What else did they know how to do? he wondered as he stared contemplatively at the Grail, still in a state of confused awe.

My G.o.d! It's the b.l.o.o.d.y Benben stone!

Shrouded in mystery, Egyptologists were divided over the precise meaning of the Benben stone. Some claimed it symbolized the first lump of earth enlivened by the blessed rays of the sun. A few thought it was a perch for the Bennu bird, the mythological Phoenix that engendered the creative process. Then there were those who claimed the pyramidal stone symbolized a drop of s.e.m.e.n that fell from the G.o.d Atum's p.e.n.i.s when he m.a.s.t.u.r.b.a.t.ed the world into existence. Indeed, the Coffin Texts intimated that the Benben stone had magical powers, although he suspected that the ancient object had more to do with technology than the occult.

A key to unlock scientific knowledge that had been lost eons ago.

Whatever it was, the Benben stone had supposedly been smuggled into Syria in the twelfth century BC during a popular uprising against the Pharaoh Merenptah. Where it promptly disappeared in the desert sands.

Could that be the reason why the Cathars referred to the pyramidal stone as the Lapis Exillis, the Stone in Exile? The same appellation used by Wolfram von Eschenbach to describe the Grail.

Overwhelmed with tantalizing questions for which he had few answers, Caedmon lifted the golden stone from the altar and deposited it in his rucksack. Unfortunately, he couldn't take both the Isis idol and the Grail. It would be difficult enough worming his back through the tunnel with just the one relic. The Grail was the prize. He could retrieve the Isis figurine at a later date.

As he turned his back on the altar, Caedmon was guiltily put in mind of Prometheus forced to steal fire from the G.o.ds. An act for which the mighty Zeus had Prometheus tethered to a rock while an eagle dined on his liver. Day after agonizing day.

Penance for his sins.

60.

Rue des Saint-Peres, Paris 0130 hours 'Is the Taser really necessary?'

'As soon as Uhlemann realizes that he's been ambushed, chances are he'll go ape s.h.i.+t,' Finn replied bluntly. 'So, yeah. Absolutely necessary.' Taking Kate by the arm, he ushered her across Rue des Saints-Peres.

At that late hour, there were few motorists on the narrow street and even fewer pedestrians.

'Maybe we should try to contact Caedmon,' Kate suggested in a worried tone of voice. 'What if he found the Grail? Uhlemann might be more amenable to turning over the Dark Angel if '

'I'm only gonna say this one time, Kate: I'm not going to jeopardize my mission because of a half-baked, half-a.s.s theory concocted by your harebrained buddy.' Finn shot her a meaningful glance, willing her compliance. Not altogether certain that he'd secured it, he checked the palm pilot. 'Looks like the Benz is driving around the block. Which means that we have approximately forty seconds to insert.'

They dodged behind a tall topiary tree, one of a pair that framed the entrance to Ivo Uhlemann's apartment building. Stowing the palm pilot in his Go Bag, Finn removed the Taser. Purchased under the table at a military supply store in Montparna.s.se, the stun gun was the most powerful weapon in his a.r.s.enal.

'What if Doctor Uhlemann's chauffeur is armed?'

'Don't worry,' he said rea.s.suringly, needing Kate to hang tight. 'When Uhlemann's chauffeur walks around the Mercedes to open the rear pa.s.senger door, I'll neutralize the b.a.s.t.a.r.d before he can draw a weapon. Because of the dark tint on the Mercedes' windows, Uhlemann will most likely be unaware of what's happening.' He reached into his Go Bag and removed a roll of duct tape and a pair of wire cutters. Handing both items to Kate, he said, 'After I zap the driver, you're to cut the wires on the Taser darts.'

Just then, a graphite grey Mercedes sedan pulled up to the kerb. Standing in the shadows, they stared at the faint puffs of diesel fumes emitted from the exhaust pipe of the idling vehicle.

The driver's side door opened. A large man dressed in a black chauffeur's suit got out of the Benz.

Kate gasped.

Well, what do ya know? It's ol' Cue Ball.

'Stay on my six,' Finn whispered as he stepped forward, the Taser tucked out of sight behind his leg.

'Hey, Baldy. How's it hanging?'

On hearing Finn's voice, the chauffer stopped in mid-stride.

Having caught the big b.a.s.t.a.r.d off guard, Finn whipped his right arm into a firing position and pulled the trigger. Two darts, each connected to a metal wire, were ejected. A split-second later, the chauffeur began to convulsively twitch as 50,000 volts of electric current travelled from the stun gun to his chest. A crackling sound accompanied the graceless jive.

The instant that he released the trigger, the other man lurched forward. Like a felled tree in the forest.

Catching the heavy b.a.s.t.a.r.d in his arms, Finn propped him against the side of the Mercedes. Kate, wire cutters in hand, snipped the connection. Finn patted him down, smiling as he removed a Heckler & Koch Mark 23 from the other man's waistband.

Shoving the Mark 23 into his Go Bag, he removed a second cartridge and quickly reloaded the Taser. 'Okay, one more fish to fry.'

'Funny,' Kate muttered under her breath as she opened the rear pa.s.senger door.

A white-haired man stuck his head through the opening, clearly unaware that he was in any danger. Still holding the goon against the Benz with his left arm, Finn raised his right and pulled the trigger.

A frenetic pulse of electricity arced through the air.

A shocked expression on his face, Uhlemann writhed gracelessly. Completely incapacitated, he fell backward into the Mercedes.

Kate ran around to the other side of the vehicle, opened the rear door and dragged Uhlemann across the leather seat, giving Finn enough room to shove the chauffeur into the Benz.

'Quick! Hand me the tape.'

Roll in hand, Finn ripped off a long piece with his teeth and strapped Uhlemann's hands together. That done, he bound the older man's ankles and finished by slapping a piece of tape over his mouth.

'Time to boogie,' he told Kate, relieved that the operation had gone down without a hitch.

'Aren't you going to truss his hands and feet?' Kate asked, gesturing to the unconscious chauffeur.

'Nope.' Opening the front pa.s.senger door, Finn hopped into the Mercedes. 'I plan on cutting the big b.a.s.t.a.r.d loose as soon as we get to the next stop.'

Kate, the designated driver, got behind the wheel. Noticing that he'd exchanged the Taser for the HK Mark 23, her eyes opened wide. 'Finn, I don't think you should be brandis.h.i.+ng '

'I know what I'm doing,' he interjected. 'Now, let's. .h.i.t it.'

Looking none too pleased, Kate pulled away from the kerb and headed down the street, turning right at the corner and driving around the block to Boulevard St Germain. As per the mission op that Finn had earlier devised, they would cross the Seine at Pont de Sully then proceed to Place de la Bastille.

Finn popped the magazine from the pistol. Seeing twelve .45 bullets, a full mag, he smiled. Beautiful. He next pulled the slide a fraction, just far enough to glimpse the chambered bonus round. His smile widened. He always liked the heft and feel of a Mark 23, the sidearm carried by most of the Special Forces. It was a good, reliable piece. Of course, the last time he used one, it'd been blown out of his hand by a trigger-happy Syrian.

'I think the chauffeur's coming to,' Kate announced anxiously a few moments later when a huge bald head suddenly appeared in the rear-view mirror.

Twisting at the waist, Finn peered over the back of his seat at the black-suited chauffeur. ' That is a wicked broken nose,' he remarked smugly as he appraised his handiwork. Like any man, he took pride in a job well done.

Clearly disorientated, the chauffeur turned his head from side to side. At seeing his employer slumped against the seat, his face contorted into an ugly grimace. 'Du verdammter arschficker! You killed Herr Doktor Uhlemann!'

'The old dude's not dead. Just down for the count.' Ready for a confrontation, Finn aimed the Mark 23 at the goon's forehead. 'Take off your clothes.'

The other man vehemently shook his head. 'Nein! I vill not!'

'Shuck the monkey suit.' He toggled the gun barrel. A silent threat.

Muttering under his breath, the chauffeur tugged at his garments, flinging each discarded piece into the footwell. Teeth clenched, he divested himself of his last bit of dignity, yanking off his tidy undies.

Finn glanced at the German's chest, wondering if the big b.a.s.t.a.r.d sported a Black Sun tattoo. 'Nice jugs,' he snickered. 'Since you don't rate a tattoo, I'm guessing that makes you low man on the totem pole.'

'We've just arrived at Place de la Bastille,' Kate informed him. Both hands gripped on the steering wheel, she navigated the Mercedes to the inside lane of the traffic circle. Following the mission op, she continuously drove around the circle.

'Listen up, Cue Ball. When you get back to the Seven Research Foundation, you're to tell your pals that I want the Dark Angel,' Finn said in a measured tone of voice, thrusting the gun barrel against his broken schnoz. 'And if I don't get her, Doctor Ivo Uhlemann will not be returning. Those are my demands. Here's the number where I can be contacted.' With his left hand, Finn slapped a strip of duct tape on to the naked man's chest, his cell phone number scrawled on it. Knowing that a naked man was a vulnerable man and that a vulnerable man would not carjack a vehicle and give chase he jutted his chin at the pa.s.senger side door. 'Okay. Time to head out into the wild blue yonder and let your freak flag fly.'

'Fich dich, arschgesicht! ' the chauffeur hissed, beady eyes narrowed.

'Right back at ya. Now get out of the car, a.s.shole!'

'Nein!'

'Hey, grow a pair, will ya? Or I vill put a bullet between your eyes.'

Slowing the vehicle to a snail's pace, Kate released the door locks. Several annoyed drivers laid on their horns. All of 'em got an eyeful when, several seconds later, a stark naked man emerged from the back of the Mercedes.

Lowering the window, Finn shot the chauffeur a parting glance. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d stood beneath a huge marble pillar situated in the middle of the traffic circle, his hands cupped over his groin. Which was when Finn noticed that there was a statue of a naked man on top of the pillar.

A d.a.m.ned funny sight to behold.

61.

Rue de la Roquette, Paris 0213 hours Nerves frayed, Kate spared a quick glance in the rear-view mirror.

'Don't worry. Uhlemann's still out cold.' An implacable expression on his face, Finn stared straight ahead.

What in G.o.d's name was he plotting? The episode at Place de la Bastille had come as a complete surprise to her.

As the Mercedes sped down Rue de la Roquette, Kate tightly grasped the steering wheel. 'Finn ... I think you should know that ...' She hesitated, afraid to broach what she knew would prove a touchy subject. 'I'm starting to have second thoughts about all this. Surely you have enough incriminating, if not d.a.m.ning, evidence on the digital voice recorder?' Taking her eyes off the road, she looked over at him. 'Don't you think that's enough?'

Surprisingly calm, as though he'd been expecting the question, Finn said, 'While the conversation that we recorded earlier today at the Grande Arche will probably clear me of the murder charges, it's not enough for the police to arrest Angelika, a.k.a. the Dark Angel. The police are gonna need more than just a first name to make an arrest.'

Full of misgivings, Kate followed up with the obvious: 'What if the Seven Research Foundation refuses to bargain with you? What then?'

'You mean what am I planning to do with the old dude?' When she nodded, Finn shrugged and said, 'Since I'm not in the habit of making idle threats, let's hope it doesn't come to that.'

Kate's breath caught in her throat.

If the Seven Research Foundation failed to comply, she would do all in her power to stave off a deadly turn of events. Not just for Dr Uhlemann's sake, but for Finn's as well. She feared that, blinded by his need for vengeance, Finn couldn't foresee the consequence of a violent reckoning. The night that Sammy died, the ambulance driver had had to physically restrain her from plunging a steak knife into her husband's heart. Thank G.o.d that he did. While she was no longer a practising Buddhist, she still believed that purposefully taking a life would keep one chained to the wheel of Samsra. Haunted by karmic fallout.

Her feelings for Finn McGuire were too strong to let that happen.

As they drove through a somnolent neighbourhood, neither spoke, each wrapped in their own thoughts. Approaching the terminus of a dead-end street, Kate applied the brakes, bringing the Mercedes to a full stop. Straight ahead was a bright green metal gate in the middle of a tall brick wall surmounted by barbed wire. The back entrance to Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise. The fabled cemetery, situated on the outskirts of the city, was the final resting place for some of France's most prominent citizens: Moliere, Proust, Delacroix, Sarah Bernhardt, Edith Piaf. The list went on and on.

'Do you want me to turn off the engine?'

'Leave it running,' Finn told her. 'Now get out of the car.'

'What?' Since this hadn't been part of the plan, the unexpected request bewildered her.

'You heard me, get out. I'll let you know when you can get back in.'

Wondering if he intended to leave her stranded on the outskirts of Paris, Kate yielded without a fight, too stunned to protest. Arms folded over her chest, she stood on the pavement as Finn got behind the wheel of the Mercedes. Where he intended to go was a mystery. Since the cemetery was closed for the night, the entrance gate was locked.

Finn gunned the powerful V-12 engine.

Oh, no! Don't tell me!

Realizing that he intended to drive right through the locked gate, Kate shoved a balled fist to her mouth, m.u.f.fling a horrified shriek. Breaking into the historic cemetery had not been part of the mission op. But, then again, that business with the naked chauffeur had not been part of the original plan either.

Seconds later, engine roaring, Finn rammed the Mercedes Benz into the iron gate, nearly ripping it from the hinges. No match for German engineering and American resolve.

Opening his car door, Finn waved his arm, signalling for her to get back into the vehicle. Afraid that a local resident might sound the alarm, Kate sprinted towards the Mercedes. If the police showed up, they'd be arrested on the spot.

Fear mounting, she slid into the front seat. Finn offered no explanation and no apology. As he drove down a narrow cobbled lane, she detected a faint smile on his lips. She realized that he had thoroughly enjoyed using the now dented and dinged luxury sedan as a mobile wrecking ball. Boys and their toys, she mused disagreeably.

'Now what?' she enquired, dreading the reply.

'Now we find a place to hunker down.'

She raised a dubious brow. 'In a graveyard?'

'You're not scared of ghosts, are you?'

'No. And that's not why I asked,' she muttered under her breath, only now beginning to understand that Finn was operating on a 'need to know' basis, revealing the mission op to her in piecemeal fas.h.i.+on.

Several twists and turns later, he stopped the car and cut the ignition.

Kate glanced at the still-unconscious Uhlemann. 'What are you planning to do with our pa.s.senger?'

'Take him with us.'

Getting out of the car, Finn opened the back door and hauled Uhlemann out of the Mercedes. He then hefted the unconscious man over his shoulders fireman-style and strode down the cobbled lane. Banked on both sides by stately mausoleums, it reminded Kate of the visit she'd once made to New Orleans' famed St Louis cemetery.

' "We die only once and for such a long time," ' she read aloud as they pa.s.sed an elaborately designed crypt, struck by the morbid phrase that had been carved over the doorway. Not exactly the sort of sentiment that one would ever see printed on a Hallmark condolence card. Unnerved, she s.h.i.+vered.

A trio of tabby cats eyed their approach warily, the cemetery home to a motley tribe of feral cats.