Free Muses of Roma (Codex Antonius Book 1) by Rob Steiner Page A

the elevator had dents and scratches in it. As Kaeso approached, he saw the shredded fingernails on each body, the tips a pulpy mush.
    Daryush began to moan. Dariya took his hand in hers. “It's all right, 'Ush, I'm here. Just don't look at them.”
    “He's not gonna get sick, is he?” Flamma asked. “'Cause that would be nasty if he got sick in a—”
    “Shut up, Flamma,” Dariya said. “He is not sick.” Dariya led Daryush away from the bodies to the other side of the backstage.
    Kaeso activated his com. “Lucia, we found the freight elevator.”
    “We're on our way, sir.”
    “Be aware there's debris and...bodies on the way.”
    She paused. “Acknowledged.”
    When Lucia, Blaesus, and Nestor arrived, Daryush still stood in a corner with his back to the bodies, Dariya trying to soothe him.
    “Yes,” Blaesus grumbled, “they would have to block the door.”
    Nestor walked over to the bodies and inspected them. He looked up at Kaeso with grim eyes.
    Kaeso turned to Flamma and Lucia. “Let's move them.”
    When both paused, he said, “They're dead. They're no longer contagious. The diraenium bombs killed off any virus long ago.”
    They both nodded reluctantly, then each grabbed a body’s ankles and pulled it off to the side.
    Kaeso couldn't blame them for hesitating. All the Umbra training left in him screamed to get as far away from these bodies as fast as he could. He ignored the screams, grabbed the ankles of a body, and pulled it away from the elevator.
    “Um,” Blaesus said, “am I the only one wondering why they scratched the elevator door hard enough to destroy their fingers?”
    Lucia grunted as she moved another body. “To escape the diraenium bombs would be my guess.”
    “They were in the Cariosa’s final stages,” Blaesus said. “They'd have no concept of the danger. My guess is they knew someone was alive beyond those doors. Someone to satisfy their hunger.”
    “Blaesus,” Kaeso said, “please give us a hand.”
    He sighed. “I'm an old man, but I will do my best.”
    Once they cleared the bodies from the elevator door, Kaeso asked Dariya for her crowbar. She whispered something in Persian to Daryush, then went and handed Kaeso the bar.
    “Is he with us?” Kaeso asked.
    Dariya glared at him. “He will be fine. It just takes him longer to get used to...terrible things. Not everyone can look on a dead body without flinching.”
    Kaeso took the crowbar from Dariya, and wondered when dead bodies stopped bothering him. After your first assassination , he reminded himself. After that, they all became just another slaughtered animal . Kaeso thrust the crowbar’s edge into the elevator doors and yanked back harder than he intended. The crowbar came out and he stumbled backward. He slammed the crowbar on the floor.
    “Easy, sir,” Lucia said, rushing over to him. “Are you all right”
    “Fine,” he said. “I'm fine.”
    He grabbed the crowbar, went back to the door, and inserted it again. This time he opened the door three inches. Kaeso and Lucia pulled it open with their hands. When the opening was shoulder width, he aimed his headlamps down the shaft. There was only blackness beyond his lamps’ range. He could not see the elevator car below, or when he looked up. He pulled his head out and studied the dark control pad on the wall to the right.
    “Flamma,” he said, “think you can handle it?”
    Flamma snorted and unslung his tool bag. “I built my own gladiator golems, so I think I can hook a battery up to a wall pad.”
    As Flamma worked, Dariya brought Daryush back to the group. His brow was sweaty and furrowed, and he kept his wide gaze on the elevator.
    “How are you, big man?” Kaeso asked.
    Daryush shrugged.
    “We'll be out of here soon,” Kaeso said. “We’ll be rich enough to install a brand new engine on Caduceus . You'll spend months tinkering with it.”
    The big Persian brightened a little. Kaeso glanced at Dariya, and she gave him a grateful nod.
    The