Deception: Redemption...Is A Bitch (Book Four)

Chapter 6

The twins were drained, the last twenty-four hours had been as much as they could process, they were on the verge of a total breakdown. Dina saw it but wasn't sure how to deal with this level of mental and emotional distress. Kay was keeping a close eye on Cameron, his hands were shaking and he couldn't stop pacing, not a good sign. Jessalyn knew that Jonathan was withdrawing into himself and she desperately wanted a few minutes alone with him to bring him back down to earth. The men, as men often tend to do, sat quietly. It was better to leave well enough alone.

"Guys...guys, maybe we should all sit down and have a discussion, get everything out on the table. I'm no therapist but I have two eyes and you two are about to collapse." Vivian, ever level headed was trying to forestall a problem she saw heading straight for them. If the twins couldn't gain control over their emotions, none of them were going to be able to deal with whatever was coming. Regardless of the fact that most in the room discounted most of what she said, her readings generally were dead on. Trouble was on the doorstep and it was up to the Black twins to fix it.

Jonathan, surprisingly, was the first to shake himself out of his troubling thoughts, surveying the room, the expectation in all of their faces. He had brought them here, it was his kids, his problem. Why did he agree to any of this? Putting his friends, his family in a mess they probably weren't going to survive. Oh god, what was he thinking. "I'm.... sorry, you shouldn't have been involved, in any of this." He rubbed his face and carded his fingers through his hair. It took a few minutes before Cameron had managed to regain some semblance of thought and control over his emotions.

"We're here, they're here – it can't be helped now. What we have to do is come up with some kind of plan. I for one want to know why we're so damned important? Why is the Vale interested in us; your kids and our family history. Until two years ago I thought all we were a couple of pretty decent illusionists. We didn't cause anyone a lick of trouble, gave to charity, tried to live a good life. The only thing we ever did was hide you Jonathan, that was probably the worst thing we ever decided to do, but how in God's name does that figure in with what this mess is about? Until Charlotte made her presence known there was no inkling anything was wrong with our lives. What the hell happened? Can someone explain this to me? I've racked my brain, day and night – none of this makes sense."

"I think if you find the letter, from my reading, it could answer some of your questions." Incredulously, both twins rolled their eyes at Vivian's assertion. "I'm serious, I think that could help you."

"Now, I'm not saying I believe mind you, if there is a letter where would we look for it? We've been through everything in the sanctuary, all the books, journals. I mean we found great granddad's journal, that didn't have a letter in it. And that is scary stuff, we...." He stopped realizing he'd said too much.

"Scary stuff? Didn't you give the journal to Charles Cam?" Kay was on her feet and came over looking close at him. He had a hard time lying to her and she knew it. "What did you do Cameron? What are you talking about?" They knew about the page with the plans for a bomb to take out a City, they gave that to Deakins. Staring at the brothers she got a bad feeling. There was something much bigger, more destructive hidden within those pages. What exactly did these two know. "Come on Cameron, Jonathan I think its about time we have no more secrets. This has gotten way out of hand. You have people, many different people trying to take you two out. We're in a hideout for Christ's sake, I don't think it can get any worse. Whatever it is I think, it's time that you guys come clean. Mike and I have put our careers on hold for you. Your friends and family are standing with you, whatever it is, we need all the information, everything so we can come up with a strategy." The others in the room were waiting, this was it. They had to tell them about what they knew from the diary. The brothers had discussed it believing it best to not give anyone else nightmares. Now, well what were they going to do? Sharing a silent agreement Jonathan got up and went to a bank of cupboards along the back wall, pressing a button on the side that looked like a normal light switch, a panel slid open revealing a hidden safe. Jonathan punched in a series of numbers, then Cameron went and put in a key that he had pulled from a chain attached to his belt. Dina remembered the day he started wearing that belt, said he was tired of losing his keys. She thought it strange, but other things had changed since his stroke, she had put down to an eccentricity.

The vault opened and Jonathan pulled out the black binder with the photocopied pages from the original diary, Cameron took out what looked like the journal itself. Eyes wide, Kay stopped them. "You mean to tell me you have the original...still, how...."

Cameron rolled his eyes "Magician remember, I can misdirect my audience away from almost anything. Hide in plain sight, without anyone being the wiser. We weren't about to let the Vale have this damned diary. Jonathan's finished the translation, figured it out. Actually, well before that whole thing last year. It made our decision for us, no one, I mean no one should have these plans, its worse than anything you could imagine. World domination. One leader, mass destruction. You think nuclear war is bad, its nothing compared to what these maniacs want to do."

"Then why didn't you destroy it?" It was a good question. The twins had argued about that extensively. No good had come of it, deciding to bury it down here where it couldn't hurt anyone.

"Long story, still might but what if some of this is useful?"

"We decided to wait, keep it safe down here – no one other than ourselves knew about this place, until now anyway. May have been the wrong decision but it is what we decided. At least, now we can all look at it again, see if there is something we've missed."

"But Cameron.... Jonathan, if you have that diary, and you know what's in it; doesn't it make it even more dangerous? Why didn't you destroy it?" Her confusion was complete, not understanding what went through their minds when they came to this decision.

Cameron blew out his breath, he didn't want to go over this again. Looking at Jonathan he nodded towards the common area. "Alright, let's sit down."

It was hard to explain. Jonathan had spent a good deal of time deciphering the hidden codes, within hidden messages in the book. There was a lot but, it didn't seem to make sense.

"It was one night, I couldn't sleep and I came here by myself. I brought the book out and started at the beginning. It was during one of my real low periods and I had a bit of a melt-down. I was furious at everything that had gone on, at myself. I was holding onto a glass." He stopped at Dina's gasp. "No, not alcohol, just soda but I was so frustrated, it just shattered in my hand. I was bleeding all over the place. I managed to get a cloth wrapped around it and mopped up the mess." He took a deep long sigh before continuing. He found Jessalyn's eyes, she gave him a feeling of security. "I noticed that some of my blood had dripped on the pages of the diary." The others were expectant, he was coming up to a revelation. Kay noticed Cameron was tense, vibrating along with his twin. Whatever it was had spooked both of them. "Well.... when I brushed it away, I saw more writing, it was hidden under the plans, behind the writing. I guess it was put there by Alistair – I haven't figured out how yet but, it needs our blood, one of us anyway. We think maybe a Black descendant."

"What did the secret writing say Jon?" Jessalyn's voice was quiet, she knew that's what had scared them. "It's why you kept the book right?" Another long-suffering sigh, he loved the girl but it was absolutely uncanny what she could see.

"We only read the first part of the diary, it...it talked about the twins. We assumed it referred to us but, we don't think the Vale knew that. The pages detail extensive plans for massive destructive devices, blackmail lists and horrendous experiments. We decided we didn't want to know what was under that. It didn't matter then and it doesn't matter now."

Kay grabbed onto Cameron. "It does matter, don't you realize it may be the key to what has been happening. It may be able to give you a reason. I think I understand why you didn't want to know but, I think now is the time." The twins weren't convinced, sharing a look Jonathan nodded.

"We have to think about it. Let's call it a night, we'll decide in the morning." The others broke off and found rooms to spend the night. There were so many rooms it was one of the first times Jordan could remember that he didn't have to share space with Gunter; he invited Vivian to join him. Before she joined Mike, Dina made an about face and stopped the girl.

"No, Jordan not a chance. Vivian pick one of the other rooms, you're much too young and I won't have it. I know that the brothers probably wouldn't say anything but, this is not the time nor the place." A huff from both young people was the answer and then they each chose a room and slammed the doors shut. "Well...well, Mike, we're gonna to have to keep an eye on those two yeah?" Mike put her into a bear hug and kissed her neck.

"Ah, young love I'll give them a few checks throughout the night, don't worry."

Gunter retired taking a bottle of ale from the fully stocked fridge. This was going to be difficult and he knew it. He hoped that James understood the ramifications of his non-interference.