The Spear of Destiny (17 page)

  “Via De Gesu. That means we are here. On the via Dellia Plebiscito. These roads here,” Dennis said talking more to himself, “Are no good and some will double back on us.”

  Bauer raced down this road frantically sounding the Lancia’s horn as he dodged in and out of traffic. A bus pulled out of a bus stop in front of him and he sounded the horn cursing. The bus driver saw the blue light and stopped.

  “Turn right here,” Dennis ordered.

Bauer swung the steering wheel and with a squeal of tyres the Lancia changed direction and careered off down the via Dei Fori Imperiali.

  “Hey there’s Trajan’s coloumn,” Dennis shouted excitedly. Then he looked ahead. “Oh shit there’s the Colosseum!”

  Bauer looked ahead at the massive building dominating the Roman skyline.

  “So what?”

  “The colosseum is one big roundabout.”

  “Then get us off.”

  “There’s nowhere to go. These roads to the right double back on us. This is ancient Rome. Over there is the Palatine hill.”

  “What’s to the left?”

  “There’s one more road and then nothing until we get to the Colosseum.”

  “Where does it lead?”

  “Hang on,” Dennis said turning the map this way and that.

  “Too late,” Bauer said turning at speed down the road to the left. Dennis fought the g-forces to hold onto the map.

  “Which way?” Bauer asked.

  “I don’t know. Hang on.”

Bauer looked across at the map as Dennis turned it and held it closer to his face to read it. Bauer spent a second too long looking at the map. Movement ahead caught his attention. A refuse lorry had pulled out into the street they were now on regardless of the other traffic it forced to stop. Bauer was a hundred metres from it and gaining fast. He sounded the horn as he caught up to the tail end of the jam. The driver of the refuse truck heard the horn being sounded and ignored it. He looked into his mirror and saw the blue flashing light and heard the siren. He shrugged and continued to watch in his mirror for a bit longer. Other road users were doing their best to move out of the way. Bauer nosed through stationary vehicles until he was close to the refuse lorry. The truck driver leaned out of his window and shouted his innocence at the situation. Bauer pulled the parking brake on and threw the driver’s door open and flashed his police I.D. The refuse lorry driver continued to protest his innocence and begrudgingly moved out of the Lancia’s way. Dennis was listening to the police radio as Bauer squeezed through the gap now provided by the lorry. He pointed his finger at the driver who was still unconcerned. Dennis now pointed at the radio.

  “That was De Luca,” he said, “They’ve lost contact with the unit stationed at Santa Croce.”

  “Are we still heading the same way?”

  “Yes. Take the next right. Follow ahead,” Dennis said as parked cars whipped by in a blur, “Take the next right….”

  Bauer was encouraged by the time they were now gaining. The streets Dennis was taking them down were much quieter. Then suddenly Bauer had to slam the brakes on as a large group of football fans in red shirts, Roma followers, were crossing the road for the metro station. By the look of them they had been drinking and the last few raised red and yellow scarves and chanted a football song at Bauer as he raced away.

  “Football is a passion in Italy,” Dennis said helpfully.

  “The next person who gets in my way will get run down. You would think that a siren and flashing blue light would be enough.”

  “This is Rome. Everything here happens at a fast pace.”

  “I suppose.”

A carabinieri police car with flashing blue lights and siren sounding went racing past in the other direction.

  “Get on the radio,” Bauer said, “See if they’re sending back up.”

Dennis got through to Sonnenburg.

  “As soon as we can,” was the reply.

Dennis went back to the map. To their right were the Terme de Traiano, the baths of Trajan. Next Dennis saw a large sign for the national museum of oriental art.

  “Turn right here!” he shouted as Bauer spun the wheel.

They were now on the Via Merulana.

  “Follow this road, straight, for about one kilometre.”

The traffic was heavy on this road but Bauer was able to weave in and out without much difficulty. Three public buses in convoy stopped for him as they fast approached the end of the road.

  “Left at the end!” Dennis shouted.

They raced past the Lateran palace. Once the home of the popes until their residence was moved to Avignon in France in the fourteenth century.

Now the Lancia was on the Viale Carlo Felice road.

  “The church is at the end of this road,” Dennis said, “It’s just over a quarter of a mile.”

  Bauer turned off the siren and reached out and plucked the flashing blue light off the roof and switched that off also. He looked into the rear view mirror. The sky behind was still bright but ahead it was getting dark. Bauer slowed the Lancia to a more appropriate speed as they completed the last few hundred metres. He brought the Lancia onto the piazza in front of the church and pulled up under a tree. A carabinieri Alfa Romeo was parked ahead also under the trees. Dennis and Bauer got out of the Lancia and headed towards them.

  “Stay behind me,” Bauer said unclipping his gun holster on his belt and resting his hand on his gun.

  Dennis could see the officers moving about inside the car. One of them suddenly glanced in the door mirror and saw the Austrian and the journalist approaching. Both doors on the police car opened and two uniformed officers stepped out.

  “Can we help you?”

Bauer released his grip on his gun and showed them his I.D.

  “They’ve been trying to radio you from the Vatican,” he said, “They said they’d lost contact with you. Do you have a problem with your radios?”

  The two officers looked guiltily at each other. Dennis peered into the police car. There was a small portable television on the seat. On the nine inch screen were three men in suits in front of an empty stadium talking. Dennis reached in and took the television out and showed it to Bauer.

  “Tonight’s game?” Dennis asked.

Bauer frowned at them.

  “We turned the car radio down to hear the commentary,” one of the officers said.

  “And your lapel radios?”

  “Switched off,” the other officer replied.

  “What are your names?”

  “Officer’s Bossano and Angelo sir. Will you be reporting this matter?”

  “Probably.”

For the first time since arriving Bauer now looked at the church. He noted the large double doors were closed.

  “Is the church closed?” he asked the carabinieri officers.

  “Yes inspector,” Bossano replied.

  “When was this?”

  “Possibly half an hour ago Inspector.”

  “You saw it close. The doors were open before then?”

  “Oh yes. Like I said it was about thirty minutes ago.”

Bossano looked at his colleague for approval. Angelo nodded.

  “The priests closed the doors when, presumably, the last visitors left.”

Bauer looked at his watch. It was just after seven o’clock.  

  “What time does it usually close?”

  “Usually at seven thirty.”

Bauer showed him his watch.

  “Yes sir but sometimes the church does and has closed suddenly and without warning before. All churches in Rome have been known to do this.”

  Bauer was concentrating on the church still.

  “And you definitely saw the priests close the doors?”

  “Yes sir.”

Bauer continued watching the church for another minute.

  “Well it does appear to be quiet.”

  “Yes Inspector.”

  “Have you noticed anything else unusual?” 

  “No.”

  “How long has that Hummer been parked there?” Dennis asked.

  “I beg your pardon signori.”

They all turned to look in the direction Dennis was pointing.

  “At the far end of the church near the wall there is a black Hummer. How long has it been there?”

  “I don’t know signori.”

  “You didn’t notice it arrive?” Bauer intervened.

  “No.”

  “It’s definitely not a car a priest would drive,” Dennis said.

  “You. What was your name again?” Bauer pointed at the quieter of the two policemen.

  “Antonio Angelo Inspector.”

  “Angelo you stay here. Bossano you come with us. Mr Dennis stay at the back please. We’ll check that Hummer out and have a quick look around the church before we disturb the priests.”

  They’d only gone a few paces when Bauer turned back.

  “And Angelo….”

  “Yes sir?”

  “Turn that television off.”

It took them less than a minute to reach the Hummer. Reluctant to set off any alarms Dennis peered into the blacked out windows. They were too dark to see anything inside. Dennis saw a small torch on Bossano’s belt.

  “Can I use that?”

Bossano clicked it on and handed it over. Dennis shone the torch in the windows but the beam of light only reflected back. Dennis put the slender torch between his teeth, pressed one hand against the driver’s  side door and pulled gently on the door handle. It was locked.

  “Excuse me,” Bossano said making Dennis look around.

  “This vehicle has a proximity locking device that is not activated by a normal key. The owner will have a smart key with a transducer that unlocks the vehicle when the device is anywhere within two metres of the car. As you can see there is no door lock on this vehicle.”

  “Dennis shone the torch again just to convince himself. He circled the vehicle slowly while the other two watched. The radio on Bossano’s lapel suddenly crackled into life. A split second later they heard the distant sound of an explosion. They all turned their attention towards the Vatican two and a half miles across Rome. A ball of orange fire was ascending into the darkening sky. It slowly changed into a black cloud.

  “Inspector they’re saying it was a car bomb somewhere near the Vatican..”

Bauer nodded.

  They all looked towards the church as the sound of muffled machine gun chatter came from within.

  “Mr Dennis get back to that police car. Get Angelo to call for back up. Bossano you’re with me.”

  “I think I should stay with you.”

  “Mr Dennis this is no time for heroics. Allow us, the police, to do our job,” Bauer said breaking into a run. Bossano following closely behind. Dennis watched them until they got to the church wall and began to move along it using the wall as cover, Bauer remembering there was a small wooden door near the rear, then he sprinted back to Angelo.

  “We’ve just heard gunshots from inside the church,” Dennis said to the startled Italian policeman, “Bauer’s orders  are for you to stay here, call for back up and to give me your gun.”

  “Give you my gun? Bauer said this?”

  “Yes,” Dennis said holding his hand out for the weapon.

Angelo stared into the Englishman’s eyes.

  “You are sure of this. Are you a policeman?”

  “Sort of,” Dennis lied, “In London,” he added.

Angelo pondered over this for a moment. Then not taking his eyes of Dennis he reached down to his belt, unclipped his holster and offered his gun.

  “Are you familiar with this weapon?”

  “Kind of,” Dennis said taking the Beretta.

  “Look. You push this, point and shoot. Understood?”

  “Sure. Point and shoot,” Dennis said. He began trotting backwards, “Call for back up.” then he turned and sprinted for the church. He moved silently to the small wooden door that Bauer and Bossano had disappeared through, pressed down gently on the latch and moved inside the church with the Beretta held ready in front of him. He closed the door as quietly as he could but as the metal latch connected with its counterpart it gave a small click which sounded deafening to him inside the empty church. At the foot of the stairs Bauer spun around and pointed his gun straight at Dennis who froze. Then Bauer raised his eyebrows and lowered his gun. Dennis moved silently across the rows of pews then stopped and tiptoed to the high altar. The bodies of three priests, blood staining their white robes, lay flat on their backs in front of the altar. Shot dead without mercy as they prayed to their God. Blood had splattered the altar, defiling it. Apalled Dennis made his way across the church. At the main doors was another dead priest. Bauer and Bossano waited at the foot of the stairs that led up, they waited for Dennis. Bauer saw the Beretta in the journalists hand.

  “What are you doing here?” he mouthed silently.

  “You need me,” Dennis whispered back.

The sound of smashing glass came down to them from the rooms above.

  Bauer put his finger to his lips and then pointed up the stairs. They moved silently up, the Inspector taking the lead. At the top they stepped over the body of a monk, blood trickling from his mouth. Bauer bent down and placed two fingers to the man’s jugular. He waited for a few moments and then moved on, hugging the wall. Now they could hear movement and the sound of more glass smashing coming from the holy relics chapel on the left. Suddenly a man in black military fatigues came out of the chapel carrying a black holdall.

  “Stop Police!” Bauer shouted.

The man dropped the holdall and went for the machine gun across his chest. Wasting no time Bauer dropped him with two shots to the chest. He kicked the man’s hands away from the machine gun. A burst of bullets from the relics rooms splattered off the far wall sending Bauer diving for cover. He, Dennis and Bossano crashed into the shroud room. More bullets sprayed the far wall accompanied with shouting. Dennis couldn’t hear what was being said but thought it sounded eastern European, maybe Russian. Bauer pointed his gun around the corner and fired back. Then amidst another burst of machine gun fire he realised the intruders were on the move. The muzzle of a machine gun appeared at the door and another burst of bullets sprayed the shroud room. The three of them dived for the floor. Dennis put his hands over his head as glass splintered around him and plaster rained down from the walls. The person firing the gun was retreating. They could hear them moving along the corridor and down the stairs.