Music: Rob Dougan "The Return" –
watch?v=jG0kCHhriNU&list=PLD4ZwDeQz9JARiJWqZtrcInSi-HicI-F4&index=45
Cautiously Peggy and the Russians swam through the long brick-arched corridor filled with dank water. The wood they gratefully clung tightly to was buoyant enough to keep their heads above the sickly green-looking water. Peggy really did not want to accidentally drink any of this stuff if she could help it.
At least the chilly murky water helped cool the lingering fever within her body. Peggy would admit that Zemo's red fire serum had a few benefits. It certainly gave her a boost of energy and some nice insolation against the cold. Poor Zdenka was already starting to shiver.
Around them, indistinguishable noises echoed about, adding to their watery journey's spooky nature. That and since all the natural light had been blotted out due to being so far underground, it was near pitch dark. If Dmitri hadn't been using the scanner, they would surely be bumping into walls and all sorts of nasty things. But even that had its limitations.
Because Peggy didn't have a flashlight, she had to rely on the faint illumination from the scanner. With that barely helping, she found that her other sensory perceptions had become overly heightened.
Peggy tried not to let her imagination run wild, but she swore she smelled death all around them. She kept reminding herself that no dead bodies were still left in the water. Zdenka had reassured them of that. She would hang onto that belief with all her heart as well as her grasping fingers that were tightly wrapped around the wooden plank.
Now and then, the piercing squeak of a rat reverberated around them, causing Peggy to flinch every time. Glancing around blindly, she internally cursed. Why did it have to be rats?
Calming her anxiety, Peggy quietly trailed behind the two Russians.
Even in the dim, muted light of the scanner, Peggy could see that Zdenka and Dmitri shared secret touches. When Zdenka ran her pinky lightly over Dmitri's, Peggy noticed that the Russian male returned the gesture with a sideways smile. Peggy imagined that he had been worried sick about his friend when they were kidnapped and taken aboard Baron Zemo's blimp.
Continuing onwards, they distantly heard car horns blaring and more sirens above. People were still upset that Jarvis had landed the prop plane down the middle of the main Turkish thoroughfare.
Even with the ambient noises masking their movement, it went without saying that they needed to be as quiet as possible. Who knew how close the CIA was? Plus, they did not need the local authorities to find out that they were illegally down there. Peggy hoped Howard and Jarvis had figured out a good cover story should the Police come nosing around that hut at the Hagia Sophia.
After what seemed like forever, they finally came upon the exit that opened up into the massive underground cistern. Thankfully there was more light, and Peggy wondered if it was from a possible natural source, but glancing above, the ceiling appeared intact. Instead, the light bouncing toward them was from the opposite end of the enormous chamber. She figured that must be where the CIA was. But her small party was still too far away to make them out clearly, to be sure.
As her eyes adjusted to the chamber's faint light, Peggy finally saw the multitude of support columns ahead. Some were surrounded by tall piles of mud, which obscured most of those pillars. All the others were halfway concealed under the dirty water.
Looking around, Peggy noticed that the vast room had to be bigger than a neighborhood block.
She swam closer to Dmitri, looking over his shoulder at the scanner as they bobbed along. Peggy whispered, "Any more deer prints?" But he shook his head in the negative. Adding to her exhale of resignation, the Russians led them forward.
Along the way, Peggy indicated for Dmitri to aim the scanner around and also keep using it underwater.
Soon they were swimming between the massive columns that held up the cistern's ceiling. Peggy marveled at the size and the sheer number of them. Her mind imagined how amazing and majestic it had been in its heyday all those centuries ago.
Even with the minimal light, Peggy was surprised to see that nearly every column was different from one another. It was as if this underground waterworks were a museum to reflect all the different design styles from the many centuries of civilizations throughout the Mediterranean.
As they slowly swam onward, Peggy kept her eyes focused on the scanner but kept her ears trained on the distant CIA agents.
Risking that she might be seen, Peggy kicked upwards onto her wooden plank to better view Smith and his crew. By the wall in the back of the cistern, she saw that their group was in two rubber dinghies.
Each one held four people, and Peggy heard the sound of faint squabbling coming from two of the occupants. These indistinct voices bounced around, and it somehow added to the unnerving nature of this location.
Peggy could barely understand Agent Smith's words, but he and Professor Spencer's arguing got louder and angrier.
She wondered if the CIA was in the right spot, which was the quandary. Honestly, Peggy had no idea where her group should go. This cistern was huge. She shared a look with her two friends, and they silently began to make their way toward the dangerous group.
When the heated exchange began to get testier, Dmitri angled them away from the armed agents. Peggy did not blame him. Besides that group having guns and outnumbering them two to one, the Russian had had a nasty thrashing by their hands not long so ago.
Peggy hoped for a sign as to what they should do next. Having been in the water for some time, she frankly felt waterlogged.
Suddenly something brushed her leg, and Peggy nearly shrieked, thinking it was a corpse. Hearing her audible gasp, Dmitri grabbed her arm and nodded to the scanner.
Seeing her paling features, he made a fish face. Peggy frowned and then looked at the scanner's monitor. It appeared that some form of carp was swimming under them, and she vaguely recalled Zdenka saying that people used to fish for them from their basements.
Peggy would hate to imagine what the fish looked like from gestating in this lack of light. She recalled the same thing had happened to that crocodile at the Pharos Lighthouse. She shuddered as she imagined the possibility of some sort of mutant fish swimming around at their feet. Hopefully, they did not hunger for human flesh.
Occasionally they would come across a hill of mud that rose high off the floor. Peggy imagined over the centuries that quite a bit of silt must have built up since no one seemed to care about this place.
They were finally approaching the furthest side wall when Zdenka suddenly exhaled. She then excitedly pointed at a unique column among all the other plainer ones.
Floating over to it, they stopped by this amazing pillar. It was a style that Peggy had never seen before, and she circled it, curious about its origin.
The massive column had an identical intricate pattern carved all over it. To Peggy, these multiple cascading images resembled decorative peacock feathers, with the eye of the plume the most prominent feature on each of them. These overlapping odd 'petals' rose almost as if they flowed towards the top of the column and then over it.
Studying it further, the entire pillar was a deep green that glistened. Peggy swore its shiny surface looked like jade. No, she realized, it was algae. This organism formed because the column had liquid seeping down from the top. So far, it was the only one that did this.
"It weeps just like the one at Hagia Sophia," Peggy breathed, amazed.
Dmitri looked up from the scanner and showed them, "And there is a thumb-sized hole like the other one, too." He pointed near Peggy, and she could just make it out under the water. She ran her hands over the worn surface and found its exact location. Inserting her left thumb, she did just as she had done at the Hagia. All three glanced around, expecting some big reveal. But once again, nothing happened.
The Russians sighed tiredly. Glancing their way, Peggy noticed that Zdenka's shivering had gotten worse, and Dmitri moved closer to her in hopes of sharing his body heat. Both were looking defeated, and Peggy was sure that being miserably cold was not helping their moods either.
Thankfully the chilly water still felt pleasant to Peggy as it helped cool her still smoldering blood.
Staring back at the ornate column, Peggy lightly brushed the decorative indents on the column, "It looks like peacock feathers."
A despondent Dmitri asked his Russian friend, "Any idea its significance?"
Zdenka only shrugged. Peggy was surprised that she missed the usually loquacious Russian Professor pontificating about some historical fact. Unfortunately, the chill seemed to have leached most of the woman's energy away.
This would never do. There was still too much at stake here. So with forced joviality, Peggy whispered, "Well, I think it means we are on the correct path." And not waiting for them to follow, she began to swim forward.
She figured that if one followed a straight line from the peacock column toward the back, their new trajectory would lead them to the Northwest corner of the massive room. And right where the CIA Agents were located.
Her two friends swam tiredly behind her.
Ahead Peggy heard the continued bickering from Spencer and Smith getting louder, gruffer. Finally, she was near enough to understand what the Professor had been so aggressively adamant about. But suddenly, horrific noises from the work the other agents began doing eliminated whatever he was saying.
Trying to comprehend anything was a losing battle, for the cacophony of metal scrapping stone was piercing. It was further amplified to sound like nails on a chalkboard as it rebounded around the cavernous chamber.
Grimacing, Peggy slowly floated closer. She kept her gaze solely trained on the armed men ahead the whole time. In one of the boats, Hodge, Spencer, and Smith sat. All three still wore their suit jackets. Also, among them, she recognized the dangerous man who had a penchant for sharp knives.
It was easy to distinguish them from the other four mercenaries who wore their camo combo instead. And all of them must have drawn the short straws because they were the only ones in the water.
Making sure to stay in the shadows, Peggy drifted nearer. She saw that those in the water had inserted a thick crowbar into a seam between the back stone walls. Then the two of the larger mercenaries attempted to pry it open.
Nothing moved, and Smith growled to Spencer threateningly, "This isn't working, Professor. You have to figure out how to open it another way."
"I am trying, but—" Any further words were missed when Peggy felt something grab her leg.
Dmitri's sudden touch nearly had the already jumpy agent screaming. Trying her best to control her temper and beating heart, Peggy turned and glowered at the Russian. Ignoring her hard stare, he instead excitedly pointed to the scanner. Peggy quietly floated back to them.
The scanner was aimed underwater at the two columns the dinghies were tethered to. The murkiness made it difficult to see the details clearly, but the large pillars' base looked like a woman's head with snakes flowing from it. One was on its side, while the other one was placed upside down.
"They are busts of Medusa," Zdenka whispered through chattering teeth.
"Why are they in such an odd position?" Peggy asked as she maneuvered her floatation device until she and Dmitri bracketed the shivering woman. The heat that Peggy exuded seemed to chase some chill away from the female Russian briefly. Subconsciously, the smaller woman edged closer to the British agent.
Suddenly, Zdenka sneezed, and the unmistakable sound echoed throughout the vast chamber.
Well-trained, the six armed men spun around, their flashlights and weapons waving about.
Peggy heard the distinctive click of the hammer being pulled back on their guns. It bounced ominously about the massive cavern as the firearms and flashlights were suddenly focused on the three in the water.
Raising her hands, Peggy yelled, "Don't shoot!"
Smith snorted and said amicably, "I was wondering when you would show up, Carter. So, what can we do for you?"
Peggy licked her lips and regretted it when the bitter tang of the murky water greeted her taste buds. "I think to get that open, you will need our help."
Smith pondered for a moment while Dmitri hissed at her, "They are not to be trusted."
"And your girlfriend needs to get out of the freezing water before she gets hypothermia," Peggy countered from the side of her mouth. At the same time, she smiled disarmingly at the gun-wielding men.
Peggy wondered if she was suddenly sweating because of the situation or from the serum still in her bloodstream.
A smirking Smith gave the order, "Let them aboard."
Spencer huffed at this, but he had no say in the matter.
The three quickly pulled themselves onto the rubber dinghy that had Hodge, Smith, and Spencer on board. The mercenary at the stern of the boat kept his knife ready in hand and glared at Peggy.
Though rather cramped, it beat being stuck in the cold water.
As Dmitri and Zdenka hovered close together, shivering, Peggy looked expectantly at Smith. Flicking her gaze to the wall that the mercenaries were working on, she asked, "So, how did you find this place?"
Smith shined his flashlight near the top of the wall and tossed some murky cistern water onto it. Once it became damp, a faint indent of a large deer hoof was seen.
Grinning, she chorused, "My, that discovery must have taken you some time to locate."
Smith shrugged, failing to reveal the truth.
Any further discussion was diverted when they heard the Russian's teeth chattering.
Dmitri held Zdenka and rubbed her arms, trying to warm her up.
Smith ordered his second, "Hodge, give her your suit jacket before she catches pneumonia."
As Hodge reluctantly did so, Smith moved to do the same for Peggy. He stopped in surprise when he saw that she was actually sweating. As he studied her, she ignored his scrutiny and glanced at the Medusa pillars on either side of them.
Now closer, Peggy could clearly see the Gorgons' heads under the lapping greenish water. "I think you are going about this all wrong."
Professor Spencer jeered, "As if you would know anything."
Ignoring his scorn, she nodded to the two Medusa columns and asked, "So what is the significance of their orientations?"
Snorting, Spencer replied, "If you must know, placing these statues this way negated the power of Medusa's gaze and also warned of evil. Hence why we decided to check this back wall first."
Peggy nearly laughed at the snotty gruff tone from the Professor. Wow, she did not miss working with such an odious man. She turned her attention to Smith and said smugly, "So you can't get in, can you?"
The CIA agent was about to answer, but Spencer bristled at her comment. Irritated, the Professor whined, "I could if they would just give me a chance to think. Brute strength won't open a thing."
"Except a pickle jar," Peggy supplied sweetly.
"I know it is difficult for you, but if you could just be quiet for a moment," Spencer snapped at her.
Peggy smirked. They did not have time for his grandstanding. Besides, she knew Zdenka was much smarter than this armchair archeologist. Disregarding Spencer's glower, Peggy brainstormed aloud, "I think that peacock column is a clue."
Spencer's beady little eyes focused on Peggy, "Peacock column? You foolish woman. That design represents the eyes of all the slaves who had died making this cistern." His condescending tone was getting on her last nerve.
Zdenka spat, "Spoken like a true elitist. Yes, romanticize those who once owned the whip. Honestly, when did those in power ever care about their slaves?" She turned her attention to her friend, "So what are you thinking, comrade Peggy?"
Shrugging, Peggy replied, "I just think that it must be important because not only does it weep like the one at Hagia Sophia, it also has a thumb hole."
Leaving a surly Spencer sputtering to himself about infernal women, Zdenka studied the Medusa Heads that were under the water.
Rubbing her locket in thought, she turned to Peggy, "According to Greek mythology, Argus was a God with many eyes. The Goddess Hera, Zeus' wife, tasked him to guard a prize important to her. During this, he was killed by Hermes, who had come to retrieve that prize. Hera felt so bad about Argus' death that she turned him into the feathers of a peacock, hence why each tip of the tail quill looks like an eye."
His impatience at an end, Spencer spat, "So, what is your point?"
Tilting her head to the side, the Russian Doctor explained, "Well, prior to his death, one of the mythological creatures that Argus had supposedly killed was Echidna, who was a she-viper. Depending on who you talk to, Echidna might be related to Medusa as a descendant or as her mother. Accounts vary because her origins are a bit unclear."
Glancing down at the two massive snake-coiffed heads, Peggy asked nervously, "Don't tell me we will have to fight her next?" That was all she needed. "Can Echidna turn us into stone?"
Zdenka shook her head, "No, though she had the body of a snake, she had the head of a beautiful woman. It was the snake-headed Gorgon sisters, whose ugliness would turn you to stone."
Relieved, Peggy sighed, "Oh, okay."
Not relishing being the possible bearer of bad news, the Russian stated, "But it might be serpents or snakes that we have to fight next."
"Plural? Just great," Peggy groaned, holding her head. She then mumbled as an aside, "I guess as long as they aren't giant in size..."
Dmitri frowned, "I thought myths didn't exist."
Zdenka shrugged, "Well, often they were loosely based on facts or the interpretations of such."
Spencer reluctantly agreed, "She is right about the origins of myths."
Peggy could not help but chide the American Professor, "See how well you two work together?"
Agent Smith grinned smugly at Peggy.
To get them back on track, Peggy asked Zdenka, "If I am not mistaken, the God Hermes, who killed Argus, he was related to Artemis as well, right?"
Zdenka smiled, "Yes, they were siblings."
Staring toward the peacock feathered column a moment, Peggy nodded to herself in thought. As she turned to Zdenka, she proposed, "Then that could be our link to all this. Tell me more about this myth regarding Argus' death by Herme's hands."
While Spencer's clenched teeth made an audible grating sound, Zdenka replied, "Well, the prize that Hermes was tasked to free from Argus was Zeus's secret consort. The Thunder God had turned this human into a cow to hide her from his ever-jealous wife, Hera. Not falling for her husband's tricks, Hera tasked Argus to guard the heifer from Zeus, knowing that his many eyes were always vigilant. Having been sent by Zeus, Hermes lulled Argus by telling stories and then playing music until he fell asleep. Then he stoned Argus to death."
Peggy rubbed her chin and wondered aloud, "Well, I don't think telling the wall stories would work. But maybe some music or a specific tune will open it? It wouldn't hurt to try that instead of brute force."
Professor Spencer protested but was disregarded by all.
Nodding, Dmitri agreed, "Yes, the harmonics here are amazing."
Zdenka grinned, "And that could be our link to the number seven. Seven notes are used in major and minor musical scales."
Smith took over, boisterously asking his men, "Can anyone of you carry a tune?" As usual, he ignored a sputtering Spencer.
Zdenka was about to speak up when Hodge reluctantly raised his hand, "I sang in the church choir when I was a boy, but it has been a while."
Smith motioned for him to try. As he sang, his lack of practice easily showed. At first, the notes were a bit off-key, but soon he sang "Ava Maria" perfectly.
Smirking, Peggy did not know he had it in him. But it did not matter because nothing happened.
Noticing Zdenka's glare being aimed at Smith, Peggy piped in, "Perhaps you need a woman's unique pitch instead?"
"There could be some credence in what you say," Zdenka stated.
"What, a high shrill tune perhaps?" Spencer childishly stated. "That's the silliest thing I have ever heard."
Squinting in thought, Smith stated, "Hear what she has to say, Professor. It never hurts to open one's ears. You might learn something that way."
Zdenka nodded her gratitude to the CIA leader. "A woman's voice might work because of the link to Artemis. Also, the first temple in Ephesus had been supposedly built by the Amazons."
Peggy chimed in, "Besides Hera, Medusa, her mom Echidna, all were women." Ignoring Spencer's indignant noise, she encouraged the female Russian, "Give it a try, Doctor."
Zdenka nodded and began to sing. Like Hodge, at first, her voice was rough. But soon, the musical notes that came out of her mouth became smooth, so she sang higher. When she reached a certain pitch, there was a rumble under their boats. On either side was an audible thunk as if something had been unlocked, and both Medusa columns were jarred slightly.
The Russian stopped singing and said, "You should be able to twist those now to open the doorway."
Grinning, Smith nodded to his eager men. They hurried over and tried to turn both Medusa columns, but they would not budge in either direction.
Peggy suggested, "Keep singing, Doctor."
Nodding, Zdenka then did so.
As she sang, the men around the pillars grunted with effort. But soon, the columns began to rotate as if they were on a spindle. There was a loud crack from the wall behind them, and the stone panels creaked apart. Old stagnant water streamed out, causing the two boats to bob in the wake as the additional liquid rolled through.
The new room in front of them was dark, but a silvery glow flowed out of it. This inundation of light bounced off this multitude of reflective surfaces. The intensity soon grew as it sparkled on the walls and columns, and the interior of the vast cistern chamber became so bright that it was almost blinding.
Amazed, Zdenka stopped singing.
Seeing his chance, Spencer jumped into the water, intent on entering this new room. The brief moment of peace and tranquility abruptly ended when the Professor swam through the stream of silver.
Suddenly he screamed, thrashing about in the water as if trying to fight off something attacking him. His shrill cries of pain echoed throughout the vast cistern.
Being the closest, Dmitri quickly grabbed the man and hauled him back into the rubber boat.
Five small silvery-hued serpents were latched onto the Professor's body, their sharp fangs puncturing deeply into his flesh.
Dmitri automatically grabbed hold of one and tried to yank it off. He yelped when the sharp scales shredded his palms. As the Professor continued to flail about in agony, Zdenka quickly tore the inner lining from the suit jacket she wore and wrapped the cloth around Dmitri's bloody hands.
While Peggy tried to help Spencer, pandemonium broke out when the mercenaries in the water saw these deadly serpents swimming right at them. Quickly they pulled out their guns and started shooting.
These small spectacular creatures were invulnerable as bullets ricocheted off their luminous scales. Then a group of shiny serpents surrounded one mercenary closest to a Medusa column. Quickly swarming around him, they instantly sliced him to ribbons.
The remaining serpents converged on another man who was still too close to the secret entrance. In moments they mercilessly killed him, too. And, like piranhas, only bones and bits of flesh were left in their wake.
The two remaining mercenaries retreated toward the boat, their guns blazing. Panicked weapons fire echoed throughout the chamber as more and more glowing serpents surged out from the hidden room.
Hodge stood up and fired into the thickest patch of serpents. When the bullets rebounded back at him, he dove into the water to not get hit.
The deadly serpents raced toward him.
Frantic, he grabbed the nearest person he could reach. Seizing the knife-wielding mercenary, Hodge yanked him off the boat and threw him into the water. With that now in their path, the serpents made short work of him, and he was rendered into hamburger meat.
With bullets still flying, Peggy ducked when their barrage strafed closer. Beside her, Smith was yelling, trying to get his men to stop firing. Suddenly, one of the shots bounced off a serpent and slammed into Smith's shoulder, throwing him overboard.
Seeing their benefactor fall, the goons finally stopped shooting. Smith was quickly dragged into the nearest raft that now had a soaking-wet Hodge in it. Smith shivered from shock, and where she sat, Peggy saw a lot of blood.
The two remaining mercenaries pulled themselves into that other boat too. Both had various bite wounds, and one looked to be almost unconscious. Peggy wondered if the serpent's vicious fangs contained toxic poisons as well.
The water's unusual green color had become brown from all the added blood. There were three bodily remains in the water.
Now with no one left to attack, the serpents turned their attention to the two boats. Instantly, these fierce creatures began to lash themselves against the rubber dinghies. Their sharp scales wouldn't take long to pop the flimsy vessels.
If Peggy and the others didn't act fast, they would all sink into that deadly infested water.
Among the men's fearful screams, Peggy shouted to Zdenka, urging the stunned woman, "Sing to them, Doctor! Do it now!"
Stuttering her head, the shaky Russian began to sing. Her melodious voice soon became calmer, and she lulled the serpents into stopping their lethal havoc. The ones still attached to the barely conscious Spencer let go and flopped back into the water.
Once the serpents were no longer attacking, Zdenka stopped singing. Now the vipers stayed where they were. Though they did not engage, they blocked the entrance to the adjoining new room.
Shaking her head, Peggy thought about what Spencer had said earlier. The Gorgon statues had been placed there as a warning for what resided within.
Taking a chance, Hodge angled his rubber boat towards the opening. Instantly the serpents became agitated.
In pain, Smith said through gritted teeth, "Back off, Agent."
Hodge did so reluctantly and sneered at Peggy. She, Spencer, Dmitri, and Zdenka lucked out and had the other dinghy all to themselves.
Even hurt, Smith accessed the situation quickly. Already he guessed what they were about to do. So did Hodge, who trained his gun on Peggy.
Peggy glared at him. She could not help but sneer, "You should tend to your master first, agent. I think it would be best if you got him out of here before his wound became septic from this putrid water."
She then nodded to the stricken Spencer, who was practically incoherent, either from the venom or shock from being so viciously attacked. "Besides," she pointed to Spencer, "you don't know if the serpent's bites are poisonous or not."
"Let them pass," Smith's voice was faint from pain and surrender, "She's right. We're out of this game, Hodge. You won, Carter. Just do me a favor and don't let—" his gaze briefly lingered on the Russians, "— Hydra win this whole thing."
Though she would never trust him, she emphatically nodded her acceptance of his wish. "That is the plan, Agent Smith."
He snorted and then nudged his second in command. Peeved, Hodge tossed them a flashlight, "A parting gift, your majesty."
After transporting the delirious Professor Spencer onto their boat, Smith's party of five left with Hodge rowing them away. Peggy overheard Agent Smith order, "We better take the closer street exit. I don't know if Spencer will make it if we return the way we originally came."
Nodding to his boss, Hodge yelled to Peggy, "Hey, Carter, not bad for a dame."
"And not bad for a half-wit, Agent Hodge," she replied.
He sneered and then saluted. It looked like a mocking tribute to Peggy, but she would allow it without a biting rejoinder if it got them all to leave.
After the rubber dinghy was in the distance, Peggy turned her attention to the Russians. After a quick nod from both Peggy and Dmitri, Zdenka once more began to sing. As if she was a snake charmer, the soothed serpents parted for their boat. Since Dmitri's hands were too injured to be of use, Peggy rowed them toward the entrance.
Paddling them into the revealed chamber, the serpents stayed outside as if to guard them. Once they entered, Zdenka stopped singing. The test worked, and none of the serpents reentered the room to attack them.
The area was not very big and only had one item within. Against the opposite wall was an incredibly large statue of a winged lion, styled in an ancient Assyrian manner.
Angling them closer, Peggy asked as she scrutinized the body of the sculpture, "Why does it have five legs?"
Zdenka was shining the flashlight on the wall behind it. Focused on that, she said as an aside, "It is all for artistic reasons."
Regardless, Peggy still wouldn't like to meet one in real life. Those claws looked sharp.
Less than concerned, Zdenka's full attention was aimed at the intricate engraving behind the winged statue.
Soon the dinghy bumped against the lion wall, and Peggy aimed the flashlight at it.
At first, it was difficult to make out, but Zdenka soon recognized the etched image. She breathed out, "This same carved bas relief was found at the North Palace of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, Iraq. It depicts a luxurious garden watered by an ancient aqueduct."
Peggy and Dmitri looked at her expectantly, so she explained further, "Both this and lion confirm what I have suspected for a long time concerning the last Wonder."
Intrigued, Peggy asked, "Which is."
"This shows us the exact location of the Hanging Babylon Gardens," Zdenka could not contain the glee in her voice, and Peggy grinned back at her.
"So where is the last Wonder, Lyubov moya?" Dmitri asked through clenched teeth. The pain from his injured hands was getting worse.
At the dinghy's bow, Peggy began to slouch as the adrenaline boost from the fiery serum dissipated. Then, forcing herself to straighten, she tiredly stretched out her sore muscles.
Unaware of Peggy's growing fatigue, a rejuvenated Zdenka explained, "Besides the bas relief's original location, the lion is the symbol for the Goddess Nineveh. This means that we should head to the city named after her."
As an aside, she added, "Everyone has always said that it was in Babylon where the Hanging Gardens had been. But that location did not make any sense. Those gardens were never mentioned in any surviving Babylonian text, and something so grand would surely have been written about. Between that and other historical discrepancies, it was probably never even there."
Peggy slowly nodded, and Dmitri asked, hopeful, "Any clue as to where to look for it at Nineveh?"
Zdenka shook her head, "No, I am afraid not. Perhaps being the last clue, it will be the hardest one to find."
Spying the usual hatch-like markings around the bas relief frame, Peggy indicated them with a nod, "And what of the odd Cuneiform writing?
Zdenka ran her hand along the curious hatch marks, "I believe it says "North."
As Dmitri groaned, Peggy admonished, "The last one was Cold, and this one is North?" She then mumbled with a heavy exhale, "So that means it is somewhere in the frozen northern hemisphere."
Her thoughts became sullen as she recalled Steve Rogers dying somewhere in that upper region. It seemed that she would constantly be reminded of the ghosts from her past.
Pragmatic as always, her British ways took over, and Peggy stated emphatically, "Right, then if we are done, Zdenka, shall we go?"
An enthused Zdenka smiled back at Peggy and quickly nodded.
So with their last Wonder's location determined, Peggy doggedly rowed them out of the hidden room.
Paddling past the glowing serpents that guarded the secret chamber, Peggy became apprehensive. What if these dangerous creatures attacked anyone who got near this area?
As if they had heard her thoughts, the serpents slithered back from whence they had come. Once the creatures were back inside, the Medusa heads slowly pivoted, and the heavy stone doors slid shut.
With the dangerous serpents now sealed within, Peggy rowed them toward the direction of the street exit that the CIA had gone.
Though it wasn't a long distance, Peggy was tiring fast. At first a blessing to be free of the fiery serum, it also meant that what had once insolated her from the cold had also disappeared. She involuntarily shivered as the room's chill quickly seeped through her wet clothes and into her bones.
Finally, they made it to the worn stone staircase that led up to the main street. Leaving the rubber dinghy next to the other one, the three of them then wearily trudged up the old stone steps.
Beyond exhausted, Peggy faintly heard the familiar sound of moving traffic ahead. Blurrily, she realized that the prop plane must have been towed away already. That was too bad. She had no idea how they would get to the Hanging Gardens now.
Staggering forward, she led them out of the dank cavernous cistern, and they were spat out into the sunlight.
It took a moment for Peggy's eyes to adjust. She then dimly registered that a large car was suddenly speeding onto the sidewalk.
It was headed right for them!
Brakes squealing, Peggy feared it was going to hit her small group. Disorientated from exhaustion, she instinctually groped for a weapon that was not there.
Peggy then relaxed when she heard the car's horn beeping out a distinctive code. True to always knowing how to make an entrance, Howard Stark sat behind the steering wheel, all smiles.
Swaying, Peggy shook her head at the infernal man.
Jarvis quickly got out with nary a sound and, between him and Zdenka, helped the wounded Dmitri to the back seat. While they did this, Peggy tiredly slid onto the seat next to Howard. She could not believe how quickly she had lost her stamina.
"So I take it we got it?" Howard asked them, and Peggy nodded slowly.
Howard grinned smugly at her, and she snorted, too drained to quip.
He frowned, worried at her mute behavior. Seeing his concern, she murmured, "Just exhausted is all. I think that damn serum finally left my system."
After Jarvis crowded in next to her, Howard smiled, "Well, buck up, pal, we won. Now, do we fly or boat to our next destination?"
Yawning, Peggy slurred, "We are going to Nineveh, Iraq."
Overly enthused, Howard chimed, "Then flying it is. Don't worry. I made sure to have a plane waiting for us on the tarmac just in case."
She shook her head sluggishly, "Not that I am complaining," honestly, there was no way she could have taken another step, "but how did you find us."
"Eagle-eyed Jarvis here spotted your CIA friends scurrying out through this exit. We figured you would be leaving soon, too." His eyes once more reflected apprehension, "Smith and the others looked pretty banged up, Peg."
"I had nothing to do with it. Actually, Zdenka saved their lives." She leaned back, her eyes drooping shut, "Be a dear and wake me when we get to the airport." And she promptly fell asleep against Jarvis' shoulder.
As she slept, Howard grinned and then sped off. He ignored the blaring car horns when he made an illegal U-turn across multiple lanes of traffic and just dodged an oncoming sedan.
Everyone was too preoccupied with not dying to pay attention. But had all done so, they would have noticed that the vehicle they had cut off was filled with peculiar men.
Other than the young male driver, they all had the same build. And all wore purple hoods.
End Note:
The idea of the Hanging Gardens being located in Ninevah came from an excellent documentary called Secrets of the Dead: The Lost Gardens of Babylon. Dr. Stephanie Dalley had some intriguing and well-thought-out theories about its possible location.
Since this worked perfectly for my story, I have taken most of her theories and used them here. If you are interested in this subject, I highly recommend watching this documentary (It's on Amazon Prime).
