The Seven Seals of Egypt

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Mai Kitano ducked and sprang around the ring. The whip was a constant thrashing, side to side and occasionally across her body. Every time she got close to Ronin, Saint joined in but now she had learned to ignore him. He never made impact, but she thought she’d figured out a way to win. It was hard concentrating though, as Crouch was returned and then the new man — Vladimir — appeared, making his threats. She wasn’t sure if she would be needed over there or here, or even among the crowd in the next few moments so she dallied, waited, prepared to move.

Then, something was agreed. Vladimir ordered a man to fetch an iPad and Crouch sat more upright, back to the wall. Hayden and Yorgi crowded around him. Mai saw it as an opportunity to finish this. The T-shirt she wore was already ripped and sweat dripped into her eyes. As Ronin swung the whip hard, sending all three lashes toward her, Mai dropped and spun under them, balanced on one leg, the rotation of her body bringing her to within an arm’s length of her opponent. With the whip arm at full length, he was off balance. Mai was a flash of forked lightning, rising up and striking again and again with her clenched fists, eight times before he cried out. The last two were crushing throat strikes.

He collapsed, choking. Mai walked away from him.

Saint tried to calm the baying crowd.

Drake watched Crouch flick at the iPad. “It would have made better sense to wait until we found the bloody thing,” he said to Dahl with Vladimir listening.

The Russian gave him a deadly look. “I work with what I can get,” he twanged thickly. “You allow them special bikes to help with their mission, they get carried away.” He shrugged. “What can you do?”

Crouch spoke as he worked, giving the Russian no chance to doubt him. “We cleared the upper level,” he said. “Then went all the way down to the bottom to start there.” A white lie to extend their time. “Your men came before we got started.”

He studied the photographs of Hatshepsut’s Temple carefully as Vladimir and his men looked on.

The SPEAR team took rest, managing to get four more bottles of water between them. Vladimir even allowed them bread to eat. Drake felt a surge of energy as he finished and his stomach begged for more. The intense heat was declining now, making the whole area a little more comfortable. With Dahl, Alicia, Kenzie and the others he sought a way out.

Crouch took an hour to search through the temple photographs they’d already studied. Then inexorably, he came to the final level, the level they hadn’t examined.

“Last chance.” He looked at Vladimir but the words were for his friends.

“You had better find it, English.”

The team stirred ever so slowly, wondering what might happen next and not enthusiastic about throwing more of their number into the ring. The mercs, gathered around the stands, were like restless children forbidden to play.

Crouch looked up. “Got it.”

Vladimir was already staring, having seen Crouch’s initial hesitation. He studied the picture now, carved upon the base of a column at the bottommost level of the temple. “What is that?” he intoned. “A pyramid? Which one?”

Saint was watching them closely. “We can determine that,” he said. “But now, you have to end this.”

Drake and Dahl made ready. The team jumped to their feet.

“Throw these animals into the ring,” he growled at the guards that held guns upon them. “Boys!” he shouted up into the stands at the hundred-or-so assembled mercs. “Have your way!”