A summer of unbelievable boredom.
Her assignment was to monitor a series of economic summits that were scheduled in the Far East. Ambassadors from all over the world were in China to discuss capitalism and its long-term benefits for Asia. Not exactly earth-shattering news but important enough to cover.
Collins woke up early Friday, dreading the thought of going to work. If she had to listen to one more lecture on free trade, she was going to vomit. Thankfully, a phone call from CNN headquarters gave her a reprieve. Someone had called in an anonymous tip about a demonstration near the Forbidden City. The caller didn’t give many specifics, only that it was going to be violent. And
Collins was disheartened when she realized several networks had beaten her to the scene. ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox were already there; so were dozens of reporters from around the world. Yet no one really knew why, only that they had received the same tip as CNN.
‘Cat,’ called Holly Adamson, a reporter for the
Collins smiled as she gave Adamson a hug. ‘Economic summit. What about you?’
‘Human interest stuff.’ In the world of journalism, that was a polite way to say,
She shrugged. ‘Not much. What about you?’
‘Even less.’
Collins laughed. ‘You know how most tips turn out. It’s probably just BS.’
‘If this falls through, we should grab a beer or something. It is Friday, after all.’
‘You know what? That doesn’t sound like a bad idea — ’
The sudden clicking of cameras caught the women’s attention. Both of them turned toward the photographers and noticed them pointing their lenses toward the sky. Collins shielded her eyes and tilted her head back, trying to figure out what was falling from the clouds.
‘What the
Collins shrugged and turned toward her camera crew. ‘Shawn, you getting this?’
Shawn Farley adjusted his focus. ‘Not sure what it is, but I’m getting it.’
Collins dug through their gear and found a pair of binoculars. The sound of clicking continued up and down press row. ‘What is that? Is that a parachute?’
‘Definitely a parachute. A red one. Not sure what it’s attached to.’
‘I hope it’s not a bomb. That would ruin my day.’
‘Cat,’ he said, serious. ‘I might be seeing things, but I think that’s a guy up there.’
‘Wow. A Chinese skydiver. Stop the press.’
‘And it looks like he’s attached to, um…’ Farley zoomed in closer. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. ‘A
Collins had followed the crucifixion cases while killing time in her committee meetings, often scouring the Internet for the latest developments. She had gotten her start with the D.C. crime beat, so she was a sucker for a good serial killer. Without delay she called her boss.
‘You aren’t going to believe what I’m looking at.’
‘Let me guess. A naked poster of Yao Ming.’
She ignored the wisecrack. ‘The fourth crucifixion.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘And you
‘Where?’ he demanded.
She watched the parachute drop slowly from the sky. ‘Heaven.’
62
Border crossings could be tricky, especially if the guards had your photo and were promised a large bonus if they spotted your ass. Therefore, Payne felt it would be best if Ulster and Franz dropped everyone off about a mile from the border, allowing them to hike into Austria on their own. Payne figured the sky was dark, the trees were thick, and he and Jones had the survival skills to help Maria and Boyd avoid detection. But Ulster laughed at the suggestion. He promised he knew everyone at the border and said they wouldn’t search his truck due to a prior agreement.
And Ulster was right. Ten minutes later they were on the open road to the capital city of the
The most interesting aspect of the building wasn’t a list of its former residents but rather what they did to the place while they were there. From 1278 until 1913, every monarch contributed his own addition in the prevailing taste of the day. The resulting mix was a time capsule of interior design, spread throughout eighteen wings and nineteen courtyards in a wild assortment of styles that included Baroque, French and Italian Renaissance, Gothic, and nineteenth-century German.
Yet the only decoration that mattered to them was the laughing man statue that Payne spotted in Ulster’s picture. A statue that was inside the front gates of the Austrian White House. Somehow they needed to find a way to examine the piece without being shot or arrested.
While running scenarios in his head, Payne gazed across the cargo hold and listened to Boyd and Maria discussing the significance of the statue. The rumble of the truck’s engine drowned out half their words, but their passion for the topic made up for the missing syllables. Boyd argued that the laughing man’s presence in Vienna was proof that the Romans succeeded in their plot to fake the crucifixion. Why else would he be honored in such an important building?
But Maria wasn’t as confident. She reminded Boyd that she saw the laughing man on the roof of
Jones was sitting next to Payne, researching the Hofburg in a travel guide that he found in a box. He said, ‘Ever hear of the Vienna Boys’ Choir? They sing Mass at the Hofburg every Sunday. If we wait until then, we could sneak in with the rest of the churchgoers.’
The mention of a weekly Mass in a government building intrigued Payne. Not only because it was a security hiccup that could be exploited but because it highlighted an interesting difference between Austria and the United States. By hosting a Catholic service in the Hofburg, the Austrian government was openly endorsing Catholicism as its official religion.
Payne asked, ‘Haven’t they heard of the separation of church and state?’
Jones pointed to the guidebook. Inside it referred to the relationship between Austria and the Roman Catholic Church as the throne and the altar, two entities that worked hand in hand for the betterment of Catholicism. ‘It says the Vatican has an agreement that guarantees financial support from the Austrian government. Citizens can follow any religion they want. However, one percent of their income goes straight to the Roman Catholic Church.’
