Thank you to SchoolBoredom for her review. I have now seen the film twice (And loved every minute of it). This story is a little mixture of three things. The book, The film, and my own ideas.
Chapter 6:
Four un-marked black cars raced down the streets of Rome followed closely by a large black van. Jemma chewed her bottom lip as she scanned the poem again. Santi's earthly tomb. That would be in the Pantheon. But the building has only one door and no windows, plus that huge hole in the roof. Jemma paused in her musing when the van came to a stop. The back of the van opened and Kai motioned Jemma to follow. The female didn't need telling twice and climbed over Ian.
"I was a secure route. We need this guy alive. No fire." Lazzaro ordered. He nodded to Jemma and Kai as they joined them. He turned to his second in commander. "Take another guard and go inside."
"Hang on! Two weight lifters in matching uniforms." Jemma crossed her arms over her chest. "Hardly covert Lazzaro." She muttered. The second in commander glare at her. To him, it seemed a waste of time and the fact Jemma did not show respect to his commander, added more problems.
"Firstly you will address The Commander correctly. Secondly how else are we going to find him? We can hardly send you inside." He shot back. Jemma blinked twice before placing her hands on her hips. She returned the guard's glare with equal force. Lazzaro stood between them. The last thing he wanted was for the pair to be arguing in the middle of the street.
"Excuse me! I look more like a tourist then you could ever be!" Jemma glanced over to Lazzaro. "Lazzaro, give me your number. If anything happens, I'll ring you." To prove her point Jemma pulled her phone into view and flipped it open "Hello? Oh hey Dad! I'm inside the Pantheon. I know I've been here before but the place is amazing." Jemma grinned as she snapped her phone shut. Kai had to admit it had him convinced. The second guard pointed to Kai.
"We cannot allow you to go on your own and we certainly can't send Mister Hiwatari in there. He doesn't even look like a tourist." He grunted. Kai looked over his outfit, followed by Lazzaro and Jemma. As far back as Jemma could remember into her college days, Kai had always been one to dress smart. There he was, standing in the middle of Rome, dressed in a suit without the tie. Lazzaro scratched his chin.
"Unless you're Sean William Scott."
Kai and the second guard stared at Lazzaro as Jemma grinned madly and nodded her head. "Damn right!" She exclaimed in glee. Lazzaro turned to the second guard.
"Give Mister Hiwatari a gun. Just to be safe." Kai coughed to gain his attention and opened the left side of his jacket. Sitting innocently in a holder at his side was a standard issue Glock. Jemma chuckled. Clearly she wasn't the only one to come prepared.
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Kai could not believe what he had been dragged into. Lazzaro had explained the plan in detail as Jemma listened closely to every little thing. The russian could Jemma still didn't believe that the Patheon was right but for now it was all they had. Kai was jolted from his musing when Jemma linked arms with him and nuzzled her face into his arm. "What are you doing?" Kai hissed as they got closer to the building. Jemma looked up, fixing him with a sugar coated puppy dog look that made Kai want to barf.
"Newly weds dofus!" she shot back. Kai frowned. He couldn't really remember how Newly Weds were meant to act. He was too young to remember the way his parents acted. Clearly Jemma remembered how to act. Kai nodded to the four guards who returned the gesture. Jemma glanced over to Kai. "Do you know how to shoot at all?" She whispered.
"Don't you trust me?" Kai inquried. Jemma let go of his arm and looked round the building.
"Trust you? I barely even know you. Even through college, you were always an enigma." She responded which was very true condersiding it was about Kai. The russian frowned a little more.
"And here I thought we were Newly Weds." He shot back.
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Hillary looked over Kenny's shoulder as he pulled up information on The Illuminati. Her eyes widened as pages and pages of information appeared. Tyson snorted. "You don't believe any of this, do you Hiro?" He asked. Hiro was deep in thought. Tyson knew his brother well enough. The younger Granger sat up and fixed Hiro with a surprised look. "You do, don't you."
"I think it's worth checking out." Hiro mumbled behind his hands. He turned in his seat to face the steering wheel. "When you've finished with the information, I want to know where the hell the shit hits the fan." Hiro called over his shoulder. Hillary smiled at her camera-man.
"You got it Hiro."
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Kai inhaled deeply. The air was cool and damp. Jemma had gone on her own walk to the left, keeping an eye open for anything strange. Kai walked to the right, keeping behind a large tourist group. He looked up towards the ceiling, eyeing the large hole. Could the killer really drop a Cardinal through there? The russian wondered.
Jemma on the other hand was to busy looking around. She had searched every recesse she could find before coming to a stop. Checking her mobile, she found that they had 8 minutes left. Something still didn't feel right to Jemma. Feeling eyes on her, Jemma glanced over her shoulder. An elderly man was giving a speech to a few tourists, pointing to various items. Jemma stared closely at his outfit. He wour a rather long blue cape with a red cross on the chest.
"Are you english?"
Jemma shook her head. She remembered the man from her first visit with her father.
"Yes. We both are."
"Oh wonderful. Perhaps I could give you a history of the building. I am after all the ciceronehere."
"Thank you but my daughter and I know a great deal of history already and..."
Jemma clearly remembered the old man now. Despite her father telling him they didn't need to know the history, the old man had rattled off anyway. The english girl pushed back a group and made her way to Raphael's tomb. Reading the inscription, Jemma felt something heavy drop in her stomach. Now she understood why she had a bad feeling. "Kai!"
The russian looked round for Jemma before spotting her by the tomb. Pushing past a couple, Kai joined Jemma as she read the poem again. "What is it? You found something?" Kai inquried. Behind him the tour group had moved and were now right behind the pair. Jemma shoved the poem under Kai's nose.
"We're in the wrong place! This was published in 1639. Raphael died in 1520 but was not buried here until 1759." Jemma watched Kai blink in confusion. Jemma cursed. "That's almost a century after the document was published!" Jemma slammed a hand against her forehead. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" She hissed. The tour guide turned round.
"Is your wife all right?" He inquried. Kai stared at the male, wondering where he had seen the figure before. His attention was turned back to Jemma who suddenly stopped what she was doing and began to mumble to herself. "Miss? Is everything all right?" The tour guide inquried again. Kai began to move the tour guide away.
"I'm sorry. She's not my wife, friend actually. Slight mental problem. We should rea---" Jemma grabbed Kai's shirt collar and yanked him back. When he was back with her, Jemma spun him round.
"Number one: I do not, repeat do not, have a slight mental problem. Number two: I have just worked it out. Raphael was a architect! He built a tomb..." Jemma shook her head. "...Wrong word. He built a chapel for someone else. A chapel with a demon's hole. A oculus." Jemma pushed Kai out of the way and made her way to the tour guide.
"Can I help Miss?"
Jemma read the golden tag on his shirt. "Yes Oliver. That sounds french. Are you French?" Jemma asked. Oliver blinked and nodded his head. Jemma grinned. "All right. Do you know any chapels built by Raphael that would have a Oculus in them? Any at all?" Jemma inquried. Oliver scratched his neck. Jemma was starting to creep him out and Kai knew just how he felt.
"Actually....of the top of my head, I can only think of one." Oliver yelled out in surpise when Jemma hugged him with all her might. "Miss! Please!"
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you so much I could kiss you!" She placed the tour guide down. "Where is it?"
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The second in command jolted back in surprise when Jemma jabbed a finger right in his face. "Damn you to the very depths of Hell!" She snapped before looking at Lazzaro. "We're in the wrong place. No thanks to your dumb-shit second in command." Lazzaro cursed while the second in command glared at Jemma. Kai opened the passenger door to the Blitzkreig van and explained the situation.
"So where is it?" Lazzaro inquried.
"Santi's earthly tomb is in The Chigi Chapel. We have to go. Now!" Jemma called over her shoulder as she climbed into the van. She slammed the passenger door shut before noting the driver. "Wasn't Bryan driving?" Spencer smiled slightly.
"My turn now." Jemma only nodded her head before pointing at the cars in front. Spencer knew what she ment and followed after the Tornatore guards.
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The group came to a stop on the south side of the Piazza del Popolo. Lazzaro noted that they had only a few minutes before eight o'clock. He climbed out of his car, following closely behind Jemma and Kai. He glanced over to his second in command. "Wait here!" he hissed and Lazzaro was then gone.
The Chigi Chapel was under constrution causing Kai to worry slightly. Jemma smiled when she caught sight of a obelisk in the dead center of the square. Reaching the door, Lazzaro cursed. He had never seen the type of door handle before and it confused him to no end. "We'll go round the back!" He ran off to the right with two guards flanking him.
"Wait!" Jemma was too late. Shaking her head, Jemma turned back to the door handle. Kai watched as she turned it right then pulled it out towards her. The door opened with a loud squeak. It took both Kai and Jemma to push the heavy door open.
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The air smelt musty. It was the type that stuck in the back of your throat and made you gag. Dust sheets blocked off both Kai and Jemma's vision. Jemma tapped her fingers against the straps of her back while she bit her lip hard. The silence was getting to her. Kai already had his glock in his hands.
Movement from the right caused Kai to swing and aim his gun at the dust sheets. He glanced at Jemma and motioned with his head. Jemma nodded her head and moved to stand behind Kai. The russian pushed the dust sheet back and came face to face with Lazzaro's gun. The pair let out a breath and lowered their guns. "Anything?" He asked. The other two guard with him appeared from behind Jemma. The british girl shook her head.
Somewhere outside, the group heard the chime of a clock. It was now eight o'clock.
Jemma moved past Kai, searching for the tomb they need. After a while Jemma waved at them to follow her. "I think I've found it." she whispered. The group stepped inside a recesse. Lazzaro looked round.
"I don't see any---" he paused and sniffed the air. "But I damn well smell something. Holy father! It's smells vile!" Lazzaro swore. The other two guards began to choke. Kai sniffed the air and almost turned green. Jemma seemed un-affected as she scanned the floor. She paused when she caught sight of something. She bent down, fingering a mosaic.
"It's here." She whispered before looking at the group. "This is it! This is the demon's hole!" Jemma tried to get her finger nails under the circle, cursing and drawing back when she felt her nails bend backwards. "Damn it all!"
"Wait here." One of the two guards took off back to a worker's tool box. He returned with crowbar and slammed the end under the circle. With the help of the second guard, the pair managed to lift the cover off. Kai and Lazzaro grabbed the side and rolled the man-cover to one side. The smell underneath hit the group in waves. "I'm going to be sick!" The guard coughed. Jemma was all ready leaning down into the hole.
"I can't see anything." Jemma looked up at Lazzaro who covered his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. "You got a torch?" Lazzaro fiddled with something before handing Jemma a small black torch. Jemma nodded her thanks, switched it on and placed the end between her teeth. Kai watched as Jemma began to climb down into the hole.
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As Jemma desended down into the hole, the smell washed over her like a tidal wave. She had learnt long ago to breath through her mouth, lest she wanted to gag anymore on the smell. Jemma stopped and hung onto the ladder with one hand. Taking the torch in the other hand, she swung the light beam round. "Okay. Here we go." Jemma whispered. She turned back to the ladder, the torch beam lightening up something in the wall.
"Jesus, Mary mother of mutant blue cheese!"
Kai lent down into the hole, watching Jemma hang onto the ladder and shaking like a leaf. "Jemma? Are you okay?" Kai called out. Jemma looked up, the torch lightening up her face like a halloween pumpkin.
"Oh I'm fucking peachy my friend! There are skulls in the wall! Skulls!" She screamed. Kai couldn't think of anything to say to his friend to calm her nerves but it was clear he didn't have too. Taking a few deep breaths, Jemma continued on her way down the ladder. She jumped onto the floor once she reached the bottom. Turning round, the british girl caught sight of a person. Creeping closer, Jemma stared in shock at the figure.
It was one of the Cardinals. He was naked, buried in the dirt up to his waist. His hands were bound behind his back. Stepping ever closer, Jemma swallowed a lump in her throat. It was not Santino Tornatore but that was not the reason as to why Jemma felt the urge to cry. The Cardinal's eyes had rolled back. His skin was deathly pale. Jemma could clearly see that dirt had been shoved into the Cardinal's mouth and nose blocking off his air way. Looking at his chest, Jemma reeled back and gasped.
"Lord have mercy on this poor soul." She whispered. Her eyes were trained on the Cardinal's chest as Kai and Lazzaro joined her side. Both males looked as though they wanted to gag.
Branded on the Cardinal's chest was an ambigram of the word Earth.