The Pilate Scroll

by M. B. Lewis

  “God has a plan for us all.”

  Kadie shook her head. “Those are just words. If there was a God, how could he allow all the terrible things that go on in the world? Disease, war, famine, birth abnormalities . . . this is where I lost my faith. When my grandparents died, I was devastated. I couldn’t understand how God let them die so young. That event was supposed to have been overcome when my parents announced I was going to have a baby brother. When Brian was born, and I was told he had Down syndrome, I-I didn’t know how to handle the drastic life changes I’d experienced as an adolescent.” She gazed into Duke’s eyes. He felt her pain as she spoke. “I couldn’t understand why God let my grandparents die and let my baby brother be born with Down syndrome. I drifted away from the church. My parents were learning to deal with this new issue in our lives and were too busy to go to church themselves. Despite everything that happened, they never lost faith, I guess, but I did. It only became worse when Brian was diagnosed with a brain tumor.”

  “Yet, his faith remains strong.”

  “Yes, it is,” Kadie said. “But that’s not abnormal. People with Down syndrome are spiritual. And Brian seems to be at peace with his situation. I don’t know how he does it. After our parents died, he started going to a non-denominational church near the campus. They had a Sunday School class that welcomed him with open arms. It seemed to help him.”

  “He let Christ take the burden off his back. Just like I did.”

  Her eyes began to water as she struggled with the knowledge of Duke’s cancer. “I’m so sorry for everything you’re going through.”

  “Don’t be. I’m at peace with myself, too. I’m grateful to spend my last tour helping our troops over here and flying with my best friend. And I’m happy I got to meet you and Brian.”

  “I’m amazed by how calm you are about all this.”

  “I don’t know why. You see it in your brother every day. Perhaps a relationship with Jesus Christ is something you need, too.”

  She stared at the table, biting the inside of her cheek. “I must admit, the Garden Tomb was a powerful experience. When I was there . . . I felt something. I can’t explain it, but something overcame my body. For one brief moment, it swelled inside of me.”

  Duke nodded. “Sounds like the Holy Spirit.” He could tell she was contemplating what he said.

  “What did you do when we returned to the hotel?”

  He acknowledged the deflection; perhaps it was time to change the subject. “I checked on our airplane. The new engine is arriving tonight. They’ll install it sometime tomorrow. After they do an engine run, Mac and I will take it up for a functional check flight to make sure everything works okay.”

  “Do you need to stay here tomorrow? I can go see Isaac alone.”

  “Oh, no, I don’t want to miss this. They can install the engine without me. In fact, I’m sure they’d prefer me not looking over their shoulders.”

  Kadie smiled.

  “Look, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” His tone came across as serious, and he could tell she sensed it. “I spoke with Mac after we got back. He did some checking with the Delta guys we know downrange.”

  “And?”

  “Well,” he paused. He knew how this was going to go over. “They’ve never had a guy named Curt Baxter in Delta Force. Ever.”

  Her face tensed and turned red. And it wasn’t embarrassment; it was anger. “I can’t believe you. No, no, I can. Of all the juvenile moves you could pull, this one takes the cake. You men are all alike. You try and destroy each other when you can’t have something you want.”

  “What are you talking about? We were just concerned that this guy isn’t who he says he is. And we were right! He’s a phony.”

  “Well, maybe he has a different name. Maybe his job was so secret they erased his history from the unit.”

  “Erased his history?”

  “I don’t know. You don’t have any proof he’s not who he says he is other than a phone call.”

  “A phone call to the source that verified who he is. Or actually, who he’s not. The guy is a phony.”

  The waiter delivered her food to the table, and she signed for it, her hand shaking as she did. Duke couldn’t understand why that information made her so angry. Perhaps the two of them were closer than he thought. They didn’t seem like it, but who knew.

  She picked up the containers of food. “I’m not going tomorrow. I-I don’t need to be around any of this macho bravado that you two have going back and forth.”

  Okay, that explained it. She’d been getting grief from Curt as well. “I understand. I’m going anyway. I’ll be down here at nine in the morning if you change your mind.”

  She said nothing as she turned and walked out of the restaurant.

  24

  Duke stood in the lobby at five minutes to nine. Curt sat across the room, staring at him. What a flake. He couldn’t understand what Kadie saw in this guy. But who was he to question her choice in men? Her social life was none of his business, and it wasn’t like he had a shot with her. No woman would get involved with a man dying from cancer. And he wasn’t going to get involved with a woman who wasn’t a Christian.

  He watched the elevator doors with anxious anticipation. It was almost nine—would she show? Duke didn’t know what he was thinking. He hoped she would change her mind and go with him, but either way, he needed to hear more about this Pilate Scroll. The legend was far too fascinating to ignore.

  The elevator ‘tinged,’ and Duke raised his head. Kadie strode out, and Duke gasped. She was beautiful. Her hair was meticulously done, and her fresh face was dusted with just the right amount of makeup. And the sundress she wore over her slender figure took his breath away. He had suspected it, and he was right. She was fit.

  “Good morning,” he said. “I hoped you would change your mind.”

  “Yes.” She brushed a strand of hair from the front of her face. “And I’m sorry for my behavior last night. Yesterday . . . there’s just been a lot going on, and I’m not handling some of it well.”

  “I understand. You look very nice, by the way.”

  She beamed. “Thank you. I’m surprised you noticed.”

  “Oh, I noticed. You look like you’re going on a date.”

  “We’re not going on a date.”

  “But you look like you’re going on a date.”

  “This is not a date.”

  Duke nodded with a grin. Behind her, Curt leaped from his chair and rushed toward them. Duke looked to the side where Mac stood with one of the guys from hotel security just in case. It was a move he was now glad they prepared for. Hotel security intercepted Curt, while Duke turned and escorted Kadie out of the lobby and into the waiting vehicle.

  Once in the car, the driver sped away and then talked incessantly about their destination. Duke appreciated the distraction. He liked talking to Kadie, but he didn’t want to come off as too pushy. And he enjoyed watching her share opinions with a third party. She was smart and strong-willed, for sure, and had an opinion on everything. The museum and the Dead Sea Scrolls were no different.

  They entered the Israeli Museum at twenty minutes before noon. Isaac was speaking with a group of tourists but acknowledged them with a nod. Duke and Kadie sat on a bench in the shade and waited for the man to take his lunch break.

  At noon, Isaac finished with his tour group and greeted Duke and Kadie. The three of them walked back to the same room they spoke in yesterday. Isaac spent the first few minutes re-capping the legend of the Aramaic Vase and the Pilate Scroll.

  “Yesterday, you said you had more information on the scroll,” Kadie said.

  Isaac nodded. “Yes, indeed. It has to do with Constantine the Great.”

  Duke leaned forward, eager to hear what this scholar had to say.

  Kadie turned to Duke. “Do you know who Constantine is?”

  Duke’s brow furrowed. “Of course. He’s the ancient patron of my college fraternity.”

 
“What?”

  “Never mind.”

  Isaac waited until their banter ceased. “The vase and scroll within remained hidden for almost three-hundred years when, in 326 A.D., Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, comes to Jerusalem. While in search of the true cross and other religious artifacts, she hears rumors of the Aramaic Vase and the Pilate Scroll.”

  “It’s here?” Kadie said.

  Isaac shook his head. “It was not in Jerusalem yet. She discovered it had been sent to Rome. Upon returning home with a variety of relics and a significant portion of the True Cross, she tells her son about the legend of the Pilate Scroll. Constantine organizes a search for the vase and scroll. The legend says he finds it. Different versions say when and where. Some say in Macedonia, some say Egypt, and some say in Rome, but they all say it ended up in the same place—Constantinople. This is the last time the Aramaic Vase was seen.”

  “That’s why the main search party is in Istanbul,” Kadie said.

  “Yes. Rumors place the legendary vase in Constantinople, which is now Istanbul. Helenopolis, now called Altinova, is in the Yalova Province in Turkey, not far from Istanbul.

  “A lawyer in Constantinople, Socrates Scholasticus, born in 380 A.D., chronicles in his Ecclesiastical History that Helena finds the three crosses used on Calvary for the crucifixion of Jesus. She touches the pieces of each of the crosses to an ill woman. Miraculously, the woman was healed by the third piece. The healing power of the third piece verifies this is from the cross Jesus had been crucified on. Helena has the nails from this cross sent to Constantinople, where they were incorporated into the emperor’s helmet and the bridle of his horse. Pieces of the cross were then sent across the empire and around the globe.”

  Kadie smiled. “They say if all the pieces of the true cross that are in churches across the globe were gathered together, they could build a boat.”

  “You’re really putting that Ancient Studies degree to work here, aren’t you?” Duke said.

  Kadie nodded, excited.

  “So, the question is, why?” Duke said, happy he didn’t have to take his eyes off Kadie. “Why is GDI searching for the Pilate Scroll?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “But the circumstantial evidence is clear. The personnel, the locations, the cover story . . . they all fit the search criteria for the Aramaic Vase.”

  “I always questioned this story about searching for some cure to a biological weapon ISIS had their hands on. I have a TS-SCI clearance and have never heard anything about this. ISIS is organized, but not that organized. And there’s no way the government would trust a bunch of university academics with such classified information.” He turned to Kadie. “No offense.”

  “None taken,” she said. “And I agree. There’s something here.”

  “You’re both right,” Isaac said. “There is something else. Something that would make anyone leave everything they know and pursue the scroll, despite the fact they could be arrested or put to death.”

  The two of them looked at Isaac, then at each other before returning their focus to their new friend.

  “What’s that?” Kadie said.

  “The legend states that the Pilate Scroll is surrounded by a treasure. A treasure that’s wealth is exceeded only by King Solomon’s treasure. Apparently, Emperor Constantine didn’t want the Aramaic Vase to stay lost, so he created a reason for others to look for it.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Duke’s disbelief covered his face, but then he relaxed. “It doesn’t matter. Treasure or no treasure, the scroll is what’s important. A finding like that could change the world.”

  Isaac stood from the table. “That is what Samuel thought. And he pursued it. One cannot discount where that got him.” He looked at both of them sternly. “You two are in great danger. Tread with caution and trust no one.”

  Duke started to speak but stopped himself. Isaac left them in the room and returned to work. As thoughts swirled through his head, Duke concluded that Isaac was right. They were in danger.

  Kadie and Duke stepped outside. The early morning clear sky had given way to a gray blanket overhead. In the distance, a sheet of dark gray rain marched toward them. They left the museum with a new sense of urgency. The wind swept through the valley ahead of the front and blew her hair around her face. Her sundress wrapped around her figure, and she lay her hands on her thighs to keep the dress from flowing freely. They found their driver with his vehicle wedged between two large tour buses in the parking lot. They spoke briefly, then headed straight back to Tel Aviv.

  No sooner had they climbed into the car, then the rain reached them, pounding on the outside roof as if desperate to get inside.

  “Back to Tel Aviv, please,” Kadie said.

  She didn’t want to leave Brian alone any more than she had to. Not because he couldn’t be by himself, but she only had so much time left with him and didn’t want to waste her opportunities.

  Brian coming into their family’s life had made them all better people. But her parents’ death changed everything. She felt cheated; abandoned. The anger ate away at her for years. It was one of the reasons she worked so hard—to mask the pain and the anger of a twenty-year-old girl who hadn’t begun to live life yet.

  But something was different here; she had changed. She sensed it. This pitstop in the Holy Land made her rethink her position on God.

  She used to say, “Everything happens for a reason.” That was a weak way of excluding God or giving Him any credit. God has a plan. For everyone. We may not understand it or like it, but it will work its way out.

  Duke lay with his head against the glass window, asleep. She did not know how he could sleep through this storm, but apparently exhaustion had gotten the better of him. Still, she wanted company now. There were things she needed to discuss, and so she reached over and punched him in the arm. He bolted upright, unsure of where he was.

  “Were you asleep?”

  He rubbed his eyes and squinted. “Nope. Wide awake.”

  She pulled an emery board out of her purse and filed her nails as she spoke. “I was thinking about the Pilate Scroll.”

  “And?”

  “If the Pilate Scroll’s last known location was Constantinople, where could it be?”

  “That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” Kadie grimaced and rubbed the nail on her ring finger with her thumb, then began filing again. “How good is your knowledge of the history of Western civilization?”

  “My westerns are limited to John Wayne.”

  Kadie stopped filing and gave Duke her full attention. “Constantinople was Constantine’s showplace of the Roman Empire. Yet there is virtually nothing left of this ancient city. Part of the reason is because of the construction. Constantine built the city in record time, but because it happened so fast, the quality of the construction was less than satisfactory. In fact, it started to crumble shortly after the city became inhabited. His brand-new showcase of the Roman Empire was falling apart.”

  “Okay, so what?”

  “Almost a thousand years later, during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the Venetians raided Constantinople. The crusaders captured the city from the Byzantine Empire and looted the place. Anything that remained of value, particularly any religious artifacts, were brought to Venice.”

  “As in Venice, Italy?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, where are the artifacts now?”

  “The artifacts, and probably the Aramaic Vase, are most likely stored in the basement of Saint Mark’s Basilica.”

  25

  Tel Aviv, Israel

  The Market House Hotel

  Any joy Kadie had as they pulled up to the hotel disappeared. Curt stood outside the lobby. When they stepped out of the car, he pounced on them immediately. He jutted a finger at Duke.

  “You,” Curt said. “Get to the airport now. Your engine is here, and the mechanics are starting to fix it this evening.”

  “Where’s Mac?” D
uke said.

  “Your worthless partner is already at the airport, where you should have been hours ago. But you chose to gallivant around the countryside.”

  Duke turned to Kadie, ignoring Curt’s constant jabbering. “I’ve got to go. Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

  Duke pulled out his cell phone. “I need to call Mac, but my battery is dead.”

  “You can use my phone,” she said.

  He shook his head. “I’ll find him at the airport. There are only so many places he can be. I’ll talk to you later, okay? Say hello to Brian for me.”

  “I will.”

  Duke spoke to their driver and coordinated a ride to the airport. He climbed in the car and drove off, leaving Kadie alone with Curt. As much as she wanted him to stay with her to keep Curt away, GDI was paying the bills. This time she had to listen.

  “Come with me,” Curt said. “I have news for you.” She gave him a stern look. Who does he think he’s talking to? He’s lost any chance for romance with this girl.

  Kadie followed him upstairs to the doctor’s room, where Brian stayed for the day. Inside, the rest of the team lingered with smiles on their faces.

  “We’re heading to Istanbul tomorrow,” Curt said to her.

  “Will Duke’s plane be fixed by then?”

  “You’re not flying on Duke’s plane. GDI has secured commercial travel for you.”

  Kadie’s face went blank. She didn’t know how to handle that information. The revelations she had learned in the past forty-eight hours were overwhelming. Knowing they were searching for something other than what they were told? How would she deal with that once they got to Istanbul?