Love & Chaos 2: A New Pharaoh for Egypt

Prologue

So this is the afterlife, huh? Not so glamorous I see. I never would've seen it going Greek, though. Catherine Goode was recently deceased, died in a fire of the Gallagher mansion. She was formerly a part of the Circle of Cavan, an international terrorist group. Well, what was left of it, at least. All of the leaders had been killed off. Pull up a weed from its roots and then it's less likely to grow back.

Death was beginning to drive her mad. She wasn't sure if she had seen Zach just before she died... her son. Did he really leave her to die? Or was that just her imagination? He was safe, along with Cammie. She knew. And she wished that wretched girl had died. No, she was alive. And yet, I am not.

Catherine... The voice was the main reason she was pretty sure she was insane. Who was calling out to her in the Underworld? What did they want with her? Let me show you. You can live again, Catherine Goode. Just come with me, let me show you how you can be revived. Let's make a deal, play a little game. If you can murder the wretched seer, then you will live again. But if you ignore my offer and believe that you're insane, surely you lose Fate's favor.

"Who are you?" Catherine called out. "Why would you choose me, of all the souls in here, who didn't helplessly get themselves killed in a fire they started?"

You are my chosen one, Catherine. And I am your savior. You know I am not being dishonest, don't you?

"Take me to see what you want to show me."

One of the hills of the Underworld opened up to reveal a scene. There was a little girl who looked about nine years old sitting on a bed with a tiny cat.

"It's almost my birthday, Boots," the girl said with a warm smile. "I'll be nine in twelve days." The girl looked out the window at the tree and appeared to see something that Catherine just wasn't. "He hit her, you know."

Two more cats jumped onto the bed and laid down by her. Catherine noticed that the girl's arms were covered in bruises, and she couldn't help but cringe.

"You want me to kill a little girl?" she shouted accusingly. "That's your offer to a mother?"

My dear Catherine, no, of course not. You will not kill her for some nine years. And when you do, I promise you will be revived, and as the leader of the Circle of Cavan - everything you could want and more, is this correct?

"Ma'am, this is correct. But why must she die? And how?"

She will try to destroy me. Hell, she will try to destroy you and your legacy and your precious terrorist group as well. As for how, you may use whatever method necessary, but Catherine, do me a favor when you kill her, if you will, please.

"Yes?"

Make it slow. And make it painful. If you fail me, I will have to kill her myself, and I would hate to think you would fail and not be revived. In my world, you will be my right hand woman.

Greed built up inside of her. There was nothing Catherine wanted more. Total destruction, world domination, yes, she would take over. This voice would give her what she wanted, everything and more. The girl was just a minor casualty.

If you touch my niece, so help me Fates, I will take your soul and shred it into a thousand pieces, sending the remains of your empty corpse spiraling into the darkest pits of Tartarus where you may lay with your self proclaimed savior. This was a different voice. It was masculine, and it was not soft and silver tongued, but rather, hard and angry. The Lord of the Underworld, it must have been. Hades, who else. But how was this girl his niece?

Catherine tried to ignore the feeling in her stomach... If she could even still call it a stomach. According to the judges, she was in Punishment, but she didn't understand what her punishment was. The woman's voice seemed kind enough. Not to mention that it was genuine.

Years went by in the Underworld, and she still did not know her punishment. But in the year 2014, she heard the woman's voice again.

Catherine, are you ready? Today your spirit rises to meet my challenge. Your Circle is waiting for your guidance, dear Catherine. A woman formed before her, and though her features were ever shifting, she extended a hand to her. Take my hand, Catherine. And rise again.

As her soul made its way from hell, she saw flashes of the girl, too old for what she should have been - eighteen, it would seem. She stood beside Zachary on a flying ship, and they seemed to be happy. They were chatting excitedly, like something big was happening. Another boy that Catherine did not recognize stood with them, along with that Cammie. These were the ones she would destroy. And Zach would stand beside her again. He would take his rightful place of leadership in the Circle of Cavan. Once an assassin, always an assassin. Mother and son, they would exterminate all opposition and make a world of their own ideals. The woman would give her all she wanted and more... she only had to kill the seer. The seer was the final target.

She felt herself solidify and saw her old friends standing around her. A smile flicked across her face as she looked them all in the face.

Behold, Cavan's Circle, faithful followers in his footsteps, behold Catherine Goode, your leader. She will return the fear and honor to your name!

Cheers rang among the terrorists as they greeted their old friend, back from the afterlife. Drinks were poured as they all prepared for the massive task ahead of them all.