It was this five-year disappearance that led Nikolai to believe Gutenberg had been in the possession of something exceptionally dangerous and went to great lengths to hide it. He confirmed this opinion with a story from a priest at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame in Strasbourg: In the winter of 1438, an associate of Gutenberg’s named Andres Dritzehen died unexpectedly. When Gutenberg heard the news, he sent a message to Dritzehen’s home: Destroy everything. A few days later, Gutenberg showed up to ensure his command had been carried out. To his horror, the object of their secret collaboration had disappeared. What the project was and why Gutenberg was so concerned about its discovery was still unknown.

Did Xandria have the answer?

“Leo Kahn is a saint compared to you,” August said. “I really don’t care who ends up with the book. Just as long as my son is safe.”

“And he will be, if you do exactly what I say.” Xandria held up her cell phone. “Every sixty minutes, I will receive a call from the man detaining your son. He will ask me if he should kill the boy. If I tell him no, then Charlie lives to see another day. But if I tell him yes . . .”

August envisioned a gun pressed against Charlie’s head and shuddered. “I already told you I’d give you the book.”

“I’m glad to hear it. But that’s not all you will do.”

August let his head tip back against the headrest. Xandria could ask him to strip down to his socks, and he’d have to do it. “One hundred million dollars goes a long way these days. What more could you want?”

“I’ll explain when the time comes,” Xandria said. She looked as if she had more to say but was cut short by the ringing of her phone. She held the device by the antenna like she was holding a dead mouse. She snuggled her shoulder against his. “What do you think I should do?”

August wanted to choke the life from her body. “Just answer it,” he said.

Xandria flipped open the phone. “Then we have a deal?”

Without hesitating, August answered, “Of course we do.”

“Good,” Xandria said. She whispered a few words into the receiver. After a short discussion, she hung up. “My associate tells me your son is a troublemaker. But it sounds like he isn’t half as irritating as your mother-in-law.”

“Ex-mother-in-law,” August said. As much as he disliked Grandma Rose, he was glad she was with Charlie. He remembered one time at a theme park a man accidentally flicked some cigarette ashes on Charlie’s head. Before he could react, Grandma Rose had taken the cigarette out of the man’s hand and extinguished it on his forehead. Over the sounds of his screaming, Grandma Rose proceeded to give him a lecture on the dangers of smoking.