Part 14 (1/2)
”How did you get two pairs?”
”Honestly,” he says with a sheepish grin. ”I stole the other pair. I thought they were cool at first and then I thought, what the h.e.l.l, you never know.”
”But, why two?” I ask.
The big guy actually blushes a little.
”I'm terrible with these things. I always lose them. I figure I better cover my a.s.s just in case I lost a pair on this Op. That's why I always buy the cheap knock-offs back home. Then I won't care if I lose them.”
I'm too afraid to ask how much these cost. But I don't have to. Kane supplies the details for me.
”If you're wondering, each pair cost Uncle Sam about a mil,” he admits.
”What? I'm wearing a pair of sungla.s.ses that cost a million dollars to build?”
”1.2 million, to be exact,” he adds. ”They are prototypes after all.”
Shocked, I turn my attention back to the scenery around us. For the first time since we arrived I can actually see the detail of the world around us.
”But, that's not the worst news,” Kane whispers.
”What do you mean?” I ask a little confused.
”We're not alone.”
28.
”What did you see?” Dad asks.
We are all gathered around the edge of the precipice, peering out into the stone forest. Kane and I still have on our high-tech specs, both scanning for signs of movement. I see nothing, but Kane is absolutely convinced that he saw something. Something alive.
”Not much, just shadows, but there is definitely something out there,” Kane says still gazing out into the stone jungle. ”There isn't enough ambient light to cause that many different shapes. If there was we couldn't be using these,” he explains pointing to his gla.s.ses.
”Everything about this valley has me on edge. From the drop into nothingness, the dead soldiers, the coded messages, and who could forget the stone wall that now has us trapped down in the Atlantean underworld...” Right as the words come out of my mouth I get an awful idea.
”It's h.e.l.l...” I say in a hushed tone.
Everyone stops and looks up at me. The blank expressions on their faces tell me they recognize that I'm serious.
”It all makes sense,” I continue. ”The bridge from one world to another-between the tunnel and the staircase. It's a symbol of crossing over the literal threshold. Whatever populace we are dealing with believed in the underworld so much that they built a physical version of it.”
”So what you're saying is that we are currently trapped in h.e.l.l?” Kane asks.
”Pretty much,” I answer shrugging my shoulders.
”Well, d.a.m.n. That just sucks now doesn't it,” Kane says. He then pulls a Desert Eagle from his pack and holds it down to his side, like he's waiting for an attack.
”You okay?” I ask.
”Never better.”
”I don't understand, aren't we supposed to be in Atlantis?” Nicole asks.
”I thought so. I mean everything here points to Atlantis-the multiple languages and pictographs for one. But...I'm not so sure anymore,” I answer. ”It seems like this place was deliberately made separate.”
”The images in the tunnel showed what looked like an above ground city, where we are obviously underground,” Dad adds. ”I wonder if this is something else altogether.”
The shocked expressions say it all, everyone is flat out stunned at the revelation. But there is also another look on everyone's faces. Fear.
Great, I think. Everyone's going to be on edge from now on. Last thing we need is a twitchy trigger finger to go off and someone accidentally getting shot.
”Ok, guys,” I say. ”Whatever is out there-whether it's just the shadows playing tricks on us or not-we need to get some rest. Besides, we have the high ground and can easily defend this position if needed.” I glance over to Kane for rea.s.surance. ”Right?”
He looks over to me with a look that says he's putting all the scenarios together in his head, trying to find a solution.
”Kane?” I ask getting a little worried.
He turns back toward the forest and shrugs his shoulders, ”Sure.”
Not exactly the answer I was hoping for.
He speaks up, still looking off into the distance, ”Either way Hank is right, let's rest for half-an-hour and recharge the batteries.”
”How about an hour,” Dad says. ”Some of us don't recharge as quick as we used too.”
I smile, at least he's holding it together.
”Fine...an hour it is,” Kane agrees with a look that says he isn't overly thrilled.
Everyone, minus Kane, goes back to what they were doing and starts prepping for the hour break. Nicole breaks out some protein bars and hands them out. We wolf down the snack and wash it down with some of our water reserve. Would have been better with a Sam Adams, I think.
I lay down facing the pyramid, propping my bag up under my head, Glock at the ready by my side. Omar is back up on the stairs taking photos. He wants to record everything he can while he's down here. I doubt he'll ever come back once we are done.
Dad sits down next to me.
”What are you thinking?” He asks.
”One thing has been bugging me,” I say. ”Why build a very elaborate city like this if what you believed in didn't actually exist? It makes no sense for an obviously advanced civilization to put in the time and effort to create all this.”
”So you believe Kane?” He asks. ”You think there's something out there?”
”Yes,” I say with no hesitation. Why wouldn't I believe him? ”He's a former solider. Those types of guys don't generally overreact and panic.”