GAME ON - GoM 2

11

Harry Bormstone walked into his hotel room abashed and flopped himself on the chair, phone in hand. At another cheap hotel room across town, Mark picked up. Harry didn't hide he was troubled.

"Nobody came. That can only mean the twelfth Protector is as good as dead."

"You think he was captured alive?" asked Mark. "What for? They already have what they wanted."

"They can try to get information from him. The name of the rest of the Protectors, for starters. The Order's secret locations and rendezvous points. The name of the Order's supporters-like myself and your old man."

"Yeah, we already warned him. Okay, how can we help?"

"I'm sending you the audio I found in my brother's phone. The name of the butcher is there. I can use a hand to track that son of a bitch down."

"Sure. Send it over."

"Thanks. Good luck."

"You too." Mark disconnected and signaled Aidan to turn off the TV. "Come. You wanna hear this."

Aidan sat up on his bed. Mark waited for the incoming file and played it. The brothers traded a look at the noises of fighting and orders shouted out loud very close to the phone-surely that was Charlie Bormstone, head of the Protectors on watch that night. Both of them stiffened at the agonic screams.

"Back you demon!" yelled Charlie Bormstone.

"Oh, but I'm no demon."

The man who replied sounded almost amused. It caused the Holsters a chill.

"He's got an accent," said Aidan. "European?"

"Sounds like. German, Russian, something like that."

They heard more fighting noises, that ended with the thud of a body falling.

"Who... who are you?" Charlie Bormstone's voice was shaky now.

"Wanna know my name, monk? What use would it have in your grave?"

Another thud. Charlie Bormstone let out a gasping groan.

"The name is Markus Ritmann, since you ask. And the Duke says hi."

"Duke?" Aidan mouthed.

Mark shook his head-he didn't know either. The file ended abruptly after a loud cry of pain.

Aidan jumped to his feet. "Son of a bitch!" he snarled. "And you can bet that's the douchebag's real name."

"Yeah, he had no reason to lie," said Mark. "We need to find this man, Aidan. He's stolen the one thing that's keeping the gates of hell closed. We gotta find him and stop him."

"Us and what army, Mark? Dude! You saw those bodies back at the morgue! Protectors are the toughest sons of bitches I've ever seen. And he slaughtered a dozen of them single-handed!"

Mark looked away with a frustrated sigh. He knew his brother was right.