Page 80 of The Eagle's Vault

“Any finds get turned over to Ferraro,” Scarlett said. “He decides what goes to the Carabinieri or to a museum. That was part of our agreement.”

Rav put the car into park. “I’ll be close by. Let me know if you need backup, but you’re on your own in there.”

I slipped on my tactical gloves, each finger covered in a reactive fabric so they’d work with the phone strapped to my forearm. Jayce followed my lead, and we both hauled on our backpacks, ready for whatever the night had in store.

Rav scanned the road. “You’ve got a break in traffic coming.”

Jayce and I hopped out of the car. We sprinted across the well-lit road and vaulted over the low stone wall separating us from the green space surrounding the catacomb’s entrance. Skirting the edge of the property, we stayed in the shadows by the wall, then cut toward the building complex along a treed walkway. The tall, narrow cypress pines provided little cover, but the area was silent and void of people.

“I’ve got eyes on you.” Brie had tapped into the security feed outside of the building complex. Easy job, she’d said, although the coverage was sparse. “You’re clear.”

We passed between the squat buildings of pale brick and stucco, the gardens Leigh had fawned over, and the historical displays she’d lingered at. Avoided the long, curved souvenir shop where she’d picked up items for her stepmother, and headed straight for the main building.

Jayce made quick work of the lock, using the picks stored in a pouch at her thigh. “We’re in.”

We bypassed more displays, where Leigh had told me about various symbols used in the catacombs, including the alpha and omega, the fish, the monogram of Christ, and the phoenix—a strange coincidence, in the end.

Jayce and I headed through the hallway, down the fifty or so uneven steps into the depths. The lights were still on, but we’d be going deeper into the labyrinth than the public were allowed and would no doubt need our own headlamps before long.

The air chilled with each step, the sounds of Rome swallowed by the stone’s embrace. Jayce led the way, and I trailed behind, the narrow walls of the passage we were in brushing my shoulders at random intervals.

Will said, “How’s the temperature? Need the suits on?”

“Couple degrees, please,” said Jayce.

My memory strayed to Leigh, who’d waved off Jayce’s complaints about the chill, insisting she was fine when we did our tour. She’d been so excited, the adrenaline must have kept her warm. Or, like usual, she didn’t want to burden anyone with her discomfort.Stop thinking about her, Dec.“Brie, can you feed us the map displays?”

A soft glow emanated from the phone on my arm, displaying the most direct path ahead.

“It’s ironic, isn’t it?” The eerie quiet of the catacombs amplified my words. “Using cutting-edge technology to break into an ancient vault.”

Jayce chuckled softly. “Our gear might be overkill. Who knows if it’ll be of any use?”

As we navigated through the narrow tunnels, a gentle sprinkling of dust floated from the ceiling. I hadn’t seen that on our first tour. An unsettling churn of my stomach prompted me to ask, “Has there been any seismic activity lately?”

“Not that I know of, but I’ll check.” Will’s tone was infused with curiosity. “You know, Rome experiences thousands of minor quakes each year. Most of them are less than two on the Richter scale, so they’re barely noticeable.”

Barely noticeable, but causing dust to fall?

Will sounded more serious the longer he talked. “There was, however, a three-point-four magnitude quake earlier today.”

My shoulders tensed. I didn’t suffer from claustrophobia, but the thought of being buried alive wasn’t an appealing one. “Tell me events like that are rare in Rome, Will?”

“Indeed.” Will was oblivious to my heart skipping a few beats. Good thing the thermal suits only had temperature gauges and not heart rate monitors. “Earthquakes are much more common inland, along the mountains.”

“I should have eaten the rest of those chips.” Jayce turned on her headlamp, pointing it into crevasses and down side tunnels which lacked their own lights. “How far in do you think the vault is, Will?”

“Based on the maps, I’d say somewhere between thirty to forty minutes to get all the way there.”

Jayce groaned.

I nudged her from behind. “I brought you a couple of chocolate bars for while I’m checking out the vault.”

Her pace quickened. “Then try to keep up. I’m going to make it in twenty.”

Chapter 31

Leigh

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