The Stanford Research Center was indifferent to Bella's proposal to search for ancient Christian sites.
They received eight hundred similar research applications every year.
While The Da Vinci Code has performed well among ordinary readers—holding the top spot on sales charts for six consecutive months now—the academic establishment saw things differently. In their eyes, what did a young woman like her know? They had decades more experience than she did! She hadn't paid her respects to them, hadn't submitted her manuscript for their review, hadn't added their names as co-authors—she'd just published it herself!
This showed blatant disrespect for academic seniors! The scholarly community's criticism hadn't stopped since the book's release.
Professor Charles had called specifically to tell her not to get worked up and to resolve everything within proper channels.
Bella felt thoroughly humiliated by the attacks. After The Hunger Games was published, the academic mockery and ridicule became a daily occurrence.
She wasn't about to send Triangle Head or Jason to wipe them out, but she was definitely annoyed.
You say I lack academic credentials? Fine—I'll produce something with real academic value!
The Jordan Lead Codices were what she'd dug up from her memories specifically to prove them wrong.
The Research Center tried to dissuade her twice, but seeing her determination, they stopped interfering.
If she found something, everyone would be happy. If she didn't, no big deal—Stanford had deep pockets. Compared to the expenses of science labs, humanities research was extremely modest. How much could a trip to Israel possibly cost?
Go ahead!
Bella's Israel expedition had two purposes.
First, to make a name for herself and prove her critics wrong. To make her books sell even better, she needed greater fame. The more those senile academics hated it, the happier she'd be.
Second, she needed to meet with 006. The investigation into the truth behind Prosperity Town had yielded some leads, but it was too complicated to explain over the phone.
The expedition team consisted of the same trio as before—Bella, Barbara, and Heather—though after careful consideration and a vote, they also brought along Barbara's boyfriend-to-be, Sam Winchester.
Having a man in the group would make certain things more convenient.
Since everything was covered by research funding anyway, why not go? They could treat it like a vacation! Despite studying philosophy, Sam cheerfully agreed to come along.
They first flew to Washington D.C. to attend a briefing on Middle East protocols.
State Department officials repeatedly emphasized key points: don't casually comment on local religious customs, don't assume everyone believes in God just because you do—some people don't!
America wasn't the center of the world. When you needed to keep a low profile, you kept a low profile.
Their destination was Israel's largest freshwater lake—though the Israelis stubbornly insisted on calling it a sea: the Sea of Galilee. Call it a lake and they'd get upset.
The Sea of Galilee measured 21 kilometers long, 13 kilometers wide, with a total area of 166 square kilometers and a depth of 48 meters. Even with a magnifying glass, you couldn't find this freshwater lake on a world map.
This place—called a sea but actually a lake—sat at the border junction of Israel, Jordan, and Syria. Not far to the east lay the Golan Heights, which frequently appeared in news reports with constant gunfire...
The area had plenty of tourist attractions: Mount Hermon, the Gamla Nature Reserve, Hamat Gader hot springs. However, ordinary people didn't dare visit.
They flew from New York to Cairo, Egypt, then traveled by road to Alexandria, took a ship across the Eastern Mediterranean, and landed in Tel Aviv, Israel, for rest and resupply.
The U.S. military would provide a four-person squad to escort them through their research mission.
The escort service wasn't free, of course. How Stanford handled the payment was Stanford's business—nothing to do with Bella.
The four fully-armed American soldiers were led by a Black sergeant.
After confirming their identities and realizing they weren't just tourists, the sergeant grimaced. He hated these kinds of missions—rich kids from back home with nothing better to do, running around everywhere! Did they have any idea how harsh the outside world was?
Their appearance didn't help either—they were too good-looking, clearly not the type who could handle hardship.
Despite his displeasure, he maintained a professional attitude: "I'm Sergeant Sam Wilson from the 58th Airborne Division. My team and I will escort you through your research mission."
Sam Wilson? Bella looked the sergeant up and down. Was this Falcon? She couldn't be certain—there were too many Americans with that name.
She shook Wilson's hand cordially. In a place full of gunfire, having U.S. military escort made things considerably easier.
According to her research, the Jordan Lead Codices were buried on a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee from the east. That location was in Jordanian territory and very close to the Golan Heights.
Sam Wilson examined their route map with some surprise.
These supposed rich kids actually had a military map—far more professional than the group of young men and women he'd escorted before who just wanted to party at the Sea of Galilee.
Barbara's concise, efficient briefing raised his opinion of them even higher.
"Miss, have you served in the military?"
"...No, but four generations of my family have been in the military." Barbara spoke with considerable pride.
Going to a dangerous place like the Golan Heights definitely required weapons.
Out here in the middle of nowhere, gun permits weren't an issue. Sam asked them, "Do any of you know how to use weapons?"
Bella certainly did. She casually picked up an M9 and fired three shots at a distant target—all bullseyes.
Barbara matched her performance exactly.
Sam Winchester had received demon hunter training since childhood. Though years of academic study had made him rusty, he could still score sixes and sevens out of ten.
Heather was the weakest! She had little talent for shooting, but years of carrying heavy objects had given her strong upper body strength. Uncle Hogarth had also trained her, so her current level was slightly below Sam's, but not by much.
Their impressive performance left Sam Wilson slack-jawed. Were ordinary civilians back home really this good with guns?
Especially watching them smoothly tuck the handguns into the small of their backs—Sam wanted to ask: why are you so practiced at this?
...
The Tel Aviv metropolitan area had a population of three million, including nearby cities like Bat Yam, Holon, and Ramat Gan. It was Israel's second-largest urban center after Jerusalem.
Unlike Jerusalem, which attracted too much attention, Tel Aviv was beautifully built with a comfortable climate. Its nighttime skyline looked no different from major American cities. Under the night sky, there was sweet romance, but also bloodshed and conflict.
Bella planned to spend three days in Tel Aviv—partly to gather supplies, partly to wait for 006 to meet up with her. But he didn't show up the first day, or the second... Where had he gone?