If only they could find it.
“Now that I see a larger version, that symbol looks really familiar, doesn’t it?” Jack said absently. “I feel like I’ve seen it before, but I can’t for the life of me remember where.”
Madelaine nodded. “I agree. The larger version does look familiar. And we need to figure it out.”
“Was it from our exploring days in high school maybe?” Jack asked. “Drawn on the water tower?”
Diesel made a face like he didn’t approve of them climbing up the water tower for any reason at any time.
“Maybe. Let me close my eyes and ponder for a minute.” Madelaine let her eyes drift shut. She tried to relax. She tried to catch that elusive memory that would tell them where they’d seen the symbol.
She held Jack’s hand and let her mind run through all the interesting places and things they’d seen and done.
Without permission, her mind wandered into the past with Jack before she’d had to go to Alpha-Prime and change her life. They’d had lots of adventures, her and Jack. Not only had they climbed the water tower, they’d carved their initials right next to Maxwell the Martian’s fingers hanging on to the edge. When she’d seen it on her return a few weeks back, faded pink paint had blotched the spot, covering their initials.
They’d gone to the watering hole in the forest to swim and be alone. They’d explored all around Alienn, even an abandoned mine once, ignoring the chipped paint rendering of a skull and crossbones above a message spouting Danger: Do Not Enter.
They were young and fearless, which in a small way had helped her get through Paladin training camp.
As she reminisced about the past and her fearlessness with Jack in an abandoned mine, where they had not found anything dangerous at all, but instead a great place to hide out and be together, a voice in her head overlayed that memory.
“When you get to the point where it feels like all is lost, Madelaine, don’t forget to trust your instincts.”Kessik’s intense gaze had then shifted to Jack.“The two of you togethercanresolve the problems you will face.”
Madelaine went back to her memory of the mine. The night of their senior high school prom, they’d gone exploring instead of dancing. That was it. That’s where she’d seen the symbols.
Madelaine’s eyes popped open. Even though she wished she were alone with Jack, she told them all she knew and they concocted a plan.
They were going to win.
Madelaine and Jack agreed that they should go to the mine and check it out alone, just the two of them. Like they’d been on this entire journey together.
“Don’t you want backup?” Diesel asked.
“No. I believe it should only be me and Jack. I’m not certain who is watching us and I don’t want anyone to know what we’re doing. Besides, even though the symbols might be on the walls where we’re going, it doesn’t mean the Mechanism is there.”
“At least take a walkie-talkie with you in case you can’t use your cell phones.”
“My communication device will work in there,” the Secret Keeper said.
“Where can I get one of these special communication devices?” Diesel asked the Secret Keeper.
“Sorry. You would have to morph into the Paladin Courier and even then I couldn’t guarantee anything.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Madelaine and Jack drove to the abandoned mine. He parked her rental car on a dirt road he knew went nowhere. It was out of sight from any cars passing by on the country road they used to get here.
They’d discovered this place when they were in high school, when having time together all alone was a premium treat they didn’t often get to enjoy.
At his house, there were six siblings and various girlfriends and other friends popping in and out all the time. His brothers didn’t even live at his parents’ house full-time, but they were always visiting. Interrupting.
Meanwhile, at Madelaine’s home, her younger sister, Natalie had a knack for tracking them down whenever they tried to sneak away for a few private kisses. She tracked them like a bloodhound because Natalie wanted to have endless tea parties with the two of them and all her dolls, thereby foiling all of their quiet kissing plans.
They exited the vehicle and Madelaine grabbed the new backpack out of the back seat. She’d found a larger pack in Diesel’s secret bunker. It fit the assembled device better than stuffing it in her old pack and maybe needing to cut it out in a hurry to place it inside the Mechanism.
Jack locked the doors and they walked toward the property they needed to enter and search. He pulled hismini Maglite out to direct them to the hole in the fence that allowed them unfettered access.
Jack switched off the flashlight and stared into the darkness beyond the rusted chain-link fence that was almost completely obscured by some sort of pervasive vine.
