“So then we’re back to finding Atlantis?”
“We don’t really have to find it, Jayden. We only need to follow in Treasure Inc.’s footsteps. I think there’s a good possibility they’re going to bring Maddy with them, since she’s an expert archaeologist. We only need to figure out where they’re going to go.”
Jayden nodded. “Maddy was talking about how the statue — when the head was on the full horse and rider statue in the Azores — pointed west.”
“Yes!” Hunt’s eyes had an unmistakable gleam in them now, a combination of excitement and determination. “And we thought it likely the ‘west’ the statue pointed to was the islands of the Bahamas. So that leaves us with either…”
“The Azores or the Bahamas are the most likely places Daedalus is going to take Maddy to,” Jayden finished for him. Hunt nodded in agreement.
“We’re closer to the Azores from here.”
“Azores it is,” Jayden said. “Let’s go before our friends decide to come back.”
“We need to grab something first.” Hunt glanced at the patch of dirt where they’d hidden the bronze head.
Jayden’s eyes widened. “Now? What if Daedalus left guards posted out there?”
“I’m guessing that within two hours, this entire site will be crawling with local police. I’m sure Daedalus got his people out of here. And with the leader of the expedition kidnapped and missing, it could be quite some time before we’re allowed access on site ourselves. So I’d say that now is our best chance if we want it with us when we take our little extended vacation to the Azores.”
Jayden moved back over to the area where they’d buried the artifact, grabbing a power strip along the way. “Let’s grab our trusty digging tools and get to work, then, shall we?” They did, and a few minutes later, between frenzied bouts of digging punctuated by frequent glances to the doorway, they caught sight of the precious artifact once again. Hunt emptied a duffel bag of its tangled nest of cabling and loaded the bronze head into it.
“Now what?” Jayden asked, dusting off his pants. “We’re just going to stroll on out of here?”
Hunt frowned. “We were supposed to call the camel guy an hour before we’re ready for him to pick us up.”
“We can’t wait around that long, so what are our options?”
Hunt thought for a bit before answering. “Maybe we can hitch a ride with somebody. Come on, we’ll just have to wing it.” He grabbed the duffel bag containing the bronze head and moved to the doorway. He peered out while Jayden walked over. “I don’t’ see any of Daedalus’ men. Let’s move out. Walk casually, don’t move too fast.”
Hunt and Jayden exited the tent and made their way across the open dig site grounds, the great pyramid looming ahead of them. Hunt couldn’t help but think what other secrets it contained, about the strange chambers concealed beneath the actual structure. It helped to keep his mind off of the reality that he carried in his hands what was essentially a priceless artifact made even more so by the fact that it could potentially lead to the lost city of Atlantis.
Hunt actually found himself smiling a little as he crossed the site, which was now empty, all of the personnel having taken cover inside the tents or having left the site already. He was smack dab in the middle of a historical mystery, and now saving his friend would depend on how well he utilized his skills and knowledge. Not a situation he would have asked for, certainly, but having to chase down the myth of Atlantis in order to save Maddy was something he was prepared — and felt able — to do.
Jayden’s voice broke him from his thoughts. “Hey, isn’t that Maddy’s ride over there?” He pointed to a silver Mercedes SUV parked in what was designated as the car lot, in a line of about a dozen other vehicles.
“That’s it. Hopefully she left the keys in it.” Hunt and Jayden walked to the SUV and Hunt pulled on the driver’s side door handle. It opened. “So far so good.” But then his mouth turned down at the corners as he failed to spot the keys lying on the seat or in the ignition or on top of the visor. After a little more searching he concluded she had taken them with her.
Jayden quickly looked around at the site and then turned to Hunt. “I can get it started without the keys, but I’ll need some wire strippers.”
Hunt raised his eyebrows but reached to his waistband where the Leatherman multi-tool he usually carried was clipped to his belt. He unfolded a pair of pliers from the folding tool and handed them to Jayden. “I’ll keep watch.”
Jayden got into the driver’s seat and closed the door, while Hunt tried to appear as casual as possible leaning against the car while his gaze scanned in all directions. Again, his mind turned to the mystery at hand, to the scant clues the bronze head that now lay in a bag at his feet might provide to the whereabouts of the lost city…and the vast treasure that legends held it contained.
Not five minutes later, his reverie was interrupted by the smooth roar of the SUV’s engine coming to life as Jayden worked the gas pedal. The tinted automatic window rolled silently down to reveal Jayden’s grinning face. “Hop in!”
Hunt picked up the bag. “I’ll get in as long as you promise never to tell me where you learned how to do that.”
Jayden beamed. “Deal!”
Police sirens pierced the air as Hunt ran around to the passenger side and got in with the bag.
Jayden put the SUV in gear as he looked over at Hunt while he got in. “Where to?”
With a mischievous grin on his face, Hunt said, “The Azores.”
Chapter 9
“Atlantis Rent-A-Car, isn’t that appropriate?” Jayden remarked as they walked up to a booth in the Ponta Delgada Airport. Officially part of Portugal but operating as its own autonomous province, the nine-island chain of the Azores are about a four-hour flight from Boston, but closer to twelve from Egypt.
“I guess it’s no secret that the Azores is one of the most commonly suggested final resting places for Atlantis,” Hunt said, stretching his legs after the long flight. “Not to mention the Portuguese government recognizes these islands as ‘the remains of Atlantis’. They say that the Azores are actually the mountain peaks of what used to be Atlantis, all the rest of which was flooded.”
“You rent the car,” Jayden said, “and I’ll get us espressos.”
“Deal.” Neither of them had slept much on the flight over. Both had read up on the Azores and the Atlantis myth, as well as making in-flight phone-calls to Maddy’s friends and associates to make sure they knew she’d been kidnapped and that the local authorities had been alerted, which they had. Still, there had been no sign of the archaeologist since she was forcibly dragged from her research tent. Nor had there been any word from Treasure, Inc., or any news stories about the dig site raid.
A few minutes later, a caffeinated Hunt sat behind the wheel of a rented Jeep Compass SUV, with Jayden in the passenger seat and the duffel containing the bronze head at his feet. “Motor’s so quiet I can barely tell its running,” Hunt quipped as he rolled off the lot onto the street.
“Good, you never know if we might need the element of surprise.” Jayden smiled as he took in the busy airport surroundings. They now drove through the hub of the Azores, but knew from their research that much of the island chain was idyllic and remote. He glanced at his smartphone’s navigation app. “Make a right up here and then we get on a highway for a while.”
“Copy that.” Hunt followed the directions and after he had merged onto the busy highway, lapsed into thought again. He was under no illusions that their mission was an easy one. In fact, it was all he could do to keep from letting on to Jayden that he thought they were likely on a wild goose chase. But at the same time, he could think of no other actionable alternatives.