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Langdon and Vittoria arrive at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport aboard the X-33 after a remarkably fast thirty-seven-minute flight. The pilot, unaware of their mission, asks what is happening, but neither answers. Outside the private hangar, Vittoria briefly composes herself in the sun while Langdon notes the time on his Mickey Mouse watch.

A Vatican helicopter approaches to take them onward. Langdon recognizes the Holy See’s seal on the craft and worries about another flight, having hoped for a car instead. The helicopter lands, and its pilot emerges in the traditional blue-and-gold uniform of the Swiss Guard.

The Swiss Guard verifies that Langdon and Vittoria are from CERN, notes their quick arrival, and objects to Vittoria’s shorts because visible legs above the knee are not permitted inside Vatican City. He then searches Langdon for weapons and inspects Vittoria without patting her down after she refuses, checking only her cell phone and her visible clothing.

Langdon and Vittoria board the Vatican helicopter. When Vittoria asks whether the canister has been located, the guard appears confused and says he knows nothing about it; his commander only ordered him to pick them up. This leaves Vittoria and Langdon unsettled as they lift off toward Rome, where the stolen antimatter remains a hidden, ticking threat at the center of the city.