"I'm glad you're here, Zack," Ives yelled into the darkness. "Frank here was all worried about the girl having to die alone."
Zack glanced over his shoulder. It was a wonder he hadn't been shot in the back yet. There was no zigzagging on a treacherous bridge. But the shadowy figures just stood there, enjoying their current predicament.
"If he's so worried," Zack shouted back, "he could just shoot you instead!" It was ridiculous, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.
"He doesn't have the guts."
"You know, I'm standing right here," Waterson said. "I can hear you, and I have a gun."
"We're partners," growled Ives.
"Just like you and Dingo?" Zack shouted back. "I saw him waving that gun at your head back at the entrance to the moulin."
"He was aiming at Sydney. Dingo trusts me." He thumped his chest with the last word.
"Yeah," Zack said sarcastically. "Which is why he's down here helping you guys."
An eerie silence followed as the bridge complained under their cautious steps. They must be getting closer to the other side, but it was still hard to see where exactly the other side was in the darkness.
Another shot echoed through the chamber and Zack's blood turned to ice. A thump sounded against his back, and he stumbled forward with the impact.
Sydney stopped when she'd heard the shot and turned to help Zack to his feet. He could see the whites of her eyes staring back at him.
Why wasn't he hurt?
He'd felt the shot...
The Bible! The Bible saved him.
"I'm fine," he answered. "Keep moving."
More shots rang out. They were sitting ducks as long as they were on that bridge.
"Run!" Zack said. "And stay low."
Another shot fired, and this time, the bullet whistled past them, and Sydney stumbled in front of Zack but pulled herself back up again.
A giant tremor jolted the bridge and sent Zack and Sydney sprawling, grasping desperately at the ropes.
Large rocks broke away from the walls and fell around them with a deafening sound. The rope bridge swung violently from side to side. Sydney let out a muffled scream and clutched the rope with both hands. Zack sank to his knees to keep his balance.
"Leave them. This whole place is coming apart!" Waterson yelled at Ives. "There's nowhere for them to go."
"Well, nothing like some insurance," Ives said
Zack got to his feet, and the rough rope railing started to vibrate in his hand.
"What are you doing?" Waterson asked.
The sound of another gunshot pierced the cold air.
One side of the rope snapped, and the bridge jerked beneath them.
Zack grabbed onto the remaining rope, and Sydney screamed. Another shot rang out, and the second rope snapped. The bridge swung like a pendulum toward the other side.
"Hold on!" Zack screamed. He clutched the rope as tight as he could and braced for impact.
God help us!
The bridge crashed against the rocky cliff and a shriek from above tumbled toward Zack. Instinctively he swung his free arm in the darkness, grabbing for Sydney. Her foot caught him in the head, and she tumbled over him. Sydney's scream was cut short, and she let out a hiccupping sound as she grabbed his backpack. Zack's entire body jerked downward as the straps of his backpack dug into his shoulders.
"Are you okay?" he asked after a moment.
"I'm okay," she replied.
"So, back to this, are we?"
"That's not funny Zack," Sydney said.
"Not now, but it will be later."
"You think we're going to have a later?"
"I'm pretty sure of it," he said. "We had a bridge, now we have a ladder."
He wasn't sure where these gifts kept coming from. Maybe God was looking out for them after all. Sarcasm notwithstanding.
"So now we climb out."
His words were barely out of his mouth when the cave answered with a low rumble.
Or maybe not.
"Hold on tight!" he yelled as everything started shaking.
Could things get any worse?
The bridge creaked and groaned under them, joining in the chorus of the earthquake. More rocks tumbled down against the cliff walls, bouncing like oversized balls. Several rocks hit the ropes securing the bridge above. A quick snap and the bridge hung limply by one rope.
Apparently, it could get worse.
It didn't take long for the other rope to follow suit. Another quick snap and they fell into darkness.
Chapter Sixty-Two
THUMP!
Zack and Sydney landed in a soft substance, like sand, after a remarkably short fall.
"Well, this isn't so bad," Sydney said.
Zack wasn't ready to make that same assessment just yet. First of all, he was tangled in the remains of the rope bridge. Second, every move he made to free himself seemed to cause him to sink deeper into...whatever it was they had landed in. Not sand. This was finer and lighter. The only time he had experienced anything like it was when he fell into a pit of bat guano while caving in Peru. The real danger that time had been suffocating on the ammonia fumes. There was nothing like that scent here. This substance smelled like ash.
"Zack... I think I'm sinking."
"Spread your body out. Try to remain horizontal," Zack told her. "Do you have a flashlight? I dropped mine."
In answer to his question, she turned on hers. "Oh," she said, gazing at him in the tangle of ropes and broken slats.
"Yeah," he said.
"Well, at least they aren't shooting at us anymore."
Would miracles never cease?
They both remained silent for a moment, waiting for any sound from their assailants above. Sydney shined her flashlight around the chamber. Walls rose straight up on two sides, nothing but darkness in the other two directions. It was as if they were in a river of ash cutting through the canyon. Ledges and passageways marked the 'shores' on both sides, and one was a bit closer than the other, maybe ten feet away.
"That way," Zack said. "You'll have to sort of swim through it."
"How deep do you think this is?"
"I don't think we need to find out."
"If it's just a few feet we could just walk through it..."
Was she really going to argue? "Sydney, please. Just swim."
As she did, Zack went about extricating himself from the ropes. She was almost within arm's reach of the edge when the earth moved.
Sydney squeaked as they both sank a few inches deeper. She was spurred on by her proximity to the edge, lurching forward, and grabbed hold of the shore. She tossed her flashlight up first, and it landed, spraying a wash of light across the ash river.
"No way," Zack muttered.
The ash far down one side of the canyon began to rise as something began pushing its way up through. The chamber began to fill with the echoing sounds of a low bass rumble.
Something tugged on his left leg, and he screamed.
"It's me, it's me," cried, Sydney.
He looked to the shore and saw her dragging a bit of the rope bridge that had landed there, pulling him in.
"You scream like a little girl," she remarked.
"You pull like one," he replied.
"Oh, you want me to stop?"
"No. I want you to run! There's something coming!"
"Not without you," she yelled. Sydney doubled her efforts, and Zack was able to drag himself out in a matter of moments.
He swiped at the ropes that tangled his legs, finally freeing himself, then jumped to his feet. "Let's go," Zack shouted, taking Sydney and dragging her into the narrowest tunnel he saw.
He didn't know where it was going, but it led away from where they were and just might be too small for whatever it was to follow.
"Zack, what is it?" She stumbled alongside him.
"I told you, something is coming," he said.
"What? What's coming?"
"Something that's attracted to heat or
vibration, or..."
Sydney said, "A serpent?"
The shaking quieted, and then ended.
The ground settled.
They stopped. Turning back down the way they had come, Zack saw nothing. They stared at each other, waiting for something else to happen. Zack held his breath. Sydney's hand held his tight. She was trembling.
"I think we're fine here," Zack said. "It can't possibly move through solid or—"
The ground heaved so hard under their feet that both of them were thrown to their hands and knees. The thunderous echoes of rocks shaking in their foundations was deafening. Dust rained down on them from the ceiling, from high above in the darkness.
They looked back and saw something long, thick, and black.
Not something. Somethings.
"Snakes! This place is full of snakes!" said Sydney.
Chapter Sixty-Three
HE COULDN'T GET AN accurate count of how many there were, but each one was at least twenty feet long and still more were coming.
Searching for them. Searching for the living flesh that had warmed the earth enough to draw their attention.
"Sydney. Do not move." He said each word with quiet emphasis.
She looked at him, her eyes wide and staring, sweat beading down her face.
"I think they are drawn to vibration."
They watched several of the snakes streaking in their direction. If any one of those things sensed their warmth, they wouldn't stand a chance. But if they were lucky, vibrations on the ground were how these things... hunted.
Sydney pressed closer to him, and he could feel her shaking. "What kind of snakes are those? Anacondas? Pythons?"
"I have no idea. The better question is... What are they doing in Greenland?"
The nearest snake slithered closer, and Sydney took a single step backward.
"Don't move, Sydney. It's okay. I've got you. We'll be fine. See how it's slowing down? I think it's getting cold. Snakes don't like the cold. Under the ground, it's got heat and warmth in the soil. Maybe even the warm air from the vents keep it warm, too. Now that the ice was melted, it's got the heat of the sun. But in here, farther away, it's cold. It's got no reason to come this way. It will go away soon. I promise, Sydney."
Her foot lifted, like she was going to take another step, then settled back down. "I hear you, Zack," she said in a shaky voice, almost too quiet for him to make out.
Those words allowed him to finally relax. Zack had reached through to her in time before she gave into her fear and her reasonable desire to run away. She trusted him to get them through this. Watching the hungry exploration of the snakes, he hoped that her trust would be justified.
One of the snakes came so close Zack could almost see his reflection in its shiny, milky-gray eye...and then the snakes stopped... all of them. All at once they whipped around and slithered back the way they had come, bumping and gliding over each other.
Beads of sweat ran down the back of his neck. "Didn't see that in the brochure, did you?" Zack said, trying to lighten the mood.
Sydney let out a nervous laugh. She let go of his hand and slumped against the wall of the chasm.
"Sydney, wait," he called to her, reaching out to grab her arm.
Too late...
A massive gray and black snake, twice the size of the other snakes, shot out from the canyon.
This snake must be the monster that Mikkel's legend talked about. The monster that had covered Norsemen in blood. And it was still here, still thriving, and still looking for anything that moved and breathed.
Sydney made the connection at the same time and kept repeating, "Lev, Lev, Lev..."
Leviathan. Zack wanted to comfort her, to reassure her but kept silent.
The enormous serpent was not silent. It raised the upper half of its body high into the air, opened its mouth wide—an impressive extension of about fourteen feet—and hissed, showing off gleaming white fangs. Each fang curved into needle-sharp tips that aimed backward toward a blood-red gullet. The serpent's tongue flicked in and out of its mouth tasting the air and searching for more molecules of Zack and Sydney.
It zeroed in on them, and the snake reared back again, preparing to strike.
Vibration. It's drawn to vibration. Crafty beast!
The beast struck... and missed.
No time to admire the thing. No time for anything but to— "Run!" Zack shouted.
Angrier, the serpent struck again. Again it missed.
Sydney was at his side again in an instant as they both ran into the dark recesses deeper into the cave.
They ran for their lives.
Chapter Sixty-Four
THE WALLS BEGAN GETTING closer and closer as the place narrowed down. At first, Zack was relieved, thinking that a huge monster couldn't follow, but the smaller snakes could. And were.
"Please don't be a dead end, please don't be a dead end," Zack kept repeating to himself.
Soon the walls were close enough to touch on either side. The ceiling had lowered itself as well, to a few feet above their heads.
"Tell me there's a plan here!" Sydney begged him. There was no need to keep their voices down now. Not after they'd been discovered.
Zack risked a look over his shoulder. The smaller snakes had filled the remaining area of the floor behind them, and they were still coming. How many were there?
One flicked at his heel, and he picked up his pace.
Sydney's feet went out from under her. She unbalanced Zack, her hand still in his, and he almost went down with her. "Up, up, up!" he urged, pulling on her arm.
She slipped and fell to her knees again. The problem was ice. The floor of the cavern, the walls, the ceiling, all of it was becoming coated with ice. Zack's breath frosted in front of his face. The temperature was much colder here.
Could it be...a draft? Air! Yes!
If there was fresh air coming through then, this might be a way out.
"Come on!" Now he was pulling and pushing Sydney back to her feet. This might be it. It might be only a hole the size of his fist, too, but considering the snakes were almost on them, they had to chance it.
Whack!
His face smacked the ground and pain ripped through his right ankle.
One of the snakes had him. It was dragging him back toward the cavern. Back toward the canyon that led to... He did not want to find out.
Sydney grabbed for his arms. Her fingers slipped through his.
The snake that wrapped his ankle was strong but slow. The cold had to be affecting it. He had to get it off.
"Your pants!" Sydney shouted as she fought off another snake. "Take off your pants!"
Great idea!
Flopping onto his back Zack kicked off both boots. The snake's grip tightened. He undid the button and zipper of his pants and hiked them down over his thermal polypropylene under-gear and off his free leg.
As the beast continued to drag him backward on his rear, he pulled his other leg free by sliding his pants off. The snake tightened its grip around the cuff of his pants and pulled them away from him. He was fine with that. He'd rather be freezing in just his thermal pants than be dead. Zack grabbed his boots and made his way back to Sydney.
Sydney stomped at a smaller snake that was making a half-hearted attempt at grabbing her. "They seem to be giving up," she observed.
Zack kicked it away. "Come on, we need to keep moving." One more swiped at Zack's moving feet, but he dodged it easily. "Cold blooded animals," he explained to her. "Without heat, they slow down to a near hibernate state. I wouldn't be surprised if these things were here since before the Norsemen came."
"That's impossible," Sydney said wrapping her arms around him for warmth or comfort, or both.
"No, it's really not. Snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They've even been found in the Himalayan Mountains. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that these serpents here are something similar to—"
"Listen, Professor," she said releasing her e
mbrace and giving his good shoulder a playful smack. "The last thing I need right now is a scientific lecture on how it's entirely reasonable that we were just attacked by giant serpents." Her voice trailing off at the end, the heat going out of her tone the same way the warmth was leeching out of his barely covered legs.
"Look, Sydney, I—"
"No, seriously, I don't want to talk about it. Let's just get out of here."
"Like I said, we need to keep moving." Zack put his boots back on and headed toward the only opening large enough for them to climb into. It was small and dark and ominous, but it was the only way forward.
"I don't like the looks of this," Sydney said next to Zack.
"We can't go back," Zack said with a firm voice.
The facts were plain. There was no other way for them to go.
The flashlight started to flicker. The beam dimmed, and then died. "We're going to be fine. We still have our helmet lights." Zack said, turning on his and trying to sound more confident than he felt. They shuffled forward, feeling their way in the dimly lit shaft. The smooth rock all around them was freezing, but dry.
They kept moving, on high alert for anything that moved or made a sound. The tunnel they were following started to slope up.
"Can we believe this is a good sign?" Sydney whispered.
"It has to be," Zack said. "We're due one about now."
A few more steps and Sydney cried out in surprise. "There's light!" she said.
Zack squinted. It was very, very faint, just one degree from total darkness. But it was there. Sydney was right the darkness wasn't so black anymore. He could almost make out the slope of the tunnel.
They picked up the pace, moving faster and faster as the shaft became brighter and brighter. There was no questioning it now. It was definitely light. And it wasn't dim or dappled as it had been before. It was intense, uninterrupted, natural light.
Sydney took the lead and Zack spurted forward to catch up. He was just about to run past her and out of the tunnel when she screamed and threw back her right arm. She caught him in the stomach and nearly knocking the wind out of him.
"Umph! Next time give me a little warning!"
The Codex (An Armour of God Thriller Book 2) Page 17
