A/N: This is in Ian's POV. And first of all, I want to apologize for the long, long prologue that is probably far too wordy and boring. I had a small one-and it ended up becoming quite large as the late night hours grew into early morning hours. Forgive me. I'm sorry….I had never written anything for anyone to see before, so the stress dwelled on me. I am a bit nervous that I messed this prologue up. But, read on! You can decide what you think. And, if you don't mind…sharing a few words with me?

Got any ideas for the story? Any feedback or just what you wanted to say? I'd love to hear it! I want to know if I can continue on with this.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Sadly.

The Prologue:

"This is it? We came all this way for a dead end?"

He lied to me. Again. It shouldn't have surprised me though. For as long as I had known Benjamin, which was somewhere between one to two years, I should have learned the accustomed lies that came as part of the Gates family package.

He usually didn't straight out lie to me, but somehow he bent the truth-or fooled me in ways that rotted my stomach when I finally found the truth. He was the most difficult man I had ever known, and yet the most intriguing. He was truly a capable friend-but friends never lasted forever. Not with me.

"There has to be something more!" Riley Poole blurted, his voice a bit choked. Ben just gazed at him, anger writhing on his greased face. He and I both shared that expression-it was one explicitly given to Riley, and usually meant one thing: shut up.

"Riley, there is no more…" Ben admitted, rubbing his hands across his forehead, as if trying to ease himself from the disappointment that oozed from his eyes. Even after Ben had told the infantile tag-along that the dead end hit us hard, he still kept talking.

"Another clue," Poole went on, glancing at his feet. He was filling the air with irritable noise-something I wasn't planning on dealing with. Before I intervened however, Ben did the honors.

"No! Riley, there are no more clues! That's it. It's over. End of the road. The treasure is gone! All gone! Now stop being so impossible!"

I had never seen Ben explode in such a way. Not at me, or his father, or even Riley. It surprised me to see his outburst, but it also was amusing to see the kiss-up finally confronted. Tears looked like they were forming in his brilliant blue eyes.

The whole time that I stood on the elevator lift, Powell and Viktor stayed right behind me. I could hear their heavy, exhausted breathing from behind me, only thicken my temper. I gazed over at Ben. He was rushing forward, Miss Chase as well as his father were right behind him-but Riley, he just took his time. He was still gazing at a loss in the empty room. Clearly he saw the same disappointment that I saw. Another false assumption made by Benjamin Gates.

By this time, I was quite tired of hearing Riley whine and complain, and was certainly through with the hellish glares that Miss Chase fixed upon me. Ben was covering up. It was obvious-and I was through with his games.

It didn't surprise me that he'd hide a clue from me-after all; I had already driven several others from him already, forcibly. Still, we were so close, and yet I could feel his mouth clenching tightly around the next clue.

"Tell me where the next clue is," Finally I managed a word in between the riot that Ben and his clash of pathetic fools were causing.

"I know there is another one. You're hiding it from me, aren't you?"

Ben's eyes fell.

I knew it! Once a liar, always a liar. I knew that personally from experience.

"Come on Benjamin, tell me where it is," I continued. Viktor and Powell grunted and managed a wail in determination. Their hope to emphasize my threat only made me feel less and less professional. I didn't need a bunch of men to be my goons. I needed my friends. Men who understood me. Men who could help me…

Ben, unfortunately, was not one of those friends. He could never know me the way Shaw did. No one could ever get that close. My methods, my reasoning, my loves and hates-everything I had confided in Shaw. The one person I needed was gone. The only other person I could count on was facing me, on the other side of the line.

"Ben, tell me!"

My patience was running out. He was being stubborn, and that sort of thing ended with people getting hurt.

"No, there is nothing more! I swear!"

"Fine then. Go!"

Quickly Viktor and Powell began to untie the ropes that fastened the elevator lift in place. I watched them with a small smirk, expecting them to come rushing for me. They did.

"Don't do this, Ian!" Ben roared, fixing a stern expression on his dirt-worn face. His brown hair was messily sticking about. Honestly, he seemed quite pathetic. That was how I knew for sure that he was hiding something. When did Benjamin Franklin Gates ever present himself at a loss? Rarely, if ever.

"You can't leave us down here!" Abigail added, tightly squeezing between Patrick and Ben. Her ocean eyes peered at me, as if she were trying to get my sympathy. I just smirked.

"Yes I can," I replied simply, continuing to pull off the rope that held the lift in place. "Unless Ben tells me what the next clue is."

Everyone stood in silence. Riley watched with a fixed expression that was both squished together and confused. It was quite amusing.

"I know there is another clue," I defended myself, especially when Ben had given me the 'you-lost-your-mind?' sort of look. Still, the look on his face was almost convincing. It was then that I had pulled out my gun, aiming it well at Ben. His devotion and refusal to tell me the truth only made me hate him.

"Tell me the next clue!" I bellowed, locking the gun-readying for the slip of my finger, and a body to fall. I would do it…he knew that. Even though I did consider him to be a prized friend, like Shaw, I was still devoted to finding the treasure-and securing my future and no righteous fanatic was going to stand in my way.

"Let's just put the gun down…and talk about this! We can all just get out alive and-

"Don't speak again!" My gun narrowed its way towards Riley. His attempt to settle the matter at hand drove my fury. I was so ready to shoot. Ben knew that! So why was he letting me get so angry? Why couldn't he just tell me the next clue? Did he want his friend's blood stained to the floor? Perhaps he and I were equally devoted to this hunt. Even if our friend's blood is spilt, we still go on-as if they were never there.

I didn't pay much attention to Riley's obedient reply because I had replaced my target back towards Ben. Sweat beaded off of his forehead. His eyes were wide, anxious, determined-pleading, perhaps? Still, I think he knew what I was feeling. I was ready for hostile action.

"Leave him alone!" Abigail roared, throwing up a fist in anger. Ben's intervention was quick; he stole the spotlight from her before the barrel of my gun reached her way. Shoving his body in front of hers, he sternly stared back at me, his forehead back in the line of fire.

"Ian, I have nothing left to give you! I swear!"

He was such a pathetic liar. Even Riley was looking suspicious, and barely amused. I was loosing my control again. Anger, distractions-things I had under control were slowly loosening back into place. Ben's stubborn ego and ridiculous passion for saving the treasure pissed me off. For a simple moment, I stepped off the platform, rage written all over my face. It burned too. I was quite surprised to find how uncomfortable I had become.

Placing the gun to his head, I growled angrily as I watched Abigail and Patrick slightly fall back, bumping carelessly into Riley. The boy barely nudged. His feet seemed as if they were glued to the cracking floor. His attention was focused only on Ben and the gun-occasionally shifting his wide eyes towards me. I could feel his nervous gaze burning my reddened cheeks.

"Tell me where the treasure is Ben, or people are going to die."

Ben shook his head.

"Then you've ended your life, right here. Right now."

Pulling back the trigger, it seemed like I was going in slow motion. Nothing seemed to be moving fast, and I was certainly not in a rush to shoot him. But before I even managed to fire a bullet at Benjamin, I felt my hand automatically shift towards Riley. He was talking. Again!

"Leave him alone, Ian! If he knew he'd tell you! I swear! But don't shoot him! You'll never get your answer if you sh—

The man never finished his words. With a thunderous roar shrieking from the barrel of my gun, and the clash of bullet against his skin, it became obvious as to what I had done.

Riley's stood awkwardly. His shaking arms barely dared to lift towards his stomach where a stain of blood appeared. His breathing heavily increased and grew louder and forced. I looked at him, somehow shocked to see the fright in his eyes. He grew so pale so dramatically fast. Even his lips were a pale white. Although I saw the blood form around him, it did not fully register, what I had done, until a small stream of scarlet trickled out the side of his mouth.

Shivering, he recoiled and looked as if he'd vomit, but was mostly gasping for air. Within a few moments, Riley stepped backwards, stumbling until finally he lost his footing, hitting the bare ground mercilessly.

I winced heavily and found myself unable to move. I did it. I shot him. I did what I told Ben I would do, but I felt a iron weight of guilt hit me.

"Riley!"

Between Abigail's screaming, Ben's loud yelling, and Patrick's nervous ranting, I didn't know what to do. The nervous shivering was starting to affect me, and I could hear Viktor and Powell mumble behind me. They too were surprised.

But why was I?

I watched them all. Ben was carefully propping Riley up against his lap, his hands cupped against his friend's pale face. He was trying to keep him in conversation, keeping him conscious. Abigail was holding his hand while trying to contain her fear and fury. Patrick sat next to Ben. I suppose he was trying to contribute as much as he could.

"I told you to just tell me, Ben…Now look. You got your friend shot."

My gun was pointed low, but at Ben nonetheless. For a moment, Ben kept himself composed. I had wished it would have lasted longer, but I did not blame him for otherwise either.

"I can't believe you shot him! How could you?" He glared at me, gesturing at me with hands covered in Mister Poole's blood. I kept a stern face.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Benjamin! I told you! I TOLD you!"

"He was your friend too!" Ben yelled, daring himself to come closer. He yielded after a moment, after realizing I still had the gun. At least I still had the advantage. Not only was I still armed, but Viktor and Powell were both watching with alertness, stepping closer too.

"Tell me what I need to know!"

This time Patrick interrupted. Stepping forward, the older man fixed his glasses, nervously speaking up.

"It's the lantern…" He mumbled. I eyed him curiously.

"Dad, no…" Ben tried to intervene again, but Patrick vigorously shook his head.

"The status quo has changed, my son. No more blood needs to be spilt in vain. Not over this…"

I grinned satisfactorily. Finally someone who didn't want to die had the answers. Not only was I relieved, but I had hoped Ben would be.

"It's part of freemason teachings. In King Solomon's temple there was a winding staircase. It signified the journey that was to be made in order to find the light of truth. The lantern is the clue."

I arched a brow quizzically, glancing behind them, and then back at them.

"And what does it mean?" I asked, fixing my gun on Patrick.

"Boston. It's Boston…" Ben spoke up while rubbing some dirt and broken pebble off of Riley's cold, sweating face. Patrick nodded and continued on with the clue.

"The old North Church in Boston where Thomas Newton hung a lantern in the steeple to signal Paul Revere that the British were coming. One if by land, two if by sea," He glared at me, "One lantern….Under the winding staircase in the steeple. That is where we have to look."

Brilliantly I smiled and nodded. I believed every word from his mouth. Patrick was quite different from Ben in many ways. He was aged, so he had seen and been through many things to know when and what was enough; he was also not the type of man who wanted to die over treasure. The honesty in his eyes felt so real. I trusted him.

Powell and Viktor grinned triumphantly as well. Close behind me, the three of us quickly rushed for the lift once more. As they began to untie the ropes once more, I shook my head in pity.

"WAIT!" Ben pleaded, holding on to Riley as tightly as he could. "You have to take us with you!"

I only shook my head, grinning. Finally I would get the treasure. I would have it all-and she would be so proud. They all would. I would finally be free from the leash tied to my neck. Most importantly, however, my little girl wouldn't have to pretend to be someone else. Never again.

"You can't let him die down here!" Abigail and Ben pleaded, but I just let the words fade as we rose higher and higher toward the top.

I could smell victory right outside this church. And, if it led to another clue, as Ben had yelled out after me, then at least I knew where to find them.

Holy crumpets! This was long. SORRY!

Did you bare through it? If you did, CONGRATS! Yay! I'm glad you read it. So…the prologue may have seemed weird, but I wanted to start somewhere that we are all pretty familiar with. I just…did it with Ian's POV and added a little of Gabby twist/angst to it!

So, tell me what you think…

Is it worth a read? Should there be more chapters? Or is this just a dinky short story? Let me know! I'll try and have a first chapter up soon.