Blackness enveloped Autumn as she struggled to sit up from laying down. Her hands were bound tightly behind her and she could feel the edges of the cord digging into her flesh. She groaned from the bruise that now throbbed on her cheek and felt her way up a pole to a sitting position.
“Andrews, I cannot see. Are you in here with me? Do you have any idea where we are?” Autumn spoke out to the darkness. All sorts of strange sounds were around her and she could not identify which ones came from inside where she was and which ones were outside. She had no idea how far away they were from the Pira’mide del Adivino, nor what time it was. However, the crackling of a fire and the scent of burning wood soon wafted into her nostrils giving her the idea that it was now nighttime.
“Andrews. Okay, soldier, it is now your turn to wake up. After all, you dragged me here and now you have to wake up so that you can get me out,” Autumns voice wavered, she was growing hungry and tired and scared and did not really want to be alone, “Hello. Is anyone out there?”
Muffled sounds stirred near her. She closed her mouth, hoping that she did not attract too much attention. The daemon was bad enough but she did not want to be knocked out again. The sting on her face grew less painful but it was a sore reminder of the afternoon’s ambush.
“Uuuuugggghh… my head. It hurts,” mumbled Andrews. From the sound of it, she figured that they had banged him up rather well, and dumped him near Autumn. “Autumn, you here?”
“Yeah, I am here. Blindfolded so I cannot see, but I am okay. How you doing?”
“I feel like I had a whole store’s worth of alcohol dumped into me. I have this headache that will not go away. Yeah, I am blindfolded too. Do you got any idea of where we are?”
“No,” she replied. “I do not. The bitch knocked me out after her boys sent a warning shot if I had moved further. I know it is night time. Just do not know how far away from the Pira’mide del Adivino we have been moved.”
“Damn,” Andrews said. “Blackstone is probably preparing for the ritual tonight and he will most likely kill us both for the sacrificial blood to activate the power inside that scepter. We have got to get out of here.”
She heard him struggle and grunt a bit. “Are you okay? What are you doing?”
More struggling and grunting, followed by silence. “Andrews, where are you? What is going on?”
Then the blindfold slipped off her head and Autumn saw that they were sitting on a dirt floor inside a green army tent. Two tables set on either side of the square tent. Nothing useful was on them but two small lanterns filled with kerosine. Slowly Autumn turned her head and saw Andrews rubbing his hands.
“Give me a second and I will have these ties off of you in no time,” he said swiftly undoing the cord that held her hands together.
“That was fast,” she responded, “how did you get out of yours so fast?”
Andrews winked at her, “When I was in high school, I played football. One year I dislocated my shoulder and it never really set right. Ever since then I have been able to pop it back out of the socket easy to get out of tight situations like this. Okay, done now. Shall we peek outside and see what is going on?”
Autumn nodded and crept behind Andrews. They slid towards the nearest door of the tent and softly peeled back the fabric door at the very bottom. Two sets of boots appeared on either side of the door. They were being guarded. Beyond that there was a great bonfire burning brightly in the center of the camp. Four other tents gathered around the ring and there was a lot of activity. Many men were moving boxes marked with explosives into three giant trucks. Two more men were tending to the fire, adding more and more kindling and wood on it as needed.
There was no sign of Blackstone or Celeste anywhere. “I do not see them,” Andrews said to Autumn. “They must be in one of those other tents with the scepter. We cannot just escape here. We need to find and get the scepter away from them before they finish what they have probably started.”
“How can we,” Autumn said as she backed away from the tent’s door a bit. “There are only two of us and a lot of them and we are unarmed.”
“We can move fast,” Andrews offered.
“We also do not know which tent has the wand,” she added silently.
“Oh, that is an easy question to answer,” replied a new and deeper sounding voice. A man, dressed in a blood red colored robe had entered the tent from the opposite end. He had long brown hair that was tied back into a ponytail behind his neck. His cheeks were red and his eyes appeared black in the lantern light. His hands were folded in front of him. “It is with me. It is safe, you do not need to worry about that. I would never think about doing it any harm. After all, I needed it for tonight’s entertainment. When I kill you both and take my rightful place among the pantheon of gods who live amongst the stars.”
“Trevor,” Andrews growled between his teeth.
“Yes Graham. I am Blackstone. I am surprised that they sent you down for me.”
Autumn looked confused, “You know this guy?”
“We used to work together. He and I used to lead the Order. One day while we were on a mission down in Africa he disappeared. We spent hours searching for him, but did not see him. So we left him for dead and left back to the base.”
Blackstone bent down to their level, “No, I did not die. Actually, I was trapped in that cavern for days. You and the government you so blindly follow left me for dead. I was nearing death’s door when this young lady, I believe you know her as Celeste… found and rescued me.”
Right on cue, Celeste appeared from outside of the door. “Oh please, do not try and escape again. I do not want the pleasure of ripping you to shreds before Trevor needs your hearts.”
Autumn’s cheek burned with the memory of being slapped by Celeste and her tail, “Do not worry. Next time, we will be the ones who will be doing all the scratching and smacking.”
Celeste tossed back her head and laughed. “Such big words from such a little girl. I think, that once this is all over, I will feast on your body first. That is, if Trevor does not feast first. Do you not get it? Girl, your time is now ended. Once he unlocks the secrets of godhood, Trevor will release my people from their prison and it is us who will roam the Earth once more. You have already lost. All you can do now is pray that we give you a swift death.”
Trevor glared at Celeste, “That is enough of that. Go back out and have the men prepare the altar. I think that it is almost time to get started. After all, we have mostly been waiting for our two guests of honor to awaken and now that they have, I think there is no need to waste any more time bantering.”
Celeste growled but nodded at her master. She left the tent and they heard her voice bark a few instructions to some of the men close by.
“So where were we,” Trevor said, pushing aside a lantern and sitting on the table. “Oh yes, you and our wonderful government left me for dead. I vowed to get even one day, to take over the world and rule it as I saw fit. Celeste was an unusual find. She had been trapped down in those caves for centuries. Apparently some Russian had summoned her but quickly found that he could not control her or her brethren’s appetite for destruction so they had them all banished into that cave. We broke the curse when we found the Idol Graham. Do you remember that? Unfortunately, it allowed only her to escape. Which is when we made our pact to help each other out. I use the Mayan scepter to release the rest of her family and she helps me to become a god. To rule over this planet and get the recognition I rightfully deserve.”
Andrews laughed, “You were always the power hungry one, Trevor. Always wanting to pocket and sell those items we found to the highest bidder. Well, now that you are on the verge of getting what you want, you think she or any of the others will actually honor that pact and let you live among them, as their ruler? I do not think so. I think she will turn when you least expect it.”
“Lies,” Trevor cried out, spitting towards Andrews’s face. “They have been more faithful and honorable than Uncle Sam and his military family have ever been to me. I have proved my worth to them by taking Celeste with me and I am sure when the time comes, they will repay that honor by helping me.”
Andrews closed his eyes and laughed. It was an odd sounding cackle that sent goose-bumps up and down Autumn’s arms and neck. She shuddered and closed her eyes, praying that Blackstone was not going to just kill him right then and there. She squinted, half expecting to hear gunshots. But they never came. Instead, Blackstone got down off his perch on the table and got right in front of Andrews.
Blackstone grew furious, “I have had enough. Guards, tie them back up and take them to the circle. It is time for the great ritual. You two should feel honored. After all, you are the honored guests.”
