The Caesar Secret: Part 2
An Adventure Guild Story
Chapter 1
Rome, Present Day
"We can't just leave it here," Diego said. "What if someone comes in and finds it?"
Diego had always been the cautious one. Never one to take unnecessary risks, he didn't think his sister's plan was smart.
"Like who?" Corin asked. "The cleaning ladies?"
"Oh, I don't know. What about those two guys who tried to steal it from us?"
Desmond finished lacing his shoes at the desk a few feet away and shook his head. "You worry too much. Anyone ever told you that?"
Diego glared at him.
Corin covered her mouth to mute the chuckle she couldn't stop from erupting.
"I'm just saying this is an ancient artifact. It's potentially priceless. Do you really want to risk leaving it here for someone...anyone...to find and take?"
"Yeah, but it's added weight," Corin said. She was always one for efficiency. Maybe it came from her deep interest in math and science. "We need to be able to move fast if we run into those guys again."
"Come on," Desmond protested. "What are the odds we bump into them again?"
Diego crossed his arms and gave his best chastising frown. "If they managed to find us here at the hotel, know what room we were in, and follow us to the temple where we found this thing, I'd say there's a good chance we could see them again."
"Fine," Corin said. "I'll carry the thing."
She looked down at the stone fragment on the desk. It was lying on top of a map they'd discovered in the museum at the Ellerbys' latest exhibit. The three kids had followed the clues to an ancient temple located on the other side of the city. To get there, they'd had to ditch their bodyguard, Sam, along with keeping their activities secret from the Ellerbys.
They'd thought for sure their little secret would be uncovered when they came home the previous night. The room had been ransacked by the two British men who were trying to steal the map and, soon after, the tablet. Luck had been on their side, and they managed to get in their beds mere moments before Sam and Desmond's parents walked in the room.
"No, you don't have to do that," Diego said. "I'll carry it. It was my idea not to leave it here."
"Okay," Corin said, "that's fair."
"We should probably make a paper copy, you know, just in case."
"Good idea," Desmond agreed. He stepped over to the desk and rummaged through the center drawer, finding a piece of paper and pen. He quickly scribbled down the Latin letters and when he was done carefully folded it and stuffed it in his back pocket.
"I sure hate taking this map," Diego said as he gently rolled the ancient paper up and slid it into a plastic sleeve he'd retrieved from the gift shop downstairs.
"Just don't damage it," Desmond warned. "No map. No more clues. No more clues means no treasure."
The pressure of his statement weighed on Diego. He knew what was at stake. "You know what? I have an idea."
He took the map and tucked it into the gift bag he'd brought from the shop. Then he placed the stone tablet in his backpack and slung it over his shoulders.
"What's the idea?" Corin wondered.
"We're going to put this stuff in Desmond's parents' room."
Shock hit both Corin and Desmond.
"Wait. What?" Desmond wasn't sure he'd heard correctly, and if he had, he clearly didn't like the idea. "Did I hear you say what I thought you said?"
"It's the only place where those guys won't look," Diego explained. "Think about it. They were following us, not your parents. If they do come back, however unlikely that might be, I doubt they would check their room. They probably don't even know what room your parents are staying in."
Desmond raised an eyebrow as he considered the idea.
"I don't like it," Corin said, suddenly the one concerned about risk taking. "What if they look through your stuff? And what excuse are you going to give them?"
"They won't know," Diego said. He motioned to the closet.
The other two frowned, not understanding.
Diego paced over to the closet door and flung it open. He pointed down at the black fireproof box sitting on the floor. The object was about two feet tall and easily that wide.
"A safe?" Corin asked.
"Yep. We put this stuff in his parents' safe. That way, they won't even know it's there."
"What if they're using the safe and already have stuff in it?"
Diego chuckled and offered his own frown in return. "No one uses those things, do they?"
Corin rolled her shoulders. She had no context for an answer. She and her stepbrother hadn't traveled much in their short lives, not outside the country, anyway.
"I haven't seen my parents use those before," Desmond offered. "It just might work, and it looks like the map and the stone will fit inside."
"Exactly," Diego said. "Then we just have to take the paper you put in your pocket to that priest and ask him what it says. That way, these things will be safe, and I don't have to lug them around worrying about damaging them."
"Why don't we just use that safe?" Corin asked. "Seems logical."
She stepped into the closet and tried to move the thing. It was bolted to the floor. "See? They couldn't take this without making a lot of noise or causing a scene."
"I just want to be extra careful, okay?" Diego pleaded. "I know the safe is...um, safe, but putting it in his parents' room will make it even—"
"Safer?" Desmond said with a smile.
"Yeah." Diego blushed.
"Fine," Corin relented. "Can we just put this stuff away and get moving? The sooner we get to the church, the sooner we can figure out where this thing is telling us to go next."
She walked over to the door and grabbed her backpack from the floor. She'd already stuffed two water bottles and an energy bar in there in case she got hungry. The others had prepared similarly, putting a few simple supplies in their bags to get them through the day. They had a little money, too, so they could stop at a bakery and get some bread and cheese if they needed to.
"You guys ready?" Corin asked, putting her hand on the door latch.
The boys nodded.
"All right then. Let's do this." She pulled down on the latch and yanked the door open.
Standing there in the hallway, just beyond the threshold, was a familiar face.
Corin stared up at the man with surprise. She blinked but probably didn't realize how fast she was doing it.
She swallowed hard and absently took a step back from the menacing figure blocking her path.
"Sorry," she said. "I didn't know you were there."
She felt her hands brush against the boys behind her and realized she'd backed into them.
The man offered a toothy, wicked grin. "Going somewhere?"
Chapter 2
Rome
Desmond stepped in front of Corin, putting himself between her and the big man in the black suit. "What are you doing here so early, Sam?" Desmond almost sounded demanding and then cleared his throat to make a sort of apology for any hint of disrespect.
Sam was their...caretaker? Babysitter? Bodyguard? To the three kids, it felt like the middle answer. They'd managed to slip free of his grasp at the museum gala celebrating the Ellerbys' discovery. Then, later, they got away from him again to visit the temple where they found the first fragment. The clue on the map called it a key, according to the priest, and apparently there were three of them.
With one-third of their journey complete, the kids were well on their way to making the discovery of a lifetime: an ancient treasure, hidden long ago by some important or wealthy person. Julius Caesar, it seemed, had also been seeking the same treasure when he was captured by pirates in a story that had become legend down through the centuries.
Sam stepped into the room and crossed his arms. "What am I doing here so early? It's my job to protect you." He looked beyond Desmond to the other two. "All of you. Which means I am going to keep a close eye on you. All. Day. Long. And for the rest of this trip."
"Sounds like a boring gig," Corin chirped.
Diego slugged her in the arm without looking. She winced but said nothing, not even "ouch." Instead, she snorted at her own joke.
"It is a boring gig," Sam said. "And the more boring it is, the better. The last thing I need is to be chasing you three all over the city."
"Yeah, but I doubt my parents would want us to stay cooped up in here all day," Desmond argued. "They brought us here so we could see the sights and learn stuff about history."
"Leaving my sight isn't what they had in mind. And your parents aren't here now."
"They aren't?" Desmond frowned. "Where did they..." He knew the answer before he finished the question. They'd already be at the museum or doing interviews for an Italian paper or something.
"No, they aren't here. Which means you're in my care all day. I've also brought Billy along to help make sure none of you slippery kids get out of our view again."
Billy, the other security guard that worked for the Ellerbys during daylight hours, stepped into the doorway. He also had a stern look on his face and crossed his arms to make himself look more imposing.
"If you don't let us take a look around the city, my parents won't be happy."
Sam knew that would be their argument. He deserved better than this. He'd worked private security for wealthy brats before. The Ellerbys were a nice couple, generous and understanding. They trusted Sam and his team implicitly. He knew there was no way they'd be okay with him locking their child and his friends up in a hotel room for the duration of the day.
He knew Mrs. Ellerby would be especially annoyed at the idea. Over the years, he'd witnessed her encouraging Desmond to get outside more, to explore the world. No, keeping them in a small room wouldn't do. Which is why he'd brought Billy along for backup.
The mere notion that he'd need another adult male to help babysit these three kids was irritating to say the least. He'd been trained to protect adults, to take down bad people in ways these kids couldn't imagine. But somehow, these kids had managed to outfox his expertise and sneak off to do who knew what. He counted himself lucky that none of them were hurt or lost somewhere in the vast city of Rome. Sam didn't want to count on luck again, thus his backup standing in the doorway.
"Today is your lucky day," Sam said with a broad grin. The expression told the three kids they weren't going to like what followed. His tone was overly condescending as he spoke in an almost baby-talk voice. "Billy and I will be giving you a guided tour. We've already gone over some really neat spots with your parents. They had lots of good suggestions. So, for the rest of your stay here in Italy, my friend Billy here"—he put his hand over his shoulder to point at the second bodyguard—"and I will be with you the entire time. When you need to eat, we'll eat with you. When you need to have a drink, we'll be there."
"You guys are not going to the bathroom with me," Corin stated.
Sam paused for a moment. An uncomfortable look crossed his face, and he cocked his head to the side to look up at the ceiling. "Okay, no. I will not...we will not be going to the bathroom with you."
"Or us," Desmond said. "I need my privacy."
"Yeah, me too," Diego added.
"Okay, fine. We aren't going to the bathroom with any of you. But we'll be waiting just outside when you need to go."
The kids almost giggled at Sam's abrupt change from a commanding to a now awkward tone. They'd didn't laugh, though, because they knew that any plans they'd made and any ideas they might have had about figuring out the next clue to the map had just been flushed down the drain.
Unless they could figure out another way to get away from these two. Perhaps they would just need to be patient until the moment presented itself.
"Cool," Desmond said. "Where are we going first?"
Sam's irritation dissipated, and he forced an appeasing grin back onto his face. "We'll be getting you three something to eat first. Your parents have given me the money we need for the day, so you won't need to take anything with you."
He motioned to the backpacks. "Those can stay here."
Diego turned and looked at Corin, who was looking to Desmond for an answer.
"Thanks," Desmond said, "but we prefer to take them with us if that's okay with you. Wouldn't want anything to happen to our stuff if someone were to...I don't know, break into this room."
Sam tilted his head back, glaring down at the boy over his lower eyelids. "That brings me to my next point." He took a step forward. "I saw what happened in here yesterday. Don't for a second think I'm stupid. I know what you three are up to."
"You...you do?" Diego stuttered, fear wrapped around his voice and causing it to crackle.
"Oh yes. You think you can just run amok all over the city, doing whatever you want. But I'm not stupid." He made a fork with two fingers, pointed them at his eyes, and then pointed them at Desmond. For all his bravado, Sam didn't know what they were doing. He didn't have a clue about the map or the stone tablet in Diego's bag.
"So," Sam went on, "we'll be storing your things in your parents' room for safekeeping while we are out seeing the sights and doing the things that good little tourists do."
The three kids fought hard to keep back the laughter.
"Okay," Desmond said after a moment of struggling. He did his best to sound dejected. "If you think that's best, Sam."
"Oh, I do. And there is one more thing you're going to need to do for me."
"Which is?"
"No more lies."
Desmond looked offended.
Diego remained stoic, while Corin crossed her arms in a defensive posture.
"What do you mean, no more lies?" Desmond asked. "What have we lied about?"
"Oh, I don't know...everything?" The big bodyguard put his hands out wide, like the room they were standing in was covered in lies. "The museum, your disappearance, whatever happened to this room, the three of you going missing for hours on end—you lied about all of it to me and your parents."
"Okay," Corin defended, "first of all, we didn't lie. We were honest about everything...for the most part. I mean, it's all about presentation."
Sam shook his head. "No, from now on you three tell the truth about everything. Do you understand?"
"So," Diego said, suddenly finding a drop of courage, "if we somehow manage to get into some kind of trouble, you want us to tell Desmond's parents about it? I mean, that would get you in trouble, too, wouldn't it?"
Sam grumbled. "That's the whole idea of us watching over the three of you like hawks for the rest of this little vacation. You won't be getting into any trouble."
"Yeah, but what if something happens and we do? I guess we'll tell my parents all about it, huh?" Desmond crossed one arm over the other, mirroring Corin's pose.
"You know what?" Sam sounded annoyed. "Let's just put this stuff in your parents' room and get moving. We have a big day planned for you three, and I would hate for you to miss any of it."
Desmond sighed, and he heard his two friends echo the sentiment behind him. "Fine. Where are we going first?"
"That's better. Now, as soon as we get your things put away, we'll be visiting a very nice cathedral not far from here. It has lots of cool historical stuff that I know you three will absolutely love." He was overplaying it, and the kids knew it. They knew that he thought it was probably the most boring place he could take them, a subtle revenge move to pay them back for sneaking away the day before.
What Sam didn't realize is that was exactly where the kids were planning to go in the first place.
And they had no intention of enlightening him.
"A cathedral?" Corin protested. "How boring."
"Come on, Sam," Desmond added to the fake argument. "Not that."
"Nope," Sam said. "It's already decided. I've even arranged for a tour with one of the priests. So, get your things. We're leaving immediately to get some breakfast, and then it's off to the church."
Sam ushered the three out the door and down the hallway toward the Ellerbys' room. He and Billy didn't see the mischievous smirks the three kids exchanged as they shuffled down the hall.
Chapter 3
Rome
Wayne Collins didn't dare step out of his car. He'd seen the police presence from a block away. They were in plain clothes, but it was easy to spot a cop no matter what they wore. He had enough experience dealing with shady characters to know the difference between an ordinary citizen and someone trying to look like one.
There were two in front of the hotel: one on either side of the entrance. Another was posted at the side door. Wayne figured there would also be someone watching the back, so there was no point in even looking back there.
As best he could figure, the rampage through the kids' room had likely raised some alarm bells in the Ellerbys' minds. If it hadn't, then it must have been their head of security who called for the additional eyes on the street. Not that it mattered. The fact was that there was no way Wayne or his associate, Carl, was going to get into the hotel unnoticed. Not by conventional means, at least.
The three kids had gotten the better of Wayne and his henchman the night before. It resulted in an uncomfortable, wet, smelly walk back to his car followed by an even worse ride back to the hotel.
Neither man had said anything to the other, though Wayne was certain Carl was on the verge of apologizing several times.
Wayne didn't want apologies. He wanted results. Specifically, he wanted the map and whatever it was the kids had discovered in the catacombs of the temple.
How had three kids been able to get the better of him? It was a question he'd pondered nearly all night. Unable to fall asleep until the early morning hours, that question racked his brain for hours, causing him to toss and turn in his bed.
Wayne figured Carl was experiencing the same kind of insomnia, probably worse. Carl knew what happened to people who failed his boss. Wayne Collins didn't tolerate failure. Perhaps the only saving grace for Carl was that Wayne had been just as responsible.
One of the cops in front of the hotel stepped to the side to let a woman walk through the door. The doorman held it open for her until she was inside, and then he stepped back in, disappearing from view to wait for the next patron to arrive.
Out of the corner of his eye, Wayne saw his henchman staring at him for some reason.
"What?" Wayne didn't attempt to hide his irritation. He asked the question before slowly turning his head toward Carl.
"What do you think we should do, boss? I don't see how there's any way we can get in there again. They've tightened security all around the building from the looks of it."
Carl's voice sounded jittery, full of nerves.
Wayne thought Carl should have been nervous. Wayne was furious at the outcome of the previous night. He was tired, and on top of it all Carl was asking stupid questions and making ridiculous points.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Wayne said. "I can see that."
He twisted his head back around and gazed at the building. "Obviously, the Ellerbys upped security around the building. If I had to guess, there are probably more security guys on the inside, just waiting for us to make a stupid mistake and show up on their doorstep."
Carl forced a nervous swallow and nodded. "So? What's the play, boss?"
"Exactly what we've been doing since we got here. We wait."
Carl nodded and rubbed his thighs, another anxiety-filled tick he exhibited when his nerves got the better of him.
"Could you please stop doing that?" Wayne asked. It came off as more of an order in his commanding tone.
"Sorry, boss."
Carl gripped the edge of the car seat with both hands and went back to staring out the windshield at the front of the hotel.
A black SUV pulled up and stopped. The windows were darkly tinted. The wheels were a matte black color as well.
Wayne reached up and pressed the ignition button. The engine revved to life, and he placed his left hand on the wheel, the right on the gearshift.
"Undercover cops?" Carl asked.
Wayne shook his head. "No. This is something else." He furrowed his brow, trying to figure out who was in the SUV. He narrowed his eyes and continued looking out through the glass with one hand still ready to shift the car into drive if the need arose.
The driver's side door of the SUV swung open and a man in a black suit and tie with aviator sunglasses climbed out. He rushed around to the other side and flung the doors open.
"Must be someone important, eh, boss?" Carl asked.
"Maybe," Wayne said. He leaned forward slightly as if that would help him get a better view of what was happening.
The driver stood by the open rear door on the passenger side of the SUV and waited. Wayne held his breath, half expecting a foreign dignitary, celebrity, or wealthy tycoon to appear. It was none of those. And the faces that appeared in the hotel doorway as it opened were ones that excited him more than any of the other possibilities combined.
The three children from the night before walked through the door as the doorman held it open. The kids were followed by a security guard dressed in the same uniform as the SUV's driver.
"Well, well, well," Wayne said. "Look who it is."
"The kids from the other night."
Wayne rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yes, thank you for pointing that out, Carl." He said the man's name with disdain. He knew he was going to have to replace Carl at some point. While the man had been loyal, he wasn't the brightest person in the world and had the annoying habit of always stating things that were blatantly obvious to pretty much everyone else.
"And it was last night," Wayne corrected.
"Right. Sorry, boss. All runs together, you know?"
No. Wayne didn't know, but he wasn't going to perpetuate this ridiculous conversation.
He watched as the kids crossed the narrow sidewalk, looking around in both directions as the bodyguard ushered them into the SUV.
Carl slunk down into his seat, afraid someone might see and recognize him.
Wayne let out another exasperated breath and shook his head. "What are you doing?"
"I don't want them to see me, boss. You should duck down, too."
Wayne considered kicking his assistant out of the car, but he needed Carl, at least for now.
"Get up," Wayne ordered. "You look like an idiot. They can't see us from all the way over there. And even if they could, they wouldn't recognize us in this car."
"But if we can recognize them..."
"Please, stop talking," Wayne said.
Carl nodded and shimmied back to an upright position, though not as high as he was before.
They watched the kids climb into the SUV. The bodyguard behind them opened the front passenger door and got in. Then the driver slammed the door shut and hurried around to reassume his position behind the wheel. He took a quick look at the oncoming traffic, found a window, and pulled out onto the street amid the semi-chaotic Roman commute.
Wayne didn't move, nor did he turn his head to follow the SUV with his eyes as it drove by them, speeding down the road away from where they sat.
Carl twisted his head around and kept his eyes on the vehicle. "Boss? You gonna follow them or what?"
Wayne kept his gaze on the side mirror, watching the SUV until there were five, then six cars behind it along with a few scooters and motorcycles. He answered Carl's question with a quick shift of the transmission and stepped on the gas.
Carl's head rocked back and struck the headrest. He grunted at the sudden impact, a sound that made Wayne's lips crease in a wicked smile. Carl deserved that one for being so annoying.
Wayne deftly spun the steering wheel around and whipped the sedan around oncoming traffic, narrowly missing a motorcyclist who pressed his horn in a moment of fury.
Wayne didn't care. He was on the hunt now.
He guided the car into the next lane over to complete his risky U-turn and merged in with the rest of the traffic flowing toward the center of town.
"I...I can't see it, boss," Carl confessed. "We're gonna lose them." He almost sounded accusatory in the way he said it.
Wayne still saw the SUV up ahead, several cars in front of them. There was no way he was going to lose them this time. What had started as something that should have been easy had turned into a disaster. The annoying little brats in the SUV had gotten the better of them, made him look foolish. No one made Wayne Collins look foolish. No one. This was no longer just a treasure hunt. It was personal, and Wayne wanted payback.
"No," he said through his teeth. "I have them."
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