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necessary. I hope I’ve made myself clear.”
    By any means necessary? That’s why they picked me .
    â€œI understand.” Kevin nodded his head. “Give me a couple of days to put all this together and get back to you with a plan.”
    â€œDon’t take too long. That attempt on your life this morning won’t be the last.”
    â€œI’ll do my best,” said Kevin. He swallowed hard. This was no game.
    â€œAnd I’ll help in any way I can,” added Drotti.
    â€œI knew I could count on the two of you,” said the cardinal. “Now, come. I’ll let you two get some rest tonight. You can get busy first thing in the morning. If you need anything, Kevin, call my direct line. Max has my number.”
    â€œThank you for having confidence in me,” said Kevin.
    â€œOf course, old friend.”
    The cardinal rose from his chair and Kevin and Drotti followed quietly out of the room.
    â€œThank you for coming, Kevin, and you, too, Max.” The men shook hands.
    Cardinal Porter turned to Kevin and repeated, “I’m counting on you.”
    â€œThank you, sir. I won’t let you down.”
    Once outside, they could see the sun setting in spheres of red and yellow, creating a golden orb in the spring air.
    As they headed towards Kevin’s apartment at the Villa Domenica, Kevin asked, “Max, what do you know about this Opus Mundi group?”
    â€œYou probably know as much as I do. They’re crazy. Been around for a long time. They’re a group of far-right conservative Catholics who think the Church is plagued by false prophets. Their solution is to insinuate themselves into the pulse of the church, to exorcise the ever false prophets.”
    â€œThat’s what I’ve always heard about them.”
    â€œThe thing is, Kevin, they’ll stop at nothing. Once they decide the pope is the false prophet, they’ll eliminate him. They’re our Hezbollah and just as dangerous.”
    â€œWhere did they get these ideas about false prophets, anyway?” Kevin walked slowly along the ancient stone path, taking in the scent of fresh basil wafting through the air. Being a resident of the Vatican had its delicious advantages.
    Drotti shrugged. “As you’ve just heard from Cardinal Porter, it’s from the Bible. Some say it’s in the prophecies, and the appearances of the Virgin Mary through the centuries.”
    â€œStrange that this group has lasted all these years underground.”
    â€œIndeed,” Drotti added. “They are small, secretive, and invisible, though they’re international. This isn’t Opus Dei, who may be conservative, but are in line with Church doctrine. This group is more secretive than the Masons. Their secrets and rituals are more deadly.”
    The two men continued their brisk walk to the executive suite.
    Suddenly, Drotti stopped to face Kevin. “We suspect this Opus Mundi was responsible for the 1981 assassination attempt on John Paul II.”
    â€œReally? That’s one hell of an accusation.”
    Drotti nodded. “I know. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But it gets more interesting. John Paul II was shot by a Turkish man, Mehmet Ali Agca on May 13, 1981, in St. Peter’s Square. If you recall, the square was especially crowded that day; it happened only seconds before the pope was going to read the third secret of Fatima. The date chosen for the reading and the assassination was the anniversary of Mary’s first appearance to the children at Fatima.”
    The children of Fatima . Kevin reached back in his memory. In 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared six times to three children in the small village of Fatima in Portugal. Drotti was right on the mark. The first of these appearances was indeed on May 13th.
    â€œYou’re right. I remember it now,” Kevin said. “In 1978, after only 33 days in office, John Paul I died. Then his successor, John Paul II, was