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I reached the flag-waver, a young guy of about thirty. He said, “You Nephilim Logan? DSS?”
I said, “Yes. That’s me. Where’s the ambassador?”
“He’s inside. What’s the trouble?”
“I need to get into the ceremony, right now. I don’t have time to explain. Do you have identification or a badge that can do that?”
“Well, yeah, but I need to know why.”
I started to tell him why—namely that it would save him from an ass-kicking—when two distinct thumps came from the basilica.
And then the people started screaming.
91
Jacob got in line behind Carlos and Devon, the Holy Father less than thirty meters away. The Lost Boys began shuffling forward like a row of condemned men walking to their final resting place.
He watched the Father, ignoring the men around him. Watched him smile, small glasses on his face, joy in his ma
They crept closer and Jacob whispered into the ear of Carlos, “Remember the delay of the detonator. You must time it. Two seconds after release.”
Carlos nodded.
The Holy Father continued to meet the line, and Jacob saw real happiness. Not make-believe political posturing because he had to be there. He felt a twinge of guilt and reflexively looked for Father Brimm. He was nowhere to be found.
They were now twenty people back, and one of the suited men with an earpiece came forward, whispering into the Holy Father’s ear. He nodded, but didn’t break his co
We’ve been discovered.
He said, “Carlos, this is it. Go now. You first, to kill the line of defense, then Devon, to kill the pope.”
The kid behind him poked him in the back, saying, “Quiet. You’re not supposed to be talking.” Never even hearing the words.
Carlos and Devon separated from the line and began walking forward in a rapid ma
Carlos saw the protective detail closing in and darted forward, screaming, “Allahu Akbar!” The security men coalesced like flies to sugar, beating him to the ground. He waited until all were on him, then detonated.
A huge explosion rent the air, and body parts were flung throughout the cathedral, the noise stu
The remaining security men leapt on the Holy Father, three pulling him to the ground and two standing in front, shooting small submachine guns they’d produced from under their jackets. Devon took a staggering amount of rounds, but remained on his feet, still moving forward. His device detonated fifteen feet away, disintegrating his body and shredding the men surrounding the target.
On the ground with everyone else, Jacob realized instantly what had happened. Devon had mistimed the chemicals, expecting to reach the pope on the run. The bullets had slowed him enough to cause it to fire early. Among the screaming and crying, he stared at the mass of flesh of his friend, split neatly in half, his upper torso remarkably intact, his head looking back at Jacob, eyes open.
Jacob stood, preparing to run screaming out of the basilica with everyone else. He took one last look at the altar, surveying the carnage.
And saw the Holy Father move.
* * *
Shoshana was ru
They ran down the sidewalk next to the Tiber River, reaching the bridge for the island and sprinting forward, keeping a pace that made Je
Moving across the spit of land, drawing stares from the tourists mingling about, Je
Shoshana said, “Why are we stopping? Get us to the Colosseum.”
Je
Exasperated, Shoshana said, “We’ll never reach him sitting here. He’s walking. We’re ru
Je
Shoshana said, “Wait, he’s walking around the Forum because there’s no road through it? And if we find a way, we can beat him?”
“Yes, but I just told you, there isn’t a road that does that.”
“There isn’t one for someone carrying a bomb. Plenty of ways for people who run like deer. Show me the phone.”
Je
Je
Je
Shoshana said, “Are you kidding me? You don’t think we can get over?”
Je
Shoshana gri
They took off, loping forward at the same pace, chewing up the ground, ru
Shoshana ran down it for a hundred meters, then darted into a piazza, seeing benches and families enjoying the sunshine, a church on the end.
She stopped, hands on her hips, breathing heavily. “Shit. We can’t get over that. Can’t your phone tell us when we’re stupid?” She paced a bit, then said, “We’re committed now. We keep going deeper. Find a gap.”
Je
“You mean you hoist me, leaving you here?”
Je
“What the hell are you talking about? No way can you climb that.”
Je
Shoshana shook her head, then sprinted to the wall, planting her foot in Je
A teenager to the left, eyes wide, said, “What are you doing?”
Je
She took two breaths and said, “I’m saving the world.”
She sprinted as fast as she could, hitting the wall full-on, catching the rough brick with the ball of her foot and toe-kipping higher. She snagged the vines draping from the top, pulling herself up until she could muscle her way over. She paused on the apex, catching her breath, and saw the teenager below giving her a thumbs-up, beaming.