Will Hastings made sure to stay close behind Wyatt, but far enough away that if his prisoner decided to try anything, he would be at a safe distance. Keeping Lindsey in the back of the group was the safest thing to do. While the old man had proven himself a little more spry than Will had thought, Sean Wyatt could probably find a weakness and exploit it.
It had been only been five minutes since the group had left the bridge when they began to notice the air becoming warmer. The temperature increase wasn’t insignificant, becoming warmer by several degrees as they continued deeper into the mountain.
“Are there any underground volcanoes around here?” Firth asked, not really expecting an answer.
He unbuttoned his heavy coat as he walked ahead. Sean started to unzip his coat, but Will stopped him.
“Keep yours just the way it is,” he ordered. Sean obeyed, and kept marching forward.
Strange sounds began to seep into the corridor. The noise was faint at first, but the farther the men walked, the louder it became. What was more disconcerting was the faint glow that shone off the walls of the tunnel.
“It sounds like water flowing,” Firth stated as he rounded a curve in the passage. “And there’s a light up ahead.”
“Impossible?” Sean said, despite seeing the glow resonating from up ahead. “We can’t be on the other side of the mountain. Cold air would be blowing in. It’s way too warm.”
“Keep going,” Will ordered.
The professor moved ahead until he finally reached the end of the tunnel. The passage opened up into an enormous room. Every mouth gaped wide at the sight. The chamber was at least hundred and fifty feet wide and a hundred feet high.
The walls were covered in brilliant, sparkling gold that stretched all the way up to a dramatic, domed ceiling. Images of people and animals adorned the shiny yellow surface as far as their eyes could see. On the ground, a pathway made from solid gold wound its way across the stone floor to where a small creek flowed through the room. Various gems and precious stones littered the floor all over the place.
Lindsey’s eyes remained glued to the center of the room, fixated by what he saw. A gigantic tree soared high into the air, nearly brushing the ceiling. The plant was like nothing they had ever seen before, growing from two trunks, one on either side of the little river. The leaves were vibrant green, like shimmering emeralds. And the fruit dangling from the branches looked like something from an alien planet.
It was shaped much like a pear, but each piece had radiated a pale, glowing light. The men realized that was where the light had been coming from.
“Go on,” Lindsey ordered with a wag of his pistol.
The four moved slowly along the golden path until they reached the base of the tree. Standing close to it, they could see into the water. The liquid was as clear as glass, and they could see to the bottom where diamonds, gold, and precious gems lined the riverbed. It was like a scene out of a weird dream.
“This is it,” Lindsey stated. He motioned for the two captives to move aside, virtually pushing Firth out of the way. Will slid to the side, keeping his gun trained on Wyatt, but watching as his employer stepped over to a branch hanging just low enough to reach.
Lindsey extended his hand up and grasped one of the glowing orbs. “The wise will reach to the heavens, and find the path to immortality.” He plucked the fruit from the tree and brought it down to eye level, inspecting its strange beauty.
“What was that?” Sean decided to interrupt the man’s moment of triumph.
“It’s from the diary of Sir Francis Drake,” he said in a trance. “Many will wander in darkness, but the wise will reach to the heavens, and find the path to immortality,” he repeated the last part.
“Sir Francis Drake?”
“Yes. I happened upon a lost diary of his several years ago. It’s what led me to seek out the tree.” He waved around his hand in dramatic fashion. “This beautiful tree of life. With it, I will live forever. I will destroy mankind the way God did during the flood, and build a new, righteous kingdom on Earth.”
Sean’s eyebrows rose slightly. “So, you’re playing God now?”
“Sometimes,” Lindsey said, still clutching the fruit in front of his lips. “God waits too long.”
He looked back at the fruit again then sunk his teeth deep into it, taking a big bite. He pulled the orb away from his mouth, savoring the taste. A little dribble of juice rolled off the corner of his lips. His eyes closed as he chewed the piece.
“It’s so warm,” he said. “To the touch. On the tongue. It radiates warmth. And it’s like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. It’s so sweet and juicy.”
Will watched apprehensively as his employer took another bite of the glowing fruit. “I can feel the power already coursing through my body.”
Sean’s curious expression turned to one of concern as Lindsey took another bite of the fruit. The man’s eyes were beginning to glow like the fruit. Even Will took a step back.
Lindsey kept eating, not realizing the change in his appearance. “I am thinking so clearly now. I can feel my brain expanding. It is like seeing into the mind of God himself.”
Suddenly, his body froze stiff. The remainder of the fruit dangled in his hand for a moment before dropping to the ground. The gun in his other hand clacked onto the ground, temptingly close to where Sean was standing. A look of sheer horror filled the old man’s face. He glanced down at his hands. They were glowing like the fruit.
“What’s happening to me?” he looked over at Will. “It feels like my skin is on fire.” Desperation filled his voice as he began to stagger slightly, his body wavering as if he were about to lose his balance.
Will took another step back, unsure of what was going on.
“Help me, Will,” the old man begged, dropping down to his knees. His hand outstretched to the young apprenticed whose life he’d once saved. “Please.”
“What is this, Wyatt?” Will asked, glancing over at Sean. “What’s happening to him?”
Sean kept his voice even, and his face steady, though his tone carried a heavy dose of malice. “If I remember my Bible correctly, I seem to recall there being two trees in the garden.”
“Two trees?”
Firth took a step backwards.
“The tree of life was only one. The second was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was the one God told the garden’s inhabitants not to eat, and if they did, they would die.”
Lindsey interrupted with a piercing howl. “Help me!” he begged again.
“Where is the other tree?” Will asked frantically. “We have to find it to save him.”
Sean shook his head slowly, staring through his adversary. “There is no other tree, Will. Your prophet is as good as dead.”
“No,” Will shook his head.
Lindsey fell over on his side, his body convulsing violently. Blood trickled out of the side of his mouth. He rolled over on his back and took in a deep, gurgled breath. “Complete…the mission.” His head went limp, thumping against the ground. Wide eyes stared lifelessly up at the ceiling; the odd glow had already begun to fade.
“Prophet,” Will bent down to check the man who had taught him everything. It was the window Sean had been waiting for.
He launched at Will with his right foot, driving the top of his boot into Will’s hand, knocking the gun loose. It splashed into the river nearby, sinking to the bottom. Sean didn’t hesitate to strike again, sending a jab right into Will’s jaw.
The younger man stumbled backwards for a second. Sean was on him instantly, taking another swing with his right hand. The split second Will had fallen back had given him time to regain his wits. He caught Wyatt off guard by blocking the punch to the side and bringing his own counter straight into Sean’s stomach.