The Last Chamber (8 page)

Nekhen Temple

Sean scanned the inscriptions on the golden panels. Adriana did the
same. Their progress was slow, but the images that had been engraved into the
shiny metal helped cover up any deficits they had in reading the ancient
language.

“What are you doing?” Dr. Firth shouted down through the opening.

“You know, Doc, it would really speed things along if you two were
down here helping,” Sean answered back. “Adriana knows a good bit of this
stuff, but I don’t have the background in ancient Hebrew that you have. From
what I can tell, these images seem to be a timeline of the flood story from
Genesis.” His last jab was half-humorous, half-true.

The two older archaeologists gave each other an apprehensive glance.
Unwilling to miss any more, Firth grabbed the rope and began to descend. “Very
well,” he grunted, straining to lower himself down into the chamber. He somehow
managed to make it to the floor and clumsily landed on his feet, though almost
falling over in the process.

“I think I’m going to stay up here until I can get a ladder brought
down,” Abdulkarim chimed after seeing the much more fit professor barely make
it without breaking his neck.

Dr. Firth brushed off his pants and jacket as if he’d accumulated some
dust on the way down the rope, probably an act of habit more than anything
else. He pulled the small, aluminum flashlight out of his jacket pocket and
stepped slowly over to the nearest wall.

“Pretty amazing, huh?” Sean commented as he noticed the professor
analyzing the brilliant panels.

“Amazing,” Firth turned towards him and produced some reading glasses
from within another pocket, placing them gently on his nose, “hardly does it
justice, my boy.” His voice was full of reverence. “We are seeing something
that was designed and crafted thousands of years ago. We are the first people
to see it since it was closed up and hidden.”

Sean smiled as the older man ran his fingers along the panels,
carefully reading the symbols as he moved down the wall towards the other end
where Adriana stood. Sean rejoined her, watching the professor as he finished
on one side and made his way to the other.

“It seems this chamber is the final beacon, pointing to the last one,”
as he spoke, he stepped sideways along the other long wall. “The people who
built this were pre-Egyptian. They were the founders of the first civilization
in this region of the world. The pharaohs, the pyramids, all of the great
things the subsequent empires left, were as a result of the people who created
this room.” He paused his speech for a moment as he finished reading the
symbols. “It seems they came from a land far to the east of here.”

“How far east, Professor?” Sean asked eagerly.

Firth was still staring at some of the symbols. His forehead wrinkled,
perplexed at something he’d read. “That is preposterous,” he commented vaguely.
“There’s nothing there to find.”

“Where, Doctor? What does it say?” Sean pressed and stepped a little
closer.

The professor removed the glasses from his face and rubbed his nose
for a second. “You were right about the timeline of events. Either this is the
most elaborate hoax I have ever seen,” he jabbed a thumb at the nearest wall,
“or we may have stumbled upon evidence of Biblical proportions. Quite
literally, it would seem.” He chuckled at the last part.

Sean turned to Adriana for a moment then back to Firth. “What are you
saying?”

Firth drew in a deep breath and rolled his eyebrows in surrender. “The
inscriptions suggest that the people who left this room here were direct
descendants of Noah.”

“Now, that is interesting,” Sean agreed and took a closer step to the
golden wall. Then his eyes became wider. “It’s all starting to make sense.” The
declaration piqued the interest of the other two.

“We found references to a great flood when we found the first chamber
in Georgia. Mac said that there was a plausible theory that ancient Egyptians
could have colonized the Americas thousands of years ago,” he ignored Firth’s
skeptical raised eyebrow and continued. “We found more Biblical references to
the Genesis account in South America. And now this.”

He seemed to be trying to recollect something, and stepped away.
Adriana could see the gears turning in his mind.

“What is it?” She wondered.

“The stones,” he responded vaguely. “That is the secret of the
stones.”

She shook her head. “I don’t understand. What secret.”

“The first stone Tommy found had two birds on it, divided by a line.
According to the ark story, Noah released two birds from the top of the boat to
see if they were near dry land. The first was a raven, the second, a dove.” His
face became perplexed as he crossed his arms and continued to think. “But I
don’t understand the connection. Why the Americas? Why would they go through
all that trouble to colonize a land so far away? And I don’t understand the
need to leave these golden chambers like a series of ancient bread crumbs to
lead them back.”

“Perhaps they didn’t leave to colonize a new world,” a new voice came
from the other end of the room. A man stepped from the darkness as they spun
and shone their lights on him. He wore black, loose fitting pants and a
matching tunic and turban. His face was dark, contrasted only by his darker
hair, eyebrows, and beard. The man’s appearance wasn’t what Sean paid the most
attention to. It was the gun in the stranger’s hand.

He considered reaching for his Springfield that was holstered around
his waist, but he had a feeling the best he could do was get his hand on it
before he was cut down. So, he stood still with both hands to his side.

“Who are you?” Sean inquired. “What did you do with Dr. Abdulkarim?”

The man smiled a sinister grin as he stepped closer. He was only ten
feet away. “Who do you think called us?”

“Us?” Adriana asked.

Dr. Firth had begun slinking away towards the wall but had run out of
real estate.

“We are the protectors of the ark, Miss Villa. We have been following
your exploits for some time,” he redirected the latter sentence towards Sean.

“I’m flattered,” Sean quipped sarcastically.

“You and your friend were able to stumble upon something that has been
hidden for over five thousand years.”

Sean was incredulous. “I wouldn’t say stumble. It took a lot of hard
work and research to—”

“Silence,” the man ordered and brandished the weapon threateningly.
“We will protect the ark at all costs. It must never fall into the hands of
man. Immortality is only for the righteous.”

Sean’s eyes narrowed at the last statement. “I’ve heard that phrase
before,” he spoke in a tone full of curiosity more than fear. “It was one of
the clues Tommy and I found. What I want to know is what is so special about
that boat that you and your friends seem hell-bent on protecting it, and
Alexander Lindsey will do anything to find it.”

The last statement caught the man off guard. “You speak of the man who
came here before? He is of no concern. Several of my brethren are en route to
intercept this man, Lindsey. Before the sun sets tonight, he will be in our
custody.”

“I hope you sent a lot of men, because Lindsey sure will,” Sean stared
threateningly into the man’s eyes.

He wasn’t sure who he would cheer for in a fight like that. But he had
a gut instinct about the man in front of him with the gun. “You said your job
was to protect the ark. What does that gig pay?”

“We have protected the ark of Noah for thousands of years. To serve
the order is a great honor,” the man inched closer still. “Every one of us
would die to keep it safe. And we would kill as well.” He finished the last
sentence and lifted the barrel of his gun.

“All for some ancient boat,” Sean prodded.

“It is more than a boat, Mr. Wyatt. Your lack of knowledge concerning
the contents of the ark proves that you are unworthy.”

“That may be,” Sean’s words came out just above a whisper. “But you
should never get too close to your target.”

He dipped to his left and brought his right leg around in a swift
kick. The gun barrel fired, sending a bullet pinging off of the metal walls.
Firth ducked down and tried to protect himself with his arms over his head.

Adriana reacted instantly, launching herself at the mysterious man and
wrapping her hands around his neck. Sean gripped the man’s arm and twisted it
in an awkward direction, causing the victim to scream and drop to his knees.

The weapon fell to the floor with a clank. Sean reached down and
grabbed it immediately then stretched it out towards the man in the tunic who
was struggling to breathe with Adriana’s strong arms around his neck.

“Stop squirming around,” Sean ordered in low tone. “A bullet to the
head is better than her snapping your neck. And I guarantee you she knows how.”
His warning seemed to catch the man’s attention and he ceased his escape
efforts. “Now, who are you?”

“My name…”he tried to speak but his voice was cut off by the tight
forearm around his throat.

Sean motioned for Adriana to loosen her grip a little. When she
complied, the man let out a desperate gasp.

“Try again,” Sean’s sarcastic tone carried no empathy.

“My name matters not, American. Our mission is the only thing of
importance. You can kill me if you wish. You will never get out of here alive.”

If there were others like him waiting above ground, leaving would be a
difficult task indeed. Something about Sean’s instincts told him the man wasn’t
bluffing.

“I don’t want to kill anyone,” he responded. “I never do.”

“Empty words from a man with so much blood on his hands, Sean Wyatt,”
the captive spat.

Sean ignored the barb. “We’ve all done some things we’re not proud of.
I’m sure you have too. But right now, I am trying to figure out where Alexander
Lindsey is headed. He has the only clue that will lead to the final chamber.”

The stranger’s dark eyes became slits. “And why do you seek the last
chamber, Sean Wyatt? For glory? Wealth? Fame?”

“I don’t give a crap about any of that,” Sean laughed.

“All you Americans are the same. You only seek the temporary pleasures
of this world.”

“No,” Sean shook his head. “I’ve had money. Still have some. And I
don’t care about fame. What I care about is history, good coffee, football,
motorcycles, family, and friends. Not in that order. I don’t know why Alexander
Lindsey wants to find the last chamber so badly. We heard there might be
something that can make humans immortal. As far as I know, that’s an old fairy
tale that has been the cause of way too much pain. But if you know something
about it, and you want to help us stop a bad person from finding your precious
ark, then I would speak up now before I put a little more blood on my hands.”

The Arab’s eyes peered unwaveringly into Sean’s soul, searching for a
crack, a weakness that would give away his true intentions. It was a game Sean
had played many times, and his poker face was the best around.

“I am Jabez,” the stranger blurted out finally. “I am the leader of
The Order of Guardians.”

Sean lowered the weapon to his side and motioned for Adriana to let
him go. “See, that wasn’t so hard. Was it?”

The man slumped forward, coughing for a minute on one knee. He
regained his composure and his breath, and stood back up in an attempt to look
more dignified.

Dr. Firth had watched the exchange from the safety of his corner. He
had been silent the entire time. “I have heard of your group,” he spoke with
fearful reverence. “Only rumors about shadows and ghosts.”

Jabez turned his attention to the old man. “We try to remain as
invisible as possible,” he sneered.

“We need your help,” Sean stated plainly, regaining the Arab’s
attention. “We don’t know where the next marker is that points to the final
chamber. If Lindsey gets there before us, he will have access to whatever it is
he’s looking for. I have a feeling that will not a good thing.”

“We do not know the exact location of the ark of Noah. That is not our
purpose. Our mission is only to keep the wicked at bay. If this Lindsey has the
final clue to the ark’s location, they will most likely be headed to the Valley
of the Eight in eastern Turkey.”

“Eastern Turkey?” Sean wondered. “Why would they be headed there?”

“Because,” Jabez smirked, “that is the location of Mount Ararat. I
assume you have heard that story.” The stranger seemed to relax a little.

“Yeah,” Sean nodded, “I’ve heard it. Big boat on top of a mountain.
Doesn’t seem feasible to me. I don’t think there is enough water on this planet
to cover twenty thousand feet of mountain.”

“What you think is irrelevant. This Lindsey will not find the last
chamber on Ararat.”

“Just to be safe,” Adriana eased over to Sean’s side. “We’d still like
to make sure they don’t.” Her dark, piercing eyes were mesmerizing and
intimidating all at once.

Jabez studied the two of them, largely ignoring Firth who still stood
cautiously off to the side. Sean could tell he was weighing his options, which
were not great at that point. He cursed himself under his breath for letting
Wyatt take his weapon. But there was nothing he could do. Sean had shown an act
of good faith by lowering the gun. But distrust was written all over the Arab’s
face.