The Complete 8-Book Guardians Adventure Saga

by Summer Lee

  FOUR

  Daniel stared at his one piece of luggage that rested on the floor of his small, but beautifully decorated room at the Jet Hotel. The salmon-colored walls were highlighted by a simple white and almond décor.

  His bed was incredibly comfortable, and he would have preferred to just lay back and let the peaceful darkness of sleep overtake him, but he couldn’t. He just sat on the edge of the bed and thought about everything that had happened to him in the past year. He was cut off from his family’s money. That was about it.

  That one event started a domino effect of bad things happening. He looked around the room and huffed. What am I even doing here? Why did I let Alan talk me into this?

  Those questions and others kept going around in his head. He had no idea why he even picked the research field that he did. It might have been something he saw on the Discovery or History channel.

  There were no words for the feeling of loss and abandonment he felt at that moment. What could he do, now that he was in Italy? If he gave up and went home, his father would never let him live it down. His parents expected him to give up. That alone was a reason not to.

  Shaking his head, he said, “I can’t believe I’m talking to myself. Great. What’s next?”

  He stood up in frustration with no sense of direction. He did not know what to do. Magena did not like him. There was no one there to guide him. He was alone and on his own. Or was he? His mother!

  He went to his bag and unpacked. Among his socks were a few bills. He was fortunate that his mother felt sorry for him, or he would not have had any traveling money. He knew he had to ration that though, because he had no way of getting any more, unless his mother wired him some.

  Daniel went to the bathroom after unpacking and glared at his reflection in the mirror. He felt frustrated. He fully expected his mother to call him and say that everything was just a big misunderstanding and that he should go home to his own bed.

  He had not been kicked out of the house, but he might have well as been, in his eyes. He took in a breath of fresh air and decided that he would make the best of his time in Turin. He needed to know more about the shroud anyhow. He uploaded his Internet onto his phone and once again typed in “The Shroud.” Information popped up. It appeared that many tests had been run on the shroud. A radiocarbon test showed that one piece was different from that of the main cloth. The authentic shroud had been patched. It was determined that the sample was not part of the original cloth and worthless for determining the age of the shroud itself. The tests included using chemical kinetics and a pyrolysis mass-spectrum. They probably needed a new test. Quite a bit of charred cellulose was removed during a restoration of the original shroud in 2002. That was pretty recent.

  This seemed complicated. He had no idea how he was going to start his research, so he thought that he would do it the way he did everything else in life. He would wing it.

  It was late afternoon and Daniel had just finished getting dressed after taking his shower. He thought he might take in some of the sights in the area, when almost as if on cue, there was a loud knock on his door.

  He rushed toward the door to his room, with renewed enthusiasm and opened it.

  Magena was standing there, immediately eying him from head to toe. “You changed? Okay. Never mind. I guess I should have, as well.” She was still dressed in her travel clothes.

  Daniel was in a dark blue polo shirt with black jeans and tennis shoes. He smiled at his new partner. “It’s okay if you stink. Really. I’m ready for some sightseeing. How ‘bout you?”

  “Sightseeing?” She sighed with frustration. “You do realize why we’re here. Don’t you? We can see the sights as we’re headed to the Turin Cathedral. We have limited time to get a look at the shroud.”

  His disappointment of not being able to sightsee, was painfully obvious. “Oh... the shroud. Okay. So what’s the deal? Is it like on display only within certain hours?”

  She gave him a puzzled look. “Are you serious? Don’t you know anything about the object that you’re doing research on?”

  He stood with his mouth open and a blank stare. “I’m learning.”

  “Unbelievable,” she said, almost under her breath. “One of the first things you should have found out about the Shroud of Turin, is that it can only be viewed during the Ostensioni. We were more than fortunate to be able to get an appointment to view it privately for our research. Do you know how many hoops I had to jump through just to get this appointment?”

  She tried to hide her frustration, but knowing that he was that unprepared, probably meant she would be doing most of his research as well as her own.

  “I get it,” he said, quietly. “Sure! The exposition! Why isn’t it on display now?”

  She bit her lower lip, while trying to remain calm. “It can only be viewed and adored by the faithful. I suppose I should have asked you earlier. Do you believe in God and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?”

  She could see the wheels turning in his head to come up with an answer. “You know what? Maybe you shouldn’t answer that. I wasn’t prepared to have anyone come with me, let alone someone who does not believe.”

  “Hey!” he rebutted. “I never said I don’t believe!”

  She raised one brow. “Do you?”

  “Believe in God? Me? Not really,” he replied, nonchalantly.

  She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have asked. I do believe in God. That’s one of the only ways that they would let me in to see the shroud.”

  “Yeah, but you’re...” he stopped short, after he realized what he was going to say.

  “...Cherokee?” Magena finished his thought. “What does that have to do with anything? You don’t think we can believe in someone other than medicine men?”

  “Sure. I mean... no. I mean... I don’t know! Look. I didn’t mean to insult you, Mags. I just didn’t know what to tell you.”

  She gritted her teeth. “The truth would always be the best thing. I also asked you not to call me Mags. You need to grow up. Maybe you’ll have to wait outside the cathedral for me, while I go inside.”

  Daniel’s inner procrastinator took over, as he smiled reassuringly. “I think that’s a great idea. As disappointed as I am that I won’t be able to do any research, I fully understand the rules and regulations of the cathedral. I’ll just wait in the cab or maybe I’ll sightsee from that vantage point. Maybe next time.”

  Magena laughed, as if Daniel had just made a joke. “Ha ha! Nice try! From what you told me about your research, all you have to do is to interview groups of people from differing social, economic, and religious backgrounds. At least, that’s what I assumed when you briefly explained it to me. I have pictures of the shroud that you can use, unless you have some. Being that you seem completely unprepared, I wouldn’t bank on it.”

  Daniel nervously rubbed his hands together and then clapped. “Let’s get this show on the road, chief!”

  Five

  Magena stood with Daniel in front of the Jet Hotel. She felt frustrated as she glared down one side of the street and then the other. “I don’t get it. I asked the desk clerk if she could call us a cab. It should have been here by now!”

  “Did you ask in English?” Daniel replied restively, with his arms folded in front him.

  She held out an English/Italian dictionary and practically stuck it in his face. “This is all the Italian I have. It has helped me since we got here!”

  “Are you usually this uptight, Mags?”

  Magena just shook her head, as she placed one hand on her forehead. “No. I am usually calm. Then again, I didn’t expect to be babysitting on my first trip to Italy.”

  “Well, there’s your problem!” he exclaimed, with a smile. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

  Daniel casually walked up to a man smoking a cigarette and leaning against what appeared to be his car. He looked back at Magena, smiled, and then turned to the man. “Mi scusi. Puoi dirmi dov’è la più vicina stazione dei taxi si t
rova? A proposito, mi piace la vostra città!” he said in Italian.

  Magena’s mouth dropped open in surprise. She never even thought to ask Daniel if he knew Italian. She looked at her dictionary in disgust. “A lot of help you gave me.”

  The man smiled at them, threw his cigarette on the ground, and stomped on it. He embraced Daniel and then pulled away. He pointed down the street as he said in Italian, “Torino è molto bella! Ringrazio il mio amico! Se andate due blocchi per questa strada, vedrete un grande viale. Ci dovrebbe essere qualche taxi. Buona fortuna e che Dio vi benedica!”

  Daniel walked confidently beside Magena with his head held high. She had a smirk on her face. “You didn’t tell me you could speak Italian,” she said.

  “You didn’t ask,” he replied, quickly. “The gentleman said that there is a cab stand about two blocks north of here. If you have any questions about Italy for me, just let me know.”

  She made sure to make eye contact with him. “I noticed that he said something buona fortuna, which I do know means good luck. He also mentioned something about Dio, which I believe has something to do with God. You better expect a lot of that here, Daniel. Italy is full of Catholics and others who believe Jesus is God’s Son.”

  He grabbed her English/Italian dictionary out of her hand and threw it in a garbage can near the curb. “You won’t need this anymore. That is, as long as you keep me around.”

  “Good try.”

  Magena was excited as the cab made its way to the Turin Cathedral, She had a glowing smile on her face that she could not help when she looked at Daniel.

  “What?” he asked, nervously. “Do I have food on me or something?”

  “Don’t be silly.” She raised a brow. “This is just the best ever trip. Did you know that the Duomo di Torino, or Turin Cathedral, is dedicated to John the Baptist? Between 1490 and 1492, they demolished the three churches that made up the cathedral. Amedeo de Francisco di Settignano designed the new cathedral, which I already mentioned was dedicated to John the Baptist. The bell tower is still there today. It was originally erected in 1469. The cathedral still has three parts today. The bell tower, the church, and the Chapel of the Holy Shroud. I can hardly wait to go inside.” As she finished her summary, her eyes diverted away from Daniel.

  ***

  Meanwhile, Daniel could see a sparkle in her eyes that lit up her entire face. With a smile, he followed her gaze and saw the huge chapel with the bell tower beside it. He couldn’t help but be in awe of the architecture himself. “Gorgeous.”

  She punched his arm. “You do have good taste after all.”

  He felt exhilaration as he looked at the dome of the chapel. To him, it was reminiscent of the capitol building in Washington, D.C. The remainder of the building was permeated with pillar-like carvings. “Very nice.”

  “Maybe we’ll have fun after all.” After Magena paid the driver, she and Daniel made their way to the front door of the chapel. She was noticeably anxious and filled with excitement. Her elation transferred to Daniel, as he felt joy by being by her side on the visit.

  “I want to tell you something.” Magena hesitated before opening the door. “I have to tell you why I am so thrilled to be here. This trip has been a dream of a lifetime for me. I’ve looked forward to this for quite some time.”

  “For reals.” He turned to her with a puzzled look. “Haven’t you done this sort of thing before with other artifacts?”

  “Well...”

  “I just assumed that you were an old pro at this kind of thing.”

  She let out a sigh and forced a smile. “I have studied many items from afar, but this is the first time that I have ever been able to experience something of this significance up close since I first started studying history.”

  “Wow! First time for you too,” he responded, with a reassuring smile. “That actually makes me feel better about my situation.”

  “Glad I could help,” she replied sarcastically. Magena had just pulled the door open when she heard a loud voice with a strong Italian accent nearby.

  “Not that way, please!”

  They both turned to see a middle aged man dressed in a long dark robe. He had salt and pepper hair and eyebrows. His eyebrows were thick and almost bushy. He had deep brown eyes that appeared sad in spite of his upbeat demeanor. He waved to the confused travelers. “Hurry! Please!”

  He looked around, as if he didn’t want anyone else to notice that he was there. As he pushed them to one side, a portion of the outside wall slid open in front of them to reveal what appeared to be an entrance that was not that well known. “Enter quickly,” he said.

  Daniel took the lead, as he and Magena slipped into the deceivingly well-lit passage. The man they assumed was a priest, pulled on a huge chain connected to the slab of wall by large metal rings embedded into the makeshift door. He closed it firmly and secured the chain to a nearby metal hook. After struggling to get the chain on the hook, he walked down the torch lit hallway. He motioned for Daniel and Magena to follow. Daniel had several questions going through his mind, but he decided to wait to see what was going on, rather than ask.

  The supposed priest kept turning back to encourage the duo forward, as he walked at a fast pace down the twisting hall.

  Daniel clasped the hand of Magena. Every once in a while he mouthed, “What have you gotten me into?”

  She just shrugged her shoulders.

  SIX

  Magena thought the path was long. They had been walking quite a while. The path angled downward, deep under the building. Magena realized she was in danger. She was frightened.

  Daniel broke the silence. “Hey! This is great! Do you guys have a swimming pool and rides for the kiddies at the end of this thing?”

  Magena cleared her throat loud enough for Daniel to hear and shushed him. She had no idea what was going on and she did not want him to get them in trouble. He could not ruin her opportunity to study the shroud. It did not matter how she found it. She wanted to see it.

  She did make it a point to look for any specific marks on the wall to let her know how long the tunnel was. She could not see anything that would put a date on the construction, so she kept her eyes and ears open for other signs.

  The tunnel ended abruptly at a wall. The priest reached up to where the wall and the ceiling converged. He ran his finger along the top of the rock wall. When he finished, the wall slowly opened outward by itself. The sound of it scraping against the ground sent chills through Magena.

  She was not having fun yet. Her major trip that far from home was not anything like she thought it would be. Right now she was expecting a large boulder to chase them.

  With the priest still in front, the three of them walked into what appeared to be an enormous, damp basement. They all stepped into the room, and the priest closed the wall/door. He then led them through the room which had rows and rows of high metal shelves. All of the shelves had various antique looking objects on them. It resembled the back room of a pawn shop, but with better quality items. Most of the items had tags on them and identifying stickers on the shelving. She glanced quickly from side to side, as they made their way to the back of the basement.

  Daniel sighed, but said nothing. Magena wondered if the blessed silence from Daniel would continue.

  He unwittingly answered her question. “Can we take souvenirs? I think my parents have some of this stuff in our day room.”

  Magena grabbed his arm and got extremely close to his ear. She whispered, “What! Are you, crazy? Unless you’ve happened to experience this sort of thing before in your parents’ day room, can you button your lips until we find out what’s going on?”

  Daniel pulled away from her grasp. In a relatively low voice, he said, “Whoa there, Mags! You are really starting to cramp my style!”

  She looked at the priest who was standing and waiting for them. He seemed okay. She then glared at Daniel. “This is my life’s work, Mr. DiBenedetto! Don’t mess it up.”

  “It would have been
easier just to call me Daniel,” he said, with a smirk.

  “Do you two wish to see the shroud or not?” the priest sternly interrupted.

  Magena nodded and walked ahead of Daniel, as the priest led them to an old wooden door. The door was extremely wide. Her eyes widened. She whispered, “There is something written in Hebrew on the door.”

  The priest stepped out of the way, almost as if to allow the travelers a chance to examine the door. Daniel shrugged his shoulder. He did not understand.

  Magena walked up to the door and gently placed her fingers on the letters. She traced each engraved letter, as if they would reveal hidden secrets to her.

  “Can you read it?” Daniel asked, actually sounding interested.

  She slowly shook her head. “I’m afraid that I had spent so much time studying history, that I neglected my desire to learn languages.” She raised a brow at Daniel. “Sad, huh.”

  “That‘s not one of my knowledge areas either, but I have the feeling that our guide here, knows what it translates into.” Daniel pointed at the priest with the index finger of both his hands.

  The priest stepped up to the door. “Of course, I know what it says and means. I am not at liberty to pass on the sacred message. I gave you the opportunity to read it. It is not my fault that you can’t.”

  He pushed hard on the door, as it slid open. He entered first, followed by Magena. Daniel quickly pulled out his smart phone and took a picture of the door as he passed by. He then placed his phone back in his pocket as fast as he pulled it out.

  No one saw him take the picture.

  There was an enclosed case lying on a bed of blankets. They both walked over to it and glared down.

  Magena gasped for joy, as she covered her mouth with both hands.

  Even Daniel was impressed.

  Her eyes moistened. She shed a single tear and couldn’t stop smiling. “The Shroud of Turin. What is the size?”