I assume it's connected to a case you're working on.'
'You assume correctly. I can't give you specifics.'
'I understand,' he said. 'What do you know about Gnosticism?'
Darby thought about it for a moment, looking out of the side window at the surrounding traffic, and again wondered if she was being followed and watched.
'It's something to do with pre-Christianity, I think.'
'Okay,' Ross said, like he had expected this. 'Let me start with a simple definition. Gnosticism is derived from the Greek word gnosis, which means 'knowledge'. The religion dates all the way back to early Jewish and Christian sects, and its doctrine, simply put, is that there are two gods. The first is a lower, imperfect god, called the Demiurge, who created the material world. The second, the Supreme God of Truth or the Supreme Father God, is a transcendent god and does not care about human affairs. The Demiurge believes he is supreme despite his imperfect creations — the world, mankind. The Demiurge employs servants, called Archons, who roam the world, enacting their own will.'
Darby finished writing in her quick shorthand, then said, 'Which is?'
'Nothing.'
'You mean the Archons are nihilists?'
'No. Archons provide their own order. Their own laws and justice. They are capable of mercy, but by and large they are jealous, wrathful creatures possessed by a singular will and capable of great destruction. The symbol you sent me, it's a bastardized version of a Gnostic baptismal cross developed centuries ago by a medieval group who had roots in Gnosticism. Those twelve spikes? Each one represents an Archon. The circle is a representation of earth.'
She thought about Charlie Rizzo's odd-looking black medieval tunic. 'What's the name of this group?'
'It doesn't have a specific name. But this group believed that symbol represents one who is basically a slave to an Archon.'
'Is Gnosticism an actual religion or is it a cult?'
'An actual religion,' Ross said. 'It was essentially wiped out by the end of the fifth century. What we know about it comes from the Gnostic library discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in the forties, and then, in 1970, the discovery of the Gospel of Judas in El Minya. It's a Gnostic gospel written by Jesus's Gnostic followers, and the pieces that have been recovered claim to be a documented conversation between Judas Iscariot and Jesus. Judas is believed to be the only disciple who was taught the one, true Gospel, by Jesus.
'Now, according to the canonical Gospels of the New Testament — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John — we know that Judas betrayed Jesus. The Gospel of Judas claims that Judas was acting on the orders of Jesus, which, taken from the Gnostic point of view, makes sense. Jesus wanted to be released from his spiritual prison, and Judas acted as the catalyst. So you have — '
'Sorry to interrupt,' Darby said. 'I appreciate the history lesson, Professor, but I need something along the lines of evidence. Something that can lead back to this group or cult or whatever they are.'
'I understand. The short answer is no, I don't have anything to give you other than historical background on Gnosticism. But I can tell you more about this symbol you found. I know you can't get into specifics of the case, but let me ask you this: the person who bore this symbol, did he murder someone?'
'As far as I can tell, no. The man was a husband and father.'
Tell her, Daddy, Charlie Rizzo had said. Tell her what you did.
She wrote on her pad: Mark Rizzo alias?
'Historically speaking,' Ross said, 'Archons crave power and destruction. They're not sent here to do God's work but rather to fulfil their own needs and desires. Archons want the world to bend to their will. They achieve that through inflicting both physical and psychological pain and suffering. Through the destruction of one's soul. Forgive the cliche, but think of them as monsters masquerading as human beings.'
Darby finished writing and looked up, reminded of Jack Casey. Then she saw, a few blocks away, the medical examiner's office.
'I have to go, Professor Ross. Can I call you back?'
'You can, but there's no need. That's about all the information I have at the moment, anyway. I can send you my notes if you'd like.'
'That would be great.' She gave him her private email address. 'I appreciate your taking the time to do this.'
'If I can be of any further assistance, don't hesitate to contact me. You have my numbers? I left them on the voicemail message.'
'I have them. And I may take you up on your offer. In fact, I may have an associate of mine call you. Keep your cell phone handy.'
Darby hung up as the SUV came to a sudden stop in front of two Secret Service agents, one black, the other white, both tall and young and looking like they could bench press a car.
'They'll take you in and bring you back out when you're done,' Keats said.
The black guy opened her door and his partner reached inside and gripped her arm. She left the pad on the backseat, not wanting to carry it with her, and with the two men flanking her jogged to the building's front doors.
Dr Ellis wasn't happy about being summoned back to work at such an hour. He stormed across the lobby and without a hello or nod swiped his laminated ID across the keycard reader to let her in, the agents sticking close.
Walking through the halls, she called Sergey.
'You got a pen?' she asked when he picked up.
'Always do.' He sounded exhausted. 'What's up?'
She gave him Ross's name and cell number. 'He's a professor at Harvard's Divinity School. I just got off the phone with him. He has information on that symbol I found tattooed on Mark Rizzo's lip. I want you to bring him in on this.'
'I already have someone at Langley. Cryptography's working on it right now.'
'Then have them coordinate with Ross. This is the guy's area of expertise. Trust me, we need him.'
'Okay, fine. Where are you?'
'At the ME's office. I'll explain everything when I get there.'
Darby hung up and ducked into the locker room. She dressed quickly.
The black agent followed her inside the autopsy suite. His partner stood guard outside with his back to the door, watching the hall.
Until you find the people who belong to this group or cult, a voice whispered in the back of her head, this is how you're going to spend the rest of your life.
Ellis wheeled out John Smith's body, the cadaverous skin covered with frost.
Darby turned to the agent and said, 'Hit those lights, would you?'
The exit wound had destroyed most of John Smith's face. Using alcohol swabs, Darby cleaned the blood away from what was left of the man's lips and examined the tissue. She didn't find any trace of the symbol.
She decided to examine the rest of the body.
The symbol had been tattooed on his chest, just above his dead heart.
65
Darby saw the big, familiar sign welcoming her to Boston's Logan Airport. A moment later Keats accessed a private gate leading to a brightly lit stretch of tarmac holding a small fleet of private planes — a couple of jumbo jets used to shuttle around rocks stars but mostly smaller, sleeker models.
The Lincoln Navigator came to a stop and she saw a new pair of Secret Service agents dressed in heavy winter coats standing guard at the bottom of a set of portable metal steps leading up to the main door of the
