by Alex Siegel
"Servants of demons work for the PEA?" Orcus said.
"The angel Rathanael is their master now. He turned them towards the light. They will do everything possible to kill you."
"Then help me," Orcus pleaded. "Use your demonic powers. Attack the PEA."
"Rathanael protects the PEA. I can't even go near the headquarters. If I attacked directly, I would be drawn into a battle with the angel."
"But you would win, right? You're a demon lord."
Forneus shook his head. "Rathanael isn't a typical angel. He is too strong for me. You must save yourself."
"How? I can't fight the entire PEA!"
"The inhuman agents, what they call the third division, are the real threat. Just five of them are left. A clever, resourceful man such as you should be able to dispatch that small number."
"Just five?" Orcus raised his eyebrows.
"Yes."
"But they have dark powers."
"They certainly do," Forneus said, "along with human faults. They can be tricked."
Orcus pursed his lips as he contemplated his predicament. Killing five people didn't seem like an insurmountable task, even if they had infernal skills. He just needed to arrange a proper trap. He would use himself as bait. His enemies' great eagerness to kill him was a weakness he could exploit.
"While you're working on that," the demon added, "I will expect the regular schedule of sacrifices to continue."
"But your highness, collecting, torturing, and killing children takes time. It also puts me at risk of getting caught. I need to devote myself entirely to fighting the PEA for the next few days at least."
"We have an agreement. There is no clause that allows you to shirk your duties to me just because you're busy."
Orcus saw no compassion in Forneus's black eyes. The tip of his cigar glowed as red as lava.
"And if I 'shirk,' what happens?" Orcus asked. "You'll take my powers away?"
"No. What was freely given cannot be taken back, but I will kill you if you disappoint me. That much I can do."
Orcus judged the seriousness of the threat. He knew he was a valuable asset to the demon, not to be tossed aside lightly. On the other hand, Forneus wouldn't tolerate any form of defiance or insubordination, regardless of the cause. The trail of dead children would continue.
Orcus decided to change the subject. "There is really no hope for Diana?"
"All I know is she was taken to the enemy's headquarters. She is too close to Rathanael's blinding white light for me to see any details. I expect they're torturing her for information."
Orcus furrowed his brow. Diana's collar would prevent her from giving any useful information, provided it wasn't removed. Fortunately, she didn't know his plans anyway. He had trained her to follow orders without asking questions.
"It's time for me to leave," Forneus said. "The sun is rising, and the black energies of the night are dissipating. You have your orders. I don't have to remind you of the price of failure." The demon dissolved into mist and then vanished.
Orcus sighed. He had a lot of work ahead of him.
He faced Pomona. "Did you hear, slave?"
"Yes, master," she replied without looking at him.
"It will be a tough fight. We could use an ally." He paused to think. "Thorn might be willing."
She gasped. "He's a cannibal, master!"
"Even worse than that, but he serves a demon, just as I do. He won't betray me to the PEA. But that phone call can wait until after we get some sleep. Clean up the mess in the bedroom. Then I'll take the bed, and you can sleep on the floor."
"Thank you, master."
* * *
"The Lord is my shepherd," the priest said in a somber, almost sleepy voice, "I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul."
Stony had a dead feeling inside as he watched the priest perform the funeral service. Stony was wearing his nicest suit, and it was too tight around the shoulders, but replacing it wasn't worth the trouble. He only wore the suit for funerals. Unfortunately, Ace's funeral was the second this year.
Director Robertson held the urn containing Ace's ashes. The director hadn't bothered to change out of his standard blue suit, and his blank expression concealed any feelings he might have. If his face showed anything, it was impatience.
The funeral was taking place on the dirt shore of Belmont Bay under a bright sun and a clear sky. Birds squawked in the distance. A light breeze carried cool, moist air. Under other circumstances, the weather would've made Stony cheerful.
He glanced at Veronica to see how she was holding up. A night of crying had left her gray eyes bloodshot, but she was subdued at the moment. Perhaps she was too exhausted to weep with grief anymore.
She was a tall woman with a sturdy, angular body. Her straight, black hair was stiff and wiry. A long nose matched her long face, which always had a serious expression. Even when she was happy, she rarely smiled. A simple, black dress was her standard attire for funerals, but she also wore Ace's gun belt to honor him. The heels of her black shoes were sinking into the soft dirt.
Mia had an arm around Veronica's shoulders in an awkward gesture of support. Stony didn't think it was helping.
"Stony," the priest said, "I believe you have a few words to add."
Stony raised his eyebrows. "My turn?"
He walked over and turned around so his back was to Belmont Bay. He faced three members of the third division: Mia, Veronica, and Brian. Kane had stayed in his room because of pain and swelling in his broken leg. Nobody else was attending the funeral.
"Ace was a good soldier," Stony said. "I never saw him run or flinch in the face of danger. He fought hard for the right reasons. He leaves us with memories of his passion for life. He will be sorely missed. For people like us, who stand at the edge of the abyss, there is no greater tribute."
A tear on Brian's cheek surprised Stony. Brian had legendary discipline and rarely expressed emotion.
He was a slender man of Korean heritage. His skin was the color of lightly tanned leather, but his eyes were so dark, it was hard to see the color at all. He was wearing white robes, a Korean tradition for funerals. He held a portable video game as a token of respect for Ace's extraordinary gaming skills.
Stony nodded to Robertson. The director poured Ace's white ashes from the urn into the waters of the Bay. They floated on the surface and slowly spread out.
"Go in peace, my man," Brian said. He tossed the video game into the water.
The short funeral was over.
Stony walked over to Mia and took her hand. A black velvet ribbon held back her hair. A stiff, shapeless black dress hid the curves of her body. Unlike Veronica, Mia was wearing practical, flat shoes. She was a veteran of PEA funerals.
The small group began the long, quiet walk back to headquarters. A trail made of thick wooden planks connected the gray building to the water's edge. Mud and marsh flanked the path on both sides. Stony detected the faint odor of bird shit.
He was surprised when he saw Rathanael walking towards him. The angel usually showed no interest in funerals. He was wearing his usual outfit including the black trench coat. The sun on his face caused his skin to glow with inner light.
Rathanael clearly wanted to speak with the group, so they stopped and waited. Everybody was calm except for the priest. He was breathing so rapidly, Stony was afraid the poor man would pass out. All the priests became very excited around the angel.
"Did you want to attend the funeral?" Stony said. "You're too late."
"No," Rathanael said. "I have other business. I was just observing the woman you captured last night. Her name is Diana. At least, that's what she is called these days. Her soul still has some strands of good buried in it. She didn't enjoy Orcus's murderous ceremonies or the cruel way he treated her. She would've rebelled if given the chance. She can be salvaged."
Stony smiled a little. That news was very good. "You want us to recruit her?"
"But, sir!" Veronica said. "She's our enemy! She was there when Ace died."
"Don't be so hasty in your judgment," Rathanael said. "Her potential is tremendous. Give her a fair chance."
"Yes, sir," Veronica responded in a sullen tone.
"That awful iron collar is the key. It is a talisman of evil and a means of control. While she wears it, she will never betray Orcus. She is forced to be his slave. If you cut off the collar, you will free her mind. She might then choose the path of light."
"Got it." Stony nodded.
"But she will fight to keep the collar," Rathanael said. "That is part of the spell."
"I understand. Mia and I know what to do."
Stony and Mia exchanged confident glances. They had experienced the recruitment process from both sides.
"Good," Rathanael said. "If she survives, she could become one of Heaven's greatest warriors."
Chapter Four
"Ready?" Stony said.
He looked over at Mia. Both of them wore white sweat suits and white tennis shoes. The outfits would allow free movement in case vigorous action was necessary. Mia also wore Kevlar protection on her forearms, shins, and chest. A baseball catcher's mask completed her strange ensemble. Stony didn't need the extra protection because his skin was tough enough to stop panther claws.
She carried a heavy-duty bolt cutter. He wasn't sure what would happen when they used it though. Diana's cursed collar might react badly to being cut.
"Let's do this," Mia said.
Stony nodded to a PEA agent standing guard in front of a thick steel door. Bars reinforced the door and locked it in place. It was strong enough to stop a charging rhino.
The agent pressed a button. Hydraulic pistons retracted the bars and slowly opened the door. Stony and Mia stepped through.
He grimaced at Diana's dire situation. The PEA interrogators had jammed her into a sealed box with thick walls made of clear glass. The small space forced her into a fetal position. Hoses supplied fresh air, but a brown mist also floated around in the box. The chemical was making Diana gag and cough uncontrollably, and she could do nothing about it. She would suffer for as long as the interrogators wanted her to. Tears and snot dripped onto the bottom of the box.
Stony stepped in for a closer look. Even in her present condition, she was beautiful. Stunning blue eyes highlighted a face suitable for the cover of a fashion magazine. She was wearing an ugly orange uniform, the kind given to all PEA prisoners.
He turned to the interrogators. Three men in white coveralls watched from the side of the room. One of them had bloody bandages wrapped around his forearms. Diana has teeth and claws, Stony thought.
He knew and hated all three of them. Stony maintained a professional demeanor with difficulty, reminding himself that the interrogators were just doing their jobs. Reviving old grudges wouldn't serve the mission.
"What have you done to her so far?" he said.
"Just the usual stuff, sir," an interrogator replied. "Electric prods, ice water, death threats, suspension. Nothing dangerous. She's a tough bitch. She hasn't told us a damn thing. Good luck getting anything out of her."
"Clean out that brown stuff. She can't talk in this condition."
The interrogators operated valves, and a blast of fresh air cleared out the glass box. Diana immediately took a deep, cleansing breath. Her muscles relaxed.
"Now get out of here," Stony told the interrogators.
"Sir?" one man said.
"Go, and close the door behind you. Make sure it's locked."
They gave each other odd looks but complied. Stony heard the heavy door slam closed and lock. He and Mia were now alone with the prisoner.
Stony looked around to make sure the room was secure. The interrogation chamber was a windowless cube with solid concrete walls painted white. Ventilation grills had holes too small for even a fly to pass through. A positive pressure system would contain even prisoners who could turn themselves into smoke. The air-tight steel door was the only way in or out, and it couldn't be opened from this side.
"Shall we?" Mia said, nodding towards Diana.
Stony examined the glass box. Heavy clamps held it together, and he began to loosen them. The prisoner inside watched him with a curious expression.
"Here we go," he said.
He pulled the top off the box. Diana transformed into a gray panther in less than a second and slipped out of her clothes. She tried to dash away, but he was ready for her. He wrapped his big arms around her midsection from behind. She howled and thrashed desperately in an effort to escape his grasp. Her sharp claws dug into his arms and legs, but he had already hardened his skin. She was amazingly strong and energetic. Just holding her was hard work.
Mia moved in with the bolt cutters. She tried to snip Diana's collar, but the panther was moving around too much. Mia couldn't get a clean cut.
"Hurry up!" Stony said.
"I'm trying!" Mia yelled back.
He turned Diana sideways and grabbed her head with one hand. It was a bad position, awkward for him and probably painful for her, but it kept her still for a few seconds. Mia finally cut the collar.
A brilliant blue spark sounded like a thunderbolt. The collar fell to the ground with the cut ends glowing red.
Stony released Diana. She dashed across the room and huddled in the corner like a real, frightened cat. She glared back at him with her human eyes. Her gray fur had subtle black stripes which looked like shadows. Her natural camouflage was perfect for operating at night.
"I'm pretty sure you can understand me," Stony said in a soothing voice, "so I'm going to talk. You're very confused right now. With the collar off, your mind is free, but you don't know what to think. You don't know who to trust. Your emotions are a tangle of fear, anger, and desperation. All you want to do is escape this terrible place. I understand perfectly. Those interrogators gave me the full treatment in this exact room. I've been where you are."
He paused to see if his message was getting through. Her fur had shrunk a little, and her face had shifted to a more human shape. He realized she didn't have to be all cat or all human. She could stay in the range in between and adopt characteristics of both. Interesting, he thought. Lycanthropes don't have that kind of fine control.
He continued, "Allow me to introduce myself. My friends call me Stony because I can make my skin as hard as stone, which I'm sure you noticed. My partner is Miasma. She can exhale a very nasty kind of tear gas, ten times worse than anything you experienced in the glass box. Those aren't our real names, of course, but our real names are secret. We're highly trained experts in all forms of combat. You don't want to mess with either of us. We can kick your ass all day long, as a woman or a cat. That's not bragging. It's just a fact. I want to be your friend though, Diana. Your best friend. I can help you. You want to get out of here? I can tell you how."
Diana continued to slowly shift back to the form of a woman, but she still had cat ears and a little fuzz on her skin. Her feet were elongated, and she was standing on her toes.
Mia tossed the orange prison uniform to Diana.
"Where am I?" Diana said in a half-meow.
"The Paranormal Enforcement Administration," Stony said. "We fight the servants of Hell. Vampires, werewolves, witches, and warlocks. Those who strike unholy deals with demons or Satan himself. At the moment, we're going after Orcus, and when I say 'we,' I'm including you."
"No." She shook her head.
"You're still confused. Old loyalties are hard to break, even when they are forced upon you."
Diana just stared at him.
"By the way," he said, "your interrogation can continue. There is no Geneva Convention here. You have no rights. You want to spend a month chained to a wall? Bathe in urine? You won't be the first."
She straightened up. "You can't scare me. Orcus puni
shed me all the time. I can deal with any kind of pain."
"I like your attitude, but you obviously don't understand what you're up against. I'm going to give you a tour of our prison as education."
She stared at him. She was obviously thinking she might get an opportunity to escape.
"We can't use handcuffs on you," Stony said. "You could just turn into a cat and slip out. Mia and I will hold your hands instead. Think of us as human handcuffs."
Diana still had a calculating look in her eyes. He admired her bravery. After being tortured for most of the night, she still had plenty of fight left in her.
"If you did manage to escape from Mia and me," he said, "you wouldn't get far. This facility was designed to hold the worst monsters ever spawned by Hell. You'll just end up back here, and it might be months before we give you another chance. We don't reward stupid choices. Do you understand?"
She was almost fully human now. Her red hair still had some black fuzz though, and her fingernails were short claws. She put on the prison outfit to cover her nudity.
When he didn't get a response, Stony said, "This is a very rare opportunity to turn your life around. If you work with us, you'll be a warrior, not a slave. You'll have pride, dignity, and respect. You'll join a team capable of beating anything Hell can throw at us. You can walk away from the sins of the past and build a new future with a clean slate. Whatever you've done, I've done worse, and they forgave me. It all depends on the decisions you make in the next hour. Don't screw it up. Understand?"
Diana appeared thoughtful and less confident. He was finally getting through to her. She nodded.
She looked at the broken iron collar on the floor. She walked over, picked it up, and stared at it with an angry expression. She abruptly hurled the collar against the wall, making a loud clang.
The first step on the journey to the light, Stony thought.
He grabbed Diana's right wrist with a very firm grip, enough to make her wince. She wouldn't be able to shake him loose. Mia held Diana's left wrist.
They went to the door, and Stony knocked.