Carmen let out a long sigh and lay back down. She needed time to catch her breath. Thankfully, her knee wasn’t throbbing as badly as before, which she hoped was a good sign. Maybe it was just sprained. Once she’d had time to rest, she’d hobble to the far end and call out again. Surely, Zane and the others were looking for her.
A faint noise reached her ears from somewhere outside the cavern. She rose up one elbow, her senses on alert. Were the others already here?
She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Zane?”
There was no response, but she thought she heard another noise, this time a bit closer.
“Zane, is that you?”
If the others were out there, she needed to make contact. Her voice would help them negotiate the maze of caves. With a groan, she sat up. Hearing a sound behind her, she looked toward the place where she’d come in.
As she waited, the shadows shifted.
Something had entered the cavern.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Zane saw Emily stop, bend over, and place her hands on her knees. The sharp ascent, coupled with the irregularities in the floor, made the climb through the caves challenging, even for someone as fit as he was. When he reached Emily, her father was already at her side, an arm looped around her waist.
Zane rested her hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.” She stood up straight. “Just needed to catch my breath for a moment.”
“You sure?” Richard asked.
She nodded. “Yep, I just need to walk slowly for a few minutes.”
Zane wanted to maintain a fast pace, but with everyone experiencing dehydration and exhaustion, he couldn’t push her. If she couldn’t run, she couldn’t run. They’d have to make do.
As Emily and her dad continued up the path, Zane looked back and frowned. Carmen hadn’t caught up yet. At one point, he’d heard her coming up behind. She should be here by now.
He cast aside any thought she might be too fatigued to keep up. She was an avid runner. In fact, she’d completed several marathons over the years. No, she wouldn’t lag due to any physical limitation. The only thing that might stop her was a twisted ankle. But if that were the case, why hadn’t she called him?
He lifted his hands to his mouth. “Carmen!”
No response.
He tried again. “Carmen, are you there?”
Silence.
Maybe she’d passed him when he stopped to help Emily. It didn’t seem possible. Then again, nothing else did either. He should at least make sure she hadn’t slipped. If she hadn’t, he’d need to organize a search. This place was a maze, and the longer they waited, the lower the odds of finding her.
He turned and ran up the path. The cave leveled off a few minutes later. Keiko and the others waited for him.
As he drew near, Keiko was talking to Amanda. “According to my positioning system, we’re now level with the city.”
“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.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
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 protococlass="underline" “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.