“If I may ask,” DeGard interrupted his thoughts. “Why are you seeking the lost treasures of Akhanan? You are obviously a wealthy man. You have power. The treasure may be of significant value, but I would think a man like you wouldn’t need it.”
Lindsey continued looking out the window as he listened to the Frenchman’s question. “How much do you know about the lost chambers, Professor?”
“They are ancient rooms of gold, thought to be legend until recently. Apparently, your enemies with the IAA found two of them,” DeGard shrugged after his statement. “I would have turned your offer down three months ago. The chambers were the stuff of legend, myth. But, now that they have been discovered, I am willing to take the chance that we can find the next one, for a share of the spoils.”
“You shall have a large share, indeed,” Lindsey added.
“So, that begs my question, Monsieur. What is it that you are after?”
The question lingered in the car for a moment. A large shipping truck zoomed by on the other side of the road, interrupting the quiet hum of the road.
“There are some things, Monsieur DeGard, that are far more valuable than money.”
“Ahhh,” the realization hit DeGard. “So, you believe the fairy tales after all, Monsieur Lindsey.” The old man ignored the comment so DeGard continued. “I supposed it is what every man seeks when he is near his end: the fountain of youth, the cup of Christ, or in your case, the tree of life.” His last sentence was lathered in derision, emphasized even more by his accent.
“I see you are the right man for this job, Monsieur DeGard. But you are obviously not a believer. The tree of life was never mentioned after the great flood in the Bible. No one ever uttered a word of its existence until thousands of years later. Now, I believe are on the trail.”
“The trail? The trail to what? Another chamber full of gold? I am certain you will find the chamber, but searching for immortality is folly, Monsieur. Death is the only certainty in this world.”
“Perhaps. What do you care, though? As long as you get your money, correct?” It was Lindsey’s turn to be contemptuous.
DeGard smiled broadly, revealing his crooked, stained teeth. “Something like that. And I’m sure I will.” He laughed heartily as the car entered into the darkness of a tunnel.
Chapter 9
Sean sat next to Adriana, across from Dr. Firth in a first class cabin of the train. He watched the shadows and outlines of the landscape pass by, deep in thought. The professor was asleep, and Adriana was nodding in and out of slumber as well.
He hadn’t been able to sleep much, despite the monotonous click-clack of the train tracks beneath. Tommy was in a hospital in Athens and it was all Sean could think about. He’d wished he had gone to the museum early to check things out, make sure everything was clear. Even if he had, there would have been no way to know there would be a car bombing. He forced himself to let go of the blame.
He turned his head away from the window and glanced over at Adriana. She’d fallen asleep again. Her head was cocked to one side and her dark brown hair draped over part of her face, reaching down to the nape of her neck.
They’d returned to their hotel with the professor in tow, and had changed out of their dirty, singed clothes, and hurried to the train station. Fortunately, they had caught the last train of the night out of Cairo.
Sean looked down at his (should be “his”?) watch. The local time was just passed midnight. They’d been on the train a few hours. The bar car would still be open. Maybe a drink would help to get a little rest.
He slipped out of his seat, careful not to disturb his travelling companions, and headed towards the rear of the train. He passed from one car to the next, unnoticed by anyone. From what he remembered, the bar car was one more over.
Halfway down the aisle of sleepy travelers, he looked through the door window that led to his destination. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck, and for a moment, Sean thought he’d seen a ghost. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly. On the other side of the window stood a man he thought was dead. Will Hastings.
Sean’s eyebrows lowered, still trying to comprehend the situation. It couldn’t be him. He’d watched as the police officer had been gunned down inside a cave in Ecuador. Yet there he was, alive and well. But if he was alive, why had he not contacted Sean or the others? Will stood in the intersecting area between the passenger car and the bar area, looking down at his phone.
Sean noticed a gun, dangling loosely in a holster on the inside of Will’s jacket. He still couldn’t believe it was Will, and that he was in Egypt. It couldn’t be coincidence.
Suddenly, the apparition looked up and through the window. His eyes locked with Sean’s and, for a moment, there was a strange pause as if the world around him had stopped. Before he could do anything, Will pulled the gun from his jacket and squeezed off three muffled shots. All Sean heard was the bullets thudding into the wall behind him.
Six years of fieldwork for the United States government couldn’t have prepared him for the odd turn of events. But when the gun was drawn, Sean’s instincts to drop and find cover kicked in instantly. After rolling to a stop, he removed his own weapon from his jacket and ducked behind an empty seat to his right. When no more shots came, he risked a peek around the corner of the seat.
There were three bullet holes in the glass window but Will was gone.
Sean tried to piece everything together in his groggy mind. Will was alive? Why was he shooting? Nothing made any sense. He looked around to make sure none of the other passengers had been hit. Everyone was asleep and hadn’t even noticed the entire altercation. Thankfully, the sounds of the train rolling along had covered up the low pops from Will’s weapon.
Cautiously, Sean made his way down the aisle towards the rear of the car. When he reached the door, he pressed his back against the corner wall. Standard procedure from his days with Axis. He held his weapon close to his chin before stepping out from his cover, leading with the barrel. A quick look through the window revealed that the apparition was gone.
He slowly turned the handle on the door and pushed it open. The sounds from outside grew instantly louder as he stepped through into the intercessory area between cars. A sliding door to his left was open, filling the area with cool desert air. Sean had a bad feeling, like he was being led into an ambush.
But he needed answers. He stuck his head out the door and looked down the length of the train in both directions, but couldn’t see anything. A train stop whooshed by with red lights flashing, causing Sean to jerk his head back inside. At the same moment, a bullet sent sparks flying off the corner where he’d just been standing.
Will was on top of the train. What was he doing? Sean moved over to the door on the opposite side of the little room and eased it open. He pushed his weapon out through the opening and checked above to make sure the area was clear.
Things started to come together in Sean’s mind. Will had been with them every step of the way during their search for the lost chamber in Ecuador. He’d thought it odd that the policeman had taken such a keen interest in their adventure. But who was he to tell Will he couldn’t tag along? Now things started to make sense. Will had never been on their side. He probably wasn’t even a real cop. Did that mean the other Atlanta police were in on it too? Sean shook his head at the thought.
He remembered what he’d heard a few weeks before. Golden Dawn has people everywhere, in every form of government. They’ve infiltrated so many organizations; it is hard to know how many operatives they have. So, that was it, he realized. Will was working for Golden Dawn. He kicked himself for not figuring it out sooner.