John Sneeden - The Hades Conspiracy

As she retrieved her pistol, a loud smash carried down the hallway. She froze. Someone was kicking in the front door. She heard another loud smash, followed by the sound of boots in the foyer. She thought of making a run for it, but spears of light were already slicing down the corridor. Escaping that way was no longer an option.

Carmen looked around. Her heart pounded. She figured she had ten seconds to hide. As the boots neared her door, she did the only thing she could do; she stepped into the wardrobe and slid the door back into place, leaving a crack to see out.

An authoritative voice barked orders from the foyer. “You, take your team and start at the back. Make sure all points of entry are secure. You, stay here with me to search the front. I want this place turned upside down. Go!”

As the men marched off, Carmen breathed a sigh of relief. At least they didn’t realize anyone else was here. They had come for one purpose, and that was to look for the map. There was one huge negative though. Every square inch of the house would be searched over the next hour or two, and that included the wardrobe. She wasn’t safe. She’d have to find a way to get out.

But how? Should she wait until most of the men dispersed then try to fight her way out the front? If it was the same team from Venice, she knew each member would be armed with semi or fully automatic rifles. Not only that, but they were undoubtedly wearing Kevlar armor. Even with her marksmanship skills, she’d face long odds in a gun battle. Trying to make head shots in the dark would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

Unfortunately, trying to slip out undetected didn’t seem to be an option either. As best she could tell, at least two had remained to search the front.

Footfalls approached, and the leader spoke in the corridor. “Search that room, and I’ll get this one. Let me know if you find anything. And I mean anything.”

“Copy that.”

Carmen readied her pistol. A dark shadow passed across the gap. She tensed her muscles, ready to fight if forced. Fortunately, the steps continued to the other side of the bed. Seconds later, she heard the sound of drawers opening.

Careful not to make any noise, Carmen slid the door open a bit more. A figure dressed in black bent over the nightstand. Once he was done searching it, there was a good chance he’d come to the wardrobe next. That left her a small window of opportunity. She would slip out now then dash from the room and escape through the front door. The only thing that might disrupt her plans would be the presence of guards at the front of the house. She hoped all the men were inside but doubted that was the case.

Carmen took a deep breath. It was time. She had to move. As she prepared to slide the door open, the man turned and marched in her direction. She cursed and slipped as far back as she could, giving her room to lift her pistol and shoot him in the face when the door opened. At this point, it was her only option.

The wardrobe shook as the man felt around for the edge of the door. Carmen gripped her Beretta with both hands. The door began to slide open then stopped. Something buzzed in the room. Carmen frowned in confusion then realized it was a vibrating cell phone.

The man released the door, and Carmen heard the rustling of fabric as he fished his cell out of a pocket. “Yes?”

Surprisingly, he placed the call on speaker, allowing Carmen to hear both sides of the conversation.

“Have you found anything?” someone asked on the other end.

Carmen’s eyes widened in surprise. The accent was distinctly American. More importantly, it had a familiar ring. Where had she heard it before? She guessed it was someone famous, perhaps a politician or someone she’d heard on television. She shuffled through some familiar names but couldn’t place it.

“We just got here. Of course not.”

“I thought you’d be done by now.”

“We waited for nightfall.”

“Is anyone there?”

“No, why?”

“We’ve been updating the satellite feeds. The area around the gate was clear earlier this afternoon, but the most recent image shows a white vehicle parked just down the road. It’s small, probably a European make.”

“Trust me, there is no one here.”

“Don’t be so sure.” The American seemed irritated at the man’s nonchalant response. “Perhaps the girl is leading you into a trap.”

A cold chill ran down Carmen’s spine. There was no question they were referring to Emily. It didn’t seem possible, yet who else could it be? She felt another wave of guilt, this one even more severe than the last, but pushed it quickly aside. She could beat herself up later. For now, she needed to stay alive. That was the only way she could help undo the damage that had already been done.

“Negative. There is no trap. She’s scared half to death, shaking like a leaf.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s with us. We’ve already told her if we don’t find anything, she’ll be punished.”

Carmen seethed with anger. She felt like taking the man down right now and figuring the rest out later. She might have if it weren’t for the fact that Emily was somewhere close by, probably in one of the vehicles.

“When you finish up, call me,” the American said. “I need to speak to you about the Vatican.”

Carmen frowned. What about the Vatican?

“Something wrong?”

“No. We just need to finalize plans.”

Sensing it was a matter of importance, she tucked the information away for future reference. Her gut told her it was somehow all tied to the map. Perhaps the Catholic Church owned a copy as well.

“Hold on a sec,” the leader said. “I’ve got someone speaking in my earpiece.”

Carmen heard the man breathing as he listened to the message. Had they discovered Zane and Amanda?

Finally, the leader replied, “I’ll be there in a second.” He addressed the American once again. “Let me go. I think they found something.”

Carmen felt a sense of relief. There would have been more urgency in his voice if they had found the others.

“Call me back when you know what it is.”

The leader ended the call without responding then stepped out of the room. After summoning the other man out of the study, the two marched off to another part of the house.

Carmen relaxed her body. She’d been poised to shoot but was relieved it wouldn’t be necessary. As long as there was no one stationed at the front of the house, she should be able to slip away without being seen. She counted to thirty then opened the door and stepped out into the room. She paused at the door and listened. She heard voices, but they were some distance off.

Satisfied she was alone, Carmen moved to the front door and slipped out into the night.

“This way,” Zane whispered as he led Carmen and Amanda silently through the trees. Zane had been shocked to hear Carmen’s news about Emily but was thankful she might have been delivered into their hands. The news had shifted their priority from getting off the mountain to rescuing her.

For now, Zane’s goal was to get to a place where they could view the vehicles parked in front of the house. Ahead was a row of bushes that would fit the bill. He slowed his pace and crouched behind the foliage. Carmen and Amanda settled in to his right.

“Ten o’clock.” Carmen pointed toward the drive in front of the house.

Zane peered through the tangle of branches. Three black SUVs rose out of the fog about fifty yards away. All faced downhill, which was standard procedure in any type of intelligence or military operation. Always be prepared to depart quickly.

He retrieved a monocular from his pants pocket and lifted it to his right eye. He adjusted the focus ring then began a systematic examination of the vehicles.