The Spear of Atlantis (Wilde/Chase 14)
Page 1
Copyright © 2018 Andy McDermott
The right of Andy McDermott to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Headline Publishing Group
First published as an Ebook in Great Britain
by Headline Publishing Group in 2018
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library
Ebook conversion by Avon DataSet Ltd, Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire
Cover illustration by Lee Gibbons. Images © TTstudio/Shutterstock (Venice); Woldemor/Shutterstock, aleksandr4300/Shutterstock and Elena Elisseeva/Shutterstock (boats); ARKHIPOV ALEKSEY/Shutterstock and Pepsco Studio/Shutterstock (figures); Amanda Nicholls (water)
eISBN: 978 1 4722 3684 5
HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
An Hachette UK Company
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
www.headline.co.uk
www.hachette.co.uk
Contents
Title Page
About the Author
Praise for Andy McDermott
Also by Andy McDermott
About the Book
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Epilogue
About the Author
Andy McDermott is the bestselling author of the Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase adventure thrillers, which have been sold in over 30 countries and 20 languages. His debut novel, THE HUNT FOR ATLANTIS, was his first of several New York Times bestsellers. THE SPEAR OF ATLANTIS is the fourteenth book in the series, and he has also written the explosive spy thriller The Persona Protocol.
A former journalist and movie critic, Andy is now a full-time novelist. Born in Halifax, he lives in Bournemouth with his partner and son.
Praise for Andy McDermott
‘Fabulous action sequences . . . [an] epic contemporary adventure thriller’ Sunday Guardian
‘One of Britain’s most talented adventure writers’ Evening Post
‘Adventure stories don’t get much more epic than this’ Mirror
‘A writer of almost cinematic talent’ Daily Express, Scotland
‘McDermott raises the bar . . . non-stop, high-octane action’ Publishers Weekly
‘Easily competes with the works of Dan Brown and James Rollins’ Bookgasm.com
‘True Indiana Jones stuff with terrific pace’ The Bookseller
‘Like Clive Cussler on speed . . . high-powered fun’ Huddersfield Daily
‘A pulse-racing adventure with action down the line’ Northern Echo
‘No fan of Indiana Jones, Matthew Reilly or action in general will be able to put it down’ Northern Territory News
‘If you’re looking for thriller writing that will transport you into a realm very different from your own quotidian existence, Andy McDermott is your man’ Good Book Guide
‘Move over Clive Cussler, here’s a new great writer of thunderingly good adventure sagas’ Peterborough Evening News
‘For readers who like hundred mile and hour plots’ Huddersfield Daily Examiner
By Andy McDermott and available from Headline
Featuring Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase
The Hunt for Atlantis
The Tomb of Hercules
The Secret of Excalibur
The Covenant of Genesis
The Cult of Osiris
The Sacred Vault
Empire of Gold
Temple of the Gods
The Valhalla Prophecy
Kingdom of Darkness
The Last Survivor (A Digital Short Story)
The Revelation Code
The Midas Legacy
King Solomon’s Curse
The Spear of Atlantis
The Persona Protocol
About the Book
Wilde and Chase are back in a quest to find a legendary weapon lost since the fall of Atlantis . . .
World-famous archaeologist Nina Wilde and her husband, ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase, believe their days of danger are behind them. But when Nina is framed for the theft of a priceless artefact in a daring raid on a luxury cruise ship, she has no choice but to flee. On the run, Nina discovers that a shadowy group is searching for an ancient Atlantean weapon with destructive power beyond comprehension. Eddie – helped by a multi-talented team of friends – must risk his own life to learn who is pulling the strongs. In a continent-crossing race against time, hunted by enemies with deadly ambitions, only Nina and Eddie can unearth the truth before a devastating force is unleashed on the world . . .
For Kat and Sebastian
making life an adventure
Prologue
The Islands of Thera
1627 BC
‘We shouldn’t be here,’ said Kora nervously.
Lunos gave his companion a mocking look. The heavyset youth was useful as a strong pack mule, but his cowardice was becoming tiresome. Once they returned to the mainland, it might be time to strike out alone again.
But for now, there would still be a lot to carry. ‘Second thoughts, my boy?’ he said. ‘A little late for that.’ He surveyed their sun-baked surroundings. The isle of Kameni sat in the centre of the ring-like Theran archipelago, the blue Aegean shimmering beyond the distant cliffs. Higher up was the town of Intiri, squat buildings clinging to the gnarled slopes.
And it was completely deserted.
Kameni’s highest peak was a fire mountain, home to the gods beneath the earth – and a few days earlier they had made their presence felt, shaking the islands as they spat out smoke and ash. Such occurrences were not rare, but this eruption had been particularly fierce, waves pounding the surrounding shores. The leaders of Akrotiri, Iathis and other Theran cities had taken it as a bad omen and ordered an evacuation. Everyone had fled . . .
Leaving their homes ripe for the picking.
Lunos reasoned that the closer a place was to the fire mountain, the more likely its fearful inhabitants were to have left valuables behind. And nowhere was closer than Intiri. Another earthquake the previous day had almost changed his mind, but though smoke was still rising from the mountaintop, the gods were, for now, minding their own business.
It did not take long to reach the town. Lunos stopped in the shade of an olive tree and looked around. Nobody was in sight, no smoke rising from kilns or ovens. ‘I think everyone’s gone.’
They approached a small house. The two men exchanged wary looks, then entered. ‘I don’t think we’ll find anything worth much here,’ said Kora, disappointed, as he took in the simple wooden plates on a low table.
‘Maybe not, but I was right that they’d leave in a hurry, wasn’t I?’ Lunos countered. ‘They didn’t even finish their food.’ Flies were making the most of an abandoned meal.
A quick search turned up nothing of value beyond a necklace. ‘Might get a couple of coins for it,’ said the older man, clicking his fingers for Kora to open a sack. ‘Not much, but money is money.’
They emerged back into the morning sun. The fire mountain rose behind the town: it was not tall, but the pillar of smoke from its peak made it much more imposing. Lunos tried to judge if the dark plume had thickened. It seemed unchanged. Reassured, he was about to move on when . . .
Kora saw it too. ‘What’s that?’
‘I don’t know.’ Lunos squinted. The unexpected sight was near the top of the mountain’s highest foothill. A point of reflected light, the sun glinting off metal . . .
‘There isn’t a temple up there, is there?’
‘There isn’t anything that close to the mountain.’
‘Maybe the gods left it. Maybe it is one of the gods!’
‘Only if the gods are made of gold.’ Whatever it was, thought Lunos, the colour was unmistakable. It was bigger than a man – much bigger. It would be worth a fortune! ‘Come on, we need to see.’
He set off, but Kora hesitated. ‘The mountain, Lunos! If we get too close . . .’
‘We’re already too close, boy,’ Lunos pointed out. ‘If it starts spitting out fire and ash, we won’t outrun it anywhere on this island. Trust me, though. There are always earthquakes before that happens, and there hasn’t been once since yesterday. We’re safe.’
Conflicted, Kora scurried after him.
The trek took longer than Lunos had expected. The harsh rocky landscape was dusted in recently fallen ash, and debris spilled by landslides slowed their progress still further. ‘Gods’ balls,’ he muttered as he slipped.
Kora cringed. ‘Don’t say things like that! Not here.’
‘If the gods were going to strike me down, they would have done it years ago.’ Lunos scrabbled to the top of a small ridge.
They were not far below the hilltop, giving a clear view of the mysterious object lying amidst rubble. Lunos still had no idea what it actually was, though. A slightly squashed sphere, made of metal – and big, almost the size of the plundered house. It wasn’t pure gold, however, the tint too red. A shame – so much gold would have made him the richest man in the Minoan Empire!
Kora pointed. ‘It must have come from there.’
Higher up was a ragged hole in the hilltop. There was no ash on the sphere itself, so the landslip had exposed it after the fire mountain’s most recent outburst. ‘Must have been buried,’ Lunos said.
‘Who buried it?’
‘I don’t know.’ He had never seen any smith or sculptor make anything so large. Maybe it really was of the gods . . .
Despite his concerns, he went to it, spitting on his fingers to wipe the metal. ‘It is gold,’ he said with rising excitement. It might not be pure, but any impurities could be separated when it was melted down. ‘There must be tons of it! Tons of gold – and it’s mine! Ours,’ he hastily corrected as Kora moved past him.
The younger man wasn’t listening, though. ‘Lunos, look! There’s a door!’
Lunos followed and saw that his companion was right. The sphere was hollow. He bustled to reach the door first. The foot-thick curved slab of gold was buckled, almost wrenched off its hinges when the fall smashed it open.
A flickering glow lit the interior. But it wasn’t a fire. The light was a strange, unearthly cyan. ‘What is that?’ he said, moving closer.
Kora put a hand on his arm. ‘I don’t think you should go in there.’
Lunos regarded him sternly. ‘You telling me what to do now, boy?’
‘Look at it! This is the gods’ work, I tell you. Or . . . the Old Ones.’
‘The Old Ones are just a story,’ Lunos replied. Gods he could understand, but he had little time for the local legend of a great and powerful ancient empire that had vanished without trace. If they were so great and powerful, why weren’t they still around? The Minoan Empire certainly wasn’t going to disappear and be forgotten.
Kora was not convinced. ‘Then it must be the gods. And we’re so close to their home!’ He shot a worried look at the peak. ‘Please, let’s just go, while we still can.’
‘If the gods had made it, it’d take more than a landslide to break it.’ Lunos thumped a balled fist against the mangled door. ‘Men made this. Which means men can take it. Men like us. Or like me,’ he added, with meaning.
Kora’s anguish as he struggled to choose between riches and survival was plain. ‘Are you sure it wasn’t made by the gods?’
‘Of course I’m sure. And I’m sure about something else: nobody knows it was here. It was buried, for who knows how long? We’re the first people to find it. So whatever’s inside belongs to the two of us. We’ll be rich, my boy. Rich!’
Avarice finally overcame fear. ‘All right,’ Kora said. ‘But you’d better be right.’
‘I’m always right,’ said Lunos smugly. He turned back to the doorway.
The sphere had come to rest at an angle, the floor inside sloping steeply away from him. Whatever was casting the light was against its lowest edge. He climbed cautiously over the threshold. The chamber he entered was circular, strange angular writing on the walls between crystalline pillars. A shiver crept up his spine. The room somehow felt unimaginably ancient. Maybe there was something to the tales of the Old Ones after all . . .
At its centre was an altar, a column of dark purple stone. Its top was hollow, forming a basin. More text was inscribed around it. He peered into it, but the bowl was empty.
He could now see the source of the light, though. On the floor was something extraordinary. A jewel, or crystal, but larger than any he had ever seen, about the length of his fore-arm. In shape, it resembled a double-ended spearhead. It glowed white from within, with brilliant flashes of blue and purple and red. The basin in the altar’s top was the right size to contain it.
‘What is it?’ Kora whispered, awe and fear in his voice.
‘I don’t know. A diamond?’ Lunos moved closer, one hand holding the altar for support. He flinched at a vibration through his fingers. An earthquake? No – this was too constant, unchanging.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing,’ he hurriedly replied, letting go. He held out his hand. The strange fire inside the jewel was not giving out any heat. Warily, he touched it.
The spearhead was the cause of the vibration, the crystal trembling. He squinted into the pulsating points of light. They were whirling around the gemstone’s very heart . . .
‘What is it?’ the youth repeated.
‘It’s ours,’ said Lunos, giving Kora a grin. ‘That’s what it is – ours! Look at it, boy! A diamond from the gods!’
‘But you said men built this place.’
‘Men who are long dead. It’s a vault, where they hid their greatest treasure. But it’s not hidden any more.’ He took hold of the jewel with both hands.
Kora recoiled. ‘Are you sure we should do that?’
‘Yes, I’m sure,’ Lunos snapped, increasingly irritated by his companion’s fearful wh
ining. ‘Come on then! Either help me or get out of the way.’
‘What are you going to do with it?’ asked Kora.
‘Take it back to the boat, of course. When everyone returns to Thera, I’ll find a buyer.’ He climbed back out through the opening. ‘I know a jewel-cutter in Triakas who can turn it into smaller stones. If they all shine like this one, we can name our price. Kings and queens will want them!’
‘But if you break it, the gods will be angry!’
‘The gods are always angry. Now, are you going to carry this?’
Kora reluctantly took the spearhead. ‘It’s like . . . there are little earthquakes inside it.’
‘As long as they stay inside it, we won’t have anything to worry about.’ Lunos regarded the sphere. ‘We’ll come back later. We might be able to get this door loose. Then we’ll have gold as well as diamonds!’
He began to retrace his steps downhill towards Intiri. Kora followed, holding the gemstone at arm’s length.
Lunos’s daydreams of his impending fortune were cut short after a few minutes when the younger man called out. ‘The diamond! It’s – something’s happening!’
Lunos turned impatiently . . . to see Kora was right. Even under the glaring sun, the lights were visibly brighter than before – and more violent, seething inside their crystalline prison.
‘It’s shaking more,’ Kora added. ‘And it’s making a noise – listen!’
Over the rustle of wind, Lunos heard a deep rumble, like endless thunder. But this was not far in the distance. It was coming from the gem.
‘I think,’ he said hesitantly, ‘we should put it back. Yes, you should put it back.’
‘You took it out!’ Kora protested. ‘You put it back!’ The flashes from the spearhead grew brighter still, forcing him to look away. ‘Oh gods! It’s shaking, it – it feels like something’s kicking inside it!’
The thunder grew louder, peals pounding in time with each new burst of light. Kora’s resolve finally broke and he threw the jewel to the ground. Lunos gasped, terrified that it would shatter, but it stayed intact.
Yet the noise did not stop, nor did the searing pulses of light. Both men ran, Kora quickly outpacing the older thief. ‘No, wait!’ Lunos cried, afraid now that his erstwhile partner would reach the boat first and leave him behind. ‘You shit, you whoreson! Stop!’