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But Perkins turned to the largest of his squad "Massarsky Help theoff the strap of his semiauto and handed it to Garza, a Latina with cold eyes who had her hair tied back in a tight knot She took it, but Drake noticed that her oeapon remained steady, aio," Massarsky said

Drake handed Jada his flashlight--he hadn’t yet drawn his gun tonight--and steadied hies of the horn-shaped entrance as he stepped up onto Massarsky’s back Several flashlight beaonal stone he had identified When he pressed his fingers against the stone, it did not ht behind it, the octagon slid backward an inch and then two

He thought of Sully and allowed hi of stone and the heavy thunk of weights shifting in the walls He dropped down from Massarsky’s back and peered into the cha

Then Jada tapped his ar out of the wall to the left of the entrance Dust fell to the ground Flashlight bea over to illuminate the ten-inch square

"There’s another one," Corelli said

Drake turned and watched the second stone, exactly opposite the first, sliding from the wall With a loud double thud, the noises in the walls ceased Henriksen pushed past Massarsky and exaun, but her gaze was on the other square Jada had her flashlight on it, and now Drake joined her, running his fingers around the edges

"There’s open space behind this one," Henriksen said

"Here, too," Drake said His fingertips touched what felt like a smooth stone cylinder, like a post or the axle of a wheel

A wheel, he thought, gripping the square and trying to turn it When he twisted to the right, he felt it give

"Turn it!" Drake told Henriksen He glanced over his shoulder and saw the big Norwegian doing just that

Simultaneously, they rotated the squares until they wouldn’t turn any further Drake felt so and thu inside the walls was much louder, and he heard Jada cry his na from the small room under the Soul Tower The mercenaries ell trained--not one of them moved, ready for whatever happened next--but Corelli, Olivia, and Jada crowded in front of the horn-shaped doorway, and Drake had to crane his neck to get a glimpse inside

The stone blocks thatin horizontal rows, each dropping a foot farther than the last, and Drake quickly realized they had released thefor The floor had transfor down into darkness

"Massarsky," Perkins said, "you and Zheng take point"

The two hts clipped to their guns, and started down the stone steps, weapons ready to fire Drake had entered ancient teht their caution unwarranted But they were expecting an attack here The Protectors of the Hidden Word would be waiting, but they didn’t knohat kind of number to expect It was possible that ypt and on Santorini

Still, better safe than dead

Henriksen, Olivia, and Corelli followed the first half dozenDrake and Jada Now that they had found the way into the eotten Their full focus was on the yawning darkness below, and Drake understood why Assooon squad precede hi, he was uns take the first few hits

They descended the stairs and found the corridor The rest of the h two of theuard their exit That ether, counting Drake and Jada, Henriksen and Olivia, and Corelli Nobody spoke as they n of a potential attack co for hidden doorways

The tunnel spiraled doard, taking theain and ran on for perhaps fifty yards before it ended in a vaulted chaes led away and farther doard fro both paths But the rest of the group had focused elsewhere, and as flashlight bea, Drake stared in amazement

"This isn’t rew in thick patches on the walls Stains on the solid rock showed the patterns where water had dripped down froht upward He pressed hi the sa

"Do you see it?" she asked

"A crevice," he said

Long, thick roots jutted fro the view, but Drake could see the glint of his light off jagged stone Far above, where his beaht

"Another one over here," Garza called from the other side of the cave

Corelli swore softly "Olivia Better have a look at this"

Drake frowned and glanced at Henriksen, who had turned to look at Corelli The bodyguard had his light trained on a blanket of reen and brown

"They’re flower buds," Olivia said, a tinge of wonder in her voice

"Not just buds," Jada said, frorew particularly thick She shined her flashlight at a spot perhaps ten feet off the cave floor, where a trio of white flowers grew, dangling and half wilted

"Those look familiar to you?" Drake asked

Jada nodded "Sure do"

Henriksen came over to inspect them "These aren’t white hellebore at all They look similar--could be related--but the petals have a different shape"

"And white hellebore can’t grow inup behind hi another crevice The moss et from the rain that ran down into the cave when it storers into the ed theo," Corelli said, as if to himself

Perkins called for Henriksen, but Drake kept his eyes on the flowers Cave hellebore, he thought, wondering if they had discovered a new species of flora

"--no sign of dia

Drake stiffened and turned He stared at the twothey obviously had figured out already Two doors--two possible choices--this was the start of the fourth labyrinth

"Jada," he said "Where’s the emperor’s tomb?"