FREE ZONE

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A dangerously exciting modern-day novel thriller that goes from Mary Magdalene to the rise of Trans Human Virtual Intelligence, and everything in-between .

Endorsed by Donald Trump and Pope Francis.

© John Carter

Mary Magdalene, COVENANT OF THE RESURRECTION

FACTUAL FICTION is a work of fiction laced with facts, familiar sayings, truisms, beliefs, famous people, and places. It’s like, what if this happened? Then, all these other things would happen as a chain of events naturally occurring in a story that could alter history or become part of it; in fact, history is Factual fiction, come to think about it. Well, folks, Mary Magdalene, COVENANT OF THE RESURRECTION, is such a story. 

Mary was the only eyewitness to Resurrection and Ascension; what she has to say is a game changer.

Prologue

For over 1500 years, the Vatican has hunted a legendary Secret society of women ordained by Mary Magdalene. They are known only as the ‘ORDER OF THE HOLY TEMPLE.’

Today, that secret society of women, the Order Of The Holy Temple, is about to rise and put an end to the exclusive boys club. Ty Huff investigates for Fox News. The whole world wants to know more. Her live reports from India go viral, unleashing a predestination chain of unstoppable events revealing murder, deception, the Holy Grail, and close encounters of the 5th kind.

John Carter * Robert Riser authors

Chapter 1 Whispers through time 

Mary Magdalene, Covenant of the Resurrection

“The knowledge of good and evil.”

“Good, bad, what’s the difference? Every drop of rain falls exactly as it must!

In 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea was called by the Roman Emperor Constantine to establish the official doctrines and creed of the Christian religion. He set a con of deception so dark it was heresy to suggest anything different, and if you did, your consequences would not be good, and your life span would be very short!!! Get the picture?

Fast-forward to Saturday, July 2, 2016. 

Obama is president, and Taylor Swift is the hottest girl on Earth. Bagdad is a terrorist threat, and we are about to "Bomb them back into the Stone Age," to quote George Bush. Behind the scenes simmers with tension, and whispers of U.F.O. cover-ups dance on the fringes of awareness. The hush underground is a Buzz, with Deep-State conspiracies, a Secret One World Dark Government, digital monetary blockchains, and Artificial intelligence running the show. But of course, these are just crazy theories; No one has any clue that anything like this might happen, at least not yet! Most people are happily distracted with cell phones in Lala land. Content to dream, their surrogates are immersed in the Meta-verse. Like Sheepeople waiting for the slaughter, they wait for the next free system upgrade and free apps. All of this sets the stage for discovering the Mary Magdalene papers.

The discovery will be the oldest Christian artifact ever found. It will preempt the four gospels and the epistles of Saint Paul. Her timely information will quicken our evolutionary journey.

My name is Ty Huff. I’m a reporter for Fox News, and this is the whole story I promised you, but I couldn’t tell it on the air, the truth about Mary Magdalene. Early one hot morning in July, events began happening that I can only describe as supernatural. It begins with a strange heat wave, that presses down on me like a heavy hand, and then, a vision opens up like a glowing portal into another dimension and another time. She suddenly appears, the girl with windswept raven-black hair and ice-blue eyes that shimmer with an impossible brightness. She looks out of place, not because she’s naked, but in an unknown way. There’s an ancient wisdom in her gaze, a knowingness that transcends her youthful face. She walks alongside Mary Magdalene. They are speaking of ascension as a bridge spanning all time in a single moment unlocking secrets I dare not tell you now. They will be revealed in the Mary Magdalene Papers. Her information stretches across millennia as a forbidden narrative woven of wordless secrets and timeless ecstasies into sacred teachings of the ancient wisdom from our divine prehistory origins. I didn't know it then, but looking back, it was the girl. She is from our future and our past. She was with Mary Magdalene thousands of years ago and is here now. 

“She gave me an important message to share with you, which you can pass on to others. I recently heard these words spoken by the girl: 'Happiness, compassion, and love are the fundamental human frequencies for sustainable existence. These three values are the renewable resources of humanity that will save us and rewrite our future history.

I believe that this message is crucial for all of us to understand and act upon, right now, before it is too late.”

She tells of Mary Magdalene and Jesus’s visions and journeys sky-walking beyond the circles of time, and the truth about Jesus as an otherworldly revolutionary teacher who spoke of human potential and cosmic connections. Her words paint a picture of Mary Magdalene as his equal, a leader in her own right, whose voice was deliberately silenced, her power erased from the tapestry of faith.

The implications are far-reaching. These papers could shatter the foundations of organized religion, expose the machinations of shadowy government control, and even unlock the doorway to dimensions yet uncharted. 

For some, the power of Mary Magdalene's message is a threat to the established order of the allied enemies of wisdom, they are desperate to keep the truth buried.

For others, it's a beacon of hope, promising a future where humanity reconnects with its divine heritage and embraces the vastness of the inner and outer Universes. Her journey is about to begin, and her whispers of the past are growing louder, urging us to embrace the truth, no matter the cost. The discovery of the Mary Magdalene Papers isn't just about rewriting history; it's about rewriting the future, one starlit revelation at a time.

Okay, never mind all that, you will find out for yourself, here is the story I promised you

Boston, Massachusetts MIT CAMPUS 4 am

The lights are on in the Bradly building, where top scientists have been working around the clock on a cosmic top-secret assignment for the Army Science Lab. A hand pushes the enter key on an iPad Pro, and the algorithm uploads to Darpa. From there, it uploads to a classified NASA bird in low orbit. In 4 seconds, the 30-foot war screen in section 29 displays a detailed rendering of a 14-mile-long intergalactic freighter embedded in the sandstone 200 feet below Lake Powell in Arizona. On the hull, it clearly says US Gnostic Starship. The huge semi-dark cavernous space of section 29 has hundreds of computer screens. It suddenly comes to life: the warning alarm goes off putting everyone on high alert, and bright lights like a liquor store at midnight blink on, flooding the area.

Director Smith has to squint his eyes to look around. He is on the second-tier gangway. "All right, people, I need answers fast. Someone call the Hynek Center for UFO Studies and find out if anything recorded is this big. Katy, you call Palo Alto and talk to Mitchell to see if his pot plants have reacted. They know if it is a threat, and Katy while you are at it, ask him to send me some more of that sunk weed, some of the good shit. Get cracking, people. God Damn it. Get me data before General Scott puts his foot in my ass. A repeated series of audio signals break in. Smith recognizes them. "Holy Fuck. It uses stacked drone frequency protocols to try and get our attention. They must have gotten it from WikiLeaks. If it can send, it can receive, so try to make contact, but stay with the stacked frequencies so the fuckin Ham operators can't listen in.

Meanwhile, send it some Mickey Mouse and Daffy Duck shit to keep it busy". Smith returns to his office and slams the door. He studies the crescent-shaped spacecraft on the monitor. Smith pops a couple of old-school Black Beauties into his mouth and swallows hard. He looks at the tattoo on the back of his right hand. It is a grey space alien with large black eyes. The words' PROPERTY OF NSA' are printed over it in red. Smith looks like hell warmed over, he has been up for a week or more. The intercom beeps, and then Katy says, "We have an exact match from our friends at NASA, a photograph inside the corona refueling with plasma from the surface of the Sun for two days. Boss, that is impossible". Smith replies, "A lot of shit lately is impossible." "Send in the drone." A four-foot quad-copter drone skims across the lake's surface. Its blue running lights reflecting off the calm surface create an eerie effect. When the drone gets over the coordinates of the spaceship, it hovers, then lowers its acoustic Puss listeners into the dark water. The system can tune in a heartbeat up to a mile away.

Inside the war room, a thousand heartbeats echo off the walls from the bank of 36-inch speakers In moments all are filtered out except one. "There, that's it," shouts director Smith. "Turn it up." Everyone is creeped out by the sounds of a double heart system. with eight valves opening and shutting and blood pumping in and out of the chambers. The heartbeats get faster and faster as the alien becomes aware people are listening to it. Then dead silence. Smith looks at the bank of monitors. The drone has vanished. He smiles and says, "So you want to play." He holds the red button down. "F-21, go now". The afterburners kick in as the target is locked. The f-21 vanished. 

Smith looking at the monitor, says, "Now that is impressive. I know you can hear me. Let's talk. The ball is in your court. Suddenly, the large clock's second-hand freezes and an electric blue flash fills the room.

When Smith's eyes recover, they focus on a naked girl standing before him. Her raven black hair and ice-blue eyes penetrate his defenses and expose his vulnerability. Compulsively his eyes drift down her perfect body and come to rest between her legs. Her voice cuts through the air and slaps him in the face. "Well, Smith!

You said, let's talk”. Smith snaps out of his erotica dreamlike trance and says, staring into her eyes. "Do you really have two hearts?" She laughs. No, of course not. I was playing with you". Look, Smith, we don't have time for small talk. I am from your future and past. It's beyond your understanding so let's not go there. I represent the secret chiefs. They engendered the human experience, and your upgrades are our responsibility. My mission is your continuation on a set timeline of evolutionary benchmarks of progress. That's where you come in. Something critically important will happen tomorrow, and I need your help". Smith nods yes. Then, Smith's eyes drift down to her camel toe. She understands his distraction. Hey, Smith, I'm up here. The information concerns you. So, listen up. Tomorrow at precisely 4:10 Pacific Standard Time, a time-sensitive discovery will occur in India. If it goes unnoticed, the dark Angels may win the war, and you can kiss your asses goodbye. I can't let that happen". "Smith laughs. What can I do". Listen up, Smith. In war, if you don't win, you lose. You got that straight. If you lose, your Universe could blink out. Do you understand"? "Yes, He says. "How can I help." She gets really serious. "Just play the cards you are dealt and make sure that Fox News breaks the story on the 4:00 news before it happens; that way, they can't get away with it". "Who are they" Smith retorts. “Islamic terrorists financed by the Vatican Bank". "Holy shit." "Exactly," she says. Smith asked, "What do you want me to tell the news"? She says"10 people are murdered by Isis Black Dragon terrorist while trying to steal the newly discovered scroll written by Mary Magdalene. They want to stop the world from learning what Jesus told her about the Resurrection. Vatican ties are alleged ".

"That is all. For now, my time bubble is about to collapse". In a blue flash, she is gone. The second hand on the clock begins moving again. Smith glances at the monitors, The drone is hovering, and the f-21 pilot says, "I had a lock, but the target disappeared.” Smith studies the last monitor; the spaceship is gone without a trace. Smith Claps his hands and smiles ear to ear. "Wow that thing, whatever the fuck it is, sure knows how to get a man's attention.” He sits down to write his report. After all the classified information about the events, he ponders his encounter. He knows that if he mentions his contact they will appoint a Senate committee to investigate. He will have to go through a debriefing and all that. What she wanted him to do is better off keeping a secret and his involvement would be a high risk situation.

The next day at 3 am, a black ops helicopter requests permission to land at Fort Meed. It falls like a rock 40 feet above the helo pad. 

The first response rescue team rushed to the crash site. One of them attends the pilot. He is unconscious but alive. The man looks around to see if anyone is watching, then bashes the pilot's head in with a broken piece of the rotor. A paramedic preps a syringe and then wipes Director Smith's arm with an alcohol pad. He sticks it in and jams the plunger with his thumb. " Smith says, "No. Hey, what was that stuff". The briefcase is forced out of Smith's hand as he goes limp. The man with the briefcase gets into a black SUV and hurriedly drives off. 

Smith is locked in a private room for several hours. Two men in black suits wheel him into the ICU. Nurse Jane looks at his chart. Several things through up a red flag. Paralyzed —— Chemical induced. She Knew the Doctors did this to him. She saw several hypnotic drugs and an incapacitating agent. Looking closer, nurse Jane notices he has a G4 NSA security clearance. She gets the picture, and they are keeping him on ice. Smith's eyes opened. He could not move, but he had eye control. Nurse Jane watches as he looks at the clock and then at her three times. She feels his desperation at being unable to speak. She turns away and adjusts his morphine drip with President-grade Meth to wake his ass up. Then something impossible happens. Out of nowhere, a girl's voice says, "They are coming to kill both of you right now.”

The door opens, and an Agent walks in saying, 'The patient no longer needs medical attention." She jabbed a syringe into his juggler in vain and pushed the plunger. The Agent stands still and then turns to look at her. "I can't believe you did that." He falls to the ground in a heap. Nurse Jane quickly gathers med supplies into her purse and throws them on Smith's gurney. She wheels him out into the hall and pushes him toward the elevator as fast as she can. Nurse Jane looks over her shoulder and sees three Agents running toward her. She hits the down button just in time to push Smith in and push the 1st-floor button. The doors close. The elevator starts down. Smith is jacked now, and he can talk. He tells Nurse Jane to get Fox News on her cell phone. The Agents get control of the elevator, and it slowly starts back up. Just before the doors open, there is a bright blue flash. The elevator is empty when the doors open.

India. Kadara

Kadara is a small fishing village on the Western coast of India. It is late afternoon, and the sky is dark blue. An eerie silence covers the beach as a warning extreme danger is present. The sapphire blue sea meets pristine white sand cleansing it of humanity's stain. It is low tide, and five sets of footprints from a Zodiac rubber boat moored at the surf's edge disappear into a thick grove of coco palms. The coastal plain rises swiftly into a lush rainforest. The steep mountainous pathway winds treacherously upward through jungle vines, thatch palms, and Banana trees until it reaches the rainforest plateau. This jungle is inhabited only by insects, reptiles, and the Holy Hindu monks of Chandra Kala. The swirling mists obscure visibility inside the rainforest.

In the hot silent stillness, Shirriff’s camouflaged face blends into gold-green ferns and jungle vines. Suddenly his eyes blink wide open. Dew mingled with sweat runs down his face and drips off his chin as he wipes the mosquitoes off his neck. Their blood smears over an Isis Black dragon tattoo. He is one mean, scary-looking Mother Fucker. Spread across the trail just inches from his face, a giant spider moves slowly across its huge sticky web. He strikes it with his large assault knife. Its body splatters like an egg yoke on the back of his hand. Shirriff recklessly rips the web down to clear the trail, then silently motions to his four jihadists to move out. They disappear like ghosts up the trail in double time.

temple of Chandra Kala

In the distance, the temple of Chandra Kala rose out of the misty jungle as a monolithic statement of man's dominion over nature. Enormous esoteric statues line the exterior walls. They engage in explicit sexual postures. Unashamed, they demonstrate the ancient ways of communion between man, woman, and God. We can accelerate evolution through the correct use of our sexual energies. Forging a blissful conscious link devoid of thought with the secret Self within is our Resurrection from the limited and blind ego. Consciousness expands to an infinite mind space beyond space/time and all forms of corruption as the Living Christ. The body, mind, and Spirit perfectly integrated are transparent entities without the taint of a person who does things. Understanding this is the work of the Master.

Inside the magnificent prayer room of Chandra Kala, hundreds of monks in saffron robes chant the morning mantra. 

Underneath them, Deep in the catacombs, Professor Carl Abram and Sarah Savanti, curators of the Natural Site Museum of India, search for signs of early Christians. They have good reason to believe that in the 1st Century, India received the Sacred Knowledge of the Christian Gnosis. And that Mary Magdalene had sent the last disciple of Jesus there to safeguard his teachings. Peter and some of the 12 who had turned to the dark side. Ten years later, Saint Thomas arrived to build the first Christian settlement, which is still here.

Sarah excitedly shouts, "Over here." She washes dirt off the wall with a high-pressure sprayer. They can see the faint outline of a strange symbol. Sarah cleaned it up and then used chemicals to bring out the colors. She describes it to Abrams “This is a large vesica Piscis about one foot high. Inside it is a black cross with a red serpent climbing up the cross in rapture. Twelve golden rays emanate From the center. A Hebrew letter, Shin, is above the cross At the top above the vesica, a white dove descends. You are right, Professor. These symbols are Christian and represent the Resurrection. The dove is the Holy Ghost entering the human life wave, and the letter Shin is Resurrection and ascension from the ordeal of the cross of time and space. The 12 rays are 12 types of personalities or disciples originating from a single source in the center of all. The serpent is the Soul becoming self-aware in the ecstasy of unity with God".

They set up a backscatter x-ray to see what was on the other side of the wall—the faint image of a large chamber. Abrams calls Kanji, the high priest who orders the temple. Sarah asks, "Can I get access." "No" is the answer. Kanji explains, "This section of our temple has been sealed off for the past 800 years by the Knights Templar. All I know is that it is a burial chamber". Sarah asked, "Kanji, can you show us where the entrance is"? Kanji is reluctant. After some financial negotiations, she agrees. That's right; Kanji is a woman. "Don't be surprised," Kanji tells them. "Woman has always held this high office at Chandra Kala.” Kanji shows them a place in the wall covered by an Indian tapestry. She pulls back the hanging wall to reveal an ornate double Gothic arch filled with granite blocks. A tall monk with violet eyes walks up to Kanji and whispers in her ear. She turns to face Professor Abrams. "Do what you must; I am needed elsewhere." She and the monk walk swiftly off. Abrams looks at Sarah. "Well, my dear, this is what it is all about. 

The jihadists are outside the temple at the South entrance. They overpower several monks, hide the bodies then climb the four flights of stairs.

"Fire in the hole," the explosion of shaped charges blows a clean hole inside the doorway arch. Mike and the other interns cleared the rubble and set up an image-processing camera to document the site for the museum. Sarah dresses in a yellow bio-suit for a walkthrough. Who knows what kind of bacteria and mold are present? She looks at her iPad. It shows the chemicals and metals range is within the safe level. She enters the tomb and describes what she sees on her iPad as she narrates. "It is a large rectangular room roughly of golden mean proportions carved out of solid granite. It is empty except for a single coffin at the West end. The West End has a full-size painting of Mary Magdalene with flowing red hair. Her breasts are exposed. A tattoo between them is similar to the exterior wall painting. The East wall has writing in Hebrew; To know, too will, to dare and remain silent. Man cannot become like the Lord. The Lord becomes like a man and not the other way around, fully functional and conscious as a Divine human being. Return to who you have always been and take your fill and will of humanity's infinite pleasures rejoicing in life. "Listen to this, everyone." Sarah read aloud another inscription. "Reunion and joy is our Great Work. Dimly veiled within this Soul of mine is the Christ, forever imperishable as the shining star, which is within all of you. I instruct you in a kingly way, delight in your humanity. Infinite ecstasy and joy of Earth shall be your crown. Achieve an understanding of the physical Universe by the Laws of knowledge and the Espousal to Divine Will. Remember always that existence is pure joy. Without limits, break the bounds of confining thoughts, ideas, and behaviors. It is our birthright, not the restrictions of a jealous god who would enslave us. Aye! Feast! Rejoice! There is no dread hereafter. Come all you who seek solace in the treasures of life. The joys of love will redeem you from all pain. Be united by wisdom's ways as bride and bridegroom and discover the unique Self within. The law of light, love, and liberty has been proclaimed. Choose your path." MM.  On the south wall, a carving of the Templar cross stands out in basrelief. Sarah Turns to the North wall; it has a life-sized painting of a Mediterranean man judging from the clothing. The man offers a cup to a young girl with black hair and blue eyes—Thalica Cumie (arise little girl). The cup has the same symbols as the outer wall. Sarah takes a picture of the wall and then walks to the sarcophagus. In the shadows behind Sarah, the girl with black hair and blue eyes watches, then fades out seconds before Sarah turns around. Sarah could sense some other presents in the room, which put her on edge. Sarah continues her examination. There are symbols and writings from the first Century on polished wood coated with amber. The sight of it is truly glorious, and a thrill shoots up Sarah's spine.

"Listen to this, Abrams." She translates the name of the person inside from ancient Aramaic. “I am Jesus's last disciple, Jonas of Arimathea, brother of Joseph, by Mary Magdalene's authority. After the Holy Sacrifice, she initiated me into the Covenant of Resurrection. Mary Magdalene told me of a viol of Jesus's blood that was sent to the future to save humankind from themselves and usher in a peaceful transformation to our becoming. I traveled from the Holy Land to India to safeguard her information and the vial and await the coming of Brother Thomas. My mission is to establish the 'Order of the Holy Temple' to protect the Covenant of Resurrection until humanity comes of age. These things I have done under the watchful eye and guidance of the girl who lives beyond time.

Sarah tries to open the sarcophagus lid, but it will not budge. She talks into her iPad. "I need help. Send Mike with a work light and some tools. I will open it up". She completes her walk around and notes a hole gnawed in the south corner. Mike arrives and sets up the work light. His eyes have a lusty shine as he watches her work with a wonder bar. Sarah is careful not to damage the lid. Finally, it cracks loose. "Get on the other end, Mike. Let's slide it off and carefully set it on the floor. The work light refracts Rainbows in the light from the pitch. Sarah and Mike are awestruck. Inside the coffin, a corps looked life-like. Both hands grip a scroll. She shows it to Abrams on her iPad. 

Outside the tomb, a tear of joy worked down the Professor's cheek. He, too, is blown away. "Abrams spent 15 years searching for this moment. The students and interns gather around the monitor with him, watching in awe.

Shirriif and his men brutally knock anyone out of their path in the corridors.

Sarah tells Mike to get the scroll from the dead guy's hands. He puts on rubber gloves and then tugs on the scroll in a half-gay attempt. "It won't budge." Sarah gives him a. Shrug ". If you can't get it cut his fingers off". Mike tries again. He gets the scroll arms and all. A giant albino cobra shoots out of the arm socket and spreads its hood 2 inches from Sarah's face. She freezes. Sweat burns her eyes, but she dares not blink. 

On the monitor, Abrams sees its tongue darting in and out, nervously sensing its prey. He yells, "Mike, grab it just below the head. Sarah will die if you don't help her, do it now".

Too slow, the cobra turned and sank its fangs to the gums in Mike's forearm. He feels the deadly gush of venom enters his bloodstream. Out of nowhere a crossbow shaft buried to the fledges in Mikes'sMike's heart. He has the cobra on his arm and an arrow in his heart. His last words are, "It looks like, Game over man." He hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. The cobra slithers off.

Shariff and his men walk in, weapons drawn. He speaks in an evil tone that seems to freeze Time and Motion into a solid. "It is better that he died quickly; however, you may not be so fortunate." His eyes glower with deliberate hatred and malice. "Give me the scroll" Sarah hands it to him.

"Not so fast. 'Rag head. You have something that belongs to me". Sheriff turns to see who said that—Abrams and some of the interns block the entrance. Abrams has a Desert Eagle with a laser scope. The red dot dances on Sheriff's chest. One of his men grabs Sarah and puts his assault knife to her throat. A trickle of blood runs down her neck. Abrams points to the laser dot on the man's head. Sheriff says in a low voice, "Kill them all." Abrams pulls the trigger, and a head explodes. A red spray obscures everyone. Abrams sees Sarah’s body drop to the ground. A crossbow shaft pierces Abram's shoulder, and he drops the gun. He faints. Sheriff places the 

scroll in his shoulder bag and steps over Abram's body. His men murder the interns and a few monks for good measure with single shots from their assault weapons, not to waste ammo. The terrorists exit Chandra Kala and disappear into the jungle. Kanji checks her iwatch, exactly 4:10 pm Pacific standard time. She smiles and tells two 6'7" monks, "Go get the scroll and bring it to me. They bow and leave.Sarah lies on the floor with the bleeding Simi headless man's body on top of her. She quickly rolls him off and clears the blood from her eyes. Sarah looks around, surveying the damages. She sees an old toothless monk bending over the coffin. The monk removes an amulet from around the mummy's neck. The monk puts the amulet around his own neck. He looks. Over and sees Sarah watching him. He fixes his unblinking gaze on her. Sarah feels energy shoot up her spine to the top of her head so fast it almost gives her whiplash. The older man's face brightens with joy. He nods his head yes, waves his fingers goodbye, and then disappears before her eyes. Sarah is unsure of what she had just witnessed. It was supernatural. Contemplating the events, she realizes something magical is present. Sarah sees Abram's body on the floor. Panic runs through her Liver and pancreas, causing a surge of adrenaline. Quickly she runs to him. He is alive but losing blood. Sarah cleans Abrams's wound and packs it with bee honey and gauze.

The two 6'7" guardian monks follow Sharif and his men into the rainforest. On foot, the armed men head uphill, deeper and deeper into the jungle. After an eight-mile run, they slow down to double time until it is too dark to proceed—Sheriff gives orders, “Set up camp and secure the perimeter with booby-traps and Claymore mines.” Sharif studies the scroll by firelight. He has a buyer in Rome who will pay millions to stop the world from discovering what is in it. 

Hsam, Suhaila, and Afaf stood watch. The mosquitoes forced them to fall back and stay close to the campfire. At night the jungle is alive with insects and unimaginable creepy crawlies. The men burn moist vines on top of the fire creating dense smoke to help keep the bugs and mosquitoes to a minimum—the thick canopy of the rainforest blocks all light from above. With the Moon and stars obscured by the rainforest canopy, the darkness beyond the fire was like a thick impenetrable substance that seemed to devour everything it touched. Suhaila steps away from the fire to relieve his bladder. The peeing sound stops abruptly. Hsam and Afaf strain their ears for any sound of their comrade. A scream, then the snapping of bones brakes the silence. Suhaila's dead body flys out of the darkness and lands in a heap in the fire. His clothes and hair light up the perimeter.

The two remaining men spend their clips firing into the black velvet darkness. Sheriff kicks Sohaila's smoldering body out of the fire, and the darkness quickly draws closer. With it, the guardian monks seem to float motionless toward the two men. Before the men can react, the monks are upon them. Snap, snap. The men scream in agony from compound fractures caused by a single kick to the femur. Sheriff draws his handgun. The closer monk grabs him in a wrist-lock, disarming him before he can pull the trigger. A vice grip of a hand forces Sharif's hand open, and the scroll slips gently from his grasp. No language is necessary. To his amazement, the monks appear to float motionless, withdrawing backward and disappearing into the blackness of the jungle. 

Sharif looks at the compound fractures in his men's legs, putting a .45 round into each man. The screaming stops. His pet ape Ala jumps on his shoulder and screeches in excitement. Sharif lights a Sher Bidi cigar and shares it with Ala, his faithful ape and constant companion who wares the white and red Ghutrah turban of a Shiite Muslim.

Later that same night, the Guardian monks return to Chandra Kala with the scroll. The girl with sky blue eyes greets them before they enter the main hall. They bow reverently and show her the recovered scroll. The girl smiles and nods approval. The monks enter the great hall and hand it to the old monk Sarah saw earlier taking the Medallion. The monks report without emotion that "Not a single move had been wasted on defense."

Chapter 2 

Vatican City!!!

The Pontifical Swiss Guard are the oldest military operation in the world. They are maintained by the Holy See to protect the Pope and the Apostolic Palace at Vatican City. The Swiss Guard are true soldiers of Christ, as such, they have the highest integrity and honor of all men. Their sacred tryst cannot be broken or infiltrated by any, many have tried and many have died.

For 20 Centuries, Mass has been celebrated at Saint Peter's, nurturing tomorrow's hope by healing today's pain. After Mass Cardinal William McKinley receives a sealed note handed to him by two Swiss Guard. He breaks the Holy See's red wax seal and opens the message. "Meet me in the Media Room. We await your arrival to discuss a critical issue". Signed, Archbishop Edward Mossi. One of the guards speaks after McKinley closes the note. “Sir, we are to accompany you to the Media Room right now.” They cross Saint Peter’s square. Cardinal McKinley arrives at the Media Center and the ornately carved doors open.

The archbishop and four members of the Holy See are standing in front of a wall-size tv screen. The archbishop motions to him, “Come in, join us, William. You're just in time.

The archbishop pushes play on the remote control.

Megyn Kelly for Fox News

I have a breaking story. "Today, the oldest Christian relic in history was discovered in India. Islamic Terrorists took the artifact by force and murdered ten people moments after its discovery. It was recovered by monks and the bodies of the terrorists were found in the jungle hours later with large caliber bullet holes in their backs. The priceless relic was a scroll written by Mary Magdalene. Experts say it contains missing information from the gospels. She was an eyewitness to Jesus's death and Resurrection. This highly controversial scroll may be a game changer for the Vatican and Islam". Megyn noticed the hits on her Twitter account went crazy. "Well, it looks like this story is going viral. I would like to know what Mary Magdalene has to say, wouldn't you? This Fox exclusive was given to me less than an hour ago by a high-up in NSA who has since gone missing. Vatican ties are alleged, and Pope Francis refused to comment.” The archbishop turns off the teli. "William, you are our foremost authority on Mary Magdalene. What do you know about this scroll"? All eyes are on him. He studies the older men's faces while gathering his thoughts. “Based upon documents in our archives, there is evidence that Mary Magdalene did send information to India before fleeing to France. From there, she was in touch with someone somewhere in India. Their cloak of secrecy was impenetrable. It is alleged; she ran a secret society of women priests. No one knows for sure, but rumors are that Jesus ordained her, and they were an item, you know? Some even think he passed the true church to her, not Peter. She knew who Jesus was intimately more than him, or any of the others. I’m sure this scroll must be the information she sent to India". He stops talking and stands there. The archbishop breaks the silence. “William, we have taken the liberty of packing your things. You are going to India to find out what is in that scroll before any more information gets leaked to the public". He nods to the head of Vatican Secret Security Service, Captain Olivetti. The archbishop makes the empty gestures of the kiss and says, "In nómine Patria, et Fílii, et Spíritus- In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May God deliver you safely. This mission is not without its dangers. There are terrorist operatives in the area with the same goals as ours". William gets uneasy, “ What do you mean?” The archbishop ignores his question. He holds the Cardinal at arms distance and speaks, "You have the full support of the Vatican Bank and all the political support we can muster." Whatever you find out, keep a lid on it. Report only to me”. Captain Olivetti escorts the Cardinal out. The Captain takes his orders directly from the Black Pope. All and all, Olivetti is an extremely dangerous and influential member of the Entity. Their motto is “With the Cross and the Sword.” He is in charge a small group of highly skilled men that operate outside the bounds of the Swiss Guard and the gendarmerie, or police. Olivetti is ruthless to protect the orthodoxy and his men are mercenaries and private contractors of a classified covert nature. The archbishop turns to the Holy See. “Gentlemen,Operation San Graal is unofficially launched to recover the sacred artifacts of the Holy Roman Church. I, for one, don't trust The Cardinal. He has read many unorthodox documents in our archives. He might flip the other way. Satan uses those weak-minded Souls to tempt them away from orthodoxies and the Mother church". They all agree, not knowing that Satan is already standing in their midst, hiding in plain sight where none would ever think to look. 'Sympathy for the Devil' starts playing on the intercom.

Cut to

Los Angles 20 Fox Century Lot.

Mori is on the phone with the State Department in his on-the-lot bungalow office. It has that old Hollywood look because that's what it is. He is a line producer for Fox News. Morie hangs up and pushes the speaker on, then dials #3. 

"Hello, Bernie" 

"Yeah, Boss." 

"What is that Chinese female actress's name. You know the one I mean".

"Oh, Lisa Ling." 

No, the other Lisa Ling. The one that was in Charlie's Angels". 

"Hmm, you mean what's her name, ah, Lucy Liu."

"Yeah, that one. Get that one on the phone. I want to talk to her. You know Bernie, I just got a great Idea, and you will love it." 

"Yeah, Boss, what is it"? 

"You will find out later. Make the call now".

Mori hangs up the phone on him. Bernie looks like a low-budget Danny DeVito in a tight blue pinstripe suit with visible dandruff adorning the shoulders. Bernie lit up a joint and pressed a big hit. After exhaling, he called Liu's Agent. 

Twenty minutes later, a black Lincoln limo pulled up in the no-parking zone. Her bodyguard and driver, a rugged man named Vinny, gets out and opens the rear door. Lucy Liu looks around the parking lot before she gets out and enters the Fox Network main entrance. She wears a short black kilt mini dress slung low as you can, held up by a silver concho belt made from Yi Ching hexagrams inlaid with Chinese jade. A sheer sleeveless black turtle neck halter top set off her breasts, covered only by a tan leather vest and matching short boots round off her outfit. Eclectic but stunningly impressive. She marches into Mori's bungalow unannounced and looks around. He looked up from his paperwork and said, "Lisa Ling, I presume ."She gives him a look and says, "Very funny ."Morie asks, “Can I get you anything? How about some warm Saki."

"Stop with the tired Asian jokes, or I will leave ."She takes two steps toward the door. 

"Wait, the state department wants a celebrity to report live from Bagdad. You'll make half a million for one day's work". She studies him for a few seconds and says," When"? Morie responds quickly, "Right now ." Lucy shakes her head no. "Not a chance. I have a nail appointment at Madam Woo's in 30 minutes. Thanks anyway". She turns and walks out the door. Morie is flabbergasted. "SHIT, I didn't see that coming."

He looks at his Rolex, then dials Megyn Kelly. “I need someone well known to do a one-day gig in Bagdad. The plane leaves in a little over an hour." Megyn tells him “I have the perfect person. Her name is Ty Huff. She is Senator Steve Huff's daughter, and right now, she is the hottest newswoman in New Orleans. Millions of people love her. Her ratings are way up. And, guess what, she is on the Fox lot right now". Morie says, "Get her in my office as quick as you can ."Morie is nervous and sweating.

In ten minutes, the receptionist calls Morie. "Ty Huff is here to see you ."While she is talking, the receptionist looks Ty over. Ty is wearing a gold and green sequin top and tight designer jeans with lace reverse appliqué on the thighs. She has on Black English Riding boots. Her scarlet red hair is long and wavy. Women want to be her, and men want to bed her, but she is independent and untouchable. She is vibrantly beautiful in a unique way that makes her stand out in a crowd like they are in black and white and she is in color.

"Send her in." 

Ty has a little bounce to her step like a rock star. Morie greets her and then comes out with it. "Look, Ty, I haven't much time. I need you to do a job for the State Department. It's one day of work, and the perk is you report live to Megyn Kelly on the Kelly File". She inquires, "What is the assignment about." 

"All I know is that it is classified. You're to cover a heroic rescue in Bagdad for the Obama administration. You will have the best security team in the world, The Army Rangers. But this is really about getting a lot of money and a shot on Primetime for one day of your life". Do you know what an opportunity this is! This could be your big chance to be in the major league". 

Ty says, "Yeah, it could also be a one-way ticket."

"Morie jumps in with his closer, "Yeah, it could also be your ticket to fame and glory. Tell you what, I'll put the money in your account before you leave".

She says, "How much money are you talking about?””One Million US dollars."

"OK, What is the catch, Morie." 

He says," “You have to decide right now are you in or are you out?” 

She asks, "Why"? 

Morie Laughing says, "Because your plane leaves in 45 minutes". Ty studies Morie's eyes for any slight sign of deceit. And she pauses to examine her inner feeling. She calmly speaks in soft tones. "I'm out"! Morie's jaw drops. He is in a state of Panic. Ty lets him squirm a minute, reaches into her boot, and pulls out a cell phone. "Hello, Mandy, you can take the car home. I won't be needing it". After hanging up, she looks at Morie. "You are a total moron, Morie, but you got a deal. I'm all about the money". The contract is signed, and Morie makes the money transfer. Then three men in black suites enter the room and escort her in standard formation. The man on the left tells her, "You can't take anything with you. They will issue you anything they think you need and brief you in flight. If all goes well, you will be back here in less than 24hrs". Ty asks, "And if not? The man looks forward and remains silent. In 20 minutes, the chopper lands, and the men escort her to General Scott's office. 

General Scott’s Office

When Ty Huff enters, General Scott looks out the window with his back to her. He is watching two small white unmarked jets take their position on the tarmac. Ty says, "What kind of planes are those ."Without turning, he answers, ”Stealth! They are experimental hybrids. They can fly at extremely high altitudes almost indefinitely and have one hell of a scram kicker. You better hold on to your backside with both hands, little lady, because you will be in Bagdad shortly. And you didn't see them because you were never here, right? Get it"! The General turns and faces her. He eyeballs her and thinks, “Nice package". General Scott glances at his watch. "Look, Miss, you haven't much time. You take off in 15 minutes. Go into that room and strip down to your skivvies. Put the flight suit on and get back on the double". When she returns, he smiles. “Miss Huff, this is Michael Braxton. He is in on everything the US does. He will watch your back and make sure you return in one piece.” Mike is tugging on the straps of her high-altitude gell suit. He takes her by the arm and leads her outside when he gets it all adjusted. "Do you know how dangerous this assignment is"?

"Nobody told me anything”?!

Mike can see she is a little nervous, so he says, "Stay frosty. This could be a jackpot". She turns pale. The General walks up. "You two can talk about it later. It's time to board. Ty gives Michale an edgy look and follows him to the two small jets on the tarmac. The jets only have one seat. One is a piloted escort, and the other is radio-controlled. Mike helps her in and turns the air on in her helmet. He pulls her visor down and tells her, "Don't look into the Sun. "He steps back. The canopy locks, and the engines wine up. The little jets lunge forward 40 yards and go vertical. In four seconds, they are out of sight.

In the control room, General Scott and Mike can hear her screaming. Scott looks at Mike and says. With a chuckle, "At least we know her flight suit is working." The jets level off at 60 thousand feet. Ty quickly controls herself and marvels at the magnificent view of the Earth. She notices the stars are not twinkling, and there are trillions of them. Then, when Ty thinks everything is alright, the jets nose straight back down. She feels her body go weightless. She experiences various opposing emotions and bodily sensations simultaneously: Laughing-crying, hot-cold, fear-excitement, and a host of their kin. The jets begin their power dive straight down inches apart, side by side at full throttle. She lets out an extended screen that changes pitch when the scram jet engine kicks in. The jets do a 180 maximum g-force turn. They fly straight up. Ty can't yell anymore, and she is all yelled out. The jets leave the Earth's atmosphere in seconds, skipping as mill stones pitched in a pond across the biosphere. 

Bagdad: before dawn

Green Zone