That Cleansing Fire - Part One
Back in 2002, fellow writer Drew Williams and I put together a collection of short fiction that was published by Medium Rare Books under the title SPECTRES AND DARKNESS. One of the stories in that collection, “That Cleansing Fire” introduced the character of Cade Williams and the idea of a resurrected Templar Order. 
Cade, of course, would go on to become the main character of my Templar Chronicles series. And some of the events chronicled in the third Templar book, A TEAR IN THE SKY (DIE SCHATTEN for my German fans), flow directly out of what happens in “That Cleansing Fire.”
SPECTRES AND DARKNESS perished fairly quickly, along with its publisher, though there are still a few copies floating around here and there for the die-hard collector. So it only seems fair to offer the story here for free so fans can see both the genesis of Cade’s character and the events leading up to TEAR. (Before doing so, let me make two caveats - 1) Cade’s character would grow and change between this original tale and the publication of HERETIC/DER KETZER, so there will be some differences and 2) I only started writing in 2001, so this story corresponds to the very beginning of my career (in other words, it has its share of mistakes and bad writing.)
That said, I hope you enjoy it.
************************************
“That Cleansing Fire” - Part One
The Lear jet banked suddenly, the abrupt action jolting Cade Williams from his uneasy sleep. Glancing out his window, he could see the lights of the city far off to the left and knew the pilot must be starting his preparations for landing. That meant Cade had another twenty minutes or so before he and his team would be on the ground and in the thick of things.
Like most of the Order’s equipment, the interior of the aircraft was spartan. Gone were the leather seats and the recessed mini bars, the inflight entertainment centers and the four star meals. Only that which was functional and necessary had been left in place, though they had left the privacy curtain that separated the rear compartment where Cade was sitting from the main cabin just ahead.
Looking past the curtain, he could see Matthew Riley seated about halfway up center aisle in the main cabin. As Cade watched, his teammate stripped his weapon and began cleaning it with deft movements and the ease of long familiarity. At the sight, the voice of O’Malley, Cade’s first drill instructor at the academy, echoed in his mind, “If you have no other assignment, see to your weapons.” It was advice he had heeded during his fifteen-year career with the Special Tactics and Operations team of the Boston Police Department and had brought with him to the Order when he had been recruited. He had enforced that unwritten rule on his squad from the very first day and now, five years later, it was as habitual to them as breathing. Cade knew without looking that his other team member, Nick Olsen, would be in the seat opposite Riley, doing the same thing to his standard issue handgun.
Having a perfectly operational weapon might just make the difference between life and death for his men, particularly on this run, Cade thought to himself with some resignation. They had been asked to take the assignment by the Preceptor himself, something that didn’t happen too often, and therefore couldn’t turn it down, despite the fact that Cade felt uneasy about it from the beginning. The situation was not one to inspire confidence. Two months ago, the local Catholic diocese had requested help through the Vatican in dealing with a particularly violent blood cult. The parish pastor had catalogued a number of problems ranging from intimidation of his parishioners to a sudden lack of street people appearing at the soup kitchen. He was convinced that there was evil afoot and believed the local authorities had neither the desire nor the manpower to be able to handle the situation correctly. His request had gone through the channels and had been passed to the Order for investigation.
Contrary to what most people believed, the Holy Order of the Poor Knights of Christ of the Temple of Solomon, or the Knight Templars as they are popularly known, were not destroyed at the hand of the King of France when he burned Grand Master Jacques De Molay at the stake in 1314 for heresy. Following Molay’s death, the Order had gone underground, protected through a secret pact with the Vatican, only to emerge centuries later as a hidden military arm of that organization. Its primary purpose was to defend mankind against the evils that walked in the world, unnoticed in a society that was preoccupied with science and that scoffed at superstitions, regardless of the truths they might contain.
The Order had agreed that the situation merited a closer look. A team had been sent in, led by a veteran Knight Captain, and instructed to look into the situation and assist the parish in whatever manner they found necessary.
Three weeks after their arrival, the team had abruptly disappeared.
Using equipment they had left behind, the parish pastor had communicated directly with the Preceptor and had requested further assistance.
Since Cade’s team had been closest to the site, and presently unoccupied, they had drawn the short stick and had been asked to take the assignment.
That had been two weeks ago.
As was standard procedure, Cade had sent his fourth team member, Bishop, in ahead of the rest of the team, with instructions to set up a secure location unknown to the locals and then rendezvous with the parish pastor. Bishop had carried out both tasks without a hitch, relaying the address of the safe house during his regularly scheduled communication a few days ago. He had checked in the next night as well, leaving a brief message that he believed he had some information about the fate of the first squad and that he would see the rest of the team in a few days.
The night after that he’d missed his call.
Cade hadn’t been too concerned at that point. His team was trained to use secondary and even tertiary communication schedules just in case any activities they were engaged in prevented them from making the primary one. When Bishop missed the second check-in, however, Cade grew more concerned.
By the time he missed the third, Cade had the rest of the team and the necessary gear loaded onto one of the Order’s jets and had gotten underway the moment the Preceptor had given them the word.
Now, as the pilot made the announcement that they would be landing soon, Cade reached over and picked up the long, thin case resting on the seat next to him. Balancing it on his knees, he opened the case’s three clasps and raised its lid.
Inside, on a smooth bed of white silk, lay the sword that had been given to him during his investiture, the night that he had pledged himself and his life to the Order.
The weapon itself was an unadorned English long sword. Its hilt had been specifically molded to match the grip of Cade’s right hand. Along the length of the blade that was facing upright in the case, the word Defensor had been inscribed in silver.
Translated, the Latin word meant Defender.
Cade carefully withdrew the sword from the case and held it up in the aisle, turning it slightly to and fro so that the dim lighting of the cabin made the script sparkle and shine. According to the Code, a knight in the Order was allowed personal ownership of only a few, specific items. The sword given to them during their investiture ceremony is one of them, a symbol of their fidelity to the Order and their unrelenting dedication to its ideals. The weapons are supposed to remain undecorated, chaste if you will, just as the knight who carries them pledges to do the same. Enhancing the weapon in any way after it is awarded is cause for a variety of punishments, for doing so is considered a sin of pride.
Cade had ignored this rule, just as he had ignored more than a handful of others over the last several years when the success of his missions required it. On the day after the ceremony, he had secretly commissioned a silversmith to help him add a second word to the same exact location on the opposite side of the blade.
Now, as he turned the weapon over, he smiled grimly at what he had written there.
Ulciscor.
Vengeance.
It was the driving reason behind Cade’s daily existence and the true reason for his membership in the Templars.
« Announcing BABYLON DREAMS - A New Templar Adventure | Home | That Cleansing Fire - Part Two »
Comments
This sounds awesome so far Joe. I am currently trying to track down Heretic, so I can read more of the Templars. Keep ‘em coming, please.
Thanks Geoff - glad you are enjoying it!
PLEASE TELL US IN THE U.S. WHEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET YOUR NEXT TWO BOOKS IN THE TEMPLAR CHRONICLES SERIES.
I NEED MY NEXT “FIX” OF CADE AND COMPANY
TO BEAT BACK THE DARKNESS.
I AM A TRUE FAN OF YOUR ( world) WRITING
Leave a Comment