The Forgotten Templars Volume II The Shield and The Lost Ship

Return

They were waiting for their transport and eagerly anticipating the opening and investigating of the contents of the sealed boxes and clay amphorae once they were in safer surroundings.

Cacciatore had been on the sat phone for some time and looked anxious as he disconnected the call and headed over. ‘That was Francesco; it looks like a change of plan when we get airborne. Di Grassi’s plane has just landed at Aqaba. Actually it was more of a controlled crash and there is a bit of a standoff at the moment.’ He glanced at Ibrahim ‘Francesco is liaising with one of your friends and if they can defuse the situation then he will ensure any artifacts on board will be taken into custody. As for us, including you four, pointing at Gabriella, Drew, Sallim and Ibrahim ‘it’s back to Al Jafr where we will refuel before heading on to Italy.’

Ibrahim interrupted ‘Why has Di Grassi gone to Aqaba? That’s not where I expected them to land.’

Cacciatore continued ‘I think Sallim is responsible for that decision. It seems the plane had quite a few new ventilation holes and landed with only two engines running.’ Looking at Sallim he spoke with a smile ‘I thought you said you were a good shot!’ before bursting into laughter. Sallim took a moment to realise then, relieved, he joined in with the laughter.

‘Our transport is due to arrive in twenty minutes and I want to be off the ground within an hour, so we better start unloading this wreck now.’ With the help of the AktionGruppe troops all the crates and pots were waiting as the Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft landed.

‘What the hell is that?’ Drew shouted.

‘It’s one of the latest transport aircraft and gives us almost twice the range of a Hercules. Nice isn’t it?’ the lieutenant answered.

Drew walked towards the aircraft studying its appearance. It was similar to a Hercules but much larger. What really caught Drew’s attention were the propellers, they were eight bladed and looked positively bizarre to him.

‘Where did this come from?’

‘Drew,’ the Lieutenant replied’ I told you we’ve got friends in high places. This was available when we needed transport, so it was borrowed from its owners; well, liberated would be more truthful.’

‘As long as it’s not stolen,’ Pieter interrupted ‘I don’t want anything to do with any illegal stuff.’ generating a few sarcastic looks.

The Lieutenant proceeded to organise the rapid loading of the crates and boxes onto the craft with Gabriella ensuring everything was securely fastened in place. When she was happy with the cargo the AktionGruppe men also loaded two roped pallets of aeroplane pieces and a smallish box linked to a parachute harness just inside the ramp.

‘Eh, what’s the junk for?’ inquired Drew.

‘Well it’s like this,’ the lieutenant started, ‘we want to keep confusion in our enemies’ ranks. They obviously know about this escapade and will realise you have almost certainly escaped. What they don’t know is how you got away, perhaps in that ruined Hercules. They saw it being damaged and some of those pieces will confirm its identity. When the bits of scrap hit the water and are identified as the Hercules, we want them to assume that you lot have crashed into the sea. It will not last for long but should give us a bit of breathing space.’

‘Not again!’ Ibrahim rolled his eyes.

‘Let me explain, the furore in Aqaba has attracted a lot of attention from the media and some other, shall we say, interested parties. When you get about one hundred kilometres from the coast, you will throw that lot out the back and dive below radar. Your route has already been cleared with Jordanian military. So anyone following the plane’s progress will, hopefully, assume it has exploded and crashed into the Red Sea.’

‘But what’s this lot?’

‘Drew have you ever seen a crash with no wreckage? With luck it will be a couple of days before anyone realises there is no aircraft.’

‘Don’t tell me. You’ve got bodies as well?’

‘They’re in the netting.’

‘Christ! You are really disgusting.’

‘No Drew, I’m a soldier, and as the corporal here is guarding you, I must make sure he has the best possible chance of surviving. I too look after my friends and colleagues.’

Ischmael looked on unperturbed until Drew looked at him for support. ‘What’s wrong?’ he shrugged his shoulders ‘We might as well put them to some use.’

Drew was aghast. Despite his own exploits, he was still an innocent abroad compared to these people some of whom he had always thought of as just fellow academics and friends from University. ‘I take it there is no point in objecting?’

The Lieutenant and Ischmael answered in unison ‘No.’

They both turned away from Drew and began helping tie down the last pallet and the netting containing ‘the wreckage’.

Loading had not taken too long and less than an hour after touchdown the plane was airborne, heading away from the gathering darkness.

This disparate group had started on a course of action with no one knowing where it would lead.

Drew was now feeling absolutely shattered and tried to catch some sleep, which wasn’t easy on the canvas webbing seats. Gabriella, he noticed, prowled around the tied down boxes and crates. To him she looked like a cross between a child in a sweet shop and a cat ready to pounce. He also noted how happy he felt just watching her.

Roberto, Gio and Al checked their weapons and looked prepared for any sign of trouble. The corporal simply sat next to him; Drew thought he was taking his vow a bit too seriously and tried to sleep again. Ibrahim, Sallim and Pieter were locked in conversation that centred on a tablet screen.

Cacciatore came down from the flight deck. ‘It is time.’ was all he said.

They were now flying at five thousand feet, which would be low enough to scatter the two nets in a relatively localized area. Roberto moved towards the tail ramp and prepared to open it as Cacciatore and Gio readied the cargo nets.

A sudden inrush of cold air shook off any cobwebs as both cargo nets were ejected on one hundred metre cables. A sharp tug on a second line opened the nets releasing their grizzly contents to fall towards the sea below. Roberto finished setting the timer on the small package and it too was ejected. When the cables were back inside and the tail ramp had been raised, the plane dived toward the sea only leveling off at two hundred feet.

Behind them a jumble of aircraft parts and bodies fell into the sea. Above a small package was slowly drifting down, supported by three parachutes. When the package reached five hundred feet it exploded. There was an almost blinding light emanated ahead of a vicious sounding explosion that was easily heard above the engine noise. As they had planned, this area was sparsely populated, but their work was seen and heard by sufficient people.

The morning news would be about an aircraft crashing into the sea and so, for the second time in his life, Drew had died in an aircraft tragedy.

They had made good time to Al Jafr for refueling and allowing provisions to be brought on board. Francesco had this well planned. Thirty minutes later they were airborne again, this time heading north, then west over Syria and Lebanon. There would be sufficient fuel to get them to their chosen destination of Pisa military airfield, part of the civilian airport. From there, the cargo would be loaded into military trucks guarded by AktionGruppe guards and Francesco’s men before being delivered to a remote Papal storage facility about twenty kilometres northeast of Pisa, not too far from San Cristoforo that would allow them to set up base in the village again.

When they finally touched down, Francesco was waiting to greet them. First Gabriella got a bear hug, and then Francesco hugged Drew before acknowledging and then thanking the rest. ‘Right you two head back to base; Roberto you go with them.

The AktionGruppe soldier Hans Einhart stood beside Drew ‘Where he goes I go. I vowed not to leave his side, and I stand by my vows.’

‘Who the hell is this?’ Francesco shouted.

Roberto explained ‘He is Corporal Hans Einhart, and replaced Arranah when he got shot. He promised not to leave Drew’s side unless he was dead. So I think we’re stuck with him boss. Drew what do you say?’

‘As long as he keeps promises.’ looking directly at Einhart. ‘Do you swear not to reveal to anyone where we are going, the same vow you gave Arranah?’

Einhart stood to attention ‘My word is my vow, not only as a soldier but also as a fellow Knight of the Temple. Nothing less than death will let me renege on this. ‘He took a deep breath and continued ‘I, Hans Einhart soldier and Sergeant at Arms in the Temple of the Poor Knights of The Temple of Solomon, do now swear that my loyalty is to Drew De Bleek and to no other for the length of my life.’ He knelt and kissed a splayed red cross necklet he had taken from under his tunic bowed his head in a short prayer then stood back to attention.

‘I think that will suffice.’ Cacciatore had, in his usual style, appeared silently beside them.

They took turns at supervising the transfer of the relics, hidden in their sealed boxes and jars. Gabriella spoke to Pieter ‘Look at the workmanship that’s gone into these objects which are basically crates. Do you think there are sealed the same way as the jar we got from De Courcy’s tomb?’

‘I would think so. I bet we could still throw that in the sea and it would stay dry inside.’ As he was speaking Pieter lent in and sniffed the crate. ‘I can still smell the resin sealant after nearly seven hundred years. Remarkable.’

Once the crates and jars had been carefully loaded into four military trucks they formed into a convoy with military escort, heading off for their next destination that would take a little over an hour.

Drew, Gabriella, Roberto and Einhart set off for San Cristoforo; quickly followed by Francesco and his bodyguard and more discreetly by several of Francesco’s men. Arriving in just over the hour, they disembarked and started heading for base camp or, as it was also known, Drew’s house. The weather had now turned autumnal and there was a chill in the air, forcing the last summer tourists to start savouring their food and drink indoors.

‘You forget how long we were actually away from here.’ Drew said. He was continually acknowledging known faces as they passed. Stopping at Merando’s, Drew ordered a coffee ‘I haven’t tasted decent coffee in months.’

‘OK, but Einhart stays with you.’ Francesco ordered, surreptitiously posting two more men in the loggia opposite.

Merando was full of welcomes for Drew, finishing with ‘Is this another bodyguard? What happened, did the last one get shot?’ He laughed as he spoke.

‘Actually Merando, yes he did.’

Oh, I’m sorry Drew. I didn’t mean.....’

Drew stopped him ‘I found out on our way here that he’s going to be just fine. This is my temporary friend Hans. Say hello.’

Now in civilian clothes, but still looking like military, he held out his hand, ‘Hans Einhart at your service.’ then almost saluted.

Merando shook hands saying ‘Drew’s friends are always welcome. Now what can I get for you?’

Einhart looked at Drew, waiting for him to decide. ‘Caffe latte for me, and Hans, what would you like?’

‘The same, thank you.’

Both men went to the rear of the bar after the coffees arrived. Hans sat facing the door, ensuring Drew was protected, said ‘My boss Commondante Schindler would have given his right arm to find this place. Were you here all the time when the meetings took place?’

‘Yes, but we took a lot of precautions then. This time we are taking a huge risk letting you in here.' Then, 'Wait a minute, you’re AktionGruppe. How is your boss Schindler?’

‘I’m sorry Drew, but I am Swiss Guard and AktionGruppe. As a Guard I have to commit to three months every year in the ‘13’ to keep… eh… tough. Is that correct?’

‘It’ll do.’

'But there is no need for you to worry. My vow to you and your friend Arranah supersedes any other loyalties, no matter how it affects me later on. Commondante Schindler and Oberstfuhrer Jonhesse will both understand. We are from the same....how would you say….em...I think ‘club’ is close enough.’

Drew was a little perplexed at the way Hans had deliberated and thought about his fathers' reticence when speaking about the Royal Arch but decided not to pursue it.

‘Drew, I need to know’ Hans began ‘is this place as safe as you think, and can you trust those here with you?’

‘God Hans, I would stake my life on these folk, and as for Francesco’s men, I trust anyone he has chosen. Anyway, watch and learn. Merando can I have a word?’

Merando approached ‘It doesn’t involve you, me and drink does it?’

‘No, please answer a simple question. Am I here?’

‘No, I've not seen Andra since he moved to the States three years ago.’

‘What about Drew De Bleek?’

‘Who? Nope, name doesn’t ring any bells. What does he looks like? Describe him and I’ll keep my eyes open for him. Is there somewhere I can contact you if this De Bleek turns up?’

Drew smiled and thanked Merando. ‘Ask anyone around here. I don’t exist. Down in Florence I took an extended sabbatical because of personal health problems and nobody there knows me either.’

‘You’ve got good friends here. I might not be needed.’

‘Ah, I don’t think that’s true, there still seems to be a lot of bad guys wanting me dead, and I can’t stay hiding here forever.’

They finished their coffees and headed for the house. Drew asked Hans a bit about himself.

‘I am Swiss and a Templar, as were my forebears, and our service to the Papacy stretches almost as far back as the Swiss Guard does. I am married and have two children, a son and daughter. I hope my son will carry the family name within the Temple and Guard into the future.’

‘I didn’t think true Templars married?’

‘Rules change when the future of the Order is at stake. Drew, there are many more Knights than you think, both our Order and others such as The Knights of Malta, The Knights Hospitilar, The Knights of Christ and The Teutonic Knights. Old King Philippe made a really bad job of destroying the Order.’

‘So I’ve been finding out.’ Drew came back ‘Templars and other Orders seem to appear everywhere I turn, and they all tell me they want to help. My guess is that they want to take back what they think is theirs.’

Hans was about to speak but they had arrived at the house, and Francesco’s men could overhear, so he held his silence.

Once inside the house the first thing Drew wanted to do was to check the latest decoding of the manuscript found with De Courcy. Francesco’s men had been working with Pieter’s translation program, continually increasing the accuracy of the results, some of which were spectacular.

‘I hear you’ve got some news for me?’ he asked.

‘You bet!’ answered the young man, Fabio Montenegro, who Drew had only met just prior to their adventures abroad. ‘We had been trying to improve the decoding and translations of the manuscript when I noticed some discrepancies as we followed the trail of the text. Drew, there are, up until now, three more coded texts hidden inside this document.’

‘What?’ interrupted Drew.

‘We’ve found three more messages, all from De Courcy, and all addressed to the ‘seekers’. I’ll give you the gist of them quickly and then you can study the texts yourself.’

Gabriella had now arrived downstairs in the cantina.

Fabio spoke ‘Here is the first text we found.

TO THOSE WHO SEEK THE TRUTH, YOU HAVE BEGUN A QUEST OF WHICH THERE MAY BE NO END. IN MY TIME HERE NO WORD OF SALVATORE HAS REACHED US HERE OR IN OUR HOMELAND. THIS CAUSES GREAT GRIEF TO US. WE IMPLORE YOU TO BEGIN THE SEARCH

EVEN IF NOTHING IS FOUND OF SALVATORE IT MUST BE ATTEMPTED.

The second is more interesting.

OUR ORDER OF THE BLACK TEMPLE HAVE MADE COPY OF A GREAT NUMBER OF THE TEXTS AND THOSE ARE HIDDEN WHERE WE GAVE YOU DIRECTIONS TO.

THEY DESCRIBE WHAT OUR BROTHERS FOUND SO MANY YEARS AGO AND WHY THE POPE INDULGED PHILLIPE IN HIS ATTEMPT TO DESTROY US ALL. READ THE WORKS OF THE JOHN WITH NOTE FOR THERE IS THE GREATEST LIE OF ALL TIME, THE LIE OF THE CHRIST.

‘This is getting interesting.’ Drew interrupted again.

‘Shut up!’ Gabriella shouted. ‘Let him carry on!’

‘If I may?’ Fabio continued. ‘The last one we have is this.’

WORD HAS COME TO US FROM OUR MUSLIM FRIENDS. REPORTS HAVE BEEN MADE OF A SMALL SHIP OF STRANGE DESIGN CAPTURED BY PIRATES. IT WAS FULL OF WESTERN HEATHENS WHO WERE QUICKLY DISPACHED BY THE SWORD.

THERE WAS NOTHING OF ANY VALUE ON THE VESSEL.

THIS NEWS WAS BROUGHT TO US BY SAILORS WHO HAIL FROM THE GREAT LAND TO THE EAST WHERE OUR MEN TRADE WITH THESE HEATHENS FOR SILK AND SPICES.

IT IS POSSIBLE THIS COULD BE FROM OUR CONVOY AND I HAVE ASKED IF MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND OF WHERE THIS TOOK PLACE.

‘God, that makes it somewhere east of Africa. Could it really be?’ Drew thought out loud.

Fabio answered ‘Drew, De Courcy already was in the east and perhaps one of the other ships tried to follow him?’

‘Hmm, do you think they might have been trying to contact him with information on the lost treasure ship?’

Fabio’s colleague called out ‘I think this could be another one; I’ve sent it to the printer.’

Fabio collected it and started to read it out.

‘THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAN RUMOUR OF THIS WESTERN SHIP IT MAY BE NOTHING AT ALL.

THIS SADDENS ME GREATLY BUT NOW WE MUST PRESUME THAT THE SACRED SHRINE TO THE LORDSHEADS IS LOST FOREVER IN THE GREAT SEAS. ALL WE HAVE ARE THE COPIES AND RELICS FROM BORDHOLM BUT THEY CANNOT BE PROOF OF THE LIE OF THE CHURCH OF ROME.

THEY WILL PRAISE THEIR GOD.

THEY HAVE WON BUT I WILL STILL PRAY FOR MY FELLOW BROTHERS WHO WILL HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF OUR GREATEST LOSS.

MAY GOD AND THE MAGDALENE PRESERVE US.’

‘What is all that about ‘LordsHeads’ and ‘the church’s God’ and just what did the Templars find in Jerusalem?’ Drew thought out loud.

Gabriella said ‘I hope the answer is in some of those crates and jars we brought from Africa, but I’d love to know what would have them saying ‘The church praising their God’, as opposed to just saying praising God? We’re going to have to get busy opening those boxes and hope we find some answers. We must start first thing tomorrow morning.’

Drew noticed Francesco had come into the cantina. ‘No Gabriella, we’ve enough people working at the storage facility. If they find anything significant they will let us know immediately. Meantime you will rest here for a few days, and then you can join them. And that goes for you as well.’ he pointed at Drew and gave him a look that meant he wasn’t prepared to negotiate.

Down at the storage facility Ibrahim was supervising the careful opening of the first of the jars. He was expecting the contents to include codices or vellum documents and had decided that everything should be logged in detail and individually photographed.

Francesco had assembled a team of twenty people, all experienced in dealing with historical documents, and he insisted all would be completely trustworthy. Pieter was taking care of the required photography as each document was unraveled.

Ishmael felt his policing skills would be best utilised by becoming part of the security detail. This consisted of at least ten of Francesco’s men at all times plus another fifteen of Schindler’s AktionGruppe soldiers. There was a little distrust between both groups; however, Ishmael became the catalyst that allowed them to function together.

Di Grassi

Things happened very quickly for the occupants of the C-130 as it flew towards the southern coast between Jordan and Egypt. The attack on them by the unknown assailants had caused more damage than they realised. Now they had a difficult decision, ditch, or try an emergency landing at Aqaba. As a group they chose the latter.

Their aircraft had given false flight plans and had reported to Aqaba a medical emergency, not knowing that the Jordanians were already fully aware of their identity. Francesco had seen to that.

As they were on final approach the pilots spotted an unusually large amount of military vehicles awaiting their touchdown. He informed the surviving mercenaries, giving them notice of the choice, either to fight and die or surrender.'

He concluded ‘That’s the choice we’ve got. I couldn’t get this wreck out of here if I tried. Now, brace, brace, brace!’

Touchdown was hard and fast as the pilot struggled with the controls and the brakes trying to keep the C-130 on the runway. Fortunately he succeeded despite losing at least four tyres to blowout.

As their aircraft slewed to a halt it was rapidly surrounded by the military units. A loudhailer sparked up ‘You inside, open the tailgate only. Nominate one person from your group who will throw your weapons onto the tarmac. Then you will walk out, one person at a time, hands raised and held behind your heads. Failure to obey will result in us opening fire on your aircraft. You have thirty seconds to comply.’

Di Grassi, now the highest ranking officer left, was in nominal control of these mercenaries. Their leader looked at him ‘Well? It’s your call.’

‘I don’t think we have any choice, unless you all want to die here?’

In reality the pilot had already made the decision as he and his crew walked towards the rear of the craft. ‘You guys can do what you want but we’re giving ourselves up. Our job was just transport.’ Then in a loud shout. ‘This is the aircrew, we are coming out now, and we have no weapons.’

After the tailgate had been lowered one of the soldiers ordered the pilots ‘Walk towards the armoured personnel carrier fifty metres behind the tail of your aircraft, then lie face down on the tarmac with your hands on your heads.’

The mercenaries watched from the relative? safety of the aircraft as the pilots followed the instructions.

‘You inside, either come out now or we open fire.’

Di Grassi shouted back ‘Don’t fire! We are coming out. The first man has our main weapons and the second man is carrying our side arms.’

Colonel Abrahim then watched as the mercenary struggled to carry the weapons and was instructed to drop them some ten metres to the left of the tailgate. The second man followed suit. Both then moved towards the personnel carrier and lay face down; then one by one all the occupants did the same. Finally Di Grassi exited and the troops moved in to restrain them all.

‘This has been a good night’s work. ‘The colonel said to a civilian beside him.

‘Yes, but remember I was never here.’

‘Send my thanks to Signor Fruilli from where ever you were tonight then.’

‘Can we take Di Grassi now? I know some people desperate to have a word with him.’

‘Once they are all in our transit cells we will remove Di Grassi and deliver him to your aircraft. After that he is no longer my responsibility.’ Colonel Abrahim saluted and left.

The mercenaries were walked to holding cells and placed in twos or threes inside. A loud shout came from one of the captors ‘Who’s in charge here?’

Di Grassi, despite not being part of their team, was the highest ranking person left, answered ‘I am.’

‘Come with me now.’

He followed the bull like figure, expecting to head for interrogation, but was surprised to be taken back outside and led to a private jet displaying Papal colours.

At the aircraft steps his escort moved aside and Di Grassi was ordered inside. Di Grassi looked at the officer with some trepidation.

‘Get inside! We want nothing to do with you! Get off Jordanian soil now!’

He climbed the steps, ducking in the door. A dark swarthy man dressed in a smart suit told him where to sit and buckled him in. The door had been closed behind him and the jet immediately started to taxi towards the main runway.

Once in the air, Di Grassi was feeling relaxed at being out of Jordan, but trepidation started to seep in as he wondered where he was being taken to.

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice he knew well.

‘Di Grassi, once I have finished with you, our Brothers want to see you. Now is the time to be truthful, if you ever want to see your family again?’

‘Schindler....’ was all he managed.

‘Yes, who exactly were you expecting?’

‘I don’t know Sir, I’m sorry.’

‘You are fucking sorry? I’ve a mind to throw you out right here. You’ve cost me men and my reputation. You had better start talking now. How much are they paying you? Where is the money? Who are your contacts? Tell me now and we may be lenient with you, because you know you will tell me eventually.’

Di Grassi sat silent for a few minutes, ‘Sir, it doesn’t matter now. They will all be dead anyway, so do with me as you wish.’

‘Who will be dead Di Grassi?’

‘My family Sir. They were taken hostage and used to force me to help.’

‘Why did you not tell me?’

‘They have eyes and ears in the Vatican. I didn’t know who I could trust, even you Sir.’

‘You idiot! You could always trust me. I’m a fellow Brother. Now tell me everything.’

For the next twenty minutes Di Grassi told Schindler everything, how the family had been celebrating his tenth wedding anniversary with both sets of parents and his two daughters. A group of masked men arrived, forced them into a couple of vans