Disclaimer: Do not own National Treasure
Ben walked from the car slowly letting the wind blow past his face, his sunglass blocking out the sun from his eyes. Chills flowed down his spine as his shoes stood firmly on the grassy land. He scanned the view of the area. Again the wind blew sending the small corn field to sway slightly. Ben could feel the spray of water on his face and brought a hand up to his eyes. Up high in the sky were the much need rain cloud to moisten the thick summer air. Abigail looked up at the sky as well as she asked out loud,
"Is that a cloud?"
"Yeah the sky is full of them! Usually means another weatherman is going to die tonight." Riley sarcastically grumbled as he followed after Ben. "Mother nature thought it would be funny to not only to have us look in a river that is mixed with blood which would probably mean it's a vampire river but to electrocute us as well."
"Vampire River, Riley?" Ben spoke up as they walked over to the small bridge.
"Do you have anything else to explain it? It's like the river of death." He added the effect of his statement by waving his arms in the air. The three stopped short to see a car slowly drive past them on the road by their car. Ben hid the shiver well enough that he turned back to the task at hand. Swimming was probably on some list of not to do but when you steal the Declaration of Independence and then kidnap the President rules never really applied to his subconscious. Like his conscience was on mute more or less.
Ben, Riley, and Abigail stopped at the edge of the small river and stood for a moment. But obviously the moment was to long for Riley as he sighed out with impatience.
"Now what?"
"Well," Ben began. "The saber said with one man of her crew alive
What put to sea with seventy-five. Pirates marked their paces with numbers."
"Ten paces north and…" Abigail began but Riley held out his hand.
"Yeah I get it…Can I ask a question though?" he said.
"Riley if we even said no you would still ask it." Ben told him matter-of-factly.
"Why did we have to do this at…?" He paused to look at his watch. "Six thirty in the morning."
Ben and Abigail ignored him as they pulled out the saber.
"It's six thirty in the morning…who looks for stuff at six thirty in the morning."
"Alright…two numbers. One and seventy-five." Ben began.
"Seventy six paces from here which would have been where Robert E. Lee would have been standing." Abigail said. Ben nodded as he bent down taking off his shoes and socks. Rolling up his pants he sighed before counting out loud
"One…two…three…four…"
"Still don't see why we have to do this at six thirty in the morning." Riley huffed.
Ben continued to count until he finally got to,
"Seventy six." He announced ignoring the small grumpy reply of Riley.
"Congratulations."
Ben bent down so he was squatting in the water. Lightly he dragged his hands through the cool water and rough river bottom. Getting a little frustrated he stood up.
"Seventy-five." He muttered to himself as he took a step back. "One man of her crew alive. What put to sea with seventy-five. Alive. Subtract seventy-five and one…Seventy-four."
Ben jumped slightly shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he felt a small object push further into the river bed. Bending down he let his hand run blindly across the small pebbles until he felt a small pile of rocks. His breath quickened as it always did while Ben maneuvered his hand under the small hole of the rock. Mud dug into his fingernails as he tried to pull out a small box.
Lifting the box to higher water level Ben brushed off the clotted mud that clouded the water as soon as it was released from its trapped spots on the box. The sunlight made the box glisten slightly as Ben's fingers slid over the gold lining indented on the box. Squinting he brought the box out of the water and with a raised eyebrow he held the box up. He ran his fingers over the lines storing every detail he could into his memory.
"Good morning!" A voice called. Ben straightened up quickly hiding the box in his pocket. He turned to see a tall muscular man of Hispanic heritage leaning casually on the railing of the bridge. He could've been Puerto Rican or Cuban, Ben wasn't really sure. The man smiled down at him as his jet black hair blew slightly in the wind along with his off shaded gray suit that was well trimmed for his muscular body. His skin was tan and worn as his hands were large and callused. It was obvious he was used to hard work.
"Morning." Ben laughed lightly. The man's smile widened as he pointed to Ben still in the water.
"Um…Isn't it a little early for a swim?" He chuckled not even trying to cover it up.
"Yeah. Sorry Ben Gates." Ben jumped out of the river and ran up the bridge with his hand raised. The man turned towards him giving him a strong shake.
"Aw the famed treasure hunter. My name is Jasper Morales. It's a pleasure to meet you." Ben ducked his head slightly before turning his attention back to him. "Did you find anything in your quest of the river? Don't tell me you're looking for the Lady of the Lake."
"Even if the Lady of the Lake was in this river I doubt she would willing come out for my friend to dub himself king." Ben frowned slightly as he looked around for said friend and girlfriend. "I was just following a hunch really."
"Well I'm sorry I had to interrupt your "hunch." But don't you think the proof of Treasure Island in your pocket a pretty good hunch." Jasper smiled as he put his hands in the pockets of his pants. His suit jacket scrunched in between his arms. "I think my wife would be a little disappointed to have hired someone who runs on hunches."
"Your Olivia's ex husband." Ben set his mouth in a grim line as Jasper chuckled lightly leaning on the bridge railing.
"What they say about you is true then." Jasper seemingly ignored him.
"Where are my friends?" Ben demanded. He could feel his palms getting sweaty as he pressed them to his side. Jasper looked at him thoughtfully before nodding his head slightly. Ben looked over grimly to see two men holding Abigail and Riley. Another holding the saber.
"I'm sorry Ben." Riley yelled to him. He snapped his mouth shut when the man holding him shoved the gun harder under his chin.
"I suggest you give me that bullet Mr. Gates." Jasper causally demanded. Ben hesitated, looking from Jasper to Abigail and Riley. With a sigh of annoyance Jasper rolled his eyes and turned to Abigail.
"Kill her first." Grinning the man holding Abigail cocked his gun. Abigail squeezed her eyes shut as Riley tried to jump towards her.
"WAIT…Wait!" Ben sighed in defeat. Jasper raised a hand stopping the man. "Fine…here take it."
He struggled to pull the box out of his pocket before he held his hand out for Jasper to take it. Jasper reached for the box and Ben threw it back into the river. Riley wiggled out of the man's grasp as Abigail grabbed for him. Ben took off after them and began running for the car. Jasper screamed out telling his men who were following them to get the box. Riley jumped in the back seat with Abigail in the passenger seat. With a slide over the hood Ben jumped into the driver seat and sped off.
"Are you ok?" Ben glanced at Abigail who gave him a nod before smiling. But her smile faded as she looked behind them and back to the road.
"We lost the key!" Abigail gasped as Ben sped down the road.
"No we didn't" Ben kept his eyes hard on the road.
"Wh…what?! There was the whole pirates and shoving the guns and then you threw the box! You threw the box back into the wa…" Riley jumped as the window behind them shattered. Ben sped up noticeably. Behind them Jasper stood calmly with his men shooting at the car angrily. Pulling his hand out of his pocket Ben held a small bundle of handkerchief.
"No we didn't." Ben repeated taking a sharp turn onto a busier road. "Hold this please."
Abigail accepted the bundle from his hand and slowly unfolded the worn cloth. She gasped as a long bullet sat undisturbed. The gold still glistened in the proper light of the sun. On the bullet were small pictures along with two other types of writing scribbles. Strangely in between some of the languages was either a dot or dash.
"Ben, these are two Egyptian languages; Demotic and Hieroglyphics." Abigail gapped lifting the bullet she twisted it around slowly with her wrist. "Classical Greek."
"The Rosetta Stone." Ben concluded. "Can you read it?" His mother was only an expert in ancient Aztec, Mayan, and Incan. Probably more but not to his knowledge could she read classical Greek. That and the fact that his father and mother were "reconnecting" in South America somewhere.
"I know someone who can." Someone announced that caused Ben and Abigail to turn to Riley in shock. Riley seemed hesitant but asked Ben,
"How far is New York?"
As Ben, Abigail, and Riley walked through the New York streets the faint smell of Greek food filled their noses. They turned to a small apartment building. Even as they climbed the stairs the Greek food lingered. The building itself wasn't bad as the floors where tiled with small cheap black and white designs and the doors where made of a thick wood.
Ben noticed how Riley kept looking at his feet as his hands clenched and unclenched. He looked over at Abigail who just shrugged at Riley's odd quiet behavior. Ben tried to picture who they were about to meet and came up with an old man with a Greek accent and unruly white hair. Ben couldn't seem to figure out why Riley was so tense.
Slowly Riley edged towards a dark wood door and knocked quickly. The door opened a few minutes after allowing the voice of Ingrid Michaelson to flow out into the hallway. Completely opposite to what Ben guessed, a young woman stood before them. Her brown hair was curled, the curls slowly creeping past her shoulders and down her back; with her high cheek bones that seemed to underline her piercing blue eyes. Her attire wasn't much with a simple pair of sweat pants and a white wife beater. (a/n: do not approve of abuse to wives and will from now on call them Larry's) Her hands were ridden with paints and dark smudges.
She seemed to strangely resemble Riley so much that Ben had to take a step back. Her smile fell as her eyes landed on Riley who smirked back at her.
"What did you do now?" the woman narrowed her eyes on Riley like a hawk.
"I've missed you too Caitlin." Riley snickered at her annoyed sigh. Turning to Ben and Abigail, Riley gave the introduction.
"Guys, this is my littler sister Caitlin."
a/n: seeing as how I could very well be a spy for the US government, knowing to much for my own good and Chris has her contacts we will have far to much fun with this mystery. OK sorry it took so long. Stupid school and now having to go on vacation which isn't so bad but yeh you know what just review. PrInCeSsFBi45