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Rob quickly scrambled up the creeper and was soon looking through the window of a room containing a man he recognised as a British banker of renown. On the man`s bed was an animal costume and mask denoting a large black raven, the bird of death. The window was slightly open to allow some cool air to enter into the room, as the day had been extra warm after the storm had passed. When the banker walked into his bathroom, Rob edged the window of the room up and quietly entered. He then walked stealthily across to the open bathroom door, but just as he entered, the banker looked up into the mirror to inspect his face and saw Rob.
“Who the devil are you sir, and why didn`t you knock on the door, didn`t they teach you any manners?”
In reply to this question Rob answered him with a straight hook to the banker`s rather surprised jaw. The banker was knocked violently back against the washbasin that was behind him and he slid to the floor in a heap. Rob went back into the bedroom and put the costume of the raven onto the armchair that was beside the window. Then he pulled all of the sheets from the bed and then returned to the bathroom and bending down, he dragged the man through to the other room and put him on the bed. Rob used the sheets and the pillow cases to tie the man`s hands and feet to the ends of the bed. Lastly, he gagged the man, just in case he woke prematurely and raised the alarm. Quickly putting the costume and mask on, he exited the room and hurried down stairs in search of the rest of the guests.
His worry that he would have trouble finding the other guests evaporated when he entered Bourbon`s study. There before him was the open panel in the wall, and within it, he saw a flight of wooden stairs leading down to a hidden cellar. One thought occurred to him as he descended, did the other two also manage to get into the chateau and obtain a costume and mask, this is what they had all hoped to do when finalising the plan to free Christina and Cassie. The first thing that he saw on reaching the cellar were the two empty cots, so Christina and Cassie have been taken through to the temple Rob thought angrily, his blood began to boil and he once again vowed to kill Bourbon and anyone else who stood in his way. The light from the temple blazed through to where Rob was standing, and he walked across to the doorway and entered, the first thing he saw was Christina chained to the altar, and then a half-naked Cassie stretched out upon it, all she had on were her bra and panties. Rob had to fight against his natural instincts, which were to rush straight across and free the two sisters. He had his pistol, but he could hardly tend to Christina and Cassie and hold off twelve people at the same time. Later he might just have to chance it, but not just yet. Rob decided to give either of his two friends the time to arrive and lend a helping hand.
Ten minutes later and all of the Satanists had arrived; unfortunately, Rob was unable to tell if any of them were his two friends. While the women amongst the group wore skimpy outfits and the sort of masks Rob had seen worn at festival time in Rio de Janeiro, the men wore costumes associated with the many beasts in satanic lore, as well as masks, only Bourbon was here with only a mask and without a costume.
Bourbon brought the small talk to an end. This at least made Rob happy, for he was scared that any moment he would be unmasked as an imposter by one of the coven, who had realised that he was a stranger with no right to be in the temple.
“Please be quiet for a moment for it is time for the celebration to begin.” Gasps of appreciation went up from the Satanists, as they looked forward to the nights festivities.
Bourbon, wearing a demonic mask walked across to the altar and Cassie; unfortunately, she had now awoken, albeit in a drugged state of intoxication. She looked up at Bourbon and a mixed look of fear and puzzlement came to her young face. Bourbon picked up a large glass phial as Rob felt for his automatic pistol.
“Oh Beelzebub hear my cries I beseech you. Look kindly upon our festival which we hold in Lucifer`s honour, and please ask him to appear before us this night. In his honour I anoint this virgin girl whom we hope that Lucifer will take to be his bride for tonight.” Bourbon then took the stopper out of the phial, he then poured a foul looking green liquid down on to Cassie`s naked stomach. A loud hysterical cry went up from the Satanists and they swarmed across to the altar to lick the foul brew from Cassie`s young body. Rob had been forced to join them but ensured that he never reached the front, for he wanted none of this debauchery. When the green brew was finally gone, Bourbon threw himself before the oversized throne that was set beside the altar.
“Lucifer we beseech you to honour us with your presence, appear before us that we might worship you.” His plea was followed by cries of Lucifer, repeated over and over again by the other members of the coven. They were obviously being affected by whatever they had licked from Cassie`s body and were now dancing wildly around the centre of the temple screaming Lucifer`s name, and drinking another hideous concoction from an odd assortment of bottles all in the shape of a part of the human anatomy.
Bourbon now pulled out a long sacrificial knife, walked across to Christina, and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head back and exposing her throat. Lucifer I offer you this sacrifice to show you our devotion. Bourbon`s hand began to swing down towards Christina when the loud crack of an automatic pistol filled the small room. Bourbon collapsed to the floor dead, a bullet hole in the centre of his head. Rob moved back from the other Satanists, his pistol pointing towards them.
“This ends now you perverted scum, you know the way out, and I advise you to take it.” Rob said in a loud clear voice. Although he didn`t know it, two men attempted to covertly move away from the stunned Satanists. The Satanists were in shock, their leader was dead upon the floor and his murderer stood just feet away. Still intoxicated by the green brew they began to move towards Rob who fired his pistol at the nearest of them. A figure dressed as a Satyr, dropped to the floor, but although this stopped them moving towards him they now called on their god Lucifer to appear and kill the blasphemer. Rob knew he could do with some help from his friends, but unfortunately, all he got was a statue thrown by the tallest figure in the room. Rob ducked and moved back, unluckily he stood back onto one of the odd shaped bottles and slipped painfully to the floor. The Satanists were instantly upon him and one of them picked up the bottle that had caused his downfall, it was in the shape of a penis, and the man brought it crashing down upon Rob`s head temporarily stunning him. A minute later he came around to find his hands bound behind his back and a female Satanist standing over him with Bourbon`s sacrificial dagger in her hand. Behind her he saw a young girl sobbing at the side of the Bourbon`s dead body, it was Moira. This was the first time that Rob had realised that she too was a member of the coven, even though she was barely sixteen years of age.
“Oh Lord Lucifer hear my words, I sacrifice this blasphemer in your glorious name.” Rob could see the woman`s face beneath her mask, it was Moira`s nanny, what he didn`t know was that she had acquired enough satanic power while working under Bourbon to take over the headless coven. Moira got to her feet and moved across to join her nanny and spat in Rob`s face.
“Let me do it Nanny, let me be the one to offer his heart up to our Lord Lucifer” Moira begged.
Sybil Thorndyke looked across at her charge and smiled approvingly, and all Rob could see awaiting him was a quick death. However, just as Moira took the sacrificial dagger from her nanny a deep voice filled the room and made all within the temple quake with terror, the voice came from the throne on the far side of the altar.
“Who is it that has dared to slay my most devoted follower even as he was in the act of offering gifts to me Lucifer, his lord?” The Satanists turned as one to gaze upon the figure sitting on the large throne, and on seeing the terrible beast; they covered their eyes with their hands and threw their shaking bodies to the floor in fear of the demonic beast.
Sitting upon the throne was a giant demon with a pair of large horns coming out of the top of his head and a pair of extra-long ears, the beast wore no clothes and Rob could see that the demon`s body was covered in coarse bl
ack hair. The demon now stood up and moved around the altar to gaze upon Rob, whose heart was racing faster than he ever imagined possible. With his hands bound and laying at the feet of the demon, he knew that he wouldn`t be able to save Christina, for his own fate was sealed.
As the beast knelt down to look upon him a figure burst out from amongst the quaking Satanists and leapt at beast known by all the assembled as Lucifer. Demon and human fell to the ground in a heap while the Satanists lay stunned, fear preventing them from doing anything but tremble. The man`s mask was knocked off to reveal John Ryman, in his right hand he held a large hypodermic needle, Ryman now forced the needle deep into the demon`s left eye and with a look of triumph emptied the entire contents deep within the demon`s eye. Holy water was shot deep within the demon`s head and the demon who called itself Lucifer, screamed in pain. It looked upon Ryman and gave him a glare of the upmost hatred. It then grasped Ryman`s body firmly to its own and then in a bright red flash of foul smelling smoke the two bodies disappeared, a scream of pain filled the temple almost deafening those within it, whether it was from Ryman or the demon Rob couldn`t tell, but finally only the smoke remained.
Rob allowed himself only a second to mourn his dead friend, and then he looked around for the fallen sacrificial dagger with which to free himself. Even as he saw it lying on the floor nearby, a further event caused the already panicking Satanists to rush for the door of the temple, and to flee from the terrible events of mid summer`s eve. Grey smoke began to fill the room causing any who remained within the temple to cough as the smoke forced out much of the room`s air. Rob saw a shape appear before him, it was Father Pritchard who had also managed to gain admittance to the chateau and replace one of the members of the satanic coven. The priest had located the hastily discarded dagger and he now used it to cut the ropes that bound Rob`s hands.
“Quick, David, we must free Christina and Cassie.” Rob said bounding to his feet only to cough violently as he inhaled a large amount of the smoke that had been emitted by the smoke grenades used by Father Pritchard, his plan to increase the panic amongst the Satanists working better than he had expected.
Father Pritchard grabbed his friend`s arm and steered him over to the altar but when they got there they saw that Cassie was gone. Christina was coughing badly and they all needed to be out of the temple quickly before they passed out. Rob looked at the chains that bound Christina only for a second before moving over to the dead body of Bourbon and searching him for the keys to the padlock that secured Christina to the altar, but they weren`t there.
“David, he doesn`t have the keys, I will have to pick the lock.” Rob cried as a thicker cloud of smoke swirled his way making him cough violently He rushed back to Christina and pulled out of his pocket a small leather case, within it were a set of lock picks that he had used more than once when on a mission. Thankfully, he was quite adept in the art of opening locks, moments later and Father Pritchard and Rob were soon helping a still half-drugged woman to her feet and dragging her out of the temple.
“Rob, is that you?” Christina said in a voice that still sounded as if she were drunk.
“Yes, Sweetheart it`s me, David and I are here to rescue you from the big bad pervert.” Rob answered. Christina smiled and then turned to look at Father Pritchard.
“Hallo.” She slurred. “It`s nice to meet you.” She then had another coughing fit, but by now they were out of the chateau and looking at the fleeing Satanists.
“Rob, over there, isn`t that Bourbon`s servant in that car.” Father Pritchard said pointing to a car that was turning towards the rear of the house and the gardens. Rob saw that there were two girls sitting in the back of the vehicle and one of them appeared to be drugged, much as Christina was from the way she held her head.
“Where on earth are they going?” Father Pritchard said.
Rob steered them to an empty car that was parked in front of the chateau, luckily, the doors to the vehicle were not only open but the keys had been left in the car.
“Help me get Christina into the car David; I think I know just where they are going. There is a small chapel set near to the rear of the estate; I saw it when we looked up the place on Google Earth. I wondered at the time what a church was doing in a property owned by Satanists; maybe they use it occasionally for the dark arts, maybe they are planning to use it now?” Rob replied and moments later, all three of them were in the car and racing after Cassie.
The small family chapel dated back to the eighteenth century, and from the outside looked very beautiful, unfortunately this is a case of beauty only being skin deep, as inside the chapel Moira, Sibyl Thorndyke and Guy Rochelle were busy trying to repair the harm done by John Ryman`s heroic sacrifice.
Rob stopped the car behind a large Rhododendron bush some fifty yards away from the chapel, and then he and Father Pritchard left Christina locked within the car and hurried up to the chapel. Just as they got to it, Father Pritchard stopped Rob who looked at him in annoyance.
“Rob, I also picked up your gun.” Father Pritchard said pulling Rob`s automatic from his pocket and handing it to Rob.
“Thank you David, I really think that we will need this.” Rob said smiling at his friend.
They burst into the chapel and found Sybil Thorndyke preparing to rape Cassie with a false penis; she had stored it within the temple and had the presence of mind to collect it as they escaped. Rob`s normally cool mind exploded as he saw what the debased woman intended to do, and he shot her through the heart even as she approached Cassie. Rochelle had turned as Rob and Father Pritchard had entered the chapel door, and he had already pulled out his gun and was aiming it at Rob when a gun fired close to the priest’s right ear almost deafening him, the combined noise of the two pistol shots filled the small chapel with its sound. Rochelle slowly sank to the floor, his pistol falling from his lifeless fingers, his death left only a very frightened Moira Bourbon still living to face Rob`s wrath.
“That was a near one Rob, you really should be more careful.” Gerry Handley said with a smile on his face. Rob turned to look at him, surprised but thankful to see his friend. “The big white chief told me to follow you, just in case you needed some professional help, Rob what on earth have you got me mixed up in?” He asked surprised at what he saw within the chapel.
“Nothing more than your common or garden Satanic perverts Gerry.” Rob said grimly. “Gerry will you please take charge of this teenage hell bitch.” Rob said pointing at Moira. He then rushed across to Cassie who was lying on a small altar at the back of the chapel, and who was slowly coming out of her drugged state.
“And, Gerry, remember that Moira may look like a sweet little school girl, but unfortunately she is far from it.” Rob said as he gently untied the bonds around Cassie`s hands and feet.
“Don`t worry about me Rob, I`ve seen even younger and much more dangerous children in Afghanistan.” Handley said remembering the terrible moment when he had seen a child destroy his young life in his attempt to kill a jeep full of infidels.
“Rob what`s been going on, I`ve been having an awful nightmare?” Cassie wailed and then the memories of her terrible ordeal returned. “Where`s Chrissie, Rob they have Chrissie too.” Cassie cried out fearfully.
“Cassie, you don`t have to worry about Christina, for she is safe, come on let`s see if she has finally woken up.” Rob said gently.
It was then that Cassie noticed her state of undress and hastily moved her hands to cover her body. Rob pulled off his jacket and Cassie quickly put it on.
“Thank you Rob, ever the gentleman.” Cassie whispered, thankfully the semi darkness hid the blushes that had appeared on her face.
“I`ll see if your clothes are down in the cellar Cassie.” Rob promised her, and she nodded, after her ordeal they would be rather dirty and might even smell a little, but they would be very welcome.
Christina was also beginning to awaken from her deeply drugged state and the sight of Rob and Cassie walking towards her made her leap out of t
he car and rush towards them. After bucket loads of tears and crushed bodies, Christina looked over at her younger sister.
“You see Cassie; I told you that Rob would find us.” Both sisters looked up at Rob and both stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you Darling.” Christina said smiling.
“Thank you Rob.” Cassie said smiling, but her smile soon faded as a look of concern came to her face.
“What about Bourbon, Rob, won`t he come looking for us?” Cassie cried out and Christina too looked concerned.
“Don`t worry about him, I shot him, just about now he should be entering some hell dimension.” Rob said and the two sisters` looks of concern disappeared.
“Good; and I hope that he suffers for all eternity for what he did to our family.” Christina said.