If they were in sight and someone was watching the monitor on the other end of the camera, they’d have noticed Sean’s disappearance and then awkward reappearance a few minutes later.
“What is it?” Tommy said through a ridiculous toothy grin.
“I’ll show you when we get out of here.”
Tommy couldn’t contain his excitement, or his heightened curiosity. “Did you look at it? What did you do with it?”
Sean didn’t answer immediately. He was more concerned with getting out of there.
“In my pants,” he said as he walked swiftly back toward the next exhibition room.
The other three had to walk fast to keep up.
“Wait. I’m sorry. It sounded like you said it was in your pants.”
“That is what he said,” June said.
Adriana rolled her eyes and snorted a short laugh.
Tommy was incensed. “You put a potentially priceless historical item — that we need, by the way — down your pants?”
“Don’t worry. I already looked at what’s on it,” Sean said.
They reached the next archway and passed through it.
Sean slowed his pace, nearly causing the others to bump into him. He held out a hand to halt their movement.
“What?” Tommy asked.
Sean put an index finger to his lips, signaling his friend to be quiet.
“I heard something,” he whispered.
He tiptoed the final few yards to the end of the corridor until he reached the main hall of the library. Voices carried through the gigantic chamber and almost seemed amplified by the acoustics of the room. That’s a silly mistake to make in a library, he thought. You’d think they’d want to make it quieter.
Sean leaned around a pillar and looked back toward the library’s entrance. He pulled back immediately.
The others saw the look of concern on his face.
“What is it?” Adriana mouthed.
Sean drew in a short breath and sighed. “The Brotherhood.”
Somehow they’d tracked the Americans to the Vatican. Baldwin was talking to Father Totti, who’d pointed in Sean’s direction. He’d not been seen, not yet anyway, but now the exit was blocked.
They were going to have to find another way out.
Chapter 31
Sean hurried back to the other end of the hall adjacent to the main library. When he and the others made it to the next intersection, instead of turning right and returning to the statue, they made a left. Sean’s logic was that the entrance was that way.
They saw a door at the other end, but it didn’t look like one that led outside or back into the main section of the Vatican.
Tommy knew better than to ask where they were going. If his friend had a plan, it was best to simply trust it.
When they neared the door, a sign to the right of it showed a drawing of a set of stairs.
Sean turned the latch as quietly as he could and pushed the door open. “Quick,” he said. “Up the stairs.”
“Up?” June asked.
“Yes. Up.”
“But shouldn’t we—”
“He’s got a plan,” Tommy said, ushering her into the stairwell. After she and Adriana were through the doorway, he looked at Sean. “You do have a plan, right?”
“It’s fluid,” Sean said. “Come on.”
Tommy eased the door shut and followed the other three as they flew up the flight of stairs, taking them two at a time. Sean stopped at the next level and carefully opened the door. He peeked out through the opening. The floor was vacant save for the high shelves stacked with thousands of books. Study tables were spaced between the shelves for anyone needing a quiet place to do research.
“Okay, now what?” Tommy asked.
“Follow me,” Sean said in a barely audible tone. “And stay low.” He pointed to a short wall to the right that acted as a protective railing.
Sean took off, keeping his knees bent to stay crouched as he moved across the floor. When he was around the first row of shelves, he turned left into the aisle. Once he was clear from a downstairs view, he stood up straight and waited for the others.
They copied his movement and joined him at the other end of the row. When they’d caught up, he waved his hand for them to follow again.
Sean moved fast, careful to make sure his shoes didn’t make much noise on the floor. He even kept his legs apart to silence the swooshing of his pants. The entire time, he kept his eyes locked on the far end of the back row, anticipating that Baldwin or one of his men would suddenly appear, effectively hemming them in.
No one appeared, though, and when Sean reached the other end, he allowed himself to feel a moment of relief. Another door was just around the corner, opposite the one they’d come through a moment before.
He waited for the others, and when they’d caught up he motioned for them to stay low again. His eyes shot up to the ceiling and found a camera observing the room. If they hadn’t been spotted before, they certainly were as they crossed the second floor. The only thing that gave Sean any sort of comfort was that he and the others had permission to be here. If Baldwin hadn’t warned Totti of why the Americans were there, they might still have a chance to get out.
Sean crouched down again and made his way to the door on the left. As he turned the latch, he could almost sense the alarms about to start blaring. No going back now. He pulled down on the handle and eased the door open. Nothing happened except for a burst of new air coming through the crack.
He pushed it open all the way and stepped through, holding it on the other side until his friends were all clear. Just as cautiously as he’d opened it, Sean closed the door with no sound, not even a click.
They were standing in another exhibit room. This one featured various artifacts from ancient Egypt, including spears, shields, and even a chariot.
“Now what?” Tommy asked in a whisper. “Shouldn’t we be going out the exit?”
Sean shook his head. “No. Baldwin will have men out there. We have to go out another way.”
“What other way?”
“This connects to the papal apartments in the palace. We’re going out that way.”
“What?” Tommy hissed. “We can’t go through the pope’s house. Are you insane?”
“Probably.”
“What?!”
“I’m kidding, buddy. Remember. I studied psychology. I’d know if I was crazy. Come on. We have to keep moving.”
Sean didn’t wait for a retort. He started toward a set of double doors on the far side of the room.
“No. Sean, wait.” Tommy said in a vain effort to stop his friend.
Adriana nudged him. “The papal apartments have tours, too, Tommy. Pretty sure we’re not going to try to break into the pope’s private quarters.”
“Oh,” Tommy said. “Right. Okay.”
“Well, not yet anyway. But who knows, right?”
She shot him a wink and then hurried after Sean.
Tommy was left bewildered for a moment and then at June’s urging hurried after them.
At the set of doors, Sean hesitated for a second before he tested the latch. Luckily it gave way.
“You’re sure the public part of the palace is through these doors?” Tommy whispered.
Sean looked at his friend like his head was on fire. “No. But we could always go back the way we came, you know, where we know Baldwin and his men are waiting for us.”
Tommy sighed. “Point taken.”
Sean pulled the handle down and pushed the door open. A new burst of cool air rushed in through the opening along with a new scent that smelled like a mixture of lavender and jasmine.