The Medusa Deception

Chapter 9

SETH SAT AT the afternoon seminar slightly tipsy and pleasantly full from the delicious lunch at the Greek cafe by the Acropolis. Whether the food had been particularly good or whether the bad taste in his mouth from Mandy's trespass had finally abated, he couldn't be sure.

The situation, although damaging, was being managed. Seth drew in a rejuvenating breath. God, he loved it here. At the cafe they'd celebrated with a few bottles of exquisite Chardonnay, grown on the slopes of Mount Olympus. They'd raised a glass, toasting the Brotherhood and their unanimous vote, agreeing to his plan. He tingled with anticipation.

Following a series of afternoon seminars, a luxurious welcome dinner and gala awaited the fortunate participants of the Gathering. Seth was in his room, dressing in a tuxedo while the security videos replayed at five times normal speed, previously viewed at fifteen times.

Her betrayal stung like a knife in his gut, but he owed it to his Brothers to watch it again, be sure of any risk they faced. He would be thorough; no more mistakes.

On the video, Mandy and the boy entered the bathroom. He appeared to help her. Perhaps guilt made her sick, ate her insides. Seth hoped so.

The boy left the bathroom soon after and paced nervously in the office. The hairs on the back of Seth's neck stood on end and a shiver went up his spine. An interesting reaction from the boy, he noted.

What was Mandy doing in there for so long? If she were ill, why wasn't the boy in there helping her? Unless he couldn't take it. Maybe that was it. Or, maybe she demanded he leave her in peace while she retched her guts out. Seth smiled at the thought.

When Mandy finally emerged from the bathroom she looked awful. Good, thought Seth as he hit the play button on the laptop to slow the video down to regular speed, wanting to hear what they said.

Silence. He maxed the volume. All that came out was loud, crackling static. Sound hadn't been an issue before. But when viewing at high speed, the sound feature is disabled, so he hadn't noticed. The speakers on his laptop must have blown.

"Damn it!" He glanced at the ceiling. "What next?" Tomorrow, he'd buy a set of headphones and review the final video file one more time with audio.

There wasn't any urgency, really. He was more confident than ever that they hadn't discovered any of the Brotherhood's deeper secrets. The boy helped Mandy up the stairs directly through the crypt and out of the basement. They hadn't lingered long enough to discover anything else. That alone bought them a few more days.

Seth locked the door and headed down to the festivities. Tonight was a night to celebrate.

* * *

SECRETED AWAY FROM the midst of the opera crowd in downtown Chicago, Mandy and Ryan endured a very strange trip in a limo. Under strict scrutiny, they had stripped down to their underthings, donned robes, and pulled the hoods low over their faces. Somewhere along the way, their clothes and belongings were transferred to another car with the promise of their return later. After what seemed like an hour of driving, they were escorted into a room, sat down, and told to wait.

A door opened; a person entered the room and sat in a chair facing them. "Thank you for respecting my privacy. You may remove your hoods."

They were in a large room with high ceilings and no windows, richly decorated in tones of burgundy and gold. The furniture looked old and expensive, probably antique, upholstered in beautifully woven tapestry. A fire blazed in the stone hearth casting a warm, welcoming glow into the room.

The woman in front of them wore black from head to toe. A burqa headdress concealed her entire head with a black mesh opening just large enough to frame her eyes. The silky fabric of the veil draped over her floor-length black dress and gathered on her lap. Her arms were tucked under the burqa, her feet tucked in to a pair of boots. She'd gone to great lengths to reveal no part of herself.