End times: a Gabriel Knight mystery
Chapter 12
by AGM, published on April 25, 2002
Gabriel eventually got off the plane, still very unnerved by his dream, and hopped into a cab. He began to write down everything he remembered Wolfgang saying on the ride over to St. George’s Book’s where he was going to meet Mosely.
He even called Grace from his cell phone and tried to convince her to come up here with Gran and Gerde so they’d be close too him but she was adamant on staying.
“Gabriel as much as Sidney has in it, it still does not contain every book in the Schattenjäger library. I'll take your dreams advice since their usually true but I'm going to have to stay here if I have any hope of finding a clue to this guy whose been attacking us.”
Gabriel sighed and relented. “Hey Gracie, while you look up “the hunter of hunter’s,”” Gabriel said with a scoff, “Also look up the word Malebolge. And Malebolge Walker.”
“Hmmm…Malebolge Walker? Malebolge? Why does that sound familiar? Sure Gabriel I'll look it up, and don’t worry about us. We’re safe inside Schloss Ritter, and anytime we do leave Werner has a bunch of the villagers come with us, so we'll be fine. I'll make sure Gran is fine myself.”
“Fine Gracie. If I come up with anything or vice versa we'll talk and…oh my god!”
“What Gabriel? What is it?” Grace asked.
“I'll call you back Grace, promise.” He closed the cell phone, threw some money at the driver and now exited the stopped cab.
The area by St. George’s was totally blocked off. Police cars and barricades blocked the whole area.
St. George was nothing more then a pile of rubble. Black ash and smoke blew from the site as fire men continued to hose the place down, spraying a blast of water here and there.
Gabriel immediately ran up and hopped a barricade only to be stopped by a police officer.
“Woe there buddy! Where exactly do you think you in such a rush too?” The officer asked holding him back.
“Officer that is my store that is burnt to the ground there! Was anyone hurt? How did this happen?”
“So your name is Knight?” the officer asked.
“Yes.” Gabriel answered impatiently.
“Agent Mosley told us to expect you. Follow me sir I'll take you to him.”
Gabriel followed the police officer to back of the building, where Mosely was directing investigation crews.
Gabriel walked right up behind Mosely “What is this Mosely? How could you not tell me this happened?”
Mosely turned around and saw his friend. He frowned. “Sorry Gabe. I knew you’d be hot, and I also knew you’d fly off the handle and you didn't need that if you were working on a case. But when I found what I did, I had to give you a ring.”
Gabriel now calm and a little frightened asked, “What did you find?”
Mosely motioned for Gabriel to follow him and they walked inside St. George's.
They headed inside and Gabriel was stunned by what he saw. All the books burnt away our waterlogged. His counter for his cash register, reduced to ash. The painting of the skulls and the three snakes that his father painted, no more. As ugly as the painting was, that hurt him the most.
He and Mosely continued to the back room. There the converted bedroom to break room seemed to have taken the least amount of damage. Things were scattered, singed and covered in soot, but a whole back wall remained untouched. And Gabriel saw why.
There were pictures hanging on the wall. Each held to the wall by a dagger driven through it. A picture of him. A picture of Grace. One of Mosely, one of Gran. Dr. John, Malia Gedde, Magentia Moonbeam, hell, even the damn mime Gabriel had punched out when he was investigating the voodoo murders.
Pictures of all the people who he had been involved with over the last few years, either as friends or through investigations. But the weirder thing about some of these pictures was while some had circles around them, others had x’s and other were just simply the person’s picture.
“I've had the forensics’ people up and down all over this room Gabe,” Mosely said. “They Can't find a single clue. A fingerprint, a hair, not even a damn footprint but our own was in the room. That’s why I called you now, cause I definitely think this may have something to do with whacked out nightmare you were having.”
Gabriel turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah yeah yeah. I know ya loser. I don’t believe in your dream mumbo jumbo crap, but it seems like every time you swear you have one that means something, it usually leads to some case. And with you having images of Grace and Gran in danger…”
“And you now finding St. George’s burnt down, you’re a little more inclined to agree, huh?” Gabriel said finishing for him.
“Yeah just a bit. So what do you make of this Knight? Any wackos you can think of out to get you?”
Gabriel relayed the past day and a half to Mosely catching him up on his dreams and on what had happened with Grace and Chadrel at the monastery.
“Whew!” Mosely said. “You just Can't live a quiet life can you buddy? I don’t know about the dreams, or how it’s possible, but I definitely think that whoever that guy is and whoever did this are more then likely connected. The question is how and why?”
Gabriel nodded still looking at the pictures. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do some of the pictures have x’s and some come circled?”
Mosely shrugged. “I thought at first that they might be victims he’s already attended too but then I realized some of these people are already dead. Like Dr. John. Remember? I shot him.”
Gabriel nodded again. “And the same applies to Crash, he died thanks to Malia Gedde so he’s crossed out. Along with Von Glower and…”Gabriel suddenly stopped.
“What? What is it?”
Gabriel answered slowly. “Mosely…assuming we believe that those who are crossed out are dead and Can't be gotten to why is it…that Malia Gedde is circled, just like you, Grace, Gran, and Gerde?
Mosely dropped his mouth shocked at what it could possibly mean then started to step towards the pictures. He took one down off the wall.
He turned to Gabriel and held up the crossed out picture. “Gabriel? Who is this woman then?”
Last update: October 24, 2007
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