Kingdom of Darkness

8

‘Jesus!’ cried Nina as the horribly familiar chatter of automatic weapons reached her. ‘They must have blasted their way in!’

‘Who?’ demanded Banna, wide-eyed with confusion and fear.

‘If they’re the same lot as the bloke who came after Nina, they’re fucking Nazis!’ Eddie pulled his wife to her feet. ‘We’ve got to get out of here, or we’ll be trapped. Oi, Hulk!’ he added to Banna, who was still trying to shield Alexander’s remains. ‘It’s not him you need to worry about.’

More gunfire howled down the passage, the pitch and tempo different. ‘The ASPS are shooting back!’ said Assad.

‘Yeah, but it doesn’t sound like there’s as many of ’em.’

‘Where are we going?’ Nina protested as everyone ran into the tunnel. ‘There’s only one way out of here.’

‘Sounded like they blew another one.’ Eddie listened to the battle. Even though his hearing had been degraded by years of exposure to loud, explosive noises, it was the higher frequencies that had been affected the most; he had no trouble picking out the roar of bullets being fired. ‘Jesus, it must be a fucking slaughterhouse.’

‘Are the ASPS winning?’ Nina asked. His grim expression gave her an answer. ‘Oh, crap.’

They re-entered the treasury. It was much darker than before. The reason became clear once they descended the stairs and could see the entrance past the pillars: the spotlights were off. ‘They have cut the power,’ reported the worried Assad. ‘What do we do?’

‘We can’t fight ’em,’ Eddie replied. The firing had stopped — and the last shots he had heard were from the invading force’s guns, suggesting that the defenders had been overrun. ‘If we can shut the door, we might be able to hole up in here until backup arrives.’

‘It weighs two tons!’ Banna protested. ‘And the winch is on the other side. We will never be able to move it.’

‘Won’t know unless we try. Come on! Bill, Dr Assad, give us a hand.’ Eddie ran to the doorway, the other men following.

‘What about us?’ Macy asked, even beneath her fear sounding a little offended on behalf of the three women. ‘We can help too!’

‘Not being sexist, Macy, but you weigh as much as a crispbread. Find somewhere to hide.’ He rounded the great bronze door. ‘Bill, help me push it. You two, pull from the inside.’

The Egyptians took hold of a handle behind the lock and hauled at it as Eddie and Schofield pressed their shoulders against the door’s face. ‘Shit!’ gasped the American. ‘It’s not moving!’

‘It’s wedged on the floor — push harder!’ The bronze barrier shifted slightly as the four men strained, its corner rasping against the stone slabs. A shadow obscured the light from inside the treasury. ‘Nina!’ said Eddie as his wife ran through the opening and joined him. ‘Get back inside!’

‘You won’t close it in time without help,’ she replied through clenched teeth.

‘It won’t matter if it’s shut if you’re on the wrong side of it!’

Nina was about to reply when she heard a noise behind her. ‘Someone’s coming!’

Running footsteps echoed down the passage. ‘Shit, they’re here,’ Eddie growled. Despite their efforts, the gap was still wide enough for a person to fit through. ‘Go and—’

‘Wait!’ said Assad as shouts reached them — in Arabic. ‘It is one of the ASPS!’

Eddie twisted to look down the dark tunnel. A jittering shaft of light appeared from around the last corner. The approaching man had a torch, the beam swinging as he hared down the passage — but the noise of more runners warned the Englishman that his pursuers were not far behind. ‘We’ll never get this door closed,’ he realised.

‘Do we keep pushing?’ Schofield asked.

‘No point now — get inside and hide. You too, Nina.’ He straightened, glancing back as Nina and Schofield ducked through the gap. The running man reached the corner—

The stuttering orange of a gun’s muzzle flash silhouetted the Egyptian against the walls — which were discoloured by splatters of blood. The man fell.

Time was up. ‘Shit! Go!’ Eddie barked, following the others through the opening. He heard a shout from behind. The attackers had seen him. ‘Find cover!’

He dived behind a statue — as more bullets tore through the air above him, smacking into the stone pillars beyond. The door rang like a gong as stray bullets struck it. He scrambled along the floor until he was clear of the danger zone, then jumped up. ‘Hide and turn out the lights!’

Another sustained burst cracked against the stonework. Assuming that anyone inside the tomb could be armed, the attackers were using overwhelming firepower to deter them from shooting back. But the suppressing fire had also cut Eddie off from Nina. She and the others had gone towards the burial chamber, while he — and Macy, whom he glimpsed climbing into a large metal chest — were isolated at the opposite end of the treasury.

More shouts from just outside, spears of light stabbing through the opening. The archaeologists hurriedly switched off their lanterns, Eddie and Nina’s eyes meeting for one last desperate moment before she too disappeared into the darkness. He muttered a curse, then crouched and felt his way through the ranks of tributes in what he hoped was Macy’s direction.

Something flashed through the probing torch beams and clanked loudly on the floor. Eddie guessed what it was, closing his eyes and clamping both hands over his ears, but there was no time to warn the others—

The stun grenade exploded with a piercing bang and a blinding flash. Schofield and Dina had instinctively turned towards the noise when it landed — and both screamed as the detonation overpowered their senses.

Men swarmed through the opening, golden visors shielding their eyes. Powerful tactical lights mounted on their guns pierced the darkness as they searched for targets.

They found two, reeling helplessly from the stun blast.

Guns blazed, short but deadly bursts. The archaeologists were cut down, tumbling bloodily amidst the ancient treasures.

Nina had found cover behind a golden sculpture of Bucephalus, kneeling and protecting her eyes — but the grenade’s crack still hit her like a physical blow. Ears ringing, she struggled to rise…

A bright light pinned her. Still dizzy, she squinted into the glare — and saw a gun taking aim—

A sharp command, and the weapon withdrew, though the spotlight under its muzzle remained locked upon her. Figures marched past, more beams scouring the shadows. She picked out snatches of speech as her hearing returned, but didn’t understand the words. The language sounded familiar, however. German?

Someone moved in front of her, partially shading her from the pitiless light. Nina looked up at an unsmiling man in dark overalls, his eyes hidden behind a visor. The gunman spoke, again in German; the black-haired new arrival replied dismissively, then removed his face shield.

Nina felt a chill of recognition. She had seen him before — at the United Nations. It was Rasche, one of the men whose photographs the FBI had shown her. A wanted Nazi war criminal.

But like his comrade from Los Angeles, he was too young. The man staring down at her with intense, dangerous eyes had aged since the mugshot was taken, but still appeared to be only in his early forties, not much older than Eddie.

He spoke to the gunman; Banna’s name was mentioned. That snapped her back to full awareness. Where were her companions, and what had happened to them? Where was Eddie? She looked around. Other intruders were moving through the treasury, hunting for the rest of the group. One huge hulk had already located Assad, hauling the older man to his feet. Another black-clad man dragged the dazed Banna out from behind a pillar.

‘You are Dr Nina Wilde?’ She looked back at the mad-eyed man.

‘Uh… yeah, yes I am,’ she mumbled.

He gazed unsettlingly at her as if examining a specimen under a microscope, then surveyed the treasury. ‘Anyone else who is here, show yourself now!’ he shouted. ‘If you do not, you will be killed on sight.’ The command was repeated in Arabic, but stiffly, the phrases learned by rote.

Two more intruders, both young men, called out. Nina shuddered as she saw Schofield and Dina’s blood-splashed bodies in the beams of their lights. Rasche stared at Nina again. ‘Are there more people with you?’

She forced herself not to glance in the direction where she had last seen her husband. ‘No.’

‘If you are lying, I will kill you.’ There was distinct anticipation in his voice at the prospect.

‘This is all of us, I swear.’

It was evident that he didn’t believe her, but seconds passed with no reports from the other searchers. ‘Very well,’ he said eventually. ‘Where is the body of Alexander the Great?’

She gestured towards the stairs. ‘Up there.’

He nodded. ‘You will come with us.’

The gunman yanked her to her feet and shoved her towards Banna and Assad, who had been corralled in the main aisle by their captors. Nina counted twelve men altogether, all armed with sub-machine guns and wearing webbing holding extra magazines. Some had other equipment too: more stun grenades, lethal hand grenades, even blocks of plastic explosive.

She risked looking back for any sign of Eddie, or Macy. Nothing. At least two of the intruders had searched the area where he had been, so he must have found a hiding place…

The gigantic man holding Assad — Walther, another of the escaped war criminals — regarded Nina with a hard expression. ‘Dr Wilde,’ he said, ‘take us to the statue of Bucephalus.’

‘Which one?’ she asked, playing for time. If their attackers could be delayed in the tomb, it would give Egyptian reinforcements a chance to respond. ‘There are several.’ She indicated a couple of the nearest examples.

Rasche snorted — then lashed out with a gloved fist, knocking her to the floor. Banna flinched, while Assad stiffened in outrage. ‘Do not waste my time. You were given stolen plans of this operation; that you are here proves you know what we seek.’ Nina glared up at him, a hand to her cheek.

‘I–I am in charge of this dig,’ said Banna, voice pitched high with fear before he cleared his throat and managed to lower it. ‘If you want anything, speak to me. She is only an observer; she is no longer even a member of the IHA.’

Nina saw Walther and Rasche exchange looks. Had they expected her to be an official part of the excavation? ‘Then you will take us to the statue of Bucephalus,’ said Rasche, pointing his gun at Banna. The young archaeologist shrank back. ‘The one in the burial chamber.’

‘Do as he asks,’ said Assad. ‘Nobody else needs to get hurt.’

‘Good. Now move.’ Rasche issued more orders, and five of his men started back towards the entrance. The rest pushed the three prisoners to the stairs.

In the darkness at the other end of the chamber, the lid of a bronze chest opened slightly. Eddie peered through the gap, the start of a creak from the hinges deterring him from lifting it higher. ‘Bollocks!’ he whispered. ‘They’re taking Nina up to the coffin. Assad and Banna, too.’

A strained squeak came from beneath him. ‘Eddie, your elbow’s right on my chest!’ Macy gasped.

‘It’s okay, you’ve got plenty of padding there.’

‘What? You asshole!’

Eddie smiled faintly, but the brief levity vanished as he saw that some of the attackers were positioning themselves to guard the entrance. The nearest man was twenty feet from him. His hiding place was not in their direct line of sight, but he doubted he would be able to get out of the box without making a noise — and drawing their fire. Farther away, Nina and the others climbed the steps to the burial chamber. ‘Shit,’ he muttered.

Macy squirmed beneath him. ‘What’s happening? Are Nina and the others okay?’

‘For now, but I doubt they’re going to let them go. And Bill and Dina are dead.’

‘Oh my God! They’re — they’ll kill us too!’

‘Stay calm,’ he told her, changing position to take as much of his weight off her as he could. ‘I won’t let that happen.’

His assurance calmed her, a little. ‘What are you going to do?’

‘Buggered if I know.’

‘Y-yeah, that helps.’

‘First things first. I need to figure out how to get out of this fucking box without them hearing me.’ He shifted until he was able to put his hand down beside her neck, then carefully levered himself up, raising the lid again until it began to creak.

The guards hadn’t moved, watching the door — and Nina and the others were now out of sight.

‘There,’ said Banna as the intruders pushed the surviving archaeologists into the burial chamber. ‘There is the statue. Please, take it. We will not stop you.’

Most of the torch beams turned to where he was pointing, but some explored other parts of the room. Walther whistled appreciatively as he shone his own light over a large golden vase decorated with multicoloured gemstones. The huge man made a suggestion, which drew chuckles from some of his companions.

Rasche did not share their amusement. Nina guessed from his impatient reply that he was telling the others they were only there for the statue. The younger men responded to the rebuke by straightening and issuing apologies, but Walther was more relaxed, shaking his head in wry amusement. He spoke again, Nina understanding a few words: ‘Wir brauchen mehr Gold, Rasche.’ We need more gold, Rasche.

Rasche spoke again, with more anger. Walther shrugged, but acquiesced. He crouched and clamped his massive hands around the sculpture, lifting it as easily as though it was a bag of sugar.

‘So you’ve got what you came for,’ said Nina, fear rising. Now that they had the statue, the Nazis had no reason to keep their prisoners alive. ‘What are you going to do with us?’

Rasche did not respond at once, instead gazing at the desiccated figure inside the crystal coffin. ‘So this is Alexander…’

‘You are interested in the great king?’ asked Banna.

Rasche shook his head. ‘Not I. But our Führer has a fascination with the man. Which is fortunate for us, as otherwise we would not—’ He caught himself, as if about to give away some secret. ‘It is a shame we cannot take the body. He would like to possess it, very much.’

‘Egypt will pay anything you ask to ensure the safety of Alexander’s remains,’ said Assad. ‘I am the senior archaeologist of the Ministry of State for Antiquities; if it is necessary, I will act as a hostage during negotiations.’

‘There will be no negotiations,’ Rasche said sharply. He nodded to Walther. Cradling the ceramic horse, the big man headed into the tunnel. The leader regarded the mummy once more, then made a silent decision. ‘Take them into the treasure room,’ he ordered.

The other men shoved the prisoners back down the painted passage. ‘What are you doing?’ Nina demanded.

‘Our Führer would be… unhappy if anything happened to his hero,’ Rasche replied, a veneer of disdain telling her that he did not share his commander’s concerns. ‘So I will make sure that the burial chamber is preserved.’

‘By killing us outside it, right?’

The German smiled, but there was nothing except cruelty behind it. ‘You are a clever woman, Dr Wilde.’

They descended into the treasury and headed down the central aisle. Nina glanced around in growing fear, searching the shadows for her husband, but there was no sign of him. ‘Eddie, where are you?’ she whispered.

Inside the metal chest, Eddie watched Nina and the others with growing desperation. The archaeologists’ expressions — Banna was close to tears — warned him that they didn’t expect to leave the room alive.

He had to do something. But even if he got out of his hiding place without alerting the guards, he was still unarmed…

The silhouette of a nearby treasure caught his eye as the procession passed behind it. That gave him a weapon, however impractical — if he could reach it.

Rasche held up his hand. The group stopped, Walther putting down the statue. Macy felt Eddie’s muscles tighten. ‘What is it?’

He watched helplessly as the three prisoners were pushed into a line. ‘They’re going to kill them…’

‘Wait!’ Nina pleaded as she was shoved between Assad and Banna. ‘You don’t have to do this. You’ve got what you came for — just take it and go!’

None of the faces looking back at her showed any inclination towards mercy. Rasche could barely contain a rat-like smile of anticipation as he raised his gun.

‘Goodbye, Dr Wilde,’ he said — aiming at Nina’s heart.