The Pilate Scroll

by M. B. Lewis

  Patricia’s eyes narrowed, and she stared at him. “You have thirty-six hours. I’ll have the company coordinate your partner being turned over to the embassy tomorrow. Fair?”

  Duke nodded. “I’ll make it work. In the meantime, I need to go to my room.”

  Curt shook his head, but before he could speak, Kadie moved forward. “He can stay in Brian’s room. It makes sense and will be easier for all of you. There’s only so many of you, and it will be easier for you to guard one room instead of two.” Duke saw the anger seep out of her, even though what she said made total sense. Not only was he starting to like Kadie Jenkins; he was also beginning to respect her.

  45

  Istanbul, Turkey

  The Grand Tarabya Hotel

  * * *

  Kadie and Brian waited for Duke to retrieve his duffel bag from the concierge’s desk. Curt, who lingered close behind them, warned them several times not to speak with anyone in the lobby, or he would kill them. Her eyes glanced around the opulent lobby. Could he get away with something like that? Here?

  Yes, easily. All he had to do was say they were Christians, and other than clean up the mess, the government in Turkey would simply look the other way. Sad what the world had evolved into. It was rampant internationally and was slowly being implemented in America.

  Duke walked up with his bag. “Shall we?” he said.

  “Shut up,” Curt said. “Get on the elevator.”

  The small group shuffled to the elevator and rode to the eleventh floor.

  “We’re a little higher up,” Curt said. “Just in case you want to do your Spider-Man routine again. Makes it a little more impressive.”

  Duke stared at him blankly. “Noted.” Curt must have figured out how Duke got to her room back in Tel Aviv.

  The elevator stopped, and they all stepped off on the eleventh floor. Down the hall, one of Curt’s men sat in a chair outside their room.

  “You work fast,” Kadie said to Curt, her contempt unmistakable.

  “You should know.”

  “Don’t give yourself too much credit. You’re not that impressive for a poser.”

  Duke busted out howling. Curt turned beet red, and his fists clenched. Kadie ushered Brian into their room, and Duke slammed the door behind them.

  “I do not like him,” Brian said.

  Duke patted him on the back. “Nobody likes him, Brian. So, you’ve got good judgment.”

  Brian smiled at Duke and ran into his room.

  Kadie set her purse on the coffee table. “He scares me. The things he says . . .”

  “You should take him at his word,” Duke said. “The man is dangerous, and in more ways than one. He’s not scary in the Rambo sense. He’s scary because he’s the guy that wants to be Rambo. He doesn’t have the training or the discipline, and he certainly doesn’t have the judgment to be a warrior.”

  Kadie smiled. “He doesn’t seem to intimidate you.”

  Duke shook his head. “No, he doesn’t intimidate me. But he does concern me. I don’t trust the guy to do the right or noble thing. He’s a glorified thug who likes to brutalize and control people. He’s pretty tough with a gun in his hand. Without it, he’s a nobody.”

  Brian reappeared in the doorway. “Duke, come check out our room.” The boy beamed, and it warmed Kadie’s heart to him so happy, particularly under these circumstances.

  Duke walked to the doorway, and Kadie followed.

  Brian fidgeted, his excitement evident.

  “Hey, this looks great,” Duke said.

  Kadie could tell Brian had come in and moved his things around, so it didn’t look like he had his stuff everywhere. It was his way of helping Duke feel welcome.

  “You can put your stuff here.” Brian opened the top two drawers.

  Duke held up his bag. “That’s okay, Brian, I can . . .” He paused and sized-up the happy teenager. It was important to Brian that he use the space. “I can put my stuff in one drawer. I appreciate you making room for me.”

  After Duke emptied the contents of his duffel bag into the drawer, the three of them went back into the living room.

  “Duke,” Kadie said, “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

  “Sure.”

  “Kadie wants to be a Christian,” Brian blurted out. He danced around joyfully.

  “Brian!” Kadie placed her hands on her hips. She hadn’t been sure how she was going to bring it up. Brian just simplified the process.

  “Sorry—I got excited.”

  She turned to Duke. “Can we talk?”

  Duke smiled. “Of course.”

  They sat on the couch, and she discussed the things she had talked to Brian about in the car. Duke listened attentively, asking questions occasionally, but allowed her to do most of the talking. She did notice that when she started to stray off-topic, he steered her back on course.

  Then, Duke gave her his testimony. He explained his relationship with his wife, the divorce, the death of her and their children. Tears rolled down her cheeks as this man exposed his weakest moments, and his greatest triumphs to overcome them.

  “I had to humble myself before God,” he told her. “I had been a sinner my entire life and didn’t realize it. It wasn’t until I reached the breaking point . . . I was suicidal. And a friend introduced me to Jesus Christ. That changed everything.”

  “I have a hard time seeing the man you describe. You seem so confident, so at peace with yourself.”

  “I am. But I’m not the man I used to be. I’m better, I think. At least I hope I am. Life’s not all about me. It took me losing my family to realize that.”

  Kadie sat in silence for a few moments. “It was Mac, wasn’t it? Mac is the one who brought you to Christ.”

  Duke nodded. “Yes. Mac not only saved my life—he saved my soul. He was a good friend. My best friend. And that son of a . . .” he stopped himself. “Curt killed him. And one day, he’ll pay.”

  Kadie set her hand on his knee. “What can I do? How can I be saved?”

  Duke took her hand in his and gazed deep into her eyes. She felt him exploring her soul, and it made her nervous as she blinked and looked away.

  “I’m not a pastor, Kadie, but I know if you repent your sins and accept Jesus to be the Lord of your life . . . If you ask him to come into your heart, to be your Lord and Savior . . . you’ll be saved.”

  “It’s that simple?”

  “Well, it’s the start of the process. Reading the Bible, understanding God’s Word, living your life as God intended you to live. Being a Christian is not easy. The more you learn, the more you realize how hard it is to be the Christian you want to be.”

  “Okay,” she said, “I’m ready. Help me get there.”

  Duke nodded and reached out to grab Kadie and Brian’s hands. The three of them sat there as Duke prayed, and Kadie repeated after him, accepting Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. As she spoke the words, a sense of calm overcame her.

  She only hoped she could apply that calm outside this room because the threat to their lives remained.

  46

  Somewhere over the Mediterranean Sea

  * * *

  The King-Air cruised at ten-thousand feet, bouncing slightly in the turbulence. Duke had considered flying higher, then depressurize the aircraft and put everyone to sleep, but decided against it. He worried something could happen to Kadie and Brian.

  The seven of them fit quite comfortably in the twin-engine aircraft. Duke had been able to maneuver getting a diplomatic clearance through European airspace utilizing the call-sign assigned to aircraft back in Iraq. The call-sign was similar to the one used by all aircraft that transited to and from the Middle-East Theater. Thankfully, the request went through without much pushback.

  One of the GDI goons, the Hispanic man, sat up front with him. Duke had learned his name was Esteban, and the German was Hans. Esteban tried to act tough initially, but once they got airborne, he was like a little kid. Esteban loved to fly, and he seemed
to forget he was there to keep an eye on the pilot. Duke did his best to take advantage of the thug’s fascination with the flight and build a rapport with the guy. It might come in handy at some point.

  They couldn’t get approval to land at Tessera, the international airport in Venice, so the next best option was the airport in Treviso, which was about an hour and ten minutes north of Venice. From Treviso, they could take the train to the Venice airport, which would take a few more minutes. Duke had tried to convince them to fly to Vincenza, Italy. Curt somehow knew there was a U.S. Army base in Vincenza and canned the idea.

  The flight was long, and by the time Duke had the aircraft inspected by Customs, they all waited for him outside the airport terminal. He was surprised at the pull Patricia and GDI had with foreign governments. With the exception of Israel, GDI operated with immunity at every Customs point of entry they’d encountered. That was an impressive feat.

  “What took so long?” Curt said. Every time Duke saw this guy, he wanted to rip his face apart. Images of Mac’s lifeless body zipped through his consciousness.

  “Customs,” Duke replied.

  “It doesn’t take that long. What are you up to?”

  Duke sneered; his fists clenched. Self-control was difficult but necessary. “I’m not up to anything. I have no intention of doing anything that would put Kadie and her brother in any danger.”

  Curt moved inches from Duke’s face. “Let’s make sure you keep it that way.”

  Patricia slid between the two. “Okay, boys, let’s not let the testosterone get the best of you. We’ve got a lot to do today.”

  The German stooge, Hans, had coordinated transportation to the train station and purchased all their tickets. Duke’s head was on a swivel in the train station. Carabinieri, the Italian Police, were few and far between, but he was not sure what Curt’s reaction would be if the police were notified. Besides, he was curious. What exactly was this scroll they were searching for? Did it possess information that could change the world like Isaac said? Why were they looking for it? DNA? No way. That theory played out in Jurassic Park, didn’t it?

  No one spoke on the train to Venice. Duke and Kadie sat next to the window, facing each other. Brian sat next to Kadie. Esteban and Hans covered the aisle seats on each bench. Curt and Patricia sat across the aisle.

  The temperature in the train car was cool, but the added silence among them seemed to make it even chillier. Kadie’s arm bristled with goosebumps. The GDI team all sat silently, their eyes straight ahead, their hands resting on their weapons hidden under their coats. This was their biggest fear: Traveling with firearms into one of Italy’s most prominent tourist attractions, the city of Venice. They could be subject to a metal detector at any point along the way. Would they try and shoot their way out? No telling. But Duke was convinced they would kill Brian first—and that was unacceptable.

  When the train stopped in Venice, they were the last ones off. Despite the beautiful city built on numerous tiny islands with canals running throughout, Duke could sense the danger that lurked around him. Kadie followed Duke off the train, her hand gripping his bicep. That wasn’t lost on him. She sensed the danger too.

  The small group walked to The Hotel Papadopoli. Curt coordinated the accommodations and handed Kadie her key.

  “You two lovebirds can room together. I’ll take the brat with me.”

  Kadie’s face drooped momentarily as she processed what he said, then the realization of what he planned overcame her, and a fire formed in her eyes and her jaw set.

  “Over my dead body,” she said as she lunged for Brian.

  Curt flung the boy behind him against the wall. “Back off, girly. That can be arranged,” he said, grabbing her by her wrists. Esteban moved in behind Curt and took hold of Brian and Hans stuck a pistol in Duke’s back.

  “You two will be much easier to control this way,” he said, releasing her wrists and pushing her back toward Duke. “You wouldn’t want anything to happen to the boy.”

  Kadie backed off, and Duke held her gently, provided some sense of comfort in the face of the obvious threat. He had no doubt that Curt would kill Brian.

  The small group headed to their rooms, and then an hour later, everyone gathered in Patricia’s suite.

  “I’ve arranged for the three of you to tour Saint Mark’s tomorrow afternoon,” Patricia said. “I recommend you get some rest.”

  “Three?” Kadie stood firm. “I don’t want Brian involved in this.”

  Patricia shook her head. “Then it’s your lucky day. He’s not. Curt will escort you two. There is a hidden stairwell accessible from within the church. Your job will be to find that stairwell. It will take you to the basement.” Patricia handed Kadie a sheet of paper with instructions. Duke peered over her shoulder at the handwritten page.

  “Where did you find this? Are you sure this is legit?” Duke said.

  “It’s legitimate,” Patricia said. “We have a source inside the Vatican who has assured us of the location of the hidden stairwell. More importantly, he told us how to access the secret catacombs below.”

  Kadie looked up. No one even knew if there were secret catacombs. “Did they verify the Aramaic Vase is in Saint Mark’s?”

  “No. They have no idea. Although our source did suggest there are numerous vases in one of the rooms.”

  Duke piped in. “Numerous, as in more than five?”

  Patricia grinned. “Numerous, as in less than two hundred.”

  Duke and Kadie glanced at each other, and Duke saw the enormity of the task etched on her face.

  “Any chance we can walk around the city tonight?” Duke said.

  Curt gave him a look that told him, “No.”

  “I’m sure after the long day of travel, you are quite tired, Mister Ellsworth.” Patricia motioned for Hans. “You’ll remain in your rooms until tomorrow afternoon. Curt and I will meet our contact from the Vatican and confirm the location of the door before you go.” She turned to Hans. “Take them back to their rooms.”

  “What about dinner?” Kadie said.

  “We’ll get you something,” Curt said. “Unless you’d like to join me on a gondola ride.”

  “I’d rather starve to death.”

  “We can arrange that,” he said, his jaw clenched, his mouth curled upward.

  Duke edged between them and ushered Kadie out the door as he stared down Curt, whose belt bulged where he stuffed a Chinese knock-off carbon-fiber .380 in his pants. Duke knew that pistol tended to jam, but he didn’t want to find out if this one would.

  Patricia turned to her dresser drawer and retrieved a corkscrew, then picked up the bottle of Nebbiolo nestled against the mirror.

  “Here, open this,” she said, handing them to Curt.

  Curt took the bottle and opener and sliced off the metallic sheath that secured the top of the cork. His eyes followed her as she moved across the room to get a wine glass.

  “I don’t understand why you’re protecting them,” he said, drilling the screw into the cork.

  With the glass in hand, she walked toward him.

  “Of course, you don’t,” she said. “You’re too close. You can’t see what everyone else sees.”

  “What’s that mean?” He popped the cork and handed her the bottle.

  “You’re too anxious to kill them. Or least him. I suspect you’re mad at her, too, for not picking you in the relationship lottery.”

  Curt scowled. “I don’t think so. The guy is a jerk. Pilots are all alike. They think they walk on water, and they want everyone to know it.”

  Patricia poured the fine Northern Italian red wine into her glass. She swirled the wine, observing how the liquid clung to the interior. With the glass under her nose, the scent of roses and Bing cherries wafted out from the vessel. Her eyes closed as she sipped the wine, allowing it to dance across her palette. The earthy flavor had a tartness to it yet flowed delicately across her tongue.

  “Regardless, ease off the harassment for now,
” she said. “We need both of them. A threat not followed up on degrades your credibility, and credibility is something we need to keep those two under control.”

  Curt leaned against the couch in her room. “Fine. So, what’s the plan now?”

  “Like I said, tomorrow, you take the two of them to Saint Mark’s. When they find the vase and the Scroll inside, we’re done with her and her brother. We still need the pilot to fly us to Athens.”

  The DNA lab established by Alligynt Corp had been built in Athens, Greece. Once they had acquired the Scroll, they would go straight to the lab. The DNA experts would fly in from Istanbul and meet them there to extract Jesus’ DNA.

  “And then?”

  Patricia took another sip of Nebbiolo and smiled. “Then, as far as the pilot is concerned, you can do whatever you like.”

  Kadie and Duke had walked down the hall to their room after Curt shoved Brian into his. He was cruel, plain and simple, and her heart broke for her helpless brother. Her eyes teared up as the door shut behind them.

  Hans escorted the pair toward their room. The first thing Duke did when he got inside was lock the door. Then he went to the window. It was permanently sealed, which was unusual for a European hotel, particularly an older one like this.

  Kadie stood between the double beds. “I can’t stand that man.”

  “Me neither.” Duke turned from the window.

  “What do you think?”

  Duke shrugged his shoulders. “I think we’re kind of stuck here.”

  “We could just pick up the phone and call the police,” she said.

  “Yeah. Is that what you want to do?”

  “I’d like to, but I worry what Curt would do to Brian.”

  Duke nodded. “Me too.” He grabbed the phone and held it to his ear. “The line is dead, anyway.”

  They stood in silence for a moment—Kadie surveilled the room.