TWENTY-TWO
There's no way out," Núñez shouted, his voice echoing and re echoing against the vaulted ceiling and rock walls. More lights flashed, each staffing its own section.
"Fuck."
"Ditto. But at least now we can see what we're up against. Do not even suggest we try to fight our way through them." Eyes blazing, Peri unzipped her slicker, tossing it onto a nearby rock. Her t-shirt clung damply to her body, revealing nipples erect from the cold.
Showed just how fucking besotted with her he was, that even threatened with death, Finn still wanted her. He raised both hands. "No argument here." Of more importance to note, he saw the determined jut of her jaw, and the squaring of her slender shoulders. "The situation is dire, no doubt. But we have to keep our heads and think smart here, right?"
Appearing both calm and focused, Peri said, "Right." Quickly and efficiently she raked her fingers through the tangled skeins of her hair, braided, twisted and somehow anchored it securely at her nape without pins. "I'm not damn well going anywhere with them." She pushed up her sleeves. "And I don't want you anywhere near Theo, either. Where are the tablets? Far away, I hope?" The bright beam slowly stroked the surface of the water, missing their position by a dozen feet.
"Landed on your driveway." Finn kept an eye on the shadowy figures near the entrance. It was hard to tell in the dark, but each pass of the flashlight showed him that there was a large group of men positioned around Núñez blocking the only exit.
"Oh, my God! Finn! Why on Earth did you bring them here? You should've left them-"
"I wasn't going to fuck around if your life was on the line, Persephone. If it was you or the tablets, I chose you."
She pressed two fingers against his lips. "Aw, thanks."
At what point would Núñez decide he wasn't worth keeping alive? It would be like shooting fish in a barrel to kill him here with no retreat and no cover. And if he was dead, Núñez would get his filthy hands on Peri.
"I have two men in the chopper waiting for you, if we can get you topside again. The chopper is boobytrapped and rigged with explosives." Finn blocked her body with his in case those damned beams got any closer. "It's wired to deliver a four hundred volt charge to discourage anyone attempting to break in."
"As soon as he gets what he wants, he's going to kill you, you know that. That's unacceptable."
"No one is getting into that chopper other than you. And the cavalry will be here soon." Finn tightened his arms around her as an arc of light crawled across the craggy domed ceiling, inch by inch. Bits of mica made the dark rock look like a night sky as the light glinted off it.
She gripped the front of his shirt. "Don't you damn well dare imply that you're not going to make it, too. Whatever happens we're in this together, got it?"
He'd protect her- until he couldn't. "We'll wait Núñez out. But not right here." Hundreds of years ago, this cavern had been abraded by the tides to form a natural amphitheater. Dark water lines striated the cliff-face indicating how the water levels had dropped over the years. The last, sixty or so feet overhead.
"Can't see it from here, but there's a hole right at the very top of the ceiling," Peri said. "Probably a blowhole at some point. I always wanted to rappel down to explore. But first I have to learn to rappel." She smiled. "If we can reach it, I think we can exit that way."
Possibly. He could certainly take out a few of Núñez's men, but there were a couple dozen right behind those. The tunnels were easy for the soldiers to defend, and there'd be no getting past them. Finn's backup would have a Herculean task breaking through. It would get done, he had no doubt. But there was a good chance that a prick like Núñez would use Peri as a bargaining chip or, at the very least, a shield if they were caught.
“We are not going to die," she said firmly. "We're smart and capable with mad skills. There’s got to be something we can do to get the hell up there. Swim? Climb? Fly? Something."
Finn gauged the distance to the ceiling. He saw no hole, but he trusted she knew what was on her own property. If she claimed there was a blowhole, there was one. They were out of options.
"Right now they need you alive to give them access to the tablets," she said when he didn't immediately respond. "But if they think they won't get them no matter what, they might just kill you or worse--" Her lips tightened. "If they capture you, they'll hurt you. I'd do anything to make them stop. Theo knows that. Hell, anyone who's seen us together knows it."
"Think a little thing like the fear of dying would stop me from protecting you?”
Every year he went on an extreme climbing trip with his friends the Starks. But it wasn't a sport for everyone, and this sure as hell wasn't going to be a practice run. "Can you climb?" Finn whispered, stroking the back of his fingers across her smooth cheek because he couldn't not touch her. Her soft breasts pressed against his chest, and his heartbeat sped up to syncopate with hers.
"I can, but I haven't had much practice since I've been here." Peri took his hand and kissed his palm. "Water's our best bet."
Understandable for a water baby, but from what he saw, as the flashlight staffed the water, there was nothing on the other side of the lake but the same sheer cliffs they were faced with here. Swimming, or climbing, they'd be sitting ducks.
"We have to get to that opening up top."
"I've seen it from the outside. Great plan, except it's a million feet up!"
Six or seven stories vertical. Yeah, a million feet. But on the last pass of Núñez's flashlight, Finn saw a deep ledge about halfway up. "Use these strong, swimmer muscles to climb, love. Take the challenge. I'll give you a boost. Plenty of handholds. There's one about seven feet up. And a foothold right here. We'll sit tight, and let our army take down Núñez's army."
As much as Finn wanted to be more proactive, the only cause of action in this situation was to do whatever the hell they could do to get out of reach. He patted the rock just above her head. "Ready?" He cupped his hands for her to step up.
"No." But she placed one foot on his hands. Finn lifted her, and a second later, her weight was gone as she found a toe hold. He used both hands to cup her butt in support. "Feel around for another, I'm right behind you, I won't let you fall."
From the entrance, the sound of voices and the squeak of a dozen rubber-soled boots on rock, echoed in the vast space, ricocheting off the hard surfaces. The flashlight beam continually strafed the water, climbing now and then up the rock face.
They climbed silently. Not nearly as quickly as Finn wanted to go, but at an impressive rate thanks to Peri’s courage, and athleticism. Her competitive nature, coupled with the very real fear of being caught, or trapped, gave her strong motivation.
A man shouted in Spanish, and suddenly they were spot-lit as they clung like lizards to the sheer face of the cliff twenty feet up.
Brilliant light suddenly illuminated the cavern. Done with puny flashlights, Núñez had brought out the big guns.
"Shit." Peri paused. "Looks like the bastard found my night diving light."
The light was so bright that, other than a few deep pockets, there were virtually no shadows. The illumination flattened the bumpy rock face making it hard to see handholds. "Keep moving." Finn wrapped his hand around hers so she could better grip a too small handhold. He was practically supporting them both on his one decent foothold.
"There is nowhere for you to go," Núñez yelled. "Come down."
"Keep going." Small pebbles rained down on his face, and Finn had to blink dust out of his eyes. "Stay focused."
As more distance was put between them and Núñez and his men, Finn relaxed into the climb. His recent summit climb of Siula Grande, had been more dangerous, and more technically challenging. But it hadn't scared the crap out of him like climbing this sheer rock face with Peri.
One slip and she'd plummet twenty feet. Yeah, there was a vast lake below, but there were also outcroppings of rocks. And hitting water from this height would be like hitting concrete. She'd die, or at the least break every bone in her body.
Since he had no rope, couldn't harness her, or put a helmet on her, Finn did his best to cage her body with his. Matching her hold for hold, he made sure he was ready . for her slightest misstep.
"Why are you right on top of me?" she groused when he guided her hand up to the next hold. "I have the hang of this. In fact I think I might even like it if I wasn't acutely aware that people are trying to kill us."
"They won’t shoot you.”
“No. But they will shoot you.”
“Focus on the climb. No matter what happens.” Every second they were exposed like this, Finn anticipated a bullet slamming into his back.
“Bring them down,” Núñez shouted to his men. Half a dozen started to climb. Some, clearly not climbers, made a hell of a racket as they slipped, fell, yelling at each other in Spanish. Every now and then a large splash indicated someone had lost their grip.
He eased to Peri's side, but kept to her slower pace. "There's a ledge about ten feet above us."
"How could you possibly know that?" she demanded, her breath ragged as she resumed finding hand- and footholds and kept ascending.
Heart in his throat, he caught her foot as it dislodged a loose rock. The fist-sized stone skipped down the cliff below them. A man shouted as he was struck, and several seconds later there was a splash. Finn placed Peri's dangling foot on a narrow jut and waited until she was steady before he said, "I see stars."
She gave a small, breathless laugh. "You always see stars."
"The ones I'm looking forward to seeing again, and soon, is that galaxy of starry freckles on your naked body." Finn grinned at her huff of laughter, then turned serious. "Just a few more feet and you can rest." He had a solid perch, and was able to free a hand.
"Here, I'll give you a boost." Placing it on her butt, he pushed her up onto the ledge.
She landed with an "Oomff!"
Leveraging himself up and over, Finn landed beside her. As his eyes adjusted to the shadows behind them, he realized the outcropping was more than a ledge. Behind the three feet that extended from the wall, there was a shallow cave carved out of the granite over millennia of water rising and falling.
He rested his palm on Peri's back, while he liberated the Glock 27 strapped to his calf.
Nine bullets. He'd make them count.
Under his hand, Peri's t-shirt was damp with sweat, her breathing erratic. Plucking long strands of hair off her sweating skin, he asked softly, "Okay?" He kept his focus over the edge, counting the shadowy figures of the men tracing the path upwards that he and Peri had just navigated. Climbing like fucking spider monkeys, Núñez's people swarmed the cliff wall. "Núñez is sending up more men."
"To do what?" She rolled over, sucking air. "Carry us down on their backs? Frankly I'm too tired to give a rat's ass." She blew out a breath. "Next time I'll insist we swim to safety."
"There won't be a next time." Getting to his feet, he extended his hand to pull her up beside him. The cave was at least twelve feet deep, and twenty-or so feet wide. It was about forty feet above the water, and the dark line of the most recent waterline was visible just below where they were standing, indicating the depth of the lake at some long ago high tide. The back of the cave was steeped in deep shadow, but the front half was washed with lights from below.
Starlight came from a jagged hole some thirty feet overhead. Dark runnels on the rocks indicated centuries of rain coming through the opening that had formed a curtained barrier between the cave and the rest of the cavern.
"People have been in here." Peri pointed up. "Look. There are paintings on the dome. Judging from the water lines on the walls, this cave was once full. They could have painted the ceiling from boats, I imagine."
"They probably used a mix of kaolin and some kind of mica to get that glittering effect." As Finn talked, he kept an eye on the progress of the climbers. Noting the closest men were thirty or more feet down, he looked up at the ceiling.
"Whoever they were, they went to a lot of trouble to replicate an accurate starry sky. . .” he trailed off, turning more fully to take in the pattern, illuminated by Núñez's lights
"Jesus. These aren't random dabs of paint. It's our fucking solar system. The hole in the center represents the sun." He pointed. "Mercury, Earth, Venus, Mars. The grouping over there is the Asteroid Belt. See that roughly triangular formation? Those are the Hilda asteroids. Those the Trojans. There; the Greeks, and that's Mars, right where it's supposed to be. The accuracy and detail is astonishing."
"I'm more interested in those real stars I see through that hole you say is the sun. But unless you have a super power and can fly, I don't see how we'd th- -
With a loud crack, a bullet ricocheted off the lip of the ledge, scattering rocks and grit in a stinging spray. As stones and rocks rumbled and bounced down the side, Peri grabbed his arm to yank him back, but Finn was quicker. Slamming his arm across her chest caused her to stagger back.
As adrenaline kicked in, his vision narrowed and his heart rate increased. Crouching, he adjusted his grip on the Glock. A volley of shots followed, this time hitting the wall behind them.
"Stay back." Hyper-focused, Finn dropped down flat, then belly-crawled to peer over the edge. Half a dozen or so men were climbing, some more proficient than others. To his left, three men lined up perfectly. He squeezed off his first shot.
The bullet drilled into the closest guy's eye and he fell back soundlessly. Whether the bullet went through and through, striking the second and third man, Finn had no idea, but he got the result he wanted. The lead guy took out the other two on his way down the sheer rock wall.
The three men twisted and turned as they tumbled down. They slammed into outcroppings, banged against the smooth sections of the cliff, and scattered rocks, stones, and clouds of dust in passing.
The first guy's body slammed into a fourth climber, taking him down, too. The four men fell the forty feet in a matter of seconds. No one screamed as the bodies hit the water hard enough to make Finn wince.
Four down.
Dakkadakkadakka. A hail of bullets sent up debris. Gritty sand and small rocks peppered the surrounding area.
Dakkadakkadakka "Stay down," he shouted to Peri over the resonating pings of ejected spent cartridge cases interspersed with semi-auto fire and the crack of shattering rock.
"Let my men come for Ariel, Gallagher," Núñez yelled up. He hadn't budged from the entrance, choosing instead to send his men as sacrificial lambs. "They'll spare your li-"
Lifting his head, Finn aimed at Núñez, and squeezed off a shot. But the son of a bitch shifted, and the bullet struck the soldier next to him, who fell against Núñez, taking him down. The soldier was dead, but the impact sent Núñez plunging down the slope towards the water. A couple of his men darted after him, and hefted him back to level ground.
Another short burst of gunfire. Finn held tough. Law of averages forced him to bide his time. Two men were still doggedly climbing, and more on the flat surface near the entrance. He had only seven more chances to level the playing field.
Not great odds. His biggest fear was failing Peri. If anything happened to her- Fuck. Nothing was going to happen to her on his watch. To his right, the two climbers, some thirty feet below his position, inched closer, clinging to the sheer granite face. They didn't move like experienced climbers, they were slow and cautious. Finn calculated the angles. Not yet. He scanned the area from right to left. He had the advantage of higher ground, he just had to be patient.
He spared a glance over his shoulder. "I'd feel a hell of a lot better if you'd move your ass as far back as possible out of the range of fire. One of these fuckers is eventually going to get lucky."
Using her elbows to move forward, Peri slid up beside him. Her cheek brushed his arm. "You don't seriously think I'd cower in the dark while those asshats take potshots at you? Think again, Rocketman. We're in this together."
Almost giving Finn a fucking heart attack, she suddenly jumped to her feet. The brilliant lights below picked up the orange flame in her hair, and the stark freckles on her pale skin. "Hey, Theo?" she yelled down, wildly waving her arms. "If you want my womb, you better not shoot me. And by me, I mean Finn. He's as close to me as white on rice. If one of your men kills him, they'll kill me, too."
Finn, who was up, and trying to place his body in front of hers, grabbed her arm, to pull her down. "Are you fucking insane?"
She locked her knees, and refused his urgent pull to get down. "Hear me, Theo? You said you need me by your side to fulfill your destiny. Shoot Finn, and you kill any hope of your future heir. What will your followers think about that?"
"Come down, and we'll spare him." Fucker didn't pretend to be sincere.
"Go away first."
"Peri, I swear to God," Finn said through his teeth. "I'll knock you out and put you back there myself."
"Take your men and leave," she yelled. "I'll come to you willingly if you give Finn safe passa-"
Dakkadakkadakka. Too fucking close for comfort. The rain of bullets strafed the edge of the platform, causing six inches of granite in front of him to break away.
"Hold your fire!" Núñez yelled in Spanish, sounding apoplectic.
"Get. To. The. Back. Now!" Finn ordered Peri through clenched teeth. "Not because I'm telling you to do so, but because you're an intelligent, courageous and rational woman. If you're here, I'm distracted. Go." He glanced at her set face. "Please, darling, move the fuck to the back and give me room to shoot these assholes."
"Don't you get shot."
As Peri disappeared into the deep shadow behind him, Finn shifted his gaze from one climber to the next. Yeah. These guys were in the right spot. He shot them both. Didn't hear any splashing, but the bodies landed with a gratifying thump thump on the rocks.
Núñez yelled. "—ly Lake!" Finn missed part of it since Peri was back there muttering to herself, and Núñez had sent up three more men.
"Holy shit! Finn-"
He fired off another shot, which echoed off the granite as if they were in an auditorium, but missed his target by inches. Fuck.
"You okay back there?"
"I think you'd better come and take a look."
His heart leapt into his throat. He jumped to his feet, Glock aimed into the darkness. How the hell had someone managed to climb onto the platform without being seen?
"Come out or I'll shoot." Not blind he wouldn't. Not taking the risk he'd hit Peri. He advanced into the wall of darkness the lights below didn't quite reach.
"No one’s here. Not alive, at least." Peri sounded strange. Shaky. She came to meet him, taking his hand to lead him to the wall in back. "You need to see this."
As long as this wasn't a semi-automatic wielding Núñez follower, Finn was prepared for just about anything. Except. . .
"A skeleton?"
The unexpected, incongruous sight of bleached bones was shocking enough, but the seated body was fully intact. Knees upraised, skeletal hands clasping something against its chest. Sightless eyes stared out of the small skull.
"It's a child. Look at her small feet and han-" Peri hunker down beside the small form. For a moment she said nothing, then tilted her head to look up at him. "Do you believe in fate, Finn?"
A frisson ran up his spine, and his heart began to pound. "From the second I laid eyes on you, my darling."
Peri rose from her crouched position to come to his side. Sliding her arm around his waist, she held on tightly. "It's not a her. It's a him. Check out what's in his hands, Finn. That's the fifth tablet." A tremor of excitement shook her voice. "I think we just found Blackstar."
A single gunshot echoed throughout the cavern. Peri flinched. The loud, sharp bang, sounded extremely close as it bounced around the small space where they stood.
"Ariel. Your obstinacy is annoying," Núñez shouted. "Come down immediately. You know Blackstar's master plan for the world is dependent on us. Together. Enough is enough. Accept your part in the prophecy. This is a holy place. I cannot permit the death of more of my supplicants. If you remain up there with Gallagher, I cannot vouch for your safety. Without food or water, how long can you survive? Your willful disobedience will be punished if you keep resisting your god-given future by my side. It has been ordained. Stop this stupidity right now."
"What now?" she asked Finn, as she shot Theo the finger in response, which he, of course, couldn't see, but made her feel marginally better.
Like Finn, she was torn by the mesmerizing sight of the small skeleton and what he held, but also acutely aware that the men climbing toward them were getting closer by the minute. It scared her to death that those crazed religious fanatics were willing to kill Finn given the chance. Finn's bullets wouldn't last forever.
He narrowed his eyes, assessing the massive wall they had yet to climb. "Now we get up to that opening and get the hell out of Dod--."
Dakkadakkadakka. A chunk of granite exploded near their feet. Finn grabbed her arm and shoved her back.
"Ariel! Got your attention now? I'm not playing games. Listen and obey."
Peri’s heartbeat skittered. "Leave Blackstar and the tablet here?"
"I can't carry him on my back. He's been here for five hundred years, he can wait a little while longer."
"Agreed. But we have to take the tablet with us. We can't allow Theo to get his hands on it."
"I'll carry it."
Peri winced as he gently lifted the gold tablet from Blackstar's two-handed grip. The movement didn't make the small, bony hands fall apart, they remained exactly the same, almost as if lifted in supplication. She rubbed the chill on her arms. "I feel like I should say a prayer or something."
"Make it quick." Finn started undoing the buttons on his shirt with one hand, then undid the top button on his pants. He pressed the tablet to his chest, then did up the buttons and tucked his shirt tightly into his waistband.
"Will that hold? Can you climb like that?"
"It'll hold." The tablet, held against his body, made for hands-free climbing. "Let's do this."
It looked uncomfortable as hell. "Even though it's a bit smaller than the others, it still weighs a ton." Peri frowned. "It'll change your center of gravity."
"I'll adjust for it. Come on, let's haul ass before anyone gets up here."
"Where they'll shoot you in the back, for god's sake. Hang on, I have an idea- Theo?" she called as she stepped out of the shadows and walked to a few feet from the edge. "The more I think about this prophecy, the more I'm coming to like the idea. Tell me again, what your plan is? You'll be Supreme Leader, right? Is that like a king? Will I be the queen to the Chosen?"
"What the fuck are you doing?" Finn whispered furiously. "Get the hell back here."
"Yes," Theo shouted. "But your most important job will be to produce my heirs."
"I want that, too." She wondered how the hell she'd ever let this man touch her. Gag. "I like bossing people around. I'll be a good queen." She let that disgusting thought penetrate. "Theo, I know exactly where the High Altar, and the fifth tablet, are. I'll take you there. I'm coming down. Take all your men, and wait for me at the house."
"Persephone," Finn said from the shadows. "Get your ass away from the edge, and for crapsake stop goading him."
Finn wasn't happy, but there was method in her madness. She hoped her raised voice sounded just as creepy with the echo as Theo's did for her. "This isn't the Holy Lake, Theo. Trust me. There are writings up here on the cave walls showing a detailed map of all the caverns. It spells out precisely where the Holy Lake and High Altar are. It says that's where Blackstar placed the tablet."
"Tell me," Theo called up, voice reverberating. "I'll send my men to retrieve it."
"I want to place it in your hands myself. I want my place in history, Theo. I want to ensure a direct link from Blackstar, through me, to you."
"What about Gallagher?"
"Gallagher is going to kill your skeevy ass," Finn said behind her.
"Shh." Peri knew for Theo to believe her, she had to use just the right tone. He believed she was in love with Finn and would only accept words that indicated to the contrary. "I thought Finn was the love of my life. I was wrong, Theo. We must be pre-ordained to be together since Finn was shot. I doubt he'll survive this injury. Especially if we leave him up here without medical help.” She extended her arms, palms up in surrender.
“He’s weak. Dying. He's going to bleed out. So clearly he wasn't my destiny after all. I see where my future lies. With you. You know I am not a fool. I’m pragmatic, logical. Smart. But to Finn, I’m a liar and a thief. Remember? He didn’t want me, not the way you do.” She paused again, to make sure he was taking all of that in. "He told me how to get the tablets out of his helicopter. I have the password for that electrical shock device he rigged it with. Once we have all five tablets secured, your men can leave him up here to rot."
"Thanks," Finn muttered.
"Why would you do that?" Theo yelled, not sounding convinced. "The man's richer than Croesus."
"True, but we aren't married, so his wealth won't mean shit to me when he's dead. More importantly, you and I are going to rule the world. No contest. Power trumps great wealth. But we'll be wealthy, too, won't we, Theo?"
She didn't pause for his answer. "The tide's starting to come in. You see where the watermark is on the rocks to your right? You have to go. Wait for me upstairs. You won't be disappointed, I promise. We'll have Blackstar's entire prophecy to show our people. We can take Finn's helicopter and fly wherever we want to go."
"How will you get down on your own?"
"I told you. I know a shortcut. Trust me. Go. I'll see you in twenty minutes or less."
"I'll wait-"
"You'll go. And no. Your men don't get to stay either. Until you and I are married, I don't want anyone to know the secrets of these caverns."
"I have your word?"
Peri shot Finn a grin. "Absolutely."
Silence throbbed like a living thing, then Theo shouted. "All right. Twenty minutes?"
"See you in the house."
Theo shouted in Spanish for his men to come down. "I'll leave the light for you."
"Thanks, you're so thoughtful, Theo."
Finn, standing well back, shook his head and said quietly, "He can't possibly be this stupid."
"He's actually brilliant. But his obsession with Blackstar, and his absolute certainty that he and I will rule the Chosen, have clearly made him dangerously unbalanced. He's convinced I'm the redheaded warrior from the texts. That without me, he can't rule and pass down that rule to his children."
"Hopefully I baffled him with all that bullshit." Peri walked over and planted a kiss smack on his mouth. Then shifted to smile up at him. "I think I might've bought us a little time, while he tries to figure out what the hell I'm up to. But he won't buy into it for long. Let's go before he realizes he's been had." She peered over the edge. "Whether he bought it, or was just humoring me, to see what I'll do next, his men are climbing down."
"Then let's get cracking. Head that way-" he indicated the vertical path they should take. Large patches of glass-smooth rock would have to be bypassed, craggy rocks would have to be navigated. All presenting a long circuitous route to the very top. And freedom.
Peri's raw fingertips throbbed just looking at the distance, and her body balked at dredging up the wherewithal this portion of the climb presented. "Awesome. I love a challenge."
He grinned, and she knew he read her like a book. "I'll be right behind you. Move fast and move smart."