The Omega Scroll (35 page)

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Jerusalem

‘Y
ossi will make a wonderful Prime Minister, David,’ Allegra said as Elie headed off with their order, ‘but I worry for both of you. Some of the ultra-orthodox Jews and the settlers are seething.’

As David and Allegra clinked their glasses in a toast to peace, two young men deep in conversation near the entrance to Numero Venti stopped talking and stepped aside to make way for a beautiful young woman. Wasfiheh Khatib walked confidently into the crowded restaurant and moved towards David and Allegra.

Elie moved out from behind the bar. He had seen her once before and it was not the young woman’s striking looks that prompted him, it was his years of training and a sixth sense that something was not quite right; none of his guests were expecting anyone and all the tables were full.

‘May I help,’ Elie asked with a polite smile, tapping her on the shoulder. As she turned, the brief look of concern in the girl’s dark eyes did not escape the old waiter. She put her hand in her pocket and Elie saw the wire. Instinctively he spun the girl around and wrapped both arms around her, but he was too late. Wasfiheh pressed the button, detonating nearly 2 kilograms of ammonium nitrate. A blast of flying nails, smoke and deadly shards of glass shattered the restaurant and the shock waves thundered off the old stone walls.

‘Allegra!’ David shook his head and staggered to his feet. Blood was streaming from a deep cut on the side of his head. Allegra had been closer to the girl and was now lying motionless in a pool of blood. In the distance the all-too-familiar sound of approaching sirens could be heard, the vision of which would be carried on news bulletin updates around the world.

‘We open this bulletin,’ Geraldine began, ‘with another tragic bombing in Jerusalem, with the first reports indicating that up to five people have been killed and a dozen more injured, some critically.’

Normally it would have been just another set of statistics to which the world had become anaesthetised by their sheer regularity, but this time the bombing had struck at members of Prime Minister Kaufmann’s family, and the footage showed scenes of ambulance workers trollying the wounded against a backdrop of destruction and the eerie hue of red and blue flashing lights. The picture faded to the entrance of the Hadassah Hospital at Ein Karem, with the pale face of a visibly shaken Tom Schweiker in the foreground.

‘Tom, what’s the latest there?’

Despite his personal connections to David and Allegra, Tom’s voice was calm and measured.

‘Another shocking tragedy for the people of Jerusalem with the bombing of one of the city’s most popular restaurants, Numero Venti,’ Tom began. ‘The casualties have been heavy and include the Prime Minister’s son, Dr David Kaufmann, and one of the world’s foremost scientists in the field of archaeological DNA, Dr Allegra Bassetti.’

‘Is there any word on their condition?’

‘It’s understood that David Kaufmann has been treated for cuts and abrasions but Dr Bassetti is still in surgery and as yet there is no word on her.’

In Rome the Cardinal Secretary of State, with prior warning of the bombing, was glued to the live broadcast, his anger growing at the mention of the woman’s name.

‘Will this affect the peace process, Tom?’

‘As tragic as it is, I don’t think so, Geraldine. A short time ago Prime Minister Kaufmann made a statement to that effect. Here’s a bit of what he had to say.’

The Prime Minister of Israel walked into the hospital foyer, and with a sad look he nodded to the waiting media.

‘Tonight we have together suffered another tragedy in what has for too long now been a cycle of bloodshed and violence. I want to convey my deepest sympathy to those who have lost their loved ones in this senseless attack on innocent people. I want those responsible to know that it only deepens our resolve to find a just peace. For both sides.’ It was a measure of the vision of Yossi Kaufmann that even in the middle of a personal tragedy, he could avoid the revengeful invective of previous administrations. ‘I want all Israelis to know that President Ahmed Sartawi of Palestine was one of the first to call me and offer his condolences to the people of Israel.’

‘How will this affect the peace process, Prime Minister?’ The question came from Tom Schweiker. He had got to know and admire the Israeli statesman, but the tough questions still had to be asked.

‘Two weeks ago, President Sartawi and I issued our draft peace agreement. Nothing has happened today that alters our resolve and both sides are very close to reaching agreement. This agreement allows for the establishment of a Palestinian State, and it lays out a timetable for the withdrawal of our own settlers from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, back into Israel proper. I have already acknowledged the pain this will cause some Israelis, but it is essential that we keep our land from the agreed pre-1967 borders and the Palestinians theirs; and the relocation of the settlers will be done under a very generous taxation and incentive scheme. The agreement also specifies compensation for nearly eight hundred thousand Palestinian refugees who will be able to return to the new country of Palestine. We have established a Joint Council for the government of the Old City of Jerusalem with a guarantee of religious freedom and access, with recognition of the Israeli capital of Yerushalayim centred on the present capital in West Jerusalem and recognition of the Palestinian capital of al-Quds in East Jerusalem. We have also agreed on a timetable for pulling down a wall that, like its counterpart in Berlin, has proven to be a divisive mistake.’

Many of the journalists were mesmerised by the moment. It felt like history in the making.

Now,’ Yossi said, wrapping up the interview, ‘I know you will excuse me if, on this occasion, I don’t take questions. I will be more than happy to do that next time.’ Not one question was thrown at Prime Minister Kaufmann as he walked out of the room full of journalists, a mark of respect for a true statesman.

‘Has there been any international reaction to this proposed agreement, Tom?’

‘The Kaufmann/Sartawi plan is visionary, Geraldine. It is not only a peace agreement, it has a much wider context. Hundreds of millions of defence dollars will now be channelled into one of the most sweeping Middle East investment programs in history, and if they’re successful in creating a stable environment both men are confident that there will be support from the international community, especially the European Union. Thousands of jobs will be created in water, transnational railways, canals, roads, de-salinisation projects, education and health. Prime Minister Kaufmann and President Sartawi have a vision for all the Middle Eastern States to work together with membership of a consultative council that will be similar in form to the European Union. The European countries have already been very strong in their support, especially France and Germany, although the United States has been less emphatic, and seems to be reserving judgement. Most interesting is the strong support coming from the Catholic Church.’

‘The Pope?’

‘Not quite, but still from a very senior level, the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, Giovanni Donelli. The word is that Cardinal Donelli has accepted an invitation to be at the peace ceremony which will be held under the Damascus Gate.’

‘Professor Kaufmann is certainly showing people hope, Tom, but has anyone claimed responsibility for this latest bombing?’

‘Yes, Geraldine. Hamas has been quick to issue a statement to that effect, threatening further bombings, although that may well backfire on them. Even the Palestinians seem to want Kaufmann and Sartawi to succeed.’

‘Tom, thanks for joining us on
International Correspondent
. Now to the nuclear build-up in North Korea …’

Petroni’s fury was blazing. He tried to order his swirl of thoughts and calm the beginnings of panic he hadn’t felt in years. He took out his snub-nosed Beretta Cheetah and put his cheek against the soothing cool of the metal. Donelli was still very much alive, possibly the woman was as well. The remaining copy of the Omega Scroll was still out of reach, and Petroni knew that the journalist’s investigation into Lonergan was gathering pace. At least the doddering old Pontiff’s health was deteriorating, he mused; and if nothing else, Donelli’s visit to the Middle East could be cancelled and a media release issued to the effect that Vatican protocol had not been followed. If it wasn’t possible to eliminate him immediately, he would have to be kept away from the spotlight. Donelli’s presence at the signing of an international peace treaty with these Muslims, Petroni thought bitterly, was the sort of international recognition that might sway a conclave. Petroni gripped the Beretta more tightly. He hated not being in control, hated it with a passion, and he was now more determined than ever to get the results he wanted.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Tel-Aviv

B
ack in his Tel-Aviv hotel, Giorgio Felici watched a re-run of the interview between Tom Schweiker and the CCN anchor on
International Correspondent
. There was still no word on the condition of the Italian scientist. He thought back to the time he had those pert little breasts in the cross-hairs of his sniper sight. It would be a pity if she survived, but the announcement that Donelli was attending the peace ceremony had given Felici an idea. He had been wrestling with the problem of how to eliminate Cardinal Donelli and at the same time avoid getting caught up in the aftermath, and this plan might just work. If a cardinal was to die as a result of an attack on the Prime Minister of Israel, the inevitable investigation would remain focused on the death of Prime Minister Kaufmann. The death of Donelli would be dismissed as an unfortunate coincidence. Giorgio knew that Yusef Sartawi had a deep-seated hatred of the Israelis but was it enough to kill the Israeli Prime Minister, along with Donelli? Of all the countries in the world, Israel had to be one of the toughest in which to carry out an assassination.

Felici picked up his mobile and punched in the code to the Cardinal Secretary of State’s secure phone, anticipating that the Cardinal would be in a black mood. He was not disappointed.

‘Petroni!’

‘Giorgio Felici here, Lorenzo. I have just seen the announcement that Cardinal Donelli has been invited to the signing of the Peace Treaty at the ceremony in Jerusalem,’ he said, keeping the recovery of the Omega Scroll to himself.

‘An invitation that he will not be keeping, Giorgio. It hasn’t been approved by the Holy Father and it certainly hasn’t been approved by me.’ Petroni was livid and his words hissed over the phone line.

‘I would suggest you allow the visit to go ahead, Lorenzo,’ Giorgio replied evenly. ‘It will give me an opportunity to enlist the support of those I need to meet our requirements.’

Petroni didn’t answer immediately. He was in a corner and unable to do anything about it. ‘Judging from the results of your efforts so far, Giorgio, I have no option,’ Petroni replied acidly, and he slammed the handset on to the phone’s cradle.

Giorgio smiled. Petroni would be useful as Pope, but if not, there were others on P3’s list. In the meantime, he took great satisfaction from letting the ruthlessly ambitious Petroni stew for a little while longer over the whereabouts of the Omega Scroll.

David reached the third-floor ward of the vast Hadassah Hospital and knocked on the small outer office.

‘For me, Dr Kaufmann. You shouldn’t have!’ The ward sister smiled at the handsome visitor. His head was lightly bandaged and he held a dozen roses.

David returned the smile. ‘How is she?’

‘Much better this morning. Still a bit shaken so we’ll keep her under observation for another night but you should be able to take her home tomorrow.’

‘I know it’s not visiting hours but could I see her?’

‘Of course.’

David followed the ward sister down the corridor. A Shin Bet security agent was sitting unobtrusively near Allegra’s private room. Shades of things to come, David thought ruefully.

Allegra’s face was bruised and flecked with small cuts. Her arms were heavily bandaged, as were her feet. Fortunately her wounds looked much worse than they actually were. She still managed a smile for David as she supervised him with the roses and a vase. Arranging done, he gently kissed her unscarred lips.

‘David, the roses are beautiful. Even I didn’t think you were that romantic,’ she joked, then her mood became serious.

‘How is Elie’s family?’ she asked. ‘Is there anything we can do to help?’ Allegra’s heart ached for Elie, she owed him her life.

‘I spoke to his wife,’ David replied softly. ‘She’s coping as best as she can. Are you sure you still want to be part of this?’

Allegra pushed herself off the pillows and leaned towards David, taking his hand. ‘If you were like those who wanted to fight violence with violence and you thought that there was no other way, I might have second thoughts. I whole-heartedly believe in the peace that you, Yossi and Ahmed are brokering. I also know that I love you very much, and I won’t let you go that easily.’

David’s eyes were misty as he looked at Allegra, smiling across at him. There would be time enough to tell her about the break-in at the university when she was fully recovered.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Nablus

Y
usef Sartawi struggled against the suffocating force of someone holding him down. He tried to get free and called out twice before he woke up, soaked in sweat. Tears fell again as he relived the massacre of his family.

Yusef looked at his watch. Four. He woke at this time most mornings, and knowing that he would not get back to sleep he made some coffee and once again pondered the capitulation of his brother to the infidels. September 11 had shown what Islam was capable of, Allah be praised. Now the prospect of a peace deal with the Israelis tormented his soul, but the peace deal was not the only thing that was bothering him. He had to meet with Giorgio Felici and he was not looking forward to it. Felici, Yusef knew, would not have taken too kindly to the botched grab on the scroll or the survival of the scientist, but the plan for the journalist was in place and they would try for the scientist again. Yusef had suggested they meet in a park where it would be hard for anyone to eavesdrop, and a meeting under the shadow of the Knesset held a nice irony. ‘My clients in Rome are very unhappy about the loss of the Omega Scroll,’ Felici said darkly. Now that he had the scroll, Giorgio Felici had no intention of handing over any of the Vatican’s money.

Yusef’s lean, tanned face and dark eyes remained inscrutable.

‘And they are even more unhappy that you have so far been unable to dispose of the Italian scientist.’

‘This target is not easy to hit. She is part of the Prime Minister’s circle now, although our girl got very close and the scientist will not be so lucky next time.’

‘And you have the journalist under surveillance?’

‘His SIM card is now inside an identical phone that’s packed with explosives. If it becomes necessary, the journalist can be eliminated easily.’

Giorgio Felici sniffed derisively. ‘The contract on the Omega Scroll will not be paid out until you deliver, but there is a way for you to redeem yourself and an opportunity for you to secure even more funding for your cause.’

Yusef listened while Felici gave him the details of the new contract on the Italian cardinal. ‘But there is a condition,’ Felici warned. ‘It must be carried out as part of an attack on the peace ceremony and the Israeli Prime Minister.’

Yusef did not respond immediately. Unbeknown to Giorgio Felici, Yusef had already given the assassination of Prime Minister Yossi Kaufmann a great deal of thought, including the possibility of destroying the peace ceremony, and he already had the beginnings of a plan. Up until now he had lacked the critical resources to ensure its success.

‘Such a contract would be extremely difficult and very expensive,’ Yusef said, knowing better than to ask why the infidels would want one of their clerics assassinated. ‘Security will be very tight. The area around the Damascus Gate will be locked down tighter than Ben Gurion Airport. With the right explosive I might get a suicide bomber in past the cordon but I doubt a suicide bomber would get close enough to the main party before being brought down. Just killing a few Israeli soldiers would be a failure.’

‘A light aircraft?’ Felici asked.

Yusef shook his head. ‘I have considered that. We have a pilot who is more than willing to avenge the death of his wife but I am keeping him for another day. The Damascus Gate target is too well guarded for that. Our aircraft could only take off from either Lebanon or Jordan. There is an air exclusion zone around Jerusalem and as soon as our man deviated from his approved flight plan the Israeli’s F-16s would shoot him out of the sky.’ Yusef almost spat out the words, then he paused, a thoughtful look on his face. Now that his brother had joined the infidels, if the opportunity presented itself, Yusef had decided to kill him. This plan might achieve that as well, but Yusef knew he would have to be in close, which meant that he might be killed too. He also knew that his plan would only work if he could get the right explosive, an explosive that was very hard to source. Now, Allah be praised, perhaps there was a possibility and Yusef would earn his place in heaven.

‘This can still be done,’ Yusef said finally, ‘but it will be a very high-risk operation. There will need to be substantial compensation.’

‘Of course,’ Giorgio responded. ‘What did you have in mind?’

‘I will need at least six kilograms of Semtex.’

‘Does it have to be Semtex?’

Yusef nodded. ‘It’s the only explosive that I would have any hope of getting in, and even then my plan will require some subterfuge,’ he said, without elaborating. ‘Semtex is extremely stable and it is hard to set off accidentally. It can be moulded into virtually any shape you want, which in this case will be critical. Most importantly, it is odourless so sniffer dogs can’t detect it.’

‘Can it be detected at all?’ Giorgio asked, impressed by his Palestinian contact’s professionalism but already thinking ahead to the problems of getting explosives into Israel.

‘Yes, if you bathe it in neutrons. The equipment for that is very expensive and unless the Israelis have some intelligence it is unlikely to be present, even for the peace ceremony.’

‘How tightly are your plans held?’

‘This particular plan is held strictly on a need-to-know basis. You have a rough outline because without you I can’t get the Semtex,’ Yusef responded coldly.

Giorgio Felici had only known the Palestinian through coded messages, but he felt a growing respect for the man.

‘Anything else?’ he asked.

‘Twenty million dollars. Over and above expenses and payable in advance,’ Yusef answered.

‘That is a very large amount, my friend.’

‘It’s in keeping with a very large risk,’ Yusef replied, his face expressionless. ‘Hamas is no different from any other organisation. If we are to continue to fight, we need funds.’

‘The Italian scientist is likely to be at the peace ceremony?’ Felici asked, returning to the original target.

‘In the front row,’ Yusef replied. ‘It is possible that we may catch her in the net as well,’ he added, reading Giorgio’s mind.

Before Giorgio Felici left for Rome he left a coded message for Cardinal Petroni. The Semtex would need to be provided through one of the Vatican’s companies that manufactured explosives and delivered in the black bag.

Jerusalem

‘A big concession,’ David said as he waved to the well-wishers in the hospital foyer and escorted Allegra to the waiting government car. ‘I’ve given Onslow the day off.’

‘You said that almost wistfully,’ Allegra chided him.

‘Well, half a day. We’ll pick him up at my place.’

‘Our place!’ Allegra whispered, elbowing him in the ribs.

‘How do you feel? Fully recovered, I’d say,’ David said, massaging his midriff.

‘Raring to go. The laboratory after lunch?’

‘Well, sort of,’ he replied with his trademark grin.

After lunch they drove towards the Old City heading for Bishop O’Hara’s.

‘Where are we going?’ Allegra asked, when she realised they weren’t heading for Mount Scopus.

‘All will be revealed,’ David said with a strange look on his face.

They were met at the door by the irrepressible Sister Katherine.

‘David! Allegra! Come in, come in. I’m so glad you’re all right, Allegra.’ The words tumbled over one another as she led them up the stairs.

‘Allegra!’ Patrick greeted Allegra with outstretched arms. ‘We’ve all been worrying sick. Sister Katherine and I were coming to the hospital today but they said you were fine. It does my eyes good to see you on your feet.’

‘I was very lucky, Patrick, thank you. Not my turn to go, I guess,’ she added with a smile. ‘Although I’m a little puzzled as to why we’re here when there’s so much work to do.’ Allegra looked quizzically at David.

‘May I, Patrick?’

‘To be sure, David. It’s been as safe as houses here.’

David walked over to the large painting on the wall and lifted it gently onto the floor, revealing an ancient wall safe. He dialled the combination and took out two large envelopes that Allegra recognised instantly.

‘Only two?’ she asked, a look of concern on her face.

‘The Gospel of Thomas and the Omega Scroll.’

‘I don’t understand. What happened to the Isaiah Scroll?’

‘The morning of the bombing I got a call from Yossi. One of his contacts in Mossad let him know that it was possible the scrolls were under surveillance at the laboratory so I enlisted Patrick’s help and brought him into the loop.’

‘Giovanni and I talked about the Omega Scroll often, Allegra,’ said Patrick, ‘and he told me about what happened to John Paul I. The fragments were never going to be safe at the university, there are just too many people who have access to the laboratories.’

‘The shifty-eyed lab assistant?’ Allegra asked, turning to David.

David nodded. ‘Found dead in a garage in Tel-Aviv, interestingly enough, along with a CIA agent. A Mossad car was shadowing them both but was hit by a truck when it ran a red light. Whoever has the envelope with the Isaiah Scroll in it thinks they have the Omega.’

‘So there is more than one group after this,’ Allegra observed.

‘Yes, and while any one of them thought we had it, they would be watching us like a hawk. I marked an envelope with the omega symbol but I had to have something to put in it, something that would fool them as long as possible, so I sacrificed the copy of Isaiah. We had hoped that Mossad would retrieve it, but … well, no security service is perfect, I guess,’ he said, a note of disappointment in his voice, ‘but at least the original Isaiah is still in the Shrine of the Book.’

Allegra smiled. ‘Quite the conspirators, you two,’ she said. ‘This is probably the last place anyone would think of looking.’

‘In a previous life I was one of Nebachadnezzar’s spies,’ Patrick said with a chuckle. ‘I’d love to stay but I’ve got an appointment across the road,’ he said, inclining his head towards the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. ‘Although I’m looking forward to finding out what’s in the Omega Scroll.’

‘That’s going to take a while, Patrick,’ David said. ‘Thanks for making your lounge room available.’

‘It’s interesting that more than one group is after this,’ Allegra said after Patrick had left. ‘Although I’ve got a fair idea who one of the groups is.’

David nodded. ‘Petroni and his boys. They may still be watching us, so we’ll dummy up some stuff so that it looks as if you’re still working on fragments in the lab, although if they think we’ve no longer got the Omega, the heat will be off for a while.’

‘How long will it take to put the Omega fragments together?’

‘Hard to say, but now that the scrolls have been separated, our task will be a lot easier. Yossi tells me they’re planning the peace ceremony for two months’ time, which is still well before Lonergan gets back, so hopefully we’ll be close by then.’

‘Should we get the other fragments back to the vault?’

‘Plenty of time. I’d rather wait until we can replace the three pieces of the Omega Scroll that were taped to the lid of the box and do it in one hit. I have a friend who restores old books and parchments. One of his skills is copying documents and making them look old. In this case very old.’

‘You have some interesting friends,’ Allegra said, rolling her eyes.