“The same Baal mentioned in the Bible?” Amanda asked. “The false idol worshiped in Canaan and Phoenicia?”
He nodded. “And don’t forget the slopes of Mount Hermon. He was worshiped there as well. In fact, the leadership of the Order claims to descend from some of those early adherents.”
“Why would they want the key?” Zane asked.
“My guess is it’s related to their reputed interest in pagan worship. I’ve read they have an apocalyptic worldview, so they may hope to usher in the end by opening this gate.”
“Which is probably why they want the map as well,” Carmen noted. “At this point, I think it’s safe to assume Pauling’s map shows the location of the gate.”
Roger pulled the pipe out of his mouth. “Didn’t you say you have a picture of it?”
“I have a digital copy.” Amanda picked up her tablet and searched for the image. A few seconds later, she found it and handed him the device. “Here it is.”
Roger took out his own phone. “Do you mind if I take a picture?”
“Not at all.”
After taking a photograph of the screen, Lawson set aside his phone and studied the image closely. “There is something about it that seems familiar, but I can’t quite place it.”
Camilla scooted her chair closer to his. The two sat silently for a long time, their eyes moving back and forth as they studied the image. At this point, it was hard to tell what either was thinking.
After several minutes, Camilla’s eyes seemed to widen slightly. “Oh, my heavens.”
“What?” Roger looked at his wife, who whispered something Zane couldn’t hear.
“You really think that’s it?” Roger asked.
“Look at the way it forks here.” Camilla pointed at something on the screen.
The last comment seemed to have an effect on him. He continued staring for a moment. “I think you might be right.”
Zane was already tired of the cryptic conversation. “Mind filling us in?”
“Until I get a chance to compare it to some other images we have, it’s impossible to know for sure,” Roger said. “But the map looks like a system of tunnels we’re familiar with.”
“It’s a partially excavated archaeological site here in Israel,” Camilla said. “It showed early promise but was later abandoned due to a lack of funding.”
“Where is it located?” Zane asked.
Roger and Camilla looked at each other, then Camilla answered, “That’s the interesting thing… The tunnels are located under Mount Hermon.”
Zane’s pulse quickened. An ancient order was trying to open the gate to hell. They had the key, and the only thing they needed was the location of the gate.
“The archaeologists didn’t find much in the tunnels. Therefore, many didn’t think they were significant.” Camilla looked at her husband. “But Roger and I always believed it held great significance. We just didn’t know what.”
“I’m not familiar with that site,” Amanda said. “Can you show me where it is on a map?”
“We can do better than that,” Roger said. “We can take you there.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Zane looked toward the horizon with a sense of dread. A wall of dark clouds moved in from the west like some giant curtain being pulled across the sun. The wind had picked up as well, blowing sand and debris across the highway. He hoped they’d reach the tunnels before the worst of the storm hit.
Carmen seemed to sense his angst. “The good news is we’re almost there. I’d say another hour or so.”
“Let’s hope it moves through fast.”
Carmen looked down at her phone. “Don’t think so. It’s a monster storm, and I think it’s going to sit for a while. The good news is it’s going to turn to snow in the higher elevations.”
“How is that good news?”
She shrugged. “I’d rather deal with frozen stuff than be soaking wet.”
“Are we there yet?” Pratt asked, enjoying how much the phrase irritated the senior operative.
Zane looked at Carmen. “Did we pick up some teenagers at the last stop?”
“Bite me,” Pratt retorted.
Zane stole a quick glance in the mirror. The rear of the CIA-owned cargo van was customized with leather seats and several light metal storage cabinets. All of the windows were outfitted with heavily tinted bulletproof glass. It was probably overkill for this operation, but Zane wasn’t about to argue with the arrangements the Agency had made on their behalf.
The group in the back seemed subdued. Amanda and Emily rested with their eyes shut, while Reid and Keiko watched the passing terrain in silence. Pratt was the only one moving around. At the moment, he was wiping down his Heckler & Koch pistol.
Zane turned his attention back to the road. A green Land Rover cruised a few car lengths ahead. Roger and Camilla Lawson were two of the occupants, along with the redhead Zane had seen in the hallway the night before. The mystery of her identity had been solved earlier in the day when they rendezvoused at a petrol station outside Jerusalem. Her name was Kimberly Blake. Roger had introduced her as the project manager of his digs, but her physique and steely gaze told Zane she probably provided security as well.
Roger was surprised to learn there were four other members of Zane’s team. At first, he seemed concerned he hadn’t been told, but after some interaction with the group, he appeared to be more at ease. Zane didn’t reveal Keiko’s identity. That was one of several things he’d held back. The robot wore thick clothing and a baseball cap she pulled down over her face. In addition, Carmen had given her strict instructions not to engage in conversation unless absolutely necessary.
“This is interesting.” Carmen stared at something on her phone. “There is a place called Banais at Caesarea Philippi. It’s a nature reserve now, but it used to be a Greco-Roman city in the time of Christ.” She traced something on the screen with a finger. “At the northern end of the reserve is an ancient site known as the Grotto of Pan. An ancient cult worshiped the Greek god Pan there. Anyway, the reserve sits against the foot of Mount Hermon, and there are a series of caves in the rocky slope there. Guess what they’re called?”
“The gates of hell,” Amanda answered. “Banais is where some believe Christ spoke those famous words about the gates of hell.”
“Maybe that’s where we’re going,” Carmen suggested.
Amanda shook her head. “No, I asked Roger last night. He said that’s a common belief, but the real caves — the ones that cut into the heart of the mountain — are located at higher elevations.”
“The pictures look really creepy,” Carmen said. “You can almost believe it’s the gate to hell.”
Zane leaned forward and looked up. The leading edge of the storm was directly overhead now. “We may be thankful to get inside those creepy caves if these clouds open up.”
A mixture of snow and rain began to fall as the two vehicles entered the farming community of She’ar Yashuv. The elevation would rise from here, meaning the precipitation would soon make a full transition to snow. Carmen was right, Zane thought. With the cold temperatures arriving, snow would be preferable to soaking rain.
After leaving She’ar Yashuv, the caravan passed through Caesarea Philippi then made its way up the southern end of the Hermon mountain range. Twenty minutes after beginning the ascent, Roger turned onto a rural route that cut west into the mountains. There was no traffic here. In fact, there seemed to be no life at all.
Brake lights shone ahead. The Land Rover was slowing.
“Looks like there’s a turnoff,” Emily said.
On cue, Roger turned left onto a dirt road that ran straight up the mountain. It was darker here, with cedars and pines closing in on both sides. Unfortunately, the road itself was sprinkled with potholes, and some of those were already covered with snow. Between the potholes and the steep ascent, Zane began to wonder if the van would make it. Much to his relief, the Land Rover came to a halt about a half mile up the slope. The climb was over. The road ended in a clearing, so Roger used the space to turn around and face the Land Rover downhill. Zane did likewise.