by R. K.
“They gave me a headache and pissed me off. If they want to negotiate something with me now, they better have a lot to offer.”
Alex looked at him in stunned silence. A moment later he said, “I don’t think you really understand how this game is played. They are the ones who have us under control; it isn’t the other way around.”
“We’ll see.”
Alex shook his head and was rewarded with a reminder of his own contusion. The conversation was also a clear example of what he had said to his friend earlier in the evening. He was starting to think he may be the one with serious issues for hanging around this guy for so long. They sat in silence until one of their captors finally made an appearance. It was the last thing either one of them expected.
~ Sixteen ~
The man who entered the room wore faded brown clothing consisting of a button down shirt, canvas pants, and leather boots. His complexion was dark, but it seemed more natural than seasonal. His hair was black and his features appeared somehow foreign. He had a thick black mustache and eyebrows that seemed to be in competition. At first Sean thought he was Mexican or possibly Puerto Rican, but it was somewhat different than that. He had enough experience while in the Navy to differentiate the finer physical features of ethnicity. He decided none of this really mattered at the moment. He’d wait to see what this was all about.
He pulled a small plastic chair from a nearby room and dragged it across the floor until he was directly in front of the two men. He sat down and looked them in the eyes. When he was apparently satisfied with whatever he had in mind he asked, “Which one of you is Rylan?”
“Who’s asking?” Sean replied.
“I’m the one asking the questions here,” he said with a mild accent.
“Well, good for you. The thing is, unless we get some answers you don’t get any.”
The man stared at him and decided he was the one he wanted. “You are Mr. Rylan,” he said in a self-satisfying tone.
Sean looked at him without response.
“You don’t seem worried about where you are or what is happening to you.” The man said a bit curiously, taking note of Sean’s behavior.
“I’m sure you are only bursting at the seams in anticipation of telling us,” Sean replied.
Their captor looked as if he didn’t fully understand what had been said. Alex looked as though he wanted to strangle Sean. Several minutes passed before anyone spoke again. It was as if they were in a challenge of wills. Finally the stranger spoke.
“Where is the rod?”
“What rod?”
“You know what I am talking about. Don’t try to play games with me. Where is it?”
“Sorry ol’ chap, I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Seeing that the men before him were not going to cower because of their situation, he changed tactics. “We have intercepted both of your messages to Silas Chandler. We knew you would be coming here and we had people looking out for you. It is a minor thing to keep the few places where you could find lodging under surveillance,” he finished in a manner indicating they should be impressed by his efforts.
“So what?” Sean said.
The man seemed to be losing his patience by the curt and unproductive responses he was receiving. “So I want to know where the rod is!” he demanded.
“If you want to talk to us, let us out of these,” Sean said, pulling at his restraints. “Otherwise, you can jump and shout until you turn blue and it won’t do you any good. I already have one madman to deal with; another one isn’t such a big thing.”
Before he completely lost his temper, another man walked into the open bay from the same room. The boys guessed he had been listening from behind the wall.
“Cornelio. That is enough. Leave us,” he said as he walked into the room. The man who had been questioning them got up from his chair. He gave the two men a cold look before walking away.
He was of similar size and appearance as the first man. He was an older man whose neatly trimmed mustache was flecked with white. His eyes were intelligent and his demeanor was composed. He walked over and stood in front of Sean.
“Do you know who we are?”
Sean was taken aback by the question. He hadn’t been thinking about these strangers in any other fashion than what he had experienced with them this night. When he stopped to think about it he remembered what the first guy had said: ‘We have intercepted both of your messages to Silas Chandler.’ That meant that they knew about Professor James’s communication device. If they were not Chandler’s men, then they had to be related to the professor in some way. Sean knew now what the connection was.
“You’re members of the Order of Christ.”
The man smiled in appreciation. “That is correct.”
“You were either monitoring the professor or he was supplying you with information.”
“Good,” the man said nodding his approval.
“Professor James told me he was one of you. He must have told you what I found on the wreck. But if he was one of you, why is it that you haven’t inquired about his whereabouts and his well-being?”
“If Professor James was still with us, he would either be with you or we would have heard from him by now. In fact, until we saw your initials at the end of your messages we thought he may have been acting on his own in some way. Am I correct to infer he is dead?”
“Buried at sea.”
“We didn’t kill him,” Alex offered.
“No, I didn’t think you had.”
The three men stared at each other waiting for something more to be said. There was confusion among them all, even though some pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place for Sean.
“We have much to discuss. I think I know why you are here and it may end up serving both of our interests. If I let you up will you control your behavior?”
Sean was surprised by the offer. “Sure.”
The man smiled at him and said, “Keep in mind that I have ten men with me in and around this building who are all armed. It would be unproductive if any of us were to die here when there is so much at stake.”
First he cut Alex out of his bindings and then Sean. As he was doing so, two similarly dressed men entered the building from the far end. They watched with interest, but without any concern. Sean noticed that they all carried side arms. If they had more firepower than that, he wasn’t aware of it. They rubbed their wrists after being loosed from their bondage to encourage circulation. The man who freed them stepped back and returned his knife to its sheath. He took his seat and indicated they should do the same.
Sean looked at his friend and saw that he was really okay. Apart from the headaches they were both suffering from, they were no worse from their abduction. He wasn’t happy about it, but he decided to see how things would play out. Even though they were released, they were still being held against their will.
“Why don’t you start by telling me what Professor James told you. That way, I won’t have to repeat what you already know,” the man said.
“Why don’t you tell me your name? Then I’d be glad to tell you,” Sean countered.
“Forgive my manners. I am Leandro.”
At that statement, Alex was about to interrupt. He found it to be a little absurd that the guy was apologizing for not giving his name, but kidnapping them and holding them against their will was supposedly acceptable. Before he could comment on that fact, Sean spoke.
“I doubt there is much I can add to what you already know, since the professor was keeping you up to date. We have the rod. Chandler has the ark, my sister, and the professor’s daughter. The only two parts of that equation that matter to me are the girls. I intend to get them back.”
“What I would like to know,” Sean continued, “is how the professor fits into all of this. I mean, you all look like you are from another country—Portugal if the professor was correct about the origin of your Order. So how was he also a member when he was from here? Or were you ju
st using him?”
The man smiled in reply. “Yes, we are from Portugal, but our membership is from all over the world. Everyone has their gifts. The professor was a learned man. He contributed to the Order with those gifts. We already knew about Silas Chandler and his interest in finding the ark. We didn’t realize he was actually on to it until we heard from the professor. It was too late for us to become directly involved at that point.” He paused while he looked as if he was running a series of events through his mind before deciding where to restart the conversation. “We were kept informed through his typed messages, as you are already aware. When we saw you sign on with your initials, we assumed he was dead. We waited here, expecting your arrival at some point, and hoped to gain possession of the rod before we returned the ark to its proper place.”
“But who are you?” Sean asked. “Are you some military element of your religion?”
Leandro looked at him for a moment before speaking. “You could say we provide a special service to our Order, services like this.”
“So what do you want with us?” Alex asked. “Why did you kidnap us? All you had to do was approach us like any other normal human being.”
When Leandro turned to look at him, he answered his question in a conciliatory voice. “It was my decision to take you as we did. I could not take the chance of your refusal. Or even worse,” he said as he looked between the two of them, “that you may have used the power of the rod against us.”
“So it is for real,” Alex said in a surprised voice.
“Very much so.”
“Then that means,” Alex began as he turned to Sean thinking back on their time on the underwater island. Sean shook his head indicating he should keep the rest of what he was going to say to himself. Leandro saw this, but did not understand what it might mean. He said nothing.
“So what does this Chandler fellow want with the ark and the rod?” Sean asked.
“What all men of his kind want: power.”
“Can it really do what is written about it?” Alex asked.
“It can do whatever the will of the person wielding it can imagine. It is the power of God,” Leandro said solemnly. After he composed himself he asked, “Where is the rod now? We searched your vehicle and your room. There was no trace of it.”
“That is because it is in a safe place,” Sean assured him.
“We must have it,” Leandro almost screamed.
“And I must get the women away from Chandler.”
“We will do that,” Leandro assured him.
“Sorry, but I don’t really know any of you characters in this nightmare. All I know is, I have it and it will stay with me until I get what I want. That is how it’s going to work.”
The men who were near the door now moved closer.
“We can make you tell us where it is,” Leandro implied in a threatening voice.
“You can try. If you think we’re just going to hand it over, you can go screw yourself. I didn’t sign up for this circus, I was drawn into it. If you think your threats will accomplish anything, do your best,” Sean said as he rose from his seat, only seconds away from violent intentions.
The two men now had their weapons in hand and were right behind their leader.
Seeing the situation for what it was, and the intensity of the man before him, Leandro said, “Please, sit down. I’m sure we can work something out.”
After a few moments, Sean took his seat and gave himself a few moments to cool off. Alex had been watching him the whole time. Even though he knew his friend well enough to know they were only seconds away from ‘bad times,’ he wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of the torture that was implied earlier, or the fact that Sean was provoking that in challenge. Alex would have been open to negotiating their help, not adding them to the growing list of people they needed to contend with. He was wondering if Sean realized they were the ones with the guns.
“You must understand,” Leandro began in a pleading tone, “there is nothing more important to us than protecting that which is ours. It was entrusted to us and we maintained its security until one of our own members turned traitor. We need to get it back and keep it away from not only Silas Chandler, but anyone who comes to look for the power which no man should control.”
“And you must understand, nothing means more to me than my sister. I will do whatever it takes to get her back. Either I go with you, or I’ll see you when you and your men get there.”
Leandro nodded his head in defeat. After a moment he said, “We will take you with us. We will help you get your sister, and the James girl, and we will take the relics with us.”
Sean looked him in the eyes and saw that his offer was genuine. “Okay, but we’ll have to do it my way. There is one other element to this that you are not aware of. In the attempt to find out where this Chandler guy lives, I had to contact a former acquaintance of mine in our FBI. He is probably on his way here. If not now, then soon. I’ll have to call him back and throw him off the trail a little.”
“That is not good. We cannot have them interfere with our plans.”
“No, we can’t. I’ll take care of it. But, you need to keep in mind that they are not far away. If you decide to change your mind about my part in this bargain, I will make sure they know all about you. That would make it an international incident and bring a whole lot of attention to you and your organization. Who knows what will happen to the relics then?” Sean said in a way to make sure these men understood he was in a solid position to ensure his demands were met.
Leandro didn’t appreciate the threats. But, he liked the reality of them even less. He held out his hand in a sign of compromise. Sean shook it. They offered a thin smile to one another; Sean because he knew he had the help he would need to get the girls, Leandro because he knew he wasn’t dealing with a fool, but rather with a shrewd and determined man.
Sean agreed to meet Leandro, and his men, in the small town of Seneca Falls on the following afternoon. It was a short drive from there to Chandler’s estate on the western edge of Cayuga Lake. This gave Sean and Alex time to retrieve the rod and come up with a way to handle Agent Daniels.
Sean’s last warning to the men he was dealing with was that if he noticed any of them following him when they left, he would assume their deal was off and he would be forced to make a new one with his friend in the FBI. It was enough to guarantee cooperation. Sean knew they didn’t know that the last thing he wanted was the FBI taking any part in it. He could always call on them as a last resort. When he said this to Alex, Alex told him to keep their number on speed dial. He was serious when he said it.
They returned early the next morning to the airport to pick up the other rental car and the rod. Sean put the rod in his car, and Alex drove the one with the out-of-state plates. They headed south on Interstate 81 until they arrived back at their room. Alex would stay there until Daniels arrived. It would be far enough away from what was going on that he wouldn’t be able to interfere.
Sean turned his cell phone on and saw that he had missed numerous calls. They were all from the same number. He decided to leave the phone with Alex when he was finished. It provided added insurance that Cody Daniels, and his men, would be where he wanted them to be.
He placed the phone to his ear after he punched in the number. “Hey Cody, how have you been?”
“Rylan! Where the hell are you? I’ve been trying to reach you for the past two days,” he said angrily.
“Actually I’m in New York, following one of the leads you gave me.”
“Rylan, you stay away from Chandler.”
“Sorry Cody, but you can’t give me orders. We’re not in the Navy anymore.”
“No, but I can put your ass behind bars. You leave Chandler to me. Tell me what this is all about, and I mean everything, not just the limited bits and pieces you gave me earlier. I’ll get some of my men on it and we’ll take it from there.”
Sean noticed a change in his voice, almost as if he was trying to stall hi
m or placate him to keep him on the line. He knew Cody had to be livid. That was okay with him. His intention was to lead him right to this room.
“I’ll fill you in on everything. I think I’ll need your help after all,” Sean said, providing the bait.
After a moment’s hesitation Agent Daniels said, “Good. It’s about time you realize what you are dealing with.”
“I’m in Cortland, New York. How long do you think it will take you to get here?” Sean asked.
“What makes you think I’m coming to Cortland?”
“If you want the story, I’m here. I’ll give it to you face to face. That way, I know you’ll actually do something about it,” Sean said reasonably. He knew he had to make it sound believable. While he waited for an answer, he could tell Daniels had moved his phone away and was talking to someone else. He thought he heard the sound of traffic.
“Where are you at exactly?” Agent Daniels demanded to know.
Sean gave him the name and address of the motel.
“Look Rylan, it’s three o’ clock now. I’m about five hours away. Make sure you stay where you’re at and I’ll see you when I get there.”
“Can’t wait,” Sean said.
That comment was soon followed by silence as the line went dead.
“He must be in the city. You think he went looking for us there?” Alex asked.
“Probably. But if he said he was five hours out, that most likely means four. You can expect him here by then. That should give us enough time even if he figures out where I am.”
“You sure you won’t change your mind and let me come along?”
“No. I need you here. Leandro and his men seem like professionals at what they are doing. We should have it under control.”
Alex nodded his acceptance, but wasn’t happy at being left behind.
“Now for the last piece of misdirection,” Sean said as he dialed another number. He had been given this number by Leandro.
“Hello,” a male voice said on the other end of the call.
“This is Sean Rylan. I need to talk to Silas Chandler.”