Order of the Black Sun Box Set 9

by Preston William Child

  Sam kept low, making sure whatever was outside couldn't see him. He stared down at Maddox's corpse and saw blood pouring from his skull. All of those thoughts of vengeance and retribution for his fallen friends, they would never happen. Those ideas were leaking out of him along with the rest of his life. Sam didn't expect to feel sad at seeing Maddox dead but he did. The mercenary wasn't certainly not a good man, but he did have aspirations and dreams that he couldn't even try to carry out. He'd been there one moment and gone the next. And despite his occupation and lifestyle, all of the threat and menace of the man faded away when he looked so still and defeated.

  “He's dead!” he called to the others across the room. “Someone shot him!”

  “We did,” Julian Corvus said from the doorway.

  16

  Never Out Of Reach

  It was the boogeyman. He didn't come from under the bed or from out of the closet. He entered through the front door, wearing human skin. But Nina recognized those chips of ice that looked at her. They were unmistakable. It was him. The boogeyman. Julian Corvus.

  Julian leaned nonchalantly against the room's entrance. He appeared a little more disheveled than he had at Rhodes. A little more desperate, maybe. A little angrier.

  He looked everyone over with his cold gray eyes, and scanned all of their faces before his attention fell on the fresh corpse by the window.

  “Shame about Mr. Maddox. Although, it was long overdue, in my opinion. Sasha probably should have just ended him back in Jerusalem with the rest of his platoon. Better late than never I suppose. She took the shot this time.”

  Nina reached for the shotgun at the edge of the bed.

  “Ah, ah!” Julian wagged his finger at her and pointed at the window that had a clear line of vision to the weapon. “There's no need for this to get any more messy than it already has. You reach for that gun and Sasha will shoot you before you even touch it.”

  Purdue couldn't believe his eyes. They had come so far since Rhodes. Far enough that he had mostly convinced himself that they had lost Eclipsed for good. It was good to be cautious, and he'd voiced his precautions, but he'd honestly thought they would never be able to find them.

  “You look surprised, Mr. Purdue.” Julian craned his head. “Surely you didn't think you'd outsmarted us. Do you have that inflated of an opinion about yourself? Is that it? Always two steps ahead? Well, consider us three steps ahead.”

  “How did you—”

  “Find you?” Julian approached, looking very confident. “It wasn't hard. Anytime we're working with someone, we've learned it's good to keep them on a leash. People are fickle, moronic, and cowardly. Don't want them running off unexpectedly of course. So, to put it in lame man's terms, we bugged you.” He pulled a device out of his pocket.

  “With what?” Sam asked in disbelief.

  Julian smiled victoriously. “Remind me again where the poor crippled Irishman got his crutch?”

  They all looked at over at Galen, and all seemed to remember at that same moment that Sasha had given it to him when they were captives on the plane out of Jerusalem. Galen almost immediately dropped the crutch to the floor and pushed it away from him with his working leg, as far across the carpet as he could.

  “You're very welcome for providing it to you, Mr. Fitzgerald. I hope your mobility was worth it.”

  Galen scoffed, having trouble hiding his frustration that he had been used. “You're a bit of a demented bastard, anyone ever told you that?”

  “GPS. Audio.” Julian gave a dramatic sigh. “It's amazing what people will say about you when they think you can't hear them. All of the horrid things you said about us. I guess we didn't make a great first impression. You've had a thrilling journey to get here. And what you've learned ... it's all rather fascinating. We would have shown ourselves sooner but it was just too interesting of a conversation to interrupt. The descendants of the knights tasked with protecting the Hospitaller’s most prized possession. Roysten Rosewell. Such a loyal soldier, well up until he abandoned his brethren and took the spear for himself. And isn't it extraordinary that his family tree still has such strong roots. Alive and well for now.”

  It was the “for now” that worried Nina and she could see Arthur and his children looked just as uneasy about Julian's arrival.

  Julian entered the room, revealing two large Eclipsed members behind him in the doorway. Arthur stepped in front of his son and daughter. “And just who are you?”

  Julian's cold gaze moved to Arthur and a sick smile formed on his face. Julian held out his scarred hand just like he had when he met Purdue. “Ah yes, the descendant. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rosewell.”

  Arthur didn't take his hand. Instead, he looked to Purdue. “This is the other group you mentioned, isn't it?”

  “It is.” Purdue said.

  “Oh, you've heard of us already?” Julian looked almost flattered. “Splendid. I do hope they told you how persuasive we are.” Julian pointed to Maddox's body. “As you might be able to see, we're not overly fond of games. Business should be swift, easy, and to the point. Mr. Purdue here thinks differently. He likes to draw things out. He likes to play games, don't you?”

  Julian advanced on Purdue.

  “I have to admit, it was a nice trick you pulled at the castle. Tearing the paper. Stealing the spearhead back. Knocking me out. Are you going to cooperate now, Mr. Purdue, or do I need to start killing people you care about?”

  Purdue knew they were cornered. It was just like in Jerusalem. Just like in Rhodes. The Eclipsed were impossible to fight against until another opportunity came to escape, but even then ... could they? He thought they had at the castle but that wasn't the case. There was no real victory against them. They'd just be caught in another trap.

  He could tell Julian would back up his threats. If he wanted to protect Nina, Sam, the Rosewells—hell, even Galen—he'd need to submit.

  “We'll do as you say, we won't try and run this time.”

  Julian flashed a bright, triumphant grin but behind his happiness, something else was lingering. Like he was waiting for the right moment to spit poison from behind his white teeth. His smile quickly faded away, leaving a sneer behind.

  “And I'm supposed to what? Trust your word? This time will be different? I consider myself a patient man but you have wasted so much of my time. I tried to do things differently than the Black Sun did with you. I tried to play nice.”

  “That was you playing nice?” Sam cut in. “You threatened to kill a whole island of tourists.”

  “But I didn't do it, did I? So yes, I was being nice. But now, who knows? Not only am I patient but I am also a forgiving man. At least, I try to be.”

  Julian threw a punch that clocked Purdue on the side of the face, much like the one Purdue had hit him with back on Rhodes. It sent Purdue reeling backward in a daze. Before he could retaliate, another punch sent Purdue to the floor and Julian pounced on him, savagely beating him down against the carpet.

  Nina and Sam tried to rush to Purdue's aid but Julian's Eclipsed entourage hurried in and held them back. Arthur kept his children snug to the wall, avoiding the conflict. It wasn't their fight and no one knew what would happen if they intervened. Galen held his head in his hands, swearing under his breath at how horribly his expedition had gone at every turn.

  “Stop!” Nina screamed.

  Julian threw a few more punches before he slowed down, and rose to his feet. He tidied up his expensive attire, straightening his tie.

  “Fair is fair.” He looked down at the bruised and bloodied Purdue on the floor. He pulled a handkerchief from his suit and wiped off his red hands before letting it drop down onto his opponent. “You should never have struck me.” Julian noticed the spearhead that Purdue took from him on the bedside table and picked it back up. “Or stolen from me. This doesn't belong to you anymore. To be honest, I think this one is a fake but we'll take it anyway. At least it will be secure in the Black Sun's vaults. I hope you can finally understand
that anything you try to take from me, from us, I will take back. Remember that.”

  Julian handed the spearhead to one of his goons and then signaled for his men to let Nina and Sam go, allowing the pair to run to Purdue's aid. Purdue was blinking a lot like he was still processing what had happened. He looked like he might have a concussion. Frankly, Nina was surprised he was still even remotely conscious or breathing after a beating like that.

  Despite his battered visage, a small smile formed on Purdue's swollen lips.

  “Don't you worry about me,” he said, his voice weak and barely audible. “I've been hit harder by a two-year-old.” His face plainly said otherwise.

  Julian brushed some of his own hair out of his face. “Sometimes I forget myself. It's a bad habit but I'm a firm believer in karma. Now that we've settled our past grievances, we can move forward more productively, I hope. What do you say, Dr. Gould? Allies?”

  Julian strutted over to Maddox's body and sat on the corpse like it was a couch cushion. Nina wanted to spit at him but knew it would be pointless. They had been completely overwhelmed by him and his Eclipsed followers at every turn. They knew exactly how to catch them off guard and never missed an opportunity to exploit those openings.

  She glanced to Sam, who looked just as defeated as her. Purdue stared up at her with his bloodshot eyes. She couldn't let anything else happen.

  “Fine,” Nina said. “We'll work with you. Just—just stop hurting everyone.”

  “Marvelous,” Julian said, straightening his posture atop Maddox's corpse. “So, if you don't mind filling me in on anything I might have missed.”

  Nina told him everything that had happened since fleeing Rhodes. He probably already knew most of it. He must have heard the majority of their conversations through the bugged crutch, but he listened intently anyway, like it was all news to him.

  Julian smiled every so often like he was hearing set up for some great joke. Maybe he was. Their failed escape was the joke—and his arrival was the punchline.

  INTERLUDE 3: WHEN THE MOON BLOCKS THE SUN

  Julian had been tasked with finding the knife used by Brutus in the stabbing of Julius Caesar. It wasn't the easiest thing to find. Not only was it old but it was one of a number of blades that had cut Caesar down. Poor old ruler didn't have just one executioner, but many; most he'd considered friends. Julian understood that feeling. He could almost see himself in Caesar's place as the inner circle of the Order of the Black Sun struck him down for thinking too far out of the box. Scared old people afraid of the new world.

  The mission was only made more difficult by Beatrice's presence. She was there as a safety monitor, to review his actions, and make sure he didn't do anything that the Black Sun deemed was too excessive or different. She kept staring at him expectantly, like she was waiting for him to conjure the knife out of thin air. He wished he could. He would bury it in her eye socket. That would be satisfying.

  They tracked it down to a collector of antiquities; a wealthy man named Robert Funk who seemed to have a fetish for assassination tools. Julian could understand that kind of collection. Those items changed the course of history. The bullets that killed world leaders, for example, were priceless.

  This had also turned into one of the jobs Julian liked most. The kind of mission where instead of spending so much time and effort finding the artifact, someone already did it for you. There was no need to go digging through a pyramid, diving to the bottom of the sea, or climbing the world's tallest peak. All you had to do was convince them to give it to you. Julian, despite how many of the Black Sun viewed him, had a talent for persuasion.

  “You have children, I see.” Julian looked over the photographs in the man's study. Smiling happy faces of three young daughters. Robert Funk looked much younger in the photograph and shared his daughters' happiness back then. “Beautiful family. They look like they loved their daddy. Could always count on him. Are you still close?”

  “We ... we are. Please. They have nothing to do with any of this. This is just a hobby of mine. They don't even like when I talk about this kind of thing. They never cared at all about my collection. They don't even know about half of the things I have.”

  Julian ignored him and continued pressing. “They're all older now, yes? Married, I hope. Found good husbands that you approved of?”

  Tears were welling in Robert's eyes. Julian had tied him down to a chair, but he hadn't seemed too panicked until now. Beatrice stood watching from the balcony attached to the room, enjoying the evening breeze.

  Robert's house was large with a lovely view of mountains and open fields. He had plenty of money to afford his eccentric collection. But none of that money had any bearing on what was going to happen. That was up to him and his decisions. Julian loved that part of it. Making the strong realize that they really weren't. They were just blissfully unaware of what real, actual raw power was. And when they faced reality, and how insignificant they were, it shook them to the core.

  “You do approve of their husbands, don't you?” Julian asked, like he was genuinely interested in their happiness. He wasn't, of course, but it was fun to pretend sometimes.

  “Y-y-yes.”

  “That's a relief,” Julian said. “It must be hard with daughters. Knowing that you won't be passing down your family name. That's kind of sad. You have no control over it and before you know it, you're responsible for there being less Funks in the world. Then again, that's not the best last name. You may have done the world a service, Robert.”

  “Please. Just what do you want from me?” Robert was panicking now. The insinuation that his family was involved was the perfect button to press. He'd be a much easier target now. Far more agreeable to any suggestions Julian threw his way.

  “I told you what I wanted. The dagger Brutus stabbed Julius Caesar with. It's real old, obviously, and very important. We know you have it and we just want to know where you keep it. Simple as that. Once we have it, we'll be on our way.”

  Robert sat there quivering and in deep contemplation. It shouldn't have been that hard of a decision, but he seemed determined to hold on to his possessions. “I t-t-told you that I do-don't know what you're talking about. I've never ow-o-owned anything like that.”

  “You're lying!” Julian yelled, erupting and scaring the hell out of Robert. “We know you bought it from a museum in Rome six years ago. Cost you a pretty penny but obviously...” Julian stretched out his arms to indicate that entire house around them. “Obviously you have plenty of pennies to spend!”

  Julian picked up Robert's phone and scrolled through his contact numbers until he found the three that he assumed were his daughters' numbers. He turned the phone around and showed Robert the numbers he was preparing to dial. Robert Funk squirmed in his seat, shaking his head feverishly to the point where it seemed like his skull would go spinning off of his neck.

  “So, here's what we're going to do, Robert. I'm going to call up your little girls one by one. I'm going to tell them that you've had an accident and to get here as soon as possible. When they all arrive, which I'm sure they will because they love their daddy, I'm going to kill them each in front of you. Don't worry, though, I'll make it quick and painless. After all, as you said, they have nothing to do with this. They shouldn't have to go through some drawn out death. But, quick or not, they will be gone forever. Snuffed out.”

  “No!” Robert yelled.

  “Yes.” Julian leaned down so he was right in his face. “And if you still won't cooperate after that, I'll find the rest of your family and do the same thing. Do your daughters have children? Are you a grandpappy yet, Robert?” Robert was sobbing now, hopeless and broken just by the possibility of what might happen to his family. “You give me what I want. You tell me where you keep all of your murder memorabilia. Your daughters will keep on smiling and live happy and healthy lives.”

  “Y-y-you promise?”

  “On my honor,” Julian said and held his hand to his heart. “It's really not a hard choic
e, is it? Your family or your trinkets. Any good father wouldn't think twice about. I'm giving you a choice here, Mr. Funk. Make the right decision for your family.”

  Robert looked over at the mantle. “There's a switch by the fireplace. It's a fake wall. I keep all of my things behind there. Everything. The knife. Take it. Take it all. Please. Just—just leave my girls al-alone.”

  Julian followed the instructions and pressed the button by the fireplace. One of the room's walls budged and revealed a closet space inside. Julian looked across the room to Beatrice on the balcony, but she wasn't impressed at all. Instead, she just looked at him like he was a disgrace. He couldn't understand how she was so miserable when he was succeeding. Simple, petty jealousy.

  Julian rummaged through the collection and found the knife. Robert had been meticulous in his organization of the items, even labeling them, which would be a great help to Julian. “You did just offer me all of it, yeah? You heard that didn't you, Beatrice?”

  Beatrice didn't answer. She just huffed and puffed like the old crone she was.

  “Y-y-ye-yes,” Robert said through sobs. “Have it. It's not important to me. None of it. It doesn't matter anymore. Please. It never did. My, my family is important.”

  “You're a good man,” Julian said with mock admiration. “Your daughters would be so proud of you right now. I'm glad you understand that not everything has to be difficult all the time. You told us the truth and now your daughters are alive. Life lessons abound.”

  Julian relished these moments. Having absolute control and power over his victim. Rich or poor. Stubborn or cooperative. It didn't matter. He showed them that all of their efforts were useless and that he was going to get his way.

  Julian packed away a lot of the artifacts in Robert's collection. There were some real winners in there. Items that had caused all sorts of friction throughout the world, some even starting wars. Things that would be great additions for the Black Sun's own storage facilities. Part of him liked taking so many artifacts just so Beatrice would have to be down in the vaults longer doing her curating job. Any excuse to not have to look at her wrinkled face any longer. She'd be down in her hole for weeks having the go through all of that stuff.