Blood Codex

Chapter 28

The walk back down the hill into Cefalu was pleasant under blue skies with a soft, warm breeze. The scent of the ocean was strong, fresh and briny, a perfect antidote to the rot and fungal spoors of the Abbey of Thelema.

Rose drew in long deep breaths, striding purposefully away. “I’m glad to put that place at my back. Creepy as hell.”

Crowley nodded. “You’re not wrong. It’s all kind of weird overlain with something unpleasant, don’t you think? I mean, something besides the age and neglect.”

“Yeah, it gives me the creeps just thinking about it. Let’s forget we were ever there now we’ve got something to go on.”

“Good plan.”

She glanced back at him, slowed her pace to let him catch up and fall into stride next to her. “So what have we got to go on?” she asked. “What was that inscription again?”

“Sedes Sacrorum. You’d know it as the Holy See.”

She stopped, stared hard at him. “The Vatican? Come on, Crowley, that’s going a bit far, isn’t it? The Vatican took the book?”

Crowley gestured forward, enjoying her shock. There was melodrama to everything occurring that he couldn’t help revel in just a little bit. It served to remind him just how boring his life had become as a history teacher. Despite the fact that their lives were in danger, Rose’s especially, he hadn’t experienced thrills like these since active service and he realized how much he missed them. “The Vatican has a secret army, if you believe the rumors and conspiracy theories.”

Rose barked a laugh, falling into step with him again. “Well, I’m not sure I do.”

Crowley couldn’t blame her for that. “Hear me out. There are lots of rumors about secret societies, legends about occult connections, all kinds of stories, and it’s not something you can simply write off wholesale.”

“You really believe in that sort of thing?” Rose asked, but her incredulity had waned.

Crowley raised his hands, a gesture of uncertainty. “Honestly, I think most of it is complete bollocks, but there is one thing of which I am absolutely certain.” He trailed off, memories coming at him like enemy fire, stirring emotions deep in his gut that he would rather stayed quiet.

Rose must have seen his face blanch. She put one hand on his shoulder as they walked. “You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I have a little army baggage, that’s all. Anyone who served is haunted at least a little bit.”

“And it’s relevant to all this stuff?” Her voice was soft, kind.

“Very relevant. One thing I know for certain… at least, as certain as I can be, is that there’s a powerful group called the Knights of the Sedes Sacrorum.”

“The SS?” Rose interrupted.

Crowley shook his head. “That was the name the SS went by, but this is a different group. These guys are the Knights of the Holy See. I crossed paths with them once in Iraq. We were fighting the Republican Guard, Saddam Hussein’s elite branch. The firefight was going down around some museum, I forget which. Things were complicated over there and I don’t remember one event separate from another most of the time. But while I don’t remember exactly where this happened, I’ll never forget what happened.

“We were pinned down across a square from the museum, trying to take out the Republican Guard because we thought they had prisoners in a tower block on the other side. The block was already mostly rubble, but still had loads of places to imprison people. Then these guys swept in from the other side and wiped the Iraqis out like they were kids playing at war. Whoever these guys were, they went through the Republican Guard like smoke and straight into the museum. We took a moment to mobilize, shocked, you know? Not sure what to do. But these guys were in and out before we knew what was going on.”

“They stormed the museum?”

“Yep. But there was no resistance inside there and they were out again in no time, laden down with stuff they’d… looted, I guess. When we got inside, the place had been stripped bare. No artifacts, nothing. Everyone with me figured the Iraqis had cleared out the valuables, well ahead of the invasion, but I saw those guys leaving with boxes and sacks they didn’t enter with. And I’ve always wondered.”

Rose frowned. “What makes you think these guys were associated with the Vatican though?”

“One of them was wounded when they swept through the Republican Guard. He was the only one I saw who took a bullet. I was at the back of my squad heading in after they’d gone into the museum and I stopped, dragged him behind cover. They’d taken out our enemy, after all. Were they on our side? I didn’t know, but I couldn’t leave him there writhing in pain. While my guys went in, I tore open his shirt to try and staunch the bleeding, and I saw a small tattoo over his heart. KOSS, with a strange kind of logo, or sigil, you know? Years later I looked it up, and found it was the same as this group, the Knights of the Sedes Sacrorum.”

“Interesting, but not definite,” Rose said.

“No, but I believe it. Almost as soon as I applied the bandage, two of his men came barreling in and hauled him off. That’s when I saw the others carrying all that loot. One of the two told me to forget I’d ever seen them.”

“Heavy,” Rose said. “So assuming this group is real, who are they? Vatican relic hunters?”

Crowley laughed. “Yeah, maybe. All I could find in my research were conspiracy sites alleging they’re the personal army of the Vatican, answering only to the Pope. They’re culled from the best of the Swiss Guard and other devoted followers.”

They reached their hire car, parked on a grassy verge on the edge of Cefalu, and slumped into the seats. Crowley started the engine, looked at Rose before he pulled away. “Regardless, that inscription up in the Abbey of Thelema indicates the book was taken by these Knights. So that means the Vatican Secret Archives. And that means we have to go to the Secret Archives next, but the problem now is how the hell do we get in? That’s where the trail leads, but it’s not like we can just walk in. I don’t know much about it, but I do know you have to apply well in advance and hope to receive permission to conduct research there.” He raised his eyebrow at Rose, wondering how far her museum contacts might stretch, how many favors she might have left to call in.

Rose smiled at him and nodded to the road ahead. “Let’s get going. I think I might know a way.”