Here's Chapter Ten! :)
The group returned to Washington DC the next morning. They arrived at Patrick's house and he came out to greet them. A smile appeared on his face when he saw Abigail.
"Abigail," Patrick said as hugged her.
"Patrick," Abigail said in a friendly voice as she returned the hug.
"It's nice to see you two together again," Patrick said to Ben and Abigail.
"Yeah well we're not," Abigail said.
"Yeah," Ben said as he followed his dad in the house with Abigail and Krista close behind.
"Oh, I was hoping to get some of these boxes out of the house," Patrick said as he took Abigail's bag for her.
Jennifer went to go inside but stopped when she saw Riley struggling with a few large suitcases. Riley cursed as he tried to get the large suitcases up the steps. Jennifer chuckled as she went to give him a hand.
"Here let me help you," Jennifer said.
"No, no I got it," Riley told her.
Jennifer folded her arms and she watched Riley continue to struggle. Riley gave up trying to struggle with the bags as two of them fell back down to the bottom of the steps. Riley turned to Jennifer and spoke.
"Okay so maybe I do need a hand," Riley said.
Jennifer laughed as she walked down the stairs to grab a suitcase. With her help the two managed to drag them into the house. Jennifer shut the door behind them and they just left their things by the door. They joined the others in the dinning room. Riley got out his laptop and he showed Patrick the picture of the plaque.
"Well, I can't read the whole thing. But I can tell you that these are definitely precolonial Native American markings," Patrick told them.
"Easily five hundred years old," Krista said looking at the picture.
"Easily," Patrick agreed with her.
Patrick zoomed in on the plaque so he could get a better look.
"I can identify one symbol. Look at this," Patrick said pointing to the plaque. "Do you know what that is?"
"Sacred calendrical? I don't know," Ben said.
"That symbol is Cibola," Patrick said. "That's Cibola."
"The city of gold," Jennifer said with a smile on her face.
"The city of gold," Ben repeated after taking a deep breath.
Ben and Jennifer turned to each other and they instantly left the dinning room and went into the living room. Riley and the others looked confused as they followed the two siblings into the living room. When they got there they saw that Ben and Jennifer were looking through some books. Jennifer picked up a large book and she sat down on the couch and began flipping through pages. Ben paced back and forth as he flipped through the pages of his book. Riley and his sister glanced at each other and then back to their friends. Riley took a seat next to Jennifer, Krista sat down on a recliner, and Abigail and Patrick sat down on the other couch.
"I found it," Ben suddenly said. "In 1527, a Spanish ship wrecked on the Florida coast," Ben said as he read from the book that he was holding. Everyone listened closely as he continued. "There were only four survivors. One was a slave named Esteban who saved a local tribe's dying chief. As a reward, he was taken to their sacred city, a city built from solid gold. Later, when Esteban tried to find the city again, he never could. But the legend grew, and every explorer came to the new world in search of it. When General Custer's search for gold ended with his last stand at Little Bighorn, it became clear none would ever find it."
"Can you two imagine if the Confederates got their hands on the City of Gold," Patrick asked his children as he got to his feet. "My God."
"We need to go talk to her," Ben said.
Patrick turned around and faced his son and looked at him as though he were crazy.
"You're coming with us," Ben told his dad.
"No," Patrick said as he tried to leave the living room but Jennifer stood up and blocked his path.
"Hey," Jennifer said. "No one else can translate it."
"There are others," Patrick told his daughter. "There are several others."
"For ancient Native American," Ben asked. "There's no one better."
Abigail had a large smile on her face and Riley and Krista looked confused.
"Who are they talking about," Krista asked.
"Yeah that's what I'd like to know," Riley said.
"Look kids I can't go with you," Patrick told them. "It's been what twenty five years."
"Thirty two," Ben corrected.
"That long," Patrick said with a sigh. "There's a reason why we haven't spoken in thirty two years. We have nothing in common."
"Uh what about Jen and I," Ben asked.
"Oh yes of course," Patrick said. "And I'm sure she's just as proud of you two as I am."
"Who," Riley asked again.
"Their mom," Abigail told Riley and Krista.
"Look even if we were to go she wouldn't help us out anyway," Patrick told his children.
"Oh and why's that," Jennifer asked.
"You know how she feels about treasure hunting," Patrick told them.
"Okay so we won't tell her it's about another treasure," Jennifer told her dad. "I'll call mom and tell her that I'm coming over to introduce Riley to her. She's wanted to meet him for some time now."
"What," Riley asked as he got to his feet and walked over to her.
"That is a brilliant idea sis," Ben said with a smile on his face.
"Look Jen I don't mind meeting your mom I really don't. But shouldn't you always try and make a good first impression on meeting your fiancee's mother," Riley asked.
"Why wouldn't you make a good first impression," Jennifer asked him.
"Oh I don't know maybe because we'd be lying about why we're there," Riley said.
"Come on Riley please," Jennifer asked. "It's the only way we'll be able to get to talk to her about this."
Riley thought for a moment and then he sighed in defeat. "Alright," Riley said.
Jennifer smiled and she threw her arms around him and kissed him. "Thanks honey."
"No problem," Riley said as he put and arm around her.
"Alright looks like we're going to Maryland," Ben said as he clapped his hands together. "I'll go to the airport and get our tickets."
"This visit should be interesting," Krista said with a chuckle as she watched Ben leave the house.