EVENT GROUP CENTER NELLIS AFB, NEVADA

The twenty-eight department heads had been notified that an Event had been called, and so the Group went into action. At Department 5656, when an official Event is called, it means that something bordering on an important history-altering situation has occurred, one that could affect the lives of people in the present, an event that may have to be passed on to the president, or something that was beyond mere investigation by a group field team.

Pete Golding, in Computer Sciences, was in charge of doing the investigative work in several areas, including the timeline of the Events. Both the Padilla episode and the incursion in 1942 now fell into that category. He had the assistance of Assistant Director Virginia Pollock. The computer section would be running three shifts in an effort to uncover all the facts they could on the legend of the Padilla expedition, and most important, on the cryptic lead Helen had given in her letter regarding the papal medalists and the lost map. Niles had decided to take a silent part in Pete’s investigation, working on his own.

Communications would also be diverted to the computer center because they would be using the Group’s KH-11 satellite, code-named Boris and Natasha, to sweep the Amazon Basin from Brazil to the Peruvian Andes. They immediately started with the elimination of anything west of the mountains, for obvious reasons. The technicians, the best recruited specialists from the most advanced corporations in the United States, would be taking high-resolution images of the rain forest and jungles in the basin, and maybe with a little luck they would uncover something that would shorten the search for the tributary that led to the lost valley as described in the legend. But for now, the only descriptions were fictionalized accounts by very obscure and long-dead Italian authors who had claimed to have seen the journal or map—scenarios very unlikely, as the accounts varied wildly in their reporting and descriptions.

The three departments covering religion would be hard at work trying to uncover all they could from the Vatican Archives. The Cray computer system, Europa, would be set loose on the Vatican’s formidable cataloging and supposedly secure IBM Red Ice system. The Europa was a system that Cray had built for only four federal agencies, the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and covertly, as a favor to former director of Event Group Garrison Lee, Department 5656. The Cray was able to break in, or go through, the backdoor security of any system in the world, including the supposedly impenetrable Red Ice mainframe. Pete Golding called what Europa did “sweet talking.” The three religion-based departments would try to sweet talk their way into the Vatican system and find out all they could on the diary, the map, and the reputed gold samples that had always been a rumored part of the story. It was a task that would be more than just a little daunting, being as the Holy Roman Church was the most experienced body in the world for burying secrets.

Heidi Rodriguez and her Zoology Department was joined by the Paleolithic Studies, Archaeology, and Oceanography divisions, to find out all they could on the species of animals that may have existed in the past that were no longer viable, or extinct. Heidi had already committed heresy in her three departments by requesting the assistance of a department no one spoke about in the sciences divisions. The strange group was located on the deepest level of the department, level thirty-one. Some said they were buried so deep by Director Compton just so they couldn’t contaminate the labs of the real sciences. But Niles knew, more than anyone, the importance of this department and insisted it had value.

Niles had started the Cryptozoology Department three years ago as a fallback contingent to the extinct animal sciences group and nobody, absolutely nobody other than the director and Heidi, took them seriously. Their desire to find out about the Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot, and werewolves, among other laughable studies, was a running joke in the science levels above them. The department was chaired by a crazy old zoology professor named Charles Hindershot Ellenshaw the III.

The three departments had met for exactly fifteen minutes before an argument broke out between members of the Crypto Department and Paleontology. Will Mendenhall had the complex security duty for the day and tried, along with Heidi Rodriguez, to bring the team back together. But Mendenhall found himself staring at the head of the Crypto Department, entranced by the long, wild, white hair of the man. Finally he was nudged by Heidi.

“Now what is this about?” Mendenhall asked, his eyes still on Ellenshaw.

Everyone started talking at once. Wild gestures and pointing fingers were jabbed by the people surrounding Sergeant Mendenhall.

“One at a time, please!”

“We don’t have to stay here and be insulted every two minutes by these people; we’re just as valuable to this facility as they are,” a young woman with thick glasses said, staring a hole through Professor Keating.

“Just because your science is getting national recognition because of television, doesn’t make you a viable scientific resource.”

“Dr. Ellenshaw’s theory, that a species of vertebrate separated from outside influences and has its own ecosystem, is a viable one!”

“B movie stuff!” Keating shot back.

Mendenhall shook his head. This is going to be a long day, he thought.

Niles was sitting in the Europa direct contact center. The system was networked throughout the complex, but it was here that a person could interface with the Cray system on a one-on-one basis. According to Pete Golding, interacting with the system directly helped both the technician and the Cray, because it was a binary learning platform that could think light-years ahead of its questioner and actually feel the line of interrogation to reason out a solution on its own.

The director wanted to work alone, separate from the others, for reasons of a personal nature. He had tried earlier to distance himself from Helen’s possible plight and allow his people to work without micromanaging them. He wished to continue his own duties, of which there were plenty, but he had soon found that he kept coming back to Helen, her face, how she had looked in the morning those many years ago. He figured being by himself would help him concentrate, especially while conversing with nothing as sentimental as a bunch of new-generation silicon bubble chips.

His first line of questioning was simple. He would start at investigating the lead Helen had given them in the letter regarding papal medalists.

“What have we got so far?” Niles asked as he leaned back in his chair.

From the accounts taken from public records and clandestine facilities, the total sum of papal medalists alive in the year ad 1875, were six hundred seventy-one, said the female auditory system of Europa.

“And that is with the elimination of Spain and Italy as home to these medalists?”

Yes.

Niles was slow to proceed. He knew he was shooting from the hip; after all, all they had to go on were written accounts of rumors that had started as far back as 1534. He surmised along with Pete that since the diary had been delivered to Spain by Father Corinth himself, they could safely eliminate that nation as one of the hiding places for the map or the reputed ore samples. And obviously, since Helen said that these papal medalists were all foreign born, they could also subtract Italy, the home of the Vatican. Now it was simple, that left only the rest of the world as their haystack.

“Access Vatican Network,” Niles said.

Access has already been gained by the Computer Sciences Department, P. Golding authorization.

So Pete had already started sifting through the archives. Niles knew he should leave Pete to it, since he knew his way around not only Europa but all the security that had to be in place in the Vatican, which was there to keep someone from doing exactly what they were doing.

“Is there any correlation between San Jerónimo el Real, in Madrid, Spain, in 1874, and papal medalists?” Niles asked, as he was interested in verifying the fact that one of these knights did indeed deliver the diary to Spain, and to a knight there for the diary’s safekeeping.

Formulating.

Niles was thinking of eliminating coincidence from his obvious guesswork. Catholic cleric Father Sergio de Batavia, papal medalist, 1861, for actions while serving with the Battalion of St. Patrick’s during the time of his service in Ireland, when he was asked to join the Papal Guard in 1862 as a reward for services at Castelfidardo, Ancona. He was awarded the Pro Petri Sede and Ordine di San Gregorio medals ofSaints Peter and Gregory, for bravery. At the time his service to Pope Pius IX was ended, he was given leadership of San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid, Spain.

“I wonder what the odds had been that it was he who was given the diary for safekeeping,” Niles said as he thought aloud.

Is the question directed at Europa for answering? the female voice asked.

Niles let out a small laugh. “Not unless you can calculate the odds.”

Formulating.

Niles lowered his glasses and stared at the large liquid crystal display. It went dark for a moment, sending the entire room into blackness. He couldn’t believe that Europa was going to figure the odds.

The number of papal medal recipients who received orders to Spain in the year ad 1861, according to Vatican archives, was four. The calculated odds are three to one.

“Pretty good, low enough to place a bet on,” Niles said. “Question. How many recipients of the papal order were from the Battalion of St. Patrick’s?”

Six received the order of Pro Petri Sede, two the order of Ordine di San Gregorio, and two received both honors.

Niles quickly reread the letter from Helen and made sure of the facts she had mentioned about the trail’s leading to the map would be found through research of the medaled knights of the papacy. He refolded the letter and looked back at the screen. Helen had given him a starting point for trying to find something that she had claimed was unrecoverable, but it was the only real lead they had as to her whereabouts.

The last words spoken by Europa were still there, written on the large screen. Niles unzipped his clean suit and let in some air.

He pursed his lips as he thought. The odds were in favor of the map and diary having gone to highly placed men who Pope Pius IX had trusted, which would most likely have entailed the pope’s having met them in person. So, papal medalists seemed the appropriate road to search, and that was how Helen had tracked at least the diary, and supposedly the map also. And since they would never have access to the diary, thanks to Farbeaux, they would have to follow the same trail as Helen had. The legend stated that the diary was separated from the gold samples and map by sending them in different directions—the diary to Spain, the map to the New World, and the samples to the Vatican Archives under lock and key. The diary and map had been despatched their separate ways in 1874. He removed his glasses and bit on the ear piece.

“Question,” he said. “How many papal medalists were still alive on North and South American continents in 1874?”

Formulating.

Niles knew it was a long shot, but hoped anyway.

According to public records, seventy-five medalists were in the United States, sixteen in Canada, twenty-one in Mexico, and one in Brazil.

“Question. How many served with the Battalion of St. Patrick’s and received both papal medals?”

Formulating.

Niles placed his glasses back on and looked at the screen.

Four recipients of both papal medals were also veterans of the Battalion of St. Patrick, Europa answered. One recipient in Canada, one in Mexico, one in Brazil, and one in the United States.

Niles sat up. It couldn’t be that easy. “Question. How many of the four were stationed at the Vatican in 1874?”

Formulating.

Niles waited.

No recipients at the Vatican in ad 1874.

Niles felt deflated, but then decided to take a shot in the dark. “Question. Number of the four alive in 1874?”

Formulating, Europa said as the screen flashed again.

Niles started to stand, feeling his side investigation was going nowhere.

According to Royal Canadian death records, the general census of citizens of Mexico, the official census of Brazil, and the state and territorial records of the United States, one member was still alive in 1874, Europa answered.

Niles looked at the printed answer on the screen with renewed hope. “Question. What was the last name of recipient?”

Formulating.

Niles knew for a fact it had to be a priest, probably in the very same order of St. Patrick’s as the Spanish father’s where the diary was sent. As he watched, he could hear through the glass in front of him Europa’s robotic systems pulling programs at a fantastic rate. Normally he loved to watch the Cray system in action, but right now it would only make him more anxious.

All records of identity of medalist erased from former system hard drive 11/18/1993. No further account remains in center files.

“What? You mean the old Cray system file was erased?” Niles asked as he leaped to his feet in anger.

Affirmative. All records of case file beyond census data for 1874 of Vatican papal medalists has been dropped from the Nellis file system.

“Authorized user of last data query on current subject matter?” Niles asked but already knew the answer.

Professor Helen M. Zachary, 11/18/1993, clearance—

“Goddammit! You left us a dead end!” he said gritting his teeth.

Europa has failed to adequately understand question and/or statement. Please restate.

Niles didn’t respond to the confused Europa; he stormed out of the clean room knowing they may have lost their one clear chance of finding Helen’s team.

Alice sat and listened to the phone conversation between Niles and Senator Garrison Lee.

“The only thing I remember about some of those old files Dr. Zachary made off with is what I personally put into one of them in 1942. At the time of the theft I couldn’t figure out, other than the obvious fact it was about Brazil, why she would have been interested; the file was just the After Action Report about the recovery of some scientists from the States. The rest were army and Corps of Engineers field reports from some sort of South American field operation that held no interest for the OSS or, later, the Event Group. Our part was to pull them out, nothing more; we weren’t anywhere near the Amazon when the rescue occurred.”

“If you weren’t anywhere near the Amazon during the rescue, how could Helen have come up with anything that helped her in those files? The papal medalist leads, I can see her eliminating as a way to trace her actions, but this OSS file of yours, I don’t get it,” Niles said, leaning toward the speaker box on his desk. He was hoping beyond reason that Lee, having been one of “Wild Bill” Donovan’s best OSS agents during the war, could come up with something to help.

“I haven’t a clue, Niles; maybe she discovered something in the army paperwork that was forwarded with the file, I just don’t know. And now that we’re positive the file was erased from our former Cray archives along with any medalist’s clues, you may never find out. But then again, although she knew she had covered her tracks, she knows you’ll be able to uncover her tracks. But how, is the question.”

“Perhaps the men you rescued in 1942 said something to you after you pulled them out, that could shed some light on this, Garrison,” Alice suggested.

“Sorry, old girl, but army and navy intelligence kept those boys pretty much hushed up about their activities down there. There is one thing, though; we were supposed to be pulling out far more people than we ended up rescuing. And even as we made our way out of that hellhole, the men we rescued weren’t much good; they were in shock and two of them were close to death from exposure. The only reason they were found is because they left their radio on and the army triangulated their position. That was when the military asked for help from the OSS contingent in South America to assist in recovering their team. That’s all I have for you, Niles, with the exception of one item.”

“And that is,” Niles asked.

“This trouble in South America, with the file on that particular subject of papal knights being deleted from our files—where would you go to get something that is that old? Remember, the original file was transcribed from what to what?”

“Paper files to electronic,” Niles said, knowing the answer to the senator’s riddle immediately. The Event Group’s original facility, built by then president Woodrow Wilson, was now a storage facility for all its paper files originated before 1943. They had all been entered into the original Cray system back in 1963. And that system was housed in Arlington, Virginia, at a place hidden far beneath the National Cemetery.

“There’s your lead, my boy. There is no way Helen could have gotten into that facility, and she knew you could. She was smart enough to know where the paper files were stored in a closed-loop computer system. She knew that and the fact that you would have access to them when you hit the dead end here on Europa. You remember where the facility is, I take it?” the senator asked facetiously.

Of course Niles knew, and had to smile at the old subterfuge. Imagine, having the original Event Group housed in an underground facility not unlike the current complex. Woodrow Wilson had authorized the first complex built in 1916 and had placed it where no one would ever suspect.

“Yes, sir, I remember.”

“Good, just be careful of the ghosts. And remember the first thing I taught you about the Group, Niles? We are what?”

“Alone and not trusting of anyone, and assume everyone is three steps ahead of us. I remember.”

“Bingo. But there is one man you confide in, you know who?”

“Jack,” he answered with a small smile.

“Right, tell him everything. Give him every detail, because I don’t like the way this smells ever since you told me about our French friend.”

“I will, and thank you.”

“Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, Mr. Director,” Garrison said on the other end of the phone.

“Well, I guess all we can do is keep looking with Boris and Natasha, and hope the satellite comes up with something. In the meantime I’ll get over to Complex One and see if I can find a certain file. Thanks, Garrison.”

“Anytime, Niles; by the way, tell that old woman to bring home some real milk and not that soy crap,” he said as he hung up.