Dark Dig - No NEWS is not GOOD NEWS

No NEWS is not GOOD NEWS

Marcus rushed back to his office. Along the way, he noticed how all the crews were back at their assigned tasks as if nothing had happened. Their dedication gave him inspiration and hope that the police report would be positive.

The sun had not reached its summit, but the temperature was already uncomfortable. The small office was filled with computers and staff members, their ambient heat combined with the raising outside temperature made the task of cooling the room impossible for the inadequate A/C. The rapidly rising temperature was the final argument persuading Carol to adopt the casual dress code of her co-workers. She jettisoned the heavy BDU jacket. Now, working in her thin cotton T-Shirt, she instantly felt relief from the heat and relished the greater freedom of movement in the cramped area.

Carol rushed to greet Marcus when he stormed into the cramped office. “Hurry, they are waiting on you to start the update,” Carol said.

Marcus pulled a chair up to the table holding the video monitor and sat down. As he settled into the chair, the youthful face of Ruth Smith greeted him.

“Good day Dr. Atonasis. I’m here with Inspector Campus and Inspector Borga. As promised, we have an update on the case. I know my partner, Ben Farley, told you about how we were using the signal from the cell phones to track the missing people. The Greek authorities took our data and closed in on the three groups. They should have them in custody today. I will let Inspector Campus give you the status,” agent Smith intoned.

Inspector Campus coughed behind his fist attempting to clear his throat before he started his report. “About an hour ago, all the cell phones went dead. Our agents lost track of the groups. When the swat teams arrived at the last known locations, there was no trace of the missing people or their abductors. It appears we are dealing with people who have a keen understanding of modern police operations,” the inspector explained with a dismal scowl distorting his face.

Inspector Borga stepped into view and elaborated, “INTERPOL sent in teams to search the area where we last had contact with the cell phone GPS tracking. We hoped to find the broken devices to examine them for fingerprints or DNA or any other forensic clues. The search continues for the missing people and the cell phones, but so far it is as if they vanished into thin air,”

Unable to control himself Marcus shouted, “So, you have been on some sort of wild goose chase! You spent all that time stomping around the MY DIG SITE ‘collecting clues and forensic evidence’. You come here bragging about your super technology and you - - -!”

Ben Farley interrupted, “Dr. Atonasis, please understand we are putting all of our collective assets into this case. This is a big setback, but the lab is still processing the items retrieved from the site. We all thought the cell phone GPS would lead to a rapid resolution. As Inspector Campus pointed out, we are dealing with a group that has knowledge of our technology. We had no way to foresee this. Whereas we all had great hopes the cell phone GPS would work, we are still monitoring all forms of electronic communications. In fact, I just got off the phone with our HQ. They put a special team together to monitor every form of communication. Thus far, they say there is absolutely no chatter in cyberspace about any hostages or attack of this nature. I’m sure I speak for everyone here when I say we are doing everything within our power to find the missing people and bring those responsible to justice.”

Marcus stared at the screen dumbfounded. Before he could formulate a response, Inspector Campus pushed his way on screen.

“Dr. Atonasis, I’m very sorry there is no better news at this time. As the lab processes more evidence, we will be better informed. We will update you daily or sooner if there are new developments. We will solve this case,” Inspector Campus concluded and terminated the transmission, clearly indicating he was not going to answer any questions Marcus might have.

Carol clutched Marcus’ arm and exclaimed, “Oh dear! I was hoping for better news. I thought the cell phone GPS tracking would have led the police directly to where the people were being held.”

“I just feel so helpless. Now it looks like the ‘EXPERTS’ are running around in the dark. They don’t even have an idea of who is behind the attack. Maybe my image of a Keystone Cop comedy is not so false after all. I see there is nothing for me to do except wait until they get more evidence sorted out. I guess the best thing to do now is focused on the dig and make sure nothing else like this happens. Carol, please see if you can find a security team to set up patrols around the area. I refuse to sit here like a lump on a log. We will proceed, but more security seems a prudent measure. There has been too much time wasted already. I need to check on the survey team and see what they have accomplished. You can give me a briefing on the security issue at dinner,” Marcus said as he headed out.

Carol did not have a chance to reply, but she knew he would expect her to have a security team under contract before dinner. While she tried to concentrate on the task of finding a suitable security team, she found herself going over the events of the past few days. Like Marcus, she could not find any motive to the attack. The dilemma of who would have a motive for such a strange attack seemed to baffle the authorities as well.

Straight to the Task

Carol did not have time to ponder the list of possible perpetrators. She busied herself with the task of finding a security agency. Soon, she had a list of agencies who seemed to be able to establish a 24/7 surveillance system. She called each agency explaining the situation.

During this phase, it became clear only three agencies were capable of supplying the needed service. She asked each to supply a written proposal by email. She explained the need for speed. She had to have the information by 4 pm. She apologized for the short notice and explained briefly about the concern for the safety of the workers after the recent attack.

While she waited for the replies, she decided she must let her parents know where she was and let them know she was ok. Only after dialing the number did, she remembers about the time zone difference. Carol was about to hang up after the ninth ring when a voice clouded with sleep said, “Hello”.

“Mom! Is that you? Sorry for the late hour I forgot about the time difference. I just wanted to call you and let you know I made a last-minute change to my plans for summer work. I applied and was accepted to participate in an archeological dig. I’m now just outside of Athens Greece,” Carol babbled.

“Carol? Carol, what are you talking about? Where are you calling from?” Her mother queried still lost in half sleep.

“Athens Greece. I will send you an email with more details later I just felt a need to let you know so you would not worry.” Carol replied. Then she said, “I love you, mom, I will write you with details soon.”

After she hung up the phone, she went to the admin section and took the time to become better acquainted with the people. Stopping at each desk, Carol interviewed each member of the team. Each team member briefed her on what his or her duties were. The wide range of operational responsibilities and the skills required to keep things going was mind-boggling.

Beyond the obvious requirement to catalog all the artifacts, there was the logistics. Things as seemingly simple as drinking water, electricity, food and a seemly endless list of things most people take for granted had to be ordered and delivered in a timely manner to sustain the operation. Carol wondered if, perhaps, she bit off more than she could chew.

Carol was amazed to learn the diversity of the group, she noted at least seven countries represented. A majority were locals, from the surrounding villages. It became abundantly clear Marcus had a dedicated team of professionals working for him.

Everyone spokes of the events of the last few days. They were all gravely concerned about the safety of the people captured. While chatting with her group, Carol was relieved to see they all accepted her and wanted to assist in accomplishing the mission.

The conversations absorbed Carol’s attention so completely she lost track of time. She felt moved, by the depth of dedication the team felt toward Marcus, yet she detected the level of fear that each tried to hide. The missing crew members cast a shadow over their conversations. It seemed like everyone was working harder in an effort to make up for the lost friends.

Wanting to relieve their fears, Carol assured them, everything possible would be done to find the missing persons. That reminded her of the task to find a security team. She thanked everyone for being so candid and assured them the police were working on finding who was responsible and hoped to get the people back safely. Just as she returned to her computer to check her emails, Marcus burst into the office.

“I was on my way to dinner and thought I should check here first to see if you were still working,” Marcus said in a boisterous voice. He looked around the office and gave the crew a wave of his arm saying. “Go. You all need to get dinner. It looks like a storm is brewing.”

“Oh, Marcus, you have perfect timing. I just got the proposals from the security agencies. You can look them over during dinner. Before we make a decision, I think we should check with the inspectors to see if they have any recommendations,” Carol injected.

“Wow! You really did a lot of work today. I knew there was some reason I wanted you on the team. Now come along, dinner will be over soon. I don’t know about you, but I have worked up a real appetite. After dinner we can contact the inspectors and talk over these proposals with them,” Marcus said as he led Carol to the dining area.

“I’m glad you are pleased with the results. I even had time to get acquainted with the team. They are a great bunch of hard workers. It is clear they are worried about the missing people and fearful of what might happen next. In order to ease their fears, I pointed out I spent the day seeking a security agency to provide better protection. I think you need to make sure everyone understands what you are doing,” Carol confided.

“You’re right. I see how this has everyone on edge. I’ll make a brief update before we eat. I’m sure most of the people will still be in the dining hall. I want everyone to know we are concerned and we are doing everything possible to ensure security and a safe work environment. After we finish eating, we can see if the police have any news and see if they can give us some recommendations on which security team is best,” Marcus replied.

When they left the stuffy office, a gust of wind tossed Carol’s hair around her face. A small dust devil briefly sprang to life and danced around the open dig site. The late afternoon sky was filled with low hanging clouds. Carol and Marcus rushed to the door of the dining room.

As expected, the entire crew huddled over tables chatting and eating their meal. The atmosphere was abuzz with cordial conversations and the sound of silverware on china. A gust of wind accompanied the couple as they slipped through the double door. Marcus pulled Carol along behind him to the podium.

Marcus flipped the switch and thumped the mic a few times to make sure it was working. Hearing the loudspeakers pop he cleared his throat and spoke.

“I have a short announcement. First, I have an update from the police. They thought they had a good lead on where the missing people were, but it turned out to be a wild goose chase. They assured me the lab is going through all the evidence they collected and they hope to have more leads soon. Second, we are currently working to get a security team here to protect everyone. This may mean some changes to the way we all do business, but something we must pursue. Until the security team is in place, I ask everyone to exercise extreme caution. That is all I have, at this time. I promise to update you as I receive more details,” Marcus concluded.

Carol pulled him away from the mic before there was any chance for questions and rushed to the chow line. Carol suddenly discovered how hungry she was and piled her plate with the delicious offerings. She found a table, with a few open seats. Her ravenous appetite drove her to attack the meat and potatoes before she could think of starting a conversation.

Still chewing, Carol turned to Marcus and spoke.

“We need to hurry and finish dinner. I want to hear what the current status of the investigation is and to see if any of the inspectors have an opinion on what security team would be best.”

“Yes, I agree. We need to keep track of what they know. I was really hoping the cell phone tracking would have been more productive. I hate this ‘not knowing’. You were correct in your assessment of the tension felt by the people here. I think they need me to keep them informed and that is why I’m frustrated with all these inspectors running around with no clue as to what is really going on,” Marcus grumbled.

Quickly Marcus finished his meal and nodded to Carol to indicate he wanted to leave. Carol followed him silently; she could tell he was in no mood for chitchat. He pushed open the exit door against the pressure of the wind. The sweet fragrance of rain on hot dust permeated the air. In the distance, flashes of lightning danced among the dark storm clouds. Marcus pulled Carol along behind him, attempting to use his body as a shield against the approaching storm.

Brewing Turmoil

Mid-summer days are long and hot. As a result, everyone working, in the tight confines of the admin office, chose to shed the heavy khaki jackets and opted for lightweight T-Shirts. The long hot days also resulted in sudden storms. Marcus observed the ominous clouds gathering along the horizon. Clearly the storm was approaching fast, growing in strength. The gusty wind was pungent with the sweet smell of rain on hot dust.

Caught out in the open, a blast of wind grabbed Carol’s hair and tossed it high in the air. Out of the corner of her vision, she glimpsed bright flashes, of distant lightening. The flickering lightning gave the dark ominous clouds a surreal quality. The deep rumble of thunder made conversation nearly impossible. Carol grabbed Marcus by the arm and hurried to reach the office before the storm hit.

“Oh my, it looks like the gods are raging war. The atmosphere feels charged with some strange supernatural force,” Carol muttered not knowing if Marcus actually heard her over the thunder.

Carol tried to hide in Marcus’ wind shadow but was unable to avoid being drenched by a torrent of rain whipped by the gusting winds. The summer rain was warm, like a refreshing shower. Her thin, white cotton T- Shirt became translucent and clung to her body, making clear her wardrobe choices did not include bras. Marcus was too fixated on contacting the police to appreciate the exquisite view of Carol’s anatomy.

Marcus jumped on a chair in front of the computer and hammered the keys to establish a video conference call, to the number provided by Inspector Campus. To prevent getting a chill from the breeze from the A/C Carol slipped the into her heavy BDU jacket. This also covered her wet T-Shirt clad figure from the view of whoever was on the video. Impatiently Marcus drummed his fingers on the edge of the keyboard.

“καλό απόγευμα, Dr. Atonasis, I assume you are looking for an update,” A faceless voice proclaimed, before the video feed resolved into the face of Inspector Campus.

“καλό απόγευμα inspector Campus Yes and I would like to get your thoughts on how we can improve security at the site,” Marcus replied.

Inspector Campus looked down and appeared to shuffle papers then looked directly into the camera and said.

“I’m sorry to report we have not made much progress. When the cell phone lead turned out to be a dead end, we went back to the lab to see what they have found. They are still going over all the evidence collected. I’m afraid it will take some time, they collected over 300 shell casings from three different types of weapons (AK 47’s, UZES, AR 15’ assault rifles). They think at least 20 weapons were used. They won’t be sure until they examine all the casings. One thing they pointed out was the lack of blood. My colleges were talking about this even before the lab mentioned it. With that much gunfire, you would expect injuries. The lab is saying the lack of blood indicates they were using the gunfire to keep people confused and make them run to find some sort of shelter. Thus, preventing anyone from seeing what was really going on. We are also trying to figure out why they would attack some remote area. Terrorists like to attack crowds like airports, sporting events, or tourist attractions. Then make a public announcement taking credit for the attack. Pirates would be after money and send a ransom demand, but so far, we have heard nothing. All this has everyone here perplexed. We are now seeking more information from the lab and looking at all of the photos the FBI can supply to get this solved quickly,” Inspector Campus concluded as a scow distorted his face.

Marcus banged his fist on the table and raged.

“That is really not much! You have no idea how upset I am at this moment! I just finished telling my crew everything possible is being done to find the missing people. Now, all you can tell me is there was a lot of gunfire! GOD DAMN IT, MAN, try telling me something I don’t already know! Oh, well enough of that. Please, tell me you can assist in finding a security team to protect the people who are still willing to work for me! Carol said she sent information about two agencies to you for consideration. Can you tell us which one is best?”

“Believe me when I say I share your frustration. We are gathering as much evidence and going over all the items we have. The FBI has some additional photos that are being evaluated as we speak. In fact, I think Mr. Farley wants to go over some of the imagery, but to answer your question about what security team would be best, I know both agencies very well and they both supply excellent service. They have very different security perspective. One is more BODY GUARD the other (CYBER-EYE) is more in line with what you seek. They can establish a secure perimeter, individual access control and even video drones to patrol the area. Their office is only a few blocks from our HQ. If you are going to meet with them you might want to check in with us to see firsthand what is really being done,” retorted Inspector Campus.

“Thanks for pointing out the differences. I think we need the CYBER-EYE ground security. I’ll contact them and set up a meeting. Then I would love to see what you have to show me while I’m in Athens. We could be at your location shortly after noon tomorrow. I hope you will accept my apologies, for being so upset, but this is the first time I have ever had to deal with anything like this and my people are concerned about their safety.” Marcus replied.

With an unbridled display of dissatisfaction, Marcus hammered a key on the keyboard, terminating the link. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back in the chair and slowly sighed.

“I’m so frustrated. All I get are non-answers. Every time I talk to inspector Campus he reminds me of some character of a bar owl blinking blindly caught in the headlights of an oncoming car,” Marcus hissed between tightly clenched teeth

This action visibly released the stress and frustration building up inside. Suddenly, he spun around, and was caught off guard at the sight of Carol perched on the corner of a desk, the view of her lithe body mesmerized him.

Carol saw the flicker of primeval lust in his glaring eyes and slid onto his lap. Her mouth instantly pressed on his and their tongues engaged in the tango of passion.

While the two lovers were lost in a private universe, a blinding flash flooded the office accompanied immediately with an explosion of thunder that actually shook the building.

Startled, they pulled apart attempting to see what was going on. Looking out the window, they observed an eerie pale green glow covering everything. Curiosity trumped fear and they move closer to the window to get a better view. Suddenly three bolts of lightning crashed into the small hill just meters away.

The instantaneous thunder was deafening. Shaking with fear, Carol gasped and wrapped herself around Marcus. The echoing thunder still reverberated in the room; when they saw a bright orb of pure white light materializes from the spot where the lightning struck. In awe-struck wonderment, they stared at the mysterious orb.

The blazing ball of light danced and careened across the open field in random zigzagging movements. Suddenly the orb raised high in the air and spun rapidly on its axis then spontaneously exploded with an earsplitting bang near the area Marcus and his survey crew cleared earlier in the day.

Instantly, a shimmering green light bathed everything. Carol shivered and her skin tingled as if electrically charged. Deep within her existence, she felt her secret self, raging out of control. The beast within was fighting to be set free and Carol struggled to retain control of her emotions.

Marcus’ touch sent miniature bolts of lightning showering Carol with flashing sparks. A strangely erotic thrill flashed through her body giving her a deep multidimensional shock. Carol’s jacket hung open exposing the thin wet T-Shirt that failed to cancel her visibly aroused nipples.

“My GOD what the hell was that! I have never seen any storm like this,” exclaimed Carol.

Looking directly into Carol’s eyes, Marcus smiled and whispered, “I’m really not sure what is going on around here anymore. This is really a strange storm. I think we just experienced a very rare case of ‘ball lightning’ and that green haze is, ‘St. Elmo’s Fire.”

Distant thunder rumbled and the rain splashed wildly on the window making it difficult to see anything clearly. The supercharged atmosphere seemed to crackle in the small office. Carol could no longer restrain the force, within, fighting to be free. The look in Marcus’ eyes acknowledged the presence of a kindred spirits.

Spontaneously they both moved in unison. Groping and clawing at each other’s bodies. Their lips mashed together in unbridled passion.

The presence of unknown beings released in the magic of the mystery storm dominated the ensuing events. Marcus and Carol like pieces on a chessboard, participants, yet not in control.

Swept up in a frenzy of passion they were moved by forces they knew nothing of. The storm of erotic lust exploded with a force equal to the raging storm outside. A barrage of lightning bolts flooded the area and thunder rocked and shook the building while the rain fell like a waterfall against the windows. In time, the blaze of passion diminished as did the storms fury. The limp bodies of the two lovers lay crumpled on the floor, like toys tossed aside by a petulant child who became tired of the game.

After breaths were recaptured and motion returned too tired limbs, startled yet meaningful looks were exchanged. Unable to formulate words, they hastily dressed in total silence. Carol reached out with a trembling hand to help Marcus with his jacket.

“I’m really not sure what happened last night, but it was nothing like anything I ever experienced before in my entire life,” Carol whispered in Marcus’ ear as she brushed past him.

“I must agree, but if my sister was here, I’m sure she would be able to explain how the Gods must be angry and they are using their power over nature to drive us away,” Marcus replied.

“Oh! So, your sister is into the spirit world beliefs. I have many friends who think ghosts haunt places. I really try to keep my mind open to see what evidence is available as to what role Gods play in our daily lives,” Carol explained.

“Well, I’m sure you would have fun talking with my sister, but now we need to get going before we have to make up some excuse to explain why we are in the office so early. I know I need some strong coffee before we head to Athens to get that security team and find out what disappointment the three AMIGOS have for us today,” Marcus commented while dragging Carol out to get breakfast.