by Nick Thacker
“‘History books are written by the victors?’” Ben asked. “Or something like that?”
“Exactly. These men were able to back up their claims, too — that the world was under the authority of the Catholic Church and its offspring political systems, and that it had been for centuries. That the Bible and so many other ancient texts had been written as histories, not just as allegorical devices.”
“So you were on the same page?”
“I was, but… I never really thought they would take it this far. I came with them here because I truly believed in their cause — that they were on to something enormous. It would change history.”
“It definitely will,” Archie said.
“But then… after you showed up…” he looked at Victoria. “I realized what they had done. They crossed the line.”
“You didn’t know about the plane crash?” Julie asked. “That they tried to kill us in Corsica?”
“No,” Sharpe said, his head down. “Nor did I expect that they were so far up as the Vatican. We are a very secretive organization. Unlike the Masons which is an organization with secrets, we exist because of secrets. Truths, hidden from its own membership, even members hidden from one another.”
“Dealing with something this profound, I’m sure it made sense at the time.”
“Of course,” Sharpe said. “But I never intended to hurt anyone. They gave me a gun — I have been trained to use them, after all — but they expected me to use it on you.”
“Well,” Ben said. “We truly appreciate you not using it on us.”
Sharpe smiled, but Ben could tell he was still feeling awful about the entire thing.
“And you lost friends today, I’m assuming.”
Sharpe nodded. “Though nothing can justify what they were trying to do.”
“No, perhaps not. But that’s all in the past. We need to focus on moving forward.”
“Your organization is still alive, yes?” Victoria said.
“I — I suppose,” Sharpe said. “We were rumored to have more than 10,000 members. Stretching back to antiquity, past Solomon’s temple and Hiram Abiff and past Euclid himself. Back to the original Nephilim.”
“Bene Elohim,” Victoria said. “The powerful ones.”
“Exactly. Like many translations, time and language has distorted some true meanings.”
“Dieter Luthig,” Victoria said. “Is he your leader? Someone with power?”
Sharpe looked confused, then his eyes focused. “No,” he said. “The Guild Rite likes to hide truths in plain sight.”
Victoria looked away, out the window, then turned back to Sharpe. “Dieter Luthig. The Guild Rite.”
Sharpe smiled. He nodded once.
“It’s an anagram. And the rest of his website is probably written in code as well.”
“Just like the original writers of the biblical knowledge of the Nephilim and who they were. They wanted the truth, and they wanted it in plain sight. But they wanted to protect it as well.”
“That’s why Plato’s third dialog was written,” Victoria said. “He stopped working on Critias mid-sentence because he discovered the truth. Something so compelling that he had to finish Hermocrates. He couldn’t not write it.”
“And he chose to protect it as well,” Sharpe said. “That is why it has been so difficult to find. We think there is only one remaining copy.”
“Garza’s copy, wherever that is,” Ben added.
“Yes. But there are more — many more.”
“They’re just hiding in plain sight,” Victoria said. “Encoded in some way, disguised as something else.”
“The original message of the Atlanteans, the descendants of the Nephilim, and encoded by the Guild Rite.”
Ben shook his head. It was all too much. He believed it — he had no reason not to believe it — but this was all out of his element. He wanted to just read it in a book, have it all presented to him in an easy-to-digest way.
But that wasn’t going to be possible — they would solve this together, putting the pieces together until it made sense enough to know what to do next.
He pulled his shirt down from his neck a bit to get more comfortable, then turned back to the discussion. He knew what the answer was, but he didn’t want to admit it to himself.
Unfortunately, when he looked back into the plane, Julie caught his gaze. She raised an eyebrow, and he knew what he was going to say.
“We’re alive now, thankfully. We got away, but we still have a major problem.”
He turned to Victoria expecting her face to be showing something other than agreement, but she was nodding along.
“We need to find Garza.”
82
Ben
Two Days Later
Ben sat up straighter, something in the back of his mind pushing forward, begging for attention.
The cabin’s work crews had gone home for the day, and he and Julie were watching a rerun of a show they’d seen a few times before. They had flown directly to Alaska after their trip to Peru, and were home for the first time in a week. Mr. and Mrs. E had been working on the report the team had filed — mostly just a collection of anecdotes and opinions mixed in with the factual information. They wanted to keep a record of their interactions, both for their own protection as well as for future opportunities.
Victoria Reyes was staying at the cabin temporarily, working through her own issues. She ate meals with the group, but mostly stayed to herself. She had been writing almost nonstop since they’d arrived, informing Ben that she wanted to record her thoughts before the shock of it all wore off. They gave her the space she needed, understanding what it was she was going through.
Julie was curled up on the couch, her head tucked onto Ben’s shoulder and her feet crunched up beneath her. They watched the show, but Ben knew neither of them was really into it.
A commercial began playing, and Ben muted the television. Julie pulled her head up slowly, yawned, then looked at Ben. “Everything okay?”
“I was just thinking,” he said.
“Oh, no,” she said, laughing.
“No, no, it’s good. I think.”
“I told you not to think,” Julie said. “It gives you a headache.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “It’s about the Temple of Solomon.”
“That’s what you’re thinking about? Not me? I thought when you were quiet like that you were always thinking about me.”
Ben chuckled. “Is that so? Well, I’d say it’s about 80-20.”
“Eighty percent thinking about me?”
Ben paused, considering it for a long second. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”
She socked him on the shoulder. “Okay, smart guy. What about the Temple of Solomon?”
“Well, I think we missed something. I know we weren’t there for sightseeing, but remember Egypt? The Great Sphinx, and the —”
“The Hall of Records,” Julie said, interrupting him. “You’re thinking it’s the Temple of Solomon?”
“Yeah, I am. The original temple was sacked by Nebuchadnezzar, and then —”
“Look at you, getting all ‘history professor’ on me,” Julie said, taking the opportunity during the commercial break to sip at her glass of wine.
“I read Victoria’s report,” Ben said. He shrugged. “Bet you didn’t know I could read.”
Julie snorted as she laughed, and a bit of wine dribbled down her chin, which made her laugh even more. Ben joined in, and then he grabbed her chin and kissed her.
“Wh — what are you doing?” Julie asked. “I’m covered in wine.”
“Never thought you looked more beautiful,” Ben said.
“Give me a break. My hair’s wet from the shower, and I’m wearing sweatpants. Sweatpants, Ben.”
“Yeah, they make your butt look great, too.” Ben reached out and grabbed her hand. “You know what? Never mind about the Temple of Solomon stuff. I lied.”
“You haven’t figured something out?”
�
�Oh, I figured something out about it, but it can wait. I lied about how much I was thinking about it.”
Julie’s eyes narrowed.
“I was mostly thinking about you. About us.”
One of her eyebrows raised back up. “Go on.”
“We’re not going to stop. The CSO. It’s sort of taken on a life of its own, and I… well, I guess there’s never going to be a perfect time, so…”
“What are you saying, Ben?”
“Well, I was thinking. No matter what happens, I want to be with you. We’ve tried making that official, twice —”
“Three times.”
“Right, three times now. And I’m tired of having bad guys and almost getting killed preventing us from tying the knot.”
“Oh, really? You’re not a fan of saltwater crocodiles and attack helicopters?”
“I could do without those for a while.”
“I’m listening.”
“Jules, why don’t we just do it. Invite our close friends, family, whoever. No frills, no destination wedding, none of that. Just you and me, and a… whatever the guy… the preacher man —”
“He’s called an officiator, Ben.”
“Right. One of those guys. Is that — okay? I mean, I want you to have the ultimate wedding, with princess castles and really fancy flowers, and all the expensive tableware, and —”
“Ben, I love it.”
“You do?” he asked.
“Of course I do. I never wanted any of that other stuff. It’s all extra. And do I seem like a princess to you?”
He laughed. “I guess not. Anyway, I thought maybe we could just do it here. At the cabin. If… that’s okay with you.”
“I love that idea.”
Julie crawled over the couch to Ben and inserted her head right onto his shoulder, where it had been before. “I just want to be married.”
“Why? So you can take all my money?”
“Yeah, Ben. That’s it. So I can take all your money.”
“Good. Jokes on you, I don’t have any.”
She brought his head down to hers and kissed him, then through pursed lips mumbled the words, “shut up.”
Epilogue
Three Weeks Later
“Hey, brother — how you feeling?” Ben asked as he entered the room. Reggie was in the new CSO wing attached to the cabin, and his personal bedroom had been converted into a makeshift hospital. After surgery in Peru and Anchorage, Mr. E had flown out three medical professionals to assist with Reggie’s recovery.
The two doctors and nurse, as well as Dr. Sarah Lindgren, looked up. They were taking turns checking spots on Reggie’s body for nerve function, and the nurse was observing an IV drip nearby. Reggie couldn’t move his head that far around, but Ben saw his eyes widen.
“Ben? That you?”
“Yep.”
“Man, I never thought I’d see you again. I figured you ditched me. You know, remember how you left me in a jungle and then they chopped my arm off?”
Ben’s mouth opened. “I — I didn’t… Reggie, I can’t ever tell you how sorry —”
Reggie started laughing, the swells rising in volume until he was nearly choking. One of the doctors, unamused, put a hand on Reggie’s chest to calm him down.
“Oh man,” Reggie said. “You should see your face right now! Ha!”
“That’s… really not funny,” Ben said.
“I have to agree with Ben on this one,” Sarah said. “And you have to stop getting yourself worked up like that. You’ll injure yourself.”
“My arm got chopped off. I’m not dying.”
“Well, that’s good news,” Ben said. “They — think you’re going to be fine?”
“More than fine.” Reggie used his left hand to pick up the right side of his sheet, showing off a firmly bandaged shoulder. Ben could see it wiggling beneath the gauze pad. “The little nubby in here is almost cleaned up, and it’s healing fine. They’ll be able to fit me for a prosthetic in a few days, and then I become bionic.
“Ben — you gotta see some of these arms they’re making now. They can have built-in weapons. Weapons, Ben.”
The doctor and the nurse turned and gave Ben a look of exasperation. “He’ll be fitted for a standard prosthetic, Mr. Bennett, and then we can see about including myoelectrics and running sensors to test if targeted muscle reinnervation is needed, and then —”
“It’s gonna be cool, Ben,” Reggie said. “Watch. I’ll be shooting lasers from my fingers in a month. Garza was right — it was a clean cut.”
Sarah’s head fell, and she turned away slightly. Ben caught it and turned to her. “You doing okay?” He placed a hand on her shoulder.
Sarah placed her hand on Ben’s and nodded, wiping away a tear. “Yeah. The bullet wound is totally healed. No negative reactions with the… whatever it was they were poisoning me with. I think because Garza wanted us as an experiment later, he made sure the doctors kept the area from getting infected.”
“Good to hear. Again, I cannot tell you how —”
“Ben, please,” she said, sniffing. “We’re alive because of you guys.”
“Yeah,” Reggie said. “Who knew there were two of those stupid, weird temple thingies.”
“I guess,” Ben said. “Still, I wish I could have known.”
“Julie mentioned you have some other thoughts? About the Temple of Solomon?”
Ben nodded. “I do. But that can wait. I’ve got another mission for you.”
Reggie’s slid his head sideways, wincing a bit at the movement. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Something cool? You figure out where Garza is?”
Ben shook his head. “Still working on that.”
“What’s the mission? I can get these docs off my back, if you’re worried about that.”
“I’m not worried about that, buddy,” Ben said. “And actually, you won’t need your arm for it.”
“I’m intrigued.”
“Yes, Ben,” Dr. Lindgren said. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to get him back in the field so soon?”
“What?” Ben asked, mock surprise on his face. “I never told you what it was I want him to do!” He paused, then walked closer to Reggie’s bed. The doctor and the nurse shifted away from the bed. He’d already cleared it with them, and he thought he caught a smile on the nurse’s face as he moved away.
“It’s going to be harder than anything you’ve ever done,” Ben continued. “And… I’m not sure you’ll be able to pull it off. It involves a serious amount of work on your part, work that I’m not sure you’ve ever done before.”
“I can do it,” Reggie said. “Just tell me.”
“Okay,” Ben sighed. “Gareth Red, I need a best man.”
Afterword
If you liked this book (or even if you hated it…) write a review or rate it. You might not think it makes a difference, but it does.
Besides actual currency (money), the currency of today’s writing world is reviews. Reviews, good or bad, tell other people that an author is worth reading.
As an “indie” author, I need all the help I can get. I’m hoping that since you made it this far into my book, you have some sort of opinion on it.
Would you mind sharing that opinion? It only takes a second.
Nick Thacker
Also by Nick Thacker
Mason Dixon Thrillers
Mark for Blood (Book 1)
Death Mark (Book 2)
Mark My Words (Book 3)
Harvey Bennett Mysteries
The Enigma Strain (Book 1)
The Amazon Code (Book 2)
The Ice Chasm (Book 3)
The Jefferson Legacy (Book 4)
The Paradise Key (Book 5)
The Aryan Agenda (Book 6)
The Book of Bones (Book 7)
The Cain Conspiracy (Book 8)
Harvey Bennett Mysteries - Books 1-3
Harvey Bennett Mysteries - Books 4-6
Jo Bennett Mysteries<
br />
Temple of the Snake (written with David Berens)
Tomb of the Queen (written with Kristi Belcamino)
Harvey Bennett Prequels
The Icarus Effect (written with MP MacDougall)
The Severed Pines (written with Jim Heskett)
Gareth Red Thrillers
Seeing Red
Chasing Red (written with Kevin Ikenberry)
The Lucid
The Lucid: Episode One (written with Kevin Tumlinson)
The Lucid: Episode Two (written with Kevin Tumlinson)
The Lucid: Episode Three (written with Kevin Tumlinson
Standalone Thrillers
The Atlantis Stone
The Depths
Relics: A Post-Apocalyptic Technothriller
Killer Thrillers (3-Book Box Set)
Short Stories
I, Sergeant
Instinct
The Gray Picture of Dorian
Uncanny Divide (written with Kevin Tumlinson and Will Flora)
About the Author
Nick Thacker is a thriller author from Texas who lives in Colorado and Hawaii, because Colorado has mountains, microbreweries, and fantastic weather, and Hawaii also has mountains, microbreweries, and fantastic weather. In his free time, he enjoys reading in a hammock on the beach, skiing, drinking whiskey, and hanging out with his beautiful wife, tortoise, two dogs, and two daughters.
In addition to his fiction work, Nick is the founder and lead of Sonata & Scribe, the only music studio focused on producing “soundtracks” for books and series. Find out more at SonataAndScribe.com.
For more information, visit Nick online:
www.nickthacker.com
[email protected]
The Book of Bones: Harvey Bennett Mysteries, Book 7
Copyright © 2019 by Nick Thacker
