Painter could not help but fear the worst.
A knock at his half-open door interrupted him.
He turned and waved Logan Gregory into the office. His second-in-command had reams of paper tucked under his arm and dark circles under his eyes. Logan had refused to go home, sticking at his side all night long.
Painter looked on expectantly, hoping for a good word.
Logan shook his head. "Still no hits on their aliases." They had been checking hourly at airports, train stations, and bus lines.
"Border crossings?"
"Nothing. But the EU is pretty much an open sieve. They could have crossed out of Germany any number of ways."
"And the Vatican still hasn"t heard anything?"
Another shake of his head. "I spoke to Cardinal Spera just ten minutes ago."
A chime sounded from his computer. He strode around his desk and tabbed the key to initiate the video-conferencing feature. He faced the plasma screen hanging on the left wall. A pixilating image appeared of his boss, the head of DARPA.
Dr. Sean McKnight was at his office in Arlington. He had abandoned his usual suit jacket and had the cuffs on his shirt rolled up. No tie. He ran a hand through his graying red hair, a familiar tired gesture.
"I got your request," his boss started.
Painter straightened from where he had been leaning on his desk. Logan had retreated to the door, staying out of camera view. He made a move to step out, to offer privacy, but Painter motioned him to stay. His request wasn"t a matter of security.
Sean shook his head. "I can"t grant it."
Painter frowned. He had asked for an emergency pa.s.s to go to the site himself. To be on hand in Germany during the investigation. There might be clues others missed. His fingers curled into a fist in frustration.
"Logan can oversee things here," Painter argued. "I can be in constant communication with command."
Sean"s demeanor hardened. "Painter, you are command now."
"But-"
"You"re no longer a field operative."
The pain must have been evident in his expression.
Sean sighed. "Do you know how many times I"ve sat in my office waiting to hear from you? How about your last operation in Oman? I thought you were dead."
Painter glanced down to his desk. Binders and papers were piled everywhere. There was no relief to be found among them. He had never suspected how agonizing this job had been for his boss. Painter shook his head.
"There is only one way of handling matters like this," his boss said. "And believe me, they"ll happen on a regular basis."
Painter faced the screen. An ache had settled behind his breastbone, throbbing and hot.
"You have to trust your agents. You put them into the field, but once they"re let loose, you have to have confidence. You picked the team leader for this op and his support. Do you trust they are capable of handling a hostile situation?"
Painter pictured Grayson Pierce, Monk Kokkalis, and Kat Bryant. They were some of the best and brightest in the force. If anyone could survive...
Painter slowly nodded. He did trust them.
"Then let them run their game. Like I did you. A horse runs best with only the lightest touch of the reins." Sean leaned forward. "All you can do now is wait for them to contact you. That is your responsibility to them. To be ready to respond. Not to run off to Germany."
"I understand," he said, but it didn"t offer much solace. The ache continued inside his rib cage.
"Did you get that package I sent you last week?"
Painter glanced up, a half-smile forming. He had gotten a care package from his director. A crate of Tums antacids. He had thought it was a gag gift, but now he wasn"t so sure.
Sean settled back into his chair. "That"s all the relief you"ll ever get in this business."
Painter recognized the truth in his mentor"s words. Here was the true burden of leadership.
"It was easier in the field," he finally mumbled.
"Not always," Sean reminded him. "Not always by a long shot."
12:10 P P.M.
MILAN, ITALY.
LOCKED UP tight," Monk said. "Just like the monsignor said." tight," Monk said. "Just like the monsignor said."
Gray could not argue. It all looked good. He itched to get inside, grab the bones, and head out of here.
They stood on a shaded sidewalk bordering the una.s.suming facade of the Basilica of Saint Eustorgio, near one of the side doors. The front was humble adorned red brick; behind it rose a single clock-tower steeple, surmounted by a cross. The tiny sun-baked square was empty for the moment.
A few minutes ago, a munic.i.p.al patrol car had looped past, going slow, keeping watch. All seemed quiet.
Following Kat"s recommendation, they had searched the entire church"s periphery from a circ.u.mspect distance. Gray had also used a set of telescoping lenses to peer discreetly through several windows. The five side chapels and central nave appeared deserted.
Sunlight blazed off the pavement. The day had grown hot.
But Gray still felt cold, unsure.
Would he be less cautious if it were only himself?
"Let"s do this," he said.
Vigor stepped to the side door and reached for the large iron knocker, a ring containing a simple cross.
Gray stayed his hand. "No. We"ve kept our approach quiet. Let"s keep it that way." He turned to Kat and pointed to the lock. "Can you get it open?"
Kat dropped to a knee. Monk and Gray shielded her work with their bodies. While Kat studied the lock, her fingers fished through a lock-picking kit. With the meticulous skill of a surgeon, she set to work on the door"s lock.
"Commander," Vigor said. "To violate a church..."
"If you were already invited entry by the Vatican, it"s no violation."
A snick of a latch ended the matter. The door opened an inch.
Kat gained her feet and shouldered her pack.
Gray waved the others back. "Monk and I will go in alone. Scout the terrain." He reached to his collar and secured an earpiece in place. "Radio up while we have a chance. Kat, stay here with Rachel and Vigor."
Gray taped on a throat mike for subvocalization.
Vigor stepped forward. "Like I said before, priests are more likely to speak to someone wearing a collar. I"ll go with you."
Gray hesitated-but the monsignor made sense. "Stay behind us at all times."
Kat did not protest being left holding the door, but Rachel"s eyes sparked fire.
"We need someone to cover our backs if things go south," he explained, speaking directly to Rachel.
Her lips tightened, but she nodded.
Satisfied, he turned and opened the door enough to slip through. The dark foyer was cool. The doors to the nave were closed. He saw nothing amiss. The quiet of the sanctuary felt heavy, like being underwater.
Monk closed the outer door and flipped his long coat aside to rest a hand on his shotgun. Vigor obeyed his instructions and shadowed Monk.
Gray moved to the central door of the inner nave. He pushed it open with the palm of his hand. He had his Glock in the other.
The nave was brighter than the foyer, full of natural light from the basilica"s windows. Its polished marble floor reflected the illumination, appearing almost wet. The basilica was much smaller than the cathedral in Cologne. Rather than cross-shaped, it was just a single long hall, a straight nave that ended at the altar.
Gray froze and watched for movement. Despite the ample light, there were plenty of places for people to hide. A line of pillars supported the arched roof. Five tiny chapels jetted out from the right wall, sheltering the tombs of martyrs and saints.
Nothing moved. The only noise was the distant rumble of traffic, sounding as if coming from another world.
Gray entered and moved down the center of the nave, pistol ready.
Monk stepped wide, positioning himself to keep the entire nave covered. They crossed the hall in silence. There was no sign of the church"s staff.
"Perhaps they all went out for a late lunch," Monk subvocalized into his radio.
"Kat, can you hear me?" Gray asked.
"Loud and clear, Commander."
They reached the end of the nave.
Vigor pointed to the right, to the chapel closest to the altar.
Tucked into the chapel"s corner, a gigantic sarcophagus lay half in shadow. Like the reliquary in Cologne, the Shrine of the Magi here was shaped like a church, but rather than gold and jewels, the sarcophagus had been carved out of a single block of Proconnesio marble.
Gray led the way toward it.
The shrine stood over twelve feet tall from its base to pitched roof and stretched seven feet wide by twelve long. The only access to the interior was through a small barred window low in the front face.
"Finestra confessionis," Vigor whispered, pointing to the window. "So one can observe the relics while kneeling." Vigor whispered, pointing to the window. "So one can observe the relics while kneeling."
Gray approached. Monk stood guard. He still didn"t like this situation. He bent and peered through the small window. Behind gla.s.s, a white silk-lined chamber opened.
The bones had been removed, just as the monsignor had described. The Vatican was taking no chances. And neither would he.
"The rectory is located off the church"s left side," Vigor said, a bit too loudly. "That"s where the offices and apartments are. It"s connected through the sacristy." He pointed across the church.
As if responding to his signal, a door smacked open across the nave. Gray dropped to a knee. Monk yanked the monsignor behind a pillar, swinging up his shotgun.
A single figure strode out, oblivious of the intruders.
It was a young man dressed in black with a clerical collar.
A priest.
He was alone. He crossed and began lighting a set of candles on the far side of the altar.
Gray waited until the man was only two yards away. Still, no others appeared. Slowly he gained his feet, coming into view.
The priest froze when he spotted Gray, his arm half-raised in lighting another candle. His expression turned to shock when he spotted the pistol in Gray"s hand. "Chi sei?" "Chi sei?"
Still, Gray hesitated.
Vigor stepped out of hiding. "Padre..." "Padre..."
The priest jumped, and his eyes flicked to the monsignor. He immediately noted the matching collar; confusion surpa.s.sed fear.
"I am Monsignor Verona," Vigor introduced, stepping forward. "Do not be afraid."
"Monsignor Verona?" Worry etched the man"s features. He backed a step.
"What"s wrong?" Gray asked in Italian.
The priest shook his head. "You can"t be Monsignor Verona."
Vigor stepped forward and showed him his Vatican ID.
The man glanced from it back to Vigor.
"But a...a man came here early this morning, just after dawn. A tall man. Very tall. With identification as Monsignor Verona. He bore papers with proper seals from the Vatican. To take the bones."
Gray exchanged a look with the monsignor. They had already been outmaneuvered. Instead of brute force, the Dragon Court had slipped in more slyly this time. By necessity. Because of the increased security. With the real Monsignor Verona believed dead, the Court had a.s.sumed his role. Like everything else, they must have known about Vigor"s side mission here to collect the relics. They had used the intelligence to slip the last bones through the intensified security here.
Gray shook his head. They continued to be a step behind.
"d.a.m.n it," Monk said.