by David Wood
“The Bible?” Maddock was puzzled. “What was the connection there?”
“No one knows. At any rate, something happened on his next-to-last expedition into the Amazon that made Fawcett more certain than ever that the lost city of Z was real, and that its inhabitants were descended from the ancient Greeks. Hence the portrait he had commissioned and donated to the Institute just before his departure. He knew he could not make public what he believed about Z. He was already a subject of some skepticism because of his beliefs. To share the conclusion he had come to would have held him up to public ridicule.”
“But if this portrait represents what he thought he was going to find,” Bones began, a look of deep concentration on his face, “he could come back later and tell the world, ‘See, I knew it all along. In your face!’”
“That is one way of saying it.” Wainwright smiled. “Fawcett was a proud man, and it would have been important to him to prove that he had not simply stumbled upon the lost city by happenstance, but had set out to reach it, already knowing it was there.”
“What exactly happened on the previous expedition that affected him so?” The familiar feeling of anticipation that always came when he was on the verge of a breakthrough, surged through Maddock. Bones and Kaylin also sat in rapt silence, waiting for the answer.
Wainwright, clearly enjoying his captive audience, took a sip of tea, and carefully placed his cup and saucer atop a stack of books before beginning his tale.
“Understand, what I am about to tell you is conjecture, partly supported by cryptic phrases jotted in the margins of Fawcett’s copy of The Lost World, and partly based on family legend of the things he supposedly said during his final months at home.”
Maddock nodded, and Wainwright continued. “Fawcett was just completing an extended trek through the Amazon. Supplies and morale were low, and he and his party were making their way out of the jungle, when a young man stumbled into their camp one evening. He was in bad shape: weak from hunger and dehydration, eaten up by insects, and nursing old wounds. He looked, according to Fawcett, decidedly Mediterranean, and he spoke an odd language, containing enough words familiar to Fawcett and his native guides that they could piece together bits of his story. Some of his words, however, sounded Semitic to Fawcett. He recorded a few of the words, spelling them phonetically, and eventually concluded they were Punic.”
“You lost me there,” Bones said.
“Punic was the language of Carthage,” Maddock said.
“Oh yeah! Hannibal and the war elephants. Cool!”
“They were descended from the Phoenicians,” Maddock said, “the first great sailors in the ancient world. Some say the Phoenicians reached the New World centuries before Christ.” Maddock wondered if this could possibly be true, or had Fawcett fallen prey to hope and wishful thinking?
“Precisely.” Wainwright took another sip of tea. “From what they could gather from the young man’s ravings, he and a young woman had fled their home, a place he called ‘Keff Sess.’ You have, I presume, heard the legend of Kephises?”
Maddock nodded and motioned for him to continue.
“The young woman was lost along the way, the victim of what the young man called ‘the Dead Warriors.’ He offered, as proof, fragments of pottery Fawcett believed were Mediterranean in origin, as well as some sort of plant material that the young man said had strange, mind-altering properties. He also gave Fawcett a map carved in stone. It was very old, and showed the path his ancestors had taken to Keff Sess. His home, he said, was ‘in the air,’ and could only be reached by taking a secret path—the Path of Five Steps. These steps, Fawcett wrote in his copy of The Lost World.”
“What about the map?” All thoughts of rescuing Thomas were forgotten. In his mind, Maddock was already trekking through the Amazon, following Fawcett’s last journey.
“Lost when Quest sank, along with the only copy Fawcett made of it. The pottery and the strange plant material were lost as well. Only The Lost World was saved.”
“So, when he went on his final expedition, what did he do? Just go by memory?” Bones asked.
“It is odd, that. After the shipwreck and the loss of his maps, he grew paranoid. He claimed to have made a map from memory shortly after the wreck, and he said he put it where no one could get to it. When he set off on his final expedition, he left his book behind, presumably after copying the five steps, and whatever other information he needed. And, as the story goes, he was never heard from again.” Wainwright folded his hands in his lap and gave them a small, sad smile.
“Why has none of this ever been made public?” Kaylin asked. “It could have shed light on Fawcett’s final expedition.”
“My dear, you can’t possibly believe the story to be true. Fawcett had clearly let his dream of finding Z overcome his good sense. To his mind, the raving young man’s Kephises was his fabled city of Z. He was already believed to be… eccentric. The family could not reveal the story of his last months to the rest of the world. It would have sullied his memory and cast a shadow over all the good work he did in his life. He was perhaps the most important explorer of the twentieth century.” Wainwright sat up a little straighter as he spoke the last. “He did not deserve to be remembered as a fool who believed in myth and superstition.”
“But, couldn’t the family have used the information to search for Fawcett?” Kaylin persisted.
“If the map had been available, perhaps, but all the family had were the five steps. As it stands, many have searched for him and failed.”
“Mister Wainwright,” Maddock began, “could we please see the book?”
“Young man, you seem a sensible sort. Don’t tell me you would actually set off on this fool’s errand.”
Maddock had seen enough strange things in his life that he had little trouble believing Fawcett’s tale, though he sensed this was not what Wainwright wanted to hear.
“We aren’t looking for the lost city; we’re looking for Thomas. If he believed in the lost city, maybe there’s something in the book that will help us find him.”
Wainwright stared at him, and finally, hung his head. His voice was rough with regret. “How can I possibly show it to you after what happened to your friend? I fear I encouraged him by letting him read it, and now he is gone.”
“Bones and I are highly capable. We have spent more than our share of time in hostile environments and dangerous situations. I assure you, we are also going into this with eyes wide open. You have made it clear to us that this is, in your opinion, a wild goose chase, and a potentially deadly one. To us, this is a rescue mission, not an adventure, and we need your help.”
The old man took his time considering Maddock’s request. He sipped his tea and stared into the distance. Finally, he nodded. “Very well. As long as we are clear that I am actively discouraging you from this quest. Make no mistake, that’s what it will be. I can see it in your eyes. You have the same spirit that my ancestor had. You might begin by searching for your friend, but sooner or later, the longing will overcome you, and you will not be able to rest until you have solved the mystery, or at least tried. Don’t try to deny it.” He held up a liver-spotted hand. “I would have no lies between us.” He eased himself out of the chair and shuffled off into the adjoining room, returning a few minutes later with a tiny flash drive, which he handed to Maddock.
“After your friend visited me, I worried that the story might get out, and what it would do to Fawcett’s legacy if it did. I have not decided what should become of it after my passing, but it is in a safe deposit box for the time being. I have scanned all the pages with his notes on them. I trust that you will do me the courtesy of not sharing these with the world.”
“You can count on us.” Maddock tucked the flash drive in his pocket and shook hands with Wainwright. “I should warn you. Someone else is on the trail of Fawcett’s last expedition, and they could be dangerous.”
“I will take all necessary precautions,” he said. “I have considered takin
g a holiday outside the country. Perhaps now would be a good time.”
They all thanked him profusely and bade him goodbye. As they piled into the car and drove away, a sense of excitement filled the air.
“So, what next?” Bones asked.
“First of all, we give Jimmy some more homework. We need him to see what he can do to help us pinpoint Quest’s location.” He grinned. “We are going to find a lost shipwreck.”
Chapter 12
Tam rapped twice on Salvatore’s door. She was the only person whom he permitted to do so, because he knew she would only interrupt him if it was important.
“Come!” he called.
“Boss, we have a problem. Two men fitting the description of the bumbling idiots Kennedy sent to London are wanted for questioning.” She laid a folder in front of him and went on. “It seems they confronted Maddock and Bonebrake at the Royal Institute of Navigation. Cy was caught on a security camera getting his ass handed to him by Maddock. Jay apparently didn’t make out any better with Bonebrake. Jay, at least, had the good sense to get out of there, but Cy stormed inside, threatened the staff, and told them he had a gun and would kill everyone if he had to.”
“I would love to ask if this is a joke, but I know better.” Salvatore closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. “Tell me, what do we know about Maddock and Bonebrake?”
“Ex Navy SEALS. Now they find shipwrecks, search for sunken treasure, that sort of thing.”
“Why did Maxwell reach out to them in particular?”
“There’s a history there. Her father was their commanding officer at one time. She and Maddock also had a relationship a few years back.”
“Interesting. She asks her old boyfriend to help her find her new boyfriend. What else can you tell me?”
“About Maddock and Bonebrake? Not a great deal, except for rumors. Sketchy stuff related to archaeological finds. Nothing firm.” She wasn’t sure what to make of what she had heard about them.
“Anything else?”
“I think Cy lost his wallet. It appears Kennedy had to scramble to secure new identification and a passport for him, as well as a credit card. Now I.T. tells me someone hacked into the personnel files looking for information on…”
“Cyrus Wallace.” Salvatore slammed his fist down on the table. “Get Kennedy on the phone. I want Cy on the next plane back here. I’ll flay that idiot.” He stood and walked to the window. “The hacker, how far did he penetrate?”
“Not very deep, as far as we can tell. Just the basic personnel files.”
“How did he get past the firewall?”
“The techies are working on that as we speak. They understand it means their jobs if they don’t find that breach and seal it. I took the liberty of suggesting it might mean their balls, too.”
Salvatore didn’t smile, but Tam thought she saw a hint of a twinkle in his eyes. “Did they back trace him?”
“Couldn’t. Whoever it is, he or she is good. We’ll keep trying, of course.”
“I know you will. Now, get Kennedy in here.”
Kennedy frowned when he saw Tam seated at the conference table. He took a seat across from her and waited for Salvatore to speak.
“I want a full report on Cy and Jay.” Salvatore’s voice was ice.
“Of course.” As always, Kennedy was unflappable. “They acquired Fawcett’s copy of The Lost World, but there was nothing in it, except for an inscription from the author to Fawcett. I’m having it checked for invisible ink, and the inscription reviewed for any irregularities that might suggest a code of some sort, but nothing so far. They almost got themselves into trouble with the authorities, but we got them out of England, and they’re now following up on a possible lead.” He glanced at Salvatore’s face and didn’t wait for a follow-up question. “I’ve sent them to South Georgia Island to check out Shackletons’ burial site. Cy thinks there might be a connection there.”
Salvatore grunted a subdued, mirthless laugh. “Good. That will get them out of the way for a while, at least. So, you are telling me that England was a complete failure?”
“Perhaps not.” Kennedy grinned and opened his briefcase.
Tam kept the surprise from her face. What had Kennedy found that he had kept so well hidden?
“Dane Maddock was reading this book.” Kennedy made a funny face as he said Maddock’s name. He placed an aged volume on the table. “It makes reference to a voyage on which Fawcett embarked prior to planning his final expedition. The ship he was traveling on sank and Fawcett lost something important. We don’t know what it was, but it’s not inconceivable that it’s connected to our situation. I think we should find the site of this sunken ship and see what, if anything, is there.”
Sal looked at Tam. “What do you think?”
“It’s thin,” she said, “but it’s a possibility, which is all we have right now. I haven’t yet read the passage, since Kennedy has kept this to himself.” She paused, hoping Kennedy was at least squirming on the inside, since he never showed anything on the surface. “I don’t, however, see any harm in following up on it. We have the resources to get the help we need.” She thought for a moment. “If Kennedy isn’t mistaken, which is possible, since his information comes from Cy, Dane Maddock will probably be coming for whatever is inside this wreck. Do we want to go for it ourselves, or simply wait for him to get it, and take it away from him?”
“I don’t like waiting around for anything,” Salvatore said. “Kennedy, I want you moving on this immediately. We have to assume that we’re in a race with Maddock; a race you will win, or we shall have a conversation.” He dismissed Kennedy with a flick of his finger.
Kennedy rose, nodded to Sal, and spared a steely glance at Tam before striding out, his phone already to his ear. He would not soon forget that Tam had questioned him in front of Sal. That did not matter now. The two of them would have it out one day, and he had no idea what he was up against. Some people resented being underestimated, but Tam found it a useful tool in her arsenal.
“I’m going to roll the dice here,” Sal said, his eyes boring into hers. “We need to go after Thornton, and quick. Assemble a team and be ready to move on my command. You have your choice of the agents. If Kennedy finds something, that is well and good. If not, use what information we have about Thornton and about Fawcett, and begin the search. We can’t put this off any longer.”
“Sir, are you saying…” She didn’t dare let herself believe it could be true.
“I’m putting you in charge. You might not have Kennedy’s experience, but you’re a hell of a lot smarter than him, and you haven’t screwed up… yet. Choose your agents, outfit your team, get down to Brazil, and await my instructions.”
Heart pounding, and dizzy with triumph, Tam stood and gravely nodded her head. “I won’t let you down, Salvatore.”
He rose to his full height, and looked down at her with a ghost of a smile on his lips. “I know you won’t, figlia mia.”
Chapter 13
Sea Foam sliced through the gently rolling sea, its rising and falling barely noticeable. Maddock sat on the bed in his below-deck cabin, scrolling through the latest report from his hacker friend, Jimmy Letson.
“The guy who attacked me works for a company named ScanoGen. Sound familiar?”
Kaylin shook her head. “No, why should it?”
“Because, according to Jimmy, they made a substantial transfer into Thomas’s bank account a few months before he left on his expedition.”
Kaylin’s entire posture changed. She sat ramrod-straight in her chair, her lips pursed. “He never said anything to me. Not about ScanoGen, and certainly not about any money.” Her shoulders sagged. “Of course, all of this came as a surprise. It’s hurtful to know that he had a whole part of his life that he wouldn’t let me into.” She suddenly looked right at Maddock, and then something passed across her face, and she turned away.
When the two of them had been a couple, she had accused him of locking her out of various
parts of his life—mostly memories of his time in the service, and of his deceased wife. That was probably what was on her mind now, but he was not about to go there with her. Not now, at least.
“I’m sure he had his reasons.” He tried to make his voice soothing, but his throat was dry, and his words lacked conviction. Trying to make an ex-girlfriend feel better about her current boyfriend was not his thing. The sadness in her eyes, however, convinced him to try again. “Look, he obviously knew these were dangerous people, and he wouldn’t have wanted you mixed up with them.”
“Well, I am mixed up in it, in case you didn’t notice.”
“Yeah, I think I noticed. I’m in the middle of it, too.” He held up a hand, forestalling her retort. “The guy tried to keep you safe. That’s what guys do for the women they care about. He probably figured he could do for ScanoGen whatever it was they wanted done without involving you, and then the two of you could enjoy the money he made off the venture.”
“He just… the lying…” She stood and began pacing the room, which only required a few steps, but she moved to-and-fro, fists clenched, until he couldn’t look at her without feeling dizzy.
“If you’re that upset with him, we can call this thing off if you like. You can lie low with us until ScanoGen gets off your case, and then you can go back to your life.”
Kaylin froze. Slowly, she turned to face him. The anger on her face melted, replaced by an amused smile.
“Right, Maddock. You’ve waded knee-deep into a mystery, and you’d just turn back and walk right out again without seeing it through to the end?”
He had to laugh. “Fine, you know me too well. Now shut up and let’s finish going over this.”