source — hidden in plain sight for more than two centuries. The Founding Fathers needed to protect the location of the secret if they were unable to find it in their lifetime — in some way that would go relatively undisturbed over the years.
“The small sliver of crystal you see before you was originally found at the bottom of the Potomac River, in Washington, D.C. by a team of scientists. As a matter of fact,” he said, pointing now at the superimposed pyramid/street map image on the table, “they found it right here. It was in a rotting box, almost buried by silt, directly where the Subterranean Chamber on this image lies. It turns out they were pointing us to Egypt; to the chamber beneath the Great Pyramid.”
Jensen Andrews and his niece shared a puzzled look, then one of shock.
“I require you and your niece to join us on this expedition — your knowledge of the Golden Ratio and ancient Egypt dwarfs even my own. We may need that kind of expertise.” His eyes moved slowly from Corinne to the map, finally resting on Professor Andrews.
“Mr. — Dr. — Vilocek,” Jensen stammered, “I appreciate your acknowledgement of my expertise, but why help you? What’s to say you won’t just kill us when you no longer need us?”
Vilocek nodded toward Agent Karn.
Karn smiled almost imperceptibly. He stood up, grabbing a fistful of Corinne’s long, red hair. She gave a yelp as he yanked her to her feet and forced her toward the far wall behind the table.
When they were about twenty feet away, Professor Jensen screamed in pain.
“What the hell!“ Corinne said, as Jensen fell over backward in his chair, clutching his side. He struggle to his hands and knees, crying out in short gasps.
“Help… I… can’t breathe… Please!” Jensen gulped for air, his right hand clutched tightly over the bullet wound in his side.
“Professor Andrews,” Vilocek said calmly, “you were not shot with a ‘normal’ bullet last night. We have developed here at Vilocorp a very unique instrument — one based on the crystal piece our Founding Fathers left to us.
“In addition to its miraculous healing properties, we’ve found that by synthetically bonding the crystal with particular elements — in this case, lead — we can produce some interesting results. You were shot with a lead-infused synthetic crystal that acts as a magnet of sorts — dormant when close to another piece of lead-crystal like it, but when pulled a certain distance apart, it becomes active, turning into a heated piece of metal.
“You,” he continued, looking at Corinne, “are wearing a counterpart piece of this crystal substance, locked to your leg.”
Corinne looked down in horror, just now noticing the small handcuff-like metal band, with a grayish-clear rock attached to one side of it.
“Your uncle is experiencing this phenomena firsthand,” Vilocek continued, waving a careless hand at Jensen. “Eventually, if you get far enough apart, the heat will become so intense that it will literally burn a hole through his body. He’ll be in pain, but eventually he’ll be knocked out from catalytic shock. Our test subjects lasted about twenty minutes, depending on where their bullet wound was on their body. Eventually, though, they all bled out — and I expect the same outcome for your uncle, should you remain separated for that long.”
Corinne had tears in her eyes. “You bastard…“
“You should also know, Ms. Banks,” Vilocek said, ignoring the insult, “that each of us is carrying an identical substance, designed to react with the bullet inside your uncle. If you try to get away, alone, from the men on my team, he will die. Slowly, and very painfully, I assure you.”
Jensen silently rocked back and forth on the floor, seething in pain.
12:13 AM - WHITTENFIELD LABORATORIES Headquarters, Washington, D.C., USA
Bryce sighed with weariness, less from exhaustion than extreme boredom. His wounds hardly bothered him,
“The small sliver of crystal you see before you was originally found at the bottom of the Potomac River, in Washington, D.C. by a team of scientists. As a matter of fact,” he said, pointing now at the superimposed pyramid/street map image on the table, “they found it right here. It was in a rotting box, almost buried by silt, directly where the Subterranean Chamber on this image lies. It turns out they were pointing us to Egypt; to the chamber beneath the Great Pyramid.”
Jensen Andrews and his niece shared a puzzled look, then one of shock.
“I require you and your niece to join us on this expedition — your knowledge of the Golden Ratio and ancient Egypt dwarfs even my own. We may need that kind of expertise.” His eyes moved slowly from Corinne to the map, finally resting on Professor Andrews.
“Mr. — Dr. — Vilocek,” Jensen stammered, “I appreciate your acknowledgement of my expertise, but why help you? What’s to say you won’t just kill us when you no longer need us?”
Vilocek nodded toward Agent Karn.
Karn smiled almost imperceptibly. He stood up, grabbing a fistful of Corinne’s long, red hair. She gave a yelp as he yanked her to her feet and forced her toward the far wall behind the table.
When they were about twenty feet away, Professor Jensen screamed in pain.
“What the hell!“ Corinne said, as Jensen fell over backward in his chair, clutching his side. He struggle to his hands and knees, crying out in short gasps.
“Help… I… can’t breathe… Please!” Jensen gulped for air, his right hand clutched tightly over the bullet wound in his side.
“Professor Andrews,” Vilocek said calmly, “you were not shot with a ‘normal’ bullet last night. We have developed here at Vilocorp a very unique instrument — one based on the crystal piece our Founding Fathers left to us.
“In addition to its miraculous healing properties, we’ve found that by synthetically bonding the crystal with particular elements — in this case, lead — we can produce some interesting results. You were shot with a lead-infused synthetic crystal that acts as a magnet of sorts — dormant when close to another piece of lead-crystal like it, but when pulled a certain distance apart, it becomes active, turning into a heated piece of metal.
“You,” he continued, looking at Corinne, “are wearing a counterpart piece of this crystal substance, locked to your leg.”
Corinne looked down in horror, just now noticing the small handcuff-like metal band, with a grayish-clear rock attached to one side of it.
“Your uncle is experiencing this phenomena firsthand,” Vilocek continued, waving a careless hand at Jensen. “Eventually, if you get far enough apart, the heat will become so intense that it will literally burn a hole through his body. He’ll be in pain, but eventually he’ll be knocked out from catalytic shock. Our test subjects lasted about twenty minutes, depending on where their bullet wound was on their body. Eventually, though, they all bled out — and I expect the same outcome for your uncle, should you remain separated for that long.”
Corinne had tears in her eyes. “You bastard…“
“You should also know, Ms. Banks,” Vilocek said, ignoring the insult, “that each of us is carrying an identical substance, designed to react with the bullet inside your uncle. If you try to get away, alone, from the men on my team, he will die. Slowly, and very painfully, I assure you.”
Jensen silently rocked back and forth on the floor, seething in pain.
12:13 AM - WHITTENFIELD LABORATORIES Headquarters, Washington, D.C., USA
Bryce sighed with weariness, less from exhaustion than extreme boredom. His wounds hardly bothered him,
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