The Omega Factor(100)

Their gazes locked.

And he immediately noticed the tiny shake in her head. He pointed to himself, then down. She shook her head again. He got the message. Don’t do it. He decided to trust her judgment, though the situation with the gun below urged otherwise. Every fiber in his being told him to react and he debated ignoring her warning.

But he stayed still.

“Maidens,” Fuentes said. “To your credit, you have managed to remain hidden for a long time. You’ve eluded Rome for centuries. But that all ends today.”

The declaration was firm, direct, and without any equivocation.

“What will you do?” the abbess asked. “Kill her, then us all?”

Fuentes motioned and the gun was withdrawn from the woman’s neck, the hammer replaced. The maiden scurried away from Friar Dwight, clearly shaken. “No, abbess, I will not harm anyone. But I will have this order dissolved and every woman here removed to another convent. Then I will dismantle this building, stone by stone, and search every millimeter of it and the land around it with the best scientific equipment, until I find what we both know is here.”

No one said a word.

“That I will do,” Fuentes said. “And with Rome’s backing. Surely you realize that we are but the advance guard. More Dominicans are on the way.”

Silence continued to reign.

No one moved.

“I’ll tell you,” one of the maidens finally said.

“No. Don’t,” another voiced.

“I’ll tell you as well,” another added.

More voices joined in urging them not to speak.

“Silence.”

Sister Claire. Her voice loud and firm.

“None of you will say a word. Instead, I will lead them to the Chapel of the Maiden.”





Chapter 66



Vilamur passed through the main gate and kept walking down the road between rows of trees, sunlight spearing the ground from openings in the leafy canopy. Certainly, it was much easier going down this switchback than coming up. So many thoughts tumbled around inside his head. Mainly, bad. And under all that troubling debris, he was concerned about what came next. He’d challenged Fuentes and there’d surely be repercussions. A man like that would not take a public rejection lightly, especially when he’d come to France bearing gifts. But he’d deal with all that later. The fact remained that Fuentes needed him. His was an easy vote for the conclave. Bought and paid for. One more in the yes column. And he was counting on Fuentes to place his needs above all else.

He kept moving.

Away.

Nothing good was happening. The smart play, the only play, was to get as far away as possible. He felt numbed, half awake, dreamlike, confused and bewildered by all that had happened over the past couple of days. Usually, in life you got out of it in proportion to what you put in. And he’d definitely invested. But he was weary of the seemingly endless obstacles. Too late now, though, for remorse.

He heard quick footsteps behind him.

He turned back, expecting to see one of the Dominicans, or a maiden, and was met by a hard blow to the left side of his face that stunned and staggered him. The world around him blurred in and out of focus. He tried to stay standing but a wave of nausea and vertigo swept through him.

And he collapsed downward.





Claire stood her ground as the abbess stepped forward and confronted her.

“I order you to stay silent,” her superior said.

“I’m done taking orders. This is ludicrous. We cannot subject these women to the dangers they now face. I voiced my opposition weeks ago but was overruled. And look what happened. Rachel died. That was my fault.” She pointed. “Your fault. And all of the maidens who voted for that operation. And now, right here, in our motherhouse, Rome has come with guns, threatening to end us as an order. I won’t bear the burden of this sisterhood being dissolved or of anyone else being hurt.”

And several of the other women openly voiced their agreement.

“You’re a traitor to us all,” the abbess declared.

“Am I? Look around. Many of us opposed what was done. But you just kept going. We’re something from the past that has no place in the present.” Her gaze locked on the older woman. “I shot that man with an arrow, on your command. That was unnecessary.”

“I ordered you to do what was needed to defend this house,” the abbess spit out.

“And look what it got us. Not a damn thing,” Claire said. “That was my last act of blind obedience. This is going to end. Today. Right here. Right now. I’ll give him what he wants, and he’ll leave. No one will be hurt and our order will continue.” She turned toward Fuentes. “Right?”

The cardinal nodded in assent, but added a smile that irritated her. “There will be no further repercussions.”

“You’ll be violating your sacred oath,” the abbess noted. “Committing a mortal sin.”

“I’ll be violating common sense and my own conscience, if I don’t,” she declared. “And I’m not alone. Most here feel as I do.” She surveyed the room. “Who agrees with me? A show of hands.”

Slowly arms were raised. One at a time.

Eighteen of twenty-five.

A clear majority.

She faced the abbess.