Onlookers pointed and whispered, then pulled out their cell phones and dialed.
“We need to get away from here,” said Thorne, “before the cops show up.”
Robert snatched Father Tolbert up and they hurried away from the hotel, stopping near Trevi Fountain, where the priest plopped down on a bench. Thorne handed him a handkerchief.
“Why were following us?” she asked. “If you ask me, you should’ve stayed as far away from us as possible.” Father Tolbert rested back and took a deep breath. “I had to find you.
It’s important that we talk.”
“What could you possibly have to say to me that would keep me from putting a bullet in your head?” Robert growled.
“I don’t blame you for hating me,” answered the priest. “I deserve punishment, if not death. I’m ashamed of myself for what I did to children, and how I stained the Church.”
“It’s a little late for I’m sorry around here,” snapped Robert. “Why?
Why Samuel? Why any child?”
The priest stared off into the night. “Nothing I tell you will be good enough, but I know how sick I am, and my sickness has never been dealt with, not by me, or the Church. They only swept me under the rug, moved me around. Many of them shared my struggles, some even encouraged me.”
Thorne stepped closer. “Like Cardinal Polletto?” Father Tolbert perused both their faces. “He knew about my difficulties, but never raised a hand to stop me.”
“Why do you think he didn’t?” asked Thorne.
“I know now how evil Cardinal Polletto is, and that he’s been using me for his own purpose, for The Order.”
Both Robert and Thorne moved closer.
“You know about The Order?” asked Robert. “What can you tell us?”
“They’re very powerful,” answered Father Tolbert. “They used me to bring Samuel and his brothers into the world.” Robert grabbed the priest and shook him hard. Thorne grabbed her partner and pushed him back. She turned toward Father Tolbert and took a knee. “How did they use you?” she asked.
Father Tolbert repeated the story Cardinal Polletto told him. That he was the father of the triplets. “The Order believes Samuel is the Anti-Christ, and intends to find out through a ritual to be performed in seventy-two hours.”
“Have you seen Samuel?” Thorne asked gently.
“No, but Cardinal Polletto introduced the other boys to me over a week ago. They could be anywhere right now. The Order will keep them hidden until the ceremony, but we have time.” Thorne stood. “But you said we only have three days.”
“I know, but they can’t perform the ritual without me. That’s why I ran away and hid out. Without me, they can’t make a move.”
“We have to take him back to the villa,” Robert told Thorne. “Keep him hidden until we find Samuel and the others.”
“Thank you,” gushed Father Tolbert, crying. “I didn’t know where else to turn.”
Robert grabbed him again. “Listen, you asshole. God may forgive you, but I never will. If you live through this, you’re going to jail for the rest of your miserable life. And if they don’t put you away, I’ll kill you myself.” Robert slammed the priest down hard on the concrete bench.
Thorne looked at him with little pity. “Where is this ritual going to take place?”
Father Tolbert opened his mouth, but his words were drowned out by machine gunfire. Robert and Thorne spun around and fired back at six men running toward them. Father Tolbert dove under the bench, bullets whizzing past his head. Robert snatched him to his feet and shielded him from the gunfire. Thorne cursed as she shot back, killing two of the men.
“Let’s go!” Robert shouted, pushing the priest toward the darker side of the street.
Father Tolbert pumped his arms and legs as fast as he could, his lungs begging for more oxygen than he could provide. The gunfire continued. Two cars screeched to a stop, and more armed men jumped out and gave chase. Father Tolbert found his rhythm and ran harder, but when he turned to see how far the men were he lost his footing and crashed to the ground.
“Get up!” screamed Robert, extending one hand, shooting with the other.
Father Tolbert jumped to his feet, but his ankle twisted and he crashed back down on the concrete.
Police cars flew up behind them. Father Tolbert felt a moment of relief, until the police pointed and fired at them. The men in front of them advanced. Robert sent two more to the ground. A bullet caught the priest in the leg.
“Robert, leave him!” screamed Thorne.
“No!”
“No, please,” bellowed Father Tolbert, “don’t let them get me!” More cars showed up. More men. More guns. Robert and his partner bolted, and left Father Tolbert on the ground. Two men ran over and snatched the priest to his feet. One plunged a needle into his arm. Father Tolbert felt dizzy almost immediately and lost his balance. The other man taped his mouth and tied his hands. A car drove up and they tossed him in the trunk.
Father Tolbert kicked and twisted as best he could, but to no avail.
He heard screaming and more gunfire as the car peeled away. With the small bit of strength he had remaining, he said a prayer for Robert Veil and Nikki Thorne.
52
R obert ran hard down a dark, narrow street, bullets cascading past his head like angry bees. Thorne, right at his side, turned around and dropped to one knee. On cue, Robert stood above her and both fired at the crowd, killing a few and wounding several.
“Break!” Robert yelled, and they both took off and bolted into an alley, a stampede of footsteps right behind them.
When they reached the middle of the alley, they each fell to one side.
Robert saw at least eight armed men running hard. He signaled Thorne with a finger up. Wait. Just a little closer. “Now!” They pointed, fired, and sent several men to heaven or hell, and the others diving for cover.
Those still alive shot back, but Robert and Thorne had the advantage and kept them pinned down.
“We can’t stay here!” shouted Robert, checking the alley for an exit.
When he turned around, he spotted more men coming up behind them.
Several stories up, fingers pointed down amid loud Italian chatter.
“Let’s get back out into the street!” screamed Thorne.
Robert reloaded. “Forward or back!”
Thorne reloaded. “To the front!”
On three, they both ran forward, bullets streaming past their heads, firing non-stop, screaming warriors, mowing down everybody in sight, as the men in front of them cried out in terror.
Robert picked up the rumble of car engines and sirens in the distance. “On my mark, let’s break to the right,” he told Thorne. “Three, two, one.” With one big hail of gunfire they sent a stream of bullets behind them and made a break down the right side of the street.
Halfway down two vehicles, one a police car, spun around the corner. Robert and Thorne kept advancing, firing, reloading, then firing some more. One of the cars swerved to avoid the gunfire, smashed into the side of a building and burst into flames.
A man leaned out of the police car, machine gun in hand. He fired a short burst, but Thorne was more accurate, killing the driver, who hit a parked car and launched his passenger, like a missile, through the windshield and a bakery’s front window.
Robert and Thorne kept running. The men behind them continued to chase. When Robert turned to fire, only three men remained. Thorne killed one, then another.
“Let’s go!” she yelled.
They turned a corner, the sound of more screeching tires and police sirens heading their way. Robert spotted an open door to an apartment building. “Thorne, over there!” he barked, pointing.
They both ran into the building and bounded up the stairs to the roof.
They looked down. Five cars parked and more armed men hopped out, searching every crack and crevice. Robert tapped Thorne on the shoulder. They sprinted to the edge of the roof and jumped to the next b
uilding. Five buildings down, they reached the end of the block and hid in the stairwell, listening closely to the commotion on the street.
“We can’t go back out there right now,” whispered Robert. “We’ll have to stay here for the night.”
Thorne agreed.
Robert pulled out his cell phone, but hesitated at the sound of voices on a rooftop three buildings over. Both of them reloaded. Robert peeked out and watched three men coming their way.
“We could head downstairs,” whispered Thorne.
“No, not yet, they’ve probably got it covered,” said Robert.
The men reached the building next to theirs. He and Thorne readied for another fight. One of the men jumped over to their roof, machine gun ready, laser sight beaming. Robert pulled the door shut, and they waited.
A loud voice called out in Italian.
“They’re pulling back,” whispered Thorne. “The real police are on their way.”
“Let’s stay put a little longer,” whispered Robert.
He dialed Father Kong and explained their situation. The priest suggested they sit tight for the night. “I’ll pick you up in the morning,” he said.
53
W eary from the bumpy ride inside the large trunk, Samuel fell asleep an hour after leaving the castle, only to be awakened by a sudden stop, and the sound of rapid-fire Italian. He heard the vehicle doors slide open, and minutes later, he was slammed around and moved to another vehicle, this time flat on his back. Whatever he was being hauled in was speeding down a smooth road faster than before, but Samuel, knowing it was useless to fret, closed his eyes and drifted back off to sleep, the smell of his own sweat, and musk from the trunk filling his nostrils.
The sight of the two boys, his age, with his face, played over and over again in his dreams. Sister Bravo offered no information, but Samuel didn’t dwell on it long, hoping he’d get an explanation soon, but not sure he wanted to hear it.
Being moved from the castle disturbed Samuel. He wondered if whoever was hiding in the grass knew he’d been carted away. Knowing that he might be close to being rescued had buoyed the ten year old, and renewed his strength. He wondered if the gunshots he heard on the way out meant somebody was trying to get to him, and if so, he hoped they’d keep looking.
The thought shook Samuel awake. If nobody knows where I am, what am I suppose to do? For the first time in weeks, his eyes welled up with tears, but he fought them back. Whoever it was will keep looking. I know they will.
He thought about his mother and wondered if she was okay. He gritted his teeth. No, I won’t give up! I won’t let them break me! A strange strength washed over him again. A sense that he would not, could not die.
After what seemed like hours, the vehicle stopped. Samuel heard doors open and shut, and the sound of hustling feet rushing his way. The trunk lifted in the air, followed by grunts and groans from men struggling with it. Samuel heard a door creak open.
“Upstairs,” said an unfamiliar voice, “second floor, last room on the left.”
Samuel immediately fell back against the back of the trunk as it tilted upward and he was hauled up some stairs. The trunk leveled off, but whoever handled the front end must have lost his grip, because it banged on the hard floor, and sent Samuel crashing face first.
“Pardon, pardon,” the man gushed through a crack in the side of the trunk.
“Watch what you’re doing,” Samuel ordered, not caring what happened.
They moved again, this time faster. Another door opened. The trunk eased down to the floor with a gentle thud, and shuffling feet scurried out of the room. Once again, all was quiet. Samuel sat knees to chest, and listened. The longer he sat, his patience thinned, and soon faded to nothing. He kicked hard at the trunk’s door. It didn’t budge, so he kicked harder. He heard the lock unlatch, but the door stayed shut. Angry, he pushed it open and stepped out, his legs knotted up and stiff.
Sister Bravo looked down at him, but Samuel wasn’t concerned.
“I’m sorry you had to endure such a long, uncomfortable ride,” she said, wearing a genuine look of concern. “My apologies.” The nun’s sudden change of attitude caught him off guard, but somehow Samuel felt it was the way things should be, and acknowledged her act of contrition with a slight tilt of his head. Sister Bravo unlocked the other two trunks, and Samuel’s lookalikes uneasily edged their way out, shaken and nervous. They stood in front of Sister Bravo, unsure of themselves.
“Where are we?” asked Samuel.
“You’re safe, my son. In a place made just for you and your brothers,” she said.
“What does that mean?”
“It means your journey is almost over, and all of your questions will be answered.”
Tired of riddles, Samuel walked over to Sister Bravo. “What’s the name of this place?” he asked forcefully. “I have a right to know.” Sister Bravo’s eyes narrowed, but a smile crept on her lips. “This is Bracciano Castle,” she answered. “One of the oldest and most magnificent of its kind in all the world. It’s a place for royalty.”
“I don’t care about royalty. How long will we be here?”
“As I said, all questions will be answered soon. So, make yourself comfortable, you’ve had a long journey. Besides, don’t you want to make your brothers’ acquaintance?” Samuel looked around at the two, who stood ramrod still. “I’ll leave you three to get acquainted,” Sister Bravo told them, shutting the door as she left.
Samuel faced the two boys and looked them over. He remembered their names. The boy with the long black hair was Eduardo, the blond one, Felipe. He walked over to the two, mesmerized. Eduardo, mouth open, raised his right hand, touched Samuel’s face, and ran his fingers over his forehead, cheeks and mouth.
Samuel looked around the large room. It was much nicer than the one he’d been holed-up in for the last month, with three large beds, fancy curtains and rugs, and artwork that didn’t impress him, but looked old and expensive. He was sure someone, like his mother, would find the room a delight.
He turned back to his brothers. “Hello,” he said, extending his hand.
“My name’s Samuel.” Both boys just stared back, confusion all over their faces. “Samuel Napier,” he continued. “I guess I’m your brother.”
“I’m Eduardo,” said the boy with the dark locks, in a very thick Italian accent. “He-llooo.” Eduardo’s English was broken, but adequate.
He finally shook Samuel’s hand, looking relieved.
Felipe walked over to Samuel, smiled, gave him an extended hug, and kissed both his cheeks. “Bonjour, Samuel.”
“Bonjour,” Samuel answered, unsure of himself.
The three of them shuffled their feet, uncomfortable, silent. Samuel didn’t know what to say. He didn’t speak their language, nor they his, at least not very well, and he still couldn’t get over their resemblance. The longer he looked at them, the more amazed he became. Except for hair color and language, there was no difference at all.
Samuel nervously stared at his shoes. When he looked up, Eduardo and Felipe looked as though they were waiting for orders, their eyes fixed on him.
“Would you like to sit down?” asked Samuel, pointing to the floor.
“Sii-t, down?” stammered Eduardo.
“Yes,” answered Samuel, sitting on the floor, inviting them to do the same. “Have a seat.”
Eduardo slowly lowered himself to the floor. “Si, accomodarsi,” he said, smiling.
Felipe sat down quickly. “We, s’asseoir! Je comprendre!” The boys looked at each other, then burst into laughter. Samuel felt better. The ice had been broken, and he appreciated not being alone.
For the next two hours, the boys worked hard to learn how to communicate with each other. Samuel was surprised at how much progress they made in a short period of time. The longer they talked, the more he trusted them, and hoped they felt the same way.
“Je suis affame,” said Felipe, rubbing his stomach.
“Yeah, I’m hungry t
oo,” answered Samuel, his stomach growling on cue.
“Ask for food,” said Eduardo, proud of himself for pronouncing the English words.
“I’ll knock on the door and ask,” said Samuel, pointing. He rose, walked to the door and knocked hard. “We’re hungry,” he bellowed.
“Can we get something to eat?”
He turned to Eduardo and Felipe and made a funny face that sent them laughing and rolling on the floor. Nobody answered. Samuel knocked again, this time harder. He turned to his brothers. The lock on the door unlatched, and he turned to face Sister Bravo, ready to bark out their order, but the twisted face staring down was not Sister Bravo, but Father Sin. “Why are you making so much noise?” he asked.
Samuel took several steps back, nervous, but not afraid. The same surge of energy he felt earlier returned. “We’re hungry, and we want something to eat.”
“Later, when the rest of us eat,” said Father Sin.
Samuel moved forward. “Now!”
Anger swelled up on the priest’s face. “Don’t make me beat you silly,” growled Father Sin. “You’ll wait with the rest of us.” Samuel looked back at Eduardo and Felipe. Both boys were frozen with fear. Samuel turned his gaze back to Father Sin. “You won’t hurt me. You wouldn’t dare. Now, get us something to eat, or I’ll scream for Sister Bravo.” Father Sin rushed over, snatched Samuel off the ground and pulled him nose to nose. Samuel struggled to break free. “Put me down!” he demanded.
Father Sin shook Samuel so hard he thought his head was going to snap off. “I said wait!” the priest bellowed.
Samuel slapped at Father Sin’s face, hitting him in the eyes and nose.
The priest pulled back an open hand, ready to strike back, then hesitated.
Samuel, filled with rage he’d never known, slapped Father Sin as hard as he could. The priest dropped him on the floor.
Eduardo and Felipe rushed to Samuel’s side and helped him to his feet. Felipe pointed to Father Sin, a ghoulish anger on his face. “Tes jours sont comptes,” he said, angrily. “Your days are numbered.” Eduardo moved in front of them, ready to take on the gargantuan priest towering over them.
The Hammer of God v-2 Page 25
