The elevator finally stopped at the edge of a walkway, leading deeper into the wall.
"Now what?" Riley wondered out loud.
"This is where it all leads." Patrick said, as Ben fastened the elevator to a handy post.
"Ok, let's go." Ben said, accepting the torch from Abigail. Adrienne stopped once she was inside the room. It was empty! Oh, this is not good…. Patrick paused to light the single lantern hanging from the ceiling of the low, round room.
"What is this?" Riley asked.
"Yeah, what is this?" Adrienne asked as well.
"So where's the treasure?" Viktor asked. Ian broke the silence that followed.
"Well?"
"This is it?" Riley exclaimed "We came all this way for a dead end?" Ben sighed, putting a hand to his head. "Yes." Ian inched toward the opening, laughing nervously. Adrienne saw what he was worried about. If Viktor fires, in here the bullet will bounce off the walls, and hit a lot of people, which isn't good… Viktor was looking more and more irritated.
"There's got to be something more…" Riley continued. "Riley, there's nothing more!"
"Did you tell him?" Adrienne mouthed at Abigail, who nodded.
"Another clue, or…"
"No. There are no more clues! That's it! Over! End of the road! The treasure's gone. Moved. Taken somewhere else." Ben replied, frustrated.
"You aren't playing games are you?" Viktor asked, looking from Ben to Ian. "You know where it is." He continued, turning to Ian.
"No." Ian said, shaking his head.
"And don't make me give my boss a call about your un-cooperation."
Ian shrugged. "And what would they do? You guys don't have my nephew."
"So?" With that, Viktor did pull out his gun, pointing it at Adrienne. She froze.
"Shippen, go throw your gun over the edge. Slowly." Viktor ordered. Shippen reluctantly did what he was told.
"All of you." Viktor said, motioning to Ben, Riley, Abigail and Patrick. "Stand against the wall."
"Viktor, leave Adrienne out of this." Ian said, slowly taking a step toward him. "She has no involvement in this."
"She does now, seeing how you dragged her along, for no apparent reason. You wouldn't want to see her bleeding to death or in agony, would you?" I'm being threatened by a madman with a gun. Adrienne thought, trying to see a way out of it.
"No." Ian replied softly.
"Where's the treasure then?" Viktor demanded.
"I don't know."
"Then what's the next clue?" Ian glanced at Ben, a question in his eyes.
"There isn't another clue!" Riley burst out.
"Quiet!" Viktor yelled, waving the gun. "The clue, Ian, or you'll see how much blood a person can lose before death."
"I need to talk to Ben." Both Ben and Ian stepped to the center of the room, by the lantern.
"Ok, there has to be another clue." Ben said, glancing around at his surroundings. Out of the corner of her eye, Adrienne saw Shippen, slowly edging up behind Viktor.
"The lantern." Ben finally said.
"And what does it mean?"
"Ok," Ben began, standing underneath the lantern and pretending to examine it. As Viktor's gaze followed him, Shippen grabbed his gun arm. As they struggled Viktor's gun went off. Adrienne dove to the side, tripping on a rock. Ian and Ben joined the struggle, managing to pull the gun away.
"Adrienne, he shot you!" Abigail cried, helping her up.
"He did?" Adrienne asked, scared to look. By this time, Viktor was unconscious, and being tied up. The ceiling and walls began to rumble again. Ian during the middle of it, walked over to Adrienne.
"Adrienne, I love you." Now, this can't be happing! I can't admit to myself alone, that I love him. I can't get in a relationship. What if it turns out like the last one I had? I can't go through that much pain again…. She thought, frantically.Adrienne was spared from having to answer by the ceiling suddenly collapsing. Something slammed into her head and the world went dark.