Lost Sols 1: Ancient Treasure Read online

  Monique was torn. She didn’t agree with the decision in the first place, and Vincent made a good argument. It was unlikely she was going anywhere anytime soon and she didn’t trust the man with the gun. “The order was given by Benjamin Carson.” The contacts remained blue as she made the revelation. "Did he also give the order to have the transport shot down?" Dominic asked. "Yes, the order was given by him." she said. "How were you involved in these operations?" Vincent asked. "I was ordered to gather intelligence. For what's it worth I was against shooting down both the plane and the transport. He didn’t care about my opinion and went forward with both operations."

  Vincent knew any additional information about Benjamin Carson could be useful to Enzo. "Tell me everything you know about Benjamin. What is his age, height, and weight? What does he do in his free time?" Vincent asked. She didn't like Benjamin. In any other circumstance she wouldn't ever talk about her boss. She had a feeling she would be lucky to get out of this situation alive and only if she cooperated. "He's about five foot one. If I had to guess I'd say he's maybe one hundred and thirty pounds. He's about forty five years old. He told me once he has horses he likes to ride at his cabin in Montana. That's all I really know about him.” Monique said. Other then the answer about not knowing who gave the order, the contacts remained blue throughout the conversation. Vincent felt confident he now had the information necessary for Enzo to take action.

  Vincent called Enzo and told him about the information he had obtained from Monique during the interrogation. Enzo said he would take care of the rest. It was explained to Vincent Agent Murphy was now a liability and likely did not have additional information which would be useful to them. In no uncertain terms it was made clear what was expected of Vincent. Monique could not be kept alive. Enzo told Vincent to consult Dominic if he needed help eliminating Monique.

  Killing in cold blood was not in his nature. At the same time he knew Monique could never be allowed back on Earth. Enzo was right. If Monique somehow managed to get a message to Earth the entire crew would be in danger. He could ask Dominic to handle it by himself. As unpleasant as it was, he didn't see anyway Monique could be kept alive.

  After the interrogation Monique was finally getting some time to clean herself up and take in her surroundings. What she really wanted was a nice hot shower. While she was brushing her hair she saw herself in the mirror. The eyes looking back at her weren’t familiar. They were blue. She looked closely in the mirror and removed the contacts. She knew why the contacts had been put in, and would have done the same thing if the situation was reversed. Vincent was proving to be quite resourceful. The Captain arrived with Dominic and she was told a small storage room was cleared out for her to use as quarters. She was escorted to her new room and the door was locked when the two of them left. She started sobbing as she realized she was a prisoner who would likely be killed soon.

  Chapter 5

  In his cabin Dalton was studying the hieroglyphs and the map from the Prime Pyramid. There were large amounts of information he had never seen before and some of which he was having trouble figuring out. The map of the solar system was very accurate and had symbols on some of the planets and moons. From the results he had found, it looked like a war had taken place throughout the solar system. The last battle had happened recently. It was time to share the information with Vincent and figure out what it all meant.

  Enzo was at his favorite Italian restaurant. Martino would be meeting him shortly. He hadn’t seen Martino in four years and hadn’t expected to require his services again. There were only a handful of people left in the civilized world like him. Martino and those like him were a dying breed. The man had never been fingerprinted, he had never had his blood taken, and he had never been incarcerated. Electronic devices were off limits and he always used a car without any automation or GPS devices. He drove an ancient piece of crap which barely ran most of the time. There was no way to track the man. His job was to be a ghost, and he was paid well for his services. An unfamiliar face sat down at his table. It took him a minute to realize it was indeed Martino. The man altered his appearance often. He was told where to find Benjamin Carson and what to do with the man. Martino would only perform his duties if he believed it was morally right. There was a consciousness behind his eyes. Enzo told him the story about Maria and how unjust her death had been. He also told him the story of the ship which was destroyed at Leviathan. Martino said he would take the job.

  Vincent arrived at Dalton’s quarters to find him hard at work analyzing the photos. “You said you had found some interesting stuff. What do you have so far?” he asked. “Quite a bit actually. The map is really exciting. I’d like to see if you agree with my findings. The first thing which really stood out was the hieroglyphs I found on the images of Earth, Mars, and Europa. As you can see the hieroglyph for Earth shows a man and a woman. So it appears it’s a representation of mankind. On Europa it’s a hieroglyph we haven’t seen before but it greatly resembles those dolphin type mammals discovered in 2038 in the underwater ocean. On Mars it’s a bit more confusing. There are two hieroglyphs representing Mars on the map. Neither represents a living organism in my opinion. One represents defeat. I’m not sure what to make of that. The second symbol is harder to figure out. It’s very similar to the astronaut hieroglyphs found on Earth. If I had to make a guess, it’s a representation of alien visitation on Mars. Ceres, Titan, and Enceladus have organisms represented by hieroglyphs as well. It looks like they are simple organisms however. On Enceladus it’s an aquatic type of animal, which makes sense. Ceres and Titan are represented by what looks like small insects or perhaps microorganisms. I think it’s a safe assumption to say these are the six planets, although mankind considers four out of the six as moons. Either way they are planetary bodies per se. No other planets or moons are associated with any hieroglyphs in the solar system.”

  Vincent took a moment to consider the information. “I agree with your analysis of the data. I noticed the second symbol on Mars as well and agree Mars has been visited in the past. There are a couple of things I’ve noticed in addition to what you’ve found. The outer edge of each side of the map has the Eye of Horus. To me it would indicate the creators of the map were either protecting this solar system or had knowledge somebody else was. We both have already agreed there are the four pyramids. There are four symbols for battle that I see as well. There is one in the area of Earth, one on Mars, and another at Titan. At the very edge of the map which would be beyond the Kuiper Belt, there is a symbol for a door and it appears an image of the Duat is present as well. The last symbol for battle is located here also.” Vincent said. “The Duat? I hadn’t seen that. Are you telling me there is a door at the edge of the solar system, and this is the door Ra traveled through which leads to either heaven or hell?” Dalton asked. “The door has to be the method of traversing long distances. It’s likely a wormhole or another advanced method of bending space to travel vast distances quickly.” Vincent said.

  Alone in her locked quarters Monique was trying to think of a way out of the mess she found herself in. There wasn’t a quick and easy solution. The journey to Titan was underway. If she managed to find a communications unit she could broadcast a message to the agency. Knowing the way her boss operated, that idea wouldn’t save her. He had a bad habit of blowing things out of the sky. An exception would not be made because she was on board. The only option she could see was to try and get the crew to trust her and to become a member of the crew. She doubted if it would work. If she could find a way to earn their trust she could try to escape later on. It wouldn’t surprise her to be killed by the next person she saw. She might have one last piece of information she could share to save herself.

  Tony Stephens loved science, and a challenge. As an evolutionary biologist he had been assigned the job of investigating the material recovered from the pyramid at Lake Vida. So far the results were surprising as well as frustrating. He had been brought to a hastily put together laboratory which
was guarded by a dozen CIA agents. Each time he entered or left the lab he was checked to ensure he wasn’t bringing anything in or out. Today he was working with the seventh specimen brought from the pyramid. The molecular structure of the genes in the sample was something he had never seen before. He conducted experiments with the other samples which hadn’t produced any surprising results thus far. It was likely testing would go on for years. He decided to reduce the saline levels with the current specimen. After just a few minutes he noted the material had grown and the water level had dropped. The specimen was absorbing the water. The results were encouraging, perhaps he was making some progress this time. He was hungry and it was time for lunch, he would check the sample when he got back to the lab.

  Martino woke up at the crack of dawn and marveled at the beautiful sunrise. He had been tracking his target in Montana for over two weeks. Today looked like the day he would finally make the kill. The weapon of choice on this day was a three seventy five Holland and Holland magnum rifle. His target was approximately fifty yards away. The shot was carefully lined up through the scope as he took aim. It was a hit in the chest and his target started to run. Eight more shots were taken before his target finally went down. It was very satisfying after all the time he spent tracking it. As he approached his kill the last of the life was leaving the animal and the chest stopped moving after a few minutes. It weighed about twelve hundred pounds. The size was abnormally large, it was a magnificent specimen. He’d always wanted to hunt a grizzly in Montana after it had been made legal. Now that he was in Montana he had a good reason for the hunt. There was a nice little camp he had set up not far from the kill at Sun River. Now came the hard part of the field dressing and preparing the Grizzly for transport. He began with bleeding the massive bear and severed the jugular. Among other things he would remove the heart, bladder, intestines, and lungs. He had a long day of bloody work ahead.

  Benjamin Carson enjoyed being out of the city and away from the agency. He relished the quiet life and time away from the daily grind. As he pulled on his pants he looked forward to the ride back to Sun River. It looked like a beautiful sunset as he looked out the window. His mistress lived in Fort Shaw and was far enough away from his cabin to keep hidden from his wife. Carla was still in bed naked as he gave her a kiss goodbye. “Please stay Ben?” she asked. She was always unhappy and disappointed when he left. He had managed to take a few trips to his getaway without his wife, and would stay the night. She said she felt used when he left so quickly. “Not tonight baby, maybe another time.” He never felt guilty when he returned to his wife. He had worked hard during their marriage and she spent his money almost as fast as he could make it. He went outside, untied his horse, and began the journey home.

  As he came around a bend in the trail Benjamin noticed an old truck with a rotting canopy blocking the way. The hood was up and a man was looking at the engine. As he was preparing to go around, he got closer and saw a grizzly bear in the back of the truck. It was a massive bear, and it had the proper tags so the kill was legal. “That’s quite the kill you’ve got there. It’s a big son of a bitch. Having trouble with the engine?” he asked the man under the hood. The man looked up. “I think it’s the battery. I borrowed this old wreck for this trip from a friend. I don’t know much about old trucks. Would you like to take a look?”

  Agent Carson dismounted from his horse. When he bent over to look into the engine the man jabbed him in the side with a taser he had hidden. It was unexpected and painful. He dropped to the ground immediately and was unable to move.

  Martino quickly bound the hands, the feet, and covered the mouth of his captive with duct tape. He cut off his clothes and threw them in a nearby fire he had started. He attached the cell phone to the bridle on the horse and smacked it on the backside. The horse continued down the trail on its own. Hopefully the CIA was in need of a horse. They would eventually find this one.

  Martino looked at the grizzly then at the bound agent. He had done well with the grizzly. The hours of work were worth the effort. The cavity he created would be big enough for the small man. He peeled the duct tape off the agent’s mouth. “Take these pills.” he said. The agent had recovered from the taser and was angry. “I’m not taking any pills. Do you know who I am?” he asked. “I do know who you are. You will never know who I am. Would you rather be conscious or unconscious when I shove you in that bear and sew you up?” Martino replied. “You’re going to regret this. I hope you enjoy your last days on Earth.” the Agent said. Martino punched him in the gut. “Alright, I’ll take the pills. Why are you doing this? What did I do to you?” Benjamin asked as he tried to breathe. “Someone would like to have a few words with you.” Martino said.

  He completed his sewing on the grizzly and made sure he left a gap for air so the man wouldn’t suffocate. Normally this job would have been over and the agent would be dead. In this case Enzo wanted to personally finish him. After hearing the story about Maria he understood why. He had a sister also. When family was involved, vengeance was personal. The delivery would be made, he would get paid, and he’d still have the grizzly. Justice would be served by the immediate family as it had always been in the past.

  Ice bags were packed in where possible to prevent spoilage. Martino was desperate to save his kill. The agent would be out long enough to have him moved before the kill went bad. He was annoyed his grizzly hunt was interfered with by this agent. He reconnected the battery and began the long trip to New York. Enzo would be waiting anxiously.

  As he arrived at Vincent's quarters Dominic wondered if Vincent would have the balls to do what needed to be done. "You know what we have to do don't you?" he asked. "Yes. It's not something I'm looking forward to. Killing in cold blood repulses me. I understand we have no choice in the matter, I just don't like it." he said. "If it's too uncomfortable for you I'll take care of it." Dominic replied. "No, I owe a debt to your father and I'm not sending his son home with the blood of the innocent on his hands. I will need you to come with me in case she resists, but the responsibility will be mine. I’ll meet you outside her quarters in fifteen minutes. I need to pay a visit to Julia and the Captain first." he said. The Captain had stowed any weapons which came aboard in his quarters with the rest of the small arsenal. One was needed now to carry out this task and to get it over as quickly as possible.

  He spoke with the Captain and explained why he needed a firearm. The responsibility for this action would be his alone. The Captain would be absolved of any responsibility in the death. The Captain didn't like it but knew keeping her alive would put his entire crew in jeopardy. He wouldn’t do anything which would endanger the crew or the ship. He found a weapon for Vincent. “Do you know how to use this?” he asked. “Of course I do. I’ll be careful, I promise.” he said. “Be careful how you use it. Don’t use it anywhere near the hull and make sure you have a backstop for the bullet.” Captain Basso said. “I’ll be careful.” Vincent said as he left to find Julia.

  He found Julia and was not looking forward to another uncomfortable conversation. "Julia, can you make a cyanide pill?" he asked. "Sure, but why would I need to?" As he explained his reasoning Julia was getting angry. "What has she done other then being kidnapped and hit on the head? I've spent time with her and she doesn't seem like a threat to me. I don’t think this is necessary." she said. "You might not agree with the reasons. The Captain is aware this is going to happen and the responsibility will be mine. I would prefer to do this in a humane manner and I need you to provide me a pill with the proper dosage. It needs to be effective so she doesn't suffer. Our lives will be endangered if this isn't done. If she manages to get a message to the agency all our lives will be at risk. They will come after us with everything they’ve got. Will you make the pill?" he asked. She didn't want to endanger the crew and she didn’t want Monique to suffer either. She made the pill. It took twenty minutes to get the dosage correct, otherwise it was an easy task for her. She slammed the door as hard as she could when Vincent l
eft her quarters. Starting the trip with a death was not how she imagined this trip beginning. She had worked her way up at Leviathan for five years and this wasn’t in her job description.

  Vincent was late. Dominic had been waiting for half an hour. "Let's get this over with." Dominic said as Vincent finally showed up. Dominic knocked on the door to Monique’s quarters. Closing the book she was reading Monique got up and answered the door. She had a bad feeling she knew what this was about when she saw Vincent and Dominic standing before her. "I need you to take another pill." Vincent said. "And if I refuse?” she asked. He took the gun out of his pocket. "There are always other options. Don’t make this harder then it needs to be." he said. "You don't have to do this. When we get back to Earth I promise I won't reveal anything to anyone. I'll take up a new identity and live in another country." she pleaded. "That's not an option. You have no reason not to turn us in when we get back to Earth. It’s your duty as an agent." he replied. Her only chance now was to play the only card she had left. "I have information which would help your research. I'll get you proof of this information in exchange for my life." she said.