The Octopus at the Vatican

# 24 - kidnapped

Tuesday 19 - USA

Paul Burbon, director of the powerful NSA was sitting at his desk, in Maryland near Washington.

"Who is this?"

"Never mind, just listen. Your daughter Nelly is with us. . ."

"Nooooo!"

"Be quiet, stay in control or you will not see her alive again. If you do as we say, we will free her unharmed."

Paul automatically switched on the tracking procedure.

"How do I know you are telling the truth?"

"Call your wife. I'll call you in 15 minutes."

The caller hung up. The detection program showed nothing.

Paul called his wife.

"Did Nelly come back with the nanny?"

"In fact, no, and it's bothering me. Why are you asking? Your voice sounds odd."

"Just something that's bothering me. Could you call me when Nelly is home?"

His wife's voice rose.

"What are you not telling me, for goodness' sake? Tell me, what is up with Nelly?"

"Are you sitting down?"

"No!"

"Sit down!"

"No, I'm listening, go ahead!"

"I had a call a few minutes ago. She may have been abducted. "

He heard a dull sound. His wife should have sat down. He called his neighbor and asked her to drop in next door. She had the key. His wife had felt faint.

The phone rang. It was the kidnapper.

"Here is Nelly."

"Daddy, the man says he's not nasty, but I'd rather be with you. When will you come and get me?"

"Very soon darling, be good. I'm sending you a kiss."

"It's no longer darling", said a male voice. "These are our conditions: the US stop helping the pope. Leave him be. If you don't, you will never see your kid again. In any case, not alive. If you obey, she will be returned to you at the end of the month."

"You know who I am."

"Yes, of course."

"In my job, I have the means to find you."

"We are aware of that. We know how powerful you are. Your daughter will come back to you, fit and well as soon as it's over. We don't want you to resent us. It would not serve our interests. Do as we say, and it will end well. You can call the police if you like, we are not bothered."

He hung up. The tracing system had failed. The call had been recorded but was encrypted and he was the only one who could listen to it. The bastards were well informed. In the very heart of the NSA. Only the mafia had such power and wanted the pope out.

Paul went home. His wife and his other children needed him.

The nanny was overwhelmed. The child had suddenly disappeared while she was playing in the park. They told her to go home and didn't tell her off. The older ones hadn't yet gotten home from school. Nelly would be spending time at her aunt for some ten days or so. Her brother and sister were not to worry about her, they were children. If Nelly was returned, there would be time yet to tell them what'd happened. Otherwise, best not to think about it. Paul put the conditions to his wife. It was top secret, but he didn't care. After the older ones had gotten home, they had to look normal. When the children were in bed, they discussed the situation all night long, without finding an answer. 

*

Wednesday 20 - Rome

At the same time, in Rome, Nancy Jones' NSA team was listening in on a conversation between a Sicilian godfather and Gelli. John Paul's assassination would take place on the evening of September 28. A teaspoonful of digitalis would be added to his evening chamomile. Death would look just like a heart attack, as long as there was no autopsy. Gelli had dirt on Cardinal Villot, like he did on so many others in Italy. It was his forte. On the night of 28-29, he would tell Villot he had no personal interest in having an autopsy carried out and that a quick embalming would be perfectly suitable.

Such callousness was horrid, but Nancy could easily set aside her feelings, so as not to be overwhelmed. Like a nurse in intensive care. Otherwise, she would lose all her efficiency. Her job was to get to know of filth and follow it up. She wired a coded telex to Paul Burbon, the director of the NSA. With the time difference, he got to read it as he arrived at his office on the morning of Wednesday, September 20.