House of Acerbi (god's lions)

by John Lyman

  Leo watched Moshe’s lime green fly fishing shirt billowing in the wind. The former IDF general and Mossad field agent, or katsa, as they were called, was usually a man of few words. Leo had no doubt that this discussion was not the result of a chance encounter on the top deck, but a focused warning about just how much information the Israelis wanted to share with outsiders.

  Message received, Leo thought to himself as he looked back out toward the coastal lights.

  “I’ll be careful what I discuss with outsiders in the future, Moshe.”

  Moshe laid his hand on Leo’s shoulder. “No harm, no foul, Cardinal. But even though we already knew the Spanish scientists were aware that the virus was manmade, we still don’t know exactly how they found out about it. We need their help in the fight against this plague, and so far there’s no reason to believe they are not what they appear to be, so please feel free to discuss any scientific information about the pathogen with them unless we specify otherwise. As far as our operational capability, that must remain our secret unless we decide they have a need to know for some reason.”

  Lev ambled up to the two men and pulled a cigar from his shirt pocket. Holding his hand to block the wind, he lit it with a match and gazed out at the dark sea as the bluish smoke whipped away in the breeze. “The wind is beginning to pick up. We need to launch the chopper and get the first group ashore as soon as possible.”

  “How many people are going ashore?” Leo asked.

  “All of the Bible Code Team, along with the Spanish scientists, plus some of the security and communications people here on the Carmela. Alex and the rest of the crew will remain onboard. We can resupply them from shore if need be, and they have the two speedboats if they have to make a quick run to shore for some reason.”

  “We need to call Nava,” Moshe said, running a hand over his shaved head. “I’m sending Alon in first with John and Ariella. You two will be on the second flight with Dr. Mendoza, followed by Evita and Dr. Diaz. I’ll be on the last flight after some of the others have been ferried ashore. I figure Nava will be making at least seven flights tonight.”

  In the bluish glow of the moonlight above, they saw Nava walking toward them dressed in her flight suit and holding a pair of night vision goggles in one hand and her helmet in the other. She tilted her head and sniffed at the breeze.

  “The wind’s picking up.”

  Lev smiled down at her with the cigar clenched in his teeth. “We know. We were just getting ready to call you.”

  CHAPTER 31

  In the greenish glow of her night vision goggles, Nava viewed the rising curves of the surrounding hills as she guided the small chopper toward the farm. Below, she could see the rushing water of the Aude River descending from the Pyrenees into a rugged gorge before entering the rolling French countryside where it slowed on its way to the sea. The river’s cool water was the lifeblood of the valley. It provided the much-needed irrigation for the lush fields, while at the same time it gave the workers who lived along its banks a place to escape the sun’s heat on those long summer afternoons when work became impossible.

  Spotting a large hill rising from the fields, Nava circled to land without the benefit of landing lights. A recent rain had moistened the ground, thus keeping the swirling dust at bay as the helicopter touched down in the center of the compound.

  The rotors were still turning when a thin man dressed in an olive-drab shirt and matching shorts approached the chopper. Opening one of the rear doors, he had to shout to be heard above the whine of the chopper’s turbines. “Lev … I’m glad to see you made it here safely!”

  Lev jumped out and embraced an older man who looked like he hadn’t eaten a good meal in years. “Ephraim, my old friend. How are you?”

  “Good … good. And this must be the famous Cardinal Leopold Amodeo.”

  “Yes. Leo … I want you to meet one of my dearest friends, Ephraim Amit. Ephraim runs the farm here. He used to oversee the vineyards at the villa before we purchased this property. Now he swears his wine is better than ours at the villa.” Lev leaned close to Leo and spoke in a loud whisper. “He’s becoming a snob about his vineyard.”

  “I heard that,” Ephraim said. “It’s the soil around here … you’ll see. Don’t listen to this old Israeli, Cardinal. One taste of my wine and you’ll be sold. I’ll send a case to the Vatican. I hear the pope’s been drinking California wine lately.”

  Leo began laughing for the first time in days. “Do you people know everything?”

  “Not everything,” Ephraim chuckled. “Come on, Cardinal. You’ll all be staying in the big house. I’ll show you the way.”

  The men began heading across the gravelly surface of the compound as the sound of the helicopter’s engines increased in the background. Nava still had several more flights to make.

  Looking past a large garden, they spotted a barn and several small houses scattered beneath the trees around the perimeter. Ephraim motioned them forward along a rocky path that wound up a steep, curving incline. Small rocks crunched beneath their feet until Leo finally spotted the dark shape of an immense stone structure at the top of the hill as they continued up the path in the bright moonlight.

  Ephraim looked back over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Cardinal, we’re not having a power failure. The main house is blacked out so as not to draw attention to our location. This hill overlooks the entire valley, and any light from here can be seen from miles away. We’ve been hearing stories of small bands of criminals taking advantage of the plague to raid homes. Mostly they just take food … it’s the most valuable commodity right now, but there have been reports of more serious incidents. A farmer and his wife were found shot a few miles from here and their two teenage daughters are still missing. Everyone is hoping they’re hiding somewhere.”

  “What about your perimeter defenses?” Leo asked.

  “You talk more like a soldier than a man of the cloth, Cardinal,” Ephraim grinned. “Mostly, we have listening devices and old-fashioned tripwires along the perimeter, but we also have manned outposts scattered around the property equipped with forward-looking infrared radar linked to laser-guided weaponry. No one comes on this compound without us knowing about it, and if they do, well …”

  As soon as they reached the top of the hill, the group followed Ephraim up some wide steps that led to a terrace fronting a stone structure that loomed five stories above their heads. Stopping to catch their breath, they looked out over the moonlit fields below. The light from the moon, combined with the green of the valley, made the water of the Aude River appear blue as it wound its way along the periphery of the property.

  In the valley below, Mendoza noticed several clusters of twinkling lights in the distance. “Shouldn’t those people be keeping a low profile too?”

  “Those are police outposts,” Ephraim explained. “They want people to be able to find them.”

  The creaking sound of old hinges caused Leo to turn as a pair of tall wooden doors opened behind them. Standing in the towering doorway, Leo spotted John and Ariella framed in the haze of the faint yellow light that was streaming out from behind them.

  “You should see this place, Leo,” John said. “It’s an old castle.”

  Ephraim hurried forward. “Come, Gentlemen. We need to get inside and close this door. Like I said, we don’t want to announce our presence. There are eyes all around looking for signs of life, and the light from that open door is like a beacon to anyone watching.”

  Walking inside, Leo stared up at the thick wooden timbers supporting a roof three stories above their heads.

  “How old is this place, Lev?”

  “The original structure was probably built during the dark ages, but we’ve discovered evidence of some additional construction that was probably done during medieval times before gunpowder made castles like this one obsolete. It was pretty much a ruin when we started rebuilding it several years ago. Most of the walls are four feet thick in places. That’s probably the reason they were
still standing after all these years.”

  Looking around, Leo marveled at the exacting stonework that made up the immense entrance hall. A thousand years before, men who had lived in a completely different world had quarried the huge blocks of stone and somehow transported them up to the top of this steep hill just so that they could wall themselves off from other men. Things really hadn’t changed all that much.

  Above their heads, they could see a row of multicolored flags hanging between the timbered ceiling and a long, open gallery lined with stone pillars. To their left, an intricately carved archway led to a narrow staircase that wound its way up to the gallery, and to their right, they saw a mammoth dark hallway leading off into the rest of the castle. It was classic medieval architecture. Every angle had been planned well in advance to give the castle’s defenders every advantage over any attackers who made it past the front entrance.

  Ephraim motioned the group toward the narrow staircase to their left. “Your rooms are upstairs. It looks like you could all use some sleep.”

  “I need to stay awake until everyone makes it here safely,” Lev said.

  Ephraim yawned as he removed his round, wire-framed glasses and ran a hand through thinning gray hair that ended in a ponytail. “I had a feeling you might say that. We’ll clear a space in the barn tomorrow so we can park the helicopter out of sight. We’ll have a real fight on our hands if one of those roving bands of thugs discover we have a chopper. We’re going to need it in the days ahead.”

  “Sounds like you already know why we’re here,” Leo said, casting a sideways glance at Lev.

  Ephraim winked. “That I do, Cardinal … that I do.”

  CHAPTER 32

  The castle’s thick walls had prevented Leo from hearing the chopper come and go throughout the night. He had slept soundly without waking, which was unusual, especially when he travelled.

  After lying still for a moment, he slipped over the edge of an ornate canopy bed and walked across the stone floor to a tall window. Tossing open a pair of blue shutters, he blinked in the bright sunlight and squinted out at the stunningly beautiful river valley below. Sunflowers were everywhere, with trees planted in perfectly straight rows separating rolling vineyards from fields planted with everything from lavender to fruit trees to vegetables. Beyond the agricultural patchwork, he caught shimmering glimpses of rushing water through the thick foliage, announcing the presence of a river that wound its way toward tall limestone cliffs in the distance.

  Turning away from the window, Leo noticed that, except for his bed and a red Persian carpet in front of a gigantic fireplace, the decor was rather sparse. After a year spent in the gilded atmosphere of the Vatican, he actually found the simplicity of the space refreshing. Grabbing his shaving kit, he headed for the shower and waited for the water temperature to rise to a level just below scalding, but it was not to be, for hot water in the castle had been temporarily turned off for repairs to the system. Damn. Leo hated cold showers.

  Taking a deep breath, he immersed himself just long enough to lather up, then braced for a quick rinse before stepping out on the equally cold stone floor and reaching for a towel that wasn’t there. Shivering, he skipped the shave and ran into the bedroom where he dried off with a bed sheet before dressing in a black polo shirt and white shorts. All he could think about at that moment was hot coffee as he opened the door to his room and ran straight into Evita Vargas.

  “Good morning, Cardinal.”

  Leo took a step back. “Excuse me, Dr. Vargas. I didn’t see you. Are you on your way down to breakfast?”

  “No, actually I was waiting for you.” She eyed his wet hair and bare feet. “Do you need a towel?”

  “They forgot to put one in my bathroom. How long have you been waiting for me?”

  “Only a few minutes … and please, call me Evita.” She looked up and down the hall. “Can I have a word with you … alone?”

  Leo’s green eyes flashed instinctively for a fraction of a second. “Why, of course. Where would you like to talk?”

  “Your room.”

  “My room?”

  “Come now, Cardinal,” Evita smiled as she studied his reaction. “My intentions are strictly honorable. Besides, you forgot your shoes.”

  Leo tried to adopt a neutral expression, but his eyes had already given him away.

  So, this man, this Prince of the Church, had normal desires like any other man.

  Evita folded her arms across her chest. “Of course, we could walk outside if you prefer.”

  “Uh, yes … let me get my shoes.” Leo darted back inside his room and quickly returned wearing a worn pair of leather boat shoes he had stuffed into his bag before he left the yacht. “I could really use a cup of coffee right now.”

  “I noticed that they were serving breakfast on the terrace when I was down there earlier,” Evita said. “We could grab some coffee and walk down to the river together … if that’s ok with you?”

  “Sounds good. Lead the way.”

  Together they circled down the stone staircase and out onto the terrace, where Lev and the others were sitting at small umbrella-covered tables, drinking coffee and enjoying some freshly baked croissants.

  Lev motioned them over to his table. “Good morning Leo … Doctor Vargas … beautiful day. I trust you are both well rested, because we have a lot to discuss.”

  “We were thinking of grabbing some coffee and taking a walk down to the river first,” Leo said. “Why don’t we join you in a few minutes?”

  “I’ll let the security people know you two are out on the property, but I need you both back here in thirty minutes.” Lev’s expression took on the look of a stern schoolmaster who had just caught two of his prized students playing hooky. “There’s a nice little grassy spot along the bank under the trees where you can sit and drink your coffee. It’s at the end of the path that leads through the vineyard. Don’t wander off the path or you’ll set off our motion detectors.”

  Evita began laughing as she bounded down the steps of the terrace. “I’ll try not to set off any motion detectors with the cardinal.”

  Lev almost choked on his coffee.

  “You’re bad,” Leo said, trying to keep the others from seeing him grin while he grabbed a cup of coffee and followed her down the steps. He was beginning to enjoy this woman’s quick wit.

  “Sorry, Cardinal. I just can’t help myself sometimes. Men are just too easy. Come on, I’ll try to behave myself the rest of the morning.”

  The two wound their way along the path through the vineyard until they reached the river. With the temperature already approaching the high eighties, they sat on the bank under an overhanging willow tree and took off their shoes so they could dangle their feet in the water.

  “So, Evita, what’s on your mind?”

  “I apologize for teasing you, Cardinal, especially since we don’t know each other all that well. It’s just that I’ve noticed you seem to have a good sense of humor and you remind me of someone I once knew. I guess I feel comfortable around you.”

  “Good, then you can stop calling me cardinal. My friends call me Leo.” He sipped the last of his coffee before leaning back on the grass and propping himself up on his elbows. “Actually, I wish more people would just be themselves around me. People naturally tend to be stiff and formal when they see the red skull cap.”

  Evita smiled. “I can see that would be a problem for you. You’re definitely a social creature. It seems almost cruel for you to be so isolated from everyday people.”

  “I still get out and about, but it’s not the same nowadays. I sometimes fantasize about getting away for a while to a place where no one knows who I am.”

  “Maybe I can help you with that.” Evita smiled and tossed her hair back over her shoulders. “Oh great, I’ve done it again. Sorry. Anyway, I know we have a busy day ahead, so I’ll get right to the point of why I wanted to speak with you alone. I didn’t mean to appear so mysterious. Frankly, the explanation is so juvenile that
it’s really kind of embarrassing for me to even bring it up.”

  “I’ve probably heard just about everything in the confessional. What’s on your mind? Something personal?”

  “No, nothing like that … nothing personal. It’s just that I wanted to discuss some of my theories with you, and I don’t like talking about them in front of Dr. Diaz.”

  “Dr. Diaz? Why not?”

  “Well, even though I consider him a friend as well as a colleague, he’s still a chauvinistic stuffed-shirt. I know he can’t help himself … it’s just his personality, but he mocks every theory I put out there. Scientists are supposed to feel free when throwing their ideas out there. It’s how we operate … very much like free association. Evidently, he didn’t get the memo that there’s an unwritten law in the scientific community that you don’t marginalize someone else’s ideas, no matter how ridiculous they may sound. It only stifles debate and keeps ideas from flowing.”

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, I noticed his attitude earlier on the yacht. From what I hear, he’s a very bright individual, but he’s also defensive, and some of his remarks have a caustic edge to them. I see this kind of attitude all the time in academia, because you’re dealing with some pretty big egos. Just remember, the desire to elevate one’s self at the expense of another is the mark of an insecure personality, so just consider the source and keep firing away with your theories. From what I’ve seen of you, you’re not kind of person who can be bullied easily.”

  “You’re right, I don’t bully easily. I’m the oldest of seven children, so I’ve pretty much taken on the defender role in life. However, I find that opposition for opposition’s sake is exhausting and counterproductive, especially when we have so little time to get to the bottom of something this important. I mean, hello … we’re trying to save lives here. I just wanted some time alone with you to run over some ideas later today.”

  “I’m flattered by your vote of confidence, Evita, but I’m not a scientist. There are others here much more knowledgeable when it comes to talking about things like genetic markers and DNA.”