The Last Oracle by James Rollins Read Free Book Online

him out. Had he spotted Gray crossing the Mall and come out of hiding to intercept him?
    Gray dropped the binoculars into the lead-lined bag hung at his waist.
    “Let’s go.”
    Out of the copse of trees, Gray followed the trail west along Madison Drive to a set of steps.
    The trail turned up them.
    Gray lifted his head and found himself facing the Mall entrance to one of the Smithsonian’s most famous museums: the National Museum of Natural History. It housed a massive collection of artifacts from around the world—ecological, geological, and archaeological—ranging from tiny fossils to a full-scale T-rex.
    Gray craned his neck. The museum’s dome loomed above a triangular portico supported by six giant Corinthian pillars. Staring upward, he was suddenly struck by how much the museum’s facade looked like the Greek temple on the professor’s coin.
    Could there be a connection?
    Before he followed the trail inside, he knew he’d better report in with central command. Stepping off to the side, he leaned on the stone balustrade and switched on his encrypted radio. He reached Director Crowe immediately.
    “Have you found something?” Painter asked.
    Gray kept his voice to a faint whisper. “Looks like the professor’s trail leads inside the Smithsonian’s natural history museum.”
    “The museum…?”

    “I’ll continue the search inside. But was there any connection between him and this place?”
    “Not that I’m aware. But I’ll check into past associates.”
    Gray remembered an earlier snippet of conversation about Dr. Polk’s past. “Director Crowe, one other thing. You never did explain something.”
    “What’s that, Commander?”
    “You said the professor invented Sigma Force. What did you mean by that?”
    Silence stretched for a bit, then Painter continued. “Gray, what do you know about an organization called the Jasons?”
    Taken aback by the odd question, Gray could not even fathom the context. “Sir?”
    “The Jasons are a scientific think tank formed back during the Cold War. They included leaders in their respective fields, many Nobel Prize winners. They banded together to offer advice to the military elite about technological projects.”
    “And Professor Polk was a member?”
    “He was. Over the years, the Jasons proved to be of great value to the military. They met each summer and brainstormed on new innovations. And to answer your question, it was during one such meeting that Archibald Polk suggested the formation of a militarized team of investigators to serve DARPA, to act as field operatives for the agency.”
    “And so Sigma was born.”
    “Exactly. But I’m not sure any of this is significant in regard to his murder. From what I’ve heard so far, Polk’s not been active with the Jasons for years.”
    Gray stared up at the towering Greek facade. “Maybe one of his fellow Jasons worked here at the museum? Maybe that’s why he came?”
    “That’s a good point of investigation. I’ll look into it, but it might take some time to root out. Over these past few years, their organization has become more and more secretive. Divided among various top secret projects, Jasons don’t even know what other Jasons are doing nowadays. But I’ll keep making calls.”

    “And I’ll keep following this trail.” He signed off and waved to Kowalski. “C’mon. We’re going inside.”
    “About time we got out of the goddamn sun.”
    Gray didn’t argue. Stepping through the doors, he appreciated the shadowy, air-conditioned interior. The museum was free to the public, but Gray flashed his glossy black I.D. card to the guard who manned the metal detector.
    He was waved through.
    Pushing into the main rotunda, Gray was struck by the sheer size of the space. The rotunda was octagonal in shape and rose three stories, each level lined by more pillars, leading to the massive Guastavino-tiled dome. Sunlight streamed through clerestory windows and a central oculus.
    Closer at hand, in the