Andy Mcdermott - Temple of the Gods

‘To what?’

‘To everything. To life, I guess.’ She struggled to recall the sensation, but much of it had already faded, like a half-remembered dream. ‘And there was something else, a feeling like, like…’ The words refused to form.

Takashi offered them, however. ‘Something calling to you?’

‘Yes, exactly!’ She regarded him in surprise. ‘How did you know?’

‘As I told you, we have access to much information.’

‘Someone else already knew about this? Who?’

‘A person from a long time ago. But,’ he went on, before she could ask any follow-on questions, ‘there is something you might not have seen. When you brought the statues together, their glow changed. Before, they pointed to each other, but for just a second the light moved to…’

He indicated a direction, then gave an order in Japanese to Kojima, who took out his phone and brought up an app — a compass, Nina saw. ‘About two hundred and sixty degrees west,’ the young man reported.

Takashi nodded. ‘Is that from where you felt this call?’

‘Yes… at least, I think.’ Nina rubbed her forehead. ‘I’m not sure. The whole thing happened so quickly, and now it’s fading away.’

‘There is a way to experience it again.’ Takashi held up the figure in his hands almost reverently. ‘Dr Wilde, would you be willing to place the three statues back together?’

She hesitated. Nothing about her extraordinary experience had felt remotely harmful — if anything, quite the opposite — and her innate scientific curiosity was now crying out to learn more. On the other hand, for all Takashi’s fine words, he still had to provide any proof that he intended to back them up with deeds. His true goal might be identical to Mitchell’s.

But… she had to know. The same part of her psyche that had driven her to find Atlantis and all her other discoveries was now fully in control and demanding answers. Even though she had no idea where this path might lead, she knew she had to follow it.

Whatever the cost.

‘All right,’ she said at last. ‘I’ll do it. Just make sure you’re ready to catch me and the statues this time, huh?’

‘We will be very careful,’ said Takashi with a small smile. ‘Are you ready?’

Nina took a breath to settle herself. ‘No time like the present.’

Takashi held out the third statue to her. She linked the other two together in one hand, then reached for it—

A loud crash came from the adjoining room, the clang and clatter of metal followed by the thump of something heavy landing on the thickly carpeted floor. Nina, Takashi and Kojima whirled, the statues momentarily forgotten. A figure stepped into the vault.

‘Ay up,’ said the new arrival.

‘ Eddie? ’ Nina gasped, if anything more shocked than she had been by her mind trip. ‘What are— How did— Huh? ’ was all she could manage to say.

Kojima’s hand darted into his jacket, but Eddie snapped up the Makarov. ‘Don’t do anything stupid, mate. Just keep still. You an’ all,’ he added, flicking the gun towards Takashi. ‘And you, Nina.’

His harsh tone sent a chill through her. ‘Eddie, what are you doing?’

‘What’re you doing?’ he shot back. ‘I spend three months hunting for Stikes, and it turns out he’s right here with you!’

‘Stikes? What are you talking about? I wouldn’t—’

Takashi spoke calmly yet defiantly in Japanese. Kojima translated for him. ‘Takashi-san apologises for interrupting a personal discussion, but he would very much like to know what you are doing here.’

‘Oh, he would, eh?’ said Eddie. He indicated the statues. ‘I’m here for them — that’s part of the reason, anyway.’

Kojima relayed that to his boss, then provided another translation. ‘Takashi-san regrets that he will not allow you to take the statues, and also warns that the consequences if you try will be severe.’

‘Tell him he doesn’t get a say in it,’ Eddie replied, aiming the gun at the old man. Kojima began to translate this back into Japanese.

‘Oh, knock it off,’ Nina snapped. ‘You speak perfect English!’

Takashi sighed. ‘I was trying to buy us time, Dr Wilde.’

‘Well, time’s up,’ said Eddie. ‘So first, give me the statues. Then take me to Stikes. He’s the rest of the reason I’m here — I’m going to kill that bastard.’

‘Stikes is here?’ asked Nina, shocked.

Eddie regarded her doubtfully. ‘You didn’t know?’

‘Of course I didn’t! That son of a bitch tortured me — do you seriously think I’d be here if I’d known he was too?’ She glared at the Makarov. ‘And are you actually holding me at gunpoint? My God, Eddie! I can’t believe you think I’d turn against you!’

Slightly shamefacedly, Eddie lowered the gun, just a little…

Enough for Takashi to risk making a move. A bony finger firmly tapped the face of his watch.

An alarm shrilled. Eddie whipped the gun back up, making even the normally implacable Takashi flinch, but he didn’t fire. ‘That was a fucking stupid thing to do,’ he growled, stepping further into the strongroom and gesturing for the trio to move past him to the exit. ‘Okay, old-bloke-san, you lead the way. Hands up where I can see ’em. All of you. Sorry, Nina,’ he added, ‘but I need to get out of here.’

‘Why are you doing this?’ she demanded as they filed past him. ‘And why do you want the statues?’

‘I don’t want the bloody things — they’ve caused enough trouble already. But somebody else wants ’em smashed, which is fine by me.’

Takashi looked back at Eddie with a calculating expression. ‘ Who wants them smashed?’

‘No idea — someone who really hates purple, maybe.’

‘You do not know who sent you here, or why?’

‘All I know is that they told me how to find Stikes, and killing that bell-end’s all I’m bothered about right now. Okay, move. Go through the—’

A flurry of movement in the next room, figures appearing seemingly from nowhere in a whirl of dark cloth and the flash of drawn weapons. They flanked Takashi and Kojima, narrowed eyes staring coldly at Eddie.

The foursome were dressed entirely in midnight blue, their faces mostly concealed behind balaclavas. Each had a different weapon at the ready: a katana , a traditional curved Japanese sword; a long black wooden bo staff banded with metal; nunchaku , two hefty wooden handles connected by glinting steel links; and a kusarigama , a malevolent-looking sickle with a ball and chain attached to its handle. The wielder of the last spun the weight with one hand, making a low and threatening whoosh with each revolution.

Eddie almost laughed. He pointed the gun at each in turn. ‘Let me guess — Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael?’ He looked back at Takashi. ‘Seriously, fucking ninjas ? You’re joking, right?’

‘You will find that the joke is on you,’ Takashi said. A small nod…

‘ Hai! ’ The katana -wielding ninja lunged with astonishing speed, his blade a silver line slicing at its target’s throat—

‘Bye!’ Eddie shot him. The ninja slumped to the floor with a bullet hole in his chest and a distinctly surprised expression.

He turned to his other new opponents, ready to give them the same treatment if they were dumb enough to bring swords to a gunfight…

Donatello released one of his nunchaku ’s handles, free hand whipping something from a bandolier across his chest. A flash of steel through the air — and Eddie yelled in pain as a throwing star thunked into his upper arm.

Another shuriken was already spinning at him, this one slashing through his sleeve as he dodged and brought up his gun—