“No.” I needed to mull it over, but didn’t have enough time. “It just doesn’t feel right.”
“You think there’s another access point? Or they’re planning something else?”
“I don’t know.” I ran my fingers through my hair, letting it rest on the side of my neck. I hadn’t even thought about the scars while we’d been working.
Oh shit.
My stomach clenched. Did Rav notice it? The pattern climbing up from my neck, ending just below my ear? I kept my hand there, moved away from him, and headed down the corridor. “We should go.”
The men followed my lead, and we retraced our steps through the drainage system. The trip back was faster, though that was mostly my doing. I’d gotten too comfortable. Let my barriers down.
I had to get outside.
Once we climbed the wooden ladder that led into the maintenance shed, we returned our protective gear. We emerged into the late afternoon sunlight near the eastern edge of the archaeological park, and Mario left to finish his workday.
“The cameras are operational,” Rav confirmed, checking his phone. “Drew reports all five feeds came through clearly when there was still light. He’s patching Pendragon into the feeds as well.”
I studied the field test kits one more time, then carefully packed them away. “If we spot anyone from Fenix moving equipment through these tunnels, or identify any Greek Fire components, we can bring in the full Pendragon team.”
“About that,” Percival said, his voice dropping lower. “The Carabinieri confiscated all our weapons when we landed. Standard procedure, they claimed, but it’s left our team withlimited options unless the higher-ups can negotiate something with the Italian government.”
“They’re still ready to move, though?” Rav asked.
Percival nodded. “Whatever it takes to eliminate this threat.”
“We can’t act too soon,” I said. “If Fenix gets wind of our presence, they’ll simply relocate the operation. We need to catch them with the Greek Fire in hand—concrete evidence that can’t be explained away.”
“Agreed,” Rav said. “What now? Do you want to explore the amphitheater from aboveground?”
“Good idea.” Maybe there, I could figure out what I was missing.
Chapter 18
Rav
The Pompeii Amphitheaterrose before us, a monument to both human achievement and human suffering. Two thousand years of history compressed into stone rings—a place where crowds once cheered for blood and death, now preserved for tourists to snap photos and marvel at ancient engineering.
The difference between the archaeologist and the soldier didn’t seem so far away anymore.
“Access is through the eastern entrance,” Percival said, consulting a brochure he’d picked up earlier. “The arena floor is straight ahead.”
Percival and I walked on either side of Brooke. She’d been quiet since we emerged from the underground tunnels, the familiar furrow between her brows telling me she was working through a problem.
The main corridor opened into the arena floor, where groups of tourists clustered around guides with colorful flags. The oval-shaped performance space sprawled before us, surrounded by tiered seating that rose in concentric rings. Nature had reclaimed much of the original stone seating, with grasses and small shrubs covering the ancient seats.
Brooke moved along the low wall that circled the floor, her movements purposeful despite her obvious frustration. Some of the rocks were loose, making it hard to find the drainage holes from this side. At the midpoint of the amphitheater, on the southern side, she stopped. Pointing, she said, “There’s one.”
I crouched to examine the opening. Using my phone’s flashlight, I peered inside, seeing nothing but rock and darkness. “This crack may go all the way to the sewer, but it’s not lined.”
She knelt a few feet from me, checking another hole. “Here it is. I can see the connector.” She sat back on her heels. “They’d need so much pressure to pump it out more than ten or so feet. Why use this location?”
“Why use liquid Greek Fire at all in this setting?” Percival whispered. “Remember Barin Kala?”
Of course I did. I remembered looking at Brooke when she said we’d found what she was looking for. We’d proven the tip the OPCW had received was genuine, and we’d be able to shut down the makeshift chemical weapons lab.
I remembered spending too much time looking at her, and missing the gun that appeared in the window. I should have been on alert, not marveling at how beautiful she was in her moment of triumph.
“Only you and I were affected,” Percival said to her. “Nobody else in the room suffered any effects.”
