Page 41 of Zane

“Maybe,” nodded Ham.“Let’s go.We’ve set the charges for the manufacturing facility.We’ve got others setting the charges at the coliseum right now.Time to knock on the castle gates.”

They’d no sooner reached the path over the now flooding moat when the sounds of something far more dangerous than thunder and lightning filled the air.The echoes caused birds to screech and animals to race out of the jungle toward perceived safety.

Beside them, Pierre smirked and chuckled, shaking his head.All eyes turned with raised brows.

“I see you’ve learned well from your grandfather and father,” said Ham.“How much did you use?”

“Well, you said level it.Let’s just say there were sub-levels that had to be tended to as well so I used slightly more than would normally be recommended.”

“Never mind,” said Gator, “let’s go.”

The men guarding the castle seemed to be doing so only half-heartedly.They weren’t worried about anyone going into the castle, they were worried about the animals escaping.Seeing the coliseum in the distance crumble, they knew they had to leave.

Just when they thought their way would be clear, the manufacturing site disappeared inside the earth, silently at first, then the earth-shattering jar forcing them to crumble to their knees.

When they looked up, they saw the group of dark devils walking toward them and crossed themselves.One of the men stood to leave, the others gripping his arm.

“He’ll kill you!He’ll kill all of us if you leave,” said one of the men.

“I don’t care!I don’t care anymore!”As he ran the others looked at one another then back at the black knights coming toward them and made a decision.Live the way they wanted to live.

“Why did that feel too easy?” frowned Gator.“I wanted more.I expected more.”

“I’m very disappointed,” frowned Alec.

“It’s not done yet,” said Ham.

The arrogance of Rodriguez showed in every detail of the castle.Paintings of him portrayed as a saint, a savior, a hero.Doors that had no locks because who would dare to entire without invitation.There were no internal guards to be seen, no men waiting with guns to fight back the attackers.

With the first and second floor rooms cleared, they stepped up to the third level and stilled, staring at the paintings on the walls.Roman coliseums, gladiators, animals being speared, cut open, gutted, lined the walls of the floor.

“How sick is this fucker?” groaned Zane.

“That’s why we’re here.To stop him,” said Leo.

Reaching the master suite at the end of the hallway, they found Marco Rodriguez standing at the double-glass doors, staring at his ruined empire.He barely moved but turned to face the men.

“Are you with the angel of death?” he asked.Ham cocked his head and nodded.

“Some would say, yes,”

“You took the girl.My prize,” he said calmly.Zane stared at the others, then stepped forward, fearful that it was Blake.

“What girl?” he growled.

“The sneaky little one with the beautiful eyes,” he said calmly.“She was mine to take, mine to use and then your boss or peer, he appeared and placed a spell on me.”

“He’s been using his own drugs,” frowned Gator.

“You’ve destroyed my drugs, haven’t you?”His tone was almost robotic, scarily indifferent given the circumstances and the situation.“You’ve ruined me.You’ve taken my dream, my dream of becoming the emperor of my own empire.My own coliseum.Men and animals bowing at my feet as they gave their lives to repay their debts.”

“The animals have done nothing to you to be forced into such a barbaric act,” said Zane.“You thought you could touch my fiancée.”

“You’ll have to be more specific,” he smiled.

“Her stepfather owed you a debt and you thought you could use her skill in your favor.”

“Ah, the animal whisperer.I suppose I’ll never know if her skill was real or not.”