My plane will never see the light of day again. The government has probably already burned the wreckage. Any evidence which would have shown it was shot down will be destroyed. At the hospital the government agency investigating the crash posted a guard at my door. I could still walk so when the guard went to the bathroom I got the hell out of there." Jared said. "Do you remember which agency was in charge of the investigation, or who the lead investigator was?" Vincent asked. "Some bald short guy seemed to be in charge. He was barking orders at everyone. I never heard his name. They don’t seem to use names much when they are around the public." Jared replied. "This is all a little overwhelming and unbelievable. For now it's a good idea for both of us to get out of here. Do you have a safe phone I can call later?" Vincent said. Jared gave him a phone number and got up to leave. “Thanks for the information Jared. Take care, and watch your ass. You are a loose end to them, and they don’t like loose ends.” Each of them left the food court in opposite directions.
Vincent was enraged as he drove back to the house. His grandmother had been murdered. If he knew where the watchers were, he would cave in their skulls with a bat. He obviously had underestimated Monique, the CIA, and whatever other agencies were involved. He stopped at another convenience store and picked up a throw away phone. He immediately called Enzo at his private number. It was late back east and it sounded like Enzo had been sleeping. "Enzo, it's Vincent. Is your phone line secure?" he asked. "This line is always secure. I sure hope yours is." Enzo replied. "I'm being followed by the CIA. We need to meet somewhere private tomorrow. I'm also going to need help losing my tail when I get there. I'm sure the CIA will be waiting for me. My flight arrives at twelve thirty in the afternoon." he said. "Get a taxi at the airport. The driver will call you Vincenzo. Make sure you get in the right taxi. I'll take care of the rest. You need to follow my instructions to the letter. We can’t afford any mistakes if what you say is true." Enzo said. Vincent thanked Enzo and hung up the phone. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
He had hailed two taxis with no luck. Neither driver had called him Vincenzo. As the third one pulled up to the curb the driver got out grabbed his bags and said "Climb in Vincenzo." Vincent got in the cab and wondered what would happen next as the cab pulled away quickly.
The taxi was heading into downtown and the driver was driving like a typical New York cabbie. After a few miles he took a call on the dispatch radio and took his driving to a whole new level. Every other second it looked like they were about to crash into the cars in front or to the side of them. Vincent heard tires squeal, looked back, and saw an accident behind them involving at least two other taxi cabs and a multitude of other vehicles. The road was completely blocked and it was a complete mess. In New York it was just another typical accident.
The taxi stopped at an upscale seafood restaurant. The cabbie told Vincent to go inside and his luggage would be waiting for him later at the hotel. Vincent was ushered to the back of the restaurant where Enzo was waiting for him. They were essentially alone as the surrounding tables all had reserved signs on them.
Enzo was a large muscular man who ate well, but didn't show it too much. He was never comfortable sitting still for too long and exercised just enough to keep his belly down to a reasonable size. Over the years he had developed an instinct about who he could trust, and who he should not become involved with. His instincts had served him well.
"Ah Vincenzo it's so good to see you.” Enzo was the only person who ever called him by his birth name. "It's good to see you too Uncle. I have some very troubling news to share with you. It won’t be easy to hear." Vincent went on to explain the death of Maria, and how the CIA was interested in him and Dalton. Enzo slammed his fist on the table in anger. “Goddamn sons of bitches. I knew something wasn’t right with her death." he said. “Uncle, what are we going to do? This cannot go unpunished. We need to go after them now. They have to answer for what they've done. I’ll do it myself if you can tell me who is responsible!" Vincent exclaimed. "Calm down Vincenzo. I agree with you, but what would you have me do? Go after the entire CIA or the entire government? You are young and ambitious, but you must learn to control your emotions.
You always showed Maria and the family respect. Together we will see this out and we will have our vengeance. It will take some time and some patience. I had similar dealings in my youth, and made some mistakes. I acted too swiftly sometimes due to my anger and rage. We must gather information before we act. Our government is run by fools and imbeciles who have no honor. It is likely there was one person responsible for approving the attack on the plane. Our first step is identifying and finding the agent who gave the order to kill Maria. Once we find this person the rest will fall into place. Do you agree with this Vincenzo?"
Vincent was impatient, but Enzo was right. "Yes, Uncle what you have said makes sense. I would like to be involved. It would only be right. She raised me." Vincent said. "Be careful what you wish for Vincenzo. You don't want to go down a road and be unable to turn back. I will keep you involved as much as possible, but I will not endanger your future. Unlike me, you have quite a bit of future ahead of yourself. Maria would not want to see you throw away your life on her account. You must control your emotions until you are face to face with your enemy. Look into the eye of your enemy when you have defeated him. When your enemy is defeated the guilt of his sins can be seen in his soul. The virtuous know they have prevailed by looking into the sinful eyes of their enemy as death arrives.” Enzo said.
“I will consider what you’ve said. For now I will bide my time and wait for your guidance. That was very impressive with the taxis by the way. It would have taken care of anyone following us." Vincent said. "When you own a cab company you can spare a few for the right reasons. Besides, that’s what those expensive insurance premiums are for. You are part of our family Vincenzo and I want to keep you out of danger. I will have the taxi drive you to your hotel when we are finished here. From this point forward you must always assume you will be under surveillance. At some point I will find out who gave the order. Until that time I don’t want you to take any action. It would be foolish and end up badly for you. You don’t want to be missed for too long so you should probably go now. We need to spend more time together. You are a smart young man, but still have much to learn." Enzo said.
"There is one more thing I need to speak about Uncle Enzo." Vincent said. "What is it?" Enzo replied. "Do you have a way to get Dalton and I to Mars?" Vincent said. "Is that all? Why not Jupiter or perhaps Pluto? You don't ask for much now do you?” Enzo replied. Vincent had told Enzo about Monique following him and Dalton, but he hadn't shared the discovery about Mars. Vincent told Enzo of the discovery and his trip with Dalton. "This is a continuation of Maria's work. It is her life’s work and we have a chance to validate what your sister was trying to prove. I will understand if it's simply not possible. But if there is a way to get Dalton and I to Mars we have to try. It would be disrespectful not to try if there is a way. She was on to something big." Vincent said. "It's possible I might be able to call in a few favors. I know a few people and will get back to you. For now, go back to Seattle. I will contact you as soon as I can, but no promises for now. Take this secure phone. I will call you on this phone only. Keep it safe and keep it out of sight. Don’t say anything when I call, just listen and follow my instructions. You better get going. Be smart and stay safe Vincenzo. Don’t do anything rash."
Monique was waiting on the second floor conference room of the hotel when she saw Vincent get out of the taxi. She was sure he was here to see Enzo and the carnage on the roadway confirmed her suspicions. An accident is normal in New York. It’s not normal when a suspect is trying to evade surveillance and his uncle owns the cab company which caused the wreck. Now that Enzo and his people were around, she would have to be more careful. Enzo would be watching for her and other agents. She was sure Vincent had information which was vital. It was her job to pry it from him somehow. In the meantime she would bide h
er time until Vincent slipped up. When he did, she would be there to find out the truth and advance her career.
Vincent arrived back in Seattle without incident. He called Dalton so the two of them could meet up and discuss the latest developments. Being careful not to say anything he shouldn't, he invited Dalton to meet him at a local tavern the next night.
Vincent hoped meeting at a busy and noisy tavern would give them a chance to talk without being heard. Being surrounded by loud drunks should give them some privacy. Vincent met with Dalton and told him about his visit from the pilot and his trip to New York. Dalton became visibly shaken when he heard what had really happened to Maria. He had been a friend and colleague for over twenty years. He didn’t know Enzo personally, but Maria had told him stories. Dalton was confident Enzo would hold the person responsible accountable. He was impatient like Vincent but would wait to see what Enzo found out.
“You were right about the moon around Jupiter. It is Europa. Has the biologist contacted you yet?” Vincent asked Dalton. “Yes, I just heard from him yesterday. The results are interesting. Tests were conducted on one cylinder from each of the eight chambers. Specimens from three of the chambers resulted in known DNA matches. The three known DNA matches were a Falkland Island wolf which went extinct in 1876, one was a Malagasy Aardvark which went extinct in 200 BC, and the other was a common modern catfish. They are still looking at the other five cylinders but the initial tests didn’t return any known DNA, and the biological material was something the biologists hadn’t seen before. Tony doesn’t think the other five samples are from Earth. He is going to conduct more tests but it doesn’t sound like he’ll turn up anything new from what he was saying. Testing is ongoing and quite interesting. The cylinders had a semi permeable membrane which let in the lake water. The lake water was likely providing a long term energy source for the material in the cylinders. He is going to experiment with some of the samples. He will update me on any important developments when he knows it’s safe to do so.” Dalton said.
Chapter 4
Staring at his computer Vincent was trying to make sense of the photos which had been taken at the Prime Pyramid. There were clearly four pyramids which weren’t manmade indicated by the hieroglyphs on the map. There was one in the Antarctic, one on Old Snowy Mountain, one on Mars, and the one on Europa. He knew what was in two of them. He had a strong belief the artifacts and treasure were moved to Mars. He stopped looking at the map and starting working on translating the remaining hieroglyphs in the pictures. Some of the hieroglyphs were recognizable, and some he hadn’t been seen before. It wasn’t similar to anything he had seen on Earth in the past.
Throughout his life Enzo had made a great deal of friends and a great deal of enemies. He had plenty of each. At times some seemed to be both. His friends knew he was as good as his word. His enemies knew it as well, and knew better then to cross him. He found he still had an old friend who could be counted on in New Mexico. In his youth he spent some time and did some jobs with Randy Stedman the current CEO of Leviathan Transport. He had worked with him and helped him earn the money to get out of New York permanently. The work wasn’t always honest, but money had to be made in their youth. Some of the work consisted of relocating corporate money into the hands of those who could make better use of it. Being young and naïve, it was nothing short of a miracle each of them had escaped relatively unscathed and were successful in their advanced years. Randy had spent his money wisely and always made a profit on his investments. It had been five years since he had spoken with him.
Enzo called Randy and told him what he wanted and reassured him he would only be sending passengers to Mars. The captain Randy selected would be fully in charge of the expedition. He had told Randy a potential gold mine might be found, and there would be value for the services he was providing if the mission were successful. It would need to happen quickly. Randy agreed to the mission provided Enzo would cover any expenses if nothing was found on Mars. The transport would be leaving in six days. It was time to tell his nephew to pack his bags and notify his friend Dalton.
The phone Enzo gave him in New York was ringing. Vincent picked it up on the third ring and had to remember not to speak. “Pick up Dalton and arrive at the spaceport in New Mexico tomorrow. You have a meeting with Randy Stedman and I at four in the afternoon. You will not be returning to Seattle and will be leaving in just a few days. Be careful what you say. Don’t talk to anyone about our plans. See you tomorrow Vincenzo. Stay safe.” The clock was ticking and it this point it didn’t matter who was following him. He would be off the planet soon enough anyway. He called Dalton and told him he would be at his house in an hour. He didn’t tell him why, and Dalton knew better then to ask. He hadn’t known Dalton long, but he trusted him. His grandmother wouldn’t have associated with him if she didn’t believe he was a moral and decent man. Vincent packed the essential items he thought he would need and left to pick up his new friend.
Dalton had left the front door open and Vincent walked in. Vincent handed him a note explaining where they were going and why. Not a word was said as he started packing. They were now more determined then ever and the excitement began to build. With the packing complete the two of them left for the airport knowing very soon they wouldn’t have to worry about the government watching them anymore. Once they were off the planet the government would be handicapped by the ruthless nature of space. He began to worry about getting off the planet after what had happened with Maria. The government could hide his death even easier. Space launches still weren’t one hundred percent safe. It was comforting to know his uncle was now involved. He hoped a safe plan was in place to get them off the planet.
Dominic Moretti sat and watched his father Enzo and his associate Randy discussing his future. His father was concerned about him. According to his father his short temper was making him too much of a public figure in New York and a liability to his father’s organization. The local police had their eye on him for a couple of petty crimes. The police would never have enough evidence for an arrest, but his father was not happy. Dominic believed he was being overprotective. Having just turned nineteen it was past time he became his own man. The plan to send him into space to cool off and to learn patience seemed to be a waste of time. It ruined what he had planned for his own future. He had paid his dues and followed the advice of his father most of the time. His methods may have brought too much attention, but the results justified his actions. He could learn to be more discrete.
Perhaps his father might be convinced a different plan would be more effective. Space seemed boring and uneventful. With so much to offer his family, Dominic believed his destiny was on Earth. There was no reason he couldn’t stay on Earth if he exercised more caution. “Dominic, I know what you’re thinking. I was young once too. You must trust me on this.” he said. His father was the one person he wouldn’t cross. “If you say so Dad. But I still think I can help you in New York. If I do this, I would like more responsibility when I come back.” he said. “When you come back we will discuss your role in the family business.” his father said.
Vincent and Dalton were impressed with the spaceport. It was big and it was busy. There was a time when it sat mostly abandoned with very few projects to keep the place busy. Times had changed. It was busy and in the coming years it would only get busier. Launches were taking off daily and other spaceports were in the planning stages in Arizona and Louisiana. As they passed through security Vincent wondered if the security would be able to keep the CIA out of the facility. The CIA likely had someone planted inside already. He would speak with Enzo about passing along any messages from Dalton’s biologist friend Tony if he should have anything to report. The mysteries surrounding the findings in the Antarctic needed to be answered. If it could be proven alien biological material had been found, it would prove Maria’s claims.
The two of them were escorted to a large office where they had expected to meet with Enzo and Randy. Instead they found a third person. �
�Gentlemen let me introduce Randy Stedman. I believe you know my son Dominic as well Vincenzo. Please sit down as we have much to discuss. I will say a few things and then I will hand it over to Randy. First things first, Dominic will be accompanying you and Dalton. Dominic needs a change of pace and he will also be representing my interests as well as the interests of Randy in this expedition. I’m growing old and have acquired a great many things. I’m still interested in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow however. For operational reasons Dominic will be required to follow the instructions of the Captain and he will be there to assist you with anything you might need. He is young but he gets things done. I haven’t made any progress yet in finding the individual responsible for the death of Maria. I will find this person no matter how long it takes. It’s only a matter of time. That’s all I have right now, I’ll turn it over to Randy.” Enzo said.
Lost Sols 1: Ancient Treasure Page 4