Gorgon

CHAPTER 19

‘One of the most valuable military weapons a soldier can possess is information,’ Hammerson told the team gathered in his office. ‘Entering a lethal theater of operation with poor quality, too little or wrong data is usually fatal in our game.’

His eyes moved to Alex, who nodded once.

‘Turkey has closed its borders — nationwide quarantine, and media blackout,’ the HAWC commander continued. ‘The death toll is now in the thousands, and they still have no real understanding of what they’re up against. At 0800 hours, Special Forces Commander Kemel Baykal led a team in a frontal engagement with … whatever it is.’

‘Magera,’ Matt Kearns said softly.

‘Magera.’ It seemed to Alex that Hammerson was testing the name.

‘You said they led a team in?’ Sam stood at the back of the group, his huge arms folded.

‘Yes.’ Hammerson’s gaze was flat. ‘They were wiped out.’

‘Commandos?’ Sam asked.

Hammerson nodded. ‘Eighty high-performance Turkish Special Forces.’

‘Fuck me, this thing is a killing machine,’ Casey Franks muttered.

Hammerson looked around at everyone in the room. ‘We need to learn from their losses. We believe Magera is now making its way to Izmir, and that makes it our problem. And we damn well better come up with a plan, because we’re not ready yet.’

‘High-altitude drop of a large-scale incendiary device,’ Franks said, and shrugged. ‘A single non-nuclear MOAB will raise the ground temperature to over 4000 degrees — anything within 500 feet of the detonation point will be vaporized. We know Turkey has that weaponry in their arsenal. We gave it to ’em.’

Hammerson nodded. ‘It’s on the list. However, much as I like things done in a conclusive way, I can’t see the Turkish parliament approving the dropping of the mother of all bombs on their own country.’ He folded his arms. ‘You need to brainstorm this — we’ve only got a few hours until go time and there’s still too many pieces of the puzzle missing. We need to do better or we’ll end up as just more piles of rock in the Turkish landscape.’

Hammerson dismissed the HAWCs and Kearns, but motioned to Alex to stay behind. He closed the door, and waited till the others were visible walking across the training ground to the HAWCs’ Nest. Alex could see Franks nudge Matt Kearns hard in the ribs as she spoke. Matt winced and held his side, but nodded and smiled as he listened.

‘We’re going in, and you’ll be leading the team. End of story,’ Hammerson said, his eyes boring into Alex’s.

Alex looked away. ‘I don’t know, Jack. You’ve seen the VELA footage of what happened in Italy. What if I …’ He stopped and shrugged.

‘What if you explode? Put the mission at risk? Then maybe I’ll have Sam shoot you.’ Hammerson’s expression turned serious. ‘Look, Alex, we don’t have time for more training wheels. We know Borshov is on the ground making mischief, and we have a couple of SAS coming in who need to be folded into a single team — ours. And there’s something running wild over in Turkey, laying waste to entire villages and heading for our base. I believe you and you alone are the man to get us in front of all three obstacles quickly and effectively. Reid and I agree on this. My question is … do you agree?’

Alex knew that if he said no, he’d be back walking the streets. No more sessions with Marshal, no more chance to get a normal life back, or ever see Aimee or Joshua again. Trepidation added weight to his shoulders, but it was fear for those around him, not himself. He paced over to the window and looked out. He wanted back in, but he needed to prove himself. That was what the HAWCs were for — with them, he would succeed or die. Right now, either outcome suited him.

He turned to Hammerson. ‘I’m in.’

Hammerson reached out and shook his hand. ‘Good man. We’ll break it to the professor gently that he’ll be doing a little fieldwork. Franks can set him up.’

Casey Franks had given Matt the smallest of the HAWC allover suits she could find. Her own suit was turned down, the sleeves tied around her waist, displaying an upper torso covered in tattoos and scars, and ripped with sinewy muscles.

‘Stand up straight, pretty boy,’ she said as she walked behind him, then pulled his long hair. ‘You look more like a surfer than a soldier.’

Matt snorted; he liked Casey. They’d worked together before, on Black Mountain in the Appalachians, and had formed an easy-going relationship based on a shared sharp and sarcastic sense of humor. He knew the powerful woman was as ferocious as they came — he’d seen her in action. But within that muscled chest, he bet there was a kind heart. He’d just never tell her that.

‘You might make a good HAWC one day, Professor.’ She slapped his back hard, making him stumble forward.

‘Yeah, right.’

Matt knew he was just an advisor, and didn’t really want to be anything more. The HAWCs were a singularly aggressive group, intelligent, hard as iron, and capable of dealing with anything anywhere on the planet. He was just thankful they were on his side.

The other HAWCs milled around, some working out with various martial arts blocks or bags, others stripping down pistols, or modifying some piece of weaponry to their own personal preference. Alex and Sam stood over a map, deciding on the mission kit they would need.

Matt rolled his shoulders in the suit. It was made of a material he couldn’t identify, supposedly able to offer some resistance to knife penetration. On his frame, it felt hot and restrictive. He contemplated doing what Sam had done — removing the arms of his suit. Matt felt one of his biceps beneath the material — it was athletically muscled, but would look like spaghetti next to Sam’s bulging arms … or even next to Casey’s, for that matter. He decided to leave the suit intact.

Casey sauntered to the back of the HAWCs’ Nest calling to a few of the other huge soldiers there either stripping weapons or working out.

Matt looked across to Alex Hunter. The man had saved his life on Black Mountain, and then vanished. Matt owed him for that. There was something different about Alex now, he thought. His appearance hadn’t changed, but there seemed to be a kind of hollowness inside him; as though his exterior was a suit, like the armor plating he was wearing. Every now and then when he looked at you, you got the feeling there was someone other than Alex Hunter looking back.

Matt looked around at the team of lethal men and women in the hangar-like building. It was an exclusive club, and outsiders were rarely tolerated. Am I ever the odd one out, he thought. What am I doing here? He’d worked with these guys twice before, or rather he’d ended up being thrown in with them. And both times things had ended up bloody and brutal.

He was making his way over to Sam and Alex when the heavy steel door at one end of the large building was pulled back. Three people entered — two men, one woman; and one of the men was huge. Matt saw Alex stare at them for a half-second, then smile before turning back to the map.

‘Our friends from Italy,’ he said to Sam.

Sam didn’t turn to look. ‘The Brits … already?’

‘Yep, and the big one looks like he has an axe to grind.’ Alex grinned at the big HAWC. ‘He must remember us.’

‘Who are they?’ Matt asked. He found it hard to look at the men, whose unblinking gaze made him feel like a bug under a lens. However, the woman with them was strangely familiar. Matt tilted his head. ‘I know you, don’t I?’

She looked him up and down for a few seconds. ‘No, you don’t. But you must be Professor Matthew Kearns.’

‘Yeah, yeah, that’s right.’ Matt gave her his best boyish grin and stepped forward with his hand out. ‘How did you know?’

She didn’t reciprocate his action. ‘Because you’re the only one in here who looks as though he couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag.’

Matt lowered his hand. ‘Nice to meet you too, Ms. Charm School. By the way, at college I could bench-press 200 pounds.’

‘Great; I’ll let you know when I’ve got a sofa to move.’ She moved past him, her hands on her hips. ‘Which one of you is Alex Hunter?’

‘I think we already know that, don’t we, sunshine?’ The huge newcomer glared at Alex, his brick-like jaw jutting. There was raw animosity there, Matt thought.

Alex turned to study the trio. Matt could see he was suppressing a grin.

Sam stepped up beside Alex. He was as tall as the giant doing the talking.

The woman glanced at him, then turned to the SAS man. ‘Looks like they make them big here too, Jackson.’

Jackson snorted. ‘You must be Sam Reid … big as life and,’ he looked at Sam’s legs, ‘still on your fucking feet — if they are your own feet down there.’

Sam folded his arms across his chest. ‘You’re in our yard. You want to introduce yourself, or would you like me to show you the door?’

Casey Franks came and stood in front of the other two HAWCs. She’d pulled on gloves with plating over the knuckles, and banged one fist into a palm, then placed her fists on her hips. Her glare made it clear she was itching to get in on the action.

Alex put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back a step, then he looked at the three newcomers. ‘Ten seconds.’

The woman folded her arms, her lips compressed defiantly.

After nine seconds, Alex turned away. ‘Sam, show them out.’

The smaller of the two men — smaller in that he only stood about six two, Matt noted — shook his head and stepped forward. ‘That’ll be the pleasantries over with.’ He saluted casually and stuck out his hand. ‘Sergeant Reece Thompson, Special Air Service Regiment.’

Alex turned back. ‘Okay.’ He gripped Thompson’s hand.

Thompson nodded toward his colleagues. ‘The big lug is Corporal Barclay Jackson, also SAS; and the dangerous one doing all the talking is Rebecca Watchorn.’ He gave her a look that mixed humor with a warning. ‘Advisor … and resident angry ant to boot.’ He turned back to Alex. ‘I was told we’d be expected.’

Matt snorted. ‘Watchorn? Not related to Margaret Watchorn?’

‘Margaret is my great-aunt,’ Rebecca said, keeping her eyes on Alex. ‘She told me to tell you that your Minoan is passable at best.’

Barclay Jackson’s eyes continually moved between Alex and Sam. He was up on his toes.

Sam angled his head toward him. ‘Something on your mind?’

Sam took a step forward, and so did Jackson. They were both cut from the same mold, Matt thought: big, fit men who were trained to be lethal killers.

‘Yeah, there is,’ Jackson said. ‘You both deserve to have your arses kicked after that fucking stunt in Italy. But I reckon if I wipe the floor with you, the freak will jump me again.’ He motioned to Alex with his chin.

‘Kick my arrr-se?’ Sam drew out the English pronunciation, then snorted. ‘It’s ass, you asshole. And you kick it? Not today, boy, and not ever.’

Alex laughed softly and nudged Sam. ‘Freak? Looks like they do know me, after all. Bonding session over. Let’s get down to it. What you got for us, Ms. Watchorn, gentlemen?’

‘You first,’ Rebecca said.

‘Go home.’ Alex turned to walk back to the map table.

‘Wait.’ Thompson let out an exasperated breath and looked at the woman. ‘You want to lay it out? Or, I swear, you’ll be on the next plane home.’

Rebecca’s lips stayed compressed for a few seconds. Then, ‘Fuck it,’ she said. ‘By now you know we’re dealing with Magera?’

Alex nodded. ‘We’ve heard the name, but as yet we don’t know what it is exactly. Neither do the Turks.’

‘Professor Kearns, we know you read the Minoan carved into the lower chambers. What did you make of it?’ Rebecca tilted her head as she waited for Matt’s reply.

He shrugged. ‘It was strange — didn’t make a lot of sense. Fear is risen again, children of Zeus, slayers of …’ He grimaced. ‘Slayers of something, and then, be forever locked in stone … Magera will consume … That’s all we could decipher. At least from the angles we had available to us.’

Rebecca nodded, as though only partially satisfied with his analysis. ‘Okay then, let’s lay out the facts … and perhaps make some intuitive, but educated leaps.’ She put her hands on her hips and began to pace.’ I think Emperor Constantine captured something in Sarmatia —’

‘Captured?’ Alex repeated, frowning.

‘Yes. And it cost him over a thousand dead soldiers. And what happened to them directly relates to what’s happening now.’

She raised her eyebrows to Matt, who frowned and folded his arms.

‘What? How do you know what happened? There’s no record of it anywhere.’

Rebecca rolled her eyes. ‘The world does not revolve around us in the West, much as we’d like to think so. Consider the Scythians or Sarmatians, Sauromatians or however you want to pronounce them — they were a warlike race that flourished for around 800 years, an enormous stretch of time in a barbaric and violent world. And their territory was huge, from Iran to southern Russia, and even into the Balkans.’

Matt nodded. ‘I agree. They weren’t particularly advanced, but I think they might have had superior weaponry … or a weapon. Which was what Constantine retrieved.’

Rebecca came and stood in front of him. ‘Or something … alive. And without it, they were nothing. There are historical records of the Sauromatians rising to power in the fifth century BC, and then abruptly crumbling around 300 AD — the time of Constantine’s campaign.’

‘That’s right — 334 AD to be exact,’ Matt said.

She tilted her head. ‘From the codex, right?’

He nodded. ‘And your proof?’

‘The bodies left behind. Russian archeologists first found a reference to the fallen warriors of stone on pottery shards in Iran; which led them to the statues themselves. At first they thought they were the work of some great Roman sculptor, so great was the detail. They made China’s terracotta warriors look like Pottery Barn knockoffs. They performed an MRI on the artefacts — each soldier was perfect down to eyelashes, scars, and even internal organs. All made of stone. No one’s ever been able to explain them. Then the Russians did what they always do when they find something that’s beyond them — they hide it away until an answer presents itself. So now they’re all packed up and stored away in the basement of the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.’ She shrugged. ‘And forgotten.’

‘How do you know this?’ Alex asked.

‘Margaret, my great-aunt, has been studying the Minoans all her life,’ Rebecca said. ‘The language, the people, the culture — it was as beautiful as it was mystical. But what intrigued her most was the evidence of them turning up in odd places — Japan, Italy, the Middle East, Russia. The Minoan culture, the mightiest on earth in its day, collapsed and disappeared, seemingly without reason. Some of the remnant Minoans must have scattered — fled, or perhaps they were led away.’

‘To Sauramatia,’ Matt said softly. ‘How did your aunt find them?’

Rebecca smiled. ‘She used her detective skills and contacts, and something else we modern types hardly ever use anymore — books!’

Alex grunted. ‘I guess those statues were just an unexplained oddity … until now.’

‘Until something happened in the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul,’ Rebecca confirmed. ‘Where Emperor Constantine secreted or imprisoned Magera, or its remains. You see, I don’t think Janus Caresche stole what he found in there. I think he somehow… freed it.’

Casey Franks scoffed. ‘You reckon it was still alive after nearly 2000 years? That’s bullshit, babe.’ She tilted her head. ‘What is it you do exactly, Ms. Watchorn?’

Rebecca met Casey’s flat stare. ‘I teach at Cambridge University — both evolutionary biology and anthropology, specializing in myths and pre-Christian religions. And yes, it’s my belief that something came out of that urn, even after 2000 years, that’s not like us, or like any other living thing on this planet.’

Casey gave a hard laugh. ‘Something came out of the urn, by itself? Really? I thought we were looking for a weapon.’

Rebecca shrugged. ‘It might be a weapon — in the wrong hands.’

‘Oh, for fuck’s sake.’ Casey turned away.

‘Let’s hear her out,’ Matt said, his own mind buzzing. ‘After all, reptiles and some fish can hibernate for decades. Why not something unique hibernating for even longer?’

Rebecca smiled at Matt. ‘Thank you. So, let’s back up a moment and talk about some historical events. You’re up, Professor: tell us what you know about Gorgons.’

‘Gorgons? The three cursed sisters?’ He looked at Alex, who nodded. ‘Ah, okay.’ He looked to the roof as he searched his memory. ‘Okay, let’s see. The most famous Gorgon was Medusa, but she also had two sisters, Stheno and Euryale. All three were the daughters of the Titans, giant beings of immense strength, who were eventually overpowered by Zeus. Originally, the Gorgons were priestesses to the goddess of wisdom, Athena. However, Poseidon, the god of the sea, lusted after the beautiful Medusa. She repelled him, but he raped her inside Athena's temple — a huge insult to the goddess.’ He paced as he warmed to his subject. ‘Athena blamed Medusa for Poseidon’s act and for the defiling of her temple — some legends say that Athena was jealous of Medusa’s beauty. Anyway, she turned Medusa and her sisters into horrifying beasts with scaly skin, needle-like teeth, and dozens of coiling snakes for hair. In a final act of revenge, Athena made sure no man could ever look upon Medusa again. Anyone who did would be instantly turned to stone.’

‘Right, that’s the legend,’ Rebecca said. ‘Now let’s imagine for a moment that it’s not a legend. Let’s analyze it based on the new evidence, as if it’s a historical account.’

Alex raised his eyebrows. ‘Turned to stone.’ He turned to Sam. ‘Remember the reptile scale embedded in the wall of the deep chamber below the cistern? Fits, sort of.’

Sam nodded, picking up Matt’s thread. ‘According to the legends, Medusa was killed by Perseus, who was given gifts by the gods to do so — winged sandals, a helmet of invisibility, and Athena’s own silver shield. Perseus avoided looking at Medusa directly by using the shield to see her reflection and so didn’t get turned to stone. He cut off her head and gave it as a gift to Athena, who placed it in the center of the protective shield on her armored breastplate.’

Rebecca looked impressed. ‘Very good, big guy. Brains and brawn.’

‘The face of Medusa is still used today to ward off evil,’ Matt added.

‘Superstition,’ Alex said.

Rebecca nodded. ‘Sure, superstition, magic, myth — but if you take any myth back to its roots, you find the kernel of truth. There’s always a genesis event, even if it changes and evolves over millennia, and I guarantee something like that created the myth of the Gorgons. We need to keep an open mind, and use current technology to work it out.’

‘Well, yesterday’s magic is tomorrow’s science,’ Matt said. ‘The Gorgon faces in the Basilica Cistern — they were there to guard something. Or to warn against something.’

‘That’s a big help,’ Casey scoffed. ‘Could they have made it any more fucking obscure? Why didn’t they just write in big Roman letters, stay the fuck away?’

‘Well, obscure to us, but perhaps not to someone in 300 AD,’ Matt said. ‘Or maybe they wanted it to be obscure. Maybe Constantine didn’t want anyone going looking for Magera, or finding it. Now we know why.’

Alex nodded. ‘So, Medusa was beheaded, but what happened to the other sisters?’

Matt shrugged. ‘They vanished from the formal mythological record. There are vague references to them being scattered to the four corners of the world. There are ancient tales of snake-headed women in Japan, India, the Middle East, Russia, dozens of countries; and there’s certainly evidence of stone man syndrome down the millennia too. Just bits and pieces though.’

Rebecca pointed at Matt’s chest. ‘Think harder, Professor. We need to broaden our search. There might be clues we’re failing to see. There’s Aboriginal rock art in Australia showing images of snake-headed creatures dating back 40,000 years; but the earliest formally recorded information is in Crete. I still think that’s the source.’ She began pacing again. ‘You know, there are deep caves all through Greece and Crete, some displaying evidence of structures dating back many thousands of years — some even pre-dating the Minoans. And there was evidence of habitation down there. As well as the usual artifacts, the archeologists found things that they simply termed Cretan troglodytic anomalies.’

There was silence in the large hangar as Rebecca looked around the group.

‘Boo!’ Casey Franks said, then burst into laughter as Matt jumped. ‘Something living there? Yeah, people. That’s why they used to call them cave men.’

‘Not just people,’ Rebecca said coldly.

‘So what then?’ Casey asked.

Rebecca didn’t answer; she just raised her eyebrows at Matt.

He rubbed his chin. It sounded crazy, but he’d thought the Sasquatch was a myth until he’d come face to face with one on Black Mountain. ‘If the Gorgons actually existed, surely they’d all be dead by now?’

‘Or in hibernation,’ Alex added, ‘like whatever was in that bronze urn in Turkey.’

Rebecca nodded. ‘Hibernation… waiting to be set free again.’ She tilted her head at Alex. ‘So, how about you guys let us in on what you have?’

Sam and Matt looked to Alex, who slowly shook his head. ‘We don’t know much more than you just told us. And the reason for that is, no one does. The Turkish military and science teams are in the dark on this. We still haven’t had access to all their autopsy records, but obtaining them is a priority. When we know how the creature is killing, we can work out how to defend ourselves against it.’

Reece Thompson grunted. ‘The Turks are the only ones on the ground, and so far their strategy seems to be to get out of its way.’

Alex nodded. ‘Makes sense — observe, gather data, identify weaknesses. But we can’t let them continue with that strategy. Bottom line is, it’s heading for Izmir, and we’re not going to let it get there. Added to that, the Russians are on the ground, and now in front of us.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Spetsnaz … and worse.’

Thompson winced.

Rebecca threw her arms up. ‘Great. So let me sum this up: we’ve got something called Magera that might or might not be a weapon, or might or might not be a Gorgon, turning people to stone, and it’s unstoppable. However, we’re sitting on our hands over here, but the Russians have some sort of super hit-squad already in there.’

Alex smiled. ‘That’s about it.’

Rebecca glared at him. ‘Then we’re stuffed.’

Casey Franks glared back. ‘It’s been beaten before, the prof said — some guy cut its head cut off. I’m happy to provide that level of surgery myself, even without an invisible helmet.’ Her lips curled into a ruthless smile.

Matt grinned. ‘That’s a helmet of invisibility, not an invisible … Oh, forget it. Look, it might not be that straightforward. Yes, Medusa was beheaded, but the Gorgons had different powers and … tastes. Medusa turned you immediately to stone, but others liked to torture their victims first, then eat their flesh, and others only appeared during a full moon. We don’t know what Magera does specifically.’

‘We know we can’t look at it directly, even electronically,’ Alex said. ‘One of our technicians suffered some sort of seizure just by seeing its image remotely. That happens in the field, we’re all dead.’ He began to turn away. ‘We’re not ready.’

Sam nodded. ‘Agreed. We need more intel. Don’t like the idea of dropping in and then fighting blind. Or even trying to fight a reflection and then finding out that strategy doesn’t work with Magera.’

Casey Franks snapped to attention, staring straight ahead. ‘Officer on the floor.’

Colonel Jack Hammerson strolled toward them, and all the HAWCs came to attention. Even the SAS soldiers, Thompson and Jackson, stood erect and saluted.

‘At ease, people.’ Hammerson walked in between them, hands clasped behind his back. ‘All good here?’

‘Sharing information, sir.’ Alex had a slight smile on his lips.

Hammerson stopped in front of Sergeant Reece Thompson. ‘Good, because it seems to me we’ve all got pieces of the same puzzle. At ease, soldier.’

Thompson dropped the salute. ‘Sir, perhaps there are too many holes for it all to fit together just yet.’

Hammerson shook the SAS man’s hand. ‘Good to have you with us, even though it seems to have been a little forced.’

‘We’ll try and keep up, sir,’ Thompson responded.

‘You better do more than just try, soldier.’ Hammerson half-smiled and turned to Jackson. He shook his hand, then stood in front of Rebecca.

‘I was told we needed to join you so we could get this mission moving,’ she said. ‘Seems all the movement is around in circles. You guys know less than we do.’

‘Pleased to meet you too, Ms. Watchorn.’ Hammerson smiled flatly, and walked a few paces away from the group so he could take them all in. But Matt saw his eyes were on Rebecca as he spoke. ‘So why don’t you help us poor dumb Yanks out and tell us exactly what we’re dealing with?’

Rebecca shook her head. ‘No one knows. At least, no one living today.’ Her eyes held a hint of mischief. ‘But I bet a centurion of the fifth cohort knew.’

‘The codex — the second half.’ Matt shook his head. ‘We don’t have it.’

’I know you don’t … because we do.’