Lost Contact (The Bridge Sequence Book One), Nathan Hystad [primary phonics books .TXT] 📗

burned in Hunter’s eyes: an intensity I’d only ever seen in my own father. “You want to know what I’m after?”

He nodded.

“How about you mind your business,” I told him.

“Rex… your father was a great man. Don’t ruin his legacy by turning me down today. If you have new information, I’ll be here to support you. I need to learn what happened to Dirk Walker as much as you do.”

“I doubt that,” I muttered.

He stretched his arm out, and his cuff slid up his wrist. I gawked at it, checking for any tattoo markings, but didn’t see one. “Did he ever tell you about our trip to the Galapagos?”

I shook my head.

“It was eighty-six, and he had a lead to… an artifact. I demanded to come, since I’d been funding his ventures for so many years but had never tagged along. Clayton was against it, but Dirk, he was much more amiable to the hand that feeds. We flew in my private jet, which loosened his sidekick up a bit.” At the mention of my father’s working partner, he glanced at Marcus. “The islands were even more remote than they are today, and we shored on Isla Isabela, paying a couple of local kids to watch our boat. We got what we were after in only two days of searching.” Hunter stood from his seat, striding over to a display case across the study.

“What was it?” Marcus asked, following Hunter.

I finally joined them, knowing he must have a point to the story. The item beneath the glass covering was small, the size of an old silver dollar. But the markings on it were almost familiar, in a vague sense.

“This was smuggled from ruins in southern Ecuador. The entire site was rumored to be haunted by the villagers found murdered there seven hundred years ago. It sat empty for most of that time, until an archaeologist from Spain braved the trek through the thick jungle to see what kind of credence the speculations held.”

Hunter was a natural storyteller, and I was immersed in his tale. I leaned closer, trying to read the etchings on the metallic artifact. “And what did he discover?”

“This. There were countless other items that are still displayed around the world. He would have been rich if he’d lived long enough to sell them.” Hunter smiled and turned to face me. “Your father tracked his movements to the Galapagos. It was really quite the thing to observe. He was like a bloodhound, that one.”

“What is the coin?” My voice cracked.

Hunter’s voice lowered. “It’s not of this earth.”

“No way. You’re trying to tell me this is from…” Marcus looked to the ceiling. “Up there.”

Hunter nodded. “I’ve had it tested on numerous occasions, and yes, as I said, many components are familiar, but not in the exact combinations.”

I laughed. I tried to stop, but couldn’t. “You can’t be serious. No wonder my mother warned me never to trust you. Alien coins? What’s next? Are you going to tell us you have a little green man frozen in your basement? Maybe a UFO in the garage?”

Hunter set his hands on my shoulders so calmly that I didn’t flinch. “Your father believed, Rex, and so do you. I know that to be true.”

I coughed, irritated that the focus was on me again. “What I believe isn’t in question.” I walked away, gazing into the next display case. It was familiar, since I’d seen pictures of it in old articles. The metal carving had been found in a remote region of Egypt, far from any known villages. “How did you locate this?”

“I told you, I’m resourceful. More proof they exist,” he said.

My mouth felt dry. Everywhere I looked, I spotted small artifacts that anyone in the business would claim represented otherworldly beings. Some I knew of; others were unfamiliar, and I judged, like the coin, that not many people had laid eyes on them before. “How many of these did my father bring you?”

“Most. As you can see, I’ve been without my best treasure hunter for too long. I’d hoped you’d join me a decade ago, but that didn’t pan out. Look at these, Rex. Aliens have been to Earth.”

Marcus seemed uneasy, and he kept quiet as I returned to my seat. “What is the Bridge?” The words were sticky on my tongue, and I grabbed my Scotch, taking a heavy drink.

“The Bridge is the answer. Hardy claimed there was a route to another world. He suggested there were six objects hidden here on Earth, and when they were combined in the proper order, a gateway would connect the two places.”

I drained the glass, setting the tumbler on the table. “What are you implying? That my father and Clayton found these items and what… took a rollercoaster ride to Alpha Centauri?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s anywhere near Alpha Centauri.”

Marcus stood behind his seat, hands clutching the chair. “Wait, Rex. Madison isn’t kidding. I told you this was real! What about this discovery near Pluto? Is it related?”

Hunter grinned at my friend, but it wasn’t a pleasant expression. His eyes deceived him. “I fear that is something else entirely.”

My hands were sweating, my pulse erratic as I tried to absorb the half-truths and conjecture. One thing at a time. “Where did my dad go?”

Hunter sat again, and as if on cue, Francois returned with a remote and a decanter of liquor. He set both on the coffee table and departed without a word. Our host poured himself another drink and refilled our cups with a shaky grip.

“I’ve told you all I know. Dirk was on his own mission with Clayton. They left me out of it. When I threatened to pull his funding, he walked away, telling me it didn’t matter anymore. I tried to follow them, but they evaded me in England. He was a wily one,” Hunter said.

I contemplated the coordinates I’d found on Clayton’s gravestone, leading me to Venezuela. Were they a hint to these artifacts? Had Clay