"So have you thought about what you're gonna say to Grace?" The Man In The Suit asked the man known to his friends as Harold Finch.
Finch sighed, looking out the window of the Gulfstream jet Euphrati was piloting. "I'm not sure what I can say. I let her believe I was dead for five years. How do you even begin to apologize for something like that?"
"A dozen roses might be a good start. And it is Italy. I'm sure you can find something."
"I just hope we get there in time. Samaritan has who knows how much of a head start on us. If she's come to harm…"
Reese thought about how much Harold loved Grace that her safety was the only thing that would make him compromise his morals. He understood; he would have done anything to keep Jessica or Joss safe.
The flight had been spent in silence for the most part. John catnapped though most of the ten hours to Naples while Harold stared out the window. He had kept track of Grace from afar, much as he had when she'd been living in New York. He knew she had settled into her new job at the National Museum of Capodimonte, learning Italian in a few months, decorating her apartment as she started to view it as home.
He would be lucky if she would even speak to him let alone come back to the States with him to basically hide out. Given how Samaritan had shown little hesitation about making Root and Shaw public enemies one and two, he doubted fabricating some reason for putting out a Red Notice on Grace was beyond it. Assuming it didn't simply have her killed.
There was a car waiting for them at the international terminal. The GPS lit up automatically when Euphrati started the engine, guiding the pair to a flat overlooking the Parco Virgiliano. Grace had a stunning view of the isle of Nisida. It was just after seven in the evening so Grace was likely to be home.
Finch was sure that simply showing up at her door wasn't the best way to go about this, but they didn't have the time to be more gentle.
Finch was jerked out of his trance when Euphrati pulled the car to a halt down the street from Hendricks flat. The pavement in front of Grace's building was crowded with at least half a dozen vehicles of the Guardia di Finanziaand local police each parked, lights flashing.
"Getting here before Samaritan was always a long shot," Euphrati said quietly.
"It'll be easier to get her away before they get her to the a station and this becomes a full-out prison break."
John grunted at Finch's words. "They're rolling heavy; this isn't gonna be easy without a resupply we don't have the time for." Reese drew his handgun and racked a round. "Our best bet is probably as they bring her out. Can you do something about the cars? Blow out their tires, fry the ECUs?"
"My powers are light-based, frying electronics and blowing tires is rather outside my wheelhouse. Frying retinas, however, that I can do."
Finch's lips thinned to a white line, eyes narrowing and crows feet spreading as he listened to the pair in the front seats planned their assault.
"I would ask that you employ the minimum necessary force, while some of these men are possibly on Samaritan's payroll, most likely are not and are simply performing their duties as law enforcement officers."
"Is he always this pedantic?"
"Only with newbies. Once he trusts you not to put two in the center of mass, he calms down."
"Well I'm sure it will relieve you to know that most of my abilities fall into the non-lethal categorization. Now if we're gonna do this thing, we need to do it now." Euphrati pulled a pair of tinted goggles out of her utility belt, passing them to Reese before she stepped out of the car and approached the flashing lights.
The beat cop manning the police tape was barely given the chance to utter a single syllable before John grabbed his upraised hand and smashed him in the face with the butt of his pistol.
The rest of the Grace Hendricks arrest force rounded on them almost before the first cop had hit the ground. The woman herself was frozen, hands cuffed at the small of her back, looking on in shock as Reese opened fire. Two more locals were incapacitated by the loss of their kneecaps almost immediately before Reese had to abort and seek cover.
The move was unnecessary however as Euphrati whipped her right hand out from one of her pouches with a trio of crystal marbles the size of the first joint of her thumb between her fingers. A flick of said fingers cast the marbles into the air, the marbled sparking before hairline beams of light striking them in the eyes an instant before they collapsed into boneless heaps.
Euphrati drew her fist-sized focusing sphere with her left hand and held it up above her head, chanting in that muddy, brain-clouding language she and her Pillar cohorts shared. The orb went from transparent to incandescent in an eyeblink, sucking all light from the area until her orb and the sun were the only objects visible in the Stygian darkness.
Reese unfolded himself from behind the car behind which he had taken cover and proceeded to disable rest of the Italians, the last falling as the sun reasserted its dominance.
Grace was left standing slack-jawed in the middle of the devastation when the darkness cleared. "What the hell is going on here?"
"Ms Hendricks, you remember me from New York, right?" Reese asked as he slowly approached, hands up and apart to appear as non-threatening as possible.
"The not-Detective Stills, right?"
"It's Riley now, but yes. If you'll come with us, I have someone who can explain everything to your satisfaction."
"Like hell," Grace snapped, jerking her shackled hands out of Reese's hands. "You just caused an eclipse or something and knocked out all the cops that were arresting me. I'm certainly not going on the run with you. I haven't broken any laws, no matter what the cops say; I'm just going to wait here and explain to the next cops that I had absolutely nothing to do with whatever this is supposed to be."
Grace followed that statement by planting herself on her steps, a mulish look coming over her features.
Reese was saved from having to come up with a better excuse or simply having to manhandle her when Finch stepped out from the back seat of their sedan.
"Grace," Finch said simply, voice barely loud enough to carry over the multitude of incapacitated, groaning Italians.
Grace's expression showed nothing but the most absolute shock, eyes showing whites all around as she rose off the concrete steps.
"Harold?" she asked, no louder than he had said her name. "No, you can't be here, Harold."
"Grace, I know you have a lot of questions, and rightly so, but we need to be leaving right now."
John reached down to grab her elbow to help her up, picking the cuffs as they approached the sedan. John dropped the shackles to the pavement as he opened the door for her.
"At least tell me the bombing made you lose your memories."
"As much as I wish I could say that, I didn't. Faking my death was the hardest thing I've ever done, but it was for your own good. I built something for the government, something incredibly dangerous, and they were killing anyone, everyone, who knew about it. Programmers they hired to try to hack it, engineers they hired to hide it. They killed four hundred people in the ferry bombing to keep Nathan Ingram, my best friend since college, from talking to a reporter about it."
Grace twisted in her seat, brows furrowed over glistening eyes. "You didn't even give me the choice to come with you. I would have if you'd asked."
"I couldn't ask that of you, to give up your entire life because of something I'd done."
"Isn't that what you were doing by asking me to marry you?"
"She has a point," Euphrati added from the driver's seat.
"So why are you here?" Grace asked finally. "I can only assume it's because I'm in some danger?"
Harold nodded. "My Machine is not the only AI that was built. There's another, Samaritan, and it wants to kill the Machine, John, me and our friends. It hasn't been able to find us, so it's going after the people connected to us."
"That man who kidnapped me, asked me all those questions about you last year…"
Finch nodded. "His name's John Greer and he works for Samaritan."
"So, John I've already met, but who're you?" the redhead artist asked Euphrati.
"The woman who will keep you alive should Samaritan find us again," the Pillar replied cryptically. "We need to change vehicles as soon as possible; Samaritan's muddying the waters, I can't see our path forward."
"But you do have a plan, right?" The redhead's voice rose with her question in alarm.
Finch's expression was tight, his mouth drawn in a bloodless line and a deep furrow creasing his brow. "Mr. Reese, might you have any acquaintances of... dubious morals in this country that might assist us?"
Reese threw him a surprised look before nodding. "Not in Italy, but there's a man in Lichtenstein that can get us an untraceable private jet. I got him out of a bit of trouble with the KGB back in the day. He owes his life to me and is the least he can do. If he doesn't, he knows I could give his address to any . number of south European intelligence agencies."
"That's not necessary; If we can get to the Vatican, I can get us out of the country."
Reese gave her a look askance. "You aren't gonna get the Pope to smuggle us out of the country, are you?"
"Why would she know the Pope?" Grace interjected.
"I don't, but let's just say I have friends in high, holy places."
"This is really happening," Grace muttered to herself, dropping her face into her hands.
Finch ignored the look Reese shot him through the mirror in the sun shield. "This was the exact thing I was trying to avoid when I decided to… do what I did. I didn't want you to ever come to risk."
They changed cars three times in the three hours it took them to drive the hundred-fifty-odd miles, Grace making a sour expression when they did so but knowing that they didn't have much in the way of options.
Harold counted it as a bit of a blessing that the car ride took as long as it did, as it took most of the trip to answer all of Grace's questions.
They abandoned their newest car in Italy, following Euphrati the half mile or so into Vatican City on foot.
"Is it okay for Grace to be walking around like this?" Harold asked, eyeing the pole-mounted cameras observing the crowds.
"This is the Holy See; its borders, physical and otherwise, are protected by the faith of a billion believers. There isn't anywhere in the world safer from Samaritan at this particular moment."
"So who do you know in the Church that can help us get back to America?" Grace asked as they crossed into Vatican City proper.
"Would it surprise you to learn that the Inquisition is still alive and well today?" Euphrati smirked at the looks she got from the other three. "It's name's changed a couple times and has gotten out of the witch burning business obviously, but the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith carries out the same basic function that the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition served."
"And what's that?" Grace asked, skepticism loud in her voice.
"Mainly, to keep the Faith pure and uniform. Though there's very little inquisiting going on nowadays, the CDF has a small number of members that are devoted to protecting the Faithful from the predation of the supernatural."
Euphrati took them right through the front doors of the Palace of the Holy Office, completely ignoring the signage that indicated the areas that were off-limits to the public.
"I take it you're known here?" Grace asked.
"I pop in from time to time to assist with the occasional exorcism or banishment."
Euphrati stopped at a door with a plate with the name Giancarlo Cardano and let herself in without knocking.
"I need to see the Inquisitor, Emilia," Euphrati said without preamble.
"Good day to you to, Signora," the redhead behind the desk replied dryly. "Thanks for calling ahead and making an appointment, let me tell the Prefect that his... oh wait you didn't make an appointment, I don't see you anywhere here in the book." Emilia looked up from her computer to give Euphrati a very level stare.
"I'm here on Malleus business, Emilia. Now, is he in?"
The woman called Emilia was saved from having to answer when the man himself opened the door to his office. "It's alright. I have time to see what the Abbess needs." Cardano stepped aside and gestured to his office.
"Grand Inquisitor," Euphrati greeted solemnly when the door shut behind them.
"That is not my title, Abbess, and your continued use of it is unbecoming. That being said, how can the Congregation help you today?"
Finch scrambled mentally when Euphrati sat in one of the chair and gestured for him to make their case. "We need help getting back to the United States." Finch shot Euphrati a look, unsure how much he should tell the Prefect, or how much he would have to tell to get his assistance.
"You can tell him everything," Euphrati said in reply to his unasked question.
"My… companion… has been framed by a rogue artificial intelligence in order to pressure me and my several of coworkers to stop the work we have been doing and give up a close associate of ours."
" There's a new entity in the play," Euphrati said, cutting in, "one that can gain complete control of anything that runs on electricity and is connected to a network. It wants my companions and we can't use traditional methods to arrange that, for obvious reason."
"Obviously. I'll have Emilia give you a key to the Underwalk. There's a new branch that ends at a private strip at Rome Ciampino you can use."
Euphrati gave a deep nod, touching chin to chest, before she stood. "There's also going to be a meeting soon, so keep your schedule open."
Cardano straightened in surprise, giving Euphrati a wide eyes look. "Are things at that point? There hasn't been a meeting of the Ordo Malleus in my lifetime.'
"With good reason. The thing's an artificial intelligence called Samaritan and has ideas of world domination. It's proven... resourceful in previous confrontations. Including possessing intellectus. "
Carano frowned. "Are you sure? Intellectus is quite the accusation and can be quite difficult to prove."
'It tried to counter the Seal of Solomon. Didn't quite work, but it burned a hole through a forty story building."
"I assume you would've said if it was a genus loci ," Cardano said as he leaned back, giving Euphrati a long considering look. "It's forming demesnes. That's some serious power."
Euphrati nodded. "Which is why we need to get back to the States ASAP. There's very little we can do until we can get to New York City."
Cardano nodded. "I assume Semo Sancus is still running the New York branch?"
Euphrati nodded. "For the moment, although Aurine's back so that might change."
"Thanks for the heads up; I always keep my mirror close, so if there is anything the CDF can do…"
"I'll make sure to pass it on." The Prefect rose and the pair exchanged shallow bows, Euphrati picking the ancient, battered iron skeleton key from where it was sitting out on the secretary's desk. The shaft was as long as her hand, with half a dozen teeth half as long as her finger, with a ring on the end as far round as her pointer and thumb put together.
Nobody said anything as Euphrati strode through the Palace halls as if she owned them. They descended as many levels as they had ascended below ground before they came to a narrow wood-plank door with a heavy wrought-iron lock.
The door creaked open when once Euphrati won the fight with the lock, revealing a narrow tunnel carved out of the bedrock. There was an unlit torch hanging in a bracket, but Euphrati ignored it in favor of drawing a crystal ball the size of her fist and held it out.
Light sparked at the center of the orb and when Euphrati lowered her hand the orb remained in place.
"H-how does she do that?" Grace whispered to Finch, grabbing his elbow and making them fall back behind Reese and Euphrati. "What is going on, Harold? This is all so…" Grace trailed off, looking utterly lost. "Talking about 'entities' and the Ordo Malleus and genus loci ? If I hadn't seen what she did at my home… Please, you have to make this make sense."
Finch's expression tightened with pain of his own, laying his own hand atop her. "Honestly, I really don't know where to start. Things have been getting very… strange lately and in many ways I don't know anything more than you do. I really wish I could make this less bizarre than it is, but this is what my life has become."
"To answer your initial question, it does 'that' because it is meant to illuminate and it illuminates best by hovering midair," Euphrati replied without looking over her shoulder. "As for the rest, you've seen past the curtain, seen what the world is really like and unfortunately, there is no going back from that. The world you now live in is much larger and weirder than you know. You can either learn to live with that fact or you can let it drive you insane."
"Is she being serious?" Grace asked.
"Doesn't seem to joke much," Reese commented. "But that's the least weird thing about her. I hope you don't get to see any more of them. "
"What's going to happen when we get home?"
"I have safehouses all over the city; you'll be staying in one of them until we can find somewhere safe to hide you again."
Grace sat up straight, indignation washing over her face. "You want to send me away again? Harold, you finally came back."
Finch's expression was stony, not betraying a single twitch. "We're fighting a war, Grace, one in which the other side has no rules. I can't keep you safe-"
"I don't want safe, Harold, I want you," she interrupted. "Losing you the first time was almost unbearable; I can't, won't do it again. Especially since now I know what's going on."
Finch tried to keep his facade up, but he knew he'd failed when Euphrati shot him a look back over her shoulder. "Sounds like she's made up her mind," she said dryly.
"Grace," he tried again.
"Grace nothing, Harold," she interrupted again, voice and face taking on a firmness she hadn't exhibited yet. "You aren't getting rid of me again. Now, I'm willing to do whatever I have to to be useful, so you better get used to having me around."