“Franco!”
Rushing over to help, he reached down to help Cardinal Cavallari up but Franco raised his hand signaling Vingenzo to stop.
“Are you all right? Do you want me to call an ambulance?” asked Vingenzo.
Cavallari was whispering something. Vingenzo leaned closer.
“Going to be sick, get me to the bathroom, vertigo.”
Vingenzo pushed the door open and assisted the cardinal up. It was like trying to help someone who was drunk. Once in the bathroom Cavallari motioned for Vingenzo to leave him alone.
“I’ll be right here if you need me,” Vingenzo said, closing the door after him but leaving it slightly open. Grabbing the phone next to the bed, a voice on the other end asked, “How may I assist you Cardinal Cavallari?”
“This is Vingenzo Parocchi. Cardinal Cavallari is ill. Get Thomas up here.”
The voice on the other end remained calm and polite.
“I will inform Thomas of the situation and ask him to come to the cardinal’s room. Do you require assistance?”
“No, but get me a doctor on the phone to talk to.”
“I will attend to that immediately director-general.”
Walking over to the bathroom Vingenzo was going to ask Franco how he was doing. He didn’t need to; he could hear it for himself.
Thomas burst into the room. “What’s going on?”
“The cardinal has had a vertigo attack.” The phone rang at the same time. “That must be the doctor.”
Thomas hadn’t given permission to make the call; he’d need to address the matter later. Right now he’d take control. “I’ll take that director-general. Prego, ah si, thank you for calling. A friend has had a vertigo attack.
Thomas listened silently, thanking the doctor before setting the phone down.
“It appears Cardinal Cavallari will be out of commission for this evening’s festivities. The spinning and nausea should stabilize after a few hours. If it doesn’t then he needs to be taken to the nearest hospital. I will get one of the guards up here to assist the cardinal.”
Franco listened to the conversation going on in the next room. His symptoms were already diminishing but he needed to pretend they had not gotten any better. He would request to be returned to the Vatican where his personal doctor could attend to him. He continued to listen to Thomas talk.
“When the cardinal’s symptoms lessen, if he wishes, I will have a car take him to the airstrip and fly him back to the Vatican. Please remain with the cardinal ’til one of the guards get here; otherwise, I will see you at nine o’clock on the terrace for drinks.”
Franco smiled, his plan was working. Around eleven o’clock he informed the guard he would like to return to the Vatican. The guard called down to arrange for a car. Fifteen minutes later they exited through a back door of the compound. As the ceremonial blindfold was placed over his eyes to keep the location a secret, Franco could hear music and people laughing.
CHAPTER 44
Two Swiss Guards were positioned at the door, the same as last night. Cardinal McKenna had spent most of the evening in the Vatican Secret Archives. He pulled out a copy of the last page from the file Father Roberto sent him, God rest his soul. From it, he made a short list of items to research:
1. Naj Hannah
2. LC
3. Saint Anthony and Prophecy
4. Keeper of the Key
He was frightened the world might be on a path of self-destruction. The presence of evil was everywhere. Countries were gathering weapons of mass destruction. The world seemed to be moving away from God. The Vatican, the central governing body of the Catholic Church, was self-destructing from within. He needed to find the connection that would expose the Antichrist among them.
That was six hours ago. It was the next morning. Now, he regretted making the appointment with Ms. O’Farrell guessing it had something to do with her brother’s excommunication by the Church. He didn’t have time to listen to her conspiracy theories or that the allegations against her brother were lies. The light on his phone lit up. It was his assistant.
“Yes?”
“Your nine-thirty appointment is here Cardinal McKenna.”
“Thank you. Tell Ms. O’Farrell I will see her shortly.” He looked at the clock. It was nine thirty-five. He’d end their meeting at ten and get back to finding a way to stop who or whatever was happening before it was too late.
In the outer office Mary Ellen’s mind was spinning, her hands guarding the file and envelope on her lap as if they might walk away. How much should she divulge to Cardinal McKenna? Could she trust him? Would he be willing to help her with Devlin’s case? What would her brother do when he saw what was in the file? How much should she tell Anthony? The questions kept coming.
Inside the office McKenna leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, he didn’t want to appear rattled when he met with Ms. O’Farrell. He took a minute to calm himself. “Just listen to what she has to say. Tell her you will look into his case again and if anything new comes to my attention I will definitely get back to her. All right, Donovan let’s get this over with as quickly as possible.” He buzzed Robert, “Please show Ms. O’Farrell in.”
Robert stood and motioned for Mary Ellen to follow him.
“Cardinal McKenna is ready to see you.”
As she entered the office the cardinal was seated at his desk.
“Please come in Ms. O’Farrell.”
“Cardinal McKenna, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”
“Please have a seat. How may I help you this morning?”
“I am grateful you could fit me into your schedule, so I will not waste your time and get straight to why I needed to see you. The CDF has the daunting task of handling the sexual allegations that are sending shock waves throughout the Catholic Church.”
He was right on his assessment of what this meeting would be about. “That’s correct. It is a difficult period for the Church. Pope Benedict is deeply distressed, as you know, by these allegations.”
“You are aware my brother was one of the casualties. I have come across evidence that could prove his innocence.”
This was something he had not expected.
“What kind of evidence Ms. O’Farrell and where did you get it from?”
“At the moment I would prefer not to discuss that. I have prepared a petition to present on my brother’s behalf that I would like to have his case reopened and ask for a hearing to present the facts.”
Mary Ellen pulled out the document and handed it to the cardinal, as she did something dropped on the floor. When she looked down she gasped.
Cardinal McKenna looked down to see what had caused such a reaction. He was alarmed at what he saw.
Mary Ellen quickly picked up the card and placed it back in the envelope. An awkward silence took place between them. The cardinal was the first to speak.
“It’s Mary Ellen isn’t it?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Mary Ellen, I am a servant of God and believe that Christ came and died for our sins and that he will come again. We are in troubled times unless we can correct the path we are on. His return could be near. I believe there is an Antichrist among us winning over the souls of many of the faithful. I believe the time is growing short. I must trust my instincts; therefore, there is something I would like to show you. Opening his desk drawer he removed a small item from it and placed it in front of Mary Ellen. Starring at it in disbelief she slowly reached down, grabbing the envelope from her lap. Opening the flap, she removed the card inside and placed it next to the one Cardinal McKenna had just placed in front of her. It was an exact match.
CHAPTER 45
Cardinal McKenna picked up his card and put it back into the desk drawer.
“Ms. O’Farrell it’s such a lovely morning perhaps you would be so kind to join me on my morning walk.”
Mary Ellen wasn’t expecting that to be the next words out of the cardinal’s mouth. Quickly gra
bbing her card, she placed it back into the envelope.
Although confused, she agreed to join him. “I would enjoy that, thank you for asking,” smiling at Cardinal McKenna.
The cardinal chatted about the weather and asked how her job was going, keeping the conversation light. They reached the museum on the western side of the palace and the door out to the gardens. Taking a left he headed towards the English Gardens. They walked past the palma grande, the tallest palm in Rome that grows under a protecting roof, and then took the path to the right. Cardinal McKenna continued to walk at the same leisurely pace but Mary Ellen sensed a change in his demeanor. As they got a little further away from the palace, the conversation abruptly took a different direction.
“If you could Ms. O’Farrell, please try to appear relaxed and smile once in a while in case anyone is observing us. Now, I must ask how you came by that card.”
Mary Ellen didn’t answer right away. She had the same burning question to ask the cardinal.
“Before I answer that Cardinal McKenna, I must ask, how do I know if I can put my trust in you?”
“I understand your concern Mary Ellen. As I see it, if we have both received the same warning, whoever sent it must feel we are a threat to them. I would say that places both of us on the same side. Now please tell me how is it you have the card in your possession?”
Mary Ellen had to agree; they must both have, without knowing, uncovered something they weren’t supposed to.
“Yesterday morning an envelope was left for me with only my name on the front and no other markings. Inside was the card. I must tell you it frightened me. I don’t know why but I took it as a warning of some kind.”
“Do you have any reason to believe that someone you know could be threatened by the questions you have been asking?” She stopped and turned, staring at the cardinal.
“Please Mary Ellen I would like it if we kept walking,” as he pretended to be asked a question and pointed to one of the flowers to his left.
“I’m sorry. If I may be so bold to remind you Cardinal McKenna, God will be your final judge if I misplace my trust in you. You know I believe my brother is innocent of the charges against him. I was never able to get access to information that could have proven it. I now have photos that show members of the LC in clandestine meetings with people outside the Vatican that there should be no reason for them to be associating with. There’s something strange going on, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
McKenna glanced at Mary Ellen. Had she said these things to see if she could get a reaction from him? No, she was looking straight ahead, absorbed in telling him what she had uncovered.
“I have documents showing deposits in bank accounts, payments on real estate, and much more. Some of it can be traced back to Father Marcial Maciel and the dual life that is now known he led. The question becomes what did he do in return to support his other life? Was my brother collateral damage?”
Mary Ellen looked at the cardinal, forcing a smile, as she waited to hear his response to what she had just told him. They were walking by the Fontana di Paolo Quinto, which is fed by water from the Lago di Bracciano. Cardinal McKenna stopped to listen to the soothing sounds of the cascading water. Standing next to him it seemed as if the weight of the world had suddenly been placed on his shoulders.
“What is it Cardinal McKenna? You seem troubled by what I have told you.”
“How did you come by these documents, Mary Ellen?”
Staring at the ground now, “They were sent to me by a priest. His name … his name was Father Roberto.”
McKenna continued to gaze at the water now, appearing to be a million miles away.
The silence was becoming awkward. Mary Ellen was about to say something when the cardinal said, “Well Ms. O’Farrell, I guess I must also put my trust in you. It seems we are headed down the same path. I believe a false prophet among us has even won over souls of the men of the cloth to join his army. How deeply the poison from the serpent’s fangs has spread we may never completely know. We can only try and save those souls not yet lost. Concerning the LC, I have my suspicions as well. I believe we are at war with the devil. The warnings we each received can only mean we have gotten too close to information they do not want us to know about.”
“You do believe me then that I can prove my brother is innocent?”
“If you have the proof, we will correct the wrong, but the stakes are much higher Mary Ellen. The world and the Church are imploding. We must find the key so we can send the serpent back from where he came. Will you help me?”
He turned and looked directly into Mary Ellen’s eyes. McKenna could sense Mary Ellen was struggling to grasp the gravity of the situation and come to terms with what he had just asked of her.
“I know it’s difficult to think that the world is on the verge of following a false prophet. The Old Testament shows us that evil has waged war against God many times; each time corrupting civilizations to the point He has had to step in. Pope Benedict himself fears we could be in apocalyptic times. When Father Roberto’s body was found, the same card as the ones we received was lying next to it. Craved into his chest was the drawing of a snake and beneath it two markings ר and כּ, which if I am correct, stand for the letters R and K in Hebrew.
“Let me tell you about a prophecy attributed to Saint Malachy. In 1139, as the Archbishop of Armagh, he went to Rome to give an account of the affairs of his diocese to the Pope Innocent II. While there he received a vision and was shown the identity of the last 112 Popes. This document remained unknown for 400 years until it was discovered in 1590 in the Vatican Archives. The list of prophetic predictions consists of a brief Latin phrase or motto for each Pope.
“The titles for each Pope have all come to be applicable including Pope Benedict XVI’s, who was given the title of Gloria Olivae, Glory of the Olives. He chose his name in honor of Pope Benedict XV, a man of peace and reconciliation. Benedict XV was said to have prophesied that before the end of the world, a member of his order would lead the Church in a battle against evil. But the last part of the prophecy concerns the end of the world and it is as follows: ‘In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, Peter the Roman will reign and will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled Church will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people.’ According to Saint Malachy, the last Pope on his list is Peter Romanus.
“Now stay with me here, one must remember Hebrew is written right to left so when we see letters it is the reverse of what we are used to reading.”
Mary Ellen immediately suspected Cardinal McKenna was referring to the markings carved into the flesh of Father Roberto. Her mind reeling, “But you said the letters were R and K?”
“In Hebrew the name for Peter is Kephas,” waiting for Mary Ellen to realize what he was telling her.
Then it hit Mary Ellen: “‘K’ for Kephas or Peter and ‘R’ for Romanus!”
Cardinal McKenna smiled when he saw Mary Ellen had made the connection.
“Although some believe we are entering the end times, there is another prophecy by Saint Anthony who lived in the thirteenth century where he described being visited by an angel and was told to write down the words of the Lord. When the time came the Chosen One, the Keeper of the Key, would be sent to find the book and give it to the shepherd of the flock. It would contain the knowledge that could save God’s people if there were still enough faithful left in the world.”
Mary Ellen’s first thought on hearing of the prophecy was thinking that Anthony had been named after the Saint. “That’s a coincidence, my friend was named after the same Saint.”
Cardinal McKenna locked her comment away for future reference.
Mary Ellen continued, “I will not question the path that has been put before me Cardinal McKenna; I will do whatever is needed.”
“Then may God protect both of us on our journey. Let us head back and we will discuss the next steps to be taken. I am going to place you und
er the protection of the Swiss Guard from this point on. Whatever you need, I will get you the necessary clearance.”
CHAPTER 46
During the phone conversation with Mary Ellen last night they all decided she should come to Pesaro this weekend. Anthony and Nelli wondered if the events surrounding Mary Ellen could have any bearing on their search for the sacred scriptures. Having her there would make it easier to find out what else she knew.
Returning to the villa after having dinner in town, Nelli went straight to bed. Anthony stayed up talking into the early hours of the morning getting the latest updates and going over plans with the other Guardians.
Cephas informed Anthony that they had found nothing unusual about the morning’s delivery of mail to all the offices of the Vatican. They were viewing the photos and video from the mail room; perhaps there was something that was missed that could give them a clue.
After finishing the last phone call, Anthony closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the chair. He needed to piece together everything he knew so far. Was there anything he’d forgotten to cover?
His cell phone rang and startled him. Snapping open his eyes he was blinded by a bright light. It took him a second to figure out where it was coming from. He realized it was the morning’s sun coming in through his bedroom window. He grabbed the phone, “Hello?”
“To’mas, it’s Mattithyahu.”
Without missing a beat Anthony asked, “Were you able to get any information on the license plate?”
“The plate off the car that passed you in Jesi belongs to a privately owned limousine company out of Florence,” replied Mattithyahu. “We’re still trying to find out who owns the company. Also, I talked with Franco and he said that a woman at the market was inquiring about who was renting the villa. Franco didn’t recognize her.”
“What did Franco tell her?”
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