Free THE ANOINTED 3: PROPHECIES OF FIRE by Dale Ridley Page B

need another war, but he just caused one.
     
    *****
     
    Most didn’t know that the pope held no power at all in the Vatican. There were three levels of the Vatican power and the pope had to answer to them all before he made a single move. And the second level of power was, at that moment, sitting at a table enjoying the time of peaceful nothingness. There was a single candle that burned in the middle and a bottle of ca` del Bosco Franciacorta Annamaria Clementi and a glass that was half full.
    The three elders were spread out over Italy and Rome, only to come together when there was an important decision to be made involving the interests of the Vatican. The door opened behind him and his daughter came in with a huff and tossed the package on the table in front of him, and went into the next room and shut the door.
    She was well trained in the ways of the Vatican and maybe one day, she would take on the role that he himself held. He waited a moment before he picked up the package and opened the seal, which was sealed by the wax of a charging bull. He pulled out the photos and the papers that required his ring seal.
    He was the order’s spymaster and he took his job seriously. He looked over the photos and smiled. They would be able to sway the next election in Great Britain. There was a sound in the room with him and his hand moved to the gun he had strapped underneath of the table.
    “I wouldn’t do that if I was you,” the voice said.
    The throat of the man was dry as he realized the voice.
    He turned his head and wiped his forehead. “Anais.”
    “Yes, it is I. I gave you one task and that was to kill the possession leader and you failed in that.”
    “You never wanted to kill him cause if you did, then we been could of have had his head for you since the day that my men were inside his compound. No, you wanted him spared.”
    “Do you doubt my motives?”
    “I didn’t say that.”
    “But you said as much with your words. You know the agreement of failure.” The man was still as the words wash over him. He knew the agreement well but he wasn’t trying to pay the price.
    “No, you have to give me another chance.”
    “There is no second chances. I gave you one task and you failed.” There was silence as the shower started in the next room.
    “You can either do what we agreed upon or I can go in there and kill your daughter slowly. Your choice.”
    The man looked to be struggling with his thoughts. He didn’t want his deeds to go over to his only child.
    “I will do it,” he finally said.
    “Don’t make me wait.”
    The man pulled the gun from under the table and looked at the barrel. Anais watched as he took the gun and quickly put it to his head and pulled the trigger. The man flew out the chair and laid in a puddle of spreading blood. The water in the shower had stopped and he went over to place an item on the body. He smiled.
    Everything was going according to plan. He disappeared as the door was thrown opened and the man’s daughter came out screaming. He had just committed the sin that would sent his soul to hell. There was an echo of laughter amongst the screams.
     
     
     
     
     
     
                                             

BOOK TWO
     
    MENDACIOUS TENTIONS
     
     
     
    CHAPTER ONE
     
    The plate of food made surprisingly little noise as it was slid underneath the bottom gap of the door.
    The loud banging that followed was a shocking contrast that seemed to have an echoing quality to it. Samantha Cook squinted in the darkness as she squatted on the balls of her feet, while watching the shadows of the person depart. She had one continuous thought that infected her brain like a fever. A thought that chipped at her gut with each passing moment. One of escape.
    She stared at the plate for minutes before wrinkling her nose up in disgust, even as she fought to control and dismiss the pinging’s and grumbling as her stomach disagreed with her decision,