The Templar Reprisals (The Best Thrillers Book 3) by James Best (read any book txt) 📕

to persecute the order out of existence. Or at least, that was his plan. We escaped with much of our treasure and relocated to Scotland.”

“That’s a self-serving interpretation of history,” Evart said.

“In what way?”

“The Catholic Church did more than abet the persecution of Templars. Many priests and bishops across Europe passed sentence on these men and sentenced them to horrific deaths. That doesn’t sound like the Church believed the Templars innocent of heresy.”

“The Chinon Parchment proves me right,” Lewis said. “Look it up.”

“I’ve heard of it. But even if your interpretation is accurate, how can you claim nation-state powers?”

“The United States became a nation due to the Declaration of Independence. The first paragraph of the Declaration states that the people who inhabited the colonies would ‘assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them.’ Prior to the Declaration, the world was predominantly ruled by the Divine Right of Kings. The Enlightenment set that idea on its head by declaring that rather than monarchs being God’s chosen ones, every man was ‘endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.’ Templars included. We assumed the equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle us. Although unnecessary, our equal station was recognized officially by the Pope himself. A later Pope did not have the power to undo what God entitled.”

“Damn it, governments are a social contract. They have only powers delegated to them by the people. Who delegated to you the power to kill?”

“While I appreciate your high school civics lesson, you know that’s naïve. We may wish that were so, but in truth, government power really comes from the ability to coerce behavior … or terminate life. Only in rare instances have governments been restrained by words on parchment.”

When Evarts didn’t respond, Lewis added, “Our membership is highly democratic. Far more egalitarian than any nation on earth. We elect our leaders. We have a written code, similar to a constitution. So … even on your terms, we exercise delegated powers.”

Evarts had remained quiet because he knew that he had let his emotions get the better of him. His goal should be to find out more about the Templars, not challenge their authority or argue philosophical points. Now he had a problem. He had revealed that he didn’t have much sympathy for the Templars. It would be too obvious if he suddenly switched, so he needed a transition that would allow him to continue the dialogue.

Evarts asked evenly, “Many refer to you as vigilantes. Meting out justice on your own terms. How do you respond to that charge?”

“The Templars have a code that goes back almost a millennium. We don’t attack indiscriminately, we defend Judeo/Christians against indiscriminate attacks. We were sanctioned by Pope Honorius II to protect the pilgrims on the road to the Holy Land from Islamic raids. We continue to honor that original edict. The Islamists we’ve killed were engaged in terrorism or planning terrorist acts.”

“A code?” Evarts said. “A chivalrous code?”

“No, that’s a behavior. Our code is our supreme law. The medieval term was rule, today we simply call it our code.”

“Did you update the code, or just what you call it?” Evarts asked sarcastically. “I seem to remember that the original rule forbade bathing, sex, ornamentation, and required beards, odd underclothing, and silence at meals … among other things I can’t recall at the moment.”

“My, very good. Yes, you are quite right. We were a monastic order. However, once freed from the Vatican, we updated our code many times in the last six hundred years. Always democratically, of course.” He laughed. “You’ll notice I wear no beard, I bathe, and I can assure you, my underwear is dull.”

“Sex?”

“Restricted, but no longer prohibited.”

They were approaching the entrance to the cemetery.

“If you don’t mind … or even if you do, let’s leave this until after our tour of the cemetery. I have friends here.”

“As do I,” Lewis said. “As do I.”

Evarts looked at Lewis.

He returned the gaze. “Our commitment to fight Islamic terrorism does not come without cost.”

Chapter 19

The walk around Arlington Cemetery had been somber for Evarts. Lewis had wandered out of sight and Evarts hoped their shadow took note of which graves he visited. You never know where you might find a clue. For his part, Evarts spent some quiet moments at the grave of an army buddy who had died helping him fight another secret society.

When they met up at the entrance, they both walked quietly back toward the hotel. Who would speak first? Evarts had decided that it would not be him. He thought about projecting indifference, but he knew Lewis would never buy that. The revelations had been too startling. Instead he tried petulance. An angry expression and silence. He hoped that would be viewed as a natural reaction to their prior conversation.

Nearly halfway back, Lewis spoke. “I know we represent something that goes against the grain. You’re ex-military and a police chief. You assume we take justice into our own hands. Not true. We have careful protocols in place. We never strike preemptively. You saw the brutality on Pont Neuf. You must admit, these people needed to be stopped. Bureaucratic warfare is ineffective against a borderless, multi-national guerrilla force.”

“It takes one to fight one?”

“Exactly right.”

Evarts didn’t think that was all wrong, but neither did he think it was all right. He decided to leave that one be for the moment.

“You claim to never strike preemptively, but earlier you said you took out cells in the planning stage.”

“That’s not preemptive. They’re actively planning to murder innocent people. What I mean is that we leave Islamists alone. Many are innocent religious practitioners, and we don’t want to encourage radicalization. We hit cells only when they engage in terrorism or plan a terrorist act they are capable of carrying out. As far as we’re concerned, Muslims may worship any way they like. They can visit