The Cross of Sins (34 page)

Across the Seine she saw a camera flashing madly.

Elsa didn't care.

She was alive.

She had the blueprint.

And before Gaspard could find her, she picked herself up and limped hurriedly away into the stormy Parisian night.

Back in the bell tower, Gaspard smiled and proudly blew the smoke from the snout of his gun. From now on, he'd read those thriller novels in a whole new light. He may have intentionally misfired every bullet from his pistol, but that night, the mysterious
femme fatale
called Elsa, that dangerous dame of Notre Dame, had made him a man!

"And whose ingenious idea was it to try to steal the tapestry in the first place?"

Arms crossed, the Professor was pacing back and forth in front of his boys who were sitting on the stone floor of the dungeon, their backs to the cold rock wall. At first none of them said a word, they merely exchanged glances like boarding school boys who had been caught smoking behind the bicycle shed.

Then, with a heavy sigh, Jake stood.

"I can't tell a lie." He pointed. "It was Will."

"What!" Will shrieked. "It was him!"

Jake shook his head. "Will, one day you'll be old enough to admit you were wrong and take some responsibility for your actions."

"Professor! Don't listen to him!"

Shane joined in the joke. "Will, its okay to make mistakes sometimes."

"Hey, at least I didn't smash a Ming vase!"

The Professor gasped. "A Ming vase!"

Suddenly, over the yelling and mud-slinging that quickly escalated, Eden heard a clang on the other side of the dungeon wall. "Shh! Shh! Did you guys hear that?"

Everyone fell silent and listened to the unmistakable sound of a latch turning, a bolt sliding, and then the heavy sound of rock scraping against rock. Suddenly—

—a section of the dungeon wall slid open to reveal a secret doorway.

And standing in that doorway, her eyes bug-wide, skin bruised, mud up to her knees and her clothes drenched and tattered, stood a heaving, frazzled Elsa Strauss.

The boys jumped up and rushed to hug her.

"Elsa, we are glad to see you!"

"What happened to your clothes?"

"How'd you find us?"

To which Elsa's only reply was, "What?"

The Professor made his way over to her. "Elsa, are you all right?"

Elsa stared at him blankly and shouted, "What did you say?"

The Professor shouted back. "I said you look terrible! Are you all right?"

With her wide dazed eyes, Elsa replied loudly, "Did you say something? All I can hear is bells."

"Oh, dear," the Professor muttered. "Gentlemen, I think we've overstayed our welcome here. The tapestry will have to wait for another day. In the meantime, I suggest we make our exit now, before Mr. Vanderbilt returns."

Gently, Luca and Shane took Elsa by the arms and all seven of them made their way back down the secret tunnel that Elsa had located. Their feet splashed through puddles as they headed for the flares of lightning at the end of the passage. And all the while Elsa's bellowing voice echoed off the stone walls.

"Who's ringing the bells?"

"Nobody's ringing the bells, Elsa."

"When will they stop ringing the bells?"

"Nobody's ringing the bells," the Professor told her. "And try to keep your voice down."

"What?" Elsa shouted.

"I said—oh, never mind."

From the Secret Files of Fathom's Five...

Who is Jake Stone?

Although born and bred in New York City, the world is now Jake Stone's playground of mystery and trouble!

At 28 years of age, Jake has scoured the planet uncovering ancient relics and rare artifacts, hired by merciless millionaires to build their own personal collections, expanding the wealth of their priceless belongings. But now, under the guidance and wisdom of Professor Fathom, Jake is about to understand the true value of belonging.

With a furrowed brow of bravery, a glint of glory in his piercing blue eyes and one determined hand clawing at his spiky black hair, Jake Stone is always ready to plunge headlong into action and adventure—and if Professor Fathom has anything to do with it, he'll be the latest addition to Fathom's Five!

Who is Dr. Eden Santiago?

Born and raised in the slums of Rio de Janiero, Brazil, 27-year-old Eden Santiago rejected a life of crime and corruption on the streets to put himself through college, becoming a doctor in not only biology, but also genetics and forensics. His studies also make him an expert in botany and toxicology.

Sensible and sexy, grounded and gorgeous, Eden has proven himself time and time again as Professor Fathom's right-hand man. Professor Fathom entrusts Eden to keep the team together; he has often considered Eden a younger version of himself—calm, collected, clever and calculated in his approach to their missions. Yet Eden possesses a compassion that may one day be his downfall.

With his shimmering brown skin, his heart-melting Latino tongue, his trim shaved head and his perfect body, Dr. Eden Santiago is the cornerstone of Professor Fathom's team.

Who is Shane Houston?

His short-cropped blond hair peeks out from under his cowboy hat, his mouth is always twirled in a cheeky grin, and his manners are impeccable: Shane Houston is the essential Texas gentlemen and animal lover—with a bad boy's love of action and adventure!

At 25 years of age, Shane is a renowned cartographer with a sense of space and distance considered uncanny by many—but handy to the Fathom's Five team. After leaving his family ranch (and his beloved mother, Gertrude) at the age of 18, Shane moved from one ranch-hand's job to another until Professor Fathom caught wind of his unparalleled cartography skills.

With a heart as big as Texas—and a sense of fun and adventure to match—Shane Houston is Fathom's Five's untamed cowboy with compassion! It's time to hold on tight for a wild, wild ride!

Who is Luca da Roma?

Twenty-six years ago, a baby boy was left in a basket on the doorstep of the convent of Santa Maria del Mare in Tuscany. There was a note pinned to the baby's blanket explaining that he had no name and was a bastard child, born in the ghettoes of Rome. Around his neck was a small crucifix on a silver chain. No markings. No engraving. No clue as to who this child could be.

When the kindly Sister Eva discovered the baby on the doorstep, the morning sun was shining on the child's face. She took him in, and the three nuns living at the convent named him Luca da Roma—the Light of Rome.

Now, with his tousled brown hair, his catwalk looks and his timelessly beautiful Italian Renaissance body, Luca da Roma is himself a work of art, as well as being an expert on the subject—both ancient and modern—and as such is one of the greatest assets in Professor Fathom's team.

But Luca will not rest until he discovers the secrets of his past:

Who were his parents?

Why did they abandon him?

And who is the clown known only as Valentino?

Who is Will Hunter?

College is a bore... unless it helps 19-year-old Will Hunter solve some of the deadliest secrets in Archeological History. When he's not on the field earning his stripes as a college quarterback, Will is being tutored by his hunky Ancient History Professor, Nathan James. And what he learns behind the closed doors of Professor James' office—with his pants down and his legs spread—Will puts into practice, solving deadly mysteries and finding the clues to ancient relics lost or hidden for thousands of years.

Always ready for action, the blond tousle-haired student is the son of a wealthy diplomat—Charles Hunter—who has left Will to grow up under the guidance of his loyal butler: the prim, proper and much-loved Felix Fraser.

Born with a need for speed and undeniably the bad boy of this sexy bunch, Will Hunter is without a doubt the wild child of Fathom's Five!

Who is Professor Fathom?

Professor Fathom is a man with a dream: a dream that all gay men and women will one day share the same rights and respect as everyone else. It is a dream realized through his quest to obtain ancient treasures, right age-old wrongs, and uncover the truth behind some of the most dangerous mysteries of all time.

Now in his sixties—and rendered blind by an accident some 40 years ago—the fate of Professor Fathom's quest lies in the hands of five daring gay thrill-seekers: Luca da Roma, an Italian model and art expert; Dr. Eden Santiago, a Brazilian biologist; Shane Houston, a Texas cowboy and skilled cartography; Will Hunter, college quarterback and ancient history major; and hunky New Yorker Jake Stone, adventurer-for-hire.

Steered by Professor Fathom's wisdom and driven by his passion to uncover the deadliest of secrets, Fathom's Five—as they have become known—will stop at nothing to solve these ancient mysteries, unearth vital treasures, follow the clues and bring justice to the world!

Available Now

THE RIDDLE OF THE SANDS

The clock is ticking!

A rare and deadly poison is slowly threading its way through Sam's bloodstream and his only hope of survival lies with Fathom's Five.

Blackmailed by the vengeful Pierre Perron, Professor Fathom's team of gay adventure-hunters must use all their knowledge, wit, strength and skills to uncover the legendary Riddle of the Sands to save Sam's life.

But what is the Riddle of the Sands? Where are the long-lost clues and hidden maps that lead to its whereabouts? Is it a myth, a mirage, or the greatest engineering feat in the history of ancient Egypt?

From Paris to Brazil, from the icy plains of Siberia to the dusty streets of Cairo, from the valleys of the Nile to the deepest, darkest secrets of the Amazon, join New York adventurer Jake Stone, Brazilian biologist Eden Santiago, Texas cowboy Shane Houston, Italian art expert Luca da Roma, and Californian college quarterback Will Hunter in the heroic adventures, hunky sex and hot, high-octane action of
The Riddle of the Sands
.

Available Now

THE CURSE OF THE DRAGON GOD

China—a land of ancient wonders. A history filled with tradition, triumph and tyranny. And now, as it casts a shadow across the entire globe, this once forbidden country will awaken as the dominant force in a new world economy.

Business empires will rise, deals will be made, lives will be lost as money changes hands, but one treasure will remain the most precious in all of China: a diamond known as the Eye of Fucanglong, the Dragon God of lost jewels and buried treasures. The diamond is flawless. It is priceless. It is cursed. And it is about to be stolen in the heist of the century.

Can Professor Fathom's team of gay adventure-seekers find the diamond before this perfectly-executed crime leads to a cataclysmic event of mass destruction?

From the towers of Hong Kong to the diamond mines of Shandong; from the streets of San Francisco to the deserts of Dubai to the male strip clubs of Beijing; from China's mystical past, to the boardrooms and backrooms of a modern industrial giant, take the high road to China and join in the sizzling action and page-turning adventure of
The Curse of the Dragon God
.

Coming Soon

THE TEMPLE OF TIME

There is a civilization that once vanished without a trace. There is a calendar that predicts the end of time. There is a fragile fraternity that protects the most important secret in human history. And there is one man who will destroy everything and anyone to know the truth—his name is Caro Sholtez.

He has the first piece of the most powerful mythical clock in the world, and the only person who can stop him from reaching his lifetime's goal is Professor Fathom. And so it seems to Caro Sholtez that distractions, kidnappings, killings, are necessary to disperse the Professor's men to prevent them from stopping him from finding the one thing he wants—the power to control the passage of Time.

From the landmarks of London to the cobblestoned streets of Prague, from the markets of Marrakesh to the pot parlors of Amsterdam, from the chaotic crowds of Mexico City to the very cradle of Mayan civilization, join New York adventurer Jake Stone, Brazilian biologist Eden Santiago, Texas cowboy Shane Houston, Italian art expert Luca da Roma, and Californian college quarterback Will Hunter on their greatest adventure yet—
The Temple of Time
.

One will be betrayed.

One will turn his back on everyone he loves.

And for one, the Fathom's Five journey will end—forever.