The Mystery of the Blue Saphier

By Gary T Brideau

Before Ralph could warn everyone, 'Hoenir the Powerful' grabbed a nearby tree ripped it out of the ground, then let go a loud growl. Grabbed Ralph by his waist and threw him 20 feet before he landed on some bushes out cold.

Ralph came to a short time later in the Institute's gym, hanging by his hands alongside his wife, Patsy, Stanly, and Alice. 'Hoenir the Powerful' approached Ralph with two men, got in Ralph's face and said, “I know who you are and all about your special powers. That's why I had my men string you and your cohorts up with unbreakable cables.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669847649

Gary T Brideau

I was born in a small house in Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1947 and moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut as a small boy. I met Lauren, the love of my life in1985 and were married years later and moved to Bristol, Connecticut. One night, I had a vivid dream that caught my attention, that spurred me to write it down, and sent it to my sister T. Jene Brideau, for an interpretation who also is a writer. She wrote and told me that the story was good. I took her encouragement and my imagination went to work. That’s when I discovered my God-given talent to write great space adventures stories. From then on, I have written over fifty stories of which only seven of them have been published with great reviews.

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 by Gary T. Brideau.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/14/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

Storyline

Chapter 1 A Change in Orders

Chapter 2 Is this Ralph?

Chapter 3 The Escape

Chapter 4 A Gator Among Us

Chapter 5 The Truth Relieved

Chapter 6 The Return

Chapter 7 The way back

Chapter 8 Back Home

Chapter 9 Bracing for an attack

Chapter 10 The Blue Sapphire

Chapter 11 Gasping for air

Chapter 12 Race for the Blue Sapphire

Chapter 13 The blue Sap Phire

Chapter 14 General Bargo

Chapter 15 Treed

Chapter 16 Tending to business

Chapter 17 The city

Chapter 18 Ralph’s Blunder

Chapter 19 Questions

Chapter 20 An old score to settle

Chapter 21 The capital of the Tealing

Chapter 22 Back, but not by much

Epilogue

Many thanks to my sister, T. Jene Brideau,

Who started me writing and kept me going.

Thanks to my late wife, Lauren, for edited my stories.

Storyline

After the runes of the fabled city of Odessa was discovered in Oregon. Ralph sent a team of experts to explore the underground ruins. He met his wife Kitty in Eugene, Oregon and planned to take her out to dinner and is kidnapped by a thug who have plans to use her.

Chapter 1

A CHANGE IN ORDERS

A six-foot man in his forties, clad in ragged clothes, staggered out of an alley in Eugene, Oregon. Every fiber in his being was screaming for whiskey. So, he searched through a dumpster for what he could find to turn into cash. Ralph, A tall well-built man in his mid-30s, tapped the drunk on his back and asked, Excuse me Sir, but let me take you to a diner for something to eat.

The drunk held out his hand and questioned, Could you give me a few bucks instead?

A good hot meal in your stomach will be far better than cold cash.

Oh, alright.

After his meal, Ralph stated, There is a mission just down the street from here where you can get soup, a shower, and a bed.

Ah Yes, the S, S, S. Before I get the soup, I have to take a shower, and listen to a sermon no thank you. and left.

With a heavy heart, Ralph stared at the man as he walked away thinking, All the man has to do is surrender his life to Christ and he would be instantly transformed into a new man and his bondage to alcohol would be broken. Ralph walked up the avenue a block and entered the Fourth Avenue Tavern, paused, and scanned the dark smoky room searching for one person. His eyes suddenly fell upon a skinny man in his late forties clad in jeans and a redshirt. Ralph slapped his hand on that man’s shoulder, saying, Ted Johnson? You’re coming with me, mister.

What did I do? trying to shake Ralph’s vice-like grip to escape.

Ralph turned to drag Ted out the door when three men blocked his path. Ralph then stated, Gentlemen, you have five seconds to step aside.

Or what? bellowed the muscular man dressed in black leather, with a blue bandanna tied around his head.

Ralph’s left hand flew out and grabbed the man by his throat, and he stated firmly, Or you’ll be sent to the hospital with three broken ribs. Ralph let him go, jumped up, and slammed his foot in his chest, knocking him to the floor. He then jumped up and landed a roundhouse kick to the other man. The rest of the men in the tavern circled around Ralph and another man stated, Coming in here along was a fool thing to do. Now you die.

Ralph smiled and stated, You think I came in here alone to get this guy? Think again.

The tavern door flew open, two, six-foot-tall, men stood in the doorway, reared back, and let out a bloodcurdling yell.

Ralph stated, Save the pieces guys.

The men charged in the barroom scattering bodies everywhere. Ralph casually dragged Mr. Johnson outside, then, said to him, You are going back to Canada, to stand trial.

What are you talking about?

Don›t give me that innocent, little ol› me attitude. Mr. Tim Johnson died a year ago, you are a Canadian trying to pass yourself off as an American. You are arrested for fraud.

The two men walked out of the tavern, and said, Anytime you need help Ralph, just give us a call and we’ll be glad to lend a hand. Later.

Ralph then saw a shadowy figure watching him out of the corner of his eye, but he figured it was a shadow.

In Eugene Oregon, Ralph entered Thea’s Diner, looked to his left and saw, his Kitty, wife, a six-foot-tall, with brown hair shapely woman. His four daughters Terrie, and Abbie, who were two lovely young ladies, clad in beige, and pink slack suits. Bella, a young human female, with brown eyes, and brown curly hair in a blue dress and Constance, his twelve-year-old daughter clad in jeans, and a white top, sitting at a table in the dining room. Ralph sat down with them and asked, Have you guys ordered yet?

Kitty replied, We were waiting for you. What took you so long?

It took longer than I thought to arrest Tim. Now, what is everyone having?

Kitty stared at her husband and inquired, What’s on your mind, Hon?

I saw a shadow of a man behind me just as I entered the diner and gave it me the willies.

You know how people can look like a shadow in the sunlight so don’t worry,

I saw a what looked like a shadow following me the other day, stated Bella.

The waitress walked up to the table and asked, Are you ready to order?

Bella stated, I’ll have, the fish dinner with French fries’ black coffee and draw one in the dark. Now if you will excuse me Dad, I have to go powder my nose.

Both, Terrie, and Abbie ordered simultaneously, Corned beef and cabbage and Coca-Cola with Kitty syrup."

Kitty stated, My husband, me, and my daughter; Bella, and Constance, will have Oysters rolled in bacon and served on toast, three coffees, and milk.

The waitress hollered, Order up! I need; one Friday›s special with frog sticks, and draw one in the dark, 2 Irish Turkeys, and stretch two and paint it red. 3 Angels on horseback, with 3 Belly warmers, and a cow juice!

Ralph stared at his wife shook his head and inquired, Has everyone around here gone nuts? What in the world did she say?

You›ll catch on Hon,

The waitress served everyone their order, Ralph glanced at Kitty and asked, Do you want to see what’s keeping our daughter?

Kitty returned six minutes later and reported, Your lovely daughter is sitting with some ruffians, and I think you should tend to the matter right away.

Ralph rose from his chair, told Thea to call the police. Calmly approached the booth where Bella was sitting with four young men clad in jeans and t-shirts. Ralph asked his daughter, Is there a reason why you chose to sit with these hoodlums instead of your family? and saw the nervous look on Bella’s face and the boy’s hand close to her thigh. Ralph reached over, grabbed the back of the boy’s neck saying, Take your hand off my daughter or lose your hand.

Bella stared at her father and said, I’m fine dad. Please go back to the table and leave me alone with my friends.

Ralph quickly snatched a steak knife from the next boot, hauled one of the punks out of the booth, stuck the knife under his chin, and stated through clenched teeth, You. the one with your hand on my daughter’s thigh. Tell your friend with the pistol, to slowly, with two fingers, give it to my daughter, or your friend will have a knife shoved in his throat.

Once Bella was free, she walked up to the thug that was trying to get friendly with her and said, You have a deep voice. Let me show you how to speak in a high pitch one. and kicked him between his pockets, sending him down on his knees moaning in pain.

Later, outside the diner, Ralph spotted a dressed in black lurking in an alleyway across the street with a crossbow pointed at them. Ralph quickly shoved his family out of the way as an arrow bounced off the chrome diner. Ralph hollered, Bella, stay with your mother and Constance. Terrie and Abbie, you’re with me. and sprinted after the shooter while the two daughters followed their dad.

In the narrow passageway between the two buildings, Ralph carefully searched the area but found no one. He then heard a noise, spun around just in time to dodge another arrow shot from an unknown position. Terrie jumped off the dumpster and inquired, I could not find anyone. You alright Dad?

Yeah. Someone›s a poor shot.

Abbie jumped down from a fire escape and said, All clear on my end.

Ralph walked out of the alley with his two daughters behind him and saw Kitty, Bella, and Constance on their knees with a gun pointed at them. The man with the gun stared at Ralph and stated, Playing cat and mouse with you is so easy. Now, choose which one of the three you want to die.

Let them go! It›s me, you want!

The boss will get you in time but, right now he wants to see you suffer.

Terrie whispered to Ralph behind him, Dad, take my pistol. and slipped him her gun.

The man shouted, Time is running out Ralph. Give up, I have your wife and daughters. The man instructed Kitty to stand on her feet, placed the pistol to her head and said, I’ll make the choice for you, so, say goodbye to your wife.

Ralph swiftly drew his pistol and fired a blast that struck the assailant’s head, killing him."

Thea rushed outside and inquired, Is everyone alright?

Kitty stated, A little shaken up, but, otherwise okay.

Ralph checked the gunman for an ID but found nothing. A police officer walked up and questioned Ralph, What happened, here?

Ralph pointed to the dead man and stated, That man tried to shoot my wife, so I killed him.

You›ll have to come with me to the station for more questionings.

Sorry, I can›t do that. I am the Sentinel-One, this is my wife Kitty, and daughters; Terrie, Abbie, Bella, and Constance.

The officer stared at Ralph with his mouth open for a minute before asking, Do you mind if I check your ID?

Sure, go ahead,

In Ralph’s office the next day Moonbeam a female 36 inches tall with yellow hair, approached Ralph and said, You’ve been working too hard here of lately, why you don’t take the day off and I’ll get someone to cover for you.

Moonbeam touched Ralph’s leg, stared up at him and gasped.

Ralph inquired, Is everything alright?

Ah. Yeah. Gotta goes. Moonbeam changed into her yellow shorts and top and took the elevator down to the tram, to white sand Lake at the foot of the mountain. She spotted Saundra, a tall woman in her mid-fifties, with salt, and pepper hair, clad in a skimpy, black two-piece bathing suit soaking some sun. Moonbeam inquired, Do you mind if I join you?

Sure. I›m leaving tomorrow to start a new project, so I thought I›d get a tan before I go."

If our boss Ralph saw you in that tiny thing, you call a bathing suit he’d fire you for dressing like that.

Ralph saw my suit and said it was within the limits.

Moonbeam started Saundra›s skimpy attire and said, Ralph must be going blind, or slipping. Because bikinis are strictly forbidden. Moonbeam placed her hand on Saundra’s bare shoulder, felt a wave of hurt and pain sweep over her. She quickly removed her hand and asked, Okay sister, can the sugary sweet smile and tell me about the turmoil that’s going on inside you.

Saundra stated with a smile, Whatever are you talking about?

My full title is Princess Moonbeam of the Northern Folk. Meaning, when I touch somebody, I can instantly see what’s inside of them. Now, out with it.

Saundra insisted that she was fine, and Moonbeam was imagining things. Moonbeam took a firm hold of Saundra›s left arm, felt the same wave of hurt and pain sweep over her, then saw in her mind›s eye, a tall man on horseback. Then stated, Alright, I will tell you what is tearing you up inside. Three years ago, you were enjoying yourself in an English cabin in the northern part of Great Britain. One evening, a tall, handsome man dressed in black pants, black leather vest, a white shirt with his dark brown hair done up in a ponytail. Knocked on your door asking for directions to the Roadhouse. When you saw, him you became flustered, he helped you inside your house, sat you in a chair, and gave you a drink of water. Moonbeam stared at Saundra and inquired, Does that jog your memory, or do you want me to go on?

I have no idea who you are talking about. But, if you like to go on, with your fictitious story go right ahead.

After a night of romance with him, the next morning he made breakfast and the two you strolled through the meadows until evening. The next four months were filled with plenty of romantic interludes. Then one day a Scottish Mist settled over the land, your lover Roger told you that he had to move on, and he wanted you to come with him. You stated with tears in your eyes, Roger, I want to go with you but, I can›t.

He gave you that emerald ring you have on your right hand and told you that he would be back for you. You lost hope that you would never see him again."

Saundra stared at Moonbeam with tears streaming down her face and cried, Did you have to dig up that hurt, and remind me of the agony that tore me apart back then! Saundra went to get up, Moonbeam held her arm and asked, Have you ever looked at the inscription inside the ring?

Saundra took off the ring and read, Pugs Jewelry, Eugene, Oregon. A stunned Saundra stared at Moonbeam with her mouth open and asked, How did you know?

It›s a gift. So, the next time you are there, go to Pugs Jewelry and get his address. Now put some clothes on before Kitty catches you dressed like that.

Just then, Kitty screamed, Saundra J. Quinn! What are you doing on the beach dressed like my privet beach?