The Crimson Dagger - Vatican Knights Series 23 (2020), Rick Jones [free ebooks for android txt] 📗

the consequences. I also believe that this is happening by the will of Allah to show the world His divine power. We will get through this. Qusay, Zamir, Talib and Ghazi . . . They’re all servicing a purpose as we speak. The plan is in motion.”

“What plan?”

Even though Mustafa smiled, it appeared more artificial than real. “Trust me, my friend. The game’s just getting started.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The Vatican

Vatican City

In Vienna, the BBC, CNN International, Al Jazeera, CNBC, and Germany’s DW were piecing together news based on eye-witness accounts to grab international headlines. Since ratings were always king, stories had been ‘slightly’ embellished to create enough drama to trump rivaling networks.

The mention of terrorists, executions and explosions, all touched upon the sense of the macabre as a means to drive up core interests. Blood always took lead in the storylines, as did chaos and mayhem. Darkness always seemed to grip entire nations instead of stories that were filled with joyous content. Since it was human nature to be primeval in regard to such events, and since these primordial interests often overwhelmed our sense of civility, human decency often took a backseat to such a powerful uprising of darker deeds.

As dawn approached, the airwaves monopolized every channel, every station, and every waking moment. People were riveted with everyone from politicians to layman, or to anyone who had cast a personal ballot of thought. Some had voiced their opinion openly, claiming that it was either al-Qaida, the Islamic State, or even a conspiracy theory that had been made up by a deep-state organization, with some ideas promoting lunacy.

But deep inside the Vatican, the leading principals of the Austrian state had contacted a bishop of the Holy See who acted as liaison between the country’s political leaders and the pope. As the bishop listened on the line while theories and media fallacies were easily cast aside by the Austrian leadership, the full truth had been outlined in great detail. A terrorist cell had taken hostages inside of the Kristallpalast in Vienna, and casualties had mounted as a result to storm the stronghold.

Apparently, the Holy Lance had been stolen from the Imperial Treasury in a well-planned robbery. Now, the holy relic was in the hands of a man named Ali Mustafa, a leader of the Islamic State who was attempting to reestablish a caliphate in the Middle East.

Though the first try to take command had failed, efforts were underway to retake the building once again. But the caveat was that the Vatican’s Cardinal Secretary of State was one of the high-profile hostages, and one of six taken. But a victim who was believed to have been purely classified as an example, had been executed as a show of force.

The bishop, whose role was to keep the pope apprised of all the interests of the church, walked through the dark warrens of the Apostolic Palace until he came upon the door of the pontiff’s chamber. Two Swiss Guards who were minding the doorway with their decorative halberds held tight, though their sidearms and holsters were clearly visible, had stepped aside. Rapping his knuckles lightly against the chamber door three times, the door finally opened.

Pope Clement XV, whose white hair was caught up in wild tangles, peeked through the opening enough to expose his hatchet-thin face. “Yes.”

The bishop remained silent as he handed a scroll to the pontiff, who quickly accepted it and closed the door immediately. Stepping inside his room and hastily making his way to his desk, he clicked on the light, which provided feeble illumination, and undid the scroll.

After reading it, he set the scroll aside, took his seat, and deliberated with his eyes staring fixedly to a point on a distant wall.

The interests of the church had been jeopardized by the actions of a terrorist group, as was the welfare of the Vatican’s Cardinal Secretary of State.

As his eyes shifted to the phone on his desk, he realized that he needed to involve the Vatican Knights. But in order to do so and in his Machiavellian way, he would make demands on the Austrian government. The Einsatzkommando Cobra unit would have to stand back and stand by and allow the Vatican Knights to do what they did best. In turn, he would dismiss all culpability in the actions of the Austrian government, should the Vatican Knights fail in safely securing the Cardinal Secretary.

Pope Clement XV tented his fingers before him. In truth, he cared little for the Cardinal Secretary. What he wanted was the Holy Lance and the alleged power that came with it. Cardinal Favino was just an excuse for the Vatican Knights to take lead on this mission.

A moment later, he hit the speakerphone button.

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“Contact the Austrian government. I know the jurisdiction belongs to them, but as a courtesy, I would like to send in my own team. Inform the governing principals that if the Vatican’s Cardinal Secretary of State is killed, then the Vatican will not hold the government culpable for his death. If they disagree, however, then the Vatican will file a grievance against the principals of the government.”

“Yes, Your Holiness. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

A moment later, he said, “Tell Kimball Hayden to attend my chamber for council.”

“Yes, Your Holiness. Will there be anything else?”

“Just get back to me with what the Austrian principals agree upon.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

There was a click, the call severed.

Pope Clement XV, who once killed a man in an attempt to achieve the highest spiritual seat in the land, continued to bounce the tips of his fingers together on his tented hands.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The Vatican

Vatican City

There was a light rapping against Kimball’s door. At first he thought it was a part of his dream with the tap-tap-tapping making no sense, however, with the images that were playing out in his mind—that of children playing in a fenced-in yard by a lakeside cabin.

. . . tap . .