The Greatest Lost Treasure

Chapter 15

     The two friends boarded a train and sat across from one another while Stitch sat happily on his owner's lap. Their train was headed for Greece and they were more than ready to be there as quickly as possible as Stella's life still hung in the balance.
     Luke studied the astrolabe piece in his hands then looked up to see Skylar staring out the window trying to distract herself. "We're going to find her," he reassured her.
     She turned to look at him. Her eyes were still puffy, her hair was in disarray, and she was still wearing the same dress from last night's fiasco. "You sound so sure, yet you still haven't even told me how you know we're going to the right place."
     Understanding her reservations, but happy she still followed him with blind faith, he knew finally had the time to explain to her what he had found.
     "When I was originally doing my research on where Columbus was born there was quite a bit or research indicating he wasn't from Italy, but in fact Greece. This is due to the conflict of the island he lived and who's rule it was under. That was my first inclination of Greece. The second was on this piece."
     He passed it across the way for her to see as he continued. "Here on the ecliptic ring," he pointed to the larger inner ring so she knew where to look, "was these Bible verses Esther 37:97 and Psalms 23:72."
     "What do the verses say?" She asked Luke having peeked her interest.
     "Actually these verses don't exist and are unimportant, but their numbers are."
     Skylar was now completely lost causing him to have to explain his discovery a bit more.
     "The numbers are actually longitude and latitude." He saw as the realization spread across her face. "And guess where it leads?"
     "Greece."
     "Not any particular place in Greece, but the location of the Acropolis."
     She half smiled at this revelation as she knew for certain they were headed in the right direction. "That's great, Luke and we'll know exactly where they will be. Then we can follow them to where they are keeping Stella and rescue her."
     Luke nodded his head happy she had caught on and was beginning to have some hope at their ability to pull this off. He then saw her eyes go wide with fear. "What's wrong?" He quickly asked.
     "That man," she replied inclining her chin to the door at the end of the hall behind him.
     Luke cautiously looked over his shoulder to see the burly man Stitch had attacked and himself had hit in the head. He was checking the rows looking for someone. Them! He quickly realized.
     "We have to move before he sees us," Luke said standing and picking up Stitch in the process, shoving him in his duffle, and placing him under the seat hidden. If he could, he'd come back and get him once it was safe.
He grabbed Skylar by the arm and guided her down the hall and toward the door to the next cart. Unfortunately, their quick movement caught the attention of the man and he quickly followed.
Picking up their pace, they made it through the doorway and locked it behind them. The thuds on the door behind them didn't even register as they entered the next car.
The car was just like their previous one allowing for individual's to sit and relax on their way to their destination. At this moment Luke and Stella were in no mood for relaxing as they made their way down the isle to get away from their pursuer.
     They made their way through the train as the goon continued to follow. The inevitability eventually set in as they realized they were running out of cars to go through.
     As they opened the door to the caboose they knew they only had two options. One, fight the mountain of a man or two hide. They ended up going with the latter and climbed the rungs that led to the roof.

     Luke couldn't believe that he was standing on top of a train running from a man that wanted him dead. That sort of thing only happened in the movies, yet this was his current life.
Once on the roof of the caboose with Skylar is tow, Luke looked at the gap in front of him and hesitated. This would be a horrible way to die, he thought. Then he mustered his courage and jumped the couple of feet gap that separated the carts. He celebrated the small victory and waited for Skylar to follow.
She nervously made the flying leap and dared ask the question they both were thinking, "Now what do we do?"
Luke didn't even have the time to answer when a gun shot rang out causing them both to jump. They both looked behind them to see the bodyguard holding a gun aiming at them.
"You know he told me I wasn't allowed to kill you, but honestly kid your getting on my nerves, so I'm going to do my boss a favor," the Swedish man loudly said trying to be heard over the sound of the wind.
     Luke swallowed and felt the train lurch under his feet. He didn't know how he was getting out of this one alive until he saw the man fumble with his footing. The man was a lot larger in size and this not so light on his feet. Every little bump that came across the track caused him to loose his balance. This Luke could use to his advantage.
     He held up his arm in a pretend defeat. "Please don't shoot, I can pay you more than what Leonardo is," he said stalling. All he needed was a little extra time for another bump to come along the track.
The man the size of a bear hesitated and move his finger from the trigger, but he didn't lower the weapon. "You can? How?"
"My grandmother was a very wealthy woman and-" he stopped feeling the bump from the track and immediately launched himself at the man.
     Between the conversation with Luke and the train being off balanced, he was not expecting an out front attack from the British teen. He ended up being knocked back causing him to drop his gun as it slid across the top of the train. Skylar sprang into action as well trying to help Luke as he struggled with the man and when she meant struggling she really meant he was being a punching bag.
     Skylar picked up the gun, but before she could even point the weapon, a strong hand connected with her jaw. She dropped the gun and fell backwards to see the man pick up the weapon and aim it at her.
     He squinted with his one good eye, that Luke hadn't injured as he pulled the trigger. The shot rang out just inches from her head and Luke managed to pull himself up and rammed into the man. The men began to struggle with each other once again, each wanting control of the weapon.
     Another shot rang out causing blood to seep down Luke's arm. The bodyguard had just hit the edge of the boy's forearm, but this did not slow his fight at all. He managed to wrestle himself away from the burly man and used his good arm to apply pressure to the wound. Then in one swift motion he lifted his leg and struck the man in his gut sending the man tumbling off the top of the train and onto the ground below.
     Luke didn't dare look over the edge to see if the man lived, knowing there was no way he could've survived the fall. He looked over to the dazed Skylar still lying on the roof and offered her a hand up which she accepted. Completely off balance from the impact and continuous ringing in her ears she grabbed onto his waist for stability as they walked back to the ladder and headed to their seats.
     They sat down and breathed thankful that the fight was over and won. As they attended to their injuries, they quietly looked out the window at the passing countryside and admired its beauty that they hadn't appreciated until now. Without even realizing Luke looked down to see Skylar and himself were holding hands. It felt right. Him. Her. Both of them. Together. In this moment, on a train to Greece and he wouldn't change it for anything.