Free The Grecian Manifesto by Ernest Dempsey

question.
    “Very funny. The surf and paddleboard shop is doing fine,
though it looks like I’m going to lose a few days of business.” He glanced back
over his shoulder at Yarbrough as if subtly blaming him for the occurrence.
    “Who’s your friend?” Tommy asked and stepped forward with
a hand extended.
    “Agent Gerald Yarbrough,” he answered for Sean.
    Tommy was impressed. “You really weren’t kidding, huh. You
met the president?”
    Sean rolled his eyes and shrugged, making like it wasn’t a
big deal. “It wasn’t my idea.”
    “That is so cool. Is he on the plane?” Tommy asked,
sounding like a little boy.
    Sean shook his head in disbelief. “No. He has his own
plane. And I’m pretty sure that he’s got better things to do than jet around
the globe with us.”
    “Fair enough,” Tommy surrendered.
    Sean took one of the suitcases and hefted it up the steps
to the cabin of the plane. It was similar in size to the G5 the IAA flew, but
the interior was decorated very differently. Dark wood furnishings and tanned
leather seats complemented the richly adorned walls.
    Once everyone was aboard, the flight attendant closed the
cabin door, and the engines whined, pushing the plane along the tarmac. Tommy
sat across from Sean and Yarbrough, and crossed a leg over one knee.
    “Where’s Adriana?” Tommy asked abruptly, completely
unaware of what had transpired.
    Sean hadn’t told him over the phone what was going on. He
preferred to tell his friend in person. “She’s been kidnapped, Tommy.”
    The words caused Tommy to scrunch his face, not sure if
Sean was joking around or serious. “What?” He stared at Sean, searching for a
crack in the armor. There was none. Sean’s eyes told the truth.
    Yarbrough cut into the conversation. “We believe she was
abducted within the last forty-eight hours. The man responsible for this is one
of the most powerful people in Greece. His name is Dimitris Gikas.”
    Tommy shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m a little confused.
If you know where she is and who has her, why haven’t you gotten her out of
there yet?”
    “It’s…delicate,” Yarbrough said in response.
    “Delicate?”
    “She is not a citizen of the United States. You have to
understand that we cannot just go into a man’s private property with guns
blazing and attempt a rescue. There are politics to consider.” Yarbrough’s
answer didn’t seem to help curb Tommy’s frustration.
    He held back his next question as the plane suddenly
accelerated down the runway and began to lift off the ground. It tilted to the
right and straightened out, still climbing at a dramatic angle.
    “How do you even know this Gikas has her? Where did you
get that little tidbit of information?” Tommy asked finally.
    “We’ve had our eyes on Gikas for some time now. As one of
the wealthiest, most ambitious men in the country, he is a likely candidate to
become their new leader if the government breaks down. The president believes
that Gikas is helping fuel the government collapse from within. We know he was
formerly involved with organized crime in Athens, but now everything seems to
be legitimate.”
    “Seems to be?”
    Yarbrough folded his hands and put his elbows on his knees
as he leaned forward. “Let’s just say that Dimitris Gikas always gets what he
wants, even if someone else doesn’t want to give it to him.”
    Tommy seemed to accept the information for the moment, but
was still troubled. “Okay, so we can’t go after Adriana. What are we going to
do?”
    Sean had been listening quietly to the exchange and
finally interjected. “I told you on the phone that we were heading to Rome to
look for the Eye of Zeus.”
    Tommy nodded. “That’s the thing Adriana was looking for,
right? The antikythera?”
    “Yeah. As it turns out, this Gikas character is looking
for it too. And you’re not going to believe why.”
    Tommy raised a curious eyebrow. “Try me. You and I have
seen enough to believe almost