The man behind the mask blinked, his deranged mind suddenly whirring with possibilities. “I don’t believe it.”
“And yet you have kidnapped a physicist specializing in weather modification. Why do so, if you do not want to hear what I have to say?”
The Snake King thought it over. “You’re not lying, then?”
“No, I am not lying. Moreover, I believe this device you have here is very similar to the one used at the HAARP facility, with one very important exception.”
“And what might that be?”
“I believe it is much more powerful.”
The Snake King held his surprise in check. “How so?”
“Waveguides rely on hollow metallic conductors. Silver is the best conductor we know of, and yet this device is made from something else entirely. I have already run a simple conductivity test with the ohmmeter and it is showing interesting results. Whatever metallic substance this metal is, it has a conductivity several orders of magnitude greater than even silver.”
“How much more powerful?”
“At least a thousand times.”
The other men fell silent, suddenly interested in what he had to say.
“Say that again, old man,” said the Snake King. “Slowly.”
“I said the metallic substance that this device is made from is at least a thousand times better at conducting electricity than silver. I have seen nothing like it throughout my entire career. I believe when activated it will channel unimaginable quantities of energy into the atmosphere.” He scratched his head. “I just wish I knew more about this metal.”
“I call it divinium,” the Snake King said. “Metal of the gods.”
Diaz took a cautious step away from the man in front of him. “Whatever you call it, it must be handled with care. If directed into the ionosphere, this could create a force more powerful than dozens of hurricanes all hitting at the same time.”
“It’s that powerful?”
“Easily, and much more so if it can increase and direct natural waveguides existing in the planet’s crust. If it is capable of amplifying these waves, it could be truly devastating. You do indeed have in your hands some sort of god device.”
“Yes, the power of the gods!” he said. “Can you operate it?”
“I believe so. The removal of this idol on the top would activate it initially, and then there are some crude controls beneath which regulate the power.”
“Good, very good.”
Carlos Mercado ran back into the large warehouse space. “We’ve got company.”
“Who?” Tarántula asked.
“Looks like the same ones as before.”
“The Avalon crew?”
Carlos nodded. “They took a shot at me! They’re heading this way!”
“How the hell did they survive?” Tarántula said.
“I don’t know. Maybe we could ask them when they get in here, guns blazing?”
“Don’t be a smart mouth Carlos. I should kill you where you stand for not making sure they died back there when I told you to. Now you have another chance. Kill them!”
“Wait!” the Snake King snapped. “Tarántula and Novarro will come with me. We will take the capstone and the hostages and get to the jet. Diablo and the Mercado brothers will keep the Avalon crew busy and give us time to get away. Now, go!”
29
Decker had fired the shot at Carlos Mercado when he stepped outside the warehouse. He missed and the Mexican gangster scrambled back inside without returning fire. He turned to the rest of the crew who were standing around their two vehicles – Cade’s personal car and their hired SUV, guns in hand. “We have to go in!”
“No, wait!” Riley was looking along the side of the warehouse. “Looks like they’re splitting up. I see an Escalade taking off and heading south but they’ve left some dudes behind to hold us back.”
Charlie took a shot at the Cadillac, a puff of white smoke from his gun drifted up lazily into the hot air as the round pinged off a nearby road sign. “Missed.”
“They’re stopping us from taking off after the Caddy!” Cade said.
“Which is already long gone…” mumbled Diana.
“No, it’s not,” Decker said. “I’ll stay here with Cade and Lena and deal with the goons inside the warehouse. Riley, you take our SUV and get after the Escalade.”
“Got it.”
“What about you?” Diana asked.
“Like I said, we’ll try and take these guys out,” he said with a shrug. “It’s all we can do.”
“What if they take off?”
“We have my car!” Cade said.
Diana looked at the old Buick and frowned. “Really?”
“Hey, she’s solid gold!”
“If you say so…”
Decker watched his friends climb into their hired SUV and drive south of the warehouse, swerving out onto the main road and giving pursuit of the fleeing Escalade. Then the shooting stopped.
“What are they playing at?”
Before anyone answered, a black Mercedes ML350 burst out of the large hangar-sized door and raced straight toward them.
“Holy crap!” Cade said. “They’re heading for my car!”
Decker calmly rested his arms on the Buick’s roof and peeled off a few rounds, aiming straight for the driver’s half of the windshield. The rounds punctured the glass and forced the driver to duck and swerve at the very last minute. The chunky black Mercedes blew past them with inches to spare and swerved out of the parking lot.
“Now they’re getting away too!” Selena said. “Did anyone see if Dad was in there?”
“Funnily enough,” Cade said, crawling up off the asphalt, “No. You?”
“No!”
“Talk later,” Decker said. “Now, action.”
Decker swung open the
