Solomon's Gold

CHAPTER 2

Nick and Selena lived in a converted loft overlooking the Potomac River and Virginia. On a clear day, it was easy to imagine armies of blue and gray marching across the view. On a day like today, there was nothing to see except a blur of sleet and freezing rain beating against the windows.

"When are you going to New York?" Nick asked.

"Tomorrow," Selena said. "The airports are a mess, but I can take the train. I'll be back tomorrow night."

"What do you make of what Friedman sent you?"

Alan Friedman was the director of the Jewish Museum in New York, the oldest museum of Jewish history in the world. He'd sent pictures of a scroll to her, asking for help in translating it.

"It's fascinating," Selena said. "It's written in biblical Hebrew."

"What does it say?"

"I can't read it yet," Selena said. "It's written in code."

"Codes were pretty simple back then," Nick said. "It should be relatively easy to crack. It's not like what they do today."

"That's true, but it could be unique to the person who wrote this. In which case I may not be able to translate it."

"Whoever wrote it, someone else would have to be able to understand it. Otherwise, why write it in the first place?"

"Sure, but that doesn't make it any easier. Codes were common in biblical days. The various armies used them. Merchants used them to conceal things from their competitors. When I look at this I can understand some words but they seem unrelated to each other. Until I can determine the underlying pattern, I can't read it."

"It's a challenge. You like challenges." He changed the subject. "I thought Harker took it pretty well today. What did you think of her offer?"

"I'm going to accept. Part of me feels like I'm letting the team down by pulling out of the missions, but mostly I feel relief."

"It's not going to be the same without you out there," Nick said.

"That's right. You're going to miss me."

"I won't miss worrying about you getting killed," Nick said.

"You'll still be out there. It's my turn to worry."

"It might not be an issue, once Corrigan takes the oath. He may disband the Project."

"I don't think he will," Selena said.

"Why not?"

"He'd be a fool to throw away one of the best tools he's got, and he doesn't strike me as anyone's fool. He needs the Project. Rice wasn't afraid to send us out, even when it could have blown up in his face. I think Corrigan will be the same. He'll be under a lot of pressure to take on all the crazies out there who want to destroy us. Besides, someone has to tell him the truth about what's going on. That's why Rice hired Elizabeth and created the Project in the first place."

"Assuming he wants to hear it," Nick said. "He's surrounded by opportunists who see their chance at power. They could be an obstacle."

"We'll know soon enough."

Selena stood and yawned.

"There's an express train tomorrow at seven in the morning. I'm going to bed."

She looked down at Nick, still sitting at the table, and took his hand.

"Are you coming?"