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“Your own plane, Nicholas? I am impressed. Imagine, now you’re officially in the American FBI. Amazing step for you to take. Just look what you and Mike have done in such a short time.”
Nicholas raised an eyebrow.
“Nicholas, you must understand that people are watching you and Michaela’s every move. You didn’t save just anyone’s life, you saved the president of the United States’ life, brought down Zahir Damari, no mean feat. You’ve become an active threat to a number of people, especially now that you’ve been given more power, and that’s exactly what we’re going to need if we’re going up against the Genesis Group. Their money, their influ
ence, the number of bad guys on their payroll—we’re going to have to be very careful.”
Mike said, “We should hit them now, here at their home. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Kitsune stopped cold. “Wait, wait. I just remembered. Okay, the cataclysmic sandstorm in the Gobi—the twins’ mother went missing in the Gobi Desert a decade ago. She was on a dig and was caught in a sandstorm. The site was never found, and word was the twins were devastated. The entire company shuts down every year on the anniversary.”
“And who was their mother?”
“Helen Kohath-Maynes. Brilliant archaeologist, an amazing woman. I studied her in school. She was a leading Ark scholar, and led the foundation for a short time but allowed her husband, David Maynes, to handle the day-to-day running of the foundation’s business so she could be out on digs, searching for the Ark.
“Rumor also has it that the twins kicked their father out of running the Genesis Group when they turned twenty-one and took control. They also dropped his name, which has to tell you how much they distrusted and disliked him. Now they’re only called Cassandra and Ajax Kohath. I believe he died a short while ago.”
Mike said, “Well, if David Maynes is dead, he isn’t a player in all of this. Here’s what I don’t understand: Why would the world’s leading expert on the Ark of the Covenant believe it was buried in the Gobi Desert? It makes no sense.”
“And that, I believe,” Louisa said, “brings us right back to the huge sandstorm and controlling weather.”
Kitsune said, “It does. And it makes no sense to me, either.”
Nicholas said, “At least we’re finally starting to see a pattern emerge. Adam, get us everything you can find on Cassandra and Ajax Kohath. We don’t want to trot up to their front door unless we know what to expect. If they are behind this, they’ve already tried to kill us and Kitsune, twice now. They even want her so badly, they took her husband.”
Adam said, “The Genesis Group has an extensive online presence, pretty typical for a company these days. They’re an open book—all aboveboard, so far as the public can tell. I’m searching through their files, so far nothing at all alarming. Their holdings are all over the globe, and they appear incredibly flush with cash. I’ll have to get inside to see about their actual cash flow. On the surface, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a healthier balance sheet. We’re talking billions of dollars. Ah, listen to this. Lilith Forrester-Clarke is listed as their chief of operations.”
“Interesting,” Kitsune said. “I’d also suggest taking a historical look at the Kohaths as well. There’s only so much to be gleaned online.”
Louisa said, “I’ll call Ben, ask him to take the lead on that angle.”
Nicholas said, “Louisa, also ask Ben to get in touch with Melinda St. Germaine in London. Since her mother, Elizabeth St. Germaine, was the biographer of Appleton Kohath, the creator of the Genesis Group, perhaps there is information there that will help us. Hopefully Melinda will agree to let Ben look at her mother’s materials. Tell him to use my name.”
“Got it,” Louisa said, and turned away to dial Ben in New York.
Nicholas stretched. “Now, this Lilith character. Tell me about her, Kitsune.”
“I remember she always seemed to be hanging around me, always wanted my attention. I didn’t like her much, tried to ignore her, lose her when I could, but she always managed to find me. But she was a little kid then—I can’t imagine she’d even remember me.”
“Oh, she knows exactly who you are,” Nicholas said. “And I’ll wager she recommended the Kohaths hire you to steal the staff because she’s followed your every step through the years. She was MI5, remember? She would have had complete access to everything known about you and your world. She doubtless followed your exploits. Did she envy you? Probably so.
“I’ll also wager she managed to find the location of your home. Did she know about your marriage to Grant Thornton, and his leaving the Beefeaters? Sure she did. And I’ll bet she was at the Topkapi to check on you.”
“To see if I was there?”
“If her bosses were your client? It makes sense. When we see her, we’ll be sure to ask about her visit. And about her fascination with you.”
Mike shrugged, drank some water. “If Nicholas is right, it means she’s been watching you for years from the shadows. Maybe that’s why she also studied archaeology. Because you did. As Adam said, she copied you.”
Kitsune was silent, trying to take it all in. She said, “We still don’t have a definitive link from the Kohaths to the Genesis Group to me, and we need that.”
Nicholas said, “We’ll get it. Now, you guys carry on. I need to talk to Savich. I have an idea.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
While Mike called Zachery to give him an update, and Louisa talked to Ben, Nicholas walked into his bedroom and punched in Savich’s number. It was just short of 2:00 a.m. in Venice, so that would make it dinnertime at the Savich house.
Savich answered on the first ring. “Nicholas—how is Lia?”
