Zamir waited for his words to sink in as he watched the members of the Bible Code Team exchange covert glances with one another.
“We have learned that, to accomplish his goal, Acerbi wants to kill off at least half the world’s population. At first we were mystified as to why he wanted to do this, but it all leads down to simple math. In order to rule the world, he must control at least two things. First and foremost, he needs the ability to dominate the masses through sheer military strength. With the world’s current population topping out at seven billion people, no military force in the world would be able to oversee that many people, so he needs to cull the flock, so to speak. Secondly, in order to exert total control over those who remain, he and his group plan on becoming the world’s sole provider of the necessities of life … things like food, medicine, and energy top the list, but at the world’s current growth rate, that would also be an impossible task unless he decreased the number of souls inhabiting the planet. Less population equals greater control.”
“That’s horrific!” Sarah gasped.
“I see our survivor is among us,” Zamir said. “Welcome, Ms. Adams.”
Zamir looked back at a map of the world displayed on a lighted screen behind him.
“As to the religious component attached to his plan, we’re not entirely up to speed on what Acerbi’s religious beliefs are at this point. One of our sources has told us it’s a twisted aberration of a once noble faith that vanished from the face of the earth seven hundred years ago.”
“What religion is that?” John asked.
“He calls himself a Cathar.”
Instantly, most of the people in the room began talking among themselves or just stared straight ahead with perplexed looks on their faces.
“A what?” John asked.
“A Cathar. However, Acerbi is not the kind of Cather one reads about in history books. He and his followers are an aberration. They are members of a group that broke away from the main body of the Cathar faith that existed when the Catholic Church took up a crusade against them during the Middle Ages. The Cathars themselves were a peace loving people, but seven hundred years ago something happened to split the Acerbi family away from the teachings of the true faith. They’ve evolved into something quite different. At this point, we can no longer call them Cathars, for they have become everything the Cathars stood against.”
Leo fixed Zamir with questioning green eyes. “You’ve been watching Acerbi for quite some time now, haven’t you, Mr. Zamir?”
“You’re quite astute, Cardinal. That’s probably why you’re standing here tonight, but there’s something else you need to be aware of. Aside from taking over the world, another of Acerbi’s goals is the destruction of the Catholic Church … a church he holds responsible for the destruction of his faith over seven hundred years ago.”
“And rightly so,” Leo said.
The other members of the team glanced over at Leo with astonished looks.
“So you understand,” Zamir said.
“Of course. The Church has been responsible for some horrific acts in the past … a past we endeavor to put behind us every day. I would also say that as Jews, you would find some common ground with the original Cathars who were persecuted to the point of extinction.”
“You’re even more astute than I originally gave you credit for, Cardinal, which brings us to your original question.”
“That you’ve been watching Acerbi for some time now?”
“Yes, but we were invited.”
“Invited? Invited by whom?”
“Cathars, Cardinal … Cathars.”
CHAPTER 42
Leo’s mind seemed to go blank for a second …
“I’m not sure we’re following you, Mr. Zamir.”
“I had a feeling my last statement would need some further explanation, Cardinal. Most people don’t even know what a Cathar is, much less the fact that they are still with us today. They continue to live among us in peace, but because members of their faith were once hunted to the point of extinction, they prefer to keep their beliefs private. In a world filled with religious turmoil, they’re probably the smartest of the lot. While the rest of us go about pounding on our chests and chanting the convictions of our chosen faiths as if they were ancient blood oaths, they go about their daily lives with quiet introspection, respecting the beliefs of others. When’s the last time you ever heard of a Cathar trying to convert you to their way of thinking?”
“To be honest, I’m one of those who didn’t even know they were still around.”
“Then look around you, Cardinal, because you’re standing next to some right now.”
A thin, feminine hand reached out and touched Leo’s hand. Leo felt the room sway when he saw Evita’s smiling face looking up at him. “You?”
“All the Spanish members of your team, Cardinal,” Zamir continued. “They’re all Cathars.”
A collective gasp reverberated among the original members of the Bible Code Team.
“Wow!” John said.
“I’ll second that observation,” Lev added. “How long have you known about this, Danny?”
“We first learned of their existence a few years ago when Spain’s National Center for Intelligence approached us with news that Acerbi and his group were up to something. If you remember, we were all a little busy after 9/11, and there was no concrete threat at the time, so we put the information on the back burner for a while. To be honest, we just didn’t see the need to become involved in something that wasn’t a threat to Israel. We were mistaken.”
“So, what happened to change your mind?”
“Let me fill you in on a little more background first.” Zamir looked around the room at all the somber faces staring back at him and smiled. “This is a tough crowd.”
A few pockets of nervous laughter erupted around the room. The head of the Mossad was an expert at putting people at ease, a talent he had acquired as a young man when he played the part of the
“Basically, the true Cathars have known about this breakaway group for hundreds of years. On the surface, it appeared that they were evolving into more of a secular, profit-driven organization. They seemed more interested in acquiring material wealth … a goal no true Cathar would ever consider pursuing. Then, a few years ago, a leading member of Acerbi’s group broke ranks and fled to the Cathar ancestral grounds located in the Catalan region of southern France. It was well-known within the ranks of the true Cathars that anyone who broke with the Acerbi clan faced some pretty heavy retaliation if they were caught. We’ve heard rumors that the penalty for deserting the clan is death. To make a long story short, the defector found sympathetic ears among the modern day Cathars who still live in the area. After checking out his story, they gave him a house in a small village, where he has lived under an assumed name ever since.”
“So what do Cathars have to do with Acerbi’s plan?” Leo asked, glancing over at Javier.
“Like I said, modern Cathars live all around us. They’re teachers, scientists, doctors … they’re even employed as intelligence officers in several countries around the world. Believe it or not, you have a couple working at the Vatican, Cardinal.”
Leo was too enthralled with Zamir’s story to respond.
“The man who fled from Acerbi’s group agreed to share his knowledge of the clan’s activities with a fellow Cathar who also happened to be a Spanish intelligence officer. The Spanish were shocked to hear that Acerbi’s group was involved in things like blackmail of government officials, gun running, drugs … even assassinations, but when the Spanish authorities heard that he was funneling money to terrorist groups they gave us a heads up.”
“Why didn’t they just report Acerbi to the French police or Europol?” Leo asked. “I mean, they were just dealing with a criminal at that point. Why didn’t they take his organization out when they still had the chance?”
