The Serpent's Disciple Read online

  Nelli, on the other hand, looked just like their mother. She had her auburn hair and light brown eyes. In fact, when she was a young woman, she was stopped more than once and asked if she was Ann Andruccioli’s daughter. Luckily, like her father, Nelli was slow to anger, which was helpful when she was experiencing her brother’s stubbornness like now. But if you pushed them too far you better be prepared for a battle.

  Anthony still hadn’t responded to her suggestion about stopping to visit Mary Ellen.

  “It’s been a long time Anthony; wouldn’t it be nice to see her again? You both cared about each other at one time.”

  Anthony stared out the window, “Let me think about it Nelli.”

  You could hear the flight attendant informing the passengers that the plane had reached its cruising altitude and the captain had turned off the seat belt sign.

  Nelli decided not to tell Anthony that she had already called Mary Ellen last night.

  CHAPTER 16

  They’d been flying for close to three hours, Nelli and Anthony had each gotten a glass of wine. In a little while the flight attendant would be coming around to serve dinner. Nelli was reading a book on Pesaro and the surrounding towns, trying not to think about the dreams she’d been having the last couple weeks, but she was losing the battle. Fidgeting with the cross their father had given to her, she started to shake and felt her heart was racing.

  The plane hit some unexpected turbulence and Anthony glanced over at Nelli immediately seeing something was wrong.

  “Nelli, are you feeling okay?”

  “Um, yes I’m fine, why?”

  “You’re pale as a ghost, and you’re trembling.”

  Anthony had gotten two blankets before takeoff, grabbing one now from the seat pocket in front of him. Nelli watched as he removed it from the wrapping, her thoughts spinning. She needed to tell Anthony about the dreams she’d been having.

  “Here, put this around you,” said Anthony.

  She leaned forward a little and grabbed one side of the blanket. Anthony abruptly stopped, then quickly recovered and continued to wrap the blanket around her shoulders.

  After a few minutes he said in a calm voice, “What did you do to your hand, Nelli?”

  She pretended not to hear him, closing her eyes and pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders, as if it could keep the world out creating a safe place for her to hide. She felt her heart beginning to beat slower and warmth flowed back through her body.

  “Good, your color’s coming back,” said Anthony. “Now tell me what’s going on? The last couple weeks I’ve noticed you have seemed distracted and more tired, but I just attributed it to getting ready for the trip. I figured if anything was wrong you would tell me. I can see that you’re struggling with something.”

  He held her hand and gently gave it a squeeze.

  “Anthony, I’ve wanted to tell you but I didn’t know what you would think.”

  “What are you talking about, Nelli?”

  “I haven’t been sleeping well and I’ve been dreaming about people who have died. At first I didn’t think anything of it. I figured it was probably due to being excited about the trip.”

  “Nelli, its fine, tell me about the dreams. We’ll talk about them together.”

  Anthony listened as she described them in detail. He was patient and nonjudgmental, asking a few questions once in a while.

  For Nelli, it felt as if her father was sitting next to her, nodding and acknowledging that she was remembering everything correctly. It felt good to tell someone, to tell Anthony. She didn’t feel alone anymore.

  “I’m glad you told me Nelli. I wish you would have confided in me from the start. I have always felt bad I was not in the room with you when Dad died. I know you two had a special bond.”

  “We each had our own unique connection with Dad, Anthony. I know he loved us both very much. We each filled different roles in his life.”

  Anthony couldn’t tell Nelli that he was there watching as their father gave her the necklace. The time had come. He needed to alert the others.

  CHAPTER 17

  Outside of Pesaro

  The five men waited for Thomas to return and begin the meeting. Each was the head of a cell within Propaganda Due. Although they knew each other, none of them knew the members in each faction. The Naj Hannah was the only one who had the complete list of all P2 members.

  Angelo was the first to speak, “I must ask Thomas to thank Naj Hannah for returning us to where it all began.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement.

  General D’Amoto spoke next, “The number of our members has expanded more quickly than I imagined possible since my initiation. From the reports I received, we now have members in every part of the world and we are still growing.”

  He spoke as if he had an important role in making this happen.

  Back in Arezzo, Peter made a mental note to himself to have Thomas remind General D’Amoto of his place within P2. He could easily be replaced if need be.

  They all remembered being blindfolded and brought to the compound for initiation into P2. The same precautions were also taken this time. No one knew the exact location of the villa, all they knew was that it was on the Adriatic side and about a three-hour drive from Florence.

  Vingenzo and Silvio stiffened as General D’Amoto spoke. Each man had been placed in positions that allowed them much prestige and power. They also knew never to forget who the power was behind them.

  “Do not forget my brothers, the oath we each took,” snapped Silvio. “We are all brothers and only one person is responsible for our success, the Naj Hannah.”

  “I agree with Silvio, we are all working for the same purpose,” said Vingenzo. Then turning his head, he said, “We have not heard from you yet Cardinal Cavallari.”

  Before the cardinal could say anything, the double doors to the room opened and in walked Thomas. This time two men followed him and positioned themselves at each of the doors. They were dressed in ceremonial robes and wearing black hoods with the cobra head insignia. Each man carried an ax and automatic weapon. As part of the Wolf Pack neither man knew the identity of the other.

  Thomas ignored the concerned looks on the men’s faces. He took his seat at the head of the table.

  “Gentlemen before we begin, we will start by renewing the oath.”

  “Are you prepared to …. ”

  From the villa, Peter watched as the monitors registered the physical responses as each man answered the questions.

  Then Thomas opened the folder in front of him looking at the first item on the agenda.

  Looking up he said, “Shall we begin?”

  CHAPTER 18

  Mary Ellen looked at her watch; she would reach the northeast entrance in another five minutes. She was lucky to have found an apartment not far from the Vatican. Walking it took her at the most twenty minutes.

  Even before accepting the job, the church had always been a large part of her life, especially when you have three priests in the family. She began to walk faster, trying to repress her anger, she thought, “I should have said two priests in the family. I will find out who set my brother up. Someone lied and I’m going to prove it.” Becoming self-conscious that someone might have overheard her, Mary Ellen looked around to see if anyone was staring at her.

  Her family always knew Mary Ellen did not want a consecrated life like her brother. They assumed though that she would eventually do something that centered around the Church but they never dreamed she would have the position she now held.

  So absorbed with her thoughts it surprised Mary Ellen when she found herself standing in front of the entrance into Vatican City.

  “Buon giornio signorina O’Farrell. May I please see your I.D.?”

  “Buon giorno Raphael, Come stai?”

  “Molto bene, grazie.” Raphael handed back Mary Ellen’s I.D. “Have a good day signorina O’Farrell.”

  “Grazie Raphael. I hope your day goes well also.” Smili
ng at him, she took back her identification card. After the first couple months of seeing Raphael every morning the two fell into the habit of testing each other’s language skills.

  Raphael is one of 134 Swiss Guards who protect all entrances and exits in and out of Vatican City, among other responsibilities. All recruits must be Catholic, unmarried males with Swiss citizenship, who have completed their basic training with the Swiss Army and come with certificates of good conduct. They must be between the ages of nineteen and thirty, and be at least 175 cm or 68.90 inches in height. Members are armed with small arms and the traditional halberd, also called the Swiss voulge, and trained in body guarding tactics.

  Once Mary Ellen passed through the gates at Porta Sant’Anna, one of the two main entrances into Vatican City, it never failed the feeling that came over her. It was like walking through a time portal into another world. Standing on one side of the entrance, you’re in Italy, then stepping over an invisible line you’ve entered a world of antiquity and the papal residency of the Popes dating back to Peter.

  Vatican City is a sovereign state, the smallest one in the world. It’s a thriving metropolis with a population of approximately 800 people. Almost all of them either live inside its walls or serve in the Holy See’s diplomatic service in embassies called “nunciatures.” Most of the 3,000 lay workers reside outside the Vatican and are citizens of Italy, Mary Ellen now being one of them.

  “Signorina, signorina O’Farrell!” Mary Ellen looked around to see who was calling her name. It was the young priest, Father Roberto running towards her. She stopped and waited for him to catch up.

  “Buon giorno, Father Roberto.”

  “Buon giorno, I was wondering if I could stop by your office today. I would like to talk to you about some information I have recently uncovered. I sent a file to your office; it should be delivered with your mail this morning. There could be some things in it that you might find interesting.”

  “Yes, of course. Please call my assistant and tell her we spoke and to schedule an appointment.”

  Mary Ellen had met Father Roberto a few months ago. She had been down in the Vatican Archives gathering information trying to find evidence to clear her brother’s name. Father Roberto was also there and they started talking. During that initial meeting, they discovered some of the same concerns but for different reasons. They quickly formed a special bond.

  “Have you seen the latest information about the Order of the Legion of Christ?” asked Father Roberto with a raised eyebrow.

  “Yes, unfortunately.”

  “So sad it is.”

  “I agree Father but we must remember, the sins of man are not void even within the ecclesiastical world of God’s church. We were all born with sin no matter what our position is on earth.”

  “Well said signorina O’Farrell. Ah, we have reached your building. I will call your assistant to set up an appointment and will be interested to see what you have to say, after you have read the file, arrivederci.”

  Mary Ellen’s office was on the first floor of the Apostolic Palace that is also home to the papal apartments and various government offices of the Roman Catholic Church.

  “Good morning Ms. O’Farrell, here is your appointment schedule for today and your messages and mail. The large envelope on top was under the door when I got here this morning. There was a note attached expressing it was important and to make sure you looked at it right away.”

  “Thank you Mary.”

  Picking up her mail, Mary Ellen wondered what was inside the envelope. It wasn’t the file from Father Roberto that was in a different envelope. Hanging up her jacket she headed over to her desk.

  “Okay, let’s see what this is all about.”

  There was no return address, just her name on the front. Not recognizing the handwriting she opened the envelope and the only thing inside was a business card. Reaching in she pulled it out not knowing what to make of it and she didn’t know why, but it sent chills through her.

  On the front was an embossed drawing of the head of a king cobra snake. Its mouth opened wide as if to attack, the hood fully extended, the fangs dripping with its poisonous venom and it only had one eye. The pupil of the eye was actually a blue lapis stone. It was as if the cobra was looking directly at her. She dropped the card and had the sense of impending danger imagining the snake jumping off the paper and attacking her.

  Picking it up off the floor, she looked at it again to see if there was anything written on it. There was nothing on the front. Flipping it over, something was scribbled on the back: “The Time is Near.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Flipping the card over again, Mary Ellen wondered why someone would have sent this to her. It wasn’t very amusing. Placing it back in the envelope, she tossed it into the top drawer of her desk. Still rattled, she turned her attention back to the rest of the mail. The file from Father Roberto was on top of the pile. She sat down and was going to see what he had sent, when the desk phone rang. It was her assistant.

  “Yes Mary?”

  “Ms. O’ Farrell you have a call from a Nelli Andruccioli. She said she is an old friend.”

  The name caught Mary Ellen off guard. She hadn’t talked with Nelli since…. since she and Anthony went their separate ways. Why would Nelli be calling her? Could something have happened to Anthony?

  “Ms. O’Farrell? Would you like me to say you’re in an appointment?”

  “I’m sorry Mary, no give me a minute, then put the call through.”

  First the strange card, then the file from Father Roberto, now a call from Nelli, what else did the morning have in store for her? The phone rang again. She hesitated for a moment and then picked it up.

  “Hello Nelli. It’s been a long time, how nice to hear your voice.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you would take my call.”

  “I apologize for not staying in touch Nelli. Is Anthony okay?”

  “Yes, why would you ask that?”

  “Well, I thought not hearing from you after so long that maybe something happened and you were calling to let me know.”

  “No, nothing’s wrong. Anthony is just fine but he doesn’t know I am calling you. I do want to congratulate you on your appointment at the Vatican. My other reason for calling is Anthony and I will be flying to Rome tomorrow. We will be at the Vatican on Wednesday. Anthony has an appointment with Bishop Rossini.”

  Mary Ellen gripped the phone tighter.

  “You’re coming to Rome?”

  “Yes, Anthony is consulting the Vatican on a restoration project. Since we will be in Italy he wanted to meet with the bishop in person and drop off some proposals to him. I told Anthony I thought it would be nice if we could stop and see you.”

  “What did Anthony say to that?”

  “He told me he would think about it.”

  “And did he?”

  Nelli started laughing, “He’s actually still thinking. I don’t know what took place between the two of you. All I know is neither one of you got married the last I knew.” Mary Ellen knew the reason she’d never married, but for Anthony, she had no idea.

  “I don’t know if you heard that Dad passed away. Anthony and I decided to take a trip and see where he was born and where he spent his early years as a young boy.”

  Mary Ellen had heard the news and had wanted to call Anthony but couldn’t get up the nerve.

  “I’m so sorry Nelli. He was a wonderful man. It’s a great loss.”

  “Thank you, we do miss him. If I can get Anthony to agree and you would be willing, we could stop by your office tomorrow.”

  It would be wonderful to see Nelli and Anthony, Mary Ellen thought to herself. When they parted it wasn’t because they didn’t have feelings for each other. She had told Anthony that she needed to correct the wrongs that had been done to her brother and what it had done to her family first, before she could move forward with her life, but Anthony got tired of waiting and the distance between them grew. There had been a few attempts at
communication but it never led anywhere. They had both grown as individuals and had pursued their careers since then. This is ridiculous Mary Ellen thought to herself, nothing has changed; she still cared about Anthony and Nelli.

  “Yes Nelli, I would like that. It would be good to see you and Anthony again. I will look forward to tomorrow. I hope you can persuade your little brother. Let me give you my cell number.”

  They exchanged numbers and Nelli said she would call later. Glancing at the day’s schedule Mary Ellen realized she had a meeting in twenty minutes. There would be no time for lunch today. She needed to set this morning’s events aside for now.

  CHAPTER 20

  At the same time, not far from Mary Ellen’s office, Cardinal McKenna clasped his hands behind his back and stared out the window towards the Sistine Chapel. Pope John Paul I had appointed him prefect for the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia at the Vatican, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei, what used to be the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

  The burden of the latest news weighed heavily on his heart. He feared the forces of evil were gathering strength. A few months back he had met a young priest by the name of Father Roberto, who had come to work in the Vatican Archives and had bent the ear of the cardinal one day, asking endless questions. He was particularly interested in what the CDF’s investigation into the sexual allegations had found out about the priests accused of pedophilia. McKenna remembered the young priest chuckling and saying that maybe he should have become a private eye instead of a priest. He told the cardinal he’d come across some information in his research that was of great concern and wondered if the CDF had also come across the same information. McKenna was curious to see what the young priest had found out and requested he send his findings for him to read.