“There.” He pointed at the screen to a small island. It looked almost identical to the one drawn two millennia ago. The other two looked over Sean’s shoulders, virtually standing on top of him as he zoomed in for a little closer look at the island’s topography.
“Doesn’t look like anyone lives there,” Tommy said, observing the steep, rocky cliffs and the rugged terrain.
“It doesn’t look like it’s very big,” Yarbrough said, squinting to get a clear view.
“Perfect place to hide something important. No one would even notice this island,” Sean said. He stood up straight. “We’re going to need a boat and possibly some scuba gear. Can you make that happen?” He directed the question at Tommy.
Tommy thought for a second. “Should be able to. I can call around and see what we can dig up. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Good.” Sean turned his attention to Yarbrough. “You coming with us on this one?”
The agent shook his head and lifted the sling slightly. “I better not. I’ve probably done enough damage for one trip.”
“We’ll bring you back some gyros,” Sean said jokingly.
The two friends said their goodbyes to Agent Yarbrough, promising they would update him as soon as they had secured the artifact and rescued Adriana. Tommy returned to his room and grabbed his things. Sean packed up the small amount of stuff he’d brought to Italy, along with Caesar’s map. Now that they knew exactly where they were going, he didn’t need it, but he figured it would make a nice addition to one of the museums in Rome or at the historical center in Atlanta.
Ten minutes later, Sean and Tommy were on their way to the airport with an air of determination and uncertainty looming over them.
While Tommy was preoccupied with the Eye of Zeus, Sean’s mind was somewhere else, on a woman from Madrid, a woman he needed to save.
Chapter 39
Paulino sped through Rome’s busy streets in his red Alfa Romeo. The car was one of the luxuries he’d afforded himself as a result of his work from the last few years. While he kept a small, minimal apartment, Paulino had always had a penchant for fine Italian automobiles.
At the moment, he was in a hurry to reach the airport. He had called Teo and informed him that Wyatt was heading to Greece, information he’d gathered using a special listening device that could zero in on very specific targets.
The conversation among the three men in the hotel room had been short, but Paulino got what he needed. He was glad he’d left his apartment when he did. If he’d delayed at all, he might have missed the details of Wyatt’s plan.
There were still a few things up in the air, some of which Paulino could handle. He knew that Wyatt and Schultz were going to Greece, and he’d heard them speaking of an island where the artifact was hidden. The men had also mentioned a boat and scuba gear, which meant they were going to be looking for whatever the object was, under water. His problem, however, was that he didn’t know which island they were going to search. Hundreds of islands surrounded the Greek coastline. Guessing the correct one would be nearly impossible. Since they would be on open water, it would be difficult to follow the treasure hunters without being spotted, and as soon as he was seen things could get dicey.
An idea popped into Paulino’s head: He could put a homing device on Wyatt’s boat. He would need to find out which port they would be leaving from, however, a trick that could also be formidable.
The gears turned rapidly in his mind as he tried to come up with a solution. First, he needed to call the pilot Bourdon had provided. His employer’s boss had given him a private jet for the mission and told him to take the plane wherever necessary. The pilot, however, would need to file a flight plan, as would Wyatt’s. Wherever Wyatt was going in Greece, that’s where Paulino would go as well. A plan began to formulate in Paulino’s mind. It was brilliant in its simplicity. Now all he had to do was make it happen. He called the pilot of his private jet and requested the captain determine which private planes had filed a plan with Greece as the final destination.
The rest of the drive to the airport couldn’t go fast enough. Paulino couldn’t squelch the feeling that he was in a race against time. Every red light he encountered built up the tension inside him. At a particularly busy intersection, he started to lose his patience with the other drivers, but didn’t honk his horn no matter how tempted. The last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself or get into trouble with the polizia. When the light turned green, he pounded the gas, zipping through the intersection and down the crowded street. Paulino had seen movies and television shows where people were able to hack into the traffic grid and control the flow of traffic. He wished desperately that he had access to that kind of virus, but he knew that stuff was fantasy. Still, it would be nice.
He reached the airport in good time, though he would have preferred faster, and steered his car toward the private terminal. After a quick check through security, he made his way to the hangar where his jet awaited. The big doors had been rolled back, and a ground crew busily made the final preparations for the plane’s departure. Paulino parked his car inside the hangar, off to the right, and stepped out, carrying nothing but a black Swiss Army book bag. He preferred to travel light. All he really needed was his laptop and a few hygiene necessities. Clothing was something he could buy if he needed a change of clothes beyond the T-shirt and shorts he’d packed in the bag.
As Paulino approached the plane, the captain stepped out onto the landing and came down the stairs. The uniformed pilot smiled and briefly shook his guest’s hand.
Paulino dispensed with the pleasantries. “Did you find out where they were going?”
The man appeared puzzled for a moment, but answered the question without delay. “Yes,” he said in a cheerful Italian accent. “It was strange, though. There were three flights going to Corfu within the next hour. One of the planes belongs to the United States government.”
Paulino raised a suspicious eyebrow. “What about the other two?”
“A surgeon taking his family on vacation, and the other was for a CEO of a major media company based in Florence.”
The revelation was cause for concern. Paulino wondered if his employer knew that the United States government was involved in what they were doing. It didn’t change his plan, but it might be something Bourdon would be interested in. “Let’s load up and get to Corfu then,” he said to the pilot. “We do not have much time.”
The pilot’s face expressed concern. “Is the American plane the one you are looking for?” His question was innocent enough, but he clearly didn’t want to cause any trouble with the American government.
“It seems that way,” Paulino answered. “Don’t worry. They will not cause you any trouble. Besides, we are leaving before them. Right?”
The man nodded. “Yes. They are not scheduled to take off for another forty-five minutes.”
“Perfect,” Paulino said. “Then we will reach Corfu first.”
Chapter 40
“They are on their way here,” Bourdon informed his employer.
Gikas remained stoically calm. “Here?” he asked, uncertain he had heard correctly. “They are coming to Corfu?”