The Nostradamus File

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

Lamont looked like someone had added a little too much cream to the coffee color of his skin. A clear tube fed oxygen to his nostrils. But he was out of danger.

Nick finished telling him about Lev Gefen and the firefight at the castle.

"He had kids? That's a damn shame." Lamont's voice was weak. His breathing was labored. A monitor beeped quietly in the corner of the room.

Nick nodded. "I liked him. He reminded me a little of Korov, that same kind of attitude."

"What happens next?

"Selena is checking on the sword we found. Maybe it leads somewhere. If not, we don't have any other places to look. We're done."

"How are you and her getting along? Before I got hurt, seemed there was some tension between you."

"You picked up on that?"

Lamont laughed. It turned into a fit of coughing. Nick held a cup of water with a straw to his lips.

"You're kidding. Hell, Nick, you two are really obvious. We all know when something's going on."

Nick looked out the window.

"Ronnie said you were living apart again."

Nick looked back at his friend. "Yeah. Seems like a good idea right now. I've been tossing around a lot at night. Keeps her awake."

Lamont let that pass. He knew about Nick's nightmares. He also knew Nick had started seeing a shrink. He didn't say anything about it.

"Sometimes I wonder what the hell we're doing together," Nick said. "I don't know what she wants from me."

Lamont was surprised. Nick never talked about Selena, not to him. Not to Ronnie, either, as far as he knew. Nick kept things to himself. They all did. It went with the territory.

"What do you want from her?"

"Damned if I know. We kind of got caught up in everything and one thing led to another. I don't know where it's supposed to go."

Lamont said nothing.

"Anyway," Nick said, "if we get a lead from that sword we'll follow up. Selena found a bit of gold in the cave. She thinks it was part of the covering on the Ark."

Lamont was relieved Nick had changed the subject.

"The Bible says it was covered in gold, doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"You think it might still be around?"

"If it was in the cave when the guy with the sword was killed, that's only a few hundred years ago."

"Might as well be yesterday."

"My guess is that the dead swordsman was killed protecting it. Or trying to steal it, either way."

"Makes sense."

"The question is who took it and what did they do with it. They could have stripped it for the gold."

"I don't know, Nick. I mean it's the Ark. Everyone knows about it, at least everyone Christian or Jewish."

"Or Muslim. But there weren't any Muslims in Pembroke back then."

"I don't think anyone would just destroy it for the gold."

"You have more faith in humanity than I do."

"If you find it, it would help make Gefen's death worth something," Lamont said.

"There's that, I guess. I don't think it would be a lot of comfort to his wife and kids."