“I can do that,” Chin said quietly. “I can release you to fend for yourselves against a team of Navy SEALs with a mind to avenge their fallen brothers in arms or the NSA and their vast resources. I must say though, you did not fare very well against them the first time around. I see it ending no better in round two without my assistance.”
“What is the alternative, betray my country and work for you?” Alex fired back.
Chin looked toward Brian to be the voice of reason, but the professor simply glowered back with his arms still crossed. “She has a point.”
“Telling me what your readings found in the Giza plateau or what happened inside that tiny building might be considered betraying your country,” Chin stated. “I am simply asking you to lead an archeological research team to map the inside of these ancient Chinese pyramids. What happened here to cause the NSA to try and detain you indefinitely is really not my concern. I am certainly curious about that whole affair, but it has nothing to do with my request.”
For the first time in the conversation, Chin actually became animated. He snapped his arm forward and pushed his index finger into the table right in front of Professor Russell to accentuate his point. “This is your profession and quite possibly the opportunity of a lifetime. It is here, right now, being offered to you with no strings attached. How long did you have to wait to be allowed onto the Giza plateau with your equipment? Five years?”
“Six,” Professor Russell corrected while mentally picturing himself and Alex mapping the pyramids across the countryside of China. It was an almost irresistible offer.
“If I let you walk out the front door of this embassy, not only does this opportunity slip away, but you will be taken by the NSA. Then you will likely never have the chance to do research, or even see the light of day again,” Chin added. “You saw how easily they were able to operate in this country. Believe me when I tell you, it is like that the world over because most countries are weak, but not China. We have the resources and the will to resist their overtures and repel their attempts at kidnapping and espionage. You will be safe working with us doing archeological research that is your life’s pursuit.”
Alex took a few deep, calming breaths through her nose and eventually sat down once more. Her conflicted emotions showed through her eyes plain as day. She was also tempted by the offer, but did not for a second trust the man extending it; Brian could certainly identify with the line of thinking.
Chin no doubt got the same read of the situation. “Let me step out of the room for a while and allow the two of you to discuss the merits of my offer in private.”
After the two Chinese officials took their leave, Alex was the first to speak her mind. “I don’t care if they’ve fed us and now offer to let us go, I don’t trust them. Not for a second.”
“Neither do I, but realistically what choice do we have?” Brian asked. “The way I see it, the worst case scenario is our equipment finds something in those Chinese pyramids that makes these people hide us away just like the NSA is trying to do.”
“Or they will just shoot us in the head out in the Chinese countryside,” Alex objected.
“True, but I put that as an equivalent to a lifetime spent in captivity and as such consider them both the same outcome,” Brian countered. A nod from Alex let him know she was of the same opinion. “Now the best case scenario is we find nothing of importance in China and we go home after a few years. Then we both sign our book deals and do the talk show tours once all the dust has settled.”
Alex reluctantly nodded in agreement, but added, “I’m still leery that they’re just working us to eventually get information about what went on over the last week.”
“Of that I have no doubt,” Brian answered, “but for now the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Chapter 22: Buying Insurance
From the moment Mark closed his phone after talking with Terrance he had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The man was a control freak. Almost anything he wanted to know the NSA could get for him, including kidnapping or eliminating anyone he didn’t like. His executive powers gave Terrance control; it was practically part of his DNA now.
Dealing with the stalemate this doomsday device created required giving up a certain amount of control. Maintaining the symmetry of tensions was critical, yet every fiber of Terrance’s being would demand he try and upset that delicate balance in his favor to regain control. Mark wondered if he made a mistake by informing him of recent events.
When his Humvee rolled to a stop outside the command tent near the Sphinx monument, he immediately stepped out of the vehicle and looked to the partially cloudy sky. He pictured satellites moving into position to better monitor events for Terrance. He could also envision dozens of radar evading aircraft circling overhead while waiting for the order to drop their payload.
Mark redirected his eyes to the sandy plateau where over a hundred Egyptian military personnel still secured the location from the prying eyes of tourists. Soon hundreds of NSA assets loyal exclusively to Terrance and his orders would be on the ground. All so the man might gain control of a situation that was indeed dangerous, but not any more so than it has been for hundreds, if not thousands of years. There really was no need for panic in this situation just yet, but Terrance ran the risk of doing just that.
Mark realized he would very quickly lose his own control over the situation if he didn’t do something. This thought caused him to turn around and look into the backseat of the Humvee at the Egyptian Colonel who was meant to be his observer while operating in the country. The man meekly sat between two SEALs and went with the flow so far. It was time to enlist more than just silent cooperation from his government watcher.
Mark opened the back door to the desert camouflaged vehicle and waited for the nearest soldier to exit the Humvee to give him direct line of sight with the Egyptian officer. “Colonel, would you please come with me?” he asked in as cordial a tone as he could summon.
“You have pushed and ordered me around for days and now suddenly you are making requests?” the colonel snapped. “You realize those are my men out there. Once in the open, I can yell for help and I will get it from them and you will be arrested.”
“But then you would miss out on having all the answers,” Mark interrupted. “Now please, follow me into the command tent.”
Mark turned immediately and began walking toward the large tent, which he suddenly realized looked like a miniature pyramid with its tan fabric rising to a point in the middle. He had no doubt the colonel’s curiosity would win out and moments later had his confidence confirmed with the sound of footsteps following close behind. They both ducked through the hard plastic door which Mark locked behind them to make sure their conversation would not be overheard or interrupted.
To start things off, Mark extended a hand of greeting. “Colonel Azire, I’m Mark Holmes.”
Colonel Azire evaluated the appendage as if touching it might give him the plague. In the end he took the chance and shook Mark’s hand. “I am surprised you even know my name given the complete disregard you have shown me so far.”
“I make it a point to know all about the men I work with,” Mark answered while gesturing for the colonel to have a seat near a computer monitor with a set of screensaver lines dancing across the display. “You, for instance, are just a few years away from retiring and desperately want to reach that next rank of general and the higher pay grade to pad those monthly pension checks. It’s curious how you’ve been passed over for promotion four times and keep being handed mundane assignments by your superior, like babysitting me and my men.”
“Bad luck I suppose,” Colonel Azire responded so dryly the desert outside the tent felt tropical by comparison.
“More like insubordination,” Mark countered. “The way I hear it, you refused an order from your superior to fire into a crowd of protestors while that whole Arab Spring thing was going on in this country a few years back. Considering that uprising led to the downfa
ll of the government your commanding officer was so well positioned within, I don’t think that decision helped your promotional prospects.”
“What is your point?” Colonel Azire demanded, his eyes now vibrating with anger at the uncomfortable reminder of his actions.
“My point is you’re a good man who is willing to do what is right for the bigger picture. I need to call upon that good man now and take him into my confidence. I trust you to be a man of your word. Do I have your word that what I am about to reveal to you will not leave the four walls of this tent?”
Azire clearly valued his word as the man took several seconds to think things through. Finally he looked Mark square in the eye to give his reply. “As long as remaining silent does not endanger my country, you have my word.”
Mark cocked his head slightly to the side, “That will have to do I suppose.” He then wiggled the mouse resting near the dormant computer terminal to bring the display back to life. Mark watched the three dimensional rendering of the Giza plateau fade in through the darkness along with four glowing red cubes halfway up the Great Pyramid. Next to that rested the Sphinx. The monolith looked like it was suffering from a massive bout of indigestion as a glowing red rectangle took up the entire length of its body along with an underground tunnel leading away from the giant statue.
The colonel, for his part, drew in a deep breath, held it, and held it. Minutes passed and Mark soon began fearing for the man’s safety, but finally a mighty exhale came.
“It’s not a trick,” Mark jumped in before Azire could make the accusation. “The archeologists discovered these chambers with their equipment and were kidnapped because of it. We rescued them from their captors, but are now left to deal with the fallout.”
“What...what does this all mean?” Colonel Azire finally managed. “For what purpose are those chambers used?”
“A weapon,” Mark coolly responded as he brought another view screen to life. “Are you aware what happened globally a few hours ago?”
“Of course not!” Azire snapped. He took his right hand and wiped it across his sweaty brow and showed Mark his drenched palm. “You and your men have held me at gunpoint inside your vehicle without airflow for hours.”
“No guns were ever directed at you,” Mark pointed out with a lighthearted grin, “but I suppose you are correct; allow me to get you caught up.”
On the view screen Mark pulled up a BBC news feed detailing the devastating effects that numerous earthquakes and instances of tidal surges along the coastlines had caused all across the globe over the last few hours.
Colonel Azire looked on with disgusted wonder. “You are telling me a weapon inside those chambers did all that?”
“Yes, and the weapon is capable of doing much worse,” Mark answered. “Cooler heads like me are trying to resolve the situation quietly and with as little collateral damage as possible. Others are on the verge of panic and want to blow the entire Giza plateau off the face of the map.”
Colonel Azire was aghast at the mention of his country’s national treasures falling under attack. “This is information you expect me to keep from my superiors?”
“For the moment, yes,” Mark confirmed. “Right now I am the one in charge, and I don’t think blowing up the weapon is a good idea. We have no clue what destroying it would do, and I refuse to take a course of action with a questionable outcome when the stakes are this high. However, elements intent on more aggressive solutions are on their way. When they arrive, my dozen soldiers and I may not be enough to keep them in line. I need to know I can count on you and your men to help me if push comes to shove with the more hostile players in this game.”
The colonel looked at Mark with the words ‘hell no’ blaring from his eyes. The man rose to his feet and pointed toward the exit. “I believe it is time for me to walk out that door and take control of the situation for myself.”
Mark quickly sprung to his feet as well and calmly stood between Colonel Azire and the exit. “Don’t you mean let that general who stands on your shoulders taking a crap on your head while holding your career back take charge? I have a better solution, one that lets us both get what we want.”
“And what is that,” Colonel Azire asked while looking ready to physically test Mark’s ability to hold him back from leaving the tent.
Mark flicked his head toward the computer desk behind the colonel. “See those two sets of manila folders on the table. I think you will find them both very interesting reading since they concern your boss and the financial prospects of your pending retirement.”
Once again curiosity won out as Colonel Azire took his seat next to the computer desk. “These had better impress me.”
Mark reached past the seated Egyptian officer and picked up the folders and handed one to the colonel. “I find it ironic that your commanding officer holds you back for not killing protesters during the Arab Spring uprising.”
Azire began thumbing his way through the two dozen pages of reports and photos and suddenly looked up in complete amazement as Mark continued speaking. “As it turns out, his son was an active leader in the rebellion movement from behind the scenes during his more playful college years. What you hold in your hands there is the kind of information that ends careers, or lives. Especially for high ranking generals, don’t you think?”
Silence with a growing smile was compliance. With that, Mark moved on to his second overture and placed the other folder in Colonel Azire’s hands. Again Mark waited for the Egyptian officer to glance through the pages before narrating their implications.
“Dr. Hass of your country’s Organization of Antiquities has been a little naughty selling some lesser artifacts on the black market to fund his own eventual retirement. I can freeze or transfer those seven figure Cayman Island accounts of his anytime I feel the need. They should probably go to the proper Egyptian authorities,” Mark pondered.
Mark waited a set of heartbeats then snapped his fingers and pointed at Colonel Azire. “Say, you look like an Egyptian and a man with some authority. Perhaps I could turn them over to you.”
“What would I do with this dirty money,” the colonel demanded in a thoroughly insulted tone.
“Turn it over to your treasury, give it to charity, fund a certain Egyptian authority figure’s retirement account,” Mark suggested off the top of his head. “You’ll be creative and thorough I’m sure.”
Colonel Azire looked both offended, yet tempted, by the pages held in his grasp. To force the issue Mark snatched the two folders back from the man and made ready to run the contents through a shredder resting atop a nearby trash can. “I can see these are causing you difficulty so allow me to remove the temptation.”
“Stop,” Colonel Azire bellowed while lunging after the documents to save them. With the value Azire placed on the leverage Mark held in his hands now known, the Egyptian officer spoke more freely. “Is this how you operate so freely in your country and mine, by using blackmail or bribery?”
“Sometimes I just ask nicely,” Mark answered while handing over the folder containing the incriminating evidence against Azire’s superior.
“What is it you need from me?” the colonel asked before taking the folder.
“Extra manpower, vehicles, and weapons under your command,” Mark answered, “as much as possible around here and back at the warehouse. Oh, I also need a phone number to reach you anytime, anywhere. Do that and we’ll talk later about me handing you this other folder,” Mark added.
Chapter 23: Expanding Like the Plague
“truly TRAGIC, half of Europe died within a matter of months,” Dr. Holmes commented to his patient.
“Actually the worst of the plague ran its course over a two year period around 1350. Some areas were hit harder than others, but yes, the casualties were upwards of one hundred million people, or roughly half the population of Europe at that time,” Hastelloy confirmed.
“The Alpha killed one hundred million people in the hopes of slowing down your progress to b
ring mankind along technologically,” Jeffrey asked in disbelief. “One hundred million?”
Hastelloy slowly shook his head in regret. “That number was just Europe. Asia was hit equally hard if not worse.”
Jeffrey felt like he’d just been slapped by the cold, hard hand of reality. This was not Hastelloy’s delusion. Two hundred million human beings between Europe and Asia actually died back then. It may not have been the Alpha, since they only existed in Hastelloy’s mind, but the plague happened and the magnitude of devastation took his breath away as the patient continued his story.
**********
Armed with a fresh batch of vaccine to combat the spread of the black plague, Tomal and Tonwen sailed into the completely vacant ports of Venice in northern Italy.
The docks of this booming port of trade were usually five ships deep waiting for a place to dock, but on this day there was scarcely a ship to be found anywhere in the harbor. As soon as word got out that a city had fallen victim to the plague, sailors steered clear until the epidemic passed. Even then, only the bravest or most desperate traders ventured back.
Their boat stopped just long enough to pay the captain his exorbitant fee and for the two of them to step off the ship. Each carried a crate laden with the vaccine. In all, they transported a thousand doses of the cure, which was nowhere near enough.
“Well, where do we start?” Tomal asked.
“The clergy and physicians,” Tonwen answered. “They are the ones exposed to the contagion on a regular basis. If we prove to them that it works they will help distribute the cure more broadly.”
“That’s a fine plan, Tonwen, but there are over 50,000 residents in this city and we can only inoculate a thousand of them. If word gets out that we have the cure it will be pandemonium.”
“That is also where the clergy come in,” Tonwen responded. “Their monasteries have the manpower, currency, and a moral obligation to mass produce the vaccine once they buy into its effectiveness. I wrote their rule of conduct. I ought to know.”
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