No one could approach across the lawns and gardens without triggering an alarm. All of the windows and entrances had infra-red and motion sensors. The sheer size of the place meant the camera views had to switch in ordered sequence. There were gaps in the continuous coverage.
There hadn't been much time to prepare a plan. They'd gone over maps and old blueprints of the palace. Nick had decided to go in through the cover of the park and access the ancient sewer system under the palace. From there they would find a way into the palace itself.
"This moon could be a problem," Nick said.
"The light might keep the rats away," Selena said.
"Rats?"
"There's a legend the sewers breed giant man-eating rats that come out at night."
"I hate rats." Ronnie looked out at the trees and paths of the park. "Doesn't seem fair."
"What doesn't?"
"You said man-eating. Means they won't go after you."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Check your gear," he said.
They got out of the van. They were dressed in black. Black jackets, black pants and gloves, black Kevlar vests, black shoes with soft soles. Black balaclavas. Ronnie carried a pack. Each had a pistol, knife, light, ammunition and a suppressed MP-5. They had earpieces and microphones. If they split up, they could stay in contact.
"Remember the ROE," Nick said. Rules of Engagement. "The Portuguese guards are off limits. Subdue them if you have to, don't kill them. They have uniforms, they're easy to ID. No one else should be there. You see anyone else, they're one of the bad guys and fair game."
"Got your library card with you?" Lamont said.
"Let's go get something for Selena to read."
They moved into the park. The gravel path crunched under their feet. The moonlight made dark pools of shadow under the trees. The night air was cool and smelled of pine and the mixed, dark scent of the zoo animals. A bird called, high, mournful sounds that sent shivers up and down her spine. She felt the adrenaline kick in and forced herself to walk calmly.
They came to a large maintenance shed housing a pumping sub-station for the sewer system.
Nick consulted his map of the grounds. "The entrance should be in here."
He had the lock open in a few seconds. They stepped inside and closed the door. He flicked on his light. The pumps and a generator sat silent against one wall. A round steel plate was placed in the center of the floor. Ronnie and Lamont lifted it away. Iron rungs descended down a brick shaft into darkness. A foul odor of ancient and modern waste drifted up through the opening.
"Phew," Ronnie said.
"What did you expect? Roses? I'll go first. Lamont, you bring up the rear."
They entered the shaft and climbed down. The ladder ended on a platform with an iron railing. The platform opened onto a walkway of stone wide enough to move single file along the sewer wall.
The sewer was horseshoe shaped, big enough to stand up in. A dizzying pattern of ancient stone bricks laid in concentric circles ran off toward the palace on the right and the ocean to the left. The walls dripped with gray slime that sucked the light away. The air was thick, like breathing syrup. A trickle of dark water ran down the center of the passage.
"Smells like shit," Ronnie said.
"Good one, Sherlock." Lamont wrinkled his nose. ''At least we can stand up."
"That way." Nick pointed right.
They walked along the tunnel. There were rats. They weren't giant rats but they were black and they were big. They squeaked and ran past their feet. Selena shuddered. She met Nick's eyes.
"Like California," she said.
He nodded. "At least we've got light this time."
"And no spiders."
Ronnie kicked a squealing rat into the center channel.
There was something darker than human offal in the tunnel. A miasma of centuries, of a time when kings ruled Europe and wore golden crowns worth enough to feed thousands. As he walked, Nick thought not much had really changed since the kings ran things. The crowns were gone, but in their place were plenty of new symbols of power. Hi-tech weapons that cost countless billions of dollars. Television commercials for unneeded and meaningless products. Expensive political ads that sold dishonest hypocrites and liars as smiling men of the people. And the same age old, hopeless poverty for most of the human race.
They came around a long curve to a place where the tunnel branched in two. Nick chose the passage on the right. After ten minutes they came to a second platform, old and crumbling. Another set of rungs led upward.
Nick shone his light up the shaft. The rungs ended at an iron cover. He climbed. Bits of old rust drifted down in a shower. At the top, he pushed against the plate. He put all his strength into it. It didn't move. Nick climbed back down.
"No good. Let's look for another."
"What if they're all like that?" Selena asked.
"Then we'll figure something out."
They walked on. They'd reached the original tunnel, dating back to 1717. Moisture dripped from the walls. Nick tried not to breathe. They came to another set of rungs. Nick climbed to the top and pushed against the cover. It moved, just a little. Something popped in his back. He took a deep breath.
"Ronnie, climb up here and help me."
The two men pushed against the plate. It moved. Steady pain radiated down Nick's left leg. The plate slid to the side. They climbed out of the hole. The others came through.
"You okay?" Ronnie looked at him.
Nick wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead. "Yeah. I'm fine."
The air was stale with dust. Compared to the sewer it felt like a spring day in the country.
"Glad we're out of there," Lamont said.
The room was a sub basement full of boxes, crates, broken statuary and junk of every description. It might once have been a dungeon. The ceiling was of rock, low and dark. A narrow flight of worn stone steps led upward. At the top of the steps was a solid wooden door. Nick climbed, the others behind. Pain was steady in his leg.
"You're limping," Selena said.
"It's nothing."
Nick adjusted his gear, unslung his MP-5. He opened the door into another basement.
"Looks like we got lucky," Lamont said.
They were in the electrical room, modern and clean. Thick metal conduits housing the main power supply fed into panels of circuit breakers. Dozens of lines led away from the panels into the building.
"Those look like the video feeds." Nick shone his light on a thick bundle of colored wires.
Ronnie opened his pack and took out a small video recorder, a series of probes and what looked like a pocket television with a digital meter. He went over to the wires and began probing.
"We've got cameras," he said. On the fifth try he said, "Got it." He clipped the probe onto the wire.
The screen showed 24 tiny images from the security cameras above. "This one is the main feed. Everything routes through here. We're looking at everything they see."
He plugged the video recorder into the device and turned it on.
"We'll set up a two minute loop and take the real ones off line. Whoever's looking will see what we want them to."
"Nothing."
"Right." They waited. Ronnie checked the recording and attached another lead to the main feed.
"Taking the cameras off line…now." Ronnie pressed a switch. The image flickered and steadied.
"We're good to go."
Nick said, "Once we get oriented, we head for the second floor. The library is in the rear. When we find it, Selena, you're the boss. Tell us what to do. When we get the Codex, we get out."
"What could be simpler?" Lamont said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Project security went everywhere with Elizabeth since the attacks on her team. She had 24/7 surveillance on her Georgetown home. She was always guarded when she wasn't inside Project HQ.