The Portal (A Delphi Group Thriller Book 2)

by John Sneeden

  “Let’s buy ourselves a little space,” Zane said.

  He unslung his rifle and sprayed bullets in an arc. Some of the larger vines pulled back with a hiss, but other smaller ones seemed to be drawn by the movement.

  “I think it’s time to let them know we mean business,” Bennett said. The soldier had already pulled a grenade from his sack. After pulling the safety clip, he launched it out into the clearing. Seconds later there was a white flash, followed by an ear-splitting explosion.

  A shriek erupted in the distance, causing the hairs on the back of Zane’s neck to rise. The vines that had been hit either pulled back or went limp, while others became more aggressive, rising off the ground like cobras.

  “Give me one,” Zane said.

  Bennett reached into his pack and handed the operative a grenade.

  “Get in the tunnel… I’ll be right behind you.”

  Bennett hesitated. “Are you sure—”

  “Get in!”

  Bennett quickly retrieved his pack and rifle then took one last look at the vines before ducking through the opening.

  After the soldier disappeared, Zane shouldered his pack and rifle. Dropping to his knees, he backed up to the opening. It was dark, but he could tell that about a dozen vines were now only a few feet away, hovering in front of him like snakes.

  Zane lifted the grenade, but as he pulled the clip, he felt something like a cold rope slide around his neck. It tightened and yanked him up against the top of the opening.

  A vine.

  One of them must have slithered across the rock face and approached him from above.

  As he reached up to pry the tentacle loose, the live grenade dropped out of his hand, rolling several feet away. Zane grimaced. He knew the explosive’s timer would trigger in five seconds, which meant if he didn’t get inside, he’d be blown into a hundred pieces.

  Straining with everything he had, he thrust his body downward, and in one smooth motion, he grabbed the grenade and flung it as hard as he could.

  Just as it detonated, Zane felt something grasp his ankles and pull.

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  THE GROUP MOVED down the tunnel quietly, their beams slicing through the Stygian darkness. Amanda couldn’t figure out whether the silence was due to lingering thoughts of the terror behind them or of what might be lurking ahead.

  For her part, she was just thankful that Zane was alive. She had watched the whole event play out from a few feet away. Somehow Sergeant Bennett had realized what was going on and had managed to grab Zane’s legs and pull him to safety. Had it happened a second or two later, Zane might have been seriously injured by the blast, or worse.

  To everyone’s horror, a few vines had appeared at the opening a few minutes later, but they’d refused to cross the threshold. Amanda believed they were safe now, provided the tunnel didn’t lead to something even worse.

  She shook all the troubling thoughts out of her mind and focused on her dark surroundings. As she panned her light around, she couldn’t help but wonder how the passage had come into being. Had it been cut by human hands? Or had it formed through some natural process? Its sheer size suggested the former, but she couldn’t rule out the latter.

  As they continued walking, she was struck by the intense mustiness that permeated the air. It was as though they were walking through some ancient catacomb in Europe. The smell was so strong that it blotted out almost every other scent.

  Amanda looked up and noticed that Katiya had stopped and was playing her beam around on the ceiling.

  “See something?” Amanda asked.

  Katiya nodded toward the area her light had illuminated. “The tunnel is starting to change.”

  Amanda aimed her own light at the same place. There, about five feet above them, large flat stones stretched from one side of the tunnel to the other. “That’s definitely manmade.” She stared intently at the seams. “And they’re fitted tightly together just like the bridge. It reminds me a bit of all the tunnels underneath the pyramids in Egypt. Strange.”

  “It is strange, but then again, perhaps it makes perfect sense,” Katiya said as they continued down the passage.

  Amanda looked up and saw that the space had widened considerably. Zane and the others were standing in the distance, their flashlights trained on something out of sight. “Looks like they may have found the water.”

  When they arrived, Amanda’s eyes widened. Directly in front of her was an underground lake, its still, dark surface spreading in every direction. How far did it go? Was this the end of their subterranean journey? The thought of going back to the vines made her shudder.

  Bennett stood on the shore and looked out over the water. “I guess I was wrong,” he said, looking back at Zane. “It’s not some little stream.”

  “It looks like we’re at an intersection of tunnels.” Katiya pointed her flashlight to the left and then to the right. The water disappeared into openings in both directions.

  “My guess is that it may be a sewer system of some kind,” Amanda said, “funneling water out of upper chambers.”

  Katiya nodded. “Apparently we’re at the low point in the network, where the water gathers temporarily after a storm.”

  “It would be hard for this much water to evaporate,” Zane said. “If I had to guess, I’d say this little lake is permanent.”

  Bennett bent over and rummaged through his pack, eventually pulling out a flashlight that was a full two feet long. Amanda had seen them use it when Corporal Wilson had gone missing.

  The soldier waded out into the water and directed the powerful LED beam toward the far shore. A rocky ledge appeared in the cone of light, and beyond the ledge was another opening. “Looks like the tunnel continues on the far side.”

  “Good,” Zane said. “How deep do you think this gets?”

  The water was up to Bennett’s knees. “Using the tunnels as a gauge, my guess is that it will max out about here.” He held a hand just above his waist.

  “How about the bottom?” Zane asked.

  “No mud or slickness that I can tell,” Bennett replied. “Hard pan rock.”

  “Good.” Zane turned toward the others. “We’re going across. Take your time. Don’t feel like you have to rush. Sergeant Bennett and I will go first and check for holes, so follow directly behind us.”

  As everyone prepared to enter, they heard splashing out in the lake, a bit to the right. Several beams turned in that direction, searching for the source. Suddenly a figure appeared, moving in their direction through the water. Tocchet raised his rifle, but Zane held up a hand.

  “It’s Osak,” Katiya said as he came into view.

  The boy stopped about twenty yards from shore. He spoke a few quick words, which Max translated. “He says he believes something large is out there, down at one of the crossing tunnels.”

  Zane frowned. “What is it?”

  After another brief exchange with Osak, Max said, “It was hard to understand what he said, but I believe he picked up some vibrations in the water. He said we need to cross now.”

  Katiya flashed a concerned look at Zane. “Do you really think we should?”

  “We have to. The tunnels to the right and left are flooded, and we’re certainly not going back outside.”

  “He’s right,” Brett said. “We really have no choice.”

  Katiya nodded reluctantly and adjusted her pack.

  “Okay, let’s go, everybody,” Zane said, wading out into the water.

  Amanda slung her pack over her shoulder then walked over to the water’s edge. She was concerned about what might be out there under the surface and therefore knew she needed to just go before her fear got the best of her.

  Amanda took a deep breath and entered the dark water. She pointed her flashlight downward, but the beam couldn’t penetrate the coffee-colored depths. If something was down there, she wouldn’t know until it was too late.

  As she continued walking, someone sloshed up behind her. “Thank good
ness I haven’t bumped up against a plesiosaurus yet.” It was Katiya.

  “Hush.” Amanda smiled at her. “You’re worse than Brett.”

  Katiya laughed. “In all seriousness, I wouldn’t worry. Despite what Osak said, I doubt there are any life forms in here. As large as it is, it’s not connected to any other bodies of water, so I can’t imagine anything living here. I mean, what would it eat?”

  “A team of explorers might fill a belly up pretty quick,” said Brett, who had suddenly appeared on Amanda’s right.

  Amanda looked at Katiya then jerked a thumb toward Brett. “See what I mean?”

  “Funny guy. The problem with that theory is we’re likely the first human beings to pass through here in decades, if not centuries.”

  Amanda looked down. The water had now risen to her waist. Bennett had said that was about as high as it would go. She hoped he was right.

  About a minute later, someone at the front of the line shouted. She turned her flashlight in that direction and saw Osak standing next to Zane and Bennett. The boy was pointing at the tunnel to their left.

  “What on earth is he so upset about?” Katiya asked.

  Amanda turned and played her beam around in the general direction Osak was pointing. A few seconds later, she saw something, a slight swirl in the water. It was subtle, but clearly something was moving beneath the surface.

  “Everybody get going!” Zane shouted from just ahead.

  Amanda didn’t need to be told twice. Just as she had in the river, she focused on moving her feet one at a time. As she did that, she also kept reminding herself of what Katiya had said. It did make perfect sense. How could something of any appreciable size live down here? What would it eat?

  Suddenly a shot rang out. Then another.

  So much for that theory.

  Amanda didn’t bother to look up. She pressed forward, moving as fast as she could. She heard something sloshing close by but didn’t dare risk turning to see who or what it was.

  Shortly thereafter, Amanda stepped on a slick stone and lost her balance. The surface came toward her as she fell, but just before she plunged into the water, a strong hand grabbed her arm, keeping her up.

  Zane.

  “Almost there,” he said, pulling her toward the shore.

  About a minute later, the operative pulled her up onto the rock ledge and set her down. He then turned and waded back into the lake, helping the others out of the water.

  Tocchet was bringing up the rear. After stepping out, he turned and fired several shots at a place that swirled about ten yards out.

  “What the heck was that?” Brett asked.

  Zane’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the spot Tocchet had fired at. “We’re not sure. Osak said something was coming, but we couldn’t figure out what it was. Probably just a cave fish or amphibian of some kind, but we weren’t taking any chances.”

  “If that was a fish, it must have been the size of a tuna,” Brett said.

  Katiya aimed her flashlight downward. “Check it out.”

  Amanda looked toward the illumination. Rather than worn rock, they were standing on cut stone.

  “And here’s where the tunnel picks up again,” Bennett said from behind them.

  Everyone turned to see the soldier standing at an arched stone doorway.

  “Perfect,” Zane said. “Let’s move out, everybody.”

  As the group passed through the archway, Amanda noticed that there was a set of stone stairs beyond.

  “Looks like I was right,” Katiya said. “These lower tunnels are some sort of primitive sewer system.” She pointed her beam up the stairs. “That means whatever we’re looking for is likely somewhere up there.”

  Zane and Bennett took the lead as they made the ascent. The musty smell was back again. How long had these stairs been here? And how long had it been since human beings had set foot on them?

  A few minutes later, Zane held up a hand, bringing everyone to a halt. He was looking at something on the stairs above.

  “Oh my,” Katiya said.

  Amanda looked and let out a little groan of frustration. A stack of assorted boulders, stones, and rubble stretched from one side of the stairwell to the other. Apparently one of the walls had caved in, perhaps from an earthquake or plate shift.

  “Not good,” Bennett muttered.

  “No, it’s not,” Zane said, moving his beam up toward the ceiling.

  “What’s going on?” Max asked as he pushed his way toward the front.

  Bennett pointed toward the pile with his rifle.

  There was a flash of light, and Amanda turned to see Jorge lighting up a cigar.

  Max sneered. “Must you?”

  Jorge shrugged. “Why not? It helps me think.”

  Before Max could respond, Zane said, “Wait a minute.” He played his light toward the right side of the passageway.

  Amanda let her eyes follow his beam. At first she couldn’t figure out what he’d found, but then she saw a narrow opening, perhaps only two feet wide, between the boulders and the wall. Apparently the cave-in hadn’t extended across the entire staircase.

  Zane took a few steps forward and leaned into the crevice. “It’s going to be tight, but I think it goes all the way to the other side. There seem to be a few places where some of us are going to have to suck in some air to get through.”

  Jorge took a draw on his cigar and patted his stomach. “I think he’s talking about me.”

  Amanda watched as Zane removed his pack. “I’m going to go through first,” he said. “I’ll radio back once I’m on the other side.”

  Tocchet nodded. “Copy that.”

  The operative wiggled sideways into the crevice, his pack in one hand and a flashlight in the other.

  Amanda was thankful for her background as an archaeologist. It had prepared her for work in tight spaces, although she couldn’t recall anything quite like this.

  About five minutes later, Zane’s voice crackled over Tocchet’s radio. “Made it.”

  Bennett lifted the radio to his mouth. “Can you see anything?”

  “There’s a landing just ahead,” Zane said. “I think we’re about to find out where all of this leads.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  AS SOON AS Zane pocketed the radio, he heard a noise behind him. He extinguished his light and turned around quietly. It seemed to have come from somewhere on the stairs above. It had sounded like a pebble bouncing across stone, but the distance was too great to know for sure.

  He remained perfectly still as he continued to listen. Was someone or something waiting up there? It was probably just a rat, but since the others were on their way up, he needed to make sure they weren’t walking into a trap.

  Turning back to the crevice, Zane peered down the stairs. He saw a tiny point of light moving in his direction. Despite the distance, he could tell it was Katiya. She seemed to be moving slowly, so it would probably take her at least six or eight minutes to get to him. That would allow just enough time to investigate the noise.

  Opening his pack, Zane retrieved his night vision visor and secured it over his head. He then set his rifle and backpack against the wall, pulled out his Glock, and took the stairs. As he neared the landing, he could see that the stairwell turned to the left from there, so he hugged that side of the passage as he approached.

  Upon arriving at the top, he stopped one step short. Leaning forward, he peered around the corner. The steps rose for about twenty yards before disappearing through a stone archway. Zane stared at the opening for several minutes but saw and heard nothing. Whatever he had heard before must have moved off.

  Satisfied it had likely been a small mammal, he returned to the crevice and pulled off his visor. As soon as he stuck his head in the opening, he heard Katiya’s voice echo toward him. “Zane?”

  “Yes, I’m here.”

  “Sorry, I think I’m stuck.”

  He could see she was about three-quarters of the way up, standing in a place he remembered
was tight. A triangular rock stuck out into the passage, and the easiest way to get by it was by ducking down.

  “Put your things through first, and then—”

  “Do you mind helping me?”

  “Not at all. I’ll be right there.”

  Zane hated to leave the top unguarded, but how could he refuse that voice?

  Sliding into the opening, he moved toward her one step at a time. He was surprised she hadn’t been able to figure it out herself. She was relatively thin, so it shouldn’t be difficult for her to pass underneath the rock. Then he remembered that some people just didn’t function well in tight spaces. Bodies and minds tended to freeze when encountering a phobia.

  When Zane neared the light, he looked up then came to an abrupt stop. Katiya was standing on his side of the triangular rock.

  So she did make it through.

  He tried to look at her face, but her flashlight was aimed down at the steps, shrouding the upper half of her body in darkness.

  He stepped closer. “I’m proud of you—”

  Before he could finish his sentence, her hand shot out. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked him toward her. Their bodies were now only a few inches apart, and Zane could see her looking at him, her eyes unblinking and filled with passion.

  He reached up to place a hand on her cheek, and she clicked off the light. Their lips found each other in the darkness, pressing together softly at first, then more firmly.

  Zane slid an arm around her waist and drew her closer as the kisses became more passionate, even as they were careful not to make any noise. It was the first time he’d felt the warmth of a woman in months, and the feelings he’d developed for Katiya made it all the better.

  “Everything okay?” Bennett asked from the radio in Zane’s pocket.

  The two snickered simultaneously but managed to keep from laughing out loud.

  Zane lifted both of his hands and held Katiya’s cheeks as he kissed her lightly one last time. As he drew back, she reached up and grabbed his forearms, pulling him back again for another kiss, this one firmer.