Shay nodded as she took a long drink from the cold beer and set the glass down. “Case-by-case basis. Fine by me.”
She resisted adding Brownstone might be busy dealing with the Harriken. They might not leave him alone. After what he’d done, it’d make sense if they did, but honor-obsessed criminals weren’t always rational.
The Professor smiled. “I’ll forward you the relevant information about the layout of the tunnel system. Call me before you set out for the airport. I’ll have a courier deliver you the flute there. Oh, I should warn you. When you use the flute, there will be some momentary discomfort.”
“I’m sure I can handle it.”
“Do we have a deal, Miss Carson?”
“Don’t worry, Smite-Williams. I’ll get you your magical flying palace key.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Definitely hard to miss,” Shay whispered.
The one-hundred-foot, seven-tier gatehouse tower to the temple rose above the nearby simpler buildings of the city of Thiruvananthapuram. Elaborate depictions of gods, warriors, and couples sat carved into the stone. If the intricate stonework wasn’t sufficient to impress, the gold-plating over the tower would do the rest.
The various people wandering the streets nearby didn’t seem to take any special notice of the temple. They had stopped being impressed a long time ago.
Too bad. I’m not going to see most of it.
Fencing and walls surrounded the outer ramparts of the temple complex, their steel contrasting with the older stone. The rise in thefts had led to a greater emphasis on security.
Don’t worry. I don’t want any of the gold, guys, just your little figurine. If the Professor’s right, you don’t even know it’s there.
Shay took a deep breath. It was time to head back to her hotel room and rest for a bit. The job would start well after nightfall.
She wasn’t there for sightseeing, and she didn’t need any witnesses.
A helpful EMP disabled the nearby streetlights as Shay crept through the darkness. Few people prowled the streets near Padmatheertham, the large pond dominating the area right outside of the temple complex.
Shay didn’t want to have to explain to any random passersby why she was wearing a wetsuit. The Professor’s information said the safest way into the hidden tunnels involved a hidden underwater passage.
Shit. If this takes until sun up, I’ll have to sit inside the temple for a while. Or find a new way out.
Shay found a small grove of trees near a corner of the rectangular pond. She slipped on a diving mask and headlamp before connecting a small water-tight bag to her belt.
The bag contained the key things she’d need once she was out of the water. Inside were a gun, a few magazines, the temporary knives from Tubal-Cain, a folded up tactical harness, her phone, her smartwatch, and some boots.
Boots and a wetsuit. Oh so fashionable.
Shay snickered, knowing this kind of entry wasn’t happening with Brownstone.
See, Smite-Williams? Sometimes two people are a crowd.
She lifted her final tool. A tankless rebreather. She bit down on the mouthpiece and leapt into the water.
Shay didn’t like using the device. The batteries didn’t last long, and it was worthless at any decent depth, but she wouldn’t need to be in the water long or go deep. Her only other option involved trying to sneak a bunch of SCUBA gear into the middle of the city, difficult even at night.
She turned on her headlamp. The beam cut through the inky blackness of the water as she made her way toward the other side of the pond. The algae-covered stone wall closed on her, and she stopped swimming.
Her light passed back and forth over the wall as she sought evidence of the hidden tunnel.
Damn it. Not gonna be that easy. Okay, let’s do this the hard way.
Shay swam toward the wall and ran her hands along the stone. Her heart thumped as the minutes passed. She needed enough oxygen to get to the temple and back if she didn’t want to deal with further complications.
Five minutes passed when her hand pushed into the wall. Shay’s eyes widened as she stared down at her arm.
It was if the wall swallowed her hand, but she didn’t feel anything other than more water. A quick exploration with both hands revealed a circular tunnel behind the apparent wall. She wasn’t sure if it was technology, clever lighting, or magic giving the appearance of an otherwise solid wall.
Next time they drain this thing, they’ll probably find this tunnel. All right, here we go.
Shay swam forward. Her head passed through the fake wall, and her headlamp revealed a smooth if narrow tunnel stretching out ahead of her. She kept moving forward until her light illuminated another wall ahead.
Shay changed directions, swimming up along the wall until her head popped out of the water in a small earthen chamber. The dirt and rock covered floor and jagged and irregular walls meant it wasn’t part of the main temple complex.
Shay ditched her rebreather and mask before slipping on her boots and harness. The gun and knives joined her outfit next before she put on her watch and her phone in a harness pouch. The implications of the light loadout didn’t escape her. If Shay ended in a major battle, she would be screwed.
But I’m not supposed to kill anyone anyway. Right, Professor?
She took a moment to check a pouch for the Professor’s small wooden flute. The warm to the touch instrument remained where she’d left it.
A step outside the chamber brought her to a wide but irregular tunnel. Shay hurried down the tunnel, the headlamp beam revealing nothing but more dirt and darkness. Ten minutes of travel brought her to a fork in the path.
She pulled out her phone to check the custom map app Peyton had uploaded her information into.
Glad I wasn’t trying to depend on getting a signal in the ground under a temple.
Peyton’s research and hacking retrieved subterranean density maps derived from data gathered by a government geological survey plane. She’d found they were more up-to-date than most of
