As the women were escorted from the foyer to meet with Samedi and complete the bogus trade, Bible couldn't help but feel a thrill surge through his body, from his shoulders down to his groin.
In moments, his Vodou priest would bind the princess, making her their slave, and force her to kill Angel. All of his plans were falling into place, and with a dark, cruel smile, he headed back to his office to monitor the events on his private security camera, which he had secretly installed in Samedi's altar shortly after they'd taken ownership of the place.
Through an imposing black door, Bible stepped into a spacious office decorated with golden curtains, large, valuable paintings, and vases he'd collected over the years. Moving across the room, he approached his desk and sat down. The leather chair creaked beneath his weight as he grabbed a new cigar and a guillotine cutter.
After clipping the tip, he lit the cigar and spent a couple of minutes enjoying the flavor before reaching over and activating a large monitor sitting on the corner of his desk. The screen flickered to life to show the altar room, where Samedi could be seen moving about, arranging to meet the princess. He noticed the hellhound pacing close to Angel, occasionally snapping its jaws at the captive man.
When Bible had first seen the demon, it had taken all of his military training not to show any other reaction than control and command. Striking it had been a calculated risk, a lesson to the beast, meant to drive home the warning to never question or challenge who was in charge. Because Bible was always, always in charge. Leaning back in his chair, he folded his hands together and waited, eager to watch Samedi complete the binding spell and bring the Princess of Hell under their power.
Soon, the women arrived, and when the princess tried to run to Angel, she did as expected and stepped into the unseen circle. Bible watched as she summoned the Bō for Cassie, who then fled the room with Rygen in pursuit. The colonel considered switching to other cameras to follow the chase, but that idea was short-lived: he couldn't miss the big event.
As he conducted the ritual, Samedi bound Charlotte Morningstar's will to his own, and Bible leaned forward as he watched her body twist and transform. A mixture of awe, surprise, and restrained fear filled him at the sight of what emerged from the summoning circle. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen in his life.
Turning up the monitor's volume to hear his priest engage with the demon, he detected the surprise in Samedi's voice as he realized the power he had unleashed, and Bible was honestly impressed by the Vodou priest's ability to command the demon. However, the following words he heard uttered from the man filled him with outrage.
Samedi spoke aloud his intentions and betrayal. "The first thing you need to do is kill that human! Then you will kill Bible, and we will take over his operations and hold ultimate power!"
"That son of a bitch!" Rising from his chair, the colonel stormed over to a cabinet on the adjacent wall and yanked the doors open furiously. Inside were various Vodou items, many the same or similar to what Samedia had in his collection.
Unbeknownst to his priest, Bible had secretly used the surveillance to watch him perform his magic and had spent valuable time learning and practicing the same techniques. He had gradually sensed that Samedi was becoming more restless and arrogant, and he could tell more than once that the priest wanted more than Bible was willing to give in exchange for his loyalty. He also knew that the man's power had been increasing ever since their days in service, and it was wise to prepare for the possibility that he might one day grow strong enough to challenge the crime lord's authority.
Bible's face reddened with hatred as he shook his head in contempt. Ha! That will never happen!
After selecting the items he needed, Bible set out to prepare his own trapping circle. When the thing Samedi had unleashed came for him, he would be ready to secure it in the circle, in much the same way the princess had been trapped the first time. Then, he would kill his priest and bind the creature to himself instead. Before he could get started, however, a sudden blast rocked the fortress.
"What the fuck?" Carefully so as not to break any of the fragile vials, he set them down and stalked over to his desk, and punched the button to connect to his security chief. "Give me a sitrep, now!"
The reply was instant. "Sir! We have intruders on the grounds!"
Striking the desk with his fist, the colonel cracked the wood with the impact. "That bitch brought backup!" And immediately, he knew who she had called.
Sliding around the desk, he pressed a button to switch the security feed to the array of outside cameras. With night vision activated due to the fading light, he quickly scanned the feeds. His inability to locate the intruders only strengthened his suspicions.
He hit the intercom again. "Mobilize everyone! I want the perimeter swept with extreme prejudice! The enemy is highly skilled. Shoot to kill on sight!" He paused, a sudden realization making him seethe even more. "And get a team down to the cells! They'll be after the children, too!"
"Right away, sir!"
Grabbing a valuable vase sitting on his desk, Bible flung it against the wall, shattering it as he screamed in rage. In his singular focus on capturing the Princess of Hell, he'd revealed his location to the very enemy he hoped never to face—the team he'd betrayed—and now, with Samedi also planning betrayal, the Colonel felt cornered.
That was bad news for them, for when forced into corners like this, he was at his most dangerous. Clicking another button that opened a two-way communication into Samedi's altar room, Bible would see for himself what his priest did next. "Samedi!"
On screen, the Vodou priest turned and went to the console on the wall, answering. "Bible. What is going on out there?"
"That bitch Cassie brought Angel's team with her! They're on the grounds!" He then pretended to be ignorant. "Have you bound the princess?"
"She is. I was about to have her kill Angel."
Okay, so Samedi seemed content to play his part a little longer. Keeping his tone commanding, but not revealing any knowledge of intended betrayal, Bible issued a new command. "He can wait! Send her out to kill Angel's allies, now!"
There was another brief pause, nearly long enough to reveal his treachery, but the priest nodded, his voice echoing over the speaker: "I will send her immediately!"
"Good. Once she finishes, direct her to bring Angel to me. I want to watch him die right here in my office!" Then he'd have the princess for himself. After killing Angel, he'd order her to find Samedi and end his life. He scrutinized his priest's reaction to the order and knew that he was already planning to kill Bible instead. The two kings were now on opposite sides of the chessboard.
Shaking his head in pity at Samedi, who was pointing to the door on the screen, commanding the demon to do his bidding, Bible thought, You have no idea what I have in store for you, traitor.
Clicking the com button off, the Colonel returned to the cabinet, snatched up the rest of the materials he'd need, and began creating a trapping circle of his own. Soon, he would collect the debt of their betrayals with their guts spilled at his feet, and Charlotte Morningstar would be his.
Moments before, back in the altar room, Samedi observed with dark anticipation as Seed slowly and awkwardly approached Angel. The entity's clawed hooves echoed on the concrete floor, causing Angel to flinch with each deliberate step that brought the creature closer. Leaning closer to sniff his scent, it stared at him with a face that had once been Charlie's, now distorted with ravenous desire. Licking its lips with a long, serpentine tongue, Seed playfully snapped its fangs. "I will gorge myself in your suffering, human."
Before it could do anything else, the room was rocked by an explosion from outside, and bits of loose roof material fell like winter hail, bouncing off Seed. It looked up curiously.
Grabbing his altar instinctively so it wouldn't topple, Samedi shouted, "What the fuck?"
The demon fixed its cold gaze on him. "Something vexes thee?"
"It seems we may have some unwelcome company joining us soon." His eye twitching at the disruption, the priest smiled thinly. "Make haste, demon, and coat the walls with Angel's guts, so you can be ready to receive the others."
"Your impatience is tiresome." With a sneer, Seed turned back to Angel.
Staring at the creature looming over him, Angel felt the last of his hope draining away like blood from a wound. "Charlie?"
"She's in here," it confirmed with a menacing grin. "Don't worry. She'll get to watch the show." The demon began to open its mouth wider than seemed possible, more than Charlie could ever do, but then froze and twitched.
Angel noticed a faint glow beneath its shirt where Charlie's amulet rested against its chest. It was merely a brief spark, but it caused Seed to halt again, its face contorting in confusion. After a few seconds, it shook its head to clear the mental fog and turned its dark, blood-red gaze back to him. Just as it was prepared to strike, a furious voice erupted from behind.
"SAMEDI!" Bible's enraged voice came through the com system on the wall.
"Hold, demon!" Samedi commanded.
Obeying the command with an irritated glare that could have melted steel, Seed replied, "Are you humans always this indecisive?"
"Quiet!" Hissing as he moved to the wall, Samedi pushed a button on the wall com. "Bible. What is going on out there?"
"That bitch Cassie brought Angel's team with her! They're on the grounds! Have you bound the princess?"
Samedi contemplated lying so he could take Seed to the office and kill Bible immediately. Best not to be too hasty, though. "She is. I was about to have her kill Angel as you ordered."
Anger filled Bible's voice, and while not panicked, there was an air of concern: "He can wait! Send her out to kill Angel's friends. Now! Before they do any more damage or steal my merchandise!"
Hesitating momentarily before replying, Samedi thought, This will make a good test, and punched the com button, speaking aloud, "I will send her immediately."
"Good. Once she finishes, direct her to bring Angel to me. I want to watch him die right here in my office!" Bible commanded.
Samedi's shoulders silently shook with laughter. Bible had laid the trap for him. He heard the com go dead and turned back to Seed.
"Change of plans. Go find Angel's team and wipe them out!"
"Lucky you." Winking at Angel, Seed twisted around and transformed into a similarly dark, demonic form that Charlie would assume during her missions; however, this version appeared much more evil in both appearance and demeanor. It floated out of the room, fading from sight as it slipped through the doors.
Samedi tilted his head at Angel, "Enjoy the reprieve. Soon, your bitch will have taken the heads of your friends, and then you, your sister, and Bible will all suffer at the hands of my demon princess."
"You…" Angel struggled to speak. "You let something out, Samedi. Something that isn't Charlie. Whatever it is, you won't be able to control it for long. Break the binding spell before it's too late for all of us."
The Vodou priest dismissed his worries with a subtle shrug, "That won't be anything you'll need to worry about, soon enough." And with that, he turned his back on Angel and returned to his altar.
Angel knew it was fruitless to convince Samedi to end this, and he feared for Charlie's soul as he glared at the man's back, silently cursing him for being a power-hungry fool. He also prayed for his sister's life.
All Angel could do now was have faith that Cassie had come prepared to fight the very demon that had nearly killed him. A sliver of hope clung to his heart, for she wasn't just a trained soldier but an honest-to-God witch. Rygen didn't stand a chance against her.
He hoped.