code of the vine weevils

“dr. brogan sir,” the secretary’s voice sounded over the intercom, “it is almost 8 pm sir, would you like me to stay any longer?” the startled mathematician quickly minimized the computer screen and composed himself, “no no miss engram, you may leave now, and thank you.” the man sat back in his leather chair in the darkened office and rubbed his eyes for a moment before picking up the straight ruler and pencil once again and going back over the crumpled print-outs that lay spread across his desk in cluttered piles. “my lord, the code, it's true!” he spoke in a trembling whisper. doctor paul brogan was a serious man of science who’s ideas and notions didn’t give in to the realm of fiction or fancy, but what he had inadvertently stumbled upon frightened him to the point where he had contacted the office of cardinal marsalis varivius, the head of the vatican’s secret code archives and second in command at the vatican library only to the pope’s albino gardener, "luigi." the phone suddenly began to ring and paul almost knocked over his coffee. dr. brogan’s hand shook as it hovered over the receiver, but something deep down told him not to answer it. after the sixth ring the answering machine picked up and a strange voice began to speak in a thick italian accent, “good’a evening dr. a’brogan, i hear you have a’some information to which you a’have recently come into a’possession, you see sir, i know all a’bout the j. lo code,” there was a long pause then the voice continued, “…please a’contact me immediately at the vatican’s office of a’gardening.” paul leaped from his seat and yanked the phone cord out of the wall before the voice could finish. ”my lord, they are on to me!” he quickly grabbed all the print-outs off the desk and stuffed them into his briefcase and opened his cell phone and nervously dialed his secretary, “miss engram, this is dr. brogan, i need you to listen to me very carefully my dear, if anything should happen to me, i need you to contact jennifer lopez and tell her…” his voice was suddenly cut off as a small bullet tore through the office window, striking the doctor in the neck and killing him instantly. a strange figure with pink eyes and white hair was later seen leaving dr. brogan’s office carrying a briefcase and a level-headed #14 forged bow rake. the strange figure spoke with a hushed tone into his phone in the back of the speeding taxi, “the j. lo code is a’safe sir.” “very good my son,” the voice said on the other end, “now get back to the base, it looks as though we may have vine weevils on the hydrangeas again.”