The Decrypter: Secret of the Lost Manuscript (Calla Cress Techno Thriller Series: Book 1) (61 page)

“Aren’t you the rightful owner?” Nash asked.

 “Unfortunately, no.”

Jack strolled into the room guzzling a can of Coke, followed by a smiling Eichel.  “Who do they belong to?” Jack said.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you.  There’re some things that must be kept top secret, even from you, my friend.  By the way, I want to thank you both for what you and Herr Eichel did.  If you hadn’t gotten back to Mason’s technology room after Africa, I don’t think we could have reversed his program in time.”

Jack grinned.  “Always a step ahead here, history girl.”

“You certainly are, Jack,” she said.

Allegra shot to her feet and ambled over to Eichel who waited by the door observing the triumphant group.  “Herr Eichel, I owe you an apology about Berlin, but I had to get the Deveron out.  I grabbed the first thing I could find.” She handed him Priam’s golden artifact.  “The manuscript had been sealed in there so long, I couldn’t wedge it out.”

Eichel cradled the goblet in his hands and placed it in a small, custom-made briefcase.  “But how did you escape with these items?  We traced every exit, checked every CCTV camera and frisked every evacuee from the Pergamon.”

“Don’t you worry about that.  We’ve instigated a binding diplomatic agreement now. I do not need to disclose that information.  What matters is you get what you came for.”

Calla ambled over to Eichel and handed him the Deveron, carefully placing it in an acid-free, plastic sleeve.  “Berlin will be happy to get this back for a while, just until the exhibition is over.”

“Thank you,” said Eichel.  “I’m sorry I can’t stay for your celebrations, but I have to get back to Berlin with these artifacts.  My flight leaves in an hour.”

Eichel shook Calla’s hand.  “We’ve closed your case, Miss Cress, and we’ll be issuing a public apology.”

Taiven appeared at the den door.  “I have a car waiting for you, Mr. Eichel.”

Eichel saluted the group and strode to the door with the artifacts before making his exit. 

“Don’t you need the Deveron Manuscript anymore?” asked Nash.

Allegra smiled.  “All we ever really needed were the carbonados reunited.”  She winked at him.  “Eichel just received a replica that Vortigern and I created.”

Nash shook his head, entertained by the secrecy in the room and moved back towards Calla.  “I’m sorry we couldn’t find out more about your parents.”

She sighed.  “I guess Mila never really knew what happened to them after they told her to watch over me.  She’s my mother’s sister, that’s all I know.”

Nash slid an arm around her waist.  “Where do we go from here?”

Calla gazed into his gray eyes.  “Well for starters, why don’t we go on one proper date?  No fights, no guns, no travel, no manuscripts, just a simple, quiet date.”

Jack sneered at them.  “How about the new sky restaurant in the Shard?  I hear they serve a mean lobster.”

A smile bloomed on Calla’s face.  “Fancy a sky meal?”

Nash took her fingers. “Try me.”

* * *

11:51 A.M.

Calla wandered upstairs and closed her bedroom door.  She strode to her work desk and switched on the video conference system.  Vortigern appeared on the screen, beaming elatedly.

Calla took a seat and unmuted her speaking button.  “Did you receive the diamonds?”

He patted a silver box on his polished marble table and opened it.  “They’ve found their true resting place at last.  As long as we operate within the provided guidelines, we can continue to stand above any threat to the operatives.”

Calla glanced at the glowing stones next to Vortigern.  “Are you saying that we’ll never face an insurgence again?”

“Unfortunately, there are no guarantees.  You see these carbonados have now given operatives a second chance, a chance to redeem ourselves from the faults of the past.  And to continue to follow Merovec’s lead.”

“Will I ever meet Merovec?”

“You may, you may not.  It’s up to him.”

Calla’s gaze dropped to her desk.

Vortigern closed the box and watched her carefully.  “Calla, have you thought about what I said?”

“Which part?”

“Please don’t go through what Allegra went through.  It’s not worth the pain.  She told you herself.  We need you now more than ever.  This means Nash can never be important in your life.”

A frown descended over her face. 

She fell silent. 
I’ve always made my own decisions.

Right?

Free will is a gift no one can possess or take.

Right?

She questioned his determination and observed him. Vortigern’s troubled look did not ease her anguish.  “I’ve wanted to avoid telling you this, but did you ever wonder why Mason never killed Nash at Murchison Falls?”

“Nash survived a fall, that’s all.”

“No, my dear.  We replayed a satellite video.  Mason had his operatives rescue him.  I don’t know how to tell you this.  The truth is Nash’s first mission at the NSA was to investigate operatives in the US. It was a highly classified case entrusted to him. The government wanted to know if we were threats to global or US national security.  He wrote a report about us that is circulating within the CIA, MI6 and Interpol.  Not too long ago, we learned through our Cove in Washington that Nash struck a deal with Mason.  To this day, we don’t know what that deal entails, but we know Nash backed off his fierce goal to have Mason prosecuted.”

Her face turned ashen.  “That’s ridiculous. Mason is awaiting trial. Couldn’t we ask just him?  Nash has never lied to me,” protested Calla.

 “For whatever reason, Nash is not bringing forth certain evidence against Mason, even as Mason sits in prison awaiting trial for coercion, international theft, transfer of goods, assault, technology terrorism, mismanagement of funds and possibly murder.”

“I don’t believe you.”  Calla’s voice had risen more than she’d anticipated.  She flopped back in her chair.  “Be careful what you say, Vortigern. Nash’s cards rack higher than yours. I for one trust him.”

Vortigern sighed.  “In Nash’s defense, I believe he has a choice to make, we just do not know if it will be the right one. Even now Nash has the power to lock Mason away for good and reverse what Mason has started. But his conviction is stalling all due to what Nash and Mason have agreed and that NSA report.”

“What’s in the report? Let me guess, you don’t know. Pure speculation.”

“Calla, be warned.”

“Or what?”

Calla did not like the look on his face.  She wondered what Vortigern knew of loyalty, something not even her own kind could deliver.  Nash had been willing to die for her and that was enough.

“I’ll think about it,” she said.

“Don’t take too long.” Vortigern leaned forward in his chair.  “Listen Calla, to take on the responsibility that a lead operative like you needs, you cannot socialize with Nash.  You need to trust your own kind—”

Calla fell silent. 
My own kind deserted me! Nash has never abandoned me.

Calla sat perplexed rubbing her temples, hardly noticing the silent footsteps that strolled into the room.  Allegra set her hands on Calla’s tense shoulders.

Calla did not stir. 

“It’s true,” said Allegra.  “When I found you at the falls, I already knew that Nash would be okay.  That’s why we never went to save him.  He means well, but we don’t know which way he’ll go now after his dealings with Mason. Think of it.  Why has he never raised the topic of the NSA report he wrote.  We can’t take that chance.”

“But weren’t we able to reprogram Mason’s hackers by whitelisting, but most importantly by using Mason’s own telepathic program.  He has advanced this platform into a tested technology that can pick up fragments of people’s thoughts by decoding brain activity.  You and I know we used the same technology to eavesdrop on the hackers’ private thoughts and could anticipate their activities before they acted.  Can’t we supersede this program somehow and investigate Nash in the same way we protected those three thousand?”

She hadn’t thought this through.

Nash was under operative fire.

She had to do something.

Protect him.

Any argument for now would do. “We could analyze his intentions.  Isn’t that what you operatives are good at? Crossing science with humanity until you can’t tell the difference. I trust Nash. He would never do anything to harm me.”

Vortigern’s tone was gentle and encouraging, “I’m afraid that has ethical issues tied to it.  Most of Mason’s hackers had already resolved to participate in criminal activity, and some engaged in it.  Nash has not.  He has to be free to act like any other person, or operative.”

Case in point, Vortigern!

Calla pulled away from Allegra.  “So what happens now?  Do I just go back to my normal life and continue as if there’s nothing going on?”

Vortigern reasoned with her.  “You can’t influence Nash’s choices.  Break it off before it’s irreversible.”

“Nash would never be corrupted by the likes of Mason.  His nature is allergic to the kind.”

“No,” Vortigern said.

Allegra’s tone begged for understanding.  “If you engage in a relationship with Nash, chances are that Nash’s memory of you will suffer.  Merovec will see to it.” She breathed hard. “They did it to me.”

“Allegra, you don’t mean that—”

“Merovec may interfere with him and even Jack.  He’s a master engineer on all levels and his expertise tests reason, logic, emotion, technology and scientific theory.  That’s how things have always been.  That goes for anyone you connect with on any emotional level that’s beyond your assignment.  You would co-exist, but you could never have a life together.  We’re here to help you figure out how to live your higher purpose.”

Calla protested.  “But my parents and many operatives have had such connections even to non-operatives—”

Vortigern peered at Allegra.  “That’s all changed now that the carbonados are back together.  From now on, operatives are banned from emotional entanglements of any kind.  Such bonds have kept many from executing their obligations.”

Calla wondered how they could speak void of sympathy and sentiment.  Operative or not, she was no machine, she was very much wired like any other person.  She glanced at both of them and for a second and realized the decisions that had stood in her parent’s way.

She nodded her head slowly.  “Understood.”

“In time, you’ll learn to embrace who you really are, and we’ll be here helping you every step of the way,” Vortigern said.

Calla switched off the machine.  She stared out the window into the sunny square.  Allegra’s voice interrupted her sad thoughts.  “I tried and I lost Aston.”

Calla scrutinized her concerned eyes and responded in soft tones.  “You tried.  You pursued what you thought was right, without anyone standing in your way.  It’s called free will.”

Allegra sensed the determination in Calla’s voice, having encountered a similar determination once.  “Then I’ll not stand in your way, Calla.  But, I can’t let you go without caution.  You could risk losing everything: your unique identity and gifting.  The worst part is, when you go back to your world, Nash and even Jack may not know who you are.  Before you decide, think it over.”

A tiny red robin flew in though the open window and rested on her bed.  Calla watched the bird land.  Its peaceful hop consoled her wounded heart.  She placed a finger next to the bird and it flew into her welcoming hand.

She knew what to do.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

1:02 P.M.

St. Giles Estate

West London

Calla marched downstairs with Allegra in silence.

A silver-haired man stood at the bottom of the wide marble steps.  “Calla Iris?”

She halted and glared at him for several seconds.  Eva’s arrival startled Calla, as she minced behind the man and for an instant, fear stole into her childhood foe’s expression.

Calla held back disapproval as she set her foot on the bottom stair, her eyes fixed on the two unforeseen visitors, gazing critically at Eva. “What’re you doing here?”

Eva took a step back.  Her face abandoned pretense and despite her boldness at daring an unwelcome appearance, Calla sensed vulnerability. “Wait. Let me explain,” Eva said.

Calla’s glance shifted from Eva and studied the well-defined profile of the poised man with intense eyes, framing a handsome, square face.

Allegra stole to the bottom of the stairs. “Stan Cress.  I never thought I’d see the day.”

Stan reached for Allegra’s hand and kissed it before steering his gaze back at his grown child.

Calla kept her eyes on Stan’s direct and challenging stare.  “What’s going on Allegra?”

Before Allegra could respond, a distraught Eva pushed forward.  “Calla, I take back the news report I printed.”

“Why? Is that an attempt at avoiding prosecution for conspiring with Mason, or an effort at evading my indignation?”