It turned out that the safe spot Sasha was talking about was nothing more than a cheap motel room, not very different than the other places Purdue had been keeping a low profile in. It was hardly secure as Purdue doubted that the thin door of the room could hold out against a legion of Black Sun assassins. He did his best to try and relax.
In the dead of night, Purdue cradled the Scarlet Sword in his arms tightly as he sat in the ratty motel room Sasha had found for them. It was like holding a bomb that would explode if you dropped it. His whole life depended on this blade. One misstep and it could all be over. He had seen how quickly that assassin died after losing the sword. It had only taken seconds. Sure, wielding the sword gave the wielder inhuman strength and agility, but none of that would do you any good when you were sleeping or if someone else happened to find the sword. That power came at much too high a price...but that's what made it a curse, he supposed.
It was hard to sleep knowing that someone could take the sword when his defenses were down and he wasn't completely conscious. It was like having his heart exposed and available to be pried out of his chest. His life was more vulnerable than ever before.
“You need to rest,” came Sasha' voice from the other bed. “You'll need all of the energy you can get if the order tracks you down again. Can't have you swinging that sword about like a sleep deprived fool. It'll get you killed.”
Purdue expressed all of the anxiety he'd been having, hoping that vocalizing it would make her understand his trepidation. “It's not exactly easy to fall asleep when your lifeline is in your hands. Someone could easily take it.”
“Oh please,” Sasha said, and despite the darkness, he could tell she rolled her eyes. “It's not so different from anyone else at any other time. It's the same as someone sneaking in and slitting your throat in your sleep. News flash, Purdue, everyone is always at risk, whether you have a cursed sword or not. Only difference is that there's just an extra way to kill you now. Get over it.”
“Are you trying to comfort me? Because if you are, you are absolute shit at it.”
“I don't give a damn about your comfort. You've lived most of your life being rich and comfortable. Now you finally have gotten to see how fragile you are...how fragile we all are.”
“Have you always been this unpleasant, or did your time licking Julian Corvus' boots make you that way?”
Sasha was quiet for some time. “Unpleasant as I may be, I saved your ass. Multiple times now. I shouldn't hear anything from you besides gratitude.”
It was Purdue's turn to roll his eyes. “You didn't do it out of the goodness of your heart. We both know that, eh? No, you needed me to kill Julian. You just wanted a weapon...”
“Sure...but none of that changes the fact that I saved your life.”
“I guess not...but what the hell am I supposed to do now?”
The pair of them lay in the dark. Neither of them liked the other, but they found themselves in a situation where that didn't matter. Their differences wouldn't help them. They only shared hatred for the current leader of the Order of the Black Sun. That hatred would have to be enough.
Purdue finally found some rest, but he woke up feeling even more tired than he had the night before. His dreams were anxious ones that showed him the possibility of losing hold of the sword that was now bound to his life.
When he woke up from those uneasy visions, he found that the bed beside him was empty. Sasha had left in the middle of the night without any sort of goodbye or even a note. He felt like some spurned lover that had just been discarded without any sort of reason. Hopefully when Sasha returned from her trip back to the secret society, she would have information that they could use against their common enemy.
That all depended on if he could even survive that long. As much as he didn't want to admit it, that sword's curse might be the death of him.
4
CHAPTER FOUR – LIVING A CURSED LIFE
Purdue was completely alone once more, and now more paranoid than ever. He kept the sword at his side every minute of the day, like he would die if it even fell to the carpet. He stayed holed up in his motel room, trying to do some research on the Scarlet Sword that had very quickly become the most important thing in his life.
Purdue's knowledge of the Templars was limited at best. There were some ventures that he felt personally connected with and passionate about. Those were the ones that meant the most to him, and those were the ones that he spent the most time researching for. None of those ever involved the Knights Templar, so he unfortunately didn't know much about them.
That was part of what made Dr. Nina Gould such a good friend to have and to be working with. With her interest in history, she was a walking encyclopedia for everything he didn't know. Since her capture, he'd been left with his much less detailed knowledge to use.
He didn't have a choice but to be invested in this one. Like it or not, he was forced to be invested the second that he picked up the Scarlet Sword.
In his mind, the Templars were just a group of knights that fought in the deserts during the crusades, but he quickly discovered that was a very narrow-minded view of them. From where he sat, doing his research with the Scarlet Sword resting securely beside him, he learned far more. The Templars were indeed knights and warriors with a particular devotion to their religion. They were remembered for the red cross they used as a standard, but it was their discipline that was remarkable. Purdue had come across relics from other crusaders before, like the Hospitallers' role in finding the Spear of Destiny, but the Templars were an entirely different caliber of holy warriors.
Their ranks didn't just include knights, however, but influential members of society for a few hundred years. In fact, as Purdue learned, only about ten percent of Templars were actual knights. The rest of the Templars helped shape history from all corners of life, not just from the battlefield of the holy land.
He couldn't help but a feel a bit bitter toward the Templars, despite all of them being long dead. The ancient order of holy knights was to blame for this latest predicament of his. Because of them and their wars in the name of God, his entire life now depended on a damn broadsword. He wished that they'd never blessed, enchanted, cursed, or whatever it was that they had done to that sword. They had no idea how that stunt would affect people—namely him—hundreds of years later. And it was all just so they could cut down a few more heretic enemies than usual.
Because of them, he couldn't even relax while keeping a low profile. Every moment of his day now was spent thinking about the safety of the sword that his life was bound to. There would be no more spending quiet moments in bookstores; no shop was going to let him go waltzing in with a medieval broadsword hanging off his belt. He wouldn't be able to go out in public at all without inciting nervousness and possible panic.
He sat around for most of two days, doing nothing but making sure that his sword was beside him. He didn't hear anything from Sasha, but at least he also had no signs of any more killers out to get down. Hearing nothing was better than hearing something bad.
The loneliness was starting to get to him. He was in a state of near constant paranoia and anxiety and needed someone to talk to in order to get his mind off of it. He would have loved to have talked to Nina, but that wasn't even remotely an option, especially since he wasn't even positive she was still alive.
Instead, Purdue called one of the only people in the world that he trusted—his colleague, Sam Cleave. They'd been on countless adventures together and had only recently been reunited after the Order of the Black Sun tried to kill them both. Sam thought Purdue died, just like the rest of the world did, and was shocked and relieved to see him alive. They had been planning to rescue Nina and Charles together, but this whole cursed sword business had thrown a wrench into those plans. Purdue needed to figure out how to protect his own life before he could move forward with their plans.
“Purdue? Where the hell have you been?” The concern in Sam's voice was surprising. As much as they got on
each other’s nerves sometimes, they were part of the same team and had been through a lot together. “Haven't heard from you in like a week.”
“Got myself into something of a pickle,” Purdue said, trying to keep it vague. With more Black Sun assassins no doubt on the way, Purdue didn't want to get Sam involved in this. “It's going to be a little bit for me to sort out, I'm afraid.”
“What kind of a pickle?” Sam asked, ever the curious one. “What are you going on about?”
“Oh, you know, the kind that will kill me if I make one wrong move. The kind that involves, ancient knights, and supercharged swords, and curses...with a Black Sun member or two thrown in. Nothing more than the usual day for me, eh?”
“Did you say the Black Sun?” Sam asked, sounding panicked now.
“Aye, unfortunately. Bastards sent a man with a magic sword to kill me. Obviously, he failed but it's caused quite a few...complications. It's a bit of a mess, but rest assured, I've got it handled for the moment.”
“Where are you?” Sam asked, but it was more of a demand. “I can get Aya and some others on her crew and we can come…”
Purdue laughed. “Save yourself the trouble, Sam. I don't need any back up on this one. Besides, worry about yourself. They may have sent a killer after you too. Keep a low profile. Keep your head down. The usual for us. Things will be back to normal in no time, and from there, we can get back to work.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone as Sam contemplated the situation. He was pissed, Purdue knew that. He hated being left out of the mix, especially when it came to life and death situations. He was still furious with himself that he hadn't been there when the Black Sun burned down Purdue's home and took Nina. He didn't realize that he wouldn't have made a difference. He would have either been killed or taken just like everyone else had been. Purdue was just glad to still have him as an active ally.
As charming as Sasha was, he liked knowing he had a real friend still in this fight.
“Take care of yourself, Sam. I'll be in touch when I get this all sorted out.”
Sam relented. “You better be.”
5
CHAPTER FIVE - ARMING THE SECOND WAVE
Galen, despite his narcissism and his vile autobiography, had proven to be a fairly useful addition to the Order of the Black Sun's ranks. He hobbled in with his walking stick, tapping the floor. He limped right up to Julian's desk and plopped down lazily in the chair across from him. He rudely rested his cane on top of the papers Julian was looking over. It was that kind of behavior that made Julian sometimes second guess why they ever let him into the order. Every time he felt that though, Galen would do something helpful. He was a helpful tool, even if he was a sickeningly obnoxious one.
Galen threw his arms up in the air and shrugged. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first, oh mighty leader?”
Julian was used to having to endure Galen's flare for the dramatic. “Whichever is more interesting.”
“Well, our operatives report that Victor found Purdue.”
“So why isn't Victor here telling me that himself? With Purdue's head in his hands?”
Galen giggled. “I'm sure you can figure that out. Put two and two together. Not too hard to connect those dots for yourself.”
“Victor's dead,” Julian surmised, hoping that it wasn't the case but not entirely surprised. Still, a chill moved through him, turning his insides to sharp shards of ice. David Purdue had that persistent effect on him. “Purdue killed him.”
“They say it was a heart attack. That's what the examiners on the scene said. Witnesses say that Victor and a man that sounds remarkably like good ole' Davy Purdue were in a bit of a scrap in the street when Victor dropped dead.”
Julian knew exactly what that meant. It must have been strange for the spectators. They didn't know about the unseen forces at work during that fight. Purdue hadn't killed Victor; not directly. The enforcer had succumbed to the curse of the Scarlet Sword.
“He lost the sword,” Julian said confidently. “I warned him not to, and that big ox did anyway. That's disappointing, but if he lost it then he deserved to pay the price.”
“That's not all...” Galen continued. “The people who saw it happen say that a woman interfered in the fight. Drew a gun on Victor.”
“A woman?” The only woman that Julian knew would help Purdue was locked nice and tight in her holding cell. Nina Gould hadn't been there. Then who had been? Had Purdue made a new friend after his fake death? That was possible...
“Yeah, from the sounds of it, Purdue and her ran off with the sword after Victor collapsed from the heart attack. No one saw where they went, and the police haven't found them yet.”
A new player would complicate things, especially when she was an unknown element. They would have to find her. Anyone who helped Purdue needed to be removed from the playing board; just like he had removed Nina Gould, Jean-Luc Gerard, and even that butler, Charles. They had become far less problematic since he took them prisoner, excluding one foolish escape attempt. From the sounds of it, Victor would have had Purdue if not for this surprise ally.
Julian thought more about the report, and a thought occurred to him. “So Mr. Purdue has the sword then? He took it from Victor, and that's what killed Victor?”
“It sounds like it.”
Julian couldn't help but smile. “Good.”
“Huh? How the hell is that a good thing?”
“Simple, Mr. Fitzgerald,” Julian said like he was speaking to a toddler. “If he's the new wielder of the Scarlet Sword, then the curse is on him now, just as it was on Victor. With some luck, he'll die for real this time without us even having to lift a finger. It's only a matter of time until he misplaces that weapon and dies for it.”
Galen looked a bit put out. “So we're just going to wait it out? Let him lose the sword at some point and die? Seems like a waste of time when we could just kill him now. Speed up the process, eh? He might never lose the sword. He'll probably keep under lock and key.”
“We've broken through all of his locks before,” Julian reminded him, thinking back to how they had put Purdue's home under siege and taken all of the artifacts he had collected. “But you're right. We shouldn't just wait. We could, of course, but David Purdue is a clever cockroach. He could find the way to get out of this curse if given enough time.”
“There's a way out of it?”
“Yes, indeed. Very few know about it. Only us former Eclipsed members that acquired the Scarlet Sword from its resting place. It needs to be returned there.”
“And you didn't think to share this with Victor?”
“I'm afraid it slipped my mind,” Julian said with sadistic joy. “I may have if he had gotten the job done. But, we shouldn't rely on the sword's curse alone to finish Purdue off. I won't make the same mistake that we made with that house fire. We need to kill him and be sure he's dead this time.”
Galen very visibly agreed and looked relieved that they weren't just going to wait for the Scarlet Sword's curse to do its work. They both hated David Purdue and were itching for a chance to see him really dead.
Julian considered his options. He had put too much faith in Victor, and now Purdue had the strength that Scarlet Sword granted him. If they were going to go after him now, then they would need to overwhelm him. Sending in one fighter wouldn't be nearly enough, no matter how skilled they were. The wielder of the sword would be another level.
Whomever he sent might not have to defeat Purdue in combat. They would just need to at least be able to disarm him and take the blade—even for a moment—and let the sword's curse take care of the rest. If they could do that, then Purdue would be dead no matter what.
He would summon the rest of the order's top killers, arm them with weapons that could contend with the Scarlet Sword, and let them loose to finish Victor's hunt. Surely, they would be enough to knock that sword out of Purdue's hands.
The plan forward was clear enough to Julian.
; “Tell Mr. Dane to gather all of the weapons in the deep vault again.”
“He won't like that,” Galen laughed. “He just finished putting them all back into storage.”
“I don't care if he'll like it. We'll need even more firepower this time.”
The deep vaults had once again been turned into a demonstration hall for all of the many old weapons that were stored there. Julian had come with three men to examine all of the many possibilities that they could use in their mission.
Elijah Dane looked just as annoyed about showcasing the deep vault's weapons as he had been when he showed Victor. He didn't appreciate all of those relics being used so callously. As curator, he didn't even try to hide his displeasure that they had already lost the Scarlet Sword to David Purdue.
And the team of enforcers that Julian had handpicked to try and go after Purdue again weren't exactly the most careful and trustworthy of people. Putting these priceless artifacts in their hands seemed like a guarantee that they wouldn't be brought back in one piece. They looked over the assortment of relics like little boys in a toy store, and that was exactly what worried Elijah.
All three of them were intimidating like Victor had been, and each looked hungry for some excitement. Excitement for them usually came with a helping of violence, murder, and destruction.
Clive, the largest of the three was built as strong as an oak tree. Victor had been a big man, but in comparison, Clive was a giant. His long sandy hair draped over a chiseled face. He picked up a long battle ax, admiring it. “What is this?”
“An ax,” Elijah said plainly with some attitude, folding his arms. He hated that these elephants were going to be using things that they knew nothing about. Julian shot Elijah a glance that warned him to cooperate and elaborate. Elijah grudgingly continued. “It was said to be wielded by invading Northmen during the siege of Paris. They say its blade was stained with the blood of so many Franks, that it absorbed power from its victims' souls.”
Order of the Black Sun Box Set 10 Page 22
