Even in Death the Colonel came through;
“I would like to check the Taxiarchis life preserver hanging in the Marisco Tavern. Taxiarchis meaning Archangel in Greek and obviously there is safety in a life belt”
And Life-belt = Lifebuoy (at least in UK) , Buoy-boy a young man (Yeah I know, blame it on the 4 bottles of whisky I got for Xmas)
So, CFC after a bit of trouble manages to get the Taxiarchis lifebuoy down from over the stairs to the mezzanine, despite the mistrust and hostility between the survivors they cluster round as he flipped it over on the pine table, a rough oblong of the belt had been sawn out of the back and then taped back into place, using his bitten filthy nails CFC ripped the tape and pulled out the plug, inside was a role of pink paper with a ribbon round it, did the Templars use ribbons?
He slid it off, unrolled the paper and read it to the others.
Hi lover-boy,
I know you were expecting your precious map, but guess what? I sold it for £100,000 to some weird guy and left you for that sexy mycologist, what can I say? So, he grubs around in the earth too, but at least what he finds we can eat and he’s a Fungi.
Why leave? Because as I got older, I thought you would have more interest in me, you’re an archaeologist right, but no, turns out you’re carbon dating some intern younger than your trowel, well, have fun.
Oh, and if you want it back, the chap is called John Davis, and he really wanted it, said the money would have to come out of the site security fund or something, whatever. But you can’t, cos’ you stole it.
Wifey!
CFC looked at the others, “That’s another clue, right?” (Prescient, see below)
Shifter sat down heavily “Fuck”
Crouton started to sob.
Wise howled “DAVIS, you son of a whore!”
Bully said nothing.