“They’re grown adults. They chose to come along. Honestly, there’s nothing you could have said or done to keep me away. If I’d done all the years of research and searching they’ve done on the sword project, you’d have to chain me down to a bulldozer to keep me from seeing it through to the end.”
She made a good point. Tommy’s parents had spent the better part of two decades trying to figure out the location of the sword, all the while throwing the North Koreans off the trail but giving them just enough to keep believing in the story. They deserved to see it, if there was anything to see.
Sean steered the SUV around the curves of the winding road as the convoy left the desert plains behind and ascended the mountain. At the top, he slowed down and found a place to park near an outcropping of trees. They’d decided on that spot before heading to Jordan based on aerial photos from the internet. The parking spot under the trees was far enough away from the church and other buildings atop the mountain, but close enough that they could walk to everything. At the same time, it gave them a chance to approach from a safe distance that allowed an open view of the area.
The other three vehicles pulled up next to Sean’s. After everyone got out, they huddled near one of the larger trees and took a quick look around.
On the other end of the plateau, a line of cars was parked on both sides of the driveway leading up to a cluster of buildings. People meandered around the area, some laughing, some taking pictures, and others just taking in the incredible views from atop the thirty-four-hundred-foot mountain.
“Shame we can’t enjoy this beautiful panorama,” Tommy’s father said as he gazed out toward the valley below and the plains beyond. “It’s pretty amazing.”
“We are standing on the same ground where Moses looked out over the promised land,” his mother added. “I would have never imagined that this was where they would have brought the sword.”
“They?” Tommy asked.
“The first of their order,” his mother said, pointing at Baldwin. “They were the ones who brought it here to keep safe.”
“At some point, I’m going to ask how you guys managed to find him and his Brotherhood pals. For now, we need to get moving.”
“Two of my men will go up the left side over there,” Baldwin said. “The others will go around to the right. They’ll go wide to make sure they don’t get ambushed from behind. It will take them longer, but it’s the safest way to proceed.”
“And we go down the middle?” Sean asked.
“Yes. Of course, if they are waiting for us, that will make us easy targets if my men are delayed in flanking their positions. It could be dangerous.” He made no effort to hide the fact that he was speaking to the women and the older couple.
“We’ll be fine,” Adriana said.
“Nothing’s going to stop us from seeing this through,” Tommy’s father said. “Like we mentioned before, we’ve come too far to quit now.”
“Very well,” Baldwin said. He motioned to two of his men, who immediately took off beyond the trees and started looping around to the left through a field of tall golden weeds. The other two went the other way, taking a similar tack around the road and another stand of trees. The field on the right was narrower, which meant they couldn’t go as far wide as the other two men. The good news was that also meant it was less likely an ambush was coming from there. The steep slopes would have made it difficult for anyone to hide safely without tumbling toward sharper cliffs just beyond.
“Shall we?” Baldwin asked, sticking his hand out toward the drive.
“You gonna give us some weapons?” Sean asked.
Baldwin balked at the question. “Weapons? Do you think I have extra guns I carry around everywhere? And why would I trust them to you if I did?”
“Because I think you do have extra guns. And because you know what we can do. You arm us, you’re helping your own cause. You don’t, well then, the odds just got a lot more even.”
“Fine,” Baldwin said after a brief moment of thought.
He flipped open the trunk, revealing a slew of handguns, submachine guns, shotguns, knives, and even a tomahawk.
Sean recognized the latter. “Is that a tomahawk from RMJ Tactical?”
Baldwin looked surprised. “Yes. Why?”
Sean pointed at Adriana with his thumb. “I gave her one of those. Useful little item.” He turned his attention to one of six Glock 17s lying in a case. “Looks like you were planning on arming us after all.”
“Well,” Baldwin said with a shrug, “like you said, you might as well make yourselves useful. No sense in just being targets.” He flashed the first smile Sean had ever seen out of him.
The six Americans each took a weapon, though June and Tommy’s parents were a tad apprehensive about it.
“I don’t use guns often,” June said.
“That’s okay,” Tommy said. “Hopefully we don’t have to. The way you use your feet and hands, though, if I was one of the North Koreans I’d be way more worried about that.”
The comment brought a crease to her lips.
Baldwin closed the trunk and started off down the driveway. He tucked his weapon into an inner jacket pocket but kept his hand on it just in case. The Jordanians wouldn’t approve of foreigners walking around with guns exposed, much less on a holy site where tourists and pilgrims came to visit and pray.
Everyone tucked away their weapons as they moved down the road. The hot sun beat down on the group from high in a cloudless sky, and Tommy wiped his forehead numerous times to try to wick the sweat off.
As they reached the first few cars, everyone’s eyes immediately began searching the cars for signs of the North Koreans. Passing each one, they realized that all the vehicles were empty.
“Doesn’t look like they’re hiding in any of these cars,” Sean said in a quiet tone. “You think they went in one of those buildings?”
“It’s possible.”
“We should split up,” Adriana said. “We can cover more ground that way.”
“Yes, but then we lose the advantage of numbers.”
“That advantage won’t matter anyway with us out here in the open. At least if we divide up, we can work through the area faster. If we don’t find anything or any of the bad guys, let’s meet back here.”
Baldwin thought about the proposal and then agreed. “Fine, but if you get in trouble, we might not be able to save you.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Sean said. “We’ll take that building over there.” He pointed at a structure with a sandstone base and matching stucco walls. It featured a cross made from wires or some kind of sticks on top of the roof. “You and Headwrap go around the outside and check out the area below. Looks like there’s something down there like a lookout that people are visiting.”
A Muslim man in white robes walked next to a woman in flowing black robes. They appeared to be coming from the old church.
Baldwin acknowledged the orders with a reluctant nod and then took off with his partner in tow.
During their research of Nebo on the plane, Sean and the others found it interesting that the mountaintop was considered a holy place by both Jews and Muslims alike. Both religions believed Moses to be an important spiritual figure. Indeed, many of the tourists and pilgrims visiting the site were dressed in traditional garb from Judaism and Islam.
“Let’s go,” Sean said.
He led the way onto the crushed-rock pathway that led to the entrance of the building. A sign made of stone was propped up next to the old church. It claimed the property as belonging to the Franciscan Order, written in both English and Arabic. It also read, Memorial of Moses.