The Minoan Legacy

by R G Peterson

  He waited.

  An hour later he was rewarded for his patience as he heard Gabriella usher Thanatos into the study for their weekly training sessions. Soon he heard a second voice.

  “My lord, I have some news for you.”

  “Yes, Thomas, what is it?”

  “It seems the teenagers have another trip planned for this afternoon. They are headed to Brasstown Bald, Georgia. But when I inquired as to why, Master Terrence simply answered that they were going to do some research.”

  “Ah, yes. The recently discovered Mayan temple. I wonder what is drawing them there?” The last part was said more to himself than to Thomas Wade. “I myself have looked into it and there is not much to be found. At least nothing new that shines any light on the future. Yet, they have often found things that others have overlooked.”

  Turning his full attention back to Wade, Thanatos added, “You have done well, as have the others who you had reporting to you. Keep me informed as to what the teenagers find.”

  “Yes, my Lord.”

  Terry pushed open the paneling and entered the study. Thomas Wade jumped. Thanatos merely scrutinized him.

  “Nick told me you were the one passing on information to him,” Terry said to Wade with a great deal of anger, as he jerked his head toward Thanatos. “But I was hoping he was wrong. How could you? I trusted you.” Terry stood there shaking his head in frustration and bewilderment.

  Thanatos rose to Wade’s defense, “It is nothing to be concerned with. I simply needed to stay abreast of what you were up to for your own sake. Trust me, Thomas had nothing but your best interest at heart. As I have said, you have surrounded yourself with children. They give you inferior counsel. Thomas is aware of this, as are all of the members of the Inner Sanctum. Until that time that you are ready to take your rightful place, we all feel it necessary for us to guide you on your journey.”

  An infuriated Terry flicked a scowl between the two men. After a minute his whole demeanor changed. His body relaxed. He gave a wan smile to Thanatos and nodded. Thanatos offered Terry a triumphant smile in return.

  Terry turned his attention on Wade, who had begun to think he had survived. “Thomas, thank you for your service. My father always thought highly of you. He appreciated you. I have too.” He paused a long moment before adding, “But I no longer require your services. After all, I can drive myself.”

  When Thanatos started to defend Wade once more, Terry shut him down by raising his hand and saying, “I think we’ve all had our lesson for today. You’re both dismissed.”

  Chapter 30

  “It’s time Master Terence learned a hard lesson”

  “It’s time Master Terence learned a hard lesson,” Thanatos said to Wade after they left the mansion. They had taken one of Warrington’s Town Cars and drove to the Cherney Maribel cave, which would take Thanatos back to Greece through the wormhole network.

  “I guess what we did to Red did not send a strong enough message. Maybe it will make more of an impact if the person he cares for most, other than himself, has something happen to him. See that it is done.”

  “Yes, my Lord.”

  After Thanatos had made his way to the cave entrance, Wade called three members of the Inner Sanctum and told them of Thanatos’ instructions and his plan. They met outside of Calvin Robinson’s house north of the city in a semi-secluded wooded area. The four members, each a different Element, stealthily entered the grounds. Two of the members made their way to the back door while the other two hid near the front. When he was certain the other two were in position behind the home, Thomas Wade gave the call of a red-winged black bird and the four Elements burst into the Robinson house as one.

  Wade and Mayor Charles Baker, an Earth Element, came upon Calvin Robinson sitting in his living room recliner, reading. He appeared unperturbed by their sudden appearance in his home.

  “Where’s your son?” Baker shouted at Robinson.

  He looked up casually from his book, glanced at his watch and answered, “We were wondering when you’d show up?”

  Wade and Baker shot one another mystified looks at Robinson’s lack of concern until Henry stepped out from the front hall closet, blocking their exit and Mei Huang stepped into the living room from the adjoining dining room. Robinson nonchalantly placed his book on the table next to him and stood. Baker and Wade scanned the room and realized they had no place to run.

  Baker was the first to react. He morphed into a cheetah and sprinted toward Henry and the door. Six feet away he leapt, claws extended. If he had taken the time to learn which element each of the parents and grandparents possessed, he would have realized it was a terrible move. As he leapt, Henry threw the water from a pitcher he held into the air, reached out with his other hand and turned the water into a solid mass. Instead of barreling through Henry, Baker collided into the impenetrable wall of water. He smashed into it as if he had run, full speed, headfirst into the Washington Monument and crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

  Thomas Wade, a Wind Element, watched in horror as his compatriot fell to the floor at Henry’s feet. He swept his gaze between the three Elements not wanting to repeat Baker’s latest mistake. He ran through his options. He recalled that Thanatos had told him Robinson was Wind, like him, Huang was Earth and that Henry was Water. He knew Henry’s wall of water would be unable to stop him and decided his best chance of escape was through him. He morphed into an eagle and launched himself in Henry’s direction staying as close to the eight foot ceiling as possible. When the eagle was a foot away from Henry the water barrier, he descended to move through the seven-foot archway. Mei mutated into a mountain lion and sprang, forcing the eagle to retreat. Wade circled the room waiting for an opportunity to make his escape. Mei sat coiled on the floor, vigilant, waiting for the eagle to get within striking distance.

  Seeing the standoff, Calvin Robinson changed into an Andean condor and leapt into the air. With his full attention focused on Mei, Wade never saw the mammoth bird move toward him. Robinson crashed into the eagle and sent it catapulting through the air and the wall of water, into the glass window above the open front door. The eagle tumbled to the ground as the shattered glass cascaded all around it. A large section of the glass hung precariously from the top edge of the door. A moment later it fell, cutting off the tip of one of the dazed eagle’s talons. Thomas Wade transformed back into his human form and screamed as he clutched his bloody foot where his toes had once been.

  In the kitchen the other two Elements, Steven Anderson, the County Comptroller (a Water Element), and Fire Chief Jeffery Thompson, (a Fire Element) crashed through the backdoor. GG, Daniel Clearwater and Red were waiting to confront them. When the two Elements saw they were outnumbered, they attempted to make a hasty retreat only to find their path blocked by Red who had transfigured into a gigantic Brown Bear.

  Fire Chief Thompson reared back as if he were a pitcher bringing hundred-mile-per-hour heat and threw a bolt of electricity at the ten-foot tall bear. Red deflected it as easily as if Thompson’s pitch was a super-slow, underhanded softball toss.

  With nowhere to run, Steven Anderson rushed toward the sink, twisted the handles, drew water from the faucet and draped himself in a protective cocoon.

  Daniel Clearwater poked the bubble with his finger and it burst as if it were a giant water balloon. A fear filled Anderson backed away from Clearwater, his hands raised in supplication. As he retreated, he stepped to within an arm’s length of GG.

  She reprimanded him, “Don’t you ever think of hurting our children.”

  Before he could react, she lightly touched his chest. All the air rushed out of him as if he had been punched in his solar plexus. He doubled over in pain and unsuccessfully attempted to take in huge gulps of air.

  As Anderson struggled to regain his breath, Clearwater stepped in and threw a vicious uppercut that hit him square in the face, breaking his nose and sending him crashing to the floor. GG reached down and touched him once more allowing him to breathe.
As he gulped in massive amounts of air, he crab walked as fast as he could away from the two of them and backed into a corner. With no place to go, he covered his head with his arms and pulled his knees up into his chest in a fetal position.

  Through the blood running down his face he gurgled, “Don’ huh me, don’ huh me, pwease, pwease, pwease.”

  As GG took a menacing step into Anderson, Thompson rushed to his aid and tried to shock her. But before he could get close enough, Red morphed, grabbed him from behind and picked him up as if he were a first grader. Red spun in place as if he were throwing the discus in a track and field meet and let go after three revolutions, launching him through the backdoor. Anderson landed awkwardly on his left shoulder and screamed out in pain, his collarbone shattered.

  In the living room, Henry reached down and picked up Mayor Baker by his shirt collar and belt and tossed him out the front door. He landed head first on the sidewalk scrapping his face and his hands as they made contact with the concrete. Henry pivoted and picked up a wailing Thomas Wade and threw him out one-handed as if he was a bag of trash. Wade landed on top of Baker, knocking the wind out of the mayor.

  “Tell Thanatos if he wants a fight we’ll be waiting for him. And if we ever see any of you again you won’t be walking away. Stay away from our kids.”

  In the kitchen, Steven Anderson continued to cower in the corner, pleading for mercy. As he had with the Fire Element, Red reached down and picked him up as if he were a tiny tot, then threw him out the backdoor as well.

  As he tumbled to the ground Red leaned through the door and announced, “Tell your boss to be brave enough to fight his own battles. He won’t catch us off guard again.”

  Anderson rolled when he hit the ground, got his bearings and scurried over to Thompson and helped him gingerly to his feet. Chief Thompson cradled his injured arm and shoulder and the two of them moved as fast as the chief’s broken collarbone would allow. They continued to glance over their shoulders as they hurried away, making sure that Red was not about to pursue them.

  After the failed attack, the six adults gathered in the front room. Red looked uneasily at GG, then Henry. Gayle gave Henry a look that said – it’s time. She walked over to Red and hugged him.

  Tears dripped down Red’s face. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

  “Me, too,” GG said as she patted Red on the back.

  Henry stepped over to where the two of them stood and, after GG let go, threw his arms around Red. Neither one said anything. As they stepped away, Red gave a swipe at his eyes.

  Henry smiled, “Quit blubbering, you were always way too sentimental.”

  Red began to laugh. Soon they all joined in.

  Despite seeing everyone so happy, Gayle was overcome with a sense of dread. Somehow she knew it would be the last time some of them would ever feel joy.

  Chapter 31

  “Wow, I guess that’ll teach ‘em”

  The Clan met the following night in AJ’s rec room. (Gabriella had swept the room and insured them that no listening devices or video cameras were present.) As soon as everyone was seated, Anthony launched into what happened at his house. The others, especially Terry, listened with rapt attention as he described the events blow by blow.

  When he finished, Grace asked, “How’d your parents and grandparents know that they were coming to your place?”

  Miriam answered, “My mom told me that Red knew that Thanatos had hidden some listening devices in the cars as well as around the mansion. Supposedly he had been able to figure out what frequencies they used. So as he waited outside and saw Thanatos and Thomas drive away, he hurried back to his room and listened in on their conversation. He called the others and explained what he thought was gonna happen and they surprised Wade and his buddies when they showed up.”

  “So Thomas Wade had his toes cut off?” AJ asked, fixated on that aspect of the story.

  “Yeah, although he managed to grab them before Henry threw him out the door. My mom heard he went to the ER and had them sewn back on. She said something like that isn’t always successful, so…”

  “Wow, I guess that’ll teach ‘em,” AJ said cutting her off.

  Nick just shook his head, “What makes you think Thanatos ever learns. He’s had whatever he wants whenever he wants, forever. This’ll just piss him off. We’ll all have to be better prepared from now on.”

  “Yeah, that’s what my dad said, too,” Anthony added.

  Everyone went silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Maddy finally ended the silence. “Don’t yeh think we should try ta solve the riddles? Maybe they hold the key ta somethin’ that’ll help us against that madman.”

  Grace began nodding before Maddy had finished. “She’s right, you know. I can feel it. So where were we?” She gave a little shudder as if she had suddenly become chilled.

  “Obviously nowhere,” AJ replied. In a mocking voice he added, “One will master other’s mind. Like that makes any sense. Master? Really?”

  “Yeah, that seems a bit odd. Doesn’t it?” Anthony said.

  “Yeah, it does,” said Miriam. “Why master? Why not rule? Or lord over? Or, or, or…?”

  “Or triumph, or control, or manage, or, or, or…?” Anthony offered.

  “Or know?” AJ chimed in.

  “Know?” Nick asked.

  “Yeah, you know, know.”

  “Huh?”

  “Well technically he’s correct,” Grace said.

  Everyone looked stunned that she came to AJ’s defense.

  When she saw the way they looked at her, she said, “Well like a master’s degree. It’s knowledge of a subject. Or you ‘know’ that subject or have mastered it. So, yeah, know.”

  “But does that work here?” Anthony asked.

  “As well as anything else. Think about it. ‘One will know other’s mind,’ makes as much sense as, ‘One will rule other’s mind.’ ”

  Sitting on the sofa next to Grace and holding her hand, Nick reached over and rested his other hand on top of hers as well. He had been staring at Terry during the discussion to gauge his reaction to what was being said.

  Although Terry’s lips never moved, Nick was positive he heard him say, “Man, this is stupid. We’re getting nowhere fast. I can’t believe they don’t know that ‘master’ must have been intentionally used because of all of its different meanings.”

  Nick, sitting next to Grace, stiffened.

  She glanced at him and asked, “What is it?”

  “Uh, nothing, really. Just, um…forget it.” Nick surreptitiously turned toward Grace so the others couldn’t see or hear what he was about to say and whispered, “I’ll tell you later.”

  Miriam asked the group, “So which do you think it is?”

  Grace shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess that’s what we’ve got to figure out.” She turned to Maddy. “What do you think?”

  Maddy suggested, “Why don’ we think ‘bout it one way? Then think ‘bout it the other. We’ll see which is bang on.”

  Nick watched Terry out of the corner of his eye and once more heard him speak as if he were a ventriloquist, “Come on, it’s both. Don’t you get it?”

  Everyone nodded at Maddy’s suggestion, which encouraged her to go on, “Okay, if we look at the way it seems ta make the most sense, ‘One will rule or control or conquer the other’s mind,’ means what?”

  “I guess it would mean, like we said before, the one with the power would be able to overrule whatever anyone else suggested. He’d have the final say. Right?” Miriam offered.

  AJ cleared his voice and looked at Terry, “Don’t freak out on me, buddy, but could it also mean the guy with the power marches to the beat of a different musician?”

  “Meaning, what?” Terry asked both confused and offended.

  “Well, we all know Nick’s pretty darn smart. Right? And I would think that the one with the power should always listen pretty carefully to him. After all, he wasn’t raised by some lunatic with all these crazy ideas. And
it scares me to think you might not listen to him. That’s all.”

  Anthony was quick to defend Terry. “He’s gotten past that point. He’s with us. Aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, I have. And I’m a little pissed that you said that.”

  “Sorry, but I was just sayin’ out loud, that’s all.” AJ’s apology sounded less than sincere.

  Grace tried to calm the situation. “We all know Terry is better since he’s taken the potion Nick made. Don’t we?” She waited while everyone nodded. “So, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. Right?”

  Terry nodded, although everyone knew he was still furious with AJ.

  “Okay, maybe we should move on to the other riddle. ‘Six uinals, four moons, complete, gain, loss, reveal.’ Any thoughts?” They all shifted their eyes to Terry to see if he would react as he had the last time they discussed that particular riddle.

  He scrunched up his face and started to slowly shake his head.

  Maddy offered, “Well it does sound like a time thing. Doesn’t it? Like somethin’s gonna happen ‘round one hundred and twenty days or so, give or take. But when does it start?”

  “Or has it already?” Miriam suggested.

  Grace spoke up, “Everything else we’ve found started with the beginning of the new Mayan calendar. But that would mean it happened already.” She pulled out her phone and Googled the date one hundred-twenty days past December 22nd, 2012. She announced, “That would’ve been Sunday, April 21st, 2013.” She looked up expectantly.

  Everyone shook their heads not being able to recall anything of significance that happened on or about that time.