Captain George Baldwin – A Knights Templar commander, of the new order.
Captain Sessions – Combat officer, commands and controls combat operations in the field.
Christian de Molay – Adam de Molay’s uncle. A self-proclaimed Grand Master.
Emma de Molay – The sister of Adam found on Interstate 75.
Jeff – Third in command of the new Templar order.
Grandpa Jack – Jack de Moley the Knights Templar Grand Master.
Hemmi – Wife of Jack Gunn.
Walker – James Walker, Captain of the Texas Rangers and nephew of Black Horse.
Jim Bo – Husband to Amy and son-in-law of Jack.
Maggie – Amazon Warrior from Tocabaga .
Mike – Friend of Jack Gunn and Tocabaga security agent.
Pete – Second in command of the new Templar order.
Quanah Iron Coat – Chief of the Comanche Nation.
Ragsdale – A bad guy in Indianola, who runs a whore house. He claimed to be Billy Bob’s father.
Ron – Brother of Jack Gunn a Retired Navy vet. Part of Tocabaga security.
Rick – President of Tocabaga Association, security team member.
Sally – Girl friend of Walker, who owns a diner.
Tommy Gunn – Son of Jack Gunn and a retired Marine Scout Sniper.
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TEMPLARS QUEST
THE ANCIENTS
BOOK TWO
TEMPLARS QUEST CHRONICLES
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This book is dedicated to the Native American Indians who have contributed so much to the United States of America. To understand America one needs to study the history of Native Americans. We are all brothers.
WECOME TO THE QUEST
Another Jack Gunn adventure begins as he is fighting alongside the modern Templar Warriors to find the lost treasure. They are following the clues of a holy relic named, ‘The Sword of Jerusalem.’
Young Adam de Molay has now become the Grand Master of the new Templar Warriors. The modern Templar Warriors are twenty-four battle hardened retired Marines, who fought ISIS for years in the middle-east. They were enlightened by God and decided to do the Lord’s work and become his warriors. They have pledged to follow Adam because he is the caretaker of the holy sword.
The sword has been passed down in his family line for seven-hundred years. It holds the secrets of the lost Templar Treasure and is the main reason for this quest. The Ark of the Covenant, designed by God, and made by man, is one of the holy items they are seeking. Whoever finds the treasure could very well control the destiny of the United States.
PREFACE
I am the oldest of three Brothers. We grew up fighting bullies and gang members in a tough neighborhood in south Chicago. My Dad, one of the most honest men I have known, always stressed: tell the truth, and help each other. Never ever be a bully, never steal, and try to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I have always stood up for the people who could not defend themselves. I hate liars and bullies.
Standing six feet tall at 180 pounds, I am in great shape for my age and my body is honed by years of physical training. I keep in shape by lifting weights almost every day and running three miles four times a week. I shave my head two times a week as it is cooler with no hair in the hot south. I sport a gray mustache and goatee that I keep well-trimmed and short. There is a 2 inch scar on my forehead from a knife fight years ago.
I spent four years in the Army as a Military Policeman, and became an expert in the use of handguns, rifles, shotguns, and in hand-to-hand combat. My legs have skin grafts from burns due to an explosion when I worked for the DOD (Department of Defense) doing security work for seven years. I always carry my Glock 17, and Black Bear Cold Steel fighting knife, no matter where I go.
I love our country, freedom, my family, and friends. If anyone messes with my family or my friends, justice will be swift and painful. I have no use for anyone who breaks the law, cheats or steals. For the most part I follow the Ten Commandments, but also believe in The Code of Hammurabi, which is an Eye for an Eye. If you take an Eye, I’ll take your whole Fucking Head. I fight to keep our Bill of Rights under the United States Constitution.
That is me, Jack Gunn, and these are my chronicles.
SUMMARY
Our expedition left Tocabaga Island almost a month ago. We arrived at our first destination, the Comanche Nation located in Lawton, Oklahoma, hoping to find a clue that the ancient Templars had traveled through this Indian Territory. To our amazement we did find relics and a Templar Cross engraved into stones on the top of Ghost Hill. This find verified that the Templar Knights had traveled to America seven-hundred years ago. It was our first real proof that the clues etched into the Sword of Jerusalem were factual.
The old Templar Order, under the control of a man named Canfield, wanted the Sword of Jerusalem to gain power and find the treasure. They had somehow followed us all the way from Florida. To make a long story short, Maggie and I engaged them at Ghost Hill and killed a few. But during the firefight they managed to steal the sword right from under our noses, while we were bivouacked on top of Ghost Hill.
We located the Templar thieves the next day, and were expecting to have a serious battle. But to our surprise the Sword of Jerusalem had already given them the justice they deserved. Adam had warned us that the holy relic would punish those who touched it, if they were not deemed worthy by God.
THE HOPI
MAY 20, 2026
My last entry was April 29, 2026. We ended up staying at the Comanche Nation, longer than I liked because Black Horse and Chief Quanah insisted that we visit for a while. I didn’t intend on staying twenty days, but somehow you lose track of time living among the friendly Comanches.
Life moves at a different speed here. A much slower and relaxing pace than what we are used to. Here, at the Comanche Nation, there are no threats to contend with or worry about. It was a good life and my whole expedition team was having a well-deserved vacation, so to speak. There was no doubt about it, we were getting soft and weak from this time off. We were losing our edge, or our battle ready sharpness, which has helped us to stay alive in a country gone to hell.
During this time, we went back to Ghost Hill several times, searching for artifacts and other clues that the Templars may have left behind. We also searched along the old Indian trail for miles, to no avail. Many of the tribal members came along to help us find artifacts. They were also curious about Ghost Hill and the stories that Chief Quanah and Black Horse told.
Because the hill contained graves, it was considered improper to dig on sacred land. No one wanted to wake the ghost spirits. Since we couldn’t do any digging, nothing of any interest was found, other than a few arrow heads. Any relics there were most likely buried under a few feet of dirt, after seven hundred years.
Once a week, on Saturday night, many tribal members gathered around the fire pit for story night. Chief Quanah told the story about Wolf Boy and Ghost Killer that foggy night on Ghost Hill. He spoke of how Ghost Killer shot and killed the white ghosts so far away that you needed the eye of an eagle to see the target. He made the story sound exciting but I noticed he took the liberty to change it from time to time.
Black Horse told how his son, Billy Bob, was brought here by the Great Spirit under the protection of Jack Gunn. He advised everyone the sad story of how he had lost his son and future wife so many years ago. Black Horse had dreamed that one day they would be united by a stranger.
Adam was requested to tell the story about the Sword of Jerusalem. He called it the holy long-knife. Of course, no one believed the stories of how the sword beheaded a man, and terminated the old order of the Knights Templar. Not one person really believed its power and many questioned the truthfulness of the stories. That is until Chief Quanah and Black Horse told the tribe they had seen the magic of the sword with their own eyes. They had seen the sword glowing red, as if it was on fire, and the burned skulls of the twelve old order Templar Knigh
ts.
It was a chilling supernatural event that made everyone a believer in the Power of the Sword. Adam has control of the sword, I think, and is not afraid of handling it. After the sword scanned my brain, to see if I was worthy, it spooked me for sure.
I thought back to that even, and this is what transpired.
We had tracked down the old Templar order who had stolen the Sword of Jerusalem from our truck on Ghost Hill. They were stopped at an I-40 rest area. We dismounted to surround them and upon rounding the front of their black pickup, I stopped dead in my tracks as did the others in my group. On the ground lay the old Templars in their white mantles. They were all dead.
Adam had warned us, if they unsheathe the sword and touch the blade, God would punish them if they were not worthy.
After seeing with my own eyes, the sword behead Christian de Molay in a flash of light, guided by the hand of an unseen Angel, I knew its power. Adam was right, don’t come in contact with the sword, unless God tells you to. It sounds so crazy, I can hardly believe it myself.
The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if we were doing the right thing. If God wanted us to find the treasure, why was he making it so darn difficult?
It was a shocking sight as none of them had eyes and their faces were charred black. Lower jaws hung down, leaving mouths wide open, as if they were screaming. I could almost hear their cries of pain. It was abnormal because other parts of the bodies were untouched. The white mantels, which displayed the crimson cross, were not burned in any manner. There wasn’t a drop of blood to be seen.
All twelve bodies looked identical, with burned out eyeballs and charred black faces. The old Templars were all laying on their backs, in a distorted twisted manner, with their hollow eye sockets facing the sky. It was an unearthly sight which told you supernatural forces were at work. The bodies were in a semi-circle around the Sword of Jerusalem, which was stuck straight into the ground about four inches deep. The scabbard was a few feet away, on the grass.
I glared at the blade, which was glowing red, pulsating on and off. The metal blade looked red hot, like it just came from a blacksmith’s forge. I shouted, “Don’t touch the sword! Don’t go near it.” All our men, including Baldwin, stopped dead in their tracks. Some of the warriors backed away a few more feet. “Adam, come over here right now!”
Adam came running over to me and stood there in disbelief at the awful sight. He commented, “They touched the sword. God didn’t deem them worthy and struck them down.”
Adam stepped slowly towards the sword, but I grabbed his arm stopping him. “Do you think it’s wise to touch the sword after seeing this?”
“I need to clean it and put it back in its scabbard. Once in the scabbard, everyone will be safe.”
Still holding his arm, I asked, “Are you sure it won’t hurt you?”
“Yes, I’m sure, Grandpa. Don’t worry so much.” I released his arm.
Adam walked up to the sword and it started flashing faster and faster. Adam slowly reached out to take hold of the handle. Suddenly, when his hand touched the grip, the sword turned glowing white, like a light bulb. It flashed the same intense white light as when the sword killed Christian de Molay.
Adam didn’t move for a few seconds, as if he was frozen. I yelled, “Adam, are you ok?” He didn’t reply. I moved closer to my grandson. I wasn’t sure what action to take, if any. Was he being hurt by the sword? It sure appeared that way to me. His body started to shake and his head was looking straight up at the sky.
Without further concern about myself, I grabbed his arm to pull him away and felt a force, almost like an electric shock. A strong tingling ran through my body. Frozen in place I couldn’t remove my hand from Adam’s arm. I tried with all my strength to pull my hand away, but I couldn’t escape from the connection. I thought, we’re being electrocuted.
Yet, it was a slightly different feeling. I can’t explain it exactly, but it was a force or power that didn’t actually hurt. The force was probing my body and brain. Yes, it was probing my brain. It was reading my memory. My life flashed before my eyes. It ran like a 3-D movie in my head. I saw everything I had done. All the good times and bad times of my life were on display. The people I had killed were in the movie. I clearly saw their faces as I killed them for a second time.
There was Leroy, the guy I killed with a shotgun, blowing off his head. Leroy was the scumbag doper who murdered my little brother, Mike, while he was in line at a burger place. Leroy killed little Mike in cold blood and only received a six-year sentence. My brother Ron and I made a plan to kill his ass when he got out of jail.
We ambushed him at a stoplight and I pulled the trigger from ten feet away as he went for his gun. His head exploded like a ripe watermelon. It was an eye for an eye, because no one was going to murder my brother and get away with it. It was the first premeditated murder I had committed. But, I didn’t think of it as murder. To me it was justice. ‘Vengeance is Mine,’ saith the Lord, and I was his instrument.
I was being judged for everything I ever did in my life, whether it was good or bad. All these memories, some of which I didn’t like, were popping up in the front of my head like a movie screen, zooming by incredibly fast.
Then I saw the time we rescued three kids from the Federal green zone. We were on a recon patrol in downtown St. Petersburg searching for MIA Army Rangers. Behind office buildings, in the alleyways, is where all the trash is kept in big dumpsters. Long ago garbage trucks would come once a week, empty the dumpster, and take the trash to be burned or put in a land fill. Many bums or homeless people would hang out in the alleys to pick up any food that may have been thrown away. We called it dumpster diving because you literally had to dive into the big metal container.
As we passed by one dumpster, I heard a noise from inside. The lid was open so I peeked over the top, and looked inside while holding my Glock. I thought maybe there was a rat or raccoon inside. As I peered over the edge with my night vision goggles on, they saw me and huddled together in fear. I must have been a scary looking sight with my face painted black, looking like I had on war paint.
“Please don’t hurt us, Mister,” one said, in a high female voice. Three kids were sitting on a pile of rotten garbage that made me gag from the stench. In their hands they had some kind of rancid looking food.
I took off my night vision goggles, advising them, “Don’t be afraid kids. I’m here to help you.” I held out my hand and waved my fingers for them to come over to me. “Come on kids, I’m not gonna hurt you. I have some food for you.” I pulled three power bars out of my pocket and held them up.
Now the rest of my crew came over and looked in the container. Willis asked, “Now what are we going to do?”
I told Willis, “We’re gonna help them.”
The three kids hesitantly climbed out and I handed each one a power bar which they ripped open and gobbled up in a few bites. I asked them, “Where are your parents?”
The girl replied, “Our parents are dead. We lived in the Green Zone and there wasn’t enough food. They were killed by the Federal Police for stealing food.”
“How long ago was that?”
Looking at them you could tell these kids have had a tough time. Their clothes were filthy and so were their bodies. As a matter of fact they smelled like garbage. The girl’s hair was matted and falling out, probably due to malnutrition. She was a skinny-looking thing and her hands were shaking from the lack of food. Her face was sunken in and I thought she could be close to death. The two boys didn’t look any better. I gave them each another power bar, which they quickly devoured.
The girl said, “I think about a year ago our parents were killed. I’ve been trying to take care of my brothers but there isn’t enough food here. We don’t have any other place to go. Who are you guys?”
“We’re with the Army Rangers. What are your names and how old are you?”
I handed her a bottle of water which she passed to the smallest boy before drinking any
herself.
“I’m 15, my name is Rosie. Billy is 13 and Peter is 9 years old.”
Billy said, “Would you Army guys please take my sister with you because the men around here make her trade sex for food? One guy hurt her so I hit him in the head with a pipe. If he touches her again … I’ll kill him. My brother and I can make it ok. I just want my sister to be safe.”
“Billy, you look pretty beat up. How did you get those black eyes?”
“The guy I hit with the pipe had his friends beat me.”
“Where are they now Billy?”
“Oh … they’re around somewhere. They’re tough mean guys and they run this part of town.”
“Don’t worry about them, Billy, you’re all gonna be safe now. You can come with us to Tocabaga.”
“I’ve of heard of Tocabaga but I didn’t think it was real. Isn’t that an island where people live?”
Peter asked, “Do you have food there?”
“Yes. We’re all going there tonight,” I replied.
“That sounds great. Do you think I can become an Army Ranger and fight the bad guys?”
“Probably, when you’re old enough.”
Speaking to my recon team, “We can‘t leave these kids here alone; they’ll die for sure. You three complete the mission and I’ll take them to the extraction point and wait for you there.”
Hammer replied, “I don’t like it, but we need to help them.”
Tommy and Willis concurred so I explained to the kids what we were going to do. “Ok, we have to walk about three miles to our truck. Kids, you stay close to me and do what I do. If I stop then you stop, if I hide then you hide. You guys got it?”
Templars Quest Trilogy: The Lost Ark (Books 1-3 The Templars Quest Chronicles) Page 12
