The Project 04 - Black Harvest

severe.
    They were going to get worse.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    Monday morning felt gray and damp with the raw smell of spring. Low walls of weathered stone wandered over ancient fields near the tomb. The land was green with fresh grass, sprinkled with white and blue wildflowers. Mount Olympus loomed in the background, shrouded in dark clouds. If the gods were home, no one cared.
    The entrance to the tomb yawned in the side of a large hill. Centuries of overgrowth had been pushed aside to expose a rectangular stone opening. A silent diesel generator sat by the entrance. Cables on the ground coiled into the tomb like Medusa's snakes.
    Nick assumed the generator and cables were for lighting. That was good. He'd had enough of dark tunnels and enclosed spaces for a lifetime. Tombs didn't bother him. The shades of the dead didn't bother him, except in his dreams. But lightless caves and tunnels, that was another story.
    He stood with Selena, Demetrios and Abraxas Papadakis, the archeologist in charge of excavating the tomb. Demetrios hadn't spoken to them since he'd arrived. A group of workmen lounged nearby, smoking and talking, waiting for someone to tell them what to do. They didn't seem in any hurry.
    Papadakis was a round, muscular man. He wore clear bifocals attached to a band behind uneven ears that stuck out from the side of his head. His face was lined from years spent working outdoors. His teeth were bad.
    Selena chatted away in Greek with Papadakis. Demetrios scowled. Papadakis was entranced.
    "They plan to open the rear chamber today," Selena said. "Our timing couldn't be better. It's the last place to explore in the tomb."
    Papadakis switched to English for Nick's benefit. " Doctor Connor is right, good timing. The Romans looted these sites but missed this one. We cleared the front before the winter and now we're opening the back. It shouldn't take long to clear the debris blocking the entrance to the rear chamber."
    He was excited. "Let's begin, shall we?"
    He barked out orders to the workmen. One man started the generator. The noise shattered the spring morning. A flock of birds rose in fright from a nearby tree. The workers picked up their tools and disappeared into the entrance.
    Nick followed the archeologist, Demetrios and Selena through the low doorway. Inside, the ceiling was high enough to stand upright. It was cold and damp. Bright lights threw a flickering glare over walls faced with white marble. Empty niches were carved into the walls at regular intervals. A rectangular marble box held place of honor in the center of the tomb. It was simple in design, about three feet high. On the lid was the bas relief and inscription Selena had seen in the museum.
    The last stop for Aetolikos, sub-commander, cousin of Alexander the Great. Papadakis answered their unasked question.
    "He's still in there. We found two gold coins from Persia inside his skull. They'd been placed on his eyes to pay the boatman."
    "The boatman?" Nick asked.
    "Charon. He ferried souls across the River Styx to the underworld. You had to give him his fare or you'd be stranded on this side forever. An unpleasant fate."
    "Wouldn't do to be broke when you died, I guess." Nick placed his hand on the marble coffin.
    Aetolikos had ridden with Alexander the Great against the King of Persia. He'd watched the war banners streaming in the wind under the Persian sky. He'd seen the bright swords and long spears glinting in the sun, heard the clash of battle. He'd smelled the dust and blood. He'd heard the screams of slaughtered men and animals.
    Nick knew what the dust and blood of battle smelled like, had followed the sounds of war for days and months on end. For Aetolikos, in an age that honored heroes, they were days of glory. For Nick, in an age that forgot its heroes, they were days of bad memories and worse dreams.
    He felt depressed. A warrior's life, reduced to a box of dried bones with strangers picking coins from his skull. Everyone ended up in the same place.
    Papadakis stood at the back of the room and watched the workmen. The passage was narrow. The men passed debris back in a chain and placed it to the side. There was a shout from the front of the line.
    "They've broken through," Selena said.
    They waited for the workmen to back out. Papadakis picked up a strong electric torch. He would be first into the chamber. Nick, Selena and Demetrios crowded close behind. They crawled through the opening and stood inside the final room.
    The chamber