The Belial Stone (The Belial Series #1)(33)

Laney nodded, thinking of Plato’s description of Atlantis, as well as the accounts of Pliny, Plutarch, and Strabo. “Right, they were said to have been destroyed in one day by the rising of the sea. Most people argue that refers to perhaps some form of tsunami or great flood.”

“Drew mentions that as well. But rather than being a natural phenomena, he argues that the destruction was brought about by a weapon.”

“Where did he get that?”

“From Edgar Cayce’s readings. According to Cayce, a stone was used as the energy source for Atlantis. It was later changed into a weapon and resulted in the destruction of Atlantis.”

Laney looked at her uncle. “You're not believing this, though, are you? There's no proof.”

Patrick smiled. “Actually, that’s the part that surprised me. He offers proof.”

“You're kidding.”

“Have you ever heard of megafauna?”

Laney shook her head.

“Megafauna, or mega-mammals, are extinct now. Technically, a megafauna is any animal over a hundred pounds that is not domesticated. Generally, though, it is used to refer to large-scale mammals. According to the fossil record, unusual megafauna existed around the time of the last ice age. They included animals such as the short-faced bear and the giant sloth, which was about the size of a Volkswagen bus. Even more interesting is that they actually all seemed to disappear from the fossil record at about the same time: 50,000 years ago.”

“But I thought Atlantis was destroyed in 10,000 BC.”

“That was the final destruction. Drew was talking about the second destruction.”

“The second?

Patrick’s eyes twinkled, and Laney knew he was enjoying this part. Archaeological mysteries always intrigued him.

“Yes. Remember, Atlantis was actually an archipelago, not a single unitary land mass. According to Cayce, Atlantis underwent three destructions, each one shrinking the size of the civilization until the last one destroyed it. For the second destruction, Cayce mentioned that a weapon was used to address, as he puts it, ‘the problem of the large animals.’ But there was a miscalculation. The weapon ended up setting off a cataclysmic event. Drew argues that a similar, intentional event happened for the last destruction.”

Laney was stunned. She recalled reading once about the mass extinction of animals. Large groups of animals had been washed into caves, creating huge fossil beds. No one could explain why all the animals had died at the same time. “But what does any of this have to do with a sister site?”

“According to Drew, the weapon will be found at the sister site.”

Laney was staggered by the implications. “Are we actually talking about an ancient weapon of mass destruction?

Patrick nodded. “Yes.

“But, but…that’s impossible.

“You mean, as impossible as men who can be shot, stabbed, and then heal almost immediately?”

He had a point. And the fact was, Drew was never one to go for the extreme explanation. If he heard hoof beats, it was always a horse, never a zebra. So if Drew had thought this was possible, he must have seen some incredibly convincing proof.

She took a deep breath and shoved aside her disbelief. “Okay. So, I get this paper from Drew, Drew dies, and someone comes after me. I’m going to take a leap here and say these guys are after this weapon. Or, at least, trying to keep anyone else from finding it.”

Patrick shrugged. “I’m not sure. It all makes a warped sort of sense. If, of course, Drew was right.

Laney looked past her uncle, trying to imagine the unimaginable. If Drew was right, there was an ancient weapon of mass destruction out there. And they couldn’t let Paul’s companion get it. Whatever reason he had for wanting it, she didn’t think it was for the benefit of mankind.

Finding out what happened to Drew now had more critical ramifications. They needed to know more about his research. They needed to find this weapon. And they needed to do it fast. Because if they didn’t…

A chill ran through her as Paul's final words came back to her. “Humanity’s time is up.”





CHAPTER 26



An hour later, Laney and Patrick walked out of the guesthouse into the bright morning sun. Last night, she’d been in no state to take in their surroundings. Today, as she stepped out onto the front porch, she realized their guest cottage was nestled in a row of similar cottages on what looked like a residential street. “This is beautiful.”

Patrick smiled. “You missed all this last night. The Chandler estate dates back to the 1800s.” He gestured down the street. “These used to be sharecropper homes. They were renovated when Henry Chandler took over. Now, they’re a mix of guest houses and offices. They call it Sharecroppers Lane.”

She was enchanted. All the small cottages had porches with overflowing flower boxes. Many of them had stone face. It looked like something out of a fairy tale.

A golf cart rolled down the street towards them. Solar panels covered its roof, explaining its silent approach. It came to a stop in front of them, with Jake at the wheel. “How’d you sleep?”

Laney climbed in behind him, allowing Patrick the other front seat. “Like a log.”

“I’m not surprised. You were dead to the world when I carried you to your room last night.”