“Not Jesus, Judas?”
“He mentions Jesus only fleetingly; it was Judas who was the center of his life. He rants and raves about the priests and the disciples who didn’t understand that Judas was only doing what God wanted in betraying Jesus. That Judas was only a divine tool to bring about the salvation of the world. That the condemnation that led to the suicide of Judas was an act against all the angels of heaven and should be revenged.” She looked up at Jane. “And the suggested methods of that revenge are pretty bloodthirsty. Crucifixion figured prominently. Boiling in oil was another. I don’t think there’s much doubt that Hadar was psychotic. He might have had a genuine affection for Judas, but it became a destructive obsession after his death.”
“He got all of that venom into one tablet?”
She nodded. “As you saw, the tablet was fourteen by ten, and the script was very tiny. I almost went blind trying to decipher it. And after those first paragraphs, it was all about why and how he fled Jerusalem.”
“The coins,” Jane prompted.
“He said that Judas tried to give them back to the high priest, but he was refused. The priest wouldn’t pick them up from the floor of the temple. Hadar offered to go back and get the pouch for Judas, but he wouldn’t let him. Judas ran away from the temple, and later Hadar heard that he had hanged himself. Hadar went crazy. He wanted to kill all the priests. He wanted to kill all the disciples. He was in a fury. He said that it was Judas who was the martyr and should be worshipped.”
“And so a cult was born.”
“At least the seeds were planted. But he got it into his head that the thirty pieces of silver were a symbol of that martyrdom. That Judas’s returning the coins to the temple had some sort of divine significance. Hadar was enraged that the priests were going to
spend the money buying a field to bury strangers instead of preserving it as a holy relic.’
“So there was a Field of Blood?”
Lina nodded. “If you choose to believe Hadar. He was definitely unstable.”
“Did the priests actually buy the field?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t the field that they first intended to buy. It was some distance from the city. Hadar had evidently caused a huge scene in the temple, and the priests decided to keep a low profile among the citizens of Jerusalem. There was already too much uproar in the city about the crucifixion of Jesus. They decided to not let anyone know where the field was located.”
“But Hadar found out?”
Lina nodded. “The second day after Caiaphas purchased the field from Ezra, a potter, to the far north of the city. Hadar went there that night after the money had been exchanged.”
“And?”
Lina handed her the computer. “Read the translation for yourself. It will give you an idea what kind of man the founder of that cult really was. I pulled it up to the point where he’s approaching the hut.”
She already had an idea of Hadar’s character, Jane thought. It wasn’t pretty. She began to read the translation.
The night was dark. My master, Judas, must have interceded to make sure that no one would see me punish those greedy sinners. I stared in the window at Ezra, the potter, sitting at the table with his wife and two sons. They were laughing, joking, happy at their good fortune
.
Blasphemers
.
I knocked on the door and asked them to share their bread
with a poor traveler. They gave me food and a blanket on the floor to rest for the night
.
After they slept, I did my master’s will and slew them all. I left Ezra alive until I’d forced him to give me the pouch of coins. There were only twenty-eight. He had given two to his slave, Dominic, when he’d freed him and sent him on his way earlier in the day
.
Gave those precious coins to a slave as if they were nothing? I could not bear it. I struck him in the heart with my dagger over and over until the blood ran red on the dirt floor. Then I dragged him out into the field along with his accursed family. It took several hours, but I mounted them all on crosses I’d made from tearing down the fencing. Then I lit the crosses and watched the crucifixes burn through the night
.
Burn Blasphemers. Glory unto Judas
.
But I could not risk returning to Jerusalem. The soldiers would be after me as soon as the potter and his family were found. I had let my anger be known by the priests. I could not even risk taking the coins in case they were found on me if I was captured. I sealed the coins along with Ezra’s copy of the writ of sale for that cursed Field of Blood in a fine alabaster bottle I had brought to hold the sacred coins. Then I fled north to leave all those hypocrites and liars behind me so that I could start a new life serving my holy master
.
“He sealed the coins in a bottle?” Jane shook her head as she looked up from the laptop at Lina. “Then we’re out of luck. Too fragile. The coins wouldn’t stand a chance of surviving since that time.” She frowned. “Or maybe they would. Some vases and dishes survived in the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. I remember seeing them while I was on digs when I was in college.”
“It depends on where he put the bottle.” Lina was smiling faintly. “And I think that there is a chance. Later in the document he talks of planning to go back and retrieve his holy coins. He gives exact directions to where he placed the bottle.”
Jane’s eyes widened. “Exact?”
Lina nodded. “Yes. This field he’s talking about isn’t the one where they take tourists. It’s too far north. And he buried the bottle deep in the clay in a cave on the south perimeter bordering the property. That was probably why it was forbidden for anyone to break the seal on his holy tablet. He didn’t want anyone else to know how to find the Judas coins. He never got around to going back for the pouch himself, but he wasn’t going to let any of his followers go after them and get all the glory.”
“He mentioned a writ of sale. If it specifically refers to them as the coins given to Judas, that would document the coins.” She grimaced. “But that would be expecting too much.”
“Not necessarily. Documents during that period could be very explicit. If the priests had refused the return of the Judas money, I’d think they’d be even more certain to have the writ very clear about whose money was being used for this purchase. It would be a form of self-justification. We’ll have to see.” She got to her feet. “But right now I’m going to go to bed and get some sleep. I feel so tired, I’m numb. Read the rest of the translation, and we’ll discuss it later.”
“It shouldn’t take me long.” She was scrolling down the pages on the computer. “It’s very clean. You’ve done a great job.”
“I know. I always do.” She was opening the door. “Which proves I’m not a sex toy who is only good for having babies. Imagine that. I will call you when I wake.”
“Yes,” she said absently as she scanned the text before her. “Sleep well.”
She was barely aware of the door’s closing as she continued
reading. The contents of the tablet were ugly, disjointed, and definitely unbalanced. It gave the general rules of Hadar’s Church of Judas, including the yearly sacrifices to be offered to honor him. He had set himself up as a high priest, and evidently the first sacrifices were people in the village who opposed or suspected him. Later, during Hadar’s control of the religion, the sacrifices were chosen by Hadar and his acolytes for their worthiness to ascend to Judas.
She shivered as she remembered her dream of the young boy being sacrificed in the temple. Hadar was a terrible man who had spawned an even-more-terrible cult.
She quickly skimmed through the sacrifices to the section where Hadar was considering going back for the Judas coins. She felt excitement stirring. Exact directions, indeed . . .
Why was she getting excited? Hell, for all she knew that cave could have been bulldozed to the ground and become a major highway. Yet what if that cave was still there?
Her gaze lifted and she stared out at the pink and lavender clouds clustered in the sky outside the window signaling the coming dawn.
What if?
Opportunity. Far-fetched but not totally impossible.
And she’d never know unless she went to see for herself.
She reached for her phone and dialed Caleb. “That helicopter you told me you could have here in fifteen minutes? Call him and tell him to come.”
JOCK WAS STANDING IN THE FOYER
when Jane came down the stairs fifteen minutes later. “I know there’s no use trying to talk you out of this. But this isn’t going to be a walk in the park.”
“No, hopefully it’s going to be a walk in a field.” She smiled as she headed for the door. “I’m glad to see you. I told Caleb we needed you, but I wasn’t sure he’d ask you to come with us.”
“I may object to his methods, but not his intelligence. He said that he’d have no problem coming to an understanding with MacDuff’s security guards, but he was concerned about interference on a higher level. To leave here, he knew that he would have to deal with me or MacDuff since this castle is an armed camp. He prefers the devil he knows.” He shrugged as he opened the door for her. “And it only means that I’ll have to do the dealing with MacDuff when we get back.” He glanced at her. “But I’d rather deal with MacDuff than Eve. Did you tell her?”
“She knew I’d probably be leaving today. Not that we were going to Jerusalem.”
“You’re quibbling.”
“Yes, I am. I’ll tell her once we’re under way.” She moved past the fountain toward the courtyard gates. “Okay, so I’m a coward. I didn’t want her trying to go with us. I didn’t want to worry her until I had to do it.”
“Because you knew this is a crazy idea.”
“It’s actually less dangerous going after the coins than it would be directly confronting Roland or Millet.”
“As long as they don’t manage to follow us.” His gaze went to the hills. “They’re out there. They’ll know we’re leaving.”
“We change to a private jet in Edinburgh, and you call Venable and make sure that the pilot doesn’t have to file a flight plan to Tel Aviv. Make certain the only person Venable tells anything about this trip is Joe. We won’t even tell the pilot the destination until we’re in the air.”
“And once we’re in Tel Aviv? The Israelis are tough customers, and they’re not going to let us stroll around the area without keeping
an eye on us. There are checkpoints and unbelievable security. And what about the Palestinians? They’re likely to blow us up just on general principles. Even taking Millet and Roland out of the equation, it’s still crazy.”
“If we didn’t have Caleb, it would be crazy. With Caleb, it’s marginally possible.”
“If he doesn’t lose it and start a blood binge.” He shook his head. “Even you don’t trust him.”
“I trust him . . . sometimes.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
“He won’t do anything to get us killed. He’ll help us to the best of his ability to get Millet and Roland. That has to be enough for me right now.” She could see Caleb standing at the helipad, and her pace quickened. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before everyone in the castle wakes up. We’ve got to be on that helicopter and away within a few minutes. The noise is bound to wake the household.” Her mind was working at top speed. “And I’ll need to type those directions in Hadar’s tablet into the Internet and Google it. I have to pull up a map of the area as it was during the time of Christ, then superimpose a current map on top of it. It was a clay potter’s field, so the topography might be a help. No, that’s only contour. I’ll have to find something else. I want to see if I can bring up a match anywhere around Jerusalem.”
“It’s possible,” Jock said thoughtfully. “The Internet satellites have amazing map capability.”
“That’s what I’m hoping. Once we’ve zeroed in on a site, we can get Venable to scope out the area and find a way to get us to that field. Tell him we want to be met in Tel Aviv and that I want a .38 Special revolver.”
“To go treasure hunting?”
“No, I’m just tired of not having a weapon with these scumbags
after us. I was beginning to envy Lina her AK-47. I’ll also need a backpack, some kind of heavy protective wrapping, magnifying glass, a small sifter shovel, a brush, and tweezers. Maybe a spoon.”
“A spoon?”
“That’s what I used when I went on archaeological digs when I was in college. A spoon is gentle and controllable and less likely to do damage.”
“All these preparations. It may all be for nothing, you know.”
“And we may hit the jackpot. If we get our hands on those Judas coins, we’ll have a lure that Roland won’t be able to resist.”
“That’s all it means to you?” Jock asked curiously. “Those coins are a treasure that will be worth billions if there’s any authentication at all.”
“What would I do with billions? I don’t need it. Would it make me a better artist? It would just get in the way. I could give it to Eve and Joe, but they get along just fine.” She shook her head. “MacDuff is the only one interested in treasure or anything else that would preserve his precious castle.”
He nodded. “MacDuff would definitely make use of any spare billions that he could beg, borrow, or steal.”
“Then he can work on finding his family treasure.” Her lips tightened grimly. “I have a use for the Judas coins.”
“SHE LEFT MACDUFF’S RUN
by helicopter fifteen minutes ago,” Millet said when Roland picked up the phone. “She was with Jock Gavin and Caleb.”
“What direction? Edinburgh?”
“Yes. But they might change directions,” Millet said. “She only took a small duffel. She may come back.”
“And she may not. She’s had time to have that tablet translated. She could be going after the coins. You’ve lost her again, dammit.”
“What could I do? There were all kinds of security guards watching from the castle, and they know we’re here in the hills. We might have been able to take her down, but I won’t do that. I have to have her for the Offering.”
“Then you’d better find a way to get hold of her damn quick. We’re running out of time.”
“Go screw yourself. I’ll get her. I’ve called my man in Edinburgh and told him to get out to the airport and locate that helicopter and find out if they’re changing to another flight. And I haven’t been sitting here just twiddling my thumbs looking at that castle. There are still ways to pull her into the net. Eve Duncan is
still there at the castle, and I think I know a way to get beyond those security guards all around her.”