The Hades Conspiracy (A Delphi Group Thriller Book 3)

by John Sneeden

  He turned and ran up the path. The cave leveled off a few minutes later. Keiko and the others waited for him.

  As he drew near, Keiko was talking to Amanda. “According to my positioning system, we’re now level with the city.”

  “And it’s in the direction we’re going?” Amanda asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Are we near the gate?” Reid asked.

  Keiko shook her head. “We’re coming in from a different direction.”

  Zane got everyone’s attention. “Have any of you seen Carmen?”

  “We thought she was with you.” Pratt frowned.

  Zane shook his head. “I saw her once. She was coming up behind, then she just disappeared.”

  “Maybe she got past us,” Amanda said.

  No one said a word. They knew it wasn’t even remotely possible. Zane looked back. The cave was dark, silent, foreboding. Something was wrong.

  Very wrong.

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  HER HEART RACING, Carmen rose to her feet. Her bad knee throbbed but provided some support. She couldn’t run, but she might be able to walk. She removed her pistol and focused on the shadows. Nothing moved, but a familiar foul stench had entered the space. It was putrid and nauseating, the worst scent that had ever invaded her nostrils. She didn’t know what death smelled like, but she imagined it was much like this.

  The shadows moved. Carmen raised her pistol. She could see the creature. It had the shape and appendages of a man but was much bigger than any man she’d ever seen. It stood at least fifteen feet tall, all of it rippling muscle.

  A memory surfaced in Carmen’s mind. Amanda stood over the sarcophagus in the temple, reciting a verse of Scripture: Og was a Nephilim, or at least a descendant of Nephilim. Is that what moved toward her now? A man of old?

  The creature stepped forward, its features visible in the dim light. Its face was that of a man, and yet the structure was different, more menacing and wild. She lowered her gaze. A tattered robe hung over a pale but heavily muscled body. It had shaggy red hair and a thick beard that looked like it had been growing for centuries.

  The giant gave a low, menacing growl, poised to attack.

  Carmen assumed a shooter’s stance and placed her sights on the giant’s head. Normally, she used the soldier’s protocol: “twice in the chest and once in the head.” But in this case, she only had two 9mm rounds, and she doubted either could penetrate the mass of muscle and bone covering the giant’s chest. A head shot was likely the only thing that would bring it down, and even that needed to be well placed.

  The giant stepped forward cautiously, its eyes on the gun. It seemed to sense it was something that could cause it harm.

  Hit with an idea, Carmen hobbled back toward the place where her flashlight had fallen into the pit. She would make her stand at the ledge. If her bullets didn’t bring the giant down, at least she might be able to make the giant fall into the chasm.

  Now in position, she steadied her pistol and focused on hitting her target. She visualized the bullet leaving the barrel of her gun, traveling through space, and penetrating the thick armor-like skull.

  The giant moved quickly in her direction.

  Carmen slid her finger over the trigger and drew in a deep breath. She had two shots to bring it down. She applied slight pressure to the trigger. Just as she was about to pull it, the giant came to a stop. Its head swiveled to the left. Its eyes narrowed as it looked at something behind her. Carmen thought about turning to see what it was then decided against it. She remembered how quickly the giant had lunged at her in the cave. It was much quicker than it looked.

  Carmen heard movement behind her. Was it Zane? She thought about calling out but kept her focus on the target. If it was Zane, she’d know soon enough.

  The giant growled deeply. Something was getting closer. And if the giant considered it a threat, that meant…

  The crack of a gunshot echoed across the cavern. A hole opened in the giant’s chest, causing it to scream with rage. More gunshots followed the first. Rounds pelted the giant’s torso as an all-out assault began.

  Shockingly, the giant continued forward into the barrage of bullets.

  Carmen stole a glance back. Her eyes widened in surprise. At the far end of the chamber, a group of men were down on one knee, firing semi-automatic rifles. They wore baggy blue outfits, black gloves, and black boots.

  The Swiss Guard.

  A million questions entered her mind, but Carmen knew she didn’t have time to ponder the answers. Keeping her eye on the giant, she backed down the ledge. Not only would it get her out of the line of fire, but with only two rounds left, it would also get her closer to the protective cover of the gunmen behind her.

  The giant bobbed and weaved, making it more difficult for the guards to hit its head. Its chest was a bloody pulp, and yet it didn’t slow down. Unless one of the shooters was able to make a head shot, this could be trouble.

  The gunfire stopped.

  Surprised, Carmen looked back at the guards. They parted, and a man stepped through. He was handsome and tall, with close-cropped blond hair and a fit body. Unlike the others, he was outfitted in black. Carmen had no doubt he was the team’s commander. As he continued forward, Carmen saw he carried one of her favorite weapons: a fully automatic Steyr TMP machine pistol. If that couldn’t bring the beast down, nothing would.

  About fifteen feet away from his target, the commander lifted the weapon and unleashed a vicious spray of automatic gunfire. Bullets strafed the giant’s body from top to bottom. It screamed and stumbled backward. Showing no mercy, the commander pressed forward, focusing his fire on the giant’s upper torso and head. Losing blood and unable to move effectively, the giant backed away more quickly, guarding its head with its massive hands. The commander pressed on, clearly focused on finishing the job.

  Carmen eased forward along the ledge, watching the spectacle play out in front of her. The giant was close to falling into the abyss. Whether the commander had done that on purpose or not, she couldn’t tell. Regardless, it was a positive development.

  Several rounds finally pierced the giant’s hands, shredding its neck. It cried out, staggered, and teetered, barely able to stand. The commander stopped firing and approached to within a few feet. He directed the muzzle of the Steyr at the creature’s head then squeezed the trigger. There was a click, but no shot came forth. The giant lowered its hands and growled. Sensing an opening, it crouched, ready to spring. If it could somehow get its hands on the commander, the tide might turn in a horrifying way.

  Two gunshots echoed across the cavern. The giant’s arms fell to its sides, revealing a gaping wound in its right temple. It teetered for a moment then fell backward into the pit.

  Carmen lowered her pistol and looked at the blond commander.

  “Thanks for giving me the honor.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  A LOUD BOOM echoed across the alcove. Then another. Roger Lawson checked his watch. It had been going on for some ten minutes. Something was on the other side of the gate, trying to get through. At first, he’d thought it was the escapees conducting a ruse to get them to open the gate, but as the pounding continued, he realized it couldn’t be them or anyone else. The blows were too powerful. Whatever hammered that wall was the size of an elephant.

  Once it became clear the threat was lethal, Roger and his men had retreated to a nearby building. Rather than retreat with them, Viktor and his crazed followers had remained in the alcove. Strangely, they seemed to be ready to receive with open arms whatever was trying to come though. Roger wondered if Viktor hadn’t used his hocus pocus to conjure something out of the abyss.

  As the pounding grew more intense, Roger turned to the senior guard at his side. “Has the C-Four been rigged?”

  The guard relayed the question through his headset. After receiving a response, he nodded. “Yes, sir. Everything is in place.”

  The blocks of C-4 had been brought in and placed near the gate in case
the key didn’t work. Roger wouldn’t hesitate to use it if, somehow, the gate came down. Whatever this thing was, it would be no match for the explosives waiting to rock its world. That much C-4 was enough to bring down a skyscraper.

  Roger lifted his binoculars and trained them on the alcove. The only light came from a few dozen candles Viktor’s men had set in a giant circle.

  Roger shifted the binoculars. Viktor and his flock lay prone on the ground, caught up in some sort of spiritual ecstasy. Roger shook his head. He never should’ve worked with them in the first place. He should’ve gotten his hands on the map and come in alone.

  As he studied the scene, someone rose and began walking. Roger leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. What the…?

  It was Viktor, and he had something in his hand. As he neared the gate, the cult leader approached the obelisk. Roger dropped the binoculars to his chest. No…

  There was a flash of light in the alcove. His pulse quickening, Roger raised the binoculars again. A spray of colored light splashed across the walls.

  The fool… He can’t be.

  And yet he had. He’d placed the relic in the obelisk, and the gate slid open. The idiot had finally crossed over into insanity, and he was going to pay with his life.

  Roger looked at his senior guard again. “Have your men prepare to detonate.”

  The guard hesitated. “Sir, shouldn’t we warn the others to evacuate the area?”

  “I guess you must have something clogging up your ears. I said to have your men prepare for detonation.”

  “Sir, if we set off the C-Four while they’re—”

  “Just do it!” Roger screamed.

  The guard stepped away and spoke into his mic.

  Roger turned back to the spectacle playing out in the alcove. The gate was now halfway open. Something hovered in the darkness beyond, waiting to come out, something massive, as tall as a tree.

  Rather than retreat, Viktor took a step toward it. His crazed flock followed. They were on a suicide mission, and at this point, there was nothing Roger could do to stop them. The shadows in the cave mouth moved. The thing—whatever it was—took a step forward, the ground shaking under its weight.

  Roger lifted the binoculars for a closer look. The gate was open, and a dark figure emerged from the cave. Roger flinched when it came into the light. It had the form and shape of a man but was twenty to twenty-five feet tall. Its head sported a massive mop of red hair, and its beard hung down over its abdomen. It looked like something ripped from the pages of a fairy tale. A real life troll. A giant.

  Son of a…

  The giant turned its head back and forth, not sure of what to think of all the people. Instead of fleeing, the people moved forward, their arms lifted.

  No, you idiots. No.

  The giant let loose a horrifying growl then grabbed two of the nearest men. It flung one against the wall. The man hit the rock like a sack of potatoes then dropped to the ground. Roger guessed every major bone in his body was crushed. The other man suffered a more gruesome fate at the giant’s hands. Roger was a hard, cruel man, but even he had to turn away at the sight.

  Rather than turn and flee, Viktor pressed forward. He seemed to be speaking to the giant, perhaps trying to reason with it. That was pure insanity. There would be no reasoning with this thing. It had one purpose, and that was to kill anything that moved. Unfortunately, Viktor couldn’t understand that. His mind was too far gone.

  Unimpressed with the attempted communication, the giant lunged forward and grabbed the cult leader, lifting him into the air.

  Roger had seen enough. He knew what was coming next. Viktor’s body would be torn to pieces. He turned to the guard. “Blow it up.”

  The man hesitated.

  “Now!”

  The guard nodded nervously then relayed the message through his headset.

  Seconds later, there was a flash of light to the left of the giant. A massive fireball erupted. Rolling flames billowed out of the alcove. For a moment, it seemed as though it might even reach the city.

  Roger stared at the fiery inferno. Nothing could survive such an explosion. He told the guards in the room to gather their weapons. If any member of the order had managed to survive, they were to be put out of their misery. Roger looked back toward the flames. Despite the death and carnage, he gave himself a figurative pat on the back.

  Two problems had just been eliminated. And in the next hour, two others would be as well.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  THE BLOND MAN fixed his steely gaze on Carmen then walked over and extended a hand. “Jonas Stegmann, Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.”

  She shook his hand. “Carmen Petrosino. We’ve never met, but I recognize your name.”

  “And I recognize yours as well.”

  “I knew I got off track, but I didn’t realize I was already in the Vatican catacombs.”

  Stegmann laughed.

  Still concerned about the threat, several of the guards rushed over to the place where the giant had fallen over the edge. Carmen and Stegmann joined them. Flashlights were directed into the pit, but darkness swallowed the beams.

  Stegmann looked at Carmen. “Do you know what it was?”

  “I have no idea. We heard them coming up but found an alternate way back to the surface. Eventually, we all got separated, and I ended up here.”

  “What is that?” One of the men stared into the abyss.

  “What is what?” Stegmann asked.

  “That.” He pointed.

  Carmen crouched but saw nothing.

  “A bit further to the left.”

  After shifting her gaze, Carmen saw a tiny orange dot floating in the dark void. It seemed no bigger than the head of a pin, yet she knew the size was probably an optical illusion. As she watched, the dot disappeared.

  “What just happened?” one of the soldiers asked.

  “There it is again,” another said.

  The dot appeared once again. Was a light shining up at them?

  Stegmann got on one knee and studied the point of light. “I think we’re looking at an opening of some kind. When the opening disappeared, that was the giant passing through.”

  Carmen didn’t know if he was right or not, but the hypothesis made sense. If true, it meant at least a couple of minutes had passed since the giant fell. She was no physicist, but that meant the opening could be a mile or two beneath them.

  “Why is it orange?” one of the men asked. “If it’s an opening, what’s beyond?”

  “Maybe this is a volcano,” Stegmann said after giving it some thought. “If it is, that may be lava. Whatever it is, it seems to give off light.”

  A horrifying image surfaced in Carmen’s mind. Was it possible the order was right? Were they looking at an entrance to the underworld? After all, so much of the legend had turned out to be true. Shuddering, she pushed aside the thought.

  Stegmann stood.

  Carmen looked at him. “How did you know we were here?”

  “As we began our investigation, the Polizia di Stato gave us some information on the person who stole the relic.”

  “The State Police of Italy?” Carmen cut him off. “I’m surprised they were involved.”

  “The thief murdered a courier prior to the heist then used his identity to effect the breach. The police were able to obtain evidence at their crime scene we were able to use to identify the suspect. To make a long story short, we eventually learned this man belonged to a cult.”

  “The Order of Baal,” Carmen said with a nod.

  “We were also able to uncover some disturbing things about Roger Lawson, the man your associates met with. Armed with that information, we performed a raid on his home. Unfortunately, the place was deserted, and there was nothing there to link him to any crime. Either he doesn’t spend much time at that residence, or he was planning on leaving soon.”

  “The Israeli government allowed you to conduct a raid on their soil?”

  Stegmann paused brief
ly, measuring his words. “We all live in a dangerous world, and we have a number of common enemies. Let’s just say we all try to provide help when we can. I can’t go into detail, but there is an unwritten understanding between our two states. In any event, I contacted the head of your organization, Dr. Alexander Ross. He brought me up to date about your meeting with Lawson and the planned trip to Mount Hermon.”

  “Dr. Ross?” Carmen frowned. “He didn’t tell us you were coming.”

  “He tried. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get through.”

  “So you just came to Hermon and began searching? Talk about finding a needle in a haystack.”

  “Your organization was able to determine the location of your last cell phone signal. It wasn’t very precise, but it was enough to put us in the right area. To be honest, it all just fell into place. As we drove the road, looking for vehicles, we found some reasonably fresh tire tracks turning off the highway.”

  “Which in turn brought you to the entrance to the cave.”

  Stegmann nodded. “After dispatching the guards left at the surface, we followed the lights back to the city, where we encountered the order gathered at the wall. We were outnumbered, so instead of fighting, we conducted surveillance. We overheard you were in the caves on the other side of the wall.”

  “How did you get past them?” Carmen asked.

  “We didn’t. We began looking along the perimeter of the city and eventually found another cave that brought us here.”

  Apparently, the key wasn’t necessary after all. Carmen guessed various groups had come here throughout history. Some may have carved out their own caves. She looked at Stegmann. “I’m guessing, at some point, you heard me call out?”

  “We did,” he answered with a nod. “I apologize we didn’t arrive sooner, but we had to figure out whether you were friend and not foe.”

  “I completely understand.”

  One of the other guards came over. “Sir, we’re ready.”

  Carmen hadn’t noticed before, but the other men had used the time to refill their magazines.