Lost Sols 1: Ancient Treasure (3 page)

After another half hour Vincent closed his eyes and leaned up against the rock face frustrated and tired. When he opened his eyes he noticed a very small vertical seam cut into the rock. It was so small he wouldn’t have seen it if he hadn’t been so close. The seam went from the ground up as far as he could see which was about thirty feet. “
Dalton come here and look at this.” Vincent said. He showed Dalton the seam. “This seam was cut into the rock in a very precise manner. It had to have been made by a machine. Now we at least have something we can look for. Let’s see if there are more.” Dalton said. Together the two of them went to the left of the rock face looking for more seams. About a hundred yards from the first seam another identical seam was found. “If I had to make an educated guess, I’d say these seams are the edges of a massive door. I don’t see anyway we can get inside.” Vincent said. “I think it’s time to climb. You stay here and I’ll see if I can find a way to enter.” Dalton said. After climbing about forty feet Dalton came to a small ledge. At the base of the ledge there was a five foot gap. It looked as if recent weather had eroded away part of the rock. Dalton looked down the gap and was able to see some of the same material which the Ark Pyramid was made out of. It was obvious both the Ark pyramid and this pyramid were made of some unknown alien material. Dalton helped Vincent make the climb up and they prepared to descend down the gap behind the rock face.

There was a structure hidden within the mountain. It was either covered naturally or by design within the mountain. “Be careful. We don’t know what we might find. Turn on your headlamp and be careful during the descent. Who knows what kind of hazards we might run across?”
Dalton said. After descending fifteen feet they continued descending into a larger area which appeared to be an open entryway. Vincent and Dalton descended another one hundred feet before the two of them touched down at the bottom. Vincent took a flare out of his back and fired it up. “This looks like it’s been here for a long time. If construction had occurred in the last few hundred years, someone would have noticed. This structure is not something the Native Americans could have constructed.” he said.

“Holy shit, we’re at the entrance to the Prime Pyramid. I can’t believe it. I wish my grandmother could have lived to see this. Let’s go see what we can find.” Vincent said. After traveling thirty feet Vincent came to a corridor which went both left and right. “Which way should we go?” asked
Dalton. “Does it really matter? We’ll be going down both eventually.” Vincent said as he went to the right. After walking for a minute or two Dalton found an open doorway which lead to a chamber.

As they entered the chamber there was a massive room which was completely empty. “Do you see anything
Dalton?” Vincent asked. “I see a big empty room.” Dalton replied. As the exploring continued, another seven empty chambers were found. “What the hell? There should at least be something here. What is the purpose of this pyramid if there’s nothing here?” Dalton exclaimed. In the eighth chamber Dalton sat down and noticed something on the floor. “This pyramid has been used in the past. Bend down at look at the floor in the light. There are spots which are dustier then others. You can see the outlines. At some point in time these chambers were filled with something. Whatever was here has been moved.” Dalton said. “Maybe that’s what they were doing in 1947. Something had to have happened around that time. It doesn’t make sense for the aliens to leave all of a sudden after visiting Earth for centuries. I think the aliens must have left in a hurry. Otherwise, they would have covered up all evidence of their presence. I think we’ve found something we weren’t supposed to find.” Vincent said.

Additional hours of searching didn’t produce any more results and
Dalton was tired. “It’s just after midnight. How about we get a few hours of sleep and take another look in the morning?” Dalton said. “Sounds like a plan to me. At least we won’t have to worry about getting rained on. Let’s take another look after some sleep.” Vincent said.

Dalton
woke up at seven. He found Vincent’s backpack and lit up another flare. He pulled out the orb and looked at it in the light of the flare. He hadn’t looked at the orb since he entered the pyramid. Vincent hadn’t looked at it either. It was now translucent. “Vincent wake up. Come look at this.” he said. Vincent got up and looked at the orb. There was something inside. It looked similar to a metal comb. It had eight teeth which were not spaced evenly across the end. “What do you make of that?” Vincent asked. “I don’t know, but it still won’t open.” Dalton replied. The orb remained stubbornly shut despite their best efforts to open it.

Vincent led the way as the two of them went back through each chamber. The results were just as frustrating as the first time the chambers had been searched. “This pyramid has the same basic configuration as the one in the Antarctic. If I’m right there is a smaller ninth chamber which can be found in between the fourth and fifth chambers.”
Dalton said. “Let’s go have a look. Everything else has been a bust so far. Anything would be an improvement at this point.” Vincent said.

Returning to the corridor
Dalton began searching for an entryway in between the fourth and fifth chambers. He found a release which led to a small tunnel leading further into the pyramid. As they entered the ninth chamber another empty room was found. Vincent was getting ready to unleash a multitude of curses until he looked up and saw the hieroglyphs on the far wall. “Look at that.” Vincent said as he took out his camera and started taking pictures. Dalton was studying the hieroglyphs. Once he had photographed everything Vincent put the camera away. “Is that a map of our solar system? He asked Dalton. “Yes it is. The planets look as if they are spaced out correctly and the asteroid belt is right where it’s supposed to be.” Dalton replied. “Look at Earth on the map. The Ark Pyramid and the Prime Pyramid are shown in their exact locations. The same markings are in two other locations as far as I can tell. Look, there’s one on Mars and one on this moon of Jupiter. Look at all the hieroglyphs. Some are familiar and some I’ve never seen before. Make sure you get pictures of everything. It’s going to take some time to figure out what all this means and what it represents.” Vincent said. “I’ve got at least three pictures of everything here. Don’t worry, nothing will be missed.” Dalton said.

Vincent was trying to find anything as the two of them made one last search of the chambers. In the corner of one of the chambers he found a small gold ring. “The aliens didn’t quite get everything. Look at this.” he said to
Dalton. “I wonder how much was in here. It had to have been worth a fortune. We need to find out where it all went. I think we’ve searched as much as we possibly could. There’s nothing else here. Let’s start heading back.” Dalton said. The two men returned to the surface and began their return trip to Snowgrass Flats.

After en
joying a nice breakfast in bed Agent Murphy checked on the location of Vincent and Dalton again. The car was still in the same place. She decided it was time for another confrontation with Vincent and to see what he was up to at such a remote location. Monique checked out of the hotel and made the short trip to Snowgrass Flats. She found Vincent’s car when she arrived, but there was no sign of him or Dalton. The temperature was rising and she wished she had brought her bikini. The agency wouldn’t have a sense of humor for such a wardrobe choice while she was on duty. She didn’t mind waiting around. It was easy money.

Both Vincent and
Dalton were deep in thought on their way back and more then a little disappointed no artifacts or treasure had been found. “Would you agree it makes sense the artifacts were removed?” Vincent asked. “That’s the only thing I can think of. There are the other two pyramids. The one on Mars and one on the moon of Jupiter. I think the moon around Jupiter might be Europa. If that’s the case it’s probably similar to the Ark pyramid. Europa has a deep liquid ocean and we know life was discovered there about a decade ago. If I was a betting man I’d bet the artifacts are on Mars. The hieroglyphs in the pyramid give us more to investigate. Maria was convinced humanity was visited in the past. She believed at some time or another, every part of the world with a significant population was visited be an advanced alien species. Egypt was likely just one location among many. We may not have found any artifacts or treasure today, but we uncovered a major piece of the puzzle. Mars is the next sensible option.” Dalton said. “That seems logical to me. I’ll check the photos and see if the moon is in fact Europa.” Vincent replied.

As Vincent and
Dalton came around the last turn leading into Snowgrass Flats Dalton saw Agent Murphy napping on the hood of her car. “Is Snowgrass Flats a popular hangout for teenagers?” Dalton asked. “That’s no teenager, it’s Agent Murphy with the CIA. Be careful she suspects something is going on.” Vincent replied.

“Hey little girl I don’t think the school bus comes thi
s way.” Vincent yelled out to Agent Murphy. “Very funny Vincent. I didn’t know you were a comedian.” Monique said. “I’m sorry I thought you were someone else. What a coincidence I didn’t know you liked camping.” Vincent said. “I’m not real big on camping. I thought I might ask you some additional questions about your grandmother. Our last encounter didn’t last very long and I’d like to hear more about her.” Monique said. “Agent Murphy, I know you’ve had people watching me. Let’s get down to it. Why are you here, and what do you want?” Vincent asked. “We have evidence your grandmother was in possession of an artifact from the pyramid in the Antarctic. I believe you know more then you are telling, and I’m wondering why you and Dalton are suddenly such close friends.” Monique replied. “Is that all? I think you’ve overestimated me Monique. The last time I saw my grandmother was before she went to the Antarctic. I don’t know anything about an artifact, and I’ve already told you I don’t know anything about why my grandmother was in the Antarctic. I’ve known Dalton for a long time. He’s a long time friend of the family. We came to the mountains to remember my grandmother and to honor her memory.” Vincent said.

“
Dalton, I hope you remember you’ve signed a non-disclosure agreement regarding any projects you’ve worked on for us. Should we find you have violated that agreement you will be subject to prosecution. Is there anything you want to say?” Monique asked. “Agent Murphy, I’ve adhered to the agreement which I signed. Vincent and I came here to honor Maria. You do realize she passed away recently? Perhaps you didn’t know. It would explain why you are bothering us as we mourn her loss and celebrate her accomplishments. Try to have a little decency and respect.” Dalton said. “We just returned from a long hike and some peaceful time in the mountains. We are leaving. You can either arrest me or hunt me down later if you want to ask more useless questions. Besides, I think I hear the school bus. Your ride is almost here. Good day agent. See you next time.” Vincent said. “She’s got some nerve, what a bitch.” Dalton said as he got in the car.

Vincent and
Dalton began their return trip to Seattle and spoke about the conversation with Agent Murphy. “We have to find a way to explore the pyramid on Mars. Unfortunately I don’t see how it can be done. It’s not like hopping on an airplane. Getting into space isn’t easy. I don’t have the money to get to Mars.” Dalton said. “I might have an idea. Let me see if I can get something moving. Our family has a few resources. Give me a little time, and I’ll let you know either way.” Vincent said.

After fifteen miles it was time to get some gas and to debug the car.
"Let's find the tracking device, it’s the only way she could have found us." he told Dalton. After a five minute search Dalton found the GPS tracker under the back right wheel well. Vincent threw it into the bushes. "The government will just put on another one later." Dalton said. "I hope they do. Maybe we can use it to our advantage." Vincent replied.

Arriving home, Vincent knew getting
to Mars was not going to be easy. The only person who could possibly make it happen was his uncle Enzo. He had a knack for getting things done which were difficult to say the least. Vincent booked a flight for the next day to New York and started reviewing the photos he and Dalton had taken at the Prime Pyramid. Just after getting started the doorbell rang. Not expecting company Vincent wondered who it could possibly be. Standing in his doorway was a delivery man with Chinese food. "Here is your order sir." the man said. "What are you doing here? I didn't place an order, you must have the wrong house." Vincent said. "We received an online order for your address. Either way it's paid for sir. Have a good day." the delivery man said as he handed Vincent the food and abruptly left. Vincent brought the food inside wondering what the hell that was all about. It smelled good and he was hungry. Inside one of the bags he found a note:

"I know you're being watched. I have information about your grandmother Maria. Meet me at the Southcenter Mall food court at ten thirty. Make sure nobody follows you, and come alone.”

He wondered who this person was, and what kind of information he might possess. Vincent had an hour to try and figure out how to escape the prying eyes of his watchers. He wondered if a new tracking device had been placed on his car yet.

Vincent arrived as close to the mall as he dared.
He didn't notice anyone following him but suspected someone was there. He hadn’t seen any police drones in the area and hoped he had arrived without being noticed. A small convenience store was about a mile from the mall. Pulling into a stall he noticed a beautiful red Corvette was parked beside him. As he got out he quickly checked around his car for a GPS tracker. He found one under the back bumper. He placed the tracker under the front of the Corvette as he pretended to tie his shoe. He went to the back of the store where the restrooms were located and went out the back door. There was half an hour left, which was more then enough time to walk to the mall if he was quick about it.

Vincent arrived at the food court
ten minutes early. He got a soda, sat down, and waited. Five minutes later the delivery man who had come to his house sat down across from him. "Hello, I'm going to make this quick. My name is Jared Williams and I was the pilot who was flying your grandmother to Rimrock Lake. The crash was not an accident. We were shot down by our own government." Vincent was shocked at what he was hearing. “How do you know this? How can it be possible? How do you know you were shot down?" Vincent asked. "I saw the other plane through the rainstorm. It was a military jet. It took out my prop and then followed us all the way down. I was lucky and found a small clearing for the crash landing. Unfortunately the small clearing wasn't big enough. I'm sorry about Maria by the way. We talked a little on the plane. She was a very nice woman." Jared said. "What happened after the crash?" Vincent asked. "We crashed very close to the town of Packwood. The town was only a few miles away. Apparently somebody saw us come down. The local search and rescue teams were on the scene within fifteen minutes. I don't think I'd still be here if they hadn't arrived before the government boys got to the scene. As the medics were taking me away I could see them covering up the wreck and talking to the locals.

My plane will never see the light of day again.
The government has probably already burned the wreckage. Any evidence which would have shown it was shot down will be destroyed. At the hospital the government agency investigating the crash posted a guard at my door. I could still walk so when the guard went to the bathroom I got the hell out of there." Jared said. "Do you remember which agency was in charge of the investigation, or who the lead investigator was?" Vincent asked. "Some bald short guy seemed to be in charge. He was barking orders at everyone. I never heard his name. They don’t seem to use names much when they are around the public." Jared replied. "This is all a little overwhelming and unbelievable. For now it's a good idea for both of us to get out of here. Do you have a safe phone I can call later?" Vincent said. Jared gave him a phone number and got up to leave. “Thanks for the information Jared. Take care, and watch your ass. You are a loose end to them, and they don’t like loose ends.” Each of them left the food court in opposite directions.

Vincent was enraged as he drove back to the house.
His grandmother had been murdered. If he knew where the watchers were, he would cave in their skulls with a bat. He obviously had underestimated Monique, the CIA, and whatever other agencies were involved. He stopped at another convenience store and picked up a throw away phone. He immediately called Enzo at his private number. It was late back east and it sounded like Enzo had been sleeping. "Enzo, it's Vincent. Is your phone line secure?" he asked. "This line is always secure. I sure hope yours is." Enzo replied. "I'm being followed by the CIA. We need to meet somewhere private tomorrow. I'm also going to need help losing my tail when I get there. I'm sure the CIA will be waiting for me. My flight arrives at twelve thirty in the afternoon." he said. "Get a taxi at the airport. The driver will call you Vincenzo. Make sure you get in the right taxi. I'll take care of the rest. You need to follow my instructions to the letter. We can’t afford any mistakes if what you say is true." Enzo said. Vincent thanked Enzo and hung up the phone. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

He had hailed two taxis with no luck.
Neither driver had called him Vincenzo. As the third one pulled up to the curb the driver got out grabbed his bags and said "Climb in Vincenzo." Vincent got in the cab and wondered what would happen next as the cab pulled away quickly.

The taxi was heading into downtown and the driver was driving like a typical
New York cabbie. After a few miles he took a call on the dispatch radio and took his driving to a whole new level. Every other second it looked like they were about to crash into the cars in front or to the side of them. Vincent heard tires squeal, looked back, and saw an accident behind them involving at least two other taxi cabs and a multitude of other vehicles. The road was completely blocked and it was a complete mess. In New York it was just another typical accident.

The taxi
stopped at an upscale seafood restaurant. The cabbie told Vincent to go inside and his luggage would be waiting for him later at the hotel. Vincent was ushered to the back of the restaurant where Enzo was waiting for him. They were essentially alone as the surrounding tables all had reserved signs on them.

Enzo was a large muscular man who ate well, but didn't show it too much.
He was never comfortable sitting still for too long and exercised just enough to keep his belly down to a reasonable size. Over the years he had developed an instinct about who he could trust, and who he should not become involved with. His instincts had served him well.

"Ah Vincenzo it's so good to see you.” Enzo was the only
person who ever called him by his birth name. "It's good to see you too Uncle. I have some very troubling news to share with you. It won’t be easy to hear." Vincent went on to explain the death of Maria, and how the CIA was interested in him and Dalton. Enzo slammed his fist on the table in anger. “Goddamn sons of bitches. I knew something wasn’t right with her death." he said. “Uncle, what are we going to do? This cannot go unpunished. We need to go after them now. They have to answer for what they've done. I’ll do it myself if you can tell me who is responsible!" Vincent exclaimed. "Calm down Vincenzo. I agree with you, but what would you have me do? Go after the entire CIA or the entire government? You are young and ambitious, but you must learn to control your emotions.

You always showed Maria and the family respect.
Together we will see this out and we will have our vengeance. It will take some time and some patience. I had similar dealings in my youth, and made some mistakes. I acted too swiftly sometimes due to my anger and rage. We must gather information before we act. Our government is run by fools and imbeciles who have no honor. It is likely there was one person responsible for approving the attack on the plane. Our first step is identifying and finding the agent who gave the order to kill Maria. Once we find this person the rest will fall into place. Do you agree with this Vincenzo?"

Vincent was impatie
nt, but Enzo was right. "Yes, Uncle what you have said makes sense. I would like to be involved. It would only be right. She raised me." Vincent said. "Be careful what you wish for Vincenzo. You don't want to go down a road and be unable to turn back. I will keep you involved as much as possible, but I will not endanger your future. Unlike me, you have quite a bit of future ahead of yourself. Maria would not want to see you throw away your life on her account. You must control your emotions until you are face to face with your enemy. Look into the eye of your enemy when you have defeated him. When your enemy is defeated the guilt of his sins can be seen in his soul. The virtuous know they have prevailed by looking into the sinful eyes of their enemy as death arrives.” Enzo said.

“I will
consider what you’ve said. For now I will bide my time and wait for your guidance. That was very impressive with the taxis by the way. It would have taken care of anyone following us." Vincent said. "When you own a cab company you can spare a few for the right reasons. Besides, that’s what those expensive insurance premiums are for. You are part of our family Vincenzo and I want to keep you out of danger. I will have the taxi drive you to your hotel when we are finished here. From this point forward you must always assume you will be under surveillance. At some point I will find out who gave the order. Until that time I don’t want you to take any action. It would be foolish and end up badly for you. You don’t want to be missed for too long so you should probably go now. We need to spend more time together. You are a smart young man, but still have much to learn." Enzo said.

"There is one more thing I need to speak about Uncle Enzo." Vincent said. "What is it?" Enzo replied. "Do you have a way to get Dalton and I to Mars?" Vincent said. "Is that all? Why not Jupiter or perhaps Pluto? You don't ask for much now do you?” Enzo replied. Vincent had told Enzo about Monique following him and Dalton, but he hadn't shared the discovery about Mars. Vincent told Enzo of the discovery and his trip with Dalton. "This is a continuation of Maria's work. It is her life’s work and we have a chance to validate what your sister was trying to prove. I will understand if it's simply not possible. But if there is a way to get Dalton and I to Mars we have to try. It would be disrespectful not to try if there is a way. She was on to something big." Vincent said. "It's possible I might be able to call in a few favors. I know a few people and will get back to you. For now, go back to Seattle. I will contact you as soon as I can, but no promises for now. Take this secure phone. I will call you on this phone only. Keep it safe and keep it out of sight. Don’t say anything when I call, just listen and follow my instructions. You better get going. Be smart and stay safe Vincenzo. Don’t do anything rash."

Monique was waiting on the second floor conference room of the hotel when she saw Vincent get out of the taxi.
She was sure he was here to see Enzo and the carnage on the roadway confirmed her suspicions. An accident is normal in New York. It’s not normal when a suspect is trying to evade surveillance and his uncle owns the cab company which caused the wreck. Now that Enzo and his people were around, she would have to be more careful. Enzo would be watching for her and other agents. She was sure Vincent had information which was vital. It was her job to pry it from him somehow. In the meantime she would bide her time until Vincent slipped up. When he did, she would be there to find out the truth and advance her career.

Vincent arrived back in
Seattle without incident. He called Dalton so the two of them could meet up and discuss the latest developments. Being careful not to say anything he shouldn't, he invited Dalton to meet him at a local tavern the next night.

Vincent hoped meeting at a busy and noisy tavern would give them a chance to talk without being heard. Being surrounded by loud drunks should give them some privacy. Vincent met with
Dalton and told him about his visit from the pilot and his trip to New York. Dalton became visibly shaken when he heard what had really happened to Maria. He had been a friend and colleague for over twenty years. He didn’t know Enzo personally, but Maria had told him stories. Dalton was confident Enzo would hold the person responsible accountable. He was impatient like Vincent but would wait to see what Enzo found out.