by Ryan Hartung
In his seat with his lap belt secured he turned in his chair to the three other Russians on the plane. Vladimir had worked with both Dmitry and Pavel on numerous military campaigns. When picking his team of three for this most curious of quests, he had required each person to be as different from the rest as possible to maximize their combined talents.
Dmitry was tall, but not overly muscular. He was picked as the brains of the outfit. His computer skills and problem solving tactics were well known to most of the military units he’d previously worked with. For Vladimir however, the most important aspect of Dmitry’s character, regardless of how smart he was, was that foremost Dmitry was a soldier first.
Pavel was not so much unlike Dmitry, also quite smart himself, but his talents lied elsewhere than modern electronic machinery. Pavel was a soldier’s soldier to the core. There wasn’t an aircraft or military vehicle he hadn’t operated or couldn’t figure out. Radios, explosives, weaponry, Pavel was a master of each. If their small team encountered any resistance on their quest for Hades’ treasure Vladimir felt as comfortable counting on Pavel as he did himself.
The only member of their quartet that Vladimir had not encountered before was Nataly Lipov. He knew she was the daughter of the Russian hero Anatoly Lipov, was considered a rising star in the communist party and was the only member of his squad he was not allowed to choose; besides those few facts he knew very little else. Looking her over, Vladimir noticed she was quite attractive with solid Russian facial features and dark hair. She was almost perfectly proportioned in every way. Her build was feminine, yet he could tell her core was fully muscled. Her soft brown eyes were alluring, but underneath he sensed an unyielding resolve and nerves of steel that any woman in Russian politics had to have.
“Listen up, I’m only going to say this once,” Vladimir began. “Dmitry, Pavel, we know each other well and we’ve worked well together in the past. Natalya, I have yet to work with you, but your reputation speaks volumes. Our task we’ve been chosen to undertake is interesting and not without ambiguity.
We’re flying directly into Naples, Italy where we’ll be picked up and driven to the base of Mount Vesuvius. From there we’ll backpack with our gear to the top of the volcano, don our heat resistant suits if needed and make our way inside the cone. As of now the volcano is dormant so we’ll have to find a way inside the temple if there is one. Pavel, that’s where we’re counting on you. At the bottom of the cone, the heat should be bearable, maybe not even noticeable, but we’ll need to get through the top layer. Personally I think we’re on a wild goose chase concerning this treasure, but this order has come directly from the president himself.
Natalya, why don’t you tell us a little more about what we’re after,” Vladimir finished and turned his attention to the attractive woman.
“Sure. About twenty-four hours ago, news broke on what an American team of archeologists uncovered in the Amazon. They found a staff that can control lightning and is purportedly to be from or is the Greek god Zeus himself. There were five other treasures mentioned at the base of where the staff was discovered with Mount Vesuvius the only location of the five that was definitively named.
Boris Aleksandrov has given us the go-ahead to check the validity of this second treasure. I can’t tell you if it exists or not. Even if the treasure was buried at the mouth of Vesuvius, the volcano has erupted so many times since then, the treasure and its chamber might have been completely destroyed some time ago. Our mission is to find out if anything is down there and if there is, to retrieve it for Mother Russia.”
Vladimir looked at Natalya and nodded in complete agreement. Her attractiveness had only just been enhanced by her military-like directness and description of their task at hand. “Any questions?” he asked. He expected none and none were asked.
He often wondered what his position would be like in the American army. Did they debate every order or were the higher official’s orders followed to the letter like his in Russia? Regardless of the Americans’ popular democratic style of leadership, Vladimir was completely content in giving orders and knowing no one, if they knew what was good for them, would ever think to disobey.
Vladimir had his doubts about finding anything of value in the volcano’s dormant crater, let alone some magical artifact thousands of years old. He shifted his body forward and stared through the cockpit’s open door. Miles and miles of bright blue sky dotted with an occasional white wispy cloud formed the horizon. Vladimir didn’t know why, but he felt it was an unusually optimistic sky.
Acknowledgments
I am extremely grateful for my loving wife Elizabeth, for without her love and support this book would not have been possible.
I would also like to thank Nick Proudlove for his proofreading and always being anxious for the next few chapters.
Finally I would like to thank Zackary Capewell. of Raven Tree Designs for his exquisite covers and unwavering support throughout the publication process.
About the Author
Dr. Ryan E. Hartung spent most of his life growing up in rural Nebraska. After earning his Ph. D. in organic chemistry from the Ohio State University he then made a quick stop with his family in the garden state before finally settling in Tucson, Arizona. Ryan continues to live in Tucson with his wife Elizabeth, his two daughters Amber and Keira, their dog Ginger and currently untamed hamster Brave.
Contact Ryan
[email protected]
www.facebook.com/ryanhartungauthor
To find out about Ryan’s other books and projects visit www.ryanhartung.com
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