Truffle Hunters_Secret of the Mountain

by Stanimir Mirov

  “What happened?”

  “Well, that wall fell suddenly.”

  “It’s not suddenly,” said the professor. “I opened it, pulling out the staff. Here it is, this thing only cost millions.”

  “Let me wear it,” cried Pisco. “That thing almost cost me my life.”

  “Put it in your backpack,” the wacky took off his cloth from the neck, wrapped it in it and put it in an airtight bag.

  Chapter XI

  The Sarcophagus

  They passed through the tunnel and went into a large room. This was not an ordinary cave. It was evident that there was intervention of human hands. The hunters lit with lamps and lanterns. The walls were decorated with numerous paintings of deities. Hieroglyphs were everywhere. Statues of granite sitting in all corners. These and many other details, however, were ignored immediately after they noticed that in the middle of the room stood a stepped pyramid, on the top ending with a flat ground, on which was laid a sarcophagus. To the right of this pyramid, paled small altar, n which however could be easily seen many gold items.

  “Is everybody seeing what am I seeing? It’s not a mirage, right?” asked Ivan.

  “We are millionaires ...” yelled Pisco.

  “Minimum!” Ninth added smiling.

  “Nobody move,” cried the professor. “Don’t go to the treasure before you check for more traps. Inspect the walls, floor, and ceiling. I will try to read the inscriptions.”

  Pisco and Ivan slowly and nervously began to walk around the pyramid, looking every detail. The brother was looking mostly for special tiles on the floor, as he already had experience with those. It passed probably half an hour until they finally relaxed.

  “As we didn’t found what so ever hardly there will be anything dangerous. Professor, did you decipher the signs? What is it about? Come on, let’s take the gold ...” Ivan rubbed his hands eagerly, and in his head already was spinning his dreams.

  “Nothing exciting for you,” the wacky muttered.

  Pisco and Ninth emptied one of the backpacks, and vigorously filled he with gold objects consisting of bracelets, pendants, earrings, figurines, "ritually killed" vessels and others. Their eyes sparkled at the sight of the altar and for a moment lost sight of Parlatov. They turned and saw him with a magnifying glass in hand, at the top of the pyramid, looking the incrustation on the sarcophagus.

  “If you have gathered everything, come and help me,” he called them.

  Mushroomers climbed the steps.

  “What do you want me to help with?”

  “We have to push the lid of the sarcophagus ...”

  “Aaa,” went a step back Pisco, “I've seen too many movies with mummies. How do we know what will happen when we open it?”

  “Nothing is going to happen. Surely you've seen a lot of movies, child. You have to return to reality. Only communism will fix you, youngsters. Give a push.

  With joint efforts, successfully moved the heavy and dusty cover. Professor illuminated inside with his flashlight and froze. His hands trembled again vigorously, as he had a Parkinson. His eyes revolved in disbelief. Pisco looked over his shoulder inside, “Amm ... Where's the mummy? Did she run away?” he began to look aroundneurologically.”

  Parlatova however, did not give a damn about the mummy, but for the object lying alone inside. He wasgleaming matt black outside with pyramidal braided strips like tentacles, completely flat, apparently of an unknown metal. The teacher leaned over and took it with his hand, looking at it from all sides, “It is true. The disc exists.”

  “What is this?” asked the others at the same time.

  “It's ...” paused the old to dramatize further. “The real key to the future, because we all live in the past. When we break thespatial continuum, we will emerge from the matrix. Not to mention that under Madara is located a city ofAtlanteans awaiting the end of the world to laid the new beginning .”

  Ours stared blankly.

  “Professor, can you leave this lecture for the tavern, I prefer to listen sitting? If you need this iron, take it and let’s get the fuck out of here before the mummy returns.”

  “Fucking ignorant!” muttered the professor and put the disc in his pocket.

  A strange sound was heard behind them. Pisco turned with his flashlight and shone down the stairs with a fanatical speed. The three froze in place. Big black head was looking at them, and her tail was still several meters behind her, entering into a hole. It was quite a long snake with a strange mutated head standing half a meter above the ground, staring at them. Mesmerized by her, none of the group did even move. Тhey looked each other for a while, when she slowly dropped her head and crawled to another hole. Her body was slipping out for a long time. The numbness of the explorers broke down after a few minutes, only to go into panic due to the hypnosis. They looked around in horror.

  “Fuck his mother, what was that monster?” Ivan took out the big knife from its sheath. “I was unaware that in Bulgaria there are such snakes ...”

  “It was a fucking mutant wow. Did you see his strange head? Let’s get the fuck out of here. I got the chills.”

  Very carefully, but also quite vigorously they slipped out of the cave, closing the entrance with the medallion of the Ninth. Fantomas was waiting outside with a cigarette in his hand, “Well, are we rich?”

  “We are bro. Here's this backpack, you wear it. Everything inside is of gold.”

  Vasil's eyes lit up like a firefly in harvest.

  “You are fucking with me, right?” asked while he was opening the backpack. “Wow, shit, we're rich. Wow, we're such treasure hunters.”

  Camouflaged the hole with stones and branches as far as was possible, and went on the way back, telling the stories from the underground cave.

  Chapter XII

  The Secret of the Professor

  In the evening the four entered in Pisco’s dark house. They lit the lamp in the living room and saw five strangers with aimed guns. One of the armed men asked in English the professor, “Do you have the disk?”

  “First I want to see my son!”

  The door to the next room opened, and there was seen bound man sitting on a chair with a gun barrel pressed against his head. Mushroom-gatherers looked puzzled. Ivan accustomed to action already, with experienced eye was looking a way out of the situation, but wasn’t necessary. The professor handed the metal disk of a dark subject. He dialed the phone and spoke in Arabic. Showed the artifact to someone via viber and having received confirmation, waved to the intruder in the other room and left the house.

  The professor grabbed a knife from the kitchen and went to cut the ropes of the bound man. There were hugs and joyful remarks.

  “Are you all right, son? Did they tortured you?”

  “No, I had no problems with them.”

  “Come to meet my friends, without which I wouldn’t release you.”

  The young manenthusiastically shook hands with everyone and introduced himself, „My name is Valeri. Nice to meet you. I am glad that my father has such friends.“

  Vasil only now felt the weight of the backpack and was glad it was still there. Take it slowly on the couch and sat beside her.

  “Professor, explain now, what were these terrorists?”

  “Wasn’t terrorists Vasco they were from of Arab intelligence. They kidnapped my son. All was because of the disc into the temple, which until recently I wasn’t sure whether it exists.”

  “Why on earth will the Arab intelligence work on Bulgarian territory? And how the hell they know that the disc is in the sarcophagus? And what's on that disk?” started asking question after question Ninth.

  “Three months ago they appeared in my villa at night and showed me classified information. They didn’t explain exactly what disk is for, but from what I read, there is something to do with the lost Atlantis. They forced me to look for it as they kidnapped my son.”

  “And how did you find to us?”

  “Our meeting was accidental. I was on the trail
of another dead end in Vergina when I met you and saw the medallion on Ivan’s neck. Then I filled your heads with a lot of information because I had to be sure that you will contact me. Anyway, if you had not called me a few more days, I would of come myself. Apparently, the legend of Bastet is true, that when the time comes she will remove the curse and allow the temple to be discovered. As for the disk, legend states that inside is the history of mankind, etc.

  “Interesting,” shook his head Fantоmas imitating that until now he has listened and he didn’t really think all the time about the gold, “Pisco, check over for people or something doubtful. Lock the gate afterward and then let the dogs in the yard. I will stay here to look after the load. Others check upstairs. Make sure that we are alone.”

  After a while, everyone gathered around the table in front of the couch, and Vasil took everything out of the pack.

  “Professor, what do you think, will there be money for bread?” joked Vasco.

  “Everything is authentic, and each artifact is priceless. Literally, you can sell it for as much as you want as long as you have the appropriate buyers.”

  “Well, we got the Italian, Buca will find a market. We only need to call him and figure out how to move the goods across the border.”

  “Okay, but that will cost millions,” said Ivan. “How are we going to launder the money and bring them in Bulgaria?”

  “First we will open an offshore account where the money is going to stay because if you do it in a normal bank, they will immediately detect the transfer of such large sums,” said Vasil. “For the laundering will think after that.”

  “The easiest way is if you have a friend with casino. You can always turn there several hundred thousand,” spoke the son.

  “I'm sure the Italian will have something in mind on the issue. Professor, you'll come with us to explain adequately about the treasure. Now make a good photo and lets call Buca,” Pisco finished the topic.

  Ivan took a picture of the treasure, send her to the Italian, and soon his phone rang. Across was heard in English, “Can you cross the border with that and when?”

  “We can expect us the day after tomorrow. We have a lot to talk about.”

  “Do not worry, I have a solution to your problem.”

  Ninth closed the phone, everybody entered the Hummer and went to Burgas to meet with some known associate. The man greeted them and invited them to his apartment, “What brings you here so late?”

  Ivan pulled out a wad of bills and put them on the table.

  “Georgi, we have luggage for Italy. Tomorrow morning as you departure, you will hide it in your cache, and we will drive with the Hummer behind you. In port Bari, we will take it back. Clean work.”

  “No problem,” grinned pleased the bus driver. “We leave at 8:00, just for your information.”

  Chapter XIII

  Illegal Auction

  They arrived in Italy, transferred the goods and drove off on the highway to Milan. Around noon already were at Buca’s house, who greeted them smiling. They brought the merchandise inside, and Italian scrutinized the treasure with his expert. The professor, who was the expert of our group, was giving explanations in his typical style. Once the inspection was made, all sat at the table in the yard.

  “I have been selling everything, but you amazed me,” laughed the old Don. “It will take but a little more time to organize this event. Here, the amount is significant, and I have to contact the right people.”

  The treasure was locked in Buca’s underground safe, whose security was updated with the best technology. The Bulgarians were accommodated at his house until the sale.

  Four days later Buca told them that tonight at 12:00 o’clock the auction would be held and that he arranged four buyers.

  “Russian oligarch who collects unique objects. Egyptian billionaire, nationalist, dealing exclusively with Egyptian treasures. English lord with a taste for ancient artifacts. And the fourth is a jew from New York, high in the ladder of the Masons, which doesn’t miss such events.”

  “All these people are billionaires?” Ivan asked with interest.

  “Some even more,” winked at him Buca. “By the way your offshore account is ready. My banker works fast. Once someone wins the bidding, he will directly deposit the money in your account from which you will transfer my ten percent. I guess there are no problems?”

  “Let me check that account on the computer. I want to transfer one hundred dollars to my Bulgarian account, to test whether everything is okay.”

  “Of course,” the Italian opened the tablet and wrote the site. “Here enter your account, and from the menu, you will find how to transfer the assets you want.”

  Ivan made sure in the veracity of the account and contentedly rubbed his hands, “Everything is okay. It is real.”

  A few hours before the beginning of the auction, the billionaires have emerged in the place. Their teams of experts had to establish the authenticity of the treasure.

  In the evening the truffle hunters arrived almost at midnight at the private mansion outside the city. Security met them on the portal and opened the iron gate in order to let them inside. Their Hummer drove through a small forest leading to the estate. In front of its entrance, were parked four limousines. Ivan parked next to them, and everybody got out of the vehicle. This time, the whole group had the confidence of the Ninth and looked as if they belong to the place.

  They were introduced in the hall. Ours greeted with the waiting potential buyers and sat in their seats. The auctioneer appeared and stood on the small stage. The treasure was exported with a sliding table and presented once again.

  “Gentlemen, today's treasure comprises of twenty-seven unique items with a total weight of 12 kg of pure gold. Dated between three and five thousands years BC. It belongs to the goddess Bastet, daughter of god Ra. Her sarcophagus was found empty, which remains a great mystery to science because the tomb was not looted due to the fact that the gold objects were found there. The expedition was led by the prominent Bulgarian scientist and Egyptologist, Professor Parlatov,” here the teacher from Turnovo University shifted his tie and stood up. There were cheers from the others, then again sat into his seat and the auctioneer continued. “The professor believes that the goddess is not dead, but has left the Earth for unclear reasons and her followers arranged a funeral with a sacred goal.”

  The Russian oligarch flipped thoughts in his mind about the lack of some object and therefore had set a maximum bid of about thirty million euros for the treasure.

  The Jewish Mason, however, knew with certainty about the missing disk, which was the only thing that interested him. He was decided only to display a participation in the auction and once completed to talk to the professor about the mysterious artifact.

  “Five million euro,” first made his bid the lord.

  “Six,” overbid the Jew.

  “Seven,” intervened the Russian.

  “Fifteen,” psyched called the Egyptian representative.

  “Seventeen,” once again called the lord.

  This led to a price of thirty million, which was proposed by the Russian.

  “Thirty-five million euros,” stood up the already excited Egyptian.

  Ivan and company were only blinking satisfied and unbelieving. Now really were millionaires and in euros.

  “Sold!” said the auctioneer and left the room.

  Buca came rubbing his hands, “Now comes the most pleasant time of the sale, namely the transfer of money. You can check your account, and if everything is available, to move my ten percent in the account, I gave you.”

  Ivan opened his laptop and logged in. There was written the exact amount. Transferred Buca’s percentage and shook his hand.

  “Well, it has truly been a pleasure doing business with you! We will keep in touch.”

  “You have my number ... All that is valuable, I have a market for it.”

  Behind the scenes, the Jew approached the group.

  “Gentlemen,
you have made a great discovery. Many people before you have struggled without success. I have a suggestion for you. Once you pay ten percent of Buca and the bank transfer, you will remain with around twenty-seven million euros. It’s difficult for a person to launder so much money, but I can help you for twenty-five percent. But, Gentlemen, you can do without these rates and to collect the full amount, laundered, in Bulgarian account, for just one name.”

  “And what is that name?” asked interested Ninth. “If it’s about me, my name is Ivan,” he joked.

  The man did not react in any way to his humor, “I am interested in another name, I think that Professor Parlatov knows for whom I speak about.”

  “I can imagine, yes. But how do you know about that?”

  “We know everything,” laughed for the first time the Jew and this time ours didn’t reacted. “So what’s going to be? Will you give me the name of the man who has the disc?”

  The group advised and professor who had a grudge against the Arab because of his son offered to release his name, with the typical Balkan enjoyment of the upcoming revenge. They shook hands and specify things because the deal was convenient for everyone. The money was laundered in the next few months by several firms of the Mason.

  Chapter XIV

  New Ventures

  The winter went well for the hunters. They bought a villa with pool, by the sea, near Varna. Once all of the money was laundered, they bought the two neighboring properties and distributed them: one for Ivan, one for Pisco and Vasil, and one for the professor and Valeri. His son, who had a master's degree in Navigation and Ph.D. in underwater archeology, was obsessed by sea treasures, boats and in a way was even crazier than his father. The two "wacky" had a proposal for the group.

  Valerie enthusiastically began to explain his business idea, “Since ancient times, the Black Sea has been focal point and crossroad for trade. Many ships and treasures lie on its bottom. Starting from the Phoenician, Carian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab and continue with submarines of the Third Reich filled with tons of gold. These ships lie perfectly preserved on the seabed because water after a certain depth does not contain oxygen, because of the large amounts of hydrogen sulphide. Moreover, there are many legends about sunken or buried treasures. One such example is about Lysimachus, bodyguard of Alexander The Great. He ruled Thrace after the death of his patron and buried untold riches near Cape Kaliakra in various caves collapsed after so much time. Many divers, however, have entered there and always came up with different objects. The perspectives are endless with regard to maritime mysteries. We only need to buy a diving equipment and a little boat with suitable machines. We will have to spend a few million, but we will make billions.”