“On our six,” Eli said.

  “We have a slight problem,” Jade said. “Patrol boats on the river and …shit. Inside, now!”

  Ley placed her hand on Eli’s shoulder as he walked backwards into the crumbling building, which had once been another bank, going by the amount of old-world paper money trampled into the floor.

  “Commpads,” Jade ordered. Eli quickly handed his over, as did the others. Jade pressed a series of buttons on each screen, then handed them back. “Sent all the data to a secure cloud. Just in case.”

  Nox exploded into a series of deep barks at the same moment Kora screamed. When Eli spun around, he stared in shock. Centipedes, hundreds of them, were pouring out of the broken plaster walls. Some were easily as long as his legs and just as thick. He rushed forward with Ley, Jade and Colter, firing his taser pistol. He emptied the magazine and jammed in a fresh charge. The bugs spat with annoying accuracy. The fluid burned through his clothes and onto his skin, but thankfully stayed out of his eyes. More bugs scurried from the holes. Then they were joined by a new threat: ants. Thousands of them, some the size of footballs.

  Eli shot three more and reached for another charge. There were too many. “I’m out.”

  “Me too,” Colter said.

  “Shit, bastard kint,” Ley spat.

  “Break contact,” Jade said.

  They went back out onto the street and were immediately surrounded by the heavily armed men wearing black combat gear. The Watchers were disarmed, cuffed, and in the middle of a cluster in less than thirty seconds. Nox was muzzled with a metal contraption and shoved into a wheeled crate. Two men carrying flamethrowers stepped forwards and incinerated the centipedes, filling the air with the stench of their burnt carcasses.

  Keeping the Watchers in the centre of their combat square, the men marched them back to Saint Paul’s in silence and took them down to the crypt. Bright lights on stands illuminated the space. Eli could appreciate the beauty of the construction now. The builders had taken great care and had been meticulous with every detail.

  Zapata welcomed the group with an exaggerated bow and click of his heels. “There they are. My adversaries. So annoying how you keep getting away, but no matter. Look around you. You should be thankful that this beautiful tomb will be yours as well.” He swept his arm out to encompass the whole space, and the sinkhole. “Know what the British idiots used to clean up the algae and shit in the Thames and their precious flooded tube tunnels? No one? Eels.” He reached behind him and picked up a red container, then threw some of the contents into the water. The surface immediately bubbled and frothed as black slimy creatures fought for the food. “Dumb bastards. The eels got a taste for something higher in protein. Flesh.”

  “How is that even genetically possible?” Jade said.

  “I don’t know and don’t care.”

  “Always were theatrical, weren’t you, Zapata?” Eli said.

  “Comes with the position of commander. Wait, is that Kora?” Zapata clicked his fingers, and one of the men shoved Kora to stand in front of the Thule.

  “It is you. Well, well. That is unexpected.”

  “I know that you are Simon. And full of lies.” Kora spat on the former commander’s feet. He struck out with a savage blow and knocked the young woman onto her butt, then kicked her in the chest, sending her skidding across the floor. Kora tried to sit up but collapsed in a heap. Ley leapt forward, only for the man guarding her to smash his rifle stock into the side of her head. She joined Kora on the floor, unconscious. Eli and Colter wrestled with the guards, each fighting to attend to their beaten friends.

  “Enough,” Zapata said. “Adler.”

  “Sir.” A woman with a soft, round face stepped out from behind Nelson’s sarcophagus. Eli figured she was Adler.

  “Found anything?”

  “Not yet. We are still completing our survey.”

  “That’s what I thought. I hate waiting. I had to wait twenty stinking years in that Lincoln shithole to start this search, so...”

  He signalled to someone behind the Watchers. It was Holman, the sector chief, bound and gagged. He was pushed forwards and made to kneel in front of Zapata. The men spent a few seconds wrapping a thick yellow rope around his torso and waist. His teary eyes meet Eli’s, and the Watcher mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

  “No more games, remember, Miller.” Zapata kicked Holman, screaming, into the sinkhole. The water frothed again. This time, it was stained with blood. The plasma sent the fish into an even bigger feeding frenzy.

  Eli slammed his heel into the leg of the guard behind him and broke free. Without a thought to his own safety, he charged Zapata. Using his head like a battering ram, he caught the man on the chin, but bounced off the Thule’s chest and staggered away. Three armed men surrounded him, their rifle barrels millimetres from his face.

  “Striking a Thule. Penalty of death.” Zapata pulled on the yellow rope and dragged Holman’s chewed remains back out. All that was left was the sinew on his joints and most of his skull. As the security chief was pulled out, two eels slithered out of his brain cavity. “Next!”

  Kora and Ley were trussed and carried to the edge of the sinkhole.

  “Tell me everything you found out, Miller.”

  “It’s a dead end. You can see for yourself. There ain’t two cities under here.”

  The former commander grabbed Ley’s leg and dropped it in the water. The eels tore into her flesh and woke her up. Her scream echoed around the crypt, drowning out any other noise. Again Eli fought his captors, only to be struck down with a vicious blow to the solar plexus from one of the three men. Gasping for breath, his eyes filling with tears, he struggled to get to Zapata. He didn’t care if he died trying. He wanted the Thule to die with him. All he had to do was get to him.

  Zapata smirked and pulled Ley’s leg from the water. Huge chunks of her limb were gone, torn away by the ravenous fish. Eli could see her fibula and tibia shining like beacons of pain. Ley tried to look at him, but her head rolled to the side as she lost consciousness again. Zapata took Nox out of his crate by the muzzle and punched the dog twice, then grabbed Kora by the scruff of the neck and forced her head closer to the sinkhole.

  “Wait.”

  Eli couldn’t bear to see his friends and loved ones suffer. No more games. The Thule was showing his sadistic, cruel side. Showing the Gnats that he ruled and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. He just hoped the secure cloud Jade had sent the data to was locked tight. Hoped they lived to be able to solve the puzzle faster. “It’s the guys.”

  “What guys? Miller. You have thirty seconds. Adler, record everything.”

  “Sir.”

  Eli blew out a breath, his eyes settling on the ruined lower leg of his beautiful girlfriend. The person who meant everything to him, who gave him purpose. “Nelson, above you, and Wellington down there. Had to be heroes to the British.”

  “So? Who gives a shit?”

  “You might want to,” Eli glared at the Thule.

  “Sir?” Adler interrupted again.

  “What?”

  “I see where he’s going with this. According to my data, cities all around the new world bear their names.”

  “You sure?”

  “One hundred percent. Where the ripper walks on the bones of Etruscans. London. More accurately, the old Roman part of London. The dome of the bird can be seen. Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren — a type of bird common in this country.”

  Eli wasn’t surprised at Adler’s understanding of the riddle. Zapata would have someone doing the hard yards.

  “Two cities rest under. Heed them,” Adler said. “It’s just a matter of figuring out which two cities.”

  Zapata chuckled and kicked Ley in the ribs. For a second, Eli thought she was going to fall into the sinkhole, but she just flopped over. Kora, conscious again, hooked Ley’s ankle with her foot, preventing further movement. Eli mouthed a thank you and stared at the former commander. As he did, he drew Nox in closer with his right foot. The dog gave a small whimper but remained calm. Eli hated seeing his friends in pain and knew he had to keep Zapata talking or distract him long enough to give himself time to figure a way out of this mess.

  “Why all that The Nine stuff?”

  “No. Nothing more will I say to you, Watcher Miller.”

  Zapata turned to one of his men. The guard directly in front of Eli followed the former commander. That was all the invitation Eli needed. There was no more time. He had to act. He elbowed the guards to his left and right, ducked under the rifle of the third guard, and charged. Just as he had hoped, Jade and Colter reacted by headbutting the guards behind them, fighting to get free. Zapata pivoted, easily side-stepping the Watcher. He signalled to an armed guard to release Eli’s cuffs.

  “I’m going to beat you to near unconsciousness. Then you can watch me feed your friends to the eels. Haru will be last. Bit by bit. But you, Miller. You, I’ll seal in here with the corpses.”

  “I thought you weren’t going to say anything more.” Eli rubbed the circulation back into his wrists and rocked on the balls of his feet.

  “Gnat scum.”

  “There you go again. Still talking.”

  Smirking, Zapata strode forwards. Nox sounded out a warning bark, and the Thule signalled to the soldier next to him. The man drew a taser and shot Nox. Eli growled, his rage growing as he readied to attack the former commander.

  Zapata smirked again, feinted a left roundhouse kick, then dropped his knee before driving forwards and catching Eli in the diaphragm. The air exploded from Eli’s lungs. He fell to the ground next to Ley and rolled over, desperate for oxygen. All he could think about in that moment was doing what Old Patty had told him in the labyrinth.

  Do the unexpected.

  Up until that point, in all the physical encounters he’d had with Zapata, Eli had fought back, tried to win. And it had taken all those brutal encounters for him to realise he couldn’t beat the Thule. Not fairly anyway. He rolled again so that he lay over Ley, her body blocking his hands. Ley groaned as he put his weight on her. Up close, her injuries were horrific. The eels had targeted her muscles first. Fortunately, they had missed the arteries. Blood still seeped from the torn leg, though, pooling under her. With great care, Eli lifted her pants and felt around for the knife she kept sheathed there. When his fingers found the cool handle, he nearly laughed with happiness.

  Zapata kicked him in the side with his boot and hauled him to his feet. Nearly dropping the knife, Eli managed to palm it by leaning forwards to protect his head and chest. More blows, this time to the kidneys and groin.

  Eli wobbled on his feet, not sure how much more he could take. He could hear scuffling in the background and hoped Jade and Colter were having better success. Above the din, he heard the distinct sound of a heavy vehicle. The noise rumbled through the crypt, sending the already aggravated centipedes into a frenzy. Hundreds poured from every crack and hole, hissing and spitting.

  Zapata attacked Eli with a series of jabs, knocking him back a few steps. Then he caught Eli clean on the jaw with a perfectly timed right hook. Flashes of blue and yellow sparked in his vision as everything dulled, like someone had turned off all the colour and left him with monotone. When he fell next to Ley this time, it was a welcome relief.

  Gunfire rattled out, mixed with the crackling sound of the flamethrowers. “On me. Push them back!” Zapata shouted. “Leave the Gnats. I’ll deal with them later. Kill the people with guns, you morons.”

  More gunfire and shouting sounded out, but Eli in his dazed state couldn’t figure out what was happening. He only knew Zapata wasn’t hitting him anymore.

  “Adler, get out of here!” Zapata shouted from somewhere deeper in the crypt.

  “Sir,” Adler said. “Soldiers.” her voice full of panic.

  “Wait. Get down.”

  Loud gunfire erupted from close to Eli. They were controlled bursts of three. “Stay down, Adler, until we clear the stairwell. You two, on me.” Zapata shouted, his and other footsteps faded as they moved towards the sound of intense fighting.

  Eli was struggling to remain conscious. He wasn’t sure who the former commander was talking about. They weren’t firing. So, who was? Someone bumped into him and landed with a crunch next to Ley.

  “Multiple threats!” a panicked voice warned then their pounding boots ran past Eli.

  The fighting sounded distant now. Eli figured it was coming from outside on the street. More gunfire rattled out, and the heat from the flames brought new pungent odours of burning bugs.

  “Eli,” Colter said, “stay awake, mate.”

  Hands rolled Eli over. He felt a slight sting of a stim and his eyes snapped open. The colours were still dull, but he had never been happier to see his friend’s chiselled jawline. Colter had a few abrasions on his cheek but was otherwise unharmed.

  Kora appeared in his vision. “Med kit?”

  “Backpack,” Eli said. “Our gear is over there, some…where.”

  “Got it.”

  “O… okay.”

  “Sorry, professor, we need to move.”

  “What’s happening? Who’s here?”

  “No idea, and who cares?”

  “Nox?”

  “Alive. I’m going to carry him.”

  “Put him on my shoulders.”

  The gunfire from the crypt entrance intensified for a few seconds, then stopped altogether.

  “We need to leave. Now!” Colter said. “I’ve got Nox.”

  Eli stood on wobbly feet and saw that Jade and Kora had bandaged Ley’s ruined leg. Jade had his girlfriend in a fireman’s carry. With Colter’s help, Eli steadied his balance and hobbled around the sinkhole.

  A gunshot rang out, and Eli lurched forwards. Agony exploded from his side and up his spine.

  “Miller!” Zapata screamed, like a wife who just found out her husband was cheating. The former commander, his face red with rage, sprinted down the crypt towards Eli.

  Glancing down at the side where all the pain was coming from, Eli saw blood pumping through his clothes. “Go, Colter. Tell Leylani I love her.”

  “No Watcher left behind.”

  Another shot rang out, and Eli’s left leg buckled as he collapsed onto one knee. He shoved Colter away. “Find Fisher.”

  Zapata was nearly at the two Watchers. In his hand, he gripped a handgun. Grey and sleek. It was pointing directly at Eli’s head.

  Colter turned and jogged away with Nox in his arms.

  “Gnat scum!” Zapata smashed the gun across Eli’s face, adding more pain to his already overloaded brain.

  Through bloodied gums, Eli grinned at the Thule. “Confucius.”

  “What are you mumbling about?” Zapata hauled Eli to his feet with ease and held the barrel of the pistol to his right temple.

  “Confucius say that man with holes in his pocket feel cocky all day.”

  “You Gnats like spouting nonsensical gibberish, don’t you?”

  Gathering the last of his strength, Eli slipped the knife into his hand. “But you’re the one who needed our help solving the riddle. You’re too cocky.”

  Anger and hate flared in Zapata’s obsidian eyes. Maybe it was the way they bulged out for a split second, or the way they twitched. Whatever it was, it was the desired effect. Eli wanted him angry. The Thule shoved Eli to the edge of the sinkhole and jammed the gun back against his temple. With no further hesitation, Eli plunged the knife first into Zapata’s kidney, then up under his armpit. His third blow hit the commander on the collar bone. He had been aiming for the jugular, but Zapata twisted away.

  Eli hated the former commander and had fantasised about killing him ever since he had found out his plan to drown Lincoln. Now, when he had the chance to end the Thule’s life, he felt pity and sadness along with his loathing of the man. Eli had had to become the monster Zapata was to defeat the Thule. Eli was disgusted but knew what he had to do.

  The commander snickered. “Can’t do it. No grit. No moxie.”

  Zapata rushed him. Eli pivoted and headbutted the Thule with everything he had left. Zapata’s head snapped back. He lost his balance and windmilled his arms. As the Thule toppled backwards, Eli fell to his knees and slumped to one side. The last thing he saw was the water frothing.

  He had done it. Finally. He whispered an apology to Ley and his friends, then welcomed the sweet feeling of the void.

  CHAPTER 31

  Eli dreamed. It was a recurring dream he’d had many times over his life. Fields of golden grass spread out like an ocean. Ley was next to him and took his hand in hers. The sun was an orange globe just above the horizon, and for once, it didn’t burn their skin. Together, they walked for hours. Slowly, the fields changed to corn. Black and orange butterflies filled the sky. Sunflowers covered rolling hills. And still they walked. Into forests of impossibly high trees. More hours passed as birds and insects flew around. When night fell, the insects glowed like lamps. Something pulled Eli towards a lake with a long wooden jetty.

  “I can’t go any farther,” Ley said. It was the first time either of them had spoken.

  Eli had no sadness at her leaving, because at the end of the jetty was someone else. A strange contentment came over him as he walked closer, then stood in front of her. Like all the other times he’d had this dream, she had white hair and leathery skin, and smoked a pipe.

  “You’re nearly there.”

  “Where?”

  The old woman blew a few smoke rings. “To being the best you are.” She blew a cloud of sweet-smelling smoke and dissipated with it.

  Eli hated her riddles.

  The lake water bubbled, and the blue oily men with no eyes or mouths appeared, crying out his name in anguish.

  Fire ripped through his body as he came to. Pain throbbed through every muscle and limb. How was he still alive? The water in the sinkhole was still, and there was no sign of either Zapata or his men. He tried sitting up to get a better idea of his situation.

  “Stay still. I’m treating your injuries,” a voice said.