CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

"Let's go," said Major.

"Shit! Fucking hell!" yelled Brix.

"What's wrong?" frowned Sebastian.

"Daphne. That stubborn, stupid, pig-headed woman! She saw lights inside the warehouse and went in!"

He didn't have to say a word. The men ran toward the waiting SUV, tossed the gear in the back and literally spun tires driving toward the warehouse. They knew it was only moments away, but moments could kill a woman.

As they approached, they saw the flash of bright bursts of lights as well and barely parked before racing toward the facility. Sebastian placed the codebreaker against the keypad and watched as the numbers spun and the door clicked open.

Silently making their way inside, Brix moved quickly to the front, looking up and down the massive number of aisles. Spotting the hiking shoes, he cursed to himself and continued to move. When he saw a small figure on the floor, his heart stopped. He couldn't breathe.

Not caring for his own safety, he ran toward the woman, scooping her up in his arms. Her face was bloodied, but she was alive.

"Get her out of here," said Sebastian.

Moving further into the warehouse, they spotted two men near the dock doors. They appeared to be arguing, yelling at one another.

"Hands up!" yelled Garr.

The two men turned, both with weapons in their hands.

"Where is it? Where is the crate?" yelled one of the men.

"Sorry, buddy, we have no idea what you're talking about," said Major. "But let me introduce myself, Dr. Fayek. I'm your son-in-law."

Fayek stared at the man, shaking his head. He still had his pistol pointed at the men, but they had him outmanned and outgunned.

"No. She wouldn't marry an American," he frowned.

"No? Why? Because Egyptians are so honest and devout. Don't fuck with me, asshole. I'd like to break every bone in your damn body for the pain you've caused my wife. All for what? Some fucking crate with a mummy. Pots. Cloth. She's worth so much more than that."

"You know nothing of this! Nothing! It is worth a lifetime of deaths and resurrections. It will change everything we know. Everything!"

"Because you believe it's Jesus and Mary," said Sebastian, staring at the two men. They both were wide-eyed, looking back at the men. How could they possibly know?

"You don't understand. Where are the crates?" he asked again.

"Your guess is as good as ours," said Major. "What did you do to the woman?"

"She was sticking her nose where it didn't belong. We had to make sure we sent a message for her to be silent," said Fayek.

"Not we," said the other man. "Him. I didn't touch her. I wanted to let her go."

"Shut up, you fucking coward! You agreed to all of this!"

"I never agreed to hurt Elena or any woman."

"Who are you?" asked Major.

The man shook his head, not wanting to give anything away. Fayek laughed, then jerked the man in front of him, firing his pistol several times. He was a shitty shot, missing all of them.

As they fired back, they hit the other man several times, watching him fall as Fayek slipped out the dock doors. Major kneeled next to him, holding his head.

"Who are you?" Tears fell from his eyes.

"Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I didn't know it all," said the man.

"Who are you?"

"Get the crates. Someone took the crates," he said with great difficulty. "Fayek is trying to destroy Christianity." Major nodded but asked the question again.

"Who are you?"

"Efram. I was… Efram." He uttered his name with his last breath.

"Shit," said Sebastian. "Brix took Daphne to the jet. Doc is working on her now. She'll be okay, but she looks fucking awful."

"We have to find Fayek," said Major. "Check this guy's pockets and see if there's another vehicle in the parking lot."

"Oh, dear," said an older woman, walking through the warehouse. "Our security company said that the alarm had been disengaged several times tonight. No one should be in here."

Several security men were behind her, all pointing their weapons straight at them. The VG men raised their hands.

"We're with a security agency. We were trying to stop this man and another, Dr. Fayek, from getting to the crates that you had."

"The crates belonged to this man," she said, pointing at Efram. "Where are they?"

"We don't know. We arrived as Efram and Dr. Fayek were arguing about something. Apparently, the crates were gone when they arrived." Major stared at the woman as she wrung her hands. "Ma'am, can you confirm what was in those crates?"

"Mummies. Two unidentified mummies, but this gentleman assured us that he knew their identities, and it would change the world."

"Where the fuck are those crates?" asked Garr.

"We have to find Fayek."

"You're not going anywhere," smirked one of the security guards, walking toward Major. He turned, smiling at the others. "Give me your weapon."

"Take it," said Major.

Of course, the man was foolish enough to accept the taunt. He reached for the weapon, and Major gripped his forearm, twisting, then turning his body to face the others. He pressed at his wrist, just above his thumb, and his weapon clattered to the floor.

"Listen to me. We are not your enemy. We are with Voodoo Guardians Security. We are here to catch Dr. Fayek and find those crates. Now, you can help us, or you can try to come at us again, but it will not end well for you."

The woman looked at him, then back at the guards.

"Lower your weapons." They did as they were told then helped their friend to stand. "I never met this Dr. Fayek, only this man. He said he had a partner and that they had been working to find these two for decades."

"Do they live in the area?" asked Sebastian.

"He said he lived near London, but I'm not certain of where. I do need to tell you that we authenticated the dating of the materials. It was from between 26 and 40 AD."

"Shit," muttered Garr.

"Hey!" said Forrest, standing below the dock door. "I searched his car, and I think I have an address. Let's go!"

Major stared at the woman, then at the security guards. He thought they got the message, but he wanted to be sure.

"What will you do if you find the crates?" she asked. Major walked past the small group, tucking his weapon in its holster.

"I'll make sure they're in the right hands."