The Belial Stone (The Belial Series #1) by R.D.Brady
PROLOGUE
Two Years Ago
Havre, Montana
Kenny Coleman's dirt drive was doing a number on the Mercedes. It dipped and dived with the bumps. Watching, Kenny's stomach felt like it was doing the same. The last time he'd been this nervous, it was proposing to his Mary.
“It's just a professor. No big deal,” he muttered to himself. The butterflies in his stomach, however, ignored him, continuing their maniacal flying.
The Mercedes finally rolled to a stop in a cloud of dust in front of his porch. His old Australian shepherd came to attention, and emitted a low growl.
Surprised, Kenny reached down from his rocking chair, patting him on the head. “Hush now, Blue.”
The dog quieted. But as the car door opened, he growled again. Kenny could feel the dog’s body tense. He grabbed hold of his collar. When the driver stepped into view, Blue emitted a feral snarl and lunged for the steps, nearly yanking Kenny’s arm off.
He struggled to hold him back. “No, Blue, no!”
While Kenny might be pushing sixty-five, his life as a cattleman had given him muscle. He wrapped his beefy arms around the dog's torso, carrying him back to the house, ignoring the sting as claws raked his forearms.
Kicking open the front door, he half-shoved, half-threw the dog across the threshold, slamming the door shut behind him.
Kenny stepped back, gaping at the door as Blue slammed his body into it, again and again.
He shook his head, unable to believe what he was seeing. Angry red welts crisscrossed his forearms. This was an animal who’d let his grandkids flop on him while they watched cartoons. In the twelve years he’d had him, he’d barely heard him growl.
With a deep breath, he pushed his concerns for his dog's uncharacteristic behavior to the back of his mind. He felt the professor’s eyes on his back and felt the flush creep up his neck. Damn. This was not the first impression he’d wanted to make.
Rolling down his green flannel sleeves, he walked down the stairs and across the expanse in front of his farmhouse.
“I’m sorry, Professor Gideon,” he stammered out. “He’s never like that. I don’t know what got into him.”
“No harm done, Mr. Coleman. I appreciate you taking the time to show me your find.” A polite smile graced the blond professor’s angular face, but that politeness didn’t quite reach his cool blue eyes.
Back in the day, Kenny knew he was considered a handsome man. Strong and tall with thick, dark hair, which the girls had loved the run their hands through. And in spite of his full head of now-white hair, he was vain enough to think he still was.
But he knew this professor was what currently stood for handsome. Slim, with pale blue eyes perched above a patrician nose and sharp cheekbones. Dressed in expensive slacks, a brown suede jacket, and shiny loafers, he was one of those “metrosexuals” his daughter talked about.
Can’t say he ever really understood the appeal of a man who was pretty, but hell, he never did understand much about what was cool.
Extending his calloused hand, he spoke a little louder than usual, trying to block out Blue's unending barks. “I’d really like to know what I’ve found. I just can’t figure what something like that is doing on my ranch.”
The professor's hand was soft, the shake just shy of limp. “Well, let’s take a look. How did you come across it?”
“It was the strangest thing. I was looking for a stray calf one day, and I literally stumbled over the tip of it.”
“How much was showing at first?”
Kenny shrugged. “Not much. Maybe four, five inches. It was just such a strange-looking rock, all black with those brown and green veins running through it. I’d never seen one like that anywhere around these parts. So, I marked the spot and went back later to dig it out. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. I took some pictures and posted them online to see if anyone could tell me anything about it. Less than an hour later, I got a call from you.”
“Have you spoken with anyone else about it?”
“No. I wasn’t sure it was anything important.” He avoided the professor's eyes. And I didn’t want to look like some old fool grasping at straws.
“And no one else has called?” Gideon’s gaze was intent.
“No, no. You’re the only one. I thought for sure I’d get a couple more people interested. But my pictures disappeared from the site I posted them on and I couldn't re-post them.” He shook his head. “I'm not real good with the computer. It really is an amazing sight, though.”
“Well, let’s have a look, shall we?” Gideon gestured for him to lead the way.
Kenny hesitated, unsure. He glanced back at the house, where Blue’s growls had turned to desperate howls. Blue just didn't act like this. Maybe this was a bad idea.
But he knew the medical bills for his grandson were piling up. This strange rock might be his only chance of making some extra money. He sighed. There really was no choice. He nodded and led the professor towards the northwest.
They followed a trail created by wild horses and buffalo generations ago. Kenny tried making conversation. He talked about the Sioux and the Crow that used to summer in the area and pointed out where he had hunted for arrowheads as a kid. The professor only grunted in response.