The Guardian

by ROBBIE CHEUVRONT

  No one had really said anything yet, but Wickham knew they must be wondering what was going on. It wasn’t that they were called out of their warm beds for a meeting. He did that to them all the time. The question was, who was the stranger standing behind him, leaning against the wall?

  Wickham cleared his throat. “Brothers, welcome. We will keep this brief. First, I want you all to know that the scroll is moments away from being in our possession.” He held up his hands to quiet the murmuring. “Second, there is the matter of Conclave.” Again, he had to quiet the men. “Now, we all know that Joseph has been thrust into the spotlight.”

  This time the eruption was more significant. Some stood up, waving their hands, speaking indignantly. Others pounded their fists on the table, demanding an explanation. Since their meeting in the papal audience hall, none of the brothers had spoken to Wickham. And he left a lot to be discussed. Now, away from the rest of the Vatican, they let their questions fly. It was Ibrahim who finally rose to the top of the noise to be heard.

  “How dare you make a decision like that without consulting us first!” Ibrahim’s face was red. “We are all well aware that you orchestrated that letter. You likely wrote it yourself. But to suggest Joseph? Have you lost your mind? There is no way he will be the next pope. Even I am much more qualified.”

  Again the room became a ruckus. Wickham expected it. He hadn’t explained himself since he made the announcement, but he needed to do so now. He grabbed a wooden statue sitting on a pedestal and slammed it on the table, creating a thunderous boom that reverberated through the room.

  “Now, gentlemen,” he said, placing the statue back on the pedestal, “if we may continue?”

  Everyone took their seats. Menacing stares roved around the table as all the brothers looked at one another.

  “Yes, I did fabricate the letter. Yes, Joseph was my idea. And yes, I did consider all of you for the job. But to put it quite plainly, none of you would be even a possible choice for the papacy. You would be laughed out of the room by everyone voting. You all have a lot of baggage.”

  “And this buffoon is a better choice?” Ibrahim motioned over to Joseph. “You think he can get elected? He’s been buried in the archives for the last three years. No one even knew who he was until that letter.”

  “That’s exactly the point. We can make him into a great man. By the time we all work our magic, Joseph will be the most beloved cardinal in the whole Vatican. There’s no way he won’t get elected.”

  The meeting became total chaos. Finally, the man who had been standing behind Wickham stepped forward. Everyone had forgotten he was even there until he spoke.

  “Excuse me, gentlemen.” He barely spoke loud enough to be heard, but his voice pierced the noise like a dagger. The room fell to a dead silence.

  The man smiled and walked around the table, touching each brother on the shoulder as he passed. One by one, they all sat down and stared blankly at him. When he got around the table, he brushed Wickham out of the way and took his seat.

  “You are wondering who I am. Why I am here. I’m surprised, really. For a long time each and every one of you has served me. Some of you have done well. Some of you haven’t. Nevertheless, you know who I am.”

  And they did. Instantly. One by one, they nodded. A mixture of fear and sadness etched on their faces. A mood of shame and self-pity hung in the air.

  “It was my decision to make Joseph the next pope. I need him.”

  Again everyone nodded.

  “And I expect you to do whatever it takes to get him elected. Is that understood?”

  Again everyone nodded.

  “Good. I promise you will all be rewarded. Soon I will have total control over everything you see around you. Not just Rome or the Vatican, but the world. Contrary to what that fairy tale says, I can and will rule this world forever. And as soon as I have that scroll, you will see. And when I have what I want, I will make you all great kings of great nations. You will rule over this earth. And you will live forever. And you will bow to me and worship me.” He stood and moved his chair into the center of the room. Then he sat back down. “And you will start tonight. Come here, each of you, and bow before me.”

  CHAPTER 51

  Jerusalem, 5 Days Later

  The flight into Jerusalem had been stressful. They had tried to get hold of Hale and the rest of the flight crew, but there was no answer. Hale’s phone just went to voice mail. They even made contact with the security team and talked to Christopher Wallace. He hadn’t heard from Hale or the rest of the crew since their meeting earlier this week. He said he would look into it. But for now, they needed to be careful and just stay in London.

  Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. They had to go to Jerusalem. Christopher told them that under the circumstances, he would break protocol and arrange for agents to meet them in Israel. Anna and Jason thanked him and told him that they would be staying at the King David Hotel. He booked their flights to make sure an agent got on board with them while he and the others took a later charter with all their equipment on board. And he promised he would do all he could to find out where Hale and the rest of the crew was.

  The last five days had been something Jason couldn’t even describe. With not much else to do and the assurance of the security team, he and Anna spent most of their time sightseeing and talking. And not even about the scroll. They talked about their families and where they grew up and the things they liked to do. They argued over pizza versus cheeseburgers. They tried to decide which was better, Rocky Road or Turtle Tracks. Anna told Jason that living in Nashville, it seemed there was nothing to do, but whenever guests came, she was quickly reminded of how much there actually was to do—the Frist Museum, the Country Music Hall of Fame, Printer’s Alley, the Parthenon. He’d never been to any of them, but he saw them through her eyes.

  In the end, what happened was more important than anything else. Jason lost his heart. He knew he was falling in love. Anna had basically felt the same way and, as much, told him. They talked about it and decided that even though their relationship was fairly new and founded under extreme duress, they knew what they were feeling for each other was real. Jason had prayed about it every night since the first kiss, and God pretty much confirmed it in his heart that she was “the one.” He just hoped they lived long enough to see it grow. The way things had gone since he met her, it could be a coin flip.

  Now Jason got out of bed and walked across the expansive hotel suite to knock on Anna’s bedroom door. “Anna, you up?” He heard a faint moan come from the other side. “Hey … slacker! Get up. We’ve got things to do today.” He smiled, waiting for the smart comment he was sure was coming.

  The door swung open, nearly knocking Jason on his backside. Anna stood there, fully dressed, with her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.

  She turned around and walked into the bathroom. She rinsed the toothpaste out of her mouth and turned back to Jason. “I was trying to say come in.”

  “Sounded like a moan to me. I thought you were still sleeping.”

  “That’s what you get for assuming.”

  Jason let out a big yawn and ran his hands through his hair. He scratched the stubble on his chin and looked at her as if he were totally uninterested in anything she just said. “I just came over here to tell you that Benjamin called. Said to meet him tonight at eleven o’clock.”

  “Wow! That gives us all day,” she said.

  “Yep. We can sleep in this morning.” He turned around and went back through the dividing door. He looked back over his shoulder as he was pushing the door shut. “I’m going back to sleep. See you in about three hours.”

  She grabbed him before he could escape the room. “I’m up. I’m dressed,” she hissed. “You want to tell me again that I could have slept in?”

  He dropped a kiss on her nose. “You’re really not a morning person. You know that?”

  “I am too a morning person.” “Really? You think so?”

  She sta
rted laughing. “Well … I love breakfast.” She pushed him away again.

  “Me, too. How about eggs?” “We have some?”

  “No, but I bet we could find a nice little restaurant.”

  “Sounds good.” She leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Get a shower and get ready. I’ll go call the lobby and ask them where we should go.”

  “Okay, I’ll only need fifteen minutes. I’ll be right out.” He walked into his bathroom and shut the door. He could hear her

  placing the phone call: “Ah, yes, sir. I was wondering where we could get a nice breakfast this morning. We like eggs.”

  Twenty minutes later they were downstairs at the hotel’s breakfast buffet, which the concierge insisted was the best in Jerusalem. Halfway through their meal, they both agreed that the concierge had been right.

  They had a fairly secluded table in the back of the room, with one other table within earshot of them. Just three young children and two emotionally drained parents, none of whom had any interest in eavesdropping. That was good, because Anna had something she needed to talk about.

  Ever since their first real kiss five nights ago, Jason had been very quiet. She didn’t know what to make of it. It was as if he had something he needed to tell her but couldn’t. She had played the last few days over and over in her mind, trying to figure out what it could be. The only thing she could figure was that maybe he had a girlfriend he wasn’t telling her about. She quickly dismissed the thought every time it crept up into her mind. Surely he would have said something. And so she just let it go. But something was going on. He wouldn’t even talk about the scroll with her. Every time she brought it up, he just said he was thinking about it. But he would always reassure her that they would figure it out. “Don’t worry, Anna,” he would say. “It will come to us. Just wait. You’ll see.” Well, she was getting tired of waiting. They were supposed to meet Benjamin in a few hours, and they had no idea what they were doing.

  On the bright side of things, their relationship, if you could call it that, was taking off tremendously, aside from the nagging thought of his possible girlfriend. The last five days had been mind-numbing. She and Jason had taken walks all over the city. They had visited Albert Hall and the Museum of Natural History. They had tried out countless cafés and restaurants. They had even taken in a show. Jason had surprised her with tickets to Les Misérables. It was very romantic.

  She felt strangely safe with him. The whole time they were bouncing around London, she never once felt the urge to look over her shoulder or wonder what was around the next corner. It was as if she knew by some weird sense that she was safe as long as Jason was around.

  It also didn’t hurt that he was one of the handsomest guys she’d ever seen. But it was his heart that really captivated her. He was so genuine and transparent, talking about this passion for God that he had deep within himself. A passion for being a servant to other people.

  He told her that not a day went by without him thinking about what his life would be like if he were not following Christ. That should have sent up red flags. To this point in her life, she would have done anything to avoid the “Bible thumpers.” But Jason was different. He wasn’t like other religious people she had met. He told her not to judge all Christians by the actions of a few. He said that too many people made Christianity about cleaning up your life and getting the outside stuff fixed. And they completely missed that it was about letting God change the inside. He didn’t just talk about it; he lived it. And for some reason—one that she couldn’t explain—that was one of the most attractive things about him.

  Breakfast was over, and they sat drinking their coffee. Anna took his hand. She hesitated, but Jason just smiled at her. She might as well get it over with. She had to find out what was bugging him once and for all.

  “I’m going to ask you a question that I’ve asked you several times this week. Only this time, I want an answer. If we are going to do this—I mean us”—she waved her hand back and forth between them—”then I need to know that you’re not keeping something from me.”

  “Anna, I—”

  “No,” she held up her hand, “listen to me. Let me finish.” He nodded.

  “This week has been something else. I mean, I really have some strong feelings for you. But I will not be manipulated or lied to. Do you understand me?”

  Again he nodded. Strange—he didn’t look like he was hiding anything. At least nothing bad. But there was a secret light to his eyes. He was keeping something from her. That couldn’t continue. “My last boyfriend lied to me. I can’t deal with that again. I don’t have the patience to deal with immature little men who can’t get their heads out of their …”

  “Anna.”

  She looked at him, a little perturbed at being cut off.

  “You want to know why I’ve been so quiet this week. And why I’ve been keeping to myself at times.”

  “Yes. You don’t have a girlfriend or something like that, do you?”

  He burst out laughing.

  “What?” she asked, annoyed.

  “Are you serious?” He continued to laugh. “You think that I have a girlfriend?”

  “Well …?”

  He stopped laughing and held her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. “No, Anna. I do not have a girlfriend. At least not one that you don’t know about.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He smiled. “You, silly. I mean you. You are the only woman in my life at this point and time. Scout’s honor.” He held up two fingers.

  “Then why have you been so quiet and reserved for the last few days?”

  “‘Cause I’ve been trying to figure out what all of this is about. And until last night, I couldn’t be sure. But now I’m fairly positive I know what the riddle on the scroll means.”

  Anna’s face lit up. “You’ve figured it out?”

  “I think so.”

  “So tell me.”

  “Not here. Let’s take a walk. Or go back up to the room.” “Let’s go for a walk. We’ll find someplace quiet.” They made their way outside and walked down King David Street.

  “Can you give me a hint?” she asked.

  Jason leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Are you familiar with Moses’ staff?”

  She pulled away and looked at him quizzically but nodded yes.

  He leaned back in and whispered, “Do you know where it is? Or rather, where it’s supposed to be?”

  Again she looked at him, but this time shook her head.

  He leaned back in and smiled. He knew this would get her blood going. “Ever hear of the ark of the covenant?”

  CHAPTER 52

  The Vatican

  Cardinal Wickham was in his study reading a book and smoking his pipe when the phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s me. I’m back in the game.”

  So the rat had come crawling back. Wickham had wondered if he’d ever hear from Jonathan again. “I can’t talk right now. I’ll call you back in fifteen minutes.” He looked at the caller ID. Blocked. “Give me the number.” He grabbed a pen and jotted it down. “Okay. Fifteen minutes.”

  Twenty minutes later, dressed in blue jeans, sweatshirt, and ball cap, he was dropped off by cab in front of a small café. Once seated at his usual table, he ordered the four-cheese omelet and punched in the numbers on his phone.

  “You’re late. Why can’t you just say thirty minutes if that’s what you intend?”

  “Oh, calm down, Jonathan. What’s fifteen more minutes?”

  “It’s a lot when you need to catch a flight.”

  “Where are you going?” “Jerusalem.” “Jerusalem? Why?”

  “‘Cause that’s where that girl and your scroll are.”

  “Really? And how did you find that out?”

  “What do you think you pay me for, Wickham?”

  “I was beginning to wonder that myself.”

  “Very funny. Listen. I’ve had her tailed for the last week. I
was told she hopped on a flight to Jerusalem last night. A commercial flight.”

  “Yes, so?”

  “So I was wondering why she would fly commercial and not her little G-5?”

  Wickham paused for a minute. Should he tell Jonathan about Hale and the girl assassin? No, probably not. He would wait and see how it played out. “I have no idea,” he finally said. “Where in Jerusalem?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I have people working on it. I have a couple of Palestinian friends who owe me big favors. I’ll put them on it. If they can’t find her, no one can.”

  “Just get me what I’m paying you for.”

  “If everything goes right, you’ll have it by this evening.”

  Wickham didn’t even say good-bye as he hung up the phone.

  The waitress brought him his breakfast, along with his Bloody Mary. A broad smile creased his face as he took his first bite. Good. Very cheesy. Just like he liked it. And the Bloody Mary … ah yes. Just enough spice.

  He set down his fork down and reached for his phone again. He punched in the numbers and listened to it ring.

  “Cardinal Wickham’s office. May I help you?”

  “It’s me.”

  “Oh, hello, sir. What can I do for you?” “I’m going out of town on an emergency. Cardinal Joseph McCoy is in charge until I get back. Understood?” “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. And as far as anyone else is concerned, you don’t know where I am or when I’ll be back. I’m simply out of the office. Call the head of the Swiss Guard and tell him I need a pilot. Someone who is qualified to fly a Gulfstream 5. Have him meet me at the airport at three o’clock, sharp.”

  “Yes, sir. Anything else?”

  “No, that will be all.”

  “Okay then. Have a nice flight.”

  Again, he hung up the phone without saying good-bye. He picked up his fork and started eating again. Yes, yes, indeed, very cheesy. Just the way he liked it.