The Last Chamber (19 page)

“We need to set up a barricade that will give us enough cover to get
that thing out of the way.”

He glanced back down at the pew in the first row nearest to him. They
had been bolted down, anchored into the stone floor with what he apprised to be
one inch bolts. Last he checked, they hadn’t brought a wrench with them. Jabez
noticed what he was looking at and produced his Desert Eagle .45 caliber from
within the folds of his nomadic clothes.

“Don’t,” Sean stopped him. Jabez had pointed the barrel of his gun at
the base of the pews. “You’ll send bullets everywhere. We need to find
something else.” His eyes panned across the small sanctuary and found another
alcove on the opposite side of the space. The pale light that poured into the
dark cavity played on something that caught his attention. An old, wooden desk
sat flush against the wall. It would be tight, but it might just give them
enough protection from the hail of fire to get the altar moved out of the way.

“That will do,” he stated. Jabez’s eyes followed Sean’s across the
room. He looked back over and gave a quick nod.

Sean turned to Adriana. “I need you lay down a little covering fire
from behind that first pew.” He pointed over at the spot with his gun. “You
wouldn’t mind would you?” he added a wry grin with the last question.

She responded in kind. “It would be my pleasure.” Adriana crouched
down and crawled into position. She held the gun close to her face as she
leaned up against the edge of the seat, looking back at Sean, waiting for his
signal.

He readied himself to sprint across the front of the chapel in a pause
of silence thick with anticipation. Then, he nodded quickly at her and darted
across the floor. Simultaneously, she whirled around from her position and
fired five shots through the chapel entrance. It wasn’t until after the second
round left the barrel that she saw the sniper dressed in black, crouching on
one knee in the fortress courtyard. Her first two shots kicked up dust around
the man with the sound-suppressed assault rifle. The last three were closer but
missed, crashing into the block wall behind him.

She ducked back in under cover as, out of the corner of her eye, she
saw Jabez clear the room right behind Sean. A few seconds later, the two men
were sliding the massive desk through the opposing archway. Adriana gave a
quick check back at the professor to make sure he was okay. He was still tucked
away inside the alcove, clutching his small bag with both hands like a helpless
child. Sean and Jabez were almost back to the middle of the room. To give them
additional cover, she stuck her pistol around the corner of the pew and led out
with a few more volleys before taking aim with the last two. This time she hit
closer to home and saw the sniper jumping out of the way, at least for the
moment.

It was all the time the movers needed to get their makeshift barricade
in place. Both men jumped around behind it and flipped it up on its side,
making the top a protective shield. They ducked behind it in the nick of time
as more rounds pounded into the thick wood from the sniper’s gun. The bullets
were coming faster now, most likely because the men outside had converged on
the opening to the chapel to double their efforts.

The flurry of bullets ceased and she could hear a deep grinding sound
resonating off of the ancient sanctuary stones. She crawled back around to the
other side of the chapel and could see around the desk that Sean and Jabez were
slowly inching the altar to the side. Firth was still gripping his bag in the
alcove, obviously not about to lift a finger to help so, she tucked her weapon
away and slid behind the new obstruction to help pull on the heavy altar. An
opening began to reveal itself underneath where the foot of the object was.
Adding her strength to the task made the thing slide much faster, and a few
moments later, there was a gaping hole the size of a large person in the middle
of the floor.

Sean inspected inside it but couldn’t see anything. It was completely
dark. He retrieved a small flashlight from one of his pockets and shone it down
into the abscess. A dusty smell wafted up from inside a roughly hewn
passageway.

“Looks like this is our only way out,” he looked up at Jabez then
Adriana.

The Arab didn’t wait for orders. He withdrew his weapon again and
readied himself to fire through the entryway. “You three go on. I will be right
behind you.”

Sean knew there would be no winning that argument. But he would at
least let Firth and Adriana go first. “Professor. Time to move.”

 
The older man had a
terrified look on his face. He shook his head vigorously. Right on cue, a chunk
of the desk was blown away near the top edge. Sean had a bad feeling the man
would be tough to coax out of his hiding spot. Now that more bullets were
flying, he imagined it would be nearly impossible.

“Professor, if you stay there, they will kill you. This is our only
way. Duck down and crawl over here as fast as you can. It’s your only option,
Doc,” Sean re-emphasized. Firth’s face still seemed uncertain.

He must have realized that he was running out of time. And there
weren’t really any other means of escape. It was either, die there in the chapel,
or suck it up and get to the secret passage as fast as he could. Adriana held
out her hand, beckoning him to hurry.

More rounds shattered the stone around the altar. One of the
crucifixes behind the presbytery was quickly becoming a mangled piece of wood,
filled with splintered holes.

Firth moved cautiously over to the edge of the alcove and got down on
one hand and his knees. He scurried quickly over behind the altar where the
other three were taking cover. Adriana dropped down into the opening first then
reached up, ready to steady the professor as he descended into the corridor.
The older man carefully lowered his legs down into the darkness one at a time.

Jabez and Sean gave each other a quick glance. The Arab motioned
towards the hole with his eyes, reminding Sean once again that Jabez would be
the last one standing in the chapel.

“Go,” he ordered in his thick accent. “I will be right behind you.”

Sean eyed him suspiciously. “Ok. But next time, you go first.”

Jabez’s eyes narrowed, accompanied by a mischievous grin. “Deal.”

Sean holstered his weapon within his jacket and dropped down into the
hole like he’d done it a thousand times before. He looked back up at their
companion who still had the same grin on his face.

“Go!” Jabez yelled down at them.

Adriana and Firth took off, disappearing into the darkness, their
flashlights bouncing off the walls as they ran. Sean waited for a second then
darted after them.

Jabez took a deep breath then let it out long and slow. He turned his
head to the left and stared at his friend Sarmen whose body lay in pool of
blood on the stone tiles of the chapel just a few feet away. The Arab gripped
his Desert Eagle with both hands, holding it close to his nose. He closed his
eyes and whispered a few prayers in a hushed tone. Tears welled in the corners
of his eyes, but he clenched his teeth and squelched them. Jabez was not afraid
to die. He’d been taught not to fear death. And when one worked for the
Almighty, the end was not a concern. But his heart was heavy for his friend.
The monk was innocent, and it was the Arab’s fault the man had died.

His thoughts turned to Sean and his companions. They were truly good
people, seeking to do the work of God whether they knew it or not. But they
would need time to reach the SUV’s. If the attackers didn’t believe they were
still inside the chapel or were already dead, their escape might be cut short.

He took another deep breath and sighed. “For the honor of God and the
brethren,” he said with conviction. Jabez spun around and stood up, unleashing
a hail of bullets at three men in black outfits, forty yards away on the
outside of the chapel. The first one fired his rifle but his barrel was aimed
too high, giving Jabez a second to line him up and plant a round directly into
the man’s chest. The impact of the .45 caliber bullet sent the sniper a few
feet backwards, knocking him into the other two. Jabez didn’t stop firing,
sending bullets into the dirt and walls around the remaining gunmen. They tried
to recover, firing off some random shots, but their aim was panicked, confused
by the sudden offensive by the tall, dark-skinned man in the nomadic clothing.

Jabez’s weapon clicked, signaling he was out of ammo. He twisted back
around and ducked behind the desk to reload. He only had a few spare magazines.
It would have to be enough. At least he hoped it would. The empty one clanked
on the floor next to his feet and he slipped one of the fresh ones into grip.
It clicked, and he pulled the slide back, chambering a new round. Just as he
did, a new onslaught of bullets poured through the entryway of the chapel,
splintering the desk, and sending rounds ricocheting dangerously around the
room. He ducked his head, afraid for the first time since he was a little boy.

He forced the fear to the back of his mind and leaned around the
corner of his tattered shield. The desk wouldn’t last much longer. Jabez took
aim at one of now four men who were positioned in a side-by-side line in the
courtyard. He let out another long breath and squeezed the trigger again.

Khor Virap

Armenia

“What is going on?” DeGard asked in a panicked tone.

Lindsey glanced over at him with disdain. The two men were standing at
a safe distance, watching the battle unfold before their eyes. One of his men
had been shot in the chest and was lying on the ground; Lindsey assumed the man
was dead.

“Relax, DeGard. Will knows what he is doing. There is only one way in
and out of that chapel.” His finger pointed at the entrance. “And they won’t
have enough ammunition to hold out for very long. We have plenty. It is only a
matter of time until they surrender or do something desperate.”

DeGard looked back at the entrance. Lindsey had five men in position
now, firing bullets precisely through the small entryway. Whoever was inside
must have also had the added danger of rounds bouncing off the walls, creating
a cauldron of metal projectiles. The Frenchman nervously glanced around,
seemingly fearful that the authorities would show up at any second. He reminded
himself that they were in the middle of nowhere, and there probably were no
authorities nearby.

Dust kicked up around the men firing into the chapel as bullets struck
the ground near their position. A few stuck the wall behind them. Whoever was
firing from inside the little church was severely outgunned. From the sound of
it, it was a .45 caliber. If Will made his guess, it was probably a Desert
Eagle.

Kaba stood near him as the gunfight roiled, their team exchanging
volleys with the hidden gunman in the building. She kept her hands on her own
weapon, just in case she needed to jump into the fray, or in case Wyatt and his
companions thought it a good idea to go on the offensive.

The muffled pops of the assault rifles stopped for a moment, though
the men kept their weapons trained on the entrance to the chapel. The men
positioned on the other sides of the building also kept their guns level, just
in case. A chilly breeze rolled the gun smoke through the courtyard and up over
the walls. An acrid smell still hung in the air. The men positioned on the
other sides of the building also kept their guns level, just in case.

The tension was palpable for a few moments. The only sound being the
breeze blowing over the walls and through the ears of the observers. Will kept
one hand up off to the side of the men positioned to attack the entrance. He
had signaled them to stop firing, but DeGard couldn’t tell why. He assumed they
were waiting to see if anyone inside the building would continue shooting back.

Will pointed at two of the men in the front of the formation and
motioned them to circle around to the front edge of the entryway. They
immediately obeyed, sprinting to both sides of the door leading into the
chapel. Both men kept their guns high and at the ready with their backs against
the wall. The two other remaining men near the wall moved forward slowly,
careful not to run head first into a hail of bullets. No more rounds came from
inside the chapel, though.

At Will’s signal, the two at the doorway spun around and poked their
barrels through the opening, checking both sides of the room, and all the
corners before proceeding inside. The two men behind them followed right
behind. A few seconds later, one of the men inside yelled out the all clear.

DeGard smiled. “They are all dead?” He guarded his enthusiasm.

Lindsey said nothing. The old man didn’t seem happy for some reason,
which was baffling to the French archaeologist. He reflected the expression on
Will’s face, which was one of suspicion.

Will boldly walked towards the entrance with Kaba following close
behind, and the two disappeared into the shadowed entrance. Several minutes
passed before Will reappeared in the sunlight.

“Sir, you should come look at this,” he suggested.

The old man walked slowly across the courtyard and into the dimly lit
interior of the chapel. A few of his mercenaries were checking something on the
floor in the front behind a stone altar. Another one was on a knee off to the
side, looking at something else. The pungent smell of gunpowder hung in the
air. Bullet holes riddled the wooden church pews; the first few were a tangled
mess of splinters. Lindsey neared the front of the room and saw what the man to
the side was checking. It was the body of a monk. The dark robes were soaked in
blood. Lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling.

Now he could also see what the other two were looking into. A dark
hole had been cut into the floor just behind the heavy altar. They seemed
uncertain about going into the dark cavity.

Another man appeared with Kaba in an alcove off to the left. They both
held their guns down at their sides. “Sir, the pit is empty,” she informed.

Will’s face was perplexed. The men near the hole looked up at him
awaiting orders.

“Should we pursue?” one with a shaved head asked. He had a black scarf
around his mouth that matched the rest of his clothes.

Will thought for a moment. “Everyone, back outside! Now!” He ordered
suddenly.

“Where are they,” Lindsey asked sternly.

“I don’t know, Sir. But I have a bad feeling we need to get back to
the helicopters.”