by Tom Hunter
“Do your film there. You’re guaranteed no interruptions and should anything happen…then you’re doubly safeguarded,” she wheedled.
Noah frowned. “Don’t be ridiculous!” He shook his head and eyed her warily. What was she so worried about? Maybe it wasn’t Ramon who was the problem… “Ach. Here, help me get ready for filming,” he commanded.
Ms. Welker sighed and strode toward a computer set up nearby. “Where do you want the film uploaded to?” she asked with red tipped fingernails poised over the keyboard. “I’m assuming to the city officials,” she muttered offhandedly.
“Yes. No, wait. That’s cities – plural – officials,” he corrected. With his back to her, still making last minute preparations, he twisted his head to add, “I’ve already got the personal addresses of anyone who matters. Finished!” Having finalized his stage for the big reveal, he turned to face Ms. Welker once more. “You’ll find addresses for the governors of California and Nevada as well as the mayors of each major city and every head of staff, which I’ve already input under the heading ‘Death Valley Decision-makers.’” He listened as her fingers tapped his instructions.
“Got ‘em,” Ms. Welker confirmed.
Noah nodded, put his hands behind his back, and began to pace. “Good. Now, there is an icon on the far right. It’s the only one there,” he instructed. “I’ve created a special software to encrypt out messages to avoid any trace of the origination point,” he explained.
She did as directed, activating Noah’s software and syncing it with the email data of the state and municipal government officials who were to receive his message.
As she worked, Noah strode toward a small rectangular structure on wheels. From its single rod across the top hung several bits of clothing, including a black robe, a military-grade uniform, a white linen suit, and his archeological khakis. In a swirl of black, Noah settled the robe on his shoulders while he reached for his mask on one of the nearby tables. Now, he was nothing and no one, yet he had the means to control the world. Just inside his mask tucked neatly at his jawline, Noah pressed a switch and tested it.
Ms. Welker looked up sharply. “Noah?”
“Good,” he beamed behind his mask. “It works.” He hadn’t bothered to switch it off.
“If you’re going for ominous, you found it,” Ms. Welker quipped.
He ignored her. “Are you ready?”
“Noah Ashbridge,” Ms. Welker smiled seductively. “I am always ready for you.”
He didn’t have time for this. “Begin the recording,” Noah commanded.
A single tap and a red light signaled the show had begun. Behind him on the green screen, footage of the Kisgar destroying Thomas Knight’s camp played on a loop at different angles. Noah rose from his high-backed bishop’s chair. He’d waited out of sight so as not to get in the way of the visual he’d prepared. They had to understand what the consequences were; this was no movie where the actors could simply get up and go on to the next show. These creatures were not CGI. This was real.
He stepped toward a podium polished to a high shine, adjust the microphone, and waited serenely for just a few more minutes. In a practiced move, Noah turned to watch the destruction on the screen unfold. Then he returned to his podium and faced the camera. “Ladies and gentlemen, government officials of the great states of California and Nevada, pay attention to what you have seen, because it bears great witness on what I have to tell you.”
Four
“You’d think, in a desert climate, it would be easier to spot the thing which doesn’t belong,” whined Robbie, his arm hanging out a window as he and the team sped across an expansive terrain which surrounded the villa. “I mean, geez! It’s like that movie Abby made me watch not long ago…Quigley Down Under, I think it was called, when the guy asked how long it would take to get to the main house and the cowboy guy replied, ‘We’ve been on his property for three days.’” Robbie huffed as Alexia shushed him.
“It’s not like this is the Mojave where it’s just waves upon waves of sand for the most part. There are obstacles here, some of which are – ” she paused as she peered at her laptop to make sure her drone was still on track. “Mmm…where was I?”
“Sand dunes versus the cracked earth of Death Valley,” Robbie quipped.
“Right. Well, there are…look out! Beyond cracked earth you’ve got stones, some vegetation which can be like getting caught in a spider’s web – have you any idea what cacti needles would do to this car…okay, not the car, but the tires?” Alexia was rambling, but she didn’t care. Her nerves were stretched thin and raw; she wasn’t the only one. She didn’t have to look at anyone to know tension permeated every breath, every movement, and every thought as they followed what they hoped was a solid plan. Thomas drove as fast as he could, but not only did they have to dodge nature, they had to dodge the eagle eyes of the skeleton patrol crew still spaced throughout Noah’s compound. “There’s probably stuff out here I haven’t even thought of!”
“Yeah, like Kisgar,” Everyone sucked in their breath at the reminder. “Whatever we run into, you guys do all realize we are hopelessly outnumbered, right?” If anything goes wrong, he finished his thought.
“That’s enough, Robbie.” Abby laid a hand on his arm. “We are all stressed to levels I didn’t know existed.”
“We’re getting nearer, so you better start manning up, Robbie boy,” Alexia shot back. Thomas was about to interrupt the banter when Mochni suddenly grabbed Thomas, pulling him backward.
“Mochni!” Thomas shouted, trying to steady the wheel. “I’m driving. You can’t do that when I’m at the wheel,” he barked, looking at Mochni in the rearview mirror. The Woidnuk put a finger to his lips motioning everyone to be quiet.
“Get down, Thomas,” Alexia urged, realizing what had made Mochni nearly send them off the road. He did as he was instructed; a quick glance over his shoulder revealed the others had done the same. Alexia was crouched in the front on the floorboard, her tablet screen lay on the seat. All he could see in the back was Mochni’s large body hovering over the others. He was too big to hide himself, but he could help his friends.
Thomas crouched low, struggling to keep the truck steady, and turned into a large alcove just big enough to hide their truck. Once in park, he too hid, but not before getting one last look at the area to see what had made Mochni act so impulsively. Then he saw it.
One of the guards patrolling the farthest perimeter had turned a corner and instead of turning to the left to make his full round, he turned to the right. He’d seen something. Six pairs of eyes followed the man as he spotted something between two stones.
Something didn’t look right, the guard thought to himself. And he was sick to death of walking in circles. If he could find intruders, he’d be a hero and the place might liven up a bit. He was already imagining the celebration if he discovered not just any intruder, but that archeologist guy, his team, and that funny-looking humanoid creature.
The guard was getting closer. Thomas reached for a nearby rock and hefted it in his palm. It should do the trick, he thought. “Come a little closer, guard,” whispered Thomas. “I’ve got a little surprise for you.” The guard moved closer. Three more steps and he would have seen them. Just as Thomas went for the final reach backward for momentum when he brought the rock down on the guard’s head, the man’s radio buzzed.
Saved by the bell!
“Brown here,” Thomas heard him answer. He strained to hear the voice inside the receiver, but the man was just far enough away. He’d have to piece it together as a one-sided conversation.
Between pauses, he heard the man Brown say, “Yes, sir. Understood.” And “Uh, sir…I understand the order, but you realize it will leave no one to watch this quadrant…” A voice boomed and the guard held the radio away from him at arm’s length. When the voice stopped, the man spoke only once more. “I’m heading to the north end now, Captain.”
Yes! He was leaving!
“That was close
!” Pediah exclaimed. He looked at Thomas Knight’s face pinched and drawn. The man put on a good show, but too many stressors for too long were weighing him down. “What is it, Thom?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
“You know me too well, my friend,” Thomas said with a sad smile. “I was just going over what I heard the guard say – the radio transmission – it came…just in time.”
“Well, that could have been a coincidence,” Alexia suggested. Thomas shook his head.
“I don’t think so.” He frowned. “There’s something fishy going on here,” he admitted. “Watch your backs. I think we’re walking into a trap.”
“What makes you say that? What did you hear?” asked Abby. Before Thomas could answer, Pediah asked, “It could simply have been orders to move from this…what did he call it? Quadrant. To another. I’d think that would be a good thing, don’t you?”
Thomas gave a hollow laugh. “If it was anyone but Noah Ashbridge and his trusty sidekicks Ramon and Ms. Welker, I might believe it could be that simple, but…” he paused.
“But, what?” Abby and Pediah asked in unison.
Thomas raised his arm to signal they were moving out. “I’ll explain on the way.”
Five
At first, the images could have been any old movie. Silent havoc wrought on the unsuspecting. Then Noah flipped a switch and the sound roared to life. An audio and video display of the Kisgar’s destruction at Thomas Knight’s camp. Many of the men and women watching knew Thomas and his team from their connection to Dr. Donald Cunningham of the California Museum of Science. They knew, too, of the contributions Thomas had made to the archeological world, and they knew him on sight. Noah had been counting on this.
Shrieks and cries of the Kisgar as they rampaged through the camp had been planned to sharpen everyone’s focus watching his broadcast. Noah ignored the scene behind him; he knew it well and remained facing forward.
“As you no doubt have noted in the footage behind me, there is a threat to the states of California and Nevada. I am that threat. Meet my demands and all will remain as it is. Refuse and I will bury you. Literally. I will begin with Carson City and bring my friends – ” he pointed to the screen behind him. “We will destroy every major city from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. And I can do it with nothing but the beat of a drum,” Noah explained.
“This drum,” he pointed to Ecknom’s Folly on its pedestal. “It controls these lizard-like creatures. So, children, if I have the drum and the drum controls the lizards, who is in control here?” Noah asked, warming to his address. “It is me. I can control them using the drum, but there is more. I have been working diligently toward a new technological advance borrowed from our friends at the National Weather Service, and have been able to increase the effects of the earthquake tenfold.”
Noah paused and dropped his voice lower until it sounded like rolling thunder just before the clap of sound and lightning strike. “I’m sure you are all asking yourselves, if I have all this power at my fingertips, what do I want from you? Why, it’s quite simple really. I want money. Somewhere in the seven-figure range…” he put a finger to his lips as if he were thinking what number he should ask for. “I have it! Five hundred million. Yes, that should do it. A nice round number,” He laughed a harsh laugh. “I have a lot of bills to pay and need a little left over for retirement.”
“But enough about me. Here is what you must do,” he advised his listeners. “You have seen the destruction and havoc these creatures can wreak. I assure you this is not movie effects or computer-generated anything, this is the real thing. These Kisgar, as they are called, and I are the real deal and we are equally as dangerous as anything you’ve witnessed. Please feel free to check my claims with someone more…regarded than I am yet…Dr. Donald Cunningham of the California Natural Museum of Science. He has seen these creatures firsthand,” Noah paused and gestured to the screen behind him. “Here. And he can tell you they have no conscience, no limitations to their power. Save one.” He patted the flat of the pedestal which held the drum. It wouldn’t do to rile up the Kisgar yet. Not until he was ready.
“So, my friends. To avoid this…terrible horror…there is only one solution and that is to meet my demands. My instructions are as follows. The funds are to be wired to this number. Listen carefully.” Noah read the number slowly twice before he was satisfied and added, “And just because I like to cover my bases, I have sent it to you email addresses so no numbers are omitted. You must complete the transaction within forty-eight hours.” He paused and smiled sardonically though no one could see. “If I do not see the funds in my account, I must assume you have chosen to let your constituents die because of your desire to hold on to your money, your comfortable lives, and your homes. This is the message I will broadcast to everyone. Be warned. I will know if you do not grant me my demands and accede my wishes. I have…ways…of knowing,” and gestured his nonchalance with a flourish. He leaned close to the microphone until his mouth almost touched it. He raised his eyes to the camera and spoke deliberately. “You have heard. You have seen. You have been warned.”
“Cut the feed.”
Chapter Six (Minutes ago)
About the same time, Noah was delivering his speech; Thomas, Pediah, Mochni, Robbie, Alexia, and Abby, who had been focused on not being seen, crouched low and moving fast, were brought up short by the sight before them.
Abby’s jaw dropped. “And I thought people thought my house was a little over the top.”
“Your house is…elegant,” Alexia responded. “This is…” her voice trailed off; she had no words. Burbling fountains which wouldn’t have looked out of place on the Las Vegas strip or at Lincoln Center or even Forsythe Park in Savannah dotted the cracked earth landscape of the desert lawn. Flashes of green succulents stood sentry at the gates and at the walls of the villa, and cacti were either strategically placed, she decided, or Noah and his designer had simply worked around the potentially thorny squatters. Whatever they’d done, she surmised, had worked. It was aesthetically pleasing, but only if she narrowed her eyes and let the focus go soft. Otherwise, it was just…too…much. Alexia had never seen so much gold and marble in her life.
“What a waste of water! I bet you can’t even drink it,” chimed in Robbie with a sharp look toward Mochni who’d made a gurgling sound at the sight. If they were shocked, Robbie thought, he could only imagine what Mochni must be seeing.
The only blight that didn’t fit the look of the place was the half dozen jeeps and a few trucks. “Uh, Thomas?” asked Robbie uneasily.
“I know. There are no guards…well, a few, but these guys are not at the top of their game. They appear to be sleeping on the job or I’d assume we’d have been caught by now.” Thomas voiced his thoughts in answer to Robbie’s unspoken question. Thomas frowned. “Even so, though. We need to find cover. Now.”
As they traveled, marveling at the wealth or semblance of wealth on display, they surveyed the area using Alexia’s drone. “I think we’re pushing our luck with the drone,” she remarked. “We’re too close. Someone could spot it and us besides.” She was already tapping in the commands to call it back when Thomas told her to do just that.
“Way ahead of you!” she answered in a nervous voice which had switched from her usual calm, matter-of-fact tone to something more tremulous. Thomas looked at her sharply and she continued. “I don’t see anyone around…” she glanced at the skeleton crew of guards – their movements were off. “Are those…?” she asked, pointing and looking at her tablet again. “Are those holograms?” Alexia finished, her voice rising with incredulity. She shook her head in disbelief.
“Well, whatever they are and whatever your drone sees,” interrupted Thomas, “there are signs which point to foot and vehicle traffic.” Alexia followed his gaze and saw the deep incisions of tire tracks and slightly lighter footprints leading up the path direct toward the door. Then they seemed to veer off as if flanking the villa, and she assumed might meet up again at the rear. Thoma
s had come to the same conclusion and turned toward the team to gain their insight.
“Well, boys and girls. It looks like we may be celebrities!” he exclaimed. “The trap, it seems, comes with a bright red carpet. Literally.” He pointed to the overlarge wooden front door. From its mouth spilled a red carpet beckoning to any who saw it to come inside.
“Ramon and Noah have pulled out all the stops. How sweet!” Thomas said dryly with a tight smile.
“Okay,” began Abby. “I’ll grant you that they’re waiting for somebody. But who’s to say it’s us?” she asked.
“Who’s to say it isn’t?” shot back Robbie.
“Abby’s got a point,” Pediah began. “How they know someone is here – us or someone else - is beside the matter.
“All I know is that this points to a trap.” Thomas Knight fished his beard comb out of his pocket and began to comb his beard. He needed to think and the motion calmed him.
“Hmmm…well, if it is a trap, it’s well-executed. Logical. Premeditated. Noah may be part of it,” explained Abby. “But I think this is Ramon’s doing. Remember how he worked the Kisgar? Noah is…unstable…these days. Something’s been eating at that boy for a very long time.” Abby finished, a dark look flitted across her face. “Ramon has been guiding Noah….”
“The question is,” finished Robbie, “does Noah know he’s being manipulated by his own employee? I mean, contract killer. Isn’t there some kind of law about not biting the hand that feeds you?”
Thomas didn’t answer right away, he had other ideas about who might be the leader of this pack, but he let them slide and gave the predictable answer. “Yeah. It’s too…in-your-face…to be Ms. Welker’s work. She’s a lot more cunning and sly than those two give her credit for.” He thought for a moment about the night he’d found Noah alone in his RV and Ms. Welker had interrupted his theft. There was something about the way she’d acted. “Also, I think Ms. Welker has quite a bit of pull when it comes to the workings of Noah Ashbridge.”
