Babel Found (19 page)

The Kur

“What happened to the tower, how did it fall?” I ask, following Terra for what must be thirty minutes now. We’ve turned a few times, walking in silence, slowly making our way to a place called the Citadel
.
The underground portion of the structure must be utterly massive. Even if I was to try and make a run for it, I’d get terribly lost and eventually starve. I’m an unwilling captive, being led to my slaughter by an unwilling captor.

“I don’t know.”

Really?
“Do you know anything?”

She wheels on me, making the ground around us rumble a little.
Good one, idiot.

“Why would I know anything about the realm of my master? Do you think he would tell us anything? Do you think Thoth would speak of it after setting up his
perfect
kingdom?”

The finger quotes around the word “perfect”
tells me An’tala wasn’t everything I’ve been told. I’m not a hundred-percent sure I can believe Terra, but so far she’s been more than willing to talk.

“Tell me about An’tala,” I say, “From your perspective. I only know what Thoth and the priests have told me. You seem to think there is more.”

Her chin falls. “I’m not sure you want to hear it.” Her face lifts and meets mine again. “I’m not sure you’ll like what I have to say.”

Interesting…

“Go ahead,” I say, motioning for us to sit.

She concedes her stance and sits. It’s easy to see the struggle she’s going through mentally. Even the immortal need a mental breather occasionally.

“Only for a moment,” she says, not wanting to keep Enki waiting. “Also, I’m not sure you need that here.” She points to my still lit hand. “It gets quite bright the closer we get to our destination.”

Trusting her, I extinguish my flame and notice the corridor only loses about half its light. The walls are giving off a soft ambiance.

“Orichalcum?” I ask.

“Not entirely,” she replies. “I can sense some of the more common minerals as well, but whoever was actually responsible for building this place, laced the walls closest to the Citadel with it. I think that’s what gives the Kur some of its magic.”

“And why you can’t fully control it,” I add.

She nods, staying silent again. She then sits up, getting as comfortable as she can. “About An’tala.”

“What about it?”

“While most of it was very glamorous and what you might call
ritzy
, not all of it was. There were sections of it that were kept secret from the major populace.”

I’d have to imagine she isn’t talking about the cave that held the pyramid. I already know about that. Plus, I remember the vision of the families below the earth too. People knew about that for sure.

Maybe the lower cave that held his prison—beneath the pyramid?

“It wasn’t so much any of the people within the city that were the problem, but the one ruling it.”

“Thoth?”

She nods. “He isn’t what you think.”

I’m about to interject my feelings towards the subject, but stop.

“You asked me before, why he would need bodyguards—protectors. He had all the gifts, right? He should have been able to use them to safeguard the city.”

“Yes,” I say, intrigued, “he should have.”

“It was the Order of An’tala.”

“The Order?” I ask.

“His advisors.”

“What about them?” I ask. I also recall the statues encircling the necropolis’ courtyard. At first, I thought they were other kings, maybe they’re actually those of other
royalty.
They’d be like senators or governors now, I guess.

“Thoth became bored with ruling a single kingdom. He wanted more. He wanted to expand his empire, but the council that helped oversee the city was against it. They were content with living what they thought was a peaceful existence in paradise.”

“They turned on him?”

“More or less,” she replies. “There was much unrest within An’tala and Thoth ordered it stay hidden, stating that it didn’t concern the people. He wanted to expand, but not if the result was civil war. Not even Thoth wanted that.”

“It would only destroy what he created,” I say, putting some of the pieces together.

“Quite so,” she agreed. “So while the three loyal priests patrolled the city, looking for anything suspicious, the Order called upon their own help. Someone that wanted nothing more than to take down Thoth.”

“Your exiled father,” I say in shock. “Thoth’s own advisors hired Nannot to bring down An’tala?”

“No,” she replies, shaking her head, “they only wanted to unseat the throne, not flatten the kingdom. If they could rid themselves of Thoth, they could go about with their normal lives. They didn’t trust that Thoth was content. They knew he’d eventually bring it up again.”

My eyes go wide. “The Order unknowingly gave your father, and therefore Enki, an opening. If only they knew Nannot’s true intentions.”

She nods. “My father drew the priests out to the coast, while Enki went for the serpent’s head.”

Now, I’m lost…and Terra must see it.

“Let’s go back to the building of the tower for a moment.”

“Okay?” I ask.

She smiles. “Trust me. It’ll all make sense soon.”

I sit back against the wall and motion for her to continue.

“Enki and Thoth are more closely intertwined than just the great tower and An’tala. They are also linked in here.” She taps her head. “When Thoth ingested the ground up stone—the orichalcum—he opened a mental link to Enki. It allowed my master to manipulate Thoth into constructing the foundation over a seemingly out-the-way site.”

My shoulders shudder a little. “It’s how I spoke to Thoth. I let him in and accepted his request.”

Sorrow fills her face. She obviously didn’t know that part.

“It’s how we can speak to Enki as well. When we were at our weakest and most vulnerable, we gave in and gave him permission to enter our minds—my father did the same.”

A thought enters mine. “Do you think Enki will force his way into my head—other than to speak to me I mean? Will he be able to control me?”

“I’m not sure,” she says, “but it doesn't help that you also had a link to someone that he also had one with. I’m not sure if it makes you more vulnerable or not. I don’t think it matters much anymore.”

“Why is that?”

“If what he has planned for you is true…” She hugs her arms.

“What?” I plead. “What is it?”

“All I know is that the Source Stone has another use.”

“And that is?”

“If you break its connection, you become a part of it, like him.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

She stands. “It means that your mind will open up and become one with the cosmos surrounding this planet. His is the same, but he needs another. It will multiply the computing power of your merged brains, giving Enki access to everything the Earth has to offer. You are the only human being on this planet with your abilities, Hank. Through you and you alone, he will be able to annihilate the world if he so chooses.”

“Why would he want that?” I ask. “Doesn’t he want to reign over the Earth and not destroy it? His name—Enki—means exactly that.”

She breathes in deep again, clearly uncomfortable. “He needs to be released from here, correct?”

I shrug. “So says you.”

“What if I told you that that doesn’t necessarily mean that he needs to be released from the Kur? What if that means he needs to be released from this planet?” She pauses and collects herself. “In order for that to happen, he needs more energy than the stone itself can provide. Like how rockets blast into orbit. Only this one isn’t your typical model.”

“I don’t follow.”

“The stone provides the means, but it doesn’t have a fuel source to provide the energy to do so. It needs a kick start—a boost—to engage its full potential, especially with it buried underneath millions of tons of rock and earth.”

“Full potential?” I ask myself aloud, thinking back to what Susan had said.

Now it’s her turn to look surprised at my reaction. “You’ve heard that before, haven’t you?”

I nod. “Susanoo said that to me once. I just assumed he meant my gifts, but now I’m not so sure.”

“He was half right,” Terra says, “but there is also another meaning behind it.”

I wait silently for her to continue.

“You, Mr. Boyd, are the fuel source.”

“Me?” I ask, confused and shocked all at once.

“Yes, you. Your unique DNA will allow you to connect with the Citadel and draw in the Earth’s raw power and transfer it to the Source. It’s your
full potential.
You’ll have the ability to control all of the Earth’s elements—like Thoth, but on a grander scale. It’s why he needs your human body. Something within it is missing in his. It’s what keeps him imprisoned.” Her eyes lower. “Once Enki has what he needs, he will be able to leave.”

My science fiction fanboy mind takes over and I go through outcome after farfetched outcome, thinking of everything I’ve ever watched or read. Literally dozens of results flow through my mind—none of them good. But one eventually slams home, making me collapse back against the wall.

I lean forward, my head between my knees and breathe, trying not to vomit at the revelation. I glance up, my lower lip quivering, and see Terra watching me. She has a look of understanding on her face. She knows that I’ve figured it out.

“I know what the Citadel is—the Source Stone too...” I say, trailing off into thought.

“Yes,” Terra says, “and I’m afraid it isn’t good for any of us if Enki gets what he requires.”

I look down the hall. “Me…” But then I think of Ben and the rest of the world.

Shit
, I think.
I don’t want to be a hero again. I just want to live a normal life. Nicole… Kids… A house with a stupid picket fence. The whole damn shebang.

“Take me to him,” I decide, grinding my teeth. “I need to confront your master and deal with this—here and now.”

“You won’t survive,” she warns, almost pleading for me to run.

I shake my head. “Won’t matter. Regardless if the Citadel becomes fully operational or not, we’re screwed either way as a whole with your siblings running around. I…” I trail off, not wanting to say the next words, “I’m our only hope.”

“Why don’t you leave and save yourself?” she asks. “Delay Enki and fight from afar.”

It could work, but it would go against every moral fiber that resides inside of me—my makeup. Dad’s makeup.

Ben…

I point down the dimly lit corridor. “My friend is in there. The least I can do is try to help him.” I step forward. “I have a feeling that no matter what happens, a lot of people—my team included—may die tonight.” I turn and look at her, my resolve completely recharged and in full gear. “I need to do what I can—no running. I need to stop Enki before he either takes over the world, or just plain destroys it.”

Iraqi Airspace

Nicole sat, decked out from head to toe in black, waiting impatiently to leap from the C-130 transport plane. She didn’t care about falling thousands of feet to the ground before popping a chute, she didn’t even care about the possibility of resistance waiting for them on the ground. All she thought about was getting to Hank.

“Okay,” she heard Kane shout, yelling over the absurdly loud engines. He spoke to eight other men and her, detailing again exactly what they were after. “We are looking for an entrance into the Eridu ruins. As ridiculous as it sounds, it’s an entry that may not have been there yesterday—”

“Or even a few hours ago,” Nicole said, speaking for the first time since take off. She’d been thinking nonstop about ripping the master’s throat out and feeding it to a wild dog.

“How is that possible?” one of the men asked.

“You saw what happened on the ground, didn’t you Davey?”

The soldier nodded.

“That’s the only explanation that matters.”

She was impressed with how Kane was handling things. He was leading eight of the finest men into the unknown and doing it with bravado. In another setting, it would have been impressive, but right now, it was just another thing on her
Do Not Care
list
.

She glanced over to Kane, who was sitting directly across from her. His jaw was clenched and his eyes burned. When she felt hopeless and lost…he looked like the volcano on the inside was about to burst. They each had their faults. She was unraveling…and so was he. She with depression…and Kane with unbridled rage.

Nicole reached out a hand and patted one of his, calming the beast inside the mountain. She needed Kane to be thinking rationally and strategically. She had no concerns with the rest of the men around them, knowing they would be able to handle themselves. No, she needed Kane to be coherent for
her
own good. She’d already lost so much. She didn’t need to lose Kane too.

His eyes softened a bit and he breathed in heavy. Nicole actually smiled at the simple gesture of understanding and released her partner’s hand.

He nodded and continued his briefing. “Once we hit the ground, do it running. Find cover and wait for my go signal.”

Eight heads nodded as they checked their weapons again, making sure everything was in working order. Weapon malfunctions out here could mean your death. She now understood where Kane got his over-preparedness as she watched the other soldiers. It was something that would always be a part of Kane, she decided.

Probably a good thing with all the trouble we get into.

“Ten minutes until drop!”
a voice yelled over the plane’s intercom.

“Get ready!” Kane shouted, holding out a hand.

Nicole took it and stood, gripping the hilt of her retrieved knife. She frowned as she squeezed harder, recalling how she plunged it into, and through, the base of Susanoo’s neck. His body was found by divers, shriveled up into a husk. They pulled the weapon from his flesh and brought it back with the body. Then, they burned what was left of the demigod, burying his ashes in the desert.

But was he really dead…or was his black-hearted soul somewhere out there still?

She knew they may never know the answer to that question and it infuriated her. Not only was she used to having most of life’s answers, but she was also used to figuring out the ones she couldn’t. This may be one of those rare times she would stay in the dark about things.

Like Tomas’ death…until Frost showed up.

It ate at her for almost five years, wondering why he was killed. Was it really just to steal what few valuables they uncovered in Spain, or was it for something more? It actually ended up being for both reasons in that case.

Then to her surprise, she nearly threw herself at Hank upon meeting him. There was something about him from the start. He was goofy, yet charming. He was the exact opposite of Tomas, who was somewhat romantic, but unspontaneous. She blamed his strict upbringing and off-the-charts IQ. Sometimes, he couldn’t take a hint unless it hit him square in the face.

Hank definitely likes to keep things moving and, in turn, me guessing.

But she loved him for it. And she knew it really was love. She’d only felt this strong for one other man in her life and she married him. Hank was undeniably one of a kind.

“Ready?”

She nodded at Kane, blinking out of the memories. “As ready as I can be.”

“Look…” he said, holding out her rifle. “Same as before. Point and click. If they have a gun and it’s pointed at you—”

“Don’t hesitate,” she finished, nodding again. She then released the magazine, double-checked it and quickly slammed it home.

“For Hank and Ben,” Kane said.

“For everyone,” Nicole corrected.

“True enough,” he said smiling. “Just like old times, huh?”

She nodded. “Unfortunately, yes… Just like old times.”

“Sixty seconds!”
the voice boomed again, getting them moving towards the rear of the plane.

The large entry ramp began to open and fold down, allowing them a glimpse of the nighttime sky. It was a beautiful, yet foreboding sight and the increased hum of the engines the same.

It was like when she fell asleep after getting her latest MRI. The monotonous drone of the machine had lulled her into a forty-minute nap. She could have probably done the same here now, especially with how tired she was. Hank called the ability to sleep anywhere a gift and with his lack of it since Algeria, she began to agree with him.

I’m coming…

“Ten seconds!”

A hand squeezed Nicole’s shoulder as she inched forward, closer to the ramp’s edge. The night sky wasn’t looking so pretty anymore. She’d parachuted a couple of times in years past, but never without an instructor, and never at night into a potential battleground. And a battleground was a possible scenario for them all.

Let’s hope not.

“Zero! Go, go, go!”

Without thinking, Nicole took two large strides and leapt into nothingness. The only sound she could hear outside of her helmeted head was the buffeting of wind as she returned to Earth. She could fight a lot of things in life, but gravity wasn’t one of them. As she fell, she could barely make out the large figure to her left. By the man’s size, she assumed it was Kane. He was doing everything possible to stay with her. A few seconds later the person came closer into view. She relaxed when saw the familiar battle suit.

Definitely him.

They continued to fall for what felt like minutes but was something far less than that. Free-falling at terminal velocity for long periods of time could do that.

She looked at the altimeter on her wrist and watched as it neared the targeted height. When she reached it, she and each of the other jumpers pulled on their paracords. Each was immediately yanked back, their descent stalled by their pluming chutes. As she was instructed, Nicole quickly found the steering handles—also known as
brakes—
hanging above her and began to guide herself in line with the others.

Through her night-vision, she could see a large black mass rising up to meet her. She knew what it was from their photo recon. If she held true, Nicole was about to land atop the temple ruins. While normally she’d have actually preferred to land on the high ground, this was actually the last place she wanted to be right now. Not only would she stick out, but the rest of the team, Kane included, were to land on the western side. She wasn’t exactly ready to be on her own yet.

So instead, she pulled on one of the brakes and turned left, heading to the western edge of the ancient city’s ruins, seeing three other figures in front of her. At least she wasn’t alone.

Touching down wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be. She stayed loose like Kane had said, but still jammed her ankle, twisting it as she rolled to a stop. A pounding of boots made its way over to her and when she looked up she saw the same large body from before.

“You better not be laughing.”

She heard a muffled response and figured it was him clamping his jittering jaw shut. She shook her head. Even in the face of danger the man had time to laugh it up. These Special Forces guys really were a
special
bunch.

“Crazy bastards,” she mumbled to herself.

Kane helped her up as she detached the chute and harness. As the rig fell to the ground, she swiftly pulled her assault rifle and scanned the darkened desert around them. It was eerily quiet and it made Nicole’s skin crawl.

“What are we looking for exactly?” one of the men asked in her head. They were all tuned to the same frequency, making it easy to stay in touch via tactical throat mic. All they’d have to do was whisper, simple as that. Kane and she also had their NVS glasses on too so they could also communicate with whatever members of
their
team were still in the network. They’d see as they did.

“We’re looking for a big ass hole,” Kane said, getting a snicker out of a few of the men. “Seriously, though. Hank was swallowed by a big hole in the ground—perfectly round. It just appeared beneath him like—”

Nicole watched as another hole suddenly opened up beneath her friend. Kane disappeared inside of it just as Hank did, sending her into an equally horrified panic. She screamed his name and dove to the edge of the hole, gripping its rim as she froze, waiting for it to close. But it didn’t. Instead, she shakily leaned over and looked down seeing Kane laying on the ground below. He was about ten feet beneath her, cussing up a storm.

“Found it,” he announced, sitting up and rubbing his shoulder.

One after the other, starting with Nicole, the entire team carefully jumped down and fanned out, securing the corridor they now found themselves in. Then, just like before, it closed, sealing them in tight. It didn’t take long for them to realize that entering the obvious trap wasn’t a good idea. The sounds of scurrying nails and shuffling feet echoed off the stone walls of the tunnel.

Nicole pointed her KRISS assault rifle into the darkness ahead. “We’re not alone.”