It was all the time the movers needed to get their makeshift barricade in place. Both men jumped around behind it and flipped it up on its side, making the top a protective shield. They ducked behind it in the nick of time as more rounds pounded into the thick wood from the sniper’s gun. The bullets were coming faster now, most likely because the men outside had converged on the opening to the chapel to double their efforts.
The flurry of bullets ceased and she could hear a deep grinding sound resonating off of the ancient sanctuary stones. She crawled back around to the other side of the chapel and could see around the desk that Sean and Jabez were slowly inching the altar to the side. Firth was still gripping his bag in the alcove, obviously not about to lift a finger to help so, she tucked her weapon away and slid behind the new obstruction to help pull on the heavy altar. An opening began to reveal itself underneath where the foot of the object was. Adding her strength to the task made the thing slide much faster, and a few moments later, there was a gaping hole the size of a large person in the middle of the floor.
Sean inspected inside it but couldn’t see anything. It was completely dark. He retrieved a small flashlight from one of his pockets and shone it down into the abscess. A dusty smell wafted up from inside a roughly hewn passageway.
“Looks like this is our only way out,” he looked up at Jabez then Adriana.
The Arab didn’t wait for orders. He withdrew his weapon again and readied himself to fire through the entryway. “You three go on. I will be right behind you.”
Sean knew there would be no winning that argument. But he would at least let Firth and Adriana go first. “Professor. Time to move.”
The older man had a terrified look on his face. He shook his head vigorously. Right on cue, a chunk of the desk was blown away near the top edge. Sean had a bad feeling the man would be tough to coax out of his hiding spot. Now that more bullets were flying, he imagined it would be nearly impossible.
“Professor, if you stay there, they will kill you. This is our only way. Duck down and crawl over here as fast as you can. It’s your only option, Doc,” Sean re-emphasized. Firth’s face still seemed uncertain.
He must have realized that he was running out of time. And there weren’t really any other means of escape. It was either, die there in the chapel, or suck it up and get to the secret passage as fast as he could. Adriana held out her hand, beckoning him to hurry.
More rounds shattered the stone around the altar. One of the crucifixes behind the presbytery was quickly becoming a mangled piece of wood, filled with splintered holes.
Firth moved cautiously over to the edge of the alcove and got down on one hand and his knees. He scurried quickly over behind the altar where the other three were taking cover. Adriana dropped down into the opening first then reached up, ready to steady the professor as he descended into the corridor. The older man carefully lowered his legs down into the darkness one at a time.
Jabez and Sean gave each other a quick glance. The Arab motioned toward the hole with his eyes, reminding Sean once again that Jabez would be the last one standing in the chapel.
“Go,” he ordered in his thick accent. “I will be right behind you.”
Sean eyed him suspiciously. “Ok. But next time, you go first.”
Jabez’s eyes narrowed, accompanied by a mischievous grin. “Deal.”
Sean holstered his weapon within his jacket and dropped down into the hole like he’d done it a thousand times before. He looked back up at their companion who still had the same grin on his face.
“Go!” Jabez yelled down at them.
Adriana and Firth took off, disappearing into the darkness, their flashlights bouncing off the walls as they ran. Sean waited for a second then darted after them.
Jabez took a deep breath then let it out long and slow. He turned his head to the left and stared at his friend Sarmen whose body lay in pool of blood on the stone tiles of the chapel just a few feet away. The Arab gripped his Desert Eagle with both hands, holding it close to his nose. He closed his eyes and whispered a few prayers in a hushed tone. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes, but he clenched his teeth and squelched them. Jabez was not afraid to die. He’d been taught not to fear death. And when one worked for the Almighty, the end was not a concern. But his heart was heavy for his friend. The monk was innocent, and it was the Arab’s fault the man had died.
His thoughts turned to Sean and his companions. They were truly good people, seeking to do the work of God whether they knew it or not. But they would need time to reach the SUV’s. If the attackers didn’t believe they were still inside the chapel or were already dead, their escape might be cut short.
He took another deep breath and sighed. “For the honor of God and the brethren,” he said with conviction. Jabez spun around and stood up, unleashing a hail of bullets at three men in black outfits, forty yards away on the outside of the chapel. The first one fired his rifle but his barrel was aimed too high, giving Jabez a second to line him up and plant a round directly into the man’s chest. The impact of the .45 caliber bullet sent the sniper a few feet backwards, knocking him into the other two. Jabez didn’t stop firing, sending bullets into the dirt and walls around the remaining gunmen. They tried to recover, firing off some random shots, but their aim was panicked, confused by the sudden offensive by the tall, dark-skinned man in the nomadic clothing.
Jabez’s weapon clicked, signaling he was out of ammo. He twisted back around and ducked behind the desk to reload. He only had a few spare magazines. It would have to be enough. At least he hoped it would. The empty one clanked on the floor next to his feet and he slipped one of the fresh ones into grip. It clicked, and he pulled the slide back, chambering a new round. Just as he did, a new onslaught of bullets poured through the entryway of the chapel, splintering the desk, and sending rounds ricocheting dangerously around the room. He ducked his head, afraid for the first time since he was a little boy.
He forced the fear to the back of his mind and leaned around the corner of his tattered shield. The desk wouldn’t last much longer. Jabez took aim at one of now four men who were positioned in a side-by-side line in the courtyard. He let out another long breath and squeezed the trigger again.
Chapter 29
Khor Virap
Armenia
“What is going on?” DeGard asked in a panicked tone.
Lindsey glanced over at him with disdain. The two men were standing at a safe distance, watching the battle unfold before their eyes. One of his men had been shot in the chest and was lying on the ground; Lindsey assumed the man was dead.
“Relax, DeGard. Will knows what he is doing. There is only one way in and out of that chapel.” His finger pointed at the entrance. “And they won’t have enough ammunition to hold out for very long. We have plenty. It is only a matter of time until they surrender or do something desperate.”
DeGard looked back at the entrance. Lindsey had five men in position now, firing bullets precisely through the small entryway. Whoever was inside must have also had the added danger of rounds bouncing off the walls, creating a cauldron of metal projectiles. The Frenchman nervously glanced around, seemingly fearful that the authorities would show up at any second. He reminded himself that they were in the middle of nowhere, and there probably were no authorities nearby.
Dust kicked up around the men firing into the chapel as bullets struck the ground near their position. A few stuck the wall behind them. Whoever was firing from inside the little church was severely outgunned. From the sound of it, it was a .45 caliber. If Will made his guess, it was probably a Desert Eagle.
Kaba stood near him as the gunfight roiled, their team exchanging volleys with the hidden gunman in the building. She kept her hands on her own weapon, just in case she needed to jump into the fray, or in case Wyatt and his companions thought it a good idea to go on the offensive.
The muffled pops of the assault rifles stopped for a moment, though the men kept their weapons trained on the entrance to th
e chapel. The men positioned on the other sides of the building also kept their guns level, just in case. A chilly breeze rolled the gun smoke through the courtyard and up over the walls. An acrid smell still hung in the air. The men positioned on the other sides of the building also kept their guns level, just in case.
The tension was palpable for a few moments. The only sound being the breeze blowing over the walls and through the ears of the observers. Will kept one hand up off to the side of the men positioned to attack the entrance. He had signaled them to stop firing, but DeGard couldn’t tell why. He assumed they were waiting to see if anyone inside the building would continue shooting back.
Will pointed at two of the men in the front of the formation and motioned them to circle around to the front edge of the entryway. They immediately obeyed, sprinting to both sides of the door leading into the chapel. Both men kept their guns high and at the ready with their backs against the wall. The two other remaining men near the wall moved forward slowly, careful not to run head first into a hail of bullets. No more rounds came from inside the chapel, though.
At Will’s signal, the two at the doorway spun around and poked their barrels through the opening, checking both sides of the room, and all the corners before proceeding inside. The two men behind them followed right behind. A few seconds later, one of the men inside yelled out the all clear.
DeGard smiled. “They are all dead?” He guarded his enthusiasm.
Lindsey said nothing. The old man didn’t seem happy for some reason, which was baffling to the French archaeologist. He reflected the expression on Will’s face, which was one of suspicion.
Will boldly walked toward the entrance with Kaba following close behind, and the two disappeared into the shadowed entrance. Several minutes passed before Will reappeared in the sunlight.
“Sir, you should come look at this,” he suggested.
The old man walked slowly across the courtyard and into the dimly lit interior of the chapel. A few of his mercenaries were checking something on the floor in the front behind a stone altar. Another one was on a knee off to the side, looking at something else. The pungent smell of gunpowder hung in the air. Bullet holes riddled the wooden church pews; the first few were a tangled mess of splinters. Lindsey neared the front of the room and saw what the man to the side was checking. It was the body of a monk. The dark robes were soaked in blood. Lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling.
Now he could also see what the other two were looking into. A dark hole had been cut into the floor just behind the heavy altar. They seemed uncertain about going into the dark cavity.
Another man appeared with Kaba in an alcove off to the left. They both held their guns down at their sides. “Sir, the pit is empty,” she informed.
Will’s face was perplexed. The men near the hole looked up at him awaiting orders.
“Should we pursue?” one with a shaved head asked. He had a black scarf around his mouth that matched the rest of his clothes.
Will thought for a moment. “Everyone, back outside! Now!” He ordered suddenly.
“Where are they,” Lindsey asked sternly.
“I don’t know, Sir. But I have a bad feeling we need to get back to the helicopters.”
Chapter 30
Khor Virap
Armenia
Sean and Adriana ushered Firth as quickly as they could through the passageway. There was a light up ahead, peaking through some cracks. They reached the end of the corridor and realized there was a large, wooden door wedged into the floor and ceiling. Sean pushed hard against it, but the barricade barely budged. Adriana leaned into the obstacle as well, causing it to grind a little further against the floor. Firth gasped for breath a few feet behind them.
Sean looked back at him in the pale glow of the flashlight. “Professor, if you don’t mind, could you lean into this thing with us. A little help would be nice.”
The older man fired off a quick look of derision, but stepped over and put his shoulder awkwardly against the façade. The extra weight was just what they needed, and the door lurched forward and toppled over. Light poured into the darkness through a cloud of dust. As the dust settled, they realized they were beyond the walls of the fortress, at the base of the hill. In front of them, two black helicopters sat silently on the Armenian plain. The pilots were nowhere to be seen.
“Come on,” Said to the others and warily started across the span between the foot of the hill and the closest helicopter.
Firth looked skeptical but fell in line behind the other two. He questioned Sean as they moved. “Do you even know how to fly one of these contraptions?”
“No,” he answered. “But she does.”
“You do?” Firth cast Adriana a questioning glance.
She shrugged as they reached the flying machine. “Aviation is a hobby of mine,” she gave a whimsical grin. “And it also comes in handy in my line of work.”
She opened up the pilot’s door and climbed inside. Sean and the professor climbed in as well, with Firth in the back. There was enough room to carry at least six people in the chopper, and it reminded Sean of ones he’d seen in pictures and movies from the Vietnam War.
Adriana quickly turned knobs and flipped switches. It didn’t take long before the rotors above the cockpit were whining to life.
“What about Jabez?” Firth yelled into the cockpit over the rising sound of the engines. “Are we just going to leave him?”
Sean turned around and stared into the professor’s eyes. It was probably one of the single most intense, determined stares Firth had ever seen.
“Jabez wanted us to go without him, Doc,” he explained. “I could see it in his eyes.” Sean was clearly distraught, but he also knew there was nothing he could do to save their new friend.
“You’re just going to leave him?” The professor asked again, disbelieving what he’d just heard.
“We’ll wait for him for a minute, Doc.” Sean spied the top of the hill where the driveway ended near the fortress entrance. If there were any signs of the enemy, they wouldn’t have much time before the chopper would be peppered with bullets.
The engine continued to gain momentum, and the propeller blurred overhead. “Ready whenever you are,” Adriana said through the headset. “Just say the word.”
Sean tried to watch the top of the hill and cave entrance simultaneously, his eyes jumping back and forth between the two. Worry set in when he saw the first of the black clad mercenaries at the top of the hill. Fortunately, they were at a fairly safe distance, but even so, he didn’t want to chance it. His attention went back to the rock wall and the corridor they’d left a few minutes before.
“Come on, Jabez. Where are you?” he said quietly through clenched teeth.
Puffs of dust started kicking up as the bullets started to rain down from the hilltop. It looked like six men lined the edge of protective barrier that ran along the driveway at the top.
Sean had just given the signal to Adriana for her to lift off when he noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye. It was Jabez running at a dead sprint toward the helicopter.
“Wait a second,” Sean ordered just as she was beginning to get the machine airborne.
Sean flung open his door and yelled out at the Arab. “Hurry. We have to move!”
Jabez never looked back up. He could see the rounds of metal pounding the dirt all around. Some of the snipers had noticed him and now the trail of gunfire was chasing him toward the helicopter.
Sean jumped back inside as Jabez neared the open back door. As soon as he reached the open back door, Adriana began to pull the aircraft off the ground again. Jabez launched into the floor of the back part of the chopper as it lifted off the ground. Adriana pulled the stick gently, veering the helicopter away from the small mountain. A few bullets panged off the metal shell of the cabin for a moment before they gained some distance and altitude.
Jabez breathed heavily in the back of the helicopter, taking in huge gasps of air while he put on a headse
t that had been hanging on the wall.
Sean turned around and looked back at him. “I thought you weren’t going to make it,” he said into the microphone that wrapped around near his mouth.
“I didn’t think I would either,” the Arab replied. “But I appreciate you waiting on me.”
“What about your men?” Adriana interrupted the mushy conversation.
“I will let them know not to return to the fortress. We will certainly need the trucks to navigate the mountains north of Ararat. We could fly, but I seriously doubt there will be many good places to land. Not a lot of level space in that mountain range.”
Adriana leveled out the helicopter high above the Armenian plains. Off to the left, the two peaks of Ararat Mountain loomed ominously. There had been something mysterious about the place, like it had long held a secret that the world needed to know. Now that mystery was mostly gone. If the ark of Noah was somewhere else, Ararat would become just another mountain.
“It is beautiful,” Adriana commented as the soared by in the afternoon sky, leaving the mountains behind and pulling up new ones in the distance.
Sean thought about it for a few minutes. Firth stared out the window at the enormous peaks. He must have been cold because he pulled his jacket tighter around his torso.
“There is another problem you have yet to consider,” the professor said after a long period of silence.
The headsets were filled with the strange background noise associated with flying in a helicopter.
“What’s that?” Sean twisted his head to look at Firth. He had almost reached his limit with the professor’s negativity.
Sean Wyatt Compilation Box Set Page 77
