“Okay, then I’m asking you to do this. Come on, Theo. You said you never feel more alive than when we’re together. So let’s live. One more adventure.”
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Theo
One more adventure.
Somehow, sneaking around the Acropolis after closing wasn’t the kind of adventure Theo ever imagined he’d partake in.
Nor did he ever imagine he’d be paying an old man like Harold in moussaka and spanakopita to keep watch for them at a restaurant outside the gates once the sun went down. But Dani trusted him, so Theo did, too.
The plan was simple: After heading out to get flashlights, gloves, a foldable shovel, and rope, they’d return to the Acropolis right before closing and hide out behind some rocks until the coast was clear. Then, once the site was empty, they’d travel up to the spot with the eye rock and investigate further. If Harold noticed anything from beyond the gates, he’d create a commotion, hopefully one loud enough to get their attention.
It was a real crapshoot. But Dani had been right—if they didn’t at least check, it would gnaw at him for the rest of his life.
“What do you think?” Dani said, whispering. “It’s almost nine. Should we go ahead and try?”
“Let’s do it.”
They got up from their hiding place and crept up the hillside, avoiding use of the flashlights as best they could. Fortunately, the full moon helped illuminate their path. Slowly, they made their way up the rocks, careful not to make too much noise. Once they got to the spot with the eye rock, they hunkered down and turned on the flashlights to inspect the rock.
“What do you think?” Dani asked.
Theo ran his hand over the carving. “This is definitely man-made,” he said. “And look.”
He ran his hand over another spot on the rock, even more faint and worn away from erosion. But even with the weathering, he could still make it out.
The μ.
“Is that…?” Dani asked.
“I’m pretty sure.”
“This has to be it.”
Theo nodded. Whatitwas, remained to be seen. But it was definitely something.
He turned around again to see their vantage point and determine whether they’d be caught if he illuminated the grounds. It was risky, but after the risks they’d already taken, what were a few more. With a quick wave of his hand, he scanned the flashlight over the area, trying to see if there was any opening for a cave. But it looked like nothing more than a pile of rocks that had crumbled over time and ended up in this exact spot.
He tried nudging the rock, but it was no use. There were too many other rocks atop it for it to budge.
“I wonder if these rocks are blocking the entrance,” Theo said. “It looks like maybe they collapsed.”
“That would explain why the eye rock is cocked on its side.”
True.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think these rocks are moving without any heavy equipment,” Theo said.
“So that’s it?” Dani asked.
She seemed deflated.
“I don’t see how else to get around it.”
“What if there’s something up here?” Dani said, climbing a little higher.
