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

two modes, either remaining in the ceiling pits, or retracing downward with a push of a button.

Beyond this floor, however, existed clandestine chambers and labs and conference rooms for those who possessed authorized memberships of the Shadow Klan. Beneath this topside level was a gateway to a series of hollowed out chambers within the horn known as Deep Mountain.

Inside one of these compartments whose walls were constructed entirely of concrete to buttress the mountain surrounding them, was a laboratory that was fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. For the sciences of particle extraction there was an Automated Solid Phase Extraction Unit, Vacuum and Vortex Evaporators, Solvent Extractors, and a bell-chamber for the safe containment of bombarding particles. There was other equipment as well, mostly with scientific names too difficult to pronounce. In this chamber alone, the cost of the equipment exceeded more than two billion dollars.

In the center of the room was a two-story-tall bell-chamber. Thick cords ran from the unit to several cylindrical devices that were encased in metal pipes with mirror polishes to them, with filamented components inside rotating tubes that constantly shot off thread-thin bolts of electricity.

Through the bank of monitor screens attached to the bell, those in attendance watched as Aaron’s rod, which was placed upon two stanchion poles to hold the staff above the floor, rotated. As it did, the Eye of Moses sparked and twinkled like a burning ember, first flaring and dimming, flaring and dimming, the pulsations reminiscent of a human heart.

The minds that observed the particle embedded within this crystal contemplated their method of approach. A dark particle, outside of anti-matter, was perhaps the most powerful universal force. To toy with it egregiously could cost this entire mountaintop its cap and maybe—perhaps—a sizeable portion of Switzerland, as well. The unknowns would have to be carefully examined without a learning curve. In fact, no one had a clue as to its true destructive force. Some had considered the possibility that a dark particle’s roots began with the immense power buildup that exploded across the universe as part of the Big Bang expansion. If this were the case, there was concern amongst few that this element could lay ruin to entire landscapes, perhaps countries. Whereas others had disputed this by claiming that even a particle as small as this, which was no larger than a single atom, had no such capability.

Nevertheless, the greatest scientific minds in the world who were under the payroll of the Shadow Klan would combine their efforts to reach an amenable deal between them on a safe means of approach to dissect this untapped power.

What they finally agreed upon was that this could be a timely process, and something that would not make the primary principal of Elias Caspari happy.

 

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Shari had taken the news well, which really didn’t surprise Kimball. She also understood that his call to duty could come by way of a phone call at any time. But when he told her about the heightened degree of danger involved, he could see her concern. This was not a mission to seek treasures with the possibility of walking into danger. This was an operation of walking directly into the Viper’s Den with bludgeoning fists and blazing guns.

But in the end, she realized that the power behind the Eye of Moses was too great to sit by and remain idle. If given time, the Master Techs would be able to extricate enough of its power to tilt the world balance in their favor.

Not even halfway across the country in a charter jet to New York, time seemed to pass with glacial slowness to Kimball Hayden. So, he filled his thoughts with Shari as much as he possibly could. In his mind’s eye he could see the flash of her smile from ruler-straight teeth, the glimmer of light in her eyes, and the way rings would shine in her hair whenever she turned a certain way against the sunshine.

In time as they discovered and grew together, he had grown to love her until she had become his first thought in the morning when he awoke, and his last thought at night before he went to bed. And he had loved her so that he eventually wanted to proffer her an engagement ring, a symbolic gesture that he wanted to be hers exclusively for the rest of their lives.

But would she say ‘yes?’

Looking at his own finger, he tried to picture a wedding band on it. It would look fine, he told himself. A nice gold band that would be his greatest treasure. Then setting his hand aside and looking out the window, the charter appeared to be barely moving above the landscape, even at 600 miles-per-hour.

After easing back against the headrest, Kimball once again raised his naked ring finger and examined it. Hopefully, and someday soon, he hoped to be wearing that band. But as many times as he tried to find the courage and ask her to join in communion, fate had always intervened and placed a stay on their plans. Kimball, as he sat there visualizing a time that could be, hoped that fate would at least allow them to get married at one point during their lives. Then he sighed through his nostrils as he wiggled his ring finger, hoping that this mission would not be his last.

Outside, the landscape appeared to move underneath the plane at a snail’s pace.

 

CHAPTER TWELVE

The Consortium Stronghold

Cochem, Germany

Inside the Consortium Stronghold that overlooks the Moselle River lies a hall known as the High Chamber, whose four-million-dollar décor consisted of veined marble flooring, a myriad of decorative pillars created from ivory, and a dome that was layered with gold-leaf panels. In the center of this room was a half-moon shaped table with its circular side surrounded by seven chairs. On the table’s straight side was one chair that was equal to a king’s throne.

Sitting along the half-ring design of the table were the seven reigning members of the Consortium’s field operators. Mr. Spartan