Kingdom of Darkness

by Andy McDermott

  ‘Yeah,’ Petrelli agreed. ‘It sounds pretty far-fetched.’

  ‘You’re the ones who insisted that the dead guy in LA is a wanted Nazi war criminal,’ Nina countered. ‘And the water’s not magic – it just has unusual properties. It’s not the first time we’ve encountered something like that.’

  Her husband’s face turned downcast. ‘Yeah. Some of it pretty recently.’

  Seeing Seretse’s inquisitive gaze – she had not told him the full reason for her resignation from the IHA – Nina quickly moved the subject along. ‘It’d also explain why Jaekel was so desperate to get the flask, even with cops pointing guns at him. If the water really does have some kind of anti-ageing effect, then it would literally be his lifeline.’

  ‘But what does it have to do with what happened in Los Angeles?’ asked the diplomat. ‘The murder of the young man, the attempt on your life, and these plans to rob the tomb of Alexander the Great?’

  ‘I don’t know, but— Holy crap!’ she gasped as an answer suddenly came to her. It was wild, even crazy, but it made a twisted kind of sense . . .

  Seretse and the two FBI men stared at her, startled by the outburst. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘But I think I’ve found a connection!’

  ‘What connection?’ said Beck.

  ‘Alexander the Great – as well as all the historical records we have of his achievements, there was also a text called the Alexander Romance,’ she said, mind racing. ‘In a way, it was the first ever novel. Parts of it recounted his actual life and conquests in a semi-fictionalised, romanticised way – hence the name – but there were also chapters that were more fantastical. Alexander and his men went on adventures where they encountered strange beasts and monsters, races of giants, centaurs, plant men, that kind of thing. Alexander himself went to the bottom of the ocean in a diving bell and was carried into the sky by eagles, until the gods themselves ordered him to return to earth.’

  ‘Now that’s the kind of history book I’d want to read,’ Eddie said. ‘Better than boring lists of kings and queens!’

  ‘I have read the Alexander Romance,’ said Seretse. ‘In the original Greek, of course – I studied it at Cambridge.’

  ‘Well of course,’ said Nina, a little facetiously. ‘It loses so much in translation.’

  He ignored her veiled sarcasm. ‘As I recall, the most fantastical parts of the story came after the death of King Darius of Persia.’

  ‘That’s right,’ she told him. ‘Alexander defeated Darius’s armies, and in the historical accounts secured the Achaemenid Empire before moving on into India. In the Romance, Alexander took a detour and headed north to explore the lands around what he thought was an ocean, but is presumably the Caspian Sea, given his route. That’s where he encountered all these weird creatures. But the main reason he went there was because he’d heard of a place called the Land of Darkness – which contains the Spring of Immortality.’

  ‘Like the Fountain of Youth?’ Eddie said sceptically.

  ‘Yes, although there aren’t many details, because Alexander never actually found it. What happened was that Alexander’s cook, Andreas, discovered it by accident – he put a dried fish in a stream to wash it, and the fish came back to life. Andreas drank the spring water himself, and even kept some of it, but was too frightened to tell Alexander what he’d found. By the time he eventually did, the army had moved on, and when they went back, they couldn’t find the right spring. The secret of immortality was right there in front of them, but now it’s lost for ever.’

  ‘Sheesh,’ said Beck. ‘I bet Alexander wasn’t happy about that.’

  ‘He wasn’t. He had a stone tied around Andreas’ neck and threw him into the sea.’

  ‘Maybe he just didn’t like his cooking,’ Eddie joked.

  ‘I doubt it was exactly haute cuisine, yeah. But because Andreas was now immortal, he became a spirit. Or so the story goes, at least.’

  Seretse regarded her thoughtfully. ‘Could there be any truth to it? It would not be the first time you have discovered that a legend was based on fact.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I mean, without some solid evidence, I’m certainly not going to buy into the story that there really is a spring that gives you eternal life, even if this guy Jaekel apparently believed it. Was there anything else in those plans that might tell us more?’

  He referred to a translation of the German text. ‘Perhaps. There is a passage here . . . “According to the relics, the statue of Bucephalus is located in the inner burial chamber. Obtaining the statue intact is our primary objective: it holds the map to the Kingdom of Darkness. We must secure the map before we can find the spring.” Could they mean the Spring of Immortality?’

  ‘Maybe,’ said Nina. ‘I don’t remember anything about a statue of Bucephalus when I was at the IHA, though. Has anything like that been found in the tomb since then?’ Seretse shook his head.

  ‘Who’s Bucephalus?’ Eddie asked.

  ‘Alexander’s horse. He tamed him as a child, and rode him throughout his campaigns. He was so devoted to him that when Bucephalus was stolen by a forest tribe, he ordered his men to cut down every single tree and slaughter every last member of the tribe if he wasn’t returned. He got his horse back very quickly.’

  Eddie’s eyes widened. ‘Not surprised. That’s a bloke who really loves his ride.’

  ‘There wasn’t any sentiment involved,’ Nina continued. ‘When Bucephalus was killed in battle, I think against Porus in India, Alexander just found another horse and carried on fighting. Victory mattered more to him than anyone or anything else.’

  ‘Seems that Jaekel and his buddies feel the same way,’ said Beck. ‘They were willing to gun a man down in broad daylight to stop him from telling you about all of this, Dr Wilde – and then they tried to kill you too.’

  ‘Why, though?’ she asked. ‘This is nothing to do with me any more.’

  ‘But the young man in Los Angeles was specifically looking for you,’ Seretse pointed out. ‘He must have been certain that you would help him prevent the raiding of the tomb. And this man Jaekel must also have considered you a threat – you said that he targeted you, again specifically. So it would appear that you are somehow connected, even if you don’t know how.’

  ‘You could still be in danger,’ Petrelli warned. ‘We don’t know how many more of these guys are out there. They might try again.’

  ‘Well, thanks for brightening my morning,’ Nina told him, exasperated.

  ‘We must find out what is going on, though,’ insisted Seretse. ‘The Egyptian government is extremely concerned about the threat to the dig. Since the IHA is a partner in the excavation, they have asked us to assist in any way we can.’

  ‘Wait a minute,’ Eddie said, suddenly wary. ‘Who’s this “we”? If you mean me and Nina, we don’t work for the IHA any more, remember?’

  ‘Yes, I know. However, considering the circumstances . . .’ Avoiding Eddie’s increasingly hostile gaze, the United Nations official faced Nina. ‘I would like to request your help in investigating these events, and securing the tomb of Alexander the Great from the raiders.’

  ‘What?’ protested Eddie. ‘No, no fucking way. We’ve got better things to do than act as security guards for another bloody hole in the ground.’

  ‘Eddie, wait,’ said Nina.

  He rounded on her. ‘No, you wait! We agreed, okay! We’re doing what we’re doing for a reason, remember, and the last thing you need is to get dragged back into the job that—’ He almost blurted out got you poisoned. ‘That you wanted to leave in the first place.’

  ‘I didn’t want to leave,’ Nina said quietly.

  Seretse broke the uncomfortable silence. ‘If it makes a difference, the request does not come from the Egyptians alone. The State Department has also asked for your help, Nina.’

  ‘Oh
, well then, how can we fucking refuse?’ Eddie said, throwing up his hands.

  ‘If there really are Nazi war criminals still at large, they’ve got to be found and brought to justice,’ said Beck. ‘And speaking strictly off the record, Mr Chase – not as an FBI agent, but as someone with family who died in the war – I agree with what you said in the car, about the kind of justice these people deserve. If I were in your shoes, I’d do it.’

  ‘You’re not in my shoes,’ Eddie snapped. ‘You don’t have a clue about all the shit we’ve been through. We—’

  ‘Eddie,’ Nina cut in, still speaking softly. ‘I’ve got to do it.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Agent Petrelli’s right: they might try to take another shot at me. If we go to Egypt, it’ll be harder for them to find us.’

  He stared at her. ‘No it won’t, it’ll be bloody easier – because you’ll be in the same place they’re planning to rob!’

  ‘Yes – behind maximum security! You know Dr Assad; he’ll have the ASPS on full alert now that there’s a definite threat. You’ve worked with them, you know they’re good at what they do.’

  ‘Yeah, they are,’ Eddie said in a begrudging tone. ‘Which means they don’t need us. We could just head back to the west coast and stay out of the way until this all gets sorted out.’

  ‘They found us in LA,’ she countered. ‘Who even knew we were there? But that kid found us – and Jaekel found him.’ She addressed Seretse. ‘Oswald, I’m going to say right up front that I don’t want to do this. Eddie’s right: I left the IHA for very good reasons – which I’m not going to go into,’ she added. ‘But whatever all this is about – what happened in Los Angeles, this plan to rob Alexander’s tomb – somehow, these people think I can stop them. And considering who it seems they are . . .’ she gazed at the line of scowling monochromatic faces on the desk, ‘I’d say it’s my duty, as the former head of the IHA, and as a human being, to do just that.’

  ‘For fuck’s sake,’ Eddie growled, shaking his head before pointedly looking away from her.

  Nina sympathised, but she knew that in his current mood he would not be receptive to any apology. Instead she asked Seretse: ‘So, what do we do?’

  ‘I can have you flown to Egypt to meet Dr Assad and his people—’

  ‘First class,’ she interrupted. ‘We just got off a long flight; we’re not getting straight back on another one and sitting in coach for thirteen hours.’

  ‘Very well,’ said the diplomat reluctantly. ‘Once you get there, any help you can provide to ensure the safety of the excavation will, I’m sure, be very much appreciated. Then you can go back to what you were doing. Both of you.’

  Eddie, still fuming, gave no answer beyond a curt nod. ‘Thank you,’ said Nina. ‘Before all that, though, I really want to go home and have a shower.’

  Seretse’s nose twitched. ‘I didn’t want to comment, but . . . Chanel?’

  ‘By the gallon, yeah.’

  He stood. ‘I will make the arrangements.’ He extended his hand. ‘Welcome back, Nina. Even if it is only temporary.’

  Eddie rose, turning away from the others as he headed for the exit. ‘Yeah. Fucking great to be back.’

  Nina stepped out of the shower, draping herself in a towel. She let it soak up the moisture on her skin, taking in the familiar surroundings of her apartment. It might have been an unwelcome break in the grand tour she and Eddie had planned, but still . . . it was good to be home.

  It was also, she was forced to admit, good to be back at work, however unpleasant the circumstances. She wiped condensation from the mirror, looking into her reflection’s green eyes. Two months away had recharged her batteries and given her a new sense of perspective – as well as taking her mind off her illness. Two months, travelling with the man she loved, no concerns except those inside her own head.

  But now her concerns had become external, in more ways than one. The towel slipped off her right side as she worked it down her body. What she saw there made her pause. Two months of denial, of believing that somehow she was different from all the other victims of the black poison from the depths of the earth. That she could carry on as if nothing had changed.

  Only now, that was no longer an option.

  Another look at the face in the mirror. Strands of damp red hair framed it, cheekbones picked out by the overhead light. Was she more gaunt than before? Had the shadows under her eyes become deeper? Denial returned: no, it was just the unflattering lighting and the effects of jet lag, surely.

  Surely . . .

  Eddie’s voice snapped her back into the present. ‘Okay, yeah, I’ll talk to you again soon,’ he said as he approached the bathroom. ‘Thanks for ringing. Bye.’

  Nina hurriedly pulled the towel tight again as the door opened. ‘Don’t you ever knock?’ she said with a smile.

  ‘This from the woman who just wanders in and out while I’m having a dump,’ he replied. ‘I never get a chance to read my iPad in peace.’

  ‘Maybe if you didn’t spend so frickin’ long reading it . . .’ She glanced at the phone in his hand. ‘Who was that?’

  ‘Macy. She wanted to check we were okay – and find out what was going on.’

  ‘What did you tell her?’

  ‘Most of it.’

  Nina eyed him. ‘Are you sure that was wise?’

  ‘I didn’t tell her the part about Nazi war criminals hunting for the Fountain of Youth, if that’s what you’re worried about,’ he said, tetchy. ‘I still know how to keep secrets.’

  ‘Okay, okay. Is Macy all right?’

  ‘Yeah. A bit pissed off that we left LA without seeing her, but apart from that, she’s fine.’

  ‘Good. I’m glad nothing happened to her. It’s bad enough that we got dragged into this business without our friends getting involved too.’

  ‘Speaking of business . . .’ His expression became harder. ‘Are you still definitely wanting to go to Egypt?’

  She drew the towel tighter. ‘Yes, I am.’

  ‘For Christ’s sake, Nina! It’s the exact opposite of what we planned!’

  ‘What am I supposed to do?’ she fired back. ‘Just ignore the fact that someone tried to kill me? Whatever’s going on, I’ve been dragged into it, whether I like it or not! Besides, the inner tomb’s going to be opened in two days from now. If the Egyptians do that and secure everything without any trouble, then we can come back home and pick up where we left off. For all we know, just the fact that we know about their plan might stop these people from trying.’

  ‘Or if they’ve already gone to so much effort, they might try even harder to get what they’re after. They don’t need you there, Nina,’ Eddie insisted. ‘The world of archaeology doesn’t fall apart when you’re not in it!’

  ‘It’s two days, Eddie. Two days! That’s all.’ Nina waved her hands for emphasis, the towel accidentally slipping away from her body. She quickly yanked it back – but it was too late.

  Eddie stared hard at her side, gaze as piercing as an X-ray. ‘Let me see that.’ His voice was suddenly, oddly calm.

  ‘There’s . . . there’s nothing to see,’ she told him lamely.

  ‘Nina, I’m not fucking blind. Let me look.’

  Reluctantly, she drew back the towel. Eddie bent down to look at her side. He regarded the pale skin in silence, then let out a heavy sigh. ‘So, when were you planning on telling me?’

  ‘I . . . don’t know,’ she admitted. ‘I didn’t want to worry you.’

  ‘You didn’t . . .’ Another sigh, this time of disbelief and exasperation. ‘I’m your fucking husband, Nina. How could you not tell me?’

  Revealed on Nina’s flank was a line of ugly lumps, the largest almost half an inch across. They could easily have been mistaken for blisters, or warts – but both Nina and Eddie knew they
were far more malevolent. ‘When did these appear?’

  She couldn’t meet his eyes, using the excuse of examining the blemishes to look away. ‘I don’t know exactly,’ she lied. It had been close to two weeks. ‘The biggest one came out first, and it . . . it’s just been growing ever since.’

  ‘And you deliberately kept them hidden from me? Is that why you suddenly started wearing T-shirts to bed?’ She nodded. ‘For fuck’s sake! You should have told me!’

  Nina looked back at him. ‘What could you have done about them?’

  The simple, quiet question floored him. ‘About them? Not much,’ he had to admit. ‘But I could do things for you! Whatever you need, I’ll do it.’

  ‘You already are, Eddie.’ She blinked away a tear. ‘You already are. But . . .’

  ‘But?’

  ‘There’s nothing you can do about – about these.’ She jabbed at the lumps with sudden anger. ‘There’s nothing anyone can do, nothing! We both know what’s going to happen to me. These things are going to kill me, and I didn’t tell you about them because the thing I need most from you is for you not to worry for me, and if I think about what’s going to happen I get so mad because – because – because of all the things I’ll never get to do! Like having a child – only now we daren’t risk it . . .’

  ‘The doctors didn’t think I could get infected.’

  ‘But the baby would be! We already know that . . .’ She broke down, letting the wet towel drop to the floor as she clutched Eddie tightly.

  ‘It’s okay, it’s okay,’ he said, wrapping his muscular arms around her.

  ‘It’s not, though, is it?’ she managed through her sobs.

  He choked back tears of his own. ‘No, it’s fucking not. If I hadn’t already killed the fuckers who caused all this, I’d kill ’em again! Bastards.’

  Nina sighed. ‘Enough people have died already. All that death, and nothing to show for it. We found Valhalla, we found something that had been hidden for over a thousand years, but they burned it down. It’s a waste.’ Anger flared in her once more. ‘The whole thing’s such a waste, Eddie! I’m dying, and for what? I found something incredible, and they destroyed it!’