In a previous post, I published the fifth part to a story a wrote a while back. Here is the next installment.
Hillman and Ashton paced inside the office. The phone on the desk rang. Ashton moved quickly to the phone, followed by Hillman. Ashton pressed the speaker button on the phone.
Sarard’s voice came through the phone. “How are your analysts doing? This must be hard work for them. Have they still not discovered how I plan to destroy forty million people? Is such a number even possible?”
“We still do not know how you plan to kill so many,” Ashton admitted frankly.
“Perhaps I can assist you in that,” Sarard said. “Arizona, Nevada, Southern California, and the Baja Peninsula. Every single living person in that area. What does that add up to?”
“Again,” Ashton said, “we have our reservations that your attack can reach so many and so far, but I assure you, we are more than ready to hear your demands.”
“Really?” Sarard said. “What happened to knowing the full extent of the threat?”
“A person as intelligent as yourself must understand that we receive dozens of ridiculous threats every week,” Ashton said. “Out of necessity, we have a strict vetting process, which you have passed with flying colors. Now please, tell us your demands.”
Sarard’s voice sounded angry for the first time. “If you want to know my demands then let me talk to the President. You say you have certain liberties, but I assure you that you have neither the power nor the authority to meet my demands.”
Sarard paused, then calmed down. “I can see that in reality I have not passed your vetting process. However, your flattery has not been in vain. I will speed your process along by telling you the true nature of my attack.”
“Thank you,” Ashton said. “That is very generous of you.”
“Let me elaborate on our last phone call,” Sarard said. “Tell me, what do you know about the fountain of youth?”
——————————
Desi, Dyss, and Haas sat onboard the Search and Rescue helicopter as it flew towards Zebra Canyon. The pilot motioned to the ground.
“There’s the head of Zebra Canyon,” the pilot said. “I’ll land right over there.”
——————————
Once on the ground, Dyss and his group walked towards the base of Zebra Canyon. The canyon walls quickly narrowed ahead of them. They entered into the “slot section” of the canyon. The walls were close enough to touch on either side. Zebra Canyon is known for its striped walls. Purple and red sandstone lines run horizontally along the canyon walls.
The group rounded a sharp corner in the canyon. On the floor of the canyon, the dead body of a forty-year-old man lay face down in the sand. Desi turned her head to the side to look away.
Many shoe prints in the sand surrounded the body, then retreated down the canyon, towards the way Dyss and his group had come up.
“This doesn’t look like any accident,” Haas said.
Haas and Dyss slowly approached the body. Haas bent his knees and carefully inspected the man. There was a piece of paper poking out from beneath his body. Haas retrieved the paper, and inspected it.
“What is it?” Dyss asked.
“It’s a map,” Haas said. “It has four x’s written on it.”
“Where are the x’s marked?” Dyss asked.
Haas handed the paper to Dyss.
“That’s your department,” Haas said.
Dyss inspected the map closely.
“There’s an x here at Zebra Canyon,” Dyss said. “There’s another x at Coyote Gulch, an x at Davis Gulch, and one more x at Neon Canyon.”
“What do the x’s mean?” Haas asked.
“These locations are probably the places where the four employees from the water plant are testing the water,” Dyss said. “We’ve already found two of the employees, one in Coyote Gulch and one here in Zebra Canyon.”
“I’d say it’s high time we left for Neon Canyon,” Haas said. “The two other water testers are sure to be in danger.”
“Agreed,” Dyss said. The group began to walk back to the helicopter, but Desi stopped and turned back.
“Wait,” Desi said. She pointed in the opposite direction of the helicopter, back up canyon to the body of the dead man. She saw something on the canyon floor.
The group walked past the body and further into the canyon. There was a writing in the sand on the floor of the canyon.
As the group approached the writing, Desi gasped and put her hand over her mouth.
The word written in the sand was: ATAGA ‘HI
“What does it mean?” Haas asked.
“The Lake of the Wounded,” Desi said.
“What is the Lake of the Wounded?” Dyss asked.
Haas motioned back to the helicopter. “Maybe she can explain on the way to Neon Canyon,” he said.
The group began to retreat the way they came. As they walked, Desi spoke.
“The Cherokee tell of a lake that rests deep within the mountains; a lake that is the spring water for the river of life.”
“The Lake of the Wounded,” Dyss said.
“Yes,” Desi said. “The animals gather at the lake to heal their wounds. Very few humans have ever been allowed to view the lake. Fewer still have been allowed to enter the lake.”
“Well, certainly you could find the lake by process of elimination,” Haas said.
“The lake has been known to change locations to avoid the impure from entering,” Desi replied. “It is said that grave destruction would result from the contamination of those sacred waters.”
“A lake that can move?” Haas said incredulously. “Is that even possible?”
“Remember,” Desi said, “these stories are more symbolic than anything.”
“I know about a lake that moves,” Dyss said.
“You do?” Haas asked.
By this point the group had reached the head of the canyon and could see the helicopter. The pilot motioned to them and ran over to the group. He was clearly shaken up. He spoke nervously and rapidly.
“Three men came here while you were gone,” the pilot said.
“What did they want?” Haas asked.
“They were all Navajo’s,” the pilot said. “Their faces were grossly deformed. They warned me to stop seeking after something I cannot control.”
“What do you mean their faces were deformed?” Dyss asked.
“It was almost like their faces were melting off their skulls,” the pilot replied.
“Where did they come from?” Desi asked.
The pilot pointed down to a trail leading away from Zebra Canyon.
“They came down the trail this way,” the pilot said. “They warned me over and over again to stay away, to stop seeking after the thing which would surely and slowly destroy me. They kept saying that if I continued to follow this path, my fate would be the same as theirs.” The pilot paused and then pointed in the opposite direction. “And then they left. They went over that hill.”
The group turned to where the pilot was pointing. In the far distance they saw three Navajo men walking on a sand hill. The men stopped and stared coldly in their direction.
“Should we go after them?” Dyss asked? “What if these Navajo guys killed that John Doe we just saw in the canyon?”
“Someone’s dead in the canyon?” the pilot asked? “I don’t think those Navajos had anything to do with it. Just a few old kooks trying to spook me.”
“I don’t know if we have time to be chasing ghosts,” Haas said. “We have to get to Neon Canyon and find the worker that is testing the water there.” Haas scratched his jaw in thought. “I’ll call Pollent on the radio and have him send someone out here to keep an eye on those Navajo men.”
“Good idea,” Dyss said. “I’ll call the park rangers on the radio and have them detain these guys at the trailhead exit if need be.”
“Yeah,” Haas said. “Besides, the nearest road is thirty miles away. We can always come back here after we go to Neon Canyon.”
The group moved towards the helicopter and climbed in.
“There’s a radio under the seat there,” Haas said to Dyss.
Dyss reached under the seat and felt a heavy, cold object. He pulled it out and saw that it was a handgun.
Haas saw the gun and hesitated. “Better take it with you just in case,” he said.
Dyss pocketed the gun, then felt under the seat again and found the radio.
Dyss and Haas radioed their contacts and warned them about the Navajos.
When they had finished their conversations, the pilot turned to them and asked: “Where to?”
“Neon Canyon,” Haas said.
“What about Davis Gulch?” Dyss said.
“What about it?” Haas said
“The map had four x’s on it,” Dyss said. “Zebra, Coyote, Neon, and Davis.”
“But we’ve already been to Davis Gulch,” Haas said.
“But that was in search of the missing hikers from New York,” Dyss said. “We haven’t been there to find one of these four employees sent out to test the waters. One of those men is going to be in Davis Gulch soon, if not already.”
Haas saw his point. “We have to choose,” Haas said. “We can’t go to both Neon and Davis.”
“You know best,” Dyss said.
“Let’s stick to the plan and go to Neon,” Haas said.
Haas motioned to the pilot to take off. The pilot started the engine. The blades began to whir. The others fastened their safety belts.
“That’s too bad we’re not heading back to Davis Gulch,” Dyss said. “I’m anxious to see that carving again.”
Desi’s head shot up at the mention of a carving in Davis Gulch. “What carving?” she said.
Dyss looked over to Haas.
“I thought we told you about that,” Dyss said. “The missing group from New York; they made a carving in the wall in Davis Gulch. They wrote some cryptic message.”
Desi grabbed Dyss’ arm. Her eyes widened in terror.
“Nemo,” Desi said, terrified.
Dyss looked strangely at Haas, then back to Desi.
“Yeah,” Dyss said, confused. “Nemo, 2009. How did you know that? Do you know what it means?”
“Jeff,” Desi said. “Don’t you know who Nemo is? Nemo is Everett Ruess!”
“Who is Everett Ruess?” Dyss asked.
——————————
Inside the White House, Hillman and Ashton waited anxiously for another call from Sarard. The phone rang, and Ashton pressed the speaker button.
“Hello?” Ashton said.
“How disappointing to hear your voice again,” Sarard said. “I had hoped that the details of my attack would have been enough to convince you to let me speak to the president.”
“Your plan is ridiculous,” Ashton said. “You think you can contaminate the waters of...”
“The fountain of youth!” Sarard said proudly. “Figuratively speaking of course.” Sarard let out a laugh, as if it was a joke only he understood.
“There is no verifiable evidence to support your claims,” Ashton said. “It’s pure science fiction.”
“And yet you still answered my call,” Sarard said. “Presumably your analysts are hard at work trying to discredit me.” Sarard paused, then continued. “Therein lies your problem. I cannot prove my claims, yet you cannot disprove them.”
“It seems as if we are at a standstill,” Ashton said.
“Indeed,” Sarard said. ”As my time is short, it appears you have forced my hand. I shall return the favor in kind.”
Sarard paused. “I have only one demand. It is nonnegotiable. If you fail to comply with my demand, I will execute my attack. You will then be forced to comply with my demand anyway. However, if I receive word within the next four hours that you are willing to acquiesce, I will withhold my attack. You will then have twelve hours to complete my demand. Are my terms understood?”
“Perfectly,” Ashton said.
“Good,” Sarard said. “As this will likely be the last time we ever speak, I’d like to tell you what a pleasure it has been to work with you.”
Sarard paused once more for effect. “What I am about to say, I mean with all sincerity. I truly hope you will deny me of my request! I deeply desire for you to reject my demand!”
Ashton and Hillman stared at each other in confusion.
Sarard continued. “Nothing would make me happier than for you and your team of analysts to ride me off as a stark raving lunatic. For, you see, if you reject my demand, I will be forced to execute my attack. And just as it would be a tragedy to uproot a flower before it blossoms, so also would it be a tragedy for my plan to not reach full fruition.”
“I promise that I will do everything in my power to see that your request is fulfilled,” Ashton said, then paused.
“What is your demand?”
Continue reading the next chapter >>>
<<< Go back to the previous chapter
Chapter 6
Hillman and Ashton paced inside the office. The phone on the desk rang. Ashton moved quickly to the phone, followed by Hillman. Ashton pressed the speaker button on the phone.
Sarard’s voice came through the phone. “How are your analysts doing? This must be hard work for them. Have they still not discovered how I plan to destroy forty million people? Is such a number even possible?”
“We still do not know how you plan to kill so many,” Ashton admitted frankly.
“Perhaps I can assist you in that,” Sarard said. “Arizona, Nevada, Southern California, and the Baja Peninsula. Every single living person in that area. What does that add up to?”
“Again,” Ashton said, “we have our reservations that your attack can reach so many and so far, but I assure you, we are more than ready to hear your demands.”
“Really?” Sarard said. “What happened to knowing the full extent of the threat?”
“A person as intelligent as yourself must understand that we receive dozens of ridiculous threats every week,” Ashton said. “Out of necessity, we have a strict vetting process, which you have passed with flying colors. Now please, tell us your demands.”
Sarard’s voice sounded angry for the first time. “If you want to know my demands then let me talk to the President. You say you have certain liberties, but I assure you that you have neither the power nor the authority to meet my demands.”
Sarard paused, then calmed down. “I can see that in reality I have not passed your vetting process. However, your flattery has not been in vain. I will speed your process along by telling you the true nature of my attack.”
“Thank you,” Ashton said. “That is very generous of you.”
“Let me elaborate on our last phone call,” Sarard said. “Tell me, what do you know about the fountain of youth?”
——————————
Desi, Dyss, and Haas sat onboard the Search and Rescue helicopter as it flew towards Zebra Canyon. The pilot motioned to the ground.
“There’s the head of Zebra Canyon,” the pilot said. “I’ll land right over there.”
——————————
Once on the ground, Dyss and his group walked towards the base of Zebra Canyon. The canyon walls quickly narrowed ahead of them. They entered into the “slot section” of the canyon. The walls were close enough to touch on either side. Zebra Canyon is known for its striped walls. Purple and red sandstone lines run horizontally along the canyon walls.
The group rounded a sharp corner in the canyon. On the floor of the canyon, the dead body of a forty-year-old man lay face down in the sand. Desi turned her head to the side to look away.
Many shoe prints in the sand surrounded the body, then retreated down the canyon, towards the way Dyss and his group had come up.
“This doesn’t look like any accident,” Haas said.
Haas and Dyss slowly approached the body. Haas bent his knees and carefully inspected the man. There was a piece of paper poking out from beneath his body. Haas retrieved the paper, and inspected it.
“What is it?” Dyss asked.
“It’s a map,” Haas said. “It has four x’s written on it.”
“Where are the x’s marked?” Dyss asked.
Haas handed the paper to Dyss.
“That’s your department,” Haas said.
Dyss inspected the map closely.
“There’s an x here at Zebra Canyon,” Dyss said. “There’s another x at Coyote Gulch, an x at Davis Gulch, and one more x at Neon Canyon.”
“What do the x’s mean?” Haas asked.
“These locations are probably the places where the four employees from the water plant are testing the water,” Dyss said. “We’ve already found two of the employees, one in Coyote Gulch and one here in Zebra Canyon.”
“I’d say it’s high time we left for Neon Canyon,” Haas said. “The two other water testers are sure to be in danger.”
“Agreed,” Dyss said. The group began to walk back to the helicopter, but Desi stopped and turned back.
“Wait,” Desi said. She pointed in the opposite direction of the helicopter, back up canyon to the body of the dead man. She saw something on the canyon floor.
The group walked past the body and further into the canyon. There was a writing in the sand on the floor of the canyon.
As the group approached the writing, Desi gasped and put her hand over her mouth.
The word written in the sand was: ATAGA ‘HI
“What does it mean?” Haas asked.
“The Lake of the Wounded,” Desi said.
“What is the Lake of the Wounded?” Dyss asked.
Haas motioned back to the helicopter. “Maybe she can explain on the way to Neon Canyon,” he said.
The group began to retreat the way they came. As they walked, Desi spoke.
“The Cherokee tell of a lake that rests deep within the mountains; a lake that is the spring water for the river of life.”
“The Lake of the Wounded,” Dyss said.
“Yes,” Desi said. “The animals gather at the lake to heal their wounds. Very few humans have ever been allowed to view the lake. Fewer still have been allowed to enter the lake.”
“Well, certainly you could find the lake by process of elimination,” Haas said.
“The lake has been known to change locations to avoid the impure from entering,” Desi replied. “It is said that grave destruction would result from the contamination of those sacred waters.”
“A lake that can move?” Haas said incredulously. “Is that even possible?”
“Remember,” Desi said, “these stories are more symbolic than anything.”
“I know about a lake that moves,” Dyss said.
“You do?” Haas asked.
By this point the group had reached the head of the canyon and could see the helicopter. The pilot motioned to them and ran over to the group. He was clearly shaken up. He spoke nervously and rapidly.
“Three men came here while you were gone,” the pilot said.
“What did they want?” Haas asked.
“They were all Navajo’s,” the pilot said. “Their faces were grossly deformed. They warned me to stop seeking after something I cannot control.”
“What do you mean their faces were deformed?” Dyss asked.
“It was almost like their faces were melting off their skulls,” the pilot replied.
“Where did they come from?” Desi asked.
The pilot pointed down to a trail leading away from Zebra Canyon.
“They came down the trail this way,” the pilot said. “They warned me over and over again to stay away, to stop seeking after the thing which would surely and slowly destroy me. They kept saying that if I continued to follow this path, my fate would be the same as theirs.” The pilot paused and then pointed in the opposite direction. “And then they left. They went over that hill.”
The group turned to where the pilot was pointing. In the far distance they saw three Navajo men walking on a sand hill. The men stopped and stared coldly in their direction.
“Should we go after them?” Dyss asked? “What if these Navajo guys killed that John Doe we just saw in the canyon?”
“Someone’s dead in the canyon?” the pilot asked? “I don’t think those Navajos had anything to do with it. Just a few old kooks trying to spook me.”
“I don’t know if we have time to be chasing ghosts,” Haas said. “We have to get to Neon Canyon and find the worker that is testing the water there.” Haas scratched his jaw in thought. “I’ll call Pollent on the radio and have him send someone out here to keep an eye on those Navajo men.”
“Good idea,” Dyss said. “I’ll call the park rangers on the radio and have them detain these guys at the trailhead exit if need be.”
“Yeah,” Haas said. “Besides, the nearest road is thirty miles away. We can always come back here after we go to Neon Canyon.”
The group moved towards the helicopter and climbed in.
“There’s a radio under the seat there,” Haas said to Dyss.
Dyss reached under the seat and felt a heavy, cold object. He pulled it out and saw that it was a handgun.
Haas saw the gun and hesitated. “Better take it with you just in case,” he said.
Dyss pocketed the gun, then felt under the seat again and found the radio.
Dyss and Haas radioed their contacts and warned them about the Navajos.
When they had finished their conversations, the pilot turned to them and asked: “Where to?”
“Neon Canyon,” Haas said.
“What about Davis Gulch?” Dyss said.
“What about it?” Haas said
“The map had four x’s on it,” Dyss said. “Zebra, Coyote, Neon, and Davis.”
“But we’ve already been to Davis Gulch,” Haas said.
“But that was in search of the missing hikers from New York,” Dyss said. “We haven’t been there to find one of these four employees sent out to test the waters. One of those men is going to be in Davis Gulch soon, if not already.”
Haas saw his point. “We have to choose,” Haas said. “We can’t go to both Neon and Davis.”
“You know best,” Dyss said.
“Let’s stick to the plan and go to Neon,” Haas said.
Haas motioned to the pilot to take off. The pilot started the engine. The blades began to whir. The others fastened their safety belts.
“That’s too bad we’re not heading back to Davis Gulch,” Dyss said. “I’m anxious to see that carving again.”
Desi’s head shot up at the mention of a carving in Davis Gulch. “What carving?” she said.
Dyss looked over to Haas.
“I thought we told you about that,” Dyss said. “The missing group from New York; they made a carving in the wall in Davis Gulch. They wrote some cryptic message.”
Desi grabbed Dyss’ arm. Her eyes widened in terror.
“Nemo,” Desi said, terrified.
Dyss looked strangely at Haas, then back to Desi.
“Yeah,” Dyss said, confused. “Nemo, 2009. How did you know that? Do you know what it means?”
“Jeff,” Desi said. “Don’t you know who Nemo is? Nemo is Everett Ruess!”
“Who is Everett Ruess?” Dyss asked.
——————————
Inside the White House, Hillman and Ashton waited anxiously for another call from Sarard. The phone rang, and Ashton pressed the speaker button.
“Hello?” Ashton said.
“How disappointing to hear your voice again,” Sarard said. “I had hoped that the details of my attack would have been enough to convince you to let me speak to the president.”
“Your plan is ridiculous,” Ashton said. “You think you can contaminate the waters of...”
“The fountain of youth!” Sarard said proudly. “Figuratively speaking of course.” Sarard let out a laugh, as if it was a joke only he understood.
“There is no verifiable evidence to support your claims,” Ashton said. “It’s pure science fiction.”
“And yet you still answered my call,” Sarard said. “Presumably your analysts are hard at work trying to discredit me.” Sarard paused, then continued. “Therein lies your problem. I cannot prove my claims, yet you cannot disprove them.”
“It seems as if we are at a standstill,” Ashton said.
“Indeed,” Sarard said. ”As my time is short, it appears you have forced my hand. I shall return the favor in kind.”
Sarard paused. “I have only one demand. It is nonnegotiable. If you fail to comply with my demand, I will execute my attack. You will then be forced to comply with my demand anyway. However, if I receive word within the next four hours that you are willing to acquiesce, I will withhold my attack. You will then have twelve hours to complete my demand. Are my terms understood?”
“Perfectly,” Ashton said.
“Good,” Sarard said. “As this will likely be the last time we ever speak, I’d like to tell you what a pleasure it has been to work with you.”
Sarard paused once more for effect. “What I am about to say, I mean with all sincerity. I truly hope you will deny me of my request! I deeply desire for you to reject my demand!”
Ashton and Hillman stared at each other in confusion.
Sarard continued. “Nothing would make me happier than for you and your team of analysts to ride me off as a stark raving lunatic. For, you see, if you reject my demand, I will be forced to execute my attack. And just as it would be a tragedy to uproot a flower before it blossoms, so also would it be a tragedy for my plan to not reach full fruition.”
“I promise that I will do everything in my power to see that your request is fulfilled,” Ashton said, then paused.
“What is your demand?”
Continue reading the next chapter >>>
<<< Go back to the previous chapter
(Zebra Canyon, Escalante, Utah)
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