The Tomb Builders

by The Tomb Builders (retail) (epub)

  ‘Fascinating,’ said Brandon, ‘and to be honest, I can see the strength of your argument, but if what you are saying is true, then this tomb we are looking for could be anywhere in the world.’

  ‘It could,’ said Tarik, ‘but luckily enough, that disc you found gives us a clear road map.’

  ‘Until now,’ said Brandon, ‘for you both agree there are no pyramids in the Azores.’

  ‘I didn’t say in the Azores,’ said Tarik, ‘I said on the Azores.’

  ‘What’s the difference?’ asked Brandon.

  Tarik drew a breath and stared at Brandon before answering.

  ‘A few years ago,’ he said, ‘we came across some US navy documents that reported a pyramid-like structure on the seabed off the coast of the Azores. Again the authorities covered it up but the internet chatter was so great we commissioned a search under the guise of a scientific survey looking for fishing grounds.’

  ‘And what did you find?’

  ‘What do you think?’ asked Tarik.

  ‘Don’t tell me you found a pyramid,’ said Brandon with a sneer.

  ‘No, we didn’t find a pyramid, Brandon.’ He paused and glanced at India before continuing. ‘We actually found three.’

  Brandon shook his head in disbelief and India’s mouth fell open in astonishment.

  ‘I’ve never heard of this,’ said India. ‘If this is true it’s astounding.’

  ‘Not really,’ said Tarik, ‘there are many more submerged pyramids around the world, including off the coasts of Japan and Bermuda, but the truly amazing thing is that we haven’t discovered these ones sooner.’

  ‘But I thought the Azores were devoid of any trace of ancient civilisations.’

  ‘Not entirely true,’ said Tarik. ‘There are cave paintings and rock art that experts are struggling to identify. At the moment, nobody knows who was responsible or when they originated.’

  ‘So you think these pyramids are the ones we seek?’ said Brandon.

  ‘One in particular, said Tarik. The line dissects the sea between the islands of São Miguel and Terceira, the exact location of the largest of the three.’

  Brandon stared at the disc again before looking up.

  ‘But even if you are right,’ he said, ‘and Khufu’s body lies in the heart of it, there’s no way we can go exploring the inside of a pyramid at the bottom of the sea.’

  ‘He’s not there,’ said India, ‘I’m sure of it. There are too many remaining symbols on the disc. I think there are further steps to be taken and this is yet another glyph toward his final resting place.’

  ‘But there’s no way of knowing,’ said Brandon.

  ‘Actually there is,’ said Tarik. ‘After we discovered the cover-up, we sent down some divers to confirm the finding. Unfortunately the water quality was poor and the photographs were inconclusive. Since then the Portuguese authorities patrol that area frequently, making it difficult for us to get back down there; however, the report from that initial dive was very interesting. It said the structure is definitely pyramidal shaped with the four corners aligned to the cardinal points of the compass. The other thing that was interesting was that the top of the pyramid was flat, not pointed, and on the top was a spiral design carved into the surface. Ordinarily that wouldn’t have been seen, but due to the turbulence earlier in the day, the sand had been washed away and our man had the opportunity to look closer. By now his camera was useless due to the poor visibility but he went close enough to see it was over ten metres wide and consisted of a spiral-shaped design. I think that glyph will show us where we next need to go.’

  ‘And how do we do that?’ asked Brandon. ‘If all the pictures are rubbish, how on earth do we get to see the glyph?’

  ‘Easy,’ said Tarik, ‘we go down there.’

  ‘Tarik, that’s not as easy as you think,’ said Brandon. ‘I dived a lot in the army and open-water diving can be very dangerous. We’ll need a support boat, equipment, charts and an emergency backup plan in case something goes wrong. In addition to that, where will we find the qualified divers needed for such a dive? Anyone worth their salt will want paying and will need to know the purpose of the dive.’

  ‘Divers won’t be a problem,’ said Tarik, ‘I will dive and you will be my second.’

  ‘Me,’ said Brandon, ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Why not?’ asked Tarik, ‘you just said you dived a lot in the army.’

  ‘I did, but that was years ago.’

  ‘It doesn’t leave you, Brandon. Yes you’ll need a few practice dives but you’ll soon pick it up again.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ said Brandon, ‘but what about you, what experience do you have?’

  ‘My passion is diving,’ said Tarik, ‘and besides, I have been there before.’

  ‘You have dived on the pyramid?’ asked Brandon.

  ‘I have. The man I told you about on that first exploration, well, that was me.’

  ‘Wait a minute,’ interceded India, ‘if you were the one who saw the glyph, surely you can just tell us what it looked like and we can work it out from here?’

  ‘I wish I could,’ said Tarik, ‘but like I said, the water clarity was poor. Yes, I saw the glyph close up, but only a part of it. It was obvious it was some sort of spiral design but I couldn’t see it in its entirety. It’s like having one piece of a twelve-piece jigsaw.’

  ‘I don’t know, Tarik,’ said India. ‘I’m just as keen as anyone to find this tomb but I draw the line at risking people’s lives.’

  ‘The risk is minimal,’ said Tarik. ‘Of course we need suitable safety procedures in place and we will have to wait for good weather, but the dive is only eighty feet. Allowing for finding the pyramid, examining the glyph and the necessary decompression stops on the way up, I reckon we can be back in the boat within forty minutes.’

  India turned to look at Brandon.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ she said. ‘It’s your call.’

  Brandon stared at Tarik.

  ‘And you have seen this pyramid with your own eyes?’

  ‘I have stood upon its summit,’ said Tarik.

  ‘Then let’s do it,’ said Brandon. ‘You organise the equipment and I’ll see if I can arrange some practice dives.’

  ‘Are you sure, Brandon?’ asked India. ‘You don’t have to do this.’

  ‘We’ve come too far now, India,’ said Brandon, ‘and Tarik is right, the dive sounds simple.’

  India took a deep breath.

  ‘OK,’ she said, ‘I guess that’s agreed. Where do we go from here?’

  ‘I’ll arrange the details,’ said Tarik. ‘I suggest in the meantime you find somewhere to stay outside of Cairo. A holiday resort would be good, for their hotels are not covered by Cairo’s police database.’

  ‘Sounds good,’ said Brandon. ‘Where shall we meet up next?’

  ‘What about the Azores?’ asked Tarik. ‘I’ll find a suitable hotel and text you the details.’

  ‘OK,’ said Brandon, ‘what sort of timescale?’

  ‘I will need a week or so to arrange the diving equipment,’ said Tarik. ‘What if we say two weeks from today?’

  Brandon nodded.

  ‘OK,’ he said, ‘see you there.’

  Tarik shook their hands before heading out of the house and driving away in his car. India pulled out her phone and started dialling a number.

  ‘Who are you calling?’ asked Brandon.

  ‘You heard the man,’ she said, ‘I’m arranging for us to have a holiday.’

  Chapter 22

  Off the Coast of São Miguel

  Azores 2014

  India looked at the two men sitting at the back of the fishing boat. They were engrossed in their work, each checking the other’s equipment, and she didn’t want to interrupt. For several minutes she stared uninterrupted at Brandon, a man who on a daily basis sent her emotions from anger and frustration right up to joy and, dare she say it, desire. Sometimes he frustrated her to the point of distraction but the two weeks
she had just spent with him at the resort on the coast of the Red Sea had reminded her how much she really thought of him and the prospect of losing him scared her to the bone.

  While they were there, Brandon spent every day diving and soon regained the skills he had learned in the army. Though it hadn’t been enough to renew his full license, in these particular circumstances, India knew that was hardly relevant. In the evenings they had relaxed and shared dinner overlooking the sea, talking of lost tombs and the adventures they had shared over the last few years. Gradually they had grown closer but still she was afraid to commit, knowing that they already had a special relationship and should they take the next logical step, they risked that bond being broken irretrievably. Of course, there was always the possibility that it would all work out fine, but the risk of losing him forever was one she feared taking.

  ‘The wind is dropping,’ said a voice behind her, ‘soon it will be OK to go.’

  India smiled at Marcos, the boat owner, who belonged to the same order as Tarik.

  ‘Do you think they will be OK?’ she asked.

  ‘They will be fine,’ said Marcos, ‘Tarik is an accomplished diver.’

  ‘I hope so, ‘said India, ‘because this thing just got a whole lot scarier.’

  * * *

  ‘You’re done,’ said Brandon, slapping Tarik on the shoulder.

  ‘Good,’ said Tarik, and looked over to Marcos.

  ‘What do you think?’ he asked.

  ‘Give it a few minutes,’ came the reply, ‘but I think you will be fine. We can’t wait much longer though, there are regular patrols through here and they may ask questions.’

  ‘Right,’ said Tarik, and turned to face Brandon. ‘OK,’ he said, ‘let’s go over it one more time. The pyramid should be eighty feet below us. I’ll lead with a life rope attached. You connect your line to mine via the karabiner and follow me down, agreed?’

  ‘Agreed,’ said Brandon.

  ‘When we reach the summit,’ said Tarik, ‘we have two choices. With any luck the glyph will be uncovered, and if so, all we need to do is take a photograph from above. We can then examine it in the comfort of the boat.’

  ‘And if it’s not?’

  ‘Then we will try to uncover as much as possible and try to make out what we can. If we can’t, then the worst-case scenario is that we have to return with a water cannon.’

  ‘Let’s hope that isn’t necessary,’ said Brandon, and checked his air valve for the tenth time.

  ‘Are you two guys ready?’ asked India, coming over to sit beside them.

  ‘I think so,’ said Brandon, ‘all we need now is the go-ahead from Marcos.’

  ‘I’ll go and see what the situation is,’ said Tarik. He stood up and walked over to the small wheelhouse.

  ‘Brandon,’ said India quietly when he was gone, ‘there’s something I want to say.’

  ‘Will it wait?’ asked Brandon.

  ‘No, I want to say it now, just in case.’ Her hand touched his shoulder gently.

  ‘In case of what?’ asked Brandon.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said India, ‘just in case.’

  Brandon smiled and placed his hand on top of hers.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ he said, ‘we will be fine.’

  ‘I know, but I need to tell you something.’

  Brandon gazed into her deep green eyes, but before she could say anything more, Tarik returned from the wheelhouse.

  ‘Looks like we are good to go,’ he said and sat down to pull on his diving fins.

  Brandon glanced at Tarik, and then back to India.

  ‘Well?’ he asked. ‘What was it you wanted to say?’

  ‘It’s nothing that won’t wait,’ she said with a smile. ‘Just,’ she paused before continuing, ‘just be careful.’ She leaned forward and kissed him gently on his cheek before standing up and walking a few steps away.

  ‘Right,’ said Tarik, sitting up, ‘if you’re ready, let’s get this done.’

  Brandon placed his mouthpiece between his teeth and winked at India before pulling his mask down over his eyes. Both men looked at Marcus, who gave them the thumbs up, and without any more delay, they both leaned backward and plunged into the water.

  India ran to the side and watched as they surfaced momentarily to check their breathing apparatus. After a final thumbs up, both men leaned forward and, kicking their fins hard, submerged beneath the surface.

  * * *

  Brandon swam steadily down, guided by the line attached to Tarik. Visibility was fair and he could see almost twenty feet in front of him. The beam from his shoulder lamp illuminated Tarik and he breathed steadily, comfortable in the environment where he had spent so much of his time as a younger man. For several minutes they descended slowly until Tarik stopped and held his position as Brandon caught up.

  Tarik turned and pointed off to one side. Brandon paused and followed his gaze. At first he could see nothing but as his eyes refocused, he could see an enormous sloping wall looming before them. Despite expecting it, the sudden appearance of the enormous pyramid shocked him and he just stared in astonishment. They had obviously come down beside it and would have to go back up a little way to reach the summit but despite this, Brandon was in awe. The lower half was lost in the gloom of the depths but the closer they got to the structure, the clearer the walls became. The two men swam to within touching distance and Brandon could see enormous rows of water-worn blocks, stepped upward to form the pyramid shape. Slowly they swam upward until Tarik stopped and pointed excitedly at something on the sloping wall. Brandon looked and saw there was a flat slab still affixed to some of the rougher stone blocks. This one was smooth and formed a sloping surface down toward the base, obviously one of only a few casing stones still in place.

  Brandon gave a thumbs up and the two men continued their climb. Within moments they reached the summit and hung in the water to stare down at the top of the structure. At first Brandon was disappointed as the surface was covered by silt, but as he stared he could see a definite pattern just visible beneath the sand.

  Tarik pointed downward and moved his hand in circles, indicating the appearance of a spiral.

  Brandon gave a thumbs up and watched as Tarik descended to study it closer. Brandon retrieved his camera and took several pictures before following Tarik down to the summit.

  Tarik was busy drawing something on his wax clipboard as Brandon swam past. The closer he got the more distinctive the spirals became and after clearing a small area with his hand, he could see they were etched deeply into the flat surface. Over the next ten minutes they uncovered what they could but it all seemed the same. Finally Tarik pointed at his watch and then upward, indicating it was time to surface.

  Brandon gave the thumbs up but in the process, dropped his camera. Slowly it sank through the water and for a moment he thought the current would carry it over the side to be lost in the abyss, but luckily it landed near the edge. He looked at Tarik, who shook his head and again pointed at his watch.

  Brandon hesitated for a moment, but deciding it was too important to leave behind, kicked out to retrieve the camera. Within thirty seconds he had it back safely in his possession, but just as he was about to ascend, he saw a mound of sand covering something solid near to one edge. Reaching out his hand he brushed off the silt and stared in excitement as a carving started to appear, cut from a solid block of stone.

  Brandon checked his air gauge and, realising he was cutting it fine, set about uncovering the carving as quickly as possible. Finally it was clear and he stared in astonishment at the detail, his reverie only broken when he felt a sharp tug on his arm.

  He turned to see Tarik pointing furiously upward and without further ado, both men kicked hard to start the ascent toward the surface.

  * * *

  ‘Forty-five minutes,’ said India to Marcos. ‘There’s something.’

  ‘Don’t panic,’ said Marcos, ‘there is a built-in margin of safety and they have to stop every ten feet or so t
o allow for decompression.’

  ‘Still,’ said India, ‘they said forty minutes maximum. They are way over that.’ She turned to gaze back at the water where she expected them to surface.

  ‘It’s getting rougher,’ she said.

  ‘The wind has picked up,’ said Marcos, looking upward. ‘There may be a squall coming. ‘

  India turned back to stare at the surface.

  ‘Come on, Brandon,’ she said quietly, ‘where are you?’

  Moments later a circle of bubbles appeared a few yards away and India gasped in relief as the two divers finally surfaced. They looked around before striking out for the boat and minutes later, both climbed safely aboard to remove their equipment.

  ‘Well,’ asked India, handing them both towels, ‘did you find it?’

  Tarik looked toward Brandon with a quizzical smile on his face.

  ‘Well, did we?’

  ‘Oh yes, India,’ said Brandon, ‘we found it all right. Tarik was one hundred per cent correct, there’s a great big bloody pyramid exactly where he said it would be.’

  ‘Oh my God,’ said India. ‘That’s astonishing.’

  ‘Did you see the casing stone?’ asked Tarik. ‘That proves my theory that this pyramid was built by the Egyptians, or at least by their ancestors thousands of years earlier.’

  ‘I saw it,’ said Brandon.

  ‘What about the glyph?’ asked India. ‘Was it there?’

  ‘It was,’ said Tarik, ‘and we have pictures as well as measurements. Short of clearing the whole lot with a water cannon I would say we have done better than expected.’

  ‘Excellent,’ said India. ‘Marcos has some warm soup on his stove, you get dressed and I’ll bring it over.’

  ‘Sounds good,’ said Tarik before turning to face the captain. ‘Marcos, get us out of here before we attract any unwanted attention.’