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*
“TO THE BASEMENT,” Althea commanded the group of brown-clad people who were hauling her children down the stairs. Floriana felt like she was suffocating under the pressure of the bodies pressing into her as they led her into a bright, almost daylight-like room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vittor trying to keep his balance as he was dragged in by a couple of strong young men.
“Look who’s here.” An old man’s nasally voice echoed from the back of the large room as a short man in a white laboratory coat emerged from behind a row of iron cupboards. He was followed by a small group of similarly dressed people.
“You must be Floriana. I have heard so much about you.” The old man approached her and brought his face close to hers. Floriana felt irritated when his nose almost touched hers as he observed her features through his glasses.
“Have I got something in my teeth?” she asked scathingly.
The old man took a step back, and he turned his back on her as he addressed her mother in a shrill accent. “Sarcastic and scoffing. Just like her grandfather. Althea, I expect you to get rid of this unpleasant girl right now. I do not want her to mess things up now that we have finally put our plan to exterminate lesser human races into action.” He sniffed noisily as he turned back to one of the many laboratory tables and chairs in the room. His team of white-clad scientists looked absorbed in their notes, indifferent to the new faces that had just come in.
Floriana straightened her clothes as she was freed from her mother’s minion’s grip. Vittor stood beside her, cleaning his glasses with the edge of his plaid shirt.
“This is Dr. Foulkaneli. Show some respect,” Althea said to Floriana furiously. “Why do you have to be so annoying?” Althea hissed, pointing at her daughter.
Her mother’s continuous verbal assaults hurt Floriana’s soul deeply. Offended and enraged, she could not control her anger anymore.
“Why do you have to be alive?” Floriana’s body quivered as tears flooded her eyes.
“You are so arrogant and ungrateful. I brought you here, where magnificent things are happening. You are both in the center of the action, where the brightest minds of the world have gathered to write history, to give humanity the purity it always needed. We are giving humans the final push, making the decisive step toward divine perfection. Only those who are genetically perfect will survive. All disabled people, homosexuals, and those of a lesser race will be exterminated from the face of the earth. We are about to touch God’s hand, and you have the privilege of watching it happen.”
Althea seemed lost in her daydream of a dystopian future where human rights were disregarded, and an elite set of identical ice-blond people ruled a society devoid of justice. Floriana felt sick to her stomach as she watched her mother give her senseless and merciless speech with a mad look in her eyes. It proved definitively that she was mentally deranged.
“How did this happen to you?” Floriana uttered without hiding her disgust; tears rolled down her face.
“The tone in your voice reveals your disapproval. I cannot blame you. You have been brainwashed by your grandfather into believing that Black Rose ideology crap,” Althea responded as she turned her back to them and approached an iron cupboard. She pulled a set of keys from a pocket in her black suit and opened the cupboard. “You are unable to distinguish what is wrong and what is right. Dr. Foulkaneli is right; you will never adopt our ideology. Deception has such strong roots in your conscience that you will never choose the right path. Bringing you here was a huge mistake. You have to go,” she said icily as she took something out of the iron cupboard. Then she closed the door of the cupboard and turned the key in the lock. As Althea turned around, Floriana felt her heart stop beating when she noticed her mother holding a gun.
“I am sorry, darling,” Althea said in a weirdly polite tone as she gestured for her minions to grab Floriana’s arms.
“Why do you hate me so much?” Floriana sobbed.
“You are the reason my life was destroyed. You and your grandfather. Your loving grandfather...do you know that he could have saved his own son but did not? Has he ever told you that he had the medicine that could have saved his son’s life when he was infected by Bacterium-Z?” Althea ranted.
“What medicine? What are you talking about?”
“The medicine Dr. Foulkaneli created decades ago when he worked with your grandfather, and they were both young. The Water of Life. A unique formula Dr. Foulkaneli still denies sharing with anyone else. However, Ganni once laid hands on it. This is the key to your grandfather prolonged life. He used that medicine to ensure that he lives longer, but he refused to save his own son’s life.” Althea’s eyes were red and crinkled with hatred.
“Grandpa would never do that. He loved Dad; he loves his family,” Floriana said tentatively.
“He only loves himself and his power,” Althea replied wearily and stepped closer to her son.
“Vittor, you must help your sister go,” she added as moved to her son and placed the gun in his hands.
“What the hell are you talking about? You are insane!” Vittor yelled with the gun awkwardly cupped in his hands.
“Insane. What a weird choice of wording,” Althea noted flatly as she stepped back, her eyes still on him.
“I am not doing anything. I am leaving, and Floriana is coming with me,” Vittor said as he placed the gun on a table in front of him with shaking hands.
“You are not going anywhere,” Althea announced confidently and signaled for the brown-clad people standing behind her to block the door. “My dear son, you are my chosen one. But you have to prove that you deserve this honor. You are a great young scientist, and you can earn a place in the new pure society we are creating. Your sister is your ticket in,” she said as she picked the gun up and placed it again in her son’s hands.
“But ... but ... I love my sister. I do not want to hurt her. ... I do not want to hurt anyone,” Vittor protested.
With a caring look in her eyes, Althea moved close to her son and brushed his hair.
“Do not be a fool. You cannot possible love your sister. We have talked about that before. She was the cause of our separation. It was because of your sister that your dad stopped caring about us. I always loved you, Vittor. There has not been a day I didn’t regret that I left you behind when I left Malta. I should have chosen you. You should be my only child.” Her voice was soft as she put her arms around him. “Not to mention that she is useless to our cause. She is not a scientist; she studied art history.” She laughed insanely. “Come on now, do your duty, my son, my sweet loving son.”
Floriana tried in vain to free herself from the strong grip of her well-built guards. Her heart hurt so much she thought it would stop. It was not the fear she felt for her life that caused her pain. It was her mother’s words that harmed her the most. She felt over the moon when she found out that her mother was alive, but now she wished her mother had stayed dead. Althea was not the mother she used to be; she was not the person she used to be. Her mind was lost in an ocean of madness, in a distorted reality. She was a pawn to madmen’s plans to create a new holocaust. And she was forcing her son to follow her down a road of rage. Althea was trying to turn Vittor from a kindhearted young man to a bloodthirsty animal. Floriana moved frantically, trying to escape from the human trap she was caught in. They were holding her so tightly that red marks were forming on her skin. She needed an escape plan, but she could not come up with one.
I wish Eric was here, she thought. Vittor had said that Eric and the Master were on the way. Maybe they are already here, she thought, mostly because she had to convince herself that help was coming. She could not afford to lose her faith and hope right now.
With a nod from Althea, two armed men moved Floriana beside Vittor. As the two siblings looked at each other in despair, Floriana cracked a timid smile at Vittor in an attempt to encourage him.
It is okay, she mouthed to him. However, her brother’s frightened eyes gave away his thoughts. Nothing was okay.
Floriana glanced around to check out the place. Their way out was blocked by two armed soldiers. At the back of the room, Dr. Foulkaneli and half a dozen scientists were focused on their work without paying attention what was happening across the chamber. Like this happens every day, thought Floriana.
“Now, sweetheart, put the gun to her head,” Althea said quietly, firmly holding her son’s armed hand.
“No!” Vittor shouted as shook his hand.
“You are going to do this now,” Althea insisted, and with two hands she tried to make him point the gun at Floriana.
“I said no!” Vittor shouted, and with his elbow, he hit Althea’s jaw, knocking her down.
“You useless little creature!” Althea cried out before she commanded one of her soldiers to force her son’s arm point the loaded gun at his sister.
Vittor’s chestnut hair was soaked in sweat. His hand was cold and trembling heavily under the soldier’s forceful grasp. Floriana tried to move her head away from the barrel, but it was impossible under her guards’ grips. She gave Vittor an agonized look, but her brother could not see her; he had his eyes firmly closed.
“Now, pull the trigger!” Althea shouted again as she stood up.
“NO! What kind of mother are you?” he cried, now gazing at her.
“I am the one who gave life to you! You are not worthy of judging me! Make him pull the trigger!” she roared.
Floriana let out a small cry while she watched Vittor fighting with all his strength against the soldier who was trying to force him to pull the trigger. Her mouth was dry as she focused on the gun pointing at her while Althea howled.
“Pull the trigger! Pull the trigger! Pull the trigger!”
A shot whistled across the room. Althea’s rampage stopped. Gaping, she put her hand to her chest and touched the blood pouring out of the wound there before she collapsed on the floor.
“Mom!” Floriana shouted, and tried to get to her mother’s body, but her captors kept her still.
A sudden movement at the back of the room drew their attention. A large man in a white laboratory coat came forward; he had his arms locked around Dr. Foulkaneli’s body and a gun pointing at the old man’s head. “I’m sorry, Floriana. I had to shoot her,” he said when his icy grey eyes met hers.
“Duclan,” Floriana muttered.
“Let them leave, or I kill him,” Duclan commanded her captors, using Dr. Foulkaneli as a shield.
“Don’t listen to him! Shoot them!” shouted the old man.
Emboldened by Duclan’s sudden appearance and sensing that her captors were equally surprised, Floriana lifted her right leg and stomped it hard on the foot of the man who was holding her right arm. The man loosened his grip, shouting in pain. Grabbing the opportunity, Floriana swiveled and launched a kick at the stomach of the man standing on her left. As the guy folded over in pain, Floriana grabbed his gun from his holster and turned to her brother’s captors.
“If anyone touches her, Foulkaneli is dead,” Duclan shouted to the soldiers, who moved to catch Floriana.
“Don’t listen to him,” the man moaned in pain. “Shoot the boy!” he screamed.
“Shut up, or I will shoot you!” Floriana shouted. “You, let my brother go. And hand him your guns,” she demanded, pointing a gun toward them with a steady hand.
Vittor wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand before he made a step forward and relieved his captors of their guns. His breathing was fast, and he stumbled, but he managed to lift his arms to the level of his chest and aim at the two men, who raised their hands up. Slowly and carefully, he joined his sister across from the group of the brown-clad soldiers, and together they stepped cautiously toward their mother, who was lying in a small pool of blood.
“Mom!” Floriana cried as she bent her knees and leaned over hardly breathing Althea. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
Althea lifted her hand with difficulty and touched her daughter’s cheek. As her soul was abandoning her wounded body, Althea’s deranged mind seemed to have a last moment of clarity and awareness.
“I am sorry,” she muttered as she breathed her last.
“No! Mom!” Floriana collapsed onto her mother’s lifeless body and broke out in tears.
The warmth of Vittor’s arm around her could not comfort her soul. She had lost her mother for second time; she mourned her loss for second time. And this time was more painful. She wished she had not been reunited with her mother. She would have preferred to remember her as she once was: happy, healthy, and sane.
“Why did she have to come back into our lives?” she sobbed.
“Maybe she unconsciously wanted to teach us the most important lesson a parent can: to make the right decision, despite how difficult it is.” Vittor kissed her forehead and helped her stand. “Come, we need to get out of here immediately,” he whispered, still pointing his gun at the soldiers.
“I do not want to leave her behind,” Floriana wept.
“Neither do I. But we are not safe here.” Vittor brushed his sister’s hair. “Come.”
With tears in her eyes and shaking hands, Floriana aimed her gun back at the soldiers. The two siblings stepped slowly towards Duclan, who still held Dr. Foulkaneli firmly. As they took their places behind him, a group of unarmed scientists gathered opposite them.
“One step and he is dead,” Duclan warned them. With guns in their hands and Foulkaneli as a shield, the three of them moved backward toward an emergency exit near them. As soon as they opened the door, they found themselves outdoors. The sunlight was bright, and they squinted until their eyes adjusted to the light. They moved quickly through the green backyard, throwing anxious glances towards the building they had just exited. Duclan dragged Foulkaneli along, disregarding the old man’s moans. Realizing that with Foulkaneli teetering and stumbling, they could not escape their enemies fast enough, Duclan decided to let the madman go.
“Do not fancy yourself free. In the end, you will get what you deserve,” Duclan warned the old scientist as he shoved him away. While he watched the old guy limp back toward the headquarters building, he dropped his white coat and gestured for the siblings to follow him to the main street.
They concealed their weapons in their pants, securing them at their waists, and mingled with the people in the street. Floriana and Vittor tried to hide their nervousness under seemingly calm faces, but their hearts beat like crazy in their chests. They walked holding hands alongside Duclan, who scanned the area with his intense gaze. Trying to look casual, Floriana took short peeks at an area she was seeing for the first time. Identical white houses were lined up across the street with well-preserved lawns fringed by well-trimmed hedges. Despite how well-composed the clean-cut people looked, their sharp walk gave away a sense of alertness; it was as though they were all a part of a larger plan in action. Walking quickly, the trio continued along their way, keeping their eyes low and their movements calm. They were a few meters away the arched wooden gate that marked the town’s exit when the sound of a red alert filled the air.
“This way!” Duclan yelled, pointing to a grove of trees on the left. They dashed along through the trees as an increasing quick crowd began chasing them. “Get down!” Duclan shouted as the soldiers unleashed a hail of bullets. Crawling, they found cover behind large tree trunks and pulled out their guns. Floriana’s limbs went cold, seeing that her brother was looking confused at his loaded firearm.
“Pull the safety off.” She imitated sliding the safety lever on the upper end of the gun while the sound of gunfire drowned out her voice.
“We are doomed,” she mumbled. Holding the gun with both hands, she took a deep breath and shot, moving her body away from the trunk. Her stomach tightened as she returned to the safety the large tree offered her. She turned to look at Duclan who leaned against the trunk he was hidden behind. She hoped for a signal from him, but the scientist was standing there motionless. A huge bloodstain across his stomach soaked his white t-shirt.
“Duclan!” she yelled while dozens of bullets whizzed around them.
The sound of two helicopters approaching rapidly forced her attention to the sky, where the soldiers were now shooting. The gusts of air helicopters created as they hovered above the large main street forced the brown-clad soldiers to retreat.
Taking advantage of the temporary ceasefire, Floriana took off and ran to Duclan, whose legs could not hold his injured body up anymore and were slipping to the ground. Floriana knelt down and took him onto her lap.
“I am sorry,” Duclan whispered in pain. “I am sorry I shot your mother. She was crazy. She was ready to kill you. I am sure she would have. However, she was your mother. I hope someday you find the strength to forgive me,” he said with difficulty.
Floriana tried to suppress a sob as she pressed his wound with her palms, trying to stop the bleeding. “Why did you bring me here if you knew she was dangerous? You should have helped my brother escape instead of putting us both at risk,” she panted.
Duclan moaned with pain as he placed his weak hand over his bleeding wound. “They threatened to kill my mentor if I didn’t. I had just arrived in Malta when they called me and demanded that I hand you over to them, or else they would kill Akio Sato. They gave me no choice. I had to bring you here. However, they never proved that my mentor is even alive.” He breathed with difficulty.
“What is done is done.” Floriana tried to stay calm while the man’s blood streamed through her fingers. “We do not need to talk about it right now. Help is coming, and we will have plenty time to talk afterwards.”
“There is one more thing I need you to tell the Grand Master,” he answered, coughing.
“You will tell him yourself.” She could not hide the shakiness in her voice.
“My time is up, Floriana. Tell the Grand Master that the Empire did not know that I am a member of the Order of the Black Rose. They threatened to kill Akio Sato only because they knew he is my mentor. Tell him that I went undercover because we had received information of a Withered Rose within the ranks of the Empire. A withered rose. He will understand.” Noticing the puzzled look on her face, Duclan motioned not to interrupt him. “Also tell him that ... I am responsible for the death of a Romanian detective called Dumitrescu. He pretended to be a member of the Order while really working for the Empire ... and contaminated many of Transylvania’s water resources, causing the death of innocent people.” He spoke slowly and with great difficulty. Duclan’s body spasmed as he coughed up blood. “Let him know that I tried to stop the attack in Uzbekistan by dropping an antidote I created in water tanks but did not have time to thoroughly test its effectiveness.”
“You will tell him yourself,” Floriana whimpered.
Convulsions racked Duclan’s body, and a stream of blood poured from his mouth as he tried to assign Floriana one more task. “Please, if you ever meet Norchelle, please tell her to take care of Zulfizar, the little girl I saved in Uzbekistan. And also ... please tell Norchelle ... that I loved her madly. She has always been my heart and soul,” he whispered before collapsing.
Floriana let out a soft wail as Duclan’s soul left his body. Still holding him firmly in her arms, she wept for his early death, and for his love for Norchelle and Zulfizar. She cried for the loss of her mom, a loss she had to suffer twice. She cried for all the unfortunate souls the Empire had killed. She felt Vittor putting his arms around her and heard his weep for the mother he too had just met and lost. Their grief was so deep that they did not realize that they were no longer in the middle of a fight. It was a familiar voice that brought them back to reality.
“Floriana!”
Red-eyed, she looked at the main street, where the helicopters had landed a few minutes ago and saw Eric running towards them. A black woman with a strikingly beautiful face followed him. They were both wearing FBI vests and had their guns in their hands.
“Duclan!” the woman cried out before she ran frantically to them, kneeled, and put her arms around Duclan’s body. “Oh my God, no!” she moaned as she put her palm on his lifeless cheek.
Floriana let Duclan’s body slip into the woman’s arms and caressed her hair softly.
“Are you Norchelle?” she asked calmly.
The sobbing woman nodded before she tenderly kissed Duclan’s bloodied face.
“Duclan wanted you to know how much he loved you. You were his heart and soul that is what he said. His last words were about you,” Floriana told her with tears in her eyes.
Norchelle clasped Duclan’s dead body tightly in her arms and let out a loud cry.
“Floriana.” Eric drew her close to him and cupped her face in his palms. “I thought I would never see you again.” His voice trembled with emotion and he gazed affectionately into her green eyes. Floriana buried her head into his chest as she put her arms around his waist and cried so hard she felt her heart would break. Under the shadow of tall oaks of Millville, she mourned for the illusion she had lived in for most of her life, for the mother she had found and lost again, for the dreadful challenge she’d gone through with her brother. She cried for the loss she suffered, the pain the Empire had brought to the lives of hundreds of people, and the heavy burden of personal sacrifice she had to bear as a member of the Order of the Black Rose. In the warmth of Eric’s hug, Floriana cried until she had no tears left to shed.
***
HEAVY GUNFIRE SOUNDED from the town as the feds raided the houses, the offices, and the headquarters of the Empire, putting an end to their insane plan to control the world.
It was their responsibility to wipe the secret society out and bring its members to justice, to make them pay for the atrocities they had committed. The Order of the Black Rose had done its duty. They had revealed an ongoing terrorist attack, and they had led the FBI to the heart of the Empire’s secret society. Now it was time to turn underground once more; it was time to grieve their losses and heal their wounds.