The email had been sent by Colonel Hak Kurtz.
She had set the hook, very much aware that a five-hundred-pound great white shark might be hanging on the line. She’d have to make up the rest of her plan after she got on the other side the fence.
She replied to the invitation.
THANK YOU SIR. ETA 1100 HOURS.
She checked her email and saw the message from Hawkins. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing that he was on his way home and that no one had been hurt, but she simmered over a feeling that she had been abandoned. He let her wait; she would let him wait. She imagined herself presenting himself with the emerald scepter and a shower of gold and gems.
She sent a summary of her plan to Hawkins, but clicked off before he had the chance to reply. Then she went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
The 747 was flying at thirty-six-thousand feet and racing west across the skies at nearly six-hundred-miles an hour, but to Hawkins, who was worried about Marzak, the jet seemed to plod toward North America at a snail’s pace. He decided to call a war council.
“First of all, I want to thank everyone for going above and beyond during this mission,” he said. “But our job isn’t finished. As we discussed, we’ve got to find the treasure before Marzak does. It’s the only way to stop the Prophet’s Necklace. And it might give us the chance to take out Marzak once and for all, something I know we all could go for.”
Calvin made a face. “True. Only one problem, Hawk. We don’t know where the treasure is.”
“Marzak doesn’t know that. We’ll make him think we found the treasure. Or at least give the impression that we know where it is. The chance to get the treasure and me will be irresistible. He’ll come to us. And he’ll make mistakes.”
“You know what happens when a catfish gets a hold of bait,” Calvin said.
Hawkins was well aware of the danger his plan presented. “I don’t know of any other way.”
“How do you plan to get word to Marzak?” Abby said.
“Through the Newport Group.”
“You’re not serious,” Abby said. “Those are the people who hired you.”
“I’m well past the naïve stage,” Hawkins said. “It was obviously a set-up. Sutherland’s research confirms that Captain McCormick was tied in with Trask and Murphy. I asked Murphy to pass along a proposition to trade the treasure for Trask and McCormick. Not sure how far it will go.”
“That’s a long way from connecting them to a thug like Marzak.”
“You would think so, wouldn’t you?” Hawkins said with a wry smile on his face. “It was no accident that the Marzaks arrived at my house with guns blazing.”
“McCormick?” Abby said.
“Seems like a good guess for now. I’ll withhold judgment on the rest of the group.”
Calvin was already thinking operationally. “What’s your plan, once we get Marzak on the hook?”
“I’ll leave that up to you and Abby. First, I’ll see if I can even get the ball rolling.”
Hawkins strolled to the back of the cabin with the satellite phone in hand.
Years seemed to have passed since he had been called to the navy War College. He remembered his go-around with McCormick and was glad that his instincts had been on the mark. Not knowing how deeply the Newport Group had been compromised, he would have to tread carefully.
He punched out Fletcher’s number. The dry, patrician voice answered almost immediately.
“Hello, Lieutenant Hawkins. Nice of you to call from wherever you are.”
“I’m on my way home, Dr. Fletcher.”
There was a pause and Hawkins could almost hear the sound of Fletcher hiking up his bushy eyebrows.
“Then the mission was a success, I take it.”
“Yes and no. We dove into the lake, but the treasure was no longer there. All we found was a coin.”
“What sort of coin?”
“Gold. Inscribed with the name Prester John.”
Another pause.
“Do you have any idea where the treasure is now?”
“We’ve got a strong lead. We’ll know more when Dr. Everson has the coin verified.”
“Dr. Everson? I don’t understand.”
“She’s with us. She was in Afghanistan doing further research on Prester John and was able to help us with our explorations. She even intervened with the local drug lord.”
There was a dry chuckle on the other end of the line. “You certainly never lack for surprises, Lieutenant.”
“Speaking of surprises, we had problems with a dive team that tried to horn in on our operation.”
“Do you know who they were?”
“My guess is that they were mercenaries. They were led by a guy named Marzak. Luckily, we drove them off without any injuries to our team. Marzak escaped.”
“Too bad, but the good news is that you are all safe! Your country owes you a great debt.”
“That’s nice to hear, because I believe there is a payment coming my way.”
“Your honorable discharge is all taken care of. I’ll have the un-redacted report on what happened to you five years ago in Afghanistan. Send me a tally of other expenses. When will you arrive home?”
“We’ll be in Washington in a few hours. I’m disbanding my team and heading back to Woods Hole.”
“A wise decision. And Dr. Everson?”
“She will try to verify the coin and continue her research into Prester John. If you’ll excuse me, Dr. Fletcher, I’m on the run. I’ll send you a detailed report.”
“Yes, please do. Sooner than later. I’m anxious to hear about it. And I’d like to have you up to my home in Newport within the next few days so we can toast your success. Please call when you get back.”
“I will,” Hawkins said, clicking off. He went to his computer and scrolled through his message board. Only one new message awaited him. It was a follow-up on Sutherland’s warning about Murphy and Trask, and had been sent several hours earlier. He read her plan and the theory she developed on the treasure and her intention to visit the militia camp.
He tried to call her, and when there was no answer, sent her a quick text message. No answer. He cursed softly and walked to the other end of the cabin.
Minutes later, Hawkins had gathered everyone around a table at the forward end of the cabin. He said:
“There’s been a change in plans. While we trekked through the mountains and deserts of Afghanistan, Molly Sutherland, the fourth member of our team, has been working on a theory that the treasure may have been moved to the Kurtz mines in Colorado.” He opened his computer and read Molly’s report.
When he was finished, Abby said, “Given what we know about Kurtz, and the fact that the treasure is no longer in the tomb, I’d say Sutherland has a pretty sound theory.”
“Yes, but she’s going to need help,” Hawkins said.
“And I suppose you’re going to need fast transportation to Colorado,” Abby said.
“I think Sutherland is getting in over her head with this militia thing.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. I can arrange for a Gulfstream to be waiting at the airport when we arrive,” Abby said.
“Thanks, Abby. Let’s look at the satellite pictures Sutherland sent of the camp.” He set the computer in the middle of the table. “There’s a main road — the one Sutherland described in her report — and a number of off-road trails that snake around behind it and up the mountain. There’s a road going to the top of mountain as well.”
Calvin said, “That looks like a cleared boundary line surrounding the camp. Probably where they cut the woods back for the fence.”