The Voynich Cypher

by Russell Blake

  “This is great shit. You can smell it. See?” the boy, Luciano, said.

  Theresa sniffed it with approval. “Wow. You’re right. It smells awesome,” she said, not quite sure what it was she was supposed to be appreciating, but game for anything after the better part of a bottle of cheap sparkling wine. Luciano was really cute, with a devil-may-care attitude that had half the girls in school pining for him. At this point, he could have held out a piece of rat poop and she would have expressed enthusiasm. She giggled inwardly at the thought and gave him a beaming smile.

  They lit the joint and took deep hits, holding in the smoke for as long as they could before noisily exhaling. At first they didn’t feel anything other than the rush from the nicotine as their blood vessels constricted, but after a few minutes, a euphoric tingle of relaxation flooded their senses. By the time they’d finished their smoke, both felt wonderful.

  Luciano leaned into Theresa and kissed her, eyes closed as he savored her taste. She responded with ardor, and before long he had his hand up her shirt as she moaned encouragement. Luciano disengaged and, looking around, motioned to the interior of the old building. He stood, his passion unmistakable through his jeans, and held out his hand. Theresa took it, and he pulled her to her feet before leading her into the dark space.

  They kissed again once they’d moved into the entrance a few yards, away from prying eyes, and it was only after a few seconds they registered the flies, which were buzzing in an audible swarm from the depths of the building. Theresa recoiled instinctively from the insects, and Luciano hesitated for a moment before fishing in his pants for his lighter.

  Theresa’s scream echoed through the quiet area, reverberating off the walls of the nearby residences. A light went on in one of the windows after she screamed again.

  Fifteen minutes later, two police cars stood in front of the abandoned machine shop, their lights illuminating the curb as they took statements from the two frightened teens while waiting for the forensics van to arrive. One of the officers logged the time – midnight – while another wrapped the entry with bright yellow tape in a gesture to keep the non-existent crowds from entering the area.

  A television van screeched to a stop, the driver having picked up the call from a police scanner he constantly monitored so as to be first at any scene.

  Contrary to Amieri’s best laid plans, Danny would be front page news the following morning.

  The orange rays of dawn were breaking across the Roman skyline when Colonel Gabriel Synthe received a hasty call from his police contact. He listened intently and, after hanging up, mulled over the ramifications of what he’d just been told. He’d need to call Luca and update him on the latest events, much as it irritated him. The only joy was had in knowing he would likely wake the man up. To his dismay, Luca answered within seconds and sounded alert.

  “What do you have for me?” he asked perfunctorily, not bothering with any niceties.

  “The investigator who arranged for the girl and Cross to get into the basilica was found dead last night. Tortured and strangled,” Synthe reported.

  “Good heavens. That’s two dead in as many days. This can’t continue…” Luca exclaimed.

  “Nobody’s happy about it. The police are increasing the status of the alert for the pair. That’s going to make it increasingly hard for us to intervene before they’re taken into custody.” Synthe reminded Luca of the obvious. “Or until whoever is doing the killing locates them. Either way, this is bad.”

  Luca took a few moments to digest this latest news.

  “Do we have any evidence that the girl or Cross are doing anything but running from a threat?” Luca asked.

  “It’s safe to assume they’re trying to solve the mystery of the Scroll. Why else would they have come to Rome and done a night visit at the basilica?” Synthe reasoned.

  “I tend to agree, but the security footage was inconclusive. They’re captured by a camera as they enter the basilica, and then as they descend to the middle level, but there are some holes in the camera positions there, and between the gaps we lose them for about fifteen minutes. We don’t know what they were up to during that time.”

  “You’ve had someone go in and look around?” Synthe asked.

  “Of course. I had three men go in the following morning, and they found nothing amiss. But it’s a big hall, and without knowing what the girl was looking for, it’s impossible to speculate whether she found it or not. By the time my men got over there and looked at the footage, the church was open and crowds were moving through, as were the custodians. We do know that the art was intact – the curators helped to inspect it all, and nothing was touched that they can see. So we’re no further along than before, other than knowing that two people in direct contact with the girl were murdered.”

  “As troubling as that may be, our first priority is still the Scroll,” Synthe reminded Luca. The Sentinel had spent half an hour with Synthe for an in-person progress report the prior afternoon, and he’d underscored that he was very disappointed that Synthe hadn’t been able to put the matter to rest.

  “Yes. But it could be that we’re going about this the wrong way. The girl and Cross must know their driver was killed, so they’re undoubtedly terrified of everyone and everything. As far as we can tell, the girl doesn’t know much about the Scroll, so she may have gone to Cross, not out of a desire to learn its secrets for the sake of the knowledge, but rather as a way to discover what happened to her father, or perhaps to carry out his final work. We just don’t have enough information.” Luca paused. “I’m thinking about trying a different approach.”

  What the hell? “That sounds like an extremely bad idea.” The last thing Synthe needed was Luca going operational. That could be disastrous.

  “Your opinion is noted. But what we’re doing right now isn’t working, is it? Did I miss something in all of this where we’re getting closer to finding the Scroll? Seems to me that it’s working exactly the opposite, and we’ve now lost track of the pair, have no idea what they’re doing, and are in danger of losing them, and presumably the Scroll, to a hostile unknown group that kills without hesitation.”

  Synthe had no facile counter to that. All he could do was restate his position.

  “You getting involved is a poor call. You’re not experienced with field work, and it will only complicate matters.”

  “Again. I understand, but with all due respect, matters are already complicated. And not to put too fine a point on it, but it wasn’t my job to ensure the Scroll was safe. It was under your ‘professional’ watch that this disaster happened, and I see no evidence of it improving, having done things your way for the last few days. Whether you like it or not, I am already a part of this scenario, as your ilk like to call it, so I don’t see what harm I can do that hasn’t already been done.” Luca’s voice had taken on an edge.

  Synthe was experienced enough to sense that nothing he said would alter Luca’s intent now that he’d dug in. If the idiot wanted to get himself killed, it was better to just step out of the way and let events unfold of their own momentum.

  “I will have no alternative but to register my reservations with my superior, then,” Synthe fired as a parting shot. Perhaps alluding to the Sentinel would give Luca pause.

  “Do what you have to do. I’ll advise my superior to expect his call. I will keep you posted of any progress. I expect you to do the same,” Luca said and slammed down the phone.

  Luca considered his next step. All the subterfuge had gotten them nothing. He didn’t see what they had to lose by being more direct. Luca had a feeling that this was the right step, once he put himself into the fugitive pair’s shoes. They might be receptive to talking to someone who could make the whole problem just go away.

  It was worth a try.

  Natalie and Steven took turns driving to Mestre. A little after nine a.m., they pulled into the garage on the lower floor of a small house on the outskirts of the city. A suburb of Venice, Mestre was one of the prim
ary living areas for the workers who kept the tourist machine that was the historical city of Venice running. It was perfect to get lost in – near a massive international destination, and yet completely off the radar. After they had pulled into the single space garage and closed the door with the remote control, they both exhaled a sigh of exhausted relief. Natalie had been quiet for the last few hours, and Steven couldn’t get a read on what was going on in her head. He figured she was just beat, as was he.

  The house was a two bedroom, two story brick contrivance where the entire living area was on the second story with parking and storage below and was outfitted with modest but comfortable furnishings. Steven carried the bags upstairs to the living room and set them down on the hardwood floor while Natalie explored the kitchen. She exclaimed with delight when she opened the refrigerator, which was stocked with food and beverages, and gratefully opened a container of orange juice and poured them both a glass.

  “Home sweet home,” Steven said, walking into the kitchen after locking the deadbolts on the door.

  “It’s not the Ritz, but I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to arrive someplace.”

  Steven picked up his orange juice and went to the rear of the house to explore the two bedrooms, which were small but adequate. The bathroom was also typical of a home of the size and era; the entire upstairs was around twelve hundred square feet of living space.

  When he returned, Natalie was munching on some crackers she’d found in the pantry.

  “So what do you think?” she asked.

  “It’s fine. I vote we get some sleep, and then I’ll start on decrypting the Scroll. Shouldn’t take all that long, but never say never. I’ve seen enough to know that it’s what you don’t see coming that takes your head off,” Steven said, finishing his juice and yawning. “I’m going to take a shower and hit the sack. Pick whatever room you want – they’re both about the same. I have no preference.”

  “Then neither do I. Only one bathroom, I guess?”

  “You got it. Let’s hope the plumbing works reasonably well. My place in Florence was a nightmare,” Steven said.

  He hefted his bag and threw it on the bed in the first bedroom, quickly hanging his shirts in the wall closet before carrying his shaving kit into the bathroom and closing the door. A pair of thick towels hung from hooks above a small linen cupboard that housed necessities like soap, washcloths and shampoo.

  Steven stripped down and turned on the shower, waiting for a few minutes until the hot water made its way up from the downstairs heater and the temperature stabilized. He unwrapped a bar of soap and stepped under the stream, luxuriating in the warmth after spending almost eight hours cramped in car seats. As he washed the shampoo out of his hair, a gust of cool air blew through the small room, stirring the cloud of steam that had formed. He rinsed the suds off his face and out of his eyes and pulled back the shower curtain, to be greeted by the amazing sight of Natalie, naked, standing in her bare feet on the bathmat he’d placed on the floor. For a moment he thought he was hallucinating, and then her lips locked on his, her tongue probing with an urgency that was electrifying in its intensity. After what seemed like an eternity of this essential contact, his arousal was pressing against her belly. She gripped him with a wet hand, stroking him as she stared into his eyes.

  “I don’t want to sleep in the other bedroom,” she said.

  Steven turned his head towards Natalie, who was resting easily beside him on the damp bed, partially soaked from their abrupt departure from the shower. Those amazing violet eyes pierced his defenses, and he smiled as he caressed her still-wet hair.

  She cleared her throat, and Steven let her speak.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that since the church, but it never seemed like the right time. This probably wasn’t either, but you don’t always get to pick the perfect moment, right?” she started.

  Steven smiled. “That was perfect as far as I’m concerned.”

  “I thought we should get it out of the way while we have some time alone. I hope you’re okay with me taking my lustful urges out on you,” Natalie said, returning his smile.

  “I’m not easy, under normal circumstances. But these are anything but normal circumstances…”

  “I like the way you think. Now do you want to finish the shower, or is there anything else I can interest you in?” she asked innocently.

  He gazed at her perfectly-formed breasts, the hint of invitation obvious in her huskily-whispered question, and his body made the decision for them.

  Eventually, spent, they returned to the bathroom together and cleaned each other, Steven marveling at how magnificently toned she was as he caressed her with soap suds. Finally, exhausted, they made their way to the unused bedroom, falling asleep in an embrace that suggested they’d been sleeping together like that forever. His last thought as he drifted into the soothing balm of sleep was that Natalie was incredible, and that maybe everything really did happen for a reason.

  CHAPTER 28

  When they came to, Steven woke first and watched as Natalie’s nostrils flared almost imperceptibly each time she inhaled. She smelled like some sort of exotic aphrodisiac, and it was only with considerable restraint that he kept from rousing her in an amorous manner. He studied the contour of her shoulder and considered what had happened. The dam had broken, and almost three years of self-imposed drought had come to an abrupt and memorable end with a woman he knew little about and had known for less than a week. It was amazing, physically, but he didn’t know what to make of it on an emotional level. He’d occupied his time with work and trivial pursuits since his wife had died, and he hadn’t been much interested in any overtures he’d received, nor had any appetite for the hunt. Then Natalie had blown into his life and upended his comfortable existence on every possible level.

  He shifted and reached over to the nightstand for his wristwatch. It was four thirty-five p.m.. He realized he was starving just as Natalie’s eyes fluttered and opened, fixing him with her intense gaze.

  “Good morning. Or more appropriately, good afternoon,” he greeted.

  She didn’t say anything, preferring to shut her eyes and snuggle against his chest. Her hand drifted down from his pectoral muscle and lazed along his stomach before brushing the sheets. Without opening her eyes, she slid a leg over his waist and straddled him, and all thoughts of anything but Natalie evaporated, along with his doubts.

  Forty minutes later, Natalie opened her eyes again, and this time, spoke.

  “I’m starving. You?”

  “Absolutely. What are you in the mood for?” Steven asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m thinking…Italian. How about we get cleaned up and head into Venice for dinner? I’ve never been there, and it might be fun.”

  “Perfect. When in Venice…I want to program in the cypher before much longer, though, so I’ll take a fast shower and do as much as I can before we leave.”

  “Suit yourself. I’ll take twenty minutes. Come on, Doctor. Let’s get busy,” Natalie said and swung her legs off the bed, standing quickly, with no self-consciousness of her nudity. I could get used to this, Steven thought.

  They repeated their showering experience, this time focusing on bathing. Steven stepped out after two minutes and quickly dressed, brushing his wet hair back to dry as it liked. He padded to the living room and set up the laptop, then extracted the brass tablet. While peering at the ancient surface, he began creating a table of glyph pairs and letters. It went faster than he’d hoped, and by the time Natalie was ready he was nearly finished.

  “I’m almost done,” Steven said, admiring Natalie, who seemed to be glowing.

  “We can wait if you want to finish it,” she said.

  “No. It’s better if we leave it till later. Once it’s all programed, I’ll want to do the glyph matching, and then I won’t want to stop until I’ve got it decrypted. It’s better if I come back to it. I know myself too well…”

  “All right. What’s the plan? Drive to Venice, or t
ake a boat?”

  “Let’s drive over the bridge and park. Way faster. There are a lot of great restaurants, so we shouldn’t have too much trouble getting fed,” Steven assured her.

  “Have you been there before?”

  “A few times. But it’s been years…” Steven banished the habitual melancholy that loomed on the periphery as he spoke the words. There was no point to wallowing in it under his new circumstances. Antonia would never be replaced in his heart, but the universe was sending him a message that it was time to move on. Much as he still loved her, he felt a pull and realized it was time to let go – to rejoin the living.

  “No time like the present, then. Let’s hit the bridge. Lead the way,” Natalie said brightly.

  Steven nodded as he saved the work to his dongle and slipped it into his pocket. He wasn’t going to take any chances after everything that had happened. Moody might have been the last honest man on the planet, but that didn’t mean that Steven had to leave his hard-fought treasure on the coffee table for anyone else with a key to rummage through. He picked up the brass tablet and stuck it under his arm. Natalie gave him a neutral look.

  “Taking it for an outing? Get some air?” she asked.

  “I guess it’s kind of silly… I mean, if I leave it in the car, the chances of it being stolen are higher than someone breaking in here. And I can’t carry it to dinner, like some kind of latter-day Moses…”

  “You can do whatever you like, sweetie. I won’t laugh, no matter how weird it gets. You can wear my underwear if you want,” she assured him with a look of complete insincerity.

  He compromised with his doubts by taking it downstairs and hiding it behind the washing machine. Natalie watched him without expression, being true to her word.

  They drove across the bridge that led to Venice and she silently took his free hand, holding it loosely to maintain the connection they’d forged so passionately throughout the day. It was comfortable, and he realized with a start that he liked it.