Setting: ATF Universe
Disclaimer: The following is a work of fanfiction based on the CBS television series, The Magnificent Seven. It is in no way intended to infringe on the copyrights of CBS, MGM, The Trilogy Entertainment Group, The Mirisch Corp., or anyone else who may have legal rights to the characters, settings or song references. I don't own the characters. This story is strictly for entertainment. No monetary gain will be made from anything contained in this story.
The ghosts of soiree's past glided among the glitzy guests, walzing in a time of their own. There were politicians, athletes and other weathy Denver denizens chattering loudly in the formal ballroom. J.D.'s eagle eyes scanned the rainbow-attired guests discreetly from the bar. He sipped on his beer and began the mental elimination process. Mary said there were thirty on the list, so six were invited by Hawke. He ambled to the security base, off the kitchen, and reported in to Josiah.
"I got twenty-six in the ballroom, nobody's in the guestrooms yet. The bathrooms were all empty." he updated the graying agent. "You get anything?" He eyed the three men eyeing a half dozen television screens.
"Nothing unusual," Sanchez noted, "The limo drivers logs recorded twenty-five guests arriving. There is only one long drive to the main gate, to pick up the road to the interstate. There are three guards manning it, nobody's left. They've been with the Hawke's for over ten years. Plus the camera's are time and date recorded."
"...and you add Vin on his bike and me with Buck, Nate and Rain...that's five too many..."
"I'm going to review some tapes from the last few days, see if anybody sticks out..." the eldest said, "You find Mary and compare notes, find out who are three mystery crashers are,besides Sandhurst and Nardone."
"Roger!" J.D. bobbed his head and departed.
The relentless throbbing in his right leg, a firewall of agonizing ripples of pain, caused him to rouse. His teeth chattered, jumping together and sending pain through his head. God, it was cold..his body was frozen. Fleeting images of his body tumbling down the rocky stairs and the evil one's face looming over his gave him his answer.
"I'm...dead..." he whispered, sure the icy cold gripping his body was due to his corpse-like state.
"Not yet, Tanner, the stroke of twelve has yet to commence, that is the hour where you will delivery Hekate to us..."
Hekate? Vin's mind was fuzzy and he pushed his eyes open. His numb fingers touched concrete and he turned his head a little, eyeing the concrete room. The icyness that invaded him was due to him lying the smooth marble of a tomb...the faded letters on the wall were former members of the Hawke family. He was in a crypt. Two dimly lit torches were above a sealed doorway. Two guards stood on either side, arms crossed, muscles bulging beneath the black sleeve of the long cloak. Two stood on either side of his 'table' and one by his feet. The thin black sheet of cotton that covered him did little to ward off the cold. The agony in his leg brought tears down his cheeks. One name...one face...one set of green eyes....one hope...his last thought as the fire in the leg overcame him.
"Chris..." Buck warned, grabbing the tense man's bicep, "I know how bad you want him...but Vin needs you more." He warned of the green eyes that rifled the ballroom, seeking blood. Both Nardone and Sandhurst were absent...which only caused the fire to intensify in glare. "Come on..."
"Badge or no badge, Buck," Chris gritted as they took the main stairs two at a time. "Vin doens't come outta this, I'm gonna mail a piece of that bastard to every continent. His head on a spike with his balls in his mouth...Fuck..."
"You think it's Nardone?"
"It reeks of him..." Chris said, "Ezra..."
"Here," the southerner relaxed his stance and backpedaled, seeking the storm cloud arrive. He watched Chris move to the bathroom first, then the bed, studying the clues.
"We don't have much time," Ezra supplied, reading the question in Chris's eyes. "You sense it too?"
"Yeah," Chris said distractedly, his eyes lingering on Vin's fake blood on the shirt. The irony gave him a chill and he shivered. "Hawke said Nardone claimed he found religion...lives in a small border town. Looks like he's gone to the dark side..."
"Satanic cult?" Buck frowned and paled. "You don't think...he's gonna offer Vin up...a live sacrifice?"
"Well it is the Eve of Halloween..." Ezra remarked, "and we have less than three hours, I suggest we began our search. They didn't return downstairs, therefore, they made their escape within these walls."
"Secret passage," Chris nodded, "Yeah...this house is the right age for that. Okay, Buck you get J.D. and sweep the south side of the stairs. Ezra and me will take this side. Update the others..."
The first three rooms had been renovated, so it was unlikely that any secret passages could be hidden. They reached the end of the hall, where it turned. Chris had his hand on the first doorknob, when he saw Ezra cock his head and frown. He watched the southerner squat down and run his fingers on the wall.
"You got something?" the blond bent down next to the other.
"Perhaps," he pointed to a piece of black cotton, which was sticking out of the panelling. "I'm sure it wasn't designed that way."
Chris began tapping the wall and nodded, "It's hollow...it's here somewhere..." Just as the word left his mouth, Ezra gave the portrait on the wall, across from where they found the patch of fabric, a good tug. Chris had been leaning on the panel and tumbled into darkness, crying out as his head made contact with the concrete wall.
"Are you alright?"
He was waiting for the stars to stop dancing in front of him, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His instincts kicked in and his hand shot up, gripping the throat of the invader.
"It's me..." Ezra gurgled over the vise-like grip.
"You got a lighter?" Chris sat up in the narrow dark chamber. Then a flick led to the tiny light from Ezra's hand. "Dammit!" He hissed, seeing the solid wall behind Ezra.
"It began to close, I had no choice..." the other defended.
"Which way?" Chris rose, rubbed the lump on the back of his head and eyed the tunnel which went in both directions.
"We need to split up..." Erza said, taking his bowtie off and tucking it into a hole in the wall. "Ten minutes, then we return here..." he warned, turning left.
Chris had no lighter, so he walked slowly, feeling his way along the wall, he was about to turn back, when he felt air brush his face. He turned right, into a tunnel and followed the path of the air. He saw a light in the distance and turned back to get Standish. He never made it...he was slammed hard into the wall, grunting as pain exploded into this face.
"Find Jonathan...we have an invader..." the large man ordered, draping the unconscious blond over his shoulder.
"Take him to the Tomb...Jonathan is expected any minute," his cloaked partner replied.
A flurry of movement behind him, and the sound of concrete sliding brought a rush of cold air. Despite the bone-chilling numbness, he continued to shiver. His keen nose wrinkled as the scent of the newcomer was detected.
"I'll need some light," a new voice startled him, "You said he was unconsious..."
"He was..." The evil leader moved in, leaning over Vin Tanner's tortured body.
"...yer...dead...I'll...I'll...Noooo!" Vin screamed as the brute tugged on his broken leg.
"Silence!" the guard ordered, "Jonathan speaks...you reply only when addressed."
"Fuck...off..." the agonized sharpshooter replied, earning a deep laugh from this captor.
"You amuse me, Tanner, I shall miss your sharp tongue. Physician, see to his wounds...his skin must be sealed...not sewn..."
"But..." the doctor faltered..."You know what you're asking?"
"I believe I was quite clear." He leaned over and studied the pale prisoner's face, the blue eyes were dull with pain, matching his cold lips. "Mr. Tanner will cooperate...such is his fate...he is the Chosen One...Proceed!" He held a hand up as footsteps drew near. "You fool!" He roared, seeing the body thrown to the floor.
"We had no choice, he was nearly in the Tomb...who is he?"
"Perhaps I was too rash..." he mused, kneeling over the bruised and bleeding face. He slapped the blond's cheek hard, causing both eyes to shoot open. "Welcome to Hell, Larabee...we are honored to have the Head Swine as our guest. You're just in time, Mr. Tanner is about to have some minor surgery."
"You son-of-a-bitch," Chris growled, launching himself at the tall man, only to be restrained by two guards.
"Give our guest a front row seat," the leader ordered, nodding to the new shackles that were suspended from the wall. He waited until the irate ATF agent was secured and walked next to him, gripping the short blond hair and shoving it hard against the concrete. He smiled as the hiss of pain pressed through the tight lips.
"Vin!" Chris screamed, watching two cloaked figures pull a black blanket from Vin's body. The swollen, discolored right leg caused him to flinch. A large jagged chunk of flesh was missing from the left knee; there were several cuts on the elbow and chest, along with a small cut at the hairline. But the sight of the smoldering metal object approaching the bloody knee, made the lava flow inside of him explode.
"You fuckin' touch him and I'll cut your heart out..." his words were cut off as the skin was sealed. His own scream of horror was drowned out by his best friend's, who body buckled, despite the four sets of strong hand holding him. His blue eyes shot wide open and the damp, matted head rolled from side to side in agony.
Through a red veil of unimaginable pain, Vin saw the cloaked figures around him. The burns were bad enough, but the pain in his leg was unbearable. His mind drifted, he felt hand on him, heard words about 'setting the leg'. His eyes slid shut...a hospital...it was so cold.
"Please..." he rasped, grabbing the wrist of someone who was near, "...m'legs killin' me...ain't ya got somethin'...fer...pain...s'cold...please..."
"Vin! Vin!" Chris screamed, before a rough rag was shoved hard in his mouth. He struggled against the iron manacles, every muscle in his body rippling in agony. His eyes grew wide when the figure who the bastard identified only as 'physician', moved towards the broken leg. Strips of wood appeared and were placed around it, then the 'doctor' jerked it once. It was the single most agonizing sound he'd ever heard and it ripped his heart apart. Vin cried out once, before slumping back onto the concrete slab. The doctor finished tying off the splint with bandages, securing the leg.
"My debt is paid...don't ask me to be a part of your barbarism again." The physician disappeared through the door.
"My Lord?" a guard moved to follow.
"See that the physician is silenced..." he nodded, then moved over towards the unconscious man, inhaling the pungent scent of burning flesh. "Rest now Lamb, for soon the Ceremony of the Sacred Oils begins, then the Deliverance of Hekate..." he soothed, stroking the sweat-slicked young man's face. He chuckled at the feral growl of the blond man, who was trying his hardest to rip the chains from the walls. "You appear disturbed, Larabee..." he moved his hands over the stilled prisoner, pressing on the burns and smiling as the body moaned in pain. "You should be proud...Tanner is the Chosen One...he alone can deliver Hekate...but you'll be dead by then...pity, it will be a memorable rebirth. Then after my maidens are through with the Lamb, I shall cut his heart out and digest it..." He caressed the area above the sacrifical heart, enjoying all the pain radiating from Chris Larabee's irate eyes. "I'd stay to talk about old time, Larbee, but I need to mingle at the party. It's a pity, I'm sure you're lovely fiancé will miss you on the dance floor. Perhaps I'll partake of a sample...such a lovely woman." He laughed as the blond attempted to leap at him again. "Farewell for now, Lamb, I'll see you for your consecration." With a final tap to the stilled man's cheek, he departed.
Chris screamed, choking on the offensive gag in his mouth. Vin was manhandled, as the three guards put a white tunic on him. He cried out in pain, every time the leg was jostled. His head lolled drunkenly and his blue eyes were wide and glazed. He was transferred to a gurney covered in a red cloth, before being taken away. The torches were put out, leaving him in utter blackness. The tomb was dark and silent, the cold scent of death filled him. He slumped against the wall, his body and soul shattered. Vin was being led to the slaughter and he was helpless to stop the massacre.
Nathan and Mary stood in the foyer, eyeing the well-attired crowd in the ballroom beyond. They left Derek with Josiah in the study. They were waiting for the others to reappear from the hallway above. J.D.'s dark head arrived over the bannister. He shook his head, his face creased in anger and concern.
"Shit!" the dark-skinned man hissed, "Maybe Ez and Chris got a lead..."
"Do you think it's safe for these people to go to their rooms?" Mary shivered, eyeing the dark hall above.
"No...but how do we 'suggest' they camp out in the ballroom," he noted of the large room. "...without causing a panic..."
"Diplomatically," Mary's face puzzled when Buck and J.D. moved twice down the other end of the hall and returned.
"That's why God sent us Ezra," Jackson replied, then jogged up the stairs halfway. "What's wrong?"
"We can't seem to find Ezra or Chris..."
"What!" Mary lifted her skirt over the ankles and moved up the stairs.
"Hold it," Buck halted her, "Nobody else is going to disappear. Let's update Orrin and get a plan. Come on..."
The quartet moved around the elegant stairway towards the corridor leading up to the study, when Rain approached from the pantry.
"There you are!" she moved to embrace her anxious husband. "The phone lines are down...one of the crew from the catering company has a transistor radio. The storm hit the city hard...accidents all over...power failures...it's a mess."
"No phone..." J.D. hissed, "Oh that's just great...we got three men missing and no way to get help."
"Who's missing?" Rain demanded.
"Shhh!" Nate shushed her, propelling her towards the study. "I'll fill you in..."
Frigid air caused his limbs to twitch, rousing the body from his stuperous state. The cold, damp atmosphere in the tomb causing his teeth to chatter. The inky curtain that had become his world was deep and blacker than black. Time became meaningless. How long had it been? Ten minutes...an hour...he couldn't tell. Vin. Chris grunted in frustration against the dirty rag in his mouth. He'd rubbed his wrists raw tugging on the chains that bound him. Vin. No matter how hard he tried, the image of his best friend's body being abused...the eyes wide in shock...that scream...He howled with all his might against the choking, restrictive cotton and pulled his body again from the wall, only to slump down in defeat. For a fleeting second, his heart nearly stopped. What if he was too late? Was Vin already dead? Tortured and abused...his body buried in unknown grave or worse? Had those blue eyes been looking for him...reaching out for help. Just as the fingers of pain closed around his throat, the distinct sound of concrete sliding over concrete filled the room. A steady footfall...harsh breathing sending hot air over his face..then a hand on his throat...
Josiah frowned when the door shut. He was standing with Orrin and Derek, looking over old documents about the house. His eyes went from J.D.'s arresting eyes to Buck's haunted features.
"Tell me I'm wrong..." he stated, only to have Nate sigh and shake his head.
"They disappeared too..." J.D. replied, "We searched every room up there...they're gone..."
"Maybe they doubled back downstairs..." Derek suggested, but Mary shook her head.
"No, I was in the foyer most of the time, I would have seen them..."
"Alright," Josiah said. "Unfortunately, the original blueprints to the house are in a safety deposit box in town. However, Derek's grandfather kept some sketches...must have been the architect's first draft. Two of the security guys are checking out the basement and the other rooms on this floor. What's up on the top level?"
"An old studio...my grandmother was an artist...servent's quarters...storage," he mused, "Nobody's been up there for years..."
"Me and the Kid will check it out..." Buck slumped into a wing chair, his voice toneless. "How the hell could this happen? You never answered me..." He accused the owner of the estate with his voice and penetrating stare.
"I believe I made myself quite clear..." Hawke shot back at the angry younger man.
"Not good enough for me!" Buck roared, shrugging off Nate's arm "I got three damn good friends missing and one of them ticketed to get butchered maybe...So you better come up with a Goddamn good reason!"
"Buck," Mary moved forward, placing both her hands on his tense shoulders. "Derek didn't know about Nardone or Sandhurst. He's been away for several months, until his lawyer told him about the letter from Gabrielle," she pointed to the large painting of a pretty, young girl with auburn curls and large blue eyes sitting on a pony.
"That was painted about twelve years ago...she's about ten there..." Hawke moved over to stare at his only child. "We tried for so long to have a child...we'd given up when we found out...My wife died when Brielle was four. She's my world..."
"He's been haunting the border towns in Arizona and Texas trying to find her...then the private eye turned up dead..."
"The guest list was made up six months ago..." He turned back to the still furious Wilmington. "I submitted it to Claudette, she runs the estate,"
"Claudette?" J.D. asked.
"My personal secretary, she's been with our family for over thirty years. She's not here..."
"Well isn't that convenient..." Buck spat.
"Enough!" Orrin pursed his lips and moved around the desk. "Aside from Nardone and Sandhurst, who else was not on the list? Can you remember?" He handed the document to Hawke.
"Dr. Borico, Edward Dugan and ..." he skimmed the list. Christina Gates."
"Do you know them?" Mary asked.
"Dugan's a stock broker, we're on the Denver Historical Board. I don't know any Dr. Borico. Christina Gates is an old schoolmate of Brielle's. The last I heard she was living in Japan, working for a large electronics corporation."
"I want to talk to them..." Orrin nodded to Josiah, "What about the hired help?"
"They all checked out," the graying ATF'er noted of the security check. "How about the other buildings on the property?"
"Uh...there's a greenhouse, an icehouse, a smokehouse, a wine cellar and a carriage house. Other than the greenhouse and the wine cellar, the others are closed up."
"They're scattered all over..." Nate looked at the crude drawing. "We're on our own, with the phones out...we'll need to check 'em out..."
"J.D., you think you can handle the surveillance gear?" Josiah asked of the security headquarters.
"Sure, piece of cake, why?" the youth answered.
"These guards have worked here for years, they know the grounds and those buildings inside and out. They can move faster. Two should be enough...they have walkie talkies that link to the security office."
"I'll speak with them," Derek said. "I can't believe Claudette would do something like this. She went to college with my wife...she's like family."
"Are you sure nobody else could have tampered with them?" Nate asked.
"No, I gave the list to her. She had the details of the murder already and coordinated the invites with the guest list accordingly. She's done it for years, nobody else would have access to it. She's been acting rather odd the last few months. Distant...moody...depressed...I gave her some time off, told her to take a few months to rest. She was dreadfully upset about Brielle...they were very close..."
"Josiah, see if you can persuade our uninvited guests to join us. J.D., you go with Derek to the Security Office. Mary, you and Rain see if you can find someone with a laptop computer. We can notify the authorities, or at least try before the power dies...Buck you and Nate go over the upstairs again, where Ezra and Chris were last seen."
"I wanna have a word with that scumbag first," Buck gritted of Nardone.
"Well...it seems I've stumbled in the wrong room..." a chilling voice said, causing them all to spin around. Mary and Rain were nearly to the door and both backed up a bit. J.D. immediately moved in front of them. "Ah...the Widow Travis...you icy beauty is enchanting..."
"Don't..." Mary warned, of the hand approaching her.
"Sit down in that chair before I permantely separate your pinhead from your body," Buck seethed at the arrogant smile on Mitchell Sandhurst's face. Tall and lanky, his thinning blond hair and spectacles did little to hide the repitillian appearance.
"You're appear to be two short," the novelist threw off J.D. Dunne's grip and settled easily into a large chair. He grinned at the large mustached man, whose eyes were murdering him silently. "Now who is missing...let's see...Larabee the cowardly lion and Tanner his cowering cohort...pity...it would be an awful loss if something foul were to happen to them."
"You bastard!" Buck raged, leaping for the laughing arsonist, while Josiah held him back.
"He said two..." Nate whispered to Orrin. "He didn't mention Ezra...why?"
"I'm not sure..." the judge replied, "But knowing his penchant for lying...I suggest if we give him enough rope...he'll hang himself."
"I assure you, other than trips to the bathroom, I have been engaged in conversation with every one of those charming individuals."
"Well now I looked at the security tapes and I don't recall seeing your pretty face, Sandhurst." Josiah noted dryly, "So I know you won't mind waiting while they get reviewed again?"
He said rising, "I am well aware of my rights under the law...and as much as I'd like to stay and chat..."
"Sit your ass down before I nail it to that chair..." Buck roared.
"Buck, settle down!" Josiah warned. "Where's your invite?" He moved his large hand, wiggling the fingers at the loathesome writer.
"I didn't bring it..."
"When did it arrive?" Nate asked.
"About a month ago...to my residence in Los Angeles. I was rather amused... "
"Sandhurst, since you made public threats to the life of Vin Tanner, you're a suspect in his disappearance. Take him to the security room, they have a lock down back there..."
"This is preposterous!" he puffed, trying to escape Josiah's grip.
"So is somebody giving birth to you," Buck spat back, "Now you can go easy, or in pieces..."
Ezra got turned around in the long tunnel, several twisting passages spread out in all directions. It was a large maze and the dropping temperature told the sly agent that he'd gone too far. He retraced his steps, using the lighter every so often to illuminate the trail. He saw the bow tie in the wall and frowned. No Larabee. He took the trail Chris had, stopping to flick the lighter. His keen eyes spotted moist dark spots on the wall. His fingers confirmed blood, almost dry. He eyed the passage ahead and the one to his right. Which way? Where had the blond gone? Or more aptly, been taken by force? His decision was answered when a muffled cry caught his keen ears. It was faint, but enough to give him a sense of direction. He tred carefully and quietly, feeling the walls until a round ring was in his grasp. He gave it a tug and moved inside. He heard the rattling of chains and a stifled groan. He moved forward, following the sound and feeling the wall, until his warm fingers hit cold flesh. He felt the body pull back and hiss. He lit the tiny butane geared flame, and saw the battered face of his boss. Blood caked over and under the swollen right eye and from a large scrape on his cheek. His lip was mashed and bleeding and his eyes filled with dull pain.
"You'd make a rather dashing James Bond..." The irate eyes and muffled sounds didn't fool the rescuer. "Sorry..." he moved the flame upwards and saw the chains. Standing, he examined them closely, as the body jerked and more muffled cries shot out, along with two fists, which hit him hard in the lower back. "I'm not MacGuyver...I cannot pick a lock with a toothpick or make an explosive from chewing gum. More to the point, killing me will not get you out of this confinement. Perhaps Minerva can help..."
Chris's eyes lit up at the moniker Standish gave his tiny , concealed gun. His murderous intentions temporarily evaporated. He stood up and turned around, letting the other man take his gag off.
"Hurry up," Chris choked, coughing and gagging as the obstruction was removed. "Bastards got Vin...they're gonna...do 'im...something about a ceremony of Sacred Oils and deliverance of Hermata...Heldata..."
"Hekate?" Ezra froze.
"Yeah..." Chris grunted, "Jesus, Ez...move your ass..."
"You realize the sound of the gun will bring company."
"Chance we gotta take..." Chris answered, taking the lighter and holding it to give the other visibility. It was over in a few seconds, four shots and the locks broke freeing the panther.
As Ezra turned, he saw blood on the slab behind him. His eyes went to Larabee's and he saw the rabid revulsion and terror in them.
"They tortured him..." Chris swallowed, picking up a discarded piece of wood, from Vin's splint. "...I couldn't do a fuckin' thing...until now!" He bared his teeth, raising the club, his face painted in bloody mask of war. "Let's go..."
"Go?" Ezra followed him towards the door. "It's pitch black out there and riddled with tunnels. How could you possibly know...Chris? Chris?" He stepped tentatively into the cold corridor, eyeing the bobbing light ahead. "Sometimes I wonder if Mother was right...maybe I should have been a doctor." He sighed and jogged to catch up.
"Dugan hasn't left the ballroom all night," Mary updated Orrin, "So far, no luck with the laptops...Rain is still checking. Doesn't Derek have a computer?"
"He did...it's missing...the one in security was infected with a virus yesterday..." the judge sighed, "What about Dugan's invite?"
"He didn't get one...he came as a guest of Lynn Anderson, the councilwoman. She said she called Derek and left a voicemail...I guess he never got it."
"Nardone, Gates and Borico?" He asked, as two of his agents approached.
"No trace of Gates," Buck ambled into the room. "Nardone's been in and out...he slipped out again just a few minutes ago. Several folks saw the good doctor disappear a little while ago...upstairs..."
"What room was Dr. Borico in?" Travis asked, moving towards the door.
"The green room...it was clear on our original sweep," Buck advised, "Let's go Sundance..." he tapped Nate and they headed upstairs, with the judge behind them. Buck used the keys from security to open the door. "Jesus..." He moved back, face grimaced. He saw Nate brush past him and followed slowly. "Christ, that's a helluva way to go..."
"Mr. Jackson?" Travis asked, seeing the medic's frown.
"She's not dead that long...skin's still pliable..." His dark eyes clouded with rage at the senseless brutalization of the woman. Both of her eyes were missing...as well as her hands..."
"Nathan...what's wrong with her...she looks ...dried up...or something..."
"Her blood's missing...most of it anyhow..." He lifted her long dark hair, checking for fractures, or other signs of head trauma.
"Aw, hell..." Buck jerked back, seeing two oozing red marks on her neck. "Someone sucked the blood out of her..."
"I told you to quit watchin' that horror movie marathon," the other shook his head. "A pump did that...right out of her jugular. One small bullet in the back of her head..."
"What to you make of this?" Buck handed the Judge a large white envelope, containing the doctor's invite. "It says there she was supposed to be the murdered victim..."
"She was..." Nate sighed, "The party's over..."
"So they used Vin...set him up to get him alone upstairs..." Buck frowned, "She wasn't just murdered, they took her eyes and hands for a reason. She saw...something she shouldn't have...stole something..."
"I think it's time we addressed the guests. We can't risk them staying in these rooms. Not with a barbaric criminal on the loose. The ballroom is large enough. With blankets and pillows, we can keep them in there for the night." He glanced at his watch, which read nine-thirty. "Let's move, Gentlemen..."
"Bingo!" Nate called out, sliding a laptop computer from the top of the doctor's closet.
"Excellent!" The judge nodded. "Cover her over and lock the door, nobody gets in...let's update the others and contact the city."
The smell was pungent and invaded his darkness. The pain followed, pounding into his leg without mercy. Voices...close by and distant...murmuring words he did not know...chanting in a rhythmic cadence that invited a hypnotic state. Despite the his heavy eyes, he was able to peel them open, fighting through an invisible wall of weight. He managed to get his thick tongue unstuck from his mouth and lick his dry lips. It was a cavern-like room, large enough to accomodate the family of cloaked figures who stood around him, each holding a black candle. His eyes roamed the room, more candles on the walls and suspended from he rocky ceiling gave the room an eerie atmosphere. His hands were crossed at the wrists, lying on his abdomen, tied with a gold cord. The sleeveless white tunic did nothing to prevent the dampness and cold air from settling on his shivering body.
A small gong was sounded, and the followers dropped to the their knees, folding their bodies to the floor. Vin tried to sit up, but a pair of slim hands held him in place. A hot tongue licked his ear and the warm breath danced on his moist neck as teeth nibbled there.
"Soon, Tempting Tanner...we'll have Nirvana...then you will cross the river..."
River? Vin pulled away and fought against the strong small arms pinning his shoulders down. He knew the voice...his foggy brain drew a name...He had to try...his friends wouldn't find him in time. Chris...his mouth fell open slightly his tongue darting across his lips. Chris was here...there...he saw the blond chained to a wall...maybe...or was it a dream?
"Sheena...help me...get free..." He pleaded, his large eyes moving upwards and catching only a dark hood where her face was hidden. The small hand caressed his cheek and the head shook negatively.
"You cannot leave, you are the Chosen One..." she purred, her fingers massaging his temples, then raking through the brown curls on his head. "Do not fear...Sweet Lamb, there will be no pain...you will have a glorious death."
"No...still time...Sheena..." His pleas fell on deaf ears as the ceremony continued, just as the tall robed man turned, holding the large vessel of steaming liquid in the air, shots rang out nearby. Vin felt a euphoric rush of hope burst through his body. Chris...it wasn't a dream. Chris would come. He managed to get his upper body, propelled by one elbow, off the cold slab, before being forced back down.
"Seek out that which attempts to intrude upon the Ceremony...find them!" Jonathan ordered, nodding to two male guards at the entrance to the chamber. "Prepare the Lamb!"
"Gather my children the time has come, the gates to the river have opened. Soon the dark queen, my beloved Hekate, will be reborn and lead us into the Orchards of Elysium."
"Hail Jonathan...show us the way...Hail Jonathan ..."
Dulled by pain, Vin's mind fought hard to wade through the cryptic message. His eyes shifted around the circling bodies, chanting and walking in a circle around the altar on which he was lying. That much he knew...and as the flickering candles, thick incense and droning voices forwarned of his execution. The tall man with an evil smile, wearing the devil's eyes didn't fool him. Neither did the elaborate stage he'd set up...complete with mindless fools. He didn't flinch when the hawkish features hovered into his blurring field of vision.
"...fraud..." he rasped, causing the smile on the face to grow wider.
"Only to non-believers...my children give me power and after tonight, immortality."
"...murderin' bastard..."
"That vile tongue of yours will be taken while your heart still beats...then I shall that out and devour it..."
"...fuckin' lun..a...tic..."
"Silence Lamb...the ceremony is about to commence." He clapped his hands and the ocean of black cloaks parted, splitting into even groups. They lined each side of the altar, leaving a space of about three feet.
Vin lifted his head a few inches, as chimes began to play and the leader moved to a smaller altar in the corner. He watched as herbs and liquids were poured into a bowl, crushed and then heated over a small fire. The steam rose from the bowl, as two smaller figures moved in, kneeling next to the deranged man. Then he saw the cave painting again...the one with the severed hands holding his heart. He saw the tall man's arms reach up and the deep voice echo through the chamber.
"I call upon the powers of the four elements Fire, Water, Air and Earth..."
One slim hand held Vin's forehead, forcing his head flat. Other hands appeared, two on shoulders, hips and one on his undamaged ankle. Then a large gold knife made it's way in front of his eyes. The tip caressed his collarbone, lingering briefly by his jugular, before cutting the tunic away. The steaming stone bowl was placed by his right shoulder.
"The Divine Manifest begins. Hear us Hekate and know soon you will be reborn. The path to immortality is at hand. Our children will join us in the Orchards of Elysium. Bring the Elixir..."
Vin's head and upper body were raised, and he fought weakly, grimacing as his leg was in agony. He strained against the hands holding him, turning his face away from the golden chalice that was pressed to his lips.
"No..." he clenched, trying to move his head. He was forced back against someone's chest, his head nestling between two soft breasts. One hand clamped his nose shut, cutting off his air. He tried hard, fought, struggled, but the roar in his ears and the pain in his lungs drew his mouth open. The golden liquid spilled down his throat, it was sickening and sweet, causing his stomach to turn. His body jerked for a few seconds, at last it was down and he coughed and sputtered. The hand moved, releasing his lung path. He inhaled and felt a wam flush invade him, every tense muscle went slack. His senses were keener, sharper, heightened, his eyes large and full of wonder. Not one other muscle was able to move.
"The Spirit of Purpose is with us," the leader commanded, standing over the victim. "Clear your minds...create a sacred space...open your hearts...praise the Chosen One...he gives us Hekate..."
"Praise the Lamb...giver of life...Hail Chosen One..."
He was flat on his back again, staring mystified at the stars over his head. They glittered and twinkled, they were beautiful. He saw the angels again, shifting around him. His brows drew together...they were dark...they had no silver wings. He sighed and watched the stars again, waiting for the angels to take him. Funny, he didn't feel dead.
Ezra halted as Chris Larabee's hand flew up. He made his way behind the ATF leader and cocked his head. Voices...close by...murmuring...He tapped the shoulder in front of him and pointed ahead. Light was filtering from under a door. They moved caustiously, flattening their bodies into the folds of the wall, as two figures approached. The pounced silently; effeciently eliminating the opposition. With a nod of mutual consent, they donned the robes, retracing the steps to the light.
Ezra saw the horror crash into Larabee's features as they peered in the doorway. The others had their backs turned. About a dozen figures in dark cloaks were circling an altar draped in blood red cloth. He saw Chris's lips forming Vin's name and clamped a hand over his mouth, dragging the warrior behind a side wall. He continued to move, until they were on the other side of the event, able to look down upon the group from a crevice in the rocky theater.
It took all of Chris Larabee's strength, every ounce of courage and more willpower than he thought he possessed. He wanted to rip that bastard's heart out...cut off his arms and beat him to death with them. He couldn't bear to look at Vin, but got some satisfaction when the Texan fought back, until they chanting began and they forced a drug into him. They were in a overhang, just a few feet above the area where the altar was. Every breath needed to be silent, if they were discovered. Vin would pay the price. The large knife was never far from Vin's throat. He turned to Ezra and eyed the gun. The other man shook his head...indicating it was empty. Chris slumped, his fingers gripping the club tighter. His eyes crossed in confusion, when he saw Ezra looking behind them, then slowly moving past him. A familiar voice brought his attention back to the altar below.
"The time has come to sanctify the Lamb. I awaken the power within me..." he issued, tipping the stone contain over Vin Tanner's chest, spilling a warm flow of oils enchanced with herbs onto the slack jawed victim. "Hear us Beloved Hekate...as you continue on the river...soon you will be with your children. We annoint the Chosen One...the Sacred Lamb will be purified...then delivered." He splashed more of the oil on Tanner's limbs, nodding for the group to christen the stuperous victim. The continued to chant as their fingers went to work.
Warm...wonderful...sweet...Vin smiled and sighed in contentment as hands began to massage him. The scent of sandlewood, cinnamon and earth filled him. He licked his lips and blinked at the stars over his head. The voice the whispered to him was soft and feminine, filling his lungs with an intoxicating aroma. Her words brought a flush and soft smile...her fingers massaged the warmth into his cheeks and forehead, then over his lips, before slipping inside his mouth. Like a greedy child, he suckled, the contentment chasing the pain away and sending him into a peaceful sleep.
"How'd it go?" J.D. asked, as Nathan appeared, bearing the laptop. "Not bad...Orrin's talking to 'em. He's got a couple of security guards escortin' them in fours upstairs to get changed, grab blankets and pillows. They'll stay in the ballroom...with the guards on duty. Anything from the grounds search?"
"No..." J.D. sighed, watching the monitors. "Where'd you get that?"
"From the late Dr. Borico...Orrin wants us in the study..." Nate tapped his shoulder as a security guard moved in to slide into the vacant seat. "Without the phonelines, we can't access the internet to call for help...but there was a message inside," he popped open the lid, revealing another cryptic message.
"Of Mist and Moonlight the Lamb will reside...for a few short hours until the time of delivernce, he will then abide. Cast your eyes...if you dare...to the message and what lies there..." He paused, casting his hazel eyes to the dark ones. "What message?"
"We found a tape under her body...that's why Orrin needs us...now!" Nate said, holding the door for Dunne.
J.D. sat on the sofa. Buck, Josiah and Orrin were on his right. Nathan was behind his left shoulder, sitting on the arm. Derek and Mary were with Rain, keeping the guests calm. The judge picked up the remove turning the television on. The blue light appeared, giving the screen life.
"What the hell?" Buck appraised, seeing blood red lettering with the subject line 'Enter if you dare...the Lamb awaits his fate...'
"Vin!" J.D. hollered, seeing the silent moving picture of the agonized face of his friend. Then Vin's body arched, his fine features locked in a scream of agony. Someone was burning him.
"Goddammit!" Buck slammed the table in front of him, Josiah's large hand clamped on his shoulder. "Christ, his leg..."
"It's broken...bad..." Nate observed. "No...they can't..."
"Aw, God..." J.D.'s stomach turned as the leg was unmercifully snapped in place and Vin buckled again. Then another tortured soul appeared, his green eyes screaming in anguish.
"Fuck!" Buck raged, tossing a discarded wine goblet against the wall, shattering it, "The bastards got Chris..."
"Not Ezra though..." Nate observed. "Could be he got away..."
"Or he's dead," J.D. noted quietly as the image changed again.
"Nardone, you sick, fuckin' son-of-a-bitch!" Wilmington screamed as the evil drug lord's face appeared, laughing and tapping Vin Tanner's pale, sweat-lined face. Then the screen went black.
Althought reluctant to leave Vin, Chris didn't see Ezra come back. He crept slowly along the dark wall, using his fingers to guide him. He ducked inside a small chamber, his eyes narrowing at strange sight. A hand pulled him out of harm's way, as the guard's head came up. It lingered for a few seconds, before turning away.
"What?" Chris mouthed, watching the southerner study the glass case, illuminated by a tiny light. The humming of a motor caught his attention and he nodded his head. They followed the sound and came closer to the glass coffin. While Chris studied the strange sight, Ezra saw two guards appear, confer briefly with the one on duty.
"Two more hours until the deliverence...the Lamb must die..."
Ezra clamped both hands on Chris's shoulders, trying to contain the vortex in black. He caught the glint of helpless rage in the dim light on the green eyes and sent a silent signal. The tense body relaxed and then Ezra's mind snapped in place. His eyes went from the glass coffin, to the generator, to a strange collection of objects on the table near the guard on duty. Suddenly, he knew what Vin's fate was and it was the most horrific thing he'd ever encountered.
Chris saw all the color leave Ezra's face. He pulled the shaken man back into the dark corridor. He'd known Ezra a long time and had seen him in all situations. Facing down killers, undercover in a ring of gun runners, standing over a corpse...but he'd never seen the look of pure horror now residing on the handsome southerner's features. Ezra looked disemboweled.
"Oh God...Oh God..."
The whisper was so small and painful, yet stabbed Chris hard. He gripped the trembling man by the shoulders and pressed him to the wall.
"What?" he hissed, and saw the dazed head rise.
"I'm afraid...that is...I know what fate has in store...for...Vin..." he sighed deeply and opened his lips again to spill the awful secret.
Chris waited for Ezra to speak again, but the eyes shot open and suddenly he was shoved aside.
"Look out!" the conman shouted, grimacing as a blade narrowly missed his heart, slashing his side instead. He kicked out, taking the man's feet down. More footsteps...brought more company. He felt Chris grab him and propell him the other way...through a small crevice and into...into...pitch darkness. He was shoved forward, then heard Chris's strangulated cry. The last thing he heard was "Get help..." before two guards began attacking the blond.
Chris had just shoved the bleeding gambler through a hole in the wall, when he felt a club slam into his side, breaking ribs and sending a firewall of pain into his body. He hissed at Ezra to get help and then began to battle his enemies. Two more sets of hands appeared, fists in the dark connected to his jaw and body. He saw a brief explosion of light, intense and painful, then nothing.
Ezra stumbled, fell and crawled when the tunnel got too narrow to stand in. What seemed like an eternity, soon found him inching along painfully, his face covered in mud. Mud...water...terra firma...He pushed onward, despite the paranoia at not having any more air to breath. The walls were crushing him...then air kissed his face and he continued to fight...blood drenching his side. Freedom...freedom...he collapsed on his back, gasping and heaving as he felt drizzling rain pelt him. He got to his knees and clawed desperately at the stones, using them to stand. Chest heaving, he coughed and cradled his injured side. He looked around and his face blanched.
"Good Lord...a Garden of Stone..." he murmured, eyeing the ancient headstones. More alarming, was that he couldn't see the mansion. He looked for the north star, adjusted him bearings and set out to get help. Stumbling and dazed from blood loss, he plodded onward, following the dark path. It twisted and turned, went up and down...and he stumbled through a thick overgrowth of brush.
"Hey...hold it right there!"
A voice halted his progess. He eyed the murky road. He was shivering terrifically, cold and wet. He saw a gun and two large bodies...in uniforms.
"Sanctuary!" he cried dropping to his knees.
"Whoa Pal!"
Someone grabbed him, he stared at them in confusion. The gun was still trained on him..."Standish ATF....Orrin Travis...need...hurry..." his mind whirled, full of confused images.."Hekate...midnight...no time..hurry..."
"What the hell?"
"Let's get him to base," the second guard replied, heading to the jeep. While his large partner carried the unconsious man, he radioed ahead. "Get me Travis...we found one of his men...somebody named Standish. He's hurt."
Wildflowers burning his eyes, their rainbow hues accenting the brilliant summer sky. Their sweet perfume invaded his senses, making him dizzy with passion. She was so soft...so warm...her blond hair tickeled his chest. The laughing blue eyes met his again, as she moved her supple body across his chest and kissed him long and deep. Birds flew overheard, giving the two young bronzed lovers the bliss they sought. Seventeen was a heady age; bodies bursting with lust, hearts soaring with vitality. He rolled over pinning her deep within the bed of flowers. That heavenly smile beamed up at him, the deft fingers pressed into his back and across his lower hips.
"Come to me, Sweet Vin..."
"Melissa..." the stuperous man murmured, love in the rapture of a past spring morning. He remained in a state of unawares, as the nimble fingers and lips took advantage.
"Save your wiles, Sheena, it is time..."
"No..." she pouted, fingers toying with the sleeping prisoner. "You promised..." She felt jealous..her time with Tanner was taken. The others had been sent to the vacant chamber next store, to ready Hekate and pray. That left her alone to guard the Chosen One.
"You dare defy me!"
"No, Jonathan," She slipped off the slab and dropped to the floor, folding her body and dropping her head. "Please forgive me...I was overcome with temptation."
"That seems to be a problem with you Sheena..." he gripper her hair and pulled her head up, eyes raking the lush body peeking beneath the dark robe, "I shall have to punish you later..."
"Yes, Jonathan," she whispered huskily, licking her lips and dropping her eyes.
He clapped his hands and three guards appeared, dragging a semi-conscious cloaked figure. They brought the newcomer to the leader's feet, shoving him to his knees. He tugged the hood back, revealing a set of dazed green eyes. Blood ran from a cut over his eye and from a split lip as well. The ragged breathing and angle of the body, bespoke injured ribs.
"Well...well...we meet again, Larabee. I thought the rats would be feasting on your flesh by now. No matter, you shall witness the resurrection of my beloved," he paused, running a dagger down the side of the sweating pale face. The blade slipped below the frock, the sudden, swift jerk of his hand, severed the garment and shirt below as well. The blade then traced a lazy line around the heart. "...then you shall be my guest at a late supper...I believe you are acquainted with the main course..."
Chris snarled as the tip of the blade drew a bead of blood. His intense gaze bore into the large man's dark eyes. He felt the cloak and his shirt torn off, leaving him bare-chested. His hands were tied behind his back and he was shoved onto a crude bench. He immediately stood up, seeing Vin's body lying on a high altar, only his arms and head visible beneath a white garment.
"Vin!"
"Silence, Infidel!" Nardone roared, waving his hand as the guards shoved the squirming ATF man back onto his perch. A cuff to the ribs, took his breath away, filling his lungs with fire. He coughed and choked, his eyes tearing in pain. He saw Chris's eyes wander to the passage above the. He smiled evilly. "He won't be back," he noted of the one who escaped, "he entered the Tunnel of Lost Souls...it's one way. The passage gets smaller and smaller, until you are forced to crawl, then on your belly, inch along like a worm...until you reach dead end and turning around is impossible..."
Chris blanched when he thought of Ezra's fate...suffocated in a tight, underground passage. Then he saw a slim young girl in white appear, carrying a red velvet bag. She placed it one Vin's chest, bowed before him and moved to one side. The green's eye remained clouded in pain, until he saw Nardone step up to the altar and open the bag. It only took a few minutes and the arrival of a second server in white, bearing a golden staff. She planted it in a socket next to Vin, waiting for her master to begin. Then, as Nardone began to recite a prayer in Latin, Chris Larabee saw what Ezra had. His head shook in denial, pained eyes widened in stunned horror.
"No..." he choked, as Nardone pressed a needle into Vin's soft inner arm. As the clear plastic tubing filled with rich Tanner blood, spinning like a rollar coaster through a curve and into large, plexiglass container. Chris doubled over, swallowing down the bile that rose in this throat.
"Praise...Hekate...soon she will be among us...the lifeforce is true...the Chosen One will deliver us into Elysium..." he noted of the mythical land of wonder and bliss. "Pay homage to the Lamb..." he commanded, and the servers all around the altar dropped, bowing before the stilled sacrifice.
"Hail to the Chosen One...he leads the way..." they murmured.
Chris struggled again, through the burning in his lungs and side, against the four strong hands that held him. He was transfixed, unable to tear his eyes away from the horror before them. Worst of all, was Vin's half-lidded, contented dreamstate. The body was completely at ease, a half smile on the pale lips. The slip of blue eyes were lost in a faraway place; the Texan was completely unaware that he was being drained of life's most precious commodity.
"Vin..." Chris's lips mouthed silently, the dagger of the blade pressed to his tense throat.
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