C. Palov - Templar's Quest

‘Because an X divides the medallion into four different quadrants, I’m not sure if the symbols are meant to be read separately or as in integrated whole. What I do know is that these are symbols used in almost every culture of the world. The sun, as the eye of the world, symbolizes enlightenment. The moon refers to the dark side of nature.’

‘Or the passage of time.’ When she glanced at Finn, he shrugged. ‘You know, moon tides and lunar calendars.’

‘Or the passage of time,’ Kate iterated, his observation very much on the mark. ‘Stars usually designate the presence of some divinity.’

‘Like the crown of stars on top of the Virgin Mary’s head.’

She nodded, that being as good an example as any. ‘As for the four strangely shaped “A”s, I haven’t a clue. Perhaps they’re a reference to the Four Ages of man or the four classical elements of air, water, earth and fire. Regardless, all of these symbols are prosaic to an extreme. As you said, big whup. Which leads me to the medallion’s flipside –’ she turned the pendant over and showed him the three lines of engraved text. ‘I suspect that this inscription is what the Seven deems valuable.’

Finn’s head jerked. ‘The rat bastards killed my two buddies because of that ?’

‘Possibly,’ she hedged.

‘Okay, what the hell does it say?’

‘I have no idea. However, I’m fairly certain that the last line is written in medieval Latin. I don’t recognize the language used for the first two lines. Clearly, the message was crafted to withstand the ages.’ She tapped the relic with her index finger for emphasis.

‘No kidding. Someone would have to melt this sucker to erase the inscription. So how is it that you know so much about symbols?’

‘My, um, PhD is in cultural anthropology.’

His brows noticeably lifted. ‘You’re a bona fide doctor? Are you shitting me?’

‘ “Yes” to the first question, “no” to the second. However, I rarely use the title.’ Hard-earned though those three letters were, when she left the world of academia two years ago and ventured beyond the ivory tower, she discovered that her title was off-putting. ‘I’m curious – why did you keep the medallion? Were you planning to sell it on the black market?’ she asked, purposefully changing the subject.

Leaning against the tufted sofa, Finn crossed his arms over his chest. ‘You don’t think very highly of me, do you, Doc? Actually, I kept it so no one else could sell the damned thing on the black market. My Delta team was sent into a very dangerous situation under false pretences. Put into harm’s way to retrieve a gold trinket so some higher-up could have a nice payday. I held on to the medallion hoping it would force the crooked bastards out of the woodwork so they could be prosecuted.’ Grim-faced, his chin dipped to his chest. But not before Kate glimpsed the stark grief that glimmered in his eyes. ‘I just never thought they’d kill my buddies to get the damned medallion.’

All in all, an unexpected confession. One that bespoke a noble intent. A virtue Kate didn’t necessarily associate with the foul-mouthed commando sitting across from her.

‘All right, now what?’ She carefully set the golden relic on the coffee table.

‘Now I track down the assassin who executed Dixie and Johnny K.’

‘Have you considered relinquishing the medallion to the Seven in order to clear –’

‘Don’t even go there,’ Finn interjected, rudely cutting her off in mid-sentence. ‘This medallion is the only leverage I have. As long as it’s in my possession, I’ve got a chance of getting Dixie and Johnny K the justice they deserve. Just so you know, they were the bravest of the brave. The guys who went in under the cover of night to take out a dangerous threat so that you and everybody else in this country can sleep safely at night. They didn’t deserve to die the way they did. Which is why I will find the sadistic shit who tortured them to death and I will make him pay.’

The vehemence in his voice sent a chill down Kate’s spine. ‘An eye for eye? Is that what you mean?’

Hearing that, Finn snorted derisively. ‘I’ve killed enough men in the line of duty to know you don’t gain a whole lot of satisfaction from pulling the trigger. I’m talking about hauling the Dark Angel into a court of law so that he can be tried and sentenced. More than anything else, I want him to be publicly held to account for slaying two American heroes.’

‘What if you can’t find him?’ she countered, thinking it might prove a difficult, if not impossible, challenge. ‘Other than his cryptic nom de guerre , you don’t know anything about the killer.’

Getting up from the sofa, Finn snatched her coffee mug and walked over to the kitchenette that was located a few feet away. ‘Actually, I do know one other thing about the killer,’ he said over his shoulder. ‘The fact that Jutier went to such lengths to protect his identity makes me think that the Dark Angel is one of ’em.’

‘You mean a member of the Seven rather than a paid assassin?’ When he nodded, Kate followed up by saying, ‘Fabius Jutier’s tattoo may provide a clue. Do you mind if I have a look at the digital photograph?’

Finn unhooked the cell phone from his waistband and scrolled through the log. Walking back to the sofa, he handed her the device. ‘Any idea what it means?’

Trying to ignore the fact that she was staring at a photo of a corpse, she examined the disturbing tattoo. ‘While I’m not a rune expert, I know that in the ancient Norse poems, runes were considered a magical talisman, capable of bringing the dead back to life. And during the Third Reich, there were a number of occult groups that used runes in their rituals. That said, the runes suggest that Fabius Jutier was involved in some type of esoteric Nazism.’

‘I take it that’s different from the goose-stepping variety?’

‘Different in that esoteric Nazism was, and still is, a pseudo-religious belief. While my knowledge of the Nazi movement is rudimentary, I do know that during the nineteen thirties and forties, esoteric Nazis were obsessed with finding sacred objects d’art such as the relics of the Bible, medieval icons and Egyptian artefacts. It’s well documented that they sent archaeology teams all over Europe and the Middle East.’

‘Yeah, I saw the movie,’ Finn deadpanned. ‘But instead of the Ark of the Covenant, our bad guys are looking for the Montségur Medallion.’

‘So it would seem.’

Finn headed towards the dinette table situated on the other side of the living room. ‘I’m gonna try to hack into Frenchie’s computer. There might be something on it that I can use to track down the Seven.’

‘Um, count me out,’ she demurred.

Kate set the cell phone on the coffee table next to the medallion. The sudden motion cost her, the pain radiating up her spine and across her shoulders. Somewhat gingerly, she rose to her feet, only to teeter precariously to one side. Feeling like a shipwrecked woman washed ashore, she kicked off her shoes and limped over to the window.

Although she knew it was a pointless exercise, she pulled the dun-brown drapery to one side, needing to verify that the world still turned on its figurative axis. In the distance, the white spire of the Washington Monument gleamed theatrically, lit from below with giant floodlights. Directly across the river was the Pentagon.

God, what I wouldn’t give to put back the clock . Since Finn McGuire had unexpectedly got into her car at the Pentagon, her life had become a surreal blur of events. Elegant embassy party. Dead man with bizarre tattoo. High-speed chase. Armed assailants. And the capstone, a bomb blast that destroyed her home.