End in the Beginning (The God Tools Book 3)

by Gary Williams

Nope, she was still here. This wasn’t just a bad dream.

  Once more she faced the ravine which the St. Johns River would someday occupy. She began walking down the gentle slope. The terrain was more formidable than she first thought, with heavy clumps of vegetation frequently forcing her to circumvent thorny weeds and sticky brush in order to progress. She continued with caution, concerned with other creatures she might encounter here.

  A faint rustling noise caught her attention. Some distance away, an animal was crossing the ravine in a hurry, headed straight for her. Instinctively, Lila ducked beside a large weed bed, and carefully spied over the top of it. The creature had already reached the midpoint of the ravine and was racing up the inclined landscape with its arms flailing.

  This was no animal. This was a human—and wearing clothes.

  Even though she was excited to see another person, Lila remained guarded. She stayed behind the weed bed wondering if the person had seen her.

  As the figure drew closer, she could tell it was a man. He was running frantically, as if something had scared the life out of him. She looked behind him but saw no movement. Still, the man tromped across the ground in a full run as if his life was in imminent danger. He rapidly closed on Lila’s position.

  “Hey, wayer’d you go?” he shouted.

  There was no use hiding. He must have seen her. Lila stood and waited for him to reach her.

  Lila read his eyes. She saw immense relief as he spotted her. When he reached her, he stumbled to the ground, gasping for air.

  “I thought I was the only one here,” he said between labored breaths, “Wayer…wayer the heck are we? How’d you get here?”

  Lila helped the man to his feet. He was ringing wet, from his dirty white tee shirt to his blue jeans to his raggedy tennis shoes. He had a dark tan, slicked-back black hair and about a week’s worth of beard. He carried a unique stench—part stale water, part sweat.

  “My name is Dr. Lila Falls. I believe we’re close to Bayard Point. Who are you?”

  He was wide-eyed and still breathing hard. “Name’s Rufus Tinney. I must’ve got knocked on the skull and have some sort of am-a-neezia. I don’t know whar I am.”

  “Rufus, either I’m having a delusional psychological breakdown, or we’ve been transported to the distant past.”

  “The past? If this is Bayard Point, this…” he pointed around them, “this is whar the St. Johns River is s’posed to be. Wayer the hell is it?”

  “If I’m right, we’re in a time before the river was here.”

  Rufus shook his head as if trying to dislodge cobwebs. “That’s cray-zee!”

  “Tell me about it,” Lila said. “Why were you running?”

  “Well, for one, you’re the only other human be-an I’ve seen,” Rufus said wiping his brow.

  “A man doesn’t usually run as hard as you did unless he fears for his life,” Lila said.

  “Yep, and that would be reason number two,” Rufus said pivoting nervously as he warily surveyed the ravine behind.

  CHAPTER 40

  One thing became apparent very quickly to Curt: time here in Eden was quite different than on Earth. While he had left Earth at night, given the position of the sun in the sky, it appeared to be morning here.

  Curt continued to follow the footprints down into the winding valley. Without wind, the tracks remained in perfect condition. They were obviously the feet of an adult and child. Curt’s assumption was Scott and Cody, yet there was also a possibility it was Nash, Tina or any of the COTE who had entered Eden. Father N believed that Nash was now more Cain than not. If so, Cain would have deceived any COTE member. According to the scroll text, Cain was not interested in achieving some idealistic group goal. He wanted to wipe out humanity and start Mankind anew as the leader.

  Either way, Curt continued to follow the tracks, guessing time was short.

  As the minutes ticked by, Curt considered the magnitude of everything he was trying to accomplish in a short time. Not only did he need to find Scott and Cody, stop the COTE, and rescue Tina, but the entire exit-from-Eden strategy was based on figuring out where the Coral Castle portal would be located in Eden. Ed Leedskalnin’s text had mentioned its location as, ‘where the victim rests’ and said it was near the Garden of Eden. Father N had been unable to shed light on its location. If Curt was unable to solve the riddle, even if Bar was successful establishing the opening from her side, no one was leaving here. Then there was the matter of securing the three God Tools, which the COTE no doubt had in their possession. All in all, his was a daunting task.

  First things first: he had to find Scott and Cody, hopefully still alive.

  Curt happened upon a five-foot-tall bush, laden with clusters of an indeterminable blue fruit the size of apples. Not far away, a fruit core lay in the sand. Further on, another core had been discarded. As he went, more fruit had been eaten and the cores dropped in the sand.

  He remembered Father N’s warning about anyone in Eden without their appendix. Eating the fruit was poisonous to them.

  Following the tracks through the valley, Curt came upon more fruit-bearing bushes and trees. Each time he passed one, Curt found spent fruit cores in the sand.

  His concern for Scott grew.

  In time, he came upon a low opening in the valley where the footprints disappeared underneath a rocky shelf. Cautiously, he stooped and passed under. He found himself in a natural cave where light-green, bioluminescent light emanated from some sort of fungi on the walls. The light was plentiful enough to allow him to make out an extended shaft ahead. The floor was hard. There would be no more footprints to follow.

  Curt considered calling for Scott and Cody but refrained. If he were tracking Nash and Tina instead, he needed the element of surprise. Curt stepped forward, intent on quietly finding whoever had wandered from the valley into this cave system.

  CHAPTER 41

  The tunnel continued to glow, lighting Curt’s way. The farther he went, the more anxious he became. He focused his attention on his surroundings. There was a slight smell of sulfur and, for the first time, Curt realized the walls were basalt. While the uniform shaft appeared manmade, the igneous rock walls indicated this was a lava shaft for an extinct volcano.

  The tunnel eventually banked to the left, and Curt heard the faint echo of voices. He stopped dead in his tracks, listening intently.

  “Daddy, are you okay?”

  There was a rush of relief as he recognized Cody’s voice. Curt dashed ahead. Not far up the tunnel, he found Scott and Cody. Scott was lying on his back with Cody seated beside him on the ground. He knelt beside them.

  “Uncle Curt, Daddy’s sick,” Cody said in a remarkably calm voice. He did not seem surprised by Curt’s sudden appearance.

  Scott had his eyes open, but his face was bloated and shaded green. “Curt, how did you get here, wherever the hell we are? Cody keeps saying we’re in Eden.”

  “I’ll explain. First, how much of the fruit did you eat?”

  Scott pushed himself to a sitting position with Curt’s help. “Just a few. Are they poisonous? I’ve been puking my brains out, although they didn’t bother Cody. Maybe I’m having an allergic reaction?”

  “In a manner of speaking, yes. You don’t have your appendix. It’s required here to digest this fruit. And yes, we are in Eden.”

  “Appendix? To digest food?”

  “Trust me. I got information from Father N.”

  “The monk in Bolivia? The one who insinuated he’s Noah—of the Ark fame?”

  “The same.”

  “Okay, please start from the beginning…if this is Eden, are we dead?”

  “No, do you remember being swallowed by the Serpent while you were holding onto Cody in Six Mile Creek?”

  Scott nodded. “I’ll never be able to forget.”

  “Once the Serpent had both eyes and was whole, anyone it ate with an appendix came to Eden.”

  “I don’t have an appendix.”

  “According to Fath
er N, because you were holding so tightly to Cody, the Serpent couldn’t tell you were lacking one. That’s why it passed you through with Cody. Anyone else the Serpent consumed without an appendix was instantly killed, their remains regurgitated by the creature. Those with an appendix, whom the Serpent consumed before it had both eyes, were transported somewhere else. Even Father N doesn’t know where.”

  “You mean like Lila?”

  “Yes,” Curt said with a nod. “We found the rest of the Scroll of Edict text, Scott. Cody is one of the seeds mentioned. He’s the male seed for this generation in case of a worldwide threat that would demolish mankind. He, along with the female seed, would enter Eden. Here, they would achieve long life by eating the fruit; the same fruit that made you ill. Once a thousand years pass, a portal would open for them to return to repopulate Earth.

  “Tina is the female seed. Carr Nash and other COTE members are also here. They grabbed Tina to gain access to Eden and to have her lead them to the Garden of Eden where the Tree of Life is located. Once Tina entered with all three God Tools, Eden was locked down. Nash—actually he’s probably more Cain by now—and the COTE are here to destroy the Tree of Life and gain its infinite power, which will allow them to live forever.”

  “Wait, back up,” Scott interrupted. “What do you mean Nash is more Cain?”

  Curt told of the discovery of Cain’s tomb underneath the St. Johns River, the river that is actually one of the four rivers of Eden. He further explained about the various portals throughout time, the most recent being the Georgia Guidestones, and that it had been destroyed.

  Scott appeared amazed. “You actually found Cain’s remains and the dagger he used to kill Abel?”

  “Yes, and since it was forged in Eden, Father N believes the dagger can be used to create an exit from Eden at one of the previous portal locations: Coral Castle. I’ve sent Tolen’s colleague, Tiffany Bar, to Coral Castle with Cain’s dagger to try and establish the exit at exactly 6:30 a.m. Oh, and don’t be confused by the daylight outside: it’s only—” Curt consulted his watch for the first time since entering Eden. “Uh oh.”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “My watch stopped running.”

  “Mine, too.” Scott turned his wrist for Curt to see.

  Curt’s eyes showed his concern. “We have to know when it’s exactly 6:30 a.m.”

  “No problem,” Scott said. “Cody, how long have we been here?”

  “Fifty-four hours and eighteen minutes.”

  “Cody knows exactly how long it’s been since we passed through, which is also when my watch stopped: 10:30 Monday night. Add Cody’s time to my watch…” Scott studied his watch, silently moving his lips. “4:48 a.m. We have an hour and forty-two minutes.”

  “Makes sense, I guess. The seeds need to know when a thousand years have passed,” Curt said.

  Scott nodded as he changed subjects, “If Eden was locked down after the two seeds entered, how did you get inside?” Scott asked.

  “Turns out I have a role. I’m the Deliverer mentioned in the text. My job was to see the seeds safely into Eden.”

  “I’ve got to tell you, Curt, my head’s spinning. You mentioned all three God Tools. What is the third Tool?”

  “The Sword of Michael. Light converts it into a large, aggressive Bird. Oh, and the trigger for the Staff to change into the Serpent is human touch. The Serpent can be converted back into the Staff if a human grabs it by the tail.”

  “Wow. You know, before our encounter with that Fish last summer, I wouldn’t have believed anything you just told me. Now, I take it as…” Scott paused.

  “Gospel truth?” Curt asked with a lopsided grin.

  “Very funny.”

  “Now I have a question for you: Why did you and Cody enter this cave system?”

  “Cody kept telling me we had to follow the tunnels of this cave to reach our destination, although he couldn’t say what the destination was.”

  “Father N told me that each seed knows a different path by which to reach the Garden. This tunnel must be one of those ways.”

  Scott looked at Curt apprehensively.

  Curt knew the question was coming and dreaded having to answer. Before Scott could speak, he turned to Cody. “Cody, can I talk to your father in private?”

  “Sure,” Cody shrugged. He rose and walked up the tunnel out of sight.

  “Don’t go far,” Scott yelled.

  “I won’t,” came the already distant reply.

  “Scott,” Curt began softly, “I don’t know how to—”

  “I knew, Curt.” Scott hung his head. “Somehow, I knew. The last I remembered, Kay had been thrown in the water when the Serpent struck the boat. I never saw her surface.”

  “I’m sorry, Scott.”

  Scott kept his head down. A half minute passed before he wiped his eyes and raised his head. “Cody, you can come back now.”

  When there was no response, Scott shouted, “Cody?”

  When silence prevailed, Curt stood completely still.

  “Help me up,” Scott said. Curt assisted Scott to his feet.

  Holding his stomach, Scott called again, louder this time, “Cody, where are you?”

  Scott wobbled forward, and Curt followed after him. The tunnel banked, this time to the right. Scott continued to call for Cody. When the tunnel straightened, Scott proceeded more quickly. Curt was surprised at how well his friend’s stamina was holding up.

  “Cody, please answer me!”

  An opening on the left revealed an offshoot cave. Curt saw Cody standing in a stark chamber with a dirt floor. Like the corridor, the walls were bioluminescent. The little boy faced right, staring down at a five-foot-long, rectangular stone slab which ran parallel to the wall.

  “Cody, didn’t you hear me calling for you?” Scott asked.

  Cody stared at his father and Curt as he pointed to the ground. “This is where he was finally buried.”

  “Who?” Scott asked.

  “This is the grave of Abel,” Curt spoke with reverence. That’s what Ed Leedskalnin had meant in the decoded text from his book. “Of course, ‘where the victim rests.’ ” His excitement rose. “This room is where the portal will connect to Coral Castle at 6:30 a.m. if Bar is successful.”

  Curt explained, “Father N told me we must use all three God Tools in order to defeat Cain. Also, we must bring the Tools back here. They have to pass through the portal and be returned to Earth before anyone is allowed to leave. Once they pass through, the portal will remain open for only a short time. Cody, the Garden of Eden should be close. Are you ready to lead us there?”

  Cody nodded.

  CHAPTER 42

  By 1:30 in the morning, Laval had waited long enough. She had picked up several items before leaving Jacksonville that she now put to use. Laval put on a blonde wig, tucking her long, dark hair underneath, and unbuttoned her long-sleeved shirt from the top, revealing ample cleavage. From the glove box, she withdrew another prop: a one-pint bottle of Jim Beam. Laval cracked the seal and took a healthy swig. Then she doused some on her neck and onto her cleavage. Before exiting the car, Laval reached back to ensure her captive was secure and gagged.

  Moving stealthily through the shadows, Laval took a circuitous route, crossing behind a closed auto-repair shop, walking unseen away from the parked sedan. A quarter mile away, she cut down a side street and eventually worked her way back, coming up behind the two men in the vehicle.

  When she assumed she was in sight of the sedan’s rearview mirror, she zigzagged with a crooked strut, laughing to no one but herself, and babbling expletives.

  As she approached the vehicle, the passenger side door sprung open. A man in a suit appeared; his face shadowed.

  “Hey, baby,” Laval slurred, “you lookin’ for some action?” She continued toward him, stammering and staggering. “I’ve been partying, but I can still take care of a man for the right price.”

  The FBI agent drew his pistol and trained it on her.


  Undeterred, Laval kept up her act, closing on him. “Hey, you can have it for free, just don’t shoot me.”

  “Stop!” the agent ordered.

  She came to a halt a few feet away. Laval rocked forward with droopy eyes as if she were about to faint, then she bent down and heaved nothing but air as she made her entire body convulse exaggeratedly. “Oh, holy shit, I feel awful…” she said in a feeble voice. In the next instant, she kicked the gun out of the agent’s hand, paying close attention to where it landed near the front of the car. Before he could react, she thrust her fist at the man’s Adam’s apple, crushing it with a single blow.

  By now, the second agent had exited the car with his weapon drawn. Laval dove to the ground, slithered quickly to the front of the car, and rolled to retrieve the gun. She gathered the weapon off the ground as she spilled over onto her back quickly catching the second agent in her sights and firing. The first upside down shot caught the man in the chest, the second in the forehead. He had managed to get off one round that ricocheted off the asphalt next to her head. The loud report of each shot echoed harshly in the night.

  The man crumpled to the ground. Laval rolled over onto her stomach. She pushed herself up, her head throbbing from the blow sustained at the Georgia Guidestones.

  There was no time to waste. She had to drive the car away and hide the bodies before the area filled with police investigating the sound of gunfire. Laval tucked the gun in her pants. She returned to the first body and was about to drag him back into the vehicle when she heard a chime coming from inside the car. She found a smartphone on the seat with a new text message that read:

  Destination no longer Coral Castle in Homestead. Going to Florida City. Remain there as Josette Laval will still target Coral Castle.

  The longitude and latitude coordinates were also given in the message. Laval took the phone, leaving the car and both corpses behind. She no longer cared about police presence here. She had a new destination.

  ****

  Lila listened to Rufus Tinney’s story. He and his brother, Reggie, had also been attacked at their cabin on Trout Creek by a huge, red-eyed, snake-like creature. Rufus had fled to their dock and was knocked into the water. With a shiver, he described being eaten by the beast.