A/N: This one is good if I do say so myself. Thanks for reading. I'd like to hear what you think will happen in Chapter 10. :)
Chapter 9
Vesper One had come across something disturbing. And his plan was going so well...
On the plane to Boston, he was studying his father's notes and research on the ring needed for the machina fini mundi. He'd found out that this was the ring that used to belong to Gideon Cahill, the Cahill's greatest ancestor. He knew he needed it. But then the disturbing part came into the light. His father had written it underneath a picture of the ring.
The Guardians protect the ring from falling into our hands.
Vesper One had never heard of the Guardians until now. Who were they? He concluded that they needed to be destroyed, whoever they were. He noticed an attachment underneath the picture of the ring. He extracted it from the paper clip and saw another picture. It was a dark woman, smiling warmly at him. At the bottom was a name. Astrid Rosenbloom. It didn't take long to work out who she was.
Vesper One sipped a glass of water sitting next to him. He took a breath and put the picture down. He closed his eyes. Others would think he was sleeping, or at least taking a nap. But this was his way of strategizing, figuring out his plan.
Once he retrieved his mole from Boston, he would send either Luna or Sandy out to kidnap the next Vesper Six, whoever it would be. But now, his plan had been altered by this new development. He thought harder, a crease line forming above his eyes. No, wait a minute. Seconds past until Vesper One opened his eyes.
He'd figured it out. The ring wasn't vital at this moment of time. It could wait while he assembles his council. Speaking of which, he would need to call V-4. But for now, research on Astrid would be of use.
He opened his laptop and got to work, even as the plane passed the American border.
••••
Vesper Four fiddled with the buttons on his shirt as he approached his master's office.
He was to report to his office after arriving at the stronghold. Vesper Four thought it was a little odd to have it in the Rockies, but he wasn't the boss. Oh how he wished he could though.
He rehearsed what he would say to Vesper One once he greeted him. He envisioned him to be old and wise. A lot of power and wisdom glowing from one person. Vesper Four approached his office door and knocked on it. Silence. He peered inside the ajar door. A small desk and chair sat in a small room. This was his secretary's office, without it's secretary. Then he saw the door with the label, imprinted with the words Quarters of Vesper One. Vesper Four's heart pounded. This was it.
He stepped towards the door and knocked on it. No answer. He tried again, louder this time. No answer. Impatience grew on Vesper Four and he opened the door.
Inside was a large room, consisting of a mahogany desk with a plush chair behind it. One wall was lined with paintings of former Vesper Ones. The other was lined with TV screens. There were two filing cabinets sitting in the corner of the room as well. The carpet was soft and inviting, although it was in the office of perhaps the world's most evil person. But one thing was missing. Vesper One.Where was he?
Vesper Four walked towards the paintings. All in all, there were about thirty, two rows of fifteen paintings. He looked at the first one and saw a middle-aged man in expensive, middle-aged garments. His face was dead serious, part the eyes sparkled the qualities power and cunning. The label at the bottom of the frame read DAMIEN VESPER I. The next painting showed another man, who looked similar to Damien Vesper I. Most likely, it was his son. The paintings repeated this process until the last one showed a man in his late fifties, with a near bored expression on his face. DAMIEN VESPER II. Vesper Four looked closer. He realized this is what he envisioned the current Vesper One to look like. Then he cast his eyes to another painting lying on the floor, next to the expensive mahogany desk. It was younger man, in his early twenties. And unlike the others, he was smirking like he had won something. The label read DAMIEN VESPER III. Vesper Four's eyes widened. Surely this wasn't the current Vesper One? He decided to turn away and explore his desk.
On it was two monitors and a pile of paper, spread out randomly on the desk. He looked closer. The paper had writing on them, but some of them had pictures and sketches. The most interesting one that appealed to him was the large paper at the bottom of the pile. To him, it seemed like a mega-monster device. Then he saw the caption below. Machina fini Mundi. Doomsday Device.
He blinked. Out of fear, out of shock, he did not know. But something told him how utterly dangerous and enormous this was. And then he remembered what Vesper One himself had told him back in the dressing room only yesterday. You have been chosen to participate in the Vesper's largest project. The truth was mindblowing, and he had to sit down to take this in. Me...Sandy Bancroft...operate the construction of a Doomsday Device?
Then a thick Italian voice cut into his thoughts.
"Put your hands in the air."
Immediately, Vesper Four did so and looked up to see who had ordered him to do so. It was an older woman who looked in her seventies. She had a glock pistol clutched in her hand. Never before had he seen such an odd combination - an old woman with a dangerous weapon.
"Who are you?" She barked.
Vesper Four thought for a moment. This woman may be in the council, looking after Vesper One's office while he was gone. No wonder this place was easy to access. It was a trap. But then she might be a security guard, and with his new status, he might be able to apply his authority.
"I am Sandy Bancroft." He replied.
She snarled. "I don't know you at all. What's your status?"
"No, what's your status?"
The woman fumed. "How dare you ask that, incompetent scum! I am Vesper Five and you will be removed from the Vespers, I will see to it personally."
This was his chance.
"Oh really? Because I'm Vesper Four. And if you don't drop that gun right now, I'm calling V-1."
The old woman gaped, stunned. The hand that gripped the glock pistol slackened and the gun fell out of her hand and made a thunk sound on the floor. Vesper Four smirked, like Damien Vesper III in the painting. He had found how to use his new power. Before, he didn't know how to handle it and it made him burn the studio to cinders. He felt like he could do anything he wanted with Vesper Five.
"Now tell me who you are." Sandy ordered.
"Luna Amato, Vesper Five." She said. "When did you get into the council?"
"Just yesterday. Now, no more questions. You are dismissed. I'll look after the big guy's office while you-"
His Vesper phone rang in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and answered it, as Luna looked at him, with resentment.
"Hello?"
"Are you at where I told you to be, V-4?" Came the voice of Vesper One.
Sandy gulped. He was always nervous speaking to his master, and Luna could clearly see it.
"Yes sir."
"Good. You have a new assignment. Here is what I want you to do."