“His family was kidnapped, and I was trying to find them. The Phoenix must have reached him and turned him against us.”
“This vicious enemy of the Order wants you so badly that they kidnapped his family in exchange for your life.”
“I need to see you urgently; I have so many things to tell, which I cannot do on the phone. Please tell me what I can do to help you in your quest,” the Vice President requested.
“What does the Phoenix want from me?”
“I fear that I cannot offer more information right now. It is possible that our conversation might already be compromised by the Phoenix’s henchmen.
“The Phoenix has always tried to infiltrate our Order and destroy us, stealing sacred secrets we were entrusted with keeping.”
“This entity is thirsty for power, and I am afraid he will not rest until he has accomplished his plan,” the Vice President said worriedly.
“You need to let me protect you from this diabolical entity.”
“Vice President, I need to go to Jerusalem. I’ll take the first flight available, and then I’ll come to see you. I only have a few hours to avoid catastrophe.”
“I will facilitate your return from Jerusalem. There will be a private jet waiting for you to bring you to New York where we can talk safely.”
“You need to protect yourself and your location, my child. Lydia del Biondo, you hold tremendous responsibility now.”
“Keep his cell phone, my child, and do not worry about Mark. I’ll make everything go away.”
“What about his family? Are they well?”
“For the moment, I don’t have any news, but I am hoping for the best.”
“Thank you, Mr. Vice President. I hope I’ll be meeting you very soon.”
Neo was surprised by this call. It left Lydia perplexed as well.
“The situation is getting complicated. The Vice President of the U.S. is a member of Helene’s Order.”
“Helene did say he is the only person I can trust besides you.”
“Maybe he knows more about the disappearance of my parents.”
“It was not the appropriate moment to ask him that question.”
“But, I am sure the Order has more secrets to reveal to us.”
§CHAPTER 90§
“WHAT NOW, Neo? Did you manage to find a flight for me?”
“I am afraid that the fastest flight will take off in three hours. We have to hope that it will not be too late.”
“But it might take us more than the two days. All of this effort would be wasted in vain,” Lydia thought aloud.
Approaching the airport’s departures entrance, Lydia noticed a handsome, tall, blondish man frantically waving towards the car.
I think he has the wrong car, Lydia thought and continued to fixate on him.
“Lydia? Lydia del Biondo, I need to talk to you !” he shouted in front of everyone, causing the few tourists in the airport to look at him with strange curiosity.
“Lydia, you should be careful. You don’t know what kind of trap the Phoenix might have set for you,” Neo warned.
Salvatore approached the car and said, “Lydia, I have waited so long to meet you.”
“I have an important message from his Holiness, the Pope.”
“I am Salvatore d’Umbria, his Head of Security, and I need to take you safely to the Vatican.”
“I am afraid your life is in danger.”
“Unfortunately, I am afraid I cannot come with you, Salvatore.”
“I need to first go to Jerusalem, and there is no time to explain .”
“I think today is our lucky day,” Salvatore said, smiling, showing the dimples in his cheeks and his perfectly white teeth. “God blessed us to be able to find each other.”
“The Papal Plane is here and ready to take off. I’ll take you to Jerusalem.”
“Not only am I a security expert, but I studied in Tel-Aviv, and I can contact a friend of the Church who knows Jerusalem like the back of his hand.”
“That’s truly an amazing coincidence Salvatore. Please give me a few moments. I’ll give you an answer shortly,” Lydia said while taking some steps to distance herself.
“He’s indeed Salvatore d’Umbria; I just checked the Vatican’s database,” Neo confirmed.
“But why should we trust them? Remember what Helene said. And if you reveal what you know to them, then the Church might be shattered beyond repair. Their teachings are not only outdated but also erroneous.”
“Neo, I have a feeling he genuinely wants to help us. We will save time by going with him, and a papal flight means nobody will ask what I carry in my backpack.”
“What if he kidnaps you?”
“Neo, this is our only chance. We need to take a leap of faith; otherwise, if we run out of time, everything we have done will be for nothing.”
“I’ll accept your offer Salvatore, I believe I can trust you, thank you.”
Lydia extended her hand for a friendly shake, and when their hands touched, she had the strange feeling she was taking the right path.
§CHAPTER 91§
SALVATORE SAT in front of Lydia, looking at the plane’s white seat’s covers that had Pope’s coat of arms engraved on them, boasting silver and golden keys.
He thought about the symbolism behind them, the crossed keys unlocking the kingdom of Heaven that belonged to Apostle Peter, the founder of the Holy Church.
One is made of gold, the other of silver to embody the power to bind and loose.
He remembered what Jesus said to Peter. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on Earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on Earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
What if Saint Malachy was right and the Pope brings about the end of our world as we know it?
He could not believe that the beautiful creature standing in front of him could bring the Apocalypse. Her eyes evoked kindness and deep wisdom.
“Welcome on board of “Shepard One” Lydia. would you like something to drink?” Salvatore gently asked her.
An Alitalia air hostess brought them two Murano glasses with fresh water.
While quickly drinking the water, she realized that the Shepard One was a plane chartered from Alitalia. The Pope’s plane also had a unique assigned flight number: AZ4000.
“Thank you, Salvatore, I was extremely thirsty. My journey has been beyond exhausting.”
“Be careful Lydia what you tell him. We are not sure that he can be trusted,” Neo was not only doubtful, but the image of Salvatore triggered a little jealousy within him.
“May I ask why we are going to Jerusalem?”
“His Holiness is extremely worried as the world is approaching a humanitarian catastrophe due to this merciless virus.”
“He had a discussion with Helene de Moncler, who warned him in case something happened to her, he would need to rely entirely on you.”
“Strange Helene never mentioned this discussion to me,” Neo said suspiciously.
Or maybe she didn’t find the right opportunity before she was killed, Neo thought.
“We are indeed in danger. Someone called the Phoenix has tried to kill me several times.”
“The Phoenix, who is this?” Salvatore inquired.
“I don’t know…The only thing that’s clear is that it wants to stop me from accomplishing my quest to unlock the secrets of this artifact.”
She then pulled the ankh vial from her backpack.
Salvatore was mesmerized by the colors shifting inside the glass structure.
“What is it, Lydia? I cannot even recognize some of the colors,” Salvatore said, puzzled, staring at the mysterious artifact without blinking, his mouth wide open.
“Neo, we can trust Salvatore. I don’t know why but I feel that this is right. We might need his help.”
“Salvatore, I was just speaking to Neo, who has been helping me on my quest. I keep close contact with him via my XGlass,” Lydia explained.
> “When it comes to the artifact, we don’t know its purpose; therefore, we are heading to Jerusalem with the hope we’ll be able to unlock its secrets.”
“As a scientist, I believe that this holds the key to a long-forgotten technology belonging to the mythical continent of Atlantis.”
“Atlantis?” Salvatore exclaimed, his eyes growing wide.
Atlantean legends fascinated him ever since childhood. He read everything possible on the subject.
He could not believe that he was actually holding an artifact the came from the fabled Atlantis.
§CHAPTER 92§
“ATLANTIS!” SALVATORE exclaimed with excitement. “This is really a piece of Atlantean technology?” Salvatore’s eyes were glittering with wonder.
“What an incredible discovery, Lydia!”
After an almost ninety-minute flight, the captain announced in a strong Italian accent, “the plane will soon start the landing process into Tel-Aviv.”
“I’ll tell you all about it, but first, I need to be excused for a few moments.” Lydia stood and then hurried towards the toilet.
“Lydia, are you sure you can trust an agent of the Pope?
“What if he was sent here to eliminate you?” Neo asked worriedly.
“I told you, Neo.”
We don’t have a choice, we only have a few hours left to complete our mission; otherwise, all our efforts will have been in vain.”
◆◆◆
Salvatore was still trying to grasp what he had seen.
This would be considered a miracle by the Church.
His cell phone started to ring. It was the office of his Holiness.
I cannot answer. What could I tell his Holiness? He would not understand.
Lydia needs my help.
I don’t know why, but I cannot believe she is the one to bring about the apocalypse.
Without any hesitation, he switched off his cell phone, a gesture that even surprised himself. His mind was clear, and he could see the truth.
Lydia didn’t tell him everything. She didn’t reveal the information Helene passed to her about Jesus’ origins and the clues he left behind.
She could still not trust a religious man with these secretes. People tend to become unstable when all their beliefs and the entire fabric of their reality is dismantled…
Salvatore stared through the window, almost expecting a divine storm to strike the plane down and to be punished for disobeying the orders of his Holiness. He recruited the plane’s pilots and had no doubt where their allegiance resided.
He already informed them they should not accept any incoming calls from the Vatican as this would compromise their mission.His Holiness has to be kept in the dark on the outcome of his mission. At least for now…
§CHAPTER 93§
22H12, OCTOBER 3RD
ISRAEL, TEL-AVIV
ONCE LANDED, LYDIA knew to pass through the security. It would not have been a walk in the park without the Vatican’s support. Salvatore had to pull strings from some old friends.
The Ben Gurion Airport was famous for its zero-tolerance policy against security threats and was renowned for its level of control and surveillance.
The Vatican diplomatic traveling documents opened many gates and helped them pass through the VIP security check.
The security guards saluted the limousine bearing the Vatican flags. They had no idea that it was Lydia and not the Pope sitting conformably in the back seat.
Salvatore knew they needed to make it across the city quickly, so he called for some local assistance.
“Lydia, I would like to present to you, Elijah, a Vatican agent, working for the Apostolic Nuncio to Israel, our Embassy equivalent.”
“He kindly offered to drive us to the Garden of Gethsemane.”
“Thank you so much, Elijah, it’s very kind of you to drive us at such a late hour.”
Lydia was enchanted by the ancient buildings around the main road. They looked like ready to collapse, but at the same time, prepared to endure any suffering mother nature might bring.
“What do you think will happen in the Garden of Gethsemane?” Salvatore asked Lydia, who was looking outside the window.
She was mulling over the interpretation of the ankh vial inscription:
“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, the eternal life shall be forever yours.”
Will we reach the holy site on time? Lydia wondered. How will this all end?
Words of warning were echoing in her mind as well:
“If you remove the potion of the Gods, you have two sunset cycles before the Grail will be destroyed.”
“Salvatore, I am extremely worried as a geneticist at what is happening with our world. Nobody knows if the virus will genetically mutate or if a vaccine will be developed in time.
“However, I have a gut feeling that everything is linked: the artifact, the virus, and the garden.”
“I need to go alone in the garden, and it is essential that nobody disturbs me. There have been so many attempts to kill me, and we are almost out of time.”
“Lydia, I anticipate you have less than two hours left,” Neo said nervously.
While the Limo was approaching their destination, Lydia spotted blue road signs with white letters marking the entry to the city in Hebrew, Arabic, and English:
יְרוּשָׁלַיִם
اورشليم
Jerusalem
Salvatore noticed it too, “this ancient city with its dusty streets always fascinated me.”
“I can only imagine how much blood was spilled across millennia in the name of God,” Salvatore said to Lydia with a deep sadness in his eyes.
“Did God want all these religious wars in the name of faith?” Lydia inquired.
“I cannot answer that, Lydia, but look at the Dome of the Rock’s golden cupola, the sacred shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.”
Lydia gazed at the shiny structure, which was peering out from the landscape formed from diverse sizes houses and buildings, which seemed arranged based on a secrete codified masterplan by a mad architect.
Salvatore continued. “This site is of crucial importance as it is built on the former site of Solomon’s Temple, also known as the First Temple, where worshipers would witness ritualic sacrifices and also housed the fabled Ark of the Covenant.”
“I can tell you that the Ark is not stored in the secret vaults of the Vatican, nor are other powerful artifacts. These were just myths spread by different Popes in the past, as a sign of divine power.”
“So many religions come here to find enlightenment and to step where their savior and messiah once preached.”
“Everyone deserves to believe in the force of good,” Salvatore concluded.
“We are approaching the Mount of Olives, which is located to the east of Jerusalem,” Elijah informed after patiently listening to their discussion.
“It acts as a barrier between the Holy City and the Judean Desert, which from that point, heads down towards the Dead Sea.”
“Jerusalem is encircled by the Kidron Valley with Mount Zion located to the south, where Jesus started his journey after the Last Supper.”
“He traversed this valley on foot to reach his final destination of Gethsemane,” Elijah continued in perfect English.
“Thank you, Elijah. I knew I can count on you,” Salvatore said, full of excitement.
Lydia felt her backpack frantically vibrating.
She looked inside and noticed the fluid’s movement was speeding up.
“I am afraid we’ll not make it, Neo,” Lydia whispered.
“Don’t be afraid, simply believe in your destiny, and you will succeed.”
“I believe in you, my love,” Neo whispered back, realizing he must have spoken those last words loudly, possibly causing Lydia to be shocked.
§CHAPTER 94§
23H07,
THE CAR ABRUPTLY stopped in front of a stone wall. Adorned above the entrance were the words:
HORTVUS GETHSEMANI
The garden located on the Mount of Olives stood next to the Church of All Nations, also known as the Basilica of Agony, housing the rock where Jesus presumably prayed in agony while tormented by the thought of what would happen to him.
Lydia remembered from her religion classes the words of the Apostle Matthew.
“Jesus threw himself on the ground with his sweat becoming drops of blood.”
The night was cold, and the vial was frantically vibrating; the colors turning on and off abruptly.
Elijah showed his badge to an elderly man who was guarding the place, and he let Lydia pass without any questions asked.
“I will wait for you here, Lydia.”
“Good luck!” Salvatore said, waving from the car.
He wanted to join her. There was a magnetic attraction that was almost irresistible.
But he had to call his Holiness. His quest had to be completed one way or another.
This confrontation could not be avoided any longer.
§CHAPTER 95§
STRANGELY THERE was a hot breeze circulating among the ancient olive trees. Is this my epiphanal moment, like when Jesus prayed before being taken prisoner?
She could sense a strange but pleasant odor coming from the olive trees.
“What should I do next, Neo?”
“I think you need to find one of the oldest trees which must have a mark.”
“Gethsemane literally means oil press from Aramaic: Gad-Šmānê, ܓܕܣܡܢ. A long time ago, these trees were used to produce oil,” Neo explained, hoping one day he would revisit this place together with Lydia.
“You are very knowledgeable as always, my love,” Lydia answered back.
Neo blushed, and his heart began to pound...
Is she mocking me, or is she really in love?
I cannot ask her this yet; it’s not the right moment.
The Jesus Christ Cypher Page 20
