charts.
Alex spread one of the charts out flat with his hands while Lev drew a mental line from the east coast of Italy to Rome. “I think any of these ports on the east coast are too close to the city. If anyone is watching the harbors there, we would be spotted in an instant. How about farther south … on the western coast?”
“Mmm.” Leo rubbed his chin and ran his finger over the map. “Have you thought about a port on one of these islands here?” The port he had pointed to was located on Lipari, one of the Sicilian islands close to the west coast of Italy. It was small and populated with a scattering of bars, restaurants, and hotels.
Alex studied it for a moment and nodded his head. “I’ve docked there before. It’s out of the way, and no one on the mainland would know we were in the area. I personally wouldn’t want to take the Carmela into that port.”
Lev continued to stare at the chart. “Why not?”
“If the volcano on that island is active, it makes the whole place smell like sulfur. The smell gets into everything and the whole boat stinks for days.”
Leo and Lev exchanged glances simultaneously.
“Let’s cross that one off our list,” Leo said with a straight face. “We probably need to be somewhere along the coast on the mainland.”
“How about this harbor?” Lev said. He was pointing to the port of Maratea along the southwestern coast about 180 miles south of Rome.
The captain’s face immediately lit up. “No problem. I’ve been in that harbor dozens of times. Small, discrete, and it can accommodate a yacht of this size. It’s perfect.”
“Good,” Lev said. “That actually works out better for us from a logistics standpoint.”
Leo placed a ruler over the map and measured the distance to Rome. “I think it might be a good idea to have a place near Rome to go to if we need to escape the city in a hurry. We could use Father Morelli’s country house. It’s about forty-five miles south of Rome … near the village of Sermoneta. He left everything to me, so technically, I own it now. I’ll call the caretakers and let them know some special guests of mine might be stopping by.”
“You’re getting good at this, Father. I’m beginning to think you have some Israeli commando training behind that Roman collar.”
“I have a feeling you and Moshe were already in the process of making plans. I just wanted to check on things.”
Lev gently took the cup of coffee from Leo’s hand and looked him in the eyes. “Why don’t you call the caretakers from your cabin, Father? There’s a phone by your bed. I’ll have some lunch sent down.”
“You haven’t slept either, Lev.”
“I’m heading for my cabin too. We’re in capable hands with Alex at the helm … and Moshe and Alon are onboard to watch over things.”
Lev set the coffee down and put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Captain, this priest is barred from the bridge until I say so.”
Alex winked. “Aye aye, sir.”
Leo knew he had lost this battle. He rose slowly from his seat and ran his hand across the stubble on his face before giving Lev a weak smile and sauntering off down the hallway that led to the stairs and his cabin below. Once inside, the exhausted priest closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed to remove his shoes. He lay back on the soft comforter and rubbed his eyes in an effort to clear his thoughts. Dreams flooded his mind as sleep overcame him while he lay there still fully clothed with his legs dangling over the side of the bed.
Lev had lied. He had no intention of going to his cabin, at least not for another thirty minutes. He descended the stairs into a secure area below the bridge and opened a stainless steel door. Inside was a room bathed in red light that resembled the combat information center on a warship.
Lev paused and let his eyes adjust to the darkness before walking over to a console next to Daniel and Moshe. He looked up at a multicolored electronic image of Italy on the big screen above their heads. “Have you found anything yet?”
“Not yet, Boss,” Moshe replied.
“Keep at it. Leo and John are going to need all the help we can give them once we’re in Italy.”
Chapter 35
While Leo slept, the yacht sailed on throughout the day. The calm sea and warm air formed a blanket of humidity that clung to the surface of the water as the big boat sliced through the tranquil ocean. News from America continued to dominate talk onboard, giving the Bible Code Team even more motivation to gear up mentally for the task ahead.
It was early evening, and the sun was setting on their port side, creating a melancholy visual effect over the yacht as it headed north and passed through the strait separating Sicily from the mainland of Italy. The decks were softly lit with dozens of tiny white lights strung overhead, while next to the grand salon, the chefs were preparing dinner in the galley.
Leo had awakened with a start, encircled by his comforter after seven hours of fitful sleep. He showered for a full thirty minutes in the black-and-gold-streaked marble shower and let the hot water flush the beach sand from his pores. He picked out a bottle of shampoo emblazoned with a French label and lathered up his thick hair twice before grabbing a washcloth and scrubbing the rest of his body until he finally felt clean.
Feeling refreshed, Leo turned off the water and emerged into the steam-filled room. He donned a white terry cloth bathrobe with the Carmella’s blue and gold logo embroidered over the left side of the chest and looked into the mirror. Running his hand over the stubble on his face, he reached for a shaving kit by the sink before turning on a tiny flat-screen TV mounted at eye level on a cinnamon-colored wall. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the images on the screen while he shaved. Pictures of Houston still dominated the news and Israeli officials were telling journalists that Israel was on full alert now as new threats were being aimed in her direction in the aftermath of the nuclear attack in America.
Smoothing on some aftershave, Leo exited the bathroom to discover that someone had removed all of his clothing, and that a blue dress shirt and tan slacks had mysteriously appeared on his bed. Knowing who was probably responsible for the theft of his clothes, he smiled to himself as he tried on the pants. A knock on the door ended his luxurious seclusion.
Leo opened the door to find John standing in the hallway dressed for dinner. “I found these new clothes hanging in my closet when I woke up. This shirt’s an Armani. What gives?”
Leo pointed out his own new clothes. “I’m sure Lev has something to do with it. Where’s Ariella?”
“She’s still dressing. Evidently, there’s a big dinner party planned for this evening, and she won’t let me see her until she comes out of her room.”
“Sounds like someone has a surprise for you. Come in while I look for some shoes.”
“I wanted to talk to you about Ariella, Father. I … ”
“Listen, John, it’s been pretty obvious to everyone around that you two were meant for each other. The priesthood isn’t for everyone, and you don’t owe anybody an explanation. God has chosen our callings for us, and they’re all equally important. You’re a devoted Catholic, and you’ll be a devoted husband and father someday. Besides, if all Catholic men became priests, we wouldn’t have any more Catholics.”
John stood awkwardly in the doorway and smiled at Leo’s last remark. He had agonized over his decision and felt that he was letting the Church and his mentors down, but it was evident that he was destined to take a different path … a path that he and Ariella would walk together. Whatever lay ahead for them, John knew the Church would always remain a central focus in his life, and that, no matter what, he had made a life-long friend that he could call upon in the years ahead.
“It’s funny how life takes us in different directions when we least expect it,” John said. “A few weeks ago I thought my path was set …then I met Ariella.”
John’s expression reminded Leo of his own struggles when he was considering seminary years ago. “Every time I come to a fork in the road, John, I feel I’m being led. Let’s go topside and see what that girl has in store for you.”
