End of Days

by J. F. Penn

  Lilith smiled, relishing his response. She left him hanging for another few seconds before revealing herself.

  "I'm here," she said, straightening.

  A look of relief flickered across Sam's face.

  "The agents have taken the seal from Megiddo and gone to Delphi in Greece." He frowned. "I know you said to leave them. Was that …" His words trailed off and Lilith knew he didn't want to question the Great Serpent.

  "What's wrong?" she asked. "You'll be able to get the seals when they have them all."

  "I'm concerned," Sam said. "Krait is excellent and he'll track the agents, but …"

  Lilith came closer and pressed her body against Sam's. His heartbeat was fast, a pitter-pat underlined by fear. He didn't belong down here, he was a creature of the mesa and the light.

  "But?" she asked.

  "I need leverage," Sam said. "The woman's family is now in an ARKANE safe house. Krait's men tried to take them but the attempt failed and now they will be doubly wary." He looked down at Lilith and she sensed that he wanted to be far from her, and far from the sarcophagus. "This is something I need to deal with myself."

  "You're going to Europe." Lilith smiled.

  "Will you be alright while I'm gone?"

  "Will you leave me enough venom?" It was the only thought on her mind.

  Sam frowned. "I'll leave enough to keep you going, but we need to save the strongest dose for when we have the seals and can open the casket. Don't take it too far, Lilith." He paused. "I need you."

  She could tell it hurt him to admit that. She walked away from him to curl again on top of the sarcophagus. "Don't worry. Just find the seals. He is anxious to emerge and every moment we wait, his anger grows."

  An hour later, Sam boarded the helicopter to take him off the property to Flagstaff airport, then on to Phoenix and London. As they banked over the canyon, he looked down at the lodge as it faded into the mesa, expertly landscaped and camouflaged.

  He thought of Lilith down there in the crypt. When he was close to her he was confused, but as the chopper pulled away, he felt like himself again. He shook his head at his previous words.

  She was no snake goddess, channeling the Great Serpent.

  She was just a junkie he had sought out for her willingness to go into the venom trance, to save his own sanity. But when he found what he sought, when he was finished with her, well, she could have all the venom she wanted.

  He texted Krait, determined to regain control. Get me those seals and finish the agents.

  12

  Delphi, Greece.

  The sun was high as Morgan and Jake reached the town of Delphi and drove up towards the ruins of the ancient sanctuary. After snatching a few hours' sleep on the flight, they had taken turns driving north from Athens and now Morgan turned the car into the carpark. She switched the engine off and got out of the car quickly to stretch.

  "Oh, it feels so good to move." She rolled her neck and shoulders, reaching her arms up towards the sun before turning to the view.

  Delphi perched on the southwestern slope of Mount Parnassus, surrounded by groves of dusty-green olive trees in a landscape that was similar to the Jezreel Valley they had left just yesterday. It felt timeless, a place of spiritual resonance where seekers journeyed to discover their future.

  They headed into the ruins, walking through the ancient classical city along the Sacred Way, the main route through the Sanctuary of Apollo. A group of tourists clustered around the remains of a colonnade, some holding umbrellas to shield them against the Mediterranean sun. Their guide talked into a microphone as he waved his hands with enthusiasm.

  "This is the omphalos," the guide said. "The very center of the world. It is said that Zeus sent two eagles flying from either ends of the earth and where they crossed, right here, was considered the center."

  Jake chuckled a little as they passed by. "Like Rome for Christians," he said under his breath.

  "And Jerusalem for Jews." Morgan grinned.

  "And Mecca for Muslims. Religion never changes, despite the centuries," Jake said.

  "There's a lot of serpent symbolism in various religions too. Ancient Greece had Medusa with her hair of snakes and the Hydra, the nine-headed snake."

  Jake put his hands in a prayer position and turned his eyes to heaven. "Please God, don't let us have to battle one of those." He stopped by the ruins of a temple. "But I've got to admit that this place is pretty cool."

  The remains of the Temple of Apollo perched on the edge of the hill, with its six Doric columns stretching up into the blue sky. Below them, cypress trees dotted the landscape. Life in the midst of sun-bleached ruins.

  "So what happened here, then?" Jake asked.

  "There was a shrine, an inner sanctum, where people came to seek the prophecies of the Pythia, the priestess considered the Oracle of Delphi. She sat on a tripod seat over a crack in the earth and the fumes gave her visions of the future. Even kings came to ask the gods for help here."

  Morgan understood the desire to ask for guidance from some spiritual force. She felt in need of some herself right now.

  In many ways, ARKANE gave her exactly what she needed. A constant stream of fascinating new places, ancient artifacts and puzzles, with an edge of excitement and violence that she now acknowledged as an integral part of herself. She'd tried to shut down that side after leaving the Israeli Defense Force, but it hadn't worked. She'd found academia just too boring to focus on that alone, and her private psychological practice had been repetitive cases with no real challenge.

  So why was she now considering leaving ARKANE? And what would she do instead?

  "How cool is this, Morgan?"

  Jake's voice broke through her thoughts and she turned to see him on a lower level, examining the wall below the temple base.

  She smiled at his enthusiasm.

  If she stayed at ARKANE, would she and Jake remain just friends, always flirting with the subtle chemistry between them, helping each other stay alive?

  If she left, perhaps there would be a chance for them to be together. But then he would always be off doing exciting things, and what would she do? Stay at home and wash dishes?

  Like Faye.

  Her sister seemed happy being a wife and mother as David performed his duties as the pastor of a church. But as much as Morgan sometimes craved that stable life, she knew she'd probably want to kill something within a week or two.

  "Come and see. It's a weird wall," Jake called. Morgan clambered down to see what he was looking at.

  The stones that made up the platform were cut into polygonal shapes and carved with ancient inscriptions. One of the stones had the whorl of a snake cut into it, a shape similar to the two other seals she carried in her backpack. But this wasn't a seal. It was just a carving on a stone.

  Morgan bent closer. There was something else carved next to it.

  "What do you think this is?"

  Jake bent to look at it, squinting to try and make sense of the lines. "Maybe a spring? Something to do with water anyway."

  "There is a spring here," Morgan said, "where the priestess would ritually wash before entering the temple." She looked at the plan of the ruins and then pointed up to a rocky gorge east of the precinct. "It must be that way."

  They walked past the tourists again as they trooped towards the theatre. The semi-circular construction had an incredible view across the valley and Morgan wished they had more time to explore. Instead, they walked onwards towards the Castalian Spring and down a rocky path. Dappled sunlight filtered through the trees. It was a beautiful day, but Morgan felt a prickling on the back of her neck as they reached the bottom. Someone was watching them.

  She turned suddenly but there was no one there.

  "What is it?" Jake asked, spinning around to look as well.

  Morgan frowned. "Maybe nothing, but let's stay alert."

  They finally emerged onto a rocky platform that led to the cliff face where two fountains had been cut into the rock within
an alcove. A trickle of water came from one.

  Jake raised an eyebrow. "That's underwhelming."

  Morgan nodded, scanning the area. "This can't be the real place. There's been an ancient spring here since the sixth century BC so this is probably just for the tourists. We need to get to the source, where the origin of power emanated, the most holy place for the serpent." She pointed at a cleft in the rock just around the corner, surrounded by abundant foliage. "That way."

  At the edge of the rocky outcrop, they clambered over a low wall and into the dense bushes and trees that hid the cleft in the rock. Jake pushed straight through but Morgan stopped at the edge, turning again as she felt that prickle on the back of her neck.

  But once again, there was nobody there.

  She frowned and sighed. She usually trusted her instincts, but she knew she was off kilter after the scare with her family. She turned and pushed her way into the trees, finding Jake next to a rocky outcrop.

  "Look at this." He stood aside so she could see into the cleft. "It goes a long way back. You think we'll fit?"

  "I will." Morgan smiled. "Not sure about you, though."

  Jake fake punched her on the arm, sucked his belly in and turned sideways to ease past the rocks. Water dripped down and ferns brushed against Morgan's skin as they twisted up the cleft, eventually reaching the entrance of a cave.

  "What is that stink?" Jake wrinkled his nose. "It's disgusting."

  Morgan bent down to look inside.

  "In ancient times," she said, recalling the myth, "the Python was an earth-dragon who made its home here and who became the oracle for Gaia, Mother Earth. But the god Apollo decided he wanted Delphi as his own oracle and killed it. It's said that the priestess, the Pythia, drew her powers from the rotting corpse of the dead snake." She tilted her head to one side and looked up at Jake. "Of course, it could just be bat shit."

  Jake snorted with laughter. "Ladies first." He waved towards the entrance with a bow.

  Morgan knelt down and opened her pack. She pulled out a head-torch and put it on before crawling into the low tunnel. The stone was wet and it did indeed stink, but within a meter or so, the tunnel expanded out so she could stand. The tinkling of water came from further on. She looked up and the light from her head-torch caught the whorls and loops of a gigantic snake carved on the ceiling. She turned and called back to Jake.

  "Get in here and look at this."

  Moments later, he crawled in with his own head-torch on and looked up.

  "Oh yeah, that's a snake alright."

  "And its head points further in."

  Morgan felt a rising excitement, a sense that this place was the true sacred spot on the mountain, not the manmade columns of the temples outside. This place was closer to the Gaia, Mother Earth, and closer to her creatures. Closer to life … and death.

  She shone her head-torch in the direction of the snake's head and at the back of the cave, there was another hole. They walked over to it.

  "This is quite a bit narrower than the entrance." Jake frowned as he shone his light through. "But it's quite short."

  "Do you want to stay here while I go on?"

  "No way. Where you go, I go." Jake grinned. "Most of the time anyway."

  Morgan pushed the backpack ahead of her through the hole and wiggled in. She stretched her hands out in front and pulled herself along while using her feet to push. She tried not to think about the tons of rock above her.

  Once in the next chamber, she helped pull Jake through and he collapsed on the floor.

  "A little too tight for my liking," he said, after regaining his breath. "It better not get any narrower." Then he looked up and his torchlight played on the walls. "But maybe we don't have to go any further."

  Morgan turned to look.

  The entire chamber was decorated with carvings, the rock hewn with images of nature. Deer leapt over fish swimming in streams, while birds flew overhead. A cornucopia of nature's bounty. The colors had faded with time but clearly there had been worshippers here more recently. A wilted bunch of wildflowers sat on the edge of a spring. It was just rough-hewn rock with edges discolored by minerals that flowed from within the mountain. But something about it made Morgan's breath catch in her throat. The sound of tinkling water resounded in the cave, a constant hymn to the Creator.

  Behind the glistening water, Morgan caught sight of a circular object.

  "There, behind the spring."

  Jake diverted the flow with his hands, the fresh water splashing over his shoes while Morgan took a closer look.

  "It's the seal," she said. "It's a similar size to the others, but the snake is curled in a slightly different way."

  "Can you lever it out?"

  Morgan pulled a multi-tool from her pack and began to lever the rock from the spring. How long had it been here? Who had put the seals in places sacred to serpents around the world? Part of her wanted to study the stone carvings, to try and work out what their power was. She was fascinated by how old they could be. But part of her wanted to find a way to crush the stones into powder as fast as possible, ending their mission so she could go back home.

  The stone popped free and Jake let the spring run in its natural place again. He cupped some of the water and brought it to his mouth.

  "Tastes good," he said. "Despite the smell."

  Morgan took a sip. Perhaps the Pythia of ancient Greece had drunk from this spring long ago. She smiled to herself at the romantic thought.

  "Let's get out of here," she said, after a moment.

  Jake eyed the tunnel and Morgan caught the look on his face.

  "I'll go first and help you through again, you big baby."

  She pushed the backpack in again and crawled after it. Jake huffed behind her, his breathing shallow as he tried to make his substantial size much smaller. She emerged into the cave tunnel.

  "I need a hand," Jake called from back inside, his light flickering around her.

  Morgan placed the backpack with the seals on the cave floor, needing both hands to help him through. She squeezed halfway back into the tunnel and reached for him.

  "Grab my hands and I'll pull while you twist."

  As she tugged, Jake wriggled and by inches, he made his way through the tiny space.

  Then a noise came from behind her in the cave.

  Morgan couldn't see, couldn't turn around quickly. Her startled eyes met Jake's.

  "Go, I can make the last few inches," he said.

  Morgan shuffled backwards into the cave and turned her light to the floor.

  The backpack was gone.

  With all three seals inside.

  The sound of running footsteps came from the tunnel that headed towards the entrance. She sprinted towards the noise, her light bobbing through the cave. Behind her, she heard Jake swearing and a thud as he pulled himself out of the tunnel. Then he joined in the chase.

  Morgan turned a corner and saw a man silhouetted at the low entrance.

  He ducked under.

  She heard a click and then a series of popping noises. She knew the sound from her time in the Israeli Defense Force. She threw herself back and down on the floor.

  "Down, Jake!" she shouted, as the cave exploded around her.

  13

  As the dust from the explosion settled, Krait emerged from the cypress tree he had sheltered behind. He crouched down and checked the backpack for the three seals and smiled as he examined each in turn.

  Samael would be pleased.

  He glanced back at the now-buried entrance to the cave. There was no way of checking whether the agents inside were still alive but they should at least be trapped and injured, hopefully dead. Whatever state they were in, they were delayed and he had the seals. But the noise of the explosion would bring rescuers soon enough, so he needed to get away from here.

  Krait texted Samael. I have them. Where shall I meet you?

  He walked back down the rocky path towards the carpark where site officials busied themselves for a res
cue operation. Tourists bustled around taking pictures of the drama, confusing the scene. Krait walked into a pack of them, a concerned look on his face, well-hidden amongst the many nationalities represented. Using their cover, he made his way back to the car. As he drove out the carpark, joining the throng heading away from the mountain, his phone beeped with an incoming message.

  Excellent. Come to London.

  Inside the cave, Morgan stirred. She felt a sense of crushing weight upon her as she woke from the blackness. Her head pounded and she tried to lift her left arm.

  There was something on it. She couldn't move.

  Pins and needles prickled her flesh. A trapped nerve. Not good.

  Her right hand was free, though, and she lifted it to her face, gingerly touching her temple where the pain was greatest. Her fingers met sticky wetness and she probed a dripping wound. She winced as she tested the edges but it felt shallow, nothing serious. Her whole body ached but after years in the military and plenty of injuries with ARKANE, she understood her own pain levels. She would be alright – if they got out of here soon.

  But what the hell had happened?

  Morgan opened her eyes. It was pitch black. The air smelled of tar under the sickening stench of the rotten python, or whatever the hell that smell was. The bastard who stole the packs must have set off an explosion as he left.

  "Jake?" she whispered in the dark. "Are you OK?"

  A deep groan came from her left.

  Then she felt a hand reach out for her. She gripped it and for a moment, they just lay there in the dark, the physical connection all they needed. Morgan took some deep breaths, letting calm wash over her. They were alive. They were together.

  "He took the backpack," she said eventually, as she began to feel a little better.

  "Of course he did," Jake growled. "But he could have just stolen it. Why the hell did he have to blow us up?" The sound of rocks shifting echoed in the cave. "At least you didn't make it to the entrance, though. Another twenty meters closer and you'd be buried."