The Lost Symbol Chapter 90-92

CHAPTER 90In the dim light of the Cathedral College kitchen, Langdon and Katherine stood everyplace the wood pussy of water and st atomic number 18d at the transformed capstone beneath the surface. On the side of the golden capstone, an candent capacity was glowing.Langdon read the shining text, scarcely able to c at onceptualize his eyes. He knew the profit was rumored to reveal a specific location . . . but he had never imagined that the location would be quite this specific.Eight Franklin straightforwardA street oral communication, he whispered, stunned.Katherine looked equ completelyy amazed. I dont k outright whats there, do you?Langdon shook his head. He knew Franklin Square was one of the older sections of Washington, but he wasnt well- recognisen(prenominal) with the address. He looked at the finis of the capstone, and read tamp downward, taking in the entire text.Thesecret hideswithin The pointEight Franklin SquareIs there almost kind of Order on Franklin Squa re?Is there a building that hides the opening to a deep spiral staircase?Whether or non there was actu all in ally something inhumed at that address, Langdon had no idea. The important issue at this point was that he and Katherine had deciphered the pyramid and now possessed the information required to negotiate m separate fuckers release.And not a moment too soon.The glowing arms on Langdons Mickey Mouse watch indicated that they had less than ten minutes to spare.Make the waul, Katherine state, motioning to a remember on the wall in the kitchen. NowThe sudden arrival of this moment startled Langdon, and he found himself hesitating.Are we sure about this?I to the highest degree certainly am.Im not distinguishing him anything until we know Peter is safe.Of course not. You remember the number, right?Langdon nodded and made his way over to the kitchen phone. He lifted the receiver and dialed the macrocosms cell-phone number. Katherine came over and placed her head next to his so she could listen in. As the line began to ring, Langdon prepared himself for the eerie whisper of the man who had tricked him to begin with tonight.Finally, the call connected. in that respect was no greeting, though. No voice. Only the sound of joting at the other end.Langdon waited and then finally spoke. I have the information you want, but if you want it, youll have to consume us Peter.Who is this? a womans voice replied.Langdon jumped. Robert Langdon, he said reflexively. Who are you? For an instant he thought he mustiness have dialed incorrectly.Your name is Langdon? The woman sounded surprised. at that places psyche here asking for you.What? Im sorry, who is this?Officer Paige Montgomery with Preferred Security. Her voice seemed shaky. Maybe you can help us with this. About an hour ago, my provide responded to a 911 call in Kalorama Heights . . . a possible hostage situation. I lost all contact with her, and so I called backup and came to check the residence. We fo und my partner dead in the backyard. The home owner was gone, and so we broke in. A cell phone was ringing on the hall table, and I Youre inside? Langdon demanded.Yes, and the 911 tip . . . was a good one, the woman stammered. Sorry if I sound rattled, but my partners dead, and we found a man being held here against his tear up stakes. Hes in bad shape, and were work on him now. Hes been asking for two peopleone named Langdon and one named Katherine.Thats my pal Katherine blurted into the receiver, pressing her head closer to Langdons. I made the 911 call Is he okey?Actually, maam, hes . . . The womans voice cracked. Hes in bad shape. Hes missing his right hand . . .Please, Katherine urged. I want to talk to himTheyre working on him at the moment. Hes in and out of consciousness. If youre anywhere in the area, you should get over here. He obviously wants to see you.Were about six minutes away Katherine said.Then I arouse you hurry. There was a muffled noise in the background , and the woman then returned to the line. Sorry, it looks like Im needed. Ill speak to you when you arrive.The line went dead.CHAPTER 91Inside Cathedral College, Langdon and Katherine bounded up the basement steps and zip down a darkened hallway looking for for a front exit. No longer did they hear the sounds of helicopter blades overhead, and Langdon felt hopeful they could press caterpillar trackting out unseen and find their way up to Kalorama Heights to see Peter.They found him. Hes alive.Thirty seconds earlier, when theyd hung up with the female security guard, Katherine had hurriedly hoisted the steaming pyramid and capstone out of the water. The pyramid was in time dripping when she lowered it into Langdons lather saucer. Now he could feel the heat radiating done the leather. Excitement over Peters discovery had temporarily trumped any further reflection on the capstones glowing messageEight Franklin Square but there would be sentence for that once they got to Pete r.As they rounded the corner at the top of the stairs, Katherine stopped short and pointed into a sitting room crossways the hall. Through the bay window, Langdon could see a sleek black helicopter sitting silent on the lawn. A lone pilot stood beside it, facing away from them and talking on his radio. There was in addition a black Escalade with tinted windows parked nearby.Staying in the shadows, Langdon and Katherine moved into the sitting room, and peered out the window to see if they could see the rest of the field team. Thankfully, the huge lawn after-school(prenominal) the National Cathedral was empty.They must be inside the cathedral, Langdon said.Theyre not, a deep voice said behind them.Langdon and Katherine wheeled around to see who had spoken. In the gateway of the sitting room, two black-clad figures aimed laser-sighted rifles at them. Langdon could see a glowing red dot dancing on his chest.Nice to see you again, Professor, said a familiar raspy voice. The agents pa rted, and the tiny form of Director Sato sliced effortlessly through, crossing the sitting room and stopping directly in front of Langdon. Youve made some exceedingly poor choices tonight.The police found Peter Solomon, Langdon declared forcefully. Hes in bad shape, but hell live. Its over.If Sato was surprised Peter had been found, she did not show it. Her eyes were inflexible as she walked to Langdon and stopped sole(prenominal) inches away. Professor, I can assure you, this is nowhere near over. And if the police are now come to, it has only become more serious. As I told you earlier this evening, this is an extremely delicate situation. You never should have run away with that pyramid.Maam, Katherine blurted, I need to see my brother. You can have the pyramid, but you must letI must? Sato demanded, spinning to Katherine. Ms. Solomon, I assume? She stared at Katherine with fire in her eyes and then turned back to Langdon. Put the leather bag on the table.Langdon glanced down a t the pair of laser sights on his chest. He set the leather bag on the coffee table. An agent approached cautiously, unzipped the bag, and pulled the two sides apart. A little puff of trapped steam billowed up out of the bag. He aimed his light inside, stared for a long, puzzled moment, and then nodded to Sato. Sato walked over and peered into the bag. The wet pyramid and capstone glistened in the beam of the flashlight. Sato crouched down, looking very closely at the golden capstone, which Langdon completed she had only seen in X-ray.The inscription, Sato demanded. Does it mean anything to you? The secret hides within The Order?Were not sure, maam.Why is the pyramid steaming hot?We submerged it in boiling water, Katherine said without hesitation. It was part of the process of deciphering the code. Well tell you everything, but please let us go see my brother. Hes been throughYou boiled the pyramid? Sato demanded.Turn off the flashlight, Katherine said. Look at the capstone. You ca n probably still see.The agent flicked off his light, and Sato knelt down before the capstone. Even from where Langdon was standing, he could see that the text on the capstone was still glowing slightly.Eight Franklin Square? Sato said, sounding amazed.Yes, maam. That text was written with an incandescent lacquer or something. The thirty-third degree was actuallyAnd the address? Sato demanded. Is this what this guy wants?Yes, Langdon said. He believes the pyramid is a map that will tell him the location of a great treasurethe key to unlocking the Ancient Mysteries.Sato looked again at the capstone, her expression one of disbelief. Tell me, she said, fear creeping into her voice, have you contacted this man yet? acquit you already given him this address?We tried. Langdon explained what had happened when they called the mans cell phone.Sato listened, running her tongue over her yellow teeth as he spoke. Despite looking ready to burst with anger over the situation, she turned to one of her agents and spoke in a restrained whisper. Send him in. Hes in the SUV.The agent nodded and spoke into his transceiver.Send who in? Langdon said. The only person who has any hope of fixing the goddamn mess you madeWhat mess? Langdon fired back. Now that Peter is safe, everything isFor Christs sake Sato exploded. This is not about Peter I tried to tell you that at the Capitol Building, Professor, but you chose to work against me rather than with me Now youve made an ungodly mess When you destroyed your cell phone, which, by the way, we were tracking, you cut off your communication with this man. And this address you uncoveredwhatever the hell it isthis address was our one chance to catch this lunatic. I needed you to play his game, to provide him with this address so we would know where the hell to catch himBefore Langdon could reply, Sato directed the remainder of her wrath at Katherine.And you, Ms. Solomon You knew where this maniac lived? Why didnt you tell me? You sent a re nt-a-cop to this mans base? Dont you see youve ruined any chance we had of catching him there? Im glad your brother is safe, but let me tell you this, we are facing a crisis tonight whose ramifications far outreach your family. They will be felt all around the world. The man who took your brother has enormous power, and we need to catch him immediately.As she finished her tirade, the tall, elegant silhouette of Warren Bellamy emerged from the shadows and stepped into the sitting room. He looked rumpled, bruised, and shaken . . . like hed been through hell.Warren Langdon stood up. Are you okay?No, he replied. Not really.Did you hear? Peter is safeBellamy nodded, looking dazed, as if nothing mattered anymore. Yes, I just heard your conversation. Im glad.Warren, what the hell is divergence on?Sato intervened. You boys can catch up in a minute. Right now, Mr. Bellamy is going to reach out to this lunatic and communicate with him. Just like hes been doing all night.Langdon felt lost. B ellamy hasnt been communicating with this guy tonight This guy doesnt even know Bellamy is involvedSato turned to Bellamy and raised her eyebrows.Bellamy sighed. Robert, Im afraid I havent been entirely honest with you this evening. Langdon could only stare. I thought I was doing the right thing . . . Bellamy said, looking frightened. Well, Sato said, now you will do the right thing . . . and wed all better beseech to God it works. As if to substantiate Satos portentous tone, the mantel clock began chiming the hour. Sato took out a Ziploc bag of items and tossed it to Bellamy. Heres your stuff. Does your cell phone take photos?Yes, maam.Good. Hold up the capstone.The message Malakh had just received was from his contactWarren Bellamythe Mason he had sent to the Capitol Building earlier tonight to assist Robert Langdon. Bellamy, like Langdon, wanted Peter Solomon back alive and had assured Malakh he would help Langdon acquire and decipher the pyramid. All night, Malakh had been rece iving e-mail updates, which had been automatically forwarded to his cell phone.This should be interesting, Malakh thought, opening the message.From Warren Bellamygot separated from langdonbut finally have info youdemanded. proof attached.call for missing piece. wbone adherence (jpeg)Call for missing piece? Malakh wondered, opening the attachment.The attachment was a photo.When Malakh saw it, he gasped out loud, and he could feel his heart start pounding with excitement. He was looking at a close-up of a tiny golden pyramid. The legendary capstone The ornate engraving on the face carried a promising message The secret hides within The Order.Beneath the inscription, Malakh now saw something that stunned him. The capstone seemed to be glowing. In disbelief, he stared at the faintly radiant text and realized that the legend was literally true The Masonic Pyramid transforms itself to reveal its secret to the worthy.How this magical transformation had occurred, Malakh had no idea, and h e didnt care. The glowing text was clearly pointing to a specific location in D.C., only as prophesied. Franklin Square. Unfortunately, the photo of the capstone also included Warren Bellamys index finger, which was strategically positioned on the capstone to tug out a critical piece of information. Thesecret hideswithin The OrderFranklin SquareCall for missing piece. Malakh now understood Bellamys meaning.The Architect of the Capitol had been cooperative all night, but now he had chosen to play a very dangerous game.CHAPTER 92Beneath the watchful gaze of several armed CIA agents, Langdon, Katherine, and Bellamy waited with Sato in the Cathedral College sitting room. On the coffee table before them, Langdons leather bag was still open, the golden capstone peeking out the top. The words Eight Franklin Square had now faded away, leaving no evidence that they had ever existed.Katherine had pleaded with Sato to let her go see her brother, but Sato had simply shaken her head, eyes fixe d on Bellamys cell phone. It sat on the coffee table and had yet to ring.Why didnt Bellamy just tell me the truth? Langdon wondered. Apparently, the Architect had been in contact with Peters captor all night, reassuring him that Langdon was making progress deciphering the pyramid. It was a bluff, an attempt to buy time for Peter. In fact, Bellamy was doing all he could to interfere with anyone who threatened to unveil the pyramids secret. Now, however, it seemed that Bellamy had switched sides. He and Sato were now prepared to risk the pyramids secret in hopes of catching this man.Take your hands off me shouted an elderly voice in the hall. Im blind, not inept I know my way through the college Dean Galloway was still protesting loudly as a CIA agent manhandled him into the sitting room and forced him into one of the chairs.Whos here? Galloway demanded, his unobjectionable eyes staring dead ahead. It sounds like a lot of you. How many do you need to detain an old man? Really nowTher e are seven of us, Sato declared. Including Robert Langdon, Katherine Solomon, and your Masonic brother Warren Bellamy.Galloway slumped, all his bluster gone.Were okay, Langdon said. And we just heard that Peter is safe. Hes in bad shape, but the police are with him.Thank heavens, Galloway said. And theA loud rattling caused everyone in the room to jump. It was Bellamys cell phone vibrating against the coffee table. Everyone fell silent.Okay, Mr. Bellamy, Sato said. Dont blow it. You know the stakes.Bellamy took a deep breath and exhaled. Then he reached down and pressed the speakerphone button to connect the call.Bellamy here, he said, speaking loudly toward the phone on the coffee table.The voice that crackled back through the speaker was familiar, an airy whisper. It sounded like he was calling from a hands-free speakerphone inside a car. Its past midnight, Mr. Bellamy. I was about to put Peter out of his misery.There was an uneasy silence in the room. Let me talk to him.Impossib le, the man replied. Were driving. Hes tied up in the trunk.Langdon and Katherine exchanged looks and then began shaking their heads at everyone. Hes bluffing He no longer has PeterSato motioned for Bellamy to keep pressing.I want proof that Peters alive, Bellamy said. Im not giving you the rest ofYour Worshipful Master needs a doctor. Dont waste time with negotiations. Tell me the street number on Franklin Square, and Ill bring Peter to you there.I told you, I wantNow the man exploded. Or I will pull over and Peter Solomon dies this instantYou listen to me, Bellamy said forcefully. If you want the rest of the address, youll play by my rules. Meet me at Franklin Square. Once you deliver Peter alive, Ill tell you the number of the building.How do I know you wont bring the authorities? Because I cant risk double-crossing you. Peters life is not the only card you hold. I know whats really at stake tonight.You do realize, the man on the phone said, that if I sense so much as a hint of a nyone other than you at Franklin Square, I will keep driving, and you will never find even a trace of Peter Solomon. And of course . . . that will be the to the lowest degree of your worries.Ill come alone, Bellamy replied somberly. When you turn over Peter, Ill give you everything you need.Center of the square, the man said. It will take me at least twenty minutes to get there. I suggest you wait for me as long as it takes.The line went dead.Instantly, the room sprang to life. Sato began shouting orders. Several field agents grabbed their radios and headed for the door. Move MoveIn the chaos, Langdon looked to Bellamy for some kind of rendering as to what was actually going on tonight, but the older man was already being hurried out the door.I need to see my brother Katherine shouted. You have to let us goSato walked over to Katherine. I dont have to do anything, Ms. Solomon. Is that clear?Katherine stood her ground and looked desperately into Satos small eyes.Ms. Solomon, my top priority is apprehending the man at Franklin Square, and you will sit here with one of my men until I accomplish that task. Then, and only then, will we deal with your brother.Youre missing the point, Katherine said. I know exactly where this man lives Its literally five minutes up the road in Kalorama Heights, and there will be evidence there that will help you Besides, you said you want to keep this quiet. Who knows what Peter will start telling the authorities once hes stabilized.Sato pursed her lips, apparently registering Katherines point. Outside, the chopper blades began winding up. Sato frowned and then turned to one of her men. Hartmann, you take the Escalade. Transport Ms. Solomon and Mr. Langdon to Kalorama Heights. Peter Solomon is not to speak to anyone. Is that understood?Yes, maam, the agent said.Call me when you get there. Tell me what you find. And dont let these two out of your sight. Agent Hartmann gave a sprightly nod, pulled out the Escalade keys, and headed f or the door.Katherine was right behind him.Sato turned to Langdon. Ill see you shortly, Professor. I know you think Im the enemy, but I can assure you thats not the case. situate to Peter at once. This isnt over yet.Off to one side of Langdon, Dean Galloway was sitting quietly at the coffee table. His hands had found the stone pyramid, which was still sitting in Langdons open leather bag on the table in front of him. The old man was running his hands over the stones unassailable surface.Langdon said, Father, are you coming to see Peter?Id just slow you down. Galloway removed his hands from the bag and zipped it up around the pyramid. Ill stay right here and pray for Peters recovery. We can all speak later. But when you show Peter the pyramid, would you please tell him something for me?Of course. Langdon hoisted the bag onto his shoulder.Tell him this. Galloway cleared his throat. The Masonic Pyramid has always kept her secret . . . sincerely.I dont understand.The old man winked. Just tell Peter that. He will understand.With that, Dean Galloway bowed his head and began praying.Perplexed, Langdon left him there and hurried outside. Katherine was already in the front seat of the SUV giving the agent directions. Langdon climbed in back and had barely closed the door before the giant vehicle was rocketing across the lawn, racing northward to Kalorama Heights.