Monday after Easter, Mexico, 1990

The room of the church was full of reporters, journalists, police and paramedics, not that there was anything that could be done in that gruesome scene. The pews had been moved so they could take photos of the blood that dripped on the floor.

The church murals had been desecrated with the blood of the priest now nailed in the wall with the cross broken down. Below it, the room was tense that one could feel it while simply walking around , even the insects have left the place for now. The entire atmosphere was dreadful.

The journalist, Megan Riley looked at the priest, Rafael, he was there, she grabbed her camera and took a photo of it, she was the one who found him, she was still shaken, not even knowing why she took that photo, she just... did... and so she did of everything she could. The paramedics were placing stairs to take the poor man out of the wall.

He had been nailed to the wall in the form of a cross , his blood was all over, she gagged the first time she saw him, still, she took the photos and then she saw the poor man being taken to the ambulance.

Someone approached her, a man, he was old, had a thick graying beard, he looked at her, up and down as if judging her "Megan Riley, American?" he said in a thick accent "Need you to come with me" he said as he guided her towards the outside.

She looked a bit confused, and then he shows her his badge, Policía Nacional de Investigaciones Extranormales, an agency created in 85 specialized in meta and meta related crimes as well. He looked at her "You were the last one whom he had any known contact, so, explain to me why is a priest nailed to his church wall, and if I must be concerned about... you, miss, is this an international incident... or what happened here?"

She was trembling a bit by the shock, not knowing what to say, was she a suspect? Yeah she was, she thought what was best was to just say what she learned "Well... mister...?" - "Castillo" he responded as she nodded "Well, Officer Castillo... Let's start at the beginning then? He called me a week ago... I had arrived in the Mexico City airport just before Easter... things were chaotic for the holiday... he met me during the processions... in a secluded part of the city, in a very strange hotel..." she then... started to tell the story....

Easter Sunday, Mexico, 1990

A huge procession happens directly to the Nuestra Señora de La Paz cathedral, at least a few thousand people are there as they chant prayers together as they move together in mass, the priest calls for the intervention of Jesus Christ and Maria for the people of Mexico, for the people of the city and for the people of the world, for the hungry and for the dispossessed.

On a very shabby hotel room with a single bed and stained walls were Megan and Father Rafael, the dust in the place was visible, the window was open towards the procession, there was a white candle burning on the window as well.

Megan was the first to speak, as Rafael was extremely nervous.

"So what is this situation you needed an American journalist to tell, why not call someone from the capital or someone else that is local?"

His hands trembling slowly, and he looked at her, she had a sharp eye as he nodded "I had no other choice... The situation is bigger than I think... there is reason to believe this... cult has roots all over the country, maybe it has set roots around the US as well" he spoke in a heavily accented English.

She was a bit skeptical and looked at the procession there "Don't get me wrong , I am trying to take you seriously, and I am just here because of the pictures but, I want to know what exactly I am dealing with here, father", then returning her gaze at him.

The man took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves "a few years ago on one of the church orphanages there was a girl who gained powers... Her powers were specifically connected to healing and some other things around, for what the man who came to evaluate her said, she could enhance the healing of someone locally. But..." he shook a bit, tapping the table.

He handed over a few photos more, three more, one of a small girl in white church garments, one of a man she did not recognize and one of a church where the girl healed someone "She gained more powers with time... And become a powerful healer... There was some degree of illusions around her... light shows and all that... well... soon some sort of small cult appeared around her, poor people without much access to the doctors, she healed them without thinking, she was a nice girl, she was the start of it."

"She was the start but not the cause?"

He shook the head negatively, holding his own hands to shake off the nerves "There was this man, Roberto, he was always moving about the place , a lot of times with the wrong crowd of people, he was born in a small town not too far away there." The reporter then checked the man in the second photo. The priest looked about a bit and shook his head once more.

"She was a nice girl... But naive... The church has yet to decide on this powers' thing... many think it is a trick from evil forces, many think it's a blessing from god..." he sighed "And you?" She asked him, gauging his response "I... don't know... I was alive before all this, and I see no rhyme or reason for the powers... Evil people, good people, all of them get powers... seems to me no divine work of glory but of a test".

She tapped her fingers on the table, not exactly sure of what to think "Well... What about Roberto? Did he do something? Or... I am trying to understand why would you need me here"

The man was clearly nervous about something, what she couldn't figure out at that time was if was delusions, paranoia or something else, Rafael did a small prayer "Look, miss... I believe something big is happening in Mexico, not just this city... I've heard... reports from colleagues around, not just this city... a few others as well... Roberto is the key for it, I am sure... he got himself involved in the cult I spoke about... And since then it has become... Militant"

She looked at him and nodded, she was curious now despite it seeming very shady "Militant ... How exactly" she looked at him and waited for his response.

"I cannot speak for much, but on my church started simple... a few paintings on the side of the church... nothing much, were strange, punk kids and the sort have... different messages... these were graphical and... still religious in nature now that I think about it... but didn't think much at the time... Then it escalated... First as people disrupting mass... Then... a few fights broke on church ground..."

She raised an eyebrow softly, her mind was curious about that, it was interesting, but a bit of a ruckus surely was not too newsworthy, especially with the chaotic news cycle lately. It was not that she did not empathize with the priest but... Simply that she knew how things were.

"Then... a friend of mine I was trading letters with disappeared, when I went to check on him, he was gone... completely" she perked up, a disappearance tied to a cult she could work with, he continued "I am afraid, miss Riley, I am very afraid... My friend was looking into this cult and disappeared... And they might know I was helping him"

"Did you go to the police? Or hire heroes?" he let out a sad smiled "I am but a priest in a poor corner of the city... I am not exactly flowing with money and... The police said there was not much they could do until something concrete came up, I've been afraid of contacting others... and something happen to them as well"

She raised her eyebrow "I see... and why contact me like that? And you said something about roots on the US?" - He seemed a bit concerned and then nodded - "Well, I thought that maybe a gringo reporter would be safer... and... Well... a colleague of mine reported a few ... concerning similar things happening" - She really wanted to scoff at that, the man was honest, at least seemed so, but the belief she was safer ... that struck something in her, still she moved a bit "Alright... it is getting late... can we reconvene after you mail me the evidence?"

He nodded "Of course, I have everything ready somewhere, will tell someone to mail you that." he said a bit calmer now "Thank you Miss Riley, I really thank you, may god bless your path"

...

Back on Monday

"That was the last time I saw him...." , the detective thinks a bit, he nodded "Thank you , Miss Riley, did he send you the evidence? We might need that for the investigation" she nodded, they had drifted a bit from the church now, on his car, she looked at him and lit up a cigar "Well I can hand it over into an investigation once requested... I'm still going to..." she feels a pinch on her stomach, lowering her gaze she sees a needle there with a strange liquid there.

"Sorry... Nothing personal kid... " his face twisted a little, and he sees the horror on her face "Just tying up some loose ends..." she groans "The police...? Wh..." , he gives a laugh "nothing so fancy, hun, nothing so fancy... sleep now..."

She falls down... She was officially involved in an accident on the way to meet the priest... the case went cold.