The Awakening

by Tony Mazzarella

  “So what are you saying? This guy can work miracles? What the hell are we talking about, here?”

  “I don’t know. I really don’t,” she said, throwing clothes into her suitcase. “We have to get answers, and fast. He said something else when we were talking about getting back into the dig site.” She took a few seconds to ponder Adrian’s words carefully before reciting them for Drew. “He said he needed a bit more information to determine if the time was right.”

  “You think he was talking about the Awakening, don’t you?” asked Drew with a worried expression.

  “I do. We need to stay close to him and find out whatever we can. When we get back from the States, I’m going to dinner with him.”

  “You’re what?” exclaimed Drew, pulling her arm gently so she faced him. “You can’t do that. I don’t want you anywhere near him!”

  “I have to, and you know it!” she shouted, pulling out of Drew’s grasp. “He has some strange connection to me, and I need to know why. We need to know why. You can’t tell my father any of this,” she pleaded.

  “How can we keep this from him? I mean, seriously, what am I supposed to do while you’re out dining with the devil? He needs to know, and he needs to hear it from you.”

  “Okay. You’re right,” she said as her tone softened—as it often did when her father was involved. “But let me tell him in my own time and in my own way, okay? Promise me that.”

  Drew thought for a few moments as he gazed into her beautiful brown eyes, which now had the look of a lost puppy.

  “All right. But if you don’t tell him soon, you’ll force me to do it. That’s my condition.”

  “After I have dinner with him, okay?” pleaded Cait.

  “I really don’t think you should.”

  “Whatever he is,” she said, “I don’t feel threatened.”

  “You don’t feel threatened?” he demanded. “Did you not see the pictures?”

  “I saw more than that. I felt his presence in my dreams and in this room, and I’m telling you, I’ll be okay.”

  “What if he has the power to make you feel like that? Did you ever consider that possibility?” asked Drew in his typical analytical manner. “If he can heal your wounds, he can damn well manipulate your mind.”

  “I did consider that, and you have to trust me. I’ve never felt that anything in my dreams was forced. I always made the choice.”

  Cait realized she may have revealed too much about the nature of her dreams to Drew.

  “The choice? To do what, Cait?” he asked suspiciously.

  A knock at the door interrupted the tense argument, and she heard her father’s voice from down the hall.

  “Cait? Drew?” shouted Kirby through the door. “We have to go. We’ll miss the plane. What’s taking so long?”

  Drew stared at her, still waiting for an answer, but it never came. Cait walked past him, grabbed her suitcase, and opened the door.

  “Hello, my dear,” said Kirby with a bright smile. “What’s taking so long? The cab is waiting.”

  “Sorry, Father. We’re ready to go. Drew was just helping me finish packing; I was still feeling a bit of pain.”

  “Well, if you’re all set, let’s go.” They started out the door, while Drew stood frozen in silent anger and hurt at the implications of her words.

  “Drew, are you coming?” asked Kirby.

  “Yes, I’m coming,” he grumbled, slamming the door behind him.

  Drew and Cait didn’t speak again for several hours. She felt both ashamed and unapologetic at the same time. Who was he to question anything about her inner thoughts? What gave him the right? If a fantasy kept her from brooding twenty-four seven over Tom’s death, she didn’t see that it was any of his business. She didn’t need to explain herself to Drew, or to anyone else.

  Chapter 7

  Don Brazzo waited nervously at the Scranton, Pennsylvania airport for his flight to arrive. He’d only spoken to Franklin Kirby for a few minutes, but the similarities in their situations were too great to ignore. He’d immediately agreed to meet him and compare notes on what had happened. He thought about the past few days—how all of his life’s work was in jeopardy and he didn’t know why. Of the two men who had survived, Sam was still hospitalized and hadn’t uttered a word since his escape. Gene was fine but hadn’t been able to talk about it. He’d gone into seclusion at his family’s summer cabin. Whatever happened, Don knew it had to have been serious. There was no tougher man physically and mentally than Gene Luntz. It wasn’t in his nature to hide from anything, and Don knew there had to be more to the story. He hoped Franklin Kirby held some of those answers.

  The Scranton airport was small, and there was barely anyone in the baggage claim area. He’d seen on the board that Kirby’s flight had just hit the gate and watched the escalators for several minutes until passengers began to pour down. He’d only seen a small picture of Kirby when he looked him up on the web, but it was from many years ago. A few minutes later, a flood of people filled the formerly deserted baggage claim as they scrambled to get their luggage. A tall man approached Don, accompanied by a gray haired male and an extremely fit and attractive young woman. He could tell this was the same man from the picture, although many years older.

  “Dr. Kirby?” he asked.

  “Yes. Don Brazzo, I presume. Thank you so much for taking the time to meet us and discuss our mutual concerns.”

  “Quite frankly, Dr. Kirby, my intentions are somewhat selfish. I’m hoping you can help shed some light on what the hell is going on.”

  “Yes, I hope we can both gain some understanding here. But first, let me introduce my daughter, Cait, and Drew Cross. Both are part of the archaeological team I mentioned earlier on the phone.”

  “Good to meet you all,” he said, shaking their hands. “Why don’t we get out of here, where we can talk?”

  Don led them out the front entrance to a waiting SUV.

  “I’ll get you all to your hotel and let you get a bite to eat, and we can meet up in an hour or so.”

  “Sounds great,” said Kirby. “We’ll look forward to that conversation.”

  Don dropped them at the front entrance to the hotel, which was only a few miles away from the airport. Drew and Cait hadn’t said more than a few words to each other the entire flight and continued their silence as they walked into the hotel.

  “What’s wrong with you two?” asked Kirby. “You’ve both been acting strange since we left.”

  “Nothing, Father,” said Cait, shooting daggers in Drew’s direction.

  “She’s right, Kirby. There’s nothing wrong,” he said, returning the look. “It’s just been a long day for all of us. That’s all.”

  “Well, you’d both better snap out of it. We have a lot to do, and we need to be at our best. Do you understand? There is too much at stake to let petty differences take your mind off of what we’re doing here.”

  Drew looked at Cait, wondering how her father knew.

  “That’s right. I’m not stupid. I’ve been around you two long enough to know when you aren’t happy with each other. I don’t care what the problem is; you’d better work it out in exactly…” Kirby checked his watch. “…fifty-five minutes. I’ll see you both down here with a new outlook.”

  “Yes, Father.” said Cait, as she grudgingly smiled at Drew. He returned the gesture, and they both left for their rooms.

  ***

  An hour later, Don returned and found his three guests waiting outside the lobby.

  “Mr. Brazzo, thanks for being so prompt,” Kirby said, offering him another handshake.

  “Please, Dr. Kirby, call me Don. My guys would bust a gut laughing if they heard you being so formal with me.”

  “Yes, of course. Don. We wanted to offer our condolences on the loss of your men. We were remiss in doing so when we first landed. Please
forgive us. It was a long trip.”

  Kirby couldn’t help but notice Don’s dour expression as he lowered his head for a moment and seemed to drift off into thought. After a brief pause, he collected himself. “I appreciate it,” he said solemnly as his eyes welled with tears. “I just wish I knew exactly how they died. As I said before, I’m hoping you may have answers.”

  “Yes, we shall see,” said Kirby. “But first, may I ask what happened prior to the accident?”

  “Well we’d been getting a strange seismic reading for a few days—something really strange. It wasn’t something you normally see in a mining scenario. My operations manager, Gene Luntz, discovered it and happened to be one of the two survivors.”

  “Excuse me, Don. Sorry to interrupt,” said Drew. “Did you say Gene Luntz? I took a course from a Gene Luntz a few years ago at a university in California. I wonder if…”

  “Same guy, Mr. Cross. Gino is pretty famous for his survival skills, and he’s a very interesting guy. He also happens to be my best friend.”

  “Sounds like the man I remember. And please, call me Drew.”

  “Yes, let’s all stop the formalities,” Kirby agreed. “Drew, Cait, and Franklin or Kirby, if you please, Don. While I was raised as Franklin, even my own daughter calls me Kirby now.”

  “No problem, Kirby,” Don replied with a smile. “In any case, Gino survived and hasn’t said much about what happened. I’m worried about him, to be honest.”

  “Can we speak to him?” asked Kirby.

  “I suppose, but he isn’t answering his phone. He has a small cabin about an hour from here. If you want to see him, we’ll have to drive out to Quicks Bend. It’s pretty rural country out there.”

  “Don,” said Kirby. “I think we’d all benefit from a conversation with Mr. Luntz. We may both have some answers after that.”

  “Okay. We can head there in a few minutes. I wanted to show you the site. Even I can’t get back in, so we’ll have to do a drive-by.”

  From the road, they could see giant mountains of coal and shale and the black desert of land as far as the eye could see. There was a military vehicle and two armed guards blocking the entrance to the site.

  “As you can see, they totally sealed off the mine. No one in and no one out. Including me, the goddamned owner of the land!” snapped Don. “I’m sorry for the language, Miss Kirby. This is just so frustrating.”

  “No worries, Don. I work with men all day and have pretty much heard it all.”

  Drew rolled his eyes, knowing Cait probably used more expletives than any of the men on the job sites they’d been on. He spared her the embarrassment of letting her father know that at times, she had a mouth like a drunken sailor.

  “So, when do I get some answers?” asked Don impatiently.

  “Let’s wait until we speak with Mr. Luntz. Then we’ll know for sure, and we may have the answers you’re looking for,” said Kirby, recognizing Don’s impatience as desperation to know what happened to his men.

  They drove for some time as the paved road turned to dirt and gravel. They eventually came over a hill and could see the Susquehanna River flowing peacefully as the glow of the setting sun glistened off of the water. They drove along the river for half a mile and saw a small cabin sitting peacefully along the dead-end road. It had faded yellow siding and a green metal roof that looked like it had been attached for many years judging by the layer of moss that covered it. A large stone chimney split the cabin equally in half. Two windows on either side of the ground floor were open, and a smaller window was up near the roof peak. As they pulled into the drive, they saw a small fishing boat anchored twenty feet out into the river, and Don recognized its occupant as Gene Luntz.

  “Why don’t you all sit on the porch, and I’ll go get him,” he suggested. “You have to understand—he’s been through something traumatic. It’s more than just the death of the men, I know it. But he’s only spoken to the military about any of this. He and I haven’t had a chance to talk one-on-one yet.”

  Don walked down the steps that led to the riverbank and began waving. Gene looked up at his old friend, expressionless, and began to row back to the shore. As he got within five feet, he tossed a rope to Don without a word.

  “I’m worried about you, Gino,” said Don as his friend pulled the small boat alongside the rickety old wooden dock. “We need to talk.”

  “Who are they?” Gene asked as he stepped onto the dock and began tying off the small boat.

  “They came all the way from Italy to talk to us. One of them even took your class—says he knows you. Seems something similar happened over there, and we might be able to get some answers. I’d like to get some answers, wouldn’t you? Men are dead, Gino, and it’s my responsibility.”

  Gene looked up at Don with the pain of whatever he was concealing in his eyes.

  “No…it’s not.”

  “As the owner, I have responsibility for their safety,” Don insisted. “Maybe I didn’t do enough.”

  “Listen. No training or equipment could have prepared any of them for the way they died.”

  “How did they die, Gino?” Don asked.

  Gene turned and walked up the steps that led to the porch where the others were waiting. He barely made eye contact with any of them, but as he passed, they managed to make out his soft voice.

  “Let’s go inside.”

  They followed him through a sliding glass door that led into a rustic living room. Trophies of past hunting expeditions hung from the wall above a stone fireplace. He led them up several steps to a kitchen with a large rectangular table and sat down. Everyone else proceeded to sit around the table, not saying anything. The tension was extremely high, and no one seemed to know the right way to begin the conversation. It was clear that Gene was certainly not going to be the first to speak. It was Drew who decided to break the silence first.

  “Mr. Luntz, I don’t know if you remember me, but I took your course about three years ago. My name is…”

  “Drew Cross. Yes, I remember you, Mr. Cross,” said Gene.

  Kirby decided to interrupt what he was sure would be ten minutes of pleasantries, anxious for answers.

  “Mr. Luntz. The reason we’re here is because we think that maybe we share a common goal.”

  “And what would that be, exactly?” he asked skeptically.

  “To find out the truth about what happened in Mr. Brazzo’s mine, and to us in Livorno. We experienced very similar situations, and it was a miracle none of my team was killed. I know your crew was not as lucky, and you have my sincere condolences.”

  “Well, thank you, but I can assure you the circumstances were not similar.”

  Gene reached across the table, grabbed a pack of cigarettes, and pulled a lighter from his shirt pocket. As he lit the cigarette, everyone once again remained silent, not knowing the right thing to say. This time, it was Cait who broke the silence.

  “Mr. Luntz, can you tell us what happened down there? How did your men die?”

  Surprised by the forwardness of her question, he seemed to snap out of his former state. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”

  “Sorry, Mr. Luntz.”

  “Call me Gene. I can’t take any more polite conversation today. I told the military they died in a cave-in. Why would you think it was anything other than that?” he asked.

  “We’re not sure, but we have reason to think the cave-in might have been caused by some other phenomenon. That’s why we’re here.”

  “Can you tell them, Gino?” pleaded Don, hoping for his own answers.

  Gene took several deep puffs of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke as if savoring every second before he had to recount his experience.

  “Like I said, I told the military it was a cave-in. I know how they can be. If I’d told them what I’m going to tell all of you, they would have put me a
way right then and there and said I was crazy. Hell, you all might do the same thing.”

  “I’ve known you were crazy for years and I haven’t spilled the beans yet,” said Don, trying to put his friend at ease. He cracked a smile and put out the cigarette in the small glass ashtray that sat on the table.

  “When I got down there, I followed the main shaft most of the way. As I got closer to where the team was, the shaft broke into a huge passageway of some type. The walls were smooth as glass and nothing I know of could have made them. Well, nothing I knew of at the time.”

  Drew and Kirby looked at each other, concerned at what he was saying. Cait was too involved in his words to pull herself away from the truth that was revealing itself slowly.

  “As I approached the encampment,” Gene continued. “I found a map that showed the passageway continuing on, then a notation that said, ‘Pit.’ I didn’t know what the hell it meant, so I continued on toward that point.”

  The others could see him begin to look extremely stressed as he told this part of the tale. He reached for the pack of cigarettes and lit up another before he spoke.

  “I heard screams, horrible screams. As I got to where my foreman, Sam, was standing, I could see him holding the legs of another man, Roy, while Roy tried to pull Frank up from the pit by his arms. I tried to help but it was already too late. This damned thing pulled him down, and he died. I can’t even believe I’m saying the words, because it can’t be real.”

  Cait looked at her father with tears welling up in her eyes, knowing he’d just confirmed that the awakening was beginning. Kirby reached in his bag and pulled out the pictures of the creature that was found on the cavern walls in Livorno.

  “Gene. Did the creature look anything like this?” asked Kirby as he handed him the photo.

  Gene stared at the picture for a few moments and got up from his seat. He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer that he proceeded to open before sitting back down.