by David Wood
“Oh God!” Sofia cried.
Maddock struggled to regain control of the sub. The craft rolled, righted itself, and plowed forward again. The shower of rock continued unabated, debris now collecting on the tunnel floor, narrowing their window of escape.
“We’re never going to get out,” Sofia groaned.
Another huge chunk of rock fell in their path. Maddock took the sub hard to port…
…and then they were free.
He angled the sub upward, climbing the shaft as fast as they dared. A quick glance told him they had fifteen minutes of air remaining, and a long way to go before they reached the surface. As they emerged from the mouth of the Sphinx and began their ascent, they regained contact with Sea Foam.
“Maddock! Do you copy?” Tam sounded as agitated as Maddock had ever heard her.
“I copy. We’ve got the device and we’re on our way back right now.”
“We’ve got company up here,” Tam said. “The Cubans have located us. We’re bugging out.”
“Wait! We’ve only got a few minutes of air left.”
Five seconds of silence greeted this proclamation. Finally, Tam replied in her trademark, patronizing tone.
“Why don’t you turn on the carbon dioxide scrubber, sweetie?”
Maddock felt his cheeks warm, Tam’s words rendering him mute and more than a little bit embarrassed. During their training exercise in Remora, he’d focused on piloting and working with the various mechanical appendages, leaving most of the other details to Bones.
“Aw, hell,” Willis finally muttered. “Okay, I got it.”
“You think you boys can get Doctor Perez back safely? I mean, now that you can breathe again?”
“We’ll be fine,” Maddock said, “but what about you and Corey?”
“We’ve got a good lead on them, but it’s going to be close. I don’t know if we can make it back to international waters before they catch us. If we make it back in one piece, I’m arming this boat.”
Maddock considered the situation. “I’ve got a better idea. We’re going to ping you. Corey, bring her about and head for our location.”
“Got it,” Corey said.
“Just what are you planning, Maddock?” Tam sounded suspicious.
“I’m planning on atoning for my stupidity.”
He brought Remora to the surface, and hovered just below water level. “Corey, have you got a reading on us?”
“Affirmative. We’re closing on you fast. What’s the plan?”
“I want you to pass right over me and keep going in a straight line. Make sure you’re followed.”
“That’s not a problem.”
The seconds crawled by, stretching into an eternal minute.
“What are you gonna do, Maddock?” Willis whispered.
Maddock didn’t reply. As Sea Foam closed in, Maddock took Remora deep enough for the craft to safely pass above them. When the ship had jetted past, he swung the sub a few meters to port and brought it up to surface level.
“Cuban ship’s closing fast,” Willis said.
“I’ve got it.” As the craft shot toward them, Maddock activated the targeting system and made ready to fire. “Now it’s my turn to try out the torpedoes.”
The Cubans were almost on top of them when Maddock fired. The torpedoes cut through the water and struck the ship on its starboard bow. Willis whooped at the sound of the explosion.
Maddock took them deep and made a beeline toward Miami. The ship wouldn’t sink, but it wouldn’t be following Sea Foam.
“Nice one, Maddock,” Tam said. “But you know you’ve got to write up an expense report when we get back. Torpedoes are pricey.”
Maddock couldn’t help but laugh.
“Will do, and you’re welcome.”
Chapter 16
A sleek, silver BMW 4 Series wove in and out of traffic and screeched to a halt in front of Bones and Greg. The passenger side window lowered a few inches and Kasey called out to them. “Hop in fast, boys, and don’t you,” she said to Bones, ”make any cracks about women drivers.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Bones stuffed his bulk into the back seat. “Some of the hottest drivers I know are women.”
“Whatever.” Kasey floored it, and the BMW screeched out into the sparse traffic. “In case you haven’t noticed, I think someone’s following us.”
Bones stole a glance through the rear window where a white sedan bore down on them.
“They’ve been behind me for several blocks. They tried to play it off casual-like, but they just happened to make too many of the same turns as I did. I blew a few lights and got a lead on them, but it didn’t last.” She yanked the wheel hard to the right, sending Bones crashing into the driver’s side door. Blaring horns and screeching tires drowned out Bones’ protest. Moments later, they rocketed across a bridge spanning the Seine.
“Nice view.” Bones gazed out over the water. “Kasey, once we shake these jokers, how about you and I go out for a romantic dinner?”
“No, I hate French food.”
Bones chuckles and looked back again. The sedan closed in on them again. They came down off the bridge and took a hard right, the BMW fishtailing as they rounded the curve, and soon they were flying along the banks of the Seine. Bones took in the serenity of the scene, where couples walked hand-in-hand by the slow-moving water, unaware that a deadly chase played out meters away from them.
A shot rang out, a bullet clanged off the wheel well closest to Bones. Kasey cursed and yanked the wheel hard to the left, and their car bounced over the low median and hurtled into the oncoming lane. A pair of smart cars parted like the Red Sea as the BMW shot between them. A horn blared and Bones looked up to see the grill of an oncoming box truck filling their windshield. Kasey cut the car back to the right, narrowly missing the truck. They bounced back over the median and onto the right side of the road.
“Holy crap, chick!” Bones shouted. “Nice maneuvering.” He looked back to confirm they’d gained ground on the sedan, but for how long?
“We’ve got to make it out of town if we’re going to catch our flight out of here.” Greg remained as calm as ever.
“Do you seriously think I don’t know that?” Kasey glanced at the rear view mirror and frowned when Bones caught her eye and winked. “I’m just trying to keep us alive.”
“And you’re doing a fine job. Keep it up.”
Another bullet struck the car, this one shattering the corner of the rear window.
Bones’ hand went to his hip, reaching for his Glock, which, of course, wasn’t there.
“Greg, remind me why we didn’t bring guns.”
“Because we were supposed to be burglars, not armed robbers. Also, getting them into the museum would have added another layer of difficulty.”
“Next time, I vote we take our chances with museum security. They don’t worry me nearly as much as the Dominion does.” Bones’ eyes remained glued on the pursuing car. Kasey was doing a good job keeping traffic between them, but she couldn’t manage to shake them.
“You’re forgetting the most important reason of all,” Greg said, his tone still serene.
“What’s that?”
“Tam said no.”
“Everybody grab what you’ve got!” Kasey cried.
Bones turned to see a massive stone arch barring their way. He had only seconds to take in the sheer size and spectacular artistry of the Arc de Triomphe before Kasey took them into the midst of the congested traffic circle that rounded the famed monument. He cursed as they barely missed sideswiping a Renault. Then, mostly to feel like he was doing something, he flipped off the driver of the car behind them, who blared his horn.
Kasey whipped the wheel back and forth until it was all Bones could do not to close his eyes as Kasey navigated the dense traffic. Greg even gripped the dashboard and pressed his brake foot against the floorboard. All around them, alarmed and angry drivers cursed and blew their horns as they tried to get out of the way of the BMW.
Bones found himself holding his breath until, as quickly as they had entered the circle, they were out again, shooting south down the Champs Elysees.
The white sedan wasn’t so fortunate. Bones watched as the driver, stuck in the inside lane, tried to force his way out. His vehicle struck another car, fishtailed, and smashed headlong into one of the concrete pilings supporting the chain that ringed the Arc de Triomphe, coming to an abrupt halt amidst a cloud of steam and smoke.
“Sweet!” Bones gave Kasey’s shoulder a squeeze. “The Dominion might as well give up. We’re too much for them.”
Kasey managed a smile which melted away in a flash. “Nice going, Bones.”
"What did I do?"
"I think you just jinxed us." Kasey didn't need to elaborate. Up ahead, a two-man helicopter hovered ten meters above street level. It turned broadside to the BMW and the man in the passenger side of the helicopter leveled a rifle at them and fired.
A bullet pinged off the BMW's hood and Kasey veered to the right, crossing back over the Seine and into the southern part of the city. She gunned the engine and the BMW leapt forward. Bones found himself fearing a crash almost as much as the Dominion helicopter, which followed behind them.
The chase went on for what seemed an eternity, Kasey barreling through Paris at a breakneck speed, weaving in and out of traffic, screeching around curves and even taking out a mailbox—an obnoxiously bright, yellow number that, in Bones estimation, had gotten exactly what it deserved. Meanwhile, the helicopter kept pace, sometimes deviating its course to avoid buildings, but always taking up the chase again. Periodically, the shooter sent a bullet their way. When the rear window exploded in a shower of glass, Kasey cried out in alarm and changed directions again, and the chopper temporarily disappeared from sight.
"If either of you has an idea about how to get out of here,” she said “now would be a good time to mention it.”
Brushing glass out of his hair, Bones looked around. They flashed past a familiar-looking sight: a statue of a lion. Where had he seen it before?
And then he remembered.
"If you can find a safe place nearby to stop, do it."
Kasey steered the car onto a narrow street and stopped halfway along the block. The helicopter would never make it through, but, without cover, they remained sitting ducks for the shooter.
"What now?" Greg asked, craning an ear toward the sound of the approaching chopper.
"Hop out and follow me." Bones sprang out and took off down the narrow street, eyes peeled, hoping his memory of a particular episode of one of his favorite paranormal shows was accurate. If he was wrong, they were dead.
"Are we looking for something in particular?" Kasey called from behind him.
"A manhole cover. Here!" He dropped to one knee next to the heavy steel plate, worked his fingers into the slot in the center, and wrestled the cover free.
"You're stronger than I thought," Kasey said.
"Thanks. I’ll do some muscle poses for you later. Now get down there!"
The drone of the helicopter nearly drowned out his words. The Dominion had caught up with them again. As if announcing their presence, a bullet clipped the sidewalk inches from where Bones knelt.
Kasey blanched, but kept her composure as she disappeared down into the tunnel.
"You next." Bones held the manhole cover like a shield while Greg climbed into the hole. A bullet deflected off the solid steel plate, vibrating Bones’ arms all the way up to the elbows. Out of time, Bones clambered into the tunnel and dropped the cover back into place as a third bullet missed his hand by a hair’s breadth.
Daylight vanished, and they descended in total darkness. Time lost all meaning, and he was surprised when his feet hit solid ground. Finding his balance, he dug the Maglite out of his pocket and clicked it on, partially covering the beam with his fingers so as not to blind himself or his companions.
The thin slivers of light shone down a long stone corridor. The air was cool and heavy with the scent of stale water.
"This doesn't look like a sewer," Kasey whispered.
"It isn't," Bones said. "We're in the catacombs."
Chapter 17
“They call this place an island?” Joel scanned the shore of Bottlenose Island, a tiny patch of sand and palm trees off of Key West’s northwest coast.
“I’ve seen smaller. But if this place is privately owned, somebody greased a lot of palms to get hold of it.” Matt guided their boat toward the gleaming white sand beach where three empty boats sat beached.
“Sounds like the Dominion to me. They’re never short on resources.” Joel looked around and stiffened. “There’s Franks. Time to get into character.”
David Franks had traded his three piece suit for cargo shorts, flip flops, and a Ted Nugent concert tee shirt one size too small for his thick middle. He raised his hand in greeting and waited for Matt and Joel to drag their craft onto shore.
“Glad you found the place.” Franks shook hands with each man.
“It’s not hard to find. That is, if you know what you’re doing,” Matt added, remembering his adopted persona. “Anybody ever get lost trying to make their way here?”
“Once or twice. Anyone who can’t make it here doesn’t have what it takes to be a part of our group.” Franks indicated they should follow him, and led them toward the edge of the wooded area.
“Is this some kind of sailing club?” Joel flashed a wicked grin. “Maybe orienteering?”
Franks’ expression went stony. “It’s a men’s club, and we expect our members to live up to the name.”
“Amen to that.” Matt made a show of checking out his surroundings. “Lucky the tsunami didn’t hit here.”
“God is good,” Franks said.
“Does this place belong to one of the group members?” Matt tried to make the question sound casual.
“It belongs to the church. We use it for small group meetings. It’s not much, but it gets us away from the noise of the city… and prying eyes.”
“There are a lot of things in the city I don’t mind getting away from,” Joel added.
“Definitely.” Franks pointed up ahead. “It’s just through those trees.”
A faint scent of wood smoke hung in the humid air, and soon Matt heard low voices and a crackling fire. Nine men sat on benches around a campfire. They all fell silent when Franks, Matt, and Joel emerged into the clearing. Franks introduced them, first names only, and invited them to take a seat.
Franks waited for silence and then opened the meeting. “Brothers, we gather once again to reflect on the Lord’s wisdom, and His perfect plan for this sinful world. Brother Bill, I believe you have the devotion.”
Bill, a stocky man with thinning ginger hair, stood, opened his Bible, and cleared his throat.
“Hear the words of the Lord from the book of Ezra.
“When these things had been done, the Jewish leaders came to me and said, Many of the people of Israel, and even some of the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the other peoples living in the land. They have taken up the detestable practices of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
“For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons. So the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages. Worse yet, the leaders and officials have led the way in this outrage.”
He closed the Bible, looked around at those assembled, and proclaimed, “The word of God for the sons of God.”
“Thanks be to God,” the group intoned.
The meeting began with a perfunctory discussion of the tsunami recovery efforts. It seemed the church was taking up a collection to assist members whose homes had suffered damage in the flood, while the men’s group, which didn’t seem to have a name, had helped clean up Key West Cemetery.
The discussion then turned to the topic of illegal immigration. Every man assembled stood opposed to anything short of re
moving non-citizens from American lands and beefing up border security, but their comments were much less incendiary than Matt would have expected. Some alleged a correlation between rising unemployment and an influx of foreign workers, while others discussed the impact on prisons, schools, and public services. Matt couldn’t help but think the men were all tempering their comments until they had the measure of him and Joel.
Finally, Franks chimed in. “Such worldly issues are important, no doubt, but God is the ultimate authority.”
“There’s Deuteronomy, chapter 32,” Brother Bill offered. “He separated the sons of man. He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.” Everyone, even Matt and Joel, nodded.
Joel surprised Matt by chiming in. “What about Deuteronomy 28? “The foreign resident among you will rise higher and higher above you, while you sink lower and lower. He will lend to you, but you won't lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.”
“Amen!” several men chimed.
Franks turned to Matt. “You’ve been quiet so far. What are your thoughts?”
“I admit I don’t know the Bible as well as my brother.” Matt spoke slowly, racking his brain for a believable answer. “But I seem to remember we’re taught to stay in our places.” He held his breath, hoping he’d remembered that detail correctly. Everyone stared at him, the silence so complete that he thought they must be able to hear his heart beat over the crackling campfire.
Finally, Franks nodded. “The Apostle Paul, in particular, taught that one should remain in his condition upon entering the church.”
“And Proverbs tells us not to move land markers. The borders should not change and the people should not mix,” another man added.
Matt’s tension melted away. First hurdle cleared.
Franks checked his watch, then clapped his hands once.
“Brothers, our time is almost at an end. We need to set this week’s fishing schedule.”
Matt and Joel exchanged frowns. Matt enjoyed fishing, but this sounded like an awfully strong dedication to the sport.
