10/01/2008 10:20:00

Chapter One- The Stranger's Story and missing clues

"Damn it Benjamin Gates" Riley Poole swore to himself as he walked into the local bar. The place was busy as hell but then again it was Friday night and the weekend was just starting. Riley Poole hated it when his friend Benjamin Gates told him to meet him in the Bar on Fridays because he, Riley some how always ended up getting dragged into things that he didn't want to be dragged into. Ben always told Riley to meet him at the back table of the bar whenever he came across something interesting especially when it came to American History. In fact that's how this adventure he would soon find himself in, started. Ben would normally call him on his cell phone when he needed Wiz Kid's help but this time Riley found that Ben had left him an e-mail. Riley didn't know Ben had en e-mail address or he would have e-mailed him back saying "Ben Franklin Gates, you are a bossy man with a pretty lady so leave me the hell alone!" Riley went straight to the back table where Ben and he normally met but instead of finding Ben sitting at the table he found a boy about three younger than he was.

"Hi, Mr. Poole" the boy said. Riley looked confused but astonished to hear that the boy knew who he was. "Um hi um I'm sorry but who are you and what are you doing here?" Riley asked waiting for the boy to answer his question as he sat down in the seat across from the strange not knowing if he could trust him or not.

"My name is not important at this exact moment and the reason for me being….well you will find out soon enough from the story that I am about to tell you" said the young lad.

"Lets here it"

The Stranger's story

It all started back when my brother and I lived in the historical part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and my mother was dying of cancer. My father had wanted my mother to stay at the hospital where she would receive better care and treatment but she had said no. It was a cold and rainy night when my mother called for me and said "my son, you are now old enough to receive this special gift that I am about to give you." What she gave me were two pieces of paper one had some numbers with a formula on it and the other had a single sentence on it which said something in a worded code that I could not decipher.

My mother explained to me that these "clues" would lead me to a treasure, a great treasure. Those were my mother's last and final words.

End of Story

Riley sat there stunned and thought to himself "wow another American Treasure Hunt" Riley turned to the young man and asked "Do you have those clues?"

"NO"

"What? Where are they?"

"Someone stole them from me"

"Who stole them from you?"

At this the boy shrugged and said "Now if you will excuse me I must and go and find my brother."

With that said the boy got up and left Riley to himself.

Riley was left alone with his thoughts. But he was rudely interrupted from them when Ben appeared at the table out of nowhere with two club sodas, a half an hour later.

"Hi Riley."

"Oh hi Ben" Riley said in a monotone voice indicating that he was in a deep thought but his brain registered his best friends voice quicker than his mouth did for once.

"Ben? What the hell? Where in the world did you come from?" Riley asked.

"What do you mean? I have been sitting across from you for almost a half an hour calling your name." Ben said. "You were? Sorry but I have been here for over an hour so whatever you are going to ask me will have to wait until tomorrow for I am a growing boy who needs his sleep." Riley said as raised from his seat and headed for the door.

Now Ben was confused and he himself was left alone with his own thoughts about Riley and why Riley was here when he, Ben had not called him since last Friday for a small party at his (Ben's) place .

Someone must have gotten his e-mail address again and left Riley and e-mail. But who would leave Riley an e-mail let alone call him? Did someone threaten Riley or was he (Riley) here for another reason?