The Serpent's Disciple Read online

  Seventh day of the fourth month of the year 1220 A.D. of Our Lord

  Day Two

  Quickly changing clothes Anthony slipped out again while it was still dark. He waited for the sunrise and the angel to appear. He was not afraid this time as the ball of light grew larger and the angel appeared.

  “Again, Our Lord is pleased you have obeyed His command. Now write down the words I speak.”

  Anthony took pen and paper and began to write.

  “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door I will come in to you. Many Shepherds have fallen asleep. Awaken from your slumber, O Pastors. Many have come posing as angels of light, but with darkness of heart and dark secrets.”

  “Pray for all men of sin and above all pray for the children.”

  “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

  Now go and write what you have been told into the book. Return one more day to hear the words of Our Lord.”

  Eighth day of the fourth month of the year 1220 A.D. of Our Lord

  Day Three

  Anthony awoke even earlier than the previous two mornings. He knew this would be the last day he would be visited by the angel. Arriving early to the spot where the angel would appear, he wondered if this was nothing more than a dream that he would awake from and find himself lying in his bed.

  Anthony sat quietly as he watched dawn approaching. It was his favorite part of the day. The sun slowly rose in the sky and he watched as the ball of light descended down to earth. Then he heard the now familiar voice of the angel.

  “God is pleased with you, Anthony. You have proven your love for Him. This will be the last day for you to hear the words of Our Lord and write them down as you have been told.

  “You were given a gift. Place the book in it so no other eyes can read what you were witness to. When the time comes, you will be shown what to do. Now write down what I say.” And Anthony began to write down the words for the last time.

  “I, your God and your Judge eternal give you in command the direction to turn back and restore My House while there is still time.”

  “Beware the snake has risen its head again.”

  “The battle will separate the wheat from the chaff. All that is rotten shall fall.”

  “Take the knowledge My Son has taught you.”

  “I spoke through My disciple Daniel who wrote down My words. Study them well.”

  “I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the beginning and the end. No one came before me and no one will come after me.”

  As the angel finished, Anthony felt a sharp pain in his hand. He dropped the pen he had been writing with and looked to see the reason for the stabbing pain.

  “You have received one of the five wounds that Our Lord had to endure when he was placed on the Cross. You will know that what you have witnessed these last three days was not a dream. Now go Anthony and serve the Lord.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Present Day

  He was born Anthony Alberto Andruccioli 82 years ago. Even though he was christened Anthony, after his patron saint, most people knew him by his middle name, Alberto. Few people were aware that Alberto’s bloodline could be traced back to a young boy by the name of Giovanni from the thirteenth century who was an apprentice to the future Saint Anthony.

  God’s plan for Giovanni was not to become a priest. As the monk was near death, Giovanni, now a young man, learned that the gift he had made for his friend and teacher was a sanctuary to sacred scripture. The Chosen One was the only one able to unlock the secret of the box, of which Giovanni would be the first.

  As Alberto’s final hours approached, his daughter Antonella sat by his bedside. Sad to leave his two children behind, he was happy to be going home. When his own father was dying, Alberto had been the one chosen to receive the cross that now hung around his daughter’s neck.

  It had not been needed during his lifetime, so one more time it was passed down from parent to child. As the Chosen One Antonella now possessed the secret to unlocking the gift a young boy had made for his teacher hundreds of years ago.

  Antonella listened as her father explained what she had been chosen for and the magnitude of what she now possessed.

  “You must have faith, my dear Antonella, if it is your destiny to seek out the gift given by the young Giovanni. You will be guided and protected. Never be afraid, I will be right there with you,” he said, smiling lovingly at her.

  Alberto’s breathing was becoming more labored now. “Dad, is there anything I can get for you?”

  “No dear, I’m just so tired.”

  “Just rest, Dad, I’ll be right here while you sleep.”

  It is so hard to know what to do or what to say when a parent is disappearing before your eyes. Antonella could feel her father’s hand was cooler than it should be and there was a slightly bluish tint to his skin. She knew his body was no longer fighting to live. She remembered experiencing the same thing when her mother died. They are more in the next world than they are in this world. She wanted him to wake up and be better but she knew it wasn’t possible.

  Leaning over, she whispered, “Dad, it’s okay if you want to go; we’ll be okay, Anthony and I, we’ll be okay.”

  Holding his hand, she was looking at him lying there when suddenly his eyes opened and they were so clear and alert it startled her.

  “Remember dear the secret lies within. I love you, Antonella, and tell Anthony I am very proud of him.” Then he gently squeezed her hand, closed his eyes, and took one last breath. His soul departed. Her father was no longer of this world.

  CHAPTER 7

  Anthony and Antonella hadn’t spent much time together over the last ten years. Anthony went to the University of Michigan and received a degree in architecture and later a doctorate in religion. Professor Digornia, the dean of the College of Architecture, saw great potential in Anthony and became his mentor and friend. He strongly urged Anthony to enter some of his work into two international design contests; Anthony ended up taking first place in one and honorable mention in the other. After graduation the professor recommended him to a large firm that did work all over the world.

  Anthony had been with the firm for more than ten years. The last couple years, he had been traveling to Europe quite often to consult on the restoration of historic buildings. Besides becoming fluent in Italian, Anthony also worked on achieving a black belt in the last two years.

  Antonella, on the other hand, attended Michigan State University (MSU) and graduated with a Ph.D. in history. After graduation she was offered a position to teach at MSU, which she accepted. This semester her courses focused on the Renaissance.

  Unlike her brother, Antonella had only traveled to Europe through books and surfing the Web. For fun, she liked to wander through antique stores looking for small unique boxes. It had become her newest passion. The latest find was a small wooden prayer box thought to be quite old. On the inside of the lid was an inscription and the walls of the box were carved with intricate carvings. It was believed to be a replica of a box from the thirteenth century.

  When lecturing to her students, she would notice sometimes in old paintings one of these small treasures, sitting on a table or being held by someone. Insignificant in the overall artwork, but someone had to craft the boxes and maybe they had even been commissioned by the person in the painting. It reminded her of the Russian Fabergé jeweled eggs, and how they are sought after by collectors around the world.

  Neither Anthony nor Antonella had married although Anthony had been in a serious relationship, and everyone thought he and Mary Ellen would get married after she received her law degree from Harvard. They were perfect for each other, or that’s what everyone thought, but they parted ways. No one in the family knew why; everyone wanted to ask but never did. Not long after that Antonella met Larry and things were going well between them.

  Since their mother had passed away a few years ago and now their father
had just died, the two of them talked about taking a trip to their father’s birthplace of Pesaro, Italy, a small town on the Adriatic Sea.

  Antonella had just gotten off the phone with Larry and saw that Anthony had tried to call. She called him back and he picked up on the second ring.

  “About time Nelli,” his nickname for his sister, “So are we all set? Did you finish covering the course outlines with your replacement?”

  “Yes, everything is taken care of. I’m starting to wonder if they’re even going to miss me.”

  “Right, that’s why they just made you head of the department,” said Anthony.

  “It just seems strange,” responded Nelli, “I can’t remember the last time I took off in the middle of a semester.”

  “Well, it’s the only time that worked for both of us and it should be fun to see where our father grew up.”

  Larry was very supportive of Nelli taking the trip and thought it was a wonderful idea. It would be an opportunity for Nelli and Anthony to spend time together and reconnect.

  It was the strangest thing though, once she and Anthony made the decision to take this trip Nelli swore she felt the presence of her father sometimes.

  She’d talked to colleagues who said that was not uncommon when someone close to you died, but lately she was having dreams about him too.

  CHAPTER 8

  Rome

  Mary Ellen O’Farrell had done it! She accomplished the first hurdle. In her newly appointed position she’d broken through hundreds of years of tradition. She was now the highest-ranking woman and many considered her the highest-ranking female adviser in the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II had appointed her president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. The group studies economics, sociology, law, and political science to help the pontiff develop the church’s social Doctrines. As a member of the Pontifical Council of the Laity, she was also a papal advisor on some of the most sensitive issues facing the Catholic Church, one of them being the continuing sexual scandal involving clergy.

  She made a promise to herself and to her brother to restore his reputation. Laying out a plan she finally felt she had the means available to accomplish her goal.

  Both sides of the family being good Irish Catholics had produced priests. Father Patrick O’Farrell on her father’s side, now in his seventies, is retired and enjoys filling in on weekends, to serve mass for priests who are either ill or on vacation. Parishioners love it when he visits their church.

  Then there is Uncle Clancy McFarland or Father Clancy on her mother’s side. He is a slim man; his hair is not as full and not as white as Uncle Pat’s. He has warm hazel eyes that radiate a gentle soul ready to comfort anyone in need.

  The two uncles are very different; though when they are together at a family gathering they rib and tease each other nonstop.

  Devlin and Mary Ellen were born identical twins, Mary Ellen being the oldest by six minutes. Of course, she always had to remind her brother of that. Devlin had followed in his uncle’s footsteps, but then false accusations were made by parents of his parish of inappropriate behavior by Devlin with their child. Ever since the day he made his first communion, he wanted to become a priest; the day the Church excommunicated him both his and Mary Ellen’s worlds collapsed.

  Devlin somehow came to terms with all of it, putting his life back together again, but Mary Ellen never forgot the look on his face, when she picked her brother up that day, and he walked out of the church no longer wearing the familiar Collarino shirt and clerical collar.

  She promised herself then and there that she would prove the sexual allegations against her brother were a lie. So far, Mary Ellen had been unsuccessful in clearing her brother’s name. Now that she was at the Vatican in a position of strength, she hoped she would have access to information not available to her before. She would find out who and why someone had done this and take the proof to the Archbishop of the Apostolic Penitentiary at the Vatican.

  The Apostolic Penitentiary has jurisdiction only over matters in the internal forum, one of them being the absolution of excommunications, latæ sententiæ, reserved to the Holy See. After proving Devlin’s innocence she would then make an appeal to have them reinstate Devlin to the priesthood. But because of her allegiance to her brother, she had sacrificed her relationship with Anthony.

  CHAPTER 9

  Present Day

  The initiation ceremony was about to begin. P2’s Grand Master sits on his throne waiting for the pagan to enter. To everyone present Peter Romanus, Grand Master of Propaganda Due, will be referred to as Naj Hannah, translated means King Cobra.

  His dark hair is sprinkled with gray at the temples but he still has the body of a much younger man and did not lack a handsome face to go with everything else. Heads turn when he enters a room. Now perched upon his throne he was an imposing figure.

  Across the room in black leather chairs around a red marble conference table, sit twelve members of an elite group known as the Wolf Pack, Naj Hannah’s disciples, some even say his execution squad. They are dressed in black satin ceremonial robes and wearing hoods reminiscent of those worn by members of the Ku Klux Klan. Embroidered upon each is the insignia of a cobra head, the symbol of their order. None of the disciples know the identity of any of his eleven brothers.

  Two more Masons stand post at the entrance to the meeting room, their faces also covered. They are Peter’s personal bodyguards whose job is to protect the Grand Master and kill any disciple who betray the cause “Il Momento di Passare all.” Like the twelve disciples, each bodyguard is armed with an ax and automatic weapon. The ax is a reminder to anyone who betrays the oath, “to kill the serpent you must chop off its head.”

  There is an uneven series of knocks at the door, “Your Worshipful,” a disciple announces, “a pagan wishes to enter.” Peter Romanus strikes the table with one blow from his ax. The massive door swings open slamming against the inner wall. Two guards escort the initiate to the center of the room where he faces the twelve hooded disciples with his back to the Grand Master’s throne.

  The pagan is wearing a plain black hood and is blindfolded. His identity is known only to the Grand Master and to no one else. He is asked one question by each of the twelve disciples but the pagan does not answer, instead one of the guards speaks for him. Once all the ritual questions are asked, the pagan is turned to face the Naj Hannah.

  Peter had been looking forward to today. With the initiation of Cardinal Cavallari to the brotherhood, the final piece of his plan would be in place.

  So he begins, “Pagan, are you prepared to die in order to preserve the secrets of Propaganda Due?”

  The initiate now answers for himself.

  “I am.”

  “Do you have the necessary quality of contempt for danger?”

  “I do.”

  “Do you have the necessary quality of courage?”

  “I am courageous.”

  “Are you prepared to fight and perhaps face shame, even death, so that we who may become your Brothers can destroy the forces that want to kill us?”

  “I am.”

  The blindfold is removed. It takes a moment for the cardinal’s eyes to adjust. This is the first time since entering the compound that he has been allowed to see light. It represents the power of P2, “Without membership one is blind, with the help of the order, however, the way is clear.”

  Peter Romanus smiles to himself. In less than two weeks, with the help of the cardinal, he would take his rightful place as Bishop of Rome, taking the name Peter II and the next Ruler of the New World Order (NWO). The world would soon realize that his power would reach far beyond Vatican City. The battle between good and evil would finally be won. Those who did not accept the mark of loyalty would be put to death. He would reign supreme over all the earth.

  CHAPTER 10

  As Peter Romanus looked out the window from his country estate in Arezzo, onto the vine-covered hills outside his private office, five men were gathering in a secret l
ocation outside of Pesaro. They were not to be told the Grand Master would be watching and listening on closed circuit TV.

  Each of them was flying in this morning. They had been contacted only two weeks ago by Thomas, the Grand Master’s right-hand man, informing them of the meeting and to rearrange their calendars. Two weeks was short notice for men in their position, but the request had come directly from Peter. They knew better than not to attend.

  Angelo Acciaiolio, owner and CEO of Mediaset, the commercial television empire in Italy had just arrived at the location given to him by Thomas. He was a handsome man in his early fifties. The navy Armani pinstripe suit he wore was tailor-made to fit his toned body perfectly.

  “Silvio, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Silvio Reni had been going through some documents and had not noticed Angelo enter the room.

  “Buon giorno Angelo, I landed about an hour ago and was driven straight here.”

  “I didn’t know if anyone else would be coming. Good to see you my friend,” said Angelo as he placed his hand on Silvio’s shoulder. “Or should I call you prime minister? I hope you were happy with our coverage of your campaign?”

  They gave each other a knowing glance, implying a secret. There was no question, that his TV networks would be favorable towards Silvio and his run for office. P2 was pulling the strings.

  The next Prime Minister was also in his fifties. He was a nice looking man, tall and slim and very charismatic, an excellent trait for the role of the next leader of Italy. His wife Sophia was an elegant, self-assured, and beautiful woman. They were the perfect power couple.

  Angelo continued, “Do you think anyone else will be attending?”

  Before Silvio could respond, in walked General Orazio D’Amoto, Head of the Military Intelligence Service (SISMI). Orazio nodded to both men and headed in their direction.