CIA Agent Smith grinned pleased when he saw Peggy peeking out from behind the tall Nike statue, "Ah, there you are, Agent Carter. I don't suppose you'd make this easy and jump to your death."
Disregarding Hodge's snicker, Peggy gritted through clenched teeth, "What do you want, Agent Smith?"
The man's upraised arms encompassed all. "I already have what I want. And watching you and Jeeves here die will be an added bonus."
After one quick reassuring look to the worried Jarvis, Peggy yelled to Smith, "And what about Howard?" They wouldn't try hurting him, too, would they?
Smith sighed, "Don't worry about your charge, Agent Carter. Howard Stark will be working for us from now on."
"Good luck on that, pal. I will never help you," Howard declared.
Hodge threatened, "You will, or certain un-American activities will come to light."
Protesting, Howard stated, "I've been cleared of all charges—"
Irritated that this was taking so long, Smith spat, "We all have skeletons in our closet, Mr. Stark. Even insignificant ones that could be made to sound much worse than they are."
Licking his lips nervously, Howard pleaded, "Fine, I'll work for you. Just please spare my friends."
Smith shook his head, "I am afraid they are too dangerous to be allowed to live."
Peggy heard Hodge murmur, "Let me take care of Carter and the butler, boss." There was a distinctive ratchet sound as he cocked the bolt back on the Tommy gun.
From his perch on the massive God's shoulder, an outraged Jarvis yelled, "What is the meaning of this? How dare you threaten us?"
Smith mocked scathingly, "I dare quite well, thank you. Frankly, I am most disappointed in both of your attitudes. Whatever happened to British stoicism? I thought you people always faced death with dignity when facing insurmountable odds?"
Not bloody likely, Peggy thought. She channeled her inner fury when she promised, "You won't get away with this. Colonel Phillips—"
"—that old fossil is so very far away," Smith finished for her.
"Times up, Queen Victoria."
Peggy could see Hodge's Cheshire grin from where she was.
Curse that arrogant little deviant. But Gilmore did remind her of a tactic her Special Operations Executive instructor taught her years ago. Always stall. You never know when the cavalry might arrive, or at least some opportunity opening up to get you out of a jam.
As Peggy looked around, she whispered to her friend, "Don't worry, Mr. Jarvis. We'll get out of this."
Jarvis stuttered his head, "I have full confidence in you, Miss Carter."
Buoyed by his support, Peggy yelled, "We should work together, Smith."
She could almost hear the tweak of a smirk when he answered, "I have read your file, Carter. It seems that you have a problem with authority. You do as you please, regardless of your orders. I knew Chief Dooley well, and he certainly did not have a kind word to say about you. God rest his soul."
Peggy supposed Smith hadn't heard that the Chief had finally forgiven her. But then Roger Dooley had no time to expound anything just before he had sacrificed himself to save all their lives. Sometimes she missed that obstinate man.
Smith continued offhandedly, "Granted, it would certainly have been easier just to let you do all the work for us, but you are taking far too long. I swear you are treating this as a vacation, what with sunning yourself for hours yesterday. Not to mention that you looked like you could hardly move without wincing."
Hodge leered, "Yeah, sounds like you've been getting too much of Stark's personal attention."
Bristling at their comments, Peggy spat, "You have a giant crocodile nearly bite you in two and see how long it takes you to recuperate." If they hadn't been out of her gun's range, she would have shot them both just on principle alone.
Unfortunately, her admission had silenced Smith. Worried he might hurry up and order them killed, she challenged, "I can't believe that the CIA would condone killing a government agent."
Smith and his men chuckled, "Let's just say that my group and I are more of a supportive branch to that illustrious organization. We take care of all the… problematic cases, if you will. You know, all the sort of hush, hush obstacles that need to disappear permanently."
Taking their cue, his men primed their Tommy guns.
Incredulous, Peggy yelled, "Wait, wait! This is ridiculous. We all work for the same side."
Shaking his head, Smith asserted, "Not on paper we do. And since it's a budgetary year, there is only so much discretionary funds allocated between our two agencies. Frankly, it's not fair that the SSR gets all the best toys and as well as brilliant inventors. It is time for the CIA to get its due."
Peggy noticed flickering lights approaching from behind the group on the ledge. Smith must have seen it, too, for he added, "The SSR is an overgrown tick that needs to be lanced. Actually, it's best to burn parasites off, starting with you. Gentlemen, if you please—"
Paling, Peggy watched as two additional men came in from behind Smith. Each one held a lit flamethrower. She heard Jarvis groan from worry.
Smith's grin nearly matched Hodge's, "Our success will be the final nail in the SSR's coffin. I am just sorry that you won't be around to see your once vaulted agency fail so spectacularly."
Accepting that she could not change Smith's mind, Peggy went to the next lesson that her SOE instructor instilled. Get the enemy to reveal as much as possible. Not only did it add to the stalling, but one might also learn some crucial information.
Sounding cockier than she felt, Peggy challenged, "You do realize that others are trying to find this treasure as well."
"Treasure?" Smith rolled his eyes. "This is not some mere treasure hunt, Carter. Figures you wouldn't know what you're getting into."
Hopeful, she asked, "Tell us."
Scoffing, Smith sneered, "Why should I waste my time explaining it to dead people?"
Peggy grinned, "Think of it as fulfilling my gender's curious nature."
Sounding insulted, Smith stated, "Unlike you, I know when there's no more time to waste. Such as now."
Well, that went as well as expected, Peggy thought irritated. She quickly looked around the chamber for any means of escape, hoping to see a way out. But there wasn't any that wouldn't be considered a drastic measure. Unfortunately, they would have to pick the lesser of the two evils.
With no other choice, Peggy whispered to Jarvis, "Get ready to jump."
As Jarvis's eyes darted worriedly from her to Smith, Peggy yelled to the CIA lead agent, "You are really going to kill us?"
Hodge chuckled and motioned the men with the flamethrowers to precede, "Hey, nothing personal, your majesty."
Taking the situation in, Smith rubbed his chin in thought. Peggy prayed that he had changed his mind. He did, but not how she would have wanted it. "Hum, actually, I don't think the flamethrowers will reach you." He motioned the men with Tommy guns forward. Unlike her lower caliber weapon, these had the range.
"I will stop you, Agent Smith," Peggy growled furiously.
Hearing the hostility in her voice, Smith cheerfully called out, "Temper, temper, Margaret. Goodbye to you and your lanky friend."
Jarvis indignantly yelled, "It's Mr. Jarvis, you Yankee yutz!"
Smith smirked, and the flickering light from the flamethrowers made his teeth glow, "Well, I am pleased to say, you're both fired."
He meant it literally. Moving forward, his men quickly raised their machine guns.
Howard valiantly tried to break free to stop Smith, but he couldn't. Instead, he watched the deadly rapid-fire guns aim at his friends. The men waited, ready to ventilate Peggy and Jarvis on their boss's signal.
Just as Smith motioned for them to shoot, Peggy yelled to Jarvis, "Jump to the center of Zeus's chest!" It was either risk dying from the fall or dying from being peppered with bullets and then the fall.
Both dived just as the cacophony of multiple shots rang out. Lines of bullets strafed where they had just been. Still tethered together, they landed awkwardly on the slick ivory of the mighty God's shiny abs. Then together, they skimmed uncontrollably down the front of the statue as if it was a children's slide.
Desperate, Peggy's hands reached around wildly, trying to grab anything to slow their hurtling descent. Her damp palms made a horrendous screeching noise when she tried to use them to brake. All it did was draw attention to where they were, and more bullets followed them down.
Suddenly, they slammed into the hard glass-robed lap, bounced off that, and continued careening downwards. The painful hit jarred Peggy's teeth and reminded her of her still-healing bruises. Fleetingly she was just grateful that the translucent surface hadn't shattered upon impact, and then they struck another pleat of the robe.
It shouldn't be possible, but they were actually gaining speed.
Looking ahead, Peggy saw they were heading for the edge of the seated form. That drop alone had to be well over two stories, and she feared the worse.
Either luck or God's interference somehow caused the lax rope between them to catch on the bend of Zeus' toga-covered knee.
Once it caught, they both swung inwards and crashed into each other with a loud 'oof.' Dazed, they weakly grinned at one another, amazed that they were still alive. Then, looking below, they saw that they were now hanging about ten feet above the floor, and they chuckled, relieved. But then the sound of more bullets striking overhead had them ducking.
The multitude of shots shattered parts of the glass toga. Shards of glass fell around Peggy and Jarvis. Though the bent knee protected them, the rope tethering them was not shielded, and the sharp projectiles sliced their supporting cord apart.
Suddenly, they found themselves plummeting. This time when they landed, they smashed onto the ivory sandaled foot of Zeus, cracking it. Both lay stunned on the cold floor, but they were still alive.
Smith called out, "A most impressive escape Agent Carter. Did you learn that during the war?" His mocking voice echoed back up to him unanswered, "Are you and your lanky friend still alive down there? Yoo-hoo?"
Though dazed, Peggy had the wherewithal to put her finger to her lips before Jarvis could blurt out an indignant expletive.
When they went to whisper to one another, a low rumbling noise from within the statue had their gaze flicking over to the ivory leg next to them.
As this disturbing sound began to increase, it seemed that between the bullets and their violent arrival, they had awakened a sleeping giant. Amazed, Peggy and Jarvis watched, transfixed, as the statue shifted slightly in its seat.
Unaware of this, Agent Smith told his agents, "No matter if they lived or not, this place needs to be razed to oblivion."
This finally broke Professor Spencer from his shock, and he sputtered, "What do you mean?"
"No one else can find this," Smith sneered. Indicating with a sharp jut of his chin, his men with flamethrowers stepped forward. Without a thought, they began to burn everything below them.
A restrained Howard cried out, "No, Peggy, Jarvis, run!" Struggling, he watched, horrified as the stream of flames licked upon anything flammable. The wood that the statue sat upon began to smolder. Parts of the effigy had become very brittle from not being tended to with the olive oil, and it fractured as the temperature intensified.
As the blaze rose from under the statue, the seated form visibly moved. Everyone stared aghast as it began to moan loudly as it slowly rocked to and fro.
Professor Spencer gasped, "The stories were true. It's—it's alive!"
Smith frowned at such an absurdity, "That's impossible. It must be due to what it is sitting on collapsing from the fire." But still, there was uncertainty in his voice. Then parts of the statue began to crack, and they watched through the flames as it withered as if it was alive.
In awe, Smith husked, "Well, imagine that. Gentlemen, I suggest we kill it with fire."
The men with the flamethrowers now turned the heat on the statue itself.
Professor Spencer protested, "No, this is a priceless piece of antiquity!"
His objections were ignored. With the extreme heat now focused solely on the statue, the massive God-like sculpture made horrendous sounds of distress. From the rising flames, it was almost as if the statue was trying to escape the fire.
Peggy and Jarvis exchanged looks of disbelief.
Smith was shocked when the statue suddenly listed toward them, and he worriedly ordered, "Quickly, use the firebombs on it."
The duo with the Tommy guns stepped back and two other agents came forward to stand on the ledge. They produced updated Molotov cocktails from their pockets. These small vials were filled with a flammable fluid that did not have to be lit to blow up, and they chucked them at the statue's chest.
Instantly the volatile fuel ignited upon impact. In moments they threw more, now at the effigy's legs.
Barely protected from the overhang of the knee, the incendiary devices dropped around Peggy and Jarvis. One firebomb hit where the pool of olive oil had once been. Though dried, it instantly lit up in front of their eyes.
They jumped out of the way when another bomb hit the massive bent leg above them, splattering the dangerous accelerant everywhere. With no choice, Peggy and Jarvis raced toward the old staircase, but already it was ablaze.
Above them, they heard Howard howling in despair, pleading for the CIA to stop.
With nowhere safe to go, Peggy and Jarvis crouched under the burning wooden stairs. Suddenly, all heard a hollow spooky sound, a sort of an echoing groan that originated from deep inside the massive sculpture.
As the flames roared higher, the statue reacted even more violently. Suddenly, it tilted over and rammed into the ledge on which the CIA goons stood. It was such a forceful hit that the firebomb agents lost their footing. Screaming, they fell off and below to their death.
Where the men landed, they instantly exploded from all the firebombs they still carried.
The explosion really heated things. This caused the statue to make awful screeching noises. The horrifying deafening squeal sounded as if the statue was gearing up to make one last desperate attack.
Smith's eyes widened, "I believe that is our cue. Gentlemen, time to go." As they dragged Howard and Professor Spencer away, Smith gave Hodge one last order, "Blow the entry, Agent Jones."
Gleeful, Hodge pulled out two hand grenades. On the way out, he tossed them against the cave walls. The last thing Peggy and Jarvis heard before the bombs went off, sealing them in, was Howard's anguished cry of, "NO!"
The blast at the entry instantly sent down a cascading wave of fiery debris upon Peggy and Jarvis. They shrank back against the dirt wall under the stairs as far as possible.
That last explosion was all that was needed to crack Zeus's weakened torso apart in two. Due to it still being tethered to the roots above, the upper portion leaned over until most of it rested against the caved-in entrance.
Now the noise coming from within the statue was as if it was dying.
The wooden stairs above Peggy and Jarvis became fully engulfed in flames. Bits of fire began to fall on the duo, and heat buffeted against them. They began to cough from smoke inhalation.
With few options left, they staggered back under the smoldering statue. Frantically looking around, Peggy tried to find an escape route from this inferno.
Between hacks, Jarvis suggested hopefully, "Perhaps we could still get out the way we came in?"
Eyes watering, Peggy nodded quickly, "Yes, maybe it wasn't completely destroyed. But how do we get to the ledge." Unfortunately, from their vantage point, Peggy could not see how badly damaged the exit was.
Regardless, they first had to figure out how they would reach the glass toga. If only the surface weren't so slippery.
Then Peggy heard more rumbling from within the statue that grew in intensity. This horrifying loud clamoring sounded as if it was converging at the opening across the torso. Suddenly, a darkened mass erupted out from both halves of the statue.
Both gasped at the sight above them.
Astonished, Peggy muttered, "What the hell?" She did not normally believe in spirits, but it looked like the shadowed embodiment of the enraged God himself.
Then the flickering light from multiple fires revealed what this onslaught truly was. Something so awful that it chilled Peggy to her very core.
Rats. Thousands of rats were pouring out as if they were a gushing waterfall.
Many scurried upwards to the safety of the higher level, but some rat's mad scramble had them slipping and raining down on our two hero's heads.
Peggy was momentarily stunned at the sight before her and began freaking out when the first wave fell upon her. The abrupt impact knocked off her hard hat, and the multitude of small hairy bodies became tangled in her hair.
She screamed. She could handle just about anything, anything but rats.
Her mind quickly flashed back to a horrible incident that happened during the war.
Peggy still dreamt of when the 107th had come across a mass open grave of innocents. As they checked for survivors, she had found a child curled up in a protective ball. He appeared to be asleep, his chest lightly moving. Hope against hope she had dashed forward to save him, only to find that the movement had come from a rat that had taken up residence within the child's chest cavity.
It had scarred her memories and ingrained itself in all her worst wartime nightmares. Usually, their roles were reversed, and she would always wake up just as the horde of rats ripped into her flesh.
Frantically, Jarvis knocked the rats off her body and pulled them, squealing from her hair. He yelled worriedly, "Miss Carter! Agent Carter!"
When he plopped her helmet back on her head, it helped snap the SSR Agent out of it. Jarvis then quickly looked around for a way out.
Ignoring the encroaching flames, he angrily kicked away a rat that had gotten too close.
Finally, Peggy's stubborn anger broke through her despair, and she chided herself. The war did not kill her or that damn crocodile. This was not going to be how she died today.
That was when she saw where most of the fallen rodents had scurried off. They were entering a small hole in the side of the ivory sandal that had blistered open. Tracking the route these rats had taken, she suddenly had a plan. It would be tricky, but what choice did they have?
The thought of willingly being surrounded by such vermin made Peggy pale, but she ordered, "We'll follow the rats. Usually, they know the best way off of a sinking ship!"
She indicated the ones that were squeezing through the tiny hole. Then, seeing Jarvis's uncertainty, she reassured him, "Professor Spencer said that it was a hollow frame covered in ivory and gold. We can climb up that way."
Steadfast, Jarvis nodded and pulled free the small crowbar hooked to Peggy's vest. Quickly he began to whack at the ivory sandal's Achilles' weakened heel. It was exhausting, especially with the suffocating heat and smoke surrounding them.
Taking out her gun, she motioned to Jarvis, "Step back." Then with anxiety adding to her resolve, she repeatedly fired her weapon at the statue's hollow ankle.
After shooting all of her weapons bullets (and backup clip), she had punctured the ankle enough to form the outline of a large hole. Jarvis finished it by smashing the weakened heel open with the crowbar. The entry was big enough for them to crawl up and into Zeus' ivory , Peggy hesitated.
Jarvis studied her apprehension and asked wearily, "Can you do this?"
Her nod was stuttered but determined. "I better go first. I can shoot out our exit when we reach the hand."
Taking the lead, Peggy kicked aside a few rats and then entered the hollowed-out section of the immense foot.
Using the rickety interior wooden frame that held all the surface pieces together as a ladder, Peggy began to climb. She tried to ignore the multitude of rats that continued to fall on them or run across her hands. Thankfully, both had put back on their rawhide gloves, and their helmets mostly protected their heads.
With all the additional rats swarming around them, it was a tight fit during their upwards journey. That and the heat from the raging fire outside made it a difficult and claustrophobic climb.
For her hands to find purchase, Peggy had to knock the rats out of the way. Unfortunately, this caused the one below her to get the worst of it. "Sorry, Mr. Jarvis," Peggy called down, the whole time gritting her teeth to try to control her horror.
Though muffled, his British pragmatism rang up to her, "Not to worry. It's cockroaches that I don't like."
She chuckled mirthlessly, "Please do not make suggestions to the Gods. I don't think I could handle any more of these plague-like situations."
Due to the expanding fire, Peggy tried to crawl up the statue's leg as quickly as possible. The problem was that the wooden frame was old and rotted in some places. As another board broke apart, she quickly compensated for her weight by pushing her back against the interior wall.
As she once more stopped herself from falling onto her friend, Peggy reflected that climbing her way out through tight places seemed to be a common reoccurrence. The agent hoped this wouldn't happen every time it came to escaping the Wonders traps.
Well, at least the adrenaline rush was keeping her sore back from meddling in her ascent. Yippee for that, she thought with a snort.
Finally, they reached the cracked-open torso.
Checking on her friend, Peggy called below, "Halfway there, Mr. Jarvis."
Panting, he replied, "Miracles, of miracles, Miss Carter."
She smiled at his pluck and carried on.
Instead of exiting with the rats out the middle, they continued using the interior wooden scaffold, aiming for the highest point. Angling to their right, they headed towards the upraised arm that had once held the scepter.
As they neared the shoulder, the climb became more perilous and tricky. At this height, most of the statue's exterior was completely in flames, and the glass and ivory sections cracked dangerously around them. To add to the challenge, the air within was smoky, making it difficult to see and breathe inside the statue.
Soon they reached the forearm portion. Because the statue was tipping over, the path to the elbow was now at a downwards angle.
Using as much of the wooden frame as possible, Peggy crawled inside the limb carefully.
It was a crapshoot as to which one was the weakest of the wooden supports. Peggy's luck finally ran out when the board suddenly snapped under her hand. Pitched forward, her upper body crashed through the brittle ivory floor. If Jarvis hadn't grabbed her feet, she would have fallen all the way through and to her death.
Pulling her back widened the gap. Shakily, Peggy nodded her thanks to Jarvis.
He gulped and stuttered a curt bob of the head back to her.
As more smoke seeped inside from the opening, Peggy cautiously crossed over. Practically right on her heels, Jarvis could barely traverse the growing chasm. Nevertheless, he made it just before the hole cracked open large enough to fit a couch.
Hurriedly, they arrived at the bent elbow. Glancing up at the slanting raised arm, it appeared that the remainder of the way would be an even tighter fit. This would not be a good place to get stuck.
Thankfully they both made it to the curled pinky finger. Quickly, Peggy took out her spare backup piece and then shot the outline at the base of the smallest curved digit. Using her fists, she punched the damaged pinky off the hand.
Now voluminous plumes of smoke filled the entirety of the interior. With the adrenaline rush subsiding, the ache from Peggy's previous injuries was jarred awake when she began to cough violently.
Through tears from smoke and pain, Peggy glanced below at their hopeful salvation. Finally, she could make out where the dirt ledge used to be, but the exit had been completely destroyed. In despair, she realized that they had no way out.
And the flames continued to climb as they consumed more and more of the statue.
Disheartened, Peggy looked around but saw no other way out. Eyes watering, she glanced above at the tree roots that ensnarled the upraised hand.
Peggy nearly barked out a laugh. The panicking rats were using those same roots to escape the fire. She watched as the vermin and rising smoke slowly disappeared where the thicker roots jutted out from the dirt ceiling. Though it was a small exit hole, they too could use it to get out and into the fresh air.
Even better, the rope they had used to swing over was still attached to the protruding roots and thumb, and it dangled not too far away from her.
She exclaimed between coughs, "Mr. Jarvis, I see our way out!"
Behind her, she heard her friend loudly hacking. Concerned for his wellbeing, she said, hoping for a verbal response, "Come along, there are still more sights to see on our journey."
"Perhaps instead, I will buy a postcard, Miss Carter," Jarvis replied weakly between gasps. Though worried about his health, it helped to know that he was still with her, both in life and in humor.
Struggling, Peggy climbed out of the hole and made her way high enough to reach the base of the massive thumb that the rope was looped around. As she hugged the digit, she wheezed to her friend, "Hurry, Mr. Jarvis."
A breathless Jarvis soon joined her outside. After crawling up the curled giant ivory fingers, he leaned heavily against them.
The statue was now shuddering more and more as the statue became weakened for the intensifying heat.
The rope was just in arm's reach. Peggy tried to focus on it but was overwhelmed by the deadly smoke effects. Being this high up, it was incredibly thick and overpowering.
Weakly, Peggy stretched out and tried to grasp the line. After a few attempts, she was finally able to snatch the rope. Tugging on it, the rope still held her weight, and she nearly wept from relief.
She muttered just loud enough to be heard over the rising groans and creaks of the dying statue, "We're almost there, Mr. Jarvis. Chin up."
Looking below, she saw that Jarvis was slowly climbing up behind her. His sluggish movements showed how badly he was affected by the noxious smoke. As he coughed louder, he motioned her to go ahead of him.
Exhausted, Peggy began to climb. But inhaling all the dense smoke had finally done her in. Choking from the sheer amount, she collapsed and nearly pitched herself off the hand. In a haze, she found herself draped over the curled ivory index finger.
Growling, she could not believe this was how she was going to die.
She blurrily noticed that Jarvis had passed out next to her. Mutedly she heard the statue loudly crack and break apart below them.
Overcome with the smoke and the heat of the rising fire, she closed her eyes. They suddenly snapped open when something brushed her cheek. Dazedly, she realized that another rope had fallen from a widening gap in the ceiling. The course end swayed in front of her, and she dully stared at it for a moment.
She snapped out of her stupor when she heard faint voices above calling out. They seemed to be coming from where the rats had scurried out and to freedom. The statue started to shift more, and Peggy wearily wondered how much time they had left before the whole damn thing crumbled out from under them.
"Howard?" Peggy's voice could barely be heard over the roar of the encroaching fire. She croaked, "Is that you?" Had her friend somehow escaped his dangerous captors?
A hopeful Jarvis muttered weakly amid his coughs, "Mr. Stark? Do you need me to iron your shirts? Let me do that for you, Sir. As soon as I clean the pool of daffodils—" In his delirium, he stood and nearly toppled off.
Peggy grabbed him just in time and pulled him back to safety.
There was no verbal answer from above. Between her friend's frightening behavior and the worsening damage being done to the statue, they had run out of options. As fast as her shaking fingers could, she hooked the dangling rope to Jarvis' harness and tugged on it.
Just as she finished, the cumulative fire and heat damage caused the statue to shift one last time. Under her feet, Zeus' hand suddenly shattered.
Peggy began to fall with the rest of the crumpled arm.
As the dazed Jarvis was being pulled up, Peggy suddenly leaped for his dangling legs just in time.
Those holding the rope were certainly not prepared for the unexpected additional weight, but luckily, everything held, and they were heaved upwards.
Weakened from the fierce fire, the once-mighty statue of Zeus broke apart into pieces, and it collapsed onto the floor. Consumed by flames, the Wonder was destroyed in mere moments.
Sadly Peggy watched all this as they were hauled to safety. Nearing the ceiling, a small patch of sunlight continued to grow as more of the hole above was dug away.
Finally dragged out into the open, Peggy and Jarvis collapsed near the base of the giant tree. As their coughing lessened, they exhaustedly took in deep gulps of air.
Dazedly looking up, Peggy saw that they were under an immense tree. It was the largest one she had ever seen. That was when she realized they had escaped through the summit of Mt. Kronos. Peggy choked out a laugh, "I feel like the Titans emerging from their father's head."
Jarvis gasped out, "I get that reference."
Peggy patted his arm, and he nodded that he was alright. She then propped herself up on her elbows. Beside them, vermin continued to stream out of the hole. Whenever a frantic rat bumped into her, she flinched.
Getting her nerves under control, Peggy turned to address their saviors. Squinting against the bright sun, she made out the silhouettes of their rescuers. By their size and shape, she knew it was not Howard and Professor Spencer who had helped them.
Jarvis became more aware and said to them cordially, "Thank you so much for saving our lives."
The taller outline moved forward and blocked out the sunlight.
Peggy instantly recognized him as the blonde-haired man from the Smithsonian. Though sluggish, she automatically went for her gun but fumbled when trying to get into her pocket. It did not matter, for the man and woman raised their hands in surrender.
"We mean you no harm." The man's thick Soviet accent made Peggy instantly seethe. She would never forgive Leviathan for murdering Chief Dooley and nearly annihilating New York City.
"Who are you?" She glared at the handsome couple. Both had sharp features and were tall. Staring at the blonde-haired woman, Peggy accused vehemently, "You're Leviathan, aren't you? I bet you are one of those hellcat assassins!"
Peggy's tone was of violence, and the man instantly placed himself in front of his companion. Quickly he stated, "I assure you she is only my assistant, Zdenka."
She might have still been in a slight haze from smoke inhalation, but Peggy swore that the woman seemed to bristle at his comment.
The man continued introductions, "And I am Dr. Dmitri Klaz. I am an archeologist trying to find the treasure of the Seven Wonders, just as you are."
Peggy studied him, and then she looked over at Jarvis. He grinned warily back at her, also unsure of what to make of their rescuers.
Staring at the vermin that continued to flee from the smoky hole, Peggy spat, "So you found us just by following the rats? Figures."
Boastful, Dmitri declared proudly, "Yes, I always figured that Zeus only moved for Caligula's workers because they had disturbed the vermin within. There is no such thing as magic or the supernatural."
Still suspicious, Peggy asked, "Not that I am sorry that you saved us, but why?"
"It seems that we need each other's help. We saw that the CIA had kidnaped your friends, and when we did not see you leave, we assumed the worse. We believed that rescuing you would be the perfect opportunity to show that you can trust us. So here is the deal, as the Americans would put it. If we help you free your friends, you will tell us what you have discovered so far, yes?"
"You can help us get our friends freed?" Peggy was not sorry she sounded so incredulous.
Dmitri shrugged, "We're more hands-on than most explorers. And we can certainly take care of a few American agents."
Peggy snorted, "I bet."
She exchanged a look with Jarvis, who weakly nodded his head. It seemed that he believed that they could not refuse any help in their current state either. Besides, Peggy supposed, if things went sideways, she was positive she could handle an archeologist and his assistant.
Nodding, Peggy said, "Alright, let's go save our friends."
The handsome archeologist smiled and offered Peggy his hand. She would never trust the Russians and refused it. It took her rolling onto her knees to be able to rise, but she did it all without too much embarrassment. Alas, even the minor movement made her sore ribs protest louder, but she stubbornly ignored the flare-up of pain. She could not show any weakness, certainly not in front of the enemy.
After Jarvis had struggled to his feet, they followed the Russians. Hiking down the tall mountain, they made their way to the Altis ruins and then to the parking lot.
During their trek, Jarvis spoke to Peggy in hushed tones when he voiced what she feared, "How did the CIA know we'd be at this Wonder? We were so careful."
Peggy nodded and whispered back, "And how did our new Russian friends find out as well? We must have a mole. Possibly it is one of the deckhand."
All further talk was stopped when the Russians showed them their car. Actually, calling it that was being generous. The vehicle was a tiny cramped transport that appeared to be better at hauling hay than humans. Sighing, Peggy and Jarvis piled in, and all four drove back to the docks.
