The Seven Swords of Diya: An Indiana Jones Fan Fiction Part 1

Chapter 26: Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton Ohio, USA, 1960

Mac lay out some photographs. "We used the flight path and weather records from your mission in 1944, Captain Li, to determine the approximate location of your plane's crash. Took us awhile, but we found it."

Indy, Shorty and Emily studied at the grainy images.

"Where'd you get these?" Emily asked, using a magnifying glass.

"We have spy satellites and some high flying craft," Mac explained. "Highly technical and very classified." He looked directly at Emily. "You wouldn't understand."

"Isn't that risky with both the US and the Russians, waving nuclear bomb threats at each other?" Indy studied the photos. "What happens when our pilots get shot down?"

"That'll never happen," Mac smiled.

"I got shot down," Shorty retorted. "Plenty of guys during the war go shot down."

Mac sighed. "If it makes you feel better - the U-2 spy planes fly so high, that the Soviets couldn't possibly see them - much less, shoot one down."

Emily looked at her father, made a mooing noise and tapped her boot on the floor.

Indy touched his nose in agreement.

Mac and Shorty stared at them.

"Dr. Jones and... Miss Jones... you're going to have to let us in on that joke."

"Highly technical and very classified," Emily repeated staring down Mac. "You wouldn't understand."

"Bull," Mac growled.

"That's the first half," Indy grinned. "Where's a map so we can get there?"

Mac paused. "There are no maps. The region you're going into wasn't discovered until the 1940s. Its never been explored."

Shorty stared at Mac. "You want me to fly into the area without a flight path or a way out? What do you expect me to do? Crash again?"

"We've got the flight mapped out for you." Mac handed over some papers. "And we've got a map of the ruin, based off aerial images. But we can't tell what's underground, or what's inside the buildings of the ancient city there. We were fortunate to get these images, there's an active volcano in the area... spewing smoke and making it difficult to get good images."

Mac smiled, continuing. "You'll be able to study them on your way over. I'll let you see your flight now."

He led them out the barracks door, across the field to a hangar. Opening the doors Mac motioned with his hand as Indy chilled...

"Mac - why are going to fly into the Soviet Union using Nazi tech?"

Mac swallowed. "Because its the fastest we've got, that can fit all three of you and the supplies you'll need. It also can land and take off with the least amont of space."

"Are we in a hurry?" Emily asked. "Good archaeology takes time, Mac."

Mac glared. "Yes, Miss Jones - we are in a hurry. Attu picked up some radio signals a few days ago. They think there's a Japanese team on the ground looking to find the Seven Swords of Diya. And from some of the chatter - they didn't surrender at the end of World War II... These men have kept fighting."

"The White Dragons," Indy whispered.

"Then you know them?" Mac mused.

Indy swallowed. "Yeah. They were on the trail of the Seven Swords of Diya when Attu was invaded... I barely got off the island alive."