"Tch. Dammit," Sofia grunted under her breath as she took cover behind a replica of Michelangelo's Dying Slave statue as gunfire echoed throughout the museum hall, bullets ricocheting off of marble walls and statues everywhere. She whipped the Para 9 mm. from the holster on her thigh and began firing shots and several museum security guards advanced across the hall towards her. A bullet zipped by her, nicking the Dying Slave. A chunk of marble flew off of the statue and scratched her across her cheek, leaving behind a streak of blood. The sting caused her to wince in pain.
"Dammit, where the Hell is he?" she asked herself through gritted teeth. She reloaded her gun and fired more wild, frantic shots as the guards approached closer, and some dropped to the ground. From a pouch on her hip, Sofia pulled out something that resembled a grenade and held it over her head for all to see.
"Get back!" she commanded.
Large intricate doors swung open behind her, revealing the front courtyard of the museum briefly as several police officers rushed in. Her eyes widened in panic. That was when the aggressive roar of a motorcycle put her heart at ease as her ride finally arrived. The man pulled right up to the front door and halted the bike with a loud shriek.
"Let's go!" he called to her, whipping out a handgun and shooting several officers in the legs, dropping them to their knees.
Sofia smiled, tucking the object back into her pouch, and leaped over the men piled before her and made her way outside.
"You're late, Sam," she said as she hopped on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Meh, only a little. Wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't tripped the alarm," Sam Drake said with a smirk as he revved the engine and took off into the night. Red and blue lights flashed behind them, and police sirens screamed in the night.
"Can this thing go any faster?" Sofia asked as she fired random shots at the cruisers chasing after them.
"You got it," he said as he shifted gears, and the motorcycle shot forward with incredible speed. Sofia's long, dark hair trailed in the wind behind her. "Hang on!" Sam yelled. Sofia barely had time to tighten her grip before he pulled a sharp turn down a long, narrow alleyway that left absolutely no room for error. At the end of the alleyway was a winding highway with a drop-off leading down into the Mediterranean Sea.
"When I give the word, bail," Sam commanded her, and Sofia nodded. They broke free of the alley and Sam immediately hit the brakes, and the tires screeched against the asphalt. "Now!"
Sofia and Sam both jumped from the motorcycle, letting it fall over the cliff into the rocky waters below. On hand and knee, Sofia peeked over the edge at the steep, long drop off and exhaled in relief.
"Those are some skills you have. Sorry about your bike," Sofia said.
"No worries. It wasn't mine," Sam said with a chuckle.
They both remained quiet as they listened to the sirens dying down, growing further and further away from them. Sam then walked over to a car parked on the side of the road, covered in a black tarp. He lifted the tarp and revealed yet another getaway vehicle, a red Vespa.
"When in Rome, right?" Sam asked.
"Because we're in Rome. Cute. You thought of everything," Sofia said with a dry laugh. She hopped on the Vespa behind Sam and put her hands on his waist. She let out another sigh of relief as they drove away, surprised everything had gone so well.
#
"So? Do you have it?" Sam asked later that night as they reconvened in their hotel room.
With a wide grin, Sofia pulled an artifact from her pouch: a crystal egg encrusted with precious rubies and sapphires. Even in the dim hotel-room lighting, it glistened as brightly as a star in the night.
"Christ," Sam breathed, taken by its beauty.
"The Jewel of Etruria. The most precious possession of the last king of the Etruscan Empire, Tarquin the Proud," Sofia explained. She placed the priceless artifact on the table and wrapped it in cloth beside her glass of celebratory Whiskey. She picked up the glass and threw it back, swallowing the last of her Jack Daniel's. With her hand, she formed a cross, first touching both her shoulder, her forehead, and her chest. She then took a deep breath, and with a hammer, she smashed the precious egg beneath the cloth.
"God, that was painful to watch," Sam said.
"How do you think I feel?" Sofia asked. "It's okay. We're after something even better."
She lifted the cloth and brushed aside the smashed crystal and gems, revealing a dingy, stained piece of parchment paper, folded neatly into a square and wrapped in twine.
"Hell yes," Sam said with a grin, his excitement growing. Sofia fought to maintain her composure, and simply smiled.
"Etruria refers to the seven cities under the rule of the Etruscan Empire. But this...this proves that the line of Etruscan Kings was entrusted with protecting a secret: a capital city of the same name, Etruria. And, we just found the key to locating it," she explained, speaking faster the more she spoke.
"I gotta say, I'm impressed. I wasn't sure about taking on this gig when I got your call," Sam said, at which Sofia chuckled.
"Trust me. I had some reservations about working with The Other Drake. But, you impressed me tonight, too."
"So? Let's see it already," Sam urged her.
Sofia nodded and carefully untied the twine and unfolded the parchment onto the table, afraid to tear it. It was worn with age, soft around the creases and frayed around the edges, but otherwise perfectly preserved within crystal egg. Scrawled across the paper was text written in Latin.
"Mater...rebelles acedere...tempus...breve est mihi..." Sofia read aloud.
"Jesus," Sam said, following along with her.
"It's a letter from Tarquin to his mother."
"He said the rebels were approaching. His own people turned against him?" Sam asked. Sofia nodded and continued to read silently to herself as she explained.
"Towards the end of his reign, he became more concerned with erecting temples- a way to celebrate his conquests. His subjects got tired of it. There was an uprising, and he was forced into exile." She spoke quickly, disinterested in explaining the story she knew so well to a casual. She drew a quick breath, excited by something scrawled towards the end of the letter.
"Listen to this," she said. "If I should die today, I entrust the secrets of Etruria to you. Protect them as the Great Kings before me. The blessings of the Gods shine in the heart of Etruria."
"Heart of Etruria...what do you think that means?" Sam asked.
"Don't know," Sofia said and shook her head. She turned the parchment over in her hand. "Check this out."
On the backside, more text scribbled sloppily, and a small diagram drawn in the bottom corner. Sam leaned in from behind Sofia, reading over her shoulder.
"Those sound like prayers," he said.
"Well, the Etruscans were polytheistic, just like the Romans and Greeks. There's several prayers here, but why go to the trouble? Then there's this," Sofia said, pointing to the symbol scratched in the bottom corner of the paper. Six small circles enclosed by a larger circle, resembling a child's simple drawing of a flower. Inside each small circle, a different symbol was drawn. A crown, a sun, a moon, a shield, a lightning bolt, and a snake.
"These symbols were included for a reason. I just can't see it," Sofia said, rubbing her temples, her head throbbing as she racked her brain for any ideas, reaching desperately for anything that might make sense. She finally tossed the paper down on the table with a flourish. She took a seat at the table and let her head fall face-first onto the table, throwing up her hands in frustration. Sam let out a half-hearted chuckle and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Take it easy. I'll brew us some coffee, and we'll figure this thing out," he said, and he walked across the room to the "kitchen" which consisted of a microwave and coffee pot sitting on a small desk.
"The blessings of the Gods shine in the heart of Etruria," Sofia repeated, her voice muffled by the table. She repeated it over and over, hoping for the words to magically have meaning. She then raised her head, a quizzical look on her face, as if the gears were now turning.
"Tuscany," she said.
"Hm? What about it?" Sam said as he set a cup of coffee on the table and took a seat next to her.
"It was the heart of the Etruscan Empire."
"A little on the nose, don't ya think?" Sam asked.
"It's all we've got to go on. If the blessings of the Gods really shine in the heart of Etruria, Tuscany is where we need to be."
"Tuscany, here we come," Sam said with a shrug as he sipped his coffee.
#
As Sam drove the rental car, Sofia rested her cheek on the cool glass window, admiring the charming countryside. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but rolling hills, vineyards, the occasional villa. The light of dawn on the never-ending horizon created a breathtaking view like something out of a renaissance painting.
"So, uh, how can be we be sure which temple to we're going to? I thought there were dozens of temples for all the Etruscan's deities in all their major cities," Sam said, snapping Sofia out of her daze.
"The general rule-of-thumb is to start with the oldest temple. That's where we're headed now."
They continued to travel along the winding, country roads until they came to a dirt road that cut through the hills.
"Here. Stop here," Sofia said.
Sam pulled the car to the side of the road and killed the engine.
"All the way out here?" he asked.
"Mhm. We walk the rest of the way," Sofia said as she got out of the car, holding King Tarquin's letter in her hand. Sam followed behind her.
"So, uh, do we have a long walk ahead of us?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, sorry about that," she said with a chuckle. "It's a small price to pay. We're on the precipice of something so incredibly amazing," Sofia said, her excitement growing, and she quickened her pace. Sam smiled and broke into a light jog behind her. Finally, they reached the temple. Several columns lined the foundation, which itself stood tall, coming to Sofia's waste. At the entrance, a large statue of a man towered over them.
"Who's that?" Sam asked.
"That's Tinia, God of the sky and king of the Etruscan Pantheon. His symbol is the lightning bolt," Sofia explained.
"Just like on the back of that letter. That's promising," he said with a grin. "So, how do we get in?" he asked. Of the three entrances to the temple, all were sealed and chained closed with a padlock. Sofia approached the center entrance, held the lock in her hand, looking down on it with disgust.
"These doors are additions. A place of worship would never be sealed like this," Sofia said. She pulled out her hand gun and shot the lock, and the chains binding the door closed fell to the ground. Sofia then kicked the door in one, two, three times until the doors swung open, coming detached from their old, rusted hinges.
"I guess that's one way to get in," Sam said, following behind Sofia as she entered the temple. At the far end of the room was an even larger statue of Tinia, standing tall and proud. His right arm was lifted above his head, and he held a lightning bolt, ready to strike with it. Right in front of his was a small altar for saying prayers and making offerings. A long, bone-dry reflection pool stretched for almost the entire length of the room.
Sofia pulled out her smart phone and snapped pictures of the room before moving forward to investigate.
"Something is off about this statue of Tinia," she said. "Why is his head facing sideways? That makes no sense."
"I can get a closer look if you want," Sam said, and he was on the move before Sofia had time to answer. Sofia cringed at the sight of Sam mounting the statue, scaling the most important Etruscan God with ease. He sat on Tinia's shoulder and called down to Sofia.
"Hey! I think his head can be repositioned," Sam said, and he grunted as he pushed, but made no progress. "I can feel it giving a little. This might be a two-man job."
"I'm coming," Sofia begrudgingly said, and she began her climb. She met Sam on the shoulder and helped him push, leaning her whole body into it. Her arms burned as they pushed. Suddenly, all at once, the statue's neck swiveled, and Tinia's head snapped in place, facing forward. Sofia slipped fell forward.
"Sophie!" Sam grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back, and he held on tightly until he could be sure she was standing firmly on her feet. "You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I-I'm fine. Thanks," she said, shaken. "Let's see if that did anything."
They climbed back down to find that a hidden passage had opened in the empty reflection pool. Sofia couldn't contain her excitement.
"Let's check it out!" she squeezed through the narrow passage and descended a long flight of stairs. Sam followed behind. At the end of their descent, they found themselves in a large, open, circular room. In the center of the room, on the floor, was a symbol that matched the one scribbled on Tarquin's letter. Around the room, lined up with the symbols, were statues of gods and goddesses that corresponded to each symbol. Sofia whipped out her journal and started scribbling away in her notes, drawing a symbol, and writing the corresponding deity next to that symbol.
"Ho...ly...shit," Sam said with a smile, in complete disbelief. "This is somethin' else."
"This is incredible," Sofia agreed. As Sofia took pictures with her smart phone, Sam inspected the room further. At the far end of the room, there was what appeared to be a brazier.
"Hey, Sophie. Come check this out," Sam said. Sophie jogged across the room and stopped at his side.
"Looks like this can be lit. Sam, you got a light?" she asked.
Sam pulled out his lighter and lit the wood piled inside the brazier, and they both jumped back as it came to life, and the fire spread in a contained trail, circling the room, igniting hidden torches behind each statue. In front of them, a statue rose up from underground, an older gentleman in ratty robes, holding a globe in his outstretched hand. Sofia raised an eyebrow, while Sam gazed around the room with a look of wonderment.
"That's strange," Sofia thought out loud.
"Soph, are you seeing this? C'mon, get excited," Sam said with a wide grin, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her playfully. She let out a half-hearted laugh.
"I am. This is...beyond what I ever imagined. But, look at this statue. It's not an Etruscan king, and it's not any deity either."
"So, who is it?" Sam asked.
"This is Socrates. He was a Greek philosopher. It just...I don't understand the connection. Why would he be in a sacred, Etruscan temple?"
"Well, take a look at this," Sam said pointing out the small globe in the statue's hand.
"Oh, it's not so much a full globe as it is a map of Etruria, the entire Etruscan empire and its territories," Sofia said upon further inspection.
Small beads of light marked different locations on the map. Both Sam and Sofia turned to investigate where the light sources were coming from. All the statues had turned to face Socrates, the light source coming from the hidden torches behind their backs, filtered and concentrated through a single jewel on their chests.
"The blessings of the gods shine in the heart of Etruria," Sam repeated.
Sofia scribbled away in her journal and took pictures of the map from several angles.
"It looks like we're headed to the major cities of the Etruscan Empire in search of...something to point us in the right direction."
"Any ideas about why a Greek Philosopher is literally holding the entire Etruscan Empire in his hand?" Sam asked. Sofia shook her head and snapped her journal shut.
"No clue. But, it's important to the whole picture. The more pieces we fill in, the clearer it'll get. At least, I'm hoping," she said with a nervous laugh.
"Sam," she said suddenly, changing her tone to a more serious one. "Thank you for agreeing to come with me. There's no money in this expedition. The only thing I can promise is that we'll get recognition for making the discovery of a lifetime. You have no idea how important this is to me. To find the lost city of Etruria... I've been dreaming about it for so long, and we're so close!"
Sam smiled and shrugged it off.
"I'm fine with that. I'm still behind in 'lost civilizations discovered' with my little brother."
"So, being the man who found Libertalia isn't enough?" she asked with a smile.
"Ah, so you heard about that?"
"Of course I did! The Drake brothers are famous in our line of work. Everyone knows who you two are," Sofia said, letting her fangirl show. Sam laughed.
"I thought I was the other Drake."
"Don't be so sensitive. I was just busting your balls," Sofia said with a laugh. "Libertalia is an incredible find to have on your resume. I dare say Etruria is going to top it. I hope your ready."
"Always," Sam said with a grin. "So, where to next, Sophie?" he asked.
"Hmm.." Sofia flipped open her journal once more and studied her crude drawing of the map. "Our next temple is dedicated to Uni. She was the wife of our boy Tinia. Her temple is in Veia, Forli. Let's find a place to crash for a couple hours and head out."
#
Sofia parked the rental car in a field located at the foot of a mountain, where their next temple was located.
"And you were complaining about the walk we did yesterday," Sofia said to Sam as they gazed at the mountain, taking it all in.
"I'll never complain again. 'Makes me wish I called one of my contacts. He could've at least dropped us off a little closer."
"Well, we aren't gonna get any closer standing here complaining. Let's g-" Sofia was cut short when a massive explosion went off in the mountains, sending rubble skyward.
"What the Hell was that?" Sofia asked. She climbed a nearby tree to get a higher vantage point, Sam following after her, but it was no use. She could see anything.
"Sophie," Sam whispered suddenly with urgency. "Stay quiet. Don't move."
Seconds later, a caravan of trucks went bustling by, carrying crates upon crates of flares, ammunition, and other excavation equipment. Their drums and crates were labeled Shoreline.
"Jesus, these guys will whore themselves out to anybody," Sam said.
"Yeah, well, that's a private militia for you," Sofia said.
"I'm getting so sick of seeing these guys."
They both sat in silence as the trucks stopped. Several mercenaries poured out of the vehicles, armed to the teeth. At the head of the caravan, in an armored truck, a suave man stepped out of the passenger seat. He had short, wavy black hair that hung low over his sharp eyes, and an attractive square jaw line, clean shaven with a dimple in his chin.
"Damn," Sofia breathed, and covered her mouth, and Sam raised his eye brow at her.
The man strolled over to their rental car, looked around the area for its owners. Sofia's heart stopped as she waited, holding her breath, staying as still as the statues at the Etruscan temples.
"Search the area. I want the owners of this car removed from the area. I don't care how you do it," the man commanded before walking away. Several Shoreline grunts fanned out, sweeping the area in search of Sam and Sofia.
"Looks like we've got some competition," Sam said once they were all out of earshot.
"Hmph. Too bad for them," Sofia said as she pulled out her Para 9 mm. to make sure it was fully loaded. "I'm not prepared to lose."