God's Lions: The Secret Chapel (48 page)

Radioactivity was still high and would remain at lethal levels for years to come before rebuilding could safely begin. In Rome, the news of the pope’s sudden death had stunned the world, and Catholics in every city on earth kept a close eye on the Vatican as the conclave of cardinals cast their votes for the next pontiff.

Lev lit a cigar and laid back in his deck chair. “Are you ready for the big day?”

John smiled back at his future father-in-law. “I’m as ready as I ever will be. I never knew so much planning could go into a wedding. Ariella is really excited.”

Lev peered into the salon at the sleeping form of his daughter on one of the couches with Camp curled up at her feet. “She doesn’t seem too excited right now.”

“She’s exhausted. I think she’s been on the phone for two solid days now. All her friends here in Israel are coming, along with my family and friends from America. She wants to have the ceremony on the beach next to the villa.”

“I thought she would choose the beach. Her mother and I were married there, and Ariella said it was one of your favorite places.”

“I can’t think of a more beautiful spot. By the way, Lev, thanks for the wedding gift.”

Lev glanced sideways at John with a look of mock surprise. “What gift?”

“Ariella told me about it yesterday. I hear you’re giving us a house.”

“It’s the house Ariella was raised in. We had just moved into the villa when her mother died, so most of her childhood memories of us as a family are in that little house. My wife designed it, you know. That’s probably another reason Ariella has always held a special place in her heart for it. It’s in a great location close to the sea and has the most beautiful garden on the property. I can’t imagine anyone else ever living there. I hope you and Ariella will be as happy there as Carmela and I were.” Lev looked over at John and winked. “It will be a great place to raise my grandchildren.”

Laughter erupted above them as Father’s Leo and Morelli came bouncing down the stairs from the top deck. Morelli flopped down in a deck chair, while Leo stood and looked out over the ancient harbor. The harbor at Caesarea had been built by Herod the Great at the site of an old Phoenician port in 22 BC and was dedicated to Caesar Augustus.

Leo and Morelli were in Israel for John and Ariella’s wedding. They had both been hard at work beneath the Vatican for the past six months overseeing the construction of a new underground center surrounding the ancient chapel. The mysterious chapel was now considered one of the most holy places in the world.

In addition to spending time at the chapel, Leo had also been sifting through ancient scrolls in the Vatican library for hints of any ancient Christian sects who had once lived in Rome and who might have been led by a prophet. He believed that the people who constructed the ancient chapel and painted the images depicting future events must have been Christians inspired by God, and Leo hoped that someday the code would reveal their secret.

Sarah had returned to America and she and Daniel e-mailed daily. They would be seeing each other again for the first time in months at John and Ariella’s wedding. The wedding would be the perfect backdrop for a reunion of everyone who had participated in finding the Devil’s Bible and delivering it to the chapel where the miracle of the angels had occurred.

Water continued to pour forth from the Negev Desert, and families were moving there from all over Israel to start farms as the government worked to harness the power of the water. Oil companies from around the globe were drilling for oil under contract from the Israeli government, and the country was now as rich as Saudi Arabia.

Moshe’s wife, Hadar, called the men on the back deck to lunch, and soon, they were consuming turkey club sandwiches and drinking Cokes under the shade of the blue and white awning. The image of Saint Peter’s Square filled the flat screen TV over the bar as the camera zoomed across the crowd and focused on the small, thin smokestack above the Sistine Chapel. The whole world watched in anticipation as white smoke began to pour into the crisp morning air. A new pope had been chosen.

The men watched intently as Saint Peter’s Basilica came into view and the camera panned across the square showing thousands of Catholics standing in front of the huge church anxiously awaiting their first sight of the new Pope. The newscasters continued to debate which cardinal had been chosen—their cameras now focused on the polished wooden doors that opened out onto a balcony at the front of the church facing Saint Peter’s Square. The doors opened, and after a brief pause, a cardinal dressed in red stepped out and looked over the crowd.

He adjusted his glasses and read from a sheet of paper. Speaking in Italian, he addressed the throng below with the news that a new pope had been named. Since the eleventh century, almost all newly elected popes had chosen to voluntarily give up their baptismal names and pick a new name. The crowd waited breathlessly. Their long wait was rewarded when a tall figure dressed in white and wearing the signature white skull cap of the pope walked through the doors and out onto the balcony. He blessed the crowd as the cardinal beside him announced his new name to the world. Cardinal Marcus Lundahl was now Pope Michael in honor of the archangel who had come to his aid in the fight against Satan.

A crewmember approached Father Morelli with a cell phone. “It’s for you, Father.”

After a brief exchange, a wide smile crossed Morelli’s face as he thanked the caller and snapped the phone shut. Leo was still watching the proceedings at the Vatican on TV when Morelli tapped him on the shoulder.

Leo cast a casual look at Morelli and took a sip of his Coke. “What is it, Anthony? Don’t you want to hear what Marcus ... I mean, Pope Michael is about to say?”

“I’m glad you’re sitting down, Father, because I have some news for you.”

“For me? What is it?”

“That was Pope Michael’s secretary on the phone. He wanted you to know that the new Pope’s first official act was to name you as a Prince of the Church. You are now Cardinal Leopold Amodeo.”

Leo was stunned. His hearing seemed to disappear momentarily while his friends congratulated him with hugs of joy. Lev took the Coke from Leo’s hand and replaced it with a flute of the Carmela’s finest champagne. Ariella sat up and yawned before noticing all the excitement and walked over to join John on the deck. When she heard the news, she threw her arms around Leo and told him how proud she was of him. She had gained a deep respect for this man, and over the past few months, he had become like a second father to her.

Leo paused and looked at Morelli. “But what about you, Anthony? All your work...”

“I was waiting for you to ask. I’m now a bishop and the new pope’s personal assistant.”

Leo tilted his glass in Morelli’s direction. “Congratulations, my friend. You deserve even more.”

A big grin crossed John’s face. “Just think. A cardinal and a bishop at our wedding ... what Catholic could wish for more?”

Ariella pinched him on the arm and reminded them that the new pope was about to speak on TV. They all gathered around the large screen and listened as Pope Michael looked out over the crowd and held his hands in the air. The multitude in the square grew silent with anticipation. Slowly and deliberately, the new pope began to speak.

“Today, we begin a new era of the Church. I have started by appointing several new cardinals and bishops who will lead us in the years to come in the fight against evil in the world. We will be meeting in the next few weeks to discuss what can be done in the face of a worsening world crisis. I have complete confidence that we, together with God’s help, can convince leaders of other religions and nations to arrive at solutions that heretofore have not been considered by men in a world on the brink of some very dark days if we fail to act, and act swiftly. These are days that require men of action in the Church, and the soldiers of Christ will be called back to the field of battle. May God bless you and keep you safe in the days ahead.”

With that short speech, the pope waved at the crowd below, and loud cheers went up in Saint Peter’s Square. Leo turned away from the screen and took a long sip from his glass before he and Morelli exchanged looks. Both realized that they were the soldiers the pope had just referred to.

“This has been a day blessed in heaven,” Leo said, “and I pray we’ll have many more days ahead together. Here with all of you today, I feel like I’m with my true family.”

Everyone raised their glasses in a toast as they let the meaning of the moment sink in. The true greatness of the occasion was not lost on anyone present.

Leo felt that he had to be alone for a moment and excused himself. Walking to the railing of the yacht, he felt the outline of the large golden cross under his shirt. At least now, as a cardinal, he could wear it proudly out in the open. The joy he felt on this day, along with the miracles he had witnessed months ago, had lifted his faith to new heights. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the Holy Land beyond the ancient harbor. The copy of the Devil’s Bible on Daniel’s computer had yet to be completely translated, and it would probably take years to discover what dark messages it might hold for the world. For now, that part of it would remain a mystery.

The Bible code was still their greatest source of information, and they would continue to study it for messages from God. It had led them to the Devil’s Bible in the desert and the holy chapel under the Vatican where they encountered the archangels. Nothing would ever convince Cardinal Leo Amodeo that the code was anything other than the work of God.

The new cardinal inhaled the crisp fall air of the Holy Land. He knew that evil still flowed through the world like a river with many branches, and Gabriel’s words echoed in his mind—words he had shared with Cardinal Lundahl before he and Morelli had left for Israel. The time would come when God would withhold his miracles until humans put aside their petty differences and came together. He sensed that the Antichrist would soon be in the world of men. The feeling was strong within him. Humanity had created fertile soil for the evil one to plant his seed, and time was running out.

Leo felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Lev standing behind him. “Care to take a little flight on my helicopter, Cardinal?”

“Where to?”

“I thought we’d hop over to Jerusalem for a while. There’s something I want to show you.”

“Why not. We have time. Let’s go.”

The two men ascended the steps to the yacht’s helipad, where Nava was warming up the aircraft. They strapped themselves in and were soon skimming across the varied landscape of the Holy Land. After a brief flight, they found themselves at treetop level, hovering over a park in the center of Jerusalem. Nava circled once before bringing the small helicopter down in the middle of a wide green space.

Leo and Lev stepped out onto the grass and walked over to a beautiful fountain surrounded by sculptures of enormous bronze lions of different shapes and sizes, standing and lying around the perimeter of the pool.

“Where exactly are we?” Leo asked.

“We’re in the middle of the historic Yemin Moshe district of Jerusalem, in Bloomfield Gardens. This is what I wanted to show you. It’s the famous Lion Fountain. I thought you should see it before you return to Rome. To me, I think this fountain is a symbol of our group. The bronze lions here remind me of the Bible Code Team. God called his lions together for a reason, and we must stay united no matter where we are. There are other lions out there, you know. They are chosen ones too, and just like Sarah, they will find us.”

A cool breeze ruffled the fading colored leaves that began to fall from the trees as Leo and Lev gazed up at the gigantic bronze lions. Just like the sculptures, they were frozen in action for now, but Leo knew that Lev was right and that, someday, God would call on them again. He would summon all of His lions.