揑抦 leaving,?he said, his manner businesslike.
Fuentes turned to face him. 揑 did not dismiss you.?
揊orgive me, Eminence, but I don抰 require your permission.?
Fuentes assessed the situation.
Vilamur was challenging him in front of the maidens.
Not the best time.
Bishops could be that way. Within their diocese they were more powerful than a pope. They were the absolute rulers. Cardinals, not even those within the Curia, could not overrule them without consequences. This archbishop seemed different. He wanted to be a cardinal, and to do that he had to curry favor with those who could make that possible. But for some odd reason Vilamur was willing to throw that away.
Or was he?
He抎 always judged people by gauging what they wanted in life. And this man definitely wanted more than he presently enjoyed. Of course, the blackmail on Vilamur cut both ways. God knows enough had happened that could be classified as out of the ordinary. No danger of the maidens lodging any complaints. But Vilamur? Possible. So why fight him? Not now anyway. That could always be done later.
揙f course, Archbishop, you don抰 require my permission,?he said.
揧ou can handle whatever remains of this on your own. It does not need my presence.?Vilamur faced the abbess. 揚lease know that I am bowing to the wishes of the Vatican here. This is a matter between you and Rome. It is a private affair that does not concern me.?
揂nd yet you are here.?
揧es, abbess. I am. But now I leave this to you.?Vilamur bowed to the older woman then turned and said, 揋ood day, Eminence.?
And he left through the main doors.
Nick and Labelle headed down the corridor. They were toward the far end of the rambling building. The main entrance was more to the center, so he turned at a junction and headed that way, past a line of more closed doors. He assumed all hands were on deck dealing with the intruders, so no danger of encountering anyone. But, if so, they were all on the same team this time.
Right?
Voices.
He stopped. Labelle did too.
The sound was coming up through the open staircase ahead. Leading higher up were more narrow stairs, to probably where the archer had been stationed. He motioned and they retreated back, away from the stairs, stopping beside one of the outer windows.
Heavy doors opened and closed below.
They both stared out the window.
The archbishop was walking away from the building. He looked at Labelle, who pointed at his chest then down at Vilamur.
He understood.
Labelle turned, but he grabbed the younger man抯 arm and mouthed good luck. Labelle nodded, then hurried off the way they came.
Nick turned his attention back to the staircase.
Chapter 65
Kelsey had taken a chance rushing to Sister Claire抯 aid. But she抎 never firsthand witnessed such heartless physical violence, and it was her duty to help those in trouble. The blow had been sudden and vicious and Claire seemed dazed.
揂re you okay??she asked, crouching down beside her.
Claire nodded.
Kelsey stood. 揧ou抮e a cardinal of the church. These are nuns.?
揋et out of the way,?Fuentes said to her, his voice lashing across the room with an iced menace.
Her resolve strengthened and she did not move.
揘ow,?Fuentes yelled, his face a mask of rage.
揇oes it make you feel important to strike her??she asked him. 揟o put a gun to my head??She抎 always been the one who抎 plunged headfirst into things, no sense stopping now. So she checked the fear that threatened to swallow her and said, 揥hat are you going to do? Shoot me? Shoot all of us??
Fuentes raised the gun and motioned with it. 揘ot at the moment. But the situation is fluid, so who knows what I might do a few minutes from now.?
揂re you truly here, Cardinal Fuentes,?the abbess said, 搊n authority of the pope? Or is this a more卲ersonal quest??
揇oes it matter? I抦 here. You抮e here. And we have things to discuss. Where are the rest of the maidens??
揑n the chapter room. I assumed you would want to speak to us all.?
揧ou assumed correctly. Please, lead the way.?
Nick listened from the top of the stairs.
What the hell was Kelsey doing challenging that man, Cardinal Fuentes? Apparently, the Vatican was now involved with the Dominicans. Kelsey was headstrong as hell, but these men had come on a mission, and there was no reason to push the envelope. He heard everyone moving, heading off below to his left. Before him a corridor extended twenty feet or so to an open doorway in the same direction.
He edged that way.
The floor beneath him was polished pine planks atop stone. Solid. Not a sound betrayed his steps. At the open doorway he stopped and saw that he was on the upper level of the chapter room, small, not unlike the one in Ghent, only this one had a large barrel-vaulted ceiling and an upper gallery that wrapped on three sides, the fourth broken by windows with deep reveals high on the outer wall. He stood back, out of sight, and watched as the group from below joined the maidens already there. His thoughts were paralyzed with apprehension, so he dropped all speculation, tried to suppress his emotions and stop his mind from questioning.