Keiko shook her head. “No movement of any kind.”
“Okay, come with me. Everyone else, stay here.”
The two moved slowly through the trees until they drew even with the Land Rover. Seeing no one around, Zane crossed to the vehicle and carefully tried the doors. All were locked. Not only that, he couldn’t see any weapons inside. He was mulling the possibility of breaking a window when he noticed a van parked two cars ahead.
Just the kind of vehicle you’d keep weapons in.
He motioned for Keiko to follow him forward. Having the humanoid with him was like having a permanent security team in place. If someone approached, she’d know it.
Zane grabbed the van’s back door handle and pulled. To his relief, it was unlocked. The interior light came on. He immediately hopped in and turned it off manually.
He looked back at Keiko. “Give me some light.”
She extended her hand, and a soft blue beam shone from a finger. Not only would it allow him to work with both hands, but the dim luminescence would draw less attention than a flashlight. He opened a metal cabinet. Bingo! Half a dozen pistols were stacked inside, as well as ten or so magazines. He grabbed four of the guns and two magazines for each. He handed one of the pistols to Keiko then scooted out and closed the door behind him.
After slipping back into the woods, Zane signaled the others to come forward. When they arrived, he passed guns and magazines to Carmen and Amanda.
“From here on, we only speak when necessary,” he whispered. “If you see or hear anything, let me know.”
As they slipped through the trees, Zane watched for movement. He was concerned they hadn’t come across any sign of security. He’d seen the order’s assault team operate in Venice and in Menaggio. They were professionals, and professionals always established a perimeter. They needed to find it before it found them.
Ahead, Zane saw the woods coming to an end. A clearing opened just beyond.
Keiko leaned her head close to him. “I hear voices, but they’re still some distance away.”
“Can you pick up the conversation?” Zane asked.
She shook her head. He’d figured as much. Zane led the group over to a clump of bushes. It was a good place to take cover while they determined their next move.
Carmen crouched next to Zane. “Let’s you and I get closer and see what we’re dealing with. Keiko and Amanda can stay here and watch Emily. No sense in getting her in too deep right now.”
“Excellent point.”
After informing the others of their plan, Zane tapped Carmen’s shoulder and pointed to several large pines. “Let’s rendezvous there and scan the clearing for patrols.”
“Copy that.”
After giving the signal, the two walked forward in a crouched position. Zane settled behind one of the pines and peered around the trunk. The clearing opened up in front of them. There was no movement of any kind. Still no security. The whole thing smelled like a trap, but there was nothing substantive to justify those fears. At least not yet. For now, he was going to have to rely on his senses to keep him safe.
Zane gave Carmen the signal to proceed. He would give her a few seconds then follow. She rose and stepped out from behind the tree. As she started forward, something caught Zane’s eye — a soft light low to the ground. His brow furrowed.
Then he realized exactly what it was. He called out for Carmen to stop, but he feared it was too late.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Carmen froze at the sound of Zane’s voice. Was a patrol coming? She turned her head and looked back at him. He seemed to be staring at something on the ground in front of her. Maybe she was about to step into a hole. She faced forward but saw nothing that would indicate trouble.
“Down and to your right,” he whispered.
While keeping her body still, she turned her head to the right. She saw a flash of bright color through the foliage. As her focus sharpened, a tiny red light appeared on the trunk of a nearby pine. Motion-sensor detector. No wonder there weren’t patrols walking through the woods.
Carmen eased back as Zane came and stood next to her. He crouched and drew a line in the thin layer of snow. After he finished, he stood and leaned in close to her. “The laser should be about six inches in front of that line and two feet off the ground.”
“We going over or under?”
“I’m going under,” he answered. “Too easy to slip in the snow.”
“I’ll go first.” Carmen lowered onto her belly and slithered forward through the snow. Just to be safe, she continued for several feet before standing.
After Zane came through, they both crept to the forest edge and settled behind two bushes. Carmen parted the branches. The land sloped downward from there, forming a bowl-shaped ravine. At the bottom of the hill were the crumbled ruins of another temple complex. It almost seemed like a carbon copy of the last one.
“Look.” Zane pointed past the ruins.
Carmen lifted her gaze. A row of thick cedars stood on the other side, and beyond it, a towering rock wall. Between the two, she saw the faint glow of light.
“That must be where the tunnel entrance is.”
“If we can somehow get over to those cedars then—”
Zane grabbed her shoulder and pulled her down. Carmen remained still. The sound of voices carried up from the ravine.
“Ten o’clock,” Zane whispered.
Carmen looked up. About thirty yards away, she saw the red glow of a cigarette. Two men with rifles slung over their shoulders walked past the ruins. Their conversation continued as they disappeared to the right.
“This might be our only chance for a good look,” Zane said. “Let’s go.”
The two rose and sprinted down the slope. As they passed through the ruins, Carmen kept her eyes peeled for movement. That might not be the only patrol. In fact, the ruins would be the perfect place to set up watch. A minute later, they entered the row of cedar trees on the other side. Now out of view, they dropped on all fours and crawled through the tangle of limbs. The light was brighter here, and the sound of voices reached their ears.
When they reached the other side, Carmen’s eyes widened in surprise. A large camp was assembled on the plateau in front of the rock wall. Dozens of men and women in gray ceremonial robes moved around under portable pole lights, hoods pulled over their faces. Many gathered around tables stacked with an assortment of caving gear: helmets with headlamps, rope, picks, oxygen tanks, and ladders. Armed guards walked the perimeter.
Zane tapped Carmen on the shoulder and pointed. Men with lights and equipment moved in and out of an open crevice at the base of the wall. Carmen found herself staring at a group of men at the right of the entrance. One man towered above the others. His hood was off, exposing wispy blond hair and thin, sallow face. While the others talked, his cold eyes surveyed the activity around him. At one point, he seemed to look toward the trees. Carmen drew back.
“Do you see Connor and James?” she asked.
He shook his head and pointed at a tent off to the left. “If I had to guess, I’d say that’s—”
He was cut off by a voice bellowing out of a bullhorn. “Please make your final preparations. We enter in thirty minutes.”
“They’re going in,” Carmen whispered.
“I’m guessing they’ll take the prisoners in with them, which means we need to enter as well.”
“No chance.” She nodded toward the guards hovering around the entrance. “I count at least two dozen security personnel, and all of them are heavily armed. My guess is they’ll leave a few outside to make sure the entrance is protected.”
“That won’t matter,” Zane said, “because we’re not going to use force.”