Blood Red City

by Justin Richards

  ‘Looks like your fire is really doing the job.’

  ‘I hope it doesn’t do it too well,’ he said. ‘I don’t fancy being anywhere near here if it reaches those fuel tanks.’

  ‘I guess we just have to wait and see.’

  ‘There’s a dip in the rock just there. We should be able to keep out of sight even if the smoke clears.’

  ‘Mihali will keep watch through binoculars,’ Sarah said. ‘We just have to let him know if we need his resistance guys to create another diversion so we can all get out again. What do you think they’ll find down there?’

  ‘Isn’t it supposed to be the gateway to Hell?’

  ‘But that’s a metaphor, surely,’ Sarah said.

  ‘Let’s hope so,’ Guy told her. ‘But a metaphor for what?’

  * * *

  The first tunnel came to a dead end.

  ‘It’s obviously deliberate,’ Leo said. ‘Not a rock fall or anything. The floor and walls are lined with stone. The roof too. This whole tunnel system was built, so there’s some purpose to it all.’

  ‘But what purpose?’ Brinkman wondered as they retraced their steps. ‘I’d suggest splitting up, which would make it quicker. But I have to admit I don’t fancy wandering around down here on my own.’

  ‘Me neither.’

  They turned back along a side tunnel, which sloped gently downwards. This too reached a dead end.

  ‘I thought this was the way back to where we started,’ Brinkman said.

  ‘So did I.’

  Leo shone his torch along the side wall, revealing another opening, and another beyond that.

  ‘You think we missed a doorway somewhere?’ Brinkman asked.

  ‘Seems likely,’ Leo admitted. ‘So, what now?’

  ‘Now? Now, I think we’re lost. Though we can’t have come that far. We should be able to see the light shining in through where we came in. Let’s try down that one.’

  Ten minutes later they had still not found their way back.

  ‘We should have brought a ball of string with us,’ Brinkman said. ‘Like the chap in the story.’

  ‘Theseus. Yes, it is a bit of—’ Leo broke off.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Don’t you see? I was going to say it’s a maze. And that’s exactly what it is.’ Leo shone his torch round, revealing the dark shapes of several doorways. ‘But this isn’t just any old maze of tunnels. We’ve found the actual ancient Labyrinth. And now, we’re trapped inside it.’

  CHAPTER 26

  He wasn’t a man who was easily scared, but the confined darkness of the tunnels was getting to Brinkman. The air seemed to be getting stale and though it was probably his imagination, the torch beams seemed less bright than they had just a few minutes ago. He leaned against the tunnel wall, feeling the damp, cold stone through his coat and shirt.

  Leo Davenport crouched down. He took a fountain pen from inside the pocket of the rough leather jacket Mihali had provided him. The floor of the tunnel was layered with dust and fine sand, and Davenport scratched away at it with the back end of the pen.

  ‘You trying to dig your way out?’ Brinkman asked.

  Davenport glanced up. ‘Can you shine your torch down here?’

  With more light, Brinkman could see that Davenport had drawn a circular pattern, with intersecting lines spiralling in towards the centre.

  ‘I didn’t realise it at first,’ Davenport said, ‘but I’ve been here before.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Well, in a manner of speaking. Not actually here here. But I’ve seen a map of this place. Or of a section of it anyway.’ He straightened up, putting the pen away and dusting his hands together. ‘I’ve been keeping track of where we go, where the entrances and exits are and how the passageways interconnect, so far as I can tell.’

  ‘And you can find the way out again?’ Brinkman asked hopefully.

  ‘Steady on, I didn’t say that. But there’s a definite structure to it, so we can start to make sensible deductions about a route through rather than just guessing.’

  That sounded hopeful. Brinkman felt his head clear and the tension in his neck and shoulders ease a little. ‘So where did you see this map?’

  ‘In the Vril base in North Africa. Guy and I thought it was a puzzle, a maze we had to solve. Well, maybe it was. But this place seems to follow the same principles.’

  ‘And you remember it?’

  ‘I remember everything. Well, nearly everything. There are a few notices and reviews I do my best to forget. Now then, you ready to test my theory?’

  ‘What had you in mind?’

  ‘I suspect,’ Davenport said, ‘that if there is anything useful for us to find here, it will be at the centre of the Labyrinth.’

  ‘Makes sense,’ Brinkman agreed. ‘So we head for the centre, following the map you remember so well.’

  ‘That’s the idea. Also, have you noticed how the ground slopes slightly? I think the centre of the Labyrinth will be the lowest point. And if we can find the centre of the maze, I’m pretty sure I can find the way back out again. Though, actually, that’s not the bit that worries me.’

  ‘Oh? What is it that worries you then?’

  Davenport pointed to a doorway, and led the way through it and into the passageway beyond. ‘What worries me,’ he said, ‘is what we’ll find at the heart of the Labyrinth.’

  * * *

  The SS standartenfuhrer stood watching the fire, his gloved hands clasped behind his back.

  ‘They have no idea how it started,’ Hauptsturmfuhrer Grebben reported. ‘But obviously, with the fuel so close it’s a worry.’

  Standartenfuhrer Nachten shook his head. ‘It is a distraction.’ A thought occurred to him as he spoke. ‘A distraction in more ways than one, perhaps.’

  ‘Sir?’

  ‘We know the Allies are interested in the same myths and legends that brought us here, Grebben. Perhaps they are here already.’

  ‘Then we should not delay.’

  ‘No, indeed.’

  Grebben pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket and slid out the aerial photograph inside. Together they examined the image, locating the fuel tanks, their current position, and the recessed area that looked so uncannily like an axe-head.

  ‘That way,’ Nachten decided, pointing away from the main installation and the noise and confusion of the fire. ‘Bring the men.’

  Nachten did not wait, but set off with his hands still clasped behind his back, his head slightly lowered and turning slowly from side to side as he scanned the surroundings like a hungry bird of prey.

  * * *

  The figures appeared out of the smoke, solidifying from vague shapes. Guy pulled Sarah back down into cover, beyond the lip of the recessed area. There were scattered clumps of ragged bushes here which afforded some cover. They crouched behind one, watching as the soldiers approached.

  ‘Six of them,’ Sarah whispered, though they were not close enough to hear unless she called out.

  ‘SS,’ Guy said grimly. ‘Led by a standartenfuhrer – that’s the equivalent of a colonel, so pretty high-powered stuff.’

  ‘Do they know we’re here?’ Sarah wondered. Her voice was trembling slightly.

  ‘I don’t see how they could. Unless they guessed the fire was a deliberate distraction. But even then they wouldn’t know exactly where to look for the culprit.’

  ‘Could they be after the same thing as us, then?’ Sarah asked. ‘It’s a hell of a coincidence if the SS just turn up at this exact spot out of the blue.’

  ‘I suppose it’s possible,’ Guy said. ‘You said Wiles was worried we might have company. Though how they know about it…’ He shrugged.

  The six men had spread out and were walking slowly across the area examining the ground. It did seem more and more likely they were indeed searching for something. For a moment, it looked as if they would walk right past the narrow opening. But just as Guy was about to heave a sigh of relief, one of the soldiers spotted the dark
patch in the stone and went over to look at it. Moments later, the standartenfuhrer and the others were there too.

  Guy and Sarah watched in horror as one of the soldiers – a hauptsturmfuhrer – clambered down into the narrow crevice. The standartenfuhrer followed, and then one by one the others also descended into the ground.

  ‘We have to warn Leo and the colonel,’ Sarah said. She hurried over to the opening, Guy close behind.

  ‘I don’t see how we can,’ he told her. ‘We just have to hope they don’t run into each other.’

  As they neared the crevice, they could hear the Germans speaking to each other. Guy gestured for Sarah to keep quiet. He lay on the ground, as close to the hole as he could without blocking any of the light and risking being seen.

  ‘It’s a maze down here,’ one of the men was saying. ‘Tunnels in every direction. We should prepare properly, sir. Come back with equipment.’

  ‘The men have torches,’ came the reply – from the standartenfuhrer, Guy assumed, speaking to his captain probably. ‘And I have all the equipment we need here.’

  Guy strained to hear. Was that the rustling of paper?

  ‘I found this in Hoffman’s notebook,’ the standartenfuhrer said.

  ‘A drawing? But, forgive me, how is that of help?’

  ‘I don’t know how he came by it, how he knew about this place, but I think it is a map.’

  The voices faded.

  ‘What did they say?’ Sarah asked. ‘Are they staying down there?’

  ‘They are. And you’re right, we have to warn Colonel Brinkman and Leo. Those Germans seem to have a map, or think they do. It’s from Hoffman, so it’s possible.’

  ‘But, didn’t he help you?’

  ‘He did. From what they were saying, I don’t think Hoffman knows they have it. Probably doesn’t even know they’re here.’

  ‘So what do we do?’

  ‘Only one thing we can do,’ Guy decided. ‘We go down there after them, and hope we find Leo and Brinkman before the Germans do.’

  * * *

  ‘I think this is it.’

  Leo Davenport’s torch picked out snatches of detail in the large chamber. A vaulted ceiling rose high above the circular space. At one end was what looked like a stone altar, or possibly a tomb. Its surface was adorned with runic symbols carved into the surface. There were two similar but smaller structures on other walls.

  Brinkman paused as they made their way across the chamber, shining his torch down at the ground.

  ‘You’re the archaeology expert, Leo. What do you make of this?’

  In the centre of the room was a large circular design, about six feet across, apparently engraved into the stone. A central circle, with jagged lines reaching out to the circumference. Leo stooped down, shining his torch round the edge.

  ‘I think it’s separate.’ He ran his hand over the pattern. ‘Ah – look!’

  Brinkman watched as Davenport shone his torch into a cavity at the edge of the design. It was a shape he recognised at once.

  ‘The same shape as the ground outside. The axe-head.’

  ‘And about the same size as the artefact Miss Diamond saw at Sumner’s house in Los Angeles. There are raised symbols in the indented area. How much would you bet that they fit into the engraved symbols in the axe-head?’

  ‘There’s another one over here,’ Brinkman pointed out.

  ‘And a third here,’ Davenport said, shining his torch on it. ‘Three axe-heads, and three sockets, or whatever they are.’

  ‘But what’s it for?’ Brinkman demanded.

  ‘Without the axe-heads, I have no idea. So, what else can we find in here?’

  * * *

  The sounds of the Germans’ voices were getting fainter.

  ‘We must have taken a different turning somewhere,’ Sarah said.

  They had been following, but now they seemed to be going in a different direction. Their only light came from the tiny flickering flame of the Dunhill lighter. They were standing at the intersection of several of the tunnels.

  ‘Maybe no bad thing,’ Guy said. ‘Just because the Germans think they know where they’re going, that doesn’t mean that Leo and Brinkman have a clue. Given the size of this place we’ll be lucky if any of us find the others.’

  ‘You think we should head back to the way in?’

  ‘That might be the best option. If we can find it. This place is a lot bigger than I thought it would be.’

  ‘How long will that last?’ Sarah said, meaning the lighter.

  ‘Not long. Another reason to be getting out of here. Come on, this way.’

  Sarah frowned. ‘I thought we came in that way.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘No,’ she admitted. ‘Are you?’

  Guy shook his head. ‘If we’re not careful, we might be stuck down here waiting for Brinkman to find us.’ He sighed. ‘Come on, let’s try the way you said. It’s as good as any.’

  ‘Just so long as it’s not my fault if we get really lost.’

  Guy smiled. ‘Promise.’

  * * *

  There were three raised plinths at the back of the altar stone. Resting on the central plinth, picked out in the light of Brinkman’s torch, was a stone axe-head.

  ‘Bingo,’ Davenport said. ‘Perhaps the trip was worth it after all.’

  ‘Do you think we should try fitting it into one of the holes in the floor?’ Brinkman said.

  ‘I suspect it’s all three or nothing. And I’m not sure I want to be here to see what happens anyway.’

  ‘Well, at least we can take this one into custody,’ Brinkman said.

  He reached out across the altar and lifted the artefact from its position. It was not as cold as he had expected, but it was heavy. The carvings on its surface were clean and sharp, as if they were newly made.

  ‘May I see?’

  Davenport held out his hand. But before Brinkman could hand over the axe-head, there was a rough grinding sound of stone on stone. They both shone their torches back at the altar, in time to see the central plinth sliding down into the surface.

  ‘That may not be a good sign,’ Davenport said.

  ‘They know we’ve taken this.’

  ‘Someone knows,’ Davenport agreed.

  As he spoke, there was a muffled roar like a wild animal. A sudden thump, followed by an ominous cracking sound.

  ‘And they’re not happy about it,’ Brinkman said.

  They backed away, torches trained on the altar, as this was where the sound seemed to be coming from. There was another thump. More cracking. A split appeared in the front of the altar, starting at the top and travelling right down to the base. The whole stone edifice shifted.

  ‘Time we were leaving.’ Davenport had to shout above the sound of cracking stone.

  They turned. Torchlight smeared across the walls, seeking out the way they’d come in – revealing dark figures approaching along the same tunnel.

  Then, behind them, came a colossal crash as the front of the altar cracked again. Davenport whirled round, his torch beam finding the altar. Dust hung in the air like mist. The front of the altar was a crazy-paving of stone fragments that suddenly exploded outwards. A dark shape hauled itself into the torch beam, straightening up and bellowing in undiluted rage.

  A massive creature stood in front of them, its shape masked by dark hair. But there was no mistaking the fact that the legs and torso were almost human. The arms, also covered with hair, ended in enormous fists. The fingers splayed out suddenly as it roared again – the sound thundering out from the snarling mouth set in the head of a savage bull.

  ‘The Minotaur,’ Davenport breathed. ‘My God – it’s real.’

  CHAPTER 27

  ‘Get down!’ Guy’s voice echoed round the chamber, and Leo Davenport and Colonel Brinkman threw themselves to the floor as Guy drew the Luger from his holster. Behind him, Sarah watched in horror, hand to her mouth, unable to believe what she was seeing. The sound of the shot in the e
nclosed space was deafening, echoing round the circular chamber.

  The creature staggered back as the bullet impacted on its chest, ripping through hair and skin. At once, Leo and Brinkman dashed across to join Guy and Sarah in the doorway. Guy fired again, driving the beast further back towards the shattered remains of the stone altar.

  ‘Is that really the Minotaur?’ Sarah gasped.

  ‘Could be what the myth is based on,’ Leo told her.

  ‘Let’s debate the myth later,’ Brinkman said.

  Across the room, the creature had recovered from the shots. Orange tendrils caught the dancing torchlight, binding together over the bullet holes.

  ‘Ubermensch,’ Guy said. ‘We won’t stop it like this.’

  ‘Uber-something,’ Leo agreed. ‘Follow me, I know the way out.’

  ‘And we’ve got what we came for,’ Brinkman added, showing Guy and Sarah the axe-head before stuffing it inside his sheepskin coat.

  There was a thundering roar from behind them. Its massive head lowered, the beast was charging across the chamber. Sarah thought she could smell the hot, rancid breath from the flared nostrils. The deep-set dark eyes stared malevolently out of the bull’s head. Guy grabbed her hand, dragging her with him down the tunnel.

  ‘Be careful,’ Guy called to Leo. ‘There are Germans. We came to warn you. They must be heading this way. I don’t know how we got ahead of them. Must have taken a short cut.’

  Sarah risked a look back as she ran. Brinkman was behind her, and behind him the creature’s huge body almost filled the tunnel – a black shape in the near darkness. She turned back – and almost cannoned into Guy as he skidded to a halt. In front of him, Leo had also stopped.

  ‘Someone coming,’ he gasped.

  Torch beams scythed through the darkness ahead, rapidly approaching.

  ‘This way!’ Brinkman plunged through a dark opening in the tunnel wall, switching off his torch. Sarah followed, the others close on her heels. Behind her she heard the snorting of the creature, shouting, then gunfire.

  * * *

  The candles were lit, their guttering flames providing the only light now that the door to the corridor was shut. She sat alone at the circular table, the seventy-eight cards stacked face down in front of her. For the moment, Miss Manners ignored the letters and symbols round the edge of the table.