Dr. Martinez shook his head. “Not until you tell me you’ll protect my family.”
Trey glared at Dr. Martinez with intensity. “Tell us what Truman sent Bill Harris.”
Brooks walked over. “The cops are giving us a minute, but not long.”
Nash filled him in.
Brooks scowled at Dr. Martinez. “What can you tell us?”
“No.” He turned to Brooks. “I know you can guarantee me that you’ll protect my family. Give me your word.”
Brooks looked wary, then nodded. “Fine. I’ll make arrangements for protective custody. What did Truman send Bill Harris?”
Dr. Martinez looked tired. “I didn’t really understand it. Can I get it out of my pocket?”
Trey loosened his grip, allowing the professor to move. Dr. Martinez pulled out a folded paper, his hands trembling slightly as he offered it to Brooks.
Brooks took it, unfolded it, stared at it, then grimaced. “No way.”
“What?” everyone seemed to say at once.
Brooks held it out for the others to see.
Nash and Amy leaned forward, inspecting it. It was a hand-drawn picture of an island with a bird flying over it.
Marshall grunted. “That place has been searched. That doesn’t mean anything.”
Chance moved to inspect it more closely. “But wait, look at the bottom right corner. There’s a small symbol.”
“What is it?” Porter asked.
Nash peered at the corner of the page. There, almost too small to notice, was a tiny symbol: a broken arrow crossed with a palm leaf.
“It’s both symbols,” Amy breathed, her fingers hovering over the drawing. “The broken arrow and the palm leaf. They’re connected.”
Nash shook his head, his mind racing through the implications. “And maybe it never had anything to do with the Rockwell gold then?”
“It didn’t have anything to do with it,” Dr. Martinez said. “I took a page out of Bill’s notes that explicitly said this was the conquistador gold.”
“No.” Amy looked stunned.
Dr. Martinez shrugged. “I couldn’t tell anyone, I had to let you think it was something else.”
A police officer approached their group. “We need to process this scene and take statements.”
Trey cocked an eyebrow at Brooks. “These guys need to come with us.”
Brooks nodded. “Of course. These two men are being detained for questioning in connection with an ongoing federal investigation. I’ll be taking them into custody.”
The cop looked confused. “I don’t think so.”
Brooks whipped out his phone. “I’ll make a call now.”
Dr. Martinez’s shoulders slumped in what looked like relief rather than defeat.
Brooks said a few words and moments later the cop was answering his phone. He frowned. “Fine, take them,” he said to Brooks.
As the police began securing the area, Brooks pulled Nash, Amy, and the others aside. “I’m having some agents come get these two, but we need to get back to the house, regroup,” he said quietly. “This changes everything.”
