by David Wood
"Welcome." He shook hands first with Joel, and then with Matt. He had a firm grip and a tight smile. "Is this your first visit?"
"Sure is. Me and my brother here just moved to the area." Joel inclined his head toward Matt. "We are opening a business, and thought it would be a good idea to start getting to know some of the people in the community." Matt had to hand it to Joel. With just a few subtle changes in his posture, facial expressions, and vocal inflection, he had adopted an entirely new persona.
The man's features relaxed when Matt was introduced as Joel's brother. "I forgot to introduce myself. I am Davis Franks. So, what sort of business are you all in?"
"We'd like to open a pistol range. Maybe sell handguns and ammo. Matt here is ex-military and a pretty fair instructor. Of course, with the way the winds are blowing, it might not be the best business to get into."
"Gotta love the government." Matt rolled his eyes, playing the role of disgruntled soldier. “It’s like they’ve never heard of Constitutional rights.”
“Amen to that, brother.” Franks nodded sympathetically. "What branch of the service were you in?"
"Army." Matt didn't say anything else, letting Franks guide the course of the conversation.
"I take it you didn't like it very much?"
"I liked the Army fine. It's the federal government I don't love." Matt looked around, then lowered his voice. "I guess that's not a popular opinion around here, is it?"
"No, not in Key West, but you'll find sympathetic ears in this church. If you don't mind my asking, why did you decide to settle here? Most of the locals aren't exactly firearms enthusiasts."
Joel gave an embarrassed smile. "The worst reason in the world. I love Jimmy Buffett. I've wanted to live down here for twenty years. We just hope we can get the required permits and find enough like-minded people to keep our business afloat. If not, we'll figure out something else." He shrugged as if to say, “What are you going to do?"
"Well, you've already found one,” Franks said. "I love to shoot, and so do a lot of the fellows here. We’ve got to keep in practice. You never know when you’ll be called to stand up against tyranny.” He paused, thinking. “Listen, we have a men's group meeting tonight at six o'clock. If you two would like to visit, I’ll give you directions. I think you'd enjoy it. Lots of potential customers in that group."
After they accepted his invitation, he introduced them around. The church members were much friendlier now that Matt and Joel had been accepted by one of their own, and by the time they left, they'd already fielded and politely declined three invitations to lunch, explaining they needed to start scouting around for possible places to open their business.
"Good work today," Joel said as they headed back to their car. "We'll make you an undercover agent yet."
"Do you think we're on the right track?"
"Can't say for sure, but I bet we'll find out tonight."
Chapter 11
“This place is freakish.” Bones couldn’t help but stare at the frontage of the Quai Branly Museum. Set in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and a stone’s throw from the Seine, the building was, in itself, a work of art, with its tall, glass panes and protruding blocks of varying size and color. “It looks like a living cubist painting.”
“I don’t think you understand cubism.” Kasey made a face and looked to Greg, who ignored her, apparently having decided to tune out the bickering.
“Tell me that doesn’t remind you of Factory, Horta de Ebbo.” Bones pretended not to notice Kasey’s surprise. “Obviously, there’s no glass in that painting, but the way Picasso represents the sky…” He gestured toward the building and then watched out of the corner of his eye as she gave a reluctant nod.
“I see your point.” Kasey tugged at her ear, something she did, Bones noticed, whenever she felt annoyed.
Bones nodded. Truth was, he didn’t know much about art, but he’d picked up a few things here and there, mostly back when Maddock was dating Kaylin Maxwell, who worked as a professor of fine arts and was a painter herself. As with many other subjects, he knew just enough to carry on a conversation, or even take someone by surprise with his knowledge.
“You should see the green wall,” Kasey said.
“At Fenway Park? Been there, done that.”
“No, it’s a section of the museum’s exterior.” This time, she even sounded amused. “Imagine an office building with big, modern windows, but the rest of the building looks like it’s made of jungle. They call it a vertical garden. I’ve seen it in pictures, but never in person.”
“Sounds pretty cool, actually. How big is it?”
“Two hundred meters long, twelve meters high.”
“I could climb that easy. How about we grab a bottle of wine and race to the top?” Bones winked.
Kasey lowered her eyebrows and pursed her lips.
“Or we could do the Eiffel Tower. Your choice.”
“Okay, time to get to work.” Greg remained on his usual, even keel. “We’ll split up. You two go in first, I’ll follow in a few minutes. Keep in touch.” He tapped his ear, indicating the communication devices with which they’d all been outfitted.
“Why do I have to go in with him?” Kasey stressed the last word.
“Because you two argue like a couple that’s been together forever. Nobody will look at you twice.”
“Chicks always look at me twice, sometimes more,” Bones said.
“I don’t know why karma has it in for me.” Kasey sighed and took his hand. “Come on, you big ape. If we’re going to do this, let’s do it right.”
“You know something? You and my sister would get along.”
“You have a sister?” Kasey winced. “Give me her address. I want to send her a sympathy card.”
The interior of the museum provided an odd juxtaposition of modern architecture and displays of artifacts from primitive cultures. Sinuous, shoulder-high partition walls snaked across the floor, and many of the exhibits were encased in glass on all sides, giving visitors an oddly distorted view of people and objects in the distance.
“Pretty creepy.” Bones looked around at the primitive displays. “I didn’t expect such funky stuff in a snooty place like Paris.”
“Their subject matter is interesting. That’s for sure.” Kasey paused to inspect a sculpture of a Maya warrior. “This guy is imposing.”
“Looks a lot like my grandmother, except she had a beard.”
“Let’s just find the crystal skull.” Kasey sighed and resumed walking. They wandered through the exhibits, feigning interest in the items on display. They moved a little slower than Bones would have liked, but they didn’t want to draw attention to themselves.
They reach the crystal skull display and stopped short.
“Lovely. Can’t say I’m surprised.” Kasey shook her head.
The pedestal where the skull normally stood was now bare, save for a sign reading, in French and in English, THIS EXHIBIT IS TEMPORARILY OFF DISPLAY. Kasey pressed a finger to her ear and spoke softly. “Greg, are you there?”
“I’m here. What have you got?” Greg sounded as if he were standing right next to them. Kasey told him about the skull. “Okay. I’m working on getting into their server right now. You two wander around and keep your eyes open. Be ready to move when I give the word.”
“I don’t know about all this cloak and dagger stuff,” Bones said. “Normally, I’d just look around for a sign that reads Do Not Enter, and walk on through.”
“It might come to that, but let’s see what Greg can learn before you go blundering into a bad situation.”
“We’re in a museum, and one full of Frenchmen at that. How bad a situation could we possibly get into? I guess they could throw wine and cheese at us.”
“You know, the more time I spend with you, the better I understand why Tam calls you a dummy.” Though she stood a foot shorter than he, Kasey somehow managed to look down her nose at him. “Have you forgotten who else wants the skull?”
&nbs
p; “Oh yeah.” Bones scratched his head. “I actually had kind of forgotten. The company of a beautiful woman does that to me.”
Just then, Greg’s voice sounded in his ear. “Could you two turn off your mics when you start in on each other? You’re giving me a headache.” Kasey shot a dirty glance his way and Bones shrugged. “You guys need to make your way to the southwest corner of the museum. When you get there, look for a door with a sign that reads Do Not Enter.”
“See? Told you.”
Kasey pointedly ignored his gloating smile. Despite his longer legs, he was forced to quicken his pace in order to keep up with her as she strode through the museum, not slowing down until they reached the corner of the museum. She paused in front of a display of primitive musical instruments, turned, and jabbed a finger against his chest.
“I want you to follow my lead when we get in there. You understand?”
“Yeah, but I have to warn you, I’m only good at following orders up to a point. Sometimes instinct kicks in and then…” He made a wry face.
She exhaled, long and slow. “Well, do the best you can.” As she walked away, he heard her mutter something about Tam and choosing her own partners from now on.
Bones grinned and followed along behind her. Keeping an eye on the few visitors wandering the exhibit, they slipped around a display and out of sight. Kasey took one last look to make sure no one was watching, gave him a warning frown, opened the door, and stepped through. Give her time, he thought. Sooner or later, she’d come to appreciate him.
Chapter 12
The waters of Guanahacabibes off of the western tip of Cuba sparkled in the morning sun. Maddock sucked in a deep breath of the damp, salty sea air and smiled. Being out on the water felt like a reunion with an old friend. He never tired of it.
"So, this is supposed to be a sunken Atlantean city? I've never heard of it."
Sofia leaned against the rail and looked out over the water, her brown eyes glassy. She perked up at the sound of his voice.
"No one has really taken the theory seriously. About ten years ago, a research crew made sonar scans of the area, revealing what looked like roads, walls, buildings, even pyramids. Another researcher used remotely-operated video equipment to collect footage of the site, but all she got were some poor quality images of stone blocks and some formations that might be man-made structures. When she couldn't produce more definitive proof, skeptics concluded there was nothing to get excited about. The mild interest the discovery stirred quickly died down, and now the place is all but forgotten.
"The so-called experts don't like theories and discoveries that run contrary to their beliefs. Most of them have a lot more in common with religious fundamentalists than they'd like to admit."
Sofia raised her eyebrows and cocked her head. "You surprise me. You don't find many people who think that way. Except, of course, on the internet forums where the loonies congregate."
"Bones' second home." Maddock grinned. "I've seen some things over the past few years that have opened my eyes. I'm still a skeptic at heart, but I no longer dismiss theories out of hand just because they seem unlikely. There’s more to this world than the average person would ever suspect."
Sofia nodded. "That's one of the reasons I haven't shared my findings from the dig site. All I have are photos and the codex, and the scientific community would point out that either could be fakes. When it's safe, and if the Spanish government will let me, I'll go back some day and re-excavate. Hell, I might live-stream the dig so everyone will know it's real." She spoke the last sentence with bitterness in her voice.
"You don't think the government would let you come back?"
"Who knows? I tried for months to get a dig permit and they stonewalled me. It took Bishop Hadel, or Mister Bishop as I knew him, getting involved to make it happen. When he killed my crew, he had a police officer with him. Somebody he bought off, I expect. Clearly, he's got connections at more than one level of government." She looked down at the blue-green water rushing by, and her eyes fell. "Governments can be weird, in any case. Look at how much trouble people have researching Noah's Ark."
"That's one I have trouble buying into. I have enough trouble spending a few days cooped up on a boat with Bones. Add a wife, kids, daughters in-law, and a ton of animals to the mix? No way.”
"Don't be so sure." She nudged him with her elbow and smiled. "What did you just tell me about dismissing the improbable?"
"I'm not dismissing it. I'm just skeptical."
"Fair enough." Sofia's voice took on a tone of forced casualness. "Speaking of improbable, how is a handsome guy like you still single? No wedding band, no tan line where a ring should be. What's your deal?"
"I was married a long time ago, but she died." He left it at that. Melissa's death no longer haunted him, but he'd never feel comfortable talking about it.
"Sorry. I tend to say whatever comes to mind. When you work in a male-dominated field, you can’t be passive."
"No problem. Bones is the same way and he and I are like brothers." Sofia smiled and the warmth in her eyes made him uncomfortable. "In fact, I'm dating his sister." He took out his phone and showed her a photo of himself and Angel.
"She's beautiful.” Sofia laughed. “When you mentioned his sister, I imagined Bones in a dress."
Tam's voice rang out above the hum of the engine and rush of the sea breeze. "Bones in a dress? I'd pay to see that."
“You and no one else.” Maddock returned his attention to Sofia. "So, what makes you think this place is worth our time?"
"I’ve had my eye on it since its discovery. A passage in the codex describes a sister city ‘across the waves to the west,’ with details that match photos of the sunken city. It was supposedly ruled by Azaes, a king of Atlantis who is associated with this part of the world."
“I don’t know that name.” Maddock had done his share of reading about the legendary lost city, but Sofia was miles ahead of him in that department.
“He’s better known in this part of the world as Itzamna.”
“Ah! The man who brought the arts and sciences of a destroyed civilization to the people of the Yucatan.” Maddock had heard this story before.
“The old, bearded, white man who escaped a flood that destroyed his civilization,” Sofia added. “Sound familiar?”
“Yeah, sounds like Noah.”
“You’re funny. Seriously, though, the Gulf of Mexico used to be much smaller and shallower. In fact, Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula were once connected by a land bridge which included this area. A few years ago, archaeologists found three well-preserved skeletons in deep, underwater caves off the coast of the Yucatan. The remains dated back 11,000 years. It fits.” Sofia sounded like an attorney making her closing argument.
“You think this was Azeas’ home and, when it flooded, he fled to the Yucatan and started over?” Maddock couldn’t deny the potential connection.
“I think it’s a strong possibility.”
"Corey says we're almost there," Tam called from the doorway leading into the cabin of Maddock’s boat, Sea Foam. She wore shorts, a tight-fitting tank top, and an eager smile. "I've got to tell you, Maddock, this discovery stuff is fun. I spend too much time these days sitting at a computer going through files."
"You’re sure you and Corey can handle things up here?"
A roll of her eyes was Tam’s only reply.
"Corey says we’re right over the spot.” Willis appeared on deck. “I finally get to try out the sub. Let’s do this!”
Maddock, Willis, and Sofia took their places inside Remora. They didn’t bother with wetsuits, as they’d not be exiting the sub. When everyone was secure and Willis reported all systems were go, Maddock took Remora into a steep dive.
The waters turned from a bright aquamarine to a deep sapphire as they descended below the sunlight zone and into darkness where the sun’s rays seldom penetrated. Maddock switched on the front lights and let the nav computer guide them to their destination.
&nb
sp; “It’s so dark down here.” Sofia spoke in a reverent whisper. “It’s creepy.”
“This ain’t nothing,” Willis said. “Get down below 3,000 feet, that’s the midnight zone. It’s like diving in ink. You don’t know which way is up.”
“I’ve done some diving, but I’ve never been so far down.”
“You won’t dive this deep, girl. You’ve got to be in a sub if you don’t want to get squished.”
“Approaching one thousand feet.” Maddock kept his voice level in spite of his excitement. The images Sofia had shown him of this city were remarkable, and he couldn’t wait to see them for himself.
“Will the sub be all right this far down?” Sofia’s casual tone didn’t quite mask the concern in her voice. “Isn’t the water pressure substantial at this depth?”
“It’s rated for two thousand feet, so we’ll be fine.” Maddock hoped the rating was accurate.
Just then, a shape appeared in the distance. He slowed Remora and approached with caution. In a matter of seconds, they found themselves gazing at a massive structure of stacked, square blocks.
“It’s a pyramid. Looks kind of like the ones the Mayans built,” Willis said. “Except for the top. It looks more Egyptian. See how it’s pointed?”
“Maya, not Mayan,” Sofia corrected.
“Whatever. Hey Maddock, let’s circle this bad boy and let me take sonar readings.”
“Roger that. Corey, are you picking up on our feed?”
“Loud and clear. Audio and video. Tam says she wants you to scout the city before you zero in on any single structure.”
“Sorry, you dropped out. I’ll ping you again after we scout the pyramid.” Maddock smiled when he heard Tam curse in the background.
“That girl is going to have serious cash in her cussing jar if she keeps working with us.”
“You have got to stop calling her ‘girl.’ It’s a dangerous habit.” Maddock piloted the sub around the pyramid’s base. Thousands of years of undersea currents had worn the sharp corners smooth, but it was still a remarkable structure, with well-proportioned levels and the remnants of steps still visible on the lower half of one side. As Willis noted, it looked like an amalgam of Maya and Egyptian architecture, with the stepped lower portions giving way to a classic pyramid structure at the top.
