The Second Messiah

by Glenn Meade

  “Where?”

  “At my parents’ grave.”

  “Why?”

  “I’d like a private moment. Well, are you going to drive me?”

  Yasmin’s gaze met his. “On one condition, Jack.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You take me with you to Rome.”

  58

  TWENTY MINUTES LATER Yasmin pulled the Land Cruiser up near the side of the road.

  “I won’t be long,” Jack said, and climbed out.

  Yasmin watched him cross to the gravestone as a puzzled look erupted on his face. Jack kept his back to her as she saw him kneel and spend a few minutes tidying the grave, tossing away the remains of flowers and smoothing out the gravel chips. Finally, after a private moment of reflection he stood, walked back to the Land Cruiser, and jumped in. He stared out at the Judean desert, as if searching for something or someone.

  Yasmin said, “What’s wrong? You look shocked.”

  “My parents’ grave was vandalized.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  “Someone crushed the flowers I’d left there the other day. They were a mess. They stomped them all over the gravel and scattered the stone chips.”

  “Why would anyone do that? Unless it’s meant as some kind of warning.”

  “If someone thinks a cowardly act like that’s going to stop me, then they’ve got another thing coming.”

  59

  TEL AVIV

  LELA CLUTCHED HER seat in the back of the wailing ambulance. She stared out past tinted windows and saw a white paramedic station wagon with a siren and flashing blue light speeding through the traffic in front of the ambulance. Julius Weiss’s bodyguards riding shotgun, Lela guessed.

  Ari sat next to her, clutching a leather attaché case on his lap. His boss, Weiss, was sprawled opposite on a red leatherette seat, next to an array of medical equipment. Beside him was a pale-faced man wearing a Jewish skullcap, a worn black suit, and scuffed brown shoes. One side of his glasses was held together with blue insulation tape. He was stonily silent—Weiss had not introduced him when they boarded the ambulance—but every now and then his myopic eyes darted shyly at Lela.

  The Mossad chief said with an impish grin, “What do you think of my transport, Inspector Raul? It’s the perfect cover. Who’d suspect the head of Mossad of traveling in an ambulance?”

  Lela saw the whitewash sprawl of Tel Aviv rush past as they sped along the roadway. “Do I get to know where I’m being taken?”

  Weiss snapped his fingers. Ari Tauber handed him a bulky, mustard-colored envelope from the attaché case. The Mossad chief removed a sheaf of color photographs. Lela saw that they were the ones Ari had taken at the monastery.

  Weiss examined the images and let out a sigh. “It seems that you and Ari had an interesting evening at Maloula, Inspector. Everyone in the monastery is dead and there’s no sign of Cane or the scroll.” The Mossad chief looked up and fixed Lela with a stare. “The plot certainly thickens, doesn’t it?”

  “I think you could say that.”

  Weiss pursed his lips in thought. “An interesting snippet of information that you ought to be aware of: Cane crossed back into Israel at seven this morning, along with the Bedu and Yasmin Green.”

  “What?”

  “I had their passports flagged with border security and was alerted as soon as the three showed up at the Allenby Bridge crossing. The pickup and its occupants were searched but the scroll was nowhere to be found. Cane, however, had a noticeable leg wound.”

  Lela’s face creased with concern. “What happened to him?”

  “He claimed he’d had an accident. On my direct orders the border security guards didn’t pursue the matter and risk making Cane suspicious. They allowed all three back into Israel.”

  “So we’re none the wiser about what happened at the monastery?”

  Ari said, “Lela, Professor Feldstein here thinks he may be able to help enlighten us.”

  Weiss added, “Inspector Lela Raul, meet Professor Feldstein. I should point out that the professor’s a Harvard graduate and a Dead Sea scrolls expert. Go ahead, Paul.”

  Weiss handed the clutch of photographs to the black-suited Feldstein, who held up a snapshot for Lela to see. It was of Father Novara, lying in a pool of his own blood.

  Feldstein pushed his glasses off the bridge of his nose and said in a soft, almost whispered voice, “This man, Father Vincento Novara, was a leading Aramaic scholar—an Aramaist. Many years ago he worked in the Vatican’s archives as a translator and archivist. He specialized in the old Aramaic and the later dialect common at the time of Jesus. He was also an expert on the Dead Sea scrolls. It’s my belief that the priest’s job was to translate the stolen parchment.”

  Lela raised an eyebrow. “I think we’ve already figured that one out, professor. The question is for whom? And what does the scroll contain?”

  “This is no ordinary Dead Sea scroll, Inspector.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Many years ago, soon after the first Dead Sea scrolls were discovered at Qumran, an expert named Professor Schonfeld worked on their translation. He discovered a code hidden within certain of them. Have you heard of Schonfeld’s work?”

  “Never.”

  “It’s a very simple code, one that Schonfeld called the Atbash Cipher. The letters of the Aramaic alphabet are completely reversed. The first letter becomes the last, and the last the first, and so on. It couldn’t be simpler. Do you understand?”

  “I think so. Go on.”

  “Not all of the Dead Sea scrolls contain a code, but a select few certainly do.” Professor Feldstein removed a pen and notepad from his pocket, flicked open a fresh page, and drew two short dashes:

  – –

  “Only scrolls that contain two dashes in the upper-right-hand corner of the parchment contain code. It was a simple indicator to those who had knowledge of the code’s existence that a secret message was contained within the text.”

  Lela said impatiently, “And the significance of all this is, professor?”

  Feldstein met her stare. “We believe that the scroll found by Jack Cane contains a similar marking, suggesting the document has an Atbash code.”

  “What kind of message are we talking about?”

  “Schonfeld’s work led him to believe that a number of Dead Sea scrolls contained important announcements meant to be passed down to future generations.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “Because at least two others already found contain an important revelation. One is held by Israel. The other by the Vatican. Held in secret, I might add. In locked vaults and accessible only to those in the highest authority.”

  “What for?” Lela asked.

  Feldstein looked at the Mossad chief, who nodded his approval.

  “Tell her, professor.”

  60

  THE PROFESSOR’S FACE was grave as he took out a handkerchief, removed his glasses, and began polishing them vigorously. “It’s a very remarkable revelation that would certainly stun the world. The description ‘earth-shattering’ definitely applies in this case.”

  “I take it that you know exactly what the revelation is, professor?”

  Before Feldstein could reply, Weiss addressed Lela. “The professor works for Mossad and is a keeper of state secrets. The answer to your question is yes, he knows, just as I do. And before you roll your eyes in doubt, Feldstein isn’t talking bull. The code is real. The revelation is real. And we now know that the scroll Jack Cane discovered has been carbon-dated to between 25 and 50 A.D.”

  Lela smiled, sat back, and looked from Feldstein to Weiss. “You two are really serious, aren’t you?”

  “Of course,” Weiss answered flatly.

  “Forgive me, but I’ve heard nonsense like this before.”

  Weiss looked affronted. “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s the stuff of fiction, age-old myths, and bad movies and comes in various shapes and
forms. You know the kind of thing I mean. The incredible Bible secret that will change the world. Or the cipher hidden in Scripture that suggests God has a secret to reveal. Or maybe newly discovered evidence that claims Jesus Christ never existed, or that Mary Magdalene was his wife or his girlfriend and that they produced a bloodline.”

  Professor Feldstein said confidently, “This is no myth, Inspector. And I can assure you that the revelation would have far-reaching consequences.”

  Lela sat back and folded her arms. “Really? And just what kind of revelation are we talking about? That Scientology got it right? That creatures from outer space seeded the earth? Or that there was no Jesus Christ? Or proof that God does or doesn’t exist? At least tell me if I’m in the ballpark here, or am I so way off beam I’m starting to sound crazy?”

  The professor looked worriedly to Weiss again as if for guidance, and Weiss answered. “You’ll have to take my word, Inspector, that it’s certainly a bombshell, and that’s all I can say. Our hope is that when we find the missing scroll it will illuminate our knowledge of the revelation.”

  “You said when we find it. Why so confident?”

  “Because failure is not an option I can contemplate. The scroll simply must be found. Jack Cane may know more than anyone about its disappearance. That’s why you and Ari will stick to him like glue. You’ll use every means at your disposal to discover what he does, knows, and learns.”

  “Will the revelation be made public if it’s found?”

  Weiss said, “You want my honest opinion? I doubt it.”

  As the Mossad chief went to replace the photographs in the envelope, Lela said, “What about the symbols Father Novara wrote on the wall in his blood? Do they have a significance?”

  Weiss shuffled through the snapshots and plucked out the photograph of the blood-drenched symbols and held it up. “Good question. But I’m afraid that’s something of a mystery right now.”

  Lela stared at the images. “It looks like it could be a pair of crosses to me.”

  Weiss said, “Professor Feldstein, do these symbols mean anything specific to you?”

  “The old Aramaic t, pronounced ‘taw,’ was in the shape of a cross, because that’s what it meant, cross or an X. But that was eighth to ninth century B.C. And to be honest the combination of two t’s suggests nothing to me except gobbledygook.”

  Weiss shrugged. “It’s hard to say what the priest was trying to convey, or if his mind was simply confused close to death. But it’s a mystery I’m hoping we’ll solve.”

  Lela looked at Weiss. Her sixth sense told her he knew more than he was saying.

  The ambulance siren died. Lela looked out the window and saw to her surprise that the driver had reached Tel Aviv airport. He drove in through a pair of manned security gates toward a line of private aircraft hangars and braked to a halt.

  An unmarked gleaming Lear jet waited. Airsteps led up to the cabin and in the cockpit a uniformed crew was busy performing a preflight check. Weiss put the photographs away, pushed open the ambulance doors, but remained inside with the professor. “Step down, Inspector, the Lear jet’s for you. This time you’ll be traveling in comfort. Forgive me, but I’m already late for a meeting so I’ll say my good-bye now.”

  “Traveling to where?” Lela asked as Ari ushered her out of the ambulance. She heard the jet’s auxiliary power unit start up with a whine.

  Weiss said, “To the Eternal City. Rome to you and me.”

  “But why?”

  Weiss was a man in a hurry as he pulled the ambulance doors shut. “Ari will brief you. Good-bye, Inspector. Or I should say, Arrivederci.”

  PART SIX

  61

  ITALY

  AT THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND feet above the Mediterranean, the Al Italia Airbus 320 began its descent into Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport.

  Jack felt tense and excited as he drained his scotch and stared out of the window while Italy’s rugged coastline drifted below him in slow motion. His notebook and pen lay open on the fold-down table in front of him. An air steward came by and removed his empty plastic drink cup. Jack slumped back in his seat and stared at the notebook.

  Yasmin sat beside him, her head over to one side, her eyes closed. He couldn’t help but look at her. Her sleeping face was really quite beautiful.

  He was unable to relax despite the scotch he’d sipped during the last two hours of his flight from Tel Aviv. His body felt racked by stress and excitement. He knew that any of his fellow passengers could be one of Pasha’s people. What if we’re being followed? What if the Syrian means to kill us?

  He stopped looking at Yasmin and for the umpteenth time in the last two hours he studied the other passengers nearby. They were mostly Jews and Arabs, with a sprinkling of Africans and Europeans. A few looked suspicious. A restless Middle Eastern man in the opposite aisle caught his eye. All during the flight the guy had shot nervous glances across the cabin in Jack’s direction. Jack told himself his mind was working overtime. The guy’s probably just scared of flying.

  But Jack’s anxiety didn’t go away. At the airport, Yasmin had insisted on joining him even when he’d steadfastly refused. “Yasmin, the last thing I want is for you to be caught up in any trouble. It’s best that you stay in Israel.”

  She was dressed in jeans and a pastel blue blouse and carried a worn leather travel bag over her shoulder. “We’re in this together, Jack.”

  Then, in the middle of the crowded airport she leaned across, kissed his cheek, and said playfully, “Now be a good boy while I go book a ticket.”

  There was no arguing with her. He went to a currency exchange counter, bought some euros, and an hour later they boarded the Al Italia flight together. Now he looked again at her sleeping face, her generous mouth. He leaned across, kissed her forehead softly, and could smell the almond scent of her hair.

  He turned his attention back to his notebook. As soon as Yasmin fell asleep he had switched on his phone—illegal on board, he knew—but his curiosity was eating him alive. He had scrolled through the photographs he had taken of the parchment, found one complete Aramaic sentence that he could make out that did not show signs of damage or wear, copied it down, and immediately switched off his phone again.

  Then he set to work, applying the simple rules of the Atbash code, reversing the order of the alphabet. Aramaic wasn’t his forte, and it was a slow process. Over an hour later, he was still trying to make sense of the remarkable sentence he’d decoded. He felt blown away.

  I’ve discovered another explosive translation.

  His heart was racing but he wanted to translate the sentence all over again just to be absolutely certain he’d made no mistakes.

  Moments later the pilot announced that they were completing their descent. Yasmin blinked awake, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Are we already there …?”

  “Just about. We ought to be landing soon.”

  “You sound wide awake and excited. Me, I’m still trying to recover after Maloula. Wake me after we’ve touched down.” Yasmin snuggled into him, clutching his arm, and went back to sleep.

  Jack went back to work, full of enthusiasm, but soon he heard the jet engines change pitch and felt a sinking sensation as the pilot began his approach into Rome. He kept working until ten minutes later when he put away his notebook, just as the Airbus kissed the runway at Rome’s Da Vinci Airport.

  Yasmin awoke, a catch of excitement in her voice as she stared out at the airport. “I can’t believe we’re in Rome. What now? Where do we go?”

  “First, let’s get through immigration, then we’ll grab a cab and I’ll tell you on the way to the Vatican.”

  Twenty minutes later, carrying their overnight bags, they passed through EU immigration and customs without any hitches and headed toward Arrivals.

  The Serb carried a newspaper under his arm and wore a black leather jacket. He stood in the Arrivals terminal scratching an old scar under his chin as he observed the arriving couple.

  They st
epped out of the terminal building and walked over to a taxi stand. The Serb followed them from a safe distance, watching as they stepped over to a white cab. They handed their luggage to the driver, who loaded the bags into the cab’s trunk. The Serb promptly crossed to his silver Lancia parked at the curb, jumped into the driver’s seat beside Nidal Hassan, and grinned. “It looks like we’re in business. This is where the fun begins.”

  Nidal watched as Cane and the woman finished stashing their luggage and climbed into the cab before it screeched away from the curb. “What are you waiting for? Follow them, don’t lose them,” Nidal ordered.

  The Serb hit the ignition, gunned the engine, and swung the Lancia out after the taxi.

  62

  AVENTINO

  ROME

  THE CHAUFFEURED MERCEDES slid to a halt outside the gates of a crumbling old sandstone monastery in the Aventino Hills.

  Cardinal Liam Kelly from Chicago—a bull of a man with a craggy face, penetrating eyes, and wearing a priest’s black suit and collar—didn’t bother to wait for his chauffeur to open the door but maneuvered himself out of the car. The wrought-iron gates at the villa entrance were opened by two plainclothes armed guards who beckoned Kelly inside and scanned him with a handheld metal detector.

  Steps led up to a pair of oak doors, above them a plaster image of the Virgin and child with a marble inscription underneath: “White Fathers. Monastery of Aventino.” One of the doors opened and a cheerful bearded man appeared.

  “Abbot Fabrio,” smiled Kelly, noticing more armed guards inside the hall. “It looks as if this place is sealed tighter than Rome’s central penitentiary.”

  The abbot beamed, showing a handsome face and perfect white teeth behind the beard. “Cardinal, it’s good to see you as always. Come inside.”

  Kelly was led down a hall to a cluttered office and the abbot closed the door behind them. “Can I get you some coffee or tea?” Abbot Fabrio asked.