The Merchant of the Black Market, A Lex Jackson thriller: Book two

Chapter 4:

Rome,Italy

Song We Remain by Christina Aguilera

The helicopter landed on the landing pad outside the safe house. Ruyan looked out the window and saw her security agents running toward the back door of the helicopter to open it. She stepped out wearing her dark sunglasses. As she stepped into the villa, The spymaster was hit with the grandeur of the place. It wasn't just any kind of a safe house, it was a luxurious villa that overlooked Rome with a panoramic view of the city on Janiculum Terrance. Ruyan had been a foreign agent for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) for a long time.

The foreign agent had seen her fair share of safe houses and hideouts, but this one was different. The villa was filled with marble floors, high ceilings, and grand chandeliers. She couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as she walked around the expansive living room.

For a moment, she forgot the reason why she was there. She was supposed to be meeting with her handler to discuss the next phase of her mission. But the grandeur of the place had momentarily blinded her.

When her handler arrived, she quickly regained her focus. They talked about the mission and her role in it. She was to gather information on a group of politicians who were planning to stage a coup in Russia. As an experienced agent, she knew the risks and the dangers of her job. But as she looked out at the stunning view of Rome, she was reminded of why she did it.

After the door clicked open, she grabbed the door handle walking into the family room. She closed the door behind her and let out a deep sigh. Her mind was racing with thoughts of revenge against the CIA/NSA team who had foiled her plans to assassinate the President of the United States. She was the mastermind behind The White Nights, a deadly network of assassins that had caused chaos and destruction around the world. But now, her empire had crumbled, and she had to start all over again.

However, her immediate concern was the classified file that Wade Charles had killed Gregor Alexander in Barcelona. She knew it contained valuable information that could be used to her advantage, but she also knew that it was highly sought-after by her enemies. Yes, Wade had been her best assassin, but she had him eliminated after he disobeyed a direct order. He had become a liability, and she could not afford to have any loose ends.

She sat down on the couch and closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She knew that she had to be careful and stay under the radar for a while. But she also knew that she would not rest until she had her revenge. The game was far from over. Ruyan slowly removed her dark glasses, revealing a pair of deep brown eyes that sparkled with life.

Before leaving Berlin, she had flown him on her personal Gulfstream. The curator sat at her desk, rummaging through old papers. If these documents are correct, she will be in President Putin's good graces. And maybe even more. The curator had not been assaulted or threatened in any way; he had just been informed that it was an important matter and that Ms. Ruyan needed to meet him at her estate.

The curator scrutinized each and every aspect of the files.

He massaged his brow.

He couldn't believe it when he realized he was gazing at the famed Knight Files. They were a legend that no one knew about? But this mysterious lady had located and taken them. It was the only thing on his mind: what did she want to gain from them?This cache contains ancient Knights of Malta files.

As Ruyan rose from her seat and stepped into the den, she asked, "So what did you find out?"

In a nervous tone, the curator confirmed, "Yes, these are the genuine knights' files, Miss Ruyan. As for what's written in them..." In 1798, Hompesch was warned that the French fleet was sailing into Egypt under Napoleon and intended to attack Malta as well. He ignored the warning and took no action to reinforce the island defenses. On June 6 the advance squadron of the French fleet reached Malta. One ship has been allowed to enter the harbor for repair. Then, on June 9, the main fleet arrived.Napoleon demanded free entrance to the harbour for the entire fleet with the rationale being water provisions.But Hompesch said that only two ships at a time could do so. This where Napoleon saw it as provocation he ordered the invasion of Malta"

The spymaster said"Thanks for the history lesson, but how what does to with Russia"

Miss Ruyan, I'm getting there. Hompesch broke the command by surrendering Malta to Napoleon. The Knights were scattered, but the order continued to exist in a lesser form and bargained with European governments in return for power. Russian Emperor Paul 1 provided the greatest number of knights with sanctuary in St. Petersburg, establishing the Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller and the Order's acceptance among the Russian Imperial Orders. The Grand Master of the Knights of St. Petersburg was Tsar. He had a number of Maltese thrones built."

The foreign agent paused for a split second as she processed all the curator had said to her.

A Russian tradition of the Knights of the Hospitallers. She was certain that President Putin would be highly interested in it.

"There has to be more in those records," Ruyan stated.

The curator said, "Certainly, Ms Ruyan." It was also stated that Russians and the Sovereign Order of Malta were already on speaking terms when the Knights arrived in St. Petersburg, and that diplomatic contacts between the Russian Empire and the Knights had existed since 1697.Emperor Paul was assassinated in 1801 as part of a plot.Alexander I formally disbanded the Orthodox Russain Grand Priory in 1817, therefore ending the Sovereign Order of Malta in Russia."

Ruyan reached into her shoulder holster and pulled out her suppressed CZ handgun, but she didn't raise it up, instead keeping it at her side, adding, "There must be another file in these records."

The curator leafed through the books.Carefully studying them as he came across a file titled Knight of Hospitaller of Malta saying" In this doucement here it said that there was a curator at St John's Co-cathedral by the name Raffaele de Vallette Fransico, who stood guard over the Knight of Malta archives and the Ad providam doucement titled Papa Bull which was issued, by Pope Clement V that disbanded the order of the Knights of Templar. The need transferred all assets to the hospitallers. And another document issued by Pope Paschal II, the Pie postullatio voluntatis, which acknowledged the founded Knights of Hospitallers."

"Where are two documents now?" she asked.

"Now they are maintained at the National Library of Malta in Valletta," the curator remarked.

"What about this curator, is he still alive?" The foreign agent inquired.

"No," responded the curator. According to reports, Raffaele Fransico was murdered by a hospitaller inside Valletta's National Library. It's worth noting that he was a member of the Sovereign Order of Malta and a Knight of the Hospitallers."

"He must have a wife and a daughter," Ruyan stated.

"Yeah, it says a Crista de Vallette Fransico, that's about all," the curator muttered.

She could see everything coming together now. This curator at Saint John's Co-Cathedral was a knight in disguise. Of course, everyone who suspects a curator is a knight. As a result, the Russian tradition of Knights of the Hospitallers existed.Well, she wasn't going to let it stop her from being the first women to become a grandmaster. All in good time, she reasoned.The time has come for her to resurrect the Russian legacy of the Order of the Knights.

"I've finished what you asked Ms Ruyan," the curator stated.

. "I'm going to require those docs immediately Your done is," The spymaster demanded.

The curator had gathered all of the files and placed them in a huge thick vanilla envelope before handing it over to Ruyan. She snatched the envelope from the curator's grasp.The curator appeared concerned, not knowing what was going on or what was going to happen to him. He had followed her instructions. But he had heard stories about Ruyan and how cruel she was, which made him anxious and fearful for his life.

"Yes, you have, and I will have one of my men fly you back to St. Petersburg when I am finished," Ruyan remarked.

She came out of the study and grasped the door as it strolled out of the safe home. When she walked over to the helicopter, she turned back and realized she needed to pay a visit to the curator since he knew a lot about where her safe house was.The armed GRU agent grasped the chopper door for her. Ruyan entered, and the GRU man slammed the door shut. The chopper took up into the skies above the city.She reapplied her dark shades, remembering how, like the phoenix, she had risen from the ashes to be better and more deadly.