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Chapter 7
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Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 8
Jake slowly opened his eyes. For a moment, he couldn't get his bearings and didn't understand where he was. Above him, he saw a dirty, once-white ceiling that was begging to be repainted, just like all the walls in his flat. Looking around, he realised that he was lying on the ground in his own home. Then he remembered standing in front of the mirror and the next moment he was unconscious. Taking his time, he stood up and looked at the clock on the wall. It had been a couple of hours since he was about to leave. Jake was a little scared. He had never been to a doctor in his life, because he had never had any health problems. He had always been as strong as an ox and had never taken any medication. He hadn’t even had a runny nose for about ten years. He could not understand what was happening. How could he faint just from standing in front of a mirror, as if nothing had happened. The situation was more than strange. But it was not only the fact that he had been unconscious for two hou
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 9
Jake was in the middle of his odyssey through the local nightclubs. He didn‘t like to stay in one place too long. He had a lot of acquaintances in the more popular bars and had decided that tonight he would visit them all. It was fun. Many of his friends who were in the same trade didn‘t drink alcohol at all because the Islamic faith forbade it, but there were many who didn‘t care and had fun, while forgetting all the religious dogma. One of the favourite activities on these nights was to charm the girls who were there on holiday, who felt shy in a strange country, with a different culture, and who were wary of the local men. Jake was the key to success on the road to meeting foreign women. Because he was American and handsome, the girls were willing to flirt with him, thinking he was a tourist just like them. It was a great night for new acquaintances, and quite successful too. Half an hour earlier, Jake had chatted up a group of girls from Germany and had already introduced them t
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 10
Barcelona, Spain.It was still early in the morning. The train journey to the Catalan capital took just 40 minutes, so before Kate could fall into a deep sleep, she was woken up by a big man with red cheeks.“Wake up, lady, we have arrived in Barcelona.” It was the ticket conductor who was checking that all passengers had disembarked. Waking up so suddenly, Kate was startled beyond words. The ticket inspector smiled warmly when he saw her pale face. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. It's just that you slept very soundly. We have arrived.”“No, it‘s fine. I must have had a bad dream. Thank you,” Kate said in a slightly confused, jerky voice. She picked up her things and got up from her seat. “Have a nice day, lady. I apologise again for frightening you.”“Thank you, I‘m fine. Have a nice day too,” answered Kate trying to smile as she got off the train.The morning was clear and warm. It was early, but life was already in full swing. As she left the train station, Kate was ov
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 11
Cardinal Richard sat in a large, red lavishly upholstered chair, a throwback to the reign of Queen Victoria, which perfectly matched the décor of his luxurious apartment. He had bought the apartment a few years earlier and furnished it as if it was a palace. He loved visiting Catalonia because it was part of his carefree childhood. Although he was not particularly sentimental he did feel at home despite the fact that for many years his home had been Rome and the Vatican, where his hard work, stubborn character, and great dedication to a single purpose had made him what he was today. Despite his austere nature, even in his stony heart there was a small longing that compelled him to visit Catalonia at least once a year. However, being homesick was not the reason for returning this time, it was something much more important. Soon he would have in his hands the most powerful weapon in the world, which would bring all humanity to its knees. He had given his whole life in the service of God
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 12
Cardinal Richard had just received a call from a messenger to say that the mission was successful and that the plane with the special parcel had landed. The news was so thrillingly good that the cardinal accidentally dropped the cup he was holding. It took him a minute to stop himself from shouting with happiness. After a few deep breaths, he regained his usual calm and ordered that the car with the parcel be directed to him at once. He gave strict instructions that his men observe all possible safety requirements and in case of danger, to use all means to ensure that the parcel was delivered safely. After putting the receiver down, he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. “Isn‘t this God‘s will?” he thought. “Finally... The stone of the earth, the ring, in my mighty hands. I will bring humanity into a new era,” he said to himself. Then the phone rang again. It was his people, who had gone to a temple in the mountains. The cardinal picked up the phone, thinking it was the best
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 13
Darren was sitting in his hotel room, drinking whisky from a tiny bottle he had found in his minibar. He felt completely out of his depth and utterly lost. Always a man of strong character, unpredictable, and self-confident, he was now distracted and affected by the emotions that Margaret had suddenly evoked. Things were already quite complicated. Just a few minutes earlier, he had coordinated by telephone, all the details for the transfer of the bodies of the murdered men with the French Security Department, before informing Nathaniel of the events in Cairo surrounding the loss of the ring. Nathaniel was, of course, not happy with this sequence of events, but he did not blame Darren for what he could not change. On the contrary, he thanked him sincerely for the hard work he had done and the responsibility he had assumed at a difficult time for the Brotherhood and urged him not to give up. Darren thought otherwise. Too many people were already involved in what should have been a simpl
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 14
Darren and Margaret were sitting in a Cairo police station, drinking strong, bitter tasting coffee from a machine. Their rescue operation from the cave had gone smoothly and without any further misunderstandings. As promised, Bruce had arrived with several police crews, who brought professional climbing equipment, and they were able to bring them out into the light of day quite quickly through an opening in the cave roof. The rest of Darren’s men waited patiently at the station. Margaret was telling everyone in detail how they had ended up in the cave and that by chance found an old door hidden in the cave wall. Of course, she kept some things to herself, but as she recounted the adventure, she glanced warily at Darren, who was sitting next to her, and from the playful smile on his face, she realised that his mind was also full of pleasant memories. “I am glad you are both safe and sound. It could have been much worse,” said Bruce. “But what are we going to do about that guy? He does
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 15
Paris, France. Kate looked wide-eyed with surprise. It wasn’t a dream. She was actually lying in a king size bed in a huge room in a seemingly luxurious palace, and sitting next to the bed was the great guardian of the Brotherhood of the Guardians of the Stone, Nathaniel Thorne himself. He looked completely calm, with a faint smile on his face, betraying the fact that he was genuinely enjoying this unusual moment. Kate looked around slowly and realised that she had no idea how she had come to be here, and was naturally a little frightened. Fortunately, when she looked to her left, she saw Pierre standing there, looking just as scared as she was. A familiar and warm face was now just what she needed and Kate calmed down a little. Then she realised that she hadn’t said anything in response to the man’s presence, which was very rude, and she quickly tried to make amends. “Yes. Sorry... All this... I... I’m Katelyn West,” Kate struggled to get her first sentence together. “I’m pleased
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Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 24
A beautiful, calm morning dawned. Here and there, the sound of birds waking up after the night was heard. The night sky glowed and the mysterious shadows of the night retreated until they would find their hour again. The last of the visible stars were fading and their yellowish light diminished into the vastness of the boundless universe. A regular summer day was about to begin, but for some, it would be no ordinary day. There was a physically palpable tension in the vast living room of the Thorn Villa. Everyone in the room had not yet slept. Last night, had been for most of them, the worst night of their lives. “Of course. I agree. We have a lot of things to talk about, a lot of…” said Nathaniel Thorne. His face bore the stamp of the night’s dramatic events, and his voice, usually rich and confident, had been replaced by a weak, at times barely audible tone of sadness. “Of course, neither of us will be able to sleep for a while, but I suggest that everyone takes a shower. I would
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 23
The room was spacious and generously furnished with office furniture. There were desks, comfortable high-back chairs, small sofas, and coffee tables with glass tops. At any one time, there could have been as many as thirty, maybe forty people working, but by late afternoon the building was completely empty. The security shutters on the large windows were down. Margaret and Megan were tied tightly to the chairs and sat next to each other. Their wrists were uncomfortably sore from where the rough rope rubbed harshly against the skin. The armed men, of whom there were plenty, stood quietly in various parts of the room and paid no attention to them. But Margaret knew that they were being watched closely and that if they tried to do anything, they would be subjected to ill-treatment by one of the indifferent-looking guards. The man she thought was the boss had been on the phone in the adjoining office for a long time. Margaret turned to a frightened Megan. “Don't be afraid. Everything w
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 22
The hot summer sun had disappeared under the dark clouds. Somewhere in the distance, thunder was angrily rumbling, as if it were thundering down on the earth’s warm inhabitants. The light rain fell in cold, heavy drops that refreshed and revived the dry grass and caressed the colourful, thin blossoms springing up from the earth. It was the perfect calm before a storm. In contrast to the calmness around her, Megan was in the midst of a real storm of emotions. Sat on the pavement, her whole body was shaking as if it had been electrocuted. What she had just witnessed kept flashing through her mind. Mysterious armed men, Jake’s voice telling her to run, gunshots, and a woman appearing like a bolt from the blue. Megan was sure that she had seen the woman somewhere before, but could not remember where or when. This woman had saved her by jumping on top of her attacker. And she knew her name. How? Why? It was all so hard to take in. And then there was Jake... Megan shuddered even more at t
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 21
Kate stood on the observation deck and breathed in deeply the clean, cold, mountain air. The Montserrat Monastery was still asleep, immersed in a thick mist falling from the high mountains. All was quiet and peaceful. Somewhere in the vastness of the sky, a lone eagle’s cry announced that the royal predator of the skies had risen for the hunt. Kate’s gaze was wandering around the breathtaking, mystical landscape of Catalonia when the sound of soft footsteps could be heard nearby. A moment or two later, the silhouette of a man emerged from behind an opaque fog curtain and stopped just a few metres away. Every muscle in the girl’s body tensed up. Holding her breath, she waited for the man to take one more step towards her. As the fog cleared, the girl took a more calmer breath and tried to smile. “Hello, beautiful,” said the man in a low voice. “Geoffrey…” she burst into tears and was about to rush out and hug her friend, but he reached forward and stopped her. Kate was a litt
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 20
As the day drew to a close, the rain stopped and the thick, dark clouds faded into the distance, like shadows being forcibly chased away. The air was fresh again and nature was coming back to life. It was a little chilly, but the air was slowly warming up again. “I think it’s time for dinner. Katelyn, my child, will you invite Marie to join us?” asked Nathaniel. “Of course,” said Kate, and walked across the courtyard towards the guest house, where Marie was still working, trying to arrange the things she had brought with her. They had all spent the entire day at Thorne’s villa, behind the fence that separated them from the outside world. Nathaniel had been locked in his office for a long time because of urgent business matters. Meanwhile, Kate and Vincent had walked around the fragrant garden, under the cover of a giant umbrella, chatting and leaving the newcomers alone. Vincent spoke clearly and consistently about the power that has been in the diamond for centuries. He thought t
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 19
“Ok, ok. I agree that it’s pretty good,” said Jake, tucking into his second steak. They had been in Paris for just over two days, and Megan was in love with the romantic city. She was fascinated by everything around her: the people, the architecture, even the sky seemed different from what she was used to seeing in Cairo. She succumbed to this new fascination and spent the morning arguing with Jake that they should stay longer and see what happens. “We could rent a small and cosy apartment near the Old Town. The prices are not as high as I thought,plus, I think I could easily find a job here.” “Meg, take your time. Yes, we can rent an apartment, but let’s get settled first. We’ve only been here for two days,” said Jake with a mouthful of food. “Great. I’ve already found a few noteworthy rental ads. Later this afternoon, we could look at some apartments not far from here,” Megan said happily. Jake didn’t argue. He liked Megan’s happiness and Paris seemed like a good place to live.
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 18
The rescue operation was smooth and successful. Darren knew that the evening’s events would cause chaos, but he had no choice. He had to act with lightning speed. For years, the two opposing camps had walked a fine line, but had always tried to show each the respect they deserved, and as far as the circumstances demanded it. Unfortunately, in the end there were no limits. Things were changing very quickly. The eternal struggle between good and evil, between light and darkness was inevitable. Darren gave instructions to prepare for the flight home. His men cleaned their weapons thoroughly and laughed with each other, discussing the mistakes made during the invasion of the villa. Vincent was lying in the hallway with his eyes closed and breathing heavily. After showering and changing into new clean clothes, the monk felt very weak. He was struggling to breathe from the bruises and the stress of his injuries, and his chest was aching with pain, which increased with each weak breath. D
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 17
“Get up! Get up! How long can you sleep for?” and Jake jumped out of bed, almost deafened by Megan’s loud voice. “What... What happened?” he was scared. “Have I ruined something again?” “No, at least not yet. But you sleep too long. Get ready and let’s go and have breakfast. We’re in Paris!” Megan was obviously in a great mood. Jake didn’t say anything and just smiled. He liked that Megan was finally in a good mood. He liked that she wasn’t thinking about him putting her in such a horrible situation. Without even thinking of contradicting the girl’s order, he dragged himself towards the shower. Within an hour, they were sitting at a small outdoor café in one of the older parts of the city, enjoying strong coffee and fresh croissants. Megan was studying a map of Paris, intently plotting the route she had already planned for the day. Jake showed no interest. In his mind he was trying to move the spoon on the table. “Jake, stop it!” said Megan in a commanding tone. “Your superpower
Guardians of the Stones. Earth-Air Chapter 16
Paris, France. Paris International Airport was deserted. A dozen or so tourists sat in the lounges, immersed in their smart devices and oblivious to their surroundings. The shops, with their array of accessories, were also closed, with only a few small kiosks selling coffee, tea, and delicious-smelling pastries. It was from one of these that Jake had bought two cups of cappuccino and some fresh doughnuts. “Here’s a coffee,” said Jake, returning to Megan, who was studying intensely the pocket map of Paris she had picked up on the plane. “Don’t you feel strange? Because even standing here, I still find it hard to believe that we were still in Egypt just a few hours ago. Megan took the coffee. “Yes, it’s a bit strange. But for some reason I think we did a good thing,” Megan smiled. “Yes, I guess... Well, what next? Rent a room in an airport hotel or go into town? It’s getting late, I don’t know if we could find a hotel this late, we don’t even know Paris at all,” Jake asked, stuffi
