Jack snorted. “Jeez, you screw up just one time and nobody ever lets you forget it.” He made a turn. “I’ll have you know, I have secured us a nice little ride that will get us there in a third of the time, if not better.” He glanced at Dawson. “Assuming one of you knows how to fly a helicopter.”
Dawson smiled. “Pilots are one thing we’re not short of.”
“Fantastic.” Jack made another turn. “Now let’s just hope nobody already flew away with it.”
“Excuse me?”
Jack gave a toothy smile. “Nothing!”
67 |
Mine Site, Eastern Mongolia
Acton sat on his haunches, staring at what they had uncovered over the past several hours. It was a complete skeleton less one hand, with no evidence of scavengers having torn apart the carcass of an abandoned body.
This man had been buried.
And with honors.
His clothing and armor were still partially intact, his weapons had been laid out with purpose at his sides, along with a substantial amount of gold coins, likely meant to ease his transition into the next life.
It was an amazing find, of definite archaeological significance.
If the laws were obeyed, it was enough to bring the operation to a halt, and perhaps even enough to halt it permanently, though he doubted that. A substantial hole had been dug here, and there was no evidence that anything else had been located. This was not a graveyard, nor a village.
It was a lone grave, literally in the middle of nowhere.
“We can move this.”
Acton regarded Elbegdor, Arban’s corrupt boss, who had performed admirably over the past several hours, the man genuinely interested in preserving what they had found. “I assume you mean move it so that it can be ‘found’ somewhere else?”
Elbegdor nodded. “I’m happy you have a grasp of the situation, Professor Acton. I figured you would.”
“So, now that we’ve discovered what it is, and you’ve decided it can be moved, what happens to us?”
“I’m afraid that’s out of my control.”
Acton eyed Elbegdor. “I had a feeling you were going to say that. And Arban? What about him?”
Elbegdor sighed, glancing at the young man. “I’m afraid with your arrival, it complicates things.”
Acton shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. Kill us, but let him live. He’s done nothing wrong.”
Elbegdor stared at Acton. “You really mean that, don’t you? You’d really trade your lives for his?”
“In a heartbeat.”
“I believe you would.” Elbegdor exhaled loudly. “Unfortunately, there’s no choice to be made here. If you hadn’t arrived, then I think I could have convinced those above to spare his life. After all, what we have found can be moved, and the threat of harming his wife would have kept him in line. But with you two, you can’t be allowed to leave. You know too much, and are too well-respected. You’ll leave here and tell the world, and it will cause us too many problems.”
“And if we promised we wouldn’t?”
Elbegdor smiled. “While I might believe you, there is no possible way they will.” He nodded toward their observers above. “I’m afraid your fate is sealed, and because of it, my poor friend’s here as well. Too many people know you came here because of a message he sent. They’ll come looking for you, find him, and he’ll feel compelled to tell the truth.” He frowned. “There’s simply too much to lose.”
Arban threw a stone across the hole. “So, if I hadn’t texted Professor Acton, everyone would still be alive.”
Elbegdor nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
“What’s this?”
Everyone turned to Laura, who had continued working, ignoring their impending doom.
“What?” asked Acton as he joined her on the other side of the body. His eyes narrowed at the piece of stone, perhaps the size of an iPad, lying beside the body. “Is that writing?”
“Looks like it.” She took a brush and removed as much of the dirt as she could. “It looks like there should be a second half. Be careful where you step.”
Arban raised his hand. “Found it!” He pointed at a piece of stone sticking up from out of the dirt.
Acton smiled. “Go ahead, you know what to do.”
Arban grinned then grabbed his spade, carefully excavating around the stone, its entire surface soon revealed, more writing clearly visible. Acton lifted the first piece from the ground, Arban doing the same with his. Acton took them both and pressed them together.
“What does it say?” asked Arban as he repositioned for a better view.
Acton shook his head. “No idea. It’s in Mongolian.”
Elbegdor leaned forward. “That’s Ancient Mongolian. I can read it.” He shone a flashlight on the broken tablet then gasped.
“What does it say?” asked Laura, as excited as Acton was.
“It says, ‘Here lies the body of the great Temüjin, lost in glorious battle. May he rule in the next life as he did in this.’”
Acton fell back onto the ground, his heart slamming as his jaw dropped.
Temüjin.
He stared at the body of the greatest warrior, the greatest murderer, of all time, a chill rushing over him at what it meant. It was one of the greatest finds in history, and the Mongolian government, the Mongolian people, would never stand for it to be disturbed.
Not for all the money in the world.
This mine was finished.
If only someone knew.
Conrad shouted from above. “What is it? Have you found something?”
Elbegdor held up the tablet. “It’s him!”
“Who?”
“Genghis Khan!”
68 |
En route to Mine Site, Eastern Mongolia
Dawson adjusted his mike as Leroux brought them up to date.
“The Hind is still on the ground with no sign of leaving. You’ve got what looks like platoon strength on the ground—Mongolian regulars. There are at least another half-dozen that were already there. We’re guessing they are part of the private security working the mine. If they’re anything like the guy we have sitting in one of our interrogation rooms, they’re the ones you have to worry about.”
Dawson rolled his eyes at the others. “So, what you’re saying is that we’re up against eighteen armed men.”
“At least.”
“Uh-huh. Okay, what are our ROEs? Can we engage the Mongolians directly?”
“Negative, not unless they shoot first.”
No surprise there.
“And the private security?”
“Open season.”
“Understood.” He turned to Jack. “ETA?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Okay, land short. I don’t want them hearing us coming. We’ll hoof it in the rest of the way.”
Jack frowned. “If I’d known I was going for a jog, I would have worn more appropriate shoes.”
Dawson chuckled. “You’ll wish you were going for a jog.”
69 |
Mine Site, Eastern Mongolia
Conrad ran down the ramp with Stander then rushed over to the group gathered around the skeleton. “What did you say?” he asked, his tone hushed.
Elbegdor responded for the group, not bothering with the hushed tone. “I said it’s Genghis Khan.”
Conrad’s eyes widened. “Keep your damned voice down! Do you realize what would happen if those soldiers found out? Half of them are probably shamanists and would think we just desecrated the grave of one of their gods.”
Acton held his tongue for the man was right. Genghis Khan was a shamanist in his day, and much of Mongolia still held those beliefs. And those who practiced shamanism now believed Genghis Khan was a shaman, and was revered like no other. There was no telling what would happen if the soldiers above knew what was going on.
“You have to shut down this section of the mine,” said Elbegdor.
Conrad glared at him. “Are you kidding me? That is prec
isely why you are not here. I pay you and your friends good money to look the other way just in case we find something like this.”
Elbegdor shook his head. “Not like this!” He jabbed a finger at the uncovered tomb. “This is Genghis Khan! The greatest Mongol to have ever lived. He is revered by millions, and this has now become the most significant archaeological find in the entire country, if not the entire continent. This cannot be just ignored. I must report this to my superiors.”
Stander gripped his weapon. “I don’t think I can allow that.”
Conrad held up a hand. “Now, let’s everybody calm down. Elbegdor, you’ll go to jail along with the rest of us. You know that, don’t you?”
Elbegdor shook his head. “I don’t care. I’d happily face the firing squad if it meant preserving the tomb of Genghis Khan.”
Stander sneered. “If a firing squad is what you want, I can provide one.” He drew his weapon.
Acton finally decided he had to say something. “Okay, everyone just calm down a minute. Mr. Elbegdor, if this were discovered legitimately, what would happen?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, would it stay here? Would you build around it, or would you move it?”
Elbegdor sighed. “I don’t know. As a scientist, I would say we preserve it intact and in place, but with where it is, it’s impractical. Most likely, the powers that be would insist it be moved to Ulaanbaatar where it could be properly secured. But there is more to it than that.”
“What?” asked Laura. “You mean his wishes?”
“Exactly. It was the Khan’s wish that he be buried in accordance with his people’s traditions, in an unmarked grave where his corporeal body could be forgotten. Now that it has been found, what do we do to satisfy his wishes?”
Stander shook his head. “Who gives a shit? He’s been dead what, a thousand years? Who cares what his wishes were?”
Acton sighed. “Oh, I don’t know, about three million Mongolians? Khan is like a god to many of the people in this country. Ignoring a god’s wishes isn’t an option. We have to take that into account.”
Stander stared at the body. “Why don’t we just rebury it?”
Conrad wagged a finger. “No, that’s not an option. This expansion will be opened on schedule.” He jabbed a finger at the tomb. “That thing must be out of here before dawn.”
Elbegdor shook his head. ‘That’s impossible. Even if we agree it has to be moved, it will take time to properly excavate it.”
“How long?”
“Days for sure, more likely weeks.”
Conrad’s head shook vehemently. “Out of the question. It’s moving in the next two hours.”
“I can’t allow that.”
“You have no choice in the matter.”
Stander growled. “I’ll handle this!” He stormed up the dirt ramp built earlier by the excavator as everyone stared after him, the mercenary disappearing after cresting the edge. An engine roared to life and Acton gasped as a massive loader appeared, its scoop raised, Stander behind the controls as he guided it down the ramp.
“No!” cried Acton as he rushed foolishly toward it, Laura grabbing him by the arm and hauling him back. Elbegdor cried out, racing toward the ramp.
“Stop! What are you doing? Stop!” He turned to Conrad. “Make him stop, please! I’ll do whatever you want!”
Conrad shrugged as he stepped out of the way of the approaching vehicle. “I think this will resolve things quite expediently.”
Elbegdor stared at the others desperately, then did something unexpected.
He dropped to his knees then lay in front of the loader. Stander laughed, showing no signs of slowing down.
“No!” Arban rushed forward and grabbed Elbegdor by the belt and hauled him out of the way as Stander rolled over the patch of dirt that Elbegdor had occupied moments before. Acton grabbed Laura by the hand and they rushed out of the way as Stander spun the vehicle 90 degrees, lowering the bucket to ground level, then advanced. Acton reached for a non-existent weapon on his hip, then turned to see if Conrad had one.
He didn’t.
He stared up at the soldiers, all armed, staring into the pit, clearly ignorant as to what was about to happen. Acton grabbed Arban and pointed at the soldiers above. “Tell them what’s happening!”
“What?”
“Tell them!”
Arban’s eyes widened at what was being asked of him. He turned and cupped his hands around his mouth to be heard over the roar of the engine behind him, and yelled.
Major Khurelsukh’s eyes shot wide as he heard the words hollered from the hole.
“He’s going to destroy the tomb of Genghis Khan!”
He rushed to the edge, staring down as the loader rolled forward toward what was supposed to be a trivial archaeological find. And his mouth went dry. If this were indeed the tomb of the great shaman, then his career would be over and he’d be found dead in the mountains somewhere, tossed from his helicopter, the official report listing him as missing, presumed dead after an accident.
“Sir? Is it true?”
Khurelsukh ignored his second in command, Lieutenant Jalair, instead contemplating his options. None were good.
“Sir! We have to stop them! If there’s even a chance!”
Khurelsukh spun at him. “No! Follow my orders!”
“But it’s the great Khan!”
“One more word and I’ll have you up on charges!”
Jalair’s eyes were wide, his head shaking, the young man clearly panicking. “No! They must be stopped.”
Khurelsukh reached for his sidearm but it was too late. Jalair raised his AK-47 and fired. Khurelsukh felt each round slam into his chest and abdomen, and before he hit the ground, dead, chaos erupted.
Gunfire raged overhead as Stander shoved the scoop into the carefully uncovered tomb. Acton stared helplessly as the massive piece of machinery tore into the dirt before it finally came to a halt, the gaping maw of the beast now containing the entire excavation.
Remarkably intact.
There might still be hope.
Laura grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the wall of the hole nearest the helicopter, as gunfire rained down from above, pinging off the yellow-painted metal, the soldiers finally attempting to stop Stander. Acton glanced over his shoulder as he slammed into the dirt wall, covering Laura as ricochets rocketed off the thick metal, hammering into the dirt walls surrounding it, small explosions of earth erupting around them as near misses continued to threaten them. Stander was nowhere to be seen, but the distinct sound of a pistol joining the mix suggested he was alive and well and fighting back.
Something hit the dirt hard behind him and his head swiveled to see what it was. A Mongolian soldier. Another dropped by his side and Acton realized what was going on.
These soldiers were barely trained.
Stander’s men were well-seasoned mercenaries. Though outnumbered, they far outclassed those they were against. He had to even the odds. He dropped to a crouch and rushed over to the closest body, grabbing the AK-47 still gripped in the soldier’s hands. He found two spare magazines on the man’s belt and stuffed them in his pocket.
Laura bolted past him, grabbing the AK off the second soldier, retrieving a single extra mag. He held a finger to his lips, signaling for silence as he scanned the area for cover from which to fire.
And found nothing but the loader.
But where were Arban and Elbegdor? If he couldn’t see them, then perhaps they had found the exact cover they needed to fight back.
Dawson cursed and their hoofing turned into a sprint as he activated his comm. “Control, Zero-One. What the hell is going on, over?”
“Zero-One, it looks like all hell’s breaking loose. ETA?”
“You tell me.”
“If you maintain your pace, you should be in range inside of two minutes. Be advised, it appears the Mongolian regulars have engaged the private security.”
Dawson lengthened his stride.
“Who’s winning?”
“The Mongolians are all in the open, taking heavy casualties. The private security are using mining equipment as cover. I don’t think the Mongolians are going to last much longer.”
“And our subjects?”
“They still appear to be in that hole. We don’t have an angle on them, and the bird will be out of range in less than sixty seconds.”
Dawson cursed. They’d be going in blind. He crested a hill, revealing the mine ahead, a gaping pit of darkness to their right, and a small slice of intense light interspersed with sporadic muzzle bursts to their left. “Got it in sight. Preparing to engage. Zero-One, out.”
Acton spotted Arban’s head pop up for a split second, the young man having found cover on the opposite side of the earthen ramp, a narrow wedge of ground between the hole and the far wall of the dirt dumped for the access ramp. It was probably the safest place to be. He pointed toward it and Laura nodded.
He waved her ahead and she sprinted past him without hesitation as he pressed against the wall, his AK at the ready, his upper body on a swivel as he watched for anyone who might take a shot. She reached the bottom of the ramp and rushed around it then disappeared for a moment before popping up, a thumb held high. He sighed with relief then raced toward her.
Gunfire suddenly tore into the ground in front of him and he dove, rolling to a knee as he processed the sounds around him, aiming toward where he was certain the gunfire had come from.
And he found Stander in his sights.
He squeezed the trigger, the powerful kick hammering his shoulder as he emptied his mag at the bastard’s position. Stander ducked behind the massive wheels, most of Acton’s shots ricocheting ineffectually, but they were enough to have Stander taking cover. Acton pushed to his feet, cursing as his mag emptied. He ejected it on the run, then fished a spare from his pocket, glancing toward Stander’s position. The man was rising, preparing to take aim, when more shots from ahead erupted.
The Tomb of Genghis Khan Page 16