THE SEVENTH EVENT

by Phillip Shaw

  ‘None from me, I was thinking about our leader here.'

  Libero was glad to have some lighter tone injected into the conversation but humour had a time and a place. He considered the words to search for.

  ‘Add these into the engine, Temple, Magister, Corporation, multiple deaths and Arbitan.'

  ‘Sorry, what was the last one?'

  ‘Arbitan.'

  ‘Is that even a word? What does it mean?'

  ‘Just put it in. It's a name and for our sake, I hope nothing comes up.'

  Scarlett scanned through the filters and waited as the results began to list in order of relevance. The sinking temples in Myanmar, and the death of Tyler Hutchens were the only two new stories that came up, both lead stories on Blaincorp over the last forty-eight hours. Firstly Libero examined the story of the temples. He knew what he was seeing immediately. The battleground had revealed itself. Time was moving on and he needed to prepare. So many unanswered questions circled in his head. But then again these questions had circled each time. How are we going to get to Myanmar, how is the battle going to be fought, will we earn the right to fight from the sentinels, is he active?

  ‘My friends what you see before you is the end point of our journey, over the next period of time we must weaken our enemies sufficiently to draw their leader into open combat. If we do then I will be allowed to fight him for all our fates. When I fight him, it will be in this temple.'

  Jenson who had remained quiet taking it all in lifted his head.

  ‘Is that where it was before, is it familiar to you?'

  ‘No, it is somewhere different each time. But they are always built in a group; they act like a timer, the other temples sink while the arena grows. When the arena has stopped growing it can be accessed.'

  ‘What's to stop us going there now, preparing a trap or something for them?'

  ‘Sentinels…. When the temple rises ordinary people in this world are given a duty to protect the temple. They become more than human. The desire to do their job overrides anything else. They kill without mercy and are replaceable. If we managed to kill the sentinels more would come in their place. There are normally two at the start. Each one that is killed spawns two more. You can never beat them.'

  Kane stormed up from his seat throwing the chair on the floor.

  ‘Who decides all this? Who is above you? Is it some kind of God or deity?'

  ‘Jenson sit down, the universe is more complex than any of us can comprehend. I don't even know myself. All I know is that I am reborn to fight for the side of freedom. There is no right or wrong in this fight just what needs to be. I don't know who made me or who is watching from high. We may just be following a cyclical set of rules for someone's amusement. All you need to know is that I am the proof that we need to carry on. I have the knowledge from previous events and I will use it to finally free us all of artificial shackles.'

  Kane sat down head in hands his huge muscles relaxing back to normal; he pulled his hood over his head in an attempt to cocoon himself from the situation around him. The two women just looked at each other sick of the male posturing in the room and clicked on the next story.

  Pamela took charge of reading it to the group, more to break the tension than out of any necessity.

  ‘Tyler Hutchens, pro tennis star found dead in New York scrap yard. Hmmm not sure if this is what we are looking for, possible mafia ties to organised gambling. Part of the Massaro sports agency…'

  Scarlett interjected, ‘Massaro is a name that's come up on our communication dumps, from what we have seen of the data he shares a lot of the contacts of the people that we have been targeting, in all possibility he would have been a target if he had been in this state.'

  ‘So we have a possible Magister, that doesn't explain why this story flashed up.' Pamela continued. ‘Apart from the normal tributes from around the world, there was a heartfelt dedication from a school friend, Jason Clyne he is taking the money from his estate and setting up something to benefit orphans like they were. There's an embedded video here.'

  Libero watched as the video played on the small screen he fixated on Jason Clyne, he saw the confidence and the purpose in his stride and the way he walked up to the podium. There was something horribly familiar about it. He remembered seeing it on a far off hill a few days ago in his consciousness, millennia ago, in reality, he had watched it destroy legions of people on a battlefield that he considered family, he had listened with a sword embedded in his body as his enemy stood above him pontificating. He didn't need to hear him naming himself in the video to know who he was looking at. The battle for the world had begun and both players were now at the table.

  ‘We don't need to look anymore my friends. Our enemy is before us, we cannot allow him to find us. We have to move to another country, he could end it all now.'

  The others looked at him in shock; they had never seen their leader cry.

  47. Boarding Pass

  Jenny sat in total fear in the back of the van. The two kidnappers lay slumped in their seats at the front. She wished she had still had the hood on when the bullets had hit their targets. Firstly the larger male had been hit, just after opening fire themselves at some targets that Jenny couldn't see. She had to assume that it was Clyne and Clements, it was the only explanation. Why else had they been targeted?

  Her captors both lay in the seats beheaded by clean shots and Jenny was helpless, there was nothing for it now she would just have to wait and see what was to befall her. For someone who had left nothing to chance her whole life, she was now at fate's mercy. Her breath slowed to a stop and her blood chilled when she heard footsteps approaching the vehicle.

  Arbitan stepped out from his position and strode towards the van. This was their chance; they had to start being one step ahead of the enemy. There was no need to worry about the frontal occupants he had taken both out with minimal fuss. He beckoned Kim over to him; she certainly was easy on the eye since she had changed her style. They needed to strip the vehicle and dispose of the occupants quickly. The airport beckoned, Arbitan felt vulnerable in this country, he needed to be among his own. He looked in through the window admiring his handiwork, the two dead bodies slumped horribly over the dashboard, he opened the passenger door and let the large male fall out onto the ground. Kim was quickly over and on her knees to strip the bodies of anything useful. Arbitan put his foot on the wrist of the man and rolled his arm over, there plain as day was the symbol of his followers. The sign of the Magisters.

  ‘It's not right Kim. There is something very wrong in this world. Do you see this sign? This sign was the symbol of my followers. There is no reason that these people should be following us. Anytime I have come into contact with one of them they have tried to kill me. Before we removed Massaro I sensed he was afraid of them. We need to find out why. Your kind should fear no one.'

  ‘My Kind? What do you mean by my kind? How many more like me do you think there are?'

  ‘There are hundreds Kim, my power feels limitless but we are vulnerable here. We need to seek out Blaincorp.'

  An audible intake of breath from the back of the van made Arbitan draw his weapon quickly followed by Kim. He beckoned for her to slide the side door open and he readied himself to strike. He signalled the strike and the door slid back, the iron sights of the pistol found their target but he didn't pull the trigger. The target in the back was hooded and staring from a torn hole in the mask. He could see fear in her gaze. There was no danger in this poor creature.

  ‘Kim, what is she thinking?'

  ‘I can't feel it, her thoughts are there but I cannot read them or feel them. They are all being drawn in another direction.'

  ‘She is already under the influence; she is the one who was watching us from outside the building. She must have gotten her face free and allowed us to know we were being followed. Whoever controls her is one of us. She needs questioned but not here. Get here into the car and we will continue this on the way to the airport.'

&nbs
p; Jenny had to calm her breathing; she was still alive that was a bonus. She thought that it was all over when the doors slid back. The two that greeted her were not what she expected. It was clearly Clyne and Clements but they were different. Both had tactical equipment all over them they looked like they were professional mercenaries. Clements had cropped her hair short and looked remarkably young. Clyne had a very fashionable hairstyle. Had it not been for the military equipment they would have looked quite the couple. Before she could surmise on that anymore she was grabbed by Clements and hauled to her feet, she was pulled from the van and immediately fell on her knees as they were numb from the cramped position. The taste of blood filled her mouth and she realised she had bitten her tongue. The pain in her knees from the concrete was offset by her mouth but it had woken her from her slumber in the rear of the vehicle. The hours hooded and bound drugged by the gag which she did everything not to bite on had made her sluggish, now her mind, at least, felt alive. She stopped realising that the gag was the problem. Grunting to draw the attention of her captor she was answered by a stiff pull that nearly sent her on her knees again.

  The sunlight flashed intermittently through the torn hood but she made of the shape of a vehicle that was her destination. At least, I'm not going to be killed here. She strained to look behind her and saw Clyne pulling things from the dead bodies. He was dragging them across frantically away from the vehicle. She heard him shout something at Kim and next thing Jenny was thrown into the back seat. The hood was finally pulled from her head and she saw the unsympathetic stare of Kim Clements, the poisoned gag was taken off but her binds remained.

  ‘Just because your hood is off, doesn't mean you are going to live. When we get moving you are going to have to start talking.'

  ‘But you're a policewoman. Why are you with him? What's going on all I know….'

  ‘Save it, your honesty will be appreciated soon.'

  Kim took advantage of the moment to start moving her jaw properly again. The sickening taste of whatever had made her blackout was still there but the simple feeling of being able to close her mouth was a great relief to her. Brightness made her look round and she got the chilled feeling again, the van was on fire and Clyne was walking towards the vehicle with more weapons and a black bag. He got into the passenger seat and looked round at her.

  ‘We will get to know each other soon.'

  The vehicle pulled out from the multi-storey and headed along the freeway. Kim saw the signs pointing to J.F.K. airport. Surely they can't think they will get a plane with all those guns.

  Kim pulled the car into one of the huge cemeteries that lined the outer Manhattan area and drove towards the back. The vehicle stopped and both front doors opened. Kim leaned against the bonnet and looked out over the multitude of gravestones. Visitors to New York always made mention of them on the way in. Most had just stepped off the plane and got their first New York cab towards Manhattan. After a short journey through the surrounding buildings of JFK, they would marvel at the first sights of the skyscrapers on Manhattan Island. It was all the same, the energy and enthusiasm were tempered by the miles and miles of headstones at the side of the road. The headstones they were now in the middle of.

  Arbitan stepped up to a flat gravestone and set his hand on the top. Rubbing some dust off he looked at the name. He had never seen a sight like this in his previous existence on the earth. It seemed so macabre compared to the splendour of Manhattan that they had just left. Here within eyeshot of the most photographed city in the world was its dark secret. There was nowhere on the island for the dead to go. If you were dead in Manhattan you couldn't stay there. The city that was famous for staying awake didn't tolerate the eternal sleepers.

  ‘When the battle comes Kim, there will be graves like this. They won't be hidden away from people like they are here. The full horror of what has happened will be visible. The world will be reset in blood. You've seen it already, murder follows me wherever I go, the weak must be culled I have no emotion for those who serve no purpose. Just like here the dead serve no purpose.'

  ‘What are we going to do with her? The agents must have kept her alive for something.'

  ‘I'm not sure, the gag in her mouth was soaked in a sleeping solution, anytime she bit down on it, she passed out. I was able to get a communicator from them. But I think we should leave it here. They are bound to be able to trace it.'

  ‘Agreed, but it still doesn't answer the question of her.'

  ‘Question her and pick a grave.'

  ‘I have another option. You say we need to find more people like me. Let's trace her back to her controller.'

  ‘It was my first thought but the frequency of the agents we have encountered already worries me. We need to leave this country. We question her and then if nothing comes from it, we will leave her body here. By the time it is found we will be long gone.'

  ‘Leave it to me; I'm used to getting answers from people.'

  ‘By all means, I need to see what information they had on us.'

  He left Kim to drag the girl over to one of the larger tombs for questioning and took out what was inside the bag he gathered. The two weapons were unique in keeping with the previous agents he had encountered. One appeared to be a pistol with an exceptionally long and rifled barrel. Belonging to the female it was designed for a longer more accurate shot. The other was a death dealer, automatic pistol large spread and filled with larger calibre bullets than was the normal for these weapons. Both custom made and finely engineered, they would be easily traced. He wiped them down and put them behind a gravestone. Next was a laptop, password protected it had been made by an influenced. Keying in the administration passwords he booted up the machine. There was nothing much to go on, the files that had been gathered on his host and Kim, and an evaluation by someone named Flint. The only thing of use was a portal. He clicked on same and checked the settings; the whole network infrastructure was being routed through servers in Cologne, Germany. He noted down the I.P. settings then smashed the laptop on the ground. He knew he had smashed the hard drive but a stamp with his heel made sure. He looked around. Kim was walking towards him with what looked like a smile on her face.

  ‘I think fate plays a part in your life Arbitan, the girl has access to a private plane. She's employed by Blaincorp and says she can take us directly to them.'

  ‘Did she hear us talking? Do you not think it's a bit convenient that she is the answer to our problem?'

  ‘Like I said fate seems to be on our side. She has produced enough proof with her phone and contact details. She's a reporter for them, flown out here to report on the death of Tyler Hutchens. The plane is waiting on a private site at JFK. I guess she just saved her life.'

  Arbitan looked over at the shaken journalist. Kim had roughed her up but she was roughed up to begin with. If she was controlled by Blain, then she was the path to follow. He hoped that this dangerous world could be brought under control.

  48. Dead End

  The statistics from the crime scene overwhelmed Markus, this was serious there was no way the order would be able to keep covering these events up. There were ninety-seven dead including the star performer and all his entourage. Many of the local celebrities who had been in the backstage area had perished in the fire and countless concert-goers had been injured in the stampede to avoid the flames. This was a tragedy on a national scale and Markus knew exactly who had caused it.

  The smell of charred flesh was overpowering throughout the backstage area. Markus tried not to think about it as he had moved through the area but the similarities with the previous arena were there for all to see. This time, there were casualties. They got to the remnants of the star's dressing room. The scene investigator met them at the door.

  ‘We had word you were on your way. My name is Adam Grant; I have been put in charge of this case and the other related cases.'

  ‘My name is agent Stent and this is my partner Ava. I hope you have some good news for us we are weary of disappoint
ments.'

  ‘All I can confirm is that we are dealing with a serial killer. The M.O. from previous cases is present here….'

  Markus watched as the detective beckoned them over to the cordoned off area. Markus walked across the floor his every step crunching on the ashes of the lavish existence that had existed before the fire. He pulled back the curtain and almost gagged at the sight on the floor. The charred remains of the singer were present. His face bore no recognisable features they had either been burnt off or flattened with a blunt object. Markus presumed the latter. The body itself was the key the limbs had been grotesquely broken and bent back on themselves like the other body he had seen in the trunk of the car. Bound by wire and trussed up like a piece of meat with no regard or care for the form. The body had been set here before the fire started but had remained strangely intact clearly there had been no design in where it was positioned the body had been presented then the fire had taken hold. No doubt the killer was on his way.

  ‘I take it we have no CCTV or any witness statements from the backstage area?'

  ‘I actually have one witness from the survivors. They gave a detailed account of the night's proceedings.'

  Markus took the printed statement and read through it.

  Statement of Governor's aide Jane Williams

  Why were you in attendance?

  I accompanied the Governor backstage to the concert for Jimmy Baker. I was pleased to be asked as the Governor had been displeased with my recent work. I actually feared for my job before this. We watched what we could of the concert before retiring to the green room for drinks. I went and mingled with a few of the younger guests leaving the important people to do their work.

  When did you notice there was a problem?

  I had just come back in from the smoking area when I noticed the inside area smelt just the same. I put it down to the company beside me as we had all been smoking outside. We were all waiting for the star to make an entrance and greet his sponsors and backers. I'll admit I was quite excited to see him as well. Despite the smoky smell in the room, there was no way any of us was leaving before the main attraction. A friend of mine noticed that the security guards were all missing so we thought that they must have gone to get him. The next thing I heard were screams coming from behind the bar. The barman jumped out as flames began to take hold on the curtains. When they hit the liquor the place went up like a Molotov.