The Thrones of Eden 3 (Eden) Read Online Free PDF

extensive cords of muscle tracing along his forearms, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up. His face was lean, his complexion dark, and his mustache extended downward and bracketed his mouth.
    “Of course the discovery of this relic belongs to the Turkish government since it was discovered within the sovereign state of Turkey. You do understand that, Professor Hillary?” His English was perfect.
    Hillary nodded, though he looked wounded.
    And Demir read into this. “But the discovery will be yours,” he added. “And Alyssa Moore’s. I understand that you two will be working in collusion?”
    “Yes.”
    “And she’s here as well?”
    “She is.”
    “Very good.” He traced a fingertip over the engravings. “It is fascinating, isn’t it? To think that this may have come from the cradle of mankind.” He then handed the piece of black silica back to Hillary. “More so, to believe that Eden may actually be a great metropolis buried beneath the desert sands of my country.”
    “Maybe,” Hillary said in emphasis by raising a finger. “However, I would hate to get my hopes up and have them dashed should this prove to be nothing at all.”
    “But your hopes are high, Professor. And so is the world’s. That can’t be helped. But no matter what, it’s still the find of the ages, yes?” 
    Hillary gingerly laid the relic down on the desktop. “Your team is assembled.” This was a statement, not a question.
    “Sixty men,” he said. “An elite force. Fifteen will accompany us into the tunnel including myself; the other forty-five will maintain a perimeter around the camp for security measures. Should backup be necessary, there is another team based approximately twenty kilometers west of our position. There will four members from the Turkish Ministry of Culture attached to the unit as well. And though you and Ms. Moore will head up the discovery group, the ministers will be heading up the Antiquities Acquisition Team. Their job will be to catalogue and declare all properties discovered in Eden to be the rightful assets of Turkey and the Turkish Ministry of Culture. Do you understand this, Professor?”   
    “Of course. I’ve already signed an agreement to those conditions.”
    “That may be so, but I still have to convey these provisions to you so that there are no misunderstandings as to the agreement you signed. Like anything else, Professor, this is business that’s pure and simple. Please understand this.”
    “I do.”
    “Good.” Demir stood, his body ramrod straight. “When do you plan to move on this?”
    Hillary looked at his watch. “I’d say within two hours . . . Certainly before noon.”
    Demir nodded. “My team will be ready.”
    And then he was gone.
     
     

 
     
     
    CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    There were twenty-two in all. John, Alyssa, Hillary, the four members from the Turkish Ministry of Culture, Demir, and his elite team. There was plenty of protection with lots of firepower as Hillary had stated.
    They stood at the mouth of the opening. The sun was high overhead, but the air was dry and blistering hot.
    The Maroon Berets stood in a perfect phalanx of three men across and five men deep, each man wearing a small backpack filled with field rations and ammo.
    Hillary and Alyssa hunkered close to the opening, a black maw surrounded by a wall of sand and desert rock, with Savage and the members of the Turkish Ministry standing behind them with their hands on their knees trying to catch a glimpse of what was inside.
    “Visibility is about twenty feet,” said Hillary, swinging the point of his flashlight into the hole. He immediately noted that the sandy imprints leading into the corridor were gone. Perhaps swept away by desert breezes, he thought. “Are you ready, Alyssa?”
    She noted that the floor had the polish and sheen of black silica that was perfectly unblemished, the surface as smooth as ice. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” She leaned into the hole, her body half way in as she