A/N: Towards the end of this chapter there are a few lines in Spanish the words in parenthesis are the translations, (Translation), just an early warning. Here is part two and thank you to those who took the time to review.
"Okay so why didn't you tell me you had a sister?" Riley asked as they pulled up to the front of the Gates home in Philadelphia for dinner.
"I told you already Riley she's my adopted sister. I didn't get to see her many times because she lived with my mom, it also didn't help that she traveled every chance she got after she graduated from high school as valedictorian. We wrote to each other. That was the only way I was able keep up with her." Ben explained again for the umpteenth time.
"Right and how is she going to help us?" Riley asked again unbuckling his seatbelt.
"Because she's majoring in world history at the college my mom teaches at. She knows a lot about history, which is exactly the kind of person we need right now."
The three of them were making their way to the front door.
"So how old is your sister," Abigail asked trying to find out more about Ben's little sister.
"19," Ben sighed.
"19? So she's only been going to college for about a year," Abigail said realizing that this teenager might not know as much as Ben is leading on.
"No she's been going to college for two in half years, if you count the summers," Ben corrected, "She graduated from high school at the age of 17." Abigail's mouth made an 'o' in surprise as they reached the door and Ben rang the door bell.
"So explain to me again why you didn't tell me you had a sister," Riley said and Ben gave him a look as the door opened to reveal a dark haired young woman with brown eyes and light tanned skin, "a very cute sister," Riley added softly as he observed the stranger in the door way.
"Ben," the girl greeted happily as she hugged her missed older brother.
"Hello Betsy," Ben murmured as he embraced his also missed little sister, "Betsy I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Abigail Chase," Ben introduced and Abigail shook Betsy's hand.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Elizabeth, but you're more than welcome to call me Betsy," Betsy greeted with a friendly smile.
"And this is my best friend Riley Poole," Ben introduced again and Riley also shook Betsy's hand.
"Oh so you're Riley, it's nice to finally make your acquaintance, my dad…" Betsy thought over what she was going to say and quickly changed her mind, "talks a lot about you." She said but everyone knew what Patrick Gates thought of Mr. Riley Poole and both Abigail and Ben had to stifle their laughter.
"Oh Ben," Ben's mom, Emily, came into the picture and greeted the three of them happily, "come in, come in," She said and led them into the sitting room, "go ahead and have a seat I'm sure you're exhausted from your drive. I'll be right back, I'll call Patrick down." She told them as she exited the room and up the stairs. Ben looked around the sitting room.
"This place has changed a lot," Ben said looking at the more decorative and corresponding walls and sofa.
"What did you expect mom moved back in," Betsy said giggling.
"So Ben has told us that you're studying world history," Abigail brought up trying to make conversation.
"Yeah, I'm really big on history," Betsy answered with a smile.
"And you travel a lot."
"Yeah, I've probably been to every place there is on this planet at least twice. I think that it's really important that people with my major to travel and see the places we're learning about personally and to experience the ceremonies, the people, the traditions first hand rather than reading and being lectured about them. You understand them a lot more."
"She just came back from China didn't you, Betsy," Ben pointed out.
"Yup, it's so beautiful there. The people are so nice and there's just this spiritual sense to the whole place. It's very nice," Betsy said. A few minutes later dinner was served and the conversation moved to the dining room.
Dinner was going smoothly and the food was delicious but Ben really wasn't feeling all too well. He couldn't get his mind off of Ian and how important it was that he talked to Betsy about it. Finally dinner was over and while Emily and Patrick cleaned up Betsy sat with Ben, Abigail and Riley again back in the sitting room.
"Hey Ben on the phone you said that I could probably help you with something, is there something I could help you with?" Betsy asked curiously and Ben couldn't be happier that she brought it up.
"You know what there is and I'm glade you brought it up," he said putting down his cup of coffee on the coffee table in front of them, "I don't know if you've heard about this yet but Ian Howe recently escaped from jail."
"Holy… are you serious?" Betsy asked in a worried tone, now putting her own cup down on the table.
"Yeah and the FBI has gotten a few tips on where he could be going and one of the tips were he was scheduling a flight to South America, now where in South America we don't know," Ben said calmly.
"Do you think he could be fleeing the country?" Betsy asked with a hand under her chin in a pondering fashion.
"Well that's what they thought but then another tip came in saying that he spoke of a map leading to the 'treasure of all treasures'."
"He's going on another treasure hunt," Betsy sighed.
"Yes, and this time in South America. Can you think of anything that could possibly be the treasure?" Ben asked.
"Anyone want more coffee?" Emily asked from the door way. The occupants of the room shook their heads.
"Hey mom can you come in here for a second," Betsy called before her mom went back into the kitchen, "I think you'll have better luck with mom."
Ben explained to his mom and later on his dad exactly what he knew. Betsy sat back in the arm chair she was sitting in and concentrated on what her brother was saying. She thought about her classes, the lectures, what she's read and what she's been told when she went to South America. Finally when Ben was done telling his dad about it, something seemed to stick out in Betsy's mind. It was crazy and if this was the treasure Ian was going after it was most likely he wasn't going to be coming back.
"El Dorado," She whispered to herself but loud enough that her mom heard her.
"What was that Betsy?" Emily asked thinking the same thing her daughter was.
"But…no it can't be," Betsy thought aloud.
"Betsy what are you talking about," Ben asked anxiously thinking his sister had solved it.
"There is a story of a treasure in South America or I should say northern South America. It's very popular, extremely popular, but it has never been found. It's called El Dorado: Ciudad de Oro, or for you guys El Dorado: City of Gold." Betsy announced leaning forward in her chair.
"Hold on a minute city of gold?" Abigail repeated making sure she heard right, and Betsy nodded.
"Some stories go that the Gods felt like bestowing a gift of a paradise to us mere mortals. It is said that El Dorado has temples where you can pluck gold from the very walls. It's a ridiculous fairy tale that's all." Betsy said looking at her brother seriously.
"Well we are going to have to go find this El Dorado," Ben said looking back at her.
"No Ben, do you know how many people have gone looking for this nonexistent paradise? Do you know how many people have lost their lives? If your friend Ian is after this treasure you shouldn't even bother going after him he won't come back." Betsy said desperately trying to convince her brother there was no point in going.
"What is so dangerous about it?" Riley asked leaning forward.
"Oh I don't know the fact that it doesn't exist or that nobody has ever found it," Betsy said exasperatedly.
"Sounds like the Templar Treasure," Ben said looking at his sister victoriously.
"Okay, see, I knew you were going to bring that up, Ben that was a family treasure, not many people knew about it and if they did they thought we were crazy. This treasure is world wide. Everyone and their grandfather went looking for this treasure." Betsy argued. Ben looked unfazed by his sister's rebuttal. Betsy sighed in frustration, "Is he always this stubborn?" She asked the others in the room.
"Yes," they all said.
"You know what let me prove it to you," Betsy said leaning back into her chair getting into story mode, "Okay El Dorado is a myth, a legend. It all started when the Spaniards invaded South America in 1535 in Andes, current day Colombia. The kidnapped Indians spoke of El Dorado or the "gilded man". It seems likely that the legend was based on a religious rite actually performed at Lake Guatavita in the highlands of Bogota by the Muisca Indians but which had probably ceased some fifty years before the Spaniards came to hear of the story. It was said that once or twice a year this legendary king, his body covered with powdered gold, appeared before his people by a lake high up amid the mountains. Thus gilded and resplendent, he would push off in a raft for the centre of the lake where he would throw into the water offerings of gold and other precious things. After this he plunged into the lake and bathed in it. This ritual led the Spaniards to seek, in the central plains to the east of the Bogota highlands, a golden city by the name of Manoa and a golden king by the name of El Dorado. Many historians and researchers claim that Lake Guatavita remains one of the most credible sources of El Dorado.
"In 1545, conquistador Hernan Perez de Quesada used slave laborers to scoop water out with gourd buckets. After three months, the chain lowered the water level by 10 feet and Quesada plucked 40 pounds (18 kg) of gold from the shores.
"Forty years later, a rich Spanish merchant hacked a crude notch in the lake's rim. The water was lowered by 66 feet, but the notch collapsed, killing hundreds of Indian workmen. No records exist detailing the merchant's findings.
"In 1911, an English gold company succeeded in emptying the lake with an ingenious system of rinses and tunnels, but, as if cursed by the Golden Man, the muddy bottom hardened quickly to a thick impenetrable cement and rain soon refilled the lake. The company was forced to auction the few gold objects it found at Sotheby's in London to pay off its many debtors. Adventurers searched in vain for El Dorado in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and Venezuela and along the Amazon and Orinoco rivers; it has never been found. "
"Is the lake still open to the public?" Ben asked leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.
"The lake stands peaceful now, disturbed only by the wind. Not even a tourist can be seen. The government closed the site because people were washing cars in the lake -- and throwing garbage instead of gold. A lonely ranger with a shotgun is the only guardian of the mystery of El Dorado." Betsy answered ending her tale. Everyone seemed to be in awe. Her mom smiled proudly.
"So no one is allowed at that lake," Ben asked pondering something.
"No, no one is without authorization," She answered.
"Well, if I know Ian, which I do, he will do anything to get to that treasure."
"Does your friend Ian know Spanish?" Betsy asked.
"I don't think so," Ben said curiously, having never thought about it.
"Then I don't know how he plans to go through with this expedition."
"Well, he said something about a map," Abigail pointed out.
"No, he said something about taking a map," Ben corrected.
"Stealing does seem Ian-ish," Riley agreed thinking about the Declaration of Independence.
"But we still don't know how he would get the map," Abigail mentioned which Ben hadn't thought of.
Everyone sat back in their seats thinking where on earth a map like that would be held. Then Betsy thought about her stay in Colombia back in her first year in college. She had gone to…somewhere where a lot of gold artifacts were held from the expeditions to find El Dorado. Betsy's face crunched up in concentration. The others continued to talk about the map, the treasure and what they thought Ian would do. Betsy abruptly got up and walked to a corner for isolation. Slowly the other occupants went silent and stared at Betsy with puzzled faces.
"The Gold Museum," Betsy said putting her hands on her hips and slowly turned around to face the others, "He's going to steal the map from the Gold Museum."
"What is the Gold Museum?" Ben asked.
"The Gold Museum, or El Museo Del Oro, houses the findings from all the El Dorado expeditions from the past. It even has the gold raft that the chief of the Muisca indians would push out into the river with during the ritual." Betsy explained as she remembered seeing the display herself with the director of the museum.
"How are we going to protect the map…" Ben's voice faded as he thought. He then looked up at his sister with a clever smile on his face, "You've actually been there right?" He asked and Betsy nodded, "Like you've actually been inside the museum?" He asked again his smile growing.
"Yeah I know the director," Betsy answered looking at her brother with a puzzled look, the others just as clueless as to where Ben was going with this. Ben looked at Betsy like he was telling her something that no one else could hear. A look of realization dawned on Betsy's face and she smiled back. "I could sure try," she said pulling out her cell phone from her sweater pocket and she began to dial.
"Ben what is going on? Who is Betsy calling?" Patrick asked still not understanding what had just happened but the answer came from Betsy.
"Hola Ricardo," (Hi Ricardo) Betsy greeted over the phone, "Soy Elizabeth. Necesito hablar con Clara, es una emergencia." (It's Elizabeth. I need to speak with Clara, it's an emergency.) She paused as she was transferred, "Hola Clara, buenas tardes, mira necesito que me hagas un favor…" (Hello Clara, good evening, look I need you to do me a favor…)