Unfathomed

by Anna Hackett

  But he didn’t have long to stare at the destruction as they continued onward, and the desert gave way to stony massifs and grasslands. He knew that there was some megalithic construction in the highlands—dolmens and standing stones. They were believed not to be very old, but could they form part of the Temple of the Ancients?

  After a while, Wirth turned back to face them. “This is very exciting for me. I’m following in my renowned ancestor’s footsteps.”

  Zach and Morgan stayed silent, but that didn’t appear to bother Wirth.

  “I’m related to Herman Wirth. He was an original founder of the Ahnenerbe,” she said proudly.

  Zach’s blood went cold. “The Nazi archeological group tasked with proving the Aryan race was real, and that Germans were descended from them.”

  “They were pioneers, and ahead of their time,” Wirth said, her eyes lighting. “They sent expeditions all around the world, searching for artifacts left by the master race.”

  “They were Nazis,” Morgan said.

  Wirth waved a dismissive hand. “Hunting for artifacts is in my blood. Did you know that my ancestor led a mission here to Madagascar?” She smiled, leaning toward them. “He went into the forest of stone and he came out with a Yaktavian bell.”

  “A what?” Morgan asked.

  Zach stiffened. “Yaktavian bells are a crazy, unproven Nazi theory. There’s no proof—”

  Wirth slapped her hand against the seat. “Proof is exactly what Herman Wirth found here.” Her voice rose. “He found a bell.”

  Zach sighed. This woman was a zealot. No amount of real evidence or facts would convince her otherwise.

  “Okay, I’ll ride this derailed train,” Morgan said. “What is this bell?”

  “The name Yaktavian is the name the members of the Ahnenerbe used for an advanced race they believed was destroyed by a flood,” Zach said. “Others use the terms Atlanteans, Lemurians, take your pick. Of course, the Ahnenerbe had to invent their own name.”

  “The Ahnenerbe led expeditions all around the globe,” Wirth insisted. “They were privy to information that none of us have ever seen. It was unfortunately all destroyed during the war.”

  Morgan nodded. “They should have thought of that before they committed genocide and, you know, invaded other countries.”

  A sour look crossed the woman’s face.

  “Unfortunately, the Ahnenerbe were also very good at mixing up facts, cherry picking what worked for their agenda, or just inventing ‘facts’ of their own,” Zach said.

  Wirth’s face turned Arctic. “I thought you were smarter than this, Dr. James. I think I overestimated you.”

  He reached out and grabbed Morgan’s hand. “I’m okay with that.”

  The woman’s gaze lingered on their joined hands and then she sniffed. “Watch your words, both of you. Like I said, the Ahnenerbe were pioneers, and Herman found a bell here in Madagascar. Perhaps at the very temple we’re searching for.”

  “So, what did these bells supposedly do?” Morgan asked. “Turn iron to gold? Water to wine?”

  “The bells were resonant technology. They could be used as a means of protection, and also to move large stones and carve out tunnels.” A wistful smile crossed her face. “I would give anything to find one. But for now, my focus is on the amulet and the powers of persuasion it possesses.” A hungry look crossed the woman’s face, and she nodded toward the window. “Ah, good. We’re here.”

  The helicopter dipped, and out the window, Zach saw an amazing sight. Stretching as far as he could see, gray needles of rock pointed into the sky. A forest of stone.

  Morgan leaned against him to get a better view, and gasped.

  “Welcome to the Tsingy de Bemaraha Nature Reserve.” Wirth nodded to the pilot. “Take us down.”

  ***

  “There!” Hale pointed through the driving rain. “I can see a DPD.”

  Dec changed the direction of their inflatable boat. They raced toward the shore. Hale got a better view of the diving propulsion device resting on the sand. He’d used heavy-duty, military-grade ones when he’d been a SEAL. This one was a lighter, recreational model.

  Whoever had snatched Morgan and Zach had used it to bring them ashore. He scanned the beach, but there was no sign of anyone on the empty shore.

  The boat nudged the sand and Hale jumped out and pulled it farther from the water. He and Dec both pulled their weapons. Coop had drawn the short straw and had to stay on watch aboard the Nymph. They moved closer to the cliffs, searching for any hint that anyone had passed this way. The rain wasn’t helping.

  Hale kept his worry and anger suppressed. He’d had plenty of practice as a SEAL. Morgan was a hell of a fighter and he knew she wouldn’t have let herself or Zach be taken easily.

  She was either incapacitated or dead.

  A muscle ticked in Hale’s jaw. Hell, no. Morgan would do whatever she had to do to stay alive, and the way she and the archeologist were going, she’d do whatever she had to in order to keep the man safe.

  Hale spotted something in the sand near the mouth of a cave. “There.” He rushed over and crouched. There were several footprints in the sand.

  He eyed them all. There were four sets of prints in dive boots, and one was smaller and slimmer than the others.

  “They were here.” He eyed the prints left by regular boots. “Two other men and a woman were here as well.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Two bodies were lying on the ground over here.” Hale pointed. “There are signs of a scuffle.”

  “Hope Morgan got some good hits in,” Dec said darkly.

  Hale released a breath. “All seven people walked out of here.”

  “Track them.”

  Hale set off, following the prints. Once they stepped off the sand, the trail was harder to follow, but he tracked the fine scrapes and crushed grass until he saw a set of tire tracks.

  His hand curled into a fist. “They got into a vehicle.” He stared at the wall of gray rain. Where the hell were they going?

  Dec cursed. “Fucking Silk Road.”

  “If she can find a way to escape, Morgan will get Zach out,” Hale said. “She’ll protect him.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Dec swiped a hand through his sodden hair. “You’ve seen them together. She’s falling for the guy…and I know Morgan. She’ll protect him with her life.”

  Dec was right. Hale knew Morgan was tough and loyal. She wouldn’t let anyone lay a hand on Zach James. Even if she got herself killed. “We need to find them.”

  His boss nodded and yanked out his phone. “I’m calling in Cal.” Then Dec stared at his phone, his gaze narrowing. “And I have a message from Darcy.” A sharp smile crossed his face. “It appears that two of our students have had large sums of money deposited in their bank accounts lately.”

  “Who?” Hale demanded.

  “Charity and Max.” Dec jerked a head back toward their boat. “Time to have a little friendly chat with them.”

  As they headed back to the boat, Hale glanced once more at the footprints that were slowly being washed away by the rain.

  He and Morgan had been good friends from the day he’d joined THS. Like recognized like. They’d never shared their pasts, but he knew she had shadows she preferred not to discuss, and Hale had his own demons that were best kept locked away. Morgan had always respected that.

  Hold on, Morgan. We’ll find you.

  ***

  Morgan didn’t appreciate the handgun jammed into her back.

  They’d landed on a flat patch of ground, and were heading toward the stone forest. She could see narrow valleys between the rock formations, filled with trees and other vegetation. She also noted they only had a few more hours before sunset. At least her hands were free. One of the guards had cut their ropes off.

  She glanced at the sky. How were Dec, Coop, and Hale going to find them?

  “All this rock is easily
soluble limestone,” Wirth said from behind them in a chirpy tone, as though she were leading a tour group. “The tsingy rock formations were formed when water eroded the rock, and created this dramatic forest of needles. The groundwater has also gouged out a number of caves and caverns below.”

  Zach walked beside Morgan, staring up at the rocks with interest.

  “Hey, don’t look so happy,” she muttered.

  He schooled his features. “Sorry.”

  Damn archeologists. She stared up at the sharp peaks. She bet that Callum would give anything to climb here. The guy had rock climbing in the blood. Although, since he’d met photographer Dani, he didn’t climb as much as he used to.

  “The word tsingy comes from the local language and means ‘place where one cannot walk barefoot’.” Wirth smiled happily. “Be very careful not to fall on the rocks. They are very sharp, and can do a lot of damage.”

  Nice. “How can we possibly find anything in here?” Morgan said.

  “We will,” Wirth replied cheerily. “I have a rough idea of the location of my ancestor’s expedition. That’s where we will begin looking.”

  They walked into a valley between the looming rocks. The stone was gray and rough-looking, and it didn’t take long for the ground to turn rugged.

  Morgan focused on climbing over rocks and up steeper parts of the path. The place was like a maze, and they hiked carefully through the twists and turns of the stone forest.

  In some places, the rocks were wide apart, trees growing upward. In other parts, the rocks were close together, forcing them all to move in single file to slide through.

  The shadows deepened. Wirth was looking at a tablet and checking GPS coordinates.

  Moments later, they stepped out of a narrow pathway, and a giant chasm lay ahead of them. More tsingy rose up on the other side.

  “Wow,” Zach murmured.

  Off to the left was a narrow rope bridge, spanning the gorge.

  “Good. The expedition site is close.” Wirth gestured Morgan onto the bridge. “Why don’t you test out the strength of the bridge, Miss Kincaid?”

  Bitch. Morgan stepped forward.

  “I’ll go.” Zach pushed forward.

  Morgan shook her head. “It’s fine, Zach. Not my first rope bridge.”

  “Stay where you are, Dr. James,” Wirth said, her tone less friendly now. Her demeanor toward Zach had cooled substantially.

  Morgan stepped onto the narrow wooden planks, gripping the ropes. The bridge looked to be in good condition. She walked slowly and cautiously forward.

  When she reached the other side, she let out a relieved breath. She turned and watched, as the rest of the team started across.

  “Are you okay?” Zach asked, when he reached the other side. His worried gaze locked with hers.

  She nodded, warmth blooming in her chest. She wasn’t used to someone worrying about her.

  Wirth strode forward. “We’re almost there.”

  They moved back into the tsingy. When they stepped out into a small clearing, Wirth stopped.

  “This is the location of the Ahnenerbe expedition. Get to work, Dr. James. From the notes I’ve found, the archeologists back then found inscriptions on the rocks. I now believe they relate to the Phaulkon amulet.”

  Right. Morgan stared at all the rock around them. They were looking for a needle in a haystack.

  They all fanned out, searching along the rock surfaces. Hell, even if something was here, it may have been worn off over time.

  They spent an hour studying the rocks before they stopped for a rest. They were rapidly losing the light now. A water bottle was shoved at Morgan, and she and Zach both took sips.

  “One more search before the sun sets,” Wirth ordered.

  Again, they moved back to searching the rocks. Morgan crouched down, pushing scraggly bushes out of the way. Nothing but rough stone.

  Suddenly, Zach shouted, “Over here!”

  Morgan hurried over, but Wirth beat her by a second. Zach was down on one knee, pointing to the rock.

  The inscriptions were clearly visible. Morgan instantly made out the Thai and Greek letters.

  “What do they say?” Wirth asked.

  “They’re a little bit worn.” Zach ran his hands over the indentations. “But it says to head west for two sen, and look for more markings.”

  “Sen?” Wirth asked.

  “An old Thai measurement. It’s about forty meters.”

  The Silk Road guards flicked on flashlights. Wirth led them deeper into the forest of stone.

  Zach kept his gaze on the rocks, and Morgan kept her gaze on him. Despite their circumstances, she enjoyed watching him work.

  It really was getting too dark, but at the right distance, they fanned out again to study the rocks.

  “Here,” a guard called out.

  Zach translated the inscription. East, one sen. They passed through a narrow passage of rock, and had to climb down a small cliff face.

  Morgan leaped to the bottom, Zach right behind her. He touched the small of her back lightly, and Morgan decided if she was going to get kidnapped by psychopaths again, she wanted Zach with her.

  The rocks gave way to another open space, and above, Morgan saw stars appearing in the sky. The hot day had given way to a warm night.

  At the next location, they all used flashlights to search the walls.

  Nothing.

  Not a single scratch.

  Zach looked frustrated. “The light’s not good enough. I don’t know if I’m just missing it, or if it isn’t even here.”

  Wirth moved, and before Morgan realized what the woman had planned, she pressed her gun to Morgan’s head. Morgan forced herself to stay still, even though she wanted to turn and take the woman down.

  But she couldn’t risk Zach.

  Zach held a hand up, his mouth a flat line. “That isn’t necessary. I’ll find it.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Morgan watched Zach as he got down on his knees. He held up a hand. “I need a flashlight.”

  One of the guards handed him one. He aimed it at the boulder, moving slowly along the wall.

  Then he stilled, moving back a bit and shining the light at the base of the rock. Zach used his free hand to dig away some of the dirt.

  He looked back at Morgan and grinned. “Found it! It’s really worn, and was covered by debris.”

  He took a few moments to translate. “South-west. Three sen.”

  Morgan could watch him work for hours. It had taken her a little while, but she now realized the charming adventurer was just a façade. She liked the more serious nerd beneath. And she wanted to get him out of here.

  Dec would have found her tracker at the airport. He had to have tracked their flight out of Tolagnaro, but she doubted Silk Road had filed an accurate flight plan.

  But her team was coming. She was sure of it.

  “It’s too dark to continue,” Wirth finally conceded. “We’ll make camp.”

  The guards slipped off the backpacks they carried, and Morgan and Zach were shoved down together on some rocks. One of the guards tossed them a couple of ready-to-eat meals, and a water bottle.

  “Chicken teriyaki or beef, bean and rice burrito?” Morgan asked.

  Zach winced. “I hate MREs. I’ll take the chicken.”

  They ate quietly as Wirth’s guards set up a tent for her. She sat inside, her face illuminated by her tablet. She was absorbed in whatever the hell she was looking at.

  “We need to get away,” Morgan whispered. “As soon as you stop being useful, we’re both dead.”

  Zach took a drink of water. “Even if we get away, where the hell will we go? This place is very isolated.” He closed the cap on the water bottle. “That’s if getting out of the tsingy in the dark doesn’t kill us, first.”

  “We’ll worry about that after. For now, let’s get away from Silk Road, and hole up somewhere for the night.”

&n
bsp; Two guards stayed close to Morgan and Zach, while the other two settled near Wirth’s tent, curling up in sleeping bags.

  Morgan stayed relaxed and alert. They just had to wait for the right moment. “Pretend to sleep.”

  Zach nodded, leaning back against the rock wall, and closing his eyes. Morgan did the same, but kept her eyes half open.

  It took a while, but slowly, she watched the guards relax. They weren’t expecting any trouble. She glanced over and saw Wirth’s tent was dark, and the other guards were deeply asleep.

  Slowly, she reached out and tapped Zach’s thigh. He nodded.

  Morgan grabbed one of the large, loose rocks on the ground. She’d give anything for her SIG right now, or one of her knives.

  She waited until both the guards on watch looked the other way, then she leaped up.

  One swing and she slammed the rock into the closest guard’s temple. He collapsed with a grunt. She caught his body and lowered him to the ground. It happened fast, but the other guard was already leaping up, fumbling to draw his gun from his holster.

  Before Morgan could react, Zach charged forward. He slammed a punch into the guard’s gut and he doubled over.

  The man opened his mouth to shout. Morgan knocked Zach out of the way and wrapped her arm around the man’s neck. He struggled, but she had a good grip. She held on tight, listening to the muffled choking noises. Finally, he slumped against her, unconscious.

  She lowered his body down to the ground, then grabbed his decent Smith and Wesson. She rifled through his pockets.

  “Remind me not to piss you off,” Zach whispered.

  Morgan glanced up and saw he’d grabbed a backpack and was shoving food, water and a sleeping bag into it. She looked over at Wirth’s tent. No one appeared to have heard anything.

  They needed to go. Now.

  Morgan grabbed a flashlight and tossed a second at Zach. She kept the gun in her hand. “Let’s go.”

  They headed back into the rocks, moving quietly. She tore a strip of fabric off her shirt and then pulled it over the flashlight. When she turned it on, it gave enough light to help them navigate, but hopefully wouldn’t give their location away.