The Belial Search

by R. D. Brady

  “The ring bearer has contacted us about these murders,” Kai stressed. “She is asking for our help.”

  “And what has the priestess said?” Enzo demanded.

  “She has turned them down,” Aaliyah said.

  “Why?” Enzo asked.

  “Why does not matter. We must do the right thing here. We must help—”

  “Does she know it is the ring bearer who has asked?” Enzo demanded.

  Aaliyah hesitated. “I do not know.”

  Enzo straightened his shoulders with a smile. “Well, then that is the answer. We will inform the priestess that it is the ring bearer asking for our help, and she will do the right thing.”

  “I am not sure—”

  Enzo’s gaze locked on her. “Are you suggesting we engage in an action without the blessing of the priestess?”

  Aaliyah stared back at him, fear for all those in this room snapping at her heels. If someone was to be held responsible, she would make sure it was her and her alone. “Of course not, brother Enzo. You are right to point out this course of action.”

  He smiled. “I will speak with her myself.”

  Aaliyah agreed with a nod of her head. “Thank you.” Oh, God help us all.

  CHAPTER 58

  Baltimore, Maryland

  A hand touched Laney’s shoulder. “Laney,” Henry said softly.

  Laney’s head jolted upright and she blinked rapidly. “What?”

  “Sorry,” Jen said, placing a cup of coffee on the table in front of her. “Have you been here all night?”

  Laney wiped her eyes. “Yeah.”

  Yesterday, she and Jen had gotten Brian squared away with some SIA agents who took him and his wife into protective custody. While Laney was glad she had saved Brian, she would have been happier if she could find something that linked him to the Katzes—or to anyone else. Laney had shown Brian pictures of the Katzes and Abe Hanley, but he didn’t recognize them. Neither Brian nor his wife had any idea about any Fallen or nephilim that they had come in contact with. And as for the two attackers who had been killed, they weren’t in the system, which meant it was going to take a little longer to learn their identities.

  Laney and Jen had made their way back to Baltimore, and after a quick bite to eat, Laney had sat down in Henry’s office to find something, anything that could link the Katzes to the murders. She had come up with nothing, and she had fallen asleep at Henry’s conference table.

  Laney pulled the coffee mug toward her. “You are a goddess.”

  “I do try,” Jen said. “So what did you find out about the Katzes?”

  “Believe it or not, they’re bloggers,” Laney said.

  “Really?” Henry said, taking a seat next to her.

  Laney nodded. “They have an environmental blog. It’s pretty doom and gloom.”

  “Like what?” Jen asked, sitting on the arm of Henry’s chair.

  “Hold on a sec.” Laney brought up the Katzes’ website and clicked on a post that had caught her attention earlier. “This entry is about the two-degree benchmark that the international community has agreed on for avoiding horrific climate change.”

  Henry and Jen leaned forward to read.

  Two degrees is all that stands between us and dangerous human interference in the climate that will be the point of no return. In the last one hundred years, we have raised the climate by .75 degrees. And each year, we pour more dangerous gases into the air, speeding up that process. Without immediate changes to how we live, we will doom parts of the planet.

  “That’s a little strong,” Henry said, sitting back.

  “Maybe,” Jen said. “But it’s also accurate. As the planet heats up, we’re already seeing a milder version of what the future holds. Storms will grow more intense. Drought will spread, as will wildfires. Winters will be snowier. Summers will be dryer.”

  Laney nodded to her screen. “According to this, we’ll see a fifteen percent reduction in crops across the world, which means famine. And then there’s the mega droughts.”

  “Mega droughts?” Jen asked.

  “According to NASA, it may already be too late to avoid them,” Laney said. “The drought the west coast is currently experiencing? It’s nothing compared to what’s coming. And it will encompass almost the entire western half of the United States. It will be like the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. But where that lasted ten years, this will last thirty, maybe even forty years. And there will be no food and very little water in the western half of the United States during that time.”

  “Well that’s terrifying,” Henry said.

  “What’s that?” Jen pointed to a blog entry titled “The Stupidity of Negative Emissions.”

  Laney clicked on the post. She had done her own research after reading the Katzes’ blog, and this topic had been more than a little terrifying. “It’s criticizing the idea that we can somehow fix the problem of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere after we’ve crossed the threshold by rapidly reducing our emissions after the fact. And again, I agree with these guys. If we can’t reduce emissions before we hit the threshold, it seems pretty stupid to assume we can reduce emissions dramatically afterwards.”

  “You sound like you support them,” Henry said.

  “I support taking better care of the planet,” Laney clarified. “That’s pretty much a no-brainer at this point. I’m just having trouble trying to figure out how these guys went from passionate environmentalists to ritualistic killers.”

  Laney scrolled through older blog posts—on vanishing rain forests, polluted oceans, and cancer spikes. All were topics that environmentalists across the board viewed as critical.

  “Anything on Lemuria?”

  Laney shook her head as she continued to scan. “No, nothing.” She paused and backtracked to a title. “But there is one on Easter Island.”

  “What does it say?”

  “It’s one of their first posts. They talk about how it was the last refuge of an ancient race of people. How this great kingdom was reduced to nothing due to the tempestuous whims of Mother Nature. But then it talks of Easter Island’s violent history. How these proud people were destroyed by other people’s greed. That Easter Island is an example of what happens to the good people in the world. And how we’re creating the conditions to destroy the world with our inaction.”

  She scrolled through the post until she reached the end. “The last line reads, ‘Remember the lessons of Easter Island. Or prepare to repeat them.’”

  “Not exactly a manifesto, but a little troubling,” Jen said.

  Jake walked in holding his own mug of coffee. “Hey. I see I’m late to the party.” He took a seat next to Laney.

  “Not really a party. More of a depressing reality check about the state of the planet,” Laney said.

  “Well, I have more depressing news: Abe Hanley has disappeared.”

  “What?” Jen said.

  “Yep. I had an operative following him, but Hanley gave him the slip this morning on the Metro.”

  “What about Maura and Derek Katz?” Laney asked.

  “Bad news there too. The closest operative the SIA had was in China,” Jake said. “He flew to Taiwan immediately, and I just got a call from him. He went to the Katzes’ home, but by the time he arrived, they were already in the wind. Turns out they flew out of Taiwan last night and arrived in France this morning.”

  Laney groaned. “Meaning they could be anywhere in Europe right now.”

  Jake nodded. “Yes. I have their names and faces in the system, so if they show up anywhere, we’ll get a hit. I’ve also asked for their passport history, so we can if their travel history matches up with any of the murders.”

  “Damn it,” Laney said. She wanted to hit something. “They could grab someone anywhere in the world. We don’t even know what country they’re in.”

  “So what do we do?” Jen asked.

  “We try,” Jake said.

  Laney looked up. “Why does that not make me feel good?”

 
; She clicked over to the “about” page on the Katzes’ blog. A picture of the couple was posted in the top right. “It’s hard to believe these people are behind such gruesome murders. They look… nice.”

  Jen looked over her shoulder. “Yeah. Nothing screams serial killers.”

  “No. Nothing screams crazy cult leaders either. I mean, these guys just don’t seem like the bad guys. Neither has a criminal record.”

  “Hold on,” Jake said as his phone beeped. “I just got their passport record.” He turned to the computer under the conference table and brought up the file. “They were in Italy in December last year.”

  Laney checked the murder dates on the whiteboard. “That matches.”

  “Portugal in February.”

  “Match,” Jen said.

  Jake called off six more locations and dates. All matched.

  Laney stared at the whiteboard. Not all of the murders aligned with the Katzes’ travel.

  “Some of those locations they could have traveled to by train across Europe,” Henry said.

  Jake nodded. “And they were in the United States during the time of three of the murders, including Sheila’s.”

  Laney put her hand to her mouth as she stared at the photo of Derek and Maura Katz. He had an easy smile, his hand resting on the small of his wife’s back. She had her arms wrapped around his waist. Their heads were tilted toward one another.

  “We’re missing something,” Laney murmured.

  “There have been killer couples before.”

  Laney nodded. “I know. But this doesn’t feel like that. Those murders tend to be about power or jealousy—there’s no overarching goal. I mean, look at Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka from Canada. Back in 1991, Paula drugged her fifteen-year-old sister, presenting her virginity to Paul as a wedding present. Then they videotaped both of them raping her. The poor girl died, choking on vomit, but no one originally knew Paul and Karla were involved. They went on to kill and rape two other teenage girls before they were caught.”

  “Well, that’s ridiculously disturbing,” Jen said.

  “Yeah, but with couples, that’s kind of a typical story,” Laney said.

  “So is that what you think is happening here?” Henry asked.

  “No. There’s nothing sexual in any of these crime scenes, although power plays a role.” Laney shook her head. “I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel like those murders.”

  “Well, we don’t actually know what they were like at Honu Keiki,” Jen said. “It’s possible one or both have had violent incidents. I mean, that could even be the reason they were exiled.”

  “You contacted Taiwan Law Enforcement, right?” Henry asked.

  Jake nodded. “No arrests, no complaints. Quiet citizens. But aren’t most serial killers described as quiet?”

  Laney shrugged. “Actually, they’re normally described as quiet in that weird, socially awkward or off-step kind of way. These guys don’t seem to be that. So I just can’t quite see why they’re doing it.”

  “Maybe their daughter’s death pushed them over the edge,” Jen suggested.

  Laney nodded. “Possibly. But why target the companions? Or the Fallen? And how? Besides the basic issue of finding the victims—and let’s just assume there’s some psychic thing at work there—it costs a lot of money to travel like that. Where are they getting that money from? Are they financing this? Or is someone else?”

  “They’re not doing this alone,” Jake said.

  “No,” Laney said, her hopelessness growing. “There’s a network of them. There has to be.”

  Jen’s voice was somber. “Which means we’re not just trying to stop two or three people. We need to stop much more.”

  CHAPTER 59

  Taipei, Taiwan

  Maura sat at her computer and typed in a message:The Chandler Group is looking into us.

  She had debated whether or not to make contact. She had never initiated it before, but this was too important. She and Derek had spent the night looking into the cat, and what they had found made their blood run.

  She knew she should be more concerned about having drawn the Chandler Group’s attention, but she just could not get the image of that leopard out of her mind. It was a complete violation of the laws of nature. Its existence was proof that humanity had strayed so far from the proper path that they would never be able to get back, even if they had all the time in the world.

  Which, of course, they didn’t. In fact, they had very little time left.

  She waited, not knowing how much time it might take for a response to appear, but knowing it might be a long wait. But after only a minute, a return message appeared. She frowned. That was awfully fast.

  We know.

  Maura hesitated. There is more. We think they may be helping the Fallen.

  What makes you think that?

  Maura thought of all they had learned about the Chandler Group, and about Jake Rogan, Henry Chandler, and Delaney McPhearson in particular. It was too much to write in a message.

  Many things,but perhaps a picture will help. She sent the picture they had found of the giant cat.

  What is this?

  It’s a Javan leopard. But it’s not normal. They have done something to it. Changed it. I have found other cats like this one. Big game hunters have killed them, usually in sport hunts.

  Someone is creating them.

  Maura nodded as she typed. That is our thought as well.

  The screen remained blank for two minutes before the next message appeared. Leave the Chandler Group to us. But find whoever is creating the animals. I believe the animals will be a perfect final sacrifice.

  Maura smiled. Thank you.

  CHAPTER 60

  Malama Island, Hawaii

  Enzo was as good as his word. The priestess called a meeting right after the morning meditation.

  The priestess eyed Aaliyah as she entered the Council room. Aaliyah gave her a deep bow before taking her seat next to Kai. Vanessa stood next to the priestess, her anger obvious from her rigid stance and hard glare.

  Aaliyah did not glance over at Enzo. Under the table, Kai found her hand and gave it a squeeze.

  “We have received some disturbing news,” the priestess said, her eyes traveling from one member of the Naacal to the next. “Some of our exiles may be involved in a series of murders.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. The priestess raised an eyebrow. “I see you have all been informed.” She was silent for a moment longer before she pinned Aaliyah with her gaze. “It is good that you have followed up on this matter. If we had ignored a call from the ring bearer…” The priestess shook her head. “That would have been a true tragedy.”

  “Are we sure it is our people?” Enzo asked.

  “The ring bearer seems to think so,” the priestess said.

  “Are we sure she’s even the ring bearer though?” Enzo asked.

  The priestess beamed. “An excellent question, Enzo. Aaliyah, why do you believe she is the ring bearer?”

  Aaliyah frowned. “She wears the ring.”

  “On her hand?” the priestess asked, her eyes calculating.

  Aaliyah paused, trying to figure out the priestess’s angle. “No, on a chain around her neck.”

  “Hmm. So we cannot say for sure she is in fact the ring bearer,” the priestess said.

  Aaliyah opened her mouth, but Kai put a warning hand on her thigh. Aaliyah shook her head. “No, priestess, I cannot say for certain she is the ring bearer. But if she is, and we ignore her request…” Aaliyah left the statement unfinished.

  The priestess looked back at her, an eyebrow raised. Aaliyah had the distinct impression she was playing a game whose rules she was completely ignorant of.

  “I could speak with her,” Aaliyah said. “And get to the truth of the matter.”

  The priestess waved away her words. “Perhaps, but there is a reason we keep ourselves away from the rest of the world. Even a conversation can lead to influence that
takes us from the path. Besides, people lie. We need a way to verify her identity that does not put us at risk or allow her to deceive us.”

  “How?” Enzo asked.

  The priestess seemed to mull over Enzo’s question, but Aaliyah had the feeling it was all an act. What is she doing?

  “A test,” the priestess finally said. “If she passes, she is the ring bearer. If she doesn’t, then we do not need to concern ourselves with this.”

  Aaliyah did not like the look on the priestess’s face or the look on Vanessa’s face behind her. They both looked too happy with the idea. But Aaliyah couldn’t come up with an alternative suggestion.

  “All in favor?” the priestess asked. Everyone raised their hands. Kai and Aaliyah were the last.

  “Good. I will have Vanessa arrange the test immediately.”

  Vanessa looked directly at Aaliyah, a smile slowly spreading across her face. And Aaliyah had the distinct impression the ring bearer was about to step into a world of trouble.

  CHAPTER 61

  Baltimore, Maryland

  Lou pushed open the door to the courtyard. Across the space, Cleo picked up her head from inside her enclosure. “There is no better time,” Lou argued.

  Rolly held up his hands. “Hey, preaching to the choir. We have a couple days off from classes to study, so I completely agree. It’s not me you need to convince.”

  Lou knew he was right. She, Danny, Zach, and Rolly had all agreed that finding more modified leopards was the priority, and that as soon as there was a chance to go out west, they would take it. But Danny had been dragging his feet. And Lou was done waiting. She was going to figure out a way to go, one way or the other.

  Lou walked over to the enclosure, and Cleo stepped up to her. Lou reached between the bars and ran a hand through the big cat’s fur. “Hi, girl.”