***
I pinched my nose again, reminding myself that the past was exactly that. I had to focus on where I was now and what I was doing. Nothing else mattered. I returned my attention to Reynolds, who nodded.
“Very good,” he said before gesturing to the other man. “This is Father Vincent. He will take us to Rome and will escort you personally once we reach the Vatican.”
I shook the priest’s hand. His face was shaped like a pear, with a square jaw, strong features, and the weathered look of a man who had spent too much time in the sun, but not without a hint of handsomeness.
Combined with his age, I would describe him as “grizzled.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Father,” I greeted.
“And I you, young man. His Holiness will be most happy to meet you.”
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to meet the Pope, let alone work for him.”
Opening the driver’s side door, Father Vincent replied, “These are dark days, my son. Enjoy your opportunity while you can, but remember, there is work to do.”
“I understand, Father.”
With his ominous tone floating through my mind, I took a seat in the back of the car, closed my eyes, and couldn’t help but allow my mind to reminisce about just how stupid we had been back in SERE.
The Last Roman (The Praetorian Series - Book I) Page 6
