Bodie knew the agent was feeling overwhelmed with the human suffering she’d witnessed, the callous attack. He helped her onto the chopper and remembered Cassidy’s comment about the Illuminati. It would help redirect her mind.
“Heidi,” he said. “Tell us the worst of what we’re up against.”
“References to the Illuminati first started appearing in the 1700s. We don’t know why, since it’s also been said the first member of the society was Adam. Their original goals were noble, worthy ones, but power can corrupt even the incorruptible and it’s believed the rotten apples soon infected the entire cart. First roots were dropped in Bavaria, blamelessly, but it wasn’t long before they, along with the Freemasons, were outlawed. Now, of course, they could continue only underground and this act alone helped contribute to their change of ideals.”
“You’re saying the man that outlawed this new society actually made them a worse kind of enemy?” Gunn asked.
Heidi met his gaze. “I’m saying look much deeper than that. Read between the lines. Burrow among them like a snake, a poisonous snake. What do you see?”
Bodie knew. “That somebody — deep inside the Illuminati — orchestrated events to make it happen. They planned for the society to be taken underground.”
“Yeah. Once there, it gave them a new kind of freedom.”
“No rules,” Cross said, rolling an aching shoulder.
Cassidy glanced over at the oldest member of the team. “You okay, Eli?”
No banter. No bickering. Bodie saw the anxiety and concern generated by the event on all their faces, knew it was reflected on his own.
“I’m good,” Cross said.
Heidi continued as the chopper flew low over the tree tops. “So the secret society was born. Legends grew. Some were true, others fragments of the truth. It all helped seal their notoriety. We do know that the Illuminati were responsible for many events that shaped our world today. The French Revolution. The outcome of the Battle of Waterloo. Even the assassination of JFK.”
Bodie raised his eyebrows. “Shit, you’re telling us that for real?”
“Well, the last is unsubstantiated. But it’s viable. They have agents planted worldwide in governments, corporations and the police force. If they want something to happen, it generally happens. They shape their own future, as they see fit to arrange it. They congregate in ‘lodges’ and aspire to higher ‘degrees’ of participation and even rank through different colored lodges. It is only the higher degrees that are privy to the innermost secrets and far-ranging plans. I would state categorically that those below a certain level have no clue as to the monster they nurture, encourage and support.”
“And the Hoods?”
“A whole different savage. The Hoods are loyal to the point of death. And unquestioning. They would bring a building down to kill one man. Kill thousands as a distraction. They would raze anything, anyone, to their master’s command.”
“So they can’t be reasoned with,” Cassidy said seriously. “Good to know.”
Heidi looked at her, equally honest. “Do not talk to them,” she said. “Do not show them mercy. Kill them.”
“Not a problem.”
Heidi waited for the chopper to land and then depart. Their flying days were at an end for a short while at least. They seated themselves around a clearing beside a dusty road, waiting for a car to arrive. Heidi continued her brief history.
“With Lodges, Grand Lodges and Premier Grand Lodges, the Illuminati’s structure became murky. No doubt yet another agreed intention. Grades were equally incomprehensible. The Nursery. The Scottish Knight. The Mage and the Priest. They sprang up outside Bavaria, around Germany and the United Kingdom. Their influence grew. And they survive to this day.”
“Despite the conspiracy theories? The scorn? The disbelief engineered in people when they imagine the things they read in books may be real?”
“Tell me,” Heidi said. “What was the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled off?”
“To convince people he wasn’t real,” Jemma said. “Obviously, that’s fiction.”
Heidi nodded. “Of course. But the message stands. The public gets fed all its Illuminati knowledge through Hollywood, the daily rag and Internet conspiracy theorists. It’s entertainment. Escapism. If they thought for one minute even half of it was real there would be a rebellion.”
“Hollywood’s a part of it?”
“Imagine the most influential dens of wealth, power and iniquity on the planet. It is inside all these that you will find the Illuminati, and all their copycats.”
Cassidy rose as a black SUV approached, hands hovering close to her weapon. “Back to the real world and where to next? The Hood won’t be using the bus anymore, nor the train. My guess is he’ll be finding a car. Just like we are.”
“Agreed.” Heidi squinted at the SUV. “Public transport is a big no-no for him now, and the map, of course, is everything he cares about. He will never stop.”
Bodie made a move toward the parked vehicle and spoke to Heidi. “Have you guys had any contact from your men at Athens? Surely copies of the map were made.”
Heidi made a face like she was sucking on a nettle. “You’d think. You really would. But archaeologists… they’re an odd bunch. Secretive. Distant. Unsociable. A decent archaeologist wouldn’t breathe unless he’d first assured himself it was authentic. They keep quiet, work hard, sharing their findings only among trusted friends until they can share it with anyone else. And, to be fair to them, their findings are judged, evaluated and discussed the world over. They have to be sure.”
“So, you’re saying… what?” Bodie shrugged.
“You don’t photocopy a relic, Bodie. But, early on in the examination, you might scan it and send a copy, by email, to your trusted friends. We’re checking. Only problem is, the Hood checked before we did. And then he cleansed the museum’s system.”
“Crap. But he’s on the run. Ineffective.”
“The Hoods are an army. They’re everywhere. Now get in. We have a lot to do.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Xavier Von Gothe looked upon news coverage of the Thessaloniki bus station ‘terrorist’ attack with deep satisfaction. Baltasar was free, untracked, and unscathed. All was well — the single hitch now the amount of time the journey was taking. Every moment was a pain in Xavier’s side.
Such a delicate journey, with the most fragile of relics, surrounded by devastation.
The media speculations continued. Xavier tuned them out, preferring to fix his thinking on the truths that only he knew. A race was still a race if conducted painstakingly. And this race was now well and truly begun. It reminded him of the ancient relic in question — the Statue of Zeus that had once stood at Olympia and witnessed the early Olympic Games. Once one of the Seven Wonders of the World, it had come under Illuminati control in the 1800s. In truth, it was a recruitment tool — one of many. To entice a wealthy man one needed something unattainable.
Was there anything more unattainable than an ancient wonder? Long thought destroyed? Every man had his vices but this…
May have undone us all, Xavier finished cynically.
But the rare moment of weakness passed quickly. Xavier took a moment to be surprised at himself. It was certainly past the time for another purification ritual. He wondered what fresh delight they may have down in the basement…
The phone rang. Xavier knew immediately who it was.
“Yes?”
“I am clear. The event has worked. All is well.”
“I am aware, my acolyte. The bus and the train, however, are also now impossible. Your papers are in order?”