Albert lifted his pig into the front of the truck and peered up the highway. "Get in the back ... and hurry. Their sudden arrival was no accident. They're looking for the cardinal. The noose is already tightening, and I fear the trap is about to snap shut if we don't get out of here."

In a scene reminiscent of a time during the Second World War, when the French Resistance smuggled downed American and British fliers over the Pyrenees into Spain under the noses of the Nazis, Leo and Evita huddled under a canvas tarp as Albert swung his truck around and sped back down the mountain road.

Driving through Foix, Albert spotted several trucks full of troops wearing the same type of uniforms and turned down a side street before heading out of town. Half an hour later, after stopping several times to make sure they weren't being followed, he turned off the highway onto a dirt road that meandered through the forest until finally they came to a dead end at the base of a sheer cliff. Peering out from under the canvas, Leo's eyes widened when he saw something amazing. A section of the sharply angled rock wall at the base of the cliff began to move, and like a gigantic vault door it swung open to reveal a tunnel that disappeared into the mountain. After scanning the surrounding forest and checking his rearview mirror one more time, Albert stepped on the gas and drove into the tunnel as the massive camouflaged door swung closed behind them.

CHAPTER 55.

In the absolute darkness of the tunnel, Alfred was forced to switch on the truck's headlights before he could proceed. Listening to the sound of the motor echoing off the tunnel walls, Leo could feel the temperature drop as they continued deeper into the mountain, until finally, in the distance, he could just make out a faint glow at the end of the tunnel.

A minute later they rattled into a large cavern and parked next to several older-model cars. Like Albert's truck, they were all old but apparently in good repair. Jumping from the back of the truck, Leo and Evita were greeted by the familiar faces of Javier Mendoza and Dr. Raul Diaz.

Mendoza flashed a toothy grin. "Ah, Cardinal. For awhile we were afraid you had sprouted wings."

"It's good to see you, Javier, and you too, Dr. Diaz."

"Has Evita filled you in on our little hideaway?" Mendoza asked.

Leo looked around the man-made cavern. "Not exactly."

"I wanted it to be as much of a surprise to you as it was to us when we arrived," Evita giggled.

Mendoza sighed. "You mean you haven't told him anything?"

"I was saving that for you, Javier. Besides, I think seeing it has a much greater impact than any description I could come up with. Why don't you lead the way?"

Mendoza slapped Leo on the shoulder. "Well then ... let's go."

With Albert and his pig following along behind, they entered a small tunnel that angled upward. "You all live down here?"

Reaching out to take his arm, Evita's thin white hands contrasted sharply with Leo's tanned muscular forearms. "Yes, we're all mole people," she giggled. "You'll never see sunlight again."

Walking ahead of them, Dr. Diaz glowered over his shoulder at Evita's joke.

"He hasn't changed very much," Leo whispered in her ear.

"He misses the city ... and his lab. He just got here yesterday. We were hoping to introduce him to a lady friend, but so far his loveable personality has been somewhat of a deterrent."

Continuing on, they came to a dilapidated-looking freight elevator set inside a vertical shaft that rose several hundred feet straight up into the mountain. Stepping inside, Mendoza lowered the wood-slatted doors and waited for the others to enter before they began their rapid ascent up past rock walls that whizzed by as the cable pulled the elevator toward a dot of white light above.

As soon as they stopped Leo found himself peering out into a bright space where natural sunlight filtered through the skylights above and crisscrossed the room, bouncing off the white walls and illuminating the fine dust particles that floated in the dry mountain air.

Rows of cardboard boxes were stacked almost to the top of the soaring, angled ceiling, while new-looking mechanical equipment stood mounted on top of wooden pallets in front of a garage door located at the end of the building. Through the skylights Leo could see blue sky and clouds, and outside, through tall windows, he could see trees full of birds chirping in the sunshine. "Where are we?"

"We're in the above-ground storage area," Evita said. "This is where we store critical mechanical equipment and some of the more perishable items like food for next week's supper."

Leo's eyes followed a stack of boxes to a skylight in the ceiling. "I have to say, I really wasn't expecting this, especially after driving into a tunnel at the base of a mountain."

"Neither were we when we first arrived," Mendoza said. "Come on, there's someone we want you to meet." Mendoza opened a side door, and as soon as Leo stepped outside he knew he had entered another world. Standing at the top of a gently-sloping hill that overlooked a vast expanse of greenery, he could see manicured, tree-covered grounds bordered by a fast-moving stream, and surrounding it all was a gigantic wall constructed from huge blocks of dark granite, each as tall as a man and as wide as a house. It was an impressive feat of engineering, especially since it had obviously been built at the top of a mountain, but there was something jutting above the trees in the distance that was even more impressive. Looking up, Leo beheld a sight that took his breath away, for he was looking at a medieval castle, and it was bigger than any castle he had ever seen before.

Standing erect with her head held high, Evita tossed her hair back over her shoulders and gripped Leo's arm. "Well ... what do you think?"

For a moment Leo was speechless. Standing in a surreal world that looked like a picture in a story book, it took him a while before he could gather his thoughts. "I've never seen anything like it. It's magical. I mean, if I didn't know better I'd think I was standing in the mythical land of Shangri-La."

"Close. You're standing in a Cathar stronghold that was built for the times when our people would be threatened again, but unlike our ancestors we have no intention of letting ourselves be captured and burned at the stake just because we refuse to follow the edicts of an evil man."

"A Cathar stronghold?"

"Exactly," Mendoza added, "but Evita and I had no idea it existed until a few weeks ago. The Cathars who built it have kept it a closely guarded secret from the outside world. We have everything we need to sustain us for years to come. Most of our storage facilities are underground, but we try to live up here in the sunshine. Come on, you'll see."

Against the sound of muffled laughter filtering through the trees, Leo stumbled forward as his mind tried to take everything in. Behind the castle, a waterfall cascaded from a cliff near the summit of a snow-capped mountain, and as they got closer he saw a small lake that separated the castle from the park-like grounds surrounding it. It was like walking through a scene on a postcard, and as they got closer to the castle, he could see people with their children and pets strolling next to the water.

"How did you find this place?" Leo asked, his mind overwhelmed by everything he was seeing.

"It found us." Evita said, skipping ahead. "Come on, Leo, I'm dying for you to meet Julian."

CHAPTER 56.

THE VILLA IN ISRAEL.

On the windswept beach fronting the Mediterranean Sea, Ariella and John were picking up seashells. Ever since they had learned of the death of Pope Michael and Cardinal Leo, neither of them had felt like doing much of anything. Leo had been like a second father to both of them, and it was on this same beach that he had officiated at their wedding almost two years before.

The loss had hit John especially hard, for Leo had been a mentor to him. His sudden absence had left John feeling adrift in a sea of uncertainty, especially now that Adrian Acerbi was poised to take over the world under the guise of solving all the problems that had plagued mankind since the beginning of time. His speech to the UN had been a joke, John thought, but it had gone over big with the masses that yearned for a father figure to protect them from every imaginable form of evil. Yet it had been to evil that the people had unknowingly run, and the result of their decision to welcome him with open arms would soon become evident.

Already countries were relinquishing their sovereign rights, giving up centuries of freedom that had been purchased with the blood of their sons and daughters, all because they were afraid to stand up to an obvious dictator who held the hammer of technology over their heads. It was Armageddon without a shot being fired, but people seemed blinded by Adrian's chiseled good looks and powers of persuasion. He had mesmerized them with outlandish promises for a golden future, and very few people seemed capable of peering beyond the smiling face to see what really lay behind his thin facade. He was the Antichrist, and he was here. The dark star had risen.

Holding her long, chestnut hair away from her face, Ariella turned away from the wind. "Why don't we walk back to the villa and have supper with my father?"

"Maybe we should go back to our own house so we can change first," John replied, looking down past his red swimming trunks at the sand covering his feet.

"We can rinse off and change at the villa. We still have some clothes hanging in the closet upstairs."

"I don't know, Ariella. I kinda feel like staying home tonight."

"You've been kinda feeling like staying home every night. Look, John, Leo's gone, and there's nothing we can do to bring him back. We have to move on, and if he were standing here right now he would be telling you the same thing."

John looked out over the sea and thought back to when he and Leo had first arrived in Israel-when they had sat on the beach in front of the villa and he had seen Ariella for the first time. Time had passed so quickly, yet everything Leo had ever told him was still fresh in his mind.

"OK, let's go," he finally said. "I've been anxious to hear your father's plans anyway."

Slowly the two made their way back up the beach and crossed the weathered boardwalk over the dunes to the back of the villa. Lying by the pool, Lev Wasserman adjusted his sunglasses and laid his newspaper aside as he motioned them over. "Haven't seen you two in awhile. What's up?"

Ariella giggled. "We thought we'd come over and raid your refrigerator."

"I'll have the cook make us dinner. Have you been watching TV?"

"Yeah," John said. "The situation looks pretty bleak. At least Israel is still holding out."

"Unlike the Americans, our people have been led into a trap before," Lev said, "but to be honest I don't know how much longer we can hold out. Russia was one of the first countries to capitulate, and already Acerbi has commanded them to begin moving their forces in our direction."

"Do you think he's bluffing?"

"No, I think there's going to be a war. Funny how his speech at the UN went on about how all of this was supposed to prevent war. People will soon see who they've put their trust in."

"What are your plans?" John asked.

"There are only two options. Stay and fight ... and probably lose, or run and live to fight another day. Personally, I think the second option makes the most sense. I'm glad you came, because I was planning on calling you two up to the house tonight anyway. I've spoken to most of the others living on the compound. Half of them want to stay, but the other half want to go."

Lev rose from his poolside chair and lit his cigar with a match before walking over to the bar. "I've ordered the crew to make the Carmela ready for sea. We took a little vote this afternoon while you two were out on the beach. Daniel and Sarah want to remain here with some of the older, more established families, while most of the students and younger families want to come with us on the Carmela. We're leaving tonight for the Caribbean."

"Tonight!" John couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You mean just abandon the villa ... the entire compound?"

"It's only land, John ... land that will most likely have Russian and Iranian tanks rolling over the dunes after the first wave of missiles hit Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Even Danny Zamir agrees with me. The entire world sees us as a sore spot ... one they want to wash their hands of. Even our allies will be unable to come to our aid, because they too are being absorbed into this so-called one world government. They don't know it yet, but they'll soon be asked to join a single worldwide religion in the interest of peace ... a religion formed by none other than Adrian Acerbi himself."

"But this is your land, Lev. It's taken you years of your life and millions of dollars to create this little piece of paradise. You can't just abandon it and run off to the Caribbean."

"Israel will still be here, John. We'll return one day."

"Don't look now, Lev," John said, grinning as he looked over the Professor's shoulder, "but we have company."

Turning around, Lev saw Anthony Morelli and Francois Leander walking around the side of the villa.

"Morelli ... Francois!" Lev reached out with his arms spread in welcome. "What are you two doing here?"

"We heard the seafood was good," Morelli grinned as the three men embraced. "It's good to see you, Professor."

"How did you two get here?"

"Francois has a pilot friend who makes his living flying cargo jets. No airport hassles or passport checks. We did have to go through customs here in Israel, but when Francois showed them his Swiss Guard ID and told them he didn't want Acerbi's people to know we were in Israel they just smiled and cut us loose."

"They're not real fond of Acerbi here in Israel," Lev said. "You don't know how good it is to have you two here. We were just discussing our options, and from the looks on your faces I take it this isn't a social visit."

Morelli glanced over at Francois. "Actually, we thought we might find Leo here."

"What!" Ariella gasped.

Morelli held up his hands. "Our friend the cardinal has nine lives. He's quite alive, and we have the pictures to prove it."

Lev collapsed back onto his seat and ran his hands through his tangled mop of curly gray hair. "Leo's alive?"

"He never got on that plane," Morelli said. "We're pretty sure Acerbi was behind the crash, and we have a feeling Leo is running for his life. We thought maybe he came here."

"I wish he had." Lev took in a deep breath. "He must still be back in America."

Francois walked behind the bar and helped himself to an Israeli beer. "Wherever he is, we need to get to him before Acerbi's people find him. It's no coincidence that Pope Michael died suspiciously on the morning of Adrian's grand speech to the UN, and that Adrian called Leo backstage for a little one-on-one meeting before he addressed the assembly. We think he probably tried to get Leo to cooperate, and when Leo refused Acerbi gave the order to take him out. Thank God Leo missed his plane."

"I think I'll join you in a drink." Lev moved behind the bar next to Francois and set a row of wine glasses on the counter before filling them from a bottle of Spanish sherry.

"I think I'll have one of those too," John said. The men looked back and saw that both John and Ariella had tears streaming down their faces.

"Looks like you both could use a drink," Lev said, placing his arm around his daughter.

"I can't believe it!" John said. "Leo's really alive. "You say you have pictures taken of Leo after the crash?"

Francois reached into his coat pocket and handed a couple of digital photos to Lev. "These were taken in the airport departure lounge after the crash and before Leo ditched his cell phone. Acerbi is trying to cut off the heads-of-state of any nation that doesn't go along with his plan. Evidently the American president was trying to stall him, and we just heard on the radio that he suffered a heart attack this morning. It sounds like he'll survive, but apparently the vice president is now in charge and is playing ball with Acerbi's transition team."

"What are your plans now, Bishop," Lev asked. "Will you two be returning to Rome?"

Morelli let the wine roll over his tongue before he answered. "No, I'm afraid our tenure there is up. You might say we're free agents right now. Most of the members of the College of Cardinals have already resigned, and since Cardinal Acone is stacking the deck with new cardinals, it's a pretty good bet that he'll be the next pope. Cardinal McCulley has already returned to New York to work behind the scenes to keep the Church there functioning, and no one knows where the camerlengo has gone. Rumor has it he's in hiding somewhere in Assisi praying for a miracle and trying to stir up the Franciscans."

"I'm afraid we're running out of miracles, Bishop," Lev responded, downing his wine as he snuffed out his cigar. "We're leaving on the Carmela tonight, and you're coming with us."

"Leaving Israel?"

"It's the smart move for now, Anthony. I was just explaining to John ...

"Daddy?" Ariella's eyebrows arched with a look of sudden realization. "I think I might know where Leo is."

The four men stared.

"I mean, just think about it for a moment. Where is Leo's most favorite place in the world ... a place that's isolated and far from prying eyes?" Ariella shrugged her shoulders in exasperation. "He's in France ... in the cabins in the Pyrenees."

"I've already thought of that," Lev said, "but there's just one problem. He can't use his passport, so how would he get to France from America?"

"I don't know, Daddy, but I do know that once Cardinal Leo puts his mind to it he usually gets what he wants."

"Maybe he went to Pennsylvania," Morelli chimed in. "He still has family there."

"That's the first place Acerbi's people would look," John shot back. "He wouldn't put his family in danger like that. Ariella's right. I know Leo, and so do you, Bishop. He always seeks solitude when he needs to think. He's got to be there!"

Lev studied his daughter's eyes. "You could be right, but it's a long shot."

Ariella's expression never wavered. "It's a long shot worth taking."