Five guns now pointed at Gray.
More at Seichan and Kowalski.
Vigor stood with his arms crossed.
Nasser had not moved, his phone still lifted to his ear. “Hold, Annishen. For the moment.” He lowered the phone, half covering the receiver with a hand. “It seems this is the end, Commander Pierce. Of many trails. Polo’s last scroll only confirms what I’ve heard from the Guild contingent in Indonesia. The scientific team has come to the same conclusion. A potential cure does reside within the body of a survivor. One who happens to glow, like revealed in Polo’s story.”
Gray shook his head. Not in denial, he just had difficulty comprehending what Nasser was saying. Blood pounded in his ears, deafening him. His plan had failed.
Nasser lifted his phone again. “So it seems our historical trail has run full circle back to the scientific trail. This is the end of the proverbial road. For you. For your mother and father.”
Gray sensed the world closing in on him. Even his vision narrowed, voices sounded more hollow. Until Vigor stepped closer.
“Enough,” the monsignor snapped out with the command of a professor in an auditorium.
All eyes turned to him. Even Nasser paused.
Vigor stared at their captor. “You make many assumptions, young man. Assumptions that will not serve you, or your associates.”
“How so, Monsignor?” Nasser kept his tone civil.
“This cure. Have your scientists tested it yet?” Vigor stared at Nasser, then a small snort escaped him. “I wager not. All you’ve come up with are theoretical conjectures, supported perhaps by Marco’s story. But that is a far cry from certainty. And I’m sorry to discount your statement that the historical trail has ended. It may indeed have run into the scientific trail, but rather than ending, I believe the more accurate description is that the two trails have merged here. Do not be too quick to ignore history. Not yet, young man. The historical trail continues.”
Gray’s mind sought to work through what the monsignor was saying. Was he lying, bluffing, or telling the truth?
Nasser sighed, apparently weighing the same. “I appreciate your attempt, Monsignor. But I see nothing here to warrant further investigation. The scientists can handle it from here.”
Now Seichan snorted. “That is why you will never rise higher in the Guild hierarchy, Amen. Pawning off your responsibility to others. I suggest you listen to the monsignor.”
Nasser glared, but he did glance back to Vigor. “Marco’s map points here to the ruins. It ends here.”
Vigor bent down and lifted the map of Angkor’s extensive complex of ruins. “This covers over one hundred square miles. That’s a lot of territory. Does this strike you as an end?”
Nasser’s eyes narrowed. “Do you propose we search all one hundred square miles? To what end? We have the cure.”
Vigor shook his head. “There is no need to search the entire complex. Marco pinpointed the most significant site for us.”
Nasser turned to Gray, ready to threaten, his eyes dark on him.
Vigor stepped between them. “Commander Pierce has not held anything back. He does not have this answer. This I swear on my soul.”
Nasser frowned. “Yet, you do.”
Vigor bowed his head. “I do. And I will tell you. But only upon your sworn word that you’ll allow Commander Pierce’s parents to live.”
Nasser’s features hardened, suspicious.
Vigor lifted a hand. “I’m not asking for you to release them. Only to hear me out, and I think you’ll understand the need to follow the trail to its end.”
Gray noted the wavering uncertainty in Nasser’s countenance.
Oh, please, God, let Vigor convince him.
Vigor continued. “Once you follow the trail to the end, then make your decision. About them, about us. It would be foolish to destroy hostages or resources until you discover what lies at the true end of that trail.”
Nasser sank to his seat. “So then show me where it ends. Convince me, Monsignor.”
“And if I do so, as a man of honor, will you keep Gray’s parents alive?”
Nasser waved a hand. “Fine. For now. But if you are lying, Monsignor…”
“I’m not.” Vigor lowered to one knee before the table.
Gray joined him.
Vigor shifted forward three sheets of paper: the map of Angkor, the obelisk’s angelic code, and the line of three symbols from the keys. The monsignor lifted the sheet of angelic code.
“As Commander Pierce has already related, all the blacked-out diacritical marks — the circles that accent the script — actually represent temple sites that make up Angkor.”
Nasser nodded.
“And here again are the three symbols from the keys.
“Now compare these three symbols to the matching circled symbols on the obelisk. What do you see different?”
Nasser leaned forward, as did Gray.
“There’re three blacked-out circles on the symbols on the obelisk,” Nasser said.
“Representing three temples,” Vigor said. “Now, how many blacked-out circles are there among the three key symbols.”
“Only one,” Gray said. He understood now. He had been so certain he had solved the puzzle earlier that he had failed to look one step further. “One temple. That blacked-out circle doesn’t just represent the Portuguese castle — it represents one of the temples!”
Gray shifted the map to him and took a pen to circle the corresponding temple and connected them.
Nasser leaned closer to read the temple marked on the map of Angkor. “Bayon.” He leaned back. “But how can you be sure it’s significant?”
“The Bayon was the last temple ever built in Angkor,” Vigor said. “Built about the time Marco came through the area. The strange thing about the temple is that after it was constructed, all building stopped in the area.”
“But what’s there?” Nasser asked.
Vigor shrugged. “I have no idea. Perhaps the source of the Judas Strain, perhaps some other answer. All I know is that Marco believed it was important enough to preserve. And even if I’m wrong, after following this trail halfway around the world, why stop when you are only steps from the very end?”
Nasser stared around the room.
Seichan stirred. “We can be there in half an hour, Amen. It’s worth at least going there.”
Gray feared to agree with them, lest he only stir up Nasser’s wrath.
Vigor was not as bashful. “Marco went to much trouble to preserve the location of this temple. The Vatican mystics went through as much trouble to secure it in code. Even the locals here claim the temple still holds many hidden treasures. It bears investigation.”
Kowalski raised his hand. “And I have to take a leak. Bad.”
Nasser frowned, but he gained his feet. “We’ll head over there. To the Bayon. But if there’s nothing discovered by noon, it’s over.”
Nasser lifted the phone to his ear. “Annishen, stay that execution order.”
Gray reached and gripped Vigor’s knee under the table.
Thank you.
Vigor glanced to him with an expression that read, We aren’t out of the woods yet.
Nasser proved it. “Annishen, the one parent you chose. We’ll spare their life as per my word to the monsignor. But we’ll still need some incentive to encourage the commander’s continued and heartfelt cooperation.”