The Tears of Nero (The Halo Group Book 1) (12 page)

Chapter 19

Nero had studied his history well and commissioned a series of gardens to rival those of his namesake.  Petals of every variety and color were in bloom, yet some of them had withered in the heat.  Benches and fountains had been built here for moments of quiet reflection, and the gentle trickle of water was the only sound that could be heard now that Kelly had gone quiet.  

For a moment, none of them could speak.  Words would have been insufficient to describe the way they felt at seeing her hanging there like that. 

The fire burned fiercely, but no one moved to put it out.  There was no point.  Smoke billowed into the air in great gray plumes, and the stench the fire put off was nauseating. 

“That can’t be her,” Henry said, peering deep into the darkness.  “Nero couldn’t have done this so quickly.” 

No one tried to correct Henry or convince him that he was wrong.  They knew who the girl was.  Henry knew who she was too.   

She had been tied to a tree and doused with some sort of accelerant before being burned alive.  It was enough to give even Franklin reason for pause.  For once, he didn’t have anything sarcastic to say. 

The group huddled close to each other for strength, support, and the feeling of safety it provided.  Despite Nero’s warning, none of them had truly considered that they could die here on this island.  This made it real. 

“I can’t believe it,” Franklin said at last. 

“This is horrible,” Henry agreed.

Without warning, Sadie made a break for a stand of nearby bushes and vomited until there was nothing left in her stomach.  Needing a reprieve from the tragedy, Henry helped Sadie to her feet as she struggled not to gag again.

“It’s all right, dear,” he said, comforting her.  “Deep breaths.”

Sadie stood up with Henry’s help, but she refused to look at what was left of Kelly.  She had seen more than her mind was capable of handling, and her mind was threatening to shut down.  Henry put his arm around her and turned her face toward his chest, protecting her from the sight.

“Don’t look at it, dear,” he said.  “It’ll only make things worse.”

“Why did he kill her like that?” Franklin asked. 

“Kelly became one of Nero’s human candles,” Sadie whispered.  “It was one of the ways Nero persecuted Christians.  He burned Christians as a means of illuminating his gardens at night.” 

“But Kelly wasn’t a Christian,” Henry noted.  “Or if she was a believer, she didn’t seem too keen on professing it.”

“I think the point Nero is trying to make here is that Kelly, like God, contributed to his troubles,” Edward said.  “In his mind, he lumped her right in with all of the Christians….and as a result, she received the same sort of punishment.”

In Kelly’s memory, Nero had planted a flower at the base of the tree, not far from the flames.  It had shriveled in the heat.  One of Nero’s notes had been pinned to the stem.  Henry grabbed it and read it aloud.  “If God knew that the Romans were going to torture and persecute Christians, why allow the Romans to come into power?”

“I think Nero’s trying to point out how messed up the world is,” Sadie said.  “It’s obvious from the clues he’s left us that he’s gone through some very traumatic things.  His worldview seems to be one seen through a window of pain.”

Henry nodded.  “He also seems to believe we’re responsible for some of that pain.  The bottle cap game he had planned for Kelly was personal.” 

“I think we all know what we have to look forward to if we don’t do as Nero says,” Edward said with grim resolve.  

“Shouldn’t we get her down or something,” Sadie said softly.  “We can’t leave her like that.”

“We don’t have any choice right now,” Franklin said.  “We can’t waste precious time burying the dead.”

“For once, I agree with you, Franklin,” Edward said.  “As much as I hate to abandon Kelly, there’s nothing we can do for her now.  She lost at Nero’s game, and he made her pay for it.  I think we need to focus on staying alive.  We need to dig in.  Make camp.”

The tide crept in like a thief.  The jungle loomed ominously in the background, and it wasn’t hard to imagine Nero crouched there amongst the shadows, watching them.

Henry stayed with Sadie while Franklin and Edward gathered driftwood.  With some help from Henry’s lighter, they had a suitable flame going within a couple of minutes.  Nobody said anything for a while.  Nobody knew what to say, what was appropriate at this point.  Finally, Franklin was the one to break the silence.   

“There’s something all of you need to know,” he said.  “I wasn’t going to mention this until I was sure.  I guess Kelly’s death gave me proof of what we’re dealing with.  So it‘s time I spilled it.  I know a little more than I‘ve let on.”

“You knew what was going on here and you didn‘t tell us?” Sadie asked, furious.  “Maybe if you’d said something earlier Kelly would still be alive!”

Franklin nodded and tried to meet Sadie’s gaze, but couldn’t.  “I should have said something.  I never thought things would go this far.”

Before anyone could react, Edward lunged at Franklin and pinned him to the ground.  The look in Edward’s eyes was filled with fury and hatred.  “This is your fault,” he growled.

Although Franklin outweighed him by at least fifty pounds, Edward had the advantage and kept the big man pinned to the sand.  He pressed his knees into Franklin’s shoulders and looked like he was on the verge of using his fists. 

“Get off me!” Franklin said.  “If you know what’s good for you, you will get off of me right now.  I can help.”

Franklin managed to get his hands around Edward’s throat and began to squeeze.  Instinctively, Edward began to choke Franklin too, and soon both men were red-faced and rolling around on the wet beach. 

“Break it up!” Henry shouted, trying to get between the fighting men.  Sadie tried to pry them apart too, and at last managed to separate them. 

“What is wrong with you?” Franklin asked.  “Are you possessed?”

“You got someone killed,” Edward fumed.  “You know what’s going on here, and you owe it to all of us to tell us what we’ve gotten ourselves into.”

Franklin opened a bottle of water and took a long gulp.  He placed the cool bottle against his forehead.  “I was going to tell you what was going on when you decided to turn this into a cage match.”

“So tell us,” Henry said. 

Franklin nodded, took another gulp of water, and rolled back his sleeve to reveal a strange tattoo adorning his inner forearm.  “I’m not what you think I am,” he said.

Sadie raised her eyebrows.  “You mean you’re not an egotistical jerk who thinks the world revolves around him?”

“Well, maybe I am what you think I am,” Franklin admitted.  “But I’m much more than that, and it‘s the real reason I‘m tied to Lindell…or Nero…or whatever he‘s calling himself now.”

“Explain yourself,” Edward said.  “Now!”

Franklin pulled his sleeve back again to give them a better look at his tattoo.  “I’m a member of a very small, elite group called The Slaves of Solomon.”

“I think cult is a more accurate word,” Edward said, spitting the words out like something poisonous.  “I’ve heard of your group.  Very esoteric.  Mystical.”

“Do you know anything about the group?”

“The Slaves of Solomon are a doomsday cult who are on an eternal search for wisdom.  Only from what I hear their methods don‘t always involve God…or legal means.  Their purpose involves gleaning knowledge about the end of the world.”

“That’s oversimplifying it a little, but yes, that’s the general idea.”

“How does murdering someone in cold blood help you gain wisdom?” Sadie asked.  “If Lindell’s the one holding us here and he‘s the one who killed Kelly, what purpose does that serve other than to fulfill some sort of personal vendetta.  Maybe you’re the one behind all of this and not Lindell.  You‘ve got the money to make something like this happen.  You‘re the guy with the government GPS contract.”

“I knew you’d come to that conclusion once you learned the truth about me, but I’m not responsible for any of this.” 

“So how do you figure into this mess?” Edward asked.

“I got kicked out of the group a year ago,” Franklin said.  “I saw too many things and my conscience started to get the better of me.  Despite what you all may think, there are lines even I’m not prepared to cross.  My involvement is my punishment.  I was brought here so Nero could get revenge on me like he did with Kelly.  They baited the hook for me, and I fell right into their trap.”

“They?” Edward asked.  “Who are we talking about?”

“Most of the members I don’t know.  We wear masks like the ones Nero and Seneca wore at the house on Archibald Street.  Some of our members require absolute anonymity.  They are men of power and wouldn’t want word of their involvement in the group getting in the papers or on the news.  The cult was responsible for the dinner party.  Of that I‘m certain.  I noticed the signs scattered in various places throughout the house.  Some of the group’s symbols were cleverly concealed in the invitations that were sent out to each of us.  They summoned me, and I knew I had to go.  I feared for my life if I didn’t.  The Slaves are also responsible for the symbols painted on the cliffs.”

“What do the symbols mean?” Edward asked.

“They represent the names of angels written in angelic script.”

“Angels?” Sadie asked.  “Back to that again?” 

“Angels have knowledge,” Franklin explained.  “And angels have been known to communicate with men.  If angels would communicate with us, we could learn from them.”

“And the angel painting from the cave?” Sadie asked. 

“Lindell has tried convincing various members of our group that our link to the angels can be found somewhere on this island.”

“Well, that goes along with what Kelly mentioned about catching Lindell worshipping at some sort of hidden angelic altar,” Sadie noted.  “It backs her story up.”

“What about Morningstar?” Edward asked. 

“I’m not sure about that,” Franklin said.  “I don’t know anything about the horsemen either.  All of that has materialized since I was excommunicated.” 

“You guys are a couple of fries short of a Happy Meal,” Sadie said. 

“I know it sounds crazy,” Franklin admitted.

“Why haven’t you mentioned any of this sooner?” Henry asked, skeptical.

“I was sure you wouldn’t believe me,” Franklin said.  “And I knew my chances of survival would be slim enough without having the wrath of the group aimed at me the entire time.”  

“Do you have any idea where we are?” Sadie asked.  “Are we close to corporate headquarters or mission control or whatever you guys call it?”

“I’m not privy to all the group’s secrets,” Franklin admitted.  “Ours is a well-funded organization comprised of a lot of movers and shakers.  There are people much better connected and more powerful who call themselves Slaves.  I’ve never been here before.  However, I’m sure there’s a way off this island.  The men we’re dealing with wouldn’t fail to attend to that sort of detail.  I think it’s safe to say we were brought here by boat.  Lindell is afraid of flying.”

“So let’s start looking for a boat,” Henry said.

“I think we should hunker down for the night and wait for daybreak,” Edward said.  “We don’t know this island, and if half of what Franklin says is true, we don’t stand a chance against whoever’s out there.”

“The odds aren‘t in our favor,” Franklin said.  “Nero has planned all this well in advance.  I know the man too well.  He scares me.”

“So what do you suggest we do?”

Franklin sighed and ran a hand through hair that no longer looked board-room ready.  He was exhausted, as they all were.  “I think we should setup camp and discuss our options.” 

Based on Franklin’s suggestion, Edward and Henry spent the next half an hour gathering more wood to keep the fire going throughout the rest of the night.  Sadie gathered brush and made cots that were comfortable enough because of the soft sand beneath them.  Franklin went in search of fallen limbs that could be used as clubs.   

Once they were all settled in and the fire was roaring before them, the group came back to Franklin. 

“So tell us more about your little group,” Henry said.  “What is your raison d’etre?”

“Speak English, Yoda,” Franklin said.

“Your purpose.  What is your group’s mission?” 

“In the Bible, Solomon asked God for wisdom.  God granted that request, and Solomon became very wise.  We seek the wisdom of Solomon because it’s the wisdom of God.”

“For what purpose?” Edward asked.  “Why do you need wisdom?”

“You’ve heard the saying ‘Knowledge is Power’.  Well, that’s only partially right.  Wisdom is power.  Power comes from having knowledge and knowing how to use it.  The members of my organization thrive on power, on authority.  There are members of the group who are presidents of countries, dictators, and CEO’s.  We seek wisdom because it will make us great.”

“Isn’t it enough to be millionaires and have authority?” Henry asked.

“Not for men like us,” Franklin admitted.  “We thrive on more.  Enough is never enough.”