Chapter 5

Robert Langdon was not prepared to see the next body. Unlike first body, this one was tied to a stake. Like the ones in the Salem Witch Hunt. Suddenly Langdon was feeling edgy. Impossible that this has to do with a witch hunt! There's no such thing as witches…secret BROTHERHOODS-Illuminati- I understand…but Salem Witches? He sat on a perfectly round ruble of marble and pondered. He rested his chin onto his right fist, trying to steady himself as he looked down at the cliff like thing from behind.

The body was tied to the stake, head tilted to the sky. Her mouth was wide open as though screaming in pain. Only looking, with a better view from the boulder; he saw that her mouth was packed with dirt.

My god! She was suffocated! Langdon remembered the horrid incident; the same thing had happened to one of the preferiti Vatican's cardinals. Buried waist deep-branded with the Illuminati ambigram Earth-and a mouth packed with dirt…

"Professor!" Laura called out from the bottom of the ruble cliff.

Langdon watched as Laura struggled up the pebbles, marble, granite, and slippery starch dust. She smiled at him as she neared the middle of the pile then fell.

Langdon got up in a bolt. He found Laura with a skinned hand and dusty black pants. Luckily, she had fallen on her case, so there were no grazed knees, or on her beautiful, slender legs.

"Let me help you with that…" Langdon pulled out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and dabbed the oozing wound on her palm.

Laura bit her lip as she watched Langdon tightening the handkerchief wrap around her hand.

"Thank you…"

He nodded and offered his hand.

Laura had examined and had found that the victim had died an hour after her sister. She looked at the body again and frowned…her shoulders relaxed, but was still stiff.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"That was my cousin…" she looked scared now. "Do you think this is a massacre?"

She was trembling badly. Langdon could feel Laura's hand tighten around his. He also was scared. Fear floated into him as he thought about his recent thought.

"Witch?" He mumbled…

"Pardon?" Laura looked at him, stunned.

Langdon flushed, getting his thoughts in order.

"Don't mind me asking, but what was you sisters occupation?"

"She's a veterinarian…she worked in an animal shelter."

"And your cousin?"

"A nurse…why do you ask?"

Langdon hesitated before considering his answer. "Are you familiar with the Salem Witch Hunt or Burn? Primarily on a stake?"

He watched as he eyes flickered and gleam. "Yes…" she finally answered, hesitantly. "Do you think that someone is killing off my family because they think we're witches?" She said, a little bemused.

He shrugged. This was his only idea that he had at the moment. Laura turned away. Feeling that he had somewhat made her feel worse, he went after her.

"Sorry, Laura…I'm just…a little, I can't think of anything…this was just, my only idea I had…" He explained.

She turned to look at him with the same innocent smile. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself as Officer Eleferiadis marched behind Langdon.

"Your inspection confirmed?" He asked.

"Yes, she was murdered an hour ago…"

"Murdered? You positive?"

Laura scoffed. "Yes! Murdered! You think she'd tie herself to a stake and then stuff her mouth with dirt, while doing this with no people noticing a-" Laura paused, not sure how to continue… "A naked woman running through the temple?"

Eleferiadis thought about this. "She could've been fully dressed and then stripped, and threw her clothes in the water."

"Highly unlikely if you presume that this was a suicide! No one would go into this much effort to kill themselves…An exact reason and evidence that this was a murder!" She was getting very impatient, Langdon could feel an angry vibe from her.

She grasped Langdon's hand and wheeled him towards another cabbie. "I'll send you the murder case in half-an-hour officer…I have some business to discuss with Robert." She yelled over her shoulder.

Langdon watched as Laura wolfed down her pasta at a nearby bistro. He himself was feeling less famished as he ate the delicious meal in front of him. Food…a little burp came from Laura, the body content with the food it consumed.

"Excuse me…" She said feeling embarrassed.

Langdon laughed. He folded his hands on to his stomach as he watched Laura finish up her dish.

"So you had the idea that people thought my family were witches? What makes you say that?" She asked, sipping her espresso.

"Well I didn't really know until I saw the second victim…" he said, putting it as lightly as he could. "Back then witches were technically a grave mistake. Or, you can put it, it was an advantage to get people you hated, killed by authority so you didn't have to do the dirty work. And of course, witch burns dated back way back when…and they were all, women."

Laura nodded. This much she knew. "But why my family?"

"Well, before the accusations. Villagers mostly feared those who were knowledgeable. Like doctors, scientists, gypsies even, mostly women who carried out births and so on. Villagers only burned these women because the feared them. Some were also killed because they got hold of information that, they weren't supposed to know. Women back then were considered objects, tools that had to follow their masters, example, men. When the women went against the restraint…"

Langdon concluded with a cliffhanger.

Laura was absently stirring her beverage. So many things were happening, she couldn't believe what Langdon was telling her. But inside, somewhere at the back of her mind, she hearted the idea. Knowing part of it, might be true…

A waiter walked to their table. He was young and looked like he was taking part time. He spoke his Italian well.

"Lei ha piaciuto il suo pasto? Signore?" He asked Langdon.

"Sì…" Laura answered for him… "il conto per favore."

The waiter nodded and walked away, returning with the bill. Laura reached into her case.

"Let me…" Langdon offered.

He tried to be chivalrous but he had forgotten the difference in currency between euro and the US bills. The waiter watched as Langdon over paid him in bills.

"Grazies!" The waiter turned, feeling he would get a raise.

Laura smiled at Langdon. She shook her head, still smiling.

"I'll give you back change, in euros, I'm afraid…" She looked back up at him.

He looked away embarrassed, and waved his hand. "No need."

A little bell rang across the restaurant, indicating to the waiter's that theirs a costumer waiting to be seated at the door. It was a habit, but Laura looked over her shoulder at the man waiting to be seated. For a split second they locked gazes. His eyes were like burning charcoal. It was so dark. His white-blonde hair didn't seem to make things better, to comfort the knotting feeling in Laura's stomach, but to make it worse. He smiled and looked away.

The man looked at the beautiful Italian staring at him with transfixed eyes. He smiled at her, as he followed the young waiter to his seat. She's here…

NOTE: I did not do enough research to know exactly the location of the Olympian Zeus Temple…So if there's anything that doesn't sound right because you've done research on it or you've been there, then please be considerate that I haven't and couldn't find the info that I needed for this fan fiction. Thank you! Grazies!

P.S. If you DO have info that you think I need, I'll be glad to receive it!