Sean charged forward toward the spot where Han-Jae had been standing. After three steps and grabbing nothing but air, he knew the man had moved.
Sean swept his leg around. Still nothing.
“Sean?”
“Yeah, over here. Everybody okay?”
One after the other, everyone else in the room chimed in that they were unhurt.
They were surrounded by a pitch-black, cave-like darkness. Sean put both hands out in front of him and felt his way over to the wall.
“I think our captors took off,” he said.
“What?”
“He’s right,” Adriana chimed in as she also felt her way around. “They ran off.”
“What caused the lights to blow out?” June asked.
The sound of shuffling feet echoed down through the stairwell and into the darkened basement. It was soon followed by lights dancing around on the walls on the stairs.
“Someone’s coming,” Sean said. The residual light coming from above gave him a minimal field of vision, enough to let him see his way over to the corner just behind the doorframe. If whoever was coming through that door had ill intentions, Sean was going to get the drop on them.
He waited with his back pressed against the wall. His breathing slowed, instincts from years of experience calming his nerves as he focused on the ambush. The sounds of multiple footsteps told him that there was more than one person coming. Was it the police? He doubted it. It was either the North Koreans or the Brotherhood. Either way, Sean wanted to get an advantage.
Always let the first guy go through, he thought, recalling training scenarios and real-life experience. By letting one enemy come through the door first, it prevented him from being attacked from behind. That tactic also placed him behind the first person, giving options to either take them out from behind or clear the door with any other enemies coming through.
The flashlights grew brighter and more intense. Sean kept his fingers loose as he continued drawing in slow, even breaths. He watched the bright circles shaking along the bottom wall of the stairwell.
One of the lights turned and pointed into the room. Sean’s muscles tensed. The first person stepped through. He waited for a moment until the second appeared in the doorway.
Sean sidestepped silently behind the person and wrapped his arm around their neck, ready to snap it if necessary.
“No, wait!” the man shouted. The voice was oddly familiar.
Sean let go and spun the man around. The first person turned and looked back, aiming a pistol at both of them.
“Mac?” Sean said, confused.
The man lowered his weapon. “Sean. Thank goodness it’s you. I thought you were one of the North Koreans about to snap my neck.”
“You were half right.”
Helen flashed her light around the room and found Tommy and June huddled next to his parents by the back wall. Adriana was close to the door, ready to help Sean with defense.
“How did you know where to find us?” Tommy asked as he stood up.
Helen smirked. “Let’s just say we had a little help.”
More footsteps thundered down the steps accompanied by several beams of light. Baldwin and his men stepped into the room, shining their lights everywhere.
Tommy took a step back, getting between June, his parents, and the Brotherhood.
“What are they doing here?” he asked.
“Who do you think helped us find you?” Mac said.
Baldwin slowed to a stop just inches from Sean’s face. “You broke our bargain, Sean. You were supposed to drop this mission and go home.”
Sean rolled his shoulders. “We had to get his parents back. Getting the sword was the best way.”
“Except you don’t have the sword.”
One of Baldwin’s men came from a side door on the opposite end of the room. “They’re gone, sir. No trace of them.”
“They couldn’t have just vanished,” Baldwin said. “Sweep the area. They have to be here.”
“I know where they went,” Sean said. “But you’re not going to find them here.”
Baldwin’s eyebrows knit together. “What are you saying?”
“They have the scroll we took from the Vatican. We had no choice.”
“Scroll?” Baldwin said, clearly unaware of the clue.
“Yeah,” Tommy said. “They took it from us before we could take a look at it and see where to go next.”
Baldwin let the information sink in. “If they get to the sword, all will be lost.”
Sean raised a mischievous eyebrow. “Well, what my friend said wasn’t entirely true.”
Every eye in the room locked on Sean for what he had to say.
“I went ahead and took a peek at it while we were in the Vatican Library.”
“You what?” Tommy said.
His parents and June stood up, moving closer to the group to hear better.
“Yeah, so while I was behind the sculpture, I went ahead and took a glance at the scroll. I know what was on it.”
“And?” Adriana asked.
“There was a circle. It had some unique markings on it. I think it might represent the Round Table of King Arthur.”
Tommy and the others waited for more.
“That’s kind of vague. Was there anything else?” he asked. “I mean, that’s great to maybe have a connection to the Knights of the Round Table, but that doesn’t exactly tell us where to look.”
“No,” Sean said. “It doesn’t. But it also had something else.”
Everyone in the room leaned in closer.
“Just below the circle was written Deuteronomy 34:1.”
No one was able to connect the dots, not even the men from the Brotherhood.
Sean was surprised that no one else knew the verse. “Seriously, none of you know what that verse says?”
Adriana shrugged. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”
Sean sighed. “It’s the chapter that talks about the death of Moses and where he was buried. It’s the place where Joshua’s story as Israel’s leader begins. And it’s the place where the sword is hidden.”
The answer hit Tommy suddenly. “Oh my goodness,” he gasped. “It’s on Mount Nebo.”
“Exactly. And if we want to beat the North Koreans there, we need to hurry.”
“Hold on,” Baldwin said, stepping between the two. “Your journey ends here. We cannot let you go any farther.”
“Look, B,” Sean said. “Mind if I call you B?” Baldwin frowned, caught off guard. Before he could contest Sean’s pet name for him, the American continued. “We’ve come a long way to get to this point. Especially Tommy’s parents. We’ve earned the right to see this through, whether you want us to or not.”
“And besides,” Tommy said, “if it weren’t for us, you wouldn’t know where to go next.”
“If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be in this predicament. The North Koreans wouldn’t have a map that leads them straight to the sword.”
“Fair point,” Sean said. “However, I’m noticing you’re light a few guys. That means you’re going to need all the help you can get.”
“We are highly skilled in the arts of combat, so forgive me for saying that you will only get in the way.”
“I beg to differ, pal. You know what it is? I think you’re scared.”
“Scared?”
“Yeah. I think you’re afraid that we may get to the place where the sacred sword is hidden and find nothing. Then all these years of…whatever it is you all do would have been for naught. And that just eats you up inside. What would you do next if you didn’t have the sword to protect?”
It was unclear whether or not Sean hit a nerve with his comment, but Baldwin grew oddly silent.
“Look,” Tommy said. “We all want the same thing: The sword needs to be kept safe and out of the hands of bad guys. We’re not looking for it so we can sell it or do something else with it, although it would be an important historical piece for pretty much any museum in the world.
We seriously just want to preserve something that is clearly a priceless relic from ancient times.”
Baldwin took several deep breaths in through his nose as he considered the offer. “You’re suggesting we work together, that we all go to Jordan together to stop the North Koreans from getting the sword?”
“Yes,” Sean and Tommy said simultaneously.
“And if we find it, what will you do with it?”
Sean glanced at his friend, who answered. “We will do with it whatever you say.” Tommy looked over his shoulder at his parents. “If you want to hide it, fine. If you want us to take it to a lab to be researched, we’ll do that. At this point, I think we just want to know if it’s real or not. Honest. And if us helping you can keep it out of the hands of evil men, that’s what we want to do.”
Baldwin contemplated Tommy’s remarks for a moment. He glanced over at the guy with the bandage on his head. The man nodded.
“Very well,” Baldwin said. “What exactly do you have in mind?”
Tommy looked at Sean for the answer.
“No plan yet. First things first. We need to get to Jordan.”
33
Mount Nebo, Jordan
The small convoy of SUVs rolled down the desert road at the base of Mount Nebo. Sean stared out the window at the passing countryside of rocky hills smattered with a few short trees here and there.
Getting Baldwin to agree to work with them had been easy enough once Sean revealed the sword’s location—which was a fairly large assumption. The Bible verse certainly suggested that there was something to find at the top of Mount Nebo. Whether or not it was the actual sword remained to be seen.
Helen and Mac had to return to France to continue overseeing the operations there, though they’d wanted to come along. With everyone else already going to Jordan, it would have just been too many people, which the McElroys understood.
One thing was fairly certain. The North Koreans would likely be there, which would mean trouble.
Luckily, Sean and the others had them greatly outnumbered. The trick would be making sure no one got hurt.
There was a possibility, however small, that the North Koreans didn’t understand the meaning of the Bible verse on the scroll. Sean doubted it. They’d been smart enough to get this far, even if they had been leaning on Tommy’s parents.
Sean looked back in the rearview mirror at the SUV directly behind them. Tommy, his parents, and June got their own vehicle when arriving in Jordan. Sean thought it better that they ride together to give them a chance to catch up.
What a heavy thing to think about. Sean couldn’t imagine how Tommy was feeling. The emotions going through his mind must have been like a tornado, an earthquake, and a hurricane all rolled into one. Spending the better part of twenty years thinking his parents were dead only to find out they were still alive would have shaken anyone.
It certainly had roiled Sean’s emotions.
“What are you thinking about?” Adriana asked from the passenger seat. She’d been watching him for the last half hour.
“Oh, me? Nothing. Just…thinking.”
She intensified her gaze at him, which told him she knew he was lying.
Sean sighed. “That obvious, huh?”
“Yep.”
“It’s just…I hope Tommy’s okay. That’s a lot to take in, you know? Meeting his parents again for the first time since we were kids. I just hope he’s okay.”
“I thought that’s what was on your mind.” She turned her head and looked out at the passing desert hills as the caravan of SUVs turned onto the narrow road leading up the mountain. “Tommy will be fine, Sean. It will take some adjustment, probably for a long while, but this is a chance for him to reconnect and make up for lost time.”
“Yeah,” Sean said with a nod. “Although I have to admit, I wish they would have stayed in a hotel or something. I don’t like the idea of bringing them to a gunfight. The North Koreans are still out there somewhere. Odds are, we’re going to bump into them again. I’d hate to get his parents back just to have something bad happen to them again.”
“They’re grown adults. They chose to come along. Honestly, there’s nothing you could have said or done to keep me away. If I’d done all the years of research and searching they’ve done on the sword project, you’d have to chain me down to a bulldozer to keep me from seeing it through to the end.”
She made a good point. Tommy’s parents had spent the better part of two decades trying to figure out the location of the sword, all the while throwing the North Koreans off the trail but giving them just enough to keep believing in the story. They deserved to see it, if there was anything to see.
Sean steered the SUV around the curves of the winding road as the convoy left the desert plains behind and ascended the mountain. At the top, he slowed down and found a place to park near an outcropping of trees. They’d decided on that spot before heading to Jordan based on aerial photos from the internet. The parking spot under the trees was far enough away from the church and other buildings atop the mountain, but close enough that they could walk to everything. At the same time, it gave them a chance to approach from a safe distance that allowed an open view of the area.
The other three vehicles pulled up next to Sean’s. After everyone got out, they huddled near one of the larger trees and took a quick look around.
On the other end of the plateau, a line of cars was parked on both sides of the driveway leading up to a cluster of buildings. People meandered around the area, some laughing, some taking pictures, and others just taking in the incredible views from atop the thirty-four-hundred-foot mountain.
“Shame we can’t enjoy this beautiful panorama,” Tommy’s father said as he gazed out toward the valley below and the plains beyond. “It’s pretty amazing.”
“We are standing on the same ground where Moses looked out over the promised land,” his mother added. “I would have never imagined that this was where they would have brought the sword.”
“They?” Tommy asked.
“The first of their order,” his mother said, pointing at Baldwin. “They were the ones who brought it here to keep safe.”
“At some point, I’m going to ask how you guys managed to find him and his Brotherhood pals. For now, we need to get moving.”
“Two of my men will go up the left side over there,” Baldwin said. “The others will go around to the right. They’ll go wide to make sure they don’t get ambushed from behind. It will take them longer, but it’s the safest way to proceed.”
“And we go down the middle?” Sean asked.
“Yes. Of course, if they are waiting for us, that will make us easy targets if my men are delayed in flanking their positions. It could be dangerous.” He made no effort to hide the fact that he was speaking to the women and the older couple.
“We’ll be fine,” Adriana said.
“Nothing’s going to stop us from seeing this through,” Tommy’s father said. “Like we mentioned before, we’ve come too far to quit now.”
“Very well,” Baldwin said. He motioned to two of his men, who immediately took off beyond the trees and started looping around to the left through a field of tall golden weeds. The other two went the other way, taking a similar tack around the road and another stand of trees. The field on the right was narrower, which meant they couldn’t go as far wide as the other two men. The good news was that also meant it was less likely an ambush was coming from there. The steep slopes would have made it difficult for anyone to hide safely without tumbling toward sharper cliffs just beyond.
“Shall we?” Baldwin asked, sticking his hand out toward the drive.
“You gonna give us some weapons?” Sean asked.
Baldwin balked at the question. “Weapons? Do you think I have extra guns I carry around everywhere? And why would I trust them to you if I did?”
“Because I think you do have extra guns. And because you know what we can do. You arm us, you’re helping your own cause. You don’t, well
then, the odds just got a lot more even.”
“Fine,” Baldwin said after a brief moment of thought.
He flipped open the trunk, revealing a slew of handguns, submachine guns, shotguns, knives, and even a tomahawk.
Sean recognized the latter. “Is that a tomahawk from RMJ Tactical?”
Baldwin looked surprised. “Yes. Why?”
Sean pointed at Adriana with his thumb. “I gave her one of those. Useful little item.” He turned his attention to one of six Glock 17s lying in a case. “Looks like you were planning on arming us after all.”
“Well,” Baldwin said with a shrug, “like you said, you might as well make yourselves useful. No sense in just being targets.” He flashed the first smile Sean had ever seen out of him.
The six Americans each took a weapon, though June and Tommy’s parents were a tad apprehensive about it.
“I don’t use guns often,” June said.
“That’s okay,” Tommy said. “Hopefully we don’t have to. The way you use your feet and hands, though, if I was one of the North Koreans I’d be way more worried about that.”
The comment brought a crease to her lips.
Baldwin closed the trunk and started off down the driveway. He tucked his weapon into an inner jacket pocket but kept his hand on it just in case. The Jordanians wouldn’t approve of foreigners walking around with guns exposed, much less on a holy site where tourists and pilgrims came to visit and pray.
Everyone tucked away their weapons as they moved down the road. The hot sun beat down on the group from high in a cloudless sky, and Tommy wiped his forehead numerous times to try to wick the sweat off.
As they reached the first few cars, everyone’s eyes immediately began searching the cars for signs of the North Koreans. Passing each one, they realized that all the vehicles were empty.
“Doesn’t look like they’re hiding in any of these cars,” Sean said in a quiet tone. “You think they went in one of those buildings?”
“It’s possible.”
The Sean Wyatt Series Box Set 4 Page 51