Gap Mills, West Virginia
They immediately returned to Agent Chris Nelson’s office, exchanged information, and Al asked him to keep in touch and report any information that he felt would be helpful. Shortly afterward, a helicopter landed in the grass, and of all places, directly behind the archaeology building. Once the door closed, the pilot increased power and lifted off.
Vance turned and yelled at the pilot, “If you don’t mind, where are we going?’
“Only northeast,” the pilot answered. “Specific coordinates I will receive in a few minutes.” He pointed, “Put those headphones on, someone is waiting to speak to you guys.”
“Thanks.” They both put on the indicated headphones, adjusted the mic, and Al spoke first, “This is Agent Robek.”
“Hey there, old boy.” It was Ed.
Al found the reception hard to hear over the engine noise and replied loudly, “Hey Ed, we hit the jackpot.”
“Splendid, what was it?”
“It turns out,” Al said, “the university that the knights attacked had a professor busy translating a batch of missing Dead Sea scrolls, and maybe some of your Holy Script.”
There was silence for a moment and Ed replied, “Dead Sea scrolls.”
“That’s the rumor.”
“Translated?”
“I have no idea how far along they were, if at all.”
“Who is the professor?”
“A Dr. Golb.”
“I’ll check him out.”
“He is reported to be either missing or on the run,” Al said. “But from what his assistant, a Dr. Zohar, said, most of their translating breakthroughs came recently from a mysterious group that she couldn’t identify.”
After another prolonged pause, Ed asked, “Mysterious group?”
“It appears that way.”
“Do you believe Dr. Zohar’s story?” Ed asked.
“Don’t know.”
“Any specifics?”
“Yes and no,” Al said. “She is also on the run and may be meeting up with Dr. Golb somewhere.”
“Hm-m, interesting twist.”
Vance chimed in, “It sounded like one hell of a suspicious story to me.”
After another pause Ed continued, “Okay, here is what’s going on. I have written orders coming your way that cannot be transmitted electronically, so hang tight and I will contact you men later.” The line went dead.
Several minutes later the chopper landed in a field about thirty yards from another chopper that was waiting with its rotors still turning.
The pilot turned his head and yelled, “This is the orders transfer.”
“I got it,” Vance said and he opened the door and climbed out.
Al watched him run up to the other chopper and the person inside handed him an envelope. They spoke a few words and it appeared that Vance was yelling at him as he grabbed it. A few seconds later, they shook hands and he started heading back.
Vance climbed in and Al yelled over the engines, “Okay, so what is it?”
“Beats the hell out of me,” Vance answered, closing the door. “Dumb ass over there doesn’t know either.”
As the door locked, the pilot immediately began lifting off.
Vance sat back and said, “I would really like to know what is going on.”
“Why?” Al answered. “It’s not like I’ve ever known since this whole freaking crisis started.”
Vance shook the envelope and tossed it to Al saying, “Have you ever had that piñata feeling being bounced back and forth while getting the shit beat out of you?”
“Honestly I can’t think of a single moment when I didn’t,” Al replied, placing the envelope on the seat next to him. He also leaned back, “Just a few weeks ago we were kicking back beers and helping out with a small Iraqi museum project. Now, we’re just being kicked around and shot at every five minutes trying to save the world.”
Vance let out a guttural laugh. “I can have attitude, you can’t, so shut your pie hole and save the world.”
Al glanced at the envelope thinking about the poor Muslim kids murdered in cold blood. At this rate, it was just a matter of time before a bullet actually collided with his head, taking him out. He reached over and grabbed the envelope, “Maybe we were meant to be here?”
Vance laughed again, “Yeah, maybe you and Jess were supposed to hook up too?”
“Wouldn’t that be a disaster! She already shot me twice.”
“Third time’s a charm; if you live, it’s gotta be true love.”
He decided not to add to Vance’s comment but said, “Now that you mention it, I want to ask Natalie Sikorsky out on a date when this is all done.”
Vance’s face contorted and he blurted out, “Screw you, my friend! She’s mine. You had your chance. Besides,” he crossed his arms defiantly, “she loves me.”
Al opened the envelope, “What the hell are you talking about?”
Vance stuck out his chest, “I can just tell by the way she looks at me.”
“Most girls take a look at you and immediately become constipated.”
“Being constipated is sexy.”
Al thought for a second, “What about that hot Doctor Zohar?”
“Nah,” Vance said. “Smart chicks suck.”
“What,” Al added, “smart constipated girls don’t like you?”
“And the doc is probably a snobby martini drinker.”
Al dumped out the contents, “It’s not like a beer-drinking gal works for you either. Every girl I see you with seems to drink herself into a stupor and passes out.”
“Aah, just the way I like it,” Vance answered defensively and then added, “and my good looks makes them nervous.”
“Ha,” Al laughed, “nervous and constipated? That’s hot.”
“Yeah, go ahead and laugh now,” Vance responded. “I will hook up with Natalie.”
Al separated the contents, a folded-type driving map and a note page. “We will just have to see about that.” He handed the paper over and Vance unfolded the map.
Vance grabbed the page and read it, “It says here that we are to head to the area on the map and report what we find; signed Ed Collins.”
“That’s it?” Al asked, glancing at the map. “This is a road map of someplace.”
“Ah, shit,” Vance said, “so we’re not going to Vegas?”
“You catch on quick.”
Vance turned, and yelled over to the pilot, “Hey asshole, where the hell we going?’
The pilot turned his helmeted head and grinned, “Gap Mills, West Virginia.”
“And how far is that?” Vance asked.
The pilot turned his head for a few seconds, then turned back, “About three hundred miles.”
“That’s over two hours in this bouncing tin can,” Vance grumbled.
“I wonder what the hell is in Gap Mills,” Al said as he refolded the map.
After a long, bumpy flight and two brief stops, the chopper abruptly landed. The door opened and a soldier waved them out. As soon as Vance moved, out of the way, Al recognized the soldier as Captain McCoumb. “Hey, Captain,” he said, climbing out of the chopper.
“Hello sir, good to see you again. How was your flight?” he asked, shielding his face from the rotor wash.
“Sucked ass,” Vance answered, stretching out.
“I bet you want to know what’s going on,” McCoumb said.
“Well,” Al said, “it would help if we knew what we were doing.”
“Don’t feel bad. All communications were shut down again. Apparently you guys are being followed.” He then motioned them to a parked car, “Follow me.”
Vance started walking to the car and asked sarcastically, “Why, who would want to stalk us?”
McCoumb responded with a concerned look, “Sir, are you kidding?”
“He’s kidding,” Al immediately answered, giving Vance a mean look. “Be nice to the kid here; we go way back.”
“Yes sir, Al sir,” Vance answered, opening the door to the driver’s side.
Al stood by the passenger door and asked, “Where exactly are we going?”
“You are to head to a town called Gap Mills to investigate a cemetery.”
“A cemetery?”
“Yes sir. This may be Amish country, so drive carefully.”
Vance froze and glanced at Al, “What? Why are we meeting someone at a cemetery? I hate cemeteries.”
Al opened the door and before he climbed in asked, “Any other instructions?”
“Nothing specific due to the communications blackout,” McCoumb answered. “All I know is that we are heavily monitoring the area you’re going to, so drive carefully and please act as casual as you can so as not to draw attention.”
“That bad, eh,” Vance commented.
“Yeah,” McCoumb said. “But we’re not allowed anywhere near there, so be careful.” He leaned into the car and pointed to the GPS system, “It’s all programmed to take you right where you’re going.”
“So what are we looking for?” Al asked.
“I guess you will know when you do. And, if you do discover anything, take a picture of it and send it to me. My number is on that note under the GPS.”
Al grabbed his hand and shook it, “Okay, thanks Captain.”
“This is our staging area, so if you need anything just ask.”
“Got it,” Vance replied. McCoumb snapped a smart salute and they drove off.