Lucifer's Apostles

Lucifer's Apostles Episode 14

Tank made it until the end of the movie. He was not convinced the live version, with many computer-generated images, was as good as the original animated version. He enjoyed the fact that Katie did not move from holding him. She sat up and turned the television off with the remote control before stretching her arms to her sides.

Tank flung his head back as Katie nearly hit him in the face. She turned to him laughingly, saying, “I am sorry. Did I try and hit you”? She wheeled around, slung a leg over his, and sat on his knees. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked him squarely in the eyes before saying, “I had been thinking of you for a good portion of my day today. I am not sure if you are as intrigued in me as I am in you or if you are a fraction shy”, she said.

He kissed her hard on the mouth, gently pulling the back of her head towards him. Tank stood up with Katie’s arms wrapped around his neck, their lips locked together. He turned her around and laid her on the couch, laying on top of her.

After they stopped kissing, he said, “I’m not sure where this is going. We’re both busy with work. I’ve thought about you too. I went to call you about forty times. This is a massive case for us all. I’m not sure when or where the next naked body of some poor woman will be found”. He sat up, leaving her resting on the couch. “We need to stop that from happening. This isn’t a normal case”.

“I know that”, she said, pulling herself up by his t-shirt. “It will not impact either of our work any farther whether we do this or not. We are still going to be distracted by our thoughts of each other”. She straddled him again and took his face in her hands. “We can do this and keep focus on the job at hand”. Katie leaned in and kissed Tank. He did not resist in any way.

Standing while hanging on to Katie, Tank carried her to her bedroom and laid her on her bed. He tried to stand again, but she hung on, never attempting to let go. “Where do you think you are going?” she asked.

“I’m not the type of man that can just jump into bed because I’m attracted to you. I can’t ever remember being this excited”, Tank whispered.

Katie did not let him go, saying, “Go and get into your pyjamas and come back in here. I am going to change, then I need to go to the bathroom and clean my teeth. I will meet you back in here for a cuddle when we are finished”.

“Alright, for a cuddle and then sleep. We both have early starts and busy days ahead of us”, Tank relented. “I need to use your bathroom first. I’m sorry, I have a weak bladder”. He grimaced and tenderly removed Katie’s arms from around his neck. He turned and briskly walked to the bathroom.

After Tank had finished changing into a different pair of shorts and a T-shirt, he returned to Katie’s room. She was not in there yet, so he pulled back the quilt and sheet before laying his lanky frame on her bed.

When Katie entered the bedroom, she wore a blue sheer nightie with a matching underwear. She looked amazing, Tank thought while pulling the sheet over himself to cover his shorts. “You are hot”, was all he could manage out of his mouth. She climbed into bed before he enveloped her in his massive arms. Any thoughts of just a cuddle left both their minds simultaneously.

***

Destinee woke strapped to a chair that she had never seen before. She examined the room as far as her eyes would let her. Her head had been put into a clamp. She could partially see the two walls on either side of her, and she could see the back wall. There was a drip hanging out of her left arm. She screamed into the ball gag in her mouth. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, and she was petrified. She stopped for a breath and tried to spit the gag out. She felt like her whole body was paralysed.

Snake entered the room and removed the cannula. Let the ceremony begin, he thought, walking over to open the two enormous doors. The High Priestess was on the other side, waiting. She wore a red robe that barely covered her bottom and wore a white mask on her face. Her six disciples followed her, dressed in black robes as short as their leaders, while a purple mask adorned their faces. The six acolytes followed the disciples into the room. Each of the men wore purple robes like the ones monks wore. They each wore a black mask, hiding their identity. Six men wearing blue robes entered in front of the rest of the cult members in attendance, with their faces showing.

The High Priestess walked past Destinee to the shrine at the head of the sacrificial room. She was carrying a wreath and a large dagger in her hands. She lay the wreath at the foot of the shrine and said, “Please, Master, accept our sacrifice in our attempt to appease the wrongful discrimination against your character”.

She turned and took her place at the pulpit, inviting her followers in. The followers included Tipsy, Jacko and Tommy, another of the church’s employees in the house. The last member of the hostage caring crew was Melissa, who had stayed behind to monitor their house guests. Snake thought the only reason Tommy and Jacko attended the ceremony was to watch the s*x that was about to take place.

After everyone had entered the room, Snake shut the doors before walking through the crowd and back through the door at the rear. He would have enough to do after the ceremony, he thought as he entered his preparation room. He walked over to the calendar hung on one of the walls and put an X through the date. 11, 13, and 15 now had an X, while 17,19 and 21 had dots to mark where the X would go.

He had no idea of the significance of the dates or the specific number of sacrifices. He did not care. If the payment promised after the time was delivered, he would be a happy man. He left the room and returned to the house while everyone played their little game.

***

Ruby Forrest was born and raised in Sydney. It was not the name given to her at birth. She did not go to university like her siblings. Instead, she left high school and worked for an escort service where the escorts decided whether they took their night out any further. She was paid well and met many influential people, some of whom would later join her church. She took the name Ruby because her favourite colour was red, while Forrest came from her favourite movie. She could not bring herself to use the name Gump in her work. Her family had never found out about her business activities. She told them that she was a receptionist at an escort agency. Her father disapproved of where she worked. He was grateful she was not a lady of the night. The money was too good to refuse when she was invited to a hotel room for further activities.

One night, a regular client told her that he was secretly a Satanist and a believer in dark magic. She borrowed several books from him, studying them fastidiously before buying numerous more online. Ruby started worshipping Satan every morning. She cleared out one of the bedrooms in her house and put in an altar. Her client Paul Willoughby Q.C., who would later become one of her acolytes, had friends who also practised Satanism. They had formed a group with Paul leading the meetings, and shortly after, Ruby functioned as his second.

As the years passed, younger, more attractive women entered her workplace. The madame at her agency had decided to retire so Ruby bought her out. The money started pouring in. She could not believe how much could be made without doing the hard yards.

Most of her dealings were negotiated in cash. One of her accountant clients, Stuart Torrance, purchased properties in a shell company name and laundered money through them. Currently, she owns two dry cleaners, a nightclub, and two restaurants. Ruby attributed her success to her Master, and after a period, she bought three additional brothels and another escort service from their owners. She owned a house overlooking the beach in Southern Palms, located in Sydney’s south and a property on the city’s outskirts outside of Barton Park.

Ruby started seeing Paul privately and became the dominant partner in the relationship. She knew that even though he was not weak, she was stronger. It was a different relationship from the one with his wife then. He believed that she constantly nagged him, and her life revolved around money. The fact that she was sleeping with their next-door neighbour and he was with Ruby did not help their relationship. It was not long before Paul left his wife and moved in with Ruby. She gave him his own room. She still needed her independence.

Ruby told Paul that she wanted to take over the meetings. He had fallen hard for her and would do anything to make her happy, so he promptly agreed. A female member of the group and a long-time friend worked in I.T. She designed a web page that would give any would-be or practising Satanists a chance to join their meetings. The meetings swelled to the extent that they had trouble fitting everyone into one space.

A parishioner owned a property with a large shed that could cater for all the meetings. There were now well over one hundred followers. He had been renting the property out, and the tenants had just broken their lease. He told Ruby the church could use the property rent-free. Meanwhile, Ruby started renovations on her property outside of Barton Park.

Ruby formed a name for the shed, The Church of Lucifer’s Apostles. She then decided that twelve parishioners would form a board to run the church’s businesses. Contributions made by the congregation were between five and ten thousand dollars weekly. This money was used for the renovations on her property plus investments made on the church’s behalf.

The church became a company named The Church of Fellowship. Using its proper name would arouse too much suspicion, something none of its members would appreciate. Ruby became the High Priestess, a name Paul had devised one night.

Stuart Torrance, who subsequently became a church member and the treasurer on the board, purchased a hotel as its first business. It was a good money maker from poker machines and bistro profits and a suitable place to launder money. As the church’s numbers swelled, so did the donations.