Waiting...
Just as he was waiting. But this time, the wait was for humans who would disturb the peace.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
SYDNEY LED WATERSON AND Ives through the tunnel and was relieved when it began to slope down.
This way felt right.
Finally, the tunnel opened up into the cavern. Light beams dropped onto the ancient houses, caressing their roofs, and bathing them in gold. Sydney gasped. It was even more awe-inspiring than she remembered.
The past was captured so completely in the village as if they were being transported back in time. It didn't matter that she was wearing a modern snowsuit. If animal hide and fur were wrapped around her shoulders, she wouldn't have been surprised.
Waterson and Ives stood in silence. They must have finally noticed their surroundings. The two looked dumbstruck, disbelieving, unable to say a word.
"Wow," Waterson finally said.
"Yeah," Ives added. "Did I hear a cash register go 'ca-ching!' or was that just my imagination?"
Sydney shook her head. Of course, all these guys would see was money. They would loot the place and head straight to the highest bidder.
They walked into the village, Sydney noticing objects she hadn't seen the first time. Water pails carved out of wood with fascinating precision. Furniture created from solid pieces of wood without any seams. Even with time having taken its toll on the homes, the buildings looked sturdy and welcoming. Decay hung over the place like a cloud, but nostalgia did too—the memories of an era long gone.
The stories these walls must be able to tell. The love and laughter they must have witnessed, the sorrowful moments too. Even though the buildings had no voices, they could still tell stories in their own ways.
Waterson approached a house and pushed the door open. "Yoo-hoo! Anybody home?"
Ives gave a short laugh. "What would you have done had someone answered?"
"No chance of that," Waterson's voice was muffled. "These people have been dead for six hundred years." A loud crash rang out from the house. Waterson yelled, "Rats!"
"There are rats in there?"
"No. I just knocked over about ten thousand dollars worth of pottery..."
"You destroy ten thousand dollars worth of pottery, and you say rats? What are you twelve? Who says rats?" Ives said. "Get out of there. We're supposed to locate the settlement and get out."
Waterson poked his head out of the window. A gold chain dangled from his hand. "Dingo never said we couldn't do a little collecting for ourselves," he said with a grin.
For the first time, Sydney saw Ives smile.
"No, he didn't," he said, heading for the house next to the one being ransacked by Waterson. "Alright. Fifteen minutes. Remember, we don't want to look too bulky and have Dingo pat us down, so just small stuff."
Sydney was disgusted. This entire place was an archaeological treasure. There were answers here to a life that had disappeared from the face of the earth. There were secrets here, borne by everything that had stood the test of time. Every building, every artifact needed to be mapped, photographed and cataloged. Not pawed over and stuffed into pockets. Like she had with the carved figurine? She put that thought out of her head and began to walk toward the church. She needed comfort, and she knew God would give it to her there.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Ives demanded.
So they hadn't forgotten about her after all.
"I'm going to pray in the church. Now that you're here, I can't imagine you have much use for me."
"Fine," he said. "It's not going to do you any good."
As she approached the church, Sydney kept her focus upon the old building. It pulled her like a magnet.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
ZACK HAD HEARD THEM before he saw them—their voices echoing from the other side of the cavern. They had arrived. He rushed to the front of the church and fell down on his knees, his fingers brushing away the dirt. It didn't take long for him to raise the lid to the container, and he lifted out the limestone box containing the Bible. With great care, he slipped the heavy artifact into his backpack. A perfect fit.
He hoisted the bag over his good shoulder and ducked behind a pew in a dark corner. His pack was much heavier now, which gave him an idea.
The voices grew louder and louder as they made their way through the houses. He heard the crash as Waterson knocked something over and imagined Sydney rolling her eyes. A moment later she said she was going to the church.
"That's my girl," Zack whispered.
The click of boots on stone became louder and then Sydney walked in through the narrow door. In the dim light, she looked beautiful. Zack had never been so relieved to see someone in his life.
He watched as she walked to the front of the church and knelt down, lifting her steepled fingers to her face. She was just about to close her eyes when they fell on the dirt in front of her, and she frowned. She lowered a hand to touch the soil Zack had wiped aside.
"Sydney," he whispered, and she jumped before looking in the direction of his voice. Her eyes grew wide, as he said, "It's me." He scooted forward so the light could reveal his features.
Sydney relaxed and then her face crumpled in relief. "Zack!" she gasped. It looked like she was going to cry, but she didn't.
He waved one hand to silence her and then held his finger to his lips.
She had to keep quiet. She crawled toward him and grabbed both his hands in hers and squeezed. "They're going to kill me..."
"I'm not going to let that happen."
"Dingo's here... at the entrance. He's working with the police. They have guns."
"I know, I know. Listen—" now that she was close, he saw the bruise on her face. "Who did that to you?" he asked, his voice hardening.
"Ives. I tried to escape, and he caught me."
Zack fought back the urge to pull his gun and stalk out of the church right that moment.
"I'm so sorry," Sydney interrupted his thoughts. "I didn't mean what I said about never wanting to see you again. I was angry and traumatized and tired and I—"
"No, don't be sorry. I'm the one who needs to apologize. I was acting like a child, and I shouldn't have said any of those things. You were right not to want to see me again."
They both heard Waterson and Ives approaching outside.
"I don't know," Waterson was saying. "I mean, can't we just leave her here and tell Dingo she's dead? She's so scared she won't say a word if she gets out."
Sydney looked panicked.
Zack gripped her shoulder and put a finger to her lips, indicating she should remain silent.
"That's not the deal, and you know it," Ives told him. "But this doesn't have to be unpleasant..."
Zack looked Sydney in the eyes and whispered, "Stay right here, let him see you. I have a plan. Trust me, okay?"
Sydney nodded. Her eyes were huge, but she stayed put.
Zack made his way around the edge of the room until he was just inside the door. He held his backpack at his side, wrapping the strap around his good hand.
"What do you mean?" he heard Waterson say just outside the door.
"We could have a little fun first," Ives said.
"That's not the deal, Ives."
"I'm getting tired of your whining," Ives commented. Now either I'm going in there to do it my way, or you go in there and do it yours. Which is it going to be?"
A moment later a figure entered the church.
Zack swung the bag with all his might, connecting its target square in the jaw. Like a bag of bones, Frank Waterson crumpled to the ground and stayed there, motionless.
A rush of elation flowed through Zack's body. He smiled at Sydney, who had started toward him, but her face twisted in horror when she looked toward the door.
"I don't hear a shot yet..." Ives said. He stepped into the church and stood over Waterson's motionless body, blocking the front entrance. "Noooo!" he cried out.
Zack launched forward and grabbed Sydney
by the hand, and headed for the side door.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
A LOUD CRACK REACHED Zack's ears just as a bullet whistled past. The hair on his neck tried to crawl down his spine it was so close.
Another bullet thumped into the side of the building as they ducked outside and into a narrow alley. Zack ran to an open door across the alley and pulled Sydney inside.
"There's nowhere to run Zack," Ives shouted as he ran after them, and then past them.
Inside, the entire house was covered with a thick blanket of dust. Even empty and long abandoned, memories of the past hung thick in the air.
"Thank you, Zack," Sydney whispered.
"Don't thank me yet," Zack said, peering out the window, scanning the ancient village for any sign of Ives. It wouldn't be long before he tracked them down. They had to keep moving.
They made their way through the home and back into the street.
"Stay close," Zack said as they made their way through the village.
They ran north, toward the tunnel Zack had entered, staying hidden behind huts and barns. If they were careful, they could get to the tunnel without being seen.
Zack paused between two houses where he was able to see the walls of the immense cavern. He motioned for Sydney to follow and then stopped. Waterson had stepped in front of the tunnel. It was on higher ground and from his vantage point he would be able to see the entire village. He was holding a gun.
That guy must have a titanium skull. He never did stay down for long.
"That wasn't cool at all, Zack. I thought we were friends," Waterson called out.
Sydney swallowed hard next to him, and Zack gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "You okay?"
She nodded.
At that point, 'okay' didn't mean without pain or fear. It meant being able to run despite the odds. Having what it took to fight for their lives, get away, and lose the bad guys.
Zack glanced back toward the tunnel. Waterson was surveying the village looking for any sign of movement.
A scraping sound came from Zack's left, and he yanked Sydney against a wall. They both stood silent.
For a moment there was only silence, broken only by the uneven gasps of their breaths.
There it was again, more distinct this time.
A scraping against the rock floor.
It had to be Ives, and he was close.
A rumble sounded through the cavern. The ground started to shake as if the whole city was on a giant board and someone was shuffling it from side to side. They heard both Waterson and Ives curse from different directions. A bucket rolled down the road, toward them.
Sydney tumbled to the ground, letting out a small yelp. Zack lost his balance almost at the same instant and crashed to the ground too.
The tremor settled, and Zack pushed himself up. He held out a hand and pulled Sydney to her feet.
Between two huts, Zack spotted what looked like the main road that ran east to west. It had to lead somewhere, and if they made a run for it, they might make it. He gestured toward the road, and Sydney saw it too.
Before they could make a move a bullet clipped on the stone next to Zack. Ives was standing in the middle alley behind them taking aim.
"Run!" Zack shouted.
Sydney lurched forward and sprinted for the gap between the two huts.
"Over here! They're over here!" Ives shouted for Waterson.
Great, another gun would be trained on them.
Two more shots fired from Waterson's direction, and they hit a wall above Sydney's head. The wood cracked and splintered, shooting sharp fragments in all directions. Zack ducked and held up his arms as a handful of splinters hit him in the face.
Sydney raced toward the main road, and Zack followed.
They made their way through the village zigzagging between buildings but keeping parallel to the main road. Zack looked over his shoulder as he ran, but there was no sign of Waterson or Ives. They neared the end of the road, and Zack let out a breath of relief.
More shots sounded and clapped a house right next to them. Two more hit the ground at their feet, and Zack danced a couple of paces before finding his stride again.
They had to get to cover and fast. Waterson and Ives wouldn't keep missing forever.
"Just a bit more!" Sydney yelled. Her voice, the hope in it, urged him on.
Another shot fired.
Zack grabbed Sydney by the arm and yanked her into a narrow alley between a couple of two-story buildings just before the end of the road. "We'll have to move around the back. They're getting too close."
Sydney stopped, and Zack almost bumped into her.
"Why did you—" he started but cut himself short.
The alley was a dead end. The taller buildings cut off most of the light filtering down from the ceiling. It was dark, but there was nothing to hide behind.
Zack's heart plummeted.
Is this the end?
Chapter Sixty
THE SOUND OF HEAVY footsteps grew louder. Waterson and Ives were close.
Zack reached into his backpack and pulled out the gun Mikkel had given him. "We'll wait in the shadows. I'll have a clear shot when they enter the alley."
Sydney looked at the gun and then into Zack's eyes. She put her hand on it, pushing it down. "Not like this," she said.
Zack had never taken a life before. Never even considered it. "I think we're fresh out of options here."
"God will protect us."
Zack took a chance and lit his flashlight, shining it along the stone wall. Rugged steps were carved into the rock wall on one side. His eyes followed them up the cavern wall. They led to a ledge about ten feet up.
God, or fate, or Sydney's good intuition, he didn't know which. He just latched onto the chance of escape.
"Come on, this way!" he whispered and hurried toward the steps.
They weren't steps, more like indentations carved out of the rock. But they definitely led up to a ledge.
He pulled Sydney closer and held his hands around her waist as she climbed, ready to steady her if she lost her footing. Zack climbed after her, step by step. He helped pushed her over the edge and then scrambled up the last few steps himself.
Sydney crawled a few feet and then got up. There were openings here, a lot of them.
Staying low, Zack inspected them, one by one, and the opening the furthest from the steps was big enough to crawl through.
He beckoned to Sydney to go through first.
She stalled. "Zack," she said, touching an inscription on the wall. "If those texts we read on the headstones were right, this passage leads to the nest of the Leviathan!"
Zack didn't answer. He didn't believe in the myths and symbolism, but he'd read Job and if it was true...
A shot rang out, and a bullet whistled past Zack and clapped against the rock, ricocheting down the narrow shaft. It missed Sydney by a hair.
Zack pushed Sydney into the tunnel and shuffled along after her, hoping the heavy pack on his back would offer a layer of protection. No time to worry about legends, they had to keep moving.
Ives grunted behind them as he forced himself into the shaft that was almost too small for him.
"There's nowhere to run!" Ives called after them.
"Let's just forget about them," Waterson argued.
"You want to explain that to Dingo?"
Grunts and groans grew closer and closer, as Waterson and Ives gained ground.
Ives lunged and grabbed Zack's boot, almost tripping him.
Why isn't he shooting? "Not today," Zack yelled back and kicked with all his might.
His heel connected with Ives' face and made a satisfying crunching noise. It bought them time.
Ives shouted a string of obscenities.
Zack and Sydney scrambled forward. Gradually the tunnel widened, allowing them to stand upright. The wider tube made moving a lot easier, but it also meant that it would make it easier for Waterson and Ives as well. And by the sound of cursing, they weren't far
behind.
"We can't let them catch us," Sydney said.
Zack took the lead and grabbed Sydney hand, pulling her behind him.
The tunnel opened up into another chamber and they scooted to an abrupt halt on a ledge that resulted in what Zack could only guess was a drop straight to the center of the earth. His flashlight beam was swallowed in darkness. The chamber was partially lit with ambient light coming from above. There had to be a way out, but except for the ledge they stood on, the walls were smooth. With the little light that filtered in Zack could make out an old rope bridge stretching in a drooping arc across the drop into complete darkness. The wooden slats that made up the walkway were silvered with decay, and gaps from missing slats here and there made its curving length look like an evil smile.
"You're not thinking of..." Sydney's thought was cut by two more shots being fired from the tunnel. Waterson and Ives were almost upon them.
"We have no choice."
Chapter Sixty-One
SYDNEY GRABBED THE ROPE railings and hesitated for a moment. She put a foot on the silvered wood and shifted her weight. The bridge held. She stepped onto it and the emptiness around them was filled with creaks and groans as ancient materials accepted the pressure of human feet again. She moved another step forward.
Zack followed, also testing it before he got on. The narrow bridge rocked and swayed beneath their feet as they started across. How did the Norsemen build a bridge like this, getting it across a chasm so wide with what could only be certain death at the bottom?
Zack looked back just as a shadowy figure stepped into the chamber but didn't follow. He just stood there. He couldn't make out if it were Waterson or Ives. Another figure joined the first and didn't make a move toward the bridge either. Zack turned to the front again and kept moving. Sydney was a few steps ahead of him.
The Codex (An Armour of God Thriller Book 2) Page 16
