The buzz of voices in the room suddenly stopped. "Is that what you see, Cardinal ... the devil?" Adrian slapped his knee and laughed out loud as he stood. "I can assure you I am no devil, Cardinal, but I can see that convincing you of that fact will take much longer than the few minutes we have before I must go. Please, allow me to be brief. I need the Catholic Church on my side. As you know, the Church is much more than just a church. It is also a sovereign state, and as such it falls under the plan I'm about to present to the assembly. I would like to see you remain in your present position as the Vatican's Secretary of State. Together we can do great things for mankind. Why don't you reserve your judgment of me until after you hear my speech? Then maybe we can talk again."

Leo's Jesuit eyes flashed in anger. "It is not up to you to decide matters involving the Church. My position is decided through the hand of God and dictated by the pope, and I can promise you that dealing with him will be a lot tougher than dealing with me."

Adrian leaned close, his smile twisting into a barely perceptible snarl. "Did God speak to you himself when he handed you those red robes, Your Eminence? Is it God's hand you see at work, or is it just a man who decides your fate. No one lives forever, and that includes the pope. It would be better for your flock if you align yourself with me, for without you they will be much worse off. Of that I can assure you."

By now Leo was visibly shaking with anger. "The pope will be the judge of what is and what isn't good for our flock. As for you, your arrival may have been prophesized, but so too has your end. Others may not see you for what you are, but the pope and I know exactly what you represent to mankind. Your reign will be a mere speck in the history of the world, but the Church will live on forever."

Adrian shrank back from Leo's gaze as though he had seen something that had frightened him. "Have it your way, Cardinal. Maybe your Cathar friends will welcome you into their fold after you've been replaced."

"Replaced! Replaced by who ... Acone?"

Adrian looked dazed. He hadn't expected that. "Acone? Why yes, I suppose he would make an excellent Secretary of State. May I ask why you mentioned that particular name?"

"You can ask. It's nice to see you still don't know everything. God gives those who work in his name a shield against the kind of evil you represent. Good luck with your speech, Mr. Acerbi. I'm sure you'll be a resounding hit with the crowd, but remember this-there will always be those who don't follow the crowd." With that, Leo swirled around and walked from the room, his red robes flowing out behind him.

Watching Leo walk out the door, Adrian shook with a hidden rage covered by a smile-the most dangerous kind of rage. Looking around the room at all the silent faces, he fought to regain control, and with a grand gesture, he spread his arms and announced to his nervous cronies that the time was at hand. He was ready to address the leaders of the world.

Returning to his seat in the auditorium, Leo watched the lights dim dramatically as all eyes focused down on the softly lit lectern. Against the background of a green marble wall, Adrian adjusted the microphone and ran his hands through his thick, gray-streaked hair before smiling out over the audience.

"Good Afternoon. For those who don't know who I am, my name is Adrian Acerbi. My late father was Eduardo Acerbi, and my brother was Rene Acerbi, the man who murdered thousands of innocent people in a twisted attempt to take over the world. That is one of the reasons I am here, but there are other, more compelling reasons why I have asked you all to come here and share your time with me."

Adrian took a sip of water and cleared his throat before continuing. "For many of you, or I should say most of you, what I am about to say will be shocking, but please bear with me, for the fate of the countries you represent will depend on the decisions you will make here today in the name of your people."

A loud murmur arose in the crowded space as some of the most powerful people on the planet exchanged nervous glances.

"My presence here today signals a new era in the history of mankind, or to be more politically correct, in the history of all humanity." Adrian smiled proudly at his inclusive rhetoric. "Since the dawn of civilization, men of good intentions preached the importance of unity and the virtues of compromise, but I ask you, where has that gotten us? Despite the fact that we have evolved into a modern, technologically-savvy and forward-thinking world ... a world that has conquered many of the ills that have plagued humanity for centuries, we are still nothing more than a grouping of tribes scattered across the globe. We are all members of tribes that have their own separate agendas ... tribes that continue to have ongoing squabbles that, no matter how petty they may seem, threaten to escalate into a global conflict of unimaginable horror when those squabbles can no longer be mediated through reasoned discussion.

"Now I ask you, is that any way for a modern and seemingly sophisticated civilization to conduct its affairs going into the next millennium? Are we to continue to deal with one another in the same mindset as primitive tribesmen when it comes to working out our differences, especially when we now possess nuclear weapons and other means of mass destruction?"

In the seats around him, Leo saw that several people were already nodding their heads in agreement.

"Let me be even more clear," Adrian continued. "The events of the past few weeks have been a wake-up call for most of you. You saw with your own eyes what can happen to a society robbed of the necessities of life for only a short period of time. I think we can all agree that we witnessed some very primitive behavior, which brings me to my point. We can no longer exist on a planet that is this interconnected and still conduct ourselves as if we are still warring tribes running around in a primitive jungle. The tribal glue that bound us together in individual groups to protect us from the tribe that lived over the next hill is the same kind of glue that created civilized societies ... societies that invented art and culture and built great cities, but it is also the cause behind some of the most egregious behavior in the history of the world. We have arrived at a crossroads in human history, where tribal thinking is now obsolete, so now, when I speak of tribes, I am talking about individual governments."

The auditorium erupted in angry shouts and murmurs of protestation. Adrian stood silently and watched their reaction as he took another sip of water and smiled out at the audience. "This is the shocking part I was referring to earlier. While I was sitting backstage waiting to come out here, I was thinking of my brother Rene. I never actually met him, but I think we can all agree that he was totally insane and was responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people in a twisted effort to take over the world. His sole motive was power over others, and he would have been successful had it not been for the courageous actions of one man ... my father.

"I learned a great deal from my father, but the one lesson that has stayed with me through the years is that any man who is gifted with great wealth should share it with the world, and that is exactly what I want to do. Unlike Rene, I am not driven by power or money, but by service to my fellow man. I want to see your children grow up in a world without crime, famine, or war. On the face of things, I realize that a sweeping statement like that sounds a bit utopian ... an impossible dream that can never really be achieved, but I am here today to tell you that it can be done, and I have a plan to do it with your help."

Adrian paused and looked around at the assembled group of world leaders who were staring back at the podium with plastic smiles usually reserved for adults when they were listening to their child relate some fantastical, imaginary tale.

"I can see by the looks on your faces that many of you believe that what I offer is an impossible dream. Like a drowning man who refuses a lifeline tossed to him just before he sinks below the waves because he doesn't trust the one who threw it, you are sinking. So, let me be frank when I tell you that, before you all drift out of reach of the lifeline I throw to you, this is your last and only chance to grab on."

Leo noticed many in the audience begin to shift uneasily in their seats. Although Adrian was trying to come off as a rescuer-the man with the lifeline to some kind of utopian dream, everyone in the audience was well aware that he had been the one who had thrown them into the water to begin with. Somehow he possessed the unimaginable power to control the computers that ran the world, and they all knew that if they failed to heed his words, they faced the very real possibility that they would be left behind while those who cooperated thrived.

Looking down at the front row, Adrian nodded to Blake Simon, the beloved former wheat farmer from Kansas who had been the first independent candidate to be elected President of the United States. "I look down at all of the wonderful people in this room ... people who desire only to serve their countries, and I want them to know that I want the same things they do. Never again can we allow terrorists or rogue nations to monopolize our daily lives. Never again should we go to bed at night and wonder if some event that none of us are responsible for has triggered a potential nuclear war that could extinguish life on the planet. These are the kinds of threats we must eliminate if we are to survive as a species, and the only way to do that is to eliminate the borders between us and come together as a true world community."

Adrian continued to smile, but he could sense the mood changing in the front row. "Now to the meat of my plan. In order to eliminate the borders that separate us, we will have to undergo some major changes in the way we run the world. Unfortunately, this cannot be accomplished democratically. As well-intentioned as that form of government is, the great experiment in self-rule determined by the masses has failed, and failed miserably. There must be one voice giving the commands, and the power behind that voice cannot be invisible. As I have demonstrated over the past several weeks, it is possible for a single entity to control the world without the use of guns or bombs. We no longer have the luxury of appealing to a sense of unity or the virtues of compromise, for there can be no compromise. The only way we can continue to exist in peace is to let go of our antiquated tribal instincts and let ourselves be governed by an impartial entity, and that entity is the corporation."

Suddenly Blake Simon stood. "You don't have to go any further, Acerbi. I know where this is headed. You want to create a one-world government in the name of world peace, when in truth you are no better than the terrorists you claim you want to protect us from. You offer us peace, but it's an offer that comes at the end of a technological gun. People have tried to rule the world before. People with names like Stalin and Hitler. You're just another dictator, and the people of the United States will never stand for it."

Acerbi's patronizing smile broadened. "You call me a dictator, Mr. President, but do you really believe that? I can sympathize with your anger ... anger that results from fear ... a fear that stems from a feeling that you are about to lose control. But think about it for a moment. In fact, I want all of you to think about what I'm saying for a moment."

Acerbi leaned forward and adopted his best imitation of a good-ole-boy tone of voice. "To be honest, there aren't any more true democracies in the world. The existence of your democracies is nothing more than a thinly-veiled facade. The real power lies with the few who possess the vast wealth necessary to pick and choose their leaders through vehicles like Super PACs. In the United States, the democracy you once enjoyed has been slowly eroded over time ... morphed into something that would be totally unrecognizable to the founding fathers who formed your so-called perfect union over two hundred years ago." Acerbi watched the heads around the auditorium nod.

"Who do you think really runs your countries?" Acerbi grinned as he leaned back from the podium. "I can tell you it's not the people. Countries are run by corporations, and they have been for some time. Your elected leaders are nothing more than bobble-heads that nod to the whims of their corporate masters, and it is the vast number of warring corporate entities with their armies of lobbyists that has brought your democratic governments to a standstill. If anything, your governments have become more oppressive under corporate control. As society disintegrates all around you, you sit by idly and allow these so-called democratically elected rulers to do nothing but fatten their corporate portfolios while you work two jobs to support your family."

Acerbi paused as the assembly hall grew quiet. "Now, having demonized corporations, let me say that it is not the entity of the corporation itself that is the source of all of your problems. It is the types of corporations that are behind your troubles. I myself sit at the head a world-wide corporation, but ours is a very different kind of corporation. In fact, it is not a corporation at all in the true sense of the word, but an organization dedicated to the welfare of mankind. For some time now we have been working to bring comfort to the masses. Ours is like a shining light on the hill, and our goal is to lead humanity out of the darkness that it has endured for thousands of years at the hands of those who pretend to be concerned for the welfare of their brothers and sisters when in truth it is personal wealth that drives them."

"You contradict yourself, Acerbi," the president shot back. "Why, that's the biggest load of ...

"Excuse me, Mr. President, but it is the greed of the corporations and their ability to shape public policy through their elected leaders that has been the source behind all of your problems. I represent a single corporation ... a worldwide entity that has only the welfare of the people to consider."

The president glared back at Acerbi. "You won't get away with it, Acerbi. The people will soon look behind your wall of hypocrisy and see that there is nothing there but hollow promises, and if anyone is stupid enough to believe in what you are saying then they deserve whatever they get."

With that, the President of the United States stood and strode from the hall accompanied by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and at least twenty Secret Service Agents. Following close behind, several other world leaders also began heading for the exits, but strangely others remained seated, nodding their heads in agreement with Acerbi as he continued to smile up at them from the podium below.

"I genuinely feel sorry for those who won't even give me the courtesy of hearing me out, because it will only delay the inevitable relief their countries will feel when they join the brotherhood of man under the umbrella of a single world-wide entity. Tribes who elect their own leaders sometimes make mistakes ... with disastrous results I might add ... and dictators and theocracies rule through fear and intimidation with equally disastrous results. The only recourse we have is to dissolve the individual countries around the world." Acerbi could hear a collective gasp rise up from the audience, but he never missed a beat.

"In truth there really are no countries. Our invisible borders are nothing more than an illusion left in place by questionable governments to placate the masses who continue to function solely on a primitive tribal instinct. That's why we still have things like gangs, which are nothing more than tribes. Thousands of years of tribal behavior has wired our brains to function in tightly-knit groups of hunter-gatherers-hunter-killer apes that roam at will instead of joining a world-wide community centered around a single entity for the common good.

"For lack of a better word we will call this entity a corporation, but as I explained earlier, it is a very different kind of corporation ... a corporation that will supply every single living soul on the planet with the freedom to live their lives in an abundant and safe environment. It will provide adequate food and free health care on an impartial basis, and it will provide those who don't have one a roof over their heads so that they can live unmolested with their families into a comfortable old age. With a corporation led by a single chairman sitting at the head of the board of directors, there will be no more squabbles among the former countries of the world, because a corporation will not go to war with itself. There will also be a system of checks and balances, because if the chairman of the corporation becomes ineffectual or corrupt or insane, they can be voted out by a board of directors chosen from around the world."

The Prime Minister of Britain stood in the front row and shouted. "And who would the chairman be? You, Acerbi?"

"Yes, it would be me, and by now you know that the corporation I speak of already exists. It is the Acerbi Corporation, and we are ready to work with the people of the world to embark on a new era in human history ... today ... right now. It will be a new epoch in the history of mankind beginning right now."

Like a salesperson winding down from their pitch, Acerbi exhaled and looked out over his audience to judge the effect his words were having on them. "Admittedly a transition like the one I suggest will take time, but my people will work with your individual governments to make sure it is a smooth one. When you walk out those doors today you will all be heroes to your people if you agree to my plan, for in one fell swoop you will have come together as a single entity to help solve the multitude of dilemmas that have plagued mankind since the beginning of time."

No one spoke as Acerbi's eyes narrowed, revealing a menacing glare. "Now comes the part where I fear many of you will feel threatened, but you must believe me when I tell you that what I am about to say comes only from my desire to serve. In time, I have no doubt that you will come to see that everything I said here today is true, but if you fail to cooperate with me now your countries will be left in the wilderness and your citizens will be denied access to the basic necessities of life. As you have already seen, with your distribution networks shut down you will be cut off from the global supply of food and energy that my corporation will distribute on an equal basis around the world. Your citizens will be issued I.D. cards that will give them access to a global community that will supply them with everything they need to live a happy and productive life. For those leaders who choose not to join with us, they will only be denying the people that look up to them a better way of life-a life without borders, where every man, woman, and child will want for nothing and be truly free and equal under the law."

Adrian took another sip of water as he gazed out over the audience. No one else was leaving. In fact, some who had stood to leave were now sitting back down. Silence reigned, until slowly, the sound of clapping began to erupt in small groups around the auditorium, eventually spreading around the cavernous space. Soon the entire auditorium was filled with clapping and cheers that shook the air, and all over the world people watching the live broadcast on their televisions and smart phones began to cheer. They were cheering in their homes, cheering in restaurants, cheering in public squares. Anywhere there was a television set or smart phone in someone's hand, people who were tired of wars or rumors of wars were cheering.

People who were afraid that the power grid would be shut down were cheering, as were those who feared that the food and fuel would once again be stopped from flowing into the cities. People who had been victimized by greedy Wall Street bankers and the endless partisan debates of an ineffectual Congress were cheering. People of the former middle class who couldn't afford to buy a home and were tired of trying to exist on a minimum wage salary were cheering.

Leo looked on with astonishment at the uplifted faces and glistening eyes all around him. The audience appeared hypnotized by Acerbi's words as they called out his name. They were caught up in the moment with the promise of a new era in the history of mankind, and for all of those listening in around the world who were tired of the corrupt, brutal, and ineffectual governments, a savior had just arrived and they were about to be rescued. By following Adrian Acerbi's plan they would be joining a worldwide community, and they were grateful-grateful to the man who had turned their power back on. Yes, a savior had arrived, for that's what many were now calling him.

Slowly, Leo stood. With his red cassock trailing behind him on the green-carpeted aisle, his mind was reeling as he passed beneath rows of glass-enclosed booths lining the walls above his head, where the translators inside were cheering and clapping as he made his way to the exit.

Walking quickly through the lobby past blue-coated UN security personnel, he pushed against one of the engraved bronze handles that lined the row of glass doors fronting a building that had been built in the wake of World War II and made his way outside. Looking back over his shoulder at the mob of reporters trying to crowd into the building, he descended the broad steps to his waiting limousine and closed the door against the sound of cheers and clapping that had drowned out all semblance of reason.

From the back seat, he peered through the tinted windows at all the cheering people who had been promised a better life by a master politician. They were hypnotized by evil, and their eyes were blinded by the promise of a better life with greater material wealth. It was human nature-a nature Acerbi was counting on to propel him to the top, for he knew that once the people had attained a certain degree of comfort they would never want to go back-and they would be his forever.

CHAPTER 49.

Leo pushed himself back into the padded leather seat and closed his eyes as the limo pulled away from the curb and headed for New York's JFK International Airport. Adrian's sudden transformation had jolted him, and just as predicted, he now possessed a tongue of gold that held the power to sway masses of people, blinding them to his real agenda. The ground was fertile, for many had come to believe that biblical prophesies were nothing more than fairy tales, and for those looking for a savior, he had appeared from out of nowhere-a powerful figure who now held sway over nations because he had provided answers to their problems.

Opening his eyes, Leo looked through the tinted glass at all the people rejoicing in the streets. Like a lion warming himself on a flat rock overlooking a treeless plain, he could detect a scent in the air. It was the scent of a predator-a predator who had just wandered into a flock of grazing sheep without being noticed, and he was preparing to pounce.

As the limo approached the airport, Leo could feel his cell phone vibrating in his pocket. "Hello."

Morelli's strained voice struggled to speak. "Leo, where are you?"

"I'm on my way to the airport. I take it you and the Holy Father just watched Adrian's speech."

"Leo, I ..." As Morelli paused, Leo could hear the sound of crying in the background.

"Anthony ... where are you?"

"Leo ... Pope Michael ... he's ..."

Leo could feel his hands turn cold as the limo headed up the ramp to the international terminal "He's dead, Leo ... he's dead!"

"What did you say?"

"The Holy Father is dead, Leo. We thought you should be informed first before his death was made public."

Leo held the phone away from his ear as if it were a snake. In the darkened backseat of the limo, he caught his reflection in the window as the background outside blurred in a spinning tableau of color that had no meaning.

This can't be happening! But it was. Leo fought back the tears as all sound around him seemed to disappear in his grief. They had gotten to him! Somehow Adrian had reached into the Holy City and taken out a man who had become like a brother to him. Leo pounded on the seat as his body shook with anger. Looking up at the frightened-looking limo driver, he suddenly heard the far-off sound of Morelli's voice coming from the phone in his hand.

"Leo!"

"Yes, Anthony ... I'm here." Leo choked. "What happened?"

"We don't know. Apparently he died in his sleep."

"I'm on my way back right now, Anthony. I want Vatican City sealed off, and let no one near the body!"

"Don't come back, Leo. The doctors said it was his heart, but Francois isn't buying it and neither am I. The timing is just too suspicious. Francois is beside himself with grief. He knocked a hole in the wall before he sealed off the Apostolic Palace. He blames himself, Leo, and there's no telling what he's going to do. He's like a raging bull."

"Where's Acone?"

"No one knows, and that's probably a good thing right now considering the mood Francois and his men are in. They loved Marcus." Morelli stopped for a moment as Leo heard him speaking to someone in the background. "Sorry, Leo. Now listen to me. You're in line to become the next pope, and if the pope's death is the result of a plot against the papacy, then your life will also be in danger if you return."

"I don't care, Anthony. The pope is dead, and as the Vatican's Secretary of State I must return to Rome."

"Listen to me, Leo. Stay where you are. We don't need another tragedy right now. We'll take care of things on this end."

"I know you will, my friend, but I'm returning to Rome. Marcus may have been the pope, but he was also one of my closest friends. Tell Francois I'll be on the next flight." Before Morelli had a chance to respond, Leo switched off the phone. Wrapped in a cocoon of denial, events happening around him seemed to be taking place in another dimension, and in the fog-like state that surrounded those who had just received the terrible, awful news that someone close had just died, he could hear the faint voice of the limo driver speaking to him from the sidewalk outside. "We're here, Cardinal ... Italian Airlines. Are you OK, sir?"

Looking up through the open door, Leo suddenly realized where he was when he saw the airport terminal building. "Yes ... I'm fine ... thank you."

"Would you like me to bring your bag inside for you, Cardinal?"

"Uh, no ... I'll take it from here." Leo reached beneath his red cassock and handed the man a ten-dollar bill before grabbing his bag from the seat beside him and slowly making his way into the crowded terminal. Above his head, he saw the words Now Boarding flashing on the screen next to his flight number, prompting him to step up his pace. He was always running late for flights, and here in New York there were no Swiss Guards to hurry him through security.

Bounding up a flight of steps, he sighed in dismay when he saw a long line of bored-looking people winding their way through a seemingly endless maze of roped-off lanes. The pope was dead ... he had to make this flight. For a moment, Leo stood in the crowded area and weighed his options. He disliked pulling rank to bypass lines others had to wait in, but this was an emergency.

Pulling his suitcase behind him, he approached the TSA security office and presented his diplomatic credentials to the unsmiling man behind the counter. The unsmiling man suddenly became the smiling man as he looked up at Leo and motioned for him to follow. "This way, Cardinal, but you'll still have to go through the metal detector. What flight are you on?"

"Italian Airlines flight 668."

"Oh ... we better hurry then."

"Thank, you. I've got to catch that flight."

"It's been quite a day," the security man said, walking ahead of Leo through the checkpoint and out into the long, glassed-in area that wrapped around the departure gates. "How bout that speech at the UN? That Acerbi guy really sounds like he knows what he's doing. You must have seen him in person."

"Uh, yes, I saw him," Leo mumbled. Evidently news of the pope's death hadn't been made public yet.

"How come you didn't fly in on a private jet like all the other bigwigs?" the man prattled on.

"Unfortunately, the Vatican doesn't have the equivalent of Air Force One, so we usually fly on commercial aircraft."

"Really? Huh, who knew? Anyway, you're good to go now, Cardinal. Have a nice flight." The TSA man smiled as he turned around and walked away, leaving Leo alone to search for his gate.

Stepping up his pace, Leo walked into an empty departure lounge just as the ticket agents were locking the doors, while behind them, through the tall, floor-to-ceiling windows, he could see his plane being pushed back away from the gate. Unbelievable! He had just missed his flight, and he knew from experience that no amount of begging or pleading on his part would hold the plane. As an airline employee had once explained to him, air traffic control worked on a strict timetable, and once a plane had backed away from a gate there was no bringing it back, no matter how important the passenger was.

Standing in the middle of the now-empty gate area, Leo thought about looking for a place where he could sit in a corner and drink a cup of coffee while he waited for the next flight. He needed to be alone right now, but first he wanted to change into civilian clothes. Spotting a men's room, he darted in and changed into his standard jeans and black turtleneck shirt before packing his red cassock away in his suitcase. Now he could blend in with the crowd without drawing any attention to himself.

After purchasing a large cup of coffee, he wandered into a deserted gate area and settled back to say a few prayers for the soul of Pope Michael. Although he knew that his good friend had just taken a journey that he had been preparing to make for his entire adult life, Leo would miss his intelligent mind and surprising sense of humor, but even more, he would miss the company of his dear friend, for the two had grown close over the past two years.

Thumbing his rosary, Leo stared out through the expansive wall of glass at a parade of descending lights in the sky that marked the descent path of a line of jets queuing up among the clouds for a landing at one of the busiest airports in the nation. For some reason he began to think about his family in Pennsylvania. His mother and father had been gone for years, but he still had five brothers and one sister, plus all the attendant nephews and nieces. He missed the big family gatherings, especially now, sitting all alone in an airport terminal waiting to fly back to an uncertain future.

Just as he was raising his cup to take a sip of coffee, a jarring thump shook the building and rattled the glass. A millisecond later the sound of a huge explosion was accompanied by a bright orange flash that lit up the eastern sky. Suddenly people were screaming, and as Leo looked out over the airport he could see a line of emergency vehicles racing along the tarmac, their sirens blaring. Running to the window he pressed his face against the glass, but the sight that greeted him made him step back. There, at the end of the main runway, he saw a billowing cloud of black smoke rising into the sky above a scattered field of twisted, flaming metal.

A plane had crashed ... but which one? Leo's mind was racing as an announcement crackled over the public address system. Would the families of those aboard Italian Airlines flight 668 bound for Rome please report to the information desk.

Leo felt his legs grow weak. That was my flight! All of those people! Events were beginning to spin out of control. A sudden feeling of vulnerability crept into the back of his mind as he looked around the deserted gate area and tried to think. That crash was meant for him! Leo was sure of it. If Acerbi was trying to interrupt the succession of the papacy, a convenient plane crash would be a quick and expedient method. The entire chain of events began to crystallize in Leo's mind. First Acerbi's failed attempt to bring Leo onboard, and then the sudden death of the pope followed by the downing of an aircraft Leo was supposed to be on. Acerbi had released his dogs, and the hunt for those who opposed him was on.

Leo had to move, but if he tried to catch another flight he would be named on the passenger manifest-a chance he couldn't afford to take. The more he thought about it the more certain he became that the crash was no accident. He wouldn't be responsible for putting other lives at risk. Someone believed he would be on that aircraft, and they had heartlessly taken out a plane full of people just to get to him. He had to think, but first he knew he had to run.

Holding his head down, Leo darted into a souvenir shop and purchased a pair of dark glasses and a baseball hat with a big red heart that had I Love NY printed over the visor. At least he had taken the time to change into plain clothes earlier. Checking the ceiling for surveillance cameras, he kept his head down and walked over to the same gate area the doomed plane had departed from. Pulling his hat down over his eyes, he looked around before throwing his smart phone under a row of seats and walked away. Now, if anyone traced his phone, they would find it at the gate and assume he had forgotten it before he boarded the plane. Better they think I was onboard for now, he thought. They won't be looking for a dead man.

Looking back over his shoulder at all the crying people gathered around the airline ticket counter, he thought of Morelli and Francois as he bolted from the terminal. He hated the thought of making them think he had died in the crash, but any call coming from his phone would surely be picked up by Acerbi's worldwide computer network.

Jerking open the back door of a yellow cab parked along the curb, Leo tossed his bag into the seat and slid in beside it.

"Where to, buddy?" the heavy-set driver asked through teeth that clenched a fat cigar.

"Is there a bar nearby?"