Sign of the Cross

uncover.’

‘Me, neither,’ Jones mumbled to himself. ‘Me, neither.’

A team of armed security guards led the foursome across the wooded grounds and into the lobby of the chalet, where the director of the Archives was waiting to greet them. Petr Ulster, grandson to the institute’s patriarch, was a round man in his early forties with a thick brown beard that covered his multiple chins. Yet somehow he came across as boylike, mostly due to the twinkle in his eye and his enthusiasm for knowledge.

‘Hello,’ he said with a faint Swiss accent. ‘My name is Petr, and it is an honor to make your acquaintance. How is it I may help you?’

Under normal conditions, Dr Boyd would’ve taken charge, explaining who he was and what they were hoping to find. But his current standing as an international fugitive made that pretty impractical, so Payne took it upon himself to be the group leader.

‘It’s nice to meet you, Petr. My name is Jonathon Payne, and these are the members of my traveling party: D.J., Chuck, and Maria.’

Ulster shook hands with each. ‘And what type of excursion are you on?’

‘A confidential one.’ Payne nodded toward the guards. ‘Is there somewhere we can talk?’

‘Of course. Follow me.’

Ulster practically skipped down the hallway, leading them to his private office. Bookshelves filled with leather-bound first editions dominated the suite. The rest of the wooden walls were covered in framed photographs depicting colorful scenes from Switzerland and abroad.

‘I must admit,’ he said, ‘I’m particularly intrigued by your appearance. Most academics call ahead before visiting Kusendorf. Very rarely do they show up at the front door.’

Payne took a seat next to Ulster. ‘Sorry about that, but the truth is, I’m not a scholar.’

‘Oh? Then I’m doubly fascinated by your appearance. What in the world are you then?’

‘Me? I’m the CEO of an American company named Payne Industries.’

Ulster beamed. ‘A businessman! How wonderfully wonderful! It has been a while since we’ve been visited by an American collector. Tell me, what’s your area of interest?’

‘Actually, Petr, I’m not a collector. I’d say I’m more like a financier.’

‘Marvelous! Simply marvelous!’ He put his hand on Payne’s knee and patted it a few times. ‘My grandfather would applaud your philanthropy. He really, truly would!’

Payne wasn’t sure how to handle Ulster’s enthusiasm or abundant use of adverbs, but he was tempted to recommend decaf. ‘It’s funny you should mention your grandfather, because from what I understand he came to Switzerland looking for the same thing that my team requires.’

‘Really? And what is that?’

‘Sanctuary.’ Payne leaned closer and whispered, ‘We’re at a critical point in our journey, and I’m afraid if word leaked out, a rival faction might be able to use it against us.’

‘A rival faction?’ Ulster rubbed his hands in anticipation. He wasn’t used to dealing with such excitement. ‘This information you seek, what is it?’

Payne nodded toward Boyd. ‘Chuck? Would you mind handling this one?’

‘We’re looking for any information you might have on Tiberius and his right-hand man, Paccius. Preferably data about their later years.’

‘Ah, the mysterious General Paccius. We’re blessed with several documents from the Empire that might help your cause. As luck should have it, my grandfather had a particular passion for the ancient Romans, since they once occupied his native Austria.’

‘Brilliant! Bloody brilliant!’

‘Regrettably your research might be difficult, for several pieces in his Roman collection have never been translated, and many others have never been logged.’

‘Not to worry,’ Payne assured him. ‘When we’re done, we’ll be more than happy to leave our translations behind. That is, the ones that won’t put us in harm’s way.’

Ulster chortled loudly. ‘Oh, Jonathon, you are mysterious. And I’m certainly glad I’ve made your acquaintance. Nevertheless, before I can let you upstairs, I’m afraid I must ask the one question that we pose to all visitors.’

‘And that is?’

‘What can you offer this institution as repayment for our services?’

‘I don’t know. We’re traveling kind of light, being in the field and all. What type of donation would be acceptable?’

‘I’d love to offer you a suggestion. Sadly, since I know very little about your journey, it’s tough for me to say. Perhaps if you threw me a hint or two, I could assist your selection.’

‘A hint or two?’

He nodded, sliding closer to Payne on the couch. ‘Or even a crumb. I can assure you whatever you tell me will remain in the strictest of confidence. The documents in this chalet would never have survived the war if it wasn’t for secrecy. My grandfather relied on it, and he taught me how precious it can be. So rest assured I would never dishonor his memory by breaking my word.’

Payne glanced around the room and noticed a large TV sitting in the corner. It would do nicely when the moment was right. ‘Petr, as I mentioned, I’m a businessman, not a scholar. And as a businessman, I always try to negotiate the best deal for myself before I agree to anything.’

Ulster leaned forward. ‘I’m listening.’

‘You see, my team requires more than just admittance to the Archives. While we’re in town we’d like round- the-clock access, a private room to conduct our studies, plus your services as an extra researcher. I figure no one knows your documents better than you.’

‘My services? Oh, Jonathon! You slay me, you really do! But I’m afraid it would take something staggering to consider such an agreement. Absolutely, completely staggering. But let’s be honest, what could you possibly be involved in that would make it worth my time?’

Petr Ulster started canceling his appointments before the video was half finished. He’d always believed in the existence of the Catacombs, and now that he’d seen visual proof, he could think of nothing he’d rather be working on. Payne didn’t even mention the scroll or the religious overtones of their mission, yet Ulster was bouncing around the room like a goat in heat.

‘Tell me,’ he begged. ‘What are you’re looking for? It must be something unbelievably important, or you wouldn’t be squelching this discovery.’

Boyd nodded. ‘There is some doubt in our minds why the Catacombs were built. We believe it was to celebrate a clandestine deal between Tiberius and Paccius, but we’re lacking proof.’

Ulster rose from his chair. ‘Then what are we waiting for? Let’s see what we can discover!’

The Roman Collection was stored in the largest room in the chalet, even though its basic design was similar to all the other document vaults. The floors were made out of fireproof wood — boards that had been coated with an aqueous-based resin — while the white walls and ceilings had been treated with a fire-retardant spray. The texts themselves were kept in massive fireproof safes, which were well-guarded behind bulletproof security doors.

Ulster invited them to find a seat before he accessed the control panel. Beeps filled the air as he entered his ten-digit security code, a sound replaced by the low rumble of the partitions as they inched across the floor in their motorized tracks. Once the glass had disappeared into the walls, the knobs on the individual vaults started to spin in unison, then popped open.

Ulster asked, ‘Have you figured out how you want to conduct this search? Like I mentioned before, much of this collection has not been logged or translated.’

‘And those that have been logged?’

‘Sorted by approximate date and/or subject matter, depending on my mood that day.’

Boyd took a deep breath. This was going to be far tougher than he had originally hoped.

Although far from home, Jones accessed the databank in his Pittsburgh-based office to retrieve background information on Boyd and Maria — specifically Boyd’s involvement with the CIA and Maria’s family history. If Payne and Jones were going to work side-by-side with them, they needed to know everything they could about their backgrounds.

Boyd’s real name was Charles Ian Holloway, and he graduated from Annapolis in the early sixties. After that,