noun. The world of the dead.

noun. The part of society engaged in crime and vice.

noun. The place to which one's spirit descends upon death, conceived as below the surface of the earth.

noun. The locale of the spirit world or afterlife, whether deemed to be situated below the world of the living or not.

noun. Specifically, a location of punishment in the afterlife; a hell.

noun. A hidden, shadowy, or sinister subculture, such as that of organized crime.

noun. (religion) the world of the dead

"Rhyme deduced the FBI man was referring to the netherworld of intelligence—government snooping agencies that might not technically have jurisdiction in the country but who can maneuver through loopholes to keep on top of possible malfeasance within the borders."

fictitious place  imaginary place  mythical place  

'qt  cenote  cityscape  cloudscape  crossfire  

Hades  astral plane  damnation  heaven  hell