The Complete 8-Book Guardians Adventure Saga

by Summer Lee

  Her puzzled look was no surprise. “How did you know it was me that figured out where to go?”

  “I know a lot about you two,” he said, while squinting his eyes and pointing at both of them playfully. “I have eyes everywhere. All of us here represent a cornucopia of law enforcement. There are people from the American C.I.A., the Foreign Intelligence Service from Russia, the Mossad from the Israeli Intelligence Community, the BND or Federal Intelligence Service from Germany, the Italian Intelligence Agency, and the Japanese and Chinese Secret Services. I, myself, represent Interpol.”

  Magena went from being afraid for her life, to being impressed at the operation being run from underground. “Thank you for getting the pronunciation of my name right. Obviously, your little group here is performing more than a few clandestine operations, but why are we involved?”

  Edmund turned to Magena and looked like he felt sorry for her. “My dear Magena. We are interested in Daniel. You are, how they say, a victim of circumstance. You are here, because you are with him and nothing more. Although, I will say that you impressed me with your deductive abilities. Perhaps you were meant to be here all along?”

  “Why are you so interested in me?” Daniel asked, confidently. Since he learned that he wasn’t going to be killed or hurt, he decided to try to flex his muscle.

  “Where do I begin?” Edmund responded, while sitting at his desk. “It is not you so much, that interests me. It is the people who are interested in you that interest me.”

  Both Daniel and Magena were extremely confused, but it was anyone’s guess as to whether Edmund was going to clarify his every word.

  Edmund rolled his office chair to the closest wall and pressed on a specific spot. Several clicking noises were heard. Then, a large part of the wall opened inward just like a door. “We have a full kitchen in here and plenty to eat. Please help yourself!”

  Daniel’s face lit up, as he said, “I am hungry.”

  “Then help yourself.”

  Daniel hastened through the open doorway to the counter spread with food.

  Magena just studied Edmund’s face, questioningly. “So who’s after Daniel?”

  His smile almost faded, as he looked frustrated for the first time. “That is a long story that cannot be answered with one sentence. I’m afraid it will take more time than I have to explain. I will say that Cardinal DiStazzi and Cardinal Cino work with me, so you are halfway into your initiation.”

  Daniel walked out of the kitchen with a huge sub sandwich loaded with as many fixings as he could put on it. He took one bite and some mustard mixed with mayonnaise dripped onto his shirt.

  Magena ignored him and continued her conversation with Edmund. “We didn’t sign on for anything, Sir Carlton.”

  The smile came back. “That’s the great thing about what we do. We always find people who are sucked into situations not of their own making. It’s sad for them, but great for us. Eventually, things work out...”

  He shuffled his feet. “That is... sometimes.”

  “Sometimes?” She spoke in astonishment, without giving a second thought to how Edmund might respond. “Are you trying to tell me that sometimes these people that you find are put in danger or may die?”

  He chuckled, as if she was joking. “They’re all put in danger, my dear. That’s how I find them to begin with. I did have an incident or two where someone may not have made it. Your choices are limited. You can take a chance with me and my resources, or you can take a chance on your own. Just to let you know, if you say no, then the cardinals’ help will disappear as well. The decision has to be a yes for both of you, because you have proven a valuable asset for Mr. DiBenedetto.”

  “Daniel,” said Magena firmly, and he stopped chewing with a mouthful of food still in his mouth.

  “What?” He looked with astonishment at Magena.

  “Do you want to continue with Mr. Edmund’s help?” she asked him, reluctantly waiting for his answer.

  He looked at Edmund and then back at Magena. His eyes were wide with the possible fear of what would happen without help. He had spent his life with a safety net. Now he had a chance to get one again. He nodded to her as he continued to chew.

  Magena looked at Edmund. She was saddened that she had not only been dragged into that state of affairs, but that she would have to continue to be involved. It meant that her study would have to be delayed. “Alright, Sir Carlton. It appears as if we’re on board. Not that we have a choice.”

  Edmund bowed to Magena. “My dear Magena. You may walk away at any time. Even in the middle of one of our projects. If you do, though, remember that at the precise moment that either one of you wants out, you will both be left high and dry without any form of communication with us from that point forward. A complete cutoff, if you will. I’m sure that won’t be necessary, because we do provide a salary to everyone who works for us.”

  Daniel swallowed the bite of sandwich he was chewing on and let out a “woo hoo!”

  “We will also give you ample opportunity and assistance with personal matters,” Edmund added, while looking at Magena. “That includes any kind of research.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. She felt a little more relieved, but the thought of her and Daniel getting killed kept knocking her back to reality. “Thank you, Sir Carlton. Before we sign on the dotted line, we both wish to be fully brought up to speed with what your organization is doing and who else you’re involved with.”

  “Of course, my dear.” Edmund chuckled. “You have nothing to fear from me. It’s the people that are after Mr. DiBenedetto that I would be wary of.”

  “I take it I know what our first project is,” Daniel managed and then took another bite of his sub.

  “I would hope that you both knew where this is headed,” Edmund said, with building excitement. “You see, we knew the shroud was going to be stolen. We just didn’t know when or how. We replaced the original with an amazing copy that was then stolen. Also, the family of the poor priest has been recompensed for his funeral expenses and living expenses for them. Unfortunately, while the original shroud was supposedly safe, someone took that one too. Your mission is to retrieve both the original and the fake shrouds. We’ve done the easy part for you. We know exactly where they are. You just have to go in and retrieve them.”

  They both agreed that they understood and turned to leave.

  Cardinal DiStazzi pulled them aside and said, “Do your research. Know as much as you can about the shrouds before making your move.”

  SEVENTEEN

  “Come on, chief!” Daniel bellowed as he looked at his reflection in the full length mirror in Cardinal Cino’s house. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with spit-shined black dress shoes. He still had his hair dyed black and still wore the brown contacts. “I look ridiculous!”

  Cardinal DiStazzi rolled his eyes, but tried to smile. “Please realize where you’re going. This party is very formal. Learn all you can about Angelo Sabotini ahead of time.”

  “I think you clean up nice, Daniel,” Magena said, as she straightened her red chiffon formal gown with a slit up one side. Her hair was up in a bun and she had silver heels with the Greek laces that weaved up her leg.

  He turned toward her, raised a brow, and held his hand up as if it was a gun. He then did his best Sean Connery impression. “When I use hand lotion, it’s Bond... Gold Bond.”

  “Silly boy.” Magena couldn’t stop laughing. She hadn’t laughed like that in a long time. “You’re a funny guy, when you’re not trying to be something you’re not!”

  Her words sank in deep. He thought about what she said as the taxi came to the front door. He would just relax and be himself.

  ***

  The cab pulled up to the spacious mansion on the outskirts of Turin. It was the home of Angelo Sabotini. Several acres of land contained the Victorian style house. There was a horseshoe drive that led to the front door. There were also several valets who would drive the guests’ cars to the nearby lot. While drivi
ng along, the driver told this story.

  It was said that Angelo Sabotini always loved the Victorian era for architecture. The 57-year-old entrepreneur dabbled in just about everything. His biggest ventures included buying up large companies and breaking them up into smaller units, then selling them off.

  He was one of the richest men in Italy, but preferred to stay in Turin. He loved the history of the city. He was also born there.

  The local authorities never bothered him, even if he happened to be a person of interest in any case. No one knew whether it was the fact that he had many of them in his pocket, or that they respected him. He also financially supported the military and police in many ways.”

  “How will we be sure it is him?” asked Magena.

  “He had salt and pepper hair, with a bushy black mustache. He was well-groomed and keeps his fingernails and toenails the same way. He kept himself in shape and knows several forms of martial arts.

  “Those who meet him for the first time may say that he is charming and has a kind heart. Those who have known him for a longer period of time, know differently.

  “The gossip was that the one thing that has kept him stable is his wife, Tarin.”

  He continued to reveal that Mrs. Tarin Sabotini was 23 years old and the epitome of the term trophy wife with the addition of her incredible intelligence. She had waist-length, black hair, and was slightly smaller than her husband. Her half Greek and half Italian heritage gave her the dark piercing eyes. She never wanted for anything, as her father was an oil tycoon.

  The party was to celebrate Angelo’s acquisition of a new artifact. Tarin never needed a reason to throw a party, but they always celebrated when they acquired anything new.

  Sir Edmund managed to get Daniel and Magena an invitation under aliases, just in case there was any member of law enforcement present. Daniel said, “We have been shown pictures of what the host and hostess look like, so it should be easy to pick them out in a crowd.”

  The prepaid taxi pulled up to the drive at around 10 pm. It felt like the duo was part of a huge movie premiere with all of the photographers and press just outside the horseshoe driveway.

  “It appears that the Sabotinis are somewhat of celebrities,” Magena said, as Daniel held the door open for her and she stepped out of the car.

  Climbing the steps to the front door, Daniel seemed distracted by the glitz and glamor. His eyes sparkled over all of the attention that surrounded them. He was in his element.

  It felt like he never left the high profile life of the very rich and he was already starting to fit in, even before he stepped into the mansion.

  The hallway branched off with several different doorways into different rooms. People walked in and out, holding drinks and finger food. There were several people going around with trays of everything from glasses of wine and champagne, to caviar and whole wheat crackers.

  Daniel was greeting just about everyone he and Magena walked past.

  “Low profile,” she whispered, out of the side of her mouth. “I know you’re getting lost in here, but we have a job to do.”

  “You’re not my mother!” he snapped. “Maybe we should split up. You’re cramping my style.”

  Sir Edmund was listening in, thanks to the two-way wire that they both were wearing. “I would advise against you going separate ways, Mr. DiBenedetto. Sticking to the plan is most essential to success.”

  Daniel scoffed and worked his way toward the curved staircase at the end of the hallway.

  Magena held one hand to her ear and whispered in a panic. “I’m on my own now. The eagle has left the nest. I repeat, the eagle has left the nest.”

  There was a slight pause and then Sir Edmund responded. “There is no need for code names, my dear Magena. I can assure you that we are on an extremely secure channel.”

  “Oh,” she replied, as she made her way into the parlor, where the largest amount of people had congregated. She immediately chose the area where the most people had circled. There was laughing, as she approached.

  She worked her way through the crowd, while excusing herself the entire way. Then she saw the reason for the attention. Tarin Sabotini was laughing and talking with anyone who would talk with her. She carried her wine glass without spilling a drop, as she moved her head around and flung her hair to one side.

  Magena inhaled deeply and breathed out slowly, as she realized that she needed to become part of Tarin’s world within the next few moments.

  ***

  Meanwhile, Daniel walked up the stairs to the crowded second floor. As soon as he reached the landing, he looked around for any door that appeared to have some importance. He wandered around and eventually found a large wooden door at the end of the landing. There was a man in a dark blue suit standing in front of it.

  Daniel decided to go up and greet him. “Hello, my friend,” he said, nonchalantly.

  There was no answer.

  “I would like for you to answer me in English. I am sure you can speak English.”

  The man looked questioningly at Daniel, but said nothing.

  Daniel feigned frustration at the man. “You need to speak to me now in English, or I’m going to have to bring Mr. Sabotini here to make you!”

  “I am sorry!” the guard replied in English, with a strong Italian accent.

  Daniel’s gamble had paid off. He knew that with as many people as Sabotini had going through his house, he had to have security who spoke English and Italian in case his guests got too close to the guarded door.

  “Il Sig. Sabotini vorrei qualche parola con voi. L’incontro con lui al piano terra per le scale.” Daniel spoke with authority, as the guard nodded and ran off toward the stairs. He had to work quickly. When the guard found Sabotini, he would know that Daniel lied.

  Daniel still smiled at his success and tried the doorknob. It opened.

  ***

  Elsewhere, Magena could tell that Tarin was staring at her between conversations. She tried to be social, but couldn’t think of anything that she would have in common with the people around her. She was so far removed from what she thought would be happening in Turin, but she came that far and had to see it through.

  She was nervous and realized that she had to lie if questioned too much. She liked that part of the whole scenario the least.

  “So tell me where you’re from,” Tarin said, while smiling at Magena.

  As Magena took in a deep breath, she realized that everyone could see how uneasy she was. “I do apologize for my attitude, but I just found out that my research has been delayed in favor of helping someone out of a pickle.”

  She didn’t lie. She was pleased with herself and continued, “Don’t get me wrong. I do adore helping those that are in need, but my research meant the world to me. Now it is on hold.”

  Tarin cocked her head to the side, as if she was trying to figure out whether that was a lie or not. “I am so sorry for you, but what you’re doing instead is more rewarding. Right?”

  The room got quiet. No one else in the circle talked. They were certainly interested in what the two women had to say.

  “You’re right, of course,” Magena replied, with more confidence. “I am always glad I can be of service to someone who can’t handle things on their own, but I really need to do my research before I have to leave Italy.”

  It was getting easier for her. She was still telling the truth and it also made her look a little shallow for thinking of herself. She felt that she was fitting in perfectly.

  Tarin took a step closer. “You must tell us all what it is that you research.”

  Several nods came from the ladies in the circle. Now Magena had no choice. “I’m a historian and I have come to Italy to research the Shroud of Turin.”

  Magena held her breath, as she took a page from Daniel’s book. She studied Tarin, as it was the hostess’ turn to be nervous. Magena knew that she nailed it.

  Tarin held up her glass. “Well, there goes that surprise!” Everyone around her laug
hed with her. Magena just smiled.

  “You must tell me how you found out.” Tarin smirked at Magena. She was close to biting her lip, as she took a big gulp of her drink. “Well? You must tell us how you got information that only Angelo and I had. Do tell.”

  Tarin was now glaring at Magena. There was anger in her already dark eyes.

  Magena looked around and remembered that Sir Edmund was still listening. “Ha ha! Do you really expect me to believe that with what happened concerning the shroud recently, that no one else figured out what would be shown here tonight?”

  Tarin grabbed Magena’s arm and pulled her toward the hallway. She then opened a door into a room and pushed the guest inside. Following her in, she closed the door behind her. “Who are you?” Tarin barked. “You are so simple minded to not know the rules in my house!”

  Magena was afraid, especially with the crazed look in Tarin’s eyes.

  “How dare you waltz in here and accuse me and my husband of theft in front of our guests!” Tarin got up in Magena’s face. She was obviously not always refined. “Who sent you?”

  “What question do you want me to answer first?” Magena replied, without realizing how sarcastic it sounded. “Did you, or did you not, steal the shroud?”

  “Possibly, but that has nothing to do with what I asked you!” Tarin’s blatant honesty was refreshing, but not at all expected. “You and your friend have used aliases to get into my party! Answer me this instant, or things will not be pleasant for you!”

  Magena could not hold back any longer. She despised the idea of roleplaying and nothing had gone her way since the theft. Maybe even before that. Since Daniel joined her. “Look Missy! If you think that things have been pleasant for me up to this point, then you haven’t been following along very well! I understand that you’re all self-absorbed and can’t see things past the restructured nose on your face, but I am not playing this game anymore!” She pulled out the wire she was wearing and threw it on the ground.