"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers."
— 2 Timothy 4:3
Part I – The News That Shook Them
The morning after the attack on Victor Kaine's mansion was cold and gray. An early call woke Lorenzo Marquez from his restless sleep.
"Sir," said a voice on the other end of the line. "It's Victor. He's dead."
Lorenzo slowly sat up in bed. He didn't speak. He didn't need to.
"How?" he finally asked.
"It was him. The Pastor. We found this on the main table."
Seconds later, an image appeared before him: an open Bible, with the marked verse:
"Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear."
Lorenzo closed his eyes. Took a deep breath.
"Damn ghost," he muttered. "This isn't just revenge any more. This is war."
Part II – The Dark Council
Hours later, in a private room inside an exclusive club, Lorenzo gathered the remaining leaders of the organization.
Six men surrounded the table. All with hardened faces, cold stares.
"This man," Lorenzo began, *"isn't a cop. Or a thief. Or a madman. He's something worse. Someone with a clear purpose. With faith… and blood."
He showed them the photos of Victor's body, along with the five dead guards.
"Five trained men. All dead. By one man alone."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Does anyone know who he is?" asked another leader.
"No one knows his name. But we do know this: he kills in the name of God. He forces them to confess before pulling the trigger. And he seems to have a code."
"Then break his code," one replied. "Make him fail. Make him show his face."
"That won't be easy," Lorenzo responded. "But we have another option."
All eyes turned to him.
"If we can't find The Pastor, "he said, "we make him come to us."
Part III – The Hunt Begins
That same night, Lorenzo gave the order:
"Kill a pastor every Sunday. At dawn."
It didn't matter which church. Or which congregation. They only wanted to send a message:
"Stop killing us… or we'll keep killing yours."
And so it began.
On the first Sunday, Pastor Henry Moore, from a small church in the north, was found dead. His throat had been cut inside his temple.
On the second Sunday, Reverend Thomas Gray, retired, was discovered hanging in his own home, the Bible open across his chest.
On the third, Pastor Miriam Cruz was found in a back alley, her hands crossed as if in prayer.
Each time, the signature remained the same:
A religious verse written on the wall or over the body. A corpse positioned as if in prayer. A hidden message:
"We know you're watching." Part IV – Fear Spreads
The news exploded across headlines.
"Who Is Killing the Pastors?"
— New York Chronicle, October 15th
"Wave of Religious Murders Plunges City Into Fear."
— The Daily Ledger
"Is This the Work of a Madman — or a War Between Criminals and Clergy?"
— Times of the City
In the newsroom, Rebecca Hart read each article carefully.
"This isn't random," she murmured to herself. "Someone is trying to provoke him."
She looked out the window. Outside, the city seemed normal. But inside… everything was changing.
Part V – The Silent Response
Samuel Book said nothing.
He wrote no letter.
Made no declaration.
But that night, while the world slept, he went to the cemetery where the last murdered pastor had been buried.
He placed a black rose on the gravestone.
And whispered:
"Forgive me, brother. For I too have sinned."
Then he vanished into the darkness.
"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, with what will it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."
— Matthew 5:13