Chapter 5

Like a Lynx, Demeter ran across the rooftops and descended rapidly back to the hall. There, she met with a group of police officers gather around what looks like a dead body strapped to a bed and about to be stretched into an ambulance. She was forced to take a U-turn back to the summit. Demeter is at a crossroads and doesn't know what to do at that point. She quickly brought down her bag and trawl for a device and was fortunate enough to find one. She pulled out the long thick rope attached to a pulley and had it tied to a statue. By then orders were given by the commander in chief of the Gendarmerie that nothing goes out of the Vatican City until a thorough check has been conducted therefore, sirens blaring everywhere.

The position she was about to make her descent was open and could easily be spotted by men on patrol. Luckily for her, Delima Hebdo has got her covered; he has been keeping tabs on every single inch of her movement so that he offer help whenever she needed one, just to make sure that she makes it down safely and pass through the exit gate unassailed.

He promptly cleared the guards on patrol from that axis she was about to make landfall and paved the way for a successful touchdown.

Demeter began to slide down the rope gently, not minding what danger she might encounter at the end of the rope. Skopje sighted her from the car park and cruised to the spot as fast as he could drive and in no time, they were out of the compound and disappeared into the chilly night. Watching from where she stood with Alessandro, Deloria thanked her stars for their sweet escape.

She then turned to Alessandro and said to him, "a dead Seminarian is lying outside, did you know that?"

"Yes, I know."

"It was meant to be you lying there in cold blood. That wasn't a mistake of identity by the one who took the shot, but a calculated move by me to give you second chance at life.

There is a conspiracy being planned to indict you in a Drug deal, and if convicted, you will be put to death almost immediately by the conspirators."

"That was a vicious slander," barked Alessandro. "I don't know what you are talking about; I can go to any length to prove whosoever that is behind this."

"I know, my love, but they are not ready to give you an inch to prove your innocence let alone, go to lengths."

"Who are these people, Deloria?"

"Knowing who they are will not stop them from killing you. All I can tell you is that they are out in a campaign of calumny to smear your good name with allegations so that you could be eliminated as fast as possible on the ground that you tried to resist arrest. These people are no strangers to you, they are armed and dangerous to the teeth, they are already here and I am one of them. We were paid to eliminate you and you are currently surrounded by them. Any falls move by you, you will be gone, dead! Don't trust anyone but me at the moment; am here to help you, Alessandro."

"What do you suggest I do?"

"I will help you leave Italy tonight for Russia to my private estate in the resort town of Siberia, where you could be safe."

"And my passport?"

"Don't worry that it would be taken care of by an agent. Be careful not to communicate with your Babbo and mom because you are supposed to be dead by now to them."

"There is no time left for you to get back to your residence quarters, I am whisking you right away to the airport. There is a flight waiting for you."

"How do we get out of here without being seen?" Deloria laughs and said to him,

"Follow my lead, Alessandro and do as I ask you to do and leave the rest to me to handle."

Deloria has played her tricks on him to her heart's content and has succeeded in the process; convincing the recalcitrant Alessandro back to her after so many futile attempts.

Huge contingents of special forces and anti-bomb squad sent in by the Italian government of Italy of which Deloria was a commanding officer, buzz over the Vatican City's airspace in helicopter gunships.

Deloria stepped forward to the leader of the operation and brandished her identity card before his eye. He salutes her and she does the same.

"Am going to need your help major. My fiancée is sick; I suspect it to be some kind of internal injury. I need urgent help to transport him to a nearby medical facility for urgent medical attention."

Major Sebastien Constantine accented and without wasting time he secured a military ambulance at once and got both of them evacuated from the Chaotic scene.

Demeter proceeded to a synagogue and prayed fervently for the forgiveness of her sins for partaking in the grotesque incidence. After that, neither Skopje nor Longoria saw her again. She gave up the colossal sum paid to her for the services rendered to Longoria to the hospitals for the treatment of the hardest hit people by the Coronavirus and jets out of Rome the same night.

In her continuation to further leverage on the opportunity at her disposal, Deloria took Alessandro to the airport after a falls health check declaration by the doctors and then fly him solo to Siberia via Moscow.

Presently, the army flooded the premises of Saint Peter's square and combed it with a thousand prong soldiers on the lookout for a possible bomb planted in the worship centre. In the course of their search, a pen was found at the colonnade where Demeter operated taken away to a forensic laboratory for fingerprints.

The officer commanding the government forces drafted to the troubled centre, Major Sebastien Constantine, held a joint press briefing with his counterpart at the Saint Peter's Basilica to address the public on the recent unfortunate events that end in fatality. Where the briefing was to be held, there were some pockets of civilians and reporters in their hundreds, mounted cameras in strategic positions reporting the event live.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press," he said, "on Tuesday, the 31st. Day of December, in the year of our Lord, of the current year. This iconic religious hub came under siege in a brief reign of terror by some yet to be identified attackers, forcing the Yearly gathering to a bitter end.

The rulers of this Institution, therefore, call for calm as investigations have been launched into the cause of deaths and disappearances of its staff. Among the dead were serving officers of the Swiss Guard and a Seminarian, and another Seminarian yet to be accounted for, who goes by the name, Alessandro Epifany DeAngelo, who was suspected to be carted away by the men of the underworld.

The Papal office under this medium demand the immediate and unconditional release of its Seminarian, Alessandro Epifany DeAngelo by his abductors so that he returned to his post of duty and continue with the good work he has been doing.

Lastly, the Papacy, in conjunction with the Italian Military is delighted to announce to the listening public that it has made some inroads in their search; that some interesting discoveries were made so far that could help unravel the dark mystery behind the unfortunate occurrences that have rocked the city in recent times, thank you."

The fierce press began to throw questions at him: "Sir, isn't someone fired already from those saddled with the position of responsibilities for protecting the Pope for their lacklustre behaviour that led to the killings? If yes, bravo! If no, what are the authorities concerned still waiting for?"

Another gentleman of the press stood up and asked, "why are the investigations taking this long before the culprits are brought to book?"

Questions after questions were asked but the panel refused to say a word. Major Sebastien Constantine simply say to them, "no questions, please," then walks away.

News of the deaths and kidnappings at the Vatican City fell on Don Rocco's ears to the displeasure of Longoria. Sooner than later, her involvement in the killings may be exposed. She immediately swung into action, crafting cunning moves to counter any accusation that may be brought against her by the investigators.

Deloria took the copy of an alleged contractual agreement between Don Rocco and her then replaces her name within the imaginary serial killer's name, Alexis, to kill his Seminarian son, Alessandro Epifany.

A copy of that agreement was then sent to her accomplice in the Vatican, Delima Hebdo, to get it dropped in a strategic position where it could be seen by those who matter in the investigations.

Delima Hebdo was reluctant, "it is going to be difficult to implement what you are proposing due to rising tempers and a high level of alertness in the Vatican City. It's going to cost you a lot."

"go ahead and mention your price, Delima."

"I will need an initial deposit of €130,000 into my Swiss account and a subsequent payment of €70,000 when the mission is successful, deal?" "Deal, Mr Hebdo."

Every employee under the Pontiff, including Delima Hebdo, has been under the spotlight, but Hebdo had the upper hand in playing a game of shadows.

He has a terrific dog that understands Italian, its name is Qiriniyas. Mr Delima explored the better side of the highly trained dog to carry out his intentions. He called on Qiriniyas, Qiriniyas came to meet him in his usual jovial mood.

"You see this concinemet?"

Qiriniyas looked at it in awe and sniffed it. It was a bloody knife stabbed into a piece of paper given to that was given to Delima Hebdo by Deloria.

"Take it, go and drop it in the waste bin standing at office number, 901. When you get there, shake the knife vigorously for the paper to fall into the refuse collector. Be careful not to follow the path I asked you not to follow because once the cameras capture you, they captured me too! Keep to the blind spots only, Qiriniyas."

Qiriniyas rolled out on the errand in the dead of night when tranquillity pervades the neighbourhood and returned long after only with a mouth full of the knife, wagging its tail vigorously.

"Good boy," said Delima Hebdo, "sit here, I have something special for you."

Delima strolled to the kitchen and carried along with him a dish in his hand which he kept before Qiriniyas. In the dish was a big lap of roasted Turkey and a pint of wine to celebrate its accomplishments.

"You are going to have this treat every single day of your life till the day you kick the bucket," said Delima Hebdo with a wide grin on his face.