by S. L. Menear
“Where are they?”
“Dragon Master has hidden them in a remote part of the Himalayas. He brought them there blindfolded. They don’t know exactly where they are, so they can’t direct me there.”
“What is the purpose of Poseidon’s Sword?”
“It’s a weapon of mass destruction for which there is no countermeasure.”
“Ah, yes, but what was your ancestor’s plan for it?”
“World domination, of course.”
“That wouldn’t help them in this day and age unless part of their civilization survived the destruction of Atlantis and is hiding, waiting to rule the world.” He stepped closer. “Where is the remnant hiding?”
“I don’t know.”
I could feel his breath on my face. His stare pierced my eyes.
“I think you do. The vault will reveal your secrets.” He motioned to men who had entered after me. “Chain her to the floor in the pit.”
I spun around and flipped the nearest man into the pit. He landed on the eternal flame and screamed when his clothing caught fire. Spinning heel kicks took out two more soldiers. The remaining one drew his weapon.
Werner rushed forward. “Hold fire, you fool! We need her alive.”
I side-stepped the soldier’s charge and flipped him into the wall.
Master focused his power on me.
I collapsed, writhing in agony from an unseen force.
York, England
Derek walked in with a young nurse pushing a medical cart. “Pam, this is your patient, Loren.”
Pam moved close to Loren. “Let me see.” She looked at the swollen, blood-scabbed fingers. “I’ll clean and dress your hand and apply a local analgesic.”
“Derek, the DSF said Sam’s flight already landed at a private airport near Paderborn, Germany,” Ross said. “By the time police arrived, everyone was gone. He’s sending a military transport with jump gear for us. We’ll head for Germany and parachute over the target. We’re counting on Loren telling us where they took Sam if she doesn’t activate her emergency signal.” Ross glanced at Loren.
Her voice was tense with pain from Pam’s treatment. “Ross, you can count on me. I’ll find her.”
Loren paused while Pam applied an antibiotic ointment that contained a strong pain killer.
“Ah, much better. Thank you, Pam.” She looked up at Ross and Derek as the nurse bandaged her hand. “Gentlemen, I’m counting on you. Please save my daughter.”
“This isn’t just a military op for me. I love Sam and want her back safe. My men joke a lot about last summer, but they care about her too. We’ll save her. That’s a promise.” He kissed her cheek, saluted Duncan, and nodded farewell to the Covingtons.
Ross jotted down a phone number and handed it to Loren. “Call me the moment you know where she is.”
Ross gathered his team into the Lynx and flew to Leeds Bradford International Airport. A military jet transport taxied to the ramp moments before they landed in the Lynx.
Inside the Boeing C-17, they checked their parachutes and gear as the jet took off and raced toward Germany at maximum operating speed.
Wewelsburg Castle
I had lied myself into a corner. I had no idea if the triplets survived the crash, and if they did, who raised them. I said the Dragon Society had them because Dragon Master warned me about the Black Sun. I wasn’t sure if my lineage traced back to Atlantis. If people from Atlantis were in hiding, I had no idea where. Maybe the Atlanteans raised the triplets.
My watch signal wouldn’t penetrate the underground vault. I had to figure a way to trick them so I could activate the emergency button in a place where the signal would work.
My eardrums had ruptured, and my nose and ears were bleeding. I choked from blood running down my throat.
Master’s voice sounded far away. “The location of the remnant, Samantha?”
“Yes.” I coughed up blood.
“I want to tell you, but I need to connect with the triplets and use our combined powers to find them. The vault is blocking my communication with them.”
Twenty-One
Aboard the Boeing C-17, Ross received a call from Loren on his SATCOM.
“I saw a circular pit made of stone blocks, and the overhead dome had a giant swastika in the center. There were twelve pedestals along the perimeter of the outer circle, each with candles burning in alcoves above them.”
Duncan’s weak voice rasped, “Have Burnsie research German castles near Paderborn for a room that fits Loren’s description.”
Ross made the call and recited the details to Corporal Burns. “Burnsie, every minute counts on this one. I’ll hold.”
Two minutes later, Burnsie came back on. “Captain, it’s Wewelsburg Castle on a hill near a village with the same name. It was closed last year for a two-year renovation.”
“Thanks, Burnsie.” Ross ran to the cockpit.
The pilot looked over his shoulder as Ross said, “Drop us over Wewelsburg. Our target is the castle on the hill near the village.”
“I’ll send a warning to the jumpmaster when we’re five minutes out. Good luck, Captain.”
Ross returned to his team and called the DSF. “Sir, her mother thinks she’s in Wewelsburg Castle.”
“I’ll get right back to you.”
Wewelsburg Castle
Master studied my face for a sign of treachery. I hoped the pain masked my deceit. He turned to his men.
“Take her to Obergruppenführersaal. Chain her over the Black Sun.” He stepped back and supervised the men as they unchained me and dragged me upstairs.
“The museum calls this room the SS Generals’ Hall. It holds great significance for us. Do not fail me again.” Master looked at me with merciless eyes.
I glanced around as I was dragged to the center of another circular room where a dark-green sun wheel was set into the pale marble floor. The ominous room was encircled by twelve columns joined by a groined vault, twelve window and door niches, and eight tall windows.
“The center of the sun wheel is pure gold. It is the symbol for the Black Sun. You will soon feel its power.” Master pointed down. “Chain her over it.”
I managed to tap my wrist against the marble floor at the perfect angle to activate the emergency button before they chained my arms and legs in the position of Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man in his most outstretched pose. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
“Now you will contact the triplets and answer all our questions or suffer the consequences of disobedience.” Master looked down at me.
“I need a few minutes of absolute silence. No interruptions.” I closed my eyes and tried to empty my mind.
I saw a vision of my mother sitting with the Covingtons and Duncan in his hospital room. Where was Ross? I had been certain he would track me there. Damn.
Master interrupted my vision. “Have you connected with the triplets?”
“Yes, but you broke the connection. Now I must try again. Silence, please.”
If the triplets are alive, maybe I can make a telepathic connection with them. They should be old enough to have the same psychic abilities their mother had. Maybe they can help me somehow. If not, I’m dead.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on the names Solraya, Luna, and Blaze in the remote chance they would hear my desperate plea. A few minutes of silence passed.
“Enough! You’re stalling for time. Your boyfriend won’t find you. Neither will the Americans. Tell me the location of the remnant or suffer my wrath.”
I ignored him and tried to stay focused. The triplets were my only hope. Pain seared through my upper back, which was directly over the Black Sun symbol. I struggled to maintain my mental concentration on the three names.
“That was a taste of what is to come if you don’t answer me. Tell me the remnant’s location now, or I’ll make you beg for death.”
I remained silent. My body filled with excruciating pain, like being electrocuted from the inside out.
&n
bsp; I gritted my teeth and kept summoning the triplets, hoping the painful energy flowing through me would strengthen my telepathy. Slowly, I was losing consciousness.
Three familiar faces were the last thing I saw.
Boeing C-17
The DSF spoke to Ross on his SATCOM. “I received intel that Sam activated the emergency signal on her watch ten minutes ago. Her GPS is accurate within three feet. She’s in the north tower in the SS Generals’ Hall. The Americans picked up her signal at the same time. A SEAL team led by her brother was on ready alert at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. They’ll probably arrive first because of the short distance. GSG-9 is coming from Hannover. Looks like you’ll arrive last by a few minutes. I’ll notify the Americans you’re coming so they don’t shoot you. Bring her back to Great Britain, Captain.”
“Aye, sir.” Ross acquired the tactical frequency from the DSF so his team could communicate with Mike Starr’s SEAL team and the German GSG-9 unit.
Minutes before his team jumped, he called Sam’s brother. “Mike, it’s Ross. My team’s about to parachute down to the castle. Give me a sit rep.” Ross heard gunfire when Mike keyed his microphone.
“My six-man team is pinned down in the trees by snipers on the north tower. Sam’s in the SS Generals’ Hall near ground level. Snipers inside the southeast and southwest towers are targeting the ten-man GSG-9 unit on the south grounds. Enemy shooters on lower levels are firing into the trees at all of us. Our best guess is about two hundred tangos.”
“Derek, Steve, and Will are with me. Two hundred tangos against twenty special operators sounds like a fair fight. Hang tight. We’ll come in dark and take out the snipers. Alert the GSG-9 leader. ETA six minutes.”
Ross finished the radio call seconds before the green jump light illuminated.
Adrenaline pumped through him as he and his men dived from the aft cargo door into the cold night sky toward Wewelsburg. They opened their high-performance black chutes at three thousand feet and glided to the targets. Flashes of gunfire from the towers and surrounding grounds looked like strobe lights.
Ross and Derek focused on the primary target: the north tower where Sam was held captive a few levels below the top. They circled three hundred feet above the snipers and dropped grenades straight down. Steve and Will did the same over the other two towers.
The SAS team held their rifles ready to fire as they circled ever lower and waited for the smoke from the grenades to clear. Ross spotted one man moving on the north tower and shot him. Bodies littered the ramparts. Ross landed and stood guard while Derek slipped off his chute and stuffed it under a nearby body.
“Southeast tower’s top level is secure,” Steve reported. “I entered through a hole I blasted in the roof.”
“Southwest tower’s upper level is secure. Snipers inside are dead,” Will reported.
Ross radioed Mike. “Snipers neutralized. All tower roofs secure. Derek and I are going in.”
“Call me when you’re outside the SS Generals’ Hall where they’re holding Sam,” Mike said. “The majority of Black Sun soldiers are guarding entrances to ground levels of the castle and towers where they’re under attack by my SEALs and GSG-9.”
Descending the winding staircase, Ross and Derek encountered enemy soldiers around every turn. In a brief firefight, Ross and Derek took out the remaining soldiers guarding the door to the SS Generals’ Hall.
Both men were grazed: Ross on his left shoulder and Derek on his right thigh. They ignored their minor wounds and pressed on.
“Good thing this castle’s a museum. There’s a sign over the door for the SS Generals’ Hall.” Derek pointed.
“Derek and I are outside the target room. Area’s secure,” Ross reported.
“Hold fire. I’m coming in,” Mike said. “My men are keeping the enemy busy.”
Moments later, Ross, Derek, and Mike stood together, opened the door, and peered in.
They had to turn off their night-vision gear and wait for their eyes to adjust.
“Bloody hell! Looks like an electrical storm in there.” Ross shielded his eyes.
A whirlwind of electromagnetic energy was firing thousands of brilliant blue-white lightning bolts all over the room from the center. The men inside had been scorched. Grotesque corpses lined the outer circle.
Ross squinted as he scanned the room. “I see her! She’s chained to the floor in the center.”
Mike looked relieved to see his sister. “She’s not burned. It’s like she’s protected by an invisible Faraday cage.”
“An invisible what?” Derek asked.
“I’ll explain later.”
“How do we rescue Sam in that electrical storm?” Ross asked.
“I’ll try to talk to her and find out how it works. She must know something if she’s the only one who survived.” Mike whistled loudly and yelled, “Sam! The Black Sun soldiers are dead. Ross and Derek are with me. How do we get to you?”
“Mike?” Sam’s voice was weak.
“Yes, baby sister, it’s me. Tell us how to save you,” Mike shouted.
“Wait!” She sounded frantic.
The crackling tornado roared a few seconds longer, then vanished. The room fell dark and silent.
“Okay, it’s safe now. I need wine and chocolate,” she said in a barely audible tone.
Ross scanned the dark room with a flashlight.
The scent of charred flesh fouled the air.
Derek nudged Mike. “I think you’d better tell us what you know about this.”
“An Englishman named Michael Faraday invented the Faraday cage in 1836. The cage protects its contents from electrical currents.”
Mike stopped beside Sam. “Well, obviously there’s no cage around her. It’s as though an invisible force field protected her.”
The triplets were still connected to my mind. They saw what I saw. When Mike, Ross, and Derek approached to unchain me, the triplets watched them through my eyes.
“Ask them to clean off the greasepaint. We want to see their faces so we can recognize them if we ever meet.”
“Sorry we don’t have any wine or chocolate, lass. I’ll get some for you soon.” Ross kissed me. His words sounded so far away.
When they unchained me, I sat up and wiped the blood away from my nose and ears with my sleeve.
“Ross, I need you to clean your face—Mike and Derek too. It’s important. I need to see your faces right away. Please.” I choked and spit up a little blood.
They exchanged concerned glances, shrugged, and began wiping off the greasepaint.
I noticed Derek’s thigh. “You’re wounded!”
“Just a minor graze. No worries.” He smiled and leaned in close.
I touched Derek’s face. “Derek, thank you for coming to my rescue.”
His emerald-green eyes twinkled. “Sam, you know I specialize in damsels in distress. Thanks for giving me so much practice.”
“Ah, Derek is quite handsome. We like his sexy green eyes.”
Next, I touched Mike’s face and noticed blood seeping from his left temple. “Mike, you’re bleeding too!”
“It’s nothing. My helmet got the worst of it. You know I have a hard noggin’, Sis.”
“I love you, Mike. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”
“Love you too, Sis. Glad you’re safe now.” He hugged me and smiled.
“Oh, I like this one. He’s so good looking!” Blaze said.
“Too bad there isn’t two of him. I love his blond hair,” Luna said.
“Actually, Mike has a twin brother named Matt who looks a lot like him,” I told the triplets.
“Good, then maybe we’ll both be happy someday,” Luna said.
I reached for Ross and kissed him. “I love you, Ross. I’m sorry about leaving you back in the Highlands. Please forgive me.”
“I understand, Sam. You did what you thought you had to do. You know I love you, lass. I’m so glad to have you back in my arms. I saw the blood. Are you hurt?” R
oss looked me over.
That’s when I noticed his shoulder was bleeding. “Ross, you’re wounded too!”
“Relax, lass, it’s just a wee scratch.” He gave me a reassuring kiss.
“Ross gives good kisses,” Solraya said.
“His eyes are the same color as mine,” Luna said.
“We’ll have no problem remembering these three,” Blaze said.
“And Mike’s brother, Matt,” Luna said.
“I’ll be forever grateful to you three,” I said telepathically. “The pain was terrible. Thank you for saving me.”
I closed my eyes and saw Solraya’s face.
“How could I not save someone who looks exactly like me?” Solraya said. “We’ll leave you now with those handsome men, but expect to hear from us again.”
The triplets vanished from my mind.
“Sam? Are you all right?” Ross squeezed my shoulders.
“My eardrums are ruptured, and my insides feel like they were electrocuted. My captors tore open my stitches, and I hurt all over. Other than that, I’m fine.”
“What caused the electrical storm in here?” Mike asked.
“I’m not sure,” I lied. “The Black Sun Master had unusual powers. He tormented me, causing me a lot of pain without even touching me. I think he used Vril. The Dragon Master warned me about it.”
Mike called his men to check on the battle. “Give me a sit rep.” He listened a few moments. “Good work. My sister’s safe. We’ll bring her out now.” He looked at Ross. “The castle’s secure.”
Ross scooped me into his arms. “Time to take Sam to a military medical facility.” He carried me down the short flight of stairs to the outside.
“There’s a Chinook inbound to fly us to Ramstein Air Base.” Mike scanned the sky. “Here it comes now.” He pointed at the helicopter. “Plenty of room for your team, Ross.”
Ross called Will and Steve. “Meet us at the Chinook. We’re hitching a ride to Ramstein.”