Page 78 of End of Days

“No, sir. They had full-face motorcycle helmets on, but it wasn’t a militia. They tracked us from the Knights of Malta headquarters. They knew we were there, and watched us leave.”

“What about the guy who Pike found tonight? Was he involved?”

Knuckles said, “I have no idea. We’ve been in a closed interrogation for the last ten hours.”

Jennifer pulled up a screenshot from the inspector’s Echo Ten camera on her tablet and showed Brett. He said, “Hey, Knuckles, isn’t this the guy from our visit to the Knights? He was sitting outside on a bench.”

Jennifer brought him the tablet. He took one look at it and said, “Yeah, that’s the guy that eyeballed me on the way in.”

I leaned into the screen and said, “I told you. You still think this is the Iranians?”

“Who is he?”

“I have no idea, but I will tomorrow. I’m going to kick that door down first thing.”

Wolffe said, “Send me the information. I agree the circumstantial evidence is breaking away from the Iranians but hold what you’ve got until I get some clearance. I can’t authorize you to invade a Catholic order controlled by the Vatican, claiming they’re killing foreign diplomats, without some overhead cover.”

I said, “Don’t worry about that part of it, sir. I’m not going to do it as an American.”

“What’s that mean?”

“He’s a no-shit serial killer, and I know an Italian police inspector who’s a little pissed at him.”

Chapter 50

Raphael and Leonardo exited the aircraft along with everyone else, some struggling from the sleep deprivation from flying all night, and others, like them, only mildly affected from a four-hour flight to Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut. They threaded through the tunnels reaching the immigration and customs area, and saw the lines for immigration. A sign said “Flight Crew and Diplomatic Personnel” and they went that way.

The Knights of Malta had reciprocal diplomatic relationships with multiple countries around the world, and Lebanon was one. Unlike what had happened with Donatello, Raph was sure that this time they’d be passed through like every other arriving diplomat, to include their bags being treated as sacrosanct.

And they were.

After showing their diplomatic passports, they were escorted to the baggage claim area, picked up their bags, and were then escorted by an officer right out the door, nobody ever once acting like they wanted to check the luggage for contraband. Which was good, because they most definitely had contraband in the form of weapons.

Outside of the customs area, Raph found a line of people all waiting on arrivals, then saw his name written on a single piece of paper, held by a local man wearing a threadbare coat and tie.

He went to him and said, “I’m Raphael.”

The man smiled and said, “A pleasure to meet you. Come, come. Can I help you with your bags?”

“No. This is it. One bag apiece.”

Obsequious to a fault, the man said, “My name is Omar, and I’m the designated liaison from the order’s diplomatic mission here. My car is right outside. Come, come.”

They followed him out of the airport to a lot outside, loaded their bags, and were on their way.

“We have a nice place for you to stay. We don’t get many visitors here anymore since peace has broken out.”

He looked embarrassed and said, “I don’t mean I want war. Most of our work now is with children’s hospitals.”

Raphael chuckled and said, “I know what you mean. We do what we can for the Lord. I was here in 2006, back when Israel invaded.”

“With the Knights?”

“No. It was before my time with the Knights. I was here for other reasons.”

Omar had no answer to that, and was afraid to ask. They drove in silence out of the airfield to the south of the city, then slowly entered the dense concrete of Beirut, new buildings springing forth through the rubble of the latest fight. Omar took lefts and rights, then said, “You see the damage here? That was from the giant port explosion last year. It was like a nuclear bomb. People say it was intentional. What do you think?”

Raphael said, “I don’t think anything. That isn’t our concern. Protecting the Grand Master is all I’m concerned about. As you were told.”

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