It was time to be a mother.Anything else could wait until after bedtime.
19
SOPHIE
Sophie joltedawake to the buzzing of her phone on the nightstand.The digital clock glowed, showing 5:47 AM.Outside, the first birds were just beginning their dawn chorus, and pale light made a line beneath the heavy blackout bedroom curtains.
She grabbed the phone before it could wake Feirn in the guest room beside hers; the young man’s circadian rhythm was still adjusting to Hawaii time.“Sophie Smithson,” she answered, her voice rough with sleep.
“It’s Marcella.”The FBI agent’s tone was terse.“We hit Thornfield’s storage facility.It was empty, but ...”
“But what?”Sophie sat up, instantly alert.The sheets pooled around her waist as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.“Empty as in cleaned out, or empty as in never used?”
“Oh, it was used alright.We found packing material left behind.Specialty foam for delicate objects, climate-control gel packs, bubble wrap, etcetera.But whatever was there is gone now.”Marcella’s frustration crackled through the connection.“Security footage at the estate shows a commercial moving truck leaving yesterday afternoon, about two hours before you flagged the location.”
“Foul breath of an inbred goat.”Sophie padded to her bathroom, closing the door softly.She splashed cold water on her face with one hand, holding the phone with the other.“We were so close.”
“Gets worse.The truck had fake plates.We lost it on traffic cams heading toward Kahului.”
Sophie’s stomach tightened.“Marcella, I have new intel from my source.The artifacts are intended for a ceremony in Thailand.The splinter group is planning to burn them.”
“Burn them?”Marcella’s voice rose.“Those artifacts are priceless!”
“I know.My source says it’s some kind of power ritual tied to a challenge to leadership in the Yam Khûmk?n, which is happening in six days.They will be trying to take the stolen items to Thailand for the ceremony.We need to check every flight—commercial and private.They are on a clock.”
She heard Marcella’s keyboard clicking.“Do you have any idea how many flights leave Hawaii daily?And that’s just the direct routes.They could fly to Japan, Singapore, anywhere in Asia and connect to Thailand from there.”
Sophie grabbed her robe from the hook, her mind already racing through possibilities.“Private jets are the biggest risk.Easier to hide cargo, less scrutiny.”
“Already thinking that.But private aviation is a nightmare to track.They file flight plans, sure, but those can be amended in-flight.Say you’re going to Los Angeles, then ‘divert’ to Bangkok for ‘weather’ or ‘mechanical issues.’”
“What about cargo manifests?”
“Required for commercial flights, optional for private unless they’re carrying restricted items.And let’s be honest—anyone smart enough to steal these artifacts isn’t going to list ‘priceless Hawaiian cultural relics’ on their customs forms.”
Sophie opened her bathroom door quietly and peered out.The house was still silent, her children still sleeping.She moved to her walk-in closet and reached for clothing.
“We need to think like the group, which is called the Brotherhood of Ancient Ways,” she said, switching the phone to speaker as she dressed.“They’ve had this planned for years.They won’t risk commercial flights with X-rays and customs inspections.It’s got to be private.”
“Agreed.I’m pulling records of every private jet departure scheduled for the next seventy-two hours.But Sophie, Hawaii’s a hub.We’re talking dozens of aircraft, maybe hundreds if we include island hoppers that could transfer cargo to larger planes.”
Sophie tugged on a pair of black yoga pants, her movements sharp with frustration.“Focus on jets with range to reach Asia.Gulfstreams, Bombardiers, the big ones.And check recent arrivals too—they might have flown in specifically for this.”
“That narrows it some.”More keyboard clicking.“What about boats?Harder to track than planes.”
“Possible, but slow.The event is in six days.Would they risk an ocean crossing with that timeline?”
“Good point.Unless ...”Marcella paused.“What if they’re not taking them directly to Thailand?What if they have a staging point?Somewhere to perform preliminary rituals or wait for the optimal moment?”
Sophie tugged down a snug-fitting tee.“That’s exactly what they’d do.The Brotherhood of Ancient Ways are fanatics about tradition.They’d want everything perfect.”
“So we’re not just looking for flights to Bangkok.We’re looking for flights to anywhere they might have allies.Japan has ancient martial arts connections to Thailand.So do the Philippines, Indonesia ...”
“Yes, we need to cast a wider net,” Sophie agreed.“But we’re running out of time.”
She heard voices in the background on Marcella’s end.“Hold on—Chen just ran in.What?You’re sure?”A pause.“Sophie, we might have caught a break.Chen found a climate-controlled shipping container booked on a private cargo flight this afternoon.Destination listed as Singapore.”
“Singapore’s a major hub.They could go anywhere from there.”
