30 Pieces of Silver

For hundreds of years, the secret sect of Dies Iraes (or Day of Wrath Council) work has been focus on narrowing down the time line of the rapture by interpreting and decoding hidden secrets of the Bible. The revelation that lead to the founding of the Dies Iraes was based on a passage suggesting that Judas' influence would circulate the globe leaving only catastrophic devastation in its wake. It further states that Judas' reign of terror will cease only in lieu of the rapture – a calm before the storm.

From the archives of Dies Iraes in the Vatican Library:

To Cardinal Beenividal Grotin
11 December 1863
In a race against time itself, we are desperately attempting to trace the last of the Judas' 30 pieces of silver. A clear connection of chaos defines the path of these coins. The Catholic church has already confirmed that 25 of the 30 coins have been laid to rest in the ruins of history, leaving only 5 remaining Shekels of Tyre unaccounted for. We are truly on the cusp of the final days, my brothers.
There are suspicions that all 5 of the coins are no longer in play. I am embarking on another top secret mission tomorrow week to investigate a potential siting of one of the 30. Pray for me, my brother, and remember to repent – we know not how many days lie ahead of us.
Your Earnest Brother,
Cardinal Francis Ardivaz

To Pope Pius IX 19 December 1863
We have arrived too late. The Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated yesterday in Sarajevo, less than a week after receiving an honorary metal from the melted silver of a Shekel coin. Although we cannot visually confirm the Shekel as one of the 30 in its altered form, given the calamitous uproar occurring across the globe already, and the political alliances of the late Archduke, I do believe the coin to be of Judas. The consequences of today may be more far reaching than we can currently comprehend. Tensions are mounting all over the world and talk of war is already on the horizon.
The Archduke will be given a state funeral, where all his medals and awards will be showcased on his person. I believe the final resting place of the 5th piece will be in the form of 3 silver stars clipped to the neck of his collar and buried 6 feet under Austrian soil.
Your Faithful Servant,
Cardinal Francis Ardivaz

To Pope Benedict XV 20 April 1912
Our fears have been realized. I have seen it with mine own eyes. The documents confirm that an avid coin collector named David Pandurl secured one of the 30 in the Liverpool auction of Coins of Antiquity in 1902. He bought it in a bundle of other coins from the era of Caesar. The coins remained in his safe deposit box for the last 10 years.
His widow, Bethany, said that he decided to donate it to the New York Museum of History and Art in honor of the opening of their new wing of Ancient Rome. He was en route to New York to personally deliver the coins when the disaster occurred. His ship, the Titanic, sank in the north Atlantic taking with it over 1,500 passengers. The 4th Shekel's final resting place lays at the bottom of the ocean.
We are down to 4 coins, Father. We are officially in the End of Days.
Your Devoted Servant,
Cardinal Matthew Bauems

To Cardinal Luis Aponte Martinez 7 October 1945
I am afraid, my dear friend, that we have Judas to blame for the war around us. It seems his coins are lining the way to hell. Where you see strife, I see Judas' flashing silver in the shadows. The Third Reich and Axis powers are growing stronger each day with power that can only be derived from Satan himself.
It is my belief that Adolf Hitler, in his research of the occult, has discovered the secret of the Shekel and is using it to empower his troops just as the Ark of the Covenant was used by the Hebrews to secure victory. If I am right, then this is the 3rd coin to appear in less than a hundred years. The time line is progressing much more rapidly than before. There are only two left and at this rate, I'm not sure the world can survive another two visits from Judas.
Your Brother in Christ,
Cardinal Marco Ce'

To Pope John Paul II 12 November 2003
After many dead ends, we have verified the path of the 2nd coin. Just as Judas betrayed our Lord with a kiss, so was this undoing prompted by an otherwise innocent act. When Luke Nettleson was promoted to CEO in 1999, he received a silver pocket watch with a Shekel coin on the face as a gift from his colleagues.
Two years later, on September 11, 2001, the first of the four airplanes crashed directly into his office. The death toll exceeded 3,000 people. Nettleson's body was never recovered. His assistant reports that he was never seen without the watch. Thus, we must assume the watch has found its final resting place at Ground Zero.
It is not for me to advise you, Your Holiness, but to inform you. Taking into consideration the recent increase in the silver's activity, the Dies Iraes is fairly certain that the final coin will leave its mark on mankind within the next 50 years. The time of Christ is here.
May God's Will be Done,
Cardinal Angelo Sodano