Chapter 51 Chapter Forty-Nine

Although André Vernet held the gun a little unnaturally, his eyes were firm.Therefore, Langdon felt that it was better not to take the risk of probing. Vernet pointed a gun at them from the back of the car and said, "I'm afraid I'll have to insist you do this. Put the box down." Sophie hugged the box to her chest: "You said you were friends with your grandfather." Vernet replied: "It is my duty to protect your grandfather's property. I am doing it. Now, put the box in the car." Sophie said loudly, "But my grandfather entrusted this to me!"

Vernet raised his gun and ordered: "Put it down." Sophie put the box at her feet. Vernet turned his gun on Langdon again. Vernet said: "Mr. Langdon, bring the box here. Pay attention, I let you take it because I can shoot you without hesitation." Langdon looked at the president, and couldn't believe what he was seeing. everything of. "Why are you doing this?" Vernet snapped, "Is that even a question?" He said succinctly in French-accented English, "Of course it's to protect the client's property." Sophie said, "But we're your customers now, too."

Vernet's face suddenly became hard and cruel. "Miss Neveu, I don't know how you got the keys and account number tonight, but there's clearly a dirty deal involved. If I knew you were guilty of such a crime, I wouldn't have taken you out of the bank." Sophie said, "I told you we had nothing to do with Grandpa's death!" Vernet looked at Langdon and said, "But why does the radio say you're wanted not only for killing Jacques Saunière, but for killing three others?" "What!" Langdon felt thunderous.Three other murders? That number shocked him far more than knowing he was a suspect.This cannot be a coincidence. "Three?" Langdon thought, looking at the rosewood box. "If the other three were murdered, Jacques Saunière would have no choice but to pass on the keystone."

Vernet said, "When I put you in the police station, the police will figure it out. I've got my bank in too deep." Sophie stared at Vernet and said, "You obviously didn't intend to send us to the police station, otherwise you would have sent us back to the bank. Instead, you brought us here and held us at gunpoint." "Your grandfather hired me to keep his property safe and keep it a secret. Therefore, no matter what is in this box, I don't want the police to take it for investigation and become evidence for their registration. Mr. Langdon , bring the box here."

Sophie shook her head and said, "Don't take it." There is a shot, and the bullet passes through the roof of the car above Langdon's head.A cartridge casing "whistled" into the compartment, echoing through the cargo hold. "Damn it!" Langdon was too scared to move. Vernet said more firmly, "Mr. Langdon, pick up the box." Langdon picked up the box. "Now, give me the box." Standing in the back of the car, Vernet thrust his gun into the cargo hold, aiming at Langdon's heart. Langdon took the box in his hands and moved toward the car door.

"I've got to do something!" Langdon thought. "I'm about to hand over the Priory's keystone!" The further Langdon moved toward the door, the more apparent his commanding position became.He began to figure out how to use this advantage.Although Vernet held the gun, it could only reach Langdon's knees. "Maybe I can kick the gun off with a flying kick?" Langdon thought.However, as Langdon approached the door, Vernet seemed to sense the danger posed by Langdon's position.He took a few steps back and stood six feet away.Langdon simply couldn't reach him.

Vernet ordered: "Put the box by the door." Langdon had no choice but to squat down and put the rosewood box on the door of the cargo hold. "Now, stand up." Langdon rose slowly.However, he suddenly found that the shell casing fell on the edge of the car door.He stopped. "Stand up and get out of that box." Langdon hesitated for a moment, staring at the iron threshold.He stood up slowly, and carefully moved the bullet casings to the door with his hands.Then he straightened up and stepped back. "Go back to the back of the car, face inside!" Langdon complied.

Vernet could feel his heart beating violently.He held the gun in his right hand, and reached for the wooden box with his left.But he found that the box was too heavy.Two hands required! Looking at his two captives, he calculated the risk.They were all fifteen feet away at the other end of the hold, and they were all facing in.Vernet made his decision.He quickly put the gun on the bumper, picked up the wooden box with both hands, put it on the ground, then quickly grabbed the gun and pointed it at the two people in the cargo hold.The two captives remained motionless.awesome.All you have to do now is close the door and lock it.He took a step forward, grabbed the car door, and pushed in.The door closed with a bang.Vernet hastily seized the bolt and tried to lock it.The latch slid a few inches and came to a sudden stop.I can't plug it in anymore.What happened? Vernet pushed in again, but the latch would not go in.The door won't close.Vernet panicked. He pushed the door from the outside to the inside hard, but he couldn't push it.Something must have stuck the door! So Vernet pushed the door in again with all his might, when it bounced outwards with a loud bang, hitting him hard in the face and knocking him down. fell to the ground.He felt a sharp pain in his nose.Vernet dropped the gun and covered his face with a stream of warm blood gurgling from his nose.

Langdon jumped to Vernet's side.Vernet struggled to stand up, but his head was dizzy, his eyes were dark, and he fell to the ground again with a "bang", only vaguely heard Sophie shouting.After a while, he felt dust and exhaust gas churning on his head, and heard the sound of tires hitting the gravel. He struggled to sit up, just in time to see the armored vehicle driving straight forward Go. Because the wheelbase between the two wheels is too large, the armored car turns very hard. The front bumper hits a tree with a sharp slam, and the top of the tree is bent. The bumper is also jacked off halfway. The armored car Dragging the crumbling bumper forward, he turned onto the road. The bumper rubbed against the ground and sent out dazzling sparks. Finally, the armored car disappeared into the night. Vernet looked at the place where he had parked. Although the moonlight was faint, but He knew it was empty.

The wooden box was taken away by them!