“Adam said Orion called them Will-o’-the-wisp.”
Moon jerked the binoculars from Luke and looked again at the bell. “The serum.”
“What?”
“Die Glocke was said to run off some kind of green, glowing serum.” Moon turned back around. “What does this mean?”
“You’re asking me?” Luke said as he took the binoculars. “Maybe the bell is powered by those globes. Hey, Karl is going back toward the pyramid.”
“Good. They said they would all meet at the bell at sunup. That’s not long from now. Let’s hope Grace will be ready.”
No one could say the giants were not punctual. As soon as the orange of the sun peeked over the top of the eastern buildings, Shevay and his entourage paraded toward the bell with Karl in their wake—he was smart and knew his place.
“Look at him,” Moon said. “I’m going to take him down a few notches.”
Luke had retrieved Moons monocular and he studied the situation. There were guards all around the bell. He didn’t see how in the world Moon was going to even get close, much less talk to Shevay.
Moon turned to Luke. “Are you ready for show time, Constable?”
Luke felt the jitters, but he composed himself. “I’m ready, Special Agent.”
Moon smiled and nodded. “If this goes badly, Luke, it’s no one’s fault. Understand?”
He took a deep breath, but didn’t answer.
“It is simply a mission. But, hey, I have all the confidence in the world this one will succeed.”
He knew she had doubts, but he played along. What else was there to do?
“Are they up there?” Moon said.
Luke looked up to the north ridge—the same place he and Adam had been when they scoped the city. He saw Adam and Wak’o crouched down by the big boulder. “Yeah. They are in position.”
She started out of the hiding spot, but turned. “Luke, you will have to get close to what you must do. If you are wounded, you must continue. This is bigger than any of us. The mission comes first. Do you understand?”
He had already come to terms with that, and he was as prepared as he could possibly be. He had thought of his brother in the Special Forces. “I do understand.”
“God Speed,” she said.
“God Speed,” Luke said as Moon jogged toward the bell.
Chapter 15
Grace inspected the craft for the tenth time. She wasn’t much on the idea of securing everything with vines and leather, but Adam and Wak’o had assured her they would hold. The skin of the craft was as tight as they could stretch it—it was no drum, but she believed it was good enough. The bamboo was strong. The pieces were mostly tan and dry, but there were a few green stalks here and there. Again, the others had assured her the structure would not fail.
She exhaled a long breath. This was like preparing for a karate match or her turn at bat. Well, no, it really was not—this was for keeps. This was really life or death. This was the ultimate game. There would be no “we will get them next time.” This was it.
Adam and Wak’o crouched behind the rock, looking down at the bell. They were communicating with hand gestures. If all this worked out, she would insist Moon help with her French so she and the rest could talk with Wak’o. Hand gestures could only take you so far. Grace would love to be able to just chat with Wak’o, her new best friend.
Adam stared at Grace. He looked back down below and then walked to her. “I should be the one to do this,” he said.
“Men are all the same no matter where they are,” she said. “Adam, I am the right weight for this. You are not. This thing will do better with less weight. You are heavier.” Adam shook his head, but he had no reply, and she knew he meant well. She placed her hand on his thick arm. “It will be fine,” she said. “I am really good at this.” That sounded so good to her that she almost believed it herself.
Wak’o stood by Adam and looked the craft over. If she had come from the time of the French Explorers in America, the most advanced vehicle she would have been familiar with was the flatboat. But she was not ignorant; she knew the plan. Grace had communicated it the best she could with hand signs, and Grace believed she trusted her to pull it off. Wak’o smiled at Grace as she made fists and crossed her wrists in front of her chest. Grace believed this was the sign for love or friend. Grace did the same.
“Grace, get ready,” Adam said.
Adam raised the craft and Grace stepped under and secured herself to it. She looked across to the hills on the other side of the city and said a quick prayer. The wind wasn’t quite right, but it could have been worse. Adam held his position while Wak’o went back to the edge of the cliff. Grace started her mantra that she always went through before any competition or event: “I am in control. I can do this. I am in control. I can do this…” She continued as she waited for the signal.
Moon made it almost to the bell before she allowed the guards to catch her. Through binoculars, Luke watched her struggle just a little. He had seen her in action—she could have kicked their asses coming and going if she had wanted, but that was not the plan. They took her straight away to Shevay. Perfect.
Luke looked up and there was Wak’o hidden at her post on the edge of the cliff. “Please, God, let this go right,” he prayed.
Luke turned back just in time to see Karl slap Moon across the face. It was all Luke could do to restrain himself from running over there to stomp that Nazi in the ground. But if Moon could restrain—and she was a better ass-stomper than he ever was—he had to stick with the plan. Shevay reached down and picked Karl up by the collar with little effort—the giant wasn’t only tall, but strong—and then he lowered Karl back down. Luke reckoned he got the message because he laid off Moon.
Moon started in with her pitch with a lot of hand gestures and drama. Karl was not to be outdone; he became animated with his, pointing at the bell often. From that distance they appeared to be salesmen, trying to make the sale of a lifetime. In fact, they were. Other giants gathered close, and they too began gesturing.
Luke looked back up. Wak’o was on her feet.
He looked back to Moon. Her hand went to her coat pocket.
Wak’o was gone from the cliff edge.
Luke got to his feet. He squeezed the grenade in his hand. “Only one chance, Luke,” he said to himself. “Only one chance, just like loosing an arrow.”
Moon pulled her hand from her pocket and brought out a stone. Immediately a streak of lightning flew to it from the pyramid peak. She staggered a bit, but regained her footing.
Luke looked up just as the bright red triangle cleared the cliff edge. It swooped down a little, but then Grace gained control and it arced back skyward.
Moon was pointing and shouting as Luke looked back toward her. All were looking at it—a large, red triangle with a big, white circle enclosing a swastika in the middle of it. A girl hung from the middle of it with her long blond hair whipping wildly in the wind. Moon ran to the edge of the hills pointing with all following her, and Karl protesting.
This was Luke’s cue. He bolted from the cover of the bushes and ran faster than a frightened buck. All were looking up. He tried to get more speed as he closed the distance. It was better than they had even hoped for—no one noticed him. Moon had carried them too far away, and they were mesmerized by Grace and her Nazi glider—the bright red was perfect. Luke slid in behind the bell, and no one had seen him. He slid around the side of it. He pulled the pin and prepared to throw it through the hatch. He stopped at the last second. There was Karl’s damn Reeze standing at the door looking up at the red glider. Luke backed away from the hatch.
Moon must have held the rock up again because the charge went off again.
Luke had to think fast. He had pulled the pin, so he squeezed the hell out of the trigger, praying it didn’t go off and blow him back to his dimension. The plan would be no good if anyone was killed, so said Moon. He grabbed his club from his belt and eased around the craft. He conked the man on the
head and he fell like a deflated dummy. Luke tossed the grenade into the bell, grabbed the man by a leg, and raced away from the bell like a wolf dragging a moose leg. A good distance away, he dropped the man and dove behind a pre-planned boulder as the bell exploded.
Everyone turned to look. Luke was safe—scared as hell, but safe. The bell was tender and the explosion had ripped holes all over the thing. Green sparks fluttered from it like fireflies.
Luke looked across to the other side of the city to see Grace had barely cleared the cliff edge, but she did clear it. She would be long gone by the time the guards got to the glider.
Moon was not fairing as well. The guards had her in tow as they went to the bell. Karl was trying to get to her, but the guards had him as well.
Luke knew the plan, but this part was hard to follow. He watched Moon carefully through his binoculars. If he could find a way, he would try to save her. Subtly, she raised her hand and pointed toward the east. She was telling him to escape and follow the plan they had agreed to. He snorted, “Damn it.” He had promised her he would escape and not harm anyone in the city. There was no way he could get to her and not be captured himself without killing a guard or two. He had promised. Everything had gone as planned so far. They all knew there was a chance she would not get out of it alive. The bell was destroyed and that German couldn’t get back to Hitler. The mission was a success. But such a success was bittersweet. This wasn’t over and he would regroup. He turned and made his way out of the city to meet back up with the others.
When Luke looked up to the cave, Adam was standing there. As he climbed toward him, he saw the disappointment on Adam’s face. He was no more disappointed than Luke, but Luke knew there was no point in saying that. The girls stepped up behind Adam. The three were a sight—Adam, the paperback cover, red-haired caveman; Wak’o, the beautiful Indian maiden; and Grace, the blond movie star. Luke did not fit this group, the lowly, country constable who had never made an arrest in his life. Barney Fife had done more.
Grace bopped down the hill to meet him. “Is Moon okay?”
Luke answered her, but looked at Adam. “She appeared to be good, but they have her captured again.”
Adam turned and went back into the cave. They all watched him go.
“It’s not your fault,” Grace said. “She wouldn’t have it any other way. Moon said we had to destroy that bell.”
“I know that.”
They didn’t know what else to say, so they went up to the cave. Adam was sitting on a rock sharpening his spear.
“We will figure something out,” Luke said.
Adam continued to sharpen his spear. “Your world is safe now?”
“I believe it is for now,” Luke said. “We destroyed that time machine or whatever the crap it was.”
Adam stood. “My world is back there in that city. She is to be our next ruler.” He jabbed the spear into the ground. “Is Luke satisfied?”
“She chose it, damn it!”
“No! She did it for you and your world.” Adam pointed his finger at Luke. “What about Frelonna? What about my people? This is your fault.”
“You stupid simpleton. She came back to this world to do this. If she had not come for that purpose, you would not have even known she was alive.”
Grace and Wak’o stepped between them. Grace pulled Luke one way and Wak’o pulled Adam the other. “This won’t win the ballgame here,” Grace said. “We have to remain a team.”
Wak’o crossed her arms and said, “Team!” Luke doubted she knew what it meant, but she was proud of it.
“Look at what we just pulled off,” Grace said. “Did you not see me flying over the city like an eagle?”
“Well, I was a little busy,” Luke said.
“That’s right,” Grace said. “Look what you did—you blew up that bell, just as Moon said you would. We planned it, and we pulled it off—a team.”
“I don’t know what is team, but Sha-She is still there,” Adam said.
“And we will get her back,” Luke said.
“She made us promise not to do that,” Grace said. “She said give her two days, and if she wasn’t back here by then, head back to Frelonna without her.”
“I’m not going to do that,” Luke said.
“We go get her, Luke?” Adam said.
“Hold up,” Grace said. “We were awake all last night. Let’s sleep, and when we are fresh, we will be able to think more clearly. Besides, it would be better after dark if we go.”
“You’re right,” Luke said.
Adam nodded and sat against a rock.
Wak’o brought her hands to her eyes, and with the index fingers, she pointed away from her eyes. “Good idea,” Grace said. “You stand guard and I will relieve you later.” Wak’o went to the cave entrance and rested on a rock.
“She didn’t know what you just said,” Luke said.
“No, but she knew what I meant.”
Luke and Grace sat beside each other and leaned on the cave wall.
“This is all crazy, isn’t it, Luke?” Grace said.
Luke ran his fingers through his hair. “I guess I should have paid more attention in science class. Maybe I would be up on these wormholes.”
“Will we ever get home?” Grace said. She put her hand over her mouth. She was trying to hold it together, but failing.
Luke put his arm around her. She was a tough nut, but everyone had a limit. “I’m sure we will.”
She wiped her eyes and tried to regain control. “Maybe we should have tried to save that bell. It could have been our ticket out of here.”
He had thought the same thing, but Moon had convinced him that the only option was to destroy it. Now he didn’t know which way to go to get home, but what he did know was Moon was the key. She was the one with the knowledge, and they would have to rescue her. But his heart told him that wasn’t the only reason he wanted to rescue her.
“Luke,” Grace said.
“Yeah.”
“Thanks for coming after me. I’ve gotten you in a horrible predicament. If I had only stopped like Tyler said, this would have never happened.”
“What? We would have missed all of this. Where can you go and see real live mammoths and beautiful, historic Osage girls and real live red-haired cavemen?”
Grace grinned. “You have a point.”
Grace had proven to be more than Luke had any idea—strong, smart, resourceful, brave, and beautiful. Now, in the cave, she was tired and homesick. Luke knew she would rebound, but now she just needed some downtime, that’s all. “Grace, do you know the story about Orion, the man that disappeared into thin air off his farm in 1854?”
“No, I don’t think I do.”
“Well, let me tell it to you. But I have to warn you, it’s a little hard to believe.”
“Wake up, Luke,” Grace said, shaking him. Luke came out of a dream and found Grace kneeling beside him. “Moon is coming.”
Luke sat up, collected himself. “Is she alone?”
“Yeah.”
Luke got to his feet. Adam and Wak’o were at the cave entrance looking out. “Is anyone following her?” Grace shook her head. Luke saw her coming across the prairie in the wide opening, not a care in the world. It did not look right, did not feel right, may be a trap, a deception to lure them out. He saw the expression on Adam; he had the same apprehension and he retrieved his spear. “What do you think, Adam?”
“I’m going to meet her,” Adam said. “If it is wrong, I will raise my spear.” He moved down the side of the hill like a goat. He wasted no time.
“Y’all grab your stuff in case we have to bolt,” Luke said as he threw his pack onto his back. “I can’t believe they would have just let her go. That damn German may have a rifle on her or something.”
Grace made a hand sign and Wak’o gathered her things into her bag. “If they know where we are, we don’t have a chance. You do realize that, don’t you, Luke?” He knew it. “But I don’t think she would have brought them h
ere even if Karl did have a rifle on her,” she said. Luke believed that too.
Adam ran to Moon. Luke studied them in his binoculars. Everything appeared to be good. Adam looked in all directions, but he never raised his spear. Luke scanned every inch of the horizon and the hilltop, but his binoculars didn’t spot anything that would suggest trouble, and then he put them back on Moon as she grew near. He felt her in his chest—a flutter. He watched her get closer and he grew anxious. “They’re not following her,” he said. “They let her go.”
“How do you know that?” Grace said.
“She has her pack.” He lowered the binoculars and turned to Grace. “Her pistol is in her waistband.”
Grace took the binoculars. “You’re right. Maybe she kicked all their asses and took them.”
Luke dropped his pack, reached in, and pulled out a tube of matches. “I’ve been saving these, but I’m fixin’ to make a fire with one now.” They already had the wood piled and ready but had never lit it, not wanting to be discovered.
“They will know where we are,” Grace said.
“They probably already know. And if they don’t, it doesn’t matter or Moon wouldn’t be coming here in the wide open like that.”
“Why do we need a fire anyway?” Grace said.
“There are big fish in that stream down below—I saw them, and we will eat good for a change.” Luke started the fire with the first match. As he nursed it, he said, “Beside that, Sweetie, a fire is a tonic, and we need that. It will be soothing as Moon tells us her tale.”
Soon Moon came through the entrance. Luke wanted to run and hug her. He wanted to squeeze her so tight, but he did not. “Thank God you are safe.”
She smiled as she looked at each one. “Team, you were amazing. Grace, that was perfect. That Nazi glider was perfect.”
“Thanks,” Grace said. “It was a rush.”
Moon turned to Luke, “Constable, excellent job.”
“Tell us what happened after we pulled out,” Luke said.
Portal to the Forgotten Page 17
