March 16, 1994. Shivering from the cold night wind, Vik and Jake entered the old run down church of St. Thomas. Jake's eyes widened, fear struck him as he looked at the scene in front of him. A stain of blood on the holiest of symbols, tainted with impurities of the sins that was never forgotten nor forgiven. A screamed wanted break out of Jake's mouth, the fear, terror of the sight. Vik quickly covered his mouth, silencing him.
As Vik's eyes still fixated on the old bloody priest nailed on the cross as blood dripped on the floor painting it red in the middle of the altar. Hands spread out nailed on the wood, head down as he showers with his own blood.
Vik took a step, each of them coming near the bloody red altar looking for anything that will help to walk out of this hunt. "Are you just going to stand there?" Vik as he turns to Jake who is still fixated on the nailed priest. Viks words made him snapt out of his trance as he looked back at him, "are we going to be like him?" Jake murmured under his breath, quivering. Vik looked at him as he shrugged Jake's worries as he looked back at the altar. "What are you looking for?" Jake asked, walking over to him trying to avoid his gaze at the bloody priest.
"Something, anything that can help us with this bloody shit" Vik replied to him as he searched for anything of value or information that may lead them to the Ilave Sagrada. Around the altar, anything.
"What about that picture you found? Give it" he demanded, reaching out his hand, waiting for Vik to give him the picture that was stolen from the grave. Feeling reluctant at Jake, contemplation in Viks eyes has him gazing back at Jake pausing his search for leads.
"I'm also stuck in this mess, so you might as well let me help," Jake said, trying to keep his voice as calmly as he could in this situation. His hand is still open, waiting for Viks response to his request. Patiently.
Vik reached into his pocket and gave Jake the picture. Looking at the picture, There was a mom, a dad, two kids, one girl, one boy in their sunday's best posing neatly in front of the camera. Mom and dad at the back and kid in front of the altar smiling as deem as the sunset. "How do you know this was the one we're looking for?" he asked looking back at Vik, curiosity in his tone.
"The picture was the only thing that was unusual in aunties belongings" he answered, continuing his search for leads around the old, rusty, fragile cathedral, stepping on tiny glasses of the windows that were smashed.
Jake flipped the picture back and forth like a coin, looking for something to help Vik with the search. sighing Jake, sat down on one of the pews in the church looking at the nailed priest, his eyes narrowed as he noticed something that caught his eye. "Hey" Jaked called out to Vik, his voice breaking the singing of the wind. Vik turned to his confused face, looking at Jake.
"What?"
"Why were people nailed on the cross?"
"As punishment"
"Punishment? For what?"
"Uhh, murder, treason, stealing, and other things, why?"
"Which one?"
Vik looked puzzled. He asked "what do you mean?"
"The priest, what did he do?" Jaked asked, pointing at the crucified priest.
"How would I know?" he answered as he narrowed his brows as he stepped closer to Jake, "what does that have to do with us?" as he crossed his arms staring at Jake. "Look here, The priest at the corner of the picture" Jaked answered as he looked back at the nailed priest. "Where show me" Vik took the picture from Jake's hand. He points at the left corner of the photo. "See, He may look old now but the resemblance is uncanny" Jake said to Vik, squinting his eyes at the photo. "I see," Vik muttered to himself. "Just who are you?" he said to himself. Staring at the crucified priest.