by N. J. Croft
At least he’d done some good getting her out here.
He headed back to the camp. Gansukh had built a fire in a stone ring and balanced a metal cooking pot on top. He was chatting to John in rapid Mongolian.
Zach grabbed his sleeping bag and laid it on the ground, close to the fire and next to Eve. Opposite him, Yuri appeared grim. Not a happy man. He’d had some sort of showdown with Eve—they’d hardly looked at each other all day.
The guide handed them all bowls of the now familiar mutton stew. He reckoned it was the staple food of the Mongols. They ate in silence and afterward, Zach passed around the bottle of scotch. They were all tired. But he didn’t think he would sleep, and there were things he needed to know.
He’d thought that Genghis Khan was peripheral to all this, just some long dead historical figure, but he was starting to believe that maybe he was central to everything. He just couldn’t understand why. Which meant he was lacking vital information. And sitting around this fire were some of the world’s experts on the man. Time to utilize the resources at hand.
“Tell me more,” he said. “Make me understand why this is so important. Genghis Khan died eight hundred years ago, so why should it matter where he’s buried? Or whether he’s ever found? It’s ancient history. In the past.”
Tarkhan smiled at him from across the fire. “The past is what shapes the present.”
Very cryptic, but he supposed it was true in a sense. Just not eight hundred years’ worth of true. “So how do you think he’s shaping this particular present?”
“Much of the world as we know it evolved because of the great Khan. He came from virtual obscurity to create the biggest empire the world has ever known before or since. It stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean. But it wasn’t enough. Genghis Khan believed it was his destiny to conquer the whole world. It’s said that on his deathbed, he spoke the following words: With Heaven’s aid I have conquered for you a huge empire. But my life was too short to achieve the conquest of the world. That task is left for you. The ‘you’ he mentioned were presumably his descendants. And he had many. Legitimate and illegitimate. Legend has it that when the soul of Genghis Khan is reunited with his last resting place on earth, the talisman will be found, and only then will his destiny be fulfilled.”
“But found by who?”
“That’s the interesting part. After his death, it’s believed that a secret organization was formed by one of his illegitimate sons. The Descendants of Genghis Khan had one aim, to be ready for the day they are to complete the task started by Genghis Khan and conquer the world. This group has spread over the face of the globe, insinuating itself into the world’s infrastructures, growing in power. Its members are high-ranking politicians, military, businessmen, either born or recruited, all being set in place for that final push. All waiting to take up their positions in the biggest empire the world has ever known.”
A shiver ran over his skin. This so reflected his own beliefs, it was uncanny. “Don’t you need to be descended from Genghis to get an invite?”
“Possibly, but likely not. During his lifetime, Genghis Khan rewarded loyalty rather than birth. He ran his empire as a meritocracy. All you needed to do was prove your loyalty and you could climb the ranks almost without limit. But remember, this is all supposition. This organization was never more than a whisper in secret places.”
The pieces were starting to take shape in Zach’s mind. He was struggling to make sense of them because the ideas seemed preposterous. Unbelievable. That didn’t mean they couldn’t be true. This would bring the various disparate parts together. And so far, nothing else had come close to doing that.
Could the spider in the middle of his web be this group? The Descendants of Genghis Khan. He didn’t believe in all the mystical stuff. Certainly not the crap about the Spirit Banner being the embodiment of Genghis Khan’s soul, or that he’d possessed a talisman that promised victory in every battle.
Hell, no.
As far as he was concerned, that was just so much fucking bollocks. But he’d studied enough ideologies to know that symbols could have enormous power, that they could become a rallying point. They didn’t have to be factual. Enough people just had to believe in them. And not necessarily at the top levels. Though he also knew that people could be made to believe the strangest things, especially if they were indoctrinated at an early age.
You take some kid, tell him from the moment he can understand, that he’s the descendant of the most powerful warrior ever known. Convince him he has an important destiny. What kid wouldn’t lap that stuff up?
Zach’s mind was pulling the pieces together, faster now that his brain had broken through his resistance.
A secret organization that stretched across the globe and was only waiting until they had this Spirit Banner to begin the final step in the process of taking over the world. And Eve was planning on finding the Banner tomorrow. And if she did, she would presumably hand the thing over to the people who had paid their money—from an account used by known terrorists—for her to find it.
Was she an innocent dupe being unknowingly used by an evil, manipulative organization? Or was she somehow complicit?
And what about the rest of them?
He’d made a big mistake not investigating the other members of the team before he’d come out here. He’d run a quick check, and they’d all seemed to be exactly who and what they were supposed to be. All except John Chen, who’d been a last minute, unexpected addition to the group. But the truth was Zach hadn’t thought them important. His focus had been on Eve. His connection.
Could Eve have been recruited into this group? Was she aware of her role? Or was she merely being used? On balance he’d go for the latter. But maybe that was wishful thinking. He liked her. He glanced at her now. She was sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees, staring into the fire.
He wanted to ask her, talk to her, find out what her take was on this stuff about the descendants. It was probably nothing new to her; she must have heard it before. Did she believe it? Was she making the same connections? But he could hardly ask her that here. He was supposed to be a journalist—though perhaps he needed to take a few more photographs if he wanted that cover to hold. Eve’s expression was tranquil, a small smile on her face. She looked happy.
Because she was about to realize her professional ambitions? Or because she was about to help some descendant of Genghis Khan take over the world? She was a big fan of the man—she’d probably like that.
“So once they get their hands on the Spirit Banner,” he said, “then there’s nothing to stop them?”
Tarkhan smiled. “There is always a counterbalance. A second group exists, successors to the tribe who were set to guard the secret burial site. The Darkhats. They were the only tribe allowed to live in the Great Taboo. They’d been tasked with the purpose of keeping the secret of the grave, but a secondary goal grew over the years, to ensure that The Descendants of Genghis Khan never prevail. They were seen as the greatest threat. The Darkhats began as fifty families, who then proliferated over the years, and during the Soviet occupation, they spread across the world, searching out and destroying their enemies wherever they found them.” He grinned. “Again, this is all unsubstantiated. Maybe nothing more than a fairytale to give people something to believe in.”
Zach didn’t believe in fairy tales.
Chapter Thirteen
“I had the best night’s sleep ever,” Eve said.
She sounded positively chipper. It set his teeth on edge. Zach had spent the night tossing and turning on the hard ground. His mind churning with crazy thoughts, every bit of him aching from the unaccustomed horseback riding. And he was just about to get back on. He eyed up his placid-looking mount; the mare returned his gaze. How could such a sweet look hide such evil intentions?
“My balls hurt,” he growled.
Eve laughed. He’d never heard her laugh before.
He’d been trying to get her alone to ta
lk since she’d woken up, but this was the first time they were out of earshot. He supposed the sooner he got on, the sooner the ride would be over. Hopefully, today they would find the spear and tomorrow they could head back to civilization.
“So what’s your take on this group? The Descendants of Genghis Khan?”
She frowned. “My take?”
“Is it real? Are they going to take over the world? Are you working for them either knowingly or unknowingly?”
“Of course I’m not working for them.”
Did he believe her? He wanted to. “But you’d heard of them? It must have occurred to you.”
“Yes, I’d heard of them—it’s one of Tarkhan’s pet theories. But I never thought much about it, certainly never believed it. There’s never been anything solid, nothing more than a whisper. It’s a crazy idea.” She gave him a sweet—and he was sure—insincere smile and patted his arm. “But then, apparently, you do like your conspiracy theories.”
Low fucking blow.
“Come on, Eve. You must have considered it. If not before, then after I brought up the terrorist connection?”
She tightened the cinch on her saddle before glancing back at him. “As I said. Crazy.”
“You know,” he said, copying her action. “Until last night, none of this made any sense to me. Why the hell would anyone go to all this bother to find a crappy old spear with a bit of smelly horsehair tied around it?”
She glared. “Thank you. I’ve devoted my whole adult life to searching for this crappy old spear.”
“And to be honest, I have no fucking clue why.”
“Of course, it makes way more sense that I’m a member of some super-secret organization about to take over the world with the help of a magical spear and a mystical talisman.” She shrugged. “But why do humans do anything? Climb Everest, row across the ocean, search for buried treasure?”
“You’ve got me there.”
She shook her head. “Have you ever believed in anything?”
“Yeah. Making sure the bad guys never win.”
“And you think I’m one of the bad guys?”
She was so direct. “I hope not.”
“Aw, thanks.”
He gave in to an urge that had been growing—and he’d been deliberately ignoring—since he’d first met her. Curling his hand around the back of her neck, he tilted her head, lowered his own and kissed her. It was brief and sweet, more a promise of things to come, a declaration of intent he’d follow through on once this thing was resolved.
She stepped back; her eyes narrowed but her lips curved into a small smile. Then she turned away and swung herself up into the saddle with an ease he envied. Her smile spread. “Get on your horse.”
“Do I have to?”
“Yes.”
He sighed, jammed his hat farther down on his head, and hauled himself into the saddle, landing with a thud and a wince. His horse pranced beneath him, probably irritated as shit, then settled. He nudged her next to Eve’s; he wasn’t finished with this conversation.
He tried to get his bits comfortable on the hard saddle as they rode side by side through a narrow valley between two steep rises. Up above them, the sky was deep blue. Everything was peaceful, quiet, except in the distance, he could hear a faint whirring sound. Eve turned to look at him, opened her mouth, and he raised his hand to stop her.
He listened.
The whirring was getting louder and approaching from somewhere behind them. He looked ahead. Yuri was at the front, next to Gansukh, John and Tarkhan behind them, a good fifty feet ahead of him and Eve. They hadn’t noticed anything yet. Though as he watched, John turned on his horse and looked up, searching the sky.
“What is that?” Eve said.
“That’s bad fucking news.”
He pulled up his horse and turned just as the helicopter appeared above the cliff line behind them and the noise intensified. His horse pranced beneath him and he tightened his grip on the reins. Eve’s horse whinnied.
The helicopter hovered lazily then turned sideways, the door opened, and the barrel of a gun appeared. A big fucking gun.
“Run!” he shouted.
Eve’s eyes were huge in her pale face, her mouth open. Then she shook herself, and she was off, her horse almost flying. Behind them, Zach heard the rattle of bullets. And he was away, too. He didn’t need to push, it was a total, out-of-control, flat-out gallop, racing along the valley, stones flying up, leaning low over his horse’s neck, body tense as he waited for the bullets to strike.
Up ahead of him, a horse reared and went down. Tarkhan. Zach hauled back on the reins but it had zero effect. His horse galloped past the downed man. He wasn’t moving. Up ahead someone called his name, and he searched around him. The horses had pulled into a narrow gap on the right, under a rocky outcrop that would provide a little cover.
Bullets ricocheted off the wall and something hit his cheek. He used all his strength and pulled on the right rein. This time he slowed, and the horse swerved into the gap then skidded to a halt. Zach slid from the saddle and ended up on his back, staring up at the rocky ceiling. He closed his eyes.
“Zach. Are you okay? Talk to me.”
He blinked. Eve hovered above him.
“I’m fine.” For now. He sat up. Everything seemed to be working. “What the hell was that?”
“A helicopter.”
“Yeah. Stupid question. But anyone got any ideas about why it was shooting at us?” Probably another stupid question. His horse lowered her head and snuffled at him. Saying she was sorry for dropping him? “We need to get out of here.”
The bullets had stopped. But he didn’t think that would last; he could hear the chopper in the distance. “Has anyone tried to call for help?” He wasn’t sure who would come, but anything was worth a try.
“No cell phone service,” John said.
Why didn’t that surprise him? They needed to get away from here. If they stayed it was only a matter of time before they died. They also needed to check on Tarkhan. But with that chopper still out there, if they moved into the open, they wouldn’t last a minute.
He pushed himself to his feet and looked around. They were in a shallow cave of sorts, only one way out—the way they had come in. He approached the entrance and peered outside. The chopper was nowhere in sight, but he could hear it.
Choppers were vulnerable, everyone knew that. But to a man with a pistol? He wasn’t so sure.
He turned to face the others. Doing a quick assessment of how everyone was coping. Eve was pale but otherwise seemed fine. Yuri the same; he stood at the back, holding the horses. Gansukh was grinning as if he hadn’t had this much fun in years. John appeared unmoved.
“Does anyone have a gun?” he asked.
John stepped forward. “I do.” And another non-surprise. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that chopper is coming back any moment. I want you to shoot at it from here, keep its attention.”
“And what will you be doing?”
“I’m going to shoot the fucking thing out of the sky.”
“Ballsy,” John said. “I like it. Where from?”
Zach searched the canyon. Too close and it would likely come down on top of them. But not too far, because he had a feeling time was running out. He spotted an outcrop about fifty meters away and twenty meters up but an easy climb.
“There,” he said. He glanced at Eve. “Don’t look so worried. Nothing is going to stop you finding that spear.”
She nodded. “Just don’t get shot.”
“I’ll do my best.”
He ran the short distance and then pulled himself up the rock face. It was smooth in places, and he had to scramble for a hold. His heart was hammering as he hauled himself over the small ledge and lay on his belly, breathing fast, sweat soaking his back despite the chilly air. He heard the whir of the blades approaching and wedged himself farther into the gap.
Down below, John stepped out from the cover and raise
d his arm, hand extended, and shot toward the helicopter. There was little chance of him bringing it down from that angle, but the chopper listed to the side, heading toward where Zach was hidden. He’d have one chance at this. There were only two ways he knew for a handgun to bring down a chopper. Hit the tail or hit the pilot. He was going for the pilot.
The chopper was so close now the rush of air blew across his face. He waited until it was level with where he lay then sat up. Everything seemed to slow. He saw the gunner in the open doorway, then the face of the pilot. He took careful aim and squeezed the trigger.
The shot took the man in the face.
For a moment the chopper hovered in place and then it turned almost slowly. Shock flashed across the face of the gunner. The engine faltered, the blades stuttered, the whole machine listed toward him.
Oh shit.
Then it was falling backward, out of control. It took only seconds to hit the ground, and Zach flung himself down, wrapping his hands around his head as it exploded in a ball of fire. The heat flared, bathing him, and something hit the rock above his head.
He sat up and aimed his gun toward the chopper again. But nothing moved.
For a moment, he sat, breathing slowly, waiting for his heart to calm. Then he descended to the canyon floor. He walked toward the downed chopper. The body of the gunner lay half in, half out, clearly dead. He felt nothing.
When he got back to the others, they appeared a little shell-shocked.
“Good job,” John said. “You’re very resourceful for a journalist.”
“And you’re very resourceful for a translator. Except I’m guessing you’re not a translator. So what are you? A bodyguard? Is that’s your real job here?” Because what sort of translator needed a gun? “If so, then guard her. You need to get out of here. We don’t know if they had backup, but if they did, it would be a good idea not to be here when they arrive.”
John nodded. “Let me go check the route with the guide.”