Curse of Atlantis (21 page)

“Well?” Burt asked anxiously.

Javier smiled a great smile. “So far so good,” he said, with conviction.

Looking down toward the city of
Palaiopoli
, Javier felt confident he had picked the correct site.

“Look at that view from up here: Completely unobstructed. If I were the King of Atlantis, this would be the location I’d choose to build a pyramid. Look down there at the ravine,” he said, now pointing. “It’s a natural valley that flows right into the city. They had easy access to this site. This has got to be it,” he finished enthusiastically.

Javier’s energy and spirit were infectious. No sooner than he finished, the other three stood and prepared to run their series of analyses. Jack and Darrien removed the heavy equipment from their packs and began to assemble them. Burt joined in
,
removed his computer equipment from his pack
,
and set up the various programs for analysis. As the three hurried in their task
s
, Javier began to set up grid lines made from string, used to guide the path of the GPR unit.

Within a half hour of the arrival at the top, the equipment was set up and positioned for testing. Javier smiled as he turned on the radar unit.

“Ok
,
guys, this is it. Keep your fingers crossed,” he said, excitedly.

“I’m crossing my eyes as an added measure,” Jack said, jokingly.

With a slight chuckle, Javier began to push the radar
unit along the ground
as Jack followed with a can of spray paint to mark possible targets beneath the soil. Motioning Darrien for help, Burt grabbed the ECM device and headed for the opposite side of the grid.

With each foot he crossed over, Javier’s excitement grew. Near the half-way point, nervous sweat built on his forehead as he watched the display for activity. As he called out reflections below the surface, Jack marked them off with the paint. Nearing the end of the first row, Javier slowed to a stop.

“What is it?” Jack asked, now anxious for information.

Javier didn’t answer. He simply stared at the display.

“Javi, what do you see? Is it significant?” Jack pressed further.

Javier was about to speak, but suddenly began to back up. He took several steps back, then slowly advanced
, k
eeping his eyes glued to the display.

On the opposite side of the grid, Burt
's
and Darrien
's
movements reflected those of Javier’s and Jack’s while using the ECM device. Holding the long rectangular beam by its strap,
Javier
watched his handheld computer for spikes in the display that indicated a change in
conductivity
in material below the surface. As he slowly followed the last row in the grid, he called out to Darrien to mark the spots with paint when he saw anomalies spike on the display.

Burt kept
h
is eyes glued to the screen. Nervous anticipation began to build as they neared the end of the row. Suddenly, he stopped. Looking across the mountain top to Javier, he saw the same activity taking place fifty feet away.

“Mr. Samuelson, what is it?” Darrien asked.

Looking at his display, he said simply, “Nothing.”

~~~~~  ~~~~~  ~~~~~

Jack waited impatiently for an answer from Javier. Excited by Javier’s initial response, he pressed him further.

“Javi, you’re freaking me out. What the heck did you find?”

Javier glanced at Jack then over to the opposite side of the mountain at Burt and Darrien. As he watched them work the ECM d
e
vice, he suddenly realized they were no longer running their search within the grid lines he’d laid out earlier.

“Jack, do you see that?” Javier said, his voice now low and serious.

“Yeah, they’re analyzing the ground. Why?”

“Because they’re not analyzing within the search grid lines,” Javier replied, still staring.

“You think they found it? You think they’ve found the pyramid
?
” Jack
asked
excitedly.

Javier turned and stared at Jack for a moment, his mind searching for the right words. Not finding them, he said simply, “No.”

“No?” You don’t think they’ve found the pyramid? Well what the hell are they searching for? It’s got to be something big. Burt’s searching outside the grid pattern,” Jack responded.

“If I’m not mistaken, I believe they’re simply confirming the same thing I’ve found over here… an underground spring,” Javier said.

Jack searched Javier’s face for insight. He felt confused by the answer.

“Javi, I’m still not following. What’s the big deal about an underground spring? If there’s a pyramid under us, it obviously has affected it,” Jack said.

“There’s no pyramid, Jack,” Javier responded, his tone now sad and disappointed.

Jack thought for a moment about
the
factors involved, then said, “I think I’m getting it. If the spring existed seven thousand years ago, they never would have built a pyramid on this site and if the spring developed after the pyramid was built, the sheer weight of it would have caused it to collapse as the water undermined the underground structure supporting the pyramid.”

“Correct,” Javier replied, unable to say much else.

“But what would make you think there’s a spring down there? Surely you’d need to do more tests than just this one to confirm your suspicions, right?”

“Ordinarily, yes, but I’ve run into this exact condition before. I recognized its unique readout on the display. I’m certain Burt suspects something too. He’s moved off the grid and is now following the reflections along the spring’s path,” Javier said.

“Wow, this sucks. So, what now?” Jack said, his voice now sounding disappointed.

“Cross this off our list and move onto the next one,”
Javier
responded dryly.

“I’m sorry, Javi. I know you thought this was the one and I hate to sound like an old cliché, but there will be others,” Jack said.

“I know there will be
,
Jack. Let
’s just get out of here, before I
lose it,” he replied.

~~~~~  ~~~~~  ~~~~~

Within two hours of making their disappointing discovery, they had packed their equipment, drove to their next
location,
and hiked to the top of the mountain to be analyzed. Like well-oiled machines, they had set up their equipment
,
and began to run the same tests they had practiced so many times before.

As Javier worked the GPR device on one side of the newly laid out grid, Burt ran the ECM unit on the other side of the lines of string. Up and down the lanes, they slowly moved the equipment, taking their reading and marking the ground for further investigation.

The hours passed and the four worked tirelessly, stopping only for water as the hot sun bore down on them. With each test that was completed, Burt and Javier made basic assumptions with the data, then planned for their next test. By late
afternoon, the truth of their search was realized.

“Well, I guess that’s it then,” Javier said, staring at the computer screen.

“You know, for a while there, I really thought we had something,” Burt responded, trying to lessen the pain of reality.

“No pyramid?” Darrien asked, hoping he had heard incorrectly.

“Unfortunately no, Darrien, there’s no pyramid beneath us,” Burt said, fielding the disappointing question before Javier had a chance to respond.

Jack looked directly at Javier. He could see the desperation in his eyes. Quickly, he tried to think of something encouraging to say.

“Don’t worry guys, we’ll find it. One of these mountains is that pyramid,” he started. Pointing to the area around them, he continued, “Isn’t it exciting when you think about it? Seven thousand years ago, if we were standing here, we’d see Atlantis spread out across this valley. We’d see roads, buildings, monuments, and thousands of people.”

“You know Jack, the scrolls did say Atlantis was a great naval power. I’m betting that bay would have had hundreds of ships out there too,” Javier said, momentarily distracted from his sadness.

“Yeah, I never thought about that, but you’re right,” Burt said, now equally fascinated by the new conversation.

Quietly thinking about the last exchange, Jack added, “If you listen, you can hear the sounds of life down there in that town. I wonder what it would have sounded like seven thousand years ago.”

“From way up here, the only sounds you’d hear would probably be the sounds of hammers chiseling stone,” Javier responded. “Without any mechanized machinery, it’d be pretty quiet.”

He looked up at the sky and heard a plane in the distance.

“It’s amazing that we take the sound of planes for granted, never really paying them much attention, but they really do affect our peaceful environment. Seven thousand years ago, aside from the sounds of voices and crude tools, it must have been a fairly quiet society to live in compared to ours.”

“Quiet and beautiful,” Jack added. “If it truly was the most opulent city in the world at that time, just imagine all the architecture that we’d be seeing right now. The Romans had the Coliseum and the Greeks had the Parthenon. I wonder what the Atlanteans had.”

The four men stood quietly and thought about Jack’s statement. As they gazed out upon the city a mile away, each man envisioned their own version of Atlantis. A moment later, the silence was broken.

“I know exactly what they would’ve had,” Javier said, now feeling the rush of discovery. “Standing down there and looking in this direction, they would have seen a magnificent pyramid.”

For a brief moment, the four scanned the mountains and hills around them, each man imagining a grand pyramid standing watch over the city.

“What a sight that must have been,” Burt said.

“What a sight that WILL be,” Jack corrected, staying positive for Javier’s sake.

Jack’s intentions were realized. Feeling the power of hope, Javier’s demeanor turned positive once more. Reaching for his pack, he shoulder
ed it and said, “Somewhere out
here is our pyramid. Let’s go home and get some rest.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky tomorrow,” Darrien added.

“If not tomorrow, very soon,” Jack replied, “It’s just a matter of time.”

~~~~~  ~~~~~  ~~~~~

The following day, the four men continued their search. From dawn to dusk, their pursuit proved fruitless and the failure slowly ate away at their spirits. The next day resulted in the same, as
did
the days that
succeeded
it, continuing in a long string of failed searches.

As the days turned into weeks and their efforts went unrewarded, moral
e
began to degrade and any attempt to turn their hopes became ineffective. The desperation that
followed
cast
a pall over the four that hung heavy as they worked. Each man knew the consequences of defeat and the pressure of it further hindered their ability to work.

Bringing further complication to the difficult task, Nicolae Sokolov’s men increased the frequency of their visits. With each meeting, their demands became more ominous and threatening as Nicolae’s patience was running out. He wanted more and to him, they seemed to be delivering less.

After another long day toiling in the sun, the four pulled up into the shortened driveway at their rented villa. Stepping from the car, Jack immediately spotted the break he’d been waiting for. Sitting on a patio table in front of the house, sat a delivered package.

He turned to Javier and said in a confident tone, “I think we’ve just bought ourselves some time.”

Seeing the package, he cried out, “Halleluiah! I didn’t think it was
ever
going to get here in time.”

Rushing to the patio, Javier immediately grabbed the package and
tore
it open. With a relieved smile, he said, “Well done, Jack. I think you’ve just saved Serena’s life.”

Jack reached in and pulled out a delicately wrapped urn. Unraveling the bubble-packing that protected it, he stared at the intricately crafted pottery and smile
d
in satisfaction.

“This looks great, Javi,” he remarked. “What do you think? You think it’ll fool them?”

“I think it would fool me. Damn, that guy’s good
!
” Javier exclaimed.

As Darrien unloaded the packs, Burt made his way to the patio. Seeing the small urn in Jack’s hands he asked, “Where’d you get that?”

“You like it? It
’s
Atlantean,” he said, his smile turning wily.

“Atlantean? What’s going on here? The only artifacts we have are the scrolls, the crystal globe and the urn
,
and I know no one’s been diving on the old site
as of late
.
” Burt
said
, now confused.

Javier shot Burt a condescending look and mocked, “Don’t you know? We found this today on that last mountain. Where have you been?”

“Javi, unless I slept all day, which I know I didn’t, I KNOW you didn’t find that today. You
're
going to
have to
let me in on your little secret,” Burt responded, still confused.

“It was Jack’s idea. R
emember all those fakes in my home? The same guy that made all of those, made this one too. I’m hoping it buys us more time with the Russians,” Javier replied.

Taking the small urn, Burt carefully rotated it in his hands. Examining the details, he nodded his head approvingly.

“This is nice work
,
guys. I love the hieroglyphics at the base,” Burt said.

“Jack’s idea… kind of matches the original urn we found,” Javier said, smiling to Jack.

“I think it lends an extra element of credibility,” Jack replied.

“I think it’s missing something though,” Burt said. Motioning to Jack and Javier, he continued, “Follow me.”

The three walked around the side of the old home. With the heel of his boot, Burt began to break up the soil in small area. Looking up to his two friends, he flashed them a sly smile.

“This looks old, but I think we can make it look seven thousand years old, with a little more elbow grease,” he laughed.

Bending over, he placed the urn in the loosened dirt and rubbed its surface roughly over the ground. Scooping up a handful of dirt, he threw some inside and rolled his hand around, spreading it evenly throughout. For several minutes
,
he continued his work until the urn looked scratched and dirty.

Standing, he presented the filthy pot to Javier and said, “Yes, I believe
I do
remember this now. We found it with the GPR, several feet below the surface near that outcropping we rested near today.”

Javier smiled. “Yup, that was right about the time we ran out of water.”

“And let’s not forget that there were other targets we weren’t able to locate due to time,” Jack added, playing along with the game.

Walking back to the front of the house, the three men fabricated the rest
of
their story,
ensuring
their details were consistent.

Stepping onto the patio, Jack asked, “Do you think they’ll buy it?”
Javier looked over to Jack. His face turning grim and said, “We’re about to find out.”

Both Jack and Burt turned and watched the Russians slow to a stop behind Darrien’s old Range Rov
er. Stepping from the car, the t
aller of the two dark-suited men led the way toward the house.

Nonchalantly, Burt stood next to Javier and blocked the view of the front door. Barely moving his lips, he quietly said, “Jack, the box it came in. Bring it inside… quickly!”

Jack moved quickly and smoothly, taking the empty box inside without suspicion. As he broke it down and threw it in the trash, he listened intently to the dangerous men just outside the front door.

“What is that in your hands?” the taller man asked, directly to Javier.

“We’ve found an ancient artifact while searching today. It’s an urn from Atlantis. We’re close to finding the pyramid. We’re real close,” Javier responded, giving his best effort to sound believable.

“Hmm, may I see this artifact?” the taller man requested.

Javier handed the fake urn to the Russian and watched apprehensively for his initial reaction. As he spun it around in his hands, a smile crossed his face. Handing the urn back to Javier, he wiped the dirt from his hand in midair.

“You
,
of course, will package this for us before we leave, won’t you?” he asked, his demand subtle but certain.

“Of course. Do you think your boss will be pleased
?
” Javier asked.

“His mood has been… shall we say, intolerant lately, but I am certain this will bring a smile to his face.” Pointing to the front door, he added, “You must give me the details of your discovery.”

It had been two days since Nicolae’s men had left with the urn. Having traded the fake for extra time, Javier breathed easier as he prepared for the day’s search. Gathering his data, he filled his backpack and waited for Jack to ready himself.

“Hey
,
Jack, I think Darrien’s here. Shake a leg,” he said, adding a bit of humor to lighten his serious request.

“Be right out. Just brushing my teeth,”
Jack
called from the bathroom.

Javier paced the floor as he waited. Thinking about Serena, he wondered how she was fairing and hoped the revelation of the new artifact would provide for better treatment. The more he visualized her, the more his thoughts turned negative, until once again, sadness enveloped him like a wave. Jack entered the living room and saw the sad look on Javier’s face
.
He
tried to give words of comfort.

“I miss her too, Javi. Her rescue is all I think about right now. In fact, I think it’s all any of us
are
thinking about right now. We’ve gone through most of the mountains on the list. There are only a handful of locations left to search. It’s got t
o be exciting knowing that
one of those locations will save her life.”

“We’ve already gone through nearly three quarters of the list. What if we go through the last quarter and we haven’t found it? What if it doesn’t exist at all? There is that possibility, Jack,” Javier said, now feeling the full extent of his desperation.

“Javi, you can convince yourself into a paralyzing state of depression if you allow it. You have to fight it. You have to believe that we’re going to find that pyramid. You have to know that she’ll be ok. If you don’t, your negativity will weigh on your decision making, and jeopardize her safety.”

Javier thought about Jack’s words and once again, felt motivated. Standing strong, he forced himself to push beyond his own negativity and do the job he set out to do.

“Thanks
,
Jack. I needed that little pep talk,” Javier said
, with a slight smile
.

“I’ll bill you later, now let’s go find that pyramid.”

“Absolutely. I can hear Burt and Darrien outside talking. Let’s not keep them waiting, shall we?” he said, now motioning toward the door.

The two walked to the front door and stepped outside. Burt and Darrien were indeed talking, but not to themselves. Standing near Darrien’s car, the t
wo Russians were now in the dep
ths of serious conversation.

“Mr. Arista… Jack… how nice of you to show,” the taller of the two men in dark suits said.

“Is everything ok?” Javier asked, suspiciously.

“Have you found any further artifacts?” he asked directly.

“I’m sorry, we haven’t,” Javier replied, staring at Jack for a moment, then turning back to the Russians.

“Then the answer is no. Everything is not ok. The Boss is growing impatient,”
Dimitri
said, disappointed.

“But we gave him the urn… surely that should
have satisfied him for a while,” Javier reasoned.

“
The more you give him, the more he demands. It is just his nature,”
Dimitri
said.
Stepping forward for effect, he continued, “As you already know, he is not in the business of kidnapping. It is a business that moves far too slow for his personality. If you want to see your daughter alive, you’ll find this pyramid by the week
'
s end.”