QUEST FOR THE LUNATI TREASURE
Episode #1
"Raiders of the Lost
Ark"
The young man smiled as he placed his first foot on the bottom step leading to the large brown double doors. Before he could even dig for the keys in his red duffel bag, one of the massive doors opened before him. He was instantly greeted by her smile. It was even brighter than the sun, he noticed as he walked in, amidst her screams of joy.
"Sweetheart, I'm so glad you're here!" she squealed, as she grabbed him into her arms.
"Hey mom."
"Why didn't you call?" she said, as she freed him from her embrace, but still held onto his arms. "You know we would have sent the car for you."
"I know. I just wanted to surprise you."
"It's the best surprise ever," his mother said warmly.
"Where's dad?"
Just then a small crash could be heard coming from the kitchen.
"That must be him," she said, with a sigh. "I made his favorite. It's pot roast. He's probably trying to steal a taste."
"Yummy," the young man said, with a playful smirk.
"I know you're not a fan. But don't worry. There's apple pie for dessert," she said, with a wink.
"Did I mention it's great to be home?"
"Music to my ears," she said, as she headed towards the kitchen. "I better go check on your father. Knowing him, he may have burned himself."
The young man watched as his mother retreated inside a swinging white door. It was the perfect color for the mansion. Some might say that white paint on the walls of a home is drab or uninteresting, but here the white was a great symbol of the purity of the Hartford clan. He took a deep breath as he glanced around the house. It was at that moment that he began to notice the splashes of red on the walls. He looked up and noticed the ceiling was maroon. He squinted a bit, realizing that the place wasn't the same as he remembered it.
Then he heard her scream.
He rushed into the kitchen and saw his mother sprawled on the floor near the counter in the center of the room. She was laying on her side, as blood poured from her back onto the white tiled floor. He fell to his knees at her side, not even acknowleding the tall figure standing over the body.
"Mom!" he shouted, but there was no movement from her. "Mom, please! No! Mom!"
As tears began to fall from his eyes he looked up at her assailant. The man still gripped the bloody knife he had used to stab her. As the young man's eyes rose past the dripping blade, they came to rest on the bloodshot eyes of the killer. His breathing seemed to almost halt as he gasped, seeing his father's face.
"No!" he yelled.
The older man's eyes met his son's, just as he opened his mouth to speak.
"I'm sorry, son," the man spoke.
His voice boomed through the young man's brain so loud that he had to cover his ears. He scooted away from his mother as his father took a few steps towards him. His hands instinctively grabbed at the floor, helping him to steady himself. He had the blood of his mother on his hands and he noticed the stains he had left behind. He struggled to calm himself enough to run. His father was now standing above him, his shadow cast down on his son.
"I'm sorry," the booming voice spoke again.
As a drop of blood from the knife fell past his face, the young man rushed to his feet and shuffled out of the kitchen as fast as he could. He didn't care that he stained the white door with blood. He ran as fast as he could through the nearby foyer, heading towards the front doors. Just as he passed under the archway, he bumped into another figure. Stocky and tall, he knew exactly who it was without even seeing his face. He was too busy looking back at the kitchen door.
"Spencer!" he yelled. "He killed her! He killed her!"
When he didn't hear a response he looked into the butler's eyes, only to see there were no eyes. It was a skeleton wearing a black suit and carrying an empty tray. As the young man backed away from the skeleton, it collapsed into dust. The young man backed right into the very person he had been trying to escape.
"I'm sorry son!"
The voice pierced his eardrums. He fell to his knees, clutching his ears in pain. As he hit the floor he turned to see his father standing above him still wielding the bloody knife, which he had now raised above his head. Their eyes met.
"No!" the young man yelled. "No!"
"I'm sorry!"
"I'm sorry, sir. Sir!" a female voice spoke, as she nudged the passenger's arm, waking him from his nightmare.
"What? What?" he spoke groggily as his eyes opened.
"I'm sorry to wake you, sir," the flight attendant repeated with a smile, despite knowing she had just interrupted him. "We're preparing to make our descent. You'll have to raise your seat back to it's normal position."
"Oh," he said, rubbing his eyes, "Thanks."
He fulfilled her request and she continued on her way down the aisle of the aircraft.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing momentarily," the pilot's voice came over the intercom. "It's a brisk seventy-two degrees down there, a bit of an overcast sky, but no rain in sight. On behalf of the flight crew, we'd like to thank you for flying with us today and invite you back sometime. Welcome to Silver City."
The young man took a deep breath as he glanced out the window on his far left, just as the clouds parted giving a clearer view at the city below, approaching quickly.
Ten minutes later, he found himself exiting the plane, along with the other passengers. As he made his way towards the baggage claim area, he couldn't help but notice the other passengers being greeted by loved ones. Some were parents, others were friends. They all had some place to go. He wasn't sure he did. Amongst the gathering crowd at baggage claim, he noticed a large white sign being held high. He couldn't help but chuckle as he read it. He walked over to the man holding the sign, knowing the fellow couldn't see him from behind the poster board.
"You're looking for the Crown Prince of Florida State?" he said, with a smirk.
The white board lowered revealing an unassuming man whose face was completely blank, even as he glanced into the smirking student's eyes.
"Yes," he said, as he looked around confused. "Have you seen him?"
"Hi, Spencer."
After a moment of playing dumb, the elder, suited man smiled.
"Hello, Master Chris," he said in his thick English accent, "It's so good to see you. How was your flight?"
"It was...okay," Chris said with a sigh.
"Really? Sounds like there's a story there," Spencer said. "You weren't rejected by one of the attractive stewardesses were you?"
"Nothing that harsh," Chris said with a laugh.
A half-hour later, the black car with tinted windows pulled up in front of the massive Hartford mansion. It was nothing like his nightmare. It wasn't sunny. The mansion didn't seem to sparkle and he knew that she wouldn't be answering the door upon his approach.
As Spencer unlocked the door and opened it, allowing Chris to enter with his duffel bag, he looked around. The walls were still white, mostly barren. There was a scent of jasmine in the air, but it didn't smell like her. It hadn't smelled like his mother had been there for years. Chris took a deep breath, as he dropped his bag near the door.
"I can see you haven't changed a bit," Spencer said, with a huff, as he picked up the duffel bag. "I will take this to your room. I left your father in his office. You should let him know you've arrived."
Chris let out a deep sigh. "If you say so."
"Can I get you anything? A snack perhaps? I know it was a long flight."
"Sure," Chris said non-chalantly. "Beer and pizza would be great."
Chris walked off towards the rear of the first floor, not waiting for Spencer's answer. Spencer huffed.
"Not on my watch, sir," he grumbled, as he started up the large staircase in front of him.
Chris approached the office and his hand immediately touched the brass doorknob. His father's office was one of the few doors in the mansion that was painted black. That had always been a sign to him as a child not to enter. But now he didn't care.
"So dad, I'm here," Chris said quietly, as he peeked his head in through the office door.
Inside the spatious office, his eyes looked straight at his father's desk. The chair behind it was turned away from him. Chris could see it swaying a bit from side to side. He sighed when he got no response and walked further inside.
"Look, I'm only here for the weekend, so I figured we'd do the usual," Chris said, hunching his shoulders a bit. "Say our hellos and goodbyes...and generally ignore one another in between."
As he finished his sentence, he noticed the chair became motionless for a moment before turning. When he saw the figure seated behind the desk, his jaw dropped. The stunning blonde stood up and placed her hands on the desk, leaning over it. Not even her glasses could hide her natural beauty. She smiled at him.
"Thanks for filling me in on your routine," she said.
Her thick, English accent also caught him off guard. As a look of confusion settled on his face, Chris looked quickly around the room, almost as if he was waiting for a ghost to jump out at him at any moment.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I must be in the wrong office."
The girl walked around the desk to face him. She was wearing light blue jeans, which fit her snugly. On top, she wore a white blouse, with the top two buttons undone. She adjusted her gold framed glasses as she came to a stop in front of him.
"I don't think so," she said, as she extended a hand. "I'm Jessica. You must be Christian."
Before Chris could formulate a response, footsteps on the polished floors alerted him to a new arrival.
"You're here," Ian Hartford spoke, as he walked past Chris and took up a position behind his desk. "Jessica, this is my son, Christian—"
"Chris," the younger Hartford quickly corrected his father, as he shook Jessica's hand for a second.
"Nice to meet you, Chris," Jessica said, as she headed for the door. "I'll leave you two to talk. I'll be in my room."
After her last sentence, Chris couldn't help but look strangely at her exit and then back at his father, who had nodded at Jessica.
"Who was that?" Chris asked.
"I told you. That's Jessica," Ian responded, as he sat at his desk and began looking through several papers there.
"She's not—I mean, you're not—" Chris stumbled, as he tried to release one of the dozen questions flying through his head.
"What?" Ian said, not even looking up at his son.
"You two. You're not—How old is she?"
"She's twenty," Ian said, oblivious to his son's apparent shock.
"She's—dad, she's my age? I swear if you tell me she's my stepmother, I'll kill myself," Chris said.
"Christian, what are you going on about?" Ian said, finally looking up at his son. "Jessica is my assistant."
"Your—your assistant," Chris said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank god."
"Christian, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," Ian said, as he stood up and headed for the door.
"Stop that!" Chris said, annoyed.
"What?" Ian asked, looking back at his son.
"Calling me Christian. Why do you do that?"
"Because it's your name?" Ian retorted. "I seem to remember giving it to you."
"No, you didn't," Chris said, angrily. "She did and I don't want you calling me that. Everyone else gets along just fine with Chris. You should join them."
"It's good to see you, son. I hope you enjoy your weekend," Ian said, before leaving the office, almost bumping into Spencer, who was walking in, carrying a tray that held a tall glass of golden liquid.
"Excuse me sir," Spencer said, as Ian maneuvered past him.
As he walked over to Chris, Spencer took a deep breath.
"I see you and your father have picked up where you left off," Spencer said. "Getting the unpleasantness out of the way early?"
"What unpleasantness?" Chris said, sarcastically. "You must have missed our 'Leave it to Beaver' moment."
Spencer sighed. "I do wish things were better between you," he said.
"Don't hold your breath," Chris said, as he pointed to the glass on the tray. "Is that my beer?"
"Please, Master Chris," Spencer said, in a huff. "You know better."
"I'll be twenty-one in two months. It's not a big deal," Chris said.
"I don't care how old you are," Spencer replied. "We both know your favorite is apple juice."
"Shhh," Chris said, waving at Spencer. "Not so loud. We might be in the company of a beautiful woman."
"Oh, you mean Ms. Lorrie?"
"If you're talking about the hot blonde, yes," Chris said, patting Spencer on the shoulder. "How long's she been living here and why haven't you mentioned her in any of our chats?"
"Mr. Hartford plucked her from Oxford a little over a year ago," Spencer explained. "And everytime I brought up anything involving your father, you didn't want to discuss it."
"I always want to discuss hot girls, Spencer," Chris said, with a wink as he grabbed the glass from Spencer's tray. "Now, I'm going to take my apple juice and go to my room."
As Chris exited the office, Spencer's eyes widened. He trotted off after him.
"Uh, Master Chris, there's something you should know about your room," Spencer said, as he caught up with Chris on the large winding staircase.
"What's that?" Chris said, as he sipped his apple juice.
"Well, your father—he made a few changes in your absence."
"Don't tell me he turned it into another tomb for his elephant bones," Chris said, with a smirk.
After reaching the third floor of the house, he made his way through the long corridor to the right.
"Well, not exactly sir," Spencer said, a bit worried.
As Chris arrived at the door, he opened it. The sound of the creaking door echoed in the vast emptiness of the room. Chris walked in, looking shocked. He walked over to the only piece of furniture inside, a bedframe with an undressed mattress.
"Where's all my stuff?"
"Your father had it stored," Spencer said as fast as he could, knowing the ticking time bomb had been activated. "I've already called the storage facility and it should all be here in a few hours."
Before Spencer could finish his sentence, Chris was already halfway down the stairs.
"Master Chris, this is not as bad as it looks," Spencer said, trying to calm him, as he followed Chris around the first floor of the mansion, where he couldn't seem to find his target.
"Where is he?" Chris yelled. "I can't believe this!"
"Master Chris, please calm down. I'll fix this. I always do," Spencer said.
"He's gone too far," Chris said. "I knew I should never have come home."
After searching every room on the first floor, Chris headed back to the staircase.
"Dad, are you up there?" Chris shouted.
The mansion had three floors and he figured his father must have been on the second floor where his bedroom was located.
"Your father is working," Spencer said. "Maybe it would be better if you cooled off before speaking to him."
"Where is he, Spencer?" Chris said, staring a hole through him.
After a few tense moments, Spencer sighed, as he pointed downwards. Chris looked confused again. Spencer led the way towards Ian's study, which was located across the hall from his office. The huge area resembled a library, with it's vast shelves of books that lined the walls. Spencer walked past the matching sofas, right over to the far bookcase. He pulled out a copy of Moby Dick. Behind it was a red glowing button. Spencer pressed it.
Chris watched in surprise as the bookcase seemed to pop out of the wall a bit. Spencer placed the novel back onto the shelf and then pulled the bookcase further away from the wall, revealing a staircase leading into the bowels of the mansion. Spencer looked back at him.
"Watch your step," Spencer said ominously, as he descended the stairs.
Chris followed close behind him, until they reached the bottom. Spencer lead him through a small hallway into a long room that was in stark contrast to the rest of the house. This place was lined with high-tech computer equipment, several clear glass cases of artifacts, from bones to armor to helmets. In the middle of the room was a long desk, with three computer terminals. Chris saw his father seated at the middle console, typing diligently on the computer.
"Jessica, I'm glad you're here. I may have found the coordinates we've been searching for," Ian said, with a smile, as he looked around the computer.
His smile faded instantly as he saw it was not Jessica. Spencer gave him a guilty look as he glanced at Chris who was busy taking in the view. His eyes eventually came to rest on his father.
"What the hell is all of this?" Chris wondered.
"Chris?" Ian said, curiously, as he stood up.
He walked quickly over to his son and Spencer.
"You're not supposed to be down here," Ian asked before looking over at Spencer. "Why did you bring him here?"
"He was looking for you, sir," Spencer replied.
"Yeah," Chris said. As his eyes glanced around the room, he finally remembered why he was upset and let his curiosity slide. "Why did you get rid of the stuff in my room?"
"This isn't the time," Ian said, tensely. "I didn't think you'd be coming home anytime soon anyway."
"Typical dad," Chris said, angrily. "Always thinking about yourself. I'm surprised you didn't put all of this stuff in my room, instead of in the basement. What is all of this?"
"It's work," Ian said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to it. Spencer will get your things back."
Ian turned to walk back to the desk.
"Always got secrets, don't you?" Chris asked, under his breath.
His father stopped in his tracks as he heard his son's words. It was an old wound that seemed to never heal between them. Ian's eyes closed and silence fell on the room, except for the faint buzzing sound coming from the computer terminal Ian had left. It was a locator for the coordinates he had found. But at that moment, Ian wasn't thinking about the coordinates. He turned back to his son, staring a hole in him.
"I'm not going to be your punching bag forever," he said. "I can't say I'm sorry anymore than I already have."
"Save it," Chris snapped back.
As the two Hartfords came face to face, Spencer stood between them, watching in silence. Part of him wanted to intervene and part of him wanted them to finally get their feelings out in the open to resolve their problems. Today, neither would happen. Jessica Lorrie entered through the same doorway that Chris & Spencer had. She looked surprised to see them. As she walked closer, she noticed the tension between father and son.
"Am I interrupting?" she asked nervously.
"No," Ian said, finally looking away from his son. "I found the coordinates."
"The crown?"
"Yes."
Jessica trotted over to the computer terminal and began pressing buttons on the console.
"You're right," she confirmed. "This is it. If we're going to secure the crown, we'd better hurry. I'm reading its location is inside a volcano."
"A volcano?" Spencer said, in disbelief.
"Don't worry," Ian said quickly. "It's dormant."
"But maybe not for long," Jessica said. "It has a history of erratic eruptions. We need to go as soon as possible."
"Grab the trackers," Ian said to her. "I'll dust off the Silverhawk."
Ian passed by Chris, drawing his attention.
"You're just gonna leave, huh?"
"I can't deal with you right now," Ian said to him. "I have work to do."
"Be careful, sir," Spencer said.
"I always am," Ian said.
"Wait!" Chris yelled. "You're going inside a volcano? Are you crazy?"
"Be careful, Chris. You almost sound worried," Ian said.
"Why don't you go along with them, Master Chris?" Spencer said quickly.
"What?" Ian and Chris answered at the exactly the same time.
"This is serious work, Spencer," Ian said. "I don't need anyone getting in the way."
"I've built my entire life around staying out of your way, believe me," Chris said, annoyed.
"If you're coming, then let's go," Jessica called out from the other side of the room, as she grabbed her blue jean jacket that had been hanging over a chair. "We can't be sure if they picked up the coordinates too."
Chris wondered who "they" were as he followed his father and Jessica through a sliding door on the far side of the room. He couldn't halt his curiosity about what his father was up to.
After a quick walk through a tunnel made of steel, they arrived at two doors: one leading left and the other leading right. Both were decorated with the compass symbol he had seen all over his father's underground lab. He stepped up to the left door, but Jessica grabbed his arm.
"Wrong way," she said.
"What's back there?" Chris asked.
"Those are the big toys. We're going for the quiet approach," she said, with a grin, as she followed Dr. Hartford through the right door.
They entered a launching pad, which held a small, sleek silver jet, which Chris assumed must have been the Silverhawk he heard mentioned. The three climbed inside the Silverhawk and took off to the skies. Ian took the pilot's seat, with Jessica seated beside him. She quickly input the coordinates to the Hawaiian volcano.
"Buckle up," Ian grumbled at his son who was seated behind them.
Jessica grabbed the handheld tracker from her jacket pocket. Chris watched closely as she slid the cover on the device, which now looked like a cellular telephone. She was about to press the numerical keypad when Ian's hand reached over, stopping her.
"Wait," he said. "Once our trackers are activated, they'll be able to locate us. We have to wait until we're closer."
Chris leaned over in his seat to make sure they could hear his next statement.
"Who's they?" he asked.
Ian and Jessica glanced at one another seriously. Jessica diverted her eyes from Chris and focused on the window in front of her. Ian sighed, as he turned back to his son.
"Trouble," he said, before turning his eyes back to the Silverhawk's controls.
Silence took over inside the cockpit of the jet, as it sped towards its destination.
Twenty minutes later, the Silverhawk had landed in a lush forest of tropical palm trees. The three passengers made their way through the trees, until they reached a clearing. Several feet in front of them was their destination. The volcano looked like a mountain, given its height and dark brown color.
"So, this is it?" Jessica said, as she stood at Ian's side.
He had his tracker in hand, but was still hesitant to open it. Although, he knew he was just avoiding the inevitable. If they wanted to find the crown, they would need the tracker scans. He simply nodded as they walked closer.
Chris paused a few steps away from the structure, as Jessica and Ian walked right up to it. Ian reached out a hand, tapping it gently to test its temperature. When he realized it wasn't hot, he placed his hand completely against the rough, hard surface.
"Dormant," he surmised. "Just as I thought."
"You know," Chris said, as he shifted nervously. "We passed a pretty nice beach on the way down. Who's up for mai tais?"
Ian rolled his eyes as he stepped away from the rocky volcano.
"We don't have much time," he said. "This thing could become unstable quickly. So, let's split up and see if we can lock in on the exact coordinates of the crown. Once we do, we'll make our way in."
"Tracker time?" Jessica wondered.
"It's the fastest way to find the signal," Ian said, as he slid open the device in his hand and began scanning. "Chris, stay close to Jessica. Call if you find anything."
Jessica nodded, as Ian began walking west, heading around the volcano. Jessica slid open her tracker and began scanning the rockface directly in front of her.
Chris glanced around, seeing the large rocks scattered around the sandy ground. They varied in size and shape. He leaned against one of the larger ones, which was sticking out of the ground. He swatted a mosquito that landed on his arm. Jessica glanced back at him for a second.
"So...you gave up Oxford to chase treasure?" Chris asked, looking curious and dying for some conversation.
"Gave up?" Jessica said, with a smile, as she began making her way around the large volcano, still scanning it. "What makes you think that?"
"Well, dad said you were twenty," Chris said.
"So?" Jessica said, "I graduated early."
Chris's jaw dropped.
"Wow," he said, as he started following behind her. "You must be pretty smart, then."
"That's what they say," Jessica said, with a sigh. "What about you? Spencer tells me you play...softball?"
"Baseball," Chris said, correcting her quickly.
"Sorry," Jessica said, continuing her scans, but still finding no clear sign of the crown inside. "So, you any good?"
"FSU thinks so," Chris admitted, with a smile.
"Good to know."
"I'm guessing you majored in ancient history?" Chris said.
"No," Jessica said, a bit annoyed. "I have a double major in physics and engineering."
She looked back and saw the shock on his face.
"Ancient history was my minor," she said, with a smirk.
"Impressive," he said. "Still doesn't explain why you're working for my dad, though."
"I like working for Dr. Hartford," she said. "It's extremely challenging."
"I can just imagine," Chris responded sarcastically.
Jessica stopped and turned to him.
"And what is it you do besides toss a ball around...and ignore your father?" she asked, annoyed. She crossed her arms, as she stared at him.
"Psychology," Chris said, arrogantly.
"So your brain isn't made of pigskin?" she said, with a smile.
"That's football," Chris said, smirking.
"Oh," Jessica said, disappointed at her folly. She turned back to her scans. "Still, it's a bit ironic, isn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're majoring in psychology, yet you can't seem to find common ground with your own father," Jessica explained.
"The past isn't so easy to get over," Chris said, as his demeanor turned serious.
Jessica silently sighed, agreeing with him more than Chris could know.
On the other side of the volcano, Dr. Hartford was busy scanning continuously as he had picked up a faint signature on the crown. As he moved further around the rockface, the signal was getting stronger. A smile came across his face, as he knew he was getting closer. He glanced up, seeing that the top of the volcano was still far off. This wan't going to be a quick job, he thought to himself.
But as he continued to walk around the massive structure, he noticed a strange indentation in the rockface. As he got closer to it, he could see an rectangular outline, almost in the shape of a door. He reached out, touching it. The rock was unmoving. He pushed harder, until he felt it begin to give. He put all his strength into his next push, which caused the layer of rock to move inward.
Ian could feel the heat rise almost immediately. With his tracker still open, he could see that the signal from the crown was getting stronger. He stepped inside carefully. His smile got wider. He activated the tracker's communications system and dialed Jessica.
"Jessica, do you read me?"
On the other side of the volcano, Jessica spoke back.
"Go ahead, Dr. Hartford," she responded quickly.
"I found a way in," Ian explained. "I don't know how it's possible, but there's like a doorway that leads into the interior of the volcano. There's some kind of tunnel system ahead of me. I'm sending you the coordinates of the opening. Get over here, quick. I'm going to scout up ahead."
Jessica waited for the coordinates to come through, as Chris looked over her shoulder. Once they were completed downloaded, she memorized them, as did Chris.
"We're on our way," she said, with a smile, as she closed her tracker. "Come on."
As Chris kept up with Jessica's run, they headed back in the direction they had come from.
"We may just luck out," Jessica said, as they trotted together.
"What's that mean?" Chris asked.
Jessica came to a quick halt, as she saw what was standing up ahead. She threw her arm to her side, stopping Chris from continuing. His curiosity rose as he saw the two individuals standing several feet away, staring at them.
"Locals?" he asked Jessica, noticing their dark skin.
"No such luck," she said.
The two individuals stood their ground. As Chris studied them, he figured they couldn't be much older or younger than him and Jessica. The young African American couple both looked deadly serious as they seemed to be staring at Jessica. The male's khaki shorts reached his knees and were a bit stained with dirt and his black wifebeater was untucked. His companion was a little cleaner, but not by much. She wore a yellow t-shirt and a khaki vest that matched the shorts she wore, which were much shorter than her partner's. Chris's eyes couldn't help but take in her beauty. To the naked eye, her dark curls seemed to scatter wildly on top of her head, but they were perfectly placed exactly where she wanted them. As he continued to watch her, his eyes veered to her hand and the open device in it that matched Jessica's tracker. Chris frowned.
"Who are they?" Chris asked aloud.
"Trouble!" the male answered.
"I already knew that," Chris retorted.
Next to him, his female comrade lifted the tracker in her hand and began studying it.
"We don't have time for this, Bishop," she said. "The other tracker is already inside and the crown's signal is strong."
"I'm not going to let you near that crown," Jessica exclaimed.
"And how you gonna stop us?" Bishop spoke, with a smile. "Judging by the tracker signature, I'm guessing the old doc's inside. So, unless your new friend has some hidden talent, I'd say you're outnumbered."
"I don't think so," Chris said, showing no fear, believing he could take the newcomer.
Bishop smiled, as he looked at his companion. He then looked back at Chris.
"Well, think again," he said, as he pulled a matching tracker from his back pocket, sliding it open with one hand. "Let's do this!"
The girl nodded, as she joined him in pressing the circular button above the numbers on the tracker. Chris instinctively took a step back as he heard a new sound from their trackers. It sounded almost like an engine starting in their right hands. In unison, the two companions swiftly brought their right arms across their chests towards their left shoulders. As they extended their left arms in front of them, they ripped the trackers down the arms, causing a stream of sparks which led to an intense transformation.
Only a split second passed before the two figures had been outfitted in special colored suits, with matching helmets. The man's was black and the girl's was yellow.
"What the hell?" Chris shouted.
As his eyes never left them, he felt Jessica jab his chest with something. He looked down to see it was a handheld silver & black device, bearing the same familiar compass symbol he noticed on the trackers.
"Protect yourself," she said.
Chris took it as he looked back at her.
"What about you?"
"I've got it covered," Jessica said, as she slid open her tracker with one hand and pressed the same activation button that had caused the newcomers to transform.
"Start up!" she yelled, as she ripped the device down Chris's arm, catching him off guard.
He was even more stunned when he saw her new, pink suit appear around her body. He did a double take, as he looked at Jessica, then back at the other two.
"I'm so confused," he said.
"You'll be more than that in a minute," the black fighter said, as he pointed at Chris.
He pulled the red & white weapon from his side. It resembled a large, metallic knife. He ran towards Chris at top speed. Jessica pushed Chris out of the way, causing him to roll onto the ground. The black-clad fighter swiped the blade at Jessica, causing her suit to spark a bit as she tumbled out of the way. As she got back to her feet, she could see Bishop stalking Chris.
"Chris!" she yelled.
She started towards him when she felt a swift kick hit her helmet. It was Bishop's female companion, whom she knew too well. She ducked the next blow and began trading punches with the yellow warrior.
Several feet away, Chris was squatting a bit, as he saw Bishop coming towards him slowly, with his weapon still drawn.
"Use the scope shot!" he heard Jessica yell in the distance.
He looked at the device in his hand. He pointed it at Bishop and felt around until he found a sliding trigger. He used his thumb to slide the metal lever, but was disappointed when he saw a miniature blade pop out of the scope shot's tip. He heard Bishop's laugh.
"I knew mine was bigger," he said, as he swiped at Chris, who dove to the ground and took cover behind one of the large rocks embedded in the ground.
"Is this the best you could do, Jess?" Chris asked, quietly cursing the miniature weapon.
He frantically pressed every inch of the scope shot, until his eyes locked onto a red button near the handle he was holding. He pressed it, causing a laser pellet to fly out of the tip, grazing Bishop's arm, causing a bit of sparking smoke to erupt from his suit at that spot. Bishop glanced at his arm and then slowly back at Christian.
"You're going to pay for that," Bishop said, as he twisted his knife into a large blaster.
Chris's eyes grew wide, as Bishop fired on him. He jumped away from the rock, as it exploded from the blast.
Inside the volcano, Ian Hartford continued on his way through the winding cave until he reached an opening. The entire cavern ahead looked red and as he walked through the entranceway, he could see why. He was deposited onto a cliff, with a flowing lava pit below him. He stepped back from the edge and looked around. As he glanced back at his tracker, he could tell the signal from the crown was at its highest. He knew he was close.
Ian stared across the cavern and noticed another small cliff protruding from the rockface. Ancient symbols appeared to be painted on the wall there. He looked back over the cliff at the lava, which was smoking and bubbly. He took a deep breath, as he grabbed the scope shot from his pocket. He aimed for the opposite wall and fired the small grappler from the device. It pierced the rock on the other side. After a few quick yanks to make sure it would hold, Ian swung across the lava pit and landed on the opposite ledge.
He turned to the symbols on the volcano wall. They didn't make any sense to him, despite his intensive archaeological background. He grabbed his tracker, sliding the cover only ninety-degrees. He activated the device's blacklight. It quickly scanned all of the symbols and began deciphering them. Ian watched the tracker's readout closely.
"To all those that seek the treasure within, beware," he read the translation. "Only the strong can handle this power. Your choice will seal your fate. Either you will be damned to an eternity in hell or you will receive your treasured gift. A decision awaits you. Will you choose the dawn or the twilight?"
Ian glanced at the rock wall in front of him. On the left and right side of the message etched into the wall were two symbols he did recognize. The left side contained a symbol resembling a sun. The right side appeared to show a moon. He looked back and forth between the two and then back at the decrypted message. He closed his tracker and placed it in his back pocket.
Holding tight to the scope shot in his right hand, Ian extended his other hand towards the sun. It was an easy choice...almost too easy, he thought. Before his fingers could graze the symbol, he pulled his hand away. He looked back at the moon symbol and took another deep breath. He closed his eyes and touched the moon. At that moment, the volcano seemed to start shaking.
A piece of the rockface slid aside, revealing the Lunati crown before him. Ian smiled, as he reached out, grabbing the crown in his hand. But as he tightened his grip on it, the inside of the volcano began to shake even more violently. He lost his footing. He held tight to the scope shot's grappler, which swung him back towards the rockface. His shoulder collided with the sun symbol, causing the volcano to shake even more. He regained his footing on the ledge and repositioned the scope shot, shooting the grappler back across the cavern.
At that point, a large bubble of lava began to rise out of the pit below. It was boiling as it ascended towards the ledge. Ian watched in horror as it came to a stop in front of him. He remembered the message's warning about touching the wrong symbol. He held tight to the crown and swung across the ledge, just as the red cocoon spewed a stream of fire at the ledge where he had just been standing.
Ian landed on his knees back at the entranceway. He turned to see the bubble getting brighter and brighter. He covered his eyes, as its redness had turned to orange and then yellow. The bubble was actually a cocoon. It burst into flames. When Ian opened his eyes to look, he saw a fieresome creature standing on a constant stream of lava that was shooting up from the pit below. The creature had piercing golden eyes. Its face appeared to be burning red, like most of its body.
Ian almost felt as if he was staring at the devil himself. The red & gold-horned beast seemed focused on Ian, as it lifted its arm, pointing directly at him.
"Give...me...the...crown," it spoke, slowly and darkly.
Each word seemed to make the volcano shake a bit more. Still on his knees, Ian held tighter to the crown in his left hand. His right, slowly began to make its way towards his back pocket. He knew the tracker was there and it was his only hope.
"I've come too far to give it up," Ian grumbled, as he grabbed the tracker.
As he stood up quickly, the creature's left palm extended towards him. Ian felt like he had been punched in the chest, as his body lifted off the ground slightly and went pounding into the rockface next to the entranceway. As he fell to the ground, quickly losing consciousness, he realized what the last sound he heard was. It wasn't his tracker hitting the ledge below him. It wasn't the beast cackling in pleasure.
It was Ian's spine being crushed.
Outside the volcano, another battle was still raging. The pink and yellow fighters were engaged in close combat, trading punches and kicks. Neither seemed to connect, until the yellow one landed a cheap shot on the Pink Ranger's helmet. She quickly took control of the situation, holding Jessica's arms at bay, allowing her to score a kick to her chest, sending the Pink Ranger flying backwards, crashing to the ground.
"You know this never gets old," the yellow fighter spoke.
"Speak for yourself," Jessica grunted from the ground, as she grabbed a hold of the hand blaster at her side, firing it at her opponent.
"Ahhh!" she yelled.
The yellow warrior's suit began to spark with damage. She fell to the ground in pain. Several feet away, her partner heard her screams.
"Addie!" he yelled.
As he started to run to her, he paused, realizing his true mission. He turned back to the Chris Hartford, who had taken refuge behind another large rock. Bishop let out a yell of anger and sprinted towards him, with his blaster drawn.
Chris aimed the scope shot, firing off a barrage of laser pellets. The black-clad warrior seemed to dodge every single one of the shots. He transformed his blaster into its knife mode and brought the blade down on the rock, cracking it.
Chris flipped away and aimed the scope shot, again firing a round of laser pellets.
"All right," Bishop said. "I've had enough of you."
At that moment, he extended his hand in front of him and accessed his helmet's inner controls. Within seconds a long weapon materialized in front of him, apparently emanating from his helmet. Chris watched in awe for a moment, before firing once again.
This time, Bishop was ready.
"Turbine Crusher!" he yelled his weapon's name as he began spinning it quickly in his hands.
The turbine crusher looked like a large mallet. Both sides of its head were made of wheels. As the scope shot's laser barrage approached him, the pellets were quickly deflected by the speed of the turbine crusher. Chris's eye grew wide, as he knew there was no way he'd win like this.
"Let's see how you like it!" Bishop cried out, as he sent one of the pellets back towards Chris.
It landed at his feet, sending the younger Hartford flying into the air in pain. Chris landed on his stomach hard. As he turned over into his back, he clutched his ribs. He glanced up and saw Bishop walking towards him, still wielding his weapon.
When he reached Chris's spot on the ground, he stood above him, chuckling. Then, he lifted the turbine crusher high above his head. Aiming for Chris's head, he brought the weapon down, but it was blocked from its destination, catching Bishop by surprise. He looked over to see it was Jessica. She used her hand blaster's knife mode to block the blow from the turbing crusher, as she looked down at Chris.
"You have to get your father!" she said.
"What about you?" Chris asked.
"I can take care of this," she said, just as the ground started to shake, surprising them all.
"What's that?" he asked, glancing at Jessica for an answer. Instead of waiting for her to response, he sighed. "Let me guess...more trouble?"
"Get Dr. Hartford!" Jessica shouted.
After a quick sigh, Chris ran off towards his father's last known location, leaving Jessica behind.
"You really think you can beat me?" Bishop asked her.
"I never said I had to beat you, Bishop," she said. "I just have to hold you off."
She used her strength to block away the turbine crusher. She kicked the black fighter in the chest, sending him staggering backwards. He regained his footing quickly, but she had already grabbed her own weapon. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the pink and white tool in her hands.
"Hydro Cannon!" Jessica yelled, as she fired the weapon, causing a stream of electrified energy to squirt at her opponent, sending him flying into the air in sparks and smoke upon impact.
"Yes," the red demon spoke, inside the volcano. "At last I, Drakar, will hold the power."
He used his mind to control the fiery lava stream he was standing on. He stepped off of the molten magma and onto the ledge, where Ian Hartford lay crumpled.
"I have waited so long," the creature lamented. "Now, I am free and I have my treasure!"
"Dad!"
The creature looked up at the entranceway when he heard the approaching voice. He growled loudly, which seemed to cause the volcano to shake more vigorously. He brought his palm up to the entranceway, waiting for the next intruder to arrive. When he saw the human's head, he shot a steady stream of fire from his palm. Chris dropped to the ground as quickly as he could, avoiding the inferno. He crawled below the flames towards his father, checking his pulse. He was still alive.
On the other side of Ian, Chris saw his father's tracker hadn't been opened. Near his leg, he saw the Lunati crown. Just before his fingers touched it, he heard the creaure's voice again.
"No!" he yelled. "That belongs to me!"
Chris simply sneered, full of rage.
"Come and get it," he said, as he gripped it tight in his hand. .
The red dragon-like demon pulled one of the matching swords he carried on his back. He brought the blade down towards Chris, who grabbed his father's tracker, using it to block the blow. The tracker seemed perfectly caught on the blade.. As Chris struggled to his feet, the device ripped up the sword, causing him to transform. In a split second, the demon creature was faced with a red warrior. Furious, the demon brought his sword back down for another blow, which struck the Red Ranger across the chest, causing him to scream in agony at the damage to his suit. He fell to his knees, dropping the crown.
The demon creature came close to him, with his eyes on the relic. He bent down to retrieve it when Chris grabbed the hand blaster attached to his belt. Remembering his encounter with Bishop, activated the weapon's sword mode and jammed it into the chest of the demon, causing his entire body to spark with damge. The creature screamed out in pain, as it fell backwards off the ledge and down into the boiling lava.
Chris took a deep breath in relief, until the volcano began to shake even more violently. It seemed to feed on the demon creature, but it wanted more, he thought. He holstered his weapon and grabbed the crown, as he looked over at his fallen father.
Outside, the ground was quaking beneath the three morphed individuals fighting there. Addie had gotten to her feet and called upon her matching weapons. The bucket-like claws were yellow and jagged in design. She rushed towards the Pink Ranger who was still holding her hydro cannon. Before the two could meet, the ground began to shake even more, throwing them off balance. Above, they could hear what sounded like a large explosion. Molten pieces of magma began to fall towards the ground. A large piece was heading directly towards Jessica.
She raised her hydro cannon, firing a watery stream of energy towards the falling rock, knocking it off course. The piece of rock landed a few inches away from Bishop, who was still on the ground. He rolled out of the way of the rock's crash. He looked up at the Pink Ranger, who wasn't focused on him at all. In fact, Bishop realized it was his companion who had gained the upper hand.
"Thunder claws!" Addie yelled.
As the pieces of burning rock and lava fell in front of her, Addie used her hand weapons to send the pieces flying back at Jessica, who managed to duck the blows, causing them to hit the volcano behind her.
Beneath his helmet, Bishop smiled. Then, he noticed something dangerous. A large piece of the molten material was coming down towards Addie, but it was behind her. She didn't see it coming.
"Addie, watch out!" Bishop yelled, as he got to his feet and ran towards her as fast as he could.
He managed to grab her, just as the massive piece of molten rock landed at their feet. They both crashed to the ground.
"Thanks," Addie said. "It's getting a little too unstable."
"We can't leave without the crown," he said.
Just then another falling mound of lava came flying at them. He grabbed her into his arms and rolled them away from the burning debris.
"If we stay, we may not make it back alive," she said, yelled through the rumbling of the eruption. "What's more important?"
Bishop didn't honestly know the answer to that question, but as he heard the fear in her voice, he knew that he had to get her out of there. Crown or no crown, Addie was his most prized possession and he couldn't let anything happen to her.
Several feet away, the Pink Ranger dove to the ground, avoiding another piece of the falling magma. She grabbed her tracker.
"Dr. Hartford!" she yelled. "Can you hear me?"
She looked up at the erupting volcano, wondering what it meant. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her opponents getting to their feet. As she prepared herself for another assault, she saw they weren't attacking. She watched Bishop pull his tracker and open it. With the press of a button, she heard another approaching roar. But this time, it was an engine.
She watched the black Tow Speeder zip through the trees and come to a stop in front of Bishop and Addie. The large machine appeared to be a massive car with silver and gold accents. It was so large that it mowed down several of the tropical trees that hadn't been destroyed by the falling debris from the volcano. She watched the two fighters hop swiftly into the zord, which then sped off.
Jessica was glad they retreated, but her mind had already turned to more important matters. She ran as fast as she could towards the coordinates Ian had given to her. When she got close she saw him...or what she thought was him. It was the Red Ranger, she thought, but then she saw what he was dragging and realized that the Red Ranger wasn't Ian Hartford. She also noticed he had the crown.
"Chris?" she called out, as she ran over to where Chris laid his father on the ground. "What happened?"
"I don't know for sure," he said. "Something attacked him. It was some kind of demon creature."
"He's barely breathing," she said as she checked his vitals. "We need to get him to a hospital."
She looked up at Chris, noticing he was still shifting in his stance, nervously.
"There's a portable stretcher inside the Silverhawk. It's with the first aid kit underneath your seat," she exclaimed. "Get it!"
Chris hesitated nervously, as his eyes fell to his father once again. He sprinted off towards the Silverhawk.
"Just hold on, doctor," Jessica said, as she knelt behind his head, resting it on her lap. "Hold on!"
Near an old mountain range on the outskirts of Silver City, a secluded cave sat. On the surface it was an abandoned area used by hikers to scare their girlfriends after a fun day on the trails. But deep inside that cave, there was a series of tunnels leading deeper into the ground. Branching out into several different, smaller caves, some of the caverns appeared to be lived in. There were clothes scattered about in some places, empty food cans in others.
Addie stumbled into the area, taking several deep breaths. Bishop was right behind her, as she took a seat on a long slab of stone.
"That was close," she said.
She looked over at Bishop, as he slammed his fist on the cave wall. He looked back at her and she could see the anger in his eyes.
"We need that crown!"
"Who knows?" Addie said, hunching her shoulders. "Maybe they didn't get it either."
"Hartford wouldn't leave without that crown," Bishop said. "We both know that."
Addie frowned, as she lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Bishop said, as he took a seat next to her, putting his arm around her shoulder.
Their heads bumped together, as they lamented their failure.
Then, footsteps were heard approaching. The two glanced at one another, as they heard the steps getting louder. As the rocks and gravel grinded beneath the arrival's feet, they could feel the power within him. They watched the opening to their small inner cavern as he appeared there.
"You failed?" he asked.
His voice was low, dark, full of hatred and anger.
"Tarok, listen," Bishop said, as he stood up. "We followed the signal. But, the volcano destabilized. It erupted. It got too dangerous."
"Too dangerous?" Tarok said, his eyes growing wider. "Your job was to bring me my crown!"
"We'll get it back," Addie said, as she joined her brother, glancing at Tarok in sorrow. "We're sorry—"
At that moment, Tarok raised his left hand towards them, causing a stream of purple energy bolts to attack their heads. The two grabbed a hold of their heads and fell to their knees in prolonged pain from the creature's strike. Despite his white garments, Tarok was full of darkness. Despite the swift use of his dark energy, not one wrinkle permeated his white robes and his high hat remained atop his head, perfectly.
He released the two from his powerful attack. Still on her knees, Addie dropped her head to the ground, moaning in pain. Bishop, however, managed to keep his head up. He looked into Tarok's eyes.
"We won't fail again," he said.
"You can't afford to," Tarok said, as he turned and departed the small cave dwelling.
As Tarok disappeared into the darkness, Bishop's eyes turned dark. He looked upon that creature with intense hatred. He looked back at Addie, still cowering on the ground. He put a comforting arm on her back, pushing his own pain aside.
"It's okay," he whispered, before looking back in Tarok's direction with an icy stare. "It'll be okay."
Silver City Metro Hospital was practically deserted on this day. That was good news for Ian Hartford, as he had been rushed into surgery upon his arrival in the emergency room. Chris Hartford had been sitting in the waiting room for hours, with Spencer at his side.
"I don't understand how this could have happened," Spencer said, sadly.
Chris simply stared at the floor. No part of him moved, except for his right leg, as he nervously tapped his foot on the floor.
"I'm sure he'll be all right," Spencer said to Chris.
Chris didn't share Spencer's optimism. The emergency room doctor arrived, approaching the two, causing them to stand up.
"How is he, doctor?" Spencer wondered.
"He's out of surgery," the doctor explained, as he looked directly at Chris. "We repaired most of his injuries. However, there was just too much nerve damage on his spine."
"What does that mean?" Chris asked.
"Your father's paralyzed from the waist down," the doctor said, somberly. "I'm sorry. We did all we could."
Spencer's face fell, as Chris's eyes did the same. Spencer put a hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you, doctor," Spencer said.
"He's in recovery," the doctor stated. "You can go in and see him if you like. Family only."
Spencer nodded, as he looked to Chris. Without speaking a word, he gestured for Chris to go in. With a nod and the right look Spencer could convey so much. Chris knew that he was ordering him to go in, whether he wanted to or not.
Chris followed the doctor towards the recovery room. The doctor stopped just outside.
"He's in the fifth bed," he explained. "He should be fully awake soon."
"Does he know?" Chris asked.
The doctor nodded, before walking away. Chris walked into the recovery room, passing a few patients' beds before reaching the fifth. Most of them had curtains pulled, not allowing him to see behind them. His father's curtain was pulled as well. Chris reached for it, but stopped before touching the hanging curtain. His eyes fell to the floor once again and he let out a quiet sigh. He stood there, not knowing what he could do or say to his father. He looked up at the ceiling above.
On the other side of the curtain, Ian Hartford laid. He had heard the footsteps approaching. He had heard them stop a few feet away from his bed. He never looked up at the curtain, knowing who stood there. He laid on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Both men silently called out to their fallen angel in the heavens above, hoping that she could guide them from there.
THE END
Next time on
Quest for the Lunati Treasure
Chris learns how Bishop & Addie received their powers.
Meanwhile, Tarok orders the Black & Yellow hunters to storm
the Hartford mansion and retrieve the crown, while Ian deals with
the effects of Drakar's devastating attack and its ramifications
for the quest.