Tuesday, December 24, 2013 – 9:16 PM EST – Downtown, Old Saybrook, Connecticut


Following the orders of my King, I follow Tyler. I follow him from his workplace to his nightly underground poker games. The gambler that he is, he lives and breathes for that next hand. The one that could put him over the top, or into the gutter. The thing about gambling addicts is that they always owe somebody something. Tyler was no different.

I met him about a year ago. I posted a classified advertisement in the local newspaper searching for a computer whiz that needed some quick cash. We struck up a quick friendship. One that, once the deed was done and we'd defrauded the famous Kennedy family of many millions of dollars, we'd happily gone our separate ways. Myself, back to the Compound, serving my best-friend and brother, Sebastian Duke. Tyler, back to his card games.

Through our early conversations, I knew that he was a gambler. I knew he owed money, and I knew that he absolutely did owe hundreds of thousands to loan sharks and other private financiers. Tyler would be an easy target.

I knew he worked nights at the crematory and would be leaving soon. So, in the darkness and in the bitter, frigid cold of the New England winter, I made sure to get a hold of one of those I knew he owed. I informed them that Tyler recently came into a good bit of money and would be leaving work via the alleyway where he parks his car at around 9:30.

All I had to do now, is sit back and wait. The goons would arrive soon. They'd arrive in time to meet Tyler in the alley. What they'd do to him was anyone's guess. My job was to save his day. Regain his trust. Make him feel as if he owed me something. Then, I'd negotiate.

It's now around 9:25 PM when my phone rings. It's Father Asmodeus.



THE MESSENGER: “Yes, Father?”

ASMODEUS: “My son, are you in position?”

THE MESSENGER: “I am.”

ASMODEUS: “Are those thugs there yet?”

THE MESSENGER: “I do believe they're arriving as we speak. I just saw a plain white panel van pull up and shut off its lights in the parking lot across from his car.”

ASMODEUS: “So everything is as planned and right on schedule?”

THE MESSENGER: “Absolutely.”

ASMODEUS: “Good. See you soon.”



We hang up just in time for me to see Tyler making his exit through the back door. Quietly, I exit the Chevy Tahoe and make my way across the street. Careful to not give away my position, or my existence in the area. My ability to remain covert is ultimate to this task becoming successful.

Hiding within the shadows, as taught to me by your King of Darkness, I watch as Tyler pulls out his keys. The headlights flash on his car signaling that it's now unlocked. As Tyler nears the car, the van that is parked behind him turns on its headlights with its high beams blazing. Blinding Tyler and nearly even blinding me. Luckily, I looked away at the right moment. I shield my eyes as I look back toward the show and I can see two men bobbing in and out of the light beams. I'm too far away for anything said to be audible. All I hear is slight murmurs with the occasional raised octaves.

What I assume was a hard right hand takes Tyler to the ground. The two men begin mercilessly kicking and stomping on him as he lies there trying to cover himself. As they stomp and kick, it's now time for me to move in. I walk quickly and quietly. Like a shadow in the moonlight. I near the melee and pull out my stun gun. Quickly, I zap thug number one and he falls to the pavement. Thug number two hasn't seen me and stops kicking Tyler and looks down at his partner, only for him to receive the same fate. Two thugs down.

I find Tylers car keys on the ground and pick them up. I hit the lock button and activate the alarm. After placing the keys into the pocket of my black hoodie, I grab Tyler by his left arm and jerk him to his feet.



TYLER: “Who the hell are you?”

THE MESSENGER: “Never mind that right now. Come with me. Let's get you out of here.”

TYLER: “Where did you come from?”



I don't answer him. Instead, I hurry him down the alleyway toward the waiting Tahoe. Once inside, I take off down the road.



TYLER: “Look, mister, I don't know who you are, but thank you.”

THE MESSENGER: “You do know who I am.”



I turn on the dome light and remove my hood revealing my face.



TYLER: “Oh shit! Jake! How you doin' man!? Long time, no see!”

THE MESSENGER: “I'm good, Tyler. Judging by those two thugs that were doing a number on you, I take it you still have a problem with the cards going your way.”

TYLER: “Man, I just can't get these guys off my back. I quit playin' cards. I've been doin' honest work and trying to pay these guys of little by little. I guess sometimes, a little isn't enough.”

THE MESSENGER: “How much do you make in a year, Tyler? If you don't mind my asking.”

TYLER: “In a good year, around sixty thousand.”

THE MESSENGER: “How far in debt are you?”



His hesitation to answer pretty much tells me what I needed to know. I can already sense that he has a feeling that me being there to save his day wasn't an accident and that I wanted something from him. He's already nibbling. He'll definitely take the bait. I just need to know things so I know where to start my bargaining.



THE MESSENGER: “Tyler, my old friend. It's readily apparent that I'm asking you that for a reason. You just don't know why yet. So answer my question. How far in debt are you?”

TYLER: “It's a lot, Jake.”

THE MESSENGER: “How much? That's the question, Tyler.”

TYLER: “Around a quarter million.”

THE MESSENGER: “Jesus!”



I wasn't really surprised. My goal here, is to let him know that I think it's a lot of money. That way when I begin bargaining with a low offer, he thinks I'm doing him a favor. It's not like he'll ever see the money anyhow. He just needs to think he will.



TYLER: “I stopped man! I promise! It's just the old debts are still there, ya know?”

THE MESSENGER: “What if I could help make your troubles go away? Would you be interested?”

TYLER: “I'd do anything.”

THE MESSENGER: “Anything?”

TYLER: “Short of murder, absolutely anything.”

THE MESSENGER: “What about handling something that's already dead?”



I might have said it too soon. He stares at me with that 'are you crazy?' look.



TYLER: “What the hell are we talkin' about here?”

THE MESSENGER: “Look, you've helped us out in the past. We trust you.”

TYLER: “Yeah, but that was fraud. Not murder.”

THE MESSENGER: “Technically, it wouldn't be murder. You'd just be disposing of something already dead.”

TYLER: “Shit! I don't know man. That's pretty morbid.”

THE MESSENGER: “Really? That, coming from a guy that burns dead bodies for a living.”

TYLER: “How much are you offering?”

THE MESSENGER: “I'm authorized to offer you one-fifty. I realize that won't get you out of debt. But, it will buy you some time to come up with the other hundred.”

TYLER: “Look man. Before I give you any kind of answer, I need to know exactly what is expected here. I can't say yes when I don't even know exactly what I'll be doing.”



He's hesitating more than I expected he would. I pull into a McDonald's drive-thru and order both of us a coffee. Once we're back out on the road, I begin again.



THE MESSENGER: “What we're asking you to do isn't any different than what you do everyday. Except this time, it's off your books and worth a hell of a lot more money.”

TYLER: “It is tempting. I just don't think what you're offering is enough. That's a pretty sick job you're asking me to do and the money is good and buys me some time, but how much time? Two months? Two weeks? A day?”

THE MESSENGER: “I'm not the one that put you in debt, Tyler.”

TYLER: “I know that, I know. You're asking me to mutilate a corpse, which I assume is without the consent of their family. My life is at stake, here! If I get caught, I'd go to prison! You know what they do to guys like me in prison!?”

THE MESSENGER: “Alright, alright. Stay here. Let me make a quick call.”



I pull off to the side of the road and get out of the truck. Once I'm about fifty yards in front of the truck, I pull out my phone. I'm really not talking to anybody. It just needs to appear that I am. Moments later, I return to the well-heated Tahoe.



THE MESSENGER: “Well, it took some discussion, but I just made all of your troubles disappear.”

TYLER: “What do you mean?”

THE MESSENGER: “I've been authorized to make you a millionaire.”

TYLER: “You what?”

THE MESSENGER: “My leader has been coerced into being generous.”

TYLER: “What's the offer?”

THE MESSENGER: “It's a good thing you're sitting down. You'll have enough to pay of your debts with enough left over to call yourself a millionaire. The offer is one and a quarter million.”



His silence and beaming smile tells me everything I needed to know. He was now on board.



TYLER: “Tell your man that I'm in. Whatever it is, consider it done.”

THE MESSENGER: “Good. Payment will be made to an off-shore account which I will give you the information to when I take you back to your car. It'll only be made once the job is complete. Then, I urge you to quit your job and move out of state. Out of New England would even be better.

“Your job is to incinerate the body of a dead woman.”

TYLER: “Fuck, I don't even care. That's a lot of money. When?”

THE MESSENGER: “By Thursday evening.”

TYLER: “Consider it done.”



He and I enjoy some light conversation on the way back to his place of employment. We're both pleased to know that when we arrived, the two thugs and their van were gone. I waited long enough to make sure he was able to drive away without some surprise attack from those two goons, then I gave Father Asmodeus a quick call before heading back to the Compound.



ASMODEUS: “Yes, Jacob?”

THE MESSENGER: “Mission complete.”

ASMODEUS: “Very good. I'll see you back here.”



I call him Tyler the Damned because he doesn't know it, but ridding the Brotherhood of the Caitlyn problem will be has last job. He'll never see all the money.

Getting Tyler on board with us makes Phase One complete. Phase Two, the conversion of the high tech cell beneath Father Asmodeus' cottage into a sterile room fit for birthing Sebastian Duke's Prince is nearing completion and by nights end, I assume it too, will be complete.

By midnight, Phase Three will be upon us.