The Papal Chamber
The Apostolic Palace, The Vatican
Inside the papal chamber, usually a vibrant symphony of rich colors, the decor appeared muted in the room's dim light. Father Auciello was sitting in a high-back chair opposite Pope Innocent IX's desk where the pontiff looked at him through eyes that had a red and rheumy look to them.
“Disturbing news, for sure,” the pontiff stated. “To think that a cardinal, and one who is part of the Preferiti, would be capable of doing such a thing. And Father Essex?”
“He’ll be fine,” Father Auciello answered. “Just a nick on his shoulder from the knife.”
“Thank God for that.”
"Your Holiness," Auciello began, his voice measured, “the official report regarding the attack on Father Essex remains incomplete. But there is speculation as to the reason behind the action."
"Good Father, you know the strain these accusations of heresy have placed upon me given the falsehoods of AI disinformation that’s spreading mistruths about the church, and me, in particular. I’m not sure if I have the strength for political machinations just now."
"This isn't about politics, Your Holiness. It's about the safety of the Church, and perhaps, your very life."
A sigh, a dry rasp, escaped the pontiff's lips. "Speak plainly, then. What troubles you?"
"Cardinal Russo's ambition," Auciello stated bluntly. "There might be a possibility that Cardinal Russo would not have stopped at Father Essex—that there might have been other targets insisted upon by the direction of the Black Monk . . ." he trailed off, leaving the unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air.
The pope's eyes flickered with a spark of defiance. "Surely, you don't believe the cardinal capable of such barbarity. To keep killing under the instructions of the Black Monk."
“I believe Cardinal Russo suspected that he was being targeted for investigation by the Vatican. The message we retrieved from the thread sent by the Black Monk suggested as such, that there were those inside the Vatican walls conspiring against your rule.”
“Why would the Black Monk send such a message?”
“Because he believes that no matter what we do . . . there would be no way to stop him.”
The pontiff, after a pause, finally agreed to this by nodding. “And he might be right,” he said. “This AI that’s spreading across Europe—they’ve cloned my voice and reduced my image to appear twenty years younger when I served as a cardinal, the false image of me speaking heresy against the church that was allegedly recorded decades ago. All untrue, of course. But the masses are gathering for me to step down and resign my post, nevertheless.”
“And who better to usurp your position, Your Holiness, than Cardinal Russo, who opposes your policies and is a member of the Preferiti? Should you resign, Cardinal Russo stood to take the papacy. And who better to put him in power than the Black Monk?”
“The Black Monk does not have that kind of influence,” stated the pontiff.
“No. But the AI information he’s spreading does. And it’s working.”
“But why attempt an assassination against Father Essex?”
“Because he had an encounter with Cardinal Russo hours before inside the chapel. Cardinal Russo tried to glean information about operatives within the Vatican who are in league with the Black Monk. Father Essex was evasive in his answers, of course. But not enough to dispel the cardinal’s suspicions.”
“So, to keep the secret safe, he was determined to remove the threat before the investigation gained sure footing or, at the very least, slow it down. And if that’s the case, Good Father, then you were probably second in line.”
“Which is why the Corps of Gendarmerie is searching Cardinal Russo’s apartment as we speak.”
“Are they working with the restrictions that I called for?”
Father Auciello nodded. “The warrant specifically states that they are to gather all electronic and documented evidence to be analyzed by Vatican Intelligence only.”
“Very good.”
“There’s another thing,” Father Auciello said, removing a small business card from his shirt pocket and holding it up. There was scrawl on the back of it. “This was discovered on Cardinal Russo.”
The pontiff narrowed his eyes. “What is it?”
“A business card I believe Cardinal Russo planned to leave behind after he killed Father Essex.” The priest laid it on the desktop for the pope, but Father Auciello summed the message up before the pontiff had a chance to read it. “It states that the reach of the Black Monk is a long one . . . and that his reach was responsible for the death of Father Essex that, thankfully, did not happen.”
After a long sigh, the pope stated sadly, “Cardinal Russo was a good man at one time. Apparently, his ambitions became too great for him to master, his determination turning to desperation.”
"And desperation, Your Holiness, as you know, can be a powerful motivator," Father Auciello countered. “It can force the best of men to act irrationally.”
After a beat, the pontiff asked, “Are there others involved, those who conspire within the walls of the Vatican?”
“We’re looking into that. Hopefully, we’ll be able to discover something within Cardinal Russo’s apartment, maybe his PC, logs, anything that would direct us in the direction we need to go. So far, we know of a second clandestine satellite phone call made from within the Vatican just before the assault against Father Essex, to the Black Monk's suspected stronghold in Romania. That second call proves that the first call was not an anomalous rogue signal intercepted and misinterpreted by Vatican Intelligence. Most likely, it was the second call that prompted the attack against Father Essex by the Black Monk."
“It’s hard to believe that Cardinal Russo was trying to undermine my power in the eyes of the church’s constituency to elevate his post to the papacy. Even more damning to his soul is that he opted to do this by joining an adversary responsible for the death of Kimball Hayden.”
“It’s no mystery, Your Holiness, that Cardinal Russo was not a fan of Kimball, either. He even went as far as trying to court martial him after a mission where Kimball personally tracked down a terrorist after breaking protocol and eliminating him.”
“I remember. The man who did vile things to children.”
The pope closed his eyes, his hand reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Then a long moment passed before he spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "Very well,” he said, the man clearly fatigued. “Investigate the matter further but move with caution. If there are others, find them, and quickly, since desperation may trigger them to move against you and the church as well."
Auciello inclined his head in a nod. "Of course, Your Holiness. Understand that the closer we look, the uglier the truth may become."
The pope leaned back in his chair; his weathered face etched with a profound weariness. "A truth I fear the Church may not be prepared for. Nevertheless, Good Father, demons work in the hearts of men everywhere, including the Vatican."
“Understood.”
After Father Auciello left the chamber, Pope Innocent IX could feel the burden of an indescribable pain wrapping around his heart that was far greater than corporal agony. Cardinal Russo, though they had their differences, was also his friend. But to set aside a friendship for the goal of possessing the highest religious seat in the land, the mere thought crushed him.
In the silence of his chamber, Pope Innocent IX wept.
* * *
After sub-officer Luca Rossi of the Corps of Gendarmerie adjusted the brim of his hat, he stepped into Cardinal Russo’s apartment alongside Carmine Lauria, his investigative partner, while other officers from the Corps were already scouring the residence for evidence.
"Look at this," one officer called out, directing their attention to a table cluttered with evidence bags. Among them was the satellite phone that was bagged and tagged.
Rossi approached the desk and, with a gloved hand, picked up the device. As he lifted it, he couldn't help but notice the sleek design and advanced features. "Satellite phone," he muttered, turning it over in his hands. "This is no ordinary phone, either." The device was a high-end model with a price tag that far exceeded what a man such as Cardinal Russo should be able to afford.
"Seems a little expensive for someone like the cardinal to own," Lauria replied. “I didn’t know that being a cardinal at the Vatican paid that well. Maybe we’re in the wrong business.”
"He didn’t buy this,” Rossi said. “Whoever supplied him with this must have wanted to ensure secure communication. It's unlikely that he could have acquired this on his own."
"Which means there are others involved in whatever he's up to," Lauria said.
"There has to somebody on the other end," Rossi answered in a way that meant ‘obviously.’
As time moved on, more items were bagged and tagged, the table now cluttered with more than thirty bags of different sizes, the pile growing.
Lauria, making his way to the cardinal’s dimly lit study, saw a PC on the desk and hit the ENTER button. The glow of the computer screen cast eerie shadows across face as his eyes scanned each line of text. Then his fingers moved quickly across the keyboard, efficiently navigating through the complex web of files that held secrets far darker than he or Rossi had anticipated.
"Luca, take a look at this," Lauria said. Rossi joined him at the computer, his brow gathering as he took in the contents on the screen.
"Cardinals Esposito, Moretti, and Leone," he read aloud, his voice tinted with disbelief. "They're all implicated in a . . . conspiracy . . . against the pope."
As Lauria scrolled through the files, they found evidence of clandestine meetings, hushed conversations, and covert exchanges, all aimed at undermining the pope's authority. The cardinals' motivations appeared to be driven both by political ambition and religious devotion, a heretical combination.
"I don’t know if I want to believe this?" Lauria stated incredulously. "These men who were sworn to uphold the teachings of the Church . . . are actively working against the pontiff."
"I’m not sure if this is what the Holy See intended us to find," Rossi said. "The warrant states that we were to confiscate all computers, laptops, and electronic gear for their forensics team in Vatican Intelligence to analyze, not you. Let’s shut this down before we overstep our boundaries.”
Lauria didn’t appear too concerned as he continued to look through the files. And then in a disbelieving tone, he said, "This goes beyond simple power struggles within the Vatican. These men . . . if their actions were to be believed and become public knowledge that they’re conspiring against the pope, this could spell disaster for the Church."
"Log out," Rossi stated firmly. "The timestamp will register that someone logged on when they shouldn’t have, meaning you. So, tag it. You can explain your actions to Vatican Intelligence later."
“I’m not done,” Lauria told him. “I’m investigating a matter here.”
“You’re digging in places you shouldn’t be. The warrant is clear on that. Tag it.”
The reflection of the computer screen flickered on Lauria’s eyes, making them seem to glow with intensity. What he discovered was bigger than both of them—that a conspiracy within the church was forming at the highest levels within the Vatican with somebody at the other end of the satellite phone.
“Log off, Carmine,” Rossi said. “That’s an order.”
With a final keystroke, he turned away from the files and glanced at one of the officers investigating the room. "Tag the computer for the forensics lab at Vatican Intelligence."
"Understood," the officer nodded, moving to carry out Lauria's instructions.
As Lauria continued to catalogue various items, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over him. The implications of what he had found were staggering.
"Rossi," Lauria said quietly, grabbing Rossi’s arm to pull him aside. "We need to tread carefully here. This isn't just a case of corruption or internal politics – we're dealing with a conspiracy that could bring down the Vatican itself."
Rossi's jaw tightened, and he nodded in agreement. "I know. That’s why I told you to log off. Let Vatican Intelligence handle this. We’re just the errand boys here.”
Lauria, calming himself after Rossi’s measure of cautioning him, went to the second-story window in the other room where the moon cast a serene glow over the ancient city, with its inky darkness swallowing the shadows of the buildings below, cloaking Rome in darkness.
"Time to make the call," Rossi mentioned as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number to an awaiting member of the Holy See. As the line connected, he spoke with quiet authority, "This is Sub-officer Rossi,” he said. “You were right. Cardinal Russo was in possession of a high-end satellite phone we found inside his nightstand. The device itself is beyond his means, which suggests outside involvement.” After listening for a lengthy time, Russo nodded his head as though he agreed with what was being said on the other end. And then: “Of course . . . Yes . . . Everything will be done according to the pontiff’s wishes.” After Rossi pocketed his phone, he turned to Lauria and said, “This is big.”
“Of course, it’s big. People within the Vatican trying to undermine the authority of the pope.”
“Vatican Intelligence wants the evidence on their doorstep like right now, with orders for the Gendarmerie to respond immediately with whatever they find, meaning no sleep. What’s going to happen is going to happen quickly.”
Thereafter, they moved in tandem to secure the evidence for transport, with Rossi carefully placing the satellite phone into a secure case. Lauria tagged the PC after double-checking the computer files, ensuring that nothing of significance was left behind.
As Rossi and Lauria stepped out of Cardinal Russo's apartment carrying the tagged evidence in hand, along with their supporting officers who followed after the apartment had been scrubbed, exited the building with the night air cool.
When the last of the bubble-light cars pulled away, Rossi and Lauria went to their respective vehicles and placed the evidence packets inside the trunks. When Lauria pulled away, Rossi, with his car door open, looked at Cardinal Russo’s window on the second floor, now dark, with the man both amazed and dumbfounded at how such a small residence could also be the parlor to stage the downfall of the Roman Catholic church.
With that thought on his mind, he brought the evidence directly to Vatican Intelligence.