They were way beyond Ghent, somewhere in the countryside. The velvet sky overhead shimmered with stars. No moon tonight. Few sounds. She was alone with two Maidens of Saint-Michael, who obviously were much more than met the eye.
揝ister,?Isabel said. 揥ould it be all right if we called you Kelsey??
She decided, Why not? 揙kay.?
揔elsey, you stumbled onto something the Vatican has wanted to find for a long time.?
揟he Just Judges??
They both nodded.
揑t抯 been gone since 1934,?Ellen said. 揊or you it抯 a wondrous piece of medieval art from a grand master. For us, for the Vatican, it抯 much more. Your revelation has now started a race, one that has lain dormant for a long time. But the race is most definitely on.?
She could see that this was no joke. These women were serious.
揂 race for what??she asked.
揤eritas Vita.?
The truth, the life.
揟hat抯 on the altarpiece too,?she said.
揥e know. We would like you to come with us. Voluntarily. No pressure. You come because you want to come. Once we arrive at our destination, all will be explained.?
揂nd if I refuse??
揧ou抮e coming anyway. Only there will be no answers provided to your questions.?
Good to know. 揥hy me??
揥e need your expertise,?Ellen said. 揅oncerning the altarpiece.?
揥ho said I was an expert??
Ellen smiled. 揧our prioress. She said you spent several months preparing for your work on the Just Judges by studying everything available. We need that knowledge, along with your artistic skills.?
She was now more perplexed than angry. Intrigued, rather than repulsed. And what choice did she have? Apparently, both her prioress and these maidens had already concluded that she would help. So why disappoint them?
揂ll right. I抣l do what I can.?But, 揑 want to talk to Nick Lee.?
揑t抯 not necessary,?Ellen said. 揙ur Vestal is with him now. She抣l advise him that you抮e safe.?
But she wondered.
Was she really safe?
Chapter 47
Nick worked his way out of Ghent, maneuvering the Volvo beyond the narrow streets and out onto a dark rural highway.
揟hey抮e still on us,?Claire said from the passenger side.
A police car with lights flashing filled his rearview mirrors.
揥here are you going??she asked.
揂nywhere. Just trying to lose them.?
揝tealing this body was a bad idea.?
Like he needed to be told. 揑 don抰 recall you having a better one.?
揗y abbess is not going to like this at all.?
揘either is my boss.?
揝he specifically told me to not mess this up. No more attention.?
The police car behind them certainly qualified as such. He抎 learned that his UN credentials could open a lot of doors, but they also were fairly useless once he broke the law. And he抎 definitely done that. Pretty much a firing offense, according to the rules of engagement he was bound to observe, but a certain amount of lawlessness was tolerated depending on where in the world he found himself. Unfortunately, Belgium was not one of those places where free passes would be granted.
They were speeding through the countryside, trees lining both sides of the dark two-laned highway. No other cars had been in sight besides the one in pursuit. The road ahead was a straight line, so he swerved into the opposite lane and eased off the accelerator, allowing the police car to flash past.
Tires squealed.
They caught up with each other, now nearly parallel.
揌old on,?he told her.
He inched closer to the blacktop抯 edge on his side, which he used to maximum advantage, whipping the steering wheel to the right and slamming Claire抯 side of the car into the police vehicle.
Metal grated.
The steering wheel slipped from his hands.
The car rebounded with the left-side tires wobbling on the pavement抯 edge.
Claire focused out the front and back windshields trying to assess things. The jar from the impact had rattled her bones, but Nick Lee seemed to know what he was doing.
They sped ahead.
The police car had been pushed to the edge but remained on the highway. She turned back and stared through the rear windshield. The car had swung back into their lane, now racing toward them.
揟hey抮e coming,?she said.
Nick jammed the accelerator to the floor.
The police car smacked into their bumper.
Apparently, they had not taken kindly to his sideswipe.
The combination of speed and impact sent them surging forward, her body held in place thanks to the shoulder harness. Sister Rachel, though, was unrestrained. The body bag flew off the rear seat and settled onto the floorboard.
With a thud.
She hated the indignities that poor woman was enduring.