by Wayne Block
“Now Steven, you have almost completed your education,” echoed the Scorpion’s voice in the cavernous dungeon. “You can now understand my pain. You can feel the horror of my mistake with your wife and children.”
“You sick fuck!” Steven screamed. “I’m going to rip your lungs out! She didn’t need to die!”
“You are wrong, Steven,” the Scorpion countered in a calm and reassuring tone. “There is a grander scheme awaiting you and she was a necessary sacrifice. I await you atop the castle. Do not disappoint me.”
Steven stroked Giovanna’s face. His mind raced. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, as he stood and collected himself.
Steven strode with renewed conviction up the spiraled staircase. The Scorpion had successfully destroyed Steven’s past, present, and now a possible alternate future. He left the room where, many years ago, the Scorpion had overcome his worst fears. Steven no longer feared anything; he was completely resolved to kill his tormentor. His hatred guided him forward, just as the Scorpion envisioned.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Steven reached the top floor of the castle and searched each direction with certainty in his heart.
“I await you, Steven.”
“What are we playing for now? Everyone is dead.”
“We are playing for salvation–nothing more, nothing less. Follow the hallway to the third room on the right and enter. You will know what to do.”
Steven walked to the room and stood in the doorway of a small antechamber. He raised his gun and took a controlled step over the threshold. The Scorpion’s voice was heard through the room’s speakers.
“Before we finish, I want you to understand that I began following you as soon as I heard you were hunting me. I was astounded that anyone had the audacity to make it known that he was coming to kill me. I am an authority on human behavior, and I concluded you sought vengeance at any cost, with no plans or hope for your future. You were also naïve enough to believe you might succeed.”
Steven stared blankly at the speakers.
“I began this journey strictly out of curiosity, but it became quite another matter when I discovered you were Tomasso’s son. Make no mistake, I was and am sickened by the death of your family, but the revelation of who they were changed the course of my life. I brought you and the others here to demonstrate some basic truths so that you would never meet your father’s fate. Tomasso shared your poor judgment regarding loyalty, and it led to his death. I wanted to reveal the truth to you about the Manziones, to make you really see.”
Steven remained silent.
“It was my desire to teach you that killing is not a generic act. Some murders are justifiable, even just. I think we agree that Nicholas falls into that category. There is also collateral damage, such as Michael Johnston. He was a sudden complication. Then, of course, there are the tragedies. You have heretofore refused to believe that I was in fact, actually caught off guard by your wife. The only way you could understand was to put you in that position. Ms. Milani’s death was indeed tragic, but you needed to experience it to accept what happened to your own family.
“Life is interesting, don’t you agree Steven? When I decided to eliminate Nicholas for allowing your family to be present, my plan was to abduct him and bring him here even before I received the contract. Ironically, I would get paid for my fantasy of hunting a worthy opponent. Then you entered the picture and my priorities changed. How disappointed I would have been if I’d had my wish; Nicholas proved to be quite ordinary.
“But, I have veered off topic. I hope you continue your life with a new appreciation of human nature. People are rarely the masks they wear. You need to realize mankind does things that appear, at first glance, to be wrong. Your Amanda betrayed you by withholding the truth about your daughter. However, she did it to protect you, a lesser of two evils; it was thus forgivable. Life is not black or white, good or bad, heaven or hell. Life and those who live it are a mixture of colors with many shades of gray in between.”
Steven began to speak, but the Scorpion interrupted.
“Next, I want to address your future. If I could, I would do anything to give you back your life. Unfortunately, that is impossible, so I will construct a new life with limitless possibilities. I have left you three laptops. The red laptop contains the files of all my assignments, including digital recordings of all conversations I have had with each client. My research files on the victims are here–where they lived, worked, played, what they ate, the women or men they seduced, when they traveled, where they slept. By the time I killed them, I understood each one better then they understood themselves. These files contain my philosophical musings and observations on human behavior. This is my bequest to you, Steven. It is a lifetime’s worth of my accumulated knowledge, skill, and intuition. This will empower you. Whenever you need me, I will be there, a conversation between the past and the present. This will be your source of knowledge and your guiding light. Whatever questions you have, the answers are here.
“The blue laptop contains all of the evidence I accumulated on your father’s death. Several low-level politicians, who have since risen to the highest echelons of American government, orchestrated the murder of your father. I thought you would find the information useful by finally providing the answers that have eluded you all your life.”
Steven’s quivering hand moved toward the computer.
“You will have ample time to review the material. Please look to the right. There is a third laptop conveniently green in color, containing my financial records for my extensive holdings. You now have access to all of my accounts, including the great wealth that Joaquin and I acquired in blood, in this castle, so many years ago. My accounts have been safely created and administered in the most financially stable countries, which do not easily submit to Letters Rogatory by any government. There are also hoards of cash at your disposal contained in secret locations at my churches. All of that information is contained in the laptop. Use these resources to right the wrongs of the past and avenge your father’s death. But this wealth also gives you the tools to attain wonderful and humane objectives. You will have a new identity as Father Miguel De La Sombra, my nephew, with complete accreditation as an ordained priest. Your robes and the original certificates are waiting for you at my church in Archidona. A duplicate has already been placed with the Vatican. You will be able to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and house the homeless. You will be able to travel freely, without the constraints of being Steven Capresi, as the beloved priest and nephew of Pierre Mateuse. I am in the next room and I await you for your final lesson.”
Steven cautiously entered the adjoining room where he found the Scorpion awaiting him, clothed in his priestly robes and collar. He was kneeling next to a desk in prayer with his eyes closed.
The Scorpion opened his eyes and smiled at Steven. He slid his gun across the desk, resting it in front of Steven. “This is the final debt I owe you. I have given you the tools and knowledge to rebuild your life, and now I will give you what you most desire. Take the gun and have your revenge. You have earned it and I deserve my end at your hands. Then you can take up the mantle of the Scorpion and the Priest, both having the power to change the world.”
“How can you be both a savior and a killer?” Steven asked. “One minute you are an assassin, the next, a disciple of Christ.”
“Steven, think. Your father shared my occupation and yet he was a loving father, husband, and friend. I know that it is difficult to comprehend my relationship with both my professions, but life is never simple. Years ago, Joaquin told me there was a beautiful side to life, if I could manage to forgive both myself and the world around me. I have forgiven myself and in the process discovered there are simple, lonely, loving people as despondent as I. That is when I was truly ordained by God, no longer as camouflage for an assassin, but for my damaged soul.”
“My wife and daughter didn’t deserve to die; neither did Giovanna nor her parents!” Steven shouted. “Detective
Johnston was a good man. He didn’t need to die. The three girls on the hiking trail were innocent. Why kill people like this when you don’t even need the money?”
“The three women were not innocent bystanders but were sent by the Vatican to find me, through Veeksburn. To my dismay, the Pope reopened the investigation into the Cardinal’s death and his sources have rightly connected me to it. Should they delve into my alter ego, my only advice to you is to beware the initials ‘CPH’. This secret society for the Vatican will pursue you for the rest of your life until they discover the truth about the dead Cardinals.
“As to the truly innocent, that is an impossible question to answer. I became involved with the Church as a cover for an assignment. At first, it was nothing more, but over time I became swayed by the works of the priests and I became a believer. I tried several times to stop killing and devote myself solely to God. Despite my good intentions, I simply could not shed my old self. You see, Steven, at heart, I am a killer. I was raised from birth to kill. It is who I am. I love the challenge and the pursuit. I have come to accept that I am what I am, and even Jesus could not erase my breeding. I chose to both spread the word to the poor and deliver a stronger message through the sword of the archangel Michael to the unbelievers. I feed both my needs.”
Steven stared into the eyes of a man who, he believed, lost his mind and soul years ago.
“Go ahead, have your revenge and claim justice. It is your right. You are surely due the vengeance your soul requires.”
Steven moved a few steps closer and placed his gun against the priest’s head. Both men stared into each other’s eyes.
“Tell me Scorpion, what does it feel like knowing your brains will be splattered all over this room as I send you to hell.”
“If it is God’s will, then it is my will. I will have peace. That is a pleasure I have never known. Pull the trigger and do not look back. I have made my peace with God and have asked you for forgiveness.”
Steven cocked the hammer and let the sound of the “click” resonate in the Scorpion’s ears. “How can you be so sure you’ll find peace?” Steven asked. “You may spend an eternity in hell for all of the innocent people you murdered. All I want to do is kill you. I want you to agonize over your impending death. I want you to suffer as you writhe in agony. I want you to suffer as I have suffered!”
“Oh but Steven, I have suffered, more than you will ever know. I share your hatred of myself. I welcome death. I fully accept the consequences of my actions. I am already dead and have been since I held my fiancée’s lifeless body in my arms. You will be doing me a favor by ending my torment.”
Steven pressed the gun more firmly against the Scorpion’s temple and leaned closer to his face. “What are your final words, James?”
The Scorpion looked into Steven’s eyes. “The last thing I will leave you is the knowledge that only one other person, besides me and Joaquin, left this island alive. He was nothing like me. He knew that he did not belong here and that he had no chance of survival. As with the other boys, he was trained as an assassin, but he was too good-hearted. When the rivalry and competition intensified amongst us, he realized that he was different. While he could kill animals and strangers, he could not harm those that he considered to be his brothers. Your father had a conscience. Amazingly, he escaped from this island before I did. We had no idea that he had survived, until he found us in London. We became the best of friends and brothers to the end. Like it or not, I killed my own family.”
Steven recoiled in horror. “I don’t believe you!”
“It matters not. Everything you need to know is in the files. You will see for yourself. You have the perfect combination of all our gifts and talents. Your father would be proud of you. You are ‘The Chosen One,’ to carry on my deeds and be a defender of the innocent and the downtrodden. You can administer justice humanely, without the baggage that your father and I had. It is your time. You are my successor.”
Steven was frozen. He had pursued the Scorpion with the dream of watching him die. Now he was handed a gun and given the blessing of a priest to complete his mission. He knew he should feel triumphant, yet all he felt was emptiness.
“What if I decide not to give you what you most desire?” Steven asked.
The Scorpion bore into Steven’s eyes with a cold stare that sent a chill through him. “You have no choice. We are still playing our game and the game will not end until one of us is dead.” He removed a gun hidden under his vestment. “If you choose to walk away, I will kill you.”
The Scorpion smiled at Steven with a peaceful expression on his face. “I grant you dispensation for all past and future sins as my last act on Earth, Steven. I pray that someday you learn to forgive yourself. I only request the time to make an act of contrition to absolve the sins I have committed today.”
Father Mateuse, the Scorpion, began to pray: “My God, I am heartily sorry for having offended…”
Steven fired a single shot. “Go to Hell!”
EPILOGUE
It was a beautiful morning in the outskirts of Misahualli, fifteen miles southwest of Tena. The sky was clear blue and the sunlight magically transformed the landscape, as the sun rose higher in the sky. Several natives were working a huge field cleared for planting. Officials were stationed at various locations inspecting equipment and completing the installation of a state-of-the-art irrigation system. Several pumping units were being fine-tuned and lubricated by the local mechanics, hired to maintain them.
Two men hovered over one of the pumping units, waiting.
“Are we ready to test the system?” the first man asked, as he squatted to check the controls on the pump.
“I believe we’re ready,” the other man replied.
The man spoke into his walkie-talkie to the pump operators. “Start all units on my signal. I’m counting down from five. Let’s roll. Five-Four-Three-Two-One-GO!”
The engine turned over effortlessly and the droning of pumps filled the air. High-pressure water shot from the impact sprinklers hundreds of feet into the sky, while a second system of smaller sprinklers concentrated on areas within designated planting rows.
The two men sat back and marveled at the magnificence of the irrigation capabilities.
“What do you think, Father?”
Father Miguel De La Sombra silently stroked his closely cropped beard as his jade watch and Vatican ring glistened in the sun. “It’s simply beautiful. I’m only sorry Father Mateuse wasn’t here to see this; he practically finished this project by himself. This will mean so much to our people.”
“It is a Godsend,” came a voice from behind them.
Both men turned to watch a third man approach slowly, clothed in a hooded brown monk’s robe, and wielding a large walking stick. Father Miguel beamed at him. “I’m so glad you could make it to the field to see this. What do you think?”
The man slowly scanned the field and nodded his hooded head in approval. “It’s a sign of the beginnings of a new life.”
“Please excuse my poor manners,” Father Miguel said, turning back to his general contractor. “Frank, this is my dear friend and colleague, Brother Michael. Brother, this is Frank Ambrose.”
Both men shook hands. “You’ve done great work here Frank,” the monk said.
“Thank you, Father.”
The monk lowered his hood and Detective Michael Johnston smiled at Frank. “Please call me Brother.”
“Well, I’m sure you both have more important things to do,” Frank said. “I’m going to stick around and conduct further testing on the system. Brother, it was nice meeting you. Father, I will speak with you soon.”
When Frank was out of earshot, Detective Johnston turned toward the priest. “Thank you for saving my life. I will always be grateful to you.”
“It was the least I could do,” Steven replied.
“You look very comfortable in your robe and collar. Tell me, is that going to be a new look for you?”
“Maybe.”<
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“Are you going to become a killer like the Scorpion?”
“I haven’t thought everything through, yet. This may become complicated.”
“So what happens now?”
“I have to make one last trip to the island to tie up all the loose ends. I want you to think about coming with me. But let’s take a walk so I can show you the new chapel, built with the late Father Mateuse’s blood money. I guess you can say I have laundered out the stains with good works.”
They took the short walk in silence until they reached a fairly large edifice. Above the entrance, in Spanish were the words: “Michael, the Archangel.”
“I hope this isn’t in my honor,” the detective blushed.
“I wish I could say it was,” Steven said. “Come. I want to show you something inside.”
As they walked in silence, Steven directed the detective to a large sculpture of Guido Reni’s famous painting of Archangel Michael. Michael, the essence of divine purity and beauty, stood over a defeated Satan, a sword in Michael’s right hand poised to pierce his black heart, while clutching the chains in his left hand that bound the personification of evil. His foot pressed down on Satan’s head, a symbol of the complete surrender of evil personified. One significant change was made in the sculpture that was not depicted in the original masterpiece. St. Michael’s face was that of Father Mateuse, and the visage of Satan, powerless under the angel’s foot, was the only known likeness of the Scorpion.
If you enjoyed “The Scorpion’s Tale”, take a peek at the prologue to the sequel: “The Scorpion’s Shadow”. It’s coming soon!
THE SCORPION’S SHADOW
PROLOGUE
Bebe Mulata entered Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, shoulders hunched, worried about the mission of revenge Steven Capresi had embarked on not two hours earlier. Bebe had been ecstatic to see Steven at Peter Lugers after so many years. Steven was one of a handful of people who had never mocked him or made him feel stupid. To the contrary, Steven’s Golden Gloves boxing skills had helped defend Bebe during his gawky teenage years. Bebe no longer needed a bodyguard as he had grown to giant stature. But, he never forgot Steven’s kindness and he never would.