The Belial Origins

by R. D. Brady

  “Get out,” the driver of their car ordered.

  “It’s okay, Max,” Victoria said as she opened the door and pulled him out with her. She held his hand carefully within hers as she stared up at the temple.

  It was an incredible work of art. Each floor had figures carved into the eastern facade. Up close she could see the giant entryway that loomed above the crowds. In front of it was a flagpole covered in gold-plated copper.

  Just ahead of them were a few of the armed guards that encircled the temple. Victoria had hoped perhaps they had been warned, but none of them paid much attention to Victoria and her group. And more worrisome, none of the Fallen seemed concerned.

  Elisabeta headed to the left through the crowd, her Fallen following behind her.

  Hakeem shoved Victoria forward. “Move.”

  Victoria swallowed down her anger, clasped Max’s hand, and headed after Elisabeta. Her eyes darted around, looking for any sign of Laney, Henry, or Jake. But there was none.

  Ahead, Elisabeta walked the length of face of the temple and turned. By the time Victoria had turned the corner, a Fallen was shaking hands with one of the guards. No doubt a few crisp bills are hidden in that handshake. The guard opened a side door with a key and waved them through.

  Victoria looked around. Where was the rest of the security?

  Max clutched her hand and pointed to a dumpster along the side of the temple. Two pairs of boots could be seen sticking out of the top.

  There was a tremor in Max’s voice. “Victoria?”

  She patted his hand, careful to keep her voice calm even as her heart began to beat faster. “Let’s go.”

  She shepherded Max forward and stepped through the door, feeling the violation. None of them should be here. The temple was forbidden to people outside the Hindu faith. Victoria closed her eyes. I’m sorry. She wasn’t sure who she was apologizing to, but it seemed the right thing to do.

  She and Max made their way down a dimly lit hallway, Hakeem and two other of Elisabeta’s men right behind them. Victoria glanced through a room and the window at the far side gave a view of the reclining Vishnu. Along the walls were incredible paintings and murals, most of them depicting Hindu scenes, such as Vishnu disguised as a child meeting the sage, or Vishnu in his more common depiction with blue skin and four arms.

  The group walked out of the side hallway into a busy, stone courtyard. The reclining Vishnu in his golden splendor was to their right at the far end. Pilgrims milled around, some with their heads bowed. Others spoke quietly. But all were respectful in their movements.

  Elisabeta, though, rushed them through quickly. Victoria held her breath, expecting someone to yell at them to stop, but no one paid them any extra attention. With their saris and dhotis, they looked no different than any of the other devotees.

  Ahead, a man with a gray beard and a well-used dhoti stood, shifting from foot to foot, apparently waiting for them. When Elisabeta approached, he nodded and began to walk quickly down the main temple hall. He paused for only a moment before turning and heading down a side staircase.

  “Hold on to the rail,” Victoria said as she and Max followed.

  The cooler air rose up to greet them as they descended the stone steps. Max stumbled on the second-to-last step, nearly pulling Victoria and him over.

  Victoria steadied him. “Are you all right?”

  Max nodded, but even in the dim light Victoria could see that he was paler, and she didn’t think it was the stairs that had caused him to stumble. She struggled for something to say to reassure him, but she knew there was no point: he knew almost better than she did how dire the stakes were. So instead she just took his hand with a gentle squeeze and continued down the hall.

  A line of goose bumps broke out over Victoria’s skin, and she felt a shiver run through Max as well.

  They followed the man who had met them quickly down the tiled hall, cold stone walls lining the way. Two large vault rooms were hewn out of the rock, their solid double doors guarding their contents. These vaults held the bulk of the temple’s wealth. Inside, Victoria knew, was a treasure hunter’s dream: coins, gems, ancient art, relics.

  Victoria glanced around, wondering where the guards were. But perhaps guards weren’t allowed in the temple itself.

  But Elisabeta wasn’t interested in that kind of wealth.

  The man made his way down the hall and turned another corner. Ahead stood an unremarkable bamboo door.

  The man stood to the side. Once everyone had arrived at the door, he left without a word, hurrying back down the hall the way they had come.

  A smile crept across Elisabeta’s face. “Finally.”

  She stepped forward and pulled back the bamboo door. Behind it was another door—the vault door. Two cobras were inscribed there with their mouths open, their fangs large. Without looking, Victoria knew that the door would have no noticeable nuts, bolts, or locks. This door was sealed in a way that had eluded modern man’s ability to understand it.

  And now Elisabeta was depending upon a five-year-old boy to open it.

  Victoria took Max’s hand and knelt down in front of him. “Max, just do what they want. It’s okay.”

  “But you…”

  Victoria wiped a stray lock of hair from his forehead, and for a moment, it was Henry in front of her, not Max. Her heart felt tight. She blinked the image away and focused on the actual boy in front of her. “It will be all right. I know what’s going to happen as well as you. And it is meant to be. It’s my destiny. You know that.”

  Tears crested in his eyes. “But—”

  Victoria shook her head. “What you see is not carved in stone. Laney, Henry, and Jake will be here. They’ll help.”

  Max leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, his words muffled in her shoulder. “But it won’t spare you the pain.”

  She held him to her, feeling a tremor run though him. She spoke quietly into his ear. “That fate was determined a long time ago.”

  “I’m sorry for all you’ve been through,” Max said. “I wish I could help you avoid this.”

  Victoria closed her eyes, surprisingly comforted once again by the feel of those little arms around her. And reminded why what was to come was meant to be.

  “Max, it’s time,” Elisabeta said, her voice uncharacteristically gentle.

  Max pulled back and looked into Victoria’s eyes. Her heart broke at the innocence there. She kissed him on the forehead. “It’s all right. Go on.”

  Max looked at her for a long moment before turning away. And Victoria could have sworn she saw a little of his innocence give way to duty.

  As Max walked up to the giant door, everyone in the room fell silent. And for a moment, he just stared at the door, unmoving. Victoria held her breath; she worried he wasn’t up to the task. What will they do to him if he can’t open it?

  Then Max took a deep breath and began to speak softly. No, not speak. Chant.

  Relief flowed through Victoria. Of course. There were no locks, no keyholes. The key was sound. The vibrations in the notes Max was using would affect the lock.

  Over and over again he repeated a phrase she hadn’t heard in thousands of years. His voice rose and fell in a language humanity had no record of. Even Victoria had forgotten of its existence until Max’s sweet voice rang out.

  Max’s voice became louder with each note. In her mind she remembered the last time she’d heard those notes; it had been a different temple, a different lock.

  Her eyes flicked to Max. But the same soul.

  The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise. It felt like an electric pulse was sliding over her skin, and she broke out in fresh goose bumps. Elisabeta looked uneasy—as did the guards with her.

  An energy began to fill the room. Victoria could feel it building. Up until this moment, a small part of her had doubted that Max was truly the seer—perhaps he was just gifted. But now all doubt was banished. No one else would know these words, this sound.

  Laney had
been dragged into all of this because of the Belial Stone, an ancient acoustical weapon. Now another acoustical tool would lead to the next weapon.

  Max’s voice grew louder. The ancient tumblers groaned, and then a screech of metal signaled their release. The door shuddered; then shuddered again. Finally, the ancient door moved forward a few inches.

  Max went silent and stepped back.

  Elisabeta looked at the boy with a predatory smile. She ran her hand through Max’s hair, and her voice held a note of sincere awe. “Well done. Well done indeed.”

  She gestured for two of her men to step forward. Victoria reached over and pulled Max to her and out of the way, but like everyone else, she kept her eyes glued to the door. The sense of foreboding weighed on her like a heavy blanket, and she couldn’t help but think of Pandora’s box. She stared at the door, knowing that what Elisabeta did today was just as dangerous for the world as the legendary opening of Pandora’s box so long ago.

  Elisabeta’s men pulled the door open.

  A dark chasm lurked beyond.

  Elisabeta barked at the men. “Flashlights.” The men hurriedly pulled flashlights from their pockets and shined them into the dark space.

  Max looked up at Victoria. “Some doors should never be opened.”

  “You’re right, Max. You’re right.”

  CHAPTER 67

  Laney, Jake, Henry, Ralph, and Maddox had ditched the car. The streets were simply too congested. Of course, the sidewalks weren’t much better. But the sight of Maddox and Henry barreling down the paths seemed to encourage people to move out of the way.

  Quickly.

  They’d made good time from the airport. Jake had been behind the wheel and had stopped for nothing. Halfway through the ride, Laney had just closed her eyes and prayed they didn’t wreck.

  Up ahead, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple loomed. In its presence, it was odd to see the street vendors, the small cafes, the people on the way home, bags of food over their shoulders, or standing around chatting amiably—ordinary, everyday activity that contrasted sharply with the incredibly ornate temple in the distance. Modern life versus ancient life.

  Even with Henry and Maddox leading the way, it took them some time to wind their way through the crowds. But at last they reached the edge of the temple grounds.

  “Hold up,” Jake said. They stopped just before the security perimeter. Laney’s eyes searched the crowd and the guards, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Everything was calm.

  “Are they even here?” she asked. “Is there anyway we could have beaten them here?”

  Jake frowned. “I don’t see how.”

  Laney watched the hundreds of tourist that milled about in front. For the entire history of the temple’s existence, no one had been allowed to enter it except for Hindus who were paying homage to the deity. For Laney and her friends to go in there didn’t feel right. But Laney knew there was probably no avoiding that. And of course, Elisabeta and her minions would have had no such concerns.

  She eyed the four commandos by the metal detector with concern. A few years ago, there had been no such security. It was said that the temple had been guarded by nothing more than a few men armed with wooden batons.

  Laney shook her head. Billions of dollars in gems and minerals, and it had been protected by seventeenth century weaponry. Although right now, it would make things a lot easier if the security was still using those rudimentary weapons.

  She looked up at the facade of the temple. “There’s what? Seven floors?”

  Ralph nodded. “The vaults are in the bowels, one flight down.”

  Laney’s phone chimed; she glanced down before answering. “Clark?”

  “Some of my men are inside. And one is embedded with the guards.”

  Laney let out a breath. Thank God. Info. “What do you know?”

  “One of my agents is coming over to brief you. He should be right there.”

  Laney looked around, trying to figure out who in the swirling mass of humanity was the SIA agent. Her gaze flitted from face to face—and then it flew back to a face she recognized.

  “Mustafa?”

  The Egyptian SIA agent walked over and gave her a little bow. His hair was just as dark as the last time she saw him, and his complexion was a little darker. He must have been spending some time outdoors.

  “Dr. McPhearson. It is a pleasure to see you again. When Clark contacted me, I dropped everything and headed here.”

  Laney quickly made introductions to Jake, Henry, Ralph, and Maddox. Laney noted that Mustafa’s gaze lingered on Jake a little longer than the others. She couldn’t blame him. The last time she had seen Mustafa, Laney had been overcome with grief at Jake’s death. Now Jake stood in front of him, alive and well.

  Mustafa turned back to Laney. “I have three men inside. I regret to inform you that Elisabeta is already in the vault.”

  Laney let out a breath. Damn. “Is there a child and an older woman with them?”

  Mustafa nodded. “Yes—as well as a half dozen men. They had two men stationed outside as well. We have taken care of them.”

  “Were they Fallen?”

  Mustafa nodded.

  “How did you ‘take care of them’?” Jake asked.

  Mustafa tilted his head to a rooftop across the street. “I also brought some friends.”

  Laney followed his gaze and spotted the sniper perched on the edge of the roof. She looked around and saw at least another four snipers.

  “What did you do with them?” Jake asked.

  Mustafa smiled. “They’re in a van under heavy sedation. They will not be joining the party.”

  “What about the men inside?” Henry asked.

  “They went into the subbasement thirty minutes ago,” Mustafa said.

  Laney’s gaze shifted to the building. “They’re in the vault with Elisabeta.”

  Mustafa’s face was grim. “I’m afraid so.”

  CHAPTER 68

  Sean lowered his binoculars. “Mr. Fuld? I believe the party you’ve been waiting for has arrived.”

  Jorgen placed his tea on the table and used a white linen napkin to wipe at the corners of his mouth. He stood and crossed to the balcony, then grimaced at the mass of people of whirling below. He hated India. Too many people. Too much filth. He’d be glad when they moved on.

  Taking the binoculars, he scanned the crowd in front of the temple. “Where are they?”

  “They’re at the front, by the barricade. Look for McPhearson’s red hair.”

  Jorgen did, and a few seconds later he found the group. Sean was right: her hair did stand out in the sea of dark-haired individuals. “Any reports from inside?”

  “They’ve reached the vault.”

  “Were they able to open it?”

  “Yes.”

  Jorgen frowned. You are disappointing me, Ms. McPhearson. “And what of their captives? They are all right?”

  “Yes, sir. So far. What would you have us do?”

  Jorgen watched the Chandler group through the lenses for another few moments. He focused on Laney. Do not disappoint me again.

  He lowered the binoculars. “Nothing for now. Keep an eye on the situation and let me know when things get exciting.”

  CHAPTER 69

  Jake noticed that the guards were paying them a little too much attention—probably due to the fact that Henry and Maddox towered over the rest of the people in the crowd. He moved them farther away from the entrance.

  “We have to assume they’ve gotten into the vault,” he said.

  Laney pictured the layout of the temple in her mind. “How many civilians are in there?”

  Mustafa shrugged. “We do not have an exact count. But it should be at least four hundred, probably more.”

  “With our size of force, we can’t chance trying to take them inside,” Maddox said. “We won’t be able to cover everything, and innocents will undeniably be hurt.”

  Laney knew which innocent was foremost in his mind.


  Laney stared at the temple, willing another option to appear—but apparently her wishes weren’t being granted today. “We’ll have to wait until they come out. Maddox and Henry, you two need to stay back.” She looked over at Ralph. “Is there any chance Elisabeta can sense you?”

  “It’s possible.”

  “Then you stay back too.”

  Ralph nodded, but Maddox crossed his arms over his head. “I am not staying back.”

  Laney felt his frustration, but they had to be smart. “They’ll sense you, Maddox. You’ll let them know we’re here. We can’t chance that.”

  Laney saw the war of logic and emotion rage through Maddox. She knew he wanted to rush in right now and protect Max. But she also knew Maddox was smart enough to realize that doing so would only put Max in more danger.

  Finally he gave her a terse nod, his jaw set.

  Laney put a hand on his arm. “Max is our priority. Everyone’s priority.”

  Maddox tilted his head toward Mustafa, his eyes hard. “Even theirs?”

  “Even theirs,” Laney said, her eyes on Mustafa.

  Mustafa nodded quickly. “Dr. McPhearson is in charge. If she says the woman and child are the priority, then that is how it will be. I will convey this to my men.” He stepped back and pulled out a radio.

  Laney turned away from him and studied the commandos. Each wore a bulletproof vest and was heavily armed. She saw an AK-47, a few old Kalashnikovs, some Colt M4s, and a few other weapons she couldn’t identify. They all also had handguns in holsters at their waist. And then there were the police who wandered through the crowd as well.

  Jake leaned down to her. “It would be easier if the commandos were on our side.”

  Laney sighed. “I know.”

  They had debated back and forth whether to contact the security at the temple. But they didn’t know whom to trust—Elisabeta seemed to have a deep reach—and they couldn’t take the chance of the commandos giving something away.