new, though. Someone did that to him recently. Im sorry? Sato looked unnerved for the first time since arriving. The hand is tattooed? Langdon nodded. canada goose heli arctic The thumb has a crown. And the index finger a star. Sato pulled out a pair of glasses and walked toward the hand, circling like a shark. Also, Langdon said, although you cant see the other three fingers, Im certain they will canada goose heli arctic have tattoos on the fingertips as well. Sato looked intrigued by the comment and motioned to Anderson. Chief, can you look at the other fingertips for us, please? Anderson crouched down beside the hand, being careful not to touch it. He put his cheek near the floor and looked up under the clenched fingertips. Hes right, maam. All of the fingertips have tattoos, although I cant quite see what the other A sun, a lantern,
and eyed the screen. Katherine Solomon felt a wave of relief to see the name on her iPhone. At last. PETER SOLOMON Its a text message from my brother, she said, glancing over at Trish. Trish looked hopeful. So maybe we should ask him about all this . . . before we call a hacker? Katherine eyed the redacted document on the plasma wall and heard Dr. Abaddons voice. That which your brother believes is hidden in D.C. . . . it can be found. Katherine had no idea what to believe a xx canada goose heli arctic xx nymore, and this document represented information about the far-fetched ideas with which Peter had apparently become obsessed. Katherine shook her head. I want to know who wrote this and where its located. Make the call. Trish frowned and headed for the door. Whether or not this document would be able to explain the
her clothing got heavier, she began to sink, slipping into the darkness. Bit by bit, Trish Dunnes body settled on top of the great beast. Malakh wiped his hands and replaced the Plexiglas lid, sealing the tank. Wet Pod has a new specimen. He retrieved Trishs key card from the canada goose heli arctic floor and sl canada goose heli arctic ipped it in his pocket: 0804. When Malakh had first seen Trish in the lobby, hed seen a liability. Then hed realized her key card and password were his insurance. If Katherines data-storage room was as secure as Peter had implied, then Malakh was anticipating some challenges persuading Katherine to unlock it for him. I now have my own set of keys. He was pleased to know he would no longer have to waste time bending Katherine to his will. As Malakh stood up straight, he saw his own reflection in the window
eyes to the shadow worlds of power. But what Nola had witnessed in the last twenty-four hours had changed her impressions forever of the secrets that powerful men kept. Yes, Director, Nola now said, cradling the phone on her shoulder as she talked to Sato. The engraving is indeed the Masonic cipher. However, the cleartext is meaningless. It appears to be a grid of random letters. She gazed down at her decryption. It must say something, Sato insisted. Not unless it has a second layer of encryption that Im not canada goose heli arctic aware of. Any guesses? Sato asked. Its a grid-based matrix, so I could run the usualVigenère, grilles, trellises, and so forthbut no promises, especially if its a onetime pad. Do what you can. And do it fast. How about the X-ray? Nola swiveled her chair to a seco canada goose heli arctic nd system, which
her brothers severed hand. You have to, Robert. She needs to know. Katherine? Langdon finally said, without opening his eyes. Are you okay? A tremulous, disembodied voice replied somewhere up ahead. Robert, the pyramid youre carrying. Its P canada goose heli arctic eters, isnt it? Yes, Langdon replied. A long silence followed. I think . . . that pyramid is why my mother was murdered. Langdon was well aw canada goose heli arctic are that Isabel Solomon had been murdered ten years ago, but he didnt know the details, and Peter had never mentioned anything about a pyramid. What are you talking about? Katherines voice filled with emotion as she recounted the harrowing events of that night, how the tattooed man had broken into their estate. It was a long time ago, but Ill never forget that he demanded a pyramid. He said he heard about the pyramid
Katherine Solomon would never make it out of the subway station. Over there! Simkins shouted to the pilot, pointing down at the King Street subway station across from the memorial. The pilot banked the helicopter and set it down on a grassy area at the foot of Shuters Hill. Pedestrians looked up in surprise as Simkins and his team piled out, dashed across the street, and ran down into King Street Station. In the stairwell, several departing passeng canada goose heli arctic ers leaped out of the way, plastering themselves to the walls as the phalanx of armed men in black thundered past them. The King Street Station was larger than Simkins had anticipated, apparently serving several different linesBlue, Yellow, and Amtrak. He raced over to the Metro map on the wall, found Freedom Plaza and the dir canada goose heli arctic ect line to this
Usually this meant a human form moving through a cool space, but what appeared on the monitor was more of a thermal cloud, a patch of canada goose heli arctic hot air drifting across the lawn. The pilot found the source, an active vent on the side of Cathedral College. Probably nothing, he thought. He saw these kinds of gradients all the time. Someone cooking or doing laundry. As he was about to turn away, though, he realized something odd. There were no cars in the parking lot and no lights on anywhere in the building. He studied the UH-60s imaging system for a long moment. Then he radioed down to his team leader. Simkins, its probably nothing, but . . . Incandescent temperature indicato canada goose heli arctic r! Langdon had to admit, it was clever. Its simple science, Katherine said. Different substances incandesce at different
thankfully, he could feel the breath-hold breakpoint arriving. The moment was upon him. Langdons lungs forced out their spent contents, collapsing in eager preparation to inhale. Still he held out an instant longer. His final second. Then, like a man no longer able to hold his hand to a burning stove, he gave himself over to fate. Reflex overruled reason. His lips parted. His lungs expanded. And the liquid came pouring in. The pain that filled his chest was greater than Langdon had ever imagined. The liquid burned as it poured into his lungs. Instantly, the pain shot upward into his skull, and he felt like his head was being crushed in a vise. There was great thundering in his ears, and through it all, Katherine S canada goose heli arctic olomon was screaming. There was a blinding flash of light. canada goose heli arctic And then blackness.