The Nostradamus File

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Nick put out Ari's proposal to the team. Everyone was in Harker's office.

"Lamont's gone for three months or longer," Elizabeth said. "It depends on how fast he heals."

"That's the only reason I'm even considering Ari's proposal," Nick said, "because we're a man short. All of Sayeret Matkal's ops are classified and so is their personnel list, but Steph got into their computers. The man Ari wants us to use has hard core combat and black ops experience. We won't have to break him in. He's got as much training as we do."

"We've done it before," Selena said, "with Arkady."

Arkady Korov was Russian Spetsnaz. He'd been on two missions with the Project, in a bizarre alliance against common enemies.

Harker picked up her Mont Blanc and began tapping. "This is sensitive, politically speaking. Herzog wants us to help him discredit an opponent of the current Prime Minister. He's drawing us into the domestic politics of a foreign nation."

"It wouldn't be the first time we did that," Nick said, "but for Ari it's secondary. Finding the Ark and bringing it back to Israel is more important to him. It's true there's a political stink on this. If Weisner gets the Ark he'll use it to bolster his authority to do what he wants. What he wants isn't in our best interest. The fact that Harrison is backing him proves that, if nothing else."

Elizabeth set her pen down. She rubbed her forehead. "Are those headaches of yours catching?" she said. "Because this is giving me one."

They laughed. "Want some aspirin?" Nick said.

"It will take more than that. Ronnie, what do you think? About bringing in Herzog's man?"

"It worked out with Korov," Ronnie said. "Hell, I might have been killed if he hadn't been there. Without Lamont we're stretched kind of thin. I'm for it."

"Selena?"

"It will make us stronger. Yes, I'm for it."

"Nick?"

"What about Herzog? Everything we do will get reported back to him."

"I don't think it matters anymore. It could be to our advantage. This way, we won't have to worry that the Israelis might do something rash while they're trying to find out what we're doing."

"All right," Nick said. "I'll call Ari."

"That's settled, then. Let's talk about what you found in the church."

"What was in the pouch was a letter from Jacques de Molay," Selena said.

Elizabeth had thought nothing else about this search for the Ark could surprise her until she heard that. She considered what Selena had just said.

"The Grand Master of the Templars?"

"The same. It's an extraordinary letter. It was written in Latin. The pouch was sealed with something that kept it tight, so the parchment was in good condition. It's downstairs, in the safe. I've got the translation here."

She read from a piece of yellow note paper.

"It's signed by de Molay."

"Wasn't he burned at the stake in 1307?" Nick asked.

"No. He was imprisoned, but he wasn't burned until 1314. 1307 is when he and the Templars were arrested. The letter was written in June of 1307. Pope Clement V held an inquiry in August and the Templars were arrested in October."

"The Vicar of Christ in the letter."

Selena nodded.

"Who was Walter de la More?"

"Master of the London Commandery, the Temple Church. He's probably the one who put that pouch in Marshal's tomb. La More was arrested in 1308 and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He wouldn't sign a confession, so he was tortured. He died in the Tower."

"How does Cyprus come into this?" Ronnie asked.

"The main headquarters of the Templars were on Cyprus," Selena said. "The treasury of the Templars was there as well."

"So de Molay knew things were going south and he shipped the Ark to England," Nick said.

"It looks like it. It would have been vulnerable in Cyprus because of Turkish attacks. Likewise in France because of King Phillip. England would have looked like a better bet. They didn't find a great treasure in Cyprus, just a relatively small amount. Perhaps de Molay shipped that to England as well."

"This is all real interesting," Ronnie said, "but we still don't know where it is. We're out of leads."

"But now we have proof the Ark still existed before 1307 and that the Templars had it," Elizabeth said. "It's probably still wherever la More hid it, or it would have surfaced by now."

"Somewhere in England?" Nick said.

"That seems logical." Elizabeth said. "I suppose it could also be in Ireland or Scotland."

"How are we going to pin it down?" Stephanie asked.

"I want you and Selena to research everything you can think of about la More. There has to be something, somewhere. People are predictable. He would have hidden it in a place he thought no one could find, but he would have had some knowledge of wherever that was. So look for patterns. Look at his genealogy, his family, all of it."

"He may have been childless," Selena said. "The Templars took a vow of chastity."

"That doesn't mean he didn't have children," Harker said. "Look anyway."