“What other Vatican-related information is stored here?”

“We have meticulously documented all our interactions with the Vatican. I believe you’ll find it quite intriguing. Before Hannah’s arrival, we were keeping a close eye on Father Eugenio Pacelli. . . . You’re familiar with him, aren’t you?”

“He ascended to the papacy as Pope Pius XII.”

“Correct. Pacelli, in conjunction with the Black Nobility, was meticulously orchestrating their ultimate confrontation against us. Upon his ascension to the papacy in ‘39, he set in motion Hitler’s initiation of World War II with the invasion of Poland later that year. Pacelli then directed Hitler to round up the Jews and seize all their possessions—their artwork, homes, real estate, gold, cash. Everything. Pacelli essentially held the Jews hostage for ransom.”

“Ransom for what?”

“Solomon’s treasure.”

Mario remained silent, stunned by Dominic’s revelation, eagerly awaiting further elucidation.

“With Pacelli manipulating Hitler like a marionette, the Nazis swelled in numbers and power. We were vastly outnumbered. Pacelli was convinced they were the rightful inheritors of Solomon’s treasure and used the Jews as leverage to try and force our hand.”

“This is a lot of information. Is there some place to sit down?”

“Certainly. Let’s move to the reading area.” The Templar guided Mario down the aisle to an open space furnished with four leather chairs arranged in a circle. As Mario settled into a chair, he encouraged Dominic to continue with the account of the covert war between the Templars and the Vatican.

“As I mentioned, we were significantly outnumbered by the Nazis and Mussolini’s Fascists. The Vatican had their puppet strings attached to Germany, Italy, and the United States. The pope pulled Hitler’s strings in Germany, his brother manipulated Mussolini in Italy, and FDR was under the influence of Catholic cardinals and the archbishop in the United States. We were at a stark disadvantage during the initial years of World War II.”

“You’re suggesting that World War II was a grandiose game of chess between the Vatican and the Templars, vying for control of Solomon’s treasure?” Mario was struggling to digest this revelation. He had been raised on the teachings of the Catholic Church. Now he was hearing that the Vatican was essentially a bully, fighting to reclaim their ‘toy’—the invaluable treasure of King Solomon that the Templars had discovered and sworn to protect. It felt as though the Vatican and the pope were merely a facade, an elaborate ruse in their pursuit of the world’s most precious treasure.

“Yes, I suppose that’s a succinct summary of World War II.”

Mario stared at Dominic. This contradicted everything taught in history classes worldwide, everything taught in Catholic schools. What was the truth? What was a lie?

Seeing Mario struggling to comprehend, Dominic continued his explanation. “That’s when we manipulated the Japanese into bombing Pearl Harbor in December 1941.”

“Wait! You provoked them into bombing Pearl Harbor?”

“Yes, to draw the United States into the war. We had heard the Nazis were planning a meeting in December 1941 to intensify their extermination of the Jews.”

Mario fell silent again, absorbing this shocking information. He still couldn’t believe that World War II was essentially an elaborate chess match between two competing shadow powers.

“Regrettably, the bombing only postponed the meeting by a month. The senior government leaders of the Nazi Party convened in Wannsee, Germany.”

“The Wannsee Conference,” Mario interjected. “That’s where the Nazis formulated their plans for the Final Solution to the Jewish Problem.”

“Correct.”

“Reinhard Heydrich and Adolf Eichmann spearheaded the effort,” Mario added, using his newfound knowledge regarding the Final Solution.

“Indeed. It was at the Wannsee Conference that the pope escalated the extermination the Jews. The ball, metaphorically speaking, was back in our court.”

“What did you do?”

“We were limited in power. The United States was now in the war, but they were moving too slowly. We recruited volunteers across Europe to hide Jews or assist them in escaping the Nazis. I’m sure you’ve heard some of those stories.”

“You mean like Anne Frank?”

“Indeed. Tragically, Anne and her family were discovered and transported to a death camp where they succumbed to the horrors of the gas chambers.”

“Your volunteers couldn’t stem the tide.”

“Indeed. The Nazis were systematically exterminating tens of thousands of Jews daily across Eastern Europe in their death camps.”

“So what could you do?”

“We formulated a more extensive plan. Bear in mind, the pope had a significant head start in planning this war. The Grand Master Templar Knight and his lieutenants responded by developing our own Templar Final Solution to terminate the war.”

Mario leaned in, captivated by this untold piece of intelligence. “What was the Templar Final Solution?”

Dominic glanced at his watch, realizing he needed to return upstairs. “Rather than me narrating, let me fetch you the archival journal from the Master Templar himself, detailing their grand scheme.” Dominic rose and retraced their steps down the aisle. Returning with a book, he handed it to Mario. “This will provide you with the specifics of the Templar Final Solution of 1945.” As Mario examined the book’s cover, Dominic added, “I must return upstairs. I’ll come back down in a few hours to see how you’re doing.”

“Thank you for all the explanations. And thank you”—Mario met Dominic’s gaze—”you saved my life. I am eternally grateful.”

Dominic nodded, turned, and exited the sitting area.

Mario reclined in the leather club chair, ready to delve into the journal the Templar had given him.

Chapter 77

1 April 1945

Sunday Morning

Rome, Italy

Five desperate Templar Knights huddled around a circular conference table, their minds whirring with strategies to halt the war. The Vatican held the reins of power, controlling the Axis forces with an iron grip.

“The Nazis are systematically eradicating millions of Jews in their extermination camps,” the Templar Lord declared with a grave tone. “Their brutality towards the Jewish hostages knows no bounds. The pope will not cease this war until we surrender the ransom.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over each of his lieutenants, a steely determination etched on his face. “We cannot allow him to take possession of Solomon’s Treasure. What’s our countermove?”

“The Allies are unable to penetrate the Eastern Bloc cities with aircraft to obliterate the camps. The pope has strategically scattered hundreds of camps throughout Eastern Europe to prevent an effective response,” a knight replied.

“I’m not interested in their limitations. What resources do we have at our disposal?” the Templar Lord thundered, his fist crashing down on the conference table, demanding solutions.

“What if we eliminate the top leaders?” another knight proposed. The daring solution hung in the air.

“What are you suggesting?”

“Assassinate Hitler, Mussolini . . . and Roosevelt, to provoke the Americans out of their complacency. Sever the head, and the body will perish.”

“Germany, Italy, and the United States,” the Templar Lord mused, considering the audacious idea. “All three are vital cogs in the pope’s war machine. This could be our game-changer.”

The four Templars sat in silence, watching their Templar Lord as he mulled over this new strategy.

“Include Joseph Goebbels on the hit list. He’s the natural successor to Hitler. His elimination is crucial,” the Templar Lord decided, crafting a comprehensive plan to dismantle the pope’s top leaders.