The Stone of Jerash
an excerpt

Chapter Twenty Three

Talia stood at the base of the cliff and slipped into her harness. It was at Pinky’s insistence.

“You don’t know what you are going to run into when you get up there. You need to have a way to hook in if you need to.”

Grandpa’s men had gathered at the base with Talia. “Hey, can I borrow that?” Talia pointed to one of the men’s turbans. He took it off and handed it to her. Talia unraveled the turban and began to wrap it around the upper portion of her body.

“What are you doing?” said Pinky.

“I need to pass as one of the monks. I figure my chest could use some flattening.”

Grandpa’s men chuckled. “Oh, now you understand what I am saying.”

“They may not speak English, but they are men.”

Talia slipped the straps of the harness up over her shoulders and slung the backpack holding the monk’s black robe over the harness.

Grandpa approached Talia and Pinky and gestured for his men to leave. “Now remember, you are dealing with creatures of the night, but these also roam during the day. They will be able to sense the life within you. You may be able to disguise your appearance, but you cannot disguise that fact that you are living. And they want nothing more than to have you completely under control.”

“No pressure right?” said Talia.

“You know you do not have to do this” said Pinky.

“Yes, I do.”

“Take this.” Pinky slipped a small syringe into Talia’s hand.

“What is this for?”

“If you get into a situation where you need to hide, inject yourself with that. It will take your vitals down to levels that are undetectable. Maybe it will buy you some time. But make sure you are well hidden because you will definitely be passed out for awhile.’

“I hope I don’t need it. Okay, I’ll communicate when I can.”

“I am going to go up top so that I am closer to your communicator. I’ll be there with you.”

Talia began her ascent. The lower portion of the cliff side was ideal for free climbing. Talia’s hands easily felt where she needed to go and her feet pushed her ever upward with each foothold.

“You’re already a quarter of the way there.” Pinky spoke through Talia’s earpiece. “Make sure to pace yourself, you still have an hour until the bell tolls.”

Talia’s pace slowed as she reached the mid way point. She was forced to tie in and place several anchors to help her over some of the rougher spots. Talia looked down and saw the still Dead Sea and its milky waters below.

“There’s a shelf up ahead. How much time do I have?”

Pinky answered back. “You have thirty more minutes. Only time for a quick break.”

Talia reached the shelf and pulled her childhood journal from her back pocket. She flipped through and came to a picture of the view she was seeing now. It was almost like she had already been here before.

“Time to get back on track” said Pinky.

“I think I am right where I need to be. There’s not much climbing left to do. Where are you at? Can you see me?”

“I sure can. I’m on the ridge opposite the monastery. I can see into the courtyard.”

“Is there anyone there?”

“No one right now. You may have a clear path girlfriend.”

“I think I am going to free climb the rest of the way.”

“Are you sure that is such a good idea?”

“If I am banging anchors into the side of the cliff I think they are going to notice something.”

“Just be careful.”

“Always.” Talia packed away her journal and prepared for the last part of her ascent. Her hands seemed to meld with the rock. She had never found it so easy to free climb before. Even on routes she had completed a million times before she always needed to use her chalk and gloves. This time she realized she had gotten this far and had not needed either one. Her hands still felt smooth as if she had just been to a spa instead of using them to clutch onto the rocks.

“I’ve just reached the top. Can you see? Is it all clear up there?”

“There’s no one in the courtyard. You’re clear to move.”

Talia pushed herself up the last ten feet. She had just reached her hand at the top and her fingers were touching the edge when a voice came over the communicator.

“Stop! Someone has just entered the courtyard and I haven’t heard the bell toll yet. You are going to have to stay right where you are.”

Talia drew her hand back from the edge. It was taking all of her strength to keep herself in this position and she wasn’t sure how long she could hold it.

Saaban walked into the courtyard. He had sensed someone but there was no one there. He walked to the edge and looked out over the valley. Saaban pulled the dark cloak around his neck as the heat of the sun beat dangerously down upon him.

“Soon I will not have to fear the sun. The sun will have reason to fear me.”

Sweat began to drip from Talia’s forehead down her face. It was taking all of her strength to stay in this one position.

“Only a few more minutes Hun. By my watch that tower bell should be going off soon.”

Talia did not have a few minutes. She concentrated hard and tried with all her might to keep her position. In an instant it happened. Talia’s fingers that were clutching so hard to the rock began to sink inside.

From above the bell began to toll in the courtyard. “Stop daydreaming. Lunch is ready” Evalina called out to Saaban.

“Yes, lunch.” Saaban licked his lips and turned to go back towards the monastery. Perhaps that was all he was sensing earlier, the fear coming from the victims who were awaiting their demise.

As soon as Saaban had disappeared into the monastery Pinky signaled to Talia. “Hurry, he is gone, you have fifteen minutes to go find Leif and get out of there.”

Talia was just about to tell Pinky that had a bit of a problem when her hands pulled free from the rock. Just as quickly as they went in, they had come back out again. “I’m going.” Talia hiked her leg over the edge and pulled herself up and into the courtyard. She quickly took the black cloak from her backpack and pulled it over herself.

“Don’t forget your hood.”

“Thanks.” Talia pulled the dark hood over her head and entered into the monastery.

Saaban licked his lips as he finished his lunch. “I love these noon time tourist traps. So many lonely travelers looking for answers. And I get to give them the truth. There is no God, only me.”

Evalina and Vislo exited the lunchroom just after Saaban. “We will need to leave tonight Saaban, both Evalina and I agree. We can delay the transport no longer. We will need to use the trucks.”

“I don’t want to leave until it is dark; I have had enough of these horrid capes.” Saaban tore the fabric from his back and dropped it into a pile on the floor.

“I guess he is right. We won’t need these any longer.” Evalina tore her cloak and left it in the pile atop Saaban’s.

“Go ahead Vislo. You won’t need it anymore.”

“Call me sentimental.” Vislo pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders. He had had the cloak for many years. He had roamed these halls for many years and now he was leaving. He had to take his time to part with this place. And time was growing ever short.

“It looks like they all went in to the right. Whatever you do, don’t go that way.”

Talia looked to the left and to the right. “But there is only one staircase and it is on the right.”

“How do you know he is up the stairs?”

“He is not up the stairs. He is down. Under ground somewhere.”

Pinky quickly flashed her fingers across the screen of the Ebolean and came across 3-D schematics of the entire compound. “Well if he is down there they have made is pretty hard to get to him. The only way down is the exact staircase that all the vampires just went down.”

“The one that was in the courtyard just now said something about lunch. Maybe they will be busy for awhile” Talia whispered.

“As long as you don’t become the dessert.”

Talia started down the long dark stone stairwell. As she descended the bricks became damp against her palm as they spiraled downwards. The air became cooler. A door slammed in the distance and Talia froze. She heard no other sounds.

“Pinky,” she whispered, “what else is down here. Pinky?”

Pinky was losing the signal. “Too many rocks. I’ll have to boost the signal somehow.” Pinky began to plug in the coordinates so that she could hook into the CIA mainframe. She knew it could get her in trouble, but she was hoping she might be able to call in a few favors.

Talia edged around the corner and saw light from a lamp illuminating the hallway. No one was there. A series of doors led off of the hallway that extended straight in front of her. Each door had a small window cut out of it with metal bars across. As Talia passed by the first door she held her breath.

Inside were several men chained to the wall. From the right Saaban and Evalina entered the chamber. Talia ducked quickly, but could see that they were paying her no attention. They had their eyes on the men.

The men started calling out in Arabic and pleading to be let go. Evalina let loose a fierce laugh.

“So sorry boys, but we had mercy on the last lot yesterday and let them go. So we are terribly hungry today. I guess today is not your lucky day.”

Evalina tore into the man nearest her. Talia had to cup her hand over her mouth to avoid screaming out. She caught herself against the wall as she began to feel faint.

“Get it together Talia, you can’t afford to faint right here at the door.” Talia walked a few more steps and looked into the next room. It was lined from top to bottom with bookshelves. The room appeared small. In the middle of the room was the same computer that Pinky had. A count down showed her that there was only one more night until something was scheduled to happen. She just didn’t know what that was yet.

Talia pushed the door open and had just closed it when she heard the other door open. Saaban, Vislo, and Evalina exited and started talking. Talia froze. She was certainly too close to them. They would sense her. She looked around the room and could only see books. The only place for her to hide was the table that the computer was set on. The table was covered with a thick cloth and she thought it was long enough that she could lie down underneath it without being seen.

“Talia, Talia? Can you hear me?” Pinky’s voice came again in Talia’s ear.

“I am going to have to go cold Pinky. Tell me how long I will be out.”

“Exactly one hour. Inject yourself directly to the heart. I will go to radio silence for now. Contact me as soon as you wake up. Do you have a good place to hide?”

“I only have one choice.”

“What is that?” Evalina walked back and forth in the hallway. “Are any of them still kicking in there? I thought I had sufficiently killed them all.”

“I thought you did too” said Vislo.

“I can still hear a pulse.”

“You may be sensing the soldiers. They still have not completely turned yet.”

“Oh yes. Well, I will need to grab my computer. Make sure that I have everything packed up for tonight.”

Evalina walked towards the library door. Talia fumbled for the syringe and thrust it into her chest. The door latch turned and she pushed the plunger of serum into her heart. Talia passed out cold.