"Of course," Porter said. He stood as well. Foster stuck out his hand, and the two shook for a moment. "Pleasure doing business with you, sir."
Foster nodded and pointed a finger at Porter. "I have to say, I'm a bit surprised. I knew you were a good agent, but I didn't know you had this in you. Well played."
"Necessity is the mother of invention."
"Indeed it is."
Foster picked up a radio from his desk and pressed the button on the side. "Bring the prisoners up to level eight. I have something I want them to see."
He set the radio back on the desk and looked over at his guest.
"Something you want them to see?" Porter asked, curious.
Foster flashed a toothy grin. "You need to see it, too. After all, it's what's provided you with a lifetime of drinks, golf, fast cars, and fancy homes. Come, let me show you."
The two made their way out of the office and into the giant cavern. They crossed the ground floor and walked down into the pyramid's entrance. Inside, a ramp proceeded down and then another ascended into the upper reaches of the structure. Foster led the way to the one going up, holding onto a wooden rail as he did.
A long cable hung in the center of the spiraling ramp way, disappearing into a hole below and a similar one above.
"This is quite the little setup you have here," Porter said as they climbed higher into the pyramid.
"Yes," Foster said, panting slightly. "It certainly is."
He didn't say anything else for the rest of their climb. Porter wondered if it was because he was keeping something back or if it was due to the exertion of the hike.
They reached a room with high angled ceilings that rose toward a single point at the top. A golden square loomed over them. Porter figured it was the underside of the pyramid's gold top.
The ceiling, however, wasn't the most interesting thing in the room. The same cable that stretched down below also ran down to one of the most spectacular sights Porter had ever seen.
In the middle of the room — on a wooden platform held up by four legs — was a box made of pure gold. On top of it were two jackals bowing toward the center with long ears pointed at each other, nearly touching over the top of the box.
"Is that…" Porter struggled to find the words.
"The Ark of the Covenant?" Foster asked. "No. It isn't the ark Moses carried through the Sinai."
"But it's one heck of a replica," a new voice said from the other side of the room.
The two looked over and saw Sean, Tommy, and Yuri along with their guards.
Sean stared at the shiny yellow object. "I have to say, I'm impressed, Kent. How'd you figure out how to make one of those?"
Foster took on a smug expression. "Sadly, Sean, we didn't make it. This ark was here when we discovered this pyramid over a hundred years ago. Although my predecessors had no idea how to harness its power. That was my doing."
"So, you're using static electricity to build your energy empire," Tommy said.
"Geostatic power, yes. The ancients knew about this sort of thing, as it turns out. They knew there were pools of energy all over the globe. The Egyptians were some of the first to utilize it. Their places of worship were built almost exclusively in such locations so they could use the electrical display as a sort of show for their feebleminded believers. Ordinary citizens didn't understand what was happening, so seeing lightning come out of one of these things looked like the acts of a deity, not some boring scientific experiment."
"This was what Seward's explorers found," Sean said, still staring at the ark.
"Correct," Foster said as he sidled up next to Porter. "William Seward and his men understood the gravity of this incredible place. He had the vision to see that this thing could be harnessed for electrical power. That vision was nothing short of remarkable considering electricity was still in its infancy during his lifetime. Of course, the Confederacy wanted the gold to fund the rebellion. Our organization attempted to get them what they wanted, but when the tide of the war turned, we protected our interests and withdrew support. The Confederacy died, and we flourished."
"Bet on the winning horse, I always say," Sean said.
Foster almost appeared pleased at the comment. "That's right, Sean. For the last 150 years, the KGC has done just that. And in return we have become one of the most powerful organizations on the planet."
"All the while manipulating the American public," Tommy sneered.
Foster chuckled. "Tommy, of course we have. Someone is going to manipulate them. If it wasn't us, it would be the government. Oh, sure, they do their best to control things to suit the needs of those in power, but behind the scenes we are pulling all the strings."
"How many?" Sean asked. "How many of you are there? These secret societies usually have a high council or something." He pried for the information, not really expecting an answer. He was surprised when Foster responded.
"Our hierarchy has many members, though I'm not at liberty to tell you how many or who they are. That, my friend, will remain a secret for all time. Only members of the circle can know those things. I'm afraid I'm sworn to secrecy in that regard."
Foster shifted his feet, inching a little closer to Porter.
"And what does he get out of this?" Tommy asked, pointing at Porter. "A seat at the table?"
Foster was a little surprised by the question, as evidenced by the wrinkles on his forehead. "Agent Porter? Oh goodness, no. He'll be getting a reward, nothing more."
"Thirty pieces of silver," Sean said through clenched teeth.
"That's right," Porter said. "If you were smart, you would have gotten yours a long time ago as well."
Sean noticed Foster's movement. The secretary was trying to be subtle. Porter didn't notice; at least he didn't seem to. Sean, however, anticipated the politician was about to do something. What it was, he didn't know yet, but he focused his senses on the guard behind him.
"So, the KGC killed Abraham Lincoln and attempted to kill Seward — all so they could claim power for themselves?" Tommy asked, pressing the conversation. He was doing his best to stall what he believed would be their inevitable execution.
Meanwhile, Yuri just listened, staring fiercely at the two men opposite them. Like Sean, he was waiting for a chance to make his move.
"Don't be so judgmental, Tommy. Look at history. This is how things have always been done. Ancient Rome, Greece, even Egypt all embraced assassination to bring about change for those seeking power. Besides, it isn't like we're running some evil empire here. Look around you." He put his arms out wide. "We are providing clean, renewable energy to the country and perhaps someday, the entire world. Transcorp will lead everyone into a new golden age of power without relying on fossil fuels. This! This is good for the people of America. This is good for the world!"
"Of course, the bottom line is good for you, isn't it?" Sean asked.
"Obviously, Sean. And why is that so bad? After all, we're providing something of incredible value. We will reduce the average energy costs and carbon footprint per household fourfold, maybe even more."
Foster turned his gaze to Yuri. "As for you," he said, "I suppose you've been sent here by your president to claim what is rightfully yours."
Yuri was a little surprised at the sudden comment, but he kept his icy stare in place. "That's right. Your government promised us the gold you have down in the basement of this place. It's rightfully ours."
"Well, that may be, comrade. And I apologize for the actions we had to take in order to make all this happen. If it makes you feel better, you're about to die, so there's that."
"So, you kill us and continue to spread Transcorp's tentacles across the globe?" Sean said, still trying to squeeze every drop of information out of their captor.