by David Wood
Maddock glanced behind him and saw his chance. As he fended off another vicious slash, he pretended that his injured leg had given way, and reeled backward. As a gleeful Locke leapt in for the kill, Maddock threw himself over Mordred’s still-thrashing body.
Locke, whose attention had been focused entirely on Maddock, sprang right into the path of the dragon’s powerful tail, which struck him square in the side of the knee. Locke went down, screaming agony. The tail caught him again, this time in the side of the head, and Rhongomnyiad fell from his limp fingers and rolled to the edge of the platform.
Maddock dashed around the far side of the casket and scooped it up before it could go over the edge. He stood over Locke, who looked up at him with bleary, hate-filled eyes.
“I know how you think, Maddock. You won’t kill an unarmed man. You’re too noble for that.”
“Maybe.” Maddock reversed Rhongomnyiad and held the tip just above Locke’s heart. “But I’ll kill any man who lays a hand on my girlfriend.” Fear flashed through Locke’s eyes in the moment before Maddock drove the spear home. Blue light danced across Locke’s body and smoke poured from his mouth, nose and ears. Maddock grimaced as the sickly sweet odor of burnt flesh filled his nostrils. He watched as Locke’s body burned down to a blackened husk and crumbled to dust.
And then a voice sounded above the din, cold and clear.
“Drop the spear or the girl dies!”
Chapter 37
Maddock heard Morgan clearly over the waning sounds of the battle. It sounded to him as if a lot of people had run out of ammunition, been killed, or both. He wanted to look around for Angel and his friends, but he could not tear his gaze away from Morgan who held a pistol trained on Avery. Maddock’s sister stood with her hands upraised, quaking with terror. Why hadn’t she run?
The room fell silent. All around them, the fighting stopped. Willis and Tam were on their knees, hands behind their heads, guarded by three white-clad men, as was another man he didn’t recognize. Bones, knife in hand, faced off with another man in white, who aimed a pistol at him, but seemed reluctant to use it. Behind Morgan, Jacob had Angel in a headlock, though she was still fighting to free herself.
“I will not be denied.” Morgan spoke the words like an oath. “Especially not by you.”
“That is enough, Sister. It is over.”
A beautiful woman with red hair and green eyes entered the chamber.
“What are you talking about, Rhiannon? Have you forgotten who I am?” Morgan quaked with rage, but she held her gun steady.
“I know exactly who you are, and it is time I put a stop to your plan.” She snapped her fingers and the men who guarded Willis and Bones now trained their weapons on Morgan. “Jacob, stop choking that girl,” she ordered. “And you,” she said to Bones, “may stand down. We mean your people no harm.”
Maddock nodded at at Bones, who reluctantly lowered his knife.
Morgan’s beautiful face was cold with fury. For a moment, it looked as if she would turn her weapon on Rhiannon, but instead she lowered it a few inches.
“A wise choice,” Rhiannon said, walking toward Morgan.
“You mean to take my place.”
“I mean to stop your foul plan, and to prevent this,” her gesture took in the entire chamber, “from ever being revealed to the world.”
“Why?”
“Show him, Adam.” One of Rhiannon’s men pulled down the neck of his shirt, revealing a brand on his chest. A Templar cross!
“No,” Morgan whispered. “The Templars are dead.”
“We are very much alive, Sister, and we find your pagan rites foul in the sight of God.”
“God.” Morgan laughed. “After what we know about these weapons, you still believe in your God?”
“Perhaps His creation is greater than our imaginations, but He is still the author of it all.”
Morgan began to laugh. It was a crazed, mad sound that chilled Maddock to the bone. But her laughter cut off when her eyes fell on Mordred’s body. The dragon’s death throes had nearly subsided, and he now twitched weakly.
“You killed him!” she cried in a voice that was beyond pain, beyond sanity. “Very well.” Her entire body quaked. “You kill my family, I kill yours.”
“No!” Jacob dove at Morgan, wrapping her in his bearlike arms and bearing her to the ground just as she pulled the trigger. Morgan cursed and fought him with all her might, struggling to free her gun hand, but Jacob held her down. “Don’t do this,” he pleaded. “I believed in you. Believed in your vision for Britain, but I don’t believe in this.”
Morgan spat in his face and fought to break free. In the midst of her struggles, Maddock heard a loud pop. Morgan gasped, her eyes wide with shock. Jacob took the gun from her limp fingers and rolled off of her, revealing a gaping wound in her side. She raised her trembling, bloody fingers in front of her face.
“Damn you all,” she gasped.
Maddock barely heard her. He rushed to where Avery lay on the ground, blood seeping between her fingers as she held them pressed to her stomach.
“We’ve got to get you out of here,” he said. “Somebody give me something I can bandage this with.” His voice rang hollow. She wasn’t going to make it. It was Melissa and Mom and Dad and too many good friends all over again.
“Shut up, Maddock.” Avery managed a smile. “I hate it when you treat me like a child. Big brothers are all alike.”
“I don’t want you to die,” he choked.
Tears spilled down Avery’s cheeks as she reached out and took his hand. Suddenly, Maddock was aware of someone shaking him hard. It was Rhiannon.
“I said, it’s not too late to save her. Give me the dagger.”
Dumbly, Maddock handed Carnwennan to her.
“Bring me the Grail,” she snapped as she collected Excalibur and Rhongomnyiad.
Bones and Willis hurried to the casket and raised the crystal lid while Maddock reached inside and withdrew the Grail.
Up close, it looked even more ordinary than it had before. The outside still sparkled in the light, but he noticed the inside was stained a dark reddish brown. He sat the Grail down next to Rhiannon and returned to Avery’s side. She lay with her head in Angel’s lap, looking up at the ceiling.
“It’s beautiful here,” she whispered. “I think Dad would have liked it.”
“He would,” Maddock said. “Now just hang on a little longer.”
Rhiannon knelt down beside Morgan, who stared balefully at her.
“We need a sacrifice, Sister. Will you give it?”
“No,” Morgan hissed. “Sacrifice her and save me instead.”
“I will not. I am giving you this chance to make your final act in this world one of redemption. Perhaps you can atone for the evil you have done.”
“I’ll do it.” Jacob said, dropping to a knee beside Morgan. “For all the wrong I’ve done in her service.”
Morgan looked at him in bewilderment, and then, to Maddock’s utter amazement, began to cry. She took Jacob’s hand and kissed it.
“No, Jacob,” she whispered, “I will do it if you will hold me up. I want to face death on my feet.”
Jacob lifted Morgan like a baby and stood her up, wrapping his arms around her to keep her from falling.
Rhiannon lay the three weapons in a triangular pattern as they had seen on the doorway to this place. They all watched as the weapons shone brighter and brighter, each seeming to draw energy from the other. When they shone so brightly that Maddock could not stand to look at them, she reached down and picked up the dagger. The glow subsided, but each weapon pulsed with palpable energy.
“Hold the Grail for me,” she said to Maddock. “This should be done by family.” Maddock picked up the stone bowl and, together, they turned to face Morgan.
“Are you ready?” Rhiannon asked.
Morgan nodded.
Rhiannon sliced open the front of Morgan’s shirt, turned the knife flat side up, held it above her heart, and slowl
y pushed it into her Sister’s body. Morgan gasped as the blade entered her, but she maintained her mask of serenity.
Rhiannon did not push the knife in deeply, only far enough to draw blood. She waited until the fuller, the groove in the center of the blade, filled with blood, and then she turned and poured it into the Grail. She repeated the process with the spear, and then she hefted Excalibur.
As she pressed the sword to Morgan’s chest, their eyes met.
“Goodbye, Sister,” she whispered.
“May the gods forgive me,” Morgan replied, closing her eyes.
With a powerful thrust, Rhiannon drove the sword deep into Morgan’s heart. Morgan made not a sound as her lifesblood flowed onto the blade. When Rhiannon withdrew the sword, Jacob laid her gently on the floor.
When Rhiannon poured this last measure of blood into the Grail, it began to glow. Flecks of light swirled, and the blood inside bubbled and steamed.
“She must drink it now.”
Maddock knelt in front of Avery and tipped the cup into her mouth. She choked and gagged, but was too weak to resist. In a few moments, she had gulped down the contents of the cup and, with a sigh, fell back onto Angel’s lap.
She lay there for only a few seconds before her eyes jerked open. Her breath came in gulps and her legs twitched. She clutched her wounded stomach and cried out in pain.
And then, she was calm.
She looked up at Maddock in disbelief. Rhiannon knelt and raised Avery’s shirt high enough to reveal that the wound was healed.
“It worked.” Maddock shook his head. Another thing he couldn’t believe.
“Is she, like, immortal?” Bones asked, looking at Avery in wonder.
“No. All Morgan’s remaining years now belong to her. Morgan was a healthy woman, so she should have a long life ahead of her.”
Now that he knew Avery was going to be all right, Maddock had questions.
“So, you’re a Templar?”
“We are what remains of them,” she said.
“Did you know about this place?”
“We knew of its existence, but its location was lost over three hundred years ago, along with the hiding places of the three weapons.” She sighed. “The knowledge was believed to be lost forever, until 1701, when William Kidd, imprisoned in Newgate for piracy, offered three lost Templar maps in exchange for his freedom.”
“But how did he get the maps in the first place?” Maddock asked.
“Through one of his acts of piracy. The captain of the ship he took was a Templar. He had recovered the maps and was taking them to England when he was mortally wounded in Kidd’s attack. Kidd promised to deliver them, but he betrayed the captain. He tried to recover what he assumed was a treasure from Oak Island. When he failed, he left a false trail in the form of a stone inscribed with runes. By this time, accusations of piracy were catching up to him, so he tried a new tactic. He hid each map in a sea chest and secured them in various locations for safe keeping until he could see his way free.”
“But it didn’t happen,” Bones said.
“No. He attempted to negotiate his release, but no one in authority believed he had anything real to offer, and Kidd refused to provide proof until he was set free. Finally, on the eve of his execution, he made his confession to a priest, though he refused to tell to whom he had entrusted the chests. We began our search immediately, but failed to locate them, and the secret faded into legend.”
She picked up Excalibur in one hand and Carnwennan in the other.
“Now we can finally complete our task.” With a look of regret, she stepped to the edge of the pit and tossed them in.
“Wait! What the hell?” Bones, Avery, and Angel shouted over one another.
“Why did you do that? Those are irreplaceable treasures. The technology…” By the look on Tam’s face, it was a good thing she no longer had a loaded gun.
“They’re too powerful,” Maddock said. “Imagine if one nation harnessed that technology, or a terrorist group got hold of it.”
“It is more than that,” Rhiannon said, picking up the spear and the Grail. “People need faith, and these,” she held them up for emphasis, “have the power to destroy that faith.”
“Why, because they might be alien artifacts, or leftovers from an undiscovered, advanced civilization?” Bones asked. “Hell, I’ve believed in that stuff for years.”
“No. It is because of what they are. What they were used for.”
Understanding began to trickle through Maddock.
“That’s the Holy Lance!” he exclaimed.
“Precisely. But it never pierced Jesus’ side. And the Grail did not catch his blood. Quite the opposite, actually.”
“Wait a minute.” Avery, who was now back on her feet, held up her hands as if trying to slow Rhiannon down. “What are you saying?”
“Just as Morgan’s blood saved you, the blood of another restored Jesus to life after his ordeal on the cross.”
“Whose?” Avery looked stunned.
“Who among those closest to him died shortly after the crucifixion?”
“Judas,” Maddock said. “Are you saying he wasn’t a traitor? He didn’t kill himself out of remorse?”
“The betrayal was planned, as was his sacrifice for his lord.”
“I don’t buy it,” Willis said in a scornful tone. “That might be the story you all have passed down, but that don’t mean that’s the way it happened.”
“Perhaps not,” Rhiannon mused, “but, in any case, we cannot risk that story getting out. You can see the damage it could do.”
One by one, they all nodded, except for Tam, who was doubtless thinking of the uses to which the government could put these items.
With a sad smile, Rhiannon dropped the Holy Grail and the Holy Lance into the pit. Maddock watched them fall, wondering if they’d made a mistake, but knowing deep down they had not.
“So, what happens now?”
Rhiannon’s sad expression melted into a look of determination.
“I am the last remaining Sister, so I shall assume leadership. Morgan’s body will be found on the grounds of Modron, a victim of her misguided attempt to tamper with nature. I shall also put a stop to her plot against the Royal Family.”
“What about this place?” Avery asked.
“We will move Arthur’s remains to a secret location, and then this chamber, and the passageways leading to it, must be destroyed. I suggest you leave as soon as possible.”
“If you’re leaving, we scored a sweet helicopter.” Matt entered the chamber, followed by Greg. “It belonged to the Dominion, so we figured it was okay.”
“How did you find us?” Willis asked.
“Just followed the dead bodies. You guys really make a mess.”
“That’s another thing,” Maddock said to Rhiannon. “How did the Dominion get involved in all this?”
“I suspect my Sister, Tamsin, betrayed us, but I cannot be sure. We will know more after we question our prisoner.” She reached out and shook Maddock’s hand. “You should go now. Good luck.”
“I don’t know how to thank you for saving my sister’s life.”
“Keep our confidence, and continue the fight against the Dominion.”
The moon hung low on the horizon when they returned to the surface. Maddock put his arms around Angel, holding her close and feeling more alive than he had in he didn’t know how long. There was no need to talk. He could tell she felt it too.
“You two going to stand there all night?” Bones asked.
“I guess we’d better get going,” Maddock agreed. “We’ve got a long trip home.”
“So, who’s riding in my awesome helicopter?” Matt asked.
“I could go for a ride,” Tam said. “Who else is coming?” Willis and Greg volunteered. “How about you, Maddock?”
Maddock looked from Angel to Avery to Bones.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think we’ll go for the relaxing cruise. You know, have a little fam
ily time.”
Tam smiled.
“Enjoy your night, then. Because, tomorrow, you start working for me.”
The End
ATLANTIS: A Dane Maddock Adventure
By David Wood
Prologue
“We have emptied the city, Eminence.” Albator shifted his weight and stole a glance at the temple door. “It is only the two of us and a few acolytes who wait to block the door as you instructed.”
“You have done well, my son. Now it is time for you to go.” Paisden pointed a long finger at the exit. “You don’t want to be here when they arrive.”
Instinct battled obligation in Albator’s gray eyes. Clearly, he wanted to get away, but as Paisden’s highest-ranking acolyte, his place was here in the temple. His lips formed soundless words and his feet continued their dance of indecision.
“Perhaps it won’t come to war,” he finally managed. “Why would the lords do this to us? We are of their line.”
“We are their greatest mistake, or so they believe.” Paisden’s outward calm reflected the serenity that came with accepting one’s fate. “They feel they never should have let us leave the mother city. We did not hold to the old ways. We interfered.”
“We helped!” Albator swept a shock of stringy hair off of his high forehead. His voice took on a strident tone. “The people knew nothing. We taught them so much. We bettered their lives.”
“The lords do not see it that way. To their minds, the knowledge was not ours to give. And then there were those of us who did not rein in our baser instincts.”
Albator’s red cheeks confirmed something Paisden had long suspected.
“Who is she?” Paisden now regretted the long hours he spent in the temple. Perhaps if he’d ventured outside more often, he’d have known more about Albator’s life.
Albator’s eyes fell. “Her name is Malaya, and she is kind and beautiful. If the lords could only see how much we care for one another, perhaps they could understand that a union such as ours…”
“Will always be an abomination to them. On this, and many other things, they are intractable.” Paisden hated to bring the young man up short, but the sooner this conversation came to an end, the sooner Albator could make his way to safety. “Now, go to your woman. It is not too late for the two of you to build a life together. I hereby discharge you from your obligations to the temple.”