by Hep Aldridge
As I gazed at the image rotating overhead, I said, “All of those blue dots are citadels like this?”
“No,” she replied, “most of them were outposts that we established; there was only one other Citadel such as this.”
I watched as the globe stopped turning and a larger blue dot appeared on a land mass located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
She continued, “The only other Citadel like this one destroyed itself.”
I pointed to the one in the middle of the Atlantic and asked, “What was that one called?”
“That was Attalia, a most beautiful and glorious island until their leaders’ lust for power and avarice led them to try and use the energy to conquer others. Their scientists were developing weapons of unimaginable power. One day, there was an accident, and their creations caused a massive chain reaction explosion that obliterated their land and caused terrible flooding around the world. When the seas returned to their normal state, there was nothing left of the island or its people; it had been vaporized.”
We were all sitting there stunned, and I heard Dimitri whisper the one-word question.
“Atlantis?”
Doc said, “I believe so.”
I turned my attention from the floating orb back to Jeannie, who was still staring at it. I felt a profound sense of sadness overcome me as she turned. When I looked at her face, I saw and felt great sorrow emanating from her.
When she spoke, it was in a hushed tone, “I think that will be all for now; we will resume later,” and disappeared.
We sat there for a couple of minutes, lingering over Jeannie’s last thoughts. We left the building and moved to a seating area in the median of the street.
“I hope we haven’t crossed a line with Jeannie,” Doc said.
“I don’t think so. I think it was just the memory of what happened—something she doesn’t want to think about. We obviously unknowingly dredged up some painful memories for her. Best leave that topic alone in future discussions,” I said.
O’Reilly said, “I felt her pain, her sorrow; it was so real. I felt like it was mine.”
“I think we should just take a break and see what happens next. I don’t think we should call her again. We need to wait until she contacts us,” Joe said.
We all agreed and started walking down the street/thoroughfare when Reggie said, “Look, guys, there’s stuff out now.” She was pointing into the doorway of a building we had been in before with a long stone table and benches. Now, the table was covered in a colorful cloth with bowls and vessels sitting on it.
We went inside and found artwork on the walls and what we took to be food on the shelves in the back room.
“Maybe this was some kind of eating establishment or restaurant or something,” Dimitri said.
We walked outside and looked in the building next to it and saw similar signs of habitation. Now there were large urns with plants in them dotting the street, and some of the buildings had colorful designs on the outside, things that had not been there on our first examination of the city.
“Jeannie did say that these kinds of things were still here, just out of phase/sight. I think she has decided to let us see what this place looked like when her people lived here,” Doc said.
The revealed items added a sense of beauty to the Citadel, in contrast to its original stark appearance. Fluttering banners and tapestries hung inside and out.
We were still taking in our colorful surroundings when Dimitri said, “I’m hungry; let’s head back to camp and grab some chow while we wait.”
“Good idea,” I said, and we headed back up the street toward our little campsite. As we got to the building with the long table, lettering over the doorway lit up, and an aroma of fresh-baked bread came from its doorway. We looked inside and saw the table had been set with more fruit, bread, cheese, and flagons, and lanterns were flickering on the table.
Joe said, “I’m not sure, but I think we just got an invitation to lunch.”
Reggie said, “I think you’re right, Joe.”
We entered and enjoyed another excellent meal. This time, there were bowls containing strips of meat, unidentifiable but delicious. The flagons contained a type of drink that titillated Doc’s palate.
“I have no idea what category this drink falls into, but I could happily spend the afternoon indulging in it. A superb wine, I think,” he said.
We decided this was as good a place as any to wait to hear from Jeannie. So, we took our time and savored the meal and drink that had been provided. About an hour later, we all received the same one-word message from Jeannie, “Return.”
We took our seats in the chamber, and I returned to the Cathedra of Knowledge, but before I could place my hands on the arms, Jeannie appeared.
We were not quite ready for that and were a little shocked. I placed my hands in the arms’ impressions and asked, “You can appear at will without being summoned?”
“Of course, I can,” she said, again with that enigmatic smile, and then stepped off the dais and walked around the room.
That shocked all of us. I believe we had all seen too many Sci-Fi movies where holograms or beings like herself were locked into one location, unable to move around freely.
“You said you could leave this building and materialize in other buildings if called, but does this mean you can walk out of this building if you want to?”
“You mean like this?” she said as she walked out the door.
“Yeah, like that,” I stammered. She abruptly appeared on the dais, smiling, startling us all.
“I can move freely around the Citadel and even out of it if I wish.”
“Okay, I think we need to find out a little more because some of our notions or assumptions about you are inaccurate.”
“Yes, I can see the confusion, and as you can see, you do not have to put your hands in the impressions to connect with me. Their purpose is only to establish initial contact and transference of basic knowledge; in other words, it’s our first point of mental connectivity.”
It was then that I realized my hands were not on the arms of the chair anymore.
Before any of us could speak, Jeannie raised one of her slender hands and said, “I must apologize for the abrupt ending of our earlier session. The story of the destruction of Attalia brings with it much pain and sorrow. But it also underscores my warning to you about experimenting on the power cubes in your possession. Also, I have not been totally forthcoming with you and my role in the Citadel. As I said, I can move about freely within and outside of the Citadel up to a point.” She paused and then continued. “There was a time when our energy network was worldwide, and we were able to use it as a transportation medium. Now, however, it has broken down or been destroyed, and my range of travel outside the Citadel is limited.”
“So, why didn’t you tell us this before?” Doc asked.
“I had to understand how your minds responded to the initial sharing of information and determine if you would be able to handle the rest.”
“The rest?” Joe asked.
“Yes, there is much to learn about my people and our role in the development of this planet. That is if you wish to be informed.”
I looked at my team and then back at Jeannie.
“Yes, we absolutely wish to,” I responded.
“That is as I expected,” Jeannie replied as a genuine smile spread across her face.
“I am glad that I allowed you to enter the Citadel,” she said.
“Allowed us?” Reggie piped up, “Hell, I fell in…”
“I know; I allowed that to happen. I allowed you to pass through the cloak as you call it.”
“What?” I asked.
“I was able to make the cloak an impenetrable barrier if I chose when more power was available. Now, I can only make a person falling into it believe they are falling into a bottomless rift—a mental image that ultimately leads to their death.” She raised her hand again, stopping any questions from us.
“However, that is an extreme measure that I have not had to use for hundreds of years and do not relish the idea of ever having to use again. As I said, there are many things to be learned about my world. Just know you are welcome visitors here.”
“Well, that’s good to know,” Dimitri said under his breath.
“Thank you, Jeannie. We do have many questions and look forward to you sharing as much of your knowledge as you deem appropriate.”
Another smile and a nod of her head.
“I have not had visitors such as yourselves before and find it…” She didn’t finish her sentence as her head snapped up, and a frown replaced her smile. Her next words sent a chill down my spine.
“They have found the road. They are coming, and I fear for my Watchers’ safety…”
We had all jumped to our feet, and I exclaimed, “Can’t you do something to protect him?”
“No, I cannot. My power is limited at this time to the Citadel. While I can see outside and receive limited thoughts, I cannot act.”
“Do you know how much time we have before they get here?” Dimitri asked.
“A few hours,” Jeannie replied. “My Watcher is injured and very weak; his thoughts are hard to read.”
“Then there’s no time to waste,” I said as I headed for the door. “Time to rock and roll.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
We left the building at a run and headed to our campsite. There was a flurry of activity as we broke out our weapons and ammo. In addition, we filled our canteens with fresh water, and each grabbed a few energy bars. No telling how long what was about to happen would take.
Dimitri and Reggie had previously scouted our defensive position at the rock pile and filled us in. They would take high-ground vantage points on opposite sides of the rock pile. Joe, Doc, and Eduardo would make their way to the base of the rocks and set up there. O’Reilly and I would take the center position on top of the rockpile.
As we finished our preparations, I said, “This is going to be ugly; we cannot let them get past the barrier, and no one can get away. They may have gotten enough information from the elder/Watcher to be able to return with a larger force if any escape. We have to protect this secret, so you know what that means, and remember, we need to try and protect the Watcher if it’s at all possible.” I didn’t expect an answer. It was clear on everyone’s face, even Eduardo’s. They knew it was us or them—nothing in between. We did a Comm check and headed up the steps to the top of the platform and our exit from the cloak.
Using the steps that Reggie had found on the rock pile’s backside, we made our way to the top. I secured the knotted rope to a boulder and tossed it over the edge. Joe, Doc, and Eduardo were going to have to rope down. Dimitri called Joe over as he dug into his pack.
“Here you go, Sparky; this is your Alamo surprise,” and handed him three Claymore anti-personnel mines and their clackers.
“Set these up in an arc twenty-five yards in front of your position. Space them about thirty feet apart. This will be your last line of defense before things get up close and personal. Know what I mean?”
“Got it; I know the drill and thanks.” Designed to counter human-wave assaults, the Claymore uses a shaped C-4 charge to fire several hundred steel balls into a designated 55-yard killing zone. Joe knew this would be a wall of death. If that didn’t stop the enemy, then they were probably screwed.
“No problem, you keep Doc and the kid safe and cover your ass too.”
“Roger that… Oh, and Dimitri, don’t call me Sparky,” Joe said with a slight grin on his face as he stuffed the mines in his pack and headed down the rope. Dimitri and Reggie headed in opposite directions to the positions they had picked out for themselves. O’Reilly and I set up about twenty feet apart and found well-protected positions that gave us a good field of fire into the canyon. I had lost sight of Dimitri and Reggie as they blended into rocks on either side of the canyon wall. The rocky outcroppings offered a variety of vantage points for them to set up sniping positions. Joe was finishing laying out the Claymores and running the trigger wires back to their positions behind the rocks at the base of the rockpile.
As I surveyed the scene, I mentally ran through our assets: two men and a 16-year-old boy below with a P-90, an M-16, and an AK-47—Oh, and the Claymore wall of death. O’Reilly and I had M-16’s, Dimitri had his Barrett .50 caliber Zombie killer, and Reggie had her 500 Remington Magnum. We all had our personal handguns, Joe’s Smith and Wesson .45, Doc’s Walther PPK, Reggie had her Colt 1911 .45, I had my Glock 21, and Dimitri and O’Reilly had their Sig Sauers. I chuckled as I realized O’Reilly had strapped on a pair of 9mm Sigs, one on each hip, a la General Patton and his .45s.
Our firepower and level of expertise gave me some degree of confidence, but the other side of that coin is what worried me. We were going up against a force of ten combatants; the eleventh member was probably the prisoner, the Watcher. So, ten men, highly trained ex-military, heavily armed with no intention of letting any of us live—a sobering reality. We were outnumbered, out-trained, and probably out gunned. The knot in my stomach grew tighter. “What could possibly go wrong…?” I wryly thought. A couple of moments later, another thought entered; it was Jeannie, “Please, save him; the ranks of the Watchers has dwindled.”
I looked at O’Reilly, and she nodded, “I heard.”
I got on Comms and asked, “You all hear that?”
The answers came back from everyone, “Loud and clear.”
Part of the gear we had brought out with us were tablets, so we could monitor the cameras Joe and Eduardo had set up on the roadway. I turned on my tablet and saw no sign of the mercs. Just to check, I said, “Nothing on the cameras, Joe?”
“Nothing yet,” he said.
“Everybody got eyes on the camera feeds?” I asked and got an affirmative response from Dimitri and Reggie.
It had been over an hour since we had received the alert from Jeannie and moved to set up our positions. That could put the mercs still a couple of hours out.
“All right, everybody, relax as much as you can but stay frosty; we don’t want any surprises.”
“Rules of engagement, Colt?” Dimitri asked over the Comm.
“We don’t start the fight unless absolutely necessary. Once it begins, we use lethal force and rain seven kinds of hell down on them.”
A low whistle came over the Comms followed by a chuckle, and then, “Roger on the seven kinds of hell.” I turned to look at O’Reilly. She had the same wild animal smile that I remember seeing on her when we got into the firefight with the drug dealers in Tamara’s village, grinning like a wildcat getting ready to pounce and savoring the prospect. I guess I grinned back because she nodded her head and looked back down the canyon road. I thought, damn, that woman is scary as hell, glad she’s on our side and turned my attention to the road.
Joe and Eduardo had added another camera when they did the reset of the first two. We now had one a mile away, then one at two hundred yards, and one at a hundred yards. They each gave us a good wide-angle view of the entire width of the roadway. Another hour passed when the thought from Jeannie arrived, “They are close.”
I looked at the pad and checked the cameras—nothing on any of them. Nothing was said, but the tension was palpable. It took another fifteen minutes before Joe said, “There they are.”
I looked at my screen and saw the men approaching the first camera a mile out. They were spread out, scanning their surroundings, and well-armed. Behind the first six, all dressed in camouflage fatigues, came the local pushing ahead a man with his hands bound, followed by three more men in single file. They were all moving cautiously but at a good pace.
Dimitri came over the Comm link, “Well, they’re not amateurs; looks like they know what they’re doing.” As we watched, their heads swiveled up and down both sides of the canyon walls.
“Just our luck,” Joe replied.
“I’m not seeing a good way to help the Watcher,” Dimitri said as he
watched the Watcher stumble along.
“I see that,” I said, “not sure how we’re going to approach this. Let’s hope something changes before they get too close.”
They were approaching the camera two hundred yards out when Dimitri said, “He can’t get clear if the shooting starts. If he could stop them, maybe fall and stay low… something to get him out of the line of fire.”
A few seconds later, we started picking up the audio feed off the camera when suddenly Jeannie’s voice thundered in our heads, “Fall down, now.”
The Watcher immediately dropped to his knees, and the man behind him stumbled. Expletives were being shouted at the old man. But he did not move. They were close to the camera’s hiding spot, and we could hear the discussion plainly. They were speaking in English. One of the men from the front came back to the Watcher on his knees and ordered him back to his feet. He was obviously the man in charge. The Watcher replied in his language, and the local who had been herding him along said, “He says he will go no further.”
“Is that so?” the man in charge said. “Tell him if he does not get to his feet, he will be shot where he sits like a dog.”
The local did as he was told, but the Watcher refused to move, dropping his head down to his knees.
“Very well, have it your way; Palo, kill him,” the leader said to one of the men watching and moved away.
The man pulled out his handgun and walked to the old man. Everyone backed away slightly. The local stepped back and stood two steps behind where the old man was kneeling.
I heard Dimitri over the Comms, talking to himself, “One more step to the right, bucko, one more step.”
As if on cue, the soldier with the pistol moved slightly to his right to line up his pistol with the Watcher’s bowed head.
Dimitri said in almost a whisper, “Reggie, get the ones in the rear.”
It took me a second to figure out what Dimitri had planned. Now everyone was watching Palo except the boss, who was walking away as the soldier raised his pistol to the Watcher’s head.