Extended Summary: Cassie Drake's trial has concluded. She has been found innocent but her chance of reuniting with her family is taken away by men who wish to use Cassie's skills to locate a powerful weapon.

Chapter 1: Short Victory

December 2042

Maui, Hawaii

"I'm sorry, Erin, I'm sorry."

Even as the words left my mouth, I could barely hear them. Here I am, Cassie Drake, reduced to a sobbing mess in front of everyone. Strangers, the judge, my lawyer, my family, it was just too embarrassing. It was so humiliating but I didn't care anymore. I was just so fed up with everything. With Marcus, with Overlord, with this prosecutor hellbent on ruining my reputation, everything. People always told me I was lucky. Back then, when I avoided the rock falling on my head at the last second or when I survived getting shot in the stomach, I felt lucky. But now, no. I don't feel lucky. I'm alive, yes, but now, my life hangs in the balance. I have nothing to look forward to, except whatever fate this judge and jury leave me. Even after what felt like forever sobbing, I could still hear the whispers of the jury.

They were conspiring with each other, trying to devise ways to say I was guilty and deserved to be locked up. I wasn't expecting the mother of my worst enemy to be up here on the stand, the podium, telling me that she forgave me. It was all too much, too much that it took me a minute to register that the first jury spoke up.

"We've reached a verdict," a girl with red hair and freckles says. We find the defendant innocent in the death of Marcus Cote."

I gasped so loud I thought the entire world heard it but I kept my head hanging, not ready to face the judge.

"I see." I heard him bang his gavel. "Cassie Drake has been found innocent in the death of Marcus Cote." I heard his voice booming in my ear. "Enjoy your second chance at life, Mrs. Drake. Case dismissed." Bang, he hits the gavel again. "Court adjourned."

I heard cheers in the crowd and I can only assume that it came from my family. Even as the situation unwinds in my mind, I'm still sobbing but somewhere as I'm sobbing, I think I find a warm feeling in my heart. Warm like a blush. I was happy, I realized, happy that I won the case. I look up and see my family and friends crying for me, cheering. I feel a tear stream down my cheek like a raindrop and I wipe it away.

My lawyer looks at me. "Well done, Cassie."

Before I can say anything else, the doors kick open just like in those courtroom dramas, and a small group of men in sunglasses-wearing suits march forward with such authority that I could only assume that they hold a position of power that even a judge would envy. I counted four guys and only one stepped forward and past the bailiff, reaching a hand out to the judge and setting it on his desk.

"Ahh, your honor," he says in a soft voice. A voice that seems passive yet aggressive at the same time. "I'm so glad you were kind enough to have a fair jury. But I'm afraid that Cassie's work here is not done yet."

Sensing tension about to burst like a shaken soda can, I stand up, my face still feeling a little puffy from the tears and the cheers from my friends and family die out as the judge addresses the suits.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"We need Cassie Drake to come with us, right now. I am requesting that we use physical force if necessary in this courtroom to escort her out."

"Court is adjourned. And I do believe that the defendant deserves to see her family first. Who are you?"

"Someone who needs permission to physically remove Cassie Drake if necessary."

"No physical force in my court."

"Ahh, your court." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small piece of paper. It takes me a second to realize it's a check. "It's my courthouse now, judge. You can retire early, your honor."

The judge takes the check and gasps silently. "Only my bailiff shall escort Cassie Drake out of here."

"And then she'll be with us." The suit leader smiles. "Thank you, your honor." The suit leader looks at me. "You should clean yourself up; you're a woman on a mission, miss."

I stand up slowly, holding my hand out. "Excuse me, but what is going on?"

"You are coming with us, miss, now. We can't spare any more time."

I step back. "That's not going to happen. Who are you guys? Who the hell are you guys?"

"Your escort. Baliff, remove Cassie Drake from the premises."

I leap to my feet. "No, get away from me." The bailiff approaches me. I leap back. "Get your hands away from me!"

"It would be best if you cooperate," Suit Leader tells me. "There will be consequences if you refuse this offer."

The bailiff lunges for me. I shove him back before he gets me in a headlock. I elbow him before Suit Leader lunges for me. I prepare to kick him back when I feel a crack in my ribs. It takes me a few seconds to realize the bailiff used his baton on me. I collapse to my knees as I hear a ruckus up ahead. My family was angry and they were trying to come to my rescue but I heard the familiar click sound to realize why they weren't here yet.

"Back off," a voice shouts, "don't force me to make a mess of your brains on this courtroom wall."

I struggle to get to my feet before the bailiff puts me in handcuffs and begins dragging me away. I looked around the room, desperate for any kind of solution to this problem but it was all for naught as I was dragged away, civilians and my family crying for my release.

"You can't do this!" someone shouted but I couldn't tell who.

"I can do whatever I want; I'm eccentric," the Suit Leader smiles. He turns to me, following close behind as I'm dragged further out of the courthouse. As I'm dragged out, a feeling of horror washes over me as I realize I'm going to be separated from my family.

"No," I cry, "please, let me go! No, stop!"

The Suit Leader looks at me. "Don't make this difficult, Cassie."

"Don't do this!" I yell and look at my family being held at gunpoint by one of the suits. "Wait, let me talk to my son. Please, at least let me talk to my son!" The bailiff opens the doors behind me and I'm pulled through, half of the courtroom vanishing from sight. "Please, let me talk to my son. Let me talk to my son!"

And just like that, I was separated from my family again. Just when I thought I was finally going to reunite with them, I was snatched away.

I was never going to have a normal life after all this, I realized. My life is over.

Chapter 2: Sweet Victory

January 2043

I don't know where I am but I do know that I missed Christmas. How do I know, because of everyone talking about their New Year's resolution. My resolution: eat more carrots. My goal for this year: get back to my family. But I'm left helpless and defenseless in this small hotel room. It's got a nice comfy bed, and a small fridge, sure, but nothing beats the soft comforts of my backpain-inducing bed at home. These people who took me away, the ones in court, they were here and outside the hotel. I tried opening the windows but they were indestructible, tougher than your average hotel window pane. Even so, there were no handholds; I could tell from when I first arrived at the hotel; nothing for me to climb up or down the wall.

A tray of snacks was on the counter where a Snickers bar cost ten dollars. Seeing as someone checked me in for me and no money was being wired out of my account, I decided to indulge. If you're going to keep me here, you bet your ass I'm going to eat all the expensive candy in the room. Besides, they can afford it; they bought the courthouse where I was on trial or, at the very least, bought off the judge. With nothing better to do, I hop onto the bed and turn on the TV while I enjoy my afternoon coffee and Snickers.

There was a news report on President Eric Vale. I turn up the volume. I take notes of his aging brown hair with streaks of gray on the side but a smile on his face that seems more practiced than real.

"All I gotta say is that my resolution for this year is for world peace. President Vasily Orlov and I are still negotiating peace terms before our country and Russia but I imagine that it'll be a long and exhausting process. Always, I wanted to comment on the Cassie Drake trial." He looks at the camera, almost as if he were staring into my soul. "Cassie Drake, I was rooting for you; I'm still rooting for you. Don't give up hope; remember your friends and family and hold them close for as long as you can."

Huh, the President of the United States name-dropped me and was rooting for me. I'm glad I voted for him. Now, if only he could dismiss my parking tickets...

I switch channels and land on a Spongebob show. With nothing better to do, I decide to indulge in my childhood memories and watch the loveable squishy sea sponge go jellyfishing with his best friend.

Spongebob, Patrick, don't ever take your friendship for granted.

I'm already missing Derek tenfold now.

A few minutes later, I heard the door unlock. I switch channels to National Geographic about aliens. A man steps into the room as I smile, tasting chocolate on my teeth. I recognized the intruder to be one of the guys who escorted me away.

"What's up, buddies? Let me guess, you need someone with speed and agility on your volleyball team?"

The Suit Leader looks at me. "Are you enjoying your hotel room?"

"Oh, it's lovely. If only I had some explanation as to why I'm here, you know, considering that I've been away from my family for two or three weeks."

"Yeah, you missed Christmas. Sucks to be you."

The nerve of this guy. I swear, I'm going to kill this guy when I get the chance. I had a shot of going back home to my family and these guys took it from me. I'm going to make them pay, one way or another.

"Then again, you kinda deserve it, mass murderer."

I flinch. "I'm not a mass murderer."

"395 people, Cassie, you are a murderer, a monster. I didn't want to pick you up in court. Frankly, I didn't care about you but when I heard of your kill count, I hoped you got the death penalty."

"Go to Hell."

"Is that what you told your victims before you killed them? Do you like that you sent so many souls to Hell by your hand? Maybe that's why you lost your child; because God wanted you to suffer for being the devil incarnate in human flesh."

It takes all of my strength not to lash out at this guy. "Listen, asshole."

"Reese," he tells me. "My name is Reese and when I walk in this room, you will show me respect."

I stand up. "Your name is Reese? You invented Reese's Pieces?" I laugh. "Wow, here I am, standing in front of a legend."

"Shut up; why does everyone keep saying that?"

"No, I'm just complimenting you for being the creator of that delicious cavity-causing candy. Thank you." I head over to the counter and pick up a Reese's Pieces. "This costs twelve dollars but I'm sure you'll be more than happy to pay for it." I unwrap the wrapper, take a nice bite of the cup, and sigh happily. I may be separated from my family but messing with these assholes sure are fun.

"Cassie-"

"It's Mrs. Drake, we're not friends and we never will be."

"You're going with me to breakfast downstairs. One way or another."

"Why, can I eat my breakfast up here?"

"It's a complimentary breakfast."

"Are you paying for it?"

"No, it's complimentary."

Oh, I think I figured out the perfect revenge.

"Complimentary, I like the sound of it. Who is the host? You, you can't be serious; not with that bad breath of yours." He rolls his eyes so I continue. "Hey, you should try brushing your teeth; girls are attracted to guys with pearly white teeth."

"Let's go."

I take Reese's Pieces with me and use them as comfort food as I take the elevator with this god with the stupid name. The elevator slows to a stop as a small group of four men step inside with one woman behind them. They're all wearing biker outfits and their backs are to me and my hand was out of view of the elevator's camera.

Perfect.

I slap the girl's backside. The girl turns and looks at Reese.

"Don't touch me!" she shouts. "What makes you think you can grab my ass, pervert!"

I smile as the bikers turn on Reese and pin him against the elevator, all while he's screaming protests and blushing like a tomato. I couldn't help but laugh and I continued to laugh, even as the door opened in the lobby. I step outside and watch the doors close as Reese is left in his own personal... Hellevator.

God, I love puns.

I could make a break for the door but those suits were guarding so I headed for the dining area where I saw several suits standing around a table with a man sitting down. I get closer and note the name's red hair and blue eyes before he looks at me.

"Hey there, scout, how are you doing?" a Southern accent booms at me. "Been enjoying your own hotel room?"

I glare at him. "Of course; it feels like on vacation with bars on my window." I see a plate set up for me. Eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee. The sweet aroma of the breakfast brings back memories of when I was tiny and an ankle-biter and my parents made me this breakfast. Yes, even the coffee.

Huh, maybe that's why I'm shorter than Derek.

I decide to make things easier for myself and sit down. "Just get on with the introductions. Your name is blah, blah, blah, you're from blah, blah, blah, and you're here because of blah, blah, blah, right? Just get it over with."

"Oh," the man whispers, "right. Okay. Well, for the first blah, blah, blah, my name is Colonel-"

Sanders?

"- James Burbank."

Ahh, and here I was hoping he was the KFC guy.

"The second blah, blah, blah, is that I'm from Frankfort, Kentucky."

KFC does stand for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Come on, I already do the Reese's Pieces guy; don't leave me hanging.

"And the last blah, blah, blah, is that I'm here to serve-"

Fast food?

"- our beloved country." He smiles and holds his hand. "Nice to meet you."

I lick the palm of my hand before giving him a handshake. "I wish I could say the same for you."

"What's got you so upset?"

"I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the fact that you separated me from my family and held my family at gunpoint when they tried to come to my rescue in court? You kept me prisoner in a hotel room with these ugly suit guys standing guard all over the hotel and here you are, acting like nothing happened."

"Well, that's because nothing did happen. We have a reason for what we've done."

"Ooh, really, I can only imagine. You took me away from my family; you didn't even let me say goodbye to my son. I would've come peacefully with you guys if you just explained everything but you manhandled me. I was finally proven innocent and you took away my innocence and locked me in this beautiful hotel."

He takes a bite of his pancakes. He adds a little extra butter and too much syrup. I hope you're allergic to pancakes and die.

"Cassandra, I don't blame you for being mad at me. I understand wholeheartedly why you're upset with me. In fact, if it were up to me, I'd let you punch me in the face. But orders are orders." He was about to pour creamer in his coffee when the cap suddenly came loose and spilled half the bottle on the table, making a mess. Burbank clenches his knuckles and sighs heavily. "I'll pay someone else to clean this up."

I grab my plate. "I'm going to eat in my room before you contaminate my food with your presence."

Surprisingly, Burbank lets me walk off and I decide to eat in the lobby. Sure, I would've taken the elevator but I didn't see the Reese's Pieces guys and I didn't want to risk running into him in the elevator. The suits were still guarding the doors and only moving when civilians came in and out the doors. I sat on a bench in the farthest corner of the lobby and ate my food.

When I finished, I took my plate back to the dining area where I dropped it off near a spot on several counters where other dirty dishes were left. As I turned, Burbank got in my face, almost making me jump out of his skin.

"Hey, Cassandra, did you enjoy your breakfast? So, anyway, I'm going to need your opinion on something. Look, I know we started off on the wrong foot but maybe we can rewind time and hop on the right foot this time."

"My right foot wants to kick itself between your legs."

With nothing better to do, I leave him. I decide to retreat to my room using the stairs. When I open the door to my floor, Burbank stands in front of me with that giddy smile of his.

"So, do you have any credentials, gal?"

When I lock myself in my room, I watch shows for a few minutes when housekeeping passes my room. When I opened the door, Burbank was there.

"So, what got you interested in archaeology, little one."

I slam the door on his face.

When I step out of the bathroom, Burbank is there again.

"So, you have a PhD in arachology but you don't like being called 'Dr. Drake'? Care to explain that, towhead?"

When I step out of the shower and wrap myself in a towel, no more needs to be said.

"So," Burbank begins, munching on a PB&J sandwich. "So, how many cities have you destroyed, cowgirl?"

When I finish washing my face for the night, Burbank appears in the mirror. "Is it cool to hold a mythical artifact in your hand, ranger?"

"Hey, doc."

"Cowgirl.

"Champion."

"Smarty pants."

"Princess."

"Short fry."

"Lady."

"Professor."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I finally shout, reaching the peak of my anger from having this guy follow me all day. "Can't you just leave me alone?"

"But I thought we were bonding, chief."

It took me a second to realize Burbank was behind me and not in front of me. I was yelling at the door a few seconds ago?

"Stop sneaking up on me."

"Hey, winner, there's a bar downstairs that serves some of the best sundaes. What say you and I head down there and we can chat? I promise, just one chat and I'll leave you alone." He smiles. "If you have one chat with me, I'll make your life more convenient."

Seeing how this guy wasn't going to stop popping up out of nowhere to scare the living shit out of me, I decided to oblige. I look at my watch. Only eight o'clock. Evan's usually in bed by now. I hope Derek is reading him a bedtime story.

"Fine. Whatever."

"Good, good, good, good, good, good."

"Whatever, Mr. Goodie bar."

With no other choice, I grab my jacket and follow him to the lobby. I still failed to spot Mr. Reese's Pieces and wondered if he got sent home early. I hope so. This KFC fake guy brought me over to the dining area from breakfast where we sat in a booth where our orders of milkshakes came. I ordered a cookie and creme and much to my lack of surprise, Burbank ordered a milkshake with Reese's Pieces.

"Mm," I hear him utter under his breath as he takes a spoonful. "Top-notch ice cream."

I decided to indulge because it's been so long since I had something like this. I can't even remember the last time I had candy. Marcus Cote stole five months of my life, and then these guys stole another month of my life. My lawyer told me I would celebrate Christmas with my family, and these guys ruined it.

"Well, scout, don't you just love these sundaes? I mean, seriously, you can never go wrong with a sundae." He pauses. "Oh, it looks like you can." He holds up a hand. "Excuse me, waitress." A poor victim comes over. "I asked for Reese's Pieces on my sundae and there's only like five or six."

The poor victim waitress smiles and I recognize it as an annoyed smile barely covered by an act of politeness. "I'm sorry," she says, "I'll get you a giant bowl of Reese's Pieces."

"Thank you." He waves the girl off.

I turn back to my sundae.

"Cassandra, are you a student of history?"

I stare at him. Are you serious right now? "No, I snoozed through that class."

"Good, now I can educate you. I'm here to educate you on the era we live in. We live in an era called the Relic Age. First, there was the Dark Age, then the Middle Age, the Stone Age, the Ice Age, the Atomic Age, the Space Age, the Technology Age-"

"Wrong order," I remind him but he ignores me.

"And now... hidden between the Atomic Age, Space Age, and Technology Age is a different kind of age."

"The age where you finally get wise and take a hike?"

"No, the Relic Age."

I hold up my cup. "I don't know about you Grandpa but there is nothing ancient about the things around us."

"Wrong, Cassandra," he says in a drawn-out voice, pointing his threatening spoon at me. "1999, that's the age I would say it started. The age where we bring the past to our present to make our future. I'm sure you've seen it. Would you like an example? Oh, here's one of many. El Dorado, Shambhala, Iram of the Pillars, to name a few."

I look at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I heard stories, runt, stories of your parents and their friends. They took on some dangerous people, people who wanted the power of what came so they could use it for their own good. The greedy mercenaries, that good-for-nothing secret society, that mad army, they all looked for cities that had been lost for ages so they could become powerful. If you need an example you're all too familiar with, take your old pals Overlord for example."

I ignore him and take another spoonful of my sundae, picturing myself in Sundae Heaven.

"The public, they don't look at Overlord like we do, no, they don't. They see them as nothing but terrorists who get off on bombing people just for the sake of doing so. They bombed a building of political power in Belgium almost twenty years ago. But to people like us... we know there's something behind their little escapades. They're not random attacks, they're misdirections; distractions to keep us from figuring out their real goal: world domination."

Why does everyone remind me that Overlord's goal is to take over the world? Seriously, I know; we've met a bajillion times already.

"They're not aiming to take over the world through military or political power, absolutely not, but a different kind of power, a power that has been lost for years." He heaps his spoon. "The Holy Lance."

The Holy Lance? Ahh, the Holy Lance, the spear that Longinus used to stab Jesus during his Crucifixion. I remember all those stories I learned when Mom and Dad taught me about Catholicism. Even after everything that's happened to me, I still believed in God. "What about the Holy Lance?"

"What is the Holy Lance, Cassandra? I was hoping to get an expert opinion on it. Do you believe such an artifact of power exists?"

Without thinking and before I could stop myself, I answered, "No."

"Really." He sits back, not looking too convinced. "Because... I heard that you found and buried Noah's Ark."

"Boats have a tendency to capsize."

"But... you do have experience with this, right? I think it would be important to answer everything as honestly as possible." The waitress comes back with his bowl of mini Reese's Pieces.

"Why?"

"Because we are almost at DEFCON 2 here, Cassandra. We got reports that Overlord is seeking out the Holy Lance. We don't know what the Holy Lance is or what it can do. I wouldn't trust Overlord with even a pencil if they wanted it so badly... would you? That's why... I'm hoping you can help us." He sprinkles his Reese's Pieces on top.

I look at him. "Help you? What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?" He grunts and clears his throat as he sets the bowl down. "What am I talking about?" He slowly stands to his feet, towering over. "WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?!"

It takes me a second for the volume to reach my ears and I flinch at the sudden yell. I didn't need to look over to know people were glancing at us. I stare at him, my back pressing into the comfy booth behind me.

"I'm talking about a goddamn war, Cassandra! What, you think the military was sitting down, doing push-ups and pull-ups for the last god-knows-how-many days? What, you think we haven't been at war with that goddamn terrorist group? You think Overlord was sitting around, eating doughnuts with their thumbs shoved up their ass while you were in jail, no they weren't, Cassandra, not one bit. Overlord wants the Holy Lance, Cassandra. Why do they want the Holy Lance? World power, world destruction, world domination..." he balls up his fists. "World charity, IT DOESN'T MATTER!" He doesn't take a second to pause between each word, even when I can tell he's out of breath. "What is the Holy Lance, Cassandra? A weapon of mass destruction, a myth, a regular stick... a Care Bear, I DON'T CARE! All I know is that a global terrorist group wants this object and that there is a good reason to assume the worst." He thrusts his finger at me.

"Listen here you little shit, you are going to tell me everything you know about the Holy Lance. You're going to give me your expert opinion, your rational thoughts, your supernatural thoughts and you will use it to help us find the Holy Lance. You will lead us to the Holy Lance before those deranged terrorists find it and we are going to destroy the Holy Lance!"

Don't. Don't even think about it. Nope, you're not going to make it, girl. You're going to fail.

"HAHAHAhAHAHAHA!" I laugh at the top of my lungs. "Oh man, that was hilarious. Seriously, I've heard some strange things in my world but that tops them all." I laugh again and feel my face turn red. "The military is looking for treasure!" I continue laughing as I pick myself up and head over to the counter. "This guy, he thinks that military and supernatural fantasy fit together as a genre." I managed to elicit a laugh out of the waitress so that was a win. Without looking, I grabbed the biggest Twix bar from the counter I could find and turned to the waitress. "You can put this on my acquiante's tab." We laughed again but right now, I couldn't take it anymore so I decided to leave the dinner but I also couldn't resist seeing the looks on the other people's faces as I walked out of the diner and surely enough...

... everyone was laughing at Colonel Burbank.

I may have been separated from my family but humiliating the life out of these assholes is very uh... what did Uncle Charlie say? Oh yeah, cathartic.

Chapter 3: Pyrrhic Victory

When I woke up unexpectedly, I thought it was early in the morning given that the annoying blaring of my alarm clock went off. When I finally peel my eyes open, I feel something pushing my arms and legs down. I try to push them up but they continue to be pushed down again. That's when I realized that something was physically restraining me and keeping me from moving. Looking up and waiting for my eyes to adjust, I realize that I was tied down to my own hotel bed in duct tape. This horrifying discovery makes me try and force my way out but I'm helpless. The worst of the worst comes to mind when I think that one of my enemies has found me and sure enough, in the darkest corner of the room, I was right.

"Hello, Cassandra," Burbank whispers just loud enough for me to hear while munching on some kind of chocolate bar I couldn't identify. "Sorry, that was the last Snickers." He tosses the wrapper in the trash before he hustles to my side and slaps the snooze button on the alarm. I look over and see that the digital clock says three o'clock. This guy broke into my hotel room, duct taped me to the ground, and had the galls to walk set the alarm so I would wake up prematurely.

He turns on the bedside lamp, forcing it to the brightest setting before looking down at me and smiling.

"You know, Cassandra, you've always been stubborn, a hardheaded little bitch. I would've offered you to do this the easy way but since you're so hardheaded, I guess doing things the hard way is the only way that's going to work for you."

He grabs the lamp and holds it above my head, shining the light in my face like they do in those interrogation scenes in movies. "Is that too bright? I hope so."

"What do you want?" I snap. I knew I should be screaming for help and crying that this guy was trying to attack me but I knew it would do no good. This guy had me restrained to the bed but I've been in a situation like this. All I gotta do is wait and bide my time.

"What do I want? Huh, let's see, Cassandra. What I want is your undivided attention."

"You couldn't possibly handle my undivided attention."

"And you can't handle what I'll tell you next. I have been given a blank check and a license to commit crimes. You know what this means? I can do whatever the hell I want, whenever the hell I want, and get away with it. As long as I follow the orders I'm given." He sits on my bed, sinking my left abdomen a little. "The Holy Lance, where is it?"

I grunt at him, looking away. "What makes you think I know where it is?"

"Oh, trust me, you know. You definitely know where it is. Or, at the very least, you know how to find it." I felt something land on my chest. I look down and like the madman Burbank was, he shines the light on it.

It was a photo of me on a trip. It takes me a while to recognize the setting before my memory kicks in. Lichenstein. "You remember this trip, Cassandra?"

"Yeah, it's a trip I took a long time ago, so what?"

"Any chance you remember this?" He pulls out another photo and holds it up. I see a photo of myself holding this old cross I found, an ancient Catholic cross. Not a crucifix but a cross that dates to the third century. 'Prehistoric' is the word I would use to describe it, even though I know it was created in written times.

"It's a cross, so what?"

"Good, your memory is good, Cassandra." He drops the photo on my chest and pulls something else out. To my shock, it's the cross.

I recognize those symbols on the cross anywhere. It's without a doubt the exact same cross I held in my hands in Liechtenstein twelve years ago.

"I bet you thought you'd never see this cross again, Cassandra."

"What does this have to do with the Holy Lance?"

"This cross is one of three keys to locating the Holy Lance. And you're going to help us find the other two keys."

"No, I'm done with this treasure-hunting life."

"You're done with this life when I tell you you're done with this life. Whoever finds the other two keys gets to unlock the final resting place of the Holy Lance. Or Spear of Longinus, whatever you want to call it."

"Then find someone else."

"No one else can find this. Except you."

"Looks like you're shit out of luck."

"YOU WILL FIND THE OTHER CROSSES!" he roars in my face, making me flinch at the sudden increase in volume. "Don't think you have any power over me, Cassandra. You wanted this life when you were little and now you want out when we really need you? You're such an ungrateful little shit. You've been called to the service and you can't decline what's about to happen. We're at war with Overlord and we're in a race against time. Whoever gets the Holy Lance first will hold the power of Jesus Christ in their hands. The Almighty Son of God, this is not something you can turn down."

I laugh. "If there's one thing I learned, it's that you guys will never find what you're looking for without me so you're shit out of luck."

Without warning, Burbank sighs. "Yeah, you're right. I guess we are shit out of luck if you don't help us. But.. in the same way, your son is shit out of luck if you don't help us."

I feel my muscles grow rigid. "My son?"

"Ahh, that poor boy. He's going to have to grow up with his parents being some of the most prolific mass murderers in human history. Imagine the ridicule he'll face from his peers. Like I've said, I've got a blank check and a license to commit crimes so... I can plant evidence in your husband's house. Little Evanis being watched by your husband right now but imagine what would happen if the police found evidence that your husband is a serial killer." He smiles.

He... he is smiling like it's a big joke.

"Your husband will be sentenced to life without parole in a maximum security prison and he will be denied any visits from his family and Evan will be sent to live with your parents. And speaking of which, your mother and father are just as prolific killers as you are. Well, actually, they're worst; they've killed far more people than you ever did. And if word got out about Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher's kill count, they could be arrested and receive a life sentence for every person they've killed, self-defense or not."

Somehow, his smile manages to widen.

"You know what this means? Evan will be separated from your entire family, his entire family, and none of you will ever see him again, you will spend the rest of your days, rotting in a jail cell along with your family, all the achievements and accomplishments will be mud and your family will be remembered as nothing more than murderers."

"I'm going to kill you!" I snap but Burbank doesn't even flinch.

"Go on, do it." He removes a knife and cuts me free. "I dare you." He drops the knife on my stomach.

I could take the knife and stab him in the throat, cut his artery, and leave him bleeding out. I was tied up in bed so the police could clearly see this as an act of self-defense but at the same time, this guy threatened my family. This guy obviously came into my room with a plan in motion and surely, given his military background, he has a backup plan in store. He probably gave word to his soldiers to do something in the vent I kill him and earlier, he said he was given orders by someone to fulfill this task, meaning that if I kill him, I'll suffer the consequences of whoever is ordering this guy around.

It was a no-win situation and... I know that the morally right thing to do would be to say no because if the Holy Lance really does carry the power of Jesus Christ, then nobody deserves to claim it. Someone with that much power in their hands is too dangerous, for the fate of humanity, I should say no and spend the rest of my days rotting in a prison cell but Evan... I will never see Evan again.

It's been so long since I've seen my little prince and I would give anything to hold him, to hug him, to tell him how much I loved him. God, the last time I saw Evan was in the courtroom when I was being dragged away. I begged them to let me at least say goodbye to him but they refused. They refused and they didn't let me say goodbye to my son. If I decline, the last thing my son will see of his mother is me being dragged away without so much as a hug or a goodbye.

I'm sorry. I'm such a selfish human being but... I'd given anything, even the world, to hold my son again.

Looking at Burbank, I bite my lip, swallow my pride, and slowly nod. "Fine, you win. You win, you happy? You wanted this golden treasure hunter to seek out this mythical artifact to help the military, well, you got it. I'm all yours, right for the taking, ready to pillage, plunder, and destroy any temple I came across."

Burbank laughs again. "Yes, finally. I knew you'd come around eventually, Cassandra."

"Can I at least call my son so I can talk to him?"

Burbank chuckles. "I'll let you visit your son but only your son. Derek, your parents, and all of your friends are off-limits, understand."

"Fine."

"Once you help us secure the Holy Lance, you can go back to your family, your criminal record, everything you've done, completely erased and I'll see to it."

And I'm going to make sure YOU'RE erased from history, Burbank.

I'm so nervous, I don't know what to say. I sit in the back of the car and anxiously wait in the parking lot of my son's school. After a few minutes, one of the suits comes out of the principal's office holding my son's hand, gently escorting him out.

Evan.

Without waiting, I get out of the car and rush to my son's side. "Evan," I call to him, "it's me, mommy."

My little prince stares at me with wide eyes, gasping. "Mommy." He drops his backpack and runs to my side.

"Evan." I scoop him up in a bear hug and feel him cry into my shoulder. "My little prince."

"I missed you, Mommy, I missed you so much."

"I'm here, baby, I'm here." I pat his back gently.

As I enjoy this moment with my son, the memories of Burbank flood my mind, him and every one of these suits. For the past five years, I've been doing my best to try and get out of the dangerous lives of treasure hunting and it all came to a head when Marcus killed my unborn daughter. That is when I vowed never to step foot into the treasure-hunting life again but the world hates me too much to let that happen because now, the military is recruiting me to go after a mythical artifact and they will threaten me with my lie if I don't cooperate. They threatened, they threatened my family, but most of all, they threatened Evan.

You're going to get what's coming to you. Every... last... one.

Placing three plates down on the table full of food, Eric takes his seat and begins digging into his meal.

"So, Vito, Mira, how were your days today?"

No response.

"Eh, not surprised. Life is kinda boring."

...

"If you think that's bad, try being President of the United States. I swear on the life of me that this politicos business is something I wished I prepared more for."

...

"Eh, it could be worse. At least with me around, you'll never go hungry. If there's one thing I love about being president, it's the wealth."

...

"No, I can't, why does everyone keep asking me that?"

...

"If you want money, you're going to have to earn it."

...

"I can't just give you money; you wouldn't understand the value of a dollar. I'm sure we can figure something out; I could use some help around the house. Those secret service guys with me are nice but I'd rather you help me clean than them."

...

"It's because I trust you two and I want to see you two grow up to be responsible about maintaining your house."

Eric finishes his plate before tossing it into the garbage. He grabs the other two plates - the food untouched - and tosses it in the trash.

"I know how much you guys like cotton candy ice cream so I went out and bought some today. Help yourself."

His alarm goes off. "Oh, sorry, but... it's time to go to bed. I promise you can have your ice cream for breakfast first thing in the morning if it means you can go to bed right now."

Eric heads into a bedroom with two beds opposite each other. The beds were made, clean, and the sheets smelled nice. Eric pulls the blankets back on the first bed as if to let someone climb in before tucking the blanket over. He does the same for the other bed.

"Goodnight, Vito." He kisses the pillow. He turns the other bed. "Goodnight, Mira." He proceeds to kiss the second pillow. He steps into the doorway. "I'll always love you and no matter what, I'll always protect you."

"Thank you, Eric," Vito and Mira's voice ring in his head.

After closing the door, he heads into the living room and sits on the couch, sighing heavily. An hour later, someone knocks on the door.

Answering it, he sees a familiar group of people.

"Vasily, Alexa, Frida, Antonio, Claude, Genesis, what a surprise."

The six friends step in, each one smiling.

"I invited them," Vasily admits before removing a rubber mask that makes him look like a completely different person. "Do you know what it took to convince my bodyguards to leave me alone? I swear to god, being the President of Russia is no easy task."

"Same with being POTUS as well."

Alexa laughs. "Maybe I should be the President of Greece just to even things out."

Genesis pokes her shoulder. "I'd vote for you."

"I know you would, sweetie."

Antonio laughs. "Hey, POTUS, so... I got a couple of parking tickets on my way here and I was wondering if you could dismiss them."

Eric laughs. "I don't think I can."

"What?" Antonio gasps.

Frida taps her brother's shoulder. "I tried to warn you."

"I gave up my Mexican citizenship to vote for you and you can't dismiss my parking tickets?"

"Sorry, hermano." Frida looks to Eric. "How have you been?"

"Exhausted." Eric looks to Berjeau. "So, Claude, what have you and your privateers been up to?"

"Why were rubber duckies invented?" Berjeau asked suddenly. "Why? What is the point of a rubber ducky?"

Eric laughs. "A rubber ducky was invented so a toddler doesn't get lonely when their parents leave them to drown in the bathtub."

"That's dark," Frida shakes her head.

"Not unexpected though," Alexa mentions.

"I've got some beers," Eric tells the group, "Heineken?"

"Sure," Vaisly nods, and the others agree.

Eric invites them into his living room where they take a seat on the two couches while Eric brings two six-packs of Heineken beers. He does the honors of opening the caps for each of them before they indulge in the sweet taste of alcohol.

Antonio gulps beer before sighing. "Heinkene, now that is beer."

Frida looks at him. "This isn't a commercial, hermano." She decides to sit on her brother's lap.

"Man," Berjeau sighs. "You know, in a way, I'm glad that Fountain of Elder kept me alive because I wouldn't be alive to sit on this nice, comfy, couch. And the movies, I love those movies. I think I went on a shopping spree on the internet store."

"Amazon," Genesis corrects. "We're guilty of using Amazon to shop."

"Some more than others," Vasily snarks. "Right, Alexa?"

"Only on Tuesday, Vasily." Alexa takes a sip of beer. "And today's Wednesday."

"Guys," Eric begins suddenly. "I gave the order. I gave Colonel Burbank a blank check and authorization to do whatever was needed to obtain the Holy Lance. And the last I heard, he recruited Cassie Drake to help him find it, just as I planned."

Vasily smiles. "So what does this mean?"

Eric smiles. "It means... Cassie is going to seek out the Holy Lance for us. But knowing her, she'll probably destroy it. If we want to preserve the power, we need our agents there with her to grab it. Unfortunately, they're cracking down on soldiers so sending spies among the armed forces is not an option. Burbank confirmed that Cassie is going after the other two crosses I confirmed were linked to the Holy Lance." He leans forward. "This is the plan: we follow Cassie Drake on her expeditions. Wherever she goes, whatever progress she makes, we'll be there to see it through. As soon as we get the second and third cross, I'll work my treasure-hunting magic and locate the Spear of Longinus myself. Normally, I would go on these trips with you guys but you know... politics is a very busy schedule."

"Cassie's going to be doing all the work for us," Alexa realizes.

"Yes." He takes another sip of beer. "I told you that Cassie would be important to us in the future."

The three C's, Eric remembers. Three people whose names start with a C will affect my life. Pastor Castle, Camper, and it looks like Cassie is the final one.

Either way, she's the one who is going to bring Overlord one step closer to victory.

The End of Chapter 26

A/N: Only four chapters left in Cassie Drake's journey. We are reaching the end of our journey and I'm kinda sad but also proud. I am so fricking happy that I made it this far. The next three chapters will be composed of a trilogy involving Cassie and Derek looking for keys to unlock the final object in the trilogy. The fifth and final installment in Cassie Drake's journey will be Chapter 30. Also, this chapter was posted on October 25th, 2024. For Call of Duty lovers, this was the day Black Ops 6 was released. For my fellow readers, this is the day Overlord was founded; better watch out, LOL.