Ancient Origins: Books 4 - 6 (Ancient Origins Boxset Book 2)

by Robert Storey

  The press of troops created a sea of armour before them and Jefferson parted their stationary forms by using the Centipede as a slow moving human plough. The soldiers who were shunted out of the way offered up a variety of colourful insults and curses, all of which went over Riley’s head as they worked their way to the military command group.

  Locke jumped down from his ride and joined Riley, who pushed past a number of Terra Force officers surrounding the indomitable figure of Colonel Samson.

  ‘Do you doubt me, soldier?’ Samson was saying as they shouldered their way to the front.

  The officer he was addressing, a brute of a man, shook his head. ‘I only meant—’

  ‘I know exactly what you meant,’ Samson said, glancing in Riley’s direction. ‘Get back out there, I want no stone left unturned. Come back empty-handed again and you’ll see how far I’m willing to go.’

  Suitably chastened, the reconnaissance soldier snapped to attention and left to carry out his orders, his leader’s words ringing in his ears.

  Another commando appeared and passed Samson a crumpled map.

  The colonel smoothed out the paper chart on a supply crate. ‘Where did they find the trail?’

  The man pointed at a section of the map. ‘Two clicks south east. There were three sets of tracks and those of a multi-wheeled, SED RV.’

  Samson squinted in thought. ‘So there’s no doubt, then?’

  ‘No, sir, it’s definitely them.’

  ‘How far ahead are they?’ Riley said

  The commando looked up. ‘Over twenty-four hours,’ he said to Samson as if it was he who’d asked, ‘but no more than thirty-six.’

  Locke peered at the map and gauged the distance with his hand. ‘They’re moving quickly.’

  ‘But not fast enough.’ Samson picked up his helmet and rifle.

  ‘Who’s on point?’ Riley asked, fearing the answer.

  Samson didn’t reply as he stalked away, oblivious.

  ‘Colonel!’ Riley said, his voice ringing with authority. ‘Who’s on point?’

  ♦

  Samson tensed at the challenging tone. He stopped and turned to fix the Deep Reach man with ice-cold eyes.

  Riley Orton looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights as Samson moved back towards him.

  ‘Who found the tracks?’ Orton said, staying resolute.

  Samson studied him. ‘You fear for the girl, the terrorist who murdered your friend and colleague?’

  A grumble of discontent came from the assembled officers. Orton was lost for words.

  Samson leaned in close and whispered, ‘You should fear, boy.’ He gave the Deep Reach team leader a final scathing look before moving back amongst his troops.

  Samson’s thoughts turned to Nexus. It was S.I.L.V.E.R. who’d found the girl’s tracks. Who else? he thought bitterly. Who fucking else? Not the incompetents that are supposed to be the cream of USSB Sanctuary’s military, that’s for sure. No, it had to be Ophion. So much for my incentive; it seems I’ll have to deal with S.I.L.V.E.R. the hard way. Although, having said that, Samson knew not all the recon teams had checked in. Perhaps some of the men he’d sent to accompany them had further depleted Ophion’s ranks. He could but hope. The fewer there were, the easier it would be to prise the pendant from them, and the less chance they’d have to fight back. And Samson was nobody’s fool, despite what some might think of him, particularly Malcolm Joiner. Did the man think me so intoxicated by his drugs not to realise he’d double-cross me as soon as he was able? Samson wondered. He’d known before he’d set out that as soon as the intelligence director had what he wanted all bets were off. Samson was on his own and, when it came down to it, he could trust no one, and that’s the way he liked it. He had no masters, which meant the law was as he made it.

  Standing amongst his legion, Samson called for a floodlight to be turned onto him. A crate was dumped at his feet and he climbed onto it. Under the spotlight, he removed his rifle from his back-plate, chambered a round and fired off a shot.

  The noise drew everyone’s attention and thousands of eyes peered at him, the sound of chatter dropping to a murmur.

  Now he had their attention he surveyed the faces of those closest. Their expressions were grim, tired … weak. The curse of command was that no one ever lived up to his expectation. No one ever reached his standard. He was destined to be surrounded by the inferior.

  ‘I’ve been told morale is low,’ he said, his voice raised. ‘I was told you were tired. Do you know what I said when I heard this? Do you know what I felt?’

  A few men shook their heads and further back someone shouted, ‘No,’ and another said, ‘Tell us!’

  ‘I felt sickened; and I asked the question …’

  Samson paused, waiting for someone to respond.

  ‘What question?’ a man shouted.

  ‘Are these the men I’ve heard spoken of? Are these the men I’ve been told were the best of the best, the finest soldiers in the Subterranean Detachment, those that stand above all others?’ He hesitated and shook his head. ‘Perhaps I was mistaken. Perhaps it wasn’t the men of USSB Sanctuary they spoke of; perhaps it wasn’t Terra Force at all!’

  An angry murmur rippled through the crowd.

  ‘Do you know who said you were tired, said you were weak?’

  Shouts of ‘No,’ and ‘Who?’ came from the crowd.

  ‘No?’ Samson said, cocking an ear, ‘I can’t hear you?’

  The discordant shouts of dissent were music to his ears.

  ‘S.I.L.V.E.R.!’ Samson slammed a fist against his chest in sudden fury. ‘Assassins – cowards – called you weak! They said they would find the target first and they’re out there now, doing your job! I say fuck S.I.L.V.E.R., I say we are Terra Force and we are masters of Sanctuary!’

  The soldiers shouted their agreement.

  ‘Who are we?!’ he shouted.

  ‘Terra force!’ came the response.

  ‘Pathetic! I said who the fuck are we!!?’

  ‘Terra Force!’ shouted the soldiers. ‘Terra Force! Terra Force!! TERRA FORCE!!’

  He brandished his weapon. ‘We have a terrorist to catch, are you with me!’

  The men roared in response.

  ‘I SAID, ARE YOU WITH ME!!’

  The sound swelled to a crescendo and Samson jumped down from his crate and pulled on his helmet. A group of officers fell in behind him, their masks and visors sliding over faces and weapons readied.

  ‘The way ahead is flat and unbroken for a solid mile,’ one of his men said.

  Samson activated his visor and broke into a jog. His men followed in formation and the legion parted to let them through. Drones lifted into the air, lighting the way, and Samson upped the pace to a run. Behind, row upon row of soldiers followed him out into the dark of Sanctuary; the hunt for Sarah Morgan was on.

  Chapter Nine

  The steady drip drip drip of water echoed through the cave and Sarah tightened her grip on the glowing crystal that lit her way. By her side, Jason continued his endless search in the fading hope they’d find Trish alive, the power supply from his Deep Reach visor dwindling further towards nothing with each and every second that passed.

  Having made a detour away from the river in order to keep moving forward, they traversed an adjoining chamber looking for a way back to the water’s edge. And as they persisted with their lost cause, Sarah tried to keep her mind occupied and came to an interesting conclusion, albeit one that failed to relieve them from the dire nature of their plight.

  ‘I think Trish was wrong,’ Sarah said, her voice sounding loud as it pierced the dark.

  Jason frowned. ‘About what?’

  ‘I don’t think the pendant increased in power because we’re in Sanctuary.’

  ‘Then why?’

  ‘I think it has something to do with this blue stone.’ She gave the crystal a waggle. ‘Do you remember when we activated that tunnel through the arch?’

  Jason shivered. ‘Yes, that’
s when I first saw that thing … the light.’

  ‘I know, but before that, the tunnel of water only formed when you and Trish laid your hands on me.’

  ‘Did it?’ Jason said, his tone weary.

  ‘Yes, and after that you said your smaller stones stopped glowing. And then when we activated the bridge, you were the only one that touched me.’

  ‘So?’

  ‘So, that bridge must have taken a lot of power to work, but we didn’t feel tired afterwards and it was only you and me charging it, unless—’

  ‘Unless the crystal was doing the powering,’ he said.

  ‘Why not? If your small stones went dull after we created the tunnel through the arch, then they could have been drained of power. But as this crystal is much bigger, it enabled us to power the bridge with ease.’

  Jason didn’t respond.

  ‘Don’t you think?’

  ‘We should have found the river again by now,’ he said, distracted.

  Sarah knew he was worried, but that was because he thought there was something to lose. Sarah had accepted their cause was lost, she was at peace. She’d felt emotionally wrung out after the incident at the waterfall, but she knew now that was just a transition. She’d been moving from the world of hope to the world of defeat, it was bound to be a bumpy ride. ‘We’ll find it,’ she said simply.

  And after another hour’s walk they did. The river had returned and now wound its way through a narrow cavern, its flow reduced to a slow meander.

  Stopping to rest, they lay down and both drifted off to sleep in quick succession. However, despite her waking state being one of numb tranquillity, Sarah’s dreams were once again filled with visions of flame and terror. But unlike before, the apparition of a shimmering light chased her though dark halls, through searing lava and over the edge of a hidden cliff. As Sarah tumbled down through the dark recesses of her mind, the same voice that haunted her waking life whispered to her in a silken hiss. Why do you fear me? it said, as Sarah gazed into the creature’s shimmering light. Am I not what you desire? Succumbing to its siren call, Sarah stepped from the ledge and drifted into its deadly embrace as blackness consumed her. Frightening images bombarded her mind and she twitched on the ground, her body responding to the unfolding nightmare within.

  A hand grasped her mouth and Sarah awoke to the dark with a muffled cry.

  ‘Shhh,’ Jason said in a hushed whisper, ‘it’s me.’

  Wide-eyed, Sarah quietened, but Jason kept his hand in place.

  She felt his lips press against her ear. ‘Something’s down here with us.’

  Sarah’s heart beat faster and she tried to speak.

  ‘Shhh.’ Jason slowly released his grip.

  ‘What is it?’ Sarah said, her voice as strained as his.

  ‘I don’t know, but it’s taken the crystal.’

  ‘What?’

  Jason moved her head in the direction he wanted her to look.

  Some way away, the blue glow of the crystal swayed from side to side in the dark.

  ‘Can you see it?’

  She nodded.

  ‘I’m putting my helmet on,’ he said.

  Tense moments passed as the glowing stone continued its eerie dance, and Sarah thought she could see something reflected in its light.

  Jason switched on his visor and the blue glow vanished.

  ‘Trish!’ Jason shouted.

  Sarah heard Jason scramble to his feet.

  ‘Jason, what are you doing?!’ she said, jumping up.

  ‘It’s Trish!’ He grabbed her arm and dragged her forward.

  ‘What?! Jason wait, it’s not Trish!’

  It was no use, Jason wasn’t listening and he pulled her onwards through the black.

  Sarah stumbled and Jason called out again. ‘Trish, wait!’

  The blue glow reappeared moving erratically in the distance.

  ‘Jason, it’s not Trish!’

  The light dropped and bounced as if the stone had fallen, and Jason led them towards it. Seconds later they came to a stop over the glowing crystal, which spun to a halt on the ground.

  Jason bent down to pick it up and Sarah grabbed his hand. ‘Wait!’

  ‘We need to keep moving,’ he said, retrieving it, ‘she’s close.’

  ‘Jason,’ – Sarah held him back – ‘it’s not Trish. I saw something, pale skin, or – I don’t know. It’s not Trish.’

  ‘It must be. I saw her.’

  ‘You’re tired; you saw what you wanted to see.’

  ‘No, it was her … I’m sure it was.’

  Illuminated by the blue glow, Sarah saw him shake his head in confusion.

  ‘Trish!’ His shouts echoed through the system of tunnels. ‘Trish, it’s us, come back!’

  A faint buzzing noise like a distant swarm of flies made Sarah look down. A small light on the side of her Deep Reach visor blinked on and off and she pulled the helmet on to listen. ‘I’m picking up a signal.’

  ‘What?’ Jason said, still scouring the area with his visor.

  ‘My visor’s still down, but I’m picking up a radio signal.’ She tried focusing on the transmission, but it was an intermittent garble of white noise.

  He passed her the crystal and wandered off. ‘We need to keep searching.’

  ‘Jason, stop – wait.’ She hurried to keep up before a distant sound stopped them in their tracks.

  ‘Did you hear that?’ he said, ears pricked.

  The noise came again. It sounded like a woman’s scream.

  Jason ran off again. ‘It’s Trish!’

  Sarah cursed and followed, the glowing crystal held high.

  They passed into a dense structure of interconnected passageways, the ins and outs disorientating, like a maze.

  Jason ran on and Sarah tripped and fell. She called out for him to stop, but it was too late, he’d disappeared into the dark.

  ‘Jason!’ Sarah slowed to a stop. ‘Jason!!’

  She shone the stone before her, its light barely illuminating the narrow tunnel ahead. A noise behind made her spin round. Nothing was there, just a darker black of the opening she’d just walked through.

  Another sound made her whirl left.

  ‘Jason?’ she said, her voice shaking. She held the crystal higher and moved into another passage.

  The scurry of movement made her flesh prickle in fear. Following the sound she stopped at a junction and listened.

  A noise behind, made her freeze in place.

  Her eyes swivelled left to try and locate the source. She could hear it close in on her, the sound of its movement stealth-like slow. The closer it came, the more terror she felt. And the more terror she felt, the less she could move.

  It was right behind her; she could hear it – she closed her eyes – oh my God, I can hear it … I can hear it breathing. Something touched her back and she span round. A white face full of teeth and eyes shrieked loud.

  Sarah screamed and the apparition vanished.

  Sick with fright, she stumbled back. The shock left her wheezing for breath, her chest tight with pain.

  A hand grasped her shoulder and she screamed again.

  ‘Sarah, it’s me,’ Jason moved into the light. ‘It’s okay, it’s me.’

  Sarah hugged him close; she’d never been so pleased to see anyone in her life.

  Chapter Ten

  ‘I thought you were right behind me,’ Jason said, I heard you shout and looked round and you’d gone. I rushed back and couldn’t find you.’

  Sarah regained her breath and looked behind her. ‘I saw it, it was right here.’

  ‘What was?’

  ‘I don’t know, but it’s not Trish.’

  ‘The light?’ he said, trying and failing to keep the tremor from his voice.

  ‘No … maybe … I don’t know.’ Sarah remembered the horror when she’d confronted it. She shut her eyes to try to dispel the memory.

  She failed.

  A buzz of noise came through her helmet’s speake
rs. The same signal as before. ‘I think I can hear a voice,’ she said, listening.

  ‘What does it say?’

  Sarah held up a hand. It was difficult to tell. It sounded like … it sounded like—

  Sarah looked at Jason in disbelief. ‘I think it might be Trish.’

  ‘What?!’

  She moved her head and the signal faded. She moved it back and it grew louder. She stepped to her right, and then did so again. ‘This way,’ she said.

  ‘What’s she saying?’ Jason said, overjoyed.

  ‘I don’t know, it sounded like Trish, but I’m not so sure now.’

  ‘How can you not be sure?’

  ‘It’s a weak signal, it keeps breaking up. It sounded like her at first. I’m sorry, Jas, I don’t know … I might have been wrong.’

  Jason didn’t say anything else and Sarah questioned what she’d heard. It had sounded like Trish’s voice. She knew it had. I couldn’t have been mistaken, could I?

  Walking through twists and turns, Sarah followed a path that kept the signal as strong as possible. Occasionally it stopped, only to start again. It still sounded like a woman, but who that woman was remained to be seen.

  Weaving through the darkness, they eventually emerged into a central chamber. The floor dropped away below, but Jason said he could see the entrances to many other tunnels above and below, each one connected to the rest by a network of narrow paths. As they worked their way down, the signal drew them onwards, taking them further into the structure.

  Sarah had a worrying thought. ‘What if it’s a trap?’ she said, slowing.

  Jason shook his head. ‘It’s not. It must be Trish. You said it yourself. And instincts don’t lie.’

  ‘I don’t like it.’ She stopped walking and shone the crystal in his direction.

  ‘What if it is her?’ he said. ‘We have to find out, one way or the other.’

  Sarah knew he was right, but he hadn’t just seen what she had.

  A strange sound echoed through the passages behind them and Sarah looked at Jason in disquiet.