Return To The Center Of The Earth Read online

  Mike shrugged. “Working.”

  “Working? On what?” Harris put his cup down.

  “Private stuff.” Mike didn’t like the guy’s over-confidence and was getting tired of his probing. He wanted something for sure. “Ray, was it?”

  “Yes, Ray, Raymond, or just Harris.” He shrugged. “I answer to any of them.”

  “Well, Just Harris, you now have four minutes left. Why are you here?” Mike sat back.

  Harris nodded for a moment. “Came a long way to see you.” He reached into his bomber jacket pocket and drew out some folded papers. He placed them on the table in front of himself.

  Mike immediately saw what they were and shot to his feet with his fists balled.

  “You thieving sonofabitch. Where the hell did you get those?”

  “To the Center of the Earth?” Harris’ eyebrows were raised. “Pretty cool stuff in here… if any of it is true.”

  Mike glared as his jaw clenched.

  Harris sat forward. “Take it easy, Mike. I believe it. All of it.” He clasped his hands together on the tabletop. “And your suggestion of one day being able to directly tap into all that fusion energy is inspiring.” His brows were up. “Near limitless power.”

  “Near limitless. And clean,” Mike replied suspiciously, suddenly suspecting the guy might be from one of the energy companies.

  “An energy opportunity certainly worth investigating. But that’s not my main concern.” Harris spread his fingers on the table; they were large and blunt. “You upload things into the cloud.” Harris shrugged. “And some branches of government programs that can access, search for, and collect data based on our defined trigger words.”

  Harris looked up. “And though they were looking internationally, your document popped up, right here in the good ole US of A. And it was just what we, they, were looking for.”

  Mike cursed through gritted teeth and glared back at the guy.

  “Want to know something interesting?” Harris raised his chin. “Our missile defense shields cost us about three trillion dollars, including maintenance. Star Wars, where we’ll be potentially targeting everything from satellites to incoming ICBMs with lasers and highspeed penetrator missiles, when finished, will cost many more trillions.”

  He laughed darkly for a moment. “Now imagine the brass finding out that after all that money has been spent and before it’s even finished it’s all a waste of money because someone could literally attack us from where we weren’t watching or ever even suspected.”

  Mike frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I think you do. But don’t you want to know why I believe all the wild things you wrote? And enough to fly all the way out here?”

  “I wondered.”

  “Picture this; someone fires a nuke up one of those deep holes, ah, what did you call them?” Harris clicked his fingers in the air. “Oh yeah, that’s right, gravity wells. So, imagine someone fires a nuke up the ass of one of them that happens to reside under New York, or LA, or anywhere on US soil. Or maybe a hostile nation emerges from out of nowhere, and with an army.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Is it?” Harris sat forward. “Here’s the kicker: the Russians don’t think so. Following weeks of interrogating one of their own people by the name of Ms. Katya Babikov…” Harris paused to watch him closely.

  Mike couldn’t help reacting to the Russian woman’s name.

  “Yeah, I know you know her, and met her in Krasnodar. Even though you left her name out of your notes.” Harris meshed his fingers. “Anyway, Mike, let me tell you what happened to her. After interrogating her for weeks, the Russians must have believed what she told them because they decided to mount an expedition to the center of the Earth. It’s a military mission with a small scientific appendage.”

  Harris continued to stare back at him. “This is not great news for us, and anyone else in the world. And I’ll tell you something else, Mike; once they establish a beachhead down there, they’re staying for good.”

  “I can’t help you.”

  “You can’t or won’t?” Harris sat back in his chair, his mouth turned down for a moment. “Let me tell you a secret.” He looked hard into Mike’s eyes. “We already sent an expedition down there months ago to try and beat the Russians to the punch. Our team entered via the Romanian cave system.”

  He smiled as he slouched in his chair. “Never heard from them again. Even the people we had stationed as lookouts above the gravity well.” His eyes flicked up at Mike. “Maybe they ran into those hairless dog people you described in your report.”

  “Hairless dog people,” Mike spoke the words softly. He stared at the tabletop, taking in what he had just been told. Mike had received information back from the zoological hematologist months back and was told that someone was playing tricks on him. The sample he provided was mostly inconclusive, but the closest approximation they could get to a match was hominid DNA: a close relative, with a possibility of it even being human. Or once was.

  He remembered what Jane had said to him in the deep caves and looked back into Harris’ face as he whispered, “Those who descend into the dark find monsters. Or become them.”

  “Say what?”

  “Forget it.” Mike waved it away. “I would suggest you stay out of there, and I expect that the Russians will undoubtedly suffer the same fate as your first team.”

  “Can’t just leave it to chance, Mike. National security doesn’t work that way.” Harris rose to his feet. “Let me cut to the chase. We’re going back down and this time we need an experienced caver who’s been there on that next expedition. Just as a consultant.”

  “Not happening.”

  “All we want to do is perform a little reconnaissance. Make sure our Russian buddies aren’t going to do anything that threatens our geography, our people, or our energy future.” He held his hands up. “Just a looksee is all.”

  Mike slowly shook his head. “Sorry you wasted your time.”

  Harris shrugged. “No, no, this wasn’t a waste of time at all. You confirmed your report, and also validated my concerns. We’re going, with or without you.”

  Mike remained pokerfaced and just watched the man.

  “You never told me where you’re from?” Mike said.

  “No, I didn’t.” Harris smiled. “Well, my door is always open.” He slid a card across the table. “Here’s my number if you change your mind. But you’d better hurry.”

  He reached out to shake Mike’s hand, and Mike accepted it this time. Harris then turned and headed out the door.

  Mike followed. Once on the landing Harris circled his finger in the air, and the pilot started the chopper’s blade rotation rate in preparation for immediate departure.

  “That’s it?”

  “Sure, we’re not the KGB bully boys,” Harris said. “Besides, plenty more fish in the sea.” He winked and then crouch-ran to the chopper and jumped in. He gave Mike a two-fingered salute and then they vanished over the treetops.

  Mike stared in the direction they departed for many minutes until the sound of the craft vanished for good.

  Fool, he thought and went to turn away, but then paused. He spun back. Plenty more fish in the sea, he’d said. What did that mean?

  Mike went back inside and sat at his table for an hour, just thinking, with a leaden feeling growing in his gut.

  *****

  Ex-Special Forces Captain Ray Harris had the pilot connect him through to Jane Baxter’s private number. It was answered almost immediately as if she was expecting the call.

  “Hello again, Jane.” His expression was deadpan. “I can confirm that Mike will lead the mission. He hopes you will join him.”

  He smiled as he heard her string together enough curse words to make a truck driver blush. He listened patiently to her blowing off more steam.

  “Yes, yes, I know. But I also know he needs you.” He waited a moment more as her anger abated a tad, and then went for the dunk.
“He said he misses you.”

  He heard her exhale and whisper one more curse. But there was less venom in it this time. He listened some more and the corner of his mouth curved up.

  “Good, he’ll be delighted.” Harris disconnected.

  He then reached into his breast pocket for his phone as it buzzed, signaling an incoming text.

  Right on time, he thought.

  As expected, it was Mike Monroe. He read it: stay away from Jane.

  He hummed as he tapped out a reply: she’s already agreed to lead us in.

  Harris mentally counted down: 5-4-3…

  And his phone rang.

  “You sonofabitch. I knew that was what your ‘other fish in the sea’ line was about,” Mike fumed.

  “She’ll be with professionals, and safe. Your report gives us a good idea of what to expect. Plus she’s experienced,” Harris replied evenly. “Don’t worry about us Mike, we’ll be fine.”

  “You don’t know what you’re getting into. That place has a hundred ways to kill you. And that’s before you even make it to the center. You have no damn idea,” Mike said.

  “But you do,” Harris replied. “If you really want to ensure Jane has the best chance of surviving, then jointly lead our team in.”

  “You sonofabitch. What you need is the shit beaten out of you.” Mike’s voice was so loud Harris had to hold the phone away from his ear.

  “Hey, get in line, buddy.” Harris chuckled softly. “So, Mike, in or out?”

  There was nothing for a few moments, and then:

  “In.”

  Harris exhaled and nodded. “Good man. Tomorrow morning, 8am sharp, be ready, and-”

  The line went dead as Mike disconnected, but Harris knew the man would be there for them. He seemed an honorable guy, and he hated that he had to manipulate the situation by using Jane Baxter. But this was critically important, so rules didn’t matter much anymore. Harris replaced the phone in his pocket.

  He checked his wristwatch; they had a lot to obtain and organize, but they’d be ready.

  When he first read the document that Mike Monroe had produced, it read like a science-fiction story, and a small part of him wondered whether the guy was trying to engineer some sort of book deal. But then after they obtained the Russian, he now knew Monroe was telling the truth. And the look on his face and the real fear in the guy’s voice told Harris he was really scared about going back down.

  Therefore, if there was a chance that even only ten percent of what he described was real, then Harris felt he was right to take the precautions that he did.

  Now, he was confident he’d be ready for anything.

  CHAPTER 05

  On route to the Bihole Mountains, Romania – the V5 Cave system

  The helicopter lightly touched down but didn’t even slow its blades as Mike was picked up out front of his house to be flown directly to the airport. From there he then had a direct flight to Romania, and after clearing customs, he had been trucked out to Fata Muncelului in the mountains, a paradise of green that was little more than a hamlet far out in the Romanian countryside.

  His travel companions he had picked up en-route in Romania had spoken little, perhaps because they knew little, or just didn’t want to share. The most they had done was introduce themselves. Ally Bennet was the color of burnt honey with straight black hair and large brown eyes that crinkled at the corners. Her travel buddy was Russell Hitch, solid and bear-like. Both experienced cavers, climbers, and he guessed by the look of their muscles, lumped knuckles, and obvious scars, either active-duty soldiers from some division of the armed forces, or maybe even mercenaries.

  He wondered about that for a moment. If you were going to send a team down to confront a group of Russians, maybe even Russian military, and something went wrong, then you might want plausible deniability. A way to do that might be to use ex or off-the-books operatives.

  Mike let his eyes slide to the two people again. At least they didn’t look like pushovers for what was coming, he thought.

  The truck let them out for the final leg on an empty hillside with just a small track to follow and all on foot to the small cave entrance that he, Jane, Andy and Maggie had crawled out from over a year ago.

  Mike walked with Hitch and Ally and though he’d been traveling for around thirty hours and knew he should have felt beat, his heart rate was kicking up along with his trepidation the closer he got to the cave entrance.

  As they came through the latest stand of pine trees on the emerald green hillside, the scene ripped open his vault of memories and he was wracked with a sudden bout of nausea. He turned to the side to vomit his last coffee onto the grass.

  “Better out than in, huh, Mikey?” Ally slapped his back as she went past. Neither Ally nor Hitch were bothered in the slightest by him being sick and just kept on going.

  Mike straightened, wiped his mouth and turned slowly. It was just as he remembered. The grass was cushion-soft with the occasional clumps of small bells of white flowers, and the air was clean and clear with a hint of wildflower and the humid scent of dew drying on grass.

  “C’mon, Mikey boy,” Ally shouted back at him as she and Hitch were about to enter the tree line.

  It was only after another fifteen more minutes of hiking that he smelled the smoke and then coming out of the trees he saw a much larger group gathered around a good-sized tent with a fire blazing out front. He spotted Jane immediately and it made him feel good inside to see a friendly face, especially her face.

  He waved as she turned to face him. She didn’t return the wave, and he felt his heart sink a little.

  What now? he wondered.

  At least Ray Harris waved. “At last.” He grinned. “We were about to leave without you.”

  Mike nodded to him but headed straight for Jane. He smiled warmly. “Hi.”

  She slapped his face, hard enough to swing his head. “Hey!” He rubbed his stinging cheek.

  “You sonofabitch.”

  Mike heard Harris laugh, and he knew the entire crew was now watching them.

  This wasn’t the greeting he envisaged. “Jane, I came because...”

  “Shut it, Mike. Just, shut it.” She folded her arms.

  He was only here because of her and she acted like he was intruding or something. “You could have told me, you know.”

  “Told you, what? And where, and who… told the hermit who lives out in the woods by himself?” She looked up at him from under lowered brows. “You sent us a copy of your half-finished manuscript, and then just dropped off the radar. It’s been over six months.”

  He knew he had shut himself off, and thinking about it, and seeing her now, made him question why. “I was wrestling with… personal stuff.”

  “We were all wrestling with personal stuff. We were all there, remember?” She made a disgusted noise in her throat and faced away from him.

  He lifted his chin. “I know, and I asked you to come with me.”

  “I remember, and you only asked me once. And you didn’t sound all that convincing that you really wanted my company.” She turned back and threw her hands up. “And then you were gone.”

  Mike exhaled and then looked around. “You make it sound like I really want to be here. I don’t.”

  “Bullshit, I know you do. You’ve secretly wanted to return since we climbed out.” She eyed him suspiciously.

  “I came here to help, that’s all. Nothing secret about it.” He held his hands up. “We only have to get them to the gravity well. Then we can decide what we’re going to do.” He continued to watch her. “So why did you change your mind? You said you never wanted to go caving again. And you’re about to take these guys into one of the deepest caves in the world.”

  “Lots of reasons.” She stared off into the distance for a few moments, and then glanced back. “All of them dumb. One them the dumbest of all.”

  “So you believe Harris? I mean about the Russians going down there,” Mike asked.

  “Yeah, I do,�
�� Jane replied.

  “That’s why you came? Duty?” He tilted his head.

  Jane seemed to think for a moment. “There’s something else…” She gave him a broken smile and lowered her voice. “I keep having this dream, a nightmare, about Harry.” She stared up at him. “That he was still alive down there.”

  Mike sighed. “I think that’s unlikely.”

  “I know, probably, but…” She turned to look into the fire.

  He looked at her profile for a moment more. She was still as attractive as ever, but now looked a little haunted around the eyeslack of sleep from those nightmares, he bet.

  He decided to change the subject. “Anyway, how’ve you been? Still doing biology classes?” He smiled down at her.

  “Not now; got a job at the university doing research. After what we experienced, I felt I needed to know more about life, lifeforms, and evolution. But a holiday would be nice,” Jane replied.

  He moved closer. “Can I recommend somewhere with long black, sandy beaches, tropical jungles, and all under a warm, red sky?” Mike grinned.

  “Not funny, Mike. And in answer to your earlier question, no, I don’t want to be here, and if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be within a thousand miles of this damn place.”

  “What?” His brows shot up. “Then why did…?”

  She strode away.

  Shit, he thought. He really wanted to convince her he didn’t want to be here either. But a strange thing started happening on the way over to the Romanian cave. In amongst his trepidation and nervous palpitations, there was excitement and anticipation building.

  It was true that he always dreamed about returning and what he’d need to do the job properly next time. And now all the resources seemed to have all been handed to him on a plate. He suddenly realised he was secretly delighted.

  Mike looked around the camp and saw that in amongst the groups of milling people were several cases stacked up. Harris noticed him looking them over. He waved again and sauntered closer, his face riven with mock concern.