Mortuus Virgo

Pontifex Maximus.’

‘Really?’ said Mr Smith, and turned his head to nod at one of his henchmen. A single shot rang out, and a bullet smashed into Jacob’s chest sending him flying backwards. ‘Not any more.’

Gatilusi looked down and saw Brandon’s gun tucked in the rear of Brandon’s trouser belt. Suddenly he realised why Brandon had moved in front of him. He slowly drew the gun as gently as possible from the belt, keeping it low and out of sight.

‘Ready?’ He whispered, ‘After three.’

Brandon nodded. If they were going down, they were going down fighting. He took a deep breath and braced himself.

‘One, two, three.’

Brandon threw himself forward to where Gatilusi had kicked his own gun a few minutes earlier, and Gatilusi opened fire at the men on the landing, catching them by surprise. The noise was deafening in the cavern and two of the men fell wounded to the floor, while the rest dropped down behind the perimeter wall in panic.

Brandon grabbed the gun discarded earlier and sent a few shots upwards to keep their heads down. The Nuns grabbed the screaming children and ushered them down behind the rear of the wall surrounding the fire pit. Brandon raced around the fire and joined them behind the wall.

‘What now?’ gasped Gatilusi, swapping weapons with Brandon.

‘I don’t know,’ said Brandon,’ But I’m not going to just sit back and take it. How many shots have you got?’

‘Two mags,’ said Gatilusi, ‘Forty rounds in total, you?’

‘Eighty,’ said Brandon, ‘Not a lot, but it may keep them away or a while.’

‘Then what?’

‘I don’t know.’ He turned to Sister Agnes.

‘Is there any other exit to this place?’ he asked.

‘Only the chamber of the Pontifex Maximus,’ she said pointing up to the Balcony from where Jacob had descended earlier, ‘But I don’t know where it leads.’

‘Okay,’ he said, ‘This is what we will do. Gatilusi and I will give covering fire while you and your colleagues get everyone up those stairs as fast as you can.’

‘Will we have enough time?’ asked India.

‘We have enough rounds for just under a minute,’ said Brandon, reloading his pistol with a fresh magazine, ‘So when the shooting starts, make sure that everyone knows exactly what they must do. As soon as we run out of ammo, they will pick us off like rats in a barrel.’

Thirty seconds later, India turned to Brandon.

‘Ready,’ she said, ‘They are scared but know what to do.’

Brandon turned to Gatilusi.

‘Okay sharpshooter,’ he said, ‘As soon as the last one is up the stairs, you and I cover each other and follow them up. Agreed?’

‘Agreed,’ said Gatilusi, ‘Ready? Go.’

Once more Brandon and Gatilusi jumped up and started firing at the balcony, only easing off when all the gunmen had dropped once more behind the wall. In his peripheral vision he could see a line of children and the six Nuns climbing the stair as fast as they could. Up above, Mr Smith realised what was happening and shouted an order to his men.

‘Get up,’ he screamed, ‘Their getting away.’

A few of the gunmen took their chances and sprang up to engage the Gatilusi and Brandon. A hail of bullets flew in either direction as the fire fight broke out until at last, Brandon ducked once more behind the wall. He looked up at the doorway above and saw the back of India, disappearing through the archway.

‘Right,’ he said, ‘Our turn, ammo?’

‘Just a couple left,’ said Gatilusi. Brandon threw him his last magazine. ‘One full mag each,’ he said, ‘Make them count. Ready?’

‘Let’s go,’ said Gatilusi and jumped up to run towards the stairs.

Brandon aimed up at the balcony and started to reverse towards the stairs, giving covering fire. Halfway up the steps, Gatilusi stopped and joined in the shooting to allow Brandon to catch up. The continued to cover each other until Brandon’s gun clicked on an empty magazine.

‘Empty,’ he shouted and turned to sprint the last few steps to the balcony, passing Gatilusi on the way.

‘Me too,’ said Gatilusi, as his gun too fell silent. For a few seconds the cavern was silent before the gunmen realised their advantage and jumped up to return the fire. Several shots ricotched off the rocky walls around them, as they raced through the archway and into the space beyond.

A few yards in, both men stopped in confusion. They had expected to find a passage of some sort, but instead the found a small chamber, sealed at one end by a solid looking door, the only other way out. To one side, all the children and Nuns were huddled together in a frightened group.

‘It’s locked,’ said India, a look of terror on her face.

Brandon ran towards the door and examined it closely.

‘Can you break it down?’ asked India.

‘No,’ he said, ‘It’s solid Oak.’

‘Then we are trapped!’

‘Sorry, India,’ he said, ‘It was our only chance.’

She stared at him for a while, before smiling gently and, tiptoeing up to reach him, kissed him gently on the lips.

‘What’s that for?’ he asked.

‘Just wanted to see what it felt like?’ she said, ‘Before it is too late.’

She smiled again and walked over to join the Nuns as they sat the children down, cross legged on the floor. Sister Agnes started a prayer.

Brandon and Gatilusi watched them for a few minutes before Brandon reached down and slid out a knife from within the side of his boot.

‘What are you going to do with that?’ asked Gatilusi, ‘They’ve all got guns.’

‘I am going to try to reason with him,’ he said, ‘And If I can get close enough, perhaps I can take him hostage.’

‘That’s a shit idea,’ said Gatilusi.

‘Maybe it is,’ said Brandon, ‘But it’s the’ only one I got left.’

‘They’ll never fall for it,’ said Gatilusi, You won’t get halfway down the stairs.’

‘Perhaps not,’ said Brandon, ‘But I’m not going to wait here and do nothing.’

Gatilusi stepped forward and offered his hand in friendship.

‘Nice knowing you, Brandon,’ he said, ‘Good luck.’

Brandon hesitated, but took the man’s hand.

‘You almost had it,’ he said.

‘The Palladium?’

‘Yes.’

‘Wasn’t meant to be,’ said Gatilusi, ‘The Goddess had us fooled all along.’

‘Seems like she did,’ said Brandon.

He looked towards India who was busy comforting one of the crying girls. She looked up and, after a moment, sent him a gentle smile.

He nodded and smiled back.

‘Time to go,’ said Brandon and walked back towards the archway, but as he entered the Cavern once more, he was blown backwards by a blinding explosion.