The package had gain a prominent position on his kitchen table, he hadn't opened it yet as he didn't want to touch the content of the box. Not yet. In order to survive he should leave the content of the box untouched for the next 24-48 hours. He can't hold it forever as the Cenobites would find a way to get him. The only thing he could do, was killing those who were behind him. Something he couldn't do alone. He grabbed the phone and called his son. Phase 1 was preserving his lifework and the only one who could do this, was his 30 year old son. His daughter wouldn't understand it, she wouldn't understand what to be done. "Hello, Michael, it's dad here. You remember I told you about my 'library', hidden behind my bookcase in my office. I want you to remove the all artefacts and books you will find tomorrow and stock it in a safe house. I shall give you the address. You think you can do that."

"Sure, dad but what going on? Are you in trouble? Have they found you? But you need to open a box for..."

"As a descendent of a toymaker, you always get into trouble. I will be gone tomorrow, you find the key on the regular place."

"And where will you go, I don't get it."

Samuel looks at the newspaper and reads the article again with headline: Third blood drained body found in New York. He answers his son by saying: "New York is lovely this time of the year", and he hangs up. Next he calls his agent with the news that the book is finished and he will send it him later that day. He put down the phone and goes to his office. He opens his laptop and starts it. First he sends his manuscript to his agent, he have to take care of other things. Next he goes online and buy a last minute ticket to New York. His flight goes over 4 hours. Time enough for him to solve some minor problems before leaving this place. He was surprised that he was so calm, as he was facing death. Maybe because he had a plan or maybe because he knew that there were thing worse than death. Far worse. He opens his safe and takes the box from his kitchen table. Carefully putting it in the safe, he's relieved by the fact that he didn't have done something stupid yet. He had made a fault by joining the Hell on Earth Project, so he wasn't allowed to make any other, for the sake of his plan. He had join the group in the hope to see the doors of Hell finally sealed. A pity hope for which he had to pay now. He took his trench coat and the newspaper and travelled to the airport. The ride would take him two hours if there was no traffic jam and he wanted to think further about his plan. The newspaper was the key, it had brought him both salvation as damnation. He parks the car on the car parking and enters the airport. During the ride he could only think about the plan, the way to destroy the box. He hoped that his feeling was right. That the 'vampire of New York' is who think he is. He looks at the departing menu and sees that he still have 2 hours to get his plane.

He sits down and takes his newspaper, reading the article again. According to the article, the blood drained corpse of a 44 years old hobo, named Benedict Kane was found near the Cinema Society, at East 78 street. The authorities believed he was the victim of some weird cult. The autopsy report claims there were no cut marks, only a strange circle on his neck. In his body, no blood could be found in body, his arteries and veins had collapsed by a vacuum created by 'an unknown machine'. But he knows better, the blood wasn't removed by machine, the man not killed by a human. His knowledge told him that there were only three kind of species that were able of doing this. The cenobites were an unlikely option, a Hell's escapee was a possibility but that couldn't explain the strange circle in the neck. According to Kristy Cotton, her uncle Frank drained blood from his victims by mere touching them, as they were dying. This wasn't the case here. He could only hope for the third option. He closes his paper , put in his briefcase and goes checking in.

A few hours later, his flight lands on the airport of La Guardia. He looks around and sees the sun going down. "Time for phase 2."

He takes his briefcase and went to one of those tax-free shops. It seems that it was his lucky day, in no time he found what he was searching. A Swiss knife. Strange you still could buy these on an airport. At the pay desk, his eyes fall on the latest issue of the paranormal magazine, Beyond Reality. This was the magazine were Grayson originally wrote for. It was to say, before he got slaughtered by the cenobites. It could be interesting to read as he returned to San Francisco. As he leaves the shop, the first thing to do, is get a taxi. He leaves the airport, looks around till suddenly he sees a cab. He winks the man and runs towards the car. "Where do you have to be, buddy?"

"Can you bring me to East 78th street, near Central Park."

"That's a long ride, man..."

"Price is no option!"

"OK, then."

During the ride, the driver got more chatty by the minute: "Did you hear about what happened near Cinema Society? That on the East 78th Street by the way. A man was found dead, killed by some mysterious cult."

"I know. I'll be fair with you. I'm journalist and I wanted to investigated the case as soon as I heard of it. Problem is, I had car trouble after I brought someone to the airport and now I needed a taxi."

"Figures. Well, I say you this, I don't know who or what killed him but he surely did an number on him."

"Really? Tell me everything."

From his briefcase, he takes a notepad. He didn't need to do this but it looked more professional. When they arrives near the crime scene, Samuel steps out the car and gives the man five notes of 100 dollar. But before the man can give him his change, he's gone.

He sneaks through an alleyway, hoping to find another hobo. Or something else that can be missed. Suddenly he hears a loud coughing by his feet and looks down. An unshaved man is laying in the corner made by a wall and container. He crouches by the man and asks him what he wants. "Please, sir. Just some money. I don't ask much. Just some money."

"It's OK," he grabs the knife he had bought on the airport, unfolds it. "I understand exactly what you need."

Before the man can say anything else, Samuel places his gloved hand over the mouth of the man and stabs him with the other hand in the abdomen . As the man slowly dies, Samuel stands up and looks around. Any minute now... A heavy body lands on the asphalt as something big has jumped from the roof. He hears how the strange creature, hidden in the shadows, sniffs, surely smelling the stench of blood. "Living? What are you doing?"

"I brought you a present and hoped we could talk. Something that goes better in light by the way."

The creature sniffs again and obeys. What he sees, is incredible. The creatures looks human, a bit bigger then himself but his facial features. No man had ever such a face. His face was flat, his skin was black, almost necrotic with a leathery appearance. He lacks a nose, instead there was an angular cut which moves every time he sniffed. He had deep, vertical cuts at the side of his cheeks, or better to say: he was missing several strips of flesh, creating 2 long holes on each side of his face. Each was half an inch width. His eyes were focussed on the corpse but their odd appearance didn't went unnoticed either. The sclera was red instead of white but his irises were. Two white circles in a sea of red with each a black dot in the middle. He was the thing he had been counting on. This abomination of nature was a so called Nightbreed, an outcast like there was no other. They were the opposite of the Cenobites. A growth of uncontrolled flesh. He lifts the corpse from the ground, revealing dark fingers who ends with long talons. He brings the neck of the victim to his neck and shows that his mouth is similar to snakes, expendable. As he starts making sucking sounds, Samuel seems how breath clouds leaves the gaps in his cheeks. As he's finished eating, he removes him from his mouth and drops it to ground. "What are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same thing. Midian isn't around the corner, isn't it."

"How does you know about Midian?"

"I am Samuel Lemarchand."

By hearing that name, the Nightbreed gets aggressive look at his face and hits Samuel's face with the back of his hand, hard enough to knock him to the ground: "I should kill you for saying that name, let alone bearing him."

Lemarchand stands up but for the rest he remains stubborn. "You didn't answer my question, Nightbreed but according your reaction by hearing my name I believe we will understand each other soon enough."

The creature looks surprised by the willingness of the man to continue and growls at him: "I'm known as Carginess, not 'Nightbreed'. Back to matter of hand, I was cast out Midian by Dirk Lysesberg, because my ideas and my plans with Hell. Leviathan's mere existence is an act of blasphemy to Baphomet. His 'agents of order', a threat and a disgrace to all that lives."

"I understand, it is my lifework too, to eradicate the minions of hell."

"The crimes of your ancestor can't be undone. Yet you seek a way to decrease the damage. Touching. Well, where was I? Ah, yes. I was casted out of Midian and had to find away to survive. But if I get it straight, you want my help in killing some Cenobites and maybe the big boss himself. Now you got my attention. Tell me more."

Samuel smiles by seeing Carginess so willingly to cooperate. He takes his briefcase and shows him a pack of bandages. "First, you going to bandage yourself. Your clothing looks human enough, your appearance not quite. Cover your hands and face, meanwhile I will go to an internet cafe and buy us some new tickets for tomorrow night. I see you at the airport of La Guardia. We'll see each other at 10 PM on La Guardia. Here, take this money and pay the taxi driver. There is no need in killing him! Understand?!"

"I do, human!"

The next day at 10 for 10, Samuel is waiting impatiently on his partner to arrive. Where does that guy stay. Their flight went over an hour and he don't show up. He's counting on him to arrive. He paces before the entrance of the La Guardia Airport. Where does he stay!

"Lemarchand! Over here!"

He looks up and sees a 6 feet tall man standing behind him, his hands and face covered in bandages. "What's the plan, toymaker?"

"First things first, I'm not a toymaker and two, we have to get back to San Francisco. Then we have to go my home where I shall open the box."

"And then we kill us some Cenobites. I believe that I like this plan. And before you asked, the taxi driver didn't die!"

The eagerness in his voice was revulsive but he couldn't risk insulting him.

"Let's check then."

After some problems getting through the security, they didn't trust a man whose head was covered in bandages, they get on the plane. As they have taken their seats, Carginess bows to Lemarchand, laughing sarcasticly: "I didn't know you were a doctor?"

"I'm a doctor in the Christian and Jewish history. But I had to come with something. They would be shocked as they saw your face. It isn't quite a familiar sight, isn't it."

"Humans are so easily shocked."

During the flight, the two doesn't share as Carginess falls asleep and Samuel reads the Beyond Reality magazine, he bought the day before. It had some interesting topics, especially the latest article written by Grayson. "Circus Necrotica? Quite disturbing."

"You say it," Carginess murmurs in his sleep, "Wake me up if we are in San Francisco."

As they arrive at San Francisco, Carginess wakes up and looks outside. "Sun will raise any minute now! I believe I can't go with you."

"Don't worry, the bandage will protect your skin against it."

"I hope you're right or I make sure that my last moments on this cursed world will be with my hands around your neck!"

As they get in the car, they drive to the home. Carginess looks through the window and sees to his relieve that it's a clouded morning. "It seems to be our lucky day! Now put the pedal to the metal. I can't wait to fulfil my destiny."

20/11/12 8:00 AM

A black SUV parks for the door of modern villa with a lot of lawn gnomes in the front yard. With an amused undertone in his voice, Carginess mocks Lemarchand: "I never saw you the 'lawn gnome type', doctor."

"Just get inside!"

He's getting excited by the prospect of killing the demons that chases him. He walks towards the safe and takes the box out of it. "Follow me."

He takes him to his office, to his gallery behind the bookcase. It was a good thing that his bookcase was placed on a rail, so it could be moved easily. He had to admitted, it was strange seeing this room so empty. "Can we go on, please!"

"Sure."

He opens the box and takes the puzzle out of it. As he holds up the box, he sees how Carginess removes his bandages. As he lays his eyes on the Atlantean Tetramorph, he starts looking hungry. Samuel feels more revulsion for the creature then ever as he asks: "Ready to go?"

"I was hoping you already got started!"

He looks from the Nightbreed to the box and presses on the button on the side. The box falls on the ground as it starts to change. A strange but arousing music is heard and light enters the room. Carginess starts growl as the light blinds them. The wall before them starts to crack and opens itself like a mouth. A strange mist comes from and Carginess does a step forwards. "This is it, doc! Time to play!"

"Wait, we don't have to..."

He silences the moment he see the terrible look on Carginess' face, a look that makes it even more horrifying. "You have brought me here to do this, don't back out now."

The creature closes eyes and runs into the mouth of hell. Samuel Lemarchand haven't moved yet.

Carginess looks around and finds himself in a labyrinth. "And where did that human go?! The coward!" Suddenly he hears strange hissing sounds from the paths of the labyrinth. He concentrates as the hissings get louder and louder till... A cenobite pet jumps to him from one of the paths. As gifted with quick reflexes, he grabs the creature by his neck before it can harm him. He looks with disgust at the drooling creature in his hand. It looked a bit like a human, like most cenobites does but disfigured beyond most people's imagination. The eyelids were removed, his nostrils cut, several scars on his bald scalp and split lower jaw. He feels how his nails on his fingers disappears in the cliff that runs from his head to his butt and touches his spinal cord. His three fingered hands tries to claw him but Carginess holds the monstrosity at a safe distance. As his grip becomes firmer, he yells through the maze. "Where are you, cowards. Show yourselves!"

No reaction to his screams? So be it. He lifts the pet higher and buries his other hand the abdomen of the creature, grabbing his spin. With at fluid move, he tears the creature in half.

A terrible scream fills the maze and Lemarchand looks behind him. He didn't plan to enter the maze but yet, here he was. His plans were abandon the moment the wall had split open. They had known of his plans and had took counter measure... The mysterious music starts over and like hypnotized he follows the sound. All his fears are gone at the moment the music enters his ears. Without knowing when he made the decision, he starts to run. The music has take over his controls. He stops running when he sees a woman sitting in the middle of the path, playing a cello. When he steps closer to the cellist, he's stunned as he realizes who it is. "Amy?"

"Nightbreed. What are you doing here? Did you forget there is a truce between Hell and Midian."

Shocked, Carginess turns around and stands face to face with a cenobite. No pet but an Agent of Leviathan. Severe scarification marked his body, chains were hooked in the back of his head and draped over his shoulders as it were dreadlocks. Carginess' hatred almost become touchable as he reacts screaming to the cenobite leader: "I have no bounds with Midian! And I shall bring you down!"

"In that case," Granger Cenobite snaps with his fingers and a giant creature behind him. It has almost the seize of a Feral Beast, the creatures trapped under Midian. "After the last jihad between Hell and Midian, after execution of the traitors, we have taken precautions. Let's me introduce you to: the Juggernaut!"

Carginess steps back as he looks at the creature coming from the shadows. "This is treason to the truce! I knew Hell couldn't be trusted, I was..."

"Right? No. This is a gift from Circus Necrotica. Specially designed to be the executioner of traitors OR rogue Nightbreed. It was you and Nightbreed as you who made this necessary. With other words, you have made your own fears come true."

The Juggernaut was 7 feet tall, wearing a long robe, covering most of his body besides his arms and head. His head is hidden by a helmet, an iron death mask, crushing most his face and his head. Railway sleeper nails are driven into the mask, deep in the flesh of the Tall Man. He wears gloves made of lead. Just like the helmet, pins are driven into his flesh. In his right hand, he wields a giant medieval looking axe, with the incredible seize of 4 feet 5. Old rune-like symbols were carved in the blade. Carginess opens his arms and spreads his fingers. He isn't planning to die without a fight. He places his foot and charges to the giant. The Juggernaut lifts his arm and horrible cracking noise spreads to the air. The blade of the axe cuts through body of Carginess as it was butter, entering the right shoulder and leaving the left hip.

The music seduces Samuel and he walks to the girl. As he places his hand on the shoulder, she stops playing and open her eyes. A seductive and devilish grin appears on her face as Samuel comes to his senses. The woman was no woman at all, she was indeed a female but no longer a woman. Her leathered fingers closes around his hand and removes it from her shoulder. The female cenobite had deep, horizontal cut across her face, a leather hood was sewed in her head. She was no longer the Amy Bell he had come to know. Two creatures appears behind him but still can he keep his eyes of her. What was wrong with him? A forceful hand grabs him by the back of neck and lifts him in the air. A male cenobite appears at the side of the female cenobite. "Granger!"

The cenobites smiles and lifts his hand. The Juggernaut drops Samuel and he falls on his knees. "Now, back to the matter of hand. You are the last of the four conspirators against Hell. And I have you to say, you're the one who have put up most of a fight. Your ancestor would proud of you, I shall ask him when I see him. But it is time order returns. Finish him."

The Juggernaut steps before him and raises his axe. At these final moments, he understands the truth about Circus Necrotica. These 'artists' had a deal with the cenobites. The Juggernaut before him was their former tall man. Moments before he strikes, the Bell Cenobite stops him: "This is not the will of Leviathan! He's not such an animal as Carginess was. Neither is a rogue cenobite."

"So be it."

Samuel smiles as the Juggernaut lowers his weapon. For some reason he's spared. And according to her, Carginess was dead, killed by this titanic cenobite. Maybe, they switched places. "No, not spared." She lifts her bow and strikes him in throat, cutting his windpipe open. As he asphyxiate, she turns around, deeming unworthy to look upon any longer.

"It's done."

"Indeed."

A great light flash fills the room as they returns to hell, a new era starts...