Episode 19
- 00 P.M.
MARCO POLO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, VENICE
From a distance, the massive bells of Vatican City tolled the angelus bell.
âReady yourself missus. Weâre taking off any minute from nowâ, an elegant air hostess whispered to Emily.
Emily Bradley had lost herself reveling in the simplistic but yet magnificent appearance of the Papal plane. Just like the United States Presidentâs jet âAir Force Oneâ, the Alitalia Airbus A320 nicknamed âShepherd Oneâ was nothing but a beauty. The head rests had the Papal crest on them and she was given a little tour to the Papal chamber. Thirty minutes before they boarded the plane, security experts had run a thorough check on the plane.
The Swiss Guards were with the Italian subject, a septuagenarian serving a life imprisonment in an adjoining cabin. An air hostess closed the door behind her and Emily walked to one of the exotic Italian leather seats and sat down.
Derek flashed in her mind and she thought about calling him, the jet was just taking off. She could barely feel the throb of the jetâs engine as it took off.
Soon after the plane took off, the overheard television came on, signaling that it was safe to use her phone. She pulled out her camera and stole a few snapshots of the planeâs interior. This was going to be one big story in her career, probably the biggest.
She called Derek.
âHello, are you guys safe?â She asked anxiously.
âYeah. Weâre in exhibition museum.
An old guy hereâs helping us figure something outâ.
âWhat?â
âThereâs a manhole that can lead us to the underground. From there we can easily find our way out of hereâ.
âThank God. Thatâs good newsâ, she heaved a sigh. âCTAN would be there in a few hours, just hold out as long as possible, pleaseâ.
He chuckled. âWhatâs that noise?â He asked.
âOh, itâs the TV, Iâll lower the volumeâ, she said picking up the remote control.
âYou seem to be having a good time over there. Where are you right now?â
âYou wonât believe it, Derekâ.
âTell me somethingâ, he said anxiously.
âIâm flying aboard the âShepherd One’â.
âWait, you mean the Papal jet?â
âYeah, Iâm so excitedâ.
âI canât believe this. Are you with the Pope?â
âNoâ.
âWhere are you headed?â
âBack to Nigeria. I donât know what to expect there but Iâm covering for the CTANâ.
âHold on a minuteâ, he said and put the call on hold. âYeah, since when did you go back to being an agent?â
âYou should have heard of the crisis going on in the Vatican City. I just got tangled up in all of thisâ.
âI know this is a big story and all that, but Emily, your life comes first before your careerâ.
âI know, dear. Iâll be careful, I promiseâ.
She heard the sound of gunshots on the other end.
âWhat was that, Derek?â The phone was dead. Her heart skipped three beats.
On the television, a reporter was speaking on the rumored Popeâs decision to go to Africa following the terroristâs threat. She appraised the Popeâs courage to face it head-on, but on the other hand wondered why the Pope should deal directly with terrorists and throw caution to the wind. Some opinion speakers interviewed, decried the rate at which the Vatican spent on irrelevances without doing anything to improve the security situation of the small country. Another scene showed the Academy of Sciences in flames, with fire service men working tirelessly to douse the flames.
âWhatâs all this?â She wondered. The thought of her dying mother came to her memory and she shuddered.
And for the first time in a very long time, Emily prayed âŠsilently.
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