Dark Dig 15 - Tales Of the Dead

Tales Of the Dead

Ben was visibly excited to have Fronia accompany him to Athens. For one thing he was not familiar with the city and she could help him find the coroner’s office. It also gave him a chance to talk to her without everyone listening. He was looking for an opportunity to find out more about Fronia’s scheme to slip him one of the pills. He had to concede there was a time when the thought was tempting, but now that there were dead bodies resulting, his lust was lost.

Fronia was nearly in tears as she apologized. She explained how hurt she felt because he did not pay attention to her sexual advances. She assured him she had no idea about the harmful side effects. He knew that because no one knew until the dead bodies showed up. That was why he was on his way to the medical examiner’s office.

Ben felt especially flattered when Fronia whispered in his ear early this morning telling him that he really did not require any pill. Then she mounted him and they did an instant replay of the night before. Fronia assured him that everyone already assumed they were having sex so they might as well be guilty of what they were accused of.

Now that Ruth was no longer a threat to his future, Ben felt much more at ease. Thinking back on all the crazy events of this case, he realized now, that he was attracted to Fronia from the moment he first saw her. After last night, there was no doubt, in his mind, that Fronia was also deeply involved emotionally and was equally infatuated with him. All these thoughts tumbled freely around Ben’s mind as he held Fronia close to him while they drove to Athens.

Ben talked to Fronia about his decision to take a desk job so he would not be running around the world trying to save “Truth – Justice – and the American way of life”. That was when she snuggled up close to him and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he did not require the tears of Aphrodite. Now as he sped through the morning traffic, one arm draped over Fronia’s shoulder idly toying with her visibly aroused nipples, he felt as though everything he ever dreamed of was coming true.

As they approached the city, Ben inquired about where and when they could meet after he was finished with the medical examiner. Fronia surprised him when she asked if she could tag along and see what had really happened. Ben explained they would be viewing dead bodies.

Fronia remained adamant, even when Ben pointed out the morgue is not like a funeral parlor. The medical examiner is looking for evidence and does not have time to apply all the magic a mortician has at their disposal, to recreate an almost lifelike appearance, on the deceased, to hide the true face of death from the viewing public. Seeing there was no way to change her mind, Ben capitulated and gave into her demands.

At first Fronia was happy that she managed to persuade Ben into letting her tag along and get an opportunity to see what goes on in the world of forensic science. She followed him along basement corridors filled with analytical medical equipment. Ben collected files and stacks of paper as he briefly consulted with various people in long white coats.

Just as she thought Ben had only tried to scare her off, they came to a big double door. Ben handed her a surgical mask to put over her nose and mouth and he helped her slip into an ice blue protective gown, like the one he was wearing. Ben pushed a button and the double door opened with a whooshing sound. A blast of cold air caught Fronia off guard and made her gasp for breath.

The room was large and brightly lit by banks of florescent lights. The room was filled with tables with white sheets neatly draped over what were obviously bodies. Fronia was startled when a man stood up from a desk tucked away in the corner. He approached with a slow determined gate. His face was gaunt and as lifeless as the shrouded corpses filling the cavernous room.

After a brief greeting, he led them to the first row of bodies. With great respect he folded the sheet back to reveal the head and upper body. Fronia was shocked and jerked away, but not before the image of a pale white, female face was etched into to her mind forever.

The grotesque image of bloody, bulging eyes, swollen to the point they had popped out of their sockets combined with the stench of death, forced Fronia to clasp her mouth tightly. The bitter acidic taste from deep in the pit of her stomach caused her to rush to a nearby sink, where she deposited the remains of her breakfast loudly.

By the time she rinsed the bile from her mouth, Ben was examining the fourth body in the row. Fronia took a deep breath and moved closer to peer over Ben’s shoulder. There on the slab, lay a young, blond girl, exposed from the waist up. Instantly Fronia recognized the girl as the one who sold her the pills. Suddenly she realized - “There but for the grace of God Lay I”.

As her body quaked with thoughts of the near fatal consequences of the situation, Fronia whispered in Ben’s ear explaining that was the girl who sold her the pills.

When the next body was revealed Fronia cried out, “Oh God that is Christina’s boyfriend ‘Zepo’. Ben I can’t take any more. I’m afraid Christina will be under one of these sheets. Then I think about my silly idea to experiment with this drug. Oh, Ben please forgive me,” Fronia begged.

“I’ve seen all I need to. I think we need to get back to the camp and go over all the data with Ruth and Todd. I have the preliminary autopsy reports and some new lab reports from our guys back at FBI HQs. I checked the list of names and Christina is not listed. Maybe she was not present at the orgy. I think Marcus and Carol were going to visit her parents to check on her,” Ben assured her.

“Good, let’s get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps. I know you tried to warn me, but I really wanted to see with my own eyes what was going on. Now I understand what a monster we are dealing with. What is going to happen next?” Fronia sobbed.

Before heading back to the dig site, they both stopped by the local police HQ to see what Borga and Campus were able to share. Ben accepted a fat folder filled with eye witness reports of the orgy and some background info on some of the participants. Then they raced to return to the camp to see what other news was collected.

Christina’s Condition

Marcus stood patiently next to the Land Rover waiting for Carol to finish her daily ritual of checking herself in the bathroom mirror before she felt comfortable going out in the public. He reminded her they were the last to leave and there was much to do. At long last Carol came bounding down the stairs, still running her fingers through her short cut hair.

“Sorry it took so long, I had to ask Ellen if I could borrow something suitable to wear. It seems Fronia does not have anything that even comes close to the knees and I think we need to project a very serious image when we talk to Christina’s parents,” Carol explained as she fastened her seat belt.

Marcus only grunted in response then slammed the car in gear and headed toward the home of Christina’s parents. He was aware of the gravity of the situation and was wearing a very conservative gray suit.

“While I was waiting for you, I got a call from Ben. He said he checked all the rosters of bodies found overnight and Christina was not listed, but one of the bodies he saw was her boyfriend ‘Zepo’ and it was a very disturbing sight,” Marcus recounted while he drove through the picturesque country side.

Carol sank deeper in the passenger seat with a dark cloud of abject despair distorting her face. At least Christina’s name was not listed on the reports of death and they would not be required to comfort her parents. Carol could tell Marcus was troubled by the latest news. He was not his normal jovial self, but who could find anything humorous about death. She was in the process of steeling herself to be strong when Marcus addressed Christina’s parents when he pulled up in front of the old whitewashed house.

Marcus paused a moment to gather himself together and dawn his most professional expression on his craggy face, before ringing the front door bell. After a lengthily pause he rang again. Marcus was about to turn away when he heard a muffled grunting sound. A few moments later the door opened revealing a man who looked as if he had been chased by the devil himself.

“Ohm Dr. A----. I was not expecting you. My wife and I just returned from the hospital. Christina was at some party in Athens at the university and she is now on some sort of induced coma. So, if you were looking to talk to her you will have to wait until she wakes up,” sobbed the elderly man. His wife could be seen on a couch in the living room crying bitterly into a white handkerchief.

“I’m very sorry to hear that your daughter was involved in this incident. I was hoping she might give some clue as to who is involved. We know her boyfriend is supplying drugs to the group Christina has been associated with. We can’t ask him for clues, because he is dead,” Marcus reported.

“Zepo – DEAD – Good that saves me the effort! I would squeeze the life blood out of his evil body. Christina was such a sweet young girl until she met him. After she started going with him there was nothing but trouble. You were kind enough to help when she was in the hospital but when she got out, she was running with that crowd of college students and back in trouble. Now the doctors are not sure what they can do. They explained the coma was to prevent her from doing things that might hurt her. My wife and I can only pray and it seems all our prayer fall on deaf ears,” he choked the words out of his tight throat as he tried in vain to fight back tears.

“I understand you have been through a lot. Someone is supplying the students a new drug that we only recently learned about. The event that Christina and her boyfriend attended resulted in many deaths and now it looks like your daughter was one of the attendees who survived. The trouble is the drug is so new the hospitals don’t know how to treat the survivors. So, in order to avoid doing something that might make a bad situation even worse the doctors decided to induce a coma until they get a better idea of how best to treat the victims. I can assure you that the best minds in the world are working on finding an anti-dote,” Marcus consoled.

Carol also offered her condolences and then she held Christina’s mother tightly, before Marcus assured them, he would be in constant contact. Then he turned to leave. They were cautious to avoid disclosing the true nature if the continuing effects of the drug. There was no reason to burden this family with images of their daughter lost in drug induced rapture of unabashed sexual debauchery.

Her parents had been through too much suffering already and Carol was sure this was but the beginning. On their way back to the car, Marcus got a call from Ben. All Carol heard was Marcus grunting in some form of agreement. After he hung up, Marcus informed her that Ben and Fronia were on their way to the dig site and wanted to review what they learned in Athens. Carol agreed it would be a good idea to consolidate their findings and check with the police to see what actions they were conducting.

Consolidation and Contemplation

Ben and Fronia were the last to arrive at the dig site. The others were already engaged in animated conversations when they burst through the conference room door with a pile of documents they gathered while in Athens. Their arrival hushed the room and they quickly distributed the files. The coroner’s report was a grim description of the cause of death to the 20 victims of the drug. The report had many full color photos of the dead bodies compelling Carol to quickly jump up to rush off to the nearest bathroom. Fronia sat quietly, avoiding the repulsive images She feared a repeat performance of her earlier reaction and she was sure Carol wouldn’t need company while kneeling at the porcelain alter, to pay homage to the great God, Ralph.

Ben summarized the coroner’s findings, “All the deaths had one thing in common, the drug we call ‘tears of Aphrodite. Apparently, the drug used at the party had been exposed to direct sunshine and high humidity causing the unstable compounds to morph into a powerful blood pressure stimulant. Resulting in a nearly explosive increase of blood pressure that caused the blood vessels in the eyes to literally explode and swell until they popped out of their sockets combined with extensive cerebral hemorrhaging as the cause of death.” At this point Marcus leaped up and dashed to join Carol at the porcelain alter.

In time, Marcus and Carol regained control and felt sure they could stomach the remainder of the medical examiner’s report.

They both returned together as Ben explained, “the survivors were all suffering from extreme over-stimulation of the brain that controls sexual arousal. This over stimulation required the medical staff to heavily sedate them to prevent them from constantly masturbating and causing physical harm to themselves. At this time no one is sure if the effect of the damaged brain cells is temporary or permanent. I did check with FBI HQ and they agree this must be made public with the most urgent warning about the deadly nature of this drug. I contacted Inspector Campus and Inspector Borga, they both concur and there will be a massive multi-national campaign launched very soon.”

Ben did not entertain any questions and Todd jumped forward with a folder filled with reports gathered by the security team in coordination with the FBI regarding recent message traffic from the cult leader. In his preamble Todd noted the reports were also provided to Inspector Campus and Inspector Borga and they will be joining in a video conference shortly.

“If you examine the message traffic you will note there is a lot of fingers pointing going on in their organization due to the raid and capture of the large shipment of the drug. They still have no idea we have access to their secure communications and think the raid was aimed at the other drugs being smuggled. Everyone is blaming everyone for the mistake of putting their cargo on a ship that was smuggling drugs. Judging from the intercepts the shipment was almost all the available supple of the drug. I’m sure when we hear from Inspector Campus and Inspector Borga, they will have developed a strategy to take the leader down,” Todd concluded.

“I hope we did not miss anything important, I normally only deal with bodies that have been dead for a few hundred years. The extreme deformation of those poor unfortunate victims was more than I was prepared for,” Marcus apologized.

Carol, still looking quite pale, inquired about the data collected from the intercepts. Todd confirmed the data was very concise about the locations of all the cult’s operation centers. He was also able to pinpoint the locations where the other women were operating as agents to recruit more students. Todd explained that as soon as INTERPOL can organize a multi-nation task force, they will simultaneously strike and bring the cult down.

With this announcement a round of “Well Done’s” and “About times” erupted. Soon the conference room was filled with a jumble of diverse conversations. Wild speculations on how and when the trap would be sprung. During this period of reverie Ruth slid her arm around Todd’s waist and looked at him in admiration. Carol might have been the only one, other than Todd, to notice Ruth silently mouthing the three little words, “I LOVE YOU” No longer really concerned about what others might think, Todd pulled Ruth closer and mashed his lips over hers and demonstrated that he received her message loud and clear.

This unabashed demonstration of love halted all extraneous conversation. The silence was finally broken when the video monitor flashed and flickered into life. The image of Inspector Campus filled the screen. His grim expression quickly dampened the enthusiasm in the room. Without much conversational preamble, he addressed the tragic deaths and the equally tragic condition of the few survivors. He was eager to point out that there had been a high level multi-national decision to flood the media with news stories showing the most graphic images possible to warn people of the dangers of this drug. He went on to explain how there was plan to run adds on all prime-time TV shows to warn of the dangers. He paused briefly to see if there were any questions. Noting there weren’t questions, he took a deep breath.

“With the help of the FBI and the technical assistance from CYBEREYE a detailed map showing all of the cult’s centers of operation has been developed and INTERPOL is now gathering a multi-national task force. So, I turn this over to Inspector Borga,” Campus concluded.

“As in any tactical operation, surprise is a key factor. As we speak a powerful multi-national force is being deployed, surrounding each of the target locations. The fact their organization has no idea we have cracked their communication system is working to our advantage. We plan to send out a series of “FAKE” messages to get them to react by getting them to call in all their volunteers to their operation centers. In this way we can inflict the maximum amount of damage to their organization. We know where the cult leader is and we are going to set a trap to capture him. Naturally timing is everything, so the raid is scheduled for this afternoon at 5 P. M. local time. All units have synced their time to match ours,” Borga summarized the latest developments.

Ruth stepped forward and asserted that the she and Ben would be with his team. She jotted down the location where the local police and INTERPOL forces would meet to go over the exact operation plan. Todd moved up behind Ruth and said he was going to bring a few of his best field agents along to augment the swat team Borga was assembling. Borga saw there was no use to argue and quickly accepted the pro-offered manpower. After giving a briefing on the uniform requirements, he saluted everyone and the monitor went blank,

An excited babble of different perspectives resolved into a focused discussion of what was required to get ready for the sting. Ruth and Ben admitted they had not packed their battle gear and both sighed with relief when Todd informed him, he could supply anything they needed except for the “FBI” logo on everything. Ben laughed and suggested Ruth would be able to see how it feels without the big white letters serving as a bull’s eye on her back.

Soon Carol and Marcus were left with Fronia in the conference room. Carol noticed how concerned Fronia looked. Like an older sister, Carol put her arm around Fronia’s shoulders and assured her Ben would be ok. After all, this is the thing the FBI trains for. At the same time Carol remembered how she felt waiting for Marcus when she was not sure what was keeping him from meeting her as planned.

“Fronia, I think we need to go home and talk to Ellen. I know she has always helped me when I had questions and it is clear you are concerned about Ben and what the future holds. I’m not sure if I completely believe Ellen’s Gods, but she seems to have some insight or special knowledge. I think she knows more than she has told us and now would be a good time to confront her,” Carol pontificated.

“I guess I have to drive you both home because if you take the car, it will be a long walk back home for me later,” Marcus joked as he hugged Carol from behind.

The Trap Is Set

While Todd raced to the CYBEREYE warehouse to get all the protective equipment required for everyone participating in the raid, he made a call to get the other members of his special hand pick security team to meet him at the warehouse.

Once all the coordination was complete Todd started a conversation with Ruth. The topic was much more personal in nature than Ben felt comfortable listening to. Todd teases Ruth by asking if she had her bullet proof bra on and did it have a lace respirator.

“You are starting to sound like the block heads back at the field training center when they have a bunch of female agents to train,” quipped Ruth, cutting Todd short.

Before they strayed too far, Ben coughed loudly and suggested, “You guys might want to table those topics for a more suitable venue, like maybe the bedroom.” Ruth and Todd acted surprised, as if they forgot Ben was in the back seat.

The remainder of the trip was spent speculating upon the exact nature of their role in the sting. At the warehouse, Todd’s quartermaster had all the gear ready. He even had battle fatigues laid out for everyone. When he noticed a concerned look on Ruth’s face as she stood looking around the cavernous room, he directed her to an office where she could change in privacy.

When Ruth came back, she was introduced to the other three members of their team. She smiled and shook their hands and thought to herself, “These guys look just like the typical FBI field agents – ex football linemen.”

“Ok guys, here’s the deal. We will be working with a team from INTERPOL. They will be calling all the shots, but I want you all to pay careful attention to Ruth and don’t let anything or anybody harm her,” Todd cautioned just before he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her neck right where he knew it would produce the greatest response.

While Ruth and Ben were fitted with special cavalier helmets with heads-up displays and two-way voice communication, Todd was checking out his team to ensure they understood the mission. Satisfied everyone was on the same sheet of music, Todd suggested they stand down and have something to eat before they deploy to the staging point to be briefed by the local INTERPOL commander and get their op-orders.

Ruth took advantage of the meal time to get acquainted with the new team members. She thought it would help pass the time and give her an opportunity to start learning about the people she would be working with. Ruth was surprised to find they were all married and their families were currently living in Greece. They explained that Todd let them “homestead” eliminating the detrimental effect of constant relocation that the military suffered. They were all very cordial, but clearly their minds were focused on the up-coming mission.

Ruth was about to get a fresh cup of coffee when Todd suggested she get ready to go as it was time to head out. He told her the bogus message traffic was being sent out to create turmoil and confusion in the cult’s organization. Now they would have to act Fast before the cult leader could regain control of the off shore operations.

“Ok, everyone get your gear and check each other out. Time to lock and load,” Todd bellowed to his assembled squad.

His announcement was followed buy a flurry of activity. Arms and legs were bent and twisted rapidly dawning the heavy bullet proof leggings and vest. Then they paired off and pulled straps tight and tied them down to avoid flapping or potentially getting snagged when in a tight squeeze. Finally, Todd gave each team member one more visual inspection before he slapped the top of their helmets as a signal for them to proceed to the special armored personal carrier waiting outside the door. Ruth was the last in line and Todd playfully slapped her on the ass rather than the helmet. Ruth jumped at the fresh attack, but her wide smile indicated she was not up-set.

The staging area was not far as the cult leader was working out of an office complex near the oldest part of the ancient city. They knew he was in an office on the second floor, but they were not sure of how many followers were in the building. The building was large and there were many exits that must be covered as well as the other floors could be used to hide in.

Their armored vehicle pulled up next to three other similar vehicles. Todd and his team deployed and gathered in the operations tent where he reported to the INTERPOL commander.

“I see you have heads-up equipped helmets. Are you able to pick-up out system frequencies?” the commander queried.

“Just a second, I’ll check,” Todd replied and made some adjustments to the helmet. With a reassuring grunt he advised the commander that he was picking up eight signals from different floors of the target building.

“Good! We sent them in before the bogus message traffic started. To keep them safe they are wearing transmitters that show up on our heads-up display. They are dressed to look like normal customers and are to help direct the people out of the building to security check points where they will be screened. This way we can prevent cult members from escaping in the crowd. We have detected a sudden surge in activity in the area where the cult HQ is believed to be. The leader must be trying to figure out what is going on. The bogus messages are being sent from different off shore cult computers. The FBI was able to hack into their computers and make it look like there is a mutiny in progress,” the commander recapped.

“Ok, you have done a lot of planning. I will get my team ready. We can go over your op-order and become familiar with all the details. When will you conduct the final briefing?” Todd asked.

“Great. With your team we have a total of 4 six-man squads. That allows for one team per exit route. One thing though. Due to the large number of civilians, we are going in with only beanbag guns. So, there is a greater risk of hand-to-hand combat. The final briefing will be in one hour. See you in the tent then when you get the latest update,” the commander concluded.

Todd assembled his team and they studied the op-order carefully. Each took special note of the plans to evacuate the civilians to a security check point. Ruth was skeptical of going in armed only with beanbag guns. All the years of mastering the martial arts gave her confidence, so she was not worried about herself. In fact, her high level of skill and ice-cold execution during training was partially responsible for her nick name “Ruthless”.

In her mind, Ruth visualized every step in the operation. She wanted to prove her size would not adversely affect the operation. She realized the need to avoid the chaos caused by multiple guns being fired in a confined environment, killing innocent by-standers.

Her attention was jerked back to the here and now when Todd tapped her on the shoulder. Without a word she followed him and the rest of the squad to the tent to get a final briefing. Twenty-five bodies crowded the tent as the commander stepped to a small podium. He quickly recounted all the general information put out earlier.

Next, he provided the latest updates from the other command centers, confirming that everything was going as planned. Then he had everyone activate their heads-up equipment and called their attention to the cluster of bright red dots. He explained that the team of plain-clothes agents has tagged as many cult followers as they could to make it easy for the assault teams to target them.

The commander was careful to detail how security teams would be outside holding everyone who exits the building until they can be cleared. He cautioned that they would only have beanbag guns to knock down aggressors and their use should be restricted to avoid any undue injuries.

At the end of the briefing, he cautioned everyone that the element of surprise was their best weapon and just a reminder they should proceed to the assigned locations quietly. Anyone trying to enter or leave must be detained. With one final check of their equipment, Todd and his squad swiftly moved into position to await the command to attack.

Ellen and the Gods

Fronia and Carol were huddled together in the back seat. Marcus was focused on the road ahead. Carol knew Fronia was very concerned about Ben’s safety, but there was not much she could do to console her. Carol was sure Ellen might be able to help Fronia with a message from her friendly Gods.

“Maybe one of you should call Ellen and let her know we are coming home early. Tell her to get Jason to break out the good stuff. After looking at those photos from the morgue I need something to wash those images from my mind,” Marcus shouted over his shoulder.

“I think you speak my thoughts, Marcus. I will call Ellen right away. I want her to know we have some serious questions for her and maybe the Gods can provide some insight,” Carol replied.

The long drive seemed even longer than usual, as the threesome rode in near total silence. The time was spent contemplating their role in the developing drama. Each wrapped in a cocoon comprised of a tapestry of recent events and worries about the welfare of friends placed in harm’s way.

Marcus was happy to be greeted by Jason holding two bottles of his favorite scotch. Carol shouted out that she needed a double shot of whatever he had to wash the mind free of evil. Fronia added that she needed double whatever he gave to Carol. Jason escorted them to the study and proceeded to decant the requested drinks. A heartfelt toast to “Family” was made before the clicking of a cane on the tile floor announced Ellen’s arrival.

Jason had a glass ready for Ellen before she entered the room. She raised her glass and toasted “Family” before she took her place at the table. She took another long sip before she sighed deeply. Before anyone had time to commence a conversation, Jason grabbed Marcus by the arm and suggested they find a quiet place to get drunk. Marcus glanced at Carol, to read her reaction, before he accepted the temptation. As their voices disappeared down the long hall, Ellen moved her chair closer toward Fronia and Carol.

“Yes, I know you both have many questions. First let me put your fears to rest. The Gods are taking charge and you need not worry about friends or lovers. Now, the more difficult task of explaining who, what, when and how I should be the one with this knowledge. To tell the truth I’m not the only one. Marcus has the same connection I do, but he was very young when the event took place. As he grew his analytical mind demanded scientific evidence and he has shut out the voices of the Gods. I tried to reason with him even logical arguments. Once I pointed out that gravity existed before we had science to prove it, but he only laughed. So, what I’m going to tell you will lack any sort of scientific explanation, but it will be left upon to you to decide how much you accept or reject,” Ellen cautioned. While Ellen spoke, her eyes took on a strange far-away look.

“Mother, I have seen how your contact with the Gods has helped you all my life. I do not question their validity, I just need to know if they can tell me what my future holds,” Fronia accreted.

Carol injected her concerns and desires for clarification, “Ellen, from the moment I first met you, I felt as though we were somehow old friends. You seemed to know things about me that I was not aware of. I really think it is time for you to tell us what is going on.”

Ellen reached out and took Fronia and Carol by the hand and again her eyes took on a far-away look as she began her tale.

“I guess the best place to start is long ago. You see my father and Jason’s father, Ponto, were always best friends. My father studied in America where he met my mother. They got married and she came to Greece to teach English at the university and Dad taught Greek history. Those times were turbulent with many civil wars. Mom was killed during one of the riots just after Marcus was born. That was when Dad returned to this village. In fact, this is the old family home. Ponto and his family were very successful and controlled much of the city. Dad’s family was very wealthy and that is how he could afford to go to America to study. He was not aware that Mom’s family was even richer until she died. Mom was the sole heir to a huge fortune,” Ellen recounted.

“So, the two old friends teamed up to preserve the old fishing village. The Old Konus family home was converted into the only hotel in town, to accommodate the occasional tourist who accidently stumbled into this forgotten village. The old fishing fleet was maintained and they still go out nightly to fish. But on one beautiful midsummer day, Dad took me and Marcus out in one of the renovated fishing boats. At the time I was just eleven years old and Marcus was just a bit more than one year old,” Ellen recited.

“Yes, Marcus told me there was some event where you nearly drowned,” interrupted Carol.

Fronia nodded in agreement and commented, “It is a story I hear often.”

“I really rely on what I was told after I woke up. We were out sailing far from the rest of the fishing fleet. Suddenly, a Turkish gun boat came into view. According to the accounts I heard later, the gun boat opened fire forcing dad to take evasive action. Our small fishing boat started rocking and pitching wildly and I was tossed overboard,” Ellen paused to catch her breath or perhaps just to enhance the drama, Carol was not sure.

“I clearly remember hitting the railing of the boat just before I hit the water. I can still feel how I was lost in a whirling vortex being sucked down. But there is one part I’m positive I heard. It was when, miraculously, I heard my father asking Poseidon to provide protection to his daughter. I heard my father’s voice speaking ancient Greek, commanding Poseidon; the words were so powerful it was like they were engraved into the bedrock of the Mediterranean. The next thing I recall is the presence of two dolphins catapulting me back on board my father’s boat. While I was still trying to get back on my feet, I heard an explosion and the Turkish gunboat vanished. Later I learned my knee was badly damaged from the impact with the boat railing,” Ellen continued with a voice distorted and unearthly.

“From that day on Ponto and dad worked to preserve the village. It is hard to encourage young people to remain in an old village that only holds old world charm. But the fishing fleet returns home with their holds filled with all the treasures the Mediterranean has to offer. Everyone who stays here has a job and a place to live and raise a family. I’m sure Dad made a deal with the Gods to preserve their world and that might be why Marcus has excelled in ancient Greek History,” Ellen again took a few long breaths before she continued.

“I did not learn the secret of the Gods until later. I was invited to a school dance by Jason. Both of our fathers were pleased to see us together. It was later that night that the Gods exposed their real motives. They crave the sensation of physical contact but must inhabit an acceptable host. That night I was startled to learn that both Jason and I were hosts to two powerful Gods seeking to consummate their love through us. Yes, that was my first sexual experience and the reason I was married so young and why Fronia is just a few years younger than Marcus. That may have been an additional incentive for the Gods action to spare my life. I’m sure by now both of you have experienced the power of passion when your Gods take control,” Ellen said with a wistful sigh.

Carol and Fronia nodded with wide eyed agreement.

“Carol, from what you have told me about your early life, you must have been aware of this presence from an early age. You were being prodded to excel in everything you did to prepare you to search for the companion. That is why you were compelled to take the class being taught by Marcus. I’m sure you have some very vivid memories of your sexual explorations. Yes, I knew about you long before you stepped off that plane in Athens. But the Gods were so busy rejoicing your arrival they failed to warn about the attack. Maybe the Gods did not think Marcus’ play pen was worthy of any great effort. Then again, maybe the attack was a secret plan to help Fronia. Obviously, Ben would have never traveled to Greece without some official purpose. Fronia, don’t worry about Ben, he is shielded. Ruth however must rely upon her training and her personal fortitude,” Ellen stated as her expression clouded with a frown.

Ellen filled their glasses, perhaps a bit more than normal and raised her glass to the Gods and triumph of good over evil. Ellen let a sly smirking smile twist her lips and she struggled to her feet.

“Carol all this talk about the gods and their erotic quests, have me in a very pleasant state. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to find Jason and let the Gods do whatever they have in mind. Fronia, Ben is safe, but he won’t be home for a few hours,” Ellen observed as she hobbled down the hall.

Carol spontaneously kissed Fronia on both cheeks and then hurried down the hall searching for Marcus. The search didn’t take long. The men were in a quiet chamber with a sturdy table littered with many empty bottles. There were a few overstuffed chairs, a love seat and a collection of big footstools scattered about providing seating for everyone.

Despite the ample availability of suitable seating, Ellen slid onto Jason’s lap and kissed him with wanton desire. Carol wasn’t aware of Ellen’s action as she was totally engrossed with Marcus. The amount of alcohol consumed by the ladies may have lowered their collective inhibitions a notch or two lower than the safe level. Then it might have been a capricious trick perpetrated by the gathering of erotic driven Gods that sparked the ensuing firestorm.

Soon the small room was filled with loud lustful sounds and writhing naked bodies. Each couple lost in a universe with a population of two. The flash of melding existences fussed the souls of the mortals creating a special bond of physical and spiritual gratification. Kisses followed by roaming hands and full body contact resulted in unimagined pleasure. The diverse furniture was utilized in ways never intended by their designer. Prim-evil cries of orgasmic release echoed from the ancient walls. Driven on by the lust of the Gods within, they found summit after summit of sexual release. At some point or some time, the physical bodies collapsed and only the spiritual stimulation remained filling the limp shells with a warm glow.

The four bodies lay limp where they fell until the morning sun was high enough to shine through the window high on the wall. Even though they were all still nude there was no feeling of shame or embarrassment. They didn’t speak nor did they run for cover. Rather, each calmly gathered their clothing and at long last they all burst out in laughter while getting dressed.

They all headed toward the kitchen seeking something to restore their spent energy. At the very least a strong cup of coffee was required. Along the way they passed the room assigned to Ben and the unmistakable sounds of raw lust was bellowing from within. They all passed all-knowing smiles as they hurried on to get something for breakfast.