Game of Secrets and Shadows (Book One in the Covert Operations series)

Fifteen

It was the longest descent of my life.

It was also the quickest.

When I hit the end of the line that led down into the catacombs, I found myself in the middle of a dimly-lit tunnel. There were lights spaced periodically along the stone walls, casting long shadows across the floor. For the most part, the catacombs were just large underground quarries made from limestone. The tunnels themselves formed a large, confusing labyrinth, and considering my limited time, I knew that I had to get moving quickly in order to find my brother before my time was up.

I swept the ray of light emanating from my flashlight across the walls where the dim lanterns didn't reach. The walls were coarse rock, nothing more. In all actuality, the catacombs looked to be little more than a collection of natural caverns. If I didn't actually know what was held within the depths here, I would never have guessed what really lied in the tomb.

There was only one way for me to go and so I began walking with quick steps. I was all too aware of the time running out before Scorpion killed my brother. With every step, I felt the weight of his life on my shoulders increase significantly until I thought that I might collapse under the responsibility.

But still, I pressed on.

The tunnels wound and twisted beneath the city, seemingly endless in their depths. They were almost suffocating, every bend and curve the exact same as the one before and no way of knowing if I was even on the right path. There were so many different caverns, all linked up in the same confusing maze, that I found myself just staying on the main path and not branching off of it.

They grew darker, gloomier, even though the lighting itself never changed. Hard rock was replaced by collections of skulls that lined the sides of the walls. Religious crosses were placed at indeterminable intervals. I felt the dead in the air around me, almost as if there were hundreds of them beside me and behind me, following me in my path to my brother. I felt the chill of their presence right down to my very bones.

And then, just when I thought that I could go no further, the tunnel opened up into a large cavernous space. The area had been hollowed out and makeshift seats had been formed from the limestone. In the corners, there were a few empty cans and beer bottles, accompanied by burned out cigarettes and the lingering stench of sweat in the damp air.

It was an odd sight to behold and yet at the same time, it calmed me down. Seeing the mundane trivial things that belonged to the world a few hundred feet above me down here in the tombs brought me back to myself. I felt grounded. My heart rate slowed slightly, beating more akin to a normal pace.

Of course, that lasted only for a moment.

A soft beep sounded. The alarm on my phone. 8 a.m. Wes.

I felt my heart clench in my chest. I was out of time and I'd found nothing yet. No sign of my brother or Scorpion anywhere in the catacombs, in fact. They had to be here somewhere.

That was when I saw it. The small wooden box resting idly on a slab of limestone in the center of the large cavern. It was a simple thing, about the size of a jewelry box, with gold trim and a latch-lock on the front. As I took a few steps closer to it, I saw that there was an image burned into the top of the box, the blackened wooden standing out with a stark contrast against the lighter cherry wood.

A scorpion.

I gripped my knife a little bit harder in my hand and stared deep into the shadows of the cavern, passing the beam of light emanating from the flashlight across the walls. There was no one around. It was completely empty.

I paced the remaining few steps towards the box and then bent to pick it up gingerly in my hand, careful to avoid sudden movements. I had no idea what had been stored away inside. For all I knew, I was handling an explosive device that would go off the moment I opened the lid. I felt a lump rise in my throat.