Sunday, September 8, 2013 – Time Unknown – Griffin MacAlisters Residence – Chicago, Illinois



Griffin is a pothead. That much is obvious and also well-known. What Griffin doesn't realize is that it causes him to feel paranoid. Somebody is always after him. I look out the window overlooking the street we just entered the building from.


I'll be god damned. He actually is being tailed.


I quickly excuse myself and pull out my cell and dial up Matthew, who waits at the jet with some of the others.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Matthew, its Sebastian. Where's Jacob?”

MATTHEW: “We just got the information we needed. He's about to board a charter flight back to Connecticut. He's heading to Venice tomorrow.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “California?”

MATTHEW: “No. Italy. There's a Cardinal there that...”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Stop him! Now!”



I can hear Matthew yell to the others.



MATTHEW: “I dispatched Felipe to get him back here.”



Who?



MATTHEW: “Something wrong?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I'll explain later on.”

MATTHEW: “Can I ask you something?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Not really.”

MATTHEW: “Why don't you ever call on me to do things that need to get done? You know, the dirty work.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Not now, Matt!”



I can hear Jacob in the background.



THE MESSENGER: “Yeah, what's up? I have a Cardinal to kill.”



I try to be quiet so Griffin can't hear me.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Never mind that right now. I'm with Griffin and I thought he was just being his usual self and getting paranoid for no reason. He thought he had someone tailing him.”

THE MESSENGER: “If he stopped smoking that shit he'd...”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I think he does have a tail! I need you to get your ass over here ten minutes ago. Keep this shit quiet! I don't need him remembering things in the wrong direction!”

THE MESSENGER: “I'll be there in thirty.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Twenty.”

THE MESSENGER: “Fifteen.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Just get here. We need to catch this guy.”

THE MESSENGER: “Then what?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “We'll deal with him. Our way.”

THE MESSENGER: “See you shortly.”



I hang up the phone and turn around. I come face to face with a red-faced Griffin MacAlister. I'm not sure how much he heard, but it was obviously enough to piss him off.



GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “What the fuck was that!?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “What?”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “Remembering things in the wrong direction!? Fuck, Duke! How can I trust you if I can't fucking trust you!?”



Hmmmm. Does that question even make sense?



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Sit down a minute.”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “Fuck that, Duke! I want some fucking answers! You're treating me like I'm some fuck that won't understand anything! I'm not Gilmour!”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “SIT!”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “Really!? You're gonna fuckin tell me what I'm gonna do in my house?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Yeah, Griff! Its your fucking house, but you know what, I'm still a hell of a lot bigger than you and if you want any fucking answers you're going to sit on that ratty ass old couch and hear them!”



I think Griff got tied up on the fact that I did have some answers and he forgot about the fact I admitted he had someone following him.


Nonetheless, he sits down on that old couch.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “You wanna know why Asmodeus calls you Silas?”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “That'd be a good fuckin start.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Many months ago, you and I were not friends. Enemies, would be more accurate. Wanting each other dead, probably even more so. I needed help with something. I needed somebody that I knew could find those that didn't want to be found.”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “I'm not following.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Just listen. There once was a man named Jonathan in my Brotherhood. It turns out he was a plant. He infiltrated my Brotherhood at the request of the Catholic Church. They wanted two things. The secrets about the Church that I may or may not even possess...”



I pause, briefly.



GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “What else?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “My death. They wanted me dead. Jonathan had this brilliant plan to kidnap my father in order to lure me out. I needed to be prepared. So, I contacted you. This was after you threw yourself into the bay in Singapore so you were on the run from 'them' and you needed a place to stay.”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “So, you fuckin used me?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “No... well... yeah.”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “You mother...”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Wait! We were using each other!”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “I don't get it.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “You needed a safe place to lay your head down at night. I needed to get my father back safe and sound. I promised to give you the safety you needed, you promised to help me get my father back. So, yes, Griffin. We used each other.”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “Where does Silas come in?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “We, meaning you and I, didn't want to take any chances. We kept you under the hood at all times. We wanted your identity secret. Even to the rest of the Brotherhood. So, we started calling you Silas. In order to keep up the charade, we even had you go through the ceremonial rituals to install you into the Brotherhood of the Illuminatus.

“Asmodeus is from the old-school thought process. Once you're in, you're always in. Whatever your name is when you have the ceremony, that's what you are for life.”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “And that's why he calls me Silas?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “That's it.”



I give him a minute to grasp all of that before continuing.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “You and I started out as enemies. When you came to the Compound, I'm not sure how or when, but we became pretty close. It had to have been gradual. I just don't remember a single instant that made me think of you as a friend rather than an enemy.

“Just before you left the Compound we saved each others asses, Griff. We'd gotten our hands on Jonathan and were ready to chop his head off. Fuckin DEA choppers raided us.”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “I knew it! That old fuck Asmodeus is running a fuckin meth lab! Probably goat meth, too!”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “No, no. Somebody gave the DEA a false tip just in time for Jonathan to lose his head. He started to escape and you and I went after him. An agent recognized you and took you to the ground. He put a gun to your head.”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “Shit, man. What happened next?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “You're still here aint you!?”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “Hahahahaha, yeah.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I kicked that fuckin cops teeth down his throat and I ended up letting Jonathan get away. Anyhow, a few minutes later you returned the favor. Not to sound corny but you and I struck up a real bond that night. One I won't allow to be broken because some with memory problems can't remember how to tie his own shoes.”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “Haha. Fuck you Duke! I tie my shoes just fine!”



Yeah, they're untied right now. I head back to the window. The man that I think was following Griffin tonight, stands leaning against a telephone pole near the intersection. A van screeches to a halt right next to him and the door slides open. A man grabs the stalker and yanks him into the van. The vans door is then closed.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Griff, I'm gonna take a walk down to the store on the corner. You want anything?”

GRIFFIN MacALISTER: “Nah, man. I'm good.”



I exit his apartment and head downstairs. The man in the van that snatched the stalker is my Messenger.


To Be Continued....