- "I've never been so happy to be proven wrong."
- ―Patrick Gates[src]
Patrick Henry Gates is a former treasure hunter and the father of Benjamin Franklin Gates.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Patrick Gates was born around 1935 to his father John Adams Gates. It is known that Patrick spent many years of his life searching for the Treasure (something of which he is later regretful). At some point in his life, he met Emily Appleton Gates, whom he married and with whom he later had a child. Later on, Patrick became more distance from his father John Adams Gates, in hopes that he could clear the Gates name and keep his son from the knowledge of the Templar Treasure. Patrick and his son were estranged upon Ben's decision to find the Treasure.
Events of National Treasure[]
Years later, in 2004, Ben goes to Patrick when on the run from the FBI after Ben and Riley Poole steal the Declaration of Independence. Patrick attempts to dissuade his son from continuing the search for the Treasure, but Ben is unmoved. After Ben and Abigail Chase discover the Ottendorf Cipher on the back of the Declaration, Ben asks Patrick for the Silence Dogood Letters, written by Benjamin Franklin. Patrick reveals that he donated the letters to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. When the FBI question Patrick of Ben and his accomplices whereabouts, he claims he does not know, showing that in spite of his disapproval, he still cares for his son.
Patrick is later held hostage in New York City by Ian Howe in order to make Ben cooperate on the Treasure. When Ian and Ben's groups go to Trinity Church, they find a secret tunnel. The tunnel leads to a shaft with an old, decrepit staircase and elevator. When they reach the bottom of the shaft, the group finds a room bare of anything but one mere lantern. Using the concept of that lantern, Patrick, with Ben's aid, misdirects Ian with a false clue as to the location of the Treasure to be in Boston. Ian and the remainder of his men leave Ben, Abigail, Patrick, and Riley trapped in the room. Ben and Patrick finally reconcile when they believe the Treasure has previously been moved. As they search for another way out, the group stumbles upon a vast chamber containing the Treasure. Patrick, along with the entire Gates family, is credited for the find.
Events of National Treasure: Book of Secrets[]
A few years later, Ben sends a picture of a centuries-old plank of wood with indecipherable hieroglyphics to Patrick, Patrick is coerced by Ben to take the picture to arrange a meeting with Dr. Emily Appleton, Ben's mother and Patrick's ex-wife. Emily translates part of the plank but says that it is incomplete.
Patick, along with Riley and Abigail, help Ben sneak in to the U.S. President's birthday celebration at Mount Vernon, where Ben kidnaps the President to learn more about the Book of Secrets. Patrick is later tasked with taking a photograph of the other half of the plank to Emily to translate; however, she is forced to lie to him due to threats from Mitch Wilkinson. Ben, Patrick, Abigail, and Riley then travel to Mount Rushmore, where they are forced to help Mitch, who has Emily hostage. When Ben and his team find the secret entrance into Mount Rushmore, Patrick and Emily are separated from the group. Eventually, all of them survive several traps before arriving at the underground site of Cíbola, the City of Gold. As they explore, they accidentally cause the cave to flood with water from a lake above. The only means of escape is through a drainage door that must be held pen on one side to allow the rest to escape and closed afterwards, trapping the one controlling the door. Though Mitch initially forces Ben to control the door, it ends up being Mitch who holds the door open in order for the Gates', Riley, and Abigail to escape. Ben later meets with FBI Agent Peter Sadusky and Ben is able to clear both his and Thomas Gates' names.
Cíbola's discovery is announced sometime later with Ben, his team, and Mitch given being given the credit for the discovery. While happily working together, Patrick and Emily eagerly work together on the task of analyzing Cíbola once it is drained of the water.