Battle Lines (The Ethereal War Book 2)

by Greg Ballan

  The angel glanced over raising an eyebrow. "Humor. Another human concept I do not understand." He looked back over at Erik. "I fear Molec has gone into hiding again, and we will have to wait until the Holy Relic makes its presence known. There is no more trail to follow."

  Martin shook his head. "Molec is here, on Earth. He has to be getting information regarding our activities from somewhere." He pointed toward the card in Erik's hand. "Everything points back to Washington DC and the Starlight Bistro. All the rats appear to live in DC and I'll wager my retirement pension Molec is somewhere in that vicinity. We just have to sniff him out. If he's arrived in the beltway, I promise you somebody there knows."

  Erik nodded. "We can chase down property leases and look for recent activity in the DC warehouses." Erik gestured around him, "He has a penchant for hiding in abandoned areas and making himself a luxurious nest. We can have the firm's resources sniff around these areas. If there's been a lot of unusual activity in an area around DC, we can focus our search there."

  "Anderson can be of service in the search. He is our eyes and ears." Michael looked over at the detective. "Look but please, for all our sakes, tread lightly and be cautious. We cannot have the kind of destruction wrought at the Soul Market unleashed upon this realm. That type of calamity would be devastating."

  "Understood," said Erik. "Simply recon. If we find his lair I'll call out and we'll let your forces take point."

  Michael nodded and simply vanished. There was no flash of light, no appearance of a portal. The powerful ethereal being simply winked out of reality.

  "That irritates me to no end." Denton flopped heavily on a nearby crate, staring into the once-occupied empty space.

  "What? The vanishing act?" Erik frowned. "Yeah it's a bit unnerving. I was just thinking back to some old scriptures. God is everywhere and sees everything. We're never really alone. I don't know if I find comfort in that or feel like my privacy is being violated."

  Denton groaned. "Please, let's not debate theology. It gives me a headache. I don't want to have to picture a divinity watching over me the next time I use the bathroom."

  Erik laughed. "You seem to be in a somber mood, Counselor. God knows, pardon the pun, we both have reason to be in less than happy spirits."

  Denton shifted his weight on the wooden crate and it creaked. "This thing sounds like my back feels." The old man stared at the floor silent for several moments. He looked up. "Michael is right." Denton shuddered. "Cripes I've been talking with an angel. This has to be a dream."

  Erik shook his head. "I know. Every once in a while the reality of this all creeps in and it threatens to eradicate my sanity."

  "Look, Erik, we're dealing with forces we can't even begin to comprehend. The fact that the Prince of Darkness has you on his personal hit list doesn't scare you? I'm one step away from needing a change of underwear. A month ago I didn't buy any of this shit. Now, I'm talking with angels, shooting demons with divine bullets, pissing off the devil, and traveling to interdimensional soul markets." Martin's face was wrought with fear. "There's a price, my young friend, a price to pay for treading where mortals shouldn't. I fear the price will be something neither of us are willing to pay."

  Erik walked over and placed a hand on Martin's shoulder. "We didn't ask for this dance, Counselor. We got dragged onto the floor. Look, you've more than avenged your son's death. Lazarus is dust and there are already powerful forces scouring the planet for Molec. His time is rapidly running out. No one would blame you if you sat out the rest of this. You've more than done your part."

  Denton placed a weathered hand on Erik's. "I can't, not while that sweet little boy is in danger. You're my family. I won't turn my back on you, Shanda or EJ. I failed my son. I won't fail you."

  Erik's eyes grew moist. "You're a part of our family, Martin, and I'm proud to have you as a friend." The detective's eyes turned solemn. "But you're right, for all of my bluster, we're over our heads in some pretty deep water."

  Denton's face turned to stone. "Then we'd better swim a bit harder and keep watch for the sharks." The old man stood up. "Let's stop by your gym and see how the repairs are progressing, then we can catch a flight back to DC tomorrow. We can meet up with Representative Anderson and fill him in, unless our divine ally has already done so. Either way we need to get to DC."

  Erik nodded, then turned to the safe and emptied the abandoned valuables into a nearby cloth sack.

  Martin raised an eyebrow as Erik carried out the cash and valuables. "Stealing from Molec?"

  Erik shrugged. "There's a local shelter and food pantry run by Sacred Heart Church right down the road. This can do a lot of good for a lot of needy people. I can't just let it sit there. The gold jewelry alone is worth at least another ten grand." Erik grinned. "I'm doing the Lord's work by helping the poor and needy. If it drains Molec's coffers a bit, all the better."

  Denton laughed as they left.

  Chapter 9: Blockade of Evil

  Starlight Bistro. VIP Room

  Molec finished his second glass of wine. Hard eyes stared at the ornamental clock decorating the far wall. Bartholomew was late. "The bastard isn't going to show." The archdemon's fingers tapped an angry beat on the large dining table. The wine rippled with the rhythmic vibrations.

  A slender, buxom waitress escorted a tall, gaunt man wearing a long dark jacket. The garment whirled like a cape as he walked toward the table. The man's skin was almond colored and his hair an obnoxious carrot orange. Molec tilted his massive head as the man tossed his jacket over a nearby chair. The waitress left quickly. As soon as they were alone, the almond pigment vanished, revealing pale, milky white skin with black, pulsing veins. A river of black raced from the man's scalp, saturating the loud color with a dull, flat inky dark matching the pulsing veins easily seen beneath the being's pale flesh.

  Molec reached into an ice-filled bucket, freeing a bottle of chilled champagne. He popped the cork and handed the bottle to his guest. "You're late."

  "DC traffic is a bitch." He tilted the open bottle, nodding toward his host then drank deeply. Bartholomew drained half the bottle before sitting. The pale demon placed the bottle down, wiped his lips with his hand and reached toward the full basket of bread. "Okay Molec, this is your dime, but tell me why I shouldn't summon my boss to vaporize you right this instant? You upset the very cosmic balance when you stole that damned relic. Raphael, Michael, and Gabriel are scouring the planet. The forces of Light are preparing for war, and as much as my boss loves war and sees this planet as a potential prize, prophecy says this is one we are destined to lose." The demon tore into a large hot roll savoring the delicacy. "Not to mention your theft led to that accursed Esper half breed sticking his nose into our affairs." The demon dipped part of his roll in a bowl if warm, spiced oil. "Thanks to Erik Knight, the Soul Market has been gutted and Raphael has reclaimed several hundred souls destined for trade." He leaned forward. "Lucifer lost a great deal of capital thanks to Erik Knight and he blames you for forcing the hybrid into an offensive mode." The demon popped the rest of the roll into his mouth then smiled revealing jagged, uneven teeth. "And your accursed soul bounty has demonic hoards scouring the Earth looking for a way to kill Heaven's child. The Creator will never let that happen."

  Molec nodded. "Are you done repeating the obvious?"

  Bartholomew took another deep drink. "Yes, but I'm still waiting for a reason."

  "I want to rule not just Hell, but other worlds existing throughout the Multiverse. Lucifer has no grand design. He accepts his punishment and grows lazy, content to merely steal souls and simply be a thorn in the side of divinity. I want to rule Hell and extend its influence through several worlds in this universe and others. The rules do allow it, but Lucifer seems unwilling to push forth and conquer. He has won nothing since the Beginning. The forces of Light are lazy and naïve. We can conquer worlds and build an empire."

  Bartholomew drained his bottle and devoured another roll as he considered Molec's words. "What do you
need and more importantly what do I get for this yet to be named assistance?"

  Molec smiled, sliding another bottle of champagne toward Bartholomew. "Knight's child is protected inside Vatican City. I can't get to him there due to the abundance of Light's forces. I still have some human forces inside. Most are locked up but a few are still free to move about. We can create a diversion, draw away their forces and I can have my allies freed. They will hunt down and kill the child ending the possibility of Armageddon's Son ushering in the new age of man. We will have Earth as our first trophy and we can begin conquering new worlds. The forces of Light will be stunned and worlds will fall like dominos before us."

  Bartholomew frowned. He ran a pale, bony hand through flaxen hair. "How do you propose we engage the forces of Light? If we attack the Holy City, all hell will break loose, pardon the pun. You'll unleash all the Hosts of Heaven upon us."

  "We don't have to ransack the city. We can block it off from the outside world. I have one of the last remaining mystical barricade stones. I'll have one of my agents detonate it outside Vatican City. The demonic energy will surround the city, choking it off from the outside world. We may not be able to enter but no one will be able to leave either. My human forces can hunt the child with impunity inside the city while the forces of Light are busy defending our incursion into Rome. If we attack quick enough, and with the element of surprise, Vatican City will be blockaded like a castle under siege and its defenders turned back. Once the hybrid child is killed, the Ruby Crucifix will be useless on this world."

  Bartholomew nodded, flexing bone white fingers. "The energy from the stone will repulse angelic forces and I can marshal up enough demons to patrol the outskirts of the city." He looked over at Molec. "We'll be making our presence blatantly known to the humans, in direct violation of the rules. God will not sit idly back while we make this attack."

  "We won't be attacking, just isolating. Humans inside the city will be doing our work. They do it of their own free will. They have chosen. The rules will be followed. We will not kill the child. Humanity will … just as they killed Christ. They will kill the bearer of their own salvation yet again. Free will, Bartholomew—they will do it of their own free will. I admit we are adding fear and motivation but the actual knife that will slit the child's throat will be wielded by a human. God has allowed war, the starvation of millions and the genocide of millions more, all by the hands of humans with free will. This death will be one of the same, just a savage human killing another human. Some humans will die during the siege but the forces of Light will be powerless to do anything about it." Molec laughed. Fire spewed from his nostrils scorching the table and singing the expensive tablecloth.

  Bartholomew nodded once. "I agree the plan has merit but you still haven't told me what I get from this arrangement."

  "I'll give you free reign in Hell and I'll give you half the Earth and the entire next world I conquer. I'll give you power beyond your imagining." The archdemon leaned forward, his hand balled in a fist, fiery red eyes burning. "I will give you the broken husk of Erik Knight to do with as you please and his slut bride to rape and plunder for all eternity if you desire it. Knight will come running once the blockade is up in a desperate attempt to rescue his wife and child. Once there, I will confront him and break the Esper warrior's back and spirit. You can have his broken remains to do with as you please afterwards. I want the pleasure of bloodying my fists on his face for the problems he's caused me."

  Bartholomew drained the second bottle of champagne as he considered the offer. "Very generous, Molec." He leaned forward extending a pale hand. "I accept."

  Molec shook the arm of his new ally and laughed, fiery exhales threatening to burn the fabric table cloth and chairs as the archdemon bellowed in joy.

  Bartholomew joined in, adding his evil hiss as he slapped his new employer on the back jovially. He held up the empty bottle. "To the death of Erik Knight and the conquest of this world!"

  ◆◆◆

  Dawkens' Gym. Milford, MA

  Erik sipped from his Styrofoam coffee cup studying the refinished walls of his business. The construction crews worked at a feverish pitch throughout the mall adding plumbing improvements and higher quality glass to replace what had broken during his earlier battles.

  "I went with a lighter color in here. The grey was too depressing." Alissa pointed toward the freshly painted back wall separating the dojo from the main gym facility. "I think it brightens up the place. The workers rewired the old outlets and threw in a new breaker box. We won't have to keep changing fuses every two or three weeks so the treadmills and ellipticals can run without constantly blowing a damn fuse."

  Erik nodded. "The place looks amazing. It looks like the entire mall is getting a face lift. I imagine the shop owners aren't too upset about the upgrades."

  Alissa laughed. "Nobody's complained, that's for sure. A couple of managers have come by snooping, asking me what kinds of connections you have to make all of this happen."

  Erik shook his head. "Everybody's a busybody."

  The young woman frowned. "And I think we've had some of your divine friends poking around. I catch the essence of that tall blond being that was here earlier but to a lesser degree. We're being watched, but at a distance. Every time I try and get a lock on the presence, it shifts and evades my senses. I don't mind admitting it's got me frazzled."

  Erik turned. "Alissa, this has gotten way out of control. I've seen things and fought things I couldn't conceive of even in my worst nightmares. We're just a microcosm in a massive struggle that transcends our planet, our solar system, and even our damn galaxy. These beings don't just traverse space, they traverse universes. The power is beyond anything we could ever imagine or comprehend. Our human theology doesn't even begin to explain the eternal struggle occurring all around us." Erik pointed to the ceiling. "It's terrifying. I understand why humans don't know the full scope of reality and why theology is limited and vague. The truth would turn a man's mind to jello. God's Multiverse is in a constant state of flux with good and evil constantly fighting for possession of worlds and souls."

  Alissa took a step back, stunned. Her lips pursed into a tight oval. "I've read some books about the cosmic struggle. They were written by philosophers centuries ago but I never paid them much heed. I always assumed they were fairy tales like the gods and goddesses of old. But it's all real."

  The somber detective blew out a long, thoughtful breath. "It's more than I care to know. If the forces of Light are watching over this place, so much the better. That means the other side won't be poking around." He frowned. "It also means the firm is involved deeply in ethereal matters. They have an interest in this place and I'd like to know exactly what that interest is and why. There's a reason they bankrolled our business loan and acted as a silent partner. I aim to get to the truth once things get back to normal." He sipped his coffee. "If they ever get back to normal."

  "Maybe it's just a courtesy? I think you may be a bit paranoid."

  Erik snorted. "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."

  She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "That's a lame comeback and you know it."

  "Yes it is," admitted Erik, "but right now it's the best I have." He glanced at his watch, "Martin will be here in about an hour then we're heading back to DC to chase down a possible lead. After that it's back to Vatican City."

  Alissa stepped up to the desk. "Mr. Denton made all this possible, Erik. If you have a question regarding the firm's involvement here he'd be the logical person to approach."

  The detective frowned, rubbing the stubble on his cheek and chin. "Good point. Martin and I have enough on our plate right now, and I don't want to press him on something he may not want to talk about just yet. Like I said, one mystery at time."

  "Since you're here, you may as well be useful. The workers need to have the larger pieces of equipment moved so they can bring in ladders to fix some ceiling panels and clean the ventilation ducts.
We can rent a hydraulic lift or you can move them yourself before we open. Put those Esper muscles to some good use while you're here."

  Erik laughed. "Yes Ma'am."

  ◆◆◆

  Washington DC

  Congressman Anderson studied the business card. "It's not a Starlight business card, Erik." He tossed it on his desk and opened the top desk drawer. "This is a Starlight Bistro card. There are dozens of them floating around the building. This specific card grants access to a very exclusive Bistro outside of DC run by the same shell corporation. Only the super elite power brokers in Washington are admitted here. I'm surprised Molec left this behind."

  "Our demonic friend had to make a rather abrupt exit." Denton picked up the card carefully examining edges. "There's a chip in here. The card's been laminated back together but this corner edge is thicker and not pliable like the rest of the bonded paper." He handed the card to Erik.

  The detective studied it carefully, running his finger over the surface. "Nice catch, Counselor. I'll bet you Molec is holed up somewhere close, right under our very noses. The key to finding him is this establishment!" Erik shook his head, cursing under his breath. "Martin we were made the moment we stepped into the Starlight. Odds are the security is even tighter here. We'd be made the second we walked in. We may have to watch this place from a distance, or go in and hope we can catch wind of Molec or the relic before someone or something confronts us. If I can get a sense of the relic, we'll know that bastard is close by too. He won't leave his 'Precious' out of arm's reach."

  Martin laughed at the movie reference. "Let's keep a distance at first. If you can get a read on the relic, we promised Michael we'd let him take point! I'm not one to piss off our divine allies."

  Erik smacked his fist against his open palm. The sound cracked like a whip. "Damn it! You're right. I did make a promise to our angelic ally. It's probably better if they handle the capture and recovery. I won't deny I want a piece of that bastard though."