Ancient Echoes

CHAPTER 57



New York City

JIANJUN LAY IN THE trunk of the car driven by Bob, Calvin Phaylor’s nurse. He tamped down his fear with the belief that if Calvin Phaylor wanted him dead, Bob would have killed him in Vandenburg’s apartment, the same way Bob killed Vandenburg. The nurse simply followed Phaylor’s orders, but why did Phaylor have Vandenburg murdered?

As fit his logical, computer-like brain, he laid out the facts.

Point A. Years ago, Calvin Phaylor learned about the Chinese and Danish scientists and their discovery of the Mormon settlement documents including Francis Masterson’s Journal. That started him on his findings about alchemy and Idaho. That set everything else in motion.

Phaylor would have quickly realized the possibilities: The Book of Abraham the Jew, alchemy, immortality. He then needed to eliminate the two men who knew most about it so he could take it over himself. The hard part would have been to get the Chinese scientist out of China. PLP’s international symposium on genetics provided the perfect cover.

Getting rid of the Dane had been child’s play in comparison.

Point B. Vandenburg seemed to know nothing about the recent murders in Paris and Jerusalem. Calvin Phaylor must have been behind them as well. He used Vandenburg, manipulated her because of her daughter. He told her about Idaho and the Secret Expedition. She provided him with the perfect cover, while he hid behind the scenes. Through her, he got the right people involved, people like Michael Rempart.

Phaylor wanted Michael and Lionel involved, but why? What was special about them? That, Jianjun wasn’t able to answer.

Point C. Phaylor knew what happened in Mongolia, not because he had been told by a member of the Chinese government, but because he had paid for the information, paid for Batbaatar’s help, and paid to have him killed so he wouldn’t warn Michael and confess all he knew.

Phaylor must have been the one who sent people to steal Lady Hsieh’s body. Also, getting permits to allow Michael into Mongolia to dig, although difficult at first, suddenly became easier, way too easy in hindsight, than Jianjun ever expected. Perhaps Phaylor’s money helped pave the way there as well.

Phaylor might also have sent someone to follow Lionel and Michael in Idaho, perhaps to steal The Book of Abraham the Jew from them as soon as they found it. Jianjun wondered if that was why Michael was missing now. Was his boss, his friend, already dead?

Jianjun refused to consider that possibility.

Vandenburg became a liability to Phaylor. She spent time and money, became far too invested in the results, and expected to own a part of them. She probably found out things Phaylor didn’t want her to know. Phaylor was close to everything he wanted, and wasn’t about to share.

The car stopped, and Jianjun held his breath with fear. All other questions vanished from his mind, replaced by only one: Was he a dead man?