National Treasure

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I slammed my hand down onto the alarm, silencing the painful noise that has caused my head to pound. Well the alarm and the night of drinking probably didn’t help. I climbed out of bed and jumped into the shower; I washed my hair and got into my first uniform for the day. A coffee shop at the corner of my street, one of my many day jobs. I also worked in a sandwich shop and a bar later on. Sometimes I deliver papers, it depends if Carl turns up or not. I pull my long brown hair into a messy bun and grab my phone and purse and out of the door I go. I check the time and see that I have five minutes before I have to be in. I stop at the bagel van outside my apartment. Living in DC is good, depending on the area you live in. I live in the rough part as I never went to university. All because of the family name. ‘Gates’ is seen as mud in the academic field, I could have majored in History or languages but they wouldn’t accept me but they had accepted Ben a couple of years before. So here I am 24 years old with 3 jobs and I haven’t seen my Brother in years, and I haven’t spoken to Mum in months, Dad sends me money every now and then but apart from that I have no contact with any of them.

“Hey Johnny, I’ll have a bacon bagel please” I tell him and he starts to prepare it.

“How are you Lisa? I see that you are early for work today” He chats to me before he hands me my bagel.

“Yeah, and I couldn’t pass an opportunity to get an amazing bagel from my true love” I smile up at the 60 year old man and he begins to laugh.

“Ok, sweetheart and put that money away it’s on the house, if I can’t give my soul mate a free bagel then who can you give it to?”  He jokes as I walk off towards work.

“Lisa phone for you!” My boss shouts and throws the phone across to me, it is almost closing time so I decide to sneak off to the back to take the call.

“Lisa speaking” I talk down the phone and the voice that comes from the other end shocked me to the core.

“Hey Little Lisa, It’s Big Benny here” Is he serious?

“Ben! We haven’t called each other those names for years!” I exclaim down the phone and hear Ben chuckle and a laugh that doesn’t belong to him.

“Ok Ben lets skip the formalities, what do you want” I ask while grabbing a bottle of water.

“Pleasant as always Lisa”

“I know you want something so what is it that you want?”

“I found her Lisa, I found the Charlotte” He tells me. I feel my heart stop for a moment.

“You actually found her? Wait... the Charlotte... she was a ship!” I laugh for joy. He did it, after years of searching Ben found it.

“Yes and she was beautiful, but she was blown up, I’ll explain that later but for now I need your help with the next clue” He tells me. Blown up? Later he said he’d tell me later.

“Another clue, Ben, I will be happy to help but I can’t leave DC so you’ll have to come here” I tell him.

“Actually I was planning on coming we will be at the airport in a couple of hours, oh and me and my... assistant need a place to stay so I am assuming it’s ok to stay at yours” He tells me.

“Ben my place is tiny, it is hardly big enough for me never mind another two people” I tell him with a sigh.

“We’ll think of something when we land, see you in 3 hours at gate 5. Love you, see you soon bye!” He says and then the connection goes dead.

“Hey boss! I have to leave early my brother is coming for a visit, see you later!” I shout and grab my jacket and head off home to do some tidying up.

Ben told me three hours, it is now four. Stupid plane was delayed. Here I am standing in the middle of an airport with a coffee that is too hot to drink and a magazine that I picked up off an empty seat. I hear a noise and look up to see people coming through the gate, I wonder if Ben will recognise me. I have changed dyed my hair brown rather than its natural blonde but apart from I haven’t changed.

I hear the flight being called in. I stand up and make my way towards the gate. I see Ben coming through the gate and I run and tackle him a big hug. I have missed my big brother over the last few years.

“Ben, it’s so great to see you. I have missed you so much over the last few years” I tell him while taking a step back.

“I have missed you too Elisabeth” Ben chuckles as I glare at him for using my full name.

“Elisabeth meet my assistant Riley Poole, Riley my sister Elisabeth” When Ben says the name i’m sure my heart stopped. He was the last person I expected to see. My ex-boyfriend, the man who left to go on some silly adventure and left me with all the bills.

“You left to go with Ben?!” I shout at him.

“Wait you two know each other?” Ben asks us while picking his bag up and heads towards the door. Riley and I follow and I lead the way to my car.

“Yes Ben we know each other, you remember my boyfriend...” I begin.

“The one who left you to go off on a treasure hun... OH!” Ben says as he looks between Riley and me again. I climb into the car and watch as Ben starts to talk to Riley, I would have put the window down but I can guess that he is giving Riley the big brother talk.

“Well what are we waiting for” Ben asks as he climbs into the car.

I carry the tray of tea and coffee through to the front room and take a seat. Ben and Riley have just finished telling me about finding the Charlotte. He explained all about Ian, the man who gave a generous donation.  How they found the ship and then how this Ian and his men threatened to kill them but then they blew up the ship anyway. He also told me that Ian and his men are going to steal the Declaration of Independence.

“Ben the clue, does it definitely lead to the Declaration?” I ask him while sorting out some spare sheets for the couch. Ben and Riley are staying here tonight as they think that Ian is tracking them. 

“Hey, Lisa can I talk to you?” Riley asks while taking the pile of sheets out of my hands.

“Later Riley, I need to hear the clue” I tell him and walk towards Ben.

“The clue said; The legend writ, The stain affected, The key in silence undetected. Fifty five iron pen, Mr Matlack can’t offend” He tells me while pulling the cushions off my couch.

“Wait! I can solve this. Let’s see. The legend is the legend of the Templar treasure, the stain affects the legend. The key in silence undetected. A map! Maps have legends and maps have keys! It’s an invisible map. So the stain affect could refer to a dye or reagent used to bring about a certain result, combined with the key in silence undetected. Wait! The iron pen. The ink does not describe the pen but the ink... The ink does not describe what was in the pen, it describes what was penned. It was iron; it was firm no, no, no. It was firm and adamant. It was resolved, Mr. Matlack can’t offend, Timothy Matlack was the official scribe of the continental congress, Calligrapher not writer. To make sure he couldn’t offend the map, it was put on the back of a resolution that he transcribed, a resolution that 55 men signed. The Declaration of Independence! I get it! It is the Declaration!” I shout to Ben who in return smiles at me.

“Well done for solving a clue that we already solved” Riley muttered under his breath and so I threw his pillow at him.

“We need to stop them Ben, we can go to the FBI tomorrow, I hope you have smart clothes with you because you are going to need it” I tell them before walking to my room.

“Night boys!” I shout and get various replies. I walk into the bathroom and stare in the mirror. I need to get a grip! It’s just Riley, he was a complete jerk to you! You are over him! He doesn’t deserve you! I tell myself while walking back to bed. Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow, it was just the shock of seeing him again.

Hey guys after just posting the prologue I have reached 413 on Adventure! Thank you all so much! Please comment and Vote for the next chapter! Now I am on the list I really want to stay there!

Thankyou sooo much!!!

Indie X