King's Crusade (Seventeen)

by Starrling, AD

  Carrington studied her wounds with a low whistle. ‘God, Alexa, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this banged up.’ He grabbed a steel hip flask from the trunk of the vehicle and tossed it at her. ‘Here, drink up.’

  She opened the cap of the container, got a whiff of strong spirits, and downed a mouthful of the liquid. Heat flooded her throat and spread flaming trails through her body. She took another mouthful as Carrington started to clean the worse of her injuries.

  ‘What happened?’ asked Reznak.

  Alexa glanced at the suture kit that one of the Hunters had just opened. ‘Jackson found the tombs,’ she said steadily. ‘They were in one of the goods wagons on the train. Kronos surprised us when we were trying to get out of the carriage.’ She barely felt the needle when it pierced her cold skin. ‘He’s still on the train. As is Yonten.’

  The only thing keeping her from losing her composure was the knowledge that the monk would protect Jackson. Of course, neither of them was bulletproof, but she had yet to see a single shot get close to striking the Asian man in the battles they had fought together thus far.

  Reznak muttered an expletive in Czech. ‘The rest of our team are more than an hour out,’ he said at her quizzical expression. ‘And we have no idea where the train’s gone. Eva was unable to analyze the satellite images over this part of the plains.’

  Alexa handed him the piece of paper with the Cartesian coordinates. ‘Jackson found this in Istanbul. The point of origin must be Perm,’ she said curtly.

  Five minutes later, they were staring at a dot on a map on Reznak’s laptop. ‘That’s 180 miles northeast of here,’ he said thoughtfully. He studied the craggy terrain around the target. ‘It’s in the Ural Mountains.’

  Strength was steadily flowing back into Alexa’s limbs. The pain that stabbed through her body had turned into a dull ache; her wounds were already healing. ‘They needed the diesel locomotive to reach their final destination,’ she said as she stepped into a spare snowsuit. ‘They must be using sections of non-electrified tracks to get there.’

  Reznak turned to one of the Hunters. ‘Give the guys who’re joining us the new coordinates. We’ll meet them there.’ His gaze shifted to the snow-covered railway line next to the vehicles. ‘Let’s go.’

  They drove alongside the tracks for eighty miles before turning to follow a branch line that veered north by northeast into the wooded wilderness. Although the freezing winds that howled across the plains eased slightly, there was no respite from the steady snowfall.

  Boreal forests draped in heavy white blankets rose around them as they headed through the foothills toward the soaring peaks of the Urals. Apart from the empty tracks and the occasional power cable, they saw no signs of civilization.

  The snowstorm finally abated around five thirty. At six in the evening, a signpost appeared in the beams of their headlights. They rolled to a stop next to it and studied the Russian wording under the coating of ice and snow.

  ‘“Danger. Mining area ahead. Trespassers will be prosecuted”,’ translated Carrington. He glanced at the computer screen on her lap.

  They were four miles from their target.

  ‘We go on foot from here,’ said Alexa coldly.

  The excitement of the impending hunt sent a burst of adrenaline through her veins. Injuries long forgotten, her muscles tightened in readiness for battle.

  In her long, immortal life, she had never wanted a fight as much as she wanted this one.

  Reznak spoke to the team leader of the forty Crovir Hunters waiting for his instructions ten miles northwest of their position. With the blizzard finally easing, Eva had managed to beam some useful satellite pictures their way.

  ‘Your target is in the mountain ahead. To reach it, you will have to go through a narrow valley,’ said the AI smoothly over the laptop speakers.

  Alexa studied the infrared images on the display. ‘Can you see any structures that look like buildings?’

  ‘No. There are no visible signs of human habitation above the tree line,’ said Eva. ‘The rail tracks follow the banks of a river to the south face of the mountain at the head of the valley. Apart from some evidence of animal life, the area appears deserted.’

  ‘What’s below the mountain?’ asked Alexa.

  Static came across the speakers while the AI communicated with the Crovir satellite network. ‘Interestingly enough, the ground-penetrating radar is showing impressions of a vast network of underground caves and tunnels,’ said Eva moments later. ‘The first two levels seem to be supported by reinforced concrete. The underlying rock appears to be limestone. I cannot tell you how deep the complex is.’

  ‘Are the caves man-made structures?’ said Reznak.

  ‘It is difficult to ascertain this with absolutely certainty,’ said Eva. ‘Some look like natural formations. Others have a more traditional, symmetric design.’

  ‘Can you access any computer network in the area?’ said Alexa.

  ‘No,’ said Eva. ‘But I am detecting underground power cables running into the mountain.’

  Moments later, they finished gearing up, parked the vehicles under the cover of the trees, and headed into the forest on foot.

  Apart from the occasional thud of snow falling from the laden branches and the faint crunch of their steps in the white drifts that covered the rising land, the silence around them was complete. The wind soon died down.

  Alexa stared through the overhead canopy. Stars appeared in the clearing skies above, diamond-bright in the darkness.

  She would have preferred the cover of the blizzard for their assault.

  The sound of rushing water finally broke the stillness of the night. A mile after they started out, they came to the confluence of two rivers hedged by the conifer forests. A low bridge carried the rail tracks over the shallow rapids.

  They crossed the waterway a hundred feet down from the overpass.

  The gradient increased steeply when they reached the mouth of the valley. Shadowy slopes rose on either side of the thinning river, great blocks of rock that blotted out the stars. The rail line followed the curve of the canyon toward the north.

  Fifteen minutes later, Alexa stopped abruptly and put a hand up to signal the others to halt.

  An owl hooted in the unearthly hush that shrouded the forested inclines.

  She studied the pile of snow next to a tree, crouched down, and gently cleared the base with a gloved hand. A small, black, metallic device strapped to the trunk was exposed.

  They stared at the sensor through their night vision goggles.

  ‘Tell the rest of the team that there’s a wireless, infrared, perimeter intrusion system within one and a half miles of the target,’ said Alexa to one of the Crovir Hunters, her gaze shifting to the gloom ahead. The immortal nodded and spoke quietly into the microphone transmitter on the hood of his snowsuit.

  They covered the remaining ground carefully, their progress hampered by their search for more hidden sensors. They had travelled another two thousand feet when Carrington picked out the flare of a cigarette in the darkness. They froze behind the trees and studied the camouflaged watchtower on the slope to their left.

  A pair of figures stood at the top of the wood and metal structure. The low mutter of conversation floated down toward them. Ten seconds passed before one of the Crovir Hunters spotted the second tower to the right.

  ‘Should we eliminate them?’ the immortal murmured.

  ‘No,’ replied Alexa. She stared at the armed guards atop the structure. ‘They might sound an alarm. We should use the element of surprise to our advantage as long as we possibly can.’

  The land grew more barren the deeper they ventured into the valley. The grassy slopes and trees were soon replaced by loose rocks and towering boulders. The river became a stream. Eighty minutes after leavin
g the four-by-fours, they finally arrived at the head of the gorge.

  The tree line ended abruptly some three hundred feet from the base of a giant cliff. Water gleamed against the dark surface as it rushed down from the peaks above to form a shallow creek.

  They stopped in the shadows under a copse and studied the terrain. Irregular protrusions rose from the snow-covered ground in front of the elevation. Alexa stared at the tree stumps. Whatever vegetation had survived the harsh conditions of the mountains had been deliberately felled to expose the ground.

  She stared at the south face of the mountain. To the untrained eye, the rail tracks appeared to run straight into the rock. It took but a few seconds for her to make out the outline of a cleverly disguised tunnel in the cliff face. The giant, gray metal doors under the camouflage netting looked large enough to admit a freight train.

  Another pair of watchtowers stood under the bluff at the extremities of the canyon.

  ‘They’ll have security cameras covering this area,’ said Alexa in a low voice.

  ‘How can you be so sure?’ asked the team leader of the Hunters. He glanced at her with a frown. ‘I can’t see anything through the IR goggles.’

  ‘Because I would have them,’ she replied curtly.

  ‘I agree,’ muttered Reznak.

  ‘Eva, can you see anything that resembles manhole covers or ventilation shafts close to our position?’ said Alexa into the microphone transmitter.

  ‘There is a small segment of ground close to the cliff wall on your left that has a slightly enhanced heat signal from the rest of the land,’ the AI replied after several seconds. ‘I can detect three more similar areas within a four-hundred-foot radius of the mountain face.’

  ‘Good. Let the other Crovir Hunters know their locations,’ said Alexa.

  ‘I will,’ said Eva. As they turned to head toward the sector the AI had indicated, she came back on the line. ‘Alexa, I am detecting movement behind you.’

  They dropped to the ground behind the cover of the trees, weapons in hand.

  ‘I’ve just received a communication from Banks,’ said Eva in her ear. ‘It’s Frank Schmidt. He said he was bringing some friends.’

  Alexa slowly rose to her feet. Shapes shifted in the shadows under the branches. She took the night vision goggles off and stared at the tall figure climbing the incline toward her.

  The man stopped a few feet away and pulled down the ski mask covering his lower face.

  ‘Hi, Alexa,’ said Schmidt. He acknowledged the Hunters next to her with a nod.

  They looked as surprised at his presence as she felt.

  Carrington stared at the group of ten men behind the immortal. ‘Hey, what the hell is this, a freaking picnic?’ he muttered to Schmidt.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ asked Reznak coolly. ‘Did the Council send you with the other Hunters?’

  ‘No,’ said Alexa before Schmidt could reply. She studied the silent figures behind the immortal. Her gaze shifted to the Crovir Hunter’s face. ‘You brought the Freemasons with you.’

  Schmidt nodded as shocked gasps rose around them. ‘I helped them negotiate an agreement with our First Council. In exchange for not causing a stink about the incident in London, they have been allowed in on this mission.’ He shrugged. ‘Since one of their most prized possessions is currently in the hands of this sect, they wanted in on the action.’

  ‘Are you here in your capacity as a Crovir Hunter or a Freemason?’ Reznak asked, his tone still guarded.

  Schmidt smiled wryly. ‘Since this directive doesn’t cause any conflict between my two roles, I’ve come as both.’ He peered closely at Alexa. ‘What happened to you?’

  ‘It’s a long story,’ she said.

  They spent a minute coordinating their next move with the rest of the Crovir Hunters and the second team of Freemasons heading up the valley, before proceeding toward the area that Eva had pointed out.

  Alexa used the butt of a Sig to tap the snow-covered ground gently. A dull metallic ring erupted from under the gun seconds later.

  They dug at the frozen soil and loose gravel with their gloved hands until they uncovered a square metal plate.

  She glanced at Carrington. He nodded. Reznak, Schmidt, and the other men raised their guns to cover them as they carefully lifted the hatch.

  An unlit well appeared below. Metal rungs descended into the gloom.

  Alexa took the lead and headed down into the darkness.

  Chapter Thirty

  Twenty-five feet below ground, she stepped carefully onto the floor of a narrow tunnel. She aimed the Sigs at the empty ends of the passage while the men joined her.

  A low ceiling rose above them. Dim wall lights shed a muted glow on bare concrete. Alexa studied the thin accumulation of dead plant debris and water on the ground at her feet thoughtfully.

  ‘Is this a storm drain?’ asked Carrington in a low voice.

  ‘No,’ said Alexa. ‘It’s an emergency exit.’ She turned and headed north along the tunnel.

  A junction appeared after a hundred and fifty feet. The tunnel split into two branches, the first continuing north, the other veering east. She took Schmidt and a group of Hunters and Freemasons along the second channel. Reznak continued down the first one with Carrington and the rest of the men.

  A minute later, the passage began to rise. Alexa moved cautiously up the shallow incline. A low din gradually grew in the distance. Occasional shouts punctuated the solid rumble of background noise. The shadows ahead faded as another source of light entered the tunnel. The slope leveled out.

  Alexa stopped abruptly and pulled back into the shadows. The men flattened themselves against the wall behind her. Schmidt peered over her head.

  An opening lay ten feet in front of her. Beyond it was a wide platform that looked down on a set of rail tracks; the freight train that had departed Perm several hours ago stood on them.

  A pair of dark-clad figures armed with guns moved hurriedly past the mouth of the passage. A forklift trundled slowly behind them, lights flashing above its cabin and an audible alarm sounding from a speaker box; two of the crates Kronos had loaded onto the train sat on its forks.

  Alexa stripped out of her snow gear, checked the suppressors on the ends of the Sigs, and adjusted the body holster holding her sais and the ammunition belts around her waist and thighs. Schmidt stared at the bandages across her abdomen with a grimace before removing his own snowsuit.

  She wrapped the end of her discarded parka around her fist and quietly smashed one of the lights on the wall. The tunnel grew darker, almost doubling their cover.

  Alexa inched to the edge of the opening and looked out. She froze when she got her first full view of the space around the platform.

  The tunnel that carried the tracks through the cliff lay on her right. A hundred feet after passing the metal doors that concealed its entrance from the outside world, it entered a cavernous space inside the mountain. The chamber was about the width of a football field and twice the length. Floodlights dotted a vaulted, rock ceiling thirty feet above the ground. A second platform rose on the other side of the tracks and joined with the first one at the north end of the cavern, where the walls opened up to accommodate a large staging area packed high with pallets of crates and containers. A second tunnel lined with concrete walls opened at the north face of the cave, its distant end curving around and down a shallow slope.

  Alexa could see other openings in the walls of the cavern. Guards armed with submachine guns dotted the platforms.

  ‘What’s with all those boxes?’ muttered Schmidt in her ear, his gaze fixed on the extensive stockpile on the staging area. ‘What the hell are they planning?’

  ‘The end of the world,’ she said in a low voice.

  Alexa’s gaze returned to the livestock wagon
that had held the tombs. She scanned the platform quickly, darted to the tracks, and dropped into the narrow gap underneath the train. She started to move toward the damaged carriage.

  Schmidt landed behind her a second later, followed by half of the Hunters and Freemasons. ‘What are you doing?’ he hissed.

  ‘I need to check something,’ she replied.

  She reached the wagon, moved under the metal coupling, and peered over the edge of a jagged piece of singed timber. Half of the carriage’s east wall was missing; the bomb had completely destroyed the stall she had been in. She stared at the opposite wall and breathed a small sigh of relief. The second stall stood relatively intact.

  The chains that had secured the tombs inside the wagon lay coiled on the empty floor.

  ‘What happened here?’ whispered Schmidt. His eyes widened and he glanced at the bandages at her midriff. ‘Is that how you got hurt?’

  Alexa did not reply. She was staring at the mouth of a tunnel on the east wall of the cavern, directly opposite the damaged carriage. A familiar shape had just flashed past in the passage beyond.

  Two guards approached from the north end of the cave. She sank into the shadows beneath the train. The pair walked past, oblivious to their presence a few feet away.

  Alexa climbed onto the platform and raced low over the ground to the opening across the way. Schmidt and the others followed in her footsteps.

  An intersection appeared some twenty feet inside the concrete tunnel. Seconds before she reached it, a dark figure came into view around the corner from the left.

  Alexa shot the man before he could shout out a warning. The bullet struck him between the eyes with a muffled thud. As he slumped against the wall, a second figure appeared behind him. She shifted her arm to fire again. Her finger froze on the trigger when he suddenly collapsed.

  She stared at the apparition who had administered the blow to the now unconscious man. ‘Yonten,’ she said in acknowledgement.