Atlantis Vortex
Page 17
Pericles had planted the artifact just yesterday that would draw her to the spot, dropping it at Jessica’s feet just before the Pyramid collapsed. Xerxes had prepared the strange map himself, knowing it would intrigue Jessica and she had found it as the ground shook ominously beneath her feet - allaying any suspicions she might have had about it. Xerxes knew Jessica would be unable to resist following the mysterious clues to their conclusion. After the map’s exposure to surface pressure and sunlight for one hundred and four hours, the maps would disintegrate.
“Oh! I know your name, but I don’t know who you are,” she said to the walls, “but you’re damn frustrating.â€� Jessica was infuriated. He did not leave her enough time to reply or question him.
“Where do I know you from? I’ve seen you before that night at the dig. I just can’t remember …,” She asked aloud while she tried to dial out on her cell phone. The weather was still interfering with her calls, if not Xerxes Kallias’ calls.
Xerxes wanted to take Jessica now! A hurricane would be a perfect cover. However, if he took her too soon, he might not be able to allow Pericles and his men enough time to recover the artifacts she had unearthed. Xerxes sat at the bar watching Pericles and his squad play pool from a short distance and thinking about his problems. Atlantian Councilor Marcus was still demanding Xerxes execute Jessica and Bruce Lance to ensure the security of Atlantis.
Still loyal, his Councilors wanted no part in murdering the two young scientists either. After their last council meeting, they all waited until Marcus left, then requested in a respectful, and this time in a serious manner, that Xerxes replace him. Again suggesting that perhaps one of the upper-world archaeologists, Bruce Lance to be exact, would be better suited. Xerxes had been giving their suggestion consideration and had requested his aid, Geb, to do a comprehensive employment check on Mr. Lance, above what they already knew, for future reference. It was possible that Mr. Lance, after the conclusion of this situation, would become a resident of Atlantis, Xerxes was sure Jessica would be able to accomplish this.
Other security risk problems came to mind, Ms. Simon. Pericles had kept her at a safe distance and Xerxes hoped he would continue to do so. Xerxes could not sign her death warrant with a clear conscience but he didn’t want her as a resident of Atlantis either, he knew her allegiance would always be in question. He hoped he would not need to make that decision. If she found Marcus’ trail and identified him, Xerxes would have a more difficult problem and be forced to act swiftly. Atlantis would gain another resident. Xerxes would avoid Marcus’ solution and use it as a last resort only. Maybe the woman would be truly happy in Atlantis, Xerxes thought. She might provide the needed evidence to convict Marcus. Xerxes smiled to himself remembering Geb, as usual, had been ahead of him when he had requested an investigation and background check on Ms. Simon. When asked how he knew what Xerxes wanted before he did, he had replied. “Milord, it is part of the job to know what you will need, before you do,â€� Geb laughed.
“Okay, then how do I handle this problem with Councilor Marcus?� Xerxes asked with a laugh.
“I am not a soothsayer, milord,� Geb smiled. “I am sure you will deal with him justly, I am also sure he is the traitor.� Geb left without his smile.
Xerxes was thankful Pericles solved one problem. Pericles, with the help of Ambassador Barrous from Alpha-Centauri, would retrieve the other artifact when the military moved them, according to Xerxes’ plan. Until then, Xerxes would keep a close watch. For now, the urgent reason he came ashore and taken this serious risk to his own safety occupied his thoughts. He had left Atlantis in Geb’s capable hands, as acting regent since Alena, his sister, was still off World as acting Ambassador.
Concerned about the threat to Jessica from the group of dangerous Aztec worshipers who believed she was the reincarnated daughter of a lesser Aztec god named Coxcox, Xerxes had come during the storm to keep a personal watch on his future bride. From information obtained from a source in their ranks, Xerxes knew Jessica was in greater danger during the eye of the storm when they planned to sacrifice her, if they could abduct her.
Xerxes closely watched the parking area of the hotel for any sign of these individuals and signaled Pericles when a beat-up old truck with two men of that pagan sect drove in and parked. Pericles and his squad had been casually passing time in the hotel bar but instantly came together as group in a darkened corner of the bar.
Jessica heard the winds suddenly drop and the rain stop. The eye of the hurricane was passing over. Quickly she donned her raincoat, stuffed the maps back inside her mud-encrusted work vest for safekeeping, and left it in the room. Deciding a short trip to the lobby was in order to get something to eat and drink; supplies for the rest of the storm. She weighed taking the nine-millimeter pistol with her, but who would attack me during a hurricane? She thought. Shrugging, she left it behind.
Halfway down the open corridor, a figure jumped out at her. Jessica recognized same ugly-faced man who had accosted her at her apartment, with another knife in his hand.
Damn, she thought, angry with herself for being so foolish to have left her gun in her room. Jessica immediately went into a slight crouch, ready to defend herself, at the same time she felt someone behind her. Now she knew she had a problem.
“I still do not have the statue with me.� Jessica said in a warning tone.
“We want you, we have statue already!� he said in broken English.
“Why?� she felt the one behind her move closer, she kicked backwards catching him in the groin, he groaned and Jessica stepped away from him. He managed to trip her, and she fell onto the wet pavement. She swung wide with her right leg but the brutal looking man with the knife was weary of her and jumped over her swinging legs, grabbing her legs instead. Jessica was terrified, the first one now had her arms, and without warning, the world went dark.
Meredith heard Jessica’s door open then close for the second time. This time the winds were down and the rain had stopped, she hoped the storm was over. She heard loud voices, Jessica’s voice, and the sounds of fighting. Meredith grabbed her gun and ran out.
Another shadow stepped out. This one tall and broad-shouldered, but he was too late. It had taken both of the two Aztec guards to carry Jessica, but they managed to avoid Xerxes and tossed Jessica in the back of their pick-up truck. Their truck looked dilapidated, but the engine sounded finely tuned, and they sped away.
Meredith also saw the brutes abduct Jessica, but she didn’t see Bruce who had waited for the winds to drop, figuring he too would run down to the lounge for a couple of cokes. He had just stepped out in time to see two horrid looking men toss Jessica, unconscious, into the bed of a pickup truck. Moving fast behind them and talking into what appeared to be a cell phone, the man with the strange aquamarine eyes jumped into his Porsche and raced away after them.
Bruce ran for help, almost colliding with Pericles and six of his Marines as they ran out into the storm before he could stop them. Bruce went for Sheriff Flagler and heard Meredith react as her training dictated.
She yelled, “Halt! FBI!� At the tall man who drove the Porsche, he ignored her command.
Bruce stopped at the sound of Meredith’s voice in time to see her fire her Glock pistol twice. He stared, both rounds hit the car, but both deflected off. Each deflection illuminated by a blue glow. Bruce knew an electronic barrier when he saw it. What had they gotten into? He wondered as he again turned to find the Sheriff.
Xerxes had jumped into his little Porsche, ignoring the FBI agent’s shouts and called his two back-up aids for help, they had to work fast, the storm’s center mechanically could hold for a limited time.
Next, Xerxes called the agent he had assigned to the upper-world military. “Pericles,â€� Xerxes’ tone was concerned, “They got her. We’ve got to act fast, I think they will take her to that place just outside Buckhead Ridge, you know where, near ten-mile bend?â€
�
“Yes, Lord, I know. We’ll be there.â€� He paused. “Was that gunfire?â€� Pericles asked.
“Yeah, Ms. Simon’s on the case,â€� Xerxes said with a smirk.
“Are you hit?� Pericles sounded concerned.
“No, the barrier deflected the shots,� Xerxes said casually.
How long before the storm’s eye will shift?â€� Pericles asked as he too drove toward the location in their Marine Hummer.
“Our scientists estimate we can hold it for two hours,� Xerxes informed him.
“It’ll drive the meteorologist’s crazy,â€� Pericles laughed.
Xerxes laughed with him, “I know, but that’s their problem.â€� He pressed the accelerator, going faster. Sliding and swerving to miss the huge puddles on the rain-soaked pavement of State Road 441 that circles around the Levy of Lake Okeechobee, headed west. If they didn’t get there in time, Jessica would be sacrificed to the Aztec’s pagan god.
Slowly Jessica started to regain consciousness. The truck’s bed was wet and rough. Bruised, uncomfortable, and disorientated, she tired to move, only to find her hands and feet bound. Jessica became aware that a man sat next to her. The man who had the knife was watching her closely.
She looked up into the stars between the massive wall clouds of a Hurricane’s eye. Her eyes focused on the lightning that flashed in those clouds and how strange it looked to see lightning all around and stars overhead.
“You be a Princess soon,â€� he told her. He seemed to want to reassure her, it didn’t. She knew the story.
“I am not Coxcox’s daughter,â€� Jessica told him firmly.
“Yes, legend says. You thirsty?� He gave her a drink. It tasted terrible, like raw Tequila and Chocolate but with a little more kick. She thought it was water and swallowed some before she spat most of it out. “You should drink, it is sacred.
Oh God, Jessica thought. What did I drink? Her head started to feel strange, he poured more down her throat; she coughed and tried to spit it out. Time seemed to slow down, the sky swirled, and the clouds took on faces. Then she knew it was a hallucinogenic and she knew what they were planning on doing. Jessica’s last coherent thought was, I am going to die.
Time stopped. The lightning flashes slowed, she could follow the lines they took, and they seemed to point at her. Giant faces ethereally illuminated by the lightning bolt’s powerful flashes glowed in colors Jessica had never dreamed existed. Their faces were angry and heated eyes glared at her. She knew it wasn’t real and only by the last thread of reality did she refrain from screaming. She closed her eyes, shivering.
How far they traveled, she had no idea. It seemed like the Hurricane’s eye was holding a long time. Time moved in a swirl, when she opened her eyes again, the clouds were circling her, the faces gone, leaving an open window to the stars of heaven. The heavens were clear, and brilliant, beckoning her to float up into their cool perfection. Stars moved in patterns. Jessica knew she had to be seeing things. Some of the stars looked like arrow-shaped ships. She counted six, before they turned to blurs and disappeared straight up into the stars.
“See!� The Aztec with the knife said with a knowing smile, and indicated the moving stars, pointing with his knife. “The gods come to carry your soul away to be reborn!� Jessica shuddered, wondering if she was really going to die in this manner.
Finally, the truck stopped. Two men helped her out of the truck’s bed, and some reality returned. Cutting her bonds, they turned her care over to five Aztec women, assigned to bathe and dress her. These women were unlike their men. Where the men were highly fit and hard-bodied, the women were the opposite. They were heavily breasted and matronly, some to the point of obesity. As they dressed Jessica’s slender, but muscular body in a sheer white shift they laughed at how small she was, underestimating her. Had she not been drugged she would have made short work of escaping these huge pagans and been done with them. However, her captors had poured so much of their horrid potion down her that throat she was somewhat passive.
Jessica performed the tasks they commanded of her in a daze. She sat submissively as they painted heavy make-up on her face and brushed out her long dark red hair. Over the long white shift, they buckled an ancient gold, and turquoise girdle on her hips, and laid a heavy turquoise, and gold necklace on her shoulders.
The women forced more of the horrid drink down her throat. She coughed again and managed to spit out most of it. Ritual chanting started, the women led Jessica out among the small crowd of worshipers and they all bowed from the waist to her before joining in a procession around a huge bonfire. Trying to clear her head, Jessica attempted to count how many times they circled the fire, but she had become hypnotized in the chanting.
Two of the women took her by her arms and broke the circle. They guided her toward a large stone Altar that stood between two huge carved Jaguar statues, their muzzles drawn back and their white ivory fangs dripped red with blood. A half-naked man stood there, he wore only a short Jaguar skin around his hips and a mask of gold on his face. His upper body painted with what appeared to be red paint. From somewhere deep inside Jessica’s mesmerized mind she knew it wasn’t paint but blood and she knew this man was a deadly Aztec priest. She began to tremble; she could feel her heart beating wildly, stories of human sacrifice flowed through her drugged mind, visions of still beating hearts torn from terrified victims. Now she was one of those victims and she was terrified.
A cup held to her lips contained more of the horrid liquid and they forced some down her, much of the potion dripping down her chin. Another cup put to her lips contained a far worse substance, blood. Try hard as they did, Jessica would not drink from that cup; she struggled, causing the cupbearer to spill the contents. Even with their strong drug in her system, she began to fight. She heard one of them grunt in pain when her foot found his knee and broke the cap with a loud crunch, despite the strong drug, and he sank to the ground. It took four of their painted warriors to put her on the Altar. Beside her was that horrid statue she had found at the dig. Its grotesque’s features seemed to laugh at her.
Their chanting began anew. She looked into heaven’s stars praying as well as her drugged mind would allow. Surrounded by striking lightning coming closer, and growing stronger, the pagans’ chanting reached a heated, almost sexual climax. The Hurricane’s eye wall was collapsing on the area bringing the backside of the storm’s fury.
Xerxes could see smoke rising from the fire, he pulled off the road, and he knew he had found the spot. His aids were only moments behind him. He parked his car in the bushes and waited for them. They arrived at the same time Pericles and his six Marine/Atlantians did.
Xerxes knew they were outnumbered but they had superior firepower. Time was not on their side. Aztec guards were fearless fighters and in the throes of the drugs, they used during this type of ceremony felt little, if any pain. His men would have to kill them. The Aztec’s High Priest was the fiercest. Xerxes had decided the Priest would be his target, knowing he would have to kill him instantly, and he would be the closest to Jessica. Xerxes also instructed his men to give no quarter to the five women; they fought as vicious as the men, even at their massive size.
Xerxes looked through the scrub oaks that surrounded the site and could see the pagans leading Jessica around a huge bonfire. She appeared drugged and tripped twice, supported by two of the women in the group to prevent her from falling. Her beautiful face heavily painted, the sheer white garment they had dressed her in leaving little to the imagination about the loveliness of her body. He turned to address his men.
“I don’t care how many you have to kill, but I want Ms. Carter safe,â€� Xerxes told them. “Let’s go.â€� Xerxes had brought an old weapon - centuries old, the Sword of his Fathers, the Sword of Atlantis. He strapped on the ancient weapon now. Xerxes had trained with this weapon; his father insisted he, Alena and Ainu be
proficient with even the oldest of weapons.
Using all their stealth training, the seven Marines/Atlantians surrounded the small clearing and on signal from Xerxes attacked with their weapons on full automatic. They carried both their Marine and Atlantian issued weapons, but depended on the more advanced ones used by the Atlantis army. Each chose their targets carefully to kill as efficiently as possible. Xerxes other agents remained as perimeter guards.
Chaos prevailed. Screams of death ruptured the night. Atlantians were a peaceful people, but fierce warriors when called upon. Only a few instances deteriorated into hand-to-hand combat. Xerxes found himself engaged in one of these as he fought his way to the Altar to save Jessica. He drew the Sword, his Atlantian laser pistol knocked from his hand. He swung the ancient sword, his strength flowing into the weapon as his instructor taught, and slew two of their numbers that obstructed his path to the Altar.
Aztecs fell in numbers due to the drugs they had taken dulling their reactions. The Atlantians suffered no casualties, but a few injuries. Xerxes battled as a warrior of old until he made his way to where Jessica lay at the mercy of the Aztec Priest. The Priest continued chanting, caught in the headiness of the drug and intent on completing his pagan ceremony, despite any interruptions.
At last, Xerxes reached her and quickly sheathed the Sword, his hands stained red with the blood of hand-to-hand combat. He hoped the sight of so much blood wouldn’t frighten her further when he snatched her from the slab of death.
Jessica was lying on the stone Altar, the chanting, and the drugs they forced down her throat had her totally entranced. She was staring up into the coldest, blackest eyes she had ever seen. The Aztec Priest’s heavily painted eyes stared back into hers, and he was chanting words she could not understand. She was sweating, her breathing rapid, her chest heaving, and in some part of her mind, she was horrified. He held a huge golden knife high over her breasts, with it poised to plunge into her chest. The heat from the bonfire they had built was close by, and Jessica felt singed by its proximity, but she couldn’t move to get away despite being unrestrained.