Gray hunched over his handlebars. “And maybe the Orthodox Church, too.”
Seichan frowned. She remembered how Monsignor Borrelli had sent those photos to Sigma—and not to the Vatican.
“Let’s hope it’s just the Russian Church,” she mumbled.
10
May 11, 8:44P.M. MSK
Moscow, Russian Federation
Tucker hurried across Vadkovsky Lane with Kane at his side. Kowalski followed with Marco, while Yuri kept close to Dr. Elle Stutt. They headed toward an ornate century-old building at the corner. It rose in three stories of pinkish-orange stucco, decorated in a frilly Art Nouveau styling, with wrought-iron balconies and butterfly ornamentation.
It was their destination, the Holy See’s Apostolic Nunciature.
“Why are we going to the Vatican embassy?” Elle asked.
For the sake of security, she had only been told their destination once the train had reached the station. Earlier, she had changed out of her work clothes and was dressed casually in a light blue windbreaker and jeans. They were all outfitted with similar streetwear. Even Kane and Marco had shed their Kevlar vests and wore simple collars and leashes.
Tucker glanced back at her, at all of them.
Just a group out for a stroll, walking their dogs on this spring night.
“The friends I told you about,” Tucker explained. “This is where we were told to meet them.”
She opened her mouth as if to ask a question, then closed it again.
Tucker led his party around the side of the building and over to a pair of black iron gates. It led into a parking lot behind the embassy. On the other side, a seventeen-story apartment complex loomed over the space.
He lifted a hand to ring a buzzer, but the gates opened on their own.
“About time you got here,” Monk said and waved them all through. “Everyone’s gathered inside. There’s much we need to discuss and a short time to do it in.”
“Why the hurry?”
“We’re leaving at midnight.”
Kowalski looked none too pleased. “We just hauled our asses here.”
Tucker backed a step. “Hey, I’m only dropping everyone off. I’ve done all that Director Crowe has asked me to do. Me and the boys are headed home.”
Monk frowned. “Your choice. But there’s something you might want to hear first.”
Tucker sighed, then shrugged. “If you’ve got hot coffee and something to eat, I might listen.”
“We got dog treats, too.” Monk glanced back at him. “Just saying.”
Tucker cursed under his breath and headed across the parking lot.
Dr. Stutt shifted closer to him, brushing his arm with her fingertips. Her eyes were glassy with worry. “I don’t know these people,” she whispered.
Though she didn’t say it out loud, she clearly did not want Tucker to leave.
“Let’s hear what they have to tell us,” he said in a noncommittal tone.
Monk led them to the embassy’s rear door and herded them into a lobby. He pointed to a stairwell on the left. “Everyone’s downstairs.”
As they headed below, Tucker noted that the building’s upper floors were dark and appeared to be mostly deserted at this late hour. He caught sight of a wobbling beam of light on the main floor, likely from a night watchman on patrol.
