CHAPTER 10
As time went by Nigel became much more assertive, just as Randal had predicted, and although he still had the odd nightmare, and being in a room full of strangers occasionally freaked him out, his mental health definitely improved. In fact, only a month after that shocking incident with the pushy professors, he started working at Trinity again; albeit just for a few hours each week. Nevertheless, he was absolutely determined to get his life back on track and with lots of encouragement from Sydney, he was soon working a couple of days a week and, eventually, full-time.
Getting his life back to normal made him feel much happier and he was more determined than ever not to let the events of the past interfere with his future; especially now he'd gotten Randal's permission to marry Sydney! However, no matter how normal his life had become, he was still too nervous to even think about relic hunting again although, deep down, he wished he could.
After Nigel had been back at Trinity for a while, he managed to rekindle his friendship with Derek who, after completing his assignment in London, called him one day to say he was now working for Interpol, in New York. Even though they'd not seen each other for a while, they instantly felt that brotherly connection and were, in fact, even closer now because of what happened in Rio.
Nigel loved being back at work although, obviously, Sydney insisted that he took things easy, not only because stress would be bad for him, but because he'd started studying for his Masters again, something which Preston was particularly pleased about. However, after about six weeks of working full-time and studying as well, he realised it was getting too much. He, therefore, cut his work back to three days and studied for two; although he sometimes hit the books at weekends as well.
Even though Sydney tried hard to hide it, Nigel was very aware that she missed relic hunting. Of course, in some ways, he did too; in fact, he'd always gotten a huge thrill out of finding relics that had been lost, or hidden, over the centuries. He'd also rather enjoyed deciphering clues found on ancient manuscripts; clues that had quite often led him and Sydney to some amazing finds!
On the other hand, he recalled, with alarm, the dangers associated with relic hunting, for which he'd never been fully prepared as, obviously, he was raised as a young gentleman; not a tough explorer!
Naturally though, as he loved Sydney so much, his reluctance to consider going relic hunting again made him feel quite selfish; especially when he knew she'd never consider going without him now, nor would she ask him to go with her; not unless he expressed some genuine interest in it again.
The fact was, although he realised it would upset Preston, he knew in his heart of hearts that, in the not too distant future, he would have to find a way to shake off his fear of relic hunting; otherwise his beautiful Sydney would always miss out on something she loved with a passion and he'd never experience that wonderful thrill again.
One morning, having found some of Sydney's relic hunting clothes in the bin, Nigel felt just terrible. He believed that Sydney must have given up on ever going relic hunting again; although she'd said nothing to that effect and, on the face of it, she seemed perfectly happy!
However, with that in mind, he decided that, rather than ask her about it, he'd find a way to solve the problem; at least to some degree anyway. Therefore, a couple of days later, having spoken to Nancy and given it some serious thought, he shut himself away in an empty third floor office, at work, and called Derek.
"Hi Buddy, it's me" Nigel said, feeling a little on edge, yet quite excited about his idea.
"Hey Kiddo….is everything alright? You sound breathless" Derek said, hoping Nigel wasn't having a panic attack.
"Oh sorry…..yes I'm fine….I just ran up six flights of stairs….um…I need to talk to you Bud" Nigel said, going on to explain the situation with regards to his relic hunting anxiety and Sydney's reaction to it.
"Well most of that's not new Kiddo" Derek said, realising how difficult the situation was for both of them "Look you've always been nervous on relic hunts….what's different now is that Syd's in love with you…so she's bound to worry you'll get hurt….that's obviously the reason she won't ask you to go.…and she also knows you'd stress out if she went alone….look Kiddo….I'd be worried myself if you went on a hunt right now….you're simply not equipped to protect yourself….and you certainly couldn't look after Sydney!...The fact is, if you went now…you'd both be in danger…..you're just so in love you'd both watch the other's back….yet totally ignore your own!"
"I know you're right Derek…I do…but I have an idea."
"What idea?" Derek asked, believing he knew what Nigel was about to say.
"I um…..don't suppose you'd consider teaching me self-defence…would you?...I….I know you tried before….but well…I wasn't as motivated then as I am now."
"I had a feeling you were gonna say that…..but are you sure? You're even skinnier now than you were the last time….so that's not gonna help."
"Yes…I….I think so…the thing is….I….I just can't let Syd continuously miss out on hunts…it's not fair….she loves it!"
"I know Kiddo…I know….and well….if you're absolutely certain…..and you promise to stay with it this time….I'll help you…..oh but how the hell can we set up a training schedule when we live so far apart?" Derek asked, believing Nigel would have no solution.
"Well um….I…I could fly to New York whenever you're free…there're several flights every day….so…so it shouldn't be too difficult" Nigel said enthusiastically "I could even rent a plane….you know….if it became necessary…I'm really serious about this Buddy."
"I can tell you are!...You've obviously done your travel research….so I guess it could work….but actually I might even be able to come to Boston every now and again….I usually take Tuesdays off and I rarely work at weekends….so yes…I suppose it could work!"
Nigel was so relieved that Derek had agreed to help him, as he hated the idea of trying to find someone else, especially when he wouldn't know that person and he'd have to have close physical contact with them!
Over the next three months Derek trained Nigel to defend himself in various situations. He also made him hit a punch bag and speedball at the gym in New York, as well as while he was home in Boston; which ensured his strength didn't deteriorate between training sessions. All of this eventually helped him become a lot fitter, and quite a lot stronger; although Derek realised that Nigel was never going to be physically tough like him; fighting simply wasn't in his nature!
However, after a further month Nigel began to feel much more confident about taking up relic hunting again, although he still didn't mention anything to Sydney, who was totally unaware of his new skills! She always assumed, when he wasn't at home, or work, that he was at the library studying, or running errands. She had, however, noticed bruises on his body, on a few occasions, which sometimes worried her; although Nigel always hid the truth and claimed he'd been clumsy or tripped over something!
One day, in the middle of doing a few press-ups, Nigel sat on the floor and looked up at Derek "Um…do you think I'll be OK to go on a hunt now?...I managed 15 press-ups in one go just then…..and….and Syd's turned down three really good hunts recently….I hate seeing her look so disappointed...I…I just want to surprise her by offering to go" Nigel said, looking pleadingly at his 'brother'.
"What! No!.…Not yet!...Well…not really" Derek replied, trying to hide the fact that he'd been dreading Nigel asking that question, although he realised he was bound to sooner or later "look Kiddo…..I suppose if Sydney ensures that whoever employs your services hasn't blabbed about the relic, then there'll be less chance of rival relic hunters following you….but look…..I know you're a lot stronger than before….but you're definitely not ready to take on the likes of those brutes who attacked you before! No….all of them would still be able to kick your skinny butt!"
"Oh…um OK….but um….do you think I'm ready for a simple hunt?" Nigel said, remembering that Derek could still out manoeuvre him every time they went through the self-defence moves, but wanting to find out what he thought anyway.
"Look…like I said before….you still won't be able to defend yourself….nor Sydney…against thugs like that crazy Chinaman you told me about when you were looking for that Dragon's Egg….nor any of those other crazy idiots you've faced in the past…but you'll probably be OK if you come across someone like Stewie Harper….as long as you take some pepper spray with you….I know you won't take a gun!" Derek said, trying to be truthful without offending Nigel who was, after all, not the largest of men.
Realising Derek was right, but wondering why he hadn't thought of taking pepper spray before, his only serious concern then was whether he might have flashbacks, or horrible nightmares, on the hunt. Realising then, of course, that Sydney had always helped him through those, no matter where they were, he decided he'd broach the subject with her that evening.
Having arrived home quite late, he kissed Sydney and asked her to sit down so that he could tell her something important. She could see that he was excited, but when he said he wanted to go relic hunting again, she was very surprised and refused to take him seriously! However, once he explained what he'd been doing with Derek recently, she mulled it over for a couple of minutes and then looked him in the eye "You little devil!...I tried to teach you martial arts several times, but you were useless!" she said, feeling slightly offended that he'd gone to Derek for help, but delighted that he'd done it to please her.
"I know…I know and I'm sorry…but…well…I just couldn't get my head around those kind of moves….and…and…you're just so bloody strong!.…I thought you might injure me…..or worse!.…I've seen you throw men twice my size across a room….I was scared Syd….I'm really sorry" Nigel said, looking down at the floor as he felt rather embarrassed.
"Oh Sweetie….it's OK…you're right…I have hurt people when we were just messing around….I just forget how strong I am sometimes….so…are you really sure you want to come on a hunt?….You've not been training with Derek that long" Sydney said, thinking his muscles didn't appear much bigger than before, but realising that, actually, she could still protect him like she always had, if he genuinely wanted to go.
"Yes Syd….I need to do this…I really do….I miss having adventures with you and having that wonderful feeling when we find something remarkable….so um….next time someone asks you to find something….go ahead and accept….I'll be OK…um….as long as no rival relic hunters follow us!" Nigel said, going on to explain very briefly what Derek thought about that.
"Oh…I'm not really sure about this anymore Nige" Sydney said, remembering the many times he'd been attacked by thugs in the past.
Realising he wasn't quite getting through to her just how much he wanted to do this, he cocked his head to one side in that endearingly way he had and promised he'd be careful, that he'd bring pepper spray and buy her something beautiful that sparkles!
She laughed and hugged him for a few seconds "alright….I'll take you on a hunt…but no heroics…OK!" she said, kissing him on the lips, although she still felt he was trying to run before he could walk.
Over the next few days she began to realise that, although she was capable of protecting Nigel under normal circumstances, she would need to put something extra in place going forward, as they were bound to run into thugs and crazy cult leaders, at some point, that even she couldn't fight off.
One afternoon, having had a really good day at work, she suddenly had a brainwave about what she could do. Picking up the phone, she excitedly called Jim Bird, a recently retired professional wrestler, who had a passion for history and time on his hands "Hi Jim….it's Sydney" she said, deciding not to beat about the bush "I was just wondering….you've expressed an interest in going relic hunting with me on several occasions.…would you still like to do that?"
"I sure would!" Jim replied; feeling quite excited "so when are you going?"
"Not just yet Jim…but actually I'm not just talking about one hunt….I need you to become a permanent member of the team….would you be interested that?"
"I think I might Sydney…yes I might….but it kind of depends what you'd want me to do?"
"Well Jim…I'll need you to help on the trail….you know….carry equipment and do any heavy lifting that I can't manage….I'd also like you to watch my back when I'm focussing on the hunt…just in case we have rival relic hunters after us….but most importantly I need you to protect Nigel if we run into any trouble.…I expect you read in the papers what happened to him."
"I did Sydney…I did….I was horrified….poor kid…..but I didn't actually realise you were back in the country yet…in fact…if I'm honest….I didn't think Nigel would ever come back."
"We've been back for a while now….but neither of us has done any relic hunting" she said, going on to explain why that was and why she was nervous about Nigel going with her now "You're perfect for what I need…I know you have an ancient history degree…even if you've never used it…and I know you still wrestle for fun at weekends….so you're obviously still very fit...so please Jim…I'd really like you to come with us when we're next asked to find something?"
"Sydney….I'd be delighted to help….I'm bored out of my mind being retired….and I'm looking for something interesting to do with his life…other than the odd wresting match….you just let me know when you need me OK?"
"Oh Jim…that's wonderful...I'll call you the instant we get asked to find something!...Bye….speak soon….I hope!" Sydney said, putting the phone down and feeling quite relieved.
Not long after taking Jim on as a new member of the team, Sydney received a rather exciting call from Michel Previn, the young Frenchman who'd helped them find the sword of Jacques de Molay.
After a bit of chit chat, Michel advised her that, not long after she'd left the sword with him, he'd donated it to the Louvre, in Paris! She was, naturally, rather surprised by that, as she truly believed that the sword should stay with him. However, she soon understood why he'd done it when he explained that the sword was very vulnerable to theft on his houseboat, whereas in a museum it was safe, and could be seen by the masses, rather than just by him.
Sydney was delighted to hear that, as it proved she was right; Michel was a young man with a true heart. She was also very happy and excited to hear that, a couple of months ago, the director of the Louvre, Jean-Paul Cassel, had loaned him an ancient manuscript, believing that it held clues to the whereabouts of some further Knights Templar artefacts!
Sydney's ears instantly pricked up when Michel explained that he'd been unsuccessful in deciphering some of the clues, and that Jean-Paul was getting totally frustrated with him. She realised then that he desperately needed her help which, of course, she was very happy to give!
Nigel was delighted to hear about the new hunt as he knew the young Frenchman would never divulge anything about it to anyone, other than Sydney. That made him feel confident that there'd be no rival relic hunters on their trail and that he'd be able to enjoy it.
He was, however, a little unhappy to learn that Jim was coming along too, not because he didn't like the older gentleman, but because, naturally, he wanted Sydney all to himself! Of course, when she explained that Jim was not only going to protect him, but her as well, he was far more agreeable to having him along; although he was pretty confident that, because she still trained daily, her martial arts skills had not diminished!
Having arrived in Paris a few days later, the three relic hunters checked into a rather swish centrally located hotel, although the opportunity of sleeping on the floor of Michel's houseboat was always there! Nigel, however, was so relieved when Sydney declined Michel's generous offer as, having paid for three first class tickets to Paris; he wanted to continue showing Sydney a good time; particularly at night! After all, he thought; what was the point of having money if you still have to rough it!
Sydney and Nigel ended up in the penthouse suite, although Jim refused Nigel's sincere offer of having the smaller suite, next door. He did, however, accept a luxurious room, just along the corridor, ensuring he'd be close by should any rival relic hunters, or any other unwanted 'guests', appear on the scene.
Staying in such a lovely place, they were able to relax and study the document in peace and in great detail. Of course, once Sydney and Nigel had tossed around a few ideas, they were soon able to decipher enough clues to locate the site where they believed the treasure was hidden.
Reading the first clue they worked out that they needed find the site of an ancient church which, having checked on a modern day map to see if it still existed, they were delighted to find that it did; although it was now just a ruin.
Sydney decided to hire a car for this hunt, rather than use taxis, as it was far more convenient and would definitely meet with Nigel's approval! Obviously, because they had their own vehicle, they could bring a lot more equipment with them; including two top-of-the-range laptops, digital cameras, battery powered tools and mobile phones. Of course, they also brought all of the usual things such as ropes, torches and hessian sacks; ensuring they were ready for anything!
Having found the site quite easily, they realised it wasn't that far from where they'd found de Molay's sword; which made them feel very optimistic that they were on the right track!
The second clue led them to a circular piece of stone which was near the top of a wall, on one of the few remaining buildings. The circle stuck out slightly from the rest of the wall and was about the size of a large frying pan. Realising immediately it was too high to reach, Sydney asked Jim if he'd mind letting Michel sit on his shoulders, hoping the young man would be able to reach it that way. Naturally, Jim didn't mind at all, as Michel was very slim, and he was as strong as an ox! However, even though Jim was also quite tall, Michel could still only manage to touch the edge of the circular stone!
"Can you see a cross anywhere on the stone Michel?" Sydney asked, hoping that he could, as the document seemed to indicate there should be one.
"Yes…I can just about see it….it's right at the bottom" Michel replied, having stretched his neck backwards a little to try and get a better look.
"I think you need to press the stone at that point….but if you can't reach it with your hand….try hitting it with this" Sydney said, handing him a piece of a tree branch she'd picked up off the ground.
Having taken a swing at the stone and hitting the cross the very first time, they were all shocked when they heard a loud rumbling noise coming from beneath their feet.
"Oh my God!" Jim shouted "the ground's opening up! Move back!"
Jim caught hold of Michel's legs and leapt backwards, just as a large hole appeared quite close to the wall; near to where they'd been standing!
"Look you can see some steps!" Michel yelled with excitement, as he leapt to the ground.
They were all totally stunned for a second, but also thrilled and excited to see the entrance and the stone steps that had been hidden for so long. However, before they attempted to go inside Sydney wanted another look at the document "don't make any sudden moves….I just need to double check there're no traps…nor anything to indicate it might be dangerous to go down there…what do you think Sweetie?" she said turning around to show Nigel the document.
"Nigel!...Nigel! Where are you?" she shouted, having discovered he was no longer there!
"We'll find him" Jim said, taking Michel by the arm "he can't have gone far….knowing him he'll have noticed something fascinating to examine!"
However, before they could take another step, it soon became very obvious where Nigel was, as three men, all dressed in black, approached them. One man, who was at least six foot three inches tall, was squeezing his arm around Nigel's throat; whilst another pointed a gun at him and then crazily waved it at Michel. The third thug, who was bald and had a huge stomach, frantically aimed his gun at Jim and then turned it on Sydney.
"Lead us to the treasure now…..or pretty boy here won't be so pretty anymore!" the thug holding Nigel shouted viciously.
"If you want the artefacts, you'd better let him go; he's the only one who can decipher this document!" Sydney lied; her heart racing madly as she saw how frightened Nigel looked.
The brute immediately let go of Nigel, shoved him into the arms of another thug and took a gun out of his jacket pocket "give me that knife in your boot! Now!" he shouted; waving the gun towards her legs.
Realising then that he must know she's Sydney Fox, if he knew about the knife, she carefully removed it and threw it on the ground, just in front of the thug.
"Pick it up kid!" the brute shouted at Nigel; who immediately did as he was told. However, as he bent down to reach for the knife with his left hand, he put the other hand in his pocket; realising Sydney could see exactly what he was doing.
"Who the hell are you!?" Sydney yelled, to distract the thugs, just as Nigel squirted pepper spray into the face of the thug who'd been holding a gun on him and Michel! Having then quickly shoved Nigel out of the way, Sydney leapt sideways, kicked the gun from that thug's hand, spun around on one leg and kicked the one who'd been holding Nigel hard in the face; almost knocking him out!
Having noticed Nigel was too close to where the fighting was taking place, Michel pulled him out of the way; enabling Sydney to masterfully beat the heck out of the thugs without having to worry about him getting hurt.
Although Sydney was doing well, Jim remembered it was actually his job to keep her and Nigel safe. He therefore, grabbed hold of the third brute, who was about to grab hold of Sydney's hair, punched him in the ribs, kneed him in the groin and then thumped him in the mouth, knocking him completely unconscious within seconds!
Sydney and Jim were magnificent and they soon had all three thugs lying helpless on the ground. Sitting on the chest of the thug who'd previously been holding Nigel, Sydney looked menacingly into his eyes and raised her fist; allowing it hover just above his face "tell me who sent you….now!" she shouted, really wanting to inflict some pain on the man who'd almost choked Nigel.
"Rita! Rita sent us; she wants those relics bad!" the brute said, turning his head to avoid an anticipated blow; which never came.
"How the hell did she know about them!?…..And how did Rita know it would be me searching for them for that matter!?" Sydney asked, looking really furious.
"She has a friend who works at the Louvre….yesterday he overheard Jean-Paul Cassell talking about a document that could lead to some hidden Knights Templar artefacts….and…and your name….and…the name of your hotel came up during the conversation" the thug replied, looking quite worried….please don't tell Rita I told you….she'll kill me!"
"Darn it!…. Can you get some rope from Nigel's rucksack please Jim?….It's over there" Sydney said, pointing to a large tree a few foot away.
"Oh right" Jim said, feeling a little embarrassed that he'd not noticed they were being followed earlier.
Having watched Jim tie up the thug's hands, Sydney, rushed over to where Nigel was sitting on a large rock, next to Michel "are you OK Sweetie? He didn't hurt you, did he?" she asked, brushing the hair off his face with the back of her hand.
"N…no…I…I'm alright Syd...b…but what about you?...Did they hurt you?"
"No…I'm fine….I guess I can still kick butt! You know Sweetie….I'm surprised none of us heard those brutes grab hold of you" she said, noticing Nigel looked down at the ground. Realising then that they needed a bit of privacy, Michel thoughtfully moved away.
"Oh….it was um….my fault Syd…I…I stopped to….you know….behind that big tree…they grabbed me then!" Nigel said, looking very embarrassed "sorry Syd….I couldn't wait."
"Oh Nige…that bladder of yours!" she said, smiling at him as he cocked his head, shyly, to one side "I hope they let you finish!"
"Y...yes" he said, checking his zip and blushing a little.
She pulled him close and squeezed him tightly "Hey Sweetie….you're shaking…..are you sure you're OK?"
"I'm just a bit shaken up…that's all…but I feel no different than the other times a gun was pointed at me."
"Oh Sweetie…I'm….so so sorry….I should been more sensitive when things like that happened to you on past hunts….I really should" Sydney said, feeling terrible that she'd rarely comforted him after he'd been in a bad situation.
"No…no…Syd….that came out wrong! I just meant….I'm not feeling any worse now, regardless of what I went through in Rio…..besides…we've already discussed this.…I know you had to keep focused when we were on hunts….otherwise…if you'd become distracted by fussing over me….it could have been dangerous!" Nigel said, wishing he'd not said what he did.
"But I'm doing that now Nige….I could have easily spent a few minutes consoling you when you got distressed back then….easily!" Sydney said, deeply wishing she'd been more understanding, especially during the early hunts when he was so inexperienced.
"But we have Jim watching our backs now Syd…so it's different…back then it was just you and me…..now stop worrying about the past and think about the here and now!" Nigel said, pulling her close and kissing her lips "I love you Syd…my wonderful angel."
Her heart totally melted and she shook off her feelings of guilt, realising Nigel was actually right! "Come on Nigel the Brave, let's get that gorgeous backside of yours off that rock and find those relics!" she said, noticing then he was still shaking a little "Sweetie…If you want us to stop here for a little while…we can."
"No…no I'd rather carry on…I don't want to think about it…I just want to find those relics and get that amazing feeling again" Nigel said, smiling widely at Sydney.
"Well Sweetie….if you're absolutely sure….but stay close to me…or Jim….and if you want to examine something a bit closer…well….tell me….please don't lag behind."
"OK mummy" Nigel said, giving Sydney a mischievous grin, which made her laugh.
Having forced the three thugs to go down into the opening ahead of them, the four relic hunters followed close behind, taking it very slowly, particularly as the steps were damp and slippery. Once they'd reached the bottom they found themselves in a huge, pitch black room, which their eyes took a little while to adjust to. However, after they'd stood there staring into the darkness for a couple of minutes, vague shapes began to appear, which looked quite spooky, at first, although gradually they realised it was just rotting furniture.
One thing that immediately became apparent, right from the moment they'd stepped into the opening, was the simply awful smell which permeated the entire room. Realising the source of the odour was almost certainly faeces, they waved their torches at the ground and soon discovered, to their horror, there were dozens and dozens of rats running around!
Sydney and Nigel held their noses and carefully stepped into the darkness where they hoped they'd find the artefacts really quickly. Unfortunately, however, once they'd double checked the document, it was pretty obvious the relics weren't in that room, so they still had a little way to go!
Realising it would be better not to take the brutes with them, Sydney looked for somewhere to tie them up to ensure they'd cause them no further problems "hey you can leave them over there Jim" Sydney said, pointing to a metal post which reached from floor to ceiling "tie their hands to that and then tie their feet together…we don't want them escaping and reporting back to Rita!"
Jim did as he was told, but for added security, he gagged them as well! "They won't escape from there Sydney….you can be sure of that" Jim said, as he returned to the rest of the group who were shining their torches around the room to see if they could see anything interesting.
"OK…so there's nothing much in here….but it looks like we have to go down that corridor over there" Sydney said, pointing her torch to the far end of the huge room and then onto the document again "come on….stay close Nigel…step around the vermin!"
"Yuk…I will" he said, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket and holding it over his nose.
Having carefully made their way down to the far end of the corridor, they checked the manuscript again "look Nige….see those stone panels…I think we have to somehow get through one of them…the clues on how to do that are rather complicated though…what do you think?" Sydney said, shining the torch onto the appropriate part of the document.
Nigel looked really carefully at the clue and then shone his torch around the walls of the corridor "Ah right….I think you have to place those three stones lying on the ledge over there….into those three holes in the wall….but as you say….it's complicated…you obviously have to insert them in a particular order….then I think one of the panels should open" Nigel said, as he waved his torch at the various points he mentioned.
"Yes but what order should it be" Jim asked, looking at the stones "they look very similar."
They all examined the stones individually, but Sydney really studied them in detail. Having shone her torch directly at the stones and having viewed them from all angles, she suddenly yelled "I've got it Nigel!….Look at this!...When you look closely you can see bumps and dips on one side of each of the stone….but right there….on that little spot….you can clearly see a specific mark…..and there's a different mark on each of them!...This one has a miniature lion…that one has a crescent and that's got a cross on it" she said, giving Nigel a huge smile.
"Wow Syd…well spotted!...But gosh those marks are really small…..and very well disguised!" Nigel said, looking at them again.
"Yeah that's for sure! Sydney replied, looking at the stone panel again.
"Hey Syd….I've just realised something….those three holes in the wall are in a pyramid shape" Nigel said, pointing his torch at the wall "and the three marks are exactly the same as the marks on the crosses we used to find de Molay's sword!"
"That's right!" Sydney yelled "so….so we need to place these stone into those holes in the same order we used for that!"
"Ha! That's it!" Michel jumped in "that means the lion goes on top, the crescent goes on the right and the cross on the left!"
"OK then" Jim said, picking up the first stone and placing it at the top.
"You put this one in Nigel and I'll insert the other" Sydney said, handing Nigel a stone and looking really hopeful.
Unfortunately, though, having inserted the stones and waited for at least a minute; nothing seemed to be happening.
"We must have done something wrong" Nigel said, looking really dejected.
"No I don't think we have Sweetie….shine your flashlight on the manuscript again please" Sydney said, looking closely at the document once more "hey what's that?"
"It's a small arrow Syd…but it doesn't seem to correspond with anything in this area" Nigel said, looking at the floor and then the ledge where the stones had been.
"It must do…maybe we should brush the dust off the ledge….or maybe the floor" Michel said, feeling very slightly left out "things get hidden that way."
Realising he could be right; they began brushing away the dust, using nothing but their bare hands. Luckily, though, as there were no rats in this area, they soon revealed what looked like four arrows on the floor, each pointing in different direction! Brushing away a bit more dust they noticed that one of the arrows was actually pointing to a small indentation at the bottom of the wall, right below the stones; whereas the others pointed nowhere, at least not close by anyway.
"Syd those arrows would have probably gone unnoticed day to day…in fact…they could easily be mistaken for decoration….but I think the Knights Templar might have put that one there….pointing to the wall….as a marker…you know….to show where perhaps a key…or something else should be inserted…what do you think Syd? Nigel asked, hopping onto the ledge to sit and think.
"Well I guess something has to go into that indentation…something that will… hopefully…..open up one of these stone panels" Sydney said, looking around.
"OK...but what?" Nigel said, looking a little perturbed as he aimed his torch at the stones again "hey Syd!...Look just above the top stone….there's a jagged piece of rock sticking out….do you think we should try to remove it and place it down there?"
Sydney looked up "hey I think you're right Nige!" she said, stretching up to see if she could pull it out and finding it relatively easy. Having then crouched down on the floor, she pressed the jagged piece of rock into the hole and a second later Nigel felt movement from the ledge where he was sitting!
"Oh my God!" he yelled, as the ledge slid backwards, disappeared into a gaping big dusty hole and caused him to fall to the floor on his behind!
Having quickly gotten up, he and everyone else tried to see what was behind the large opening, although that was rather difficult as it was so dark and dusty. However, as soon as the dust cleared, they shone their torches into the opening where they could clearly see they'd found the hidden room they'd been looking for!
Feeling rather excited, Nigel brushed himself down and sneezed "Syd, this reminds me of when we were in Ireland to look for the crown of King Brian Boru….the crypt opened up just like this….although that one required a bit of music to be played to make it open….this one just needed that extra piece of stone inserted."
"Hey…you're right Nige…..so if this is like that one we'd better make sure the opening doesn't automatically shut behind us while we're still inside!….We don't want to be trapped in there forever!" Sydney said, shining her torch inside the entrance again "Jim…that looks like a large piece of granite leaning against the wall over there….if it's is you might be able to jam it in the opening….but you'll probably only have about five minutes before it closes…that is…if it has a similar timing mechanism as the Irish one."
"Oh right….um OK then" Jim said, stepping through the opening, hoping he'd be strong enough to move the stone by himself. However, it was immediately apparent that he wasn't, as he could barely move it at all! Realising then that he was going to need the help of Nigel and Michel, he shouted through the opening "Hey!…You two!….Quick!…Give me a hand with this….we don't have much time left!"
Naturally, knowing that the door could spring closed at any moment made the two young men feel rather nervous, although obviously the opening had to be jammed. Realising then that they had no choice but to put their fears to the back of their minds, they rushed into the room, took hold of the stone and the three of them pushed it into the opening "Wow….I feel better now" Nigel said, looking around the large room and hearing a loud crunch as the ledge tried to spring back into place; without success!
"Great job guys!" Sydney said, shining her torch onto some paintings on the wall, to the right of the opening "are you all OK…that looked super heavy."
"Yes….were fine" Jim and Michel said at the same time.
"Me too…but my hearts beating a mile a minute" Nigel said, holding his hand over his chest "hey Syd…..there's an old reed torch on the wall, I'll try to light it…we'll be able to see better then."
"OK…..but be careful….you don't want it breaking apart!"
Nigel nodded, took out the lighter he always kept in his pocket on hunts, and lit the torch. That instantly made the room a little brighter and they could see some further paintings, to the left of the entrance.
"That torch seems alright Syd….and I can see a couple more…..I'll see if I can light those as well…but um….there has to be more in such a big room" Nigel said, holding the flame from the first torch above one of the others and setting it alight. Feeling quite excited, as the room became much brighter, he gradually lit several others which revealed that the room was, as they'd so desperately hoped, full of Knights Templar treasures!
"Best not light anymore Sweetie…it could be dangerous….even if they're OK at the moment they could still disintegrate and fall on the floor….then the whole place could be in flames in minutes!" Sydney said, as she, Nigel and Jim began putting swords, daggers, helmets and other metal objects into hessian sacks.
While they were doing that, Michel stood outside the room and called Jean-Paul to advise him of their find, and to explain where he needed to send his specialists to collect the treasures. Feeling quite ecstatic, as Jean-Paul congratulated him, he put his phone away and stepped back inside the room. He'd barely gotten two foot in when he suddenly heard Jim yell out "Hey! Look at this wooden chest Sydney!….It's full of books and stuff.
"Be careful Jim….they look very fragile….just close the lid for now….the guys from the Louvre will have special ways of protecting things like that…I just hope they'll be salvageable" Sydney said, noticing there were at least another six chests, which they quickly looked inside and closed again, as they also contained books and documents, as well as a few maps.
"The Louvre will be so delighted to have all this stuff Michel" Nigel said, noticing how happy the young Frenchman was looking as he walked around the room.
"They definitely will….Jean-Paul just told me they have the perfect place to exhibit them! Oh and this morning, before we left, the curator offered me a job at the museum….that is…if I can prove myself on this hunt….hey but I think this qualifies…don't you Nigel!?" Michel said; suddenly feeling extra excited as reality hit him!
"Definitely!" Nigel replied, realising then just how important this discovery was to Michel, particularly for his career.
"I can't wait to see what else we discover in here….this is far more than I ever expected to find" Michel said, picking up a beautiful sword and waving it in the air.
Having spent the next hour documenting and photographing some of the most spectacular Knights Templar relics they'd ever seen; they could barely contain their excitement. Especially when, in one medium sized metal box, they found dozens of gold chains, with ruby, emerald, sapphire and diamond pendants! Then they discovered some racks on the wall containing nine jewel encrusted swords, along with some daggers and smaller knives!
Once they'd looked around for a further half an hour, they decided, just to be on the safe side, they'd check the document again, as it could possibly indicate that there was another room they needed to find. However, having gone over the clues twice, they believed that what they'd discovered already was the extent of it, which relieved Nigel, as he was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed!
Having been very careful not to damage anything they'd put in the sacks earlier, they left them just outside the opening of the room, ready to be collected by the Louvre personnel. Obviously though, they didn't disturb the paintings on the walls, nor did they move things like books or manuscripts, as they'd have to be expertly removed and packed in airtight boxes to prevent them deteriorating.
Once they'd finished everything they could to help the Louvre representatives, they suddenly remembered the men they'd left tied up near the entrance! Believing then that Rita would have missed them by now and that she'd have probably sent more thugs out to find them; Sydney called the police and explained how urgent it was that they attend the site!
The excitement caused by Michel's call to Jean-Paul earlier that day, sent the curators and specialists at the museum into a frenzy, all of whom wanted to be the first one on site to see the relics.
Sydney was thrilled too as, prior to starting the hunt that day, she'd been promised, by Jean-Paul that, if they found any relics, he would donate 5% to Trinity, or to any museum of Sydney's choosing! This had now turned into an extremely profitable arrangement, as the room was so full of priceless relics and artefacts, she would almost certainly receive items worth in the region of quarter of a million dollars!
When the representatives from the Louvre, and a few trusted archaeologists, arrived on site, they were simply stunned by what the four relic hunters showed them. However, by now, of course, the four of them were desperately in need of a shower and some food, as they'd only brought energy bars with them. Therefore, once they'd explained to the experts what they'd done, and showed them the chests full of books, they returned to the hotel to celebrate their good fortune.
Nigel ordered champagne and lobster dinners for everyone that night and placed a single red rose on Sydney's side plate to demonstrate his love for her. Obviously she loved it, as she threw her arms around him and kissed him as if he'd given her a diamond!
After dinner, having spent a good two hours eating and chatting, they all retired to bed where Sydney observed Nigel sleep for almost an hour before she attempted to shut her eyes! She was watching for signs of trauma, bearing in mind what those thugs did to him, but luckily, although he twitched a little more than usual, he seemed just fine and actually didn't wake her at all, once she'd fallen asleep!
The following day, after several hours at the museum looking at their amazing photos and recording now many swords, daggers, crowns, helmets, shields, coins, belt buckles etc they'd found, Nigel made his way to the Champs-Elysées, hoping to do a bit of gift shopping for his 'family'.
Sydney, however, had different plans and immediately returned to the hotel for a long soak in the bath. She stayed in that for almost an hour, sipping some very expensive wine and topping up the bath every now and again with hot water.
Thinking Nigel was taking a long time, she was just about to call him when he walked in carrying bags from some of the most exclusive shops in Paris.
"Oooh…..what ya got me Nige?" she joked, moving seductively towards him.
"Nothing at all…..well…maybe just a little something" he said, pulling out a rather nice leather box from one of the bags.
She opened it excitedly "Oh Sweetie…th….that's gorgeous!" she said, turning around and pulling up her hair so that he could put on the diamond pendant necklace that he'd actually ordered a couple of days ago on the internet "Nige you shouldn't keep spoiling me like this….really you shouldn't…but honestly Sweetie…it's just beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it Syd….I want this to be a memorable visit to Paris for us personally, not just because we've been relic hunting!" Nigel said, looking at Sydney lovingly and feeling a lump come into his throat.
Noticing he had tears in his eyes, she kissed him passionately and was about to drag him off to the bedroom when someone suddenly shoved a little white envelope under their door!
Running to see who it was, Sydney was surprised to find there was nobody there "Oh…it must have been a bellboy or someone else from the hotel" she said, picking up the envelope and carefully tearing it open "hey look Sweetie… someone wants us to meet them at the top of the Eiffel Tower….right now….they say there's going to be something unforgettable and amazing up there for me!...Then it says that only you and I should come….nobody else."
"Oh um….is it signed?" Nigel asked, looking barely interested as he tugged on the sleeve of her negligee to try to get her into the bedroom!
"Not really…it's typed….it just says it's from someone who cares about me….but I suppose it could be a trap, perhaps someone from Rita's gang" she said, getting more curious by the minute, yet allowing herself to be pulled along, just a little, by Nigel.
"We aren't going are we?" Nigel asked, looking quite disinterested and eyeing the bedroom again as he tugged on her sleeve some more.
"No…no…not if you don't want to Sweetie" she said, staring at the note again "although the top of the tower is not really somewhere you'd set a trap, is it? It's totally encaged and they have security cameras up there….they'd have no way of escaping if they tried to attack us."
"Syd! Look….I know you want to go….I'll never hear the last of it if we don't!" Nigel said, in a slightly grumpy tone.
"Oh Sweetie…I'm sorry….but it could be someone who wants us to find something…well….amazing.…I have lots of French friends….Sweetie… I don't want to miss the chance of another hunt while we're here….I'll make it up to you….I promise" she said, kissing him on the lips and immediately rushing into the bedroom to get dressed.
So will it be a trap, another hunt, or will it be something Sydney could never imagine.