Son. Bye.”
With a click, the line went dead. Turner knew in his heart that something was wrong and his father needed him. It had been years since he’d said he loved him. Turner heard him say it at the funeral for his mother after she had been killed in an auto accident when he was five years old. From that point on, his father had buried his feelings; never really talking to him. Every time he tried to get close to him, his father would effectively shut him out. Finally, after years of trying, Turner had given up.
He quickly started packing his duffel bag when the phone rang and startled him. Turner sprang to the phone and lifted the receiver.
“Dad!” he shouted into the phone, hoping it was his father.
“Hi, Son,” came his father’s voice. “I’m calling from the satellite phone at the site. Did you get my message?”
“Yes, Dad, at noon tomorrow, Samuel and I are leaving on the next ferry back to Tenerife. We should be back at the site by nightfall.”
“That’s good news, Josh. We could use the help. Besides, Middle Eastern antiquities have always been your forte. I just hope you still want to work with me. With all that has been going on, Josh, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and I owe you an apology. I know I haven’t been much of a father to you,” Eli said, his voice cracking a little.
“No, Dad. You don’t need to explain….”
“I loved your mom with all my heart, Son. And when she died, something inside me died as well. I realize now that I’ve been trying to push you away; trying to avoid ever being hurt like that again. It’s as if….”
“You know I love you, Dad, and I want to be there working with you.”
“Thanks, Son. I love you, too. I’m getting too old to be doing this work, Josh. When ICAP is securely established, I’m going to retire and I want you to take over.”
“Are you sure about that, Dad?” Josh said, fighting back his emotions. “I think Kim Liao would be a better choice.”
“He couldn’t hold a candle to your skills, Son. And I wouldn’t trust anyone else in keeping the organization going.”
After a moment of awkward silence Turner said, “Thanks, Dad. I promise to make you proud.”
“You already have, Son,” the elder Turner replied softly, then quickly cleared his throat and continued. “We’ve had the camp set up and going for a few days now, and have completed much of the excavation in the Guanche tomb. Maria and a few of the students from the University plotted and photographed the entire tomb before removing the contents. We must be sure we do this right. Many people are watching this one, Josh. Imagine…the possibility of discovering a true reference to the cup of the Last Supper.”
“I just saw the news reports. It’s all over the media,” Turner said. “How did word leak out, Dad?”
“Unfortunately, it was leaked by one of the students assigned to Hiram Rabib, in Jerusalem. Hiram apologized soon afterward and promised that any further discoveries requiring translation would be done by him personally, and with the highest discretion. All hell was breaking loose here for the first few days, Son. Fortune hunters, religious zealots, and the media were circling around here like vultures,” Eli said with frustration in his voice. “Carlos was finally able to send some men from the Tenerife National Guard to protect our discoveries, and our asses. I don’t mind saying I’m still a bit nervous. Fortunately, things seem to be calming down.”
“Are you sure that you and Maria are safe, Dad? I’m worried about the possibility of crazies coming out of the woodwork.”
“Yeah, we’ve already had a few of them, but Captain Saune and his men are doing a fine job discouraging folks from getting too close. Thankfully, the crowds are starting to thin out by the hour because we haven’t reported any findings other than Guanche artifacts.”
“Dad, are you sure this discovery could be the real deal? I mean,
With a click, the line went dead. Turner knew in his heart that something was wrong and his father needed him. It had been years since he’d said he loved him. Turner heard him say it at the funeral for his mother after she had been killed in an auto accident when he was five years old. From that point on, his father had buried his feelings; never really talking to him. Every time he tried to get close to him, his father would effectively shut him out. Finally, after years of trying, Turner had given up.
He quickly started packing his duffel bag when the phone rang and startled him. Turner sprang to the phone and lifted the receiver.
“Dad!” he shouted into the phone, hoping it was his father.
“Hi, Son,” came his father’s voice. “I’m calling from the satellite phone at the site. Did you get my message?”
“Yes, Dad, at noon tomorrow, Samuel and I are leaving on the next ferry back to Tenerife. We should be back at the site by nightfall.”
“That’s good news, Josh. We could use the help. Besides, Middle Eastern antiquities have always been your forte. I just hope you still want to work with me. With all that has been going on, Josh, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and I owe you an apology. I know I haven’t been much of a father to you,” Eli said, his voice cracking a little.
“No, Dad. You don’t need to explain….”
“I loved your mom with all my heart, Son. And when she died, something inside me died as well. I realize now that I’ve been trying to push you away; trying to avoid ever being hurt like that again. It’s as if….”
“You know I love you, Dad, and I want to be there working with you.”
“Thanks, Son. I love you, too. I’m getting too old to be doing this work, Josh. When ICAP is securely established, I’m going to retire and I want you to take over.”
“Are you sure about that, Dad?” Josh said, fighting back his emotions. “I think Kim Liao would be a better choice.”
“He couldn’t hold a candle to your skills, Son. And I wouldn’t trust anyone else in keeping the organization going.”
After a moment of awkward silence Turner said, “Thanks, Dad. I promise to make you proud.”
“You already have, Son,” the elder Turner replied softly, then quickly cleared his throat and continued. “We’ve had the camp set up and going for a few days now, and have completed much of the excavation in the Guanche tomb. Maria and a few of the students from the University plotted and photographed the entire tomb before removing the contents. We must be sure we do this right. Many people are watching this one, Josh. Imagine…the possibility of discovering a true reference to the cup of the Last Supper.”
“I just saw the news reports. It’s all over the media,” Turner said. “How did word leak out, Dad?”
“Unfortunately, it was leaked by one of the students assigned to Hiram Rabib, in Jerusalem. Hiram apologized soon afterward and promised that any further discoveries requiring translation would be done by him personally, and with the highest discretion. All hell was breaking loose here for the first few days, Son. Fortune hunters, religious zealots, and the media were circling around here like vultures,” Eli said with frustration in his voice. “Carlos was finally able to send some men from the Tenerife National Guard to protect our discoveries, and our asses. I don’t mind saying I’m still a bit nervous. Fortunately, things seem to be calming down.”
“Are you sure that you and Maria are safe, Dad? I’m worried about the possibility of crazies coming out of the woodwork.”
“Yeah, we’ve already had a few of them, but Captain Saune and his men are doing a fine job discouraging folks from getting too close. Thankfully, the crowds are starting to thin out by the hour because we haven’t reported any findings other than Guanche artifacts.”
“Dad, are you sure this discovery could be the real deal? I mean,
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