The Razor ripped through the underbrush moving fast. The gang were strapped in tight and Joslyn was driving hard. As the trees cleared and they found the Appleton road dead ahead. They bounced onto it and were at Hanks in no time flat.
As they pulled into the lot, they could see two sleek shapes parked just outside the shop. They climbed silently from the ATV. Jon raised the artifact telescope to his eyes and began fiddling with its odd bubble controls.
"I don't see anyone yet," he murmured. "Looks like the storage rooms are empty. I get some weird feedback from the lower one, some kind of interference."
"Try Hank's place," Joslyn said quietly.
Jon panned the telescope across to Hank's store and abruptly yelled. "Fire! The whole store is on fire. I can see Hank, it looks like he is hurt. He's on the floor just inside the front door."
Indy broke into a run heading towards the store. Without warning, the front of the store blew out in a rush of bright flames. Glass sprayed everywhere as the three kids were knocked to the ground from the force of the explosion.
"You guys ok?" Indy checked on his friends but they had just been knocked down and neither one had suffered any cuts from the flying glass. Indy was up and running towards the flames that were dancing on Hanks porch only seconds after he had fallen.
"Hank!" He found the old farmer crumpled on the floor just feet from the door. Luckily, the explosion only blew out the windows and left Hank in one piece.
"I... Got... Si... Help," Hanks gravelly voice stuttered and failed. "Don't worry big guy," Indy said. "I gotcha." Indy dragged the big man outside and once they were outside, Jon was there to help him. "Joslyn grab the first aid kit. Jon, go grab the artifacts."
When Joslyn came back from the ATV, she kneeled by the farmer's side and opened the first aid kit. "Try to keep still Hank. We're here now. You're gonna be alright," she said as she started cleaning his cuts and mopping up the blood.
"Stay with Hank," Indy told her. "He needs you. We got this."
They nodded at each other as Indy and Jon ran for the sinkhole. When they got there, they peered down into the hole. The pit was dark and silent below them. The generator inside Hanks store was probably destroyed in the explosion and the lights from the room below were all out.
"I'll go down first, hand me the rings," Indy said as he swung his legs out over the edge of the hole.
He took the rings from Jon and squeezed them tight. A ropy white mass fired off into the orchard hitting a tree with a splat.
He pulled out several more feet of the rope from the ring before sliding down into the hole.
"Ok I'm down," he whispered back up at Jon.
Jon slipped down the white silk rope and landed softly beside him. They could see light in the stairwell coming from the lower level. Jon pulled his sword from its scabbard and followed Indy down.
The lower level hummed with power but the only thing remaining in the room was the white box at the center of the room. All the racks and artifacts had been stripped from the room. They looked around the room and even inside the box but there was no one there.
"Indy, look at the wall," Jon whispered.
Two lights raced around the border of the wall where there was only one light before. The two lights raced back and forth across lines connecting the symbols together. A second symbol was now lit with a bright blue light.
Which symbol is it? Jon asked as Indy walked over to look at the glowing symbols on the wall.
"Valhalla," Indy said. "It's the one with the two swords. I wonder if it's another aurora or something else."
Jon followed Indy over to the wall and they stood side by side, looking at the pictograms.
Jon pointed at the Valhalla symbol. Look, it has the same circle ours does on the outside. That must be the aurora. I am guessing that the blue ball at the center must be the earth.
"But what would crossed swords mean," Indy asked. "Battle? War?"
"Nuclear war." The voice came from behind them and startled both kids.
Indy turned with surprise to see James standing there. Zeus was right behind him with Joslyn drape over one shoulder. Jon raised the Angel sword and moved to go after them but Indy held his friend back.
James sneered at Indy. "Thank you both for coming on such short notice. I was hoping you could make it to my little farewell party. It took a little planning and quite a bit of your father's money to put this all together. That and a few of the good doctor's baubles in the right pockets gave me everything I needed," he said. "You see, your father is a very short sighted man. He could not see the bigger picture. It is quite noble of him to want to save the world but when I said we needed to find the other places listed on these walls, he forbade me. He treated me like some kind of lap dog, incapable of any intelligent decisions. He would not even consider looking for these places. Your father acted as if his word was law and no one could convince him otherwise. I am sick of it... and him."
James started pacing the room and waving his gun around as he gestured. "I will show him. I will find each and every place listed on these walls. When I do, I am going to put your father in his place. I will put everyone in their place."
"My family trusted you," Indy said. "You are like a brother to me, how could you shoot my dad?"
"A funny choice of words there Indy." James laughed. "It seems that Daniel..." The wristwatch James was wearing buzzed. "Ah, it seems we are out of time. The valet is bringing my submarine around as we speak. Let's get on with it then, shall we?"
James nodded at Zeus. "Wake her up and put her over there next to the box," he then looked at Jon and Indy. "You two back up or someone here gets dead."
James had pulled a handgun from a holster under his arm. The black handgun aimed straight at Jon, so they did as they were told. Zeus dropped Joslyn next to Jon and then broke a small stick under her nose. Joslyn coughed and started to wake up. Indy and Jon reached down to help her up and they all stood together watching as Zeus returned to James's side.
"Indy." James said. "I'm really sorry it had to be this way. Trust me when I say I really don't want to hurt any of you. I swore an oath to your mom I would always watch out for you. After all, I watched you grow up. I taught you how to be a man when your father was too busy to be around. I know you might not believe me but your mother loved me and I loved her. When she died..."
"She's not dead," Indy interrupted.
A look of pity crossed James' face. "Anyway when we first found this room and this box we had no idea of its power. In fact, it took several days of work to determine what it does. But, in the end, it seems the simplest explanation is usually right. It's a wish box."
"Ya right," Indy laughed. "You really think I'm gonna believe that crap."
"After everything you have seen the last few months, you're not even going to give this a chance? Anyway you don't have to believe in it to make it work." James laughed harder. "You just have to say the words. After all you owe me one."
"How's that?" Indy asked.
James started pacing the floor across from them as he started to explain. "When we first came here and discovered these treasures, we discussed how we would bring them to a museum. Your father discovered the box under a tractor we had to remove from the room. He was leaning on that box when he said..."
"I wish I knew what this stuff was for. A light filled the air and the box vibrated and hummed below his hands. When it was done, we opened the lid and a little panda man popped out. That little fury abomination whispered something in your father's ear. As far as I know, it was the only time that damn panda ever spoke. He has never said another word."
Your father quickly made a few more wishes as he stood over the box. None of them activated the box again. It was a one shot deal. Your mom made the next wish. She said she wanted to heal all the world's ills. Again the box lit up and this time when it opened your mom's staff was inside."
"It was incredible, fantastic, and unbelievable all at once. We were awestruck and debated our next wish for hours as we stood hovering over the box. Ideas of money, fame, glory, and knowledge were kicked around. Finally, I decided that my wish would be for eternal life. However, before I could make my wish, your mother took me by the hand. If this is to be your one wish, she said, I want you to promise me you will take care of Indy... As long as you both live. At the time I had no idea how the oath would bind me to you."
"I swore my oath to your mother and then made my wish. The box lit up like before and when I opened it, I found a large round crystal pendant. One half was a white crystal tiger and the other, a black dragon. As I reached into the box a strange burning feeling filled my body and the crystal disappeared, along with this white box."
James lifted his shirt to show Indy his bare chest where a white tiger tattoo sat gazing back at them. The big cat moved just like his dragon tattoo.
"So you see." James said. "I know of your tattoo and your invulnerability. I know because I have the same gifts. We are in this together Indy, you and I. My promise to your mom will protect you for the rest of my life."
He shook a finger at Indy. "But make no mistake. If you get in my way, I will destroy everything you cherish and your eternal life will be lived in torment. Now as for what we came here for in the first place. When we discovered the box again on this level, it would not activate for anyone. It took a while to figure out but in the end, we found the key. It seems the little panda man was more than just an instruction manual." James produced the ornate jewellery box from inside his jacket.
James pointed the gun at Jon. "Jon put your hands on the box and repeat my words exactly. If you do not do exactly what I say, I will shoot the girl. I want you to speak slowly and clearly. I will let you both go after we are done. I swear on my life."
"Repeat after me. I wish for a way for us to leave the aurora without crystalizing." James said.
Jon repeated slowly and the box lit under his fingers.
"Back, back, back." James shooed them away with gun and then lifted the lid. "Excellent work Jonathan."
James reached in to the box and brought out a golden-skinned apple. He smelled it and gave it a tap against his teeth.
"Fantastic," he said and tossed the apple at Joslyn who caught it effortlessly. "Take a bite of this. If I'm right, you will thank me for it."
Zeus walked back over to them and tapped Joslyn on the side of her head with the gun when she hesitated.
"Ok, ok," she said and took a small bite of the apple. It crunched loudly in the sudden quiet.
Indy's breath caught in his throat as the frost melted instantly from her face. Her frozen dead eye unclouded as it refocused on the apple.
Joslyn started crying in relief and collapsed to the floor.
"Zeus." James said. "The apple if you please."
The big man tore the bitten fruit from Joslyn's hand and pocketed it.
James ordered Zeus again. "Bring her over here and then grab the rest of these apples out of the box."
Zeus moved to obey as they watched silently.
"Same rules Ms. McCloud. Speak the words. No one dies. We all leave here happy."
James told her his next wish. "I wish for a compass to lead me to the other places named on these walls."
She repeated what he said exactly as he said it.
The box flashed again and when Zeus opened the lid, he pulled out a large metal disc. Glowing pictograms lined the outer edges of the bright golden metal.
"Very nice. Hand it here Zeus and then you may make the last wish." James commanded.
Zeus handed over the disk and practically ran over Joslyn as he rushed to make his wish.
"Remember." James scolded. "Don't get greedy." James tapped a little jewellery box tucked into the waist of his pants. "The little panda warned Daniel that the box could react badly if you wished for too much."
Zeus waved his hand in aggravation, clearly ignoring anything James had said.
Zeus placed his hand on the white box and thought for a short moment before making his wish. "I wish for long life, great strength, incredible knowledge and a weapon to kill my enemies."
James looked in horror at Zeus's arrogance. The room shook and the air vibrated but the box did not light. Instead, a circle around the base of the box formed and the rumbles stopped.
"My hands are stuck," Zeus cried out as he leaned away from the box.
The veins on his neck and arms popped as he tried to pull his hands free. In the next instant, the floor beneath the box disappeared. Zeus and the box dropped away into darkness.
They waited in silence to hear the box hit bottom. They waited and waited and waited until a soft sound came that was almost like the sound of rocks smashing. The hole in the floor rematerialized as they watched.
"Oh bother." James cursed. "Anyway, thank you all for the help. As I promised, I leave you all here unharmed. See you again sometime kids."
James smiled wickedly before he said. "Oh, on second thought. I think I should leave you with a little present."
He pulled two grenades from his pocket. "I really didn't want this to end this way, so messy."
"Indy the vines are... moving," Joslyn said as her eyes focused on the wall behind James.
A whine filled the room and the symbols on the walls started to glow brighter. A new, larger circle lit around each of them. The large circles began to swirl with color and the room around them started to shake. Suddenly they were all thrown to the ground as the room lurched. Wind rushed into the room from the stairwell. As the rumbling began to fade the circles on the walls sparked to life. They looked like windows.
Joslyn and Jon each turned to look and watched the valley spreading out below them through the odd swirling windows.
Jon walked over to the window and said. "We are not underground anymore guys. I can see the ocean through this one," Jon looked closer at the window. "Look," he said. This window has a symbol on it. It's almost invisible but I can still see the edges.
A dark shape flashed by Joslyn's window. "What the hell was that?" She screamed.
They looked around the room, finally noticing James was gone.
"I'm guessing that was James," Indy said softly.
"Indy you have to stop him," Joslyn told him. "Don't worry about us, we will be fine. Just go get that bastard. You can't let him get away with those apples and the compass. If he finds another cache full of artifacts, he could cause a lot of problems for everyone. You never know, the next place could have some serious weapons. Who knows what James is capable of? We didn't even see this coming."
"Just think of your father's plans," Jon reminded him. "There will be no peaceful healing sanctuary with the threat that James now holds over us."
"But what can I do?" Indy asked. "He's too strong for me and we have the exact same powers!"
Jon pulled the short angel sword from the scabbard across his back. "Back when we were at the experiment room Doc showed me something on this sword. I wasn't sure what he meant at the time but, well just watch."
Jon pulled at the high cross guard with one hand. It clicked loudly and the blade began to shimmer and hum. Blue electricity traced the blade as it hummed in the air.
"Doc told me that a day might come when a dragon must need slaying. Sounded a bit odd at the time but you know Doc, eh? In any case, Doc said this sword was the only thing that might have a chance. I think he was talking about you, like maybe he was worried you might go bad or something."
Indy shot Jon a dark look as he considered his friends words but nodded in understanding as he realized the trust Jon had in telling him about the sword. Indy looked closer at the sword Jon was holding. "Well I can remember Joslyn hitting me with it. I think that was the only time since all this started I have felt any kind of pain."
"Just don't cut yourself with it flyboy," Joslyn scolded but laughed quickly after.
Indy smiled weakly and took up the blade. It was like holding raw lightning in his palm. It crackled and spat as he held it high above his head.
"Tap the bottom of the hilt to turn it off," Jon told him.
Indy flicked the blade off and ran for the stairs. Joslyn and Jon followed. As they reached the top of the stairs, they found the view was radically different from the last time they were here.
The valley spread out below them on all sides. The room that had been here was gone, replaced by a flat floor with low walls and no ceiling.
Looking over the edge, they saw scattered debris and a portion of paved parking lot far down below.
"Well at least Hank isn't gonna be mad about the fire," Jon joked.
"Oh Jon," Joslyn grimaced.
"Wish me luck," Indy said as he stepped to the edge and placed his hands on the low wall.
"Remember..." Joslyn placed an arm around him and whispered in his ear. "Nothing can hurt you Indy. Not bullets and not even bombs. You can do this."
Indy nodded at her and gave her a quick hug before stepping away from her and the wall. He breathed in and out a few times before his resolve set it. Indy ran for the edge and leapt.