Guardians of the Scepter: The Adventures of Bruten & Tommy

By Brant Waldeck

Finding the secret portals was just the beginning...

Bruten & Tommy have taken the first step on their quest to protect the portals and the Golden Scepter. For generations, power hungry villains have searched for the scepter, and now it was Bruten & Tommy's turn to protect it. Join the boys on a whirlwind journey as they fight off armed men, escape from kidnappers, and travel to a new world where the power of the mind reigns supreme. In this world, Tommy learns another surprising secret about his family history...a secret that could end with his family's demise. Will the newly minted Guardians of the Scepter have what it takes to carry on the legacy?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brant Waldeck
• Release date: Feb 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301214747

Brant Waldeck

Brant Waldeck lived in a small town in rural Ohio until he was fourteen years old. From there he moved to a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. After high school, he attended Miami University (OH) and graduated with a degree in marketing. After five years working at advertising agencies, Brant set out on his own to be a freelance designer. His business evolved into a successful marketing agency. His life revolved around creativity, but it wasn’t until he had kids of his own that Brant began to explore the idea of writing. Brant credits his children as the key to his creative inspiration. The minds of children see possibilities that adults tend to shut out. The trick to being creative... never stop thinking like a kid.Brant currently resides in a suburb of Charlotte, NC with his wife, Jenny, and three kids, Gillen, Brannen and Braelyn.

Book preview

Chapter 1

UNCLE RON REALLY NEVER QUITS

The National Guardsman had passed off Uncle Ron to the local authorities to be detained in the county jail until his hearing. Watch your head, Mr. Staunton, said the policeman putting Uncle Ron in the back seat. Uncle Ron gave the officer a glare that made him pause for a moment. He was a small town police officer, not used to this type of thing. Actually, no police officer had ever been called in on this type of thing. There was talk of aliens and holes in mid air! Was Ron Staunton an alien?

As they made the fifteen-minute drive to the county jail, the car was silent. No radio chatter. No pleading innocence from Uncle Ron. Nothing. Uncle Ron was just watching the officer in the rear view mirror, looking intently at him through the wired mesh that separated them.

Finally, the officer nervously broke the silence. What was that back there, Mr. Staunton? asked the officer.

Uncle Ron remained silent – it was his right, after all. The officer continued, Aw c’mon sir. You and I both know that wasn’t natural. Were there aliens involved? A guy in the crowd told me to watch out for aliens!

Uncle Ron smiled wryly. Will I get a phone call when we get to the jail? he asked calmly. Going to jail was nothing new for Uncle Ron. People far more intimidating than this officer had detained him on his many expeditions.

Uh sure, said the officer, obviously bothered by the fact that his perp wasn’t telling him anything about what he had just witnessed.

Excellent, said Uncle Ron under his breath.

The ride continued in awkward silence. The officer knew that he wasn’t going to get anything out of Uncle Ron, and Uncle Ron had no use for this small town cop.

When they arrived at the station, Uncle Ron was fingerprinted, his belongings gathered up into a plastic container, and he was given an orange jumpsuit to wear. Officer, my phone call? asked Uncle Ron calmly.

We’re getting to that next. The officer led Uncle Ron into a small room with a phone. It had no door for privacy, but Uncle Ron figured it would have to do. He picked up the phone and dialed. As it rang on the other end, he huddled in the corner and spoke into his sleeve to muffle the conversation.

Hello? said a voice on the other end.

Time for plan B, Uncle Ron replied.

Understood, sir.

And the conversation ended.

Chapter 2

BREAKFAST

With the Golden Scepter locked away in the Stone’s gun safe, built into the concrete floor of their basement, Bruten, Tommy, Brent and Thomas sat around a large round wooden table taking in the aroma of large stacks of pancakes. Brent Stone, Bruten’s father, sat silently – full of pride for his son’s heroic efforts. Thomas Staunton, Tommy’s father, was quiet as well. He knew that the boys had officially become part of a family tradition that started long ago and showed no sign of stopping. At the same time, he knew Bruten and Tommy did not fully understand the magnitude of the challenges that lie ahead of them.

Tommy was full of questions and could hardly contain his desire for more knowledge about the portals, Uncle Ron…and Bruten’s dad! With a mouth full of syrup-covered pancakes, he chewed in between questions to Brent Stone. How long ago did you and dad find the portals? Did you have to battle Uncle Ron? Have we saved the worlds for good now? he asked in a rush to absorb as much knowledge as he could.

Slow down, Tommy, said Brent Stone. There’s a lot of history to cover and we have journals you can look through for that. The important thing is that you’ve stopped Uncle Ron…for now.

Tommy stopped chewing his fifth bite of pancakes. "What do you mean for now?"

I mean… Brent Stone paused a bit and then continued, I mean this has been going on for a long time, and Uncle Ron is not alone. There are others who seek the treasure from behind the portals, both in our world and in the other worlds. Greed is universal.

Thomas interrupted, We can’t be certain who knows about the scepter now. Up until this point, it’s been hidden away and only the people of the World of Stone knew of it. Of course, the elders vowed to protect it.

With a little help from the father and son Stone team! interjected Bruten with a smile.

But what about Roxie? asked Tommy. Why didn’t the town leaders stop her?

Who’s Roxie? asked Bruten’s father.

She was this girl made of stone who used me to get her to the Golden Scepter, replied Bruten. She knew who I was and that I was the only one who could open the portal.

Why did the town leaders let her get that far? asked Tommy.

I’m not sure, son, replied Tommy’s father. But we know them well, and I’m certain they had a reason. One thing’s for sure, we cannot hide the scepter there anymore. Too many people know about it in the World of Stone, and there will be more like Roxie.

Bruten’s father interjected, And we can’t keep it hidden in our world either.

You got that right, Tommy chimed in. Look at this! He’d grabbed his dad’s tablet and pulled up the YouTube featured page. There, two from the top spot, was a video of Uncle Ron floating up over the tree line behind his house.

Must have been one of the guards with a smart phone, said Thomas, but people see stuff like this all the time on YouTube, fake stuff that’s meant to look real. Most people will think it’s another hoax.

You’re right! said Tommy, Look at the comments. Tommy turned the screen toward them.

Dats fake. LOL!

Yeah right. I can see the wires!

Yes, but Uncle Ron knows that it’s real, said Thomas, And so do the…

CRASH!

Thomas was interrupted by glass shattering in the front room of the Stone’s home. Brent Stone ran quickly to the room. Bruten’s four-year-old sister, Brianna, was playing on the floor. A brick was only a foot away from her, and she was crying.

Honey! Did that hit you? asked Brent anxiously.

Noooo! It knocked over my bears! They were having a party! she cried.

Brent scooped her up and quickly looked out the front window to see a large black SUV speeding away. He tried to make out the license plate. RVM-62??. He couldn’t quite see all of it, but the portion he saw was locked in his brain. They had almost hurt his little girl, and Brent Stone was not about to let them get away with it. He’d stop at nothing to find out who had done this. Then he looked down at the brick and saw a note tied to it. By that time, the boys and Thomas had entered the room, and Thomas was untying the note. He read it to aloud

We know you have the scepter.

Bring it to us at the old grain mill at midnight.

Or next time we won’t miss your daughter.

Thomas looked up at Brent with concern. Brent snatched the note with one hand and crumpled it as he held his daughter with the other. She was snuggling tight against her big strong daddy. It made her feel safe, and it made Brent Stone kick into fight mode. No one was going to hurt his daughter.

Tom, get the scepter! If we go after these punks now, we can catch them!

Whoa! replied Thomas. We can’t do that in broad daylight. Too many people have seen the scepter already. Brent knew he was right, but he had the rage of a father whose daughter was threatened. The kind of rage that makes normal men fight like warriors…and Brent Stone was not a normal man. But he had learned over the years that Thomas Stanton knew what he was doing.

Bruten and Tommy looked on – partially scared by what had just happened but mostly proud of their fathers. They hadn’t gotten the full story of the scepter or the portals yet, but they knew at this moment that they were getting another glimpse of their destiny.

Chapter 3

JOHN BRONNER’S QUEST BEGINS

John Bronner sat in his office with his lead supervisor. They had just returned from the job site behind Ron Staunton’s house and were trying to understand what they had witnessed. His office was a typical mining company office – a large trailer about the size of a portable classroom, that had rows of old dented filing cabinets, cheaply framed maps on the wall, and old wood and metal office furniture that dated back fifty years. John had taken over the company from his father twenty years ago and grown it to a successful business until a few years back – when the large coal operations in the area stopped hiring contract mining companies – and of course, after the accident that killed three of his workers and nearly killed a dozen more. Now he was taking any business he could find to keep the lights on, but this particular job had opened his eyes to something much bigger than digging and hauling.

What exactly did you see last night, John asked his supervisor, Jim Fresman. The old guy, Mr. …

Staunton, said John.

Yeah. Mr. Staunton, said Jim, he was using that metal thing we found to fly over the trees, and from what we could hear from up on the hill, he was also using it as a weapon!

Why do you say that? asked John, contemplating how he could get the ‘metal thing’ into his hands.

Well, there was a bright light…almost looked like a hole in mid air! exclaimed Jim. And the hole kept flashing like a camera flash. No, actually it was more like lightning that strikes right by your house because it made a sound like thunder! Jim was sweating as he recalled the event from last night, apparently scared of what he had seen. Then as quick as it started, it was over, and the military guys were taking Mr. Staunton away. I’m just surprised the boy and his father didn’t get hurt.

Did they have the…thing you found? asked John intently.

Jim replied nervously, Uh yeah, but how could they possibly have taken it from Mr. Staunton. That thing shoots lightning!

John smiled, I don’t know, Jim, but I’m going to find out…and you’re going to help me.

Jim looked apprehensive. Uh boss. I don’t know if I want any part of this.

John’s smile faded. Do you want to keep riding this company into bankruptcy, or do you want to get rich with me? I’m offering you potential power and wealth beyond anything you could imagine! Mr. Staunton was spending a lot of money to get us through those ‘holes in mid air’. There has to be something there! And our only way to get there is with that golden stick!

Jim reluctantly agreed. John could be very