The Last Chamber (34 page)

A loud thud boomed through the corridor and out into the first room.
Dust erupted all around Will and Firth, shooting a horizontal plume of debris
out to where the rest of the group stood waiting. The entire room shuddered
from the crashing stone.

It was the only moment Adriana had to break free. Kaba had flinched
for a second, moving the weapon away from the Spaniard’s head to see what had
happened. Adriana whipped her left arm up, knocking away the hand that held the
weapon. The second shot came from her right fist, going straight to Kaba’s jaw.
Metal clanking on stone echoed through the cavern as Kaba’s gun fell to the
floor hitting just before she did.

Lindsey’s men spun quickly towards the commotion. Between the
pervading darkness and the dust cloud hovering over the two women, it was
nearly impossible for the mercenaries to see anything.

A muffled pop echoed from the dust, sending a bullet into the forehead
of the mercenary nearest the entrance. Another shot struck another man in the
throat. The remaining two men didn’t know whether to fire or not. If they did,
bullets would ricochet around the room, possibly hitting them in the process.
Their indecisiveness gave Jabez and his men the opening they needed. The Arab
and two of the brethren lunged at the remaining two henchmen, tackling them to
the floor. The rough landing jarred the weapons from the men’s hands. The
brethren pounded the men’s skulls against the stone to finish the job,
rendering the mercenaries either dead or unconscious. They didn’t bother
checking to see which.

Jabez turned his attention to the spot where Lindsey had been
standing. The man was gone, though. Dust was still settling in the eerie glow
of the lights on the floor. Jabez moved quickly to where the man had been, but
he had vanished.

He looked over towards the still pendulum and noticed the bottom of a
shoe being pulled into the narrow gap in the corridor. Jabez ran quickly over
to the steps but muffled pops echoed out of from between the wedge, sending
bullets pinging off the rock nearby. The Arab jumped back and took cover off to
the side where he would be out of range.

Inside the passage, Will pulled his dust-covered employer the rest of
the way through to the other side. The old man appeared even older amid the
thin layer of gray that had settled on him. Lindsey let out a few coughs before
patting himself down to get rid of some of the dirt. In his right hand, he held
a black 9mm Walther with a silencer on the end.

He looked dead at Firth then across the stone bridge at Sean. “After
you, Professor.” He wagged the gun as he spoke.

Firth had been surprised to see Lindsey drag himself under the
pendulum, but now his surprised turned to dread as he realized he was the
guinea pig for the newly dropped bridge.

“It’s going to be okay, Doc,” Sean shouted across the gap. “Just move
slowly, and everything will be fine.” He held out a hand towards the professor,
beckoning him to come across.

The Englishman hesitated for a few seconds before moving to the edge
of the pit and putting a foot lightly down on the top of the fallen stone. The
walkway was easily a foot or two thick, but the stability of the thing wasn’t
Firth’s issue. Falling off of it was.

He placed his second foot on the plank and began slowly shuffling his
way across gap, keeping his arms up on both sides to help maintain his balance.
After what should have taken much less time, Firth reached the other side and
grabbed onto Sean’s arm, hopping down gratefully onto the ground.

Will was already on the bridge with his gun in front of him, aimed
straight at Sean.

“You know, I always thought there was something fishy about you,
Will,” Sean said as his counterpart easily arrived on the other side. “You were
so eager, and acted way to green to be a cop, even for a rookie.”

Will jumped down from the bridge and motioned for his employer to come
across before turning his attention to Sean.

“Well, it worked. Didn’t it? So, I don’t really care about your
opinion. All I care about is finding this thing, killing you, and going
someplace where there is a beach and a margarita waiting on me.”

“Lofty goals you have there,” Sean jabbed.

His adversary took in a deep breath through his nostrils before
responding. “You know what? You’re right. I should aspire to something more. I
think when I’m done killing you and your little professor friend here, I may
have a little fun with Adriana. I bet she’ll be a ton of fun.”

Something inside of Sean wanted to snap. He wanted to reach over, grab
Will by the neck, and choke the last breath of life out of him. But Will had
the gun, and any move at this point would provoke him to shoot.

Lindsey was shuffled across the bridge the same way Firth had done.
When he reached the other three, he turned around and fired two more warning
shots through the opening at beneath the stone hammer. He spun around with
devious intention on his face.

“Move.”

Cartersville, Georgia

Emily paced through the tattered remains of the McElroy cabin. She had
been on the phone for the last hour with a number of different authorities,
including some very highly positioned people from the World Health
Organization. No one was budging, though. Everyone she had spoken to had given
her the same bureaucratic bull as the previous.

They splashed around terms concerning protocol and due diligence, but
the truth was they wanted to do it during working hours. The underlying part
was that they likely didn’t want to believe something so large scale could have
slipped past their notice.

She had a team of her own agents standing by at the Atlanta Biosure
facility, making sure none of the shipments actually left the building. But
something had been troubling her since the moment she’d made the first call.
She knew that Alexander Lindsey had more than one facility in the umbrella of
Biosure. There were several buildings under that name across the country, not
to mention any subsidiaries there might be. If he had decided not to put all
his eggs in one basket, all it would take would be one phone call to put the
wheels in motion. The virus could ship out to any number of undisclosed
locations. There would be no stopping it. And if it were as bad as Jenny
Solomon believed, the results would be cataclysmic.

Emily had one more play she could make. It would be risky. And if she
were wrong, it would cost her reputation, career, and everything she’d worked
so hard for through the years.

“Any luck?” Helen asked as she sifted through the wreckage that used
to be their home.

“No,” Emily shook her head and ended the call. “They want to know too
many details, and for this time of day, we just can’t expedite that information
fast enough.

“So, what can we do?” Joe seemed bewildered.

Emily let out a deep sigh. “There is another option, but it’s a last
resort. If we are wrong about any of this, it’ll cost me everything.”

“Jenny isn’t wrong, Em,” Joe reassured. “This thing is the real deal.”

She nodded at his comment. “The director of the CIA owes me a huge
favor. I saved a few of his agents a couple of years back when none of the
other agencies would touch the situation. He can help us secure the other
Biosure facilities before it’s too late. If it isn’t too late already.”

Joe appeared skeptical. “You’re talking about a huge operation,
spanning across several major cities in the United States. You think they could
pull that off?”

“Believe me, they have the resources in place. All it will take is a
phone call from him, and the assets will be put in position. And after what we
did for him, I have the feeling he won’t question my request.”

“You sure he’s going to honor that obligation?” Helen asked. “Those
high up agency guys have a pretty short memory when it comes to that sort of
thing.”

“He’ll remember,” Emily began dialing the phone. She put it to her ear
as it started ringing. “One of the agents we saved was his son.”

Armenian Mountains

The four men trudged forward, going deeper into the underground
passage. The ceiling had dropped significantly, and was only seven or eight
feet. It had narrowed, too, getting to only a few feet wide. Three flashlight
beams barely illuminated the tunnel as they continued ahead.

No one said anything, though the special agent inside Sean’s head was
constantly watching for a moment where he could turn the tables. So far, Will
hadn’t made any mistakes.

Will Hastings made sure to stay close behind Wyatt, but far enough
away that if his prisoner decided to try anything, he would be at a safe
distance. Keeping Lindsey in the back of the group was the safest thing to do.
While the old man had proven himself a little more spry than Will had thought,
Sean Wyatt could probably find a weakness and exploit it.

It had been only been five minutes since the group had left the bridge
when they began to notice the air becoming warmer. The temperature increase
wasn’t insignificant, becoming warmer by several degrees as they continued
deeper into the mountain.

“Are there any underground volcanoes around here?” Firth asked, not
really expecting an answer.

He unbuttoned his heavy coat as he walked ahead. Sean started to unzip
his coat, but Will stopped him.

“Keep yours just the way it is,” he ordered. Sean obeyed, and kept
marching forward.

Strange sounds began to seep into the corridor. The noise was faint at
first, but the farther the men walked, the louder it became. What was more
disconcerting was the faint glow that shone off the walls of the tunnel.

“It sounds like water flowing,” Firth stated as he rounded a curve in
the passage. “And there’s a light up ahead.”

“Impossible?” Sean said, despite seeing the glow resonating from up
ahead. “We can’t be on the other side of the mountain. Cold air would be
blowing in. It’s way too warm.”

“Keep going,” Will ordered.

The professor moved ahead until he finally reached the end of the
tunnel. The passage opened up into an enormous room. Every mouth gaped wide at
the sight. The chamber was at least hundred and fifty feet wide and a hundred
feet high.

The walls were covered in brilliant, sparkling gold that stretched all
the way up to a dramatic, domed ceiling. Images of people and animals adorned
the shiny yellow surface as far as their eyes could see. On the ground, a
pathway made from solid gold wound its way across the stone floor to where a
small creek flowed through the room. Various gems and precious stones littered
the floor all over the place.

Lindsey’s eyes remained glued to the center of the room, fixated by
what he saw. A gigantic tree soared high into the air, nearly brushing the
ceiling. The plant was like nothing they had ever seen before, growing from two
trunks, one on either side of the little river. The leaves were vibrant green,
like shimmering emeralds. And the fruit dangling from the branches looked like
something from an alien planet.

It was shaped much like a pear, but each piece had radiated a pale,
glowing light. The men realized that was where the light had been coming from.

“Go on,” Lindsey ordered with a wag of his pistol.

The four moved slowly along the golden path until they reached the
base of the tree. Standing close to it, they could see into the water. The
liquid was as clear as glass, and they could see to the bottom where diamonds,
gold, and precious gems lined the riverbed. It was like a scene out of a weird
dream.

“This is it,” Lindsey stated. He motioned for the two captives to move
aside, virtually pushing Firth out of the way. Will slid to the side, keeping
his gun trained on Wyatt, but watching as his employer stepped over to a branch
hanging just low enough to reach.

Lindsey extended his hand up and grasped one of the glowing orbs. “The
wise will reach to the heavens, and find the path to immortality.” He plucked
the fruit from the tree and brought it down to eye level, inspecting its
strange beauty.

“What was that?” Sean decided to interrupt the man’s moment of
triumph.

“It’s from the diary of Sir Francis Drake,” he said in a trance. “Many
will wander in darkness, but the wise will reach to the heavens, and find the
path to immortality,” he repeated the last part.

“Sir Francis Drake?”

“Yes. I happened upon a lost diary of his several years ago. It’s what
led me to seek out the tree.” He waved around his hand in dramatic fashion.
“This beautiful tree of life. With it, I will live forever. I will destroy
mankind the way God did during the flood, and build a new, righteous kingdom on
Earth.”

Sean’s eyebrows rose slightly. “So, you’re playing God now?”

“Sometimes,” Lindsey said, still clutching the fruit in front of his
lips. “God waits too long.”

He looked back at the fruit again then sunk his teeth deep into it,
taking a big bite. He pulled the orb away from his mouth, savoring the taste. A
little dribble of juice rolled off the corner of his lips. His eyes closed as
he chewed the piece.

“It’s so warm,” he said. “To the touch. On the tongue. It radiates
warmth. And it’s like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. It’s so sweet and
juicy.”

Will watched apprehensively as his employer took another bite of the
glowing fruit. “I can feel the power already coursing through my body.”

Sean’s curious expression turned to one of concern as Lindsey took
another bite of the fruit. The man’s eyes were beginning to glow like the
fruit. Even Will took a step back.

Lindsey kept eating, not realizing the change in his appearance. “I am
thinking so clearly now. I can feel my brain expanding. It is like seeing into
the mind of God himself.”

Suddenly, his body froze stiff. The remainder of the fruit dangled in
his hand for a moment before dropping to the ground. The gun in his other hand
clacked onto the ground, temptingly close to where Sean was standing. A look of
sheer horror filled the old man’s face. He glanced down at his hands. They were
glowing like the fruit.

“What’s happening to me?” he looked over at Will. “It feels like my
skin is on fire.” Desperation filled his voice as he began to stagger slightly,
his body wavering as if he were about to lose his balance.

Will took another step back, unsure of what was going on.

“Help me, Will,” the old man begged, dropping down to his knees. His
hand outstretched to the young apprenticed whose life he’d once saved.
“Please.”

“What is this, Wyatt?” Will asked, glancing over at Sean. “What’s
happening to him?”

Sean kept his voice even, and his face steady, though his tone carried
a heavy dose of malice. “If I remember my Bible correctly, I seem to recall
there being two trees in the garden.”

“Two trees?”

Firth took a step backwards.

“The tree of life was only one. The second was the tree of knowledge
of good and evil. It was the one God told the garden’s inhabitants not to eat,
and if they did, they would die.”

Lindsey interrupted with a piercing howl. “Help me!” he begged again.

“Where is the other tree?” Will asked frantically. “We have to find it
to save him.”

Sean shook his head slowly, staring through his adversary. “There is
no other tree, Will. Your prophet is as good as dead.”

“No,” Will shook his head.

Lindsey fell over on his side, his body convulsing violently. Blood
trickled out of the side of his mouth. He rolled over on his back and took in a
deep, gurgled breath. “Complete…the mission.” His head went limp, thumping
against the ground. Wide eyes stared lifelessly up at the ceiling; the odd glow
had already begun to fade.

“Prophet,” Will bent down to check the man who had taught him everything.
It was the window Sean had been waiting for.

He launched at Will with his right foot, driving the top of his boot
into Will’s hand, knocking the gun loose. It splashed into the river nearby,
sinking to the bottom. Sean didn’t hesitate to strike again, sending a jab
right into Will’s jaw.

The younger man stumbled backwards for a second. Sean was on him
instantly, taking another swing with his right hand. The split second Will had
fallen back had given him time to regain his wits. He caught Wyatt off guard by
blocking the punch to the side and bringing his own counter straight into
Sean’s stomach.

Sean doubled over right into an uppercut that sent him reeling back
for a second before he rolled to the ground. Will quickly broke for the gun
lying on the ground near Lindsey’s body. On the second step, Sean twisted
around, swinging his leg across Will’s shin and tripping to the ground. Both
men popped up simultaneously, facing each other again.

Will’s eyes were orbs of hatred, piercing through Sean. “I should have
killed you a long time ago, Wyatt. I told the old man to let me. But he was
convinced we needed you alive a little longer.”

“He should have listened to you,” Sean sneered and launched another
assault.

His hands blurred in the furious attack. Will was equal to the task,
dodging and blocking nearly all of the punches. Sean overextended on one
strike, allowing Will to counter with a kick to the abdomen.

Sean crumpled over, dropping to one knee for a second. Will brought
his knee squarely into Sean’s face, sending him flying a few feet to the side
and tumbling to a stop near the river.

Firth stood off to the side, paralyzed with fear as Will walked over
to the tree and plucked another piece of the glowing fruit from a low branch.
Sean groaned, blood oozing from his bottom lip as he rolled over onto his back.

The room swirled in his vision as he tried to regain balance. His head
and jaw were pounding. He squinted his eyes closed for a second, and tried to
reopen them to focus. When he did, Will was standing over him with a piece of
the deadly fruit.

“Open wide, Wyatt,” Will grabbed the back of Sean’s head and forced it
towards the fruit.

Sean resisted, trying to twist his head back and forth, keeping his
mouth closed as he did, but he was so dizzy. Will’s grip on the back of his
hair was firm, making it difficult to move at all. Sean could feel the warmth
of the fruit as it touched his lips. He kept his mouth shut but Will was
pushing so hard, some of the juice began to squirt out into onto his face. It
was all he could do to keep any of the liquid from squeezing in.

“Come on, Wyatt,” Will jeered. “Just relax and take a bite. It will
all be over soon.”

More of the glowing juice spurted onto Sean’s face. He was having
trouble breathing through his nose, a product of it being nicked during the
fight. Not enough air was getting through the one clear nostril.

He grunted as he struggled, but there was no getting free. His lungs
screamed for air. Just as he was about to open his mouth to inhale, a gunshot
rang out through the room.

Will dropped the fruit onto the ground and turned towards the entrance
to the chamber. Adriana stood just inside the room, a black pistol stretched
out in front of her. He looked down at his side where a blackish hole was beginning
to leak thick, red. He touched it for a moment and stared nostalgically at the
blood before turning to face her. Will took one step towards her, but that was
as far as he made it.

Adriana unleashed a flurry of rounds, emptying the entire contents of
her magazine, each one sinking deep into Will’s chest. He staggered backwards
and fell over next to Lindsey’s body, his face staring lifelessly up at the
domed ceiling.

Sean fell over forward, bracing his fall with his hands. Adriana ran
from the edge of the passageway, followed closely by Jabez. She reached Sean
quickly, and bent down to see if he was okay while Jabez checked the two
bodies.

“Are you okay?” she asked, putting a hand on Sean’s back.

He nodded, as he spit out a little blood onto the floor. “Yeah. I’ll
be fine. Just not as quick as I used to be, I guess.”

Sean pushed himself up off the ground with a little help from the
Spaniard. Jabez was digging in one of Lindsey’s pockets for a moment before
pulling out a leather bound book.

“What is this?” he wondered, examining the front and back of the
object.

Sean winced, still trying to regain his balance. “It’s probably a
diary. He mentioned something about a diary that belonged to Sir Francis
Drake.”

Adriana’s face twitched sideways at him. “The privateer?”

“I don’t know of another,” he shrugged.

Jabez handed Adriana the book and fished around in another pocket of
the old man’s coat. “What happened to Lindsey,” the Arab asked as he removed a
small, stone disc from the body.

“That isn’t the tree he was looking for,” Sean pointed at the
gargantuan oddity. Their faces seemed confused. “Our friend, The Prophet here,
forgot that there were two trees in the Garden of Eden. This one isn’t the tree
of life. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.”

Sean reached out his hand to take the disc from Jabez, who was looking
absently at the thing. “Do you mind?”