Robert took a deep breath. “She’s dead.” He ordered his men to secure the area, while he, Thorne and Father Kong went back inside. The priest fell to his knees over Sister Isabella, and prayed.
“Father, she’s gone,” said Robert. “I need you to look over these papers and tell us if anything sparks a clue.” Father Kong stood, slowly walked over to the desk, and began looking at the papers. Thorne checked Dianora. “She’s still breathing, barely, and bleeding badly.”
“Do what you can to stop the bleeding. We’ll call an ambulance on the way out,” said Robert.
“There’s nothing here,” said Father Kong.
Robert rushed over. “There has to be, keep looking.”
“It’s useless. I don’t see anything we can use.”
“Maybe we should take Dianora,” said Robert.
“She’d never make the trip,” said Thorne. “She’s almost dead now.” Robert cursed. “Then let’s go.”
“We can’t leave Sister Isabella,” said Father Kong. “We have to take her with us.”
Robert looked into the priest’s eyes. He agreed. Her presence would raise too many questions. They grabbed the nun and took her body outside. One of Robert’s men hot-wired a truck. They piled inside and drove back to the cars, where they put Sister Isabella in the trunk, and headed back to the villa.
57
C ardinal Polletto sat alone in one of Bracciano castle’s large, exquisite dining rooms, enjoying a late dinner of roast lamb, salad and red wine. He finished, savoring the brief sojourn into gourmet delight, then brought his attention and focus back to the matter at hand. He made his way upstairs to his next assignment, confronting Samuel and his brothers for the first time.
Although the effort had been rife with setbacks and delays, the satisfaction of knowing it was almost over brought a sense of impending relief to the cardinal. After all the years of planning and preparation, he was about to deal a death-blow to the Church, and as a bonus he’d get something he very much looked forward to, the death of Cardinal Maximilian.
Hands behind his back, Cardinal Polletto glided across the polished wooden floor, head high, eyes fixed on the last room to the left. He stopped at the door and waited. The irony that Samuel could soon be his master intrigued him. He pushed the door open.
On the floor, like three bundles of clothes, lay Samuel and his brothers, huddled together in the dim candlelight. All three sat up when a creaking board unceremoniously announced the cardinal’s presence.
“Who’s there?” Samuel asked, with a command in his voice that surprised the cardinal.
Cardinal Polletto lit a few more candles, and the boys’ faces were more visible.
“Cardinal Polletto?” asked Samuel, surprised.
“Yes,” answered the cardinal, “it’s me.” Samuel stood, and slowly approached, the other boys behind him.
“You look well, Samuel,” said the cardinal. “And I understand you’ve been quite active.”
Samuel’s maturity jumped out at the cardinal. “What’s going on here?” he demanded. “If you’re here, then you know why we’ve been taken.” The authority in his voice was staggering for a ten year old. The cardinal felt himself flinch.
“That’s why I’m here, to tell you why you’re here, for this celebration,” said the cardinal.
Felipe eased closer. “Celebration?”
Cardinal Polletto nodded. “We, Felipe, depuris te. For you. Tout le te. All of you.”
“Te dire sciocchezze,” said Eduardo, now shoulder-to-shoulder with his American brother. “You talk nonsense.” Samuel smiled. “We’re tired of the bullshit. So tell us the truth, or leave us alone.”
Cardinal Polletto stared at the three, each of them defiant, determined. “Let’s have a seat,” invited the cardinal, pulling up a chair.
The three boys remained standing directly in front of him. “What if I were to tell you, that each of you are royalty, destined for greatness?” he said, splattering his words in French, Italian and English. Neither boy moved or said a word; they stared back at the cardinal, eyes focused, concentrating. “Each one of you has been sanctified since birth, to change history and usher in a new world. I know it will be difficult to understand at first, but over time your minds will be illuminated.”
“How can we change history?” asked Samuel. “We’re children.”
“Yes, for now, but you’ll grow up to be men soon enough. Before that time, there’s much to be done, and much you have to learn.”
“What about our parents?” asked Eduardo, in Italian.
“They’re not our parents,” answered Samuel.
Cardinal Polletto smiled. Yes, you’re the one, the first born. “That’s correct, they’re not. Your real parents are here, in Italy. Eduardo and Felipe have already met your father, Father Charles Tolbert.” Samuel’s chin dropped, his eyes glued to the floor. He almost lost his balance, but caught himself. “How is that possible?” he asked, his voice cracked.
Cardinal Polletto watched Samuel as the truth did its work, bringing the boy under control. “I’ll explain it to you later, when you’re ready.” Samuel looked up, hate burning in his pupils. “What about my mother?”
“Alison Napier is of no consequence at this point in your life. None of the people you grew up with mean anything as we move forward.
You’ll have to learn to deal with life without them.” Samuel’s stern stance weakened. Felipe and Eduardo’s jaws quivered. Cardinal Polletto smiled. “Now, now, all of you have a new family now, a true family that will never leave or forsake you. I promise.” Samuel sniffled, his eyes and cheeks glistening with tears. “I don’t want a new family, I want my mother.”
“That’s not possible.”
“Then I won’t participate. None of us will.” The boys backed up and sat down.
The cardinal’s first impulse was to rush over, snatch and shake them into submission, but one look into Samuel’s eyes told him that would only drive them further away.
“I know this is a shock, and believe me, I understand. Anyone faced with such greatness would be foolish to run blindly into it.” Samuel rocked back and forth. “We don’t care about greatness. We want our old lives back.”
Cardinal Polletto stood, walked just short of the three, and stood over them, their faces determined, intense. “I can’t force you to do what you don’t want to,” he said. “But your mother, Alison, will be disappointed.
All of your surrogate parents will be.”
“I thought you said they weren’t important,” said Samuel.
“Not as important as your destiny,” the cardinal answered.
“I don’t believe you,” snapped Samuel, defiant. “My mother would never agree to this.”
Cardinal Polletto smiled, pulled a cell phone from inside his robe and dialed. Alison Napier answered and he handed the phone to Samuel.
“Hello,” said Samuel, somewhat sheepish.
Cardinal Polletto watched the tears roll down Samuel’s cheeks.
Felipe and Eduardo looked on, curious. Samuel hung up and gave back the phone.
“You see,” said the cardinal, “everything will work out fine. Come, let me show you the area we’ve set up.”
The cardinal extended a hand to Samuel, who took it and pulled himself up. Cardinal Polletto sighed with relief. Samuel’s acquiescence quieted the others, and like sheep, they followed his lead.
Yes, your time will come, but today, follow me.
58
