Curse of Atlantis by Christopher David Petersen Page A

out, stumbling backward in shock.
    “I picked up the crystal from the bank and when I stopped at the electronics store, they grabbed her and took the crystal. They told me they’d call here with more details,” Jack said, frantically conveying the details.
    “Did they say when?” Javier asked, now on the edge of hysteria.
    “I’m sorry Javi, they only said that they would call. I’m sure we’ll hear from them shortly,” Jack replied.
    Javier glanced at the phone on his deck. Reaching for it, he said, “I’m calling the police.”
    “Hold on, Javi. They said ' no police. ' If you call , they said they’d kill her,” Jack warned.
    Javier sat back down in his chair. He thought about the previous exchange. Shaking his head, he blurted out, “So what… we just sit here and wait? Kidnappers always tell you not to call the police. It’s an old cliché. The fact is they may never call.”
    He stood up from his chair and paced the floor. Turning back to Jack, he said, “I’m sure they’re still on the island. If I call the police now, we’ll have a chance to catch them.”
    “Javi, these aren’t your stereotypical thugs looking for ca sh. These guys are professional: they’re calculating. Think about it. They could have muscled us out of the crystal a week ago, but they didn’t. They patiently waited a week for us to expose the crystal, then they made their move… without violence. When they found out that they also needed the scrolls to find the pyramid, they could have just used Serena and me as hostages in exchanged for the scrolls, but they didn’t do that either. They simply grabbed her and told ' us ' to find the pyramid for them. I’m sure as long as we cooperate, Serena will live.”
    “That’s assuming we even find the pyramid. It might not even exist . What happens then? And what do you think will happen if we do find it? Surely once they have no more use for us or her, they kill her. In fact, they’ll probably kill all of us,” Javi said, his own words sending a shiver through his body.
    “I won’t deny there’s a huge risk in not contacting the police, but I really think that if they feel threatened, they’ll just kill Serena, split up , and find their way back to Russia,” Jack stated bluntly. “And let’s face it, when they grabbed her, they knew they weren’t going to just stick her on a commercial flight. When they took her, they must have known how to get her off the island without being caught.”
    Javier’s emotions roiled inside of him. He visualized his daughter’s death and its image burned in his mind. Although Jack’s argument sounded logical, the intensity of his fears pushed Jack’s words far from his thoughts. In an instant, he made up his mind to call the police.
    Suddenly, the phone rang and broke the eerie silence between them.
    Javier quickly reached for the phone and answered.
    “Hello, this is Javier Arista,” he said, trying to sound in control.
    “Dr. Arista, by now, you must be well aware that we have your daughter, Serena. I will give you my word, if you cooperate with us, no harm will come to her. Shall I continue?” the Russian voice began.
    “Of course, just don’t hurt her. I’ll do whatever you want,” Javier responded desperately.
    “Very well… the plan is simple. We will hold your daughter until you find the pyramid. Once the entrance is located, we will quickly move in and extract the antiquities that my employer determines to be the rarest and of most interest to him. What is left will be yours, including your daughter. Do we have an arrangement?” the Russian voice asked.
    “What choice do I have?” Javier replied, his voice filled with resignation.
    “None. I f you choose to complicate our arrangement with a call to the police, you will leave us with little choice but to withdraw our offer. Without a need for your daughter, her life could be in jeopardy. Is this unclear in any way?” the Russian voice asked, sternly.
    “Yes,