No one else said anything for a few moments, letting the somberness of the room fill their hearts and minds. After a minute had passed, Sean moved over to the wall near the little alcove where the portrait rested. A small, stone cross sat next to it. He touched it reverently for a second then pulled his hand back. He knew it had probably been there for a thousand years. The gravity of historical facts like that always hit him heavily.
“If there’s a clue for us to find here, we should get to it quickly. Lindsey may already be on his way to the ark. We may not have much time.”
The others spread out as much as they could in the tiny area, scouring the walls and ceiling with their eyes.
Sean spoke under his breath, just to himself. “I just hope Mac can buy us some time.”
Chapter 25
“What do you mean it was done in the early fourth century? And how is it in Latin?” Lindsey’s voice boomed through the tight corridor.
DeGard’s laughter ceased as he sensed the serious nature of the moment. “Monsieur, I tried to warn you that chasing this treasure was folly.” His French accent sounded even tinnier in the narrow confines of the cave. “It is clearly a fool’s treasure. There is nothing here, and probably never was. You have been chasing a fairy tale. There is no tree of life, Monsieur Lindsey. I am sorry, but you have wasted your time and money searching for this.”
It was the first time Will had ever seen devastation on the face of his employer. Alexander Lindsey had been a strong, ruthless man to work for. He’d ordered kidnappings, executions, and bombings, never once flinching in the slightest. Most recently, Will had discovered the fate of Lindsey’s betrayers. The men had been executed in a brazen bull within the confines of Golden Dawn’s secret council room. Lindsey was certainly not a man of weakness.
Now, though, as Will stared at the old man in the yellow radiance of the flashlights, Lindsey’s white hair seemed whiter, his wrinkles more pronounced. The old man appeared defeated.
Lindsey started coughing violently, probably a combination of the damp air and the sudden realization that he’d been duped on such a grand scale. He stepped away from the others, covering his mouth and bracing himself on the rough-hewn wall.
Kaba put her hand on his shoulder for a moment, but he jerked himself away. After a few more seconds, the coughing finally subsided.
He stared hard at the writing on the wall. “All the money. All the time. Everything we’ve done. To come this far…all for a hoax.” Lindsey’s voice was filled with regret and bitter resentment. He shook his head slowly, still staring at the wall. His breaths were coming quickly in big heaves. “Why would someone leave this here?”
DeGard looked back at the inscription for a moment. “I do not know, Monsieur. Why do people create giant rings in corn fields and then claim Aliens did it?”
The words went in one ear and out the other as the old man shuffled close to the wall. As he neared it, he felt something shift underneath his feet. There was a clanking noise deep from within the mountain then silence again. The four stepped back away from the wall, scanning the walls to see what was happening. Will’s flashlight fell on the spot where his employer had been standing only a moment before. Suddenly, the section of the floor dropped away, sending a gust of warm air up into the space.
Will put his hand against the wall to maintain his balance, and crept closer to the gaping hole in the floor. He leaned over and shone his light down into the abyss, but the beam never reached a surface, only deflecting off of dust and steam.
“There’s nothing down there,” Will said in an even tone. “It’s an old booby trap. Whoever built this place didn’t want anyone coming out of it.”
Lindsey’s face lightened slightly despite the terrifying realization that he had nearly died. He moved back towards the cavity in the floor, investigating it carefully from a safe distance. His eyes narrowed as the dust settled.
“It must have surely been designed to collapse sooner than that,” he realized out loud.
“But it didn’t,” Will comforted.
The old man nodded and rose back up. “The question is, why someone would go to the trouble of putting a trap here, if there was not something to hide elsewhere?”
DeGard let out an exasperated sigh. “Are you suggesting you are going to continue this ridiculous charade? Because if you are, I am going to ask that you pay me my fee and let me go.”
Lindsey’s eyebrows raised in surprise at the Frenchman’s bold comment. He’d had enough of the foreigner’s doubt, his lack of conviction, and his tedious fear.
“If that is what you wish, Monsieur DeGard, then we will let you go.” Lindsey gave a quick nod to Will.
Kaba understood the unspoken order and grabbed DeGard from behind as her partner snagged the suddenly panicked professor. They forced the man toward the hole then spun him around, each gripping one of his wrists.
“What are you doing?” he screamed, sounding more like a terrified little girl than a grown man. “We had a deal!”
Lindsey stepped towards him, menace covering his face. The wrinkles on his skin seemed to frame wicked emotions fueled by anger.
“You said you wanted out, and to be let go. So I will let you go.” The low voice was rough, and the loose skin beneath his neck shook as he spoke. “Unless, of course, you wish to continue your employment with me.”
Kaba and Will shoved the skinny man out over the abyss, holding his life by thin wrists. His head went back and forth, trying to look down yet desperately not wanting to see what waited below.
“Please!” he pleaded. “I’ll do whatever you ask. Just don’t kill me!” His voice sounded like a whimpering, nasally dog.
Lindsey thought he saw tears welling up in the Frenchman’s eyes.
“So, you will continue to assist us in this charade?” The last word carried a sarcastic air with it.
DeGard nodded frantically. “Oui! Oui! I’ll do whatever you say.”
Lindsey nodded and his two associates jerked up the trembling professor, and pulled him to safety. DeGard quickly moved away from the hole and put his hands on his knees. Bile rose up through his esophagus, and for a moment, it appeared he might vomit.
“Now,” Lindsey spoke in a commanding tone again. “What are we missing here? We know that someone set this trap. And we believe based on the good professor’s earlier assessment that it was probably built around the late third century. That is what you said, correct Monsieur DeGard?”
The Frenchman was still bent over his knees catching his breath and trying hard not to throw up. “Yes,” he nodded, breathing heavily. “The Latin and the style of the engraving would suggest that time frame.”
“That means that the people who built this cave, knew about the ark. And they also knew about what the ark contained, based on the contents of the message.”
Will’s eyes opened wider. He could see where his employer was going with the line of thought. “So, you think the people who carved out this cave found something. But where is it now?”
“The monastery,” DeGard gasped and leaned back against the craggy rock wall.
His flashlight had fallen on the floor and was now aimed at his feet. The other three shone their lights on his face, causing him to shield himself from the brightness with one hand.
“What did you say?” Lindsey demanded and shuffled over to where the shaking Frenchman stood. “What monastery? You better start making sense quickly.”