They had no idea how the temple bounced around different parts of the world. They had no idea that they should even still be looking for it anywhere. To them, it had just dissipated from all existence and the best they could do would be to wait and hope something similar happened again. If it ever did, they would have the attention of the entire world back in their hands.
With the discovery of a body at the scene, though, came investigative measures. Upon further research of the victim found on the ice, having fallen to her death from a building that no longer seemed to exist, they found no records of the young woman's identity. She had no matching fingerprints and wasn't identified by any facial recognition software. She might as well have been a ghost since there was no indication of who she was before her death.
The girl was nameless and completely unidentifiable. There was nothing about her that they could use to help figure out who she was. She was a perfectly blank slate, with nothing to leave behind but a few frozen tears. They would never figure out who she was, but that was rather fitting given Kendra's own views of herself. She would have told them that there was nothing to figure out, since the victim hadn't been anyone at all. She was simply the mannequin that would dress up sometimes, pretend to be someone else, but never have a soul of her own.
The reporters and investigators knew that there was a piece of the story that they were missing, but they didn't know how large of a chunk it really was. They would never know that they were standing on the remnants of a battlefield where a feud between one former billionaire and a secret society took place. That was the story that they would really want, but they had less of evidence of it existing than they did of that young victim's identity.
There was nothing left behind in the Arctic, not really. Nothing but an unknown dead woman, a handful of stolen helicopters, and a missing Mayan temple. It wasn't even worth publishing a follow up story. Most people already probably thought it was a hoax.
They would never know the truth of what happened inside that temple.
18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – RESTRUCTURING
The facility was nearly empty. Most members of the Black Sun had scattered to the ends of the earth, slunk into the holes that they had initially crawled out of, abandoned the cause the second they lost. Elijah felt proud to have been part of that defeat and he walked through the empty facility with a great deal of satisfaction. For so long, those halls had been filled with arrogant murderers that thought they could just steamroll their way through the rest of the world. There were a few that remained, mostly the new recruits who weren't entirely sure what had even happened or whose side they were supposed to be on.
The Order of the Black Sun had so recently been reorganized under the leadership of Julian Corvus. That psychopath had meticulously restructured how things operated within the order. He got rid of the old leadership like the council and the veterans that couldn't and wouldn't adapt to his new ways. He had recruited ambitious minds with useful skill sets that he could mold and twist for the future plans he had. He had made an already dangerous organization downright vicious in how they performed their objectives. There was no code of conduct and there was no rule except one—to serve the Order of the Black Sun without question.
But now, that new order he had forged had shattered completely into millions of pieces; from the lowest informants, spies, and consultants, to the brutal enforcers and agents strong-arming their way to priceless pieces of history all over the globe. Even the inner most circle of the order had seen their best laid plans fall apart before their eyes.
Julian Corvus promised them all a new age where the Order of the Black Sun would shine on the entire world, and they would have a chance to truly make a difference, not just to themselves but to everyone. And at first, he really did seem to be leading them in a new and bold direction. Those promises seemed like they were actually going to be kept, but in the end, he wasn't the right person to follow. His psychopathic tendencies weren't what the order needed. They didn't need the cruelty. They didn't need the malice. They didn't need the delusions of grandeur. The Black Sun didn't really need anything Julian was promising them.
After all of his empty promises and passionate assurances, Julian Corvus hadn't made the Black Sun any better.
“I am the change.”
That is what he had said; that was his declaration. It wasn't true at all and was only another lie to help him seize power uncontested. He told them all what they wanted to hear and so many soaked it in because it was what they wanted so badly. The ones who didn't believe him mostly stayed quiet out of fear of what would happen if they spoke out. It wouldn't have been anything good and they all knew that.
Now it was clear enough that the Order of the Black Sun had never truly changed. If there was any change, it hadn't been for the better. If anything, they were far worse off now than they had been under the old leaders.
Even after all of the internal strife and the drastic changes that were made, the Black Sun still couldn't even defeat David Purdue. That single man had held up a mirror and showed them how fruitless all of their efforts had been and that they were only pretending to have improved. The Black Sun didn't shine any brighter than before.
And now in the fallout of Julian's reign, the Black Sun was in ruins. Most of their top members weren't going to be continuing their membership, one way or another. Some had been forced out, were in the process of being forced out, while others scattered to the wind, trying to abandon the sinking ship they were on.
People that had once devoted their lives to the order were long gone.
Sasha was one of their best enforcers for a time but even she had seen that Julian was leading the order to destruction. Her attempts to turn the tables on him through helping Purdue ended with her dead under a pile of rubble. She could have maybe been a suitable replacement as leader one day just as Elijah knew she wished for, but they would never know now. Elijah sometimes wished he had understood Sasha's concerns earlier. He might have even tried to help conspire against Julian's new brand of leadership. But, unfortunately, Sasha had seen the truth too early, before anyone else was willing to see it too. It was a shame that someone who wanted to push the Order of the Black Sun into a more civilized direction was killed before this battle. She probably would have loved to have seen Julian finally brought down.
Galen Fitzgerald was another case altogether. He had done surprisingly well for himself within the order, all things considered. Despite annoying just about everyone he had spoken to, he had made allies and completed many retrieval operations. He was seen as a joke by most but had proven that there was occasionally something backing up all of his narcissistic posturing. He was petty and materialistic, but everyone had to admit he was quite the survivor—like a slippery cockroach. He had survived the decimation of the order and had remained relatively unscathed. He had come out of it in better condition than most of the other operatives. Escaping with the Spear of Destiny wasn't a bad consolation prize either, and had apparently cut ties with the Black Sun for good. That was fine by Elijah. That Irishmen had plenty of hot air in his body to find his own path.
He would probably be writing his next self-righteous autobiography soon. Elijah could think of a few fitting titles just off the top of his head. Wounded Leg: How I Made the Most of My Time in a Secret Society. Or maybe, I'm a Survivor: The True Tale Of How I Survived Through Experiences That Should Have Killed Me. Then again, there was always, How Not to Be Liked By My Coworkers. That one would be very insightful considering how much experience he had in that department.
Whatever title Galen went with, the book was sure to be just as nauseating as his first, nothing more than a self-aggrandizing story about why he was so great. At least the sequel would have more interesting material to work with, though Galen would probably waste that and only focus on his parts. It would be a real shame if Elijah was cut from the story, but he would understand. He hadn't spent much time with Galen because the man was an insufferable gnat.
Then, of course, there was Julian Corvus himself. The Order of the Black Sun had crumbled and that fall started from the very top. He had gone from being a feared but effective grunt to having complete control over the rest of the order. It was practically a Cinderella story that could inspire so many prospective recruits but unfortunately, his ascension was a violent one. The ladder he climbed was stained with the blood of all of the people he had butchered on his way to the top. He was a tyrant—and his rule had been mercifully short.
If anyone was to blame for this defeat, it was him. This was all part of his great big master plan. He had taken over the Black Sun with a mix of force and charisma and could have taken the order into any direction that he wanted. He could have been smart and led them to greatness but instead they followed him straight down into failure.
Julian might have been more effective if he hadn't allowed his sadism to take over all of his decisions. His plans became reliant on how much they made Purdue suffer. Making decisions like that might have been fine during times like attacking Purdue's home but otherwise, a mindset like that was nothing more than a distraction. His psychotic urges to relish others' pain made him a very unstable leader—and instability made it much easier for things to collapse under everyone.
And it had—the Order of the Black Sun might finally be finished for good and Elijah really didn't mind as long as all of those relics in the deep vault were kept safe. Maybe Purdue would take all of them, a victor claiming his spoils of war. Only time would tell how everything would shake out in the end. It was just nice knowing that many of the world's most dangerous people might no longer have a clubhouse to play in anymore.
Elijah hoped that the black sun would finally set for good.
If not, then he hoped it would be a little less dark.
Purdue hadn't seen his trophies in a long time—far too long.
His private collection had always meant so much to him. It was a trove of reminders of all of the many experiences he had gone through, the adventures he had been a part of. They were all extremely valuable to the rest of the world, but they had an extra bit of sentimental value for him. So many of them weren't even supposed to exist, yet Purdue had touched them, taken them, and protected them in his collection.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to protect them forever. The time he spent without them was hard enough, but there was an extra sting knowing that all of those priceless relics of history—both known and lost—had been taken away under his watch. They had fallen into the wrong hands because he'd underestimated his enemies, and all of those pieces of history had been put at risk.
At least things seemed to have turned out alright. He even had the Order of the Black Sun's own collection now in his hands. So many relics that they had misused or wielded to enact their dangerous objectives, but Purdue wouldn't let those relics ever be used in that way ever again. Now there was an even larger responsibility to protect his relics, since he had more than twice as many as before.
Purdue looked down into the deep vault, a cylindrical hole in the floor where most of the artifacts were stored. A large crane hung over it, which could be guided by computer to pull out or put in the proper containers storing the items. It was a bit sad to see all of those relics put away in such a way, where they were buried and hidden from the world until the Black Sun had any use for them. At least when he used to hold onto them, he put them on display, so he could at least think about the items that had centuries, and sometimes millennia of historical significance.
Then again, that might have been one of the reasons he lost them. If he put everything in a hole like the Black Sun did, then they would probably be harder to steal. So they had that going for them at least, as much as it seemed disrespectful.
“Impressive, right?” Nina said, walking toward him.
He whistled as he looked down into the hole. “That's one word for it. It certainly seems secure.”
“It is,” Nina said. “I spent a fair amount of time in here during my time as a prisoner. They had me helping Elijah Dane curate all of the relics that they brought in before storing them away.”
“That doesn't sound so bad,” Purdue said with a wink.
“It wasn't...but it didn't last long...”
“What happened?”
“I tried to escape, obviously,” Nina said with some shame. “Almost made it out too but Elijah turned us in when we tried.”
“The same Elijah that you're now sort of friends with?” Purdue was a little confused by it all, but he was sure it made much more sense if he had been imprisoned with her.
“Yeah, him,” Nina said with an awkward laugh. “Elijah ended up really helping us escape later. It took some convincing but he was a prisoner of the Black Sun's for far longer than we were. He ended up working for them just so he didn't have to rot in a cell like we did.”
“I see,” Purdue said, softening on Elijah a little. He was still a bit suspicious of anyone who had a such an intimate relationship with the order but Nina kept assuring him that he was on their side. Hopefully she was right.
There were footsteps from near the large open doors that led into the vault room. Elijah Dane entered, looking quite anxious. Purdue studied him closely as he approached. He didn't seem quite as openly crazy as Julian, Kendra, Victor Moore, and all of the other newer Black Sun members that Purdue had encountered but for all he knew, he could just have been better at hiding it.
Elijah straightened his glasses, readying himself for whatever their decision was going to be. After all, he was part of the Black Sun; if the order was going down, then he would be dragged down with them. He just had to accept that fate. All of his choices had culminated toward this moment.
“You look nervous,” Purdue said. “Cheer up, aye?”
“Apologies...” Elijah didn't even remotely perk up. “It's rather difficult to be cheerful when you've lost the best chance you had at fulfilling your life's work. Awful as Julian and the order was, it presented me with items that I never would have been able to examine elsewhere. Museums and exhibits are all well and good, but they don't have...” Elijah stretched out his arms, trying to encapsulate the whole room. “...they don't have this.”
Purdue and Nina peered around.
“You're right,” Purdue said. “But this place still does and with me in charge, it still will. And those artifacts will need a guardian now more than ever.”
“What do you mean you in charge?” Elijah picked at his ear. Nothing he was hearing sounded right. “I am not sure that I follow...”
“From what Nina has told me, you respect the importance of all of these relics. You see their real worth, and she also told me what you did for her through all of that time she was a prisoner.
Elijah glanced at Nina uncertainly. Their time together had a lot of ups and downs. There had been slights and disagreements, betrayals even. Despite coming together at the end, did helping her escape absolve him all of all of the bad things he had let happen to her in those cells?
Purdue continued. “The Order of the Black Sun is going to be very different...but that doesn't mean that everything had to be. We will be taking control of this entire organization, and we will be purging all of the bad, aye...but why not keep the good?”
“So you're going to be the new boss...and you're what, offering me a job?”
“It's already your job,” Purdue said with a laugh. “All I'm asking is if you will stay at your post.”
Elijah looked baffled but his face swelled with relief and even some happiness. His usual robotic passiveness turned into a surprised smile.
“Absolutely.”
19
CHAPTER NINETEEN - THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE COLLECTION
Julian woke up and slowly got to his feet. There were artifacts all around him. He recognized many of them as things that he had taken from David Purdue's estate, and others were part of the Order of the Black Sun's own collection.
Purdue stood a few feet away. His arms were
crossed but he was smiling like he was the happiest man in the world. Seeing him look so pleased sent a wave of anger through Julian. He rushed forward, ready to wipe that stupid smirk off of Purdue's face but he didn't get very far at all. Julian collided with an invisible barrier—no, not invisible—he just hadn't noticed it right away. There was a slight glare around him and he realized he was surrounded by glass walls, and that glass had apparently been reinforced since it didn't come close to shattering on impact.
Julian pressed his palm against the glass. His surprise was drowned out by his anger, but he couldn't help but feel a little impressed.
“What is this exactly, Mr. Purdue?” Julian ran the tips of his fingers along the inside of his glass cage. “What have you done?”
Purdue just clapped his hands together like he had just invented something incredible. With that same victorious glee, he finally spoke to his prisoner. “I've been all over the world. So many countries, so many places. I've seen so many strange things...things most people would never ever believe actually existed. Out of all of those things I've seen firsthand...everything that these eyes have been able to see...I have never seen something like you. A real oddity, a rarity. You're just as valuable as all of the other priceless relics I've collected. Maybe even more...so this seemed like the perfect place to put you. You wanted my collection so bad? Here it is. You're part of it now.”
Julian sneered. “You can't do this.”
“I already have,” Purdue said with a shrug, and gestured to the cage to point out the obvious. “You didn't give me much of a choice, Julian. You were a threat to the whole world...and there weren't many options to stop you. How do you bring down a guy like you when killing is off the table, aye? There's no putting you down for good with a bullet like anyone else. That already makes you a real pain in the arse. And with all of those connections of yours, I doubt a prison would do much good. No...no, you needed to be somewhere that I could keep an eye on you, Mr. Immortal Man.”
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