“I don’t think so. I want you to answer the stained glass riddle in front of you. The glass is asking a specific question. The first one to answer it lives. I’m sure you can guess what happens to the other.”
“I’m glad you’ve finally come to your senses, dear boy,” Nero said, stepping out of the shadows. “Since you’re so fond of games, though, why don’t you join in as well? I‘d hate for you to be excluded. Besides, you can‘t leave now. You‘ve got something that belongs to me.”
Franklin looked like he’d been slapped. Frantic, he pointed his gun at Nero and pulled the trigger. But Nero was quick, stepping back into the darkness again, making himself less of a target. The bullet ricocheted harmlessly off of the rock wall.
“That wasn’t very nice,” Nero said. “Just for that, I have a special fate in store for you.”
Franklin tried firing his gun again and was rewarded with a clicking sound. The chamber was empty.
“I knew you’d run out sooner or later,” Nero said. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can move on to more pressing matters. I‘ll allow the game as you‘ve outlined, but with only one rule change.”
“And what would that be?” Franklin asked, more fearful now than before.
“You will place a bet on which of these two you believe will answer the riddle correctly. The wager, in this case, is your life. Pick the winner and you live to see another day. Pick the loser…well, you know the drill.”
“I’m not doing it,” Franklin said.
Nero cocked his masked face to the sky as if pondering some deep question. At last, he grabbed a whistle that hung around his neck, placed the instrument to his lips, and blew, making a soft warbling sound.
The tigers were back within a few seconds, waiting for Nero’s command. Their savage mouths were still red with Henry’s blood. “I think you’ll do exactly as I say,” Nero noted. “Now lay the bone on the ground and tell me which one you pick.”
Franklin opened and closed his mouth like a beached fish desperate for water. “Edward,” he said at last. “I pick Edward.”
“Now the bone.”
Franklin took a couple of steps forward and placed the relic at Nero's feet. The madman picked it up and fondled it lovingly, running his fingers across its smoothness, stroking it. “This is what insurance looks like,” Nero said. “It's always good to have an ace up your sleeve when dealing with one of the angels tasked with bringing about the apocalypse.”
“You're insane,” Sadie said.
“Perhaps,” Nero said. “But I'm also judge, jury, and executioner here. You should be focused on the task in front of you. That is more important than my mental health.”
“Let's do this,” she said bitterly. “Whatever the outcome, I'm ready to get this over with.”
“Good,” Nero said as his tigers took turns nuzzling him and staining his white garments red. “Let the game begin. I‘ll allow five minutes for this.”
Edward and Sadie studied the stained glass in front of them, neither of them knowing exactly what to do.
“We should help each other,” Edward said. “Maybe we can figure out the answer together.”
“I don’t think Nero’s gonna let us do that,” Sadie said.
“You may work together,” Nero said. “I don’t mind at all. You can die together too if you’d like. The choice is yours.”
Edward nodded. “I’m willing to take my chances. Any ideas?”
“I’ve studied this scene many, many times. It depicts the war in Heaven. I understand what it portrays, but I’m not sure there’s any kind of question being posed.”
Edward looked at the stained glass, noted the angelic warriors doing battle in the skies, saw angels being hurled out of Heaven for their disobedience, watched as the fallen took their places around Lucifer. What he didn’t see was a question.
Sadie studied a different portion of the glass. She focused on the section depicting Lucifer post-war. He was brooding, pensive, even angry at the way things had turned out. A child pouting.
“Maybe we should associate this with Nero’s initial question,” Edward suggested. “Maybe we should tie this into why bad things happen to good people.”
“It sounds like a good plan,” Sadie admitted. “What’s your take on it?”
Edward thought about it for a moment. “Bad things happen to good people, in part, because God allows it. Like when God allowed Job to be tested. God didn’t do anything to Job directly. He simply gave permission for it to happen. I’m sure that’s still the case today. God allows Satan to tempt us and torment us to see if we will break or if we will remain faithful. Lucifer, of course, has the ability to manufacture a lot of the bad things in the world that plague us. When he fell from Heaven, pride was Lucifer’s sin. It was what made him think he was more powerful than God. So in a roundabout way I guess pride could be the answer to Nero‘s initial question. Bad things happen to good people because of Lucifer‘s pride. Without Lucifer and the rest of the fallen doing their best to make us stumble and fall, the world would be a much better, happier place. And without Lucifer‘s pride there would have likely been no war.”
“Interesting,” Nero said from the shadows as he watched the exchange.
“That’s not all that’s interesting,” Edward said, pushing all of his weight against the stained glass partition. Nero and Franklin both saw what was about to happen, but neither of them were quick enough to get out of the way before the massive multi-colored wall came crashing down on top of them. The tigers, startled by the ruckus, scattered to opposite ends of the room, growling and baring their teeth as they did so. None of them attacked, but that was only because Nero hadn't blown his whistle again.
“Let’s go,” Edward said, pulling Sadie by the hand.
“Not yet,” Sadie said. “There’s something I have to do first.”
Edward watched as she grabbed Franklin by the shirt collar and hauled him out from beneath the mountain of broken glass. He was barely conscious, but still breathing. He opened his eyes briefly, saw Sadie, and closed them again.
“Don’t,” he whispered.
“This is for making me waste my life on lies,” she hissed.
She pulled him with reckless abandon, heading straight for the chasm they had passed on the way in. Franklin knew where she was taking him and pretended to be unconscious until they made it to the edge. Then he opened his eyes and sank his teeth into Sadie’s ankle, biting down as hard as he could. Sadie shrieked and clawed at Franklin’s face, burying her nails deep into his fleshy jowls. Edward was considering whether or not to approach Nero when he heard Sadie scream. He ran toward her immediately.
“Don’t do it, Sadie,” he said. But Sadie wasn’t listening.
Franklin was doing his best to fight back, but Sadie attacked like a woman possessed. No doubt she was thinking of all the lies she had believed and wondering how many of them had been manufactured by Franklin Griffith III.
One minute Franklin was there. The next minute Sadie’s boot was in his face, pushing him closer and closer to the edge. Blood streamed down his cheek from the rock wound and from the places where her claws had found him.
“I’m sorry,” he wept.
But it wasn’t enough. With one last shove of her boot, Franklin went over the edge, dropping into the chasm with one final scream.
Edward reached her seconds after she sent Franklin plummeting to his demise. “You didn’t have to do that,” he gasped.
“Yes, I did,” Sadie confessed. “This was my mess to clean up, and I took care of it. I only wish you would have taken care of Nero in the meantime.”
Edward looked back over his shoulder at the stained glass rubble and wasn’t surprised to see that Nero and the bone were gone.
Chapter 27
Edward had an idea, but he knew they would have to be quick to make it work. “The tigers are here in the cave with us,” he said. “Which means they aren’t back at the house.”
“We might b
e able to make it,” Sadie said. “It’s our only shot.”
The girl with the flaming red hair took off, sprinting through the dimly-lit corridors of the cavern. She knew the way, and although Edward had plenty of reasons to be suspicion of her at this point, he didn’t doubt her on this. She wanted to stay alive just as badly as he did.
They encountered no interference on their way out of the cave. Nero was possibly hurt and incapable of attacking. Or maybe he was regrouping in preparation for something really nasty. The fact that the tigers hadn't given chase yet suggested that Nero was incapable of giving them a command. Still, they had no assurances. So they kept going, pushing their bodies to their limit.
As they ran, they grew tired. All of the stress and exertion of the past two days was starting to catch up in a major way. Both of them nearly collapsed at the mouth of the cave, and they took a few minutes to rest before plunging into the jungle again.
“What other aces have you got up your sleeve?” Edward panted. “If you know any more secrets about The Slaves of Solomon, please share. We may need the extra leverage before all is said and done.”
“I’ve played all my cards,” Sadie admitted.
“We're in over our heads here.”
“What if there is really an angel on this island?” Sadie said. “For the sake of argument, assume that Lindell may be onto something. Can you imagine what kind of destruction we might be unleashing if we find that angel and anger it?”
“First of all, we can’t do anything to set the wheels of the apocalypse in motion without God’s consent. He is in control. Second of all, so many aspects of this don't even appear in the Bible. That is what should guide us. Not Solomon's Hammer, not Dionysus the Areopagite, not the beliefs of ancient Roman emperors.”
“Although I hate to admit it, I’m starting to understand Nero’s perspective,” Sadie admitted. “This world is really messed up. If God really is in control, why aren’t things easier? Why are we forced to struggle so much? Why are some people so blessed while others suffer? Why do evil men like Franklin prosper in this world while men like you hurt?”
“I can’t answer that,” Edward said. “God’s plan is much bigger than me.”
Sadie sighed. “Can’t you understand why our group is searching for answers?”
Edward nodded. “Of course I can. I’ll admit that I question God’s reasoning every day I wake up and realize that Jenny and Connor aren’t here anymore. I’m sure you have similar questions about situations that have taken place in your own life. But your search is misguided. You’re asking the right questions but in the wrong places. Don’t search for angels to answer your questions. They aren’t omniscient.”
“But they know a lot more than we do.”
Edward smiled. “If one was standing in front of me right now, I think I’d ask where the nearest burger joint is. I’m starving.”
Sadie laughed. “Me too. Maybe there will be some food at the house. We have to get moving again.”
The trek to the compound they had discovered earlier was uneventful and a little too quiet. The animals all seemed to be sleeping or hiding, and a silence settled over the jungle. It was as if the island was holding its breath.
After getting past the barbed wire, they were relieved to see that no bloodthirsty animals blocked the way leading up to the house. Yet their bodies rebelled only a hundred feet from the front door. Both of them collapsed, gasping for air, doing their best not to pass out. Although he felt like dying because that seemed easier than moving forward, Edward staggered to his feet. “Come on,” he gasped. “We’ve got to get inside. We don’t know how long our luck is going to hold.”
“I can’t,” Sadie said.
“You have to,” Edward said. “Just a few more steps and we’ll be inside.”
Sadie tried to get to her feet, but she was too weak. Although barely able to stand up on his own, Edward managed to get one of her arms around his neck. Sadie wobbled beneath him like a novice sailor with no sea legs and almost caused Edward to fall. But he summoned all his remaining strength and saved them from collapsing again. With a little more air in her lungs, Sadie found some strength of her own and managed to start moving. Leaning on each other, they stumbled up to the house. Thankfully, the door wasn’t locked.
They had been expecting a compound of some sort, outfitted with supplies, weapons, bunks, and enough technology to contact the outside world and help them escape the island. What they found instead was equal parts single-family residence and testament to the dangers of paranoia.
The inside of the house was like a museum of protective talismans, crosses, relics, antique weaponry, old Bibles, and strange symbols. Too tired and hurt to care about the scenery, Edward and Sadie fell to the floor once the door was shut behind them.
They lay there, exhausted, for several minutes. The air they sucked into their lungs was laced with dread and impending danger. At any minute they expected the jungle to give birth to some new monstrosity that would barge in and slaughter them.
When Edward opened his eyes, he saw hundreds of crucifixes hanging from the ceiling. “The décor leaves a little to be desired, don’t you think?” he said. “It’s a little too Vincent Price for my taste.”
Sadie groaned. “I’m too tired to think.”
Edward grunted as he got to his feet. “I know it’s not the easiest thing to do but we have to keep going. We’ve got to find a way off of this island. Maybe there are answers here.”
With some effort, he stood and walked from the foyer into the adjacent living room. “It looks like Lindell’s own personal little supernatural bunker. He’s outfitted this place with all kinds of mystical trinkets. There are sigils on all of the walls. The windows all have salt sprinkled on the sills. He seems very afraid of something.”
“Lindell is frightened of himself, and he doesn’t even realize it,” Sadie said. “He’s trying to protect against Nero. Guess he doesn‘t realize that Nero‘s waiting for him inside every mirror.”
“But Nero wasn’t supernatural. All of this seems to be in preparation for something otherworldly. Something like Alastor.” He walked down the hallway and noted the same sorts of decorations adorning every room. More crosses. More pages ripped from The Book of Revelation. More religious trinkets. More paintings of Christ. More vials of holy water and communion wafers. But the room at the end of the hall was the one that told the true story.
An old woman’s face stared back at them from every available inch of wall space. In some of the photos she stared straight into the camera, flashing a smile built by a determined dentist and Polygrip. Her eyes had warmth to them. Her hair was white puffy cotton. In some of the photos, she was a bit younger, although still matronly. In others, she played the homespun grandmother to perfection. There must have been thousands of photographs of this woman. They covered the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. The room was devoid of furniture. It was almost as if having a chair leg mar this gracious woman’s face in any way would be criminal.
“Lindell's mother,” Sadie said. “I knew he was obsessed with her. But even this is a little more than I expected.”
“Be sure your secrets will find you out, Sadie Gale!” Nero announced from speakers secreted somewhere within the house.
Edward and Sadie both stiffened at the sound of the madman’s voice. “How did he find us so quickly?” Edward asked.
“I'm sure there are cameras everywhere on this island,” Sadie said. “He probably just had to check the feeds to see where we were.”
“It’s time we got down to business,” Nero said. “There is a map in this house that will show you where the angel is being kept. Find the map and find the angel. I’ll be there waiting for you. And remember…the horses of Armageddon are stabled. I’d like to see them gallop soon! To ignore your mission is to forfeit your life. I suggest you get started.”
Edward and Sadie were about to start looking for the map Nero had mentioned when a familiar stranger emerged from a closet at
the opposite end of the hallway. The figure wore the same harlequin’s mask he had worn on the night of the dinner party. He held one finger up to his lips to indicate the need for silence.
“Seneca,” Edward whispered. “He just keeps showing up.”
Chapter 28
“We need to get out of this house,” the harlequin whispered, speaking for the first time. “There are cameras and microphones everywhere.”
“Who are you?” Sadie asked.
“I’ll explain everything soon,” Seneca replied. “But first we need to get out of here without Nero knowing.”
“How do we do that?” Edward asked.
Seneca tapped his head with finger. “There‘s a secret way out of here.”
“How convenient! A secret passageway,” Sadie said. “I guess we‘re supposed to trust you even though you were partly responsible for the murder of an innocent man who got fed to lions. You also drugged us so we could be brought here. We already know you work for Nero. Why should we listen to you?”
“Because I don’t really work for Nero,” the harlequin insisted. “I‘m here to help.”
“Why did you let that man die?” Sadie asked. “Why didn’t you try to help him?”
Seneca stared at them through the slits of his mask. “That man didn‘t die,” he replied. “You never saw him die. I managed to save him when the lights went out. Please trust me. I‘ll explain everything in a few minutes.”
“What other choice do we have?” Sadie asked. Edward nodded. “I agree. He‘s our best option.”
“Ok, glad that‘s settled,” Seneca whispered. “Now let’s get moving.”
“Do we even need to worry about that map Nero mentioned?” Edward asked.
Seneca pulled back his purple robe to reveal body armor and a Glock .9mm. “Hopefully not. All is not what it appears. Let‘s move to the Mother room.”
“That is his mother,” Edward said. “I knew it.”
“There are no cameras or microphones in there,” Seneca explained. “We can speak freely in that room. Cameras or microphones would be an intrusion of his mother’s privacy.”
The Tears of Nero (The Halo Group Book 1) Page 17
