“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.
What caught everyone’s attention was the symbol at the top of the sign.
“That’s the circle I saw on the scroll from the Vatican,” Sean whispered. “It looked exactly like that.”
Tommy gazed at the object. He recognized the emblem, though he didn’t want to jinx the mission. “That definitely looks like the Round Table,” he said.
His father and mother stepped nearer to the sign to get a better look.
His father ran his finger along the smooth stone, outlining the black circle with his fingernail. “That looks an awful lot like a Templar cross.”
“Yeah,” Tommy said. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“You don’t think Baldwin and the Brotherhood are…” Sean asked.
“The Brotherhood of the Sword is an ancient order,” Tommy’s mother said. “They’ve been around for thousands of years, and they predated the Templars. One possibility we considered was that they might have founded the Knights Templar. There wasn’t much evidence to that theory, though, and trying to prove that point seemed a bit unnecessary at the time. Still, it is intriguing.”
Sean’s eyes scanned the area, making sure they weren’t being watched. “We should probably get inside and see what’s there.”
He held the door until everyone was in, gave one last look around, and then followed them into the building.
Seeing artifacts hadn’t been part of the plan when they’d left to come to Jordan, but the inside of the ancient church was too breathtaking to ignore.
Big stone blocks were exposed along the base of the walls, telling the age of the original structure. One of the signs inside the cool foyer said that this place was called the Basilica of Moses.
Intricate mosaics covered the floor from front to back. They featured stories from Greek antiquity, pictures of animals from long ago, as well as people and even activities that would have been part of daily life when the church was originally built. The vibrant colors were remarkably preserved through time, almost as if the tiles had been laid in recent years.
The building’s interior smelled of rock and dust, a common characteristic of old stone structures. In spite of the church being built in the desert, the stone walls kept it remarkably cool, almost like an air conditioner was running full time.
The six visitors moved cautiously through the first chamber, walking by mosaic images of birds, oxen, people, plants, fruits, and pottery. One of the mosaics bore words written in Greek.
Adriana read them in English for everyone. “Offering of Caesarion, at the time of Alexios and Theophilos priests.” She stared at the tiles for a moment. “Incredible this church has remained in such good condition. It’s so old.”
“Climate can do wonders for that sort of thing,” Tommy’s dad said.
At the end of the room, a stone baptismal font made from slightly more orange rock stood close to the far wall. Two circles were cut into the front with more Greek inscribed within them. A cross was cut into the stone between the circles.
The group turned into one of the adjacent rooms where more mosaics decorated the floors and parts of the walls.
They made their way through the rest of the building but didn’t see any sign of the North Koreans or anything that looked like a clue as to the whereabouts of the sword. After spending another five minutes investigating the church, Sean suggested they go back outside and see if Baldwin and his men had found anything. He led the way to the entrance and stepped outside into the warm, dry air.
Once outside, everyone’s senses heightened at the renewed feeling of being exposed.
“Let’s keep moving,” Sean said.
Tommy nodded as he and the others followed Sean around the edge of the building, down a crushed-gravel path that wound around the church to a slightly lower observation area. A large sculpture of a cross stood over the landing. It was designed to be an artistic replica of the cross used by Moses when Israel became afflicted with an overwhelming number of venomous snakes. A symbolic serpent wrapped around the huge bronze sculpture.
Sean stopped suddenly and put his hand up behind his back, signaling the others to halt as well.
“Quick, into the woods,” he ordered, motioning to a thick stand of trees that ran from the base of the church down to the edge of the lookout point.
No one questioned him. They all climbed over the short rock wall and took cover behind the biggest tree trunks they could find.
Only when everyone was out of sight did Tommy dare ask Sean what was going on.
“What is it?” he asked.
Sean peeked around his tree, holding the weapon Baldwin gave him in front of his nose. “They’re here.”
“The Koreans?”
Sean nodded. “Yeah. And they have hostages.”
34
Mount Nebo
“Hostages?” Tommy hissed.
“Yeah. One of Baldwin’s men, and another man and woman. All being held at gunpoint. Their leader has a gun aimed at Baldwin, probably twenty feet away from him. Looks like a stalemate.”
“It sounds like a massacre waiting to happen.”
Adriana was listening closely. “What do we do? Go around and hit them from behind?”
Sean shook his head. “No good. They’re positioned in such a way that they’d see any movement. Unless Baldwin ran his mouth, the North Koreans don’t know we’re here yet.”
“Unless they saw us,” June said.
“Right, but we’ll just have to work with the assumption they didn’t.”
“You know what happens when you assume, right?” she said.
Sean grinned. He liked her. A little snarky with just the right amount of sweetness. “Yeah. In this case, we don’t have much choice.”
“So, what?” Tommy asked.
“Looks like they are saying something to Baldwin. Too far away to hear. If we wait too long, though, people might get hurt.”
“Maybe we could use a diversion,” Adriana suggested.
That idea had crossed Sean’s mind, but a sudden noise or movement might startle one of the villains and cause them to fire a weapon by accident.
“Too risky,” he said. Sean didn’t want to wait it out. As time passed, bad things could happen. One important lesson he’d learned long ago that had repeated itself over and over again
was that a window nearly always opened if one was patient enough. “We have to wait for an opportunity.”
“Opportunity?” Tommy asked.
Sean shot him a look that reminded his friend of all the times he’d been right in the past.
“Okay, so we wait. For what?”
“A tactical advantage.”
Sean poked his head around the tree and continued watching the standoff at the overlook. He could see the fear in the man’s and woman’s eyes. They were innocently visiting a holy site, minding their own business. They had no idea when they woke up that morning that they’d be held at gunpoint, jammed squarely in the middle of a battle they had nothing to do with.
Baldwin was holding his gun by his hip, a signal that the North Koreans had gotten the drop on him. There was a reluctance about his posture and facial expression. Sean didn’t need to hear what was being said to understand exactly what was going on.
Han-Jae wanted Baldwin to put down his weapon. That was the first step. What the Korean leader would do next was up in the air.
Sean didn’t have to wait long to find out.
Baldwin slowly raised his left hand to surrender and bent his knees to lower the gun to the ground. He dropped the weapon on the rocks and stood up straight. The Korean leader shook his head and motioned with his weapon, saying something else.
Baldwin kicked his gun over to Han-Jae, who picked it up and tossed it over the wall and down the cliff. Then Baldwin gradually got down on his knees with his hands over his head. His other men dropped their weapons and did the same, kicking them over to Han-Jae before joining Baldwin on his knees.
When Han-Jae had thrown all the guns over the cliff, he issued an order to the man holding Baldwin’s guy hostage. Shaved Head had been pressing the muzzle of his gun against the hostage’s head. He shoved him forward toward the others who were already kneeling. A second later, he joined them and faced their captors.
The window was opening, and Sean knew it. One problem had just solved itself. Leading an assault on a group holding multiple people hostage was problematic. Sean trusted his aim. He knew he could take out one of the North Koreans without harming the hostages, but three could be tricky. He would have had to rely on two others in his group to execute the shot. Adriana would be his next choice. After that, maybe Tommy—who was slightly less accurate than Sean would like.
Now there were only two hostages: the man and the woman. If he could get one of those gunmen to release….
Just as he had the thought, Buzz-Cut released the woman, and the other gunman released her husband. She ran to him and hugged him, but the gunman forced them to get down on the ground like the others.
Sean had hoped for one hostage to be released. Now he had two. That took away the danger of accidentally hitting one, even though they were still pointing their guns at the couple and the men of the Brotherhood.
“We’re going to have to make our move soon,” Tommy said, watching things play out from his cover. “Looks like this is about to turn into an execution.”
Sean nodded. “Yeah.” He looked at his friend and Adriana. “You two come with me.” Then he addressed the other three. “You stay here and cover the path back up to the church. If they try to run, take them out.”
Tommy’s parents exchanged an uncertain glance. They weren’t used to being in such a position.
“Is this the kind of thing you do on a regular basis?” his mother asked.
Tommy rolled his shoulders and put on his best innocent-looking face. “I try not to.”
Sean pushed ahead, careful not to step on any twigs or dead branches. Tommy and Adriana followed close behind, keeping to the shadows to stay out of sight.
The men holding the hostages dipped in and out of view between the trees. Han-Jae was yelling something at Baldwin. He’d moved over to within a few feet of the blond man, pointing his pistol straight at Baldwin’s forehead. He was yelling something, of which Sean was finally able to hear bits and pieces.
As he and his friends drew closer, the full conversation finally came into range. Sean found a cluster of large trees and motioned for Adriana and Tommy to take up positions. They were only fifteen feet from the observation point and another fifteen to the North Korean leader.
Sean pointed at Tommy and then at Shaved Head. Then he gave the same silent instructions to Adriana for Buzz-Cut. The two pressed against their trees and lined up their sights with the targets.
Sean aimed at Han-Jae. He’d take out the leader first, which would cause the others to look their way. Then he could take out the other guy while Tommy and Adriana cut down their men.
“This is your last chance,” Han-Jae said. “Tell me where the sword is, or we will kill all of you where you kneel.” There was no denying the sincerity of the menacing look on Han-Jae’s face.
Baldwin breathed calmly, apparently ready to die for his cause.
Han-Jae raised his weapon high and smacked it across the blond’s face, knocking Baldwin over on his side.
He grabbed the fresh cut on his cheek and struggled to get up. “If you kill us, you’ll never find the sword. We are your only chance.”
Sean knew Baldwin was bluffing. Deep down, he had to admire the guy’s moxie.
Han-Jae stepped back and motioned to the couple kneeling close by.
“Oh no,” Sean hissed. “They’re going to use that couple to get Baldwin to talk.”
“But he doesn’t know anything,” Tommy whispered.
“Yeah. That means we have to go now. You ready to fire?”
Adriana stayed silent but nodded.
“One second,” Tommy said, adjusting his feet to a more stable stance.
His right foot slipped and he grabbed the tree to keep his balance. Doing so caused his left hand to grab a small branch that snapped easily under his weight.
The North Koreans heard the sudden sound, and all turned their attention to the woods.
“Aw, man,” Tommy said.
In an instant, the tranquil silence of the trees turned into chaos. The gunmen unleashed a barrage of rounds at the trespassers, turning branches, leaves, and sections of tree trunks into shredded splinters.
Sean, Tommy, and Adriana kept their backs against the trunks while bullets zipped by them, smashing into the ground and other trees just beyond.
Tommy’s parents and June were out of view, so for the moment Sean knew they were safe. That could change in a moment.
The gunfire came to a sudden stop, but Sean didn’t dare sneak a look. He knew the gunmen were waiting to see if anyone appeared.
Baldwin used the moment of uncertainty to his advantage. “Are you afraid of squirrels now?” His cheek oozed crimson, but there was a bit of sarcasm to his voice.
Sean waited for another moment. He didn’t see it happen, but he heard it. One of the North Koreans was loading a full magazine and dropped the empty one on the ground by accident. It was easy to recognize the sound and told Sean all he needed to know. They were out of ammo and reloading. It was the window he’d been waiting for.
He spun around the tree and raised his weapon, lining up the sights as fast as he could with the Korean leader. In his hurry, his foot stepped on a twig. The snapping sound alerted the gunmen to more danger. Sean fired three quick shots, but Han-Jae—alert to the trouble—dove for cover between the bronze sculpture and the wall near the cliff.
The man behind him wasn’t so lucky. His reaction was slow, and the rounds meant for Han-Jae caught him in the chest and abdomen. He stumbled backward a few steps and then dropped to his knees before toppling over.
Adriana and Tommy jumped into the fray, spinning from behind their trees and taking aim at the two targets they’d lined up a moment ago. The men had already moved, though, and were running up the hill toward the church.
“You gonna take them out?” Sean asked as he fired another shot to keep Han-Jae in his spot.
“On it,” Adriana said. She turned and charged through the trees toward the path.
<
br /> “I’m coming,” Tommy said, lumbering after her.
Adriana squeezed off a shot. The round splashed into the gravel near one of the fleeing men’s feet.
Sean stalked toward the edge of the woods, ducking in and out of view as Han-Jae took aim and fired one, then two, then three shots. Sean returned fire, keeping a careful count of the rounds he had left in the magazine.
He stuck his weapon around another tree trunk and fired again, taking another step closer. The round pinged off the sculpture and ricocheted into the ether. Sean took a glance at Baldwin and his men who’d surrounded the young couple to keep them safe. Sean could tell the blond guy was looking for a way to help, but he was doing all he could for the moment.
Han-Jae peeked around the other side of the sculpture’s base and squeezed his trigger repeatedly. The muzzle popped loudly. Bullets ripped through the trees again. Two whizzed by Sean’s head. He waited until the volley was over and took aim once more.
Han-Jae wasn’t there. Sean’s forehead wrinkled with a frown. He twisted a little more and saw his target running away down a path to the left. Sean’s finger twitched, squeezing the trigger again and again. Some rounds sailed over the wall, a few smashed into it, but when his weapon clicked, he’d missed with every one.
“Guess we do this the old-fashioned way,” he said and sprinted through the trees.
Back up the hill, Adriana ran after Shaved Head with Tommy lagging behind her.
Suddenly, the trees erupted in a blaze of gunfire. Buzz-Cut turned and saw the shooters too late, catching a round in the thigh. He fell to the ground, clutching his leg.
The shooters in the woods ceased fire as Tommy and Adriana approached.
“Take care of him,” Adriana said. “I’ve got the other guy.”
She ran by the wounded man and stayed after Shaved Head, who disappeared around the circular base of the church.
By the time Tommy arrived where Buzz-Cut had fallen, the man had dragged himself off the ground and started limping toward the parking area.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Tommy asked, grabbing the guy by the collar and spinning him around.
The Sean Wyatt Series Box Set 4 Page 52
