The Betrayed Series: Ultimate Omnibus Collection With EXCLUSIVE Post-Shiva Short Story (57 page)

Flinching, the sergeant gritted his teeth as she cinched the tie. “Then what’s a maze?” he asked.

“A corruption of the ideal. The labyrinth is supposed to set you free. A maze is meant to confuse you. Trap you.”

Testing his balance, Brandt asked. “And reward you in the end?”

“That’s the problem,” she said, her tone lowering. “Just like they twisted the Jewish tradition of honoring their dead, these monks have perverted the path to enlightenment. To be honest, I’m worried.”

To her surprise, Brandt chuckled. “Really? Just now is the first time you’ve felt worried?”

“You know what I meant.”

“Yeah,” he said, with a pained smile on his face. “If you’re worried, then I’m pulling my gun.”

* * *

Brandt used the wall as support as he crept forward into the maze. Rebecca wasn’t exactly behind him, but neither was she at his side. Her expression made it clear she expected him to fall over at any moment. She should have known he was made of sterner stuff.

“There’s a Star of David,” Rebecca said, reaching out.

He blocked her hand. “What did I tell you about touching ancient artifacts?”

“I wasn’t going to handle it. I was going to point out that there’s a thin piece of metal attached to the back of it.”

On closer inspection, Brandt found the trip wire. They both checked the floor. It felt solid as solid could be. Plus, how much deeper could they go before hitting magma?

“Should we risk it?” she asked.

So far, the symbols had only helped them. Hurt them first, but ultimately helped them. “I think we have to.” He put his gun into its holster and pulled out his silencer. “Stay behind me.”

Ever so slowly he used the muzzle to pull the Star of David from the wall. Immediately another, much larger and far sharper star flew out from the opposite wall, impaling itself deeply into the wood. If Rebecca had still been standing there, she would have been dead.

“Like I said, corrupted,” the doctor commented.

Brandt stared at the metal sticking from the wood. Men of faith did not act like this. “No, these monks are now officially fucking crazy.”

* * *

Drenched, Tok dragged himself up the gentle slope of the river bank. He had intended to travel at least halfway up, but his muscles gave out and he flopped onto his back, panting from the exertion. The turbulent river had tapped any reserve he might have had.

Petir was at his side. “Master, I begged you to wait on the plateau for my return.”

“And allow you all this glory?” Tok tried to interject some levity into their dire circumstances, but accomplished only making himself cough.

“Your bandages are saturated.”

He should have risen at least into a sitting position, but Tok was so beyond the effects of vanity and pride. God had brought him low.

Tok had thought he would ride into this battle high atop his horse, breathing fire, vanquishing all that stood in his path. Instead he could barely walk. Such was God’s wisdom.

His mentor opened the medical pack, pulling out fresh bandages. Petir assumed the worst, yet somehow brought about the best.

“Please allow me to administer another dose of narcotic.”

Tok shook his head sharply, but pride did not prevent him from accepting any further pain medication. Instead it was a matter of practicality. He knew he would need every neuron firing precisely to survive this night.

After applying the dressing, Petir still fussed with his feet. Having to use a concentrated effort, Tok lifted his head to find his mentor fitting splints onto his damaged ankles.

“I told you, no!” he said, trying to pull his feet from the older man.

“Please do not make me say it, Tok.”

Cheeks burning, he looked away, knowing exactly what Petir implied. Tok would only slow his mentor. Unless they found a way to make him sound of leg, he would be a hindrance. There was his damnable pride again. What did two plastic braces matter in the grand scheme?

But somehow it did matter to him. “I will be strong enough,” he said more to himself than to his mentor.

Petir rose, gripped his shoulder, locking his gaze. “From the moment I found you under those bolts of cloth, I never doubted that you would be strong enough, Tok. I never doubted.”

* * *

Rebecca came to a stop as they reached yet another dead end. By now Brandt wasn’t even bothering to conceal the fact that the wall was the only thing holding him up.

“That’s it,” the sergeant said, almost sounding relieved. “We’ve exhausted all the possibilities.”

On one hand, Brandt was correct. Keeping a running tally on her sleeve they had made note of every bifurcation and turn. They had gone down every available path to find only switchbacks and dead ends.

On the other hand, he was wrong. Rebecca suspected that the monks might be crazy, but clever as well. They had rigged the first symbol with a deadly trap, making any who wandered the maze afraid to test any of the other items. But what if one of them opened a new path? Why build a maze that had no exit?

It was a test, and so far they had failed.

Until now they had avoided touching any adornment, but now she feared they were going to have to pony up.

She glanced over to find Brandt studying her. He sighed. “Just tell me the bad news straight out.”

“We’ve got to see if any of the objects open another passage.”

The sergeant didn’t seem at all surprised. “That’s pretty much what I’d figured. I was just hoping I was wrong.”

Rebecca offered her shoulder. He didn’t decline as she continued, “I saw a silver cross that caught my eye four turns ago. It was the only one with the figure of Christ on it.”

“Seems a little obvious, don’t you think?”

She shrugged. “Which is probably why I didn’t try it when we passed it, but now… You got any better ideas?”

Brandt didn’t even seem to have the energy to argue anymore. And whatever stamina he had left was challenged as they retraced their steps down the four long passageways. By the time they reached the small cross, he was sweating. Not the type of perspiration from a good, hard workout, but the clammy, damp skin you got when you had the stomach flu and felt like death warmed over.

He feebly went to get his silencer, but Rebecca grabbed it.

“I’ll do it.”

Making sure Brandt was well out of harm’s way, she gently lifted the cross from its perch. At first nothing happened, then the walls began to rumble.

“Oh, crap,” Brandt said, hobbling backward, clearly not wanting to fall down another trapdoor, but the floor stayed firm beneath their feet.

The rumbling built to a crescendo, then the distinctive sound of wood scraping against stone sounded from far off.

“A wall is moving!” she exclaimed, but Brandt frowned.

“Yeah, except it’s all the way on the other side of the maze.”

Rebecca wanted to argue, but it was a good ten- to fifteen-minute walk from here, and the sergeant didn’t look like he’d make it another ten feet.

CHAPTER 36

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Deep beneath Rome

Both Tok and Petir stared through the recently opened passage. They had feared the maze was going to tumble down upon them, but instead a wall slid open, bidding them forward. It was clear that Brandt and Monroe had been through here already, for they had marked the walls with a single slash to signify one transit and two for any return trip indicating a dead end.

They were about to bypass this segment when the walls quaked, and, like a miracle, the way was cleared.

God truly worked in mysterious ways.

But Petir had also found a fatally sharp star embedded in the wall. They had cautiously tested a gilded fish to find it also rigged with deadly efficiency. Now this secret passage. Was it a gilded idol?

“We must have faith,” Petir intoned, answering Tok’s unspoken question.

Without argument, he allowed his mentor to enter first. The older man took several steps, then nodded for Tok to follow. They were clear of the maze, only to find another riddle before them.

Stretching out were dozens of caves, each with a unique entrance. From stained glass to rotting curtains, all manner of doors were represented. One even resembled the panel they found under the Blue Mosque.

There were dozens of choices, and Tok was certain that the wrong one would be a fatal mistake. But he had no concern, for he already knew which was the most blessed cave. He had not lived his life within the Knot and spent so many nights with the bones of Mary to not know instinctively which cave was the one that held the savior.

Ignoring the lancing pain in his heels, Tok walked straight for the cave whose opening was blocked by a large boulder. Petir must have sensed the rightness of it, for he was but a step behind.

* * *

Brandt could feel blood seeping through his bandage, but he didn’t bother telling Rebecca. They were so close. They had checked two paths to find them still blocked. There was only one other that could have opened.

If it wasn’t already closed. But the sergeant refused to go negative. They were going to find Christ’s bones, and he was going to have enough blood to finish this mission. It was just that simple. A defeat of this magnitude wasn’t in his game plan.

“Look, there’s light!” Rebecca announced, hurrying forward. “There’s caves! It’s not too far.”

He should have stopped her from walking out into the open, but he just didn’t have the energy. That was until the muzzle of a gun crept nearer and nearer to her neck. Forgetting his injury, Brandt was through the opening, his gun to the temple of her attacker.

“Whoa! Sarge!” the private yelled. “It’s me, Davidson!”

Eyes blurred with pain, he almost didn’t recognize his own teammate. “What? How?”

It was Rebecca who urged his arm down, lowering the gun away from his private’s skull.

“Tok and Petir came in. I tried to get a shot, but they slipped in too quick. I didn’t know what to do, so I followed.”

Rebecca hugged the younger man. “I’m so glad you did. Brandt’s injured.”

“Where?” but then Davidson must have spotted the growing crimson stain as the younger man’s eyes dilated. “Crap. I should have brought Lopez.”

Brandt tried to shoo him away, but his knees gave out, that last charge sapped his reserve. Rebecca and Davidson lowered him to the ground.

* * *

Fighting off panic, she put pressure on Brandt’s abdomen, looking at Davidson. “Did you bring any medical supplies? We lost ours in the river.”

“River, what river?” the private asked as he pulled out a field kit.

It wasn’t until then that Rebecca realized Davidson wasn’t wet at all. Not even his cuffs were damp. “How did you get here?”

“Across the bridge and then—” The private stopped mid-sentence. “You mean you guys jumped into that river? The river, like, too far down to even see?”

“Yeah.” How casual it sounded now. “How did you get across?”

With real bandaging material, Davidson helped Rebecca properly bind Brandt’s abdomen as he explained. “The rope bridge. Wasn’t it there when you crossed?”

Rebecca shook her head. Had Tok and Petir somehow erected a bridge in so short a time? The Knot was good, yet that feat seemed even beyond them. “But how did you exit the maze ahead of us?”

“What maze?” the private asked, looking more confused. “I just followed the bridge to an outcropping of rock that led to a superlong staircase that dumped out right over there.”

Davidson pointed behind them. They were at an angle, but sure enough there were steps leading up and away.

“Thank God, there’s another way out.” Rebecca had not voiced it, but she had feared they were never going to get Brandt to the world outside. He couldn’t face another rough ride in the icy waters, especially trying to swim upstream. But now, now they could get him to safety.

“Help me get him out of here.”

The private complied, but Brandt shook his head. “We’re here. We can’t abort now.

“You might not be able to, but I sure as hell can,” Rebecca argued.

The private caught her arm. “If you tell me which cave, we’ll get the sarge to a hospital, then Lopez and I can come back and collect the bones.”

Offhandedly, Rebecca indicated to a cave. As soon as she had seen the array, she had known where Christ lay. “It’s that one.”

“How can you be sure?” the sergeant asked, with more than a little effort. The antibiotics and painkillers that Davidson had just pumped into him were taking effect.

“You remember your Bible, right?” Even doped, Brandt was able to scare up a good sneer. “All right, then, what did Christ’s tomb look like?”

The sergeant had to fight to concentrate, then licked his lips. “It was a simple chamber hewn out of rock with a single ossuary table in the center.”

Davidson’s eyebrow arched. “Yeah, but we can’t see inside them.”

Rebecca was going to let Brandt field that one, but the sergeant’s eyelids just lulled, so she answered, “True, but we also know that the apostles rolled a large stone in front of the cave to thwart thieves from disturbing the body for the three days it was interred.”

The younger man surveyed the variety of entrances. Many were gilded, most were beautiful renderings of some biblical parable, but only one was a simple smooth stone. “So they went old school.”

The sergeant grabbed hold of Davidson’s arm. “Help me up.”

“No,” she begged. “Just let us—”

* * *

Brandt interrupted, “I’m not coming this far and not seeing for myself.”

His look must have been stern enough because Rebecca didn’t bother to argue. The truth was the meds had given him a second wind. He knew it wouldn’t last long, but the cave was only a few yards away.

“Davidson, do your thing.”

As the private moved off to secure a sniper position, Rebecca whispered to Brandt, “I don’t know if I can get you over there.”

“I’m good,” he said, supporting his own weight. Walking on his own two feet. It didn’t just feel good, it felt damned good.

But before they could cross the short distance, the stone rolled away from the cave’s opening. Pulling his weapon, he already knew who was coming out. The fuckers had beaten them to it.