Map of Bones (Sigma Force 2)

Alberto walked in a daze. “Amazing…simply amazing. And according to the Arcadium, this is just the dregs left at the true doorstep to a greater treasure.”

Despite the danger, Vigor glanced over to the prefect in shock. “You have Jacques de Molay’s last testament?”

Alberto clutched his book tighter to his chest. “A seventeenth-century copy. The last known to exist.”

Gray stared at Vigor, meeting his eyes questioningly.

“Jacques de Molay was the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, tortured by the Inquisition for his refusal to reveal the location of their treasure. He was burned at the stake. But there were rumors of a Templar text, a final treatise by de Molay before he was captured.”

“The Arcadium,” Alberto said. “In the possession of the Dragon Court for centuries. It hinted at a treasure. One independent of the mass of gold and jewels of Knights Templar. A greater treasure. One that would put the very keys to the world into its discoverer’s hand.”

“The lost secret of the mages,” Vigor said.

“It’s here,” Alberto said, eyes almost aglow.

They descended the tiers toward the glass floor.

Upon reaching the bottommost tier, the soldiers spread out atop it, taking up positions all along the rim. Gray and the others were forced to their knees. Alberto went down alone to the glass floor, studying its labyrinth.

“One last riddle,” he mumbled.

Raoul stood with Rachel near the top of the last terrace’s stairs. He turned to face the group on their knees. “I think we’ll start with the women,” Raoul said. “But which one?”

Swinging to the side, he grabbed a fistful of Rachel’s hair, at the back of her neck. He bent over her and kissed her hard on the mouth. Rachel squirmed, gasping, but tied up, there was little she could do.

Fire narrowed Gray’s vision. He knelt down and stamped the toe of his boot against the stone. He felt the hidden blade snick out of the heel, the same one he had used to free himself in the castle cell. He hid the knife behind his tied wrists. With minimal movement, he cut the ties on the razored edge. Though free, he kept his hands behind his back.

Raoul pulled back from his embrace. His lower lip bled. Rachel had bitten him, but he simply grinned. He shoved her hard in the center of her chest. Off balance, she fell to her backside with a teeth-jarring impact.

“Stay,” Raoul said, palm out, as if commanding a dog.

A rifle at Rachel’s skull firmed the order.

Raoul turned back to the group. “I’ll save my fun for her later. So we’ll need another woman to start with.” He strode over to Seichan, stared down at her, then shook his head. “You’d probably enjoy it too much.”

He turned next to Kat and waved to the guards that flanked her to drag her in front of the others. Raoul bent down and picked up the ax and a power drill. He stared between the two, then lowered the ax. “Already did that.”

He lifted the drill and pressed the trigger. The buzz of its motor echoed across the chamber, hungry with the promise of pain.

“We’ll start with an eye,” Raoul said.

One of the guards yanked Kat’s head back. She tried to fight, but the other kicked her hard in the belly, knocking out her breath. As they held her in place, Gray saw the tear roll from the corner of Kat’s eye. Not scared. Angry.

Raoul lowered the drill toward her face.

“Don’t!” Gray yelled. “There’s no need for this. I’ll tell you what we know.”

“No,” Kat said, and was punched in the face by one of the guards.

Gray understood her warning. If the Dragon Court gained the power here, the “keys to the world,” it would mean Armageddon. Their own lives here, their own blood, were not worth that price.

“I’ll tell you,” Gray repeated.

Raoul straightened a bit.

Gray hoped to lure him closer.

But Raoul remained where he was. “I don’t seem to recall asking any questions yet.” He bent over again. “This is only a demonstration. When it comes to the question-and-answer period of this conversation, we’ll get more serious.”

The drill growled louder.

Gray could wait no longer. He would not sit idle as another teammate was maimed by this madman. Better to die in a firefight. He leapt to his feet, driving an elbow into the groin of the soldier guarding him. With the man’s attention fixed to the torture, Gray caught his rifle, pointed it at Raoul, and pulled the trigger.

Click.

Nothing happened.

7:22 A.M.

RACHEL WATCHED Gray be clubbed to the ground by a soldier behind him, using the butt of a rifle.

Raoul laughed, revving his drill.

“Take his boots off,” Raoul ordered. He stalked up to Gray as he was manhandled around. “You don’t think I failed to have the security tapes reviewed after your escape, do you? When I didn’t hear from the two men I sent back to assassinate you at the castle, I sent another team to investigate. Nothing but dogs in the yard. They found out how you escaped and radioed it to me.”

Gray’s laces were sliced and the boots tugged off.

“So I let you have your little hope,” Raoul said. “It’s always best to know an enemy’s secret. Keeps surprises to a minimum. I figured you’d eventually go for a gun…but I’d hoped you’d have a bit more stomach. Waited until things got really bloody.” Raoul lifted the drill and turned away. “Now, where were we?”

Rachel stared as Gray was trussed up again. His face was hollow and hopeless. This scared her more than the threat of torture.

“Leave the others alone,” Gray said. He struggled to his feet. “You’re wasting time. We know how to open the gate. Harm a single one of us and you’ll learn nothing.”

Raoul eyed him. “Explain and I’ll consider your offer.”

Gray searched the others, looking forlorn. “It’s light,” he said.

Kat groaned. Vigor hung his head.

“He’s right,” a voice called up from the floor below. Alberto climbed a few steps. “The mirrors on the wall are reflective and angled.”

“It takes laser light,” Gray continued, revealing all. He went on to explain what Vigor had related.

Alberto joined them. “Yes, yes…it makes perfect sense.”

“Well, we’ll just see,” Raoul said. “If he’s wrong, we’ll start chopping limbs.”

Gray turned to Rachel and the others. “They would’ve found out eventually. They already have the gold key.”