The door opened smoothly, as if on well-oiled hinges, revealing a throne room carved into the stone. They walked in, Nate and Mia leading the four mercenaries who held their guns on them and then Khanoğlu and Spence bringing up the rear. It was a wide room, not very long, with four rows of three pillars carved leading up to a vaulted ceiling. The walls were bare except for scones with fires already lit, providing a dim light but it was enough to see the enormous mounds of gold and jewels laying against both walls.
"Whoa!" Nate said seeing the gold. The pile was at least to shoulder level, the size of two or three haystacks and worth tens of millions, maybe hundreds of millions!
Behind him the murmurs of the mercenaries couldn't hide their awe at the mountain of treasures.
Ahead of them was a platform with a throne made of stone and upon it sat a skeleton of Captain James Cook. He sat in the throne leaning, almost casually, on one elbow with the skull resting on the palm. The other arm casually in the lap. The skeleton wore a navy-blue waistcoat with golden epaulettes, a white shirt faded with age and grey pants and black buckled shoes and adorning the bleached white skull was a golden crown. The skeletal fingers covered in golden rings and a golden sceptre cradled in his lap.
"The Crown Jewels" Nate breathed.
And standing before the adorned Skeleton was...
"Sully" Nate called.
His friend turned around and immediately Nate knew something was wrong. His pupils were so dilated that they were almost entirely black, only a thin ring of grey surrounding them.
"I found it Nate" he said softly. His voice just above a whisper. "I found the Jewels. They're mine now."
Miraç Khanoğlu stepped forward, "I think not, Mr. Sullivan. As I have told Mr. Drake here, I am the true heir to this treasure."
Sully's eyes blazed, "Like hell you are!" he said and raised his gun.
Khanoğlu pointed his gun at Sully, "You do not have any chance here Mr. Sullivan. My men will cut you down if you do not move away. Mr. Drake has secured your freedom and I intend to keep my word but do not try my patience."
Sully glared at him and stood defiantly, "It's mine," he snarled.
Before Khanoğlu could say anything further Nate stood in front of him, once again standing between a psycho with a gun and a friend with a gun.
"Just wait," he said. "Let me talk to him some sense into him. The Jewels, they have a hold on him, like those creatures out there. They all want the one thing but I can talk some sense into him and we can leave you with your treasure."
Khanoğlu put down the gun, "You have one minute, Mr. Drake. Otherwise the deal is off and I kill you all."
Nate turned and cautiously approached Sully who stood so still he was like a glaring statue, "Sully?" Nate said. "You ok?"
Sully blinked as if realising Nate was just in front of him, "Nate? What are you doing here with him?"
"Don't worry about that," Nate said moving closer. "Just put the gun down."
"Why would I do that?"
"I'm going to take you out of here."
Sully frowned, "Why would you do that?" he repeated. "I found the treasure. I don't need to go anywhere."
He's completely lost it, Nate thought. Is that what it was like for Cook in the end?
He wondered if he would ever get his friend back or if he would continue to spiral until he turned into one of the creatures.
"Sully, you're not well. I need to get you out of here so we can get you some help."
"I don't need help Nate!" Sully yelled. "I am right where I need to be!"
"Sully, you're not well. The Jewels they...they have a hold on you, just like they did on King John and Roger of Wendover and Dominik Martinus. And Captain Cook." He pointed to the skeleton, "Look at him Sully! He let his friends die while he sat here to die alone wearing the jewels"
Sully turned to look at Cook as if considering what Nate said and Nate moved closer, close enough he would be able to grab Sully if need be.
"I have all I need right here" Sully said. "What I don't need," he continued, turning back around and pointing his gun at Khanoğlu, "is him."
Nate lunged and pushed the arm with the gun up, it went off and a bullet fired into the roof. The sound echoed off the vaulted roof. Nate wrestled with Sully, trying to force the gun out of his hand but Sully had the advantage of a free hand and swung it at his side, connecting with Nate's sore ribs and he let out an "oof".
Recovering quickly, Nate forced Sully backwards, the gun firing three more times into the roof, until they crashed against the throne. The skeleton rattled in protest and Sully kicked out at Nate, forcing him back and approached with gun raised. Nate charged him, surprising Sully and jabbed him in the stomach and then grabbing the gun, he pried it from his fingers and tossed it away.
They stood apart, eyeing each other and Nate hoped Sully would stand down. Instead he charged, tackling Nate and flinging him against the wall. Nate ducked a punch aimed for his head and jabbed at his stomach and then his head and Sully reeled from the blow. But only for a moment and he was once again on the attack, Nate had his arms up protecting his head while Sully threw haymakers. Then he grappled Sully, pinned one arm under his own and then threw a punch that connected with his jaw and Sully slumped to the floor, unconscious.
Nate stood bent over with his hands on his knees, taking in deep breaths, his chest heaving. "Well that was entertaining" said Miraç Khanoğlu. "But it is time for the main event." He turned to two of his men, "Move Mr. Sullivan, if you will."
"Don't you dare" Nate snarled his anger at boiling point. "I'll do it."
Khanoğlu shrugged, "As you wish, but hurry up."
Nate dropped to his knees and checked Sully's pulse. It was still beating solidly. Thankful that he hadn't done any serious damage to his friend, Nate was about to drag him away when he noticed a scrap of paper near where Sully lay. Quickly, he pocketed it and then grabbed Sully under the arms and dragged him away from the throne and the Jewels and behind Khanoğlu and Spence while his men staring in wonder at the treasure in the room.
Nate watched Khanoğlu approach the throne, gun holstered, and arms raised above his head, as if receiving benediction and said, "Finally, I have come to claim what is rightfully mine."
At their feet Sully stirred and Nate knelt next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around, confusion evidence in his eyes, before settling on Nate, "Nate?" he croaked, he got up on one elbow but Nate put a restraining hand on his shoulder, Take it easy, Sully."
He looked around, "Where the hell are we?"
"You don't remember?" Nate asked.
Sully shook his head and then winced, "My head is killing me. Did I black out?"
"In a way," Nate said. "I'll explain it later."
He helped Sully to his feet and before anything else could be said Khanoğlu called out, "Salak!"
They all turned and watched Kelvin Spence approach Khanoğlu with cautious, timid steps, like a child who knew he was about to get in trouble. He stopped a couple of metres away from him and waited, his gaze solely focused on the Crown Jewels.
"Salak?" Khanoğlu turned around and seeing Spence was focused on the Jewels, he took one giant step forward and slapped him.
Spence reeled, hand to his face where Khanoğlu had struck him.
"Answer me when I talk to you, Salak!" He turned back to the skeleton and continued, "I want you to-
It all happened in an instant. Spence was glaring at Khanoğlu and then withdrew a gun from his jacket pocket, aimed and pulled the trigger. Miraç Khanoğlu was dead before anyone could react. The giant man fell, crashing to the ground where blood leaked out from the hole in his head.
Khanoğlu's men reacted an instance later, all four of them pointing their guns at Kelvin Spence who stood staring at the body of his former employer, spots of blood dotted the left side of his face. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his face, smearing the blood rather than cleaning it and as he turned he looked at the mercenaries with a maniacal grin.
"I've been waiting a long time to do that," he said as casually as if he were discussing
the weather. He addressed the mercenaries, "You can shoot me but then what will you do? Your employer will still be dead. Instead, take the gold. I have no use for it. I have all that I need right here" he said indicating the Crown Jewels.
"Can you run?" Nate whispered to Sully.
Sully checked himself over, flexing his legs and arms, "I think so, why?"
"Just get ready."
Nate looked over to Spence where one of the mercenaries, the leader he assumed, was talking to him quietly. Eventually the mercenary turned to his men and nodded and they all lowered their weapons.
Spence began walking over to the throne before he stopped, turned and pointed at Nate and Sully, "Oh, and kill-" he stopped, searching the room. "Where is she?" he demanded.
Nate lunged at the nearest merc, wrestling the assault rifle aside while Sully attacked him from behind. Managing to yank to assault rifle free, Sully punched the mercenary in the head and he fell to the floor, unconscious.
Nate aimed and fired the rifle wildly. The remaining mercenaries scrambled to take cover behind the pillars, while Kelvin Spence hid beside the throne. Sully, in the meantime, had grabbed a handgun from the fallen mercenary and took cover behind the same pillar as Nate.
"Now what!" he yelled over the noise of gun fire in the chamber.
"Just wait!" Nate replied. He pulled out of cover and fired off short bursts and then back in cover.
"Wait for what?"
Just then a thunderous boom echoed around the room and a concussive blast blew Nate and Sully away from the pillar as it exploded. Chunks of stone rained down and Nate had to roll away as a chunk the size of a car tyre landed where he was only moments before. Covered by the dust and smoke from the exploding pillar, Nate got to his feet and hurried over to Sully and pulled him to his feet. The room was still shaking when Sully asked, "What the hell was that?"
"Grenade launcher I think" Nate told him.
"Idiots" Sully grunted. "They'll bring the roof down on top of us."
"That is the least of your worries" said Kelvin Spence. He appeared out of a cloud of dust, gun pointed at them. With his other hand he indicated one of the mercenaries who walked over.
"Kill them," he demanded.
The mercenary nodded and raised his rifle. Just then there was a loud roar and hordes of Ezemshsen flooded into the room, the grey skinned creatures grunting and groaning in what sounded strangely like joy and happiness. Nate pulled Sully back behind a pillar and they peered around, watching the Ezemshsen continue to pour in. The mercenaries fired at them and the creatures fell but more replaced them and it was only a matter of time before they were overrun.
"Kill them!" Kelvin Spence screamed. He had fallen back and was now next to the throne, at his feet, Cook's eyeless skull watched it all unfold. "Stop them!"
He sounded hysterical and was firing his gun haphazardly until it was clicking with every trigger pull. He tossed the gun and crouched behind the throne.
One of the mercenaries screamed as the Ezemshsen fell on him, bringing him to the ground and clawing at the body.
Finally, the doorway seemed clear and Nate pushed Sully towards it, following behind, and that's when they heard Kelvin's hysterical scream. Nate looked over and saw he was cornered by the Ezemshsen. The shuffling, grey-blue skinned creatures approaching like spectres while Spence kept shouting at them to go away.
Take them! They're yours now!
He stopped and stared at them, "I could get them."
Sully, a few steps turned around, "Nate, what are you doing?"
"I could get them, Sully. They're right there. I don't even need all of them, just some of them will do. Whatever I can carry."
"Nate, we don't have time for this" Sully urged.
Another grenade exploded against one of the pillars, the mercenary carrying the launcher brought down by the Ezemshsen and the throne room violently shook as more chunks fell. A loud cracking sound from above told them the pillars were starting to crack.
But Nate ignored it all, he took a step towards the throne.
"Nate!" Sully yelled. He was at the door, waiting on the threshold. But Nate ignored him, he took another step and then another. All around him, chunks of stone and rock were falling, he took another step and then was tackled to the floor.
Nate groaned and rolled over, one of the Ezemshsen was clawing at his legs. Nate kicked and pushed trying to get it off, but the creatures claws dug in his calf and Nate cried out in pain.
A thundering boom echoed in Nate's ears and the Ezemshsen dropped limply on his legs, a giant hole in its head.
"You alright, kid?"
It was Sully, he tossed the gun aside and pulled the dead creature off Nate's legs.
Groaning Nate got on his elbows, all around them the Ezemshsen were attacking the mercs, Spence was nowhere to be seen, probably lost in the sea of Ezemshsen that crowded the throne, but the sound of gunfire could still be heard. At least one mercenary still lived but it wouldn't last long.
"Kid, we gotta go, the roof is going to collapse any minute now."
There was a long crack in one of the pillars, and it seemed to be getting longer as more pressure was applied from the roof.
"Sully, watch out!" Nate cried as a chunk of roof fell.
Sully dived out of the way and Nate cried out, pain shooting up his leg. Instantly Sully was back by his side.
"Sully...my leg."
Sully looked at Nate's lower and saw it was pinned between two large pieces of stone. Luckily, they hadn't landed on his leg, otherwise it would have been crushed, rather it was wedged in between two rocks.
Sully moved over to the rocks and tried to pry one off but as soon as he pulled Nate let out a cry of pain.
"Hold on Nate" Sully said, and he tried again. He pulled with all he could, but the rock wouldn't budge and Nate cried out again.
"Sully just leave me. Go."
"Shut up, kid" Sully muttered. He looked around for something he could use to pry up the stone and found a discarded assault rifle. He hurried over, picked it up and returned, then wedging it under one of the stones, he tried to pry it up but he couldn't get enough leverage underneath and the rifle slipped out.
"Shit!"
More stones broke apart from the roof and crashed all around them. From the corner of his eye, Nate saw Kelvin Spence, face bloodied, crawling away from a group of Ezemshsen that seemed to have forgotten about him and were shuffling around to the throne and Cook's skeleton. He watched as one of them reached for the golden crown still sitting crooked on the skull when another one battered the hand away and tried to reach for it instead. This caused another one to pull the hand away and soon they were fighting amongst themselves
Another crashing chunk of stone brought Nate back to the situation at hand and he watched Sully try to pry the stone off again, but it just wouldn't budge.
"Sully! Just go."
"No!" Sully said. "It's my fault you're here and I'm not leaving you!"
Suddenly a hand grabbed Sully's shoulder. He turned, fist cocked, and was face-to-face with...
"Gansukh!" Nate cried out. "What are you doing here?"
The nomad jerked his head behind him where a handful of the nomads stood with axes, some covered in the black blood of the Ezemshsen, guarding the door. He called out to them and two of the nomads came over and the three of them gripped the stone and pulled, the stone moved just enough for Sully to drag Nate away and the nomads let go. The stones thumped to the ground.
"Can you run?' Sully said, pulling Nate to his feet.
Despite the pain every time he planted that foot he said, "Just try and stop me."
Sully nodded, "Good, let's go kid!"
Nate started for the door but stopped when he heard his name called. He turned and saw Spence was off the platform, dragging his broken, bloodied body along the floor, the Ezemshsen ignoring him as they fought amongst themselves for possession of the Crown Jewels.
"Help me!" Spence cried out. His face was bloodied, and both his legs seemed to be twisted in the wrong direction. More rock chunks crashed to the floor all around them.
"Nate!"
It was Sully, he stood at the door urging him on.
With one final look at Spence, he turned and headed to the door and Spence's cries were lost in the sound of the tumbling, crashing stones. The floor rumbled and shook and Nate followed Sully and the nomads out of the throne room where Mia waited with another three axe-wielding nomads and they rushed through the antechamber. Dozens of the Ezemshsen bodies lay dead in this room, bodies hacked up, and they passed through the door without a second thought into the cavern. There were more Ezemshsen bodies as well as some mercenaries, the span across the chasm was covered by a narrow portable bridge brought by Khanoğlu's men. Gansukh crossed first, followed by Mia, Sully and then the rest of the nomads. As the last of the nomads crossed the bridge, the room started to shake even more fiercely and stalactites fell from the roof, crashing onto the floor below. Behind Nate the cave-in was in full effect, the walls and roof collapsing and he began to cross the bridge.
Halfway across, a falling stalactite smashed into the bridge and it snapped, Nate leapt, arms outstretched but he wouldn't make it.
Then a hand grabbed his arm and the momentum swung him into the wall. He let out an oomph, but the hand still had a tight grip on his arm.
"Hang on, kid!" It was Sully.
He pulled, and soon Gansukh and another nomad appeared. Nate grabbed onto Gansukh's outstretched hand and they pulled him to safety. With no time to rest he was up and on his feet following everyone through the cavern, leaping over fallen chunks of roof and stalactites that littered the path. Behind them the collapsing mountain continued to crush everything in its path.
"Go! Go! Go!" Nate shouted at them, waving his hands as if trying to propel them faster. They rushed through the door and up the stairs and burst out into the long corridor. Ahead they saw the faint remains of sunlight poking through the destroyed door and it seemed to give them renewed vigour. They sped through the corridor, dodging fallen timbers and stone until, one-by-one, they burst out of the broken door just as the entire building collapsed.