"Thank you," Beau said, accepting Maria's condolences.
"The rest of my family wanted to be here," Maria said. "But first, they want to make sure that Alex pays for what he did, so they've gone to speak with the police. Once everything is settled, they'll come to pay their respects."
Beau nodded; it was comforting to hear that the Thorntons were doing their best to bring down his brother's killer.
"We also feel partly responsible for what happened to Gabriel," Maria continued. "On behalf of the Thornton family, I apologize for your great loss, and we hope to make it up to you in some way. Cam Fitzroy has also asked me to offer you the help of the Demon sect anytime you need it."
"This means a lot, Maria," Beau said. "We appreciate all the support we've received from both the Demon sect and your family. It's been such a troubling time. I still can't believe Gabriel is gone."
There was a flash of anger in his eyes. "We will not give up until justice is done. Only then can my brother rest in peace." He paused for a moment and sighed deeply. "Who does Alex think he is? No matter how great his abilities are, there must be a way to get to him. The Ghosts are also eager to see him dead and will stop at nothing."
Maria felt comforted. He's right, she thought. There's no way that Alex can escape all these enemies unscathed.
"Beau, I'm deeply saddened by your brother's death, and I'm also angry," she said. "Your family has been so generous to us over the years. My family has asked that I deliver an important piece of news to you here."
Beau looked at her in anticipation, and Maria allowed herself to smile.
"We're sorry that, despite all our connections, we weren't able to protect Gabriel when he needed us most," she said. "To make amends, we have worked with the Demon sect to procure a medical license for the Ghosts."
She paused to let Beau absorb the news. He looked completely stunned. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," she said. "Starting next month, you can open hospitals here in Baltimore. The only restriction is that you must keep each center fairly small, with no more than fifty staff. But other than that, you'll have free rein over your operations."
Beau was speechless; this all seemed surreal.
Maria gestured to a man, who walked over and handed her a document.
She smiled gently at Beau. "You still don't believe me? Look. It's all in here."
Beau looked at her with wonder, and it took him some time to respond.
"Maria, forgive me," he said. "I honestly don't know what to say. For so long, the Ghosts have been banned from doing business in this city. It's been our dream to open a medical center, but we never thought it was possible."
"Well, you don't have to dream any longer," Maria said. "You can open as many of these hospitals as you wish and bring your powerful healing methods to the people of Baltimore and beyond. People will travel thousands of miles to access your services, and you'll be treated as heroes."
With this license in place, Beau knew his father's profile would be raised. People would be amazed by the treatments the Ghosts could offer. It would not be long until their ancient healing methods replaced conventional medicine, and then the Ghosts would dominate the healthcare market.
He took the document in his hands and thumbed through it slowly, stunned at what he was reading. The contract was much more valuable to his family than Gabriel had been.
"Please tell your family that I appreciate their friendship," he said. "This is the most generous deal." He paused for a moment and then continued. "My father is still in deep mourning, so he has not recovered enough to tend to any business matters right now. But I know that this will mean the world to him. As soon as he's feeling up to it, I'm sure that he will visit your family to thank you in person. In the meantime, please extend our gratitude to the Demons, too."
"Of course, it's my pleasure," Maria replied. "The Demon sect is one of the best, and their roots go back thousands of years. Cam is highly respected, and he was instrumental in securing your license."
"Really?" Beau looked surprised. "That's interesting. I'll be sure to tell my father about Cam's efforts on our behalf."
He paused for a moment, and Maria felt his eyes on her. She was aware of the Ramsden men's reputation, and it seemed she had caught Beau's attention.
"There was something else I wanted to say," she said. "Our families have long been friends—"
A loud crash interrupted her, and through the chapel door, she saw that an SUV had crashed right through the gates of the cemetery, sending several of Beau's men flying through the air. To everyone's shock, the car continued to plow right through the graveyard, stopping just a few feet from the chapel door.
Beau was furious. "What the hell is going on?"
The windows of the SUV were tinted, and it was impossible to make out the driver.
Maria was afraid, and she inched her hand closer to the pistol she had concealed on her body.
"Nobody destroys a sacred place like this and gets away with it," Beau shouted. "Come out and show your face!"
At that moment, Alex opened the driver's door and jumped down onto the path. Without a word, he walked around the car and dragged another figure out from the passenger side. The man had a cloth bag over his head, and as Alex pushed him outside, he stumbled with each step.
Seconds later, several Ghosts jumped into action and surrounded the two men with their swords.