“I know, but couldn’t he find a better word than ‘unclean?’” asked Asami. “Downright racist is what it is.”
“Who are you?” asked Elisa, focusing her attention on the Dark Priest.
“I was the first…to record the words…” he said.
“That was centuries ago,” said Asami.
The Dark Priest gave a weak nod in confirmation. “Yes. But when…when he read those words…the Necronomicon found a new host for its power.”
“Cut to the chase,” said Lucas. “How do we kill Clarke?”
“You cannot. No weapon forged of—” the Dark Priest’s words were interrupted by a sudden coughing fit, “—of man can undo its power.”
“There has to be something we can do,” said Elisa.
“What the Necronomicon has given can b-be taken.” He slowly raised his hand to his chest. “I am p-proof of this.”
“So what? One of us does to Clarke what he did to this bastard?” asked Lucas.
The Dark Priest used what little strength he still possessed to open his robe. His brown skin bore similar carvings as the ones on Hudson’s body. “Use the Necronomicon’s power…send him to his masters.” His head fell back, resting on the floor. “At last…my torment is at an end…”
He went silent and though his eyes remained open, what dim life still existed in them quickly faded.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Max wasted no time answering his phone, not even allowing the first ring to complete. “Elisa?” When he heard his protégé’s voice he breathed in relief. “Thank god, I’ve been worried. Where are you? What’s going on? Did you find Lucas? Have you spoken to Asami about Hudson?”
“Slow down,” said Elisa on the other end of the line. Max heard a sigh before she continued. “A lot’s happened. Just bear with me for a minute, okay?”
“Of course.” Max went silent and listened to Elisa recount the events. From discovering Lucas in Bora Bora to the ambush and eventual capture by Sebastian’s men, Asami’s discovery of Hudson, the Dark Priest and his cult, how Sebastian had obtained the Necronomicon, and the Dark Priest’s final words before his death. She finished by explaining her plan to defeat Sebastian.
“My god…” he said in a hushed whisper. “You do realize the danger of your plan, don’t you?”
“I know, it’s not something I’m undertaking lightly. But we have to stop him, Max. And it looks like the only way we can do that is by using the Necronomicon against him,” she said.
“Okay…” Max sighed. “Is there anything you need from me?”
Although he couldn’t see her face, Max imagined Elisa smiling as she spoke her next words. “I thought you didn’t want to be involved in this?”
“I think we’re past that point now.”
“I just wanted to give you an update on the situation. If we pull this off, we’ll get rid of Clarke and destroy the Necronomicon in the process.”
“Unless someone else finds a way to access the Akashic Records,” said Max.
“Yeah. Unfortunately there’s nothing any of us can really do about that. But at least destroying the physical versions of the Necronomicon means that it’ll be harder to uncover.”
Max removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, leaning back in his desk chair. “You didn’t just call me to give me an update, did you?”
There was a pause on the other end. Although it was just a moment, for Max it felt like an eternity. “Elisa? Are you still there?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing, I just…I just wanted to hear your voice before we move out.”
He shook his head. “Don’t do that. You’re going to come out of this.”
“I know, of course I am.”
“Your review is coming up in a few days. I expect you to be there for it, do you understand me?”
***
Elisa nodded. “I know, I’ll be there, I promise. We have to get going, so I’ll call you once this is over.” She ended the call and passed the phone back to Asami. “Thanks. Once we’re finished with this, first thing I have to do is get myself a new phone.”
“No worries,” said Asami. “You really think we’re gonna get out of this, though?”
“Don’t start with that.” Elisa looked away from Asami, seeing Lucas and Roland walk up the airport tarmac towards them.
“Clarke’s plane already returned to the Bahamas. Stands to reason we’ll find him at his home.” Roland turned and pointed to a small plane not too far in the distance. “I’ve arranged for a charter flight to get us down there.”
“Thanks,” said Elisa. “You sure you’re okay with this? It’s not your fight.”
“I always thought this whole Necronomicon business was just some senile eccentric’s harmless hobby. Now I know better,” said Roland. “I helped him get his hands on that book, that makes me responsible. I have to make this right.”
“Glad to have you onboard.” Elisa turned to Lucas next. “What about you? You sure you don’t want to take this opportunity to disappear while it’s convenient?”
“Hell no,” said Lucas. “But don’t twist the facts, Elsie. Clarke ruined my vacation and I’m betting that home of his has some pretty valuable stuff I can take as recompense. Once we’ve killed the crotchety old bastard, that is.”
“Ever the scoundrel.” Elisa checked her kukri daggers, now feeling at home again holstered behind her back. They’d stopped at a clothing store before coming to the airport, giving both Elisa and Lucas a chance to obtain a long-overdue change of clothes. “Okay, everyone clear on the plan?”
Her three partners gave nods in the affirmative.
“All the mercs Clarke hired were killed in that basement,” said Roland. “We shouldn’t encounter any other guns on the premises. So we only have to worry about him.”
“Right. An old, indestructible nut with the power of a cursed grimoire,” said Asami. “Should be a walk in the park.”
“Just keep him distracted,” said Elisa. “If I’m able to complete this spell, Sebastian Clarke won’t be around long enough to cause us any more problems.”
“I’ll go tell the pilot we’re ready.” Roland turned from the group and walked back down the tarmac, leaving Elisa, Asami, and Lucas alone.
“You sure about this?” asked Lucas. “This spell…if it backfires…”
“It won’t come to that,” said Elisa. “I can do this.”
“Whatever you say,” said Lucas. “Look, I’m not one for goodbyes, so might as well just come out with it now. Once we finish this job, I’m in the wind. And do me a favor, Elsie—don’t come looking for me this time.”
Elisa grinned. “Don’t worry, not going to make the same mistake twice.”
Lucas gave her a wink. “All right, I’m gonna do a weapons check.” He walked towards the plane.
“How was Max?” asked Asami.
“Worried, as usual,” said Elisa. “And he made sure to remind me about that review.”
Asami scoffed. “Hoped he’d let that go, didn’t you?”
“No such luck. He’s just trying to convince himself that we’ll get out of this,” said Elisa. “Honestly, I’m dreading that review more than this fight.”
“What are you so afraid of?” asked Asami. “That they’ll fire you or that they’ll keep you on?”
Elisa cocked an eyebrow. “What’s that mean?”
Asami gave a shrug. “Just sayin’, you seem more at home doing this kinda stuff than you ever did in a lecture hall.”
“How would you know?”
Asami looked down at her feet, shuffling them. “I sat in on a few of your classes.”
Elisa smirked. “Did you, now?”
“Don’t get too excited, I was just keepin’ an eye on the girl whose life I’m tied to,” said Asami. “Your classes bored the hell outta me.”
Elisa rubbed her hands and looked down at them. Asami frowned. “C’mon, I was just messing with you.”
“No, it’s not that.” Elisa ran her hands over her face and continued up thr
ough her hair. “Was just thinking I felt the same way.”
***
Lucas unzipped the large duffel bag that contained the weapons carried by Roland’s late teammates. He strapped a holster to each denim-covered thigh, both holding a Beretta. The belt he wore held several pouches and he loaded these with additional magazines.
“Sure you wouldn’t prefer the M16?”
Lucas looked up from the duffel bag and saw Roland approaching. “I’ll take one, but not really my style.”
“You’re at least more practical than those two.” Roland folded his arms and gestured with his head in the direction of Asami and Elisa.
Lucas snickered at the remark. “Well, you’ve seen what Asami can do. And as for Elsie, she’s got this thing about guns.”
“So I’ve heard,” said Roland. “What’s the deal with that?”
“Goes back to childhood, I guess,” said Lucas. “Her parents trained her with ancient weaponry, and she’ll swear until she’s blue in the face that’s the end of it. Me, I think arrogance is a factor. She thinks guns are like cheating. But those things she uses? Takes a lot of skill to use ‘em right.”
“And you’d certainly know a thing or two about arrogance.”
Lucas’ jovial demeanor quickly vanished. “Go to Hell.”
“Sorry.” Roland reached into his pocket and produced a pack of cigarillos with a cheap lighter. “Look, I picked these up while you two were getting some new clothes. Peace offering?”
Lucas hesitated for a moment but reached his hand out and accepted the gift. He drew one of the cigarillos from the pack and placed it between his lips. A few puffs as he lit it and the smoke filled his mouth, the taste of the tobacco helping him relax. “Thanks.”
“Probably not your usual brand.”
Lucas took the cigarillo from his lips and exhaled the smoke. “Not at all.” He held it up. “It’s actually pretty crappy. But hey, beggars can’t be choosers, right?”
“You’ve got a funny way of showing gratitude,” said Roland.
“Listen.” Lucas stood upright and puffed on the cigarillo before speaking again. “Gratitude’s not really my thing. You want someone to be your BFF, you’d have better luck with Elsie over there. We were total bastards to each other, and yeah it was just because of the job. But don’t expect us to start braiding each other’s hair or anything.”
“You’re a real son of a bitch, aren’t you?”
Lucas shrugged. “You’d know a thing or two about that, wouldn’t you?”
Roland scoffed. “Clever.”
Lucas hit the bag with his foot. “Better stock up. If your ass needs saving in there, don’t count on me to do it. As for me, I’m gonna finish this shit-tasting cig before we board.”
Roland watched the mercenary wander down the tarmac, his back to him. He certainly didn’t expect things to turn out this way and though he didn’t care much for his new companions, Sebastian had betrayed him. He wasn’t about to let that slide.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Thanks to Roland’s contacts in Nassau, a van met them at the airport. Both the plane and subsequent car rides were pretty quiet. Everyone was more concerned with mentally preparing themselves for the fight that was going to come. Elisa reviewed the spell they’d gotten off the Dark Priest’s body almost non-stop from the time they boarded the plane and continuing into the drive. She’d read and re-read it so many times that she was confident she could recite it from memory if need be.
Roland stopped the car about a half-mile from Sebastian’s mansion. Though he was confident that Sebastian’s entire security detail save for him died in Rhode Island, he preferred to play it safe. No one objected and they went the remaining distance on foot. Once they arrived at the front gate, Roland went straight to the box to enter in the code.
“How can you be sure he hasn’t changed it?” asked Elisa.
“Are you kidding? Clarke can’t even figure out how to set the clock on his microwave. He wouldn’t be able to change the security codes without someone around to do it for him.” Roland entered in the security code and the gates parted. He flashed a smile at Elisa. “Told you.”
“Fair enough.” Elisa turned to Asami. “Time to put your game face on.”
Asami gave a nod and went through her transformation, changing into a fox/human hybrid. Roland and Lucas readied the assault rifles and Elisa drew her daggers. They went through the gates and moved to the side of the driveway, crouching as they walked. Sebastian had a number of trees lining his grounds and they used them for cover, just in case of some kind of surveillance. Roland led the way around to the side of the house. They climbed the stone ledge into Sebastian’s terrace, moving around to the back of the house.
Sebastian was there, seated in a lounge chair on the terrace. He held a brandy glass in one hand as he looked out over the ocean and the setting sun. On a glass table beside him sat the Necronomicon.
Roland moved closer, raising his gun. He pulled the trigger and fired a shot directly into the back of Sebastian’s head. The old man slumped just for a moment, but quickly recovered, standing and turning to face his attacker. Sebastian removed the sunglasses he wore and smiled.
“Well, this was certainly unexpected. I didn’t imagine I’d see any of you again,” he said. “Although I must say I’m somewhat relieved you survived. I was worried you hadn’t suffered enough. So I appreciate the opportunity for a second chance to do it right.”
Asami got down on all fours, every muscle in her body tightening. Her eyes burned and she opened her mouth, a spark appearing in the center. The kitsune launched a fireball.
Sebastian held up a hand, the fireball braking suddenly. Asami’s eyes flared and Sebastian’s hummed with the unearthly green energy he now wielded. He strained against her power, but in the end, the fireball flew right back at its creator. The group scattered to avoid the attack, jumping just before it struck the cobblestones and leaving a large, black mark on the terrace ground.
Roland and Lucas opened fire with their rifles, bullets slicing through the air and perforating Sebastian’s body. He stood with his arms out to the sides, laughing with each projectile that pierced his flesh.
“You foolish mortals. Don’t you understand that I have attained an entirely new level of being? Don’t you realize that there is nothing you can do to stop me?”
Sebastian closed his fists and brought his elbows close to his torso. He rapidly extended his arms and hands, fingers outstretched. Lucas and Roland were frozen in place and raised off the ground by his power.
While Sebastian held the men in his grasp, Asami had circled around after avoiding the fireball. She sped at Sebastian and jumped onto him from behind, knocking him onto his face. Her claws tore into his back, slicing up his Hawaiian shirt and drawing copious amounts of blood from his flesh.
Sebastian placed his hands flat on the ground and pushed up. His strength was so great that he could knock Asami off him as if she were weightless. The kitsune quickly recovered and charged him on all fours. By the time she pounced, Sebastian had turned to meet her and grabbed her wrists in his hands. Her momentum caused him to slide back on the stone, but he kept his resistance and they came to a stop. Sebastian held her at bay with his great strength, and Asami snapped at him with her jaw but couldn’t reach his face.
Asami’s attack freed Lucas and Roland from Sebastian’s hold. They tried to get a bead on Sebastian, but the way the two combatants grappled made it just as likely that they’d shoot Asami if they opened fire. They had no choice but to wait impatiently for the right opportunity.
Her leg snapped out, striking him in the groin, but he just gave her a look of irritation. Sebastian twisted her to the side and released one of her wrists, delivering a punch to the side of her head that knocked her down.
“Now!” shouted Lucas. With Asami on the ground, that was their chance. He and Roland opened fire with their assault rifles, quickly emptying the magazines into Sebastian’s body.
The
guns clicked impotently quickly and the two mercenaries discarded them. Both drew the Berettas, holding one in each hand and relied on those instead. Sebastian calmly walked towards them, each bullet providing the barest of resistance. Sebastian pointed at Lucas and flicked his wrist, sending the myth hunter flying from the grounds and into the ocean the old man’s mansion sat beside.
All that was left was Roland and Sebastian kept walking until he was within reach. He grabbed both handguns, crushing them within his grip and tossing the weapons over his shoulders. Sebastian wrapped his fingers around Roland’s throat and hefted him into the air. Roland struggled against the steel-like grip, staring into the arcane energies that circled in his former employer’s eyes.
“I’m disappointed in you, Roland. You were like a son to me,” said Sebastian.
“Y-you tried to kill me, you…you withered freak!”
Sebastian frowned. “Now that’s not very nice. I knew you were resourceful enough to escape with your life. And my faith in you was clearly justified. You survived. A pity it was just to experience this.”
The glow in Sebastian’s eyes intensified. Roland felt his body weakening, his attempts to fight back even more difficult than ever. His strength waned and his eyelids grew heavy. All the while, Sebastian’s grip on him grew stronger. Roland soon found his arms too heavy and they fell limply to his sides. He caught a quick glimpse of his hands and saw them wrinkling rapidly before his eyes.
The last thing Roland Palmer heard as his life slipped away was the insane cackle of Sebastian Clarke.
When it was finished, Roland’s lifeless body was little more than a withered corpse. Sebastian squeezed and the man’s neck shattered. What remained clattered to the ground, his body exploding into dust. Sebastian clapped his hands a few times to remove the remaining particles and brushed off his shirt and shorts.
He turned and saw Asami struggling to get to her feet. Sebastian walked back over to her and kicked her in her chest, throwing her onto her back. He stomped on her chest a few times, each blow causing Asami to grit her teeth so she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of crying out in pain.
Curse of the Necronomicon (The Myth Hunter Book 3) Page 9