Read Matt Drake 14 - The Treasures of Saint Germain for Free Online Page A

a single bed with a coffee-stained top sheet, a wardrobe with enough room for two T-shirts and a shower that might just be large enough for a dog. Webb thought of the grand hotel rooms he’d stayed in, the sumptuous suites and world-class service. Oh, to fall so low in the name of the Count. The fever burned bright within him. Twenty four hours had passed since he came here and he hadn’t even embarked upon the dark prowl. But as he looked out the window, plenty of candidates showed their true colors.
    It didn’t matter though. With the lab almost certainly discovered all else could wait. The problem remained though . . . this so-called group. Would they beobserving the lab?
    Of course. If they had seen him at the castle and the palace, they’d obviously be at every stage. But how did they know about these places without access to the scroll? Was there another tributary in existence that led to the vast pool of mystery surrounding Saint Germain? Or was it something else . . . ?
    Webb made dire instant coffee and sat again, patient as the sun lowered across the skies. Enquiries were still ongoing but, so far, the group appeared to be well funded protectors of Saint Germain’s greatest treasures. Probably wanted them all for themselves. Assholes. But they wouldn’t stop him now. Nobody would. Webb remembered the attentions of Hayden Jaye and her mountainous boyfriend, of Matt Drake and his vulgar girlfriend, and of the highly capable Beauregard Alain. It wouldn’t take them long to jump on the trail. Webb had lingered thus far, enjoying the freedoms and joys of the quest, but could afford to do so no longer.
    To the end.
    The sun sank lower. Webb could see the Eiffel Tower if he leaned at an awkward angle across his grime-spattered window. The Champs-Elysees was within walking distance. More information had trickled down to his tablet now regarding the organization he now thought of as “the group”. It seemed there were several societies or bodies or cults around the world who believed in the existence of beings called Ascended Masters. Webb had yet to be informed of the exact meaning, but this group believed Saint Germain was a member of that ultra-exclusive set. As he waited, though, and perused the new information, time ran out.
    Darkness fell.
    Not at all deterred by the events in Versailles or his almost-certain public reveal to the authorities, he collected everything he would need to break into the residence and search for what he was sure would still be there. The ironic thing was, the group’s presence so far only confirmed and strengthened his resolve. It showed he was on the right track, from reading the scroll to deciphering the codes and clues.
    Thank you, group.
    Webb exited the room, taking all his belongings and not expecting to return. The street outside was quiet and dark, and he turned in the direction of the Champs Élysées, knowing his route and not too concerned yet about concealed eyes. The building in question had been transformed many times during the last two hundred and fifty years but was currently a vacation rental home, upper scale, set around a small courtyard filled with trees, benches and a paved, meandering path. It took Webb eight minutes to walk there.
    Approaching wasn’t easy; there were no easy ways to reach the front door and the side entrances bordered on a well-lit side road. Webb sauntered at first, then sped up past the green area. The blueprint in his head should lead him straight to the area of the house in which Germain’s lab was located, well below ground level, his major concern that someone had tampered with it in the last few centuries.
    Of course, that seemed less likely now with the radical group involved at every step—hopefully there would have been people of influence observing the changes to Germain’s residences down the years and discreetly ensuring certain areas were left untouched. He guessed this could probably be achieved in any number of ways—from