“Tam, get out of there now!” he barked into the radio.
“We’re coming to get you!” came her reply.
“I’ve got a plan. Just get out range and fast!” He breathed a sigh of relief as, moments later, the cruiser turned and headed back around the peninsula.
“Are we swimming for it?” Bones asked.
“We’d never outrun them. Give me a minute.” Before Bones could ask what he had planned, he submerged and swam to the boat. He surfaced on the side opposite the gunmen, who were clambering down from the rocks. He didn’t have long.
He drew Excalibur from his pack, gave it a few seconds to absorb the sunlight, then activated the blade. He could almost feel the energy coursing through him as the edges shone with blue light. He checked to make sure the men still had their backs to him before he took his first swing. The sword sliced through the hull with ease and, moments later, he’d cut a gaping hole near the stern, just above the waterline. He covered the hole with a life jacket, knowing the ruse wouldn’t last for long, but maybe it would be enough.
He met up with Bones just as the men got into their boat and fired up their engine. The boat shot past them and, moments later, it slowed and began to sink. The men cursed in surprise and anger, the chase abandoned as they tried to plug the leaks with whatever they had on hand.
Dane smiled as he and Bones hit the water, keeping well below the surface and passing unseen beneath the foundering boat. Now, to finish the job.
Chapter 34
“That place is crazy-looking,” Bones said, looking out the porthole
“Inishtooskert,” Tam said. “They call it the Sleeping Giant, or The Dead Man.”
“How many skirts was that?” Bones asked.
Tam shook her head and Angel punched him.
Dane had been correct about the wedge-shaped images on the ceilings of the three chambers. When put together, they formed a map to this, the northernmost of the Blasket Islands off Ireland’s southwest coast. The lonely island had been uninhabited for years, and was home to many ancient ruins. And, as its nickname suggested, when seen from the east, the island did, indeed, look like a man lying on his back. Blanketed by silver moonlight, it put Dane to mind of a corpse lying on a funeral bier.
“What do you think we’re going to find there?” Dane asked no one in particular.
Everyone exchanged glances, unwilling or unable to hazard a guess. Finally, Avery spoke up.
“Avalon. Legend holds it was somewhere across the water. They could have crossed the Irish sea and rounded the coast until they found the perfect place. What better place to lay a king to rest than an island that looks like a giant crypt?”
No one disagreed.
“You think King Arthur is somewhere inside that island?” Willis asked.
“Why not? If our theory is correct, Morgan believes she’s his descendant and would need his remains in order to conduct a DNA test. She’s a museum director, so the public wouldn’t look at the find with the same suspicion they would if some random person claimed he’d found Arthur’s final resting place.”
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Dane said, “So, who’s going and who’s staying?”
Everyone spoke at once. None of them wanted to remain behind. Not even Corey.
“We can’t all go. Somebody’s got to stay with the boat.” He looked pointedly at Matt’s broken arm. “And we need a lookout and someone to be our communications man.”
“That’s me, as always,” Corey grumbled.
It was agreed that Greg, Tam’s agent, would go ashore and find high ground from which he could serve as lookout. As the the rest of the group made their preparations, Dane pulled Angel aside.
“I really think you should stay behind. You’ve dealt with too much already.”
“Forget it. After what I’ve been through, I deserve to see this to the end as much as anyone, if not more. Besides, you can’t tell me what to do.” She grinned, gave him a quick kiss, and left him standing alone belowdecks.
She was right. He couldn’t tell her what to do, though he wished he could. He vowed to keep her close and not let anything happen to her.
“There you are.” Avery poked her head in the door. “You are coming aren’t you? I mean, we can handle it without you, if you’d rather stay here.” She reached out, took his hand, and pretended to haul him up the stairs. He played along, feigning reluctance. When they reach the deck, she laughed and gave him a hug.
“We’re going to do it, Maddock! After all these years, Dad’s quest is at an end.”
“Do you think he had any idea where it would lead us? This is a far cry from a pirate’s treasure.”
“I doubt it, but I think he’d have loved every minute of it.” She stopped, blinked a few times, and cleared her throat. “I wish he was here.”
Dane looked out across the moonlit water, and fought down a sudden wave of sadness. He put his arm around Avery’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze.
“Me too.”
It was a steep climb up the side of the Dead Man, and they were all exhausted from the ordeal of the past few days but, buoyed by enthusiasm, they made the climb in good time. Reaching the top, they paused to look out across the water at the chain of islands to the south. It was a beautiful sight, and he found himself wishing he and Angel were here alone, with no thoughts of Morgan or the Dominion to distract them. He looked down at her and could tell by the look in her eyes she was thinking the same thing.
“All right, Maddock,” Tam said, “take charge of your troops or I’m going to do it for you.” She handed him a flashlight and a sheet of paper.
Jimmy had made a major breakthrough. He’d broken the bands of code carved on the chamber walls. The resulting message, they hoped, marked out the path they were to follow.
“Okay, the first line reads, Beneath the eye of the giant lies the door to eternity.”
“I hate poetry,” Bones mumbled.
“The head is that way.” Avery pointed to the east.
They picked their way across the rough terrain, navigating the old ruins, then faced an even more challenging climb up to the jagged rocks that formed the giant’s head. Avery shone her light across the rocks and cried out in triumph. Where the right eye should be, a round boulder four feet across sat in the center of a circular depression.
“The eyes have it,” Bones proclaimed. He, Dane, and Willis rolled the boulder out of the way, revealing a shaft carved into the rock. Handholds ran down to the floor twenty feet below. Dane insisted on going first, in case there was a trap. The ladies exchanged wearied looks, but didn’t argue. He reached the bottom without incident, and looked around.
He stood in a cave. Evidence of occasional human presence in the distant past lay all about in the form of fire rings, the charred bones of small animals, smoke-stained walls, and carvings. What he did not see was any sort of door, trapdoor, or portal, and certainly no Templar cross. The others reached the bottom and joined him in examining the cave.
“What’s the next line?” Bones asked.
“The three come together and show the way to the Dead Man’s heart.”
“The three what? Wise men? Amigos? Blind mice?”
“The three weapons, genius.” Angel said, pointing to Rhongomnyiad, which Bones wore strapped across his back.
“Definitely,” Dane said, pretending he’d known all along. He suspected he wasn’t fooling anyone, but that was all right. “Everybody spread out and look for carvings that resemble the sword, spear, or dagger.