When particles left on a victim's skull led Dr. Scott Hoying and Special Agent Joe Hobbs to a vault in an old bank, they discover tapestries, paintings, books, and other artifacts related to a number of mystical orders and traditions, including Kabb...
In the F. B. I. conference room sat Joe, Scott and the Archbishop Wallace. The first words out of his mouth were "You found my Vicar General?"
Joe nodded. "Yes, Your Holiness." He sounded uncertain with the term. He was Jewish, not Catholic.
"Just call me Monsignor or Steve. So how did Doug die?"
Scott answered this time. "Well, Steve-"
Joe cut him off with a harsh whisper-yell. "Bones!"
Scott whispered back. "He said to call him Steve!"
Joe groaned. "Call him Monsignor, ok?"
Scott rolled his eyes and continued on quite bluntly. "Father Cooper was stabbed to death - as a series of cannibalistic murders."
The Monsignor looked shocked. "A series of cannibalistic murders?!"
"We're still trying to find out what they had in common." Scott nodded.
Steve shook his head. "Doug Cooper was a quiet man, he'd been on sabbatical for the past six months, he was writing a book about the history of the early Christianity. It's ties to Paganism. Esoteric stuff." He took a deep breath. "Somebody ate Doug?"
Joe shrugged a little. "Just a part of him."
The Monsignor looked even more sad. "A lovely decent man. Humble, dedicated to serving others - unfortunate choice of words, given that someone ate him."
Joe and Scott spoke at the same time. "Just part of him."
Archbishop Steve Wallace kept talking. "There's too much evil in the world. God forgive me but...sometimes I wonder if I'm little more than a band aid."
Max and Mitch walked up to the platform at the lab together.
"Mitch identifiedth the red haired figure on the tapethry!" Max exclaimed to Kevin and Kirstie.
Mitch nodded. "Barabbas. A murderer and rapist who was condemned to death in New Testament Jerusalem."
"The Gormogon'th believed that the descendanth of Barabbath started the first thecret thociety." Max added.
"To the Gormogons, Barabbas is an enduring symbol of all that is backwards, upside down or inside out." Mitch nodded.
Kevin looked thoughtful. "So if you find this figure on a Gormogon relic..."
"It's a sign to interpret it backwards or in a mirror or upside down." Mitch finished his sentence.
Kirstie spoke up. "The numbers on the tapestry are simple alpha numeric code. Each number corresponds with a letter. Civitas. Capitolium." She pulled this up on the screen, showing that CIVITAS = 2474509 & CAPITOLIUM = 2397864350.
Max walked up to the screen. "Which means capital city D.C. wath laid out according to Mathonic symbolth. Now, notice the pentagramth in here over the white houthe?"
Mitch stepped closer as well. "And do you see the compass and the square?"
"The point of the compass is over the US capital building." Kirstie pointed out.
"But here'th where Mitch'th Barabbas thing really kickth in." Max perked up.
"The presence of Barabbas on this means backwards and upside down. So when the compass is inverted, it points to some very interesting landmarks." Mitch pointed at the screen as the compass was turned backwards and upside down.
Max pointed to a point. "The bank, where we found the vault."
Mitch pointed at a different spot. "The place where Father Cooper's body was dumped."
Kirstie pointed to a spot as well. "The highway overpass, off of which Sean Collins' head was thrown."
Kevin studied it before pointing to a spot. "What's there?"
"It's an old manthion that's now a nurthing home." Max replied.
"And this" Mitch said as he pointed to the screen "falls very precisely."
Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Which is...?"
"A mausoleum at Thilver Hill Themetery, which is why we called you here. We wanna go inthide."
Kevin sighed. "Of course you do... Alright, then, I'll get it arranged."
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Later that day, as the sun fell, Joe and Max went to investigate.
"This mausoleum'th been here since the eighteen hundredth. It's paid for by a trust. Ath far ath the director of the themetery knows, no one'th been out here for a thentury..." Max said as he looked around.
"This better be good." Joe said as he followed.
"Look. "Pater Mortus"... Means "Dead Father"." Max pointed out above the mausoleum's door. They approached the doors, looking for a way to get inside. "Do you have a keyth?"
Joe held up a crowbar. "Yeah, I brought my own." He lifted up, ready to put it in use but Max grabbed his arm.
"Waith, waith, waith..."
"What?"
"Can I do ith?"
"No, you don't let me play with your bugs and slime, do you?" Joe asked. Max shrugged just before Joe opened the doors to see another skeleton. "Ah, great, another one."
Max stepped closer and took a quick look at it. "Joe...? Thith one is completelyth bone..."
