Part 42 (1/2)

'And who, may I ask, watches your backs?' del Piero shot back.

'Jack West Jr,' Wizard said firmly.

'Hmm, the famous Captain West,' del Piero nodded. 'Although following his exploits in Paris yesterday, I fear you might be a little behind on current events. Your friend, Mr West, turned up in southern Iraq today, where he uncovered no less than the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.'

'Go Jack...' Zoe said.

But Wizard frowned. He didn't know about West's last-gasp mission to Iraq-nor was he aware of its origins in the American ambush in Kenya and the loss of the Zeus Piece, Big Ears and Doris.

'I hate to dampen your celebrations, Ms Kissane,' del Piero said, 'but I fear Captain West encountered an American force of nearly 10,000 men in Iraq. What actually happened, I do not know. All I know from our intercepts is that they clashed.'

'And...' Wizard couldn't hide his concern.

Del Piero threw Wizard a transcript of a communications intercept-an intercept that was only fifteen minutes old. It read:

TRANS INTERCEPT.

SAT BT-1009/03.19.06-1445.

A44-TEXT TRANSMISSION.

FROM:.

UNKNOWN SOURCE/AIRBORNE ORIGIN (IRAQ).

TO:.

UNKNOWN DESTINATION, MARYLAND (USA).

VOICE 1 (JUDAH): Haritha mission is a success. We have the H-G piece in our possession, Haritha mission is a success. We have the H-G piece in our possession, and the girl and the girl. En route to Egypt now. Will arrive Luxor 0200 hours local time, 20 March. Imperative that we be there at dawn to take measurements through the remaining obelisk at Luxor Temple.VOICE 2 (USA): What of this coalition of small nations? What news of them? What of this coalition of small nations? What news of them?VOICE 1 (JUDAH): Encountered them at the H-G. Met with minimal resistance. West dead. Data from biometric tracer chip in his cerebellum confirms this. Is the next stage ready? Encountered them at the H-G. Met with minimal resistance. West dead. Data from biometric tracer chip in his cerebellum confirms this. Is the next stage ready?VOICE 2 (USA): It is. The Egyptian Government has been informed of your impending arrival in Luxor. They are being most co-operative, albeit for a price. The platform at Giza has been erected to your specifications and the entire plateau has been closed to the public under the guise of repair work. It is. The Egyptian Government has been informed of your impending arrival in Luxor. They are being most co-operative, albeit for a price. The platform at Giza has been erected to your specifications and the entire plateau has been closed to the public under the guise of repair work.VOICE 1 (JUDAH): Thank you. Recommend operation continue from here in utmost secrecy. Have only a small force meet me in Luxor to carry out the mission there: 100 men, no more. We do not want to attract too much attention. Thank you. Recommend operation continue from here in utmost secrecy. Have only a small force meet me in Luxor to carry out the mission there: 100 men, no more. We do not want to attract too much attention.VOICE 2 (USA): It will be done. It will be done.

Wizard's face fell as he gazed at the terrible words: 'West dead'.

'The Americans have too much confidence,' del Piero said, stepping forward.'When they arrive in Luxor, their 100-man force will encounter a European force three times that size. You can mourn the loss of Captain West another time, Max, for your part in this drama is not yet done-I still have another use for you.

'It is time for you to join me on the final leg of this journey, a journey that will end with Alexander fulfilling his destiny. It is time for us to meet this American force in Egypt and steal its Pieces. It is time to go to Luxor.'

THE PRIESTS' ENTRANCE, HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON.

EAST OF HARITHA, IRAQ.

19 MARCH, 2006, 1800 HOURS LOCAL TIME.

(1400 HOURS IN FRANKFURT).

1 DAY BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF TARTARUS.

An hour earlier.

As the stalact.i.te containing the Hanging Gardens of Babylon crashed down onto the ziggurat underneath it, down in the tunnels of the Priests' Entrance, Jack West and Pooh Bear were running headlong down a long stone pa.s.sageway whose roof was caving-in caving-in close behind them! The collapsing roof seemed to be chasing after them like the chomping jaws of an ever-gaining monster. close behind them! The collapsing roof seemed to be chasing after them like the chomping jaws of an ever-gaining monster.

As soon as he'd heard the impacts of Judah's missiles. .h.i.tting the Gardens, West had realised Judah's intention.

'He's trying to crash the Gardens onto us!' he said to Pooh Bear. 'Run! Run! Run!'

And so they'd bolted. Fast, with Horus fluttering above them.

Down the vertical shaft of the Priests' Entrance-avoiding some traps along the way-until it had opened onto this horizontal pa.s.sageway.

Then the stalact.i.te had landed on the ziggurat and the structure had started collapsing behind them-which was how West, Pooh Bear and Horus came to be here now, hurdling traps, running in total desperation from the collapsing ceiling and crus.h.i.+ng death.

It was also why they almost ran right into the next trap.

It came upon them with startling suddenness-a narrow but exceedingly deep pit with hard blackstone walls and a quicksand floor. In fact, though much smaller, it was very similar to the first quicksand pit they had traversed earlier: their entrance was right up near the ceiling, opposite a matching exit on the far side; a set of about thirty handrungs joined the two openings.

One big difference, however, was the intricate engravings on the walls of this pit. They were covered covered with images of snakes-and in the very centre of the main wall, one supersized image of a serpent wrapped around a tree. with images of snakes-and in the very centre of the main wall, one supersized image of a serpent wrapped around a tree.

'Ningizzida, the serpent-G.o.d...' West said, seeing the serpent image. 'The Pit of Ningizzida...'

But then movement caught West's eye and he saw a figure standing in the far exit doorway having just traversed the pit.

The figure turned, saw West, and grinned meanly.

It was Mustapha Zaeed.

West glanced from the collapsing tunnel behind him to Zaeed.

'Zaeed! What's the sequence of the handrungs!'

Zaeed eyed West slyly. 'I fear I have run out of advice for you, Captain! But I thank you for breaking me out of Guantanamo Bay. You have enabled me to continue on my quest for the Capstone. Although I will give you one piece of knowledge that I imagine the good Professor Epper neglected to tell you: for Tartarus to be tamed, your girl must be sacrificed. Thank you and goodbye. You are on your own now!'

And with that, the terrorist vanished, disappearing down his pa.s.sageway, leaving West and Pooh Bear stuck on their ledge, with their collapsing tunnel rus.h.i.+ng forward fast!

'Huntsman!' Pooh Bear urged. 'What do we do?'

West spun, saw the collapsing tunnel behind them.

It was certain death to stay here.

He turned to see the wide deep pit before him, the Pit of Ningizzida, and a flas.h.i.+ng memory raced across his mind, a page from the n.a.z.i diary: BUT BEWARE THE PIT OF NINGIZZIDA.