John Sneeden - The Hades Conspiracy

“And it’s in the direction we’re going?” Amanda asked.

“Yes.”

“Are we near the gate?” Reid asked.

Keiko shook her head. “We’re coming in from a different direction.”

Zane got everyone’s attention. “Have any of you seen Carmen?”

“We thought she was with you.” Pratt frowned.

Zane shook his head. “I saw her once. She was coming up behind, then she just disappeared.”

“Maybe she got past us,” Amanda said.

No one said a word. They knew it wasn’t even remotely possible. Zane looked back. The cave was dark, silent, foreboding. Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Her heart racing, Carmen rose to her feet. Her bad knee throbbed but provided some support. She couldn’t run, but she might be able to walk. She removed her pistol and focused on the shadows. Nothing moved, but a familiar foul stench had entered the space. It was putrid and nauseating, the worst scent that had ever invaded her nostrils. She didn’t know what death smelled like, but she imagined it was much like this.

The shadows moved. Carmen raised her pistol. She could see the creature. It had the shape and appendages of a man but was much bigger than any man she’d ever seen. It stood at least fifteen feet tall, all of it rippling muscle.

A memory surfaced in Carmen’s mind. Amanda stood over the sarcophagus in the temple, reciting a verse of Scripture: Og was a Nephilim, or at least a descendant of Nephilim . Is that what moved toward her now? A man of old?

The creature stepped forward, its features visible in the dim light. Its face was that of a man, and yet the structure was different, more menacing and wild. She lowered her gaze. A tattered robe hung over a pale but heavily muscled body. It had shaggy red hair and a thick beard that looked like it had been growing for centuries.

The giant gave a low, menacing growl, poised to attack.

Carmen assumed a shooter’s stance and placed her sights on the giant’s head. Normally, she used the soldier’s protocol: “twice in the chest and once in the head.” But in this case, she only had two 9mm rounds, and she doubted either could penetrate the mass of muscle and bone covering the giant’s chest. A head shot was likely the only thing that would bring it down, and even that needed to be well placed.

The giant stepped forward cautiously, its eyes on the gun. It seemed to sense it was something that could cause it harm.

Hit with an idea, Carmen hobbled back toward the place where her flashlight had fallen into the pit. She would make her stand at the ledge. If her bullets didn’t bring the giant down, at least she might be able to make the giant fall into the chasm.

Now in position, she steadied her pistol and focused on hitting her target. She visualized the bullet leaving the barrel of her gun, traveling through space, and penetrating the thick armor-like skull.

The giant moved quickly in her direction.

Carmen slid her finger over the trigger and drew in a deep breath. She had two shots to bring it down. She applied slight pressure to the trigger. Just as she was about to pull it, the giant came to a stop. Its head swiveled to the left. Its eyes narrowed as it looked at something behind her. Carmen thought about turning to see what it was then decided against it. She remembered how quickly the giant had lunged at her in the cave. It was much quicker than it looked.

Carmen heard movement behind her. Was it Zane? She thought about calling out but kept her focus on the target. If it was Zane, she’d know soon enough.

The giant growled deeply. Something was getting closer. And if the giant considered it a threat, that meant…

The crack of a gunshot echoed across the cavern. A hole opened in the giant’s chest, causing it to scream with rage. More gunshots followed the first. Rounds pelted the giant’s torso as an all-out assault began.

Shockingly, the giant continued forward into the barrage of bullets.

Carmen stole a glance back. Her eyes widened in surprise. At the far end of the chamber, a group of men were down on one knee, firing semi-automatic rifles. They wore baggy blue outfits, black gloves, and black boots.

The Swiss Guard.

A million questions entered her mind, but Carmen knew she didn’t have time to ponder the answers. Keeping her eye on the giant, she backed down the ledge. Not only would it get her out of the line of fire, but with only two rounds left, it would also get her closer to the protective cover of the gunmen behind her.

The giant bobbed and weaved, making it more difficult for the guards to hit its head. Its chest was a bloody pulp, and yet it didn’t slow down. Unless one of the shooters was able to make a head shot, this could be trouble.

The gunfire stopped.

Surprised, Carmen looked back at the guards. They parted, and a man stepped through. He was handsome and tall, with close-cropped blond hair and a fit body. Unlike the others, he was outfitted in black. Carmen had no doubt he was the team’s commander. As he continued forward, Carmen saw he carried one of her favorite weapons: a fully automatic Steyr TMP machine pistol. If that couldn’t bring the beast down, nothing would.

About fifteen feet away from his target, the commander lifted the weapon and unleashed a vicious spray of automatic gunfire. Bullets strafed the giant’s body from top to bottom. It screamed and stumbled backward. Showing no mercy, the commander pressed forward, focusing his fire on the giant’s upper torso and head. Losing blood and unable to move effectively, the giant backed away more quickly, guarding its head with its massive hands. The commander pressed on, clearly focused on finishing the job.

Carmen eased forward along the ledge, watching the spectacle play out in front of her. The giant was close to falling into the abyss. Whether the commander had done that on purpose or not, she couldn’t tell. Regardless, it was a positive development.

Several rounds finally pierced the giant’s hands, shredding its neck. It cried out, staggered, and teetered, barely able to stand. The commander stopped firing and approached to within a few feet. He directed the muzzle of the Steyr at the creature’s head then squeezed the trigger. There was a click, but no shot came forth. The giant lowered its hands and growled. Sensing an opening, it crouched, ready to spring. If it could somehow get its hands on the commander, the tide might turn in a horrifying way.

Two gunshots echoed across the cavern. The giant’s arms fell to its sides, revealing a gaping wound in its right temple. It teetered for a moment then fell backward into the pit.

Carmen lowered her pistol and looked at the blond commander.

“Thanks for giving me the honor.”

A loud boom echoed across the alcove. Then another. Roger Lawson checked his watch. It had been going on for some ten minutes. Something was on the other side of the gate, trying to get through. At first, he’d thought it was the escapees conducting a ruse to get them to open the gate, but as the pounding continued, he realized it couldn’t be them or anyone else. The blows were too powerful. Whatever hammered that wall was the size of an elephant.

Once it became clear the threat was lethal, Roger and his men had retreated to a nearby building. Rather than retreat with them, Viktor and his crazed followers had remained in the alcove. Strangely, they seemed to be ready to receive with open arms whatever was trying to come though. Roger wondered if Viktor hadn’t used his hocus pocus to conjure something out of the abyss.

As the pounding grew more intense, Roger turned to the senior guard at his side. “Has the C-Four been rigged?”