Jack Canyon and The Wiccan Stones | CHAPTER THREE

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Jack Canyon's mind raced with ideas on how to escape this predicament. Before he could act, gunfire rang out through the bay. He dove for cover as the bullets hit the water near the boat.

"Whoa!" The driver yelled. "This is my father's boat. If this boat gets damaged, my father will kill me!"

"I promise nothing will happen," Jack comforted the man.

Gunfire blasted across the bay once more. This time it shattered the glass of the speed boat.

Jack looked up from hiding and looked through the frame where the glass was. "Okay, I've broken promises before." He glanced at the disheveled look on the owner's face. "I'll replace that."

Again the enemy boats fired as they drew closer. Holes ripped through the bow of the boat and nearly hit the passengers.

"We have to do something or we're all going to die," Jack spoke as he scanned the deck of the boat. "Do you have any extra cans of gas? A flare? Anything?"

"Yeah, I think so," the driver responded. "Why?"

"I need it," Jack told him.

The man pulled a flare from the glove box and tossed it to Jack. "Now what?"

"Gas can," Jack told him as he checked to see if the flare gun was loaded. He slammed the barrel shut when he was sure it had a flare. When the driver brought back the gas can, Jack took off the top and placed the flare gun's barrel inside it.

"That's not such a good idea," one of the girls stated fearfully.

"It's the only idea I have," Jack replied as he taped the flare to the can. "Do you have any string or rope?"

"I think so," the man said as he searched the storage areas. "Ah, here!" He pulled some rope from under a seat and handed it to the archaeologist. "What are you, MacGyver?"

"Everyone out," Jack ordered. "This is the end of the line."

"You're going to blow up my boat?!"

"I told you I would replace it," Jack said. "Contact the IAI, here." Jack handed the Japanese man a business card. "They'll take care of all the damages. I promise."

"And you promised nothing would happen to my boat."

"Just trust me," Jack pleaded as he pushed the man out of the boat. The other three occupants followed him. Jack got closer to the stern with the rope in hand. He was about to jump when he was fired upon again. He fell into the bottom of the boat, accidentally triggering the flare gun.

As one of the other boats drew closer, the gas can exploded. The fire took out the speed boat and enemy boat.

Jack floated dead in the water as the second boat sent by Yuriko pulled up beside his body. He was pulled into the boat by one of the men and the boat took off for the docks.

***

"You just never learn, do you, Jack?" Yuriko asked as Jack knelt before her with his hands bound behind his back. "That was quite a daring escape for an archaeologist."

"I'm full of surprises, sweetheart," Jack said with a slightly angry tone.

"Now, will you take us to the stones, or do I have to force it out of you?" Yuriko continued with her questioning. She lifted Jack's chin to look up at her.

"No," Jack replied coldly.

"Have it your way," she said kicking him across the face. She jerked him upright again. "Tell me where I can find the stones."

"They're not together," Jack stated as his jaw tightened. "They've been lost in separate locations for centuries."

"Then I suggest you get busy soon, Mr. Canyon," the woman told him in a threatening manner. "Time is wasting."

Jack looked around him for a moment. There was no escape in sight. The only plan was the usual Jack Canyon plan, a risky one, a stupid one. "Alright," he nodded. "I'll take you to the fire stone."

"Good," Yuriko smiled. "Where is it?"

"Mount Fuji," Jack admitted sadly. This was a bad plan, but it was the only one he had.

"You had better not be lying to us, Mr. Canyon," the woman warned him.

"Then you're just going to have to trust me," Jack replied just before he was jerked up by Kin and Hiroshi. "Be gentle, will you?"

***

A short train ride later, Jack found himself atop yet another mountain. He could remember Sophia's words about how his adventures always placed him on a mountain somewhere. It never failed. Jack smiled as he thought about Sophia for a split moment. His mind would have lingered longer on the thought, but someone shoved him hard. He lurched forward, almost tumbling into the volcano.

"We are here, at the peak, show us the stone," Yuriko ordered strongly.

"It's inside the volcano," Jack told her fearfully. He knew she would either discount it or throw him in. He looked directly at the slender woman. "Ladies first." He motioned into the volcano with his hand.

"No, I insist that you lead the way," she spoke through a harsh Japanese-English accent. "And no funny business."

Jack stepped off into the large cavern that lead to only one place, down. The active volcano was hot and steamy, but there were no signs of it erupting anytime soon. The stone ramp-like structure around the edge gave way. Jack almost fell into the center of the volcano, but Kisho grabbed him quickly.

"Do be careful, Mr. Canyon," Yuriko told him.

"Yeah, no kidding," he replied as he stepped out again and began moving down the spiral ramp that followed the wall of the volcano.

"I hope that you know what you are doing," Yuriko warned him as she followed behind him closely. "I would hate for this to be a wild goose chase."

"Listen, you seem to know all about me, Ms. Yuriko, so why don't you tell me something. What do you need me for if you know I have a journal on these stones?"

"Simple," Yuriko answered. "You can do the leg work for us. We get your journal, we read it. What if it is in a code that only you understand? Without you, we are lost."

"Good point," he said simply, not sure of what else he could respond with. He stopped suddenly, causing Yuriko to crash into him. She nearly shoved him into the fiery pit without knowing why he stopped first.

"What is going on?!" She demanded.

"Look," Jack pointed out. The slope ended abruptly and dropped off into the lava lake.

"What now?" Yuriko asked.

"I guess we turn back," Jack replied with a fake saddened tone.

"I am no fool, Mr. Canyon," Yuriko stated. "I know that there are booby traps and false entrances and exits to such places as this."

"I guess you've seen Indiana Jones, huh?"

Yuriko didn't respond. She simply glared at him in hopes he would continue with the expedition. After several minutes of silence, she folded her arms across her chest.

"Fine," Jack said in the midst of the silence. "Does anyone have a compass?"

"Is the stone magnetized?" Yuriko asked.

"Not exactly," Jack answered. "I just need to know my bearings."

Yuriko nodded to one of her men, who handed him a compass.

Jack immediately plotted his axis and located the possible location for the stone. "Alright, here we go." Jack stepped out onto a platform of rock near them. "There should be an alter closer to the lava where the stone is kept. From what I gathered, it should be this way."

Yuriko scanned the area and saw five directions in which they could go. It seems as if the rocky platform had been formed in a similar fashion as the pentagram. How did Jack know which direction to take? She shook her head, knowing not to ask. The only important thing was the stone.

Jack led the Japanese group down a corkscrew-like stone staircase that stopped at another long platform. "This has been too easy."

"Is it a trick?" Yuriko asked.

"No," Jack told her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, positive," he stated. He stopped at the end of the platform which dead ended into the volcano wall.

"Still positive?"

Jack looked at the wall closely for a release lever of some kind. "The altar should be right here."

"This was a waste of time," Hiroshi said. "We should kill him now. Cut our loses."

"No," Yuriko argued. She started shouting at Hiroshi and the other men in Japanese.

Jack ignored them and continued working to find the altar. He knew it was there. He placed his arm against the wall and rested his forehead against it to relax himself some. A small part of it sank into the volcano wall.

Four pillars arose at for corners of the platform. Each of them had symbols on them.

"Where is the stone?" Yuriko asked as her attention was drawn back to Jack.

"I don't know," he told her as he examined the pillar closest to him. He moved on to the next pillar and closely scanned its symbol. "These markings. . ." He spoke to no one in particular. "They're Wiccan."

"Yeah, so?"

Jack glanced over at Yuriko for a moment. "It's a puzzle. I thought you watched Indiana Jones. Keep up."

Yuriko's facial expression grew angry and annoyed. "Can you solve it?"

"Just give me a moment," Jack said as he moved to the last pillar and took note of its marking. He rubbed his chin as his mind worked on the problem. "I think I have it! We passed four pillars on the way down. I need the small boulders on top."

Yuriko stood firm with a blank stare on her face.

"Do you want the stone or not?! I need those pieces to complete this puzzle. NOW!"

Yuriko nodded at Hiroshi and Taku, who raced back up the way they had come.

Jack continued to admire the workmanship in the pillars and the genius behind the puzzle itself as he awaited his boulders.

When the men returned, the boulders were set down. Jack studied them just as closely as he had the pillars. There were rods extending from the bottom of them. The stones each had matching markings like on the pillars. Jack had to reach up, as the pillars were as tall as he. He slipped the rod into the hole at the top of the pillar and slid it into place.
However, when all the rods were in place, nothing happened. Jack stood back and noticed what was wrong. He turned the boulders so the markings were parallel with those on the pillars. An altar arose from the center of the platform, gaining a cocky smile from Jack.

"Good work, Mr. Canyon," Yuriko told him.

Jack stood before the altar and scanned it for booby traps. He knew there were always traps. Slowly, Jack picked up the softball sized stone. It was large, but flat on the top and bottom. The stone was a beautiful ruby color and as smooth as Jack was.

"Hand it over," Yuriko ordered him.

Jack was hesitant for a moment when she extended her arm with an open hand. He was about to hand it over when the entire place shook violently. He almost fell down, but kept his balance. Now was his chance. This had been his plan all along. Stupid, Jack. Real stupid.

Yuriko tumbled over into the altar as her men lost their balance too.

Jack raced up to the spiral stairs and climbed them as fast as he could. The ground was breaking beneath him, which made it harder for him to escape. The closer he got to the peak the worse off the spaces between the broken bits of the path.

Yuriko and her men had discovered Jack's escape and were closing in on him.

Taku reached him first. He attacked Jack on a large chunk of the breaking landscape.

Jack punched the man, but stumbled as the ground shifted again. He jumped up to a crumbling shard and then over to the path again. He was almost out, when a hand grabbed his ankle, restraining him.

It was Hiroshi. The Japanese man jerked Jack down, but it didn't keep the archaeologist down for long.

Jack used the momentum from the jerk downward to slide into Hiroshi and knocked him off the shard of the path. Quickly, Jack was on his feet and clambering for the falling pieces of dirt and clay that were his only way out. Jack pushed off one large piece and crashed into the mouth of the volcano. He held on as the volcano crumbled beneath him. He pulled himself up and out. He lay motionless for a few moments, but fear that someone would come out the volcano pushed him onward. Jack checked his pocket for the stone and headed down Mount Fuji.