The four men made it through the fighting, taking their share of bodies before coming out the other side. They caught their breath as they watched Alistair's teams drive the invaders into the middle of their idea of a kill box. The sound of gunfire and fighting came to their ears as it echoed on the sea breeze.

Avidan shuddered, "I feel like this is Deja Vu... it happening all over again."

The others spurred into action, heading for the cliff paths, but Avidan stood where he was, seeking the path he knew was there in the darkness, the one that took faith to find. He always smiled when he remembered those words. They sounded like they came from a Science Fiction book or movie, but he knew them to be accurate and genuine.

Ben stopped at the head of the trio, indicating they stopped, and the three returned to Avidan's side.

"What are you doing?" Ben asked.

"Finding a quicker path," Avidan said, closing his eyes and breathing in, "you just have to have faith."

The three looked at each other and shrugged, stepping back and waiting. The irony of the group's readiness to accept these words was not lost on them. One by one, grins spread over their lips, and Ben shook his head as he chuckled.

"When we started this line of work, we wouldn't have been so accepting," he smiled, "life has taught us more than our instructors ever did."

"That is true," the assassin murmured, "it looks like Avidan found the quicker path."

"Let's follow," said the fourth member of their team.

Quickly, the four followed the path that led into what looked like a jungle; surprisingly, they came to the islands' entrance more rapidly than they expected to find the last line of defence was being battered. Pulling their weapons from their belts and holsters, they began firing into the attackers. The suddenness of their appearance and attack gave the defenders the few seconds they needed to regroup and go in for the attack as the invaders hesitated in confusion. The battle was fast and intense. The smiles of glee on the invader's faces quickly turned to terror when they realised who the newcomers were. Some tried to run, but the four Israeli Avengers allowed no one to pass them, and they kept moving forward with furious intention and deadly skill. The numbers quickly began to drop, and the line of defence slowly moved toward the islands' entrance, driving the invaders toward the waiting deadly four. Soon, only a few remained, and the defenders turned some of their numbers to secure the beach, the water edge, and any other perimeter that would have appeared since the beginning of Sage's journey.

Finally, there was nothing more … the sudden silence fell with the last invader's body. Avidan looked around them.

"Is this everyone?" he asked, dispassionately observing his brethren pulling out multiple magazines for their weapons and beginning to move through the bodies, aiming and firing into the centre of each forehead.

"Thank you for the assistance ... um ... those people are dead," Sally said as she stopped next to Avidan, "what are they doing?"

"Making sure they stay dead," Avidan said, scanning the area, "all the faces are there but one."

"Faces?" Sally asked, frowning at Avidan as her eyes narrowed, "Who are you people?"

"We are your backup," Avidan said, "the people who know everything about this place, its past and what was meant for its future."

"Was this part of the plan?" Sally asked, frowning at the consistent single gunshots ringing out.

"Probably not, but it became necessary," Avdian whispered as his face hardened, "there is the last face."

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

Sally turned to see a man in full black standing in the centre of the sand, looking at the ceiling, "Who is that?'

"Someone devious, manipulative, cunning, and very dangerous," Avidan said, moving toward the man. At his movement, the others finished what they were doing and followed him, either reloading or checking their magazines. Do not believe anything he says."

"Wait, I know him," Sally said suddenly as the man glanced their way, "he came to evaluate our harbour a few months ago."

"He has already been here," Avidan hissed, "that is very bad."

"Why?" Sally asked, smiling at the man mistily before being jolted from the sudden haze after receiving a quick, hard slap from Avidan. "What was that for?"

"To bring you back to reality," Avidan said, "he has already woven his web in your mind."

"Woven a web? Of what? Lies?" Sally hissed as they moved further down the beach.

Avidan nodded, "His speciality is the manipulation of the truth," he stopped a little away from the man, "What are you doing on these shores? You do not have permission."

The man lowered his icy gaze, taking in those assembled, "Avdian, you found me."

"I have. Finally," Avidan nodded, "and you cannot lie any longer."

"Oh, but I have my secondary army already," the man said, his smile cold and snake-like. "I can dispense of you whenever I wish, and no one can stop me."

"Avidan, he has gotten to this group of people," Ben whispered as the four looked around them, taking in the mesmerised gazes. " Back to back?"

"If need be," Avidan sighed and nodded, "form it now."

"What are you doing?" Sally asked as she looked around at her strangely dazed crew of men and the four men turning into a square fighting formation.

"Protecting our backs," Avidan said, looking at the man, "why are you here?"

"Oh, for many reasons," he sneered, "but mostly for the Magi's Coronet. Once I have that, everything and everyone here will be mine….for my pleasure."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Ben said, shuddering, "knowing what you find pleasurable, I doubt anyone living here will agree."

"They won't have a say," he said, chuckling and rubbing his thin hands together, "I'll own everything, and no one will stand in my way."

Sally stared at the man she had thought she knew, "Wow, have I been taken in by your smooth talk and all those lies about land surveying and a harbour that could put us on the map."

"Oh, I want to do that, so I have many other pleasures delivered to my personal cove of fun," his cold smile made Sally shudder.

"What exactly does he find as … pleasure?" Sally's whisper came to Avidan's ears.

"You know the history of what happened in the cove all those years ago?" Avidan asked, not taking his eyes off the man.

Sally nodded, "Everyone does."

"Times that by a million and a thousand times more depraved," Ben whispered, watching the men around them.

Sally stared at the four, swallowed hard and groaned, "Now I think I'm going to be sick. I know of one person who can stop him."

"If you're talking about Rosemary," the man said, chuckling coldly, "I've ensured she is out of the way."

"She is not out of the way," a soft voice rang from the shoreline. She nearly was, but what you thought would work came to nothing, and the people you sent are no longer."

Sally gasped and smiled, "Rose."

The elderly woman walked up the beach with a straight back and smiled, "In the flesh …." pausing and looking around, "… where is she?"

"I believe she is just finishing up and will be with us shortly," Maddy said, stepping around the rock face. She stared in horror, "What are you doing here?"

"You know this man?" Sally asked.

"Yes, he's Jeffery's father," Maddy said, "the man responsible for sending him here and making him believe he "owns the house." It's his fault Jeffery is as deluded as he is and wants more than he truly deserves."

"Why is Charlotte's line still on these shores?" the question hissed from between his lips, and his eyes widened in surprise and intense anger.

"Probably for the same reason that Charlotte never left these shores," Matthew said, appearing around the rocks, "it was her inheritance."

"Then they will die … they will all die when I'm in power," he snarled, reaching up toward the engraving on the cave roof.