Trade

With excited nerves, Joe was walking down the road. He gripped his overcoat tighter to warm himself. He was breathing heavily while making his way towards his destination.

He stopped infront of a house, congested between two large buildings. He knocked on the door, anticipation hanging in the air. He didn't dare to knock again and again and stood back and tightened his grip around his coat.

Eventually, a man about his height with multiple piercings opened the door. He nodded at Joe's sight and gave him way to enter. Joe entered the building. He unconsciously contracted which made him look smaller infront of others.

The man led him into deeper and opened a door. There were 10 men and 6 women, sitting around a table and were discussing something. Joe's breath hitched at the sight but he somehow maintained his composure.

They looked at Joe in irritation as their discussion was disturbed but when they recognised him, their anger subsided. Joe sighed in relief and went on to take a seat.

They nodded at his actions, and started—

"Now that Joseph is with us, we can discuss the main topics" a man with long beard said.

Everyone nodded and the man started—

"This would be a historic event, and everyone will witness it. This is our chance to undermine the 'God' regime. For how long will they feign ignorance? God was long ago dead"

"How many other groups are involved in this?" A woman asked

"Whole Satanic Convent is associated with this" he replied.

"And they say we are acting as a team...it's only reduced to a fucking race that who will go for the Cardinal first" the women said slightly frustrated.

"That's our weakness...our convent is divided into Theistic and Atheistic satanists"

"Will we be able to pull it off?"

They all went silent.

"That's our next topic to discuss"

They all looked at the man in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" Someone asked.

"Crowley is coming" he said and the whole meeting went silent. They were stunned that Alister Crowley will show up for this.

"Is he...is he really coming?" The woman asked and the man simply nodded.

Joe was stunned and was sweating heavily. He never met Crowley but the only thing he heard about him was that he had direct contact with devil himself. He didn't believe in him meeting the devil but still...meeting the founder of The Satanic Convent was too much for him.

After coming back from Israel after acquiring the manuscript, he supplied that to many people illegally and founded The Satanic Convent. He claimed to be working under some unknown entity but it was rumoured to be...The Antichrist.

"He will reunite the Satanic Convent to effectively assassinate the Cardinal" the man said

"Although it's just my assumption" he added before anyone could make any immediate assumptions.

"Will he...will he reveal who he is working under?" Joe carefully chose his words.

They all looked at him like they will eat him, but that's just how they usually looked like from Joe's perspective.

"Maybe...but again it's just an assumption" the man said in a contemplative tone.

"What should be our next course of action?" The woman asked.

The man went silent for a minute before saying—

"To acquire a spot in street 74 before anyone" he said.

"I think that's for the best too" someone else said.

Joe then hesitantly raised his hand. Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"You have any questions?" The man asked.

"I...I can pull that off" he said, stuttering slightly.

A woman laughed at her stutter.

"You are afraid to talk here, you really think you can pull the trigger there?" She said in a mocking tone.

Joe blinked multiple times before slowly retracting his hand in defeat and humiliation.

"No...are you serious about it?" The man asked.

Joe looked at him and eventually shook his head. His confidence crumbled at her remark.

The man clicked his tongue at his submissive action.

"Tell me, are you serious?" He asked again.

Joe realised that he couldn't lie anymore so he nodded.

"Give me a reason to give you that responsibility" He asked.

Joe went silent. He couldn't think of any plausible reason.

"I...I have good aim!" He exclaimed after thinking for some time.

"Even I have a good aim" the man said in a bland tone.

Joe couldn't think of any reason. What he only knew was that he received the book himself so he might be the chosen one.

He bought the book when he was browsing through dark web. He hated church for playing with the beliefs of many people and capitalising it. His mother died of overwork and couldn't earn much and there stood the church capitalising faith of common people. He couldn't stand that.

"I have a plan, and I am ready to undertake it" Joe said.

"Judging from your tone, that doesn't sound right" the woman said with palpable concern.

________________________________________

5th Avenue, St. Patrick's Cathedral,

The Cathedral was beautifully lit by lights, creating a welcoming atmosphere to whoever wanted to enter. People walking around on the streets and cars going by created a safe for people. And from far, two headlights of a specific taxi were visible like a beast's glowing eyes in the dark. The only difference was it wasn't threatening, not for then.

The yellow taxi stopped infront of the Catherdal. The taxi driver, a middle aged man with a neat moustache looked back and gestured his passenger to get off. There was a subtle hint of a smile on his face, but it was hidden by his moustache. His muscular body gave way that he exercised daily.

The passanger got off and stood by the window of the driver to pay him.

"You want to part in the Cathedral?" The driver asked.

The man went silent for a second before nodding deeply. The driver nodded back and said—

"This is where the archbishop resides. I also used to come here frequently"

The man looked at him strangely and said,"What happened now then?"

"Oh...my job. Y'know, taxi driving"

"How oftenly do you visit this place?" The man inquired.

The man didn't mind his question and took it positively.

"Everyday before work" he said.

"You are a religious man?"

The driver's smiles widened slightly.

"If that's the way you want to put it" he said.

The man in return said nothing looked down at his pocket.

He pulled out his wallet and looked observed the man. He could see the faint smile on the driver's face.

"Looks like something great happened to you recently" he asked to the driver.

The driver looked at him in pleasant surprise and laughed feeling slightly shy.

"Oh don't worry, I won't snitch" he reassured the smiling man.

"Oh no no, it's not like that but..."

"But what? Come on, sharing a good moment won't hurt anyone"

The driver beamed at him and started—

"I am just happy to give back to my daughter. You know, she is a newborn"

"Oh, that's some solid reason"

"Like...y'know, she is just a week old and seeing her just makes me happy. My love of life taking care of what we created...it's such a lovely sight" he said, his eyes blurred like he was in a trance.

"For nine months I prayed for her healthy birth in the Cathedral and...I am so grateful if the lord" he added.

The man grinned at him. He was enjoying that.

"That's some lovely sight, really"

"Like you know the feeling when a literal mini version of your wife sits and giggles while looking at you!" The driver said with great animation while gesturing with his hands.

"I would cradle her in my arms and she would pinch my moustache!"

"Oh, wonderful. Wonderful"

The man pulled out a 500$ bill and handed it to the driver. He was about to give him the change before the man stopped him.

"A little tip from me" he said

"But sir—"

"I am not hearing anything. Just do what I said" he said sternly.

The man smiled in gratitude and put the bill inside his pocket.

"Thank you, sir" he said

"And one more thing!" The man said before rummaging through his bag. The driver looked at his bag in curiosity. The gentle rustling of papers increased the anticipation.

The man pulled out a few pages and handed them to him. The driver was about to open the pages but the man stopped him.

"Hey! Not now" he said.

The driver looked at him in confusion at his insistence.

"But...why not?"

"Anywhere else but not now"

"Sir, these are just papers" he waved the papers to make his point clearer.

"And I suggest you not to open them here"

"Okay okay...I'll read the content after reaching my home"

"That would be the best course of action"

"Sir?"

"Oh, nothing. Just don't come them here"

The driver sighed and gave a nod. He wouldn't argue with him as he was silently begging to go home.

"Okay sir, have a good night" he said

"And yeah, buy your daughter some nice things with that money after reaching home" the man said.

The driver smiled at his suggestion and drove away. The man was still looking at the departing car with intrigue.

Inside the car, the man couldn't stop thinking about the papers he gave to him. He was curious but he very well remembered the man's warning.

After driving for a few meters, he couldn't help but wonder what was written. Slowly, he pulled out the papers and and unfolded them.

In the first page, there was the illustration of a man with long hairs, white clothed. He was intrigued by the picture but his face was slightly distorted due to the quality of pages. The disturbed face especially gave him some chills but he continued flipping pages.

His blood froze when he turned the page. There was the illustration of the same man burning. He mouth was wide open and looking upwards, like he was screaming to the heavens itself. Kneeling down as his one leg gave up due to the fire and hirns protruding out of his forehead.

'Is this...devil?' he thought to himself. He wa still taking care of the road somehow.

And when the textual part came, he unconsciously started reading while still taking care of the road.

For he ran away,

Leaving everything behind

Fooling everyone who he met

Stripping everyone from their right mind

He made thing look real

So the material world he made—

When he read the next line, he screamed in rage and disbelief before he forgot about the wheel in his hand and hit his vehicle straight into another car.

The man was still standing outside the Cathedral before he observed that people were rushing towards some area.

'Bad omen' he thought to himself before looking at the Catherdal again.

________________________________________

Half n' hour later, 8th Avenue

"Joe...will your plan really work? If you actually are ready to do it...then we all would be very grateful" the man said.

"That's my... duty" he said before the man's phone started buzzing.

"Is that your phone, Williams?" The woman said before he nodded and took the phone to his ears.

"Hello" he said calmly.

They all went silent for him to talk, anticipation weighting heavy in the atmosphere.

"Wait, what?!" The man exclaimed in shock.

Some people gasped at his outburst, Joe flinched at that.

The man calmed down and out down the phone, his expression grave.

"Who was...on the line?" Joe asked carefully.

"In the 5th Avenue, a taxi driver died"

Everyone at the table went silent. Not due to shock but due to what was so special about his death.

"And you were surprised about that?!" The woman retorted in annoyance.

"Not for that!" He said.

The woman went silent at his excuse.

"Oh, so what was so shocking about it?"

"Because...sighs, because some prints of Other Collections were find with him"

"Wait...was he also the member of Satanic Convent?" She asked.

"Not just that but...he has arrived" he said.

"Wait...what he? Are you joking?!" The woman asked.

The man shook his head and said—

"Alister Crowley has arrived".