FORTY-TWO
The efficiency with which the Vatican had dealt with the murderous aftermath of demon time had left Father Shane Ross with the rather disturbing impression that they had dealt with similar events before, and as such were now well practiced in the art of the supernatural cover up.
If Ross had been somewhat surprised at the Vatican’s talent for putting out misinformation regarding the occult. There was one thing that did not come as a shock. Their aptitude for inquisition.
Following his escape from the carnage of the show, Ross had found himself whisked away to the holy city itself. Where he had endured four full days of medical tests and questions about what he had seen, heard, felt even smelt in his short time in the presence of the creature.
There were times when he felt like the only survivor of an Ebola outbreak. He was constantly checked for fever, nausea and any adverse side effects. A stern looking nun took so many blood samples from him that Ross seriously began to wonder if in fact the woman was a vampire.
A team of doctors prodded and poked him looking for any sign that he may have somehow been ‘infected’ by Minx. But infected with what he was never sure, neither he came to suspect were his examiners.
Then came the questions. What did the creature look like up close? (Fucking horrible.) What were the effects of its strange voice on the young priest? (Fucking horrible.)
They even rolled in a police style sketch artist who he gave a vivid description to of what Minx looked like as best he could remember, as he could never actually bring himself to look at the demon for more than a fleeting moment. Still, his response was the same. (Fucking horrible.)
Finally at the end of the fourth gruelling day they left him alone. He had been sitting on his bed, contemplating how he might escape when an old, yet robust looking Hispanic priest knocked then came quietly into the room.
“Now what?” Ross asked wearily.
The old priest smiled and although he had never met him before, Ross instantly knew who he was.
“Where the fucking hell have you been?”
“I see you lost your swear filter since last we spoke,” Father Mendez said.
“Four days of this shit would do that to Mother Teresa!”
“Fair enough,” Mendez relented.
Before he realised what he was going, Ross was on his feet and hugging the old man.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t get in to see you sooner. They have had the whole place on lock down since they brought you here.” Mendez said, nearly squeezing the life out of Ross.
The man might be old Ross thought as he finally released him. But he was far from frail. “So, am I a prisoner here or what?” Ross asked.
Mendez looked at him for a moment not understanding, then he looked around the room and laughed. “No, Lord no. I’m here to get you out.”
“I’m free to go?” Ross asked not quite believing the priest.
“Quite free,” Mendez replied. “Everything is arranged as you asked,” he added. “Before all this of course.”
Mexico.
Ross had called Mendez the first chance he got after the bus carrying the bedraggled survivors had stopped at a hospital to drop off the wounded.
Most of the crew had chosen to scatter then, conscious of the fact that the police would soon be scouring half the country looking for anyone involved. They hadn’t known then of the Vatican brokered general amnesty that was to follow in the days to come.
Mika, for her part had decided to stay with Ross and he was secretly glad of it. Not just for her company and the fast formed bond they now had between them, but also as a reminder that everything that had happened there was not some strange fever dream. Or later as the Vatican put it, an acid trip gone horribly wrong.
He had promised to take Mika with him to Mexico once they had been picked up by the Vatican but hadn’t seen her since.
“Where’s Mika?” Ross asked.
“Oh, she’s a piece of work that one,” Mendez said with a knowing smile. “She threatened to break in here single handed and to ‘bust you out’, as she put it.”
“She’s okay?”
“She’s fine. I managed to convince her we weren’t going to make you disappear or have you locked away in some Vatican vault. She is in a hotel not far from here.”
“Good,” Ross said relived.
“Shall we, Shane?” Mendez gestured to the open door and Ross was more than happy to follow the old priest as he left the room and walked out into a brightly lit Vatican hospital corridor.
“I’m not going to miss this place,” Ross said as they walked.
“Again, I’m sorry about all this, Shane. To be honest we all panicked after what happened. We didn’t know what to expect when we picked you up. We weren’t sure what had truly happened that night.”
“All hell broke loose, that’s what happened.” Ross said.
“I know, I read the transcripts of your interviews, not to mention the show itself before the live feed went down.”
“Interviews? Well I suppose that’s one word for it. That whole acid in the water routine was quite a trick.”
“That was my idea,” Mendez said with a shake of the head, his face grew darker. “Thing is, I think even our own people are starting to believe it.”
“What? They think the whole thing was a hoax, even after what they saw, after what happened to all those people?”
“It’s easier than the truth, Shane. It’s more that they want to believe it was only a fiction. It’s easier that way. Perhaps in the end even for the better.”
“That’s insane,” Ross said in disbelief.
“That’s human nature,” Mendez replied.
“That’s bullshit.”
“True, but the main thing is that you are okay. The creature is gone and that ghastly show is finished. In the end that’s more than I could ever have hoped for.” Mendez paused for a moment as they reached the hospital’s open reception area, due to the late hour it was all but deserted.
“Father?” Ross gently touched the old priest’s arm.
“So many dead,” Mendez said, his voice a whisper his face grave.
“I know. I’ve thought about little else since. But you know what? It’s not your fault, just as I know it’s not mine. Michael Davis killed all those people with his greed.”
Mendez nodded. “Well he certainly reaped the whirlwind for it.”
“Yes he did,” Ross replied.
“Still it’s a shame you couldn’t have retrieved any of those charms Hauser gave Davis.” Mendez said a little forlornly. “We checked the whole area after the clean-up. There was nothing left but a hole in the ground.”
“I was a little distracted,” Ross said in way of reply.
“I know, I’m sorry, it’s just they would have been very useful.” Mendez said.
“The whole thing is best left alone,” Ross could see a taxi parked outside. The driver got out seeing them enter the reception area. “That my ride?” He said gesturing to the taxi.
Mendez nodded. “It will take you to the hotel, Mika is there. The manager has a case for you. It has everything you need, passports, money and the like. Take it with our thanks.”
“You not coming?”
“No, I have much to do here. Those demons won’t fight themselves you know?”
“There’s more?” Ross asked feeling the pit of his stomach drop into his boots.
“No,” Mendez laughed heartily and it warmed Ross’ whole being. “We’ll, not that we know about for sure,” he winked and held out his hand. “There’s not many who have seen what you have seen and come out of it at the end, Shane. With body and soul intact that is.”
Ross patted himself down. “I think I’ve still got both,” he replied.
“How about sanity?”
“That comes and goes,” Ross said playfully.
“So, nothing new there then.”
Ross ignored Mendez outstretched hand and hugged the man again. “Keep fighting the good fight, Father.”
“I will,” Mendez replied his voice think with emotion. He released his hold on Ross and stepped back. “And say Hi to Hauser for me.”
Ross began to make his way over to the automatic sliding doors leading outside. He paused for a moment and turned back to see Mendez still stood there watching him. He could have sworn the old priest had tears in his eyes.
“I’ll see you again, Father,” Ross told him. Suddenly feeing emotional himself. Like he was leaving an old friend behind whom he may not actually see again.
Mendez nodded. “And under better circumstances I hope.”
“Amen to that.”
“Amen indeed,” Mendez echoed.
And with that Father Shane Ross ended is one and only visit to the Vatican. He wouldn’t miss it.