“What’s your involvement here?” he asked.
“He works for a man trying to stop Zachariah,” Alle said.
Brian faced him. “You and I need to talk.”
———
ZACHARIAH LED THE WAY AS HE AND ROCHA CREPT DOWN THE passageway, past centuries-old tombs of cardinals and priests. They came to the junction where Brian had fled and he spotted a corridor, maybe ten meters long and hewn from rock that ended at another right angle. One fixture illuminated the passage closer to his end than the other. He heard voices from around the far corner and signaled for quiet as they eased to a point where he could peer around. He was counting on the fact that Sagan, Alle, and Brian would not expect him.
“You and I need to talk.”
Jamison’s voice.
Before that he’d heard both Sagan and Alle. Her reference to him sounded almost like a defense. Maybe he’d confused her enough by his revelations about Jamison to have a second chance. He risked a quick look and saw Brian, fifteen meters away, back to him, holding a gun, facing toward where Sagan and Alle stood.
He and Rocha retreated.
He motioned to his left and whispered, “I have been here before. That passage where they are standing will intersect with this one. There are several turns, but it is a big circle. I am going down here to wait.”
Rocha nodded in understanding.
Then he explained what else he wanted done.
———
ALLE KNEW ONLY ONE THING. SHE HAD TO GET AWAY FROM BOTH her father and Brian. They both seemed to believe that Zachariah was the enemy, but the only person to so far place her in danger was standing right beside her, holding a gun.
“What are you going to do?” she asked Jamison.
“We’re getting out of here. Mr. Sagan, I assume you came down here for a reason?”
She watched as her father remained silent. Finally, she said, “He has a way out.”
“I thought as much. That’s why I followed. Let’s take it, then I’ll explain everything.”
Her father seemed unconvinced and even more irritated with her.
“I suggest we go,” Brian said. “People upstairs may be coming this way.”
“No. They won’t,” Sagan said. “I took care of that. The gate is locked for the night.”
“Then let’s get out of here. I assure you, what I have to say is important.”
Her father stepped in front of her and faced Brian. “We’re not going anywhere. If you want to shoot me, go ahead. I don’t give a damn.”
“I know what happened in Florida. That you were about to kill yourself. But you didn’t. You’re here. We were watching, along with Simon. I sent a man to the cemetery to spook you, in the car, when you visited your father’s grave, but you didn’t back off. I’m not your enemy, Mr. Sagan. I’m an American intelligence agent, working for a unit known as the Magellan Billet. We’re after Zachariah Simon and need your help.”
Alle caught movement over Brian’s shoulder.
Rocha appeared, holding a gun.
Her eyes went wide.
Brian saw her surprise and started to turn.
———
TOM SAW THE MAN AND IMMEDIATELY LUNGED TOWARD ALLE, his body covering hers, both of them pounding the floor.
Two pops echoed.
Brian’s body lurched, his arms went skyward, his grip on the gun was lost and it clattered to the floor.
Another pop.
Blood seeped from Brian’s lips. Then the body went limp and he collapsed into convulsions.
Tom rolled twice and reached for the gun on the floor, slipping his finger around the trigger. He swung his arm around and fired, the retort loud off the stone.
The bullet ricocheted and, instinctively, he covered his head.
When he looked up, the man at the end of the hall was gone.
And so was Alle.
———
ZACHARIAH KEPT WALKING, HEADING FOR WHERE THE CORRIDOR intersected another. He heard shots and hoped that was the end of Brian Jamison. Bene Rowe surely had other people working for him, but the loss of his chief lieutenant would eliminate Rowe’s most valuable eyes and ears in Austria. He’d read Abiram Sagan’s note, which was explicit, but not as much as he’d hoped considering the Levite would be passing on all that he knew. Had Sagan changed it? After all, it was typewritten. How hard could it have been? Especially for a man accused of falsifying news stories.
