The Nun’s hand went to her own throat.
‘Like this?’ she asked and pulled out a chain.
‘Exactly the same,’ said India.
‘It was you, wasn’t it?’ said Brandon, turning once again to Jacob, ‘You gave them a similar necklace as a gift before you killed them.’
‘What if it was me?’ asked Jacob, ‘They deserved it.’
‘What girl deserves to be crucified?’ gasped India.
‘Un-pure ones,’ screamed Jacob, I thought they were Virgins but they weren’t. They were harlots. I deserve purity, I am the Pontifex Maximus. The punishment for impurity is clear and she had to be punished.’
‘Oh my God,’ said India, ‘How many others were there?’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Jacob.
‘Of course it matters,’ shouted India, ‘How many have you killed?’
‘I don’t know,’ shouted Jacob, holding his head in his hands, ‘I don’t remember.’
‘What about Camille?’ asked Brandon quietly, ‘Did you abduct here as well, Jacob.’
‘The girl from outside the hotel?’ asked Jacob.
‘Yes.’
‘She is so pretty,’ said Jacob, ‘And so young. You would think she would be pure but even she needs to be punished.’
‘Bullshit,’ shouted India, ‘She was only ten, of course she was pure. You are nothing more than a cold blooded murderer, looking for excuses to justify the killings.’
‘What did he say?’ asked Brandon suddenly, interrupting the girl
They all looked at him.
‘Sorry,’ said India, ‘What do you mean?’
‘He said ‘Is,’ not ‘Was.’ Camille is alive.’
They turned back to Jacob.
‘Is she Jacob,’ asked Brandon, ‘Is Camille still alive?’
Jacob stared at the intense look on Brandon’s face and started to giggle.
‘Might be,’ he said, ‘I don’t know really, It’s in the hands of the Goddess.’
The sound of voices and running feet echoed from the entrance passage above.
‘What do you mean, in the hands of the Goddess?’ shouted Brandon, grabbing him by the collar, ‘Where is she you fucking pervert, where is Camille? What have you done with her?’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ laughed Jacob hysterically, ‘It’s too late.’ He looked up as several men burst into the room and spread out along the landing, each pointing a pistol down into the cavern.
Brandon stared up at the six men.
‘Don’t even think about it,’ he said quietly, anticipating Gatilusi’s next move.
Gatilusi lowered his gun back to his side and they stood waiting for someone to speak. A grey suited man in dark glasses followed the rest into the room, and stood at the top of the stairs.
‘You,’ he shouted, ‘Put the gun down.’
Gatilusi crouched slowly and put the gun on the floor.
‘Kick it away from you.’
The gun went spinning across the floor.
‘Right, Caretaker, what is going on here?’
‘They shot me,’ shouted Jacob, hysterically, ‘I need an ambulance.’
The man stared at him derisorily, and turned to Brandon.
‘Mr Walker, we meet at last. I have to say you have caused our organisation a lot of hassle over the last few days. Still, nothing that can’t be resolved.’
‘And who are you?’ asked Brandon.
The man smiled sarcastically.
‘Call me Mr Smith,’ he said, ‘I represent this organisation.
‘Armed division, I assume,’ sneered Brandon.
‘Something like that,’ answered Mr Smith, So, out of curiosity, why have you gone to all this trouble.’
‘To find a missing girl,’ said Brandon, ‘We know she is around here somewhere and I suggest you let her, and the rest of us, go before it is too late.’
‘Really Mr Walker, I don’t think you are in any position to make any demands, do you?’
Brandon looked around, seeking a resolution to their dilemma.
‘Look, Mr Smith, or whatever your real name is, we don’t know what this is all about, but there is an option here where everyone wins.’
‘Oh yes, and what is that exactly?’
‘You just leave us here and go back to wherever you came from.’
‘And why would we do that?’
‘Think about it,’ said Brandon, ’There is no way you are going to get away with this. Within hours, special forces are going to be crawling all over this place, but you still have time to get away and those children can get back to a normal life.’
‘Special forces?'
‘Because I have already made the arrangements,’ said Brandon, ‘Even as we speak they are probably on their way.’
‘Ah yes, the taxi driver,’ said Mr Smith. He fished in his pocket and threw down a phone to shatter at Brandon’s feet. ‘I think we can safely assume that call was never made.’
Brandon’s hopes plummeted as he realised they were isolated. No help was coming.
‘Enough nonsense,’ said Mr Smith, ‘Caretaker, what is the situation here. How much do they know?’
‘Everything,’ said Jacob, grimacing in pain.
‘Everything?’
‘More or less.’
‘How very unfortunate,’ said Mr Smith, ‘Still, at least it makes the solution simple.’
‘What are you going to do?’ asked India.
‘Unfortunately, I have no option but to remove you from the situation,’ he said menacingly.
‘What do you mean, surely you’re not going to…?’
‘Oh, but I am,’ said Mr Smith.
‘You can’t,’ shouted Brandon amongst the commotion.
‘And why not?’ asked Mr Smith.
‘For fuck sake,’ shouted Brandon, ‘You can’t kill us all, what about the children and the nuns?’
‘Nobody knows the children are here, they can be replaced, as can the nuns.’
‘But what about the rest of the order, all the Nuns in the convent, you can’t cover up all their deaths.’
‘You are right,’ said Mr Smith, ‘But fortunately for them, none are aware of the existence of the inner order. They need not be harmed.’
‘You are serious, aren’t you?’ said Brandon, taking a step forward, ‘You really mean to do it.’
‘It is unfortunate, but yes,’ said Mr Smith.
Brandon took a step sideways until he was almost directly in front of Gatilusi.
‘But surely that means the end of Mortuus Virgo,’ said Brandon, ‘Why would you self destruct?’
‘You think this has never happened before,’ laughed Mr Smith, ‘Over the centuries, the acolytes have been wiped out on many occasions, and yes, sometimes at our own hands, but it is not the end of Mortuus Virgo. There are places such as this all over the world. Don’t you worry about us, Mr Walker, we will endure.’
‘What about me?’ shouted Jacob.
‘You are no longer any use to us,’ said Mr Smith.
‘What do you mean?’ shouted Jacob, ‘I am one of you. You can’t kill me, I am the Pontifex Maximus.’
‘Really?’ said Mr Smith, and turned his head to nod at one of his henchmen. A single shot rang out, and a bullet smashed into Jacob’s chest sending him flying backwards. ‘Not any more.’
Gatilusi looked down and saw Brandon’s gun tucked in the rear of Brandon’s trouser belt. Suddenly he realised why Brandon had moved in front of him. He slowly drew the gun as gently as possible from the belt, keeping it low and out of sight.
‘Ready?’ He whispered, ‘After three.’
Brandon nodded. If they were going down, they were going down fighting. He took a deep breath and braced himself.
‘One, two, three.’
Brandon threw himself forward to where Gatilusi had kicked his own gun a few minutes earlier, and Gatilusi opened fire at the men on the landing, catching them by surprise. The noise was deafening in the cavern and two of the men fell wounded to the floor, while the rest dropped down behind the perimeter wall in panic.
Brandon grabbed the gun discarded earlier and sent a few shots upwards to keep their heads down. The Nuns grabbed the screaming children and ushered them down behind the rear of the wall surrounding the fire pit. Brandon raced around the fire and joined them behind the wall.