by Sean Salazar
Vance jammed the shovel into the grass and started digging. They continued removing dirt around the edge until the bottom of the block was visible. Al shoved his fingers under it, “That’s not as bad as I thought.”
He shoved his fingers deeper and felt more smooth stone, “Okay, I take that back.”
“What?”
Al aimed the light and said, “Dig there.”
Vance shoved the shovel in deeper, scooping out dirt several times until he hit something solid. He stood back, leaning on his shovel out of breath, “Can we go now?”
Al aimed the light into the hole, illuminating the side of a flat stone piece that extended down. “Shit, this block goes deep.”
“Hold on,” Vance said, holding his light on it. “I see a seam.”
Al ran his fingers along it. “If this is a seam, then this block is a lid.
“You mean a lid on a stone coffin,” Vance added.
“I don’t know, but if Ed wants us to find out what is under this thing I’ll bet you it’s not a coffin.”
They continued digging until Vance was able to slip in the crowbar. He pushed down using the grass and dirt as a lever and the lid raised a half inch. Al sat down on the grass and used his feet to push it over while Vance lifted. With each attempt, they were able to move it over a couple of inches. Al got up and shot his light inside. Immediately he noticed a black book and a metal object next to it. Directly below that he could see the top of a skull and two leg bones placed in an ‘X’ below it. “You lucked out,” he said.
Vance glanced at it, “Yeah, just a couple bones, that’s good.”
“Well, okay,” Al said. “If that’s it, let’s get it and close this thing up.”
Vance got on his knees and reached inside, “Fine by me.”
“Gently, dude.”
Vance lifted the book and metal item out and put them to the side. Al leaned back in and gave the container a quick inspection for clues or anything. Not seeing any, they spent the next several minutes pushing the heavy block back over the container. After patching up as much of the dirt around the edges as they could, they exited the cemetery.
Once they were at a safe distance and confirmed that no one was following them, Al placed the thin book and odd-shaped skeleton key on his lap. The key was twice the size of a typical skeleton key and had a large hand grip attached.
“Looks like brass knuckles,” Vance commented.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Al replied, slipping his hand into the grip. He made his hand into a fist and simulated shoving the key into a hole and turning, “This must be for a hell-of-a-hard-to-open lock to add this much leverage to it.”
Vance grumbled and Al knew he had just walked right into one of Vance’s jokes. “Whatever,” he said before Vance could respond, and pulled his hand out of the key grip. He then examined the black book. There was no writing anywhere on the cover or spine so he opened it. As he did, the cover creaked loudly since it had not been touched in who knows how long. Parts of the black cover flaked off and looked to be made of tanned animal hide of some type. It had an old book smell and once opened the first words he saw were Hebrew. The letters were large and handwritten directly in the center of the page.
“There you go,” Vance said. “Right up your alley.”
“Yeah, my Hebrew is not so good,” he replied, running his finger over the page. It had a thick, soft feel unlike normal paper. He slowly turned the page and the handwritten Hebrew continued, starting on the right side of the page and going down. He looked closely at it for a few minutes and said, “This looks like a list.”
“Of what?”
“I can’t tell.” He turned the page, noticing the same pattern of handwritten Hebrew. He turned the page again and saw the same pattern. Flipping through, he counted twelve pages, each with the same type of list.
Vance continued driving, “Well, what is it?”
Al closed the book and answered, “I have no idea.” He then took a picture of the cover, the first page with the large writing, and a couple other pages with the list. He then placed the key on the cover and snapped a picture of it all to give Ed an idea of what they found. He then forwarded the pictures to Captain McCoumb. He looked closely at the writing again, noticing dots and dashes around the Hebrew characters. He closed the book and said, “I hope this is what they expected.”
Ed, Alex, and Natalie all waited with anticipation until the pictures came in. “Ah, here they are,” Ed said. “The note says a large book was under the cornerstone.”
“A book, a key, and a skull-and-crossbones,” Alex added, looking at the pictures.
Ed rubbed his chin as he analyzed the first two pictures. He scrolled through several more pictures and said, “Apparently the book is completely in Hebrew.”
Alex watched intently as Ed scrolled through the pictures and once he settled on the last one commented, “It’s a book of lists.”
“That’s what it looks like,” Ed acknowledged. He pushed himself back to allow Natalie to see.
She leaned in, took a quick look, sat back, and commented, “Strange looking key.”
“From what I can tell from these few pictures,” Ed said, “this list is in alphabetical order beginning with the Hebrew aleph and so on.”
Alex continued to examine the picture and added, “Almost like a cargo list with a key.”
“You know,” Ed said, looking closely at the Hebrew words, “I think you’re absolutely right; it is a cargo list.”
“Well,” Alex said, glancing at Natalie, “since we are shooting from the hip as you Americans would say...” He turned to Ed. “We should have the boys turn to the word...” he paused pulling the page over. He read it and said, “Have them turn to the page that would possibly have the word tavnit.”
“Brilliant idea,” Ed said.
As they were driving along, Al received a message from McCoumb. He read it and said, “Oh.”
“Oh, what?” Vance said.
Al turned on the flashlight and glanced down at the book, “They want me to turn to the word tavnit.”
“And how do they expect you to do that?”
“I have no idea,” Al said, but at that moment he received another message. He looked at it and showed Vance, “That’s how.”
Al spent several minutes scanning the pages for Hebrew words that began with the character Tav. He searched page after page until he found it and eventually the matching Hebrew word. He then squared the book away on his lap and snapped several close-up shots of the word tavnit and the writing next to it. He then forwarded the picture, shut off his light, and remained quiet for a moment. He suddenly became very tired and a warm wave of fatigue was begging for his attention.
Vance continued driving and eventually asked, “What’s up?”
“I’m so damn tired right now.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Al let the seat back a few inches, giving his head a chance to rest. With his eyes closed, he said, “I have a feeling we might have to head back.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Washington, D.C.
Ed zoomed in on the screen and Alex said, “This is incredible.”
Natalie, sitting directly behind, watched each detail. “Incredible what?” she asked.
Ed began writing down the Hebrew words listed next to Tavnit and did his best to decipher them. “Here, put these into the translation program.”
“So,” Natalie said, “the book of lists is like a treasure hunt?”
“Not sure yet,” Ed said, leaning in to see what Alex had come up with. “If the tavnit is a plan or drawing, it appears to be hidden at the location listed but...” Ed paused and refocused on the map.
“If you have something, let it out,” Alex said.
“Ah-h,” Ed replied, reading Alex’s translations. He then pointed to the screen, “Go ahead and read for Natalie what you have.” Glancing back down at his paper, Alex began reading,
“At the outlet of the North Eas
t corner of the temple-
The reign of TEHUTI-
The divine number-
The Tavnit shall be placed.”
He finished reading and leaned back, “I think we are going to need help with this one.”
Natalie glanced at both of them, “What do you mean?”
“Lately, and not to confuse you,” Ed explained, “most of our translations have been more of the ancient type where we could reference our database, but the Masons are legendary in their use of secret messages.”
She looked confused. “Okay, so how do we proceed?”
Ed lifted his PDA and scrolled through his numbers. He handed it to Alex and said, “This is the direct line of our trusted KGB Masonic historian.”
“Good choice,” Alex said, glancing at Natalie. “Vladimir Kalinchenko.” He turned to Ed, “Are you suggesting we simply call him?”
“Russian?” she asked.
“Yes, my dear,” Ed said, “he has a knack of getting right to the point without a lot of mumbo jumbo concerning Masonic mysteries. Yes, let’s just call him. He will see the standard encrypted number on his caller identification and determine its just one of us.”
Alex laughed, “Exactly, who else would be calling him at this late hour.” He then pressed the call button and pressed the speakerphone icon. He placed the PDA onto the table and let go.
After a few rings the loud, flamboyant, Russian accent of Vladimir came over the small speakers, “Oh Jesus, oh Jesus! It’s you!”
Ed leaned in, “How are you doing, my friend?”
“Upset with you! The world is on fire, the explosion in D.C., the massacres, just dreadful. You don’t call, you don’t write, you just leave me worried.”
“I don’t know what news has reached you,” Ed said tentatively.
“I heard about the university massacre, yes. It’s awful.”
Alex leaned in. “We suspect the Brotherhood.”
“Ah, Alex, it’s good to hear your voice and you sound good.”
“Doing my best to stay in the fight.”
A long silence. “As it is,” Vladimir said, “what is it that I can do for you? Let me guess, a Masonic mystery has emerged?”
Alex spoke up, “You got that right.”
Ed continued, “A group of old skeletons was discovered in a large chamber below Washington, D.C. shortly before the explosion. We examined the bones and discovered several clues etched onto them that led us to yet another location.”
“Where you found more clues,” Vladimir added.
“Yes,” Natalie enthusiastically chimed in looking at Ed.
Ed nodded and she continued, “Each of the skeletons had a ring with the number 19 on it.”
“I see,” Vladimir said, and then asked, “Do you know much about the chamber’s origins?”
“At this time, no,” Ed replied, “but we are speculating that it predated the construction of the city, including the White House.”
“That’s more than two hundred years ago,” Vladimir said with surprise in his voice.
Ed waved his finger giving the message to keep Vladimir on track. He leaned in, “Vladimir, the message on the skeletons led us to an old Hebrew book, and another clue led us to this passage within the book,” and Ed began reading,
“At the outlet of the North East corner of the temple-
The reign of TEHUTI-
The divine number-
The Tavnit shall be placed.”
Vladimir repeated it as Ed figured he was writing it down. After a few seconds, he came back on, “Very, very, very interesting. This short phrase has several very significant meanings; please wait for a moment while I grab some books.”
Ed leaned back, crossed his arms, and said, “We owe him a lot. It was he who deciphered the clues that led all of us to D.C. to begin searching for the bomb.”
“Really?”Alex replied. “Unfortunately, I missed that one.”
Vladimir’s voice crackled over the speakers, “This, my friends, is a complicated sequence of clues.”
“It appears simple enough,” Alex said, “but it’s usually the simplistic ones that cause the most problems.”
“Allow me to start with this,” Vladimir said. “Where was the book found?”
Ed released a slight laugh and leaned forward. “In a graveyard.”
The sound of turning pages emanated from the speakers. After a few seconds, Vladimir said, “I will speculate that the book was discovered inside a casket?”
“No, it was more like a stone container,” Ed answered.
More pages were heard turning. After a few seconds he came back on, “I have bad news for you.”
Ed quickly shot Alex a glance and replied, “Yes?”
“You found the book in a stone container, within a graveyard, yes?”
“Yes,” Ed said.
“Listen carefully, my friends. I want you to take this with as much seriousness as you can. You have just discovered an ancient temple.”
Natalie sat up straighter, her eyes darting from Alex to Ed and settling on the small PDA on the table.
Alex spoke first, “Okay, keep going.”
“Trust me on this,” Vladimir said. “But I have one more question. Was the stone container discovered in the northeast corner of the graveyard?”
“It most certainly was,” Ed answered.
“Was there anything else in the container?”
“A key along with a skull-and-crossbones,” Alex answered.
“I am going to open a bottle of claret to celebrate,” Vladimir announced.
“Hold on,” Ed said. “What have you come up with?”
“Forgive my premature excitement, but the container is what Masons call a cornerstone. To eliminate any questions about why it’s there, the skull-and-crossbones answers that. It is a Knights Templar symbol and their battle flag.”
“Wow,” Natalie blurted out.
“Don’t be surprised,” Vladimir said. “Therefore, before I explain further, may I inquire who is the young lady blessed with the presence of Ed and Alex?”
Ed leaned in, “This young lady is Natalie, who is our new assistant.”
“Hello,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Vladimir replied. “I sensed excitement in your voice at the mention of the Knights Templar.”
“I have been fascinated with the Templars for years and I am writing a college thesis on the possibility of them being here in America before Columbus.”
A subtle laugh could be heard through the small speakers. “Well,” Vladimir continued, “allow me to enlighten you on a little Masonic secret.”
“Please,” she said.
“Being taken in by Ed and his team, you amply qualify to hear this. Therefore, an understanding of the Inquisition would be a good start for you.”
“The inquisition?”
“Ah-h, to drink like a Templar,” Vladimir said, “was a common saying in England in the thirteen hundreds. Unfortunately, a couple of the knights, mostly inebriated, were accused of dancing on the Christian cross, upsetting a few heads of state, most notably King Philippe IV of France.”
“But that was never proven,” Natalie said.
“Thank you for saying that,” Vladimir replied. “Confessions of the crime were produced from torture. Most people, including historians, are unaware that the Knights Templar were the most powerful organization of its day and posed a grave threat. I personally believe that King Philippe manufactured the entire story against the Templars. Being power-obsessed, he had already kidnapped and murdered one Pope, Boniface VIII, and poisoned another, Benedict XI. Then hijacked the entire Catholic Church, uprooting it from Rome and relocating it to Avignon, France—called the Avignon captivity. An amusing point,” Vladimir continued, “is that King Philippe petitioned and was outright rejected as an honorary Templar.”
“Good Lord,” Natalie blurted out. “I never knew that.”
“Yes,” Vladimir said. “Most hist
orians don’t know that and King Philippe’s attack on the Templars was a mix of humiliation, greed, and vindictiveness.”
Alex tapped the table and interjected, “We’re getting
off-track.”
“Bear with me,” Vladimir answered. “Remember the initial raids on the Templars began on October 13, 1307.”
“Friday the 13th,” Natalie added.
“Which is still a superstitious day even today,” Ed said.
Vladimir continued, “During the Inquisition of the Templars one must understand that there were two groups. The first were the German Templar Knights. They showed up to the inquisitor’s court, fully armed and ready to defend themselves from their would-be judges. Intimidated, the judges exonerated them as innocent. The others were the fugitive Templars that escaped.”
Ed frowned. “Are you suggesting that this graveyard is a Templar site?”
“More than that, your honor; I am suggesting that this could be the most important Templar find in North America thus far.”
“Go on,” Alex said.
“Because,” Vladimir continued, “there is one important mystery that has never been solved.”
After a brief pause building anticipation, Natalie spoke up first, “What is it?”
Vladimir continued, “Following King Philippe’s initial onslaught in France, several years passed before the rest of Europe followed suit, getting rid of the Templars. That gave plenty of time for the Templar Knights to prepare for a mass exodus with their treasure.”
“And you’re suggesting this location is a hypothetical destination?” Alex asked.
“Yes, I am,” Vladimir said. “The unsolved mystery of the millennium is the disappearance of the Templar Fleet.”
Natalie perked up, “The Templar fleet?”
“Precisely,” Vladimir said. “It was known that they had a fairly sizable seabearing fleet used to ferry pilgrims and supplies throughout the Mediterranean, but following the raids there are no records whatsoever
of where they escaped to.”
“Okay, that makes sense,” Natalie said.
Ed turned to Natalie, “You are studying the Knights Templar here in America, and surely you covered something of the Templar fleet?”