Vatican Assassin (10 page)

He sounds pissed! Better get over there.

BC is sent right in when he arrives at Edwards’s offices.

“Come in, Campion,” Edwards say to BC, then he calls to the room’s security unit, “lock and secure this room. Thank you.”

BC can hear the whirs and clicks around him as the room is secured.
Woah, this is weird. Maybe this is his game. Take me in to his confidence and then get
weird on me. Let’s see how it plays...

“Precautions, Marc?”

“Precautions. I’ve received some serious shit about you, BC. Serious shit.”

“Such as?”

“Such as you kill people. You’re an assassin for the Vatican, not some high level PR guy!”

“That’s crazy. Who made these allegations?”

“Daniel McEntyre provided me with a confidential dossier on you. UIN property, Top Secret. Says a lot about you, how you were a con man minister who was legitimized to do the Pope’s dirty work. And it says you’re an assassin! He says it proves it was really you who killed Meredith! How do you answer that?”

“I say it’s crazy, Marc! I mean, consider the source! The first time Daniel McEntyre met me, he physically attacked me, even then trying to blame me for his wife’s death! It’s fiction, some kind of UIN

fabrication meant to discredit me.”

Holy shit... got to think fast...

“He’s still trying to make people think I somehow had something to do with her death, so he must have had his friends in the UIN doctor up some records to make you suspect me. Think about it!

You’ve just taken me into your confidence. He sees that as threatening! You and I spoke in a public place about it. Word could have gotten back to McEntyre. Look at it! Right after we talk, he gives you a supposed dossier on me. What timing! And how could he get his hands on such a thing, did you ask him that?”

“He said he couldn’t tell me how he got it. But it looks authentic! There are newspaper clippings of political killings, with reports tying you to several of them: diplomats, reporters, and politicians. They were all pro UIN, all killed by ‘unseen assailants’. There are even pictures of you at the scenes! It pretty damning evidence.”

“It would be, if it was real. It’s not, Marc. Doctored photos and fake stories, it’s all part of their game. Psychological operations, covert warfare. They’re obviously trying to make you stop trusting me.”

How do I play this?

“Marc, you know I am more than a simple priest and PR flack. Can I trust you to keep my secrets if I tell you more?”

“That depends on what you tell me,” Edwards says, then pauses. “I want to believe you, BC, but this evidence is hard to ignore.”

“Marc, I work for the Pope in a less than overt capacity. McEntyre’s challenged my credentials as a priest before, and accused me of assassination before. I didn’t deny then and I won’t apologize now for the fact I became a priest through some less than traditional circumstances. I do the Lord’s work, make no mistake. I am not a cold blooded killer.”

It is not I who kill. I am only the instrument of the Lord, after all. Truth of a sort.
Edwards takes it all in and stares at BC, considering. He starts to say something, then stops. BC

can see the questions in his eyes.

“We’re at war, Marc. You’ve only had a small taste of it here. We’ve been at war for years back on Earth. On and off, terrorist attacks and bombings, raids and assaults. The UIN have been trying to kill us, the Christians of Earth, for years! They’d like nothing better than to see me and every other Christian dead! We’ve been trying to not let them succeed at that. As Christians, we in the NcC are targets. The Moslems have always lumped us in with the UTZ, no matter the fact that there are no official ties. We’ve been 'accidentally' hit by UIN attacks in the past, but now they’re doing so openly. You’ve seen the reports, they’ve hit the Vatican itself twice in the last month! Thank God the UTZ came to our defense. The Vatican has no defense of its own. Except for the Office of Papal Operations.

“The Pope started the OPO to provide security for the church, for the NcC. We look out for the interests of the New catholic Church. Essentially, the OPO gathers information and relays it back to the home base. Information is power, and Pope Peter, with God’s guidance, we hope, wields that power for peace. We don’t want war, so we try to protect ourselves by averting war. People like me, priests who work for the OPO, we watch and we report. We’ve been called spies, but scouts would be a better term, I think. The OPO watches.”

Edwards is still quiet, listening to BC tell his tale.

I can’t read him. I’ve got to let him in a little so he’ll trust me again...

“Some of that information helps bring us the protective power of the UTZ. The UTZ enjoys the moral support of the NcC, and they have come to our aid, but we have no formal agreement. Aside from their emergency assistance, we’re on our own. As for me? I was sent to the Moon to watch the McEntyres.”

Edwards is surprised. “Really?”

“Really. The Vatican’s been keeping close tabs on both of them. They’ve been in close and repeated contact with the UIN. Governor McEntyre had been trying to draw the Cardinal in, making official overtures of friendship, but the actions of her and her husband spoke louder than her words. We were pretty sure she wasn't being sincere with the Cardinal. Pope Peter sent me up here to see if I could find out what they were up to. I didn’t think I was going to see her die in front of me!”

...and I didn’t...

“So you’re a spy? For the Pope? But not a killer, huh? That’s still a lot, man.”

“Well. Now you know all my secrets.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” Edwards says and begins to laugh, “but I’ve heard enough. It really comes down to you versus Daniel. You, I’ve only known for a short time. I’ve known him for a couple of years, but I really don’t ‘know’ him that well. I knew Meredith better. I liked her. She was a good woman. It’s hard to believe she worked for the UIN, like you say. I think I trust you more than I trust him, but neither of you has me entirely convinced.”

“Look, Marc, the OPO knew both the McEntyres were working with the UIN. But what if Meredith had stopped? What if we were wrong, and her overtures toward the Cardinal were for real? It might explain why they killed her. Daniel’s probably still working with them! How did he get that fake dossier, huh?”

“That’s a good question.”

“He’s got to be UIN, Marc. While I’m gone, you should be careful. Keep him under close watch. He’s poison. I don’t know if you still want my advice, but I hope you’ll take it this time.”

“I still like you, BC, and still trust you on some level. I’d still like your advice. But trust is a rare commodity, I don’t spread it around easily.”

“I don’t blame you. Neither do I. I usually don’t trust anyone. But I like you, Marc, you’re my kind of people, and I can trust you on some level, too, I think. So if you want my advice, you’ve got it. I’ve got to get going… if we’re okay. I’ve told you all I can about what I’m doing here on the Moon.”

“Not exactly a simple priest... “

“Will you keep my secrets?”

“Sure. It’s a deal.”

Edwards stands and extends his hand. BC leans across the desk and shakes it.
A strong, solid handshake. Good sign
.

“Open the office!” Edwards calls to the room’s security unit. The room whirs and clicks again, and the office door pops open. “Give me a call when you get back here, BC.”

“I will.”

BC leaves the office, heads back through the atrium and back to his rooms. He notices he’s breathing a little heavy and his heart is racing.

That was too close
.
McEntyre’s dead when I get back here. He’ll be trying to undermine
me the whole time I’m gone, I’m sure. I hope I’ve convinced Edwards not to listen to him.
He is
poison!

BC goes back to packing for the trip and the job ahead. He reviews the space station plans and maps out strategies in his head as he checks the charge on his hand laser. He throws in a wrist-worn dart thrower and a small box of poison darts for good measure.

BC hides the CCU away in his rebuilt room, behind a wall panel that used to be a small closet door. The closet remains, but BC has disguised the door to look like another innocent wall panel.
This hit is a little more primitive than the hit on McEntyre. No killbots, nothing that
sophisticated. Might be just brute force, blunt trauma... have to play it by ear as I go. Ah, violence
is so not my style. Still, this is the least political job I’ve ever had to do. If this guy is killing people
in the name of God, then he already plays by my rules. And under those rules, I am God’s
instrument of vengeance for those he’s killed. I am the right hand of God, come to put the Light
Bearer back in his place. His nemesis come to punish his hubris... but now I’m mixing my
mythologies.

BC packs an airhypo, air cartridges and tranks and toxins, and tucks the blueprints and plans away as well.

That should do it. Now it’s off to see the Wizard...

He throws in some clothes, zips up his cases, powers down his rooms, locks his door and heads for the Reagan Station Spaceport to meet Captain Adrian Longeux and board the Paladin IV.

“Father Campion! Over here!”

BC recognizes Longeux from the security photo. He’s kind of a squat man, heavy set, with gray hair and the round face from the picture. He’s dressed entirely in green, a one-piece jumpsuit with

“Paladin IV” stitched in gold above the breast pocket. He’s also got a big gold crucifix hanging down around his neck.

A man of God, to be sure.

BC meets him at the private gate the port directory said the Paladin IV would be docked at. As BC approaches, Longeux reaches out for and eagerly shakes BC’s hand.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Father! It’s not everyday I get orders from the Vatican! I’ve been practically bursting at the seams, not being able to tell anyone and all. Imagine that, best commission of my life, and I can’t tell anybody! And you,” Longeux laughs, “you already know, so I’m not telling you anything!” He laughs again, “You ready to go?”

“Yes, yes I am, Mr. Longeux. It’s nice to meet you as well.”

I like his laugh. A little over friendly, but what the heck. Could be worse.

“They couldn’t tell me anything about this trip, said you’d fill me in on the details.”

“Yes. I’ll do that once we set out. Can we board now?”

“Sure!” Longeux turns and cycles the hatch behind him open. “Right this way, Father.”

Longeux reaches for BC’s cases, but BC stops him.

“Thanks, Mr. Longeux, but I’m fine to carry these myself. You’ve got a whole ship to handle, don’t worry about my luggage.”

“Well, we’re pretty much all set, really. I’ve got clearance for us to take off in about an hour. The Paladin’s fueled and prepped for the flight. All we gotta do is get on board and go!”

Longeux motions BC ahead of him through the hatch, then steps through himself and closes the hatch behind him. They’re in a small airlock, another hatch just ahead. Longeux reaches around BC and punches a code into the door panel in front of him.

The hatch opens on a passageway extending down to the ship. BC steps through into the passageway. It’s square and accordion shaped on the sides to expand and contract in the distance between the outer wall of Lunar Prime and the hull of the ship, with a central walkway and handholds running down either side.

Like being inside an accordion, complete with a handy walkway.

Longeux steps through behind BC, closes the hatch and punches another code into the door panel on this side. He motions to BC to continue down to the ship. BC feels the gravity let go as they walk down the passageway. His stomach protests, but he manages to keep his breakfast down. He fumbles a little in the low G, but Longeux reaches out and steadies him.

“It can be hard to adjust to the changing gravities, Father. I think you’ll find it better once we’re on the ship. She’s a good ship, Father. The Paladin's been fueled, and I just had the air recycling system recharged, so it should be good and fresh. I don’t have any cargo, nothing but yourself, like the Vatican asked. They paid me well. I’m not complaining, Father, don’t get me wrong. Here we are, the Paladin IV!”

Longeux squeezes past BC to open the hatch to his ship, then steps aside to let BC enter. “Go ahead into the airlock, Father. Welcome aboard!”

BC passes through the airlock and into the Paladin IV. He enters a corridor open to both sides. The Paladin IV’s colors appear to be green and gold. A green carpet lines the floor. Green and gold stripes run along about waist high on the gray wall in front of BC. And BC also notices there’s definitely more gravity than there was just outside the ship. BC takes it all in as Longeux enters behind him, still talking.

“You know, Father, I go to mass a lot on the Moon and I don’t remember ever seeing you there.”

“I work more behind the scenes, Mr. Longeux.”

“Well, I hope you don’t mind me asking... if we’re gonna be traveling past Sunday, I was hoping you might say a Mass for us, at least on Sunday. I know you’re more casual than, say, the Cardinal. I like his masses. But even if you could just do the New United Reform Liturgy, even... could you, Father?”

“Sure. If we travel past Sunday.”

“That’d be great, Father. Thank you! Are we gonna travel past Sunday?”

This should be interesting... never even been to a liturgy... suppose I can fake it. I’ve gotta
wonder if the boys back home set me up with this guy on purpose. They’re probably getting a
good chuckle right now at the thought of me saying a Mass. Ha ha fucking ha.
Wonder if the
trip’ll even take that long.

“I don’t honestly know, Mr. Longeux

“I used to be a Roman Catholic, Father. You don’t strike me as the Catholic type. I don’t mean any offense, Father.”

“No, that’s okay, I wasn’t. But, I’m the Pope’s man now.”

“Me too, Father. And we all follow Jesus, too.”