“Oh, don't be too upset with him. It was good at the time he signed it ... but...”
Julian was handed a tablet by one of his subordinates, and displayed it to the camera. It was a big enough device that they could make out what was on the screen and what they saw immediately concerned Purdue.
The screen showed multiple large dollar amounts, and beneath the amounts were the names of various banks and account information—all of David Purdue's accounts.
“We have some very talented hackers within our order, and they were more than willing to get into your rather substantial bank accounts.” Julian held his thumb over a button that read: process. “A press of a button and it's all gone. All of it. Your entire fortune. Billions erased ... but quietly transferred to offshore accounts of our own. The money will be a great help in our efforts to improve the world. So, thank you, Mr. Purdue, for you more than generous donation to the Order of the Black Sun.”
Julian pressed the screen and Purdue watched the numbers in his accounts rapidly decrease, plummeting to zero in a matter of seconds. All of his money was gone. Every last bit of it.
“To the banks, it will look like you went on something of a bender. You used up all of it legitimately. Threw it all away on expensive cars, parties, paintings, the things that most rich men waste their wealth on rather than bettering the world. Selfish rich men like you, Mr. Purdue.”
Purdue stared at the monitor and heard the faintest echo of Mama May's voice in the back of his mind.
“Riches to rags.”
The thing about sieges was that they could last for an absurdly long amount of time; and that was how it felt from inside the collection vault. Purdue, Charles, and Jean kept an eye on the monitor and could still barely hear the Black Sun soldiers' attempts to break through the door. Felicity, meanwhile, sat against one of the display cases, quietly flipping through the book of shadows.
“Anything useful in there?” Purdue asked. “A spell to just wave a wand and get us the hell out of here maybe?”
“No,” Felicity said, barely paying attention.
She had been unusually quiet since they had been inside the collection room. Before that even, since arguing about what should be done with the book. Since then, she'd mostly kept her distance, just reading some of the entries in Mona Greer's journal.
At least she had something interesting to read to deal with the stalemate.
It hadn't been too long since Julian's attempt to use Nina as a bargaining chip, but it felt much longer trapped inside a room that could end up being their tomb.
The wait was also getting to Galen, apparently. He started waving his cane at the camera and screaming loudly for everyone to hear. “Can we hurry this up?! For Christ's sake, Davy, just come out of there already, you goddamn coward! You and yer friends are just going to starve to death if you keep this up! So, get the hell out here now! If Julian won't kill Nina, then maybe I will.”
Purdue took a calming breath. Galen had a way of getting under his skin just by being purely obnoxious and childish to deal with. It was always best to deflate him and not let him goad you into a fight.
Purdue leaned forward and clicked on the microphone.
“Stop your whinging, Galen,” Purdue said. “Either keep your mouth shut or just run along home to Ireland.”
Galen looked to Julian for assistance and the Black Sun leader smiled, raising his index finger in front of his nose to get Galen to keep quiet. He then walked back in front of the camera. “Do excuse Mr. Fitzgerald's behavior. He just grows impatient. As do I. I've given you a number of opportunities to comply willingly. And now I've given you ample time to come out. You called my bluff with Dr. Gould, I admit, but I am getting in there one way or another, Mr. Purdue. That much is certain.”
“You sound very sure of yourself,” Purdue said. “And yet ... you're still out there. And I'm still nice and cozy in here.”
Julian didn't look defeated. In fact, the expression that formed on his face was frighteningly confident, like he was about to reveal a long-held secret.
“Do you know what makes the best kind of battering rams, Mr. Purdue? You love your history so I'm sure you do. Obviously, the rams were effective siege weapons but relatively easy to endure. I had hoped Dr. Gould here would have been an adequate enough tool for this siege, but clearly I underestimated your determination to drag this out. But I digress, back to what makes the best battering rams. I will tell you. What most of the old military histories don't say is that the best battering ram is the hand that unlocks the door from the inside.”
There was a crash behind Purdue and he swung around to find Jean on the floor, not moving, and with shards of glass all around him from an apparent fall through one of the display cases. Felicity stood over his unconscious body, with a satisfied smile painted on her face. She looked happier than she had the entire time they had been with her.
The book of shadows was under her arm, held protectively against her chest.
Charles got up from the computer chair and rushed to Jean. In his haste, the butler didn't seem to notice Felicity's joy and walked right by her. He crouched beside Jean and gently placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to stir him to alertness.
“Sir,” Charles said with concern lacing his usual politeness. “Sir, are you alright?”
“He's fine,” Felicity said, looming over the unsuspecting Charles. “I've only put him to sleep.”
She held out her free hand, which was cupping a little pile of powder. She held her hand up to her face and opened her fist. She blew the powder out of her palm into the butler's face. Charles twitched as the dust filled his air holes. His eyes almost immediately rolled up and he crumbled on top of Jean. The two lay in a heap, defenseless against their attacker.
Purdue stood his ground near the computers, torn between attacking Felicity or rushing to his friends' aid. He hesitated, though, mostly out of shock. He just stared at Felicity, trying to figure out what had happened in the last thirty seconds.
Purdue took a cautious step toward the witch, ready to hold his breath if she tried using that powder on him. “The hell do you think you're doing?”
She batted her eyelashes at him in mock innocence “What the Order of the Black Sun asked me to do.”
There it was. The truth that was starting to come together for him. He thought back to all of the nonsense about battering rams Julian had just been talking about. How the best battering rams could unlock the door from the inside. He knew now that he was staring at the battering ram—Felicity Perry.
“So, you're part of that irritating secret society of ass hats, aye? Another one of their mindless little marionettes. Julian pulls your string and your body moves, is that it?”
Felicity took a step toward him and Purdue was surprised that he actually felt afraid of her. In the short time he'd known her, he'd only found her slightly irritating. But now, now he saw her in an entirely new light. She didn't look like much of a threat physically, but he could almost feel the power radiating off of her.
“Not at all. You're really not nearly as bright as you pretend to be, are you?” Felicity took another step forward and looked amused by Purdue's caution. “My movements are entirely my own. Yours? Not so much...”
Felicity mouthed some strange language and Purdue felt every muscle in his body tense. He trembled just trying to stand. As hard as he tried, he couldn't move any part of himself. It was like his brain wasn't able to send any commands to the rest of him.
The sensation was unlike anything most people usually felt. He had only experienced it once before ... when Mama May was performing her premonition. An otherworldly shadow creeping over your body, on the precipice of being a physical feeling. Only this was far worse than when Mama May had performed magic on him. He felt completely helpless, at the mercy of something so strong that he was only an insect by comparison.
It was a struggle just to speak and when he did, his lips quivered uneasily, hardly able to form words. “Why are ...
are you ... are you helping them? The Black Sun...”
“They came to me after you and Jean-Luc did. They had been following you for a while, you know. They knew what you were up to and they knew exactly what you were looking for. Followed you from New Orleans all the way up to my front door. They figured that I might be able to help them out with all of their plans they had for you. I don't really know what you did ... but you sure pissed someone off.”
Purdue thought back to spending time waiting for Felicity to call them after their initial failure of a visit. She had taken her time changing her mind, and apparently hadn't changed it on her own. It did seem strange that she had been so adamantly working with them only to go back on her decision so quickly. He should have seen it. While he and Jean had been touring the museums and sites in Salem, Felicity was allying herself with the Order of the Black Sun. She had been conspiring against them the whole time; using Purdue and Jean to complete the book of shadows.
Felicity had known the whole time that the Black Sun was lying in wait, readying themselves for an opportunity to pounce on him and destroy his life. She didn't even try to warn them. Of course, she didn't. She was a willing participant in the ambush, and she seemed more than pleased with her treachery.
“And...” Purdue felt like something big and strong had two massive hands clenched around his throat. “What exactly ... do ... do you get out of all this then? Pat on the ... on the back ... from Julian Corvus?”
“Well I get this book, for one.” Felicity held up the book of shadows proudly. “And they owe me a favor or two in the future. It's not a bad thing to have a group like them in your debt. I only wish I'd had them helping me find these pages to begin with. Would have been a lot easier than the years it took to find them myself.”
“You can't...” Purdue nearly choked on his own throat. “You can't really ... you can't really trust them. You can't. Believe me, Julian is a monster.”
Felicity broke into a fit of hysterical laughter and then, spoke with a horrible impression of Purdue's accent, “Julian is a monster. Mona Greer is a monster.” Her laughter evolved into a wicked cackle, nearly falling over from her amusement. She looked at Purdue like he was a just a little boy who had no idea about how the world worked. “Aw, David Purdue...” The mock-pity in her voice had no empathy at all. Just pure, unbridled amusement. “I'm sorry, but has it ever occurred to you that there are no monsters at all? That you only think they're monsters because you're just so, so afraid of things that you don't understand? That you ... the spoiled rich brat that you really are ... can't even comprehend?”
She cradled the book of shadows in her arms as if it were her own precious baby.
“Like how scared you were the second you saw what was actually written in here. This whole time ... you acted so curious about putting together the book. You were so excited to add another item to this pathetic trophy room you have. But the moment that this book wasn't what you hoped, you got so scared, so fast. You only appreciate history when it's pretty to look at, is that it? Afraid of the dark?”
Purdue felt a slight tingle in his toes. He hoped he was regaining some control over his body, and he would certainly appreciate if he got his feeling back quicker. At this rate, he'd spend his last few minutes of life as a living statue. Felicity would open the vault door and the Order of the Black Sun would come in to find him like this ... and Julian would kill him. He wouldn't have a chance to fight back.
Felicity opened up the book of shadows in her hands and flipped through a number of pages, occasionally stopping to admire some of the work inside.
“You have no idea how long I've waited to see this book be complete. I worked so hard to get all of the pages ... for years. I spent so much money. I spent so much time. Even had to use my own body to get what I wanted at times. It was ... disgusting, really ... but so, so worth it in the end. And after all that ... it would be a waste to not see the extent of Mona Greer's knowledge firsthand, wouldn't it?”
She looked up at Purdue with a horrible glance that gleamed with sadistic pleasure.
Purdue tried to force his body to cooperate with his thoughts, but it wouldn't listen. There was still just the slightest sensation in his feet.
Felicity turned page after page of the old book, pondering each one as she moved through the text. Purdue had only had a brief glimpse of the books contents and was some of the most horrifying stuff had ever set his sights on. He couldn't begin to imagine what other horrors were in there. His mind raced, pumping with raw fear at the thought of being contorted and torn apart by one of those grotesque spells of Mona Greer's.
“Ah! Perfect!” Felicity settled on one but didn't show what she was talking about. Purdue would just have to wait to find out for himself. “This will be an interesting one. I think you'll really enjoy it. Mona Greer was undeniably a genius.”
Felicity held out a free hand and started chanting. Purdue tried as hard as he could to will himself free from his paralysis, but it wasn't any good. There was nowhere he could go. He glanced at Charles and Jean on the floor, silently praying that one of them would wake up and tackle the crazy woman that was about to turn him inside out.
He'd suffered a number of injuries and had plenty of close encounters with death, but he'd never imagined that he would be killed by some witch's spell. It was like something out of a horrible, old fairy tale—the kind that didn't have happy endings, just comeuppance for people who had made mistakes. He'd made plenty over the years ... maybe this witch was going to give him his due.
Still, he didn't fancy having his body twisted apart like a piece of dough, or to have his body bleed from every pore until he was dried out. As she chanted, he thought of one hundred various, awful ways that he was going to be killed by magic.
That was the thing with magic ... endless possibilities ... even when it came to murder.
Felicity snickered to herself as she chanted, and he knew she was close to finishing whatever incantation she was performing. And when she stopped speaking, that would be it for him.
“Hello?” Julian's voice called from behind him.
Purdue looked over his shoulder to see Julian Corvus still on the monitor, staring straight at the camera. He looked rather irritated. He was probably expecting that the door would be open by now. He clearly wasn't aware of just how demented Felicity really was.
“I would appreciate if you would hurry up in allowing us to enter...”
Julian spoke uncertainly, having no idea if his insider had actually exposed her allegiance with him yet. It was impossible to know from behind that enormous door. It must have been frustrating to be so close to the trove of artifacts, to his most hated enemy, and to whatever was happening inside the vault room.
Felicity stopped her chanting, and she glared at the monitor. Magic clearly required focus and she wouldn't be able to test any of Mona's work if she had someone constantly making noise and waiting on her. She lowered her hands and slammed the book closed begrudgingly. “We'll have to take a brief pause. Hopefully we'll have a chance to pick this up later. If not, I'll find someone else to be my test dummy.”
She walked past Purdue and more than anything, he wanted his movement to come back, so he could lunge at her and wring her neck for using them. Unfortunately for him, he still was just as stuck as he had been since she cast the spell. She winked at him as she past, more than pleased with his current condition.
Felicity flipped on the microphone. “I'm here.”
“Marvelous,” Julian said. “I trust things went well in there.”
“Took you long enough to give the signal,” Felicity replied.
“Well, I wanted to try a few other tactics to keep you hidden for as long as possible. Exposing you was only a contingency if nothing else worked. Now if you would please, my dear, unlock the door.”
Felicity turned to Purdue and he knew that even if he could move or talk, there was no stopping her at this point. There was no convincing her that she made a mistake. She wante
d out of the fortress of artifacts, so she could take the completed book of shadows and not be stuck with killers outside.
“Nothing personal, Purdue,” Felicity said. “And thank you for helping me finish the book. I never would have thought of Giles Corey. A plus for you.”
She pressed down a large green button on the control panel. There was the sound of metal banging around as the massive locks unbolted themselves and the enormous vault door careened open, allowing the Black Sun operatives to push it open the rest of the way and pour inside. Felicity turned on the mic. “All clear, Julian.”
“Thank you, my dear.”
The gargantuan vault door slowly creaked open. There was nothing Purdue could do as the Order of the Black Sun flooded inside the collection room. It was a place that they were never supposed to see, let alone be setting foot in. Their presence alone was tarnishing the sanctuary that all of those artifacts deserved.
They swarmed in like a pack of wild animals, and two men immediately grabbed Purdue and dragged his limp body out of the room. Part of him was relieved. He didn't want to see what they were going to do to all of the items he had spent years finding. They dragged him out and he saw Julian pass him on the way.
Julian glanced at him with those icy gray eyes and grinned. “It was a commendable effort, Mr. Purdue.” He then kept walking past, straight through the now open vault door as Purdue was pulled out of the collection room.
That sadistic bastard was about to have complete access to Purdue's life work, and there was nothing he could do stop him anymore.
Julian walked into the largest private collection of ancient relics in the world. He wanted to see it all before his subordinates stripped it clean and packed it up. He wanted to be able to gaze at the fruits of all of David Purdue's many labors.
Sure enough, it was a wondrous sight to behold. There were things from all over the globe. Pieces of history that had been lost for centuries or even millennia. Things that Purdue had climbed the highest mountains and dived into the deepest holes to attain.
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