by John Lyman
“But doesn’t the proximity of this complex to that site worry you?” Leo asked.
“You mean because this area is known for its Cathar history?”
“Well, to be frank, yes. Even though your castle is located on an isolated mountain top, you’re pretty exposed when you consider all of the aircraft and spy satellites passing overhead.”
Julian smiled. “Fortunately, the builders of this complex constructed it to look like a natural habitat from the air. This wall we’re standing on undulates with the terrain and follows the outline of the cliffs surrounding us, and the roof of the castle is planted with trees and grass. That’s one of the reasons we didn’t place stone pathways throughout the village. It’s more like a giant park. But I’m not fooling myself. If they really want to find us they will, which is why we rely on the network of tunnels beneath us that lead to the surrounding villages. We have safe houses in all of them. Our main objective is to remain hidden in plain sight for as long as possible so that we can all lead normal lives, but if we have to we can disappear inside the mountains.”
“So for now you just try to blend in with the locals?”
Julian laughed. “We are the locals, Leo, but yes, that’s our plan. We don’t see Adrian being too interested in us right now. He has bigger fish to fry, and I can’t help but feel sorry for all of those who don’t see what’s coming. The people who live in the cities are trapped ... dependent on accepting the mark of the Beast to obtain the things they need to survive. That’s what this little community on the mountain is all about. We’re totally self-sufficient ... all the way down to the clothes on our backs. We won’t be affected if the lights go out or the supermarket shuts its doors. We don’t need cars to get us to work or even jobs to go to. Our work is here, and everyone pulls together for the common good.”
Leo could feel himself beginning to relax as a chilled rain began to fall. Peering over the granite wall, he watched the glistening raindrops hit the sheer rock face of the cliff before coming together in little rivulets that splashed down into the valley below. “Has Evita told you about the compound in Israel?”
“I take it you’re speaking of your good friend Lev Wasserman.”
“Yes.”
“We know all about Lev, as well as the castle all of you escaped from last year before it was destroyed. He’s a great man with an enlightened mind. When’s the last time you spoke with him?”
“It’s been weeks, and now I can’t even call the villa to let them know I’m still alive. I’m totally cut off from my friends, even those at the Vatican, because if I so much as pick up a phone my location will be traced by Adrian’s computers.”
“Which is why you won’t find any phones here ... or anything else connected to the outside world for that matter. This entire complex was created with the sole purpose of keeping us detached from the world. As students of the New Testament, especially the writings of John, we have been preparing for the arrival of the Antichrist for some time, and now that he is here we must adjust our thinking. The world as we knew it no longer exists. No longer will I stroll in the sunshine along the pastoral lanes of Cambridge to teach bright young students in my classroom. No longer will I go out to dinner in London with friends or travel to the historical sites that have always fascinated me. Things are different now, and we must learn to live in a new reality. You’re right, Leo. You are cut off, and you must remain cut off if you want to go on living.”
“But is this really life, Julian ... hiding from the world behind granite walls on top of a mountain? I’ve always been a fighter. That’s what being a Jesuit is all about. Are you saying we should all just hide behind these walls while an unspeakable evil stalks the world?” Leo could feel his heart begin to race in the rarified atmosphere. “You know, Julian, I’ve probably read the words of Revelation so many times that I can almost recite every passage, and despite the fact that the future may have been foretold, I believe we must still fight. This might not sound very Christian, but I want some payback for what they did to Pope Michael, and I’m not going to lie down without a fight.”
As the skies darkened and the rain began to come down harder, Julian took Leo by the arm and began leading him back toward the castle. “I’m glad to hear you say that, Leo, because that’s exactly what we’re going to do, but we have to be smart about it. Don’t worry, Cardinal, you’ll get your chance to fight. By the way, I have some good news for you. Your friends just left Israel, and they’re headed in this direction.”
Leo stopped and stared back at Julian. His mind was spinning as the rain pelted his face. “How do you know that?”
“We’re still able to gather information on what’s going on in the outside world. Our survival depends on it. Things will be revealed to you in time, Cardinal, but for now I want you to get to know us while we get to know you. If Lev’s yacht stays on its present course they’ll be arriving in El Port De La Selva the day after tomorrow. Your friends are looking for you, Leo, and we’re going to make it easy for them to find you.”
CHAPTER 58
The Carmela’s bow sliced through the gentle roll of the blue Mediterranean Sea as it neared the coast of Spain. Below decks everyone was trying to mentally prepare themselves for whatever lay ahead. They all knew they were basically acting on a hunch, and because they had turned off all of their high-tech communications gear they were heading blindly into the unknown.
On the bridge, Alex Pappas steered the big blue and white yacht closer to shore, trying to see if any Coast Guard patrols were getting curious about a large boat that wasn’t emitting any kind of electronic signature. So far so good.
Standing next to him, Alon peered at the horizon through a pair of binoculars. “Any sign of trouble?”
“Only if you decide to Bar BQ tonight,” Alex laughed. “Actually, I haven’t seen another boat for hours, which is strange considering we’re just off the French coast. This area is usually swarming with boats this time of year.”
“What do you think it means?”
“Could be a storm coming, but we have no way of knowing with all of our electronics shut down. I’d love to turn on just one radio for a few minutes to see what’s happening.”
“Sorry, buddy, but Lev said to maintain a strict communications blackout ... and that includes any passive monitoring. We’re going in the old-fashioned way.”
“You mean we’re going in the old illegal way.” Alex huffed around the wheelhouse before picking up a pair of binoculars so that he could join Alon in scanning the horizon. “I don’t like this. This goes against everything a modern sea captain is taught. If we collide with another ship because my radar’s turned off they’ll jerk my license. And if someone is injured or killed I’ll be looking at jail time.”
“We’ll double the lookouts,” Alon said, peering out at the ocean. “Just keep this course and hope the weather holds until we reach the coast of Spain.”
“Will do, but I’m still doing this under protest.”
“Duly noted,” Lev said, entering the bridge. “How far are we from the harbor?”
Alex lowered his binoculars. “According to my calculations it’s just over the horizon. I’ve been zigzagging along the coast trying to see if I could stir up any interest, but so far no one’s taken the bait. I haven’t even seen any fishing boats out here. It’s spooky. You still want to wait until its dark before we go in?”
“I think that would be best. It won’t really matter all that much if the military is watching, but at least we’ll have a better chance of getting away in the dark if someone comes after us.”
“Then they’d better have a fast boat,” Alex said. “Since we upgraded the Carmela’s turbines there aren’t many boats out there that can keep up with us.”
Lev grinned back at the captain. “Keep a sharp eye out. I’m going down to the main deck and check on everyone.”
As Alex and Alon resumed their scan of the ocean, Lev descended the outside stairs and made his way across a crowded dec
k filled with families and young college students who had lived on the land surrounding the villa. Including the Carmela’s crewmembers and the eight children who had come onboard with their parents, eighty-four people now crowded every nook and cranny of the yacht. Many had just left the only home they had ever known, but the decision to leave Israel in the face of an imminent invasion had been an easy one.
In a television interview after his UN speech, Adrian Acerbi had made it clear to Israel that any perceived threat to world peace would not be tolerated. The handwriting was on the wall. They were being put on notice that he had his sights set on the Holy Land, and those onboard the yacht who had listened to his words had chosen freedom over the specter of living under the boot of a dictator.
Strolling into the main salon, Lev spied John and Ariella sitting at a table with Nava and Moshe.
“Oh, Lev, I’m glad you’re here,” Nava said, pointing to a map spread out before them. “Could you show us the location of the cabins again?”
Settling into the seat beside her, Lev pointed to a mountainous area south of Foix. “Somewhere up that road, about twenty miles from the village. The cabins are hidden from the air by giant pine trees.”
Nava pursed her lips as she re-tied her long black ponytail. “I might be able to set the chopper down on the road, but I wouldn’t want to try it at night, even with night vision goggles. This is going to have to be a daylight mission.”
“We also need to start thinking of how we’ll get all of these people ashore and across the border,” Moshe said. “There’s no way Nava can ferry that many people over the mountains in the chopper. She’d have to make at least fifteen trips. Even if we could scrape up enough fuel, chances are the chopper will have at least one mechanical failure with that many take-offs and landings, not to mention the fact that we’ll have to leave our electronics turned off, making navigation difficult if not impossible ... especially in the mountains at night. Even if everything worked perfectly, we’d still have to worry about radar and the spy satellites that are probably zeroed in on this area.”
Lev lit his cigar and pulled up a chair. “So, it looks like we’ll be making an overland evacuation.”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Nava said. “With all of the obstacles Moshe just mentioned, we can’t even fly to the cabins to look for Leo. The overland option is really our only chance to get everyone across the mountains undetected.”
Dressed in a lime-green T-shirt with orange shorts, Moshe leaned back in his chair and twirled his long handlebar moustache, something the old former general always did when he was thinking. “Why this area, Lev?” Moshe asked, staring at the map. “I mean, are you sure you want to stop here and put all your eggs in one basket?”
“If there’s one chance in a hundred that Leo is hiding up there we have to go. Also, I know that area, Moshe. It’s honeycombed with caves and has abundant wildlife for hunting. I have a feeling Acerbi will be looking for us, and this is as good a place as any for us to disappear for awhile.”
“OK, you’re the boss.”
Lev stood and walked down the interior stairs to his cabin below. Kicking off his flip-flops, he slid beneath his comforter and was instantly asleep. His sleep was filled with vivid dreams, and when he awoke to a knock at the door it seemed as though he had only been asleep for a few minutes. “What is it?”
“We’re entering the harbor, sir.”
Lev jumped to his feet and opened the door. A female crewmember was standing there with a cup of coffee in her hands. “I thought you might like this.”
“Thank you, my dear. What time is it?”
“Four in the morning.” The floor beneath their feet shuddered against the sound of the anchor chain rumbling over the side.
“Why didn’t someone wake me sooner?”
“Moshe told us not to. He said you hadn’t been sleeping well.”
“Alright. Thank you. Tell Alex I’ll be up on the bridge in five minutes.” Lev closed the door and downed half the coffee before washing his face. Exactly five minutes later, his face was highlighted by the red night-lighting on the bridge of the yacht as he stared out at dozens of silent boats anchored in the brightly lit harbor. “Have you seen any activity?”
“No, sir,” Alex replied, “It’s weird. The Carmela’s never entered a harbor without drawing some kind of attention. Even the customs boat hasn’t appeared. Should I call them on the radio?”
“No. No radio contact of any kind. Keep the lookouts on their toes until the sun comes up. As soon as it’s daylight, I want you to send a couple of crewmembers ashore to scout the town. And while they’re there, see if they can find any old buses for sale. It looks like we’ll have to drive everyone across the mountains.”
“Why not just rent a bus?” Alex asked.
“Rentals are usually newer models and they have hidden computer chips in them. I don’t want to leave a trail for anyone to follow. While the crewmembers are scouting the town, Nava and I are going to scout the area from the air.”
“What about the boat after we all leave?”
“We’ll seal her up and leave her anchored here. If things don’t work out in France we’ll beat a hasty retreat back here and set sail for the Caribbean like I originally planned.”
An hour later, the smells of cooking wafted up through the boat after Moshe’s wife Hadar had enlisted the help of a group lounging in the main salon to help her begin preparing breakfast for over eighty people. Walking among the families on the main deck, Lev and Ariella stopped and talked to each group as they packed their meager belongings for the trip through the Pyrenees. While some looked fearful, others were reveling in the new adventure. Many had never seen mountains like the ones that rose behind the long curved beach fronting the harbor, and they couldn’t wait to see the giant pine trees Lev had described to them in the briefing before they had departed the harbor back in Israel.
With the sun now peeking over the horizon off the stern of the yacht, Lev was squinting into the morning light when he saw a large, unmarked gray ship enter the harbor, and it wasn’t flying any flags. As soon as they dropped anchor, they launched a fast motorboat that headed straight for the Carmela.
“Get Moshe,” he said to Ariella. “And spread the word to the crew. No one boards this boat unless I give them permission.”
“Who are they, Daddy?”
“I’m not sure ... but I want the crew armed. And tell Morelli and Francois to stay out of sight!”
“Got it!” Ariella scurried up the outside stairs and headed for the bridge.
Turning around to face the crowded deck, Lev called for silence. “Everybody, listen up. There’s a boat approaching. There’s probably nothing to fear, but if anyone asks, we’re on a pleasure cruise and have stopped here to make repairs to our electrical system.”
Against a sea of nodding heads, Lev turned around and walked to the railing. Pulling up alongside was a gray painted patrol boat with a fifty-caliber machine gun mounted to the front deck. An officer wearing a khaki uniform with a red patch on the sleeve waved and smiled up at him.
“Ahoy there, Carmela. May we come aboard?”
“I don’t see any flag, sir. Who are you?”
“Oh, sorry about that. We haven’t received our flags yet. We’re Acerbi Corporation security. We just want to talk. It won’t take long ... I promise.”
“Come aboard,” Lev smiled back. “You’re just in time for breakfast.”
Lev’s sudden geniality caught the man off guard, dimming his smile for a fraction of a second. After the line to the yacht was secure, the officer and two of his men climbed the teak-wood stairs to the main deck and shook hands with Lev.
“Are you the captain of this vessel, sir?”
“Owner. The captain’s on the bridge trying to figure out what went wrong with our electrical system last night.”
The officer exchanged glances with the two men standing next to him. “Oh, I guess that explains why we didn’t get a radio call from you when
you entered the harbor.”
“Look, I don’t want to appear rude, but even if my radios were working I would have called the local customs officers like we always do when we enter a foreign port. Why would I call a bunch of corporate security guys?”
The officer seemed to stiffen but maintained a cordial smile. “Haven’t you been following the news lately, sir?”
“Oh, you mean the plan by your boss to take over the world? Yeah, I heard about that, but as far as I know it’s all still just a bunch of talk.”
The officer stood erect, his bearing a little prouder. “Well then, I have some good news for you, Professor Wasserman. Mr. Acerbi’s plan has been ratified by almost every nation on Earth. You’ll be happy to know that customs inspections are a thing of the past, because the world is going to become one big country with no borders. Isn’t that good news?”
Lev tried to maintain his smile as a voice inside was calling out to him to throw the man overboard. “Why yes, that’s excellent news. So you’re saying there are no Spanish customs officers to deal with?”
“Exactly,” said the officer. “I would think a man who travels on a boat like this would see practicality of a one world government.”
“So, you’re a welcoming committee?”
The officer’s smile visibly faded. “No, Professor Wasserman. As I explained before, we’re officers from Acerbi corporate security. Although there is no longer a Spanish border, we must still maintain a security presence along the coastlines of the world to make sure criminals don’t try to take advantage of the new freedoms. This is merely a security inspection.”
“Well, since it seems you already know who I am, how can I help you gentlemen?”
“Just a few quick questions and we’ll be on our way. What is your business here and where are you going?”
“Wow, you guys certainly sound like customs officers.” Lev maintained his smile. “Sure you don’t want some breakfast?”