Author's Note: This is a fanfic for the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Scull, and it takes place in 1958, almost a year after the movie ends. I wasn't overly fond of the movie, especially compared to the first three, but I did love the idea of Indy having a son, which is what this story focuses on. This was written for The Little Spanko's Prompt Challenge. I picked the prompt 'Accident'.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, and I'm not making any money from this story.
Warning: Non-consensual parental disciplinary spanking of an adult.
An Accidental Adventure
Mutt anxiously watched the clock, willing it to go faster and end his torture. He'd been such an idiot to agree to go back to High School. School was a major drag, and his English class was the worst of the worst. His teacher started droning on about the symbolism in Moby Dick, and Mutt fought the urge to lay his head down on the desk. No doubt if he did, the old bat would rat him out to the principal, who would rat him out to his father.
Mutt sat up a little straighter in his chair when he realized what he'd just done. He'd just casually thought of Indiana Jones as his father. It had been roughly nine months since he'd found out that Indy was his biological father, but knowing it, and feeling it, were two very different things. He tried to pinpoint the moment he'd started feeling as if Indy was his father, but couldn't.
It wasn't while his mother and Indy had been dating. That had been an awkward two months for all of them. Marion and Mutt had moved into an apartment close to Indy's house almost immediately after getting back to America, specifically so that Indy and Mutt could get to know each other. But when Indy would come over to visit with Mutt, Mutt often found reasons not to be home, in an attempt to avoid talking about school. So Indy had ended up spending more and more time with Marion instead.
It wasn't during the whirlwind four months that Marion and Indy were engaged. Mutt was sure of that, because his mother had specifically asked Mutt to start calling Indy 'Dad'. He'd done it for her a few times, but the word sounded wrong every time it fell from his mouth, and he tried to avoid addressing the man at all. He'd gotten a job at a local auto shop, and worked as much overtime as possible to avoid everyone.
It wasn't the day Indy had married his mother, though that had been a good day. Mutt didn't think he'd ever seen his mother so happy. Once the reception was winding down, Indy had taken Mutt aside. He'd told him gruffly, "Look kid, I'm your father by birth, and now I'm your father by marriage too. I'm going to do my damnedest to be a real parent to you. Not because of any obligation, but because I want to. I want us to get to know each other." Indy had pulled the unsuspecting boy into a quick hug, and added, "When your mother and I get back from our honeymoon next week, we'll talk about school." Mutt considered that day again. It had been a turning point of sorts. That was the day that Mutt decided to start giving Indy a chance, instead of just avoiding him.
It wasn't the day Mutt had agreed to go back to school. He scowled. Their talk about school hadn't gone well at all.
# # #
Three months ago:
The new family sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast together for the first time, when Indy said, "Let's talk about school."
Caught off guard, Mutt's forkful of eggs stopped halfway to his mouth. He knew this talk was coming, but his mom and Indy had just arrived home from their honeymoon last night. "You wanna talk about that now?"
"We've put it off long enough."
Mutt had been thinking about it for the past week. He didn't want to go to school again, but he did want to get to know Indy, and didn't want to start things off with a huge battle of wills. He'd decided a couple of days ago that he was going to be the bigger man, and give in without an argument. He figured he owed Indy that much since the man did help him save his mother and Oxley. With a reluctant sigh, he said, "I thought about it while you were gone, and I'll do it. I'll study for a few weeks, and take the test to get my GED."
"No," Indy said with a shake of his head, "you'll go back and finish out your last year of High School, and get an actual diploma."
Mutt was too shocked to speak for a few seconds. He'd been expecting smiles, nods, and maybe even a thank you from the man, not a dismissive 'no' with an order attached. Once he finally found his voice, it was louder than usual.
"Where do you get off? You can't order me around!"
"Wanna bet? You're going back to school, and that's final!"
"Unbelievable!" Mutt tossed his fork onto his plate. "I was trying to start things off right! I was trying to be nice by agreeing to get my GED! I didn't even want to do that, but I was willing! Now you can forget it!"
Mutt stood with the intention of walking away, but his mother's voice froze him in place.
"Henry Walton! You sit back down and lower your voice, young man!"
Mutt blushed with embarrassment. It was bad enough that she used his actual first name, but hearing his middle name too, meant she was really irritated. "Moooom," he complained as he sat, "You know I hate it when you call me that."
"Now Mutt, Dear," Marion patted his hand on the table, "this is our first breakfast together as a family, please don't make it unpleasant."
"Me?" He said incredulously, and gestured to Indy without actually looking at the man. "What about him?"
"You raised your voice first," she said firmly. "You can disagree, but don't shout."
Mutt crossed his arms, slouched in his chair, and considered moving out that afternoon. "Fine."
"Thank you." Marion turned to Indy and nodded her head.
"Listen kid," Indy said, "getting your GED isn't the same as getting a diploma. People don't see those as equal. You're only twenty, and you just dropped out of school last year. Jefferson High School is only six blocks from our house. You could enroll today, start classes tomorrow, and graduate with the rest of the class in four months."
Mutt rolled his eyes, and played along. "Even if I agreed to do it, which I don't, I doubt they'd let me graduate after only half a year."
Indy sipped his coffee and said, "I know for a fact that they will. They'll count your credits from last year towards this one just like a regular transfer student. I contacted the principal, Mr. Kallen, a couple of weeks ago to explain the situation, and he assured me that…"
"You what?!" Mutt yelled.
"Mutt," Marion said in warning.
"No Mom!" Mutt said, turning his anger towards her. "Don't tell me to lower my voice! He went behind my back before you guys were even married! Did you know about this?"
"Hey!" Indy's voice boomed out in the room, startling both Mutt and Marion. Indy pointed a finger in Mutt's face, and said, "Don't you dare raise your voice to your mother."
Instantly ashamed of himself, Mutt blushed and looked at his plate.
"Now apologize," Indy said, "or I'll put you over my knee."
Mutt rolled his eyes at the ridiculous threat. He thought, 'You and what army?' but he kept the comment to himself, because he knew that Oxley would have reprimanded him for the same thing if he'd been there.
Turning to face his mom, Mutt said sincerely, "Sorry Mom."
She patted his hand. "It's okay. I know this is a difficult adjustment for you… for all of us."
"Thank you," Indy said. "For the record, I wasn't trying to go behind your back. I just wanted to know what your options were before I talked to you, because I know it's a touchy subject. None of the other kids would even know you missed a year. You'd be like any other transfer student."
"I have a good job. I can't just quit."
"You don't need a job, you need to focus on school." Indy gestured to the house around them and said, "You have a home here with us for as long as you want. I inherited this house from my father, and someday you'll inherit it from me."
Mutt was too surprised to comment. He'd never considered inheriting anything from Indy, so finding out he'd inherit the house someday left him speechless.
Indy shared a smile with Marion at the expression of wonder on the boy's face. He said, "Your mother and I want you to live here with us for at least a couple of years, so that you and I can get to know each other."
Mutt nodded. They'd had that conversation right before the wedding, and they'd all agreed.
Indy said, "If you go back to school, I'll make sure you have plenty of spending money so you don't have to work. But if you still wanted to work, you could cut down to part time."
"I hated school," Mutt said. "The thought of going back there with all those squares makes me sick."
"Mutt," Marion said. Once he was looking her way, she said, "You're going."
"But…"
She spoke over his protest. "The last school you went to was a private school, and I paid for a full year of tuition. But because you dropped out before the term was over, I didn't get any kind of refund."
"You didn't?" Mutt played with the edge of the tablecloth anxiously. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know at the time, and by the time I'd received the letter from the school, you were already working. But now that we're starting out fresh, I think you owe me the last half of this school year."
Mutt put a hand on the back of his neck and said hopefully, "I've been saving up. I could pay you back."
"I don't want your money." Marion patted his knee in a comforting gesture. "I want you to go back to school and graduate."
"We both want you to," Indy said, "and Ox agrees."
Feeling guilty and ganged up on, Mutt crossed his arms and huffed. "Fine. I'll do it."
Indy patted his shoulder jovially a few times and said, "That's the spirit, son. I have the morning off, so after breakfast we'll go get you registered, and then we can go talk to your boss at the garage about cutting back to part time."
"Great." Mutt said.
# # #
Mutt glanced at the clock. Still five minutes left of his English class, before he was free for the weekend. He was scheduled to work all day Sunday, but he enjoyed working at the auto shop, so he didn't include that as part of his servitude. He used to work all day Saturday and Sunday until his father had had a casual conversation with his boss about how much homework Mutt had.
With a deep frown, Mutt realized he'd just thought of Indy as his father again. He'd been attending Jefferson High for a little over three months now, and sometime during those three months, he'd stopped thinking of the man as 'Indy' in his head.
He wondered if it had happened last month, when his parents went on an adventure without him. Oxley had sent Indy a letter with map coordinates, and nothing else. Indy had excitedly shown it to both Marion and Mutt. The coordinates led to somewhere in Egypt, and Indy was anxious to find out what was there. He told Marion to pack a bag so they could leave that night.
"What about me?" Mutt had asked while his mother went to pack. Nothing made him feel worse than getting left behind.
"Sorry kid, you've got school tomorrow," Indy had said.
"So do you!"
"I'll call in tonight, and they'll get a substitute to teach for me. You can't get a substitute to learn for you."
"I can make up a couple of days."
"We don't know how long this will take, but it will be at least a full day to get there, and a full day to get back. We also don't how dangerous it will be, so you're staying home this time."
"That's ridiculous! You didn't think it was too dangerous to take me with you to find Ox!"
"We're not arguing about this. I already said no."
"I could just follow you once you leave," Mutt had said, trying not to sound sullen.
"You do, and I'll put you over my knee as soon as you catch up," Indy had said with a disapproving glare.
Mutt had scowled and crossed his arms. Indy had been threatening him with a spanking at least once a week since that first time, and Mutt had come to realize it wasn't an actual threat. When Indy said it, it was the same thing as his mother using his middle name during an argument, or Oxley pursing his lips and using the phrase 'that was uncalled for young man'. It was Indy's way of letting Mutt know that he was unhappy.
Marion had come back into the room at that point, and said, "Boys, stop arguing. Mutt you're staying home."
"But…"
"Did it ever occur to you that I might want some intimate alone time with my husband?" she'd asked.
Both men had turned scarlet at that comment, and Mutt had quickly escaped to the safety of his room.
The thought of his parents doing that still made Mutt slightly uncomfortable, and he squirmed in his desk chair. Only one minute to go before the bell rang. He heard the kids around him shuffling their papers, and getting ready to make their escape.
The instant the bell rang, Mutt was on his feet, and out the door. He dutifully went to his locker and got the books he'd need for his homework, and then headed for home. While he was walking, he decided that the week his parents had been in Egypt could have been the turning point for him.
That week he'd started referring to them as his 'parents' instead of 'my mom and Indy' when people asked where they were, to avoid awkward explanations. Now he wondered if saying it repeatedly out loud might have been a catalyst for him to start thinking it as well.
By the time Mutt got home, he decided this was a good change. He liked thinking of Indy as his father. The man was gruff and bossy towards Mutt, but now Mutt could see the underlying affection in that, and Indy was always kind and loving towards Marion. Indy was the kind of man Mutt would like to be someday. He was successful in his chosen profession, he was confident in his actions, and his friends were loyal because they knew he was a man of his word.
Mutt opened the door and said, "Mom, I'm home."
Getting no response, he looked at the side table next to the door and found a note from his mother. She was doing the grocery shopping.
Mutt went to his room and dumped his backpack on the floor. Thinking about all the homework he had to do that weekend put a scowl on his face. He gave the backpack a little frustrated kick. It wasn't that he was incapable of doing the work. It wasn't even that the work was difficult. He just hated the time he lost while doing it.
He especially hated doing homework when it was something he'd done before. He'd read Moby Dick two years ago on his own, and he'd discussed it in length with Oxley. Now he was going to have to waste a perfectly good Saturday writing an essay about something he already knew. But if he didn't do it… well he didn't want to go there again.
Two weeks after he'd started school, he'd spent the weekend hanging out with new friends, and didn't make the time to do any of his homework, even though there were three assignments due on Monday. He was more than a little surprised Monday night when Indy had come home angry, and barked at him to go to his room so he could talk to Marion alone. Not knowing that the upcoming conversation was going to be about him, he'd left them alone to work things out. He blushed at the memory of what had happened after that.
# # #
Two and a half months ago:
Five minutes after Mutt had gone to his room his parents came barging in without even knocking.
"Henry Walton," his mother said, "I'm ashamed of you!"
"What'd I do?" Mutt asked.
Indy glared at him, and said, "It's what you didn't do that's a problem. I got a call from principal Kallen. You didn't turn in any of your homework today!"
"What?" Too surprised to be pissed, Mutt said, "What do you mean he called you? Do you have him spying on me or something?"
"You bet I do! I'm not about to let you drop out again!"
Mutt's anger surfaced. "I'm not dropping out! I told you I'd go!"
"You have to do more than just show up!" Indy growled.
Marion put a hand on Indy's arm to calm him down, and held her other hand out to Mutt with her palm up. "Give me your motorcycle keys."
"Why?" Mutt turned his glare to her.
"You can have them back once you make up all the assignments you missed."
"You can't ground me Mom! I'm twenty!"
"Yeah?" Indy said, "Then maybe you should start acting like it. A man doesn't sulk and refuse to do the right thing just because he doesn't want to, that's something a child does."
That comment got to Mutt in a way that no shouting or threats ever could. He lowered his eyes, and after a moment of silence, he dug the keys out of his pocket and handed them over to his mother.
His mother said, "I want to see all three of those assignments before you turn them in, since I obviously can't trust you to try your best."
Mutt looked her in the eye and said, "I'll do my best from now on. No matter how much I hate school, I'll do my best. I promise."
Indy pointed a finger in his face and said, "If I ever find out you're not doing your best again, you won't sit comfortably the next day."
Glaring at the older man, Mutt said, "I just promised I would!"
"You'd better!" Indy said before storming off to cool down.
# # #
With a sigh, Mutt shook his head to get rid of that shameful memory. He got his books out, and laid them out on his desk, but didn't sit down. He decided he needed a snack before he could endure the torture of an essay on Moby Dick.
While he was eating a piece of toast, he wandered over to the table by the front door to look through the mail. He got a letter from Oxley every week, and it usually came on Fridays. He found a letter with Oxley's return address, but the envelope was addressed to 'Henry Jones', not 'Henry Williams'.
Frowning, Mutt held the letter up to the light, to try and see through the paper. Oxley almost never wrote letters to Indy, unless it was a lead on an artifact. Mutt shoved the rest of the toast in his mouth, and held the letter in both hands. He despised the thought of his parents going on another adventure without him, especially while he'd be stuck in school.
Mutt examined the back of the envelope, to see how well it was sealed. He looked at the front again, and only concentrated on the 'Henry' part of the name. He thought, I could say it was an accident. Tell them I thought it was for me. Tell them I only noticed the Henry part, and didn't realize it wasn't for me until I started reading it.
With a burst of defiance, Mutt ripped the letter open, and started to read.
Dear Indy,
I hope this letter reaches you swiftly, because I don't know when I'll be near a phone. Our mutual friend, Joseph Marlow, has been searching for the Seal of Solomon since the day he heard your father's theories about it. And if your father's theories are to be believed, we do not want that ring getting into the wrong hands. Unfortunately Joseph either got too close, or he succeeded in finding it, because he is missing.
A week ago I met with Joseph in Israel, per his request, to help him in his search. But I didn't get the chance to speak with him about it, because three Russian men were following him when he arrived. He confided in me that he was afraid for his life, and I provided a distraction so he could escape them. He agreed to meet me later that same day, but he never came, and I fear the worst.
Joseph had a house in Ohio, half a day's drive from you. Please search the house for any information on the Seal's location, and bring what you find to me in Israel. I'll have a scout at our usual place every day at noon. He can give you my whereabouts once you get here. I'll be cautiously trailing the Russians for now.
Yours,
Harold
Joseph's address was on the bottom of the letter. Mutt scanned it one more time, and felt a stir of excitement in his gut. Oxley had told Mutt bedtime stories about the Seal of Solomon. Whoever wore it was supposed to have power over demons. Mutt wasn't sure if he believed in demons, but after seeing aliens with crystal sculls, anything was possible. And if the ring worked, and if Russians got the ring before the United States, that could lead to very bad things happening.
He desperately wanted to go to Israel, too. But he knew he couldn't. The stir of excitement turned to acid in his stomach. He'd promised to go to school. He'd promised to try his best. Running off for a week, when there was only one month left of school, would be breaking both of those promises. He was reluctant to admit it, but he did want his new father to be proud of him, and breaking his promises would not make any of the authority figures in his life proud.
Mutt looked at the clock. His father wouldn't be home for three hours. He looked back at the address, and a smile formed on his face. He might not be able to go to Israel, but he could have his own little adventure, and help out his old man in the process.
He picked up the phone and called the auto shop to let them know he couldn't come in on Sunday, but would work both days next weekend to make it up. Next he went to his room, and hastily shoved a change of clothes in his backpack, and grabbed his toothbrush. He went back to the table by the front door, flipped his mother's note over, and wrote:
Dear Mom and In
He stopped the pen mid stroke and thought that over. He changed the 'I' to a 'D', and the 'n' to an 'a' and wrote:
Dear Mom and Dad,
I accidentally opened the letter from Ox, and decided to save you a trip. I'm going to search Joseph Marlow's house, and I'll be back with what I find Saturday afternoon. I called into work, so I can do my homework on Sunday.
Mutt
He scanned the letter again, and then set it down next to the opened letter from Oxley. He wrote the address on a new piece of paper, got a map of Ohio out of his father's study, and put on his leather jacket before heading out to his motorcycle with a smile.
# # #
Half an hour after Mutt left, Marion walked in the door with a bag of groceries in both arms. "Mutt, dear, could you come help me?"
Not getting any response, she called out, "Hello? Anyone home?"
She looked over at the side table, and found his note. She scanned it, and almost dropped her groceries. "Oh Mutt, tell me you didn't."
She rushed to the kitchen to set the bags down, and went back to pick up both Mutt's note, and Oxley's letter. After reading them both, Marion went straight to the phone, dialed Marshall College, and asked for her husband.
An hour later Marion and a furious Indy were on the road headed to Joseph's house.
# # #
Mutt stopped to eat a quick burger for dinner, and still made it to Joseph's house before one in the morning. The house was located in a small suburban neighborhood right off the freeway. Mutt parked his motorcycle in the driveway, and went to check the front door. It was locked, so he walked around the house and tested the back door, and then the windows. They were all locked, so he went to the back door and picked the lock.
He let himself into the kitchen, and turned on the light. He shut the door behind him, and went in search of clues. He made it to Joseph's office, turning the lights on in the house as he went. Joseph's desk was littered with books and paperwork, all pertaining to the Seal of Solomon.
Smiling at his luck, Mutt walked towards the desk to collect the papers, but never made it that far. A sharp thwack to the base of his skull made him stumble forward and fall to the ground. Everything faded to black before he saw who'd struck him.
# # #
Mutt woke with a start when cold water was splashed in his face. He automatically tried to bring his hands up to cover his face, but couldn't move his arms. His entire body struggled for a moment, before he realized he was tied up. He shook his head to get the water off his face, and looked down at himself.
He was tied to one of the kitchen chairs with thick rope. The rope wrapped around each booted ankle, keeping his feet snug against the two front chair legs. It wrapped several times around his stomach and upper arms, trapping his arms against his sides, and keeping his lower back pressed against the back of the armless chair.
His hands balled into fists on his thighs while he struggled to get free one more time, but his bindings didn't budge.
"What are you doing in my house?"
The female voice startled Mutt out of his struggling. His head snapped up, causing sharp pain at the base of his skull where he'd been struck. There across the room of the office a young woman stood holding a large carving knife. She wore black pants, and an oversized blue tee shirt that hung down to mid thigh. Her blond hair was gathered into a ponytail, and her eyes were wide with terror.
"What?" Mutt asked, still disoriented from the blow to the head.
She pointed the knife at him threateningly, and said, "What are you doing in my house!"
"Your house?" He looked her up and down. She didn't look old enough to own a house. "This house belongs to Joseph Marlow."
"I know. Now tell me what you're doing in my father's house, before I call the cops."
"Your father?"
"Are you slow?" She asked. "If you know my father's name, this isn't a random burglary, so answer my question. What are you doing here? What were you looking for?"
Mutt wasn't sure how to answer that. He'd already scared the poor girl by breaking into the house, he didn't want to tell her that her father was missing and probably dead. He said, "I was looking for information on the Seal of Solomon, and I had no idea that Joseph had a daughter. I'm real sorry about breaking in. If I'd known, I would have knocked. Do you know Harold Oxley? He's the one who sent me."
"Harold?" She studied him, and the knife slowly lowered to her side. "How do you know Harold?" She brandished the knife again and scowled at him. "And how do I know you're not lying just to get me to trust you?"
Mutt held his hands up in a placating gesture, but because of his ropes, they only got about one inch above his thighs. "I've known Harold Oxley my whole life. He was a good friend to my mom. He's in Israel right now with your father, but…" Mutt paused and decided to go with a half-truth. "…they got separated, and Ox asked me to gather up all the information on The Seal of Solomon to send to him, so he can figure out where your dad might be."
She lowered the knife again. "Separated…" Her eyes got even wider for a millisecond. She put a hand over her mouth and whispered, "You mean something's happened to him."
"It'll be okay," Mutt said in a gentle voice. "We're going to find him. How about you untie me, and you can help me gather up everything for Ox."
She shook her head. "I can't trust you. You're a greaser."
He usually liked it when people called him that, but he didn't want her to be afraid of him. He understood how frightening it was to have a missing family member, and wanted to help her. "What can I do to make you trust me? Every minute we waste here, is a minute we're not helping Ox find your dad."
She considered this and said, "Did you come alone?"
"Yes. No one else is going to show up. It's just me, and you can trust me. My name is Mutt, what's yours?"
She smiled, and Mutt started to smile back, but something in the way she was smiling made him stop.
"Mutt? Like a dog?"
He nodded, still trying to figure out her smile.
"You know what? I do trust you. But you probably shouldn't have trusted me." She pulled the rubber band out of her hair, and it fell neatly into place, as if it hadn't been in the ponytail for long. She pulled the oversized tee-shirt over her head, revealing a form fitting black shirt cinched at the waist with a black belt.
"What's going on?" Mutt asked nervously.
The smile she gave him was cruel. "What's going on?" She pulled a pair of black leather gloves out of her pockets, and put them on. "You really are innocent aren't you? That's cute. More like a puppy than a dog."
Her grip on the knife had been desperate earlier, but now it shifted to a more comfortable and familiar hold. She moved towards him and said, "Since no one is coming for you, I can take my time getting information out of you. And since you're only an errand boy, I'll have no reason to keep you around once you've squealed."
Berating himself for giving her so much information, he plastered a smile on his face, and said with false bravado, "I don't squeal sister. But you're welcome to try."
She grinned and gently touched the tip of her knife to Mutt's kneecap. "I do so love a challenge."
They both heard the sound of a gun cocking, and turned to see Indy standing in the doorway to the office. "Yeah?" Indy said, "Try getting your kid to graduate high school."
Relief flooded through Mutt. He grinned at Indy. "Hey Daddy-O. Good timing."
Ignoring his son, Indy kept his eyes on the girl. "Step away from him right now, and I'll think about not shooting you."
Glaring, she held her hands up in the air, with the knife still clutched in her right fist, and stepped away from Mutt.
"Good," Indy said, moving father into the room. "Now set the knife down on the floor gently, and come stand by the door."
She set the knife down, and moved towards the door while Indy moved towards his son, both of them making sure not to get within touching distance of the other while they crossed the room in opposite directions. Once the woman was three feet from the door, Indy said, "That's far enough."
Keeping his eyes and gun aimed at her, Indy knelt down and picked up the carving knife. He moved behind the chair Mutt was tied to, and darted his eyes down for a millisecond to see the ropes. He set to work cutting the rope while keeping his gun and eyes mostly on the woman.
While Indy was working on getting Mutt free, the kid's relief started to fade. "Wait a minute," he craned his neck back and said, "Why are you here?"
"Shush," Indy said without looking down.
Frowning, Mutt faced forward, and tried not to let his growing unease show.
A few seconds later, Marion walked up to the doorway of the study holding a gun of her own. "All clear," she said to Indy, startling both Mutt and the woman.
Once Indy saw that Marion had her gun pointed at the woman, he put his gun in its holster, and made short work of cutting the rest of the ropes off Mutt.
"Mom?" Mutt said, not quite sure why both his parents had shown up.
"Thank goodness you're okay," she said.
Indy pushed the ropes off, and pulled at Mutt's upper arm to get him to stand. Once Mutt was standing, he kicked the rest of the ropes off his feet. Indy held him at arm's length, with a hand on each of Mutt's shoulders. "Did she hurt you kid?"
Seeing the worry in Indy's face made Mutt feel both loved and guilty at the same time. He lowered his head, and put a hand up to the base of his head. "She hit me with something. Knocked me out cold. I don't know how long I was out."
Indy physically turned the boy around, and gently explored the back of the kid's head with his fingertips until he felt the lump. Mutt hissed and flinched at the touch. Once Indy was done checking it out, he turned Mutt back around. Indy held up two fingers for Mutt to see. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Two. I'm fine, really. No blurry vision, no nausea, and I'm not dizzy. I'll be fine."
Indy pulled the kid into a tight hug, and said to Marion, "He's got a good size goose egg, but no bleeding." Indy let go so he could look at his son. "You hurt anywhere else?"
Still a little surprised by the fierce hug, Mutt shook his head.
Marion glared at the younger woman who'd hurt her son, but the woman was too busy glaring at Indy to notice. Marion took two steps, and hit the woman on the back of the head with the butt of her gun. The woman fell to the floor unconscious.
Shocked by what his mother had just done, Mutt's eyes opened wide, and his mouth popped open in a silent 'Oh'.
"Darling, we need her awake to answer questions," Indy said.
"Yes, I know Dear. Sorry," Marion said with an unapologetic smile on her face.
Indy rolled his eyes at her, and said, "Well this gives me time to have a heart to heart with our son."
"Indy…" she said with a concerned frown.
"No, Marion. It's past due. We talked about this, and you agreed."
"Past due?" Mutt asked, nervously taking a step towards his mother, and away from Indy. "What's past due?"
Indy grabbed the collar of Mutt's leather jacket to hold him in place, and waited for his wife to respond.
Marion looked at her son, and then back at Indy. Nodding reluctantly, she stuck her gun in her pocket, and gestured to the woman on the floor. "Indy, Dear, if you'll take her into the kitchen for me, I'll tie her up while the two of you get things settled."
Indy let go of Mutt, and went to pick up the unconscious woman. Marion walked up to her son and pulled him into a hug. He hugged back and said nervously, "What's going on Mom?"
She squeezed him hard once, and then patted his back before letting go. She took his chin in her hand to make him look at her and said, "You should know that I'm one hundred percent in agreement with your father on this. Don't mistake my unhappiness for disagreement. You've been pushing the limits since the day you found out he was your father, and today you went too far."
Mutt shook his head and backed up a step to get out of her grip. "What do you mean I went too far?"
"You lied to us!"
"What? I did not!"
Marion put her hands on her hips. "Did you really expect us to believe you opened that letter on accident?"
Mutt's automatic response was anger. "It was an accident!"
"And then you came here without even talking to us first." Marion's voice was heavy with disappointment.
"I was trying to do you guys a favor!" Mutt yelled. "I left you a note, and I'm not missing school! How is any of that going too far!?"
Indy came in sporting a grim expression, and made a beeline for his son. Upon seeing his father's expression, Mutt backed up a few steps, and bumped into the desk. Getting into the kid's personal space, Indy glared and said, "What did I tell you about raising your voice to your mother?"
Mutt swallowed hard and whispered, "Not to?"
The older man grabbed Mutt's wrist, and pulled him over to the chair he'd recently been tied to. Indy sat, and hauled the younger man face down over his lap. Mutt let out a surprised grunt when his stomach made contact with his father's thighs, and his hands automatically went to the floor in front of him. Indy wrapped an arm around the kid's middle to keep him down, and started raining down swats on his backside.
Reality came crashing down on Mutt, wiping out all the illusions he'd had about his father not following through on the spanking threats he'd made over the past three months. Mutt put one hand on Indy's knee, and pushed up while twisting his upper body to look back, and blurted out the words, "You were serious about spanking?"
Indy paused in the swatting. "You thought I wasn't?" he asked while pushing Mutt's hand off his knee. He pressed on the boy's upper back to get him back down into position, while keeping an arm wrapped around his middle.
"Of course not! It's ridiculous!" Mutt shouted.
"We'll see about that," Indy said and laid down some rapid fire swats.
Mutt started to seriously struggle. He lifted his upper body again, and put both his hands on Indy's thigh to shove himself up while also trying to get his feet flat on the ground.
Indy had to stop spanking so he could put both his arms around Mutt's waist to keep him down.
"Henry Walton Williams!" Marion scolded. Both men froze in place and looked over at her. She shook her finger at Mutt and said, "You stop that right now, young man. We are your parents, and we both think you deserve this spanking. If you don't respect us enough to stay in place until it's done, then I'm ashamed of you."
Mutt's face was bright red with a mix of anger, embarrassment, and shame. He broke eye contact with his mother, and focused on the oriental rug under the chair. He'd been twelve the last time he'd been in this position, and it seemed ludicrous to be in it again now that he was twenty. He struggled with his pride and his conscious for a few seconds, before slowly lowering his upper body back down. He put his hands back on the floor, stretched his legs out behind him, and kept his head down.
Indy loosened his grip, and nodded to his wife.
"That's better," Marion said quietly. "I'll be in the kitchen."
Indy sighed. "Look kid, I don't want to do this, but you haven't left me much of a choice." He started swatting hard and fast again.
Mutt remained completely silent. He held his body stiff with anger and resentment as the blows kept coming. He did not think this punishment was deserved, and he certainly didn't think it was appropriate for his age. He'd decided to cooperate, because he wanted to prove to both of his parents that a spanking wouldn't affect him at all. He tried to distract himself by thinking about getting his own apartment in the very near future.
Indy knew exactly what Mutt was doing. He'd been on the receiving end of this scenario more times than he'd like to admit, and he remembered the anger. He stopped swatting as quickly as he'd started.
"You done?" Mutt asked defiantly.
"Not even close." Indy took his arm off his son's waist long enough to take off his own belt.
When the arm came off his back, Mutt turned his head to see what his dad was doing. Seeing the man pull his belt off, made Mutt's stomach take a dive. Even though he didn't want to admit it, his ass already hurt so much that he could barely keep his reactions to himself.
Indy doubled the belt over, holding it so that the buckle was tucked safely in his hand. He wrapped his free arm back around Mutt's waist and snapped the belt down onto the seat of the kid's jeans. Despite his best efforts, Mutt let out a small grunt in reaction.
Indy nodded to himself and said, "Okay, it's time to talk. Tell me why you think I'm spanking you." He held the belt down at his side, and waited for a response.
Thrown by the question, Mutt said, "What?"
"Tell me why you think I'm spanking you. I want a list. What did you do wrong?"
"Now!? You want to talk now?"
"I want to make sure we're both on the same page."
Glaring at the floor, Mutt sneered, "Okay professor, I'll tell you what page we're on. You're spanking me because I tried to do you a favor. Don't worry, it won't happen again."
Mutt heard the whistle of the belt before he felt it. He kept his grunt of pain in, but when the belt snapped down again, and again, he couldn't hold back everything. By the time the sixth smack landed, Mutt's grunts were higher pitched.
Indy paused. "Opening someone else's mail is a federal offence."
"It was an accident!" Mutt bellowed.
Shaking his head, Indy said, "And lying about it is a spankable offence."
Indy snapped the belt down six more times, while Mutt squirmed, and yelled, "We have the same first name! Anyone could make that mistake!"
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Indy asked with some anger in his voice. "Or do you think I believe that you're stupid enough to make that kind of mistake? You're not, so stop lying about it, and maybe we'll be done here before that girl in the kitchen wakes up."
Having forgotten about her, Mutt's eyes darted over to the open door of the office, and he prayed that the girl was still unconscious. "Okay!" He said urgently while trying to keep his voice down. "Okay I did it on purpose." Mutt flinched, expecting more swats, but they didn't come.
"Why?" Indy asked.
"Because you were gonna leave without me again!" Mutt had said it without thinking, but once he realized what he'd admitted, he hung his head.
Indy's eyebrows went up in surprise. He remembered hating it when his father left him behind, and he said with sympathy, "Ah kid, it's only one more month, and then you can come with me every time. Okay?"
Feeling an unexpected lump in his throat, Mutt had to clear it once before he answered. "Yeah, okay."
"But being mad at me for leaving you behind isn't a good reason to open my mail, is it?" Indy asked gently.
The last of his anger went away at Indy's tone of voice, and Mutt was able to admit to himself that opening that letter had been wrong. His voice was strained when he answered. "No."
Indy tightened his grip and started spanking again. He made sure not to bring the belt down on the same spot twice in a row.
"Ow!" Mutt yelped. "Ow! Ow!" His legs twitched with each smack, and he had to grab one of the chair rungs to keep his hand from trying to block the blows. "You're right, okay? Ow! I'm sorry!"
After this round of six, Indy stopped again, and said, "It's okay to be sorry, but what I really want to hear is that you won't do it again."
"I won't! I swear I won't do it again, Dad."
Both surprised and pleased by the rarely used familial title, Indy said in a soothing tone, "Good boy. Now we only need to get one more thing straight between us."
Shifting uncomfortably, Mutt said, "Okay, what?"
"You carried out instructions meant for me without even consulting me first. That's not only dangerous, it's disrespectful."
"But I was trying to help," Mutt whined.
"No you weren't," Indy said, his irritation surfaced. "You were trying to get away with something, and I'm not going to let you pull that kind of crap. You scared your mother and me half to death! This was a dangerous stunt, and it's not going to happen again." He snapped the belt down to make his point.
"Ow!" Mutt squirmed. "That's not fair! You put yourself in danger all the time!"
"Not before I know all the facts I don't," Indy said, slapping the belt down again. He started lecturing, and gave Mutt a swat after each sentence. "You purposely came here without talking to me about it. Not because you thought you could do a better job than me. And not because you were trying to help me out. You did it because you knew I'd tell you not to. That kind of irresponsible behavior will get you killed someday, and it shows me that you still have a lot of growing up to do."
"Ow!" The spanking was bad enough, but the lecture on top of it made Mutt want to die from shame. Even though he didn't want to, he heard truth in what Indy was saying. "I'm sorry! Really, really sorry! It will never happen again!"
Hearing repentance in his son's tone, Indy calmed down. "I'm sure it won't happen again, but you should know that if it does, you're going right back over my knee."
Mutt shook his head. "I'll never do it again! I swear!"
Indy hauled Mutt a little further across his lap, so that the boy's boots came up off the ground a few inches.
As he felt his body being shifted, Mutt looked back over his shoulder and pleaded, "I've learned my lesson! I promise!"
"Almost done." Indy said. He aimed for the crease where butt met thigh, and brought the belt down harder than before for the last six.
"Ah! Ow! Please Dad! Ow! Please stop! Ahhh!"
Indy set the belt on the floor, and waited for the boy to settle his squirming. Once he did, the older man said, "Tell me what you learned, and we'll be done."
Breathing hard, Mutt tried to blurt out the words as quickly as he could. "Don't lie to you. Don't open your mail. And don't go on an adventure meant for you without talking to you first."
Indy shifted the boy back, so his feet touched the ground.
Thinking this meant more spanking, Mutt tensed and pleaded, "Nooo!"
"Easy kid," Indy said, patting the younger man's lower back. "It's over. You gave me the right answer."
Mutt's body went limp upon hearing those words, and he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, and recover from the pain. Indy took his arm off the kid's waist, and rubbed soothing circles on his back. After a few seconds of silence, Indy patted his son's back and said, "Alright, come on. I'm sure your Mom is anxious to make sure you're okay."
Getting up was awkward, but Mutt managed it. Once he was standing, he tentatively rubbed his butt, and grimaced. He kept his head down, his hands on his ass, and his eyes glued to the carpet. Then he took a few steps back, away from his father.
Indy stood too, and carefully studied his son's posture. "Hey, look at me."
The boy glared over at his father. Mutt's face was bright red both from embarrassment and from being upside down. His eyes were suspiciously shiny, and his hair was disheveled.
Indy said softly, "You can hate me for this all you want. It's my job to make sure you turn out to be an upstanding member of society, and I take that seriously. It's not my job to make you like me."
"Indy?" They both heard Marion's voice, and turned to see her standing at the office door.
Indy waved her in, while Mutt dropped his hands to his sides, and turned his glare back to the carpet.
"I'll be in the kitchen," Indy mumbled, giving his wife a chance to talk to their son alone.
Keeping his eyes on the ground, Mutt groaned and said, "Please tell me that the girl is still unconscious."
"She is." Marion said. She put a tentative hand on her son's arm. "Mutt…" she said, trying to get him to look at her.
He shrugged her off, and took a step back.
She waited a moment before stepping forward, and putting her hand on his arm again. He didn't move away this time, so she stepped into his personal space, and wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug.
He tensed for a moment before bending his head down to rest his forehead on her shoulder. She kept one hand on his back, and stroked the back of his head with the other. A couple of minutes later, Marion whispered, "I was so worried."
"Sorry," Mutt said, and put his arms around her.
She hugged him tighter. "I know," she said. Then quickly added, "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."
"It won't."
"Good." She let him go, and pointed a finger at his chest. "You stay right next to me until we get out of here."
"Okay."
Mutt trailed his mother into the kitchen, and tried not to think about the way his sore skin chaffed against his jeans when he walked.
When they got to the kitchen, the girl was just coming around. Ten minutes later, Indy gave up on trying to get her to talk. She remained completely silent, refusing to answer even one of his questions. He turned to Marion and said, "She's a professional. She won't talk."
Marion nodded. "What's the plan now?" she asked.
Indy rubbed his hand on his chin. "I'll go pack up everything I'll need to take to Ox. You two see if you can get anything out of her."
While Indy packed, Marion and Mutt both asked the girl some questions, but she completely ignored them, even when Marion gave her a slap. A few minutes later Indy came in holding a satchel full of documents. He looked at the girl and said, "No luck?"
"I'm afraid not," Marion said.
"We're not going to resort to torture, so we'll…" Indy opened his mouth to speak, and then turned a suspicious eye on the girl. He waved his family over to the kitchen door, and soon they were all standing outside with the door shut. "I'll take Mutt's motorcycle to the nearest airport, and catch the first flight to Israel. The two of you go back in there and call the police. Tell them you're house sitting for Joseph, and have that woman arrested for breaking in. As soon as you're done with the cops, use my car to go home."
"Wait a minute," Mutt said. "Why isn't Mom going with you? You guys could take the car to the airport, and I could stay here until the cops get here." He looked at his mother, but she simply shrugged, not knowing the answer herself.
Indy said softly, "I'm not going to leave you alone again until after you graduate." He saw his son scowl, and quickly added, "It's not because I don't trust you. I just… I don't want you to feel lonely or left out."
Marion smiled at her husband for the sweet gesture.
Blushing, Mutt said, "Jeez Dad, you make me sound like a big sissy. Don't worry about me. Take Mom with you."
"I do worry about you, like it or not," Indy said. "And I've already decided you're not staying alone."
"I'm an adult. I can stay by myself."
"Yeah you can, but you're not gonna." Indy held out his hand. "Give me your keys, and look after your mother while I'm gone."
"But I…"
"Mutt." Indy cut him off. "Stop arguing, unless you want to be grounded too." He touched his fingertips to his palm a couple of times, in a gesture for Mutt to hand over the keys. Frowning, the boy dug them out of his pocket, and gave them to his father. .
"Thank you." Indy pulled the unsuspecting boy into a tight one-armed hug. Mutt wasn't as angry as he had been earlier, and hugged his father back. Indy let him go, and then gave his wife a hug and kiss.
"Be careful," she said.
"Always," he said. With the satchel of paperwork in one hand, and the motorcycle keys in the other, Indy walked around to the font of the house.
Marion put an arm around Mutt's waist, and they waited to hear the motorcycle start up. After a few seconds, Marion started to tense up. "Something's wrong."
They heard a gun cock behind their heads. Both of them put their hands in the air and turned around. A large man with dark black hair and a mustache was pointing a gun at them. With a heavy Russian accent he said, "Keep hand where I see them, yes? Into house." He gestured towards the kitchen door with his gun.
"Okay." Marion said, and both her and Mutt went back into the kitchen.
The woman was struggling to get free with no luck. When she saw the dark haired man, she said something in Russian.
He answered, "Da." Mutt didn't know much Russian, but he knew that meant yes.
The woman smiled at Marion, while the dark haired man untied her. Mutt whispered to his mom, "What did she say?"
"She asked if they caught Indy, too."
The woman stood up, and walked up to Marion. She dug into Marion's pocket, and pulled the gun out of her pocket. Once it was in her hand, she glared at Marion, and backhanded her across the face.
"Mom!" Mutt yelled, and lunged towards the woman. The dark haired man stepped up to him, and punched the boy in the gut before he made contact with the woman.
"Mutt!" Marion yelled, "Don't fight them!"
Mutt fell to the floor on all fours, and tried to catch his breath. Marion held up her hands, and tried to get the man's attention. "We're not going to fight, okay? We'll do whatever you say. You don't have to hurt us."
"Hurt them, and I'll never help you find the Seal." Indy said from the living room.
Everyone looked up to see Indy standing in the doorway with his hands in the air. Two more men were standing behind him with guns pointed in his direction. They'd confiscated Indy's gun, his whip, and Joseph's papers.
"I think you have that backwards Dr. Jones," the woman said. "Help us find the Seal, and we won't hurt them."
"You okay kid?" Indy asked Mutt.
Mutt gave him a curt nod, while trying not to vomit.
The three men, and the woman, conferred in Russian for a few moments. While they were talking, Indy and Marion shared a worried look.
The woman finally said, "Looks like we're all going on a nice little trip to Israel."
"Leave the kid here," Indy said. "He has nothing to do with this."
The woman squatted down in front of Mutt and brushed the back of her fingers against his cheek. "Not a chance Dr. Jones. Keeping this one will assure your compliance." She leaned in and whispered in the boy's ear. "And if it doesn't, I'll have the pleasure of making you whimper, Puppy."
He jerked away from her. She laughed and stood up. She gave a command in Russian, and one of the thugs pulled out a needle, and plunged it into Indy's neck. Indy fell to the ground.
"No!" Marion yelled. "What did you do?!"
"Calm yourself Mrs. Jones. It's a sedative." The woman gestured towards Marion and Mutt, and each of them got a shot as well. Mutt's world went dark for the second time that night.
# # #
When Mutt woke up, his head felt fuzzy. He opened his eyes slowly, and tried to get the blurry images to focus.
"Mutt?" Indy's voice was right beside him.
"Dad?" Mutt turned to his left and could just make out his father's face.
"You okay?" Indy said.
"What happened?" He felt as though he couldn't wake up all the way.
"They drugged us. Remember? We were at Joseph's house, and then the Russians were there."
Mutt blinked a few times and looked at his surroundings. They were in a relatively small cargo airplane. There was rope around Mutt's chest, holding him upright against the bench seat that ran the length of one side of the airplane. His hands were tied together in his lap, and his ankles were tied together, with his feet resting on the floor. His father was sitting on his left, and when he turned to his right, he saw his mother. She was also tied to the bench, but her head was hanging low, and her head bobbed with each bump of the airplane.
"Mom?" He said, starting to panic. He looked back to Indy. "What's wrong with her?"
"Calm down, son, I'm sure it's just some kind of sedative. I've been awake for about twenty minutes now. If we all got the same dose, she'd be the last to wake up, because she has the smallest body mass."
On the verge of tears, Mutt said, "What if she doesn't?"
"She will." Indy said with conviction. "She can drink me under the table. She won't let a little sedative take her out for long. Don't you worry."
Wanting to believe that, Mutt nodded, and looked around. He saw a group of men with guns sitting on a bench along the other side of the airplane. And the woman who had ambushed him was sitting in the middle of the men, looking through the paperwork they'd taken from Joseph's house.
"We're on our way to Israel?" Mutt asked.
"Looks that way."
Feeling more awake now, Mutt said, "What's our escape plan?"
"None yet. We'll work with them until we find Joseph, the seal, or Ox."
"But…"
"No buts!" Indy winced at how sharp his tone had been, and eased up a little. "Listen kid, don't go trying to be a hero, especially while we're up in the air. We're outnumbered, and there's no place to run."
Mutt saw the truth in that, and reluctantly nodded.
Trying to lighten the mood, Indy said, "Looks like you're getting that adventure, like it or not."
"Guess so." After a short silence, Mutt said, "I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"For everything. Opening the letter, and going to Joseph's house. If it weren't for me, you probably wouldn't have even run into those guys." Mutt shifted on the bench, trying to relive some of the pressure off his butt.
"Ah kid, you've got it all wrong." Indy smiled despite the circumstances, "Look, I'm new at this parenting thing, so maybe I forgot this part earlier. After a punishment, the slate is wiped clean. I forgive you for opening the letter and going to Joseph's house. You shouldn't feel bad about it anymore."
Tentatively, Mutt said, "I do feel bad about it, but thanks for forgiving me. That means a lot."
Indy nudged his shoulder into Mutt's. "And you're not to blame for the danger we're in now."
Mutt scoffed. "How can you say that? Of course I'm to blame!"
"You didn't sedate me and put me on this plane, did you?"
"No but…"
Indy cut him off, "Then you're not to blame. Really I should be thanking you for getting me to Joseph's house so quickly. If I'd waited to leave until I got home from work, those Russians would have been gone, along with all the information Joseph had on the Seal."
Surprised at his father's view of things, Mutt smiled. "Well I guess it's good that we know where all the paperwork is at least."
"You bet it is. Now we just have to be patient until we land."
"Okay."
"Why don't you tell me what you know about the Seal of Solomon, and then I'll tell you what I know. That will pass the time while we wait for your mother to wake up."
Feeling much better, Mutt started telling his dad what he knew.
# # #
Half an hour later, Marion woke up, and a few minutes after that, the woman who had captured them walked over with a handful of paperwork. She stood in front of Indy and said, "Dr. Jones, we have two hours before we land in Israel. I'm going to untie your hands, so you can look through Mr. Marlow's paperwork." She held a knife up to show him, and then leaned in close to his face. "I want your word that you're not going to try anything stupid, because if you do, it will be these two…" She gestured with the knife to Marion and Mutt. "…who pay the price for your stupidity."
Indy glared, held his bound hands up towards her, and said, "You have my word."
She cut the rope off his wrists, and then handed him a stack of paperwork.
Mutt held up his hands and said, "I could help too."
She focused on Mutt, and smiled. Moving to stand in front of him, she leaned down, and rested her hands on his thighs just above his knees, with the knife handle pressed between her right hand and his left thigh. Getting a bad feeling, Mutt pressed his back up against the bench to get away from her. She put her mouth right up against his ear and said, "The puppy wants to help? That's sweet."
"Leave him alone," Indy and Marion said in unison.
The woman chuckled and leaned back so she could look Mutt in the eye. "Lucky puppy. You don't know how difficult it is for me to keep my knife and hands off you." She rubbed her hand up his thigh, and said, "I'd love to hear you yelp."
"Keep your hands off him, bitch!" Marion yelled, and struggled against her restraints.
"The name is, Marta," the younger woman said with a dismissive glare towards Marion.
Indy cleared his throat, held up the paperwork, and said to Marta, "If you're done, I'd like to get started on this."
Reluctantly, Marta stood up, and took her hands off Mutt. "Two hours Dr. Jones. I want to know where the Seal is."
Mutt sighed with relief when Marta turned and walked back to her side of the airplane.
For the next two hours, Indy looked through the paperwork with his family.
# # #
When they landed, the Russian men got up and started unloading the cargo plane, while Marta went to talk to Indy.
"Well Dr. Jones?"
Indy held up a piece of paper that had Joseph's writing on it. "Look at this."
She took the paper, and said, "These are Bible quotes referenced by book, chapter, and verse."
"Except they aren't."
She looked more closely at it, and Indy pointed to the numbers. "The quotes don't match the verses. I'd have to check, but I'm ninety percent sure that all these quotes are from Song of Solomon, but the side notes reference other books of the Bible."
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"It means I need a Bible, so I can cross reference. I need a pen and paper, and a place to spread the information out."
Marta handed the paper back to him, and called out to one of the men unloading the airplane. They spoke in Russian for a few minutes, before she turned back to her three captives. With a smile she said, "I'm going to untie all of you now. There's a truck waiting to transport all of us. If any of you give me the slightest hint of trouble, I'll sedate the puppy."
"My name is Mutt!" the boy hissed, annoyed with the demeaning nickname she'd apparently given him.
Indy put a hand on Mutt's shoulder, and squeezed it hard. He said to Marta, "We get it. None of us will give you any trouble."
She called to her men to untie them. While they were waiting, Indy turned to Mutt and said, "No heroics kid." He held up the paper with Joseph's notes. "I need to figure this out so we can find Joseph and Ox."
"I wasn't going to try anything!" the boy hissed.
"Good." Indy patted his shoulder before letting go.
An hour later, they were all in a house on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Marta had some food brought in for everyone, and set Indy up at a desk with a bible, Joseph's paperwork, and some blank paper. Indy lost himself in the research, blocking out everyone and everything around him while his mind went to work.
Mutt spent his time cataloging everything about the people holding them captive, to use against them when the time came to try and escape.
Marion watched her husband, and knew the instant Indy had it figured out. There was a specific expression the man always got when realization dawned, and she couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm for knowledge. While Indy was quickly cross-referencing things and checking his new insight against the documentation, Marion whispered to Mutt, "Stay sharp, it's almost time."
He stopped focusing on the men around him, and turned his attention to Indy.
While still looking at his papers, Indy said, "I've got it!"
Marta immediately went over to stand next to Indy. He pointed to Joseph's paper, and the paper he'd written notes on. He said, "Joseph thinks the Seal is buried at The Garden Tomb."
Marta scowled. "That can't be right."
"Well I didn't say he was right, I said that's what he thinks." Indy pointed to the paper and said, "It's not buried in the tomb itself, it's under the tomb. Look at this first quote from Solomon and then look at the quote from Exodus that the numbers reference."
Marta looked at the two quotes, and said, "I don't see what one has to do with the other."
"They both talk about things that are hidden from view. The next quotes are about things underground, the next two are about secrets, and so on down the list. Each pair of quotes match up in some way, and the numbers match too. The chapter and verse in Song of Solomon matches the numbers for the chapter and verse in each of the other books."
She looked at the quotes for several minutes. Indy pointed to one of the last quotes and said, "This here has to indicate the Garden Tomb. But if you don't think so, I'm happy to hear your theory."
"A stony face…" She slowly nodded in agreement and, turned to her men. She said something in Russian, and they rushed out to do her bidding.
Understanding bits of what she'd said, Indy scowled. "If you had him here this whole time, why the hell did you need me?"
"Because Joseph wouldn't talk, though I did enjoy trying to make him."
Getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, Indy looked at his family, and then towards the door. The men brought in Joseph and Oxley. Oxley was slightly roughed up, but Joseph couldn't even stand without help. He had obviously been tortured for days. His clothes were brown with his own dried blood, one eye was swollen completely shut, and there was a gaping wound on his left forearm that appeared to be infected.
Joseph whispered, "Indiana Jones?"
With a cruel smile, Marta said, "That's right Mr. Marlow. You didn't think I was going to give up just because you wouldn't talk did you? It took Dr. Jones all of two hours to figure out what you've been keeping from me for days."
Joseph closed the one eye that worked, and hung his head. He muttered, "Then all is lost."
Marta started to give her men some instructions in Russian, but Indy interrupted her with a shout. "No!"
She whirled on him and hissed, "What was that Dr. Jones?"
He held his hands up in surrender. "Don't be stupid, Marta. You can't take him to the tomb like that! It's a public place, and I don't know where the entrance to the tunnel is, so we may be wandering around for a while. Get a doctor to patch him up so he doesn't pass out on the way, and get him cleaned up so we don't attract attention to ourselves."
The woman considered this for a few seconds, and then said, "Clever of you Dr. Jones, but not clever enough. I will have him cleaned up, but you will not be using this time to consult with your friends and family." She called out new orders to her men. They hauled Joseph over to a chair, and dumped him in it. Then they grabbed Indy, tied his hands behind his back, and took him out of the room with them.
"Dad…" Mutt said nervously, and started to stand.
Marion grabbed her son's hand and pulled him back down, while Indy said, "It's fine kid. Just cooperate with them."
Once Indy was out of the room, Marion whispered to Mutt, "Joseph needs medical attention. Don't try anything right now."
Mutt clenched his jaw and forced himself to sit still.
# # #
A couple of hours later in the setting sun, Mutt stood in front of the Garden Tomb next to his friends, his family, and his enemies. A much more presentable Joseph stood on his own next to him, with the help of a crutch.
Marta had refused to let Indy anywhere near the rest of the captives during the truck ride over, and kept him by her side even now.
"Where do we start Dr. Jones?" Marta asked.
Indy pointed to the last two bible quotes and said, "These last two quotes talk about eyes, so we should start there." He pointed to the outcropping of stone that resembled a skull.
Marta nodded, and looked up at the sky. The evening was coming, and the tourists were thinning out. She spoke to her men, and they moved forward, leaving only Marta and one guard with the five captives in the parking lot. Marta said, "We'll wait for their signal."
Thinking this was the perfect opportunity for escape, Mutt tried to catch Indy's attention, but the older man was focused on his paperwork. He looked at his mother with an eyebrow raised. She shook her head no. He scowled at her and nodded, trying to get her to agree to an attempted escape.
When she still shook her head no, Mutt focused his attention on the guard. The older man had his gun pointed at Indy's stomach, but he was looking towards the tomb, and away from the group. Mutt saw his chance and took it. He kicked the man's gun hand, and while the gun clattered to the ground, Mutt tackled the man like a football player. The two tussled for a few seconds, both trying to get the upper hand on the other. They both heard a high pitched whistle and froze. Mutt turned towards the sound. Marta was pointing a gun at his head.
"Puppy," she said, "I don't find your antics cute. Be a good boy and heel, before I decide to put you to sleep for good."
"If you hurt him, I'll kill you." Indy said with a calm he didn't feel.
"If you don't want him hurt, you'd better keep him in line." Marta aimed her gun in Indy's direction, and yelled at the guard in Russian, prompting him to scramble to his feet and grab his gun off the ground.
"You okay kid?" Indy asked. He held out his hand, and helped Mutt to stand up.
Mutt took the hand, and got up. "Yeah, I'm okay."
Indy grabbed a fist full of Mutt's shirt, pulled him in close, and said, "What did I say about heroics?"
Glaring back at his father, Mutt said, "This was the perfect opportunity! If you'd pulled your eyes away from those papers for two seconds, you could have helped me! Then we'd be the ones holding the guns!"
Indy shook his head and said, "You need to keep your head down, and stop drawing attention to yourself until this is over." He pulled Mutt in and hissed in his ear, "If you attack them without my permission again, my hand will be having an unpleasant conversation with your butt. We find the Seal first, then we escape." He pushed the boy back towards his mother, and muttered, "Playing the hero can get you killed."
Marion put an arm around Mutt's waist in a side hug. Mutt's heart was racing. He'd been trying to help, and this was the thanks he got?
Silence settled on the group, and a few minutes later, one of Marta's men came back to the group wearing a security uniform for the Garden Tomb. He waved them forward, and the group walked across the parking lot, while a few tourists moved towards their cars, complaining that their visit to the tomb had been cut short.
While the parking lot cleared out, Marta made sure all the real guards were knocked out and tied up, so that her men could take their places, and keep the area secured.
# # #
Mutt and Marion stood at the top of the cliff and watched three of Marta's thugs lower Indy down the front of the rock face. When he got to the front of the eyes on the rocky skull, he called out, "Hold up!"
The rope jerked to a stop, causing Indy's body to bump against the cliff. Latching his fingers into the crevice that formed the right eye, Indy pulled himself up close. He held a lighter up so he could see in the fading light. All he could see was dust. Feeling around inside the eye, he wiped off some dust. The only thing he found was a tiny indent the size of half a marble.
Pulling himself across the cliff face to the other eye socket, he found nothing, except another indent. He pushed the tip of his thumb into the indent, but nothing happened.
"Hey!" he called up to Marta. "Send one of your flunkies down here! I need to reach both eyes at once, and my arms aren't long enough."
Indy moved himself over to the first eye, and looked around the rock for any other clues while he waited. A few minutes later, he saw Mutt being lowered down towards him. Glowering he yelled up to Marta, "I said a flunky!"
"And I didn't listen," she called back to him.
Once Mutt was beside him, Indy smiled and said, "Hey kid."
"Pops."
"Come look at this." Indy waved him over. Once Mutt was close, the older man pointed to the indent and said, "There's an indent just like this in the other eye. I want to try pushing on them at the same time. "
"Okay." Mutt moved himself over to the right eye, found the indent, and nodded to his father.
"On the count of three."
Indy counted, and then they both pushed on the indents together. When nothing happened, Mutt looked over at his father, wondered what to do next.
"I guess it was a long shot," Indy said. "Feel around and see if you can find…"
A deafening rumbling of the earth cut Indy short. The ground all around them shook for a few seconds, causing the men who were holding the ropes to stumble. Indy saw Mutt drop a few inches, and sway.
"Dad!" Mutt yelled with panic, and held his hand out to the older man.
Indy pushed off from the rocks to swing himself closer to his son, and grabbed Mutt's hand. The two of them swung back towards the rocks, and Indy yelled, "Try to find a foothold on the rock!"
While Mutt and Indy were trying to find places to hold onto the cliff face, the earth stopped moving just as suddenly as it had started. After a second of silence, Indy yelled, "Pull us up!"
It didn't take long, before both of them were scrambling over the edge, to stand with the others on the top of the cliff.
"What happened?" Marta demanded.
Indy pointed down to the ground level and said, "The seal is under the tomb. Something just opened up down there."
"Well then…" Marta gestured with her gun. "What are we waiting for?"
Indy and Mutt stepped out of the ropes that had been holding them up, and walked back down along with the group. When they got to the actual tomb, they all saw what the rumbling had been. The back wall of the tomb had shifted back six feet to reveal a stairway made of stone under the ground.
Marta rushed to the entrance, and ordered one of her men to shine a light down it. They could see nothing but stairs leading down into the darkness.
"Ladies first," Indy said to Marta, and gestured to the stairs.
With a dismissive glare, she ordered two of her men to go first. Indy, Mutt, and Marion came next, followed closely by Oxley and Joseph. Marta and two more of her men brought up the rear, leaving a few of her men up top to guard the entrance. The group went down, down, and down some more, until the light from the entrance far above them disappeared, and the air around them became cold and dank.
Suddenly, Mutt heard a soft swishing noise, and the man at the front of their group yelled out in pain, before tumbling down the last five steps. Indy put his hands out, touching his wife and child, and hissed, "Stand absolutely still. That was an arrow."
Everyone froze. "Shine the light around the walls," Indy said. "Look everywhere for bobby traps."
Marta translated the order to Russian, and her men held their lamps up to the walls.
"There." Indy said, pointing to the wall.
"And there." Marion added, pointing to the other wall.
Arrowheads were sticking out of the walls waiting to be tripped. Marta issued some orders, and her men started cautiously walking towards the arrows. Indy said, "They're going to get killed, or get us killed, trying to get them out by hand."
Marta glared at him. "What do you suggest Dr. Jones?"
"If I had my whip, I'd use that to get them out. As it is… Maybe if we put two of our belts together, that would be long enough to set off the arrows without anyone getting hurt."
She thought it over for a few seconds, and called one of her men over to her. She held out her hand, and he dug Indy's whip out from the military style backpack he was carrying. Marta held it up to Indy and said, "If I give this to you, and then you try and turn it against me, I'll shoot the puppy first."
Glowering, Indy held his hand out, and she gave it to him. Three cracks of the whip later, the arrows had all been taken care of with no more casualties. Indy attached the whip to his belt, and said, "Move slowly, and keep your eyes out for more."
Marta gestured for her men to take the lead again. The three Russian thugs walked past their fallen comrade looking for more arrows. They'd made it to the bottom of the stairs, and were walking through a stone tunnel. A few yards away, the tunnel made a sharp right. When no screams or other sounds came from the Russian men, the rest of the group quickly followed.
The room at the end of the tunnel was empty, but the walls were covered with pictures and ancient writing carved into the stone.
"What is the meaning of this?" Marta shouted. "Where is the Seal!"
Marion shushed her, and pointed out the three scholars in the room. Joseph, Oxley, and Indy were all looking at the walls intently. Each drifted towards a different wall as they tried to decipher what the images and words meant.
Joseph was the first to speak. He pointed to a picture and said, "This shows that only a direct descendant of Solomon, or someone pure of heart, can control the power of the Seal."
Indy nodded in agreement and said, "This wall shows the owner of the Seal controlling demons, genies, and animals."
Oxley said, "This wall is a warning. It shows Armageddon. Hell on Earth if the Seal falls into the wrong hands."
"I know all this!" Marta yelled, unable to keep quiet. "What I don't know is where the Seal is!"
"Give us a minute to finish reading, will you!" Indy said.
Mutt had scanned all the pictures on the walls while the older men were trying to translate the words. He found his eyes drawn to a small picture near the corner of the wall Oxley was examining. The image was much less ominous than the others. There were no demons, no death, and no images of the Seal itself. It was a tiny image of a fish, and the fish appeared to be smiling. The fish was alone in a corner near the stone floor. All the other images ended three feet above the fish.
Mutt walked closer, and kneeled down to get a better look. "Hey Dad?" Mutt reached out and tapped the fish a few times. "What do you suppose this one means?"
"Don't touch it!" Indy yelled as soon as he realized what his kid was doing, but it was too late.
The stone where the fish had been crumbled away, leaving a one foot square hole in the wall. A dusty looking dull gold ring lay in the rubble. Mutt was about to reach his hand in, when Marta shoved him out of the way. Mutt's body smacked into the wall, while Marta's fingers closed around the ring.
"Are you insane woman!" Joseph shouted. "Don't touch it! You can't control it! You'll bring on the destruction of humanity!"
"Fool!" Marta said as she shoved the ring onto her middle finger. "Do you expect me to believe your tricks? You only want the Seal for yourself! But it's too late! It's mine! The power is all mine now!"
Mutt scrambled to his feet, and went to stand by his mother.
Marta made a fist, and held her hand up in the air. She started chanting in Latin, and the ring started to glow. Everyone else in the room backed away from her.
"What's she saying?" Mutt asked his father.
Joseph answered for him. "She's calling upon a demon from Hell to do her bidding." She said more in Latin, and he translated. "She's demanding that Asmodeus appear before her."
"Asmodeus…" Oxley muttered. "Demon of lust, and ruler of the second level of Hell."
They all heard Marta finish her chant. The entire room was bathed in a blinding light from the Seal for a full second. The light went away, leaving the Seal a dull gold color again. The only sound in the room for the next three seconds was breathing. Then Marta's face contorted into a grimace of pain, and she let out an ear piercing scream. She doubled over, held her stomach, and then fell to the floor still screaming.
Joseph grabbed Mutt's upper arm, pulled him in close, and hissed, "Are you a virgin?"
"What?" the boy asked, pulling his attention away from the screaming woman.
"Are you a virgin!" Joseph hissed again.
Mutt could see Indy staring at him over Joseph's shoulder, and blushed. "No!" he hissed back. "Of course not!"
"What!?" Marion's voice came from behind Mutt.
Mutt's shoulder's hunched at her tone. He turned at stammered, "Um… well…" His eyes went back to the woman on the ground. Marta was still writhing on the floor and screaming while her men gathered around her watching. His focus went back to his mother, when she put her hands on her hips in a very familiar unhappy gesture.
"The last school you went to was an all boys school," Marion said, "and I know you haven't had a serious relationship with anyone since that nice girl you dated in the tenth grade, so when exactly did this happen, and with who!?"
Joseph gripped Mutt's arm tighter and said, "If you're a virgin, that makes you pure of heart, especially in the eyes of the demon of lust. That means you can control Asmodeus with the Seal."
Mutt groaned, and closed his eyes in embarrassment. "Fine," he said, "I'm a virgin."
"I should hope so," Marion said.
Joseph pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, and quickly scribbled some words on it. He whispered in Mutt's ear, "If you're able to get the ring away from her, put the ring on your finger and say this." He handed the handkerchief to the boy.
Mutt looked at the words, and then back at Joseph. "It's Latin?" Mutt guessed.
Joseph nodded, and opened his mouth to talk, but before he could, Marta's screaming stopped. Everyone turned to stare at her. She quietly stood and dusted herself off. With a smile, she ran a finger over the seal.
"Marta?" one of her men asked.
An inhumanly deep booming voice came from Marta's mouth, "I am Marta no more. I am Asmodeus." She made a fist, and pointed it at the man who had spoken. Asmodeus said some words in a language no one knew, and the ring started to glow. A few moments later, the Russian thug fell to the floor screaming.
Asmodeus pointed the Seal at another of Marta's men, and started talking.
"All of us will be possessed in seconds." Joseph said. "We must do something now."
Indy caught Marion's eye, and said, "Budapest."
Marion's eyebrows drew together for a moment while she thought about that. She looked back at Asmodeus, who had stopped pointing at the second man to work on the third, because he'd tried to run from the room.
"Budapest?" Mutt asked.
Marion's eyes snapped to her husband's. She nodded with determination, and started to edge her way around her friends.
Indy grabbed Mutt and hissed in his ear, "No matter what happens, get the ring and put it on. Don't hesitate." Indy pushed the boy away from him, unhooked the bullwhip from his belt, and took aim.
Asmodeus was pointing the ring at the second Russian man again, when the end of Indy's whip wrapped around the slender wrist of the woman Asmodeus had possessed. Indy yanked the whip as hard as he could, trying to pull Asmodeus off balance. As soon as he could move, the second Russian man ran from the room, escaping.
Asmodeus stumbled, but stayed on his feet. He laughed at the feeble attempt to stop him, and pointed the ring at Indy while chanting. Mutt shook his head, feeling helpless, and lost.
Marion snuck over to one of the Russian men writhing on the floor, and with stealth born from experience, she slipped the machete style knife from the sheath at his waist. She held it up and rushed Asmodeus.
Indy hollered in pain, and dropped his end of the whip in the same instant that Marion tried to attack. Asmodus whirled around, and pointed the Seal at Marion. She instantly stopped in her tracks, unable to move.
In a panic, Mutt grabbed the end of the whip off the floor, and yanked it as hard as he could. "Leave her alone!"
With a snarl, Asmodeus turned his head to glare at the boy. The moment of distraction allowed Marion to move her limbs again, and that was all she needed to complete her mission. While the demon's focus was off her, she raised the machete, and brought it down as hard as she could on Asmodeus' wrist, severing the hand from the rest of Marta's body.
"No!" Asmodeus boomed.
The room erupted in chaos. The two Russian men on the floor stopped screaming. Asmodeus and Mutt both went diving for the ring, while Marion, Indy, Oxley, and Joseph all rushed to block Asmodeus' path. Marion, being the closest to Asmodeus, took the brunt of his forward momentum, and the two crashed down to the ground, practically falling on top of Mutt.
Suppressing a gag, Mutt snatched the severed hand up off the floor, and pulled the ring off as quickly as possible. He stood, dropped the hand, and shoved the ring on his own finger. On the floor in front of him, Marion, Indy, Oxley, and Joseph all struggled to hold Asmodeus down.
The demon growled in rage, while the blood poured out of his host's body. The two Russian men stood up. Mutt held Joseph's handkerchief up and shouted the words, "Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde, in nomine Dei!"
One of the Russian men jumped on Indy, and tried to pull him off Asmodeus, while the second one lunged towards Mutt, knocking him to the ground. Indy and Mutt both fought with the thugs that had attacked them. Indy elbowed the Russian in the stomach, causing him to stumble. Indy stood up and soon the two were exchanging punches. Mutt and the other Russian rolled on the floor, both trying to get the upper hand in the fight. Mutt got a close up view of the Russian man's blood red eyes, and doubled his efforts. The kid landed a solid punch to the possessed man's temple, and rolled on top of him, pinning him to the ground.
Joseph yelled, "Say it again, and point the Seal at Asmodeus when you say it!"
Mutt scrambled to stand, and kicked the Russian man's side as hard as he could to keep him down. The second Russian man tried to step around Indy to attack Mutt, but Indy blocked him with a punch to the gut that took the possessed thug out of commission for a second. Mutt held out his fist, pointed the ring at Asmodeus, and repeated the Latin words. The Seal lit up, and the demon's deep inhuman voice screamed, "Nooo!"
Marta's body started to convulse, as if she were having an epileptic seizure. Everyone that had been holding her down let go, and backed away.
Indy kept exchanging punches with the Russian thug, and yelled, "A little help here!"
Mutt pointed the ring at the thug, and said the same words. The ring lit up again, and the Russian man dropped to the ground. The instant the ring dimmed, Mutt turned it towards the second thug, and said the words a third time.
Marta's body was the first to stop convulsing. Within seconds both Russian men stopped moving as well, and silence filled the room. Marion nudged Marta with the toe of her shoe. When that got zero reaction, Marion kneeled down and felt for a pulse.
"She's dead," Marion said.
Mutt kneeled down to check the man closest to him, while Indy checked the other man.
"This guy is dead, too," Indy said.
"Him, too," Mutt said.
"Their bodies couldn't handle the possession," Joseph said. "Marta's soul would have left her body the second Asmodeus took over." He gestured to the men on the ground and said, "Same for these two."
Mutt yanked the ring off his finger, and held it out towards his father, not wanting to touch the thing anymore. Indy shook his head, and gestured towards Joseph. Mutt held it out to Joseph.
"Wrap it in the handkerchief first," Joseph said. "I don't think it can cause problems as long as I don't put it on, but just to be safe."
Mutt wrapped it up in the handkerchief, and handed it over to Joseph. Once he was rid of it, Mutt felt immensely better. Marion went to him, and pulled him into a tight hug. Relieved to still be alive, Mutt hugged her back tightly. Indy came over and wrapped his arms around the two of them at once.
"You kept a level head in the middle of all that chaos," Indy said. "I'm proud of you, son."
Grinning, the boy muttered, "Thanks, Dad."
Oxley said, "We're not out of the woods yet. There are still three men with guns up there." He pointed to the ceiling. "They could be waiting to ambush us."
Indy let go of his family, and picked up Marta's gun off the floor. "Let's be ready for them," Indy said, searching Marta's body for any hidden weapons.
Marion searched one of the dead men, while Oxley searched the other. By the time they were done, they had three more guns and two large knives. Mutt rolled his eyes when his mother handed him a knife, and put the spare gun in Joseph's hand.
"Wait," Mutt said, looking at the gun in Joseph's hand, "Why didn't Asmodeus just shoot us?"
"I have no idea." Joseph said. "Maybe a demon can't possess a body that's already dead, so he wanted us alive."
Oxley said, "Guns are a relatively new invention in human history. It might not have occurred to him."
"Just be glad he didn't," Indy said, and gestured to the tunnel. "Everyone stay behind me, and if you see me do this," he held his fist up by his shoulder, "freeze."
Indy led them cautiously through the tunnel and up the stairs. When they reached the top, Indy went out first, prepared to fight, but the tomb was disserted. He waved them all up into the tomb, and said, "Wait here." He went out alone to check the area. Minutes later he came back and said, "They're gone, and they took the car."
"They probably thought we'd all be possessed if we ever made it out of there," Joseph said.
Smiling, Marion tucked the gun into the back of her pants, and said, "Looks like we'll need to steal one of the guard's cars."
Indy laughed at her obvious excitement, and said, "Fine. Go pick us a good one, Darling."
"Mom?" Mutt couldn't quite believe his mother was looking forward to stealing a car. In fact, he couldn't quite believe she knew how.
"Stay with your father, Dear," she called back over her shoulder, as she went towards the parking lot.
Joseph said, "Where are we going to go?"
"The American Embassy." Oxley and Indy said in unison.
"What about the Seal?" Joseph asked. "Should we put it back and close the entrance to the tomb?"
Indy shook his head. "We don't have the manpower left to lower two of us in front of the cliff again. We take the Seal to the Embassy, and I'll get in touch with a friend in the government. There's a facility where the American government keeps things like the Seal."
Joseph shook his head and said, "But what if…"
Indy cut him off. "It will be as safe there as it will be anywhere. It's impossible to have a one hundred percent guarantee that it will stay safe, no matter where we put it. But right now, only a few of us even know it's been found, and that's the best protection there is."
They all heard a car horn honking. Indy smiled at his son and said, "Your mother always was a good thief."
Frowning, Mutt said, "I don't think I want to know."
Chuckling, Indy clapped Mutt on the back. "Come on, son, let's get you home. If we're lucky you'll only miss one day of school."
The kid headed towards the parking lot with a groan. He muttered, "I wouldn't call that lucky."
"And you can do your homework on the airplane," Indy said with a smile. "Don't you have a report due on Moby Dick?"
Mutt groaned even louder before saying, "Yes."
Much too soon for Mutt's tastes, they were at the American Embassy making plans to get home.
# # #
One month later:
Mutt looked around the room at his friends and family with a smile on his face. Earlier that day he'd walked down the isle, and received his diploma, officially ending his servitude in the prison his parents liked to call High School.
His parents had thrown him a small party at their house to celebrate. Oxley had come, along with most of his co-workers from the auto shop, and the two friends he'd made while going to school. Everyone had eaten cake, and Mutt had opened some nice gifts, including an expensive looking set of tools from his boss at the auto shop.
After he'd opened all the gifts, and thanked everyone, Indy handed Mutt an envelope.
"What's this?" Mutt asked.
"A graduation gift from me and your mom."
"I thought this party was my gift," he said, taking the envelope.
Indy shook his head. "I know how tough it was for you to stick it out to graduation. This is our way of saying thanks."
Mutt opened it, and found three round trip airplane tickets to France. "What's this?"
Grinning, Marion said, "A two week family vacation. Your father and I want to take you to France and show you the sights."
"Wow." Shocked at the generosity, Mutt locked eyes with his father and said, "Thank you."
Indy smiled. "You bet."
Mutt turned to his boss and said, "But what about…"
His boss cut him off. "Your dad already cleared the time with me. So we'll see you in two weeks."
"Then I guess I'm going to France." Mutt said with a huge smile.
A couple of hours later after the last party guest went home, Marion sighed and said, "Okay boys, time to clean up."
Mutt said, "There's one gift left."
"There is?" Marion asked, scanning the table.
Mutt pulled an envelope out of the inside pocket of his jacket. "I know the person graduating doesn't usually give gifts, but…" He nervously handed it over to his father and said, "…I thought you might like this."
Indy exchanged a confused glance with his wife, and then took the envelope. He opened it up, and looked over the document inside. Indy starred at the paper for several seconds, while Marion looked at it over his shoulder.
"Oh, Mutt," Marion said, "what a lovely gesture."
Mutt noticed that his father's eyes were suspiciously shiny, and said with a smile, "Don't get all mushy Old Man. I only did it to save my own hide."
Startled out of his sentimentality, Indy raised a confused eyebrow at his son.
Mutt smirked, "Now I can't get in trouble for opening a letter addressed to Henry Jones."
Laughing, Indy shook his head. With a smile on his face, he shook a finger at his son and said, "I'll still put you over my knee if you open any mail with a Jr. after it."
Mutt chuckled and said, "Yeah, I figured you'd say that."
Indy took one more look at the document that changed Mutt's name from Henry Walton Williams to Henry Walton Jones III, before folding it up, and putting it back in the envelope for safe keeping. He pulled Mutt into a bear hug, and said, "Thanks son."
Mutt squeezed him back. "Thank you for the tickets. They're great."
"They're nothing compared to the gift you gave me," Indy let him go, and patted his shoulder, "but France should be fun for all of us."
"What do you want to see first?" Marion asked as she started clearing the table.
"The Eiffel tower of course," Mutt answered.
The three of them cleared the table, and made plans for their first family vacation.
The End
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