Sean was basically on top of the two of them, as he pressed in further to better hear what she knew.
Adriana rolled her shoulders. “Just myths and legends.”
Jabez continued his stare, as if willing the words to come from her mouth.
She finally submitted. “It is said that Canaan left the sacred mountain and the Valley of the Eight. He took his wife and children, moving southwest.” The Arab nodded as she went on. “Canaan’s family traveled far, going through what is now Jordan and Israel, to settle in Egypt.”
Sean finally interrupted. “So, the first settlers of Egypt were the grandchildren of Noah from the Bible?” He sounded skeptical, though based on the things he’d seen over the past few months, anything was possible at this point.
“That’s the legend,” Adriana agreed.
Jabez cut in. “It is more than a legend, my friends. It is a historical fact.”
The plane surged again. This time was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Firth. He stumbled towards the back of the plane and heaved into the bag. Jabez raised a suspicious eyebrow.
“It seems the professor does not enjoy flying.”
Firth was doubled over in the rear of the plane, but he heard the comment and twisted his head over his shoulder to cast an annoyed gaze. “I am sorry if I am just not used to flying in a cargo bay,” he replied in a barbed tone.
Sean was intent on finishing the story. “So, Canaan left and came to Egypt. What does that have to do with the chambers, especially the ones in the western hemisphere?”
“Do you not see?” Jabez almost seemed sympathetic.
“No,” Sean shook his head, clearly not connecting the dots.
Jabez took another deep breath. “When Canaan reached southern Egypt, he established a community there, in Nekhen. His ancestors became the first settlers of the ancient land.”
Sean interrupted. “That would explain the old age of the site.”
“Yes. But the ruins at Nekhen are only part of the story,” Jabez apprised. “By the time they had settled the village, Canaan was a fairly old man. He had grown tired of running. So, he stayed in southern Egypt, where he died.
“After a generation had passed, many of the people in the area referred to Canaan as a minor deity. A few even claimed his father, Ham, was a god of gods. Many of the original Egyptian myths were derived from the stories of Canaan and his father. There were many, though, who remained true to the one God. And they remained afraid of the curse that had been placed upon their family.”
“It all makes sense, now,” Sean cut in again.
Adriana’s eyes stitched together. “What do you mean?”
“All the stuff we found back in the U.S. down in South America. Tons of Egyptian artifacts.” Sean could see she still didn’t follow what he was getting at. “Before we found the first chamber, Mac told us that he believed the ancient Egyptians had built boats, capable of travelling vast distances. His theory was that the Egyptians travelled to the Americas in search of a new life and possibly more resources.”
Jabez grinned slightly at the revelation.
Sean went on. “But what if they weren’t coming over to establish a colony? What if they were running from something, something that was so powerful, it would mean the end for their entire existence as a people?” He thought for a moment, rubbing the right temple of his head to hone his thoughts. “The pyramids. The symbols. Even the language. All of it made its way to the Americas. We found pyramids in Georgia for crying out loud. I can’t believe Mac was right about all that.” The last part came with resignation.
“Yes, Mr. Wyatt. Now you see. Many children of Canaan built boats. It was easy for them since their ancestors had pioneered the idea.” Jabez gave a good natured grin as he spoke.
Sean still seemed in a daze of hurried thoughts. “Mac said they found an ancient navy out in the middle of the desert not too long ago.”
Jabez confirmed with a nod. “They went as far away as possible to escape the curse, traveling through what is now the United States and South America. The native cultures that were established are all descendants of the line of Canaan.”
“And they left clues as to where they came from and how to get home,” Adriana included.
“That is correct.” Jabez wringed his hands for a minute in quiet contemplation. His fingers were worn, and dark, probably from years in the sun. The man was visibly concerned. On his face, Sean and Adriana could see the wheels were turning.
“How does your group fit in to all of this?” Sean voiced what his thoughts had rolled over for a few hours. “You said you were the descendants from the other sons of Noah. Then, you said you were chosen. Which is it?”
Jabez’s face creased slightly at the question. “Good question. We believe every person in the world comes from one of the three sons of Noah. We are chosen based on that lineage. Though, now it must have surely been diluted. We consider ourselves descendants based on our creed more than blood at this point.”
Firth seemed to have gotten over his nausea and was leaning back against the wall of the plane in an attempt to relax. His chest still heaved huge breaths, and his face was pale. The paper bag hung loosely in one hand.
He spoke up for the first time in a while, his eyes staring up at the ceiling as he did. “You still haven’t told us how we will be able to find the ark. You said you don’t know the location of it. If Lindsey has the clue, and we get there before he does, it won’t make a difference. What are we going to do, sit around and watch where they go and simply follow?”
The grin on Jabez’s face grew a little bigger. Wrinkles creased under his eyes. “Mr. Lindsey may not have the only clue to the Ark’s location.”
Chapter 18
A tin-colored airplane hangar sat off to the side of the main airstrip to Cairo’s international airport. Inside, Alexander Lindsey’s private jet, a white G6 Gulfstream, was revving up its twin engines, getting ready to depart. Lindsey had called ahead for the pilot to make preparations, so they could depart immediately upon arriving in Cairo.
Kaba whipped the vehicle around on the tarmac and stopped it inside the cavernous shelter next to a black Yukon Denali. Lindsey didn’t wait for anyone to open the door for him, even though there were six men in tight, black outfits standing by when they pulled in. He had a plane to catch, and time was of the essence.
The old man flung open the door and shuffled towards the plane, moving faster than DeGard expected possible. The Frenchman took his time, allowing one of the bodyguards to open his door.
“Load everything up immediately,” Lindsey ordered over his shoulder to Kaba.
She nodded and began issuing orders to the six men standing in a forward facing line near the other SUV. They simultaneously broke rank and began opening doors and unloading black plastic cargo boxes. They systematically carried the units over to the underside of the plane where a nearly empty storage bin awaited with a door propped open.
DeGard watched as the men busily emptied the vehicle and loaded the plane with the supplies. He frowned and raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Are you planning on starting a war? Or starting a colony?”
Lindsey had already begun his ascent of the stairs to board the plane. He looked back down at DeGard and frowned. “We are already in a war,” he said loudly over the whine of the jet engines.
DeGard wasn’t sure how to react, and simply stood at the base of the staircase, watching the older man as he disappeared into the innards of the plane. After a few moments, he followed reluctantly up the steps and into the cabin.
Inside, the interior of the G6 was luxurious. Every seat was upholstered in tan colored leather. The floor was a dark hardwood, contrasting the color tone of the leather seats. DeGard slipped into one of the backward facing seats across from his employer and fastened the seatbelt.