Kevin Ashman - Mortuus Virgo

‘What’s that?’ asked Bernice.

‘Emergency beacon,’ said Brandon. ‘If I switch it on, it sends a request for help and brings support.’

‘Can I see?’

Brandon nodded and Bernice picked the beacon up to examine it. She could see three LED lights on top, all flashing red.

‘Why don’t you use this, then?’ she asked.

‘Pointless,’ said Brandon, ‘It works on a similar system, but sweeps all the phone networks for an available signal. Those red lights mean there is no signal whatsoever. Besides, It’s not really warranted at the moment, it’s not as if I am in any danger yet, and when that thing goes off, all sorts of shit kicks into action.’

‘So you are on your own.’

‘For the moment, but I have made alternative arrangements. If I don’t report in within the next few hours, Murray will make a call and this place will be swarming with good guys within the hour.’

Bernice placed the beacon on the bed.

‘Who is Murray?’ she asked.

‘Long story,’ said Brandon, picking up his gun. ‘Now, show me this locked door you told me about.’

‘What do you need that for?’ she asked.

‘There are guards everywhere,’ said Brandon, ‘If we are seen, I don’t want them thinking you helped me. At least this way, they will think you have been forced.’

‘Okay,’ said Bernice, ‘Let’s get this over with.

They made their way down through the corridors and towards the hall without meeting anyone. Bernice opened the doors and made her way quickly towards the carving of the Holy Mother. She quickly ran her hands over the carving again, searching for the release switch she knew had to be there.

‘What’s the matter?’ asked Brandon.

‘I don’t know how it opens,’ she said.

‘Are you sure it is a door?’

‘Yes, I saw it open earlier on.’

‘How did they do it.?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Let me see.’

Bernice allowed Brandon to replace her and he stood in front of the carving in silence.

‘Explain what you saw, exactly,’ he said.

‘Sister Agnes stood in front of the Holy Mother in veneration and the door seemed to open by itself.’

‘Explain veneration.’

‘She held out her arms in the shape of the crucifix.’

‘Like this?’ asked Brandon, stretching out his arms.

‘Yes,’ answered Bernice.

Brandon’s arms couldn’t stretch to their full extent as they each met the reveals of the alcove on either side.

‘I wonder,’ he said and gave a push with each hand.

The panel on each side clicked and the carving in front of him slid to one side.

‘Bingo,’ he said, staring down the corridor to his front.

Bernice looked over his shoulder and into the dim corridor. This was no ordinary passage but a tunnel carved out of solid rock, the scars of ancient tools still visible on either side where it had been worked to make it wider.

Come on said Brandon. Let’s take a look. He walked slowly forward, his gun held down at his waist, ready to be pulled into the aim at a second’s notice. As soon as they entered the corridor, the sliding door closed behind them with a click, and they walked forward nervously.

Ten metres in, they passed a single doorway cut into the right hand corridor wall and though the door had no lock, Brandon could see it could be secured from the outside by a large metal bolt that slid across the door and into the rock reveal. At the far end they could see another door, though this one had a lock.

‘Your friend must be in there,’ said Brandon, ‘Where does it lead?’

‘I have no idea,’ said Bernice, ‘But I have a bad feeling about this. There should be no secrets within the order.’

Brandon fingered his trigger nervously and tried the door handle. As expected, it was locked, but after a moment’s pause, Bernice produced her keys and gave them to Brandon. He tried a few before hearing a satisfying click, and, after a brief glance towards Bernice, eased the door slowly away from him.

Immediately, a breath of warmth hit him and he eased his way sideways through the tiny gap, closely followed by Bernice. They both took one step beyond the doorway before pausing to stare at the scene below them in awe.

In front of them was a stairway leading down to the floor of a cavern the size of a large church, warmly illuminated by hundreds of candles. At the centre of the cavern, a fire burned brightly in a pit sunk into the rocky floor, helping the candles to send flickering shadows around the cave. Leading away from the doorway, in either direction, a landing followed the walls of the cave, stopping about halfway around, providing a good view of the entire cavern. A one metre dwarf wall edged the landing, providing a natural barrier from the drop to the floor below.

Brandon and Sister Bernice crouched down behind the perimeter wall and peered into the cavern.

‘Is that your colleague?’ whispered Brandon, indicating a lone figure near one of the walls.

‘Yes,’ said Bernice. Sister Agnes was replenishing candles in the hundreds of tiny alcoves cut into the walls.

Brandon looked down into the cavern, taking in all the detail. There were several doors sunk into the rocky walls, each closed tight and secured with a locking bar slid into the frames. At the far end, and half way up the wall, a small wooden balcony extended into the cavern from an arch cut into the rock, and a small wooden stairway descended to the floor.

‘What is this place?’ he whispered.

‘I have no idea,’ she said.

‘Some sort of hidden Temple?’ suggested Brandon.

‘It would seem so,’ said Bernice, but why, I don’t know.’

Down on the cavern floor, Sister Agnes finished her task and started to collect her things.

‘Come on,’ said Brandon, ‘Let’s get out of here before we are seen. I need to find out what we are dealing with here. Do you know where I can find any paperwork like records or anything?’

‘That room we passed looked like some sort of office back in the corridor,’ said Bernice, ‘You could look there, I suppose.’

‘Perfect,’ said Brandon, Let’s go.’

They walked back down the corridor and stopped outside the barred door.

‘I don’t think this is an office,’ said Brandon, there’s a locking bar on the outside, ‘Why would there be a need to lock someone inside an office.’

‘Probably used to be a cell,’ said Bernice, ‘My own cell is exactly the same. Worth a look, though.’

Brandon slid back the bar and stepped inside. Immediately he could see the room was empty except for a few items of basic furniture. He wandered around, looking for anything that may be of interest. Suddenly the door slammed shut and he heard the sound of the locking bar being slid home on the outside. He ran to the door and pulled on the handle, but to no avail.

‘Bernice, what do you think your doing?’ he shouted through the locked door.

‘I’m sorry,’ said the Nun’s muffled voice from the other side of the door, ‘I don’t know what is going on here, but as far as I can see, you seem to be part of it.’

‘Let me out,’ said Brandon urgently, ‘Can’t you see, I am trying to help?’

‘You may well be,’ said Bernice, ‘But too much is happening for me to take in. It’s better you stay in there until I can make sense of all this.’

‘Bernice, don’t be stupid,’ hissed Brandon, ‘You are in terrible danger, we all are. You have to let me out before it’s too late.’

‘Sorry, Brandon, she replied, ‘But it’s better this way. I won’t be long, I promise.’

He heard the sound of her echoing footsteps rushing back down the passageway towards the main hall and walked over to sit on the ancient chair in the corner, at a loss as to what do next.