White Jade (The PROJECT) (26 page)

"
Then the Minoans were here, after all.
"

"
It looks like it. This style of mosaic art is unique to the
Aegean
. Either the Minoans or someone who had contact with them had to have done it. Finding this in
Tibet
is incredible.
"
She took out her camera.

They
came to the edge of the square. The walls of the building at the heart of the complex were eroded from the endless winds, the ancient stone dark and stained. Narrow openings were set along the lower walls and in the
roof
.

"
This is an early style of Vedic temple architecture,
"
said Selena.
"
The pyramid roof was typical. I
'
d guess around 1800 BCE. Maybe a little later.
"

"
It was a temple?
"

"
I
t must have been.
This entire complex is laid out like a
mandala, with entrances to the center from the four directions.
"

"
What
'
s a mandala?
"
Ronnie rubbed his face with his glove.

"
It
'
s a tool, a picture to help focus your mind. By looking at the picture and meditating on it you develop the ability to enter a spiritual dimension.
"

"
You believe that?
"
he said.

"
I
t seems to work for the people who practice with it.
"

Carter
looked around the broad square,
thinking
what it must have been like when there were people here.

"
This place was a mandala for real?
"
He
rubbed
his
ear.

"
That would have been the idea. Everything constructed to remind people of their spiritual nature and the transience of life.
"

"
Then why are we here looking for something to make you immortal?
"

"
Immortality is the payoff in a lot of religions. It just takes different forms for different people. In the East, you get enlightened
. I
n effect you become immortal. In the West, you live forever in heaven.
"

"
Or hell,
"
he
said.

"
I don
'
t believe that,
"
said Selena.

For the most part, the square was free of debris.
They
walked toward the building, stopped and stared at the structure.

Two massive columns held up an arched entry. Above the arch, a great, fierce bird was hewn into the stone. Still visible on each column was the sign of the labrys, the double headed axe of ancient
Crete
.

Chapter Thirty-
Nine

Senior Investigator Yao waited in the antechamber of the Minister of State Security.
H
e was nervous. It was
n't
a good sign to be kept waiting this long. Unsmiling guards in dress uniform, assault rifles carried at port arms, stood
rigid
sentry at the entrance to the
Minister's office
.

Yao
reassured himself. His investigation of General Yang was thorough. You didn
'
t make accusations against someone as powerful as Yang without good reason and better facts. It was a foregone conclusion his report would be difficult to receive and subject to the closest scrutiny.
Yao
had faith in the system, but this was explosive.

The Minister
'
s secretary emerged from within. He beckoned
Yao
forward.

"
The Minister will see you now.
"

Yao
read nothing in the secretary
'
s tone. Ah, well, the tile was cast. Soon he would know the Minister
'
s thoughts.

Minister Deng sat behind his desk, writing. The secretary led
Yao
to the front of the desk and took a seat at a smaller table off to the side. Deng continued writing.
Yao
stood at attention and forced himself to remain calm. Finally the Minister of State Security for the People
'
s Republic of
China
capped his pen, set it down and looked up.

He was not smiling.

"
Senior Investigator
Yao
. I have read your report.
"
Deng held up a folder on his desk.
"
You have made serious accusations against General Yang.
"
He looked at
Yao
as if expecting him to admit this had all been a foolish error.

"
Yes, Minister.
"

"
General Yang is one of the bulwarks of our military. He has served the people well for many years. You are sure you do not wish to withdraw this report?
"

Yao
took a deep breath.
"
Yes, Minister.
"

"
I have reviewed your record. You also have distinguished yourself in service to the Party and the people. Whom should I believe in this matter, you or General Yang, if I ask him?
"

"
Minister, you should believe me!
"

Deng looked surprised at the boldness of the response. It wasn
'
t often that anyone addressed one of the most powerful men in
China
with such directness.

Yao went on.
"
General Yang is corrupt. More, he is hatching a plot involving the Americans, with the assistance of the Black Societies there.
"

"
So you say in your report.
"

Deng looked at
Yao
, considered him for a long moment. He gestured to the secretary.

"
Bring Senior Investigator Yao a chair. Block all appointments for the next hour. And bring tea.
"

Yao
breathed an inward sigh of relief. Until that moment he had not been sure how his report would be received. Now the power of the Ministry would focus on Yang until the truth was revealed. At a nod from the Minister he sat in the chair that had been provided.

"
Tell me the facts of your case,
Yao
. I wish to hear what may not be found in this report. There is always something.
"

Yao
relaxed a little more.

"
I became suspicious when I received a report from one of our agents in
America
. He was observing Colonel Wu and overheard his conversation regarding the American, Connor.
"

"
Your report says that several hundred million dollars stolen from Connor were transferred to Yang and back again to
America
.
"

"
Yes, Minister, that is correct. The accounts in
America
are controlled by the Black Societies. That increased my concern.
"

"
It has increased my concern as well. What is the current status of your investigation? What is being done?
"

"
General Yang is being observed at all times and his communications have been intercepted and recorded for several days. Wu has returned to
Beijing
and is under surveillance. Wu
'
s sergeant arrived home yesterday and I have agents following him.

"
We recorded calls from Yang to the officers and officials listed in my report. Each call contained a phrase I believe was code to alert these men in some way. Minister, this is more than a case of corruption. General Yang is hatching a plot against the Party and has enlisted the aid of the
Triads
in
America
to accomplish whatever he is planning.
"

Deng sipped his tea.
"
The
Triads
back the Nationalist revisionists. We tolerate them because they stick to their criminal activities and don
'
t interfere in politics. If Yang is enlisting their aid, it must have subversive meaning.
"

"
That was my thought, Minister.
"

"
In your report you mention a book Yang wished to secure. Do you have any further knowledge of this?
"

"
No, Minister. But I am looking into it. The key to that riddle lies in
America
. My agents are seeking more information, but as yet I have nothing to report.
" He paused. "
Sir, to the Americans all Chinese appear the same. Whatever the
Triads
do, it will reflect on all of us. We will lose face before the world if their actions are public.
"

Deng nodded.
"
You have been thorough, Comrade Yao. When I first saw your report, I was skeptical. I wanted to see you to get a feeling for the man who wrote it.
"

Minister Deng looked at
Yao
. What he saw there seemed to satisfy him. He made up his mind.

"
You have convinced me Yang is a danger. What do you suggest? Should we arrest him, do you think?
"

Yao
was shocked and pleased that the Minister would ask his advice on such a delicate matter.

"
That, of course, is your decision, Minister. Since you ask for my opinion, I suggest waiting a little longer, until we get a better picture of what Yang is planning. I have ordered surveillance on all members of the White Jade Society and the others Yang contacted. All of their communications are being monitored.
"

"
These men are honored leaders of our military and some of our most critical government ministries.
"

"
Yes, Minister. That is what concerns me.
"

"
You think all these men are conspiring against the Party?
"

Yao
became flushed, thinking about traitors.

"
Yes, Minister, I do. Reactionary elements are always seeking to undermine the good of our society. If they are men of high rank and standing, their betrayal is that much worse. They must be rooted out, no matter who they are.
"

Deng nodded his approval.
"
That is correct. You have full authority to pursue this investigation as you see best. You have so far been discrete. See that you continue to be so. Keep me informed.
"

The meeting was over.
Yao
stood.
"
Thank you for your confidence, Minister. Your trust is not misplaced.
"

Deng dismissed
Yao
with a wave of his hand and waited until he was out the door. Then he turned to his secretary.

"
Establish surveillance on him. Sometimes it is necessary to watch the watcher. I want to know what he is doing.
"

"
Yes, Minister.
"

Deng thought about the conversation. Then he picked up the phone and placed a call to the President and Chairman of the People
'
s Republic.

Chapter
Forty

"
This is the same as you find in
Crete
.
"
 

Selena
looked up
at the symbol of the double axe carved on the pillars outside the temple.

"
This is what the book was talking about. I never thought I would see it in this part of the world.
"

"
It
'
s a long way from the
Aegean Sea
.
"

The interior of
the building was in gloom. There was
something large
in the middle of the chamber, a shape
Carter
couldn
'
t
quite
make out.

"
What more does the book say, Selena? Are there further directions?
"

"
After the part about the labrys there
'
s a warning. Don
'
t go in there, bad things will happen and only the initiated can pass.
Pretty standard stuff.
"

"
That would be priests?
"

"
Priests or cult members. There may be traps to prevent intruders from getting very far. The book warns that the pursuit of life will lead to death. Very dramatic.
"

"
Yeah, and not very helpful.
"
Ronnie looked up at the steep pyramid roof rising into the cold Tibetan sky.

"
The text says only those who see the vision of the great bird will be able to pass. That
'
s pretty much it, from what I
'
ve been able to translate.
"

Carter
looked at the axes on the entrance columns and the
g
aruda carved over the entrance.
"
The vision of the great bird. Must be referring to the garuda again. What does that mean?
"

"
It could be anything. The words could refer to spiritual vision. Or not.
"

They
stepped into the temple. The pyramid ceiling
had gaps and
looked like it might be ready to fall
at any moment
. The floor was set with smooth, dressed stone. It was quiet and freezing cold.
They
clicked on
their
lights. Double-headed axes carved in stone lined the walls all the way around the room, spaced about ten feet apart and roughly the same height from the floor.

Dominating the center of the room was a towering statue of the garuda, standing almost thirty feet high. There were traces of color where it had been painted in red, yellow and silver. Radiating outward from the base were four deep channels cut into the floor.
Carter
thought they
might mark the four directions. A
quick glance at
his
GPS confirmed it. The head of the bird faced
east
, toward the direction of the
rising
sun.

The detail on the statue was carved with a master
'
s skill. Every feather of the great wings looked ready to ripple in the wind. A huge serpent writhed in agony beneath its claws. The fearsome beak gaped open and the bird sat half back on its haunches, wings spread wide, head tilted back, ready to lift into the air. It looked alive. It looked dangerous.

Sun shone through an East facing opening in the roof, painting the feet of the statue in a narrow patch of light.

"
I don
'
t see anything except that statue.
"
Nick set his
pack down on the floor. The pain in
his
back
had settled
to a dull throbbing.
He
put it out of
his
mind.

"
There has to be a hidden entrance into the cavern below.
"
Selena shone her light around the dark interior.
"
We should look for some irregularity in the walls, or maybe the floor.
"

They
began searching for something out of the ordinary.
Nick
inspected the base of the statue while Selena and Ronnie made a slow circuit of the walls.
They covered t
he floor.
Time passed. T
hey
didn't find
anything.
No hidden doors. No openings in the floor.

The sun worked its way up the statue, illuminating the ancient carving. Suddenly the eyes
of the garuda
glinted golden as the sun struck them.

"
Why are the eyes shining like that?
"
Ronnie walked toward the statue and peered up at the bird
'
s head.
"
It looks like they might be made of gold. I want a closer look.
"
He climbed the back of the idol until he reached the level of the eyes.

"
What do you see?
"

"
Pretty sure it
'
s gold. Wait a minute. There
'
s an opening here.
"

He placed his flashlight behind the bird
'
s head. Two intense streams of light beamed out of the golden eyes and illuminated one of the carved axes circling the room.

"
Look at that!
"
Nick said
.
"
How did they get the light to focus like that?
"

"
The vision of the great bird,
"
Selena said.

"
You think it
'
s that simple?
"

"
I don't know.
"

Ronnie climbed down and dusted himself off.
They
walked over to the wall and looked up at the labrys pinpointed by the eyes of the bird. It looked like all the others, one of many.

"
How do we get up there?
"
she asked.

"
I
'
ll boost you up,
"
Ronnie said.
"
See if there
'
s anything unusual about that axe.
"

Selena stood on his shoulders, bracing herself against the wall as Ronnie straightened
. She played
her light over the carving
. She reached up
and
felt around it.

"
Nothing.
"

"
Try pushing it.
"
She leaned
into it with both hands.

"
I think it moved a little.
"

"
Push harder.
"

She pushed. The carving slid into the wall, stone against stone. There was a harsh grinding sound
. S
omething heavy mov
ed
and rumbl
ed
under the floor. The statue of the garuda turned in a ponderous half circle until it fac
ed
west
. It
hesitated, then moved forward along one of the channels, uncovering a dark opening in
the
center of the temple floor.

Carter
walked over and looked down into the opening. A narrow flight of stone steps descended into blackness. A stale odor of
ancient
dust and decay drifted up
from below.

"
I
'
d say we just found the way in.
"

Selena shuddered.
"
It reminds me of a bad dream I had once.
"

"
Do we have a choice
about going down there
?
"

"
No, I guess not. What if that statue moves back and seals the entrance?
"

"
If the entrance was closed they had to have some way to open it from below, or another exit.
"

"
Yeah,
"
Ron said,
"
but this stuff is old. What if it doesn
'
t work anymore?
"

"
Then we
'
ll blow it open.
"
Nick
patted
his pack
. H
e
had enough C-4 to take out the entire temple.

They
started down the stairs. The steps were steep and narrow.
They
descended to whatever waited below
. B
lack, cold rock
absorbed the light
.

At the
bottom
they
stepped onto a ledge hanging out over a bottomless abyss. To the left, a wide passage
led into the mountain, cut straight and square and lined with white stone. Another labrys was carved over the opening. Wooden torches, long
cold,
jutted at intervals along the walls in heavy, dark brackets that might have been iron or blackened bronze.
The business end
s
w
ere
tarred with a sticky, brown substance.

"
We might be able to use these
,
"
Carter
said.
He
took out matches and pulled a torch from the wall.
"
S
ave the batteries.
"

The torch lit easily. It burned bright and made little smoke
. T
he light of the flames
thr
ew
an eerie
, flickering
glow back from the white walls of the hallway.
Nick handed it to Selena, took down two more. One for Ronnie, one for himself. He was about to start
along the passage, but Selena stopped
him
.

"
This would be a good place for a trap.
"

"
Why?
"

"
It
'
s too easy. Anyone who made it past the statue and down the stairs would think the hard part was over. That
'
s a good time to spring something.
"

"
What kind of trap?
"

"
Spear traps were popular in the ancient world. You step on the trigger and a mechanism throws spears or arrows at you. Before you know what
'
s happening, you
'
re dead. Sometimes there
'
s a false floor. It drops away and you land in a pit full of poison spikes or some other nasty surprise. Another trap makes something big and heavy fall on you or roll over you or seal you in somewhere. The Egyptians liked those. We
'
d be squashed like a bug.
"

"
What do you suggest?
"
He
eyed
the innocent looking corridor.

"
The spear traps should be relatively easy to spot. There have to be openings in the walls or the ceiling or even the floor, although they might be concealed. It
'
s the floor traps or ceiling drops that worry me. If we can see a trap, we can probably trigger it or find a way through it. If not, we
'
d better be damn careful. Look out for ramps where something might come rolling dow
n, or anything different about the walls or ceiling or floor.
"

"
You make it sound like walking through a
3D
minefield.
"

"
That
'
s a good way to think about it.
"

They
entered the passage. Puffs of
white
dust rose from
their
footsteps and Ronnie sneezed. It echoed down the ancient passage.

Carter
was strung tight
. T
here was a sour taste in
his
mouth. This was
Afghanistan
all over again, except the enemy
had been
gone
for thousands of years and the technology
was
from another time. It was old, but it could kill you as fast and as dead as anything from today
'
s whiz-bang arsenals.