[And the crowd goes wild and claps as the credits roll, woo! Yeah, not really, we've still got a ways to go. Sorry for the misconception. But lets keep going!]
We went to a diner for breakfast and to compare stories. Carter explained to me how they had ended up at my house. I made a quick call to Dean who told me that him, Mia, and Sam were alright which kind of calmed me down. Me and Rythiam also spent about an hour explaining how we knew each other but it was okay. Sadie and Zoey took to making amazing friends instantly, and me and Ryth (Do not call him that to his face that's bro-code deep) went right back to amigo-mode instantly. After breakfast, we decided to get cracking on the other people we were supposed to find. Some of them were old friends or fugitives or just castaways from the House of Life. As we sat in the diner booth, I called Dean after reading the first line of the first page.
"Yo, Jake, what's u-" Dean sighed but I cut him off.
"Why in the hell would I find Zachariah?! He's a cardinal!"
Dean laughed, "You're right. He's also a Path of Khonsu follower and inside the Vatican. He's also an old friend. You can portal right to the obelisk in St. Peter's Square. Bring me back a bible, eh? Toodles." He hung up. I shoved the phone in my pocket and swore.
"So, I don't know if I heard right," Walt said, "Did you just say a cardinal in the Vatican is a guy on our list?"
I nodded and Rythiam whistled, "Brother Zachariah. He's a castaway because he believed in God. The House of Life hates Catholics."
Carter nodded, "It goes against Egypt and the House. But only the gods are real."
Rythiam snorted and I muttered, "Sure, son."
Carter cocked his head at me, "What?"
I delved straight in, "I hate to be 'that guy' but me, Rythiam, and Zoey happen to believe. The gods might be real, true, but God can be real too."
Carter nodded, "Fair enough. So, where we headed?"
I smiled and pointed at the point on a map on Zachariah's dossier, "We're heading straight to the center. The Sistine Chapel."
[FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER!] We were back in the Franklin Institute in the Egyptian section. I had to 'calmly persuade' the guard to let us take a 'closer look' at an old sarcophagus. Our target was the obelisk right in the middle of St. Peter's Square; conveniently near our target. When we arrived, it was night again and I was experiencing serious jet-lag as we made our way to the chapel.
"So, what," Zia gestured at the temple, "Do we walk in the front door?"
"Yup," I breathed and led the way through the doors. That place is breathtaking. It's got amazing art pieces and statues. If you ever get the chance, that's the place to go. The ceiling is awesome and I spent maybe five minutes looking at it. I went up to a man in white robes and bowed to him. He nodded and gave me a questioning look.
The man's voice was ancient but kind, "Di cosa hai bisogno?"
I replied in Italian as well, which made Carter stare at me in awe, "Cerchiamo Fratello Zaccaria."
The man stared at me with a smile before calling to a guard and talking to him. The guard nodded and beckoned to us to follow him. As we walked up the Grand Staircase, Christina caught up next to me and laced her small hand in mine. The guard stopped outside a set of wooden double-doors and I thanked him before entering. The doors swung open to a very simple looking grand room with a dark wood desk. The chair spun towards us and my friends backed up. There was a man in red robes with a red pirate-like hat. By cardinal, he legit had the old cardinal mask with the black eye holes and long beaked mask. In his hand was a silver revolver that glinted like moonlight and a chain with a cross on it dangled from the barrel. He cocked the gun and said in a rough voice.
"Lo sono il signore dell'Inferno."
And with that, he pulled the gun trigger and time completely froze.
There was no bullet or gun bang but the clock stopped and the cross necklace stopped dangling. My friends' faces had frozen mid-shout but not mine. Mine kept moving and my chest kept rising and falling. Zachariah stood up at regular speed and came over and stuck his hand out to me like old friends and I gladly shook.
"Hey, Jake," Zachariah laughed, "Sorry about the theatrics. But, you know, a man has his methods."
