The Forbidden Tomb

by Chris Kuzneski

  Jasmine nodded in understanding. She would continue to note the distinct features of each cistern, but she would keep the narration to herself.

  While the women sorted out their differences and McNutt prayed for a wrestling match, Cobb took a more practical approach. At every turn, he marked their progress by applying invisible ink onto the tunnels themselves. The ink could not be seen with the naked eye, but under ultraviolet light it would glow like a neon sign. He hoped the precaution wouldn’t be necessary, but he always prepared for the worst.

  Always had, and always would.

  It was just Cobb’s way.

  Unlike the rekky of the day before, this journey was destination-based. That meant Sarah wasted no time on sightseeing and led them directly to the brick wall. As she approached the far end of the tunnel, she checked in with Garcia to make sure that they were still within his range. ‘You still there, Hector?’

  ‘Copy that,’ he said as he tested their GPS units and the video signals from their flashlight cameras. ‘Tracking is good. Picture is clear. Four strong feeds, all recording.’

  Sarah nodded toward McNutt. ‘You’re up.’

  McNutt smiled in anticipation. ‘It’s about time I got to blow something up.’

  The comment wasn’t entirely accurate. He was actually going to reduce something to smithereens without explosives. He reached into a pocket of his cargo pants and pulled out a small tube no bigger than a penlight.

  Jasmine stared at the device. ‘What are you going to do with that?’

  His smile widened. ‘You know the spring-loaded batons that firemen use to puncture safety glass – the ones that drive a steel tip through the pane at high velocity to get out accident victims? Well, this kind of works in the same way, only instead of a steel tip, it uses a sonic pulse. And instead of shattering glass, it destroys cement, mortar . . . basically anything this side of solid rock.’

  He glanced back at Cobb. ‘You should see what this does to someone’s face. Holy shit, it’s brutal. Blood and teeth everywhere. It’s like a hockey game.’

  Jasmine grumbled. ‘Wait a minute. No one said anything about collateral damage. Will it hurt any ruins on the other side of the wall?’

  McNutt shook his head. ‘Not a chance! The force will be localized on the target, just like a dentist’s drill, at least in theory . . . I mean, I’ve never used this thing on an old wall before. For all I know, the tunnel might come crumbling down on top of us. In fact, the more I think about it, you guys better stand back, like, a hundred feet or so.’

  Jasmine glanced at Cobb. ‘Jack, is he serious?’

  Cobb ignored her question. ‘Come on, Josh. We’re waiting.’

  McNutt crouched and pressed the end of the device against the space between the bricks at the center of the wall. The group took a step back as he turned on the device, but it barely made a sound. And then it happened. As if by magic, the mortar between the bricks appeared to melt away. No messy fragmentation. No shards flying around the tunnel. One moment the wall was solid, and the next there was a gap in the center. Eventually bricks started to fall to the ground like leaves from a dying tree.

  Sarah stared in amazement. ‘I want one.’

  ‘Me too,’ Jasmine admitted.

  A minute later, McNutt examined the hole that he had opened in the wall. Then he shined his light through and saw nothing but empty space on the other side.

  Just as they suspected, there was another tunnel.

  And it appeared older than the others.

  21

  Jasmine groaned in disappointment. The other tunnels had opened into splendid halls, caverns of sturdy rock and meticulously placed stone that looked like works of art. But the latest tunnel had proven to be a gateway to something else entirely.

  A monstrous pit of some kind.

  Shining her flashlight through the gap in the wall, she studied the deep chasm that had swallowed the floor. The sinkhole had pulled the cistern into its gaping maw, causing the upper structures to tumble after it. What remained was a jumble of smashed columns and broken supports precariously stacked upon one another, with little more than a narrow ledge on the other side.

  Sarah leaned in and surveyed the damage. ‘Well, this explains why the tunnel was sealed. This is a disaster. Someone really did a number here.’

  McNutt shook his head. ‘No one did this on purpose. This wasn’t man-made.’

  ‘How can you be sure?’ Jasmine asked.

  ‘Let me clarify. If this was done intentionally, they did it the hard way. They dug a pit and let it fall, rather than planting some TNT and blowing it all to hell.’

  Jasmine still wasn’t satisfied. ‘But how can you be sure?’

  ‘Explosions leave telltale signs. The fire chars the walls. Chemical accelerants leave stains. Even the shockwave itself stamps a distinct pattern onto the scene. They’re not always easy to spot, but they’re there. If you know where to look.’

  Cobb stared across the ravine. While the others were contemplating the damage and what had caused it, his attention was on what lay beyond. In the distance, he could see the outline of the far wall. He noticed immediately that the stonework was different from the walls and tunnels throughout the water system.

  The blocks were wider and taller. Heavier.

  The type of blocks you would use to fortify a temple.

  Cobb looked at Sarah. ‘Can you find a way across?’

  ‘Across?’ McNutt laughed. ‘Through that? That’d be like playing the world’s most dangerous version of Jenga. Only in this case, if the tower falls, you die.’

  ‘I can make it,’ Sarah replied confidently. She tied the rope around her waist and handed the other end to Cobb. She smiled playfully. ‘You know . . . just in case.’

  Cobb wrapped the rope around his forearm and anchored his boots in the dirt, ready to break her fall if the wreckage collapsed beneath her.

  Sarah stepped cautiously onto the first fallen beam. She breathed a sigh of relief when it held firm. From there, she crossed the narrow surface toward a pillar that lay at an angle. It was pointed skyward like a circus cannon, leading to an arch that had fallen over and now sat balanced at the top of the heap of rubble. After carefully plotting her course, she shimmied up the pillar, mounted the fallen arch, and tiptoed over the apex.

  Looking back, she realized she was halfway across.

  There was no turning back now.

  Sarah was able to pick her way down the other side of the pile of debris, carefully checking her footing with each step. She could feel the tangled mass sway, but she ignored the twinge of fear and kept moving forward. After pulling herself up over a sandstone support that blocked her path and sliding down a marble stanchion on the other side, all that stood between her and the ledge was a five-foot gap. She paused, steadying her nerves as she prepared for the final obstacle.

  Three long strides and a leap later, she landed softly on the rocky ledge.

  ‘Made it!’ Sarah shouted. From her vantage point, she could barely see the others through the tangled web of wreckage.

  Jasmine pumped her fist in the air with excitement.

  Cobb smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. ‘I’m glad to see that you’re excited about this . . . because you’re next.’

  ‘What?’ she shrieked.

  He could see the enthusiasm drain from her face.

  Sarah cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted instructions. ‘Jasmine, listen to me. You can do this. Just follow the rope. It’ll lead you right to me.’

  Jasmine nodded, trying to psych herself up. ‘I can do this.’

  ‘Damn right you can,’ Cobb said as he tied a rope around her waist and anchored it to the rope line. ‘And I’ll be holding on every step of the way.’

  Surprisingly, she didn’t need any further coaxing to start her journey. She slowly followed Sarah’s lead, stepping onto the closest beam and trying to retrace the exact steps that Sarah had taken. When she reached the circus cannon pillar, her in
itial jitters had subsided. By the time she arrived at the top, her confidence was soaring. She could finally see Sarah on the other side. Not only was she climbing, she was actually enjoying it, or at the very least relishing the sense of accomplishment.

  In another minute, she would reach the ledge.

  In another month, she would tackle Mount Everest.

  Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn for the worse.

  As Jasmine started her descent toward the far ledge, she felt a tremor underneath her feet. It was followed by a loud, cracking sound that told her everything she needed to know about her immediate future.

  ‘Something’s wrong!’ she screamed.

  No sooner had the words left her lips than the first piece came tumbling down. The arch that lay across the pinnacle gave way, smashing pillars and other supports as it fell into the pit below. It set off a devastating chain reaction, causing the entire structure to shake violently as it began to crumble.

  Cobb shouted: ‘Jasmine, hang on!’

  Meanwhile, Sarah braced herself on the other side.

  As the stones fell out from under her, Jasmine was left dangling in the center of the void, enveloped by a cacophonous roar and a swirling cloud of dust. Adrenalin shot through her like lightning as she clamped down hard on the rope. For the next few seconds, it was the only thing that stood between her and certain death.

  Though logic told him to pull, Cobb fought the urge until the air cleared for fear that he might inadvertently yank Sarah off the far ledge. He didn’t want anyone falling into the chasm, much less two people. Fortunately, the horizontal tension on the rope told him there was still a chance that everyone would survive unscathed.

  Once the dust settled, all that Cobb could see was Jasmine, the rope, and a black void below. The pile of rubble had completely disappeared into the hole.

  McNutt called out to her. ‘Jasmine, are you okay?’

  ‘Not okay! Definitely not okay!’

  ‘But you’re alive?’

  ‘Of course I’m alive! I’m talking to you!’

  ‘Good point,’ he conceded as he held on to Cobb. The rope was tied to Cobb, so McNutt’s job was to keep him from falling forward. ‘Can you make it back to us?’

  Jasmine’s mind raced faster than her heartbeat. She was in the middle of the chasm, where it would take just as much effort to go back as it would to press on. Going back meant returning to a tunnel system that they knew and a way out. Going forward meant the unknown possibilities of whatever they might find ahead.

  She hadn’t come this far to turn back now.

  Besides, she wasn’t about to abandon Sarah.

  ‘Not a chance!’ Jasmine shouted as she adjusted her grip. ‘I’m not coming back. I’m going forward.’

  McNutt wasn’t sure how to respond. ‘Um, okay.’

  In the darkness ahead, Sarah couldn’t help but smile. The old Jasmine – the one from their first mission – would have turned back and taken the easy way out. That is, if she had even attempted the climb to begin with. But the new-and-improved Jasmine was determined to see this through.

  ‘Glad to hear it,’ Sarah said. ‘Just keep moving, hand over hand. Don’t stop, and don’t look down. You’re more than halfway here.’

  Jasmine did as she was told. She crept along the rope, pulling herself one arm’s reach at a time, her feet sliding along behind her. On each end of the line, Sarah and Cobb pulled hard in an effort to reduce the slack.

  The tighter the rope, the easier the climb.

  Sarah’s arms burned and her feet ached as she held fast, digging her boots into the rocky ledge. ‘Almost there . . . Just a few more feet.’

  Summoning every ounce of courage and every bit of strength, Jasmine powered through the remaining distance like a seasoned pro. Once she was absolutely sure that her body was over solid land, she uncrossed her feet and let them drop to the ledge. Then she let go of the rope and threw her arms around Sarah in triumph.

  Sarah hugged her back. ‘Great job. You’re officially a woman. Welcome to the club.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Jasmine as she fought back tears, partly from the dust, and partly from her joy. ‘Thanks for holding on.’

  McNutt unleashed a celebratory scream that echoed through the chamber. It was nearly as loud as the collapse itself. ‘Ooooo-rah!’

  But Cobb wasn’t ready to celebrate. At least not yet.

  Not with his team divided.

  ‘Is there any way through?’ he demanded.

  ‘Hang on,’ Sarah implored. ‘We’re still hugging.’

  ‘Search now. Celebrate later.’

  ‘Why? What’s the rush?’ McNutt wondered.

  Cobb whispered, ‘If they can’t get through, we have to bring them back.’

  ‘Fuck.’

  ‘And if they can get through, we’re going next.’

  ‘Double fuck.’ McNutt leaned forward and shined his flashlight into the darkness below. It was a long way down. ‘I honestly don’t know which one to root for.’

  Cobb smiled. ‘Me neither.’

  ‘Okay,’ Jasmine shouted, ‘I think we found something.’

  At the base of the wall, they noticed a stone block that appeared to have been crushed by the weight of the wall and the ravages of time. It was no longer solid. Instead, a spider web of cracks radiated out from its center. They could see where tiny pieces had already begun to shear off under the stress.

  Sarah shouted across the void, ‘Josh, throw me that sonic device of yours. I think we might be able to shatter the rest of the broken block. If it crumbles, maybe it’ll open a gap to the other side. That is, if there is another side.’

  ‘Screw that,’ McNutt mumbled. ‘I’m not throwing her anything. This boomstick is a military prototype. I had to blow an Army supply clerk to get my hands on it. We simply can’t replace it.’

  Cobb glared at him. ‘Josh, throw her the damn stick.’

  ‘But chief.’

  ‘Either that, or climb over and use it yourself.’

  His response was immediate. ‘Hey, Sarah, catch!’

  He flung the high-tech baton across the void, and she caught it with both hands. She handed the device to Jasmine, who was about to fire a sonic pulse into the stone wall when they heard a voice that had been uncharacteristically silent for several minutes.

  Garcia cleared his throat. ‘Guys, I don’t mean to rush you, but you might want to pick up the pace a little bit.’

  Cobb stared into his flashlight. He wanted his frustration to be visible on Garcia’s video screen. ‘Hector, we’re kind of busy right now. What’s the problem?’

  His reply sent a chill down Cobb’s spine.

  ‘I think someone’s looking for you.’

  22

  After Hassan’s impassioned pep talk – punctuated with two dead pigeons – Kamal and Tarek were desperate to find Simon. To achieve their goal, they had distributed Sarah’s picture to the far reaches of the city. Hundreds of people, from small-time, wannabe hustlers to legitimate businessmen who owed a weekly fee for protection, were looking for her. The thugs knew it was only a matter of time before she would be seen again.

  They were intrigued when it happened in the same neighborhood.

  They were alarmed when she was spotted with a team of her own.

  Five minutes after the call, Kamal and Tarek were on their way to the apartment building. On Hassan’s order, they were not to pursue her alone. They viewed the other two men as unnecessary, but neither dared to defy their boss.

  Together, the four men searched the apartment complex. They checked every hallway, knocked on every door. Doors that were not answered were opened with picks. The ones that could not be picked were opened by force.

  After thirty minutes, they had turned up nothing. Even worse, they believed the residents when they claimed they had not seen the woman or her team. Working alone, Kamal or Tarek could easily scare most people into confessing their deceit. When facing them together, lying seemed next to imp
ossible.

  And yet no one had seen her.

  How in the hell did she vanish?

  The street was covered. So was the back. They had even checked the roof; it offered nowhere to hide and no access to other rooftops. A four-story plunge to the pavement below would certainly draw attention – whether she survived or not.

  They realized only one place had not been searched.

  The basement.

  * * *

  Cobb froze in place. ‘Hector, say that again.’

  ‘I think someone’s looking for you,’ Garcia said.

  ‘Explain,’ he ordered. ‘And be specific.’

  So much had happened during the last several minutes that Garcia didn’t know where to begin. During Cobb and Sarah’s rekky, they had installed remote cameras in the basement hallway and the boiler room. This allowed Garcia to watch their backs while they were in the tunnel system. Tonight, he also had access to a video feed from a wireless camera that McNutt had planted across the street. Using those sources, he had been keeping his eye on the apartment building and the traffic outside.

  Garcia studied the feeds on multiple screens. ‘Thirty-three minutes ago, four men entered the building through the front door and went upstairs. They didn’t do anything suspicious in the lobby, but you know that feeling you get when something doesn’t quite add up? Well, that’s the feeling I got when they arrived.’

  ‘Is that all?’

  ‘Of course not. I wouldn’t bother you for something like that.’

  ‘Then what’s the problem?’

  ‘Well,’ he explained, ‘three minutes ago one of the men reappeared outside. He met a second carload of people and led them inside. I realize that could still be explained – after all it’s a Saturday night and they might be on their way to a party or something – but instead of going upstairs to one of the apartments, all eight of them headed toward the basement. Right now six of them are rummaging through the storage lockers. The other two are trying to pick the lock on the boiler-room door.’

  McNutt cursed. ‘That’s not good, chief.’

  ‘No, it’s not,’ Cobb admitted.