Shrouded in Silence (30 page)

"Agreed," Michelle said. "We've studied the popes from Hildebrand through the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople. We know a considerable amount about the battle with the Muslims during those times of struggle. Jack and I studied this period in history."

"What few people know was that the Laterani family was a major force during the Crusades. Much like the Templars, they were entrusted as depositors of treasure captured during these holy wars. We kept the treasures here in Rome, and much of it was stored around the Church of San Giovanni in Laterano. Because these treasures amounted to a vast amount of wealth, it was important that their security be ensured. During this period, my family changed their name to De Lateran as a protection against attack."

"Fascinating," Jack said. "So your ancestors accumulated a highly significant amount of wealth during this period."

"To put it mildly! We became one of the wealthiest families in Italy. Of course, the Laterani family already had accrued considerable affluence before this period. However, it was during this time of concealing the treasures taken in the Crusades, that they hid the ending of Mark's Gospel in its present location and it became our family's most precious secret."

"It's been there all these years?" Michelle asked.

"Never touched."

"Do you think the document has deteriorated?" Jack ask.

"I honestly don't know. When we take it out of hiding, we'll be the first to find out in a thousand years."

"I'm ready!" Jack shook his good fist in the air. "Let's go get it!"

"Easy there, Superman," Michelle said. "We don't want to have to put you back in a cast again."

"And that is exactly why we must deal with this matter in complete secrecy," Guido said. "I don't want anyone getting killed. Even with possible danger, I believe this is the hour for us to strike. I think tomorrow morning would be a good time to start out."

"Oh, man!" Jack exclaimed. "This adventure is beyond my wildest dreams!"

"In the morning, I will show up with an old Jeep to make us look obscure, and we will drive to the location I mentioned. Only then will I tell you where we are going."

"I am overwhelmed." Michelle slumped back in her chair. "We are standing on the threshold of one of those great historical moments that could change everything."

"Everything." Guido looked pensively out over the street. "Absolutely everything."

Klaus Burchel slid back from the top of the building directly across the thoroughfare from the Townsends' apartment. The International MicroPower WM-1 had been modified to pick up what was discussed across the street with great precision. Klaus wore a small earphone to monitor the transmission going straight to Stein's van.

When the windows were closed, Burchel picked up nothing, but on a bright day when the Townsends opened the shutters, he picked up enough bits and pieces to get the drift of a conversation. Today's exchange on the balcony had been extraordinary. Every piece of their chatting with Valentino came through like going to the movies.

"Did you get all that?" Burchel said into a cell phone.

"Absolutely," Albert Stein said.

"I think tomorrow we'll be waiting out front for the Jeep to show up," Burchel said.

"Without question," Stein answered.

40

M
ichelle watched her husband sleeping soundly. With the sun beginning to shine in the old window facing the street, he held his arm defensively to shield his eyes from the increasing brightness. His usual early morning cherubic countenance always carried a solemn smile. No question that atrophy had diminished the size of his arms where the break occurred, but he was alive and back to his old self again. The realization of what might have happened swept over her, and Michelle recognized that she could have ended up in bed by herself forever but for the grace of God. She watched him for a moment as tears welled up in her eyes. Jack had become more precious than life itself. She rolled over in bed and kissed him softly on the cheek. Jack stirred. Michelle kissed him again, but this time more forcefully.

"W-what?" Jack blinked.

"I just thought you'd like a little personal wake-up call this morning."

Jack pushed himself up and looked around. "I was dreaming about being in the hospital . . . seemed like . . . I was there . . . forever. More of a nightmare I guess. Am I ever glad to be home and out of the plaster cast." He pumped his arm back and forth several times. "Flexibility is coming back. A little more exercise and I'll be ready to lift weights again."

Michelle kissed him again. "By the way did I tell you lately that I love you? Love you more than you love those
alla giudia
artichokes at the Dar Poeta café?

Jack laughed. "Hey, this relationship could develop into a full-blown hanky-panky thing. You up for such a kooky possibility?"

"On your life." Michelle kissed him fervently.

Jack's cell phone rang. "Hang on," he said and picked it up. "
Hallo."

"Jack," Guido Valentino said. "You awake?"

"Yeah. I had to get up to answer the phone."

"Ha. Ha," Guido said. "Don't be a comedian. I'm concerned about our trip today. We've got the problem of the paparazzi and the sidewalk observers to consider. Do you think it might be safer for me to pick you up in the alley behind your apartment?"

"Sure. Let me know the exact time you'll be here and Michelle and I will come dashing out the back door."

"I'll be there at 9:00 and we'll be on our way," Guido said.

"You're on!" Jack said and hung up.

"Our man is ready to roll," Jack told Michelle. "Looks like our dreams are about to come true." He stared out the window. "Amazing, isn't it? We've been chasing this prize for a long time and then it abruptly falls at our feet because Jonas De Lateran walked into our lives. I would have never expected this turn of events."

Michelle leaned against the headboard. "Do you have any idea where we are going?"

"There are so many nooks and crannies in Rome that have sprouted endless options that it could be anywhere. To make matters worse, the fabulists run around creating new myths all the time. Anywhere is a possibility. The Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is a museum with collections that span the centuries. A fragment of a document could be tucked away in there and no one would find it. San Clemente is out there in the valley between Esquiline and Oppio Hills. Down there in the basement are the remains of an ancient Temple of Mithra. Now there's an ancient site covering two thousand years of history. Wouldn't that be an unsuspected zone for hiding a document?"

"You're right. Rome is packed with the unsuspected, and we haven't picked up any significant clues from our research so far. I guess we're completely in Jonas's or, as he wants us to call him, Guido's hands."

"I think we'd better hit the shower and get ready for a big day," Jack said. "The clock is ticking."

Michelle put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer. "We must never let the clock shape our relationship. When it's all said and done, we've only got each other."

Jack kissed her gently. "Even
before
it's all said and done, we're all we've got."

41

T
he alley had the usual shabby look of garbage cans, litter, junk, and the muck that had collected for a thousand years. A slight scent of decay drifted through the air. Empty cars parked here and there only added to the disorderly appearance. Jack and Michelle stood in the apartment's back door waiting for Guido to drive up in the Jeep.

"You've got that gun that Father Blake left us?" Jack asked.

Michelle patted the large handbag at her side. "I've started paying careful attention since we were chased through Santa Maria. I don't like it, but it's here."

"Got my Browning and a small power-pack flashlight," Jack said. "The gun's a little awkward under this coat."

At a few minutes after 9:00, Guido pulled into a space directly behind the back door. The black Wrangler with a canvas top looked more like a trailblazer in the Swiss mountains than a vehicle on the streets of an ancient cosmopolitan city. The couple hurried out and jumped into the Jeep.

"Hit the road." Jack bounded into the front seat. "I've been waiting a long time for this trip. Today is our Christmas."

Guido glanced in the rearview mirror. "Can't ever be sure whether this is Christmas or Halloween. You people seem to live more on the trick-or-treat side of town."

Michelle glanced up and down the alley. "Don't see anyone. That's got to be a good sign."

Guido pulled away without answering.

"Getting through Rome's traffic won't prove easy," Jack said. "Got any shortcuts in mind?"

"We're going to drive around for a while," Guido said. "The paparazzi have their own unique ways of turning up, and we don't want that tribe on our trail. We'll see how things unfold."

Jack leaned back in the seat and relaxed. "I'm only glad you're behind the wheel and not me. I'll enjoy the sights.

For ten minutes Guido glided around the narrow streets and broad thoroughfares. Alternating between a slow drag and sudden bursts of speed, Guido kept maneuvering down the boulevards. Finally, he turned to Michelle. "I want you to watch directly behind me. It seems like a black Audi's been following us for several blocks."

"You're kidding," Jack said.

"Pay attention. I'm going to cut a sharp right, and we'll see what they do."

Jack watched over the seat while Guido veered to the right and then hit the gas pedal.

At the next corner, he jerked to the left.

"They did exactly the same thing," Jack said. "It's not by chance."

"I don't know where I picked them up, but I noticed the Audi back there on Piazza Santi Giovanni. They're after us."

Michelle clutched the safety belt tightly. "We're in trouble again, aren't we?"

"I don't know," Guido said. "We've got to think about this carefully. Obviously, we can't go to the location I intended. Got to be cautious since we have no idea what they're about."

"Won't be good," Michelle said. "We've been down this rocky road before."

"OK," Guido tried to sound calm. "We're not that far from the ruins of the first-century city of Rome. Tourists flock to that sight. I don't think they can chance an attack on you while you're mingling with sightseers. Too much risk of getting caught. I'll swing into the sight and drop you off at the back. Run into the excavations like you're part of an archaeological team. On second thought, you'll find a monumental drain that's been turned into a tunnel. It will take you under the ruins to the Temple of Minerva, the goddess of household tasks. Run down that drain tunnel and keep going no matter where the path leads. You should be safe hiding down there."

"What'll you do?" Jack said.

"I'm going to circle back on these tailgaters and see if I can get some idea of who they are."