Page 96 of The Medici Return

“Stamm tell you that?”

“Never. That man is tight-lipped, careful with his words. But there are others in Rome who are not. I made some calls.”

“I bet you did.”

She’s an opportunist. Not to be trusted.

That she was.

“Casaburi is quite the politician,” Camilla said. “Some believe his party has an excellent chance of controlling the government after the coming elections. If that happens, he will definitely be a part of that new government.”

“So you’re trying to get in on the ground floor?”

“Something like that. I like what the National Freedom Party says. We need big changes. Italy is stalled with nothing. I am told Casaburi wants the church’s help with his party’s candidates being elected, which they refused. Maybe now they might reconsider.”

“He knows this copy of the pledge exists?”

“He does now. I sent him a picture. My friend, the lay brother who allowed us inside, provided it to me earlier today.”

Jason was curious. “Why wait? Why even bring us here?”

“She had to see it for herself first,” Malone said. “To be sure it was real.”

“Quite correct.”

“She also wanted the privacy this place affords to deal with us?” he added.

“Doubly correct.”

And she motioned.

The four men standing behind her advanced. Malone reached back and brought out the gun from beneath his shirt, aiming with his outstretched right arm, finger on the trigger, his thumb cocking the hammer back with a clear click.

Which halted the men’s advance.

“Come now, Signore Malone, do you plan to shoot us all? Here, in this holy place.”

“I’m actually not opposed to doing that. But there’s no need.”

And Malone swung the gun around and fired a round directly into the junction box for the overhead lights. Electrical sparks exploded in blue flash. Then the room was plunged into darkness.

“Let’s go,” Malone said.

Jason knew what to do and released the latch on the door. They both stepped out into the night. But before leaving Malone grabbed the pledge in its plastic sleeve and yanked the fire alarm switch downward.

A klaxon wailed.

STEFANO STOOD SILENT. BUT HE AGREED. WHAT THEY’D JUST HEARDwas a gunshot.

“Sir,” one of the men said, getting the prior’s attention.

They all moved toward the window. Across the cloister, past the line of arches, two figures emerged from a door and rushed ahead, winking in and out as they traversed the dim cloister.

An alarm went off. Loud.

“Get them,” the prior said.

The other three men exited out a second door from the office.