Dreamslinger: Dreamslinger Fantasy Adventure Series, #1

By R.J. Johnson

UFOs. Unsolved mysteries. Artifacts from ancient astronauts.

The future begins now. And everything changes.

 

After six years away, Alex McCray returns to his hometown, Onyx, California, bearing an unusual, mystical stone. A camping trip comes to a brutal conclusion when Rupert Kline, a madman with almost limitless resources, murders Alex's father to seize the stone.

 

Alex swears revenge and plans to bring the killer to justice. But Kline kidnaps Alex's former fiancée to help him recover the remaining stones. In response, Alex assembles a team of friends and experts for an all-out crusade. He soon realizes there is much more at stake than he realized. The quest for the stones is a quest for the power of ancient gods—the power to shape the future of humanity.

 

Dreamslinger is the first book in an epic saga filled with adventure, heroism, and surprises. If you like driven characters, roller-coaster plots, and breathless adventure, you'll love Dreamslinger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Babylon Books
• Release date: Jul 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781954871168

Book preview

Chapter 1

June 22, 2012

The slight thump of the Boeing 737 landing at Los Angeles International Airport woke Alex McCray from his nap. The passengers around him were already anxiously moving around in their seats, preparing to disembark after the long, sixteen-hour flight.

After a few minutes, the plane settled into its berth at the Tom Bradley International Terminal and the sounds of seatbelts being unlocked and the quiet chaos of people trying to retrieve their luggage from the overhead bins filled the cabin. He rose from his first-class seat and stepped out into the aisle where he nearly bumped into the woman who had been sitting next to him during the flight.

He smiled as a quick apology and she returned it with one of her own. When they first boarded the flight, she had been flirting with him and he knew she had expected him to ask her for her phone number. But he didn’t have time for romantic entanglements on this trip. He had been running from his past long enough. It was time to come home and deal with it.

He exited the plane with the rest of the passengers as they collectively began their journey toward baggage claim, but he had no need to stop there.

Los Angeles International Airport was generally empty this time of night, something he had hoped for when booking his early-morning arrival. The fewer people who saw him the better.

He stepped out of the terminal and casually dumped an envelope into a nearby trash bin which contained the fake passport and credit card he had used to book his flight home. There was no longer any need for this identity. It was only supposed to get him into the country and he needed to disassociate himself with it as soon as possible.

He found the cab stand and knocked on the window of the first car in line. The driver, who was snoozing with a newspaper over his face, appeared startled at his sudden appearance.

Alex smiled, hoping to show the driver he wasn’t a threat, but he didn’t blame the cabbie for being cautious. His unkempt hair and unmaintained beard made him look like a homeless man looking for a warm place to sit for a few minutes.

He knocked on the window again and this time, showed his wallet. This was apparently good enough for the cabbie and he unlocked the doors. He got into the cab, tossing his knapsack in.

Drive, he ordered.

The cabbie put the car into gear and stomped on the accelerator, cutting off a hotel shuttle that expressed its displeasure with a loud honk.

I’m gonna need somewhere to go, the driver called back to him. You’re already in for three and a quarter ‘cause I picked you up at the airport, so you tell me where we’re going. Otherwise, I’m letting you out at the gate.

He examined the driver and spotted the man’s ID and medallion. His name was Tony Welk, and he’d been driving a taxi for nearly twenty years.

He reached into his knapsack and grabbed a bundle of hundred-dollar bills. He thumbed out $1,200 and tossed it into the front seat.

Good enough?

Tony’s eyes darted greedily to the stack of money that had landed next to him. A slight smile appeared on the cabbie’s face and he nodded. Good enough.

Take me to Onyx, California.

That’s a three and a half, four-hour drive you know. Depends on how traffic gets.

Twelve-hundred won’t cover it?

The cab driver licked his lips and averted his gaze as if nervous. Just letting you know how long we got.

During the four-hour journey, Alex remained silent, occasionally dozing, but mostly lost in his own thoughts. The cab driver ignored him for most of the ride, with only a few curious glances back at him.  As they journeyed toward the San Bernardino mountains, the radio played in the background with the host taking calls from listeners who claimed to have been abducted by aliens and seen mythical creatures.

The sun was barely turning the eastern horizon pink when they arrived just outside the small mountain town of Onyx Lake, California.

Pull over there, Alex said.

But we’re nowhere near town, the cabbie called back at him. You sure you don’t...

Positive. Pull over, he replied.

You gonna hurt me? Tony asked nervously.

He chuckled and shook his head.  I’m not the violent type. He paused, Not anymore, anyway.

Tony flipped on his blinker and eased the vehicle into the next turnout.

The cab rolled to a stop on the side of the highway, five miles away from the closest town. Alex grabbed his knapsack and opened the door, exiting quickly into the forest.

He kept moving until finding a place where he could observe the cab driver. He didn’t think Tony would do anything stupid, but the people who were trying to find him now were incredibly powerful and their reach extended across the globe.

Finally, the cab driver put the cab in gear and left him behind.

And for the first time in six years, Alex felt like he could breathe. He was home. Almost anyway.

He turned and hiked through the woods, careful to stay off the path. He moved easily through the forest, keeping an eye out for any other early-morning hikers or campers who were in the area.

After about an hour of hiking through the dense patch of forest, he arrived at the edge of a suburban development located on the edge of the national forest. After surveying the neighborhood for several minutes, he made his way into the backyard of a nearby house. Pausing at the fence-line, Alex easily scaled the wall and jumped into the backyard.

He approached the backdoor and knelt down to pick up what looked to be an ordinary rock. Feeling along the edges for a crack, Alex twisted the stone, revealing a hide-a-key tucked neatly into a mold.

Using the key to open the door, he stood, listening to the house for any signs of life. When he was satisfied there were none, he replaced the hide-a-key, closed and locked the door, and drew the shade shut slowly behind him.

When he entered the kitchen, he ran smack dab into the muzzle of a 12-gauge shotgun.

You were much better sneaking into the house when you were seventeen, you know.

The muzzle of the gun lowered, revealing Ted McCray, whose eyes welled up at the sight in front of him.

Hey, Pop, Alex replied as he stepped forward to hug his father for the first time in six years.

Chapter 2

The interrogation was delayed. No answers were expected, and none were given. After his father hugged Alex enough to guarantee that his once-dead son was in fact really standing inside his home, Ted rushed him into the kitchen, where he had been cooking breakfast.

For the first half-hour or so, he sat at the breakfast table while his father peppered him with stories about the people he knew while growing up, giving him the high school reunion treatment in thirty seconds.

Scott’s been working with NASA at JPL for the last few years now, Ted said happily, turning back to him while ignoring the burning eggs in the pan on the stove. That kid was always whiz-bang smart while you guys were growing up, but man, he really has taken it to another level. He’s literally a rocket scientist. He still comes over whenever he’s back in town, and we chat about what he’s up to, what projects he works on—

The smoke alarm beeped as the sausage on the stove caught on fire.

Ted turned and leaped to put a lid on the flames. Oh, dammit all to hell.

Alex reset the smoke alarm while Ted grabbed the pan off the stove and placed it in the sink.

Alex smiled, put down his coffee, and went over to the stove, gently moving his father away from their breakfast. If he had any hopes of eating this morning, it was probably best that he took over; his father had a less-than-stellar record in the kitchen. Growing up, he had handled most of the cooking, and both of them had become thankful for that.

He turned to the refrigerator and removed five eggs from the carton, placing them each deliberately side-by-side on the counter. He rhythmically cracked each one into another bright metal mixing bowl, and then stirred some milk into the yellow viscous fluid.

And for a moment, things were normal.

Ted watched as he quickly and efficiently finished stirring the mixture together, then turned back to the stove, the pan already hot. He dumped the contents of his mixing bowl into it and was rewarded by the sharp hissing of the eggs curdling on impact with the heat.

Mixing the eggs in the pan with a wooden spatula, he laid out several cuts of bacon on the griddle that his father had heated up during his prep. Even with the simple, easy-to-cook meals, the calm that overtook Alex centered him in a way that no drugs, alcohol, or meditation could.

The Norman Rockwell scene was short lived, however, as his father finally asked the question that Alex had been expecting all morning.

Alex... Ted said softly. Where did you go?

He lowered his head. It wasn’t time to answer that yet. In fact, if he wanted his father to live, it was best that he didn’t know anything else. But six years was a long time to think your son a dead man, and Alex owed him something.

He removed the pan of eggs from the heat of the stove and dumped generous portions onto two plates his father had brought out. Placing a few strips of bacon on his plate, he turned to his father, who waited for him to answer.

I’ve been dead, Pops.

So I heard, and yet here you are. Ted sat back down at the table and attacked his eggs. I know technology is getting pretty good, but I don’t think they can make copies of people just yet, so that just leaves the 'nutjob conspiracy theory' part of my brain screaming out ideas of where you’ve been for the last six years.

Alex glanced down. He knew this conversation was unavoidable. It was why he was here after all. He just couldn’t figure out how to admit to his father what he had done and how ashamed he had been of his actions. 

Ted watched his son’s pained face and nodded, patting him on the shoulder.

Well, maybe forget about that for now. Whatever the reason you’re back, I don’t much care. It’s nice to see you again, kid.

Alex sighed. Pops, I wish I could explain everything right now. There’s no limit to how terrible I feel about what you must have gone through, thinking I was gone all these years. I’m sorry; it was a decision I made irrationally, and once I was in, I couldn’t get out... I really... He paused, struggling to find the right words. I honestly wish I could tell you everything, but unfortunately, that’s just not an option.

He leaned forward to his father as he spoke clearly. I have to keep you safe from the... ghosts following me right now. I don’t want them to find you too.

Ted nodded. I’ll take what I can get, kiddo. Whatever I can do to help keep you safe for now.

For now... he agreed.

You stay as long as you need to. Just... Ted’s voice broke again. You gotta tell me goodbye when you leave this time. Fair deal?

He nodded and clinked his coffee cup against his father’s. Fair deal.

And then with that in mind, do you have any idea how long you can stay? Ted’s voice was hopeful.

He hated to disappoint his father, but safety, speed and inconspicuousness were the keys to his survival for the moment.

I might have two days. He winced, but his father took it better than he thought.

Then let’s not waste any time. You look like you're still in good shape; think you might be limber enough for some rock climbing? his father asked, becoming a bundle of energy.

Yeah, I still get out the ropes every once in a while, he said, thinking about a tricky slope he had found himself on in Afghanistan in the not-so-recent past.

Well, the way I see things, you’ve missed six annual trips to Joshua Tree and you owe me, Ted said brightly.

The National Park had been a popular destination for the father-son duo while he was growing up. The pair had camped out at the remote location in the Mojave Desert for its spectacular climbing ever since he was fourteen years old.

Ted had already gotten up from the breakfast table, abandoning his food in favor of packing for their trip.

Alex grabbed his eager father’s arm before he could get too far. Pops, I can’t be seen in the open right now. I took a huge risk even coming here, he said, keeping his voice low. I’m safe for now, but there’s no guarantee that it will stay that way. Men are looking for me, and while there’s no record of where I come from, or where I grew up, if I’m seen, that puts you in danger.

It’s not a pretty world we live in, Ted replied evenly. You’re my son, and as far as I know, you died six years ago, killed by some damn stupid training exercise. No one will find out who you are, or what happened to you. I’m just asking for one more family trip, you and I... together. Before you have to go back out into whatever wild blue yonder you find yourself in again. Ted’s voice cracked, and he sounded almost desperate. I haven’t had much going for me the last few years, with your mother dead, and you gone. Some nights, well, some nights I didn’t really see the point of going on, but now that I know you're alive and you're here... He paused, choking up. I’m going to treasure every moment I’ve got.

Alex’s sense of self-preservation was beginning to wane. How much more could he really put his father through? Besides, Joshua Tree was in just as remote an area of California as Onyx was. The risks might not be any different for him there than they were in his hometown.

In fact, Joshua Tree might be just the thing to help him reset and relax for a few days. All right, Pops, let’s go climb some rocks.

Ted slapped his knee and rushed off to pack for their impromptu trip. Alex, bemused at his father’s enthusiasm, watched him leave the room, deciding that no matter what happened, it was worth seeing his father this happy again.

Chapter 3

The average day in Joshua Tree was hot, which was to be expected considering that its home, the Mojave Desert, boasted some of the hottest temperatures in the world. Today wasn’t going to break any records, but the early morning sun let the pair know Mother Nature wasn’t messing around.

Alex and his father were on the west side of the park, two miles away from anyone else in the world, ascending one of the more remote climbs available. The route lay directly on one of the largest and most imposing of mountains in the Joshua Tree National Park. The edges sloped up quickly, making it a sheer face for most of the climb. Even experienced climbers shied away from this mesa, preferring to stick to the easier routes located further south.

Alex huffed and puffed his way up the rock, his fingers struggling to find a more secure hold. The top of the mesa was only a few feet away, but nearer to the top, the edges became more slippery, the granite worn smooth from years of rainwater washing down the sides of the cliff. It was challenging, but it was also an enthralling experience. One false move, a slip of the fingers at some critical moment perhaps, and he was going to have a very quick fall with an even quicker stop at the end.

His index finger slipped as bits of gravel bit into his knees. He grimaced, grit his teeth, and accidentally bit his lip. Tasting blood, he leaned closer into the wall, struggling to keep his hold on the slippery granite.

He braced his left hand and pushed himself up, grabbing a finger hold only a few dozen feet away from the top of the mesa. Exhaling softly, he settled onto a ledge, sitting carefully to get some rest before the final ascent.

He called down to his father below him.

You’re getting slow in your old age, Pops!

Ted had fallen behind during the climb to the top of the mesa. Alex hadn’t rushed him—his father was pushing seventy, after all—but incredibly, he had kept up with him the entire time.

He smiled as his father joined him on the ledge.

Ted turned, struggling to catch his breath. I might be slowing down a bit, he wheezed, but I’m still spry enough to kick your ass.

To his surprise, Ted kept moving up the side of the rockface. Displaying an impressive burst of energy for someone his age, Ted free-scaled the last ten feet handily, leaving him behind with his jaw on the ground.

Even after all these years, he had no idea how his father managed to stay as active as he did. Growing up, it had always been his father’s idea to take epic camping trips in the great outdoors, survivalist hikes on some of the highest peaks the world had to offer and rock climbing in Joshua Tree.

One of the bonuses to all their father/son adventures was the several pounds of muscle that had been packed onto Alex’s lean frame. He had used his naturally athletic body to take his high school to several state championships. After receiving several scholarships, he settled on going to Stanford with his friend, Scott, where they had attended college together for several years.

Ted stood triumphantly at the peak, while Alex, still huffing and puffing his way up the side of the mountain, free-scaled the final ascent.

Once he reached the top, he sat next to his father, his legs dangling over the side of the cliff. I’ll never understand just where you get all that energy, he said, still breathing hard. Good news for me when I get old, I guess.

Ted smiled as he unzipped his backpack. Pulling out two bottles of water and two energy bars, he handed one of each to him, and opened his own bottle of water. Why so? Ted asked as he bit off a piece of the energy bar.

Good genes. Means I’ll be able to kick my son’s ass when I’m in my sixties too.

Ted nodded and sat down next to him. Through a mouthful of his snack, he said, And I’ll be just as happy to pull you and my grandkid up those last ten feet then too.

Alex laughed. The two of them admired the sunset for a few minutes.

Alex. Ted’s tone was quiet and slightly ominous.

Alex had been waiting for this moment. He had never seen his father’s face look so sad.

"We having that talk now?" he asked, still watching the sunset.

Ted cocked his head. "Do you want to have that talk now? Ted asked. I never asked where you were, Alex. I know the breakup with Emily was hard for you."

Alex shook his head. Emily wasn’t the problem, Pops. I was.

Nearly nine years ago, shortly after graduating from Stanford, Alex told Ted that he was going to ask Emily, his girlfriend of a few years, to marry him. Ted had been happy for him but was shocked to learn that instead of planning their upcoming nuptials, the pair had broken up and Alex had joined the Army.

Ted had never gotten the full story. He did know the pair had a bitter fight that ended their relationship.

But neither one had ever revealed what they fought about.

I called Emily after I got your letter about enlisting, Ted said. But she wasn’t exactly forthcoming about why you two split up. I figured you needed time to figure things out on your own, so I let you be.

Ted’s voice cracked again. Then I was notified you’d been killed in some kind of stupid training accident and wouldn’t be coming home, ever.

The President thanks you for your son’s heroic service, Alex said ruefully.

Not the comforting words they think they are, Ted agreed.

How’d the funeral go? Alex asked.

Ted chuckled and threw a stray rock he had been holding over the cliff.

Short, but it was beautiful. Scott took care of the details, I wasn’t really able to plan much after... Ted trailed off, staring into the vast wilderness of the national park. I tried to visit your grave once a week over the last few years. Some weeks were easier than others.

Alex heard the bitter disappointment in his father’s voice and felt six inches tall.

Ted sighed and rubbed his face. All of that is to say, I’m glad you’re back, but your disappearance raises a whole lot of questions. And I like to think as your dad, I’ve earned some answers.

Alex paused, trying to think of a way to tell his story, but there was simply too much and he had no idea where to begin. Instead, he reached an arm out and clasped his father’s shoulder.

"Pop, instead of rehashing all that painful past, how's about we enjoy the moment we have right now?

His father’s face told him that he was disappointed, but wouldn’t press the issue. Instead, Ted reached into his pocket and withdrew a small cotton bundle.

I actually wasn’t going to bring up Em... Ted stopped abruptly, seeing him wince. Her. I really wasn’t going to talk about her initially. I just thought maybe... Bah, forget that. I actually wanted to talk to you about something else.

He raised an eyebrow and nodded to the dirty brown and white rag in his father’s hands. A half smile touched Ted’s face as he extended the package out to him.

Go on, open it.

Alex took the bundle from his father and turned the rag over in his hand. He knew he had seen this before, but where?

His father looked out at the desert and the setting sun. Twenty years ago, do you remember Scott falling out of the tree in the meadow behind the house? Do you remember any of that?

When he put everything together and realized what he was holding, his face went white.  Of all the things he expected his father to talk to him about, this had been the furthest thing from his mind. Long-forgotten memories began to surface as Alex reached back into his subconscious mind, trying to remember that day. Blurry shapes of young boys running around in a forest, blood everywhere, a mysterious blue light.

You know I do, he replied quietly. You swore us to secrecy.

His father nodded. I only asked you to stay quiet to keep you both safe. It was the only thing I could think of at the time.

Alex stared at the small package in his hands and he began to worry the knot, unrolling the bundle, knowing exactly what he was going to find in there.

Scott didn't have a mark on him because of what you found that day, Alex, Ted said.

Alex finished unrolling the bundle and a stone attached to a necklace fell out into his hands.

Ted smiled and nodded at the necklace, That kid should have died, but he didn’t because of you and whatever power you summoned out of that stone.

Alex turned the stone over in his hand. It was warm to his touch. The stone was small, about two inches in diameter in the shape of an oval.

I said I’d give it back to you when I thought you were ready for its power. I don’t know or even care what you were doing for the last few years, Ted said. I know I raised you to be a good decent man, and I believe you became one. A good man should be holding onto something like this.

Alex stared at the stone in his hands, not quite believing he was holding it again.

What do you remember about that day? his father asked quietly.

He looked at his father and took a deep breath.

Chapter 4

Southern California

April 12, 1992

Come on!

Alex stood at the edge of the meadow waiting for Scott to catch up to him. It was one of the first real spring days on the mountain and, after a long winter stuck inside, he was eager to get back out into nature for a long overdue hike.

Scott arrived on the scene, struggling with the comically large backpack he insisted on carrying every time they went for a hike. His friend was always worried that something might go wrong on their adventures and carried a wide variety of supplies in case they got lost or hurt.

You ready? Alex asked.

Scott nodded, holding up a finger as he caught his breath. Try and keep up with me.

The wind whispered through the pine trees, beckoning the pair as they made their way across the meadow using a threadbare trail still covered with some snow. The California poppies were beginning to bloom, the flowers’ golden petals jostling gently against the boys’ shorts as they made their way across the field. Scott stumbled as he tripped over the uneven surface of the gopher-torn ground.

You all right? Alex asked.

Just peachy, Scott said.

The pair made their way towards the banks of the newly formed stream, and stood, watching the fast-moving water flow below them. Only a month before, there had been nothing but a ditch full of jagged rocks and random bits of trash. Now, fed by the deep snowpack in the peaks above, the ditch had become a fully raging river, the water moving deep and fast as it twisted through the meadow, finding its way to the man-made lake behind them. Alex removed his backpack and set it down as the pair examined the stream before them.

Wow, your dad built all this? Scott asked.

Just after we moved up here.

Scott leaned forward to get a better look at what Alex was doing. Closer to the bank, the ground was wet and unstable. The smaller boy’s weight wasn’t much, but with the combined burden of the two boys and Scott’s oversized backpack, the slope could hold no longer and fell away beneath them both.

Alex felt the ground give way underneath him first as his arms flailed about, searching for anything to keep him from falling into the freezing stream. His hands grasped at air for what seemed like an eternity as his body slipped down the side of the bank. Only at the last second did his hands catch onto a branch overhanging the stream, stopping his fall only inches before his body fell into the water, and he sighed in relief.

Scott managed to scramble backwards quickly enough to avoid the landslide and falling into the river.

Hey Alex, you okay? Scott peered over the riverbank, keeping his body as far away from the edge as he dared while watching Alex hang from the tree branch like an overactive monkey.

Alex looked up at the branch he was holding onto