Chapter four
A/N: National Treasure characters belong to Disney and Martha belongs to me.
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Our house was swarming with police. There was hardly any room to just sit and think. I sighed and tiredly rubbed my eyes, leaning against the kitchen wall.
"How're you doing Ben?" Sadusky asked me, holding a cup of coffee. I had called him once I had gotten a hold of myself.
After we had recovered the knights templar treasure a few years ago, he had given me his card and told me that he'd come if I had ever needed some help. I needed it now more than ever.
"Uh… fine- I think." I sighed, looking up at him.
"Well, don't worry too much Ben. We aren't too far behind our suspect."
"You already have a suspect?" I asked as Abby joined us.
"Yes. We're the FBI, Ben. It only took us a day to catch you when you stole the declaration."
"Well, who's your suspect?" Abby asked, her face tear-stained.
"One guess." Sadusky said.
Before I could figure it out, my cell phone went off, making me and Abby jump. She sighed and rubbed her head as I picked it up.
"Hello?" I asked. It was quiet on the other end for a moment.
"Hello?" I asked again, my voice straining.
"Hello Ben." Replied someone who sounded all too familiar. My breath caught in my throat as Abby and Sadusky leaned in closer.
"I-Ian?" I squeaked.
"You've had a rough night- haven't you?" he asked in a sarcastic voice. My mind was racing, trying to comprehend what was happening.
"I just called to let you know something." He continued. Abby grabbed the phone away from my hand.
"What have you done to our daughter, you slimy snake?!" she snarled.
"I have her, and Riley. They can't come to the phone right now though, they're a little tied up." He joked, making Abby's face grow red with anger.
"I just wanted to tell you that tomorrow morning at five a.m., you will find something waiting for you in Ben's grandpa's old attic. Hope we see each other soon. Oh, and do please bring those FBI agents along with you." He said cheerfully as he hung up. Abigail dropped the phone, letting it clatter to the floor. I held her as she started to collapse again.
"My grandpa's been dead for- almost twenty years!" I told Sadusky. "I told Ian only once how I first learned about the knights templar legend- I can't believe that he'd remember!" I rambled on, unbelieving.
"Alright, I need a small unit to go with me!" he called out to the crowd of officers in our house. "It doesn't matter; we still need to know what he's planning to do. We need to stay on top of him." He said, turning back around to us.
"Do you two want to ride with me?" he asked, heading to our front door.
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I groaned, trying to swallow as I groggily opened my eyes. My mouth was dry and I had the worst headache in the world right now. I gazed around the small, damp room I was in, trying to remember what had happened.
"Riley! You're alright!" I heard someone with an unbelievably high-pitched voice call out.
"Oohhh… don't scream so loud!" I moaned, trying to sit up. My hands were tied together around a wooden beam or something. I was dizzy and I could barely make out someone else tied up next to me, her hands bound behind her.
"M-Marrti…?" I slurred, feeling as if I had to drag the name up from the depths of the fog in my mind. All of a sudden, everything came back to me in a rush.
"Oh great," I gasped, falling back down. "What's happening?"
"Well, nothing yet. I mean, they stuffed us in the trunk last night and the next thing I know, I wake up tied up next to you." She explained. I shut my eyes.
"Riley? Are you okay?" she asked quietly.
"I-I just can't believe that I let this happen!" I muttered angrily, kicking the ground.
"Don't blame yourself Riley." Marti pleaded, "I'm just glad that you're alright. I mean, it scared me half to death last night when you were unconscious next to me in the trunk. I-I kept thinking that you were dead!" she whispered, starting to cry.
"Marti- I, I just-" I started.
Someone walked towards us, their heavy footsteps echoing through the tiny, torch-lit chamber we were in. I looked up. It was Ian.