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Chapter Twenty
Two
THE
MOUNTAIN
"This
is all so cloak and dagger!" Laura giggled nervously. "I never dreamed I'b be
having an adventure like this. I'm scared and excited all at the same time."
"A little fear is good if it makes one more alert and
cautious, as long as it does not paralyze."
"Paralyze, huh?" Dan was remembering. "I can
understand the feeling. I think some of the paralysis I experienced when those ugly goons
abducted me, was some kind of drug or mind control or something."
"That ties in with other abduction stories I've read
about," Phil agreed. "Well, never mind that now. Let's get going."
XXX
They carried maps and diagrams of the area in question
including the sketch of a short cut to the area Glenn Donalds had given them.
It was a balmy December in Roswell, but as they went up
into the mountains, temperatures began dropping. They were glad they had brought their
warm clothes.
The road was bumpy and strewn with large rocks. It looked
as if it had not been used in years. Dan switched their vehicle into 4-wheel drive mode as
they plowed their way to their destination.
While Dan concentrated on driving, the others glanced
behind them at intervals to see if they were being followed. They had been driving for an
hour and no one had come into view, not even another tourist.
"We should be there any minute now. Yes, there it is
up ahead. See that big rock with all those trees behind it and the small clearing in front
of it. That looks like the place." Dan pulled over and parked their vehicle.
As they all got out and stretched their legs, Phil said,
"In the winter there aren't a lot of tourists, but since this Ragsdale has become
such a controversy, more are coming to check out his new alleged crash site. These
UFOlogists are a determined lot. There may be more people around than we
anticipated." Phil looked grim as he pointed to three trucks parked in front of an
old log cabin that couldn't be seen from the road. "That must be the old Pine
Lodge."
"If that's the case maybe we can get lost in the
crowd," Laura said, smiling.
"God's arm is not short. What is hard to us is easy
for Him, nu? Besides you have Shadow with you. What can go wrong?" Jeremiah smiled.
"You should smile like that more often. It looks good
on you." Laura patted him briefly on the shoulder. "What can we do, but just
take one step at a time anyway?"
"Do you suppose that UFO crashed looking for the black
box?" Laura asked. "This doesn't look anything like the place we saw it buried
in that other time." Yet as she looked there was something familiar about it; a fact
that made her break out in goose flesh.
"Just think what this planet has been through since
that time. Earthquakes, meteor hits, not to mention two great planet-wide floods."
Phil consulted a compass and mapt and began heading toward a path that seemed to be going
straight up. "But you've got to admit there is something vaguely familiar about it;
just a feeling but maybe..."
Jeremiah studied the area and each vehicle before
following. He saw no one, but the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. He sensed
someone nearby. He would have to continue on his way until he found a better clue about
location.
"Did you say two floods? Most people don't even
believe there was one, let alone two." Laura stayed close behind Phil as he made his
way up the steep incline, sending rocks rattling down behind him.
Dan forged ahead of all of them as if he already knew the
way.
"Remember, I told you before. The first flood
destroyed the Earth after Lucifer was cast down. It then became the ice age. Noah's flood
came second." Phil scrambled, panting, looking for better hand and and foot
holds. Dan was already out of sight. He looked back at Laura. "Can you make it OK?
Where's Jeremiah?"
Laura strained to keep up. "Behind me somewhere,"
she said between gasps for breath.
They continued on in silence saving their breath for the
difficult climb. None of them had ever hiked in such rough terrain and finally they were
forced to stop.
Dan finally hollered back. "Hey, where are you guys?'
"Just below you. We're going to stop and take a
breather." Phil shouted."
A spray of rocks came down the path as Dan backtracked to
join them. Dan, Phil and Laura rested, sitting together under a fir tree amidst some big
rocks while they waited for Jeremiah.
What can be taking him so long?" Dan furrowed his
brow. He felt worried, but did not want to show his concern to the others. When newscasts
about the Middle-East and all of its' complicated problems had come on TV at Phil's Mom's
house, he had cut it off before Jeremiah could see. Why7 worry the poor guy? He liked the
kid with the eyes of an old man. He's seen too much. He needs a rest. R&R. That's it.
Where is he anyway?
"If he doesnn't show up in another minute I'm going
looking for..." Dan broke off as the bushes swished to the right of them and Jeremiah
appeared. "How'd you get over there without going past us?' he asked in astonishment.
"I told you I had a few tricks. I am not nicknamed
Shadow for nothing. We are being followed. I tried to circle behind. I found some tracks,
but do not know if that is the one following or not. The tracks were fresh."
"there's not much we can do about it. We'll think of
something later when we have the black box located." Phil's breathing had returned to
normal. "We need to accomplish as much as we can before the sun goes down. Before we
do, let's take one last look at the map then destroy it before anyone else can see
it."
He brought out the map. They all crowded around him and
studied it. Phil pointed at the map, then the direction they would head from their present
location. Dan used his cigarette lighter to set fire to the map, then lit a cigarette and
puffed on it contentedly as they watched the map burn into ash. Dan ground his cigarette
into the dust and scattered the ashes of the map.
The rest of the climb went uneventfully except that
Jeremiah disappeared again. This time they continued even after discovering his absence,
confident he was scouting for any followers.
They came to a cliff. Dan peered over the edge.
"That's got to be at least a thousand foot drop." He paused. "It looks
strangely familiar, though."
They all stared over the edge. Below lay a small valley
with a stream running through it.
Laura moaned. "How are we going to get down
there?"
Dan shrugged. "Good question." He studied the
area.
Phil sat down at the edge, staring at the valley below
between his feet. "I know it's down there. It's just this side of the stream. It
looks a little like that place we saw it buried, who knows how many thousands of hears
ago, only this ridge is a lot higher."
"There's a narrow path going down the cliff
side," Dan said. "We can make it if we go slow and easy. I don't want to go
without Jeremiah, though. Wish he'd show up."
They all turned at the sound of someone clearing his throat
behind them. "It is nice to be missed," Jeremiah said. "We do have company.
Those same two men are a short distance behind us. We need to erase our footprints as we
go to the cliff edge, but we need to retrace our steps for a short distance. It will not
throw them off for long, but should give us some extra time to widen the distance between
us."
"Sounds like a plan. Let's do it." Dan said as he
began retracing his steps. The others followed.
The path down the cliff narrowed so much in places they had
to find roots and rocks for hand holds and sometimes had only finger holds while the heels
of their feet hung in mid air over the valley far below. No one spoke. Praying silently,
each concentrated on every step they took as they made their way down inch by inch. A
familiar humming started behind them. Dan ventured a glance over his shoulder. The hum
came from a ship like the one they had seen in Poseidon. It hovered as if watching their
every move.
Dan lost one hand-hold. With a foot waving for balance and
dirt and rocks cascading down the cliff side. He grasped frantically for another
hand-hold. Laura squealed, but did not glance in his direction. They all remained glued in
position as Dan struggled for balance. From behind Dan, Jeremiah reached out and grabbed
Dan's hand to help balance him. Dan shared Jeremiah's hand-hold. They all waited for the
cascading dirt and rocks to subside.
"The ship is behind us, wataching us," Dan
ventured a few words as he clung to the cliff side waiting for the pounding of his heart
to slow.
"Ignore," Jeremiah breathed. "Just
concentrate on what you are doing."
Dan continued inching his way down; just a few more feet to
safety. He prayed as he went. Don't let these monsters get us again.
XXX
"Why did we go back in time? I know there has to be a
purpose in all this," Phil said.
Dan shrugged his shoulders, relieved that the ship had
disappeared. "Who knows. Whatever it is, right now we must get the box." He
hurried after Jeremiah.
He found Jeremiah standing by a big boulder. "This is
the one we saw them plug up the hole with." Jeremiah paced around the edges of the
huge rock."When we find the box, we will look first then destroy what is in it and
leave the empty box for our friends to find."
"Sounds great, but how are we going to move this rock?
I know how the Atlanteans move rocks, but I never learned the technique," Dan said
dryly.
"Have faith, my friend. Phil and I know an even
bettter way. In the New Testament book of Mark, chapter eleven and verses 23 and 24, does
it not say, "Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed and be thou cast
into the sea; and shall not dobt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which
he says shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he says. Therefore I say to you, what
things soever you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have
them" The Atlanteans followed the deceiver and could do it just as the magicians in
Pharaoh's court mimicked Moses with snakes. Our God is the One who created all with the
power of His words. We have the same power when we speak in faith." Phil will know
what I am talking about."
Dan looked doubtful, but called to Phil and Laura and
motioned for them to come over. Soon all of them stood next to the great boulder waiting
for Jeremiah's instructions.
"The men who follwed us are coming down the cliff,
only they have mountain climbing gear," Laura said.
Jeremiah smiled. "Good. They are well occupied. They
cannot see what we are doing."
"Yes," Phil said. "We must be in perfect
agreement and speak the Word. Say it, Jeremiah, and we'll repeat it after you."
Jeremiah rubbed his hands together briskly then put them on
the boulder and spoke the Scripture again. The others put their hands on the boulder as
well and repeated the words after Jeremiah until they all could speak it in unison. The
boulder moved with them until the hole was uncovered.
"We did it," Laura squealed. "We did
it!"
"This is great. Using God's Word, we can do it as well
as the Atlanteans did!" Dan was ecstatic.
"Never mind that now. We have to find the box and do
it fast before those men get here." Jeremiah reminded them.
Phil nodded in agreement and peered into the hole.
"There's a stairway going down. We can go in, get it, and come back before those guys
get to the bottom of the cliff."
"Only one of us should go." Dan said. "Let
Jeremiah. He's the most agile and slender. The rest of us can stay to be sure our friends
up there don't get too close. Besides it'll be faster with just one. We can give him our
extra flashlights."
"I do not think the flashlights will be necessary. You
must come look at this," Jeremiah said. He was already on the stairway in the hole A
soft light came from below.
"As soon as my foot touched the first stair, it lit
up."
"It's the same as the light in their ships." Dan
stretched out on his stomach and stared into the hole as Jeremiah hurried down the stair
way. "The pressure of his weight on the stairs must have triggered the lights, but
where is the light coming from? It seems to be everywhere, but I can't find the source.
It's like the room beneath the Sphinx."
Phil and Laura looked, then glanced anxiously at the cliff
as their pursuers neared the bottom. "Hurry, Jeremiah! We're running out of
time," Laura called.
"I am here and I have it!" He held up the box for
everyone to see. "Throw a rope down and hang on tight to the other end. You can pull
it up. It will be faster."
XXX
They all held their breath as they examined the box.
About the size of a large jewelry box, it was made of the
same solid glassy black stuff as the one under the Sphinx. The black was translucent and
bore symbols in Atlantean.
"It looks like those ugly black eyes of those monsters
in their ships," Dan growled.
"Look!" Laura exclaimed. "It says 'press
here."
Dan pressed the indicated spot. The box lid lifted.
Inside the contents looked like pieces of film with symbols
on them. Laura picked one up.
It floated out of her hand and unfolded in the air before
them. "What is it?"
"Looks like plans for buildings. Pyramids! Those are
the plans for the three Giza pyramids. It even tells how to float the blocks into
place." Phil grabbed another piece of the filmy substance. It floated into the air
showing the plans for the Sphinx and the passageway that led to the vaults beneath it.
There was no mention of the Arch. The plans indicated a whole city, not just a few rooms.
"Wow! Dan breathed. "I wonder if Belinda saw
these plans."
Gunshots cracked behind them. Jeremiah grunted, grasped his
side and fell sideways back down the hole. Dan Grabbed for him. The sudden weight pulled
him into the hole with Jeremiah.
Phil grabbed the pieces and and the box and threw them down
after the men, then turned, grabbed Laura, and ran for cover behind the boulder. "You
get hit?" Phil asked anxiously as he pulled Laura to him.
"It's nothing. They can get us behind this rock. What
can we do? Didn't you bring a gun with you?"
Phil pulled out a twenty-two pistol and waited. "I
hope Jeremiah And Dan are OK."
"After a fall like that? I know Jeremiah was hit
before he fell in." Laura's face was white with pain and shock.
"Shhhhh," Phil whispered. He could hear footsteps
coming in their direction.
XXX
Dan came to at the bottom of the stairway. He felt so light
it seemed he could float. It was like being under water except he could breath. He peered
around trying to spot Jeremiah and found him sprawled on the stairs just above him. The
bottom of the hole spread into a cavern. Jeremiah's weight on the staris kept the soft
glow of light on.
A dark stain spread under the man. Jeremiah's face was pale
and still. Alarmed, Dan moved toward him amazed at how he almost floated as he walked. He
felt for a pulse. It was still there, but it was weak and thready.
"I've got to get you out of here, Shadow. You're
losing too much blood." He glancced up toward the opening and saw a strange face
staring down. He pulled Jeremiah off the stairs and darkness covered them both.
Using his flashlight, he dragged Jeremiah into the cavern
out of the line of sight.
The man started down the stairs. The soft glow reappeared.
Dan could hear gunshots outside as the man's partner went after Phil and Laura.
Dan spotted the black box where it had tumbled into the
cavern entrance. He stuffed it into his back pack and pulled Jeremiah behind an
outcropping of rock in the cavern. There he picked up a sharp edged rock and waited, then
remembered he had a small pistol stashed in his belt. He pulled it out and hoped gunshots
would not cause the whole place to cave in on them.
"Boyd, where are you?"
Dan could hear the shout of the other man through the miie
as clearly as if it were on an ear piece in his own ear.
Boyd reached the bottom of the stairs. His dark eyes had
the cold stare of a shark. "Throw the box out here and I'll let you live. You might
as well cooperate. Where are you going to go?" He talked into a mike connected to the
piece that went to his ear. "Julian, I have them. One is dead, I think. I'm at the
bottom of the stairway in this hole. It opens into a large cavern. The box is down
here."
Dan heard a series of gunshots outside. He popped up and
fired two shots at his pursuer. The man grunted in surprise and pain, telling Dan the
bullets hit their target. Then the cavern echoed with the sound from Boyd's gun, and the
whine of bouncing bullets. Dan huddled behind the rock with arms protecting his head from
flying stone chips. Then silence...
Dan held his breath and waited. The sounds of gunfire from
outside had stopped. He cautiously peered around the rock. His attacker sprawled in the
entrance of the cavern. Dan sidled up to him and felt the man's neck for a pulse. He was
still alive. He checked further. The guy wore a bullet proof vest. Dan could see where one
bullet grazed the man's temple. The other buried itself in the vest. Boyd was only knocked
out.
"Come on, Jeremiah, we're going to have to take our
chances up top." He took Jeremiah's back pack off and dug out a tee shirt to use for
a pressure bandage. Hoisting Jeremiah over his shoulder, he carried him up the stairs. It
was easier than he expected. There seemed to be a force field of some type when the light
was on, letting him almost float, in spite of Jeremiah's weight.
Dan peeked over the top of the hole. He could hear sobs
from behind the big boulder. He crawled to the tope and carefully placed Jeremiah behind
some brush then quietly walked to the boulder.
The other man, named Julian, held a gun under Phil's jaw.
The man's arms was bleeding and Dan saw blood running down Laura's arm as well. Laura
sobbed as she sat on the ground next to Phil. Her hands were tied in front of her.
"The box. All I want is the black box and you and your
girlfriend can go."
"I don't have it. She doesn't have it. Search us. See
for yourself."
"You know where it is, though, don't you?" The
man jabbed the barrel of the gun into the soft underpart of Phil's jaw causing him to gag.
Dan's mind raced. He could not understand why he was asking
those questions. He already knew where the box was. His partner had told him. This lowlife
enjoys his work. He is just looking for an excuse to kill.
How could he distract him away from Phil long enough to
keep a bullet from going off, even accidentally? He backed up quietly, then deliberately
stamped on a twig.
The man wheeled and fired. Dan fired at the same time,
aiming at the man's head, then threw himself down to avoid being hit himself. The shot
missed, but Phil used the distraction to pick up a rock and hit the man from behind. The
man went to his knees. Phil swung again. This time the man crashed to the ground and
stayed there.
"We've got to hurry. His partner is downstairs
unconscious, but he won't stay that way for long.Jeremiah is in the brush. He's lost a lot
of blood. He needs a doctor or he'll die."
"Let's put this guy in the hole with his friend and
put the boulder back." Phil's face was red with anger.
"Untie me." Laura held out her hands. Blood
dripped off the ends of her fingers.
"We've got to check on your arm. Let me take a
look," Dan said. He gently untied her and examined the wound in her arm. "We
just need to stop the bleeding. I don't think you'll die or anything. I'll wrap it and
Phil can go check on Jeremiah. Where is Phil?" He looked around.
"I think the man is a little ticked." Dan pointed
to where Phil was dragging the unconscious body of his tormentor toward the hole. He then
lowered it down the first few steps then kicked him the rest of the way down.
Dan turned back to Jeremiah and peeled away the shirt to
expose the wound. Laura helped, mopping up the blood with the tee shirt so they could see
better. "It looks pretty bad, Dan. He could die. What are we going to do?" She
looked up briefly as Phil put his hands over his face. She could see his hands trembled.
" All we can do for now is apply a pressure
dressing to stop the bleeding and pray we can get him help in time. We need to get some
nourishment into him and lots of water." Dan appled another clean pressure bandage
that Laura handed him.
"It's a good thing we packed first aid stuff,"
she said.
Jeremiah moaned as they held his head up and put some water
from Dan's canteen between his lips. Phil made a small fire and heated a can of soup from
his backpack and brought it over.
"We've got to seal that hole before those guys wake
up, Phil said.
Jeremiah's eyes fluttered open as the hot soup and water
slid doen his throat. He focused on Phil. "You got them both?"
"Dan took care of one and the two of us put the other
one out of commission. They're both in the hole. We need to seal it up."
"We will put the boulder back. Do we have the
box?" Jeremiah sat up and leaned weakly against Dan as he finished his soup.
"I have it." Dan steadied Jeremiah.
"Help me stand," Jeremiah said.
Dan and Phil helped him up. "You sure you're up to
this?" Dan asked in concern. Maybe Phil, Laura and I can do it."
"I will say the words from here." Jeremiah
agreed. We do not want to seal it all the way. Leave enough of an opening so they have
plenty of air, but will have to dig their way around it to get out. That ought to give us
all the time we need."
They all began repeating the Word of God to remove
mountains until the boulder moved. It floated just above the ground as they placed it
carefully over the hole, leaving an air space for their would-be captors.
"God has been with us or we wouln't have overcome such
experienced assassins," Phil said as they surveyed their completed
work."Jeremiah, you're weak and you can walk, but I don't think you can make the
climb. Laura can't either. We have to find another way out of this valley."
"He's right," Dan said. "Here's the box.
Study those contents then destroy it. Fill us in later."
Chapter Twenty Three
THE AGENDA
(Angels, Demons and UFOs: An Overview)
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