Sean twisted his torso and looked back down the hill. The slope was covered in tall grass that waved in the morning breeze. Something caught his eye. It was dark, unmoving. Was it an animal?
He walked away from the cave entrance and down the slope, wading through the grass and ignoring the signs that requested visitors stay on the path.
"Sean, where you going?" Tommy asked.
"Just looking at something."
He didn't turn around until he reached the strange piece of rock sticking out of the ground. It came up just past his waist. The stone probably went unnoticed by most visitors to the area, especially since it appeared that the grass was never trimmed. He put his hand on the rock's rough surface and bent down to get a better look at it. Sean wasn't sure what he was seeing, but one thing was certain: this stone wasn't from around here.
He got down on his knees and studied the earth around the anomaly. At first, he didn't notice any clear evidence of tampering. As he looked closer, however, Sean noticed a slight indention in the surface close to the downhill side of the rock's base. After a second inspection, he realized the groove matched the width of the rock almost perfectly.
"Hey, guys!" he shouted.
"We're right here," Tommy said.
The other three walked up to the rock as Sean whipped his head around, surprised to see they'd followed him. "Oh, good. You're here. Take a look at this."
Sean pointed at the indention in the ground. "It's hard to tell at first, but this thing was definitely moved at some point."
"You're right," Reece said. "You can see where the ground is a quarter inch lower there."
"Did you see anything that would pass for a cipher key?" Tommy asked.
Sean's head swiveled back and forth. "Nope. Just the rock."
Adriana stepped closer and examined the earth. "Whoever moved this did it for a reason. And they would have put it back to hide whatever it was they found. Maybe we should turn it over."
The three men balked.
"We're on private property," Tommy said. "Not to mention, tampering with a historical artifact is a big no-no."
Sean twisted his head around in both directions. "I don't see anyone. If we work fast, who will know?"
"Are you serious?"
"Look, all I'm saying is we see if this thing turns over or not. If we give it a little shove and it topples, we take a look at the bottom. If it doesn't move, no harm no foul."
"I'm game," Reece said. "Why not?"
"What? Really?" Tommy didn't stop his protest. "I just told you why not."
"Come on, Tommy," Adriana prodded. "Live a little."
Tommy sighed. His eyes flashed around the property to make sure no one was, in fact, around. "Fine. But let's make this quick."
The other three grinned at his reluctant concession.
"It's gonna be hard for us to move that thing with our hands," Reece said. "It would help if we had some rope."
"Huh," Tommy said. He fired an "I told you so" glance at Sean. "I'll be right back."
Sean put his hands on his hips, incredulous. "I can't believe you brought the rope again."
Tommy trotted down the slope toward the car and didn't look back as he responded. "You're welcome!"
A moment later he was back at the rock and looping it around the top. He secured it with a tight knot and then gave it a firm tug to make sure it was secure. Then he whipped out the rest of the slack down the hill from the stone.
The others had been watching him with curious interest as Tommy worked.
"So, we gonna do this like a tug of war?" Sean asked.
"Yep."
"Okay. Sounds like a plan. Reece, take the anchor spot."
The big Aussie nodded and grabbed the end of the black rope, looping it around his waist. He held it firmly in both hands. His forearms flexed as he readied himself for the pull. Sean took position in front of him, then Adriana, and then finally Tommy closest to the rock.
"On your mark, Tom," Reece said.
The four gripped the rope tight and waited for Tommy's signal.
"Ready?"
Everyone else echoed the word. "Ready."
"Pull!"
The group tugged hard, too hard. They weren't ready for the rock to budge so easily. The big stone toppled over on the first pull, and the four visitors lost their balance.
Reece fell straight on his back. Sean tripped over him and landed on top. Adriana felt the slack and deftly dove to the left of the two men. Meanwhile in the front, Tommy staggered backward several steps, waving his arms wildly until he lost his balance and collapsed onto the other two men.
Adriana put her hands on her hips and stared down at the goofy pile of guys near her feet. The men scrambled to get off of each other, but not before she started laughing.
"Okay, fellas. Break's over."
She stalked back up the hill to the rock and crouched down to have a closer look. Once the guys were back on their feet, they joined her—huddling around to see if there was anything under the stone's base.
Adriana wiped away some of the dirt sticking to the bottom. A small colony of insects scattered on the ground—probably seeing the light of day for the first time in their lives.
"Rows of circles within circles," she said.
"That's how the Aborigines kept time," Reece said. "They based everything on the rising and setting of the sun."
"Lots of ancient cultures did," Tommy added.
"Right. Looks like there are forty-five circles in all."
"Must be the forty-five suns Mathews's paper mentioned," Sean said.
"Yeah," Tommy agreed. "But look at what's etched below them."
Four sets of eyes gazed at the two rows of letters. Underneath each letter, a symbol was carved into the rock.
"Get a few pictures, Tommy," Sean said.
His friend snapped out of a mesmerized haze and gave a slow nod. "Yeah. Yeah. Picture." He took a couple of pictures with his phone and then put it back in his pocket. "Turned and unturned," he whispered the words from the Mathews document. "Mathews must have found these circles and then put the rock back after he carved these symbols and letters into the base."
"Sounds like an awful lot of trouble," Reece said. "I'd have just left it there."
"Then anyone could find the key," Sean said. "He had to keep it hidden. Whatever Mathews and his friend were looking for must be pretty important."
"Or valuable," Adriana added.
"We need to get this rock back up where it belongs before someone comes around and notices," Tommy said, already starting to worry.
"Good idea."
The group flipped the rope around and carried it uphill.
"This is gonna be a lot tougher than knocking it over," Reece commented. "Better put your backs into it."
When Tommy gave the signal, the four pulled on the rope. This time, it didn't move easily like before. They grunted, dug their heels into the ground, and leaned back with every ounce of strength they could muster.
The top of the rock began to rise.
"It's moving," Tommy grunted. "Keep going."
Their arms flexed. Leg muscles burned. The rock rose slowly from its temporary resting place. As it reached the apex, the burden suddenly shifted.
"Whoa," Tommy nearly shouted. "Easy now."
The four eased up on their efforts and pulled less to make sure the thing didn't topple over the other way.
The rock's base hit the ground with a thud and came to rest exactly where it had been for so many years before. Beads of sweat collected on the foreheads of the visitors. The sun loomed higher in the sky now, beating down on them with an ever increasing heat.
"Let's get back to the air conditioning of the car and grab a bite to eat in town," Sean suggested. "Looked like there were some good places we passed on the way in."
The others agreed and started down the hill toward the car. Sean stayed by the rock for a moment, looking across the hills and meadows. The little alarm in his head was ringing
. He didn't know why, but something was off.
It was a sense that he'd had since the days of working for Axis. Tommy called it paranoia. Sean called it survival instincts. He didn't feel it all the time—only when trouble was near. The drive up from Sydney, he'd not felt it in spite of keeping an eye on the rearview mirrors to make sure they weren't being followed. That, too, was an old habit.
This was something different, though. It was the overwhelming sense that they were being watched.
12
Milbrodale
"What do you usually eat for breakfast around here, Reece?" Tommy asked as the group got back in the car to leave. Sean brought up the rear, getting in the back seat with Adriana.
"Fried kangaroo."
Tommy had started to turn the key in the ignition but stopped and looked across at his friend with an appalled expression. "No. Seriously, that's gross."
Reece burst out laughing and glanced at the two in the back. Sean and Adriana snickered at the joke.
"Nah, Tom. Come on, man. We eat the same sort of stuff as you: bacon, eggs, toast, you know."
Tommy eyed the Aussie for another second before he was satisfied the man was telling the truth. He started the car and drove it back out onto the country road leading into town.
"There were a few promising spots we passed on the way in," Reece said. "Even though it's a bit late for breakfast, I bet they're still serving it."
"Doesn't matter to me," Tommy said. "Now that you mention it, lunch would be fine too." He didn't tell Reece that he was still thinking about the fried kangaroo comment.
Adriana turned to Sean. "We need to get Tommy a girl," she said quietly.
Tommy looked back at them in the rearview mirror, certain he'd heard his name. He missed the comment, though.
Before he could say anything, Reece interrupted. "What's this guy doing?"
He pointed at an old truck sitting sideways in the middle of the road. The vehicle looked like many Reece had seen in the outback on his adventure tours—used mostly by locals to haul stuff around on their property.
Tommy tapped the brakes. "I don't know, but we can't get around him."
The man next to the pickup truck was wearing a white T-shirt and gray pants. From a distance he appeared to be tall and muscular. His face seemed friendly enough. Maybe he was just happy to finally see another driver approaching. After leaving the Milbrodale city limits, the visitors hadn't seen another car coming or going.
The stranger waved eagerly to the oncoming car, and Tommy stopped only twenty feet away. He shifted the car into park and started to get out.
"Wait," Sean said. He peered through the windshield.
"What? I'm gonna ask this guy if he needs our help. It's not like we can get by him anyway."
"No. Don't open the door. It's an ambush."
The stranger tossed a rag into the bed of his truck and put his hands on his hips, waiting for someone to get out.
"What?" Tommy asked. He turned around and faced his friend. "An ambush? Who would ambush us out here? No one even knows we're in the area."
Sean's eyes never wavered. They remained locked on the man by the truck. "What's wrong with his pickup?"
Tommy eased back into his seat and faced forward. "Looks like he must have had some engine trouble. The hood's up. See, there's smoke coming out of the radiator." A faint waft of steam flowed out of the open pickup's hood.
"I don't like it," Sean said. "Why did he have to block the road like that?"
"I agree with Sean on this one, Tom," Reece said. "It is a bit unusual."
The stranger by the truck had a quizzical expression on his face, wondering what the delay might be.
"Put the car in reverse, Tommy, and slowly back away." Sean's even tone was full of warning.
"Are you serious? We're not gonna help this poor guy? It's burning up out there."
"Do it, Tommy."
Tommy hesitated for a second. Sean's instincts were rarely wrong about things like this, no matter how much Tommy detested admitting it. If Sean sensed something was amiss, it paid to listen.
"Okay, fine. But it's rude. I mean really rude. Imagine if you were that poor sap out in this heat with a broken down piece of crap truck like that and someone who could help rolled up and then backed away. I guess you never heard the story about the good Samaritan."
Tommy shifted the car into reverse and took his foot off the brake, letting the car ease back just faster than at an idle.
The stranger put out both hands as if to ask what they were doing.
Tommy's initial reaction was to look through the windshield. The stranded man no longer appeared desperate. He wore a menacing expression and held a black pistol out at arm's length. The muzzle flashed, accompanied by a loud pop. The bullet scraped the top of the car. He fired again, over and over.
It only took one shot for Tommy's instincts to kick in. He jammed his foot on the gas, and the car lurched backward. The engine whined, straining at the irregular speed in reverse. Steering proved to be problematic, but Tommy jerked the wheel right and left, at least keeping the vehicle on the road.
The stranger took off on foot, chasing after them and still firing. One round found the left headlight. Another one nicked the windshield frame.
Tommy was about to whip the car around and shift into drive when he saw something coming in the rearview mirror.
Two black SUVs stormed toward them from a few thousand feet away—and were closing fast. The SUVs were taking up both lanes, giving Tommy and his passengers no way to escape.
"You know," he said to Sean, "now would be a good time to do some of that secret agent stuff you do so well. No pressure. Just a thought."
"Way ahead of you. Just slow down a little, but keep your foot on the gas."
Sean rolled down his window, but it stopped just above halfway down. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me."
"Child proofed?"
"Yeah."
Taking a cue from Sean, Adriana had retrieved her gun and rolled her window to the same stopping point. "I'll have to kick this out."
Adriana lay across the back seat, holding Sean in a tight hug to keep her balance.
"Ready?" Sean asked.
She winked at him. "Always."
"You are so beautiful."
"Anytime, guys!" Tommy shouted. "They're gonna ram us!"
Sean gave a nod. Adriana kicked, driving her heels through the glass and shattering the window to hundreds of pieces. They rolled up and poked their weapons out of each back window at the oncoming SUVs—now only a few hundred feet away.
"Wait for it!" Sean shouted at Adriana over the howling wind. "One more second!"
The trucks were within a hundred feet.
"Light 'em up, babe!"
Their pistols popped repeatedly. Tommy had slowed their car to keep it as steady as possible. Even at the slower speed, shooting from a moving vehicle presented a challenge. Fortunately, this wasn't their first time.
Sparks erupted from the asphalt near the SUVs' tires. One headlight exploded on the one to the right. Another round zipped through the windshield on the left, sending a cracked web across the glass.
The two SUV drivers panicked. The one on the right swerved toward the road's shoulder. The one on the left did the same at first, but seeing he couldn't escape the hail fire of bullets, jerked the wheel too far back the other direction. The vehicle veered right into the front quarter panel of the other in a violent thud and scream of metal. It plowed ahead and off the road, skipped the ditch, and smashed into a big tree. The SUV it struck twisted for a second and then flipped onto its top, rolled another forty feet, and then came to a rest on its side.
Sean sat back in the car while Adriana squeezed off the rest of her rounds at the closer of the two wrecked SUVs.
Another pop echoed from the road ahead. A round tore through the windshield and thumped into the leather of the back seat, just inches from Sean's head.
The stranger was still running after them, though
he was losing ground with every step. The shot he'd fired was a lucky one from that distance. Even Sean wasn't accurate from that far away.
"Tommy?" he said.
"On it."
Tommy whipped the steering wheel to the right, and the car swung around hard, squealing rubber on asphalt. In the same motion, he flipped the gear shift into drive and stepped on the gas. Once more, the tires screeched. The car fishtailed for a second until Tommy corrected it and sped away.
In the rearview mirror, he saw the stranger jog to a stop and hold his weapon out for one last shot. The muzzle flashed, but the round sailed off to the right and plunged into the dirt.
Five seconds later, Tommy steered the car around a curve and out of harm's way.
He took a look back in the mirror at his passengers. "You guys okay?"
Sean checked Adriana and then nodded. "Yeah, we're good."
"Light 'em up, babe?" Tommy said. "Really? Since when do you say stuff like that?"
Sean smirked. "Got the job done, didn't it?"
"You guys are crazy!" Reece shouted. "Woohoo! Man, I miss you two!"
Tommy didn't share the Aussie's enthusiasm. "Reece, we were almost killed."
"Sure beats being bored to death. I mean, that's what was happening."
Tommy let out a sigh of relief. "Who were those guys, anyway?"
Sean slid a fresh magazine into his weapon. When it clicked, he pulled the slide back—just in case. "If I had to guess, I'd say it was the people responsible for bombing your building."
"No kidding. But that doesn't answer the question."
"I can't put my finger on it," Reece spoke up again, "but that guy on the road looked familiar. I've seen him somewhere before."
"Everybody looks that way from a distance, Reece."
"No, I mean he has a look to him. Like he played rugby."
Sean agreed. "He did have that body type. Big traps. Muscular frame. Wouldn't want to get tackled by that guy."
"That still doesn't answer the question," Adriana said. "If they're connected to the people who bombed IAA, then that means they tracked us here. If they could do that, they won't be done yet."
The Sean Wyatt Series Box Set 4 Page 9
