Aekhem

XV

ROME, ITALY

After three hours of games with her employees Isabella was satisfied for the moment. Her phone vibrated twice. An encrypted message. 'Confirmed'. She sighted. As simple as that. The legend ended with a text message from one phone to another. The message said 'Confirmed'. And then she remembered something, and walked out of the room, went down the stairs and got to the Monitors Room in less than five seconds.

"It can't be!. It can't be" she kept thinking. She knew she had missed something.

Donatto and Gina were just sitting down when she walked in still wearing a robe. She stood behind Donatto.

"Show me the recording of the couple you mentioned earlier" Donatto complied immediately "go back two hours, before they went through security" then she yelled:

"Gina, do the same" Gina found the recording of the couple she was looking at earlier and went all the way back before they went through security. Isabella ordered again:

"Gina transfer that video to monitor five" the fifty inch screen showed the couple arguing, yelling at each other at ticketing.

"Donatto, pause your video, Gina, give me audio" Gina sent audio to the speakers, the sound of a hundred different voices could be heard. It was impossible to listen to what the couple was saying to each other.

"Clean up the audio, I want to listen to what those two are saying to each other "Signora, it will take me just a few minutes" Isabella fired a look to her and spoke out loud: "EVERYBODY OUT, ALL OF YOU OUT! RIGHT NOW! EXCEPT YOU TWO!" Gina and Donatto were standing up ready to leave the room and froze. When the personnel left almost running Isabella moved quickly in front of Gina and said calmly:

"What did you just say?"

"I said, I need five minutes Signora, please" Isabella grabbed her neck with her right hand and started to squeeze it, fast and strongly. Gina closed her eyes that started to pop out when her neck broke. Isabella threw the body against the wall smashing a few monitors that fell on top of Gina's dead body.

Donatto yelled from the other side of the room:

"Signora Isabella, I got it, I got the audio" He turned to look at both women, he didn't hear all the noise, he had earphones listening to the audio. Too late. Gina was dead. Isabella appeared behind him.

Audio came out of the speakers now. The couple was arguing about the man's mother. She took a cup from the console and smashed against the monitor. Donatto turned the audio off.

At the other side of the room, a monitor with little audio that had CNN news on it was saying something:

"... Aeromexico flight AM ... went down ... tragic news ...

Mexico Government ... investigation ..."

Isabella took Donatto's console joystick and zoomed to the scene in front of him. The man was giving the smiling security officer a piece of blank paper and then let them through. She pushed the rewind button and saw the scene again, and again. Blank paper as ID. A fucking piece of paper as ID. She took a pen laying next to a notebook. She put her left hand on Donatto's head and played with his long hair. She thought:

"I'm going to miss you both" Donatto saw how the tip of the pen was coming fast and straight to his right eye which went all the way to his brain. Isabella let go of his head while blood covered the keyboard and the monitor in front of him.

The news kept on:

"We regret this terrible accident. Our condolences to all mexicans and foreigners families. We assure the general public that we will not stop until we find out what happen and no matter the time or the expense ...." evidently nervous Mexican President was speaking in a improvised press conference.

She took Donatto's bloody phone and dialed a number.

At the other end some secretary answered:

"Vatican. Monsignor Fabelli's office" very efficient, she thought.

"This is Signora DiBeducci" she said dryly.

"Yes Signora, I will put him on the phone immediately "she listened to a few clicks, then an extension ringing. They were forwarding the call to his cell phone.

"Isabella! What does one of our most loyal protectors need from this humble servant ...?" Fabelli was in a good mood.

"Stop the ass kissing and being stupid you asshole" she yelled "we need to meet. We must leave to Japan immediately. Let all the descendants know we have finally reach the final destination. The new era will begin soon"

"Yes Signora" said Monsignor Fabelli. She left the phone fall on top of Donatto's head.

When she got out of the Monitoring Room, blood was covering her. She adjusted her robe and said:

"Call the cleaning team before going back to work, have them clean up that mess" and walked calmly away.

They knew they were not allowed to ask. Just listen and obey.

Never question anything.

Isabella knew if she stopped now she would suffer the consequences. They no longer had time to search for the main gate at Tusuer's prison, they had to find it.