by Greg Ballan
The bishops remained silent so the detective continued. "This also poses another riddle. Forgive my assumption because I really have no knowledge of the evil undead. I thought vampires and the like weren't able to exist in a holy place like a church or someplace special, dare I even say sacred as a chapel containing the most holy relic on the planet. Why didn't this vampire go 'poof' or is that simply fiction?"
Ten silent seconds passed and Erik's question hung in the tense atmosphere. "What are you people hiding? You just said minutes ago you were going to astound us with some deep dark truths and answers." He turned toward the Archbishop. "Was what killed Brother William a vampire or some kind of being with similar abilities? If so what other kinds of 'creepy crawlies' are running around at night preying on humanity? What's out there that requires a room of this type?"
The Archbishop nodded slightly and leaned forward. "Yes, Mr. Knight, vampires are real, as are demons and ghosts." The old man paused expecting the detective to scoff or laugh. "I see you have an open mind. Good."
The detective smiled. "Archbishop, if you have studied me, then you know I'm not fully human. I've learned to accept the unbelievable since I'm living proof that the strange things people mock can be true."
"Well said, Detective Knight. We have been at war with evil for several centuries and I fear that the forces of Light are not faring so well right now. Humanity is being seduced down the path of darkness with the sins of greed, lust, and avarice at a pace we cannot combat. Our church has been infected with men who claim to serve God yet wind up performing great evil instead. We have been caught flat footed the last decade, unable to adjust or cope with humanity's rapid descent into secular humanism and worship of technology over theology. We cannot combat the internet and the perverse aversions found in cyberspace. We are fighting a losing war and humanity is descending, happily, into the bowels of Hell. Departed souls of the warped and wicked are set free to plague mankind and terrorize the innocent. Evil beings inhabit the darker places of civilization while penetrating the areas of human power and leadership by buying political influence with money and power. We have lost the war for the heart of man and are rapidly losing the soul of mankind as well."
The Archbishop glanced at O'Malley. "Evil beings should not have been able to approach, let alone enter such a sacred hall. How this was accomplished is a mystery we need to solve."
Erik snapped his fingers. "The garb! The black garb was covering him head to toe. When the hood fell off and exposed his face, his flesh sizzled. Somehow that black garb he wore offered him the necessary shielding. We found black fibers in the chapel. Once they're analyzed we'll know what kind of fabric was used."
Another bishop shook his head. "I don't know of any fabric spun on Earth that can offer an evil soul the kind of protection required to enter that chapel, let alone handle the holiest relic on Earth."
"Then perhaps you'd best consider an 'other worldly' material, because it's obvious some type of fabric exists somewhere that allowed a Dark being to enter your facility, kill my son, and rob you blind," Denton interjected, frustrated at the lack of progress made in their investigation.
Erik placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm confident our techs at the lab will give us some kind of lead, we'll follow up later today on our end and hopefully the people studying the samples we provided you will have some answers as well. At that point, we can compare notes and see where we are with the evidence." Erik looked back at the Archbishop. "Let's focus on the 'who' and the 'when', right now."
"I don't follow, Detective."
"You said this relic is of pivotal importance? I'm assuming that having it stolen at this point in time is significant. What events occurred recently that would lead the other side to such a drastic move? I presume this is a drastic move. Also let's address the 'how' as to how did your enemies find the relic? Who tipped them off? How many people in Vatican City knew about the existence of the chapel hidden below St. Martha's? That's our suspect pool to help us locate a rotten apple inside Vatican City."
"Are you accusing someone here of being an agent of evil, Mr. Knight?" A bishop asked, clearly offended.
"I'm doing what you should be doing, Your Excellency, asking the relevant questions that need answering in order to solve this riddle. I'm not pointing a finger at anybody—yet. We have a great shortage of facts, gentlemen, and right now as we speak, whoever took your relic is either going to sell it for a huge sum of money or was merely a pawn in a higher scheme and paid handsomely to perform this high risk deed. One doesn't simply decide to rob a place such as this. It takes time and careful planning and a great deal of information. Now let's go back to why stealing this object now would be relevant. What's going on now that would spur the forces of darkness to commit such a wanton act and who has the power and ability to pull off such a theft and commit the kind of vandalism we discovered?"
Erik and Martin both stared at the Archbishop.
The old man nodded. "I will tell you more of the war and then you will understand why the relic was stolen and the role you, yourself, may play, Mr. Knight."
Erik leaned back in his chair, his instincts told him he was about to hear some life-changing information and he braced himself for it. "Please." Erik gestured toward the Archbishop, "Enlighten me."
"We know all about you, Detective—your ancestry, your lineage and we know the history of the Espers and Seelak as well as the war they fought on their home world thousands of years ago. All was written in the Apostles' Scrolls. What wasn't written or preordained was your existence. You were a stopgap measure, designed for an event that was never supposed to occur. We understood the Esper/ Seelak problem had been resolved some hundred centuries or so in our past. But the forces of darkness interceded and allowed the hideous alien constructs to be freed. The very act of releasing those creatures is what led to your creation and your destiny."
Erik nodded slightly, doing his best to hide his shock. The Vatican knew all about other worlds and the existence of aliens—things they once denied in their teachings. "I'm aware of my history, sir and the history of that half of my lineage."
The Archbishop smiled slightly. "I know, Detective, but you need to realize we know as well." The old man sipped from a small white tea cup. "You were never supposed to exist, at least not in your current form. We—or rather the forces of Light—allowed the Esper's corrective measure to be implemented, since it was our forces that gave them the inspiration for the idea. As I stated earlier, you were a failsafe mechanism that was never meant to be used. When the Seelak creatures were unleashed and you failed to stop them, we had to allow you to change, even knowing that doing so could bring about a catastrophic acceleration of the war for this planet. Our choice was either to allow the Seelak creatures to breed and continue to feed on humanity or allow the Esper stopgap to be created and risk an escalation of our current conflict. We had no choice. The Seelak had to be stopped and as the Hybrid, you were the chosen weapon to do so."
Martin gasped while Erik's stomach churned.
"There's a war going on, Detective, all around you every day, unseen by most. It's a war we're losing at an alarming pace."
"Good versus Evil," Martin injected awestruck.
"Very astute, Mr. Denton, Good versus Evil. The battle has spread into politics, other religions, big business and technology, every facet of human existence is ripe with soldiers on both sides manipulating and coercing the events of mankind in an effort to gain the upper hand for the ultimate prize."
"Earth and the billions of souls that inhabit it," Erik added in a dread-filled monotone.
The Archbishop nodded slightly. "Earth, Detective, and the right to forge it on a path of prosperity for good, or a literal Hell here on this plain of existence. The Ruby Crucifix has the power to banish evil and usher in the second coming of Christ, but only one being, a son of Adam and the stars, has the power to wield and control the forces contained within the cross. Anyone else attempting to wield such p
ower would be eradicated and his life and soul vaporized into oblivion. Only one being human or ethereal has the power to wield this most holy of objects. Do you understand me, Detective?"
Erik shook his head, denying what the religious elder implied. "No. No, I'm not buying it. I'm not some holy prophet in your war. I'm just a man, albeit with mixed DNA but I'm far from a Lord of Light or prophet worthy of anyone's consideration."
Denton's face paled, practically matching the room's ivory white. "The markings in your tattoo, Erik. For the love of God, the markings on your arm! Is that why you have them?"
The Archbishop tilted his head. "Markings? May I see them?"
Erik hesitated. He'd instinctively covered his tattooed arm with his hand, shielding the art work. His arm tingled and throbbed.
"Erik, you have to show them. If they can read those symbols…." Denton paused, letting his words hang in the air.
Erik closed his eyes, then nodded. "All right." He stood and unbuttoned his shirt, the tingling sensation in his arm increased as he tossed the garment on the table. The bishops gasped as they saw the Angelic script burning white hot beneath the dark tribal band artwork etched in his flesh.
"By the Holy Father! Look at that! The symbols! Celestial, Son and Adam!" Bishop O'Malley croaked in shock.
"My God, they're glowing like a white star," Martin gasped. "Erik, does it hurt?"
The detective shook his head. "No, they just tingle a bit, but there's no pain at all."
"Erik Knight, you have been chosen by the Lord of Light, marked as a soldier in the coming days of darkness. You've been selected by the Eternals of Heaven to be their standard bearer." The Archbishop looked at the detective with a sense of awe and amazement. "Do you understand your role and reason for being, Mr. Knight? You're the one being that can end the encroaching darkness. You can unleash the power of the relic and make this planet a garden paradise once again."
Erik put his shirt back on and buttoned it, not liking what the bishops implied. "I'm just a man, albeit a hybrid man, but still a man. I live a quiet unassuming life now and I'm happy. I'm not a saint. I'm not a holy warrior, and I'm far from what Heaven would want in a soldier. This is a mystery we can figure out later. Right now we're here to figure out who killed Martin's son and why."
The Archbishop leaned forward. "I understand your reluctance and can feel your shock, Detective, but you must understand the magnitude of this revelation. You're a key to the bigger mystery surrounding the Ruby Crucifix. Your existence is contrary to the original plan established for this world, and now the forces of Light have seen fit to bring you into their fold. This is a moment of religious doctrine that will have our scholars busy for years."
"Where in any doctrine are the Espers or the Seelak?" Martin chimed in. "Or any of this? I know I'm the least person qualified to comment on religion, but I don't recall anything in scripture that covers aliens, a war of the type you mentioned, or the existence of such a relic. What I know of Christian teaching is in direct conflict to this. Until recently, the Church taught that the Earth was the center of the universe and barely 6000 years old. Was this just some lie to control the masses?"
"Nothing so sinister, Agent Denton. When the holy words were written down, it was decided then that much of what the Apostles said would not be accepted by people. The concept of Christ rising from the dead, the miracles he performed on Earth, and his ascension into Heaven were enough in themselves to challenge credibility and believability in the minds and hearts of men. Imagine if the Bible spoke of alien worlds, great battles being fought outside our realm of knowledge and comprehension. At the time the Bible was written, we'd have been mocked and sullied, possibly even stoned for making such outlandish claims despite such wild tales being absolutely true. Even now, mankind's arrogance has difficulty believing in anything greater than itself. Faith and belief are at an alarming shortage. In the age of the internet, computers and flat screen television, religion and faith are considered archaic. The forces of Dark have outdone themselves getting God banned in the schools, in the courts, and almost everywhere else. Even now in these modern times putting up a Nativity scene at Christmas is considered an abomination. Secular humanism is rapidly supplanting any organized religion and the advent of technology and pornography has dominated the souls of mankind."
The Archbishop paused and took a deep breath. "I apologize, I'm meandering. We gave mankind what we thought it could handle at the time according to those we serve. Worlds of higher intellect were kept apart by great distances so that each could develop separately and worship in their own way. Each planet that evolves and develops is eventually embroiled in ethereal conflict. God wants the souls He nurtured to share His paradise. Those cast out in the beginning wish to steal as many souls as possible and even dominate some worlds turning them into Hell planets condemning the populations to eternal torment."
Denton shuddered. "I don't pretend to understand any of this, but if God is all powerful according to your mythos why not simply eradicate all the evil in one fell swoop and establish whatever He desires. Wouldn't that be the easiest solution rather than all this subterfuge and secrecy?"
"Free will, Mr. Denton. Each advanced species must find God on their own and choose to worship him freely. Each soul is free to choose the Light or the Dark path. Since Lucifer made the choice not to serve and was cast out of paradise, each species is given the opportunity to choose God, or not. We establish forces on these planets to assure that the ethereal rules are followed and evil does not run roughshod over souls that don't choose the darker path. If the forces of Light and Dark collided unchecked on each world, there would be no mortal life forms left alive to claim for either side. God is all powerful, but Lucifer and his armies are immortal. Once a gift is given, it cannot be taken away. Lucifer has the gifts and powers of the Heavenly Hosts and he uses them for ill; his free will." The Archbishop gestured toward Erik. "And you have your powers, Detective, given to you freely and expanded upon so you can participate in the upcoming war. Your expanded powers also helped you vanquish the Observer threat several years ago and will allow you to stand against the darkness in the upcoming conflict."
Erik sighed not ready to accept some bizarre religious prophecy, especially from a religion that was responsible for the suicide of his stepbrother so many years ago. The detective steeled himself forcing the revelations to the back of his mind. "Let me be very clear, I am not interested in your war. I'm interested in finding William Denton's killer. Whatever this tattoo means, or the markings hidden there, I'll unearth once we've solved that mystery." His tone cracked like an angry whip
The room fell silent. The Archbishop took a moment to gather himself. "We all want to find William's killer, Detective. Someone as astute as you must see the link between what you are and the reason for the holy relic's theft at this time. We believe your very existence, contrary to the initial plan for this world, is what triggered the events that have come to unfold before us like a dark road."
Erik pointed toward the old man. "Are you implying I'm responsible for William's death? That's absurd! I didn't know him and have been half a world away." Erik glanced over at Martin and the senior agent nodded his support for his young friend.
"We're giving you the 'Why' to your original query Detective. Why was the relic stolen? The Holy Father and the Papal Council all believe because the forces of Light allowed your transformation to occur. Had you simply died in the hospital all those years ago after your combat, the forces of Dark would not have felt threatened and would not have felt compelled to commit the wanton act that occurred in our chamber and the relic would still be safe within our custody. You upset their current advantage, Detective. You and your lineage should not exist. Because you do, you are a threat to the forces of Dark looking to keep their dominant foothold on this world. Stealing the relic halts the second coming and keeps Earth sliding toward the morass of evil and darkness. "
"You can't blame Erik for the change then, Archbishop … y
ou should blame God."
"Heresy!"
"Blasphemer!!!"
The Bishops' Council exploded at Denton's accusation. To his credit the elder agent didn't recoil or back down. Denton pushed forward and stated his case to the stunned holy men.
"If Erik is part of a divine plan by the forces of Light, as you claim, then God wanted him to be what he is. You just said your boss forced the change rather than letting Erik expire from the wounds he sustained battling the Seelak constructs all those years ago. If that's true, then your boss…" Denton pointed toward the ceiling, "…is the one responsible for the theft and the deaths that occurred here, not Erik. Detective Knight would just be a pawn on God's chessboard, as are all of us. If the forces of Light are as involved as you claim, how much free will do any of us really have? Were we compelled to come here? Was Erik compelled by some outside force to clean up the mess in that lower chamber? If free will is important, and I'm just taking you at your word, Archbishop, how much of it do we really have? I've seen similar symbols to the ones on Detective Knight's body in my own agency. They've been cleverly disguised on staffing orders, requisition documents, and even some classified materials pertaining to clandestine operations throughout the world. In fact, when I began digging, I was given a friendly warning not to pursue the matter further and then forced to retire. If your forces are in Washington and in Boston, I'm betting the other side is just as embroiled and embedded. I may even go so far as to hypothesize that some of your faction on both sides are part of the shadow government we've been working to uncover the last several years."