Atlantis Rising (The Myth Hunter Book 6) Read online

  CHAPTER 12

  A hand gently slapped Jason’s face until he opened his eyes. When he saw the simian face staring down at him, he jerked in surprise. Sun Wukong frowned, his bent legs out to the sides, hands resting on his knees, and his feet wrapped around the golden staff, atop which he balanced himself as it stood upright against the floor. Jason sat up, looking around and seeing he was in a large, modern room lying in a king-size bed.

  “What’s going on?” asked Jason. “Where am I?”

  “The Four Seasons,” said Sun. “And what’s going on is you’re ruining my vacation.”

  “You jumped me, remember? And while we’re on the subject, why did you do that, exactly?”

  “Because you’re screwing things up.” Sun hopped off his staff and it twirled in the air as he did. His feet landed on the ground and he effortlessly caught it. As soon as the Ruyi Jingu Bang landed in his palm, it shrunk down in size. “You think I wanted to get involved in this mess again? Gods and magic and all that crap?”

  Jason slid his legs over the edge of the bed and sat there, rubbing his head. “Hold on. Please tell me what this is all about.”

  “Atlantis, you dumbass. It’s about to rise.”

  “I know, and you just let the bad guys get their hands on the man who can make that happen!”

  Sun made a face and smacked Jason on the back of the head with the tiny staff. Jason cringed and rubbed the tender spot.

  “What was that for?”

  “Stop being a dumbass!” The Monkey King huffed and moved away, folding his arms over his chest. “Y’know, I was havin’ a real good time wandering the Earth, seeing the sights, and just generally enjoying myself. Now you…humans gotta go and screw it all up again…”

  “Sun, that man I was after, Omar Badat? He’s a psychic, he has a connection to the Akashic Records. And we need to know where those records are so we can stop the Order from reaching them.”

  “No. You need to know where those records are so your master can raise Atlantis from the depths.”

  Jason opened his mouth, then closed it again. He let those words roll around in his mind. Then he said, “No, you’ve got it twisted.” Rising from the bed, Jason approached Sun. “We worked together, remember? To stop the Dragon Kings?”

  “Yeah, t’ stop ’em from bringing about chaos on the planet. And you’re signed up with the people who wanna do the same thing.” Sun scoffed. “I should’ve just killed you. Maybe I’m gettin’ sentimental in my old age, but I wanted to give you a chance to explain yourself.”

  “Why do you think the Freemasons are trying to raise Atlantis?”

  Sun held up an index finger. “Not the Freemasons, just one. One man’s lookin’ to fulfill the Atlantean prophecy and bring back their leader.”

  “But the Order—”

  Sun laughed. “The Order is composed of the descendants of Lemuria. Why do you think they’d want Atlantis back? It’d mean they go back to war, they lose their place at the top of the food chain. Nah, the Order’s tryin’ to stop the records from being unlocked. Or tryin’ to destroy them.”

  “You’re working with them?”

  The Monkey King shook his head. “I got word from some buddies about what was goin’ on. They told me that since I knew you hairless freaks, I should let you know what you’ve gotten yourselves mixed up with.”

  “That’s why you stopped me from going after Seth and Badat. You want the Order to find the records?”

  “I don’t want anyone to find them. But maybe getting to and destroying them is the only way to stop whoever it is inside the Freemasons from reaching them.”

  “And you’re sure it’s a Freemason?”

  “That’s what the oracles say. Can’t tell which of them, but it’s someone with power. Someone high up the chain of command.”

  Jason sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Right, of course. Aldrich Connelly, the Grand Master.”

  Sun’s eyes briefly bulged. “You sure that’s the guy?”

  “He warned me about getting involved with Elisa and Asami and gave me the mission to figure out what Badat knows. It’s gotta be him.” Jason checked his pockets and found his phone. Once taking it out, he tried to put in a call to Elisa. He received a “Call cannot be completed as dialed” message. The second time, he tried Asami. Result was the same.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Sun.

  “I think Connelly’s blocked my phone from making calls.”

  “He can do that?”

  “The phone is Freemason-issued, so yeah, he can.” Jason threw it on the bed and rubbed his forehead. “Okay, last I heard, Asami and Elisa were both heading to London, so that’s probably where they’ll be. Which means I’ve got to get on a plane.”

  “Plane?” The Monkey King blew a raspberry. “Look who you’re talkin’ to, buddy.” The staff expanded to its full length and Sun extended his arm, twirling the staff.

  It moved slow at first, and then the speed increased until it was nothing more than a blur of gold. While it continued to twirl, lights formed around the edges. The motion trail the staff left appeared to remain, even after it should have passed. And energy arced inside the circle.

  Sun held the staff firm and slammed it on the ground. The spot where he’d been twirling was now a glowing portal. He pointed at the glowing circle with his staff as he bowed in Jason’s direction.

  “After you, good sir.”

  “That’s new,” said Jason.

  “I picked up a few tricks since the last time we met. Now you gonna go or what? I don’t got all day, y’know.”

  Jason let out a breath and approached the portal. He looked through it and could see nothing on the other side. Glancing over his shoulder at Sun, he saw the Monkey King just roll his eyes.

  “Oh for the love of…” Sun kicked Jason’s back, throwing him into the portal. He jumped through right after him.

  Jason was on the ground—the wet, dirty, asphalt-covered ground. Sun grabbed his collar and lifted him up onto his feet. The Freemason brushed himself off, looking down at his dirtied clothes. Then he cast an annoyed glare at Sun Wukong.

  “I really dislike you.”

  “Feeling’s mutual, big boy.” Sun slapped him on the back so hard, Jason nearly fell over. “Now c’mon, we gotta find your friends.”

  The Monkey King started to walk towards the edge of the alley, but Jason grabbed his collar and pulled him back. “Are you crazy? You can’t go walking around like that!”

  “Oh silly, simple, stupid little hairless ape.” Sun broadly smiled and grabbed Jason’s face in his hand, squeezing it so Jason’s lips mashed together. “Right now, only you can see me like this. As far as everyone else is concerned, I look like this.”

  Right before Jason’s eyes, he saw Sun change, now taking on the appearance of a Chinese man wearing jeans and an I♥LONDON t-shirt. Jason blinked and the glamour was gone once more.

  “See? Now any other questions?”

  “C’n yuh luggo o-muh face?”

  “Oh! Right.” Sun released his grip and Jason stretched out his jaw. The Monkey King twirled the Ruyi Jingu Bang and in the process, it shrunk right back down to its compact form. He walked from the alley out onto the streets of London and Jason followed after him.

  “Do you know where they are?” asked Jason.

  Sun paused and closed his eyes. He took in a deep breath, and then another, and then another. His eyes opened and he smiled. “I can smell the kitsune. She’s near. And probably about to get herself in a whole world of trouble.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Max Finch looked up as the door to his cell opened. Wade entered, with Seth behind him dragging an Algerian man with his hands bound behind his back and a blindfold across his eyes. Seth cut the man’s bindings and removed the blindfold, then sat him down in the chair.

  “Who is this?” asked Max.

  “Max Finch, meet Omar Badat,” said Wade. “I thought the two of you could spend some time together.”

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nbsp; Wade walked out the room and Seth followed, closing and bolting the door behind him. Max and Omar were now alone. The retired myth hunter stood and approached his new cellmate.

  “Are you okay?” asked Max.

  “I don’t understand,” said Omar, looking around the room. “One moment, I was being interviewed for a documentary, and the next, that…that silver-haired demon was tearing through the crew. And the crew themselves, they were armed with guns.

  Max blinked. “Do you know why Seth took you? What was the film about?”

  “Legends of Atlantis.”

  “What do you know about Atlantis?”

  Omar locked eyes with Max. “I’ve seen it.”

  “Seen it? What do you mean?”

  “Visions. I’ve seen visions of the world that was. Before the Fall.”

  “And this documentary crew? What do you know about them?”

  Omar shook his head. “I don’t know much. They were not who they said they were.” He paused, and then said, “Wait, Seth, he called one of them by name. Jason…Shade?”

  “Shroud?” asked Max.

  “Shroud, yes!” said Omar. “You know him?”

  “The Freemasons and the Order both sought you out. Those visions you saw, they connect you to something ancient.” Max stood and approached the skeleton. “Tell me, what do you see when you look at this?”

  Omar rose from his chair and slowly walked towards Max. His gaze was on the skeleton, the strange wings extended out to the sides. He reached his hand towards the skeleton, his eyes apparently transfixed by the object.

  “It…it’s ancient.”

  “Is it from Atlantis?”

  Omar gave a steady nod, then stepped closer, placing his hand against the glass the skeleton was housed behind. His eyes shut for a moment and he breathed slowly. The lids snapped open and from over his shoulder, he looked back at Max. “It’s one of the Aryans. I can feel…my god, his spirit is still somehow linked to his bones.”

  “Are you saying this thing is alive?” asked Max.

  “No, not alive. But dormant. With the proper rituals, I believe he could be restored.”

  Max moved to Omar’s side, staring at the skeleton himself. “Something tells me that would be an extraordinarily bad idea.”

  “These men, what do they want?” asked Omar, turning to Max and lowering his hand.

  Max’s hands found his pockets and he paced slowly around the room. “They’re called the Order, apparently descendants of Lemuria. I’ve fought them on many occasions in the past. But now, I’m not so sure if that was the right decision.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “For centuries, the Order has accumulated a wealth of relics, artifacts, and tomes of a supernatural nature and kept them hidden. They seek power, it seems—usually.”

  “Then why do you think you were wrong to oppose them?”

  “Because now what the Order is trying to do is keep Atlantis from rising. They claim that another organization, the Freemasons, are searching for the final resting place of the Akashic Records.”

  Omar blinked. “You know of the Records?”

  “I’ve heard of them, yes. Both sides think your visions are a link to the library and that you can tell them where they are.”

  “Do you trust this Wade with that knowledge?”

  Max sighed. That’s what he wasn’t so sure of. He was never particularly trustful of the Freemasons to begin with. But the Order, that was a completely different matter. And some—no, a lot of what they’d done over the course of their existence was pretty despicable. Resurrecting a sociopath like Seth was just one of many sins they’d committed.

  “To be honest with you, Omar, I don’t know.”

  “The Order, what do they say they wish to do with that knowledge?”

  “They said that one way or another, the Freemasons will gain access to the Records. Wade claims their goal is to prevent that from happening. I don’t know if I can trust him—he lies like a bad rug. On the other hand, I know about the conflict between Lemuria and Atlantis, and it stands to reason that, scumbag or not, it’s in Wade’s best interests to see that Atlantis stays buried.”

  Omar looked down and rubbed his beard as he thought over his options. After a moment, a realization came over him. He looked up at Max. “I can tell you if he’s being truthful.”

  Max chuckled at that and shook his head. “Omar, you believed the Freemasons were a documentary film crew.”

  “Because I had no reason to doubt them. My friend, if I concentrate, I can tell if a man is lying or not.”

  “And how do you do that?”

  “By reading his aura.”

  That made Max chortle. He stopped and lowered his head. “I’m sorry. But…reading auras?”

  “I do not see them all the time, it takes concentration. But when I concentrate, from their aura, I can tell a lot about a person.”

  “What makes you think this would work on a Lemurian?”

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  Omar turned from Max and approached the door. He banged on it a few times and after a moment, the door opened and Wade stood on the other side. The short, round man entered the room, with Seth standing behind him, arms folded across his chest as he remained in the corner.

  “I take it Professor Finch has told you all about our situation,” said Wade.

  Omar looked in Max’s direction and nodded. “He did.” His eyes traveled to Wade. “I understand you seek out the Akashic Records.”

  “You can find them, can’t you?”

  “There is a ritual I know, it will tell us the location,” said Omar. “However, something must be made clear before I help you. The Akashic Records are extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. If I tell you how to get to them, I want assurances that you will destroy them.”

  Wade blinked. “You want to destroy information that could tell us all the secrets of the world? That could hold the answers to all our questions?”

  Omar nodded. “That is true. What is your answer?”

  Wade removed his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt. He placed them back on and his face became deathly serious. “You have my word. We’ll do anything to make sure Atlantis remains a myth.”

  Max watched as Omar studied Wade’s face. The mystic was concentrating on him, and Max assumed trying to read Wade’s aura. There was a long pause after Wade finished his statement and his own face started to show impatience.

  “Mr. Badat…?”

  Omar blinked. “I’m sorry. I needed to be sure you were telling the truth.”

  “And?”

  Omar looked at Max. “And I know you are.” He looked into Wade’s face. “I will help you. Let us begin.”

  “Excellent.”

  “I have a question, too. If you don’t mind.” Max approached the trio. “Why am I still here? Did you take me so that I could convince Omar to join your team?”

  “Not at all. Although you certainly helped in that area,” said Wade. “No, you’re my insurance. You see, I’m positive Elisa Hill will get involved in this one way or the other. And you’ll be by my side to make sure she doesn’t kill me and ask questions later."

  ***

  The Curator sat in front of a computer terminal, studying the results of the latest scans his machines had performed on Mjolnir. The power was growing, that much was certain. But for what purpose?

  He heard the sound of the door opening and turned around as he said, “I asked not to be disturbed unless it’s an emergency.”

  “Oh, but it is, old friend.”

  The Curator’s eyes bulged and he stood, a look of surprise draped over his expression. “I-I’m sorry, sir. I hadn’t expected to see you here.”

  Aldrich Connelly gave the old man a warm smile and closed the door behind him. He walked up to the Curator and shook his hand. “That’s quite all right. I know I don’t usually come down here, but given the circumstances, I thought it best to see what you’re up to.”

&
nbsp; “Yes, of course. You’re always welcome here, Grand Master.”

  Connelly released the Curator’s hand and approached the table in the center of the room, upon which rested the mythical hammer. He placed his hands on the edge of the table and stared at the artifact.

  “So…this is it. The hammer of Thor.”

  “Yes, quite impressive, isn’t it?”

  Connelly nodded. “It certainly is.”

  “The energy continues to build within it, apparently without any access to an external source. It’s a complete mystery what’s causing it.”

  “We have other matters to be concerned with,” said Connelly. “You see, we’ve found it.”

  The Curator blinked. “It?”

  Connelly turned and faced the Curator. “Yes, the Akashic Records.”

  “So Agent Shroud found Badat? And he told him where the library can be found?”

  “Actually, we still haven’t heard from Shroud’s team. But another source provided us with the information we needed.”

  “That’s wonderful!” The Curator went back to his computer terminal and looked over the readings again. “I wonder…do you think these can be related?”

  “It’s a distinct possibility. All we need now is the key that opens the doors to the library.”

  “The key? What could that be?” The Curator turned to face Connelly, but as soon as he did, he was struck against the side of his head, a blow that threw him across the wall. He struck the surface hard and fell on the ground, his shattered glasses lying right beside him. Blood seeped out of a wound from the blow and his eyes were shut.

  Connelly examined the hammer he held in his hands. Blood stained the edge where he made contact with the Curator’s head. He looked down at Mjolnir, a sinister glint in his eyes, and a smile spread across his face.

  “You’ve had it in your possession this whole time, you old fool,” he said.

  CHAPTER 14

  Elisa and Asami struggled against the mystic hold Rutley held them in. The man’s magic was powerful, and Elisa thought it was remarkably similar to the kind wielded by Otto Eckart.

  “I’ve seen vril before,” said Elisa. “You’re Thules, aren’t you?”