The Resurrection Tablet - A James Acton Thriller Book #34 Read online

  Acton handed the translation to Laura and her hand darted to her mouth as her eyes bulged. “It has to be fake,” she whispered, handing the phone to Reading, who eyed it skeptically.

  “Bollocks.”

  Acton took the phone and sent the translation to Boran. “Check your email. I just sent you the translation.”

  “How did you get…” The man’s voice trailed off as he read the email. “Oh my God! Is this…could this…I mean…” There was a long pause. “I don’t know what to say. I’m Muslim, so we believe this to be true, regardless. What do you Christians think?”

  “This Christian thinks it’s bollocks,” muttered Reading.

  Acton wasn’t a religious man, though did believe in the broad strokes of Christianity, and if what this tablet claimed was true, it changed everything. “I think we have to determine the truth. Immediately.”

  “I…I think you’re right,” murmured Boran. “Umm, do you think we could be in danger?”

  Laura nodded, no doubt thinking of the Unus Veritas Chest containing a manifest of all that had been hidden away by the Catholic Church over a millennium, hidden in the Vault of Secrets beneath the Vatican. “If word gets out that you have found something that challenges the core belief of Christianity, then yes.”

  “What should we do?”

  “Arrange security immediately. Let me know what funding you need, but get it arranged now, not tomorrow. And secure that tablet immediately. And tell your team not to share any photos of it. We can’t risk it going public.”

  “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

  Acton tensed. “What do you mean?”

  “Dozens if not hundreds of photos are already up on social media. This discovery is already big news. It just never occurred to us that the tablet would prove so…controversial.”

  Laura stared at Acton. “Then it might already be too late.”

  Acton agreed. “I’m going there. I’ve got more experience in these types of things.”

  “I’ll go too.”

  Acton shook his head. “No, somebody has to stay with Hugh.”

  “Like hell they do,” protested their friend.

  Laura gave him a look. “James will go tonight, and I’ll arrange full-time care for you then I’ll join him.”

  Reading growled. “I hate feeling like an invalid.”

  Acton sent a text message to their head of security, Cameron Leather, a former lieutenant colonel in the British Special Air Service. “I’m contacting Cam. I’ll see if he can have a team meet us in Istanbul.”

  Reading stared at him. “What? This is all happening in Istanbul? You do realize that their government isn’t exactly that friendly anymore.”

  “We’ve gone into far worse places.”

  Reading sighed heavily. “Curse that Thai bastard for doing this to me!”

  “Hey, that Thai bastard probably saved your life. If you hadn’t had that heart attack with all the right equipment on hand, you’d be dead.”

  “Bollocks!”

  Acton leaned closer to Laura’s phone. “I’m coming there as soon as I can. I’ll send you the details. Secure that tablet, arrange your own security, and try to scrub anything you can off the Internet.”

  “I’m on it,” replied Boran. “Let’s just hope it’s not too late.”

  8 |

  Great Palace of Constantinople Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire AD 1068

  Eudokia cried out in ecstasy as Romanus roared his climax, the simultaneous release the perfect ending to a momentous day. Earlier, they had been married, then to complete the ceremony, her new husband was crowned emperor. After the celebrations attended by the who’s who of Roman society and dignitaries from afar, had come the consummation of her greatest negotiation since becoming empress.

  And she had no regrets.

  Romanus was voracious. It might have been because he was drunk with the power he now had, the near omnipotence fueling his domination over her body, or he might have always been this way. Whatever the reason, she didn’t care. She was satisfied in every way. As a woman sexually, as a mother who had secured her sons’ futures, and a leader who had saved her empire.

  Yet tonight was merely formality. The real work began tomorrow. Rebuilding their army.

  Romanus rolled off her then propped his head up on a pillow, staring at her with a smile. “You were wonderful.”

  She returned the smile. “So were you.”

  “I have a question for you.”

  “Of course.”

  “Shall we make an effort to have children of our own?”

  She regarded him for a moment. Avoiding children would mean depriving herself of what had just occurred, something she absolutely wanted to enjoy again. Repeatedly. And any children they might have would be far too young to be a challenge for her own sons for at least two decades. She could see no reason not to bear this man’s children. “I am willing if you are.”

  He leaned in and kissed her, pulling her body tight against his. “Oh, I’m willing.” He pulled away slightly. “But should any be sons, they must be named co-emperor upon birth. Agreed?”

  “As mine already are, and remain.”

  “Of course, and when they are ready, I will enjoy their counsel. Until then—”

  “You shall obey mine.”

  He pushed her onto her back and mounted her. She gasped, her eyes bulging as he grabbed her by the shoulders. “Am I to be your consort, or you mine?”

  She moaned. “In the bed, I am yours, but outside of it, you are mine.”

  He continued his dominion, much to her delight, all the while staring into her eyes. “Agreed. Tomorrow, with your permission, I will begin reconstituting our armies, concentrating on the east. It will take many months, but as soon as we are ready, I will lead them myself into battle, leaving the empire to you to run while I secure its borders. Does this please you?”

  She smirked. “Your plan, or what you’re doing now.”

  He grinned. “Both.”

  She closed her eyes and sighed. “Your empress is pleased.”

  9 |

  Corpo della Gendarmeria Office Palazzo del Governatorato, Vatican City Present Day

  Inspector General Mario Giasson yawned then stretched, groaning as he did so. It was late, past his usual quitting time, but his mother-in-law was visiting, and he had made up an excuse to stay away. The woman hated him, and he wasn’t about to spend any more time with her than he had to. Thankfully, she was leaving tomorrow morning, and peace would once again be restored in the Giasson household.

  He glanced at his watch. Twelve more hours, over half of that asleep. He could manage that without tearing his hair out. He wiped his hand over his shaved scalp, wondering if subconsciously that was why he had done away with it.

  Alfredo Ianuzzi tapped on his door and Giasson waved him in. “What is it?”

  Ianuzzi, one of his senior team members, held up a large, thin envelope. “This was just delivered by messenger.”

  “What is it?”

  Ianuzzi stepped over and handed it to him. “It’s marked ‘personal and confidential.’ I figured you wouldn’t want anyone seeing it but you.”

  Giasson examined the envelope. He couldn’t recall the last time he had seen anything labeled as such addressed to him, though the Vatican certainly received its fair share, usually containing threats from crackpots hoping to directly reach the Pope or one of the senior officials. Few knew, however, that this office even existed.

  “It’s been scanned, in case you’re wondering. Nothing detected.”

  Giasson retrieved his letter opener then slid it through one end, slicing the envelope open. He held it away from him and drew a deep breath, holding it as he gently gave the envelope a shake. A single piece of paper slid out slightly, with no powder or other substance accompanying it. He relaxed slightly and tugged the rest of the page out.

  And his eyebrows shot up.

  “This can’t be good.”

  Ianuzzi lean
ed forward. “What is it?”

  Giasson held up the page for his subordinate to see. It contained the upside-down cross of St. Peter with two crossed keys, a photo underneath of what appeared to be an ancient stone tablet, then a warning.

  Do not interfere.

  Ianuzzi’s eyes narrowed. “Do not interfere? Interfere in what?”

  Giasson shook his head. “I don’t know, but this”—he tapped the cross—“means trouble. Close the door.” Ianuzzi complied as Giasson pulled out his cellphone. “This is the symbol of the Keepers of the One Truth.”

  Ianuzzi’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit!” He slapped a hand over his mouth. “I’m sorry, sir, but I thought we were done with them?”

  “We’ll never be done with them, and if they’re involved in something, we have to be very careful. They’re the kind of trouble that doesn’t worry about killing to get their way.”

  “But what is this all about?”

  Giasson took a photo of the page then texted it to the only people he could trust to give him an answer without putting anyone in the Vatican at risk. “I don’t know, but I’m about to find out.”

  10 |

  Acton/Palmer Residence St. Paul, Maryland

  “Cameron says he can have a team in Istanbul by the time James arrives.”

  Reading’s head bobbed at Laura’s update. “That’s good. I’ll feel a lot better if he’s there with him. I don’t trust the situation.”

  Laura regarded her friend. “What do you mean?”

  “Let’s face it. Turkey has been lost to the fundamentalists. If word gets out that there’s an artifact that proves Christianity is bullshit, the nutbars will be lining up to get their hands on it.”

  Laura tensed. Reading was right. It was an unfortunate truth that there were people on both sides that were determined to undermine the beliefs of the opposing side, and what was written on the tablet discovered in Romanus’ tomb was unfathomably shocking. It didn’t matter whether it was fake. People would kill to either preserve it so they could prove it true, or destroy it to hide its secrets.

  Either way, her husband was once again heading toward the danger. If anything happened, it would be interpreted as his own fault, so help might not be available.

  And she was determined to join him as soon as possible.

  Fulltime nursing had been arranged for tomorrow morning, and she would be twelve hours behind her husband. An eternity should something go wrong.

  “What’s on your mind?” asked Reading, his voice gentle.

  She sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s our responsibility to get involved in these things. I mean, there’s no real need for us to go to Istanbul. We gave Deniz the necessary advice. With security arranged and the tablet safely stored, what more is there that needs to be done? I mean, do we really need to be there for that?”

  Reading smiled at her. “I’m happy to see you’ve finally come over to my way of thinking.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Perhaps?”

  She sighed. “I realize it’s not our responsibility, but perhaps it’s our duty.”

  “Duty? How the devil do you figure that?”

  “What if it’s true?”

  Reading paused, staring at her. “You don’t believe it is, do you?”

  “I don’t know.” She shivered. “But what if it is? It changes everything.”

  “Does it?”

  Her eyes shot wide. “Doesn’t it? I mean, if what it says is actually true, then everything Christians have believed in for two millennia is wrong. The entire thing has been a hoax. Everything is…”

  “Bullshit?”

  She shrugged. “For lack of a better word, yes.”

  “So, what if it is?”

  “Huh?”

  Reading leaned slightly closer, wincing. “So, what if it is? I mean, we’re in the twenty-first century now. I think society is mature enough to survive the collapse of a religion.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t have the faith in society you do. And remember, we’re from England. In Europe, the church is something that has been gradually pushed into the background. Here, they still have ‘In God We Trust’ on their currency, and continue to argue over whether the Ten Commandments can be displayed on government property. And let’s not forget the Third World where Christianity reigns supreme. What will people who truly, deeply believe in what they’ve been taught their entire lives, do when they hear this? Will they just accept it and move on, or will they challenge it? And if they challenge it, will they attempt to silence anyone who accepts the truth? And what is the truth? Could we ever prove what the tablet says? What if the tablet itself is a hoax? Will people try to destroy the knowledge so it doesn’t risk undermining their beliefs?”

  Reading sighed, easing back in his chair, wincing once again. “You may be right, which is why it is all the more important to handle this delicately, perhaps by people who are comfortably distant from the true believers.”

  Laura eyed him. “You mean like James and I.”

  “I hate to say it, but yes. This has the possibility of turning into a religious war. If one side gets their hands on it and claims Christianity is bunk, Christians the world over could go apeshit, as Jim might say, and begin killing Muslims. And if the Christians find out first, they could go after whoever has it, and kill them so that the word never gets out. This has to be handled very carefully, or a lot of people could die.”

  Laura’s shoulders slumped. “I never thought I’d see the day where you’d be the one urging us to head toward the danger.”

  “Sometimes it is our duty to put our lives at risk for the greater good. It’s why I became a police officer, and it’s why, I believe, you two have been training so intensely for years so that you’re prepared for situations like this. What other archaeologists do you know that could handle themselves if things got violent?”

  Laura groaned. “Indiana Jones and Lara Croft.” She glanced down at the girls. “I don’t think I can fill her shoes.”

  “Shoes?”

  Laura gasped. “Hugh! You’re terrible!”

  Reading laughed then pressed against his wounds. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist.”

  “Uh-huh.” Laura’s phone demanded attention and she picked it up from the table, her eyes narrowing.

  “What is it?”

  “A message from Mario Giasson.” She brought it up and her jaw dropped. “Oh no!”

  Reading leaned over, despite the pain. “What is it?”

  She held up the phone so he could see the image showing the symbol for the Keepers of the One Truth, an organization they had run into on several occasions, and never with a good outcome. But it was the image of the tablet and the warning that had her more concerned.

  “What does it say?” asked Reading, unfamiliar with Italian.

  “Do not interfere.”

  Reading closed his eyes for a moment. “Sometimes I hate it when I’m right.”

  “What do we do?”

  “Call Jim right away and tell him to get his ass back here.”

  “But what about what we were just talking about?”

  Reading shook his head. “If those guys are involved, it’s already too late. Better to let them take the tablet and hide it away, than to interfere.”

  She dialed James’ satphone, but it went to voicemail. “James, call me as soon as you get this. It’s urgent.” She hung up. “Straight to voicemail.”

  Reading cursed. “Let’s reach out to Mario and to your friend. If we can’t reach him in the air, then we’ll have to intercept him on the ground.”

  Laura’s hands shook and she took a calming breath before dialing Giasson’s number.

  The man answered immediately. “Laura, thank you for getting back to me. I need to know—”

  “Listen, Mario, James could be in trouble. I need to know what you know.”

  “And I need to know what you know. Tell me about this tablet.”

  “I’m sending you the translation n
ow.” She brought up the message and sent the translation through. “Do you have it?”

  “Give me a moment.” She could hear Giasson typing on his keyboard then a curse erupted. “Oh my God! They’ll kill everyone!”

  11 |

  Great Palace of Constantinople Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire AD 1068

  Eudokia caressed her round stomach, smiling to herself as she wondered whether she carried a son who would one day be emperor, or a daughter who might one day rule as she now did. She would be pleased with either, however a son would be preferable to ensure the family’s hold over the empire.

  For while her new husband had been out on campaigns in the east, forces plotted against him in Constantinople and the central territories where the noble families resided. Her late husband’s family, the Doukai, were furious she had remarried, weakening the family’s claim to the throne. Constantine X had been the first in their line to rule, and they had hoped it was just the beginning of a dynasty that could rule for centuries through his sons and their sons yet to be born.

  Yet with Romanus now officially emperor, despite her sons being co-emperors, the Doukai were no longer confident in their hold on the throne, especially now that she was with child. Meeting after meeting had been held over the past months while her new husband fought for the empire, and she struggled to convince her in-laws their future was secure merely due to the fact the eldest son was barely twenty, and Romanus’ yet to be born.

  Unfortunately, her assurances fell on deaf ears, and she feared what would come should her new husband falter. For now, after an initial stumble caused by attacking too soon, he had successfully reclaimed lost territory and pushed their enemies to the east back. The empire’s citizens loved him and her as well, and as long as he remained victorious, and the spoils of war continued to arrive in caravans that paraded through the cities, he was safe. Success was their greatest protection from those who would do them harm.

  Her son, Michael, entered the room, eying her stomach before sitting, saying nothing.