The Nostradamus File

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

The Welsh village of Pembroke was dominated by the 12th Century castle. The main street of the town was lined with two and three story houses with steeply pitched roofs, laid out along a stretch of quiet water called the Mill Pond. The houses were painted in faded pastel colors, green and lavender, yellow and red. The town had the feel of age about it, as if time had started to leave it behind.

They checked into the Royal George Hotel, not far from the castle. It had a pub that looked inviting. Their rooms were comfortable, in the way of small European hotels that provide a personal touch.

The clerk recommended they take the Mill Pond Walk and handed them a map of the town and castle.

"Castle's closing tomorrow for repairs, I'm afraid," he said. "You still have time for a tour, if you hurry."

Outside the hotel they looked up at the massive walls of the castle.

"How would you like to try and get through that with a sword?" Ronnie said.

The castle would have presented real problems for a 13th Century attacker. The walls were thick and high, built of strong Welsh stone. Rounded towers with battlements marched along the fortifications. The wall facing the town featured a heavily reinforced gatehouse.

Selena read from the guide book. "That kind of gate was called a Barbican. It says they stopped using them a century or so after the castle was built."

"You can see why they used catapults and rams," Lev said. "Even then, it would take serious men to breach those walls."

"You'd be climbing ladders with pots of burning oil and arrows raining down on your head," Selena said. "If you managed to reach the ramparts, you'd face a wall of swords and spears. All hand to hand."

"Books make it sound romantic," Nick said. "But it's still the same old story. Blood and death with the flags waving."

Lev nodded agreement. "It hasn't changed much. We're just more efficient, now. One flight of F-16s would make this whole thing go away."

"You're a cynic, Lev."

"No. A realist. I hate war. I've lived with it my entire life."

They paid the admission fee and entered the castle grounds and found themselves in the Outer Ward, the first defended area. Across the way was a tall stone tower called the Great Keep. It dominated the castle grounds. From the top of the tower, defenders could have seen the entire force attacking them. They would have retreated to the Keep for a last stand, if the outer walls were breached by an attack.

Wogan Cavern was at the bottom of a long, winding staircase of stone that began in a building called the North Hall, on the river side of the compound. They descended single file down the narrow stairs and into the cavern. A half dozen tourists milled about, taking pictures.

The cave was about 80 feet long by 60 wide. The roof was high overhead. The limestone walls were moist, the floor uneven with small puddles of water in the hollows.

The open end of the cavern faced out onto the river. Two tall, narrow windows with iron grills were set above and to the right of a wide, arched opening closed off by a gate of black iron bars. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the openings. It was like stepping back in time a thousand years. Nick half expected men with swords and hard looks to come down those winding stairs and ask them what they were doing there.

Selena consulted her tourist guide.

"It says the gate was probably used to launch boats down to the river."

"That's our way in later," Nick said. "Let's look for that cave."

They walked to the wall where the satellite had shown a second cave. It looked exactly like the other walls.

"I don't see anything," Lev said.

"There has to be something. Look harder."

"Here," Selena said. She ran her fingers over the surface.

They stood next to her and peered at the surface of the wall. There was a faint line in the irregular stone, so faint no one would see it if they weren't looking in the right spot. The passage of centuries and the constant drip of moisture had blended the marks of the opening into the ridges and valleys of the walls. Nick had to look twice to be sure.

"Have to hand it to them," Ronnie said. "You really can't tell."

"Let's check out the gate," Nick said.

The gate was strong and locked, but the weakness of any gate was in the lock.

"It won't take long to get through it," Ronnie said.

The land sloped away from the gate down to the river.

"We could get right to it from the water."

"How are we going to get the Ark out of there?" Lev said. "Assuming it's behind that wall?"

"Carry it. We need a boat big enough."

"And then?"

"We'll load it in the van. Then we go to the nearest US air base. Probably Fairford in Gloucestershire. Then we get a lift back to the States."

"Maybe it should go to Tel Aviv."

"We'll decide that when and if we find it," Nick said.

"Too bad Lamont isn't here," Selena said. "Water, boats, a night mission. It's what he loves."

Lev said nothing.

"We've seen enough," Nick said. "Let's head back into town and find out about boats. We'll go tomorrow night."

They started the steep climb back to the castle hall above. Behind them, a man wearing a light windbreaker followed. At the top, he paused and watched them walk away toward the gatehouse. He took out his phone and pressed a number.

"Yes."

"I think they've discovered something."

"You know what to do."

"It could get messy."

"If they find something, take it and eliminate them. Minimize any collateral damage. And make damn sure you don't get caught."

"Yes, sir."

The man in the windbreaker turned off his phone. He glanced at his watch. The others should have arrived by now. They'd be waiting for him back in town.