Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

Sebastian Duke · **04-23-2015, 07:20 PM**

Thursday, April 23, 2015 | 9:06 PM Local Time | On Board Regius Volatus | United States of America

Despite the best efforts of Regis Praesidium, or the King's Guard, the Illuminatus King made his way to the United States with limited security surrounding him. The wounds of his best-friends death are still wide open and while he did agree to some security, the number of those that made the trip with him pale in comparison to the number surrounding the Chancellor and the Prince at all times. After all, in his mind, he did concede defeat in recent arguments over the Royal Family's private aircraft. He agreed to keep Air Darkness One, the jumbo jet, grounded and in the hangar at the airport near Berlin. In exchange, a brand new private jet specially designed with an oversized fuel cell making it capable, with its increased fuel capacity, to complete trans-oceanic flights without the need to refuel.

It's much smaller than the Boeing 777. It's also a much smaller target for any would-be assassins.

It's been a long flight from Warfare already. Though, the sharp descent of the aircraft recently, suggests that they are nearing Sebastian Duke's private airfield just outside of Old Saybrook. The Illuminatus leader, if nothing else, is a man filled with nostalgia. Historic places, such as the residence in Old Saybrook and the ground it sits on, mean nearly as much to him as the mission objective against the Catholic Church itself. It's a big reason, even after the move from the residence to the underground facility beneath Death Valley, and after the move from the desert facility to the Chancellery in Berlin, that he still maintains ownership of the residence in Connecticut.

The audible ding fills the cabin and those on board the flight look up, almost instantaneously at the lit warning attached to the wall above the cockpit entrance: FASTEN SEATBELTS. Moments later, the pilot comes over the address system, â€gentlemen, we are nearing our final approach,â€ he says with slight hesitation. â€Please fasten your seat belts. We will be landing in just a few minutes. Once we land, I encourage everyone to exit the aircraft and stretch while you can. It's a long flight back to Germany.â€

The Illuminatus leader and his guard, all three of them, do as they're instructed and fasten their belts. Within just a few minutes, the aircraft is descending rapidly. The King looks out the window to his left as they fly right over the Compound with its lit roof and the Illuminatus flag flapping in the wind. Moments later, the wheels screech on the runway and the plane quickly slows down and rolls to a soft stop and the engines die down.

The King and his men release themselves from the seat belts and each of them stand up. The pilot exits the cockpit and approaches the King, â€Sir, we should be refueled in about a half hour,â€ he begins. â€We'll get back in the air as quickly as we can.â€

â€That won't be necessary,â€ the King replies as the co-pilot opens the door and the stairs are lowered.

â€Sir?â€ questions the pilot. â€We're on a strict schedule, and,â€ he pleads, before being curtly interrupted by the King.

â€Who pays your salary? Who sets your itinerary? Who's orders do you follow when you set your flight plan?â€ asks the angered leader.

â€You do, sir,â€ replies the pilot, apologetic in his demeanor.

â€That's right,â€ the Illuminatus leader states as he begins to descend the steps to the pavement below. He stops and turns, facing the pilot. â€I'd suggest you remember that,â€ begins the King, allowing his anger to subside. â€I gave you orders, and now I'm changing them,â€ he concludes as he finishes his descent.

As Sebastian Duke's feet hit the pavement, a young man standing on the tarmac approaches him, â€Your Highness,â€ begins the man. â€It has been so long. It's wonderful to see you.â€

â€That's great. Did you order my truck, as you were instructed?â€ he asks as they head in the direction of the hangar.

â€Yes, sir,â€ he begins. â€I took that duty quite seriously. It was the last correspondence I ever received from Jacob,â€ the man concludes, causing the King of Darkness to stop dead in his tracks, almost causing the young man to run right into him.

â€Could you do me a favor?â€ asks the King, disguising his anger the best way that he can.

â€Absolutely sir. I always follow your instruction to the letter.â€

â€Stop talking.â€

â€Right away, sir.â€

â€You're still talking,â€ replies the King, unmasking his anger ever so slightly.

The man gets ready to apologize, then thinks better of it and keeps his mouth closed. The duo approaches the hangar with the guards in toe. The young Illuminatus man punches a numeric code into the security pad on the left of the gigantic hangar door, and the door begins to roll up toward the tall ceiling. The lighting ignites automatically and the truck is revealed. A brand new, blacked out Ram Big Horn. The young unidentified man hands the ignition keys to his King.

â€All of you stay here,â€ he orders, to the obvious protest of the King's Guard. Of course, he's in no mood to argue. He chooses instead, to climb into the cab of the pickup truck and turn the key. Its HEMI engine rumbles to life and the Illuminatus King creeps from the hangar and steers toward the exit of the airport. As he drives, lightning flashes in the distance. A rumbling thunder trails in behind the lightning some seconds later and raindrops begin to lightly comes to a rest on the windshield. Within just a few minutes he rolls to a stop outside the gates of the Compound.

The guard inside the small guardhouse reads the Connecticut license plate as it appears on the monitor: 'DUKE'. Then without further hesitation, the man presses a button and the large, heavy iron gates swing inward toward the residence and the King rolls the truck through. He accelerates up the long drive and rolls to a stop outside the large wooden front doors of the old, dark and silent mansion.

The King kills the engine to the truck and pauses momentarily before exiting. He takes a deep breath and lets out a rare audible sigh, then opens the door. As he exits, a bolt of lightning momentarily ignites the darkened sky. He stares up at it, and closes his eyes as the rain begins to fall harder. The sound of thunder follows and the King heads to the entrance to the Compound. He twists the handle and pulls outward, the door opens with the ominous creak of old steel hinges.

He pauses as he stares into the blackness. It seems to him that it's been decades since he's been within these walls yet it has only been a few months. It seems to him that he's staring directly into the mouth of an endless abyss. The King steps inside, he boots clicking against the marble floors. Every so often, lightning will flash, giving the dark interior of the mansion a definitive shape.

The turns to his left, and heads up the long winding stone staircase to the upper second floor. For years, the hierarchy of the Illuminatus resided here. At different times, Matthew, Jacob, Lucas, Jonathan, and even the King's brother Theo Pryce all lived on this floor.

On the second floor landing, the stone meets carpet covered hardwood floors that dampen his footsteps. The first door on his right was his own private apartment. At one time it housed him, his infant son and his wife Caitlyn. Memories flood back as he enters his own room and instantly, he suddenly remembers Linn Kwann- his first fiancee. The one he murdered with a bullet to the skull during a fight with John Madison. For an instant, he feels saddened by killing her before remembering that in the end, she was nothing more than a gutter whore.

Stepping back into the second floor corridor, he closes the door to his room behind him, suddenly thankful that he left the Compounds caretaker behind at the airport. Advancing down the hall to the next room, a feeling of dread comes over him. He now realizes that he's nearing the private room occupied by Jacob for eighteen years. Since just after Jacob's parents went down in that airplane. It all seems to him, like a lifetime ago.

As he reaches the door to Jacob's old room he pauses. It occurs to him that maybe the room should remain untouched, leaving it just as Jacob left it for all eternity. Of course, he buries that feeling and slowly turns the knob on the door. With a slight push inward the door is open and the King steps into the vacant room. He remembers how hastily they left the Compound a few months back and is, at the same time, surprised and not surprised at all to see some of Jacob's things left behind.

A brilliant flash of lightning ignites the room in a bright white light and in that instant, he catches a glare from on object resting on Jacob's end table. The Illuminatus leader approaches the table and another quick lightning flash follows the first, showing the King exactly what caught his eye. Sebastian Duke reaches down and lifts a gold ring from the table. He twirls it around in his fingers, then slips it on the end of left ring finger. He runs his thumb across the rings surface and it occurs to him just what ring it is, Jacob's Illuminatus cross ring. He stares into the ring, cloaked in darkness and he remembers the past.

Quietly, he exits Jacob's room, locking the door closed behind him. His feet begin to click against the stone as he starts descending the stairs. After coming to the end of the winding staircase, he proceeds toward the library, which for years, acted as a kind of situation room. It's where the leadership sat and planned their next moves and discussed possible outcomes. It's where things would sometimes turn into heated arguments when one or more of them would disagree with the others. It's where the plan to take Vatican City finally came to fruition. As he looks in on the now empty room, a chill runs up his spine.

A faint red flicker catches the corner of his left eye and his attention is immediately drawn to it. After closing the door to the library, he proceeds down the long and wide corridor to the entrance to the church. He stops at the doors, looking down at the eerie glow, raising and lowering with no real rhyme or reason. Turning the handle with a click, he steps into the church that for so many years, stood as the lone temple of the Illuminatus. Ahead, he learns the source of the flickering red glow. A single torch burns upon the altar.

The King slowly proceeds down the main aisle, just as he did a thousand times before with his boots, thumping on the ancient wooden floor. When he approaches the altar it suddenly hits him just what exactly is, or at least, was going on here at the Compound. Behind the torch, rests a large picture of Jacob Anderson. It occurs to the King, that the caretaker and the gatekeeper that he left behind, conducted their own memorial service for their fallen brother. This revelation both moves and saddens the Illuminatus leader. The torch acts as an eternal flame.

Another brilliant flash. The eye of the King is caught by a shining reflection out on the grounds in the rear of the building. Light shines off of the rain soaked headstones and he decides to look out upon them. Thousands of grave markers dating back more than two hundred forty years to just last year. The remains of fallen Illuminatus soldiers rest with Revolutionary War soldiers killed in action on this sacred ground.

Then, without warning, the King of the Illuminatus makes a hasty retreat out of the mansion and back into his awaiting pickup truck. He turns the key, firing the engine then pulls out his cell phone. After a few rings, the intended recipient of the call picks up, â€Matthew, it's me,â€ he says, shaking his head at the realization that Matthew probably already knew that.

â€Yes your Highness. Is there a problem?â€ he asks, somewhat surprised that the King would call him.

â€Yes. Well, no,â€ replies the King. â€At least not exactly,â€ he answers.

â€By all means, my King. What can I do to help?â€ inquires the young genius of the Illuminatus.

â€These are direct orders. Relay them as such,â€ he begins, then pauses before delivering those orders. â€You are to organize some men. You are to see to it that the seven seven seven is ready for flight. When those two things are accomplished, those men are to fly to the States. Once they are here, they are to come to the Compound and exhume the remains of our fallen brothers.

â€œIs that understood?â€ asks the King after some hesitation to respond from Matthew.

â€Yes, sir. I do,â€ he replies, hesitating further. â€But what is the point in going through all of that trouble?â€ Matthew asks.

â€When House of Lies falls, Matthew, I want our men, those that died for our cause. Those that put their lives on the line and lost their lives in the fight of all of our lives, to be at rest with even more honor than they are now.

â€œMatthew, what I'm telling you is that when the time comes, they will rest in the crypts below the Basilica,â€ he concludes his explanation.

â€That's quite admirable, your Highness,â€ he pauses.

â€What is it? I know there's something you want to ask. Just ask it,â€ the King demands.

â€Those crypts are filled with past Popes, my King. What happens to them?â€ asks Matthew.

â€Their remains will burn in the smoldering rubble of their golden city,â€ he answers, then ends the call.

Threaded Mode \| Linear Mode Old Haunts: RP 1
Author	Message