Apocalypsis 1.01 Demons by Mario Giordano Read Free Book Online

Laurenz slapped him in the face, with the back of his hand and with so much force that Peter almost fell from his chair.
    »How did you find me?« repeated the former Pope.
    »Shit!« Peter cursed. The slap had made him bite his tongue. »Why are you doing this, Laurenz? Are you insane? I’m a journalist; you know that. So I found you. So what?«
    »What do you want here?«
    »Damned, Laurenz! What do you think I want? An interview, of course. I admit that I had pictured it being a little different – but really. Okay then, why did you resign from office?«
    Laurenz didn’t answer. He only looked at him with piercing eyes.
    »Why are you hiding, Laurenz? What are you planning here? Why are you abusing journalists?«
    Laurenz made a sign to one of the monks. Peter flinched as the monk stepped towards him, but instead of beating him, he just taped another strip of tape over his mouth.
    Laurenz moved up closer to Peter.
    »You are a danger, Mister Adam. A danger for the Church and for the entire world. You are a murderer. And I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Fourth Prophecy of Fátima will not come to pass. I will protect the world from you.«
    He stepped back and again he made a sign, this time to both monks. The monk who had gagged him the second time pulled the taser out of his habit. Peter screamed in panic into the tape over his mouth and tried to move out of the way. Not a chance. Once again, the monk placed the taser against Peter’s neck and pushed the button. The last thing that Peter saw was Laurenz turning away.
    This time, when he came to, he found himself lying in a crouched position on a hard surface. It smelled musty and damp. He was still suffering from the after-effects of the electric shock and could see nothing but a blur in front of his eyes. Peter made out walls, close around him. All around him. Very close. The air he inhaled was cool; it seemed as if he were somewhere in the open, outside. But it should have been brighter outside and not so dim. From above, a weak light leaked in.
    Why is it so dark here? Where is the light coming from?
    The darkness combined with the narrowness triggered an immediate panic attack in Peter. Despite the pain he tried to sit up, moaning. He was relieved to realize that he was no longer in shackles – at least that. In order to get his bearings in the half-dark, he fumbled through the air until his hands bumped into something: two big plastic bottles with water and one plastic bucket. This spurred his panic even further.
    Shit, damn it, where am I???
    Peter was gasping now.
    Don’t freak out! Breathe! Look around you!
    He tried to breathe away his fear, which was already holding him in its claws like a vicious animal. He tried not to freak out. He tried not to admit to himself what he already knew.
    That he was at the bottom of a well.
    It can’t be true. It can’t be true. It can’t be true. Not this, please, not this.
    Gasping from fear and panic, Peter stood up and looked upwards. The shaft of the well was about thirty feet high and just wide enough to prevent Peter from touching both sides at once. From above, pale daylight was seeping in. A well. The classic Sicilian method to get rid of unwanted witnesses. They had provided him with water and with a bucket for nature’s call, which meant that they didn’t intend to let him out of here anytime soon.
    Peter felt through the pockets of his pants. Everything was gone – money, cell phone, car keys, even his belt. From above, he heard the distant sound of engines. Car doors were slamming. Cars were driving away. Shouting. Then silence. Suddenly a booming sound coming from high above, tearing the air apart with heavy strokes. Finally, Peter saw the helicopter. For a moment, it hovered over the well. Just like that, like a huge and curious insect. Then it veered off and flew away. Peter heard himself scream. He screamed for help, and he tried to scream away the fear and the panic, which were