Guarding the Treasure (17 page)

“Three, you ask more of me than even those who mistreat me. Can you not see my tears? Why are you so harsh?”

“Dear child, I want all of you, so you will know how to guide the one that follows in your footsteps.”

“Three, you allow me to experience pain and disgrace for one I do not know?”

“Yes, I am your hope, Anya, and you will be the hope for the one who follows. Allow me to make a way for you so you can make a way for the next.”

The fear gripping Sophie's mind disappeared the moment Three spoke his words to Anya.

“Three, who are you,” Sophie asked, rereading some of the words. “Why is it you want so much from her? What is your motive? Are you that selfish? If you're a man, it would make total sense, much of the male species are greedy and controlling.”

Trey once again entered her mind. He wanted everything, too. He wanted his God, his career, and Sophie to jump on the bandwagon with him. She breathed in and then allowed a laugh to escape. She couldn't blink. “Wonder how that's working for you now, Trey?” she said, but this time with a bit of sadness.

She looked once again at the last line of Anya's entry before turning the page.

“I am your hope, Sophie. I will make a way for you.”

She slammed the old diary shut. Her heart beat fast in her chest as panic gripped her shallow thoughts. Who had written in the diary, and how had she missed it earlier? Sophie quickly examined the interpreted words. The new entry wasn't there, only in the old document. Her heart continued to beat hard. She was still taken back by the words directed at her. She stood, ready to go into the cottage. Her head hurt, and she pushed her fingers deep into her temple in an attempt to relieve her confusion.

Kevin said there was an explanation for everything. She wanted to believe him, but how could she on this? “Kevin,” she whispered to the breeze. She turned the doorknob then glanced once more at the ocean. The ship was close enough now to read the name on the side.
Hope Will Make a Way
.

Kevin sat reading a page from the diary Theresa had laid in his hands when he entered her office. They spent much of the evening reading, taking notes, trying feverishly to get into the minds of each of the family members, friends, and servants Anya had written about. He continued, slowly thumbing through the pages, still not grasping why the diary was so important to what was going on with Sophie—but he knew it was. He had listened and watched Theresa meticulously dissect words and phrases from the document. She seemed obsessed, totally taken in by the words. Strangely, the impact of what she read exhausted her, something he had seen in Sophie before she left for Ireland.

Kevin exhaled slowly. “But why not me?” slipped from his mouth. Kevin pushed back in his chair, mulling over Theresa's facial expressions from earlier that day. What was he not seeing? What did he not understand that these two women were obviously getting?

The names Smith and Sean were scribbled in the margin of page eighty-two. Theresa mentioned their names together many times, paralleling their actions and motives. But what did Smith really have to do with this whole thing except for just interpreting the document? Kevin pulled a tired breath into his lungs and unbuttoned his shirt, pulling on the collar to free his neck.

And now Gipson—what piece did he bring to the game board? Kevin knew him to be a clever agent. But he also knew Gipson could be bought and, in the wrong hands, he would be a tool of great destruction. Kevin leaned back in his chair. He wanted to be relieved that he and Gipson worked for the same agency, but reluctantly, Kevin knew Gipson was up to something that wasn't on the right side of the FBI, and he'd figured it out during the first conversation the two of them had. Kevin ran his hands through his hair. Why had he been so caught up in Sophie's protection that he failed to use his knowledge of Gipson before putting Sophie in his hands? Stupid.

A. J. also had a strong suspicion about Gipson. Kevin knew A. J. suspected something but was holding his tongue. Kevin thought back, and all he could remember Gipson saying was, “Even good men have to be watched sometimes.” But the look in Gipson's eyes said something completely different.

Kevin turned a page in the diary. Three was circled. Who was this all-knowing entity? One who brought great questions to the minds of some and calmness to others? And then torture to Sean as he tried to get the girl who would have nothing to do with him. And why was that anyway? Because of her dedication to this one called Three?

“This is crazy,” he said, slapping the notebook shut and giving it a toss to join the confusion among the pages on the table. He stood and made his way to the small kitchenette in his hotel room to find some food, but he couldn't shut his mind off.
Each person is put in a place or situation on purpose
, he thought,
but why?

“We're missing something here,” he said, pouring a large glass of milk, and then stretching his lean body against the counter. He checked the time on his watch.
Call Gipson at seven
, he thought. But more important in his mind was the fact that Sophie was with Smith at that moment. She had agreed to call him no matter the time or who she was with, but when she was with somebody, she gave them her full attention. And if it was past ten, there was no chance she'd call. Sophie was one who needed sleep to function properly, or at least that's what she'd told him. He smiled and shook his head. She reminded him of that fact almost every evening he wanted to stay later than she thought he should. The smile remained as he continued to think of her. It wasn't sleep she needed. She just didn't want to get caught in the moment of no return, he thought, rolling her around in his mind. He reached down and pushed the last two buttons through the buttonholes of his shirt.
The girl gets me warmed up
, he thought, not letting her out of his mind. She was good at kicking him out. He poured more milk in his glass. “What I wouldn't do to be saying goodnight to her outside her door right now,” he said, drawing a face on the outside of his glass with his finger.

Kevin cradled the phone in his hand as regret cradled his mind. Why had he allowed Sophie to be put in such an unstable situation?

“That's it, I've got to start thinking differently,” he said and touched green on his phone. She had Taylor watching out for her, plus her phone was being monitored and tracked in two different ways. What more could he want? Still, every fiber within him was twisted and wrapped tightly. Was it that same hunch again, or was it the mystery of the diary this time?

“Hey Gipson, Gates here. I'm getting back to you about my friend, Ms. Hanes.” He waited for Gipson's response. “You said you'd have time to watch out for her while she's in Dool. Is that still good for you?”

He wanted to shoot himself for even suggesting Gipson be within ten feet of Sophie. Kevin rolled his eyes, listening as his former partner made his regular rude, demeaning comments about beautiful women and what he enjoyed most about them. As he continued talking, Kevin noticed a disturbing difference in Gipson's voice. His words fired faster than usual, and there was a sharp eagerness in his voice. Kevin closed his eyes, a muscle twitching in his cheek as his mind endured Gipson's sickening words. Tightness formed in his chest, his anger building. He wanted to punch the guy in the mouth and watch his bloody teeth clatter to the floor. Gipson was going to enjoy this unofficial assignment and wanted to make it clear that there was nothing his ex-partner could do about it. Gipson, Kevin knew, was up to something, and he was making it clear as mud for Kevin's benefit.
Jerk
, Kevin thought as the phone finally grew quiet.

“Great,” came as amicably as Kevin could make it. “Sophie's going to be in the area for another week, so–” He grew quiet, wanting to choose his words carefully. “Gipson,” Kevin felt a jealous vein pop on his neck along with many more emotions on standby, “she's mine, and I treasure her with my life, if you get my drift.”

A nasal laugh snorted in his ear. “Yeah, Gates, I get your drift,” Gipson said slowly.

“Good, I'm counting on her complete safety, and hey, Gipson, if you need anything, call me.”

Another laugh in Kevin's ear, “Don't worry, Gates, I won't need you. I'll take very good care of her. I do this for a living, or have you forgotten that?”

Click.
Gipson's sign-off felt too final. A sudden helplessness flooded Kevin's body. Had he just set Sophie up? Was this A. J.'s plan all along, to use her for bait? He wished he knew the answer.

Sophie slipped her phone into her bag. “I'll call Kevin after my day with Kian,” she said, closing the door behind her. She thought about how the reporter in Kevin would come out, and how questions would ooze from him no matter how hard he tried to contain them. Sophie knew Kevin would badger her for every last detail of her time with the professor, so calling him now wouldn't satisfy the curious vein that ran through him. She looked at her watch. “Good, and still time for a sightseeing stop before my meeting.”

It was a short walk to the cliffs from the cottage. Sophie was fascinated with the landmark after reading how magical the water was at that particular point on the Atlantic. The article made reference to old folklore that said if the beauty were studied too long, one would become mesmerized, taken in by the view from the extreme height. As she walked, Sophie listened. The distinct sound of waves crashing met her ears. It was haunting. She reached the cliff's edge, cautiously looking out across the vast expanse of sky and water. Then her eyes dropped downward, barely over the rim. Chaos, confusion, and danger whirled in her mind. A sudden chill ran down her back and, just as suddenly, a thought of Kevin.

“Turn your thoughts around, Sophie. Open your mind to everything you see.” His words lodged in her memory allowed her mind to loosen as if it were a ribbon falling from her hair. Now his words drifted from her mind as she watched strong, beautiful plates of water hit the jagged rocks. They shattered, sending a spray of a million sunlit droplets into the air before folding back into the blue depths. She remembered how Kevin tried to convince her that the water and the sky were lovers. She supposed it could be true as she pushed the hair from her face, smiling as she followed the sky and water to their meeting place. Kevin always tried to prove his point. He'd put his arms around her, and then slowly bring her in, his lips so close he could hardly whisper. Sophie would watch his eyes move with excitement as he instructed her not to blink, not wanting her to miss one speck of the ordinary. She wrapped her arms around herself, reliving his touch. “Both sky and water reflect each other's thoughts,” he'd say softly. “Both teem with life, as they playfully attempt to seduce each other with their matchless display of bold power, extreme beauty, and blatant deception.”

His eyes would fill with intrigue, and his lips dampen from his emotional speech. “But the best part Sophie,” his arms squeezing her tighter, “is the winner. The winner positions himself to embrace the other with a melody of highest quality for the ear, and colors that the eye could only attempt to hold without a flood of emotion spilling from each tear duct.”Her gaze scanned across the sparkling ocean. This is what Kevin was talking about. Not missing the ordinary. Right here, this is ordinary. He didn't want me to miss the connection the sky and water had to offer in their ordinary place. He's seen this place. He'd seen this display of bold life in many places. He's experienced this kind of ordinary.

“Sophie?”

She flinched, turning quickly on unsteady heels. Her eyes opened in surprise, taken back by Professor Smith's invasion of her thoughts. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought I'd surprise you and pick you up, after all.”

She took a deep breath, glancing back toward the ocean. “I wanted to stop by the cliffs to enjoy the beauty before our meeting.” She shifted her feet nervously, feeling his eyes on her back as she spoke.

“You appeared to be in deep thought as I approached you, Ms. Hanes.” He began to pace slowly behind her. “You were unaware of my presence for several minutes. That could be dangerous in some situations, you know. Perhaps you were thinking about the dangers of the water, or maybe a long lost lover?” he asked, a quiet laugh rumbling in the back of his throat. “The cliffs tend to summon those types of thoughts.”

Sophie sensed a firm hand on her arm. She turned and looked no one except the professor. She moved a few steps toward the edge of the cliff, looking over the edge again. The water boiled with violent activity, the same kind of activity she had sensed in the professor last night. “I wasn't thinking of anyone in particular, Professor,” she said, returning her eyes to the deep blue water, wishing Kevin was by her side, telling her one of his stories.

“Sophie, are you finished here? Kian asked coolly. “I'd like to head back into Dool now.” He paused. “I have a most eventful afternoon planned for you.”

She faced him. His expression was empty. Sophie hesitated before saying, “Yes, I guess so.”

“And do remember to call me Kian,” he said, looking down at her as they started for the car.

The pub was abuzz with the sound of traditional music and an ample supply of enthusiastic chatter. Professor Smith and Sophie were shown to a table near the stage. Sophie sat, surveying the people sitting at the tables around her. Each group seemed to be engrossed in conversation, eating, and from the looks of it, drinking a little too much. She looked past the bar, to her right. A man stepped onto the stage. She bit her lower lip.
He could definitely give Kevin a run for his money in the looks department
, she thought. A well-used guitar was strapped over his shoulder, and he carried a three-legged stool.