Contest

by David Wood

  “I guess you can say I’m of the Dominion even though I’m not a member. I grew up in Utah in a conservative Mormon family. I’m descended from Porter Rockwell, friend and bodyguard to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.”

  Maddock knew the name. “The Destroying Angel of Mormondom?”

  “That’s what they called him. I kind of like it, but it’s too long to fit on a t-shirt, and if you try and go with an acronym, you get DAM. Mormons won’t go for that.”

  Rockwell forced a laugh at his own joke. “He was even the subject of a prophecy from Joseph Smith himself: So long as ye shall remain loyal and true to thy faith, need fear no enemy. Cut not thy hair and no bullet or blade can harm thee. And it proved true. He remained faithful and time and again he came out of situations unscathed.”

  “Maybe he was just good at killing,” Bones said.

  “Probably. But he genuinely believed it was due to his devotion to the prophecy. But even so, he once cut off his hair so that it could be made into a wig for a woman who had gone bald from typhoid. He had many facets, but ultimately he was a man who cared for his people and his cause.”

  “He was also a murderer many times over,” Maddock said.

  “That all depends on a person’s perspective, doesn’t it? He was a lawman and a true believer. He was abiding by his conscience.”

  “Religion is always a convenient excuse for horrible behavior,” Bones said. “Where would the world be without true devotion?” Rockwell’s eyes went wide as he spoke. The red glow from the thunderstone bathed his face in sinister light. “And I don’t mean religion. The same single-minded zeal that drives the religious zealot also burns in the hearts of the greats in every field. You can’t push boundaries without deep devotion, true belief. Think about advances in science, the greatest works of art.” He paused, looked directly at Maddock. “The greatest discoveries in history.”

  That one hit Maddock hard. Of the many people he admired, how many would have accomplished what they had without extreme or even complete devotion to their passion?

  “How about the guy who invented fake boobs?” Bones asked.

  Rockwell’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m going to miss you. I really do like you guys. You’re believers, too.”

  “That’s true,” Bones said. “I believe in the three B’s: bros, babes, and beer. Not necessarily in that order.”

  Maddock grinned. He knew Bones was stalling for time, looking for an opportunity to make a move. But some of the things his friend came up with...

  “That actually will fit on a t-shirt!” Rockwell said. “Thanks for that. I’d give you credit, but that might lead to awkward questions.” He flashed an apologetic grin.

  “But you and I both know none of those are your true passion.” He returned his gaze to Maddock. “You two are driven by the love of the hunt. But it’s not about the treasure. It’s because you have to know.”

  An invisible hand gripped Maddock by the throat.

  Bones raised his hand like a pupil in class. “So, what is it I supposedly want to know, because blissful ignorance has worked pretty well for me.”

  Rockwell laughed again. “Deflection won’t work on me. You know what I’m saying. You have to know.” He said it slowly, injected the words with deep meaning. “What’s at the top of the mountain. What’s at the bottom of the sea?”

  “Snow. Sand. Both of them suck,” Bones said.

  “No lasting relationships, no kids, loose attachments to your extended families,” Rockwell said.

  “How do you know that?” Maddock said.

  “I listen, read between the lines. And you’ve confirmed everything I thought about you.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Maddock saw Bones begin to inch forward. He knew he needed to keep Rockwell focused on him.

  “I can’t wait to hear what you thought about me,” Maddock said. “I’m sure you’re every bit as clever as you think you are.”

  “You should have left after the race, gone back to your regular lives. But just a whiff of a new twist on an unsolved mystery was enough to make you interrupt your regularly scheduled programming. And the Arch Gold Mine? Please. That was no reason for you to stay.”

  “Is that it? We took an extended vacation?” Maddock laughed.

  “There was no good reason for you to go out into the desert the day after I rolled those boulders down on you. But you did, not only putting your own health at risk, but leaving people you care about behind, because you wanted to search for the Lost Ship of the Desert.”

  Maddock swallowed hard. He couldn’t manage a reply. Bones moved a little closer.

  “Don’t come any closer, Bones,” Rockwell warned.

  “It’s cool. I just thought you’d like to know that we found the ship. Like, not even kidding.”

  “Did you? Well, that makes what happened tonight even more interesting. Your friends are up there, in the company of strangers and human traffickers. There’s a clever, intelligent, beautiful girl up there.” His gaze bored into Maddock. “Yet, even though you had just solved one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the South- west, you still left them behind. Why? One find of a lifetime in a day isn’t enough for you?

  “I followed you down here. Watched you put your lives at risk multiple times. You could have gone back for equipment, returned, and done it safely. But you were willing to risk being impaled on spikes in order to get there just a little sooner. Why?”

  “The treasure,” Bones said. “We had to at least try and find it before the government takes control of the place.”

  “Had to,” Rockwell echoed. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. But I don’t think it’s about the treasure. Any legend would have been enough for you, because you have to know.”

  They lapsed into silence. It was true.

  “So that’s what drives us,” Maddock said. “So what?”

  “It doesn’t just drive you. It owns you. You will always choose it over everything and everyone else you value. It will always be first among firsts. You will do anything. Just like me.”

  “Are you trying to say you’re a victim of your deep belief in human trafficking?”

  Bones deadpanned.

  Rockwell smiled. “That’s just a way to pay the bills. This is my passion.” His eyes took in the entire chamber. “Water! Clean, pure water. This is the true gold.”

  “Slow down, Bobby Boucher,” Bones said. “What are you talking about?”

  “Why is that surprising? Human traffickers can’t care about clean water? I desperately want enough clean water for everyone. I sincerely wish that your future brother-in-law could safely sell his raw water.”

  Maddock blinked. “Wait. What?”

  Bones and Rockwell laughed.

  “I have to say, I actually do like this dude,” Bones said to Maddock. “He’s got you pegged.”

  “I’m sincere about this,” Rockwell said. “I believe in the Salton Sea project. I hate the Pacific Garbage Patch. I truly believe that the human race is in deep trouble if we don’t change the way we deal with water.”

  “So that makes it okay to enslave people?” Maddock said.

  “It makes it necessary. The difference between my devotion and yours is that yours does not have global ramifications.”

  “That’s not necessarily true,” Bones said. “You’ve heard of Atlantis, right?”

  Rockwell’s eyes went to Bones. He stared. “I almost believe you. But the reality is, the world must change. And I can’t change the world without wealth, and success. I will clean up the Salton Sea. And in doing so, I will show on a small scale what the word could accomplish on a grand scale. It has got to be done. I’m the only one who can do it.”

  Maddock understood the passion, was even sympathetic to the cause, but could not condone the methods.

  “I get it,” he said to Shipman. “But think about it. How does killing us change anything for you? Won’t the traffickers identify you as their boss?”

  “T
hey think my name is Bryce Shipman. That’s who the police will go after, not the guy who was captured by the traffickers. Spenser and Riv saw it happen. Once things went to hell up there, I hid and tried to pick off a few of them from behind cover. Dead men tell no tales, you know.”

  “So, you pointed the police in the direction of the guy who killed Megan Keane,” Bones said.

  “Did he?” Rockwell’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s funny. I was blackmailing him for the murder, but I didn’t know for certain that he did it. Seems the type, doesn’t he.”

  “His treasure hunting was bringing him too close to your operation?”

  “Exactly. Couldn’t have him poking about, and certainly couldn’t have him telling stories. That’s his job, after all.”

  A piece fell into place in Maddock’s mind. Something Shipman had said. “It was you who blew up the dungeon room.”

  “Circle gets the square. Couldn’t have a back door into my operation.” His face fell and he let out a sigh. “Damn it! I hate this! If you had just waited a week to start searching around, everything would have been different.”

  “How so?” Maddock asked.

  “We’d still be friends. The cargo would have already moved along. It would have been weeks until the next shipment. If you were still searching, I could have found a temporary site. Hell, I would have joined you. I’d have loved to have found this with you guys.”

  Maddock was growing tense. Their options were limited. The water numbed their legs, slowed their movement, and although he appeared relaxed, even friendly, Rockwell showed no sign of losing focus or removing his finger from the trigger. And Maddock had run out of topics of conversation.

  “You know what, Rockwell?” Bones said. “You’re not right, but you’re not wrong.” He turned to Maddock. “Know what I mean?” He raised his eyebrows in an exaggerated fashion and mouthed Lights Out.

  “I do know what you mean.” And Maddock did understand. The light from the thunderstone had faded to almost nothing. The only light was that provided by their Maglites. What they were about to try was risky, reckless even. But he had no better idea. There was nothing to do now but wait for Bones to give the signal.

  “Maddock and I have done plenty of things we’re not proud of, but we did it with Uncle Sam’s stamp of approval, so that made it okay. We really freaking hate what you’re doing, but we understand what it means to get blood on your hands in pursuit of a greater cause.”

  “And we agree with you about clean water. Always have,” Maddock said.

  “What are you saying?” Rockwell asked.

  “We could be assets to you,” Bones said. “Well, I’m an asset. Maddock’s just an asshat. You trust us to keep your secret, we join your cause.” He put out his hands, imploring. “Maddock and I love the water. We’re men of the sea. Let us be your seamen.”

  Rockwell chuckled. Visibly relaxed. The moment had to come soon.

  “You almost got me. But I could never trust you. See, that’s the thing about true devotion. It’s not transferable.”

  “Speaking of devotion, what about Lilith?” Bones asked. “Is she involved in your little scheme or have you kept her in the dark?”

  The last thing Maddock saw before the lights went out was Rockwell’s face twisted into a snarl of rage. At the word ‘dark’ Maddock and Bones turned out their lights and dove to the side.

  Rockwell let out a yell of anger and opened fire. The strobe-like flash of muzzle flare turned Poseidon’s vault into a macabre slide show. Images flicked past Maddock’s vision almost too fast to take in. Dark water. The hulking figure of Poseidon, bullets chewing through him as Rockwell sprayed the chamber with gunfire.

  Ducking behind the safety of the pedestal. Bones surfacing from beneath the dark water like the world’s brownest merman. Grabbing his pistol.

  And then the gunfire ceased.

  “What the hell did you do?” Rockwell yelled.

  “Greenhorn,” Bones muttered.

  “Let me guess,” Maddock said. “You’re the smartest guy in every room, but with all the stress you’ve been under lately, you forgot to grab a flashlight.”

  “And your cell phone is almost out of juice.” Bones turned to Maddock. “Goat porn,” he said confidentially.

  “I’ll be fine,” Rockwell said. “I’ve got you outgunned. I’ll just kill you and take your flashlights.”

  “We dropped them in the water,” Bones said.

  “You wouldn’t. Even if you did manage to kill me, you’d never find your way out.”

  “That’s how petty we are,” Bones said.

  “And I’d find my way out,” Maddock said to Bones.

  “Oh, so would I.”

  “Stop it! Both of you!”

  “The cracks are beginning to show,” Bones said quietly.

  Being this far beneath the earth did something to a person. There was keen awareness of exactly how much rock hung above them. And few environments were more terrifying than absolute darkness. It affected even the most experienced caver, but few were equipped for the added duress of a life-and-death battle.

  “I need that stone, Maddock!” Rockwell shouted.

  “What do you want with it?”

  “There’s a fault line running up through Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley and it’s a ticking time bomb. If I can harness the power of the stone, I can do anything I want. Spoiled one per-center’s will find out it’s a long fall from atop their high horses.”

  “We won’t let you do that,” Maddock said.

  “You know what? To hell with the both of you.” Rockwell stepped through the doorway and fired again.

  Maddock and Bones were ready. Operating on limited ammunition, each fired a single shot at the first flash of muzzle fire, then ducked back behind the pedestal.

  And then all was quiet again, save for the sound of falling water.

  “Think we got him?” Bones whispered.

  And then Rockwell cried out.

  “Ow! One of you bastards shot me in the leg!”

  “It was me,” Bones said.

  “No, definitely me,” Maddock replied.

  “It’s not funny. This hurts.”

  “Let me make something clear to you,” Maddock said. “There’s a great difference between hunting a rabbit and hunting us. You are out of your depth here. Give up the rifle and we’ll see you safely up to the surface.”

  Rockwell laughed. “I said it hurts, not that I’m dying. You grazed me. And if you think I would allow you to leave when I just confessed to human trafficking and blackmail, and after I just tried to kill you, you are nowhere as smart as I think you are.”

  “He poses,” Bones said.

  Rockwell fired off another burst. It went wide. Maddock and Bones ducked beneath the water and prayed they wouldn’t be caught by a ricochet.

  They resurfaced and Maddock spoke to Rockwell through the darkness. “You do know what happens when you use burst-fire. You only get a few squeezes of the trigger before you run dry. And if you run out of ammunition, I think you know what happens next.”

  “You’re right. I can’t fight you guys.” Rockwell paused, and when he spoke again, his tone was conversational, with a touch of cockiness. “You experienced treasure hunters missed a couple of things.”

  “Such as?” Maddock asked.

  “These tridents outside the chamber. The one on the right is anchored to the wall, but the one on the left is attached to some sort of mechanism.”

  Maddock’s heart was suddenly in his throat. He hadn’t noticed, but he sensed Rockwell was telling the truth.

  “What’s the other thing?” Bones asked.

  “The water that’s spilling down onto Poseidon. That’s not a crack in the ceiling. It looks like some kind of valve or stopper that’s failing.”

  “Oh, crap,” Bones said.

  He and Maddock sprang to their feet and began splashing through the water.

  “Did you know powerful things happen when Poseidon’s tri
dent touches the ground?” Rockwell taunted.

  They followed the sound of his voice, not daring to turn on the flashlights now that they were no longer behind cover.

  “I wonder what this trident on the left does.”

  “Which trident was the one on the left?” Bones asked.

  “The one pointing down.”

  A rusty squeal pieced the air. A loud thud and the floor vibrated as something heavy clunked into place.

  “No!” Bones fired off a shot in the direction of Rockwell’s voice. The muzzle flash revealed a massive stone seal rising from the floor closing off the archway.

  “That’s bad,” Maddock said.

  And then the ceiling fell in.

  Chapter 41

  ––––––––

  Orry Rockwell lay on his back on the wet stone floor. All he could hear was the rush of running water and his own ragged breathing. For a moment he imagined he could hear Maddock and Bones crying out on the other side of the wall, but they were sealed away forever. A shame really. He had liked them. He rolled over onto his side and a lash of pain sliced through him. He let out a cry of anger.

  “I can’t believe how much this hurts.” He tore his shirt into strips and bandaged the wound the best he could. It didn’t seem like a serious wound. What was more, he could claim he’d encountered a human trafficker and been wounded in the struggle.

  The sound of running feet startled him. Flashlights bobbed in the darkness.

  And then Terry Gold was standing over him.

  “What the hell did you just do?” Gold demanded as he snatched up Rockwell’s rifle.

  “What are you talking about? I came down here looking for Maddock and Bonebrake.”

  “You trapped them in there is what you did.” Steven Segar was struggling to lift the trident handle. It was the wrong handle, so his struggles, though ferocious, were in vain. “We heard you.”

  Rockwell felt as if he’d suddenly been doused with cold water. How could they know?

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Gold shoved Segar aside and raised the trident handle on the left. Rockwell held his breath. He was ninety-nine percent sure he had opened a floodgate into the chamber. What would happen if the sealed doorway opened now?