The Spear of Destiny

Chapter NINETEEN



Poked and prodded at gunpoint the team were pushed forward into a large chamber that opened out. Daylight fell in a wide beam from high up in the ceiling. Ropes trailed down from it as men abseiled back down to the ground below. The daylight fell onto a huge stone sarcophagus in the centre of the floor. At the edge of the cavern water trickled and ran off into another deep crevice.

Count Otto Brest Von Verner, still terribly scarred, paced around the stone tomb rubbing at it here and there with his hands clearing away years of dust and cobwebs.

“Ah! There you are,” he shouted, stopping his pacing and beaming a smile at the group, “So good of you to join us,” he continued, his manner seeming genuinely friendly.

“Those explosions were you weren’t they?” Dennis asked, as Von Werner’s men stripped he and his group of all weapons and equipment including their phones.

“It was necessary to blow a hole in the ceiling to allow the extraction of this,” he gestured with his hands, “The final resting place of our saviour, the lord Jesus Christ. In a few minutes I have a helicopter coming which will winch this, the greatest treasure in history, to safety. But first there is something I must do….”

Von Werner gestured to the beautiful redhead who came forward.

“I need to heal myself of these trrible wounds. Have you met my daughter Katja?”

“Well you know what they say. You can’t choose your family.”

The beautiful woman looked Dennis straight in the eye.

“It must be terrible love. Having a father like that.”

Katja smiled at him, ignoring his remark.

“That’s very funny Mr Dennis. Very funny indeed. Always the comedian aren’t you. And speaking of friends who have you brought along with you?”

“I am captain John Mackintosh of the british SAS. These are my men. Count Otto Brest Von Werner you are under arrest. You are returning to the UK to stand trial….”

Von Werner held up a hand to cut him off.

“Really Captain. I doubt that very much. However I may have a use for you. I can’t say the same for your men though.”

Von Werner made a gesture at Tosh’s men. Petrov moved to them with a silenced handgun. Their deaths were quick and painless. Tosh kept his cold stare on Von Werner.

“You murdering bastard.”

“And how many men have you murdered in your lifetime Captain?”

“That’s different.”

“Is it? Because you do it for queen and country. You know you and I are very much alike.”

“I am nothing like you.”

Dennis had had enough.

“If you’re going to kill us why don’t you do us a favour and save us the bullshit and get on with it.”

“Kill you Mr Dennis! Oh lord no! What would I do without you? You are the thorn in my side. You have thwarted all my plans. By the way you owe me for twenty five containers and their contents.”

Dennis patted his pockets.

“Sorry. Must have left my wallet at home.”

“Very funny Mr Dennis,” Von Werner held his hand out, “But I will have my grandfathers journal back.”

Dennis reached into the back pocket of his jeans and took it out and lobbed it to Von Werner who caught it one handed. The sound of an approaching helicopter filled the cavern.

“Thank you. And now if you are all ready….”

Katja opened the briefcase she was holding and Von Werner reached in and took something out wrapped in the Nazi flag. He unrolled it and held up the ‘spear of destiny’

“….It’s time for a miracle.”

Hutchinson watched the Nazi flag that Von werner had dropped as it settled on the ground. Von Werner now picked up the spear shaft he’d been given at Rafah.

“There won’t be a miracle,” Hutchinson suddenly said, catching the German Count off guard.

“What?”

“There won’t be a miracle here today. Once again my dear Count you have got it wrong. This is not and never was the tomb of Jesus Christ.”

“Of course it is.”

Dennis now shook his head.

“We have read your grandfather’s journal. He makes no reference of it.”

“Ah my grandfather’s journal. Yes in all the excitement I must admit I forgot to look in it. But no matter. He wasn’t always correct. Now if you’ll excuse me. I have healing to be done.”

Von Werner placed the spear head onto the shaft and pulled it down until he felt it connect fully. Then he pushed the two metal pins into place and they locked. He laid the spear down gently on top of the sarcophagus. Then he undid and removed his trademark white jacket. Next he rolled up the sleeves of his dark blue shirt revealing the extent of his burns. Katja handed him a small vial and he took it from her.

“From the church of Santa Croce,“ he offered to his audience, “You remember it don‘t you.”

No one answered him.

“This small vial has not been opened in two thousand years. It is Christ’s blood.”

He unstoppered the tiny glass bottle and raised his hands to the hole in the ceiling of the cavern.

“Lord Jesus Christ,” his voice boomed over the steadily growing noise from the helicopter approaching above, “Yours was the power and glory to give forever and ever. Amen.”

He tipped the vial up and allowed the contents to drip out and splash the spear head. Hutchinson, Dennis and Natalie watched on in morbid fascination. At first nothing happened then the spear appeared to change colour. The gold remained but the base metal took on a bluish tinge. Then small sparks began to dance over the head. They grew bigger and stronger. Von Werner reached down and took the spear head in his hand. The blue sparks got stronger still and began to lick at his flesh. They grew steadily over his fingers and began moving up his hand and now up his forearm. They became almost white in colour with their intensity and now Von Werner threw his head back and opened his mouth and roared with pain. Petrov rushed forward to help him but Von Werner put a hand out to stop him.

“NO!” he roared.

The sparks had consumed his entire arm and now came from under his shirt, moving up his neck and onto his face. His roaring intensified and then suddenly there was one massive surge of energy and a blinding flash of light and he was flung through the air to land twenty feet away near the edge of the deep crevice where the water tumbled. A resounding shockwave boomed around the cavern. The spear clattered down onto the sarcophagus with a metallic ringing sound. The little blue sparks fizzled and went out.

Then everyone looked at Von Werner who was slowly getting to his feet. He ripped his shirt open. The veins in his body had turned black and were visibly throbbing just under the skin. Then as he watched they turned red and then green and back to normal.

“My God!” Hutchinson said as Von Werner’s skin lost its scars and it too went back to normal.

Strange animal growling noises began rising from the crevice and filled the cavern. The men with guns began shifting about nervously. Pointing the guns around them searching for the sounds.

“Von Werner,” Dennis said, “You need to step back away from the edge.”

The German count was running his fingers over his new skin. He looked up at Dennis.

“What?”

“I said, you need to step away from the edge. There is something down there. Something not of this world.”

Now for the first time Von Werner heard the strange animal sounds coming from the chasm. He rushed to the spear and snatched it up just as the first of the creatures reached the lip of the crevice. White hands ending in long talon like fingers reached over the edge of the gap. The fingernails like claws. Then their heads appeared, hairless with black eyes. Their mouths demon like, the teeth long and pointed. Von Werner backed away from the edge and moved closer to Dennis. More and more of the creatures came over the lip. Dennis counted over twenty of them. They moved towards the sarcophagus and spaced themselves out, snarling at the intruders. They stood crouched, ape like, their hands down by their knees. Some wore stained loincloths, grey compared to their pasty white skin. Others were wearing rags of red clothing.

They stood menacing, their upper bodies rising and falling with their laboured breathing.

“Wait! Don’t shoot!” Von Werner shouted as he saw Petrov about to fire. All eyes of the creatures snapped to him.

“What the hell are they?” Von Werner asked.

“Pete! Look at the red clothing.”

“They’re the remains of togas,” Dennis said, “Holy shit! These things were once Romans!”

The creatures remained standing where they were, low groans coming from the lips. Then there came another animal sound and still snarling they moved apart clearing a space in the middle of them. Another pair of white hands appeared over the lip and then the head appeared. This creature stopped and looked at the humans with red eyes. Then this creature also came over the lip and moved near the sarcophagus. From the way the other things moved from this one’s path all who watched realised its importance to them.

“It must be their leader or whatever the hell it is,” Hutchinson said.

Dennis was staring at the red eyes.

“Holy shit! It’s him!”

“Who?”

“Longinus!”

“Longinus?”

“Yeah. Remember in legend he had pink eyes.”

The creature was studying them. Then the red eyes fell on the spear. The creature moved to it and picked it up. Instantly the blue sparks returned and as they watched the white skin turned to flesh colour and the eyes returned to normal. The creature suddenly lunged forward but Hutchinson, the only one present who spoke latin, suddenly moved forward.

“Is your name Longinus?” he asked in the ancient language.

The man now in front of them stopped.

“You speak the language of the emperors,” he asked.

“Yes,” Hutchinson said. He took a step closer to the creature. Natalie grabbed his arm but Hutchinson gaining confidence pulled her hand away. Von Werner encouraged now stepped forward as well, eager to be part of this unfolding miracle.

“You are the one called Longinus?” Hutchinson asked.

“I am Gaius Longinus. Loyal servant to the emperor Tiberius,” Longinus answered.

“Do you know what year it is?” Hutchinson asked.

The creature stared at him puzzled. Then its eyes focused on the spear again. Hutchinson clearly forgotten.

“You have been alive for two thousand years,” the American said in perfect latin.

“I serve the empire for eternity,” came the answer.

“Your empire is dead,” Von Werner said, placing his hand on the spear, “It has been dead for fifteen hundred years.”

Hutchinson looked puzzled at the German Count, who smiled.

“I too speak Latin. Or did you think you were the only educated man here?”

Longinus was no longer listening. He suddenly snatched the spear away from Von Werner’s touch. Von Werner grabbed it and tried to pull it back but the Roman was too strong and Von Werner was losing the fight. Petrov suddenly stepped forward.

“Enough of this,” he said.

He flicked the safety off his AK-74M and fired a burst at Longinus hitting the creature in the chest. Longinus yelled and crashed to the ground.

“Petrov No!“ Von Werner shouted.

The other creatures snarled and moved menacingly closer. Longinus turned over slowly on the ground and began to get up. He then said something short and swift in Latin. The creatures near the men with guns suddenly pounced. One sunk its teeth into the throat of a Russian mercenary and ripped it out. Dennis shoved Hutchinson back towards the way they’d come in. he grabbed Natalie’s hand, ran forward a few paces and grabbed Katya’s hand and shouted,

“RUN!”