Treasure Hunters: A National Treasure Fanfiction

Chapter Sixteen: Making a Deal

Alex had no idea where they were headed. She felt better having her dad there with her. She glared at Ian through the rear-view mirror the whole time.

She was thankful that they hadn't duct-taped her hands too. Ian had, however, taken away her cellphone.

Speaking of her cellphone. The tense silence was broken then by the shrill ring of her cellphone. Ian withdrew it and answered. "Hello?" He smirked and turned around to face Alex, passing her the phone. "It's your techie boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" cried Patrick, but Alex ignored him. She snatched the phone from Ian.

"Riley!" she cried.

"I knew it!" cried Patrick. She waved a hand at him to shush him.

"Alex!" Riley sounded relieved. "Where are you? Are you okay? I'm sorry-"

"Riley it's not your fault," she assured him, just as Ben had. "Yes, I'm fine, I'm in an SUV with Ian and crew. Dad's here too."

"You're sure you're alright?"

"Yes Ri. And you guys?"

"Yeah, we're fine - but Ben got taken by the FBI."

"What?!" Just like Ben. Riley had always admired the close relationship between the Gates siblings.

"I know." He sighed. "I can't believe we're doing this - it was all Abigail's idea not mine. I need you to put Ian back on the phone."

She handed the phone back to Ian who listened, nodding. "Very well. And you can tell Riley, Doctor Chase, not to worry about Alex. I'll take good care of her." And with that he hung up. Alex stuck her tongue out at him. "What was that about?"

"It seems that your brother was taken by the FBI, and Doctor Chase and Riley were asking my help to get him out of custody. Shaw pull over here, I have another call to make."

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Apparently the call Ian had to make was to Ben, instructing him to meet them in New York the following morning. It seemed to Alex that Ian had cooked up an elaborate plan to help her brother escape. Alex figured she had better cooperate and let herself be dragged around like a hostage until Ben was freed, otherwise Ian may back down on the plan altogether. He had also threatened to destroy the Declaration, and they couldn't have that. That being said, she also wasn't going to make it easy for them.

She and her father stayed in the back of the SUV. It was the next morning in New York and across the street she could see Ian pacing back and forth, the Declaration in his hand. Another car pulled up in front of him and her heart leapt when Ben stepped out. She watched them discuss for a while, before the back door of the SUV opened to reveal her and Patrick. Ben looked horrified. She and her father were then ushered out of the car and down the street to Trinity Church by Ian, Shaw, and Viktor.

"Ben!" she cried, throwing her arms around her brother.

"Al!" He hugged her back.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," he assured her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

"Fine. Dad, you?"

"What do you think? I'm a hostage," Patrick answered bitterly.

"Let them go Ian," Ben ordered.

"When we find the treasure," Ian replied calmly.

"No, now," Ben demanded. "Or you can figure out the clues on your own. Good luck."

"Ben," Ian said, still calm. "I don't think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation."

As if on cue, the church doors opened and in walked Phil and Powell with Riley and Abigail.

"Al!" Riley and Alex practically tackled each other in a hug. She hugged Abigail as well.

"Look at that," said Ian, sarcasm now lacing his words. "The team's all back together again. How nice."

Ben sighed. This was just getting worse and worse.

"Now, let's have a look at that map, shall we?" Ian slid into one of the pews, the others sitting a few rows behind. Ben reluctantly joined him, unrolling the Declaration and putting on the glasses. The others waited in tense silence while they studied the map. Their voices echoed through the church.

"'Beneath Parkington Lane'," said Ben.

"Why would the map lead us here and then take us somewhere else? It doesn't make any sense," wondered Ian aloud. "What's the purpose?"

"Just another clue," piped up Patrick mockingly.

"Dad," sighed Ben. Then he turned back to Ian. "No, you're right. Parkington Lane has to be here somewhere.

"A street inside the church?" tried Ian.

"No, not inside, beneath," corrected Ben as he began to realize. "Beneath the church. We have to go beneath the church."

(We're getting close to the treasure! Haha :) Thanks so much for reading! And thank you for the 400+ reads!)