Keepers of the Lost Ark

by J. Robert Kennedy

  Leroux racked his brain, trying to think of what she could possibly be referring to. “I give up. What?”

  “Fat people, especially men. TV shows, movies, memes, everything, are still making fun of fat people, just like twenty years ago when they were making fun of homosexuals.”

  Leroux had to agree. Weight was never his problem, nor did he think it ever was Sherrie’s, but he had noticed over the years they had known each other, she rarely laughed at anything that made fun of obese people. “You’re right, of course, they are the only people it’s still open season on.” Her face clouded over and he took her hand. “Tell me.”

  Her eyes filled with tears and he held her close.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “It was my dad.”

  “What, he was overweight?”

  “Yes. He was always struggling, always battling it, trying everything, but he could never lose it, not permanently. I remember him always trying so hard, and always failing, before he finally gave up. He said it wasn’t worth making himself miserable over, and if it killed him, then so be it.” She gasped, quickly sucking the breath back in. “I remember…I remember, just before he was killed, that he said he’d rather die young and happy, than old and miserable.” Her shoulders shook. “The worst part of it, though, was that I knew he was miserable. He was a prisoner in his own body. He was always so full of life when I was young, even though he was overweight, but when he went on Insulin and gained so much more, it killed him inside. He was never the same.”

  He held her tight, this a rare occasion, Sherrie almost never talking about her parents, both having been killed in a car accident when she was a teenager. “It’s okay. He’s in a better place now.”

  “I-I hope so. At least his suffering is over.” Her shoulders shook. “I just miss them so much.”

  He ran his hand over the back of her head as she gently cried, her breathing slowly becoming regular before she fell asleep in his arms. He found his own tears flowing now, never having seen the woman he loved so affected by anything so personal. He felt closer to her now, now that he had seen her so vulnerable for the first time, and wanted to protect her from all the hate in the world, despite the fact she was the one who protected him.

  His phone vibrated on the nightstand and he extricated himself as gently as he could, his efforts futile as she woke up.

  “Sorry, did I fall asleep?”

  “Like a baby.” He grabbed his phone, holding it up. “It’s Sonya.”

  “Ahh, the other woman in your life.”

  He grinned at the reference to his underling’s crush on him. “I am a popular guy.” He swiped his thumb. “Hi, Sonya, what’s up?”

  “Hello, sir, sorry to bother you on your day off, but I thought you should know that Professor Acton’s house was just broken into.”

  Leroux propped up against the headboard, his eyes narrowing. He had dealt with Acton and his wife on far too many occasions, their knack for getting into trouble legendary at Langley and Fort Bragg. “Have the police been notified?”

  “No, this was an expert job. The system was deactivated before it had a chance to go off.”

  “Then how do we know about it?”

  “Special Agent Kane had a backup installed when we were dealing with the Assembly threat. It was never taken out, and the thieves didn’t know to bypass it.”

  “Where are the professors now?”

  “Ethiopia.”

  “What the hell are they doing there?”

  “No idea.”

  Leroux sighed. “Okay, check the cameras in the neighborhood, see if they caught anything. I’m going to talk to Dylan, see if he wants to do anything, since this was his ask.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you know what we find.”

  Leroux ended the call and turned to Sherrie, now sitting cross-legged beside him, any trace of her earlier emotional outburst gone. “So, what have the professors got themselves into this time?”

  Leroux chewed his cheek for a moment. “Not sure. Their house was broken into. Professional job. A backup Dylan had installed got tripped, so that’s the only reason we know about it.”

  Sherrie bounced closer, a bit of impressive yogic flying executed. “I’m off for two days. I could go check it out.” She brightened. “I could take Fang! I know she’d kill to do something with a little bit of excitement.”

  Leroux smiled at her enthusiasm. “Sounds good to me. Just remember, if you’re caught, you’re on your own.”

  She executed the perfect pout. “You’ll break up with me?”

  He extended his hand. “Hi, Chris Leroux, nerd loser who knows nothing about women. Nice to meet you.”

  She slapped his hand away. “You know I hate it when you put yourself down.” She reached over and squeezed Chris Jr. “And you definitely know a thing or two about women.” She winked. “Or at least he does.”

  22 |

  Kane/Fang Residence, Fairfax Towers Falls Church, Virginia

  CIA Special Agent Dylan Kane pushed as hard as he could, the treadmill reaching its limit as his heart threatened to explode. His body dripped with sweat, his veins bulged, and to his astonishment, he still couldn’t match his girlfriend’s speed.

  And he finally gave up trying, reaching forward and reducing the speed by a few notches, the reprieve welcomed by his struggling heart as Lee Fang, former Chinese Special Forces, and now exile in hiding, continued her blistering pace.

  “You’re a machine.”

  She grinned. “When you have nothing else to do, you have plenty of time to work on your cardio.” Her iPhone beeped, her sixty minutes up, and she eased off, beginning her cooldown. “Want to go for a run after this?”

  Kane’s eyes bulged as he slowed to an easy jog. “Are you nuts?”

  She giggled. “Or we could hit the shower. Together.”

  Kane’s eyebrows bounced suggestively. “Now, I like the sound of that.” He yanked the safety clip from the treadmill, killing the unit. “Race you?”

  “You’d lose.”

  The doorbell rang and Kane cursed. “I bet that’s Chris. Ever since we moved into his building, he seems to be hellbent on revenge for all those times I interrupted him and Sherrie from bumpin’ uglies.”

  He folded up his treadmill as Fang did the same, pushing them both into the closet before grabbing a towel.

  The doorbell rang again.

  “I’m coming! I’m coming!” He jogged over to the door and peeked through the peephole, smiling with satisfaction. “Told you!” He opened the door and greeted his best friend and his other half. “Hey, guys, come on in.” He stepped aside and grinned at Leroux’s flushed face and awkward smile. “Hey, you got some, didn’t you?”

  Leroux went full red.

  “Twice!” confirmed Sherrie.

  “My man!” Kane offered up a fist bump which Leroux reluctantly tapped. Fang walked over, a housecoat wrapped around her lithe frame, and handed Kane a bottle of water, her own well underway.

  “So, to what do we owe the pleasure? I thought we were having dinner tomorrow night.” Fang’s eyes widened. “Oh no, did I get the dates wrong?”

  Sherrie shook her head. “No, no, this is all business.”

  Fang brightened. “Ooh, I like business!”

  Kane gave her a quick squeeze around the shoulders. “My babe does love shooting at things.” He led their guests into the living room and was about to sit when Fang swatted him.

  “Don’t you dare sit that sweaty bum on my couch.”

  Kane hovered, his ass inches from the seat, then stood, Fang tossing him a dry towel to sit on. He spread it out then sat. “Happy?”

  “Elated.”

  “Good.” He returned his attention to Leroux. “So, what’s going on?”

  “I got a call from Sonya.”

  Kane grinned. “During?”

  Sherrie cocked her head. “Would that technically be a threesome if the person on the other end of the line wants to do the slap and tickle with t
he other person?”

  Leroux shook his head, closing his eyes. “Who would have ever thought I’d be the one with women troubles.”

  “Buddy, it’s a lucky man who has two women that want him. And it’s a stupid man that acts on it.”

  Sherrie patted Leroux’s cheek. “I trust my man.”

  Leroux rolled his eyes. “I hate being lucky.” He held up a hand, cutting off Sherrie’s no doubt witty response. “Anyway, Sonya said that Professor Acton’s house was just broken into. Professional job. They bypassed the alarm, but didn’t know about the backup you had installed when we were dealing with the Assembly.”

  Kane leaned back, concerned. Professor Acton was his former archaeology professor at university, before he dropped out to join the Army and fight terrorism. It had been Acton that acted as his advisor during the difficult decision. “I forgot I had done that.” Kane paused. “You don’t think it’s the Assembly, do you?”

  Leroux shook his head. “We haven’t heard from them since we took them down. No, this is something else.”

  Kane nodded. “We should check it out.”

  Sherrie agreed. “That’s what we were thinking. I’ll go, and Fang, if you want to come—”

  Fang was hopping up and down in excitement. “Yes, please!”

  Kane smiled at the love of his life, a woman he had rescued from the Chinese government after she had technically committed treason to stop rogue generals from conspiring in a coup attempt in the United States. Their shared loneliness had drawn them together, and outside of his official duties, they were now inseparable.

  And he loved to see her excited.

  “If you two do this, Fang does all the dirty work.”

  Sherrie’s lower lip shoved out. “Awww!”

  Leroux chuckled. “No, he’s right. You have to stay in the car and provide backup. We can’t have a CIA agent breaking into a private residence.” He paused, his eyes taking on that distant stare they all knew so well. It meant Kane’s friend was about to have an epiphany.

  “Uh oh. Some knowledge is about to drop,” warned Kane.

  Sherrie snickered. “I love it when he does that.”

  Leroux snapped back to reality. “I was thinking—”

  Kane gave him a look. “No, really?”

  His friend flipped him the bird. “I was thinking, maybe we’re going about this all wrong.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Fang.

  “Well, you guys are all spies, so you always think of getting into a place without anyone knowing.”

  Sherrie turned to face him on the loveseat. “What are you getting at?”

  “Well, why not just go in with permission?”

  Fang frowned. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  Kane patted her leg. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, surely his best friend, Greg Milton, has a spare key. Just tell him what’s going on, he’ll let you in, and nobody is breaking any laws.”

  Fang’s frown turned into a pout. “You’re no fun.”

  Leroux shrugged. “Maybe, but this way you all survive the day without criminal records.”

  Kane sighed. “Sorry, dear, but he’s right.”

  Fang folded her arms. “He may be, but he’s still no fun.”

  23 |

  Unknown Location South of Aksum, Ethiopia

  Acton’s heart hammered with excitement. He had seen these churches before, though only in pictures, and those did the actual structure little justice. These rock-cut monolithic churches were carved directly into the bedrock, down into the earth. It left a flat surface to the naked eye from a distance, but at the edge of the outside cuts, a full structure was visible in the center, including windows and doorways.

  It was breathtaking work, performed centuries ago, providing not only security from a distance, but a reprieve from the desert heat.

  “I’ve always dreamed of seeing one of these,” murmured Laura, in awe as he was.

  Father Amanuel smiled. “I guess I sometimes forget how unique these are to outsiders. I’ve lived in and among them most of my life, so I guess I’ve grown accustomed to them.” He beckoned them to follow him down the stairs carved into the earth on one of the four sides, leading them to the bottom of the excavation, then through a doorway made from wood, a cross etched over its arch. They entered an outer chamber, another set of doors ahead of them.

  Laura gripped Acton’s hand and squeezed. He returned it as he trembled with excitement.

  “Are we about to see what I think we’re about to see?”

  Amanuel smiled. “Yes. You are about to see what few have in thousands of years, ever since King Menelik ordered it hidden from his people.” The elderly priest removed a key from around his neck, and unlocked the second set of doors. He stepped inside and Acton followed Laura after him, the natural light from windows carved above gone, only torchlight now lighting their way.

  Gleaming off the copious amounts of gold cladding the vessel built thousands of years ago, to the exacting specifications provided by God.

  Shivers rushed over his body like waves as he took in the sight, the two cherubim, their wings arched forward as they bowed toward the mercy seat meant for communion with God Himself, had his chest aching at their beauty, the artisans responsible demonstrating their faith and respect through their God-given skills.

  “It’s beautiful,” he whispered, almost afraid to speak in its presence.

  Laura stepped closer, her hand extending to touch it, when he finally realized what she was doing.

  “No!” He surged forward, grabbing her and pulling her back. “Don’t touch it, remember? Only by the poles.”

  She gave him a look. “You don’t believe that, do you?”

  “Are you willing to take that chance?”

  She frowned, but shoved her hands into her pockets. “Perhaps it’s better to be safe than sorry.” She circled the Ark, examining it carefully, Acton doing the same in the opposite direction. He reached out and ran his hand along the poles used to carry the Ark, the only part of the creation allowed to be touched by man.

  And frowned.

  “This is a fake!” he cried.

  Laura rushed around to see what he had found. “What is it?”

  He pointed at the pole. “Look at the wood. What would you say that is?”

  She leaned in, shaking her head. “I’m not sure, but it’s definitely not acacia.” She turned to Amanuel, who remained by the door. “Why would you waste our time like this?”

  Acton stared at the elderly priest with a combination of disappointment and rage. “And all that money? What possible reason could you have?”

  Amanuel held up his hands in defense. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” He stepped closer, eying the Ark. “I’m sure you’re mistaken.”

  Acton shook his head vehemently. “I’m not.” He eyed Amanuel. “And you know it. You’re intentionally showing us a fake, aren’t you?”

  Amanuel stood, saying nothing, before finally sighing. “It’s forbidden for anyone outside our order to see the real Ark. If word of its existence were to get out, so many would flock to it, that it would be lost for sure.”

  “But isn’t it lost already?” Laura ran her hand along the fake. “Nobody has seen it for so long, it might as well be.”

  Amanuel shook his head. “No, it is merely forgotten. By design.”

  Acton’s eyes narrowed. “By design?”

  “Yes. At first, King Menelik ordered the Ark hidden so it couldn’t be abused by his grandson, who wanted to use it to conquer the kingdom’s enemies. Jewish rabbis were given the honor of fulfilling Menelik’s directive, his instructions to keep the Ark hidden forever followed for a millennium. When our Lord Jesus Christ was born, and we converted to Christianity, things changed. He spoke of a time when the Ark would be forgotten, because it would no longer be needed to commune with God, because all man would be united under Him in Jerusalem.”

  Acton bit his lip for a moment. “So, your interpretation is th
at this unity He spoke of can never come to pass as long as mankind knows of the Ark.”

  Amanuel nodded. “Good. You understand. If word were to get out and the actual Ark were to be seen by the public, there would be a renewed reverence for it, and while it may rally many of mankind to its altar, it would mean the prophecy could never come true. Mankind would never unite under Jesus, because mankind would never have forgotten about the Ark.”

  Laura, always the pragmatist, spoke first. “If you don’t want mankind to see it, and you actually want them to forget it even exists, then why not let it crumble? Why bring us here to preserve it?”

  “Because it is the Ark. Nothing was ever said about destroying it, or letting it turn to dust. Our duty is to hide it until the prophecy is fulfilled.”

  Acton scratched his neck. “Why not give it to the Vatican? Surely they could protect it.”

  Amanuel grunted. “They would put it on display, for all to see, forever. The prophecy would be doomed for certain.”

  Acton frowned. “But you’ve been telling everyone you’ve had it for decades, if not centuries.”

  Amanuel smiled. “And did you believe us?”

  “Well, no, I guess not.”

  “Exactly. There are dozens of churches here that claim to have the Ark, many with replicas just like this. All swear theirs is real, and since they all can’t be, everyone assumes none are.”

  “Yet you want us to believe yours is.”

  Amanuel held up his hands and shrugged. “You must have faith, my son.”

  Laura exhaled loudly. “Well, Father, if we’re to show you how to preserve the real Ark, we’ll need to see it.”

  Amanuel shook his head. “Absolutely not. Just show us how on this replica, and we’ll do the rest.”