He nodded. “I know. I’m just shaken up from the whole thing.”
She relaxed a little too. “It’s going to be fine. You’re safe here.”
“Thanks Emily. I really appreciate it,” he forced a slight smile.
“Would you like something to drink? Seems like you’re a scotch guy, right?”
“That would be great, Emily. My nerves are shot.” He seemed grateful.
She stood up and headed into the kitchen. Quietly, he rose from his chair and followed her. His movements made no sound with the background noise of the television peppering the silence.
In the kitchen, she pulled a rocks glass from the cupboard and filled it with ice from the freezer side of a stainless steel unit. The ice clinked in the glass as she set it down on the counter. The golden liquid caused the cubes to crackle as it poured over them. She stopped when the glass was half-full and swirled it around for a second.
Jennings stood at the edge of the kitchen, watching her closely. Slowly, he reached his hand into his jacket, feeling for something within. He watched as she finished making his drink. Just as she turned to head back to the living room, he pulled his hand out of his coat.
Chapter 49
On the outside, The Prophet seemed as stoic as always. “What do you mean they’ve left the country?” he said calmly.
“Wyatt and a few others went to Ecuador. They just landed in the city of Cuenca about an hour ago.” The voice on the phone was quick and concise.
“Do we know why they are there?
“Yes, sir. We believe they may have found information regarding an old priest who once lived there. Apparently, he had a fairly significant stash of ancient relics.”
Realization slightly changed the old man’s demeanor. “They must be looking for the missing artifacts from Carlos Crespi’s vault. But why?”
A silent moment passed before the voice on the other end answered. “We aren’t sure why, sir. But we think they are after some kind of map and that there is a connection between the priest’s collection and what we are after.”
Lindsey’s eyes grew wide. Of course! All the signs were there. How could he have missed it before? The old priest’s cache of ancient pieces represented a wide number of cultures from the other side of the globe. They had no business in the western hemisphere. He silently cursed himself for not thinking of it sooner.
“Is your team in place?” he resumed the conversation quickly.
“They will be within the hour. We know where they are staying and where they are headed.”
“Really?” he was pleasantly surprised.
“Yes, sir. We believe they are going to inspect one of the Cathedrals in the city.”
“Do you know what they are looking for, other than the priest’s treasure?”
“Not yet. But we will.”
“Watch them closely. When they find whatever it is they are looking for, take Schultz alive. We may need him to put the final pieces in place. Execute the others.”
His voice was cold as he gave the order. The sentence came out as easily as if he’d told a dog to roll over. He didn’t wait for a reply from the other line and simply hung up the phone. A curiosity lingered in his mind, though. What was Wyatt up to?
Chapter 50
The Hotel del Vista Magnifico rested halfway up a nearby mountain that overlooked the twinkling city. It was a popular tourist attraction because of the breathtaking views of the town, as well as the natural beauty of the area. Originally, in the late 1800s, the hotel had been a coffee factory. Ecuador’s coffee exports were unique in that they were the only country in the world to export all varieties of coffee. The plantation had suffered through a series of poor harvests and bad processing practices. The building sat vacant for a decade until a young Spanish entrepreneur purchased the old facility for an extremely small fee. He spent two years remodeling the facility and turned it into one of the grandest hotels in Cuenca, even in the country.
The high ceilings of the original building had been left intact for the main entrance and hallways. The walkways on the upper floor were surrounded by wrought iron railings and wall sconces. Sandstone tile covered the floors giving a rustic yet glamorous feel to the facility. Enormous, black Spanish-style chandeliers hung both in the entryway and down each hall. Originally, they probably held candles but were now illuminated with fake, candle-shaped electric bulbs. The black, iron wall sconces still used real candles, though. Their little yellowish flames reminding patrons of years long gone. Just below the second floor balcony was a rectangular pool surrounded by more sandstone tile. The coping on the edge of the pool, though, was black marble, an absolutely exquisite accent to the lighter colored flooring.
An attendant in a vintage bellhop outfit had showed Sean, Adriana, and Tommy to their rooms, all on the front side of the hotel that overlooked the city. After dropping off their gear in their respective rooms, the group met up with Mauricio back in the main lobby.
Mauricio spoke like a man who was used to being in charge. “I’ve made arrangements to eat here if that is alright with you. They have an excellent menu of local fare that I’m sure you will all enjoy. I know it is a little late for dinner, but I assume everyone is hungry from the journey. After that, we will go to the church. Good?”
Everyone nodded their approval and Mauricio motioned for them to follow him.
He led the way down the hall to a place where the rooms ended and the corridor opened up into a larger space. There were wooden bistro tables dotting the area and a bar at one end. Huge glass windows opened up to a courtyard outside and yet another view of the city below. An older couple sat at the bar having a few drinks but other than that the room was empty. A few tables had been pushed together to accommodate the large group. Four plates with a variety of appetizers of fresh chips and salsa, potato cakes, tamales, and a green salad were spread out before them.
“It looks awesome, Mauricio,” Tommy said as he sat down.
Their host pulled a chair out for Adriana, an act of chivalry she accepted with a slight smile. A waiter brought out two pitchers of fresh juice with large chunks of yellow, pink, and white fruit in it and poured a glass for each person.
“Dig in everyone,” Mauricio said with a huge smile.
While the group ate, the waiter continued to bring out more dishes for them to share: Spanish rice, avocado halves filled with tomato, onions, and chopped tuna.
“How long have you been with the police in Atlanta, Will?” Mauricio asked.
Will finished swallowing his food before answering. “I’ve only been with the force in Atlanta for a short time.” After he spoke, he grabbed a glass of juice to chase the spicy salsa and salty potatoes.
Mauricio pressed on, “So what made you decide to become a police officer?”
Will coughed slightly and set down his drink. He looked extremely uncomfortable as if all eyes at the table were on him.
“Well, I don’t now. I guess it made the most sense to me.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin before continuing. “Bad pay. Long hours. Jackass bosses. Seemed like a fun choice at the time.”
Everyone at the table burst into laughter and continued eating. He took a deep breath, satisfied that everyone seemed to accept his answer.
The conversations continued in a random fashion for another twenty minutes or so until the waiter returned; light from the chandeliers shone off of his bald head. “Will your party have dessert tonight, Senor?” He asked politely in a slight accent.