Codename Angel (The Angel Chronicles Book 1)

by Jason Chapman

  ‘I wish I could say the same.’ Frederick said with sarcasm indicating to his tied hands.

  The man checked to see Konev was still out of earshot. ‘I don’t have much time to explain Professor but I can assure you, you are in good company, Dr Rothschild sends his regards.’

  Frederick stood to attention staring at the other man. ‘You are part of the Galileo Order?’ he whispered.

  The man nodded. ‘Professor Alex Pavlov at your service, Russian archaeological academy.’

  Frederick scanned the immediate area. Four soldiers guarded Professor Canning and the other men, while five more were dispersed around the stone circle. A distant sound of a two way radio could be heard. ‘What exactly is going on here?’ Frederick asked.

  ‘We have been here for a few months excavating a site about two miles from here.’ Pavlov indicated to the centre of the ring of mountains. ‘It is an old Viking burial site, complete with longboat and all the wealth this Viking had. But we also discovered something else.’ Again Pavlov checked to see the colonel was out of sight. He bent down and reached into a leather satchel, pulling out what looked to be a perfectly square stone tablet. ‘We found this buried with him.’

  The tablet was approximately ten inches on all sides. On it were symbols which Frederick instantly recognised. ‘I have seen these before.’ He said.

  ‘Where?’

  Frederick took a deep breath, as well as a mental leap of faith. ‘The Americans demonstrated a piece of technology from a crash site in New Mexico.’

  ‘Roswell.’ Pavlov stated.

  Frederick nodded. ‘It displayed symbols similar to these.’ Frederick studied the tablet which contained thirteen symbols, three rows of four with the thirteenth on the top centre. ‘I couldn’t tell you what they mean unfortunately.’

  Pavlov pointed at the base of the rock which was overgrown with fern. He kicked it away with his foot to reveal a symbol that Frederick instantly recognised the three armed spiral pattern. ‘I have yet to show Colonel Konev this.’

  Frederick glared at the symbol. ‘It can’t be!’

  ‘I beg your pardon Professor.’

  ‘I know this symbol, I’ve seen it before. It’s etched onto a door at Ripley castle and was displayed on the Roswell device.’

  ‘I have also seen this symbol.’ Pavlov revealed. ‘Many times in Russia and other parts of Europe.’

  ‘Do you know what it means?’

  Pavlov shook his head.

  Frederick looked around. ‘Do you know what they plan to do with us?’

  Pavlov nodded. ‘You will be freed eventually, but at a price.’

  ‘A Price?’ Frederick said.

  ‘Professor we don’t have much time.’ Pavlov indicated to the largest stone they were stood next to. ‘Before we interrupted you, you were saying about our sun being part of a constellation.’

  Frederick looked at the monolith. ‘It’s only speculation.’ He said finding it difficult to focus. ‘The constellations we see in the night sky have been given names by ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Babylonians. The International Astronomical Union divided the sky into eighty eight specific regions for the eighty eight constellations in 1922. They assigned Latin names for the traditional constellations, except for those named after Greek mythological figures. The current sky map is based mostly on the work of Benjamin Gould in 1895 and Eugene Delporte in 1930.’ Frederick looked up at the pattern of stars. He then looked at the stone directly opposite with the constellation of Cassiopeia. ‘Unless.’ He stated marching over to the stone followed by Pavlov. Frederick looked at the constellation on the stone then turned to face the tallest stone.

  Pavlov noted the expression on his face. ‘What is it?’

  ‘It’s a star map,’ A smile appeared on his face as he looked at the other stones one by one. ‘I couldn’t understand why these stones are not evenly spaced but now it’s simple, it’s all about their position in the sky and relative distance.’

  ‘But which sky?’ Pavlov asked.

  Frederick looked at the line of circles on the stone he was stood next to noting the fifth one had a vertical line pointing towards Cassiopeia. ‘This sky.’ He revealed.

  Konev stepped back into the circle, marching up to the two men. ‘We are to rendezvous at eleven tonight.’ He informed Pavlov, before turning to Frederick. ‘Has he revealed anything significant?’

  Pavlov hesitated for a few seconds. ‘No, he has revealed nothing of any use.’

  ‘Very well, we stay here until nightfall then make our way back to the rendezvous point. In the meantime we set the charges.’

  ‘Charges?’ Frederick said.

  ‘You didn’t expect us to leave you to decipher these stones did you Professor.’

  Four of the Russian soldiers produced what looked like explosives from their rucksacks.

  ‘Colonel you cannot do this, these stones are of historical significance. To destroy them would be like knocking down the great pyramid.’

  Kirov took a deep breath. ‘Professor, my esteemed colleague here Professor Pavlov has persuaded me to let you go. You have a choice, either we destroy these stones.’ Konev glared at Frederick. ‘Or we leave them standing and their secrets die with you and the rest of your party tonight. It’s your choice.’

  Frederick’s thoughts suddenly shifted to Elizabeth and Susan. For him to die in this spot and his family not knowing what had happened to him was a terrifying prospect. He eventually nodded before being led back to the main group.

  ‘Enjoying yourself I see.’ Canning remarked with sarcasm. ‘You were rather chatty with that chap.’ He indicated to Pavlov.

  ‘They are planning to destroy the stones.’

  ‘Well I didn’t think they were planning a bonfire with those explosives.’

  8:34pm

  The sound of the explosion crackled across the landscape like thunder. Frederick and the rest of his team could only look on as the stone circle was reduced to a pile of rubble. The soldiers had set the explosive charges in a manner which meant that key parts of the stones would be lost forever taking with them their markings.

  Konev looked across the landscape towards the sea and the fading light on the horizon. ‘Once again it’s been a pleasure Professor.’ He said before looking at Crewe. ‘I advise you not to try and follow us captain. I know your soldiers are brave men and will probably die on your command but you have to ask yourself is it worth it.’ The captain just glared back.

  Pavlov looked at Frederick who had been untied and been given instructions not to untie the rest of the men until the Russian team was out of sight. He spoke softly. ‘You will be contacted by Rothschild in due course Professor.’

  The Russians began their trek back towards the coast fading into the twilight.

  Chapter 77

  Whitehall – London – 12:38pm

  Wednesday 30th September 1953

  ‘After sunrise we trekked across to Kilchoan where we managed to find a farm which had a telephone. On the way we discovered the remains of a burial site the Russians had excavated.’ Frederick shook his head. ‘They had taken everything of value and reduced the rest to a cinder.’

  ‘So where does this leave us?’ Chambers grunted. ‘It seems the bloody Russians are everywhere.’

  ‘I’ll have the Royal Navy patrolling that area regularly from now on.’ Admiral Berkshire said. ‘I’m guessing Konev had a sub at his disposal.’

  ‘What about the stone circle?’ Stanford asked.

  ‘Total destruction.’ Canning sighed. ‘There’s nothing left worth retrieving and they took my camera.’

  ‘We’ll keep our eyes peeled for signs of Soviet incursions.’ Stanford said before standing. ‘I’ll get over to MI6 to see if we can prize more information out of Kirov.’ Stanford got up.

  ‘What is your analysis on what you discovered in Scotland?’ Ian Morgan asked.

  ‘As incredible as it sounds there could well be evidence that ancient civilizations may ha
ve had advanced astronomical knowledge.’ Frederick said.

  ‘We should mount our own project looking into this.’ Canning suggested. ‘What we discovered could just be the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of ancient sites all over the United Kingdom which could give us a wealth of undiscovered information. I explained to Ralph that I know someone at Oxford who could do a bulk of the work. He doesn’t have to know the real purpose of what we’re looking for.’

  Chambers nodded. ‘Agreed, get in touch with your colleague and come up with a plan on how to proceed.’ Chambers looked at a clock on the wall and stood. ‘I have a meeting with the Prime Minister in an hour and will brief him on your little adventure.’

  Chapter 78

  Knowing Einstein

  71 – 77 Pall Mall – London – 1:51pm

  Friday 23rd October 1953

  Professor Frederick stared up at the entrance to the Oxford and Cambridge club feeling somewhat apprehensive about going in. And it didn’t help matters that Rothschild had sent him and invite to join him and a distinguished guest for a meeting. Frederick climbed the steps and entered the building. A tall man dressed in a grey suit stood guard just inside the main door. He smiled at Frederick as he walked in.

  ‘Professor Frederick.’ He greeted, his American accent prominent. ‘This way please sir.’

  Frederick followed the man down a large hallway which acted more like a portrait gallery displaying pictures of past and present members, including a picture of Frederick himself. Frederick never considered himself as photogenic and hated having his picture taken.

  Eventually they stopped in front of a large oak door which led to one of the grand reading halls which occupied the building. The man then knocked on the door before opening it and invited Frederick to enter. Rothschild stood by a large bookcase browsing through the volumes of books. He turned and smiled as Frederick entered the room. ‘Professor good to see you, thank you for coming.’ Rothschild shook Frederick’s hand. ‘May I present a distinguished colleague of mine, Professor Albert Einstein.’

  Frederick froze as Einstein appeared in front of him. He felt like a small boy meeting one of his all time literary heroes.

  ‘Professor Frederick, glad to finally meet you.’ Einstein greeted shaking hands. ‘I have read much of your work, impressive.’

  Frederick had to summon all his strength just to say something back. ‘I’m sorry, but I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.’

  Rothschild chuckled. ‘We’ll go easy on you Professor. I called you here today concerning the incident in Scotland a few weeks back. I would have contacted you sooner but I thought it wise to let the dust settle. Fellow member Alex Pavlov sends his regards and wanted to thank you for the information you helped uncover on those stones, and regrets the actions of Colonel Konev.’

  Frederick nodded. ‘I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for him.’

  All three men gathered around a large circular table on which were laid out large pieces of paper which had been rolled up, as well as photographs of all the stones. Frederick recognised the markings which were on the stones. Professor Einstein began to speak. ‘Pavlov managed to make copies of what he took from the stones and the tablet recovered from the Viking burial site. I’m fascinated by your theory Professor Frederick that these circles on each stone represent planetary systems.’ He picked up a photograph of the largest stone. ‘You say this one represents our solar system.’ He picked up another picture. ‘And this stone which bears the constellation of Cassiopeia has a planetary system.’

  ‘Yes, but can I just point out Professor that this is all speculation, as I told Pavlov.’ Frederick explained.

  Einstein smiled at him. ‘If you’re worried about treading on my toes Mr Frederick then you needn’t.’ He took a deep breath. ‘For some time I had suspected that we might not be the only creatures inhabiting our universe. And my speculations were confirmed during the Roswell crash.’

  Frederick nodded.

  ‘The Americans granted me access to the wreckage of the ship in the hope that I could figure out how it works. I have studied the technology in great detail.’ Einstein took a deep breath. ‘Alas I learned that there are limits to my knowledge.’ He looked back at the photographs. ‘The information here is very intriguing, especially if this is a representation of the constellation that our own sun is part of.’ He pointed to the photograph of the tallest stone.

  Frederick noticed the three armed spiral pattern at the base of this stone. ‘I told Professor Pavlov that I recognised this symbol.’

  Rothschild nodded. ‘This symbol is present on many ancient monuments around the globe. The Order has had teams of archaeologists scouring our planet looking for ancient monuments which could hold clues to the identity of visitors from other worlds.

  ‘It’s also carved onto the door of Ripley castle in Ripley North Yorkshire. The owner of the castle revealed to me that extraterrestrials have been taking women from the village for centuries.’

  Rothschild nodded. ‘This symbol is prominent on many ancient structures. It appears everywhere from Egypt to Easter Island.’

  ‘Whoever created these markings had advanced knowledge of the stars.’ Frederick said.

  ‘Or were from the stars.’ Rothschild stated. ‘It’s the only plausible explanation as to how this information got onto these stones.’

  ‘Which shatters my theory of relativity.’ Einstein pointed out.

  Frederick looked at him. ‘I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Professor.’

  ‘Again Mr Frederick you assume I will be disturbed by such allegations. Over the years I have leant that nothing is certain. And relativity is subject to change. My theory is merely a benchmark for science. To help others understand the universe as we see it in our time. But what about in five hundred years? or a thousand years? How will men view our universe then? To state that the theory of relativity will always be and can never be changed is foolish. Way beyond our years gentlemen, science will continue to develop in ways we cannot imagine. If mankind survives the twentieth century then it might be possible that he will go on to discover what lies beyond the boundaries of what I have learnt and create machines capable of reaching out to the stars. My only regret is I won’t be around to see it. But at least I know there are men like you Professor Frederick who will carry on my work and expand on it.’

  ‘Expand on it?’

  ‘My time is but a brief presence on this world, as with all of us, what I have done is far from finished which is why I am passing the torch to you Professor Frederick. I want you to carry on the work and rewrite relativity for the next generation of scientists.’

  Frederick leant against the table, his heart raced. ‘I don’t know what to say Professor Einstein.’

  ‘There is no need to say anything, the Order of Galileo was established to push the boundaries of understanding. Given what you have contributed so far to this Order I feel that you are the right man to carry on my work.’

  A knock on the door alerted all three men that the meeting was drawing to a close. The door opened and the tall man walked in. ‘Professor Einstein, Doctor Rothschild it is time.’

  ‘I’m afraid I cannot stay Mr Frederick, Einstein revealed. ‘I must leave for Berlin immediately, but it’s been a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I hope to see you again in the future.’

  ‘Goodbye Professor.’ Rothschild said. ‘We shall see each other again soon.’

  The tall man gathered up the scrolls and photographs and all three left the room leaving Frederick alone with his thoughts.

  Chapter 79

  The Asylum

  The American Embassy – London – 12:01pm

  Friday 27th November 1953

  Agent Frank Cones opened the dossier in front of him and started to read. Frederick, Dr Alan Good and Sir Malcolm Chambers were present in the room. A meeting had been organised with the Majestic Twelve representative at the embassy.

  Dr Good opened up the meeting. ‘Last wee
k a colleague of mine contacted me regarding the only survivor from the Stoke Lacy incident.’

  ‘The young farm hand.’ Cones said.

  Good nodded. ‘Since the events last January and because of his disabilities, he’s being cared for at a mental institute in South Wales. My colleague phoned claiming that on two occasions this individual was able to get out of a locked room and disappear for two days at a time before suddenly appearing again. The incidents in question have happened within the last six weeks, which is why Doctor Baxter wrote to me. The patient started to exhibit extreme anxiety at night and has had to be sedated on a number of occasions.’ Dr Good produced a number of sheets of paper and slid them over to Cones. ‘He has also been drawing.’

  Cones looked at the sketches, before looking back at the three men. ‘What the hell?’

  The series of sketches depicted the events that occurred at Stoke Lacy where he and Frederick had encountered Janus. One of the sketches showed Cones facing Janus with the shotgun he had tried to fire. Another sketch depicted Agent Cones on his knees wearing what appeared to be a straight jacket in a small room with barred windows.

  ‘We want you to accompany Professor Frederick to the hospital where you are to interview this individual and find out how he’s been getting out of his room.’ Chambers explained. ‘You are to leave on Monday.’

  Emneth – Norfolk – 7:28pm

  Sunday 29th November 1953

  ’You look tired sweetheart.’ Frederick noted.

  ‘I’m ok I’ve just been a little under the weather, Dr Davies has given me something.’

  ‘If you don’t want me to go on this trip I’ll cancel.’ Frederick offered.

  Elizabeth shook her head. ‘No it’s ok Ralph, you go I’ll be fine.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  Elizabeth nodded as Frederick scooped his wife up in his arms.

  Chapter 80

  Pen-y-Fal Psychiatric Hospital – Abergavenny - South Wales – 10:23am