Stone of Fire: An ARKANE Thriller (Book 1)

Chapter 18

Santiago de Compostela, Spain
 May 20, 2.45PM

      Jake arrived back at the airport in a Spanish police vehicle and bounded up the steps into the plane. Morgan lay back reading one of the Moleskine journals on the reclining seats.
     “Coffee?” Morgan lifted the fresh mug at him nonchalantly. “Just made, still fresh in the pot.”
     Jake grinned at her.
     “Glad you were so worried about me. Nice diversion with the Holy Door. You should have seen the faces of the priests as you left, with me still swinging in the dome. All their worst nightmares come true.”
     “I think the pilgrims will suffer with enhanced security from now on,” she replied with a smile, sitting forward on her chair. Jake sat down next to her.
     “The police mentioned there was a stabbing in the crypt. Are you okay?”
     “One of the Thanatos guys made it down there but he didn’t win this prize.” Morgan pulled the stone from her pocket and handed it to Jake. “This one is somehow more authentic than the ones we have already. It’s hardly been touched. There’s no decoration or carving like the others.”
     Jake examined it.
“Do you think we should be feeling something now we have three stones in one place? Should we be speaking in tongues or something?”
     “You believe that about as much as I do,” Morgan replied with a smile. She took the stone back and tucked it away deep in her jacket pocket. “But I still need to get the others. Whatever they can do, we need to hurry for Faye and Gemma’s sake.”
     “I know,” Jake sat down at the table, putting his hand over hers briefly. She waited just a second before she pulled her hand away and the moment was broken. He noticed a curl of dark hair hanging down across her face and she brushed it back behind her ear, her skin luminous from the Spanish sun shining through the plane window.
     Jake had known she would get back from the church with no problems. When he had seen the Holy Door open and Morgan dash out, he had slid back down the rope and let the police take him away, knowing she was safe. They made a good team, and what he had heard about the fight in the crypt made him even more sure of the fact. He had only heard second hand about what happened, but clearly she could look after herself and that confidence made her strangely unapproachable. He hadn’t met a woman like her in a long time. Someone he didn’t have to look after. He snapped out of it.
     “I need to speak to Marietti and report back. Maybe we can get some help on our next location.”
     “Go ahead,” Morgan glanced up, a frown on her face as she studied the journal. She was cross-referencing it with the information Ben had given her. Jake walked into the small pilot’s area and put in a call to Marietti.
     “Do you have the stone of James?” the Director said, curt and business-like.
     “Yes, sir. Morgan found it but we were tracked and a team from Thanatos were there to intercept. They may still be following us, so we need to move on quickly.”
“We’ve had intel that there’s a bounty out on you two so it’s likely you’ll be followed all the way. You must stop those stones falling into the wrong hands, whatever it takes. Talk to Martin now, he has your next destination.”
     Jake was patched through to Martin Klein in the basement of ARKANE. He walked back into the main cabin and switched to speakerphone, gesturing for Morgan to listen in.
     “Hey Spooky, what have you got for us?”
     The line crackled a little, but Martin’s enthusiasm could be clearly heard.
     “The stone of Thaddeus; I think it’s in northern Iran.”
     Morgan looked quizzical and leaned forward to speak.
     “Hi Martin, it’s Morgan. What’s the specific link back to the Apostles? I know there was an early Church in Persia but why would there be a stone there?”
     Martin outlined his research.
     “You’re right, Christianity was established early in Persia, now Iran. Some of the people who heard the Apostles speak on Pentecost were Persians, and it’s written that they took the Gospel back with them and started the Church. The Apostle Thaddeus, also known as Jude, is venerated as one of the founders and patron saints of the Church there. Despite its modern reputation for intolerance and fundamentalist Islam, Persia was at the forefront of culture for millennia.”
     Morgan nodded. “I see what you mean. Christians have been persecuted there but ancient churches still remain. Iran has some phenomenal archaeological treasures, but it’s not exactly a tourist destination these days. Go on.”
     “Well, the Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Armenia was also the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, tracing its origins to the Apostles. The Armenian Church followed its own path, officially splitting with Rome and Constantinople in 554 after rejecting the position of the Church at Chalcedon.”
     Jake was looking a little lost at the finer points of Christian history, so Morgan explained, “Chalcedon was a turning point in early Church history with the differences in belief causing a schism between east and west.”
     Martin continued.
     “The Armenians and Eastern orthodox believe in one incarnate nature of Christ, uniting human and divine, whereas the Roman Church believed in a dual nature: human and divine as separate. The Armenians still have claim to a part of ancient Jerusalem and one of their Patriarchs resides there. The Persians also have a long history in the Bible, with Cyrus the Great, Cambyses and Darius all mentioned. It’s also near the rumored location of biblical Eden itself.”
Morgan nodded. “We don’t have any other solid leads right now so it’s worth a try.”
     “OK Martin,” Jake said. “Can you email that over and we’ll review it en route?”
     “Sure, it’s a long flight. You’ll need some reading material. And be careful, Jake. Thaddeus is the patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations. Just make sure you don’t need his help out there. Good luck.”
     He hung up. Jake looked at Morgan.
“Guess it’s Iran next, then. I’ll sort out the clearance.”
     After checking all the data with the flight crew, Jake went back into the cabin to find Morgan curled up asleep in her recliner chair. Her face was creased with concern and Jake knew she worried about her family. For a moment he was struck by jealousy. He had no family to worry about, and none to care about what happened to him. Had he really allowed himself to become so isolated? Or had his lifestyle at ARKANE nipped any relationships in the bud. He shook his head. There was never any time to change things in between the increasing frequency of missions. It seemed the world erupted with global threats on a weekly basis, but they had about seven hours before they arrived in Iran, so there was time to rest now. Jake pulled down one of the flight blankets and draped it around Morgan. She stirred a little and then settled back in, her face more relaxed. He sat back in his own chair, watching her breathe, a frown creasing his forehead as he puzzled how to deal with the challenge ahead.

***

You can buy this book and the rest of the ARKANE series in print, audio and ebook format at Amazon, Kobo and other online stores. You can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page. For more information, see JFPenn.com Your support is appreciated. Thanks for reading!