Full disclaimer with the prologue. In short, not mine, not making money, don't sue.

Please R&R! Let me know how I'm doing!

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- PART I -

Vatican City, Rome, 1889

The sun was barely up when Gabriel Van Helsing was summoned from his room. "So much for a vacation," he remarked to the cleric sent to fetch him. He had returned from a particularly arduous and brutal assignment four days ago and Cardinal Jinette himself had promised Van Helsing would have ample time to recover.

It seemed that four days was ample time to the Knights of the Holy Order.

When Van Helsing questioned the cleric, the younger man merely said, "I do not know, sir." He escorted Van Helsing to the door to the Cardinal's inner office, but did not leave immediately.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Van Helsing," Cardinal Jinette acknowledged, motioning for the cleric to close the door before continuing. Without further pleasantries or apologies, he said, "We're sending you to the United States."

"America?"

"Yes, you will leave today." Jinette nodded to the cleric, who dimmed the lights and switched on a slide projector. The image of an elderly, spectacled priest, dressed in black robes, filled the screen.

"Father Carlos Maretti. He devoted his life to the service of God as a translator of sacred texts. Last year, in San Francisco, he was murdered. Two of our operatives were sent to find the man responsible, but they have failed."

Jinette nodded and the slide changed. Father Maretti's image was replaced by that of two men, one a young priest, the other an older monk. "Father Andrew Gioccone and Brother Edward DiMarco. For six months we heard nothing and then, three days ago, we received word that Father Gioccone was dead. We do not know what fate befell Brother Edward, but we assume the worst."

Van Helsing nodded, resisting the urge to comment. When didn't the Order assume the worst? Of course, that wasn't being fair. They were at war, after all.

"The telegram was sent by a physician in Santa Helena, California. You will go and continue with the investigation. We believe the man responsible for Father Maretti's death is also responsible for the deaths of Father Gioccone and Brother DiMarco. You will find this man and bring him back. Alive."

Van Helsing was more than a little confused.

"Your Eminence, the Order usually sends me after werewolves, gargoyles, and vampires - "

Jinette cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Gabriel, there are more manners of evil than werewolves and vampires. This man has taken the lives of three men, including two of our agents sent to apprehend him. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you bring him to us unharmed. You will not fail us."

Van Helsing arched an eyebrow. From the Cardinal's more-brusque-than-usual manner, he had the sneaking suspicion that some important detail was being left out.

"Come, Van Helsing," Cardinal Jinette said, his tone more gentle. "As you yourself are fond of saying, you're 'the most wanted man in all of Europe.' You don't want that to include North America, too, do you?"

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"Ah, Van Helsing, there you are," Carl greeted him cheerfully. "Stir this."

Before Van Helsing could respond, the friar had grabbed his hand and brought it to a glass rod in a beaker filled with a benign-looking clear liquid simmering over the open flame of a Bunsen burner.

"I heard you're off to America," Carl continued, stuffing assorted weaponry into a leather bag. "From what I've read, it sounds positively fascinating. Do send me a postcard. And keep stirring, please."

Though it appeared to be plain water, one could never really tell when it came to Carl and his chemicals. "What is this that I'm stirring, anyway?" Van Helsing asked.

"Just something I've been working on. Improvements on a compound created by a German chemist -- keep stirring! Really, you must constantly for stir it or else it won't turn out properly."

"Did you fix the firing mechanism on the crossbow yet?" Van Helsing asked. On his previous assignment, the weapon had jammed and refused to fire, putting him in a very tight spot.

"There was nothing wrong with the firing mechanism," Carl replied, suspending in his efforts to pack to pointedly give Van Helsing an indignant look. "All it needed was a good cleaning." He sighed dramatically. "I wish you would take better care of -- keep stirring, please -- these weapons. If you don't appreciate them, I'm sure I can find another operative who will respect my talent -- "

"Brother Carl! Come here!"

The friar jumped, dropping the bag he had been filling. The contents went rolling out onto the stone floor.

Lost in his own world, Card had not seen Cardinal Jinette approach with Van Helsing. He stood in front of the table, looking displeased at what he had just heard in the previous conversation.

Carl shuffled over to Jinette like a puppy about to be scolded.

"You will accompany Van Helsing to the United States," the Cardinal said sternly, then lowered his voice so that only the friar could hear. Then, lowing his voice, he spoke quickly and in French. "His mission is to apprehend the man who murdered Father Maretti and return him to us. Your mission is to keep Van Helsing alive. There is evil at work in California, Brother, and we do not know the full extent of it. You will need to stay vigilant."

Jinette touched Carl on the shoulder, two brothers in the service of the Lord. "Perhaps in America, you will gain a better understanding of the virtue humility," he said gently and with the faintest of smiles.

After Jinette had departed, Carl spun around. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

"I said nothing about you," Van Helsing said, trying to sway his friend's suspicions, but he couldn't contain his laughter. "His mind was made up before I was summoned this morning. How did you hear I was going to America? Cardinal Jinette only told me an hour ago."

"So I didn't hear it directly," Carl admitted after a moment. "I only assumed the Order would send you when their other agents failed to recover the Orbis Incendia." Muttering to himself, he added, "Of course, I didn't think they'd send me again..."

"The what?"

Carl swallowed. "I, er...It's really just gossip," he said, back-peddling quickly. Then he thought better of lying to Van Helsing and said, "I wonder why they didn't....well, I was sure they would have told you."

"Told me what?" Van Helsing was now certain the Cardinal had left out a few key details during the morning briefing. It would be easier to get the information from Carl than from Jinette. "Told me what?" he repeated.

"About what Father Maretti was working when he was - " Carl abruptly cut off. "Oh, Dammit! Van Helsing, you stopped stirring!"

- END I -