The 13th Enumeration (31 page)

Chapter 65
 

Tel Aviv, Israel

Efran made it to his apartment by 1:03 a.m. Quickly he composed a message.

Have made a significant discovery . . .

Efran paused, remembering what he had seen and heard when he sneaked down the tunnel after Zane and Rachael. It couldn’t hurt to make it sound mysterious, so he continued.

Coded Hebrew inscription found on wall of tunnel.
Nagad, echad,  habhab,  ahabah.
Related to list of Matthew 1. Twenty-five scrolls, sixty clay tablets, miscellaneous coins, and other artifacts. Very few know of discovery. They have been dealt with. You can have first pick. Provide e-mail address in order to send pictures of artifacts and inscriptions. Payment to be made in advance. Entire collection sight unseen fifty million dollars. Will hold collection for one week, after that highest bidder.

Efran was almost shaking with excitement. He hoped the mysterious contact would buy the entire collection. It would save time and entail less risk of discovery if he didn’t have to go looking for additional buyers.

Efran set a new record for himself for encasing the leaden message in its water-soluble vessel. It was only 2:40 a.m., and he was on his way to the restroom to flush his leaden messenger. Without picking up his mess, he grabbed his keys and headed back out the door.

* * *

Marcus’s phone rang at 2:42 a.m. He was wide awake on the second ring. “Yes,” he said as he answered.

“Sir, we have a development. Contact 13 arrived back at his apartment at one, and approximately three minutes ago he flushed a message down the drain. Immediately after, he left his apartment in a hurry. We placed a tracking device on his car when he arrived, and right now it is heading north. He’s in charge of a dig at Capernaum, and we surmise he is heading back there as we speak. Do you have any special orders, sir?”

Marcus thought for a moment. He lived in north Tel Aviv, and if he left now he could intercept and follow the suspect. This was Contact 13, and he had been given specific instructions to follow him closely. One person you did not disappoint was the Guardian.

“I will intercept and follow Contact 13. Get a Heron airborne. I want complete reconnaissance coverage on this contact. Will advise when on the road.”

Marcus jumped into his clothes and was out the door in two minutes. He headed north.
Five
minutes later, Contact 13 blew by as Marcus was parked on the side of the road. Marcus waited till he was out of sight and then followed. The tracking device would provide him with locational information until the Heron came online.

Twenty-five minutes later, the night-shift supervisor called and said the Heron was up and providing real-time reconnaissance. Marcus finally relaxed a little He was about a mile behind the suspect, and they were almost a third of the way to Capernaum. That was the destination he supposed he was going, anyway. Now he would see what this little traitor was up to.

* * *

Back in Mossad operational headquarters, David noticed the increased energy and excitement when Contact 13, as they’d nicknamed the sender of the leaden capsules marked with the number 13, arrived. After the Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or UAV, came online, David watched live footage of Contact 13 as he made his way up the Israeli highway system. He knew from intelligence reports that the Heron had ISTAR, or intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance capabilities. This version of the Heron appeared to have four independent cameras as well as infrared. On the far wall, David watched four separate live video feeds and one live IR feed. The resolution was incredible. On the first twenty-four-inch flatscreen monitor, Camera One showed the contact sitting in his car as he drove. Another camera showed live footage of Marcus four miles behind in pursuit.

David’s curiosity was pricked when they mentioned Contact 13 was a dig supervisor at a Capernaum dig. He was pretty sure that was the dig Zane had volunteered at in the spring. He didn’t remember if Zane had said he was going back there or to some other dig during the summer. Well, this was certainly exciting.

A little over an hour later, Contact 13 turned at Kfar Nahum Junction, and another car fell in behind him. Over the command center’s communication system, the night supervisor said, “We have additional contacts, follow with Camera Three.” Seconds later, a live video showed the new vehicle. The IR camera showed three individuals inside. Minutes later, the two cars pulled into the parking area of the Capernaum dig. Four individuals exited their vehicles, and immediately the Heron zoomed in to get visual IDs on each suspect. Pictures would be fed into the Mossad’s database, and soon the identity of the other individuals would be known.

For a couple of minutes the small group gathered together and appeared to be talking. The video feed showed Efran giving instructions to the others. Then, together, they all headed up the hill away from camp. They entered a thick growth of trees and brush.

The supervisor’s voice came over the speakers again. “We’ve lost camera visual, switching IR to primary. Four bodies are moving in the bushes and trees.” A few minutes later, “Only one visible heat signature, three of the contacts have likely gone underground.”

* * *

A half-mile away from the Capernaum dig, Marcus was following the developments on his smartphone. He had direct access to all four video feeds and the command center audio. If necessary, he could speak over the command center’s communication system as well. He was close enough for now; he would wait to see what developed.

Chapter 66

Ten
minutes later, the night-watch operational supervisor’s voice came back over the speakers. “We have four contacts again. Pay attention, people.”

Thirty seconds later, all four suspects headed back to the parking area, and after several minutes of discussion, they separated. First Efran left the parking lot and walked down to the campsite. He entered his tent, and based on the IR signature, appeared to lie down to sleep. Two of the other contacts stayed in the parking area for ten minutes, after which they left on foot, and making a wide circuit, headed down to the shore of the Galilee.

David watched in fascination. Those were real people down there, but this didn’t seem real. Here he was, almost one hundred miles away, and he could see their faces and read their expressions in real time. He shook his head. In a way, all this seemed to dehumanize them. He knew that with a push of a button, someone in this room or another room could send a missile down to end their lives. He wondered if killing people should be that easy.

* * *

Picking up Zane’s pack, Rachael put her arms through the straps. Zane started to protest, then stopped—the determined look on Rachael’s face brooked no further argument. Walking side by side, they slowly made their way back down the tunnel. When they reached the widened section with the artifacts, Rachael set Zane’s pack down, and they proceeded until they reached a stone wall built across the tunnel. All the stones were large and uniform except for the one in the center. It was as tall and wide as a man, with a thick, rounded top and a narrow, tapered bottom.

“Those stones look familiar. They’re about the same size as the ones in Levi’s basement,” Rachael said.

Pointing to the rock in the center, Zane said, “That’s how they access the tunnel. That stone is quite a clever piece of engineering.” She gave him a questioning glance. Pointing to the top section of the stone, he explained, “This is a trap door. It’s equally balanced at this point here.” He pointed to the thickest section of the stone at the top. “When this was made, it likely only took the pressure of one man pushing on the top of the rock to swing the bottom up and open. Hopefully whoever made it planned for the future, and it still works. Sit down beside me, and let’s push on the bottom with our feet. It should swing outwards and up.”

Sitting down close together, they put their feet against the bottom and pushed as hard as they could. It didn’t move at all. After all the centuries, it was stuck.

Taking his flashlight, Zane carefully inspected the edges of the stone. It appeared that fine dirt and sand had settled into the small cracks—likely when the basement had filled with debris.

“So what do we do now?” asked Rachael.

Zane, with a sober look, replied, “Well, if we can get enough of the dirt and sand out of the cracks between the stone door and its frame, we’ll be able to push it open. We’ll need something thin and hard. The blade on my knife should do.”

Rachael stood. “You just sit here and rest while I get it.” She walked the short distance to Zane’s pack and brought it back. Taking out the knife, she began to scratch away at the debris between the stones. It was painfully slow work. Every minute or two, they paused and listened for the sound of pursuers. After two-and-a-half hours of taking turns tediously cleaning out the crack, they were again ready to try to push open the door. Sitting down again, they pushed with all their might. The door still would not budge.

Zane sat resting and thinking for a few minutes. Rachael silently sat beside him. Both were tired and discouraged, neither wanting to voice their fears. Finally Zane said, “If we had something to pry the door with it might help.”

Rachael looked up. “I think I remember seeing a crowbar lying on the floor of the tunnel near where you fell. Do you want me to go check?”

“No, I don’t think we should separate. We don’t know when Efran will be back. Let’s go together.”

Getting up, they walked back up the long dark tunnel, their flashlights casting dancing shadows across the rough rock walls, their imaginations playing tricks on them. They reached the end of the tunnel and saw the crowbar lying near the far wall. With relief, Zane reached down to pick it up. They turned, and as they began to walk away, they heard a noise coming from overhead.

Rachael grabbed Zane’s arm and whispered, “He’s back. We won’t be able to make it back and open the door in time.” As she finished speaking, they heard the stone cover being pried open again. Zane whispered for Rachael to turn off her flashlight, and they moved several feet further down the tunnel. They stood there in the darkness, twenty feet down the passage, and listened.

Several excited voices were talking in Arabic at once. After they removed the stone, flashlights shined down in the hole. The surprised tone of their voices indicated that they’d realized Zane’s body was not there anymore.

“They’re talking about your missing body,” Rachael whispered in Zane’s ear.

Then Efran’s voice silenced the others, saying in Arabic, “I tell you he was there. I killed him. She must have found and moved the body. Go down and find her and kill her. Don’t come out until you are sure she is dead, and don’t touch the artifacts. We will leave them where they are until things quiet down. We don’t have much time. If you are not out of there in forty-five minutes, I will close this door and lock you in. Leave your guns here. She is a defenseless girl—you will not need firearms. Do not make any unnecessary noises. We do not want to wake up the rest of the camp.”

Zane grabbed Rachael’s arm and hurried her down the tunnel. His light was shielded by his hand and fingers, only the barest of light escaping. “Let’s find a place in the big room to hide. If we can keep them looking long enough, they’ll have to leave.”

Behind them, they heard the rope land on the floor of the cave and the noise of men descending. Their excited voices, discussing the prospect of Rachael, carried down the dark tunnel to them. Just as the beams from their flashlights shined down the tunnel, Zane and Rachael turned into the large room and headed back to the small room with the well. Frantically, they searched for a crack big enough to hide them both. They found nothing that was even sufficient for one of them.

Finally, after searching the room twice and finding nothing, Zane stopped, put down the crowbar, and turned to Rachael with anger in his voice. “I am going back out there to try to stop them. If I can lure them away from this room, you might be able to slip out and climb up the rope.”

Rachael looked up at Zane, shaking her head. “What about Efran, Zane? He will likely be up there waiting. There may even be more men up there besides him. I will throw myself down the well before I’ll let them get their filthy hands on me.” Scorn tinged her voice. “And besides, I am not going to stand idly by as you walk out there and fight three men by yourself.”

As she finished talking, a thought came into her mind—a crazy idea, but an idea that just might work. Taking Zane by the arm, she drew him back into dark room. She shined the light up between them. “Do you trust me?” she asked. Zane looked at her with a surprised expression on his face. They could now clearly hear the voices of the approaching men. Rachael took Zane by the arm and drew him closer.

“What do you have in mind, Rachael?” Zane asked in a quiet voice. As she explained, Zane began to turn pale. What she suggested was just plain crazy. What kind of girl was this, anyway?

“Do you trust me?” she asked again.

With a final deep, searching look into her eyes, Zane turned off his flashlight and shoved it deep in his pocket. Taking his arms, he wrapped them around Rachael’s waist and tucked his head down and into her neck. With her head tucked tight against his chest, they carefully shuffled right up to the edge of the well. In the darkness, they waited. When they finally saw the lights of the searching men turning their direction, Rachael whispered, “On the count of three: one . . .two . . . three.” And they both stepped off into pitch-black void.

As they fell through the empty shaft, time seemed to stand still for Rachael. It was one of the clearest moments of mental realization she had ever experienced. From the moment Zane Harrison had wrapped his strong arms around her waist, she knew she had found her man. He hadn’t argued or laughed. He had just quietly analyzed their circumstances and knew what she suggested might work, even though it was practically insane. He had trusted her judgment and without hesitation had acted upon it. This was a man she could proudly walk beside through life. A man who would not be intimidated by her, one she knew would protect her, challenge her, and cherish her. This was a man who would father strong, independent children.

Zane Harrison didn’t know it yet, but he was spoken for.

With this final thought, they plunged into the cold waters at the bottom of the well.

With a jarring shock they hit the water and separated. Down and down they plunged. Fighting the pull of gravity, they struggled to reach the surface. Finally, both of them broke the surface and took in gasping mouthfuls of air. Rachael began to scream, “Help, help, help! We are down in the well. Down in the well! Help us! Please, help us!” She let the last pleading tones hang in the air.

Hurried steps approached the well. Zane lay facedown in the water, holding his breath. As three lights shined down into the well, Rachael made as if she were taking her last gasp of air. Thrashing about in the water, she finally disappeared under the surface.

Three lights shined on the now-still waters. As Rachael thrashed about in the water, Zane had carefully taken another breath of air. He could hold it for about a minute and fifty seconds before he had to take another breath. He did not know how long Rachael could hold hers, but he hoped they lost interest before she had to surface.

The seconds slowly ticked by as the light shone down. He could hear them discussing the situation. He did not know what they were saying, but by the tone of their voices it sounded as if two of them were trying to convince the other one of something. Finally, just as Zane was starting to black out from lack of oxygen, the other two convinced their companion that it was over. The lights disappeared. They were gone.

Zane tried not to make too much noise as his hungry lungs greedily devoured the oxygen. A few seconds later, Rachael rose through the surface of the water like some ghostly apparition. As quietly as she could, she too filled her starved lungs. After several minutes of silent listening as they treaded water, Zane whispered, “I think they’ve left. Let’s get out of this cold water.”

Turning so they were back to back, they locked arms. Together they pushed against each other, their feet firmly planted against opposite walls. Slowly, with great care they silently walked inch-by-inch out of the cold, dark well. Their legs burning with exertion, they finally reached the opening, and carefully, they turned to one side. Releasing first one arm and then the other, they found purchase on the edge of the well. Still pushing against each other with their legs, they gave one final heave and rolled out onto the floor of the cave.

Exhausted, they lay there in their wet, cold clothes. After several minutes of silence, Zane said, “You know, I am by nature a very cautious and conservative person, but every time I am around you, you seem to find new ways to risk my life.”

A rich, feminine laugh rolled softly off the walls of the dark cavern. “It worked, didn’t it?” Rachael’s voice asked out of the darkness.

“It shouldn’t have, Rachael, it shouldn’t have,” Zane said seriously. “Your heavenly Father must have something very important in store for you, because despite your best efforts to kill us both, he is miraculously keeping you alive.”

“Us
alive,
Zane
, us alive.” she repeated softly.

Zane rolled over, sat up, then stood. He could hear Rachael doing the same. Reaching down into his pocket, he retrieved his flashlight, thankful it still worked. A few seconds later, a second light shone in the darkness. “Let’s retrieve that crowbar and get out of this dark hole in the ground. I’ve spent about as much time down here as I want to for one night.”

“Can’t say as I disagree with you on that,” she said.

On the way out of the room, Zane found the crowbar. Grabbing it, they proceeded back down the tunnel. After they reached the stone door, Zane handed his flashlight to Rachael, and while she directed the light, he placed the crowbar into the crack and pried with all his might. Finally, just as he was about to move to another location and try again, they heard a grating sound as the stone moved ever so slightly. With renewed hope, Zane again placed the crowbar in the crack between the stones and pried. This time the stone gave way, and the door moved upward three inches. Setting down the crowbar, he sat down and pushed on the door with his feet. It opened all the way.

With a sigh of relief, they gathered their things and slipped under the overhanging door. Once outside, Rachael reached up and grabbed the stone door, pushing it back into place.

“What should we do now?” Rachael asked in a whisper.

“I’d say we should get away from this area as fast as we can and call the police. If Efran wanted to kill us before, he
needs
to kill us now. You should also call your father and let him know about Efran, not to mention the artifacts. Let’s carefully sneak up to the parking lot and my car. My cell phone is in there, and once we’re safely away, we can call the police and your dad.”