The Grecian Manifesto (4 page)

Antikythera.

Dawkins knew Sean recognized the name immediately. He
pointed at the folder. “That’s what most historians call the Eye of Zeus,” he
said matter-of-factly. “Ms. Villa was looking for the antikythera, correct?”

Sean nodded slowly, beginning to connect the dots in his
mind, dots he didn’t want to bring together. There still wasn’t enough
information, but he had a feeling that was what the president was about to tell
him.

Dawkins sat up straight, resting his elbows on the arms of
the chair. “This needs a little backstory, so I may as well share that with
you. The Greek economy has been in a nosedive for the better part of the
decade. Their gross national product brings in less than what they import,
jobless rates are soaring, and crime is beginning to rise.”

Sean knew about all that. He didn’t watch the news often,
but he kept up with it enough to be aware of the current events going on in the
world around him. He kept that to himself and simply nodded, listening intently
to the president.

“The European Union is kicking them to the curb. Their
government could collapse at any point, and when it does there will be a mad
dash for the seat of power.”

“That’s the way it usually goes,” Sean interjected.

“Yep. As far as we can tell, there are three major players
in line to take over. One of them is a guy named Dimitris Gikas. He’s a wealthy
businessman living near Corfu, one of the Ionian Islands near Albania. Gikas
made most of his money in real estate and land development, but he has
investments in everything. About six years ago, he started buying up tech
companies and vineyards, and even owns a significant amount of stock in
American and Japanese companies. His net worth is well over four billion
dollars.”

“Sounds like a guy that might be able to straighten out
their economy,” Sean quipped.

Dawkins snorted a quick laugh. “He would be, if it weren’t
for the fact that he’s one of the most ruthless men in Europe. Some of the
businesses he purchased weren’t for sale. Let’s just say he made them an offer
they couldn’t refuse. And if they did refuse, the owners met an unfortunate
end.”

“Of course, the authorities won’t do anything to a guy
like that. Sounds like a modern-day Capone.”

“Exactly. Everyone’s on the take. Gikas is planning
something big, we just aren’t sure what it is or when it will happen.” The
president folded his hands and leaned back.

Sean opened the folder and removed the contents. There were
a few pictures of the antikythera that resides in a museum in Greece. It was
the only one known to be found. Adriana believed that there could be another
one in existence and had taken it upon herself to find it. There was a small
description of the device in the folder, explaining what historians believed it
was used for. Sean had seen that stuff before.

He scanned the text, and then put all the contents back in
the packet before handing it over to Dawkins. “I’ve read all that stuff before,
Mr. President. I don’t mean to be rude, but what does any of this have to do
with me? I’ve been out of the espionage business for more than a few years now.
If you need someone to go in and find out what this Gikas guy is doing, it
isn’t me.”

“Actually,” Dawkins said, “you couldn’t be more wrong.” He
stood up and strode over to the entertainment system, where a bottle of water
was sitting. He picked it up and took a big gulp, letting out a refreshing sigh
after swallowing. “Have to stay hydrated down here,” he commented, setting the
bottle down again.

“South Carolina can be warm,” Sean added, still not sure
where this whole conversation was going.

“Sean, we believe that Dimitris Gikas is looking for a
second antikythera, and we also believe that the device may be the key to an
incredible power.”

Sean frowned. “Power? You mean like magical power?”

The president shrugged. “We honestly don’t know. But we do
know he wants it desperately.”

“Maybe he’s a collector of Greek antiquities,” Sean
offered.

Dawkins acknowledged what Sean had said by tilting his
head to the side for a second. “He is certainly that. His home is filled with
such things. But this one is different. Most of the relics he’s purchased came
at auction or through a well-known channel. Not to mention, there isn’t a fully
functioning device like that, at least not one we know of. He’s become obsessed
with it.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but where is it again that I fit in to
all of this?”

Dawkins sat down on the edge of the bed so he was closer
to Sean. “Your friend, Adriana, was searching for the Eye of Zeus. The one that
has not yet been found. She believed there is another one out there, correct?”

Sean nodded. “Yeah. She thought it was possible there was
another one on land somewhere, one that would be intact. She also didn’t buy
into the idea that the device was only used for navigational purposes.”

The president leaned in closer. “And what did she believe
about the relic?”

“I don’t know. She found some old diary about it. The
thing was written entirely in ancient Greek, which Adriana can decipher. She
said something about how it aligns with the stars and planets.”

“That is correct. All of the research suggests that one of
the purposes for the Eye of Zeus was for navigation by the stars. There is
something else, though, that you should know.” The president paused for a
moment. He glanced over at the Secret Service agent next to Yarbrough. “Tyler,
could you leave the three of us alone for a minute?”

The young man seemed uncertain at first, but Yarbrough
gave him a confirming nod that everything would be okay. He slipped out onto
the patio where the other two stood watch, and closed the door.

Dawkins turned back to Sean. “Only Agent Yarbrough and I
have seen what I am about to show you, Sean. Outside of us, there are but a
handful of scientists whose eyes have taken in this information.”

Sean was skeptical, but his curiosity was piqued.
Moreover, he was still wondering about what this all had to do with Adriana.

Before he could say anything, the president went on as he
handed over another folder to Sean, similar to the first. This one, however,
had the words
Classified Antikythera
on
the cover.

“Classified?” It had been a long time since Sean’s eyes
had passed over anything that had been classified for government use. For a
second, he felt that sickening tug at his stomach, as if he was being pulled
back into a life he’d tried so hard to get away from.

Things had been good for him lately. Running the surf and
paddleboard shop had been the most relaxing job he’d ever had, and every day he
was able to get out on the water and just reset himself.

Sean opened the file and looked through the initial page
of text. As he shuffled through to the next, he saw symbols written in ancient Greek,
matched with a translation on the right side of the page. The third document
was an artist’s rendering of the antikythera as it may have looked if it were
completely intact.

“It contains a sequence of numbers and letters,” the
president interrupted Sean’s thoughts.

“And the interpretation of the sequence was never released
to the public,” Sean finished the president’s commentary. “So, this must be the
mysterious information that tells us what is on the device.”

“It is. And more.”

Sean raised his eyebrows. “Let me guess; some of your
scientists messed around with the relic.”

“Not the relic itself. We don’t have a working copy of it.
However, they were able to get enough information from the original to run a
few simulations.”

“Simulations?”

“Yes,” Dawkins answered. “They tested out what would
happen if they plugged in certain numbers and letters. At first, they
discovered nothing of note. One researcher had the idea to ask the mechanism
questions based on the alignment of certain stars.”

“You mean like astrology?” Sean huffed. He didn’t believe
things that bordered more on the side of hokum.

The president shook his head. “Not really. More like
astronomy. The scientists matched up the reproduction of the antikythera and
programmed in the date of the experiment. What they found was incredible. At
first, the researchers didn’t believe what they were seeing, but as they
continued to enter places and dates from the past, the device continued to give
them answers.”

“What kind of answers?” Sean asked, thinking he already
knew what Dawkins’s answer was going to be.

“The relic was able to give names, events, and details
that were a spot-on match to things that happened in history. In other words, the
Eye of Zeus is able to tell the future.”

Chapter 6

Northwest Florida

Thanos ended the call on his smartphone and slipped it in
his pocket. He stood outside the black BMW at a gas station on the side of the
road. The late afternoon sun beat down on his bald head, causing little
droplets of perspiration to dribble down the side of his face. He’d encountered
problems before. That was why Dimitris Gikas trusted him. Thanos took care of
problems. Usually, he took care of them quickly and efficiently. On this
occasion, the problem was bigger than he ever could have expected.

He removed a handkerchief from the back pocket of his
black pants and wiped the sweat from his brow. He missed one bead that found
its way across the scar on his left cheek, but quickly dabbed it with the
cloth.

The old wound didn’t hurt anymore. It hadn’t for a long
time. He told his employer that it had only served to steel his resolve in
life, to live it aggressively, and never to be afraid of anything.

The scar had come from a rival business leader in Athens.
He was only sixteen when he’d begun serving the man known as Gilapos. The enemy
wanted to send Gilapos a message. When he’d caught Thanos, the man’s errand
boy, he thought it was the perfect opportunity.

The act of cutting the young boy’s face had not resulted
in what Gilapos had intended. Thanos was already very strong, even in his young
age. When the blade sliced through his face, he did not cry or scream. Instead,
the pain only enraged him. In his short life, Thanos had faced far worse than a
little cut. The insult, however, was something that he could not abide.

The man who held the knife had also been the one that tied
the ropes binding Thanos to the chair. He’d only done a halfass job, thinking
the young boy wouldn’t be any trouble and that fear would do most of the work
to keep him down. The man had thought wrong.

Thanos slipped his hands from the bonds in short order,
even before the man with the knife had done his work. The sixteen-year-old knew
that he needed to let the cutter do his work for his plan to work. As the man
with the knife stepped back, Thanos sprung from the wooden chair like a rabbit.
Skills he’d learned on the street kicked in, and he snapped the man’s arm back
at the elbow, breaking it in what was surely a painful angle.

The knife clanked to the floor as Thanos spun around and
drove his elbow into the butcher’s larynx. The man dropped to the ground,
grasping at his throat with his good hand. Thanos knew he would be dead within
a minute, so he left him and scooped up the knife.

The memory of that day lingered for a minute longer as the
forty-year-old Thanos stared down the long, straight road. Pine trees blew in a
strong coastal breeze. He smiled, remembering how the rival boss had begged for
his life. The bulbous man had made the mistake of thinking he wouldn’t need
additional guards for a sixteen-year-old errand boy. Even as he bled out onto
the concrete floor of the abandoned warehouse, his face was awash with shock at
the turn of events that brought about his demise.

Thanos’s employer had rewarded him for his loyalty and his
bravery. He promised him that he would someday be the number one man in his
organization, so deep was the trust of Dimitris Gikas toward Thanos.

For the last five years, Thanos had relentlessly served
Gikas. So far, he’d never let the man down, but this situation with the Secret
Service was his biggest challenge yet. He didn’t want to admit it, but they’d
been lucky to escape with their lives. He let that notion go. Thanos didn’t
believe in luck. He relied on his strength and wits, and making his own
fortune.

A major question, the only question that was on his mind
right now, was what the Secret Service wanted with Sean Wyatt.

One of his men in the BMW opened the back door and stepped
out. He was one of three hired guns Thanos had brought on. This particular man
was Italian, with tightly cut, almost-black hair. His accent was thick, making
his words somewhat difficult to understand.

“We have the president’s location. It appears he’s on
vacation,” he said.

“That would mean he’s in Camp David. No chance of getting
into that place.” Thanos squinted one eye as he considered the information. The
only plan now was to sit and wait until Wyatt left the presidential vacation
compound.

“They aren’t there, sir. The American president is in
South Carolina. From the sound of it, he is in a public resort on one of the
islands.”

The new information caused Thanos to raise an eyebrow.
“What would he be doing there?”

“I do not know the answer to that, but my source is good.
And they said that the president has a guest.”

It had to be Wyatt. Even if it were, there would be no way
to get to him now. Secret Service agents and a security detail would surround
him. Thanos knew they would have to be patient. It was likely that the
president’s visit with the former Axis agent would be short. They would need to
act quickly to get to where Wyatt was headed. The problem with that being they
had no idea where he was going.

Thanos thought for a moment as the Italian mercenary stood
close by with hands on his hips, waiting for a decision. “Wyatt will go after
the girl,” he said with near certainty.

“How does he know that we have her?” the Italian asked.

“The United States government must have eyes on our
employer,” he said, casting a look around the area with a suspicious stare.

“Why would they be watching him?”

Another wind gust rolled across the flats, kicking up a
swirl of sand and dust. Thanos squinted hard against the dust devil until it
passed. “The eyes of the world are on Greece right now,” he said as the wind
died down once more. “The United States always meddles with other people’s
issues. They, no doubt, are interested to see what happens with the Greek
government. If that is the case, they know that our employer is one of the
leading candidates to become the next leader.”

The Italian seemed pensive for a moment before asking his
next question. “What is our move, then?”

When Thanos answered, it was with a sinister tone. “If
Wyatt is going to come looking for the girl, it would be wise for us to leave
him a trail to follow.”

“And lead him into a trap?”

“Exactly.”