Fault Line by Chris Ryan Read Free Book Online Page A

the deepest notes on a cathedral organ. Alex powered up the steps. Stones and crusts of ancient bird droppings fell around him. He burst into the daylight. Paulo and Hex grabbed him and pulled him away from the tomb. The earth was shaking and they dived to the ground, covering their heads with their arms. A tree crashed over.
    The quake stopped. For a long moment the five friends didn’t dare move.
    ‘Are we still alive?’ Hex’s voice was shaky.
    Alex sat up. ‘Everyone all right?’
    ‘Hex, get off my foot,’ said Amber. ‘Then I’ll be all right.’
    Some trees close by had fallen, but the damage to the tomb looked worse. The outer stones from one corner had tumbled away, showing pale surfaces.
    ‘Lucky you got out,’ said Amber.
    Alex patted his shoulder suddenly. ‘Damn.’
    ‘What?’ said Paulo.
    ‘I dropped the night vision goggles.’
    Amber high-stepped back to the entrance and flashed her torch into the tunnel. There were the goggles. They looked a very long way down. ‘I can see them.’
    Hex came up behind her, followed by the others. ‘It’s all right, they’re shock proof.’
    Amber was talking fast, an edge of panic in her voice. ‘Can we risk going down for them? We are in deep trouble if we lose them. I promised we were just going to do nice boring things like trekking, not exploring tombs. You know what my uncle’s like. If we don’t get them back in one piece . . .’
    She didn’t need to say any more. If John Middleton suspected how dangerous their ‘holidays’ really were he’d withdraw his support – and there would be no more Alpha Force.
    Paulo began playing his torch over the walls. ‘Let’s see if it’s safe to go back in.’
    Alex was kicking himself. ‘They must have slipped off my shoulder. I should have had them on more securely.’
    Paulo clicked off his torch. ‘The walls still look straight. I don’t think anything structural has moved. I think it’s safe to go down.’
    Alex put his foot on the first step. ‘Right, I’ll be two ticks.’ He went down into the tunnel, moving as fast as he dared.
    He reached the goggles and put them carefully over his shoulder and across his body. Now they shouldn’t fall off.
    He had just started back up when he heard something. A desperate cry. It sounded human. He flashed the torch around behind him but he could only see walls. ‘Hello?’ he shouted. His voice echoed.
    ‘Hello?’ called Li’s amused voice from far up above.
    ‘Not you,’ called Alex.
    The noise came again. It was definitely down in the pyramid – and it sounded like a cry of pain.
    Alex cupped his hand to his mouth and called up. ‘There’s someone down here. Get Paulo and the medical kit.’
    In the tunnel opening he saw Paulo slip his bergen off. A moment later he was pattering down, his broad shoulders nearly obscuring the light. ‘What’s up?’
    Alex flashed the torch down the remainder of the staircase. ‘I think there’s someone in here.’
    Five steps and they reached the bottom. It was well beyond the point where daylight would penetrate. They flicked their torches around. It was a small space, with barely enough room for the two well-built teenagers to turn around without their belt packs catching on each other.
    ‘It’s just a dead end,’ said Paulo.
    ‘Hello?’ called Alex. ‘Where are you? We’ve come to help.’
    There was no answer. ‘There was definitely someone here,’ he went on.
    ‘Did your dad ever say how you get into these places?’
    Alex shone his torch over the walls and looked at them carefully. ‘No. I think he didn’t want to give me ideas.’
    ‘Aha.’ Paulo had noticed something. Two of the walls were made of blocks, but the third looked a little different. ‘Look, this is carved to look as though it’s made of blocks, but it seems to be solid. Like a door.’
    He pushed. It swung open noiselessly, as though on well-oiled hinges. ‘Maya engineering,’ whistled Paulo. ‘Bueno.’ He walked