The Devil's Pets

by Alex Siegel

  "I'll put the word out to the field teams. That was a good call. Smart."

  Stony smiled. "Thanks. We're staying in Tallahassee until you need us somewhere else."

  "Got it. Bye."

  Stony stuffed his phone into his pocket. "See?" he said to Mia. "We're not such bad investigators after all."

  She kissed him on the lips. "We should celebrate."

  "Drinks?"

  "Let's get our luggage and find a hotel room." She winked. "Show me how you fucked those women, and I'll show you how I seduced those men." She paused. "Without the strangulation."

  * * *

  A ringing phone woke Stony. He opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. He was in a motel room with pale green walls. The curtains were drawn across the windows, but sunlight was streaming around the edges.

  His phone rang again. It was on the nightstand, but when he reached for it, he realized his right wrist was handcuffed to a bedpost. He grabbed the phone awkwardly with his left hand.

  "Yes?" he said in a gruff voice.

  "We have a situation in Jackson, Mississippi," Director Robertson said. "A dozen kindergarten kids are missing, and pit bulls were used in the attack."

  Stony had a sick feeling. "We'll be at the Tallahassee airport in twenty minutes."

  "Make it fifteen."

  "Yes, sir." Stony hung up.

  He shook Mia. The covers had been thrown off the bed, so he could see all of her amazing body. Fishnet stockings decorated her muscular legs. Red lipstick was smeared across her chin. Her long, blonde hair formed a tangled mess around her head. A pink handprint marked her right butt cheek.

  She cracked open her eyes. "Wha...?"

  "Playtime is over. We have to be on a plane in fifteen minutes. Now where the hell are the keys to the handcuffs?"

  * * *

  A PEA car dropped Stony and Mia off in front of Christ the Savior Preschool in northern Jackson, Mississippi.

  "Fuck," Stony muttered as he stepped out of the car.

  A line of police officers were struggling to control a large crowd of reporters, anxious family members, and curiosity seekers. It was easy to pick out the parents of the missing children. They were either crying or had the facial expressions of gunshot victims.

  The school was a two-story brick building with white frames around the windows. The architecture was a simple box with no ornamentation. A small church, really just a chapel, stood in front. It had a little steeple and a single stained-glass window.

  Stony looked around for a familiar face. Police and FBI agents were swarming the area like bees on honey. PEA agents were certainly in the mix, but they would be disguised as other kinds of law enforcement.

  Mia pointed. "I see Agent Gritz."

  Stony looked and saw the supervisory agent for the southeast territory standing near a wall of the school. Her blue suit was a little rumpled. She was wearing blue latex gloves even though she didn't seem to be examining any evidence at the moment.

  Stony and Mia walked over. Gritz's eyes widened when she saw the members of the third division approaching, but she stood firm.

  Some police officers tried to stop Stony and Mia from entering the crime scene. They showed their generic federal badges and put on confident, serious expressions. Acting the part was even more important than having legitimate identification. The police let them through.

  Stony walked over to Gritz. "What's the story?"

  "Right after school started," she said, "Orcus and Pomona attacked. They were armed with automatic weapons, perhaps FN SCARs, but the dogs were the real threat. Over a hundred pit bulls worked together like a team of Special Forces operatives. Some stood guard while others separated the children from the teachers. According to witnesses, the dogs barely even barked. Orcus had complete control over them. An entire classroom full of five and six-year-old children was kidnapped. Fourteen kids. One teacher was shot, and two others were bitten."

  "Did anybody see the escape vehicle?" Stony said.

  "A large tour bus, big enough for all the dogs and kids. Apparently the bus was stolen late last night."

  "I assume a widespread search is underway. There must be checkpoints on all the roads."

  Gritz nodded. "Of course, but it took a little while for the police to get organized. Orcus had a head-start of twenty minutes, and Jackson is a big enough city to offer plenty of hiding places. No sign of the bus so far."

  Stony gritted his teeth, and he and Mia exchanged grim looks. Orcus didn't need hostages. He needed human sacrifices.

  "Show us the crime scene," he said.

  The three of them went into the school. The hallway had black and white tiled floors and blue walls. Pictures drawn by children in crayon or pencil were taped to the walls.

  Stony, Mia, and Gritz entered the first classroom closest to the front door. Evidence technicians were still working in the room, and Stony took care not to disturb any possible evidence. Small, yellow, plastic chairs, suitable for little children, had been tossed around. Very low tables were overturned. He saw clear paw prints on the floor along with a few blood smears.

  Stony walked through the classroom carefully. One section had colored wooden blocks stored in bins, but a few blocks were on the floor. Another section had a puppet stage with stuffed animals as puppets. The colors of the rainbow were everywhere, creating a cheerful environment.

  He noticed a row of pictures, and he went over for a closer look. Photos of the students in the class formed a neat line, each with a hand-written name beneath. The little boys and girls were all smiling, blissfully unaware that the world held so much evil.

  "When we catch Orcus," Mia said with a snarl, "I'm going to do very bad things to him."

  Stony turned to her. "I'll hold him down for you. I want to watch."

  "It's a deal."

  Gritz walked up to them. "See anything interesting?" she said.

  "Not really," he said. "I'd like to talk to a witness."

  "A dog bit the teacher who was in the classroom. She was taken to the hospital."

  "Then let's go to the hospital."

  * * *

  Stony, Mia, and Agent Gritz were walking down a hospital corridor. Stark lighting reflected off of white walls and the floor. The hallway was wide enough for hospital beds and wheelchairs to pass each other easily. The doctors wore white coats, and the nurses wore shapeless blue scrubs. Stony glanced into a few rooms and saw patients connected to medical equipment. Nobody was smiling.

  Despite leading a very dangerous, violent life, Stony hadn't spent much time in hospitals. His ability to harden his skin was a big reason why, but the demon Crocell had strengthened his body in other ways, too. Stony could survive injuries that would kill most people, and then recover fully. The powers of Hell had made him into an unstoppable killer in exchange for his services. For years, both sides had been satisfied with the arrangement.

  Gritz led Stony and Mia to a hospital room guarded by two uniformed police officers. Gritz showed her federal badge to the cops, and the three PEA agents were allowed to enter.

  A young woman was lying in a bed. Her brown hair was trimmed at the shoulder, and her brown eyes looked at the visitors curiously. Thick bandages were wrapped around her right arm and right leg. An IV dripped clear fluid into her arm. She was awake and alert.

  "Ms. Adams?" Agent Gritz said. "We're federal agents. We have a few questions."

  "I've already told my story to the police and the FBI," the schoolteacher said.

  "I understand, and we'll read those reports, but we want to hear it straight from you. Maybe you'll remember something new."

  Adams sighed. "Sure. It happened fast. A man and woman busted into my classroom. They had assault rifles and a whole lot of pit bulls."

  "Describe the perpetrators, please," Stony said.

  "The guy was hairy. Big beard and a mustache, and he needed a haircut. He was wearing jeans, a black shirt, and leather work boots. The woman was about my age. Her pink shorts were cut i
ndecently high. A black leather halter top had her breasts popping out. Blonde hair. Very pretty. I mean, fashion magazine pretty."

  "Did she have a collar?"

  "Yes," Adams said. "An iron collar. Looked like a kinky fetish thing. How did you know?"

  "We may be familiar with both of them. How did the attack happen? Give us the details."

  "The dogs rounded up the kids like they were sheep. I tried to stop them, and that's how I got bit." She pointed at her bandages.

  "What about the man and woman?" Stony said.

  "The man just watched. The dogs seemed to know what they were doing without his help. The woman went back into the hall. A few seconds later, I heard a gunshot. I found out later she killed another teacher who was walking by." Adams wiped her eyes and sniffled.

  "Then what happened?"

  "Everybody left. I was too hurt to chase after them." She paused and looked down. "And I didn't want to get killed."

  "Don't feel guilty," Stony said. "There was nothing you could do. At least you're still alive."

  "Why did they attack my class?"

  "Apparently because you were closest to the door. Just bad luck."

  She grabbed a tissue from a box and blew her nose.

  "Did the man say anything to you?" Stony said.

  "Just that if I held still, I wouldn't get hurt."

  He narrowed his eyes. "You're sure?"

  "Yes," Adams said. "His exact words were 'hold still, and you won't get hurt.' I'll never forget that rough voice."

  Stony looked at Mia, but she just had a puzzled expression.

  "Anything else?" Stony said.

  Adams shook her head. "Not that I remember. The whole thing happened so fast. It couldn't have taken more than a couple of minutes. The kids were screaming the whole time. Poor things. Is there a ransom demand? Any leads at all?"

  "Not to my knowledge. We'll let you rest now. Thank you for being so helpful."

  Stony, Mia, and Gritz left the room and walked down the corridor.

  As soon as they had privacy, Gritz said, "Why were you so concerned about Orcus's words?"

  "They didn't make sense," Stony said. "I'm surprised he didn't just shoot the teacher when he walked into the room. One less witness. One less potential trouble-maker."

  "Maybe he just wanted the kids. The teacher was unimportant."

  "He cautioned her to hold still so the dogs wouldn't maul her. That's a shocking level of concern from a man who kidnaps children by the dozen for purposes of human sacrifice. It's as if he wanted her to live."

  "It's arrogance," Mia said.

  "What do you mean?" Stony said.

  "Orcus wanted us to know it was him. He left a witness behind on purpose. He rubbed our faces in it, so we would feel impotent. It was a big 'fuck you' to the PEA."

  He frowned. "I don't know. That doesn't seem right, but I suppose the truth will eventually come out."

  "We need to find those kids," Gritz said urgently.

  "Obviously. What do you suggest?"

  She thought for a moment. "I suppose the next logical place to visit is the police command post for the kidnapping. We can get the latest news there."

  * * *

  The Jackson Police Department occupied a three-story building with stone walls. It was in the middle of a modest downtown area with just a few tall buildings and nothing like a skyscraper. Jackson was the largest city in Mississippi and also the state capital, but Stony wasn't impressed.

  Stony, Mia, and Agent Gritz approached the police station on foot. Lack of parking had forced them to find a spot two blocks away. Cars lined the street on both sides, and many were double-parked. In addition to Jackson police cars, there were sedans with government plates, news vans, cars from various sheriff's departments, and many unmarked vehicles.

  A boisterous crowd had gathered on the steps in front of the station, a mix of news reporters and civilians. Police officers were keeping them outside the doors.

  "Orcus certainly isn't afraid of making a big splash," Stony said.

  They walked past a woman sitting on the curb and sobbing. Tears had dampened the top of her white shirt. She was about the right age to be the mother of one of the missing schoolkids.

  Mia stopped and looked at the woman. Stony waited impatiently for Mia to lose interest and move on. They had work to do, and compassion wasn't one of her strengths. She shocked him when she sat on the curb and gave the woman a hug.

  "Mia," Stony said.

  Mia ignored him and allowed the woman to cry on her shoulder. He couldn't believe his eyes, but he knew better than to intervene. He tapped his foot while he waited.

  Mia finally whispered something into the woman's ear and stood up.

  "We can go," Mia said.

  She, Stony, and Agent Gritz started walking.

  "What did you say to her?" Stony said softly.

  "That Heaven will protect her child," Mia said.

  "That's a bold statement. For all we know, the kids are already dead."

  "I choose not to believe that, and neither should you." She glared at him.

  He just looked away in disbelief.

  Getting into the police station wasn't easy. The police officers were exceptionally picky about who they let in. In addition to showing their federal badges, the PEA agents had to provide a convincing story.

  Gritz jumped in. "We are part of the FBI's Violent Crimes Against Children program," she said smoothly.

  That did the trick, and they went inside.

  According to information Gritz had received, the police had setup a command post in a conference room to coordinate the investigation into the kidnapping. Finding the right room was simply a matter of following the foot traffic and noise. They hardly had to ask for directions.

  Stony walked into the conference room first and encountered total chaos. Thirty or forty men and women were trying to get work done in a space designed for half that number. They were talking on phones, typing on laptops, or chatting in small groups. Representatives from all levels of law enforcement were present. Too many sweating bodies had made the air warm and musky.

  Gritz and Mia followed him in. The three of them pushed their way through the crowd to reach a corner where there was a little room to move around.

  Stony looked for familiar faces but didn't see any. He expected PEA agents were in the room but disguised as regular police or FBI. That was standard procedure under these circumstances. He rarely spent time with field agents, so he probably wouldn't recognize them anyway.

  An African-American man in a brown uniform approached. "Supervisory Agent Gritz?" he said softly.

  His hair had touches of gray, but he had the big shoulders and broad chest of a young man. His posture was excellent.

  Gritz nodded. "I remember you. Lewis?"

  "Yes, ma'am. Are these two with the agency?" Lewis glanced at Stony and Mia.

  "Third division."

  Lewis gaped and stared with a terrified expression.

  "Relax," Stony said. "We're here to do the same job as you. We won't go on a murderous rampage."

  Lewis gulped.

  "What's the situation here?" Gritz said impatiently.

  "No sign of Orcus or the missing kids so far," Lewis said in a shaky voice. "The entire city is being searched."

  "Who is in charge here?"

  "The Jackson Chief of Police is calling the shots at the moment."

  Lewis pointed at another black man in a crisp, blue uniform. His short hair was dense and very curly.

  "At the moment?" Stony said.

  "The FBI is itching to take over," Lewis said.

  He pointed to a pudgy, white man with brown hair. "FBI" was printed on the back of his blue windbreaker.

  "We need to take control of this investigation," Stony said urgently. "If a lead is discovered, the PEA needs to be the first on the scene. These people aren't trained to deal with a monster like Orcus. We don't even know the full extent of his powers. Animal magic may just be p
art of it. He's been in league with a demon for a long time."

  "I agree," Mia said, "and Orcus intends to sacrifice those kids. We can't afford to screw around with standard procedures and protocol. We have to make aggressive moves."

  Gritz thought for a moment. "OK," she said, "but let me do the talking. I know how to handle this."

  She walked over to the police chief and murmured in his ear. He looked at her with a surprised expression and stood up. The chief accompanied her as she did the same trick with the FBI representative. The three of them headed for the door.

  Gritz waved for Stony and Mia to join her. Lewis followed along.

  They left the conference room and gathered in a quiet corner well away from the crowd. Stony looked down hallways with yellow walls and fluorescent lights to make sure nobody was close enough to overhear.

  "What is this about?" the police chief said. "You really know who the perpetrator is?"

  He and the FBI agent stared at Gritz expectantly.

  "His name is Edmund Toppan," she said softly.

  The police chief turned and was about to yell down the hallway.

  Gritz grabbed his arm. "No! Be quiet. That's classified information."

  He narrowed his eyes. "Explain," he said angrily.

  "I'm part of a secret federal agency. Mr. Toppan has been a person of interest for a while. In fact, we tried to arrest him a couple of nights ago. We've been aggressively searching for him ever since."

  "What agency?" the FBI agent said.

  "The name is classified," Gritz said, "but we are specially equipped and trained for cases like this. Mr. Toppan is far more dangerous than you know. Ordinary police can't take him safely. Even the FBI would have trouble. Our own agents are converging on this location as we speak. In fact, several of my people are already in that conference room. You have to let me run the show until Toppan is caught."

  The FBI agent shook his head. "I don't believe you."

  "Do you have a business card? Let me have it."

  He gave her a curious look as he handed over one of his business cards. She walked a short distance away and made a call.

  The police chief looked at Mia, and his gaze lingered on her curves for an unprofessional length of time. Stony finally cleared his throat to get the chief's attention.