by S. T. Boston
Staying low, Xavier left the Sphinx behind and hurried across the sand toward the smaller ruins of the Queen's Pyramids, which lay directly in front of his target. The plateau was dead silent apart from a stiff warm breeze that occasionally swept through the ancient buildings, creating an eerie whistling sound. Even the Tourist and Antiquities Police, who usually kept a watchful eye on the priceless monuments were gone. Reaching the first of the small pyramids he ducked down and kept his back to the front wall. Xavier took a second to catch his breath before racing along the line of small structures. Finally reaching the smallest pyramid he laid flat, chest pushed into the ground. Peering around the corner and allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he could just make out a faint green pinpoint of light which bobbed and moved around at the corner of the Great Pyramid. Through squinted eyes, he watched it, mesmerized, for a few seconds before his brain registered what it was. Someone was standing guard and they had a radio. Whoever it was had somehow managed to save their small piece of electrical kit from the EMP, someone who knew it was coming. Xavier lay there for long seconds, looking hungrily at the dark opening into the structure. Somehow, he needed to get inside. He'd lost track of time and had no idea how long there was left, but he felt sure it had to be less than an hour now. He might even be too late. From his position he ran his plan of attack through his head a few times; the element of surprise was certainly on his side, but he was in no doubt that whoever the radio belonged to would be armed. Silently counting to three and taking a deep breath, he sprang from his hiding place and hit the ground running. The crack of gunfire tore through the deathly silence and a round slammed into his shoulder, followed by another which hit him square in the stomach. It made him double over and face plant into the ground hard. Raising his head from the sand he watched as the green light came swiftly toward him. Xavier closed his eyes and waited for the head shot that would end his life. He heard a shot ring out and bounce off the old limestone buildings. A sudden cry of pain made him look up; to his surprise, he was still alive. Amazed, Xavier watched as the green light staggered around in front of him, its owner now close enough to be revealed. The grey-haired man, dressed in full desert warfare attire, staggered wide eyed, clutching a gaping wound in his neck. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he fell to the floor with a thump. Through the darkness came a volley of shouts and footfalls, before three more sharp cracks of gunfire silenced them.
* * *
Hunkered down low in the old cemetery, Sam pressed his eye to the high powered night vision sight on the sniper rifle he'd found in the back of the police pickup. Thankfully, the battery pack had been out of the piece of kit, saving it from the EMP. Turning the weapon on its two-legged support stand he swept it along the base of the pyramid, taking in as much detail as he could through the strange green light. “There are two men stationed at both corners,” he whispered to Oriyanna who laid next to him, her body pressed tightly against the ground. “I suspect there are two more posted at the back, but the scope can't reach that far.” In the moonlight, he saw her nod her head in understanding. Glancing to his left he checked on Adam who was laid in almost a fetal position, his face blotchy and sore. Sweat had soaked his dark grey tee-shirt to his skin. Despite his ever-worsening state, he'd managed to keep pace over the seven-mile hike to the plateau, and the sight of him laid out on the ground made Sam wonder just how much more he had to give. The journey from the crash site had been fraught with danger, and on more than one occasion, Sam had needed to draw one of the pistols he'd recovered from the dead Egyptian police officers to ward off would-be attackers. The EMP had done nothing but escalate the civil unrest, and things had started to fall apart swiftly. “I need to try and draw the other two out,” he said in a hushed voice, returning his eye to the sight and adjusting it slightly. Through the darkness he heard the sound of heavy footfalls, somewhere off to his left. Not taking his eye from the scope, he watched as the older of the two men who he'd had in his sights drew his gun and ran toward the sound, firing off two shots as he went. Sam cursed under his breath, the shot ruined; whoever was out there had really cocked it up. Following the armed figure in the sight, Sam squeezed off a round and watched as he immediately dropped his weapon and flung both arms up to his neck before falling to the ground. He knew it was a lucky shot. Swinging the rifle around he dispatched the other guard with a clean headshot; he had no time to register what was happening. Moving with expert precision, Sam swung the barrel of the gun toward the corner of the structure and waited. Through the darkness he caught the sound of shouting, as the two unseen guards realized they were under attack and came rushing to help their colleagues. The first one came into view, rounding the corner of the pyramid with his weapon drawn and ready. He had no chance. Sam breathed slowly out of his mouth and squeezed the trigger; before his finger had even reached the stop the man was dead. The baseline of stones swept past quickly as he swung the weapon back, searching for the man's friend. The few seconds' advantage had given the last gunman a chance to cover a little more ground, but he still had no idea what direction his attackers were shooting from. Sam clicked the next round into the gun without having to take his eye off the target. Crack – the high calibre round hit the gunman square in the upper cheek, snapping his head back and making him fall backwards in an almost comical manner.
“What's happening?” Oriyanna asked urgently.
“Someone else is out there,” he replied, sweeping the area for any more guards. “Most likely some poor tourist or tour guide. I think they shot him.”
“Did you see them?”
“No, and we don't have time to go looking now. We need to move.” Sam reached into the holdall and removed two flashlights. “Can you carry the rope?” he asked Adam, who was just beginning to pull himself upright.
“Yeah,” he replied in a croaky voice. “I'm not done yet.” Over the past few hours, Sam had seen a completely different side to his lifelong friend. Instead of defeating him, the virus seemed to have made Adam more determined. His steadfast resolve to see the situation through was admirable. “Let's go – while I still can,” he added, getting to his feet as a wave of shivers ran through his body. Leaving the rifle behind, Sam took up one of the pistols, holding it in the ready position. Staying low, the three of them covered the uneven ground as quickly as possible.
“You lead the way,” Sam prompted, beckoning Oriyanna forward with his gun. Silently and with her usual feline stealth, she swept past him and rushed up the stairs to the main tourist entrance.
“It's open,” she whispered, swinging the door inward. The darkness seemed perpetual; not even the bright new moon provided any hint of light. Oriyanna removed a flashlight from her trouser pocket and clicked it on, the gun poised and ready in line with the beam of light which sliced deeply into the descending passage.
“How long do we have?” asked Adam, using the cool stone wall for support.
“I'm not sure,” she replied, heading down the passage. “Ten minutes, I'd guess; maybe less. Singularity hasn't been achieved yet.”
“How do you know?”
“Trust me, you will know when it happens,” she replied, reaching the crossroads style switch point. “It's this way.” She swung the metal, cell-like door open and aimed the beam of light into the tunnel before heading down the steep slope.
Adam tried to keep pace on his shaky legs; the length of rope around his neck was starting to feel like a millstone. Gripping the loose rope banister for support, he fought to stay upright as they descended into the darkness.
“Can you feel that?” exclaimed Sam in a low voice as they broke out into the lower chamber; the walls were resonating like a double bass string.
“Every second, it's drawing enough energy from the Earth to power a country the size of China for a month,” Oriyanna replied, clicking her flashlight off. The light coming up the well-like shaft in front of them was enough to see by.
“I guess that's why you needed the rope,” croaked Adam,
reaching the railing and leaning on it for support. Looking over, he could see the source of the light far below. “Is there no other way to get down?”
“No,” Oriyanna replied bluntly, examining the drop for herself. “It's like a lift, the base is at the bottom and you need the Key Tablet in order to bring it back up. At the bottom is a corridor which leads to the Tabut chamber, it's still open at the moment. Once the Tabut has enough power, the corridor and the entrance to the chamber will seal automatically.”
“So we have to climb down there, not knowing who or what is at the bottom, and hope that we don't get shot?” said Sam doubtfully, taking the rope from Adam and starting to uncoil it.
“It's the only way down,” she replied, testing the strength of the railing. “This should hold it.” Taking the end of the rope from Sam, she tied it around the thicker middle post before leaning back on it to test the knot. “Can you make the climb?” she asked, turning to Adam.
“I really don't know,” he admitted, his whole body shaking in the cold air. “I feel like I'm burning up, but inside I'm chilled to the core.”
“You need to try,” Oriyanna encouraged. “I'm not going to let you die like this.”
“I think it's a little late to worry about that,” said Adam, smiling weakly. “It's okay; you do what you need to do. Don't worry about me,” he concluded, stifling a coughing fit.
“Things are not always as they seem,” she said, swinging herself up and over the railing. “There is always hope.” Leaning back and allowing the rope to take her full weight, Oriyanna began the descent.
* * *
“Six minutes,” said Buer, pacing across the chamber and kneeling by the bomb. “Six minutes and this will all be over.” He flicked the power switch, bringing the weapon to life. The preset clock began counting back from six minutes and twenty seconds. “Make sure you're both on the east side of the room when it happens, I don't want either of you getting caught on the wrong side of the fence.”
“You don't have to worry about that,” replied Mitchell, looking back at him from the mouth of the long corridor. “I have no intention of going anywhere.”
“You're both about to witness an event that none of our people have ever seen, an event that hasn't happened in over three millennia.” Buer checked his watch again. “Five minutes!”
* * *
Oriyanna swung herself clear of the corridor and landed neatly on the stone base of the lift shaft. Looking up, she watched as Adam began his descent. It had been more than three thousand years since she'd seen the Tabut used, but she could tell by the deep tone echoing through the walls that there were only minutes left, and there wasn't time to wait. Removing the gun, she planted her back against the smooth stone wall and peered into the long, glowing passageway. She could just make out the figure of a man standing in the entrance to the chamber. Glancing upward, she saw Adam still had around thirty feet to go. Sam had obviously seen her move into position and guessed what she was about to do. He wasn't waiting for Adam to clear the line; he was already on his way down and catching up fast. She knew it was exactly ninety-six feet from the shaft to the chamber. The constant drone of the machine would mask her footsteps, but how far would she get before she was seen? The man glanced down the passage briefly before turning his back – it was now or never.
She launched herself into the glowing corridor, flicking the gun's safety off as she went. Sixty feet she counted silently, forty feet. Raising the gun she discharged a round; the bang was ear-splittingly loud in the narrow space. The shot missed and her target span around, shock and surprise visible on his face. Oriyanna was closing ground fast. She didn't wait, and firing another shot she hit him. It wasn't a fatal wound but he went down, clutching his side. Things happened fast; almost immediately the familiar figure of Finch filled the opening, his body silhouetted against the brighter glow of the chamber room behind. Raising his weapon he fired, and there was nowhere to hide in the confined passageway; she ducked left as far as she could but the round ripped fiercely into her left arm. Ignoring the searing pain, she saw Finch closing in on her. It was too late to fire again, and lowering her body Oriyanna weaved right and raised her injured arm. Her elbow contacted against his face with a thwack, sending white hot pain through her entire body. At the same time her foot caught his, sending her reeling forward. Desperately, she tried to stay upright, but it was too late and she had built up too much momentum. In horror, she saw the gun slip from her hand as she tripped over the writhing body of the man she'd just shot.
* * *
“Four minutes,” said Buer, transfixed by the time on his watch. He felt more alive than he had in centuries; he was about to strike a deadly blow to Arkkadia, something none of his kind had ever managed to do.
“Can you see anything?” asked Finch, as Mitchell glanced down the passage.
“Nothing,” he replied nervously, turning his back to the opening. He inclined his head toward the Tabut. “When it happens, will we feel anything?”
“I don't know,” Buer replied, his head snapping up as the sound of gunfire punched through the room, drowning out the increasing hum of the Tabut. Horrified, he watched as Mitchell span around as he was shot, only to be met by a second bullet which slammed into his abdomen, sending him to the floor in a cry of pain. “No, no, no!” screamed Buer, reaching for his weapon and taking cover against the wall. Before Mitchell even hit the floor, Finch was ready. Crossing the room in a few strides, he reached the corridor and squeezed off a round. Whoever was in the narrow passageway didn't have anywhere to go. Feverishly, Finch watched as his shot hit Oriyanna in the arm; a head shot would have been best, but at least he'd found his target. Before he had time to fire again she was on him, and with lightning speed her elbow made contact with his face, snapping his head back. Twisting his body, he watched her reel forward and fall over Mitchell before slamming down into the floor of the chamber. She was Buer's problem now – Finch knew she wouldn't be alone.
* * *
Sam hit the bottom of the lift shaft a second after Adam, and just in time to hear Oriyanna fire off two rounds. “Go, go!” he encouraged, but Adam was spent. Sam watched him double over and vomit a mixture of blood and bile onto the stone before collapsing. Another shot echoed down the passage, followed by a cry of pain that could only have come from Oriyanna.
“Leave me,” croaked Adam, barely audible above the growing hum. “Just go.” Reluctantly, Sam tore himself away; if Adam was going to die down here, it wouldn't be in vain. The person he was most hoping to meet was rushing in on him fast. Neither of them had a chance to fire a shot; instead, they charged into each other like two raging bulls. In a blind hail of fury and adrenaline Sam gained the advantage and pinned Finch to the floor. Letting out a loud, anguished cry he rained a torrent of punches down onto his hateful face, over and over. Not for the first time he felt Finch's bones crunch, but this was far more satisfying than it had been in the motel. He could feel it happening beneath his bare flesh, and this time there was nothing in the way. By the time he slowed down, the sight before him didn't resemble a face any longer, but Finch wasn't dead yet. Painfully, the bloodied pulp still managed to draw a breath, and blood bubbled up around where his nose had once been, each breath bringing with it a sickening wheeze. “Despite everything that you've put us through,” growled Sam, staring into his wide, bloodied eyes, “I'm not devoid of mercy.”
Somewhere through the pain and confusion the words rang true to Finch; he'd uttered the exact same thing to Euri, just before killing him. It seemed strange being on the receiving end of such a sentence. Helpless to do anything and without the aid of his tiny passengers, Finch could do nothing but watch as Sam Becker raised himself up off the floor, pointed the gun at him and fired.
* * *
Oriyanna was lifted off the floor by her hair. She suspected it was going to tear right out of her scalp.
“I'm not going to kill you, yet!” screamed Buer, his hot, rancid breath hitting her face. “Fir
st of all, I'm going to make you watch as your precious world burns.” Oriyanna's feet were lifted clear of the floor as Buer flung her around like a rag doll, twisting her body so she could see the bomb. Through watering eyes, she could just make out the timer. “That's right,” cried Buer, “in just over two minutes this all ends. You were too late.” Viciously, he threw her struggling body to the ground, prompting pain to ignite in her wounded arm. Helplessly, she watched as Buer raised his gun and trained it on her head. “I'd think twice if I were you, Becker,” she heard Buer say. “The moment you pull that trigger, I'll pull mine.”
“We're all pretty fucked anyway,” she heard Sam say as he walked into the room, his gun trained on Buer. “Adam's dead, thanks to your fucking virus. As for the rest of the world, well, that's pretty much gone to shit. What exactly do I have to lose?”
Oriyanna felt hot tears welling up in her eyes. Adam had been so close; to have come this far and died – it was almost more than she could bear.
“Well observed and a very good point,” said Buer, nodding his head slowly. “It's a pity Finch wasn't as tenacious as you. Despite all you've been through, you still managed to get here. I actually admire that kind of resolve. Unfortunately, for you this is the end, it's time to let the grown-ups play.”