King's Crusade (Seventeen) (23 page)

A flight of narrow steps lay on the other side of the door. They proceeded down it in single file. A dim glow appeared around a corner after fifteen feet, and soon they came to a brightly lit landing.

Alexa took the lead and turned left down a marble passage. Glossy cherry wood paneling glistened softly in the light cast by ornate chandeliers and wall lamps. They reached the balustrade of a majestic double staircase.

The overcast night sky was visible through a beautiful mosaic glass ceiling some twenty feet above their heads. Beneath a series of tall arches, paintings of Freemasons past sat in elaborate frames lining pale walls on either side of the two stairs. The polished wood of the brown railing and cream balusters glittered under the muted lighting that bathed the stately space.

‘Pretty,’ commented Carrington.

Hushed conversation and the sound of quiet footsteps suddenly rose from their left. They took the stairs to the landing below and flattened themselves against the walls underneath. The footfall paused briefly above them before continuing along the corridor. The voices of the two sentries faded in the distance.

A soundless sigh of relief escaped Jackson’s lips and prickled the skin on the back of Alexa’s neck. She ignored the disquieting sensation and headed down the next flight of steps toward the ground floor. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked around.

Chandeliers cast a soft glow on the beautifully adorned ceiling, marble walls, and gleaming tiled flooring of a wide hallway that branched off on either side.

‘We must be at the back of the Grand Temple,’ whispered Jackson.

Alexa turned right and headed soundlessly toward a recessed portal a dozen feet away. She glanced dismissively at the surveillance camera above it, twisted the heavy handle of the door, and stepped across the threshold. A curtained vestibule lay beyond. She crossed it briskly and stopped just inside the cavernous chamber of the Grand Temple.

An immense and elaborate mosaic coving framed a dark blue ceiling some sixty feet above her head. The bright sun disc at its center was surrounded by a speckling of stars and moons that shone brightly on the inky background. Masonic figures and symbols spanned the molded cornices, with the four cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance dominating the corners.

A pedestal on the left held a tall, gold-colored ceremonial chair and pulpit mounted on an ornate frame with four pillars. It was flanked by another pair of smaller chairs and ringed on either side by rows of seats that rose in tiers toward an organ loft at the back of the chamber, where an altar-like table sat between a pair of gilded columns.

A second pedestal holding another ceremonial chair stood at the opposite end of the temple. Beyond it was a pair of twelve-foot tall, heavy-looking, sculpted bronze doors. A third ornamental chair occupied the edge of a checkerboard floor that ran down the middle of the chamber. Banks of seats lined the enormous spaces on the sides, with galleries supporting further tiers above the ground floor.

The coat of arms of the United Grand Lodge, with its border of lions and the Latin motto ‘
Avdi Vide Tace
’ emblazoned in gold on a blue background, punctuated the vast assembly room of the Freemasons.

‘“Hear, See, Be Silent”,’ translated Carrington as he studied the closest blazon. He looked around the Grand Temple. ‘Nice digs they’ve got here.’

Jackson rolled his eyes.

Alexa’s gaze shifted to the head of the room. She strode to the gilded mount holding the chair and pulpit, and scrutinized the structure. According to the satellite images, it concealed the access to the underground chamber.

They carefully examined the protrusions and crevices of the ornate design for several minutes. The monk finally stood back and studied the frame with an absorbed expression. Moments later, he lifted the jō staff and gently touched a knot below a small cherub at the corner of the support.

A low, grinding noise rose from the gilded mount. They took several steps back as the ceremonial chair and pulpit moved forward four feet and revealed a square opening in the floor. A flight of steps dropped down into darkness.

‘Well done,’ said Schmidt quietly. ‘How did you figure it out?’

Yonten smiled and pointed at the statue of the angel.

‘“Hear, See, Be Silent”,’ said Jackson slowly. The cherub’s eyes were wide open and its hands covered its mouth. Admiration glinted in his eyes as he turned to look at the monk.

A soft click broke the silence of the room. Alexa’s finger moved off the decocking lever of the Sig she was aiming at Schmidt’s left temple. The Crovir Hunter went still, his fingers frozen on the Beretta Storm pistol that had appeared in his hand.

‘Hey—’ said Carrington with a frown. He took a step forward.

‘Who are you working for?’ Alexa interrupted harshly, her gaze not shifting from the Hunter’s grim face. Schmidt glared at her defiantly out of the corner of his eye and remained resolutely tight-lipped.

‘What’s going on?’ demanded Jackson, glancing between the two of them.

The monk watched silently, the enigmatic smile still hovering around his lips.

‘You shouldn’t be here,’ the Crovir Hunter finally said in a hard voice.

Alexa suspected she knew the reason why Schmidt was acting the way he was, but she had to be certain. From Yonten’s expression, he had also guessed the truth.

‘Do you answer to Cavaleti?’ she asked coldly.

Schmidt turned to look at her. ‘Who the hell is Cavaleti?’

She couldn’t detect any trace of deception in his voice. Relief flashed through her. ‘Then, there’s only one reason you would do something so foolish as to draw your gun on us.’ She lowered the Sig and stepped back. ‘You’re a Freemason.’

Carrington’s jaw sagged open. ‘What, you mean like…secret handshakes, passwords, and that dancing naked in the moonlight stuff?’

Alexa and Schmidt looked at him icily.

‘We do not dance naked in the moonlight,’ said the Hunter between gritted teeth.

Carrington’s face fell slightly. ‘You sure? ’Cause I heard rumors.’

Schmidt holstered the Beretta. ‘I’m afraid I can’t let you go farther than this,’ he said. ‘I was curious to see what you were up to when I heard you were coming here. The Freemasons’ secrets must remain just that—secrets.’

‘A man called Alberto Cavaleti wants to use those secrets to destroy the Catholic Church,’ said Alexa.

Schmidt went still.

‘You can imagine what would happen if that came to pass,’ she continued in an even tone. ‘His sect will stop at nothing to get their hands on what may lie in the vault below this temple—and that includes destroying the Freemasons.’

‘Cavaleti’s sect was behind the incident at the Lodge in Scotland in 1995,’ said Jackson quietly. ‘We think they’ll try to break in here as well. The recent escalation in the security measures is bound to have alerted them to the fact that the English Freemasons are currently in possession of a very important object.’

Schmidt’s lips twisted in a cynical grimace.

Alexa ignored the wave of impatience coursing through her limbs. ‘This is where you decide where your loyalties lie, Frank. You’re either with us or against us on this.’

The Crovir Hunter’s head snapped around at the use of his first name. She had not uttered it in a long time. Alexa saw Jackson glance uneasily between the two of them once more.

Schmidt looked at her for a long moment. He finally closed his eyes briefly and snorted in disgust. ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this,’ he muttered. ‘I’ll be kicked out of the fraternity for sure.’

Carrington grinned and slapped him on the back. ‘You can always go back to just being a plain old immortal.’

Schmidt scowled at the Crovir before leading the way down the stairs, pen torch in hand. The opening closed ponderously behind them.

The steps spiraled through two full revolutions before ending in a circular vestibule thirty feet below ground. Dim light spilled over the sconces in the rock walls that framed the foyer and washed across the wide marble corridor beyond it. A pair of steel doors stood at the end of the passage.

Their footsteps echoed on the polished floor as they strolled toward the vault.

‘I’ve never been down here before,’ said Schmidt as he shone his light on the metal doors. A trace of unease underlaid his words. ‘My Lodge is in the States.’ He hesitated. ‘Although I’ve visited this Hall on several occasions, I didn’t know this place existed until you showed me those satellite images.’

Jackson raised his eyebrows. ‘I’m surprised an immortal would fraternize with an organization such as the Freemasons.’

Schmidt grunted. ‘I’m not the only immortal in their ranks. And I happen to like the way they do things,’ he said. ‘Besides, hanging out with immortals gets grinding after a while.’

Alexa looked at him steadily for silent seconds. ‘You can always walk out of here,’ she said. ‘Pretend this never happened. I won’t tell Reznak about your alliance with the Freemasons.’

The Crovir Hunter frowned. ‘No,’ he said. ‘If what you’re saying is true, then what’s at stake here goes far beyond the Freemasons.’ He turned to stare at the doors. ‘So, anyone spot some kind of access panel yet?’

They studied the polished surfaces.

The doors met each other almost seamlessly. Alexa stepped up to the closest one and skimmed her fingers along the corners and sides. There was nothing to see. She suspected they were as thick as the concrete walls that enclosed the chamber. They would not be able to break into the place by sheer brute force.

Her gaze shifted to the steel itself. She took a few steps back and stared at the gray, burnished metal at an angle. Seconds later, she went still.

She could just about discern the suggestion of a faint line on it.

‘You see it too?’ murmured Jackson. He was standing three feet from her and gazing intently at the doors, his head tilted to one side.

‘Yes,’ Alexa replied in a low voice.

‘We need the lights off,’ said Jackson suddenly.

They turned and inspected the walls. Alexa saw Carrington reach for his gun out of the corner of her eye. Before she could shout out a warning, the Crovir took out three of the lights. The suppressor at the end of the weapon muffled his shots to dull thuds.

‘Switch is here, Mr. Crovir,’ said Yonten cheerfully. The monk pointed at a small silver knob near the vestibule.

‘Oh,’ said Carrington. ‘Look, it was an honest mistake,’ he added with a sickly grin as he beheld her dark stare.

Yonten pressed the switch. The corridor was plunged in darkness.

‘Holy crap,’ whispered Carrington a heartbeat later, all embarrassment forgotten.

Chapter Nineteen

H
undreds of bright, glowing symbols
covered the metal doors ahead of them. Among the Masonic figures and emblems in the complex arrangement, Alexa recognized the coat of arms of the United Grand Lodge.

‘It’s a code,’ said Jackson finally, in a voice filled with wonder.

She glanced at his dim shadow to her left.

‘What do you mean, a “code”?’ asked Schmidt irritably.

‘There’s no key. No access panel to break into to open those doors. The only way to get inside that room is to figure out the Freemasons’ code,’ said Jackson animatedly. ‘And I bet we only have one guess.’

Alexa could tell he was impressed by the intricate puzzle before them. She shifted impatiently; they did not have time for riddles. ‘Can you decipher it?’ she asked.

‘I think so,’ said Jackson with a nod.

‘Schmidt?’ She turned to the Crovir Hunter.

Schmidt shrugged. ‘I can give it a go, but I don’t think I’ll be of much use. I suspect only the Grand Master of the Lodge knows the code.’

‘Get on with it,’ she ordered.

Ten minutes later, Jackson’s breath left his lips in a harsh exhale. He was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the marble floor and staring at the symbols, his elbows on his thighs and his chin propped on his fisted hands. Schmidt stood close to him.

Neither man had made any progress in solving the code.

Alexa leaned against the rock wall next to the Harvard professor. Her eyes had adjusted to the weak luminescence emanating from the polished steel surfaces, and she could make out the scowl darkening his features.

Carrington had retreated to the vestibule, while the monk sat perched in a meditative pose on the bottom step of the stairs.

‘If I knew I was going to have to decipher a bloody cryptogram, I would have brushed up on my Freemasonry before we came here,’ Jackson muttered. Schmidt glanced at him with a disgruntled expression.

Alexa looked down at the luminous dials on her watch. She was confident that if anyone could break the code, it would be Jackson. Her only concern lay in the timeframe it might take for him to achieve this; they had been inside the building for almost forty minutes.

Though the Crovir techs would remain in control of the Hall’s security system for however long she wanted them to, she could not help but think of the sentries inside the Freemasons’ headquarters. She had no doubt there was a security room somewhere in the complex where they were monitoring the camera feeds. It would only take one very astute guard to detect that the footage had been tampered with for the alarm to be raised.

She was about to suggest they try another method to get inside the vault—one she suspected would involve heavy explosives after all—when Jackson suddenly straightened.

‘Yonten,’ he said in a low voice, his eyes not shifting from the mass of symbols that crowded the doors, ‘how many steps do those stairs have?’

‘Sixty, Mr. Harvard,’ said Yonten.

‘And the number of lights in the vestibule and this corridor?’ said Jackson, his tone rising with barely concealed excitement.

‘Nine,’ said Schmidt curiously.

‘Three on each wall and three inside the vestibule?’ said Jackson sharply.

‘Yeah,’ said Carrington, joining Schmidt. ‘Where are you going with this?’

‘There are three degrees of Freemasonry. And Schmidt is right—only Grand Masters would be able to access this chamber,’ Jackson explained. ‘Nine lights on the walls. Sixty steps. They are all multiples of three.’

Alexa stared at the doors. ‘But there are no numbers among those symbols.’

‘There doesn’t need to be,’ said Jackson with a shake of his head. ‘The code is all about heraldry.’ He leapt to his feet and took a step toward the vault’s entrance. ‘The current coat of arms of the United Grand Lodge of England is actually a combination of two arms, namely those of the “Modern” and the “Ancient” Grand Lodges,’ he continued, pointing at various figures and emblems on the steel panels. ‘The “Modern” Grand Lodge was the original Grand Lodge of England, formed in 1717, when four London Lodges met up for the first time. The “Modern” Grand Lodge chose to adopt the three castles and Masonic compasses as their coat of arms. Another Grand Lodge, the “Ancient”, or “Antient” Grand Lodge as it was also called, was formed in 1751 as a challenge to the first Grand Lodge.
Its
coat of arms featured the man in the crimson robe, the golden lion, the black ox, and the golden eagle. The two Lodges were eventually united in 1813, and the coats of arms were joined, with the addition of the ark crest and the supporting cherubs. The border of golden lions was added more than a century later by the College of Arms and King George V.’