The Mayan Temple

by Preston William Child

  “Yes.”

  It was Julian's usual greeting when he answered the phone. It wasn't a 'hello' and it certainly wasn't a 'how are you'; it was more like he was telling whoever was calling that he was listening, and that he better like what he heard. It was expectant and probably made most of his other underlings uneasy, but not Kendra. To her, Julian was the man that had given her the world, given her a purpose, and put her gifts to actual good use. She was far too grateful to him to be afraid of him. She owed him far too much.

  “It's Kendra.” There was no response but she never expected one. She knew that this was presentation time and not an actual conversation. “I have some new information about David Purdue. He and Sam Cleave are traveling to some Mayan temple that's in the Arctic right now...if that makes any sense. It's strange but that's what he said. Turn on the TV and I’m sure you will see all about it. Purdue told him that it was in Honduras recently but that he's certain this one in the Arctic is the same one.” She was rambling, which she sometimes did when she wasn't sure what exactly she was talking about. It was tough to know what to say when you didn't fully understand what you were trying to describe. She tried to get it back on track. “I don't know how that temple is moving, but that wasn't the most interesting part to me. Purdue seems to think that there's an altar inside, and if you perform a sacrifice on it, the temple will grant a wish. Any wish.”

  Again, there was no response at first but Julian hadn't hung up yet, which meant he was interested at least. If he didn't somewhat enjoy what she was saying, then he would have hung up by that point.

  “They're going to be on their way there very soon if you want to beat them to it.”

  “I appreciate your hard work, Kendra.” He always said that and it never sounded entirely genuine. “If you're right, then this may be the time we can finally settle this. And once it's settled and done with, you can move on to something fresh to sink those remarkably sharpened teeth into. Something more worthy of your gifts.”

  She appreciated the compliment, but coming from Julian, it still felt somewhat hollow. He was just telling her what she wanted to hear, giving her a pat on the back for giving him something he could at least think about a little bit.

  Even his offer didn't feel as great as she would have thought.

  “Aw that's a shame. I've enjoyed my time playing with Sammy.”

  “Mr. Cleave is a tool to get to Purdue. The moment Purdue is gone is the moment Mr. Cleave no longer has any reason to live.”

  Kendra expected as much but she really would miss some of her time with Sam. He was more fun than most of the people she had acted with before. It was a shame that he would have to go. He wasn't all bad in the sack either, especially when compared to some of the other people in the past that she had to grow close with for work. Maybe Julian would let her say goodbye to Sam before he was put down. She wasn't sure if she would keep up the act for Sam until the very end, playing the crying and devastated lover role. Perhaps she could finally come out of character and tell him the truth just as he died. That sounded like a good time to her. The look on his face alone might be priceless.

  “Be easy to contact,” Julian ordered. “We may have further use of your talents where we are going.”

  That got Kendra excited again. She wasn't going to be sitting at home waiting for her fake boyfriend to come crawling back after all. If Julian needed her in the next phase of his plans, it would have to be to do something new, something thrilling. Maybe it wouldn't be a new role altogether, but perhaps a brand new interesting scene to learn.

  4

  CHAPTER FOUR – THE HIDDEN KEY

  Nina sat in the dark and dank little cell that she had grown so accustomed to. She'd lost count of how many days she had been the Order of the Black Sun's prisoner. It was hard to tell when tomorrow came when she couldn't even see a glimpse of the outside world. There was no day or night for her anymore. Everything just melded together into a crippling, depressing blur.

  But there was finally some hope. She looked at the key that Elijah Dane had given her—the key to her escape. She examined it often, and slept with it held tightly in her hand. She had tried escaping before and that hadn't ended well at all. It was a complete disaster. She had to be more careful this time, since it could be the only real chance of escape she ever got. She couldn't let the key go to waste.

  Purdue was still out there, alive and continuing his fight with the Black Sun. Maybe she could use that as the perfect distraction. She and Purdue might still be able to work together, even so far away and without even fully realizing it.

  She heard the corridor door swing open. As footsteps approached, she placed the key on the floor and put one foot on top of it. It would be a lot harder for her visitor to spot with her standing on top of it.

  Julian appeared on the other side of the cell bars, and Nina instantly grew more nervous. Julian had that effect; he was sadistic and unpredictable, terribly scary traits for a captor to have.

  Julian didn't say anything at first, but he looked on edge. That calm and confident persona he liked to put on was nowhere to be found.

  “You don't look so good...” Nina said, being sure that she kept all of her body weight down on the key under her sole. “Terrible actually, and you weren't very good looking to begin with, if we're all being honest.”

  “I have had better days, yes.” Julian seemed distant, and still hadn't even looked at her. He kept his wide gaze to the floor. Thankfully, the part of the floor he was looking at wasn't near her foot. He leaned his head against the cell bars. “Your friend Mr. Purdue is such...such an irritating little man. I have been all over the world, met thousands of people from all kinds of cultures...but he remains the most aggravating person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

  “He's always been stubborn,” Nina said with a shrug. She didn't have a shred of sympathy for Julian. Usually, Purdue's more obnoxious tendencies might have irritated her, but she was relishing that they were obviously giving Julian a whole lot of frustration.

  “Indeed...” Julian ran his fingers along the bars. “To be honest, Dr. Gould, I've started to contemplate if killing you would be the best option.”

  Nina's heart immediately started racing, pumping away inside her, screaming at her to start panicking but she held it in as best as she could. She might not even have the chance to use the key. She did everything to keep her composure but it was dwindling away with every second. She was helpless if he decided that killing her was his best choice.

  “I think that sounds like a really bad decision,” Nina said, keeping calm enough to sound brave.

  “You would think that, wouldn't you?” Julian let out a humorless laugh before biting it back into a sharp sneer. “We're about to end this feud with David Purdue once and for all. And sometimes the best way to defeat an enemy is by inflicting as much pain as possible...to start creating casualties...important casualties even. And you would seem to be the perfect candidate for such a casualty, no?”

  Nina swallowed her fear. “No. I think that that I would be terrible at it.”

  Julian's gray gaze was finally upon her and she wished he would avert it back to the floor again. Those icy eyes could break anyone's composure. He didn't see a person when he was looking at you—he only saw a future corpse that might be able to benefit his ambitions.

  She might only have seconds left before he decided to end her. She didn't want to die in a cramped little holding cell down in the dark where no one would ever find her. She didn't want to be killed by a man that she stabbed through the heart once, who shouldn't even be alive right now. She wanted to live for years to come, free of all of the horrors she'd had to endure since being taken by the Black Sun.

  But she might not get that chance now. All she could do was hope that Julian Corvus remained unpredictable, and would decide to yet again change his mind and spare her. She hated being at his mercy, but it was all she could be right now.

  Julian grinned, his face pressed ag
ainst the bars. There was such a thin membrane between Julian and Nina, and she could feel his evil starting to spill into the cell. “I don't know...I think it might be worth a try.”

  That was it. He was going to kill her then.

  His decision was made.

  The door down the hall opened, drawing Julian's attention away from her. She felt a surge of relief when his cold eyes withdrew from her. A few moments later, Elijah Dane appeared. He only flashed a fleeting glance in Nina's direction before adjusting the glasses on his nose like he always did.

  “We've received an update from Kendra.”

  Julian glared at Elijah. “Can't you see I'm in the middle of a very important conversation?”

  “Apologies for the interruption,” Elijah said with his usual passiveness. “She said it was urgent. Sam Cleave finally gave her some information that we could actually use.”

  Nina's attention perked up at the sound of Sam's name. Until now, she hadn't been sure if Sam was even alive, but, for all she knew, he was on the other side of this facility in some other holding cell. Maybe he was being interrogated. But the way Elijah was talking made it seem like Sam was outside somewhere.

  “And what did she learn?”

  Elijah flashed another quick glance at Nina but she couldn't quite read his expression. “David Purdue's next destination.”

  “Excellent,” Julian said. A sick smile stretched across Julian's face. He turned to Nina, still wearing that disturbed glee on his face. “Perhaps it's not quite time to kill you just yet, Dr. Gould.”

  Julian stormed out, beckoning for Elijah to follow him. Before he did, Elijah looked at Nina with a silent warning to proceed carefully but to not let the key that he gave her go to waste.

  5

  CHAPTER FIVE – THE RETURN OF MAMA MAY AND UNCERTAIN FUTURES

  Purdue hadn't been to New Orleans since his search for the Book of Shadows. Back when he had very, very little experience with morbid spell books and magical hexes. It was a new challenge for him at the time. That particular misadventure had happened just before the decisive attack by the Order of the Black Sun that destroyed his finances, his home, and his dignity. At that point, Jean-Luc Gerard wasn't a prisoner, and was a simple owner of a very well-respected occult book shop. Jean had been Purdue's guide through the French Quarter of the city and had introduced him to the supernatural underbelly of New Orleans. Part of his tour was bringing Purdue to an old psychic who was revered for her legitimate gifts of foresight—Mama May.

  When Purdue first met Mama May, naturally he didn't believe that all of her fortune telling and hocus pocus was real. The more he looked back on the predictions that she told him though, the more he realized how accurate all of her visions and proclamations had been. She had seen the dark turn his life was going to take soon after their meeting. She warned him about a “dead man” who he had since realized was Julian Corvus—and that the dead man was following him. At that point, he had thought he was rid of Julian forever, but sure enough that dead man really was out to get him. Even with that warning, he hadn't seen Julian's attack coming.

  And the most significant words Mama May had said over and over still rang in his head. She had said the words “riches to rags” nearly one hundred times. And that had proven to be her most accurate prediction. He had billions of dollars the last time he visited Mama May. He had his entire collection of artifacts. He had a private jet and could buy just about anything in the world. And in moments, after the Black Sun's attack, he had lost it all. Riches to rags, indeed.

  Purdue would usually have rolled his eyes at the idea of a psychic foreseeing his future, but Mama May proved to him that she was the real deal. Jean once told him that he used to visit her any time he was going to be traveling, to at least have a small idea about what might be laying ahead of him. Purdue had retained that piece of advice and now planned to do the same.

  Given that the war with Julian Corvus and the Order of the Black Sun was likely imminent, it seemed like a good time to go back to Mama May's and heed whatever future she had for him this time. Unfortunately, with Jean captive, he didn't have the respect and connections that Jean had in the city. Purdue had to wait in line with all of the other people who wanted Mama May to show them what their futures held in store. He waited hours before it was finally his time to meet his destiny.

  Purdue stepped into the house and when she saw him walk in, the frail woman looked at him with some recognition, but there wasn't any excitement or even surprise. There was just a moment of understanding and then she looked away, like he wasn't even there at all.

  “I did not expect to see your face again. You look very different than the last time we spoke. Even the way you entered...you move in a new fashion. I would not call it gracefulness, no, but it was something different and unexpected...”

  “Aye,” Purdue said. “I feel much different than the last time I was here. You could say that I have been through a hell of a lot since then. I paddled my way through a proper shit storm, I can tell you that much.”

  “So the vultures came for your belongings, after all.”

  “You knew that they would.”

  The woman snickered. “I saw what might happen, not a guarantee that it would. Remember, I can only see what may happen. I can't determine which path fate will take in the end. But yours...yes yours was interesting. I remember all of your possibilities seemed bleak, no matter what happened. More vivid than most people. More painful...”

  Purdue recalled the way she had thrashed about during her vision of his future. Jean had said that it wasn't usually that intense, but something about what she saw in Purdue's future had put her into a frenzy. And now he could see why. Hindsight truly did have perfect perspective.

  “It was painful, aye,” Purdue said. “You look surprised that I'm still even alive.”

  “I am,” she said bluntly “I sensed death all around you. It was everywhere. Many people come here, wanting to know if they will overcome their demons but your demons are different than the rest, aren't they? Your demons live and breathe on their own. They don't live in your head. No. They walk the Earth. They are actively working to see you dead, and they have horrible plans for the rest of us.”

  It was still alarming how much Mama May knew. He didn't know how she had these abilities nor where they came from but they were just as impressive as they had been the first time. She was no swindler or con artist. She was the only true seer he had ever met in all of his many travels.

  “And why is it that you have come back for another visit? Surely you didn't come all of this way to exchange small talk with me. There are many who require my services. Their time is just as valuable to me as yours. Perhaps, if Jean-Luc had accompanied you...” She looked past him, just to prove her point. “But he has not.”

  “He can't,” Purdue said firmly. “That's part of why I'm here. Jean was with me when my whole life came crashing down around me. He got caught in the crossfire and was taken prisoner.”

  Mama May looked disappointed to hear that. Jean was very popular in the community and a friend to Mama May.

  “I have to say...it had been some time since I heard anything from him...”

  An idea came to Purdue and he figured he should at least ask. “There's not any way for you to detect if he's still alive at least, is there? Use some sort of magic to find him...?”

  “I'm a seer, young man, not a wizard. And my sight only extends so far. You came to me because you wanted to know what you might be facing in the near future, yes? I can tell you that much, but I can't promise it will be anything good and I can't--”

  “Guarantee it will even happen the way you see it,” Purdue finished for her. “Aye, I know. But I'd rather have an idea of one possible outcome than no idea about any of them.”

  Mama May nodded and pulled out a slim knife from under her table. It had seemed so threatening the first time he came to visit, and even now it was unnerving to see that frail little woman drawing a knife on him. But
at least this time, he knew what the knife's real purpose was.

  “You have done this before. You know how it works.”

  That was true. Purdue held his hand out, opening his palm, ready for the first part of her ritual. When the knife came, slicing open his skin and spilling blood from his hand, he wasn't startled like the first time. This was how her visions worked. She pushed Purdue's hand into a fist, letting blood droplets seep out onto the table. It was just like before; Mama May kept holding his hand while she stared at the blood that started to pool in front of her.

  That was where her visions came from—the blood. She could almost read it, and it showed her so many things that could happen to its owner. He didn't know if the amount of the blood made a difference, or if maybe the blood type showed different things. But his blood apparently didn't contain any good possibilities.

  She was trembling, and it was growing worse the more she looked at his blood on the table.

  “The place you are going is cold.”

  She wasn't wrong about that. The Arctic wasn't exactly a sauna this time of year, or any time of year. If that was all she had to offer this time, then he was wasting his time. He could have predicted that the Arctic would be cold too. He already had.

  “Yes, very cold. Cold as death itself. You and so many others will be colder than you have ever been. Cold forever. Frozen forever. Stuck. Yes, stuck.”

  She squeezed his hand tighter, pressing right down on the open wound in his palm. He winced from the pain but she didn't seem to care. She just kept tightening her grip, but she wasn't focused on him. She was still fixated on the blood that was dropping down to the table.

  “The place you are going will be infested with evil. It is the same evil that you have come across before. The dead man still walks. He will keep walking for eternity if left to his own devices. And he will walk in a world that is his own, and he will walk by many bowing before him.”