Uncharted||End Of The Thief's Road [Book 4]

Chapter 3 - Is It All Worth It?

In the cell, the pairing had managed to find the cross and they head back to Vargas. They had mutually decided it was best he didn't know and so they lie, telling him it was empty and they had bought nothing back.

He takes them out to the courtyard and Nate brings Sam and Rafe with him, allowing (Y/N) to lead them through the prison and into the washing room. She then checks to make sure the coast is clear, dismissing anybody hanging around.

"All right, all clear." She states before returning back to the group, taking her hat off and letting her hair fall loosely. Nate stares at her and smiles. "What?" She grows, suddenly self-conscious and she wipes at her face.

"You just look so cute with your hair down." He replies before turning to face Rafe, who was also staring at her. She rolls her eyes at her antics but smiles nonetheless, making the other man look away.

"Ok so what do we got?" He questions, an edge to his seemingly cool demeanour and Nate pulls out the cross. Rafe goes to take it, wanting to observe it closer, but he pulls it back, "hey-"

"May I?" Rafe asks and Nate reluctantly hands it over to him. ''Just be careful ok?" 

He twirls it over in his hands, studying it intensely and nods slightly. "Wood with gold and silver inlay. It's well made but, uh, it's hollow." He laughs. ''Why would one of Avery's men go to the trouble of hiding a cheap crucifix?"

"It's not a crucifix." Nate corrects him and going off the other man's look, he sighs. "Technically, a crucifix is a representation of Jesus. That's not him." He says pointing the figure on the cross.

Rafe looks down at it again. ''Well you're right. No crown of thorns and he's tied to the cross. Well if he's not Jesus then-" he begins but gets cut off by (Y/N), pointing. "- read the inscription."

"Uh... Digna factis recipimus..." He reads on the back of the cross.

"We receive..." Rafe struggles to translate it so Sam takes over. "We receive the the due rewards of our deeds." He translates with speed and the richer man raises an eyebrow, impressed. "Look at you." He mutters and Sam shrugs. ''Benefit of growing up in a Catholic orphanage."

"It's Saint Dismas. The penitent thief... But what's the connection?" (Y/N) questions, the three going off on their own but Rafe interrupts their little conversation, not having the same upbringing as them. "Uh guys, let's just pretend that I skipped all of Sunday school."

"During the crucifixion, Jesus was placed between two thieves. So one of them mocked Jesus. The other one, this guy... Was penitent. He accepted his punishment with grace." (Y/N) explains to him and he looks at her, impressed once again.

"And Jesus brought him to paradise." Sam adds in.

"Penitent thief." Rafe repeats, looking at the cross for a third time.

"Yeah...." Nate confirms before Sam starts laughing. Looking at him with a frown, his younger brother raises an eyebrow. "You figured it out." He says to his brother, seeing the joyful look on his face.

"There is a cathedral of St Dismas... In Scotland." Sam tells them.

"And the last known sighting of Avery was in Scotland... I mean that can't be a coincidence." (Y/N) says, finally realising what he was on about.

"You know I had my doubts about you three..." Rafe says whilst handing the cross back to Nate. "...but I fully trust you after seeing what you can pull off." He finishes. "Let's find Vargas and get the hell out of this shithole." 

(Y/N) pulls her hair back up, donning her hat and starts to walk out when they are stopped by men approaching them. She looks behind and sees that they are easily surrounded and turning to the man clearly in charge, she recognises him to be Gustavo - the man Nate had decided to pick a fight with.