She had to hurry because time was running out.
“Neo, can you tell me more about the disk?”
“Yes, I already prepared more intel, but I didn’t want to distract you. I was waiting for you to safely get back to the car.”
“I’ll never get used to you reading my mind so well. When I am back, you’ll deserve a big kiss.”
Her heart was pounding with excitement at finally meeting Neo and helping him cure his illness.
◆◆◆
§CHAPTER 83§
“THANK YOU for flying with us, Mr. Hopkins; we’ll be on standby for your return to Washington,” the pilot said, waving goodbye.
Mark didn’t even look at him; he was thinking of his family and that he might never see them again.
How did I manage to get into such a mess? I have to find del Biondo; she is the key to ending this nightmare.
His encrypted cell phone started to ring. He answered, thinking it was the vice-president; instead, a deep, dark voice spoke.
“Listen very carefully, Mr. Hopkins. We have your family, and your direct mission is to exterminate Lydia del Biondo. You have precisely forty-five minutes to do so.”
“She is in the Archaeological Museum of the Heraklion. If you fail, everyone who you hold dear will die.”
“Who are you? why are you doing this?” Hopkins asked while shaking uncontrollably.
“Forty-five minutes Mr. Hopkins,” and the Phoenix ended the call.
The sky was red with some dark clouds reflecting the last rays of sunshine. A fresh breeze fluttered through his hair.
His car was waiting in front of the plane. He touched the inner pocket of his jacket, and there he felt the metallic coldness of his gun.
He came prepared, I’ll have to save my family.
“We need to go to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. I trust you know where it is located. Please, you need to hurry. I need to arrive there as quickly as possible,” Mark desperately said to the driver.
“Yes, sir. It is only ten minutes from here. I’ll drive as fast as I can,” the driver said.
I cannot leave this mission in the hands of the SWAT team.
What if something goes terribly wrong and my entire family dies? I cannot accept this fate.
Simon Lightgood should have already found them. I cannot abandon my family at the mercy of strangers.
The plan in Mark’s mind was becoming clearer. He knew what had to be done.
I need to comply with the Phoenix’s order for my family to survive. And I’ll do it. I am going to end her life.
His face contorted into a grimace and his soul was tormented beyond anything he ever experienced.
§CHAPTER 84§
“MANY ATTEMPTS have been made to decipher the Phaistos disk, which probably dates to the 17th century BC,” Neo explained.
“A professor who dedicated most of his academic life to deciphering the disk managed to translate it but still had to comprehend its actual meaning.”
“Reading something does not mean understanding it,” Neo said, quoting the professor.
“The Phaistos disk is written in Minoan script. It is the best example of Cretan hieroglyphics.”
“Neo, I am sure that the professor never thought there would be a connection between Atlantis, Jesus, Egypt, and all of his life’s efforts.
Neo continued: “The word I-QE-KU-RJA is repeated three times, and it thought that this symbolizes the Goddess Mother.”
“I think the Goddess was, besides the ruler of Atlantis, referring to the gift of eternal life, the lost secret Jesus wanted to share with everyone, hence the flower of life reference on the back inscription,” Lydia concluded.
“But still, who was this Goddess? Was there a personal connection to Jesus?”
“Maybe Jesus didn’t leave Atlantis by himself, and was accompanied by more Atlanteans,” Neo said curiously.
“Were his parents, Mary and Joseph, fictitious characters?”
“Nobody really knows. Maybe these artifacts were planted by one of his ancestors, or by his parents.”
“According to the Apostle Matthew, Jesus’ father was a descendant of King Solomon, who possessed mystical powers. With his amulets, he could even exorcise demons.”
“Solomon himself was the son of King David, who ruled the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah from 1010-970 BC integrating parts of what today consists of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria.”
“This was the same David who killed Goliath and possessed the mythical Ark of the Covenant, inside of which there were two stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments.”
“What we know for a fact is that there are no recordings of Joseph dying. Theologians speculate he must have died of old age because when he married Mary, he was already an old man.”
“Mary’s story has the same fate. Nobody knows when or how she died.”
“Lydia, don’t you find it rather strange that the parents of the most important figure in history just vanished?”
“Or maybe not. Maybe they continued living and guarding their Atlantean secrets,” Lydia said.
“There are several words on the disk connected to an ancient faith, and I believe that they reveal to us the Goddess we are talking about.”
◆◆◆
§CHAPTER 85§
MARK HOPKINS knew that he had to execute his target within the set deadline if he wanted to see his family again. He suddenly felt torn between taking a life and saving the ones that meant everything to him.
He had precise orders from the Phoenix but was intrigued at the same time. Why would someone go through all this trouble to kidnap my family? Who is the kidnapper?
And why has the Vice President asked me to protect her and risk losing the most precious thing I have?
Before executing her, he had to find out why everyone was chasing her. Why Heraklion from all places?
◆◆◆
Lydia entered the museum and was stopped by a desperate guard who tried to explain to her in Greek: “ma’am, we are closing very soon; you only have fifteen minutes.”
Lydia answered: “I’ll just want to see the famous Phaistos disk, and I’ll be leaving in ten.”
◆◆◆
The rooftop of the museum was still warm from the scorching sun, and the cypress flowers spread a pleasant aroma.
Mark Hopkins arrived just three minutes after Lydia.
He went straight to the entrance of the museum and found the doors closed. Peering through the glass door, he tried to force it open.
The guard inside signed with his hands that the museum had closed.
Bloody hell. I told the driver to be faster…
He looked around and spotted a fire exit leading to the roof.
He quickly climbed it and discovered that there was an open glass rooftop to ventilate the security surveillance room.
The sea breeze was sweet and looking above, he could see the first stars of the evening glittering in the sky.
Is this a good omen? he wondered. I have to do this for my family. He took a deep breath, and his rage was unleashed.
§CHAPTER 87§
LYDIA WAS STARING at the disk and was completely puzzled.
“Neo, what should we do?”
“The translation of the text speaks about a whispering seashell. This must be it.”
“Its shape is similar to a seashell; it looks like an ammonite.”
Lydia took the large drone from her backpack and placed it on the marble floor. She then carefully extracted the golden disk.
She noticed that the mini-pyramidion attached itself to its back.
Instinctively she held and oriented it towards the glass case in which the Phaistos disk was being kept, trying to mirror the two frontal sides of the disks.
“Here is the arrow Neo. Can you select all the sounds in front of the arrow and tell me which ones are based on the professor’s interpretation?”
“Yes, Lydia, I am running the algorithm n
ow. We’ll have the results soon.”
◆◆◆
Mark Hopkins could not wait anymore; he knew that now was the moment to strike. He flipped the switch, and the entire museum was engulfed in darkness.
To be sure his plan succeeded, he also deactivated the back-up generators.
The remaining tourists were scrambling to go outside, panicking, and using their phones’ flashlight to locate the exit.
◆◆◆
Lydia noticed that the Knossos disk started to shine in the dark.
“Neo, there must be a reaction between the two disks.”
She got even closer to the Phaistos disk, which seemed to release a chemical reaction triggered by the two artifacts.
A bluish light started to pulsate in the arrow's direction.
“Neo, are you seeing this? I think this is the clue we needed. It shows us the way.”
The light flickered each time it highlighted a symbol in front of it.
“Lydia, I think we have an interpretation of the sets of words pinpointed by the bluish light.”
the sound KE
the sound RA
the sound NA
the sound NA
the sound KE
the sound JE
“The secret word must be:”
“KERANANAKEJE”
Neo said full of joy, not realizing that something must have gone terribly wrong if the lights and the back-up generators were still offline.
Follow the whispering seashell of the old times inscribed and blessed by the arrow of the Goddess Mother, and on this path, you’ll find the answer you are seeking under the flower of life’s shadow.
“I cannot believe we managed to find it; such a beautiful melodic sequence.”
Lydia was surprised that once she spoke the incantation, the ankh vial protruding from her backpack started to vibrate, its colors changing again rapidly
It began to emit a beautiful explosion of light, and some colors she could not even recognize.
“Neo, are you seeing these colors, some of which aren’t even part of the rainbow?”
“It’s simply amazing!”
“I hope you are recording this?”
“Yes, all the data is being sent back to my server. You’ll have amazing memories to show to your children,” Neo said with excitement.
“Here is the secret vault of old days, in Gethsemane, you’ll find the tree of life, and as you plant this seed, if the secret word is chanted, eternal life shall be forever yours.”
“So, this must be the secret word for the incantation to be used in Gethsemane.”
“We need to hurry up. There is not much time left between the two sunsets we were warned about.”
Lydia’s mind was trying to cope with the impact this discovery might have on all of humanity.
Her hand was still shaking while holding the golden disk. She placed it on top of the glass case holding the Phaistos disk.
“I think this should stay here with his other half. Its place is in a museum.”
“Everyone should know the story of the twin disks.”
“After millennia apart, the Knossos and Phaistos disks have reunited to save humanity.”
“Neo, did you switch off the lights?”
“It was not me, Lydia. I have a bad feeling about this. It must have been someone else.”
◆◆◆
§CHAPTER 88§
HE QUICKLY RELOADED the gun, and his eyes tried to focus on the lights coming from outside through the upper windows.
He slowly approached Lydia from the right side of the room, which displayed the Phaistos disk.
Trying to stifle his footsteps steps against the white and grey colored marble floor was not easy.
“Don’t move madame del Biondo. Lift your hands so I can see them,” Mark shouted in anger.
“Are you alone? I heard you were talking with someone,” Mark inquired aggressively.
“Who are you? Have you been sent here to kill me?” Lydia shouted back.
“I am asking the questions here. You have something in your possession that made the Phoenix kidnap my family.”
“If I do not kill you, he warned me that my family will be killed.”
“Whys would he do such a thing?” Lydia asked. She was visibly scared.
“The question is, what are you doing here, del Biondo? Tell me now, and there might be a way out for both of us,” Mark said in despair.
“I cannot believe that I, as a Senator of the United States, have had to face this tragedy and pay the price for your actions.”
Lydia didn’t know how to answer. Her eyes were frozen on the gun.
“I am very sorry for your fam…”
She didn’t manage to finish her sentence. A series of gunshots could be heard from behind her, taking the Senator by surprise, his gun falling from his hand.
He looked below and could feel his chest was hit by several bullets. Blood began to drip from the corner of his mouth.
His massive muscular body collapsed and hit the marble floor hard. With his last ounce of strength, he whispered: “please save my family”…and with one final spasm, he let out his last breath.
Lydia went quickly to the Senator and checked his pulse. He was dead. Suddenly she noticed that drone was activated and now flying with fine puffs of smoke coming out.
“Neo, what have you done?”
A message notification came from his pocket. Lydia thought if she took his cell phone, she might find some valuable information.
“You need to exit the building. The noise might have alerted the security guards,” Neo instructed.
“Follow the exit signs on your right and take the security door; it will take you to an emergency fire exit at the backdoor,” Neo said on high alert.
Lydia was in tears.
Death is not an easy thing to swallow for people who never had to face it. Seeing a life being taken is like a piece of oneself also being killed.
“I am sorry Lydia. I had to do it. I could not put your life in danger. He was pointing a gun to your head,” Neo said sadly.
He felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Now we are the same. We’ve both killed someone for the first time.”
“He was an American senator. Can you check the database for a face match? Who was he? Why did he want me dead?”
She quickly ran towards the car, where Xenios was patiently waiting for her.
“We need to go to the airport as quickly as possible, please.”
“Yes, ma’am, I’ll try to hurry.”
Lydia was worried that the ankh vial would become unstable. The two days were almost up.
“Neo, do we know how much time we have until the solution will become unstable?”
“Unfortunately, I cannot assess the stability of the compound, but we need to hurry up, everything might depend on how fast we act.”
She took the senator’s cell phone, and there was a missed call. On the opposite side of the road, several police cars drove past them.
“Neo, can you hack into his cell phone? It seems to have an encryption lock.”
The phone started to ring in Lydia’s hand.
“Who the hell could it be now?
Lydia answered, “who is this?”
After a few second pause, she heard:
“I am Simon Lightgood, and who are you?”
“Lydia del Biondo, Mr. Vice President. Helene de Moncler told me that when everything might seem lost, I should contact you in case I needed help.”
“And here we are…Lydia, it is so good to hear you are well. I do not know where to begin…” the Vice President said in a worried but warm tone.”
“You can begin by explaining to me why a U.S. Senator just tried to kill me.”
◆◆◆
§CHAPTER 89§
AFTER LANDING in Heraklion Salvatore D’Umbria stared at a red dot.
Lydia is very close. It seems she is approaching the airport.
This is m
y chance to finally meet her.
I need to warn her about things to come.
What did Helene de Moncler know about the COVID-19 pandemic?
Is Lydia her agent now spreading this mass genocide?
Salvatore knew he had to face the cruel reality, torn between his faith in God and his faith in the Pope.
He didn’t feel comfortable in this situation. He checked his chest pocket. It was still there, a pack of his favorite cigarettes
He hadn’t smoked for ten years. I need a cigarette so badly right now.
He gently lifted himself from the leather seat and headed towards the exit.
He thanked the pilot, slowly bowing his head: “It was a great flight, thank you for bringing me here safely.”
The moment he exited, the warm breeze and the fresh Mediterranean air engulfed his senses. It would be sacrilege to destroy this feeling by lighting a cigarette.
The urge was too strong. He lit one and deeply inhaled the smoke like it was his last cigarette ever.
The guilty feeling made him realize that what he was doing was wrong.
He extinguished it with his foot and climbed into the limo waiting for him.
I’ll wait for her at the entrance of the airport. She should be here at any moment.
◆◆◆
“Lydia, I do not know what happened,” the Vice President said, puzzled.
“I sent Senator Mark Hopkins to find and try to protect you.”
“Helene was not only a dear friend but a fundamental pillar of our Order.”
“I swore to protect her from evil, but I failed. I wanted to keep you safe, as I promised to Helene.”
“I will always be there if you need help, and I failed again. I don’t have any words to express my regret. I cannot understand what happened.”
The Jesus Christ Cypher Page 19
