Deep Down Under

Chapter 49

Wollzeille Road, Vienna, 7:55 pm

The taxi in which Gabriel and Mavis were sitting came to a screeching halt in front of the panicked and curious crowd in front of them. It was so thick and dense, even a mouse would have a hard time making it through there.

"Remind me again, why the hell are we here?" groaned Mavis.

Gabriel didn't reply just yet, he looked at the roof of the cathedral. One of the two Angel statues struck the gong. For some reason, it froze the once active crowd.

Then the second Angel struck.

"Destiny brought me here," he replied.

Wonder what's got into him?

For some reason, Gabriel was so tempted to enter the cathedral. It was his idea to enter Vienna in the first place. Mavis didn't have a clue why.

He could read the look on her face, and then smirked. She herself was the one who used to be determined to figure things out. She was the reason he was so thirsty for knowledge. Curiosity fuelled his journey.

They entered a narrow alley where they reached a police barricade.

"Sir and ma'am, I'm going to need you to back off. This is a strict no-entry zone. We're doing this for your own safety."

"No problem officer," and Gabriel slowly backed off. He looked around his surroundings for a sewer or anything that would assist him in entering the cathedral. No luck.

He bolted back to the entrance of the alley while Mavis followed, pretty annoyed. "This is bullshit! We're not even supposed to be here!"

Gabriel eyed her, "I thought you weren't like that."

She sighed, "I know...but this...this is different."

"Bingo!" he exclaimed.

Mavis was confused as it was an irrelevant reply to what she had just said. "What?!"

He pointed to half-open sewer hatch. He approached it and began dragging it to open the sewer completely. He grunted and wheezed as the outer metal ring screeched against the cemented sidewalk.

He stuck his head in where he heard faint voices but couldn't see the source of it. They were emanating from the direction of the cathedral.

His body passed through the hole, his ears ignoring Mavis's complaints. "Don't! You don't know what's in there!"

He stuck his head out, "You gonna stand there or join me?"

She gave him a long, undecipherable stare, "You kiddin' me? Of course I'm coming."

* * *

Underneath Wollzeille Road, Vienna, 7:57 pm

"Do we have a visual on Sadowsky?" spoke Eisenhower through his long range walkie-talkie.

"Affirmative," came the reply.

"Do we have a visual on suspect?"

"Negative."

Eisenhower cursed under his breath as scores of innocent lives weighed down on his shoulders. This operation had no room for error.

If anything went wrong, they would be having the fourth of July in Vienna. And instead of watching the crackers blow in awe, they would witness death rip them apart with his rage.

He waved his two of his fingers, directing ten armed men towards underneath the cathedral. They hustled along, gripping their Kalashnikovs in their gloved hands.

Eisenhower tagged along behind the last person. Taking each step slowly and cautiously, as if they were expecting a surprise attack.

Muffled voices came from above, unintelligible. But Eisenhower could make out that it was English.

As they approached closer, the voices became clearer. Distinct clapping sounds as well.

"Welcome," it came from above.

* * *

Inside Saint Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, 8:01 pm

Subramanian clapped his hands just like a cliché villain. It was undeniably frightening. Armed men stood behind him, beside him were Lorssen and Mohammed.

"You have something that I want and I have something that you dear," he said, and then continued, "A fair trade would be convenient, no?"

Sadowsky replied with a menacing glare.

The ringleader seemed unperturbed, "Very well then. Since you are in my domain, we'll be doing things my way. The more..." he paused to search for the right word, "fun way," he finished.

"You monster," growled Giggs.

That caught Subramanian's attention, "Well, well, if it isn't the traitor," he mocked as he approached the Englishman.

"I should reserve something very special for you, am I right or am I right?"

"None of the above," replied Giggs coldly.

Sophia and her grandfather were walked up to next. Subramanian inspected them with his eyes alone, "My, my. What do you we have here?"

He curled his index finger to lift Sophia's chin up; she didn't retaliate as her hands were pinned behind her back by another terrorist.

"Such a young and determined woman you are, why so?"

"Get your hand off me," she ordered through a closed set of teeth.

To everyone's surprise, he followed as instructed and raised his hands in the air, "Don't worry, I'm not like the half-brained men of my country."

"Oh yes you are."

He rolled his eyes, "Forget all that, now give me the pen drive."

Sadowsky beated faster than ever before, he reached into his pocket, not for the pen drive but for something else.

* * *