Empty Houses (Peter, Jerome, Rain, Thomas)
Raiding the Templar hideout in the Xinjiang province of China ended up being far easier than any of them had expected. Thanks to the information from the Chinese branch of Dead Meat, as well as the information Jerome had ‘extracted’ from Dragonetti, the hideout had been remarkably easy to find. And when they had arrived, ready for a fight, they found the place empty.
“They’re up to something,” Jerome growled, and Peter was inclined to agree. There was no other reason for the Templar hideout to be deserted, unless they had been captured by the Chinese authorities, or any of the terrorist groups in the area which was rife with religious upheaval. Somehow, Peter doubted that. It didn’t seem like something in the realm of possibility. They just were not that lucky.
Thomas separated himself from the group; Peter keeping a close eye on his best friend. Thomas was being uncharacteristically quiet and Peter wasn’t so very fond of that. Something was up with Thomas, whether he would admit it or not.
The dead man wandered away from what seemed like the main living area while Jerome and Rain raided the Templar’s stores to boost their own supplies. It had been a long journey and they were hungry. Just off of the kitchen, was a long hallway which had several rooms branching off of it. They were living quarters and Peter found himself wondering who had originally built this place, desperate for anonymity. He knew of several groups of missionaries which had traveled to China, despite the wishes of the Chinese government. Some of them had been detained there, and others sent straight home. Others still had gotten through, but they had to remain safely hidden. The Xinjiang province had it's own issues regarding religion, and Peter could see why the Templar would have chosen it. They wanted to take advantage of that upheaval. They could hide in between the other conflicts and go unnoticed. Sneaky.
Thomas turned into one of the rooms and Peter followed. “Bingo,” Thomas whispered and when Peter looked up, Thomas was holding a map in his hands. “I don’t know why they left this behind, but maybe this is where they are?” Thomas said, pointing to the small, red ‘X’ on the map. “There are notes here too. Something about a …rebel colony? A colony of what?”
Peter knew Thomas’ question was not to him, but he still felt guilty that he couldn’t answer. “So they all went after this…colony?”
“I guess? Maybe that’s all they’re here for. Peter, they don’t even have a work room.” Thomas whispered, the relief evident on his face. And considering what had happened to him in Templar workrooms, it was little surprise. “They’re not here trying to carry out their normal work. They’re not punishing heretics in order to send them back out into society.”
Peter flipped through the notes, most of which were written in Latin, probably in an attempt to keep themselves safe in the event that they were stumbled upon by Chinese authorities. “They probably wouldn’t know where to begin if they did start punishing heretics here,” Peter said absently as he flipped. “In their eyes, blasphemy and the worshipping of false idols is everywhere, and can you really punish a people for the rules their government has made?”
“I’m not entirely sure the Templar see a distinction,” Thomas glowered.
“Yeah…probably not...” Peter trailed off as his eyes skimmed over something potentially quite telling. “Oh…Thomas…”
“What?” Thomas dropped his notes, though he retained his hold on the map as he ran around to join Peter at his side. “What is it?”
“I think I know what they’re after,” Peter whispered, and he showed Thomas the passage. Thomas, who was already dead, went deathly white.
“H…here? God, Peter, if they get ahold of supernaturals here-“
“They’ll try to convince an entire country of 'sinners' that God is angry with them,” Peter muttered back. “Yeah. We have to go immediately.”
And just like that, the rescue was afoot. Again.
“They’re up to something,” Jerome growled, and Peter was inclined to agree. There was no other reason for the Templar hideout to be deserted, unless they had been captured by the Chinese authorities, or any of the terrorist groups in the area which was rife with religious upheaval. Somehow, Peter doubted that. It didn’t seem like something in the realm of possibility. They just were not that lucky.
Thomas separated himself from the group; Peter keeping a close eye on his best friend. Thomas was being uncharacteristically quiet and Peter wasn’t so very fond of that. Something was up with Thomas, whether he would admit it or not.
The dead man wandered away from what seemed like the main living area while Jerome and Rain raided the Templar’s stores to boost their own supplies. It had been a long journey and they were hungry. Just off of the kitchen, was a long hallway which had several rooms branching off of it. They were living quarters and Peter found himself wondering who had originally built this place, desperate for anonymity. He knew of several groups of missionaries which had traveled to China, despite the wishes of the Chinese government. Some of them had been detained there, and others sent straight home. Others still had gotten through, but they had to remain safely hidden. The Xinjiang province had it's own issues regarding religion, and Peter could see why the Templar would have chosen it. They wanted to take advantage of that upheaval. They could hide in between the other conflicts and go unnoticed. Sneaky.
Thomas turned into one of the rooms and Peter followed. “Bingo,” Thomas whispered and when Peter looked up, Thomas was holding a map in his hands. “I don’t know why they left this behind, but maybe this is where they are?” Thomas said, pointing to the small, red ‘X’ on the map. “There are notes here too. Something about a …rebel colony? A colony of what?”
Peter knew Thomas’ question was not to him, but he still felt guilty that he couldn’t answer. “So they all went after this…colony?”
“I guess? Maybe that’s all they’re here for. Peter, they don’t even have a work room.” Thomas whispered, the relief evident on his face. And considering what had happened to him in Templar workrooms, it was little surprise. “They’re not here trying to carry out their normal work. They’re not punishing heretics in order to send them back out into society.”
Peter flipped through the notes, most of which were written in Latin, probably in an attempt to keep themselves safe in the event that they were stumbled upon by Chinese authorities. “They probably wouldn’t know where to begin if they did start punishing heretics here,” Peter said absently as he flipped. “In their eyes, blasphemy and the worshipping of false idols is everywhere, and can you really punish a people for the rules their government has made?”
“I’m not entirely sure the Templar see a distinction,” Thomas glowered.
“Yeah…probably not...” Peter trailed off as his eyes skimmed over something potentially quite telling. “Oh…Thomas…”
“What?” Thomas dropped his notes, though he retained his hold on the map as he ran around to join Peter at his side. “What is it?”
“I think I know what they’re after,” Peter whispered, and he showed Thomas the passage. Thomas, who was already dead, went deathly white.
“H…here? God, Peter, if they get ahold of supernaturals here-“
“They’ll try to convince an entire country of 'sinners' that God is angry with them,” Peter muttered back. “Yeah. We have to go immediately.”
And just like that, the rescue was afoot. Again.