by Ashley Woods
Charles looked indifferent, “No. Women are not allowed here, unless they are a “special” guest of a member. In fact, all of the club members will be arriving shortly. The ceremony attendants will be coming upstairs to fetch you in a moment.”
Kristen then stared at Charles and realized that she had met him before. He was that old man that was on the beach long ago, the one that had been picking up the veil remnants. Now, she realized exactly what those veils were for! Kristen loudly exclaimed, “DOES THIS CLUB HAVE ONE OF THOSE DUNGEONS?”
She knew that she no longer had time to waste and stood up. Charles looked alarmed and pulled a gun from inside his dinner jacket. He cocked it and aimed it at Kristen’s head.
“Sit down now!”
She stood back, and cried out, “Are you insane? What do you think you are doing? I am not going anywhere!”
She began to hold her stomach tightly, “I really think I am going to get sick. I need some air, is that alright?”
She stayed by the open window and took deep breaths. Charles walked closer and raised the gun again. He was now quite aggressive, and rapidly spoke.
“You need to get back to your chair now!” He turned for a brief moment to summon who was behind the wall camera.
“Harris! I need some help in here,” he yelled.
Kristen quickly reached over to the table, grabbed the heavy bottle of wine, and smashed it over his head. She then kicked out the window screen and jumped out onto the golf course below.
Running a short distance to her car, she saw figures emerging from the front of the club. She threw the door open and hurriedly started it. The large gate was still securely closed, so Kristen drove down the side of the greens until she saw bushes that had an opening.
Although, the entire property was gated, there was a low wooden door section where the landscapers entrance was. Kristen gave it a light tap with her Ferrari, and the door opened onto a dirt path that ran alongside County Road.
It had grown dark outside, much earlier than normal. As she drove past Gregory’s house, she saw it was now illuminated with red spotlights from all sides. They cast an ominous shadow over the ocean. She quickly arrived home, closed the drapes, and turned on the security system.
Karl arrived at the Whitestone a few minutes after Kristen’s escape. He walked into the room and was surprised to see his three colleagues standing together and surveying the window where Kristen had jumped. Charles was lying on the floor surrounded by glass shards. His head had a substantial cut on it and was gushing blood.
Karl instantly made a joke, “Well, well, I can see by the collateral damage here, that Miss Kenworth made quite an impression on you men tonight. I would expect nothing less. Mr. Harris, what exactly just happened here? And, where is our dear Kristen now? Should I be looking for another body somewhere?”
Charles just groaned and rolled over as Karl looked down at him. Then Karl frowned when he noticed the gun right next to him, “Charles, Old Boy, did you kill my guest? I only requested that she be detained. It was not that difficult of a task.”
He then became angry, “What did you all do? Where is she? Tell me now.”
Harris knew Karl too well to further upset him. He began to spin a story to avoid implicating their trio and placed all the blame on Charles.
At that point, Charles was unconscious.
Karl said, “Someone needs to get him an ambulance. He reached down to feel Charles’ neck for a pulse, “Strike that thought. We don’t want to bring in the public on this.”
Hicks spoke up, “I know a few of our regular members are doctors, and they will be arriving soon. They can take care of him.”
Hart reached for a couch pillow, and put it under Charles’ head, “Such a shame this Italian silk is going to be ruined.”
Karl reached down to Charles’ lapel, and removed his red carnation, “No need to waste this. I will choose another to join the dark level and give it to him. It has some of his blood on it and will be more meaningful.”
He stepped back. “Please inform the others that Whitcomb is no longer welcome in the Black Veil, and he is also terminated from the Whitestone.”
He chuckled, “Maybe we should just let his blood drain out. It will be quicker that way.”
Karl then leaned way out of the window and said, “Are you sure that Miss Kenworth made it off the grounds?”
He looked down at Charles, and gave him a light kick with his foot, “It appears that this room will no longer be available for any activities. Harris, please take care of Mr. Whitcomb.
Hicks spoke, “I am going to examine the outside area for any breaches. I can’t believe Miss Kenworth could have left the premises without destroying something on her way out.” Harris started looking nervous.
Karl looked at the camera, and spoke in a hushed tone, “Don’t forget. You three still need to get that deposition from Max. I want you to be extra persuasive. I believe that he is up to no good, and I am glad we are rid of him.
Whitcomb, will only receive a “soft” termination. Just get a brief statement, give him some band-aids, and send him on his way. He has suffered enough today.”
Karl clapped twice, “Now, it is time to prepare for our party! The members will be arriving soon.” Karl strode out of the room, and closed the door…
Karl’s associates proceeded downstairs to the boardroom, which was the lowest section of the club, at sea level. No one knew of its existence or purpose, except those elite members.
At one end was the large portal which opened onto the ocean.
Inside the cold interior, Max was lying on the floor, already bound and gagged. Harris dismissed the two guards standing watch. He roughly pulled Max up and placed him on a steel chair. As soon as his gag was removed, Max cried out,
“Mr. Harris, please don’t hurt me. I will tell you everything that Karl wants to know. In fact, I have a really big secret to tell you.”
Hart went to a cabinet and produced a flogger. Max covered his face, as Hart ripped into him. Hicks joined in and brutally punched him. After several minutes, they stopped.
“Don’t finish him off so fast, we still need to listen to him.” Hicks laughed.
Max was dripping in blood, “He moaned, “That wasn’t necessary. I told you I would talk!”
Harris walked up to him and grabbed his chin. He then pushed his fist into his mouth to open it.
“Well, then talk Max.” He began choking him, “Hurry up, we don’t have much time.”
Max grabbed his chest, and took a few labored breaths,
“For the last two years,” he gasped, “I have been planning to kill all you Whitestone bastards. Then, I decided that it wouldn’t make enough of an impact, so I decided to hold everyone hostage for an outrageous ransom amount!
I was then going to make sure all the radical loons in those environmental groups took the blame. No one would suspect otherwise. For the last two decades, some of the members, including myself, have been crossing swords with them to protect our business interests.”
He looked at them smugly, “In fact, one or two of the other boys are in on it.”
Harris looked like he didn’t believe him and leaned over to choke him again.
“Oh, really Max? And, just when did you plan to do this to us?”
Max spit blood in his face and laughed, “Tonight! It’s happening tonight during the ceremony, everything is in place. It’s the truth. I know you’re going to kill me anyway, there’s no reason for me to lie. I need to clear my conscience before I go. Go upstairs, you’ll find them. Two more vans just brought them in. You better work fast, their weapons are on the estate, and I know they have not procured them yet.”
The three men looked at each other in shock.
It was brilliant! After all, where else would prominent figures, and many of the richest men in the world, be congregated so conveniently in one building? The members would gladly shell out the money, just to stay out of the press; let alone spare their lives
.
Harris reached to shake his hand, “Max! You naughty bore! Who would have thought you had this stewing in you for so long? I hate those curmudgeons too. How very clever. Too bad it won’t happen!”
He then took a heavy pipe and smashed it over his head.
Hart shouted out, “In hell’s name, what did you do that for Harris? He bloody needs to tell us who the other Masterminds are!”
Both Hart and Hicks, thought Harris was now acting suspiciously. They whispered to each other, as Harris had his back turned, in order to strike Max again.
Hicks knocked him down and took the pipe. Harris was red-faced and looked very resentful as he walked out of the room.
Hart wanted to be the first to curry favor with Karl. He grabbed his cell phone and pushed the speed dial.
Hicks began shaking Max, “Who did you pay to do all of this? Come on, wake up!”
It was too late, Max slid off the chair and sprawled flat out on the floor. Hicks began opening the heavy portal door to dispose of his body.
Hart called out, “Wait! We need to hear what Karl says.”
They both spoke to Karl at length. Harris came back into the room several minutes later, wiping his face with a cloth.
Hart stared directly at him and spoke into the phone.
“Should I do it now?”
Hart then quickly pulled out a gun and shot Harris directly between the eyes. He fell over backwards, bouncing on his head.
Hicks groaned, “I was hoping we could save our strength for tonight. Couldn’t you have shot him closer to the damn door?”
As they rolled him to the portal, they removed his identification and clothing. Then they kicked his body out, and into the strong currents of Hell’s Tunnel, to be quickly snatched from below.
Hart returned to the phone, “We took care of him.”
Karl chuckled, “Good work gentlemen. I suspect Harris had a major part in this, since he did all the hiring. He was always friendly with Max. How else could they get on the grounds? You need to gather the guards, go upstairs, and quickly root out these conspirators. Then, send them all out the portal.”
Hicks asked, “What about Max.”
Karl laughed loudly, “Have someone deliver Max to his house, and deposit him somewhere. His pretty wife needs the body to collect his life insurance. Be creative!”
20 THE DARKEST HOUR
The Whitestone event was now in full swing. The Rolls and limousines continuously arrived, and the members disembarked with their special guests. They kept a tight hold on the arms of the beautiful women and men, as they accompanied them through the doors.
As an added security measure, there was a brief detainment at the front gate. At first, the party goers were extremely vocal about this inconvenience. But all was forgiven once they learned about the elaborate plot to hold them hostage. It made the affair even more exciting.
The type of parties that Karl had thrown in Chicago were similar to this but had only served as a casting call. The guests that passed their test up north, and at other locales, were usually invited to this occasion for another performance. And perhaps, a final curtain.
The full moon lit up the night and illuminated the outlines of the snipers stationed along the Whitestone’s roof.
The Black Veil now appeared, and the protection detail moved in closer. Their dates were being held for them inside. The men directly proceeded toward the back of the building, and into a room that contained 33 black chairs. They briefly greeted each other, and then stood at attention.
The group looked puzzled as Karl made his entrance with Anthony Fiore, the newest member. He tucked the designated red carnation into his lapel and gave him a firm handshake. Anthony solemnly bowed his head.
As Karl, took his place in the front row, he gingerly reached down, and donned a pair of red dress socks. He looked up as he tied his shoes, and smiled,
“I apologize for being so late gentlemen. I had to ensure that all the details were properly handled for your safety tonight. Who would have thought that our Max was such a traitor? It is all rather distressing. Any future candidates will be subject to additional screening, and perhaps, psychological testing.”
Johnson loudly remarked, “Lucky for us, you didn’t try that sooner. I would have been the only member that passed the tests. Maybe, we need a loyalty oath too.” The rest of the men laughed hysterically, and it took a while before they settled down.
Karl continued, “It is very lucky that we have General Kunkel in our club. He was able to immediately assemble a crack security team, without the need to alert the outside authorities. Karl shook a few hands, and a podium was now rolled out. Hicks and Hart stood behind him.
“Please gentlemen, take your seats. As you can see, due to other unforeseen events, that we are now inducting an unprecedented total of two Black Veil members this evening. He walked back into the hall, and then produced a prominent oil executive.
“I have been waiting to advance this fellow for years, he has always been one of my favorites. It was between him and the Sheik. Now, our friend will enjoy the same eternal benefits of a full membership.
A photographer walked in and set up a large camera. The men of the Black Veil straightened their boutonnieres and bow-ties, and gave their best smiles, as the annual photo was snapped.
Karl jumped out of his chair, and began patting the backs of his cronies, “Well done gentlemen, what a marvelous shot. This will be a night to remember.”
Upstairs, a lively party was taking place in the banquet hall for the regular Whitestone members. A small pop band provided the music, and champagne flowed from a magnificent silver fountain, as the partakers filled their glasses and danced with abandon.
In dimly lit corners, bodies were sinfully laid out in various configurations, as envious others continuously clawed at them to join in or replace them. The rafters filled with their raucous laughter. This excessive debauchery was always more prevalent among the younger associates.
In contrast, off the main room, the seniors were settled comfortably in large leather chairs. They wore their velvet Stubbs & Wooten slippers and sipped cognac, as they engaged in chess and serious discussion.
After a few hours, all the club’s members were ushered into the club auditorium for the Awards & Initiation Ceremony. It was an uneventful blend of speeches and trophy presentations. The new members were introduced, handed a regulations booklet, and a key to the fitness room.
Then, their sponsors directed them to walk over a make-shift bridge constructed entirely out of gold, while their fellow members shook champagne bottles and christened them. After it was over, the initiates showered, and returned to the festivities.
The Black Veil 33 ceremony was set to take place at midnight in the boardroom. It now featured a long table and seven empty wooden chairs. They were symbolically reserved for the rulers of the seven original continents, plus a red velvet throne chair had been placed at the end of the room for their supreme leader. Within those confining walls, judgments were passed and absolutions granted. A winding staircase led to another cavern below.
In the backroom, the select invitees were being assembled for their debut. It was a somber atmosphere and they knew what lay ahead for them. They stared at the large clock on the wall, and as its hands painfully advanced to the end of the twenty-third hour, they were stripped of their clothing and then silently escorted by their respective hosts down into the grotto.
The “chosen ones” were led into the boardroom to be displayed. With only their veils to keep them warm, they were lined up against the barren walls as Hicks and Hart put on their hoods and took their places. They were present to ensure a flawless ceremony.
The masked Officiate entered, attired in a flowing crimson robe. He regally sat, and in a low voice, he raised a silver goblet and began the incantation. As they devoutly listened, the guests were lightly pushed down to kneel before him.
Nos bibere sanguinem tuum appone Domine ad nos satanas vobis potesta
tem divinam. Interea haec, te onto ut quod ut super cetera in tenebris lux oriri. Ave satanas.
The room grew quiet. A single bell tolled from a distant tower resonating throughout the trembling bodies of the forsaken souls. A cold wind twisted itself throughout the room and blew the entrance door closed. Hearts sank as they knew there was now no escape. Hicks placed a tray of long curved knives on the table.
The Officiate questioned each Black Veil member.
“Are you ready to selflessly serve your creator? Are you willing to address his needs only, in reverent gratitude for bestowing upon you both your earthly powers, and the promise of eternal salvation?”
In chorus, the men answered, “We do.”
The Officiate continued, “Present to me your gifts to appease the Tempter’s hunger, and to surrender your spiritual being, only onto him.”
The two aides stepped forward to prepare the group. Each member and their partner held out their left hands, as the two pierced each of their fingers. Then, they pressed the member’s hand against the hand of their guest, to unite them by blood.
The heavy portal door leading to the ocean and Hell’s Tunnel swung open.
The Officiate sat back and pounded the table with his fist.
“Lay before me now those to be judged and accepted into the divine flock.”
One by one, the veiled were pushed forward to the ground. Their shroud was roughly lifted to reveal their face.
The Officiate now asked,
“Are you ready to serve your Master?
Now stand and speak your case.”
He listened carefully as each made their appeal. When a positive decision was rendered, a knife was handed to the member. He would then lightly bow, take their guest’s hand, and depart with them down the stairs to the chamber below. Those who remained, awaited in anguish for their fate to be determined.
And, with regards to those few who were deemed unworthy of any consideration at all—for the remainder of the evening, the portal was propped open by a large boulder
