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."
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Jack Canyon and The Superweapon of Atlantis | CHAPTER TWO
Words: 2081
"This is really just great," the brunette said angrily. "Jack, you had to come here, first off. Then you had to go and get yourself caught!" She shifted her look to her captor. "He's always getting caught. When he was sixteen, I caught him masturbating."
"MOM!" Jack screamed out at her. His hazel eyes met with hers, they matched perfectly in color. Though, his appeared more furious. Jack's eyes were mostly green with a brown ring around the pupil of his eye. The lighting always made them appear more of one color sometimes.
"What?" Katelyn Canyon asked innocently. "Don't want this pretty young lady to know about your embarrassing moments?"
"Not really!" Jack argued. Then he sighed. "I can't believe this."
"You can't believe this?!"
"Oh, shut up," the German shouted. "Herr Canyon! You have the journal?"
"I don't know," Jack said. "Who am I dealing with?"
"Johanna Mahler," the woman spoke. "Your mother was so cooperative with us at the beginning. Then she started to slack on her work. I need you to translate this text."
"Again, I don't know," Jack replied. He looked back at his mother. "Why did you even mail it to me if you didn't want me to come here?"
"I didn't mail it," Kate stated plainly.
"Then who did?"
"I did," Johanna said victoriously. "Though, I sent men to find you six months after sending it."
"You blew up my home!" Jack cried out.
"If we could not have the journal, no one could," the German voice announced.
"It was a trap," Kate told him. "A ruse. They knew you would come once you knew what you had there."
"I must have been gone on one of my adventures," Jack mentioned to the gorgeous German woman.
"So, now that we have the small talk out of the way, decipher the scroll," Johanna ordered him.
"No," Jack told her.
"Fine," the German accent rang thickly in her voice. "Then you die."
Jack laughed at her for a moment. "Killing me won't do anything for you."
Johanna paused for a second and nodded. "You're right. Then she dies."
"And what was your purpose of coming here?" Jack's mom asked him.
"I came here to save you!"
"Such a wonderful job you're doing," she chastised him.
Jack was growing angry of her patronizing ways.
"So, who is going to come save you?" She asked.
Jack huffed and spun around with his fist, knocking Johanna back. "Let's go!" He yelled as he grabbed his mother's arm to drag her along.
"I can't believe you hit a woman," she said in shock.
"Well, you get used to it," Jack told her, remembering all the women he had to battle before.
"Funny what you get used to then, huh?" Katelyn asked still shocked and being dragged along.
"You have no idea," Jack answered as they moved through the hallways. He looked as nervous as a animal sitting in the waiting room of a veterinarian's office. Though he would say he was being alert. He kept an eye out for any German folk who would want to stop them or do harm to them. "So, who is that woman?"
"She's the owner of this castle, and a baroness of sorts," Kate told him as they neared intersecting hallways. "She's hoping to bring Germany back from its fall in the second World War."
"How did you meet this lovely individual?" He asked as he sneaked across the hall.
"She hired us," Kate replied cautiously. "My team and I were to excavate what she believed the be a tomb or temple. What we found was an ancient vault."
Jack paused and looked at her. He was curious. He caught her smile, because she knew she had his full attention.
"This was in Libya," Kate mentioned. "We were too late, though. Inside the temple was a single papyrus scroll, and nothing else. It seems as if someone had already raided the treasures."
Jack looked around the corner and spotted some men down the stairwell. "We'll have to continue this conversation elsewhere."
"What is it?" She peeked around the corner to see the men. "What now?"
"We go back," Jack told her as he turned, but he saw men coming toward them. "Not good."
The men screamed in German, alerting the others.
"Follow me," Jack yelled as he punched the closest man in the hallway. He spun and saw the others coming up the stairs. Without hesitation, he grabbed the rope tied in the corner near the small opening in the bricks which formed a window. He looked down at the table and then at the iron chandelier. "Come on!" He offered his hand to Kate.
She grabbed on and watched as he untied the rope. "You're insane!"
"I learned from the best," Jack told her with a cocky smile. He jerked her close and swung down into the room, landing on the wooden table in the center of the chamber. He held onto the rope tightly and let go of his mother. "Peace of cake."
"But what about them?" She pointed at the incoming men who had anger on their faces.
"There!" Jack yelled as he pointed at the only other exit. He let go of the rope, allowing the chandelier to crash into the table.
The German men halted for a moment to allow the shards and splinters to settle.
Jack and Kate were already gone from the room. They shifted through the maze of corridors and chambers.
"So, about that vault," Jack mentioned.
"I thought you wanted to wait until we were out of this mess, first," she replied.
As bullets tore into the wall just above their heads, Jack ducked low and looked back at her. "Okay, maybe we should wait."
"Good plan," Kate said as they moved into an empty chamber. She noticed the room had no exits, except for a window. She peered outside and then turned back to Jack. "Bad plan!"
"Don't worry," he stated as he locked the door. "I always have an escape route." He jumped up onto the window ledge
"When I woke up this morning, suicide wasn't on my agenda," Kate told him as she watched him climb up. She poked her head out of the window to see him climbing up a long flag. It appeared to be the insignia of Mahler's family crest. "God, Jack, you're insane."
Jack climbed all the way to the top, where a large brass-colored pole held the flag in place. He glanced down for a moment to make sure his mother was following him. Then he climbed over the ledge of the roof.
Kate followed behind him. She remembered her younger days being like this, but not now, not at this age. She reached the top and he helped her up.
"We have to keep moving," Jack told her as he moved across the rooftop. He spotted the courtyard at the heart of the castle and knew where he was. Beyond the east wall there was something white shimmering in the light. The night had seemed to linger forever, but finally, the sun was beginning to rise.
"I need a break, son," she panted. "I'm not as young as I used to be."
"Oh, come on, mom," Jack pleaded with her. "You're as good now as you ever were."
"Maybe in mind, my dear," she said leaning against a ledge for support. "I was like you, you know? Always seeking out adventure. It has taken its toll on my body in recent years."
"Okay, then," Jack agreed with a nod. "So, tell me. . ."
"About the vault?"
"No, this castle," he answered.
"It was built sometime in the mid--"
"No, about the layout," Jack interrupted. "I want to know what that is beyond the eastern wall."
"That?" She asked as she squinted to see. "It seems to be her own personal air field."
"Must be a new addition to castles that I didn't know about," he said. "Are you ready?"
"Let's go," she replied as he helped her up.
They moved quickly around the rooftops toward the east wall, where they discovered half a dozen small planes.
"Our way out," Jack stated as he headed down a staircase to the airstrip.
Before they could make it to the planes, gunfire rang out, forcing the duo to duck beneath a plane.
The planes were in two rows of three, allowing for some cover, but the men were advancing.
Jack maneuvered to the last plane on the first row. "Get in." He told Kate as he pulled the door open. "Be quiet." He closed the door and made sure it was secure. Then he moved around to the other side and climbed in.
Kate smiled proudly at her son. She just could not believe he mastered the skills of flying a plane. "Wow, son, you can fly a plane?"
"Sure," he replied. "I mean, who can't?" He started it up and steered it out onto the runway. He began to pick up speed as the Germans began firing at it, trying to slow them down or stop them completely.
"Where did you learn to do this?" She asked, still smiling proudly.
"You know, one of those computer games," Jack said as the plane began to lift up.
Kate felt her heart skip a few beats as the plane lifted off the ground. This was not a computer game.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked her. "You look pale."
"I'm fine," she answered. "Do you want to know about that vault now?"
"If it will put you to ease," Jack said.
"I think it will," she began to explain. "The vault was empty. I guess some Libyan looters arrived several hundreds or thousands of years ago. I mean, it hadn't been disturbed in ages. Besides, it had been pummeled by decades of sandstorms."
"Go on."
"Well, I found this scroll with a funny symbol in the corner," she told him as she pulled her journal from her pocket. "See this?"
Jack looked over at the strange symbol for a moment. "I've never seen anything like it before."
"Neither have I," Kate replied. "The linguist on my team began recording the language from the scroll into my journal. He even tried to translate it. He thinks the language is possible an older version of Latin."
"Huh?" Jack asked. "Older Latin? Like Old English?"
"Sort of," she replied.
Jack glanced out the window, then back at the "Old Latin." "Sciencia," he read. "Science."
"Well, there's more to it. It reads: I am a man of science from the land of Atlantia, or what we have translated to Atlantis."
"It talks about machines, a weapon that will level continents. . . It's a list," Jack noticed. "There's the symbol again, then Talus. What's that mean?"
"I believe it to be the man who wrote this," she explained.
"You mean, there is a survivor of the Atlantis disaster?"
"I think so," she replied. "Well, there's at least this one document."
"Libya, huh?" Jack asked. "I have some friends in the Mediterranean."
"Yeah?"
"Maybe they could help out," Jack said as the plane made an odd noise.
"What was that?" Kate asked in a panic.
"Eh," Jack answered. "That's the sound of the engine running out of fuel."
"Did you forget to fill her up before heading out?" She asked in a motherly tone.
Jack glanced back through the window to see the fluid spilling out of the tank in the rear. "More like we losing fuel to bullet holes."
"Where are we?"
"That's the coastline," Jack said as he pointed out the front window. "That looks like Italy and Greece." He jumped up from the seat and moved to the back. He tossed things about as he scoured through it.
"You can land this thing, right?"
Jack gave her a look of uncertainty.
"You did cover that in the computer games, didn't you?"
"Of course," Jack told her as he pulled out a parachute. "Though, there was always a wet tank. We're empty, dry as a bone." He continued to explore the plane, only to find nothing. "Uh oh."
"What, uh oh?"
"Only one chute!" He cried out as he rushed back to her.
"You go," she demanded. "I'm too old for this."
"Nonsense." He began to strap into the parachute and grabbed her, strapping her on as well. "You're coming with me."
"Oh, no, no, no!"
Before she could argue further, Jack had jumped from the plane.
"This is really just great," the brunette said angrily. "Jack, you had to come here, first off. Then you had to go and get yourself caught!" She shifted her look to her captor. "He's always getting caught. When he was sixteen, I caught him masturbating."
"MOM!" Jack screamed out at her. His hazel eyes met with hers, they matched perfectly in color. Though, his appeared more furious. Jack's eyes were mostly green with a brown ring around the pupil of his eye. The lighting always made them appear more of one color sometimes.
"What?" Katelyn Canyon asked innocently. "Don't want this pretty young lady to know about your embarrassing moments?"
"Not really!" Jack argued. Then he sighed. "I can't believe this."
"You can't believe this?!"
"Oh, shut up," the German shouted. "Herr Canyon! You have the journal?"
"I don't know," Jack said. "Who am I dealing with?"
"Johanna Mahler," the woman spoke. "Your mother was so cooperative with us at the beginning. Then she started to slack on her work. I need you to translate this text."
"Again, I don't know," Jack replied. He looked back at his mother. "Why did you even mail it to me if you didn't want me to come here?"
"I didn't mail it," Kate stated plainly.
"Then who did?"
"I did," Johanna said victoriously. "Though, I sent men to find you six months after sending it."
"You blew up my home!" Jack cried out.
"If we could not have the journal, no one could," the German voice announced.
"It was a trap," Kate told him. "A ruse. They knew you would come once you knew what you had there."
"I must have been gone on one of my adventures," Jack mentioned to the gorgeous German woman.
"So, now that we have the small talk out of the way, decipher the scroll," Johanna ordered him.
"No," Jack told her.
"Fine," the German accent rang thickly in her voice. "Then you die."
Jack laughed at her for a moment. "Killing me won't do anything for you."
Johanna paused for a second and nodded. "You're right. Then she dies."
"And what was your purpose of coming here?" Jack's mom asked him.
"I came here to save you!"
"Such a wonderful job you're doing," she chastised him.
Jack was growing angry of her patronizing ways.
"So, who is going to come save you?" She asked.
Jack huffed and spun around with his fist, knocking Johanna back. "Let's go!" He yelled as he grabbed his mother's arm to drag her along.
"I can't believe you hit a woman," she said in shock.
"Well, you get used to it," Jack told her, remembering all the women he had to battle before.
"Funny what you get used to then, huh?" Katelyn asked still shocked and being dragged along.
"You have no idea," Jack answered as they moved through the hallways. He looked as nervous as a animal sitting in the waiting room of a veterinarian's office. Though he would say he was being alert. He kept an eye out for any German folk who would want to stop them or do harm to them. "So, who is that woman?"
"She's the owner of this castle, and a baroness of sorts," Kate told him as they neared intersecting hallways. "She's hoping to bring Germany back from its fall in the second World War."
"How did you meet this lovely individual?" He asked as he sneaked across the hall.
"She hired us," Kate replied cautiously. "My team and I were to excavate what she believed the be a tomb or temple. What we found was an ancient vault."
Jack paused and looked at her. He was curious. He caught her smile, because she knew she had his full attention.
"This was in Libya," Kate mentioned. "We were too late, though. Inside the temple was a single papyrus scroll, and nothing else. It seems as if someone had already raided the treasures."
Jack looked around the corner and spotted some men down the stairwell. "We'll have to continue this conversation elsewhere."
"What is it?" She peeked around the corner to see the men. "What now?"
"We go back," Jack told her as he turned, but he saw men coming toward them. "Not good."
The men screamed in German, alerting the others.
"Follow me," Jack yelled as he punched the closest man in the hallway. He spun and saw the others coming up the stairs. Without hesitation, he grabbed the rope tied in the corner near the small opening in the bricks which formed a window. He looked down at the table and then at the iron chandelier. "Come on!" He offered his hand to Kate.
She grabbed on and watched as he untied the rope. "You're insane!"
"I learned from the best," Jack told her with a cocky smile. He jerked her close and swung down into the room, landing on the wooden table in the center of the chamber. He held onto the rope tightly and let go of his mother. "Peace of cake."
"But what about them?" She pointed at the incoming men who had anger on their faces.
"There!" Jack yelled as he pointed at the only other exit. He let go of the rope, allowing the chandelier to crash into the table.
The German men halted for a moment to allow the shards and splinters to settle.
Jack and Kate were already gone from the room. They shifted through the maze of corridors and chambers.
"So, about that vault," Jack mentioned.
"I thought you wanted to wait until we were out of this mess, first," she replied.
As bullets tore into the wall just above their heads, Jack ducked low and looked back at her. "Okay, maybe we should wait."
"Good plan," Kate said as they moved into an empty chamber. She noticed the room had no exits, except for a window. She peered outside and then turned back to Jack. "Bad plan!"
"Don't worry," he stated as he locked the door. "I always have an escape route." He jumped up onto the window ledge
"When I woke up this morning, suicide wasn't on my agenda," Kate told him as she watched him climb up. She poked her head out of the window to see him climbing up a long flag. It appeared to be the insignia of Mahler's family crest. "God, Jack, you're insane."
Jack climbed all the way to the top, where a large brass-colored pole held the flag in place. He glanced down for a moment to make sure his mother was following him. Then he climbed over the ledge of the roof.
Kate followed behind him. She remembered her younger days being like this, but not now, not at this age. She reached the top and he helped her up.
"We have to keep moving," Jack told her as he moved across the rooftop. He spotted the courtyard at the heart of the castle and knew where he was. Beyond the east wall there was something white shimmering in the light. The night had seemed to linger forever, but finally, the sun was beginning to rise.
"I need a break, son," she panted. "I'm not as young as I used to be."
"Oh, come on, mom," Jack pleaded with her. "You're as good now as you ever were."
"Maybe in mind, my dear," she said leaning against a ledge for support. "I was like you, you know? Always seeking out adventure. It has taken its toll on my body in recent years."
"Okay, then," Jack agreed with a nod. "So, tell me. . ."
"About the vault?"
"No, this castle," he answered.
"It was built sometime in the mid--"
"No, about the layout," Jack interrupted. "I want to know what that is beyond the eastern wall."
"That?" She asked as she squinted to see. "It seems to be her own personal air field."
"Must be a new addition to castles that I didn't know about," he said. "Are you ready?"
"Let's go," she replied as he helped her up.
They moved quickly around the rooftops toward the east wall, where they discovered half a dozen small planes.
"Our way out," Jack stated as he headed down a staircase to the airstrip.
Before they could make it to the planes, gunfire rang out, forcing the duo to duck beneath a plane.
The planes were in two rows of three, allowing for some cover, but the men were advancing.
Jack maneuvered to the last plane on the first row. "Get in." He told Kate as he pulled the door open. "Be quiet." He closed the door and made sure it was secure. Then he moved around to the other side and climbed in.
Kate smiled proudly at her son. She just could not believe he mastered the skills of flying a plane. "Wow, son, you can fly a plane?"
"Sure," he replied. "I mean, who can't?" He started it up and steered it out onto the runway. He began to pick up speed as the Germans began firing at it, trying to slow them down or stop them completely.
"Where did you learn to do this?" She asked, still smiling proudly.
"You know, one of those computer games," Jack said as the plane began to lift up.
Kate felt her heart skip a few beats as the plane lifted off the ground. This was not a computer game.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked her. "You look pale."
"I'm fine," she answered. "Do you want to know about that vault now?"
"If it will put you to ease," Jack said.
"I think it will," she began to explain. "The vault was empty. I guess some Libyan looters arrived several hundreds or thousands of years ago. I mean, it hadn't been disturbed in ages. Besides, it had been pummeled by decades of sandstorms."
"Go on."
"Well, I found this scroll with a funny symbol in the corner," she told him as she pulled her journal from her pocket. "See this?"
Jack looked over at the strange symbol for a moment. "I've never seen anything like it before."
"Neither have I," Kate replied. "The linguist on my team began recording the language from the scroll into my journal. He even tried to translate it. He thinks the language is possible an older version of Latin."
"Huh?" Jack asked. "Older Latin? Like Old English?"
"Sort of," she replied.
Jack glanced out the window, then back at the "Old Latin." "Sciencia," he read. "Science."
"Well, there's more to it. It reads: I am a man of science from the land of Atlantia, or what we have translated to Atlantis."
"It talks about machines, a weapon that will level continents. . . It's a list," Jack noticed. "There's the symbol again, then Talus. What's that mean?"
"I believe it to be the man who wrote this," she explained.
"You mean, there is a survivor of the Atlantis disaster?"
"I think so," she replied. "Well, there's at least this one document."
"Libya, huh?" Jack asked. "I have some friends in the Mediterranean."
"Yeah?"
"Maybe they could help out," Jack said as the plane made an odd noise.
"What was that?" Kate asked in a panic.
"Eh," Jack answered. "That's the sound of the engine running out of fuel."
"Did you forget to fill her up before heading out?" She asked in a motherly tone.
Jack glanced back through the window to see the fluid spilling out of the tank in the rear. "More like we losing fuel to bullet holes."
"Where are we?"
"That's the coastline," Jack said as he pointed out the front window. "That looks like Italy and Greece." He jumped up from the seat and moved to the back. He tossed things about as he scoured through it.
"You can land this thing, right?"
Jack gave her a look of uncertainty.
"You did cover that in the computer games, didn't you?"
"Of course," Jack told her as he pulled out a parachute. "Though, there was always a wet tank. We're empty, dry as a bone." He continued to explore the plane, only to find nothing. "Uh oh."
"What, uh oh?"
"Only one chute!" He cried out as he rushed back to her.
"You go," she demanded. "I'm too old for this."
"Nonsense." He began to strap into the parachute and grabbed her, strapping her on as well. "You're coming with me."
"Oh, no, no, no!"
Before she could argue further, Jack had jumped from the plane.
Jack Canyon and The Superweapon of Atlantis | CHAPTER ONE
Words: 1753
There it was. It sat at the location that had been labeled on the return address on the package Jack Canyon had received just over a year ago. The same package someone had wanted to kill him for the very day he returned home from his long journey chasing the Wiccan Stones.
The wind whipped against his face, causing Jack to shield himself with the long sleeves of his grey-colored T-shirt. It was not near as cold as it could be. Luckily, he caught the summer months.
Jack tugged at the belt loop on the new Carhartt's. They were the same material as the pants he wore before. This color was known as midnight, which was a light navy color. He adored his Carhartt's. No way could he part with them. They were the perfect adventure pants, since they were so tough and durable. Since he had his own store now, he could order the ones that he wanted.
Brunswick castle. One castle of many in the German state, but the only one this far out in the middle of nowhere. What was inside?
Jack noticed the large iron gate in front, since he stood before it examining a way in. The wall that extended out from the fence was made of stone and very large. It was impossible to scale it alone.
No guards, which was odd.
Jack began to investigate the surrounding area for something useful. He spotted large boulders near the cliff where the wall ended. He rushed toward it and leaped onto the top one, pushed himself up and back toward the wall. However, the boulders gave way and started to slide down the ravine. There was only one way down, now, if he didn't get up. Shit, he thought.
Finally, out of desperation, Jack pulled himself onto the top of the wall. Safe. He dropped down off it and made his way down a long bridge-like path that allowed passage over the ravine that surrounded the entire castle.
The entrance was a set of large wooden doors with large iron hinges and rings to pull the doors open.
Jack moved around to the left side of the castle to find another way in. The front door was too obvious, and not near as fun. Nothing. So, he turned and walked to the right of the doors where he spotted a long drop down. However, there was a small balcony below. He swung his legs over the edge and then dropped. It seemed the small ledge was for some kind of maintenance purposes on the bridge.
A small pipe above him grabbed Jack's attention. He held onto it with his hands and began to maneuver down the base of the castle. When he ran out of pipe to follow, he noticed a window about three feet above him. He reached up, but it was too far. He pulled himself up, unable to hold himself there very long, and placed his knees onto the slim pipe. He only had one chance at this. He pushed himself up and grabbed the window with his hands. He grunted as he tried to pull himself up. Placing the toe of his boot onto the pipe, he shoved off and fell into the room.
It was an empty room, thank God. Not only of people, but furniture.
Jack moved to the door straight ahead, but it was locked. He didn't want to push it and make too much noise, so he turned right to the only other door in the room. He prayed it would open, because the other way out was the window, and he didn't want to go that way again. To his amazement, it opened with ease.
Moving along, Jack found himself outside again on a small bridge that led to another door. As he closed in on it, the door began to open. Thinking fast, Jack leaped off the bridge and grabbed a large chain which housed a lantern. It swung outward and toward another chain, which Jack grabbed onto. He released the other and began to climb up.
Two men had exited the door and stood out on the bridge to take a smoke break. They watched as the chain the lantern was hung on swing by. They looked at one another then up at the side of the tower. Nothing. They shrugged and continued to smoke.
Jack breathed deeply as he peeked down at them from above. He let out a long deep breath and moved on. He was at the top of a tower where he could see the entire castle now. He took note of the layout and even spotted the tallest tower. Maybe what he needed was in there.
A staircase on the other side of the tower led down into the heart of the castle where he was sure he would meet obstacles. Taking it slow, Jack inched around the wall, trying to keep out of site as he moved beneath a balcony where a German stood watching the area.
Safe. Jack made it passed the man undetected and into a long hallway full of doors. He slowly stepped forward doing his best to keep his boots silent. He was watching his steps when he heard a slow creaking noise. The door, he thought. Someone was coming.
A German man in a black suit had pushed open the door at the far end of the corridor and was making his way through.
Jack darted into the closest room to hide. He thought he was safe, but he heard someone from behind him speak in German. He spun around and met a big fist which connected with his chin. Jack stumbled back. Before he could retaliate, the large man had what felt like a vice around his neck. Then he felt his back pummel the door.
The man who had been in the hall heard the door rattle and tried to open it to check.
Jack struggled against the mammoth of a man to loosen his choke hold. He could not get free. Instead, the man threw Jack across the room and into the wall.
The other man entered to see the brawl.
The large man thrust his fist at Jack, who ducked. The man's fist collided with the wall, breaking one of the bricks in half. He grimaced in pain.
Jack forced his knee into the man's gut, forcing him to drop to his knees. He looked up and met another punch from the other guy. He shook his head trying to regain his bearings. Finally, he threw his own punch, knocking the man back. He spun and kicked the large man in the side, taking him out of the fight.
Turning to exit through the door, Jack received a kick to his chest. He winced and grabbed his chest. Before he knew it, the man grabbed him and threw him through the stain glassed window. He shielded his eyes as he crashed through, but opened them after. Jack found his safety net, a chain right outside. He grabbed hold as he swung out. Shifting his weight, he came back and drove both feet into the man's chest.
Once he stopped swinging, Jack moved up the chain. He reached another room, where he entered and found it empty. Sneaking down a staircase, he continued his journey through the massive castle.
The next chamber contained a large round table in the center, as if it were a board room. A chandelier was set in the center with a rope holding it in place. The rope moved up to the ceiling then toward the wall, where it was tied. Someone could lower or raise the candle light chandelier from there.
Jack moved up half a flight of steps where he found another corridor. A continuous maze was all this castle was. He found himself scanning the doors as he moved onward, finally reaching the end, which was bridge-like area that led toward the large tower. He stopped directly outside the door. Too obvious, he thought. So he climbed out the glassless window and onto the room of the bridge.
This was the highest point of the entire castle, aside from the large tower before him. He glanced around and back seeing the far side where he started. The fall was great from this height.
Jack placed his foot into a whole in the tower's rocks, and then placed his hand into a higher one. He pulled himself up an continued his trek upward, but soon he had to move horizontal, as that direction was the only place he could climb. He reached a large extension of the tower, there were four. When he pulled himself onto it, he realized they were gargoyles. He had reached the top.
He examined closely the top of the tower. It had a clay, dome-like top on it. No way could he climb over it. He looked for a way in and found one, but it would be difficult to get to. He jumped out toward the other gargoyle and caught it, but barely. As he slipped, the statue began to break near the tower. He looked down for his window and spotted it just as the structure gave way.
Using all his might, Jack pushed himself up off the falling gargoyle and grabbed onto the window's ledge. The statue made a loud crashing sound below. He pulled himself into the window to see an older woman bound to a chair. He moved around in front of her and took off her gag.
"Are you alright?" Jack asked.
"You shouldn't have come," she replied. "It's too dangerous."
"Well, I had to do something," Jack told her. "I got this in the mail." He pulled out a small, leather-bound journal. He moved around again and untied her.
"Oh, Jack," the woman said. "You really shouldn't have come here. I didn't send that to you."
"Then who did?"
"I did!" A female voice shouted from the dark corner of the room. Her voice was filled with a thick German accent. "I was hoping it would have summoned you here."
"Well, you got your wish," Jack said.
"That I did," the blonde woman smiled wickedly.
"This is just wonderful," the dark haired woman spoke. "Really. It's great. Just great."
Jack looked up from the dark haired woman and to the blonde, who still had that wicked, cocky grin, as if she had won some great victory. Jack sighed.
There it was. It sat at the location that had been labeled on the return address on the package Jack Canyon had received just over a year ago. The same package someone had wanted to kill him for the very day he returned home from his long journey chasing the Wiccan Stones.
The wind whipped against his face, causing Jack to shield himself with the long sleeves of his grey-colored T-shirt. It was not near as cold as it could be. Luckily, he caught the summer months.
Jack tugged at the belt loop on the new Carhartt's. They were the same material as the pants he wore before. This color was known as midnight, which was a light navy color. He adored his Carhartt's. No way could he part with them. They were the perfect adventure pants, since they were so tough and durable. Since he had his own store now, he could order the ones that he wanted.
Brunswick castle. One castle of many in the German state, but the only one this far out in the middle of nowhere. What was inside?
Jack noticed the large iron gate in front, since he stood before it examining a way in. The wall that extended out from the fence was made of stone and very large. It was impossible to scale it alone.
No guards, which was odd.
Jack began to investigate the surrounding area for something useful. He spotted large boulders near the cliff where the wall ended. He rushed toward it and leaped onto the top one, pushed himself up and back toward the wall. However, the boulders gave way and started to slide down the ravine. There was only one way down, now, if he didn't get up. Shit, he thought.
Finally, out of desperation, Jack pulled himself onto the top of the wall. Safe. He dropped down off it and made his way down a long bridge-like path that allowed passage over the ravine that surrounded the entire castle.
The entrance was a set of large wooden doors with large iron hinges and rings to pull the doors open.
Jack moved around to the left side of the castle to find another way in. The front door was too obvious, and not near as fun. Nothing. So, he turned and walked to the right of the doors where he spotted a long drop down. However, there was a small balcony below. He swung his legs over the edge and then dropped. It seemed the small ledge was for some kind of maintenance purposes on the bridge.
A small pipe above him grabbed Jack's attention. He held onto it with his hands and began to maneuver down the base of the castle. When he ran out of pipe to follow, he noticed a window about three feet above him. He reached up, but it was too far. He pulled himself up, unable to hold himself there very long, and placed his knees onto the slim pipe. He only had one chance at this. He pushed himself up and grabbed the window with his hands. He grunted as he tried to pull himself up. Placing the toe of his boot onto the pipe, he shoved off and fell into the room.
It was an empty room, thank God. Not only of people, but furniture.
Jack moved to the door straight ahead, but it was locked. He didn't want to push it and make too much noise, so he turned right to the only other door in the room. He prayed it would open, because the other way out was the window, and he didn't want to go that way again. To his amazement, it opened with ease.
Moving along, Jack found himself outside again on a small bridge that led to another door. As he closed in on it, the door began to open. Thinking fast, Jack leaped off the bridge and grabbed a large chain which housed a lantern. It swung outward and toward another chain, which Jack grabbed onto. He released the other and began to climb up.
Two men had exited the door and stood out on the bridge to take a smoke break. They watched as the chain the lantern was hung on swing by. They looked at one another then up at the side of the tower. Nothing. They shrugged and continued to smoke.
Jack breathed deeply as he peeked down at them from above. He let out a long deep breath and moved on. He was at the top of a tower where he could see the entire castle now. He took note of the layout and even spotted the tallest tower. Maybe what he needed was in there.
A staircase on the other side of the tower led down into the heart of the castle where he was sure he would meet obstacles. Taking it slow, Jack inched around the wall, trying to keep out of site as he moved beneath a balcony where a German stood watching the area.
Safe. Jack made it passed the man undetected and into a long hallway full of doors. He slowly stepped forward doing his best to keep his boots silent. He was watching his steps when he heard a slow creaking noise. The door, he thought. Someone was coming.
A German man in a black suit had pushed open the door at the far end of the corridor and was making his way through.
Jack darted into the closest room to hide. He thought he was safe, but he heard someone from behind him speak in German. He spun around and met a big fist which connected with his chin. Jack stumbled back. Before he could retaliate, the large man had what felt like a vice around his neck. Then he felt his back pummel the door.
The man who had been in the hall heard the door rattle and tried to open it to check.
Jack struggled against the mammoth of a man to loosen his choke hold. He could not get free. Instead, the man threw Jack across the room and into the wall.
The other man entered to see the brawl.
The large man thrust his fist at Jack, who ducked. The man's fist collided with the wall, breaking one of the bricks in half. He grimaced in pain.
Jack forced his knee into the man's gut, forcing him to drop to his knees. He looked up and met another punch from the other guy. He shook his head trying to regain his bearings. Finally, he threw his own punch, knocking the man back. He spun and kicked the large man in the side, taking him out of the fight.
Turning to exit through the door, Jack received a kick to his chest. He winced and grabbed his chest. Before he knew it, the man grabbed him and threw him through the stain glassed window. He shielded his eyes as he crashed through, but opened them after. Jack found his safety net, a chain right outside. He grabbed hold as he swung out. Shifting his weight, he came back and drove both feet into the man's chest.
Once he stopped swinging, Jack moved up the chain. He reached another room, where he entered and found it empty. Sneaking down a staircase, he continued his journey through the massive castle.
The next chamber contained a large round table in the center, as if it were a board room. A chandelier was set in the center with a rope holding it in place. The rope moved up to the ceiling then toward the wall, where it was tied. Someone could lower or raise the candle light chandelier from there.
Jack moved up half a flight of steps where he found another corridor. A continuous maze was all this castle was. He found himself scanning the doors as he moved onward, finally reaching the end, which was bridge-like area that led toward the large tower. He stopped directly outside the door. Too obvious, he thought. So he climbed out the glassless window and onto the room of the bridge.
This was the highest point of the entire castle, aside from the large tower before him. He glanced around and back seeing the far side where he started. The fall was great from this height.
Jack placed his foot into a whole in the tower's rocks, and then placed his hand into a higher one. He pulled himself up an continued his trek upward, but soon he had to move horizontal, as that direction was the only place he could climb. He reached a large extension of the tower, there were four. When he pulled himself onto it, he realized they were gargoyles. He had reached the top.
He examined closely the top of the tower. It had a clay, dome-like top on it. No way could he climb over it. He looked for a way in and found one, but it would be difficult to get to. He jumped out toward the other gargoyle and caught it, but barely. As he slipped, the statue began to break near the tower. He looked down for his window and spotted it just as the structure gave way.
Using all his might, Jack pushed himself up off the falling gargoyle and grabbed onto the window's ledge. The statue made a loud crashing sound below. He pulled himself into the window to see an older woman bound to a chair. He moved around in front of her and took off her gag.
"Are you alright?" Jack asked.
"You shouldn't have come," she replied. "It's too dangerous."
"Well, I had to do something," Jack told her. "I got this in the mail." He pulled out a small, leather-bound journal. He moved around again and untied her.
"Oh, Jack," the woman said. "You really shouldn't have come here. I didn't send that to you."
"Then who did?"
"I did!" A female voice shouted from the dark corner of the room. Her voice was filled with a thick German accent. "I was hoping it would have summoned you here."
"Well, you got your wish," Jack said.
"That I did," the blonde woman smiled wickedly.
"This is just wonderful," the dark haired woman spoke. "Really. It's great. Just great."
Jack looked up from the dark haired woman and to the blonde, who still had that wicked, cocky grin, as if she had won some great victory. Jack sighed.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Wiccan Stones | EPILOGUE
Words: 419
Three weeks later. . .
Jack made his way up the stairs, slowly fumbling everything he had in his hands. He was trying to talk on his cellular phone, too. He pushed the bedroom door open with his foot and set down his suitcase and threw what was left of his mail on the bed. The rest of it trailed out to the mailbox. A year's worth.
"I'm sorry," Jack said sympathetically.
"Oh, no, Jack, it's okay," the voice said softly over the phone. "I'm sure Soph would've wanted you to save the world more than bringing her back from the dead. I'm not really sure if she'd even want to be brought back like that."
"I wish I could talk to her, Maya," Jack spoke as he looked at a brown paper-wrapped package. It was small, about the size of his hand. Maybe it was a book. He picked it up and noticed the place of origin: Brunswick, Germany.
He wasn't even listening to Maya now. He furrowed his brow, wondering who could have sent him something from there. He slid the package into his back pocket.
"Are you listening to me, Jack?" Maya Rajah asked with a tone.
"Yes, I am," Jack lied.
"Well, just move on with your life, Jack," she told him hoping he would listen to her. "Sophia would want you to. Do it for her."
"Yeah, maybe I should just give up the archaeological thing," he mentioned solemnly. "I could open up a restaurant or maybe a clothing store! Jack Canyon's Archaeological Adventures Clothing & Accessories."
"That sounds like a wonderful plan, Jack," Maya replied.
The abrupt sound of glass breaking drew his attention, but then he noticed holes being bored into his walls, furniture, and everywhere. He was being shot at by an automatic weapon. He dove behind his bed for cover.
"Maya, I'm gonna have to call you back," Jack said, but he did not hang up. He was too distracted by the men on the rooftop next door. He could heard them shouting in German to each other. They must have been after that package. "Shit." He noticed them aim a bazooka at his room.
"Jack?" Maya cried out through the phone. "What's going on? Jack?"
Jack raced for the bathroom when he heard the RPG launch. He dove into the bathtub just as an explosion rang out through his building, blowing off doors and blowing out windows.
"Jack?" Maya's voice continued through the phone. "That sounded like an explosion. Jack? Hello?"
Three weeks later. . .
Jack made his way up the stairs, slowly fumbling everything he had in his hands. He was trying to talk on his cellular phone, too. He pushed the bedroom door open with his foot and set down his suitcase and threw what was left of his mail on the bed. The rest of it trailed out to the mailbox. A year's worth.
"I'm sorry," Jack said sympathetically.
"Oh, no, Jack, it's okay," the voice said softly over the phone. "I'm sure Soph would've wanted you to save the world more than bringing her back from the dead. I'm not really sure if she'd even want to be brought back like that."
"I wish I could talk to her, Maya," Jack spoke as he looked at a brown paper-wrapped package. It was small, about the size of his hand. Maybe it was a book. He picked it up and noticed the place of origin: Brunswick, Germany.
He wasn't even listening to Maya now. He furrowed his brow, wondering who could have sent him something from there. He slid the package into his back pocket.
"Are you listening to me, Jack?" Maya Rajah asked with a tone.
"Yes, I am," Jack lied.
"Well, just move on with your life, Jack," she told him hoping he would listen to her. "Sophia would want you to. Do it for her."
"Yeah, maybe I should just give up the archaeological thing," he mentioned solemnly. "I could open up a restaurant or maybe a clothing store! Jack Canyon's Archaeological Adventures Clothing & Accessories."
"That sounds like a wonderful plan, Jack," Maya replied.
The abrupt sound of glass breaking drew his attention, but then he noticed holes being bored into his walls, furniture, and everywhere. He was being shot at by an automatic weapon. He dove behind his bed for cover.
"Maya, I'm gonna have to call you back," Jack said, but he did not hang up. He was too distracted by the men on the rooftop next door. He could heard them shouting in German to each other. They must have been after that package. "Shit." He noticed them aim a bazooka at his room.
"Jack?" Maya cried out through the phone. "What's going on? Jack?"
Jack raced for the bathroom when he heard the RPG launch. He dove into the bathtub just as an explosion rang out through his building, blowing off doors and blowing out windows.
"Jack?" Maya's voice continued through the phone. "That sounded like an explosion. Jack? Hello?"
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Wiccan Stones | CHAPTER NINE
Words: 3082
"Where are we?" Erin Sawyer asked as she glanced around the
bright white throne room.
Atawhai Tangaroa examined the chamber closely as he moved
around the room. It was identical to the size and shape of
the altar room they had just left, but there was a throne now
where the altar resided. "Hmm."
"Any thoughts, Tanga?" Jack asked as he looked over at the
Kiwi man.
"Aether," he said simply with his gruff voice.
Erin looked at the New Zealander with confusion. "The upper
sky?"
"Then this is the throne of grace," Jack stated. "God's
throne?" He moved closer to it, when a rumbling occurred. He
paused in his steps and waited for something to happen.
A Mesopotamian man appeared abruptly before him, standing
before the throne.
"Jesus!" Atawhai cried, startled.
"Not quite," the man replied.
"Then who are you?" Jack asked as he moved back to Erin and
Tanga.
"Marduk," the man spoke as he sat down on the throne.
"Ah, okay, well, could you show us the way out?" Jack
questioned him.
The man began to laugh loudly at them.
"Please?" Erin pleaded. "We just want to get on with our
journey."
The man continued to laugh as his eyes began to glow and his
fingernails grew in length. His hair formed into horns and
his skin turned green.
"I don't like this one bit," Erin said.
"Marduk was the chief god of the Babylonians," Jack explained.
"Believed to have slain a dragon. Then again, he's also
believed to have created the world. I think he was the
dragon. . . but somehow became a man."
"And this helps us, how?" Erin asked, frightened.
"Get her out of here," Tangaroa told Jack. "I'll fend him off
until you can escape."
"No, this is my fight," Jack stated. Then he noticed the
stones at the foot of the throne. "Hey, Tanga." Jack nudged
him and nodded toward them.
"Where is the fourth one?" Tangaroa asked.
"I don't know," Jack responded as he looked around the area.
"I must have dropped it here, somewhere."
"Let me distract the big lizard," Tanga offered as he stepped
forward. "Get the stones."
"Erin, find the diamond," Jack ordered as he waited for Marduk
to go after Tangaroa. Once the fully shaped dragon moved,
Jack rushed to the throne and began to pull the stones free.
Marduk was four times larger than Tangaroa, which was
surprising. It had been believed that dragons were larger
than a house.
Tanga turned and punched the blue-green lizard in the nose.
He continued an onslaught of punches until Marduk whipped his
tail around and knocked the Kiwi into the wall.
"JACK!" Erin cried as Marduk turned and raged towards him.
Jack had the stones in his hands, so he jumped away from the
throne and toward Erin. "Did you find it?"
"Not yet," she replied.
"Here," he told her as he handed her the other stones. He
moved away from her so Marduk would not attack her.
Marduk knocked Jack down with a hard breath. He taunted and
toyed with Jack as he neared the human. He was just about to
attack. He lunged forward ready to bite Jack's face off, when
he stopped short of him.
Tangaroa had Marduk's tail. "I don't think so, bub!" He
jerked the lizard back and then spun him around and around.
When he released him, Marduk crashed into a column, making it
collapse.
Jack rose to his feet when he found the diamond. He grabbed
it and rushed to Erin. "I have it."
"Now what?" She asked.
"Good question," Jack said as he put the diamond with the
other stones she had. They all began to glow vibrantly. "I
hope this is a good thing."
Tangaroa slipped up, letting Marduk get the upper hand. He was
thrown across the room into a column, which fell.
Marduk snarled as he turned toward Jack, who had his back to
the dragon. He slithered as fast as he could, ready to kill
the human for intruding on his turf.
"Jack!" Erin cried out as she knocked Jack down.
Marduk jumped at her. Instead of taking in the woman, he took
in the stones. He leaped back in a loud hiss and roar as his
body began to glow. Steam and fire erupted from his mouth.
"I think that's our cue to leave," Jack announced as he
grabbed Erin by the arm. He spotted a way out was the light
from the stones shone around the room. "Let's go!"
"Wait, where's Atawhai?" Erin asked as she looked around the
room.
"No, time!" Jack yelled as he pushed her through the open
door. He looked back and saw Tangaroa underneath some rubble.
He sighed and just couldn't leave him. He rushed toward the
fallen man. When he reached Tanga, he glanced up at Marduk,
who exploded.
The entire top of the Tower of Babel blew up, forcing the sand
it was below to blow out.
***
On the surface of the desert, Jack found himself lying between
Erin and Atawhai. He moaned as he looked around at the sand
dunes. He spotted sand falling into the hole that must have
been created by that explosion. Then he felt the tug of the
sand. "Get up!" He pushed Erin to her feet and pulled Tanga
up. As he turned he spotted the four stones nearby. Somehow,
they had been tossed out in the explosion. He felt
victorious, but it didn't last. Before he properly realized
the danger, the butt of a pistol met his head.
Yuriko had found them.
***
Jack woke up to find himself in a large cargo truck without a
top. It looked like wooden side rails and some seats
supported the men.
"Ah, Jack Canyon," Yuriko said. "So nice of you to join us."
"Where am I?" He asked as he looked around the large open
plains. Grass and hills were as far as he could see.
"Well, I did some of my own detective work," she told him as
she moved from her seat in the middle to join him closer to
the cab of the truck.
Jack was surprised to see her sitting in the back of one of
these things. He figured she would be in the comfort of the
cab.
"You see," she continued. "You were so sure that the stones
have something to do with Stonehenge. I realized that there
must be something to that if the man is so adamant about it."
"And if I'm wrong?"
"Well, then you better find out how to use these stones,"
Yuriko warned him.
Jack scoffed her and shook his head. "Threatening me won't
get you what you want."
"You're right," Yuriko agreed with him. She leaned in closer.
"Which is why I intend to kill your friends. . . one. by.
one."
"Where are they?" Jack asked.
"The large Kiwi man is in the middle vehicle, while the red-headed American woman is in the very last," Yuriko explained.
"I guess they're not as heavily guarded?"
"You require special attention," Yuriko stated with a smile.
"You have no idea how much Erin will agree with that," Jack said with a nod.
"Miss Sawyer?" Yuriko asked. "Yes, she seems to have a love-hate thing for you."
"I think it's more of a hate thing," Jack corrected the Japanese woman. He looked out through the space in the boards again. "Salisbury Plains?"
"That is correct," Yuriko replied.
Jack nodded slowly, taking in the arrangement of the men. Kin and Taku were to his right, with four unknown men to his left. There were two other men on the other side of Kisho. He erupted into a fight, punching the man to his left. Knowing Kin was directly behind him, he elbowed the man in the face.
Yuriko avoided any contact with the melee of fists by moving back.
Before he could move further, Kisho grabbed him from behind and held his arms. Jack tried to get free, but one of the other men began to hit him continuously. Finally, gathering as much strength as he could, Jack kicked the man back, knocking him into the others. They all fell out of the back of the truck.
Kisho still had Jack, however. Yuriko had somehow shifted around them and stood before Jack.
Jack spotted Yuriko, but it was too late. He jerked when she kicked him, but quickly, he kicked her back, pushing Kisho and himself into the wooden cage around the bed of the truck. He did so with enough force that the cage broke, and the two of them fell out.
Kisho's legs hit the ground hard as he clang to the side of the truck for dear life.
Jack held on, too, and all the while he tried to knock Kisho off. The two men exchanged hits as the truck continued to speed across the grassy hills. Jack put his foot onto the man and pushed as hard as he could, nearly falling.
Kisho could not hold on any more and fell, getting crushed by the following vehicle.
Yuriko grabbed Jack by his hair and dragged him into the bed of the truck. "Foolish man." She kicked his ribs while he lie there.
Jack groaned in pain and waited for her to kick again. He grabbed her foot and twisted it until she fell over. Without hesitation, he got up and raced to the tailgate, where he leaped out and onto the following vehicle.
The men in that vehicle were surprised when he did so. They did not react immediately, but eventually stood to attack, but it was too late.
Jack was over the windshield of the roofless vehicle and knocked out the driver, then took out the other man. He looked up as he continued to move without stopping. He spotted Tangaroa in the next car fighting with his captors. He gave a cocky grin to the wind, and then leaped over to his car.
Tanga was engrossed with his fight and didn't notice Jack coming. He turned and hit Jack in the mouth.
Jack clenched his mouth with his hand, nearly falling from the truck.
Tangaroa had to grab him and pull him in. "Sorry, Jack." He climbed into the driver's seat and took control of the vehicle.
"Let's get Erin," Jack told the big man. "She's in the rear vehicle."
"Gotcha," Tanga replied as he whipped the truck around and raced head on with the vehicle behind him. He watched as the first one dodged him, but the last one didn't. "I don't think he's chicken."
"Don't do it," Jack pleaded.
"Ah, come on, Canyon, that's no fun," the Kiwi stated.
"Just don't get us killed."
Tangaroa rolled out of the vehicle as it collided with the other.
Jack leaped forward and tackled Erin out of the back seat.
Tanga approached them when they stopped rolling in the grass. "You seriously have some balls, Jack." He began to laugh and helped the two up.
Erin moaned as he stood. She looked at Jack and smiled at him.
Jack was expecting a hug, but instead, Erin slapped his shoulder.
"You moron!" Erin cried out. "You could have killed us!"
"That's the thanks I get," Jack said to Tangaroa as he moved away from her.
"How do we get to Stonehenge?" Erin asked, noticing no viable vehicles nearby.
"Good question," Jack replied.
"Hey, guys," Atawhai Tangaroa said to get their attention.
"what?" Jack and Erin asked as they turned to look at him.
Yuriko had returned. She had control of the cargo truck, and in it were all her surviving men.
"Crap," Jack exasperated.
***
Jack bounced in the same seat he was captive in just moments before. He was a lot angrier now, though. He glanced around at Hiroshi and Yuriko, then around to Erin and Tanga, along with a few more of Yuriko's men. At the far end of the group was Logan Scott. Still alive. For now. He sighed and looked behind him and noticed Taku driving. No escape.
The truck arrived at Stonehenge in mere minutes, though it seemed like an eternity of silence.
All the Japanese men piled out of the back, but kept Erin, Tangaroa, and Jack apart, so they could not plan an escape. They were better prepared this time.
"Mr. Canyon," Yuriko said as she pulled a bag from the cab. "Show me how the stones work!" She opened the bag and poured them out. She waited for him to move or speak, but he hesitated. "NOW!"
Taku shoved Jack forward.
Jack kept moving toward the center stone, where Yuriko had left the four Wiccan Stones. He noticed the stones had reveals four holes, like the three found at the Tower of Babel.
"How does it work?" Yuriko asked.
"They go in a sequence," Jack replied as he knelt down. "If I get this wrong, it could destroy this entire plain."
"Then it is best you do not screw up," Yuriko told him.
"Thanks for the pep talk," Jack stated as he placed the fire stone in the first slot.
Yuriko watched in a nervous stare as Jack slide the water stone into place. "Two more!"
Jack began to shake as he grew more nervous. He slipped the emerald earth stone into the hole and reached for the final stone. He breathed deeply and looked at Yuriko. "Here goes nothing." He slowly put the diamond stone into place. "There." He stood back and watched as the wind picked up speed.
A storm rolled in as the sky grew heavy with darkened clouds. Lightning shot through the angry sky.
Jack pressed in a small stone button to the side just as lightning struck the center stone. He was thrust back, unconscious.
Tangaroa and Erin saw this as their chance. They fought with the enemy, kicking and punching the Japanese men, and disarming them.
The lightning had opened a swirling blue-tinted portal directly above the center stone.
Yuriko smiled, thinking that she could call forth her leader. She jerked Jack up, who was only half out of it. "Call him forth!" She shook Jack in haste. "NOW!"
Jack groaned as he felt only pain when he was moved. He was still knelt down before the center stone. He looked up at Logan Scott, who stood next to Yuriko. The portal was open, now was the time.
Tangaroa punched one of the Japanese men in the nose with his large fist, then elbowed another one in the face. Left and right he was knocking down the men. He spun to find Erin overcome by two men. With his gigantic hand, he clamped it onto a man's shoulder and jerked him away, tossing him into the closest object.
The man crashed so hard it broke his neck, and chipped a piece of the stone.
Tangaroa punched the other guy square in the jaw. He only caught a glimpse before the man went down, but he thought it was Hiroshi.
Erin turned and smiled at the large dark-skinned man as if to say "thank you."
Yuriko held Jack down with her elbow against the center stone. "See the wonders, Mr. Canyon," she whispered into his ear. "See what you have done for the world."
Logan folded his arms across his chest with a proud look upon his face. Though, something bothered him deep inside. His greed did not overshadow his sense of humanity.
"I should keep you alive to watch the mayhem and destruction you have brought upon this world," Yuriko continued.
"No," Logan said as his face became stern and he dropped his arms.
"What?" Yuriko asked in surprise as she turned to look at Logan, but it was too late. She received a fist to the face before she was completely turned around.
Logan pushed her into the portal before she was still off-guard.
Her scream was deafening as she combusted into embers and sucked into the event horizon.
Logan helped Jack to his feet, and the two tried to get away from the portal, but Logan was suddenly jerked toward it. It was expanding to cover all of Stonehenge.
"Come on, Logan!" Jack urged. He grabbed the man's arm and tried to drag him along, but the portal was too strong.
"Let me go, Jack," Logan said calmly. "I deserve this. I betrayed you. Let me go."
"No! I can't!"
"You swore to kill me," Logan reasoned. "It is justice."
The portal jerked Jack, and he slipped, letting go of Logan who incinerated into the portal.
"Good-bye, Logan," Jack said before pushing himself off one of the stones in the outer ring. As he turned, he spotted Tangaroa and Erin. He couldn't help but smile.
"Seems like the portal is stable within the circle," Tanga pointed out.
"Yeah," Jack agreed, looking back at the swirling blue light as it began to flicker and finally went out.
"It's over," Erin told them. Though, she frowned and placed her hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jack."
"Sophia. . ." Tanga added as he looked back at where the portal was.
Jack lowered his head and allowed the most grim look appear. "I'll find some other way," he admitted.
"Look on the bright side, pal," Tangaroa said slapping his back. "You saved the world over bringing your girlfriend back. That's gotta say something, right?"
"A year ago, I would have given up this world for her," Jack announced sadly.
"Oh, Jack," Erin spoke sympathetically. "You're not a monster. No way could you do something like that. Not in a million years."
"Why don't we get out of here?" Tanga asked as he motioned toward the beaten carrier.
"Yeah, let me get the stones first," Jack said. He turned and moved toward the center stone. One by one, he pulled free the Wiccan Stones and placed them into the bag Yuriko had used. "All the power in the Wiccan World. . ." He shook the bag a little, before tying the rope drawstring. Standing, he turned and moved away from the monument.
Erin smiled at the bruised and bloody man as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "How about a nice, hot bath?"
"Will you be there, too?"
Erin pursed her lips and smacked Jack, making him wince and grimace in pain. "Get in the truck!"
Tangaroa had a grin full of teeth written all over his face. Then the Kiwi man let out a loud laugh at the two Americans.
"Where are we?" Erin Sawyer asked as she glanced around the
bright white throne room.
Atawhai Tangaroa examined the chamber closely as he moved
around the room. It was identical to the size and shape of
the altar room they had just left, but there was a throne now
where the altar resided. "Hmm."
"Any thoughts, Tanga?" Jack asked as he looked over at the
Kiwi man.
"Aether," he said simply with his gruff voice.
Erin looked at the New Zealander with confusion. "The upper
sky?"
"Then this is the throne of grace," Jack stated. "God's
throne?" He moved closer to it, when a rumbling occurred. He
paused in his steps and waited for something to happen.
A Mesopotamian man appeared abruptly before him, standing
before the throne.
"Jesus!" Atawhai cried, startled.
"Not quite," the man replied.
"Then who are you?" Jack asked as he moved back to Erin and
Tanga.
"Marduk," the man spoke as he sat down on the throne.
"Ah, okay, well, could you show us the way out?" Jack
questioned him.
The man began to laugh loudly at them.
"Please?" Erin pleaded. "We just want to get on with our
journey."
The man continued to laugh as his eyes began to glow and his
fingernails grew in length. His hair formed into horns and
his skin turned green.
"I don't like this one bit," Erin said.
"Marduk was the chief god of the Babylonians," Jack explained.
"Believed to have slain a dragon. Then again, he's also
believed to have created the world. I think he was the
dragon. . . but somehow became a man."
"And this helps us, how?" Erin asked, frightened.
"Get her out of here," Tangaroa told Jack. "I'll fend him off
until you can escape."
"No, this is my fight," Jack stated. Then he noticed the
stones at the foot of the throne. "Hey, Tanga." Jack nudged
him and nodded toward them.
"Where is the fourth one?" Tangaroa asked.
"I don't know," Jack responded as he looked around the area.
"I must have dropped it here, somewhere."
"Let me distract the big lizard," Tanga offered as he stepped
forward. "Get the stones."
"Erin, find the diamond," Jack ordered as he waited for Marduk
to go after Tangaroa. Once the fully shaped dragon moved,
Jack rushed to the throne and began to pull the stones free.
Marduk was four times larger than Tangaroa, which was
surprising. It had been believed that dragons were larger
than a house.
Tanga turned and punched the blue-green lizard in the nose.
He continued an onslaught of punches until Marduk whipped his
tail around and knocked the Kiwi into the wall.
"JACK!" Erin cried as Marduk turned and raged towards him.
Jack had the stones in his hands, so he jumped away from the
throne and toward Erin. "Did you find it?"
"Not yet," she replied.
"Here," he told her as he handed her the other stones. He
moved away from her so Marduk would not attack her.
Marduk knocked Jack down with a hard breath. He taunted and
toyed with Jack as he neared the human. He was just about to
attack. He lunged forward ready to bite Jack's face off, when
he stopped short of him.
Tangaroa had Marduk's tail. "I don't think so, bub!" He
jerked the lizard back and then spun him around and around.
When he released him, Marduk crashed into a column, making it
collapse.
Jack rose to his feet when he found the diamond. He grabbed
it and rushed to Erin. "I have it."
"Now what?" She asked.
"Good question," Jack said as he put the diamond with the
other stones she had. They all began to glow vibrantly. "I
hope this is a good thing."
Tangaroa slipped up, letting Marduk get the upper hand. He was
thrown across the room into a column, which fell.
Marduk snarled as he turned toward Jack, who had his back to
the dragon. He slithered as fast as he could, ready to kill
the human for intruding on his turf.
"Jack!" Erin cried out as she knocked Jack down.
Marduk jumped at her. Instead of taking in the woman, he took
in the stones. He leaped back in a loud hiss and roar as his
body began to glow. Steam and fire erupted from his mouth.
"I think that's our cue to leave," Jack announced as he
grabbed Erin by the arm. He spotted a way out was the light
from the stones shone around the room. "Let's go!"
"Wait, where's Atawhai?" Erin asked as she looked around the
room.
"No, time!" Jack yelled as he pushed her through the open
door. He looked back and saw Tangaroa underneath some rubble.
He sighed and just couldn't leave him. He rushed toward the
fallen man. When he reached Tanga, he glanced up at Marduk,
who exploded.
The entire top of the Tower of Babel blew up, forcing the sand
it was below to blow out.
***
On the surface of the desert, Jack found himself lying between
Erin and Atawhai. He moaned as he looked around at the sand
dunes. He spotted sand falling into the hole that must have
been created by that explosion. Then he felt the tug of the
sand. "Get up!" He pushed Erin to her feet and pulled Tanga
up. As he turned he spotted the four stones nearby. Somehow,
they had been tossed out in the explosion. He felt
victorious, but it didn't last. Before he properly realized
the danger, the butt of a pistol met his head.
Yuriko had found them.
***
Jack woke up to find himself in a large cargo truck without a
top. It looked like wooden side rails and some seats
supported the men.
"Ah, Jack Canyon," Yuriko said. "So nice of you to join us."
"Where am I?" He asked as he looked around the large open
plains. Grass and hills were as far as he could see.
"Well, I did some of my own detective work," she told him as
she moved from her seat in the middle to join him closer to
the cab of the truck.
Jack was surprised to see her sitting in the back of one of
these things. He figured she would be in the comfort of the
cab.
"You see," she continued. "You were so sure that the stones
have something to do with Stonehenge. I realized that there
must be something to that if the man is so adamant about it."
"And if I'm wrong?"
"Well, then you better find out how to use these stones,"
Yuriko warned him.
Jack scoffed her and shook his head. "Threatening me won't
get you what you want."
"You're right," Yuriko agreed with him. She leaned in closer.
"Which is why I intend to kill your friends. . . one. by.
one."
"Where are they?" Jack asked.
"The large Kiwi man is in the middle vehicle, while the red-headed American woman is in the very last," Yuriko explained.
"I guess they're not as heavily guarded?"
"You require special attention," Yuriko stated with a smile.
"You have no idea how much Erin will agree with that," Jack said with a nod.
"Miss Sawyer?" Yuriko asked. "Yes, she seems to have a love-hate thing for you."
"I think it's more of a hate thing," Jack corrected the Japanese woman. He looked out through the space in the boards again. "Salisbury Plains?"
"That is correct," Yuriko replied.
Jack nodded slowly, taking in the arrangement of the men. Kin and Taku were to his right, with four unknown men to his left. There were two other men on the other side of Kisho. He erupted into a fight, punching the man to his left. Knowing Kin was directly behind him, he elbowed the man in the face.
Yuriko avoided any contact with the melee of fists by moving back.
Before he could move further, Kisho grabbed him from behind and held his arms. Jack tried to get free, but one of the other men began to hit him continuously. Finally, gathering as much strength as he could, Jack kicked the man back, knocking him into the others. They all fell out of the back of the truck.
Kisho still had Jack, however. Yuriko had somehow shifted around them and stood before Jack.
Jack spotted Yuriko, but it was too late. He jerked when she kicked him, but quickly, he kicked her back, pushing Kisho and himself into the wooden cage around the bed of the truck. He did so with enough force that the cage broke, and the two of them fell out.
Kisho's legs hit the ground hard as he clang to the side of the truck for dear life.
Jack held on, too, and all the while he tried to knock Kisho off. The two men exchanged hits as the truck continued to speed across the grassy hills. Jack put his foot onto the man and pushed as hard as he could, nearly falling.
Kisho could not hold on any more and fell, getting crushed by the following vehicle.
Yuriko grabbed Jack by his hair and dragged him into the bed of the truck. "Foolish man." She kicked his ribs while he lie there.
Jack groaned in pain and waited for her to kick again. He grabbed her foot and twisted it until she fell over. Without hesitation, he got up and raced to the tailgate, where he leaped out and onto the following vehicle.
The men in that vehicle were surprised when he did so. They did not react immediately, but eventually stood to attack, but it was too late.
Jack was over the windshield of the roofless vehicle and knocked out the driver, then took out the other man. He looked up as he continued to move without stopping. He spotted Tangaroa in the next car fighting with his captors. He gave a cocky grin to the wind, and then leaped over to his car.
Tanga was engrossed with his fight and didn't notice Jack coming. He turned and hit Jack in the mouth.
Jack clenched his mouth with his hand, nearly falling from the truck.
Tangaroa had to grab him and pull him in. "Sorry, Jack." He climbed into the driver's seat and took control of the vehicle.
"Let's get Erin," Jack told the big man. "She's in the rear vehicle."
"Gotcha," Tanga replied as he whipped the truck around and raced head on with the vehicle behind him. He watched as the first one dodged him, but the last one didn't. "I don't think he's chicken."
"Don't do it," Jack pleaded.
"Ah, come on, Canyon, that's no fun," the Kiwi stated.
"Just don't get us killed."
Tangaroa rolled out of the vehicle as it collided with the other.
Jack leaped forward and tackled Erin out of the back seat.
Tanga approached them when they stopped rolling in the grass. "You seriously have some balls, Jack." He began to laugh and helped the two up.
Erin moaned as he stood. She looked at Jack and smiled at him.
Jack was expecting a hug, but instead, Erin slapped his shoulder.
"You moron!" Erin cried out. "You could have killed us!"
"That's the thanks I get," Jack said to Tangaroa as he moved away from her.
"How do we get to Stonehenge?" Erin asked, noticing no viable vehicles nearby.
"Good question," Jack replied.
"Hey, guys," Atawhai Tangaroa said to get their attention.
"what?" Jack and Erin asked as they turned to look at him.
Yuriko had returned. She had control of the cargo truck, and in it were all her surviving men.
"Crap," Jack exasperated.
***
Jack bounced in the same seat he was captive in just moments before. He was a lot angrier now, though. He glanced around at Hiroshi and Yuriko, then around to Erin and Tanga, along with a few more of Yuriko's men. At the far end of the group was Logan Scott. Still alive. For now. He sighed and looked behind him and noticed Taku driving. No escape.
The truck arrived at Stonehenge in mere minutes, though it seemed like an eternity of silence.
All the Japanese men piled out of the back, but kept Erin, Tangaroa, and Jack apart, so they could not plan an escape. They were better prepared this time.
"Mr. Canyon," Yuriko said as she pulled a bag from the cab. "Show me how the stones work!" She opened the bag and poured them out. She waited for him to move or speak, but he hesitated. "NOW!"
Taku shoved Jack forward.
Jack kept moving toward the center stone, where Yuriko had left the four Wiccan Stones. He noticed the stones had reveals four holes, like the three found at the Tower of Babel.
"How does it work?" Yuriko asked.
"They go in a sequence," Jack replied as he knelt down. "If I get this wrong, it could destroy this entire plain."
"Then it is best you do not screw up," Yuriko told him.
"Thanks for the pep talk," Jack stated as he placed the fire stone in the first slot.
Yuriko watched in a nervous stare as Jack slide the water stone into place. "Two more!"
Jack began to shake as he grew more nervous. He slipped the emerald earth stone into the hole and reached for the final stone. He breathed deeply and looked at Yuriko. "Here goes nothing." He slowly put the diamond stone into place. "There." He stood back and watched as the wind picked up speed.
A storm rolled in as the sky grew heavy with darkened clouds. Lightning shot through the angry sky.
Jack pressed in a small stone button to the side just as lightning struck the center stone. He was thrust back, unconscious.
Tangaroa and Erin saw this as their chance. They fought with the enemy, kicking and punching the Japanese men, and disarming them.
The lightning had opened a swirling blue-tinted portal directly above the center stone.
Yuriko smiled, thinking that she could call forth her leader. She jerked Jack up, who was only half out of it. "Call him forth!" She shook Jack in haste. "NOW!"
Jack groaned as he felt only pain when he was moved. He was still knelt down before the center stone. He looked up at Logan Scott, who stood next to Yuriko. The portal was open, now was the time.
Tangaroa punched one of the Japanese men in the nose with his large fist, then elbowed another one in the face. Left and right he was knocking down the men. He spun to find Erin overcome by two men. With his gigantic hand, he clamped it onto a man's shoulder and jerked him away, tossing him into the closest object.
The man crashed so hard it broke his neck, and chipped a piece of the stone.
Tangaroa punched the other guy square in the jaw. He only caught a glimpse before the man went down, but he thought it was Hiroshi.
Erin turned and smiled at the large dark-skinned man as if to say "thank you."
Yuriko held Jack down with her elbow against the center stone. "See the wonders, Mr. Canyon," she whispered into his ear. "See what you have done for the world."
Logan folded his arms across his chest with a proud look upon his face. Though, something bothered him deep inside. His greed did not overshadow his sense of humanity.
"I should keep you alive to watch the mayhem and destruction you have brought upon this world," Yuriko continued.
"No," Logan said as his face became stern and he dropped his arms.
"What?" Yuriko asked in surprise as she turned to look at Logan, but it was too late. She received a fist to the face before she was completely turned around.
Logan pushed her into the portal before she was still off-guard.
Her scream was deafening as she combusted into embers and sucked into the event horizon.
Logan helped Jack to his feet, and the two tried to get away from the portal, but Logan was suddenly jerked toward it. It was expanding to cover all of Stonehenge.
"Come on, Logan!" Jack urged. He grabbed the man's arm and tried to drag him along, but the portal was too strong.
"Let me go, Jack," Logan said calmly. "I deserve this. I betrayed you. Let me go."
"No! I can't!"
"You swore to kill me," Logan reasoned. "It is justice."
The portal jerked Jack, and he slipped, letting go of Logan who incinerated into the portal.
"Good-bye, Logan," Jack said before pushing himself off one of the stones in the outer ring. As he turned, he spotted Tangaroa and Erin. He couldn't help but smile.
"Seems like the portal is stable within the circle," Tanga pointed out.
"Yeah," Jack agreed, looking back at the swirling blue light as it began to flicker and finally went out.
"It's over," Erin told them. Though, she frowned and placed her hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jack."
"Sophia. . ." Tanga added as he looked back at where the portal was.
Jack lowered his head and allowed the most grim look appear. "I'll find some other way," he admitted.
"Look on the bright side, pal," Tangaroa said slapping his back. "You saved the world over bringing your girlfriend back. That's gotta say something, right?"
"A year ago, I would have given up this world for her," Jack announced sadly.
"Oh, Jack," Erin spoke sympathetically. "You're not a monster. No way could you do something like that. Not in a million years."
"Why don't we get out of here?" Tanga asked as he motioned toward the beaten carrier.
"Yeah, let me get the stones first," Jack said. He turned and moved toward the center stone. One by one, he pulled free the Wiccan Stones and placed them into the bag Yuriko had used. "All the power in the Wiccan World. . ." He shook the bag a little, before tying the rope drawstring. Standing, he turned and moved away from the monument.
Erin smiled at the bruised and bloody man as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "How about a nice, hot bath?"
"Will you be there, too?"
Erin pursed her lips and smacked Jack, making him wince and grimace in pain. "Get in the truck!"
Tangaroa had a grin full of teeth written all over his face. Then the Kiwi man let out a loud laugh at the two Americans.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Wiccan Stones | CHAPTER EIGHT
Words: 2074
Once they stopped moving, Jack jerked his right arm away from Kisho and punched Hiroshi, who fell the ground as he held his broken nose. Jack spun to his left and head-butted Kisho. When he turned back to Kin, the Japanese man had the gun aimed at Jack's heart.
"Are you going to shoot an unarmed man?" Jack asked as he stood firm.
"I kill you either way I can," Kin said as he put away the gun and prepared to fight Jack Canyon. He swung a fast fist into Jack's direction, but missed.
Jack ducked and threw his shoulder into Kin's gut, forcing him against a tree. He heard the man groan in pain as his back cracked against the bark. He moved back and continuously punched the man until he passed out.
By that time, Yuriko had wind of what had transpired and sent more men to take out the American archaeologist.
Gunfire rang loudly throughout the park. Several bullets tore through the trees and park benches.
Jack raced through the line of trees for cover from the bullets. He charged into traffic, where he was almost hit by a car. He rolled across the hood and stopped.
"Jack!" A familiar voice called out from the car's passenger window.
Jack turned to see that it was Atawhai Tangaroa. He was surprised to see the man. However, he felt like it was not a coincidence. That's when he noticed the driver of the vehicle. It was Erin Sawyer.
"Are you going to get in or are you going to let them kill you?" She asked.
Jack smiled and moved to the back door, where he got into the car.
Taku arrived at the scene and watched as Jack was hauled away. He yelled expletives in Japanese at the top of his lungs, before turning around and making his way back to Yuriko.
Yuriko listened to him intently as he explained what happened. It only enraged her further. "Let's go. We get to Babylon before he does."
***
"You have no idea how glad I am to see you two," Jack said with much relief. "I was trying to escape those Japanese bastards. The only plan I had was to get away. From that point, I was just going to have to make it up as I went along."
"I thought that was your usual plan," Erin stated as she weaved in and out of traffic.
"This time has to be a little different," Jack said. "We have to get to Babylon. The last stone is there."
"We needed that one stone to get into the Sphinx," Erin mentioned. "How do you intend on doing this now?"
"Well," Jack said as he shifted around in his seat. "I was more concerned with escaping, first."
"Oh, Jack, how on earth do we get this next stone without the others?" Tangaroa asked.
Jack looked up at Tanga in disappointment. "Big guy, you have known me long enough to know that I always have a plan."
"Always?" Erin questioned in a skeptical tone. "Apparently you don't remember that mix up in the Amazon about nine years ago. You had a plan then--"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jack interrupted. "My plans always work."
"Always never," Erin stated.
"You two act like you're brother and sister," Tangaroa announced. "Or worse, like you've dated."
"So, Babylon, huh?" Erin questioned as she looked at Jack through the rear view mirror, as she purposefully avoided Tanga's remark.
"Yeah, and timing is everything," Jack responded. "How did you two meet up, anyway?"
Tangaroa smiled at Erin for a moment. "I found her at the Sphinx. I followed you there."
"Thanks, pal," Jack told him.
***
Tangaroa drove the four-wheel drive vehicle across the desert, kicking up dust behind them. He only knew that Babylon was fifty-five miles south of Baghdad. "So, how do you plan to get the stone?"
"I was hoping Yuriko would have beat us here," Jack told him.
"What!" Tanga asked in disbelief.
"Some plan that is, Jack!" Erin cried out as they continued to speed across the desert.
"Well, I thought it was good," Jack replied as his eyes focused on a heavy cloud of dust in the distance. "What is that?"
"It's a dust cloud," Tangaroa announced.
"Wow, what powers of observation you have!" Jack said with great sarcasm. "Get us closer."
Tangaroa narrowed his eyes at the American man as he sped up to catch the other convoy that was tearing through the desert. "Looks to be about six jeeps."
"Four to six men each," Jack announced.
"Iraqis?" Erin asked trying to get a peak, as their jeep was several yards away.
"I can't tell," Jack told them. "Get closer."
"Are you mad?" Tangaroa questioned. "If they are Iraqis, they'll shoot first, ask questions later."
"Just do it," Jack ordered.
Atawhai Tangaroa sped even more, bouncing along the sand dunes to get closer to the convoy. He came off one sand dune and got too close, hitting the vehicle in the rear of the group.
Jack caught a glimpse of one of the men. He was Japanese. "Yuriko's men."
"Well, it's a good thing we found them," Erin said. "You wanna go ask her for the stones?"
Jack glanced at Erin just before leaping into the enemy jeep. He knocked one man from the vehicle and elbowed another in the face. Before he could manage to move farther, the passenger in the front kicked him into the cargo area behind the passenger seats. Jack pushed himself up and forced his foot into the man's chin.
Atawhai crashed the front end of his vehicle into the other, forcing its nose into a sand dune.
As the jeep's rear end jerked around, Jack leaped from it and onto his original vehicle.
"You're nuts," Erin said with her hand over her heart.
"Wouldn't have it any other way!" Jack cried out.
Tangaroa sped as fast as he could, making his way forward to the front of the convoy, but a man from a car in the middle leaped onto theirs.
Jack tried fighting him off, but took a firm hit to the jaw.
The large Kiwi man couldn't keep control of the vehicle, slamming it into the one next to it.
Erin pulled a giant wrench from under her seat and beat the Japanese man in the head until he fell out of the vehicle.
Atawhai was fighting for control when the nose forced an enemy jeep to fish tail, then turn completely to its side. He glanced over in time to see the two jeeps behind it crash into it. He gave a cocky grin.
"Careful, Tanga," Jack stated. "Or else, we'll have no one to fight when this is all over."
"I think he's enjoying himself," Erin announced. "How's the chin?"
"I'll survive," Jack told her.
Yuriko was genuinely surprised to see Jack so soon. She even smiled a wicked smile as she kept the bag of stones close to her chest.
Jack looked at the other men in her jeep. He was angered by Logan's presence, but expected to see Hiroshi and Kisho. He wondered where Taku and Kin were.
"You will never have the stones, Mr. Canyon," Yuriko yelled out as their vehicles bashed into one another.
Jack glanced at Erin for a moment. "Is she saying I don't have the balls?"
"Jack. . ." Erin said as she shook her head.
"What! Any other man wouldn't have tolerated that," Jack told her. He grabbed the bag from Yuriko, who chopped his neck with her hand. He let go and rubbed his neck. "I like strong women, especially if they tie me up."
Erin could not help but think how Jack never changed through the years.
Again, Jack reached for the stones, but when Yuriko tried to hit him, he grabbed her. Swiftly, he pulled her close, almost free of her seat.
Erin grabbed the stones and set them on the floorboard.
Jack blocked Yuriko's punch and pulled her out of her vehicle. As Tangaroa drove off, Jack dropped her into the sand. "That should slow them down," he said as the other vehicles stopped to pick her up.
***
Jack and his team arrived at Babylon several minutes after their battle with Yuriko's men. They knew there wasn't much time, so they had to act fast. It all looked the same, though.
"Where is the Tower?" Erin asked.
Jack searched his bag for his GPS unit. Once he had it, he began to search. He walked forward and around objects.
Erin and Tangaroa followed him as he moved around the ruins. Then he stopped.
"It should be here," Jack said as he stopped abruptly.
"But its not," Erin pointed out.
Jack narrowed his eyes, then remembered what he needed to do. He pulled the stones from his pack and revealed to the sands. Before anyone could react, the sand swallowed them up.
***
Tangaroa awoke in a dim cavern where the Tower of Babel had sunk into, or perhaps, it had been encased by a sand storm. He shook Jack to alert him.
"Huh?" Jack asked as he was startled. "Erin?"
"She's fine," Tangaroa told him as he nodded at the red head, who was standing at the entrance to the Tower.
"What are we waiting for?" Erin asked as she entered.
Atawhai helped Jack to his feet, and the two of them followed Erin into the Tower.
"So, which way?" Tangaroa asked.
"Up," Jack replied as he saw the spiral staircase going up. However, Erin was ahead of them.
"Spirited woman there," Tangaroa told him.
"You don't know the half of it, Tanga," Jack stated as he headed up the stairs.
Erin slowed as she reached the last of the steps. "Why couldn't they have built elevators?"
Jack and Tangaroa entered the chamber only a few moments behind the red head.
The room was plain, like all the others, with an altar upon a small incline of steps in the middle.
"Well, I'm not complaining," Jack told her. "There were no booby traps here."
"Don't you find that odd?" Erin asked.
Jack knelt down and examined the writing on the altar.
"What does it say?" Atawhai asked.
"To open the altar, you must unlock it with the keys," Jack said. "Keys. Plural."
"The stones," Erin mentioned, pulling them from Jack's bag.
Jack nodded and took them from her. "Do you see a lock?"
"I don't," Tangaroa stated.
"Well, look around," Jack announced as he began to examine the room.
"Here!" Erin called out as she spotted three holes on the other side of the altar at its base.
Jack and Tangaroa moved to her quickly. He translated the writing on the stones beneath the keyholes. "We have to arrange them in the correct order. We get one shot at this."
"And if we don't?" Tangaroa asked.
"I wouldn't want to be inside this tower," Jack replied as he took the water stone and placed it into a hole.
"How do you know it goes there?" Erin questioned, concerned with their life. She had put her life into Jack's hands many times. This was different, though.
"Could you let me concentrate?" Jack placed the fire stone into the next slot. As each stone was placed into a hole, it clicked and set off a pulley system.
"Last one," Tangaroa said as Jack picked up the earth stone.
Jack took in a deep breath and placed the stone into the last slot. Loud rumbling forced him to his feet and to stand close by Erin and Tangaroa.
The sound of elaborate machines, made of wood, stone, and rope, echoed in the chamber until the ceiling opened up. The altar and its platform began to spin in a clockwise motion.
"What's going on?" Erin asked, frightened.
"I don't know," he replied as he felt his hand being tightly squeezed.
A bright white light filled the void around the altar.
Jack shielded his eyes from the blinding light. That's when he spotted the diamond stone. "There it is." He reached out for it, but was pulled into the vortex of the portal.
Erin still had his hand and reached for Tangaroa. "Help!"
"I'm trying," Tangaroa said as he tried to keep them from being pulled completely into the vortex. "I can't. I'm not strong enough." His feet were slipping closer to the light.
Then they were gone.
Once they stopped moving, Jack jerked his right arm away from Kisho and punched Hiroshi, who fell the ground as he held his broken nose. Jack spun to his left and head-butted Kisho. When he turned back to Kin, the Japanese man had the gun aimed at Jack's heart.
"Are you going to shoot an unarmed man?" Jack asked as he stood firm.
"I kill you either way I can," Kin said as he put away the gun and prepared to fight Jack Canyon. He swung a fast fist into Jack's direction, but missed.
Jack ducked and threw his shoulder into Kin's gut, forcing him against a tree. He heard the man groan in pain as his back cracked against the bark. He moved back and continuously punched the man until he passed out.
By that time, Yuriko had wind of what had transpired and sent more men to take out the American archaeologist.
Gunfire rang loudly throughout the park. Several bullets tore through the trees and park benches.
Jack raced through the line of trees for cover from the bullets. He charged into traffic, where he was almost hit by a car. He rolled across the hood and stopped.
"Jack!" A familiar voice called out from the car's passenger window.
Jack turned to see that it was Atawhai Tangaroa. He was surprised to see the man. However, he felt like it was not a coincidence. That's when he noticed the driver of the vehicle. It was Erin Sawyer.
"Are you going to get in or are you going to let them kill you?" She asked.
Jack smiled and moved to the back door, where he got into the car.
Taku arrived at the scene and watched as Jack was hauled away. He yelled expletives in Japanese at the top of his lungs, before turning around and making his way back to Yuriko.
Yuriko listened to him intently as he explained what happened. It only enraged her further. "Let's go. We get to Babylon before he does."
***
"You have no idea how glad I am to see you two," Jack said with much relief. "I was trying to escape those Japanese bastards. The only plan I had was to get away. From that point, I was just going to have to make it up as I went along."
"I thought that was your usual plan," Erin stated as she weaved in and out of traffic.
"This time has to be a little different," Jack said. "We have to get to Babylon. The last stone is there."
"We needed that one stone to get into the Sphinx," Erin mentioned. "How do you intend on doing this now?"
"Well," Jack said as he shifted around in his seat. "I was more concerned with escaping, first."
"Oh, Jack, how on earth do we get this next stone without the others?" Tangaroa asked.
Jack looked up at Tanga in disappointment. "Big guy, you have known me long enough to know that I always have a plan."
"Always?" Erin questioned in a skeptical tone. "Apparently you don't remember that mix up in the Amazon about nine years ago. You had a plan then--"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jack interrupted. "My plans always work."
"Always never," Erin stated.
"You two act like you're brother and sister," Tangaroa announced. "Or worse, like you've dated."
"So, Babylon, huh?" Erin questioned as she looked at Jack through the rear view mirror, as she purposefully avoided Tanga's remark.
"Yeah, and timing is everything," Jack responded. "How did you two meet up, anyway?"
Tangaroa smiled at Erin for a moment. "I found her at the Sphinx. I followed you there."
"Thanks, pal," Jack told him.
***
Tangaroa drove the four-wheel drive vehicle across the desert, kicking up dust behind them. He only knew that Babylon was fifty-five miles south of Baghdad. "So, how do you plan to get the stone?"
"I was hoping Yuriko would have beat us here," Jack told him.
"What!" Tanga asked in disbelief.
"Some plan that is, Jack!" Erin cried out as they continued to speed across the desert.
"Well, I thought it was good," Jack replied as his eyes focused on a heavy cloud of dust in the distance. "What is that?"
"It's a dust cloud," Tangaroa announced.
"Wow, what powers of observation you have!" Jack said with great sarcasm. "Get us closer."
Tangaroa narrowed his eyes at the American man as he sped up to catch the other convoy that was tearing through the desert. "Looks to be about six jeeps."
"Four to six men each," Jack announced.
"Iraqis?" Erin asked trying to get a peak, as their jeep was several yards away.
"I can't tell," Jack told them. "Get closer."
"Are you mad?" Tangaroa questioned. "If they are Iraqis, they'll shoot first, ask questions later."
"Just do it," Jack ordered.
Atawhai Tangaroa sped even more, bouncing along the sand dunes to get closer to the convoy. He came off one sand dune and got too close, hitting the vehicle in the rear of the group.
Jack caught a glimpse of one of the men. He was Japanese. "Yuriko's men."
"Well, it's a good thing we found them," Erin said. "You wanna go ask her for the stones?"
Jack glanced at Erin just before leaping into the enemy jeep. He knocked one man from the vehicle and elbowed another in the face. Before he could manage to move farther, the passenger in the front kicked him into the cargo area behind the passenger seats. Jack pushed himself up and forced his foot into the man's chin.
Atawhai crashed the front end of his vehicle into the other, forcing its nose into a sand dune.
As the jeep's rear end jerked around, Jack leaped from it and onto his original vehicle.
"You're nuts," Erin said with her hand over her heart.
"Wouldn't have it any other way!" Jack cried out.
Tangaroa sped as fast as he could, making his way forward to the front of the convoy, but a man from a car in the middle leaped onto theirs.
Jack tried fighting him off, but took a firm hit to the jaw.
The large Kiwi man couldn't keep control of the vehicle, slamming it into the one next to it.
Erin pulled a giant wrench from under her seat and beat the Japanese man in the head until he fell out of the vehicle.
Atawhai was fighting for control when the nose forced an enemy jeep to fish tail, then turn completely to its side. He glanced over in time to see the two jeeps behind it crash into it. He gave a cocky grin.
"Careful, Tanga," Jack stated. "Or else, we'll have no one to fight when this is all over."
"I think he's enjoying himself," Erin announced. "How's the chin?"
"I'll survive," Jack told her.
Yuriko was genuinely surprised to see Jack so soon. She even smiled a wicked smile as she kept the bag of stones close to her chest.
Jack looked at the other men in her jeep. He was angered by Logan's presence, but expected to see Hiroshi and Kisho. He wondered where Taku and Kin were.
"You will never have the stones, Mr. Canyon," Yuriko yelled out as their vehicles bashed into one another.
Jack glanced at Erin for a moment. "Is she saying I don't have the balls?"
"Jack. . ." Erin said as she shook her head.
"What! Any other man wouldn't have tolerated that," Jack told her. He grabbed the bag from Yuriko, who chopped his neck with her hand. He let go and rubbed his neck. "I like strong women, especially if they tie me up."
Erin could not help but think how Jack never changed through the years.
Again, Jack reached for the stones, but when Yuriko tried to hit him, he grabbed her. Swiftly, he pulled her close, almost free of her seat.
Erin grabbed the stones and set them on the floorboard.
Jack blocked Yuriko's punch and pulled her out of her vehicle. As Tangaroa drove off, Jack dropped her into the sand. "That should slow them down," he said as the other vehicles stopped to pick her up.
***
Jack and his team arrived at Babylon several minutes after their battle with Yuriko's men. They knew there wasn't much time, so they had to act fast. It all looked the same, though.
"Where is the Tower?" Erin asked.
Jack searched his bag for his GPS unit. Once he had it, he began to search. He walked forward and around objects.
Erin and Tangaroa followed him as he moved around the ruins. Then he stopped.
"It should be here," Jack said as he stopped abruptly.
"But its not," Erin pointed out.
Jack narrowed his eyes, then remembered what he needed to do. He pulled the stones from his pack and revealed to the sands. Before anyone could react, the sand swallowed them up.
***
Tangaroa awoke in a dim cavern where the Tower of Babel had sunk into, or perhaps, it had been encased by a sand storm. He shook Jack to alert him.
"Huh?" Jack asked as he was startled. "Erin?"
"She's fine," Tangaroa told him as he nodded at the red head, who was standing at the entrance to the Tower.
"What are we waiting for?" Erin asked as she entered.
Atawhai helped Jack to his feet, and the two of them followed Erin into the Tower.
"So, which way?" Tangaroa asked.
"Up," Jack replied as he saw the spiral staircase going up. However, Erin was ahead of them.
"Spirited woman there," Tangaroa told him.
"You don't know the half of it, Tanga," Jack stated as he headed up the stairs.
Erin slowed as she reached the last of the steps. "Why couldn't they have built elevators?"
Jack and Tangaroa entered the chamber only a few moments behind the red head.
The room was plain, like all the others, with an altar upon a small incline of steps in the middle.
"Well, I'm not complaining," Jack told her. "There were no booby traps here."
"Don't you find that odd?" Erin asked.
Jack knelt down and examined the writing on the altar.
"What does it say?" Atawhai asked.
"To open the altar, you must unlock it with the keys," Jack said. "Keys. Plural."
"The stones," Erin mentioned, pulling them from Jack's bag.
Jack nodded and took them from her. "Do you see a lock?"
"I don't," Tangaroa stated.
"Well, look around," Jack announced as he began to examine the room.
"Here!" Erin called out as she spotted three holes on the other side of the altar at its base.
Jack and Tangaroa moved to her quickly. He translated the writing on the stones beneath the keyholes. "We have to arrange them in the correct order. We get one shot at this."
"And if we don't?" Tangaroa asked.
"I wouldn't want to be inside this tower," Jack replied as he took the water stone and placed it into a hole.
"How do you know it goes there?" Erin questioned, concerned with their life. She had put her life into Jack's hands many times. This was different, though.
"Could you let me concentrate?" Jack placed the fire stone into the next slot. As each stone was placed into a hole, it clicked and set off a pulley system.
"Last one," Tangaroa said as Jack picked up the earth stone.
Jack took in a deep breath and placed the stone into the last slot. Loud rumbling forced him to his feet and to stand close by Erin and Tangaroa.
The sound of elaborate machines, made of wood, stone, and rope, echoed in the chamber until the ceiling opened up. The altar and its platform began to spin in a clockwise motion.
"What's going on?" Erin asked, frightened.
"I don't know," he replied as he felt his hand being tightly squeezed.
A bright white light filled the void around the altar.
Jack shielded his eyes from the blinding light. That's when he spotted the diamond stone. "There it is." He reached out for it, but was pulled into the vortex of the portal.
Erin still had his hand and reached for Tangaroa. "Help!"
"I'm trying," Tangaroa said as he tried to keep them from being pulled completely into the vortex. "I can't. I'm not strong enough." His feet were slipping closer to the light.
Then they were gone.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Wiccan Stones | CHAPTER SEVEN
Words: 1151
Jack was pulled from the water by Kin and Kisho, as Hiroshi
and Taku helped Yuriko free herself from the river. They all
arose from the water at the Niagara Falls, New York side, in a
park.
Yuriko made sure Jack had the stones in his possession, then
she took them from him. "Bring him!"
Jack was forced deeper into the park by Kin and Kisho, where
they met with more Japanese men, who had an SUV awaiting their
arrival. "How many of these guys do you have?"
"Enough," Yuriko replied simply. "Now, you will show us where
the next stone is."
"Can't I take a break?" Jack asked. "I have been going
non-stop for the past several days doing this for you. I can
only do so much work before I give."
Yuriko looked at her watch and nodded. "Fine. I believe
there is a local coffee shop if you would like to go."
"Are you asking me out on a date?" Jack asked jokingly, but
of course, the Japanese woman did not take the bait. She did
not even smile.
"First, locate the next stone," Yuriko told him as she rolled
out a map and set the stones down.
"Okay," Jack replied as he pulled out the water stone and set
it next to the map. When he released the stone, it slid
across the map and landed near Iraq. "Hm."
"What is it?" Yuriko asked.
"Iraq," he said. "I don't get it. There's nothing there."
"Alright, let us discuss this over coffee," Yuriko stated as
she climbed into the SUV and her men forced Jack in.
"You know, why don't you just ask," Jack told Kisho.
"Sometimes I'll just go willingly."
Yuriko ordered the driver to get them to the coffee shop.
***
Jack sat across from Yuriko who sipped her coffee quietly. He
scanned the room and spotted all of her men who were scattered
around the area, and the van outside. "I wouldn't think to
find this many Japanese men in a Starbucks, unless we're in
Japan."
Yuriko stayed silent as she looked up from her coffee. "Just
tell me why you think the stone is wrong." She was bored with
Jack's attempt at humor. It was pushing her patience.
"Because the only thing in Iraq is Babylon," he explained.
"Babylon was long gone before Wicca was even formed."
"Or so you think," Yuriko interrupted.
Jack sighed heavily as he lowered his head. "I'm surprised
the Sphinx would have held that earth stone. Why should this
be any different?"
"What are you not telling me?" Yuriko asked suspiciously.
"That I don't believe the last stone is there," Jack replied
as he took a large gulp of his coffee.
"And what evidence do you have?"
"I've spent the better part of a year studying the legend
behind these stones," Jack admitted. "I've written a journal,
as you know, on the extensive research I have done. I thought
at least one stone would be at Stonehenge." The edges of his
lips shifted into a downward slope as he felt saddened his
research was wrong.
"Is this why Babylon is wrong?" Yuriko asked.
"No, but earth, fire, water, and wind," he stated in reply.
"The wind stone should be somewhere high up, like Mount
Olympus, Mount Everest, or heaven." He glanced out the window
for a moment. "Then again, it might not even be wind. It
could be some other dimension."
"Another dimension?"
"Yeah, like opening a portal to another plane of existence,"
Jack told her.
"Like an alternate reality?"
"No," Jack replied. "More like an astral realm."
"I see," Yuriko said, but then she shifted into thought mode.
"The power of these stones is magnificent," Jack stated. "I
mean, its possible they could be the key to open Stonehenge."
"That would establish a Druid or Celtic tie-in with the Wicca
religion," Yuriko announced.
"Five years ago, I went on an expedition that led me to find
out that all religions are connected," Jack started to
explain.
"I know your professional background, Mr. Canyon," Yuriko told
him.
"Well, I don't think religions like Druidism or the Celts are
tied to godly religions at all," Jack admitted. "Though, I do
think that all pagan religions are related. It all stems from
the same place. I--"
"You are wasting my time," Yuriko said boldly. "The stones
have not been wrong so far. We're going to Babylon. Tell me
about the Tower of Babel."
"It was built to reach heaven," Jack told her.
"No, don't tell me the biblical version," Yuriko replied.
"Tell me your version."
"The stones reveal hidden secrets," he started. "It's
possible they could open a pathway to heaven through the
Tower, so that we can get the wind stone." He sighed heavily.
"The ziggurat to Marduk, the Etemenanki, was believed to have influenced the biblical story of the Tower of Babel. Marduk, the Babylonian chief god, was believed to be ruler over an alternate dimension."
"Good, then that's why Babylon is the place to go to," Yuriko said as she rose to her feet.
"I don't know," Jack disagreed with her.
"Let's go," she urged as her men began to move outside.
Jack watched the armed men closely and stood. He walked out with her as they exited and made their way across the street to the black SUV.
"How do you know so much about my journal?" Jack asked. "There is no way you could have gotten your hands on it. Besides, now that you know everything about the final stone, why haven't you killed me?"
"I may need you to retrieve it," Yuriko explained. "You have been so good at it so far." She motioned to one of her men in the next SUV.
Taku opened the door and let out a man who slowly walked toward Jack and looked him right in the face.
"I believe you two know each other," Yuriko spoke as Jack's old partner stood face-to-face with him.
Jack was surprised to see him, in fact. That surprise slowly shifted into anger. He clenched his fist tightly and then punched the man, knocking him to the ground.
Logan Scott looked up at Jack from the concrete sidewalk and wiped the blood from his face. He rose to his feet with a devilish grin.
"Why?" Jack asked.
"It's a lot of money, Jack-o," Logan replied. "All they wanted was four stones."
"You just don't get it," Jack told him. "You'll never understand."
"No, you'll never understand," Logan stated. "But now we have all the information we need. I'm sorry it had to come down to this." He nodded to Yuriko.
"Kill him," Yuriko said solemnly.
"Before this is all over, I'm going to kill you, Logan," Jack promised.
Kisho and Hiroshi grabbed Jack and dragged him off. Kin followed them, preparing his gun with a silencer to shoot Jack.
Jack was pulled from the water by Kin and Kisho, as Hiroshi
and Taku helped Yuriko free herself from the river. They all
arose from the water at the Niagara Falls, New York side, in a
park.
Yuriko made sure Jack had the stones in his possession, then
she took them from him. "Bring him!"
Jack was forced deeper into the park by Kin and Kisho, where
they met with more Japanese men, who had an SUV awaiting their
arrival. "How many of these guys do you have?"
"Enough," Yuriko replied simply. "Now, you will show us where
the next stone is."
"Can't I take a break?" Jack asked. "I have been going
non-stop for the past several days doing this for you. I can
only do so much work before I give."
Yuriko looked at her watch and nodded. "Fine. I believe
there is a local coffee shop if you would like to go."
"Are you asking me out on a date?" Jack asked jokingly, but
of course, the Japanese woman did not take the bait. She did
not even smile.
"First, locate the next stone," Yuriko told him as she rolled
out a map and set the stones down.
"Okay," Jack replied as he pulled out the water stone and set
it next to the map. When he released the stone, it slid
across the map and landed near Iraq. "Hm."
"What is it?" Yuriko asked.
"Iraq," he said. "I don't get it. There's nothing there."
"Alright, let us discuss this over coffee," Yuriko stated as
she climbed into the SUV and her men forced Jack in.
"You know, why don't you just ask," Jack told Kisho.
"Sometimes I'll just go willingly."
Yuriko ordered the driver to get them to the coffee shop.
***
Jack sat across from Yuriko who sipped her coffee quietly. He
scanned the room and spotted all of her men who were scattered
around the area, and the van outside. "I wouldn't think to
find this many Japanese men in a Starbucks, unless we're in
Japan."
Yuriko stayed silent as she looked up from her coffee. "Just
tell me why you think the stone is wrong." She was bored with
Jack's attempt at humor. It was pushing her patience.
"Because the only thing in Iraq is Babylon," he explained.
"Babylon was long gone before Wicca was even formed."
"Or so you think," Yuriko interrupted.
Jack sighed heavily as he lowered his head. "I'm surprised
the Sphinx would have held that earth stone. Why should this
be any different?"
"What are you not telling me?" Yuriko asked suspiciously.
"That I don't believe the last stone is there," Jack replied
as he took a large gulp of his coffee.
"And what evidence do you have?"
"I've spent the better part of a year studying the legend
behind these stones," Jack admitted. "I've written a journal,
as you know, on the extensive research I have done. I thought
at least one stone would be at Stonehenge." The edges of his
lips shifted into a downward slope as he felt saddened his
research was wrong.
"Is this why Babylon is wrong?" Yuriko asked.
"No, but earth, fire, water, and wind," he stated in reply.
"The wind stone should be somewhere high up, like Mount
Olympus, Mount Everest, or heaven." He glanced out the window
for a moment. "Then again, it might not even be wind. It
could be some other dimension."
"Another dimension?"
"Yeah, like opening a portal to another plane of existence,"
Jack told her.
"Like an alternate reality?"
"No," Jack replied. "More like an astral realm."
"I see," Yuriko said, but then she shifted into thought mode.
"The power of these stones is magnificent," Jack stated. "I
mean, its possible they could be the key to open Stonehenge."
"That would establish a Druid or Celtic tie-in with the Wicca
religion," Yuriko announced.
"Five years ago, I went on an expedition that led me to find
out that all religions are connected," Jack started to
explain.
"I know your professional background, Mr. Canyon," Yuriko told
him.
"Well, I don't think religions like Druidism or the Celts are
tied to godly religions at all," Jack admitted. "Though, I do
think that all pagan religions are related. It all stems from
the same place. I--"
"You are wasting my time," Yuriko said boldly. "The stones
have not been wrong so far. We're going to Babylon. Tell me
about the Tower of Babel."
"It was built to reach heaven," Jack told her.
"No, don't tell me the biblical version," Yuriko replied.
"Tell me your version."
"The stones reveal hidden secrets," he started. "It's
possible they could open a pathway to heaven through the
Tower, so that we can get the wind stone." He sighed heavily.
"The ziggurat to Marduk, the Etemenanki, was believed to have influenced the biblical story of the Tower of Babel. Marduk, the Babylonian chief god, was believed to be ruler over an alternate dimension."
"Good, then that's why Babylon is the place to go to," Yuriko said as she rose to her feet.
"I don't know," Jack disagreed with her.
"Let's go," she urged as her men began to move outside.
Jack watched the armed men closely and stood. He walked out with her as they exited and made their way across the street to the black SUV.
"How do you know so much about my journal?" Jack asked. "There is no way you could have gotten your hands on it. Besides, now that you know everything about the final stone, why haven't you killed me?"
"I may need you to retrieve it," Yuriko explained. "You have been so good at it so far." She motioned to one of her men in the next SUV.
Taku opened the door and let out a man who slowly walked toward Jack and looked him right in the face.
"I believe you two know each other," Yuriko spoke as Jack's old partner stood face-to-face with him.
Jack was surprised to see him, in fact. That surprise slowly shifted into anger. He clenched his fist tightly and then punched the man, knocking him to the ground.
Logan Scott looked up at Jack from the concrete sidewalk and wiped the blood from his face. He rose to his feet with a devilish grin.
"Why?" Jack asked.
"It's a lot of money, Jack-o," Logan replied. "All they wanted was four stones."
"You just don't get it," Jack told him. "You'll never understand."
"No, you'll never understand," Logan stated. "But now we have all the information we need. I'm sorry it had to come down to this." He nodded to Yuriko.
"Kill him," Yuriko said solemnly.
"Before this is all over, I'm going to kill you, Logan," Jack promised.
Kisho and Hiroshi grabbed Jack and dragged him off. Kin followed them, preparing his gun with a silencer to shoot Jack.
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