Elisa Maza and Matt Bluestone go to the rooftop of the hospital where the Wyvern Gargoyle Clan has roosted for the day. Sunset is imminent, and the last rays of the sun for the day shine upon Manhattan.
The statues crack, ands then the gargoyles roar as they burst from their stone skin.
"Elisa," says Goliath. "I see you're up."
"Good to see you on your feet, Matt," says Lexington.
"Goliath," says Elisa, "I've something to tell you."
"What is it?" asks the gargoyle leader.
"My parents visited me earlier today. They told me Daniel Rabb was killed in the attack. I knew him most of my life."
The two of them embrace with sorrow.
Later that night, the gargoyles enter a conference room in the lower levels of Castle Wyvern.
"Xanatos," says Goliath as hwe enters the room. "What is it?"
"I've spoken with Mr. Duval of the Illuminati," says the billionaire industrialist.
"The Illuminati?" asks Broadway. "Those are the guys Matt was talking about."
"Duval told me about who was behind yesterday's attack." Xanatos goes on to explain about Al Qaeda.
"And you trust him?" asks Goliath. "How much do you know about this Mr. Duval?"
"All I know is that he is a high-standing member of the Illuminati. They have connections in American intelligence agencies. But as for trusting him, Duval has never lied to me. Whenever he told me something that I did not know before, it turned out to be true."
"Xanatos, my clan and I all want to stop the people who did this. But I know nothing of Mr. Duval."
"Very well then, Goliath. I am not asking you to trust him. Whether or not you choose to believe him is your business. The Illuminati want to recruit you in the elimination of Al Qaeda."
"We should be careful, Goliath," says Hudson. "We have been duped before."
"I can understand your trepidation in joining with the Illuminati. Here is Mr. Duval's card." David Xanatos hands Goliath a business card. "You can arrange a meeting with him by calling this number. Listen to him Goliath, and then make your decision."
Goliath looks at the card. Its logo is a red trapezoid with a triangle on top. there is an eye in the triangle.
"I could search the Internet for references to Al Qaeda," says Lexington. "I'll check the web sites as well as the CIA servers. I can get through their firewalls."
"Good," says Brooklyn, "we'll need to get all the information we can."
Officer Morgan is inside the office of the Twenty-third Precinct. He is typing a report on a Vaio personal computer. The office is quieter than usual, as yesterday's events are still at the surface of everyone's minds.
"Elisa," he says, seeing Elisa in the precinct. "What brings you here now?"
"I got tired sitting around in my apartment," says the detective. "What's that?"
"Those are memorial ribbons for the eleven police officers from this precinct who were killed in yesterday's attack."
Elisa goes to the wall where the ribbons are attached. Each ribbon has a name attached to it. She knew these people, worked with them. and now they are all dead, leaving being grieving friends and families. Just like Sergeant Daniel Rabb.
"I could have been one of them," she whispers.
"It could have happened to any of us," says Morgan. "The best thing we could do is to pick up the pieces and move on."
"So this Illuminati believes that Al Qaeda was responsible for yesterday's attack," says Elisa.
"Xanatos showed me the photographs," says Goliath. "I had Lexington search the Internet for references to Al Qaeda. Web pages from news organizations confirmed what the Illuminati told Xanatos. And the federal government believes Osama bin Laden was behind the attack. Still, all the information is being gathered. I can not take action until I have all the facts."
"Is there any reason the Illuminati wanted Xanatos to tell you this?"
"I am to call this number." Goliath takes out a business card. "Presumbaly, this Mr. Duval wants to arrange a meeting with my clan."
"And then what?"
"I don't know. I just hope I can trust this Mr. Duval."
"It wouldn't hurt if you met with him. But there is one condition."
Mr. Duval rides up the elevator to Castle Wyvern, accompanied by Owen Burnett.
"Are they still up there?" asks Duval.
"Yes, sir," says Owen. "The clan is up there, along with two others."
The elevator opens to the courtyard. Duval sees a bunch of gargoyles, along with two humans, one in a red jacket and jeans, the other in a trench coat and a suit.
"Hello there, I am Mr. Duval," he says.
"I am the clan leader Goliath," says the lavendar gargoyle. "We wish to discuss your offer."
Taps is played as the flag-draped coffin containing Daniel Rabb's body is lowered into a six-foot deep pit in a cemetery in Amityville, New York. The buglers are soldiers from the New York Army National Guard Band, all dressed in their dressed uniforms. Rabb;s wife and chikldren are attending the funeral, their souls still saturated with grief since Tuesday. Police officers from his precinct and others also attend, as well as people who had served with Rabb in the Vietnam War, some of them still in active duty in the U.S. Army.
Detective Elisa Maza is one of the police in attendance. She wears a charcoal-gray suit for this occasion. She can not help but cry, and to feel pity for those who were closer to Sergeant Daniel Rabb than she was. And she was pretty close to him. Daniel Rabb attended her high school graduation, as well as the ceremony where she was officialy made a detective.
Mrs. Rabb wails as the coffin is finally put to rest. Her three grown children hug her at this terrible moment, the climax of events that began September 11.
Elisa wa;lks across the grass-ciovered ground and approaches the Rabbs. "I wish I could console you," she says.
"I love him," says Mrs. Rabb. "How could they take Daniel away from me?"
"I don't know."
She looks towards the west where Manhattan is. She had been at the meeting with the clan and Mr. Duval. Goliaht may very well decide to take on Al Qaeda. She wonders if they woulkd take Goliath away from her as well.
Then the sorrow and fear are replaced by determination. She has to do this. They have to do this. It is what she and Goliath live for.
The statues crack, ands then the gargoyles roar as they burst from their stone skin.
"Elisa," says Goliath. "I see you're up."
"Good to see you on your feet, Matt," says Lexington.
"Goliath," says Elisa, "I've something to tell you."
"What is it?" asks the gargoyle leader.
"My parents visited me earlier today. They told me Daniel Rabb was killed in the attack. I knew him most of my life."
The two of them embrace with sorrow.
Later that night, the gargoyles enter a conference room in the lower levels of Castle Wyvern.
"Xanatos," says Goliath as hwe enters the room. "What is it?"
"I've spoken with Mr. Duval of the Illuminati," says the billionaire industrialist.
"The Illuminati?" asks Broadway. "Those are the guys Matt was talking about."
"Duval told me about who was behind yesterday's attack." Xanatos goes on to explain about Al Qaeda.
"And you trust him?" asks Goliath. "How much do you know about this Mr. Duval?"
"All I know is that he is a high-standing member of the Illuminati. They have connections in American intelligence agencies. But as for trusting him, Duval has never lied to me. Whenever he told me something that I did not know before, it turned out to be true."
"Xanatos, my clan and I all want to stop the people who did this. But I know nothing of Mr. Duval."
"Very well then, Goliath. I am not asking you to trust him. Whether or not you choose to believe him is your business. The Illuminati want to recruit you in the elimination of Al Qaeda."
"We should be careful, Goliath," says Hudson. "We have been duped before."
"I can understand your trepidation in joining with the Illuminati. Here is Mr. Duval's card." David Xanatos hands Goliath a business card. "You can arrange a meeting with him by calling this number. Listen to him Goliath, and then make your decision."
Goliath looks at the card. Its logo is a red trapezoid with a triangle on top. there is an eye in the triangle.
"I could search the Internet for references to Al Qaeda," says Lexington. "I'll check the web sites as well as the CIA servers. I can get through their firewalls."
"Good," says Brooklyn, "we'll need to get all the information we can."
Officer Morgan is inside the office of the Twenty-third Precinct. He is typing a report on a Vaio personal computer. The office is quieter than usual, as yesterday's events are still at the surface of everyone's minds.
"Elisa," he says, seeing Elisa in the precinct. "What brings you here now?"
"I got tired sitting around in my apartment," says the detective. "What's that?"
"Those are memorial ribbons for the eleven police officers from this precinct who were killed in yesterday's attack."
Elisa goes to the wall where the ribbons are attached. Each ribbon has a name attached to it. She knew these people, worked with them. and now they are all dead, leaving being grieving friends and families. Just like Sergeant Daniel Rabb.
"I could have been one of them," she whispers.
"It could have happened to any of us," says Morgan. "The best thing we could do is to pick up the pieces and move on."
"So this Illuminati believes that Al Qaeda was responsible for yesterday's attack," says Elisa.
"Xanatos showed me the photographs," says Goliath. "I had Lexington search the Internet for references to Al Qaeda. Web pages from news organizations confirmed what the Illuminati told Xanatos. And the federal government believes Osama bin Laden was behind the attack. Still, all the information is being gathered. I can not take action until I have all the facts."
"Is there any reason the Illuminati wanted Xanatos to tell you this?"
"I am to call this number." Goliath takes out a business card. "Presumbaly, this Mr. Duval wants to arrange a meeting with my clan."
"And then what?"
"I don't know. I just hope I can trust this Mr. Duval."
"It wouldn't hurt if you met with him. But there is one condition."
Mr. Duval rides up the elevator to Castle Wyvern, accompanied by Owen Burnett.
"Are they still up there?" asks Duval.
"Yes, sir," says Owen. "The clan is up there, along with two others."
The elevator opens to the courtyard. Duval sees a bunch of gargoyles, along with two humans, one in a red jacket and jeans, the other in a trench coat and a suit.
"Hello there, I am Mr. Duval," he says.
"I am the clan leader Goliath," says the lavendar gargoyle. "We wish to discuss your offer."
Taps is played as the flag-draped coffin containing Daniel Rabb's body is lowered into a six-foot deep pit in a cemetery in Amityville, New York. The buglers are soldiers from the New York Army National Guard Band, all dressed in their dressed uniforms. Rabb;s wife and chikldren are attending the funeral, their souls still saturated with grief since Tuesday. Police officers from his precinct and others also attend, as well as people who had served with Rabb in the Vietnam War, some of them still in active duty in the U.S. Army.
Detective Elisa Maza is one of the police in attendance. She wears a charcoal-gray suit for this occasion. She can not help but cry, and to feel pity for those who were closer to Sergeant Daniel Rabb than she was. And she was pretty close to him. Daniel Rabb attended her high school graduation, as well as the ceremony where she was officialy made a detective.
Mrs. Rabb wails as the coffin is finally put to rest. Her three grown children hug her at this terrible moment, the climax of events that began September 11.
Elisa wa;lks across the grass-ciovered ground and approaches the Rabbs. "I wish I could console you," she says.
"I love him," says Mrs. Rabb. "How could they take Daniel away from me?"
"I don't know."
She looks towards the west where Manhattan is. She had been at the meeting with the clan and Mr. Duval. Goliaht may very well decide to take on Al Qaeda. She wonders if they woulkd take Goliath away from her as well.
Then the sorrow and fear are replaced by determination. She has to do this. They have to do this. It is what she and Goliath live for.