“Dr. Cross. I’m not the enemy. You have nothing to fear.”
“Who are you?” Steven asked, blinking in disbelief.
“Colonel Gabriel Synthe. Now let’s get your friend and the girl out of here before she bleeds out. I have a satellite phone and can have a chopper here in ten minutes or less. I’ve got one standing by. If we hurry, she can be in Amman within half an hour, which means that, if she’s lucky, she’ll have a decent chance of making it. Pick her up and bring her to the mouth of the cave, and then drag your friend, Moody, over. I’ve got to make a call.”
As Synthe stepped back into the sunlight, Steven noticed that he was pouring sweat and breathing as though he’d just run a marathon. He fished a satellite phone out of the backpack he’d left outside the cave and spoke softly into it for a few moments. Synthe stabbed the call off and turned to Steven.
“Congratulations are in order. You’ve made the discovery of the ages.”
“Who are you?” Steven repeated.
“I already told you. Gabriel Synthe. I’m with a competitive branch of the Church to Luca over there.” He gestured to the back of the cave, where Luca was shuddering in convulsions. “Nothing to be done for him, I’m afraid. I’ve seen those kinds of bites before. A horrible way to go. There’s no anti-venom. We lose more than a few every year that way in Israel. The vipers are notorious.”
“The Church? Carrying silenced weapons and killing like a pro?” Steven asked skeptically, cradling Natalie as he carried her to the front of the cave as instructed.
“Call it the operational wing. Dirty tricks and counter-intelligence.”
“Ah. The Order?” Steven speculated.
“You’re a smart man. How much do you really think it’s wise to know? Just call me the guy who’s going to rescue your girl after saving your ass, and who will put everything right so you don’t wind up in a Jordanian prison for the rest of your lives. You do realize the government would frown if they knew you had automatic weapons and were armed to the teeth, right?”
“Where did you come from?” Steven asked.
“I was tailing them and had to wait until they entered the cave to get up the hill. Quite a run, by the way. Makes me seriously consider quitting smoking,” Synthe said, still winded. He reached into the breast pocket of his safari shirt and extracted a pack of cigarettes, fishing one out and sticking it in his mouth.
“That normally would take twenty minutes, at least.”
“I made it in under ten. Then again, I was motivated. I didn’t know how much time I had before he’d kill you. But I figured that a windbag like him wouldn’t be able to resist pontificating, pardon the pun, and whatever was in the cave would probably take a few minutes for him to absorb.” He lit the smoke with a gold Cartier lighter. “Today was your lucky day. Hopefully, it will continue when you get to the hospital. Once you’re on your way, I’ll call ahead to make sure they’re ready for her.
Here.
Let me see what we’ve got.” Synthe said, moving to Natalie. Steven recoiled – he stank of sweat and cigarettes. Synthe lifted Natalie’s hand from her stomach and peered at the wound, and then gently laid it back.
“Got her in the lower bowel. Better than the upper, but still not great. If you’re a religious man, I’d start praying,” Synthe told Steven. He blew a stream of smoke out into the sun.
“But you’re not? Working for the Church?”
“The Lord works in mysterious ways,
n’est-ce pas
? Even those who only stand and wait, and so on. Just count yourself fortunate that the Church occasionally dirties its hands with the likes of me. Now, do as I ask and go grab your buddy. Looks like he’s got a nasty head wound. Lots of blood.”
“Luca hit him with a Colt.”
“Did he really? Quite a passive man of the cloth, our Luca. Shame he’ll be dead in a few more minutes.”
Steven shook his head as though to clear it. “How did they know?”
“Wireless transmitter. I’d imagine Luca pushed the panic button when you found the cave wall. It took them a while to get up the river. The big one you skewered is Frank’s enforcer. He was camped out a half a mile downstream from you. Had a permit and everything. Apparently, Frank had some pull with the Jordanians. Amieri took off like a rabbit when he got the signal and killed your two boys in the camp, and then Frank came
poncing
in on a helicopter. You probably didn’t hear it from deep in the cave.”
“I think Luca did. You’re right, though. The acoustics are deceptive.”
“That’s the only thing that’s saved you from the Jordanian military landing here right now. The shot didn’t sound like much, even from just outside. If she’d fired that weapon in the open it would have brought in the cavalry and there would have been a lot of explaining to do – it would have echoed all the way down the canyon and they’d have had to check what had happened. Count your blessings.” Synthe walked back into the cave, briefly studying the crown and tablet, and then moved to the skeleton. “Speaking of which, is that who I think it is?”
“Yes.”
“Church is going to go ape over this, aren’t they?”
“I’d assume so. I have a feeling Luca was right about that. There’s no way they’ll want this to come out,” Steven said.
“Oh well. Do you care?” Synthe asked, studying Steven’s face.
Steven thought about it. “Not really.”
They returned to the front of the cave and in a few minutes were greeted by the distinctive sound of a big chopper.
“I’m going to have them lift her and your friend out on a stretcher. You’ll need to get reeled up on a harness. You okay with that?” Synthe said.
“Fine. Just get her help.”
Natalie had passed out from the pain, so at least wasn’t suffering for now.
Synthe moved out into the sun again, and Steven waited inside until Synthe called for him. With a final glance at the skeleton, he gathered Natalie in his arms and walked out into the blinding heat.
Natalie came out of the operating room after four and a half hours. The surgeon who followed her gurney approached Steven, who was sitting in the hall nervously fidgeting with a can of soda.
Steven jumped to his feet. “How is she?”
The surgeon pulled his mask off and pursed his lips. “The biggest danger now is sepsis. I got the bullet out and sewed up all the damage, but these things can go either way. The prognosis is guarded, but positive. If there are no complications over the next forty-eight hours, I think we’re in the clear, although she will need bed rest for a few weeks.”
“When will she be conscious?” Steven asked.
“In about an hour. She’ll be in a lot of pain, so we’re going to be administering morphine for the first seventy-two hours via her IV. She’ll be groggy and out of it.”
Steven shook the surgeon’s hand. “Thank you for saving her life.”
“It’s all part of the job.”
“You speak excellent English, Doctor…”
“
Faruk
. I went to school at Penn State.”
The telltale odor of antiseptic hung in the room, an expected companion to the oxygen tubing, the heart rate monitor by Natalie’s head and her IV drip pole. The lighting was dim, set that way to promote rest. A nurse entered and checked her vitals. After fiddling with the IV line, she gave Steven a professional smile and exited.
Natalie’s eyes flickered open and searched Steven’s face, the drugs obvious in her dilated pupils and unfocused gaze. She licked her parched lips and croaked out, “Hello, stranger.”
Steven smiled and reached to hold her hand. “You’ll do just about anything to get attention, huh?”
“You should know that by now. Did you know getting shot hurts?” Natalie asked.
“I seem to recall it’s not a lot of fun. But the doctor says you’re going to be fine,” Steven said.
“Hopefully, better than fine.”
“He actually said you’d be super, but it sounded lame. I figured you’d think I was blowing smoke…”
“Is that an offer?” Natalie asked, her voice dreamy.
“Absolutely.”
There was a soft knock at the door, then Moody entered, his head bandaged and his eyes puffy.
“Who let the mummy in?” Natalie rasped.
“You should have seen the other guy.”
“You look like a raccoon,” she observed, then shut her eyes, drifting back off to sleep.
Steven released her limp hand and moved to the door, motioning to Moody with his head to step out into the hall.
“How are you feeling?” Steven asked.
“Like someone ran over me with a tank. You?”
“Never better. Nothing like a little close-quarters combat to perk up a dull day.” Steven eyed Moody’s bandage. “What are the odds we can get the helicopter to give us a lift out to the site tonight?”
“Nil. Too much going on. I’ve been running interference since I got out of the CT room. I have two guys on the ground out there to clean up the bodies and make sure nothing walks off and, apparently, your new friend from the Church has a whole crew sanitizing the area. Between his group and mine, I’d say you’re pretty much covered. Why? What do you want?” Moody asked.
“The laptop. A few other things, like clothes, ID…the usual,” Steven answered.
“It’ll still be there tomorrow morning. You
wanna
hook up around seven for a chopper ride?”
“I thought you’d never ask. I’m going to crash in Natalie’s room – they said they would bring in a cot. Can you meet me back here to pick me up?” Steven asked.
“Sure thing.” Moody paused, holding Steven’s gaze. “Take care of her. She’s one in a million. I probably have some sour grapes that it’s you and not me, but if she’s happy, that’s fine. You’re a fortunate man.”
“I know I am. And I will take care of her. You can count on that.”
The following morning, the river bed was unrecognizable. The tents were stowed back in their containers, the kitchen and latrines broken down and packed, and everything was readied for departure. Steven’s and Natalie’s bags sat neatly next to Moody’s off to one side, with Moody’s two men loitering near them, trying to be unobtrusive in the already oppressive heat.
That will be one thing I won’t miss
, Steven thought as the helicopter set down. Moody slid the door open with a tug, and they both hopped out as the blades slowed to an idle.
“See? Everything’s under control. I do have a little experience with these things, you know,” Moody said as they walked to their bags. Steven crouched down and did a quick inventory – computer, passports, wallets and money all there. He fished his binoculars out and scanned the canyon side, looking for the cave. All he saw was fresh dirt and sand in a spot three quarters up the north face.
“My guys said that Synthe had a crew out here last night with battery-powered lights setting detonators,” Moody said. “They removed the evidence and collapsed the cave, so there’s no proof anything was up there. I’ll give him credit for being efficient, that’s for sure. If you didn’t know what had gone down yesterday, you’d never notice anything. And by tomorrow or the day after, the sand and sun will have done their work, and there will be no trace.”
“You get the feeling he’s done this kind of thing before?” Steven asked, and then turned when he saw Moody glancing over his shoulder. Synthe was approaching from down the river bed. When he arrived on the mound, he shook hands with them both.
Moody spoke first. “I think some thanks are in order for saving everyone’s lives, mine included.”
“None necessary. Glad I could help out. It’s a shame this regrettable incident even took place.” He fixed Moody with a neutral look. “Or didn’t.”
“Exactly. Nothing to see here. Move along,” Moody replied.
“May I tear Dr. Cross away from you for a moment?” Synthe asked, taking Steven lightly by the arm, not waiting for a reply. He leaned in to Steven and spoke almost inaudibly.
“My side needs to have a word with you. Some assurances. Luca was working far outside his authority, and I need to know what arrangements he made so I can look at fixing things,” he said.
“I was afraid of that.” Steven went on to tell him about the tape, and the papal letters.
“When can you be back in Rome? Or put another way: the jet is at your disposal; when will you and the young lady be able to travel?” Synthe asked.
“She’ll be here for a week. But I can fly up tomorrow if you want. On the condition that I get a return flight, as well as one more flight for both of us in a week.”
“Consider it done.”
Steven looked in the direction of the cave again.
“How did you know about Luca, and when?”
“For a while. We were afraid that this had to be an inside job that required more than just a lowly novitiate’s level of information, even if he was in the Order and privy to at least some of the secrets. After that, it was just a matter of suspecting everyone until the pieces fell into place. For what it’s worth, I don’t think he got involved with Frank until the end,” Synthe said.
Steven shook his head. “It’s a shame. And they almost got away with it.” He paused. “I guess you’ll have your work cut out for you now, keeping this secret as well. A little harder than keeping a Scroll under wraps.”