While the men stared upward, Barbara took the opportunity to grab one of the talismans from the belt. She chanted a few words and waved her arms.
Mandy couldn’t see Barbara. All the people in the house were concentrating on the men except old man Paul.
“She’s gonna teach’um a lesson now, by cracky!” he uttered.
Chapter Ten
Professor Orlich was digging in a hole by the bunker in the dark desert when he suddenly noticed a faint glow coming from Albin Wilks jacket pocket.
He stopped digging. “The talisman is glowing,” he yelled to Wilk. He was not helping to dig the hole, but was playing a game on his cell phone.
Wilk quickly pulled out the Insight talisman. He set it on the ground, said a few words and then waved his small arms. A hologram suddenly appeared. It showed Barbara Reynolds casting a spell. It was the second time the Insight talisman had glowed in the last couple of hours, but it was the first time it showed them anything.
“What the hell is going on,” Wilk roared. “The last time it glowed we weren’t able to see anything. We know it was the Time talisman, but I don’t think anyone was wearing it when the chant was made. We couldn’t see any of the surroundings. All we saw was darkness. Now another talisman has been activated.”
“Which one is it?” Orlich asked.
“It’s one of the talismans from The Magic Belt, Wilk replied.
“I can see that,” the professor said sarcastically. He recognized the woman in white from when Wilk had brought up the hologram in the office. “But which one did she activate from the belt?”
“Huh, oh,” Wilk grunted. “It’s the Love talisman.”
“Isn’t that the one that makes people lose their desire for conflict and makes them desire peace?” Orlich asked.
“Yeah,” he acknowledged.
“I wonder why she used it?” the professor said as he leaned on his shovel while he stared into space.
“Never mind for now,” Wilk chided him. “Get back to work.”
Chapter Eleven
Barbara looked out over the now docile men. They had, one by one, dropped their weapons, and were now patting each other on the back, giving hugs, and high fives to anyone near them. She knew the spell was permanent. The young men would, from now on, avoid any conflict like it was the plague. The talisman, somehow, seemed to zap the part of the brain which controlled aggression. These men would, forever, be peace loving. This made her happy.
“Barbara, are you alright?” Mandy yelled from on top of the roof.
“Everything is just fine,” she replied confidently.
The leader of the men addressed her. “You know, we are going to take you up on the generous offer you made. I don’t want any trouble.”
“The money is already in your bank account,” she said cheerfully.
“Thank you for everything,” he said sincerely. “Come on guys let’s go and clean up the park by my house. Then the kids in the neighborhood will have a place to play.” The young men piled into the SUV’s and started to sing “Kumbaya” as they sped out of the driveway. They headed back to Milwaukee.
“Oh, dear,” Barbara thought. I hope I didn’t over do the curse. There is nothing worse than a wimpy man.
“What the hell happened?” Steve asked as he came onto the porch. “They were about to attack you and suddenly became all happy and left.”
“I think Mandy scared them off,” Barbara replied. “The extra money also helped. We won’t hear from them again.”
***
Up in the widow’s walk, Mandy was pounding on the keys on her phone with her little fingers. She heard the skinhead say he wanted The Magic Belt and realized the sash was the belt. She stared in amazement at all the internet postings and began to wonder if Barbara Reynolds was some sort of a witch. She decided that Colt needed to know about what had happened so she fired off a text.
She had just pressed the send button when she became aware of a new sound. It was the sound of a helicopter in the distance.
“Helicopter approaching,” she screamed into her earplug.
“Mandy hide, we don’t want them to see you on the roof. The rest of you take up your positions,” Steve ordered over the airwaves.
Chapter Twelve
Banyon was now driving the BMW and heading for Hamburg, Germany. He had about four more hours to drive before he got there. Loni was sound asleep in the seat next to him. She was still wearing the Egyptian garb with a smile on her face. He had to admit she looked like she had just walked off the stage of an Egyptian movie. Suddenly, his phone buzzed. It was an incoming text.
He pulled the car over to the side of the road. Loni never woke up. He quickly read the message and was quickly concerned that Mandy knew the belt had powers. According to the message, she also believed Barbara Reynolds was a witch. Both were problems which he would have to deal with eventually, but he could not deal with them right now. He decided to address Wolf instead.
“Wolf what happened at the farmhouse?” he inquired.
“The young man who sold the belt to Barbara showed up demanding more money,” he replied. “It is resolved now,” the spirit said confidently.
“According to Mandy, she thinks Barbara is a witch, Why is that?”
“Mandy now believes The Magic Belt has powers. She got that off of the internet, but she didn’t see Barbara use it, nor did anyone else. But she is suspicious.”
Banyon knew Mandy was tenacious. She would not stop until she confirmed her belief. “Which one did Barbara use?”
“She used the Love talisman. The men immediately became content as she offered them more money. They soon left. I think everything can be explained away. Mandy is suspicious, but has no proof.”
“So, what you are saying is that Barbara can activate the belt. I thought the goal was never to use the weapons? If we use the weapons we are no different than the people that are after them.”
“I could not stop her,” Wolf reluctantly replied. “She has read the journal and knows the chants.”
“I hope she won’t be a problem when we get there to collect the belt. What do you think?” Banyon said.
“Barbara has proven to be unpredictable in the past, but Marcy, her mother-in-law, and I don’t think she has bad intentions. I believe she is trying to help.” Banyon realized that even if Barbara had bad intentions, Wolf would not want him unfocused at the moment. While Wolf couldn’t lie, he could give a vague answer, just like he had just done now.
“Do you think she will use more of the weapons?”
“I believe she will do whatever is necessary to protect the belt,” Wolf answered vaguely. Banyon decided to move on. He was getting nowhere.
“What is going on with the mercenaries sent to the farm?”
“They are arriving as we speak. I’ll keep an eye on the situation for you,” the spirit said with concern. “But Steve has a plan,” he added.
Banyon knew there was nothing else he could do about the situation either. He just had to trust it would turn out well. “What about Wilk? Where is he?” Banyon asked as he moved to another subject.
“He and the professor are still digging in the desert, but he knows two of the talismans have been activated.
“Two?” Banyon questioned. He knew Wilk could see the Love talisman had been used, but Wolf had said there were two activated.
“I haven’t had an opportunity to tell you,” Wolf said in defense. “The Time talisman has also been used.”
“Uh oh, that’s not good,” Banyon uttered under his breath. He knew the Time weapon was the most dangerous of all the weapons because it allowed someone to move back and forth in time. The engine was Vril. “Where is it now? Loni and I are heading to Hamburg to pick it up.”
“That’s just the point, Colt,” the spirit answered. “I don’t know where it is.”
“It must have been sent back in time,” Banyon commented.
“Can’t you just go back and research where it was two days a
go?”
“It’s not there,” the spirit replied.
“So, what does that mean?”
“It means it was sent ahead two days. I can’t track it for you until then.” Banyon knew Wolf could not relay any information about the future. He would have to unravel the mystery on his own. Maybe, if I ask the right questions, I’ll get a clue, he thought.
“Why do you think Goss went into the future?”
“Goss is dead,” Wolf said.
“What?” Banyon exclaimed. He hesitated and then asked.
“Well who went into the future?”
“Actually, no one did,” Wolf told him. “The professor that Goss hired to do the translations was the one who said the chant. The talisman was in his pocket at the time and not on his neck or hand so just the talisman disappeared, but he didn’t.”
“But he sent it to the future. How did that happen?”
“From what I can tell, he did it on purpose. He had both translations in his hand and spoke the future chant.”
“That tells me he knows where it will be two days from now,” Banyon thought out loud. “Where do you think he sent it?”
“Colt, I’m not a mind reader. I can see no option but to monitor him. Let’s see if he goes after the weapon when the talisman is available. Fortunately, I now have a window to use to do that, thanks to you.”
“Not good enough,” Banyon said with determination. “It’s at its new destination now, right?”
“That would be correct,” the spirit replied.
Banyon though for some time and suddenly asked. “When going back or forward in time, how does the talisman determine where to place itself? I mean there must be a destination, right?”
“You are correct, there must be a destination.”
“How is the destination determined?”
“It goes where the last person who wore or held the talisman wanted it to go,” Wolf answered.
“And the last person to wear it was the professor?”
No he never wore it. Goss was the last person to wear it. He had it on when he died. The professor took it from his body.”
“Do you know where the professor was when he said the chant?”
“Yes, of course,” Wolf replied indignantly. “He was in the machine shop in the rear of castle.”
“Why there?”
“A police officer made him go there to try out the chant.”
“But why there?”
“Because the flying saucer Goss built was there. The policeman wanted to see if the chant worked.”
“What flying saucer?” Banyon screamed.
“The one that Goss built to travel through time, he had an elaborate plan to change several things in history,” Wolf answered.
“So, he intended to be in his machine in the future, right?”
“Very good Colt,” Wolf said with admiration in his voice.
“Is it there now?” Banyon breathlessly inquired.
“Yes, you have figured it out. Good for you. But I must tell you there are a group of six mercenaries waiting for your arrival. They intend to capture you and make you tell them where the weapon is located. The police are also at the castle. They are confiscating everything. The ship may not be there when you arrive.”
“So, we’ll have to deal with both of them and find a way to get the talisman,” Banyon said. “Can you let me think about it while I drive?”
“The rest of the news can wait,” Wolf replied.
Chapter Thirteen
The helicopter made a pass over the farmhouse to see if they could determine how many people they needed to kill. They didn’t see anyone initially. There was only an old beat-up pickup truck in the yard. The pilot then banked the machine over the barn, but saw no one there either.
“I don’t see anyone. They’re probably hiding in a root cellar or maybe napping,” the pilot commented dryly.
“You may have to fly back without me,” the co-pilot suddenly said over the intercom in the cockpit.
“Why?” the pilot asked.
“See the brand new Mercedes Benz sticking out of the barn,” he pointed to the pilot. “I’m going to steal it and drive it back to Chicago. I’ve always wanted a Mercedes and the owner will have no use for it. They’ll be dead.” He laughed at his little joke.
“You can do what you want after we get the belt, but right now help me pick a spot to land first,” the pilot ordered.
“I like the flat ground west of the house. It’ll only be about fifty yards from the target,” the co-pilot replied.
“I agree,” the man said. He maneuvered the big black bird over the spot and reduced the engine.
As soon as the chopper hit the ground, huge fireballs exploded on both sides of the ship. Fire shot twenty feet into the air. The men in the back of the chopper could feel the intense heat as it pushed through the open door. One let out a scream. It felt like they were under a military barrage.
“Get us out of here,” the co-pilot yelled into the pilot’s ear. He needed little encouragement and quickly spooled up the engine while he pulled back on the stick. At the same time, he noticed the muzzle flares from several guns aimed at them from the house. As he gained altitude, he saw a tiny woman set up a sniper rifle on the top deck of the house.
“I don’t think we surprised them,” he said into the intercom. “There’s a sniper on the roof. I’m going to make another pass. You guys see if you can hit her.”
He took the chopper into a big loop to gain speed and then came directly over the deck. Only the sniper was gone. The eight men in the back peppered the deck with machine guns as they passed over it. This wasted a lot of bullets, which was, of course, precisely what Steve wanted them to do.
As soon as they were out of machine gun range, the pilot heard several pings as bullets from the sniper rifle hit the fuselage. The sniper was back with a more powerful weapon than they had. He knew then they had to keep their distance or she might shoot down their ride. He suddenly realized that the attack wasn’t going to be as easy as was explained to them.
“I’m going to land us about a mile from here. We’ll have to go in on foot,” has said over the intercom. The pilot had flown missions in Afghanistan a few years back. He knew a good sniper could hit a man-sized target from over a mile away and he was riding in a big target.
“Why?” The co-pilot asked.
“We need to get out of range of the sniper,” he said calmly. “We’ll spread out and surround the place. The sniper can’t be everywhere at the same time.”
“But she could hit some of us,” one of the men protested from the back.
“I’ll shoot you myself if you don’t do as you’re told,” the pilot replied hotly over the intercom. “There is a lot of money riding on this mission.”
He eventually settled the bird behind some trees about a mile and a half away from the farmhouse. His men piled out of the door feeling like they were in Vietnam and expected some guerilla style warfare to erupt any second.
***
Back at the farmhouse, there was a small celebration. The first part of Steve’s plan had worked well. Now phase two went into motion. Steve believed a good defense was always a good offense. Mother Teresa was sent to replace Mandy as the sniper. She was not nearly as good a shot, but Mandy was needed for another assignment.
“Oh, my,” Mother Teresa uttered as she came through the trap door. She surveyed the damage done by the machine gun fire. There were chips out of the railings and bullet holes in the wood across the entire surface.
“Good, you are here,” Mandy exclaimed. She jumped up to a standing position. “They landed in that field over there. It’s too far for a good shot.”
“They sure shot up the deck,” Mother Teresa commented. “It looks like they shot more than a thousand rounds at the deck. How did you survive, my child.”
“The wood is very expensive teak, one of the hardest woods in the world. Many of the bullets just bounced off it. But I hid under the trap doo
r. Paul told me he put a layer of steel and a second layer of teak to compensate for the distance between the roof and the deck. He wanted to keep the trap door from warping. It’s more than three inches thick. I knew no machine gun bullet would penetrate it, especially from any distance,” Mandy replied clinically. “And it was more than a thousand rounds.”
“That’s good to know,” Mother Teresa replied. “Now off you go, Steve is waiting for you. And good luck.”
Mandy scampered down the ladder and was soon in the living room. Steve was standing there with two, small, hand-held, Israeli, machine guns along with several clips of ammunition.
“Are you sure you can do this?” Steve asked her.
“I’m sure I can and I know exactly what to do,” she replied confidently. “After suffering through the barrage on the roof, I’m ready for some payback.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “But I want you back here in ten minutes. Mother Teresa will be your eye in the sky. Listen to her.” Mandy grabbed both guns, stuffed the ammo clips in her pockets. She ran for the front door.
“Yes, sir,” she yelled as she passed through the opening.
Mandy was the youngest, fastest, and best shot on the team. She would need all of her skills for the task ahead. She sprinted towards the black chopper. She stopped about three quarters of a mile away from the farmhouse. She picked her two locations and crouched down in the weeds to wait for the mercenaries.
The men had spread out into a long line. They slowly trudged forward towards the target. They held their rifles across their arms while they chatted about what they were going to do with their shares of the thirty million dollars. Wilk had promised the money when they delivered the sash. The pilot, who was also the leader, didn’t get caught up in the chatter. He was worried. He hadn’t expected any defense at the farmhouse and now was sure that whoever was barricaded there would put up a fight. Wilk had told him the people were just farmers. You’re going to pay us more than thirty million Mr. Wilk, he decided.
The Polish Discovery: The Society of Orion 1-3 (Colton Banyon Mystery Book 17) Page 17
