The Eye of Moses - Vatican Knights Series 22 (2020), Rick Jones [learn to read books txt] 📗

his floor, went to his door which was glossy white with gold trim, and used his keycard to enter his residence.

In a rush from the dining room, he was greeted by his two daughters who jumped into his embrace, happy to see him with hugs all around. Standing within the archway that connected the rooms was his wife, Minerva, who maintained a soft smile while rubbing her hands dry with a dishtowel.

“Perfect timing,” she told him. “Lunch is about to hit the table. Hungry, yes?”

“Famished.”

She beckoned him with a wave of her hand in invitation to take a seat at the table, which he did with his wife and daughters. Once seated, Salt extended his hands out for his daughters to take, a hand for each of them, while the children grabbed their mother’s hands to form a connective ring around the table.

“Bow your heads,” said Salt. “And now we pray.”

In giving thanks for all the bounty of food and appreciating all that was given them, Salt also prayed for the welfare of his family. When the last word was spoken, they began to eat.

 

CHAPTER

NINE

Lakeside Cabin in Maryland

The snow was knee-deep as Kimball Hayden came across a trap that had snared a muskrat, the device having been set by poachers who were encroaching on the territory. Though the wooded area was thick with trees and brush, it had obscured the view of the cabin which wasn’t too far from where he was standing. Either the trappers were so brazen that they simply didn’t care, or they truly had no idea that the land sat on private property. It didn’t matter that the action was illegal. Kimball was planning to take care of it his way.

Removing the trap and its kill, Kimball Hayden labored to the cabin, which was a small and spartan residence that he called his ‘sweet spot,’ and went inside. A fire was already burning within the hearth that was made of fieldstone. Occasionally, a knot of wood would explode against the flames, the pop sounding like a firecracker. After placing the trap on the table, he examined the muskrat, a female. It was unlikely that she was caring for a brood since the weather was cold and the food scarce. Then removing his glove, he ran his hand gently over its body and found its pelt bristly. Fighting to maintain calm, Kimball knew that the trapper’s motivation was to strip the creature of its fur so that it could be made into a hat, the fur often selling for $125 at the local market. Not one penny for you, he thought, and then he began to disassemble the snare when the phone rang.

Picking it up, he stated curtly, “What?”

“Having a bad day already? It’s not even ten.” It was Shari Cohen, who quickly detected the edge in his voice.

“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I found another trap. This time a female.”

After Shari awed sadly on her end, she then asked him ‘where’ he discovered the trap, which he responded, ‘close to the cabin.’

“Where are you?” he asked her. “I was surprised to see that you were gone when I woke up. You didn’t make a sound.”

“Running a few errands. Nothing big or spectacular.”

“What about tonight?” he asked. “How about dinner and a fine wine?”

“Sounds good. We haven’t done anything special in a while. I think we deserve it”

“I’m in the mood for a little surf-n-turf.”

“Then I’ll be in the mood for the same. I’ll see you in a bit. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

After hanging up and returning to disable the trap, the phone rang for a second time.

With far more reserve, Kimball said, “Yeah.”

“How are you, Kimball.” It was the smooth and soft-spoken Father Auciello.

“I’m good. Yourself?”

“Same. Doing my due diligence, as always. But the reason why I’m calling is that I have a mission for you, one of grave importance.”

Kimball Hayden sighed inwardly and closed his eyes, knowing that his night with Shari had just been cancelled. “It’s always a matter of grave importance,” he told the priest.

“Not like this, Kimball. Not even close.”

“What are we talking about here?”

“Two items: the crucible belonging to Nostradamus from which he allegedly foretold the future from . . . and Aaron’s rod.”

“Aaron’s r—” Kimball Hayden cut himself off. “To find Aaron’s rod, then I would have to find the Ark of the Covenant, which is in Switzerland.”

“The one presented to Switzerland by Isaiah is a facsimile. The true Ark was secreted away inside a chamber in Croatia under the control of the Consortium. That was where the Knights Templar hid their bounty of treasures that adventurers have been seeking for years. It was also the resting place for the Ark since it was believed that the element within the rod itself may possess a power too great and dangerous to keep inside Vatican City.”

Kimball was at a loss for words, one of the few times he was.

“Kimball, you still there?”

“Yeah. I’m right here,” he answered. Then: “I know that the rod was one of the four items inside the Ark. I’ve seen it.”

“It was stolen by a group called the Shadow Klan. Apparently, the staff which Moses wielded as a divine extension between himself and God contained a dark element that was encapsulated inside a crystal, with the crystal embedded within the head of the rod. It’s called the Eye of Moses.”

Father Auciello went on and provided a brief history of the Consortium but spoke extensively about the crucible and the rod. Kimball remembered seeing the gem inside the head of the staff but thought little of it.

“The Shadow Klan is a society headed by a politically minded overseer who took the rod not because of its priceless value, but because of the particle that glimmers within its crystal casing. It is the belief of the Consortium principals that the rod will be destroyed by the Master Techs to get at the particle and to harness its power for military application.”

“The Master Techs?”

“Progressive-thinking scientists who take