The Hades Conspiracy (A Delphi Group Thriller Book 3)

by John Sneeden

  Carmen did likewise. It was too big, but she soon realized that was a good thing. The hood swallowed her head completely.

  “Do you happen to have another shade?” Amanda said. “Gray has never been one of my colors.”

  “Sorry, they’re all out of pink.”

  Carmen’s big concern was the poor access to her weapon. If she needed to use her pistol, it could take several seconds to hitch up the robe and pull it out. And those seconds could be crucial. But if things went as planned, they shouldn’t have to use their guns.

  Emily reached for a robe, but Zane pulled them back. “No, ma’am. You’re staying right here.”

  Amanda turned quickly toward him. “We can’t leave anyone behind.”

  “We’re not going to. Keiko is going to stay with her.”

  “You’re going to need all the help you can get.”

  “What we need is stealth. My plan doesn’t involve taking down their entire security team.”

  “So what is the plan?”

  “We join them. We keep our eyes and ears open, learn what they’re doing. Then after we’ve conducted our due diligence, we’ll move to free our people at the right time and place. And while it’s not our top priority, we’ll also try to get as much information on this underground city as we can, assuming it’s there.”

  “I don’t like the idea of separating. I say we all stick together.” Carmen tugged on the fabric of her robe. “To be honest, I think your plan is brilliant. If we stay covered up, I think we’ll all be safe.”

  “I also believe it would be best to keep the group together, sir,” Keiko said.

  “Let me guess, you already made a few calculations,” Zane said.

  Keiko tilted her head in confusion.

  The painful memory of losing Emily in Venice suddenly filled Carmen’s thoughts. It was one of the worst mistakes of her career, and she was determined to make sure nothing else happened to the girl. Keiko was the best possible protection any of them could have, but she was subject to malfunctions and a drained battery. Right now, the humanoid didn’t have much of a track record in the field.

  Carmen caught Zane’s eye. “I’ll keep Emily with me.”

  Zane stood in silence, churning over his decision. Finally, he met her gaze. “We get even a whiff of trouble, you bring her back here.”

  “Absolutely,” Carmen said. “You have my word.”

  He checked his watch again. “Let’s get moving.”

  After they donned their robes, Zane led the team through the woods and under the motion detector. Instead of passing through the ruins, Zane circled to the left and approached the camp from the end of the road. Carmen was beginning to understand what he had in mind. A few members of the flock were still moving back to the vehicles to collect additional gear, which made it the perfect place to come in.

  As they approached the camp, Zane said, “Keep your hoods down over your face. Don’t look up, and don’t engage anyone in conversation. If someone says something to you, mumble a short response.”

  Carmen looked ahead. The tall man with the gaunt face stood near the entrance, speaking to his flock with a bullhorn. “My people, let us gather together.”

  “Oh, my,” Emily said from under her hood. “That’s him. Viktor, the man who came to my room in Venice.”

  “Make sure you don’t get anywhere close to him,” Zane said.

  Viktor spoke through the bullhorn again. “It’s time for us to enter the sacred place.”

  A minute later, they arrived at the back of the crowd gathered at the tunnel entrance. Carmen settled in next to Zane. The man Emily called Viktor was about twenty yards away. His features seemed even more sallow up close. He smiled, but it seemed forced.

  He pointed to the sky. “Look up, my friends. Evil powers are aligned against us. The tears of our enemy fall down upon us. It’s a sign our time has come.” His lifeless eyes swept the crowd. “Are you ready to lay hold of our destiny?”

  The flock raised their hands in ecstasy, and a great shout went up. Zane lifted his, and the others followed suit.

  “Let us enter!” Viktor shouted.

  The crowd cheered again, this time even louder. They seemed to be whipping themselves into a spiritual frenzy. Carmen imagined most had been brainwashed for years. Zane nudged her gently and nodded to the right. She followed his gaze. A moment later, her eyes rested on a man near Viktor. He wore a toboggan pulled down over half his head, but she recognized him. Roger Lawson. And if he was there, she knew Camilla and Kimberly couldn’t be far away.

  The crowd pressed toward the cave mouth.

  “Remember to stay together,” Zane whispered as they began walking. “If any of you get separated, don’t panic. Wait until we gather inside, then move to the right.”

  “Look.” Amanda tried to point without being obvious.

  Carmen looked up in time to see three men with canvas bags over their heads being shoved through the entrance. The two in the back were definitely Reid and Pratt. So who was the third?

  Carmen saw two guards flanking the cave mouth. Their narrow eyes scanned each person as he or she passed through. Not wanting to take any chances, she lowered her head and kept moving. Amanda and Emily did the same on her left. A few seconds later, they arrived at the tunnel mouth. The members filed in quickly. Most looked anxious to get inside, so Carmen reminded herself to give the same impression.

  As she stepped forward, a strong hand grabbed her arm. “Stop!”

  She flinched and looked up, trying to keep her face concealed as much as possible. The man glowered at her. Did he recognize her? He didn’t look familiar, but perhaps he somehow remembered her from Venice or Menaggio. If so, it was going to be impossible to get her gun in time to defend herself.

  The man nodded at Emily. “One at a time.”

  Carmen let out a sigh of relief. “Sorry.”

  After Emily disappeared into the cave, the man released Carmen’s arm. “Go.”

  Carmen wasted no time in slipping into the tunnel. Emily was just ahead. She seemed to have slowed down in order to let Carmen catch up. While they weren’t going to communicate, the plan was for the entire team to stay within sight of one another.

  A few minutes later, they emerged into a large cavern. The members of the order waved their flashlights across the space. The rocky walls glistened with moisture, probably from the snow seeping through somewhere above. Despite the natural beauty around her, Carmen kept moving. She thought about stealing a glance behind her, but she couldn’t take the risk. She’d just have to hope the others made it in safely.

  The line passed into another tunnel. Emily had just gone in. Carmen entered behind her. It was darker here, and the path sloped sharply downward.

  She took a deep breath then began her descent into the abyss.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  ZANE WALKED THROUGH the cavern, taking in the scene along with everyone else. The two figures he believed to be Carmen and Emily walked about twenty yards ahead. Although he hadn’t looked back, he assumed Keiko and Amanda were somewhere behind him. Earlier, he’d watched the situation at the entrance with a sense of dread and concern. When the guard grabbed Carmen’s arm, Zane had slid a hand under his robe and grasped his pistol. Fortunately, he never had to pull it out. The situation defused, the guard allowed her to enter.

  Zane entered the second tunnel right behind Carmen. The descent was steeper here, with lamps hung at intervals to illuminate the path. If not for the light, he guessed it would be impossible to see more than a few inches, if that.

  It wasn’t hard to see why a map was necessary to navigate the tunnels. The route down was crisscrossed by a maze of tunnels that seemed to diverge in a number of different directions. Not only that, but they all looked the same. Without some sort of tracking device, one could be lost in minutes.

  Coming around a bend, Zane saw Carmen and Emily. A few seconds later, one of them dropped to a knee and adjusted her shoe, allowing Zane to catch up. As he drew
alongside, she stood and walked next to him.

  Carmen’s whispered voice came out of the hood. “Any visual confirmation Keiko and Amanda made it in?”

  “They were behind me as we approached the entrance, so I’m assuming they’re still there.”

  “Just wanted to make sure my little incident didn’t get us all separated.”

  Zane turned slightly toward her. “We’ll confirm their position at the next stop.”

  Carmen nodded as they continued in silence. A few minutes later, Zane noticed an armed guard in the middle of the path, directing everyone to take a right into an intersecting tunnel. Zane, Carmen, and Emily all lowered their heads as they passed. Surprisingly, the path was even steeper here. If it got much steeper, it would be hard to walk.

  After putting some distance between themselves and the guard, Zane whispered, “I’m a bit concerned about oxygen levels.”

  “I think we’ll be fine,” Carmen said. “I’m no expert on caving, but from what little I know, I don’t think it matters how far you are from the surface. I think the danger is getting into areas with high concentrations of carbon dioxide. Besides, I’m guessing they’ve been exploring this place for a while and would know if there were trouble spots.”

  While she was probably right, Zane also knew the order had only received the remainder of the map the night before. That meant the next section of tunnel would encompass unexplored territory. Who knew what dangers might lurk there, including lethal quantities of CO2? In the end, they had no other choice but to continue. Their mission to recover Reid and Pratt meant staying with the group all the way down if necessary.

  Zane still had no idea how he was going to get them back. Right now, the only thing he knew for sure is he wanted to avoid a confrontation at all costs. A team of armed guards surrounded the three hostages. Not only were Zane and Carmen outgunned, but any exchange of fire could result in the deaths of innocents, including the very people they were trying to save.

  Carmen nudged Zane. Bright lights illuminated a section of tunnel just ahead. Two piles of boulders lined each side of the space. As they drew near, Zane also noted two compact excavators parked on the right, and his nostrils detected the scent of cut stone. Apparently, the order had only recently punched through.

  “I’m thinking this may be where our piece of the map begins,” she whispered.

  As if confirming her statement, there were no more hanging lamps past that point, forcing everyone to rely on their own sources of light. Zane pulled out his flashlight and clicked it on. He’d tried not to use it lest he accidentally illuminate his own face, but now he had no choice.

  Emily moved closer. “Sorry, I don’t have a light.”

  Zane was concerned they were communicating too much. Then again, the line of people had spread out as they descended through the caves.

  “Look down,” Carmen said from his left.

  Zane lowered his gaze. Up until this point, the cave floor had been a combination of dirt, rock, and debris. Now they were walking on cut stone tile mortared together like a cobblestone street.

  “Odd that it started here,” Emily said.

  “Maybe it’s been underfoot all along, and we just couldn’t see it. If you think about it, the upper parts of the cave have been exposed to the elements for who knows how long. That means water and wind could blow in tons of dirt and debris over time.” Zane waved his beam around the tile. “Conversely, this part has been sealed, preserving the original floor.”

  Carmen nodded. “It may not look much different than it did several thousand years ago.”

  Emily held a finger to her lips, indicating they should remain quiet.

  The people ahead of them slowed as they approached a stone archway. To Zane, the stones looked the same as the ones they were walking on. After passing under the arch, they entered a short, tight passageway that soon opened into a cavernous space. The order gathered there. Some looked up, while others played their beams around in the dark. A few let out exclamations of awe.

  As they continued forward, Zane realized something odd—the cavern seemed to have its own source of light.

  Carmen seemed to have noticed the same thing. She pointed upward. “I can’t believe it… Look.”

  Zane followed her gaze. A million points of light sprayed across the ceiling. Most were various shades of blue. Azure. Cobalt. Cerulean. It was like a swath of sapphire stars, and it reminded Zane of lying out in a field at night as a child, taking in the Milky Way. It was beyond breathtaking.

  “What causes that?” Emily asked.

  “It’s bioluminescence,” Carmen explained. “They’re millions of tiny organisms that give off light. My guess would be glowworms or bacteria. It’s also a sign oxygen is present here, perhaps coming down through vents and shafts.”

  As more came in, the crowd continued to push forward, drawing Zane and the others along with them. There was a commotion at the front. Some cried out in excitement.

  Carmen tugged on Zane’s elbow. “We need to get to the front.”

  He followed her to the right. As they wove through the crowd, he realized they were walking on an elevated plateau some distance above the cavern floor. The further they went, the more he was able to truly appreciate the immensity of the space.

  When they arrived at the front, Zane was able to take in more of their surroundings. At their feet was a broad set of steps that descended into darkness. As he moved his gaze out, he saw the vague outline of shapes rising from the cavern floor. As his eyes continued to adjust, the shapes took form.

  His eyes widened in awe.

  There, spreading out before them, was an underground city.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CARMEN STOOD IN reverent silence. She remembered Roger Lawson speaking of an underground city but hadn’t truly expected it to be here. She’d believed it—like Atlantis—was a legend that had been passed down through the centuries, devoid of any real truth. Adding to the majesty was the sheer size of the place. This was no tiny village, a smattering of crumbling buildings. This was a city in every sense of the word, stretching for hundreds of yards, if not miles. Columned temples, spires, streets, and houses. A massive tangle of stone construction.

  “Most of the architecture looks like Ancient Rome,” a familiar voice said.

  Carmen and Zane turned to find Amanda and Keiko behind them.

  “You found us,” Carmen whispered back.

  “Keiko had you marked the entire time.”

  The members of the order pushed forward now. A few of them gasped with excitement while others seemed overwhelmed at the sight, dropping to their knees and lifting their hands in spiritual ecstasy.

  “You think Rome built this?” Zane asked Amanda.

  She continued to stare at the buildings. “The more I study it, the more there seems to be a mix of styles. It’s almost like many different cultures came to live here.”

  “Or perhaps a group incorporated differing architectural styles,” Emily said.

  “That’s actually possible,” Amanda admitted. “The Watchers of the Bible—the fallen angels of Genesis six—were said to have passed along a number of things, including technology. Why not architecture?”

  Carmen held a finger to her lips then pointed toward the front. Viktor held up his hands to silence his flock.

  “My friends, welcome to Bashan!” Claps erupted for a moment. “I know you’re all excited, but we have work to do. As I’m sure you’re aware, we all seek the entrance to all that is good.” He swept his hand in an arc. “You can now be our feet and our eyes. This will be your opportunity to make history, to usher in a new age in which all the powers of old are brought crashing down.”

  As the people cheered again, Carmen surveyed those assembled at the front. Eventually, her eyes settled on the three captives. Their heads were still covered with canvas bags. She nudged Zane. He looked in that direction then nodded slowly.

  “Strange that there are three,” Carmen mused.

/>   “Maybe we should try to create a diversion right now, while we’re near the exit,” Amanda suggested. “Fire a few shots, and this crowd would go crazy.”

  “I guess you haven’t looked behind us,” Zane noted. “There are a half dozen guards at the exit. If shots are fired, they’ll immediately smell a rat and block anyone from leaving. We need to wait until they find this gate to the underworld. That’s the distraction that will give us our chance. I’d also prefer to be in the city when we make our move because we’ll have a maze of buildings to escape through or hide in.”

  “Please spread to all corners of the city. Roger has told me the gate may be located within a temple. If you find it, use your radios to contact the leadership team. And if you hear this, then report immediately.” Viktor lowered the bullhorn. “Now, let us begin our search!”

  The crowd, filled with energy and excitement, moved down the stairs. Carmen and the others moved with them. The steps seemed to go on forever. It reminded Carmen of the ones running up the sides of Mayan temples. Once at the bottom, they found themselves at one end of a plaza that extended for an entire block. Most of the space in the plaza was taken up by a long, decorative pool. It currently held no water but was filled with an array of giant statues, some twenty feet tall. At the center stood a multi-tiered fountain.

  Carmen studied the buildings. They seemed much larger at ground level, many several stories high. Interestingly, the entire place seemed clean, devoid of any debris or remains. Carmen frowned. It was almost as if the people had gathered their things and left. If that was true, what made them leave so quickly?

  “Which way?” Amanda asked as they walked down the right side of the pool.

  “Unfortunately, I left my map back in the car,” Zane said. “We’ll have to play it by ear.”

  Carmen looked left, across the pool. Viktor walked with a group of men clothed in red robes. They seemed to be some sort of inner council. Just behind them, she saw Roger and Camilla Lawson as well as Kimberly Blake. The redhead’s eyes roamed back and forth, always alert for danger. If only she knew who was walking a few yards away.