Joe took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He had another idea. “What about Emily? Why can’t she send in some of her agents to snoop around and get a sample?”
“No good,” Sean countered. “She is still part of the Justice Department. There’s no way she can get anyone on it that fast, and even if she could, I’d wager there would be too much red tape. But if we can get a sample to CDC, and it proves to be something bad, she can send in the cavalry.”
Joe’s dog looked at him with droopy, sad eyes. They always looked like that, even if he was getting his belly rubbed. Joe scratched his beard for a moment, contemplating his options. He was a government worker. If he got caught breaking and entering a pharmaceutical company, it would mean his job. Not to mention the bigger issue, who was outside raking leaves. His wife had put the quietus on his adventurous activities for the last few years. Recently, when he’d been shot, he thought his wife might actually finish the job that the gunman hadn’t. That’s how angry she’d been.
Back in her day she had worked for the FBI, and had seen enough to know that she didn’t want to be in that world very long. He wished she wouldn’t be so overprotective. In a strange way, Joe took it as a compliment.
As far as Sean’s request, Joe had a few days off coming up. It wouldn’t hurt anything to cruise down to Atlanta and check out the Biosure facility. He had a uniform that closely resembled a private security outfit. All he would need was clearance codes to get into the building. One of the tech guys with IAA could probably help with that.
It was starting to seem like Joe was running out of excuses.
“Okay, Sean. I’ll do what I can.”
“I really appreciate it, Mac. I’ll be in touch.”
Joe hung up the phone and looked over at the dog then let out a long sigh.
A female voice cut through the silence of the rustic living room. “Just what is it you’re planning on doing?”
Joe started at the sound of his wife’s voice, and looked over to see her standing in the doorway that led into the laundry room. She must have come in through the garage though he never heard her. She had her hands on the hips of her work jeans, and an accusing look on her face. Dark hair hung down to the shoulders of a gray jacket.
“Hey, dear. You scared me,” Joe tried to stall. He could tell from the sustained glare that there was nothing he could do to get out of it.
“What is it Sean Wyatt wants with you now?” she took a menacing step closer.
It wasn’t that Joe was afraid of his wife. She was his best friend. And that was why he didn’t want trouble. He just didn’t want to make her unhappy or cause her to worry. And she was the queen of worriers.
“You know, I can’t do this anymore,” he said after a moment of thought. “I am a man. And I don’t need you bossing me around or telling me what I can’t do.” He was a little surprised at the tone he’d taken.
So was Mrs. McElroy. She froze in place, hearing Joe speak like that to her for the first time.
“Sean needs my help, Helen. And honestly, I could use a little help on this one, too.”
Her eyebrows pulled together slightly, and the expression on her face was slightly disarmed. “What has Sean gotten himself into?” Helen’s southern accent was something Joe had loved about her immediately. When she was angry, it was terrifying. But right now, she seemed to have taken on genuine concern. Maybe she also appreciated being included.
Joe decided to tell her everything, thinking a little transparency might go a long way. He calmed his tone as he spoke.
“We aren’t sure, honey. But it sounds like it could be something big. That bombing we’ve been seeing on the news over in Egypt? Sean said that was a direct attack on him. Tommy is in a hospital in Greece right now. Sounds like he will be okay. Sean and Adriana are in Istanbul right now. And they need our help.”
Helen shuffled sideways over to the edge of the big leather couch and propped herself on the armrest. She seemed more worried than angry. “What is all this about?”
“A man named Alexander Lindsey, the head of a secret organization known as Golden Dawn, is also the founder and primary shareholder of a company called Biosure. They have a distribution facility in Atlanta.” Joe let out a long breath before continuing. “Sean said they might be about to send out a large shipment of bad flu shots to several countries. We need to get a sample of whatever it is he is sending out and get it to Jenny Solomon over at the CDC. She can get it analyzed and tell us whether or not there is a threat.”
Helen was having trouble understanding. “So, you are just supposed to sneak into a pharmaceutical company and grab a sample of some flu shots? How are you even going to get in?”
“I thought I could get one of the tech guys at IAA to work out the access codes. Then it would just be a matter of getting the sample.”
She shook her head. “Joe, I never told you this before, because I didn’t think I could. But you know I worked for the FBI for a few years before going into teaching.” He nodded. “Well, I worked in the electronic crimes division. One of my jobs was to hack into secure sites to test out how strong their defenses and fire walls were.” She crossed her arms as she finished.
Joe was flabbergasted. He knew she was proficient on the computer, but he had no idea she was a hacker. Helen had kept it hidden from him for the years since she’d left the bureau.
She spoke up again before he could say anything. “I could probably get you into the building. But it will be difficult to get in and out without being noticed or setting off any number of alarms. And if you are dealing with something that could be a biohazard, you’ll need to be careful.” She stopped talking for a minute. Joe could see her mind was running through other options.
“I think I have an idea,” she said finally, her face twisted with a mischievous grin.
Joe hadn’t seen this side of her. And he was shocked and surprised all in one. Still, he had reservations about involving his wife in what was turning out to be an international conspiracy.
“Helen, this could be dangerous.”
Her eyes narrowed in a broad smile. “Not with my plan. It will be like takin’ candy from a baby.”
Chapter 23
North Eastern Turkey
The enormous, snow-capped peak of Ararat loomed ominously up ahead. It hadn’t taken long for Lindsey’s rented helicopters to take his team and equipment out to the eastern edge of the country, near the border with Armenia.
The land was a hodgepodge of contrasting scenes. Much of it appeared to be desert, but was mingled with rich, fertile farmland, vineyards, and hillsides dotted with olive and fig trees. The plains leading up to the mountain were a picture of desolation. At least, that’s the way Lindsey saw them. He wondered how anyone made a living off the land in certain places of the world. This was certainly one of them.
There were several small shanty dwellings here and there, most likely homes of shepherds, considering one of the few signs of civilization they’d seen were the flocks of sheep and goats milling around in large groups.
DeGard pointed to an area where a small church had been erected on a hillside. It was built out of stones from a nearby hillside and topped with a tin roof. The pilot took it down in a flat area a few hundred feet away from the little structure. The second chopper followed suit and landed nearby.
A few moments later, Lindsey, DeGard, Will, and Kaba were moving across the dirt field toward the church and several large stones that appeared to be some kind of monoliths. The other four mercenaries stayed back with the other chopper.
The helicopter engines had quieted down somewhat, and the group was far enough away that they could hear each other without having to yell.
“What are these?” Will asked DeGard, pointing at the odd stone that jutted up from the earth.
DeGard had done a small amount of vague research concerning the Valley of the Eight. He knew about what many called “the anchor stones.” But he wasn’t completely convinced. Supposedly, there were seve
ral large stones in the area, much like the one he was staring at currently. In ancient times, it was purported that boats used giant stones to keep them balanced in rough seas. The stones would be attached to long rods underneath the bow and would serve as a stabilizer. While DeGard had seen several such counter weights before, the fact that there were several in an area so far away from a major body of water caused him both skepticism and curiosity.
“They are anchor stones,” he answered. “At least, that is what they are said to be. I have a difficult time believing that for certain since there is no sea near this location. Nor have any ancient boats been discovered here.”
A dirty boy in shepherd’s clothes and a ragged turban stood near a wooden fence about twenty feet away. He watched the newcomers with wide eyes and mouth agape, as if they were some kind of aliens come down from the heavens.
Lindsey moved closer to the monolith. The object towered over him at seven feet high. It featured several crosses engraved on the surface.
“Who put these here?” the old man asked, pointing at the carvings.
DeGard shrugged. “No one is certain. But they are done in the style of the Templars. Many believe that this location was important to early Christians because a significant Biblical event occurred near here. Of course, it could just be superstition.”
Lindsey cast him a warning glance for a brief second. Then ran his hand across the smooth stone. He traced the outline of the largest cross reverently.
“There are several more of these anchor stones in the area,” DeGard added. “However, this one is the most prominent. Some of the others are near the town cemetery,” he pointed off to the east, “over there. And I believe there are a few more just on the other side of that hill. If the clue we discovered in Luxor was referring to a single anchor stone, this would be the one.”
“You’re sure?”
The Frenchman’s shoulders rose slightly at the question. “Monsieur, I do not know anything about this for certain. It is speculation. But if the clue from the Nekhen ruins is pointing to something in this region, I believe it is this stone.”
Lindsey examined the object for a moment then stepped around to the other side, scanning every inch of it. Will and Kaba stood back as their employer circled the monolith and returned to his original place.
He let out an exasperated sigh, and put his hands on his hips. “So, what are we supposed to look for?” DeGard shook his head and threw his hands up as if to say he was clueless.
“Do you have the stone?” Will asked, finally speaking up after watching in silent frustration for a few minutes as the other two men spun their wheels.
Both men turned around simultaneously. Lindsey spoke up. “Yes, Will. I have it right here.” He fished it out of the navy blue blazer he was wearing and held it out.
“What does it say, Professor?” Will had been absent during the discovery of the round disc in the ruins of Nekhen. And he couldn’t read Ancient Hebrew, like most of the normal world.
DeGard chimed in from memory. “Where the mountain rises through the eye of the needle the—”
“What?” Will cut him off in mid-sentence. “The eye of the needle?”
“Yes. That’s what the man said, Will. What are you getting at?” Lindsey’s voice was gruff as he spoke.
Will spun around and faced Kaba. “Come here for a second. I want you to look at something.” She raised a suspicious eyebrow, but did as he requested and followed him over to the stone.
There was a hole in the top of it that immediately caught Will’s attention. It had been drilled through all the way to the other side of the stone and was almost perfectly smooth. He thought it interesting that something so old could have been done with such precision. More than just being a point of curiosity, it gave him an idea.
“Here,” he said to Kaba and cupped his hands near his thighs. “I’ll give you a boost. I want you to look through that hole at the top and tell me what you see.” She gave a quick nod, understanding what he was getting at, and a second later she was peering through opening.
“I just see a spot on the mountain,” she reported, unimpressed. Will let her back down for a moment and stepped over to one of the black duffle bags they’d brought from the helicopter.
He fished out a pair of binoculars and handed them to Kaba. “Try it again, this time looking through one of those lenses.”
They repeated the procedure, but this time she peered through the cavity with one eyepiece of the binoculars. She breathed slowly to try and keep steady as she peered through the stone at the mountain. She made a few adjustments of the lens to clarify what she was seeing.
“There is an indention. It might be a cave.” Her voice was audibly excited. “It is up near the snow line, but there is definitely something there. Seems like there might be a place to land the helicopter near the anomaly.” She looked down at Lindsey with a jubilant expression. He smiled up at her. Will’s arms were shaking, so he let her down to the ground once more.
“Good thinking, Will,” Lindsey said proudly. The old man beamed, actually looking happy for the briefest of seconds. “Can you remember where that spot is on the mountain?” He turned his attention to Kaba.
“No. But with this we won’t need to,” she pulled another device out of one of the bags. It was a small, black box with what appeared to be a lens on one end and a viewfinder on the other. “This will tag the location with a laser and guide us to exactly where we need to go.”
Kaba motioned with a quick nod of the head for Will to boost her up one more time. He obeyed, and hoisted her up to the hole in the rock. She placed the device in position then pressed a few of the buttons before looking through the viewfinder. Holding the thing steady, she pressed another one of the buttons then hopped down. She looked at a small LCD screen on the top of the object. A small red dot appeared in the center of it with a green dot off to the right.
“That is where we are going. When we get there, this dot will be right on top of the other. I suspect we won’t have to wait until we are that close before seeing what we are looking for.” At her explanation, a corner of Lindsey’s mouth curled into a smile.
DeGard stared at the mountain, dumbfounded. He was in nearly complete disbelief that a non-scholar had been able to so quickly figure out the meaning of the riddle. The rest had already started back to the helicopter, so he fell in line behind them, trying to maintain his dignity by walking upright and taking huge strides.
Lindsey made a twirling motion with his finger for the helicopter pilot to start up the engine again. Moments later they were lifting off the ground and moving toward the mountain. The dusty village passed below them, a patchwork of stone homes, muddy roads, and old wooden fences. There were a few antennas and telephone poles, evidence that the people at least had some form of electricity, however unreliable it might have been.
Up ahead, the mountain grew larger in the windshield as they came closer to the rocky slopes of Ararat.
“Head up that way,” Kaba said, now in the front seat next to the pilot. Will, Lindsey, and DeGard had assumed positions in the back.
Off to the right of the helicopter, Will noticed a stone structure on a hill in the distance. It resembled a fortress or a castle. He couldn’t tell for sure.
“What is that?” he pointed out the window.
DeGard was sitting across from him. He leaned forward to see what Will was asking about. It only took a second to recognize the old building.
“That is Khor Virap, just on the other side of the Armenian border. It is a monastery for the apostolic church of Armenia.” He leaned back in his seat as he answered.
“It looks old,” Will commented, still intrigued by the building. He could make out the outline of a central facility encircled by a high rock wall.
DeGard let out a deep breath. “That’s because it is old. Khor Virap was originally built at the time of Constantine, somewhere around 300 AD. It was a castle and a prison, if I remember correctly. And I usually do.�
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“Oh.” Will sat back and relaxed, letting the ancient church fade from his memory.
The helicopter covered the expanse from the tiny village to the foot of the mountain in a short amount of time. Then, it began the ascent up the side. Kaba kept a close eye on the device, making sure they kept aimed in the right direction. Random gusts of wind rolled down the slopes, causing the pilot to have to work a little harder at his task. He made it look easy, moving his feet and hands only a little faster to keep the machine flying level as it zipped up the mountainside.
They passed 8,000 feet, and the wind picked up again, pushing the helicopter sideways. But it kept pushing on.
“It’s just up ahead,” Kaba said and pointed out the windshield.
Snow was blowing down on them from above and decreased visibility. As they reached 8,200 feet, a ledge cut deep into the side of the rock and opened up a large, flat area.
Kaba tapped the screen on her device. “This is it.”
The pilot held the flying machine steady for a second before deciding on a place to set down. There was plenty of space for them, but not the other chopper. As the runners touched down on the rocky plateau, he radioed the other pilot to turn back.
The rock landing ran to where the mountain sloped up dramatically. There was, however, a huge chunk of rock that appeared to have been ripped out, providing for a deep recess into the face of the mountain.
Lindsey and the others exited the helicopter and were immediately greeted with bone-chilling winds that cut through their lightweight jackets and coats. The pilot stayed with the chopper as the rest of the group quickly scurried across the landing and into the cavity in the stone. As they neared, the wind died down, blocked off by the overhang in the rock.
Kaba and Will both had bags with them and produced flashlights after seeing how dark the inside of the cavern was. They continued deeper inside with DeGard and Lindsey close behind. Once out of the blustery cold of the cliff, they let go of their coats they’d been holding tight against their bodies.
Sean Wyatt Compilation Box Set Page 73
