The Sean Wyatt Series Box Set 4

by Ernest Dempsey

  While her focus was primarily on paintings, one particular treasure had always tugged at her curiosity. The Amber Room. It was such a huge work of art that hiding it would take incredible resources and ingenuity.

  The Vatican had both. Her theory was that agents of the Vatican saved the amber panels and brought them here to keep them safe from a world full of greed. She’d run out of proof, though, and dropped the idea.

  Walking through the maze of sculptures and paintings made her wonder if she’d given up the pursuit a little too soon.

  “Over here is where you’ll find the original sculpture,” Totti said. His voice echoed off the walls and hard floor.

  He turned at the end of the hall and pointed down a short corridor with a dead end. “In there, you’ll find an alcove that displays the sculpture of Paul. Feel free to take your time. I’ll be back to get you before we close for the day, unless of course you leave before then.”

  “Thank you so much, sir,” Sean said. “Really, I am very sorry if we’ve been an inconvenience.”

  “Not at all,” Totti smiled. “I’m happy to help anyone who is interested in learning more about our history. If you have any questions, I’ll be in the main section of the library.”

  “Thank you,” Tommy said.

  They waited until the priest disappeared back into the art room. Once he was gone, they moved forward with a quiet apprehension that was half nerves, half reverence.

  “Do you have any idea how valuable all this is?” Tommy asked in a whisper.

  “A lot,” Sean said.

  “That doesn’t even come close to what it’s all worth. Some of those pieces we just passed are each worth millions. I bet there are some thieves who’d kill to get into this place.”

  As they drew closer to the alcove where Totti said the sculpture rested, they slowed their pace until the front of the statue came into view.

  Just as Totti suggested, the sculpture looked almost exactly like the one in Saint Peter’s Square. While the one on display to the public was bigger in every way, this one was no tiny piece.

  Saint Paul towered over the room, looking out at several other vases and works of art scattered through the area, protected by glass cases.

  They stopped in front of the huge sculpture and stared up for nearly a minute before anyone said anything.

  “So what are we looking for?” Sean asked.

  Tommy held up the key he’d put back in his pocket earlier. “Look for a keyhole.”

  Similar images to the ones on the outside statue adorned the sides of the base. The same papal emblem that seemed to be everywhere was on the front and sides.

  “A keyhole?” June asked.

  “I don’t know why,” Tommy said. “Just call it a gut feeling. But I think this key I found in that guy’s pocket has some connection to the location of the sword.”

  He stood close to the statue and leaned in as far as he could without touching it. A velvet rope blocked visitors from entering the alcove, but that didn’t keep Tommy from sticking his head over it.

  The four scanned every inch of the sculpted stone for several minutes without any luck. They switched places and went over every curve and crevice in detail. Still nothing.

  Sean twisted his head around and looked back into the main display area. Cameras pointed down from the corners in the room. Their angles suggested the lenses focused more on the things protected in glass cases. That made sense considering there was almost no way a potential thief could steal the massive sculpture in the alcove.

  He returned his attention to the cavity and examined the archway. It had no sensors or security system that he could see. If the big statue was sitting on a pressure pad of some kind, that wouldn’t affect him going in and having a look at the back. At least Sean hoped it wouldn’t.

  “Hey, guys,” he said. “Do me a favor. The three of you stand side by side right here with your legs close together.”

  Tommy looked at him like he was crazy. “What?”

  “Just do it,” Sean said. “You stand next to the corner of this archway here. June, you stand next to him, then Adriana. I’m going to make it look like I’m taking picture with my phone.”

  “Okay…” June said.

  Adriana caught on to his scheme. “Ah. You want us to block the cameras’ view so you can sneak in there and get a closer look.”

  Then the other two realized his plan.

  “You sure they don’t have some other kind of security measures here for that?” Tommy asked, his voice full of doubt.

  “Not that I can tell. Of course, there might be some kind of new thing in here I’ve never heard of before. I’m a little rusty since I haven’t been in the spy game for a while.”

  “Rusty?” Tommy gasped. “That’s not what I want to hear when you’re about to trespass in the Vatican Library.”

  “Relax, Schultzie. It’ll be fine. If I set off an alarm, we’ll just tell our friend Father Totti that I fell over the rope by accident.”

  “Oh, so now we’re lying to a priest?”

  “Would you prefer it if I actually fell over the rope?”

  “A little.”

  June glanced at Adriana. “Seriously, are they always like this?”

  Adriana nodded. “You get used to it after a while.”

  Tommy and the two women pressed together. June picked up his arm and put it around her waist to further the impression that they were getting a picture taken.

  No one bothered to question whether that was allowed or not, though all four had the impression it wasn’t.

  Having his arm around her waist sent chills up the back of Tommy’s neck, but he didn’t let on. Instead, he stayed focused on his friend who cautiously slid under the velvet rope.

  Everyone held their breath until Sean was safely on the other side. When no alarms sounded, they all exhaled and watched as Sean slipped around the left side of the statue base and shimmied his way between it and the wall.

  The space was narrow, pretty much ruling Tommy out of the task. And Sean wasn’t about to ask one of the women to do it. If they got arrested, he would take full responsibility and tell the authorities his friends had nothing to do with it.

  He moved sideways to the back of the wall and then shuffled behind the sculpture, disappearing from view.

  “See anything back there?” Tommy hissed.

  “Not yet. I just got here. Gimme a second.”

  Footsteps echoed through the museum. Everyone froze, too afraid to turn around and look.

  “Sean,” Adriana whispered. “Stay back there. Someone’s coming.”

  He didn’t respond.

  The other three did their best to look casual, as if they were just normal tourists admiring an impressive work of art.

  A priest suddenly appeared in the doorway. He wore a black suit with the white collar as is common for many men of the cloth. This priest was much younger than Father Totti, with thick black hair atop a tanned youthful face. The pleasant smile was there, though. And he nodded politely at the three visitors as he passed by and hung a right down the next aisle. He turned at the next corner and disappeared. A minute later, the sound of his shiny black shoes clicking on the marble floor faded.

  “Hurry up back there,” Tommy said. “That was a close one.”

  “No need to hurry,” Sean said. “I found it.”

  “You what?”

  “I found the keyhole.”

  Sean reappeared around the corner of the statue base and shuffled back toward the front. When he was close enough, he reached out his hand with the palm up.

  “Quick, give me the key.”

  Tommy felt through his pockets and found the little skeleton key. He gripped it tight as he carefully stretched his hand out and pressed it into Sean’s palm.

  “Don’t drop it,” Tommy said.

  “Thanks, Captain Obvious.”

  Sean shimmied his feet toward the rear of the alcove and worked his way back around the corner.

  To
mmy started to hunch over, but June tapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t look like you’re trying to keep a lookout,” she said.

  That’s exactly what he was trying to do. If the previous priest or another priest/librarian came through and found them still standing at the statue, they might think something suspicious was going on.

  “Look casual,” June said in response to Tommy’s questioning expression.

  He tried to loosen up his posture, shoved his hands in his pockets, and even started to lean on the wall.

  “Don’t overdo it,” she said.

  “I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong here,” he said.

  “Just try to look natural.”

  He adjusted his stance again. As he was about to ask if it was better, they heard something click behind the sculpture. The sound of stone grinding on stone came next, followed by a quiet metal clink.

  Tommy fought the urge to ask what Sean had found and continued trying not to look like a thief.

  A minute later, Sean reappeared from behind the statue and shuffled quickly back to the front of the alcove. The other three got back in their positions to hide Sean from camera view, not that they were sure it would matter now.

  If they were in sight and someone was watching the monitor on the other end of the camera, they’d have noticed Sean’s disappearance and then awkward reappearance a few minutes later.

  “What is it?” Tommy said through a ridiculous toothy grin.

  “I’ll show you when we get out of here.”

  Tommy couldn’t contain his excitement, or his heightened curiosity. “Did you look at it? What did you do with it?”

  Sean didn’t answer immediately. He was more concerned with getting out of there.

  “In my pants,” he said as he walked swiftly back toward the next exhibition room.

  The other three had to walk fast to keep up.

  “Wait. I’m sorry. It sounded like you said it was in your pants.”

  “That is what he said,” June said.

  Adriana rolled her eyes and snorted a short laugh.

  Tommy was incensed. “You put a potentially priceless historical item—that we need, by the way—down your pants?”

  “Don’t worry. I already looked at what’s on it,” Sean said.

  They reached the next archway and passed through it.

  Sean slowed his pace, nearly causing the others to bump into him. He held out a hand to halt their movement.

  “What?” Tommy asked.

  Sean put an index finger to his lips, signaling his friend to be quiet.

  “I heard something,” he whispered.

  He tiptoed the final few yards to the end of the corridor until he reached the main hall of the library. Voices carried through the gigantic chamber and almost seemed amplified by the acoustics of the room. That’s a silly mistake to make in a library, he thought. You’d think they’d want to make it quieter.

  Sean leaned around a pillar and looked back toward the library’s entrance. He pulled back immediately.

  The others saw the look of concern on his face.

  “What is it?” Adriana mouthed.

  Sean drew in a short breath and sighed. “The Brotherhood.”

  Somehow they’d tracked the Americans to the Vatican. Baldwin was talking to Father Totti, who’d pointed in Sean’s direction. He’d not been seen, not yet anyway, but now the exit was blocked.

  They were going to have to find another way out.

  31

  Vatican City

  Sean hurried back to the other end of the hall adjacent to the main library. When he and the others made it to the next intersection, instead of turning right and returning to the statue, they made a left. Sean’s logic was that the entrance was that way.

  They saw a door at the other end, but it didn’t look like one that led outside or back into the main section of the Vatican.

  Tommy knew better than to ask where they were going. If his friend had a plan, it was best to simply trust it.

  When they neared the door, a sign to the right of it showed a drawing of a set of stairs.

  Sean turned the latch as quietly as he could and pushed the door open. “Quick,” he said. “Up the stairs.”

  “Up?” June asked.

  “Yes. Up.”

  “But shouldn’t we—”

  “He’s got a plan,” Tommy said, ushering her into the stairwell. After she and Adriana were through the doorway, he looked at Sean. “You do have a plan, right?”

  “It’s fluid,” Sean said. “Come on.”

  Tommy eased the door shut and followed the other three as they flew up the flight of stairs, taking them two at a time. Sean stopped at the next level and carefully opened the door. He peeked out through the opening. The floor was vacant save for the high shelves stacked with thousands of books. Study tables were spaced between the shelves for anyone needing a quiet place to do research.

  “Okay, now what?” Tommy asked.

  “Follow me,” Sean said in a barely audible tone. “And stay low.” He pointed to a short wall to the right that acted as a protective railing.

  Sean took off, keeping his knees bent to stay crouched as he moved across the floor. When he was around the first row of shelves, he turned left into the aisle. Once he was clear from a downstairs view, he stood up straight and waited for the others.

  They copied his movement and joined him at the other end of the row. When they’d caught up, he waved his hand for them to follow again.

  Sean moved fast, careful to make sure his shoes didn’t make much noise on the floor. He even kept his legs apart to silence the swooshing of his pants. The entire time, he kept his eyes locked on the far end of the back row, anticipating that Baldwin or one of his men would suddenly appear, effectively hemming them in.

  No one appeared, though, and when Sean reached the other end, he allowed himself to feel a moment of relief. Another door was just around the corner, opposite the one they’d come through a moment before.

  He waited for the others, and when they’d caught up he motioned for them to stay low again. His eyes shot up to the ceiling and found a camera observing the room. If they hadn’t been spotted before, they certainly were as they crossed the second floor. The only thing that gave Sean any sort of comfort was that he and the others had permission to be here. If Baldwin hadn’t warned Totti of why the Americans were there, they might still have a chance to get out.

  Sean crouched down again and made his way to the door on the left. As he turned the latch, he could almost sense the alarms about to start blaring. No going back now. He pulled down on the handle and eased the door open. Nothing happened except for a burst of new air coming through the crack.

  He pushed it open all the way and stepped through, holding it on the other side until his friends were all clear. Just as cautiously as he’d opened it, Sean closed the door with no sound, not even a click.

  They were standing in another exhibit room. This one featured various artifacts from ancient Egypt, including spears, shields, and even a chariot.

  “Now what?” Tommy asked in a whisper. “Shouldn’t we be going out the exit?”

  Sean shook his head. “No. Baldwin will have men out there. We have to go out another way.”

  “What other way?”

  “This connects to the papal apartments in the palace. We’re going out that way.”

  “What?” Tommy hissed. “We can’t go through the pope’s house. Are you insane?”

  “Probably.”

  “What?!”

  “I’m kidding, buddy. Remember. I studied psychology. I’d know if I was crazy. Come on. We have to keep moving.”

  Sean didn’t wait for a retort. He started toward a set of double doors on the far side of the room.

  “No. Sean, wait.” Tommy said in a vain effort to stop his friend.

  Adriana nudged him. “The papal apartments have tours, too, Tommy. Pretty sure we’re not going to try to break into the pope’s private quarte
rs.”

  “Oh,” Tommy said. “Right. Okay.”

  “Well, not yet anyway. But who knows, right?”

  She shot him a wink and then hurried after Sean.

  Tommy was left bewildered for a moment and then at June’s urging hurried after them.

  At the set of doors, Sean hesitated for a second before he tested the latch. Luckily it gave way.

  “You’re sure the public part of the palace is through these doors?” Tommy whispered.

  Sean looked at his friend like his head was on fire. “No. But we could always go back the way we came, you know, where we know Baldwin and his men are waiting for us.”

  Tommy sighed. “Point taken.”

  Sean pulled the handle down and pushed the door open. A new burst of cool air rushed in through the opening along with a new scent that smelled like a mixture of lavender and jasmine.

  On the other side was a hallway, much smaller than the ones in the library but still larger than an average home. Sean could see paintings lining the far wall from one end to the other, each one featuring a likeness of a pope from the past. The corridor was well lit by sconces every ten feet or so and a collection of chandeliers that hung intermittently from the ceiling. Off to the right, Sean noticed a group of people walking the other direction.

  “Quick,” he said to the others. “There’s a tour group to the right. Let’s join them.”

  No one argued.

  Sean held the door while the other three rushed out and into the adjacent hall. When they were through, he gave one last look into the library before joining his friends.

  They walked at a brisk pace down the corridor, barely catching up to the tour group before they passed through into another section of the palace. Sean eased his way into the mass of people who were listening eagerly to what the tour guide was saying. He found himself standing next to a large woman with short blonde hair and huge earrings dangling from her lobes. The others mixed in with the group, too, doing their best to look like they’d been there the whole time.