DISCLAIMER: This story is based upon the series, Charmed, that was created by Constance M. Burge. All Charmed characters are the property of Spelling Productions.
THE PLACE: PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA
THE TIME: AUGUST 13, 2009
"So, what is this all about?" Rex Buckland asked the two guests that he and Hannah Webster were entertaining in the living room of their apartment.
Rex, Hannah, this is Ava Nicolae." Paige Matthews replied as she gestured to the young woman sitting next to her. "Seven years ago, my sisters and I helped Ava get rid of a Demon that was killing her people, the Gypsies. That is why Ava knows who and what we all are."
"That incident convinced me to reconnect with my Gypsy roots." Ava added. "Since then, I've been trying to track down information on my ancestors, who came from Romania."
"Have you had any luck?" Hannah asked.
"A little." Ava replied. "Sadly, the last century was not kind to my people."
"That is true." Rex said. "The Nazis didn't like Gypsies anymore than they liked Jews. And the Communist regimes that took over Eastern Europe after World War II were not any better. Countless thousands of Gypsies were either slaughtered, forced to give up their traditions, or fled into exile."
"Why?" Hannah asked. "From what I understand, Gypsies pretty much keep to themselves."
"That was the problem, Hannah." Rex said. "The Gypsies lived by their own traditions and rules. The authoritarian mind set that drove the Fascists and Communists simply couldn't tolerate that. To them it was either conform or be eliminated. There was no in between."
"Yeah, sometimes we humans can be just as bad, if not worse, than Warlocks and Demons." Paige said.
"Anyway, ever since the Communist regime was overthrown in Romania, some of my people have been involved in trying to track down their ancestral roots." Ava continued. "A few years ago, I began corresponding with a man named Ion Cuza, who lives in Bucharest. Apparently, he's made a study of Gypsy lore and history. A couple of days ago, Ion sent me an e-mail in which he said he's found something that could greatly help me. He said it dated back about a hundred years."
"I see. Where do we fit in?" Rex asked.
"Well, I'm afraid that's my fault." Paige said. "I've been helping Ava with this when I can. A while back, I mentioned you and your knack for translating old books and scrolls. I hope you don't mind, Rex."
"Not at all, Paige. Please continue."
"Anyway, when I suggested that Ava mention you to that Ion guy, he apparently got excited. He said that he would get back to us, and a couple of days ago, he did. He said that you could be a big help in this find of his." Paige said.
"Well, I guess I can help." Rex said and turned to Hannah. "You don't mind, do you Hannah?"
"Not at all, Rex. I've never been to Romania." Hannah replied. "I'm ready to visit somewhere that's new to me."
"Ava, tell your friend that we'll be there in two days." Rex said.
"Just don't tell him how we'll be arriving." Paige added. "I don't think he's ready to accept the existence of witches and former Warlocks just yet."
THE PLACE: THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS, ROMANIA
THE TIME: AUGUST 15, 2009
The sun shown down on a forest clearing as Rex translocated himself and Hannah in, and Paige orbed herself and Ava in seconds later. The little group took a look around. "Is this where your friend said he'd meet us?" Rex asked.
"Yes, it is." Ava replied. "He should be here soon."
"Ava!" a new voice said in heavily accented English. The group turned and saw a man, who appeared to be in his mid-sixties, approaching them. When he got closer, he spoke again. "It's good to finally see you in person. I'm Ion Cuza."
"Hello Ion. Yeah, it's good to meet you in the flesh." Ava replied and quickly introduced the others in the group.
"So, you're the fellow who's good with old languages." Ion said to Rex.
"Well, it's always been a hobby of mine." Rex replied.
"Well, I think you'll find this interesting. That is why I asked to meet you all here in the Carpathians."
"You mean the thing you found is around here?" Paige asked.
"Yes, it is." Ion replied. "I think you'll all find it interesting. Follow me." Ion turned and started into the forest. Shrugging their shoulders, the group followed him.
About twenty minutes later, the group emerged from the forest into what appeared to be an old road. Hmmmm, this is interesting. Rex thought as Ion began to led them along that road. Although it doesn't seem to have been used in years, this road appears too new to have been made by Gypsies who lived here a century ago.
"How much farther?" Paige asked as she took a swig of water from the plastic bottle she had brought with her.
"Not much. In fact, we're here." Ion said and stopped in front of what appeared to be a cave entrance in the side of a mountain, into which the old road ran.
"What's this?" Hannah asked.
"This is what I wanted to show you." Ion said. "I believe this cave may have been used by Gypsies at one time. Perhaps they hid there from the Fascists or the Communists."
"Perhaps." Rex said, although he wasn't convinced. He slowly advanced into the cave, flicking on the flashlight he had brought along. At first he saw nothing, but then noticed that the back of the cave seemed a little too smooth. Curious, Rex went over and placed a hand on the back of the cave. It felt more metallic than rock. "Hey, I found something!"
"What is it, Rex?" Hannah asked as the rest of the group entered the cave. "Have you found something?"
"I think this rock wall is fake." Rex said. He began to hunt around and soon found a button hidden in the cave floor. He pushed the button and the grind of machinery was heard. As Rex and the others watched, the fake cave wall rose up into the ceiling, revealing a long corridor, stretching back into the mountain itself.
"What is this?" Ava asked. "I didn't think the Gypsies could have built something like this."
"They didn't." Rex replied. "I'm afraid your friend is mistaken, Ava. The Gypsies had nothing to do with this, whatever it is."
"I'm sorry." Ion said, crestfallen. "I was so sure about it."
"Hey, that's okay." Ava said.
"Yeah, we did find something interesting, even if it wasn't made by Gypsies." Paige added.
"Quite." Rex said. "I think this bears checking out. Now, what's this?" He moved into a small alcove that was carved into the side of the corridor and began fiddling with what looked like an old generator.
"You think that still works?" Hannah asked. "It looks like it's been sitting here for years."
"We'll soon find out." Rex said as he pressed a button. The old generator coughed and sputtered to life. In the corridor, lights in the ceiling came on. "Ah, much better." He led them forward down the long corridor that was big enough to accommodate several vehicles.
"Well, you're right, Rex. The Gypsies certainly didn't build this." Ava said.
"Yeah, I wonder who did." Paige added. "Could it be left over from World War II, or something like that?"
"I don't think so, Paige." Rex said. "That generator I started didn't seem that old. I would say it was built within the last thirty-five years, or so."
"So, who did build it?" Hannah asked.
"I think we'll find our answers through here." Rex said as he led them up to flight of stairs, leading up to a metal door. Above the door, an old security camera was turning this way and that, scanning the stairs and whomever climbed them.
"Is someone watching us?" Paige asked when she spotted the camera.
"I don't think so, Paige. That camera was probably activated when I turned the power on." Rex said. "It was no doubt programmed to make automatic sweeps of the staircase. That way, whomever built this place could see all visitors as they approached."
"Sounds to me that whomever built this place wasn't fond of guests." Hannah said slowly.
"That may have been true, Hannah, but I don't think we have anything to worry about."
"Why do you say that, Rex?"
"That camera looks like it was built back in the 1980's. If this place was still occupied, you would think they would have upgraded their security system by now." Rex began working on the door. At first, it refused to budge, but them the former Warlock gave it a good shove, and the door flew open. He led them into a darkened room.
"We need some light." Paige said as she flicked on her flashlight and swung it around. "Ah, found the light switch." Paige threw the switch and the room was suddenly bathed in light.
"My God, look at this." Ion said.
"Yes, not what one would expect to find inside a mountain." Rex replied. The group found themselves standing in what appeared to be a posh living room. Although everything was now covered with dust and cobwebs, it was clear that whomever built this place knew the lap of luxury.
"What was all this for?" Hannah asked. "Who built it?"
"I think they may have known the answer to that." Rex said and indicated two portraits hanging above the ornate fireplace. Both were of a man and woman.
"Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu!" Ion said with a gasp.
"Who?" Paige asked.
"Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu were the last Communist rulers of Romania, Paige." Rex said. "Actually, they were Communists in name only. The reality was that the Ceausescu's ran Romania like their own private kingdom. They had fancy houses, fancy cars, money, jewels, you name it."
"Yet our people suffered under them." Ion said. "Thousands starved or died of disease. Anyone who spoke up against the Ceausescu's were jailed, tortured, or killed."
"What happened to the Ceausescu's?" Paige asked with curiosity.
"Well, Paige, in the late 1980's, the then Soviet Union, under Mikhail Gorbachev, had began to move away from Communism and towards democracy. In 1989, Gorbachev declared that the Soviet Union would no longer intervene to protect the Communist governments of the Easter European satellite countries. It had done so in Hungary in 1956, and then again in what was then Czechoslovakia in 1968. For the first time since they had been set up by Joseph Stalin after World War II, the Communist governments or Eastern Europe were totally on their own."
"Of course, that was the beginning of the end for them." Hannah added. "Without the strength of the Soviet army to back them up, they were finished. Some, like Poland and Hungary, realized that, and began replacing Communism with freedom and democracy on their own. Others had to be forced. In East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria, thousands took to the streets, demanding that the Communists give up power and allow freedom and democracy. The Communists, backed into a corner, and with no one to save them, capitulated. All through the fall of 1989, the Communist governments of Eastern Europe fell like dominos."
"Which led to the Berlin Wall being torn down and the reunification of Germany a year later." Rex said. "Most of those revolutions were very peaceful, with no loss of life. Unfortunately, Romania was the exception. The Ceausescu's were used to living the life of luxury and pleasure, at the expense of their people, and there was no way they were going to give that up. When the cries for freedom and an end to Communist tyranny reached Romania, Ceausescu ordered a crackdown. His forces did open fire on protestors, but instead of stopping the revolt, it only flamed it. Within hours, it seemed, everything fell apart for Ceausescu. The military switched sides and joined the revolt, and then it was game over. Ceausescu and his wife attempted to flee, but were captured. On Christmas Day, 1989, Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu were tried and executed by their own people."
"Some Christmas present." Paige said grimly.
"They were lucky." Ion said. "They died fast, unlike most of their victims."
"I would say that this was some kind of bunker that Ceausescu must have had built for himself and his family. Somewhere they could flee to." Rex said. "If I recall, Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu were travelling in this general direction when their were captured."
"You think they might have been headed here?" Ava asked as she looked around the living room.
"Yes, they probably were." Rex replied. "Ironic, isn't it. They had this place built so they could flee here in times of trouble, yet, when the time came, they never made it. It seems events just moved too fast for them."
"So this place has been sitting here for the last twenty years." Paige said. "Why don't we take a look around and see what we can find."
"Good idea, Paige." Rex said. "After all, we did come here on a fact finding mission. Maybe this wasn't what we were planning on, but it does sound interesting all the same."
"So, what's our first move?" Hannah asked.
"I suggest we split up and search this bunker." Rex replied. "Hannah and I will cover this area. Paige, you take Ava and Ion and see what else is here. Let's see what we can turn up."
The first room Rex and Hannah entered was a large dining room, just off the living room. A long table with twelve chairs on either side of it could be seen. Rex noticed that the chairs at either end of the table were more ornate than the others. No doubt Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu used those chairs. he thought. The table was adorned with fancy plates, glasses, and cutlery that still looked nice, despite being covered with dust.
"Hey, there's a liquor cabinet here." Hannah said as she gestured towards the cabinet in question. The two of them looked at all the expensive bottles of Scotch, Brandy, Whiskey, and other alcoholic beverages that were still stored in the cabinet. "I wonder how much of that booze is still drinkable now?" Hannah mused.
"Hard to tell, Hannah." Rex replied. The two of them finished their sweep of the dining room and headed back into the living room. Next, they headed into a hallway that started from the opposite side of the living room.
"There seem to be several rooms here." Hannah said as she and Rex moved down the hallway.
"Let's try one and see what's in it." Rex said. The two of them entered the first door and found themselves in a huge ornate bedroom. An oversized bed dominated the room, with classic looking dressers nearby.
"Ceausescu sure didn't go for anything average." Hannah said.
"No, he didn't. He and his wife lived the good life, unlike most of their people at the time." Rex said. They made their survey of the bedroom, and then moved on to another door, which led into a large bathroom. The third door they tried led into what appeared to be a study. A large desk sat in the center of the room, while bookshelves lined the walls behind it. On the wall to their right were photographs, showing the Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu with various world leaders. "Ceausescu's study. Interesting."
"Rex, look at this!" Hannah said. She had moved to the wall with the photographs on it and was studying them. One had caught her eye and she pointed it out to Rex.
"Joseph Stalin." Rex said grimly as he and Hannah stared a the picture of the infamous Soviet dictator that had sent countless millions to their deaths. From its prominent position, Rex and Hannah could clearly see that the Stalin picture had a place of honour on Ceausescu's wall. "It figures that Ceausescu would make Stalin his mentor. Stalin made it possible for Ceausescu to come to power. After World War II, Stalin installed Communist governments in all the Eastern European countries his armies had taken over, including Romania. The Communist takeover of Romania allowed Ceausescu to take power. If that hadn't happened, he might have lived and died in obscurity, a nobody. Instead, once he became ruler of Romania, he built a cult of personality around himself and his wife, Elena. 'Genius Of The Carpathians' was one of the titles he gave himself. While he, Elena, and their family lived like royalty, thousands of Romanians starved, or died in his prisons. Even now, the total death toll is not known for sure."
"And they called us evil." Hannah muttered.
"Huh, what did you say, Hannah?"
"I mean that people called us, Warlocks, evil. Yet when you realize that their fellow human beings like Hitler, Stalin, Ceausescu, and other dictators slaughtered countless millions, Warlocks suddenly don't look very evil after all."
"Good point, Hannah." Rex replied, nodding his head. The truth was that many human dictators throughout history has slaughtered more people than any Warlock or Demon ever did. The Source may have thought himself the ultimate evil, but when you put him up with the likes of Hitler and Stalin, he comes off more like a playground bully. Rex thought grimly.
"I wonder what else is in this room." Hannah said as she moved away from the wall towards the opposite side of the room. "Rex, there's a vault here!" Hannah said.
"Really?" Rex said as he moved over to join Hannah. Sure enough, there was a vault with a door large enough to admit a grown man. Rex leaned over to examine the lock. Instead of numbers, the lock contained figures of either Slavic or Cyrillic writing. "Hmmm, this must be a code to open the vault."
"Can you translate them?" Hannah asked.
"I could, but it will take time." Rex said and then noticed a sliding door about ten feet to the left of the vault. He opened it and found himself in a control room of some kind. A control panel lined a whole wall of the room, and TV monitors were mounted above it. Empty chairs were placed at regular intervals, each to one monitor.
"What was this for, Rex?" Hannah asked as she joined him.
"I imagine this was where Ceausescu, or some security personnel, kept an eye on things. Look, here is the feed from the camera we saw outside." He indicated a TV screen that showed the approach to the bunker.
"All the other cameras in this bunker must also feed into this room." Hannah replied. As she and Rex had made their survey of the bunker, both had noticed additional security cameras placed in strategic parts of every room. Clearly, the Ceausescu's were concerned with security. Hannah pushed a control, and the other TV monitors came to life, showing all the rooms in the bunker. Despite being more than twenty years out of date, the equipment the control room was clearly still operational.
"Hey, what did you find?" Paige said as she, Ava, and Ion arrived on the scene.
"This and other things." Hannah said and went on to describe what she and Rex had discovered. "What did you three find?"
"Well, there is a sub-level below this one." Paige said. "It's full of living quarters."
"Probably for the servants and security personnel." Rex concluded.
"There are cameras down there too." Paige added when she saw the monitor screens in the control room.
"Figures." Hannah muttered.
"There is also a kitchen." Ava said. "It was stocked with enough food to last at least two years. Of course, most of it has gone bad, since the power has been off for years."
"Ceausescu and his wife could have stayed here for months." Ion said.
"That was probably the plan." Rex replied. "When the revolution broke out, they probably planned to come here and stay until things cooled down. Then they could either try to regain power, or leave the country. Of course, we'll never know which option they would have chosen."
"I wonder what happened to the staff that was here." Paige said. "This bunker must have required a full time staff to look after it."
"They probably fled when the Ceausescu's were executed." Ion replied.
"That's no doubt what happened." Rex added. "The whole country was in chaos. The staff probably just decided to pack up and vanish into obscurity."
"So, some of them could still be alive now." Hannah said.
"Yes, they could be, Hannah. However, I doubt they'll be too keen on revealing their identities or whereabouts."
"Hey, look at this." Paige said. She had moved to a nearby row of shelves that were filled with VHS tapes. "These must be recordings of what the cameras picked up. Why don't we try one and see what's on it."
"Good idea, Paige." Rex said. "Since you discovered the tapes, you do the honours."
"Right." Paige said and selected a tape at random. She moved over to one of the chairs, sat down in it, and popped the tape into a slot below one of the TV monitors. Soon a new picture came up, showing Ceausescu entertaining some Communist cronies in the bunker dining room.
Ceausescu also used this bunker as a private retreat where he threw swanky parties. Rex thought as he studied the images on the screen. Ceausescu and his guests could be seen drinking expensive booze and having a feast. While his people starved by the thousands, Ceausescu and his Communist buddies were here, feasting and drinking like kings. Rex just shook his head.
"Look at all that food." Paige said. "The guy could feed his buddies, but not his people?"
"We were not people to Ceausescu and his wife." Ion said. "We were just toys for them to play with and discard at will. Elena Ceausescu once even referred to us as worms."
"My family was lucky." Ava said. "They got out of Romania in the 1930's. God only knows what would have happened to them under Ceausescu's rule."
"They probably would have been imprisoned or forced into a collective home." Ion said. "Ceausescu was determined to eradicate the old ways once and for all. Only the revolution stopped him."
"Why don't the rest of you keep going through those tapes." Rex said. "I'm going to have a crack at that vault. Maybe we can see what's in it." He turned and headed out of the control room.
"Wait, maybe I can help." Ion said and followed after Rex.
"Let's see what else is here." Paige said as she reached for another tape.
Rex stood at the vault door and studied the writings. Yes, they are clearly a mixture of Slavic and Cyrillic. he thought.
"What does it mean?" Ion asked.
"I'm not sure yet." Rex replied. "Can you read this, Ion?"
"No, I can't." Ion replied after he had studied the writings for a moment. "I don't recognize the passages."
"Well, Ceausescu must have had the code here somewhere." Rex said as he walked over to Ceausescu's desk and began going through the drawers. "I'll just have to find it."
Back in the control room, Hannah, Paige, and Ava were looking at the second tape that Paige had placed in the slot. This one showed the bunker being outfitted with furniture. Clearly, from the look of things on the tape, the bunker had just recently been built. "When was this recorded?" Ava asked.
"1986." Paige replied as she studied the date on the screen.
"The equipment here would also date from around that time." Hannah said. She turned her attention back to the screen, where Ceausescu could be seen shaking hands with a group of people in the bunker. Must be the servants and security staff. she thought. She squinted her eyes for a better look.
"What is it, Hannah?" Paige asked.
"I don't know, Paige." Hannah replied. "I thought I... I thought I saw something. Ah, it's probably nothing. Let's keep looking through these tapes."
"I think this might be it." Rex said as he pulled a what appeared to be a ledger out of the top left drawer of Ceausescu's desk. He opened it and began studying the writings inside. Sure enough, they were written in the same languages as what was on the vault door. After about twenty minutes, Rex looked up. "I think I have it, Ion."
"Are you sure?" Ion asked. He had stood quietly by as Rex studied the writings in the ledger.
"I'm sure of it. Only one way to find out." With that, Rex got up and headed over to the safe, with Ion following him. Slowly, he began to work the lock, matching the writings with those in the ledger. After a few moments, a loud clank was heard and the lock released. Rex pulled the vault door open.
"Dear God, look!" Ion said and pointed to what was in the vault.
"Ceausescu's fortune, one of many he had, no doubt." Rex said. In the vault were boxed of gold coins, jewels, diamonds, and other priceless trinkets. There were also racks of priceless fur coats that had belonged to Elena Ceausescu. Stacked up against one wall were valuable works of art. Some of these paintings haven't been seen since World War II. Rex thought. They were looted by the Nazis, then, after the war, the Communists must have grabbed them. Ceausescu eventually got possesion of them, and they ended up here. I'm sure there are a lot of galleries that would like to have these back.
"A fortune." Ion said.
"Yes, and I'm sure this fortune will help a lot of people, Ion."
"I think not, Mr. Buckland." Ion said, his voice suddenly growing cold. "You see, I have plans for this fortune myself."
"What!?" Rex said as he turned around and found himself facing the barrel of a gun.
While Rex had been working on translating the code for the vault, Hannah, Paige, and Ava had continued to study the VHS tapes. Hannah still had a nagging feeling that something was wrong, so she had wandered over to the shelf where the tapes were kept and had discovered what had appeared to be a log book. No doubt whomever was watching the monitors would record events in here. Hannah thought as she flipped through the log. Of course, it was all written in Romanian, which Hannah couldn't read a word of, but she did keep track of the dates written. Finally, she found the date she was looking for. "Paige, could you put that other tape back in. The one from 1986." Hannah asked.
"Sure, but why?" Paige asked as she ejected the tape they were watching and put the 1986 tape back into the slot.
"Like I said a few moments ago, something on that tape bothered me. I just need to put my mind at rest." Hannah replied.
"Okay, here goes." Paige said as she began to play the tape in question.
"Now.." Hannah muttered as she watched the tape and glanced at the log book in her hand. Soon, the date she wanted came up. "There! Paige, pause it there!" Hannah watched as Paige paused the tape, which was on the part where Ceausescu was shaking hands with the bunker personnel.
"What are we looking for, Hannah?" Paige asked.
"I'll tell you in a sec." Hannah said and turned to Ava. "Can you read this passage?" she held up the log book and indicated where she wanted Ava to read.
"I can try." Ava replied as she took the book from Hannah and began to read it. "Well, my Romanian is rusty, but I think it says 'President Ceausescu appoints Head of Bunker Security', or something like that. Why?"
"Look at the screen, at the man Ceausescu is shaking hands with." Hannah said slowly. Paige and Ava took a close look and soon they saw what Hannah had seen.
"It's Ion!" Ava said. "He's younger, but it is him!"
"You mean the guy that's here with us now?" Paige asked. "He worked here!?"
"Yes, he did." Hannah said. "We've been tricked! We've got to warn Rex! Let's go!"
"Ion, I don't understand." Rex said as Ion continued to cover him with the gun.
"You will, soon enough." Ion replied, smiling.
"Rex, it's a..." Hannah said as she, Paige, and Ava arrived on the scene. She paused as Ion swung his gun around to cover them.
"Hannah, do you know what this is all about?" Rex asked.
"Yeah, we saw it on one of those tapes. Ion tricked us. He used to work here in the bunker!"
"He was in charge of security." Paige added.
"Is that true?" Rex asked as he turned back to Ion.
"Every word." Ion said. "You were right, Mr. Buckland. Ceausescu did have this bunker built in case of an emergency, and when the revolution came in 1989, he and Elena did try to come here, but they didn't make it. When the rest of the staff here heard about the Ceausescu's being executed, they fled."
"Yet, you stayed. Why?" Paige asked.
"Because I knew about this." Ion said and indicated the open vault, in which the fortune could be seen.
"But if you knew this was here all along, why didn't you take it before now?" Hannah wondered.
"Because he couldn't open the vault." Rex said, before Ion could reply. "You didn't know the code to open it. That's right, isn't it, Ion."
"That's true." Ion said bitterly. "Ceausescu trusted me with the knowledge of the vault, but not the code to open it. Only he and his wife knew that, and they took that secret with them to the grave. For nearly twenty years I've been looking for a way to open that vault. Explosives were too risky, I needed to find a way to crack the code and open the door."
"Which you realized you could do when I mentioned Rex and his abilities to translate languages to you." Ava said slowly.
"So all that anti-Ceausescu talk of yours, Ion. It was all an act." Hannah said.
"Well, yes and no." Ion replied. "Truthfully, I really didn't care for Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu as people, but they did give me a job."
"And how many people did you kill doing that job, Ion?" Rex asked.
"Who the hell are all of you to judge me!" Ion suddenly snapped. "You all grew up in rich countries where you always had plenty to eat! I had nothing. I had to beg to stay alive, before Ceausescu found me. If I had to sell my soul to save my life, so be it. None of you can understand that."
"Actually we can." Rex said. "Hannah and I used to work for someone very much like Ceausescu. We obeyed his orders without question for a long time. However, ultimately we realized we were working for a monster and turned against him. Like the people of Romania in 1989, we had a revolution to overthrow the tyrants we once worked for."
"With some help from me and my sisters." Paige added.
"The point is, Ion, is that Hannah and I learned from our past. Sadly, it seems you have not learned or profited from anything these past twenty years."
"Actually, I plan to profit very well, thank you." Ion said and gestured towards the fortune in the vault. "Consider this my retirement fund. However, I cannot allow any of you to live to ruin it for me."
"I was afraid you were going to say that." Rex said. After exchanging a quick glance with Hannah and Paige, he slipped into a trance. In seconds, Astral-Rex appeared behind Ion and whispered. "There's someone behind you!"
"What!?" Ion said and whirled around to look behind him.
"Gun!" Paige shouted, holding out her hand. Ion's gun was quickly orbed into Paige's outstretched hand.
"What happening?" Ion asked.
"Just some magic justice." Hannah said and morphed into a cougar, which pounced upon Ion. Ion, unable to deal with what was going on, promptly passed out.
"Well, that takes care of him." Rex said. "Perhaps we can find something to tie him up with."
"We're on it." Hannah said, once she had reverted to her human form. "Come on, Paige, let's find a rope." The two of them headed off to find something to secure Ion with.
"To think that I trusted him." Ava said, sadly shaking her head.
"Don't blame yourself, Ava." Rex replied. "Evil does take many forms. Unfortunately, Demons do not hold the monopoly on it."
"What are we going to do with all this?" Ava asked, indicating the fortune in the vault.
"I may have an idea or two." Rex said. "Listen..."
PALO ALTO
AUGUST 18, 2009
"Well, Rex, you did it." Ava said as she and Paige were visiting Rex and Hannah in their apartment. "The fortune in the vault will be used to fund Romanian hospitals and orphanages and allow them to hire new personnel and buy new equipment."
"The only exception will be the works of art, which will be returned to their proper owners." Rex replied.
"It's about time that Ceausescu's greed did some good." Hannah said. "What about Ion? What happened to him?"
"He has been turned over to the Romanian authorities." Paige said. "Apparently, they've been after him for years. Now he will answer for his crimes."
"All's well that ends well." Rex said.
"Not really." Ava replied. "We still haven't found out anything about my Romanian ancestors."
"Well, Ava, then why don't we get started on that." Rex said. "I still have time before my class starts again. I'll be happy to help you."
"Thank you both." Ava said to Rex and Hannah. "Paige was right in that I should trust you. I find it hard to believe that you both used to be evil."
"I know." Rex said. "Hannah and I can never erase our past mistakes, but we can learn from them and move forward into a better future."
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT EXCITING ENTRY IN THE REX AND HANNAH CHRONICLES!