The Dane Maddock Adventures Boxed Set Volume 2

by David Wood

  “Bishop,” Wilson began, “he had these with him.”

  The bishop took the pouch containing the Atlantean stones, looked inside, and smiled. “I think we now have what we need.” He leaned in close to Maddock until their faces were inches apart. “Are you ready to die?”

  Maddock didn’t speak, didn’t think. Instead, he head-butted Hadel across the bridge of the nose.

  Hadel cried out in pain and reeled away, his hands unable to hold back the crimson flow that streamed down his chin and dripped onto the stone floor.

  Behind him, the Dominion operative clubbed Maddock across the back of his head with the butt of his rifle. Maddock dropped to one knee, his head swimming. Hadel was about to use the machine. What could he do?

  The big, green-eyed man hurried to Hadel’s side, but the bishop shook him off.

  “I’m fine, Robinson. Just keep an eye on these three in case they try anything else.” His broken nose still dripping blood, he turned and headed for the machine.

  “Shall I kill them?” Robinson asked.

  “No. Let them see it happen. I want them to feel their failure deep in their bones before they die.”

  “With all due respect,” Robinson said, “I don’t think we should try the machine until we’re certain of what it does.”

  Hadel turned a beatific smile in Robinson’s direction. “I know what it does. It will bring about the end of times, as promised in the Book of Revelation.”

  Robinson swallowed hard. “I understand, but we should learn to control it before we use it.”

  “Control? You do not presume to control the power of God.”

  Maddock’s vision cleared and he noticed the guards behind Jade and Bones shift uncomfortably. The time was drawing near and the only possible action would be desperate and likely fatal. Of course, if Hadel discharged the machine, the result would be the same. As Maddock planned his last, desperate attack, Hadel continued to rant.

  “You saw what lies in this place. Abominations! The earth must be cleansed of this filth.”

  Robinson tried to argue but Hadel went on.

  “This world has become an abomination. Our faith is persecuted daily as people bow to the altars of science and government. Imagine what the idolaters would make of what we’ve found here. They would use it as evidence,” he spat the word, “against the truth of our Lord.” His voice fell to a hoarse grunt. “Better they die in the Lord than live in confusion.”

  The bishop turned again and, as he approached the machine, the crystals in his hand began to flicker. He knelt before the machine and began to recite the Lord’s Prayer.

  “Robinson?” one of the guards said.

  “Stand firm.” Robinson ordered. “He is about the Lord’s work.”

  Hadel laid a gleaming crystal in the silver hand rising from the altar. It snapped into place and began to glow. Behind the rail, the giant crystals that formed the machine also began to glow.

  High above, unnoticed by anyone except Maddock, crystals set in the stone began to glimmer as Hadel laid more crystals into place. With each one, the machine shone brighter and the crystals in the ceiling sparkled.

  Soon, Maddock recognized their shape. He took another glance in the direction of the machine, and then back up at the crystals in the ceiling. He now understood the machine’s purpose.

  As the bishop made to place the last stone, Maddock stole a glance at Bones and Jade. Their eyes met and he mouthed instructions. He didn’t know for certain if they understood, because, just then, the last crystal clicked into place and the world exploded in blue light.

  Chapter 49

  “Where the hell are you, Maddock?” Tam stood, hands on hips, staring at the small hotel that stood in the middle of the Richat Structure. They’d found plenty of footprints and tire tracks, but no sign of Maddock or the others. Until they’d arrived, she hadn’t appreciated how vast this place was. “I shouldn’t have sent him in ahead of us.”

  She looked up as Greg and Professor emerged from the hotel.

  “There’s a body inside,” Greg said, “but no sign of our people.”

  “Do you think they were here?” Tam asked.

  Greg shrugged. “No way to tell.”

  “Damn! If Willis and Matt don’t find any sign of them, I guess we’ll follow the tire tracks and hope it’s them.” Tam sighed. “And that’s another dollar in the jar, too. Working with those two is going to break me.”

  Willis and Matt appeared a few minutes later, looking sweaty and frustrated.

  “We didn’t find nothing.” Willis cast an angry glance in the direction from which they’d come. “I don’t know where those boys got off too.”

  “We’ll have to keep looking.” Tam turned toward their vehicle, where Corey sat, pecking away at his laptop. “Any luck tracing their cellphones?”

  “No signal out here,” Corey said. “You should have issued satellite phones.”

  Tam bit off her reply as the ground began to tremble.

  “What the hell is that?” Willis scanned the horizon. “Somebody drop a bomb?”

  A low rumble resounded from somewhere deep beneath the earth, and with it the ground shook even more violently. Tam staggered and grabbed hold of Willis’ arm for support.

  A column of brilliant, blue light shot up from the ground, consuming the hotel. Tam shielded her eyes from the blinding light. Oddly, it generated no heat, but she felt as if every hair on her body were standing on end. It went on for the span of ten heartbeats, and then stopped without warning.

  “What in the name of Jesus?” she muttered, blinking the spots out of her eyes.

  “It was like a beam of pure energy.” Professor’s face was ashen. “It went straight up into space, almost like a…”

  “Like what?” Tam asked.

  “Like a beacon.” He turned his eyes up to the sky. “You know, like the way researchers send messages into space, hoping to make contact with alien life.”

  Tam’s breath caught in her throat. She remembered Tyson’s words. “…prepare for the return.” Could this be what he meant? Was the so-called Revelation Machine designed to send a message into space? No, she couldn’t even contemplate that right now. They still needed to find Maddock and the others.

  “Tam, look at this,” Greg called.

  Where the hotel once stood, a shaft, perfectly round and smooth, plunged deep into the ground. She joined Greg at its edge.

  “The stone seems to have melted away, but it’s cool to the touch.” He ran his fingers along the inside of the shaft to demonstrate.

  “Dissolved is more like it,” Professor added. “How is that possible?”

  “We can figure that out later,” Tam said. “Look at what’s down there.”

  Down at the bottom of the shaft, a circle of crystals flickered in the darkness. Tam’s sharp eyes could just make out a metallic ring around the crystals. It had to be the Revelation Machine, which meant there was a good chance that was where they’d find Maddock.

  Or the Dominion.

  Chapter 50

  When Bishop Hadel placed the last crystal into place, Maddock closed his eyes and shielded them with his hands. The surprised cries from the Dominion’s agents told him he’d guessed correctly.

  He spun about and struck at the Dominion agent, who had been rendered temporarily blind by the brilliant light from the Revelation Machine. His fist connected solidly with the man’s chin. His legs turned to rubber and Maddock kicked him in the temple on the way down. Beside him, Bones had eliminated his guard with ruthless efficiency, and now closed in on the agent who guarded Jade. She, too had understood Maddock’s plan, and now grappled with the man for control of his AK-47.

  Maddock turned and made a dash for Robinson, who squinted against the bright light and looked around for a target on which to bring his weapon to bear. He reached Robinson, drove his shoulder into Robinson’s chest, and knocked his rifle barrel upward just as the man squeezed the trigger, sending bullets ricocheting through the c
hamber.

  Like a football player hitting the blocking sled, Maddock drove the larger man backward. Surprised, Robinson lost his grip on his rifle, stumbled backward, and hit the rail. For a moment, he struggled to regain his balance, but Maddock drove a sidekick into Robinson’s chest, sending him toppling backward.

  Robinson’s head struck the nearest crystal and a blue aura engulfed him. His body jerked, his mouth twisted in a silent scream of anguish. His hair blackened and crumbled to dust in an instant. Even after the burst of energy ceased, Robinson continued to thrash about like a fish on dry land.

  Slowly, the crystals dimmed, flickered, and died. It felt like an eternity, but Maddock knew the phenomenon couldn’t have lasted much more than ten seconds. He looked around and saw Bones hauling a whimpering Bishop Hadel to his feet. Jade hurried to him and crushed him in a tight embrace.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” He gently extracted himself from her arms. “You okay, Bones?”

  “Hell yes. I almost fell asleep waiting for you to decide what to do.”

  Maddock recovered their weapons from the fallen Dominion operatives and assessed the situation. The men who had guarded Bones and Jade lay dead, while the man Maddock had taken out wobbled on hands and knees as he slowly regained consciousness. Maddock gave him another kick to the head and then bound him with his own belt.

  Still holding on to Hadel, Bones glanced up at the ceiling, where the blast had carved a perfect circle where the apex of the temple had been moments earlier. “I saw you looking up there. What did you see?”

  “Orion.” Maddock pointed at the remaining crystals. “Most of it’s gone, but you can still see his bow. His belt lay centered at the top of the ceiling and the crystals were pointed right at it. It just didn’t seem like a weapon to me. With all we’ve seen, the connections to Orion, I just had a feeling.”

  “You think Hadel just sent a signal to the aliens?” Bones asked. “I should have thought of that myself.”

  “I don’t know. If we assume the Atlanteans came from a planet orbiting a star in Orion, he picked the wrong time of day. Orion won’t be overhead for several hours yet.”

  “But signals sent into space will diffuse over great distances,” Jade said. “They might get the message someday.”

  Hadel, who stood stock-still next to Bones, his nose still dripping blood, slumped to the ground. “No,” he whispered.

  “Seriously, dude? You kill thousands of people and don’t bat an eye, but make one little call to E.T. and you lose it?”

  “You don’t understand what will happen if the people find out…”

  “Find out what? The truth?” Maddock said. “People are resilient. How about putting a little faith in them instead of in your twisted version of God?”

  “People are sheep. They must be shown the way, else they stray into peril.”

  “After all the people you’ve killed, you’re going to talk about keeping them from peril?” Maddock clenched his fists and, with a supreme effort of will, stopped himself from decking the man.

  “Better a temporal death than an eternal one.” The madness now receded from Hadel’s eyes. Now a crafty grin spread across his face as he rose to his feet. “Besides, I have killed no one.”

  “Neither did Hitler,” Maddock retorted, “but you’re responsible for every killing done by your minions. For Sofia Perez, for the people of Norfolk and Key West, and all the others.”

  “Key West?” Hadel forced a laugh. “A modern day Sodom. I was proud to give the order.”

  “I’d watch what I say about Sodom,” Bones cautioned, “considering where you’re headed. We work for the government now, and I can guarantee you our boss will find you an affectionate cellmate to comfort you in your declining years.”

  Hadel blanched. “You’ll never get a conviction. The government can’t hope to match the attorneys I have at my disposal.”

  “Who says you’ll be going to trial?”

  Maddock turned to see Tam, in rappelling gear, lowering herself to the floor. A few seconds later, Willis and Greg followed.

  “Where’s Matt?” Maddock asked.

  “Watching our backs with Professor. They weren’t happy about it but I couldn’t trust nerd boy to do it by himself.”

  “What do you mean I won’t be going to trial?” Hadel demanded.

  “Shush!” Tam held up a finger, silencing him. She turned in a slow circle, taking in the chamber. “Lord Jesus. So this is it.”

  “This is just a tiny bit of it,” Jade said. “There’s a library, a crypt, and all sorts of chambers. Lots of Atlantean instruments and devices, too.”

  “It would take years, maybe even decades, to glean all the knowledge from this place,” Maddock said. “But I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “We’ve had this conversation before, Maddock, and my opinion hasn’t changed any more than yours has. Technology can be dangerous, but I’d rather have it in our hands than in those of an enemy.” Tam paused. “Where’s Sofia?”

  Maddock tried to answer, but his mouth was sandpaper and emotion held his throat in a chokehold. He felt Jade’s hand on his shoulder.

  “The Dominion got her.” Bones’ voice was as tight as his fists, which he clenched so hard that his arms trembled.

  “Damn.” Tam put her hands on her hips, took a deep breath, and composed herself.

  And then she whirled and drove her fist into Hadel’s gut. His breath left him in a rush and he slumped over. Tam grabbed a handful of his unkempt hair, kicked his feet out from under him, leaned down, and whispered in his ear. “I’ll tell you why you won’t be getting a trial any time soon, if ever. First of all, I don’t plan on letting anyone know we’ve got you. We’ll let them think you’re dead while you rot away in Guantanamo Bay. And then we’ll label you an enemy combatant.”

  “It won’t stick.” Hadel grunted. “I’m a citizen. I have rights.”

  “That’s okay, sweetie. By then, I’ll have taken my pound of flesh and squeezed every last secret out of you. The Dominion will be dead. Broken. Have fun using a public defender to fight charges of high treason, murder, and whatever else we can think of throwing at you.”

  “You have to let me go. You have no choice.”

  “I don’t think so.” Tam yanked Hadel to his feet. “Greg, bind this fool. And don’t be gentle.”

  Greg pulled out a pair of cable ties and grabbed Hadel by the wrist.

  “Do you think I would let my plan, my purpose, die without me? If, at any point, twenty-four hours pass without my people hearing from me, or if they learn I have been captured, the failsafe is activated. One city every forty-eight hours. Can you let that happen?” Hadel winced as Greg yanked his arms behind his back and bound his wrists.

  “We’ll stop you.” Only a slight twitch in her cheek belied Tam’s resolve.

  “How? You don’t know where the next attack will be, and the Atlantean weapon can be hidden on any boat. You can’t guard every inch of the American coastline. Then again, perhaps your hubris is so great that you believe exactly that.”

  Maddock thought Tam might punch Hadel again, but she smiled instead. “You’re going to tell me where the next attack will take place.”

  “You are an arrogant little girl.” Hadel had regained some of his bluster, if not his self-assurance.

  “Or you will tell Bonebrake.” Tam turned to Bones. “You and Willis take our guest somewhere out of sight of us witnesses and teach him some of your traditional interrogation techniques.”

  “What?” Hadel gasped.

  “Can I just scalp him?” Bones drew his Recon knife and licked the blade.

  “If that don’t work, I got some tricks I can show you.” Willis bared his teeth and mimicked biting Hadel’s face.

  “I don’t care,” Tam said. “Just make it slow and make it hurt. For Sofia.”

  Bones and Greg hauled Hadel, who struggled and hurled racial epithets at them, into one of the passageways leading ou
t of the chamber.

  Maddock watched them go, wishing he could feel good about this turn of events, but unable to put Sofia’s death out of his mind. “You do realize Bones doesn’t know any kind of Indian torture methods, unless you want him to wear Hadel down with juvenile banter.”

  “I know that and you know that, but Hadel doesn’t know that.” Tam gave him a wink and then turned to Greg.

  “As long as we’re waiting, I’d like to check out the alcove back there.” Jade pointed to the small room on the far side of the chamber.

  In the other Atlantean temples, the small room was the adyton, a place exclusive to priests. Here, it served a very different purpose.

  A tall, impossibly thin man with an elongated head lay perfectly preserved in a coffin of blue-tinted crystal. Jade gasped and Greg took a step back, but not Maddock and Tam, who had seen something like this only months before.

  “There’s another connection,” Maddock said.

  “I wonder who he was.” Jade moved in for a closer look.

  Maddock took in the sight. The man had long greenish-brown hair and beard, wore sea green robes and a silver crown inset with mother of pearl and topped by the largest shark’s teeth Maddock had ever seen. His long, slender hands gripped a crystal tipped…

  …trident.

  “Poseidon.”

  The name hung in the air while the others struggled to reconcile this alien being with the god out of Greek mythology. Tam finally broke the silence.

  “You’re saying the Greek gods were real? Or, at least, this one was?”

  “I’m saying I think this guy was the source of the Poseidon myth. He was important enough that his was the only body they preserved. I’ll bet he was the Atlantean ruler, which is why he’s represented in their temples, though in a form to which humans could relate. Think about it. The Atlanteans’ alien appearance and their advanced technology would have made them seem godlike to primitive humans. I wouldn’t be surprised if other Atlantean leaders provided the inspiration for other ancient world myths, legends, and gods.”

  Tam turned and hurried away. She stopped, dropped to one knee, and rested her hands on the rail that encircled the Revelation Machine. Her shoulders heaved and her head drooped.