Then the woman’s voice came from the other end of the corridor. “You might as well surrender and come out now, Mr. Wyatt. There’s no other way out of this place.”
“I don’t know!” Sean yelled back down the tunnel. “I think we might stick it out here for a while until you all get sleepy.”
Tommy smiled at the humor. Even in extremely tense situations, Sean was still a wiseguy.
“I assure you that will not happen,” the voice returned. “You are outnumbered and outgunned. The only way out of this cave is back the way you came.”
Tommy’s face lit up. “Sean,” he gasped across the opening. “That’s it. Another way out.”
Sean looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
“The stone,” he pointed at the triangular pedestal. “They must have built in a backdoor to get out of this place. The stone might be our ticket out of here. Remember how the one in Georgia worked?”
Sean recalled the scenario.
“It’s worth a shot. I’ll cover you.”
Will’s back stung. He’d been shot before, but this felt different. Something in his backpack must have stopped the bullet. As soon as the shot had been fired he knew what had happened. He fell over knowing his only way to get out would be to feign death. Fortunately, Weaver hadn’t finished the job with a headshot. Apparently, she felt the need to execute Carlson immediately, and her attention had shifted.
He wondered, what had Carlson meant when he said he wasn’t the only one working for the adepts? At the moment, Will didn’t have time to think about such things. He just had to get out of there and live to fight another day. One of the mercenaries had taken his gun, leaving him unarmed. Their attention, though, was on the people in the other room. He pulled himself over to the base of the pedestal that held the golden leaves, moving slowly so as not to draw attention. The stone altar had given him an idea. One he could only hope would work. Peeking around the corner of the stone object, he saw Sean suddenly emerge at the end of the hall and start firing his gun. Will ducked down as bullets smacked around on the stone, bouncing dangerously close to where he was crouched. He thought that he’d seen Tommy running behind Sean but couldn’t be sure. As soon as the barrage ceased, Weaver and her men started returning fire, adding to the acrid smoke that was already filling the room. That was his moment.
Will reached up and grabbed the leaf on the right of the pedestal and lifted it off. The familiar clicking started again, and immediately he jumped up and darted into the cave entrance just before a giant stone began to lower over the opening.
Angela stopped firing her weapon and turned to see what was happening. The entrance to the chamber was closing from above while a huge piece of stone was rising up to the ceiling right next to their position, effectively closing off the passageway into where Wyatt was holed up. She wasn’t sure what to do. Both passageways would be sealed off in moments. She looked at both of the men, wondering what to do. The younger man started to climb over the rising wall but was greeted by a volley of shots from the other end of the hall, one of which struck him in the shoulder and sent him reeling back to cover. Blood trickled down his arm onto the floor as the moving wall reached its destination with a loud thud. They were trapped like rats in a box.
Then another rumble began overhead. “Another way out?” the middle-aged man wondered out loud. A trickle of water began to flow from the hole in the center of the ceiling. The three looked up in horror. That’s when they heard a sound the chilled them all to the core. The sound of rushing water.
Sean wasn’t sure, but as he laid down cover fire for Tommy, he thought he saw Will pulling himself over to the pedestal in the other room. It was so dark, he couldn’t tell. He’d emptied his clip and ducked back behind the wall just as the three villains started returning fire. Through the haze of smoke, he could see that Tommy had reached the triangle pedestal and was tucked behind it as a hail of metal rounds blanketed the room. Then suddenly, their enemies had stopped firing, and the room was filled with the sound of a deep grinding. Some of the metal objects on the floor were rattling as the earth shook beneath them. A golden statue with a doglike head fell over on its face, clanking loudly on the hard floor.
Adriana yelled over the sound. “What’s happening?”
Sean risked a look around the corner. The wall where they’d entered was rising. One of the men appeared at the top, trying to climb over. Wyatt fired off a few rounds and sent the man scurrying back to the other side. “The door’s closing!” he yelled. “They must have taken off one of the leaves!”
Nearly as quickly as it had begun, the rumbling came to a halt, and the room became deathly quiet. “So we’re trapped?”
“Maybe not,” Tommy answered and stood up from his hiding place. He fingered the stone on the altar for a moment, unsure of what was going to happen. His eyes scanned the room of ancient relics, thinking he’d come so far to only behold them for a few brief minutes. Then he picked up the small disc. Where it had rested, four small pegs of stone were revealed. From deep within the pedestal came four loud clicks. Sean and Adriana looked at Tommy, wondering what was going to happen. Suddenly, the floor opened up underneath Schultz’s feet, and he disappeared from view.
Sean and Adriana ran over to the hole that surrounded the pedestal on all three sides. The floor panels had dropped away like a trap door, revealing an underground duct underneath with water rushing through it. There was no sign of Tommy.
“The water must have carried him that way,” Sean said.
“You think that’s our way out?”
Sean shrugged. “Looks like it’s the only way.”
“What about the treasure? Father Crespi’s collection?” She looked around at all the ancient artifacts and precious relics.
Sean looked at her with a grin. “Sometimes you gotta leave the treasure behind,” he said without resignation. “Maybe this is where it belongs.” He took her hand and looked down at the gushing water. She nodded, and the two of them jumped into the opening.
Angela never panicked. It was one of the reasons she was so good at what she did. But as the water flooded through the opening and gathered around their feet, fear began to creep into her mind. The two men sloshed over to where the original entrance to the room had been. They frantically tried to pull up on the heavy stone but couldn’t find a seam to grip. Angela just stood in the middle of the room while they leaned on the wall in an effort to get the thing to budge. The water level continued to rise quickly and was already up to her waist. She waded to the pedestal and lifted a golden leaf off of the top in hopes that would stop the room from flooding. Nothing happened. There was no way out.
The men looked at her for an answer, but she had none. She banged on the top of the pedestal with the leaf, but again nothing happened. The water had covered it now and was nearly up to her chest. The younger of the two men had a terrified look on his face. He glanced at the older man and then back at Angela. His head shook violently as the water reached their shoulders. Suddenly, his hand emerged from the water with his weapon, and he put it to his head. He pulled the trigger, sending a splash of crimson into the water. The body went limp and floated facedown on the surface while the bullet wound turned the water an eerie reddish color in the pale illumination of their flashlights.
Angela and her team’s leader were treading water. As the level rose, they grew closer and closer to the ceiling. They looked at each other but said nothing. They were both killers, murderers. There was no comfort to be had. And none was sought.
Their heads bumped against the angled ceiling as the deluge carried them higher. She tried to keep her mouth near the top where there was still air. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the middle-aged man ceased his struggle and let himself sink into the water. A few moments later his body, too, was floating. His flashlight had sunk to the bottom of the room, illuminating the floor far below. She was angry. She had never failed at anything. And she was furious that someone had gotten the bette
r of her. As the water covered her head, her thoughts drifted to the events of the last few days: killing her partner, the shootout at the church, the dry desert air.
She needed air. Angela ceased fighting the reflex urge. She opened her mouth and shoved her pistol between her lips. The final thought that ran through her head was that a bullet was better than drowning. Her eyes clenched together and she pulled the trigger.
Chapter 67
Southeastern Ecuador
Sean and Adriana flew through the underground flume. Thousands of years of water flow had smoothed out the stone underneath them, so it felt like being in a dark waterslide. The light from their flashlights bounced around on the roof of the tunnel as they tumbled and slid along. After their initial clumsy ride, they both righted themselves and were gliding along in the gushing water. A quick drop sent them airborne momentarily with a sudden thud, but the fall had only been a few feet. The tube continued to twist and turn its way through the old rock until finally they could see a light up ahead.
“Looks like the end of the road!” Sean yelled at Adriana, who was sliding along behind him. “Brace yourself!”
The light grew brighter and brighter until suddenly there was nothing beneath them.
Tommy swam hard through the huge pool that had collected at the base of the waterfall. From the looks of it, he’d come out near where they had entered the cave. The chute he’d gone through had dumped him out into an area where the water was surrounded by a half circle of rocks. As he pulled himself up onto a large one, he looked back up at the hole that had just spit him out. He hadn’t expected the floor to drop out from under him when he lifted the stone medallion off of the pedestal. The sudden fall had jarred him slightly but nothing he couldn’t shake off. Then he heard a yell from above just before he saw Sean and Adriana fly out of the chute and into the pool below. Both of them disappeared for a second before reemerging at the surface, spitting out water.
“Wooo!” Sean gave a yell. “Now that was awesome! Did you see that?”
“I did,” Tommy answered from the stone embankment with a huge smile. “What happened to your fear of heights?”
Sean shrugged and looked back up at the hole in the cave. “It was only twenty feet or so.”
Adriana seemed less thrilled about the water sports and swam quickly to the edge then pulled herself onto dry land.
The three of them sat for a moment and stared up at the water that was pouring out of the hole in the side of the rock face. Each one of them contemplated something in silence. After a few minutes of rest, they clumsily made their way over the rocks and across a narrow stone walkway that led back over to the shore. As if on cue, the beating sound of a helicopter could be heard in the distance.
“Mauricio?” Tommy looked hopeful.
“If it isn’t, then we might be in some trouble,” Sean answered.
As the helicopter drew closer, they could see through one of the windows that their friend was indeed inside. He waved to them from one of the seats in the rear cabin. A few minutes later, the aircraft had landed in a nearby meadow. Delgado beamed at them as they approached from the river bank. “Tommy! I’m glad you’re OK! We were worried sick about you.”
Tommy smiled. “I’m fine,” he said and held out a small stone disc. On the top of it were three pyramids of varying sizes.
Delgado flipped it over and saw another set of symbols. There was a small figure bowing down to a bird carved into the stone. His eyebrows lowered. “You found the treasure of Carlos Crespi?”
Schultz nodded. “It will be quite a task to get back to it, but I think we have the resources.”
“What does it mean?” Delgado asked with intense curiosity. His eyes still stared at the disc.
Sean patted him on the back. “I think it means we’re going to Egypt.”
Chapter 68
Washington, DC
Eric Jennings made his way down the opulent hallway of The Fairfax, one of the more prestigious hotels in the District. He’d decided to indulge a little, seeing how he felt like he’d been under considerable stress over the last week. He still hadn’t received any news about Starks’s death. Perhaps she wasn’t going to be missed by anyone after all. It wasn’t his concern anymore, though. There had been a slight hesitation when he was considering the booking. The Fairfax was extremely close to Embassy Row, but he figured he didn’t really associate with many of the people in that part of town, so the likelihood of being noticed would be negligible.
The halls of The Fairfax were decorated elegantly with gold-painted molding and classic architecture. It was certainly far nicer than what he was used to getting with one of his women.
He arrived at his room and slid the electronic key into the slot. A moment later the green light beeped and the door unlocked.
When he opened it, he was greeted with an intoxicating scent of a woman’s perfume. The room was dark, save for a small lamp that was lit from behind a curtain, giving the chamber a soft, eerie illumination.
He removed his trench coat and loosened the tie around his neck then stepped toward the corner of the suite where a bed and sitting area were located.
In the pale light, he could make out the silhouette of a woman sitting in one of the chairs near the window. The outline of her body was lithe and firm. The creamy white skin of her legs was accented by tight black lingerie. Her breasts were pushed up slightly by a matching black bra. Her face, though, was hidden by a dark shadow that began at the base of her neck. Jennings smiled as he stared at the woman. His old friend had outdone himself again.
“Hello,” he said casually. “What’s your name?”
“My name doesn’t matter,” the voice emanated from the shadows.
He shrugged. “I suppose not.” He took off his belt and set his gun down on the counter next to the flatscreen television. The television was on, but the screen was blank. He pointed at it with his thumb. “Anything good on?”
“Actually,” she replied in a slow, sexy tone, “there is. Someone has been a very bad boy.”
She uncrossed her legs then recrossed them while she spoke.
“Oh, have I?” He played along. “I guess I’m going to have to be punished.”
“Indeed.”
Was that sarcasm in her voice? he thought to himself. He liked this one. She had a little attitude. Maybe not as young as he would have liked, but that could be made up for in other ways. He undid his pants and dropped them to the floor, revealing gray, pinstripe boxers. As he was unbuttoning his tie, she lifted a hand with a remote in it and pressed a button.
At first, the vision on the screen was a little dark and blurry, but when it came into focus, Jennings’s eyes grew wide with realization.
It was surveillance footage of him entering Emily Starks’s bedroom the night before. He watched in horror as the man on the screen walked over and fired bullets into the head of the sleeping woman then left quickly. His face was unmistakable in the footage.
He turned his head back to the woman in the corner. “Where did you get this?” he demanded.
Then she leaned forward, revealing her face. It was Emily Starks.
Jennings staggered backward a few steps, placing his hand on the corner of the wall to regain his balance. He shook his head. “No. That’s impossible!”
“What’s the matter, Eric? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She smiled as she stood up with her hands behind her back. Her long brown hair dropped teasingly over one shoulder.
“I killed you!” he yelled.
“No.” She stopped, keeping her distance from him. “You killed a dummy. I watched from the closet as you snuck into my room and pulled the trigger.”
He kept shaking his head. He’d been so certain, so careful.
She continued, “I knew you couldn’t be trusted, Eric. So I played it safe. Now there are twenty agents waiting outside to take you away as soon as we walk out that door.”
He stood silent for a moment. All his years of hard work—his pe
nsion, retirement, everything—passed before his eyes. It was all gone now. The only luxury resort he would see would be in Leavenworth, Kansas.
His eyes darted quickly over to the weapon on the counter.
She saw what he was thinking. “Don’t do that, Eric. There’s no way out of here.” Jennings had information she needed. Emily needed him alive. “Who are you working for, Eric?”
His face was full of despair like a child who had been caught breaking a window. He said nothing at first, just staring at her.
“Eric,” she urged, “who are you working for? Make it easy on yourself. I need a name.”
Jennings’s lips quivered. “I worked my way up,” he finally said. “I did everything by the book.” He laughed at the last sentence. If he was expecting some kind of pity from Starks, he was going to be disappointed. Her face remained stoic, hardened by the fact that he’d tried to kill her in her sleep. “They offered me a way out, promised me more money than I’d see in twenty years working for the government.” He paused and looked down as he thought about the money he’d received from Golden Dawn. Then his eyes moved back to her for a second as if considering her words. “Make it easy on yourself,” she’d said. Then he lunged for the gun. Grasping it in his left hand, he was about to raise it when he saw that Emily already had her own weapon trained on him.
“Put the gun down, Eric. It doesn’t have to end like this, but if you don’t put the weapon down I will shoot you.”
Her voice carried more than a threat. It was a fact. Starks may have been a desk worker in the Justice Department, but she hadn’t gotten there by being soft. He knew her record, knew how many confirmed kills she’d had in the field. She meant every word.
“Eric. Who is running Golden Dawn, and what are they up to?”
He raised the gun slowly over his head as he turned to face her.
Visions of the beach and luxurious golf courses, women, gourmet food, and a life of luxury entered his mind. He would have none of that now. Then slowly, he began to lower the gun toward the temple of his head, just above the ear.
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