John Sneeden - The Hades Conspiracy

“We get in one at a time and go down.” Emily pointed at the control panel. There were two buttons, one to go up and one to go down. “This can be used to send the carrier down or call it back up. There is another at the bottom.”

Not wasting any time, Carmen sat on the floor and scooted into the carrier. “I’ll go down first. Once I verify it’s clear, I’ll send it back up.”

Zane nodded reluctantly. The plan was fraught with danger. Carmen could step out into a room full of gunmen on the other end. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a better idea. They would have to go with what they had.

Once Carmen was situated, Emily pressed the Down button. There was a low whine, and Carmen and the carrier disappeared. A green light glowed on the panel, indicating the chute was in use. Seconds later, it turned red. Amanda crouched, preparing to scoot in when the time came.

Zane looked at Emily and whispered, “Get in with her when it comes back.”

“I’m not sure it will hold—”

“Just do it,” he said. “We don’t have time for four runs.”

As if on cue, Zane heard the distinct sound of boots on the floor below. Time was running out. Thankfully, the carrier arrived moments later.

“Get in.” Zane motioned toward the opening.

Amanda crawled in on all fours and moved to the back. Emily entered right behind her. She was trying to situate herself when Zane hit the Down button. There wasn’t time to get comfy. Lives were on the line.

As the carrier disappeared, Zane heard soft footfalls on the stairs. The gunmen were on the way. The panel light turned red, indicating the two girls had just arrived on the first floor. At least the other three were safe.

Something moved in Zane’s peripheral vision. He turned and looked down the hall. A beam swept across the library. Seconds later, a dark figure crept into view, facing the shelves of books, making sure no one was hidden there. In a matter of seconds, he’d turn his attention to the hallway. Keeping his eye on the man’s movements, Zane lifted his Glock.

The carrier swished back into view, making a little rattle as it stopped. The figure seemed to be turning around just as Zane crawled inside and pulled the door up. A beam of light shone down the hallway, illuminating the place where he’d been crouching just moments before. The light grew brighter as the gunman drew near. Zane cracked the door slightly and stuck his hand out. He needed to hit the button. There was a strong chance he’d be seen, but he had no choice. Finally, a finger made contact with the round surface. He mashed it down then drew his hand back as quickly as possible.

The carrier moved faster than he’d expected, causing him to fall back against the back wall. As he shot downward, Zane heard boots charging down the hall overhead. A moment later, the staccato popping of gunfire carried down from above. Bullets ripped through the top of the carrier. Zane was the proverbial fish in a barrel, or in this case, a laundry chute. It was only a matter of time before one of the rounds found his head.

The carrier came to a halt. Before Zane could move, two hands grabbed his arms and yanked him out. Bullets shredded the carrier like Swiss cheese.

“Let’s go,” Carmen said as she helped him to his feet.

The two sprinted out of the utility room and down the hall. Amanda and Emily waited near the exit.

“They’re coming,” Amanda said.

Boots charged down the stairs. The gunmen in the hallway must have warned the others what was happening. Zane opened the door and shoved the three outside. There could be more gunmen there, but he’d have to let Carmen deal with that. For now, he had to buy them some time.

A black-clad figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Zane shot him twice in the chest. The man grunted and stumbled backward but didn’t fall. Kevlar . Zane fired another shot, this time at the head. The man tumbled forward.

More gunmen appeared. Zane fired two more shots then rushed outside.

“This way!” Carmen waited for him at the corner of the house. Why was she going toward the lagoon? Venice was a maze of narrow pedestrian streets, tight alleys, bridges, and crisscrossing canals. In other words, it was the perfect city in which to make an escape. And yet she was going the other way.

“We’re better off taking the streets,” he said as they sprinted toward the water.

“No, we aren’t.”

Zane saw she was headed toward the dock and realized what she was trying to do. It was risky. High risk, high reward.

“I don’t know if Emily is in shape,” Carmen said as they rushed down the steps. “If we tried to run, it’s possible they’d overtake us.”

Amanda and Emily were already standing next to the first boat when they arrived at the bottom. The craft was shaped like a gondola, long and thin, with a squared-off stern like a motorboat.

“Get in!” Carmen shouted as she untied the rope attached to a piling.

Zane helped Amanda and Emily board. Carmen joined them seconds later, moving quickly to the motor.

Automatic gunfire strafed the stone blocks above. Zane crouched instinctively. “Everybody down!”

He rose just high enough to see over the edge of the promontory. Three gunmen knelt near Pauling’s residence. Zane squeezed off several shots then ducked down again. He looked toward the stern. Carmen sat next to the outboard, trying to get it started. The engine sputtered for a moment then died.

Another burst of gunfire rang out, this time closer. The gunmen seemed encouraged by their difficulty in starting the engine.

“Carmen, let’s go!” Zane shouted.

When the shots ceased, a siren sounded in the distance. The police were coming, probably by boat. The neighborhood stirred as well. People leaned out of nearby windows. Some yelled in Italian. Others pressed cell phones to their ears.

Another barrage of gunfire erupted. As long as they stayed below street level, they were fine, but it was only a matter of time before their attackers rushed the dock. And when they did, there would be little Zane could do to stop them. He turned back toward the stern. “Carmen!”

“I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong.”

The explosive device . Why hadn’t he thought of it before? If nothing else, it might buy them more time. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled it out. As he did, a gunman appeared at the ledge. Zane fired with one hand, hitting him in the chest and knocking him backward.

Turning back to the device, he twisted its head, completing the first step. He flipped the device around to get to the other end, but it fell out of his hands. As he retrieved it from the bottom of the boat, he heard boots coming toward them. There wasn’t going to be time.

Finally, the engine roared to life. “Got it,” Carmen shouted. “Fuel line was kinked.”

Instead of directing the boat out into the lagoon, which would’ve made them sitting ducks, she turned into the canal that ran alongside Pauling’s house. It would expose them briefly, but it was the right decision, one that would hopefully keep them alive.

“Stay down!” she shouted.

The gunmen arrived at the edge of the promontory and lifted their rifles. Zane pressed the button on the end of the device then tossed it toward them. It wasn’t a perfect throw, but he didn’t need it to be perfect — just close enough to suppress their attack for a few seconds.

As the grenade flew through the air, the attackers unleashed a volley of gunfire. Bullets chewed a trail through the water. In seconds, the boat and its occupants would be filled with holes. Before the rounds reached them, a fireball rose higher than the roof of Pauling’s home. Zane’s throw had been slightly off, but the old adage about horseshoes and hand grenades held true. In this case, close was good enough.