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"Sorry, Alastor, I know it'll be a bit of a shitshow." he did genuinely sound sorry, but I opened one eye and glared at him.
"Couldn't you have offloaded her on Kane?"
Branson shook his head. "Kane's a good mission leader, but he's not as good as you when it comes to looking after his team, and you know it. Plus, he really hates angels."
"Who doesn't?" I muttered, before dragging myself up and out of the armchair. "So, what's her deal? Why didn't she get on with her team?"
Branson looked up but didn't quite meet my eyes. "Um, I hear she has a bit of a problem with authority."
I frowned. "I thought they got off on that shit. They pretty much just follow orders their entire lives."
"Not this one. She was pretty high up and actually giving most of the orders, rather than taking them. I believe she has no problem in taking orders from superiors... but Palmer may have mentioned she doesn't believe that any supernatural outranks her, so you might have a bit of a struggle on your hands keeping her reined in."
Great. A power-crazy angel who hated demons was coming along for the ride. I took a deep breath as the irritation grew and I felt the prickle on the back of my neck as my emotional state began to trigger a shift. I willed it down, but the irritation remained.
"So, she's basically going to refuse to follow orders, is that what you're saying?"
Branson checked his phone and stood up. "Pretty much, but if you can earn her respect, I'm sure she'll turn out to be a valued member of the team. Plus, if she's here on probation, then I'm sure it's only temporary."
I raised my eyebrows. "Branson, you're a wolf shifter. Temporary here on earth means a few months. Temporary up there means a few centuries. And I'm pretty certain she isn't going to be throwing any respect my way if she's one of the higher ups."
"If anyone could earn it, Alastor, it's you. You're one of the best agents we have. I can tell you; we've been advised not to give her any special treatment. Just treat her the same as you would treat any agent who joined your team. She'll be flying out from London and will meet you at the archaeological site at Sodom tomorrow afternoon local time."
"Fine, I'll give it a go. Maybe she'll prove useful."
Despite my reservations, Branson's order was clear. I had no choice but to accept the addition of this angelic agent to myteam. As much as I detested the idea, I couldn't deny that her celestial nature might come in handy during our mission. Angels possessed unique abilities and insights that could prove invaluable in deciphering the ancient rituals of Solomon and navigating the treacherous ruins of Sodom. After all, they were the ones who wiped it off the face of the earth.
Chapter Four
SARIEL
It was just after noon when the black 4x4 pulled into the encampment where the excavation headquarters were based. As I opened the door and climbed out, the heat hit me like a wall, almost snatching my breath away and drying my mouth out in the first breath. The air conditioning in the 4x4 had been pleasant, if a little chilly, and I had been glad for my jacket, but the instant assault made me seriously consider removing it. I had more appropriate clothing for the desert, as well as for the subterranean explorations, but this was my first time meeting not only the lead archaeologist, but my new team, and I wanted to make a good impression, so I'd opted for formal businessattire. I was already regretting it, but there was no way I'd show it.
My driver lifted my rucksack out of the boot and looked over at me.
"Where do you want this taking?"
"I'm not sure..." I said, wondering where everyone was.
"Hello!" A call came from inside the cluster of large canvas tents and in a moment, a man appeared wearing a rather loud and brightly coloured short sleeved shirt and khaki shorts that revealed tanned knobbly knees. A weathered face with bright blue eyes grinned up at me, and I found myself smiling back as the man approached. He held out his hand and shook mine vigorously.
"Dr Andrew Taylor," he said. "You must be part of the security team arriving today."
"Sariel Collins," I answered, already liking the man. "Have the rest of the team arrived yet, Dr Taylor?"
"Andy, please," he insisted. "Let me grab your bag and then your driver can get out of this heat."
Despite my protestations, he grabbed the bag, which considering his diminutive size, seemed nearly as big as he was. Size clearly wasn't an issue though, as he hoisted it up on his back with little effort and gestured for me to follow him into the maze of tents.
As we weaved through the tents, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement building within me. The buzz of activity was palpable in the air, and it seemed like every corner of the encampment was abuzz with researchers and archaeologists meticulously working on their projects. There were maps sprawled across tables, artefacts neatly organised on shelves, and the low hum of conversations filled the space.
Dr Taylor led me to a larger tent, which served as the temporary headquarters for the excavation.
As we entered the main tent, the air became cooler, offering some respite from the unforgiving desert heat. A group of scientists were engrossed in studying pottery shards, their brows furrowed in concentration. They glanced up momentarily, acknowledging our arrival, before returning to their work. Dr Taylor sat my rucksack on an empty folding chair and beckoned me over to the only table that seemed clear of detritus. A large map of the site was rolled out over the table, weighted on each end and I could see the shape of the site. The city would be one layer of the huge earth formation known as a tell, and I could see various coloured pins at points of interest and ongoing excavations.
Dr Taylor began to brief me on the current excavation that he was most excited about.
"We've made some incredible discoveries so far," he said, his excitement palpable. "We believe this site is the original site of the biblical city of Sodom, and my aim in this excavation is to prove that theory."
