Solomon's Throne (34 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Kuwait

Present day

A
bdul drove the truck over
the Kuwaiti border at 5:47 in the morning, as the rays of the sun began to appear on the horizon. The vehicle bounced over the loose sand, miles from any road, and Abdul turned on the headlights and headed southwest. After twenty kilometers he came to a stop in a dry creek bed, protected on three sides by rock, and Asim pulled Rei and Gideon out of the truck. The almost collapsed, both with relief and with muscle cramps, and Rei started to laugh and cry.

“What happened back there?” Gideon asked Abdul.

“Rebels. They wanted us to pay them a bribe to keep going across their territory, but they thought that we were smuggling heroin also. So they searched the truck. It has happened before, and we have never had anyone found. But they were most thorough, and we had a fright while they were under the back and looking through the things around you. Praise Allah, they did not find you!”

Rei exclaimed, “I have never been so terrified in my whole life!” She wiped the tears from her face.

“I assume we’re in Kuwait now?” Gideon asked, looking around at the sand and rock that looked just like the sand and rock in Iraq.

“Yes, and now you may sit in the truck with us. You do not need to hide in the back any longer, although I think that we will not be stopped anyway.”

They all piled onto the bench seat, which at any other time would have been ridiculously uncomfortable, but, after the hours unable to move, seemed deliciously free. Rei sat half on Gideon’s lap, and they sat next to the door, aware that touching an unrelated woman would make the Muslim men uncomfortable. Rei watched as the sun rose in yellow and pinks over the desert. Once they got on the paved road to the city, she rested her head on the glass and dozed.

They arrived back at the industrial park at 7:00. They thanked Asim, and Rei barely resisted giving him a hug. She just grinned at him and said “Thank you so much!” over and over again. The took off their abayas and he threw them into the hidey-hole on his truck, and motored off with one last wave. The Quinns got in the plain white truck from which they’d started their journey.

Gideon sat in the middle next to Abdul, and they drove back through the city to the Hilton. They were filthy, exhausted, and half starved, but elated and still feeling a rush of accomplishment and excitement that hadn’t worn off. Gideon turned on his phone and dialed the captain.

“Hey Mac, it’s Gideon,” he said when the man picked up.

“Oh, thank God!” McMillan said. “We’ve been up all night. I’ve been kicking myself three ways from Sunday for setting this whole gig up. I was sure you’d end up dead or in prison somewhere.”

“We had a close call, but we’re almost at the hotel now, so it’s all good. We’re gonna clean up, get room service and then
sleep
. I’ll catch up with you mid-afternoon.” He hung up.

They hustled through the hotel lobby, careful not to attract any undo attention. With their backpacks slung over their shoulders, jeans and casual shirts, they hoped they looked like they’d been out for a stroll or for a cup of strong coffee. They endured an elevator ride that seemed endless, exited on their floor and entered their room.

“Oh my gosh!” Rei exploded. “Oh my gosh oh my gosh! I can’t believe we didn’t die. Really. I thought we were going to die.” She danced around the room while Gideon laughed.

“Yeah. I actually did too. It’s one thing to be in the military and get in hairy situations, it’s totally another to be in them with your wife. I didn’t like that… But you did great!” He wrapped her in his arms. He hadn’t liked it at all, and hoped Goa would be a whole lot safer. “I’d better tell Mr. Xavier we’re alive—I’m sure he’s not sleeping either.” He got the iPhone out of his pants pocket and dialed.

They bathed and ate a huge room service breakfast. They climbed into the soft bed gratefully and slept. When they awoke six hours later they were still sore, and Rei had the beginnings of bruises on her shoulder blades from bouncing around in the truck bed. They looked in the hotel directory and discovered a gem: a masseuse. They booked massages for before dinner, and called Mac in his room.

Five minutes later there was a knock at the door and Gideon let the pilot in. He shook Gideon’s hand, but then gave him a quick hug.

“Let’s not do that again, shall we? I aged ten years yesterday and last night. That was awful! So tell me about it—but first, did you find the letter?”

Rei lifted up the metal tube. “Yep. In the dark without a flashlight, even. Gideon was awesome.”

“Abdul and Asim were awesome,” Gideon corrected. “Jack can tell his buddy to hang onto those two. We got stopped by rebels on the way back from the site, and they searched the truck. Abdul said they thought he was smuggling drugs. But they didn’t give us away, and the rig they have worked. It was a bad time, though. We couldn’t move in there, and I wasn’t going to get too many shots off before they had us out and on the ground…” he trailed off, reliving it.

“Yeah. It was bad,” Rei agreed. “So let’s not talk about that part anymore, OK? We’re here, I’m sure Mr. Xavier has wired Abdul his money by now, and we have the letter. Everyone is safe. So why don’t I work on translating it before our massages and dinner?”

The masseuse worked out all the kinks from their confinement, and the hotel served them a superb dinner. Rei chose a decadent chocolate torte for dessert, and enjoyed every minute of it guilt free. Jimmy joined the party after a day at the airport with the plane, and they all retired for an after dinner drink in the bar. Finally they called it a night, and Mac came to their room with them.

“Can I hear what the letter says?” he asked. “I feel like I’m invested in this whole thing now!”

“Can’t see why not,” Gideon answered. “We’re going to need your services awhile longer, I think.”

Rei got out her notebook and read:

My dear son,

If you are reading this letter, you have made it to the location of the Taq-i-Kisra. I am sure that you have been through much to obtain it, and I pray that my Father in Heaven has kept you and anyone who has accompanied you safe through your trials.

The final resting place of the Throne of Solomon is near the great city of Goa, in the East. The Portuguese are well settled there, and you will find all you need to complete your quest once you arrive. It may be that you do not arrive at the right time of the year
,
so I pray that the rains will not delay you once you arrive.

When you have gotten settled in Goa, you will need to visit the great church there. You will find another, and the last, letter. That letter has instructions for you to follow, and shall lead you to the treasure that I have left for you. I do not believe, nay, I cannot believe, that anyone else will have discovered it by chance. I believe that it is by God’s providence that you will find it, and that by His wisdom you will know what to do with the precious Throne once it has been found.

We continue to pray for you every day, and we count it all joy to have been part of God’s great plan to free this great part of His people’s history. Be safe, my son, and be ever vigilant.

In the name of our mighty Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, your loving father,

Joao Xavier

X

Written in the year of our Lord 1687

“We already knew the end game was Goa. Now we just need to find ‘the great church’, and the last letter. And then, I hope, a treasure map?” Rei said.

“Sure sounds like a treasure map. And he says ‘near’ Goa, which was a lot smaller area in the 1680s than it will be now. For all we know it’ll be in the center of the city!” Gideon said.

Rei had opened her laptop, and was typing. She clicked a few links, and said, “Looks like there are nine churches old enough to be ‘the great church’ in Goa… I’ll have to do some research to figure out if we can narrow down the options. We’ve got the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception—wow, that’s a mouthful! Our Lady of the Mount. Chapel of St. Catherine. Church of St. Francis Xavier. Churches and convents of Saint Monica and Saint Francis Assisi. Our Lady of the Rosary. Church of Saint Catejan. Church of the Carmelites. The Professed House and Born Jesus Church…That’s a weird name. And those aren’t all that are old enough, but probably all that would be potentially called ‘the great church.’ So. Research time.”

“
In the morning,” said Gideon. “I’m beat, and we can get a fresh run at it tomorrow. Mac, can you map out our trip to Goa, and let me know how many stops and how long it’ll take? And I’ll need to think about what to do about our
Congratio a Achalichus
friends, who are bound to be waiting for us. Maybe landing somewhere other than Goa would be our best bet—I’m sure they’re watching the airports.”

“I’m on it,” said Mac. “See you in the morning. Maybe breakfast at 9:00, and we’ll both have something?”

“Yep, see you then.” Gideon closed and locked the door behind him. He turned back to his wife, who as still typing on her computer. “Bed now, love. There’s plenty of time to do your research in the morning.”

She smiled at him, and closed the laptop.