Something creaked, and a gasping sound echoed in the room.
Genghis Khan shifted. Phoebe screamed and Alexander jumped back, clutching at her. The corpse turned to them and Chang’s flashlight, which he had desperately snatched back up, caught the mummified face-the hollow eyes, the grinning mouth-as it descended, slowly. Reclining again. Depressing the lever.
“Uh oh,” Montross said through a mouthful of blood, grinning. “Here comes trouble.”
Caleb turned to the new sound of moving blocks grinding against the floor. And then a rushing, bubbling noise. He aimed his light and saw the source. About a foot off the ground, the gap left by a single missing block, too small for anyone to squeeze through, had opened in the wall. Eight other holes also appeared, one in each wall, simultaneously and were now letting in the water.
Letting it in, and filling up the mausoleum.
“No problem,” Orlando said, heading for the door in the tower. “Just back into here before it might happen to close again.”
“Wait!” Renee backed away from Montross, heading for the door.
Caleb looked between them, seeing something out of place: a body crumpled against the far wall. In the shadows, he couldn’t tell, but it looked familiar.
Nina?
He closed his eyes for a moment, not sure why he felt what he did. After all, she had tried to kill them. He wasn’t sure, but he felt remorse. And a little curiosity. But Montross didn’t seem worried. He checked him out, his new brother, and saw the red-haired man still kneeling there, apparently at ease.
He knows something.
“Nobody moves,” Renee ordered as she scooped up the briefcase. “And now, Commander, the detonator for the C4, if you please.”
Chang handed the small remote to her, somewhat reluctantly, searching her eyes. “It’s all set below, activated by that trigger. What are you doing?”
She motioned to Montross. “Tying up loose ends. No need for further bloodshed when the water can cleanse this situation for us.”
Chang nodded, seeing the wisdom in that.
“But maybe,” said Renee, “we should pay Mr. Montross back for his attack on your men. Go ahead, Commander.”
“With much pleasure.” Chang approached the kneeling man and lifted his gun.
“No,” Alexander cried, and Caleb stepped forward as Chang aimed. As much as he’d dreamt of revenge, his visions-his only visions in the last two days-had been of Lydia. Of her calling out to him, not for retribution, but for understanding.
He was about to call out to Renee to stop when he noticed that Montross still seemed unconcerned, a smile even tugging at his lips as Chang leveled the weapon at him. A slight movement caught his eye, and Caleb realized Renee had just shifted her aim.
A gunshot.
Caleb lurched backward, out of the way of the Chinese commander Renee had just shot in the back of the head. Chang fell face-first into three inches of rising water and lay still.
Orlando put his hand to his mouth. “Holy crap!”
Renee pointed the gun at each of them as she backed up into the doorway, which for reasons Caleb couldn’t fathom, hadn’t closed. He had already surmised that what had opened the door was Montross’s lifting Genghis up. So it only stood to reason that the corpse’s descent should close the door, yet instead it released the water, apparently to drown them inside.
Or to force them back through the open door.
Is that it? Caleb glanced at Montross and saw the left eye give him a wink.
“Good-bye,” Renee called. She hefted the briefcase. “Thoth has failed, and the vengeance of Ra-Marduk is at hand, although you won’t live to see it.”
She descended the stairs, and as soon as she was out of sight, Orlando ran for it. Halfway to the door, Phoebe caught him about the waist and pulled him back.
“No!” he shouted. “We’ve got to stop her!”
An explosion rocked the mausoleum. Rock and debris hurtled up and out through the doorway. The remaining portion of the tower, including the reclining body of Temujin, trembled, but held.
The smoke cleared. Flashlight beams found the doorway and delved inside.
“No chance,” Orlando said, watching the water spill over the doorway and splash onto the rocks and slabs that had blown out sideways. Below them, the stairs ended in an avalanche of exploded debris blocking the way. They all turned, Caleb first, and shined their lights on Xavier Montross.
He got up, brushing himself off, wringing the water from his pants legs.
“Now,” he said, “let’s get to work on finding the real way out of here.”