眾人駐足於陌生街頭,眾多車輛呼嘯而過,人們走踏在鋪設磚瓦的行人道上,周圍已經見不著那棟鮮紅的鐵製建築物。艾咪﹒拉克蘭手中拿著紙牌,一張倒立的塔羅牌,衣衫襤褸的女子手持形似腕甲的物品,頭部如刮痕般的筆觸交叉著黑色與白色的線條,凌亂地難以視清相貌。334Please respect copyright.PENANAx2T9fGfzXs
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名為惡魔的塔羅牌。334Please respect copyright.PENANAbV6ogheTbX
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女記者呆愣地盯著詭譎的牌面,記憶無法連貫的錯愕加劇了恐慌。334Please respect copyright.PENANAIJE46VPXnm
334Please respect copyright.PENANAbYr2eV5lHK
「艾咪小姐,那張牌上的是血跡嗎?」334Please respect copyright.PENANACUZw12YAu6
334Please respect copyright.PENANAwAGbWVXDu6
偵探一說,她才注意到牌面上潑灑的腥紅油墨不僅是印刷圖像,女記者有些猶豫地拿近嗅聞,確實透出一股難聞的鐵鏽味。334Please respect copyright.PENANALzo4Sn0ItU
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「我原本打算要占卜,但有意識後就站在這裡了⋯⋯這張牌到底是⋯⋯」334Please respect copyright.PENANA1WWhwSD1tr
334Please respect copyright.PENANA1KBeSALa77
「我剛剛就有抽到一張倒吊的惡魔,我記得占卜師說是一件好事?」334Please respect copyright.PENANA9lPkZziCDB
334Please respect copyright.PENANA9Wefk4Ohkj
「但是這張牌和斯特林先生您剛才翻的牌並不一樣。」蓋伊接過塔羅牌仔細查看,又將紙牌遞給前輩。334Please respect copyright.PENANAzpH6CaOvRN
334Please respect copyright.PENANA98MFDTyZGh
偵探再次眉頭深鎖,「看來是邪教的牌,我覺得瑪莉﹒傑洛姆不會給我們這種牌。」不祥預兆接連出現,他不認為應該繼續淌這渾水,更不想讓自己與蓋伊和其他人一同陪葬。失憶的那段時間,他買下的船票便是個警訊,在發生意外前肯定就有離去的打算,而他決定要遵從心底的直覺。334Please respect copyright.PENANAUaYR1Shcso
334Please respect copyright.PENANA9b6v5nlgnF
德克將寫有人類學家地址與其它線索的筆記連同塔羅牌交給詹姆士﹒斯特林,冷聲宣告契約解除,壁壘分明地劃清界線,「繼續調查下去只會讓我們深陷危險,我想這已經有點偏離找你兒子的目的。」334Please respect copyright.PENANAiMC9rh7iEs
334Please respect copyright.PENANA84Oj9nDD56
實業家即便扼腕,仍是親切地表達歉意與友善,「之後如果對報酬有不滿意的話,可以到美國再來找我。」334Please respect copyright.PENANA2lRrg8V8g5
334Please respect copyright.PENANA52hYuRRg7v
「這部分我會請事務所和你聯絡,畢竟中途解約也是我的失職。」334Please respect copyright.PENANARpXSFQuJpE
334Please respect copyright.PENANAv72NBpxcXM
一行人在此分道揚鑣,四人目送偵探們搭上返回旅店的巴士。334Please respect copyright.PENANAFcwfATWkaO
334Please respect copyright.PENANARqWbB1Samg
剩餘的人們在原地躊躇,一時分不清該何去何從,他們甚至回到鋼鐵市集——天知道這地方究竟是哪裡,尚恩花費一些時間才從識得英文的路人口中知曉正確方位——然而占卜師也是一無所知,當他們試圖確認自己離開店鋪時說了哪些話、塔羅牌又是從何而來,瑪莉﹒傑洛姆除了投以困惑的目光,並沒有提供實質意義的幫助。334Please respect copyright.PENANAUBMLjnZN05
334Please respect copyright.PENANAw6K3iGGhJZ
艾咪的占卜與詹姆士大同小異,而他們計畫去人類學家拜訪。334Please respect copyright.PENANAmWhDA9wDhs
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僅只如此,沒有更多回答。334Please respect copyright.PENANA3CIvIiBOh7
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無計可施之下,他們決定遵循地址前往布魯斯﹒諾斯伊斯特博士的住所。人類學家或許是個深居簡出的隱居之人,居住地遠離市中心,交通並不方便,他們搭了近乎一小時的巴士來到一處靜謐海邊,走了不知道多長的路途,才抵達一棟充滿熱帶風情的木屋。豐富的綠色植被遮掩了灼熱的光照,為了排解熱氣而架高的陽台與屋舍,以及鋪設精美的稻草裝飾,再普通不過的海地住宅,門口卻突兀地懸掛一隻慘遭斬首的公雞,污血染紅本應潔淨的木頭層板。334Please respect copyright.PENANAQPkcg6BGUo
334Please respect copyright.PENANAQh2iqTRr6p
尚恩不帶任何猶豫,將詹姆士等人護在身後,掏出的手槍已然上膛。334Please respect copyright.PENANAffIPeYvRWD
334Please respect copyright.PENANAsqJytlCHhg
門沒有鎖,保鑣輕輕一推便敞開,門把上的鳥禽屍體左右搖晃,以利器刮擦的紋路在背後若隱若現,尚恩推開屍骸仔細查看,一個頭骨的圖樣,額間處繪製了第三隻眼睛。334Please respect copyright.PENANAoLgFKcX9cG
334Please respect copyright.PENANApxXulZqR5a
如果說那張詭異的塔羅牌和浮動恐懼有關,侵擾人類學家的疑犯也許就來自於那個教團,唐娜推測著。334Please respect copyright.PENANADN3CFY48JG
334Please respect copyright.PENANAttimEm5QY3
屋內被粗暴地破壞,紊亂的雜物撒落,書架、玻璃櫃,所有能裝載物品的櫃體破碎地癱倒在地,書本紙張被斯碎,骯髒的足印遍佈四周,刀割的痕跡狠戾地落在每一件家具擺設上,嫌犯明顯帶有強大惡意,才將此處破壞殆盡。334Please respect copyright.PENANAKUer1QpOtY
334Please respect copyright.PENANAD2ciUyBCwJ
問題是,一個普通的學者為什麼會招惹如此大的麻煩?他還活著嗎?每個人心中浮現了相同的不祥預感。334Please respect copyright.PENANAv4C0wAX4yJ
334Please respect copyright.PENANA0CX6VrslUK
艾咪想連絡少校,但這裡並非便捷的美國,在通訊不發達的海地,只有少數重要場所與政府單位擁有電話設備。334Please respect copyright.PENANAQ1M0wOUfun
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於是,他們嘗試自己調查。334Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7xzoymo2v
334Please respect copyright.PENANAgD5cJqbEp5
尚恩拉開窗簾,讓午後的陽光稍稍照亮晦暗的室內,接著繼續向深處邁進,持握手槍的右手扣在板機上蓄勢待發,緊繃的神經不敢鬆懈。其餘三人留在客廳,詹姆士有些不知所措,滿目瘡痍讓他心生惶恐,彷彿闖入某個不該被牽扯的陰謀;唐娜和艾咪翻找著破碎的文本,期望能找到博士遭受悲慘命運的線索。334Please respect copyright.PENANA5mHRyPEFK2
334Please respect copyright.PENANAZWp7EyOfez
保鑣來到走廊盡頭的房間,甫開門,腐臭的味道立刻撲鼻而來,嗡嗡的蟲鳴聲環繞在凌亂的臥室內,床鋪被立起,倚靠在牆面上,像是想隱藏些什麼,但沁染床單的深色液體卻背叛了它,地板滿是鮮血流淌後又乾涸的污漬。334Please respect copyright.PENANA49nwCgMvVp
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碰。334Please respect copyright.PENANALny1RTzrKv
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當他將床鋪翻倒,散發臭味的源頭赫然顯露在眼前,群起的蒼蠅胡亂飛舞、白色的蛆蟲緩慢攀爬,尚恩掩住口鼻,卻無法抵擋刺鼻的腐爛味道鑽入鼻腔。歷經戰爭殘酷的他也不禁側目,那曾經是一個人類,如今僅剩支離破碎的肉塊,內臟和腸子從剖開的腹腔溢出,炎熱的氣溫有如催化劑般刺激著屍塊的化學反應,腐敗液化的軀殼令人不忍直視。334Please respect copyright.PENANAgKPA3PLt7Y
334Please respect copyright.PENANAmV7xX4IPW9
儘管尚恩在戰場上見過無數屍體,都沒有一個像眼前的殘骸這般悽慘,他無法判斷死亡天數,僅能從白種人的膚色猜測此人可能就是他們要尋找的布魯斯﹒諾斯伊斯特博士。334Please respect copyright.PENANAhw7QueyP51
334Please respect copyright.PENANAyR4KJFTYsi
此時,留在客廳搜索的兩名女子,分別從破碎的紙張中勉強拼湊成一些還算能讀的篇章——那是博士的日記,日期十月二十七日,他們最後一次在旅館現身的時候。布魯斯確實和他們見過面,他甚至找到了星之池的位置,就在太子港東方的山丘,他們被當地人尋獲的地方,博士在那裡似乎見到了某種可怕的存在。334Please respect copyright.PENANAwhhVjR22tO
334Please respect copyright.PENANAcIKTyRsSmm
『年輕的斯特林將如同他父親所預測的被獻祭。』334Please respect copyright.PENANA7zPV8XpxSn
334Please respect copyright.PENANAqRgzUMmZN5
唐娜讀著令人驚恐的內容,慌張地喚來艾咪,「這、這是指傑克!」334Please respect copyright.PENANATb0zHVUFQ6
334Please respect copyright.PENANALocw8RUNHH
女記者的憂慮逐漸擴散,日記上提及的文章正巧是她尋得的內容——蒙面信使、阿桑提戰士、尖石、有著第三隻眼睛的骷髏男子。334Please respect copyright.PENANAJCWn9H1Z9n
334Please respect copyright.PENANA5WTv7Olv1X
「他⋯⋯會被變成長滿黑色鱗片的怪物嗎?」她盯著如鬼魅故事般不切實際的寓言,喃喃低語內心的不安。334Please respect copyright.PENANAxJ0sYbqZbD
334Please respect copyright.PENANASZf5pxQbOt
334Please respect copyright.PENANA9CqyIzwVia
啪!334Please respect copyright.PENANASexT2zsrFF
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群星燃焰The Burning Stars
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群星燃焰The Burning Stars
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ISSUE #11
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