The Messiah Secret

the long version

"AD 72: A band of warriors march across a mountainous wasteland. Only they know what they carry. And once they've reached their destination, they must all die to protect it. AD 2010: In a crumbling mansion deep in the English countryside a piece of ancient parchment has been found. Written in arcane code is the answer to a mystery that has explosive implications. Enter Chris Bronson. Determined to solve the mystery that has puzzled scholars and thinkers for nearly two millennia, he embarks on a journey to one of the most remote and hostile parts of the world. But someone is following him. Someone desperate to protect the centuries-old secret. And who is far more dangerous than he could ever have imagined..." --p.[4] of cover.