Atlantis Vortex
Page 16
“Of course not! Maybe that nut that attacked you last night is the real problem.� The Captain offered.
“Possibly,� Jessica paused, “After last night… I guess so.� Jessica agreed, hesitant to tell him about the other little disturbance that she dealt with.
“Is Ms. Simon here?â€� Jessica asked, hoping the woman wasn’t at the dig.
“No, she was here but left after she had talked with the General. He wants to see you. I will inform the General you’re on site,â€� Captain Curtis went to do so.
“I didn’t know the General was here,â€� Jessica muttered as he left.
Jessica shrugged and went back to cataloging the few remaining artifacts, one of which was the statue. She regarded it for a long time. It was really out of place with all the other artifacts. They had not found another object like it or from that time. It was a total mystery. She set it aside before logging it in and assigned it a separate number out of sequence with the other objects, intending to consider it for further research before placing it in the vault. Its beady little eyes seemed to follow her. It gave her the creeps.
“Ms. Carter,� Captain Curtis called her attention away from her work.
“Yes?� Jessica answered, a bit distracted.
“General Grill would like to see you now,� Curtis told her.
“I’ll be right there,â€� Jessica told him, rising after finalizing her latest entry to her daily logs. Following Captain Curtis to the Command Tent, she found the General studying her last report.
“General Grill.� Jessica drew his attention as she walked in and almost saluted him, but stifled the urge at the last second.
“I see the Pyramid suffered a bad mishap last evening,� he said regretfully.
“Yes sir, we had an earthquake and the Pyramid collapsed.� Jessica reflected on the near miss.
“Isn’t an earthquake in Florida a bit unusual?â€� The General gave her an odd look.
“Yes sir, General, but almost everything connected with this dig and that Pyramid has been unusual. I have asked the Captain to step up security. But with this Hurricane approaching we will probably lose what little is left.� Her voice betrayed her feelings about the importance of the project.
“I was also informed that Captain Curtis and his squad tried to pull out a final artifact or two and Captain Curtis pulled you out.� The General commented, concern in his gruff voice.
“Yes sir, I might not be here if it weren’t for him, but we did lose a few artifacts.â€� Jessica wasn’t about to tell him about the strange maps she had found then been cautioned not to disclose.
“Good man, he’s up for promotion. This will secure that, I am sure. Couple other things, I was told about the incident with the man who attacked you and something about a man bowing to you?â€� the General asked, his tone skeptical, but concerned.
“Yes General, and that could be a problem. The man who attacked me, and I reported this to Sheriff Flagler, made a reference to a statue we found of an Aztec god. It seems this man, and possibly the one who, ah bowed, thinks I am the reincarnation of the daughter of an Aztec god’s daughter that was sacrificed during the Aztec Empire. Not an enviable position, this does worry me a bit.â€� She sighed, knowing there was little she could do other than being cautious.
“Very well, Ms. Carter, I know you have been required to wear your side arm on the dig sight, I am now requiring you to wear it at all times, I am more comfortable knowing you are armed. I have seen your marksman’s scores and they are remarkably high. The local authorities have been notified so you won’t have any problems from them. I have looked over your file - please consider yourself activated from this point, although it isn’t required for you to wear a uniform, yet.â€� The way he added yet concerned Jessica, she knew she would be wearing one soon and wasn’t sure that was where she wanted her career to go.
“Thank you, sir, but with this Hurricane there may not be anything left to excavate,� Jessica explained.
“That may be true, but we still have many valuable artifacts, most of them are under strict security now. I am sure you can appreciate how priceless they have become. We do not intend to release them to the public for an extremely long time and we will need you to work closely with our engineers, you may in fact be back in uniform. This is considered top secret, do not discuss it with any one.â€� General Grill enlightened her but didn’t really explain.
“Yes, sir, General, I would not do that anyway. May I ask the General what I would be doing back in uniform, sir?â€� There goes publishing our work, Jessica thought. Bruce isn’t going to be happy.
“Ms. Carter, as you know NASA’s engineers considered the pictures they took of the now gone mosaic of the astral wall without equal in originality and some considered it extraterrestrial in origin. Material samples taken of the construction make-up of the wall itself are unknown until this find. I’m not entirely privy to all the details myself; however, as we discussed before, some of the artifacts may have national security implications. These orders have come from my superiors.â€� Jessica could tell by the General’s tone of voice he didn’t like being fazed out of the loop of information and that was what was beginning to happen.
“Are my artifacts still being kept together where they originally were stored? I may want to re-examine them.� Jessica asked, wondering if she might not be able to see them all again herself.
“For now, yes, they have been examined by some of our Military engineers and for security have been kept together. The artifacts will remain together - when moved, and I may add, you are one of the few who will be notified when they are. That is all I can tell you for now.� General Grill gathered up his things and stuffed them in his briefcase. “Good day, Ms. Carter. I will be in touch after the storm.� the General dismissed Jessica as he was leaving himself.
By late afternoon, the sky had turned a rancid gray color. Jessica had lived in Florida long enough to know, the storm’s outer edges were beginning to approach. Already labeled unpredictable because of the storm’s sudden course changes and fast approach, Igraine behaved as if directed other than by the steering currents,
“Hey Jessica!â€� Bruce yelled as he turned his personal Lexus into the parking area at the hotel where he usually stayed. He had driven down instead of flying because of the storm. Jessica turned her attention from the sky to Bruce’s arrival.
“Bruce, what are you doing running into the storm?� Jessica asked giving her best friend a brotherly hug. Bruce turned her hug into something more and covered her lips with his own in a passionate kiss.
“Bruce!” Jessica pushed him away, “What has come over you?”
“Jessica, I have missed you and I’ve come to realize…” Bruce was about to declare he wanted a closer relationship when they were interrupted by Captain Curtis’ approach. Bruce cleared his throat. “What’s happened at the dig? Anything new after the cave-in?â€� He asked.
“It’s gone. All of it and after this Hurricane, we are done for.â€� Jessica explained, watching him get his suitcase. “Go get settled in and I’ll see you later.â€� her tone of voice was sharp and a little angry as she left him standing with a perplexed Captain Curtis.
By dusk, sustained forty-five mile an hour winds had picked up with gusts much higher. Rainsqualls started shortly afterward. Igraine’s top winds were over a hundred miles an hour with rainfall amounts projected to fall at six to eight inches an hour. Soaking up the eighty-five degree warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico as it came closer to the West Coast of Florida it strengthened rapidly. As predicted, when Igraine moved over the lake, the rain alone would fill the sinkhole where the dig had been. What they might have recovered would be lost. All this made Jessica somewhat sick.
Everyone had done their
particular jobs to protect what was left of the dig, and then retired to their respective shelters for the blow. Instead of her small apartment, Jessica settled into a room at the same hotel where most of the others from the dig decided to stay. Her apartment was too close to the water to be safe.
Jessica and Bruce sat having dinner in the small hotel bar. Captain Curtis and his men were there enjoying the bar and the barroom games. Most had ordered the local favorite dishes and were dulling their taught nerves with drinks from the bar.
“Bruce,� Jessica said in quiet tones, she picked at her food and Bruce knew something was bothering her other than his earlier behavior. “What do you think we have found?�
“An entrance,â€� Bruce replied. “We’ve been through this before.â€�
“To what?� She put a piece of fried catfish in her mouth.
“A very old civilization,â€� Bruce theorized, downing the last of his Jack Daniel’s Black in one gulp and signaling the waitress for another.
Jessica met his eyes, and then let her eyes casually drift across the Bar. Captain Curtis and his squad were now playing pool or sitting in the back corner sipping their beers.
“Which one?� Jessica asked her voice lower. Their eyes met.
“You and I both know which one, and neither of us wants to say it,� Bruce said, finishing his dinner. “When this storm is over, we need to take a long bike ride away from our military friends and Ms. Simon.�
“I hate it when we think alike,â€� Jessica said, and she looked at Bruce with affection she had for the brother she never had, and smiled. She wasn’t angry with him for his earlier attempt to press their relationship but they both knew it would never be more than a close friendship.
“When we go for our bike ride, Jess,â€� he said, and Jessica could hear disappointment in his voice. She didn’t understand he longed to see passion in her brown eyes and knew he never would.
“Okay, I may have something to tell you then too,â€� she smiled, failing to recognize the passion in his eyes, despite his earlier slip. Jessica was still innocent and didn’t understand his desires. They finished their dinners in silence.
Ms. Simon’s orders required her to stay in Okeechobee despite the storm. She too was staying at the hotel and was sitting alone at a small table in the back corner finishing her dinner. She had never been through a Hurricane, and would not admit it, but bad storms were her worst nightmare. She watched all that went on around her taking special note of her prime targets, Jessica Carter and Bruce Lance. From all appearances, they were only good friends. Meredith found this rather peculiar, but she considered Jessica peculiar. Most women found Meredith Simon, FBI intimidating, but not Jessica Carter. Meredith had to admit, if only to herself, it was a little the other way around. Ms. Carter was a forceful and headstrong woman, General Grill, at times, did not go against Ms. Carter wishes. Ms. Simon watched Jessica and Bruce as they talked, she knew they were discussing the dig but could not hear them. Rising, she went to their table, her dinner finished and her wineglass in hand.
“May I join you?� Ms. Simon asked, her cordial manner doing little to cover her unease with the current weather conditions.
“Sure.� Jessica said graciously, and the woman sat down. “This your first hurricane?�
“Yes, I don’t think I like them,â€� Ms. Simon admitted.
“Not many people do,â€� Bruce agreed. “This one is a small one, so it won’t be too bad. But, it will ruin our dig,â€� he said in a resigned manner.
“You’ll be able to go back to your normal office I would guess,â€� Jessica said by way of conversation.
“Maybe,â€� Ms. Simon shrugged. “I’ll have some wrap-up work to do.â€�
“There is always paperwork, I don’t care what business you’re in,â€� Bruce said, and finished his drink.
“Even in your business, Ms. Carter?� Meredith queried.
“Just call me Jessica, and yes, Bruce and I do mount - ah - Pyramids of it,� Jessica smiled at her slight humor.
“Just Meredith here,� she smiled, “I guess you have to keep accurate records.�
“How did you draw this assignment?� Bruce asked.
“Junior agent in the office, and my Supervisor didn’t like the way I turned down his dinner invitation.â€�
“Oh,� Jessica said flatly, “one of those. I had an Anthropology professor like that.�
Bruce started laughing; he remembered that incident. “That professor doesn’t teach anymore.â€�
“Really?� Meredith said, “What happened.�
“Jessica tricked him into revealing his true nature,â€� Bruce said, “The University found they didn’t need his services any longer.â€� An object startled them all by slamming against the Hurricane Shutters of one of the windows.
“That’s my cue,â€� Jessica announced with a slight laugh. “I’m going to bed. See you all in the morning.â€� Jessica went to her room.
“Can she really sleep through this?� Meredith asked Bruce.
“Sure, she is cool in about any emergency. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything shake her.â€� Bruce stood, having finished dinner, excused himself, and went to play a couple of games of pool with the Marines.
Bruce waited to go to his room, now it was raining so heavily he pulled the raincoat up almost over his head and started for his room. He saw a black Porsche Boxster drive into the parking lot and he paused. A tall man stepped out, obviously unaffected by the weather. He actually seemed to relish the rain on his face. Bruce knew the man couldn’t see him from where he stood. Something so striking about him caused Bruce to watch a few more seconds. It was his unusual aquamarine eyes, not many people had eyes that color. Bruce ducked into his room, just missing Jessica’s call.
Bruce wasn’t the only person who saw Xerxes. Meredith observed him too. She intentionally acquired a room as close to Jessica’s as possible, two doors down the corridor that opened into the parking lot. Ms. Simon unlocked the door to her room and was about to duck inside when she noticed Xerxes arrival as he emerged from the high-powered sports car. She analyzed him, not as an FBI agent, but as a woman would a man. Attracted to the handsome, powerfully built High Lord of Atlantis, and aroused by the charisma that radiated from him, she shivered as a rush of adrenaline raced through her body. The fact he was unaware of it, only heightened the effect. Meredith noticed too, he enjoyed the rain on his face. She found his reaction highly erotic, and watched as he momentarily closed his eyes and let the gale force drops splash down on his blonde hair and tanned complexion. With sheer force of will, Meredith closed her door then peeked out the curtains to see Xerxes walk towards the office. Going to take a shower, Meredith wishfully wondered what room he was staying. Absently it occurred to her, she had not been able to see the color of his eyes. Chiding herself, trained observer – yeah - right! She stepped under the warm water. Still, his was not a face or body any woman would easily forget. She turned the water temperature to a cooler setting.
Alone with the map, Jessica decided to decipher it if she could. She started by gently cleaning the extrinsic amalgam. Light as aluminum, strong as magnesium, but the color of copper, as she cleaned it, it turned more gold. She could clearly discern the coast of Central America, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and Florida, as it looked several thousand years ago. What really grabbed her attention was the larger landmass that encompassed where the Bahamas should be and fitted the description of Plato’s account of Atlantis.
Jessica stared a long time at the object, disbelieving her eyes though it confirmed her suspicions. She jumped suddenly when a high gust of wind blew a heavy object against her door. She quickly picked up the nine-millimeter pistol, then scolded
herself and laid it back down, drew a deep breath and started looking at the map again.
When she looked again, the landmass seemed to be merely a light watermark, now the Bahamas were visible, and an atoll was clearly marked with a Pyramid symbol that matched the one they had just excavated. She peered closer and there seemed to be a symbol like it in the Pacific. The new one in the Atlantic was next to the atoll in about one hundred feet of water. Jessica could not convince herself of what she was seeing. Her eyes and tired mind were playing tricks on her. She felt like the walls were closing in, and despite the sixty-five mile per hour winds, she stepped outside her room. Wind and rain pounded her, almost knocking her to the ground, but restored her senses.
Rain soaked, she went back inside, grabbed a towel, and changed into fresh clothes. Once again, Jessica repeated the steps to decipher the artifact as if she had never seen it.
Again, she drew the same answers. ‘No way!’ she said to the walls, picked up her cell phone and attempted to call Bruce. After two tries, she still could not get through to her friend around the corner seven rooms away.
Jessica continued to examine the metal maps, hoping for clues she might have missed - something had to be wrong. After several more hours of frustration, she knew there wasn’t any other conclusion. Like any archaeologist, she began to log all her theories and conclusions in her diary. However, this was her private diary that she kept double encrypted and only her mother knew the passkeys.
Xerxes saw the door close, but didn’t realize it was Meredith. He did see Jessica step out into the heavy rain moments later, a perplexed frown on her lovely face and he felt sure the map was the cause. He was careful not to allow her to see him, smiling at her obvious dilemma. Giving her a few moments after she went inside, he called her on his cell phone from the hotel restaurant.
Jessica’s cell phone rang and startled her, “Hello?â€�
“Ms. Carter.� Xerxes Kallias said, “By now I am sure you have deciphered the secret of the chart you were given. Again I ask you, do not share it with anyone. It is for you alone. And, Jessica,� his voice became rich with concern, “be more careful, the man who attacked you means you great harm.� static buzzed in her ear before she could speak. His voice was very clear, he must have been close to make the call she concluded.