“I think they wanted the machine.” Sofia bit her lip. “We found something strange in the center of the temple.”
Tam clicked the remote again, and a bizarre, silver contraption appeared on screen.
“You think they use this machine to cause the tsunami?” Dane ran a hand through his hair. This was a great deal to take in.
“Yes. I also found a codex. The translation is incomplete, but what I found indicates the Atlanteans possessed machines that were capable of such things. I believe the Dominion used it to destroy both my dig site and much of Key West. I also believe a machine like this was used to destroy Atlantis, or at least the city I excavated.”
“Hold on a second.” Dane raised a hand. “If you found Atlantis, and this machine was still in the city, then who was responsible for the attack?”
“As I said, my translation of the codex is incomplete, but it seems that Atlantis was, in fact, made up of more than one city. A conflict arose, maybe a civil war. According to the codex, the city I excavated was unable to defend itself due to a lack of crystals, whatever that means.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Dane saw Bones sit up straighter.
“If you’re correct, the Dominion can use this machine to attack any coastal city it chooses, with no one the wiser.” Greg’s brown eyes bored into the image on the screen.
“While Bones and I were trying out the submarine, we experienced a brief power outage just before the tsunami hit,” Dane said. “It didn’t last more than a moment. Perhaps this machine creates a wave of energy of some sort.”
“So they could strike anywhere,” Greg said.
“I don’t think so.” Bones rocked back in his chair and propped his feet on the table.
“What makes you say that?” Tam asked sharply.
“I don’t think they have any more crystals. You guys probably wouldn’t know anything about this, since most people don’t exactly share my taste in reading material, but there’s been a rash of crystal skull thefts in museums around the world.” Bones’ love of legends, conspiracy theories, and cryptids was well known to his friends.
“Crystal skulls?” Avery didn’t bother to hide her skepticism.
“Seriously? You can say that to me?”
“Be professional, you two,” Tam snapped. “Go ahead, Bones.”
“There are four well-known crystal skulls: the Mitchell-Hedges skull, the Paris skull, the British Museum skull, and the Smithsonian skull. Over the course of the last few months, three of the four have been stolen, plus a bunch of other skulls that everyone knows are fake. The Paris skull is the only one that hasn’t been taken.” He looked at Sofia. “Does that more or less coincide with the timeline of your dig?” Sofia nodded. “Sounds to me like, once Bishop knew Sofia was on to something, he gave the order to acquire the skulls.”
“But how would he know he needed the crystal skulls unless he had a copy of the codex?” Greg asked.
“Who can say for sure? Maybe he has information we don’t. Or it might be a hunch. The crystal skulls have been associated with Atlantis myths for a long time; maybe he was hedging his bets.” Bones shrugged.
“It’s too big a coincidence to ignore.” Tam turned to Greg. “I want you and Kasey in Paris tonight. Take Bones along.” She ignored Kasey’s exasperated sigh. “Keep an eye out for anybody trying to take that skull. Hell, steal it if you can.” Greg nodded. “Anything else for us, Sofia?”
“I’ve got copies of the codex for everyone, along with what I’ve translated so far.” She took out a plain manila folder and passed it around. Inside were several sets of stapled sheets, each with an enlarged photograph of a clay tablet etched with glyphs. Sofia had jotted her translation in the margins.
“Where are the originals?” Joel asked.
Sofia’s face fell. “I was betrayed by the man who was helping me translate it. We went back a long way and I thought I could trust him, but he tried to sell it to black-market antiquities dealers. They killed him.”
“Any chance these dealers were connected to the Dominion?” Dane asked.
Tam nodded. “Let’s assume so, just to be on the safe side.”
“There’s something I really don’t get,” Matt said. “Why Key West? We’re not important in the big picture. Washington, New York City, those I could see, but Key West? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I bet we were a practice run.” Willis scowled down at the translation of the codex in his hands. “Just to make sure they have their act together when the real fun starts.”
“So they chose some place vulnerable,” Kasey said, “a tourist town where they weren’t likely to be caught.”
“I’m sure they didn’t mind that we’re an inclusive town with a significant gay population here,” Willis added. “They made sure their people were safe, and then they went around killing off anybody they could find who doesn’t fit their mold. Imagine if they can plot something like this on a large scale.”
“The Coast Guard needs to be on alert. Have you notified anyone?” Greg asked Tam.
“I’ve shared my suspicions as much as I can, but we’re still talking about the government here. If I go to the wrong person with a story about Christian terrorists using Atlantean weapons to run their own little genocide, we’ll find ourselves pushing pencils on the bottom rung of the CIA. We need proof.” She clapped her hands once. “We need to think like the Dominion. What are they up to?”
“If Sofia is right,” Dane began, “there are more Atlantean cities to be discovered, and more weapons. If I were them, I would assemble an entire arsenal so I could hit all the major coastal cities at once. A freak tsunami here and there would cause problems, but would also raise suspicions and put the country on alert. But if I could knock out all the big cities, the major ports, offshore mining operations all at once, I don’t think America could cope with the disaster. Considering the shape our economy’s in and the tendency of so many people to believe any wacko conspiracy about the government, no offense, Bones, the government could collapse.”
“Especially if the disaster is accompanied by genocide.” Kasey grimaced. “They could destroy the economy and the social order.”
“So, we need to find these other Atlantean cities first.” Bones rubbed his hands together. “Screw the crystal skulls. Who’s with me?”
“Hold your horses,” Tam said.
“Is that supposed to be some slur against Native Americans?”
“No, I would’ve said, ‘Hold your fire water.’ Corey, whenever Maddock doesn’t need you, you’re going to work on translating the rest of the codex. Sofia will get you started.” Corey nodded. “You too, Avery. And you can dig into possible Atlantean locations. Sofia will point you in the right direction. Bones, if you have any suggestions, pass them along. Sofia, do you have any ideas on where we should look first?”
“The author of the codex, a man named Paisden, gives what I think are clues to the locations of Atlantean cities. I think he hoped someone might gather the weapons stored there and fight back. Combining what I’ve translated so far with what I know of potential Atlantean settlements, there is one place in particular that I think is worth investigating right away.”
“Fine. Give Maddock and Willis a full report.” She turned to Dane. “This should be right up you dummies’ alley. Tell me what you need and get a move on.”
“Avengers assemble!” Bones raised a fist.
“What about us?” Joel inclined his head toward Matt.
“You two just found religion.” Tam smiled at their puzzled expressions. “I want you to infiltrate our favorite local church.”
“I’m an atheist,” Joel objected.
“You’re also an actor. Make it happen. Do it however you see fit, but I have a feeling Matt can pull off the role of a disgruntled ex-soldier with a grudge against the government. You’ll have to be more creative.” Joel smiled and nodded.