The Guardian

by ROBBIE CHEUVRONT

  “The answer to your question is yes. We, Anna. We will always travel like this. Not because it’s a life of luxury either. We will travel like this because it’s private, it’s quick, and it’s the safest way for you to move around, if need be. Marie, Hale the pilot, and Miles the copilot, will always be with you. They are all specially trained. If you are ever headed up the stairs of this plane and you don’t see all three of them, do not get on board. They are instructed always to be together when you travel. There will never be any personnel substitutions. They are it. If you don’t see them, you don’t go unless I, or the pope himself, has told you it’s okay. Understood?”

  “The pope? Are you kidding me?”

  “No Anna. I’m not. The pope is just one of the more interesting people you are about to meet. Only he, Sammael, and I know about the scroll. Well, and you of course. Oh yes, and the demons. Ah, and Lucifer—”

  “Yes Vin, I get the picture.”

  “Oh yes. Sorry. Anyway, the flight crew knows a little about it, that it exists and you are its rightful guardian. But that’s the extent of it. They have taken an oath, like me, to protect you at any cost. That includes their own lives.”

  “Why would they do that? They don’t even know me.”

  “It’ doesn’t matter. They are devout Christians. Like you, at some point in their lives, they were contacted by Sammael. He informed them that they, too, had been chosen by God to take on this role of protection. They accepted. Now they are here. And they will be a part of your family from now on.”

  “Sammael?”

  “Oh yes,” he nodded. “I forgot, you don’t know. Sammael is an angel. I believe he appeared to you in New Orleans.” “You mean the boy?”

  “Yes, but that’s not who he really is. He only appeared to you that way, so as not to frighten you.” “So I was talking to an angel?”

  “Yes Anna. As I said before, all of this is very real. You will more than likely see him again.”

  She sat there, as if letting that sink in. “Tell me about my father and Grandpa. Why did my dad take me from him and my grandmother? Why did he lie to me?”

  “I think that would be best if you asked him that. Right now, you should rest. We will be in Nashville in about forty-five minutes. Meanwhile, I’ll be thinking of a way to make you disappear. If you decide to do this, you need to be a faceless person no one remembers. That’s how you stay alive.”

  “That’s nice. I’m just supposed to completely detach myself from my life and everyone in it? Perfect!”

  “I do have some good news for you though.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s that? Did my grandfather leave me this enormous fortune and I’m rich beyond my imagination?”

  He grinned. “Yes, actually.”

  “I was being sarcastic.”

  “I know. But I’m not. The Catholic Church has power of attorney over your family’s fortune. When your grandfather passed away, the church passed the assets of your family into your name. Yes Anna, you are one of the five wealthiest people on the planet.”

  She began laughing and couldn’t speak for several moments. This couldn’t be real. Finally, she let her laughter trail off. “Wait … You’re serious! How is that possible?”

  “Your grandfather holds some rather interesting patents. On top of that, he was a brilliant businessman and a good investor.”

  It couldn’t be real. But there was evidence all around her that it was. Either that, or it was the most elaborate scam in the world. But she studied Father Vin’s face and saw honesty and compassion in his eyes. And she knew—it was true. No more scraping together money to pay rent or to save up for a trip. No more bargain hunting at department store clearance sales. No more living like a college student on macaroni and cheese. She had never longed for money—it had never even occurred to her to wish for it. But now she felt flooded with possibilities, and a pressure she didn’t even know she’d been living under lifted.

  “I’m rich!” She punched the air over her head. Marie came running out of her private quarters to see what was the matter. Anna assured her everything was fine. Marie just smiled and left again.

  “Calm down, Anna,” Father Vin chuckled. “You are rich, but there are some rules that go along with it.” “It figures.”

  “We can go over all of that later. If, I mean, you decide to go.” “Yeah. If,” she said, her words trailing off. Then, “What if I say no?”

  “Well, I suppose it’s still yours. All of it. We would just have to go to Rome and sign the proper documentation to transfer the estate into your name.”

  “This just gets crazier by the second. You know that. Right?” “Yes, I know.”

  BNA Airport, Nashville

  The G-5 came to rest in the private terminal just a few hundred yards from the main airport. A car was waiting for them as they stepped off the plane. A man who introduced himself to Anna as Nick ushered them into the backseat and asked, “Where to?”

  “Get back on I-65 and head south,” Anna answered. “Take the Brentwood exit. I want to go see my father. He should be at his office. I’ll call my mom and tell her to meet us there.”

  Father Vin shut the door. “Anna, are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “I’ve got a lot of questions that need answers. They’re the only ones who have them. I’m not making any decisions until I talk to them.”

  Father Vin nodded. “Nick, take us to Brentwood.”

  “Right away, Father Vin. How was your flight?”

  “Fine, Nick. Thank you for asking.”

  “You know him?” Anna asked, pointing to the driver.

  “As I told you before, your grandfather and I have traveled all over the world. Nashville was a regular stop for us. I meant it when I said I know your family very well. I’ve practically watched you grow up.”

  She supposed that should creep her out a little, but it didn’t. For some reason, knowing that her grandfather had been there, even if she hadn’t known it, felt kind of nice. And even more strangely, she felt drawn to this priest. She couldn’t explain it, but for some reason she wanted to believe him and everything he had told her. All of it. She stared out the window as they merged onto I-40, trying to rehearse what she was going to say to her parents.

  Third Financial Mortgage, Brentwood

  “Hey, baby girl,” James Riley stood from behind his desk, giving his daughter a peck on the cheek. “How was New Orleans? You and the girls have a good time?”

  “New Orleans was fine, Daddy. Listen, I don’t have a lot of time. I called Mom, and she’s on her way here. We need to talk.”

  “Honey, I’m very busy. I’ve got three closings and a refinance today. And what is the meaning of this?” James Riley looked at his daughter with a scowl as Father Vin entered the room. “Your mother? And why is he here!” He pointed to the man wearing the white collar.

  “Daddy, sit down for a minute. I will answer all of your questions, but first I have some of my own,” Anna took a stern tone with her father, something she had never done before. She halfway expected him to point his finger at her—as he’d done so many times previously—and give her what for. Her father was someone who always took charge of any situation. This time, however, he just stood there looking confused. It was almost as if he knew what was coming.

  The door to her father’s office opened, and in walked her mother. She was already midsentence, asking what was going on, when she noticed her husband and daughter standing nose to nose, staring each other down. It was then that she saw the old man in the corner of the office.

  “Come on in, Mom,” Anna said, still looking at her father.

  “We were just about to get started.”

  “What’s going on, Anna?” her mother asked. “I thought you were in New Orleans.” Then to Father Vin, “And what are you doing here? I thought we told you to stay away from our family!”

  “That’s enough!” She faced both her parents. “I’m gonna talk, and you all are going to listen. I don’t want
to be interrupted until I finish. Understood?”

  “I don’t know what this is about, Elizabeth,” James said to his wife. “She just barged in here and started taking over.”

  “Daddy! I’m talking now! Pretend, just for once, that I’m more important than some stupid real estate deal, and listen to me.”

  James held his hands up in surrender. “I’m just trying to figure out what you’re so upset about. And why this man, who has tried to destroy this family, is with you!”

  “I’ll get to him in a minute.” Anna watched as her parents’ expressions changed from a look of impatience and disgust to absolute worry in an instant. “Now,” she continued, “who would like to tell me about my grandfather?” Again Anna watched her parents’ expression shift. Now they looked like little kids who had gotten their hands caught in the cookie jar. “Anyone?”

  “I don’t know what—”

  “Stop it, Daddy! Just stop it! I just flew here from Pittsburgh, where I might add, I just saw his dead body. For real this time!”

  Anna’s parents stared blankly at each other. They seemed to be waiting for the other to respond. Finally, Anna’s mother started to speak. “Anna, I think we need to explain—”

  “Really, Mom! You think? How about this for an explanation? You lied to me! For fifteen years I thought my grandparents were dead! Dead! Do you understand that? Who does that? I mean, really! Who lies to a little kid and tells them that their Grandpa and Grammie died in an accident?”

  Anna stopped all of a sudden as the tears welled up inside her. She didn’t care anymore. She let them come. Her parents came to her and put their arms around her.

  “Anna,” James rubbed her shoulders. “We can explain, honey. Just listen for a second. Okay?”

  “No.” Anna pushed her father’s arm away and wiped her cheeks. “I came here to tell you that I know everything. There’s nothing to explain.”

  “Anna, I’m your father, and you are going to listen to me, young lady! Is that clear?” James pointed at Anna. “Your grandfather was a crackpot! He was my father. I knew him better than anyone. All of this bull about ‘the scroll.’ Anna, no one has ever seen the stupid thing, including him!” He pointed at Father Vin. “Yes, I’m talking about you. And when I’m done with my daughter, you and I are going to have a private conversation, sir.” James turned his attention back to Anna. “He’s made it all up, Anna. There is no scroll. There is no secret mission from God. There are no bad guys chasing him all around the world trying to get their hands on it! Don’t you understand? It’s all a big myth!”

  “Anna, don’t be foolish!” her mother interjected.

  Suddenly, Anna wasn’t so sure of anything anymore. What if her father was right? What if this priest was a crackpot luring her into some kind of Indiana Jones crusade to find a fictitious artifact that a bunch of other crazy people would try to kill her over. But that couldn’t be, could it? After all, she had seen the boy—the angel. There was the plane. And the flight crew. And her grandfather was definitely dead. For real this time. Truth be told, everything Father Vin had told her, while perhaps a little hard to believe in some instances, so far proved to be true. Her father, on the other hand, had lied to her for most of her life.

  “No Daddy,” Anna finally replied, “I think you’re the one who doesn’t understand.” Anna held up a hand. “You’ve always been one of these people who has to see it to believe it. Well, let me tell you. I was the same way. Daddy, I’ve seen things in the last eight hours that you can’t even imagine. And it’s not going to do me any good to tell you about them either. You’ll just think I’m some crackpot, too! But let me assure you. There were men after Grandpa. That’s why he was in the hospital. They tried to kill him.”

  “Anna, listen …” Her mother tried to calm her down. “We only did what we thought was best for you.”

  “No Mom, you listen. I’m leaving here with Father Vin. I’ve decided to take Grandpa’s place. We know where the scroll is. It’s real! I know it. And from now on, I’m going to be the one in charge of it. This is not up for discussion. It’s my decision.”

  And there it was. She didn’t know why, but in that moment she had made her choice. Probably out of her own defiant nature, but mostly because she really believed that everything Father Vin had told her was true. And for whatever reason, the moment she had said it, she knew it was the right thing to do. She turned around and headed for the door. “Come on, Vin. We have a plane to catch.”

  Anna was silent for the first few minutes after leaving her father’s office. What had she just done? This was crazy. How could she just pick up and leave her life behind? She could ask the driver to pull over and let her out. She could call one of her friends to come and get her. She would go home and sleep. For the next two days. Then she could call her parents and tell them that everything was okay. She hadn’t run off after all.

  But that wasn’t going to happen. No, she had made her decision. And that decision meant she needed to go home immediately.

  “Nick,” she finally said, breaking the silence. “I need you to take us to Elliston Place.”

  Father Vin frowned. “We need to get to the airport.”

  “I understand that, but that’s where I live. And if I’m going to leave my life behind, there are a few things that I need, as well as a couple things I just want to take with me. Don’t worry,” she said, seeing the concerned look on Father Vin’s face. “I can be in and out in thirty minutes.”

  Another hesitation. Then he shrugged. “Thirty minutes. Then we’re headed to Venezuela.”

  Venezuela. Just going to hop on a plane for South America. Anna slumped down in the seat and wrapped her arms around herself. She’d done it now. Everything would change. From this moment on, she would be hopping on planes for who knew where. Running—possibly, at times, for her life.

  CHAPTER 8

  The Vatican

  Hello?” Cardinal Wickham looked at his bedside clock as he answered the phone: 3:30 a.m. There was only one person he could think of who would call him at this hour.

  “Is this the Capriatti residence?” The voice was pleasant and quick.

  “I’m sorry, you have the wrong number,” the cardinal answered. He hung up the phone and got out of bed. He turned on his light and fumbled around until his eyes adjusted.

  Earlier, after their conversation at the pub, the cardinal had given his associate, Jonathan, a new instruction. “From now on, if you have to contact me at home, use this code.” He didn’t think, however, that Jonathan would have reason to use it so quickly.

  He dressed and quietly slipped from his chamber. He made his way into a dark alley. Hidden from the view of the main street was a pay phone. He stepped inside, pulled the door shut behind him, and punched in the number. He waited for the other end to pick up then spoke into the phone. “This better be worth getting me up in the middle of the night.

  “Good morning to you, too, Louis. What’s the matter? Bit of a hangover?” Jonathan didn’t wait for a reply. “The old man is dead.”

  “What do you mean he’s dead?”

  “No need to shout, Louis. My guy called me a few minutes ago.”

  Cardinal Wickham slammed his fist against the glass booth. “This is unacceptable! You’d better have something better for me than ‘He’s dead’!”

  “My guy was paying off a janitor to keep him posted on the old man’s condition. He called me a little while ago and told me the janitor called him and said the old man had checked out.”

  “This just happened?”

  “Earlier today. He didn’t call me until just now.”

  “What kind of crew are you running over there, Jonathan? Do they think they can just sit around and check in whenever they feel like it? This is precisely why I wanted you there! And yet you’re still here. Explain to me again why I’m paying you?”

  “Calm down, Louis. He couldn’t call before. He’s been busy. It seems Riley had a visitor today. A girl. A young girl, about t
wenty or so. After checking it out, my guy tells me it’s his granddaughter. Immediately after Riley died, she and that priest that’s always with him left outta there and headed to the airport. It took my guy awhile to find them, but he did. They had a private plane waiting for them.”

  “So Father Marcella is with the girl now?” “Yeah, and from what I hear, they were in a big hurry. Barely stayed long enough to sign the release papers.” “Where did they go?”

  “Nashville, Tennessee. That’s where she’s from.” “So you’re on your way to Nashville, then?”

  “No, I’m on my way to Venezuela.”

  Cardinal Wickham pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh. “And why are you going to Venezuela, Jonathan?”

  “Vacation, of course,” he snapped. “Because they’re headed to Venezuela. Why else?”

  “So you’re leaving now?”

  “I’m at the airport as we speak.”

  “Find her, Jonathan. If she doesn’t have it yet, she will. He couldn’t just die and not leave it with somebody. She and Marcella know where it is. You get it from them at any cost. You hear me?”

  “I hear you.”

  Cardinal Wickham hung up the phone without saying good-bye. He pulled his hat down over his eyes and walked back to the Vatican. With any luck, he would have his prize soon.

  CHAPTER 9

  Caracas, Venezuela

  Anna and Father Vin stepped off the plane into a sweltering heat. It was almost nine o’clock in the evening, and the temperature still hadn’t let up for the day. It was a far cry from what they were used to this time of year.

  They grabbed their luggage and exited the terminal to hail a cab.

  “I’m starving, Vin,” Anna said. “You know anywhere around her to get some good food?”

  “I’m afraid I have only been here twice in my life. Both times were for missionary work. We ate at the homes of the people we were working with. I’m sure the hotel will be able to help us find something good.”

  “I hope so. I’d hate to know that I have all this money and can’t get a decent meal anywhere!” Anna nudged Vin in the arm. They both laughed at her joke.