"Gladly, no one in Manhattan drinks way too early, like, just look, at a bar for an important meeting?" Jessica heaved a huge sigh and reclined on the seat of the cab. Bryan didn't know why, but the thought of meeting in a bar had made her sloppy, as if she were disgusted by the mere name of it.
"Chill! A bar is like an awesome place to merge in with the commoners. I don't know who this André is, but he is smart." Jessica looked dumbfounded that he was siding with the place chosen, rolled her eyes, and looked out of the window. Suddenly something struck her that she had to look over deeply.
"Uhm...Bryan? Why are we heading to a station?!" Bryan didn't seem to listen, as he too was surprised to see where they were headed. The driver seemed to guess the air of confusion behind him and pointed to the station ahead of them. "Carrer Major Bar es una famosa estación de Barcelona que fue construida en 2062."
A wave of realization hit Jessica as she felt the need to slap herself for missing out on that detail. "I remember my dad telling me the tale of Carrer Major Bar! It's actually a station that was built back in 2062 by a group of famous historians and architects who built it for the transportation of relic items from the Catholic churches in Spain to Rome for preservation."
Bryan was shocked to see history unravel before him, but something perplexed him. "If so, then why is the station open to the public?" He pointed to the bustle of people boarding the train and others waiting nearby. "We all know that relics from the Catholic Church are worth more than a billion, and there have been numerous thefts regarding the same!"
Jessica gave a sly smile as she remembered asking her father the same question when she was a little girl. "I did mention that it was built by a group of famous historians and architects. The train you see ahead is just a replica, but what if I tell you that there is a mirror image of the train constructed...underground?"
Bryan was shaken to the core, as if someone had just fallen dead beside him. Wow! I shouldn't have skipped my history classes after all! Both of them got out of the cab and into the bustling atmosphere of the station. Carrer Major Bar looked nothing like a place filled with mesmerizing history.
The atmosphere was filled with bustling people hurdling themselves to catch their respective trains. The tile was ornate with mosaic, and the station was covered with wrought iron railings. The air smelt freshly of Valencia oranges, and it looked pretty much like a normal station. Little did they know that a train takes up a journey underground the same time it leaves the station, carrying relics worth billions and trillions.
They rushed to the ticket counter, as it was about to close in another five minutes. The guy inside looked like he was bored with his life and wanted to escape soon. The moment he saw them, his eyes were filled with joy, as if he had just met his long-lost girlfriend. "Yes! At least someone of my own kind!!"
Jessica and Bryan were shocked to find a pure Manhattan civilian before them. "At least we don't have to fumble up Spanish here." Bryan chuckled and shook hands with the guy before him. "Hey pal, we need to get on the third seat here. Tickets for two, please."
The guy was so happy that he didn't leave Bryan's hand for a minute or two. "Yo! You all can call me Rick. But getting on the third seat ain't possible for now as it's closed, but I'd give you a seat right beside the window. You get the best view of Barcelona from there!"
Jessica looked smug and shook her head. "Nah, Rick, we need to get on the third seat and hurry, please." Rick shook his head and slumped back in his seat. "Nah folks! The seat's reserved for Mr. André, and it's exclusively his, and no one can board that one."
Bryan and Jessica were taken aback. Bryan whispered to Jessica in a slow tone, "I thought that it was a con name, but it looks like we have a real guy out here." Jessica nodded her head and pressed on. "Rick, we actually have an invitation from André himself. You can call him up and ask if you want to."
Rick broke up into a fit of laughter. "You want me to talk to Mr. André?" He couldn't control his laughter. "It's been a long time since I've heard a good old English joke." He wiped the tears from his eyes and saw that his new friends weren't happy.
Jessica was getting annoyed, as every minute they are wasting is very precious. "We ain't joking. Give us the tickets, please." Rick was stumped and gave her an incredulous look. "If you want to talk to him, either go to the Templo del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús and pray or wait till your time comes."
Bryan stepped in and tried to clear up the confusion. "Rick, we just arrived today in Barcelona, and we need to meet him immediately." Rick seemed to grasp why the two weren't impressed so far. "That explains why you both look smug! Haven't you read the news? Mr. André was shot a day ago. He was a good man, though."
Bryan was about to collapse on the hard, cold floor. Shot? But he is the only one who could help us! Jessica took a step back and popped open her cellphone. She moved a distance away from them and was hoping that the person on the other side would pick up the call as soon as possible.
The voice boomed in from the other side. "Jessica? Have you both already met André? I tried contacting him, but he isn't answering my call." Jessica didn't know what to say. "Sir, André, he is dead. Shot."
The line went silent on the other side. The voice responded, but it was heavy with the weight of the news. "Jessica, what do you mean? He is the last man on the team of scientists who knew the history of HydraHepA! Others have been killed in a more or less similar way! And now we have a last-standing man, but I fear if he would be of any help..."
A rush of hope flowed through her body. "Sir, who is it? We are pretty sure that we can get it out of him." The voice was weak; it almost fainted. "It's Paulo. He was a former scientist on the team but left it, taking up the path of God. He would be in Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi."
Jessica rushed toward Bryan and poured in the news. He gave a weary nod. "Whoever he is, we better hurry! Something tells me that he is the next and final target." Jessica prayed that his words wouldn't come true.
The duo dashed out of the station to find the same driver at the cab station. They hopped in, quickly gave him the directions, and asked him to speed up as soon as possible.
On the other side of the city, Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi was unusually calm and peaceful. A priest in his 40s was cleaning up the chalice after the obligatory mass, which was over about a minute ago. The church was silent, and even the slightest sound created a huge echo in the large dome-like structure.
"Paulo?" A voice boomed in the church that startled the priest. He turned around but didn't see anyone. "Sí, soy Paulo. Quién eres?" Yes, I'm Paulo. Who are you?
A voice whispered throughout the dome as if it were resonating from the speakers affixed to the wall of the church. "In the shadow of your sacred cross, Father, I'll show you that there are darker gods that demand their due. As your final prayer echoes through the empty pews, you'll realize that the salvation you sought was just a desperate grasp at illusion. Tonight, I am the harvester of faith, and your reckoning is at hand. Say your final amen, for the dungeon awaits."
Before he knew what was happening to him, the sharp cries of agony and pain filled the church—a voice of brutal pain that cannot be described in words.
The cab screeched in front of the pavement leading to the church. The duo rushed out towards the entrance of the chapel. Bryan was shocked to see the crowd gathered in front of the aisle. They pushed past the clamoring crowd and saw that there were police officers kneeling beside a body.
Bryan went forward and saw a horrific sight, one that he wouldn't forget. Jessica let out a loud gasp as she fell back on the cobbled floor.
The priest's body was deeply seared in the form of an inverted cross, cleaving his heart in half. His eyes were rolled upwards as if he were pleading to God himself to rescue him from this agony. The blood splattered on the floor was still warm, which indicated that the poor man felt each and every inch of the pain when he was alive.
Bryan felt like he was about to throw up. His lungs clamored inside him for fresh air, and his nerves were pleading within to leave this place as soon as possible. He bent down and helped Jessica get on her feet.
Her eyes were red, and remorse filled her heart. Growing up in a strong Catholic family, her faith panged inside her heart at the gruesome sight before her. She made the sign of the cross and slowly said a silent prayer.
Just then, a voice whispered behind them, which sent shivers running down their spines. "Sometimes, God disguises himself in a human form to save those in need." They turned about to see a priest clad in black robes who was around the same age as the dead priest. Just then a police officer came clamoring towards him and spoke in a rushed voice, "Padre Paulo, podemos envolver el cuerpo antes de que los medios hagan un escándalo?" Father Paulo, can we wrap the body before the media makes a fuss?
The priest gave a curt nod, and the officer scrambled to work. Bryan couldn't believe his eyes. Father Paulo? Then who was the one who died? The priest seemed to read the room and motioned them both to a dimly lit hallway on the other side of the church.
A few yards away, the killer was humming and singing, not knowing that he had missed his target and that this small slip could change his fate forever.