Chapter 7
Into the Storm I
**Into the Storm I**
PIAZZA SAN PIETRO
MONDAY, JUNE 1
9:21 HOURS
St Peter's Square was pretty crowded. They decided to walk at its edges to remain unseen. Father Leonardo sent one of his assistants to wait for them just a block away.
"Remind me again, why do we have to walk through here?" Scully asked Nicola as they walked side by side.
"The square is under surveillance 24/7. Let them think that I'm on my own and around the city," he explained confidently, walking an invisible trajectory in front of him.
She arched her brow, "But you're not alone. We are right here."
"Yes, but you're both in a blind spot. They can't see you on camera," he replied.
She looked right behind her at Mulder.
"What about Marco and Rosa?" Mulder asked.
"They are already at our meeting point with father Leonardo's assistant," he replied without looking behind. "Dammit," he cursed, "stand where you are. It's probably just a random check."
She looked in front of her and saw a police car stopping right ahead of them. Two police officers stepped out of the car, looked around, and started walking in their direction.
"We are in trouble," Mulder stated, alarmed.
"Don't move," Nicola warned him.
"Act casually," Scully said then. "Take out the map," she instructed Mulder while she made it look like she was talking to someone on the phone.
Nicola followed her advice, taking his phone out of his pocket.
The younger police officer pointed at them, and both officers sped their steps up toward them.
Nicola tensed, "It's not working."
"Stay still," Scully ordered, avoiding looking at Nicola.
Mulder glued his face to the map. He could hear the footsteps. So near, so loud. He closed his eyes. The two officers ran just past them, not even noticing them.
Nicola exhaled loudly, still pretending to be on the phone and taking the opportunity to look at Scully.
She felt a rush of adrenaline surging through her. She searched for Mulder's eyes, and the faintest smile passed her lips.
When they exited St Peter's Square, Nicola turned to her. "How did you know they weren't looking for us?"
"I didn't," she replied. "But I did hear a quarrel in one of the bars we passed and hoped to God they were here for that. Couldn't you tell why they came?" Scully asked Nicola.
"It doesn't work like that," Nicola shook his head.
They walked for another five minutes and turned into an empty street with a parking lot. Nicola's face lit up when he saw Marco and Rosa.
"You made it," Rosa exclaimed in relief
Nicola smiled at them, "You two have no idea."
"You should get out of Rome as soon as possible."
Nicola turned abruptly to his left. "Leonardo?"
A tall man in his fifties with clear blue eyes and a graying beard walked up to Nicola and hugged him. "My assistant turned out to be a mole. Luckily, we found out before he was able to communicate your location. It's a mess, Nicola."
"Dammit," Nicola cursed.
Leonardo nodded. "It's a first. It never happened before."
Nicola sighed, "These men ... they've infiltrated everywhere."
Leonardo turned to Mulder and Scully. "You must be Nicola's friends."
"We must be," Mulder shook his hand.
Leonardo turned to Scully and offered his hand, "I wish we could meet under other circumstances."
"We all do," Scully replied.
"Your luggage is in the car we arranged for you," Leonardo explained, "along with all the provisions and gear. Drive without stopping until you reach the Great St Bernard Pass. Ditch your car somewhere out of sight and under thick trees. I will send someone for you. Do not proceed alone, or you will not make it. If he isn't there right away, wait for him as long as needed."
Scully closed her eyes. Provisions? Gear? They were fugitives again. She looked at Mulder and Nicola. They were both intently listening to father Leonardo. "There's a storm coming," Leonardo's voice echoed in her ears. "And Mr. Mulder?" Leonardo turned his head to Mulder. "You might not be here out of your own choice, but you are here to find the truth. Don't forget that."
Mulder smiled, "I've always been fond of the Truth, father."
"Excuse me, father," Scully spoke then, earning the attention of all of them. "What do you exactly mean that a storm is coming?"
"Didn't you tell them?" Leonardo asked Nicola.
Nicola shook his head, "You said it was need to know only."
"And you somehow thought that the persons who are fleeing with you do not need to know?" Leonardo inquired, his eyes fixing Nicola in an intimidating way.
Nicola swallowed, trying to find an appropriate answer. Mulder stared at him coldly while Scully waited patiently for an explanation.
Leonardo turned to Mulder and Scully, "Let me apologize on behalf of my trusted friend. He's always had some problems trusting others. Rosa and Marco already know him well, but you don't."
Scully's calm exterior was about to implode. So, he didn't trust them.
Nicola was mortified. He looked at Mulder and then at her, apology written all over his face.
"You see," Leonardo began, "father Gino discovered more than financial frauds and scams. He managed to get his hands on a video that implicates some of the most prominent members of the cabal. It shows a horrifying experiment being performed on unsuspecting pregnant women, using unknown technology and a black liquid substance in the process."
"You knew about this?" Mulder turned to Nicola with narrow eyes.
Nicola nodded, "Yeah."
"You can imagine what they are prepared to do to ensure that video never gets out in public," Leonardo went on.
Marco stared at father Leonardo. This matter was getting more and more ridiculous in his eyes. "How can you be sure it's not a fake?"
Leonardo looked at him, "I'm not sure you want to know."
"I'm afraid that moment has come and gone," Marco replied.
Leonardo shook his head, "It's not for me to tell you. And you need to leave Rome. Now."
A police car turned up the aisle, and Leonardo urged them all to step behind a truck. "Here are the car keys and a new identity for you, Nicola. Do not try to contact me from now on. If need be, I'll find a way to contact you. Trust no one and remember—"
"—fidelis et fortis," Nicola replied in a low tone.
"Fidelis et fortis," Leonardo repeated.
"Really?" Marco remarked snidely.
They heard a movement on the other side of the truck and then froze. "Quick, lower your heads," Leonardo urged them. He took a small leather book from his pocket and lifted his hand above their heads. Mulder looked at Scully for a brief moment and then at Leonardo. "Oh God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: preserve those who travel—,"
"Buongiorno," a police officer greeted them.
Leonardo turned to him with benevolent eyes and a shy smile on his lips, "Buongiorno, signor poliziotto, come posso aiutarla?"
Scully could understand that the police officer was asking Leonardo why they moved behind the truck. Two men and a woman were wanted for the murder of a priest, the police officer explained further. Leonardo replied that he wanted some privacy to perform a quick blessing of travelers—for his brothers and sisters in faith.
The police officer asked for their documents, scrutinizing each photo. "UK citizens," the police officer noted. They all nodded and smiled at him. "Are you related?"
"We're family, yes," Nicola replied quickly and confidently. "Michael is my brother," he replied in an impeccable British accent and turned to Mulder.
"Alright, everything seems in place," the police officer smiled. "Have a safe journey."
Nicola sighed in relief when the police officer left. It seemed a miracle he didn't recognize him.
"You may want to finish that blessing, father," Mulder told Leonardo.
Rosa chuckled lightly and shrugged when Marco shot her an angry eye.
"Get into that car over there, parked second in the row, and leave the city immediately. Maybe, just maybe, this subtle disguise of yours will work," Leonardo said, his voice hopeful. "Have faith," he told Marco, "your gift isn't ominous."
Marco's cheeks reddened slightly. "I'll keep that in mind."
"I will give you my blessings, Mr. Mulder. To all of you," Leonardo looked at each one of them, lifting discreetly both his hands. Mulder suppressed any cynical comment, knowing what was at stake and out of respect for others. "May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace."
The words invoked long-forgotten memories in Scully of her mother and father, her Catholic upbringing, hopes, and fears. She felt consumed for a few moments.
Nicola thanked Leonardo again and hugged him. He walked to the car with Mulder, Rosa, and Marco, exchanging looks with Scully, who stayed with Leonardo.
Father Leonardo smiled at her. "You and Rosa are their anchor. Remember that," he said softly.
"Goodbye, father," she replied and joined the others. "Go," she said to Nicola when she closed the car door.
ON THE ROAD TO SWITZERLAND
MONDAY, JUNE 1
13:04 HOURS
She watched them both from the back seat. Nicola was driving. Mulder was holding a map. They seemed unfazed by what was happening. Nicola avoided highways and all roads with video surveillance, which led them to remote but stunning places. She turned to her left and saw Rosa napping against Marco's shoulder.
She smiled warmly at Marco, and he smiled slowly back, placing a kiss on Rosa's head. She looked out of the window at trees and hills, small villages, and green pastures. How often did she wonder what it would be like to lead an everyday life with a husband and kids of her own, maybe a dog, have more time to spend with her mother and friends? Could she live such a life?
"You could," Marco spoke softly.
She turned to him and closed her eyes, smirking. The gift. The unique gift that neither the son nor his father could entirely control, and yet it served them quite well.
"I don't know," Scully replied, eyes fixed on a distant point.
"It's a common misconception," Marco continued.
She looked at the church tower in the distance, "What is?"
"That we will somehow fail if we let go," he responded.
Rosa squirmed in his arms and mumbled something. "Shh," he reassured her.
Letting go was something she barely practiced. Being a navy captain's daughter, she was brought up believing that she had to fight for what she wanted. And fought she had, alone and alongside Mulder. It made them come closer to each other, but it was also the one thing that kept driving them apart.
"I can't look into the darkness with you anymore, Mulder. I cannot stand what it does to you or to me," her saddened eyes bore into Mulder's on that gloomy day seven years ago. She was determined to make him understand that she was done with the FBI, the tireless search for the truth, and the darkness it brought into their lives.
"Can you ... let go?" she asked Marco.
"Yes," he nodded. "I have."
She pressed her lips together, wondering if Nicola could too.
Marco smiled, "We're alike in that way."
She turned abruptly to him, and her cheeks reddened slightly. "I'll never get used to this," she whispered.
His smile broadened. "You don't need to," he whispered back.
"We got company," Mulder stated as a black SUV drove by and in front of them.
"Rosa, wake up," Marco gently shook her shoulder. "Are you sure it's them?"
"Only one way to find out," Nicola replied and veered left unexpectedly.
Rosa clutched Marco's hand and Scully's thigh, barely acknowledging what was happening. The black SUV changed lanes as well, making it impossible for Nicola to pass.
"Definitely looks like them," Mulder commented. "Turn right on that unpaved road when I tell you."
Nicola gripped the steering wheel harder and waited for Mulder's signal. The unpaved road was just a few meters away. "They are slowing down."
Scully could see they were not just slowing down but also opening the windows. "Change lane. Now!"
Nicola turned right without questioning Scully's command. It took him only a second more to realize what she saw. The men in the SUV were about to point guns at their wheels. The sudden movement incapacitated them enough for Nicola to take the unpaved road on Mulder's cue. He sped through the narrow turns, took another turn left on a rut-road, and parked behind a thick shrubbery.
Scully turned around to check if they were still being followed but saw nothing.
Rosa looked at her, scared but controlled. "How did they find us?" she asked.
"Did anyone of you leave their phone on?" Nicola asked with an austere tone.
"No," Marco and Rosa replied in one voice. Mulder shook his head while Scully checked her own. "Not mine either."
Nicola clutched the wheel subconsciously, "Then there's only one explanation."
"The car has been tracked," Mulder said.
"Yes, by Leonardo," Nicola replied.
Rosa gasped, "He's on it, too?"
Nicola shrugged.
"No," Mulder spoke softly. He turned to Scully, "I think it was a test."
"A test?" Scully asked, arching her eyebrow.
"Yeah, to see how determined we are to resist. He just discovered a mole in his organization. Nothing's sacred anymore," Mulder replied.
"Mulder's right. It was a test," Nicola confirmed quietly.
"How can you be so sure?" Rosa asked.
"Fidelis et fortis - faithful and strong," Marco said then. "It's a code, isn't it?"
"I'm afraid so," Nicola replied, looking at his son. "But I didn't know he would act on it."
Scully sighed and settled back in the seat. "I hope we passed," she said, her tone bearing a hint of sarcasm.
Marco smirked and shook his head.
"But what if it wasn't Leonardo?" Rosa asked, still perplexed.
"We wouldn't have made it this far. They had plenty of chance to shoot at us but didn't, and I think they were never meant to," Mulder replied and looked at Nicola. "You're full of mysteries, aren't you?"
Nicola chuckled, "Look who's talking."
"Maybe we should continue traveling off-road as long as possible?" Scully suggested. "This car's surely made for off-road driving."
"Since when do you know cars?" Mulder eyed her.
"It's a Volvo XC60, Mulder. I've always known cars. You just never cared to notice," she replied calmly.
"Give me the map," Nicola told Mulder. "This road," he sifted through the map, "will eventually lead us to the main road."
"Great, what are we waiting for?" Marco asked.
"We could have lunch here," Mulder suggested. "It's secluded, surveillance-free, and relaxing."
"Good thinking," Rosa agreed and pushed Marco out of the car.
Nicola chuckled and stepped outside as well.
Scully could feel Nicola's eyes on her but refused to give it importance. Mulder was getting out the bag with food when Nicola walked to her, offering her hot tea. "This place—,"
"Don't," she said, looking him in the eye.
His jaw tightened, "Don't what? Deny?"
She stared at him in disbelief. "Don't start," she replied in a sharp low tone.
"Here's the blanket," Marco said as he walked to them.
"Thank you," Scully replied, stepping away from Nicola.
"We should get going as soon as possible. Don't get too comfortable," Mulder warned them and put down the bag with food.
Scully took a sandwich out of a plastic wrap and handed it to Rosa. "I think we shouldn't even be stopping, but then again, this might just be the perfect detour no one expected from us."
"I agree," Marco said, "predictable behavior is hazardous."
"What if we camp here?" Rosa asked jokingly.
Marco chuckled, "Camping? You?"
"What exactly are you implying?" Rosa protested, undignified.
Mulder and Scully chuckled lightly at them. It felt good. So good that it made Mulder gaze at Scully.
"Where's Nicola?" Rosa asked.
Scully looked behind her, to where he was standing before, but he was gone.
"In the car," Marco replied, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"Isn't he hungry?" Rosa asked.
"Oh, yeah, he is," Marco replied and smirked, "of all the things he shouldn't be."
"Marco," Rosa said, reprimanding him.
Scully saw the expression on Mulder's face change and placed her hand on his arm to calm him down. Marco shrugged and took another bite, "It's human nature. I'm not judging him or anyone else. We're all born into the same boat of wishes and fears."
Scully recalled Nicola's words about Marco's incessant need to discuss life and everything that surrounds it. That had to be one of those fine moments.
Rosa looked at him with understanding eyes and sighed, "You don't have to be so blunt about it."
Marco looked at her with raised eyebrows, entirely oblivious of what his comment awakened. Scully cleared her throat, making Marco turn to her and Mulder.
"Sorry," he apologized honestly.
Mulder exhaled a simple 'yeah' and took a sip of water. "This is going to be real fun," he murmured and took another bite. Scully eyed him with disapproval, but he shrugged unapologetically. "We're a hungry species," he remarked snidely.
She suppressed a smile. Marco was right, but there was something about saying it aloud that bothered her deeply.
They ate in silence.
"Everything alright, dad?" Marco asked when they were all back in the car.
Nicola nodded without enthusiasm, "Yeah."
"We still have four hours until we reach the Swiss border," Rosa said. "Do you think our contact will already be there?"
"I certainly hope so," Nicola replied and started the engine.
"Won't this change of route affect the time of our arrival at the border?" Rosa asked.
There was a silence in the car for a moment.
"I don't think so," Mulder replied, finally. "I think Leonardo wants us to travel off-road. He is adjusting the time of our arrival."
"Adjusting?" Marco raised his right brow.
Rosa looked at him and calmly spoke, "He doesn't know who to trust. Whomever he is sending to help us could never be there on time, and he cannot risk exposing us for too long at the border. Am I right, Nicola?"
Marco exhaled silently. "So it wasn't just a test after all."
"Things are always manifold with Leonardo," Nicola replied. "I'm not surprised that he is working toward as many goals as possible."
"Off-road it is then," Marco murmured and looked out of the window past Scully. "At least the scenery is somehow fulfilling."
Scully winced at his words and looked at him. She could never tell what or how much he knew about her.
His eyes widened for a moment, and he looked at her with amusement. 'What?' he mouthed.
She shook her head and looked away. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the winding road and let the magnificent nature of northern Italy take her thoughts away.
TO BE CONTINUED.
"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving."
― Lao Tzu
"I have hunger for your mouth, for your voice, for your hair."
― Pablo Neruda
"Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow."
― Khalil Gibran