by Taylor Buck
“…worry, my dear. Soon it…rightfully ours... Come, my love…”
Jack heard sounds of kissing—romantic kissing between two people.
What in the world? Jack thought. What kind of incestual acts were going on in this house? Jack didn’t know how to react to the bizarre events. He began stepping back away from the door. He turned to walk down the stairs when something startled him suddenly. He froze. Only a few feet away, a dark figure stood on the steps, facing him.
“Mr. Cullen…?” the voice whispered.
A man emerged from the shadows. Jack realized immediately who it was.
“What are you doing awake at this hour?” the voice inquired… deep and distinctive. His long bathrobe trailed along the steps behind him.
“Valente, you startled me,” Jack said looking slightly frazzled. He wondered how long Valente had been standing there. Had he caught him eavesdropping? “I couldn’t sleep so I figured I’d get to the station and grab an earlier train to Lucerne.”
“What about Mr. Allen? Will he be joining you as well?”
“Yes, of course,” said Jack. “I was just on my way to his room.”
“I see,” Valente said, allowing a brief pause. “I’m afraid there are no early morning departures from the station. The earliest scheduled departure is 5:45.”
Jack smiled casually. “Well, I’ll get there a little early I suppose. It will allow time for a cappuccino at the station.”
Valente smirked curiously, as if something Jack said amused him.
Jack picked up on it immediately and found it concerning. Why is he smiling? Had he seen him listening to Forlino and Gabriela talk? Jack wasn’t sure. But he suddenly felt like he was in danger.
“Pasticceria Sieni.”
“Pardon?”
“That is the best café by the Piazza della Stazione. You must try the frittelle too, it’s to die for,” Valente said in a low whisper.
“Sieni,” Jack repeated. “Thank you, Signore Valente, for the recommendation.”
“Prego, prego, Mr. Cullen. I’ll see you soon. Ciao.”
Valente offered a firm handshake then casually ascended the stairs and passed Jack. Jack didn’t look back to see which room he entered, but he had a suspicious feeling that he was headed for Forlino’s door.
The grandfather clock echoed through the open stairwell. Jack couldn’t get over how massive the estate was. It felt even bigger at night. He finally reached the lobby downstairs and dialed Chester’s number. After 3 rings, he picked up.
“Jack? What is it?” he sounded concerned.
“I’ve got our treasure map.”
There was a pause on the line. “Does Forlino know?”
“No, and I intend to keep it that way,” Jack said, conceding to the strange feeling he had. Even though he hadn’t heard any explicit threats, he didn’t feel like he could trust anyone here.
“I’m downstairs in the lobby. I’ve got a car coming. Chester, I need to find out where this letter was leading Kathleen.”
Another pause as Chester thought things over. “I’ll be right down,” he said and hung up.
CHAPTER 17
FLORENCE
SEPTEMBER 8
“I NEED TO BORROW your tablet,” Jack said as they sped through the hills.
It was still dark outside as the two men sat in the backseat of a luxury transport sedan. Their driver sat quietly in the front seat and navigated the back streets of Florence. Chester pulled his tablet from his briefcase. A moment later, the two men were studying the ancient letter on the tablet’s pristine display. The vellum was aged, but appeared to have withstood the weathered conditions underground quite well. The calligraphy was beautifully presented and professionally marked, showing the author was highly educated and a practiced writer.
“Damn…” Jack whispered under his breath.
“What’s the matter?”
“The language is in Italian, old Italian at that. It’s going to take a while for me to translate this.”
Chester perked up. “Wait a minute.” He swiped through some applications and opened up an app displaying the TerraTEK logo.
“What is that?” Jack inquired.
“It’s a beta linguistics app that we’re developing. It reads over 80 different languages and translates in real time.”
“A translator?” Jack said surprised.
“Yes, this is the real deal. Check it out.”
Chester uploaded the scan of the letter into the program. Jack watched on the tablet’s screen as letters began to appear… jumbled at first, but then it began forming words—even entire sentences.
It was deciphering the entire letter right in front of him.
“This is fascinating…” Jack marveled.
“Pretty neat, huh? Here.” He handed the tablet to Jack who quickly perused the letter. After a quick comparison, he determined that the TerraTEK translator application was able to procure an accurate transcription. It wasn’t perfect, but considering Jack had spent years laboring over ancient manuscripts… translating them in agonizing detail—utilizing a modern day deciphering device like this could considerably expedite his work.
“Geez… I’ve gotta get this,” Jack said.
“I’ll arrange it,” Chester said.
Jack started in. “Okay, the first part is a greeting…”
My dear friend and trusted companion, Michelangelo, I’m thoroughly indebted to you regarding the teachings you offered Giovanni. He is indebted to you as well. You have been like a brother to him and he benefits from your abilities as an artist.
“It seems that Lorenzo is thanking Michelangelo for teaching his second son, Giovanni,” Jack clarified. “It’s possible that Michelangelo was mentoring him. It looks like he goes on for a few more lines about Giovanni’s potential.
…he has a kindred spirit and a basis for moral principles. Giovanni will no doubt supersede the family business and instead make a name for himself among the clergy.
“Ha!” announced Jack. “It’s prophetic. Lorenzo’s son, Giovanni, became a cardinal of the church at age thirteen and was elected Pope Leo X later on… long after his father’s death.”
I call on you now for matters unrelated to your teachings. Instead, I write to you with utmost solemnity regarding a secret I must bestow upon you. I apologize for coercing this knowledge upon you, but I cannot stress its importance.
“He’s alluding to the secret now,” Jack said as he ran his finger under the words, invisibly tracing the letters as he read. Chester sat beside him jotting down each word as it was read aloud.
Hear me now, my brother. All I have told you is true. The stories of our fathers are with you, even now. However, I feel that my time is nearing and my mind may not be keen to articulate my thoughts, next we meet. I am in trepidation that the secret my family has been elected to protect will vanish with the ages. There is a treasure that my grandfather, Cosimo, happened upon. It is said to contain a trove of riches that fill a kingdom with such knowledge and wisdom that any man baring its verity can govern the entire world.
Jack glanced over at Chester, who was hastily jotting down the words. A smile formed and spread across his face. They both couldn’t believe what they were reading.
As you may be aware, this treasure has been a point of contention throughout my family’s existence. Men have contrived rumors and fabricated myths regarding its contents. I am saddened to confess that it has been a spine in my heart—
“Spine in my heart?” remarked Chester.
“Translation error,” replied Jack. “una spina nel cuore… should be a thorn. It has been a thorn in my heart—or thorn in my side.”
“Got it.”
…as that which was supposed to bequeath knowledge has brought only sorrow. The departure of my brother, Giuliano, was a result of my enemy’s thirst for truth. There are men, including the Pazzi, Salvati, Albizzi and Strozzi that will stop at nothing to discover the secret to our family’s wealth. They plot murderou
s acts while continuing to search, as a starving dog searches for scraps of food.
Jack spoke the words and looked up slowly. “Chester. Do you have any idea what this means?”
Chester looked blankly at Jack. “Your question makes me think that I don’t…”
“Are you familiar with the Pazzi Conspiracy?”
“Somewhat… a murder attempt on the Medici, right?”
“Yes. A successful attempt that claimed the life of Lorenzo’s younger brother, Giuliano. However, Lorenzo mysteriously escaped with barely a scratch.”
Jack underlined the words They plot murderous acts while continuing to search, as a starving dog searches for scraps of food. “What Lorenzo’s saying here, is that the Pazzi Conspiracy was not only an attempt to destroy the Medici name…it was a motivated scheme to get access to the treasure. You see? The families he lists here…Pazzi, Albizzi…these men probably knew about the treasure.”
He read on.
Michelangelo, all my life I have searched for this treasure, yet it has managed to dwell just beyond my reach. I have tasted its sweetness through the teachings bestowed to me by Marsilio and my grandfather. I have romanticized over the wisdom it offers and dreamt of its glory. However, I fear the secrets of my family will turn to dust. Future generations will be unaware of the treasure which my grandfather acquired. All that I know, the awareness I’ve gained of this treasure, now resides exclusively with the few students of the Academy. You know of that which I speak. Michelangelo, my dear friend, there is still much to learn. The ancient treasures lay in slumber, as a bear in hibernation… ready to be awakened and set free. It needs to be given to the people. It will be as if all of their life they have been looking through a veil, then suddenly the veil lifts… and they see the truth.
“Unbelievable,” Chester said.
“Yes,” Jack said. “This is very interesting. He speaks of a treasure in which Cosimo happened upon. He mentions it containing a trove of riches that fill a kingdom and any man baring its verity, or truth, can rule the world…” Jack tapped his chin in deep thought.
“Any ideas of what it could be?” Chester asked.
“Possibly,” Jack said. “There were tales of the early Renaissance philosophers happening upon a vast amount of ancient valuables after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453. Up until then, the Library of Constantinople had amassed the largest repository of ancient manuscripts and historical relics to date—even articles that had traveled from the original Library of Alexandria, which predated Christ. In 1453, the library of Constantinople fell under attack during the Fourth Crusade when the Crusaders ransacked the library and stole many of the ancient treasures residing there. I actually taught a course on this.”
“How fitting,” Chester smiled.
“Much was destroyed,” Jack continued. “However, there were articles that survived—protected by a group of intellectuals with the fortitude and foresight to hide away their most valued and ancient vestiges. The lineage of these artifacts drew a direct line to the ancient world… Roman, Christian, Egyptian, even early Greek treasures dwelled there. The materials and manuscripts were referenced and utilized by the intellectuals and philosophers of the day. In fact, Constantinople… for years was the Holy Land or Mecca to many academics and truth-seekers. After it was destroyed, those men migrated to the next obvious collective of free-thinking, truth-seeking philosophers—”
“Florence,” Chester answered.
Jack nodded. “It’s said that this transfer of ancient knowledge was a significant catalyst to the Renaissance. If these priceless possessions made their way to Florence, you can bet there would only be one family in which that kind of valuable information could be entrusted to in order to keep it safe…”
“The Medici,” Chester offered.
“Right again.” Jack read on.
My father spoke of un’icona, which held the key to unlock the treasure. I came upon its whereabouts by happenstance; however, my half-brother took un’icona and fled to the hills to the north. I have searched for years and never crossed his path again. There were claims that he dwelt in an alpine village known for its healing powers, but alas, I have searched in vain and found nothing. I fear the truth will die in those towering crags.
Michelangelo, please heed my words and deliver this burden from me. I impart this undertaking to you in hopes that the secret lives on in your safekeeping.
May the red cross of Saint Maurizio guide you on your journey.
Peace and farewell,
Lorenzo de’Medici
1492
Jack looked up at Chester. “My god, Kathleen was right. This is a treasure map.”
Chester wrinkled his brow in confusion.
“Look here,” said Jack. “There were claims that he dwelt in an alpine village known for its healing powers… A village. In the Alps. Known for its healing powers…”
“That’s why they were in the Alps!” Chester exclaimed.
“Well, yes. But not only that...” Jack said excitedly. “May the red cross of Saint Maurizio guide you on your journey… Don’t you see? A city with healing powers! The red cross of Saint Maurizio…”
Chester looked back blankly. He still wasn’t registering the connection.
“Chester… It’s Saint Moritz!” Jack said wide-eyed with joy. “Where Kathleen and Foley were found. They were in the very spot!”
“Healing powers?” Chester asked.
“Yeah,” replied Jack. “St. Moritz is a luxury destination... skiing, mountaineering and alpine stuff. I believe it’s also known for its natural hot springs…”
Chester was already searching for it on his tablet. “It says here that Pilgrims traveled to Saint Mauritius—the church of the springs, where they drank from the blessed, bubbling waters of the Mauritius springs in the hopes of being healed. Even today people travel long distances to soak in the mineral waters there to attain rehabilitation and offer healing therapy of the body and mind.”
Jack sat back in his seat with a look of realization. “It all matches up,” he said. “Kathleen and Foley located the site of the icona—they knew where it was. That’s what they were searching for.”
“So they were using the MOTSUs to find the icona, right? Not the treasure itself?”
“Exactly. Lorenzo mentions that the icona holds the key that unlocks the treasure… the icona’s last known location was in the Alps. You can’t open treasure until you have the key.”
The men sat quietly for a moment, pondering the information. Suddenly, Jack sprung forward. “What about the scans? From Kathleen’s GPR readings…we haven’t even looked at them yet.”
“They should be finalizing them today,” Chester responded. “By noon we should have a diagram of the mountainside.”
“Okay. We need that scan to see if they really were in the right location,” Jack said. He sat back in his seat. It seemed finally that things were beginning to line up. Pieces of the puzzle were starting to take shape and gaps were closing in their search for an explanation as to Kathleen’s accident. Next to him, Chester slipped his tablet into an external pocket on his dark briefcase. The gold hardware and black carbon fiber casing was eye-catching… and probably expensive. The Hermes insignia imprinted along the outside was further verification. Jack noticed that Chester always had the briefcase with him. In fact, he had never seen him leave it behind. Not even once.
“You take that thing everywhere, don’t you?” Jack said.
Chester directed his gaze down at the luggage at his feet. “My work. Yes, I always have it close by.” He hesitated for a moment, then deftly ran his fingers along the locks. The latches popped free and Chester opened the case revealing a neatly compartmentalized array of machinery and contraptions. It reminded Jack of something 007 would carry around. “My creations,” he said proudly, running his fingers across a few of the gadgets. He stopped above a cylindrical shaped, matte-black optical device. “This is a high powered camera,” he said. “The infra
red imaging capabilities on this allow you to spot a flea from 500 yards. You could also take high res pictures behind a wall of concrete up to 3 feet thick.”
He moved to a small bird-shaped object. “We call this the hummingbird. It can fly in, out and around anything and anywhere you want to. This sensor here,” he said pointing to a tiny ball on top of the bird’s head, “captures a hi-def, wide-angle picture that feeds video in real-time. It’s almost completely silent and is remotely operated up to a span of one and a half miles.”
“Impressive. What about this one?” Jack said pointing to a pen-shaped object.
“This?” Chester said pulling it out of a protective fabric sleeve. The sleek, rounded frame looked like a flashlight. “This is… a laser.”
“Laser?”
“Yes.”
“Pointer?” Jack asked.
“Not exactly. It’s actually a defense prototype. More like a small light saber,” Chester said turning it in his hands. “I would show it to you, but I don’t want to ruin the inside of this man’s expensive car.”
“You’re telling me TerraTEK has developed a light saber?” Jack said skeptically.
Chester returned an impish grin.
They left the freeway and entered familiar streets surrounding the Piazza della Stazione. The sun was still not up and most of the local businesses hadn’t begun to slide open their shop doors yet.
“Go ahead and drop us at the Stazione,” Jack directed the driver, who nodded in response. Jack turned to Chester. “We’re going back to Switzerland, but we’re making a detour stop along the way—an alpine village known for its healing powers.”
Chester sighed and sat back in his seat. “I had a feeling you would say that. I won’t object, though. I could use some healing of my body and mind. However, I do have to insist we travel by air. I get the unsettling feeling that we won’t be staying any one place too long and I’d like to expedite the process if I can.”
