The Midas Legacy (Wilde/Chase 12) Read Online Free PDF Page A

,’ his finger slid across the page, ‘is the entrance to one of the secondary chambers. If the other evidence we’ve found pans out, that’s where we’ll find the Secret Codex.’
    She checked the scale. ‘That’s only . . . what, twenty-five feet away?’
    ‘If that.’ He regarded the screens. ‘Question is, can anyone fit through?’
    ‘I’m watching on the monitor,’ Matt cut in from the submersible, ‘and that looks like a job for an ROV if you ask me.’
    ‘No, we can get through,’ insisted Cellini. He dropped on to his front, head craned back to peer down the confined passage. ‘It’s low, but the suits will fit.’
    ‘You sure about that?’ asked Eddie sceptically.
    Cellini pulsed his suit’s thrusters to drive himself into the opening. With his chest plate scuffing the stone floor, the bulbous shell covering his air tanks slid beneath the golden ceiling with about an inch to spare. ‘I told you,’ he said once he was inside.
    ‘The statue’s not flat, though,’ Eddie warned him. ‘If it dips even by a couple of inches, you’ll get stuck!’
    The sight of the other man’s flapping fins disappearing was the only reply. ‘Really?’ said Nina in exasperation. ‘Eddie, you’d better make sure he’s okay.’
    ‘Would never’ve thought that having a three-year-old would be great practice for going on an archaeological dig,’ said her husband as he followed his companion.
    A low grumbling sound came over the speakers. ‘Was that you?’ Nina asked.
    ‘What, you think I’d eat beans before getting sealed in this thing?’ said Eddie, halting. He too had heard the noise, but couldn’t pinpoint its source. ‘Matt, there’s nothing happening outside, is there?’
    ‘The current’s shifted,’ the Australian told him. ‘Started a couple of minutes ago. It’s a tidal thing, don’t worry about it.’
    ‘I’m not worried about the tide. I’m worried about whatever made that noise.’ He listened, but the deep rumble did not recur.
    A higher-pitched grunt through the earpiece caught his attention. He looked ahead to see that Cellini had stopped, fins flailing uselessly. A swirl of sediment corkscrewed back towards Eddie as the younger man switched on his thrusters, to no avail. ‘Eddie, I’m caught!’
    ‘Hold on, I’m coming! Turn off your props.’ The Englishman brought himself up behind Cellini, rolling for a better look at the ceiling. The bulbous back of the Italian’s suit had jammed against some detail of the giant statue. ‘Okay, I should be able to pull you out.’
    ‘No, no!’ Cellini protested. ‘There is something on the other side, I can see it! We are so close! Push me forward.’
    ‘You sure?’
    Blumberg was about to speak, but Nina beat him to it. ‘He’s only about six feet from the entrance to the secondary chamber. You’ve got to keep going.’
    ‘Just like old times, eh?’ Eddie’s tone was more sarcastic than nostalgic. ‘I’m assuming everyone else is in favour?’
    ‘We have to at least try,’ agreed Blumberg. ‘Don’t take any risks, though.’
    ‘Like crawling underneath a giant statue with fifty tons of rubble on top of it?’ Eddie shook his head, then checked the golden surface. ‘Okay, Nerio – it looks like you’ll just about fit if I pull you back, then you slide to your left.’
    ‘I can do that,’ Cellini replied enthusiastically.
    Eddie squirmed back, then braced himself and took hold of the other man’s ankles. ‘Ready?’
    He pulled as Cellini levered himself backwards. The suit ground alarmingly against the protrusion, then came free. ‘ Sono libero! ’ the Italian proclaimed.
    ‘All right, go to your left,’ said Eddie. ‘Keep going . . . There, stop. Okay, go forward, slowly.’
    The Yorkshireman carefully pushed the younger man. His air tanks again caught the sculpted fold, but this time the rasp was much fainter. ‘You’re almost through . . . All right, use your thrusters! Now!’
    Cellini