Lindsey nodded then laid his head down on the mattress. He propped his feet up on the edge of the inflatable bed and closed his eyes.
Kaba gave Will a concerned look. DeGard, too, was somewhat thrown off by the old man’s odd behavior. Lindsey’s face had become pale, making him seem even older than his years belied.
“Is he going to be alright?” DeGard said with mocking empathy.
Kaba shot him a warning glance. “He will be fine, Monsieur DeGard. Your quarters will be with the other men. If I were you, I would get my bed prepared for the night. From the looks of it, this storm is going to keep us in until the morning.”
DeGard appeared indignant, but didn’t argue. Kaba clearly had no problem with taking physical action if necessary, and the look on her face expressed exactly that.
“Very well, Mademoiselle. I will leave you and your prophet. I only hope he lives through the night. It would be unacceptable if I did not receive my full payment.” He threw in the last insult as he stepped back through the door and disappeared into the cold wind.
Will carried a blanket over to the bed where the old man was now sleeping. He draped it over him and stepped back. “I know you want to kill DeGard, Kaba.” Will spun around slowly and stared at her.
She stood up from finishing the last mattress and stared back at him. “What do you care?” she asked.
Even in her winter coat, he could make out the outline of her taut body. She had felt amazing the other night. And part of him wished they could have a repeat performance. There was no privacy at the moment. He wondered if she was thinking about the same thing. Quickly, he diverted his thoughts back to her question.
“You should know that I get first dibs on him when the time comes. So, take a number.” He smirked as he answered.
She strolled toward him deliberately, one step in front of the other. “And why do you get to have all the fun?”
“Because I saw him first.”
“Fair enough. But at least let me watch when you do it.”
She stopped a few inches from him. Her chest heaved slow, deep breaths. He wanted her. Suddenly, Lindsey coughed from behind where Will was standing, and he turned to make sure the old man was okay.
The old man’s eyes were still closed. He must have just been racked by a fit of coughs in his sleep. When Will turned back around, Kaba was headed out the door into the cold.
“Where are you going?” he asked, curious.
“To get him a pillow and some more supplies. I hope we find the tree soon. I don’t know how much longer he can make it.” She slipped through the door and into the waning light of the early evening.
Will looked back over at the old man. Alexander Lindsey had saved his life, and had given him a future he could have never dreamed. He owed everything to Lindsey. And Will would do anything to save the man’s life and bring his vision to fruition.
Chapter 34
Ararat, Armenia
“We should find a place to hole up for the night,” Sean suggested as the group climbed back into the SUVs.
Snow had begun to fall, and from the looks of it, the storm wasn’t going away anytime soon. Little snowflakes were settling on the windshield. While none was accumulating on the ground yet, Sean had a feeling that would only be a matter of time.
Darkness had begun to settle in as well, as if the clouds themselves had ushered it. The few derelict people on the sidewalks had disappeared, apparently unwilling to stay outside in the cold any longer.
“I suppose finding a hotel is out of the question,” Sean joked with Jabez as they closed the doors to their vehicle and brushed off some of the snowflakes from their jackets.
Jabez must not have gotten the joke because he cast Sean a curious glance. “There are no hotels near here. But there is a church we might be able to take shelter in.”
Sean let go of the fact that the Arab had missed the joke. “Do you think there will be anyone there?”
“I doubt it,” he replied. “It looked like it had been abandoned when we passed it.”
“Oh,” Sean raised his eyebrows.
Jabez cast a wry grin and stepped on the gas. The two vehicles whipped around the town square and headed back in the direction they’d come. “Remember the direction we need to go. We will come back through this part of town on our way out in the morning.”
Adriana was busy in the back seat with a tablet in her hands, scanning through aerial images of the mountains to the northeast. Firth couldn’t help but ask.
“What are you looking at?” he said in a polite a tone as he could.
“These are satellite images of the mountains where we believe the ark may be,” she pointed at the screen and made a circular motion. “I’m looking for an anomaly, the footprint that we discussed earlier. I imagine it would closely resemble a small canyon at this point. So, it would remain unnoticed to someone who didn’t know what they were looking for.”
The professor seemed impressed. He slid a little closer and continued staring at the screen as she scrolled through the regional view. It all pretty much looked the same. There were some spots where erosion had cut away deep valleys, but other than that, spotting anything unusual was more difficult than she had first suspected.
“What is that, right there?” he jabbed a finger at a point on the screen where there was something strange sticking out from one of the seemingly endless mountains.
She shook her head. “It’s an old rock quarry.” Adriana continued scrolling through the images for a few more minutes.
“This is it,” Jabez announced and slowed the vehicle to a stop.
The little convoy was parked in front of a ragged old building. The sign dangling over the front entrance was barely hanging on by one point. Sean wasn’t sure what the lettering said on it, but he wasn’t impressed by the facility.
“Jabez, this thing looks like it’s been closed for a long time.”
“It probably has,” the Arab shrugged. “Most of the Christian church members left this region a long time ago when Muslim influence became overwhelming. Some still clung to their homes, though, and their churches. This one was probably one of the last ones to be left behind.”
To say the gray building was dilapidated would be an understatement. But the roof was intact, and except for a few spots where it looked like the paint had cracked and rotted, the walls seemed sturdy enough.
Jabez sensed Sean’s hesitation. “It is either this or we head on into the mountains. My men have tents we can pitch. But it will be dark before we can get them ready, and by then the temperature will have dropped significantly.”
Sean knew he was right. They didn’t have many options. At least Jabez had prepared for the worst. “Ok,” he said after a few more seconds of consideration. “This will do.”
They stepped out of the vehicles into the darkening town. There were a few lights on in some of the buildings, but no signs of life. It was one of the strangest things he’d ever seen, like an entire city had been abandoned, but with some of the lights still on.
Snow flurries had been falling on their drive to the church. Now they were full-fledged snowflakes, dropping at an ever-increasing pace. The men in the rear vehicle began unloading black plastic supply crates and black bags. One of them marched over to the front door of the church, and after discovering it was locked, kicked the thing in.
Sean and his companions followed Jabez up the sidewalk and into the entrance of the little church. Inside, the smell of dust filled Sean’s nose. But as he looked around, he was surprised to find things left in remarkably good shape. The pews were all in their rows. Church hymnals had been left in their slots on the back of the seats. And the cushions in the pews seemed to be in decent repair.
The sanctuary was minimally decorated, featuring white walls with dark window frames, and a few dark buttresses pointing up to the angled ceiling. Two bronze chandelier-style light fixtures hung from the roof over the center aisle between the rows of seats. In the front, the wooden pulpit
sat alone with a cross emblazoned on the front of it. There were a few pots to each side, but they were empty. The plants that were in them at one point must have been removed long ago.
It was cold in the room, but not as cold as it was out in the elements. A few of Jabez’s men had brought in small heaters. Sean had wondered how the things were going to operate on no power. Then he realized they had fuel cells in them. The men placed the devices on the floor in each corner of the sanctuary and turned them on, causing them to hum quietly in place as they put out warm air.
“We can sleep on the pews,” Jabez stated. “Those cushions are much better than sleeping on the floor or an air mattress. And there are enough for all of us.”
Firth let out a deep sigh and shook his head but said nothing. Sean wondered if the professor had reached his maximum output for complaining.
Adriana didn’t wait for anyone to say anything. She dropped her gear off in the next to last row and started pulling out some of her things, making herself at home. When she was satisfied with her claim to a spot, she sat down on the pew and pulled out her tablet again, diligently trying to find the anomaly they were looking for in the mountains.
Sean watched her, mesmerized. She was an intriguing woman. Once her mind was set to something, Adriana wouldn’t let anything get in the way of finishing. Since they’d met, there hadn’t been much time to spend in a social-type setting. But something inside him ached to. He hadn’t felt that way in a long time about anyone. There had been some flings here and there, but nothing serious. He had been intrigued by Allyson Webster. She, however, had done what he felt so many others had done to him, which was why he preferred to fly solo. Allyson hadn’t been who she claimed to be, instead turning out to be some kind of international criminal only along for the ride to see what kinds of priceless treasures she could steal and sell on the black market.
There were any number of women he’d met through the years, but there had only been one Sean had ever really trusted. Much less given his heart to. That was a long time ago. And she was gone. He blamed himself for it for years, only forgiving himself after drowning his guilt in work for the government. Axis had been a blessing in that regard. It was tough to think too much about the past when you had people chasing you, shooting at you, lying to you. Paranoia had become his best friend, and had made him alert, cautious, and tenacious. Maybe now he was getting soft. He’d let down his guard with Allyson. And now he found himself doing the same with Adriana.
Sean told himself that Adriana was different. She’d stuck around, and proven herself over and over again. Deep down, he wondered if he was simply justifying his feelings because of her good looks.
She looked up from the tablet, catching him in the act of staring at her. A crease reached out to her cheek in a little smile.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked innocently.
He looked away briefly, ashamed that he’d been caught staring, but quickly brought his eyes back to her. “Just impressed with how diligent you are. You don’t give up easily. That’s an admirable trait.”
“I get it from my father,” she replied and returned her attention to the screen.
Her face resonated in the glow of the electronic device’s retina display. “He taught me to never give up on anything I set my mind to, even if he believed it to be silly.”
“That’s good advice.”
She nodded. “It has served me well in my endeavors. Some people might call what I do a childish venture; that I am playing a fairy tale hero. But to be able to return great works to their rightful owners, or to a place where they can be shared with the rest of the world, is good work.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s childish at all.” His face twisted slightly. “Although, I’m glad to be out of the game where people are chasing me and trying to kill me all the time.”
Adriana smirked and glanced back up at him. “It would seem you are hardly out of that game.”
Touche. He snorted at the comment. “Well,” he hung his head for a second, “I guess I’m still trying to get out of it.”
Her eyes returned to the screen again while she spoke. “For people like us, Sean, I am not so sure we can ever retire to a life of gardening and bridge. While I do not enjoy the dangerous aspects of what I do, I believe some part of me needs it.”
“Not me,” Sean disagreed and took a seat next to her. “I’ve got other plans.”
She continued to scroll her finger across the screen, zooming in occasionally to get a closer look at a peculiarity then moving on.
“What kind of plans?”
He hadn’t really talked to anyone about his retirement goals. But it was something that weighed on his mind, and had been even heavier over the course of the last few months. The thoughts reminded him of Tommy, and again his heart panged slightly. He hoped his friend was okay.
“I’m a man of two places,” Sean began. “I’ve got some land up in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia. Going to build a cabin there near a lake. I figure I’ll spend some of my time there, and some of it at my beach house.”
He could see her eyebrows rise in the glow of the tablet’s screen. “You have a beach home?” she seemed surprised.
He shifted uneasily. “Well, no. Not yet. But I’m looking at some places down on the Gulf of Mexico. Nothing too touristy. Just a quiet beach town.”
“And what will you do in your cabin and in your beach house?” she sounded dubious.
“I dunno. I’ve always enjoyed mountain biking. Tons of places in the mountains to do that. And I’m really interested in flat water kayaking. My cabin will be right on a lake, so I can do that anytime I want. It’s so peaceful being out on the water, paddling, cruising along. Who knows? I may even open up a sea kayaking shop near my beach house. That looks like it might be fun, too.”
There were a few moments of silence before she asked the question that was already stuck in his head. “Have you spoken to your friend about this?”
“Tommy?” Sean knew exactly who she meant. “No. Not yet. I haven’t had the time. And now that he’s...I guess I feel a little guilty about wanting to walk away.”
“But do you not enjoy the work, the traveling, discovering ancient artifacts and secrets that have long been hidden?”
“I guess,” he shrugged. Actually, he did love that part. But he was tired, and just wanted to be in one place for more than a few weeks at a time.
“That did not sound convincing,” she said skeptically. “However, you must do what your heart calls for.” Her words hit him in more than one way.
He wanted so badly to move a little closer to her. The outline of her face, the smooth texture of her creamy skin beckoned to him. He thought better of it, though. She could be like an untamed animal. If he moved too quickly, it might startle her. Maybe he had become gun shy with women. Or maybe he just didn’t want to get too close to someone again.
Jabez’s men had finished bringing the supplies in and closed up the front door and were busy making sure the building stayed as warm as possible for the night, repositioning the heaters and plugging up any holes in the walls. Firth found an empty pew near the front of the church where he placed his few belongings then headed back to where Adriana and Sean were talking.
The professor had overheard their conversation and decided to add his two cents. “You know, Sean, it isn’t just about what your heart and mind want to do.”
Sean looked up from the screen with a quizzical stare. “I’m sorry?”
Firth helped himself to a seat in the pew directly in front of his two companions and turned around awkwardly to face them. “In this life, there are always three parts to our path. The first is what our minds want to do. We think we know, and sometimes we use logic to uncover our way. But in the end, that isn’t always the right decision.
“The second part comes from our hearts,” he continued. “Like the young lady said, we long to make our hearts happy. Reason would make you think that if we make our hear
ts happy, our minds would be at peace.”
Sean hadn’t heard the professor talk like this since he’d met the grouch. Now, all of the sudden, he was a philosopher? Still, he listened patiently to see where the old man was going with his point.
“The last, and probably most important part has nothing to do with our hearts or our minds. In fact, it has very little to do with us as individuals. It has to do with the bigger picture, the grand scale of things. It is what we are called to do.”
He let the words hang in the old sanctuary for a few moments. Sean understood what Firth was saying. Sometimes, what people wanted didn’t really even matter. It was what the world needed of them, what life needed of them.
Firth narrowed his eyes. “What the universe needs of us takes all precedence. And sometimes, it may not be what is best for us. It may even call us to give up our lives. But if that is what is needed, that is what we must do.”
It was a heavy thought. But Sean understood. Adriana had looked up from her tablet while the professor was talking. His words had caught her attention too, and clearly must have struck a nerve.
Sean spoke up. “What are you sayin’, Doc? That I shouldn’t retire? That I shouldn’t try to relax? I think I’ve done my time helping out the universe.”
The professor cocked his head to the side for a second and shrugged. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t do those things. All I am saying is that when the need arises never turn your back on it. You must accept the call no matter what the consequences.”
Jabez slammed the front door to the church and plodded into the sanctuary, effectively ending the conversation.
“I’ve never seen snow like this before. It’s a good thing we stopped here for the night.” He looked at the three grave faces, not sure why everyone was so glum. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” Sean perked up. “Everything is fine. So, the snow is coming down pretty hard?” He stood up and walked over to a window.
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