Da Vinci Code

Renowned curator Jacques Saunière staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery.

He lunged for the nearest painting he could see, a Caravaggio. Grabbing the gilded frame, the seventy-six-year-old man heaved the masterpiece toward himself until it tore from the wall and Saunière collapsed backward in a heap beneath the canvas.

As he had anticipated, a thundering iron gate fell nearby, barricading the entrance to the suite. The parquet floor shook.

Far off, an alarm began to ring...