~TEN~

End of The Maze of Bones

Fiske Cahill stood by as Ian, Natalie, and Nellie hurried inside the entrance to the Parisian Catacombs. Irina was hobbling along nearby with a diamond-tipped walking stick. She was rather upset that Alistair Oh set up the trap so poorly, even when he had temporary Lucian instincts. Nevertheless, it was enough to rattle up the nerves of Ian and Natalie.

Nellie shot a quick glance at Fiske before she entered. They each had tiny communication devices hidden in their ears. Nellie also made Fiske give her a camera to view the underground tunnels filled with bones. That way, he can consult the map and guide her.

"I know that everything has to happen again," Nellie had argued. "But I am not about to go down there again scared for my life. Once was enough."

Fiske sighed. Nellie was a good au pair. Stubborn and persuasive was supposedly the job requirement according to Grace.

Nellie recited a prayer in Spanish. That was her signal.

Fiske went inside his rented van where he had situated a computer monitor to view the scene Nellie was capturing with her hidden video camera. He watched as Ian directed them towards the older bones, how Natalie discovered the roman numerals etched onto the skulls' foreheads, and how Nellie acted as if this was her first time seeing them.

Then Amy and Dan entered the chamber.

Fiske let the scene play out. A stricken look from Ian as Dan pointed a dart gun at them. An angry look from Natalie as Amy and Dan confessed of setting the trap. A change of emotions. Then a determined Irina striking down a diamond-tipped walking stick over Dan's back.

"Alright," Fiske addressed Nellie. "Turn left."

Ian held on to one of the rungs on roof of the bell tower of St-Pierre's church. He clutched the glowing bottle of one of Ben Franklin's concoction in his left hand and held on for dear life with the other. He couldn't see very well in thpurporting rain, but he saw the outline of the window that led back to the bell tower and swung his leg inside.

"Nat, I did it!" he cried triumphantly to a bound and gagged Natalie struggling next to a self-assured teenager in black combat fatigues. Amy Kabra.

"Hello cousin," she said, holding out a plastic syringe. "I'll trade you."

"Let-let her go!" he yelled.

"I would hurry if I were you," she warned. "She doesn't have much time."

"W-what have you done to her?"

"Nothing that can't be reversed in the next minute or so." Amy tapped her finger on her wrist and mouthed "tick tock".

Behind the doors, the Holts would be crashing in any minute.

Ian thought quickly and held out the vial. He snatched the syringe out of Amy's hands just as she took the vial.

"Nice doing business with you, cousin," Amy said.

"You'll never get out of this tower. You're-you're trapped here just like-"

Then something occurred to him. How had Amy gotten in the tower in the first place?

"Kites," Amy said with a smile. She began fastening a piece of black silktot a metal frame that Ian realized was laid at her feet the whole time. "Another thing Franklin loved. He pulled himself across the Charles River with one, did you know?"

"You couldn't have-"

"Oh yes I did." She hooked her harness to the huge black kite. "I sailed right down from the Sacre-Coeur. And I'm going to sail right out again.

"You're a thief," Ian said.

Amy said more, but Ian stopped listening. Those words he just pronounced seemed so familiar. Not like he's said it to someone before, but like someone said it to him.

Even as Amy sailed out of the steer, Ian stood still. He hadn't stolen in his life. Stealing caused attention. Ian didn't like attention.

Natalie's muffled complains snapped him out of his wonder.

"Nat!" Ian screamed and ripped off her gag.

"Ow!"

"Hold still. I've got the antidote."

"Amy was bluffing!" Natalie groaned.

Ian tried to pay attention as he untied Natalie. Something about the black kite that Amy used, what he had said to her, and everything happening right now tugged at his mind. He just couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Suddenly, the trap door opened and Eisenhower Holt climbed into the belfry. Natalie broke the news to them and pointed toward the street where the Kabras were making their escape. Eisenhower roared and left at the sound of police sirens.

In spite of their mess and his confusion, Ian smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" Natalie complained. "The Kabras took our clue!"

"Whatever that was," Iansaid, "it wasn't the clue. The real clue was the paper you stuffed in your pocket!"

Natalie's eyes shined with hope and excitement. She'd demand to know how it was the real clue, but he'd explain everything to her later.

Right now, he wondered why he had the sudden interest to buy cologne.

I finally updated! So, what did you think? Kind of fast, huh? Well, I had no choice. It would've been boring to repeat EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER. So key moments and a few twists is what you get.

Sorry for fast forwarding. Like I said, I had no choice, but I hope you review when you get the chance!

I shall make uthis'd it in the next chapter!

~Blue