S7: Holy War

I grinned. "That would be your job, Heath. At least you have a suspect to question."

He snorted. "Yes, one. Three would have been better, but I understand they weren't very open to surrendering."

I shrugged. "I asked them nicely. They didn't seem to want to cooperate."

He grinned, gave me back my weapons, and left. I spent the rest of the night in my flat, shaking like a leaf. I was definitely getting too old for this.

It made international headlines despite our attempt to keep it quiet. The men were all dressed in standard British military gear, right down to their sidearms. Two automatic assault rifles were found on the roof, also military issue.

The lone survivor had never been in the military, and had a pretty impressive international record, although he was never prosecuted for most offenses, due to lack of evidence and high priced lawyers. He was truly screwed this time, though, and knew it.

He was held without bond, in an undisclosed location. A lawyer came forward, demanding to see him and arrange bail. He was refused, and became very quiet when he was asked who engaged him.

The burglar talked, after a plea deal of sorts. He would do ten years, a cakewalk compared to what he was facing if he didn't cooperate, but his testimony led to an electronic trail that was traced back to an Italian millionaire.

The man was outspoken about the deteriorating morals of society, especially in western countries. He was an old style Zealot, a firm supporter of the Catholic Church. His donations each year totaled several million. He'd had audiences with the last four Popes, a reward for his loyalty and support.

He was arrested quietly by Interpol, and extradited after lengthy legal wrangling. The Church petitioned quietly for clemency, but could do nothing openly, for fear of fallout. Seems the Italian had learned of our work, and took it on himself to retrieve the scrolls for the Church. In the end, he did three years at a Camp Cupcake type facility.

The sad truth were his efforts were for nothing, the urns visible had already been examined and nothing significant had been found. They were window dressing, the real urns were in an eight inch walled stainless steel vault, built into the lab and hidden behind a work counter. The codes to get in were known only to three, and would only work at random times. It was supposed to be the best system in the world.

We received a full apology from the Catholic Church, and we really believed it sincere. However, the publicity pushed it out in the open. Teddy stunned the world by offering the supposed letter from Jesus to Simon for world viewing. It sent shock waves throughout the Christian world.

In a press conference, Teddy gave out transcripts of the letter, along with a promise that he would allow anyone qualified to examine it to do so, under tightly controlled conditions.

To my surprise, a coalition of American faiths sent a man I welcomed with open arms. He was my former assistant, the man who'd taken my spot when I left for England.

The Catholic Church sent their own man, a Scot, complete with red hair. He was six-seven, with a body that looked like it came from central casting of any Highland movie. He had excellent credentials, held two Phd's and was working on a third. He was also a priest, his current assignment was to Vatican City, where he was one of the assistant curators of the fabled archives. He actually had several papers out that the team immediately looked up and read.

They were well written, concise conclusions drawn and backed up by undisputed sources, but I didn't like the tone much. The team agreed with me, it felt less like objective research, and more like tailoring the facts to fit the conclusions.

We didn't work like that. We tried our best to tell the truth about our conclusions, whether it fit our beliefs or not. It was what it was.

...

Maddy came to see me, acting very circumspect, accompanied by a man who exuded a quiet arrogance that came only from true belief. Maddy seemed nervous, so after about three minutes of boring small talk I held up my hand.

"Stop dancing around and tell me what you want, in clear terms. Otherwise, I'll wish you a good day and go about my business. The clock starts now."

Mr. Executive looked startled and then annoyed, and Maddie burst out laughing, addressing the man.

"I told you Bob, but you just had to see for yourself. It takes a lot to impress him, and authority figures irritate him. I promised you an introduction, more for the amusement of watching than anything else. You're on your own now, I'll just sit back and watch."

"Mr. Trammel, I represent a section of the government who appreciates what you've done with those scrolls. We also know how your team acquired most of them. Lord Bevington is to be commended for his vision, and your team for your efforts. All that being said, the rest of the information you're sitting on could be of great benefit to your country. The position we'd be in, the concessions others would give, could prove very fruitful. Think of the service to your country! It would be..."

I was appalled at his sheer gall, and more or less tuned him out. He finally stopped speaking, bathed in self-righteousness, and waited for me to bow to his every wish.

"Just to clarify, you want me to betray my friends, my boss, a country that has adopted me as a son, the countries that entrusted us with their past, and my personal values, hide things that need to be shared with all, just so you could gain advantage? Are all government employees like you? For the first time in my life, I feel like I need to call my ex and thank her for what she did all those years ago(he of course had no clue what I was talking about). I think you need to leave now. And just to clarify the answer is not just no, but HELL NO! Maddy, honey, always a pleasure to see you. If your schedule allows, maybe we can spend a little time together before you leave."

By now I was standing at the door, holding it open. Maddy got up laughing and took his arm, pulling him gently. "Come on, Bob. Don't try to convince him, you'd be wasting everyone's time. Pete, I'll give you a call."

He was stuttering and protesting as she led him out. Just before I shut the door I heard him say "Maddy? Really?"

The tone of her voice wasn't warm. "Yes, Maddy. He's the only one who will ever call me that. You try it, and I'll give you a closeup look at your balls. I know you won't listen, but you need to leave him alone."

He was still complaining when they got into the car. I left right behind them, calling Heath as I drove. When I got to his office I laid it out for him. He sighed.

"So it's come to this. I know Teddy has been visited by a few of the chaps from the Home Office. I would guess they made the same appeal. Ask Moshe, and I'll bet his folks have done the same. The knowledge you possess is possibly the hottest thing on the planet right now. To quote those old Yank westerns I loved as a boy, it may be time to circle your wagons."

I did ask, and they all, including Fatima and Sherry, said they had been approached at different times. It was a somber group.

"Fuck this! The only way to stop this is publish everything we've got, and let the chips fall where they may. It might get them to leave us alone."

Teddy shook his head. "Won't work, dear boy, now they'll always think we're hiding something. From now on, I fear, someone is always going to be looking over our shoulders."

...

Right in the middle of all that was going on around us, I got some very good news. Polly and Jack came to see me, grinning.

I stood as they entered the restaurant, Polly pushed me down, plopping into my lap and giving me a LOT of kisses.

"Guess what, Daddy? My horny hubby has been doing some nasty things to me. And I like it! Especially when it gets me pregnant! Congratulations, old man. How does Grandpa sound to you?"

Jack grinned as the realization of what she said, struck me. A grandchild!

"Well that's just wonderful! Jack, I hope the kid has better bowels than his or her mother. MY God, could she fill up a diaper! Several times a day! Invest in air freshener now."

Polly was squealing and struggling to get off but I just hugged her tighter. "Daddy! That's not true! You always told me I was a perfect little princess!"

"You are," I said, kissing her cheek, "and you always will be, to me. Both of you."

She cooed and relaxed against me, kissing me one more time before sliding off my lap and onto her husbands'.

"We don't know what it's going to be, and we don't want to. If it's a boy, his name will be Simon Peter, after our fathers. If it's a girl, It will be Joanna Estelle, after our mothers. If it's twins and one of each well, everybody wins."

"Have you told your mother?"

"Not yet, Daddy. Jack has leave coming, and we're flying home for two weeks. We'll gather the family together and tell them the news."

We spent a pleasant evening together while I tried to absorb the news. Polly had to use the restroom, something I told her she would be doing with increasing frequency for the next nine months, and left Jack and I. I held up my wine.

"Again, congratulations. I'm sure fatherhood will give you great joy."

He touched his glass to mine. "I'm sure it will. I might have to call on you for pointers. Polly told me you were the primary parent for most of her life. Now, before she comes back, I need to ask you something. Do you know a man named Bob Tilden? I don't know who he is, but he has spook written all over him. He has a little pull, getting me ordered to talk to him. He pumped me for about fifteen minutes before I told him to give it up."

"Things went downhill pretty fast after that. He idly reflected how a young, pregnant wife would feel if her husband was posted in a third world country. Would she stay behind, of go with him, living in danger and dealing with poor health care?"

He saw me go white and put his arm on my shoulder.

"I told him my postings weren't up to him, but should the unlikely event occur, I would resign immediately. I've had some pretty lucrative offers in the past few months, I'm sure I'd land on my feet."

I grinned, imagining Bob's face. Teddy must have thought something was up, and he offered Jack a job in security. Basically, he wanted to hire Jack to protect me.

"I don't want you to lose your career, Jack. I know you'll make the best decision for you two, just consider what you do carefully."

We didn't get to talk more because Polly came back, but I invited him to work out with me the next day. Polly rolled her eyes. "Fine! I'll see if Fatima and Sherry are up for a day at the spa, courtesy of my loving father."

I just grinned and told her to go ahead. The girls put a hefty dent in my bank account, and Jack put some pretty good bruises on my body. Either he was getting faster or I was getting slower. I suspect it was a combination of the two.

...

Taken totally by surprise, I received a call from Jo. She made small talk for awhile before she got to the point. "I'm coming over for the last month of her pregnancy. Josh and Jess will come a few days before the birth, in case our grandchild comes early. We'll all be together again, for a little while. How does that sound?"

I could hear the apprehension in her voice. You could almost see her shock when I answered.

"That would be great! Can you get away from your job for that long?"

"I...I have eight weeks of vacation due. I'll have all my projects wrapped up before I go. Besides, I'm a partner now, so I get a little leeway."

"Good for you! Look, if you haven't already made arrangements, let me handle it. The college has a few very nice houses for visiting lecturers, and I'm sure I can stretch a point and retain one for you, my treat. That way we'll all be close when her time comes."

She seemed stunned. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose on you."

"I insist. It will be nice, although I don't know how much time I'll get to spend with you guys. Work's kind of hectic lately."

I heard the humor in her voice when she answered. "I know. Mother was approached by the Archbishop of Boston a while back, wanting to know if she could influence you. Mom laughed so hard she cried, before answering. She told him he'd have a better chance sending the devil himself to sway you."

She went silent for a minute. "I need to thank you for what you did at the wedding. I thought it was pure spite at first, but you were never a cruel person. At least not before. I insisted she see her priest, which led to a counselor, which led to a very expensive two month stay at a specialized spa. She came back ten pounds heavier and a lot more fit. Her doctor says she's in better shape now than she was fifteen years ago. Her attitude towards life has improved tremendously. She's become friends with a man five years younger, and they have hit it off to the point of going on a cruise next month. When people compliment her on her change, she says she owes it to her ex son-in-law. Oh, before I forget, both she and your mother are going to be with us when we come."

I felt a bit of a chill. "Will my sperm donor be there?"

"NO, he's chosen not to come with us. I get the feeling he's afraid of you."

I let that comment slide, and even though I didn't want to I asked if she had a significant other coming with her. Her laugh was bitter and sad at the same time. "No one. You?"

"Same as you. You know I see Maddy when she's in town. That's about it."

For some reason that seemed to cheer her up. After another minute of small talk, she rang off.

...

The priest and my old assistant settled in, and after exhaustive research, decided the papers were from the right era. Th Catholic Church fought hard to acquire them, but we refused, saying they belonged to the country where they were found, refusing to tell them what country it was.

Trevor, my old assistant, was working with Moshe and Sherry, which left the priest, Ian, with Fatima and me. He was a pleasant sort, mostly, the only time it would get uncomfortable was when the religious debates would start. Moshe and the girls took him seriously, but I needled him relentlessly. He threw up his hands in frustration one afternoon.

"You! You're the worst of the lot. All the others believe in something, even if it's misguided. You just smile your smug smile and work away, not caring the least how it might change the world!"

"You're about as wrong as you can be, Ian," said Sherry quietly. "He feels very deeply about how it might change the world. All this," she said, sweeping her arms around the room, "this is his church. And he has to be true to his beliefs. He doesn't have agendas, or have theories to prove or disprove, he just bears the burden as a warden of knowledge. To him it doesn't matter if regimes fall or history has to be rewritten, as long as what he reports is the absolute truth as near as he can determine. Do you understand?"

He shrugged. "Not really. I still feel a little more control would be helpful."

Moshe spoke up. "Well then, Ian, who would you suggest be the best to hold this knowledge? A church that thinks the knowledge should be buried and suppressed? Have you ever thought for once that it might be the will of the God you worship that this knowledge be shared? That He led us to it, at great personal cost, to make us remember the sacrifice it took to bring it out? Did that ever once cross the minds of you and your superiors? Pete isn't God, Ian, but he is a force to be reckoned with. If he decides the knowledge should be shared with the world, he'll do it, with our full support."

Ian started to speak several times before shrugging and going back to work.

Moshe took a week off to visit his family, flying back on a diplomatic plane with the gospel and letters of Mary Magdelene. We did the letters first, content that it would prepare the world for what was coming.

We got requests for interviews from National Geographic, Smithsonian, Time, and all the top tier magazines from around the world. Teddy pulled a hat trick, being on the cover of Time, BBC Historical Magazine, and National Geographic the same week. He also did the top talk shows in the U.S, Britain, Germany, and Israel.

To his credit, he never once forgot to mention us, and we were shown in a group photo in each magazine. They were fascinated when he told them originally there were seven of us, a Saudi, a Turk, an Israeli, an American, a Russian, a Syrian, and a Kurd, but two had passed and one went back to fight for the establishment of a new country, separate from the current government.

We also got interviewed, as a group, for BBC, and it was picked up by a network in the States, and shown on a prime time news magazine type show. Josh and Jess both called me, telling he about it.

The interview created a demand for more, and somehow I was elected spokesperson.

"You're American, Pete. The rest of us are from unsettled areas, and still have family there. And who knows who'll take offense at something we say? Your nationality leaves your family safe, so it's best for everybody.

Teddy appeared with me in a couple, before becoming bored and leaving me with it.

Bad mistake.

...

I'd been interviewed by the BBC twice, and had officially been named a correspondent for the BBC History Channel on ancient Middle Eastern history. Maybe once every three months I'd get face time, but no matter what the subject I'd be asked about our research and if any papers would be forthcoming. I always deferred the questions to Teddy, whose answer was invariably "Soon."

Trevor had to travel back to the States for the new school term, even though he was hooked on what we did. I had a feeling the Dean would be sending me a sharp note when he resigned after the end of term. Teddy had already offered him a job, and we agreed he would be working with us.

Father Ian was still around, showing no interest in leaving. He was about to wear out his welcome, in my opinion. He was more than pissed because we wouldn't let him examine anything until we were done with it and Teddy had published the results. I told him bluntly if he didn't like it, leave. No one was forcing him to stay.

I took the opportunity to burn some vacation time and travel back with Trevor. I never told my family, and they were stunned when I just appeared. Jess was single and had a nice apartment, and she insisted I stay with her. She called Josh and Jo, making plans for a nice dinner sometime in the next few days.

Jess had takeout delivered, and after a nice meal she opened a bottle of wine, and seemed very anxious about my opinion of it.

"It's good, Jess, really good. The taste is pleasing, and I suspect there's not much alcohol in it. It's an excellent table wine. Why are you asking?"

"Because my boyfriend made it, at the family winery. I wish he could be here to hear your opinion."

I'd noticed a few things, razors and a man's deodorant in the bathroom, magazines geared to males on the coffee table, and the fact that she kept her bedroom door closed.

"Where did you banish him to? Really, Jess, you're an adult. You really think I don't remember what young people of the opposite sex do with each other? Call him and tell him to come home."

After going about eight shades of red and stuttering, she told me they had been together for eight months and it looked really serious. She made the call, assuring him it was all right, and he didn't have to spend the night with his parents. He was there in less than thirty minutes.

He was tall, good looking, quiet until you got him started on subjects he was passionate about, like Jess and wine making. He promised me a tour before I had to return home.

I woke up around two, hearing familiar noises coming from her bedroom, and her trying to keep him quiet. I smiled and turned over, out like a light in just a few seconds. When she asked me how I slept I told her I though she had mice, because I heard little squeaks around two.