by Alex Archer
“What—like Godzilla?” Zach asked.
“No, like something otherworldly,” Thomson said. “Something that might be slumbering right now beneath our very feet.”
“You’re kidding,” Annja said. “It’s just a mountain.”
The colonel shook his head. “We don’t know that yet. And until we do for certain, we will take whatever precautions we deem necessary to secure the safety of the people in this camp.”
Behind them the door to the shelter opened and a hooded figure strode in. The colonel rose with a smile. “Allow me to introduce you to Major Braden.”
The figure paused and slipped his hood off.
Annja caught her breath at the sight of the man standing before her with a broad smile splayed out across his face.
16
The first thing Annja wanted to do was shout, “Garin!” but something deep inside her stopped that from occurring. Instead, she merely smiled and extended her hand. “Annja Creed. Nice to meet you.”
Garin shook her hand and bowed slightly. “Likewise.”
Annja couldn’t help but grin. Garin’s normal continental manner seemed to have been replaced—almost painfully so—by the brusquely polite personality of an American military officer. It wasn’t a mantle he looked comfortable assuming, and Annja could only wonder why in the world he’d shown up at the bottom of it.
Dave and Zach introduced themselves and then Thomson came around and clapped Garin on the back. The gesture seemed to shock Garin, who looked as if he wanted to punch the colonel for doing so. But as quickly as that expression rolled over him, it was gone. Garin slapped the disguise back into place and immediately smiled instead.
“Major Braden here is one of our most experienced professionals in the field of unorthodox security procedures. He’s been trying his best to push through several new protocols that will help us deal with the possibility of alternative security threats.”
“Alternative security threats?” Annja asked. “That sounds utterly engrossing and frightening at the same time.”
“Oh, it is,” Thomson said. “I was up late one night last week reading over his latest brief. Truly incredible suggestions. Of course, some of them will take time to win over the more temperate members of senior staff, but I think there’s a good chance they’ll eventually be implemented.”
Garin tried to grin. “You flatter me, sir. But I appreciate your support and that of your staff.”
“Not at all, not at all.”
Annja smiled. “Maybe you could show me those briefs sometime, Major Braden. I’m always interested in reading up on military doctrine.”
Garin eyed her. “Are you now? I wouldn’t have believed a woman like you would be interested in such things.”
Annja knew he wanted her to drop it, but somehow, she just couldn’t. She really enjoyed seeing him squirm. “Oh, military strategy has become something of a hobby for me as of late. I’m working my way through a wonderful book detailing Frederick the Great’s campaigns against the Austrians.”
The colonel nodded. “You know, I think I read that book last year. It was a wonderful historical piece if I recall.”
Annja smiled at him. “Now, don’t you go and ruin the ending for me. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.”
The colonel laughed. “You’re too much, Miss Creed. Really, you are.”
“Isn’t she, though,” Garin said. He glanced at the colonel. “Sir, if you don’t require any more of me for the moment, I believe I’d like to get a firsthand look at the dig site. It’s probably as good a time as any to get down there and see what we might be dealing with.”
“Yes, that’s fine. But perhaps you can all go down together.”
Garin coughed. “Together?”
Zach nodded. “We were just heading down there, as well. You’re more than welcome to come along with us.”
“Yes,” Annja said, “the more the merrier.”
Garin sniffed. “Yes, well, that sounds fantastic. Truly.” He looked at the colonel. “I’ll report back later, then.”
“Excellent.”
Garin turned and his eyes shot daggers at Annja. “After you,” he said quietly.
Annja ducked back outside with Zach and Dave, neither of whom seemed all that interested in Garin. But Annja certainly was. His sudden appearance raised a whole bunch of new questions for her. Chief among them was why was he here? The last she’d heard of his whereabouts, he was somewhere deep in the jungles of Africa, off on a search for some valuable artifact.
And now he was here.
Annja frowned and stopped herself from turning, grabbing him by the parka and throwing him to the ground, demanding to know what the hell he was up to. Instead, she kept herself in check as they walked across the compound toward a part that she hadn’t seen yet.
Zach and Dave carried the gear they’d brought with them in the Sno-Cat. Garin walked ahead of them, doing his best to stay clear of Annja. She followed in his wake, keeping herself just close enough to be a nuisance.
“Some weather, eh, Major?”
He nodded. “It’s awful stuff.”
Of course it was. Garin wasn’t the biggest fan of the cold and snow. He much preferred a lazy summer day to negative fifty degrees Fahrenheit. Probably it was all he could do not to freak out and lose his cool.
“It’s taking me a while to get used to it,” Annja said. “But then again, I’ve only just recently arrived myself.”
Garin grunted but said nothing more.
“How long have you been here, Major?”
He stopped and glared at her. “One week.”
“Is that so? Sounds like you got down here pretty fast from…well, where were you before this?”
Garin glanced at Zach and Dave. “I’m afraid that’s classified, Miss Creed. I’m sure you understand that I cannot reveal where I’ve been or what I’ve been doing. Security and all.”
“Oh, sure.” Annja kept on walking. “Just thought it would be a nice way to pass the time.”
“Perhaps later,” Garin said. “When we get to know each other a little better. A drink over dinner?”
Zach cleared his throat. “A drink over dinner? This isn’t some five-star resort, Major.”
Garin nodded. “Yes, of course, I was merely being facetious. Given our surroundings, a little levity is sometimes just the ticket for good conversation.”
Dave shook his head but said nothing. Annja knew what he was thinking. Major Braden didn’t act or talk much like any major he’d ever met. Garin would have to watch himself. His act might fool Zach and even the colonel, but Annja knew Dave was something else entirely.
They reached the entrance to a wide shelter. Zach paused. “This is it. We go inside and then take the path down into the mountain.”
“The colonel,” Dave said, “erected this sheltered entrance to try to cut down on the wind blowing into the dig site, stirring up all sorts of sediment and rocks. Plus, it helps keep the temperature much warmer than if we were exposed.”
Annja nodded. “Makes good sense.”
“Indeed,” Garin said.
They ducked into the entrance and were met by two guards who gave them a once-over and then let them pass without incident. By the back of the shelter, Annja could see a hole roughly ten feet by ten feet going into the mountain itself.
A string of lights led the way and she could see the bulbs disappear into the darkness. She found herself wondering just what might be down there.
“Here.” Zach handed her a headlamp. “Bring that hard hat with you. Just in case.”
“In case of what?” Annja asked.
“Cave-in.”
Annja shook her head. “You sure know how to make me feel nice and safe.”
Dave chuckled. “I wouldn’t worry about that. If something happens, I’m sure Major Braden here can support the entire cave. Isn’t that right, Major?”
“Just like Atlas,” Garin said. “I would knowingly sacrifice myself so that you all migh
t live.”
Annja laughed now. “Is that so?”
Garin frowned. “It’s my duty.”
Dave slapped a hat into his hands. “Here, Atlas, be sure you take a piece of cover for your noggin. We wouldn’t want any of the rocks in there to smack into your brain.”
Garin placed the helmet on his head and then shucked his parka. Annja removed hers, as well. The temperature inside the shelter was warm and Zach assured them it would get warmer as they headed into the dig site.
“Being out of the wind helps a tremendous amount,” he said. “You can actually work up a sweat down there.”
Dave checked their equipment. “We’re good to go.”
Zach nodded. “Shall we?”
He switched his headlamp on and Annja followed suit. Then they started at the entrance and began walking down the slowly sloping path that led them right into the mountain itself.
“It’s been bored out pretty well,” said Annja. “I wasn’t expecting this much clearance.”
Dave from behind her said, “They used one of those tunnel machines to break into this part. Basically, they came in here and churned up a whole bunch of the mountain. Not exactly the best way to go about preserving any possible finds.”
“That’s for sure,” Zach said. “Once I came on scene I told them they had to remove the machine and let us work by hand. They grudgingly accepted that, but once the colonel came down, he was much more reasonable about it.”
“I’d imagine,” Garin said, “that’s because the chance that there are more artifacts has convinced him of the necessity to proceed with caution.”
“Definitely,” Zach said. “And we have ever since.”
“When did you say the colonel asked for you to come down here again?” Annja asked. “Last week?”
Garin shook his head. “The colonel didn’t request me. I was assigned to come down here and offer my services.”
So that explained part of it. Annja knew that Garin had a pile of money and acquiring proper paperwork, identity and security clearances were something he could pull together in no time. He’d apparently heard something about the dig site and come down to see what was going on. But did he know what this was all about? And if he did, why was he interested in it?
“Well, that was astute of your superiors to see you might be needed down here,” Annja said.
“They’re always looking out for the best interests of the country,” Garin replied.
Annja smiled. The country, in this case, being the nation of Garin. “I’m sure they are.”
They reached a fork in the tunnel. Zach pointed in one direction. “Workers are over there digging into a separate part of the mountain. One of the things they’ve found already is a huge deposit of copper. I’m not sure what their plans are, but I think it’s a safe bet that if the mountain doesn’t yield any more surprises, they may turn this over to a big mining company and get them to haul the copper out of here.”
“That would turn this part of Antarctica into a huge eyesore,” Annja said. “I thought mining was prohibited down here.”
“It’s a touchy subject,” Dave said. “A lot of private companies have their eyes on this land. It’s completely unspoiled and ripe for destroying. Some scientists in the employ of these companies have speculated that there might be untold reserves of petroleum, chromium and a bunch of other highly valuable things down here. You can imagine how many dollar signs that would represent.”
Annja frowned. “I would hope they wouldn’t cave in to the pressure from the companies.”
“Of course they would,” Garin snapped. “Since when has the government ever been able to withstand the influence exerted upon it by the private sector?”
Annja raised her eyebrows. Dave turned and looked at Garin. Zach had stopped, as well.
Garin recovered himself. “Which is to say, the government does exist for the needs of the people, so I’m sure that whatever they decide will be in its best interest.”
Dave’s eyebrows jumped once or twice and he glanced at Annja with a quick roll of the eyes. She smiled at him and they kept moving.
Zach pointed out veins running through the rock walls. “See that? It’s all copper. This entire mountain seems to have an incredible amount of metal in it.”
“Not the least of which is the unmined copper,” Dave said.
“Is it possible,” Annja said, “that there might be a new metal that has been previously undiscovered? Something stronger than what we know about now?”
Zach shrugged. “Anything’s possible. Whether or not we’ll find evidence of it is another thing entirely.”
“But we do have evidence,” Annja said. “The necklace is made of something we can’t even recognize.”
Zach nodded. “True enough. But whether that was mined here or indigenous to this place is what remains unknown.” He stopped and Annja realized they were at a dead end in the tunnel.
“We’re here,” Zach said.
17
The hollowed-out part of the cave spread before them like the concave side of a saucer. Streaks of bright rock, veins of copper and tints of various colors all converged at a single point almost directly in front of them.
Annja ran her hand along the wall, feeling the jagged rocks bite into the palm of her hand. “It’s warm to the touch.”
Dave removed his bag of gear and set it down. “The mountain seems to conduct thermal energy up into the various caverns we’ve dug.”
Garin leaned against one of the walls. “I thought I read one time about a large thermal flue of sorts that ran under this entire continent. Was that a mistake or is it true?”
Zach shrugged. “Given all the active volcanoes, it seems logical to imagine there’s a pipeline of molten core and that the thermals work their way up to the surface. But I don’t know that anyone’s ever mapped such currents out to any degree.”
“So we could be sitting right over one,” Garin said.
“Sure. Anything’s possible.”
Garin nodded and busied himself with studying the walls of the tunnel. “Where will you dig?”
Zach pointed at the soil beneath them. “Right here.”
“You didn’t think we were going to bore into the rock, did you?” Annja asked.
“Of course not.” Garin looked at the cave. “Although you did dig straight into the mountain. I was just curious.”
Zach pointed at the wall. “If we went into the rock, we wouldn’t get very far. What we’re trying to do is get to the dirt. We’ve caused deliberate cave-ins where we know there’s dirt above that can’t be reached through the layers of snow and ice on top of it. So we come at it from below.”
Dave smiled. “It’s a lot of fun standing in a cave-in.”
“You didn’t,” Annja said.
“I’m only kidding.” Dave handed a shovel to Zach and then one to Annja. “Well, here’s to getting filthy stinking dirty for the next few hours.”
“And finding something worth our time,” Zach added. “I’d really like to figure out whose artifacts we’re in the process of digging up here.”
Garin smiled. “I thought they were aliens.”
Dave frowned. “We don’t know anything right now. It could be some prehistoric race of humans who created that stuff.”
“Using a metal alloy that is unidentifiable?” Garin smiled. “Something tells me that unless these people were the inhabitants of Atlantis, there’s no way they could have forged the metal I’ve seen in that necklace. Heavy and lightweight at the same time? With such interesting properties? Even the simple serpent design defies what conventional scientists think possible for that time.”
“We don’t know everything about what happened back then,” Zach said. “And we’ve been mistaken in the past.”
“The carbon dating alone puts those pieces well out of the range of even the most advanced life-forms on the planet at that time,” Garin said.
“That we know about,” Dave replied. “You just said yourself
they could have come from Atlantis. Or maybe even some other long-lost continent. Or hell, maybe this was Atlantis.”
Annja could tell that in the close confines of the cave, personalities were beginning to grate on each other. And Garin had never been one to be patient with the thought processes of mere mortals. He was getting disgusted with the limits of their logic, and she could sense it.
“Look, fellas, why don’t we all just get digging. Get our minds on that and forget about where this might have come from. We can maybe figure that out later, okay?” she said.
Zach nodded. “Annja’s right, we’ve got work to do.”
“Fine,” Garin said. “But just so you know, Atlantis is generally believed to have been located off the coast of Spain. Not so far down as this.”
Dave smirked. “Well, there are plenty of theories about that, I’m sure. You could probably dig up someone who will tell you the entire landmass was a big mobile alien ship, capable of moving through the oceans to wherever it wanted to go. How about that?”
Garin sighed and glanced at Zach. “Have you got another shovel?”
“Sure thing—here.”
“Thank you.” Garin settled himself into the far corner of the cavern and started digging.
For a time, the only sound was the rhythmic clangs of shovel blades sinking into the hard earth. Piles of loose gravel, dirt and small stones grew around them, like the walls of a great fortress.
Annja sweated now, aware that her snow pants restricted her movements terribly. She was feeling sore and hoped that she’d be able to have a long shower when this was over for the day.
Dave came by and tossed her a water bottle. “Make sure you keep your fluid intake up. You’ll dehydrate quickly down here without even knowing it.”
“Thanks.” She swallowed down most of the water and then paused. Dave made the rounds, handing bottles to Zach and Garin. Garin glanced at it as if it were dredged from the sewer.
Annja grinned. “Not your usual vintage?”
Garin swallowed some and blanched. “Not by the longest stretch of the imagination.”