Sean Wyatt Compilation Box Set

by Ernest Dempsey

  The other mercenaries were already following Kaba back from the helicopters, trailed by Lindsey who had added a black trench coat over the top of his other layers. A cold breeze rolled across the plains, cutting through to the bone. Will imagined the old man must have been affected by it more than anyone in the group. But Lindsey was driven, and would not accept failure, even if that meant personally overseeing the mission through to the end.

  They walked through the gate, marching up the hill toward the entrance to the fortress. The wind picked up the farther they went up the hill. When they reached the top, Lindsey and DeGard were holding their coats tight against their torsos to keep warm.

  “I wonder where their transportation is,” Will wondered in a low voice through clenched teeth. He pressed his hand against the gun in his coat, anticipating that his revenge was close at hand. It was time to end this little game once, and for all. Wyatt had been lucky before, but his luck was about to run out.

  Kaba scanned the area, searching for movement. “No sign of their cars. Maybe they left.”

  “That priest said they were still here,” he disagreed. “There’s only one way in and one way out. If they had left, that monk would have seen it.”

  As they neared the entrance to the monastery, another monk greeted them with a hearty smile. Lindsey nodded at Will who stepped in front and put his arm around the shoulders of the monk, much the same way he had the young man at the gate. Repeating what he had done before ascending the hill, Will took the priest into a doorway just on the inside of the wall. He re-emerged a few moments later, alone.

  He gave a quick look at Lindsey then motioned for the other men to follow his lead. Will kept his gun concealed within the folds of his jacket as he ducked into a corner of the entryway into the courtyard of the fortress. Across the way, the entrance to the chapel stood quietly. A quick scan of the area revealed no other visitors. He assessed that the monks must have been somewhere else on the premises. The bitter wind picked up again and funneled through the archway where he and the other men were standing. Kaba looked at him from the other side of the portal, waiting for an order.

  Lindsey and DeGard watched from a short distance as their team moved swiftly through the archway and into the courtyard, checking every corner before taking up positions surrounding the entrance to the church.

  Will sprinted back to the archway where his employer and the Frenchman now stood, safely concealed behind the corners of stone.

  “There is no other way out of the chapel, Sir. We have the entrance surrounded. When they come out it will be like shooting fish in a barrel.”

  Lindsey’s eyes narrowed. “Good. Make sure there are no survivors.”

  Chapter 28

  Khor Virap

  Armenia

  Sean and his companions had scoured the entire pit for over an hour, searching for a clue to the whereabouts of the lost ark of Noah. The rough walls and dusty floors had not given up their secrets, if there were any. Firth sat down on a small, semi-circular platform near the painting of Saint Gregory. He’d grown tired of the search and had, once again,S become his grumpy self.

  It was a battle Sean was growing tired of fighting with the professor. He understood the frustration, though. There wasn’t anything to be found in the depths of the pit. At least nothing of profound clarity. Sean would have given almost anything for a simple x that marked the spot.

  Adriana stood close by. Her hair had been pulled back in a ponytail, revealing her smooth, thin neck. For a moment, Sean was distracted by her natural beauty and caught himself staring. When she turned her head, he quickly diverted his gaze to the wall just behind her.

  “What are you thinking?” Jabez interrupted from across the room. “Have you seen anything that might resemble a map?”

  “No,” Sean shook his head, disappointed. “Maybe we are thinking about this the wrong way.” He stepped into the center of the room and slowly spun around in circles, eyeing the walls carefully. “If you were Gregory, and you wanted to make sure you left a clue for someone in the distant future to find the ark, you wouldn’t want just anyone to find it. Right?”

  Jabez and Adriana nodded. Firth had his hands on his knees, listening with vague interest.

  “So, who would you want to find it?” he asked in his most cynical, English accent.

  “What is the recurring theme we keep running into?” he asked, but got no response other than blank stares. “Righteous. Immortality is for the righteous. Who are the righteous?”

  “Priests?” Adriana offered.

  “Followers of God,” Jabez included with only slight confidence.

  Both of their answers made sense, but didn’t help with the question as to where the clue might be, if Saint Gregory had even left one at all. For a minute, silence returned to the dimly lit chamber as the four occupants considered the question.

  Sean stared at the ground near Firth’s feet while he tried to think of an answer. It came to him suddenly as he observed the strange undulations in the floor. Near the Professor’s feet, it wasn’t as flat as the rest of the rest floor. There were small ridges and dips, as if the stone tiles had been carved away by miniscule rivers of water.

  Firth noticed his curiosity and wondered what Sean was looking at. “What is it?”

  “Move your feet, Professor,” he ordered. Firth did as requested and stood back up, moving off to the side.

  Sean got down on one knee and ran his hand along the dirty floor then felt along the stone nearby. There was definitely a difference. He could see it more clearly now that he was down on his knees.

  “Adriana, could you hand me the brush out of my backpack?”

  She nodded and stepped over to his black bag that he had set on the floor against the wall. A moment later, she fished out what looked like a small broom, typically used on excavations or archaeological digs. She passed him the tool, and he immediately got down on his one hand, and with the other began sweeping away the ancient dust.

  “What is it?” Jabez reinforced the professor’s question. “What do you see?”

  Sean never stopped brushing vigorously at the floor, increasing a small pile of dirt with each stroke. “The righteous are penitent, Jabez. The penitent kneel before God. So, the righteous kneel to find their way to immortality. Saint Gregory left his clue here in the floor where only the most humble, penitent person would find it. The years of dust have covered it up, but not entirely.”

  He continued sweeping away the dirt and debris until a strange mark appeared in the floor a foot or so away from ripples in the stone. Sean worked faster after seeing what his efforts had produced, and a few minutes later, he stood back up and stepped away.

  The other three crowded around and stared down at the cleaned space on the floor, mouths dropped to their chest, eyes wide with wonder.

  An X had been carved out of the dark stone near the platform. A line was also gouged out that led from the center of the X to a place in the middle of the miniature ridges and valleys.

  Sean smiled broadly, but was still a little astounded. “Well, that is interesting.”

  “Incredible,” Firth got down close to the floor and examined the oddity. “It would appear that Saint Gregory left us a clue after all?”

  “Yeah, but what does it mean?” Sean asked. “Those look like mountains. Is that Ararat? I mean...we are pretty close to it.”

  Jabez shook his head. “No. Ararat Mountain only features two main peaks. And the area surrounding it is flat. This is a range of mountains.” He waved his hand around the area of hills and valleys. “There is another possibility I had not considered.”

  All eyes in the room went to Jabez as he thought about the idea. “Ararat Mountain is not the only Ararat in the region.” The others stared at him, begging with their gazes. “There is a small city to the northeast of here by the name of Ararat. For as long as history goes, there has been a settlement there. Some people have claimed that it was established by Noah’s ancestors.” His voice lower
ed slightly as if he were concealing a secret. “That town is on the edge of a mountain range much like this one designed by Saint Gregory. It would appear that he has left us a direct path to the ark of Noah, somewhere in those mountains.”

  “Good enough for me,” Sean stated, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

  He snapped a few pictures of the map Gregory had left inlaid in the stone floor.

  Firth stood up. A scowl crossed his face once again. “Wait just a minute. That is hardly a definitive map. Even if it is correct, we could find ourselves wandering through those mountains for weeks or months without finding something. We need a reference point.”

  “This is it,” Sean pointed at the X carved into the stone floor. “This is our reference point.”

  “That could be anywhere,” Firth argued. “It could be this prison cell, or a town to the northeast, or it could be in the Himalayas.”

  The room fell silent again after the professor made his point. Jabez stared hard at the ground.

  When he spoke, it was full of conviction. “This is definitely that mountain range, Professor. It is not far from here. We can take the town as the center point of the X and use that to figure out which way to go into the mountains.”

  Sean was still sold on the idea. “Those mountains accessible by SUV?”

  “In many areas, yes. There are lots of old roads that go through them, all the way up to the north part of the country.”

  “Gentlemen,” Firth interrupted. “This could be nothing. What if we get out there into those mountains and get stuck or don’t find what we are looking for?”

  Sean turned to the professor. “Doc, you’re a man of science. Right?” Firth nodded. “Well, sometimes, even scientists have to take things on faith. That’s just the way it is. And right now is one of those times. Now, if you would prefer, we can drop you off in the next village and leave you there until we come back. Or you can find your own way home. But if I were you, I would be extremely interested in taking a chance on this. Because if we are right, this will be the most incredible archaeological discovery in the history of mankind.” He watched as his speech sunk in to the professor’s head.

  The older man was stunned at first. But as he considered the possibility, ambition reared its head in the back of his thoughts. Sean made a good point. If the ark of Noah was real, and there were evidence, he would be one of the most renowned archaeologists in history. He would be famous the world over, able to write his own ticket no matter where he went. Speaking engagements, book deals, and anything he wanted would be there for the taking. Firth wasn’t a greedy man. He simply enjoyed the good things in life: nice cars, single malt scotch, and homes that catered to his particular tastes.

  “Very well, Mr. Wyatt,” he agreed. “You make an excellent case. I will accompany you into the mountains. I hope the venture is not in vain.”

  Sean shrugged, giving the professor a look of indignation. He wished he could just leave Firth in the pit or at worst, the next town. But he had a feeling that they might need the professor’s help again if they did find the Ark. Just to be safe, Sean wanted him along for the ride.

  “Only one way to find out, Doc,” he replied and slapped the man on the shoulder. “Now, we should get going. If Lindsey is on his way to the ark, we will need to hurry to catch up.”

  One by one, the group ascended the steep stairs, back up to the alcove on the side of the small chapel. Sarmen was waiting for them at the top with the same welcoming smile on his face.

  “Did you find what you were looking for?” he asked in a hopeful voice.

  Jabez nodded. “We think so, my friend. We will know soon enough.”

  “Would you all like to stay for the afternoon meal?” the priest invited as he stepped through the archway and back into the main sanctuary of the chapel.

  “Thank you,” Sean offered. “But we really have to get going. Maybe another time.”

  “Very well,” the monk replied in the same, kind tone. “Please, let me know if I can be of any assistance in the future. And I would like to know what you find wherever this journey takes you.”

  “We will, brother,” Jabez assured.

  Sarmen turned to lead the way back toward the entrance when a splash of blood shot out of his upper back. He wavered for a moment before dropping to the floor in a heap.

  Jabez’s face changed instantly to one of shock as he crouched down to check on his friend. Sean put his arms out wide, pressing the professor and Adriana backwards into the safety of the alcove. Shards of stone exploded off the wall just behind his head. For the moment, the Arab was protected by the rows of church pews as he knelt beside the priest.

  A wet spot was forming around a hole in his dark robes, just above the right side of his chest. The smile that had seemed permanently on his face was now gone, replaced by a look of horror as he gasped for breath.

  Jabez tried to comfort him as he hovered over. His face had become calm. “Relax, my old friend. Slow your breathing.” He placed his hand over the wound, feeling just inside of the robes with his fingers.

  Another bullet smashed into the wall near the front of the presbytery. It was a few feet away from where Sean had taken cover at the edge of the alcove.

  “How did they find us?” Adriana asked from just behind him. She had moved Firth back closer to the pit entrance in order to get a better view of what was going on.

  Sean didn’t have the answer. “It has to be Lindsey’s people, right?”

  “Who else would it be?” she replied with a question of her own as she removed a black, Springfield .40 caliber from the inside of her jacket.

  Even under duress, the vision was somehow sexy to Sean. Seeing her standing there next to him, ready to unleash hell on their attackers, was strangely attractive. He shook off the thoughts and withdrew his own matching weapon.

  “I see you went with the XD,” he said coolly.

  “XDM,” she corrected.

  He flashed his eyebrows at her, impressed. “It’s going to be tough for us to shoot through the door from here. One miss and we could send a bullet bouncing around in this place. We need to get to a better firing position.”

  She nodded in agreement. “It is unfortunate there is no other way to get out of this place. If those are Lindsey’s men out there, they will have the entire building surrounded. I am not sure we have enough bullets for that kind of siege.”

  Adriana brought up a good point. It was one he was already concerned about. There was a reprieve from the shooting for a moment. Sean figured the shooter didn’t have a clear target. Sarmen was coughing on the floor while Jabez tried to comfort him. The Arab’s hands were covered in blood.

  The monk gathered his composure for a few seconds, long enough to gasp out a few short sentences. “There is a passageway, under the chapel. Under the altar.” His body racked with another fit of gurgled coughs. “It leads to the outside of the fortress walls.”

  The priest’s eyes fixed onto the ceiling and never blinked again. Jabez was holding the man’s head that suddenly became heavy. He gently laid the monk’s head onto the floor and looked back at Sean, a fiercely angry expression on his face.

  “They will pay for this,” he said in a trembling voice.

  Sean nodded. “They will. But for now, we have to get out of here.” His eyes shot over to the altar in the center of the presbytery.

  The object featured a cubed stone base that narrowed into a column, stretching up to an angled podium. It would take both of the men to move the thing, if they could move it at all. The bigger problem was that moving the altar would put them right into the sniper’s line of sight. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel in that position.

  “We need to set up a barricade that will give us enough cover to get that thing out of the way.”

  He glanced back down at the pew in the first row nearest to him. They had been bolted down, anchored into the stone floor with what he apprised to be one inch bolts. Last he checked, they hadn’t brought
a wrench with them. Jabez noticed what he was looking at and produced his Desert Eagle .45 caliber from within the folds of his nomadic clothes.

  “Don’t,” Sean stopped him. Jabez had pointed the barrel of his gun at the base of the pews. “You’ll send bullets everywhere. We need to find something else.” His eyes panned across the small sanctuary and found another alcove on the opposite side of the space. The pale light that poured into the dark cavity played on something that caught his attention. An old, wooden desk sat flush against the wall. It would be tight, but it might just give them enough protection from the hail of fire to get the altar moved out of the way.

  “That will do,” he stated. Jabez’s eyes followed Sean’s across the room. He looked back over and gave a quick nod.

  Sean turned to Adriana. “I need you lay down a little covering fire from behind that first pew.” He pointed over at the spot with his gun. “You wouldn’t mind would you?” he added a wry grin with the last question.

  She responded in kind. “It would be my pleasure.” Adriana crouched down and crawled into position. She held the gun close to her face as she leaned up against the edge of the seat, looking back at Sean, waiting for his signal.

  He readied himself to sprint across the front of the chapel in a pause of silence thick with anticipation. Then, he nodded quickly at her and darted across the floor. Simultaneously, she whirled around from her position and fired five shots through the chapel entrance. It wasn’t until after the second round left the barrel that she saw the sniper dressed in black, crouching on one knee in the fortress courtyard. Her first two shots kicked up dust around the man with the sound-suppressed assault rifle. The last three were closer but missed, crashing into the block wall behind him.

  She ducked back in under cover as, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jabez clear the room right behind Sean. A few seconds later, the two men were sliding the massive desk through the opposing archway. Adriana gave a quick check back at the professor to make sure he was okay. He was still tucked away inside the alcove, clutching his small bag with both hands like a helpless child. Sean and Jabez were almost back to the middle of the room. To give them additional cover, she stuck her pistol around the corner of the pew and led out with a few more volleys before taking aim with the last two. This time she hit closer to home and saw the sniper jumping out of the way, at least for the moment.