Hunt for the Lost Sanctum

by Wyatt Liam Anderson

  "You did not say thank you to the nice lady," Eva chastised her.

  "I'm hungry," Robyn grumbled. "I did not even want to shop in the first place."

  "Okay...will you have pizza with your ice cream?" Eva offered to make peace. The girl looked up at her with a stubborn pout and nodded. The dress made her look like a princess, and the pout made her look like a spoiled one, which gave Eva an odd sense of satisfaction.

  They went into Pizza Hut in the mall, and Eva allowed her to order what she wanted, which was a meatloaf special. They also got some ice cream and sat to eat. As Robyn ate, Eva watched her. She knew nothing about the girl sitting in front of her except the fact that she was her daughter.

  They had different features. Robyn's eyes were blue, and hers were hazel. Howard's were grey. Her nose was tiny, and her lips were pouty, and she just looked nothing like her or her husband, yet she was sure she was her daughter. Then again, she might have had her by another man, but why would Howard kidnap her child, no matter whose she was? Somewhere in the back of her head, she remembered the man who told her about her daughter, and it was crazy that it did not occur to her before, but they looked so much alike. Did she have the child with him? Why couldn’t she remember anything about her own daughter? It frustrated her to no end.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Robyn asked with her mouth full of the caramel ice cream she wanted.

  “Why aren’t you calling me mommy?” Eva asked in a genuinely hurt tone.

  Robyn swallowed her ice cream and sunk back into her seat, frowning.

  "Why?" Eva asked again and reached forward to grab her hands. "You're my baby, and I'm your mom, so why won't you call me mommy?"

  "You're not my mommy! You're hurting me." Robyn cried as she tried to wring her hands out of Eva's death grip.

  "What do you mean I'm not your mommy? I am! I am!" Eva screamed and tightened her grip, squeezing the girl's hands too tightly.

  "No! Leave me alone!" Robyn screamed back and started crying. People around them started moving toward them.

  "Ma'am, please, you're hurting the girl. Can you leave her alone?" one of the customers in the restaurant said to her, but Eva looked up suddenly with red eyes that looked mad.

  "Get away from us! You will not take my baby away from me!"

  "Sweetie, do you know this woman?" another person said to Robyn, who was bawling at this point. She looked at the person who asked her and shook her head vehemently.

  "No! I don't know her! She's not my mommy!"

  At this point, security had been called because Eva refused to let go of Robyn and was creating a complete scene.

  "Excuse me, ma'am, please step away from the child immediately," the security guard said to her and held one hand on his hip and one in front of him.

  "No! You want to take my baby! I won't let you!" Eva sprung up suddenly and pulled a screaming Robyn to her, trying to run away with her.

  "I'm going to need backup at Domino's," the guard said into his radio. He blocked Eva from escaping and tried to pull Robyn away from her, but the deranged woman dug her teeth into his shoulder. He screamed and pulled away. Another guard arrived, and the two of them managed to pull Robyn away from her, pushing Eva to the ground and restraining her.

  Eva wailed loudly and kept screaming that they wanted to take her child from her. She turned her head to the side and saw Robyn crying to a guard who was trying to comfort her. She could make out that the guard was saying he would call child services for her. Eva screamed like a banshee and wished she had listened to Modric and gone straight home.

  23

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Underground facility, Yamantau

  June 2019

  Avi was the first to make it out of the water, helping the rest out. Dean got out too, and they all just stood around for a minute, dripping wet and tired. Nima looked around them. Where they were was completely different. It was like a grassy field. They had come out from what seemed to be a stream that split the area into two.

  "I think we're out of danger now. We should be out of Yamantau," Nima said as she pulled her hair out of its ponytail to help it dry out.

  "No, I don't think so. We can't be out just yet," Dean said and looked around him, trying to stay hyperaware of his environment.

  "Damn," Boris cussed and pulled off his shirt, placing it over his nose. The others stared at him oddly, then realized that they could smell something arid and toxic as well. They quickly put their wet clothes over their own faces as well.

  From afar, Miles watched them in the nuclear facility with his binoculars. He smiled when he saw that they were protecting themselves a bit by covering their faces. He saw Boris and ground his teeth, wondering if they all knew he was a fake member. Sudden chatter reached his ear. He looked down and saw five soldiers in protective gear walking toward a pit where they dumped radioactive residue. There were two canisters; two of them carried one each, and the fifth took a gun and followed them. Miles looked back at his crew and hoped they got out of the way before they were discovered.

  "Wait, quiet," Kash said suddenly, and they all went mute.

  "What is it—"

  "Shh," he interrupted Avi, who frowned. "Some people are coming. They're close."

  His voice was barely audible because of the wet cloth on his face, but they knew what to do immediately. They all ducked down and crawled on all fours, following Kash. Luckily, the grass hid them, and the dark of the night helped them to stay further hidden.

  They stayed a reasonable distance away and had to hold the wet closer to their faces when the soldiers started to dump the residue to stop themselves from inhaling the fumes.

  At this point, they could see the nuclear facility through which the stream passed right through.

  "We need to get in there," Boris said.

  "Yeah, no shit," Dean responded.

  "And how do you propose we do that? Wave and say, 'Hi, let us into your nuclear facility, we're just tourists'?" Nima said snarkily.

  "No. We'll kill these soldiers and take their gear," Boris said matter of factly.

  "Why are you so eager to kill?" Avi hissed.

  "I don't see you coming up with ideas," he retorted.

  "Shh, they'll hear you!" Kash hissed. "I have an idea that doesn't involve killing anyone. How good are y'all's aim?"

  They gave him deadpan looks that told him all he needed to know.

  "Okay then." He plucked out five reeds and hollowed them out, then cut them into smaller parts. He reached into the small waterproof holster attached to his belt and pulled out five tiny needle-like things.

  "These will knock them out in seconds, but we all need to fire at the same time, so they don't alert anyone."

  "You had these the whole time?" Dean asked, surprised.

  "Yeah, in case of emergencies," he responded with a cocky grin.

  Then each of them took a reed and placed one of the knockout needles on one end and placed the other end in their mouth. Kash raised three fingers then counted down, and they all blew it, none of them missing their marks.

  The five men held their necks, which was the only easily exposed part of their bodies. They assumed it was some bite, but after about five seconds, they all fell to the ground, completely knocked out.

  “Wasn’t that completely cool?” Kash chuckled.

  Avi rolled her eyes. “It was alright.”

  They hopped out of their hiding place and walked up to where the soldiers were, holding their breath against the terrible fumes. They dragged the soldiers deep into the grass and removed their gear and gas masks, wearing them themselves, then headed into the facility. Boris wanted to carry the gun, but Dean grabbed it, and they made quick eye contact. Kash saw the exchange and could not blame Dean. He didn't trust Boris either.

  They carried the canisters and walked silently. It was just their luck that there were only five soldiers present, but they were all men, so it was a risk for Avi and Nima to be there, but the guards and so
ldiers at the facility entrance paid them no mind at all, and they were able to get into the building without a hitch.

  As soon as they got in, they ducked to the side and followed Boris to an unguarded part. They took off the protective clothes but kept the gas masks just in case.

  "What now?" Avi asked.

  "When will Miles get back?" Nima added, and a conversation started. Boris used their discussion as a cover and quickly turned to a different corner without anyone noticing. Kash groaned in frustration. He caught a glimpse of Boris at an open window. His distrust of the Bulgarian grew by the minute. He cursed Miles silently for getting them in that situation and then leaving them to it.

  "Anyone saw that sneaky punk walk into that facility?" Kash’s question seemed more rhetorical than inquiry.

  “I guess we’ll find out,” Dean responded.

  Miles had watched from a higher level as his crew came into the facility. Once again, he was proud of the group of people he had picked. Even Boris was not a bad addition. He followed them quietly and saw when the spy had ditched the rest and followed a different path, so he followed him.

  He started regretting holding out on getting rid of Boris. It was possible that he was on his way to snitch to his superiors and get them all killed, but then again, the Russians weren't exactly the most forgiving type, and they probably would kill him as well. Indeed, Boris was well aware of this.

  Miles watched him stand flat behind a wall until someone left a room, then he entered the room. He waited for a minute, then climbed down and pushed the door open slightly to see what the man was up to.

  "You don't have to stay hidden anymore," Boris said as he clicked away at a computer. Miles froze for a second, not giving himself away. Boris sighed and clicked a final key which was followed by the whirring sound of a machine. He walked over to a printer and grabbed the paper that came out of it.

  "Miles?" a loud voice came from behind him.

  He turned around and saw his crew member, who was openly gaping at him. Kash was the one who had exclaimed.

  "Well, well, if it isn't the leader who barely did any leading," Avi said and folded her arms to glare at him.

  Miles chuckled slightly and scratched the back of his head. "I've been watching you guys."

  "Watching us?" Nima said. "That was not what we agreed on, and—"

  "Guys, guys. Let's deal with that later." Dean stepped in and stepped forward to push the door properly open. "Where is Boris?"

  "I'm right here," he answered, standing right in the middle of what seemed like an operations room. He smiled slightly at them, but they did not return the smile.

  "Why did you leave us to come here? And who exactly are you?" Dean demanded.

  "I'm Boris, as you know. Although I'll admit, I'm no tour guide."

  "Oh really? You totally had us fooled," Kash replied sarcastically.

  "I came here to print out something secret from the USSR server."

  "The USSR? That no longer exists," Nima said, but Boris just scoffed in response.

  "What I want is the Mehzgorye, and I have to get to the other side to get it."

  "You're out of luck. It's not a thing. It's a person," Miles said and folded his arms, surprised at why the spy followed them to that point.

  "No. You're mistaken. The city is beyond this facility. There's a wall, and I know I can find the Mehzgorye there. I've been here long enough, trying to find the perfect opportunity, and you have all helped me with it."

  "Without our knowledge!" Avi exclaimed, feeling irritated and used.

  "I know. I apologize," he said genuinely, and they all just stared at themselves for a while, unsure of what to say next.

  "The deity your employer wanted might be beyond the wall. We'll never know if we don't go and check. Won't you come with me?" Boris said to Miles, who just stared at him blankly.

  "I guess we'll never know then because I've seen all the Mehzgorye that I need in my lifetime." His response made them fall into more silence.

  "For a minute, I thought that you and Miles were working together or something," Kash said a couple of minutes later, with a slight chuckle.

  "Working together?" Miles said incredulously, then chuckled and patted Kash's shoulder. "Come on. We were in the same places for years. Where do you think I'd know a Russian spy from?"

  Kash shrugged his hand off and glared at him.

  "You tell me, con man. Don't forget—I'm still mad at you for leaving us stranded and shit. Like, I know you wouldn't forget to take all the equipment you need, and I sure as hell know that you wouldn't lose rock-paper-scissors to Dean here, so you've got some explaining to do. But we'll get to that later."

  Miles scratched the back of his head again and cleared his throat nervously, not totally surprised that they had him figured out already.

  “I can’t wait to get back to the world out there,” Nima said, referring to her home and what the future had for her. “Why don’t you come along with us, Boris, or does the cave call you to its heart?”

  Boris stared long at her before he replied, “Not everyone goes home at dusk, Nima. For some of us, the shift just began, and we have to work through the night.”

  Nima gave him a blank stare before she turned to Miles for an explanation. He folded his arms across his chest and shrugged his shoulders.

  “I had a niece who was about the most adorable and sweetest person I have had the good fortune to meet in my life,” Boris continued. “Everyone was delighted when we learned she was pregnant. I could be one tough uncle, but you know the thought of protecting another little one and all that. She wanted to see the Ural Mountains, as it was on her bucket list, and she wanted to relish the experience before the baby came along. She worried she might not get to go on such a long trip after she gave birth because she did not want to be too far from her baby. She spoke to me about it, and I…” His voice broke off at this point, and he pursed his lips to hold back his emotions.

  “I told her it was a wonderful idea. I told her not to let anything hold her back from having all the good fun she wanted. To show her how much I wanted her to be happy, I paid for her return ticket and gave it to her as a surprise. She was elated beyond words.” Boris sighed deeply.

  Miles exchanged glances with Dean. They waited for him to continue his story.

  “She came to the Ural Mountains, where she had planned to spend a week. She called her parents, often filling them in with the wonderful news of her adventures. Then the calls stopped coming in. My niece was never one to stay for long without getting across to her parents on the phone. At first, her parents did not worry because they thought that, being in such a remote place, it would not be easy to communicate all the time. Two days went by, and no one heard from her. By the third day, her parents began to panic. They called the traveling company, but nobody had seen or heard from her. She seemed to have disappeared without a trace.”

  Avi opened her mouth to say something but the words stuck in her throat. Her face was contorted with so much pity for the lost girl, but there were still many questions left unanswered.

  Boris stared at the floor, as if the answers were there. He was reliving the agony of his niece’s loss. Perhaps he was blaming himself all over again for letting her go on that trip.

  “Her disappearance was reported to the local authorities, and they searched for her. They did the best they could, but they could not find her. It was hard to believe that she had disappeared without a trace. My brother sent in detectives to look for her. It was learned that several other tourists could come into the mountains and disappeared just the way she did. Of course, the tourist websites did not report this, and the local authorities often assumed they had wandered too far or turned back on their own at some point. I have a strong conviction that I will find her. I can’t stop blaming myself for encouraging her to go to the Ural Mountains.”

  “You realize that once you get beyond those walls, you might never come back?” Miles said.

  Boris nodded
thoughtfully. “I made a promise, and I’m going to keep it.” He brought out three sculpted images of the Slavian deities from a leather bag he carried. “You can give these back to Howard. My family never had any use of them.”

  There was a lurking emotion in his eyes that showed he knew the chance of finding his niece was slim.

  The screams and sound broke the silence of running feet.

  "I think they've found us. We have to get moving," Nima said.

  Miles grabbed his binoculars to get a better view of what exactly was going on. About a dozen or more soldiers were running after a boy. The boy's speed was every sprinter's dream, but the soldiers seemed to be closing in on him.

  "They aren't after us. Someone is trying to escape from the monastery," Miles informed them.

  "Then he's certainly in trouble. We have to do something before they get to him," Nima suggested.

  "It's risky, and there isn't much we can do for him."

  "Well, whatever happened to our glorified hero? Are you going to watch a poor boy lose his life to those jerks?"

  "Nima, getting us out there is a very dangerous idea. The boy would end up getting killed anyway," Miles explained.

  "If you are just going to stand there and watch, fine. As a trained marine, I would do everything to save a person in danger," Nima snapped.

  "As a trained marine, you would have the sense to determine when to act and when to lay low."

  Nima was out of earshot. She was already making her way to rescue the boy.

  The soldiers could not keep up with the escaping boy, and it seemed they had given up on him. He made a run for the last lap. If he could scale through, he'd finally be in a safe place where his assailants would never reach him.

  A shot rang through the air, sending the death knell straight through him. He stopped suddenly in his tracks. Another shot sent the finisher through his skull, and he dropped to his knees.

  Nima stared in shock as she saw his brain spill down the side of his face. The apprentice monk fell to the ground. The sound of approaching footsteps brought her out of her frozen state, and she stealthily made her way back to the group.