— DAMN IT...! It's IMPOSSIBLE to locate him. He's turned off. Antonia left her cell phone on the table.
Nicolas, who was pacing back and forth in the office, surprised by Evans's disappearance, had the feeling that he had become the third victim of The Widow's Sons, just as he had imagined would finally happen.
— They found him, I'm sure... — He stopped in the middle of the room to expound his theory in a mournful tone. — And we should be very careful if we don't want to be next.
— Don't be silly — she scolded him bitterly. — If Greg isn't here, it's because he left us behind in the investigation. I'm sure he found a reliable clue to the Ark last night...
He looked at his interlocutor coldly, hoping he would be able to understand the reason for his sudden irritation.
— Don't you realize? He was faster than us and left with the answer.
— But... — objected the lawyer, without finishing the sentence he was thinking, to shrug his shoulders and ask — ...do you have any idea where he might have gone?
— We're going to need help if we want to find out.
The cryptographer picked up her cell phone again, going to the window and thus distancing herself from Nicolas. She sought privacy to speak, presumably, with her CNI link.
While Antônia spoke with someone high up in Spanish espionage, Colmenares tried to recall the reasons that led him to get involved in that shady business. After his conversation with Clarice at the restaurant, he had no choice but to contact his friend Hijarrubia to tell him what he knew about Viana's murder and the medieval codex, since he personally knew the Minister of the Interior and could help him with the delicate matter of Candice's concealment of evidence.
Hours later, a man who claimed to work for the National Intelligence Center came to see him. He had to answer a series of questions about Jorge's death and his possible connection to some kind of esoteric brotherhood.
She then implicated him in the case, claiming it was a matter of national security, and entrusted him with one of her best agents, Antonia Sala, to infiltrate the auction house, taking advantage of the fact that the director needed someone qualified to replace Gregory Evans for a few days. This way, the woman assigned to the job would be in direct contact with those involved. Her mission was to familiarize herself with the Toledo manuscript and determine the accuracy of the mason's claims and the fanaticism of those who sought to hide his knowledge from the world. However, the death of her old friend drastically altered their plans. They then decided that both he and the cryptographer should contact the only person who knew what was going on: Gregory Evans.
Now, however, after investigating what they were so diligently seeking, he had his doubts.
Did the CNI know about the existence of the Ark from the beginning?
Was this the reason they had put aside the criminal investigation to concentrate on the cryptogram?
What do the Intelligence personnel intend to do with such a valuable relic as the Ark of Testimony?
— Get the crypt drawings and the notes — Antonia suggested, returning, putting her phone in her bag. — Let's go to Greg's apartment and pay him a visit.
Colmenares rushed to follow her instructions, putting the photos in a folder with the company logo.
— What will we do if, by chance, he's not in his apartment? — the lawyer asked, as they headed for the door.
— I don't think we'll find him there — she replied confidently. — And what's more, I hope there's no one in the house. Central will send a reconnaissance unit... — She blinked thoughtfully before adding, — We'll rummage through his things a bit.
Minutes later, they headed to the detective's apartment. During the drive, Nicolas couldn't help but ponder what they were going to do. Entering someone else's home without a warrant constituted trespassing. Being involved in something like that could ruin his career if the members of the Madrid Bar Association found out. On the other hand, he raised the possibility that the CNI agents might have authorization to act, with the tacit consent of a judge. In that case, the incident would be legal.
Even so, he noticed something strange about Antonia's behavior after Gregory's disappearance, and it wasn't something he was convinced of at all. That morning, for example, she seemed different. He figured the best way to get information from her would be to start a strictly inquisitive and personal conversation.
— What happened last night, after I left the office? — He turned his head toward her as he asked the question. — Something must have happened for him to leave without consulting us first. —
— I told him I didn't buy the story that Monroe and her niece had been kidnapped — she replied dryly.
— What...? — I couldn't believe the cryptographer's words — ...is that what you really think?
— I'm still not sure. The people at the Center are investigating... — she said, shaking her head to the side, annoyed. — ...but the truth is, it seems very strange to me that they kidnapped Monroe and Candice and then left our friend Greg alive. They didn't follow the same pattern with the others, something inconceivable for such methodical and ruthless individuals. Besides, the fact that they allowed you to speak to your airport cleaning lady is quite significant... Don't you think so?
— You admit you're not sure, and yet you threw those rather harsh conjectures in Greg's face, — he reproved her.
Actually, now I understand why he left. He must be offended.
Antonia argued, feeling uncomfortable.
— I repeat, that's not the reason — he insisted. — He found the place where they hide the Ark, and right now he's looking for it.
After a few seconds of introversion, Colmenares returned to pick up the conversation exactly where he had left off.
— Explain something to me... if you're so sure that Candice and her uncle are somehow connected to The Widow's Sons... what's the reason for your maternal attitude towards Monroe's daughter?
The cryptographer smiled broadly, proud of herself.
— She is my wild card in this difficult match.
When they arrived at Evans's apartment, they found the door open and the lock broken. They wasted no time entering upon hearing noises inside.
— The Watchers are already here — confirmed Antonia, who, as she used to call the secret service agents in charge of monitoring the life and habits of any individual suspected of being a professional criminal or terrorist.
Indeed. Three men dressed in black, looking like hitmen, opened and closed drawers of various pieces of furniture, while trying to collect anything that might contain information. Antonia greeted them in English:
— Hi, boys!
Nicolas became defensive when he discovered that the three gorillas were looking at each other with transparent lucidity, as if surprised to see Antonia in the company of a man. The fact that none of them was the CNI agent sent by Hijarrubia made the lawyer feel uneasy. Nevertheless, he decided to remain silent and see how events would unfold.
The cryptographer approached the strongest of the three, an individual with a massive scar under his right eyelid. She exchanged a few whispered words with him and then headed to Gregory Evans's bedroom, accompanied by the other two agents. Antonia returned to stand beside the lawyer.
— There's nothing of interest here, just some notes that won't help us much — he lamented. — It was a very clever move by our friend.
— I still believe Greg is in trouble. That is, if he's not already dead... — Colmenares paused for rhetorical effect. — Have you ever considered that possibility?
The redhead let out a shrewd grunt, refusing to answer.
Unwilling to endure his lack of perspective any longer, she focused on the detective's desk. It was cluttered, as it was precisely where the Watchers had first investigated. She sat in the chair, trying to reconstruct Gregory Evans's last steps in her home the night before.
She imagined he was at the computer searching for information on the Internet, just as he'd promised he would as soon as he got back to the apartment. That's when she realized those useless Secret Service cads had forgotten to record the most important thing, in this case: the computer's hard drive memory.
Without further ado, he turned on the computer. Nicolas, sensing that Antonia might have found something, perhaps a clue that would serve as a starting point, approached from behind, intending to find out what it was.
— May I ask what you're doing? — he asked, interested.
— If Greg has been scanning the internet for information that could help us find the Ark, that activity should be recorded in his most recent searches — he replied, gliding his mouse over his mousepad. A few seconds later, he found what he was looking for. It was a geographic locator.
— Here it is — he said with relief, clicking on the Google Earth icon.
To the right of the screen, he saw an image of a globe against a dark background, dotted with stars; to the left, a sophisticated panel, topped by another search engine. Written on it were some coordinates that looked familiar.
— Aren't those the numbers we saw on the return address of the letter Greg received? — Nicolas asked again.
— I knew he was hiding something from us, but I swear to you on my life that he won't get away with it — Antonia declared, in a fit of exasperation.
He clicked on — search. — Soon after, they saw a virtual reproduction of planet Earth on the screen, slowly zooming in, until the program stopped in the northwest corner of the African continent, above the Giza esplanade and directly above the Great Pyramid.