Wolf, Tennack, and Keltock walked into the large chamber in the underworld. The chamber had originally belonged to the Source of all Evil. With the Source vanquished it had lain empty. Most of the lower level demons avoided the chamber out of a long standing fear. The higher-level demons all had their own domains.
"This is risky," said Keltock. "Traditionally, this chamber is to be left undisturbed until a new Source is chosen. Many will think us too bold for meeting here."
"Don't worry, Keltock," said Wolf. "Once I'm the Source no one will be concerned with our presence here."
"If you become the Source," said Tennack. "That is not a certainty yet. The Seer refuses to tell anyone of her vision."
"She has spoken to Malevant," said Keltock. "Perhaps he is the one in her vision."
"I doubt it," said Wolf. "If he had wished to replace the Source he would have done so by now. Many of the hierarchy would back him. Enough so that there would be no serious contention from anyone else. As of yet he has made no move to become the new Source."
"I agree," said Keltock. "If the advisor had wanted to be the new Source he would have stepped in immediately. That still leaves us with the question of who will be the next Source."
"I've been thinking about that," said Wolf. "As we have already discussed, selecting a new Source normally involves a great deal of conflict. Perhaps there is a more efficient way to affect the new selection."
"And what would that be?" Keltock asked. "You know the new Source must be powerful enough to not only take the position but to hold it once he has taken it."
"Then we will just have to prove I am the most powerful," said Wolf. "And there is one sure fire way to prove that."
"You aren't suggesting we go after the Charmed Ones?" Tennack asked. "That option has already been tried. When the Source was vanquished, LaTarrin, Mephistan, Talistar, and Beelzbor decided that was the best way to choose a new Source. They were vanquished for their trouble. The Charmed Ones are too powerful for us."
"True," said Wolf. "But that was because they went after the Charmed Ones directly. And they made it a competition. By the time they combined their forces it was too late. The witches were ready for them."
"So what do you suggest?" Tennack asked.
"We overwhelm them," said Wolf. "We don't go after the Charmed Ones directly. First, we go after those closest to them. Keep them off balance."
"How does that get us to the Charmed Ones?" asked Keltock. "Killing mortals will hardly prove any of us is worthy to be the Source."
"Not in and of itself," said Wolf. "But imagine their reaction when those closest to them begin to die."
"And they'll come after us immediately," said Tennack. "Any demonic activity, even to mortals, will alert the witches to our presence."
"Not if those deaths are not demonically related," said Wolf. "We have to carefully orchestrate each death so that it appears to be an accident, suicide, anything but a demon attack."
"I'm with Keltock," said Tennack. "I still do not see how this gets us to the Charmed Ones."
"The witches will be grieving," said Wolf. "Trying to figure why one of their closest friends committed suicide, for example. Then another friend is killed by a supposedly random robbery. Then another dies from what the humans call a hit-and-run."
"And with so many deaths so close together," said Keltock, "the witches will immediately suspect us, even if there is no indication of demonic involvement. We're right back where we started from."
"Yes," said Wolf. "And we give them what they want. We give them some of our underlings as an 'offering' to appease their suspicion."
"You mean sacrifice some underlings so the Charmed Ones find their demonic involvement," said Tennack.
"Exactly," said Wolf. "Once the witches have vanquished the underlings they will be satisfied they have taken care of the demons killing their friends. Satisfied they have dealt with the demons they will take time to grieve, dropping their guard."
"Then what?" Keltock asked. "Some humans will be dead and we will have lost some underlings. And this plan does not prove one of us is worthy to be the new Source."
"I've only told you two phases of the plan," said Wolf. "Phase one is killing the mortals. Phase two is sacrificing the underlings to appease the witches' suspicions. Phase three will be the most important part of the plan."
"And just what is phase three?" Tennack asked.
"We kill the Charmed Ones," said Wolf. "Only we don't wait. We attack very shortly after they've vanquished the underlings. Within a matter of minutes."
"Attack the Charmed Ones?" Keltock asked. "Are you insane?"
"No," said Wolf. "Once they have vanquished our underlings they will return to their manor. We will be waiting there for them. As soon as they open the front door we attack. Whichever sister opens the door will suffer the brunt of our attacks. Not even a Charmed One can withstand the attack from all three of us at the same time."
"And if it works," said Tennack, "we get only one sister. That still leaves two of them to deal with. And even individually they can be quite formidable. They've proven that time and again."
"Yes," said Wolf. "But at precisely the same moment we attack we have several of our underlings attack them from the outside. Just a moment after they open the door. They'll turn to defend themselves against that attack. That's when we strike. They won't be expecting an attack so soon after vanquishing the first group of underlings. And they won't be expecting an attack from two flanks at the same time. Especially from inside their own home."
"It is risky," said Keltock. "If their White Lighter opens the front door we will loose the element of surprise. There will be no Dark Lighters around to take care of the White Lighter."
"There is always an element of risk when dealing with these witches," said Wolf. "And I'll grant you something could go wrong. But once we pull this off even the hierarchy will have to accept me as the new Source."
"With us as your right hand," Tennack gloated.
"Exactly," said Wolf. "With the added bonus that the Charmed Ones will never bother us again. And once we've disposed of the witches we'll destroy that accursed Book of Shadows so no future witches will be able to use it."
"It is an excellent plan," Keltock said. "If we time it just right they'll never know what hit them."
"I assume you all ready have a plan?" Tennack asked. "About how to divert their attention?"
"I have," said Wolf, pulling out a piece of parchment. "I have the names of four of their closest friends. We can begin immediately. By the time we get to the fourth name the sisters will be grieving heavily. And with the fourth attack we 'let it slip' that it's demonically related. That will put them on the track of the underlings."
"So, who will be the first victim?" Keltock asked.
"It must be someone very close to them," said Wolf. "Someone that will deal them a very serious blow. I think the first death should be a suicide. That will have them questioning why.
"Who is that close to them?" Tennack asked.
"There are two," Wolf said. "The first is a police officer named Morris. He knows their secret and has even helped them on occasion. But as close as he is, I believe there is one other who is even closer. One that will shake them to their very core."
"He must be very close," said Keltock.
"He is," said Wolf. "And you both know him. We've all worked with him before. And we all have reason to want him dead. His name is Cole Turner."
"Belthazor?" Keltock questioned. "The Charmed Ones vanquished his demonic half months ago. He's nothing but a mortal now."
"And he's engaged to the middle sister," Wolf said. "If he commits suicide it will be a blow that will send her reeling. So I suggest we send a couple of underlings to 'assist' Turner in committing suicide. Without his powers he will be no match for them."
"And we begin our journey that will culminate in total control of the underworld," said Tennack.