Part 6 (1/2)
I just stare back at him blankly. He sees that I have no idea what he is talking about. ”I'm a former baseball player turned lazy grave digger, and him...” I point to Dad. ”He's a book worm with two left feet.”
”Right...” He says, laughing. ”Basically it's one of the largest hand guns in the world and can take down a bear with one shot.” He smiles and winks.
”A bear?” I ask a little awestruck.
”A really big bear,” he says proudly.
”And those,” asks Dad. He points to the wrist and forearm combination he has on.
”Precautionary, just in case I ever have to fire both simultaneously.”
”Precaution for what,” I ask.
”So I don't break my arms,” Kane says as a matter of fact.
”What?” Dad asks a little taken back.
”You can't fire a Mark XIX with one hand. They kick so hard that you'll snap your wrists. The various armed forces have developed these braces to absorb the torque and keep your arms in one piece.”
”Have you ever had to fire both at once?” I can't help but ask.
”Once or twice,” he smiles with pride. ”Thankfully, I'm ambidextrous and have good aim with both hands. 20/20 vision doesn't hurt either.”
”Now you're just bragging,” I give him a sly but impressed look and hand him back his miniature weapon of ma.s.s destruction.
”Yes sir, Chip and Dale have gotten me out of a few sc.r.a.pes over the years.”
I'm about to ask him why his guns are named after cartoon chipmunks, when he says something that gets both mine and Dad's attention.
”What do you know about, the Three?”
13.
The next morning we catch a quick connecting flight from Algiers to Djanet on what I a.s.sume to be a CIA funded private jet. It's only 8:30AM local time and the temperature is already approaching a balmy 90 degrees. In the hour-and-a-half we have to kill while in the air, Kane fills us in with what Uncle Sam knows about the three ancient elders.
Kane pours us each a drink and sits across from my father and me, facing the two us. He sips his beverage and breathes a relaxed breath, the alcohol calming his tired nerves if only a little.
Neither of us slept well last night. We even stayed at a really cushy hotel that Kane had set up, but the events of the past day had everyone wired and now we're paying for it.
”First off,” the big guy says leaning back. ”Everything I know is knowledge obtained through decades of research by some people who shall remain nameless. Some you know, others you don't want to know and even others...well let's just say you wouldn't believe me even if I told you.”
”Like who?” Dad asks.
I roll my eyes, ”Dad, he just said-”
”Hitler,” Kane interrupts.
”Wait...what?” I stammer. ”I thought you said you couldn't-”
”I'm not at liberty to tell you any others, but now you know what kind of people have been looking for information on the Three and the seriousness of this.”
Dad and I nod in agreement.
”Okay, let me start by saying that all of this is about power.”
”Power?” Dad asks.
”Yes, power. Power over the very elements of the Earth itself. There is supposedly knowledge or possibly a weapon of some kind that was left here by an ancient civilization. That populace, as I'm sure you have figured out, is supposedly Atlantis or at least another civilization that is responsible for the Atlantean myth.”
”You don't believe its Atlantis?” Dad asks.
”I believe the facts or what I can see with my own eyes,” Kane answers. ”But that doesn't mean my mind can't be changed.”
”What about the Three?” I ask.
”Right,” Kane says getting back on track. ”The Three is the name given to the last three elders of this ancient-but obviously very advanced culture. They were said to be invincible, never aging or dying...ever. They are also supposed to be the great architects of the ancient city eventually known as Atlantis or Attala.”
”Attala?” Dad asks.
”Attala is what some of the local North African tribes call it,” he replies.
”There was a fourth elder too, but he had a falling out-if you will-with his brothers. He didn't want to use their special talents for constructive purposes.”
”What did he want?” I ask.
”We think he wanted unlimited power and dominion over every living thing on Earth, but we aren't exactly sure.”
”Yikes,” I say.
”Yep, bad dude.”
”You said they were brothers, all four of them?” Dad asks.
”Yes, but we aren't sure if they were actually lineal brothers or blood-brothers, like in a secret sect kind of way.”
”Wait a sec, back up Kane. How do you even know that there is anything there to begin with?” I ask. I understand the severity of the situation and that there are others looking for it besides us. The one thing I'm not quite sure of is...
”Have there been other expeditions to Algeria in the past,” I continue. ”Maybe covert ones that only a select few know about?”
Kane straightens a little. That's all I need to know. Yes there has.
”What happened on those other expeditions?” I ask.