“At least not of the two-footed kind,” said Tassos.
“Isn’t Tinos known for snakes?” whispered Kouros.
“That was the island’s name in antiquity, ‘the place of snakes,’” said Tassos, “But a miracle drove them away.”
“I don’t believe in miracles.”
“Then watch where you walk,” said Tassos.
“Keep it down, you two, I was kidding about this being a stroll.”
The path widened and narrowed erratically as it climbed amid what seemed endless rows of more low walls of flat stones. Some walls ran straight up the hill as if barriers to the sea, but most ran horizontal, creating plateaus of dirt that once were crop-yielding soil. Today those walls retained what bore little more than thistle and lizards.
The top of the mound looked to be twenty-five feet of solid stone, and the way up there was lined with a haphazard array of wind carved sculptures of unnatural shapes. Or so they appeared in the moonlight. By day they were boulders.
“We’re not going up there, are we?” whispered Kouros.
“No,” said Andreas. “If there’s a way into this thing from up there we’ll never find it in the dark. I’m heading to the sea. I want to see that cave. We might get lucky and find some way inside from there.”
“As if that will be any easier to do at night,” said Tassos.
“Why don’t you stay here and we’ll pick you up on the way back?” said Kouros.
“Not a chance.”
“As a matter of fact, that’s a good idea,” said Andreas. “Find a spot up the hill to keep an eye on us, and anyone who might come along while we’re inside. We’ll be sitting ducks in there.”
“More like fish in a barrel,” said Kouros.
“Okay,” said Tassos.
“Don’t fight so hard to come with us,” smiled Kouros.
“Stay safe guys. I’ll be here waiting and watching.”
Andreas handed Tassos a communicator. “I borrowed a pair from the Tinos boys, just in case.”
The moonlight made it easy to see, and the walls between them and a straight march to the sea were simple to get over. The most difficult part of the hike for Andreas was keeping his eyes on the ground in front of him so as not trip. It was hard to focus on the path with the Aegean spread out across the horizon, ablaze in shimmering silver. He wondered what Lila was doing at the moment. They’d not spoken all day.
“Chief.”
“What is it?”
“Off to the right, it looks like a goat path leading out to the rocks above the sea. The cave should be out that way, and if it has fresh water like the guidebook says some do, goats would know that.”
Andreas followed the path out onto the rocks. Tinos was legend for its constant winds. Thankfully, tonight was relatively calm, with no wind driven waves to soak the rocks.
“Yianni, I think it’s over there.” Andreas pointed down at an indentation about thirty feet away at the edge of the sea. “Careful going down, I don’t want to have to carry you back.”
The two crept along on what seemed no more than a ribbon of stone across a cliff face.
“The more I do this the more respect I have for goats,” said Kouros.
“Don’t make me laugh, it’s slippery.”
Andreas jumped the last five feet down to a stone shelf just outside the cave. “Careful when you jump.”
Andreas stopped at the mouth of the cave to wait for Kouros. He shone his light inside. The cave was broad and tall enough, and the floor deep enough below sea level, to easily accommodate a fast boat capable of making it to Athens, or anywhere else in the Mediterranean for that matter. Andreas inched inside the cave along a slippery ledge that led into a tiny alcove barely larger that a double-size phone booth. He shone his light on the roof, walls and ledges, and down into the water. Kouros stepped in next to Andreas and did the same inside the alcove.
“I don’t see anything that looks like an entrance,” said Andreas.
“Or a ventilation duct,” said Kouros. “In fact, I don’t see anything that looks unusual at all, not even a hole.”
“Yeah, isn’t that unusual. You’d think if the sea took such trouble to carve this cave into solid rock it wouldn’t suddenly stop its work right here. The water must beat the hell out of this place when the wind is blowing, but there’s not even the hint of a crevice beyond where we’re standing. And what about that fresh water you talked about? Those goats must be pretty disappointed after making the trek down here to come up dry.
“I think we better come back tomorrow with some people who know about caves and see that they think. I’ve a feeling this one’s been tinkered with.”
“That will really piss off all those archeologists trying to get in here. Why do you think the government is keeping them away? This seems an obvious spot for a dig.”
Andreas shrugged. “Who knows, but hopefully not because of Trelos’ influence.”
“More likely it’s the Foundation’s juice. Maybe it doesn’t want attention drawn away from its church? After all, this place probably honored ancient gods.”
“I doubt that’s why. You’ve got the excavated Temple of Poseidon on the other side of town, and that was pretty important back in the days of the gods. Doesn’t your guidebook say pilgrims stopped there to prepare themselves on their way to Delos?”
Kouros nodded. “Then what do you think is the reason?”
“An alien spaceship that our government doesn’t want anyone to find. Like the one the United States has been hiding for decades in one of its western states.”
“Mexico?”
“No, New Mexico,” said Andreas.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Andreas laughed.
They’d just stepped off the narrow goat path leading back from the cave when Andreas caught a glimpse of a figure in the distance highlighted against the sky. It was coming toward them quickly. Andreas motioned for Kouros to move forward and downhill. Andreas went off at a similar angle up the mound, staying as low as he could so not to silhouette himself against the horizon. They’d keep whoever was coming between them.
The figure abruptly turned and headed up the hill toward Andreas. Andreas crouched beside a wall, and waited until the figure was ten feet away before standing up. “Fancy meeting you here.”
Trelos stumbled backwards. He seemed surprised and clutched his iPod to his chest. Andreas walked down to him as Kouros came up from below. They met on a narrow plateau, with Trelos in the middle.
“Rather late for you to be out and about here, wouldn’t you say?”
No answer.
“Oh, we’re back to that again. It’s not going to work this time. So start talking.” Andreas reached over and pulled the earphones off Trelos’ head.
Trelos stepped back as if trying to protect his iPod and Andreas leaned forward to grab it.
That was when Andreas heard the buzz fly past his head, the crack of a rifle shot, and the sound of Kouros stumbling back and falling against a wall behind him.
“ Yianni,” Andreas screamed. He grabbed Trelos by the throat and dragged him as a shield toward Kouros’ body. “Move from that spot and I’ll kill you myself.” He reached down, grabbed Kouros, and rolled with him over the wall. Andreas felt the bullet hit him in the side before he heard the sound of the shot.
“ Stop! Stop! What are you doing? This is wrong!” Trelos was screaming but Andreas didn’t look to see at what. He was too busy trying to find where the bullet had entered his buddy. Kouros’ forehead was covered in blood.
Andreas heard another shot, this one from a pistol. He grabbed the communicator and yelled, “ Tassos, what’s happening? Yianni’s been hit and we’re pinned down. Where are you? ”
No response.
