by Greg Ballan
The blond soldier nodded. "He did, but his trail is heavy and easily followed." They walked across the large space toward the ornate door. The soldier gestured toward the barrier and it simply flew open. The door tore from its hinges, slamming against the far wall. Erik and the leader rushed into the room, weapons raised.
"Nothing." Erik studied the massive and opulent office area, a stark contrast to the rough, unfinished space they passed through. He looked down another carpeted corridor observing several other doors. The hybrid detective raised an eyebrow. "You're right. He's made himself quite the elaborate nest here." He pointed toward the doorway at the end of the hall. "The strongest emanations are coming from there. I'm guessing that's where the relic was stored." Erik heard Martin and the other soldiers form up behind them as they walked the long corridor. They quickly examined each room. It was evident that the occupants all fled in a hurry. The unearthly scents and colors in some of the rooms were disturbing to his senses.
Martin studied one of the rooms intently. The group paused.
"What is it, Counselor?"
Denton's eyes were locked on a small orb trapped in a glass. The ball of energy dimmed slightly, then flickered back to life. "What is that?"
One of the ethereal soldiers placed a hand on the old man's shoulders. "A feeding soul. A nosferatu dwelt in this space. The very air stinks of the vile creature."
"Can we free it?"
"The soul is dying, human. Its essence has been drained. The spark will fade out in a short time. The containment vessel is very powerful and not easily shattered. The main essence that made this soul has been consumed."
Erik's ears picked up a tiny whimper, the unmistakable cry of a child. His skin crawled. "It was a child. That hellspawn was feeding on the soul of a child."
The ethereal soldier nodded with sorrow. "Yes, they are the sweetest meats for nosferatu. The innocence of a child provides them a perverse satisfaction, like a human enjoying a particularly tender cut of veal."
Erik watched his friend carefully. Martin's shoulders sagged as his eyes locked on the flickering soul. The light grew dimmer and dimmer inside the transparent container. Erik heard the whimper fade away in a dying gasp. The light flickered one last time and faded into oblivion. Martin wept momentarily then composed himself. Erik felt his stomach churn and struggled to keep his emotions in check.
"Come hybrid, there is little that can be done here. Let us continue the search." The soldier placed a gentle hand on Denton, urging the old man to move on as well.
Erik moved down the corridor toward the far door. He noticed several drops of green blood on the carpet hallway leading directly to the closed door at the far end.
"The one you wounded made it this far. It should be bled out by now." The blond leader approached the door carefully. "On my word, hybrid, we move in!"
Erik raised his weapon. He glanced back at Martin and the others. They were set as well. He looked back and nodded. The blond warrior kicked in the door and they rushed in. The demon Erik had wounded was sprawled on the floor, its head craned in an unnatural direction. Erik lowered his weapon and poked the demon's head. It flopped limply aside. "Its neck is broken. Molec didn't want any wounded baggage left behind."
Amazingly, the beast moved. It hissed weakly and Erik took a sudden shocked step back. "Holy shit! It's still alive!"
"These creatures are not as frail as a human construct."
"Good, then we can interrogate our broken friend here and finally get some answers."
The blond leader stepped in front of Erik blocking his path. "No. We will interrogate the creature ourselves."
Before Erik could protest, one of the ethereal soldiers knelt over the fallen demon. Both vanished. There was no flash of light, glimmer or sound to signify the departure. They simply vanished."
Erik saw Martin tilt his head. The counselor was about to protest. Erik shook his head, warning the old man off. Denton nodded, but it was clear to Erik his friend was disturbed.
The detective took a step back, increasing the grip on his weapon. The staff sensed his change in mental posture. The weapon began to hum its familiar battle drone. The warning sound threatening and ominous. "I thought we were a team. That last move wasn't very team friendly. It tells me you have something to hide and I don't like being played for anyone's lackey." Erik looked up toward the ceiling, "Not anyone's!"
The blond warrior was silent. "I'm not accustomed to being challenged or questioned. I have my instructions by the Father and I follow them. I suggest you do the same without the impertinence."
Blue fire crackled around the hybrid's body and the staff's whining became a loud growl. Jagged arcs of raw power danced up the weapon's lethal edge. Erik's skin began to change, his body swelling larger as the seams in his jersey began to split. "Or you'll do what, exactly?"
The two warriors squared off, each taking his measure of the other.
"I have no desire to fight you, hybrid. There will be time enough for us to practice our martial skill upon the real enemy." The leader retreated two steps. "The demon will need to be rejuvenated before it can be properly interrogated. There is a great deal of discomfort involved, and in its current state, it would likely expire before we could glean any pertinent revelations." The divine being waved its arm in a large semi-circle. "Do you know of a facility here that will treat such a creature?"
Erik's body slowly changed back to normal. His eyes became more human and he took a step back, lowering his weapon. The tension in the area rapidly dissipated and Martin could be heard releasing a long held breath. The other ethereal soldiers also visibly relaxed and appeared relieved.
Denton pointed toward the opposite wall. "An open safe. Can either of you get any mojo or vibes from it?"
The blond warrior looked at Martin, brow raised.
Erik hid a smirk. "I'll check." He focused his senses on the vault. The relic had been there, its echo was noticeably stronger. "It was here. Whatever they're using to shield its presence seems to be deteriorating. At the vault in DC, I could sense the object but not nearly this strong. Erik also detected the fading essence of the archdemon. "Molec took his prize…" The detective walked toward the far wall. "And the trail ends right here. Erik placed his open hand in front of him. "A Netherspace portal. They made a jump. They could be anywhere on Earth or in the linked dimensions tied to Earth." The hybrid detective's hand glowed light blue as he continued to study the remnants of the portal. "There's residual energy from two portals, not one. They're close in frequency and were opened practically on top of each other." The luminescence on Erik's hand increased. "Molec bailed out with his prize and it seems as if his forces fled shortly afterwards. Judging by the proximity in the portal frequencies they all went to the same general area."
"He left his forces for cannon fodder buying time for his escape. Look…" Denton gestured toward the far wall. Several large display units contained various electronic images of the factory grounds. "He knew when we got the upper hand and made good his escape before we even entered the damn building!"
Erik frowned. He pulled his hand back and turned toward the ethereal soldiers. "We're going to have to search each area for a lead." He turned toward the blond leader. "I'm assuming you have assets that can be deployed to search the adjoining realms."
The blond warrior nodded. "As long as Molec has the relic, he is bound to earthly domains. We do have that working for us." The warrior hedged.
"But…" Erik motioned for the being to continue.
"But the places Molec would hide are not welcoming to our kind. There are mutual pacts in place preventing us from invading certain realms. Molec knows this and will hide there. The archdemon is more afraid of us now than he is of Lucifer. He will risk taking temporary respite in one of the darker realms hoping to further shield his prize. Eventually, he will have to come back to Earth… Lucifer's allies will sniff him out, Molec knows that. His victory is temporary." The being looked back at Erik, his face revealed mild an
noyance. "We will have to gain permission to violate these agreements. Bargains will have to be struck with the proprietors of each realm."
Erik tilted his head. "A heavenly and demonic bureaucracy? Oh you must be shitting me! No wonder you're losing this war."
The Ethereal flinched. "I do not make the rules, but I must follow them. We all can't run through life bulldozing through problems and bullying as you would prefer." There was a definite edge to ethereal's voice.
Martin jumped in. "So where do we start? We need to get a bead on where he went." The elder agent rummaged through several papers on the large mahogany desk. He picked up a business card, studying the logo and typeface. The old man held it up to Erik. "The Starlight Bistro—it appears Molec does have eyes there."
Erik smacked his fist into his open palm. "We go back there and get some answers. This demon is cagey, like a weasel. He hasn't been caught and seems to know his way around this corner of the universe better than any of us do. We're going to have to get savvy pretty damn fast. This bastard is always one or two moves ahead of us. We need to get some hard data, and The Starlight Bistro is our only lead at this point."
Denton thumbed through more papers. "Every human guard that worked here was loyal to Molec and they made a small fortune looking the other way."
"The archdemon is no feeble human or alien quarry, Agent Knight. Your allies don't give the dark under lord his due." A whisper came from the shadows accompanied by the smell of brimstone.
Erik spun, raising his katana. He recognized the raspy voice in the shadows. "Have you come for a second round, Bartholomew?"
The pale demon walked out of the shadows his hands open and raised partially. The soldiers of Light surrounded Lucifer's aide but the demon appeared relaxed and aloof. "I have no weapon and bear only a message."
The blond warrior stepped forward. His hand whipped forward faster than even Erik could follow, grasping Bartholomew and lifting the skeletal demon off the ground. "You bear only lies and deceit like your master! Now go meet him!" The soldier's hand flexed and a large ivory colored knife materialized in his hand.
Bartholomew shrieked in terror. "I know where Molec went. I have been given permission to bargain his location with you!"
Erik approached. "As much as I'd love to see you filet this bastard, maybe we should hear him out."
The soldier tossed the demon onto the ground. Bartholomew stood slowly brushing himself off. "We know where Molec and his acolytes are. As much as my master wants his head on a trophy shelf, he is willing to bargain. We engage Molec directly and all Hell will literally break loose. Your precious relic has been found as well. I will give you the location of both." Bartholomew paused, nodding his head slightly.
Erik felt something and knew the demon was being fed instructions.
"For a small request granted later."
The blond soldier tilted his regal head. "I have no authority to bargain with the devil, nor do I trust Lucifer to keep his word."
The ethereal soldier paused, looking up, lips moving imperceptibly. The presence Erik sensed was overwhelming and his whole body tingled with warning. His legs buckled, then powerful hands grabbed and steadied him.
"You hear the voice?" A soldier whispered.
"No, but the sensation is flooding my senses! There is a presence here. The last one was extremely powerful and I know who it was, I've encountered the devil earlier," Erik turned pale and his stomach twisted, the realization struck him. He looked toward the soldier, eyes wide, "No! not…"
The soldier nodded slightly pointing back to his leader.
The powerful ethereal seemed somewhat agitated. He looked over at Bartholomew. "Your terms are agreeable provided the demand does not exceed the value of your information. HE will make that determination at the time. Agreed?"
Bartholomew considered that for a moment. "Agreed."
"Where is Molec?"
Bartholomew grinned. "He is at the Soul Market, hiding at an alien soul merchant's interdimensional craft, and he has the relic with him. The moment he materialized through a portal, every creature felt the relic's presence. It contaminates everything with its holiness. Molec is desperately seeking a more powerful containment vessel, but none exists. The relic's presence is more than we can tolerate and demons are fleeing. As you humans would say; it's bad for business."
The ethereal frowned. "We cannot traverse the portals, they will not transport us and we are not allowed in the adjoining realms per the original agreements laid out in the Beginning. Lucifer knows this."
Bartholomew pointed toward Erik. "No, but the hybrid can go. He is a non-ethereal force in your army and now bears the mark of Light though he doesn't wish it. The hybrid can pass through into the Soul Market through a temporal portal nearby. I will provide you the temporary location of the portal and teach him the password which will grant him passage. He can confront Molec. His presence alone will push Molec back to Earth where we can deal with him and then repair the damage he's caused." Bartholomew paused, looking over at Erik. "You want to preserve your offspring, and avert an all-out Ethereal War? Go to the market and confront the archdemon. Drive him out and back to Earth. Take the cross and give us Molec." The demon studied him. "In your true form you should be able to hold the relic for a short time before obliteration, long enough to get it out of our realm and back here where the forces of Light can remove it. Things go back to normal and a centuries' old pain in both our proverbial backsides is eliminated."
Erik looked toward the blond warrior. "Is what he says true? Could I wield the relic? Maybe my son doesn't have to be involved in this."
The Ethereal nodded. "The relic is semi-sentient like your weapon. It would sense your biological relation to your son, but you could not wield the power. I honestly don't know. None of this is supposed to have occurred."
Denton stepped forward, coming between Erik and the ethereal leader. "Before you go making deals and plans shouldn't you be sure? The only person putting himself at risk here is you!" Erik flinched as his friend pointed. "What if this demon is wrong? What if you touch this thing and you go poof too? You're taking the word of a thing that tried to kidnap your son and kill you just days ago."
"I never implied there wasn't risk, human." Bartholomew spat the words with contempt. "I have no need to justify my actions to one who's barely a notch above a primate on the evolutionary scale." The demon pointed toward Erik. "Yes there is risk. The Soul Market is dangerous, and your own soul would be a valuable commodity ripe for the plucking. There aren't many places Molec can hide. We finally have a chance to capture him. The demon lord has overextended himself and is vulnerable. He cannot hide and protect his prize forever. The clock is ticking and we have to move quickly."
"He's done a good job of giving all of you the slip for how long now? What makes this time any different? You haven't exactly been bloodhounds when it comes to finding this guy" Denton looked over at Erik. "Think about this. I know how you love to rush into things but this proposal has 'Catastrophe' written all over it. You're going to a Hell realm where you have no support to confront a demon that wants both you and your son killed. Molec put a bounty on your child," Denton pointed toward Bartholomew. "And his boss did the same! Now we're crawling into bed with them?"
"You will be silent, ape! Or I'll carve out your tongue!" Bartholomew hissed. The demon took two aggressive steps toward Denton. The man had his gun drawn and pointed at the demon's head.
"Let's see if these bullets work as well on you!"
"ENOUGH BICKERING!" the blond warrior screamed. His voice rang loud in their heads. "Put your gun away, Mr. Denton. And you, Bartholomew, step back!" He pointed a pale finger towards Erik. "The bargain is struck, hybrid. Will you go or won't you? You alone must decide."
The silence hung over the area like a heavy fog. All eyes fell upon him. Erik took a few breaths, then stared at his friend and nodded. "Yeah, I'll go."
Erik could see his friend's disappointment. "I'm sorry, Martin. I don't
see any way around it. If there's a chance to end this and save my son, I have to do it."
Denton nodded sadly. "I understand. So, hopefully you'll understand when I say I'm going with you."
Erik shook his head. "I can't ask you to do that. I don't know what I'm getting into. There's no need for you to take a risk I signed up for."
Denton grasped Erik's arm. "You said yourself earlier, we're family. You, Shanda and that sweet little boy are all I have left in the world. You don't turn your back on family. I turned my back on William and the price I paid was his life. If this goes wrong, we'll sink together."
"Martin, I can't." Erik struggled to control his emotions. "I can't ask you to do this."
Denton smiled, wiping away a tear. "You're not asking, son. I'm telling you, I'm going with you."
"Are you going to hug now?" Bartholomew's acidic voice broke the moment.
"Your presence is no longer required, demon. He has given me what we need to know to access the Soul Market."
Bartholomew's face took on a perceptible red tinge. "Impossible. No ethereal can know. It's the tightest secret."
The blond warrior laughed. "You have Lucifer's pride. The Father knows all and sees all. There are no secrets from Him.
The demon nodded, clearly annoyed. He looked over at Martin and Erik. "Be warned, human. You have no special powers to protect you. You go to the market and you will be a lamb among wolves hungry to snatch your soul from your living flesh and leave you a walking, soulless zombie."
Denton patted the large pistol inside his jacket. "I'll take my chances."
"You unleash violence there, you assure yourself an eternal death. The forces that keep the peace don't tolerate interference. Get Molec to flee and get out quickly before you draw any undue attention to yourselves. You just being there will be enough commotion." The demon waived his hand and a portal opened. He stepped through, half his body in and half still planted in the earthly plane. "Take it for what it's worth, I wish you luck, hybrid. We would all be well rid of Molec." The portal swallowed the demon and closed quickly.