Languedoc, South of France
Ma'at-neb-men-aa. Ma'at-ba-aa. The group intoned the ancient Egyptian words about the Master and the Spirit. Michael merely mouthed the familiar words but made no sound. His initiation, based on the precepts of an ancient mystery school, left him indifferent. He had no interest in gnosis, secret knowledge, alchemy, or the transmutation of the human soul, if it meant this. The chanting grew louder. Questions were hurled into the air forcefully. The answers were shouted until the participants were in a near frenzy.
The dim candles that lit the basement revealed them to be wild-eyed, as one of his cousins pulled a calf into the middle of their circle. The stricken animal was in a state of terror, pulling backward with all its strength, anticipating its fate. It bleated in panic as the cousin threw it on its back and Jacques drew his long knife. The animal struggled ferociously, kicking for its life but the cousins held it firmly. The calf's large eyes found Michael's and he imagined it was pleading with the one reasonable human in the room, but he quickly looked away, as Jacques drew his knife and handed it to Luc, who swiftly pulled it against the calf’s throat. The circle drew closer above the animal but Michael stepped backward with his eyes averted, saliva involuntarily filling his mouth. It would be the ultimate shame to his father to vomit and have his weakness exposed for everyone to see. No, Michael had learned to conceal his disgust with his family's behavior. He would not shame his father.
Michael had the distasteful job of being the chasseurs’ contact. He hated them. They were crazy, brutal, unpredictable. He had known them since childhood- they were known as “the hunters” but he thought of them as the torturers, trapping animals for the purpose of tormenting them. More than once, Michael came upon them in the wood, focused and excited by their task, not noticing his watching them. The two, who were the same age as Michael, but light years away from him in sensibilities, prolonged their prey's life as long as possible, trying to extract every bit of pain they could. They gleefully stabbed, dismembered, lacerated, as their catches screamed and squealed.
As they grew and matured, they completed several assignments for Jacques, all for the purpose of keeping the family secret--hit and run was their specialty. However, they were stupid and sloppy. They got the English professor. But another time they missed the writer and got his wife instead, right before the book was published. If they had gotten the writer then maybe the book would have never been printed...no use thinking about that now.
Now, Michael met with the chasseur in France, instructing him to contact his brother in the US. The family was not going to dismiss the writer's son and his friend as children. The simmering pot was starting to boil again. The family wanted to stop the search and would sacrifice anything to do it.
“Tell Claude to meet with the informant. He must find out what the boy knows.”
Michael thought if the informant could tell them the kids were not close to finding the secret, Jacques would leave them unharmed.
Bernard grunted. “I will tell Claude but our informant is no longer involved with the boy's search.”
Michael stared at the red skin on Claude's wrist, topping a useless, hanging hand. He knew a similar mark was on the other side of his wrist where an arrow had pierced it. Bumbling idiot, he thought. Another assignment the chasseurs failed to complete.
“Money. Give him money to get involved again. It has worked before.”
Michael thought about how useful the informant had been in the past. Shortly after the accursed book was published, Michael contacted him, offering him a huge sum of money. In return, he received information as to the team's movements, in Israel and Bhutan, and information about where the other professor had been hiding all these years like a scared rabbit. Yes, his money had yielded substantial results.
“And you are a fool for using your phone to call me. It can be traced. Only text in an emergency,” Michael barked.
Claude's eyes narrowed in a flare of anger. “Watch how you speak to me,” he growled. “I am loyal to your father, not to you.”
Michael's stomach sickened as he thought of the hold his father had over the chasseurs, but he kept his face impassive. “I will be the leader of the family soon enough,” Michael replied authoritatively, masking his fear.
****
When Ty woke up he felt energized and he called a team meeting. They sat around the conference/dining room table, discussing what their options were.
“Each lead and trail we had is gone…dead ends, all of them,” Jenna stated morosely.
“I don’t know about that. Maybe we just need to look at things differently,” Therese said.
“What do we have? We have Grand Master. He’s anonymous and so therefore, he’s a dead end. Then we have men with the same kind of symbol on their rings,” Cheryl said.
“What about the professors?” Ty asked.
“They’re busy with teaching their classes and their own little projects. They have no new leads so the quest has kind of been pushed aside,” Therese said.
“As if they're waiting for the next clue to come to them,” Cheryl added.
“I don’t think they work very well as a team,” Therese said. “They need someone to lead them like Vincent did.”
They sat, each quietly trying to think which direction the investigation should take.
“Is that it? Nothing else?” Ty asked.
The doorbell rang and Ty jumped up to get it. He was surprised to see Sam on the doorstep.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, Ty,” Sam said.
“Huh?”
“You looked so surprised to see me, as if you were expecting someone else,” Sam said with a grin.
Ty looked over his shoulder at the parked car out front. “I’m just surprised that you got through all the security. How’d you get past the bodyguards?”
“I hired them, remember?”
Sam entered the family room, joining the others. “How is everything, guys? I have to ask. You know, I am your guardian, heh, heh.”
Sam placed his leather briefcase on the floor and sat, leaning forward with his head in his hand. “Ty, I think I’ve been too lax about letting you stay here by yourself. It’s madness. After all, you are my best friend’s son and I am your guardian. What do you say if we move the security team over to my house? You and Ashi can stay there for a while.”
“No,” Ty said vehemently. “Ashi pointed out to me that the pursuer followed us all the way to the most remote part of the earth. He can surely follow us to your house. Then what? You’d be in danger too? No, I won’t do it.”
They argued back and forth but Ty stood firm. “Listen, the reason why I came over is Ashi.”
“Let me guess,” Ty said. “You saw her on the news.”
“I actually missed it, but Eye on What’s Happening, the nighttime news show called. They want to do a big story on Ashi. They have footage of her curing some guy who had a bicycle accident in Central Park. Did she really do that?” he didn’t pause for the answer. “Also, this YouTube footage has gone around the globe. They want anything you have, plus an interview. Mostly, they contacted me to let me know they are going to do this story with or without yours and Ashi’s input. But, they really want to interview Ashi and they want to do it tomorrow.”
“What’s the rush?”
“It’s what’s happening in the world right now. They keep current with the news. What do you say?”
Ty looked at Ashi, waiting. She didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I would like to be on a TV news show. I would like to explain in my own words.”
“You’re sure? This is going to explode. You’ll really be swamped with all kinds of offers and with every kind of crazy person approaching you, not to mention all the sick people who will be looking for cures.”
“I am very sure.”
“Excellent. They’ll want to do the interview here. Is it okay?”
Ty and Ashi nodded. Sam stood to leave.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you.”
He placed his briefcase on the coffee table, opened it and began to leaf through the items inside.
“I called the St. Regis. I checked out by phone so they didn’t have a chance to give me whatever Vincent was keeping in the hotel safe.”
Ty leaned forward, trying to see into the briefcase. He had goosebumps on his arms.
Sam pulled out a leather-bound book. Ty recognized it as his father's journal, where he wrote down little bits of information he found. He had once told his father he was carrying his Indiana Jones imitation too far but Vincent found it useful to have all his information in one place so he could piece it together.
“It wasn't stolen!” Ty said.
Sam reached in again and pulled out a piece of parchment. It was yellowed and brown in spots. The writing on it was faded in some areas, but it was entirely legible. He handed it to Ty, who handled it carefully.
“When were they going to give this to me?” Ty asked, angry.
“They said it was just sitting in a storeroom, forgotten. They were very apologetic about it,” Sam said.
“Really!”
Ashi reached out a single finger and touched the edge of the parchment. “It is the Bhutan paper,” she murmured.
“What’s the Bhutan paper?” Cheryl asked.
“It was in Garrett’s apartment the day he was killed,” Therese said.
“Dad must have gone back for it.”
“Yes, that night the man with the ring came. Vincent was out but did not tell us where he went.”
“How could he have gotten back into Garrett’s apartment? It was secured as a crime scene.”
Sam shrugged. “Bribery? Vincent was not above throwing a little money around to obtain items that interested him.”
“I don’t get it,” Eduardo said. “Why do you call it the Bhutan paper?”
Ty held it closer to his face and peered at it. “Especially since this looks like French.”
“When Teacher was in Bhutan he found this in the dzong’s library. He asked me for it and I gave it to him. We had no use for it and he gave me so much, I was happy to give him such a small gift,” Ashi explained.
Ty laid it gingerly on the coffee table. “Thank you, Sam. I think this could be very important…maybe the reason my father was killed.”
“Be careful with it.” Sam’s brow furrowed. “Just be careful in general.”
As soon as the front door clicked shut behind Sam, Ty brought the document to the dining room table, where they gave Jenna the seat of honor to translate it. The others crowded around her and looked over her shoulder as she worked.
“It seems to be an old form of French but this document is in great shape. This is not difficult at all,” Jenna murmured, as she wrote on a pad next to the parchment.
After a few tense minutes of silence she held up the pad and read,
“Father, in the event my last letter did not reach you, I tell you again. We travelled over mountains, very high and covered with snow. It is a very difficult trip. We lost a few men who froze. Now we are at a beautiful and wonderful place. This location can be suitable for a New Jerusalem but for the difficulty in getting here. Yada, yada, yada. We will return when the snows have melted. Your loyal son, Philippe.”
There was silence as the meaning of the letter sunk in.
“Did he really write yada, yada, yada?” Eduardo asked.
Ty shook his head.
“This document was at my dzong so that means Phillipe was at my dzong,” Ashi said, incredulously.
“It’s a letter to his father. I wonder why he didn’t send it?” Cheryl said.
“It is strange,” Jenna agreed.
“Well, they couldn’t return until the snow melted. Maybe a letter couldn’t get through either,” Therese said.
Ty nodded in agreement and then clapped his hand to his head. “What an idiot!”
He dashed out of the room and returned a few minutes later with his laptop.
“I know I have a picture here…” He scrolled through pictures. “Here they are.” He was slowly clicking through pictures of Ashi, sitting on a rock. “I took these back in Bhutan. Do you remember, Ashi? You took me on a tour of the dzong and then we went outside the gates.”
“Oh, yes. I remember.”
“Here, look at this one.”
“Yeah, she looks great in that one,” Eduardo remarked.
“No, no, look at the rock.”
They all peered intently at the picture as Ty zoomed in on the rock, enlarging it.
“Remember how I kept thinking the gravestone of the Westford Knight reminded me of something?”
“Oh, look. It’s the same punch-hole outline as the Westford Knight,” Ashi said.
“Is that an outline of a knight?” Therese asked. “I can’t tell.”
“The angle of the picture makes it hard to see what it is, but it sure looks like those holes are in straight lines. It looks deliberate, like nothing that would be naturally occurring,” Cheryl said, peering over the picture.
“Yeah, that’s what I remember. I remember seeing that rock and thinking those holes looked unusual,” Ty said.
“Well, if that is Phillipe’s grave it would all make sense,” Jenna said.
“Right. If he died before the letter was sent, that could be why it was still at Ashi’s dzong hundreds of years later.”
“Okay, so let’s say it was written by our Phillipe, Phillipe de Charney. It seems he was looking for a suitable place for a New Jerusalem. First he went to La Merica, or Newport. Then, he went to Bhutan,” Ty said.
“We do not know he went first to La Merica,” Ashi stated. “We know knights were in Newport but perhaps Phillipe died in Bhutan and other knights went to La Merica later with Charles de Charney.”
“Good point,” Ty said. “We don’t know that Bhutan came after Newport.”
“So, the New Jerusalem…could that refer to the temple?” Cheryl asked.
“Probably,” Eduardo said.
Ashi tilted her head back and grimaced. “The dots. I know what the dots are.”
“What are you talking about?” Eduardo asked.
“The dots from the Newport Tower. They are the floor plan for Solomon’s temple, the temple that was in Jerusalem. They are the floor plan for the third temple,” Ashi said.
“How do you know that?” Jenna asked.
“Ezekiel!” Ty and Ashi said at the same time.
“Ezekiel is a book in the bible. It contains measurements for the third temple,” Ashi said.
“I think they were looking for another place to set up shop, a place where all the priests or the Rex Deus could gather again,” Ty said.
“And deposit whatever treasure they found under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem,” Jenna added.
Ty sat back in his seat. “So this is the great lead Dad found before he died. Maybe he had it translated the day before he died. He had an errand that day. I should have asked him where he was going.”
“Why didn’t he ask me to translate it?” Therese asked. She sounded hurt.
“I don’t know,” Ty said. “Do you speak French?”
“No, but he could have asked,” Therese said.
“Didn't you say he called you but you were somewhere...at a wedding?” Ty asked.
Therese clapped her hand to her forehead. “He did call me.”
“You know, Preston speaks French. He translated Phillipe's letter in Cairo. But, Dad didn't ask him.”
Therese nodded.
“This is a great lead,” Eduardo said.
“Could it be that simple? That the treasure is either in Newport or Bhutan?” Cheryl asked.
“We know he was looking for a certain kind of a place, let’s assume it was a hiding spot for the treasure. Maybe he never completed the assignment,” Ty said.
“Yes, maybe the Templars never built the third temple,” Ashi concurred.
Ty reached for Vincent’s leather-bound notebook. “I’m going to go through every word of this…tonight.”
“We’ll go through it with you,” Therese said.
“I’m dying to find out what else he knew,” Cheryl added.
They spent the next few hours going over the notebook. They sat and listened as Ty read from the book.
“How about this? 'Watch out for RRD.' It's written in the margin.”
They all thought about whose initials it could be but came up with nothing.
“Here's the prophecy I remembered he had written in the notebook,” Ty said, holding the book up and reading, “The Eastern Star Rises to its zenith. Over two hundred years marks the lands of Avalon. The key dispels mists over that which was kept hidden. A new Jerusalem for the world to see.”
“Wow!” Eduardo said.
“The Eastern Star--La Merica,” Therese said.
“Avalon?” Jenna asked.
“Avalon is like Eden. I think it has to do with America too,” Cheryl said.
“America is over two hundred years old,” Ty said. “Something's going to be revealed--a new Jerusalem.”
“Wait, here's the last thing in the book. Dad must have written it the day he died: Time is right. Nothing is wanting but the key.”
“Lots of big talk about a key,” Eduardo said.
“And the key revealing something,” Ashi added.
“I can't think any more about it,” Jenna said. “It's so late. This is great stuff, but I’m done,” she said.
“I am a fried egg,” Ashi said. She looked at Ty and smiled, proud of herself for using the idiom.
“I have to get up early,” Cheryl said. “Preston wants me there bright and early tomorrow.”
“That reminds me,” Therese said. “Richard still wants to join up with you again. He asked me all sorts of questions about what you were doing and whether I thought you’d take him back.” She looked at Ty with a question.
“I don’t know,” Ty said. “I really feel kind of sorry for him. It would be nice to see him share in the glory and leave those two bozos, Preston and Tullio, in the dust.” He wrinkled his nose. “I really don’t like Preston.”
Cheryl jumped on his words. “I feel sorry for Richard too.”
“He really is a nice guy,” Therese said. “But remember, he could be the jealous professor. We can't rule him out.”
“I don’t think so. He looks at the quest as a job, something to pay for his six kids’ sneakers and piano lessons,” Cheryl said.
“He has been through a lot for the team,” Ty said, thinking about how he got roughed up in Bhutan. “What do you think?” He looked at Eduardo, Jenna and Ashi.
They all gave their agreement and Ty said, “So it’s settled. It’s too late tonight but I’ll call him. I’ll invite him to the next meeting.”
The group quickly split up. Eduardo was the last to leave, stopping at the front door. “I was surprised to see Jenna here tonight. I thought she’d quit the team.”
“You heard about us?
“Everybody's heard.”
Ty nodded. “I thought she'd quit too. She told me she was totally into this and she wouldn’t let what went on between us to interfere.” He shrugged.
“She doesn’t look happy at all. So you’re really broken up?”
“It looks that way. Why, are you interested?”
“Nah.” He whispered, “I’m hoping Ashi likes me. What do you think?”
Ty wanted to shout, “No, you can’t like her. No, she’ll never like you,” but he didn’t. He merely replied, “I think she’s too good for you. She’s too good for any of us.”
After Eduardo left, Ty returned to the family room.
“Are you tired?” Ashi asked.
“No, I’m pumped. If I tried to sleep now all this stuff would turn around in my mind all night.”
“Let’s try to contact Phillipe again.”
“Great idea,” Ty agreed. “But I thought you were a fried egg.”
“I want to do this.”
They settled on a deep, cushy sofa in the family room and propped their feet up on an ottoman. Ashi nestled up to him, at first distracting Ty with her proximity.
“Okay, focus,” Ashi ordered.
“I’ll try. Actually, when I’m next to you it’s a little easier.”
They emptied their minds of all thoughts. Ashi guided them both to go back in time to find Phillipe. A scene arose. Ty was alert but wondered if he was dreaming it.
Phillipe was riding a horse at night over dark fields. He saw something in the distance that made him dig his heels in, urging the horse into a frenzied pace. A glow in the distance revealed itself to be a blazing fire. As he neared, it was evident that it was a castle, complete with rounded towers and turrets. Tongues of flames emerged from the few windows. Phillipe galloped up to a man, who stood watching the fire from a distance of about 30 feet, and stopped short. It was Charles de Charney, beside himself with grief.
“No, mon dieu, no!” he shouted. He knelt in the dirt and wailed, holding his head in his hands.
Phillipe dismounted and with a grim face, and stood next to his distraught father, watching helplessly. A face emerged from a window in the burning building. Ty knew it was Phillipe’s brother. He disappeared for a moment and reappeared with an object, which he heaved heavily out the window. It was a huge wooden trunk. Charles stopped wailing and watched with a prayerful attitude. Three more times he appeared in the window repeated his task and then, appeared at the front door, staggering and falling until he was nearly crawling. Charles ran to his other son and helped him to his feet.
Gratitude emanated from Charles toward Phillipe’s brother. Ty felt he saved something that was priceless to them. Charles de Charney and his two sons watched the blaze. The four trunks, which were saved from incineration, were at their feet. Bedraggled ladies, along with servants, trudged over the lawn toward them. Ty felt that although the men were relieved their wives were safe, they hadn’t given a thought to anything but what was in the four trunks.
One small boy, who looked to be about six, broke away from them and ran ahead. Phillipe squatted and caught the little boy in his arms, both of them murmuring joyfully that the other was safe.
“We need a safe place,” Charles de Charney growled. “Do you see how we nearly lost it all?”
“I will find that place, father,” Phillipe replied. He spoke to his little boy, who had his cheek pressed up against Phillipe’s. “See.” He gestured with his head toward the trunks. “This is something for which we must find a safe hiding place. It must be hidden away. The world must not see what is in these, ever. Do you hear me? Ever,” he said, forcefully. “And one day, it will be your job to make sure it is hidden, yes?”
“Yes, papa.” The little boy buried his head in his father’s neck.
The scene faded and Ty was transported back to his family room.
“It seems the treasure was in the trunks.”
Ty was roused from his alternate state of mind. Ashi was speaking to him.
“Yes. And, Phillipe told his son that some day it will be his responsibility to keep the secret.”
“That makes sense,” Ashi said. “Phillipe was Charles de Charney’s oldest son and the little boy was Phillipe’s oldest son. The secret passed from oldest son to oldest son among the Rex Deus.”
“Everything fits together. For some reason Charles de Charney had the treasure of the Knights Templar in his possession. He sent his son out to remote areas of the world, looking for a place to rebuild the third temple.”
“Do you remember what the temple was built around?” Ashi asked.
“The Ark of the Covenant,” Ty said. “Hey, do you think they found the ark under the Temple Mount and that was what was in one of the trunks?”
Ashi smiled. “I don’t know.”
Ty’s eyes narrowed. “Do you know something I don’t know? You do know. Was the treasure gold and riches, or was it esoteric knowledge, secrets passed down from the earliest Christians? Maybe it was both. Was it both? Come on, tell me.”
“I really don’t know, Ty. Is what was in those trunks really so important?”
“Yes. Yes it is. It’s everything my father worked toward finding. I grew up hearing about that search from the day I was born. It’s all I’ve ever known and now it has become my quest.”
Ashi sighed. “Will you be there for my interview tomorrow?” she asked, changing the subject.
Ty knew he would do anything for her. “Of course, I will always be there for you.”