by Kip Hartzell
“Oh, but of course. He left it all to you. I put it in the garage. Please take some of it with you, or I’ll have to get a storage building.”
“Thanks, Aunt Helen. I’ll have Pops hook you up with a storage building. I’m still traveling light these days.”
“How about sandwiches for lunch.” Before anyone could refuse, she said, “I’ll get started on them, have fun. Oh, you might want to open the garage door, it gets dreadfully hot in there.”
“We will Aunt Helen,” Jay said, while motioning everyone to follow. Maya passed by the cage and looked in at the bird like a hungry cat.
“Help me! Help me!” The bird leaned back and said.
“Maya, stop scaring the pets.” Jay said, waving her on.
They went down a hallway to another door. Jay could feel the Afternoon heat emanating from it. He flicked on a light, and opened the door to a furnace. He maneuvered around a few boxes and hit the garage door switch. It opened to a cool light breeze, or as cool as a desert can be. It blew away most of the concentrated heat. The sunlight was blinding at first, but his eyes soon adjusted. His Aunt didn’t drive anymore, so they didn’t have to worry about a car being in the way. He found some lawn chairs and spread them about. “Okay folks, grab a box and start searching. We’re looking for a journal and the skulls.”
“Why don’t you let us scan the room?” Rhe-A asked.
“Where’s the fun in that? The art of discovery no longer matters?”
“Jay, can’t we just get this over with?” Shelly complained. “This heat’s doing terrible things to my hair.”
“Fine, do as you wish.” He turned and went to a stack of boxes, none of which were labeled.
Hours whittled away. The E-suits did their job of keeping them cool. The distraction of photo albums became center stage. Jay told story after story, interrupted only by an occasional arrow head, polished rock, or bone collection. Hundreds of books were quickly read by the Atlanteans, making progress slow. The evening was starting to get late. Jay was about to break down and have the room scanned, when he felt something, something pulling him closer. He looked under a work bench and saw a small gray metal foot locker. He pulled it out and opened it. “Hey guys. I found it.”
They gathered around, as Jay took out a lump of newspaper. He unwrapped it to reveal a fist sized multi-colored crystal skull. Its squared off features were indicative of a forgery, but some forgeries were so good, even those brought in big money. Jay held it up to the lowering sun. He passed it off to Rhe-A, she stared intently at it, and then shook her head. Jay took out another. Same results. He got down to the last one of a dozen, and she shook her head again. Jay was deflated. He had no idea where to go next.
“I have run several spectral scans, and a few non-conventional ones. None of the skulls are tracker skulls, but faint traces of a tracker skull had been in there presents,” Rhe-A recited.
“So, does this mean I have to find thirteen more skulls, in order to find one tracker skull,” he sarcastically said.
Rhe-A missed the sarcasm. “No, but it does mean John Rodgers was in possession of one.”
Jay’s head dropped down. He was looking at the bottom of the empty container that had a thick piece of cardboard for a bottom. It had a badly drawn hieroglyphic eye on it. He poked at it, and one end raised up. He flicked it up to expose a book. “Found it.”
It was then, Helen chose to open the door to a huge mess. “Jaayy!” She had her hands on her wide hips, and glared.
“Sorry, Aunt Helen. We’ll clean it up, right away.”
She looked across the group with dirt smudge marks on their arms and faces. The fancy clothes had dirt and dust spots, solidifying their stories as archeologist. “Come on in, lunch has turned to dinner.” They filed in passed her. “Jay, your father called and said he got held up at the construction site, but will be by later.”
“Sounds like Pops. Let’s eat.” He put the journal, and skulls, back in the container, and then carried it into the house, elbowing the switch to close the garage door on his way.
Helen had prepared a large meal, Jay suspected from the large freezer. He smelled cooked steaks before he even got to the living room. He set the box down, and made a bee-line straight for the kitchen, followed closely by his Aunt. She caught him piling steaks on a plate.
“Jay, see to your guests first.”
“That’s okay, they’re all vegetarians. Just toss them a salad.”
She didn’t find him humorous.
“I’m not a vegetarian,” Maya said. “Make mine extremely rare, or just bring it here.”
“Not either,” Shelly piped up.
“I have not had cow-”
“Steak,” Shelly added quickly, as she elbowed Apollo.
“Um, steak, in a long time.”
“Yes, vegetarian,” Drof piped up.
“I’m still a vegetarian,” Rhe-A said, loud enough for them to hear.
“Phuss.” He dropped his plate, and began serving the others.
Helen came out with a large bowl of salad. “Apollo, Dear, would you be kind enough to get the tray tables from that closet, please.”
“Of course, Ma’am.”
“Please call me Helen.” She flirted, putting the bowl on the large coffee table in the center of the room. Jay arrived with plates stacked across his arm like he was a waiter again. He sorted them out in a methodical order. New drinks, and they were settled. Jay pulled up a chair between Rhe-A and his Aunt.
They were starting to eat, when Helen said, “Let us pray. Now, hold hands.” Jay took her hand automatically, and then held the other out for Rhe-A. She hesitated, but followed along. The others looked back and forth, and then took each other’s hand. “Lord, thank you for this food, and guests. Please, look after us all, amen.”
“Amen, Sister!” Captain Jack squawked.
Jay felt Rhe-A block her mind, but the feeling was warm, like her hand. When the prayer was over, she didn’t release it very quickly. Jay wasn’t sure what to make of that, so he let go, and began cutting his steak.
“Jay,” his Aunt started, “did you find what you were looking for?”
“Yes, we did. I also found an old journal Gramps left behind.”
“Really, I told him to write down some of his adventures. God knows he was always gone. Globe-trotting, like you. Except, his was for fun, and not for work. What did it say?”
“Haven’t had time to read it, yet,” he said, between a mouth full of food.
“What have you been doing since your Grandfather...passed?”
“Same dig site outside of Athens. Just trying to piece together the who, what, when, and where.”
“Sounds so exciting. If I were only twenty years younger.”
“Sometimes it’s exciting.” He, and Shelly, exchanged glances.
The meal went quickly. Helen went around and gathered the plates. She refused help, and went to the kitchen.
“Maya,” Jay said softly, “I thought you couldn’t eat solid food?”
“A few modifications over the years. My stomach can now be used as storage, until the hemoglobin is exhausted, then what’s left is regurgitated.”
“Like a cat and a hair ball? Gross.”
“That’s no worse than it coming out of-”
“Shall we see what’s in the journal?” Apollo interrupted, to change the conversation.
Jay took it out of the box and unbuckled the cover. At the top of the page was, ‘In the beginning’ in English. The rest was hieroglyphics. “Um, I can’t read the rest of this.”
“Let me see,” Apollo said, holding out his hand. “This is interesting, it’s an early form of Atlantean.”
“Atlantean?” Jay’s Aunt asked, stepping into the living room. “Plato’s Atlantis?” They looked at her like deer in headlights. “I do read, you know.”
“Well, um,” Jay stuttered. “Yes, yes, we are trying to prove the existence of Atlantis. Gramps and I talked about this before he-he probably copied
it from somewhere. Hey, Aunt Helen, can we get some of that peach cobbler?”
“Of course, Dear, with ice cream?”
“You know it.”
“Close, can you read it?”
Apollo was already rifling through the pages. “So far, a sporadic account of how we got here.”
“Like the one Gramps told me.”
“Similar, but this version is sporadic, incomplete, as if, he couldn’t remember some things.” He flicked the pages.
Jay nervously got up and went to a large window to the backyard. The sun had set and only the brightest of stars could be seen over the Las Vegas landscape.
Apollo stopped and read out loud. “It’s in American English, now.” Jay leaned down and read over his shoulder. “It describes his travels to Central America. Aztec and Mayan pyramids. It seems he had a special interest in the ancient city of Chichen Itza.”
“Here you go,” Helen said, struggling with a large tray with bowls of cobbler and ice cream.”
“Let me help you with that,” Apollo said, giving Jay the book, and coming to her rescue.
“Thank you, now sit and enjoy.”
Jay put the book back in the box, and coveted his prize. He sat down, taking only a few minutes to finish.
“This is fantastic, nectar fit for a God,” Apollo said, and then looked around.
“Amen, Sister,” Captain Jack added.
“Oh, silly bird,” Helen said. She got up, grabbed a cloth, and went to put it over his cage.
“Help me. Help me,” the bird repeated, until it was completely covered.
Jay smiled, until he saw everyone else sitting straight up and staring into space. “What the hell?”
“Reading multiple inbound anomalies,” Rhe-A informed the group, and then put what little was left of her desert down on the table.
“I read them, also. They are converging on our location. Must be Destroyers, or their associates.” Apollo stood up and finished his comment, “fight or flight?”
“Jay what’s going on?” Helen asked.
Jay looked at his Aunt. “I say flight, get my Aunt out of harm’s way.”
“I concur,” Rhe-A said, while gathering up her things. Drof get the car prepared.”
He put his hat on and ran to the front door, without saying anything. Before he could open it, his black E-suit quickly folded over his body. The helmet sealed just as he opened the door to a volley of gunfire. Bullets sprayed all around him as he was knocked back onto the floor. He rolled to one side and kicked the door shut.
Jay ran to him and helped him up. “I’m alright,” Drof’s voice echoed.
Maya ran to the window and shut the curtains. Her red E-suit was already in place. “We are completely surrounded.”
Apollo’s yellow E-suit formed as he raced to guard the hallway from where the bedrooms and garage led. His SP-10 ready for action. “We only brought light weapons.”
Shelly’s dress turned into a light pink E-suit as her eyes grew, while it started forming around her body.
“Just think, or say helmet,” Rhe-A instructed, “and it will form over your head. Don’t panic, it’s designed to protect you from the vacuum of space, projectiles, and most energy weapons.” By the time Rhe-A was done explaining her own dark blue E-suit stopped at her neck.”
“Jay, what’s that you’re wearing?” His dark blue E-suit had just completed its transformation. “A new type of body armor, Aunt Helen,” Jay started, as he made her kneel behind the couch. He kneeled down with her and tried to explain. “I think Gramps discovered something important, and I think it’s in that box. There are bad people who want it. I’m so sorry I got you into this. Follow our instructions and we’ll get you out. Okay?”
The fear was obvious, but she did not crack.
“They are on the roof. Jay, one is coming through the utility room next to the kitchen,” Rhe-A said.
“I’m on it.” He ran through the kitchen to the utility door. He could hear the break in. He was surprised when the door exploded in his face, luckily, the suit sensed the danger and formed the helmet just before the door impacted him. Slamming him back into the kitchen. He stopped sliding on the floor near the far wall with a door on top of him.
Apollo heard a window shatter from one of the bedrooms down the garage hallway. He opened the door to gunfire. He returned fire, wounding the black clad assailant in the leg. He went down, dropping his weapon. Another stepped over him and fired. The bullets ricocheted, and drove him back a few steps. He fired again, sending a shot through a non-vital area. Another came through the window. Apollo waited to be attacked, but the newcomer grabbed at his comrades and dragged them out of the way they had come.
Shelly screamed, and ducked behind the couch. Maya moved aside, as bullets blasted through the window splintering off the far wall. Rhe-A went to Jay, and helped him up, while, picking up the door and using its solidness as a barrier. Three black clad figures ran in. She waved a hand, sending the door back at them. The crash was loud and destructive. It smashed into the first one, knocking him backward out of the doorway he had just came through. On its way, there, the door hit the stove, dislodging it, and rupturing a gas line. One assailant got through, and was quickly stunned down by Jay.
“We need to leave, now,” Jay said, walking passed her and back into the living room.
“Agreed,” Rhe-A calmly said. “We should go out by way of the garage. Its closest to the limousine. Once inside, I don’t see weaponry that can harm us.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Jay looked at Rhe-A for further instructions.
“Maya, take point and get us out of here. Drof get the box to the car. Apollo, Jay, protect your Aunt and Shelly. I’ll cover the rear. Let’s go,” Rhe-A ordered.
Maya burst into an empty dark garage. She waited for the others as they moved down the hallway, Drof was close behind with the box. Jay held his Aunt’s hand as they passed a closed bedroom door. Bullets sprayed through, knocking Jay down, again. He pushed his Aunt out of the line of fire.
Apollo pushed through, flicked his wrist, causing an energy shield to form. He pushed the door open, and was met by a machine gun. The bullets were held in the shield in midair. He flicked a hand, watching them, and the bullets, fly either out of a window, or through a wall.
“Jay, are you injured?”
“No, I’m fine, Apollo, just surprised.” He was up, and leading the two women into the garage.
Rhe-A heard the commotion down the hall, and turned, she saw Jay go down. The pain on her face was evident only to the assailants that came through the kitchen. To keep from forming any sparks, she waved them off, smashing them unconscious against the far fall. The move also kept her pacifistic oath intact.
“Rhe-A, let’s go,” Apollo whispered in her mind.
A nod, and they ran down the hallway and into the garage, barricading the door behind them.
“I detect twenty-three viable targets,” Maya said in full vampire mode. “We’ve got no stealth, they are jamming us somehow.”
Helen gasped at the sight.
“I’m surprised the lights are still on,” Drof remarked.
“Gramps has a backup generator, it seems this is not a very well-coordinated attack, maybe last minute.”
“Good, perhaps we can surprise them. Drof you’re with me.” Maya ordered. “Jay, right flank, Apollo, left, Aunt Helen, Shelly, Center. Rhe-A, cover the rear. Box formation to the limo. Select, and coordinate your targets. Ready. Go!”
Maya flicked open the garage door and began firing, black clad troops were unorganized, and fell in their tracks. The surprise didn’t last long. Bullets flooded in. The energy shielding never wavered as it absorbed, or deflected the projectiles. Jay finally figured out how to use his suit’s shielding, as he kept his Aunt close.
“Help me! Help!” came Captain Jack’s voice from inside the house.
“Oh no, Captain Jack,” Helen said, as she twisted out of Jay’s sight, and broke ranks. She raced alongside
of the house to the front door.
“Aunt Helen, no!” Jay, and Apollo darted after her, only to be met by a rocket propelled grenade round exploding at their feet.
Jay landed almost to the street, while Apollo floated to the ground near him. The blast rocked the car back, sending everyone in all directions. Maya was flying through the air with the blast momentum. She grabbed an assailant, wrenching his head back, and bit down, draining him in a matter of seconds. The new-found energy sent her deep into the enemies ranks. The more she fed, the faster she got.
A construction pickup came to a screeching halt on the road in front of the house. A man got out and stared in disbelief at the carnage. “Jay! What’s going on?”
“Pops, get back in the truck! Apollo, cover him, I’m going for Aunt Helen. Jay darted across the lawn, dodging and deflecting incoming rounds.
Drof made it to the limo to a waiting open door, with the box. Shelly and Rhe-A slid in, and spied Jay running across the lawn. The house exploded into an inferno. The shock wave sent Jay up, and over the top of his father’s pickup and into the street. Apollo’s shield went up just in time to slam he, and Jay’s father, against the pickup. They both crumpled to the ground leaving behind a dent. The limo was blown into a back flip, but just before it hit the ground, the gravity stabilizers kicked in, and it soft landed in front of the pickup near the street.
“Drof, Shelly, stay here,” Rhe-A ordered, and then leaped out of the car. She ran to Jay during the absence of fighting, that the unexpected explosion had caused. He was rolling over, shaking off burning debris when she arrived. “Jay! Are you injured?”
He couldn’t miss the concern in her eyes, while the helmet slid back into his collar. A trickle of blood slipped out of the side of his mouth. “Yah, I’m fine. I bit my lip. Pops!” He jumped up and ran to the pickup, followed by Rhe-A.
Apollo knelt beside him with an instrument in his hand. Jay slid on his knees to his father’s side, and cradled him. “He has internal injuries and a skull fracture.” He injected him without question. “That will stabilize him until emergency services arrive.” Jay could now hear the sirens in the background.