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THE ISLAND:
Alex remains standing in the motorboat, enjoying the feel of the breeze through his hair as they slowly cruise across to the island from the stern of the Mystic. A few minutes later, Dieter nudges the bow against the narrow strip of rock-strewn beach.
Alex holds onto the bow rope, tosses the anchor onto the beach, and jumps off to pull the boat farther onto shore. He holds the boat in place while Mike and Dieter climb out, and they follow him to the V.
Steps are carved into the rock face leading through the opening, and Alex climbs up. When he reaches the top, he stops on a wide flat area and looks down into the one-hundred-foot-wide crater. The rusty ship from the movie is leaning against the wall directly below, with a decrepit-looking gangway reaching down to the beach on the far side of a small pool of water around the ship.
Alex looks across the dry beach at the open cave where the device is plainly visible on the ground halfway out of the entrance. Blackberry vines nearly conceal the massive silver surface of something buried partway in the solid lava rock a short distance from the cave.
Alex turns as Mike and Dieter stop beside him. “It appears the Colonel wasn’t fast enough. The tide must have dropped before they could get what they came for.”
Dieter steps around Alex. “The jewels must be in that cave,” he tells him as he climbs down the rock steps onto the rusty main deck of the ship.
“Be careful,” Alex yells down to him. “That ship has been deteriorating for a very long time, so the steel could be thin from rust.”
Dieter stops and looks up at Cave. “I am not one of your students, Professor. I know what I am doing.” He turns and continues walking across the deck, down the remains of the gangway, and onto the beach.
Alex and Mike continue down the stone steps onto the deck, as Dieter runs up the beach and into the cave. When they reach the gangway, it’s in better shape than it appeared, and they continue down to the beach.
Mike ignores the cave and walks up to the massive silver object buried partway into the side of the crater. “How about an explanation, Alex? I saw your expression when it appeared on the television.”
Alex recognizes the shape and cannot believe they found the spaceship that brought the devices to this planet. If it’s not too severely damaged, they can use it to shut them down. “It all started one-hundred and eighty-million years ago, Mike.”
Mike looks into his eyes. “You’re joking.”
Alex grins. “I won’t start that far back.”
He tells Mike the story of the Dead Energy operation, near the end, when two spaceships similar to this one, collided over the Nevada desert and Reverend Menno Simon’s extremist desire to end the cycle of burning carbon fuels nearly succeeded.
“Menno’s race of humans was one of the earliest inhabitants of this planet. They were advanced enough to travel in these spaceships when they were forced to leave the Earth. A super volcanic eruption sent tons of dirt and ash into the atmosphere, blocking out the sun for many years and killing all life on the planet. It’s one of the few planets capable of supporting life, so they sent a ship back with these devices to clean the atmosphere. Unfortunately, it crashed. This must be that spaceship, and it can shut down the devices. Now all we have to do is deal with the pirates.”
“Do you think it still flies?”
“I doubt it. In geological terms, it’s just spent one-hundred and eighty-million-years in a volcanic prison. I’ll be grateful if my friends can get inside and activate the shutdown code.”
They both turn when Dieter runs out from the cave.
“There is nothing here!” Dieter yells.
Alex is not surprised. “Did you really think those pirates would have left anything behind?”
Dieter clenches his fists. “Damn you, Cave! You knew this would happen!”
Alex grins. “I’m surprised you didn’t think about it.”
He and Mike walk up to the cave entrance, and Alex kneels beside one end of the twenty-foot-long, dull gray cylinder. The rusted remains of a chain hoist and three splintered 2x4 posts lay on the ground, and he touches the rusted chain wrapped around the one-foot-diameter device. “They tried to move it, but the wood posts broke under the strain. It must be incredibly heavy.”
Dieter waves his hand into the cave. “I found a human skeleton inside.”
Alex stands. “The radio on Burk’s ship would not have worked, just like with us, so they didn’t have any way to call for a rescue.”
Mike looks around the inside of the crater. “I don’t see their skiff. They must have used it to leave the island with that movie we saw earlier.”
Alex stands and walks back over to the berry vines, then gently spreads them apart, being poked in the process. He reaches through and places his palm against the cool smooth side of the spaceship, then carefully pulls his arm back and turns to the others. “Time to go, gentlemen. No sense waiting for company. We’ll come back with equipment to get the device.”
A deep roar from the Mystic’s horn echoes off the walls in the crater and the trio hurry down the beach to the gangway. Alex steps back as Dieter bumps him out of the way and runs up to the ship.
Alex allows Mike to go next and looks along the side of the ship. Something about the double doors over the cargo hold is out of place. Possibly the latches. He and Mike hurry up the gangway when they hear Dieter scream.
Dieter struggles to pull his left leg out of the rusted steel plating. “Damn!” he moans. “Get me out of here!”
Alex leads the way across the deck, testing the areas near Dieter’s footprints. Most of the area is firm, and it’s just Dieter’s continued luck to find a soft spot.
Alex grabs Dieter’s left arm. “Easy now. Nice and slow.” Mike grabs Dieter’s right arm, and they ease him up out of the hole.
Alex bends over to check the damage to his leg, then straightens up and looks at him. “You have a few deep abrasions, but you’ll be fine. Can you climb the stairs?”
The roar of several screaming outboard engines echoes around the crater and they look up at the top of the opening. Dieter pushes Alex’s hand away. “Go up and tell me what is happening!”
The roar of the engines idles down, and Alex climbs the steps and slowly peeks over the edge. Three long black inflatable boats are drifting around the Mystic, and in each boat, four tough-looking men hold rifles across their waists. He eases back from the edge and looks down. “They want their money, Dieter.”
Dieter grabs Mike’s coat. “I was going to pay them with the treasure, Mike. I do not have any cash!”
Mike shoves Dieter’s hand away. “How much do they want?”
“Two-hundred and fifty-thousand.”
Mike stares at him. “I don’t suppose they’ll take a check.” He notices Alex suddenly stand up and look down at him. “What’s happening?”
Alex climbs back down the steps. “You might as well come up. One of the boats is coming this way.” He reaches down, grabs Dieter’s hand, and helps him over the top. “Can you make it down?”
Dieter looks up at Cave. “Yes. Probably to my own burial at sea, when they find out I do not have their money.” He turns and carefully eases his way down the steps to the beach.
Alex and Mike follow him as one rubber boat nudges against the shoreline, and Alex recognizes the man standing at the bow. It’s Dieter’s friend.
Dieter hobbles over to the boat and stares up at Blacktooth. “I did not find the treasure, but I promise I will pay you when we get back to port.”
Blacktooth gives a hearty laugh. “You thought you would find treasure? I thought you were a smart man, Dieter. I thought you wanted what was left behind.” He stops laughing. “Where will you get the money? You are only a Captain.”
Mike walks up to the boat. “I’ll pay you.”
Blacktooth studies Mike. “I do not know you. How can I trust you?”
“That’s my ship. I can give you fifty thousand in U. S. cash right now if you leave us alone.”
Blacktooth laughs and looks at his men, then stops laughing and turns back to Mike. “That is too far from one-quarter-million. No deal. I want what I was promised.”
“I can get you more when we get to Seward, Alaska.”
“No deal. I will leave you here and take your boat. I see how fast it can go. I take it to Russia and get much more than one-quarter-million.”
“How much do you want?”
A sly grin slowly forms around his black teeth. “Five million.”
“I can do that. You can follow us to Seward, and I’ll get you the money.”
Blacktooth stares at Mike for a long moment. “I go with you. Three of my men, too.”
Mike gives him a nod. “Deal.”
“Get in.” Blacktooth orders.
Alex steps up to the rubber boat and stares up at Blacktooth. “We’ll take our boat back to our ship.”
Blacktooth shakes his head no. “You will go nowhere. You are a hostage.”
Alex steps back as Mike and Dieter are hauled over the edge into the Pirates’ boat.
Blacktooth stares down at Alex. “No worry. I leave you the small boat and one of my men to keep you company. Dieter says you are a teacher. You can teach my man to speak English, yes?” He laughs with his men, then turns back to Alex. “Push us off.”
Alex steps forward and pushes on the hard rubber bow until it’s floating away. He sighs in frustration and climbs the steps up to the V, then sits on the edge to see what will happen next. A few minutes later, one of the other rubber boats eases against the shore, and a mean-looking man with a short machinegun jumps off the bow onto the beach.
Alex remains sitting on the edge of the crater, staring down at his new companion. This should be interesting.
***
Okana sets the binoculars on the control console in the bridge and looks at Rita. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but they left Alex on the island with one of their men, and they’re bringing Mike and Dieter this way. As long as they have hostages, we don’t do anything.”
“What about Lisa? I gave her a small pistol, but she’s still in her cabin.”
“I don’t think she should hide. If the pirates find her trapped in a small room, it will only make them lustful. Take her to the lounge and wait for us to make a move. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Rita leaves, and Okana turns to look at Harrison and Bartram. “What about you two?”
Bartram folds his arms across his chest. “I’ll wait and see what the Captain has to say.”
Harrison raises his hands. “I’m on the side that doesn’t get me killed, Okana. I’m with you.”
“All right. You two stay up here, and I’ll meet them at the stern with Bett and Josh.”
Okana turns and hurries out of the bridge and down the outside stairs to the stern. He keeps the shotgun over one shoulder and his pistol tucked into his belt as he continues over to Bett and Josh. “The Pirates are bringing Dieter and Mike to our ship and left Alex on the island with one of his men. I’m not sure what’s going on yet, so let’s not start a gunfight.”
They all turn at the sound of an outboard motor approaching, then a black inflatable boat pulls up to the stern. Okana recognizes the big man standing at the bow from the meeting at the warehouse in Rupert. This could get a bit complicated.
One of the pirates holds the boat against the stern as three men climb out. Mike helps Dieter up onto the deck, then steps up behind him and looks at Okana. “We have an arrangement. We will be traveling with these fine men.”
Blacktooth steps onto the deck, recognizes the man in front of him, and smiles. “HA! Jamison! So you did make a deal with Dieter. He will not pay you now. Did he say he would find treasure?”
“Yeah, and I want my cut.”
“No treasure. No cut. He is a stupid man thinking he’d find a treasure here.”
Okana turns and grabs Dieter’s coat collar. “You lying bastard! You owe me and my guys here ten thousand dollars.”
Blacktooth laughs. “No worry, Jamison. This man over here made a deal to pay me. He is very generous, so ask him for the money.”
Mike realizes what Okana is up to and steps up to him. “I’ll give you whatever you want, Mister Jamison. Just tell your men not to hurt me, or my wife and daughter.”
Bett steps up to Mike. “Do as you’re told, money man, and no one gets hurt.” She turns and smiles at Blacktooth, then spits out her gum.
Blacktooth stops grinning, looks down at the gum, then back up at the smiling blond woman.
Dieter is confused by what just happened, but whatever Okana is up to seems to be working. He looks up when Harrison and Bartram step up to the railing behind the bridge, and shakes his head, no.
Blacktooth notices. “Are those your men, Dieter?”
“That’s right.”
“Tell them to come down.”
Dieter nods agreement and looks up. “Come down here.”
Harrison has a bad feeling about this, but turns and walks down the stairs, with Bartram right behind him. He continues over and stands next to Dieter. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” Dieter answers.
Blacktooth points at the man in his boat. “Too many to guard. You both go with him.”
Bartram steps back. “Captain?”
“Just do what he says, Leroy. He will not harm you.”
Harrison puts his hand on Bartram’s shoulder. “Let’s do what he wants. Once he gets his money, he’ll let us go.”
Bartram reluctantly follows Harrison to the rubber boat and they climb in. He looks back at Dieter with an imploring stare, but the Captain turns away.
Blacktooth waits until his boat leaves, then shoves Dieter toward the stairs up to the bridge. “Start the engines.”
Dieter turns to Blacktooth. “Where are we going?”
“Seward.”
Okana watches Dieter hobble across the deck and up the steps to the bridge, then smiles at Blacktooth. “You should see the inside of this ship, my friend. Follow me and I’ll get you a beer.”
Blacktooth sends one of his men to the bridge, then he and the other two men follow Okana and the others into the ship.
***
Alex watches the Mystic and the three-rubber boats leave the island. He looked at the charts when they set a course to this GPS location, and even with the boat, he will never make it to another island. If something goes wrong on the Mystic, he will be stranded on this rock.
“Hey, Teacher.”
When Alex looks down, the Russian motions him onto to the beach with his small machinegun. He smiles and waves at him, then climbs down the steps to the beach. “Did you bring any vodka? We should celebrate.”
The Russian grins through yellowed teeth. “You funny man. I speak a little English, Teacher. Move to water.”
“Are we going for a swim?”
“Blacktooth say to get rid of you and take your boat.”
Alex hooks his thumbs into the front pockets of his blue jeans and feels the butt of his pistol. He knew he would meet up with the Russians eventually and brought it to the island. “I didn’t bring my swimsuit. I don’t want to ruin my new jeans.”
The Russian gives him a quizzical stare. “What you mean? You not go swimming. You be dead before you get in water.”
“I’ll tell you what.” He slips his hand into his pocket. “Lets both get naked and swim together. I hear you Russian boys like to play with each other in the water where no one can see what you’re doing.”
When the Russian cocks his head, trying to understand the meaning, Alex slips the pistol out of his pocket and points it at him. He watches the Russian’s eyes go wide. As he tries to bring up his machine gun, Alex calmly aims and fires. The Russian flies back onto the beach, and Alex strolls over to stare down at the red hole in the center of his forehead. “Das vi Dania, comrade.”
He looks across the empty ocean and thinks about his options, but his only choice is to wait for Okana and the Mystic to return.