❝ LOVE AND TREASURE ❞ ── Ben Gates ✓

❝ CHAPTER 25 ❞

▌Chapter 25 ─ Surrender Your Hand ▌

      ━━━━━ THEY WERE AT Mount Rushmore, Clara stood with Ben and Patrick, the couple had their backs turned away,  Patrick as they waited for Mitch to show up. Ben soon turned around and Clara followed right behind him.

"Hello, Mitch." Ben said, looking at the man. Mitch's man pulled out a gun and held it up to Emily's side. "Mom." Ben saw the gun that was being held up to her. Clara looked away as a little boy ran down the steps, another followed behind him and their mother was right behind them as well.

"I knew you'd figure out the message I gave your father." Emily said, looking at her son.

"The hummingbird was good. Let her go, Mitch." Clara stood behind Ben watching Mitch walk up towards Ben.

"We're the ones with the firepower and you're giving me orders?" Mitch questioned him.

"Clara and I kidnapped the president. The FBI is on their way here right now to arrest us, and I'm sure they'll love to meet you, too. They'll find us and arrest us both, and that path doesn't lead to the City of Gold, does it?"

"Ben, this man has information you need. He's got a letter ─"

"Sent from Queen Victoria to General Albert Pike."

"How do you know that?"

"I read about it in a book." Clara looked over at Riley as he swung his hand around trying to avoid the bug that was near him.

"I'm afraid he's burned it." Ben and Clara exchanged a look with each other, it was very clear to everyone around them that they were thinking of something.

"All right. You've had me do all the work so far. Why stop now? You tell me what you know, I'll find the City of Gold, prove Thomas Gates' innocence, you can have all the treasure." Ben explained, looking back at Mitch.

"What?" Riley asked, looking up at Ben.

"I'm goin' with ya, but if anyone's gonna be credited for discovering the City of Gold, it's going to be me." Mitch said, as he moved closer towards Ben and Clara.

"But your partners stay here and all the guns."

"What makes you think I'd agree to that?"

"Because you need that treasure. Believe me, I know." Mitch looked between him and Clara but eventually placed his attention back on Ben.

"All right, Gates. We'll do it your way." He then pulled his gun out of his coat and handed it over to the man that stood next to Emily. He took hold of Mitch's gun. "But believe me, I don't need the guns."

Ben threw his backpack on his shoulder and grabbed a hold of Clara's hand. She walked with him, the two led the way while Mitch followed behind them and eventually the others did as well. They spent a good hour hiking to the location they needed to be in order to find the City of Gold. The blonde looked around, she was near Abigail and Ben was ahead of them, but still close by.

"I still don't see anything that looks like a noble bird." Abigail informed the others. Clara looked at Ben as he jumped over to one of the other rocks closest to Mitch who had been sitting down.

"Uhh. All right, Mitch, let's have it. What'd the letter say? What's the clue from Queen Victoria's letter?" Ben asked him.

"The entrance shall only be revealed under a cloudless rain. Figure that one out." Mitch told them. Abigail and Clara looked around as they thought about what it could mean.

"So... we come back when it's raining?" Riley asked, slightly confused.

"Cloudless could simply mean the sun. You need a sunny day and rain." Ben pulled his backpack off his shoulder. "We need water."

"Water." Riley held his hands in the air waiting for rain drops to fall down. Ben proceeded to pull a water bottle from his bag and open it, he then poured some water onto the ground. Abigail and Clara looked towards the water mark left behind. Ben pulled another bottle out.

"Abigail." He called out, throwing it towards the blonde. She caught it and started to pour the water out, Clara still stood next to her.

"Everybody, the water makes the rocks darker. Use the water." Clara followed behind Abigail making sure to be careful as she moved down some of the rocks. She started to dump some more water onto the rocks where an opening was. The two watched as an eagle appeared on the rocks.

"That's it." Abigail said, as she and Clara looked at each other with smiles on their lips. "Oh. that's it. We found it. Over here! We found it. Over here." They quickly ran over to them, Ben came around and stood next to Clara who still held a smile on her face.

"Look at this!" Clara said.

"It's an eagle." Abigail proceeded to say, as Patrick and Emily came up on her side.

"Look at that. There it is." Patrick breathed out, staring at the mark.

"An eagle."

"The noble bird." Ben said.

"Will give you passage."

"Uh-huh. Now what?"

"I think we need to join hands... and in a noble manner, pass over the bird." Riley said, as Ben adjusted himself. Emily looked over at the man, not too happy with what Riley had said.

"Maybe it indicates direction." They started to bicker while Ben and Clara looked at the eagle.

"We can stand around here guessing for a while, or I can give you the next clue." Mitch said, walking up towards them. "Surrender your hands to the heart of the warrior."

"And the eagle is a symbol of the warrior." Emily said, looking down at the eagle. Clara looked towards her husband, he then started to move his hand towards the opening. "Ben, no, wait. Wait, no." He pulled his hand back and looked at his mother. "That's probably a horrible trap. Tell him." Emily said, looking towards her ex-husband and smacking him slightly hoping for help.

"It's a horrible trap." Patrick said, not really convincing Ben not to do it.

"Would be a pity to come this far and not even try, now, wouldn't it?" Mitch mentioned. Ben looked back at the hole.

"I'll do it, Ben." Riley said, placing his eyes on his friend.

"It's ok." Ben looked towards Clara who nodded her head as she stared back at him. He then looked back at the hole. "Surrender your hand." He said moving it inside the hole. Ben started screaming causing Clara to freak out which caused Abigail and Riley to react. Riley started screaming. His scream then turned into a giggling fit, soon he was looking at his wife. "I... I am sorry. I-I couldn't resist."

Clara leaned forward smacking him, she really thought that something had happened to him and it scared her. Clara looked back at her father-in-law as he laughed at Ben's joke.

"It, uh... feels like a latch." As he said that he pulled the latch forward and something started to open. They all turned around, Clara stood up and looked down at the falling rocks. An entrance had been opened. The group started to make their way down towards the entrance.