The Devil's Pets

by Alex Siegel

  "This way."

  Levada led the group around the exterior of the church. Warm, humid air made Stony sweat immediately, and his shirt was already damp by the time he saw the graveyard.

  Stone markers were scattered across a grassy field, and some had fallen over. The arrangement was random, and a few headstones were so close together, the graves had to overlap. A mossy elm tree cast a long shadow on the grass. A wooden picket fence surrounded the graveyard, but some of the posts had rotted and collapsed.

  The group reached the fence and stopped walking.

  "Did Edmund have a favorite part?" Mia said. "Did he keep one part cleaner than the rest?"

  Levada nodded. "Now that you mention it, I remember he did. The back-right corner." He pointed at that part of the cemetery.

  Stony had some thoughts about what he might find there, and it was no place for civilians.

  "OK," he said. "Dr. Rombone and Mr. Levada, go wait inside the church, please. We'll find you when we're done examining the graves."

  "What are you looking for?" Rombone said.

  "Evidence."

  "We can't help you?"

  "You might step on something you shouldn't," Stony said. "Leave this to trained experts, please. Just wait inside where I'm sure they have air-conditioning. Hopefully this won't take long."

  Rombone and Levada had confused expressions, but they left without another word.

  Stony, Mia, and Agent Wilson climbed over the fence and proceeded into the graveyard. Soft, lumpy dirt forced them to step carefully to avoid twisting an ankle.

  "What are we looking for?" Wilson said. "I don't know what we're doing here."

  "Orcus is working with a demon named Forneus," Mia said. "It's possible that the demon recruited Orcus here."

  "Why here?"

  "A church graveyard is a spiritually charged location. The distance between life and death is a little shorter. If a notoriously evil person is also buried here, the place would naturally attract a demon. It's practically a road to Hell."

  "Oh." Wilson looked around nervously. "A demon was here?"

  "Calm down," Stony said. "It happened many years ago. We might still find a clue though."

  Wilson went one way, searching for evidence, and Stony and Mia went another. The warm air was still, but loudly chirping insects disturbed the peace. Stony took off his jacket to give his sweat a chance to evaporate.

  Mia held his hand. "I like getting out of headquarters," she said, "but I wish this was a vacation instead of business."

  "Yeah," he said. "Hearing about Orcus's miserable childhood isn't much fun. Maybe after this mission is over, we can request some time off."

  "Are we allowed to do that?"

  "Rathanael wants us to learn how to function in society. A vacation might be good for us."

  Stony noticed a rectangular block of stone outside the fence. It clearly wasn't natural. He climbed over the fence for a closer look. The block was a grave marker half-buried in the dirt.

  Mia joined him. "Did somebody throw it out of the cemetery?" she said.

  He crouched down. The name on the marker was scratched, as if somebody had tried to obliterate it, but he could still read it.

  "Junior Beauvoir," he said. "A snake is carved into the stone along with some skulls."

  "Interesting," Mia said. "Voodoo symbols."

  "Hey, Wilson," Stony yelled to the young agent. "Go into the church and see if you can find some kind of record about Junior Beauvoir. He may have been a witch doctor. Have Mr. Levada help you."

  "Yes, sir." Wilson jogged back to the church.

  Stony noticed a shadow in a place where one shouldn't be. It was moving.

  He pointed. "See that?"

  "Yes," Mia said. "Not good. Not good at all. At least we now know this place is cursed. Orcus must've met Forneus here."

  Stony watched the unnatural shadow, which was getting darker and bigger. He took a deep breath to steady himself. He had a knot in his gut, but he put on a brave face. He couldn't afford to show fear. He gave Mia's hand a comforting squeeze.

  The darkness gathered into the shape of a man, sort of. A black suit fit snugly on his skinny frame. A long, black tail snaked back and forth in the grass as he walked forward. Demon horns poked out of wild hair. He had the wings of a giant crow.

  Stony clenched his jaw. He knew this demon very well, and his name was Crocell. This meeting wasn't by chance. Where is Rathanael? Stony thought.

  "Is he yours?" Mia said.

  "Yes," Stony growled.

  "Stony!" Crocell said cheerfully. "So nice to see you again. Miasma, it is delightful to finally make your acquaintance. Your beauty outshines the sun. You make a perfect couple."

  "What are you doing here?" Stony said angrily.

  "Just seeing my old chum again. It's been too long. We were a great team, wouldn't you say? Like Frank and Jesse James. Those were glorious days."

  "I regret every minute."

  "Really?" Crocell said. "You seemed to enjoy yourself at the time. Nothing excited you more than a nice, messy murder, and there were so many. The ruby red blood never stopped flowing." The demon licked its lips with a black, forked tongue.

  "I'm a different man now."

  "Not so much. You still enjoy a good kill. I've been keeping an eye on you from a distance."

  "But I only kill the people who need to die," Stony said.

  "A meaningless distinction. Who decides who needs to die? You? You hardly have the moral authority to hand out death sentences."

  "I follow the rules."

  "Not very well," Crocell said, "but I don't care about that. If you want to go back to the old ways, I might be able to make that happen. It's never too late for you. Miasma, you're also invited. A woman with your prodigious talents can always return to Satan's service. You'll be greeted with infernal fanfare."

  "No," Mia said. "I'm good where I am. Go away."

  Crocell grinned, revealing hundreds of tiny, pointed teeth. "But I'm enjoying this meeting too much to leave. I've tried to follow your spectacular adventures. Tell me a story. Spin a tale of death and destruction."

  "No. Leave us alone."

  "Just one, little story?"

  "The lady told you to go away," a new voice said.

  Stony turned around and discovered Rathanael approaching. The angel's glorious, white wings glowed in the sunlight. His black tie still needed to be straightened though, and he had a big wad of bubblegum in his mouth.

  Stony breathed a sigh of relief.

  Crocell took a hasty step back, but then he recovered his composure. "I'm not doing any harm. We were just talking."

  "These two humans are mine," Rathanael said.

  "That's obvious. I can see the marks. It doesn't mean we can't have an innocent conversation."

  "Nothing you do is innocent."

  Crocell straightened. "I'm not afraid of you. Just because you have a reputation...."

  Rathanael reached into the air with his right hand. There was a blinding flash of light, and he was suddenly holding a golden sword. Rainbows shimmered across the blade.

  "Now I'm telling you to go away," he said.

  Crocell took another step back. "Why do you have to be such a bully? Angels are supposed to be creatures of love and compassion."

  Rathanael's eyes began to glow a brilliant white. The sword burst into flame, creating powerful heat waves. His white suit transformed into silver armor which reflected the sunlight.

  "I am not that kind of angel," he said in a thunderous, echoing voice. "Leave, or I shall slay you where you stand."

  The demon immediately shrunk to nothing and vanished.

  Rathanael returned to his more normal appearance without the special effects. The golden sword disappeared.

  "Thank you," Stony said.

  Rathanael just nodded once in acknowledgement.

  He walked over to the grave marker of Junior Beauvoir. He knelt and placed his palms on the dirt. A circle of light formed ar
ound his hands, and angelic symbols moved along the edge. The light faded a moment later.

  Rathanael stood up and brushed off his hands. "The curse is lifted. The gateway is closed."

  "Good," Stony said. "Thanks again. By the way, how are Mia and I doing? I know you're the one who sent us out."

  "You could do worse."

  The angel snapped his wings, shot into the sky, and vanished.

  Mia sighed. "Let's get out of here."

  Stony and her found Wilson, Rombone, and Levada inside the chapel of the church. White paint covered the walls and pews. A simple wooden crucifix hung behind a podium.

  Stony maintained a calm exterior, but entering a church always made him a little uncomfortable. Old habits and feelings were hard to shake off.

  "Find any evidence?" Rombone said.

  "Yes," Stony said, "but it won't help with the current investigation. Wilson, do you know who Junior Beauvoir is?"

  "Yes, sir." Wilson held up a piece of paper. "We found the burial record from 1938. He was a witch doctor as you suspected. Sentenced to death for raising zombies."

  "Sounds evil enough."

  "The sheriff killed him three times: hanging, burning, and dismemberment. I'm surprised they bothered with burying what was left."

  "Even burnt pieces need a burial," Stony said. "Our work here is done. Where are we going next?"

  Wilson shrugged. "I don't have anybody else on my list, but we should stay in Tallahassee in case something comes up."

  Stony put his arm around Mia's shoulders. "Then I'm going to take my girl out for a nice dinner. We need a break. You have my number if you need to reach me."

  Chapter Nine

  Stony and Mia walked into a restaurant that was supposed to be one of the best in Tallahassee. The place had only twenty tables, and none were large. Subdued lighting, white tablecloths, and tall wine glasses created a romantic atmosphere. A glass door showed off a well-stocked wine closet.

  Stony and Mia had called ahead to make a reservation. A waiter showed them to a table in the corner immediately.

  He opened his menu, and his choices didn't fill him with enthusiasm. The entrées included "herb parisienne gnocchi," "shitake seared cobia," and "foie gras stuffed quail." He was a simple meat-and-potatoes kind of guy.

  "Fancy," he said.

  Mia nodded. "I think I'll go with the grilled salmon. That seems safe."

  "And I'll have the grilled short rib."

  "The most expensive item. Are we paying with the corporate credit card?"

  "It's a business trip, right?" Stony said. "We have to eat."

  Mia just raised her eyebrows.

  He looked at the other patrons in the restaurant. They were wearing light, colorful, loose-fitting outfits. It seemed nobody in Tallahassee wore formal clothes. It was a big change from headquarters, where everybody wore a suit or a uniform.

  "Hearing about Orcus's past made me think about my own," Mia said.

  "We agreed not to talk about our pasts," Stony said.

  "I want to, at least a little. Think of it as a confession. We've known each other for years, and we've reached the point in our relationship where it should be safe to reveal a few ugly secrets."

  He frowned. "I guess, but feel free to stop any time. I honestly don't care about the sins you committed before we met."

  She lowered her voice and glanced at the other patrons. "You already know my stepfather molested me when I was a teenager. It happened many times."

  "I don't like to think about that." He snarled.

  "He was a respected football coach, beloved by the community. My mother adored him. When he attacked me, he was always careful. He made sure there were no witnesses around. He didn't leave marks. He used a condom. I knew that if I accused him of rape, nobody would believe me. I needed another way out."

  "So you cut a deal with a demon."

  Mia nodded. "The demon gave me the strength and skills to kill my stepfather even though he was a big, scary man, and I made it look like an accident. I got away with it."

  "What was the price you had to pay?" Stony said.

  "I had to keep killing married men."

  "You were a homewrecker."

  "I seduced them, and then I strangled them at the moment of climax. The last thing they saw was my hot, sweaty body."

  Stony sipped from his water glass. "That's pretty sick."

  "It was what my demon wanted." Mia shrugged. "Adultery and murder wasn't enough. I had to leave a widow and fatherless children behind."

  "How many men did you strangle?"

  "Thirty or forty. I moved around and never struck in the same area twice. I did it in places where the body wouldn't be found for a while, like in the woods."

  He could easily imagine her as a predator stalking her male prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Her superficial beauty concealed a diabolical mind. The more times she killed, the better she got at it.

  "My sex life was never that complicated," Stony said. "Back when I was evil, I fucked every woman I could get my hands on. I wasn't picky."

  "Did you kill your victims?"

  "Only if they fought back too hard." He paused as intense guilt washed over him.

  "What did your demon make you do?" Mia said.

  "I was basically a hitman. He gave me targets, and I whacked them."

  "What kinds of targets?"

  "Priests, nuns, charity workers," he said. "Men and women of God. I tried to treat the whole thing like a normal job. I avoided knowing too much about my victims. I got in, did the deed, and got out as quick as possible. Then...."

  "What?"

  "I started feeling guilty. I began to wonder about my choices. Doubts made me sloppy, and eventually, the PEA caught me."

  Mia sighed and nodded. "Same thing happened to me. One day, I accidently met the children of one of my victims. I saw the grief in their eyes. My sinful life went downhill from there. I couldn't forget those eyes."

  "Rathanael saw the good in us. Maybe we were never meant for that life?"

  "Then why were we so amazingly successful at being evil? You were a great hitman, right?"

  "The best," Stony said. "Well, second best. Brian is probably better. That guy is an absolute freak. I'm tired of this topic. Have we confessed enough for one evening?"

  "Sure."

  "Then let's order our food." He raised his hand to get the waiter's attention.

  * * *

  Stony and Mia left the restaurant. They didn't have anywhere else to go at the moment, so they just walked along the side of the road, holding hands. A barber shop was across the street, and a barbeque restaurant stood next to it. Even though they were in the center of Tallahassee, the location still had a rural feel. Stony saw mature trees and broad grass lawns in every direction. Clumps of moss hung from branches. The wide, straight road could've served as a highway, and traffic was light. The sun was setting, but the air was still uncomfortably warm and moist.

  "I wonder where Orcus gets his money," Mia said.

  Stony glanced at her. "Huh?"

  "Maintaining a big house full of animals and women was expensive. That's a lot of mouths to feed. If he had a job, we would've heard about it by now."

  "Good point. If we can figure out how he is financing his operation, the money trail might lead us to him. I'll call the director."

  Stony took out his phone and put it in speaker mode. He dialed the number for Director Robertson.

  The chief of the PEA answered after a couple of rings, "Yes?"

  "This is Stony and Mia. Have you tried to figure out how Orcus is paying for things?"

  "Of course. That's part of every investigation. As far as we can tell, all of his transactions are in cash. He was renting the house you found him in, and he paid every month in crisp hundred-dollar bills."

  "Where did he get so much cash?" Stony said.

  "I wish we knew, but he seems to have plenty. No credit cards. No bank accounts. No online payments. Just cash."
>
  Stony furrowed his brow. "According to his parole officer, he was an accomplished burglar. He started his criminal career when he was a child."

  "Yes," Robertson said. "I read that in Wilson's report."

  "I want to talk to the Houston police. Specifically whoever is in charge of catching burglars."

  "Sure. Hold on."

  The director needed a few minutes to get through to the right person. Stony listened as he quickly navigated the bureaucracy of the Houston Police Department. Robertson knew all the right buzzwords.

  A man finally answered in a deep voice, "Captain Hays, Property Division."

  "Hello," Robertson said. "This is Special Agent Pete Robertson in Washington, D.C. We're investigating a string of murders, and we have a question for you."

  "I handle theft and burglary, not homicide."

  "We understand," Stony interjected, "but the subject might also be a thief. I expect he's been active for years in your city, stealing high-value property such as jewelry, which can be pawned for cash. Does that ring a bell? Has there been a string of unsolved crimes?"

  "Most property crimes are never solved," Hays said.

  "I know this is a longshot, but please, think about it. The subject is very skilled and intelligent. The thefts will be surgical and ambitious. Animals might be involved."

  Hays was silent for a moment. "We call him Goldfinger."

  "Like the James Bond movie?" Stony said.

  "Yes. Every few months, he hits a gold dealer or jeweler. The crimes are always perfectly planned, and he never leaves a shred of identifying evidence behind. He has stolen millions of dollars in gold bullion and coins over the years. The strangest part is we always find paw prints at the crime scenes. We believe he is using trained dogs and cats as assistants."

  "That sounds like our perp."

  "Do you know who it is?" Hays said excitedly.

  "I can't give you his name," Director Robertson said, "but the federal government is after him. Theft is the least of his crimes."

  "Oh. Let me know if I can be of any help."

  "We will. Thank you." Stony heard a click. "Hays is off the call," Robertson said. "It's just us now."

  "Sounds like we need to look for a guy selling gold for cash," Stony said.