Tomb of Zeus (Atlantis) (34 page)

Duni nodded simply in understanding. Javi wasn’t in full agreement, but respected his choice.

Helena opened the door and stepped through carrying a bag. She forced a smile, then handed the bag to Jack.

“We don’t have much time. Put these on,” she ordered.

Minutes later, Jack stood in the characteristic white pants and arctic parka worn by the guards. He pulled the hood over his face and synched the drawstring, nearly hiding his entire face. Helena nodded in approval.

“Ok, here’s the plan. I’ll drive my snowmobile a short distance away, then cut the engine. I’ll ask the guard for help. As soon as he leaves his post, sneak out and run around behind the trailer. I’ll restart the machine and pick you up. From there, we’ll nonchalantly ride over to the pyramid. Once we’re near the chamber’s entrance, I’ll slip on the ice and fall. When I ask the guards for help, that’ll be your cue to go inside,” she instructed.

“Damsel in distress, huh?” Jack said sarcastically.

“Do you have a better plan?” Helena shot back.

“I wish,” he responded reluctantly.

Helena glanced to the others, then back to Jack.

“Once you have the scepter, tuck it inside your jacket. I’ll be watching for you when you come out. I’ll fall again. It should be easy enough for you to sneak out and head for the top.”

“Don’t you think the falling is a bit overdone?” Jack asked.

“No, it’s perfect. With the second fall, the guards will
know
to help me. I’m sure I won’t even have to say a word to them before they come running,” she replied.

Jack nodded simply.

Helena checked her watch. It read 5:45pm.

“We better get going,” she ordered.

Moments later, as the three stared out the window, they watched Helena pull away. Fifty feet from the trailer, she stopped and pretended to be studying the problem. As she yelled over to the guard for help, right on cue, he darted to her rescue. Jack watched as he neared the machine, then slipped quietly outside and around to the back of the trailer. Within minutes, Helena had restarted her machine. She circled around a grouping of tents, then quickly pulled up behind the trailer. Jack jumped on and the two sped off, undetected.

As they pulled up to the pyramid, they parked next to several more snowmobiles. In the hours that had passed since their capture, he could see the great progress the throngs of workers had
made in removing the ice from the outside of the chamber. Now fully exposed, a large tent of plastic covered the entire structure and billowed as the propane heaters pump large amounts of hot air into it.

Jack’s heart beat nervously as he stared down at the team of armed soldiers now rushing around Zeus’ burial chamber, taking their new posts as the others were leaving to end their shift. Helena shot him an apprehensive glance, then dashed down into the pyramid. He followed her close behind.

As the two approached the chamber, Jack broke off to his right and worked his way along the edge of the golden blocks. Helena in turn, continued on straight ahead. Moments later, Jack stood ten feet away from the entrance. With the many workers and guards rushing around, he went completely unnoticed.

Twenty feet from the entrance, Helena took a few steps, then fell. She landed on her side, then rolled to her back and lay motionless a moment, as if in a daze. As several guards look
ed on, stunned by the sudden fall, she shouted for their help.

“Well don’t just stand there, someone help me,” she barked out the order.

The soldier standing guard at the chamber’s entrance, rushed over to her. As he leaned to help, Jack raced for the covered doorway. He threw open a sheet of plastic, and darted inside. Instantly, the overwhelming heat of the interior took his breath away. He quickly pulled off his coat and tried to breathe in the thick air. As he acclimated to the hot environment, his eyes scanned the interior. Instantly, he spotted a magnificent crystal coffin lying reverently on a stone altar at the chamber’s center. A beam of light seemed to shine down from a hole in the ceiling, illuminating the contents of the coffin.

Jack took several step
s, then stopped.

“Wow, he’s all bones,” he said in surprise. “Talk about bad preservation. I’m betting Poseidon would be pissed if he saw this,” he added in sarcastic tone.

Hovering over the top now, he ran his hands along the clear smooth crystal. The impressive sight nearly took his breath away. Suddenly, it dawned on him: the scepter was missing.

“Oh no,” he said aloud, now realizing his plan was in jeopardy.

Outside the chamber, Helena wandered around aimlessly. She tried to pretend she had a purpose, but as time passed, she knew her presence would soon be questioned.

Glancing at her watch,
she realized the time: 6:10pm.

“What the hell is he doing? He’s been in there for almost fifteen minutes,” she whispered to herself.

Moments later, she breathed a sigh of relief. She saw Jack’s white arctic parka appear behind the plastic, just outside the entrance. Instantly, she pretended to slip and fall. As she hit the ground, she lay very still, then slowly began to move. Just like they had done before, several guards rushed to her side.

Jack moved from under the plastic cover and headed up the golden blocks toward the top. Now standing by the snowmobile, he watched as Helena charged up toward the surface. His mind raced as he tried to formulate an explanation.

As she neared, she shouted, “Did you get it?”

Jack shook his head, solemnly.

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t there,” he replied in saddened tone.

“What the
hell
do you mean it wasn’t there?” she said, enraged.

“I’m sorry, Helena, but
it just wasn’t there,” he said simply.

“Well, what
was
there? What
did
you see?” she demanded.

“I saw an altar. On top of it was a crystal coffin filled with Zeus’ bones,” he responded, his tone growing more disappointed by the minute.

“That’s it, just a stupid coffin? What about the ice? Maybe it’s still in there, just buried inside the ice,” she asked, her voice now desperate.

“The heat inside that chamber was tremendous. There was almost no ice: just a couple of inches left on the floor,” Jack stated flatly.

Helena shook her head in anger. She could barely think straight. Suddenly, she launched her foot into the side of the snowmobile, kicking it in a fit of rage.

“
SON OF A BITCH!
” she shouted. “This can’t be happening. That scepter was mine.
NOW
what am I supposed to do?” she complained aloud.

Jack stepped forward. He extended his arms to offer her a hug. Instantly, she deflected his advance.

“Get the hell away from me,” she growled.

She brushed past him, jumped on her machine and sped off, leaving him to solve his own problem of returning to the trailer unseen.

“Great, thanks,” he shouted sarcastically to her as she drove away.

He stared at the row of snowmobiles and shrugged.

“What are they going to do, charge me with stealing?” he joked.

He jumped on one and sped off toward Camp Zeus. Ten minutes later, he circled to the back of his trailer. Parking a distance away, he walked with a casual stride, insuring he remained inconspicuous. On the
back side of the trailer, a small window was positioned several feet off the ground. He pulled off his glove and lightly knocked on the window. Moments later, Javi and Duni peered through it. Jack removed his hood and smiled. As Duni rushed to open one half of the sliding window, Jack brought his finger up to his lips, signaling quiet.

“What are you doing out there?” Duni whispered.

“Helena left me high and dry,” he whispered back. Looking at the window frame, he asked, “Do you think you can remove this glass?”

Duni looked at the width. It barely measured a foot across. He then looked at Jack’s large frame cloaked in heavy arctic material.

“Jack, there’s no way you can fit through here,” he said.

Javi nodded in agreement.

“Not like this, I can’t,” he replied, cryptically, then said, “Remove the window while I get undressed.”

A
minute later, just as Duni jockeyed the glass from its frame, Jack stood on the frozen snowpack in just his underwear and socks. He shook uncontrollably in the minus five degree temperatures. He reached down and tossed his clothes in through the window.

With his hands already numb with cold, he reached up and grabbed the frame. He pulled hard and tried to thrust his body up through the opening. Instantly, one of his shoulders caught
an edge and he fell backward.

“Jack, it’s too small,” Duni whispered.

He ignored the report and leaped up toward the opening again. This time, his other shoulder caught on the frame.

As he stood shivering in the cold, he knew he had only one option. He took several steps backward, then breathed deeply, mentally preparing himself for his next action. He darted forward. Two steps before he contacted the wall of the trailer, he leaped into the air, and turned his body sideways. A split second later, his body slowed in flight and landed on the bottom edge of the window frame. Laying sideways in the opening, his shoulders were now inside. He felt searing pain from the skin that had be
en rubbed raw as his side slid across the lower window frame during the leap.

“Pull me in,” he whispered frantically.

Javi and Duni grabbed his arms and began to drag him through the opening. Halfway through, the weight of his body lay on the table situated below the window. He lifted his legs and pulled himself in, then rolled over onto the floor. Instantly, Javi wrapped him in his jacket.

He looked up to Javi and smiled.

“Why does
everything
have to be the hard way,” he joked.

“You were just born lucky, I guess,” Javi responded.

----- ----- ----- -----

The following day…

The sound of helicopter blades sounded in the distance. Javi, Jack and Duni, stood at the small window at the front of their trailer and watched for any activity. Far
from the trailer, they saw several men exiting the two aircraft and were escorted away in a four-man covered snow vehicle. As they drove out of sight, the three moved from the window and sat down at the small table.

“I’d say our services here are quickly coming to
a close,” Javi speculated, his tone ominous.

“Do you think they’re going to kill us,” Duni asked, anxiously.

“Hard to say. If someone considers us loose ends, I’m afraid the answer would be yes,” he replied honestly. “But as long as the scepter is missing, they could keep us around to try and locate it.”

“I just hope Inspector DiApopolus got our email. Without him, our chances are practically nil,” Jack added.

Minutes later, the sound of snowmobiles approached. As the three watched out the window again, the four machines pulled up in front of their trailer. A moment later, their door swung open.

“Ok guys, let’s go. You’re services are required inside Zeus’ Chamber,” Ron
Cotterman said.

“What d
o they want us for?” Duni asked nervously.

“Translations.
Lord Sita doesn’t want to leave anything to chance,” he responded.

“Lord Sita?” Jack responded in condescending tone, struggling to control his laughter.

“Yes, that’s his new title… and I’d advise you to use it with reverence. He’s not a tolerant man,” Ron warned.

“Don’t worry, Sir. Jack will recognize it,” Javi cut in, now glaring at Jack with frustration.

The men loaded onto the snow machines and headed off to the pyramid. As they arrived, a gathering of men stood at the pyramid’s rim, while Adam pointed out the work involved. Jack noticed one man who stood out from the others. He seemed to command respect and authority. Four others stood behind him. Although they too were powerful men, it was obvious they were of lower status.

As Ron stepped up to the five men, he introduced Javi, Jack and Duni.

“Lord Sita, these are the three men you requested: Javier Arista, Jack Roberts and Dunixi Kanelos. They have been instrumental in finding and translating the artifacts that led us to Zeus’ chamber,” Ron said in respectful tone.

He nodded, then backed away.

Karl turned toward the three and eyed them with curiosity. His face then went blank.

“I’m assuming there’ll be inscriptions in there that will be of profound importance to me. You
can
translate them, can’t you?” he asked, his tone harsh and threatening.

“Yes, Lord Sita,” Javi responded respectfully.

Duni and Jack nodded.

Standing off behind the five men and their guards, Helena glared at Javi, Jack and Duni with contempt. Once again, she had gone unrecognized. She felt hurt and angry.