Sunday, December 22, 2013 – 3:30AM EST – The Compound, Old Saybrook, Connecticut



I pace the library inside the heart of my Compound with a great sense of agitation and urgency. The last time you saw anything from me, I found myself in the spotlight of the authorities. Two detectives from the Connecticut State Police missing persons division came to visit. They began to ask questions of me surrounding the disappearance of Caitlyn Nguyen. She's the mother of my child and had they come with a search warrant, I'd probably be chained and barred in a state prison by now.

They don't know it, but Caitlyn Nguyen was ten feet beneath their feet.

This is why I'm having this crash meeting. Caitlyn was due to give birth any day now. That's only part of the problem. We still have to get rid of her and time was absolutely running out. Time was indeed, very short. I can not stress it enough. Those detectives would absolutely be coming back soon and this time, a search warrant will undoubtedly accompany them. When that day arrives, Caitlyn can not be here. When that day arrives, there can be no cause for them to suspect that Caitlyn was here or ever has been.

So I pace here in the library and wait for the others to arrive. Jacob, of course, as always my right hand man is most definitely already here. Asmodeus will arrive shortly. He's an older man with some pretty hefty knee problems that give him a lot of trouble getting around in the winter months.

Matthew walks in and just as he does, my phone rings. It's Asmodeus. As is always the case, speaker phone is enabled.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Dad, where are you?”

ASMODEUS: “Sebastian, it's too cold. My knee locks up on me so you all need to come down here.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “We'll be down shortly.”

ASMODEUS: “I'm sorry, son. The walk up to the Compound tonight is just too great.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I understand. We'll be down in a couple of minutes.”



I hang up the phone and begin to walk out. My Messenger and Matthew follow close behind me. Down the hallway and out the front door we go. Over the grassy hill about 300 yards away is Asmodeus' cottage. We enter and Asmodeus sits in his old comfy chair next to the fire place. Matthew sits on the sofa and just across from Asmodeus, facing the fire. Jake takes a place sitting on the table in the corner of the living area. Me? I stand... and pace. The weight of my boots thump on the old wooden floor as I walk.



ASMODEUS: “Gentlemen. We can't wait any longer. It truly is crunch time.”

THE MESSENGER: “When exactly is this baby expected to arrive?”

MATTHEW: “There isn't an exact date. As you know, predicting such a thing is never precise. It could be anytime from now to a month from now.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Before we start going over options, I think a few things need to become perfectly clear.”

THE MESSENGER: “They are?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “The first thing is, there is no time to wait. Whatever it is we decide to do, we need to do it fast. The other is, her. After my Prince is here, we need to dispose of her and we need to do that fast. And...”

MATTHEW: “And what?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “There can be no evidence that she was ever here.”

ASMODEUS: “Settle down. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We do have some time, just not a lot. They won't do anything until after the Christmas holiday. We need to figure out what we're going to do before we figure out how we're going to do it. Let's start with the last thing first. How are we going to get rid of any evidence that she was here?”

MATTHEW: “Well, the cot will need to be destroyed. Her DNA lives all over it. That's got to be step one.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “What about the body? That's pretty damned important.”

THE MESSENGER: “I have a mortician friend. He has a slight gambling problem and I'm pretty sure for the right amount of money, her remains can be incinerated.”

ASMODEUS: “That involves someone from the outside. Jacob, how close is this friend?”

THE MESSENGER: “More of an acquaintance, really. He helped set up the Kennedy fraud when we came into all these millions.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “The question is, if he's linked to us in anyway, can he be trusted to keep his mouth shut?”

ASMODEUS: “Sebastian, are you really willing to leave that to chance?”



I stop pacing for the moment and stare at Asmodeus with my hands on my hips. I then turn to Jake.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “After he does what we need him to do, you're under orders to eliminate him by any means necessary.”

MATTHEW: “Your Highness, I believe it might be wise to make it look like an accident.”



I continue my pacing.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Continue.”

MATTHEW: “Well, if the state police are investigating a missing person and some mortician is found strangled and bloodied in his place of business, then they really will start looking around here even more.”

ASMODEUS: “He's right. Accident it is.”

THE MESSENGER: “So, after the Prince has come. Pay this man off to incinerate the remains of the girl, then eliminate him from the equation.”

MATTHEW: “Another thing is her cell. It'll need to be thoroughly cleaned of her DNA. Then made to look dirty again. Like it hasn't been used in quite some time.”

ASMODEUS: “I trust you can make that happen?”

MATTHEW: “I can cover that.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Now, the baby. How do we get him sooner rather than later?”

ASMODEUS: “I think we only have one choice.”

THE MESSENGER: “What's that?”

ASMODEUS: “Cesarian.”



I stop pacing once again. I stare back at Asmodeus, with the thought of C-Section never having crossed my mind.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “How would we manage that?”

ASMODEUS: “Simple, really. We have that high tech cell beneath us. We can have it converted into a sterile room and we can just extract the baby.”

MATTHEW: “That just might work.”

ASMODEUS: “If we get lucky, we might even kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “What do you mean?”

ASMODEUS: “Well, she could die on the table. So we have the Prince and the girl is eliminated in one fell swoop.”



I motion for Jacob to move off the table so I can sit. Lean, is more accurate. Jacob moves to the sofa with Matthew and I lean against the table in the corner. My palms resting on the edge.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Can we do it tomorrow?”

MATTHEW: “No, I don't think so. It'll take at least three or four days for the room to be set up properly.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Do it in two. I want that room functional by Christmas Eve. No later. Understand?”

MATTHEW: “Yes, sir.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Get to it. Time is of the essence here.”



Matthew leaves quickly. He'll gather some of the men with carpentry skills and get started right away.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “So what now?”

ASMODEUS: “As much as you hate it, we wait. I'll oversee things here as you prepare for your next battle on Warfare.”

THE MESSENGER: “And I'll begin negotiations with Tyler, the Damned.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I want you on him. Do not let up. I don't care if costs me millions. Get it done.”

THE MESSENGER: “As you wish.”



Jacob makes his exit.



ASMODEUS: “What do you plan to do about Silas, Sebastian?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “He and I will come together soon. In one way or another.”

ASMODEUS: “You mustn't let up on him. Keep the pedal to the metal.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “As if I'd go about it any other way.”

ASMODEUS: “And Mr. Davids?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “He's doubting my abilities as a leader.”

ASMODEUS: “Your plans?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I'm not sure. He's about the only one I trust around the XWF.”

ASMODEUS: “What about Unknown Soldier?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Now, he's a different animal altogether, is he not?”

ASMODEUS: “Most assuredly so.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I never did thank him for showing up in my corner.”

ASMODEUS: “Perhaps you should get him to come out here. Thank him in person.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I might do that. After the holiday. After we get all this bullshit with Caitlyn squared away.”

ASMODEUS: “Could you imagine, Unknown Soldier at the Compound?”



Without a doubt, if he shows up here, it'll be a day none of us here at the Compound will ever forget. The Vodka and blood drinking, goat meth smoking psychopath in the company of more than 200 extremely reserved and conservative minded members of my Illuminatus Brotherhood.

What could possibly go wrong?