Time seemed to slow down, turning seconds into eternity. The bright beam of a flashlight, snatching a huge hall from the darkness, showed Alexander something he did not expect at all. Around them, tightening the ring, guards emerged from the shadows, their faces impenetrable, and in their hands gleamed, reflecting the light of the flashlights, the barrels of pistols. Moments ago, their surroundings were filled only with dampness and antiquity, and now – with deadly threat. Adrenaline rushed into his blood, instantly sharpening his senses. His vision became clearer, his hearing sharper, even the smell of dampness seemed sharper than usual. Every movement, every breath of the guards seemed to take on special significance. Alexander understood that now, at this critical moment, not only his own life, but also the fate of his companions, and perhaps what they came to find in these catacombs, depended on his next step, on his next decision. The realization of this pressed down on him with an unbearable weight, demanding an immediate decision, an instant reaction.
«Don’t move!» one of the guards roared, his voice, distorted by the echo, sounded like thunder in the middle of the night silence. It was a young guy, with a malicious expression on his face, as if hatred for the intruders was overflowing him. «Hands behind your heads! Otherwise, we’ll open fire to kill!»
Amir and David exchanged glances, despair and determination flashing in their eyes. Slowly, obeying the order, they raised their hands behind their heads. Alexander followed their example, feeling the cold metal of the pistol touch his temple. He was frantically figuring out what to do, how to get out of this death trap. Run? Useless. They are surrounded, and it is simply impossible to leave unnoticed. Resist? Pointless. They have no weapons, and they will not be able to resist the armed guards. There was only one thing left – to improvise, to try to wriggle out of this situation, using all his knowledge and skills.
«We are tourists,» Alexander blurted out, trying to speak calmly and confidently, so as not to betray his fear. «We just got lost. We were walking around the Old City and accidentally stumbled upon this entrance. We didn’t know that excavations were being carried out here.»
«Don’t lie!» the guard shouted, his face contorted with anger. «We know who you are. We’ve been watching you since this morning. You wanted to steal ancient artifacts! You’re spies sent by competitors!»
«We didn’t want to steal anything,» Alexander continued, not losing hope of convincing them of his innocence. «We just wanted to see. We are fond of history. We are scientists; we are looking for the truth.»
The guard snorted contemptuously, his eyes narrowed, expressing complete disbelief.
«Shut up! Now you will all tell us everything at the police station. But first, tell me who sent you here! Otherwise, I will be forced to use force!»
The guards began to approach, tightening the ring, ready to tie them up and escort them to the nearest police station. Their hands reached for handcuffs, and their eyes burned with malice and suspicion. At this critical moment, when it seemed that there was no hope of salvation, Amir suddenly shouted something in Arabic, his words sounded like a spell, like a call to action. He leaned over sharply and threw a handful of earth under the feet of the nearest guards. A cloud of dust rose into the air, blinding eyes, causing coughs and tears.
Taking advantage of the sudden confusion, David pounced on one of the guards. Grabbing him by the arm, he sharply pulled him towards himself, using his weight against him. The guard lost his balance and fell to the ground with a dull groan, pulling down two more who were nearby. A small scuffle arose, in which dust and darkness created chaos and confusion.
Run!» Amir shouted, pushing Alexander in the back. His voice sounded desperate but at the same time resolute.
They rushed into the darkness, dodging rubble, boxes of artifacts, and deep pits dug by archaeologists. Adrenaline propelled them forward, making them forget about fear and fatigue. The guards, blinded by the dust and confused by the sudden attack, hesitated for a moment, trying to recover and orient themselves. But then, cursing everything in the world, they rushed into the chase, their steps echoing in the empty corridors.
Alexander ran, gasping for air, his lungs burned as if boiling water was splashing in them. His heart was pounding at a frantic rate, as if trying to break out of his chest. He did not see where he was running, orienting himself only on the vague silhouettes of Amir and David, looming ahead. He completely trusted them, knowing that they were leading him to salvation. Behind him, he could hear the shouts of the guards, their angry screams and the thud of approaching footsteps drove them forward, not allowing them to stop for a second.
Suddenly, Amir sharply turned into a narrow passage, which turned out to be a dead end. A wall blocked their path, leaving no chance for further escape.
«What now?» Alexander asked, gasping for air, feeling despair beginning to grip him. He didn’t understand why Amir had brought them to this dead end, was it the end?
«There’s a secret passage here,» David replied, not losing his composure. He ran his palms over the rough stone wall, carefully feeling every protrusion, every crack. «I know this place. My grandfather told me legends about these catacombs, about secret passages leading to freedom.»
His fingers felt something different from the rest of the wall’s surface. He pressed on a barely noticeable button, and a narrow gap opened in the wall with a quiet creak, wide enough to squeeze through.
«Faster!» Amir commanded, urging Alexander. «We don’t have time! They’ll be here soon!»
One by one, they squeezed through the opening and found themselves in a narrow, dark tunnel. David closed the hidden door behind them, and they were left in complete silence, broken only by their heavy breathing. Behind the hidden door, the shouts and stomping of the guards could still be heard, but they were safe, at least for the moment.
«Where are we?» Alexander whispered, trying not to raise his voice. He looked around, but nothing could be seen in the pitch darkness of the tunnel. A feeling of disorientation and fear paralyzed his movements.
«In an ancient aqueduct,» David replied, his voice sounding muffled but confident. «It was built centuries ago to supply the city with water. It leads to an exit from under the Temple Mount, to a safe place.»
They moved through the tunnel, stumbling and bumping into the damp walls, like blind kittens wandering in a maze. Thick moisture hung in the air, soaking their clothes and skin. Each step echoed in the narrow space, creating the feeling that they were being pursued.
After a while, which seemed like an eternity to Alexander, they came to a narrow well leading to the surface. Iron staples went up, hammered into the wall of the well, like steps leading to salvation.
Amir was the first to start climbing the staples, his movements were quick and confident. David followed, helping Alexander find a foothold. Alexander, feeling his muscles aching, his hands trembling, began to climb after them, overcoming the fear of heights and fatigue.
Finally, exhausted and soaked to the skin, they got to the surface. It turned out that they were in the old Arab quarter, away from the Temple Mount, in a narrow alley, between two dilapidated houses. The night air was fresh and cool, like a breath of life after the stuffy and gloomy dungeon.
«We got away,» Amir sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his brow. «This time. But we can’t relax. They will be looking for us.»
«What was that?» Alexander asked, trying to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. «Who are you? Why are they hunting you? And what were you doing there, under the Temple Mount?»
Amir and David exchanged glances, as if exchanging unspoken words. Their eyes revealed determination and mystery.
«We are those who seek the truth,» Amir replied, his voice sounding quiet but firm. «And we are ready to risk everything to find it. This truth can change the world, but many do not