Chapter 58

           "Seven-forty-sixandthirty…mark."Evenspeakingintohiswalkie-talkie,Olivetti’svoiceneverseemedtoriseaboveawhisper.

           LangdonfelthimselfsweatingnowinhisHarristweedinthebackseatoftheAlphaRomeo,whichwasidlinginPiazzadelaConcorde,threeblocksfromthePantheon.Vittoriasatbesidehim,lookingengrossedbyOlivetti,whowastransmittinghisfinalorders.

           "Deploymentwillbeaneight-pointhem,"thecommandersaid."Fullperimeterwithabiasontheentry.Targetmayknowyouvisually,soyouwillbepas-visible.Nonmortalforceonly.We’llneedsomeonetospottheroof.Targetisprimary.Assetsecondary."

           Jesus,Langdonthought,chilledbytheefficiencywithwhichOlivettihadjusttoldhismenthecardinalwasexpendable.Assetsecondary.

           "Irepeat.Nonmortalprocurement.Weneedthetargetalive.Go."Olivettisnappedoffhiswalkie-talkie.

           Vittorialookedstunned,almostangry."Commander,isn’tanyonegoinginside?"

           Olivettiturned."Inside?"

           "InsidethePantheon!Wherethisissupposedtohappen?"

           "Attento,"Olivettisaid,hiseyesfossilizing."Ifmyrankshavebeeninfiltrated,mymenmaybeknownbysight.Yourcolleaguehasjustfinishedwarningmethatthiswillbeoursolechancetocatchthetarget.Ihavenointentionofscaringanyoneoffbymarchingmymeninside."

           "Butwhatifthekillerisalreadyinside?"

           Olivetticheckedhiswatch."Thetargetwasspecific.Eighto’clock.Wehavefifteenminutes."

           "Hesaidhewouldkillthecardinalateighto’clock.Buthemayalreadyhavegottenthevictiminsidesomehow.