The Magdalene Reliquary by Gary McAvoy

Author:Gary McAvoy [McAvoy, Gary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Historical, General, Thrillers, Suspense
ISBN: 9780990837688
Google: LEMBzgEACAAJ
Amazon: B08P61ZNFK
Publisher: Empraxis LLC DBA Literati Editions
Published: 2020-12-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 31

Hana shivered less from the cave’s cold interior than from facing this new predicament. She turned to Dominic, whose jaw clenched with contempt for Gović and his thugs as their weapons made clear their intentions.

Gović and his men walked slowly into the hall, switching on their own helmet lights as they advanced toward the others.

“You saved us a great deal of work here, Father Dominic,” the Croat said in the self-satisfied manner of someone who had just changed the dynamics of a situation. “And what is it you found, may I ask?”

Dominic stepped forward in front of the others, his arms instinctively raised in protection of his friends, as if herding them behind him.

“You have no business here, Gović,” he asserted. “We are acting on behalf of the Church.”

Gović’s cold laughter echoed off the walls of the cavern. “So, you’re saying the four of you were officially sanctioned by the Vatican to conduct an archeological dig in France seeking an object belonging to Mary Magdalene? If so, they do business quite oddly these days.”

“What is it you want?” Dominic asked as Gović stopped right in front of him.

“For one thing, an eye for an eye.” In a flash, Gović quickly raised his pistol, slammed the butt of it down hard on the side of Dominic’s head. Dominic fell to the ground, his hand reaching for his neck as blinding pain incapacitated him.

“Michael!” Hana cried out, kneeling down to help him. Then looking up to Gović she said, “Stop it! There’s no need for violence. Take what you want and leave us alone.”

“Right on both counts,” Gović replied. “We will take what we want, and we will leave you, as you say, alone. Tie them up.”

As Gović’s men circled the group, Dengler and Lukas acted instinctively.

With Victor closest, Dengler snatched the larger man’s gun hand. He pushed Victor’s arm up with all the force he could muster as his elbow chopped his opponent’s windpipe. Momentarily stunned, Victor recovered almost instantly. Bigger and stronger than Dengler, he wrapped a powerful arm around the smaller man’s neck, ensnaring him in a firm choke hold. Dengler struggled, his legs thrashed to free himself. Victor snarled at his captive for the seven seconds it took for unconsciousness to drop Karl to the ground in a heap.

During the same time, Lukas had tackled Eric, wrestling him to the ground. But as they fell Eric’s gun fired. A deafening blast echoed in the cavern. The stray bullet hit Lukas’s forearm; he howled in pain as he lay on the cave floor. Eric stood up, found his ground, then aimed the pistol at Lukas’ head.

“NO! Stop!” Hana shouted. She rushed toward Lukas.

But Gović grabbed her, raising his pistol to her head. Dominic began to rise toward them.

“Stop, or I’ll kill her now!” Gović shouted at Michael, who froze in place. Eric and Victor looked at Gović. Jean-Claude snapped his head from one quick assault to the next, pointing his gun at no one in particular, waiting to see who would emerge the victor.

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