The Cosmic Crime: Part Seven

Ms. Madison stood on the steps of the hotel, looking up at the flaming hills around the city, shielding her eyes against the sun. Above, firefighting helicopters circled, dumping great quantities of water on the flames. Her mobile 'phone was held to her ear, as she talked to the Green Man.

"It looks like the whole forest's on fire from here," she told the Green Man, "but one of the doormen told me he's seen it this way before."

"He's right." The Green Man declared. "This is no cosmic crime. This is a distraction. While the emergency services are fighting this fire, the Order of Cain are going to carry out their evil plan. This almost certainly involves the use of the fault lines that the Order owns property on."

"Quite." Ms. Madison concurred. "But isn't that a bit like Lex Luthor in the Superman film?"

"Or the bad guy from Roger Moore's last Bond film." The Green Man concurred. "Which is hardly a cosmic crime. It has to be more than that. And that worries me. When I know evil is afoot and I don't know what it is, that concerns me. Is there anything more you can tell me?"

"There are two promising locations for a base for the Order of Cain," Ms. Madison told her boss. "A big old Mission out in the desert, and an old coastal fort. I think we should take the Mission first."

"I agree." The Green Man spoke decisively. "The Order of Cain seems to need consecrated buildings for their evil ceremonies."

"I'll be there in a jiffy," the blonde declared brightly. "See you there!"

She rang off and headed for her sports car.

The Green Man and Andrea arrived at the Mission first. They parked sufficiently far away from the Mission to escape detection if the Order of Cain was using the buildings. Silently and carefully, the two figures hurried towards the huge, powerful building of the mission church. No-one was to be seen, but there was organ music coming from the church.

The two adventurers paused beneath the great walls, by a side door. Applying a doctor's stethoscope to the door, the Green Man listened. What he heard was proof of his sound judgement. He could hear the same strange chanting as he'd heard in the church at Ringstead. And the fightened tones of a young woman.

"We shall have blood this time."

It was the voice of the leader of the Secret Order of Cain. The Order of Doom! Apparently they intended to see someone die before they did their evil. The girl whimpered, and soon the Green Man could stand it no longer.

He broke through the door, drawing his gun. Andrea, entering beside him, drew her heavy automatic.

"End this!" he commanded, shooting a couple of the members of the order.

"So," the leader turned to the Green Man. "We meet again. But this time, the ground opens under your feet!"

Andrea screamed, as she felt herself falling through space.