Tridas (23 page)

"Kudos Hoyt, you seem to have this whole thing figured out". Aven
stated with ample praise. Kavani realized Hoyt was revealing the actual
plan. 

"Both of you have told me your versions of this flood flowing from the
center of the earth. If there is any truth to it and this island is the best
access point, you know Sihamuni and Vasily are teaming up to bomb the
crater".

Kavani could barely believe her ears, "If lasers are pointed at the crater,
it sounds like a suicide mission. What is your plan?"

"A simple smoke screen inhibits the laser refraction". Hoyt stated
proudly. "We drop a canister in the crater and potential problem
solved".

"So you could drop it from the chopper". Aven suggested. 

"Better to emit the smoke, around the entire ring of the crater by hand.
Dropping the canister is not precise enough. Besides it could possibly melt in
the volcano prior to releasing sufficient smoke".

"This is your area of expertise". Kava admitted, "If you think
we need to go back, we go back at first light".

"I'm just less than 24 hours away". Aven calculated, "I'm
heading to Argentina tonight". They ended the call, so both sides could
prep.

Aven turned off his phone and stepped back into the hall. Suttikul was talking
with Captain Vasily. Aven listened, then made his way back to the place and
crumpled position where the Colonel had left him. Aven had told Kavani that
Suttikul had powers and that he had drugged him, the effects of which had completely
warn off. Kavani had told Aven how to fight back. He would need the element of
surprise to gain the upper hand, but in his fake stupor, Aven knew he could
catch Suttikul off guard.

Kavani and Hoyt returned to their separate quarters. Kavani knew she would need
to be better prepared for this second trip. Hoyt lay on his bunk, concealing
the lasers in the smoke canister. 

****

Suttikul found Aven just as he left him. "Seems you have shared our secret
with your friends".

So much for the element of surprise. Aven weakly slipped his phone out of his
pocket for Suttikul to see. 

The Colonel laughed as he approached Aven, "You are resilient, but still a
mere mortal in a battle with Gods".

When the Colonel was very close, Aven began to recite the words Kava had
instructed him to speak. Suttikul did not recognize the language, but at this
close distance the words had great power. Intended to have a similar stilling
effect as the energy shot from Suttikul's hand earlier, the words pronounced
from Aven's spirit core began turning the Colonel to stone. Aven dodged his
reach as Colonel Suttikul became another statue among the Buddha. 

Aven entered the room Suttikul had retreated to earlier. He scheduled a flight
and called for a car to the airport. On the desk were a few notes and
Suttikul's Grandfather's journal. Aven grabbed everything, closed the door
behind him and proceeded to the lower level of the temple and into his awaiting
car. Argentina awaited. 

****

Hoyt stepped out
to the helicopter landing pad, surprised to see a small grouping- the pilot,
Kavani, and two other officers.

"I spoke
with the ship's Captain," Kavani began once Hoyt was within earshot,
"regarding our return to the summit and enlisted these men to assist in
gathering core samples".

"Core
samples? For what?"

"Thin spots
in the earth's crust could have geological similarities. This could help us
target other potential strike points. After Aven's interaction with Suttikul,
and no news on the team intercepting the Chikyu, I think it best we move off
the defensive and form a plan of attack against our enemies, both known and
unknown. You and I could be on a goose chase!" She didn't actually believe
the island was a dead end, but her argument sounded convincing.

"We will
know once we make the laser sweep if our trip was worthless or not", Hoyt
stated confidently. However the extra men would make his ultimate plans more
difficult. Kavani knew this.

"Let's make
this voyage short and sweet", Kava advised. "I don't think either one
of us is too excited to experience the aroma again, while you are sweeping the
crater and placing the smoke screen. We will gather the core samples".
Hoping to keep some reasonable distance, between them.

"No hopes of
connecting with the mountain's inner voice this trip?" Hoyt sarcastically
fired back.

"It's your intel
that is critical this time". She said with a smile

Hoyt knew Kavani
was a threat, but with her new entourage, he had to reprioritize. Killing all
three of them would seem awfully suspicious. He was willing to die for the
cause, but it was not part of Sihamuni's original plan. Perhaps he could be of
better service alive. If he could paint the target with the lasers, Kavani's
death at his hands may not be necessary. Alone on the summit, he could be sure
the guidance beams were not impacted by the smoke screen. It was turning out to
be a perfect scenario.

Masks under arm,
they loaded the chopper and headed for the island. Kava and her recruits began
to extract the core samples as Hoyt scaled the summit in relatively quick
fashion. He set one of the lasers and then released the smoke to direct his
placement of the remaining SALH devices. The smoke was rising straight up, easy
to place the lasers outside of the smoke's cloaking effect.

Hoyt activated
his sat phone, "Tridas4. Copy? The target has been painted".

Descending from
the crater immediately, Hoyt knew there were only minutes before Vasily would
launch the Tridas missile. Kava had completed her extractions as well and they
all boarded the chopper, which had remained on island this time for the quick
return to the volcano.

"The sweep
showed a weak laser presence, likely from devices embedded some time ago. The
smoke screen will obstruct any further signal". Hoyt stated confidently
over the headset once they were airborne.

"So the monk
has already been to the island?" Kava asked.

"Doubtful.
The timing seems off. If lasers were placed, why not launch a missile? It's
like he is waiting for something..." Hoyt said, soundly as if he was
thinking out loud.

Kavani listened
closely to Hoyt's statements, knowing they carried more information than he
would want to reveal. "You detained Vasily and Sihamuni... maybe that
added a delay to their timeline?" Kava offered, equally appearing to be
thinking on her feet. "Who authorized their release? They seem to be such
critical pieces to the puzzle..."

"Allowing
them their freedom, keeps everything in motion”. Hoyt rationalized. "There
seems to be a time element to this event. It appears to be years in the making,
and although disciplined our encounters with the men show them to be driven by
ego, convinced their plan is destined to succeed. Putting them back into play
is to our advantage to stop their efforts while the critical players are known
entities. Otherwise, they go underground and resurface in the future with
different faces and a whole new plan for us to decipher from stage 1”.

"Sounds
convincing, but also dangerous at the same time”, Kava concluded.

"Trust us.
We know what we are doing”. Hoyt stated with focused eyes and a big confident
grin.

Suddenly the nose
of the helicopter pitched down and there was a noticeable increase in airspeed.
The pilot came over the headset, “The ship is moving off the coast of the
island to mid Atlantic waters. We have been instructed to rendezvous at this
new location ASAP. We will be briefed when we land with further details."

"Probable
intercept of the monk's ship!" Hoyt practically yelled, and could barely
keep to his seat.

Kava, on the
other hand, had the eerie sense that this was not good news.

326 B.C.

Spark shards
filled the air as the large black tongs removed the clay chalice of molten gold
from the heating chamber.

"Pouring the
gold directly over the scars of Antipater's heart will require a skillful hand”.
Allatore cautioned.

"It is
rumored wealthy Roman generals actually pour molten gold down the throat as a
means of execution”. Aristotle reported as he gently maneuvered the cup to tilt
over Antipater's lips. The very instant the metal touched his mouth the amulet
around Kavani's neck began to glow. "Within 10 seconds the gold will
congeal. We will have either ruptured his organs, burned his lungs or repaired
his heart”.

"I'm afraid
we are going to cook him from the inside out." Allatore exclaimed.

Neither of them
noticed the blue light, shrouded by Kavani's death garments, but the amulet
continued to grow in intensity. The hot gold burned through Antipater's throat
and poured over his organs. When the first drop of the precious metal reached
his heart, the amulet reached its pinnacle of brightness and Kavani inhaled a
mouthful of air. She broke through the perfumed wraps, keeping them as a
covering as she approached Antipater's body. Her ghost white skin startled the
men as much as the fact that she was alive, but their eyes were drawn to the
glowing amulet around her neck.

"You're
ALIVE!!" Allatore exclaimed, steadying himself with a step back. The gaps
in the wraps revealing perfect skin where the scar from her stabbing had been.
Touching Antipater with her hand, his body began to convulse and change from a
pale translucent tone to a beet red color. He was still not breathing.

"The
transformation cometh”. Kavani spoke, almost a whispered announcement. She
broke into an incantation.

Aristotle could
hardly believe his eyes as Antipater's torn flesh from Allatore's blade began
to heal leaving an intricate golden scar”."Kintsukuroi!" He stated in
his excitement. "This uncommon man, in his brokenness, has become that
much more uncommon”. Antipater lay motionless. He was still not breathing.

Aristotle
listened intently as Kavani offered some of the details of their miraculous
resurrection. Allatore seemed distracted and interjected at the end of her
summary, "Where will you go now that there is no fear of Alexander's
pursuit?"

"We love the
Amalfi Coast”, she said without hesitation.

As her body
assumed a less supernatural aura, Allatore continued with questions. The
necklace returned to its natural beauty, the light dimming until it was no
longer aglow.

Antipater was
restored, yet remained in a comatose state. As time passed, Kavani began to
question why her healing was immediate and had left her body flawless. Even
tinges of fear around Antipater's recovery wrestled to overpower her heart, but
her personal journey from the
other side
kept her faith strong.

Kavani could not
take her eyes off the distinctive mark. Her imagination full, identifying
shapes and design in the now permanent scar on the body she knew so well.
Antipater was peaceful. She removed her necklace. Holding the amulet in her
hands, she admired the images carved into the gem – A spiral was enclosed
by three circular bands. The spiral centered around a staff with a single
serpent wrapped around it. She placed the necklace on Antipater's chest. It
began to glow softly. Kavani smiled and fell asleep beside her soul-mate.

A
jolt from Antipater awakened Kavani. She watched his chest as it steadily rose
and fell.

"He
is breathing!" she excitedly thought, not sure if she actually said the
words aloud. Something was still wrong. The necklace was missing. She scanned
the room. Moving quickly, she checked the hall and a few rooms. Aristotle
stepped into her path as she turned a corner.

Startled,
she immediately announced, "Antipater is breathing!" and in the same
breath, "The amulet is missing, and it seems Allatore is as well".

"That
is good news" Aristotle replied. "Concerning Antipater, I mean.
Allatore has fought beside Antipater in many a battle I'm convinced there is an
answer we are missing".

"What
is missing is my necklace!" Kavani returned. "And Allatore has fought
beside Alexander in many battles too, but he betrayed him in Rome!"

Kavani
rushed back to Antipater's side as he began to open his eyes. He lifted his
head just enough to catch site of his new scar. There was a bit of surprise in
his eyes, but then a smirk appeared at the corners of his mouth, "I'm not
sure what I expected”, Antipater spoke with little volume, "but I see a
mark of freedom. What do you see?" Looking longingly at Kavani for
acceptance.

"I
see a man willing to die for his love”.

He
reached up to embrace her. He didn't feel weak.

"I've
already spent considerable time examining your scar. Looking for what I see”, she
said with her own smirk.

"Let
me see your mark. I want to look upon it for images".

Kavani
removed her robe, exposing her bare chest. "Your skin bares no mark. It is
perfect!" Antipater could not believe his eyes, as much for what he did
see as for what he did not. He began to caress her breasts. Kavani melted in
his arms. He whispered into her ear, "You are truly a Goddess".