* * *
Chapter 38
DISCOVERY:
Henry knew Alex was having difficulties in the Arctic, and when he did not answer his satellite phone, he assumed something had gone terribly wrong. Now he felt even more pressure for the success of his mission to retrieve the device. He, Carl, and Janice had joined Victor in the cafeteria to discuss the next phase of the operation. After much debate, they had reached a consensus and returned to the observation room.
The device had not activated during the previous operation, and Victor insisted on finishing his task. Now the device was resting in liquid water at the bottom of the fault line. Carl had taken Celeas down to disconnect the orange tube, and they were watching her detaching the cables for the drill head. Carl brought Celeas around to one side of the thirty-foot-wide hole in the ice and dropped the heavy metal drill head onto the seafloor.
A scissor type grapple had been flown out to Discovery by a logging company on the mainland, and was attached to the end of a thick steel cable hanging from a hydraulic reel above the hole in the deck.
Carl swung Celeas around the steel cable, wrapped the mechanical fingers around the grapple, and then carried it over to the hole above the device and let it go. He backed her away, and the camera showed the cable slowly slipping through the water, into the hole.
Carl set her on automatic, grabbed the visor off his head, and then stood. “Now comes the tricky part. If the ship moves around while Celeas is down in the hole, the cable could snag and pin her against the side. She’s not indestructible.” He flexed his fingers and tried to relax.
Henry could see that Carl was worried. “Could you use a different submersible so you do not have to put your Celeas in such peril?”
“No, nothing with enough power.”
Victor swung his chair around to Carl. “The Captain has his best men operating the thrusters. I checked and the water on the surface is calm.”
“Thanks for making so much room to maneuver, Victor. That helps.”
They heard a click from the intercom speaker. “The grapple has reached the device, Carl. You’re free to take her down.”
Carl nodded at the group. “Here we go.”
He sat in the recliner and put on the visor, then slid his hands around the controls.
Captain Jordon walked into the room and closed the door. “I want to see this. She’s quite a piece of machinery.”
Carl heard him. “Don’t be badmouthing my girl, Captain. She doesn’t know she’s mechanical.”
“Sorry, Carl. Or should I say, Celeas?”
“You’re a funny man, Captain. Okay, here we go.”
*
THE ISLAND:
Alex heard the crack of a lightning bolt, and neon blue light flashed past the entrance of the cave. He jumped up and ran through the opening, but the light was gone. A soft crackling sound echoed inside the crater, and Alex stopped to listen. I’ve heard that sound before, he realized.
He ran down the beach and up the gangway, then around the hole in the deck and up the steps to the V. When he reached the top, he stopped and stood still as the crackling continued.
He slowly put his hands in his coat pockets and stared north, across the water. On the northern horizon, ten-miles away, a wall of ice slowly rose out of the water. “Damn.”
A soft, high-pitched whine suddenly echoed around the walls inside the crater. He jerked his head around to locate the source and thought it was emanating from the spaceship. Then he looked at the cave and saw the device was nearly transparent. Suddenly, a breeze blew over his head, into the crater, and a small tornado formed over the tip of the device. He ducked below the ridge, out of the wind, and stared across the crater as a dark coating, like a shell, formed over the transparent outline of the device.
“I’ll be damned,” he whispered. “It really works.” The wind increased and the dark material was slowly getting thicker. “Time to leave,” he whispered.
He kept low as he crawled over the ridge and eased his way down the steps. The slight breeze from the whirlwind drove the boat sideways against the shore, but the anchor kept it from drifting away. He grabbed the anchor off the beach and tossed it into the boat, then pushed the bow out into the wind. When the stern spun around, he jumped over the transom into the boat, then stood as the boat drifted past the island, into open water.
He walked to the driver seat and looked at the compass as he sat down. The needle was slowly moving around the dial. He looked out the window and realized the boat was caught in the light whirlwind around the island. When he turned the key, the engine roared to life and he shoved the throttle forward. The boat spun away from the island and he set a course east. According to the chart, the nearest land would be in this direction, although he knew he could never reach it. Hopefully, if the Mystic returned and didn’t find him on the island, they would search in the direction of the nearest land to find him.
*
DISCOVERY:
Carl felt a trickle of sweat slide along his cheek. He had never taken Celeas this deep and the fathometer on the heads up display continued to climb. From his point of view from the visor, one camera was looking across the top of Celeas, at the sides of the ice slowly rising out of sight. The other camera was staring at the device and cable below. He would need to attach the grapple to the device manually, or he would not have taken her down this deep.
A bright blue light flashed in his eyes and he reached up and yanked the visor from his head. The others flinched at the bright blue light on the video screen before it went dark.
“Oh, no,” Janice whispered. She spun her chair around and hurried over to Carl, who was blinking furiously.
Carl felt a hand on his shoulder and turned his head to look up, although the figure was hidden by the blue haze clouding his vision. “The device activated, didn’t it.”
“I’m sorry, Carl.” Janice said softly.
A knot formed in Carl’s stomach when he realized why Janice was sorry. Celeas had just been crushed by the ice. “Listen, ah.” He tried to be stoic about what happened, but it was difficult. “We should send down a rover and see how bad she is.”
Janice gave Carl’s shoulder a light squeeze. “Of course. I’ll get started right away.”
Victor stood and walked over to Carl. “Maybe the ice didn’t reach her.”
Carl swung off the recliner and stood. “The light wasn’t as intense this time and my vision is starting to clear. I want to see the recording.”
Henry swung his chair back to the video screen and rewound the recording. “I have it ready on this screen, Carl.”
The group huddled above Henry and stared at the screen, as he pressed play. Everything looked fine for a few moments, and then the light flashed and everything appeared to fracture before the screen went black.
No one even whispered for a moment. Carl stepped back. “She’s gone.”
Janice wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry. I know what she meant to you.”
Victor looked at the sad expressions on their faces and shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re all getting so emotional about a machine. You should feel lucky you weren’t down there, too.”
Henry stood and looked up at Victor. “Did you have a pet when you were a boy, Victor?”
“No. My parents considered all animals a nuisance and filthy. All they do is consume food and defecate on the floor.”
Henry nodded in understanding. “I feel sorry for you, Victor.”
Carl turned and walked toward the door. “I need some fresh air,” he told them over his shoulder.
* * *
Chapter 39
MYSTIC:
Joshua heard someone climbing the stairs to the bridge, and noticed Okana’s irritated expression as he came up and sat on one of the chairs. “You look a little peeved.”
“Dieter is getting on my nerves. Too bad Blacktooth didn’t get rid of him.”
“I was just thinking about Alex. It must be getti
ng pretty cold on that little rock he’s on.”
“How much longer until Bett gets back?”
Joshua glanced at the chronometer on the wall. “Another twenty minutes.” He reached over and turned on the small television screen. “I’ll go down and try to pick up a satellite signal for a news report. This has to be affecting the mainland.”
“Good idea. I’ll take over.”
Joshua went down the stairs and into the lounge. Dieter was still sitting at the table with his bottle of vodka. Rita and Lisa were in the recliners with Lisa’s head leaning against Rita’s shoulder. Behind them, on the floor, a large crimson stain had soaked through the blanket.
He walked over to his desk, sat in front of his computer, and turned on the television. A moment later, he had a signal of a news broadcast from the satellite dish on the roof of the bridge.
A woman reporter was seated at a desk and global weather patterns swirled across the planet on a large screen in the background. In the upper corner of the television screen, a red sign read special report. The background changed, showing the central United States. Joshua turned up the volume.
“This incredible change in the size of the polar ice cap has authorities baffled, and the temperature in the northern latitudes around the world is dropping dramatically. Extremely cold air flowing down from Canada, through the central plains, is meeting an increased temperature flowing up from the Gulf of Mexico, creating a steady cycle of new tornadoes ripping through the heartland of North America. In France and England, that same warm water from the gulf is flowing north and meeting the frigid arctic air, creating massive hurricanes along the western shores of Europe, devastating coastal towns and reaching inland to Germany.”
Joshua stood, went to the table, and sat across from Dieter. “I forgot to ask. Did Alex find what he wanted on that island?”
“You heard what Blacktooth said. What do you think?”
“I’m talking about a way to stop that device, you greedy bastard.”
“He seemed happy before he was marooned.”
The intercom speaker clicked. “The helicopter is back.”
Joshua stood and looked at the women. Rita lightly shook her head, indicating that she would stay with Lisa, who was temporarily distracted by the woman announcer. He left Dieter at the table and walked up to the bridge.
Okana stood when Joshua came up and they stared through the rear window as Bett made her approach from the stern. As always, she lightly set down and shut off the engine.
He and Joshua walked outside as Mike and Bett climbed out of the helicopter. They both had broad smiles as they came up the steps to the bridge.
Bett wrapped her arms around Joshua’s neck to pull him down, and gave him a passionate kiss.
Mike held his hand out. “I owe you, Okana.”
“Not a problem. I’m glad Bett was with you.”
“Yes, me too. What happened to Blacktooth and his men?”
Okana filled Mike and Bett in on what happened after they left in the helicopter. “Lisa is still pretty shaken up, Mike. You should go down and talk to her.”
“I will. So what’s our plan? Go back for Alex, right?”
“That’s right.” Okana answered.
Joshua let go of Bett. “I’m glad my gal got you back safe, Mike.”
“You should have seen her in action. I’d better go see Lisa.” He turned and went down the stairs.
When Mike reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw Lisa leaning her head against Rita’s shoulder, watching the news broadcast and Dieter sitting at the table. He took off his coat and tossed it onto a recliner as he walked over and sat across from Dieter.
Dieter slid the bottle of vodka across the table. “Have a drink, Mike.”
Mike stared at him for a long moment, and then slowly slid the bottle back. “Why didn’t you trust me, John?”
Dieter slowly shook his head. “It had nothing to do with trust, Mike. It had to do with money. You do not care enough about it, and I do.” He turned and stared out the window.
“I would have helped you, John. Like you said. I don’t care about money. The adventure of the search was motive enough for me.”
Dieter turned to face him, and slowly nodded. “I know that now. I am very sorry I caused this, Mike.”
Mike stood and looked down at the splatter of red dots around the blood-stained blanket, and then back to Dieter. “As soon as we reach a port, pack your things and get off my ship.” He walked back to the recliners and sat next to Lisa.
Lisa turned and looked at Mike. “I’m glad you’re back, Mike.” She pointed at the television. “The weather is getting bad all over the world.”
Mike sat back and watched the newswoman, but it only lasted a few minutes before they lost the signal as he heard the turbines start to whine and felt Mystic slowly moving.
*
Joshua looked at Okana. “Give me a hand with the helicopter, so we can get out of here.”
With Bett’s help, they were done in fifteen minutes, and they went up to the bridge. “I’ve got it,” Okana told them. “You two go on down and I’ll holler when we get close.”
Joshua gave a nod and walked behind Bett, down the stairs.
Okana entered the coordinates into the computer, engaged the jet pumps, and Mystic swung around in the direction of the island having quickly increased speed to fifty-eight-knots.
*
THE MOTORBOAT:
The outboard motor coughed and sputtered, and then was quiet. Alex looked at the fuel gauge. The needle was below the red line, and he realized, since they were only going to the island, no one had bothered to fill the gas tank. A cold north wind blew the motorboat sideways across the turbulent water, tossing the boat around like a toy.
He stood and clung to the windshield for balance, while looking for land or a ship, but there was only the horizon in all directions. He had left the canvas top down to reduce the drag, but now he needed the protection against the cold wind. He raised the aluminum frame to stretch out the canvas, and then fastened the straps and snaps.
Much better, he thought, and sat on one of the wide bench seats and stared out through the plastic windows. He remembered Mike giving the portable radio to Joshua before they went to the island. Who would have guessed he would need it. He didn’t even have his satellite phone.
He shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets and stared at the white caps on the water. This could get bad, he thought. With the wind driving the boat south, he would be too far off course when the Mystic tried to find him. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Will I die out here? He wondered. The corners of his lips moved up in a skeptical grin. Not for a while, anyway. He would just have to wait and see where the rest of the day would take him.
* * *
Chapter 40
MYSTIC:
Okana eased the thrusters back and stared through the front window at the island. Two-hundred-feet ahead, a slow spinning whirlwind rose up from inside the crater, nearly one hundred-feet into the air. He circled the island until he saw the small beach, but the motorboat was gone. Everyone, including Dieter, was standing outside on the bridge deck.
Okana stepped outside through the open door. “He must have left.”
“What if the boat was blown away by the wind?” Lisa asked.
When Okana stepped back inside and pressed a button, the deep roar from the horn echoed back from the island. He stepped just outside the door and watched the V for Alex to walk over the top, and after fifteen minutes, he knew Alex had left. Dieter stepped in front of him and the odor of alcohol assaulted his senses.
“Maybe the Russian killed him and took the boat,” Dieter said with a slur in his voice.
“I doubt it.” Okana replied, a surreptitious smile forming on his lips at the idea that the Russian could overpower Alex.
“I studied the chart with Alex before we arrived,” Dieter continued. “He would head east, to the nearest land. He would never reach it, of course
.”
Mike had been listening and stepped closer, as did the rest of the group. “The wind will have forced him southeast. Even using the helicopter, there is no way we can cover that much territory. As much as I hate to say it, we might never find him.”
Okana shook his head. “No. I’m not giving up. We’ll do the same thing the wind would do. We head in a southeast direction. We’ll find him.”
“I hope so. He’s a good man.” Mike walked into the bridge, and the rest of the group followed him down to the lounge.
Okana engaged the thrusters and moved Mystic away from the island, then switched to turbines and she quickly got up to speed. When they were five-miles from the island, the electronics suddenly came on. He entered a southeast course into the guidance system and the computer took over control of the Mystic.
Lisa stared at the bloodstained blanket on the floor and could not stop thinking that she had murdered another human being. She walked out of the lounge and into her laboratory, to sit in front of the computer monitor. When she pressed a button to bring it out of sleep mode a picture of the dark material appeared. She glanced over at the worktable, noticing that one of the small tubes of samples was missing. She slid the keyboard to one side, put her elbows on the table, and clasped her hands to support her chin while she stared at the dark material on the monitor.
It seemed she had just sat down when she felt the speed of the Mystic decrease and opened her eyes. She leaned back and stretched her arms, then noticed the time on the bottom of the monitor showed 4:00 PM. She stood and stretched before making her way back to the lounge, but the room was empty. When she climbed the stairs to the bridge, she could see everyone standing outside. As she opened the door to join them, the sudden blast of frigid air was like a slap in the face and her grogginess vanished as she walked over to the group. “What’s going on?”
The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set Page 53
