by Al Turner
“We will,” Tripp assured her.
“Unless we find another breadcrumb trail that entices us to follow it,” Carson said.
“Try to make adult decisions,” their mom snapped, then softened her tone. “Please be safe and know that I love you. Also, welcome to my world.”
Her image disappeared. They silently absorbed what they had heard. The sound of trickling water and the hum of the nearby machinery softly echoed throughout the cavern.
It was Carson who finally broke the silence. “We’ve come a long way, boys.”
“And found a trove of information,” Tripp added.
Carson grinned as she slapped him on the back. “Isn’t it great?”
Daniel smiled as well but with an air of uncertainty. “What’s next, guys?”
Carson pointed to the dark screen on the wall where her mother had just appeared. “You heard the lady. Pops is on his way and he has something for us to do. You two continue your techie stuff until he arrives.”
Tripp wanted to believe his sister was willing to wait for their grandfather, but he took nothing for granted. “Just to clarify, we are heading back with Pops and will join our parents on the Abril?”
“Yes, and eventually,” Carson replied.
“Mom did seem willing to be forthcoming,” Tripp said, trying to entice her to stay.
Carson walked over to him, smiled, and hugged him. “I do want to hear what Mother has to say. But I’m not going to promise that, should a shiny object catch my attention, I won’t go chasing it.” She released him, turned, and went in the other direction.
“I’d expect no less. Where are you wandering off to now?” Tripp asked as she headed to the other side of the chamber.
“This girl needs a snack. I’m wondering what rations taste like.”
CHANGE OF PLANS
To Stella’s delight, the blue sedan returned sooner than she had expected. Two times in as many days. She greeted the young man with a kiss. His dark pants and shirt contrasted with a white jacket. He didn’t bring a flower this time and was more sedate than the day before. Still, it was a personal visit instead of a phone call. Something had happened.
The man was no older than his late twenties, yet he had an aura of wisdom and leadership. He took a seat at the little table, while the two men who had accompanied him stood silently a few feet away. Stella poured a glass of the iced tea and set it in front of him. He gave the typical polite smile as he took a sip of the sweet liquid, only grimacing when he thought she had looked away. She took a seat across from him.
“So soon? And you just get better looking all the time, Joshua,” Stella said.
“You’re biased,” Joshua replied as he ran his hand over his waxed bald head. “I hadn’t planned on intruding so soon.”
With a thin pale hand, she reached over and patted his darker one. “Your presence is never an intrusion.”
Joshua smiled pleasantly, then turned to business. “I have news.”
“Good news, I hope.”
“That remains to be seen. There’s a developing situation.”
“Do tell, Joshua.”
“Before I do, I wanted you to know that your suspicions were correct. The man who visited you yesterday was the same Cornelius Shelby you remembered.”
“His visit was unexpected,” Stella said with a scowl. “I would have thought Albert’s boy was long dead, particularly with his family history. Like an infestation, the man keeps returning.”
“Yet he brought you the very grandkids you were looking for. I suppose the men you had me hire weren’t up to the task.”
“I wanted men who weren’t trigger-happy, not fools.”
“Those fools, as you say, were found climbing out of a Dumpster, half-naked and taped together in a compromising fashion. They told the local authorities that a young woman was responsible.”
“Grandma’s baby girl has spunk.”
Joshua forced a thin smile. “Indeed.” He motioned for his men to leave. After they had stepped outside, he continued. “This is a good segue into another topic I wanted to discuss. While Shelby’s presence does complicate things, it also builds a narrative,” he said as he rubbed his dark whiskers.
Stella shifted in her seat. She could tell something was eating at him. “Oh?”
“Word about Rick Sanchez has made the rounds of the guild. There’s concern from various parties about poking the old bear twice.”
“I couldn’t possibly care less what certain parties think. After everything Pops has done, he deserves whatever he gets.”
“Still, our own colleagues have questioned the wisdom of it. They sent a warning with Fumi, but this latest jab caught more than Pops’s attention. Now with Shelby in the picture, they fear our enemies are gathering.”
“I’m not concerned with that ugly man.”
“He’s not the only concern. They fear the mission has been compromised. I tried to convey confidence, but I was at a loss as to how to mitigate their fears.”
Stella managed a hint of remorse. “Oh, dearie, I’m sorry you weren’t consulted before the decision to kill the cop was made. Timing was everything.”
Joshua looked skeptical. “Or was it the possibility that I would have advised against it? It was you who had taught me to remove emotion from such things. A more subtle message would have been preferred. This, of course, was in addition to you placing your personal stamp on the removal of the guild’s internal investigator. As you know, we cannot afford to let such passions cloud our judgments.”
Stella’s demeanor turned icy. Who and how she removed someone was her own business. “For all those years Gayla batted those eyes at my ex-husband—the bitch had it coming. So what if I enjoyed the methods used? What’s done is done. The damage should be negligible.”
“Time will tell. But these actions seem to have caused a ripple effect.”
Stella’s eyes narrowed as she realized she hadn’t heard the real news yet. “What’s happened?”
“Earlier, Ryder went to the cavern in the southeastern part of Texas. He was supposed to assess the work being done there and eliminate any hostiles not on our exemption list.”
“What did he find?”
“Among other things, your grandchildren. They wasted no time traveling south after leaving here. They met up with two others. Early reports indicated Fumi’s nephew and a Hispanic male. It’s unconfirmed, but the latter may be Pops’s other son Joe.”
“I would’ve removed that blight from existence long ago if I thought killing him wouldn’t garner his deadbeat father’s attention,” Stella said. As much as she hated Pops, she was also keen not to place a target on herself—at least not for that reason. “What were they snooping around there for?”
“It’s unclear. Ryder took measures to avoid them but found himself in the crosshairs.”
“From my grandchildren?” she asked.
Joshua got up and paced before he continued. “No, of course not. Ryder’s team ran into a well-trained operative. He lost several of his team before I pulled him out.”
“That bastard somehow fielded a team, one that could take on Ryder, much quicker than I thought possible.”
“It’s unlikely Pops would have sent this particular man.”
Stella’s curiosity was piqued. “You say just one man—an asset from the guild?”
“Not from the guild, though you’d probably be familiar with his training.”
Her mind wandered. “This was revenge for the cop?” she asked, her voice cracking slightly.
“Yes. That was conveyed to Ryder in no uncertain terms.” Joshua waited for her reaction.
Stella rose from her seat and made her way to the dining room window. She watched as King David sniffed around the edge of the front garden. It was about as far as his leash would allow him to go. She had intentionally shortened the chain since her dog tended to chew on the pixie figurines.
Joshua approached and stopped just behind her. “I can’t be certain of the
man’s identity at this time. But I’ll pass along a clue he left.”
Stella barely blinked as she gazed at her reflection in the window. “Please continue,” she finally said.
“Before this individual killed Ryder’s best man, Archer, he made a statement. I believe it was a message meant for you.” Joshua played the audio sound bite that Ryder had sent from Archer’s camera.
“Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it.”
Stella was as still as a statue for what seemed an eternity. Finally, with teary eyes, she turned and buried her face in Joshua’s chest. An odd, sobbing noise came from her and soon morphed into something else. Still tearing up, she threw her head back suddenly and cackled.
“Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. Luke 17:33.” She stepped away, retrieved a handkerchief, and dried her eyes.
“A subtle message few would understand.”
“A mother knows the scripture engraved on her own son’s tomb,” Stella said, then came to a realization. “He knows, Joshua. He knows I sent Ryder.”
“Which means we have much to do and little time in which to do it. To make matters worse, we lost the briefcase.”
Stella seemed unconcerned. “I already told you it was nothing more than a red herring. At most, it was some form of insurance.”
“We may never know. Either way, without some blueprint, we need to go with an alternate plan. Ryder and Victor must combine forces for a swift and unexpected mission into the dragon’s lair.”
Anger flashed across Stella’s face. “Victor can’t be trusted. He had one simple job and couldn’t even manage to grab my son’s whore. He’s a tiny man with a simple agenda.”
“Time is of the essence. Let’s gather our resources while we still can. I don’t know how much longer our allies will protect us,” Joshua said.
Stella’s mind raced through the various outcomes. “There’s still collateral damage I can’t accept. Victor’s an accident waiting to happen and Ryder will want blood.”
Joshua held up a hand. “Ryder’s a professional. He’ll do exactly what he’s told. If Victor steps out of line again, Ryder will remove him from the equation. I’ll coordinate this dance, if you’ll allow me.”
“Of course. I won’t interfere this time.” Stella’s thoughts drifted to an old concern that nagged at her. “Be careful, Joshua. I don’t to lose what family I have left.”
“We’re certainly on the same page,” Joshua said, then smiled. “No pun intended.”
Stella felt calmer. “You do excellent work.” She walked over, stood on her toes, and kissed his chin. “Use whatever resources are necessary. There’s still one last mystery to solve.”
Joshua placed his arms around her and hugged her. “One way or another, Grandmother, we’ll put that subject to rest.”
INCOMING
Pops sat in the leather chair and held his Scotch. He didn’t care for being trapped in the vacuum-sealed coffin, doing over five hundred knots. The things I do for my family, he thought. The private jet he had chartered would soon arrive in San Antonio. Then he’d find out if his friend and ship’s captain, Ed, had secured him a helo to retrieve his grandchildren. He liked helicopters only slightly less than jets.
Given the choice, he would have used his own plane, a prop-engine amphibious aircraft. However, Captain Ed needed it, and it didn’t have the range or capabilities he required. He had one of those new tiltrotor aircraft on backorder, but it was still a ways off from being delivered. The tiltrotor was an expensive investment, but Pops liked the idea of having the best of both worlds—an airplane that took off and landed like a helo. Someday, he thought.
Pops was taking another drink when his phone rang. A glance showed it was video call from Shelby. On a hunch, he had sent the man to watch Jitters’s place. Shelby hadn’t had much rest when Pops gave him the the assignment. If he had to work with the crazy son of a gun, he might as well take advantage of his talents.
“What do you have?” Pops said.
Shelby’s face appeared. He was dimly lit and appeared to be in his van. He took a drag from his cigar and blew the smoke toward his own phone, making himself vanish in a white cloud briefly. This taunted Pops, who couldn’t smoke—probably Shelby’s real goal. “Just checking in, Pops.”
“I never said you needed to do a check-in.”
“I know, but I was bored. Have any anxiety attacks yet being stuck on that small plane?”
“It’s a jet, and yes, if that makes you feel any better.”
“It really does.”
“Ok, goodbye, you son of a—”
“Whoa, I was just kidding. I do have a couple of updates.”
Pops grumbled as he held his glass up for a refill. The attractive flight attendant, in her white blouse and black skirt, smiled as she poured the amber liquid. He waited for her to move on before he continued. “Proceed.”
“For one, ol’ Jitters just had a visitor. Some Oriental woman stopped by for less than ten minutes. The conversation was cryptic at best, but I’m certain there was a threat in there somewhere. I had a few problems listening because of static, but I I distinctly heard a word mentioned that you’ll find interesting.”
“Do tell.”
“Doppelgänger.”
Pops sat up from his relaxed position. “In reference to what?”
“Well, that was one of the static-laden parts. It might have been a message or threat from someone or something called Doppelgänger.”
“That’s vague, but still interesting,” Pops said and settled back into his chair. “Anything else?”
“You bet. Speaking of ghosts, my second item is a question. What the hell just happened at the cavern?”
“You know as much as I do.”
“Is this a good thing?”
“Do you really think any good can come of this?” Pops said.
“You’re probably asking the wrong guy. Maybe you should talk to the Secret Page when ya get there.”
“I’m sure he’ll vanish just before I arrive.”
“He can be so weird,” Shelby said and took another drag from his cigar. “Still, this little reaction must have sent a ripple back to those interested parties.”
“No doubt they’ll change their strategy moving forward. We need to be ready.”
“Roger that. I’ll keep watching from my post.”
“You do that,” Pops said. He started to end the video conference but realized he had one more request. “Shelby, next time please just call me. I’d rather not have to look at that mug of yours unless I have to.”
Shelby saluted. “Aye-aye, El Capitan, audio not video.” He blew another cloud of cigar smoke at the camera and then his image disappeared.
Pops inhaled deeply and let his mind drift. He knew the game had just begun. Once upon a time, he relished the challenge. Now he felt like a tired old man. It was tough enough trying to figure out what the enemy’s next move was without trying to keep up with what his own family was going to do next.
The flight attendant returned, smiled, and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. “We’ll be landing soon, Mr. Page. Someone will be waiting to guide you to the next leg of your journey.”
“Thank you,” Pops replied. He took her update to mean that his helo would be waiting for him.
As he tried to relax in preparation for the landing, he let his thoughts go to his grandkids. They had shown themselves to be resourceful and persistent. While he was proud of them, he knew they had just entered a world where they’d always be looking over their shoulders. That alone saddened him. There was a certain comfort in ignorance—a comfort they no longer had.
NEW RECRUITS
The noise bounced off the cavern walls and resonated throughout the chamber. Carson couldn’t decide whether it sounded more like a cow in labor or her brother making a new discovery. Since she knew of no cave-dwelling cattle, she assumed it was Tripp.
The decision about w
hich MREs, or Meals Ready to Eat, to take a chance on boiled down to two choices. However, her curiosity as to what all the excitement was about finally got the better of her. She grunted as she tossed the packages aside and headed out of the small kitchen.
Whatever Tripp was on to, Daniel seemed equally excited by it. They both urged her to come closer as she approached the retro control station they had been tirelessly working at.
“Did you find Mother’s missing diary page?” Carson asked.
Tripp said, “You’ve got a one-track mind. I neither searched nor expected to find it.”
“I think it’s important.”
“Then you’re going to love this,” Daniel said.
“I better. I was just about to decide between chicken or spaghetti.”
“They have spaghetti rations?”
“Who knew, right?”
Tripp cleared his throat as he finished bringing up the data. On the large monitor above them, a split screen appeared. The paused presentation on the left seemed familiar; it resembled the cavern video they had watched part of in New Orleans. But the one on the right was new.
Water droplets must have been on the lens when the video was shot. The camera was pointed toward a platform resembling something oil companies used, with a menacing sky above and an angry sea around it.
Tripp explained. “On the left is the cavern chamber we passed through earlier, somewhere a level above us now. On the right is a platform at sea. The camera must have been on a ship nearby. The two videos are synchronized to precisely the same time frames, twenty-five years ago, and represent two sides of the same experiment.”
“What are those numbers above each window?” Carson asked.
“Ah, good catch, sis. Those would be location coordinates.”
“So we know the first one shows our location, but did you look up the second?”
“You know I did. It’s in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Louisiana.”
That prompted Daniel to retrieve his phone. He found the image of the map, the one that had started them off on their adventure, and zoomed in on the marked location. “I bet that’s the black pushpin on our map.”