by Tom Haase
“Let me see what you have,” Richard said.
“Here’s the one that I have.” Jonathan removed the icon that O’Neill recently delivered to him. “A friend found it in Russia, St. Petersburg to be precise. The other one is only a picture. I printed it from my cell phone. The photo was taken in Virginia in the USA a few days ago.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I tried to find out about them on the Internet but came up empty. These icons don’t seem to exist in any database, but from the one we have here it is obvious that it is very valuable and extremely old. I believe they are possibly a pair based on the size and gold construction. I may be wrong, that’s why I’m here. Are they a pair? Why isn’t anything known about them?” Jonathan asked.
The old man studied the two objects. He mumbled something to himself Jonathan couldn’t understand. He scratched his completely baldhead, then walked out of his office without saying a word. He returned in a few minutes.
“Jonathan, I’ll have to do some more research. This is fascinating. If my memory serves me, I think I can have some answers for you later today or by tomorrow at the latest. It will require me to do some digging in an area I haven’t explored in many years.” The elderly priest quickly escorted him out of the office and closed the door.
Jonathan went to his office a little put out by Richard’s rapid dismissal. His friend had not even invited him in for a cup of coffee, but as soon as he viewed both icons the old priest’s demeanor suddenly altered and he clearly wanted to be alone. He could now onlys wait to hear the results of the research Richard promised to do.
* * * *
After he escorted Jonathan out of his office, Richard Potter-Cogan moved as fast as his old legs allowed to the bowels of the Vatican Museum archives. The icons Jonathan offered instantly triggered a memory. He went to check it out and at the same time he realized that by ushering his old friend out of his office so quickly, he might have triggered some suspicion about his action. He wasn’t certain about any of this, but if he were correct, he would be bound to inform the cardinal or perhaps even the pope.
Richard spent over three hours doing his investigation on the icons. The work required access to very old and somewhat disorganized files. The files he sought centered on the timeframe during the Second World War. Many years ago, when he first came to the archives after teaching at the seminary, he remembered a story about some icons that were stolen. No report ever released of the fact these particular items were stolen. The Vatican admitted a robbery occurred on the night of Rome’s liberation from Nazi occupation but said only two small pictures were stolen.
He found the file and opened it to discover the ancient black and white photograph he sought, exactly as he feared. Jonathan McGregor managed to do it again, gone and gotten himself into big trouble.
No choice remained but to call the cardinal.
CHAPTER 16
Rome, Vatican City
Cardinal Ho Chan sat behind a large wood desk, a French Louis XV Cherry Wood Leather Top Writing Desk. A crucifix hung on the wall behind him. Msgr. Richard Potter-Cogan didn’t see any pictures on the walls only an open window overlooking St. Peter's Square. He made a slight bow to the cardinal from China and took his seat when the man indicated for him to do so.
“Monsignor, it’s indeed a pleasure to see you again. How are you?" The cardinal asked.
"I'm fine, your Eminence. Thank you for asking. I don't want to take up much of your time, but I have something I think that you will be interested in. Perhaps interested is not the right word, but your office will certainly become involved if what I discovered is ever divulged.”
"What is this about?"
"I don't know quite how to start, but this will take a few minutes if you have the time." Msgr. Potter-Cogan shifted in his chair trying to get comfortable before the second most powerful person in the Vatican. "I have to take you back to the Second World War during the collaboration of Italy with Germany to form the Axis powers and then the subsequent occupation of Italy by the Germans. Certain events that occurred there could have immense repercussions in our present time."
"Please, Monsignor make it as brief as possible. My schedule is very busy," the cardinal said.
"During that time many precious items of gold, silver and diamonds were confiscated by the Nazis. They were sent off to Switzerland and deposited in numbered accounts there. As the Allies pushed north into Italy from Africa and then reached Rome quicker than the Nazis expected, they made records of the account numbers of the holdings in Switzerland." Potter-Cogan stopped for a moment apparently because his throat became dry.
"So what does this have to do with us today?" the cardinal asked.
"If I may, I'll continue as quickly as possible so that you can see the entire story. The Germans needed to leave a record of those unclaimed treasures held in Switzerland just in case they were killed. They needed to have someplace safe to store them so they could come back when they planned to retake Italy. During the war some items from the archives were lent out to various churches. Just a few hours ago your special assistant Monsignor McGregor, brought to me one of those icons. He only had a picture of the other one sent to him by Bridget Donavan. She is the woman from the Bible of Constantine episode. I examined the one we have very closely and I found what I believe is part of an account number of a Swiss bank account."
"My Lord, we may need to get the director of the Vatican bank in on this," the cardinal said.
"Eminence, I think you should hear me out before doing anything." Potter-Cogan waited until he received a nod from the cardinal to continue with this story.
"The problem I have encountered is that both of those icons were lent out at the same time according to our records. I have an old photo of them from around 1940 and the church where they were sent. Those two icons were from the Byzantine era and were in our archive from the time of the crusades. The way I found these account numbers occurred when I noticed a false back put on the one Jonathan McGregor gave to me. Unfortunately, the serial number for the Swiss bank account is not complete. The numbers are only half the number needed to access an account. I believe that the other icon contains a list of the other half. Whoever did this, I think it would have been the Nazis trying to hide the plunder they took from the Italian Jews in a Swiss account. They did it for protection and to make sure both icons needed to be the present to get the complete bank account number."
"As we proceed in this investigation,” said the cardinal, “We must be very careful that the Vatican is not projected as harboring or abetting in some way by not returning this plunder. Nobody would believe we didn’t know anything about it if this becomes public. I assume many of the valuables, money, treasures may be from mostly Jewish families.” The cardinal stood up from behind his desk and walked over to the window. He stared out and Richard remained silent.
After another minute Richard said, “What do you want me to do?”
“Let’s start off by telling no one. We could make this a great achievement for the Holy See if we could return these valuables or money with an explanation of how we pursued this over half a century for the good of the people who lost so much.” He strode back to his desk. Before sitting, he looked at Potter-Cogan. “Jonathan McGregor has worked with this Donavan woman before. Hasn’t he?”
“Yes.” Potter-Cogan nodded his head.
The cardinal stood and waved his hand in dismissal saying, “Bring him up to date on what you have told me. Send him to me after that. I’ll order him to retrieve that icon for us.”
CHAPTER 17
Athens, Greece
Bridget hated waiting. Jonathan may not get back to her for a day or two, or perhaps never. She had to do something, so she looked up the flight schedules to the States. She used the hotel phone to call Gerti and Scott.
“Let’s get packed up. We’re going to the States. That icon, as far as I know, is located in the States. Logically, we need to go there. Scott, we can use your apart
ment for a base to get started. There is a flight leaving in three hours. Can you be ready?” she asked.
She heard Scott talk to Gerti and then he said, “OK, we’ll be ready.”
They all agreed to this new mission. They needed to recover that icon, which remained the only course open to her to possibly settle the debt with Schultz. Now that became her focus. The only person who had seen the icon was Matt. She needed to get back in touch with him. She dialed and his phone rang.
“Matt, calling as I promised. Is it too late to accept your invitation for dinner, say tomorrow evening?”
“I always like the way you are so direct.” He laughed. “That would be great. Where are you staying?”
“I’ll be at Scott’s place in Alexandria. We’re flying in today and I’ll need time to freshen up after our late arrival tonight.”
“No problem. I’ll pick you up at seven. I remember where he lives from our last venture. Did you find anything on that picture?”
“Let’s discuss it tomorrow and by then I may have something.”
“See you tomorrow. Cheers,” Matt said and hung up.
Bridget quickly packed her few items purchased since her rescue from Schultz’s claws. She reached the door when her cell rang. Looking at the number on the display, she recognized Jonathan’s cell. McGregor’s sharp wit, gracious social manners, and Scottish accent all combined to impress her from their first meeting in the Iraqi desert during the war. She recalled his handsome face and gray eyes, although she couldn’t remember the exact color tone clearly.
She pressed the talk button and said hello.
“Hello, Bridget. It took a little time to find out about that icon in the picture you sent. By chance, do you know where it is? I know you said it disappeared, but I’m wondering, based on your interest, if it has reappeared.”
Bridget heard the words, but thought the intent behind them contained something unsaid. Jonathan is up to his old tricks, flew through her mind.
“As far as I know, it’s still missing.” She decided to be forthright in order to get any information from him that might help. “You said you would call when you had something. Did you find out about that icon?”
“Actually, I did. Where are you now?”
“I’m just leaving for the States.” Instantly she regretted saying this. She wanted information from him, not to be giving him something.
“I propose we meet. I assure you I’ve no plan to try and steal the icon if we are able to find it.”
“Whatdoyou mean, we?” she blurted out sounding like one word.
“I think this should be a joint effort. We can assist one another to find it and recover it. You are owed some assistance by me from our previous encounters. There are things about that icon you don’t know and you don’t know its history. I do. In the end, I only want to examine it, nothing more,” Jonathan said.
“I don’t know. We don’t have a great track record working together.” Bridget switched the phone to her other hand, opened the door, and left the room. She needed to get downstairs to meet the others.
“I know, but I want to make up for that. If we work together, I think I can fix some things. No promises other than I’ll try.
“Do you really have information about that icon?”
“Yes. I’ll meet you in the States to tell you what I have,” he said.
“Let’s meet the day after tomorrow in Washington, as I’m busy tomorrow getting home. I’ll call you then.”
“Agreed. I’ll wait on your call.”
After ending the call, she realized the pursuit of the icon had just become really complicated. She held no idea how complicated it could get from this point on.
CHAPTER 18
Savannah, Georgia
Michael Alexander Alexandrovitch, aka Mike Alexandro, entered his condo apartment feeling weary from his international travels. He turned off the advanced security systems that protected his privacy and headed for the bar. His usual double shot of vodka made him feel better. On the refill, he sat down and admired his lucky charm resting on the mantel. The sight of the icon always made him feel a little religious. He was brought up in the Russian Orthodox faith and still held onto it in his own way. He crossed himself and thanked the virgin for getting him home safely.
His visit to Uncle Dmitri’s in the Squamish Valley had been interesting, both from a family perspective and the insight he gained into what his uncle wanted him to do. There would be a new replacement for the man he lost. After they concluded the business part of his visit, he’d spent two more nights at the luxury home with a different woman each night. He never allowed himself that pleasure in Savannah. There were too many prying eyes, so he maintained a rule to go somewhere else to engage in such activities.
The day before he returned, he did go on the Sea to Sky gondola ride. From the top, he took in the beauty of the entire valley and appreciated the uniqueness of it. The night he spent in the airport hotel in Vancouver before his early morning flight allowed for some recuperation from his frolicking. In his opinion, any type of commercial flying bordered on boring, tiring, and downright unpleasant.
While taking the last sip of his second drink, the business phone rang. He hadn’t taken it on the trip, as he didn’t need any interruptions during his few days off. The buzzing of the phone now brought him back to the reality of his situation and the pressure that Dmitri put on him to increase sales. Currently, he managed twelve to thirteen million per year with an operating cost of only about eighteen percent. Dmitri wanted him to substantially increase the profit. He answered the phone. Perhaps it could be the new security man Dmitri sent him to replace the one lost in Roanoke.
"Can I help you?" Mike asked.
“Mr. Alexandro, when will our shipment be here?” said a rather belligerent and loud voice he recognized as Ashil’s from the Roanoke event.
“Ashil, I want to remind you that you have to put down fifty percent now and to this day you have not done so. When will it be delivered?"
"You said we would get a discount. When do we get it?" Ashil asked, continuing his previous tone.
"The discount will be applied to the second half of the payment. These are upfront costs that I need to cover my purchases.” Mike successfully attempted to match the tone of the caller.
"That is not acceptable, Mr. Alexandro."
"Ashil, I have other buyers who would love to pay me the price I quoted you for these weapons. If you are not interested, say so now and I’ll move on to another motivated party. While we're on this topic, I believe you need to increase the number of transactions we engage in or I will have to spread my business to others." Mike decided he would wait to see what the man said. These homegrown jihadists flashed tons of money from somewhere. They could afford to purchase more and pay more. The time arrived for him to start pushing.
"Mr. Alexandro, your money for the first half of our payment will be delivered to you at the usual spot in your city tomorrow morning at ten. I will have to discuss your request for increased activity with others. Could you tell me exactly when our shipment will arrive?" Ashil requested.
More like it. Mike knew he had them over a barrel, as Dmitri made sure no other Russian would engage in his business east of the Mississippi. He reminded himself to be glad he’s in Dmitri’s family, because he ruled one of the largest crime syndicates in Russia.
“Before I talk about your shipment, did you carry out the other task I contracted you for? It’s a simple pay back for the men we both lost.” Mike waited expectantly for a positive answer.
“I regret to say our men failed and they are both dead.”
“What? You blew a simple operation? You had his home address. How could they screw it up?” Mike demanded.
“That agent is cut from a different cloth. He is very good and we underestimated him. But don’t worry, I have another colleague who will take care of him soon,” Ashil said.
Mike wanted to strangle the bastard. Ashil's incompetence threatened Mike'
s business and Mike himself. Uncle Dmitri would be furious. He had the intelligence from his source that they needed to avenge the death of his security man and they blew it. He calmed himself and did his best to return to a normal business tone.
"Your shipment will be released to you after I receive final payment. You can reduce the amount you owe me at that time by twenty percent. Please let me know the decision on increasing your purchases when I call you," Mike said.
"We will." The man disconnected before Mike could say anything more.
Impertinent little bastard.
I’ll have to deal with him, but not the way he thinks.
CHAPTER 19
Washington D.C.
Matt arrived at Scott’s place right at seven. He saw Bridget waiting in the entrance and after waving, she walked out to his car. The beauty of this woman with dark red hair struck him even at a distance. She stood six inches below his six-foot-two-inch frame and her figure would be the envy of any Hollywood female lead. Matt remembered one of his soldiers saying that when she entered a room her breasts appeared before she did. He did remember them.
“Hi, Matt,” she said after opening the door. “Great to see you again.” She reached over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
“Same here. Any preference on restaurants?” he asked.
“Let’s walk down King Street and pick a place as we go.”
He nodded his agreement and headed for the center of Old Town Alexandria. Ten minutes later they were walking down the street and picked a new place neither had been to before. The waitress seated them at a window booth overlooking a small park next to the Potomac River.
