The Lair of Beowulf (A Phoenix Quest Adventure) Read online

  “What if whoever shot her, comes back?” Phoe asked, even though she knew what Peter would say next.

  He looked over at Charlotte. “Like I said. I think you know who that bullet was for. I’ll be outside when you’re ready.”

  ***

  Phoe looked out the passenger’s side window during the drive back to her house. She remained quiet despite several attempts by Peter to engage her in conversation. He even tried to tell her a couple of old, stupid jokes. Finally he decided to get to telling the truth.

  “Simon offered me a job.”

  Her head turned slightly, as if she tried to make sure that she could hear everything else he had to say on the matter.

  “I accepted his offer to go after the lair of Beowulf,” he continued. His breathing slowed and his heart raced, because he anticipated a battle.

  “That’s great,” Phoe replied emotionless. “I suppose you’re aware that there isn’t a shred of evidence that suggests a lair ever existed.”

  “I’m aware of that,” he answered, as he smiled. “I jumped at the chance, because it means travel and, hopefully, a little less adventure than when we went off to find the Hammer of Thor.”

  She sneered.

  “Good luck with that.”

  “Besides…” Peter continued, “…Simon said that he sent you on another mission.”

  Phoe’s eyes widened.

  “Stop the car!”

  There was a panicked look on her face and Peter almost lost control of the vehicle.

  “Calm down, Phoe! It’s not that big a deal! We can work…”

  “Not that, you idiot!” Phoe screamed, pointing out the window as he pulled the car over to the side of the road.

  About 100 yards away was Simple Treasures. The place that Phoe had built from the ground up. She put more hours, sweat, and money into that store than anything else she had ever done. Her business had been booming since she’d found Mjolnir with the help of Peter and Jonathan. She had gotten her first real artifact soon after that.

  The Head of Olmec.

  She couldn’t fight the tears as they streamed down her face. Peter finally saw what she was pointing at and got out of the car. He knew that there was nothing he could do, so he stood in front of the car and frantically ran his hands through his hair.

  Phoe’s heart sank in her chest as she dragged herself from the car and watched the red, orange, and yellow dancing in the reflection of the windshield. Simple Treasures was on fire.

  In the distance, she could hear the sound of the fire engine sirens. Help was on the way. Somehow, Phoe managed to gain control over her emotions and turned to Peter and asked, “What were you saying about Simon sending me on another mission?”

  Chapter Three

  Phoe sat on Peter’s sofa sipping a glass of chamomile tea. She stared straight ahead, not making a sound.

  “Would you like something to eat?” Peter yelled from his kitchen. “I have some leftovers! I think they were tacos at one time!”

  Phoe didn’t answer as Peter came into the living room. He grabbed the remote and turned on his 62 inch HD television. CNN was the channel that popped up. He muted the sound as he sat beside Phoe.

  Peter had some expensive electronics, but for the most part he lived in a south-western style house with basic amenities. He rarely entertained so he kept his house to his own minimalist taste. The only time his competitive spirit was engaged, was when he and Phoe went head to head concerning artifacts. She usually brought out his defensive side, but at that moment, she just needed a friend.

  “The fire department said that you can go inside the house to see if you can salvage any personal belongings, once they’re satisfied that the fire is completely out,” Peter said, trying to comfort her.

  She slowly turned her head and gave him a dirty look. “You do realize that everything I have…everything I’ve worked for…is gone. Whatever is left in there is useless to me now.”

  Peter had no clue what to say to her. He knew nothing would make her feel at ease, except for finding the person responsible. She blamed only one person so far.

  “Simon!” Phoe yelled, as she glared at the television. “That bastard! Turn it up, Peter! Turn it up!”

  Peter fumbled with the remote until he found the volume. CNN showed Simon Kessler with an attractive brunette. The woman was at least a few inches taller than he was and had straight brown hair that fell down past her waist. It was easy to see that she came from money; her grooming and posture were a testimony of that, and the way she smiled. She knew how to work the cameras. She was dressed in a white pantsuit with beige Giuseppe Zanotti pumps. Phoe could tell that the woman had spent more time at spas than Phoe had learning everything she knew about artifacts.

  Her dark eyes were perfectly accented by the right amount of mascara and a light shade of red lipstick completed the package. She wore huge hoop earrings and almost mimicked the look of someone who would have been seen hanging around Andy Warhol in the sixties. The only difference was that this woman had class.

  Phoe’s focus was back on Simon as the volume came up.

  “…aire Simon Kessler is indeed engaged to British transportation heiress Symone Armette. The two were seen in Naples, Italy soon after they officially announced their engagement just one short week ago. The merger of Kessler Industries and Armette Transportation Inc. is said to be the biggest known merger of its kind in history. Their assets together are estimated to total over 147 billion dollars…”

  Peter muted the television when he saw Phoe becoming enraged.

  “I’m sorry, Phoe…”

  “Did you know, Peter?” she asked, almost as if she was interrogating him.

  He wouldn’t make eye contact with her.

  “I don’t know what you want me to say, Phoe.”

  She glared at him.

  “How about you start with answering my question? Did…you…know…?”

  Peter became nervous, but realized it was futile in hiding anything from Phoe.

  “Maybe. I might have known.”

  Phoe continued her piercing stare.

  “When? When did you find out?”

  Peter felt nervous. He didn’t want to anger an already angry Phoe, but he couldn’t lie. Not that time. “I…About four days ago.”

  Phoe stood up. “I appreciate the tea, but next time I prefer something stronger to go with bullshit.”

  “Phoe, wait!” Peter pleaded.

  She had a blank expression. “Wait for what, Peter? Don’t you think the day has gone bad enough for me as it is? Did you want to add salt into the gaping wound?”

  He stood between her and the door. “Phoe! Please. I want to help you. I’m your friend.”

  “I can help myself from now on,” she replied. “I see how much your friendship means. I saw how Simon showed me all the respect in the world by somehow setting me up to be the target for who knows. Then he forgets to tell his most valuable employee that he’s engaged to some rich bitch!”

  “Are you…jealous?” Peter asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

  Phoe sighed. “That’s right Peter, I’m jealous,” she said sarcastically. “Please, I have better things to do than to hang my tongue out over a billionaire that sends me out to find the most outrageous things. I used to jump through his archeological hoops, but not anymore. I expect honesty from the people I work with and they get no less in return. I believe in omens and I associate very strongly with the mythical phoenix. Add that to the burning away of my old life along with Simple Treasures, and it’s about time for me to be reborn, buddy. I am about to rise out of my own ashes and it’s time to show myself what I can do without the confines of being trapped with people who don’t trust me and whom I have a difficult time trusting. It’s time for me to fly, Peter.”

  Peter was at a loss for words, but he also knew that sending Phoe out into the world like that wouldn’t benefit anyone. “Okay fine. Spread your wings, Phoe. I get that, but let me at least help out by letting you stay here until you can fly on your own. Can you let me do that?”

  Phoe tried to stay angry, but she did need a place to stay. At least for a couple of days. “Okay. Just until I rise out of my own ashes.”

  Peter smiled. “Fine. Until you rise out of your own ashes it is.” He pulled his keychain out of his pocket, removed his extra house key, and handed it to Phoe.

  Reluctantly, she took it. “You have an extra house key?”

  “Just for emergencies,” he replied, nervously. “In case I lose my keys. I have an extra one.”

  Phoe laughed. “You’re such an idiot, Peter! You have both keys on the same keychain! If you lose one, you lose them both!

  He was just happy that he could make her laugh in her darkest hour. “Alright. I admit that I had hopes that you would eventually need or want to stay here. That’s why I made an extra key.”

  Phoe stopped laughing. “You didn’t set fire to my place so that you could have me stay over, did you? Because I’ll kick your ass right now if you did.”

  His tone became more serious. “No. I would never do that. Look, if it’s any consolation, I’ll be leaving tomorrow afternoon, so you can have the place to yourself for as long as you need it. See? I trust you!”

  Phoe got up in his face as she smirked. “I’ll stay here for a little while, but if I were you, I would make it a habit of not trusting anyone.” Then she grabbed his head and planted a kiss on his lips.

  Chapter Four

  Early the next morning, Peter checked and double-checked everything that he had packed for his journey. He was proud of the fact that he was going on his own adventure…without Phoe. As he passed her sleeping soundly on the sofa on his way to the refrigerator, he realized that without the thrill of the hunt against such a
fierce competitor like her, his adventure would be somewhat lackluster. Although the pay would help to keep his interest and his head in the game.

  He grabbed some bottles of water from the fridge, stuffed them in one of his suitcases and then walked over to Phoe. She didn’t argue when he suggested that she sleep on the sofa. She didn’t question him at all, which was fine by him. There’s no way he could have her smell permeate his sheets and pillows. It would drive him wild. He didn’t need that. Especially with how she felt about him at that moment.

  She hated him.

  He could feel it. He wasn’t going to do anything to make it worse. He knew that her anger was justified. He had kept important information from her. Surely she wouldn’t do anything to get revenge. He let her stay at his place; that alone should have been worth something.

  He heard a car horn just outside his house. He looked questioningly out the nearest window and saw a black limo parked in the driveway. He sighed, pulled his keychain out, and took off his spare set of house keys. He placed them on top of Phoe’s phone which was lying on his coffee table.

  Peter then crouched down beside the sofa and stared at Phoe. She looked like a sleeping angel. He couldn’t believe how beautiful she was, when she wasn’t yelling at someone.

  The car horn sounded again. This time it was one long tone, as if the driver just placed his hand on it and wouldn’t let up.

  “I’m coming,” he said quietly. He grabbed all of his bags and clumsily opened his front door. Where was the driver to help him? He dropped the bags on his porch and then looked in toward Phoe, then closed and locked the front door and picked his bags up again.

  Peter stumbled toward the limo. The door wasn’t even open for him! He dropped his bags by the back door and stormed up to the driver. He tapped on the glass as he gritted his teeth. The window slowly rolled down. There was a woman with dark sunglasses on sitting in the driver’s seat. She had her hair pulled back tightly into a ponytail. “Yes?” She asked, oblivious to what he could possibly want to speak to her about.

  Peter tried to contain his frustration, as he was not really a confrontational person. “Excuse me. You are the limo driver. Yes?”

  She said nothing.

  He tried to force a smile. “I believe it’s your responsibility to give me a hand with these.” He paused for a moment before he continued, she was a woman after all. “At the very least to come out and help me with the doors. Maybe pop the trunk so I can get the bags put away in there.”

  The driver removed her glasses. She had angry blue eyes. “Are you handicapped? Mentally ill? Unable to function normally for any medical reason?”

  Peter looked confused. “No. Is that a…?”

  Before he could finish his thought, she rolled up the window as she said, “then do it yourself. I’m busy.”

  Peter was more than shocked. He mumbled as he dragged his bags back to the passenger door. He opened the door, placed each bag in the car, one by one, and then closed the door.

  The partition between the driver and passenger slowly came down. “Please buckle up,” the driver said as the window immediately changed directions and closed tightly.

  Peter looked at the driver information posted on the car door. He was surprised when he actually saw a picture of the she-beast driver, smiling. He looked at the name so he could report it to Simon later.

  Abigail.

  ***

  Phoe had been up for hours. She just didn’t want to talk to Peter any more than she had to. She had slept in the same outfit that she wore to her award ceremony. She didn’t want to give Peter more to sweat about, so she had kept her clothes on. As soon as he had closed the door behind him, she had sat up, snatched the keys from on top of her cell phone and put them in her pocket. Then she pulled out the cell phone that Simon gave her from her jacket pocket and stared at it. She reluctantly checked for messages and found there were forty-seven voicemails from Simon.

  She didn’t even have to listen to them to know that he was sorry for involving her, promised to make it up to her, and so on and so forth. She walked over to the garbage disposal in the kitchen and stuffed Simon’s phone down as far as it would go. She then turned the water on and flipped the switched.

  She smiled as the grinding was a reminder that her collaboration with the billionaire was over. He had caused her current dilemma and Peter didn’t help either, when he had withheld important information. She was alone and she knew it. Phoe could just hear her mother in her head. Even though the last time they were together her mother had seemed supportive, all it would take is one piece of negative information for the same old speech to resurface. I told you that treasure hunting wasn’t worth it.

  It was time that Phoe put everything behind her and start over. Like a Phoenix.

  She washed the clothes she had on and took a long hot shower. It didn’t help. She couldn’t wash away the previous night, but she could make it better. She had a plan.

  As soon as her clothes were dried, she got dressed. She also decided that bad things happened when she put her hair up so she let it hang down around her shoulders as she usually did. She used Peter’s brush and shivered with each stroke. She had to use his blow dryer as well. Never understood why men use them. She had no make-up, but she wasn’t trying to impress anyway. She called a cab and headed for the first stop. The hospital.

  ***

  Captain Sampras and Pam greeted Peter warmly as he headed up the stairs of the private jet. The captain rushed to his aide and assisted him with his bags. “You seem well prepared, Mr. Kellerman.”

  Peter smiled. The captain obviously knew how to treat people. “Thank you captain, but please…call me Peter.”

  “Welcome back,” Pam said. “We’ve added all of your drink choices to our menu for the time that we’ll be in your service. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

  “It’s your show, Peter,” the captain said, after setting the last bag in the storage closet. “Where to?”

  Peter was extremely proud to offer the captain an answer because of the research he had done concerning his mission. “Well captain, our mission is to locate the lair of Beowulf. It somehow made sense to me that if you consider that the original epic poem consisted of 3182 alliterative long lines, it would be easy to deduce that our destination could lie at 31 degrees north and 82 degrees east. So let’s go there.”

  Captain Sampras tried to hide his confusion. “I appreciate your attention to detail Peter, but all we need is the actual destination. Any other information can be sorted out between you and Mr. Kessler. It would be helpful for you to understand, though, that 31 degrees north and 82 degrees east are not proper coordinates. Do you have the extra information?”

  Peter looked disappointed. “No. I don’t.”

  “Okay, well then, is there an alternate destination?” The captain asked, without trying to be condescending.

  Pete perked up. “Yes! Yes, actually there is! Captain, take us to London, England!”

  Captain Sampras winked at Pam who tried to hold back her laughter. “London, England it is, Peter!” he said, as he went to the cockpit.

  Pam waited for Peter to seat himself in front of one of the computers, before she approached him. “You might want to keep your passport ready, when we reach London.”

  Peter’s smile faded as realization hit him. “Oh…shit.”

  Chapter Five

  Phoe held onto Charlotte’s hand while she smiled weakly. Charlotte looked at her with pride, as if Phoe was her own daughter. “I can’t believe what a strong young woman you’ve become. Your mother is so proud of you. Look at you, about to take the world by storm.”

  Phoe laughed. “How could you know what I’m about to do?”

  “Oh heavens,” Charlotte replied, while chuckling. “I never said I knew anything about what you’re planning, but I know that look. You have the same look that your mother had when she took control over her own life.”

  Phoe stopped laughing. “She lost her heart along the way, Charlotte. I don’t ever want to lose my passion for what I’m doing. I just want to do it on my terms.”