Title: Irretitus
Part: 14
Summary: What if Camerlengo Patrick McKenna was truly innocent and not the manipulative SOB he turned out to be?
Note: I want to thank Rap541, James Axelrad, Rashida, Becky, Trekde, and Vi for their input and for their expertise. Without them, this story would not be what it is today.
Disclaimer: Angels & Demons and its characters are creations of Dan Brown, scenes are from Ron Howard and Imagine Entertainment. All NCIS characters are creations of Don Bellsario and owned by CBS. I make no money off this endeavor.

This story all started out as a "what if Camerlengo Patrick McKenna wasn't the manipulative bastard he turned out to be?"

Chapter 14

Giulia Stellani closed her cell phone with a sigh. For the past hour she had been trying to reach Antonio. It was not at all like him to not return her calls. "Typical American," she muttered under her breath. Yet his silence was not like him, and she knew he would not leave without saying some sort of farewell, even if the case had been solved and he had to travel back to America.

The more she thought about it, the more she began to worry. It really wasn't like him to just leave. It was as if he disappeared. Giulia sifted sifted through the papers on her desk, looking for his supervisor's name and number. Once she found it she realized she needed a real reason for calling him instead of just being worried. Her instincts were telling her otherwise.

Swallowing her pride, she dialed the number hoping to get some answers.

"Gibbs."

"Agent Gibbs, this is Inspector Giulia Stellani of the Polizia. I am looking for Agent DiNozzo."

"He should be at your headquarters."

"He is not." Giulia glanced over to the door before turning her attention back to her desk, and the pictures of her children. "And I cannot reach him on the telephone. I feel something is wrong."

"Damn…Inspector do you know where the American Embassy is?" Gibbs tone turned harsh.

"Sì, signore," she answered while nodding. At that point, she realized her gut instinct was right. "I will be there shortly."

"Before you leave, I need to know if there is any new information concerning the one your people arrested."

"Sì, it is the reason why I wanted to speak with Antonio."

"Bring it." Gibbs disconnected the line not waiting for her response. Antonio did warn me, Giulia mused as she gathered what she needed. Reaching into her pocket she felt a chain. Pulling it out, she kissed the Crucifix at the end of it then stuffed it back where it came from. He was a typical Italian, but when he found out about her past he became compassionate, which endeared him to her.

"Commandant," Giulia stuck her head through her supervisor's door, then stepped into his office. "I cannot reach Agent DiNozzo. I have information the Americans are needing." She stepped deeper into the office and showed him the folder.

He grunted in acknowledgment and waved his hand in way of dismissal. Nodding, she turned and headed back out and into the corridor that led down to the garage.

The ten minute trip to the Embassy took longer than it felt. When Giulia finally reached it, she parked in the employees parking area. Technically she was on American soil, but with the reason why she was here, she knew it would fine. Security was what she expected, and in a short time she was inside the Embassy with her Polizia ID in hand. "I need to speak with Agent Gibbs," she told the first soldier she saw. "I am Inspector Stellani from the Polizia di Stato."

The man in uniform looked over her ID for a moment before reaching for a receiver nearby. After a short conversation he nodded towards her. "I will bring you to him."

"Grazie." Giulia shifted her things so she could replace her small wallet. In the middle of it, she decided that it would be better if she kept it out so the Americans would know who she was.

The building was set up more as an elegantly decorated home instead of an office, except for the surveillance cameras placed in strategic areas. "If you will follow me, Inspector," the solder moved deeper into the compound. Giulia eventually found herself in a library where several computers were set up. Two people, one older and the other younger, were looking at one of the monitors.

"Agent Gibbs, this is Inspector Stellani."

The older of the two men looked up and then back down to the computer screen. Hearing nose from behind her, Giulia turned to find her guide leaving the room.

"What do you have for me, Inspector?" Gibbs folded his arms.

"Something interesting," she answered. Giulia opened the folder and looked at the information. Her heart sank when she realized it was all in Italian, and she knew that if Antonio didn't know the language, then the others would not know either. "The suspect that was picked up confessed to the murder of the American naval officer found floating in the Tiber."

"And this?" Gibbs turned the monitor around. On the screen was an image of Antonio in some sort of confining area. Underneath it were two short words in English: Back off.

Giulia's eyes widened in shock at the image. "Dio Mio," she muttered. "No."

"Boss, I've traced the email." The younger agent hesitated before continuing, "it goes back to that computer." He pointed to another computer setup in the room.

"And his phone, what about that?"

The younger agent went over to the map of the city. "The signal disappears here." He pointed to one of the many piazzas within the city. That one just happened to be close to Polizia headquarters.

"Damn," Gibbs muttered as he whirled around and stormed out of the room.

"Where is he going?" Giulia looked around in confusion.

"I'm not sure, but I will find out."

Giulia followed the agent out of the room and down the hall to another room. The American had headphones on with a microphone attached and talking to a man on the other side.

"I want to talk to Langdon. Is he still in Washington?" He paused and nodded at the answer from the dark skinned man on the screen. "I'll wait." Gibbs tore off the headset and started pacing the room until Langdon showed up on the screen.

With headset back in place Gibbs started, "I have no time for questions. I want to know where the preferiti were held prisoner."

Langdon's mouth opened and then closed in surprise. Even though Giulia couldn't hear what he said, she could tell what he said by the way he moved his mouth. Castel Sante'Angelo.

"Good." Gibbs nodded while removing the headset and left a stunned looking man on the other side of the world. "McGee, and you, follow me," he looked at the junior agent and Giulia on the way out of the room. Reaching the library he called, "Where's Ziva?"

"Here."

Gibbs turned around and waited for her to approach. "What happened?"

"DiNozzo's been kidnapped. Get your things."

Ziva's shocked look was quickly replaced by determination as she left the room. When they finally left the Embassy, Giulia pulled out her phone and called her supervisor letting him know of the sudden change of events and where she was headed. She also requested backup.

The structure they pulled up to was imposing in its own right. Built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian for his mausoleum it had taken on new roles over the centuries and the last was that of a refuge for the Pontiff during times of war. It was now in the process of being converted over into a museum. In the parking lot were several more cars while the men and women waiting for them were a mixture of inspectors in either plain clothes or uniforms like Stellani. They all understood what was about to take place. The kidnapping of any law enforcement officer was taken just as seriously in Rome as it was in America.

Members of the Swiss Guards, though not dressed in their formal uniforms opened the structure and let the officers inside.

"Um…Boss?"

"What is it McGee," Gibbs answered in a harsh whisper.

"I don't have a vest on."

"None of us do. Be careful." Not saying another word, Gibbs pulled out his weapon and eased around the corner. There was no telling if the place was booby-trapped or not.

Not knowing the layout of the castle's interior, the men and women stayed in a cluster at first then spread out as they slowly delved into the building. Deep inside, and apparently near a wall, they found themselves face to face with several small prison cells. Tony was in the last one, unconscious.

"Look to see if there are any keys," Gibbs ordered as he neared the cell. There was no telling how long Tony had been there.

"Nothing here, Boss," McGee called out from the far end of the room.

Giulia looked up and saw something odd. What is that? It was right above where Gibbs was standing.

"Damn," Gibbs muttered as he pulled out his weapon. Aiming it, he shot the lock off.

"No." Giulia cried as she ran headlong into Gibbs and knocking him out of the way as an explosion and rocks came crashing down.

Dust rose from the center area and then finally settled.

"Boss?" McGee scrabbled over the debris towards where Giulia had pushed Gibbs. Ironically Tony was fine, he was still in the cell that had protected him. Gibbs sat up and coughed, covered in dust.

"Stellani." The older agent lurched to his feet as several Italian inspectors piled into the room.

Knowing that Tony's recovery would be fairly easy, they all began working on the pile of rocks. "Stellani," Gibbs grunted every time he moved one of the heaver boulders.

Everyone knew it was a race against time. "Chiama un'ambulanza1."

An unnamed man rushed from the room.

Several more rocks were removed and they found Giulia. Blood was everywhere. It was still coming out from her nose and ears, not a good sign. She coughed, spittle flecked with blood came out. "Per favore," she groaned.

Gibbs voice went from harsh to something completed different. "An ambulance is on the way." He looked to the others who shook their heads.

They cleared the rocks off her legs. One of the Italians reached down and picked her up. Those same legs had bends in places where they shouldn't have.

With two more carrying Tony out of the room, they all made it outside by the time the ambulance pulled up. One EMT jumped out and opened the back door to access the stretcher. Giulia was gently placed on it and strapped in then he and the EMT climbed into the back and they were gone. Tony was placed in one of the police cars.

"Go, I can get there by myself," Ziva nodded to the car that was about to leave.

Gibbs nodded then piled into the car followed by McGee.

The EMTs burst through the emergency room doors and past a priest in a wheelchair and entered into the first empty room.

Barnabas sat there with two Swiss Guards on either side, along with his doctor. He was wearing trousers and a clerical shirt, for he didn't want to disrupt the hospital too much with his arrival.

A nurse rushed out of the room where the EMTs had gone, "Where's the chaplain? We need the chaplain," then went back into the room.

Barnabas' hand slowly tightened around the arm of the wheelchair. The man in question was nowhere to be found. Even in his weakened state, he pushed himself to his feet and slowly began to limp towards the emergency room.

"Please, not now."

Barnabas looked to Alberto. "I have to. I am still a priest." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small case.

Entering the room he felt his heart sink. No…. With resolve he didn't know he had, he pushed forward again and stood beside the stretcher Giulia was on. She was wheezing, while both blood and spit were coming out of her mouth and nose.

Opening the case, he pressed his thumb into the oil laden cloth then brought it to her forehead and made the sign of the cross. "Through this holy anointing, may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit."

"Patrick." It came out not even a whisper.

Barnabas leaned in closer. Giulia grasped one of his hands, not letting him complete the ritual. "Please, take care of the children. I…." She tensed up and started choking and convulsing as her eyes rolled back into her head.

The doctors and nurses pushed him out the door and back into the corridor. He knew she was dying and there was nothing he could do about it. Closing his eyes, he leaned up against the wall. A hand squeezed his shoulder.

Barnabas turned to see who it was. It was his doctor.

"Come."

The Pontiff allowed himself to be led back to his wheelchair and then deeper into the corridors of the hospital and to the floor where he would be prepped and have his surgery.

Thirty minutes later and with wires and tubes attached everywhere Barnabas couldn't take his mind off Giulia, and her dying words. Children?

"Your Holiness?"

He turned his head towards the door and the unknown voice. "Yes?"

The man who took a step into the room was a priest. He was wearing trousers and a clerical shirt along with a matching coat. He came forward and knelt down and kissed his hand then stood up. "I want to thank you for what you did. I would never had made it in time to give that poor soul last rites."

"Are you the chaplain?"

"Yes, Father. I'm Fr. Pietro Benelli." He smiled, "The doctors didn't recognize you."

"They were too busy with…her to pay any attention to me." Barnabas gave him a sad smile. "All of life is precious in His sight."

"Yes, Your Holiness." The chaplain pulled out his own case. "And I know you will be heading into surgery shortly."

"Of course." Barnabas shifted his hands so that his palms faced upward for the anointing of the sick.

TBC...

1 Call an ambulance - Italian