Scarlet rubbed her temples. “Try not to ask it questions. You will only succeed in encouraging it and making it say more shit like that.”
“While we’re on the subject,” Hawke asked. “Does Orpheus mention anything about a weapon? That’s the meat and potatoes of this thing, mate. Like Lea says, Dimitrov didn’t hire Kashala to steal the lyre from Francken just because he has an enduring interest in the musical instruments of ancient Greece. He knew the lyre could lead him to Hades, but why does he want to get there?”
“No mention of any weapon,” Ryan said. “At least not so far. Orpheus was one of only a handful of people who visited the Underworld and also returned. Just about anyone who ever went there, according to all the written sources we have, was simply trapped there for eternity. The fact Orpheus returned means he was able to note its location for anyone brave enough…”
“Stupid enough,” Nikolai said.
“Brave enough to go there.” Ryan gave the Russian a knowing smirk. “Problem is, he wrote very little about it, and there’s certainly no mention of any weapons of any kind in these papyri.” He looked at Lea and emphasised the last word.
“Which means we’re still all at sea,” Lexi said.
Hawke quietly accepted the point made by his old flame, but felt the urge to keep the team motivated. “It just means we don’t know what Dimitrov hopes to find down there, that’s all.”
“So it’s time to let our imaginations run wild!” Scarlet said, turning to Zeke. “Say, Tex, what do you hope to find in hell when we finally get there?”
Returning her mock-serious tone, the Texan tank commander replied deadpan. “I hope not to find fire and brimstone, but maybe get me a quiet little corner and chillax with some sexy lil’ devils.”
“I think we’ll leave talk of the devil for another day,” Hawke said. “Right now, we need to stay focussed on the basics. Ryan, we’re going to need a briefing on Santorini, and fast.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Twenty minutes later, Ryan closed his laptop and sipped his water. “Turns out Santorini is actually the biggest island of a small archipelago, all of which are basically all that remains of the large volcanic caldera to which I previously alluded.”
“Sounds like we’re getting hotter,” Kamala said.
“Exactly,” he continued. “It’s part of the Cyclades islands and, as I said, has the notable distinction of being the site of one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in the entire history of the world. It sent massive tsunamis racing all across the eastern Mediterranean and some hypothesize that it was so destructive it led to the end of the Minoan civilization.”
“Yikes,” Kamala said. “Any chance of that happening when we’re there?”
“Not much, but it’s still the most active volcanic region in what’s known as the South Aegean Volcanic Arc.”
“Surprised they don’t put that on the tourist posters,” Scarlet said. “Spend two weeks in the most active volcanic region in the Med.”
Reaper chuckled. “I think I know why they don’t do that…”
“Precisely,” Ryan said. “But the Minoans kept reliable records and we know that prior to the eruption there were settlements in the area, including the town of Akrotiri. We also know that at the start of the eruption, a massive cloud of ash was blasted high up in the sky and probably would have blocked sunlight for some time. Archaeologists to date have never found any bodies in their excavations, so it’s likely the residents had enough time to flee to safety.”
Kamala frowned. “What do you mean there’s not much chance of this happening when we’re there?”
“What, burning ash raining from the sky like a summer storm?” Ryan said.
The frown grew deeper. “Something like that, yeah.”
“It’s possible to use statistical data to extrapolate future eruptions from past ones, but the relatively small number of data points limits how accurate we can be. There have been nine eruptions in the last two thousand years with the most recent happening in 1950. Modern volcanologists have used Bayesian probability interpretation to infer a more accurate model of prediction.”
Kamala looked at Lea. “What the hell?”
“He means they’re getting better at guessing.”
“Got it,” she said with a smile. “So what’s the best guess then, Einstein?”
“It’s generally accepted that the volcano is ready to blow at any minute.”
She turned to him, wide-eyed and put her coffee down. “You said there wasn’t much chance of it erupting!”
“Here it comes,” Scarlet muttered.
Ryan ignored her. “Statistically, that’s true because we’re only going to be there a few hours. The chances of it blowing in that time are next to none, but over the past few years there has been a small inflation recorded beneath the volcano and an increase in the temperature taken in surrounding fumaroles and springs.”
“Maybe I’ll stay on the plane.”
Hawke laughed. “Welcome to ECHO. And no one’s staying on the plane. Kashala and his men are already well ahead of us and we’re going to need all hands to the pump if we’re to stand a chance of taking him and Dimitrov down.”
“I for one,” Reaper grumbled, “cannot wait to take the bastards out — volcano or not.”
“It sounds like hell,” Nikolai said.
His words brought a stop to the conversation, then Hawke said, “I think that’s kind of the point. If the ancient Greeks really went to such a place, you can see why they might have decided to call it hell.”
Kamala shifted in her seat. “Whatever it’s called, I’m not sure we’ve got any business going there.”
“Are you saying we should just give up?” Zeke asked.
“No,” she said flatly. “Absolutely not.”
“Then what?”
Hawke stepped in. “We don’t give up, ever. It’s just not what we do. We could have rolled over a hundred times in the last few years — God knows we’ve been up against it. And just about everything we’ve been fighting has been bigger and more powerful than us — better funded, more contacts and more reach. It’s David and Goliath on steroids, but not once has any of us ever just walked away.”
“And that’s because we’re a family,” Ryan said. “And families are usually small, and what they end up fighting is usually much bigger than they are, but their strength is in here.” He raised his hand and pounded his chest.
“You spilt some pizza sauce on your t-shirt, Ry,” Lea said.
Lexi nodded sagely. “Sort of ruined the end of your speech.”
“I thought it was very moving,” Zeke said.
Scarlet groaned. “I need a sick bucket.”
“But he’s right.” Hawke sensed a shade of despair in the air. “We are a family and families stick together. Alex is part of that family, and we’re not walking away from her, either. Anyone who walks away from this mission walks away from the family forever. Anyone?”
Eyes fixed on each other around the room, no one moved.
Lexi broke the tension. “I’m still worried about the sniper.”
“Aren’t we all?” Lea said.
Hawke nodded. “And worse, that little problem has gone quiet. I don’t like it. If it really is Lazaro, I still don’t see how he could know our whereabouts. We’re just moving too fast at the moment to be tracked by anyone… too spontaneous.”
“I agree,” Camacho said. “Just a few hours ago, not even we knew we’re about to be on a plane to Santorini. How the hell could Lazaro be there waiting for us? I think we need to chill out on the sniper thing for a while. Try and focus on the mission and Francken’s paycheck.”