by Tom Hunter
We’re sitting targets out here, Thomas had thought as he’d scanned the open field which surrounded them. Though the sounds of Noah’s compound imploding had begun to fade, his heart was still in his throat as his mind reviewed all that had transpired. Spurred on by his thoughts, Thomas reached deep to propel his legs faster. He sprinted forward, but his legs and body could take no more. He collapsed in a heap as the others caught up.
“Let’s take a minute to catch our breath. The vehicle isn’t going anywhere.”
The others hot on his heels collapsed in a heap on the hard-packed dirt and gritty sand. Robbie, Alexia, and Pediah Mochni stretched out full-length on their backs, shading their eyes in the glare of the sun as they looked up at the rest of the team. For a moment, there was silence as everyone caught their breath and listened to the faint rumble of the Kisgar rampage.
As they caught their breath and rested in the cool shade of the alcove, they ruminated on what they’d just borne witness to.
Alexia was first to speak. “I can’t believe that man’s willingness and utter disregard for people or things….”
Thomas finished her thought. “I know what you mean. He’s destroyed his own holdings in order to get away.”
The others shook their heads in disbelief and awe. Who would go to such lengths and why would they do it? Was the prize so worth it? They wondered with an undercurrent of fear if even Noah himself didn’t realize what his actions had begun, or worse, what he’d do if he did understand.
Soon another sound took its place, a slow rumble from within their midst, and at last it could not be contained. Mochni rose and roared, his body trembling as his emotions emanated from his pores. Robbie and Abby jumped up and threw their arms around him.
“Hey. Hey there, it’ll be okay. I promise,” cooed Abby. Mochni shook his head ruefully and sighed; his heart was heavy with the pain.
Robbie patted him on the back just below his shoulder bones. “I’m sorry, man. I know, I mean, I understand.” He glanced toward Abby. “We understand. It’s rough and for a long time, too.”
Mochni whirled from their grasps to face them. “It is NOT alright. It will never BE alright.” He frowned and grunted in frustration. “Everything we did was for nothing!” he roared. “Nothing!”
He began to tick off his points on his fingers as he’d seen Thomas do. “One. We still don’t have Ecknom’s Folly. Two. I have not gotten my revenge on those who worked so hard to destroy my people. Three. I could not control the Kisgar. Father could. I am too…weak,” he finished with resigned shrug and flung himself back to the ground. Leaning against the car, he looked up when Abby said his name.
“Mochni.” Abby lifted his chin with a finger. “That’s not fair. You have been…saddled with...” she shook her head and corrected herself. “Given great responsibility for someone so young.”
Robbie stared at her open-mouthed. “Really? You’re quoting Spiderman right now?” He stifled a laugh.
Alexia and Thomas chuckled softly. Pediah was confused but laughed anyway. They were long overdue for some brevity, he thought.
Abby shrugged. “Whatever works.” She turned to face Mochni once more. “We all understand your frustration and you have every right to be upset.” She sighed. “But I’m afraid there’s a bit more work to be done before you begin to rebuild your life down there. Don’t you worry, though. We’ll be there to help you get your justice.” She smiled gently and Mochni took her hand. It disappeared into his grasp and he gave her a gentle squeeze.
“Thank you.”
As Mochni, Robbie, Abby, and Alexia huddled together. Pediah leaned in and whispered to Thomas, “Listen. I’m sorry about what happened back there with Noah and Ramon and the gun and – ”
Thomas held up a hand. “Stop, Pediah. It’s okay. I know you were staying near to your faith while also steering me away from something I might not have been able to escape. I wanted to kill him. Them. But I’m not a killer.” He quirked his mouth into a pensive twist, sighed, and smiled sheepishly.
Pediah opened his mouth to comfort his friend, but Thomas Knight wasn’t finished. He laughed, a sorrowful sound to Pediah’s ears. “I wanted to kill him, you know. Ramon. With that first shot. I just…couldn’t…do…it.” He dragged out each word on a ragged breath and worked his mouth, debating on if he should say the final bit of what was on his mind. His conscience won out. “I didn’t kill him for two reasons. Beyond you pulling me back from the brink. I wasn’t sure who it was Ramon had a chokehold on and I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t one of you guys. But I guess the biggest, most important reason is that I refuse to be like Noah. I will not let historical artifacts, rumors of gold, and greed run and ruin my life. I wish I’d seen him for who he was years ago, but it was already too late for him. I know that now.”
Pediah remained silent and considered his friend. Thomas had been there when he was fresh off the Amish farm and had taken him on when he learned about Pediah’s spelunking ability and desire. In just a few years, they’d had a lifetime of adventures, some dangerous, but none so dangerous as now. Pediah took a deep breath and offered a sad, knowing smile. He wished he could take away everyone’s pain. That he could somehow offer them the gift of peaceful acceptance his faith afforded him, but he’d learned everyone must find their own peace in their own way.
“Thank you for sharing that with me. It means a lot.” He put a finger to his lips and tilted his head. “I believe that God rewards those who make wise choices and that He will reward you with a second chance at the drum.”
Thomas raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Do you know something I don’t know?”
“I wish I did. But, no. This is just a…feeling. So many terrible things have happened. We’re due for some good luck, don’t you think?” Pediah asked with a soft laugh.
At the sound of footsteps, the men turned to discover Alexia approaching them. “So, what’s next, Captain?” she asked, her eyebrows raised waiting for a response.
Thomas ran a hand through his dusty hair and studied the eyes focused on him. “I guess we wouldn’t be so lucky for Noah to have gotten caught up in his own destruction.” He paused and shook his head. “Nah, I’m not that lucky,” he muttered under his breath. “I suspect he’s alive and well and will remain a thorn in our side for the foreseeable future.” He pursed his lips together, fished his beard comb from his pocket, and calmed himself with quick strokes to brush the worst of the dust from his once neatly trimmed beard. I’d hate to see what has become of it now, he thought idly. “We should probably go back and assess the damage to our own site. See what we can ‘dig up’ so to speak and see if we can reach the authorities.”
Pediah cleared his throat. “Couldn’t they still be at the dig site?” he asked.
“One can hope,” Thomas remarked. Then, “Seriously, though. I think they might still be there. I mean, there was a jailbreak on their watch. They won’t want to go back to the home office until things are sorted. Besides, they’ll be interested in hearing about Noah Ashbridge and what he’s been up to…” Thomas sucked in a breath. “Or they may know already,” he explained as a shudder foreshadowed more danger in their little corner of the world.
Too exhausted for words, the team nodded their agreement. “Okay, team. Let’s get back so we can regroup and make a new plan,” Thomas said as he led them forward and around the bend which led to their hidden vehicle.
Seventeen
It was the odd silences which brought Noah out of his reverie. The constant noise of battle had kept him glued to the past and his present. He realized with a start he hadn’t moved, his hand still gripping the wheel, the ignition switch not yet turned on. How long have I been sitting here? He wondered as he mentally calculated where the sun had been in the sky when he’d gone down to the catacombs. Dark, probably. The sun had been high the last time he’d been outside; it had glistened like a yellow diamond on his twin infinity pools.
Noah perked an ear toward his once stunning villa. It w
ould be an utter pile now, he supposed, and he narrowed his eyes in sudden anxiousness that the sounds of combat were waning, though he could still hear the THUD and CLOP of the Kisgar as they roamed and raged at will through his fortified villa. He’d modeled it to the fortresses of battle across Europe, though with a decidedly modern twist. The shield which cloaked it would have served many a general in the ancient and feudal world.
Though satisfied the creatures had not drawn nearer, Noah was surprised to find he balked at driving into the desert night. He shook his head vigorously. “What the hell are you doing, you fool?” he chastised himself. “Get out of here!” With his hand on the key to switch the car on, he imagined peeling out and away from the whole sordid affair, including accepting his losses with regard to Ms. Welker. At the thought of her, he sighed.
“Shit!” he exclaimed, slapping his palm on the steering wheel. He’d thought he could do it. Just cut and run. He almost laughed out loud at the thought. And she’d been worried about Ramon! Ha!
“Well, I did promise to have her back. God knows she’s had mine.” He winced as he said the words. Could I even complete this endeavor without her help? He wondered. She’s been part of the plan since it’s inception. Hell, half of it was her idea!
The jeep sputtered to life at his touch. He downshifted into reverse and was about to move his foot from the brake to the gas when he heard a loud thump, thump, thump from the passenger side. He jumped at the sound and turned to discover a nearly unrecognizable Ms. Welker. Noah’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t expected her to still be alive and had, in fact, half been hoping she’d died inside the villa.
Noah Ashbridge swallowed his thoughts and waved her inside the vehicle. “Get in,” he rasped as he leaned over to unlock the door. Why he’d locked the thing in the first place, he couldn’t fathom. Who would steal a car from him?
With a black laptop tucked beneath one arm and the other hanging limply, she gripped the slim machine more tightly with her upper arm and opened the door with the same hand.
She was bruised and ragged. Her once dark hair was gray with soot and dust and something sticky, Noah thought. Her clothes were streaked, too, with gray and a darker stain Noah took for blood. When she’d backed up to swing the jeep door open, she had stepped oddly and with great strain. Once inside the car, she laid the laptop between them and rubbed her leg with a sidelong glance at Noah.
Before she could lean back, settle in, and buckle her seatbelt, Noah had flipped the switch to open the garage door and drove out into the night. “Hey!” Ms. Welker exclaimed as she was thrown back from his takeoff. “Watch it,” she said through gritted teeth as she rubbed at her injuries.
Noah’s right foot was planted on the gas and they leapt forward, racing to escape his desert fortress. He squinted into the night and was less concerned with Ms. Welker’s wellbeing than their escape, the fate of his villa, the drum, and the whereabouts of that thorn in his side. Thomas Knight.
They sat silently as he drove and listened to the fading sounds of the rampaging Kisgar. From time to time, Ms. Welker would turn slightly to see what she could in the side mirror or over her shoulder. When that proved too painful, she remained facing forward and simply listened. At last, Ms. Welker determined they were far enough away and turned awkwardly in her seat to face Noah. “My mission was a complete success, she said with a satisfied grin.” Long tapered red nails tapped the laptop between them. “I managed at the last minute to grab this. Do you know what it is?” she asked.
Noah shrugged.
“This is the recording of the devastation you have caused with the drum.”
Noah turned, then, and said formally, “I’m very pleased to hear these results. You have done well, Ms. Welker.”
Her eyes narrowed at the formality and she frowned. “Mmm…” she tapped a finger to her lips as she considered what she wanted to say. She had a few choice words for the man, then thought better of it and turned to him with a surprised realization. “I still can’t believe you pushed Ramon to attack you just so you could get some footage of the Kisgar slaughtering his soldiers…” her voice trailed off as Noah revealed his plan.
He’d only been half listening to her, and had cut in before she’d completed her sentence.
“Ramon has been a sacrificial pawn in this game since the beginning, Ms. Welker,” Noah explained. “Before the monies ran low, I thought about giving him a reprieve for his work…and your work,” he was quick to interject when she raised an eyebrow. “But then the fool had to go and get all uppity when our original contract ended and he learned what the drum could do,” snarled Noah. “Then, the original plan was back in play.”
“Okay, but…”
“But, nothing. I knew he’d never stand for being forced into a contract he didn’t agree with, so let’s just say…I gaslighted him until he was driven to act. I used the situation to my advantage and as far as I know, it worked.”
“I see…” Ms. Welker said letting the last word hang suspended in the air. It made sense, she supposed. She’d never trusted Ramon and after what he’d done to her, she cared even less for the man. But there was one thing bothering her and she was about to ask about it when Noah beat her to the punch.
“Thomas Knight,” he spat through gritted teeth. “Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. But if you think about it, getting him in the footage is a good thing. It gives credence to the notion that these creatures are very real and a celebrity face since he’s known as the man who discovered the Woidnuk race.”
Warming to his topic, Noah finished. “Finally, the footage will be released publicly once we’re somewhat recovered,” he explained as he eyed her black-and-blue welts, scrapes, and lacerations. “Then the people of California and Nevada will force their government officials to give in to my demands.”
“Somewhat recovered?” Ms. Welker asked.
“Yes. An hour or two should do,” Noah responded.
“An hour or - !” Ms. Welker’s voice began to rise. “We’ve just been through hell.” She looked at Noah relatively unscathed. “Okay, I’ve been through hell….”
“Cool your jets, Ms. Welker. We cannot delay.” Noah paused. “I’m driving to the safest place for us right now. But there is no rest for the weary. Once my fortune is recovered and made and once your fortune, too, is made, I might add. Then, and only then, will finally be able to relax.” Noah’s voice had risen steadily to a strange pitch and when he looked at Ms. Welker, she’d discovered his widened eyes gleamed with a hue of greed she’d never seen before.
If Ramon was a pawn, what I am to you, then? Ms. Welker wondered as she studied Noah’s profile hunched over the wheel. His eyes were nearly glazed over with the glories and gold to be had. Maybe you’re not as different from your father as you would like to believe. He put little stock in other people’s lives, too.
Eighteen
The cool desert night air was quickly replaced with rising temperatures as Thomas Knight and his team drove toward their dig site. He was glad it was a dry heat and not the oppressive humid heat of the more southern states, but either way they needed to get inside to safety. Too long in this raging outdoor oven of place was dangerous and he was glad to see the outlines of the camp just ahead.
“Well, what have we here?” Thomas asked as they drew nearer and caught site of the activity. He drove through the gates and came to a stop. Before they could exit the vehicle, a man dressed in a white linen suit and matching hat came striding toward them. In his wake were state police, park rangers, and an assortment of geologists, volunteers, and a skeleton staff they’d left behind.
“Don!” cried Abby, poking her head out the window.
“Dr. Cunningham!” echoed Alexia.
Dr. Donald Cunningham tipped his hat and bowed slightly. “The one. The only,” he said with a big smile lighting up his face. They were all alive! They had survived. He’d sighed with relief when he’d seen their car.
Thomas Knight made a motion to get out of his car when a
loud “Halt!” stopped him. He looked to Don in confusion, then to the trooper with his palm up in the universal signal.
“Officer,” began Thomas. “My name is Thomas Knight and I – ”
“License and registration, please,” the officer interrupted.
“Officer, this is my dig site. I am Thomas Knight.”
“Say what you want. But I need proof. Do you have your license? Anything with your picture and identification?” the man asked.
Thomas Knight and his team were staring at the man open-mouthed. Before Thomas could say anything more, Dr. Cunningham interjected. “Excuse me, Officer.” To Thomas, he asked, “Have you guys seen the news?” He asked the question, though he suspected he knew the answer already.
Dr. Cunningham was greeted with six pairs of eyes with a mix of anger, confusion, and incredulousness. “We haven’t really had time to watch TV lately. We’ve been a little busy trying to get an artifact back from Noah Ashbridge,” Thomas answered with a tight smile.
The officer and Dr. Cunningham shared a look. “I see,” Dr. Cunningham sighed. “While you were away, a video was released to the public and addressed to the governors of Nevada and California. Demands were made. You were on there…in the footage,” he explained.
“Come again?” asked Abby, before Thomas could say anything.
Dr. Cunningham frowned. “Let me explain – ”
“No problem,” quipped an exasperated Robbie. “But could we maybe get out of this car and get inside? It’s hot as blazes out here.”
The officer nodded and the team spilled from the car. Since they weren’t far from the mess tent, they went inside, grateful for the large fans. Settled and gathered at a long table, Dr. Cunningham began his tale.