“Since antiquity, the Pillars of Hercules was the name given to the promontories on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar. According to legend, Hercules performed twelve great labors. The tenth was to round up the cattle of Geryon. To get access to the far west, the furthest point reached by Hercules, he would have to cross the great mountain known as Atlas, a formidable task even for him. So Hercules smashed straight through it, connecting the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea and forming the Strait of Gibraltar. Never mind what Plato said about them, the Pillars have always held a startling significance in our world. They appear on Spain’s coat of arms along with the Latin, plus ultra, meaning ‘farther beyond’ and implying a gateway. Dante’s Inferno tells of a terrible voyage past the pillars and into the unknown. They appear in an unfinished novel by Sir Francis Bacon and bear the legend ‘Pass through and knowledge will be the greater.’ All of this implies that beyond the Pillars of Hercules a great, advanced land and civilization once lay.”
“And the old mountain?” Gunn asked.
“Well, one Pillar of Hercules is the Rock of Gibraltar. The other is Jebel Musa in Morocco, also known as the Dead Woman because it resembles a reclining female figure.” Lucie sat back. “And there you have it.”
“Five hours well spent,” Gunn said. “You can sleep now.”
Bodie stared around the table. “Anyone else thinking what I’m thinking? Back to Morocco?”
Cross buried his head in his hands.
Cassidy shrugged. “Look on the bright side: we slip in, we slip out; the Bratva can’t track us this time.”
“Get some more rest,” Heidi told them, tapping the table. “I have to report in, talk to the SEALs, and see what kind of provisions we need. Morocco is only a short boat ride away from here, but it’s gonna be tomorrow before we’re ready to leave.”
Bodie stretched with a sense of luxury. “Doc,” he said, “that’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
A day and a half later, as dusk painted the waters in shadowy hues, the boat took them to Cueta, a city located in Morocco but belonging to Spain. From there they were due to travel to a tiny village nestled at the foot of Jebel Musa. At nine hundred meters, the mountain attracted tourists for its legendary view over the Strait of Gibraltar and even farther, to the Sierra Nevada. The team was well rested if still a little battered and bruised. Cuts and scrapes had been treated, as well as the odd burn.
The three remaining SEALs had been loaned to them in case of trouble, and now Bodie knew their names—Bass, Foster, and Hoff. The entire team was a silent bunch as they entered the harbor, Bass and Foster lost in their own imaginings, Hoff gazing intently at the approaching town. After docking, they didn’t waste time, just hired vehicles to take them to a previously identified trail and then hiked until the sun sank fully below the horizon and darkness held sway across the land. Tents were erected and the team spent a restless night under the Moroccan stars. Morning found them cold and hungry and preparing a quick breakfast before setting out again, packs in hand, across a green field. Along the way they hopped over fences and pushed through a hedgerow, jumped a ditch and paused by a rushing stream. The sun climbed higher, but a swift breeze blew in from the Atlantic, chilling the air so that they turned their collars up and huddled inside their jackets.
Lucie explained a little more about Atlantis, and Heidi informed the team that they still hovered on the edge of legality because of some deep power play going on in Washington, DC. All “off-the-books” teams were affected, it seemed, but Heidi took the flak and told them not to worry. She explained that the power play involved a secret organization called Tempest, which appeared to be deeply embedded inside the Washington government, and was recruiting mercenaries and terrorists to further its own aspirations, while at the same time alienating and disavowing dozens of sensitively and internationally placed special ops teams. Her CIA bosses had complex, wide-ranging concerns on their hands and weren’t prepared to throw any more resources at her.
The fields meandered on as uniform as military jackets. Hills rose to either side and masked most of the surrounding terrain, but the woman-shaped hump that was Jebel Musa stayed dead ahead.
“I see it now.” Cassidy nodded at the mountain. “In fact, once you see it you can never really unsee it.”
“Hair, nose, mouth . . . breasts,” Bodie said. “The dead woman.”
“I think those are her hands and arms,” Cassidy said. “You know, in repose? Otherwise she’d have been called the sleeping woman.”
“Well, the mouth is pretty clear,” Bodie said. “That’s all that matters.”
Jemma was reading an international guidebook. “Says here that the mountain has over two hundred caves that attract cavers,” she noted. “Which explains all those specialty stores back in Cueta.”
The terrain rolled on, dusty brown dirt with patches of verdant bushes and grass. As they approached the slopes of the mountain, a patchwork of gray rocks dotted the landscape, markers of an unknown time, for an unknown reason. The team was forced to carefully thread a path between them so as not to break an ankle or graze a shin. They were coming up behind the head of the mountain, which sloped sharply but still allowed ascent by foot. The SEALs were ahead. Cassidy, wanting to stay sharp and at the height of fitness, ranged free as well, watching their right flank and looking back toward the village. Nobody had expected they would be followed, and they had traveled farther afield just to be sure, but Cassidy Coleman was never one to take chances.
By late morning there were still a few tourists around. Bodie spied two on the far side of the mountain, sitting upon what one might call the lady’s “knees.” Cassidy asked for a set of field glasses and everyone stopped.
“What’s up?”
The redhead took the binoculars and stared back toward the village. “Probably nothing at all. There are five black Mercedes SUVs down there, parked in a row.” She frowned. “I find things that are out of place, guys, and that’s out of place.”
Bodie borrowed the glasses for a minute. “You’re right. Doesn’t mean they’re anything to do with us. Still . . .” He explained what they could see over the comms. “High alert.”
“You think Frizzbomb has any intention of letting us slip away?” Cassidy asked as they stood alone for a while.
Bodie blinked. He hadn’t considered their inevitable confrontation with Heidi and the CIA when they eventually pushed hard to break from them. The nonstop ride had all but consumed him. “I guess we’ll know better after we find Atlantis,” he said. “We have to make a stand, maybe throw down an ultimatum. I hate being at somebody else’s beck and call. She certainly didn’t like being denied when you and I decided to finish the Pantera op. But we also have the Bratva to worry about. Keep your claws sharpened.”
“My claws are always sharpened, Bodie. It’s a necessity of my life.”
“I prefer to keep all of my parts well oiled,” he said, laughing.
“Is that because you’re old?”
“No, bitch, it’s because I like to keep my assets lubricated.”
“Disgusting. So, shall we call you WD-Bodie?”
He broke away as Heidi wandered over. “Five minutes to the head of the mountain. You guys ready?”
“All greased up and sharpened to a wicked point.” Cassidy grinned. “You?”
As they moved out, Bodie allowed himself brief thoughts of Pantera and the man’s family. The Bratva were not just here in Morocco; they were international, and incredibly resourceful. He just hoped that the safe house where Pantera was now established was proving safe enough.
The terrain rose, becoming rockier as it framed the head of the mountain. This close, the features were hard to discern so Lucie waved her GPS. The team came together and walked around the final feature toward the mouth. Nobody expected the find to be easy; indeed, nobody even knew what they were looking for. A cave was Lucie’s best guess. The good news was that, to date, Danel’s directions had b
een flawless.
It became a far steeper climb now, making each member of the team struggle a little. The mouth was a large delve in the rock, and they could climb both inside and above it. Bodie saw only hard, ungiving, jagged rock, but it looked like they were alone, so he resolved to take his time in the search. The SEALs moved up and on top of the mouth, checking the terrain on the far side. Jemma and Lucie walked straight into the mouth, hopping over the lip. Gunn waited close by, studying every nook and cranny. Cross crouched, still aloof, and stared at the surfaces all around as if searching for a vein of gold.
“There’s nothing here,” Lucie said in disappointment.
Heidi nodded toward the disappearing SEALs. “I’m gonna join them. See what’s over there.”
Bodie nodded. “Might as well join you.”
“Ahh, thanks.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean that to sound derogatory. Cassidy just reminded me that we’re not really friends.”
“I don’t see any cuffs, Bodie.”
“You don’t? Look harder, although they do tend to tighten just after an op.”
“You think I’m a threat? I’m flattered.”
“Don’t be. We fear your resources. Therein lies your ability to hunt and locate us. But arguing aside, Heidi, there must be an end to all this and we must be able to see it. You want trust? Start by being transparent and state a contract termination date.”
“Whoa, that sounds official.”
“It does? Good.”
“Give me some time, Bodie.”
“You have until the end of the mission.”
Heidi glared ahead, focusing on the brow of the elevation. She set off at speed for their destination. When she finally reached the brow, she was surprised to see the three SEALs on their knees with pistols to their heads. They had been taken prisoner by three elegantly suited older gentlemen. Heidi reached for her weapon, but then two more well-heeled individuals waved at her from the right, popping up from behind a boulder. Bodie took it all in, his face registering shock.
How did they do that?
Quickly, it was made clear to them. One of the men pointed to an iPad screen—a view of the woman’s mouth that showed Lucie and Jemma searching undergrowth, oblivious to the scrutiny. The men then gestured at three red dots that overlaid the screen, and one of them showed Bodie a black detonator box.
“Bombs,” he whispered. “Now, shout to your friends or watch them die. We do not need all of you.”
Two of the suits remained watching the SEALs. A third broke away to join the two nearby, one of whom held the tablet. Each removed a long-barreled gun. Heidi stayed silent and so did Bodie. The speaker nodded at one of his fellows.
A shot rang out. Bodie gasped as Foster’s skull jerked to the left and blood gushed out. The body toppled, unmoving.
“Shout for them.”
Of course, now there was no need, but Heidi called anyway to preserve the remaining SEALs’ lives. As Lucie, Jemma, Gunn, Cross, and Cassidy came over the brow of the rise, the suited men watched calmly, keeping their weapons trained on the captives.
“Submit, or die,” the speaker and apparent leader said. “We do not need all of you.”
The warning was made even starker by the newly dead body sprawled out on the rocks. The team put up their hands. Cassidy dropped her gun. They were made to line up, two bodywidths apart, as three of the five men patted them down. The other men stayed well apart, one above and one below, with their odd pistols trained.
Bodie submitted to a thorough pat down and feel, but it was worse for the women. There was nothing personally immoral on the part of the men but they were exhaustive and they were rough. After an array of guns and knives and other objects had been confiscated, the two SEALs and seven members of the team were told to kneel with their hands on their heads.
Two suits behind, three in front. They were proficient.
The leader addressed them, his gun never wavering. “You may call me Zeus. We are the Evzones. Do not look for anyone else. We are but five, and five is all we have ever been. Chosen through the centuries. The Evzones are happy to be the five.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Cassidy shrugged her shoulders. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.” She swiveled her head. “Hey, you guys have any idea what this old hobo’s smoking?”
“Hobo?” the man repeated in a thick accent that Bodie guessed was Russian. “We are five of the richest men in the world. Oligarchs, I think the West calls us.”
An oligarch was one with immense wealth and substantial political clout, enough to rule countries, Bodie knew. What, then, were five oligarchs doing in Morocco, at the very top of Jebel Musa, if indeed that was what they were?
“So this is, what, a Russian snobs’ road trip?” Bodie asked.
“And hey, thanks for being so forthcoming with the answers,” Cassidy said.
Zeus laughed. “We would prefer to kill you right now, but that is out of the question until we know all that you know. But you will die soon enough. That, I promise you.”
“We have to repair the damage you have done in your search for Atlantis,” another said. “You will tell us everything you learned, all the trails you followed, so that we may sweep away this disturbance. Only then will we allow you to die.”
“You guys really make it sound appealing,” Heidi said, shifting her weight.
Zeus looked left and right, as if remembering where he was. “We should go. It will become crowded up here all too soon.”
Bodie had been wondering what would happen next. It wasn’t what he expected. All seven of them were tied together with rope that looped around their hands and waists, and ordered to walk away from the head of the mountain and down the other side. As he walked, Bodie was reminded of the guidebook boasting of this area’s several hundred caves. They passed two entrances before being herded into one. At first, it appeared small and unremarkable, but a rear overhang led to a wider chamber and then a third.
At last, Zeus turned. “This will do.”
“Not much of a secret base,” Bodie said with a sniff as he looked around.
“It is a public cave, idiot, but it will do for now. Apollo, please make sure we’re not disturbed.”
“I understand you now,” Bodie said. “You’re billionaires who can’t bring your resources to bear on Atlantis because it’s your little secret. No goons. No HQ. No paper trails and definitely nothing digital, ’cause everything worth hacking’s already been hacked. Even now, you’re winging it. What’s it all about? Does it bring purpose to your boring, pampered lives?” The Evzones reminded him of the Illuminati leaders they had encountered in their previous quest: single-minded, wealthy men with no care for society outside their own small circle. Men who influenced world events in all ways to accomplish personal aims.
“Purpose, you say?” Zeus looked genuinely surprised. “Since we were born, our single purpose was known to us. There is nothing else. Do you see?”
“My bad.” Bodie shrugged. “I envisaged you with a shred of sanity.”
Lucie spoke up, voice cracking. “Please, please don’t antagonize them. Have you forgotten they killed Foster? Just give them what they want and let’s get out of here.”
Bodie didn’t have the heart to answer, because answering Lucie meant he would have to tell the truth. They weren’t getting out of here unless one of the SEALs made a goddamn move. He’d been distracting Zeus long enough.
It happened then. Hoff and Bass slipped their bonds and lunged. The rope around their waists pulled taut, but they’d been expecting that. Two Evzones drew their guns and fired, and two stepped back. The shots rang out in the narrow confines. Hoff dropped like a stone, shot through the head, and Bass collapsed to one knee, bleeding from the right cheek. Another shot finished him and then Zeus was shaking his head.
“You think we’re stupid? You talk while the special forces men make ready? I anticipated moves like that before you were born. I haven’t put a foot wrong since
I was five. Do not insult me again.”
Bodie closed his eyes, trying to shut away the image of the dead, bleeding men, the spatter on Cassidy and Gunn. Their best chance of escape had just been gunned down, and it seemed the leader of the Evzones was not just dangerous but crazy as well.
“Ares, Artemis, grab the first. Chain them up. I want to get started right away.”
Bodie saw them lunging for Jemma.
“Now,” Zeus said. “Where are my tools?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Jemma lay prone on the hard slab of rock, staring up at the ceiling. Artemis pulled her boots and socks off, then sat her upright. Bodie saw what they were going to do—torture each one in front of the rest and not even pretend that the right information would get them released.
Quite the opposite. The SEALs lay where they had fallen. Bodie watched as Jemma was positioned so that her bare feet were over a shallow bowl of water.
Zeus reappeared, a yellow box in one hand, some coiled wire attached to metal plates in the other. “Right,” he said without emotion. “The drill is very simple. Tell me everything you know about Atlantis. The research, the findings, the people you came across. Leave nothing out and this will soon be over.”
Bodie tried to save Jemma and the situation. “Why can’t you just walk away? You’re billionaires, right? Are you so privileged that you can’t see when you are wrong?”
Zeus regarded him. “Protecting Atlantis is our life’s calling. Our resources allow us to monitor every snippet of information, and to know if anything threatens the secrets we keep. My father did it, and my grandfather before him. We revel in our mission. It nourishes us, provides purpose in a world that has grown cold and indifferent. I have seen many changes in my life, but nothing I see tells me that the world deserves to find Atlantis and its secrets.”
“But should that be up to you?” Bodie asked.
“As I said, I am part of the Evzones. It is up to the five of us. This world, the state it is in right now, would take Atlantis’s technology, its advancements, and then destroy itself. Our mission is to prevent that from happening.”
The Atlantis Cipher (The Relic Hunters Book 2) Page 21