“Hurry and wait, hurry and wait… There must be a better way.”
“In archeology,” Corbett replied, “patience is the last virtue they ask you to give up.”
“Really…?” she smiled holding his gaze. “I’ll have to think about that.”
Skirting the equipment containers waiting to be lowered into the cave below, Corbett stopped at the water cooler which had been set up beside the winch. Taking a paper cup, he was filling it when he heard voices coming from his right. Sebastian was speaking with two student volunteers, a somewhat overweight young woman named Jennet and a young man of Greek descent named Nestor. Stepping closer, he could see them huddling around the initial excavation of a shallow pit. Perhaps two meters square and several millimeters deep, it stood beneath the reddish outline of a human hand impressed upon the limestone wall. Intrigued, Corbett dropped to a knee beside Sebastian.
“What have we got here…?” he asked.
“Muy interesante,” Sebastian replied. “Look at this. Yesterday, Nestor noticed it.” Sebastian turned, allowing his LED light to play across the silhouette of a hand in dark crimson.
“Some sort of marker,” Corbett noted.
“Which is why, as I mentioned, we decided it might be worth a closer look. And bueno, this morning we already have begun to uncover what promises to be a fully preserved skull.” He held up a trowel and a long-bristled brush. “Jennet has started sifting through the detritus. But we will need more help.”
The young woman called Jennet stood at the forensic sifting screen diligently examining what had been removed so far. “Everything takes time. We must be very methodical. Labor intensive, but critical.”
“Tomorrow,” Corbett agreed. “I’ll make sure you get one of the laborers from the village to help.” Looking closer, he stared at the petrified cranium being exposed in the rock, its lower jaw still imbedded beneath the surface.
“Male or female…?” Corbett mused.
“We shall see,” Sebastian replied. “But what we have uncovered so far is excelente – wonderfully preserved.”
“Nice work. Keep at it.” Corbett rose and stood staring past the sifting screen, his eyes tracing something along the cave wall.
“Something else…?” Sebastian questioned, his eyes following the same line of descent.
“Just thinking,” Corbett replied. “A cave like this, with a shelf of rock so near the mouth… No reason to go deeper unless…”
“Unless…”
“They found some way down… at least to where we found the wall paintings. 30,000 years ago, there would have been no other option. They must have had a way.”
Directing the light from his helmet ahead of them, Corbett moved to the far edge of the rock shelf as Sebastian followed. A rough natural rock pathway descended into the darkness following the contour of the cave wall. Irregular, it was perhaps a meter wide.
“An excellent observation, Michael,” Sebastian agreed.
“Maybe tomorrow we can have someone check it out.”
Abruptly, the rhythmic hum of a generator intruded upon the quiet of the cave as the LED work lights suddenly came to life, illuminating the entire upper cavern.
Sebastian smiled broadly. “And let there be light.” Behind them, Jennet and Nestor laughed and looked around them as Hector stepped from beyond the field generator out of the darkness. Spreading his arms, he looked at Corbett and Sebastian with a triumphant grin.
“Hola…! Can I cook or what…?”
“Magnifico…!” Sebastian exulted.
“Okay, everybody. Let’s move this equipment.” Corbett stepped to the lift. Organizing the students into a work party, he felt a rush of excitement as they began to load the Laser Scanner onto the elevator. Things were finally beginning to take shape.
TWENTY
D escending in the cage, Corbett watched the shifting shadow patterns as they played across the rock surface of the cavern. What had prompted Early Man, he wondered, to make his way into the dark recesses of the cave not knowing what dangers might lurk below? Was it idle curiosity? Or perhaps something more urgent? Were they in search of new frontiers or simply fleeing some real and present danger pursuing them from above? Perhaps the cave had been some sort of sanctuary. Sacred ground. Or was it simply the final refuge of a Neolithic clan of cave dwellers, desperate and alone on the edge of extinction? And what terrifying force could have driven them to seek shelter so far from the sunlight in this dark redoubt?
It had taken them the rest of the day to load in and set up the equipment. Between establishing the lighting grid, setting up and calibrating the Laser Scanner and transporting Ella’s three oversized aluminum photographic equipment cases down into the chamber beyond, Corbett had worked tirelessly overseeing every detail. At the same time, in the back of his mind, he still wondered when he would hear from Reed.
His thoughts turned to Tariq. The irony of being recruited to exfiltrate his once best friend despite what had happened between them still weighed upon his mind. Amaia’s face crowded his subconscious, triggering more memories only half suppressed. Her fierce sensual independence. Her cries of naked abandon. Her nails raking his shoulder blades the first time they had ever made love. Pleasure and pain braided together in an endless loop.
Looking back and attempting to dispassionately assess the damage, as if that were even remotely possible, he was forced to admit, at least to himself, that love had never really entered into the equation. The entire affair with Amaia had been purely carnal right from the start. Sex – raw, predatory, take no prisoners sex. It was as if some kindred longing had been lurking within each of them, a dormant sexual lust waiting to be released. That first encounter on the floor of her flat had left them both spent and besotted. Even then, if he were being honest, he had known it could never last. And yet, he had not been able stop himself.
When Langley had recruited him, sending him back to the States for a prolonged period of training, he had had mixed emotions. Perhaps it was a sign, he thought. A way of breaking off their mutually destructive obsessions while minimizing the collateral damage. If they felt the same way about each other when he returned, then it was meant to be. If not… he hesitated shaking his head. If not, indeed…
With a sudden jolt, the lift reached the floor of the first chamber and came to a halt. Stepping out, Corbett started to turn back toward where Karim and Roberto were setting up the 3D Laser Scanner when he heard Ella’s voice.
“Michael…?” she smiled calling his name as he turned. His LED light found her waiting in the dark. “Glad I caught you. Do you have a minute? I could really use a hand.”
“Problem…?”
“Not really a problem. I just need your help setting up the lighting and positioning the tripod.”
“Let me get you one of the student volunteers.”
“Actually, it will only take a sec.” And without waiting for his reply, she turned and started back the way she had come. Corbett followed.
Despite his better instincts, he found himself staring after her. Her jeans clung to her body and left little – or perhaps too much – to the imagination as she moved quickly over the flowstone floor of the cave. Just ahead, they passed out of the main chamber and entered the second. He could see the aluminum cases had been laid open, revealing an array of photographic equipment. They rested on a pair of large heavy-duty furniture pads, providing protection from the rough rock floor. The camera, a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, a full frame digital single lens reflex, was secured on a tripod directly before the massive cave painting. All that remained was to properly position the lights standing to either side for maximum effect.
Stopping beside the camera, Ella turned back. She was wearing a dark thermal top that accentuated the lines of her trim figure beneath. Corbett did his best not to notice.
“It’s a two-person job,” she said, indicating the camera. “One to set lights and one to look through the viewfinder. You take the lights and I’ll take the camera.”
“Sounds good,” he nodded, stepping to the left hand nine-light panel. “Tell me when.”
As he gradually adjusted the lights, she bent forward to look through the viewfinder.
“How’s it looking…?” he asked.
“Hold it right…” she moved the tripod a fraction to the left. “There. Now let’s try the right side.”
As Corbett moved to the opposite side and quickly adjusted the second panel, Ella stepped out from behind the camera and took out her light meter. Moving to the rock paintings, she double-checked the exposure, making certain the light was balanced and evenly distributed across the entire granite surface. Then returning to the camera, she set the f-stop.
“And that’s it. Thanks…,” she said, then teasing: “I like a man who can take direction.”
“Glad to help. Why don’t I send you an assistant…?”
“Not necessary. Once I’m set up, I’d really prefer working alone. Besides, I have my music.” She indicated the MP3 player secured in a case attached to a belt around her waist.
“I’ll leave you to it then.”
“Wait… I didn’t mean you had to leave…” she added, immediately regretting the almost needy tone of her voice. But Corbett was already on the move. She called after him, “You can come back anytime.”
“Thanks, I will. But for right now, I’ve got to make sure our boys have the Laser Scanner up and running.”
Watching the silhouette created by the halo of his LED light as he retraced his steps back along the rock wall in the direction of the main chamber, she smiled. As he disappeared from sight, Ella suddenly found herself thinking about his joke and now their kiss. The memory of what had happened between them earlier that morning when she had come into his tent still lingered. The taste of his lips. The touch of his body. Even so, she decided that the next move would have to be his. Either it was meant to be or she would have to let it go. Forcing the thought of him from of her mind, she returned to her camera. Switching on her MP3 and inserting her earbuds, she allowed the majesty of Beethoven’s Seventh to sweep her away as she began setting up her first shot.
*****
Having completed his midday prayers, Jarral arose, rolled up his prayer rug and moved to join the others. Buttar and another Jihadi named Fahad sat cross-legged together with nearly a dozen others forming a circle. Some cleaned their weapons. Others mended their clothes as they debated what must be done. Stepping into the circle across from Buttar and Fahad, Jarral crossed his legs as well and lowered himself into a sitting position.
Always impatient, Buttar was again lobbying the others that the time had come for them to return to the village. There, they must seek out the woman doctor, force her to lead them to Tariq and return with his head.
“This doctor. In the village, they say she is Tariq’s whore.”
“She has a child,” Fahad cautioned.
“What difference? Threaten her child and you loosen her tongue.”
“Allah does not deliberately make war upon innocent women and children.” Jarral interjected.
“And what makes you think they are innocent?” Buttar replied. His voice had an edge. “Are they not Infidels? In Iraq and Syria, how many innocent children have died at the hands of the Crusaders? Let them feel our pain.”
“So they will,” Jarral countered. “But remember, we have an informer among them. When Tariq returns, we will know. To act sooner risks everything.”
“An informer?” Buttar said derisively. “Where was this ‘informer’ the last time when Tariq came and we allowed him to escape? If Noor hadn’t spotted the van from the clinic driving up the road, we never would have known.”
“And what did it get us?,” Fahad countered. “Tariq still lives while Raza and Akif are dead.”
“The time to act is now,” Buttar repeated. “Blood for blood. May Allah be praised.”
Nodding toward another man, Hamza, sat tinkering with a digital video camera, Jarral tried again. “Tariq’s death must be recorded and posted on the Internet for all to see. Allah has made us His messenger. We must not fail Him.”
But Buttar could not be placated. Jarral knew that the time for such arguments was growing short. Far brighter than the others, Buttar had studied to be a doctor. He had fought in Syria and seen first-hand the ravages of war. Now he wanted to make the Infidels pay with their own blood. And while Jarral shared that desire, he also understood God’s greater plan and felt compelled to stay the course. Had not the Prophet commanded discipline in all things? The time would come soon enough. Silently he began to pray to Allah for deliverance.
*****
Making his way through the cavern from the secondary chamber below, Corbett could see Karim and Roberto fully absorbed in every detail as they carefully set up the Riegel LMS-Z4201 3D Terrestrial Laser Scanner in preparation for mapping the upper chamber. As he drew closer, he could see the large Laser head mounted atop a heavy-duty five-foot surveyor’s tripod. Eighteen inches tall and weighing roughly 35 pounds, it reminded him of something out of Star Wars.
“How’s that Laser coming?” Corbett asked as he reached their position.
“Tell you in a second,” Roberto answered. “As soon as Karim finishes double-checking the high-resolution head.”
“And how many individual positions will we need in order to capture the entire upper chamber?” Corbett moved closer.
“We’re hoping for at least twenty, perhaps more,” the young Spaniard answered. “By triangulating the surface from multiple positions, we should be able to marry the digital data to arrive at a comprehensive portrait of the complete upper section.”
“How long will that take?”
“Hard to say,” Roberto shrugged. “Several weeks. But once we have recorded and archived all of the data, it will be… how do you say…? Bob’s the uncle.” Roberto grinned.
“Right,” Corbett couldn’t help but smile at the young man’s mangled syntax.
“That should do it,” Karim announced, stepping back from the scanner and moving to the computer. Corbett watched him as he typed a series of commands. What was it about this British Pakistani that bothered him he wondered. Something he could not quite put his finger on. Suddenly, the Laser produced three narrow intensely focused beams of red light, projecting them high on the cave wall.
“Perfecto…!” Roberto laughed excitedly. “Showtime!”
As pulsating laser beams began to sweep across the interior surface of the upper chamber, Roberto turned to Corbett, his face alight with joy. Giving Corbett a high five, he began to dance.
“Like the Rolling Stones…!” Roberto exulted. “I can’t get no…” His voice warbled off-key “…sat-is-fac-tion…!”
Clearly embarrassed by his partner’s exuberant display, Karim averted his gaze, continuing to busy himself with the computer.
Corbett shook his head. “Just don’t forget to save the data,” he reminded Roberto with a grin as he turned and moved to the lift. “If you need me, I’ll be up top working with Sebastian.”
Entering the wire cage of the lift, he hit the control button. With a lurch, the cage began to climb.
TWENTY-ONE
A s the lift reached the surface, Corbett could hear Sebastian’s voice coming from beyond the water cooler. Although he could not make out the exact words, he managed to catch the phrase: “Hay dos cabezas…”
The cage jolted to a halt. The late afternoon sun filtered through the entrance, creating an aura of light. Stepping out, Corbett moved toward the voices. Sebastian was kneeling beside the shallow pit to the left of the sifting screen as Nestor and Jennet crouched looking over his shoulder. However, where earlier there had been a single petrified skull, now a second cranium had begun to emerge. But unlike the first, this skull showed evidence of splintering as if it had been struck by a blunt object, leaving an irregular shaped cavity just below the temple.
“A second skull…?” Corbett asked, stepping closer.
“Si, si…” Seba
stian nodded, openly agitated by the new find. “So close together and apparently from the same period. We will need to carbon date them of course. But what an unbelievable find!”
Corbett studied the petrified remains of the twin skulls for a long moment without speaking.
“Their proximity and the obvious splintering of bone just above the jawline of the second cranium suggests some sort of violent confrontation…” he speculated at last.
“Indeed,” Sebastian replied. “My thoughts precisely.”
Kneeling, Corbett pointed to the shape of the initial cranium. “From the shape and size of the first skull, I would say we are dealing with a Neanderthal, probably a male.” He indicated the shape of the forehead. “You can see where the top of the cranium flattens out then descends to a pronounced brow ridge?”
Sebastian nodded in agreement.
“But from the look of the second, despite the obvious bone trauma, there is no evident brow ridge and the brain space would appear to be measurably larger.”
“Cro-Magnon…?” Sebastian wondered aloud. Corbett nodded. “Both lying in the same spot together… Dios mio, I think you might be right. Perhaps some sort of fight to the death. Who can say? But most intriguing.”
“Keep at it,” Corbett said. “You never know what else will turn up. I’ll let Asurias know what you’ve uncovered so far. I’m sure he’ll be excited.”
The Exfiltrator Page 17