Raiders

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Chuck Ikard was one of the NSA’s top hackers, and he and Milo worked for several hours together, breaking into the Ministry of Culture’s online operating systems and searching for anything that might make their lives easier during the mission. Plans of the catacombs were easy to find, as were schematics of the city’s underground sewer systems. The recent discovery of a number of Ptolemaic buildings and tunnels in the city’s Shallalat Gardens had given Milo the idea that maybe one of those underground passageways might lead to the catacombs, but there was no evidence that any existed.

A sense of frustration increased in the room until one of the consulate staff members knocked on the door and pushed a trolley laden with sandwiches and coffee into the room. Milo cracked a window and a sea breeze blew in from Tea Island in the east.

Mason rubbed his eyes and sighed. “We’re going to need to speed this up, people,” he said wearily. “The clock is ticking and we have no idea what the Spiders, or the Hidden Hand know about the Book of Thoth, or Cleopatra’s tomb being in Alexandria. If either of them gets to it first then everything we did is for nothing.”

“Wait — there’s something here on the Ministry’s system,” Milo said. “According to this there’s an underground system between the catacombs and Pompey’s Pillar.”

“What’s Pompey’s Pillar?” Ella asked.

“It’s a triumphal column erected by the Romans not far from the catacombs, and the biggest of its kind outside the main centers of Constantinople and Rome. Made of red granite. Weighs nearly three hundred tonnes.”

Zara allowed a low laugh. “Please tell me we don’t need to move the damned thing.”

“Not at all,” Ikard said. “The information here says that the tunnel system beneath it was found just a few years ago during government restoration work. They kept it secret to stop people using it to get into the catacombs.”

“The pillar was put up by the Romans in 297 AD, so it’s way after Pompey,” Eva continued. “It was to commemorate Diocletian’s victory of an insurrection in the city.” She turned to Milo and Ikard. “How far exactly is it from the catacombs?”

“Five hundred and fifty meters by foot, but the tunnel is direct so around four hundred and eighty meters. We can walk that in no time at all, right guys?”

Agreement. Four hundred and eighty meters was just over the length of four American football fields. They were all fit enough to make the trip in around fifteen minutes, even loaded up with the kit they would need once at the catacombs.

“One more thing — according to these plans, there’s a small aquifer in the area. Just something to bear in mind when we’re blowing things up down there.”

“Got it,” said Mason.

“Wait,” Caleb said, spinning his laptop around. “It’s Ezra, and it looks like it’s urgent.”

“I bet even when he takes a crap it’s urgent,” Zara mumbled.

They stared at the screen as the now familiar face of Ezra Haven flickered into view once again. He looked pretty shaken up.

“What’s the problem, old friend?” Caleb asked.

“We got confirmation on the terror attack,” he began.

“Target?” Mason asked.

Ezra’s reply shocked the room. “It’s SPIDER, as we thought, and the target is the Aswan Dam.”

“Jesus, Ezra,” Caleb said. “That’s a big deal.”

“You bet it is,” said Ezra. “It’s one of the biggest dams in the world.”

“I don’t know the first thing about it,” Ella said. “Mini-briefing?”

Ezra went first. “The Aswan Dam spans the Nile, and is what’s called an embankment dam. This means it’s built artificially to ensure there’s zero seepage erosion, but what we’re interested in is the fact that this particular dam is holding a hell of a lot of water back in Lake Nasser. If the dam bursts millions of people living along the Nile to the north will be drowned.”

“Oh my God.”

“It gets even worse,” Ezra continued. “Not only will the water kill millions of people, but when it’s gone, it’s gone. The Nasser reservoir is one of the biggest man-made lakes on Earth, and the water within it is essential to Egyptian agriculture, plus it’s also used to provide critical power via several hydroelectric pumping stations. These generate billions of kilowatt-hours of power to the people of Egypt every year. If that dam breaks we’re talking about the total destruction of Egypt. First, a devastating flood of Biblical proportions, then long-term blackouts for the survivors, and in the long-run, the total destruction of their agriculture sector, and, ultimately, their entire economy,”

“Could have done without this today, Ezra,” Caleb said.

“Why the hell would the Hidden Hand do such a thing?”

“It could be a distraction,” Ezra said. “Or maybe the Egyptian Government has upset them in some way and it’s revenge, coercion… you name it.”

“If it’s a distraction, it’s not going to work,” Mason said. “We’ll split the team so we can secure the Book of the Dead and stop the attack on the dam. We get some help from the Egyptian authorities for the dam, right?”

Ezra nodded. “I’ve already spoken with a Colonel Shafik of the Egyptian Army. He’s putting together a small team of Special Ops guys from Unit 777, the Egyptian counter-terror force. You’re meeting them on site.”

“Who’s doing what Jed?” Caleb said.

“I suggest Chuck Ikard stays at the consulate. We’ll need a centralized HQ with someone we trust. Cal, you, Zara and Virgil go against the Spiders on the Aswan Dam. They’ll need someone with bomb disposal skills when they get through Linus and his team and you have those skills, Cal.”

“Got it,” Caleb said.

“What about me?” Ben said.

“Go with Cal to the dam. We want as much firepower as possible if we’re going to take out the Spiders.”

Ben nodded. “No problem.”

Mason said, “I’ll lead Garrett, Milo and Ella into the Catacombs, and I’m going to need you too, Eva.”

“I can do it, I think.”

“Great, then that leaves you, Don. Up for a fight?”

French cracked his knuckles and grinned to expose two missing teeth. “What do you think?”

“Then let’s get on with it,” Mason said. “We’ll meet up here when the missions are over. No failures. I want the Book secured for Ezra and Titanfort, and I want the Spiders taken out and the dam made safe. No one dies, clear?”

They all nodded, but a strange silence had fallen over the small hotel room. Things were moving too fast, and they all knew they had a long way to go before the mission was over.

Mason sensed their nerves. “Darkest hour’s always just before dawn, everyone, and the same goes for this mission. Stay safe, make sure you’ve got each others’ backs and we’ll all make it to sunrise.”

It was time to bring the fight to the enemy.