Part 32 (1/2)

The slab beneath him:the thought of it made him sick, picturing all the previously crucified Ethiopian men lying immediately below him, crushed between dozens of piled up slabs.

”Goodbye, Huntsman,” Wolf intoned, as the slab cut him off from Jack's view. ”You really were a good soldier, a true talent. Believe me when I say that it's a terrible shame.

We could have fought together and we would have been unbeatable. But now, because of the choices you've made, like the spider of your namesake, you must be crushed. Good bye, my son.”

The slab came fully across the pit, and as Jack shouted, ”No!” the team of Ethiopian draggers withdrew the wooden rollers holding it poised above the pit and suddenly the great slab fell, fell a full twenty feet-down into the pit, its hard edges skimming against the pit's walls, down toward Jack West Jr.-before it hit the bottom with a shockingboom that echoed throughout the mine.

WOLF GAZED down at the stone slab that had just crushed his son to death. The slab had landed askew, as it did when it landed on a human body. Over the coming days it would slowly sink down farther on Jack West Jr.'s body, flattening it.

Then with a shrug Wolf turned on his heel and walked toward the gantry elevator that led out of the mine. Mao, Rapier, and Switchblade followed.

Astro, however, did not.

He wobbled on his feet, drugged and dazed, held up by two Ethiopians who had been out of Jack's sight.

”Father,” Rapier said, indicating Astro. ”What do we do about him?”

Wolf stopped, gazed at Astro for a moment. ”A futile gesture from our enemies back in the US-a pitiful play from a weakwilled Administration that has thrown its lot in with these pathetic small nations. But there can be no evidence we killed American servicemen. Take him with us. When he recovers his senses, he gets a choice: he either joins us or he dies.”

”What about the other two?” Switchblade said softly. ”The Israeli sniper and Anzar al Abbas's fat second son.”

Wolf paused a moment. ”The Israeli is still upstairs?”

”Yes.”

”There is a considerable bounty on his head. Sixteen million dollars. The Mossad put it up after he refused to obey their orders at the Hanging Gardens. His fate is sealed: we return him to the Old Master and claim the reward. Sixteen million dollars is sixteen million dollars. Then that vengeful old b.a.s.t.a.r.d Muniz and the Mossad can torture him for as long as they like.”

”And Abbas's second son?”

Wolf looked back out over the grim mine complex.

On the other side of the vast s.p.a.ce, against the far wall, hung a small medieval cage, suspended above a wide pool of simmering liquid.

Imprisoned inside this cage, hanging ten feet above the dark pool, was Pooh Bear.

He was dirty, bloodied, and bruised from his tumble along the highway in Egypt, but alive. His hands were spread wide, held by manacles that were themselves attached to the bars of the cage.

The liquid in the pool beneath him was a mix of water and a.r.s.enic. While this wasn't technically a gold mine, occasionally the miners found traces of gold in the walls and they used the a.r.s.enicinfused liquid to separate it from the earth. They also used it to punish anyone caught hiding gold on his body-thieves would be lowered, inside the cage, into the pool where they would drown in the thick black liquid.

To the guards' great surprise, Wolf and his people didn't seem to care for the gold that was found and they happily allowed the guards to keep any that was unearthed by the slave miners.

No, Wolf and his minions cared for something else, something that according to an ancient legend lay buried somewhere within the towerlike stone structures that bounded the walls of the mysterious subterranean complex.

Wolf gazed at the pathetic figure of Pooh Bear, dangling in his cage above the deadly pool.

”Let the guards sacrifice him to their G.o.d. He is of no use to anyone anymore.”

And with those words, Wolf left.

He came to the gantry elevator, where he was met by two figures standing in the shadows there.

One of them stepped forward.

It was Vulture.

”American,” he said slyly to Wolf. ”My government grows impatient. You arrived at Abu Simbel too late and the Pillar got away. You knew our bargain: we get the First Pillar- with its reward-and you get the second one.”

”I know the bargain, Saudi,” Wolf said. ”You will get the First Pillar, but not before we have our hands on the Second. I know you, Vulture. I also know your methods: you've been known to abandon your allies when your ends have been achieved but not theirs.

And I want to know for sure that I have your allegiance for the entirety of this mission.

The First Pillar is not in our possession right now-Max Epper has it-but it is easily acquired. It's the Second that poses a more immediate problem.”

”Why?” Vulture said.

”Captain West's plane was last seen heading south into Africa. They're going for the Second Pillar, among the Neetha tribe in central Africa. But the Neetha are elusive.”

Vulture said, ”Epper thinks he can locate them.”

”So if we find him, we find the Neetha and their Pillar. This should suit the House of Saud, Vulture, for when we catch up with Epper, we get your Pillar. This is why you're going to help me now: call your government and get them to open their treasury and offer every African nation between Sudan and South Africa whatever it costs to hire their army and cover every road, river, and border in central Africa. With Huntsman dead and Wizard on the run, it shouldn't be hard to find him. It's time to shut them down.”

Wolf then stepped into the gantry elevator and accompanied by Mao, Rapier, and Switchblade, whizzed up the side of the mine, leaving Vulture and his companion there.

He exited the complex at ground level via an earthen doorway two hundred feet above the floor of the great cave.

As they strode out of the mine, Switchblade whispered to Wolf, ”Will the knowledge of Epper be enough to find the Neetha?”

Wolf kept walking. ”Max Epper is the world's leading authority in this field, and his conclusions thus far have matched our own. Should he stumble or die, it will be of little concern, we have our own studies to fall back on. Plus we have our own expert on these matters to aid us.”

Wolf stepped out into daylight-pa.s.sing several more Ethiopian guards on the way-to behold, seated and smiling in the back of his car, Miss Iolanthe ComptonJones, Keeper of the Royal Personal Records of the United Kingdom, last seen unconscious on the docks at Abu Simbel.

VULTURE and his companion remained at the base of the gantry elevator on the floor of the mine. Vulture's companion had requested a few additional moments here before they left.

The two of them strode across the mine floor and stopped before the lone cage suspended above the pool of a.r.s.enic.

Pooh Bear stood in the tiny medieval cage with his hands manacled, looking like a captured animal.

From his cage, he had not been able to see Vulture and his companion talking with Wolf at the elevator-so when he suddenly saw them approaching now, he mistook their presence for a rescue.

”Brother!” he cried.

Vulture's companion-Scimitar, Pooh's older brother-gazed up at Pooh Bear impa.s.sively.

Pooh Bear shook his bars. ”Brother, quickly, set me free! Before they return-”

”They will not be returning,” Scimitar said. ”Not for some time anyway. Not until this mine yields its secret.”

Pooh Bear froze, stopped shaking his bars.

”Brother, are you not here to release me?”