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MC Spangler
Category:
Action/Thriller
Publisher: MC Spangler
ISBN-10: B07F5M4V37
Type: Fiction
Pages: 245
Copyright: Jun 29, 2018
ISBN-13: B07F5M4V37
Price: $0.99 (eBook)
Bridger is on another quest for an elusive treasure known as the White Witch in a place of unimaginable hostility and danger. Compounding this, no one’s ever seen or heard of the White Witch except one man known only as "Digger" and not only is he not talking, there's an aggressive competitor searching for it as well who'll stop at nothing to get to it first!
Armed only with what he can carry and aided by an unexpected partner, this time it might be the last quest for Bridger!
Book I of the White Witch trilogy.
[From the Bridger series]
Bridger is on another quest for an elusive treasure known as the White Witch in a place of unimaginable hostility and danger. Compounding this, no one’s ever seen or heard of the White Witch except one man known only as "Digger" and not only is he not talking, there's an aggressive competitor searching for it as well who'll stop at nothing to get to it first!
Armed only with what he can carry and aided by an unexpected partner, will he find it first or will this time be the last quest for Bridger!
Excerpt
CHAPTER 3
Jun 2016 - Trilliard
“No American service member should ever have to face a fair fight. To that extent, we will endeavor in every way possible to always remain technologically ahead of our enemies.
Reginald Fegan USMC Gen Command
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
It was a Thursday afternoon, mid-June and the temps in NYC were reaching the mid 80’s.
I was sitting in a well stuffed, red leather armchair sipping a Graham’s, 40-year-old Tawny Port on ice from a $500 cut crystal, highball glass, in the air-conditioned office of Brian Culbert, a colleague of mine who chaired on the Board of Directors for the Triliard Institute of Research & Technology, otherwise known as the Trilliard, a science and technology institute dedicated to the advancement of hazardous and semi-hazardous research and technology.
The office was well decorated with intricately built, dark wood bookshelves lining each of the four walls, loaded with what appeared to be literally hundreds of leather-bound volumes with gold and red lettering on the spines, broken only by the bar top to my right, where he had produced the expensive booze, the window to my left that I was currently gazing out of, and the heavy, solid wood door behind me that I’d entered after being announced by his exceptionally well built, exceptionally feminine secretary, Stephanie, just outside his office.
I’d tried for 4 years to get Stephanie to go out with me and failed every time. She was always polite and always smiled when she talked to me but unerringly always diligently off limits.
I had guessed, that because she knew I was a Stalker, starting a relationship with me was pointless.
That, however, didn’t quell the urge in my loins whenever I saw her or the motivation to try just one more time.
Brian and I had known each other for the last 4 years and done a good deal of Zone related smuggling business together.
The TIR&T was one of the many businesses that purchased artifacts from Stalkers and then used that technology for purposes that were unknown to us though we suspected were closely tied to the US military.
As I understood it, I was one of now only three other “Stalkers” that he was currently working with, the fourth having recently been written off as KIZ (Killed in Zone) since there had been no contact with him in over a year.
I’d been stateside for almost 9 months and the urge to return to the Zone was stronger than ever. The dreams and sounds were more real and most of all, the smells. The smells seemed to come from everywhere I went, restaurants, bars, even places like grocery stores, bringing back memories of things and places I’d known in the Zone.
There was something about the Zone that was impressed on you when you went. Some say it’s a psychological thing. It’s all in your head they say. Others say it’s a physical thing like a narcotic, but all Stalkers know it and few go out only once.
I was staring out the window of his office, mindlessly watching the dust floating in the sunlight shining through it and picturing the Clear Sky base doc’s office inside the zone when I realized I’d heard my name being called.
“Earth to Bridger.” Brian was saying.
“Wha? Oh. Sorry, Brian. I was drifting there for a minute.” I replied.
Brian was sitting behind a huge, mahogany desk that had a sheet of quarter-inch thick glass over it with little finger size scallops in the edge. On the desktop was a phone, a pipe stand holding 6 ornately carved pipes, a canister of what I assumed to be pipe tobacco, a black, leather blotter, a computer monitor and keyboard with no wires connected to them and what looked like a very expensive, ink pen set.
He chuckled and said. “A minute? I’ve been prattling on for maybe 5 minutes about this new order and I don’t think you heard a word of it.”
“No Brian,” I replied. “I heard you. Most of it anyway. I’m not really concerned with why you need it, just how much I get for retrieving it for you, assuming I can find it. What you’re doing with this stuff is of no interest to me.”
“That’s what I like about you, Bridger.” He replied, hands clasped behind his head as he leaned back in his black leather desk chair and smiled at me. “Direct and to the point.”
What he liked about me was that I had no apparent moral compunctions about the use of the artifacts I was supplying him with, and I took another sip of his expensive Port, rattling the ice in the crystal glass partly because I liked the sound of it and partly because I knew it annoyed Brian that I drank his Port on ice as I composed my next question.
“Like I said, Brian,” I started, “Assuming I can find this new artifact that apparently no one has found yet, and no one has actually verified, and no one has even reliably seen, what’s in it for me?”
Brian thought for a moment then unclasped his hands, leaned forward in his chair and reached for one of the pipes on his pipe stand, and I briefly wondered how he made his choice so quickly.
He meticulously reached for the container next to the stand and after opening the lid, pinched out a wad of moist tobacco that immediately made the office smell of apple, tamped it carefully into the pipe bowl, retrieved a gold lighter from his pocket and just as carefully, commenced to applying the flame to the bowl. Drawing on the stem and puffing out the smoke till he was satisfied with the action, he snapped the lighter closed and dropped it into a pocket in his vest. A small cloud of swirling smoke lingered over his desk, changing the smell from apples to burned apple wood and he leaned back again in his chair, pipe in hand, took another draw on the ivory stem, and while looking me directly in the eyes, replied seriously.
“The Institute can see its way clear to pay you $1.4 million for the fulfillment of this contract.”
“Plus, any other baubles you might find as well.” He added as an afterthought.
I sat there stunned for a moment.
One million, four hundred thousand dollars!
That was so much more than any other artifact I’d contracted with him for in the past that it was insane and it took me a minute more to run the number around in my head. One million, four hundred thousand dollars!
As I sat there with, I’m sure, the stunned look on my face, he took another puff and then spoke again.
“In all truth, Bridger,” He started with a dead serious look on his face, “This contract is not without a great deal of risk and my buyers have deep pockets and overwhelming needs.”
“Finding this bauble will be difficult enough. Getting it out will be a monumental task and transporting it here will be nearly impossible,” he continued.
“It may be the last contract you attempt for me. It apparently was for David.” He added, referring to the missing Stalker.
“My buyers need absolute secrecy and expediency in delivery and as such, are willing to pay me to hire you at great expense to find it.”
I was still boggling at the number and it took me another minute till I could collect my thoughts and even then, all I could manage to ask was.
“What’s this thing called?”
Brian put the pipe stem in his mouth, took another drag and slowly blew it back out through his nose, reminding me briefly of a Chinese dragon, then leaned forward and put his elbows and forearms casually on his blotter, cupped his right hand inside his left palm crossing his thumbs and while stareing into my eyes said.
“This bauble is referred to as a “White Witch” and was allegedly first seen by a Stalker known only as Digger.
Second-hand reports are that this bauble has the ability to establish a field that bends light rendering the holder nearly invisible, so you can imagine what value that might have to both my buyer and to the Stalker that acquires it.
“Hence the high reward,” I said, “So, what else can you tell me about it?”
“According to reports, again second hand, the White Witch has additional traits some of which are downright nasty.” He started.
“She…” Referring to the artifact in a feminine fashion either because of his nautical background or perhaps the namesake. “…Allegedly weighs in at an extraordinary 180 kilos making her one of the heaviest baubles yet discovered.”
“180 kilos!” I exclaimed. “How the heck am I supposed to collect it much less move it to an extraction point much even less, transport it back here? It weighs more than me and my gear combined.”
“That’s just the start of it Bridger.” He said seriously. “In addition, it is rumored to be one of the most lethally irradiated baubles yet, pushing upwards of 2500 to 3500 rems.”
“Jeez.” I muttered with alarm. “That’s acute illness and early death in just days. Maybe hours.”
“Yes. And it gets better.” He mocked satirically. “It allegedly emits temps in excess of 700f making it an instant combustion accelerant to nearly anything it comes within 20 feet of, and in all probability, will be found within an anomalous field located in a fire bath someplace.”
“Oh, this just gets better and better.” I said sarcastically.
“Oh, and one other thing.” He started.
“Oh, of course,” I said, again with sarcasm, “What would life be without one other thing.”
The Ukrainian Army, Duty, Freedom and probably everyone other than Clear Sky is looking for it as well. If it becomes known that you have it, well, you can probably imagine what comes next.”
“Uh huh.” I merely said. “What’s with Clear Sky? Why aren’t they dropping their skirts to get it?”
“Unknown.” He replied. “But you know Clear Sky. They’ve always moved and acted in bizarre fashion.”
“Granted.” I acknowledged.
“But don’t automatically discount them, Bridger.” He added. “A prize like this… It wouldn’t surprise me that they’re also interested in it but just keeping it in closed ranks.”
He then chuckled, though no mirth showed in his eyes. “Look on the bright side. If you do manage to find it first, you’re set up for life.” And he smiled again when he finished.
“Ok. So how do I find this White Bitch? I asked, substituting the name.
Brian was about to correct me when I think he realized I knew what the correct name was and changed his tack.
“As I said,” he started, “From what I understand, Digger is the only one who has seen it and is still around. According to last reports, 5 weeks ago, he can be found on or near the Skadovosk in Zaton.
Bear in mind, however, that if in fact he is the only one, and no one else knows about this tidbit, he may be difficult to find, and if found, difficult to persuade to talk about it.”
“I’ll figure it out,” I said as I stood up and drained the last of the Port. “No wonder it’s named after my ex-wife. Anything else I asked?”
He thought about that a minute and replied. “As with all our contracts, should you be caught or killed…” He started, before I interrupted …
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, you’ll deny knowing me.”
“… Should you be caught or killed,” He continued without recognition of my comment, “The Institute will disavow any knowledge of your actions.”
Then as a side quip, he added with a smile. “This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.”
I had my back to him and was headed toward the door when he added the last comment and I raised my hands to my face, pinched all my fingertips together and then drew them away from my face while spreading my fingers in a gesture of an explosion.
“Boom.” I muttered as I passed through the door behind me.
In the secretary’s office, I closed the door behind me and walked to Stephanie’s desk deep in thought.
I was about to ask her if she had papers for me but when I actually focused on her, I could see she was sitting behind her desk, staring up and into my eyes holding the familiar Black Pac in her delicate hand for me.
As I reached her desk and reached for the Pac, she withdrew it out of my range. She got up and with more grace and style than I’d ever seen any woman exhibit, walked around the desk, put her arms around my neck and kissed me so long and so deeply that I was actually embarrassed by my arousal that I was sure she could feel through the silky material of her skirt.
She put the Black Pac on my chest and gently pushed herself back, out of my embrace while sadly smiling at me.
“Please come back.” Was all she said and turned and went back to her seat, turning her head away as she began pecking at the computer to her left, ignoring me.
“Hmm,” I said as I stood there still recovering from the emotional high, “I might have the impression you like me.”
“Whatever.” She replied, still ignoring me as she typed.
I smiled and turned away myself, headed for the exit but from the corner of my eye I saw her turn her head toward me and maybe wipe at a tear?
“I’ll be back.” I said over my shoulder in my best, Schwarzenegger, Terminator impression as I opened the door.
“I’m counting on it.” She replied softly as the door swooshed shut behind me.
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