42
R obert leaned on the bedroom windowsill, fuming and frustrated.
Cardinal Maximilian’s revelation that Samuel had two identical brothers did nothing to quell his sense of urgency, but only increased his burning desire to rescue his godson right away. He understood the cardinal’s position and reasoning. Il Martello di Dio was at war with The Order, but that wasn’t his problem. The idea that Samuel was the Anti-Christ was ludicrous to him, no matter how the ten year old was conceived. Cloning or not.
He backed away from the window and sat down on the edge of the bed. The shooting in Father Tolbert’s room perplexed him. Outside of suicide, he wondered what could’ve happened right there in Vatican City. The more he mulled it over, his anxiety increased. If gunplay was now a part of the equation, then the entire situation would spin out of control very quickly, and the sooner he had Samuel in his arms, the better. His gut told him something bigger than they anticipated was involved, and they had better get out soon.
Robert heard the bedroom door open. Thorne, a smirk on her face, eased inside, closed the door, and leaned back against it. “Tsk, tsk,” she scolded, wagging her finger. “That was a bit rude, don’t you think?”
“Fuck’em,” he fired back. “My only concern is Samuel. The rest is bullshit as far as I’m concerned.”
Thorne sat down next to him, calm, her eyes sympathetic. “Cardinal Maximilian is right, you know. There’s more at stake here. We should make sure we get all three boys. It’s the right thing to do.”
“The right thing to do is to get my godson, then blow this place as fast as we can,” said Robert.
The softness on Thorne’s face dissolved a bit. “You’re upset, I understand, but you’re being selfish, Robert. If something happened to those other two boys, Samuel’s brothers no less, how will you live with yourself?”
Robert stood and walked back over to the window. He stared out for a moment at the lush valley and serene hills, then turned around, his eyes locked on his partner’s. “I’m prepared to accept the consequences. I just want my boy back. I owe Donovan that much.”
“You mean our boy, and we both owe Donovan. This isn’t just about you.”
“Then let’s cut the bull and go get him” snapped Robert, struggling to keep his voice low.
Thorne stood, her eyes stern. “What about Cardinal Maximilian?”
“What about him?”
“If not for him, we’d have no idea where to find Samuel. We owe him.”
Robert took a deep breath. “I understand, but I just don’t care.”
“What about Samuel?” shot Thorne. “They’re his brothers we’re talking about. What are you going to say to him if those boys die in The Order’s hands, and you could’ve saved them?” Robert paced the floor, head down. After several minutes, he stopped and faced his partner. “Get in touch with our contacts here in Rome. We need a three-man rubber watercraft, with oars and a silent motor, grappling hooks, two fifty-foot sections of rope, climbing gear, night vision goggles, and 9mm’s with silencers and infrared scopes.” Thorne just looked at him and shook her head. Robert moved close to her ear.
“Seventy-two hours,” he whispered. “I’ll give the cardinal’s people three days to find the other two boys. After that, you and I are going to approach the castle by water, scale the backside wall and get our boy back.”
Thorne smiled. “You a bad mutha, you know that? Agreed.”
“And this stays between us,” Robert added. Thorne nodded her consent.
There was a knock at the door. Father Kong apologized for the intrusion as he entered. “Cardinal Maximilian asked me to extend his apologies. He had to leave for the Vatican,” he said, his face serious and intense. “He also asked me to inform you of a new development.” Robert’s eyebrows raised. Now what? “Oh?” Father Kong stepped forward. “Alison Napier has just arrived in Rome.”
43
S ister Isabella drove Robert and Thorne into Rome, and dropped them in front of Trevi Fountain, in the middle of Rome’s world-renowned historic center, and agreed to pick them up in two hours at the same spot.
The mid-morning crowd went about its business, as if strolling past some of the world’s most entrancing monuments and artistic masterpieces were as common as passing the post office. Robert guessed that for those who lived here, that was the case. However, for he and Thorne the sight of the alluring Spanish Steps, the enchanting Trevi Fountain, and the awe-stirring Piazza Navona, it was a cultural rush they rarely experienced back in the states. Only the cloud of Samuel’s abduction could taint the sights they both adored.
Several members of Il Martello di Dio had trailed Alison from the Leonardo da Vinci Airport to the Grand Hotel del la Minerve, a five star hotel in a seventeenth century building less than half a mile from where Sister Isabella left them. Alison had checked into one of the hotel’s luxury suites on the top floor, alone. Robert guessed she was there, most likely, at the invitation of Cardinal Polletto, the man in which she now put her trust. Without Donovan or Samuel at her side, he fully understood, but wondered what the malevolent cardinal wanted with her.
He had her son, and had killed her husband. Money was not a problem, Robert was sure Cardinal Polletto had access to untold riches. Strange, very strange.
Back in Chicago, Robert didn’t dare burden Alison with his suspicions. She hadn’t been very open to receiving their help, and Donavon’s murder compounded matters. However, now that he’d found Samuel, and knew of Cardinal Polletto’s plans, he had to at least tell Alison enough to keep her safe.
Robert and Thorne reached the Grand Hotel de la Minerve, its seventeenth century Victorian architecture every bit as stunning as the area around it. Inside, the lobby was exquisitely adorned in rich royal blue antique furniture, atop elegant Persian rugs and an ice white marble floor. They strode through the lobby without so much as a glance from the hotel staff, but Robert knew better. The appearance of discretion was requisite at the finer hotels in Italy. But even though no direct stare was obvious, he knew that every detail of their arrival had been mentally catalogued, down to the time, and a full description of what they were wearing.
They caught the elevator to the fifth floor and located Alison’s suite.
Robert hesitated before knocking, wondering what reception they’d receive, and prepared himself for the worst. When Alison opened the door, her faced exploded in a vibrant smile. She hugged them both and invited them inside. Her friendliness caught him off guard, but left him relieved that she was getting back to her old self.
Alison’s suite was every bit as elegant and well-appointed as the rest of the hotel, complete with a white, gold-inlaid Victorian ceiling, full living room of antique furniture, and varied prints of Leonardo di Vinci, Raphael and Michael Angelo suspended on rich pink walls.
“We’re surprised to see you here,” offered Robert, resting back in the lime colored pastel armchair, legs crossed. “But I’m glad to see you with a smile back on your face.”
“Cardinal Polletto thought it a good idea and invited me,” answered Alison, her bright demeanor reminding Robert of the first time Donavon introduced them. “He said it wasn’t right that I sit at home alone, and I agree. I feel much better.”
“Good,” said Thorne, looking comfortable lying back in the billowy cushioned couch. “Did the FBI give you a hard time?”
“They did at first,” answered Alison, suddenly subdued. “With Samuel still lost, they thought it a good idea that I stay close, but Cardinal Polletto made some calls on my behalf, and they let up.” Robert seethed inside. He tried to put a finger on why Cardinal Polletto would involve Alison. The more he pondered, his desire to kill the cardinal increased.
“That was nice of him,” said Robert. “Have you spoken with the cardinal since you arrived?”
“Not yet,” she answered. “He left word that he might be tied up for a day or two, and that he’d catch up with me later, which is fine with me. I haven’t been to Rome in a long time. I’ll catch up on the sights and do a little shopping. Now, tell me, what are you two doing here, and how did you know where to find me?”
Robert had anticipated Alison’s questions. “How much do you know about Cardinal Polletto?”
Alison looked confused. “Donovan and I met him years ago,” she answered. “Father Tolbert introduced us the year after we adopted Samuel. Why?”
Thorne edged forward. “Honey, we’re here following up a lead that Samuel’s kidnappers are in Rome.”
Alison’s mouth opened, but she was unable to speak.
