how it's done.”
“In war, there's always sacrifice.”
“What war?”
“The war that's been brewing for centuries, the war between man and god.”
Elisa scoffed. “You've got to be joking.”
Wade's round face seemed to darken. “Not this time. You've been out there in the trenches, you know about the increases in supernatural activity not to mention natural disasters. Mankind is reaching the point the Naa'cal once did. And the gods have learned from their mistakes, they're not going to wait until mankind gets too powerful. Not like they did with the Naa'cal.”
“So you need the secrets of the Lost Tribe so you can fight the gods?”
“That's right and we want you to help us. We want you to go after Seth.”
“Not interested,” she said. “Whatever your beef is with Seth, you work it out. I don't want any part of it.”
“We found the photo Seth showed you in the temple,” said Wade. “Jackson King's life is in danger. Seth has him.”
“King and I have never been close.”
“So you're willing to let a man die because you're stubborn,” said Wade. “And here you were just criticizing us for our methods.”
“Because I know that if you get your hands on the secrets of Naa'cal, many more will die,” said Elisa. “Don't feed me this Clash of the Titans bunk. The Order is interested in power, end of story.”
Wade sighed. “I was worried you'd react this way.” He snapped his fingers and the masked man left the room. “That's why I brought along a little insurance.”
“What kind of insurance?” asked Elisa.
“The kind that will guarantee your cooperation.”
The masked man came back in, pushing in front of him a man dressed in a suit with a burlap sack over his head and his hands bound behind his back. He slammed the man into the chair and pulled the sack off.
“Max!”
Maxwell Finch slowly looked up at Elisa. One of his eyes was swollen shut, he had bruises over his face, his normally pristine suit covered in sweat, and his open eye was bloodshot.
“You monster!” spat Elisa. “I'll kill you for this!”
“I expected that reaction.” Wade knelt by the door and picked up a straw hat. “I'll leave the two of you to talk. Fifteen minutes, then I'll be back and if you haven't reached a decision, you get to watch my friend here torture Professor Finch to death.”
He looked at the masked man and gestured to the door with his hat. The guard left and Wade put the hat on before following him, closing the door behind him. Elisa heard it bolted from the outside.
“Max,” she said. “Max, are you okay?”
“I think...I've seen better days,” he said. “I could really use a scotch right about now.”
“You and me both, buddy,” said Elisa. “Max, what happened? How did you get here? How did the Order get their hands on you?”
“I heard...Jackson disappeared,” said Max. “And when I found out Stubby's shop burnt down, I had a feeling they were connected to you. I was about to board a flight to Mumbai when security pulled me aside. It was the Order.”
“Well you were right, King and Stubby are connected,” said Elisa. “Seth's involved now.”
Max's face snapped to attention. “Seth? How is he involved?”
“I saw him in the temple. Said he wanted to play a game, wants me to meet him at the Gateway to Lemuria.”
“So you know where it is? You found the tablets?”
Elisa shook her head. “Yes and no. I found the tablets but I didn't have a chance to examine or even photograph them. Seth blindsided me and then I woke up here. With the Order. Max, Seth has King.”
“Then he can force Jackson to translate the tablets. He knows where to find the gateway.”
“And the Order wants me to go after him on their behalf. They want me to do their dirty work for them.”
“You can't,” said Max.
“I told them to shove it,” she said. “That's when they brought you in.”
“Elisa, the secrets of the Naa'cal are too important. If the Order gets their hands
“In war, there's always sacrifice.”
“What war?”
“The war that's been brewing for centuries, the war between man and god.”
Elisa scoffed. “You've got to be joking.”
Wade's round face seemed to darken. “Not this time. You've been out there in the trenches, you know about the increases in supernatural activity not to mention natural disasters. Mankind is reaching the point the Naa'cal once did. And the gods have learned from their mistakes, they're not going to wait until mankind gets too powerful. Not like they did with the Naa'cal.”
“So you need the secrets of the Lost Tribe so you can fight the gods?”
“That's right and we want you to help us. We want you to go after Seth.”
“Not interested,” she said. “Whatever your beef is with Seth, you work it out. I don't want any part of it.”
“We found the photo Seth showed you in the temple,” said Wade. “Jackson King's life is in danger. Seth has him.”
“King and I have never been close.”
“So you're willing to let a man die because you're stubborn,” said Wade. “And here you were just criticizing us for our methods.”
“Because I know that if you get your hands on the secrets of Naa'cal, many more will die,” said Elisa. “Don't feed me this Clash of the Titans bunk. The Order is interested in power, end of story.”
Wade sighed. “I was worried you'd react this way.” He snapped his fingers and the masked man left the room. “That's why I brought along a little insurance.”
“What kind of insurance?” asked Elisa.
“The kind that will guarantee your cooperation.”
The masked man came back in, pushing in front of him a man dressed in a suit with a burlap sack over his head and his hands bound behind his back. He slammed the man into the chair and pulled the sack off.
“Max!”
Maxwell Finch slowly looked up at Elisa. One of his eyes was swollen shut, he had bruises over his face, his normally pristine suit covered in sweat, and his open eye was bloodshot.
“You monster!” spat Elisa. “I'll kill you for this!”
“I expected that reaction.” Wade knelt by the door and picked up a straw hat. “I'll leave the two of you to talk. Fifteen minutes, then I'll be back and if you haven't reached a decision, you get to watch my friend here torture Professor Finch to death.”
He looked at the masked man and gestured to the door with his hat. The guard left and Wade put the hat on before following him, closing the door behind him. Elisa heard it bolted from the outside.
“Max,” she said. “Max, are you okay?”
“I think...I've seen better days,” he said. “I could really use a scotch right about now.”
“You and me both, buddy,” said Elisa. “Max, what happened? How did you get here? How did the Order get their hands on you?”
“I heard...Jackson disappeared,” said Max. “And when I found out Stubby's shop burnt down, I had a feeling they were connected to you. I was about to board a flight to Mumbai when security pulled me aside. It was the Order.”
“Well you were right, King and Stubby are connected,” said Elisa. “Seth's involved now.”
Max's face snapped to attention. “Seth? How is he involved?”
“I saw him in the temple. Said he wanted to play a game, wants me to meet him at the Gateway to Lemuria.”
“So you know where it is? You found the tablets?”
Elisa shook her head. “Yes and no. I found the tablets but I didn't have a chance to examine or even photograph them. Seth blindsided me and then I woke up here. With the Order. Max, Seth has King.”
“Then he can force Jackson to translate the tablets. He knows where to find the gateway.”
“And the Order wants me to go after him on their behalf. They want me to do their dirty work for them.”
“You can't,” said Max.
“I told them to shove it,” she said. “That's when they brought you in.”
“Elisa, the secrets of the Naa'cal are too important. If the Order gets their hands
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