Jack Canyon and The Superweapon of Atlantis | CHAPTER THREE

Words: 1434

Through binoculars, a young Navy man peered out at the scene.
The boat rocked, but he kept himself steady. He watched as a
parachute opened and the plane they had escaped crashed into a
nearby beach. "Captain!" He called out to his captain.

A large man with olive skin and a dark bearded turned around
to
him. His beady eyes narrowed as the man called for him once
more. He was a Greek man, and one who did not like unexpected
guests. "What is it?"

"Take a look, sir," the skinnier man said handing him the
binoculars.

The Captain looked out at the bouncing waves. "Where?" His
voice was rough and jagged.

"About twenty klicks ahead, sir," the man replied.

"Ah, yes, I see them now."

"Them, sir?" The first mate asked. "I only saw one chute
open."

"He had a buddy," the Greek said. "Send the Skimmer with some
men."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

***

Jack and Katelyn splashed down into the Mediterranean Sea and
bounced and floated about. Moments later, the swift boat and
some armed men arrived. Jack did the only thing he could do.
He surrendered.

With the span of five minutes, Jack and Kate were securely
aboard, if this could be called securely, and back to the
large white, and heavily armed, research boat. They were
taken to the bridge where the Captain spoke to them.

"Jumping out of airplanes into the Mediterranean Sea is just
foolish," Captain Rallis spoke loudly. "Lucky we were here to
pick you up, eh?"

Jack gave the man his normal, cheesy, cocky grin. "Well,
Captain Rallis, I'm just glad you guys were in the right spot
for my dramatic entrance."

"These are those friends you spoke of?" Kate asked.

"Not exactly, but these guys do work for me," Jack replied,
before turning his attention back to Rallis. "The IAI must
have found something big to send you this way."

"Well, there is an ever growing population of the
International Archaeological Institute," Rallis told them.
"I'm glad to help, especially for the preservation of relics.
. . not to mention a shit load of money!" He let out a deep
chuckle.

"I guess I should have expected that of you, Rallis," Jack
laughed in return.

"We're cut from the same mold," Rallis announced.

"If you are from the same mold as me, I'm sure you broke it,"
Jack stated about the man's large body.

"Nah, buddy," Rallis stated jokingly. "Your ego would have
broken it."

"We've found something," a voice crackled over the radio.
"We're bringing it up."

"What did they find?" Jack asked the Captain.

"I don't know, but let's go find out," Rallis said as he moved
around Jack and his mother and headed out of the cabin and
onto the aft deck.

Jack followed the large Greek through the large ship. He had
not been on the newer research vessels like this one. The
deck was large with a diving platform on the stern. He
examined the large crane that was whirring loudly as the winch
turned, shortening the cable.

In the water on the starboard side of the boat, the crane
pulled a elongated object free of the salty ocean water.

Jack, Kate, and Rallis leaned against the side looking over at
the seaweed-covered rectangular object.

"What is that?" Rallis asked curiously.

"With those dimensions," Kate started, "I think it's some kind
of coffin."

"I agree," Jack replied as he watched the crane pull it over
he side.

Several men rushed to it and pulled it onto the deck. Water
spluttered and dripped everywhere, getting some people wet.
Finally, the coffin came to a rest on the deck.

Jack watched the two divers swim from the starboard side to
the stern dive platform, where he joined them. He helped the
smaller, slim-bodied diver onto the platform, and removed the
tank from their back.

The larger diver had already removed his tank and placed it
onto the platform. Soon, he pulled off his mask and climbed
onto the boat. It was Atawhai Tangaroa. He gave Jack a big
grin and a slap on the back.

"Tanga," Jack said nearly falling face first into the deck.
He turned and watched as the other diver removed their mask.
He smiled at her. "Erin!"

She gave a smug-like smile, not quite as enthusiastic as
Jack's. "Jack Canyon. What a surprise to see you here in the
middle of the Mediterranean!"

"Sicily the west, Crete to the east," Jack stated. "Why not?"

Erin gave Jack a look as if she could see right through him.
She knew better. "You came for me. How sweet!"

"So, big guy," Jack said to Tangaroa, changing the subject
fast. "What did we find down there?"

"It's good to see you again, Erin," Kate told the young
red-head.

"Likewise, Mrs. C.," Erin replied.

"Well, we're not entirely sure," Atawhai stated as he moved
toward the coffin. "Satellite had picked up something down
there. My guess is that the sand had been moved away by last
week's storm."

"It was a tomb," Erin Sawyer announced. "It was a very small
one, with barely enough room for Atawhai and myself to fit
inside."

"Why don't we crack this thing open?" Jack said as he wiped
away some seaweed from near the foot or head of the coffin.
"I've seen that symbol before."

"Where?" Someone had asked.

Jack could not discern on who it was. He continued to examine
the rest of the coffin for a way to open it.

"This is our find, Jack," Erin admitted. "Shouldn't we be
opening and examining it?"

"But that symbol intrigues me," Jack told her as he looked up
at her. He paused and frowned. "Okay, okay. It's all
yours."

Erin grinned victoriously as she moved to the coffin and
cleaned it off further. "We discovered that it was locked."

"I hope you found the key, or else someone is going for
another swim," Jack said.

"Look at this," Erin pointed out to Jack and Tangaroa.

"Oh, now, you want me to look," Jack said sarcastically as he
moved forward. He was shocked at what it was.

"It's a combination lock," Tangaroa chimed in.

"Yeah," Jack said still in shock. "But the first combination
lock was only invented in 1206."

"This has to be older than that by more than four or five
thousand years," Kate added. "But the craftsmanship of this
coffin is just. . . astonishing."

"I wouldn't have expected to see this type of detail during
that era," Tangaroa mentioned.

"Any guesses on the combination?" Erin asked as she rotated
the first disc. "I've never seen numbers like this."

"Mom," Jack said as he backed away, allowing her access.

Katelyn put on her reading glasses and took a closer look at
the device. "They appear almost Greek, but not quite.
There's a hint of Arabic, as well."

"Can you translate them?" Tangaroa asked.

"I shall try," Kate replied. "Give me a few minutes."

"So, did you come to see me?" Erin asked Jack with a sly
smile.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood," Jack replied. "I was in
Brunswick trying to rescue my mother, when--"

"Got it!" Kate cried out in excitement. "Though, I don't
know what good this is. I mean, I have nothing to go on in
discovering the combination."

Erin, Jack, and Tangaroa hovered around Kate as they all
studied the characters and numbers they represented.

"Could it be a date?" Tangaroa asked.

"Okay, I have a theory," Jack said. "Mom, hand me your
journal."

"Why?"

"Just do it," he told her as he held out an outstretched hand.
When he got it, he turned to the page she had shown him
before. "Of course." He turned the journal around and showed
them all the symbol. "It's the same one!"

"Same?" Erin asked.

"Thankfully, you copied the entire scroll down," Jack spoke
happily. He flipped the journal upside down and spotted the
hidden symbols. "There."

"But. . . how?" Kate asked, confused.

"I don't know," he replied. "Erin. You want to do the
honors?"

She nodded and slowly put in the combination until it unlocked
the coffin and the lid released.

A few men came in to remove the lid and move it to the side.
Once they were done, the others moved back into place.

"That symbol's on the shield," Tangaroa announced.

"Okay, Jack, You have explaining to do," Erin told him
sternly.

"That symbol was on a scroll my mom found in Libya," Jack
explained. "It's from Atlantis, which is where this coffin
came from. This guy is a survivor of Atlantis."