CHAPTER 1723.docx

CHAPTER 1723.docx

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CHAPTER1723

CHAPTER17

"Whatdoyoumeanshe'snotanswering?

"Fachelookedincredulous."You'recallinghercellphone,right?

Iknowshe'scarryingit."

CollethadbeentryingtoreachSophienowforseveralminutes."Maybeherbatteriesaredead.Orherringer'soff."

FachehadlookeddistressedeversincetalkingtothedirectorofCryptologyonthephone.Afterhangingup,hehadmarchedovertoColletanddemandedhegetAgentNeveuontheline.NowCollethadfailed,andFachewaspacinglikeacagedlion.

"WhydidCryptocall?

"Colletnowventured.

Facheturned."TotellustheyfoundnoreferencestoDraconiandevilsandlamesaints."

"That'sall?

"

"No,alsototellusthattheyhadjustidentifiedthenumericsasFibonaccinumbers,buttheysuspectedtheserieswasmeaningless."

Colletwasconfused."ButtheyalreadysentAgentNeveutotellusthat."

Facheshookhishead."Theydidn'tsendNeveu."

"What?

"

"Accordingtothedirector,atmyordershepagedhisentireteamtolookattheimagesI'dwiredhim.WhenAgentNeveuarrived,shetookonelookatthephotosofSaunièreandthecodeandlefttheofficewithoutaword.Thedirectorsaidhedidn'tquestionherbehaviorbecauseshewasunderstandablyupsetbythephotos."

"Upset?

She'sneverseenapictureofadeadbody?

"

Fachewassilentamoment."Iwasnotawareofthis,anditseemsneitherwasthedirectoruntilacoworkerinformedhim,butapparentlySophieNeveuisJacquesSaunière'sgranddaughter."

Colletwasspeechless.

"ThedirectorsaidsheneveroncementionedSaunièretohim,andheassumeditwasbecausesheprobablydidn'twantpreferentialtreatmentforhavingafamousgrandfather."

Nowondershewasupsetbythepictures.Colletcouldbarelyconceiveoftheunfortunatecoincidencethatcalledinayoungwomantodecipheracodewrittenbyadeadfamilymember.Still,heractionsmadenosense."ButsheobviouslyrecognizedthenumbersasFibonaccinumbersbecauseshecamehereandtoldus.Idon'tunderstandwhyshewouldleavetheofficewithouttellinganyoneshehadfigureditout."

Colletcouldthinkofonlyonescenariotoexplainthetroublingdevelopments:

SaunièrehadwrittenanumericcodeonthefloorinhopesFachewouldinvolvecryptographersintheinvestigation,andthereforeinvolvehisowngranddaughter.Asfortherestofthemessage,wasSaunièrecommunicatinginsomewaywithhisgranddaughter?

Ifso,whatdidthemessagetellher?

AndhowdidLangdonfitin?

BeforeColletcouldponderitanyfurther,thesilenceofthedesertedmuseumwasshatteredbyanalarm.ThebellsoundedlikeitwascomingfrominsidetheGrandGallery.

"Alarme!

"oneoftheagentsyelled,eyeinghisfeedfromtheLouvresecuritycenter."GrandeGalerie!

ToilettesMessieurs!

"

FachewheeledtoCollet."Where'sLangdon?

"

"Stillinthemen'sroom!

"Colletpointedtotheblinkingreddotonhislaptopschematic."Hemusthavebrokenthewindow!

"ColletknewLangdonwouldn'tgetfar.AlthoughParisfirecodesrequiredwindowsabovefifteenmetersinpublicbuildingsbebreakableincaseoffire,exitingaLouvresecond-storywindowwithoutthehelpofahookandladderwouldbesuicide.Furthermore,therewerenotreesorgrassonthewesternendoftheDenonWingtocushionafall.Directlybeneaththatrestroomwindow,thetwo-lanePlaceduCarrouselranwithinafewfeetoftheouterwall."MyGod,"Colletexclaimed,eyeingthescreen."Langdon'smovingtothewindowledge!

"

ButFachewasalreadyinmotion.YankinghisManurhinMR-93revolverfromhisshoulderholster,thecaptaindashedoutoftheoffice.

Colletwatchedthescreeninbewildermentastheblinkingdotarrivedatthewindowledgeandthendidsomethingutterlyunexpected.Thedotmovedoutsidetheperimeterofthebuilding.

What'sgoingon?

hewondered.IsLangdonoutonaledgeor—

"Jesu!

"Colletjumpedtohisfeetasthedotshotfartheroutsidethewall.Thesignalseemedtoshudderforamoment,andthentheblinkingdotcametoanabruptstopabouttenyardsoutsidetheperimeterofthebuilding.

Fumblingwiththecontrols,ColletcalledupaParisstreetmapandrecalibratedtheGPS.Zoomingin,hecouldnowseetheexactlocationofthesignal.

Itwasnolongermoving.

ItlayatadeadstopinthemiddleofPlaceduCarrousel.

Langdonhadjumped.

CHAPTER18

FachesprinteddowntheGrandGalleryasCollet'sradioblaredoverthedistantsoundofthealarm.

"Hejumped!

"Colletwasyelling."I'mshowingthesignaloutonPlaceduCarrousel!

Outsidethebathroomwindow!

Andit'snotmovingatall!

Jesus,IthinkLangdonhasjustcommittedsuicide!

"

Facheheardthewords,buttheymadenosense.Hekeptrunning.Thehallwayseemednever-ending.AshesprintedpastSaunière'sbody,hesethissightsonthepartitionsatthefarendoftheDenonWing.Thealarmwasgettingloudernow.

"Wait!

"Collet'svoiceblaredagainovertheradio."He'smoving!

MyGod,he'salive.Langdon'smoving!

"

Fachekeptrunning,cursingthelengthofthehallwaywitheverystep.

"Langdon'smovingfaster!

"Colletwasstillyellingontheradio."He'srunningdownCarrousel.Wait...he'spickingupspeed.He'smovingtoofast!

"

Arrivingatthepartitions,Fachesnakedhiswaythroughthem,sawtherestroomdoor,andranforit.

Thewalkie-talkiewasbarelyaudiblenowoverthealarm."Hemustbeinacar!

Ithinkhe'sinacar!

Ican't—"

Collet'swordswereswallowedbythealarmasFachefinallyburstintothemen'sroomwithhisgundrawn.Wincingagainstthepiercingshrill,hescannedthearea.

Thestallswereempty.Thebathroomdeserted.Fache'seyesmovedimmediatelytotheshatteredwindowatthefarendoftheroom.Herantotheopeningandlookedovertheedge.Langdonwasnowheretobeseen.Fachecouldnotimagineanyoneriskingastuntlikethis.Certainlyifhehaddroppedthatfar,hewouldbebadlyinjured.

Thealarmcutofffinally,andCollet'svoicebecameaudibleagainoverthewalkie-talkie.

"...movingsouth...faster...crossingtheSeineonPontduCarrousel!

"

Facheturnedtohisleft.TheonlyvehicleonPontduCarrouselwasanenormoustwin-bedTrailordeliverytruckmovingsouthwardawayfromtheLouvre.Thetruck'sopen-airbedwascoveredwithavinyltarp,roughlyresemblingagianthammock.Fachefeltashiverofapprehension.Thattruck,onlymomentsago,hadprobablybeenstoppedataredlightdirectlybeneaththerestroomwindow.

Aninsanerisk,Fachetoldhimself.Langdonhadnowayofknowingwhatthetruckwascarryingbeneaththattarp.Whatifthetruckwerecarryingsteel?

Orcement?

Orevengarbage?

Aforty-footleap?

Itwasmadness.

"Thedotisturning!

"Colletcalled."He'sturningrightonPontdesSaints-Peres!

"

Sureenough,theTrailortruckthathadcrossedthebridgewasslowingdownandmakingarightturnontoPontdesSaints-Peres.Sobeit,Fachethought.Amazed,hewatchedthetruckdisappeararoundthecorner.Colletwasalreadyradioingtheagentsoutside,pullingthemofftheLouvreperimeterandsendingthemtotheirpatrolcarsinpursuit,allthewhilebroadcastingthetruck'schanginglocationlikesomekindofbizarreplay-by-play.

It'sover,Facheknew.Hismenwouldhavethetrucksurroundedwithinminutes.Langdonwasnotgoinganywhere.

Stowinghisweapon,FacheexitedtherestroomandradioedCollet."Bringmycararound.Iwanttobetherewhenwemakethearrest."

AsFachejoggedbackdownthelengthoftheGrandGallery,hewonderedifLangdonhadevensurvivedthefall.

Notthatitmattered.

Langdonran.Guiltyascharged. 

Onlyfifteenyardsfromtherestroom,LangdonandSophiestoodinthedarknessoftheGrandGallery,theirbackspressedtooneofthelargepartitionsthathidthebathroomsfromthegallery.TheyhadbarelymanagedtohidethemselvesbeforeFachehaddartedpastthem,gundrawn,anddisappearedintothebathroom.

Thelastsixtysecondshadbeenablur.

Langdonhadbeenstandinginsidethemen'sroomrefusingtorunfromacrimehedidn'tcommit,whenSophiebeganeyeingtheplate-glasswindowandexaminingthealarmmeshrunningthroughit.Thenshepeereddownwardintothestreet,asifmeasuringthedrop.

"Withalittleaim,youcangetoutofhere,"shesaid.

Aim?

Uneasy,hepeeredouttherestroomwindow.

Upthestreet,anenormoustwin-bedeighteen-wheelerwasheadedforthestoplightbeneaththewindow.Stretchedacrossthetruck'smassivecargobaywasabluevinyltarp,looselycoveringthetruck'sload.LangdonhopedSophiewasnotthinkingwhatsheseemedtobethinking.

"Sophie,there'snowayI'mjump—"

"Takeoutthetrackingdot."

Bewildered,Langdonfumbledinhispocketuntilhefoundthetinymetallicdisk.Sophietookitfromhimandstrodeimmediatelytothesink.Shegrabbedathickbarofsoap,placedthetrackingdotontopofit,andusedherthumbtopushthediskdownhardintothebar.Asthedisksankintothesoftsurface,shepinchedtheholeclosed,firmlyembeddingthedeviceinthebar.

HandingthebartoLangdon,Sophieretrievedaheavy,cylindricaltrashcanfromunderthesinks.BeforeLangdoncouldprotest,Sophieranatthewindow,holdingthecanbeforeherlikeabatteringram.Drivingthebottomofthetrashcanintothecenterofthewindow,sheshatteredtheglass.

Alarmseruptedoverheadatearsplittingdecibellevels.

"Givemethesoap!

"Sophieyelled,barelyaudibleoverthealarm.

Langdonthrustthebarintoherhand.

Palmingthesoap,shepeeredouttheshatteredwindowattheeighteen-wheeleridlingbelow.Thetargetwasplentybig—anexpansive,stationarytarp—anditwaslessthantenfeetfromthesideofthebuilding.Asthetrafficlightspreparedtochange,Sophietookadeepbreathandlobbedthebarofsoapoutintothenight.

Thesoapplummeteddownwardtowardthetruck,lan