tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45986510791668072742024-03-05T00:52:39.771-08:00Quest FiveAshley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-8529795981494907672010-05-15T15:10:00.000-07:002010-05-15T15:49:31.329-07:00Endings & Beginnings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIIPF5acKpCXTm1ezBsgdmdMI98yY4ML3auWMi9DwLuh0cPFGcXD-czFI1esDMkdqUuRweTy4i6Fq6bHD5RtiNM8jkyFoC-2rljOjc2XSOKArlnSVtS_ItajJRLUQeVHCZaHvr2jS/s1600/SDS.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIIPF5acKpCXTm1ezBsgdmdMI98yY4ML3auWMi9DwLuh0cPFGcXD-czFI1esDMkdqUuRweTy4i6Fq6bHD5RtiNM8jkyFoC-2rljOjc2XSOKArlnSVtS_ItajJRLUQeVHCZaHvr2jS/s320/SDS.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471622725786417922" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background- color:transparent;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background- color:transparent;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background- color:transparent;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8955246862024069" style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thank you to everyone who read Quest Five and a special thank you to all those who left comments, whether occasionally or consistently. Now that the final chapter has been posted the question looms as to where to go from here. The story is left with an open end in hopes that I will someday return to the Quest Five universe and continue Allison’s story from her rather odd and precarious end. Before that continuation though, I have a few plans, including a clean up of the original Quest Five story to be offered as a free ebook download whenever it is completed. Don’t hold your breath though because I’m not yet ready to start work on that project. I’ll let you know when I start and keep you updated from there.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Georgia;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Most of you are probably already aware of my new blog, </span><a href="http://www.imaginethestories.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Imagine the Stories</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. Since January a new short story has been posted each Friday and in some way or other each one has been in part inspired by the accompanying spanking related picture(s). To date I’ve done my best to keep each story unique and entertaining while touching on the wide realm of fantasies related to the wonderful world of adult spanking. If you have not stopped by already, pop in and have a read. I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, or just general praise (because praise is so much nicer than criticism), but I’ll take the lumps from constructive criticism too if that’s what you have to give. Seriously, I appreciate each and every comment so long as it is not spam.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I promised to share updates on the projects I’m currently working on and I had hoped to have completed my current project by now, but it has taken on a larger life than I originally anticipated. Just because I like to talk about what I’m working on (not to mention my cruel, sadistic nature) I’ll whet your appetite with a few details which may or may not change during the course of completing the project.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Georgia;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My working title is The Spanking Days of Summer. I like the title, it reflects the story quite nicely and it is something of a double entendre. The story is centered on a young woman dealing with some major changes in her life; Things like living with her Aunt and Uncle on a ranch, preparing to attend college, making new friends, dating bad boys (well just one really, but he’s bad enough for plurality), oh and for the first time in her young life she has to deal with real boundaries and discipline. It’s a real shame and I mean that in the reddest sense of the word.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Georgia;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Anyway, this is the project I’ve been consumed with lately and it’s being a lot of fun. The main character shows off a lot of those characteristics many of you have mentioned you appreciate in a spankee; intelligence, whit, and strength of character (ie. there might be a victim, but it’s rarely if ever her). All in all, I’m very happy with the progress and I’ll keep plugging away until it’s completed. I’ll keep you updated, but hopefully the next time I post about it, will be to tell you it’s done and ready to be downloaded.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Georgia;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Spanking Days of Summer is going to be the first story I don’t give away. I know this is going to be disappointing to some, but a lot of work goes into writing these stories. The Spanking Days of Summer is shaping up into a novella length story and I think you’ll find the quality of the story and characters to be well worth the cost. Of course I will continue to produce plenty of free material for everyone to enjoy and hope that the quality of my work will be all the sales pitch my work needs.</span></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-60713177457300815972010-04-30T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-30T05:00:11.069-07:00Losing Control: Epilogue<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">The mind has a way of wandering once it is free of the physical world. I had failed and succeeded all at the same time in my quest. Had I known everything from the beginning things might have turned out differently, but as the water swept me away my only true regret was not being able to spare my nephew the fate we were both condemned to suffer. The pain in my chest subsided as if the wound had healed and my lungs stopped aching for air.<br /><br />An image floated before my eyes, misty and unclear. I recognized Tom Clark, lying in a bed. Wires ran from his body to machines and a slow, steady beep filled the silence. Kyra sat next to him, holding his hand while tears slipped down her cheeks. I tried to reach out to her, but there was more than distance between us. Tom's eyes fluttered open and a sense of serenity washed over me. At least he would be alright, they would be alright. She loved him as he had always loved her and as I loved him as well.<br /><br />The image faded into black and I opened my eyes once more. Turning my head in the darkness I watched as a glimmer of light grew from the staff still gripped in my hand. I was engulfed in a kaleidescope of color, falling still, but the water was gone, replaced by wisps of swirling wind. There were voices everywhere, whispering and shouting, laughing and crying, loving and hating. I gasped for breath and reached out for help, but there was only the blur of spinning, flickering lights and the rush of cold wind. It was but a second of eternity before it was over and I came crashing down onto solid ground.<br /><br />The flickering colors of light all turned orange. Sparks of flamed kissed the night sky and logs of burning wood crackled in the heat. The warmth lured me closer, washing away the cold of a winter's night that had settled on my skin. I breathed air once more and watched as the frosty bits of my breath floated away, passed the flame of fire. Bright stars above, winked at me.<br /><br />Through the crackle of flame, a girl's finger pointed at me and her voice screamed, "Witch! Witch!"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I rose up on my knees thinking to calm the terrified child, only to realize we were not alone. In the darkness I saw their faces like masks at a masquerade. White eyes in the black of night, stared at me. Men's eyes, greedy eyes, lustful eyes, all of them surrounded me. It was only then I realized I was naked.<br /><br /></div>"Arrest her," A man said and hands grabbed my shoulders from behind.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I pulled away. Every reflex told me to run and so I tried. I nearly made it to me feet, but before I could gain any traction hands were grabbing once more. The fire laughed at my futile attempt at escape. A proud little girl smirked at me. My head rocked with the blow of a blunt object and everything swirled away to emptiness.</div><br />The world continued to spin when I opened my eyes once again. Warmth had abandoned me and my skin prickled beneath rough material. I pushed myself upward from proneness and wished the world to remain steady and still. It was a nice, but futile thought. Unwisely, I shook my head to clear it.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's best to lie still for a bit," A kind woman said, gently pushing me back down.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Where am I?" I asked.</div><br />"Jail, my dear," The woman replied.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What happened?" I asked.</div><br />"They found you in the woods," She said. "Dancing naked by a fire or so I hear."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I wasn't dancing," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She smiled and said, "But you were naked?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Ruefully, I nodded and said, "Unfortunately. I don't know how I got there, here."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The Proctor's daughter, no doubt," She said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Who?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It doesn't matter," She said, sitting down beside me. "My name is Hester."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I hesitated a moment, considering the unfamiliarity of my situation and the choice of names I could give. In the end it was instinct rather than planning which ruled my decision. I said, "Virginia," and offered her my hand in friendship. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She grasped my hand and said, "I don't recall seeing you around before."</div><br />"That's because I haven't been here before," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"A new arrival? It's a pity this is what we've become," She said, turning away from me and staring at the heavy, wood door beyond the bars. "We used to have such a nice town, welcoming any and all. I'm sorry you've been pulled into all this."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't understand," I said. "What's happening here?"</div><br />"They'll come for our confessions in the morning," She said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Confessions? What are we accused of?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We're witches my dear," She said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I blinked. I said, "That's preposterous."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Of course it is, but there is no going back now," She said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"But I'm not a witch," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Nor am I," She said, "but when the inquisitor comes in the morning I will confess, as should you."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I won't confess," I said. "I'm not a witch."</div><br />"You can give your confession freely or they will beat it out of you," She said. "Either way, you will confess. It's best to save yourself what pain you can."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"How can you say that?" I asked.</div><br />"If you confess quickly, they are more likely to be merciful and merely hang you, but if you resist," She said, laying a sympathetic hand on my shoulder, "they will burn you at the stake."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"This can't be happening," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Hester laughed without humor and said, "Welcome to Salem."</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-63438094321186373122010-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-28T05:00:02.709-07:00Losing Control: Terrible ChoicesOur journey ended in the middle of the Peruvian rain forest. At first glance, it was nothing more than a clearing at the foot of a cliff, but a closer inspection revealed much more. An unusual reddish tint glittered in the soil of the area and the foliage at its borders was dead or dying. The air felt heavier than normal even for the humid region we were in. Overhead the sky was clear and blue, but in the distance I could see the gathering of storm clouds.<br /><br />"Are you ready?" Alex Kemp asked, standing beside me.<br /><br />"For what?" I asked, my gaze flickering to him for a moment before returning to the cave's entrance in the side of the cliff. It looked more like a window than a doorway. If the cave was indeed a portal to other dimensions, realities, then the appearance seemed somehow appropriate, perhaps even significant. The more I stared at it the more I felt like I was standing in the shadow of death.<br /><br />"Destiny," Joe Candle said, walking up from behind us.<br /><br />"I don't believe in destiny," I said, despite the whispers to the contrary inside my head.<br /><br />Dr. Michaels joined us, looking at the opening in the cliff and said, "If you did, there wouldn't be any point in being here."<br /><br />"How will we know if she succeeds?" Brian asked from a few feet away.<br /><br />Next to him, Olivia said, "We'll live through the day."<br /><br />"If that were the goal wouldn't we be better off just about any place else?" Brian said.<br /><br />"Don't worry," Gina said slipping a pack onto her back, "If she fails, there won't be a tomorrow for anyone, no matter where they are."<br /><br />Olivia said, "At least here we have a chance to help."<br /><br />I stepped forward to the entrance and laid my hand on the rock surrounding it. A tingle not unlike and electric shock, jolted through my body. I looked inside, but could see nothing more than darkness beyond the entrance. A cold shiver washed over me, my hands began to sweat and every impulse in my body screamed to run in the opposite direction. I took a deep breath and braced myself to enter the domain of the mystical and unknown.<br /><br />"So this is where it all began," I said.<br /><br />Dr. Michaels joined me at the entrance and said, "Circles always end where they begin."<br /><br />"You could have told me everything from the start," I said.<br /><br />He laughed and said, "You wouldn't have listened."<br /><br />I nodded in agreement, remembering how little I had liked him the first time we had met. It was never that I thought he was a bad person, just that he seemed to be hiding something and now, it was obvious he had been. There was a lesson to be learned in the fact and I was finally paying attention to notice. My instincts were mostly right and ignoring them was always a mistake, perhaps even the mistake I was supposed to fix. Somewhere deep inside the cave before us that mistake remained a possibility, but I also wondered if the mistake was already made and the events ahead were now more of an unavoidable consequence.<br /><br />"Probably not," I said, embracing my instincts. "I'm curious about something."<br /><br />He raised a single eyebrow and waited for me to continue. I said, "When you were taken in Mexico, was it by Joe or Joey?"<br /><br />"Joe," Dr. Michaels said, "it was time for me to come in before things got to complicated with Joey."<br /><br />"So how did the plane end up with Joey's people?" I asked.<br /><br />"Jack stole it," Dr. Michaels said.<br /><br />I nodded. It made sense, but I was still reeling from the idea I had been working with people who I would typically label as bad. Obviously Jack was very much aware of Joey's plans, but I wondered if any of the others new the whole story. Tom never gave any indication if he did and the fact they would risk killing him, seemed to indicate he was not exactly on board with them, but it could also mean he decided to switch sides midstream as well. Kyra was a complicated case too. With her computer skill and curiosity, it seemed unlikely Joey could keep much from her. On the other hand, Joey kept her busy with a lot of projects which might have been an easy way to keep her from looking to closely at the various things that did not always add up. All it really told me was there was no one in either camp I could rely on for help. Everyone had an agenda.<br /><br />Joining us at the entrance, Brian said, "The Incas had a legend about the origins of life which said the first man and woman, rose up out of the water and climbed out into the world through a window. This place makes me wonder if it was more than legend."<br /><br />Dr. Michaels nodded and said, "There are many unexplained mysteries in the world. Inside this cave we may find some explanations."<br /><br />"Or just more mystery," I said.<br /><br />Joe joined us at the cave's entrance and, taking the first step inside, said, "We should hurry."<br /><br />I paused for a moment, drinking in the sights and sounds of the outside world. The chirping of birds in trees and the rustle of wind through the leaves seemed to beckon me to leave the cave behind. Thunder echoed against the cliff and lightning crackled through the sky. Rain drops clattered against the red soil forming puddles eerily reminiscent of blood. It felt like a memory long forgotten and dismissed as nothing more than a dream. I shuddered with cold fear gripping my soul and turned my back on the world, stepping into the darkness. It was time to face the demons.<br /><br />Without a backward glance, Joe led the way through the winding, narrow tunnels of the cave. We were forced to crawl on hands and knees in near total darkness, descending ever deeper into the cave. The smell of wet dirt and stale air left little wonder as to why the ancient cultures of region thought of caves as a doorway to the underworld and afterlife. It took little imagination to reinforce the idea of death hanging over you like a mist in the air. I tried to focus my attention on moving, but my thoughts kept wandering to the unanswered questions swirling in my head.<br /><br />Part of me hoped Joe was a liar, hoped he would prove to be everything I once thought him to be. If that was the reality, then we would exit the tunnels and find ourselves alone. There would be no more need for charades and the truth of his intentions would soon be revealed to me. It would involve me and no one else and no matter what would happen, I could live with the results.<br /><br />The rest of me knew better. The charades were already over and the final confrontation was upon me. Joey, the man I had known as my employer, as Joseph Candle, as my grandfather, would be there at the end of the tunnels and he would not be alone. My nephew would be present at the very least, if not his parents and mine as well. Joey would be holding all the cards and no matter what I chose to do, there would be a sacrifice to be made and some of them would be more than I could bear.<br /><br />We emerged from the tunnels into a large cavern decorated with stalagmites and stalactites. In the middle of the cavern a small pool of water was surrounded by a rim of what appeared to be granite. It seemed completely unnatural and out of place. The air moved as if circulated by fans and scent of mold and mud tickled at my nose. To the right of the pool, a small ledge hung over it and standing on the ledge, Joey smiled down at me.<br /><br />"You're just in time," Joey said.<br /><br />"Don't do it," Joe said, putting himself between Joey and me.<br /><br />"Auntie!" My nephew cried from near the water and began to run toward me, until Jack stopped him by placing his gun on Geoff's chest.<br /><br />I took a step toward Jack, glaring anger into him like knives from my soul. I said, "I should have killed you when I had the chance."<br /><br />"Yeah, but you didn't," Jack said smiling. "Better luck next time."<br /><br />"Since you made it in time, I'll give you the choice Allison," Joey said, as Mark and a couple of nameless goons disarmed Joe and his companions. "Will it be you or your nephew who opens the portal?"<br /><br />Reluctantly, I tore my eyes from Jack and turned my attention to Joey. "Why?" I asked.<br /><br />"Because the portal must be opened and the key will die. I wish there was another way, but there is not. So, I leave the choice in your hands, provided you will make it," Joey said.<br /><br />"But why must the portal be opened?" I asked.<br /><br />Joey sighed and started to motion to Jack. I said, "If I'm going to die here, I think I deserve to know why."<br /><br />Joey paused in his movements and turned back to me. He said, "Because if it isn't opened, everything will end on December 21, 2012."<br /><br />"What are you talking about?" I asked.<br /><br />Joe stepped forward and said, "You're wrong Joey. Nothing will end unless the portal is opened here today."<br /><br />I looked between the two men. They stood nearly identical in pose and just as firm in their convictions. Neither had bothered to tell me the whole story, but I was long passed the point of being angry over secrets and lies. They were reflections of each other, sure enough. Two different men, but with the same methods and stubbornness. It was only then I understood the situation before me and the mistake I was dangerously close to making. I could trust neither man and that meant I could only trust myself.<br /><br />I left myself the clue I needed to find the right path. The portal would be opened no matter what I did. My responsibility was to close it. My heart ached in my chest with the realization and I finally understood why I would make the wrong decision in the first place. I looked away from Joe and Joey to my nephew. Frightened tears wet his cheeks just as sad ones glistened in my eyes. I cleared my throat and opened my mouth, prepared to make the unthinkable choice.<br /><br />My eyes flickered closed as I searched for strength. The cave faded away, replaced by a grassy cliff high above the ocean. It was the place of my recent strange dreams and suddenly I knew it was more memory than dream.<br /><br />My grandmother laughed and said, "You still don't understand."<br /><br />"What?" I asked as the sky began to rain.<br /><br />"I've always been true to what I am, but you," She said, shaking her head, "you betrayed everyone."<br /><br />"No," I said.<br /><br />"Denial does not change the truth," She said, watching my every move. "You cannot change what you are."<br /><br />"Fortunately, I don't need to," I said and my eyes snapped open bringing the cave back into focus.<br /><br />"I acted against my nature," I said aloud, although more to myself than those around me.<br /><br />"What?" Joe asked, turning to me.<br /><br />I laughed. It was all so simple when things made sense like they should. My mistake was not in trusting men I did not trust. It was in following a course of action I knew to be wrong because I thought it was the only choice. This time I would make a new choice and things would be different. It was a chance, but when a chance is all you have, it is what you take.<br /><br />"The portal won't be opened," I said, walking toward Jack.<br /><br />Jack said, "One more step and he dies."<br /><br />"Go ahead," I said continuing to walk toward him. "If you kill him then you need me to open that portal and that won't be happening."<br /><br />Jack knew I was right. It was written in his eyes as he stared at me. He was also afraid of me. The gun in his hand trembled a touch as he swung it away from Geoff and pointed it straight at me. I smiled and ran straight at him. The sound of the gunshot echoed in the cavern causing pebbles to fall from the walls and ceiling, like rain. I blinked through the pain of the bullet ripping through me and kept going toward Jack, colliding with him and taking us both tumbling to the ground.<br /><br />"Run Geoff!" I shouted, struggling with Jack for control of his gun.<br /><br />Geoff stood paralyzed for a moment. It was too much to ask of him to understand the dangerous situation surrounding him. He looked around the cavern and then headed toward the exit as fast as his little legs could carry him. I turned my full focus on Jack and hoped someone in Joe's group would be smart enough to help Geoff get out of the cave. Jack found my wound with his free hand and dug his fingers in, making me scream in pain. The anger pulsed through my veins giving me strength I never knew I had. I rammed his gun hand against the rock floor over and over until he released the gun, yelping in his own pain. I grabbed the gun and rolled away from him. He pushed himself up off the floor and turned to pursue me, but I was ready. I pulled the trigger dropping him to the ground for the last time.<br /><br />"Bring him here," Joey commanded.<br /><br />I spun around to see Mark climbing the step like rocks leading to the ledge where Joey waited. Mark was carrying Geoff in his arms with Joe running after him. I was too far away to get a good shot with all the stalactites and stalagmites in the way. A few feet away from me, Joey's other goons were struggling with Alex, Olivia, Gina, and Gene. Joe was Geoff's only chance unless I could somehow get to them in time. I pushed myself off the floor, ignoring the searing pain in my chest and ran for the ledge, dodging through the stalagmites like safety cones.<br /><br />By the time I reached the ledge, Joe and Joey were rolling on the ground wrestling with each other. Mark stood on the edge, holding Geoff over the water. I leveled the gun at Mark and stepped closer to him. Shooting him was out of the question so long as he held onto my nephew, but I wanted to be sure he knew if my nephew was dropped, he would die.<br /><br />"Stay back," Mark said.<br /><br />"This is going to end one of two ways," I said, standing my ground. "Either you put my nephew down on the ground and we all walk out of here or you drop him in the water and I put a bullet in your brain. It's your choice."<br /><br />"She'll do it," Olivia said, coming to stand next to me. "Trust me, I know."<br /><br />Mark shook his head and said, "I'm dead either way."<br /><br />"No!" I said as Mark released his hold on Geoff, dropping him into the water below. I ran toward the edge, knocking Mark off the edge and knelt over the water. The surface splashed black water into the air, swallowing Mark into its depths. Geoff had already disappeared.<br /><br />The ground began to shake and stalactites fell from the ceiling crashing down around me and splashing into the water below. The water's surface bubbled and human shapes began to emerge, covered in black, oil like ooze. Behind me, Joey began to laugh the maniacal laugh of an insane man. I forced myself to my feet and stepped back to jump in the water after my nephew before it was too late.<br /><br />"Wait," Olivia said.<br /><br />I turned toward her and she offered me the staff, complete with jewel mounted in its headpiece. For a moment I could not figure out why she was offering it to me. Memory returned though amidst the panic and I remembered the only way to close the portal was with the staff. I had failed at keeping it closed, but there was a chance I had made a difference and if I closed the portal as well it would be the best I could do with what I was given. I grabbed the staff and dove off the ledge, slicing through the boiling surface below.<br /><br />It felt like falling. The black forms that had been trying to pass through the surface fell through the water with me. My ears echoed with their cries of pain, sorrow, and disappointment. I turned and twisted and tried to control my direction and speed without success. Geoff was nowhere to be seen and at the rate I was falling through the water, I would never reach the surface in time for a new breath anyway. I closed my eyes and surrendered to the current.Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-61362785893699305502010-04-25T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-25T05:00:08.284-07:00Losing Control: Tug-O-War<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">The earth trembled beneath me. I listened as the crowd's jubilance turned to fear. My hands rose to my face and tore aside the white cloth covering my eyes. Dark clouds closed in on the sky above and a man standing before me, fell to his knees. The crowd ran.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Forgive us," The man on his knees said to the sky.</div><br />I climbed to my feet and walked the short distance between us, laying my hand on his shoulder. He looked into my eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. I tightened my hand against his muscles and said, "There is nothing to forgive."<br /><br />"Oh, but there is," My grandmother said, appearing on the grass before me. Her voice was unmistakable, but her appearance had changed from that of a child to a young woman my own age. I should have been surprised, but I was calm as if I had expected her.<br /><br />"Is he responsible for your treachery?" I asked, stepping sideways from him and eying her with caution.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She laughed and said, "You still don't understand."</div><br />"What?" I asked as the sky began to rain.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I've always been true to what I am, but you," She said, shaking her head, "you betrayed everyone."</div><br />"No," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Denial does not change the truth," She said, watching my every move. "You cannot change what you are."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Fortunately, I don't need to," I said and ran for the edge of the cliff.</div><br />She said, "If you ever hope to repair what you have done, there is no other choice. You must accept your role."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I leapt into the air and fell toward the rocky beach below. Lightning stuck the water and thunder rolled through my ears. A wind swept beneath me and hurled me in a new direction. Light and sound overwhelmed my senses, but I knew I was still falling. I braced myself for the sudden end I knew to be coming.</div><br />"Easy there," Brian said, holding me in his arms.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The nausea of falling drifted away, replaced with a pounding headache and the glint of light reflecting off white walls. I wanted to relax into his arms, but suspicions clouded everything. Too many people I trusted were proving to be undeserving. I pulled away from him and looked into his concerned eyes, hoping to glimpse an honest soul within him.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What happened?" I asked.</div><br />"Your office was raided and they decided to take me with them. I've been couped up in here without seeing anyone until you arrived a few hours ago," Brian said.<br /><br />"You haven't seen anyone?" I asked, skeptical of the idea.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"A couple guards, but no one I recognize," He said.</div><br />I pushed myself up off the cheap bed making it squeak as its springs pushed back. The room felt small, square in shape with a setup like any prison cell in the civilized world. The ceiling contained florescent lighting, protected behind metal cages. No windows to the outside world and nothing to indicate where were or even what time or day it was. The door was solid, white and lacking even the markings of where a knob should have been. Escaping would be difficult at best, but I doubted things would come to that. They wanted me and not to keep me locked up in a room.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"At the same time as the office was raided, a team hit my brother's house. They took him, his wife and my nephew," I said, bringing Brian up to speed, if he did not already know those facts to begin with.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"And you," He said, as if I had neglected to mention my own capture.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I shook my head and said, "No, I went after them. I got them out, but not myself."</div><br />"So you know where we are?" Brian asked.<br /><br />"Probably not far from where my brother was being held," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The echo of a lock being turned proceeded our cell door swinging open into the room. It was much darker outside the cell, leaving the forms in shadows and hard to discern from the darkness. A pair of faces emerged into the light and though I should have been surprised, I was not. Olivia smiled at me and her father, Dr. Michaels, seemed happy as well, without the obvious grin on his face. I stood facing them from the center of the cell and kept my peripheral vision aware of Brian. He gasped at the sight of our visitors.</div><br />"Are you alright?" Dr. Michaels asked, looking at me.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I've been better," I said and Olivia said, "You'll live."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "No thanks to you."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She laughed and said, "I guess that makes us even, but it was not me trying to kill you."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No doubt you delegated the chore," I said. "By the way, how is it you aren't dead?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia said, "Did you ever to think to check the ammunition you were using? Those were my guns and I don't make a habit of killing people, unlike your friends."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Play nice girls or do I need to break out my paddle?" Dr. Michaels said.</div><br />"Why don't you get to the point then?" I said, resting a hand on my hip.<br /><br />Olivia said, "Okay. You're an idiot."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Dr. Michaels turned to his daughter with a warning scowl decorating his face. She laughed at him and said, "What? She wanted to get to the point and that's pretty much it."</div><br />"You'll have to excuse my daughter," Dr. Michaels said, turning back to me, "she's still a little embarrassed about underestimating you in the jungle."<br /><br />"I know the feeling," I said. "I can't say I suspected a thing with you or Jack."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Jack?" Dr. Michaels said. "What are you talking about?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Obviously you are both working with our shadow loving friend," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia laughed again. I was tempted to attempt to slap her, but the reality was, I would not get within a foot before someone would stop me. I settled on a frown and a disgusted shake of my head to make my feelings clear. Dr. Michaels continued to look confused which was disconcerting, considering the situation. If Jack was not working with them, then who was he working for?</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia said, "Jack Barker works for Joey. He always has and he always will. They're two of a kind you know, killers."</div><br />"Wait," Dr. Michaels said, looking between his daughter and me, "You think we kidnapped your family?"<br /><br />"You're saying you didn't?" I said, glaring at him. "Then tell me, how did I end up here with you, if you weren't involved?"<br /><br />Olivia said, "Mostly dumb luck."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Before I could voice my irritation, Dr. Michaels said, "Joey arranged for your family to be taken, not us. We assumed this meant he felt his control over you was slipping which we saw as something of a victory around here, but we wish no harm on you or your family. Once we learned where they were being held we made plans to rescue them. It appears Joey set you up in a rather elaborate trap in order to leverage your cooperation against the lives of your family."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia said, "I'm betting he didn't expect you to actually escape."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Dr. Michaels nodded and said, "You wouldn't have, but we were in position when you and Mr. Clark showed up. We decided to wait rather than involve ourselves in your plans and possibly make the situation worse. When you flipped the jeep, we moved in and rescued you before Joey's teams could get to you."</div><br />"And my family?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Unfortunately, you took them out of Joey's hands only to put them right back in them," Dr. Michaels said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia said, "Like I mentioned before, you're an idiot."</div><br />"Why should I believe you?" I asked.<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br />"Would it help if I drew you a picture?" Olivia asked.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br />"It might," I said, glaring at her.</div><br />"Perhaps I can provide some illumination," A man said from the shadows outside the room.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia turned toward the voice and said, "She's not ready."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He replied, "It no longer matters. We're out of time."</div><br />Dr. Michaels offered a smile to the curiosity brimming in my eyes and said, "Try to keep an open mind."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The man in the shadows stepped forward into the light of the room. I stared at his familiar face and wondered what games were being played at my expense. Dr. Michaels and Olivia exited the room leaving Brian and I alone with the man. He was unmistakably Joseph Candle, but there was a difference as well, a greater depth to the wrinkles on his face and something about his eyes. I knew this man, but I did not know him at all.</div><br />"We haven't been properly introduced," He said, extending his hand to me. "My name is Joe Candle and you are my granddaughter."<br /><br />The sound of his voice reverberated in my ears. It was different, softer, than the man I worked for and richer too. I had intuitively known he was similar and yet the same as Joseph Candle on our first encounter, but on that occasion I had not glimpsed his face at all. I had only felt his eyes on me and the cruelty with which he chose to attempt to elicit information from me. Anger still boiled in my veins over that meeting, but I knew it would serve no useful purpose for the moment. I pushed it aside and concentrated on the questions I needed answered.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Ignoring his extended hand, I asked, "Are you twins?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He dropped his hand, looked me in the eye, and said, "No, more like reflections of each other."</div><br />"The same, but different," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He flashed a smile and said, "Yes, my right is his wrong and vice versa."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Why should I trust you?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I never suggested you should," He said. "Do you trust him?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No," I replied.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That is encouraging at least," He said, nodding his head.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You suggested you could explain things," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I can," He said, looking at Brian for a moment. "Matters are complicated though and time is short. I will attempt to be brief."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm listening," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "My story began many years ago in the depths of a South American cave."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"And there was an earthquake," I said. "I've heard this before."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Of course," He said. "During the quake, your grandmother fell into black pool of water. I tried to pull her out, but it was like something had grabbed hold of her. My eyes drifted toward the surface of the water, looking for solutions I suppose, but what I found was a set of hands identical to my own, reaching out of the water and wrapping themselves around my neck. At first I thought I was imagining things, but when my reflection crawled out of the water and dropped a rock on my head, I realized things were much more serious."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Your reflection crawled out of the water and attacked you?" Brian asked, making no attempt to hide the disbelief he felt.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yes," Joe Candle said, "As incredible as it sounds, the story is true. He left me to die in that cave and if not for my old friend, Alex, I would have died that day as your grandmother did."<br /><br />"Are you sure she died?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I dragged her body from the water myself and carried her all the way out of that cave," He said.</div><br />"I'm confused," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He nodded and said, "Not surprising. The girl you see, the one who talks to you and claims to be your grandmother, she is nothing more than her reflection. Unlike my reflection though, she never made it out of the water. She remains trapped in a realm between worlds."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"How do you know this?" I asked, suspicious of his motives if not his veracity and sanity.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "Because you told me."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I blinked. I said, "I think I would remember that."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It is the past for me," He said, "but it is your future still."</div><br />"You're insane," I said, trying hard not to think too much on the old woman I met in my own travels.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Perhaps," he said, sighing, "but if I am, then the world is as well."</div><br />"You said we were short on time," I said. "Why?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The pool in the cave is some sort of rift between dimensions. I would explain it better, but I've never quite grasped the intricacies of how it works," He said. "It operates on a schedule and the time is nearly upon us when it can be opened again."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Can be?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It will be," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"How can you be certain?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Because Joey has the key," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"So you expect me to stop him?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He shook his head, "It is too late for that. You have to close the rift."</div><br />"How?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I've collected everything you need," He said. "All that remains is for us to get you to the cave and you to do what you must."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"My nephew is the key, right?" I said and he nodded. I said, "And I am also a key."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He sighed and said, "Correct."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"How do I know this isn't just a trick to get me to open this thing then?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Because you already knew all of this from the messages you've sent yourself," He said.</div><br />"This should be impossible," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He laughed, and said, "I stopped believing in impossible when my reflection nearly killed me."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Why does Joey want to open the rift anyway?" I asked, remember the dreams where the question kept arising. The difference between then was supposed to be the why, and if so, I needed to know what that was.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "He wants to finish what you started."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What I started?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Joe nodded and said, "You made a mistake and everything that has happened has been a result of that mistake."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't understand how something I haven't even done yet can be causing problems now," I said.</div><br />"If I close this rift will it correct the mistake?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He shrugged and said, "I don't know."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Then how do I know closing the rift is what I'm supposed to do?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You have to trust yourself and your instincts," He said. "We are trapped in a chain of events only you can stop because you started them."</div><br />"Is this why you tried to kill me?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "I never tried to kill you."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What about in Utah?" Brian asked and I nodded.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's true, I sent Olivia and Gina to feel you out. I wanted to know if you were my granddaughter or just another decoy being used by Joey," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"And a helicopter full of armed goons," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Those were not my people. I underestimated Joey, he used his own people to attack the training camp and that combined with the presence of my real spies was enough to make you trust him more than me," Joe said.</div><br />"And in the Philippines? The torpedo, the hotel, on the road, you had nothing to do with any of that?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We made use of Joey's diversions, but Alex was not trying to kill you. He only wanted to make certain the crystal did not fall into Joey's hands," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That didn't work out quite right and then you decided to steal it and nearly threw me off the 32nd floor," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Olivia was trying to take you with her, not kill you," He said.</div><br />"You make it all sound so innocent, but I lived it and I was in fear for my life," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I can only offer as proof the fact you remain alive and we are standing here talking," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Right and last time we met, you stripped me naked, hung me from a chain and beat me," I said. "That doesn't sound very innocent to me."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "True, I might have made a mistake then, but you had information I needed and you had just been involved in the death of one my men. I couldn't trust you and quite simply, a good spanking had a better chance of making you take a hard look at yourself and your surrounding than anything I could do or say."<br /><br />"How can I believe you?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You have to decide what you want to do for yourself. No one else can tell you. If you want to go to the cave and stop Joey we need to leave soon, otherwise you are free to go," He said, stepping aside from the doorway, leaving me a clear path out.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I looked at Brian and he shrugged. There were no answers in the room, only more questions. The man of the shadows made sense in an odd sort of way and there was something about him, making him infinitely more likable than the Joseph Candle I knew. I wanted to believe him, wanted him to be the man truly related to me, to my mother, but a tiny voice in the back of my head warned, it was entirely possible, trusting him could be the mistake I was trying so hard to correct.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"There really isn't a choice," I said. "Let's go find this cave."</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-48716071605127157592010-04-22T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-22T05:00:05.070-07:00Losing Control: Tearful Ends<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#223344;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">"As the Gods have abandoned us, so shall we abandon them."</span></span><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span>I fell to my knees, wincing at the impact. The cool wetness of uncut grass brushed against my skin. Water droplets tickled my face in the breeze and my hair bounced against my shoulders and back. The sun felt warm on my face, but my body shuddered with cold and the sense of being watched by unseen eyes. Angry voices surrounded me, but I remained calm.<br /><br />The snap of a whip in the air perked my ears and senses to attention. I choked back a scream, breathing through the burning kiss of the whip against my naked flesh. The crowd laughed, mocking me and the pain. My hands fought against their bindings and my eyes shot wide, with tears tugging at the corners. There was nothing to be seen but bright white.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Who will save you now?" He asked and the ground began to tremble.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's time," Tom said, shaking me awake.</div><br />I blinked bringing the dash of our SUV into focus. Tom checked his gun and slipped it back in its holster under his arm. I grabbed my own and confirmed the safety was off and the ammo was of non-lethal variety. It had taken some arguing, but Joe had eventually surrendered to my demands on the subject. There were too many unanswered questions to go in shooting with lethal intentions, not to mention the risk to the hostages we were supposed to be rescuing.<br /><br />"Are you sure?" I asked, studying the view outside the windshield.<br /><br />Tom pointed to the plane on the airstrip and said, "The plane is in position. They'll be moving the hostages next. If we want to intercept them, now is the time."<br /><br />I took a deep breath, feeling the adrenalin pumping through my veins. Tom looked at me, his face masking all emotion. If he felt any of the uncertainty or fear that was building inside me, he kept it well hidden. I stared at the building we believed to be holding the hostages and nodded. "Okay," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Once we start there is no turning back," Tom said.</div><br />"You think I'm wrong?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom shook his head and said, "No, but even if we are right about everything, they still have us insanely outnumbered."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You're saying we can't win," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm saying our only chance is surprise and if you have any doubts that might cause you to hesitate, then we don't have any chance at all," Tom said.</div><br />"I'm not trained for this," I said and Tom replied, "No you're not."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"But," I said looking Tom in the eye, "that's my family in there and if someone is wanting to know what I'm capable of, they're about to find out."</div><br />"Trust your instincts, trust me, and I swear I'll get you and them out of this," Tom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The conviction in his eyes made promises he could not say aloud. I said, "Tom—</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Don't," Tom said, laying a finger over my trembling lips. "Save it for when it's over."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded and said, "Let's go."</div><br />He turned the ignition and slipped the transmission into drive. The engine roared to life and the tires kicked up dry dirt into a cloud surrounding us as we sped toward the chain link fence. I stared straight ahead at our target and not even the clank of metal against the windshield or the sound of gunfire could bring my eyes to blink closed. In the breath of a moment we were sliding to a stop in front of the building.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I kicked my door open and slipped out with my gun drawn and aimed straight ahead. With Tom right behind me, I pushed the front door open and marched inside, eyes scanning the interior for any signs of trouble or the people we were rescuing. Two guards stood staring blankly at us from a side hallway and before they could do anything more than blink I squeezed my trigger twice, dropping them both. We headed for the hallway.</div><br />The echo of military style boots alerted me to the presence of guards rushing toward the blind corner in front of us. I took aim just ahead of the corner and squeezed at the first sight of a shadow. The guard fell to the floor his unused gun slipping from his hand and sliding across the floor. From the footsteps I knew at least one more guard was waiting ahead for us. Surprise being our only advantage I pushed my pace to a run until just before the corner, where I dropped to the floor in a slide with my gun aimed for the corridor I could not see. As soon as the shapes registered in my eyes I squeezed off two more rounds, each hitting their targets with impressive accuracy that could only be luck.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom pulled me back to my feet with a single strong arm all the while watching both corridors. To my questioning eyebrows, he pointed toward a door with a magnetic lock. We moved to opposite side of the door and Tom inspected the lock and door, looking for a weakness to exploit. He pulled a grenade from his vest and I held my hand signalling him to wait.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"There could be someone on the other side," I said in a whisper.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom asked, "Do you have a better idea?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yeah," I said, "knock and tell them we're ready."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He raised an eyebrow and shrugged, putting the grenade back. Two quick knocks on the door and he said, "We're ready for them."</div><br />Almost instantly the lock whirred and the door started to open. Tom gave it some help with the bottom of his boot and we charged inside. In the time it took me to get through the door, Tom had taken down three of the guards in the room leaving only one for me. The last guard had his gun raised as I squeezed the trigger and dropped him to the floor. It took another second before I realized my brother and his family were huddled on the floor against the far wall, staring at me with half open mouths.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Steve climbed to his feet and said, "What the hell is going on Allison?"</div><br />"Explanations later," Tom said, checking over his shoulder before giving Steve his attention. "Have you seen any one else being held here?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Who the hell are you?" Steve asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "Steve, not now. Have you seen anyone else?"</div><br />"No," Steve said, "Now will you tell me what is going on?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Not here," I said, waving my nephew and Jenny to come over to me, "We need to get out of here and we don't have a lot of time. Stay close."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom and I turned toward the door as they moved to join us. A shot rang out and Tom coughed. I aimed at the doorway to find two guns pointed straighted at me. I blinked to focus on the owner and looked to Tom. His gun slipped from his hand, bouncing on the floor as he dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. A single hole through his vest told the story. Anger boiled in my veins even as tears stung at my eyes.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Drop it V," Jack said, stepping through the doorway with Mark at his side.<br /><br />I kept my gun trained on Jack's head and took a step back. Seeing the two men together had my head spinning, but I forced the questions into the background and focused on finding a way out. Jack knew me well enough to read the resistance in my eyes. He and Mark stepped from the shadows into the light and made it clear, I might be able to take one of them, but I would never get them both. Beside me, Tom slumped to the floor.</div><br />"Put it down," Jack said.<br /><br />"This is my family Jack," I said, keeping my aim on him.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "I know and if you cooperate, no one else needs to get hurt."</div><br />"Why?" I asked, trying to keep my eyes off of Tom and focused on Jack.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Mark said, "Put the gun down and we'll talk."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">A door on the far end of the room opened and three more guards entered the room with guns pointed at me and my family. It was a hopeless situation. With no choice, I loosened my grip on the gun and leaned down to lay it on the floor at my feet. Halfway down, my eye caught Tom's. There was pain in them, but determination as well, he winked and indicated the other side of the room with the guards. I nodded once and left my gun on the floor. I lifted my hands in surrender and stood up straight.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Is Gene with you too or did he just find out about you?" I asked, staring Jack in the eye.</div><br />Jack shook his head and said, "It's complicated, but you already know that. Step back."<br /><br />I took a single step backward. The sound of a pin dropping next to Tom turned everyone's attention. I did not wait for the results, I charged Jack, grabbing his gun arm and kneeing him in the groin with all the force I could muster. Jack bellowed, but held tight to the gun. The other side of the room exploded into fire and light. I slammed the top of my head into Jack's nose, sending him stumbling backward, his gun waving useless in the air. Letting go of him I spun around, kicking him hard in the chest and sending him into the wall, before he crashed to floor. The three guards on the other side of the room were laying on the floor moaning and bleeding and Mark was steadying himself against the wall, raising his gun to aim at me. Tom shot him and rolled to the side on the floor, taking aim at Jack. I dived to the floor for my own gun and making it harder for Jack to get a bead on me. Tom and I shot him at the same time, dropping Jack in a limp puddle on the floor.<br /><br />"Real bullets," Tom said in a raspy voice, looking at me as I crawled the short distance between us.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I was wrong," I said, reaching out to him. "I'm sorry."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You have to go," He said, grabbing my hand.</div><br />My eyes grew wide, glossed with tears and I said, "I'm not leaving you."<br /><br />He smiled, the half cocky smile I had fallen in love with and said, "It's not your fault, kid. Take care of your family. I'll buy you as much time as I can. Now go."<br /><br />Tom turned away from me and dragged himself along the floor toward the nearest door. Outside the sound of pounding boots echoed against the walls. Steve, Jenny and Geoff were huddled together, confused and scared. I pushed myself to my feet, blinking back tears and setting my jaw.<br /><br />"Steve, help me," I said, grabbing Tom's arm and trying to pull him to his feet. Steve blinked at me and I said, "Now!"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Steve shook off whatever was holding him back and Tom said, "Allison—</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm not leaving you," I said, and Tom shook his head realizing I was not going to change my mind.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Steve ran to the other side of Tom and lifted him up off the floor to a standing position. Tom leaned against him heavily, leaving me free to move and I did. Stepping through the doorway with my gun at the ready, I led the way out. Guards were definitely coming but fortunately none were in sight yet. We headed for the exit as fast as we could with Steve half carrying, half dragging Tom.</div><br />I emptied my gun on a group of guards waiting for us at the end of the hall. One of them got off a wild shot that splintered wallboard next to my head, but I barely took note. Without missing a step, I ejected the empty clip and let it clatter on the floor while I slapped in a fresh one. As a group, we burst out of the building into the daylight.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The SUV was still running and waiting for us with the passenger door wide open. A shadow to my right caught my attention and I turned with my gun, squeezing the trigger before I was even certain anything was there. A guard dropped to the ground and another behind him started shooting wildly. A bullet sparked against the cement at my feet and another shattered the window in the open car door. I squeezed the trigger again and the shooting stopped.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Get in," I said, helping Steve get Tom into the passenger seat. Jenny lifted Geoff into the backseat and climbed in after him. Steve fastened Tom into the seat and I made my way around to the driver's seat with bullets bouncing all around me as a group of guards ran toward us from the airstrip. As soon as Steve climbed in the back I floored the accelerator and turned the wheel to head us out the same way we had came in. I hit the auto call button on my phone attached to the dash and waited for Kyra to answer.</div><br />Steve said, "I want to know what the hell is going on Allison."<br /><br />"Hang on," I said, spotting a military style jeep just before it slammed into the side of us. I fought the sideways slant and kept the SUV on course.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I was beginning to worry," Kyra said, her voice breaking up over the speaker.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We ran into some trouble," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom grit his teeth through obvious pain as the SUV bounced on the uneven road. The bullet had passed straight through his vest and penetrated dangerously close to his heart. He kept his hand pressed against the wound, but there was very little blood. I did not need to be a doctor to know that was a very bad sign. I pushed aside the panic threatening to overwhelm me and focused on driving.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">More military style jeeps joined the chase nearly surrounding us and making maneuvering more difficult by the second. They were definitely not going to let us get away easy and though I had known it from the start, I was beginning to worry I had not thought the plan through enough. Tom was not supposed to get hurt, nobody was supposed to get hurt, but for some reason the rules had changed.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I drove as erratically as I could manage without losing control. The jeeps swerved from side to side, breaking only at the last moment as I turned into their paths forcing them to stay behind us. Gun fire bounced along the road beside us, but they seemed more interested in capturing us than killing us. If either Geoff or I were some place else I have a feeling they would have just blown the SUV to pieces. Accelerating hard, I rammed us through a blockade, admiring the splintering lumber as it washed over the windshield.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra said, “Allison, they’re cutting you off with jeeps from all directions.”</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“Are you on the ground yet?” I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“Almost, but you’ll never get through to the rendezvous,” Kyra replied.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I studied the satellite image on the small screen of my phone. The road blocks were obvious enough and Kyra was right, the only way to the rendezvous was through them. Monstrous as the SUV was, it could not possibly tank its way through. I was going to have to make a hole. I glanced at Tom and hoped he had enough fight left in him.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“You still with me?” I asked, grabbing his arm.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“Always,” He said, struggling with the effort to simply look in my direction.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“Kyra get the jet on the ground and as soon as the SUV is aboard, take off,” I ordered.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“But you can’t possibly get to it,” Kyra said in protest.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“I don’t have time to argue. Trust me, please,” I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“Alright. We’re moving in for final approach now,” Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“Tom, you’re going to have to drive,” I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He stared at me for a moment and as our eyes locked I had no doubt he knew what I was planning. I braced for the argument to come, but Tom just gave me a half smile and said, "Thought you'd never ask."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I ejected the clip from my gun and slapped a fresh one into the hilt, knowing I would need every advantage. Grabbing the door handle with a steadiness I did not feel , I yanked and kicked the door open against the wind. I hit the breaks, turning the wheel at the same time so the closest jeep in pursuit slammed into the open door and ripped it from its hinges.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“What the hell are you doing?” Steve said, grabbing the back of my seat and pulling himself forward.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“What I have to. I’m sorry I got your family pulled into this, but I swear Tom and Kyra will get you home,” I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“What are you talking about?” Steve asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“Wish I had time to explain,” I said. “Kyra, when I took this job, Joe said if anything ever happened to me he'd make sure my family was taken care of, I expect you to hold him to it."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“Allison? What are you doing?” Kyra asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">“Sorry, we're out of time,” I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Before I could change my mind or someone talked me out of it, I did what I had to do. I engaged the cruise control and made sure Tom had the wheel. With my gun in my hand I leaned out the side and gauged the distance to the jeep. Taking a deep breath, I jumped from the SUV, leaving the fate of my family in Tom's hands. In his condition it was a chance, but Tom Clark has a stubborn streak almost as strong as my own. He would get them to safety if it was the last thing he ever did and I hoped it was not.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Flying through the air I shot three of the four men in the jeep and then managed to twist my body around so that when the jeep hit me I slid on my butt on its hood until my back slammed into the windshield, cracking the glass. I allowed the momentum to carry me, flipping me over the windshield and landing in the backseat behind a stunned driver. He never had a chance.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I shoved him out of the jeep and took his place behind the wheel. Steve's pale and stunned face stared at me through the back side window of the SUV as I accelerated passed them. I forced a grim smile, figuring it would probably be the last time we ever exchanged looks. Tom was in the driver’s seat and looking better for having a purpose and goal. I pushed the jeep faster and sped out in front of them. My hand grabbed the automatic rifle from the lap of the unconscious man next to me. I aimed it over the cracked windshield and started firing as soon as the blockade was in sight.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">They shot back at first but once they realized I was not slowing down, the men scrambled, desperate to get clear. It was only seconds before I hit the mass of vehicles and when I did the grinding crunch of metal was like fingernails on a chalkboard. I kept the accelerator married to the floor, but the damage from the collision was too much. I lost control of the jeep and it flipped into the air, turning the world upside down.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The SUV went by in what seemed like slow motion. I waited for the flashes of my life to flutter before my eyes or the ground to smash my skull into a million pieces. To my surprise neither happened. Upside down, the jeep crashed into the ground, but somehow the frame protected me from being crushed into oblivion. In the distance, I watched the SUV drive up the rear ramp of the waiting jet. The jet raised its ramp and sped off down the open stretch of road. I breathed a sigh of relief watching it lift off, carrying the people I cared about out of harm's way. My eyes fluttered closed, but the nearby crunch of broken glass under boots reminded me I was far from safe or alone.</div></div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-64952698007650865352010-04-19T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-19T05:00:01.545-07:00Losing Control: Too Many Questions<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I could hear the crash of tidal waters against a rocky shore. The faint scent of salt and seaweed tickled at my nose and the wind left droplets of ocean spray on my bare skin. My wrists were bound by smooth metal bracelets, dangling in front of me. Covering my eyes, a strip of white cloth revealed only the brightness of daylight. The sun felt warm on my back, but the murmur of unfriendly voices sent a shiver down my spine. A single man's voice rose above all the others and silence fell upon the others.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "As the Gods have abandoned us, so shall we abandon them."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The crowd cheered. A rough hand touched the center of my naked back and shoved me forward. I stumbled and fell to my knees, unable to catch myself with bound hands. The crowd laughed. I focused on the sound of rolling waves and smiled, calmed by the essence of nature. The rough hand grasped my shoulder, fingertips pressing deep into the bare flesh.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Allison," Tom said and I shuddered.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Groaning, I pushed my head up from my desktop and blinked away the remnants of the unsettling dream. Tom removed his hand from my shoulder and took a step back, giving me room to stretch and yawn. A quick glance at the clock told me I had been asleep for the better part of two hours. I nodded at Tom's concerned expression and unspoken question.</div><br />"We just picked up two of the cellphones in the same location," Tom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I looked through the glass barriers to see Kyra working away at the conference table and asked, "The computers are back?"</div><br />"Kyra got her system up about 15 minutes ago," He said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I stood up and started to walk out to the main room. Tom grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. I asked, "Something else?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "I'm sorry."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"For what?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Letting you down. I promised I would keep your family safe and I failed," He said.</div><br />"This wasn't your fault," I said, laying a supportive hand on his shoulder. "I don't blame you at all."</div><br />He nodded and together we walked out into the main room, joining Kyra at the conference table. She glanced up from the screens to acknowledge our presence, but continued with her work without pause. Across the room, Mom and Dad were sitting together on the floor, Mom resting her head on Dad's shoulder and he with his cheek resting on the top of her head. I spend so much time in conflict with them on silly issues, I rarely notice the tenderness and love that should be so obvious. I envied them the connection and, looking at Tom, wondered if I ever might find the same for myself.<br /><br />"A third, just joined our first two," Kyra said nodding at the computer screen where three red dots blinked on top of a map. "I'll have a satellite in position in just a few moments and we can verify if the location is a likely base or just a rendezvous point."<br /><br />I raised and eyebrow and in response Tom said, "It's not unusual to use a rendezvous point when a team has been split up, before returning to a primary location. The idea is to verify that no one is tracking or following them before they re-establish connection with their whole."<br /><br />"I guess it makes sense if you are paranoid," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra glanced up at me with a slight smirk and said, "Is it still paranoia if they really are after you? I mean, we are tracking these people."<br /><br />"How long before we know?" I asked, ignoring Kyra's comments.<br /><br />"The satellite is coming into position now," She said. "It will take me about five minutes to gather the data I need to begin an evaluation. From there, it really depends on what I find, but no more than a couple of hours."</div><br />"Let me know when you have something," I said and retreated back to my office with Tom following.<br /><br />I sat down in my chair and Tom resumed his place on the corner of my desk. My thoughts were with Kyra and the data on her screen, but I knew standing over her shoulder was not going to help get things done faster. In truth, it would slow Kyra down and probably annoy her to boot. There was a time that might have been reason enough for me to stay. These days, I am realizing how lucky I am to have friends with the skills to help.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What you thinking?" Tom said, after a moment of silence.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I looked up at him and wondered why he was there. He did not have to follow me around, offer support or help or anything and yet there he was, trying to find ways to help. Ordinarily, the question would have never occurred to me, but that was before I met myself on the top of mountain, before I learned the people who should care about me the most had spent a lifetime lying to me. Was it innocent concern in his eyes or was it something else, darker, more dangerous?</div><br />"Nothing," I said and he replied, "I've known you long enough to know that isn't the truth."<br /><br />I sighed and said, "I'm thinking nothing is what it seems to be."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What do you mean?" Tom asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You once admitted to me, you had questions about what we do here. Have you ever considered that what we've been doing may not be as important as why we've been doing it?" I said.</div><br />"I've asked the question of why, if that's what you mean," Tom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "Not exactly, we were chasing down pieces of a puzzle because they were necessary for something larger, something more important, but why did Mr. Candle ever even care?"</div><br />"Not for nothing, but he is your grandfather and obviously this stuff involves you, possibly endangers your future. I'd say he has a vested interest," Tom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That would make sense if you didn't know the rest of the story," I said. "If family really mattered to him so much, then why did he abandon his children in the wake of their mother's death?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe it took him a while to realize what mattered to him or maybe there is a part of the story you still don't know. I don't think you can fairly judge him without asking some of those tough questions," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"So I'm supposed to pretend all the lies, the abandonment, that none of it matters?" I asked, looking up into Tom's eyes. He stared back answering with the silent conviction I was beginning to adore. I said, "He's had every opportunity to tell his side of things and he chose misdirection and silence instead. Maybe he has his reasons, but I'm done waiting to find out what they are."</div><br />Tom nodded with a sympathetic smile and said, "I understand and I'm with you, for whatever you need. All I'm saying is even with everything we've learned in the last few days, I'm pretty sure we still don't know everything we should."<br /><br />I said, "And I agree. I'm just pretty sure he knows more than we do and he's withholding it for some reason."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe he has a good reason," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Or maybe we're working for the villain in all of this," I said.</div><br />"After everything that has happened, do you really believe that?" Tom asked, his eyes clearly saying he did not.<br /><br />"That's just it," I said, crossing my arms in front of me, "After everything I've been through, I've learned to trust my instincts and my instincts are telling me not to trust Joseph Candle."<br /><br />"So these people are resorting to kidnapping and theft because the ends justify the means? I'm sorry I've never bought that argument," Tom said.<br /><br />"Really?" I said, shaking my head. "We've killed people in our presumption that what we are doing is right."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Only when we had to," Tom said, "and it's not like these others haven't killed as well."</div><br />I pulled out my gun and ejected the cartridge, tossing it into Tom's hands. He stared at the tips of the bullets and then looked at me with raised eyebrows. He asked, "Where did you get this?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "From our deadly adversaries."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"These are part of a confidential development project for the U.S. government," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I know. Joe showed them to me the day he hired me, but our adversaries have been using them," I said. "While we have bullets that can incapacitate, just a few floors below us, we are running around using the real thing and potentially killing people. Our adversaries are apparently going to the trouble of stealing these bullets so that they can avoid doing the same. If that doesn't sound a bit odd to you, then I don't know what would."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What about Bad Land?" Tom asked. "They used real bullets there."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Somebody used real bullets there," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What are you suggesting?" Tom asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Olivia was there for me, no doubt about it and probably Gina too, but we have no evidence to suggest the men who raided the camp were related to them at all. In fact, one of them nearly killed Gina," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"If they had these," Tom said holding the clip up, "Then it was just a show, most likely."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Or," I said, staring into his eyes, "Those men were sent by Joe to make sure I was convinced he was the good guy."</div><br />"We can't prove that," Tom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded and said, "No, but we can't disprove it either and right now, I'm not willing to ignore possibilities just because they sound a little far fetched. We're in the middle of something very big and for whatever reasons, everyone who knows exactly what that is, doesn't want us in on it. That makes me not trust anyone."</div><br />The phone on my desk rang and I answered via speaker. Kyra said, "I've got something."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom and I made our way out to the main room and stood behind Kyra. She had several images up on the various screens. Tom was nodding, no doubt already forming tactical plans in his head. To me it was all a little overwhelming and difficult to find meaning. Kyra turned from the screens and looked up at me with a faint smile on her lips. She was proud of her work.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What are we looking at?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Satellite and infrared images. This is more than a rendezvous point," Kyra said turning back to the screens and clicking on something to bring it up larger before us. "Recognize that?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">It was obviously an airplane of some sort and then it hit me what she had to be suggesting. I asked, "The plane they used to get Dr. Michaels?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Bingo," Kyra said. "There is a good chance Jack and Gene are somewhere inside this compound."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom reached over Kyra's shoulder and pointed to another image. He said, "This looks like a training area."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra tapped a couple of keys and the image was replaced by a series of images. She said, "I pulled up a time lapse and you're right. You can see the people here and here."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Then we're looking at their main headquarters?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Not likely," Kyra said, "but there is a good chance they're holding your nephew here as well as Jack, Gene, and Brian."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What makes you say that?" Tom asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra clicked on another image, making it larger and said, "This here is clearly, holding cells. There were two people in them on my first pass but, you can see here, another one joins and here, three more. Based on the numbers alone, it's a good chance this the place."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom nodded and said, "This temporary most likely, now that they know we'll be looking."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra said, "Yeah, I bet they'll be gone in 24 to 48 hours. The plane is obviously available and if they black out our coverage, we won't have a clue where to look next."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Then we have to move fast," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom nodded and said, "The only problem is we are severely out numbered."</div><br />"We need an element of surprise," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom and Kyra turned to look at me, eyebrows raised. Kyra asked, "What are you thinking?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Get the jet prepped for take off," I said, looking at the screens and specifically at the map.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"They'll see us coming long before we get in range," Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded, "Yes, but that's the idea."<br /><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Get them to move the hostages," Tom said, looking at me with a little more respect.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You and I need to get down there and fast," I said looking at Tom.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What about me?" Kyra asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You're the diversion and our way out," Tom said and I nodded.</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-67068162406618055792010-04-16T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-16T05:00:04.464-07:00Losing Control: Tense Relations<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Quondam tower looked to be in the middle of a war zone. Police and emergency vehicles surrounded the building and blocked most of the streets off, only allowing a few vehicles through like mine. Shattered glass from most of the floors, covered the concrete walkways and the once beautiful gardens were nothing more than mud and footprints. Mom and Dad followed me through the disaster and inside the building.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Cathy sat off to the side on a plastic chair while medics cleaned cuts on her legs and arms. She was giving a statement to a police office, kneeling beside her, but managed to interrupt everything to greet us.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The elevators are still down, Ma'am," She said as if she felt she needed to apologize. "You'll have to take the stairs."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded and asked, "Are you alright?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She feigned a smile and replied, "Of course, nothing a shower and a good night's rest won't cure."</div><br />I walked to the stairwell door and ushered my parents inside wondering how long it would be before Mom started complaining. She surprised me and kept quiet until we were about twenty floors up. Dad hushed her though, probably sensing I was not in a mood to be bothered by trivialities or perhaps it was because neither was he. I was grateful regardless.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">At the twenty-ninth floor, we encountered security guards and they radioed up that we were coming. Tom met us at the top with a grim expression to mirror my own. I stepped out on the top floor followed closely by my parents. The security door into Q5 was little more than shredded metal. I tried not to think too long on how that had happened. Kyra stood at the remains of the central conference table surrounded by smoking equipment and flashing displays.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What happened?" I asked, coming to a stop near the middle of the open room.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Kemp," Kyra said with obvious disgust, "led a team in here. They fought their way up from the lobby and took out all the security systems along with most of our processing power. They knocked Tom and I out and when we came back around, Brian, the staff and all Gene's notes were gone."</div><br />"I thought we revamped security after the last breach?" I said looking at Tom.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We did," Kyra said, "They had inside help, disabled half our systems with explosives before we even knew anything was happening."</div><br />"Do we know who?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom said, "No, and most of the evidence has likely been destroyed."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded frowning and said, "Before this happened, were there any alerts about Mark coming back into the country?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom shook his head, "Nothing."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That means he came in through an unmonitored route. How many are local to California?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom shrugged.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Find out," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Without the computer systems we're blind," Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I sighed and said, "Believe it or not, the world still functioned in a time before computers and the internet and satellites. Get a map and a phone and start running down the possibilities."</div><br />"Even if we figure out where he came in, how does that help us?" Tom asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It gives us a direction," I said. "We already know they're well connected in Central and South America. The place in Chile was convenient for them, but it wasn't their base. Guatemala, Belize, Southern Mexico, and Ecuador have to all be within easy range of their operational headquarters."<br /><br />Tom said, "I get it, but knowing Mark's point of entry won't narrow down the possibilities."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I never said it would," I said. "Finding his point of entry will lead us to a person and that person may well know information we need to know."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"There is another way," Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm all ears," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The plane in Mexico, the one they took Gene on," Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What about it?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It had a limited range and combined with the regions they blacked out from coverage, I think we can establish a search parameter based on that data and from there I can narrow it down as soon as we get satellite coverage back up," Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"How long?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Twelve hours, maybe ten if I call in a few favors," She said.</div><br />"Call them in, and in the meantime we don't stop searching," I said, looking between the only two remaining members of my team.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It won't matter," Mr. Candle said, walking into the room behind me. "In half that time, they will have relocated."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I turned around to find he and my parents staring coldly at each other. "What do you suggest then?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's been a long time," Mr. Candle said, looking at Mom.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Nowhere near long enough," She said.</div><br />"I take it you've told her," Mr. Candle said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I did, but I think she had already put it together for herself," Mom said.</div><br />"No thanks to either of you," I said. "If there are any more dark family secrets, it would be nice if you'd tell me now, instead of letting me stumble face first into them."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Family?" Tom asked, with a raised eyebrow and Kyra mouthed the same.</div><br />"Miss Beaumont is my granddaughter," Mr. Candle said.<br /><br />"Now that, I actually believe," Kyra said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I turned toward her with a questioning eyebrow of my own. She shrugged and said, "You're both as stubborn as a thirsty mule."</div><br />Dad said, "I've been working on that."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom said, "Obviously without much success."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Dad nodded and I shook my head. "My nephew has been kidnapped folks," I said. "Let's see what we can do about correcting that situation."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Don't forget your brother and his wife," Mom said and Kyra added, "Or Gene, Jack, and Brian."</div><br />"Allison is right," Tom said, "Her nephew is exactly the catalyst for everything. If we get him then their plans are foiled and no one else will have any value to them."<br /><br />"Not to be pessimistic, but doesn't that mean they might use them as leverage if they lose her nephew?" Kyra asked.<br /><br />"They might try, but a lot more is at stake than a few lives," Tom said.<br /><br />"Easy to say, when it's not your son's life," Mom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Arguing gets us nowhere," I said. "We will do what we can to free everyone they are holding, but as long as they hold Geoff everyone is in danger. He has to be the priority."</div><br />"I disagree," Mr. Candle said turning his focus to me, "We must locate this cave and seal it off so no one can ever enter it. If we are successful then it is likely all the prisoners will be released unharmed."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Based on what?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Logic," Mr. Candle replied.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Forgive me if I don't hold my breath for our adversaries to act logically," I said.</div><br />"There is no call to be rude, Miss Beaumont. Our goal should be to stop the event from occurring not racing against the clock to rescue individuals we may or may not be able to locate in time," Mr. Candle said.<br /><br />"We don't know where that cave is and our ability to find it before they do is not guaranteed, especially with out lack of equipment and people," I said gesturing at the room around us. "The only way to stop them for certain is to ensure my nephew and I are unable to get anywhere near that cave."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"And if you go on some half-cocked rescue and get yourself captured, they'll be holding all the cards," Mr. Candle said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "It's not your call."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Like hell it isn't," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "I'm in charge of this team at the moment and without me, you don't have a hope of finding the cave in the first place. So you can either fire me or do this my way. It's up to you, but I'm not leaving my nephew with those people regardless of your decision."</div><br />"You fire her, you might as well fire me too," Tom said, stepping up next to me and Kyra said, "Make it the same for me."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Joseph Candle frowned at the three of us, clearly disappointed in his inability to sway our decisions. Mom and Dad were looking at me with something akin to respect for about the first time in my life. I bet the pride was beaming off my face, but there was no time to stand around basking in the glow. We had plans to make and locations to find.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Fine," Mr. Candle said. "But don't say I didn't try to warn you."</div><br />I took a step closer to him, anger getting the best of me for a moment and said, "You're pitiful warning is way too little, way too late. The entire time I've been here you have lied, manipulated and hid behind cryptic clues. It's laughable to think you really want to help me now."<br /><br />"You have no right to judge me," Mr. Candle said, snapping his finger and glowering at me.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Mom stepped between us and said, "She has every right. This entire thing is your fault. You run from every responsibility you've ever had and blame all your troubles on other people who didn't measure up to your impossible standards. Guess what? You don't measure up and if anything good has come out of this, it's that she knows that for herself and I'll bet somewhere underneath that shell you hide behind, you know it too."</div><br />"Say what you want, but we both know you are the one who ran," Mr. Candle said. "Maybe it was too much responsibility for someone your age, but we all have to grow up sometime. It's too bad you never have."<br /><br />He turned and started walking away. Mom moved as if to go after him, but Dad held her back. I was seething myself, but I knew arguing with Joseph Candle was not going to solve any of my problems. I laid a hand on Mom's shoulder and offered her a smile of sympathy before turning my attention back to Tom and Kyra.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We need to find them," I said.</div><br />"I'm open to suggestions," Kyra said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I pulled my phone out of my pocket, handing it to her and said, "I downloaded the data from the cellphones of some of the men who attacked us at my brother's house. They're probably up and moving by now. If you can find a way to track them we might just get lucky."</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-3950143572767448062010-04-13T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-13T05:00:13.664-07:00Losing Control: Taken<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">There was anger in the room. Mom was angry at her parents. Dad glared at me with anger in his eyes, not at Mom as you might expect. Steve blinked back his anger at Mom and at me. Jenny appeared angry with everyone, not much of a surprise considering her recent adventure. I was not angry thought, not at them or anyone else. Mom's confession was not a surprise to me, I had suspected if for long enough.<br /><br />"You said your father was dead," Steve said, piercing the tense bubble in the room<br /><br />Jenny spoke on the heel of his words, saying, "You're nothing more than a bunch of two faced liars, the whole lot of you. I can't believe I was worried about losing your respect."<br /><br />"There is a difference between lying to protect others and lying to hurt them," I said, defending my family and myself. Jenny's face darkened in response and she wisely remained silent with Steve giving her a look I knew all to well as dangerous to sitting comfortably.<br /><br />"He wasn't always the man he is," Mom said, looking at me as if no one else was in the room. "My mother's death changed him."<br /><br />"Because she didn't die," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Death isn't a gray area," Dad said. "Losing a loved one is never easy, but pretending they never died doesn't help anyone."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's not pretending," I said, looking at Mom. "I've seen her and talked to her and so has Mom."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Dad looked at Mom, but his eyes revealed his disbelief. A sound from the stairs turned all our heads to watch Geoff reveal himself and walk over to me. He rested his small hand on my arm and said, "I've seen her too."</div><br />"She told you who she was?" I asked, surprised she would have done so, although I could not say exactly why.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Geoff nodded and said, "It's okay. She told me how I can fix everything."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I stared at my nephew as his words sank into reasoning. He was the reason I could not just hide away and stay out of caves. The notes I had left to myself were suddenly making more sense than I wanted. If he was the reason, it could only mean he was going to somehow end up in the cave and my ethereal grandmother had been secretly preparing him for the task ahead of him. It made the sick sense of betrayal. She had manipulated me with half truths, a fact I knew too well, but I had somehow missed the obvious completion. The shattering of the window to my right, sunk the feeling of being too late into my stomach even as I listened to the sound of a cannister clunking against the floor.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The room filled with white smoke. The sounds of confusion felt muffled beneath the pounding of heavy boots spreading into the room. I grabbed for my nephew's arm only to find he was already gone. A firm hand grabbed my shoulder, pushing me back into the chair and the cold metal of gun barrel pressed against the back of my neck. I pushed all my weight back into the chair tipping it off the front legs and sending my would be assaulter scrambling to the floor, while I rolled to my feet. The smoke obscured everything.</div><br />"Geoff!" I said, hearing footsteps heading toward the kitchen. Another hand grabbed my arm from behind. I allowed reflexes to control my reactions, turning my direction back toward the arm's source and grabbing blindly for the weapon I knew was in the other hand. The unknown figure tried to pull away, until my elbow connected with his jaw, stunning him long enough for me to tear the gun from his hand and reverse my direction away from him.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I ran toward the kitchen, stumbling slightly over the dining room chairs in the path. The smoke was thinner as I burst through the kitchen door, keeping low, just in case someone was waiting for me on the other side. The kitchen was empty, but the side door to the outside was swinging open, telling me someone had passed through it only moments before. I checked the clip inside the gun, verifying my suspicion that the invaders were associated with the man in the shadows. Slapping the clip back into the gun, I moved quickly to the swinging door and poked my head outside.</div><br />A bullet whizzed passed my head, splintering the door frame next to me. I ducked back inside and spun toward the kitchen door just in time to see it swing open. Two goons walked through the door intent on me, but I shot them both instead of waving. They both went down for a short nap and I turned my attention back to the outside. A quick peek revealed a black van with two goons at the front and a more familiar goon standing by the open side door and staring my direction, Mark.<br /><br />"It would be a lot easier if you'd just come with us," Mark said.<br /><br />"You'll live longer if you stop what you're doing," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You probably believe that, but as usual, you've got everything wrong," Mark said.</div><br />Another round of shots pounded against the door frame next to me. I ducked back inside, considering options. They obviously wanted us all, but had decided my nephew was most important. Surrendering was tempting because at least that way I would be with them, but on their terms it might not matter. I had to keep myself free enough to make the choice I was giving myself a second chance at making. I was not ready to give up my family to those whose intentions I could not be certain about, but the suspicion my older self had known this was something I could not change, hovered in the back of my thoughts.<br /><br />With the two goons at the front of van covering the side exit from the kitchen, I was essentially blocked from exiting in that direction. If I was to stand any chance at stopping them from taking Geoff, I would have to find another way around and fast. I pushed myself off from the door frame and headed back through the kitchen door into the main part of the house. The smoke was clearing, but still thick enough to make seeing difficult.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">A noise from the front door caught my attention. Someone was trying to open it. I pushed through the dining room chairs once more and turned the corner to see my parents being held at gunpoint and escorted outside. The goons taking them caught sight of me leaving me no time to consider the best course of action. I raised my gun and shot all three of them without regard for the possibility of hitting my parents. The goons dropped to the floor and my parents stared at me as if I had suddenly turned into Lizzie Borden.<br /><br />"Stay here," I said, kicking one of the goons just to make sure he was not playing possum. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What do you think you're doing?" Mom asked before Dad clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled further inside the entryway.</div><br />The rumble of the van's engine told me I had little time left to do whatever I was going to do to stop them. I pushed passed my parents out the front door, leading the way with the gun in my hand. I blindly squeezed off rounds in the general direction of the van as I exited the alcove of cover provided by the entry to my brother's house. A stray bullet whipped through my hair, buzzing my ear and leaving me with a deafening ring. I stumbled for a moment, the world tilting unevenly.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I blinked, watching Jenny being pushed inside the van as if in slow motion. Beyond her, I could see my nephew struggling and Steve's grim, worried face being forced back into shadows. The goons who had taken them, climbed aboard and Mark turned to look at me, waiting his turn to disappear. I shook off the disorientation and squeezed off a well aimed round, slamming into Mark's upper torso. His mouth gaped open at me as he fell backward into the van. Running forward, I tried to get an angle on the driver to force a longer confrontation, but a hand pulled Mark inside the van and slammed the side door closed before I could get anything more than a wild glimpse.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The van peeled out of the driveway and sped off down the neighborhood street, leaving me standing in the middle of the lawn. I dropped the gun to my side and stared after the van trying to decide whether to pursue or regroup. The sound of my parents exiting the house, decided for me and I spun to face them. We all shared in the anger and blame and the expressions on their faces revealed they knew it as well as I did.</div><br />I pulled my phone out of my pocket, turning it on, and Dad asked, "Are you calling the police?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No,"I said, pressing the button to call Tom.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I doubt it would help," Mom said while my phone was ringing.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I ignored them, working out the course of actions to be taken. The ringing without answer was beginning to concern me, until Tom answered, "Yeah." In the background I could hear the sound of some sort of an alarm.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are you at the office?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yeah, we were—<br /><br />"Great," I said, talking over him. "Get Kyra and pull up a satellite image of my location. There was a van here less than five minutes ago and I want it tracked."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm afraid that's going to be impossible," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What are you talking about?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We were attacked. The entire computer system has been taken offline and it will take Kyra hours to get it back up. We lost the staff and Brian in the attack," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What do you mean lost?' I said, panicking at the thought of something happening to Brian after I had practically dragged him into Quondam. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"They were taken," Tom said. "What happened to you?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Mark showed up at my brother's with a small team. They took my brother, his wife and my nephew," I said.</div><br />Tom asked, "Are you alright?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No," I said, "and I'm not going to be until we get them all back."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Understood. I take it your parents are with you?" Tom said.</div><br />"Yeah," I said, staring at my parents and wondering if they had any other shocking news to tell me.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Better bring them in here," Tom said, "I had a security detail on your brother's house but they aren't responding."</div><br />"Can Kyra track a cellphone?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Sure, as long as she has the number and the phone is on," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Alright," I said, walking back toward the house. "I'll be back there within an hour."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I ended the call and stepped back inside the house. Kneeling down, next to the unconscious bodies of the goons who had grabbed my parents, I patted one down until I located his phone. I pulled it out and downloaded its data into my own. I repeated the process with the other two and put all the phones back where they belonged with my parents watching me in silence. I stood up and brushed busted glass and dust off my pant legs.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We need to get out of here," I said and headed toward the Camaro parked in the street.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are you sure that's wise?" Dad asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We can't stay here and you can bet these people will keep trying to acquire us as long as we're unprotected," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Your grandfather can't protect us," Mom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I know," I said, offering a sympathetic smile, "but Tom can."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br />"Who's Tom?" Dad asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You'll see," I said, pulling out my car keys and unlocking the doors. "Let's go."</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-74559124946638196202010-04-10T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-10T05:00:02.321-07:00Losing Control: Truth Be Told<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">"How's it going?" Tom asked, standing in my doorway and leaning against the frame.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I looked up at him from my computer screen and said, "How do you think?"Sighing, I pushed myself back from the desk and swiveled to the side in my chair. "We don't have a clue on Jack or Gene's location and Kyra's running out of leads to chase. Brian will need weeks if not months to get up to speed on all of Gene's notes and to top things off my mother is complaining about how long I've been out of town and accusing me of having my priorities all mixed up. Other than all that, I'm doing just great, how about you?"</div><br />"Whoa," Tom said holding a hand up to me, "I was just being polite. I didn't think you'd actually tell me anything."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I sucked in a frustrated breath and glared at him. A slow grin started spreading across Tom's face under my scrutiny and a chuckle escaped his lips when he could not hold it back any longer. I shook my head, a smile finding its way to my lips and a touch of laughter eased the tension in my neck and shoulders. Tom certainly had a way of figuring out just what I needed at any given moment.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Thanks," I said and he walked inside, sitting himself on the corner of my desk.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom said, "Anytime. So, there's doesn't seem to be much more you can do around here tonight, but you can go home and patch things up with your mother."</div><br />I scoffed and said, "Yeah right. You don't know my mother. Besides, she expects me to attend a dinner at my brother's this evening."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Neutral ground," Tom said, "It sounds like a blessing."</div><br />"My brother might not always be on the same side as my mother, but he is definitely not neutral," I said, glancing at the clock on the computer. "This whole dinner thing is for his wife anyway."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Oh right, the Retreat," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yeah, and you can bet she, if not everyone else, is blaming me," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Why? You weren't even involved in her rather questionable actions," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I smiled and said, "I was the star in the photo that made it all come crashing down."</div><br />"You really think they blame you for that?" He asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't know," I said, shrugging. "Truth is, I'm not sure I'm in the mood to face any of them right now."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"They're your family," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Ever since I first came here, I've been lying to them about who I am and what I do," I said, turning my back to Tom and looking out the window, over the city. I could hardly face him, because until recently I had been lying to him too. "It's not me. I never wanted to do it, but I let Joe spin my head around to the point it seemed like it was the right thing to do."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't," Tom said, turning my chair and forcing me to face him. "What's done is done, you can only go forward."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What are you suggesting?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Tell them the truth," Tom said. "You did it here and nobody hates you. They might not understand, but at least everything will be out in the open and the one nice thing about family is they always forgive you, even if they don't understand you."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm not so sure about that," I said, thinking of my father's reaction the last time he caught me in a lie.</div><br />Reading the thoughts in my eyes, Tom said, "I didn't say there wouldn't be consequences."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You're suggesting they're worth it," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yeah," Tom said, nodding his head, "You're not seeing because you're too wrapped up on yourself. It's understandable, all things considered."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are you saying I'm harming them by not telling them?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe," Tom said, "or maybe you're putting them at greater risk. We both know they're lives could be in danger and while ignorance is bliss, they still have a right, and a need, to know the truth."</div><br />"I'll think about it," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom asked, "What time is this dinner?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"About an hour," I said and he replied, "Then you probably ought to be going, don't you think?"</div><br />"If I'm going," I said, still not certain I was.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Come on," Tom said, standing up and gesturing toward the door, "I'll walk you out."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What if I'm not going?" I asked, standing up anyway.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You're going," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I cocked my head to the side and said, "Really? Are you telling me what to do?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Think of it as a firm suggestion," Tom said, offering his arm, "from someone who cares about you."</div><br />I took his arm with a sigh and said, "Alright."<br /><br />Tom escorted me all the way to the elevator and even inside. He pushed the button for the lobby and I chuckled at him, digging into my purse for my car keys. My fingers stumbled upon the set for Virginia's company car first and I tugged them out to look at them. Maybe it was time to start enjoying the perks of my position, especially if I was going to come clean with everyone.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom nodded and said, "You might as well."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What?" I asked and he replied, "Take the car, it will help or at least it won't hurt."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I laughed and said, "Do you read everyone's mind or just mine?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Just yours," He said and the elevator doors slid open, revealing the lobby. "Should I bring a pillow for you tomorrow?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I shook my head, blushing and said, "I might regret it, but I think it would be better if you don't."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Can't say I didn't ask," He said as I stepped out of the elevator. I turned around and watched as the doors slid closed and stole him away from me. I almost asked him to come with me, but I guess we both knew this was something I needed to do alone.</div><br />The family was all gathered by the time I arrived at my brother's house. I could feel their eyes on me as I walked to the front door. They were probably all wondering about the car or maybe that was just my way of diverting attention from the real issues. I raised my hand to knock on the door and Steve opened it before my fist could fall.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You made it," He said, inviting me inside.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I told Mom I'd try," I said, stepping inside.</div><br />"I thought you were just placating me," Mom said from the sofa next to Dad.<br /><br />I sighed and decided it was better to say nothing than engage in a pointless debate over what I said and what I meant. With Mom they are often not the same thing and she believes herself to be infallible in translating my tone of voice. Jenny stepped out of the kitchen interrupting the silence before it became heavy.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm glad you could come," Jenny said. "Dinner will be a few more minutes."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Steve gestured toward the living room where our parents were sitting and said, "Why don't you have a seat, while we wait. Would you like something to drink?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No thanks," I said, sitting myself in an armchair a safe distance from Mom and Dad.</div><br />"I heard you were out of the country," Steve said, taking the armchair opposite me and Jenny sat on the arm, wrapping her arm around Steve's neck.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I was," I replied. "Central America mostly and a few days in Ecuador."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Sounds exciting," Jenny said.</div><br />"Not exactly the way I'd put it, but you could say that," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"So what is it you do on these trips?" Mom asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It depends," I said, gathering the nerve to spill the whole bag, "Every trip has its very own purpose."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Such as?" Dad asked and I started to get the feeling they all knew more than they should.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I took a deep breath and said, "I'm not a secretary."</div><br />"We know that dear," Mom said with a touch too much sarcasm in her tone, "Administrative Assistant isn't it?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No," I said "and I think you already know that."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Is that why you are telling us?" Dad asked.</div><br />"I had no idea you knew, at least not until now," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We don't really know, but we know you've been less than truthful with us," Dad said, his tone was surprisingly calm.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I dared to have hope and said, "It wasn't my first choice, but I allowed myself to be convinced it was for the best."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Honesty is always for the best," Mom said and Jenny added, "The truth can hurt but lies hurt worse."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I know," I said, looking away from them all, "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I'm not even sure how it all did happen, but I think I was manipulated from the start."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Have you quit?" Dad asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No, and I won't," I said. "I may not have knowingly chose to be involved, but as things stand, I can't just walk away and pretend I don't have a responsibility in how things turn out."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"So what exactly is your job?" Dad asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jenny said, "I heard rumors that you are part of Quondam's elite."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I glanced at Jenny, realizing she probably knew more of the truth than anyone else and for some reason she had left it for me to tell. "It's complicated," I said, "Joseph Candle offered me a job as part of a team of adventurers. The focus was supposed to be collecting valuable artifacts around the world, only that was just a cover for his own personal agenda."</div><br />"And what was that?" Mom asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm still not certain, but I'm afraid it's lacking in ethics and morality," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That's what you said about him and that company before you ever worked there," Steve said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded, remembering and said, "He convinced me to take on an alias for working with this team and to lie about my actual job to all of you. I was resistant to the idea, but I caved when he suggested that doing otherwise would possibly endanger everyone I know."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Why would you believe that and if you did why would ever take the job in the first place?" Steve asked.</div><br />"Because someone told her to," Mom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I looked into her eyes and knew she was referring to the ethereal girl, claiming to be her mother, my grandmother. I shook my head, telling her she was wrong, but her eyes did not believe me. Mom always knows best and I can never win, even when she is wrong.</div><br />"I took it because I didn't think the danger was real at first and I liked the idea of traveling around the world and seeing things no one else had ever seen," I said. "It didn't take as much arm twisting to get me on board as it probably should have."<br /><br />"You think the danger is real now though?" Dad asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded and said, "I've been shot at a few times and worse."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Why?" Steve asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We're racing against others, trying to find something or someplace, I'm not even sure what, but Candle and the others like him, must think it's more valuable than any amount of gold," I said.</div><br />"I don't understand why you don't just quit," Dad said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded and said, "I know. I almost did, but I'm involved in this somehow, connected in a way I can't really explain."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"All you have to do is walk away," Mom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I turned myself in the chair to look closely at her. There was a single question burning in my brain and I decided it was time to just ask. I said, "Is that what you did?"</div><br />Mom said, "How dare you?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't pretend to know what you did or didn't do in the past," I said, "but what I do know is there is some connection between us and Joseph Candle and for some reason both of you are keeping it from me."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That's ridiculous," Dad said, leaning forward.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Mom said, "He's your grandfather, not that he ever did anything to earn the name."</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-25794884247979668942010-04-07T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-07T05:00:06.757-07:00Losing Control: Treading Less CautiouslyI slept the flight home from Ecuador and spent the ride from the airport back to Quondam, lost in thought. It seemed with every answer I uncovered, there were dozens more questions to be asked. My situation felt wholly unbelievable, but it was infinitely easier to believe than the alternative. Everyone around me, from my parents to my coworkers would have to be involved in the biggest, most complex hoax ever concocted and for what? What possible reason could they have? None and that of course was the problem because without a reason there was nothing to believe except the impossible.<br /><br />Exiting the limo, I shook myself into the present, turned to Tom and said, "Get Brian cleared with HR and Security. I want him upstairs analyzing everything we've got before lunch."<br /><br />Tom nodded and Brian said, "Don't I have anything to say about this?"<br /><br />"Only if it's a yes," I said and kept walking inside the lobby.<br /><br />"Well then, I guess I'll just say yes," Brian said, following me inside.<br /><br />Turning to Kyra, I said, "Start a search on Jack and Gene. If Jack was successful, he should have made contact by now unless they're in a jam. If they need our help, we need to start putting a plan together and that starts with finding them."<br /><br />"I'll find them," Kyra said, keeping pace with me heading to the elevator. "What about you?"<br /><br />"Joe and I need to have a talk," I said, pausing to look at Cathy, waving me over to her desk. "I'll meet you upstairs in a few minutes."<br /><br />Cathy waited for the elevator to swallow the others before saying, "Your mother has been calling for the last three days."<br /><br />"Is something wrong?" I asked.<br /><br />She shook her head, "Security isn't aware of anything, but she wouldn't say what it was about."<br /><br />"What did you tell her about my whereabouts?" I asked.<br /><br />"I explained you were on a business trip out the country and difficult to reach," She said.<br /><br />"Alright," I said turning toward the elevator, "If she calls again, let her know I'm in a meeting and will call her as soon as I get out."<br /><br />"Can do," Cathy said with a nod and I replied, "Thanks."<br /><br />The elevator took me directly to Joseph Candle's office with its usual haste. He was waiting for me, and neither of us were surprised. The relative emptiness of his office had always felt right with him, but with all the things I had learned it seemed like a message as well. We walked together toward our mutual favorite view of the gardens far below. I allowed the silence to fester between us because for the first time, I knew I was in control. The look in his eyes told me he knew it as well.<br /><br />"Any word from Jack or Gene?" I asked, my eyes fixed on the colorful garden below.<br /><br />"Nothing," He said, studying my reflection in the glass.<br /><br />"You know what we found?" I asked.<br /><br />"The staff," He said. "It's of some of importance I believe."<br /><br />"It could be, but that's not what I'm talking about," I said, turning to look at him directly, "and I think you know it."<br /><br />"What is it I'm supposed to know?" He asked, his face portrayed innocence, but his eyes betrayed him.<br /><br />"The scrolls," I said, meeting his gaze.<br /><br />"What scrolls?" He asked.<br /><br />"The ones I wrote," I said.<br /><br />"I am confused," He said.<br /><br />"It is confusing," I said, "but we both know the truth so let's stop playing games."<br /><br />He said, "If you have something to accuse me of, perhaps it would be best if you simply did it."<br /><br />I nodded and said, "Alright. I'm not certain if you know how it is possible any more than I do, but you have known for some time, the artifacts, the messages, they're all from me."<br /><br />"Are you certain?" He asked and I replied, "You have another explanation?"<br /><br />"I am admittedly skeptical," He said. "You have supposed these things were from my daughter, your grandmother, and now you. Will there not be another turn of events which lead you down yet another line of reasoning?"<br /><br />"The only other line of reasoning I can foresee, is you are perpetrating a hoax of epic proportions for goals I cannot imagine," I said.<br /><br />"I assure you, I am not involved in the perpetration of a hoax," He said.<br /><br />"An interesting turn of phrase," I said.<br /><br />"How so?" He asked.<br /><br />"You lack of perpetration credit does not invalidate the concept of a hoax nor the possibility you are aware of it," I said.<br /><br />"You think you're being played for a fool?" He asked.<br /><br />"Quite possibly," I said, "I have been foolish at the very least."<br /><br />"Indeed," He said, turning his back to me and walking toward his desk. "You met with Kemp."<br /><br />"Yes, and he could have killed me rather easily," I said.<br /><br />"Or taken you hostage," He said.<br /><br />"Yes, but he did none of those things," I said and he replied, "Because it was more advantageous for him to confuse your loyalties."<br /><br />"Do you think he has succeeded?" I asked.<br /><br />"Yes," He said."<br /><br />"Strange," I said, following him across the room, "I seem to recall never trusting you. In fact I believe I made my distrust clear on our first meeting."<br /><br />"And what was your first impression of Mr. Kemp?" He asked.<br /><br />"That's the funny thing," I said. "I would have trusted him. He felt like a good, honest person."<br /><br />"Yes, it was also my opinion of him once upon a time," He said, sitting down in his chair with a wistful sigh, "As you may recall, he was once my best friend."<br /><br />"How did that change?" I asked.<br /><br />"He changed, or maybe I finally saw him as he truly was," Mr. Candle said.<br /><br />"I thought it was the man in the shadows," I said.<br /><br />"That too," He said.<br /><br />"Who is he?" I asked.<br /><br />"The man in the shadows?" Mr. Candle said. "I don't know."<br /><br />"I think you do," I said and he replied, "Then you are wrong."<br /><br />"It wouldn't be the first time," I said, "but I think I'm right. You know him as well as you know yourself."<br /><br />"What makes you say that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.<br /><br />I smiled and said, "Because he's you."<br /><br />"I think not," He said.<br /><br />I laughed and said, "You know what I mean. He is you, but he's not you. He's your reflection, you but not you. Just as the woman who has left us all these messages is me, but not me."<br /><br />"Most people would call your ramblings a symptom of insanity," He said and I replied, "But we're not most people and we both have seen enough to know rational explanations don't come close to an explanation at all."<br /><br />"What do you expect me to say?" He asked.<br /><br />I shook my head and said, "More than nothing, less than the truth. It's what you always say. Just don't expect me to believe you or trust you."<br /><br />"It has never been my intention to convince you of anything Miss Beaumont," He said leaning back in his chair. "I believe it is best if you decide for yourself and that is why I've kept what I know to myself and will continue to do so."<br /><br />"Then I can assume you won't interfere?" I asked and he nodded, "You may indeed. It is your destiny, the rest of us are just along for the ride."<br /><br />"You might want to buckle up then" I said, leaving him alone and heading up to the Q5 offices.<br /><br />Kyra looked up from her work at the center table when I entered Q5. "Learn anything?," She asked.<br /><br />I shook my head and asked, "You?"<br /><br />She said, "Not yet. They managed to black out satellite imagery on their route and landing, but I'm correlating flight plans with deviations in the physical records. With a little luck, I'll find them."<br /><br />"Alright, keep me informed," I said, proceeding into my office and closing the door. I sat down behind my desk and switched the computer system on before pulling out my cellphone. I called home.<br /><br />Mom answered, "She lives!"<br /><br />I rolled my eyes at the sarcasm thankful she could not see me and said, "You've been calling?"<br /><br />"So you did get my messages," She said.<br /><br />"Just this morning, Mom. I've been out of town," I said.<br /><br />"More business trips, yes, I've been told," She said.<br /><br />"Was there something important, Mom?" I asked trying not to sigh, "I'm rather busy and I'll be home this evening if it can wait."<br /><br />"Don't use that tone with me young lady," Mom said and I clenched my fist in frustration.<br /><br />Refraining from beating the top of my desk, I said, "Mom, please, I'm very busy."<br /><br />"I'm sure your secretarial duties are quite demanding," Mom said, "But if you can manage to pry yourself away from your work, your brother has invited us all to dinner in celebration of Jenny's return home."<br /><br />I was about to as where she had been when the memory came rushing back. She had not even left for the treat when I had left to meet Brian and here she was already back from her stay at The Retreat and I was just getting home myself. It hardly seemed fair.<br /><br />"What time?" I asked.<br /><br />"Does that mean you're coming?" Mom asked.<br /><br />"It means I'll try," I said.<br /><br />"We wouldn't want to inconvenience you or your boss," Mom said.<br /><br />It was getting harder by the second not to say things I would later regret. I said, "If you would let me know when I should arrive, I'll do my best to be there."<br /><br />"We'll have a talk about your attitude then as well," Mom said. "Seven o'clock at your brother's."<br /><br />"I'll see you there," I said, disconnecting the call before either of us could say anything more.Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-61424267002983022602010-04-03T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-03T05:00:06.302-07:00Losing Control: Timely Eruption<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">"My God," Brian said, the last to join me in the ruins of the observatory, shining his light around to find the walls. "It's incredible."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The volcano rumbled and the observatory groaned in protest. Long frozen ice cracked and rocks tumbled through the tunnel of our entry, kicking up ice, dust, and dirt into the air. I grabbed the nearest wall to steady myself. Kyra wedged herself next to me and consulted her PDA. </div><br />"The frequency of quakes is increasing," Kyra said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Meaning?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian said, "Meaning this sleeping volcano is waking up."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Exactly," Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina said, "Does that seem a little too coincidental to anyone other than me?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It would if I didn't know better," Brian said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Right," Gina said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I cleared my throat, confident the shaking was over for the moment and said, "We won't find any answers standing around."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What makes you so certain there are any answers here?" Kyra asked, looking around the ruins surrounding us.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Because we aren't the only ones seeking this place," I said, stepping away from the wall and heading in the direction I had imagined the girl pointing. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Watch you step," Brian said, gently grabbing my arm as I slipped on loose gravel. "It might appear stable, but judging by the angles in here, this place has seen some movement it was never constructed to withstand."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Right," I said, blushing as I regained my footing with Brian's help, "thanks."</div><br />We spread out to search the observatory for answers or something that might lead to them. I picked rubble away from the wall the girl had indicated and soon found a treasure of scrolls sealed in clay pots. The pots were decorated with artwork which seemed to reflect legends from around the world and on closer inspection, they appeared to be numbered using a dot and dash system similar to that of the Mayans. A few of the clay containers were damaged, but most were in surprisingly good condition.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I think I've found something," I said, carefully pulling a pot from the rubble.</div><br />"By they way you've been eying that spot since we got in here, I'd say you knew there was something there before you looked," Kyra said, walking toward me.<br /><br />"I can't explain it," I said, knowing there was nothing I could say to ease her suspicions. "It's like something out of a dream."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Or a forgotten memory," Brian said, kneeling next to me and taking one of the pots into his hands.</div><br />"I don't know how you figure out the things you do," Gina said joining us around the pots, "but one this certain; Things are never dull when you're around."<br /><br />Brian carefully lifted the lid off the pot marked with a single dot and removed the scroll it contained. "Remarkable," He said, unrolling it and examining the writing.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Shouldn't we wait to do that until we can examine them in a controlled environment?" Gina asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian shook his head and said, "The pots didn't create air tight seals, it amazing these aren't dust, but as they've survived, there is really no point in not examining them now, so long as we are cautious that is."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Any idea what it says?" Kyra asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yeah," Brian said, looking puzzled, "and something is definitely not right here."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What do you mean?" I asked, moving around him to look over his shoulder.</div><br />"For starters, it's written in English and rather modern English," Brian said glancing over his shoulder at me, "This whole place must be some sort of a hoax."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What's it say?" Kyra asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I stared at the words on the scroll as Brian read them aloud, "My name is Allison Beaumont and I was born in the Gregorian calendar year, 1985. I have no doubt whomever finds this document will doubt its authenticity and with good reason, because even now as I write with these primitive tools, I find it hard to believe as well. It is my hope, that I will be able to direct myself, in a time both long before and long after any of this happened, to this record and in so doing, correct the mistake I made when all this began."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian stopped reading and turned to me more fully. I could feel Kyra's eyes burning into my back as she and I were the only two in the room who knew my real name, the name of the author. A cold shiver ran down my spine. I wanted to believe it was some sort of a trick and in part, I knew it was. The lies and half truths were the tricks, not out of malice or deception though, they were told because no one, not even me, would believe the truth.</div><br />Brian said, "The woman outside, she said she was the author."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded and Brian said, "I guess we know her name now, but I'm not buying her as 24 or 25 years old."</div><br />"That's my age," I said and Kyra said, "Tell them."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian looked from Kyra to me and asked, "What?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I cleared my throat and said, "My real name is Allison Beaumont and I was born in 1985."</div><br />"I knew it," Gina said and I turned my gaze to her with a raised eyebrow.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She said, "You just don't look like a Virginia."</div><br />Brian said, "I thought the old woman wrote this."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra said, "She did."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I turned to Kyra and saw in her eyes that she understood the situation as I did. It was impossible, but clearly we had both seen enough to make the impossible seem possible or at the very least plausible. We exchanged a nod of understanding while Brian and Gina stared at us, still confused.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"She's me," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The old woman?" Gina asked and I nodded.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"How?" Brian asked.</div><br />"That is very likely amongst the answers she left for us," I said, nodding toward the collection of pots.<br /><br />"If I hadn't seen her with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it," Brian said, "but there was a resemblance and not just in appearance. I noticed it the first we saw her in the cave where I hid the codex."<br /><br />"Joseph Candle chose me for a reason and I'm starting to understand what it was," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra and Gina nodded in agreement. Kyra said, "The man in the shadows must know it as well."</div><br />The mountain rumbled again. A nearby column, supporting the domed ceiling, cracked and groaned with trembling. We held tight to each other until the tremor subsided and the dust settled once more. In the aftermath, I stared at the opened scroll in Brian's hand. I had to know everything, but it seemed there might not be enough time. The volcano was probably the least of our worries with Alexander Kemp on his way.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I need to know what is in these scrolls," I said looking at my team. "I would not have left them for myself if they were not important, but it seems I was rather thorough in explaining things."</div><br />"There's not enough time to get through them," Kyra said and I nodded.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We also need to find a way out of here before Kemp's people trap us in here," I said.</div><br />"Got it," Kyra said, looking around the observatory and flipping out her PDA, "I'll try to find us that way out while the rest of you see what you can learn."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Thanks," I said, catching her eye for a moment so she would know I meant it.</div><br />Gina, Brian and I settled down on some carefully arranged rocks and started reading the scrolls. It was unsettling to read words printed in my own hand, and to know I had not written any of the words or at least not yet. The very idea of traveling through time had my head spinning, but the shortness of time kept me focused.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The stories I read, were nearly a perfect match for the adventures in my life since the day I met Joseph Candle. The scroll contained every detail of our first meeting, even the thoughts I had kept to myself. Everything was exactly the same, telling me my life was headed toward a disaster of epic proportions. She said, she had made a mistake and it was her hope to help me avoid it, but was that even possible? Assuming one could travel into the past, changing the future, especially one's own future, seems reckless and dangerous. In fact, it was the most disturbing part of all of it; That I would have changed so much as to not consider those very things. Was it then possible that my journey backward in time was causing even more damage? If that was the case, then whatever technology is being developed which made this impossible feat possible, must be destroyed. The fate of everything and everyone might well depend upon it.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I've got something," Brian said, interrupting my thoughts.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yes?" I said, looking up from the scroll in my hands.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "She talks about a crystal she found in the Philippines."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I know the one," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Of course," Brian said shaking his head, "The crystal bends more than just light apparently and when inside some place called The Cave Of Destiny during a particular celestial alignment, it can be used to open doorways between realities. You are apparently one of very few people with the ability to use the crystal successfully for this purpose."</div><br />"So that make it simple, I'll just stay away from caves for the rest of my life and the rest should take care of itself," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian chuckled and said, "Doesn't look like you get off that easy. She writes that whether you go or not, the doorways will be opened. She says you have to close them before anything passes through them, but it can only be done in two ways, either you pass through them with the crystal or you have to bring the crystal together with a special staff."</div><br />"Great," Gina said, "another quest. Where is this staff supposed to be?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Right here," Brian said. "According to this, you found it and brought it here."</div><br />Looking around the observatory, I said, "Now I have to find it again."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I think this might be it," Kyra said from the other side of the observatory.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">We all turned to look. Kyra pointed at the remains of statue, headless and missing one arm, but the arm that remained was holding a staff. It was longer than I was tall and sported an elaborate headpiece in gold with a giant hole in the middle. It was obviously missing a jewel of some kind and it looked to be just the right fit for the one we had found in Fu Xi's vault.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina jumped up from her rock and nearly leapt the distance to the statue. I laughed at her excitement and wished I had some of the energy. My energy was waning with never having recovered from the sleepless days in rescuing Brian and here we were again, pulling an all nighter. It was almost like my college days only the exam could come at any moment and without much warning. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina pulled the staff free and twirled it around in her hands to get a better look at the headpiece. Kyra said, "Pretty smart of you V, putting the staff right by the way out."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Makes sense," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina said, "It's incredible. You know legend has it the staff was made of gold, but its really just the headpiece. I wonder if it would work on any wooden staff or if there is something particular about this one."</div><br />"Huh?" I said, feeling confused.<br /><br />Gina slipped a hand into her pocket and shrugged. She said, "I'm sorry, but as long as you're with Joey, you can't be trusted with this."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The wall behind her exploded, but she wasn't surprised at all. I scrambled to my feet as I realized what was happening. It was too late. Alex Kemp came through the hole with his gun drawn and pointed right at me. His team had the others covered. I glared at Gina, unable to believe she had played me for a fool and so well.</div><br />"It would be much easier if the three of you would just agree to come with us peacefully," Kemp said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I bet," I replied. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Tom Clark is on his way back if he isn't here already," Gina said to Kemp.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"He landed ten minutes ago," Kemp said, "We've been jamming the radio frequencies."</div><br />"I should have known," Kyra said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The old man has a chopper waiting for you and the staff. You better get moving. Sanders and Calder will escort you," Kemp said to Gina.</div><br />"You knew about the staff?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Didn't you?" Kemp said. "Why else are you here?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Looking for answers," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Did you find any?" Kemp asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"As matter of fact, I did," I said.</div><br />Kemp said, "I'm still willing to trust you. Give me your word you won't attack my people and we can walk off this mountain together, peacefully."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm not the one waving a gun around," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Is that a yes?" Kemp asked.</div><br />The ground rumbled. I smiled and said, "No."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">As the tremor strengthened, I dropped on my back and slid down the floor at Kemp and his men. The shaking threw me off course and I crashed, feet first into the statue, knocking it over on top of Kemp and his people. They barely scrambled back into the tunnel in time to avoid being pinned under the statue. I caught a glimpse of Kemp signalling his people to get out. The statue blocked the exit for us, but it also kept us safe from them.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Tell me you don't expect us to climb out the same way we came in," Kyra said as the tremors continued.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It might be safe, but no that's not what I had in mind," I said.<br /></div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Care to share?" Brian asked, joining Kyra and I on the low end of the observatory.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "You mentioned the floor earlier. If the quake doesn't shake some of it loose, we should be able to make a hole ourselves without too much trouble."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"If I was right," Brian said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">A chunk of floor behind Kyra fell away and I said, "You were right. Let's go."</div><br />Without an ounce of caution we dropped through the hole in the floor onto a narrow ledge. Even if the volcano had been sleeping it would have been a dangerous path of ice and snow, but with the rumbling it was like walking a tightrope while wearing ice skates. It was probably our adrenaline keeping us going and on our toes as we half ran, half slid onto a more secure and level alcove in the rock. Looking up, the entire sky was covered in a cloud of dark smoke.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Turning to Kyra, I asked, "Can you break through their jamming to get in touch with Tom?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She nodded, "I think so. I knew something was up earlier, but I thought it was just an effect from the volcano."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Don't worry about it," I said, resting a hand on her shoulder, "None of us could have seen this coming."</div><br />Gazing onto the mountain I could see Kemp's people scrambling to get down to the lower pass. A little way ahead of them were three more people and I knew one of them had to be Gina. I slipped my pack off my back and pulled out my gun, checking to make sure I had the right clip of ammo loaded. Brian raised and eyebrow at me and I tossed him my pack.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I've got Tom," Kyra said and I said, "Tell him to get up here and pick you two up. I'll activate my gps when I'm ready for you to come get me."</div><br />"You might as well let it go,"Kyra said. "They'll be another time and place."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian shook his head, "I don't like it, but this is probably the only chance you have to get the staff before it's too late. I'll go with you."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Thanks, but I can handle this one," I said. "Just get yourselves secure and make sure Tom is ready to come save my butt."</div><br />"You've got a plan?" Kyra asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I smiled and said, "Always."</div><br />I tucked the gun into my waist and climbed out of the alcove onto the snowy slopes of the volcano. On my back I slid down the icy slope to the opening that led Kemp and his men to the observatory. A statue stood on the mountain side of the entrance, mostly encased in ice, but the tremors had shaken it free a little. The statue was some sort of warrior with a spear in one hand and a long, rectangular shield in the other. Unlike the statue, the spear and shield were not made out of rock. Getting my feet back under me, I stared at the statue.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I knew you'd find your way," Kemp said from behind me.</div><br />I turned to face him and said, "There is a lot more at stake here than you know."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I could say the same for you," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Probably, but the problem is everyone keeps lying to me and that makes me very reluctant to trust anyone," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"She's too far ahead of you at this point anyway," Kemp said. "Why don't you come with me and you can be a part of something good."</div><br />The ground rumbled again and I was ready. I kicked the gun from Kemp's hand with a solid blow that surprised even me. He stumbled backward into the tunnel, trying to keep me off balance, but I stopped and pulled my own gun. He shook his head and sighed.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"He was right about you, that's for sure," Kemp said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You're as dangerous as they come," He said. "I suppose you'll kill me now."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm not in the mood," I said, "Just stay out of my way."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I picked up his gun and back away from him slowly. Outside the tunnel the statue had dropped its shield on the ground with the back facing up toward the sky. I glanced down the slope where I could still Gina and her two escorts, but they were almost to the pass. I ejected the clip from Kemp's gun and threw the empty weapon aside, shoving the clip in my pocket. With a deep breath, I turned to the shield and jumped on it, hooking my feet into the bracing meant to hold it on an arm. The shield slid forward on the slope, picking up speed and giving me hope, I might make it in time. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tossing my balance from side, I found a rhythm and kept going for Gina and the staff without another thought. The cold wind rushed through my hair even as I could feel the volcano trembling. Some of Kemp's people shouted and took wild shots at me as I zipped passed them on my way down the mountain, but I kept my focus on Gina. As I approached I brought my gun up and shot both her escorts in the middle of the back before they even knew what was happening. Gina spun to face, shock on her face. I activated my gps and hoped Tom was ready and close enough.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I shot Gina in the leg and she went down on her knee, but held tight to the staff. Her free hand whipped out her own gun. She took aim and I leaned myself back allowing my feet to slip from the bracing on the shield and send it flying straight into her. The staff rolled free of her hands as did her gun and she slid into a rock gasping for air and struggling to push the shield off of her.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">On my back I slid on the snow and ice toward the staff. I grabbed the staff, spinning around in a circle as I did and then using the staff to straighten my course on the snow, toward the edge of the mountain and the sound of a helicopter. I caught sight of it, but it was too far out to catch me before I would fall of the edge. I fired a shot into the ice ahead, near the edge, and let the gun slide away on its own. Grabbing the staff with both hands I rammed it into the ice at the edge of the mountain and flung my weight into the open air, keeping hold of the staff. For a moment I was flying through the air, out into nothingness and certain death. A moment later I was entangled in the ladder dangling from the side door of the helicopter and being hoisted up. I glanced back at the volcano just in time to watch the first spews of orange and red lava explode into the air and spill out of the crater.</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-15386141470293348412010-04-01T05:00:00.000-07:002010-04-01T05:00:10.643-07:00Losing Control: The Path Not Traveled<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">I pushed myself back onto my feet, careful to keep my footing on the icy rock of the mountain side. My eyes never left the old woman standing over me. In the light of day, she looked even more familiar than she had in the shadows of the caves from our previous encounters. If I knew her though, I could not locate the memory. She appeared to know me quite well, standing relaxed, comfortable even, as if she knew as fact I would do her no harm.<br /><br />"I'd ask what you are doing here," I said, listening to the sounds of my team regaining their own footing and moving closer, "but I have a feeling you would say something obvious like you're waiting for me."<br /><br />The old woman laughed and said, "I was, but now that you are here, I'm no longer waiting for you to arrive." The ground rumbled beneath my feet. I stumbled while standing still and glanced at my team to find the same perplexity running through my head expressed on their faces. "Time is short."<br /><br />"I thought this volcano was inactive," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra said, "When they don't erupt for a couple thousand years that the usual designation, but it's not always the final word on the subject."</div><br />"People are approaching the lost city," The old woman said, "The time of destiny is almost upon us and there is no time left to be wasted. You must be prepared."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "There are so many questions I could ask, but let me start with the obvious; Prepared for what?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Your destiny," She said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Oh, well that explains everything," Brian said.</div><br />"It explains nothing," The woman said, "Everything you need to know is contained inside. Unfortunately, you are here later than I had hoped, but if you hurry there is still time enough."<br /><br />"You could always just tell us what we need to know," Gina said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The old woman smiled and said, "If I could recall all the pertinent details to tell, I would not have needed to write them down."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are you the author then?" Kyra asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The woman nodded and looking at me, said, "I've had a hand in shaping the events leading up to today. Where things go from here is up to you."</div><br />"The vent leads inside?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She said, "Yes, you should go. My time here is at an end and you'll need all the time that is left."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Why should I trust you?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She smiled and said, "You don't have to, just trust yourself. I've helped you as much as I can. From here on everything you do is for the first time and the choices I made are no longer yours."</div><br />The wind came up with a flurry of snow whipping through us. I turned to shield my eyes and brace against the rock. When it passed I turned back to find the old woman was gone and all that remained was the echo of her final words spinning around in my head. I peered carefully over the edge, terrified to find she had been swept off the mountain, but even more terrified to realize she was simply gone like the wind. Brian, Gina, and Kyra were all staring at me as if I should have some explanation.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina asked, "Where did she go?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I shrugged, not wanting to say anything I was thinking. Brian said, "Probably back to wherever she came from."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Who was she?" Kyra asked.</div><br />"I don't know," I said, though it was not entirely true. I gazed upon my shadow, cast tall and large on the side of the mountain and wondered if she was somewhere inside the shades of gray that were me. Her words continued to spin my head around in a way that made me question everything I thought I knew.<br /><br />I fought the urge to shudder under the scrutiny of Brian's gaze. He said, "What do you suppose she meant?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"By what?" I asked, turning my back to him and the others. There were answers, but I was more interested in finding the ones promised to exist at the end of the tunnel ahead. I walked toward it, hoping my actions would be enough of a hint to drop the uncomfortable conversation, but Brian was undaunted and said, "She said everything you do from here was for the first time. That sounds like she was saying you have done everything else before, but that doesn't really make a lot of sense does it?"</div><br />"What do you expect?" I said, increasing my pace and stepping inside the tunnel in the rock. "She's obviously crazy."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yeah," Brian said, increasing his pace to walk beside me, "about as crazy as you."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I glared at him for a moment, but unlike most, he was not afraid of the look in my eyes. I said, "Just drop it okay? What we came for is ahead and if there are any answers beyond the insane suppositions you're making, we'll find them there as well."</div><br />"If you say so," Brian said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">We walked on in silence. The tunnel was a steam vent from the active days of the volcano. Those days seemed they might be about to return with the occasional rumble of the rock beneath our feet, but the air remained icy and the rock cold. If an eruption were coming it seemed logical those things would not be such. Then again, I am not an expert on geological events. Rather than contemplating the uncertainties, I hurried along at as quick of a pace as we could safely navigate the downward slope of frozen rock.<br /><br />It was almost easy to forget everything, losing myself in the beauty and wonder of nature surrounding me. The passage was narrow and tight, tighter in some spots than others, where the ice of the glacier encasing the volcano was thickest. Light from our flashlights was bent through the ice like glass creating a rainbow of colors all around us. I was tempted to stop and allow the magnificence to sink into my soul, but the lure of explanations ahead kept me focused.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Careful," Kyra said, after nearly two hours of descending into the mountain, "there's a steep drop ahead. The observatory should be on the left just before it."</div><br />Steadying myself against the side of the tunnel, I stopped and shined my light ahead. There was no obvious sign of an entrance into the observatory, but I had not really expected to find a marked door waiting for us. Straight ahead there was darkness which did not reflect anything back, undoubtedly a sign of the drop Kyra mentioned. Turning my back to the right side of the tunnel I sidestepped carefully toward the dark abyss, studying the left wall for anything that might indicate a structure.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm not seeing anything," I said. "Are you sure it's here?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra replied, "No, that's why we were conducting the aerial survey in the first place."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Right," I said.</div><br />"The woman said it was here," Brian said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "She said a lot of things, that doesn't make them true."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe," Brian said kneeling down by the left wall, "but we've got no reason to distrust her."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That she's clearly insane isn't reason enough for you?" Gina asked.</div><br />"While the possible seems impossible, the sane will always be insane," Brian said.<br /><br />The mountain rumbled. My flashlight tumbled from my hand onto the ground as I grabbed the rock to keep from falling. Staring into the darkness beyond us, I saw a flicker of a reflection in the reckless light of my rolling flashlight. The rumbling grew stronger and the flashlight rolled off the edge, illuminating the darkness. Unexpectedly it clattered against something solid. The quake subsided and we all stared at the dome of light where darkness had been only moments before.<br /><br />Looking down from the edge, I said, "You didn't mention the drop was only about ten feet."<br /><br />Kyra stepped up next to me and said, "It's ice, solid ice. The satellite imaging would never have picked that up."<br /><br />"Maybe there is a way in from down there," Brian said and Gina added, "We'll never know until we go down there."<br /><br />"It's hard to tell how thick that ice is or how stable," Kyra said. "I recommend a little caution."<br /><br />"I agree," I said, continuing to look down at the sheet of white ice, "With all these quakes, it might be considerably less stable than it was on a few hours ago even. Brian, I think there is some rope in your pack."<br /><br />Slipping the pack off his back, Brian reach inside and said, "Yeah, I think there's probably enough here to hang ourselves real good."<br /><br />"Suicide isn't exactly what I had in mind," I said.<br /><br />"This from the woman who decided it was a good idea to sky dive onto a mountain," Brian said.<br /><br />Helping Brian unfold the rope, I said, "Maybe I'm remembering things wrong, but didn't you jump first?"<br /><br />"At your request," He said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'd ask if you'd jump off a cliff if I told you to, but I think it's a given considering you jumped out of a plane," I said.</div><br />"I'm not going to win this am I?" Brian asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Nope," I said, laughing with him.</div><br />Driving a cam into the rock wall, Brian said, "I'll go first."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Not this time," I said. "If anything goes wrong, I'll need you up here to pull me back up."</div><br />"That ice has been there for hundreds of years," Gina said, "It's not going anywhere."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's quite likely in all that time, the heaviest thing to hit it is that flashlight," Kyra said. "One at a time with a safety line is the only intelligent way to proceed."</div><br />"This isn't a debate," I said, tying the rope around my waist, "We're doing this my way and at the moment my way is in total agreement with Kyra."<br /><br />Brian wrapped the other end of the rope around his back and set his legs to support me. I stepped to the edge and turned my back to the open space of the shaft. "Ready?" I asked and Brian nodded. Stepping backward, I walked off the edge, easing my way down the vertical face of rock and ice. It did not take long before I was standing on the floor of ice.<br /><br />The ice creaked under my weight. I edged away from the wall until I could reach my flashlight and picked it up. In the light, the way ahead was obvious. Directly in front of me, a hole in the ice and rock of the shaft's wall beckoned to be explored. Careful, not to slip on the ice, I made way to it's edge and shined the light through, revealing a downward slope of ice. It was dark beyond the end of the ice, but reflections of light told me there was something more than emptiness on the other side.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Anything?" Brian asked from above.</div><br />"I think so," I said. "There's a tunnel here, but I can't tell for sure if there is anything on the other side. Give me a little more slack and switch on your radio."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are you sure it's safe?" Kyra asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Pulling out my own two-way radio, I said, "Safe enough at least."</div><br />For safety's sake, I placed a cam in the rock above the tunnel. The hole in the rock did not allow much in the way of a cautious approach. Flashlight in my mouth, I grabbed hold of the rock above and swung my legs up and inside the tunnel. Letting go, I slid along the smooth icy surface, unable to slow or even control my descent. It was over almost as soon as it began. I spilled out of the tunnel and landed on solid ground or something like it. Shining my light around the space, I gaped at the reality of the observatory.<br /><br />The floor sloped at an awkward angle, but with care, it would be traversable. The room was massive with a domed ceiling, making it seem even larger. For a moment I glimpsed the place in its former glory. Sunlight glistening through from above, the carvings and paintings on the walls were fresh and glistening with the texture of gold. The colors were vibrant, almost painful to gaze upon and there were children seated in the center circle of the room with a pair of instructors, one male, one female, each providing insight to the lesson being taught. A little girl smiled at me and pointed to the other side of the room, laughing at my confusion. I followed the direction of her finger with my gaze and stumbled upon a library of scrolls.<br /><br />"Are you alright?" Kyra said over the radio, shaking me from the trance and transforming the observatory back into ruins.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I fumbled the radio from my belt and said, "Yes, I'm inside."</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-45138787745436637742010-03-28T05:00:00.000-07:002010-03-28T05:00:06.192-07:00Taking Control: Sea Fever<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">I had us in Quito, Ecuador, only a few hundred miles from Mount Chimborazo, before sundown. Tom made arrangements for a small private plane in the morning while Kyra set us up with the rooms for the night. I would not have minded a return visit from Tom, like the previous evening, but he was still stewing over not going after Jack and Gene. He could not know and I certainly could not afford to mention it, I also wished it was the course of action we were pursuing. Jack had told me to go after the library, observatory, mountain, whatever it is and for a change, I was listening. Deep down I knew it was the right choice. Still, it was difficult to keep my concern for Jack and Gene buried within myself. I retired to my room early and alone, not because I did not want company, but because I feared in staying with the others I might well change my mind for the worse.<br /><br />In dreams, I was at sea. It should have been peaceful and quiet, but storms raged over gray waters and swells swirled like all the oceans were draining away. A lone schooner fought the current with torn and ragged sails flapping like white flags of surrender in the wind. From above, I examined the deck made of splintered and polished wood, nailed side by side. Alexander Kemp held tight to the rail and pointed out beyond the forward horizon, warning of something I could not see, could not imagine. He looked up and nodded for me to look behind. The helm spun free, unmanned, while Mr. Candle wrestled with Mr. Candle.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Together they smiled at me and one yelled, "To port!" while the other said, "To starboard."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The old woman from the caves pushed the two Mr. Candle's aside, each to their own and said, "Only you can decide."</div><br />Torn between the choice, I asked, "But what's the difference between Joe and Joey?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She said, "The Y."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That's not an answer," I replied, shouting over the wind and rain.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No, but it's a reason," She said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Waves crashed over the bow and the planks began to crack and snap. The rails ripped themselves from the deck to whip through the wind and ultimately crash into the sea. White sails tore away from their lines, floating away on the currents of the storm. Alex and the old woman were swept away by crashing waves, disappearing to the depths of the raging waters. The Mr. Candle's were all that remained and even as the schooner ripped apart beneath them, they turned on each other, fighting for victory until the bitter end of us all. Sinking through green-gray water, I struggled for breath against drowning. My eyes snapped open and I sat up in bed, gasping for air.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You're leading them to their end," My grandmother said sitting on the bed beside me in her child-like form.</div><br />"Who?" I asked, wishing I was still dreaming and yet knowing I was not.</div><br />"Your friends," She said, sounding sad, "everyone really. You will only find death and destruction on the mountain."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are you certain?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She said, "I would not be here otherwise."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Unless of course there is something up there you would rather I not know," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She shook her head at me and said, "I would be disappointed, but part of me always knew you would fail."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "Perhaps, but at what am I failing? You've offered me nothing beyond half truths and riddles."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I offered you everything I had to give," She said, her voice full of spite, "but you have turned your back on me. You are your mother's daughter."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Is that such a bad thing?" I asked and she disappeared, leaving me alone to ponder the question.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">With the morning sun I rose and prepared myself for the day ahead as best I could. Tom was all business, minimally cordial while his eyes continued to scold me for turning my back on our friends. We boarded the small plane just after breakfast and were in the air by a quarter after eight. Against my better judgment, I allowed Tom to file a false flight plan with the tower, hoping he would see it as a sign I still respected his opinion. If he did, he gave no outward sign, focusing on piloting and remaining uncomfortably silent. Unsure what more I could say or do, I left him alone with the controls.</div><br />I eavesdropped on Gina and Brian for a few moments as they continued a light-hearted debate centered around the legend of Atlantis. Beside me, Kyra played quietly with her computer, ignoring me almost as completely as Tom. For a brief moment I wondered if Jack ever felt as completely isolated as I did. It is nice to be the leader when everyone happily agrees with your decisions, and very lonely when they do not. I could have ignored it all, was in fact tempted to do so, but these people were as much friends as colleagues. I knew I needed their help if we were going to be successful and the more willingly it was given the better chance we had.</div><br />Turning to Kyra, I asked, "Is everything alright?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Fine," She said, glancing at me for a mere second before turning back to her computer. I knew better.</div><br />"It's just you've seemed a little distant," I said, knowing I did not have the luxury of waiting for things to work themselves out.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra paused in whatever she had been doing, giving me her full attention for a change. She said, "I don't like it when things don't add up and lately they've been doing that a lot."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe I could help?" I said.</div><br />"You could, but will you?" Kyra said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "What is that supposed to mean?"</div><br />"It's like Tom said," Kyra said twisting herself to look me directly in the eyes, "You know more that you are sharing."<br /><br />"I have unfounded suspicions and theories which don't make much sense," I said, forcing myself to meet her gaze. "Sharing them would be reckless and irresponsible at this stage."<br /><br />"I think I know what you mean, but with all this strangeness around us, don't you think it would be best if we all shared our thoughts?" Kyra said.<br /><br />"I don't trust Mr. Candle," I said, deciding to be blunt.<br /><br />"Why?" Kyra asked.<br /><br />"Both the question and the answer," I said, struck by a flash of remembering the old woman's words in my dream.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Huh?" She said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Exactly," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are you going to explain that?" Kyra asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm not sure I can, but it comes down to what you said, things don't add up," I said.</div><br />Kyra's lips twisted while she considered whether or not to tell me something. She said, "Do you remember you asked me to look for patterns taking time out of the equation?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She said, "I didn't find anything, but Gene found the idea interesting and he asked me to run a similar analysis on the writings he was studying from Q5's various finds. You see, he was convinced there was something linking them all together."</div><br />"I remember," I said, thinking of the pattern he had shown me, "Did you find something?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She nodded and said, "Yeah, only it doesn't make any sense."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What did you find?"I asked, wondering if maybe I really did not want to know.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She said, "The computer is 88% certain the exact same person wrote all of them."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I blinked trying to come to terms with the implications of such a finding. It was without any doubt impossible, but I was beginning to wonder if anything truly was impossible. Ghosts that aren't ghosts, strangers that seem to be old friends, two Mr. Candle's when there is only one, and now, one person writing a dozen different messages with hundreds of years separating them, all of these things should be impossible and yet I was beginning to believe they were all true.</div><br />Kyra said, "It's impossible of course. One person could not possibly have been in all those places nor lived long enough to have spanned the years separating their creation. But, you said take time out of the equation and so I did. Now I want to know why? Are these things all faked?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's one possibility," I said.</div><br />"On a hunch, I ran another analysis," She said, watching me, "It varies slightly from find to find, but there is anywhere from an 82% to 93% certainty that you are the author. Would you care to explain that?"<br /><br />Possibilities rambled through my head, none of them possible. It was a hoax, it had to be. Only I was the perpetrator, but I was not. The look on Kyra's face told me there was still more. I said, "I can't."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra said, "At first I thought you were involved in some elaborate hoax, most likely cooked up by Mr. Candle himself. I was all set to confront him and demand the truth, but I decided to do one more analysis first. I put time back into the equation. Not the supposed time these writings were created, but the time they were found. That's when I figured out things are even more impossible than they at first seemed."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm not sure I'm following you," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Well there are plenty of these finds you could have been involved in faking, but there are three in particular which stand out as quite impossible," Kyra said. "You see, three of these were found and documented before you were even born. Now, either you look really good for a fifty year old woman or there is something else going on here."</div><br />"Could this be the result of someone tampering with your analysis programs?" I asked, recalling our trip to Italy and a similar feeling I had at the time.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I thought of that," Kyra said, "but I can't find any evidence of it."<br /><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"But you have a theory?" I asked.</div><br />"Just that something very odd is going on and you seem to be smack in the middle of it," Kyra said.<br /><br />I asked, "Could someone have tampered with the raw data?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You mean replaced the original writings with ones done by you?" She said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Not exactly, but something like that," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I suppose it is possible, although very unlikely," Kyra said. "Assuming someone did though, why would they?"</div><br />"One reason stands out to me," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"And that is?" Kyra asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"To drive a wedge of mistrust between myself and the rest of this team," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I hate to interrupt," Tom said, "but you might want to take a look at this V."</div><br />"What have you got?" I asked, making my way up to the cockpit with Kyra right behind me.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He glanced over at us and said, "Looks like someone else is already on their way up the mountain."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">It was not all that hard to make out the people dressed in bright red and blue, making their way over the mountain pass. They still had a long way to climb before reaching the observatory, but by the looks of it they had a good day's head start on us. Kyra pushed by me to get a better look for a moment.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's Kemp," She said.<br /><br />"There is no way we're going to beat them now," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"They're still at least a day from the observatory by my estimates," Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yeah, but we haven't even started the ascent," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe we can start higher up," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"If it was possible, you can bet Kemp and his crew would have started there," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe they didn't have all the information," Kyra said. "Maybe they don't even know what they're looking for yet."</div><br />"It would be the first time, but that's a glacier encasing the mountain's summit," Tom said, glancing between me and the view outside. "The best I could manage is a controlled crash landing and there's good odds we'd be stuck with no way out except straight through Kemp."<br /><br />"There has to be another way," Kyra said, looking at me as if I was supposed to pull a rabbit out of the plane's controls.<br /><br />"What about a helicopter?" I asked. "Couldn't we set one of those down on the ice?"<br /><br />"Yeah," Tom said, "but I couldn't get it a lot higher up than where Kemp's people are now. We'd still be behind."<br /><br />"Kyra," I said, as an idea formed in my mind, "am I right in recalling there was a way into the observatory from above?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's difficult to be certain from the images we have, but there was a vent shaft which seemed to intersect the observatory,"Kyra said.</div><br />I glanced back into the plane at the far wall and nodded. It was not exactly my first choice of things to do, but there really was no other option left open to us. Returning my attention to the cockpit, I found Tom and Kyra both staring at me. They were waiting for an explanation, but I think they both already knew what I had in mind.<br /><br />"Get Tom the coordinates for that shaft," I said to Kyra and turning to Tom, "We'll parachute out in the target zone for that shaft and then you'll have to go back and get a helicopter to pick us up at that pass. We'll rendezvous in twenty-four hours."<br /><br />"No way are you going down there without me," Tom said. "If nothing else you'll need me to get you through Kemp's people to even get close to the pass."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We'll manage, Tom. I'd rather have you with us, believe me, but there is no one else who can fly this plane and bring the helicopter to get us out of there," I said.</div><br />"I don't like it," Tom said.<br /><br />"Do you have any idea how dangerous a jump you are proposing?" Kyra asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "Yeah, and unless we want Kemp to get into that observatory first we don't really have a choice. I'll go alone if I have to, but honestly I'm going to need some help down there."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You can count me in V," Gina said, joining the conversation from the rear of the plane.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Jumping out of a plane was definitely on my bucket list," Brian said. "Although, I must say I planned to knock a few other things off first, just in case you know, but I'm with you."</div><br />"Fine," Kyra said, "I'm in, but if you get me killed, I swear I'll haunt you for all eternity."<br /><br />I nodded at all of them, proud of them, proud of myself and said, "It's settled then. Everybody pick a chute and get ready. Tom, we'll be counting on you."<br /><br />"You're insane, but I'll be there," Tom said.<br /><br />Kyra gave Tom the coordinates for our jump and as maneuvered us around for the best approach, the rest of us got ready. Brian helped me secure my chute and afterward we put together what few supplies we had to take with us. None of us were totally prepared for an extended stay in high altitudes on a glacier, but hopefully the observatory would be a shelter for us. As long as we had enough food and water we would be fine, unless we could not get into the observatory. If that was the case, then my ghostly grandmother was right.<br /><br />"Two minutes," Tom said, and I slid open the plane's door.<br /><br />"We're going to have to do this fast," Brian said, icy wind rushing at us.<br /><br />"We'll go in order," I said, "Brian first, Kyra second, Gina next, and I'll go last. Wait a count of three and jump."<br /><br />"You need to pull your cords as soon as we're clear of the plane," Brian said. "It's not going to be that far of a drop and you need to give your chute as much time as possible to slow your descent."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">We all nodded. Tom said, "Entering the zone in three, two, one, now."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">No time for second thoughts, I watched the others go and then stepped to the edge and jumped. Exhilaration washed over me as the ice and rock below rushed ever closer toward me. I pulled my cord a few seconds after the others, enjoying the thrill and feeling oddly safe at the upward jerk of my opening chute. Landing on the uneven surface of rocks and ice was difficult and had us all laying flat, but we all made it one piece.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I was beginning to think you weren't coming," A raspy voice said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Looking to the source, I could hardly believe my eyes. The old woman from the caves stood atop the rocks, staring down at me. Her wooden staff was planted into the ice like a walking stick, supporting her weight. A heavy cloak sat on her shoulders with the hood flapping in the wind behind her. Her face was stern and serious, skin and lips cracked from exposure to the cold and yet her eyes seemed to be laughing at us, at me.</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-20165015775029779512010-03-25T05:00:00.000-07:002010-03-25T05:00:09.680-07:00Taking Control: Stories Written And Told<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">It was late morning when we gathered in Kyra's room. She and Brian had been working for a few hours already and had called Tom during breakfast to let us know they had made some significant progress. Tom and I arrived together, eliciting some curious glances or maybe it was just my guilty conscious from spending the night with him. Gina was kicked back on the bed with a notebook in her lap and a pen in her hand. Brian and Kyra were parked at the small table by the door. She was hunched over her notebook computer and Brian was thumbing through the codex.</div><br />Brian said, "I think we've figured it out."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The location of the library?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Observatory," Brian said, "but yeah, I think we've found it."</div><br />"I thought we were looking for a library," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina said, "I could point out a few if you are interested."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I rolled my eyes at her, trying not to encourage her with a smile or laughter. The others ignored her remark as if she were not there. Gina shrugged us off and kept writing.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I was wrong. I didn't understand the syntax properly at first," Brian said. "The location got me to thinking and so I reviewed the codex. That's when I realized my initial translation was inaccurate."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"But you're sure it's right now?" I asked and Brian quickly nodded saying,"Yeah, I've got the majority of it at least. There are a few parts I'm not clear about still, but you have to understand, the written Mayan language is rather complex and includes multiple ways of saying the same thing."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"And how is the English language any different?" Gina asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The Conquistadors haven't showed up to burn all the books and ban it from reading and writing in the name of God," Brian said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"My point is the different ways we say things in English can have different connotations , implying additional meaning," Gina said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Right," Brian said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"So it might be the same thing in Mayan," Gina said.</div><br />"An interesting theory but difficult to prove," Brian said.<br /><br />"Not to interrupt this fascinating discussion on the written word, but where exactly is this observatory?" Tom asked and I nodded, wanting to know the exact same thing.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Mount Chimborazo," Kyra said, pointing at the satellite image displayed on her screen.</div><br />"Ecuador?" I said, looking between Kyra and Brian. "Isn't that a little far south for the Mayans?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The observatory is not Mayan," Brian said, "They knew of its existence and location, but it's origins are unclear from the codex."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe it's the lost city of Atlantis," Gina said and Brian rolled his eyes.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Atlantis is a fairytale," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Says you," Gina said, "But the legend has been around for hundreds of years and if this place is some sort of gathering place for ancient technology and knowledge then it fits the bill fairly nicely."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Except it's not surrounded by water," Brian said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Wasn't there supposedly a great flood that covered most of the planet in water? If it's on top of a mountain, couldn't it be it once was an island?" Gina said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian shook his head. I smiled, he was not going to win the discussion with Gina, but at least he realized it. It was definitely far fetched, but her arguments were reasonable enough and there was something else too. Dr. Michaels had shown me the symbols in his office and there was the fact that the one symbol kept showing up and while he thought it might have something to do with me, it could just as easily have been the symbol for this observatory. Dr. Michaels had even admitted the "V" symbol had a relationship with the modern English letter "A" which at the time had seemed a bit scary, but what if Gina is right? If so, the symbol could easily be the origins of the Atlantis myth. Right or wrong, I decided it was best to keep those thoughts to myself for the time being.</div><br />"And you've verified the location?" I asked, looking at Kyra.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I've found something," Kyra said. "Using advanced imaging from NASA, I was able to detect a structure, a rather large structure, encased in the glacier and partially inside the volcano."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Volcano? How old is this observatory supposed to be?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The volcano has been dormant for about two thousand years. Its most active period was another ten thousand years back," Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina said, "Now the legend really fits. I mean Atlantis was supposedly victim of a volcanic eruption and an earthquake which resulted in its sinking. This place is slipped down the side of a volcano and encased in a glacier that is more or less proof the volcano was once mostly covered by water. How could you not think it's at least a possibility?"</div><br />Brian allowed her to finish and then continued the conversation as if she had never interrupted, saying, "If the codex is accurate, the observatory has been there through most of that time."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That doesn't sound very likely," Tom said.</div><br />"The placement is interesting," Brian said and Kyra nodded.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You think it is protected from the eruptions?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian said, "It does seem to be nestled in such a way that lava flows would probably avoid it, but that's not what I meant."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What did you mean?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The summit of Chimborazo is the farthest location on the planet from the center of the Earth," Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm not sure I understand the significance," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian said, "Me either, but I have a feeling we'll figure it out once we get there."</div><br />"So then the question is, how do we get to it?" I said.</div><br />"Not very easily," Kyra said and I raised an eyebrow at her. "The structure is completely encased in glacier and rock."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That would explain why no one has found it," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Right, but it also means we're going to have a hell of time getting to it," Kyra said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Suggestion?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"There is a network of caves which might get us directly beneath the observatory. From there we could possibly dig our way in," Brian said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"There may be a way in from above as well," Kyra said zooming in on a location and nodding to the image on her screen. "It appears to be a steam vent, but it appears to intersect the observatory's roof."</div><br />"Satellite images are all well and good, but the only way we'll know what we are dealing with is to scout it directly," Tom said. "I'd suggest we do an aerial recon before breaking out the climbing gear."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You and V could sneak off and do that while we make our feint at the local sites look good," Kyra said.</div><br />"We're not splitting up," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra said, "I thought we wanted to keep some people guessing as to what we are up to."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"There is no point anymore," I said and they all looked at me with confusion. "The pretenses are pointless. They already know we have the codex and we have to assume they have a pretty good idea what it is telling us. They've got the same information we do or close enough that's it's only a matter of time before they figure out the very same things we have."<br /><br />Kyra said, "But Jack said we—</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Jack's not here," I said.</div><br />"That doesn't mean he was wrong," Kyra said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"At the time he wasn't, but the situation has changed," I said.</div><br />"If we all go, it will eliminate any doubts they might have about what we know," Kyra said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Whether it's two of us or all of us, they'll figure it out and we have much better chances of success if we're all together," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's reckless," Kyra said.</div><br />"V is right," Tom said stepping forward. "If we split up we just make it easier for them to pick more of us off like they did with Gene."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Kyra glared at Tom clearly holding back from saying what she wanted say. I had the sudden feeling she was angry at Tom and me. There was only one explanation if that was the case and it almost made me blush, embarrassed. If she knew where Tom had spent the night, she probably assumed more than what happened, but explaining the truth would do nothing to ease the tension in the room.</div><br />"It's not a debate in any regard," I said, interrupting the staring contest. "We're all going. Tom, make the arrangements for a private plane we can use for that aerial reconnaissance."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom said, "You know this observatory has been right where it for a few thousand years and it will still be there a week from now."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, turning to him.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We should go after Jack and Gene," Tom said.</div><br />"And risk losing the race to the observatory and possibly losing the trail again?" I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom said, "There is nothing in that mountain worth their lives."</div><br />"Are you so sure about that?" I asked.<br /><br />"What is you think you're going to find?" Tom asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Answers," I said.</div><br />"So you'd sacrifice the lives of two people, who happen to have each save your own, to find another cryptic message on some ancient artifact that may or may not lead us to another one?" Tom said.<br /><br />"Jack knew what he was doing and he doesn't need our help," I said. "In case you haven't figured it out, we're in the middle of something here that is a lot more than just collecting a few trinkets. I could be wrong, but I'm beginning to think there a few more lives at stake in all of this beyond our own."<br /><br />"Sounds like you know something you aren't sharing with the rest of us," Tom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"As the head of this team, that's my prerogative," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Whatever you say," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Just make the necessary arrangements," I said. "We're going after the observatory."</div></div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-33266022846334788272010-03-22T05:00:00.000-07:002010-03-22T05:00:11.606-07:00Taking Control: Spanking In The Night<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">Tom stood as a shadow against the wall. Late night was giving way to early morning and all I wanted was to fall on my motel room bed and sleep. He did not move when I entered the room. The door slammed shut, I stared at him and he stared at me. I felt the sympathy in his grimness and knew he knew. It had only been a matter of time before they all knew, but I was still far from ready.<br /><br />"Where you been?" Tom asked.<br /><br />"Out," I said, stepping further into the room and tossing my purse aside on the small table by the window.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That's not an answer," He said and I walked toward the bathroom.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Glancing over my shoulder, I said, "I wasn't aware I answered to you."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm not a fool," He said, making me wonder if he knew more than I thought he did.</div><br />"No?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Shaking his head, his mouth opened a touch and he said, "I know about Olivia."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I turned the water on at the sink and splashed cold droplets in my face. Tom crossed the room to lean against the door frame behind me. I watched him in the mirror. He was worried. It was written on his face. I dabbed a towel against my face and blinked to clear away the fogginess.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Gina?" I asked and he nodded.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"So," I said, tossing the towel on the counter and turning to face him, "now what?"</div><br />He said, "She says you aren't sleeping—<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"And you're keeping me up," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"And when you do, you have nightmares," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I looked away from his piercing gaze, pushing my way passed to sit on the bed and said, "Is there a point?"</div><br />"We could talk," He said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I slipped my shoes off and said, "Sure, you go ahead. I'm going to try to get some sleep."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I kind of figured you'd say something like that," He said and I unzipped the back of my dress.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I paused for a moment, meeting his concerned gaze and said, "Tom, I appreciate the concern, but seriously, I'm exhausted and I just need a good night's sleep."</div><br />"I couldn't agree more," Tom said. "If Jack was here, I'm sure you'd be getting one too."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.</div><br />"The way Gina tells it, I'm sure Jack would be giving you exactly what you need," Tom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I sighed, shaking my head and said, "What is it with you two?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom said, "Gina is worried about you and so am I."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That's not what I meant," I said and Tom replied, "Oh?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "You and Jack. First, he thinks there is something going on between you and me and now you're acting like I've got something going on with Jack. I'm not that into either of you, so get over yourselves."</div><br />"Whoa!" Tom said and I said, "I'm not a horse."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom crooked his head to the side trying to pretend he was not holding back laughter. I slipped up off the bed and pushed the straps of my dress off my shoulders, allowing it to slide to the floor. Reaching underneath the pillows I pulled the bedsheets back and slipped into bed. Tom watched me, obviously trying to decide his next words a little more carefully. I laughed and his faced cracked into a smile.</div><br />"You," Tom said, wagging his finger at me, "are a brat."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Continuing to laugh, I said, "You're just now figuring that out?"</div><br />"I'm a little slow sometimes," He said and I said, "I've noticed."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"But I know exactly what to do with a brat," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Do you?" I asked, fluttering my eyelashes.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yes," He said, closing the distances between us with slow steps.</div><br />"And what is that?" I asked.<br /><br />Tom said, "A long trip over my knee."<br /><br />"I hate to bring it up," I said, glancing at his crotch, "but I'm the boss and if there are going to be any trips over a knee, it will be my knee."<br /><br />"You can resist," He said, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of bed.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">My eyes flashed wide and he said, "But I know what you need."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He sat down on the edge of the bed, keeping his hold on my arm. I gasped as he pulled me into him and flipped me over his knee. My face and chest bounced against the mattress and my legs flailed helplessly in the air. Tom's hand crashed against my upturned buttocks with a light sting that felt more like an electric shock than a spank.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Turning my head back to look up at him, I said, "You wouldn't dare."</div><br />"And I thought I was slow," Tom said, slapping his hand against my bottom like punctuation on the end of his sentence.<br /><br />"You're way out of line," I said, reaching back trying to protect my bottom from his spanks.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Uh uh," Tom scolded, adjusting his hold on me to pin my arm behind my back while he continued to rain spanks down on my bottom.</div><br />"Let me go," I said, kicking and squirming.<br /><br />"I'm not going to hurt you," He whispered in my ear.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The rhythm of his spanks pulsed in my head as I struggled against his hold. I huffed into the sheets becoming frustrated by my inability to escape him or his swinging his hand. He chuckled at the sound of my breath and his hand came to rest against the warmth of my bottom. I glared back at him, twisting until the pain in my arm forced me to stop. He rubbed his hand over my panties as if he was polishing my bottom to a brilliant shine.<br /><br />"You're going to regret this," I said, seething.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "Not as much as I regret not doing this a long time ago."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">His finger slipped inside the waistband of my panties, snapping the elastic against my skin. We both knew what he wanted to do, but I was not going to make it easy for him. I hooked my feet around his other leg and pushed my hips hard against his knee. He merely laughed at my silly attempt to maintain some modesty and resumed his spanking attentions to my bottom.</div><br />"You've needed a good spanking since the moment we met," He said, his hand slapping away.</div><br />"And you think you're the only one man enough to give it to me, right?" I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Something like that," Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I replied, "Don't flatter yourself. You aren't half as good as you think you are."</div><br />"This is meant to help you, not hurt you," Tom said.<br /><br />"It's not working," I said, "You might as well stop."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom laughed. His hand never missing a beat nor slowing in its rapid rise and descent upon my bottom. I gave up trying to break free of his hold. He was too much stronger than I and clearly experienced in restraining a woman over his knee. Although the spanking had elicited a bit of a sting in my bottom, it was in truth, not all that painful. The building warmth was bring about an entirely different response and if I am honest, it was not all bad. Not even a little bad, but I was not about to tell him that.</div><br />"Do you know why you are always getting into trouble?" Tom asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm sure you're about to enlighten me," I said, rolling my eyes.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"In more ways than one," He said, his hand increasing its rate of fall against my bottom.</div><br />My eyes sprang wide open at the increased intensity. I ground my hips against his leg. The sharp slaps of his hand kept my nerves tingling and my head swimming. I twisted and squirmed in his hold floating between attempts to avoid his onslaught and desires to surrender to its rhythm. My breathing turned ragged and raw.<br /><br />Tom whispered, "I know the truth about you," and I blushed, embarrassed by the mere possibility he suspected something of the thoughts and emotions coursing through me.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You're afraid," Tom said, his hand slowing its pace, "Afraid to be yourself. You're afraid if anyone ever sees the real you, they'll know you're just a girl, but that's all you really are. You're afraid no one will hold you, care for you, love you, if they knew the truth."</div><br />I wanted to scream at him, tell him he was wrong, that I was not afraid, but visions danced in my head. He was at least partially right. I was afraid, scared of the images in my dreams, my nightmares. The reflection of myself in the dark, still waters of a cave, the haunting words of Olivia, the shadowy man who seemed so familiar and yet so imposing. I felt myself slipping away from the moment, the connection between myself and Tom became a ghostly touch. Fear of the answers to the questions I dared not ask, engulfed me and threatened to sweep me away from Tom, from sanity.<br /><br />"But you're wrong," Tom said, his voice pulling me out of the spiral of fear washing over me, "I know you. I know everything about you and I'm here to hold you, to care for you, to love you."<br /><br />I latched onto the sting of his hand's slapping against my bottom. Tears stung at my eyes and I let them fall without restraint. I relaxed in his hold, surrendered to his strength, allowing it to engulf me. For the first time in weeks, if not ever, I felt safe, protected. Tom released his hold of my arm, somehow sensing the cessation of resistance in my body. I folded my then free arm beneath me, resting my head and basking in the warm glow Tom's hand was creating within me.<br /><br />His hand came to rest against my bottom once more and I said, "Don't stop."<br /><br />I could feel the smile on his lips from the touch of his hands on my body. "Don't worry," He said, his hands slipping into the waistband of my panties once more. "I won't."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I pushed my hips up, allowing him easy access to slide my panties down my legs. His fingers brushed over my skin with a gentleness I had never felt before. The slightness of his touch ignited a tingling in my nerves. My body ached for a firmer touch while enraptured by sensual stroke of his fingertips. Tears continued to drip from my cheeks, but every part of me was smiling.</div><br />His open palm smacked against my bare bottom. I gasped with the sharp spark shooting through my nerves. His calloused hand rubbed my reddened bottom before rising and striking it once more. I pushed myself against him with every slap of his hand and raised my bottom in the air each time his touch receded. The seconds between spanks left me aching for another touch. I closed my eyes and allowed instinct and emotion to control my every muscle.<br /><br />"I told you, you needed this," Tom said and I replied, "Yes."<br /><br />The spanks turned more leisurely. His hand felt relaxed and loose as it connected with my bottom. Tears flowed freely from my eyes, cleansing away tension and fears I had kept buried for far too long. Never in my life could I have imagined a spanking would leave me feeling so pure and clean. My tears stopped of their own accord and my thoughts became clear. The spanking came to an end and incredibly, I wished it would go on.<br /><br />His strong arms lifted me off his knee and gently laid me to rest on top of the bed. He turned to leave and I caught his hand with my own. Turning to me, a friendly smile rested on his lips. Feeling shy, I looked away from him for a moment, needing to gather strength. He turned and started to pull away.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Stay," I said and he turned back to me saying, "I shouldn't."</div><br />"We're far passed that," I said, pulling him until he laid on the bed beside me.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I rolled myself into his arm, resting my head on his chest. He held me tight to him. His fingers brushed aside stray hairs from my forehead and he leaned down to kiss me there. I snuggled against him. My eyes fluttered closed. Feeling warm and safe and loved, I drifted off into sleep. There were no nightmares this night.</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-34893548117677282902010-03-19T05:00:00.000-07:002010-03-19T05:00:06.726-07:00Taking Control: Strangers In A Bar<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The message light was flashing on the phone beside the bed. I frowned at it from the doorway, my replacement luggage, courtesy of Tom, dropping from my hand to the floor beside. The place was low-rent, curtains straight out of the sixties, comforter out of the eighties and carpet older than both combined. Okay, maybe not, but it looked like it. Kyra had apologized profusely from the moment we arrived. I guess my disappointment was written all over my face. It might have had something to do with the neon sign pointing to the nearby watering hole, screaming, "Live NUDE Girls, Girls,GIRLS" or maybe it was just the way the place reminded me I had not slept in a bed since I left home over a week ago.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">What I needed more than anything was a nice, long, hot shower and at least eight hours of sound sleep. With Jack and Gene gone, I was unlikely to enjoy any of it, if I even got it. The blinking light was probably some urgent message from Mr. Candle and that meant we all might well be packing ourselves back into the rental car for a drive back to the airport and a flight home. Home, it sounds real nice, but if we do not beat the man in shadows to the mountain library described in the codex, then Jack and Gene were risking their lives for nothing. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I settled myself for the argument and punched the button to listen to the message. I recognized the voice immediately, but it was not Joseph Candle calling us home. It was Alexander Kemp with a request; "We need to meet, face to face. I'll wait for you at the bar next door. Come alone and you'll find some answers to all those questions spinning around in your head. Come with friends and you'll find nothing at all."</div><br />I sat on the edge of the bed. The pillows called to me, but the allure of answers was more enticing. Kemp would know that, he would use my curiosity against me and quite possibly kill the cat. Me being the cat of course, but does the cat not have nine lives? Jack would have raided the place with Tom and done his best to capture Kemp, perhaps use him as leverage when the time came. It was a tempting course of action. I might have tried it even, but answers were worth more to me.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I pushed myself up off the bed and headed toward the door. Walking out the door, I could almost hear Olivia laughing at me, taunting me. "Shut up," I said and slammed the door closed. It was time to start trusting myself and something was telling me to trust Alexander Kemp.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I watched him approach in the mirror behind the bar. He was dangerous of course, but I was far from being afraid. The shot glass in front of me was still full of tequila and I had yet to make up my mind if I was going to drink it. If I had been alone I might have downed it in a single gulp and part of me wanted to do just that regardless of the man approaching and his intentions, whatever they were. Unfortunately, it is easier to be lonely than to actually be alone. I spun around the stool to face him, shoving the shot glass sideways on the bar and splashing its golden liquid on the black surface of the bar.</div><br />"You know you look just like her," Alexander Kemp said, swaggering up to me.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I leaned back, resting my elbows on top of the bar and asked, "Who's that?"</div><br />He chuckled, nodding his head as if to say we both knew to whom he was referring. I shook my head hopefully making it clear I did not care whether I looked like her or not. Alex sighed and sat on the stool next to me. He looked tired as he dabbed a white handkerchief on his forehead, removing a sheen of sweat.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Alex said, "The first time I met her was in a place not too different from this. The place was packed though and she was the only woman in the place. You see back then, women could work in a place like this, but they didn't drink in them. Your grandmother didn't care much for the rules and so she ignored them. Sound familiar?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I shook my head and waited for him to get to his point. He said, "One look at her and I just knew she was trouble. First time I saw you, it was the same thing all over again. The only thing I wasn't sure about was for whom you were going to be more trouble; Joey or us."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What do you want?" I asked, allowing my exhaustion to carry itself in my tone and hoping he took it for an utter lack of interest.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "> He said, "A second chance."</div><br />"To kill me?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No, and I would not have killed you anyway," Alex said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Don't waste your lies on me," I said, shaking my head. "I was there."<br /><br />"You don't have to believe me," He said, turning to face the back and leaning on it, "but consider this; How much do you really know about the people you are working with?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"They aren't trying to kill me," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are you sure about that?" He asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"If you have a point, make it," I said.</div><br />He said, "Olivia underestimated you. She didn't think you had the killer instinct, but having worked with your grandmother, I knew better."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The mere mention of Olivia's name sent a cold shiver through my veins. Her face was forever imprinted on my memory. The shock, the pure astonishment as she stumbled backward, dying from my actions, haunted me. Alex was wrong, she had not underestimated me. I had acted against everything that I was because being me was not good enough to survive. She pushed me to the edge of survival and forced me to choose between her life and mine. In the end she gambled wrong, but for the right reasons; Had it only been my life in the balance I might have rolled the dice and trusted fate.</div><br />"I'm not my grandmother," I said, hoping it was more truth than argument, "You don't know anything about me."<br /><br />"I know this," He said, his hand twitching as if he wanted to grab hold of me, "If you keep allowing Joey to manipulate and use you, you'll be betraying a lot more than everything your family has ever stood for. You'll be betraying everyone who has ever lived and anyone who might have."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Exaggerate much?" I said, glaring into his somber eyes. "You want to convince me of something? Why don't you try facts without the grandiose insinuations? You want me to believe Joseph Candle is a threat? Then tell me why? Tell me anything that isn't more deception than truth and then we'll have something to talk about."</div><br />"Joseph Candle has never been a threat," He said. "Joey on the other hand is quite possibly the most dangerous man on the planet and as long as he controls you, he'll stay that way."<br /><br />"You do realize you're contradicting yourself?" I asked.<br /><br />He said, "I'm too old to play games, Allison. You are working for a man whose goals are synonymous with death and destruction. Maybe you didn't know what you were getting into when this all started, but if you still can't see the difference between right and wrong at this point, then we're all doomed."<br /><br />My thoughts stalled on his use of my real names. The pretenses were being set aside and yet the world still felt askew. I had doubts about Mr. Candle from before I ever met him. Alarm bells had rung in my head even as I signed the papers, agreeing to work for him. I filled those doubts with the connections between him and my family and I empathized with him, creating explanations for his actions which suited my ethics and morals. What if I was wrong? What if Joseph Candle was as devoid of ethics and morals as I had first thought?<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"If we're dropping all the pretenses," I said, "I have no more reason to trust you than Mr. Candle."</div></div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "If you want to blaze your own trail, never trusting anyone, that's a lot better than allowing yourself to be blindly led into a dark alley and I can certainly live with that. The trouble is, Joey won't just let you slip away from him."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What do you mean?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "You're too important to him. If he thinks you're starting to waiver from his plans, he'll find a way to squeeze you."</div><br />"He hasn't so far," I said.<br /><br />"So far, you've done everything he wants," Alex said.<br /><br />"Not everything," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Everything that matters," He said.</div><br />"Just so we're clear, what exactly are you asking me to do?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Leave with me," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I laughed.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It wasn't a romantic suggestion," Alex said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "I know that, but why would you think I'd just hand myself over to you?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I didn't," He said. "I'm asking you to trust me. Keep your weapon, keep your independence, but there is someone you need to meet in the light."</div><br />"The man in the shadows?" I asked and Alex nodded.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "I've already met him and I can't say I'm in a hurry to meet him again."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Things would have been different if he had known who you were," He said.</div><br />"Nobody deserved the greeting I got," I said, "no matter who they are."<br /><br />"It's not a pleasant business we are in and sometimes people get hurt," Alex said. "You should know this, after all, are you not the one who killed Olivia Stratford?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That was different," I said, anger boiling my blood, "She would have killed Jack or me or both of us. It was her choice and she chose."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Did she or did you?" He said. "I think it was you who decided her intentions and now no one will ever know for certain. People get hurt and sometimes we're the ones hurting, other times we do the hurting. Don't pretend you're so different because we both know you're not."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Alex reached inside his jacket and pulled out his gun. Our eyes locked together. My heart pounded against my chest waiting for him to act. His lips turned upward, enjoying my momentary misinterpretation of his intentions. Pointing the gun down at the floor between us, he ejected the clip and slapped it down on the bar. I stared at the clip full of bullets, recognizing them as the non-lethal variety Mr. Candle had shown me as being under development.<br /></div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Alex pushed off his stool, glancing at me and the ejected clip sitting on the bar. He slipped his gun back inside his jacket. I recalled the first time I met him. We danced and even though I had not known a thing about him at the time, I had felt safe. My instincts had told me to trust him and yet I had allowed myself to be convinced otherwise. Maybe it was time to start re-evaluating.<br /><br />"What's the difference?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He turned back to me. His head cocked to the side and eyebrow raised quizzically at my question. I knew he understood of course, but he wanted to hear the whole thing. My saying it aloud would give him hope and it occurred to me, it might also give me hope. If I was lost in darkness, it could be the way out.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Between Joseph Candle and Joey," I said.</div><br />Like a proud professor, Alex smiled and said, "Night and day."<br /><br />I said, "That's not an answer."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Some things you have to see with your own eyes to believe," He said, turning his back to me and walking toward the exit. "I'm afraid time is running out though and if you don't open your eyes soon, you never will."</div><br />"What is it I'm supposed to see?" I asked, frustrated with to cloud of mystery still hanging over my head.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Hand on the door, he glanced back over his shoulder and said, "We all see what we want to see. If you want the truth all you need to do is open your eyes and look."</div><br />I watched the door slam closed, leaving me alone once more. Turning back to the bar, my gaze fell to the clip he had left behind and then drifted to the shot glass. I tossed the golden liquid down in a single gulp, stuffed the clip in my pocket and headed out the door. Nothing made sense anymore, if it ever had. The lines were drawn and I was on the opposite side of Alex Kemp. For better or for worse, I have only one direction to go; Forward.</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-78018774078296483952010-03-16T05:00:00.000-07:002010-03-16T05:00:12.110-07:00Taking Control: Soaring Into The Night<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack picked up Cupcake by the scruff of his neck and started dragging him toward the front hall and the way out. I was right on his heels with Brian and Gina right behind me. There were no guards in sight, but I do not think any of us were betting on an unchallenged exit. Jack threw open the door and marched out, dragging Cupcake like a rag doll.</div><br />"Drop your guns and come out with your hands up," Jack said in a loud commanding voice, "or el jefe is going to have lead for brains."<br /><br />"Instead of just in his ass," I said.<br /><br />"Would you look at that," Gina said. A dozen, maybe more, men came out of hiding with their hands benignly raised into the air.<br /><br />"I have to say I didn't really expect that to work," Brian said and Jack replied, "Neither did I."<br /><br />Cupcake said, "Look, nobody here wants any trouble. Take my Hummer, just leave us alone and you have my word we will be gone and no more trouble to you or anyone else."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You really are a cupcake," Gina said.</div><br />"We're probably lucky he didn't wet himself," Jack said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What makes you say he didn't?" Brian asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack said, "Don't tell me that."</div><br />"I supposed it could just be blood soaking his pant leg," Brian said.<br /><br />"Keys?" Jack asked, twisting cupcake to look at him.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"There in the car," Cupcake said.</div><br />I opened the door and peeked inside. Sure enough, there were keys dangling from the ignition. He might as well have left a sign on the vehicle saying, "Take me!" I shook my head and climbed up into the seat. The engine roared to life and the gauges actually showed a full tank of gas. It was a good thing too, because the way it would burn fuel we would probably be lucky to have a half tank left by the time we made it to San Cristobal.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Scoot over," Jack said climbing up next to me.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I think I can drive," I said.</div><br />"And yet you felt the need to declare me your driver," Jack said.<br /><br />"You won't win this one," Brian said, climbing into the backseat.<br /><br />I rolled my eyes, shook my head, and moved over into the passenger seat. The way things are going, it will be years before I hear the end of calling him my driver. Personally, I thought the bit about him being a part-time bodyguard was more amusing. Gina climbed into the back next to Brian. Jack tossed Cupcake onto the dirt driveway before securing himself behind the wheel. Cupcake's men stayed put, either afraid to help their boss or possibly just as amused as we were, by his lowered status.<br /><br />Jack sped off onto the road and I asked, "Do you know which way?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yeah, I've been through these parts before," Jack said.</div><br />"How long until we reached the airport?" Gina asked.<br /><br />"Twenty minutes, if this thing can do 90," Jack said accelerating.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I pulled out the phone and tried dialing Tom again. The phone rang and rang and just when I thought it was going to land in voicemail again, Tom picked up. We exchanged terse greetings punctuated by the sounds of bullets flying. The noise was enough to get my heart racing, but somehow Tom was able to keep his voice calm and almost relaxed. Not for the first time, I wished I was with him instead of Jack.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom said, "Seems like we had some of your friends waiting for us to land. They grabbed Gene straight away, but I managed to get Kyra and myself out."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We're on our way. Should be there in twenty," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"They've got us penned down and I'm not sure I can hold them off that long," Tom said.</div><br />"Just do the best you can," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You know I always do," Tom said. "They're making another push for us. I'll call you back when I can."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Okay," I said, but the call was already dead by the time the word left my lips.</div><br />"What's going on?" Jack asked and I filled him in.<br /><br />"Why would they want Dr. Michaels?" I asked the world at large.<br /><br />"Sounds like they want all of you," Brian said.<br /><br />"Maybe they just want it to look that way," Gina said. "I agree with V, it seems like they wanted him specifically."<br /><br />"What makes you say that?" Jack asked.<br /><br />"Because if they had them upon landing, they could have taken them all and the plane, if that was their goal, and at best Tom might have escaped," I said.<br /><br />"Alright say your right," Jack said, "Why Gene?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"V shot and killed his daughter," Gina said. "Maybe they think they can use that to get his help against you."</div><br />"Gene's not like that," Jack said. "Olivia was his daughter, but he knew she was on the wrong side and her actions might well get her killed."<br /><br />"You know that, but does this man in the shadows know that?" Gina said.<br /><br />"You have to admit it's logical," I said.<br /><br />"Yeah, but Gene won't turn on us. He'll blame them for what happened to Olivia," Jack said.<br /><br />Up ahead the lights of the airport flickered underneath the night sky. A few more minutes was all we needed to get there, but that was the easy part. The only advantage we had is they were expecting us to be arriving in a sedated condition and it was unlikely Cupcake bothered to call ahead and warn them we were going to be a little more lively. If we could get in close enough before they realized, we might stand a chance. No matter what, the odds were not in our favor though and I doubted the numbers would look any better.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The cell rang and I answered. "They've pulled back," Tom said "The're loading Gene on a plane and it looks like they're leaving."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Cupcake must have called ahead," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack raised and eyebrow to me. I held my hand up, telling him to hold on. He shook his head and rolled his eyes at me. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom said, "Cupcake?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'll explain later," I said. "Any chance you can slow them down?"</div><br />"I could try to mount a rescue, but I don't have much to work with," Tom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I relayed the information to Jack, allowing him the luxury of deciding the next move. If he appreciated the gesture or the effort behind, I cannot say. His eyes glazed over a bit and it was almost like he was someplace else rather than driving right next to me. If there had been any traffic on the road, it would have been a frightening moment.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Tell him to hold his position," Jack said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Jack wants you to stay put," I said. "We're almost there."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No problem here, but that plane isn't going to wait for you," Tom said.</div><br />We were running alongside the airport and out Jack's window I could see the plane maneuvering onto the runway. There was no other traffic in sight so it had to be the plane Dr. Michaels was on. I pointed out the window at it and Jack nodded. Time was up and I was lacking a plan of action that stood any chance of success. Jack seemed to have his own though.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We'll do what we can," I said and disconnected the call.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack turned off the main road, aiming us at the chain link fence. We plowed through it, ripping a section free and sending it flying through the air. I held tight to the roof handle riding out the uneven terrain. We hit the runway a few feet ahead of the plane and Jack married the accelerator to the floor. I still had no idea what he was doing, but it did not take a degree in psychiatry to figure out it was crazy.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I stared at Jack, grim determination painted on his face and just beyond him, one of the plane's wheel struts. He ignored me and steered us closer to the wheel, pushing the Hummer's engine to its breaking point. Jack punched the cruise control and rolled down his window.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Take the wheel and hold it steady," Jack shouted.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, shouting right back and grabbing hold of the steering wheel.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You have to find that mountain before they do," Jack said, looking into my panicked eyes.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He unfastened his seatbelt, started to climb out the window and I said, "Jack!"</div><br />"Q5 is your team now," He said and disappeared out the window.<br /><br />I stared at the empty seat next to me, unable to believe what Jack had done. The jet began to lift into the air, rattling the Hummer and shaking me from my state of shock. I climbed into the driver's seat and fought the wind turbulence for control, applying the brakes and bringing us to a stop. Behind me, Brian and Gina shared a look of relief and together, we watched the plane disappear into the night sky.<br /><br />Tom and Kyra were sitting on a stationary luggage cart when we found them. The nearby boxes and luggage sported bullet holes and Tom's gun, still gripped in his hand, was locked open revealing it was empty. I jumped out of the Hummer followed by Brian and Gina. Kyra waved to us.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are you guys alright?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom nodded, looking exhausted and Kyra said, "Fine. Where's Jack?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I glanced to the south, the direction the plane had taken off and said, "With Dr. Michaels."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Then you made it in time?" Tom said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I shook my head and said, "No, Jack got himself on the plane though."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Don't worry," Tom said, "I'm sure he has a plan."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded. "I hope so."</div></div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-7453888262803367062010-03-13T05:00:00.000-08:002010-03-13T05:00:05.482-08:00Taking Control: Shadows Everywhere<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">"Welcome," He said standing on the white steps leading into the estate.<br /><br />It seemed a strange greeting while we were surrounded by men wearing army fatigues and carrying loaded rifles. Even stranger when one considered our haggard appearance and wretched smell. Still, he seemed genuine enough with his wide smile and polite nod of his head. Who he was and why we were there was the top two questions on my mind, but I adopted a wait and see approach.<br /><br />"You must be exhausted from your journey," He said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We were planning on reaching a hotel by tonight," I said.</div><br />"You are welcome to stay here for the night. I have made accommodations for you in any case," He said.<br /><br />"Thanks, but we'd rather find our own place," Jack said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Do you always allow your driver to speak for you?" He asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack raised an eyebrow at me, but wisely kept quiet. I said, "He forgets his place at times. I'll whip him later."</div><br />I think Gina almost swallowed her tongue by the look on her face. Fortunately, no one said a word to contradict me. I had the feeling they thought we were some sort of smugglers, and playing into that misconception was our best way out without undue difficulties. It would have been nice if I could have filled everyone in on the plan, but I had to rely on them being smart enough to figure it out on their own.<br /><br />"Regardless," I said, "My driver is correct, we cannot stay the night."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I understand, of course," He said leading us inside. "You are free to go after dinner, but perhaps you'd like to freshen up a bit before hand?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The thought of a shower, even if I had to put the same old clothes back on, was very tempting. On the downside, we did not know what or who we were dealing with and getting naked, wet and soapy under those conditions was a little scary. Refusing the suggestion though, was not only impolite, but consider, if you were having dinner guests, could you eat in the company of four people that had not bathed in several days? All things considered, I figured we had little choice. We would just have to be careful.</div><br />"That would be nice," I said.<br /><br />We were led upstairs by two of his guards. The boys were directed into a room and Gina and I were directed into another. Inside, we found fresh clothing, nice clothing, had been set aside for us and it was unsettlingly in our respective sizes. These people knew way too much about us and we knew far too little about them. Gina and I showered in turn and dressed quickly, leaving us feeling a little dirty still, but infinitely better than when we arrived.<br /><br />I opened the door to the hallway and discovered a guard standing there, waiting for us. He led us downstairs into the dining hall where Jack and Brian were already waiting with the gentleman who had greeted us. They were smartly dressed in freshly pressed suits and they were clearly pleased at the appearance of our evening gowns. It felt a little like Prom night only I was not sure which one of the boys was supposed to be my date. Brian sat next to me at the table and Jack sat across from me. It was very confusing.<br /><br />Dinner arrived in the hands of a waiter. He meticulously laid out the platters, and dropped our napkins in our laps. While he worked I watched the man at the head of the table, he seemed slightly nervous. I had reason to be nervous, my companions had reason to be nervous, but what would make this man, who had forced our presence upon himself have to be nervous about? It was a curiosity I had to scratch.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Forgive my bluntness," I said, while dinner courses were being served to every plate, "but why am I here?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Why for dinner of course," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I smiled and shook my head. "Who are you?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Your host," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What do you want?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"To enjoy a nice quiet meal with you," He said. "I get so few visitors here. Is it really so much to ask?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We are rather pressed for time," I said. "Perhaps another time would work better for all of us."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Seeing as I allowed you to cross the border, I thought perhaps we might be able to do some other business as well," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I see," I said, not seeing at all. "What kind of business?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Eat first, we'll discuss business after," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He gestured toward the plates and glasses. The food smelled incredibly good, especially so after not having had a decent meal in so long. What stopped me was the way he kept trying to push us toward eating. His own plate was essentially barren and while he had served wine to us, he had only a clear glass of water by his plate. Something was definitely wrong and my instincts were telling me this was one meal I would be happier skipping.<br /><br />"I think it's time we were leaving," I said, dropping my napkin on the untouched plate of food before me. I pushed my chair back from the table and started to stand. The cold metal of a gun pressed against the back of my head, forcing me back down into my chair.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Our host said, "I'm afraid I can't allow that."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I suggest you have your man put his gun away and reconsider your position before somebody gets hurt," I said, glaring at our host.</div><br />"It is you who should reconsider, Miss West," He said. "I hold all the high cards and if you choose to resist it will only be you and your friends who will get hurt."<br /><br />His eyes dared me to try something, anything. I turned away from him and exchanged a knowing look with Jack. He was right with me, although I could see a lack of confidence in his eyes. Brian and Gina would catch on quick enough, but if I handled things right, it would be over before it started.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I rocked my chair backward into the man standing behind me. The movement knocked him off balance and shook the gun from head long enough for me to move. I grabbed blindly behind me and caught hold of his tie. Using the momentum of my rocking I yanked hard on the tie until his chest met my shoulder and with a simple shift of weight, I threw him face first onto the table. Jack grabbed for the gun, but it slid off the table and through his fingers, crashing on the floor behind him.</div><br />The guards behind Jack went for their guns. A reflection off the newly askew serving tray told me the guards behind me were doing the same. Jack and I moved at the same time. My heel caught on the seat of my chair and I kicked, sending it sliding across the floor into the closest guard behind me. Stumbling on it, he stopped reaching for his gun long enough to throw the chair aside. By the time he was going for his gun again, I was on him. I rammed my knee into his groin and used my momentum to force his fall backward. Slipping my hand beneath his chin I pushed his head back for a solid crunch against the wall.<br /><br />I ripped the gun from his shoulder holster as he slipped unconscious to the ground. Turning to find the other guard behind me, I was just in time to watch Brian finish him off by smashing his dining chair over the man's head. On the other side of the table Gina was lifted up off the ground and thrown a good three feet to land on top of the table, but she had managed to knock the man's gun away, sending it sliding under the table. Jack was holding his own against the only other guard standing and our host was doing his best to scramble to the exit. I aimed for his butt and pulled the trigger, taking him down and getting everyone's attention.<br /><br />"Enough!" I said, keeping the gun trained on our host, squirming on the floor while holding his butt. "Get your hands up."<br /><br />Would you believe it worked? Jack even got a good punch in and the poor guard just stood there and took it. Our host apparently believed the hands up order did not apply to him. I walked over to him and kicked him in the butt, not hard mind you, but just to get his attention. It worked too. He howled.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Hands up," I said as he glowered up at me.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Reluctantly he moved his hands from their protective, coddling position to above his head. Jack joined me while Gina and Brian went about securing the weapons and guards. It would only be a matter of time before more showed up and although holding their boss was a big advantage, if they thought there was a chance to recapture us without undue risk to him, they might well try it. The less free roaming bodies in the room, the better.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Now what?" Jack asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I asked, "What are you asking me for?"</div><br />"Well I just be your lowly driver Miss West," Jack said with a horribly fake southern accent.<br /><br />"Cute," I said and he replied, "I thought so."<br /><br />"You want to question him or should I?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack shrugged and said, "I thought you didn't like my interrogation techniques."</div><br />"It's not like we have time for you to yank his fingernails out," I said.<br /><br />Jack nodded with obvious disappointment, "True," He said.<br /><br />"What should we call him?" I said.<br /><br />"He did introduce himself as our host or was that hostess?" Jack said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"So, Cupcake? Or maybe Ding Dong?" I said.</div><br />"I vote for Cupcake," Brian said and Gina added, "Me too."<br /><br />"Cupcake," I said and nudged him with the toe of my shoe against his wounded backside.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He groaned and said, "Bitch."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack said, "I think he knows you."</div><br />Ignoring Jack, I said, "I'm going to count to three and if you aren't telling me everything that's going on here and who is behind it, I'm going to give you a third asshole. One."<br /><br />Cupcake's face blanched and he said, "He'll kill me."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Not if she kills you first," Jack said and I nodded.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Two," I said.</div><br />Cupcake said, "I was only supposed to keep you hear."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Why?" Jack asked and I said, "Very good question."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack said, "Thank you."</div><br />"Really, I would never have thought to ask. It's fortunate you were here," I said.<br /><br />"I do what I can," Jack said with a shrug.<br /><br />Cupcake asked, "Are you two insane?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack and I looked at each other and then back down at Cupcake. I said, "Now, that's an odd question from a man about to get shot in the butt because he won't answer a few simple questions."</div><br />"Very odd," Jack said nodding.<br /><br />"Maybe he likes pain," Gina said. "I hear some guys are into that sort of thing."<br /><br />"Well how does that work?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian said, "I think that means you shoot him in the ass and then he'll tell you everything."</div><br />"Makes sense," Jack said.<br /><br />I said, "Works for me," And adjusted the gun for a nice shot of his still whole buttock. "Three."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Cupcake said, "Wait!"</div><br />"Are you saying you aren't into pain?" I asked.<br /><br />"Yes," He said and I pointed the gun at the floor, away from his buttock.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Then you want to tell me everything, right?" I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I pointed the gun back at his buttock and said, "Make up your mind."</div><br />Jack said, "He's stalling."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded in agreement, steeling myself to follow through on what was supposed to have been an empty threat. The fact we were not dead said a few things about the intentions of those pulling the strings. If they had just wanted to capture us, they could have done so easily enough right at the border. They moved us to where we were for a reason and Cupcake knew that reason. He might not know he knew, but the devil is always in the details. It was time for him to talk, one way or another.</div><br />"Last chance," I said, my finger tightening around the trigger.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I was supposed to drug all of you and then deliver you to him at the airport," He said. "That's all I know, I swear."</div><br />"Who?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't know his name," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What does he look like?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't know," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You aren't being very helpful," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"He always kept to the shadows. I couldn't see his face. His people just called him Sir," Cupcake said.</div><br />Jack said, "Sounds like your man in the shadows."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded and Gina said, "Sounds like there is a story here. Care to share?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Later," Jack and I said.</div><br />"What airport and when?" Jack asked.<br /><br />"San Cristobal, a half hour from now," He said.<br /><br />"Isn't that where our team is flying in?" Jack asked, looking at me.<br /><br />"You can bet that's not a coincidence," I said.<br /><br />I reached down into Cupcake's jacket and found his cellphone. My fingers dialed Tom's number from memory. Jack raised an eyebrow watching as if to question why I knew the number so well. I ignored him and listened to the ringing, a silent mantra begging Tom to answer echoing in my head. The call switched to his voicemail and I disconnected.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No answer," I said.</div></div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-21649581095185338902010-03-10T05:00:00.000-08:002010-03-10T05:00:04.764-08:00Taking Control: Suspicious Motives<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">Jack slowed the jeep to a stop. The lowered yellow and black striped arm was more symbolic than an actual obstacle to crossing the border. Jack's eyes darted around the nearby landscape while we waited for the guard in the adjacent booth to come out and greet us. There were no fences, no barriers of any kind, except the one before us and had we chosen to cross the border in the dead of night, it is doubtful anyone would have ever known. I did not need to ask to know Jack would have preferred it that way.<br /><br />With his head turned away from me and the booth, Jack said, "Let me do the talking."<br /><br />"Try not to start World War III," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"If you'll do as your told for a change," Jack said, turning to look at me, "I shouldn't have to."</div><br />The guard open the booth's door and stepped up to the jeep on my side. He rested one hand on the top of the door and his other on the hilt of the gun holstered on his hip. I think he intended the stance to be casually intimidating, but it came off as cartoon-ish. Smiling up at him, I tried not to laugh when my eyes discovered the stereotypical bushy mustache hiding his upper lip and half his nose. If he had been wearing a sombrero I would have been sorely tempted to call him Sam.<br /><br />"Gringos eh?" He said, his cultural accent dousing the English vowels with an unnatural sound.<br /><br />Jack said, "We're on our way home."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I didn't ask," The guard said.</div><br />He looked us over one by one. His eyes lingered longer on Gina and me than the guys. It had been so long since I had a shower and clean clothes, I had almost forgotten how filthy and ragged we looked. The guard's gaze reminded me. His out of the way posting on a barely used road had probably desensitized him to such things, but it also likely meant he was not used to seeing Americans. Our appearance would have to be suspicious under such circumstances, but if Mr. Candle had succeeded in bartering are border crossing, the guard's suspicions would be irrelevant. The real problem was we had no way of knowing if Mr. Candle had succeeded or not and if the guard suspected it, he would undoubtedly enjoy a little fun at our expense.<br /><br />"Turn off the ignition," The guard said, "and hand me the keys."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't think so," Jack said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are we going to have a problem?" The guard asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We're about to," Jack said. "Let us cross and nobody has to get hurt."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The guard stepped back from the jeep, drawing his gun and aiming at my head. Jack pointed his gun at the guard in turn and kicked his door open, knocking another guard, I had not seen come out of the foliage, to the ground. A third guard came up from behind us, pushing a handgun into the side of Gina's head and resting his rifle's barrel on the back of Jack's head. Realizing he had lost, Jack let the gun fall limp in his hand, raising his arms in defeat. The guard next to me, moved in and took the gun from Jack's hand and then back away again.</div><br />He nodded at me, keeping his gun aimed at Jack and said, "Turn off the ignition and throw the keys on the ground over here."<br /><br />I followed the guard's instructions and threw the keys as close to his feet as I could manage without risking hitting him. The guard glanced at the keys between his boots and nodded approval at me, relaxing his grip on the gun enough to allow me to start breathing again. A quick glance at Jack revealed his utter disapproval of the situation and his eyes seemed to be screaming something along the lines of, "This is all your damn fault!"<br /><br />"You," The guard said, waving his gun at me, "out of the car, put your hands on the hood."<br /><br />Slowly, I opened my door and stepped out onto the dirt road. Keeping my hands slightly raised and completely open, I stepped up to front of the jeep next to the tire and rested my hands on the hood. Things were not going exactly as I had hoped and unless something changed soon, the situation was likely to get a lot worse. A thousand possibilities ran through my mind, but I held onto the hope these guards were just having a little fun with us before following orders and letting us pass. That was of course dependent upon Joseph Candle having successfully bribed our way through, but given the stakes, I suspected he would not have allowed for any possibility of failure.<br /><br />The cold metal of the guard's gun pressed against the back of my neck. With his free hand, he quickly patted down the left side of my body and then switched hands to do the same on my right. Finding nothing, he produced a pair of steel handcuffs and slapped one side on my right and then pulled my arms behind me, securing my left wrist as well. He roughly pulled me away from the jeep, turning me around away from the jeep and shoving me down onto my knees before planting my face in the dirt.<br /><br />"Stay down," He said.<br /><br />One at a time the guard repeated the process with the others until we were all lying face down on the ground, side by side. Unfortunately, they planted Jack right next to me with his head turned toward me. If I had felt a little bit safer, I might have closed my eyes just to avoid the negativity beaming out of his. I kept telling myself things could be worse and Jack's eyes kept tell me they were going to get worse just as soon as we got out of the mess we were in.<br /><br />Behind us, I could hear the guards tearing apart the jeep looking for something. The rational part of my brain knew they were searching for drugs or weapons. They would find none of the former and way to many of the latter. The irrational portion of my brain assumed Stratford's people had outbid Joseph Candle and the guards were looking for the codex to hand over when they arrived to collect us. There was no way to determine which part of me was right and every minute that ticked by was a minute closer to the point where it would not matter either way.<br /><br />"We're not smugglers," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I thought I told you to let me do the talking," Jack said.</div><br />I said, "I don't think I can make our situation any worse."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That's the problem," Jack said. "Every time you start thinking, my life insurance premiums go up."</div><br />"That's just because every time I have to start thinking for you it's because you started talking with your gun instead of your head," I said.<br /><br />"Quiet," The guard said kicking a cloud of dirt at Jack and me.<br /><br />"Really, I just want to help," I said, looking back at the guard. "Ask me anything."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You really don't know when to shut up, do you?" Jack said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The guard kicked more dirt into Jack's face and said, "Neither do you."</div><br />Jack coughed. I continued to look up at the guard hopeful we could work something out. My instincts told me there was something else going on beyond Stratford's people and if that was right there was still a chance for us to get across the border before things escalated. It is hard to say what was going on in the guard's mind, but after a long hesitation he grabbed my arm and pulled me up.<br /><br />"What are you transporting?" The guard asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Nothing," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Lies," He said shaking his gun in my face. "Your boss is willing to pay five million a head to get you across the border and someone else is willing to pay fifteen million if I hand the four of you over to them. You must be carrying something very valuable."</div><br />"It's not what you think," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "You don't know what I think."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"They want me," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Why? You are very beautiful," He said, tracing the tip of his gun down the front of my chest, poking it gently into my breast, "but no woman is worth that much money."</div><br />I said, "I know things."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He nodded, his mustache curling upward and said, "Perhaps you like to show me?"</div><br />"Free my hands and I'll show you what happens to men who don't keep their hands, or their guns, to themselves," I said.<br /><br />He laughed and said, "You think I'm afraid of a little girl like you?"<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack said, "You aren't, but trust me, you should be."</div><br />"Go ahead," I said, "take the cuffs off. I promise I won't run away."<br /><br />The guard leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "I am very tempted, but if I let you get away, my boss will pay ten million to have my head."<br /><br />"Maybe it would be best for everyone if I could speak with your boss," I said.<br /><br />"Perhaps," He said, "but first I have to know what you are running."<br /><br />Behind him another guard stood up in the back of the jeep and raised his hands up with the box containing the codex occupying them. He said, "I found it."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The one in front of me pressed his gun a little further into my breast making me pull away slightly and turned toward the jeep to see what his subordinate had found. He nodded his head and turned his attention back on me. I took a deep breath and invented a story he would almost certainly have to believe because it was almost the truth.</div><br />"Just like an American," He said, poking me with his gun. "You steal our history so you can rewrite it to suit your need for superiority. No doubt the contents of that little box are worth more than twice what your boss offered."<br /><br />"In our hands maybe," I said, puffing myself up for the role I had to play, "but what's it worth in yours? We can authenticate it, for you it's a box you found in the back of a jeep. Without us it isn't worth more than a handful of bullets for your gun."<br /><br />He smiled and said, "So, you admit your crime."<br /><br />"It's not a crime from my perspective," I said. "The real crime is allowing it to rot away in the hands of people too primitive to care for it and too stupid to realize its value."<br /><br />"Now we have something to talk about," The guard said.<br /><br />He holstered his gun and turned me around to release me from the cuffs. I massaged my wrists in front of me enjoying the freedom of movement and the return of blood to my hands. The guard grasped my arm with less force than before and guided me toward the booth. On the ground Jack started to rise up from the ground, sensing our situation was improving. The guard pushed his boot into the middle of Jack's back shoving him back into the dirt.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Not you," He said and signaled to his subordinates. "Make certain they stay put."</div><br />I shrugged to Jack as the guard and I walked passed. The guard opened the door and gestured for me to enter the booth. I was surprised by the size and relative cleanness inside. Immediately inside the door a standard office desk was position as if for a reception. Another half dozen identical desks were positioned along the perimeter walls and in the middle of the room sat a circular table with four chairs around it. On top of the table a deck of cards sat face down in the middle. I walked toward the table with the guard following me inside and closing the door.<br /><br />"The man out there," The guard said, "is he your boss?"<br /><br />"No," I said, hoping I was not making a mistake, "he's my driver and part-time bodyguard."<br /><br />"You could do better," He said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I asked, "Are you applying for the job?"</div><br />"I don't work for women," He said.<br /><br />"If you aren't looking for a job then what are we here to discuss?" I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Nothing," He said and turned his back to me.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He picked up the phone from the desk near the door and dialed a number. While it rang he carried the phone to the table and sat it down next to the cards. I studied his face for any clue as to his purpose and found nothing. All I could imagine was the call might well determine whether I lived or died. That I was calm in the face of such uncertainty surprised me.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You were right," The guard said into the phone before handing it to me. "I'll be outside," He said and left.</div><br />I looked at the phone with suspicion before deciding there was no harm to be found in talking. "Hello," I said.<br /><br />"Good afternoon," The man on the other end said. "I trust you are well?"<br /><br />"I've had better days," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Then I shall endeavor to make your evening enjoyable enough to make up for it," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Forgive my bluntness, but what do you want?" I said.</div><br />"To do business if you are amiable," He said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Watching the guards pace outside, I said, "I'm listening."</div><br />"Not over the phone, my dear," He said with a slight chuckle. "Join me for dinner."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What about my companions?" I asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"They are invited as well, of course," He said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"And if I say no?" I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I believe there are people willing to pay quite well for you to be placed in their hands," He said. "It would be unfortunate if I had to do so, I had so looked forward to meeting all of you."</div><br />I said, "In that event, it would seem foolish for me not to accept."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I knew you could be reasonable," He said. "I'll have my men escort you here."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "What about—</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "The others I spoke of? Don't worry, my men will take care of them as well."</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-71542175434606344352010-03-07T05:00:00.000-08:002010-03-07T05:00:05.805-08:00Taking Control: Straight Jungle Talk<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">True to his word, Jack had us back on the road by morning light. How he knew it was morning I am not entirely certain. The fog was thick as a blanket reminding me of wasted mornings in June when I used to sit out on the rocks in Dana Point waiting for the fog to clear, revealing the perfect blue-green of the ocean and the distant sails of ships peacefully at sea. If only the jungle smelled a little more like saltwater and seaweed I could have pretended I was back there, back home.<br /><br />I pushed aside the wistful thoughts and focused on the problems at hand. In my lap, the SAT phone bounced and jiggled in sync with the terrain. The signal connection was tenuous at best, non-existent the rest of the time and if I did not know better I might have suspected some sinister force at work within the fog itself. It felt like the whole world wanted to keep us on the run with nowhere to go and no one to help. I slapped the unit as if another jar might make it miraculously work. Naturally, it did not work although the slight sting in my palm did make my frustration seem a little more manageable.<br /><br />"Any luck?" Jack asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I shook my head and rolled my eyes, hoping he noticed. If he needed to ask with me sitting right next to him and obviously not talking to anyone, then he was either a complete idiot or deaf. The latter would certainly explain a few things, like why he never seems to listen to a thing I have to say, but having spent the last several days without a break from him, I am leaning a lot more toward the former. A better question is why did Mr. Candle put this guy in charge of Q5 because so far the only thing he seems to be good at is making bad situations worse.</div><br />"It would go a lot faster if we weren't bouncing up and down like a pogo stick," Brian said from the backseat.<br /><br />I glanced around behind me just in time for another hole in the road to send us bouncing. Gina's flashlight shined into my eyes for a second before she focused it back on the codex in Brian's hands. I had been so intent on the phone, I had forgotten about Brian trying to decipher more of the codex. A faint blush rose into my cheeks as I realized Jack had not been talking to me at all and it was in fact me who was the idiot. I turned my attention back to the phone, pretending I was not embarrassed despite the obvious amusement written all over Jack's smirking face.<br /><br />"If you know of a smoother road around here, I'd be happy to take it," Jack said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina said, "If you'd drop your speed by 10 miles per hour it would be a lot smoother."</div><br />Jack said, "And it would be smoother still if I just pulled off to the side of road and parked. Personally, I thought maybe we'd all like to make it to the border before Stratford's friends caught up with us."<br /><br />"You don't have to be an ass about it," Gina said and Jack rolled his eyes, managing to give me a disgruntled look at the same time, as if I had put the words her mouth.<br /><br />"Don't take it personally," I said looking back over my shoulder, "If he's not being one, he's being a pain in one."<br /><br />Jack said, "Here I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about my skill with a paddle."<br /><br />"Is it still a skill if you aren't very good at it?" Brian asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack's head snapped around for a second and he said, "What do you mean?"</div><br />"I think what he's saying is," Gina said looking at me instead of Jack, "when we met V she was about as sassy as they come and yet here all these months later with you, she's actually worse."<br /><br />"Hey!" I said, trying to decide whether I should be defending myself or pretending not to care.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina patted my arm and said, "Hate the message, not the messenger."</div><br />"If you are suggesting I've been too gentle with her," Jack said, "you're probably right."<br /><br />"I'm sure all she needs is a firm hand," Gina said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Over your mouth," I said.</div><br />"That can be a good start," Gina said with suggestive eyebrows. "I find teasing a man's fingers with my tongue usually yields excellent results."<br /><br />"Now how am I supposed to concentrate on this damn codex?" Brian asked.<br /><br />"I could alleviate some of the pressure," Gina said, laying a hand on his lap.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian turned his head, cocking it slightly to the side. He stared at Gina with wide, disbelieving eyes that seemed to contain a mixture of shock and disapproval. Gina shrugged and started to giggle. Brian shook his head scornfully, but there was a barely suppressed smile creeping its way onto his face.</div><br />"I'd say go for it," Brian said, "but with all this bouncing around, I'm afraid I could poke your eye out."<br /><br />"I don't know what you were thinking, but I was just suggesting a massage," Gina said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian groaned and said, "I can do that for myself."</div><br />"But can you do it as well as Jack?" I asked.<br /><br />"The two of you keep it up and I'm sure you'll find out first hand," Jack said. "What do you say Brian? You want to spank Gina or Virginia first?"<br /><br />"It sounds suspiciously like that's the only way you know how to get a girl's pants off," Gina said.<br /><br />"You might want to quit while yours are still on," Jack said.<br /><br />"Give it a rest Jack," I said. "It's bad enough being stuck out here without you being a stick in the mud to boot."<br /><br />"Last warning," Jack said, glaring at me until a large bounce returned his attention to the road.<br /><br />The SAT phone beeped, taking my eyes off of Jack. It had finally established a solid connection and the phone began to ring, calling Tom's cellphone. I held the handset next to my ear and crossed my fingers hoping the connection would last long enough for me to tell Tom everything. Jack raised a question eyebrow at me and I nodded that it was working.<br /><br />"Yellow," Tom said, his cheerful voice a welcome change bringing a smile to my face.<br /><br />"Blue," I replied.<br /><br />"V?" Tom said, "Is that you?"<br /><br />"The one and only," I said. "I'm not sure how long this connection will hold so let's get down to business."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom said, "Right. SAT phone?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yeah," I said, "Have Kyra trace our location. We're headed toward the Mexican border from Guatemala and the first thing I need you to do is get Mr. Candle on the phone with his political contacts and bribe our way into Mexico. Make sure as few people as possible know about it because we want them to tell the other party bribing them that we turned around."</div><br />"What's your ETA to the border?" Tom asked.<br /><br />I tugged on Jack's sleeve and asked, "How long until we're at the border?"<br /><br />Jack glanced at his wrist where his watch would normally have been, but like most of our supplies, it was gone. He furrowed his brow for a moment and grabbed the map from the dash to check distances or something. Watching him I realized I could make as good a guess as he could. I shook my head, disappointed we had nothing better to work with.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Kyra might have a better idea than we do once she gets our position," I said into the phone. "Jack's keeping us moving around 35 miles per hour and my best guess is somewhere between two and four hours."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Tom said, "Alright we'll figure it out from here. It should not be too difficult to arrange passage, but I'm not sure Joe can make it happen in less than two hours. Can you hold up somewhere and wait for a call?"<br /><br />"We've got pursuers," I said, glancing at Jack tossing the map back on the dash, looking like he was mad at me again. "They caught up with us yesterday and I can't imagine they are much more than an hour or so behind us. We stop and we'll have to deal with them again."</div><br />Hearing Tom whispering instructions to Kyra on the other end I pictured him standing behind her chair in the main room of Q5. His suit jacket would be unbuttoned as would the collar of his wrinkled white shirt. The tie would be loosened and hanging low yet somehow he would still look the complete and utter professional. His appreciative eyes would be hanging on Kyra for those extra few seconds beyond what was necessary and she would be completely oblivious to his gaze not to mention the warmth of his breath tickling the nape of her neck. For the duration of a blink my mind's eye put me in Kyra's chair, except I was anything but oblivious.<br /><br />Jarring me from daydreams, Tom said, "Don't worry about it, we'll figure it out. Kyra's getting Joe on it now. What else can I do for you?"<br /><br />Wine, dine, sixty-nine....oh that's not what he means is it? You would think being in the middle of the jungle and being pursued by gun toting goons bent on killing me, I would be a little more focused on the situation. Besides, Tom is not interested in me in that way and I am not into him really either. It is just all this tension making me think things like that. Yeah, that is it. So, why am I blushing?<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I cleared my throat and said, "Meet me in San Cristobal Las Casas."</div><br />Tom said, "I'll reserve the honeymoon suite. Pink champagne on ice or you like something stronger?"<br /><br />"Don't tease me," I said, blushing a touch hotter thinking he might have somehow read the thoughts on my mind. "Unfortunately, this will have to be all business and Jack wants you to bring the rest of the team."<br /><br />"I'm going to have to have a talk with Jack," Tom said. "He's spoiling all my fun."<br /><br />"Tell me about it," I said, hoping the one side of the conversation Jack was hearing was not enough for him to piece the whole thing together.<br /><br />"Does this mean you've managed to get us back on the trail?" Tom asked.<br /><br />"You could say that," I said, "but it's something of a narrow trail and if we aren't careful we'll be free falling off the side of a cliff."<br /><br />"I guess it could be worse," Tom said, "besides, you always look good in tight spots."<br /><br />"You mean tops don't you Tom?" Kyra said in the background.<br /><br />Trying to stay focused on business, I said, "Have Dr. Michaels bring along everything he has on Central and South American tribes with special attention to the Mayans."<br /><br />"Anything for you," Tom said, causing me to wonder if he was trying to make me blush or make Kyra jealous. Either way I suspected he was doing a damn good job of it.<br /><br />"How are things on the home front?" I asked.<br /><br />"You mean Mark?" Tom asked.<br /><br />"No, I was wondering about your sister," I said.<br /><br />Tom said, "I don't have a sister."<br /><br />"That explains a lot," I said.<br /><br />"One of these days you are going to find yourself skirts up over my lap," Tom said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "Promises, promises."</div><br />"You wouldn't be daring me would you?" Tom asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "Me? Never."</div><br />"Right," Tom said as if he did not believe me. "Mark left town shortly after you did and I haven't been able to track him. I've got 24 hour surveillance on all your immediate family members, but so far it appears he must know we're on to him and he's bailed."<br /><br />"So everybody is fine?" I asked.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"More or less. Your nephew is staying with your parents and your brother is working most of the night and day," Tom said. "Your sister in law probably isn't too happy but as long as she's in the Retreat she's safe enough."</div><br />"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm sure I could give you a little more in depth reminder when I see you," Tom said.</div><br />"Very nice of you to offer," I said, "but it's not necessary."<br /><br />Tom said, "It's no trouble, really."<br /><br />Jack hit a very big hole in the road sending us all bouncing and when it was over, the call had died for lack of signal. I slapped the handset into the unit with more force than was strictly necessary and said, "Damn."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Trouble?" Jack asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I shook my head and replied, "No, Tom said there was no trouble."</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-70574676244008358902010-03-04T05:00:00.000-08:002010-03-04T05:00:02.874-08:00Taking Control: Setting The Board<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">The stars flickered to life over our heads in the night sky. Spotting a shallow ditch, Jack steered the jeep off the main road. With Brian's help he erased the tire trail and camouflaged the jeep, making it hard to spot. None of us had any doubt we were still being followed, but since leaving the cave we had seen no evidence of our pursuers. Either we were miles ahead of them or they were biding their time until we let our guard down.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What's the plan?" Gina asked when the two men rejoined us at the jeep.</div><br />"We need one," Jack said and Brian nodded agreement.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We've got the phone. We should use it," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian said, "If they don't already know our exact position, they will the second we make a call."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack grabbed a paper map from inside the jeep and unfolded it on the hood. After a quick look around he shined a flashlight on it while the rest of us gathered around. Gina traced her finger along the map and then tapped on a spot. She said, "We're somewhere around here."</div><br />"We don't have much choice but to keep heading toward Mexico," Brian said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack nodded and said, "You can bet Stratford's people are well aware of that and with the corruption in these parts you can also bet they've paid off the right hands to have the border patrol on both sides looking for us."</div><br />"Maybe we can use that to our advantage," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The three of them all turned to me like I was insane, but only Gina was brave enough. She said, "The only advantage I can see is we'll probably all end up dead before we end up in someone's prison."</div><br />"You're looking at it all wrong," I said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina rolled her eyes to the stars and said, "Of course I am. We're only being hunted on three sides. What am I thinking being negative? Obviously you'll just flash your tits and we'll be home free."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Hey," Brian said, objecting on my behalf, even though the glint in his eyes told me he was just as amused as Gina at the memory of my fight back at the survival camp.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Not exactly what I had in mind," I said, shaking my head at the two of them, "but you've got the general idea. If they're going to play dirty, then what stops us from playing dirty too?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack nodded, catching my thinking and Brian said, "How about, we're supposed to be the good guys?"</div><br />I said, "And that means it's our job to act as a counter balance to the bad guys. We don't bribe the patrols to go after Stratford's people, we bribe them to let us through, which is how things should be in the first place."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"To make it really worth their while, we let them collect on both sides," Jack said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"How does that work?" Gina asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We get them to tell Stratford's people they forced us to turn around," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack said, "Precisely. It'll buy us enough time to regroup and head back to civilization."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That might not be the best plan," Brian said.</div><br />"Why is that?" Jack asked.<br /><br />"If I'm not mistaken," Brian said, "you are in some sort of a race with the people who are after us."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack said, "You could say that."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"While I was their guest I overheard a few things which at the time made very little sense to me," Brian said, his attention swaying between Jack and me, "but I've been translating this codex and things are starting to click."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What are you saying? They've already seen this codex?" I asked.</div><br />"Not this one, but they must have gotten their hands on a text with a very similar story to tell," Brian said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That stuff from Easter Island," Jack said, looking at me as if it was my fault they had it.</div><br />"What's the gist of the story so far?" I asked, trying to ignore Jack before he made my blood boil.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It talks about three distinct ages," Brian said, "Each age apparently last for five thousand years and we are in the second age, nearing its end. According to the story, at the beginning of this age, the parents of this age embarked on a journey into the mountains to a place where all knowledge from the previous age had been stored."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Sounds like you found the Mayan equivalent of a fantasy novel," Gina said.</div><br />Brian nodded and said, "It is admittedly written in the style of folklore and I'm sure there is plenty of outright fiction in the story, but these stories do have their basis in fact. If it were just this codex I had to go off of, I might be inclined to dismiss it as nonsense, but Stratford's people were talking about a search in the Andes for some sort of library. Two separate sources suggesting a similar location have to at least give you pause to consider the possibility."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe," Gina said, "but they said this alternate text came from Easter Island which would date it as much more recent than the codex you have. Considering the questionable heritage of the original inhabitants on Easter Island you have to admit it is entirely possible the story was simply passed on through generations and territorial expansions."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm not saying to run off half cocked, but if there is a possibility something like this actually exists, do you really want it to end up the hands of people like those trying to kill us?" Brian said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You've got a point," Gina said, conceding with a nod.</div><br />"Then we are agreed," Brian said. "We need to finish translating the codex and find this place with as much haste as possible."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I appreciate all the two of you have done, but you guys don't have to stick around for this," I said, glancing between Brian and Gina.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian wrapped a supportive arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him as if to say he had no intention of leaving my side any time in the near future. The sideways smile on Gina's face said much the same thing and the hands planted on her hips seemed to be a dare for anyone to suggest anything else. I was glad to have them along for the ride, especially since I found myself having increasingly less trust in Joseph Candle and by default the people working for him, like Jack and the rest of Q5.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Are you kidding?" Gina said. "A new Mayan codex people are willing to kill for and the possibility of seeing something that no one has seen in a four thousand years if not longer, you couldn't drag me out of this."<br /><br /></div>Brian said, "I found this codex and it's my translation that's got us on the verge of the greatest discovery of our generation if not all of time. You can't seriously think I'd just walk away and besides, I've got a feeling the safest place for me is right next to you until the whole world knows about this discovery."<br /><br />"I can't say I have any objection to the two of you tagging along," Jack said, "but I would ask you to remember this is my team."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack's eyes were fixed on me as mine were fixed on him for a long moment. His words were meant to antagonize or more accurately, to remind me of my place under his authority. Next to me, Brian shifted his stance and I could feel the tension spreading across his arm as he struggled to keep his thoughts to himself. I followed Brian's wisdom and kept my thoughts on the matter to myself as well. There will be a time and a place to confront Jack and his ego, but this was not it.</div><br />"With that in mind," Jack said, "I would ask the three of you to refrain from mentioning anything about Olivia to Gene. Let me break the news to him at a more appropriate time and place."<br /><br />"He deserves to know," I said, objecting not just for Dr. Michael's rights, but also for the guilt on my conscience. However badly the news would be received it could only be worse by keeping it a secret, even if it was only for a short time.<br /><br />Jack said, "He also deserves to be able to grieve in peace and that's not a realistic option here and now."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian said, "I'm not sure we have time to meet up with the rest of your team anyway."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Without them, we don't have a chance of pulling this off," Jack said.</div><br />"If we arrange to meet your team someplace, we're going to tip off our pursuers as to what we are doing," Brian said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Not necessarily," I said and Brian let go of me to get a better look at my face. "We just need to mislead them on the phone."</div><br />"Considering they know what we know, I can't see why they'd buy a ruse," Brian said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I said, "Because they won't know it's one. They have no idea what the codex says. We have every advantage and all we need to do is make sure the alternative mission sounds more than a little plausible."<br /><br />"And how do you propose we do that?" Brian asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Do you have any idea what mountains the codex is referring to?" I asked and Brian said, "Yeah, it's got to be somewhere in the Andes."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina said, "That doesn't make any sense."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Why is that?" Jack asked.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina said, "Because the Mayan territory didn't stretch that far south."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That's true enough," Brian said, "but the Mayans history predates their own culture and the myths referred to within the codex belong to another civilization predating their own. I could be wrong, but there are striking similarities between the story here and the mythology surrounding the rise of the Inca Empire."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Wait a second," I said. "Maybe I got my dates confused, but I thought the Inca Empire didn't come about until much later than the Mayan?"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No, you're right," Brian said, "The Mayans were around three thousand years before the Incas and technically speaking the Mayan civilization still persists today."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'm confused," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian said, "Archeologists have theorized for years that the Mayan civilization was built from a merging of many tribes that banded together in order to share various skills and resources. That a story from Mayan mythology could make it's way into the foundations of another civilization so much further south is not only proof a trading network much larger than previously suspected, but also suggests that the roots of the civilization could be equally vast."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack said, "Not that I'm not enjoying the history lesson, but how does this translate into the place we are looking for is in the Andes?"</div><br />Brian said, "The connection is indirect, but it is logical. The codex states the mountain is far from the Mayan territory and in the land of the Condor. Mayans referred to southern lands as being of the condor and northern lands as being of the eagle. From that description the Andes fits the bill, but the Inca mythology also speaks of great leaders traveling into the mountains and in that case we know the mountains referred to are indeed the Andes. It would seem obvious the Inca mythology is essentially a distortion of the Mayan. Combine that with our pursuers looking for the same thing in the Andes and it seems almost certain the Andes are it."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It wouldn't be the first time our friends were looking in the wrong place," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"The Andes cover a lot of territory, but I'm positive that's the mountain range being referred to," Brian said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Alright," I said leaning on the jeep and suppressing a yawn. "We head north into Mexico like we said before then and we have the team prepare permits for an excavation at one of the lesser known Mayan ruins in the region."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"They'll never buy it," Brian said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina said, "They will if I schedule a news conference on the site for a couple days after we are supposed to arrive."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I like the way you think," Jack said, with a smile on his face.</div><br />"It will only buy us a few days at best," Brian said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's better than nothing," I said giving his shoulder a supportive squeeze. "If the codex can narrow our search any better then we might stand a good chance of beating them out before they even realize we're competition."</div><br />Jack nodded and said, "Now we've got a plan. Let's get some rest and get back on the road at first light. We'll call Tom and get everything rolling as soon we're back moving."</span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-37414162730450441632010-03-01T05:00:00.000-08:002010-03-01T05:00:03.060-08:00Taking Control: Shades Of Truth<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; ">There was absolute silence, painful and pressured, like being underwater. Illuminated by moonlight, Olivia stood naked on the edge of a cliff. Her arms spread beside her, open, empty palms facing me. She smiled, sympathetically nodding at me and the unwavering gun gripped in my cold hand, pointing at her. A few feet away, Dr. Gene Michaels watched us, seemingly more interested in a long folded scroll in his hands. Behind me, Joseph Candle stood close enough for me to feel the ice of his breath on my ear.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Trust me," Olivia said and Dr. Michaels nodded.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">In my ear, Joseph Candle whispered, "Kill her," and my finger twitched on the trigger.</div><br />"Things are not what they seem," She said and the world shifted.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I was naked and Olivia wore my clothes. The gun remained in my hand, pointed at Olivia. Joseph Candle stood beside me, sour disappointment adorning his face. Behind me the cliff ended and below was nothing except darkness. Dr. Michaels held a portion of the scroll up for me to see a single name written on the pages, over and over; Allison. Olivia shrugged.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's a trick," Joseph Candle said.</div><br />Olivia said, "The choice is yours."<br /><br />Out of thin air and darkness, the child-like form of my grandmother appeared beside me, opposite Joseph Candle. She surveyed the situation, looking exceptionally long over the edge of the cliff and shaking her head at me. A carefree smile on her face attempted to hide the lines of concern and fear threatening to overwhelm. She looked from Joseph Candle to Dr. Michaels to Olivia before her eyes settled once more on me.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I still don't know what you are going to do," She said.</div><br />"She'll make the wrong choice," Olivia said. "She always does."<br /><br />"You know what you have to do," Joseph Candle said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You don't have to do anything," Dr. Michaels said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Nothing is a choice too," My grandmother said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia smiled. The world spun around in a vicious circle. I closed my eye against the dizziness, but nothing changed.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"She'll kill us all," Joseph Candle said and Olivia pointed a gun at him. "Trust me," She said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">My finger closed around the trigger. Silence returned as the bullet flew through the air, but instead of Olivia, it impacted against my own chest. I stumbled backward, off the edge of the cliff and fell. Swallowed by darkness, I felt nothing, not even the rush of air. I tumbled in a free fall, up and down as confused as right and wrong. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We're here," Brian said, his strong hand ripping me from the darkness of my nightmares.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Shielding my eyes from the warm light of the morning sun, I glanced around from the backseat of the jeep. A few feet away Jack and Gina pretended to be interested in the landscape giving Brian and me the semblance of privacy. Brian offered support via a sympathetic smile, but written in his eyes was a lack of understanding. Given the circumstances and everything leading us to where we were, I understood his confusion more than I understood what I was feeling inside. Olivia had left me with few choices and with all she had done I had no cause to be plagued with regret for my own actions, but with or without, I could not escape the hollow pit within me nor the tiny voice in buried deep in my thoughts. What if I was wrong?</div><br />"Are you alright?" Brian asked, helping me climb out of the jeep.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Straightening my clothes, as if the act would actually help their sorry state, I nodded my head and said, "Fine. The codex is here?"</div><br />Brian nodded and said, "And my SAT phone."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Then what are we waiting for?" I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You," Jack said walking over to join us with Gina following him a few steps behind. "Everything alright?"</div><br />Ignoring Jack, I kept my attention on Brian and said, "Let's go."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian adjusted the weight of his backpack and turned to the jungle beyond us. Jack grabbed my arm and turned me to him, forcing me to look him in the eye. Any thoughts I might have entertained about our troubles being forgotten were quickly silenced at the sight of the storm brewing in his dark pupils. I could feel his frustration pulsing in the grip of his hand and simultaneously I could feel my patience slipping away.<br /><br />"What?" I said.</div><br />He glared at my boldness a moment longer before he said, "Nothing. Forget it."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Shaking my head, I jerked my arm from Jack's hold and followed Brian into the thickness of the jungle. The path sloped down at a steep angle and we weaved back and forth to avoid tumbling down. Brian kept the pace quick and we all followed with the only sounds being the trampling of our movements and the unseen animals sensing our intrusion into their domain. I focused on the journey to keep my thoughts from straying into the dark abyss of guilt and conscience.</div><br />The base of the valley was home to a dry riverbed. Surrounded by the dense overgrowth of humid jungle, it looked strangely out of place. Following the riverbed for a short distance, Brian led us to an opening in wet, mossy rocks, obviously carved by the receded waters of the riverbed. Pulling a flashlight from his pack, Brian squeezed through the opening and then turned to give me a hand getting through.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">On hands and knees we crawled through a short tunnel into a large open cavern. Brian helped Gina and I out of the tunnel. Naturally, Jack declined any assistance. Brian lit a single torch against the wall and the cavern flickered into eerie life. A black pool of water with a perfectly calm surface sat in the middle of the cavern. An odor reminiscent of clay burning in a kiln tickled my nostrils as I breathed in the stale air. I shuddered at the dream-like familiarity of the scene.<br /><br />"It's just over here," Brian said walking to a pile of rocks beside the water.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">We all followed him to the waterside. My eyes drifted toward the water. Our reflections peered back at me through the calm black and then a flutter of white behind us spun me around to seek out the source. Jack whirled around at the same time, pulling out his gun and aiming it into the shadows just beyond the light of the flickering torch. The sound of rock and dirt being pushed aside emanated from the shadows and an old woman's laugh echoed around the chamber.</div><br />"Put that thing away, Jack," The woman said, revealing herself in the torch light. "We both know you won't use it."<br /><br />I recognized her instantly even though I had decided she had been nothing more than a hallucination. Her reappearance was less of a surprise to me than the fact everyone else could see her. Jack lowered his gun after appraising her for a moment. Other than the white stick held in her hand like a walking stick, she was unarmed and nonthreatening. The way she looked at Jack told me she knew him and well, but the suspicion on Jack's face suggested he was looking at a stranger.<br /><br />"You two know each other?" I asked, glancing between them.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No," Jack said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"In a manner of speaking, I know all of you," The old woman said, her eyes landing on me and boring through me. "Of course I know you most of all."</div><br />"Who are you? What do you want?" I asked.<br /><br />She said, "It's enough to know that I have walked your path and you have a chance to make a difference. All I want is for you to have that chance."<br /><br />"I don't think we should be waiting around here," Gina said, stepping forward turning our attention back to Brian and the pile of rocks.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"She's right," The old woman said, looking back toward the tunnel we had entered from. "You are still being pursued and time is short. The codex will lead you where you need to go, but know now the answers you seek may not be the ones you wish to find."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"If you know something, why not just tell me?" I said.</div><br />"Because you won't believe the truth until you learn it for yourself," She said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">A rock tumbled into the water behind me making a splash and whipping my head around to stare at Brian. He shrugged and held up an intricately carved box. The carvings caught my attention and kept it as I studied what appeared to be a woman marked with a "V". Brian caught my gaze and nodded his head.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He said, "I guess you can see why I thought of you."</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">A noise behind me emanating from the tunnel leading into the chamber, spun me around. The old woman turned toward the tunnel and started walking toward it glancing back at me and the others as she approached it.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"There is another way out," She said. "Follow the far wall around behind the water and you'll find the path. I will hold them as long as I can, but you must hurry."</div><br />"Better if you just come with us," Jack said. "You can't last long enough to matter."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gunshots erupted into the chamber for the tunnel and two men rolled out of it into the open. The old woman swung her stick knocking both the men off their feet even as Jack raised his gun. She rammed the stick into the forehead of the first man, leaving him out cold where he had landed on the ground. The second got off a wild shot, but a moment later her stick sent his gun flying straight up in the air. She bashed him into unconsciousness, dropped her stick and caught the gun out of the air before I could even blink. Jack looked just as stunned as I felt, his gun aimed at the already disabled men.</div><br />"Go now. I can't hold them forever," She said.<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian and Gina were already scrambling along the back wall along the edge of the water. Jack and I exchanged a look which told me he did not like the situation anymore than I did. He turned to head out and I tuned to follow, but something made me look back one more time as Brian and Gina disappeared in the escape tunnel the old woman had directed us toward. Blood seeped through the old woman's white rags. The wild shot had not been wild enough.</div><br />"Come with us," I said, pleading for her to choose life over death as if it were my own soul at risk.<br /><br />She fired off three shots into the tunnel and said, "I chose my path a long time ago. You can save me, but not here, not now."<br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't understand," I said.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You will," She said ducking for cover as a hail of gunfire erupted from the tunnel. "The codex will show you the path. Follow it until it's time to make your own. Now go!"</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I hesitated a moment longer, but as another barrage of gunfire erupted into the cavern and the ceiling began to crumble, I realized there was nothing I could do. My feet ran for the exit even as my mind searched for an argument to stay. The tunnel's entrance collapsed just after I entered, shaking me out of a melancholy I could not explain. I ran to catch up with the others and barely made it to them before they reached the exit back into the jungle.</div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">We climbed out into the sunlight only a few feet from the jeep. It was unguarded, probably because like us, they had assumed there was only way in or out of the cave and we were supposedly trapped inside. Jack jumped behind the wheel and Gina scrambled into the front seat next to him while Brian and I climbed into the back. Brian laid the box containing the codex into my hands and Jack sped us away from our pursuers and into an uncertain future.</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-70676106519003846862010-02-28T05:00:00.000-08:002010-02-28T05:00:03.650-08:00Choosing Corners: Blaze Of Glory<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">My eyes snapped open to the sound of voices carried on the wind. I was sitting in the middle of the jungle, a small clearing overlooking a camp that was too large for the name but too small to be anything else. Shaking off disorientation, I crawled to my knees and peered through foliage at the camp and the people wandering inside of it. Blinking I recalled an old woman with long white hair and silver eyes, but it felt like a dream from a long time ago. Had she snapped her fingers and brought me to Olivia's camp or had I walked, deliriously through the jungle, finding my way by the grace of fate and a blatant trail easily followed by the blind?</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The gun still rested in my hand and my last two extra clips remained tucked in the waistband of my ragged skirt. Looking down at myself, I was a mess. Dry cleaning probably was not going to cut it, but what do you expect when you go hiking in the jungle wearing business clothes? I pulled my tangled hair back and retied it behind me, watching the camp and wondering what I was going to do.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia was definitely waiting for me to make an attempt to free my friends. The question was what did she expect me to do? That meant I needed a plan and then I needed a plan that made it looked like I was following my plan while actually doing something different. Complicated? No, not at all. It ought to be a walk in the park, or jungle if you prefer. I prefer the park, I think. Yeah, parks are much nicer, plus they do not usually have armed guards. Well unless you are in New York, but that's a whole other story.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">What would Olivia expect me to do? Walk in the front gate? Okay, it is not really a gate but whatever you want to call the entrance. Probably not exactly what she would be expecting, but would she buy it? Right up until, things started going wrong, I guess. What could possibly go wrong if I walked in the front? I mean for her, not for me. Obviously, being a painted target in the middle of everyone's gun sight would be a problem for me that could go wrong seven ways from Sunday. Yeah, walking in the front sounds pretty dumb.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Let us see here, I know; What would Tom do? Call in an air strike and blow everything up. Yep, that sounds about like Tom. Casualties? Acceptable losses. On the plus side, with Jack gone, I would be team leader. I wonder if that would put an end to my probation? Knowing Mrs. Anderson, probably not. Besides, the lack of major benefits, there is also the problem, I do not have anyway to call in the air strike, nor would I even know how if I did have the capability. I guess that will not work.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Inventory," I said to myself. Twenty-four bullets, one handgun, one ruined business suit, a pair of muddy heels, one semi-functional, but filthy body, a rubber band holding hair out of the way, and a pair of earrings. Patting myself down to make sure I had not forgot anything, I discovered a book of matches which were mostly soaked. If I was lucky I might get a spark out of one of them, but I would not want to bet my life on it. Unless, I was missing something big, I did not have the tools necessary to mount a two front assault.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">It is simple I guess. Obviously, I need to acquire more inventory. So, what kind of things would it be nice to have? A tank, definitely tops the list, but I think it might take awhile to get one. A platoon of trained soldiers, would be nice also, but yeah, not too likely in this life. Grenades, now there is something those guards have on them, that I could really use. How do I get what they have? Oh yeah, simple, I take it from them. I am sure if I explain my need, they will be happy to hand the stuff over. Okay, I might have to be a little more persuasive, or damn near lethal, but let us not talk about that possibility.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Other things I need then; A knife might come in handy, a few extra rounds for my gun, maybe another gun or two, something in the fully automatic family would be nice, and a better idea of how that camp is laid out. Yeah that ought to do it. The biggest obstacle is actually the fact Olivia knows I am coming. As soon things get started, she will know it is me and be waiting. No matter how much I plan and project, her plan would still be in place and she would probably be thinking a few steps ahead of me because as she said herself, she had all the cards.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Nodding to myself in the darkness, I got my feet under me and started moving around the perimeter of the camp. It was on the edge of a ravine, far below a river ran through it. The camp had three primary structures, all portable and all large enough to hold twenty to thirty people. The outside perimeter was guarded by a roving patrol of four guards. Each guard had a belt with three grenades, an automatic rifle with a spare clip, a handgun with a spare clip and a flashlight.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Watching the three tents, I quickly noted that two of them had people coming and going freely from them while the third had two guards posted at the entrance and nobody was coming or going. It seemed the obvious location of my friends, but with Olivia, it could easily be a ruse meant to draw me into an ambush. I needed to confirm their location before moving in on the camp, but I was at a loss as to how to do it.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The guards' patrol route overlapped leaving no part of the perimeter unprotected for more than a few seconds and even in those seconds it was possible to be seen if the flashlight were directed properly. In order to confirm my suspicions, I would have to take out two guards in silence and even then it would leave with me hardly anytime to readjust if I was wrong. No, I needed another way.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Returning to the small clearing, I considered the possibilities once again. There were just simply too many of them. I could not possibly take on an army and expect to come out victorious. Maybe with Tom or Jack at my side, it would be different, but on my own I was out matched and there was no point in denying it. I might as well pull out and go home because anything else was just... Wait a second. Pull out. That sounds promising.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I grabbed the book of matches and stared at them as a real plan started to form inside my head. Finding dry brush in a jungle is like finding water in a desert, but if you know where to look, well it is just like finding that water. I gathered, twigs and dead grass into a pile in the middle of my clearing. A spark was all I needed by the matches were not in the best of shape after the last couple of days and I knew exactly how they felt. "All or nothing," I said and grabbed all the matches into a bundle, ripping them along the striking surface. Nothing happened. I took a deep breath and tried once more.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Three sparks flew from the matches onto the grass and with some careful huffing a fire began to burn. I eject the mostly spent clip from my gun and dropped it in the middle of my flammable pile. Slapping a fresh clip into the gun, I moved quickly off to the side of the camp before the smoke and light attracted attention from the guards. I waited impatiently near the back of the tent I suspected held my friends and hoped I would be lucky enough to be right.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">One of the guards on the other side of the perimeter started shouting and point at the fire I had started. A moment later, all but one of the guards on the perimeter were heading out to the fire and a group of men stood waiting at the entrance into the camp. They knew it was me of course, but they could not possibly know what I had planned. I hoped that was the case at least. As the guards approached the fire, it finally got hot enough to explode the bullets I had left behind. Just like I planned it, every man at the entrance of the camp went running to join their comrades at the fire, assuming I was there somewhere in the foliage, shooting at them. I smiled.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">It was working perfectly until I noticed the remaining perimeter guard had not followed everyone else. He was in fact, staring at me, nearly face to face with me as I moved toward the tent. I almost froze, but he opened his mouth to yell and I could not possibly allow him to do that. Reflexes took control and I slammed my shoulder into his midsection as hard as I could, knocking the wind from him. As he doubled over, gasping for air, I swung the butt of my gun into the back of his head, dropping him to the ground, out cold.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Nervously, I glanced around wondering if anyone else was lurking nearby. Seeing no one, I took his grenades, knife, gun and spare clip. The rifle might have been helpful but it was too bulky and it would only slow me down when I needed speed. I ran to the tent and sliced a peek hole into the back of it. Inside, I saw Jack, Gina, and Brian, all tied up and under the supervision of a single guard. At last, something was going right.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">For a half second I considered slicing a door and going straight in, but I realized it would take very little for the guard inside to have a lot more goons on us and I could not guarantee silencing him fast enough. I shook my head as I realized what I had to do. Ridiculous, ironic, stupid, whatever you call it, I was going to enter right through the front. I glanced in the distance, confirming the bulk of the goons were still searching the far off clearing and surrounding area for me. Walking quickly I rounded the side and entered the camp, shooting at the two guards still at the door of the tent holding my friends. The scrambled for cover diving behind nearby supply crates.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Hearing commotion from the large tent on my other side, I pulled the pin from the first grenade and tossed it at the tent's doorway. The explosion sent a wave of heat through the air, kissing my cheek as I kept walking toward my goal. The tent collapsed and its material caught fire, causing those inside to panic and try to get out anyway they could. The door to the tent holding my friend flapped open and the inside guard stuck his head out the opening. Quickening my pace, I readjusted my grip on my gun and introduced it to the guard's nose.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">He fell backward, stumbling away from me with a bloody nose. I pushed my way through the opening and kicked him hard where it counts. He dropped to his knees, shock in his eyes, not much different than Gina or Jack's who were watching me. Swinging the gun again, I knocked him out cold with a slap to the side of the head. An instant later I had the knife in my hand and cut the ropes off Jack and Gina, followed by Brian.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"About time you got here," Brian said, admiring my handiwork on the floor.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Sorry, I was a little delayed by the weather," I said with a smile. "We need to get out of here, because there are a lot more guards on their way back here right now."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">They all nodded and Jack grabbed the rifle from his formed guard and passed the handgun and spare clip to Gina. I handed Brian my extra gun and a spare clip. Jack said, "What's your plan?"</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"There are two jeeps just outside," I said. "We take one and disable the other, but we've got to move quick."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack said, "Right," And headed out the door. The rest of us followed as Jack cleared the way with cover fire, keeping the few goons who realized where we were at bay. Brian moved to check the jeeps quickly and called out, "We'll take this one."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded to him and moved to the other jeep. "I'll take care of this one," I said. Brian jumped behind the wheel of the one we were taking and turned the ignition. Gina slipped in the seat next to him keeping her eyes on the surrounding area. Jack kept firing in short spurts, conserving ammo and keeping the goons pinned down. I slipped behind my wheel and turned ignition. A quick search lent me a crowbar which I jammed the accelerator down with and then I slipped the jeep into gear, aiming toward the third large tent and consequently the ravine beyond. As it moved, I jumped out and rolled on the ground.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The jeep drove itself straight into the tent, but it seemed it was mostly empty. I turned back to the others and ran toward them when Olivia appeared in front of them with a gun in each hand, one pointed at Brian and the other at Jack. She looked pissed and that is to say more so than normal. I guess turning her camp into a campfire was not exactly the kind of trap she had in mind for me. </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack dove behind the jeep as she pulled her triggers. Dust floated in the air where he had been and her bullet whizzed through it into the darkness and beyond. Brian ducked into Gina's lap causing her to drop her gun as Olivia's other bullet shattered the jeep's windshield. Brian shifted the jeep into gear and drove it blindly at Olivia, but she jumped out of the way without much effort.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The absence of the jeep left Jack in the open with Olivia taking double aim at him. Jack scrambled on top of the fallen and burning tent disappearing into smoke and flames. Being out of her direct line, Olivia glared at me a moment before running off to find Jack. Obviously, she considered him the biggest threat, but she should have known I would not just leave him to her. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I ran after her, noticing the goons who had stupidly ran to my little fire were starting to realize they were needed back at their camp. Time was running out and if we did not get out soon, we never would. I round the outer edge of the camp and found Olivia with Jack in her sights. He was dropping his rifle because she had him and there was nothing he could do. I raised my gun and aimed at her. "Drop it," I said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia turned her head to me and said, "I can't do that. Put your gun down or I'll put Jack down for good. That is the only way this is going to happen."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Jack started to go for his rifle again with her attention on me, but she caught his movement out of the corner of her eye and she spun back on him. She was going to kill him and there was only one thing I could do to stop her. My breath caught in my chest as shadowy advice from dreams or somewhere beyond echoed in my ears. Make a choice, even not choosing was choosing and so I chose. My finger squeezed the trigger and Olivia spun away from Jack and back toward me, her mouth open, as the impact of the bullet ripped through her body. She fell down on one knee, blinking at me and then, with great effort, she pushed herself back up on her feet and brought her guns swinging toward me. I pulled the trigger again and once again send her reeling backward, teetering on the edge of the ravine. A moment later she was gone, slipped off the edge and all that remained was Jack and I. </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I stared numbly at the empty space where Olivia had been. The gun still rested firmly in my grip, as the scene replayed itself in my mind. There had been no other choice, she had left me no options, her or Jack, kill or be killed. The look in her eyes was not what I expected, no evil glare or hatred beaming through to calm soul, nothing but pure and total shock. Jack's hand gripped my shoulder, shaking me from the moment back into the now.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We have to go," He said. There was sympathy in his tone, understanding in his voice. Can a choice be both right and wrong?</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Brian and Gina arrived with the jeep, spinning it around directly in front of us and beckoning us aboard. We ran and jumped into the back as an army of goons ran toward us. Jack stood up, bracing himself between the back of Gina's seat and the safety roll bars while sending a spray of bullets into the oncoming army. The scattered like roaches, diving back into the crevices from which they had come.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Miles away, the sun rising on a new day, Jack rested a hand on my knee and offered a smile. Brian had pulled over to rest for a few minutes while he studied the map to set our direction. "I hid the codex before they got to me," He said. "I memorized the GPS coordinates and if this map is accurate I think I can get us there by tomorrow nightfall."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I nodded. "Tomorrow is good enough," I said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We could all use a little rest before moving on," Jack said. Brian and Gina nodded and moved off from the jeep a short distance. I started to get up and stretch myself, but Jack's hand held me back. He said, "She didn't give you a choice."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I know," I said, faking a smile.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Gene will understand," He said looking into my eyes, "I'll make sure of it."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You know about them?" I said, surprised because I thought Dr. Michaels was too embarrassed to admit it to anyone else unless I forced it.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"He told us," Jack said, "He wanted his daughter back, but he knew the risks and he knew she wouldn't make it easy."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I blinked. The world suddenly turned upside down as Jack's statement filtered its way through my brain. His daughter. Dr. Michaels' daughter. Olivia was his daughter. I killed Olivia. I killed Dr. Michaels' daughter. Tears spilled onto my cheeks and Jack pulled me to him, but I was alone.</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-25421995063305313042010-02-25T05:00:00.000-08:002010-02-25T05:00:08.805-08:00Choosing Corners: Before The Storm<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Wind rushed through my hair as I fell. The feeling of utter freedom washed over me as adrenaline pumped through my veins. In another life I would have closed my eyes and waited for the end of everything to splash over me. I was no long that person though, and I faced my future with eyes wide open and no intention of waiting for anything. My hand caught hold of the vine I had spotted from above and grasped it tight enough to slow my descent.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Feeling the rubbery plant begin to burn the skin in my hand I released and kicked against the rocks beside the waterfall, sending me into the branches of a waiting tree and clutching its trunk, dangling far above the ground, but safely alive. Holding tight, I watched my gun tumble and fall to a stop on the ground far below. Looking up, I saw a shocked Olivia looking down at me and shaking her head in disbelief.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"She's alive," Olivia shouted, "Find me another way down there, now!"</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I smiled feeling almost impressed with myself. Patting myself on the back would have to wait for another time because as much as I wanted to rest, Olivia was not about to give up. Careful not to fall, I wormed my way down the tree until I was standing on solid ground once more. My gun lay on the other side of the raging river and after a moment's consideration I decided it was important enough to go after. I was already soaked anyway, so what is a little more water?</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I looked down the river a little ways and spotted just what I needed; A fallen tree, bridging the two sides. Hurrying along, I tried to recall the map of the region to decide where to head next. Jack had apparently escaped as well, which meant he would be making his own way toward our rendezvous, at least if he was doing as we planned. There was still the slight possibility he would see this SNAFU as a good reason to bail out and head home. He certainly did not believe Brian was an innocent in everything.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Cautiously, I tight walked across the slippery trunk over the raging river enjoying its cool spray against my skin. The humid climate of the jungle was enough to make me daydream of deserts. My clothes were soaked through and through but even before that, they had been stuck to my skin like tack paper. In the distance, I could hear the sound of engines roaring as jeeps raced to find a way down to my location. With any luck, one of them was Jack, but I could not count on it. I grabbed my gun and tucked it back into my waistband after checking the clip and engaging the safety.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Getting my bearings, I realized it was still morning and that meant the sun was to the east. Heading east would bring me back to the road and the road was the only sure way I had of not getting lost. Of course, it was also the easiest way to be found by Olivia and her goons. The river was heading east and fast, but without a boat it was risky to attempt using it. Listening to the engines getting closer, I knew I had to make a decision. The river called to me like a siren as I stared at it, wishing I had a raft, or even a rubber donut.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I needed another option. The river or the jungle was just not much of a choice. Either too slow or too fast and even though I was crazy enough to jump off the edge of a cliff, I was not really into death defying stunts. My eyes turned toward the splash of the waterfall and then I looked up to see there was no longer anyone watching me. Walking on the edge of the river, I approached the sheet of falling water, squinting to see beyond it as I recalled the water inside Fu Xi's vault. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and stepped through the water. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Not really expecting to find anything but solid rock behind the fall, I was surprised when my head found open space. I opened my eyes and discovered a small cave above four feet above the bottom of the river. Quickly I pulled myself up the ledge and out of the water into the narrow tunnel. There was light coming from inside someplace, flickering like a fire on the walls. The waterfall completely hid it all from the outside world. The light could mean I was not alone, but the cave seemed my best chance to avoid Olivia and she would most likely think I had used the river to head back toward the main road. If I waited long enough, I could catch up with them and they would be looking in all the wrong places for me.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I backed away from the water making sure I was far enough away that some stray glance into the fall would not reveal me hiding. The roar of the waterfall was almost all I could hear at first, but as I became accustomed to the cave's echoes, I could hear the engine sounds once more. They stopped close by and I could hear the trampling of goons, searching the local area for any signs of me or where I had gone. I held my breath, hoping they would make the assumption I needed them to make.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What have you found," Olivia said, apparently arriving late to the scene.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Nothing," A man replied.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"There has to be something," Olivia said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe she used the river," Another man said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Possible, but unlikely," Olivia said. "She only takes risks she can control."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You're not going to find her," Gina said, a taunting to her tone that made me smile.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I think she crossed here," A man said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Going where?" Olivia asked.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Back toward where you are," He said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia said, "To retrieve her weapon. Then where did she go?"</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Into the water," Another man said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't buy it," Olivia said. "The river's a bad option. Too many variables and not enough control."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"She was scared and running," A man said, "Maybe she thought the risk was her only option."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Gina laughed. "She set you up. She was better than you at camp and she's still better than you now," She said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"None of you," Olivia said, "You most of all, know what you're involved in."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Just knowing it vexes you is good enough for me," Gina said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Obviously, she had a plan," Olivia said, "And you know at least some of it."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Yeah, it involved pissing you off," Gina said, "I think she succeeded on that point already, and then rescuing Brian from your evil clutches."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"If you knew the difference between good and evil, you'd be rooting for me to find Virginia before it's too late," Olivia said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't think Tanya would agree," Gina said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"That was an unfortunate mistake," Olivia said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Because it proved who you are?" Gina said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No," Olivia said, "Because it cast doubt on what we are."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">A radio squawked and Olivia said, "Stratford here, go ahead."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We've got Barker," The radio voice said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Alive?" Olivia said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"He unconscious, but he'll live," The radio responded.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Excellent work," Olivia said. "Head back to camp."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The radio said, "Copy that."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Everybody pack it up," Olivia ordered.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What about West?" A man said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We're holding all the cards," Olivia said. "She'll come to us."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Moments later the engines roared back to life and then began to fade in the distance as they drove away. I remained huddled in my cave, hugging my knees to my chest. Focusing on breathing, I considered the situation carefully. Jack was either free and waiting for me at the rendezvous, meaning Olivia suspected I was nearby and did her little radio show for my benefit or he had been captured and incapacitated. Heading to the rendezvous point myself was either a waste of time, a trap, or the only way I was going to get any help. The last possibility was good, but the other two were less than exciting.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia was right, I would come to them. I could not easily leave the jungle and get help, a general lack of transportation being the first obstacle and time being the second. She would leave and easy to track trail, but if I did not show quickly, it would lead to nowhere. I closed my eyes trying to force new possibilities to open themselves up to my mind. Every direction seemed like a sure way to lose and this was a battle I could not afford to lose. Maybe my grandmother had been right when she told me to turn back and forget about Brian. It was beginning to look more and more like the trap had been laid very carefully with me in mind and if Brian was not a willing participant he was close enough to it, that it might not matter in the end.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The sound of a pebble falling, echoed within the cave and snapped my eyes back open. I looked back into the depth of the cave and stared once more at the flickering light. Maybe there was another possibility and maybe it was with the light. Pulling out my gun, I began the slow process of crawling down the tunnel toward the light and its unknown source. Every movement I made seemed to echo louder and louder the farther I went, but if someone was paying attention they gave me no sign.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">At the end of the tunnel, the cave opened into a larger chamber, not huge, but large enough to stand upright. In the center of the room a small camp fire burning, ventilated by a stone window into the jungle on the other side of the cave. Sitting next to the fire, an old woman sat quietly warming her hands by the fire. Her long white hair draped over her like a dress falling to the floor. I stepped into the opening and she smiled up at me with silver eyes that seemed to reflect the firelight straight into me.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I didn't mean to startle you," I said, doubting she would even understand me.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I was beginning to think you would never come inside," She said, her voice raspy as if she had smoked her whole life.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You speak English," I said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"As do you," She said with a laugh.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What are you doing here?" I asked, although a hundred other questions were floating in my head as well.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I could well ask you the same," She said, gesturing for me to join her by the fire. "It matters little though, our journeys have brought us here and that is sufficient."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I hesitated a moment and then shrugged. She was no stranger than Joseph Candle in her responses and something told me, she was no threat to me. It was even possible she might be able to help. I sat down, cross-legged next to her. The warmth I expected to overwhelm me from the fire was strikingly absent and instead I found myself feeling cooler and more comfortable instead of less.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You are lost," She said and I raised an eyebrow wondering if I was supposed react in awe at her conclusion. She laughed and said, "Not in the jungle, but inside yourself. You are trapped on the way from the person you were to the person you are supposed to become."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What do you know of me?" I asked, not certain I truly wished to know.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You have yet to choose your path," She said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"My friends are in danger, I should go," I said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She said, "There are indeed, but more than your friends are at stake. The path you choose will effect all those who came before and all those yet to come."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The words sounded familiar. She looked nothing like my ethereal grandmother, but her words were as cryptic and the subject seemed much the same. Remembering the crystal and its ability to alter her appearance in variations of its light, I wondered if this was another apparition of her, acting as if she were a convenient guide with knowledge to help me, but shrouded in mystery. She saw the thoughts in my eyes and shook her head ever so slightly.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"In the end it is only you who can decide. I am not the one of whom you think, but we have met before and we will again. Time is short though and I cannot risk helping you more," She said and the fire crackled as her finger snapped. The cave and the fire disappeared and we were sitting in the jungle, the sun setting on the horizon and darkness falling around us.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She said, "You must choose a path and do it quickly because not deciding is a choice as well." </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Who are you?" I asked, wondering if I could believe my eyes or ears or if sanity had snapped from my head entirely.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"It's only natural you should stumble on your journey, but if you remain true to yourself, you will find your way," She said and disappeared into the darkness, leaving me alone.</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4598651079166807274.post-2764238638859845402010-02-22T05:00:00.000-08:002010-02-22T05:00:01.590-08:00Choosing Corners: Bound For A Fall<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The plan was to wait. It was simple, so simple it should have been easy to stick with, but I should have known better. When was the last time things went the way they were supposed to go? I might have to go as far back as the fifth grade to answer that one, but being covered in jungle foliage and mud, trips down memory lane will just have to wait. They had Gina which was fine, I mean that was just part of the plan. Ben pointing out Jack's general location on the hillside opposite me, was not.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">It started with a dozen of Olivia's goons sweeping toward the slope. I expected Jack would just quietly slip away, crawling through undergrowth until he was far enough away, no one would believe he had ever been close at all. Instead, Jack waiting until they were almost on top of his location and then he started shooting. How he managed to take ten of them out before they even knew he was there, particularly since they were looking for him, I do not know. Watching from my vantage, I realized when it came to Jack, I did not really know anything about his past. It was intertwined with Tom's in some manner and Tom was a military man through and through, but what did the make Jack? Dangerous, but what kind of dangerous?</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The thoughts were running through my head, watching Jack run, exchanging fire with the two goons remaining. They were probably outmatched by Jack, but they did have the advantage of numbers, and he was on the run up the hill with limited hard cover. A sound of twigs and crisp leaves crunching caught my attention and I suddenly became aware I was being stalked myself. It was too late of course, but I was beginning to think I should have let Jack cut out Ben's eyes at the very least.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I rolled over in my dirt bed just in time to find a rifle barrel in my face. I could smell the faint remains of alcohol from it's last cleaning as it wavered in front of my nose. The man holding it seemed to want me to do something. I was not listening though. Jack would have liked that at least. Without thinking, I kicked my legs underneath alcohol, rifle goon and sent him rolling down hill. I did not wait to see where he landed.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Running uphill is a little like waving a flag and asking to be shot. Jack might have had a chance going up and away but my only chance was straight or down and I was at least bright enough to know it. I caught sight of another goon ahead and to my left as I leapt from my hiding place. He was a little slow noticing me, but I will bet he got a good look as I ran passed while he rolled into that giant tree trunk with a new hole in his leg. Obviously, I did not stick around to know for certain.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">There was a cave at the end of the valley with a stream running through it. I remembered it from the map, it was one of the reasons Jack liked the location. The cave opened out on the other side to a waterfall dumping into a river. In the event things went bad, it was an alternate escape route with a way of covering a lot of territory quickly. Granted, river rafting without a raft can be a little difficult, but it sure beats the odds of living with an extra hole in the head. </div><br /><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">My single gunshot seemed to attract goons to me like moths to a flickering blue light. Too bad I am not quite as lethal to goons as that light is to moths, but I was not ready to throw in the towel. Bullets whizzed passed my head as I took a sudden turn down hill. Okay, fine, I stumbled with fortunate results, but I will not be admitting it later. I tumbled down the side of the slope barely managing to get my feet under me again as I came to a sliding stop a few feet above the valley floor and the trickle of creek water running toward the cave. </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The slip put me ahead of the goons and I ran like the wind to stay ahead. More like a gentle breeze I guess, but they were not any faster, I swear. I squeezed off blind rounds at the jungle behind me. Those aloe plants and banana trees will not ever hurt anyone again.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Nearing the cave, I ran the last few feet to the valley floor at an angle and jumped the creek to the other side. The rocks beneath my feet were wet and smooth, but I kept my balance by moving quickly on my toes. Rustling on the slope, turned my head to watch one of the goons sliding down the slope on his back, shooting wildly in my direction. Bullets splashed all around me and bounced on rocks at my feet as I kept going.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">The entrance to the cave was small and only traversable though the creek. It was not my first choice to get soaked to the skin without a change of clothes, but it seemed a bit more rational than waiting around to get shot. I fired a wild shot behind me that somehow sent wild slide goon crashing into the creek, his gun dropped into the water. Wading through the water I disappeared into the cave and hoped we were too far north for piranhas as unseen things brushed passed my legs.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I should have suspected, it's not like the creek made sense as the source for a massive waterfall, but I was still a bit surprised to find a rushing river joining with my creek in the middle of the cave. The joining of the two waters nearly threw me from my feet. I grabbed hold of rocks along the wall of the cave to steady myself. Behind me I heard the splash of water signifying the pursuit of more than a single goon and they were getting closer. Up ahead I could see daylight and I pushed on toward it, hoping there would be a safe way down which would offer me a secure place to avoid my pursuers or at least hold them at bay until I came up with a better plan than running away.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Reaching the end of the cave, I held onto the rock and stared in disbelief. The water flowed straight out of the cave and dropped straight down to a raging river far below. I will not bother estimating the height because the lush greenery and splashing water created an illusion making everything seem much better. The splashing behind me slowed and I knew I was out of options.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I turned around to find Olivia smugly smiling at me. Her gun was not even pointed at me, just threatening the water. We stood perfectly still, her goons stopped and waiting a few feet behind her. She shook her head and said, "It doesn't have to be this way."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You cheated me," I said, glancing back behind me.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She laughed and said, "You never expected me to bring Brian out here. I know you aren't that foolish."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Maybe," I said. "Maybe I wanted to give you one last chance to prove you are better than you seem."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia took a step closer to me, the sunlight illuminating her in the water like a silver spotlight. My gun followed her movement, my finger quivering on the trigger as instinct and morality fought a battle for my soul. I wanted to hate her, hate everything about her, but she was more complicated than that. Much as I did not want to admit it, she scared me. My psyche understood, the differences between us were not as great as I wished and the circumstances leading us to opposite side could have easily led us to the same place and even friendship, or at least mutual respect.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You're not a killer," She said, nodding at my gun.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"But you are," I said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She shook her head and said, "No. If we wanted you dead, we could have killed you a long time ago."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What do you want with me?" I asked, knowing the answer I wanted would never come from her lips.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Not what Joey wants," She said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Looking down the waterfall and then back at Olivia, I said, "How do you know what Joey wants?"</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Put the gun away and come with me," She said, "He'll explain everything."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Who?" I asked, although I suspected I already knew.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We weren't sure about you before, after Bad Land," She said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You tried to kill me," I said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I can understand how you might see it that way," Olivia said, taking another step closer to me.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I had no place to go. The gun wavered in my hand, a part of me wanted to trust her and forget the past. It was possible we had simply misunderstood each other, but the rest of me knew that was just an excuse to take the easy way out. I knew there were gaps in my understanding of the world we were dancing in, but I also knew she was dangerous and half truths were her way of taking the lead.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Another step and my finger's going to squeeze on this trigger," I said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"No, it won't," She said, but she stopped anyway.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"If you expect me to trust you, I'm going to need a little more than cryptic answers and warnings," I said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"They aren't mine to give," Olivia said. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but I've been in your shoes. The hardest thing to do is trust someone, when everything that's happened to you has only proven you can only trust yourself."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I've already given you all the chances I can afford to give," I said, "But I'll give you one last chance, tell me where you're keeping Brian."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I'll take you to him," Olivia said, holding out her hand to me, "You can keep your gun if it makes you feel safer. You've got no place else to go."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I tell you what," I said wondering if she might be sincere, "You send your goons away and you, me and Gina will all go together. Just the three of us. If you are telling the truth you have my word that I'll listen to anything you have to say."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia looked behind her at the men at her back. The look in her eyes suggested she was actually considering my proposal, a possibility I had not really expected. She thought she knew me, knew what I would do, what I was capable of doing and she was weighing that knowledge against herself and her agenda. She asked me to trust her, but when I asked her to trust me, she was hesitant. It was all I really needed to see to know she was not completely on the level with me. She believed what she was doing was right, but she also believed I would have a difference of opinion with her when faced with the full disclosure. It was written pure as daylight on her face.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What about Jack?" Olivia said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I shook my head and said, "What about him?"</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"What will he do if he sees you with me? Will he ambush us on the road?" Olivia said looking pointedly at my gun, "Will you do what it takes to stop him if he won't cooperate?"</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"So he got away," I said, feeling a little relieved that there was still a chance he might save me.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Did you really expect anything else?" She said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"He does always seem to escape you, doesn't he?" I said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">She nodded. "He's a shark, in or out of water," She said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"If you're on the level, I can get him to play along," I said.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia laughed, her amusement echoing in the cave like a choir to the singing of rushing water. She said, "You've been at odds with Jack Barker since the day you met him and no matter what you do or say, you will never, ever influence him to do anything he does not already want to do."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"So he's your excuse?" I said, shaking my head.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"I don't need an excuse," Olivia said, "You're going to have to make a choice, trust me or don't. We aren't going to do this halfway. I don't have to be your enemy, but only you can decide which way it's going to be."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"Give me a good reason to trust you and I will," I said, gripping tight to the rock as the water seemed to increase it's downward flow.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Olivia steadied herself against the opposite edge as well. Her eyes looked out the cave to the jungle beyond before settling back on me. "I could have shot you instead of talking," She said as if the single action were proof her intentions had always been positive. "This would all be over with and I certainly would not be giving you the chance to kill me."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I felt the weight of the gun in my hand at her words. She was right when she said I was not a killer. It had happened in the course of events, but even with survival as justification the ghosts still haunted me. I could no more simply shoot her for standing in my way than I could shoot myself. She knew me too well and I realized that was the problem, that was the reason I was trapped.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"You aren't really trusting me," I said looking at the men behind her, "You are following orders you don't understand anymore than I do. We're on opposite sides of the river and there are no bridges between us."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">"We can build one," She said. "Trust me, nothing is as it seems."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">I smiled and nodded. "You're right," I said and then I did what she never could have anticipated, I turned and jumped.</div></span>Ashley Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242036743645170042noreply@blogger.com5