forty Effort people after us. We are going to need some bodyguards.” Eric immediately raised his eyebrows. The last time Banyon had used bodyguards, Eric was with him. They had been right there in his condo in Las Vegas as well. The bodyguards had been two attractive women who couldn’t keep their hands off of both men. Although nothing had happened, Eric and Banyon had sworn each other to secrecy and never told their women. They were sure the women wouldn’t understand.

  “As long as they can shoot, I don’t care if they are male or female,” Eric told Banyon sending him a secret message.

  “I’ll go and call Bart right now,” Banyon offered. “So, while I’m on the phone, figure out who will go. If we get a military jet, only two will fit.”

  “Wait,” Previne quickly interjected. “Do you know the culture of Harold’s curse?”

  “Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. The curse originally came from China. It was placed by a follower of Wu,” Banyon told her as he headed out the door.

  “So, it was a Wugu,” Previne declared.

  Banyon stopped when he heard her response. “Is that a problem?”

  “Well, it is a powerful curse to be sure,” Previne pointed out. “But, now, I can look for a way to neutralize it.”

  “What else do you need?” Banyon asked her.

  “It would really help if I knew what the curse is really about. I mean, is it to recover the book, to abduct Lisa, or to find the formula for Vril.”

  anyon was, once again, out on his large terrace. It overlooked an illuminated, blue swimming pool. The pool area was empty. He hit the speed dial for Bart and considered what he was going to say while he waited. The call went through in seconds.

  “Bart here,” a voice answered.

  “Bart, it’s Colton Banyon.”

  “I was wondering when you would call. It’s been less lively at the office since you have been gone. What’s up?” Banyon wondered what Bart meant. He had only been on vacation for a week.

  “I need your help,” Banyon said.

  “How much help?” Bart responded curiously. “Your account is running low on funds. You need to solve some cases, my friend.”

  Banyon and the law firm made money by solving difficult cases for the government. Banyon kept a balance of funds to draw from at the firm.

  “How could that be?” Banyon responded. “I had over a hundred thousand dollars in my account the last time I checked it.”

  “Oh…well…ah, it is a lot less now,” Banyon could hear him sifting through papers on his desk.

  “How could that be?” Banyon asked with great concern. The law firm was notorious for padding their invoices. They charged for everything, even though Banyon brought them large sums of money.

  “It’s a new month, Colt. We had to subtract our monthly retainer. Then there was rent on your office and equipment. We also added you a private parking space, so we deducted for that,” Bart was reading off of a list of charges. It made Banyon angry.

  “How much is left?” A frustrated Banyon asked, cutting Bart off.

  “There is currently $25,400.25,” Bart replied officially.

  “In that case, I’ll need some credit,” a defeated Banyon said.

  “Sorry, no can do. Our policies are very firm. Cash only,” the audit lawyer replied like a machine.

  “Bart, what are my options?” Banyon asked through gritted teeth. He hated the attitude of the money hungry lawyer, but Bart’s college roommate was currently the President of the United States, and he passed Banyon a lot of cases to solve. On average, he made a half-million dollars per case. That was before Bart took expenses.

  “Well, you do have a company credit card that has a 500,000 dollar limit,” Bart easily replied. “The bill goes directly to you, so we can use that.”

  “Fine,” Banyon agreed. He knew the firm also took one percent of all expenses as a processing fee.

  “Okay, you currently don’t have any balance on that card. I’m ready. What do you need?”

  “First, I need you to call the President and arrange for the fastest military plane available to take two people from Las Vegas to a military base in the Black Forest area of Germany. They will return in a couple of hours. They will also need a government car.”

  “Heavy,” responded Bart. “But I don’t see any money in it for me? Why would the President do that, anyway?”

  “Tell the President it concerns the Effort. He’ll agree. I also need you to send me six bodyguards”

  “Now you’re talking!” Bart responded, as he quickly added up the cost. “Where do you want them sent? When? For how long?”

  “Put them on the first flight to Las Vegas. Send them to my condo there. They are going to need guns, too.”

  “Be cheaper to rent a plane,” the lawyer responded, acting fiscally responsible.

  “Do it then,” Banyon ordered. “They need to be at my house by noon tomorrow. That’s when the fun will start.”

  “Any preference on who I should send as bodyguards?” Bart was well-aware of Banyon’s last bodyguard fiasco.

  “Women bodyguards are fine, Bart. But they need to know they cannot mention any previous cases, and they are to be professional, and there will be no flirting. If my team hears about our last case, I’ll send them back to you immediately, and they will probably have their eyes scratched out.”

  “Call you back in a few minutes.”

  Banyon continued to stand on the terrace. He could see an animated discussion inside—the still-naked women were arguing about something. Arms were thrust in the air, fists were pounding on the table, women were standing up aggressively, fingers were being pointed, and hair was flying everywhere. The women on his team were very passionate, and he also knew they were very demanding. They each wanted things done their way. He was glad to be out of the discussions. He worried about his plan to destroy Harold Bass; there were a lot of holes in it. H
oles he hoped to fill by talking to Wolf.

  He addressed Wolf while he waited. “What is the curse on Harold Bass really about?”

  “Unfortunately, the curse doesn’t end until Barry discovers the formula for Vril,” Wolf quickly answered.

  “So, it is finding the formula for Vril. I’ll let Previne know,” Banyon promised. “What is the downside?”

  “It means Harold could be here a long time, unless Previne can find a way to neutralize it or Barry gets the formula for Vril. Neither one is an easy choice.”

  “Previne will find a way,” Banyon said confidently. “Don’t you agree?”

  “The information I gave you will help.”

  “Were you able to track the two messages Lisa received?” It was the last assignment Banyon had given Wolf earlier.

  “Yes,” Wolf replied. “The origins are rather interesting.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, the first message actually came from up here,” Wolf noted.

  “Who sent it?”

  “None other than Maria Orsic, herself,” Wolf casually replied. “Part of her curse was to watch over the book and send the directions when she was convinced the book would wind up in the right hands. She trusts Lisa and you.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “She is currently right next to me, Colt. She drifted over only a few minutes ago, and we have communicated.”

  “How did she find you?”

  “She has seen you with Lisa and tracked our discussions. But she hopes to not be here long.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Once Lisa touches the book, her curse will end, and she will be able go on to a real utopia,” Wolf responded. “She is looking forward to going to her final home.”

  “What about Harold? Can he see her?”

  “He could if he looked. He would recognize her, as he was one of her watchers decades ago. But he is too self-consumed. He is too busy reliving his miserable life right now.”

  “But if he saw her, is it a problem?”

  “Even if he saw her, he could do nothing about it.”

  “Should I tell Lisa?”

  “Maria would prefer you didn’t. She doesn’t want her to go through the emotions that would be involved.”

  “Okay, but what about the second message? Where did that one come from?”

  “This is very strange,” Wolf said.

  “Oh?”

  “It’s not real mental telepathy, Colt. The information was transmitted. I’ve already started a timeline search on it, but I think the transmitter has been operating for some time. It is like nothing I have ever seen before.”

  “Where is it?”

  “It’s almost in your backyard.”

  hen Banyon returned inside, the first thing he heard was Maya talking. She sounded upset.

  “I’m going, and that’s it,” she said forcefully.

  “What’s this about?” Banyon had a good idea, but needed to be filled in.

  “Maya wants to go with Eric,” Loni said. “She won’t listen to reason. After all, she’s pregnant, Colt.”

  “I’m just a few months pregnant, and I have no trouble getting around. Besides, I’m the only one here who can speak and read German. Could be handy in Germany, you know,” she added sarcastically.

  “That’s true,” Banyon admitted.

  “And I won’t read the book until Lisa sees it first. If Previne goes, she’ll probably have it memorized before she returns,” Maya added, building her case. She looked right at her sister as she said it.

  “Would not,” Previne spat back with her arms crossed in anger.

  “Let’s take a vote,” Banyon suggested diplomatically. The rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement.

  “Never mind,” Previne said, waving her hands in defeat. “Maya can go. I’ve got better things to do. Besides, she was the one who translated the message— only she knows what it actually says.”

  Loni yelled out from behind her computer. “I’ve been checking on the Internet. It says here that Lytton lived most of his life in England and is actually buried in Westminster Abbey. Are you sure you need to go to Germany?”

  “It’s what the message said,” Maya replied wearily. “The directions are quite specific. The message gives precise directions to where they buried him in Germany.”

  “So, is it decided?” Eric was excited about getting into a jet.

  “I should hear back from Bart any second,” Banyon told them. “So you two need to get ready to go.”

  Loni interrupted Banyon. “Listen to this,” she said. “This guy, Lytton, was very popular. He wrote many novels and is credited with the coining of several phrases. He also coined ‘pursuit of the almighty dollar’. I like this guy,” she gushed.

  Ignoring Loni’s comment Previne asked Banyon. “Did you find out anything more about Harold’s curse?”

  “Yes, Barry has to find the Vril formula before the curse is completed. Doesn’t sound like good news, Previne. Can you still break the curse?” Banyon asked.

  She thought about it for a few seconds before he replied. “We may have to use more than one countermeasure to stop it. But we at least know. I will have time to work on it,” she added to save face, since she wasn’t going to Germany.

  “You’ll have until noon tomorrow,” Banyon pointed out. “But, then, there will be six bodyguards pounding on the door and you, Pramilla and Loni are going to have to get them settled.” Banyon pointed to all three women.

  “What about you. Where will you be?” Loni asked with her forehead furrowed.

  “Lisa and I will be taking a little trip up Mt. Charleston.”

  veryone stopped and stared at Banyon. No one seemed to know what to say. His announcement caught them all off guard.

  “This is not time to take a vacation,” an irritated Previne finally said. There was a hint of jealously in her voice.

  “You’re not going anywhere without me Colton Banyon,” Loni protested, stomping her foot on the floor. There was a hint of fear in her voice. Lisa sat with a stunned look on her face.

  “I’ve never been to Mt. Charleston,” Lisa muttered in wonderment. “Why do you want to go there?”

  Banyon just smiled and then filled them in. “The last message wasn’t telepathy. It was sent from a transmitter. The device that sent the last message to Lisa is located in a cave on Mt. Charleston. We are going to look for it early tomorrow morning and I can’t leave Lisa here in case Barry comes early. I’ll have to take her with me. One of you can come if you want, but at least two of you need to be here.”

  “I’ll go,” Pramilla quickly responded. She looked at Loni, indicating she would chaperone Banyon and the lovely Lisa. Loni nodded back.

  “Wait, so you’re saying the message didn’t come from the others?” Lisa asked with a confused look.

  “Don’t know that, but it did come from some sort of transmitter. If we can find the transmitter, it could fill in some answers. You do want to go, don’t you?” Banyon asked seriously.

  “Yes, I suppose I do,” Lisa agreed uncertainly.

  “Good,” Banyon responded. “Now, let’s get down to planning. We need to have a solid plan for tomorrow before we go to bed. Right now, Harold is too busy to watch us, so he won’t know what we have planned. We can talk openly.”

  The impulsive Loni sang out. “Planning spoils adventure. I like to just get out there and go for it.”

  “In this case, there can be no adventure without planning,” Banyon shot back.

  “Spoilsport,” Loni retorted.

  “I also suggest we have several contingency plans and give each a code word, so that Harold will not understand,” Banyon said. “I can just use the code word and everybody will know what to do. Anybody disagree?”

  “Can we have sexy code words for the contingency plans?” Loni suddenly asked. “I’m tired of Plan A or Plan B.”

  “Like what?” Pramilla asked with amusement.

 
“Let’s have codenames like ‘Plan Foreplay’ or ‘Plan Seduction’. That’ll keep Harold guessing, don’t you think?” Loni had a sly smile on her face. Banyon could tell that being nude in this environment had made her horny.

  he next morning, movement on the bed woke Colton Banyon. He was sleeping on his left side and felt Loni’s warm body place itself along his back. She nestled up against him, and a hand rubbed along his body. He was not fully awake yet, but was getting there as the hand continued to explore his body. Soon, it was on his chest. He reached back and stroked her firm, smooth flank. She moved closer and began to rake her fingernails across his broad chest. Suddenly, he was wide awake. Loni doesn’t have fingernails, he thought.

  He quickly turned over and found Previne naked next to him. Her wide, clear eyes stared into his with smoldering lust.

  “Now I have you,” she said sweetly as she moved against him.

  “Previne,” he said with alarm. “Where is Loni?”

  “She is in the shower,” Previne replied in a sexy voice. “Don’t worry, we’ll have enough time.”

  Banyon vaguely remembered getting into bed the night before. Loni and Previne had argued over who would be in the middle.

  “I called it,” Previne reminded her.

  “Doesn’t count when Colt is on the end,” Loni argued back. Previne then leaped over Loni and tried to squirm between Loni and Colt. They were both still naked from the séance. Soon, the two women were wrestling on the bed. Banyon just lay on his back and watched them fight— it was rather erotic. Loni was smaller, but she was more athletic. She began bending Previne this way and that way and quickly she gained the upper hand. She straddled Previne and pinned her arms over her head. They were both laughing.

  “I submit to your superior abilities,” Previne surrendered with a smile. “You must punish me for my indiscretion.”

  “You bet I will,” Loni responded, turning Previne over and giving her a good whack on her bottom. “You can sleep next to me but not next to Colt.” Both women were breathing heavily.