Back in the unmarked high rise office the short-haired intelligence agent reached over the professor's shoulder, pointing at the schematic he now held.

"Those blue dots you see are victims which were obviously not intended to be killed. They were ambushed and injured in a specific way . . . to cause considerable suffering."

"That's right," the Asian-looking agent added, straightening his oval glasses. "The blue dots are extremely painful assaults, though the victim does survive. His health of course, in terms of any full recovery is always severely impaired."

"And those red dots you see? They're fatal attacks," the fair-haired agent weighed back in. "These victims all died usually within a few hours . . . some much faster. But it was the same method of assault . . . interestingly, just a different toxin."

"I see," the professor responded. Are these attacks really so organized? So . . . calculated . . . with these outcomes?" He was noticeably astonished at what he was hearing and seeing.

"Yes," the suited man behind the desk interjected. "We've now determined it's all extremely well orchestrated and precisely planned. There's a sophisticated modus operandi here . . . coupled with training and impressive execution. All these men were shot by an arrow propelled from the same type of weapon. A modern, high tech crossbow."

He reached again down into his drawer, this time producing a sturdy, black mechanical device, the outer dimensions being only as wide as a laptop computer. It seemed to have a pair of thin metal wings that arched out on either side of a sturdy central column. There was a handle like a pistol and a red trigger mounted inside it.

"This is the same model weapon confiscated from a woman suspect arrested in India. She's in custody now for being witnessed using this crossbow on a man who was convicted of a dowry-murder in the province of Rajasthan."

The professor looked again at the relatively small weapon.

"She will not talk to authorities while incarcerated and is prepared to go to prison rather than cooperate.

"What did the man do?" The professor asked.

"Dowry murders? They're wife burnings," the blue-eyed man explained. "Murders committed by husbands. They set their spouses on fire with kerosene to collect their dowries and property after death. It's become epidemic in a few countries today, particularly India."

The bureau chief behind the desk continued the debriefing about the crossbow while aiming it menacing at the wall. "This little weapon is of the highest quality of its kind on the international market today. It's made in Finland, perfectly lethal, and ships out in a harmless-looking unmarked package for assembly. It's lightweight. Aluminum, plastic, carbon-fiber, and has an ultra-powerful tempered steel bow. Unassembled it looks more like a large book in its shipping box."

The professor reached over and tested the immoveable tension of one of the crossbow's small steel wings. "Impressive," he said soberly.

"This company has shipped out some fifteen hundred of these babies this year alone. They've made it to various locations, believed only to be books in most cases. And once there they're distributed to individuals who we now believe are female operatives within a number of countries and regions."

"And the shafts? Those small arrows?"

The reddish-faced CIA agent reached into his desk and took out a silver object the size and shape of a pencil and handed it to the professor. "These stainless steel darts, called 'hunting bolts' by cross bow enthusiasts, are manufactured and sent from another location entirely," added the bespectacled, Asian agent. "Spain, to be precise."

"Spain?"

"Yes, and as we've shared with you already, professor, that small emblem you see stamped onto the side of the shaft is consistent with all the attacks. These short arrows have been employed in all of the murders by poisoning and all of the pervasive injuries by poisoning. They're usually found partially embedded in each of the victim's mid-sections."

He handed the professor an enlarged photo of the blown-up emblem in close detail. He had already seen it as an attachment to an email, sent to him by the bureau chief earlier. The overall design was quite familiar. The shaft of the arrow resting in the professor's hand felt heavy to him as he manipulated it.

"That sharp tip you see there on the front of the bolt has a hollow recess. It's coated with a glucose solution after being injected with the desired toxin and amount. The poison is released deep inside the victim upon impact and entry of the arrow. The toxins are carefully measured and chosen for their effect . . . in these cases to either maim or murder.

The man behind the desk spoke up again. "Professor, has your associate in Athens found anything yet? Possibly something corresponding to the original group of female academics who were at the core of this cell?"

"Yes, Dr. Simons," added the Asian agent. "Any new information we can get our heads around over here?"

Dr. Simons sat up straighter in his chair, realizing it was his time to contribute.

"Well, not much yet, unfortunately. Only what I've shared with you by phone about the Greek Professor, Nefeli Vasiliou and her ongoing connections to the women at Stanford, Cal and other institutions you've traced over in New England."

The two younger agents looked at each other impatiently.

"But there's obviously a larger, international network operating now outside of academia," the suited man added. "We would appreciate any further information linking us to it as it becomes within your reach, professor."

"Gentlemen, I'll let you know as soon as I hear or see anything."

"Much appreciated Dr. Simons. And what about this symbol, professor? I mean . . . from your own professional perspective. Historically this emblem mean anything?"

The professor knew they were looking for any details which might bring into better focus the distant past with these rash of attacks which were just beginning to be recorded. Any lead which might better profile the women who were committing these assaults was of the Intelligence Community's highest priority.

"Well . . . yes, gentlemen. I can tell you his emblem is circumscribed by the vaginal, mandala shape."

The two younger men looked at each other stone-faced.

"As an outer design, that shape is ancient and somewhat universal. It denotes females generally . . . and usually symbolizes birth or transformation through the vaginal passage."

One of the two younger men nodded.

"The labrys . . . that double bladed axe inside of it, is totally Amazonian in origin, or at least mythological. It's been ascribed to Penthesilea, one of the Amazon queens. She's featured heavily in ancient Greek writings of myth and in art, particularly during the Classical Period. It was believed she devised and perfected the weapon for close, hand to hand combat."

"So . . . any connections here then?"

"Well aside from the obvious that it symbolizes lethal women in an Amazonian context, I just don't know more at this point. Although, the distinctive shape of the labrys appears later throughout Medieval imagery. Northern Europe more specifically."

"And what do you make of these pair of Greek letter A's on either side of the axe, professor?"

"Yes. Only that it probably denotes the word Amazon in some combination with another Greek word. Maybe it has some connection to the organization itself . . . as a society, or in its more initial form. Again, there is not really enough to be certain here. Hopefully, something will come out of the AmericanSchool over in Athens and their library resources to make that connection for us."

The professor paused pensively, remembering Nicasio's observation that the crescent moon element, on which the mandala rested, was a common attribute of Renaissance paintings of the Virgin Mary in the new World. He wondered if that was even worth mentioning, as these men did not seem to share the young man's fascination for California history or perhaps any history at all.

"You see," the professor clarified, "this cult or organization probably began much later than the original women warrior myths. You have to remember, gentlemen, we are totally in unknown territory here with this find as it sits down there on the cliff of Big Sur. It truly represents something out of place and out of time and remains quite an enigma."

The men eyed each other again with a definite look of frustration.

"So . . . what we probably have in this emblem . . ." Dr. Simons folded his hands in front of him. "Is perhaps some more recent revitalization of a former cult or established society. Its origin, however, may indeed reach deep into the past."

The two men looked directly at the suited man for his response. There was none.

The professor cleared his throat. "It seems, however, from our preliminary investigations, that this society was energized at some point prior, or contemporary with, the coastal exploration of the New World . . . Alta California . . . to be precise."

The agents all moved restlessly in their chairs-reminiscent, in the professor's teaching experience, of bored or uninterested students.

"So you are saying," asked the agent behind the desk, "these Amazons we all read about as school boys were possibly not just a myth?"

"Possibly, yes. There is some physical evidence of women warriors dating back to the late Bronze Age. Certainly during the Classical Period in the region of the Ukraine and south into Turkey. Earlier colleagues of mine at Berkeley had established this almost twenty years ago."

"Well, if these women we're dealing with here are any extension of them . . . they're certainly not a myth anymore, are they professor? We're talking about some deadly warriors out there today . . . female killers up close and personal."

Both the younger men present for the first time looked at each other and smiled with controlled bemusement. They then nodded their heads silently at their superior in serious agreement.

* * *