The Hammer of God

19

A light rain burst into a torrential shower, as Robert trailed a black Ford Excursion with dark tinted windows through the wet Chicago streets. Cardinal Maximilian had refused to talk to Robert and Thorne in the parking deck under Detective Reynolds’ apartment building, so they agreed to follow them to a more secure location.

“This keeps getting weirder by the second,” said Thorne, loading extra shells into her shotgun. “Are you sure these are the guys who tried to help save Samuel?”

Robert wasn’t sure about the others, but recognized Cardinal Maximilian’s distinct voice. “I’m sure,” he answered. “The cardinal was definitely there, so he knows something.”

”I’ve never known priests to carry Mac-10’s and shotguns. They look more like mercenaries.”

“Well, I plan to get answers. Right now, they’re the best lead we’ve got.”

Thorne checked the clip in her Glock 20 10mm automatic.

Robert looked over at her. “Think we’ll need all of that?” he asked.

“A girl’s got to be ready when she goes out. Besides, like I said, they’re priests carrying shotguns. At this point, anything’s possible.” The SUV rolled south down Halsted to 49th Street, made a left, and parked in front of a large dilapidated warehouse on Wallace. The area, formally home to the stockyards that made Chicago’s meat industry famous, was now called Back of the Yards, and most of the old meat and slaughterhouses were a long gone memory.

One of Cardinal Maximilian’s people jumped out and disappeared inside the condemned, windowless tomb. A few moments later, a signal from the front door said it was safe for everyone to come inside.

The warehouse reminded Robert of several he’d held similar meetings in around the world. Most notably, a haunting structure in Frankfurt, Germany, where he and Thorne ended up shooting it out with a group of pissed-off Nazis dealing black market munitions to the Middle East. They barely made it out alive.

Robert followed Cardinal Maximilian in silence. Thorne brought up the rear behind the five others, whose faces remained hidden behind ski masks. The warehouse, cold, rank and wet, held nothing more than a few rows of rusted shelving and stacks of rotted wooden pallets. Even in the shadows, Robert spied several rats the size of big cats scurrying overhead along the steel beamed rafters. They reached a far corner and stopped.

One of the cardinal’s people turned on a fluorescent lantern and sat it on a stack of wooden crates. Thorne moved to the right side of the group, expressionless, both hands on the pistol grip, her eyes coolly scanning back and forth.

“So, Mr. Veil, tell us how much you know so far?” asked Cardinal Maximilian.

“Let’s see, my godson’s been kidnapped. One of my oldest friends doesn’t want me involved, and somehow the Church has a hand in it,” he responded.

Cardinal Maximilian took a deep breath. “I was hoping to hear more about what you’ve learned so far.”

Robert stared hard at the cardinal. “Forgive me, but I still don’t know who you are. You say you’re a priest?”

Cardinal Maximilian looked over at his compatriots, then back at Robert and Thorne. “Yes, I’m a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church.”

“Since when do clerics run around in ski masks carrying guns?”

“Since 1853,” said Cardinal Maximilian. “Of course, the weapons of choice have changed, but our mandate remains the same.” Thorne took a step forward. “Mandate?”

The cardinal placed his hands behind his back and paced, deep in thought. After a moment, he lifted his head. “Before I explain, allow me to introduce you to my people.” The four men and one woman stood erect at Cardinal Maximilian’s words. “First, there’s Sister Isabella Cacciavillian.”

One of the five, carrying a shoulder strapped Uzi, stepped forward and removed her ski mask. A dark haired, no nonsense woman with cat-like gray eyes, smiled and shook out her hair. “Ciao! It’s a blessing to meet you. Please call me Sister Isabella.” The nun bowed her head, smiled at Thorne, then stepped back in line with the others. Her posture, head high, standing tall, reminded Robert of his partner. He sensed a power behind Sister Isabella’s gentile manner and mesmerizing Italian accent.

The next in the group slowly walked over to Robert, one hand extended, the other removing his mask. The gentle, smiling face of a handsome Chinese man with shoulder length jet-black hair lit up the warehouse.

“I am Father Shan Rui Kong,” he said, head bowing slightly, eyes never leaving Robert’s. The priest’s smile widened. He grasped Robert’s hand gently with both of his, bowed again, this time his eyes to the ground, then turned to Thorne and did the same.

The next in line rushed forward and snatched off his mask so fast, Robert thought Thorne might shoot him. But one look at the toothy grin of Father Nicholas O’Conner and Robert knew they were in no danger at all. The priest introduced himself, and gave Robert a strong hug. Father O’Conner’s salt and pepper hair and beard beamed an almost grandfatherly look, but the rock hard muscles Robert noticed during the hug told a much different story.

Next, the smallest of the group, Monsignor Fernandes Falco removed his mask and stepped forward, his hard, chiseled face and pronounced features more monster than man. He shook Robert’s hand without a word, glared at Thorne then resumed his place.

Finally, Bishop Nicholas Lantern, young, handsome and obviously athletic, greeted both Robert and Thorne with a hint of disdain. He barely made eye contact, and abruptly rejoined his comrades, jaws clinched, eyes narrow.

Cardinal Maximilian cleared his throat, as though trying to sway attention away from the young cleric. “And of course, I’ve already introduced myself.”

“Cardinal James Francis Maximilian,” repeated Thorne, sarcastically and smiling. “We remember.”

“Feel free to call me Cardinal Max, except in public,” the cardinal said jokingly. “And you are Miss Nikki Thorne.” He walked over to Thorne, hands behind his back. “Your mother was murdered when you were fourteen. Your father raised you and your brother, and you had a twin brother who died at birth. You and Mr. Veil have been friends since thirteen, served in the Marines and CIA together. No kids or pets.” Thorne’s eyes never left the cardinal’s. “Nice,” she said, through a slight admiring smile. “Anything else?”

“Yes,” added the cardinal, looking around at the others. “We understand what happened to you years ago, and want you to know you stay in our prayers. God has forgiven you and Mr. Veil.” The hair on Robert’s head bristled. Thorne, visibly shaken, let the pistol grip swing from her shoulder.

The cardinal gave a reassuring smile. “I understand why you two are so close. It’s nice to have good friends.” Up until that point, Robert was sure nobody knew about the situation Cardinal Maximilian spoke of, a secret that bound Robert and Thorne together, forever.

Thorne gathered herself and held her head high. She continued to gaze hard at Cardinal Maximilian in silence.

“But that’s a matter for a different time,” the cardinal continued, turning toward Robert. “Now, let me tell you about Il Martello di Dio, and The Order of Asmodeus.”