Chapter 1

20 years later….

Twenty-five year old Jericho Lane stared at her computer in wonderment, she had done it, finally after five years and one Masters Degree in Ancient languages, she had finally figured out what the symbols on her mothers necklace was. It was bloody brilliant that's what it was. She held the pendant before her astonished eyes. It was a bloody riddle! All those years her mother thought it was a bloody key, when if fact it was a different kind of key, not one that opens locked doors, but in a way it kinda did.

' Beyond The pillars of strong,

And into the kings domain,

Where eels bed,

Beneath his watchful eyes,

Bound in leather,

Is the lost and dead.'

Her eyes darkened, and caught her bottom lip in her teeth. Her happy mood, shadowed. She never was good at solving riddles. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She swivelled around in her chair and found her gaze moving around the interior of her room.

Hard woods floors, beautiful Persian rug, black leather couch with a cherry oak coffee table, a glass table beside the couch, four ceiling to floor book cases filled with every language in the world, right down to the ancient languages of 9000 BC. Facing the window behind her was a matching cherry oak hardwood which sat her digital scanner, lap-top, and her half-glass of 18-year old scotch. She was from a rich family. Never had trouble with money.

Her shimmering green eyes skimmed the pictures on the glass table that stood next to her black leather couch. There was some of her dad, her mom, some of them had all three together, she smiled, that had been so long ago. Then there was one picture, she was probably about fifteen, she was standing next to her cousin and his father, she smiled. They had taken her in when her parents had past. Patrick and Benjamin Gates. She hadn't seen them since she was nineteen. Six long years.

Her eyes narrowed for a moment, she walked towards the picture, picked it up and stared at it. Slowly a smile formed on her lips. She placed the picture down and walked towards the phone that sat harmlessly on her desk.

She dialled star zero and waited, a the sound of a women monotone voice answered.

"Yes I would like to make and out of state call, to a Benjamin Gates, in Washington DC." she said. The females voice spoke again before, the ringing filled her ear. Her eyes scanned the dark pastures before her house. The moon was full, and the skies were clear. Stars glinted in the dark sky. Someone picked up.

"Hello is this Benjamin Gates?…Hey Ben, its Jericho….what?! You don't remember me!! Its only been six years…oh sure now you remember, figures…what? What's wrong with getting back in touch with you…okay your right, I want something…I need your help…no I didn't break any laws!…I need help with a riddle, you know I suck at riddles…where did I get the riddle?…oh you know that old pendant my mother gave me...yha I cracked it!…this riddle will lead me one step closer to Atlantis…Ben how many times do I have to tell you, Atlantis isn't a myth…this says the guy who discovered the so called templar treasure which by the way didn't exist till you found it, I'll find it, I just need your help…fine, you don't wanna help, I'll go to your dad, at least he believed me" she said hanging up.

She huffed, before she sat and waited a moment it was all a matter of time before he called back. Her phone rang, a smile curled her lip, he never changed.

"So I take it your interested?…good, have a room ready for me, I'll be there in two days…see yha Franklin…I know that's why I say it" she said, before she hung up the phone a second time and smiled.

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A man clothed in nothing but black, watched through night vision binoculars as the young Ms. Lane walked out of the room. He had bugged her house while she was out earlier today, and had heard everything she had said. His boss would be happy.