“I like it,” he said shortly. “In particular that the entire façade dates from after our Hercules probably arrived.”
Caitlyn stood up. “We’re all aware of our time limitations. Let’s go.”
The team reacted to her abrupt air, marching toward the façade she had pointed out. Crouch gave her a look as he turned, one of gratitude, which she also took as part apology. Trouble was, she couldn’t stay mad at her benefactor for long. He was just too well respected and had already helped her beyond measure.
The first sculpture they looked at depicted Hercules with the Hind of Cerynea and the Hydra of Lerna; the legendary figure grappling with and wrestling both. Alicia squinted hard.
“He’s not wearing much is he? Doesn’t look like Dwayne Johnson to me. Or Reece Carrera for that matter, our pet movie star. Not that I’ve ever seen either man’s family jewels. Yet.”
Caitlyn tilted her head. “Family jewels?”
Alicia laughed and glanced at Healey. “Are you two really that bloody young? How about beanbag? Knackers? Clappers?”
Russo leaned in, saving Caitlyn. “She means ‘bollocks’.”
Caitlyn caught on, then retorted in double-time. “She usually does.”
Alicia grinned, studying the slab even harder. “So. What we have here is a half-naked dude in the middle of a fight—”
“His labors,” Caitlyn put in.
“Yeah, whatever. But what you don’t have is anything else. No background. No clues, love. Unless the Hydra or the Hind mean anything?”
“Third labor,” Crouch recited from memory. “Instead of slaying monsters, which Herc had already proved he could do, they made him catch the Hind which was faster than an arrow.” He thought about the reference. “He chased it for a year through Greece, Thrace, Istria and Hyperborea. It was a defiant moment for him. He eventually let the Hind go, alive. I see nothing in this carving that helps us.”
Alicia turned away, the piece already forgotten. “And the other?”
“Hercules with the Boar of Erymanthus. The fourth labor. Hercules captures the boar and returns it alive, but the tale is generally accepted to portray how Chiron surrendered his immortality to the great man. A tale of how the Centaurs died.”
Crouch chewed his lip, considering the facts. Alicia studied the sculpture. This time, Hercules carried the huge boar over his shoulders and appeared to be threatening a man, his tormentor, with it. Again there were no other images to consider, no hidden words or depictions.
“They say pictures convey a thousand words,” Alicia grunted. “Well, these sculptures “portray two, maybe three. And I am totally—”
“No swearing in church, Alicia,” Russo said. “I’m sure you’re already booked into Hell when you die so no need to make it worse.”
“She’s right though,” Crouch looked around, disappointed. “Our best clues point to nothing. Nothing at all. Look people, we’ve been tramping around in here for hours now with nothing to show for it. How about we take a break?”
“With our competitors so close?” Russo asked.
“Better they hit us in a coffee shop than here.” Crouch shrugged.
Caitlyn looked around the despondent crew. We failed. They had failed Naz, failed Sadler, failed themselves. “There’s nothing upstairs?” she pressed. “Near the Horses?”
“It’s all stone and marble,” Crouch said. “No secret rooms that I can see. No disguised entrances. No floor marks where a statue might occasionally be dragged out on display for the privileged to view. We’ve by no means searched this entire place yet, but I’m also thinking that that’s an impossible feat. My contacts have said they may be able to get us a night in here but even that may take some time to arrange.”
Caitlyn fell in line as the group carefully and despondently exited the church. Nobody needed to mention their desperate need to conclude all this. Riley and Kenzie could be out there among the milling crowds, watching them even now. She actually thought Crouch’s idea a sound one — they couldn’t wander the halls and hope for the best. Somebody, one of them, had to come up with a plan, a breakthrough, a new development.
Were the Hercules sculptures adorning the façade really useless?
“Maybe it’s in the legend,” she said aloud. “The Labors. Maybe we should research them some more.”
“We will,” Crouch said. “But it could be any of the other balls we are juggling right now too. In particular, Dandolo. That clever old blind man knew exactly what he was doing as Doge of Venice and he most definitely won’t have squandered such a magnificent treasure.”
Caitlyn stopped in the piazza, casting a glance backward. The spirits of the famous Horses of St. Mark watched her, dripping in history, awash with memories of olden times. What secrets did they yet hold?
“Y’know,” Alicia said at her side. “There are horses like that on top of the London Hippodrome too.”
Caitlyn laughed. “Yes, I know, but not exactly steeped in so much history.”
“I mention it only because most people don’t look up. Most Londoners wandering Leicester Square don’t realize the horses are there.”
“And there,” Crouch walked momentarily backwards, pointing even higher. “Stands St. Mark, flanked by six angels, above a large gilded winged lion. His symbol and the symbol of Venice.”
“We get it,” Russo said. “The dude’s important.”
“Yet another reason to believe the most important lost statue in history is right here.” Crouch winked and led the way.
FIFTEEN
Alicia settled at the small round table with an iced Maple Macchiato in one hand. Their chosen table afforded them a clear view of the street outside, some ten minutes’ walk from St. Mark’s Square. The soldiers among them were feeling a little somnolent from all the sightseeing.
Alicia said as much. “I think I need more than a drink, guys. All this aimless walking makes me more tired than a rapid action battle.”
“I have to agree.” Crouch stretched his legs and looked drained. “Time for a break.”
“So speaks the relentless tomb raider.” Alicia smiled affectionately. “Your life’s dream has been to inspect dusty old churches.”
“In a manner of speaking — yes. Ancient treasure doesn’t find itself. And it’s not always easy. If it were there would be nothing left to find.”
“Perhaps we should be looking from a different angle,” Caitlyn speculated.
“It’s not always there either. It’s already been looted or destroyed,” Healey spoke up. “Hence the reason most people don’t bother looking.”
“You saying we’re on a wild goose chase?” Alicia pounced on the young man’s intimations.
“I dunno. We were inside for three hours and have nothing beyond two boring old Hercules sculptures to show for it. Don’t forget we have other problems on the way.”
Alicia nodded, looking over to the food counter. Already Caitlyn and Crouch were tapping away on their tablets, comparing local information with what they already knew. Alicia sipped at her drink, enjoying the distinction between sweetness and ice, water and coffee. Russo, sat beside her, kept his gaze fixed on the picture window.
“No matter where we go,” he said, “what we do. Our job, our deeds, always follow us.”
“Because we’re soldiers?” Alicia asked. “Or people?”