“Big deal. What in that book could possibly be more important than keeping me well informed?”
“Caves.”
“Great. Sort like the one we’re in now.” Tassos went back to looking out the window.
“Whoa, guys, take a look at this,” said Kouros.
“I wouldn’t think a Tinos guidebook would have that sort of picture,” said Tassos.
“Just listen. ‘A mile and a half east of the town is the prehistoric Vriokastro. Little is known about this site as the Greek government has refused all requests for permission to conduct archaeological explorations there. On its southern edge, centered on the apex of the mound, is a cave open to the sea to a depth of fifteen feet and accessible by foot or by boat.’”
“Do you think…” Tassos let his words trail off.
“That our suspect is living next door to what could possibly be the best hiding place on all of Tinos?” said Kouros.
“Accessible by land and boat,” said Andreas.
“And only a few hundred yards from the heliport,” said Tassos.
“His family has lived here for generations. He must know more about that mound than anyone else on the planet,” said Andreas.
“And they own all the property around it. Who’s to say what they’ve been doing with it over the last couple of centuries?” said Tassos.
“It would explain why there’s not a piece of electronic equipment in this place,” said Andreas.
“And where the sister is,” said Kouros.
“I think it’s time we take an evening stroll,” said Andreas
“The good news is it’s practically a full moon out there,” said Tassos.
“Good news for whom?” said Kouros
“Whoever shoots first,” said Andreas. “Check your vests and weapons. And easy on the flashlights. If we’re right about this, no way he’ll be happy to see us.”
Tassos shrugged. “Unless he’s been expecting us.”
They hid the car behind a tightly clustered row of bamboo about a quarter mile further east down the road from the Vriokastro and Trelos’ home. They walked back past the house to a sign on the left side of the road marking the official entrance to the historical site. A low stonewall of stacked flat stones ran along its border with the road. It would be easy to jump the wall at any point, and not just for goats and cats.
At the sign, a three-foot wide break in the wall opened onto an uneven dirt path lined by two-foot high stonewalls. The path was trampled down in the middle to no more than a foot-wide of packed dirt, bordered on each side by a foot of brush.
“Doesn’t look like this place gets a lot of traffic,” said Kouros.
“At least not of the two-footed kind,” said Tassos.
“Isn’t Tinos known for snakes?” whispered Kouros.
“That was the island’s name in antiquity, ‘the place of snakes,’” said Tassos, “But a miracle drove them away.”
“I don’t believe in miracles.”
“Then watch where you walk,” said Tassos.
“Keep it down, you two, I was kidding about this being a stroll.”
The path widened and narrowed erratically as it climbed amid what seemed endless rows of more low walls of flat stones. Some walls ran straight up the hill as if barriers to the sea, but most ran horizontal, creating plateaus of dirt that once were crop-yielding soil. Today those walls retained what bore little more than thistle and lizards.
The top of the mound looked to be twenty-five feet of solid stone, and the way up there was lined with a haphazard array of wind carved sculptures of unnatural shapes. Or so they appeared in the moonlight. By day they were boulders.
“We’re not going up there, are we?” whispered Kouros.
“No,” said Andreas. “If there’s a way into this thing from up there we’ll never find it in the dark. I’m heading to the sea. I want to see that cave. We might get lucky and find some way inside from there.”
“As if that will be any easier to do at night,” said Tassos.
“Why don’t you stay here and we’ll pick you up on the way back?” said Kouros.
“Not a chance.”
“As a matter of fact, that’s a good idea,” said Andreas. “Find a spot up the hill to keep an eye on us, and anyone who might come along while we’re inside. We’ll be sitting ducks in there.”
“More like fish in a barrel,” said Kouros.
“Okay,” said Tassos.
“Don’t fight so hard to come with us,” smiled Kouros.
“Stay safe guys. I’ll be here waiting and watching.”
Andreas handed Tassos a communicator. “I borrowed a pair from the Tinos boys, just in case.”
The moonlight made it easy to see, and the walls between them and a straight march to the sea were simple to get over. The most difficult part of the hike for Andreas was keeping his eyes on the ground in front of him so as not trip. It was hard to focus on the path with the Aegean spread out across the horizon, ablaze in shimmering silver. He wondered what Lila was doing at the moment. They’d not spoken all day.
“Chief.”
“What is it?”
“Off to the right, it looks like a goat path leading out to the rocks above the sea. The cave should be out that way, and if it has fresh water like the guidebook says some do, goats would know that.”
Andreas followed the path out onto the rocks. Tinos was legend for its constant winds. Thankfully, tonight was relatively calm, with no wind driven waves to soak the rocks.
“Yianni, I think it’s over there.” Andreas pointed down at an indentation about thirty feet away at the edge of the sea. “Careful going down, I don’t want to have to carry you back.”
The two crept along on what seemed no more than a ribbon of stone across a cliff face.
“The more I do this the more respect I have for goats,” said Kouros.
“Don’t make me laugh, it’s slippery.”
Andreas jumped the last five feet down to a stone shelf just outside the cave. “Careful when you jump.”
Andreas stopped at the mouth of the cave to wait for Kouros. He shone his light inside. The cave was broad and tall enough, and the floor deep enough below sea level, to easily accommodate a fast boat capable of making it to Athens, or anywhere else in the Mediterranean for that matter. Andreas inched inside the cave along a slippery ledge that led into a tiny alcove barely larger that a double-size phone booth. He shone his light on the roof, walls and ledges, and down into the water. Kouros stepped in next to Andreas and did the same inside the alcove.
“I don’t see anything that looks like an entrance,” said Andreas.
“Or a ventilation duct,” said Kouros. “In fact, I don’t see anything that looks unusual at all, not even a hole.”
“Yeah, isn’t that unusual. You’d think if the sea took such trouble to carve this cave into solid rock it wouldn’t suddenly stop its work right here. The water must beat the hell out of this place when the wind is blowing, but there’s not even the hint of a crevice beyond where we’re standing. And what about that fresh water you talked about? Those goats must be pretty disappointed after making the trek down here to come up dry.
“I think we better come back tomorrow with some people who know about caves and see that they think. I’ve a feeling this one’s been tinkered with.”
“That will really piss off all those archeologists trying to get in here. Why do you think the government is keeping them away? This seems an obvious spot for a dig.”
Andreas shrugged. “Who knows, but hopefully not because of Trelos’ influence.”
“More likely it’s the Foundation’s juice. Maybe it doesn’t want attention drawn away from its church? After all, this place probably honored ancient gods.”
“I doubt that’s why. You’ve got the excavated Temple of Poseidon on the other side of town, and that was pretty important back in the days of the gods. Doesn’t your guidebook say pilgrims stopped there to prepare themselves on their way to Delos?”
Kouros nodded. “Then what do you think is the reason?”
“An alien spaceship that our government doesn’t want anyone to find. Like the one the United States has been hiding for decades in one of its western states.”