Flight of the Falcon (Byrdes of York #1)

8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Hugh

H ugh returned to his maisonette in time for lunch and greeted Gil. Falcon had insisted on coming with him so no-one was out and about on their own if they could avoid it. Hugh brought both Gil and Imogen up to date on all they’d found out that day.

“I’ve no further news,” Gil commented. “I’m still waiting to hear back from some of my contacts. No-one has heard from Robert in weeks. His wife isn’t really concerned about him. She shrugged her shoulders when I visited her and just about said ‘good riddance’.”

“That’s a bit harsh,” Imogen mused. “I’ve met Virginia Swales a few times and she didn’t strike me as the warmest of people, but even for her that’s cold.”

Hugh shrugged. He’d never met the woman, nor knew, or to be honest cared, about the Swales’s marriage. Unless she had something to do with the disappearance of his boss, it didn’t matter.

“What time are you headed to the Minster?” Gil asked Hugh and Falcon.

“After Evensong, so about 6.30pm. Want to make sure we’re there before they lock up the Minster for the night.”

“And how will you get back out again?”

“John sent Dad his keys.” Falcon grinned. “He has a full set so we shouldn’t have any problems.”

“Even so, I think it will be best if I wait for you to return. I’ll hide out in the undercroft and provide backup if it’s needed.” Gil was serious when he pinned Hugh with his glance.

Hugh only nodded. Having someone such as Gil as backup was comforting. He would certainly know what to do if anything went wrong.

“I’d come with Gil,” Imogen said, “but someone needs to hold the fort down here.”

Hugh grinned. Imogen was more of a backroom person than a get involved person, but he appreciated any backup she’d be able to provide.

The Minster was bathed in bright May sunshine, looking golden and regal in the early evening. Hugh and Falcon joined Evensong and would wander towards the undercroft once it had finished. Francis had gone straight down there so he could make sure the door was open and ready for them.

After the service ended, they slowly made their way over to the entrance to the undercroft, to join Francis. He was waiting with Gil, inspecting some of the Anglo Saxon carvings. The place was more open that Hugh had been expecting, but there was an area that was closed off with metal railings. Through that there was another door. Francis gestured them through it and closed it behind them.

“I’ll wait here for you,” Gil told Hugh. “This way I’ll be out of view if anyone comes around.”

Hugh nodded and agreed that was probably the best place for him. They’d spent their time well and had studied the map John had left them. There were three marked entrances on the map: the one Falcon and Robin had entered on their first foray, the one in the Minster and one from an old house on Ogilvy Street.

Both Francis and Gil were carrying backpacks, and Gil handed his over to Hugh. They contained spare torches, water, power bars and basic first aid supplies, which they hoped they wouldn’t need.

Hugh slung the backpack over his shoulder and took one of the heavy-duty torches held out to him. He looked at the other two men, who were also carrying heavy- duty torches. Francis carried the map that John had provided them with.

Hugh was surprised how easy it was to find the entrance. Once they were through the fire door, there was a large open area, with piles of pieces of different types of columns and stone used in building the Minster. Using the information provided by John, they were able to find the entrance without any problems. He shone his torch around the entryway as they filed through. It was a fairly spacious foyer type area, where the walls had been finished and the ground was roughly paved.

“Interesting,” Francis said as he looked around.

“Almost as though it used to be part of the Minster,” Gil observed.

They spent a couple more moments looking around then Gil said he would stay there and wait for them. If there was a reason for him to leave, he would leave a message.

After a few more moments of discussion, Hugh, Falcon and Francis headed into the tunnel in front of them. Hugh hadn’t realised how many tunnels there were as they traversed their way down the main one. They followed John’s written instructions and the map and turned when they were told. Falcon had a piece of chalk, and he marked the turnings as they took them on the wall, numbering them as they went.

“This tunnel is certainly a lot more well-built than the ones Robin and I went down the other day.”

Hugh looked around them as they went. So far, all the tunnels they’d turned down looked like they were uniform and had been dressed with brick. As they began moving further in though, they began to change, and the floor became more uneven. The walls were unhewn stone, that were devoid of brick or any other additions.

“Interesting,” Hugh observed, still looking around as they traversed the tunnels. “Any idea how far in we are?”

Francis looked at the map. “Just under where St Leonard’s Hospice used to be.

Where Museum Gardens are now.”

“We should meet up with the tunnels you and Robin used the other day soon,” Francis said to his son as he looked around.

“Oh!” Falcon had stopped in front of them.

“What is it?” Hugh tried to see past him, but they’d entered a part of the tunnels where they were narrower.

“Dad, come and see this.” Falcon stood aside, so his father could see what he was looking at.

“Ah. John’s marker.” Francis pointed to a spot on the map. They were getting closer to the area where Father McKenzie seen the Roman paraphernalia he’d mentioned to Falcon on his initial visit.

Hugh drew near the wall and saw a circle stamped into it, with a bird in the centre and Ordo Avian written around it. He looked at Falcon questioningly.

“It’s my sign,” Francis explained. “The Order of the Byrdes. I set it up years ago. It’s the sign – logo if you like – of our Paranormal Investigation Agency. John has a coin with it on. This is from him to let us know we’re getting close.”

Hugh nodded and followed the other two men as they went further down the tunnel. They’d been under the ground for a good 15 minutes before they came upon the wooden door that John had told them about. The one he’d first seen over 40 years ago. Hugh joined the other two men and examined it.

There was no doorknob on it, just a hole from which a leather strap hung. It was so tempting to just reach out and pull the strap, but Hugh was always aware that there may be a trap.

“Thoughts?” Francis asked.

Hugh wasn’t sure. He opened his inner eye and examined the door with his sight. The door glowed in his mind, and he could see there were a couple of spell traps. There was one on the leather strap and one on the door itself. He felt that Falcon was also examining it and he stepped back, pulling both the other men with him.

“It’s booby trapped,” he said, motioned them further back still. “I can see the spell traps, but I don’t have the ability to do anything about them. My skills are limited.”

“I was right,” Falcon said. “I did feel you when we were in the Treasurer’s House.”

Hugh nodded. “I don’t often say anything about my powers. They’re fairly weak and a lot of people are uncomfortable whenever I show any kind of physic power. I’ve learned to keep it to myself, but I’m amongst fellow physics here.”

“Yes,” Falcon said simply. “I think you have an inkling what my power is?”

“You speak to the birds?”

“I do. That’s how we found you.”

“I thought it was something like that when those birds on the windowsill at the creepy house all moved their heads at once and looked at me.”

Falcon laughed remembering that. “I have a little control over them and can use them as my eyes and ears.”

Hugh nodded; his suspicions confirmed. He turned his mind back to the door. “There are two spell traps on the door. Not completely unexpected, but what is surprising is that they’re new.”

“How new?” Falcon asked, frowning.

“The one on the door is several years old. Decades, I think. Maybe from the time after John was down here? The one on the strap though…” He hesitated. “That’s newer. Maybe a couple of years old. It’s probably a good job you and Robin didn’t get this far when you were down here before.”

“A couple of years?” Falcon frowned. “That changes things.”

“It certainly does,” Francis added. “Who else knows about this?”

Falcon

Falcon stared at the door as though he could see what lay beyond it. “Well, what do we do now?”

“I’m not sure,” Hugh replied.

Francis was also looking at the doorway in fascination. Falcon knew that anything like this was interesting to his father, but this didn’t help them find what John had sent them here for.

“The map John gave you,” he addressed his father. “Does it give any other ways into this part of the tunnel? We might need to come back and look at this further another time.”

Francis got the papers out that John had sent to him and examined them. “He says in his notes that the three ways he indicates on the map are the safest ways in.” He squinted. “I’m not sure what he means by that.”

“Perhaps there are ways he hasn’t revealed on the ‘false’ map that was in the book that was stolen?” Hugh asked. “How strange is it that there are several ways in?”

“I’m not sure,” Falcon replied absently. He was studying the map again. “I guess it depends on what it was used for?”

“That’s the billion-dollar question.” Francis replied. “Suggestions?”

“We need to find out what is protected behind that door,” Falcon said, examining it once more as though it could have changed in the last few moments. “So, do we try the other route or go back and find someone who can help us remove these spell traps? And that’s not to say there won’t be others at the other entrance.”

“Yeah, and who’s to say when Ian, or whoever took the book, will be down here to try and get in from the other way?” said Hugh.

“They’ll have to have good luck to get in that way,” Francis replied. “From what John has sent me it looks like at least one of these entrances has been backfilled. If that’s the one he’s given them, then they may have to dig or blast their way in. And can you imagine what would happen if they tried blasting their way in – under York?”

Falcon smiled. It would cause an uproar. They’d have to dig, which would take time.

“Your friend is very sneaky.” Hugh smiled at Francis.

“He can be, yes.” Francis frowned. “I only hope he’s okay.”

Falcon shook his head. He’d check in with the birds he’d sent out chasing John and when they got back upstairs. He had to reinforce the impressions of John on them and send them out again.

“Maybe when we get back up to the surface,” he replied to his father’s unspoken question. He’d found before that he couldn’t speak with the birds when he was underground. Unless they were as well. It was one of the limitations he had found.

“So.” He looked at the other two after checking the time on his phone. “It’s just after 9pm. We told Gil to wait until 11pm before worrying about us not returning. What shall we do, go on or go back?”

“Go on,” Hugh replied immediately

“I agree,” Francis added. “Let’s try the other way in.” “We’ll have to backtrack a bit first.”

They turned around and using their torches to help them, they made their way back to the place where the other tunnel had branched off.

As they entered it, Falcon kept a wary eye on the floor. It appeared they were past the part where he’d twisted his ankle. He didn’t remember going this far.

“Watch your head,” came Hugh’s voice from in front and Falcon noted that the ceiling had become noticeably lower.

They’d been walking for only a few more moments, when the roof above their heads got higher again and they came out into what appeared to be a hollowed-out atrium. They shone their torches around, but it was hard to get an idea of just how big the place was. They would need to come back down with arc lights if they really wanted to explore it properly.

Up ahead to their right was another dark opening, with a door inset about six feet inwards. Once again, they stopped and looked at the door from outside. Falcon turned to Hugh and could see he was using his inner eye to examine it.

“Well now, that’s interesting,” he said as he reached out to touch the door. “Hugh!” Falcon shouted.

“It’s okay,” Hugh replied, stepping back again. “There were spell traps on this door. But they’ve been removed.”

“What! When?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered. “A while back? Sorry, it doesn’t make sense. Why add one to the other door, yet remove one here?”

“Do you think it’s safe to go on?”

“Not sure. Let’s just take a breather before we go any further.”

They all agreed and stood to one side. Falcon took his backpack off and got bottles of water for them all, passing them out along with power bars. They could all do with keeping hydrated and the sugar boost from the power bars would help them.

“If we do go on, we won’t have too much time before we need to get back to Gil,” Falcon said as he chewed on his bar. “I don’t like the idea of him wondering what has happened to us.”

“Agreed,” Francis replied. “But having come this far, I feel we should at least see what’s behind the door. It might not lead to the same place as the other one we stopped at, but the fact that someone has been here and removed the spell traps from this end is concerning.”

“I vote we open the door, have a look and then get back to Gil,” said Hugh. “We’ll have to come back again anyway. I, for one, would like to see if we can find the filled-in tunnel that John gave details of on the ‘false’ map. See how hard it would be to get through and whether Swales is making any progress.”

“I agree,” Francis said, backing Hugh up.

“That makes three of us.” Falcon put the now empty bottles and power bar wrappers in his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

“Who wants the honour?” he asked, turning back to the door.

This one was a bit different from the other one – it was more modern, although still wooden, but this one had a proper handle.

Francis held out his hand and touched the handle. Nothing happened. Falcon held his breath as his father turned the handle and opened the door.

It was anticlimactic. Again, nothing happened when he pushed the door open. It didn’t even creak, just opened smoothly.

Falcon followed his father through the doorway, with Hugh bringing up the rear.

All three of them stopped and stared at what they saw.

“What… the hell!” Falcon breathed as he looked around him in astonishment. The room was set up like an old-fashioned gentleman’s club, with a big desk to one side and comfy armchairs dotted around the room with low tables next to them. Along one wall was a long table with a decanter of what looked like brandy and several glasses. The other three walls were covered in bookshelves crammed with books. The floor was carpeted and there were several knick knacks around the room that could be associated with the Victorian era.

“Now this I was not expecting,” Francis said as he stared. “This is nothing like John described to me. He did say there was an outer room before the one where he found the Roman artefacts, but not that it was set up like a gentleman’s reading room.”

“Never seen anything like it,” Hugh agreed as he wandered off to investigate some of the books.

Over on the one wall that didn’t have bookshelves, was another door. Falcon walked over to it and found himself with Hugh. His sudden companion put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently.

“Let me check it out first,” he warned.

Falcon nodded and a moment later, Hugh did too.

“Same as the other one. There were spell traps on the outside, but again they’ve been removed.”

“This just gets weirder,” Francis said as he glanced at his smart phone for the time. “We need to be heading back soon.”

“I agree,” Hugh said. “Though I’m itching to open that door now. Just a peek?”

On the one hand, Falcon wanted to get back up top to try and get his head around what was down here. On the other, he also desperately needed to know what was on the other side of the door.

Francis was using his time wisely and panning the video camera on his phone around the room hollowed out from bedrock. His torch, which he’d laid on an ornate table, was his light source.

Taking a deep breath, Falcon pushed at the door. This time it was stuck. He got his shoulder to it and after a few hefty pushes and some grunts, he managed to get it moving.

Hugh was by his shoulder, one hand resting there. The warm touch was a comfort as he peeked into the room. At first, he couldn’t see much of anything. Then as they both shone their torches around, he sucked in a breath.

“Damn!”