Entry 6 - London2Cairo: Mirs island ritual, Eddie's demise, sail for Cairo to checkout letter to Faraz

Yosef volunteers to cross the ravine to crank the bridge into position. But he is confronted by the watchman, "Password?" The rest of us only hear a shotgun blast before Yosef steps into view to signal all OK. We drive across (slow going with the car lights off relying on the moonlight) turning right along the road before it bends left toward a two-story mansion.

Four cars parked in the circular driveway. Eddie turns our car to face outward before we creep closer; no guards and lights on both the 1st and 2nd floor. While Eddie disables the 4 cars (cuts fuel lines), the others case the perimeter. A feeble attempt to climb to the 2nd floor, hampered by the late-January cold and ice. Rene boldly steps to the front door and enters to find an empty sparse great-room. Silence; where are they? As Rene climbs the stairs to the 2nd floor, the others impatiently wait and whisper, "Remind me, do the 5 of us expect to take on these 2-dozen Egyptian cultists? What's our plan?" We can hear Rene conversing with someone (turns out, a servant is readying the bedrooms, thinks Rene is a late arrival, and lets him know, "They've already headed out sir.")

Meanwhile Eddie inspects the great-room fireplace thinking he will be able to hear sounds thru the open flu. Silence, but he does notice a brick on either side of the fireplace out of alignment. "Pisst. Check this out." He pulls the right brick that opens a panel-door inside the cold fireplace. Yoseph and James follow him down the iron-rung ladder to an empty single room. James is proud to reveal his anthropology knowledge, "This is a priest-hole hideout during the persecution reign of Cromwell." Guin has already pulled the other brick revealing another fireplace passage. She steps aside to let the same trio check it out. More a dungeon with prison cells. And moaning to warn of occupants as we find one bloody empty cell and another with a white prisoner.

"Get me out of here. I'm Phillip Johnson, agent of Scotland Yard investigating the Soho murders when I was captured by damn Arabs." We call for Guin to send Rene who has lockpicking skills as James approaches another cell, "Edward? Is that you?" The African-American prisoner another scholar from the Penhew Foundation. "I was researching the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh and came across reference to ceremonial daggers I'd seen Mr. Gavigan holding. When I approached him on the subject, he overpowered me and here I am. GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!" Hysterical. Too loud for comfort on our part as we are about to gag him when he reveals, "They are performing ritual sacrifices. They are out there now with 4 naked women. If my research is correct, they are about to pollute the English gene pool tonight with some kind of sadistic sexual sacrifice. Hell, there's more evidence in that back room."

 
Rene finally arrives to pick Phillips locked cell while Yosef and Eddie have already pried open Edward's cell just to silence his screaming fit. The back room seems to be Gavigan's office space. A bust statue of the Black Pharaoh, empty iron maidens, and a desk where we find a ledger and unfinished letter addressed to Aubrey Penhew:

The plot thickens as we now realize Aubrey is not a victim but an accomplice. And it's time to get the hell away.

 
As we exit the front doors, we can hear chanting from the west which seems illuminated by fire. Rene, Guin, and the rescued prisoners start walking to the car when they realize Eddie has other plans. "Guin, take this mask in case I don't make it back." Eddie obviously planning to drop in on the ritual. Yosef and James tagging along despite the Italian's protests. Rene shakes his head at their stupidity, "It's your funeral. I'll wait at the bridge...a little while." James stops at the disabled cars setting a lit cigarette near the spilled fuel hoping to cause a delayed fire distraction. Over the rise and down a slope they soon see the Arabs gathered round a pillar; 4 naked women chained to the corners.

Gavigan on a platform in ceremonial robes with his curved blades, chanting some unintelligible spell. Other Arabs pound drums to add to the ritual, when an explosion erupts from the house behind us. Gavigan signals for others to investigate as his tempo quickens and the clouds overhead darken in a swirling mass.

 
Eddie has seen enough at the spice shop to know he can't stop Gavigan. So he does the only thing within reason...he rushes forward to the closest chained woman...and shoots her in the temple. From Gavigan, "YOU!?!" He begins casting a new spell as Eddie has already moved to the next woman putting her out of misery. Whatever spell Gavigan was attempting, James interrupts with his own cast to weaken Gavigan's powers. It's a meaningless distraction with Gavigan too powerful, as two forms emerge from the clouds above, swirl into the shape of winged snakes (Hunting Horrors), then swoop down to attack Eddie. Bitten in half.

It's now a race for James and Yosef outrunning the other Arabs as they sprint for Rene hopefully at the bridge. Yosef faster as James tries to shoot over his shoulder at his pursuers. One assailant crumples with a bullet in his leg, but the others continue. Rene can see it all as he guns the car across the bridge and attempts to run-over the pursuers before spinning a u-turn to then pickup Yoseph and James. They speed off for Scotland Yard where they impatiently wait for Inspector Barrington to arrive. Time to read the ledger which mentions 3 years of overseas shipments; 15 January the latest. To: 

     1.   the most honorable HoFong in Shanghai,

     2.   Randall Shipping in Darwin Australia,

     3.   Omar Shakti in Cairo. 

 

A pacing Edward, "I just want to get the hell away from here. Get back to America. Get me a boat ticket out of Southhampton now!" Finally the inspector arrives and is immediately pleased at the sight of Philip, "I thought you were dead!" We tell our story but soon realize we will be paid to shut up. Oh they'll checkout the island mansion cult thing. But we are to say nothing to the papers for fear of the populous reaction to such bizarre stories and accounts.

As for us, it's off to Cairo to checkout this dated letter to Roger Carlyle.

It's early February at the docks when a Norman Bitzman joins our group. A journalist who happened upon Edward at the docks and heard his story. Four days to catch-up during our sail around Spain and Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea for Alexandria, Egypt. Where we board a train for Cairo, the largest city in Africa. British presence to protect the canal.

We check into a hotel across the street from the "Cairo Bulletin" English newspaper office. International news of the Ipswitch mansion fire, Penhew Foundation director missing, and the murder of a prominent spice dealer in Soho. No news of cult activities...all our efforts buried in political fear.

Per the 1919 letter, we walk towards the old city in hopes of finding "the Street of Jackals." All street names too similar; we need a guide.

But the shop we seek is gone. A local merchant first spits at the mention of Faraz but soon tells the events of 6 years ago, "Yes he had a visitor who left, then shortly thereafter a demon came down and burned the shop to the ground. Faraz badly burned. Moved across town, in the Khan El-Khalil district."

 

Another long walk thru town keeping watch on our pockets as the beggars and urchins swarm around us looking for handouts. By mid-afternoon we arrive at the district finding Faraz's new shop "Curios - Antiquities". The badly burned Arab inviting us into his shop, "Get you anything you need." Guin noting, "These are knockoffs; where are the good items?" But Yosef adds mention of Faraz's letter to Roger Carlyle which sends the merchant into a tirade, "You camel fuckiers! Out! Out of my shop you infidels." We try to calm him to no avail. Yosef, trying to be more subtle, punches the irrational Arab which only heightens his screaming, "Help! Help. These foreigners attack me. Lowly, disfigured me." So now in the dusty streets of Cairo, 5 white investigators become the focus of throngs of Arabs pouring out of neighboring shops and homes.

Our guide tugging at Guin's sleeve, "You come quick. Get out of here."