Dark Dig 9 - Learn from the Gods

Learn from the Gods

By the time Marcus and Carol appeared for breakfast, Ruth and Fronia were well on their way to Athens. Ellen explained how Fronia and Ruth stayed up most of the night talking; they decided to surprise Ben at the airport. While they ate, Ellen busied herself with cleaning up. She politely avoided the temptation to comment on the two love-birds needing to come up for air.

“Yes, you two really missed out on a fun time. I think Fronia has more than just a casual interest in Ben. So, I kind of suggested that Fronia go with Ruth to meet Ben at the airport. I told Fronia she needs to get Ben to make a special effort to protect Ruth, she is in grave danger. I saw this in a dream last night and did not want Ruth to know as it might cause her to over react or even put her at greater risk. Carol, please do whatever you can to help,” Ellen implored.

“You know you can count on me, but what kind of danger is she in? What should I be looking for?” Carol asked.

Marcus put his coffee down and grunted, “You know I don’t think much about your predictions, but I think you might have a valid reason to want Ruth to have some additional protection. This entire mess is making me more and more uneasy. We still have no real clues as to whom, what or why. The where is clear, but for the life of me I can’t think of a reason why anyone would be interested in what is going on there. We have not turned up any really significant new findings. So far, we only have a few truckloads of erotic pottery. So, I do agree with you about the need to cover each other’s backs. I hope we get a full report on the lab findings soon. Maybe that bit of information with be the puzzle piece needed to fill in the big picture.” Marcus concluded.

“Marcus, are you getting soft in your old age? This is the first time you have ever given any credit to my projections,” Ellen admonished.

Carol pulled up a chair and attacked a bowl of corn flakes before she butted in, “So you think Fronia has the ‘hots’ for Ben and you think Ruth is in danger? Ellen, I wish your Gods could be a bit more specific. There are a few questions I would like some answers to.”

“I see you are both dressed to go back to that pit they pulled you out if yesterday. I had the servants burn the clothes you had on. I don’t think there was any way to get that stench out. I hope you get a call from Ruth with a report about any new developments,” Ellen asserted.

Marcus winked at Carol and took a long drag from his fresh cup of coffee before he replied. “Yes, we do have a lot of work to catch up on. All the delays caused by this mess is driving me crazy. Oh, and thanks for disposing the dirty cloths I was really not aware of how offensive they were. I’m not even sure what is in that pit that smells so bad. We should have been able to open that door yesterday, but it looks like there is some mechanical latch preventing us from opening it. I hope the bright engineers have studied it to find a solution.”

“Well, I’m ready to go. I’ll just take a thermos of coffee to drink along the way. I can tell you are dying to jump back onto that foul smelling hole,” Carol interrupted.

Ellen kissed them both on both cheeks before she escorted them to the main door. She stood on the veranda and waved as Marcus pulled the Land-Rover out of the courtyard. Before entering the house, she carefully surveyed the horizon, seeking any omen of impending peril. Content that there was only a sunny sky and gentle winds Ellen retreated to her little computer room. She felt a need to make contact with her Facebook friends to let them know what was going on. She was sure many of her friends must think something has happened to her because she had been away for more than a day.

Her first order of business was to download all the photos she took the night before with everyone together around the table laughing and drinking. She typed little captions listing everyone by name and explaining why they were gathered together. Almost instantly her IM flashed, signaling MSG from one of her most frequent chat partners. Before she could answer the first message there were five more waiting in the queue. Smiling broadly Ellen hammered at the keys to bring all her friends up-to-date. Jumping from one conversation to the next is hard. Soon she was not sure who she was chatting with. Everyone was anxious to learn all about Carol and Marcus and when Ellen mentioned Ruth was an FBI agent the questions really started to go crazy.

Face book was Ellen’s greatest vice. It was her drug of choice to numb her mind and permit the slow passage of time that was heaped upon her daily. She had no outside job. The servants tended to all the household duties. Jason was always out with the fishing fleet, out leading some crusade to make living conditions better for the few people who still called this ghost town home. Yes, face book was a very pleasant pass-time. She frequently shared photos of some of the artifacts Marcus sold to museums and Jason complemented her on how her face book entries assisted him in getting needed programs started. No one, not even the Gods ever warned her about security or possible security breaches. Ellen never gave a thought to the possibility of unintended consequences to her simple act of posting photos of Ben and Ruth on her Face book page.

Ellen glibly chatted on with all of her Face book friends. Time passed and she caught up with all the latest gossip. Right on the prescribed schedule the cook informed her the lunch meal was served in the kitchen. Silently Ellen drifted into the kitchen and sat at the table where her lunch was waiting. It was a light meal, just a vegetarian soup and a cucumber sandwich. As she enjoyed her meal, she quietly reviewed the events of the last few days.

She had warned Marcus of great danger, but he, as always, refused to heed her warning. When the kidnapping occurred, she wanted to assist but again he pushed her aside. He always relied upon the tangible the scientific provable. Now he was frustrated with the police and their slow-moving style. He was upset with their insistence on gathering evidence and following the facts. Ellen chuckled and shook her head at how Marcus was now on the receiving end of stubborn adherence to the scientific collection of facts. She thought he might be aware of this paradox by his comment this morning as if to admit there might be things he and his science can’t see.

Ellen got up from the small table and decided to do some work in the garden. The gardener was more of a support role of heavy lifting and digging when the task at hand was greater than her bad leg could handle. The garden was about the only exercise she got. She liked the feel of the soil in her hands and she loved to see the beauty of nature. She thought it was a way to stay connected with the Gods. Even though it was late in the season, Ellen wanted to plant some tomatoes and herbs to ensure there would be plenty of fresh garden grown food on the table. She was always aware of the need to produce too much, requiring her to send excess food to the food bank. In this way she knew those in need would get fresh food.

The old gardener had just finished preparing the 4 X 4 wooden frame for the bed. She carefully pulled the small plants out of the plastic pots and placed them in the new location. She would have continued planting but instead chose to pause to water each plant before she moved on to the next one. She planted a total of seven tomato plants and one row each of basil, rosemary, parsley and thyme. After the last plant was planted, she started to shake the dirt off her gloves. She was in the process of turning to her gardener when she saw him leap forward with his heavy hoe raised high above his head. In a movement quick as a bolt of lightning he jumped between her and the planter. In a crashing blow he slammed the head of the hoe down.

Startled, Ellen stood transfixed trying to comprehend what had just happened. Slowly she was able to gather her senses. The gardener was on his knees rapidly chanting prayers to whatever deity he believed in. Then Ellen saw the body of a snake still coiling and writhing around the head of the hoe.

Obviously, the gardener saw the snake and took action by decapitating the serpent with his garden tool. Slowly, as she was able to make a more complete evaluation of the events, she became aware of the strange sight of a two headed snake. At this unholy sight, Ellen screamed and rushed into the house. An omen this strong could not be over looked. Not even by Marcus.

Sitting in the security of her little computer room Ellen fought to control her shaking. Without thought she logged on to face book. Within seconds all of her followers knew of the fateful event. She did not announce her fears of it indicating some sort of spy or a double agent involved in some way with the mystery at the dig. She just ranted about how the Gods must be really angry. While she vented on face book, she tried to read what the Gods were really saying. She knew this must be important but she was not able to see where this fit into the tapestry.

At wits end, Ellen decided to call Fronia, because it might have something to do with the new threat to Ruth.

“Oh God! Fronia. Please listen to me. I know Ruth is with you so don’t say a word. Just listen, I was just out on the garden and there was a two headed snake. Thank God the gardener was there and he killed it, but this must be an omen. PLEASE MAKE SURE BEN AND YOU BOTH TAKE SPECIAL CARE OF RUTH. No, I don’t have any details. You know I only see the signs, never get specific details. I wanted to call you first because I think Ruth is in the greatest danger now. I will call Carol next, no need to talk to Marcus he would just laugh. Maybe you can have Ben and Ruth spend the night when they bring you home later,” Ellen suggested.

With the phone still clutched tightly in her had, Ellen paced nervously back and forth. This new omen was terrifying and she could not determine what it might mean. All she could do was notify everyone who might be involved. Suddenly she remembered Carol and rapidly dialed the number to Marcus’ office.

Ellen absent-mindedly toyed with the cell phone: while a sweet chirpy voice recited the obligatory preamble before she spoke, “Simona, can I speak to Carol Dunmore? OK, so how long will the meeting last? Yes, it is rather urgent. Could you see if she can come to the phone for a few moments? Oh, thank you I’ll hold,” Ellen whispered in the phone as if she feared someone might hear.

After what seemed an eternity, Ellen heard the familiar sound of Carol’s voice. “Hello, Ellen what's wrong? Simona said you wanted to talk to me urgently.

“l, ‘oh dear. I did not mean to make it so melodramatic, but something just happened that has me trembling,” Ellen babbled breathlessly.

“Ellen, slow down. I can hardly understand a word you are saying. So, something happened?” Carol coaxed.

The sound of deep breathing could be heard before Ellen spoke, “Yes, I was in the garden working with the gardener and suddenly the gardener jumped into action and chopped off the head of a snake. That was frightening enough, but it was a two headed snake! I’m absolutely positive this is a bad omen and I had to Call you to warn you to be extra careful. Don’t tell Marcus about this, but try to get him to be more careful around that pit,” Ellen concluded with a deep sigh.

“Oh my God Ellen that is terrible. I’m so happy that you are alright. Yes, it was a good thing you had Simona get me. Not sure how to get Marcus to be careful. You know how he gets when there is a big discovery at the site. But I’m really starting to worry about you. After all, you are the one who was attacked by a two headed snake!” Carol proclaimed.

“Don’t worry about me. Just take good care of Marcus. Maybe you can talk him into coming home early. Tell him both Ruth and Ben will be here and Ben might have some news,” Ellen suggested.

“Wow, I’m sure Marcus will want to get more info. In fact, I sent Simona out to get Marcus so he can clean up a bit before the video conference scheduled when Ben and Ruth get to the HQ. I well let them know you expect them for dinner. Well, I need to get going. See you tonight,” Carol exclaimed and hung up.

Just then Marcus rushed in, “Simona said you wanted me here for a video conference, but I should clean up first. Well, am I clean enough?” Marcus grumbled as he kissed Carol rather passionately in front of the staff.

The Briefing

Carol pulled Marcus along behind her to the conference room where the video feed from police HQ was being established. She sat next to Marcus and held a steno pad to take notes. Inspector Campus and Inspector Borga somberly entered their room and took seats close enough to each other to allow them both to be seen on the video screen. Inspector Campus opened the meeting with a typical Greek greeting before he started the formal portion of the conference.

“We were hoping the FBI agents would be here by now, but then the traffic down town is always a problem this time of day. So, we decided to get started with what new developments we can report on while we wait for their arrival. At this time, I’ll let Inspector Borga update you,” Campus announced.

“Good day. It turns out that your decision to hire a security team has led to some new developments. If your team had not apprehended that young man, we might not have learned about this drug being spread by the cult. We await the FBI report on the exact nature of this drug, but more to the point of interest to you we have some new Intel from INTERPOL. It seems that we have actually found one of the kidnapped women.” Marcus cut in with a loud shout before Borga could complete his sentence.

“SHIT! Why wasn’t I notified sooner! Where is she? Is she okay?” Marcus demanded.

“Please let me continue. We just received confirmation on the woman’s identity this morning. She is alive, but it appears only physically. Her mind is not processing normally. She can speak, but she does not make anything like a complete thought. She was taken to the best hospital for examination. The doctor believes she is under some drug, but he can only report it is like no drug he knows of. She was found yesterday in a rather bizarre situation. It seems there was a call to a local police precinct reporting a wild disorderly party. With summer vacation and all the young college students running wild along the coastal areas the police were a bit slow to respond. When they finally arrived on the scene, they were shocked to see a group of men of all ages being sexually serviced by a young woman who was totally nude. Naturally when the police showed up all the men started running in every direction. The local authorities thought it best to take care of the woman than try to chase after the men. That is when they discovered her mental condition and took her to the hospital. INTERPOL sent a bulletin to all agencies to be on the look-out for the missing women and that is why the hospital contacted INTERPOL. Thanks to the excellent files you provided, on all your people with the DNA samples, we were able to make 100% identification, Borga summarized.

“HOLY CHRIST! What the hell am I going to tell her parents? This shit gets worse every time I talk to you,” Marcus screamed as he slammed his fist on the desk top.

“Marcus, stop shouting! We need to get more information before you go running off half-cocked. So, has anyone spoken to the girl? Does the doctor have a prognosis? I think we need to at least try to get more details before we contact families,” Carol commented as she stood up and put her arm around Marcus’ shoulder. While Carol was speaking, she noticed movement in the background of the video feed, it was Ben and Ruth entering the room.

“Sorry we’re late. Ben’s plane was a bit late and then the traffic is crazy. Ben only gave me a thumb nail overview of what he found out from the lab so I really am looking forward to hear what he learned as you all are,” Ruth greeted everyone.

Ben slipped into a chair near the video cam and took a folder out of an envelope marked SECRET. The folder was rather thick and he hurriedly flipped past a few pages until he looked directly into the camera. His face lacked the normal boyish charm. He paused a few seconds before he coughed nervously to clear his throat.

“Let me get right to the topic. I took the samples of the drug to our lab and this is only a preliminary analysis. The scientist was amazed at what they found. They all agreed this is not some silly disco fad drug. In fact, they said the complexity of the compounds would require the most advanced pharma company to produce. So at least we do not have to worry about it being mass produced in every frat house in the world, but they pointed out the drug is extremely unstable and any environmental change can cause it to change its properties. They pointed out this was the greatest danger. The fact it is hard to manufacture restricts the quantity and they think they might be able to determine where it is made. One thing is clear there must be an international add campaign to warn about the health issues. Maybe cancer or heart attacks something to scare the shit out of people. They were not able to help explain what this drug has to do with our case or the missing girls,” Ben was cut short as Borga butted in.

“Ben you were not here when I went over a report about one of the girls being found and apparently under the influence if this new drug. I think you are right about starting a program to try to prevent the spread of this drug,” Borga injected.

“Oh wow! That is good news. Maybe we can get some clues about how this all fits together. There was one more point the lab geeks did mention. One other problem I’m sure none of us would have thought of. They pointed out how much money the big pharma groups are making off Viagra and said we must try to prevent this formula from getting into their hands,” Ben concluded with a slow deliberate shake of his head.

Marcus sat looking blankly into space. Rage was clearly written all over his face, but he fought to keep it under control. Seeing the way Marcus was struggling, Carol stepped up and inquired, “Could you please give us the report on the woman so we can start the process of notifying her next of kin? On a side note – Ellen wants me to remind Fronia that she must bring you and Ruth home and not too late.”

“Ok! See you later we can talk more over dinner,” replied Ben as he punched the terminate button before Marcus could unleash his frustration.

“Why did he cut me off like that? I really had a lot on my mind that I think needs to be said,” Marcus protested.

“I’m sure they knew what you wanted to say and just did not want to hear you ranting and roaring like a caged lion. Look at the positive. There has been some news that might help. Sure, it is not the end of the case and we still do not know who or what is at the bottom of all this but give credit where credit is due. They are making progress. Oh – Speaking of progress, how is that thing in the pit going?” inquired Carol attempting to get Marcus’ mind off the case.

Oh, shit glad you reminded me. I think we will break in soon. If not, then tomorrow we blast the door open. But one of the team members noticed something strange while we were trying to use the crow bar.

They said they were going to check it out while I was on the conference call. So how much time until you want to head back to Ellen’s?” Marcus barked as he got up to rush back to the pit.

“I give you two hours. That way you can change here and not stink up the place like last time,” Carol scolded, but was not sure he heard everything as he was already out of the door. Carol returned to her desk to check her email. She was glad to see that the inspector was true to his word and had already sent the missing woman’s file.

Upon opening the medical file, Carol learned the woman/girl’s name was Christina Dorphous. She was almost seventeen years old and was one of the young students from a local culinary school working at the site as part of a work study program.

Carol jotted down a quick note highlighting these facts to work into a message for Marcus to refer to when he called her parents later. Carol looked over the medical file that was released. She knew it was scrubbed of any information of a personal nature but it did give some insights on the girl’s general condition. In short, she was admitted to the hospital about - 3 PM yesterday. She was completely nude and suffered from multiple sexual assaults and mild hypothermia and exhaustion.

The report went on to describe how she was hyper-active and required a strong sedative to get her to calm down enough for the doctors to examine her. There was a series of X-Rays (not included) no broken bones were detected. The next page was clearly edited to remove all information of the extent and nature of her other injuries. Carol sat shivering in silence as she reviewed the rest of the file. She found the phone number listed as her permanent address number. Carol was positive this must be her parents phone number. A quick check on the clock assured her that it was time to get Marcus out of the pit. He could make a quick call to the girl’s parents before he cleaned up.

While she waited for one of her staff to return with Marcus, she wrote a short note to help him with details he might want to share with them to show how she was a valuable member of the operation. Just as she finished reviewing her notes a second time, Marcus burst into the office with a putrid stench surrounding him like a toxic cloud.

“What’s wrong? Why did you call me back? You said I had two hours! Marcus fumed.

“Well, I was going over the file they sent on the girl they found who is still in the hospital and I thought it might be a good idea for you to call her parents and let them know what is going on and what you are going to do to help her,” Carol replied.

“Oh, that is a great idea. Maybe that is why I made you the admin chief,” Marcus conceded.

“Here is the number she provided as a P.O.C. I made some notes from the medical file that you can share and some remakes about how important she is to the operation. I’m sure her parents will want to hear how concerned you are,” Carol observed.

Marcus sat down and started dialing while he looked over the notes Carol provided. The phone only rang twice before a pleasant female voice said, "Yassou".

"Yassou", Marcus replied in a very solemn tone, “I’m Dr. Marcus Atonasis, the last time I spoke to you was to tell you that your daughter had been kidnapped. I’m calling you today to let you know she has been found and that she is alive and will be transferred to a hospital nearby.” He paused, being careful not to say anything about the girl’s condition nor the terrible details relating to her mental status. Marcus was still hoping her mental condition would clear when the effects of the drug subsided. He sat listening to the woman as the woman screams praising all the Gods and Marcus personally for the safe return of their daughter. The emotional outburst was deafening.

As soon as he could make himself heard above her cries of joy, he continued.

“She is alive but needs to be under medical care for a while. I will go with you to visit her as soon as possible. I will give you a phone number at the hospital that you can call for updates that they can’t give to me as I’m not a family member. Please know we will do whatever is needed to assist Christina and your family,” Marcus paused to listen to the mother sobbing and after a long while he told her he would call again tomorrow and hung up the phone.

“Marcus, that was excellent! I would hug you, but you really need to get cleaned up. We will be having guests tonight. So, you better get moving,” Carol admonished.

While Carol waited for Marcus, she looked in the file for the hospital phone number and impulsively grabbed the phone and dialed.

"Yassou". “Hello. I’m Carol Dunmore, Dr. Marcus Atonasis’ admin assistant, calling to check on ‘Christina Dorphous’. She is reportedly in room 306 of the general ward,” Carol carefully explained to the voice on the other end of the call. A soft voice asked her to please hold while she connected her to the nurse’s station in the ward. After a very long pause a rather stern voice boomed in her ear.

"Yasso Dr. Atonasis,” boomed a deep baritone voice.

“No this is Carol Dunmore, I’m Dr. Marcus Atonasis’ admin assistant. Dr. Atonasis is taking a personal interest in Christina Dorpous’ case and wanted me to call to see when she will be able to see visitors. He plans to bring her parents along so they will have a chance to talk to her and her doctor to understand her condition,” explained Carol.

“Ms. Dunmore, thank you for your call. My name is Dr. Staphano. Please tell Dr. Atonasis he is welcome here anytime, but Miss Dorpous is heavily sedated now. She should be awake tomorrow morning. She seems to be in good physical condition and I’m sure having family around will speed her recovery,” Dr. Staphano assured.

“Thank you. I’ll make sure Dr. Atonasis meets with you when we arrive tomorrow afternoon around one PM,” Carol thanked him again before she hung up.

Carol had just finished closing her files and logged off her computer when a freshly scrubbed Marcus stuck his head in her office and said, “My, I thought you wanted to get going early,” he chided. She grabbed her purse and they rushed to the car. Marcus seemed to be in a better mood as he sped out of the compound.

“I was afraid we were going to resort to blasting that damn door, but the lads noticed some of the symbols moving when we tried to use the big pry bar. They did some closer investigation and they are sure it is some sort of locking mechanism. I told them to have fun with it but I will be out all day tomorrow. I let them know I wanted the door open when I get back no matter what it takes. We have been wasting way too much time already. I hope Ben can supply some more details on what the lab reported on that drug,” Marcus beamed.

“I’m really looking forward to hear what they have to say. But I am especially glad to see you in a better mood tonight. Maybe we can continue where we left off last night. There are times I feel – well I start to feel neglected,” Carol brooded.

Marcus smiled and said, “I promise tonight short conversation, light drinking and then lots of sexual attention. I think you have a point about everything turning our lives into some poorly written soap opera. I apologize for neglecting you – I ASSURE YOU THAT WAS NOT MY INTENT,” Marcus affirmed.

Dinner and Dangers

The small rental car with Ruth, Ben and Fronia pulled in to the parking area before Marcus and Carol could get out of the big Land Rover. Ben was greeted like the prodigal son and everyone was joking and laughing as they climbed the stairs to the main entry. Even before they reached the massive door, it swung open and Ellen hobbled out to greet them.

“I’m so happy to see you all again and this time all together. Oh, and Carol thank you for seeing to it that Marcus got cleaned up before coming home. I know it was not his idea. Please come in. Jason has been bugging me about when you would arrive. I think he is looking for an excused to start drinking, as if he really needed an excuse,” Ellen exhaled.

Ellen led the way through the house, along the long hallway that opened to the terrace. Jason was standing next to a table filled with trays of finger food and a mind-boggling collection of bottles. After everyone was kissed on both cheeks as is typical of old family greetings, they all took a seat and a glass of wine was served for a friendly toast. While all the glasses were still raised, Ellen gave “THE LOOK” (a solemn half frown) to Carol and Fronia. It was her non-verbal command to avoid any mention of the double headed snake incident.

Marcus was the first to speak. “So, Ben what can you tell us about that drug?” Marcus inquired.

“I’m afraid not a hell-of-a-lot. The lab is still doing a lot of tests. They were very glad we supplied so many samples so they can do a thorough analysis. They were even talking about getting a few volunteers to see exactly how it affects the human body. Unfortunately, that takes time and I wanted to get at least the preliminary findings back ASAP. The local police have already started putting out a health alert warning about the possible fatal effects of this new drug. By the end of the week the warning will be all over Europe. It was decided to attempt to keep this a Europe issue. No need to put crazy ideas into the lunatics we have in the U.S.A. We might be able to put a lid on this early,” Ben explained.

Ruth jumped in, “I had a lengthy conversation with our director and he agreed that our current drug control efforts would be enough to detect any new activities.”

Marcus remained silent while he pondered the new information. “All well and good, but what about this young girl? What can I say to her parents?” He demanded.

Ben coughed into his fist, as he habitually did when he had to answer a question that he did not have enough data for a meaningful response, “I really do not have enough info to answer that. All I can say is what was told to me by the head of the research team. He was sure the human body will metabolize the drug and he does not expect any long-term effects. So, with what we know now, by tomorrow the girl should be awake and able to communicate with her parents and maybe even provide us with some much-needed leads.

“Oh God! I hope you are right Ben. I know the girl’s parents must be going through hell. If anything like this ever happened to Fronia I don’t know what I would do, but if the Gods are here to help me, I would be calling upon their wrath,” Ellen proclaimed.

“There are still many points that make this a real mystery. Obviously, the street cult did not whip this up in the bathroom sink. So, where is this drug coming from? Second, what does this cult and this drug have to do with the girls being kidnapped? Lastly, WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS ALL HAVE TO DO WITH MY DIG SITE,” grumbled Marcus. He drained his glass and slammed it on the table. He refilled his glass and topped off all the others while he listened.

“You are right Marcus. So far, we have found nothing that really ties this all together. Inspector Borgus said INTERPOL is combing the area where the girl was found searching for any trace of where she was kept and where she might have been before she was found in the park. His last statement to me sums things up.

“It is like they are playing a game with us” was what he said as he searched the incoming reports for any clue at all,” Ruth asserted. Then she turned to Jason and pointed to a bottle of scotch. Jason was quick to respond and handed her a glass filled with the amber liquid.

“One thing for sure the drug requires very sophisticated equipment and advanced technology. I’m sure our lab will be able to track that element down, but that is only one small part of the puzzle. We have been using every database in the world to try to find any possible connection between the women. So far, the only common point is working here with you at this dig. All of the CYBER geeks are still working on finding a pattern in the ocean of jabber in and around the area. One of the geekier geeks was playing the idea they have found a way to hide inside the twitter or face book feeds. There is so much data flowing that it would be easy to lose little commands in the torrent of digital garbage everyone thinks is so life essential. It was demonstrated that a majority of users do not have good cyber security and it would be easy to hack in and plant malware to hide the code and the person would never know they were now a member of a terror organization,” Ben contributed.

“Now that is scary! But now I can understand why you have not been able to get a fix on a transmitter. You might know exactly where the tower is but not be able to find a grain of sand in the mountain of sand it is hidden in. This wine is very good but I really think I need something stronger. Jason, hand me that bottle of Ouzo,” Marcus said as he considered this last bit of information.

“You might think we are not achieving much, but I assure you there is a great amount of effort being made that you may never really comprehend. The FBI does have a lot of things no one knows about and almost every effort is being focused on this case because there are American women involved. So far, we have avoided a lot of press coverage, but we do not know what this girl will be able to disclose. I hope she can give us some new direction or some clue to help break this case. As of this minute you know as much as we know. After talking to Ellen yesterday she might know more than any of us. Damn that scotch is good. I think I need a few more just to wash down all of today's bull shit down,” Ruth commented.

“Marcus, from the moment you sold that first statue of Eros I have felt how the Gods were trying to send out warnings, but as usual you never listen to your sister. Now you see that there is something out of your control and you are frustrated and still refuse to take heed of my warnings,” Ellen scolded. Ellen held her glass out to Jason to have him fill it with the chilled clear ouzo.

Marcus chugged the scotch and refilled his glass before he addressed Ellen, “well sister dearest, if you could come up with something more substantial than ‘the sky is falling’ I might be able to take better precautions. Enough about ‘would of. . . could of. . . should of. I don’t know about you all, but I worked hard all day and I’m hungry,” Marcus proclaimed.

“Well, I was about to say dinner is ready, but then I did not want to annoy you with one of my worthless predictions,” Ellen replied sniffing in mock rejection.

With that Ellen got up and led the way to the dining room. Ben found himself sandwiched between Ruth and Fronia. Marcus ensured everyone's glass was filled and made a toast to success and family. After the toast he took his seat next to Carol.

Without preamble Marcus said, “Fronia, you have been unusually silent tonight. Can I inquire as to what is on your mind? Maybe you have heard something during your pilgrimages through the village that might provide a clue.” He paused and a wide grim distorted his solemn expression as his eyes darted rapidly between Ben and Fronia. Fronia didn’t notice what her uncle was talking about and started to explain her daily activities.

“I’m not sure what I could tell you about the village. Yes, I have a lot of friends that I hang out with. Mostly the other girls I’ve known all my life. Oh, yes, there are a few of the deck hands on the fishing fleet I stay in contact with. In fact, that is how I was able to get information about the police action even before your gang of inspectors knew. But I have gotten so wrapped up with this case the last few days I have not been down to the village,” Fronia answered.

Marcus laughed right out loud, “Yes, I’ve noticed you seem to have developed a very acute interest in the investigation,” he teased.

Jason’s voice over toned all the chatter as he chided, “Marcus, stop teasing her. I for one am happy she is interested in helping out and not spending so much time with the young men on the wharf. What really concerns me is the possibility of her or any of her girl friends getting some crazy idea to try one of these ‘Aphrodite’s tears’. So far we only know a small part of what this drug can do.”

By this time everyone was well under the influence of the combination of beverages consumed. Carol slipped her arm around Marcus and quietly reminded him about the task before him in the morning.

“Fronia, please forgive me. I was really just making fun of how you made a special effort to say ‘hi’ to Ben when he called the other day and Ruth made sure to let you know Ben wanted her to make sure he said ‘Hi” back,” Marcus confided while laughing like some crazy man.

“Oh, you two are both just terrible! There is nothing wrong with saying ‘Hi’ to someone you know and as for the ‘Aphrodite’s tears’ – well I sure as hell don’t want to end up in some park begging for men to jump my bones. So, NO! you sure as hell don’t have to worry about that,” Fronia protested.

“Well, Carol has reminded me that tomorrow will be here sooner than we think and I have a somber task before me. So, without further ado I think we shall retire for the night. I hope you are able to resolve all the world’s problems before the sunrise as I will expect a full report in the morning over breakfast,” Marcus ceremoniously announced with a slurred voice, but it was unsure if it was one of his jokes or if he really was suffering from alcohol.

Carol got up with him and they leaned against each other for support as they toddled toward his quarters. Even before they were out of sight Carol was rubbing Marcus’ ass as passionately as he was rubbing hers. As soon as she got the door closed, she immediately started jerking her clothing off.

“You want to take a shower?” Carol asked as she tossed her bra in the hamper followed by the matching panties.

“I just took one before we left the site, remember,” he replied.

“I meant shower with me, silly,” Carol countered and proceeded to wiggle her ass provocatively.

“Oh, I see you have a very convincing argument. How could a man possibly object to such a charming ‘re-butt-al’,” Marcus crooned in her ear just before he kissed her with pent-up passion.

Carol led the way and was adjusting the water temperature while Marcus dropped his underpants and joined her in the large shower. Both of her hands were filled with a blue-green gel pungent with a masculine musk. She started on his back. She slowly massaged his neck and shoulders. She could feel the knots release as her fingers worked their magic. The fragrance of the gel filled the chamber and Marcus quivered to her touch. Carol moved around to face Marcus and she took the bottle of gel and applied a large glob on his chest just below his chin. Her hands rushed to spread the gel working it into a rich frothy lather.

From his ear, down his shoulders crisscrossing his chest her hand massaged his strong body. Her fingers playfully tweaked his man nipples making them stand hard. Then she ran her hands up and down his torso. From his chest down to his crotch. Up and down her hands flew. Each cycle brought her hands into contact with his manhood and she became aware her efforts were achieving the desired effect.

Now she devoted all her attention to a single focal point. One hand cupped the large orbs encased in the heavy sack beneath his now long erect manhood. The other hand was clenched around the circumference of his shaft. She gave a gentle squeeze on the sack which resulted in a loud rumbling groan. Then with remarkable precision she started to stroke her hand up and down his incredibly hard erection. Her mouth mashed against his mouth blocking a second groan from filling the shower chamber.

While her hands continued rubbing and scrubbing, she pressed her nipples against his chest. Her nipples were hard and she thought they must be on fire as they seemed to burn when they touched Marcus’s nipples. She had turned to an angle that permitted the water jets to splash between their bodies and rinse the frothy foam off of Marcus’ erection. Carol took the hand cradling his balls and grabbed the bottle of shampoo.

“Please wash my hair,” Carol growls in a voice husky with lust.

Marcus is eager to comply and reaches up to apply the shampoo to her soaking hair. Carol giggles and stops him as she growls out, “Not like that. I will make it easy for you to wash my hair,” she groaned as she dropped to her knees.

Marcus saw this was a lot easier to reach her hair and he set about working his hands through her hair creating a thick frothy foam. Suddenly, he finds out what Carols real intent was in assuming this position. While he continued to wash her hair, Carol started slipping her lips up and down this throbbing shaft. The waves of overwhelming delight make his entire body quake. Lost in ecstasy, Marcus is pulling savagely at Carol’s hair causing her to bob her head more fiercely on his erection. She moved under the pounding water jets and the warm water splashed on her head rinsing the shampoo out. To avoid getting soap in her mouth she plunged her mouth all the way down his shaft letting her tongue dance along the throbbing rod.

Every muscle in his body was like a clock spring wound too tight. Carol’s hair made a high-pitched squeaky sound as Marcus savagely pulled his fingers through her freshly washed locks. Then as if struck by lightning, Marcus’ entire body jerked and twitched. Carol didn’t flinch. She remained on her knees savoring the moment. After she heard Marcus’ breathing return to something approaching normal, she stood up and kissed him with unabashed passion. Without saying a word, she grabbed him by his still prominent erection and guided him to the bed. They didn’t even pause long enough to use a towel to wipe the remaining water off before they were just one writhing mass of body parts twisting and turning on the spacious king size bed.

“OH GOD MARCUS! This is just like that stormy night. REMEMBER?” Carol screamed out between gasps for breath.

“How could anyone forget that night, but somehow this seems even better hotter more passionate,” He replied while fondling Carol lustfully.

“Yes, I think you are right. That night I felt as though I was only observing like some perverted voyeur. Now I feel in control. I feel free. I feel the lust burning at every spot you touch. Yes, DEAR SWEET MARCUS this is what I have been missing,” Carol wept while moving her body to meld with his making two become one.

They were lost in their private universe where words were not required to communicate their desires, their cravings, their passions their hands, lips and other more erotic body parts were all that was required to speak the language of lust. Tirelessly they consumed each other. In endless pursuit of pleasure, they found ways to reach orgasm after orgasm until at some point their bodies collapsed and slumber blanketed their exhausted bodies. Floating, adrift through the neither-world of dreams their spirits remained interlocked.

They remained twisted in a lover’s knot until the morning sun rudely broke into their sanctuary and with brazen glory proclaimed the presents of a new day. A long low pitch moan escaped Marcus’ dry mouth, but Carol was the first to actually move. She struggled to move her hand to shield her face from the intruding sunlight.

“What time is it anyway?” Carol moaned.

“It’s Just a few minutes past 6 AM. The sun comes up early here in the summer,” Marcus answered. His struggle to turn to see the clock/radio caused his chest to brush against Carol's newly aroused nipples.

“Marcus, do we have time to . . . well you know. . .I mean will Ellen send out a search party if we are a few minutes late,” Carol crooned while batting her eyes like a ‘Betty Bop’ cartoon.

“Well, if the Gods really do talk to my sister, they will surely warn her against knocking on the door,” Marcus joked just before his mouth covered hers and their tongues jumped into action igniting an instant replay of the night before.

They were both totally Unabashed, uninhibited, unconcerned about “dragon breath or any other possible objectionable morning after odors the two lovers consumed each other completely. Carol no longer counted the orgasms as they happened too quickly and frequently to keep count. She now only set her spirit free to soar to the next level of bliss. Marcus definitely did not need any pill to assist his performance. He proved anew each time they had a chance to be alone that his love for her was as great as her love for him.

All too soon their bodies fell limp, their combined lust spent, on the clinging satin sheets. With great effort they slowly headed for the shower to clean-up and go to breakfast before Ellen really sent a searching party to summon them. After the quick shower rejuvenated them, they both stood in front of the big mirror and performed their daily ritual. Marcus anointed his craggy face with a thick lather of a spicy smelling shaving soap in preparation to remove the course stubble. Carol tended to the application of the Spartan make-up she deemed to be the bare minimum for her face.

Carol availed herself to Fronia’s wardrobe and found an outfit appropriate for the weather and still reflect the somber nature of the mission ahead of them. Marcus was wearing a dark gray, light weight, business casual, suit that showed he too was aware of the gravity of the day’s events.

Carol was giving herself one last visual inspection when Marcus whacked her on the butt and proclaimed, “Come on I’m starving,” and pulled her along behind him on the way to the main house.