“You can stay at my house,” he said. Then added, “I have plenty of guest space.”
“I’ll see you two at the plane in the morning,” Tommy interrupted. “Mac, I guess you won’t be coming with us on this one.”
“Sorry, fellas. I gotta sit this one out. I’m still in the doghouse back home, and with my arm still in this contraption I’m pretty sure I’d be more hindrance than help.” He raised the sling up slightly to emphasize his point. “I’m always here to help, though. All you gotta do is call.” Mac gave a huge grin, which made his eyes squint.
“What’s the story on the golden leaves?” Sean asked.
“I’m not sure,” Tommy answered. “Mac and I have a theory, but it’s pretty far-fetched. We doubt it’s a viable explanation at this point. Mac, you want to tell them?”
Mac nodded. When he spoke, it was a different, more serious tone than he’d been using the last few minutes. “I don’t think it’s something we should even really consider at this point, but it is possible, given who seems to be chasing after the same prize.”
Tommy accented Mac’s thought. “There’s a book written by a man named Adam Clark. He wrote it in the late 1700s. Clark was a very pious man and moved to the colonies to help start up a new religious order, one of purity and righteous values, much like many others did during that time. His book was meant to be a guide or concordance that could help church followers through the Bible in a way they could understand.
“He tells the story of how Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden and that God put an angel with a flaming sword at the gates of the garden so that humans could not enter it. Specifically, the angel was put there to guard the way to the Tree of Life so that man could not eat of it and live perpetually in sin.”
Joe nodded and continued for Shultz, “Clark’s book then, oddly, warns anyone reading the book not to search for the Tree of Life for it could not be found and had been hidden by God Himself. He goes on to say that eternal life can only come through the grace of Jesus Christ.”
Sean was intrigued. “So you’re saying that these Golden Dawn guys are looking for the Tree of Life?”
“Yeah,” Mac confirmed, “but like we said, probably not viable.”
Sean unwrapped one of the objects and picked it up. He looked over it. When he spoke, it was mostly to himself. The Tree of life. Now that’s a very interesting theory.”
Chapter 40
Atlanta
“What happened in the lab?” The man’s voice sounded oblivious.
“What do you mean? The part where you didn’t show up or the part where someone started shooting at me? I’m assuming that wasn’t you.” Will was irritated
“I couldn’t find anything, so I got out of there.”
“You obviously didn’t look hard enough,” Will walked down the hall that led to his apartment. He lowered his voice out of habit.
Will was playing a very dangerous game. He’d hired the man on the phone without Lindsey’s consent. At first, it had seemed like a good idea. Having an extra pair of eyes and ears could always help. But the guy had been sloppy. He was supposed to have taken care of the Georgia Tech professor and retrieved the information. Instead, he’d fouled up, which required that Will take Tommy to the scene.
Alexander Lindsey was paying Will a great deal of money to make sure Tommy Schultz discovered the four golden chambers. The archaeologist was not to be harmed until the final chamber had been discovered. At which point, he was to be disposed of. The Prophet had promised an enormous reward for the completion of the mission, more than half of the treasure. And after seeing the first golden chamber in Georgia, Will was convinced. He just had to make sure that nothing else got in his way.
“Jennings has been asking questions,” the voice said through the earpiece. “Something’s got him nervous.”
Will was afraid that would happen. Jennings had been careless, a real liability looming over the mission. Still, the man wasn’t completely stupid, but he had too many loose ends.
“What do you want me to do?” The voice on the other end startled Will from his thoughts.
The man he’d hired to retrieve the solution to the code from the Georgia Tech professor had simply made a mess of everything. “Meet me in one hour in Piedmont Park. Same place we met before.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you there.”
Centennial Olympic Park was lit up brightly with Christmas lights. A large tent on the south lawn of the park housed a temporary ice skating rink. Apparently, the city wanted to put the Christmas decorations up a little early. The park was empty, for the most part. Most of the patrons were likely at home getting ready for bed.
Hunter Carlson had found his way out of the cavern in New Mexico. He was frustrated that the men he followed had escaped. He knew where they would end up, though. So, he decided to lie low and see if he could find out what they would do next.
He listened in to Will’s phone conversation from inside his black Mercedes, trying to look inconspicuous. Thanks to the darkly tinted windows, no one would really take notice of him.
Will Hastings seemed to have several irons in the fire. Carlson heard him mention Jennings. If he was working for Eric Jennings, that could present new issues. Will had also told one of his assets to meet him in Piedmont Park on the other side of town. It would be a surprise if a body didn’t turn up the next morning in that area. That was one thing assets were generally stupid about. They just followed the money trail, doing as they were told, often times right up to the end of a gun barrel.
Carlson thought briefly about his own team. He’d executed a few of them without regard. They were easily replaceable, which was a good thing in his line of work. He’d considered the idea of going it alone. However, Hastings had proved to be more difficult than he’d anticipated, as had the archaeologist.
His wiretaps at IAA headquarters were working perfectly. Just half an hour ago, he’d been listening to the conversation regarding Wyatt and Schultz’s next destination. Apparently, there was a map somewhere in Cuenca. Good thing he never went without a passport on him. That was where he would make his next move. He had a team in South America he’d worked with on a few other missions that would be easy to put together on short notice, but something told him this one needed to be played a little closer to the vest.
A delivery truck rumbled up next to him for a moment and paused as if deciding whether or not they should back in to the loading dock behind them or just double park on the street. After a few moments, the awkward-looking vehicle backed in to the building next to where Hunter was parked. The annoying beep that trucks signaled for backing up faded off as they entered the tunnel of the building.
The phone in his pocket suddenly began ringing. He eyed it for a moment then answered. “Hello.”
“We’ve been waiting for you to call,” the voice on the other line said.
The two men who’d hired him were annoying. One was a sniveling subservient, the other overly domineering, probably to mask a great deal of insecurity and lack of intelligence. It had been easy to see which one was pulling the strings and why.
“I’m sure you have. But I wanted to have more information before I contacted you.”
There was a pause. “Well, what do you have?” the voice continued, irritating and pushy.
Carlson let out a sigh. When this was all over, he’d have to consider taking out his two contractors as well, just for the pleasure of it. He decided to just tell the man everything he knew for the time being. “They are heading to Ecuador: Cuenca to be exact. There is a map that an old priest left there that supposedly leads to a cave where they think the treasure is. Sounds like they are going to head out tomorrow.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll let them lead the way to the map then intercept it when they’re done. A few missing tourists won’t be a big deal in South America. It happens all the time. Once they are out of the way, I’ll forward you the location.”
“Good. See to it that you do. We have taken a great risk in this venture, one that could cost us everything.”
“Look, your boss bought the whole Las Vegas fiasco, didn’t he? He thinks that was your only move. I guarantee you no one knows who I am or who I’m working for. So relax. I have it under control.”
The voice on the other end went silent, apparently contemplating what had been said. “Fair enough, Mr. Carlson,” he finally replied and ended the call.
Hunter looked quizzically at the touch screen of his smart phone. “Thank you, Mr. Mornay,” he said to himself as he stuffed the device into his pocket.
Chapter 41
Atlanta
Sean and Adriana stepped out of the gray Maxima after he’d eased it in the long, six-car garage.
Her eyes grew wide with the sight of the collection of motorcycles. She instantly recognized several that she’d dreamed of having but never really pursued. Norton, Royal Enfield, Ducati, Triumph, Harley-Davidson, and several Japanese makes occupied the space within the confines of the hall-like garage. There were even some that she’d never heard of before. She reverently walked over to the small fleet and eyed each machine carefully. “They are beautiful,” she cooed. “When can we go for a ride?”
He smiled as he watched her. “I guess as soon as we get back from South America and we get a warm day.”
“You don’t ride when it’s cold?”
“No. I can’t stand it. Once the temperature drops below sixty-five, it’s too cool for me.”
She nodded. “I can see that. It gets a little chilly in the desert once winter hits. Takes the joy out of it when you are shivering the entire time.”
“Indeed.”
She walked slowly back toward him, her eyes probing his deeply.
Caught a little off guard, he stammered while he spoke. “I...I...should show you to your room. Gonna be a long day tomorrow, and we need to get some sleep.”
She pulled close to him. Her eyes locked with his as she gazed up at him for a long moment. The cold night air seemed to hold them in place.
Sean broke it off suddenly and turned to open the door to the short flight of stairs that led up into the kitchen. “This way to the house,” he said awkwardly.
Her expression was clearly that of disappointment and confusion. Nevertheless, she smiled at him. “Lead the way, Señor Wyatt.”
After showing Adriana to her room, Sean retired to his own. There were a million thoughts running through his head at the moment, most of which concerned the beautiful Spaniard down the hall. She must have thought him odd. Men surely threw themselves at her on a daily basis. Yet here he was turning her down, running away. He wanted her. So what was he doing? Things with Allison had ended abruptly. Actually, nothing ever really got started. It would have been too complicated with her being off on assignments and various missions all the time for Axis. He’d lived that life. He knew exactly what the demands of the job were. But Adriana Villa...what was holding him back? Fear? He didn’t know, but for tonight, he wasn’t going to do anything about it. They had a late morning flight to catch the next day, and he needed to sleep. As he lay in his bed, his mind drifted to memories from years before. They lingered on a face, a young woman calling his name before fading into darkness.
Chapter 42
Atlanta
Will sat quietly on a bench under a growth of oak trees. The man he was there to meet was running a few minutes late, something for which he had little tolerance. It didn’t cost anything to arrive a few minutes early. But tardiness seemed to be the culture of the younger generation. They felt like it was completely acceptable to show up late and simply apologize it away.
The sound of traffic was light at that time of night. Big cities always had at least some street activity during all hours. The area around Piedmont Park was no different. Some local bars and music venues were still busily serving their patrons while an erratic stream of cars hustled by.
He tried to clear his thoughts of the annoyance by taking in a deep breath of the cool evening air. Late fall in Atlanta brought a vast array of temperatures. Sometimes it could be as cold as the teens during the holiday months, while at others, temperatures could reach into the low seventies. That night was somewhere in between, probably in the upper forties. The nearly barren branches rustled above in a slight breeze, causing him to pull his coat a little tighter.
Piedmont Park was home to a number of city activities throughout the year. From concerts to parades and even cooking festivals, it was often the center of activity. Around late November, though, it seemed temporarily forgotten, which was why Will had chosen the location for the evening’s meeting.
“Sorry I’m late,” a man’s voice slightly startled him from behind.
Will’s irritation resurfaced with the artificial apology. He peered at his paid help with disdain. The brown-haired man was probably in his midtwenties, dressed like he just jumped right out of an Abercrombie canoe with a striped cotton polo, a black peacoat, and some artificially torn jeans. Cocky and careless didn’t last long in their line of work. A lesson he would soon learn. “You should never keep an employer waiting,” he replied.
“I know. I got caught up in traffic.” The young man was sheepish but obviously lying.
As bad as Atlanta traffic could be, there wasn’t enough to slow anyone down at that time of night.
Will decided to let it go. It wouldn’t be an issue anymore anyway.
“We have a new assignment. And it’s more money this time.” He began walking toward the center of the park, and the younger man fell in beside him. The two crested a small rise and then descended down the other side, out of the view of the streets surrounding the park.
“What’s the gig?”
Will stopped in the shadows, just far enough away from the reach of one of the streetlights that dotted the sidewalk. He put his hand into a coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. “It’s a lot of money this time. Fifty grand up front and fifty more when we finish the job. That’s a hundred grand apiece.” He handed the manila package to his subordinate, who started unwinding the twine.
“Hundred grand apiece? Who we going after? Someone political?” From within the envelope, he pulled out an 8x11 black and white photograph. His eyebrows lowered, and confusion filled his face. The picture he held was of him. “Is this some kind of joke?”
He barely got the sentence out before the face on the photo erupted to the pop of a silenced gun. His legs wavered, and he staggered backward a few steps, only then seeing the black gun that Will had pulled out from the other side of his jacket. The bullet hole in his chest was already leaking a great deal of blood through the yellow shirt. He dropped to his knees, confusion and terror filling his eyes. Will stepped closer, holding the weapon at his side. “Your generation just doesn’t get it, do you? You think it’s OK to cut corners, show up late for appointments, and just by saying you’re sorry it makes everything OK.” He raised the gun, aiming it at the stunned victim’s head. “Well, it’s not.” The barrel popped again, sending a second bullet into the man’s forehead. Will looked around casually as the body slumped over sideways onto the sidewalk. There was no one in sight, just as he’d planned.
Placing the gun back into his inner coat pocket, Will strolled back out to his car on the street. There were a few drunken revelers walking down the road, but they were walking the other way. No one had seen a thing.
Chapter 43
Washington, DC
Emily yawned as she walked down one of the many corridors in Axis headquarters. She’d taken an early flight out of Atlanta, sacrificing a good night’s rest. Still, she felt better than she had the previous night. A good shower and at least a few hours of sleep had done wonders. The office was quiet, as it always was. One of the nice things about Axis was its size. A smaller agency provided a less crowded working environment. Serenity was something Emily needed. There were several questions that needed answering, and she wouldn’t really be able to rest until she found
some kind of resolution. She would have to call Jim Caldwell’s boss and explain to him that he’d been killed. It was a call she didn’t look forward to.
As she approached her office she fumbled with her keys for a second before she realized her door was slightly ajar. Cautiously, she pushed the glass entrance open. In her chair behind the desk sat a familiar and unwelcomed face. Sam Townsend.
“Good morning, Emily,” he said dryly.
“Your little all-access pass doesn’t include my chair, Samuel,” she returned with resentment.
“My mistake,” his tone was lathered in insincerity.
He stood and slipped around the edge of the desk and into one of the guest seats. She never took her eyes off of him as he moved. Emily knew everything about Townsend, probably more than he knew about her. His unusually fast rise to power, the people he’d run over to get there, and even his favorite flavor of ice cream were no secret to her. She’d made it her policy to keep an eye on potential enemies both foreign and domestic.
“What do you want, Sam?” she asked as she placed her laptop case on the dark cherrywood desk.
He pulled out his cell phone and gave a quick glance at its face then slipped the device back in his pants pocket. “What were you doing out in Las Vegas, Emily?”
His voice was genuinely curious.
“I was out there on vacation. I had some days to use, and what better place than Vegas? Plus, I wanted to check up on an old friend who was playing in a big poker tournament.”
His tone became wry. “Yes, Sean Wyatt. How is he these days? Shame he didn’t stay on with the Justice Department longer. He was a good field agent.”
“He’s doing fine,” she replied as she sorted a few papers on her desk and placed a few things from her bag into the top drawer. And he’s happy working for IAA. Pretty sure he’s never looked back. So why don’t you spare me the BS and tell me why you’re in my office, Sam?”
“Fair enough,” he said with a smile. “I need your help with something.” He shifted slightly and loosened his red-and-white-striped tie.
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