Each of them stood behind Jacob and stared into the hole, shining their light ahead. Just in front of them was a fair sized crevice. One wrong step and they would fall into an unknown abyss. They all wondered how John Pater could have set up such a trap to protect his treasures. When they looked around, all they could see was a crate filled with sheets of gold and another box with sparkling white crystals. To the right was a shelf lined with books. The wall ahead looked solid, protective of the treasures. There seemed to be no way out.

Everyone was so taken with the sight before them, they failed to hear the Giant approach. His face and body had a look of menacing. Protecting the cache of goods was his one and only job. He had no master to remove the mind programming. As each one turned around to the horror of their situation, the Giant raised his arm as if to strike. The group really could not move forward or sideways since no one knew what was on the other side of the room. Getting across the aperture was another problem. They could be trapped in there. Even if they all jumped and made it across the divide, how would they get out if an opening did not exist on the other side. The paralysis of fear began to take hold of Jason and Diana. Vincent was ready to strike but his position at the edge of the unknown precipe was precarious.

'Jacob, throw him another fruit.' Jason whispered.

Jacob pulled another fruit from his knapsack and tossed it to the giant. While the massive man was distracted for a moment, Jason, who was furthest from the opening, stepped back from the edge of the aperture, into the main chamber and grabbed the table. Motioning to Vincent they quickly flipped it upside down and pushed it forward over the crevice. Diana ran across it into the room. Another fruit gave them a moment to think. The unspoken plan seemed the only recourse. They should all run into the room and the table could be pulled away from the crevice. The Giant would either retreat or fall into the abyss.

Jacob, who had his back to the opening, could not see what the others were doing. Vincent called out to him to retreat. Within a split second, the barrier to the room activated without warning, moving back upwards, smashing the table and separating Jacob from the others.

In the small chamber, Vincent was horrified. He was trapped inside the room while his son was left to grapple with a man twice his size. He let out a mighty roar, grabbing the stone door with all his might pushing, and pulling, fear for his son making him frantic. Nothing budged. He roared again.

Jason, who had never seen Vincent in this mode, was dumbfounded. He backed away from the raging beast that Vincent had become. Diana looked shocked. She knew what Vincent was capable of in his anger. She was deeply worried about Jacob. In her fear, she found a moment to reassure Jason with a look, barely visible in the semi darkness.

Vincent felt overwhelmed. His eyes began to search the walls for something to open the door. He pressed his hands and his weight against the stone, looking for any notch that would release the boulder which stood between him and his son.

'Look over there! Look around! Use the flashlight and see if there is something on the wall', he commanded the others. His voice was husky with the fear of defeat and worry. 'Catherine Catherine, I can't find you only to lose our son.'

'Here Vincent…look at this.' Jason who had recovered his equilibrium moved into high gear again. His keen eye had observed a marking high above their heads on the opposite wall. Vincent knew it resembled the three marks Jacob and Catherine had on their chest. Frantic, he reached up and pressed his palm against it pushing with all his might.

'Use just three fingers Vincent.' Diana counseled.

As he did so, the other end of the room opened to a sight that was even more breathtaking than the small chamber they occupied.

'I don't care what's in there right now. Just look around and see if there is anything on this side too.' Lights flashing on the wall, Jason and Diana searched all around. Their eyes ached with the dust, poor lighting and fear.

Vincent felt strangely calm. He stood for a moment in front of the stone which separated him from Jacob and closed his eyes. He remembered what Jacob had done to create the opening. Standing in front of the boulder, he stretched out his hands to his sides, palm facing toward the opening and prayed. Suddenly, the boulder began its descent. Vincent moved back prepared to jump over the crevice and attack, if Jacob was being held.

To the surprise of everyone, Jacob stood over the Giant who was sitting on the floor, head tilted, listening to Jacob's words.

'Go now to your people and tell them you are safe. No harm shall come to you again. Be at peace with yourselves.'

The giant rose to his feet and turned into yet another aperture in the wall and disappeared.

'What happened Jacob? Are you alright?'

'Yes Dad. I am sorry I was so slow.'

'Never mind Son. How did you subdue the giant?' Vincent asked hugging his son, relief visible on his face.

'I thought I might have been in big trouble. I couldn't afford to turn my back on him to reopen the door. When you shouted, it stopped him for a moment and I was able to grab his hand. In a split second I could hear which words Pater had used to program him to react violently and those he used to reverse their rage. What I just finished was a reprogramming to allow him, and the few of them remaining in their family, to live peacefully in a space further below this.'

'How do they live Jacob? It seems impossible.'

'They manage. There is some vegetation below which grows from sunlight through a crack in the wall. The rest, they forage above at night off the docks. Pater taught them to be self sufficient in other ways.'

'Who could understand a man of such diverse behaviours. Well, thank God you are safe. It was pretty tricky there for awhile.' Diana observed.

Vincent turned to Jason. 'I am sorry, my friend. I realize that you had not seen me like that before. My concern…'

''Don't apologize Vincent. You did what you had to do as a parent. I think I have heard my Dad roar at me a few times too when I was in trouble. It just… sounded … different.' The men shook hands.

'Diana?'

'I'm fine guys. Let's go see what crazy stuff this man has down there.'

All four of them crossed the crevice and moved forward into the new chamber. It was a very large space obviously created for rituals. If it had ever been used, it didn't appear so. Dust was everywhere. Incense sticks, candles, oils and books lay everywhere. They were all new or barely used.

Diana looked around at different objects. An old trunk stood over in one corner. Vincent moved forward and opened the lid. In it were leather bound books.

'I think this is what we may be looking for.' He said lifting one out of the box. Diana took the book from Vincent and opened the latch very gently. The pages had been well preserved. She lifted the cover and held her breath at the writing on the first page.'

Quis est , verum , sino id , exsisto.

Quis est falsus , usus suus fides.

'Jacob, do you understand Latin ?'

Jacob looked at the writing and quoted 'What is truth, let it be. What is false, find its truth!'

All were silent for a short period, wondering about truth and lies and its impact on Pater's life as well as their own.

'What else do we need here?' Jacob asked.

'Is that real gold in there?'

'Who knows? Pater was a master at so many things. We can take a piece and have it tested.'

'Do you mind Vincent?

Vincent shrugged. He had no wish to have anything to remember John Pater.

'Do you think those are diamonds?'

'According to the history of his family, they lived in South Africa but somehow I think those may be drug crystals.' Diana offered.

'There was a time when Pater created a drug so powerful it was deathly addictive and killed lots of people. I felt the power of it when he trapped me.'

'Scary stuff!'

'It was. We'll leave that one alone. There won't be many people who can find their way down here.' There was a finality to Vincent's tone. He was itching to leave the room.

Jason went into the smaller room and took a plate of the gold and stuffed it in his knapsack. Diana and Jacob carefully loaded up the books. Vincent walked around searching for another exit, looking for any more marks on the wall. He would prefer to find an easier way out.

'It seems we will have to go back the same way.'

Everyone nodded. Jacob went over to the makeshift altar and ran his hand along the edge of the it. He imagined what Pater had in mind. Sacrifices! Rituals! He wondered if the sacrifices would have been human or not. He had a sense of something living beneath his hand. He shone the light on the top of the structure and around the sides. His fingers felt under the edges. At the upper corner he felt a notch. He pushed and pulled it. The top slid around to reveal a set of steps leading down.

The others came over to look inside.

'I am not going down there.' Jason declared.

'Close it Jacob and let's head back. I think we should leave now.'

'Dad, I really don't want to go down there but something tells me I should.'

Father and son faced off. 'What are you feeling Jacob?'

'I feel like something is there that we should see.'

Vincent stood in front of his son. He couldn't say no and he wanted to honour Jacob's independence but the group was four. It was all or none. 'Jacob, you understand that we will all have to go. We have what we came for. If we look we may find things which we don't need to know. I feel it is time to put John Pater and all he stood for, behind us.'

Jacob looked around at the faces of these three people who essentially risked their lives to save his girlfriend. His parents knew everything they needed to know. Diana was prepared to move on with her life. Jason and Terry were here on a holiday. Rationally, he did not need to go into what felt and looked like a tomb.

'Dad, let me go. I promise to return if the situation seems unsafe. There is something there.'

Over the years Vincent knew few things were more important than the trust between parent and child. He himself experienced the security of it through Father and while he was different in his approach to parenthood, the independence factor was key.

'I'll wait here Jacob and hold the light. Call if you need me.'

With a warm smile for his Father, Jacob grabbed asmaller flashlight and slowly made his way down the stairs. The open space was well below and away from the upper floor level. Nothing could be seen from the top of the stairs. As Jacob made his way down, he felt death, and knew he was entering a tomb. Egypt in New York he thought.

At the bottom of the stairs he paused and shone the light around. Over in one corner there appeared to be a vault of some sort. He walked over slowly. The surface was covered with dust. He touched it, feeling for markings. He found the last groove. His hands moved along as if he was reading Braille. He knew exactly what it would say as soon as he touched the first letter. C..O..R..A L..E…E!

Jacob was not shocked. It was as if everything they experienced had been designed to bring them to this point in time.

'Papa…please come down.

Vincent heard the undertone within the call from his son. Jacob wanted him to come alone. He motioned for the others to remain behind as he made his way slowly down the stairs. Another crypt greeted him at the bottom. Jacob stood off to the side. He had brushed away the dust from the imprint. Vincent stared at the markings. He fell to his knees. What did this mean?

Jacob ran his fingers under the edge as he had done upstairs. Very slowly the top moved to the side. There, lying in a bed of blue silk material, lay the beautifully preserved body of Coralee. She was dressed in white. Vincent knew it was his mother. He stared at her face. Despite the careful work done, probably by John Pater, the ravages of disease were etched in the deep lines of her face. She appeared peaceful, at last, in death. On her chest, under her hands, lay another leather bound book. Engraved on the front of the leather was VINCENT.

'Take it. It was meant for you.

Vincent looked up at his son. 'I am sure Dad.'

Very gently, Vincent removed the book. He lingered for a moment, observing his mother's long fingers. He could see his own fingers in hers. He had no idea how long she had been dead. It was at least more than 30 years. He wondered why Pater had never said anything.

'Jacob, I have little thanks to offer my biological father. As Diana said, he was a man of diverse behaviours. I don't know what it was he wanted of me. I suppose his anger and disappointment had much to do with his inability to communicate. I can say from my heart, at this time, in this moment, I can feel deeply grateful that he at least loved my mother enough to create this …resting place for her.'

'Maybe there will be more information in the book. Who knows if Pater was able to presage just this moment.'

'I'll read it later. Leave me for a moment Jacob and reassure the others. I will close the tomb, when I am done.'

'Yes Papa.'

Vincent returned to contemplate the face of the woman who gave him life.

'Mama, I don't know what you have to tell me, but I can tell you that I love you. I thank you for giving me life. I know yours was not easy but I hope that somewhere in the years you lived you were able to find happiness. I believe you know that I have found the greatest joy with my Catherine and our son Jacob. If you can see or know anything, know that I am happy. Rest well.'

Vincent pressed the button to close the crypt. Tears blurred his eyes. His heart was heavy with the knowledge of loss. He would grieve for what he never had. He hoped his life would give pride to his mother had she lived.

'Are you alright Vincent?' Diana asked as he reappeared at the top of the stairs.'

'I'm not sure. We need to get out of here now. I just can't process anything else.'

'Dad there is another opening over here. Do you want to try this route or go back.'

'What do you feel son?'

'I think we should go out here. I do believe this was an easier way out for Pater. As he aged he could not have made it in and out of here without an easier access.'

'Let's go then. Are you ok Jason?'

'I have to admit I am tired. Mostly the feeling of being closed in but I am ready to move on.'

Jacob was right. The barrier to the opening to the lower chamber opened with the same hand movement as the upper chamber. Once the boulder rolled away, they could clearly see the underground river and a path along the side, leading to steps. As they made their way up, the sounds of the city became clearer and clearer. The surface sewers and the way home, were just a few steps away.