Devil's Whisper Chapter 62: The Watcher's Secret

"We'll leave, but there's one last thing we need to ask," she said, her voice cutting through the smoke-laden air.

The flames cast shifting shadows across Jira's face as she addressed him. Despite his silence, she pressed on, drawing strength from the weight of what she knew—or thought she knew.

"Sir, who are The Watchers, and what is your connection with them?" she inquired, meeting Jira's gaze squarely. The firelight caught the determination in her eyes, reflecting off the sheen of sweat on her forehead.

But to Kate's surprise, there was no hint of distress or shock on Jira's face, as she had anticipated. His expression remained stoic, a mask of composure that revealed nothing. The ceremonial paint seemed to deepen the hollows of his cheeks, making his features more imposing in the flickering light.

"Who are The Watchers?" Jira repeated calmly, "I don't know this name at all."

"So, you're saying you know nothing about The Watchers?" Kate pressed, fighting to keep the frustration from her voice.

"Yes."

"According to my sources, you have a long-standing connection with a cult known as The Watchers," Kate asserted, leaning forward slightly.

"I'm not familiar with any cult you're referring to," Jira replied, his face expressionless as carved wood.

"Mr. Jira, don't play the naive card with me. I know you're the leader of The Watchers, and as their leader, you must be well aware of their activities and purpose," Kate insisted. The warmth from the hearth felt suddenly oppressive.

"I've already told you, I do not know any such cult or organization," Jira replied firmly. His ceremonial feathers rustled softly, like whispered denials.

Kate's voice hardened, her patience wearing thin. "Okay, so you claim to know nothing about The Watchers, nor do you understand why they're so fixated on finding the original copy of the Rubaiyat and why they're worried the killer might possess it. Well, get ready, because I'm going to expose every member of your cult and your associates in my next program."

"You are free to do anything you want," Jira responded with an unsettling calmness that made Kate's certainty waver for a moment.

Stepping back slightly, Kate modulated her tone. "Sir, we came here with the pure intention of seeking help from you. We're not on some revenge mission. Here's my card. If you have any information that could assist us in solving this case, please feel free to call me anytime," she said, offering her business card to Jira. The white paper seemed too bright in the dim light.

Jason spoke up, his gaze filled with barely contained anger as he glanced towards Kate. The tension between them was palpable. He didn't want to make an enemy of the leader of such a significant tribe, knowing it would only complicate matters.

Jira accepted the card with deliberate slowness, his expression serious as he looked towards Kate. The firelight caught the edge of his mask, making the carved symbols seem to writhe. "You people can leave now," he stated, turning towards his house. The dismissal was final, brooking no argument.

They made their way back through the village in tense silence, the distant drums still pulsing through the night air. The ceremonial fires had dimmed to glowing embers, casting long shadows across their path. When they finally reached their car, Jason turned towards Kate, his expression taut with barely contained frustration.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded, his voice low but intense. The moonlight caught the rigid set of his jaw. "How could you threaten Jira? Don't you realize he's the leader of one of the largest native tribes in Australia? Your threat could incite these people against the Adelaide police and land us in hot water."

"Don't worry... he won't retaliate against us," Kate said, sliding into the car. "I used the threat to rattle him, to make him aware that we have information about him that he'd rather keep quiet." Her voice was steady, but there was a slight tremor in her hands as she fastened her seatbelt.

"What do you mean by this?" Jason asked, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.

Above them, clouds drifted across the moon, casting shifting shadows through the windshield.

"The Watchers isn't a registered cult, meaning Jira and his associates are running it with a hidden agenda," Kate explained, her voice dropping lower. "They don't want their agenda or the identities of its members to become public knowledge. So, I threatened to expose them, making him consider our request for help. This Jira guy is tough as nails, and he wasn't going to help us anyway. So, I did it to make him see that we can expose their biggest secret."

"At the very least, you could have consulted me before threatening him," Jason said, frustration evident in the tight set of his shoulders. The engine hummed to life, its sound seeming too loud in the quiet night.

"Why are you so afraid of this old man?" Kate questioned, turning to face him.

"I'm not afraid," Jason replied, his eyes fixed on the dark road ahead. "I just don't want to stir up any conflict between the police and the Yarrabura tribe."

"Okay, I understand," Kate acknowledged, her voice softening slightly. Then she added, "Now, what's our next move?"

In the distance, the ceremonial drums continued their rhythmic beating, a reminder of the mysteries they'd left unsolved.

"There must be some way to reach the killer that we're overlooking. Let's figure it out," Jason replied, starting the car.

As they drove away from the village, the sound of the drums gradually faded, replaced by the whisper of wind through the trees and the quiet hum of the engine. But the weight of Jira's words about dark forces and ancient powers lingered between them, along with the unshakeable feeling that they were venturing into territory far more dangerous than either of them had imagined.

The headlights cut through the darkness ahead, but both Kate and Jason knew they were still very much in the dark about what they were truly dealing with.