Steve Berry - The Templar legacy

The brother he'd sent inside exited the church and walked his way.

"They're not there," the man said as he drew close.

"What do you mean?"

"I searched the nave, the sacristy, the confessionals. They're not inside."

He did not want to hear that. "There's no other exit."

"Master, they're not there."

His gaze locked on the church. His mind swirled with possibilities.

Then the answer was clear.

"Come," he said. "I know precisely where they are."

STEPHANIE WAS LISTENING TO ROYCE CLARIDON, NOT AS A WIFE and mother on a mission important to her family, but as the head of a covert government agency that dealt routinely in espionage and counterespionage. Something was out of place. Claridon's sudden appearance was too convenient. She knew little about Raymond de Roquefort, but she knew enough to realize that either Claridon had been allowed to escape or, worse, the prickly little man sitting across from her was in league with the enemy. Either way she had to watch what she said. Geoffrey, too, had apparently sensed something since he was offering precious little to the Frenchman's many questions-too many inquiries for a man who'd just survived a life-and-death experience.

"Was the woman last night in the palace Cassiopeia Vitt, the Ingenieur mentioned in the letter to Ernst Scoville?" she asked.

"I would assume. A she-devil."

"She may have saved us all."

"How? She interfered, as she did with Lars."

"You're alive right now thanks to her interference."

"No, madame. I am alive because they want information."

"What I wonder is why you're even here," Geoffrey said from his position by the window. "Escaping from de Roquefort is not easy."

"You did."

"And how would you know that?"

"They spoke of you and Mark. Apparently there was shooting. Brothers were hurt. They're angry."

"Did they mention attempting to kill us?"

A moment of uneasy silence passed.

"Royce," Stephanie said. "What else might they be after?"

"I only know that two books are missing from their archive. There was a mention of that."

"You just said a moment ago that you possessed no clue as to why they wanted Madame Nelle's son." Suspicion laced Geoffrey's declaration.

"And I don't. But I know they want the two missing books."

Stephanie glanced at Geoffrey and saw not a hint of acquiescence in the younger man's expression. If indeed he and Mark possessed the books de Roquefort sought, no admission came from his eyes.

"Yesterday," Claridon said, "you showed me Lars's journal and the book-"

"Which de Roquefort has."

"No. Cassiopeia Vitt stole both from him last night."

Another new piece of information. Claridon knew an awful lot for a man whom his captors supposedly ignored.

"So de Roquefort needs to find her," she made clear. "As we do."

"It seems, madame, that one of the books Mark took from their archive also contains a cryptogram. De Roquefort wants that book back."

"Is this more of what you overheard?"

Claridon nodded. "Oui. They believed me asleep, but I was listening. One of their marshals, from Sauniere's time, discovered the cryptogram and recorded it in the book."

"We have no books," Geoffrey said.

"What do you mean?" Astonishment filled the man's face.

"We have no books. We left the abbey in a great rush and took nothing with us."

Claridon came to his feet. "You're a liar."

"Bold words. Can you prove the allegation?"

"You're a man of the Order. A warrior of Christ. A Templar. Your oath should be enough to prevent you from lying."

"And what prevents you?" Geoffrey asked.

"I don't lie. I've been through a difficult ordeal. I hid in an asylum for five years to avoid being a prisoner of the Templars. Do you know what they planned to do to me? Grease my feet and hold them before a hot brazier. Cook my skin from the bone."

"We have no books. De Roquefort is chasing a shadow."

"But that's not so. Two men were shot during your escape, and both said Mark carried a rucksack."

She perked at the information.

"And how would you know that?" Geoffrey asked.

DE ROQUEFORT ENTERED THE CHURCH, FOLLOWED BY THE brother who'd just been inside. He walked down the center aisle and entered the sacristy. He had to give Mark Nelle credit. Few knew about the church's secret room. It was not part of any tour, and only Rennes purists would have any inkling the concealed space existed. He'd often thought it curious that the domain's operators did not exploit Sauniere's addition to the church's architecture-secret rooms always added to any mystery-but there were a lot of things about the church, the town, and the story that defied explanation.

"When you came in before, was the entrance to this room open?"

The brother shook his head and whispered, "Closed, Master."

He gently shut the door. "Allow no one to enter."

He approached the cupboard and withdrew his gun. He'd never actually seen the secret chamber that lay beyond, but he'd read enough accounts from previous marshals who'd investigated Rennes to know that a concealed room existed. If he recalled correctly, the release mechanism was in the top right corner of the cupboard.

He reached up and located a metal lever.

He knew that once he yanked down, the two men on the other side would be alerted and he had to assume they were armed. Malone certainly could handle himself and Mark Nelle had proven he was not a man to underestimate.

"Prepare yourself," he said.

The brother withdrew a short-barreled automatic and aimed at the cupboard. He popped the latch and quickly stepped back, gun pointed, waiting for what would happen next.

The cupboard inched open, then stopped.

He stayed at the far right edge and, with his foot, pivoted the door wide open.

The secret room was empty.

MALONE STOOD CLOSE TO MARK INSIDE THE CONFESSIONAL. They'd waited inside the hidden room for a couple minutes, able to observe the sacristy through a tiny Judas hole strategically placed in the cupboard. Mark had watched as one of the brothers entered the sacristy, saw the room empty, and left. They'd waited a few more seconds, then exited, watching from the doorway as the brother left the church. Seeing no other brothers inside, they'd quickly hustled to the confessional and stepped inside just as de Roquefort and the brother returned.

Mark had correctly surmised that de Roquefort would know of the secret room, but that he wouldn't share that knowledge with anyone unless absolutely necessary. When they'd spotted de Roquefort waiting outside, sending another brother inside to investigate, they'd lingered only long enough to buy a couple of minutes to change locations, since once the scout returned and reported they were missing de Roquefort would immediately surmise where they were hiding. After all, there was only one way in and out of the church.

"Know your enemy and know yourself," Mark whispered as de Roquefort and his minion entered the sacristy.

Malone smiled. "Sun Tzu was a wise man."

The door to the sacristy closed.

"We'll give it a few seconds, then we're out of here," Mark said.

"Could be more men outside."

"I'm sure there are. We'll take our chances. I've got nine shots."

"Let's don't start a shootout, unless there's no other choice."

The sacristy door stayed closed.

"We need to go," Malone said.

They exited the confessional, turned right, and headed for the door.

STEPHANIE SLOWLY CAME TO HER FEET, STEPPED CLOSE TO GEOFFREY, and calmly took the gun from his grip. She then whirled, cocked the hammer, and rushed forward, pressing the barrel to Claridon's skull. "You slimy little scum. You're with them."

Claridon's eyes went wide. "No, madame. I swear I am not."

"Open his shirt," she said.