Search And Conquer

The Key

"Authorization?" the metallic voice asked again.

Inwardly, she sighed. "R-N-A-180," she replied, rubbing her eyes.

"Greetings, Professor!" the computer chimed, and Riley grinned. "How was your trip?"

Rolling her eyes, Riley Addison spoke up, "Pleasant, can we discuss this inside, please?"

The computer chimed in agreement, and as the door slid open, it replied, "It is 32° Celsius, you must be frozen."

Riley entered her spacious foyer, and began to unbutton her coat. "I’m coming," came a voice from above, and Riley glanced up to see Tourney striding toward her, his footfalls making no sound on the marble. "Forgive me, Miss," he said as he rushed forward, "I was in the shower when the bell rang."

A grin spread across Riley’s features, as she replied, "Don’t worry, Tour, I know how to remove my own garments." She hung the coat on the stand beside the door, and turned to embrace the man.

"How was your trip, Miss?" Tourney asked, reaching for her bags. Riley hoisted one over her shoulder, and led him into the living room.

Taking the stairs two at a time, she explained her trip as she led him up to the huge double doors that led to her bedroom. Dropping the bags on the floor, she turned to smile at him mischievously. "Did you find it?" he asked.

Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew a small metal box, with a scanner on the lid. Placing her thumb on the little black square, she slid the box open to reveal a small velvet bag. She removed the bag and tossed it to him. Tourney opened the bag and slid the contents onto his palm.

Turning to look at his face, she whispered, "Flawless." Tourney’s eyes flicked up to hers. "The perfect rose diamond," she continued, "Found deep within the Amazon."

"It must be four carats," Tourney whispered. He lifted the diamond up to the light, and squinted his eyes. "Do you want me to put it in the safe?" he asked, placing it back in the bag. Riley nodded. "Avery’s been waiting for you, she’s in the simulator now… Working out a new program. You’ll like this one, I could barely get through it."

Riley’s eyes brightened, as she smiled at her butler. "Can’t wait," she said, reaching for a bag. "I need to unpack, then eat, I’m famished."

Tourney nodded sharply, then turned on his heel, saying, "First class didn’t fill you?"

"Never does!" Riley retorted sweetly, unzipping her suitcase.

* * *

Downstairs, Avery Meridian lay on the ground, half under the simulator, her legs kicked back and forth and she was muttering under her breath. "Miss Avery," Riley said in her most nasal voice.

There was a loud bump, and a whispered sailor’s curse, then Avery slipped from beneath the heavy machinery. "Riley!" she exclaimed, holding her forehead. Avery was Riley’s technician, and her brother’s widow. Barely twenty three, Avery was bubbly and vibrant, and always getting hurt. Just from looking at her, Riley noticed that she had a new bruise on her upper left arm, and a gash above her right eyebrow. Her hands were scarred, and her wrists shaped oddly from the half a dozen breaks.

"Ave!" Riley exclaimed in return, embracing the girl. "Whatcha working on?" Riley asked, eyeing the simulator skeptically, "And is it gonna blow up the next time I turn it on?"

Giggles escaped Avery’s lips as she turned to inspect her latest improvement to the already state of the art simulator. "Damn it, you found me out," she replied. Then giggling, she continued, "Just a new feature, for more interaction of the body. No more restraints, full freedom."

Cocking an eyebrow, Riley looked to her electrician counterpart and asked, "Does that mean I’m naked?"

Avery feigned a look of thought, and replied, after a moment, "Only if you want to be."

Both women started laughing, and Riley leaned over to inspect the underside of the machine. As with all of Avery’s work, all was neat and orderly, the remaining wires that jutted abnormally from the innards were labeled neatly.

"Professor," the computer spoke, "Dinner is prepared." Riley arched an eyebrow at Avery, and both girls grinned.

* * *

Sitting before the fire, Riley leaned back, enjoying the silence. For the past three months she’d been living on rations and dehydrated water. At night she listened to the howls of animals that always seemed to be getting closer, and every morning she awoke before the sun, to pack up and start out before the heat of the day. Now, it felt good just to sit in the overly large armchair and listen to nothing.

The fire crackled, and smelled of cedar and oak. Slowly, Riley’s eyes drooped, and soon, she fell fast asleep.

Her dreams came unbidden, as they always did. Before her, she saw him, chestnut hair, startling blue eyes, tanned, leathery skin. He smiled at her, and she smiled in return. Then, he turned and jumped from the mountain top. She followed suit, and they scaled the wall downwards. He glanced to her, his eyes dancing, and he reached out his hand… Just as the rope snapped, sending him spiraling into the clouds.

"Roarke!" she screamed, sitting bolt upright in bed. Tumbling from the bed, she convulsed in wild sobs. The door flew open and Tourney fell to his knees beside her.

His hands calmed her as best they could, as he muttered, "It’s fine, princess… It was just a dream…" Riley sobbed into his arms, clutching him close.

As he helped her back to bed, he realized that he’d watched Riley Addison take on mythological feats, temples of ancient gods, and monsters from the briny deep. But the one thing in the world that unraveled her was Roarke. He sat with her until she drifted away again, he’d have to start slipping her medication into her dinner again, if she was to sleep peacefully.

When he turned away from the bed, he found Avery leaning against the doorjamb, her blonde hair slipping across her face in a shining curtain. Tourney stopped as he reached her, but didn’t turn to look into her eyes. "She takes it harder then you, Ave…" he whispered.

A faint smile crossed Avery’s face as she replied, "No, she just has more to miss…"

Nodding, Tourney slid his arm around Avery’s shoulder and led her away from the room. Making his way up the stairs to his tower bedroom, he knew that something was going to go terribly wrong with the next adventure. It involved too much of Roarke’s past for everything to go just right.

* * *

She’d just begun work on the underbelly of Riley’s newest toy. A 1967 Shelby GT 500, fully restored and spiced up a bit. Suddenly, she felt a familiar nudge on her ankle, and she swiveled her head to view the black combat boots and dark denim. Sliding her cart from beneath the body of the car, she found herself face to face with a commonly dressed Riley Addison.

"You don’t wear that in the BMW," Avery stated, glancing at the helmet in her hands. "You know, you’re gonna get yourself killed on that thing." She jabbed her finger in the direction of the Ninja.

Smiling vibrantly, Riley replied, "Looking forward to it." Avery rolled her eyes and moved to slide back under the car, but Riley linked their ankles, forcing her to stop. "Not so fast." Riley said, "You’re coming with me this time."

Disbelief came over Avery’s face, as she replied, "How much you gonna pay me to get on that thing?"

The response came far to easily, "You’re driving this," she said, touching the Shelby. Avery’s eyes lit up. "But no hot-dogging!" Riley added quickly.

"Oh, yeah!" Avery exclaimed, jumping to her feet, "Look who’s talking!" Riley flashed a smile, and flung a leg over her bike.

* * *

The inside of the museum was brightly lit, and silent. The usual eerie noiselessness gave Avery the creeps. But she tagged along as Riley made her way though the passageways deep within the building. In the basement were the catacombs, existent since the building was first built by the English. They had been transformed into the offices, and Riley’s was in the back.

Stepping into the bright office, Avery tried to picture it as it once was, a prison cell, or perhaps a torture chamber. But now it sparkled, and shone with marble furniture and cushy couches of soft leather. Pictures of Riley, Roarke and Tourney graced the walls, and in a few of them even Avery smiled back at them.

Riley sat down behind her desk and typed in her password. Scanning the information on the screen, she quickly touched the areas of the screen she wanted to access. Avery amused herself by fiddling with the light above Riley’s desk. Seconds later, it blinked on, and Riley’s head shot up. "How’d you do that?" she demanded, staring at her.

Avery cocked an eyebrow in confusion and said, "I attached the wires…" Riley leapt form her seat to look at what she’d done.

"That’s a nineteenth century Parisian lamp, it hasn’t worked in over seventy five years!" Riley exclaimed. Unexpectedly, the door opened, and the curator strolled in.

Instantly, Riley flipped off the lamp and spun to smile at him. "Miss Addison," he said, reaching out to shake her hand. "I heard you had returned from your excavation." Riley nodded in agreement, returning his hearty grasp. "I trust you found all that you searched for." Again, Riley nodded, and he turned to Avery. "Ms. Meridian," he said, reaching to kiss her hand. "It is a pleasure to see you here once again, it’s been a long time since we were graced with your presence."

Roarke and Riley had worked together in the museum’s excavations dealings. When Roarke had died, Avery had stopped going to the office, she’d been too afraid of what she’d come across. Tourney had gone, cleaned out the office, and she hadn’t seen a single thing.

"Anyway," Riley said, drawing Avery out of her dreamy state, "We really should be going." She turned to Avery, "Coming?" Avery nodded, anxious to get away from Mr. Dalton. Something about the may made her skin crawl, like he wasn’t human.

Out of the catacombs they climbed. "Did you get what you needed?" Avery whispered to her companion. When she nodded sharply, Avery fell quiet. Riley didn’t trust the people within the walls of the museum, "fame hungry backstabbers" she called them.

What Riley did, she didn’t do for fame, or money, she didn’t need either. Her father, the late Basil Addison, had founded Antediluvian, an organization designed to preserve and protect the artifacts of the past. Riley was the sole survivor in a dynasty devoted to archeology and the discovery of ancient civilizations. Riley herself had found the lost land of the Jydiah, a race lost for nearly twenty centuries, when she was but sixteen. But the museum played a big part of the foundation, and she must go by the laws her father had set.

Avery clicked the button on the key chain as they exited the building. The Shelby beeped obediently, and she slid into the driver’s seat. Hitching a leg over the bike, Riley beckoned for her to follow her, then they sped off down the street.

* * *

"Riley!" came a voice from above them. Avery’s eyes lifted to see Rochester Lansen, an old man, healthy in the bank, and healthier in the body. "I had no idea you had returned," he said, coming down the stairs. Rochester’s butler took their coats, and Riley moved to embrace the old man. He’d turned his home into an auction house when he wife had died ten years earlier, and now it was revered as one of the highest grossing auction houses in all the US.

The old man moved between Riley to Avery, embracing them both. "Just got in yesterday," Riley replied, looping her arm through Rochester’s.

The trio began up the stairs, as Rochester said, "Shouldn’t you be home resting? Three months in the Amazon isn’t a walk through Central Park, you know." Riley shrugged, and he continued, "You should take better care of yourself, even Roarke took a day off." He watched as Riley’s face fell. "I’m sorry, Riley, Avery," he added.

By the time they reached the top of the great staircase, the auction was getting out. Some of New York City’s elite were emerging from the block room. Cheryl Case, an older woman who had worked for Antediluvian in its earlier years, recognized Riley immediately. "Miss Addison!" she squealed, fluttering her hand idiotically. "How do you do?" she asked, rushing over to embrace the girl elatedly. Riley smiled at her, feigning the look of pleasure on her tanned face. "How’s your brother? Roarke, isn’t it?"

Instantly, the mood changed, Rochester switched feet nervously, and Avery averted her gaze. But Riley looked the woman straight in the eyes and said, "He died last year." Cheryl’s face distorted with a kind of confusion mingled with horror. "In an accident in the field."

Cheryl flung her fur wrap more tightly over her shoulder, as she replied, "Well, you just go on fighting the good fight, dear, and keep your chin up."

Without another glance to any of them, she strolled hastily away, squealing out another name. "Yeah, fight the good fight," Riley retorted quietly at the woman’s back. "You quit fighting the good fight because it interfered with your weekly manicures." She looked to Avery, whose eyes had yet to be brought up to their normal direction. "Ave, we don’t need to be concerned with twits like that woman, she knows nothing of us, nor of Roarke."

"It was all over the news!" Avery erupted, darting her eyes to Cheryl. "It was everywhere! The memorial service was televised! How could she not know?" Rochester slipped a comforting arm around Avery’s shoulders, as she whispered, "How could she not know?"

A hand on Riley’s shoulder made her turn. Behind her stood a dashing young man with dark hair and darker eyes. "You didn’t call," he said, his voice deep and masculine.

A smile spread over Riley’s face as she replied, "I just got home." He grinned, and opened his arms to her. "Gavin," she whispered, embracing him warmly. "How was Canada?"

"Cold," he answered, looking her up and down. "I do say, the Amazon has done wonders to you." He spun her around, as if she were but a child. "It’s made you tanned, sleek, forget how to use a telephone…" Riley gave him a smart smile. "How’s my favorite archeologist?"

Gavin Levi was one of the richest men in all the world, his fortune funded much of Antediluvian, and his art collection was rivaled only by Florence, Italy. Not to mention he was the youngest millionaire in the world, barely twenty six, he’d been working on the Internet since he had been nine years old. He’d earned his first million by his twelfth birthday, and now his entire net worth was sixty two hundred million, give or take a thousand. But, Riley had no use for such money. Her lifestyle was comfortable enough to allow her to do what she wanted for whatever she wanted to do it for. And she was happy with that.

Smiling, Riley replied, "Pretty good, actually. I’m on a new excavation."

Gavin’s eyes perked up as he said, "And where would this one be?"

Giving him a mysterious look, Riley replied, "The middle of the Atlantic…"

"Digging up the Titanic, are we?" Gavin joked, but when Riley gave him a mysterious shrug, he gaped. "I tried that! They wouldn’t let me!"

Avery jumped in, a smile on her pixie face, "You’re not an archeologist!" Gavin stared at Avery then Riley, then Rochester.

The old man spoke up, "Perhaps we should retire to my office, ladies." He nodded to Gavin, "Mr. Levi…" With that, the trio headed toward the gigantic double doors leading to Rochester’s office.

Once inside, Rochester shut the door, and said, "Now, what is this excavation really for?" Riley and Avery both gave him the same innocent look at the same time. "It’s all fun and games with Mr. Levi, but this is me, girls."

Reaching into her pocket, Riley pulled out the box with the sliding lock. Opening it, she removed the velvet case and handed it to Rochester. He opened it, and stared hard at the jewel in his hands. "This isn’t…"

"The Key?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow. Rochester stared up at her as Avery spun quickly. "As a matter of fact, it is. A perfect rose diamond, flawless." She smiled at the old man, with his mouth wide open. "It’s worth more then Gavin, at least it will be for another three weeks or so."

Rochester rose to his feet as he began to speak, in his usual low pitched voice, the one that meant he didn’t expect an answer. Riley slipped the diamond back into her bag. "So, you have the Key, you know the details, you know the location, you have the map…" he looked to her, and said aloud, "Do you have the map?" Riley nodded, her hands behind her back, a smile on her face. "You have the map!" Rochester said in disbelief. Again, Riley nodded. Avery looked dumbfounded.

"Key to what!" she finally shouted, staring hard at Riley.

Riley’s eyes flicked from Rochester to Avery, and she reached for the diamond. "The Key to a door…" Riley trailed off.

Disbelieving, Avery replied, "Oh, yeah, a diamond worth sixty two hundred K opens a door!"

"Ave, you gotta believe me right now. I’ll tell you, I promise, but you gotta trust me," Riley whispered, looking her in the eyes. "Please," she whispered. Finally, Avery nodded. "Thank you."

She turned to Rochester, and said, "We should be going now, we’ve got another appointment." Rochester nodded, still a bit pale. "Here," Riley continued, pulling another velvet case from her bag.

Opening it, his jaw dropped. Within lay Basil Addison’s tool set from when he’d excavated the Hidden Temple two hundred miles from the Mayan Lost City. "I can’t take these," Rochester whispered, staring in awe.

"Think of it as a donation from Antediluvian," Riley replied. "Dad would’ve wanted it to go toward the greater good."

Rochester nodded, knowing full well that there was so swaying Riley Addison. "Of course, half the profit will go to the organization," he said.

A smile came over her face as she replied, "Quarter…" Rochester moved to disagree, but Riley cut in, "Argue and it’s a dime!" Rochester shut his mouth. "Good bye," she said, leaning over to kiss his wrinkled cheek.

Out in the hallway, Avery tagged along like a toddler, running to catch up every few steps. "What map?" she asked. "Why was Rochester so amazed to know about the Key?"

Riley hissed at her, glancing around nervously. Instantly, Avery fell silent. "Miss Addison, I presume?" came a voice from behind them.

Turning slowly, Riley found a tall man, with graying hair at the sides, staring down at her. "You presume wrong," she answered, quietly.

"Oh, I don’t think so," the man said calmly, looking her up and down. "I need to speak with you, please." He grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the door. Struggling against him, she looked around frantically, Avery stood there, unable to do anything. Shouting would cause unnecessary attention, and there was no way she could take this man.

But she felt a calming hand on her shoulder, and she turned just in time to see Gavin Levi rush past. "Excuse me," he said, taking Riley’s other arm. "Where do you think you’re taking my wife?" He spoke low, so not to avert attention to the scene.

The man sputtered, "Your wife?" He looked astonished.

"Yes," Gavin replied, looking him directly in the eye. "My wife." He turned to look at Riley evenly, then said, "Calia, is this man bothering you?"

Giving the man a glare, she replied, "No, honey, just a case of mistaken identity." The man let her go, and she offered her hand. "Calia Grant," she said.

He shook it, replying, "Harlem Xavier." He glanced to Gavin and said, "Terribly sorry about that, I was looking for Riley Addison, do you know where she is?"

Gavin glanced to Riley, who shrugged, and then he replied, "I believe she is in the Amazon…"

But Xavier shook his head and answered, "She flew in last night. I’ve been looking for her, she has something I’m looking for." As he reached to shake Gavin’s hand, Riley noticed a tattoo on his left wrist, where a watch would normally be. A circle with a crescent moon and three stars in the shape of a triangle. A strangely familiar picture, but she glanced up quickly.

After the man had gone, Riley smiled up at Gavin. His dark eyes seemed to darken as he watched the man walk away. The moment he was out of earshot, Gavin hissed, "What have you got?" Riley shrugged, "Don’t play dumb with me, Riley, what have you got?"

"I honestly don’t know!" Riley answered, keeping her voice down. Avery finally joined them, her light eyes wide. "You okay, Ave?" Riley asked, placing a hand on her slender shoulder. Avery nodded. "Come on, let’s get some food in you."

Offering his arm, Gavin said, "Allow me, ladies, my money is burning a hole in my pocket."

"Some hole!" Avery giggled, and both burst into laughter. Instantly the silence around them was broken, and they were met with stares. Ducking their heads, and fighting back laughter, the trio stepped from the building and into the cold sunlight.

* * *

Raising her head to the sunlight filtering in the window, Riley groaned. "Morning sunshine," Tourney said from behind her. She turned slowly to face him. "I didn’t wish to wake you, you looked so cute…" he joked, handing her a glass of orange juice.

Pushing red bangs from her face, she sneered at him. "What time is it?" her voice cracked.

Trying to hide the smile, Tourney replied, "Almost eight. Avery asked me to inform you that you have a date at ten…" He cocked an eyebrow, "A date with whom?"

"What are you? My father?" Riley asked, shooting him a glance. Tourney shrugged, and moved out of the room. "Date…" Riley muttered to herself. It was no such thing. It was a business get together, to discuss the welfare of Antediluvian with one of her chief investors. So what if that chief investor happened to be Gavin Levi, and so what if it was over brunch at his chateau in upstate New York!

Muttering to herself, she climbed into the shower, enjoying the feeling of the cool water down her back. Out of all the comforts of home, this was the one she always missed in the field. Roarke hadn’t cared if he showered in a bathroom or bathed in the Nile in full view of everyone. But for some reason, Riley preferred a stall.

Jumping out, she glanced to her watch, only eight ten, she should be able to make it on time. Flinging her robe about her, she strode from the bathroom, and flung open her closet. She’d never been one for furs and fancy clothes, although Tourney had made sure she had a wide selection of fancy things for Antediluvian events.

Pulling a skirt set from the array of clothes, she held it before her body, then glared at the mirror. "Green’s better," Tourney said from the doorway. "It brings out the green in your eyes…" Riley stared hard at the gray eyes staring back at her from the mirror. Tourney held up a beautiful green dress of woven silk. Fitted at the top and flared at the waist, Riley had a fun time imagining Gavin’s face when he saw it.

"A little flirty, don’t you think?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tourney feigned shock, as he replied, "Oh, I’m sorry, I must have mistaken you for Riley Addison…"

A quick glance at Tourney assured her that he had no clue what had happened in the auction house. Riley took the dress from him and frowned. "You’re sure?" she asked. Tourney nodded, then excused himself from the room.

* * *

Slipping into the black 1972 Corvette Stingray, Riley fiddled with her heels. The silver buckles glinted in the sunlight, and she scowled heavily into the rearview mirror. Setting her hair had been rather difficult and it finally called for her, Avery and Tourney to get the curls just right. The fire red, naturally curly hair had been a trait from her mother, Vivian Addison, the only one in a long line of traits from her father.

Tourney closed the door behind her, smiling through the window. She fussed with her overcoat, finally laying it right. Buckling her seat belt, she smiled back, then started the car and started down the driveway. On the way past the gate, she glanced to the clock, eight forty five, she’d make it on time.

The area she drove through stunned her. Never had she driven the stretch in the fall, it dazzled her. The trees were all autumn colored, and the sky yawned forever. The hour forty five minute drive sped by, and soon Riley found herself standing before a huge mansion.

The door opened, and a butler stepped out. A young man stepped forward and held his hand out for the keys. Riley handed them over, and allowed the butler to help her into the house.

"Thank you, Bailey," came Gavin’s voice from the stairs. "I’ll take it from here." Bailey bowed low and stepped back. Crossing the floor, Gavin reached out to help her from her coat. He hung it in the closet, and offered his arm. "You look lovely," he said, taking her in. "Quite dressy…"

Riley’s eyes darted up to his, and she replied, "I knew it! It’s too much, I told Tourney…"

"No," Gavin interrupted, silencing her. "It’s not to much, it’s perfect." She smiled, and followed him into the dining room, where the table was decked out to the fullest extent. He helped her into a seat, and then sat at the head of the table beside her. "How is Tourney? Still fighting the good fight?"

Giggling, Riley leaned slightly to the side to allow the maid to spoon eggs onto her plate. "If by that you mean arguing with me at every turn," Riley paused, as Gavin nodded, "Then yes." Gavin grinned at her, and she smiled.

Nodding, Gavin motioned the woman away, she curtsied and ducked from the room. "Really, how can you handle them acting like that?" Riley whispered.

Softly, Gavin replied, "My mother makes them do that." Riley looked at him questioningly, so he continued. "Well, when I made my first money, Mother went out and got a full staff for Father’s house in Southern California. She trained them to bow and curtsy, and say yes ma’am and no ma’am. Now, every time she walks in that door, every servant switches automatically." Riley glanced around the room, as if looking for something. "She’s upstairs," he said, pointing above their heads. "Where I hope she’ll stay."

To no avail, the moment she had reached for the milk, Riley heard footsteps echoing in the corridor, and the door flew open. A woman stood there with gray hair, that was once as dark as Gavin’s. Her eyes darted from Gavin to Riley. She took the girl in, every ounce of her, from the silver buckles on her shoes to the silver barrettes in her fiery hair.

"Good morning," she greeted, finally. Riley exhaled, for a moment, she’d thought that Mrs. Levi would erupt with something horrible. "My name is Mrs. Sarah Levi," she continued, "You may call me Mrs. Levi," she finished, reaching out for Riley’s hand.

Accepting it graciously, Riley replied, "Miss Riley Addison," she tossed her head to stare directly up at the woman. "You may call me Miss Addison," she finished, with the same arrogant air.

A smile came over Mrs. Levi’s face, and she said, "Finally, a cheeky one." She stared hard at her son, "She’s delightful," Mrs. Levi continued. "Tell me, Miss Addison, was your father Basil Addison?" When Riley nodded, Mrs. Levi nodded. "Wonderful man," she finished.

Sitting down on the opposite side of the table, Mrs. Levi clapped her hands twice, and the maid came scurrying from the kitchen. "Mother," Gavin began, "Riley is the chairwoman of Antediluvian, that organization I sponsor." Mrs. Levi nodded, then waved the maid to begin to lay out the food. "She came here for a business brunch…"

"Balderdash!" Mrs. Levi announced, reaching for a fork. "You two can talk business while you ride after breakfast."

Turning her head sharply, Riley stared at Gavin, then said, "We’re riding after breakfast?"

His reply was quick and strong, "No, Mother just decided that we should. But we’re not, not with you in that dress, anyway." His wink gave her the impression that he would add something, had his mother not been there. Riley nodded, and began to pick up eggs and chew them. "We shall retire to my study after breakfast, we can talk there," Gavin said softly. Riley nodded again, chewing slowly.

* * *

A fire blazed in the hearth as Gavin shut the door behind them. Wood paneling surrounded them and chairs of deep red leather welcomed them to the fire. Gavin motioned for her to sit. Taking the seat he’d gestured to, she looked up at him expectantly. He followed suit, sitting adjacent from her. "What was it you wanted to tell me?" he asked.

Her eyes darted from the fire to the door, then back to him. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the box, and opened it. Handing him the velvet bag, she began, "When Roarke and I were just turning twelve, he found this book in my father’s library. It was titled "Discovery and Disappearances". He became obsessed with the story of Atlantis, like my father with the story of the Holy Grail. He devoted hours to the study of Atlantian, the written language of the lost empire." Gavin whistled low as he pulled the diamond from the case. Riley continued, unabashed, "He found the location of the supposed Map To Atlantis, atop a volcanic island just outside the mouth of the Mediterranean. But it needed a Key, a perfect rose diamond, at least four carats." Riley stopped to meet Gavin’s eyes. "That’s it, Gavin, that’s the Key."

Eyebrows arched, Gavin repeated, "Mediterranean? Isn’t that…"

Riley nodded. "Yes," she replied, "Roarke died on the volcano."

"Listen," Gavin said, standing. He turned to the fire and stared into the flames, as he continued, "I know all about his obsession, I was his best friend. But, really, Riley, it can’t exist. There’s no such place." He turned to look at her, and finished, "Until I can see the proof, I can’t believe this…"

Rising to her feet, Riley reached into her purse and withdrew her brother’s book of Atlantis. On the cover was a crescent moon with three stars in the shape of a triangle. "This was tattooed on the arm of that Xavier man in the auction house yesterday…" Gavin moved to argue, but Riley lifted the hem of her dress to reveal a birth mark of the exact same picture on her ankle. She finished, "And I’ve had this all my life. Do you need more proof? Roarke had it too, and my mother… Do you believe yet?" Gavin had turned ash white, and sank into the chair.

"What do you want me to do?" he choked, "And where are we going to have to go?"