“I’m not letting you out until you calm your butt down,” I said firmly. Since pets were not really permitted in student accommodations, Pete had been staying here with Craig, a guy I knew from working at the pet company. He often took in strays.
The mutt sat but his tail still wagged like crazy.
“Alright, come on.” I unlatched the gate and bent to clip on his lead. He hopped out onto the street, looking up at me with an expression of pure adoration. “I know, I’m great. Let’s go.”
We began walking towards town. Pete paused every now and again to sniff at foliage or at passing students. That was fine, I wasn’t in a hurry, and art students loved dogs. We stepped under the old bridge as a train rumbled passed overhead and I gave Pete a firm pat to distract him. He was a bit of a sissy when it came to loud noises, especially thunder.
We kept following the main road until we made it to the town centre. I tied Pete to a lamppost and stepped into the newsagents. After flicking through a paper, I decided it was too boring to bother going through the whole thing. So, instead, I bought some dog biscuits. Maybe I should start listening to podcasts. Maybe not. I would not even know where to begin looking for a podcast. Did one just Google ‘podcast’? This already seemed like more trouble than it was worth.
I untied Pete’s leash and we continued walking. “The government must know. We know shapeshifters exist, demons, zombie’s,” I ticked each one off on my fingers, “whatever the fuck the others are.”
I could just ask the others, but I didn’t want to come across as too needy.
The sight of a secondhand bookshop across the road gave me another idea. Glancing both ways, we crossed when there was a break in traffic. Tying Pete to another post, I stepped inside.
The smell in the bookshop was the first thing I noticed. Old pages, which gave off a hint of a vanilla-like scent. Mmm. I wanted to live in the bookshop. Offering the woman behind the counter a brief smile, I headed to the back of the room and began scanning the shelves.
I already had two books tucked under my arm by the time I found one close to what I had actually been looking for.
It was brown and on the spine, in golden letters, it proclaimed: A Beginner’s Guide to Anomalous Subsets of Enhanced Humanoid Individuals.
“What, no Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy?” I muttered. If the content was as wordy as the title then I probably wouldn’t make it past the first pages but It was probably worth a try. I put it on the pile I’d already gathered and went to pay before I could be tempted further.
As I stepped back outside, Pete greeted me as if I’d been gone for two months, not a measly five minutes. His enthusiasm was exhausting. I took a hold of his leash. “You want some coffee?” His tail wagged. “Never mind, you don’t need any caffeine. Ever.” I scratched his head. “Come on.”
We reached the bottom of the hill and turned left at the intersection. Here you could see the docks, or whatever you called a small version of a dock. It seemed like there would be a different name for it. Maybe not. I was overthinking it.
We walked until we came to a small coffee shop. The interior looked half finished, it must have been one of those hipster coffee shops. Juliette would have liked it. After stepping in long enough to get a coffee, I stepped back out to sit at one of the small tables out front with Pete.
I flicked through my new book until a section caught my eye and I paused to read it:
After an extensive survey taken in 2003, it was discovered that these enhanced individuals made up 0.000027% of the population.
Sure, because no one lied on surveys.
After this knowledge was publicised, the existence of the Supernatural Investigations Division was acknowledged by public officials and it was announced that any and all concerns that could be classified as 'supernatural' should be directed to this agency.
Huh. There was such a division in my old timeline but, back then, it was the SIA, not the SID. I could just hope I’d have better luck staying off their radar in this timeline than I did in the last one.
I knew Jason had an in with the higher ups in local government—it was probably the only reason we’d been getting away with our vigilante shenanigans for so long—but he’d never mentioned the SID. Maybe because it sounded like the kind of thing you could catch sleeping with Tanya from my short story class.
Tanya was a tramp.
I pulled out my phone and Googled SID.
Two main results appeared, a Security Identified, and SID, which seemed like an online search engine of some type—for Exeter University, of all places.
Apparently, the SID kept it low-key. It was probably one of those things where you had to know a guy who knew a guy. And I tended to go out of my way to not know guys. “It’s bad that I know more about the hierarchy in Hell than the one here on Earth, isn’t it?” I asked Pete.
He continued staring intently at my jacket pocket.
“You’re useless. You know that, right?” Still, I pulled out the packet of dog treats and offered him one. He plucked it gently from my finger. I just shook my head and turned my attention back to the book.
I wanted to see if there were any mentions of hellhounds. It seemed unlikely. The SIA hadn’t known how to classify me and, around that time, neither had I. Genetically, I was identical to a human. Magically, I was a whole mess of crazy.
After flicking through the pages with no success, I pouted. There wasn’t even any mention of demons. How could they know about Kitsune but not demons? Maybe I was biased due to Cornwall’s unnaturally high demon population, or maybe people were just ignorant.
I glanced down at Pete. “You think I should write a memoir?” Clearly, the world needed more hellhound-centric literature. He lay down and rested his head on his paws. “You’re right, it wouldn’t be worth it unless I had a catchy title. And I’m not good at those.”
I took a sip of my coffee and Pete raised his head. I kept my gaze on the book but watched him in my peripheral. Something had caught his attention and, for once, his tail wasn’t wagging with enough speed to kick up a breeze. He turned, his gaze scanning the street but I sensed nothing dangerous and I saw only humans.
“Okay. I’ll finish this, then we need to head back. My lecture starts in an hour and I already missed one this week.”
5
5 - Kidnapping
Terra -
Nevaeh’s apartment was always messy. However, the furniture was usually upright. Rosa and I glanced around at the place. “Think she’s redecorating?” I asked mildly.
Rosa moved over to the corner, sniffing. “There’s blood over here.”
I shrugged, unperturbed. Nevaeh fed on blood; it was unsurprising that there would be some here. “Maybe that’s part of the new theme.”
Rosa shot me a flat look as she poked around at Nevaeh’s desk. “I think she’s been kidnapped.”
I headed over to the kitchen, where both a knife and a plate had somehow become embedded into the wall. These kids would not be getting their deposit back. I flicked the hilt of the blade and it wobbled, but remained embedded in the wall. “Why would you think she’s been kidnapped?”
“There’s a post-it note here saying ‘I’ve kidnapped your friend’,” Rosa explained, holding up a green square of paper.
I narrowed my eyes at the paper, pursing my lips thoughtfully for a long moment. “Well… that could be about anyone’s friend.”
“Then where is she?”
I shrugged. “Maybe she wrote that note and she’s taken up kidnapping as a hobby.” I wouldn’t put it past her.
“Terra, we are going to call the others, we will explain that Nevaeh has been kidnapped and we will get her back,” Rosa said decisively, turning to walk back out into the hall.
“Maybe she likes being kidnapped; you don’t know what kind of kinks she has,” I called after her.
* * *
Nevaeh -
I was not having the best of days. First of all, my neck ached. And I’d been drugged, ki
dnapped and strapped to a table. But mostly the neck thing was bothering me, when had I hurt it? Did I lay on it funny as I’d slept? I shifted my shoulders, trying to release the tension, but it didn’t work. Damn it.
The psycho stepped up to me again. Creepy bastard. “No please, please, for the love of God, stop!” I pleaded for mercy.
“Not so high and mighty now, are you?” He seemed smug. He would be—not many mortals could have captured a hellhound. “Hurts, doesn’t it?” His lips curled in a mockery of a snarl.
I cleared my throat and glanced down at the cut across my chest. “Not particularly, I just can’t stand having your breath in my face. Seriously, invest in mouthwash. The combined population of the earth, or anyone who’s been in the same room as you, will thank you.” At times like this, you had to curse supernaturally strong senses.
He frowned in confusion. “I’m cutting you…”
He was indeed cutting me, and it was a tad unpleasant, considering the man clearly didn’t know how to keep his blades sharp.
Oh, the poor clueless human. “Yes, dear, and we’re all very proud that you are capable of holding an object and breathing at the same time.” Honestly, it was surprising he managed this much.
* * *
Juliette -
“We need to find her. Let’s think this through… Who are her enemies?” I asked rationally.
“How long do we have?” asked Terra. She had a point. Nevaeh never went out of her way to make friends.
Dee shot her a look. “Well, we need a place to start.”
“Okay.” Terra leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as if she were taking the problem seriously. “In Hell, the hounds are a precious commodity; only the most powerful demons have the power to possess a human long enough to sire a child. And, once in Hell, their lust for blood is so powerful they’ll do almost anything to get it. They’ll obey anyone for the promise of blood. Which means as long as a demon can keep it in stock, they have a willing slave. So any demon would kill for a hellhound, and I do mean that literally.”
Rosa blinked. “So you’re saying that literally any demon could have taken her?”
Terra grinned. “Yes, although to be fair, a demon probably would have left more of a mess behind.”
“Her place was totally trashed,” I pointed out.
“Since there were no bodies laying around, I’d bet on humans.”
“And god knows we’ve got enough human enemies,” muttered Dee.
* * *
Nevaeh -
“Who hurt you, Brian?” I inquired, my voice low and deceptively soft.
He clenched his jaw. “I told you my name’s not Brian!”
He had indeed told me that, but I’d chosen to ignore him. He seemed like a Brian. “‘Cause, as I see it, someone must have hurt you pretty bad for you to get off on hurting others like this. Was it your daddy?”
He slapped me. Yeah, it was definitely his daddy.
I laughed. “Looks like I hit a nerve. Sorry, I really didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. That must have been hard for you. I understand, I have daddy issues too.” How could I not? My father was a demon from Hell.
“The hell is wrong with you?” He seemed serious.
Coming from a torturer that question offended my sensibilities. One shouldn’t throw stones when one lived in a glass house. I chuckled. “Come on, now, Brian, we don’t have all night.”
“You don’t know anything!” He grasped my hair, shoved my head into the water, holding me down as I struggled. That water was hella cold. He pulled my head back out of the water. “Are you ready to talk now, bitch?”
I gasped. “Not if you’re going to resort to name calling,” I said tartly.
He repeated the action, for a little longer this time. Argh, it was still darn cold. “Now what do you have to say?”
“Well, I was meaning to ask if, perhaps, I could trouble you for a glass of water.” I laughed at my own sense of humour until my head was shoved back into the water.
* * *
Terra -
“I have something,” declared Dee.
Rosa, Jason, and I quickly stepped over to where she sat.
Dee pointed to the large monitor in front of her. “Okay, so these are kidnappings that have occurred nearby over the past year, all women and each time a note was left. Three bodies were found, all having been tortured. Police concluded that they were tortured for information, as they were able to link them to a powerful individual or company,” she explained.
“So you think she’s been kidnapped for information?” asked Rosa.
“On what? That girl doesn’t know shit,” I stated.
Jason rolled his eyes. “On us. It’s obvious. She has the codes to this place, to the armoury, and she knows the locations to all our homes, as well as all of our safe houses,” he said, sounding alarmed by the possibilities.
I waved dismissively. “Relax, she’s not going to talk.”
“Why wouldn’t she? She’s made it perfectly clear she doesn’t respect what we do here,” Jason reminded her.
“It’s a matter of pride. And do you really think she’d give the person who kidnapped her exactly what they want?” I asked flatly. Really, the answer should have been obvious.
“He’s probably torturing her!”
“Exactly. That wouldn’t exactly endear him to her. She’s not going to give him what he wants. Plus, she knows he’d probably kill her once he’s done with the torture, or try to anyway. And the girl survived for years in Hell. A little torture at the hands of a mortal won’t do her any harm.”
* * *
Nevaeh -
“You know, I really am quite thirsty,” I commented. It had been awhile since I’d had my last taste of blood. It wasn’t wise to starve a hellhound, but I had pretty good self-control so I wasn’t likely to tear into this poor, pitiful little mortal.
Brian sighed wearily. Poor baby, apparently torture was tiresome. “Just tell me where the others are!” he snarled.
“You can’t handle the truth!”
He punched me in the side of the head and there was a sudden buzzing in my ears. I guess he didn’t get the reference. Damn mortals. He shoved my face back into the icy water. It was rather refreshing.
I struggled against the manacles that bound my hands. Times like this super strength sure would come in handy. Immortality would only get you so far. I wondered idly where the fuck my friends had gotten to. They were goddamn superheroes, yet they couldn’t get off their asses to help a friend who they often drew into their stupid schemes to ‘protect the human race’.
It was enough to knock a girl’s ego. What was the point of even knowing them if they didn’t even try to save me from the clutches of a psychotic tormentor?
* * *
I walked into HQ, still covered in blood and all cut up to hell. It was night outside, so no one had stopped me on the street for being covered in gore. I hadn’t been in any mood to hide.
“What happened?” demanded Rosa as she and the others pushed to their feet.
“I had a good weekend,” I told them, then I carried the severed head to the freezer, put it inside and pulled out some blood.
“I told you guys,” commented Terra.
“How did you get away?”
“Well…”
Less than an hour ago…
“Brian, don’t you know the saying, ‘it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye?’” I’d enquired calmly.
“I won’t be touching your eyes, tempting as it may be. I promised some bad people that I’d be able to get some information, and so far you’ve given me nothing.”
Hmm, bad people. I liked bad people; fewer people chastised me when I tore the flesh from their bones. “Well now, you really should know better than to make a promise you can’t keep.”
“Don’t worry yourself, we’ve still got plenty of time to get those answers.” He raised the red-hot fire poker.
I laughed wildly. “Hey
, I’ve got an eternity.” He pressed the poker to my neck, the heat searing. I felt my eyes suddenly glow red as my power latched onto the source of the heat. “There’s the fire I’ve been looking for.” The shackles above my head started to melt as I took control of the heat in the poker and redirected it. “Now, you wanna talk? Let’s talk!” I cracked my neck, finally working out that goddamned kink.
I grinned as he stumbled back in fear. He was right to be afraid; he hadn’t really put me in the mood for polite conversation. The molten metal had dripped down my wrists as I approached him. A couple of drops sizzled as they hit the ground.
* * *
“So, he talked?” asked Juliette, looking a little pale as I recounted what had happened.
I smirked. “Yeah, he got very chatty. Gave me the names of the guys he was reporting to. You’ll never guess who it was.” I glanced at Terra. In response, she only raised an eyebrow. I smiled. It wasn’t a happy smile, more a slow baring of teeth. “My old buddies Wrath and Envy.”
“Huh. Well then… you’re fucked,” the demon girl commented.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m royally fucked.”
She quirked a brow at me. “They used a mortal to do their dirty work, to best you?” she asked and there was a clear reprimand in her words, if not in her tone.
I pursed my lips. She was right, a mortal never should have been able to capture me, let alone hold me for as long as he had. It was a matter of pride. “I didn’t expect them to have drugs that would work on me.” I’d been cocky, let my guard down because I’d been at my home.
I knew better, or I should have known better. “And I don’t believe either of them has gained access to a portal yet, so they aren’t here in corporeal form.”
Terra nodded at that.
“Clean up,” said Juliette, changing the subject, which I appreciated. “If you’ve been walking around like that I expect the police will have a BOLO out for a crazy woman carrying a severed head.”
Heroes and a Hellhound: Book One Page 3