SHORTLY AFTERWARD, they saw Monroe's car parked on the shoulder of the road, in front of the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The cryptographer slowed down until she was right behind the vehicle. She turned off the lights, awaiting further instructions from Sephy.
— Let's see if you can understand — the young woman began. — You're the only one who can take me to the Ark, but don't be reckless and act intelligently. I need to make sure you won't try anything against me, because if you do, I'll have to kill you.
Antonia showed determination. She wasn't intimidated by those words, and she didn't even blink.
— It's clear that we both want the same thing, albeit for different reasons. Therefore, I believe the trust should be mutual.
— Agreed — the young German woman added, opening the car door to get out. — But I'm the one who'll decide what to do with the relic once it's ours. Ah... — she exclaimed, saying coldly, — I remember I'm still armed.
The Spaniard agreed, recognizing her opponent's superiority. She was no fool. One false move and her life would be over. She would become history.
After grabbing a pair of flashlights from the backpacks that had belonged to the National Security Agency agents, they headed toward the north face of the pyramid, pushed by the strong wind that buffeted their backs.
A profound silence enveloped them as they walked across the plateau, forcing them into introspection, into an internal struggle of thought. Each, in their own way, tried to reorganize the situation so that the balance would tip in their favor. It was true that they should join forces to defeat the enemy, but only circumstantially. Their pretense could not hide the fact that they remained adversaries and that, sooner or later, one of them would rot underground, while the other would begin the path to glory.
After a quick reflection, Sephy concluded that he knew nothing about the Ark. The little Antonia had told him during the journey was very imprecise. He needed to delve deeper into the origins of this legendary relic, as hidden as it was impenetrable, since time immemorial.
— So, what are we going to come across? — she asked, interested, looking at her companion sideways.
— I suppose it will be the greatest discovery in history — said the redhead, without stopping walking.
— You know very well what I mean — the hired assassin insisted, with some emphasis. — And don't dodge when I ask a question, or I'll cut out your tongue, like I did with the others.
The cryptographer regretted having been so careless. The cunning of that young woman from Central Europe was something she should always consider. A detail she couldn't ignore.
— Okay! — he took a breath. — What do you want to know?
— Anything you can tell me that isn't written in the history books.
— Okay... — he finally gave in. — I'll tell you my theory... — At that moment, he stopped to look at the German woman intently. — Actually, the Ark is a throne... It's the throne where Moses sat to establish direct contact with God.
— Do you really believe that?
— Yes, but to be honest, I'm not entirely sure, as there are several stories surrounding the Ark that claim its power comes from a civilization much more advanced than ours. Many believe it's an ultrasonic wave transmitter, others that it's an energy generator responsible for keeping the planet alive.
Sephy shook her head.
— Explain this — he demanded impatiently.
— Just as humans use certain amulets to channel goodness in their favor, the Earth also needs the magic that stones radiate. And it is the temples that play the mediating role between Mother Nature and the science of the Great Architect. Hence, the Templars built their cathedrals throughout Europe, doing so precisely where telluric forces act positively upon the Earth.
— You speak of our planet as something alive.
— And it is indeed! — Antonia stated, convinced. — Gravity, magnetic fields, seismic movements... All of this is part of its activity, as a living being. And the pyramids of Cheops and Chephren, so to speak, would become the aortas of the same heart, the Ark.
— Well..., but you can't live on mysticism... — Sephy was tired of listening to nonsense. — What interests me is its destructive side. I heard that the Jews carried it with them into every battle to bring them victory over the enemy, and that a man died simply by touching it.
— The Bible is full of similar accounts, stories that would frighten the most daring man. Revelation even mentions its chaotic power:
"And the temple of God was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen. Then there were flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, and the earth shook..."
He smiled, hinting at a certain disbelief, before continuing:
— But nothing is certain. The Ark, according to my belief, allows you to communicate with God, who is nothing more than an inexhaustible energy source, a million times more powerful than nuclear energy.
Hence the importance of keeping your location hidden from other men.
— This means that whoever comes to possess the Ark will be able to direct the destiny of humanity — the German woman added thoughtfully, — which would make that person the most powerful creature on the planet.
— I liked your definition. You mustn't forget, however, that sitting on the Throne of God is something reserved for a select few, who will certainly have some experience related to Freemasonry and its secret arcana. And I have it.
It was true. Sephy appreciated the fact that without Antonia's help, it would be impossible for him to decipher the mysteries of the Ark. Many unknowns could arise within the pyramid, such as hieroglyphics that only a cryptographer could translate.
— And what about the rooms of the Great Pyramid? — asked the cold Life&D Agency executive. — As far as I know, they're empty, including the king's sarcophagus.
— Do you want to know where the Ark is hidden? — asked Antonia.
— Yes, that's right — she said grimly. — Because somewhere in that immense mass of stone... — she pointed at Cheops with her index finger, — is hidden what we came to seek.
— You're right. There's nothing interesting in the pyramid's various rooms, but there is in the corridors that stretch below.
The redhead signaled for them to keep walking. It wasn't wise to stay there, as it was less than an hour before the changing of the guard.
Shortly after, they reached the first row of stones. Wasting no more time, they began climbing, climbing from one block to the next, continuing in this way until they reached the entrance to Al-Mahmun. Antonia looked up, where the original door was located. She said nothing, but gestured to Sephy, indicating her intention to climb a little higher. The German woman agreed, allowing herself to be led.
Finally, they achieved their goal: reaching the grate that protected the entrance to the syringe. And it was open. This meant that Gregory Evans and the others had entered the pyramid's interior.