Chapter 107 Chapter 106

Evening, 11:07.Langdon drove fast through the night in Rome.Speeding now along the Via Lengotevere on the banks of the Tiber, he could see his destination towering like a mountain on his right. Fort Angel. Without warning, the fork in the narrow bridge of Angels appeared before him.Langdon slammed on the brakes and turned in.The car just turned in, but there was a roadblock on the bridge.The car skidded ten feet and hit a row of low concrete pillars blocking the road.The car broke down, shaking and making a "wheezing, wheezing" sound, and Langdon's body suddenly leaned forward.In order to protect the Angel Bridge, only pedestrians can pass on the bridge now, and he has long forgotten this point.

Surprised, Langdon staggered out of the deformed car, wishing he had gone the other way.He was shivering with cold from soaking his clothes in the fountain.He wore a Helles Rent tweed jacket over his wet shirt, luckily the brand was double gusseted so that the page torn from The Illustrations didn't get wet.The stone castle rose like a mountain before him beyond the bridge.Backache and exhaustion, Langdon suddenly broke into a long run. The angels designed by Bernini looked like guards flanking the aisle. At this moment, they flashed from Langdon's left and right sides to the back, watching him run towards his destination.Let the angels guide you on that noble journey.As Langdon ran forward, the castle seemed to rise suddenly into an unclimbable pinnacle, scaring him even more than St. Peter's Basilica.He dashed toward the castle, running furiously, staring intently above it, where a gigantic spear-wielding angel protruded from the circular portion of the castle's center, plunging into the sky.

It looked like an abandoned castle. Langdon knew that, over the centuries, the castle had been used by the Holy See as a tomb, a fortress, a sanctuary for popes, a prison for rival churches, and a museum.Apparently, the castle has other tenants - the Illuminati.Somehow this feels weird.Although the castle is the property of the Vatican, it is used only occasionally, and Bernini has done extensive restoration work on the site over the years.According to rumors, there are now many secret entrances, dark passages and chambers here.Langdon had no doubts that the angel and the surrounding pentagram-shaped gardens were the work of Bernini.

Langdon came to the castle's massive double doors.Pushed hard.As expected, the door wouldn't move at all.Two iron door knockers hung at eye level.Langdon stepped back without knocking, and looked at the steep outer wall.These walls once resisted the attacks of Berbers, pagans and Moors.For some reason, he felt that there was little hope of breaking the door. Victoria, Langdon thought, are you in there?Langdon ran quickly around the outer wall.There must be another entrance here!Rounding the second wall to the west, Langdon came out of breath to a small parking lot outside Rungotre Castle.In this wall he found another entrance to the castle—a drawbridge door—which was pulled up to block the entrance.He stared again at the castle above.

The only light in the castle came from external searchlights shining on the walls, and all the small windows inside looked dark.Langdon looked higher up, at the top of the middle castle, a hundred feet in the air, with a balcony protruding directly below the angel's lance.The marble balustrade seemed to shimmer, as if torches were burning in the room beyond the balcony.Langdon paused, his wet body suddenly shivered.Has figure?He waited and waited, looking hard.Then he saw the figure again, and felt a tingle in his back.There was someone up there! "Victoria!" he yelled uncontrollably, but the sound of the Tiber behind him drowned him out.He turned around in a hurry, not knowing where those damned Swiss guards had gone.Didn't they even get the message he sent?On the other side of the parking lot was a TV interview van.Langdon ran over to find a potbellied man with earphones sitting in the car, adjusting a lever.Langdon tapped on the interview car.The man jumped out, saw Langdon was soaking wet, and yanked off the earphones from his head.

"What's the matter, friend?" His accent was Australian. "I'm going to use your phone," Langdon said excitedly. The man shrugged and said, "I can't dial out, I've been trying all night. All lines are busy." Langdon cursed angrily. "Did you see someone go in there?" He pointed to the suspension bridge as he spoke. "Seriously, yes. A black van was going in and out all night." "Fucking luck," said the Australian, staring at the castle, then frowning at the limited view of the Vatican. "I dare say it must have been a great view from that height. I couldn't squeeze through when I was in St. Peter's Square, and now I have to shoot here."

Langdon wasn't even listening.He was thinking of another way. . "Did you say there really was a Samaritan?" asked the Australian. Langdon turned around and asked, "What?" "Didn't you hear? The captain of the Swiss Guards got a call and the guy said he had firsthand information. That guy is flying over. I just know if he can turn things around... the ratings will go up. !” He laughed out loud. Langdon was stumped.A Samaritan flew over to help?Does he know where the antimatter is?But why did he only tell the Swiss Guards?Why did he come here in person?Something was odd, but Langdon had run out of time to ask.

"Hi," the Australian said, stepping closer to study Langdon. "Aren't you the guy I saw on TV? The guy who tried to save the Cardinal in St. Peter's Square?" Langdon didn't answer, and his eyes suddenly fell firmly on a device on the roof of the interview vehicle—a collapsible stand for a satellite dish.He looked again at the castle. The outer walls were fifty feet high, and the inner bastions were still higher.There are so many obstacles here.It's impossible to climb up to the highest point from here, but if he can get over this wall first... Langdon turned to the journalist, pointed to the satellite mount and asked, "How tall is that thing?"

"Ah?" The man replied with a confused face, "Fifteen meters, what's wrong?" "Pull the car over there and pull over against the wall. Do me a favor." "what are you saying?" Langdon explained it to him. "Are you crazy? That's a $200,000 folding stand. It's not a ladder!" the Australian's eyes widened. "Don't you want ratings? My message will make you laugh." Langdon said eagerly. "Your information is worth two hundred thousand dollars?" In exchange for his help, Langdon told him he could tip him off.

A minute and a half later, Robert Langdon was clinging to the top of the satellite mount, swinging in the wind fifty feet above the ground.He leaned out, grabbed the top of the outer wall and climbed over, landing on the lower bastion. "Well, keep your word!" cried the Australian. "Where is he?" Langdon was condemned by his conscience for leaking the news, but he could not go back on what he had promised.What's more, Black Fiend may also notify the media. "Piazza Navona," Langdon yelled, "he's in the fountain." After getting the scoop, the Australians retracted their satellite dish and hurried off.

In a stone chamber high in the city, Black Fiend took off his soaked boots and bandaged the wound on his toe.The wound was painful, but not enough to stop him from having fun. He turned to face his "prize". She was lying in the corner of the room on an early ottoman, her hands tied behind her back, and her mouth gagged.Heixixing walked towards her.She is awake now.This filled him with joy.Surprisingly.He saw only anger in her eyes, not fear. Terrible things are behind.