The Devil's Pets

by Alex Siegel

  Stony reached the truck driver and checked for a pulse. He couldn't find one.

  "OK," he said. "I believe you, but did you have to kill him?"

  "What did you expect me to do?" Diana put her fists on her hips. "Let him stick his dick in me?"

  "And fucking her could've been just the start," Mia said. "Diana made the right call. She had to protect herself."

  Stony stared at the body. "Well, I did want a trail of realistic evidence. The ripped-out throat is a nice touch."

  "I would've made him suffer more though," Mia said. "He died too easily."

  "Oh?" Diana said in an interested tone.

  "Next time, take the guy's knife and slice the tendons in his arms. If he can't use his arms, he's helpless. Hamstrings are next."

  "Can you teach me?"

  "Ladies!" Stony said. "Save your anger at the male gender for later. Diana, you need to get out of here." He noticed the truck parked in the darkness. "Can you drive the truck?"

  "No way." Diana shook her head. "That thing has a million gears, and I can't even handle a normal stick shift."

  She crouched down and looted the body. She found a thick wad of cash, a key ring, a cheap revolver in poor condition, and packets of pills.

  "What kinds of pills are those?" Mia said.

  Diana studied the packets in the poor light. "Let's see. Speed. Oxycontin. Roofies." She stuffed the packets into her own pocket.

  "You're keeping them?"

  "They might be useful. You never know what you'll need on the road."

  "Speaking of roads," Stony said, "you need a car to drive. No more hitchhiking. And leave a witness so the police figure out you were here. You're supposed to leave a trail of evidence."

  Diana stared at him. "Are you kidding? I have to show my face and still get away clean?"

  "Just get to work. Members of the third division don't whine about tough assignments."

  She rolled her eyes.

  After looking around for a moment, she ran to the back of the truck. Two padlocks held the doors of the trailer closed. She tried keys on the keyring until she unlocked the padlocks. She finally swung open the doors.

  "What is she up to?" Mia whispered.

  Stony shrugged. "No idea, but now I'm curious."

  Diana jogged across the gravel lot and around the gas station. Stony and Mia followed, staying out of sight.

  Diana hurried to the nearest road. She laid down on the pavement, blocking oncoming traffic. She closed her eyes and became still.

  Stony and Mia moved in as close as possible.

  At this time of night, traffic was very light, and it took a minute for a car to come. A burgundy hatchback stopped a few feet away from Diana. A tall, skinny man with a stringy beard stepped out.

  "Hey!" he called. "Are you OK? Are you hurt?"

  He walked over to her.

  Diana's eyes popped open. She raised the revolver she had taken from the truck driver and aimed it at the man's head.

  She stood up. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking. I'm carjacking you, by the way. Don't take it personally. Cooperate, and you won't get hurt."

  She forced the driver to get back into his own car while she sat behind him. She held the gun to his head as he drove around to the semi-truck. Both of them got out.

  He pointed at the corpse of the trucker. "What happened to that guy? Is he dead?!"

  "He asked too many questions," Diana said. "Get in the trailer."

  The driver reluctantly climbed into the back of the truck. She slammed the doors closed and locked them. He wouldn't be able to escape without help.

  Diana sat in the hatchback and drove off, waving to Stony and Mia as she departed.

  "I have to admit this girl is competent," Mia said grudgingly.

  Stony smirked. "Are you starting to like her?"

  "Let's not get carried away."

  "Of course not. Come on. The next stop is Beckly, West Virginia. I want to get there by dawn."

  Chapter Seventeen

  The eastern horizon was turning pink when Stony parked in front of the McDonalds in Beckly. Several cheap motels and other fast food restaurants were nearby. Apparently, plenty of travelers stopped for the night in the small town.

  Stony looked around. "Do you see Diana?"

  "No." Mia checked the app on her phone. "According to this, she's nearby though."

  "Let's go find her."

  They stepped out of the car. The humid air had a slight chill, but Stony liked how it refreshed him.

  They walked along the side of the road, guided by Mia's phone. They passed a gas station, a huge cemetery, two motels, and a pizza restaurant. They eventually came to a dilapidated apartment building. Some of the tarpaper tiles had fallen off the roof, and the brown stucco walls were cracked.

  "She's in here," Mia said.

  "What the hell is she doing here?" Stony said. "We were supposed to meet at the McDonalds!"

  "We could try to find her inside, but I'm afraid we might attract attention. We can't be associated with her."

  He listened carefully but didn't hear any sounds of trouble. The early morning was dead quiet. He didn't see any police around.

  "Damn!" He clenched his jaw. "She should've stuck with the plan."

  "Don't worry," Mia said. "She's more than capable of taking care of herself. Let's just be patient. Maybe she came here for a good reason."

  Stony stood on the sidewalk, feeling annoyed. He maintained a neutral expression and a relaxed posture so people passing in cars wouldn't wonder about him.

  After a little while, a woman came out of an apartment. It took a moment for him to realize she was Diana.

  She was wearing a black wig made of stiff, straight hair. Bright pink shorts went halfway up her butt crack. A leather belt hung at a sassy angle on her hips. Her plaid halter-top squeezed her breasts and exposed her midriff. She was carrying a little purse covered in glittering sequins. A pink scarf hid her collar. White tennis shoes were the only practical part of her outfit.

  Diana noticed Stony and Mia waiting on the sidewalk. After checking for witnesses, Diana came over.

  "What's going on?" Stony said. "What's the deal with these clothes?"

  "I bumped into a prostitute," Diana said. "I decided to buy a new outfit from her. Like it?"

  "You look like a cheap whore."

  "Exactly. A harmless cheap whore, the kind of woman decent people try to ignore."

  "She has a point," Mia said. "She certainly doesn't appear to be a dangerous escaped prisoner trying to stay out of sight."

  Stony examined Diana's wig. "How did you hide all your hair under that mop?"

  "I didn't." She lifted her wig to reveal a shaved scalp.

  He grimaced. "Ooh! You didn't have to go that far."

  "The law is after me, right? My red hair was very distinctive. It had to go."

  Stony sighed unhappily. "I admire your dedication. Let's eat breakfast. Stay in front of us. We don't know you."

  The three of them headed back to the McDonalds. Diana maintained about twenty paces of distance and walked with a whorish strut.

  "Are you staring at her ass?" Mia said.

  "Err, maybe," Stony admitted. "Those shorts are something else."

  "At least pretend to not notice."

  "Yes, dear."

  He watched the occasional car drive by.

  They finally reached the McDonalds. Diana entered first and ordered her food. After a little time passed, Stony and Mia did the same. They didn't make eye contact with Diana. The male patrons and cashiers, on the other hand, stared openly at her.

  After receiving her tray, Diana picked a table in the corner. Stony and Mia sat at an adjacent table.

  Stony bit into an Egg McMuffin. "By the way," he said with his mouth full, "what did you do with your car?"

  "I ditched it in the woods," Diana said. "Time to change vehicles anyway. What's the plan now? Do we keep going after breakfast?"

  "No. We'll sleep for a few hours and
meet back here. Let's say at 10 AM. We can't afford to become exhausted. Mia and I will get a room in one of these lovely motels."

  "What about me?"

  Mia shrugged. "That's your problem."

  Diana frowned.

  They ate their meals. As Stony chewed and swallowed his bland sandwich, he thought about the manna cookie he had eaten at the truck stop. Ordinary food would never taste the same again.

  After she finished, Diana stood up. "Time to make a friend."

  "What do you mean?" Stony said.

  "I'd like a man to arrange for my motel room. I don't want to spend any cash or answer awkward questions. I don't have any identification after all. Ideally, I'll sneak in the back door. Dressed like this, it shouldn't be hard to make that friend."

  He raised his eyebrows. "You're going to have sex with a stranger just so you can sleep in a bed?"

  "No! I'll use the roofies, of course. Two pills should knock him out."

  Stony wasn't sure whether that solution was ethically superior.

  Diana left the restaurant first. Stony and Mia followed at a comfortable distance.

  Diana wandered through the parking lots, chatting with all the single men in sight. She was as hot as a blowtorch, and it didn't take long for her to find a new friend even though it was still early in the morning. She and a middle-aged man headed for the nearest motel. He had his hand on her butt.

  "That was easy," Mia said. "Poor guy probably won't remember a thing when he wakes up. He won't even have a good story to tell."

  * * *

  Orcus walked into a phone store called "Phone Home." He had shaved his beard, had trimmed his hair, and had put on a nice suit so he wouldn't be recognized. He looked like a regular, if extra-large, businessman.

  The store sold accessories such as chargers, cables, batteries, mounts, screen protectors, and cases. Orcus just wanted a phone though, the cheaper the better.

  He went to the cashier. She was a young woman with a pink hair and a ring in her right nostril.

  "Hi!" he said. "I need one of those temporary prepaid phones. I lost my regular phone, and I'm not getting a replacement for a few days."

  She gave him a bored look. She obviously didn't care to hear his explanation.

  "Do you care how nice it is?" she said.

  "I just need to make calls."

  She grabbed a phone from under the counter and handed it over. The cheap thing had a small screen and actually felt flimsy in his hands.

  "That comes with a month of service," the cashier said. "Domestic calls only. Come back if you want more months."

  "Perfect," Orcus said.

  She charged him 79 dollars, and he paid in cash. Then she activated the phone.

  He left the store, and the air outside was cool and bone dry. Cars purred along a wide avenue in front of the store. Scattered clouds dotted a blue sky.

  Orcus walked over to where a tree provided some cover. He made a call.

  A gruff male voice answered, "Hello?"

  "Who do you serve?" Orcus said.

  "What? Who is this?"

  "An old, grizzled friend."

  The voice paused. "Oh."

  "Who do you serve?"

  "The true lord and master of all creation, Satan. Orcus?"

  Orcus smiled. "Thorn! It's good to hear your voice. How are things in New Mexico?"

  "Fine. Pomona arrived safe and sound yesterday, along with six kids and a whole lot of dogs. We're keeping the kids in the shed so we don't have to listen to them whimper. The dogs have the run of the ranch. They love all the open space."

  "I bet they do, but check their paws for cactus spines. I need to talk to Pomona."

  "Of course," Thorn said. "I'll get her."

  A moment later, Pomona spoke in a soft, submissive voice, "Master, I wasn't expecting you to call."

  "Things are not going exactly according to plan," Orcus said.

  "I heard about it on the news. The bomb in Memphis was defused. The children were rescued."

  "And our enemies didn't die. After all that planning and effort, we failed."

  "I am deeply sorry, master," Pomona said, "but there is good news. Diana is alive."

  "Oh?"

  "She escaped from a military prison on an Air Force Base near Washington, D.C. She was last seen in West Virginia. The authorities are searching for her."

  Orcus raised his eyebrows. "You're sure it's Diana?"

  "Her description is a perfect match, and she's even wearing an iron collar. She killed a truck driver by ripping out his throat. Then she stole a car by carjacking it."

  "That's Diana. She is even more resourceful than I realized. I wonder how she got out of prison."

  "I don't know, master," Pomona said, "but I am very glad she did."

  "Well, it sounds like she's headed west. Maybe she's going to Houston so she can try to find me. But that's not why I called. I'm having a lot of trouble making contact with Forneus. I attempted to summon him twice, and it didn't work either time. I have questions for him, such as why the bomb failed. Has the demon spoken with you recently?"

  "No. I hope he isn't angry at us."

  "I have no idea." Orcus frowned. "This is deeply troubling. I'll try the ceremony one more time."

  "Where are you now, master?"

  "Oklahoma City."

  "Are you coming to New Mexico?" she said.

  He considered the question for a moment. "I'd like to. All this travel and stress is wearing me down. I could use a break. But I should visit Houston first. I want to find Diana."

  "The police are chasing her. You are taking a great risk, master."

  "She's worth it. Finding another slave as talented as her will be extremely difficult. It took years to train her. I can't just let all that effort go to waste. Besides, she already did the hard part by breaking out of prison."

  "Yes, master," she said. "I will wait for you here."

  "Bye."

  Orcus ended the call. He jogged over to a dumpster and threw the phone in.

  He walked along the sidewalk, trying to enjoy the pleasant weather, but it didn't improve his foul mood. He was angry about the failed bombing but even more upset about Forneus's refusal to respond to Orcus's summons. He was fulfilling his part of the arrangement. The demon was obligated to do the same.

  A woman was walking along the sidewalk in the other direction.

  Orcus stepped in front of her. "Excuse me," he said. "Sorry to bother you, but I'm a bit lost. I'm supposed to meet my wife and son at a park around here, but I can't find it. Do you know where the nearest playground is?"

  "Uh, sure," the woman said. "Go that way. Take a right at the light. It's three blocks down." She pointed.

  "Thank you!" He smiled.

  Orcus followed the instructions and quickly found the park. Mothers were watching their young children enjoy a playground with a soft, rubber surface. Perfect, he thought.

  He sat on a bench and pretended to take a nap, but his eyes were cracked open. After a little while, a Hispanic woman and her daughter left the park. He guessed the little girl was three-years-old.

  He stood up and covertly followed the mother through the neighborhood. Small, single-story homes stood close together. He could tell by the cheap cars that the residents had modest incomes, but the houses were in good condition. The Hispanic woman entered a house with red walls and yellow trim.

  Orcus waited a few seconds and checked for witnesses. The quiet street was empty.

  He went to the front door and knocked.

  The woman answered the door. "Yes?" she said.

  He pushed her down, ran into the house, and closed the door. He kicked her head, knocking her out. Finally, he stood on her throat and crushed her windpipe. Pressure on her carotid artery killed her before strangulation had a chance.

  "Mama?" a child said.

  The little daughter wandered into the room. Orcus ran over, scooped her up, and held her like a football. She screamed and squirmed in his crushing gri
p. He listened carefully in case somebody else was in the house, but no rescue appeared.

  He locked the front door. Then he dragged the dead mother into a closet with his free hand, so the body wouldn't be visible from a window.

  Orcus searched until he found a bathroom. He dropped the girl in a bathtub to contain the blood from the ceremony. She tried to climb out. He used his brute strength to break her knees. She wailed in pain but continued to grasp the edge of the tub. Her perseverance impressed him, but it didn't save her. He broke her wrists.

  He began to strip off his clothes and fold them neatly on the sink. He didn't want any blood on his nice suit.

  * * *

  "Forneus!" Orcus yelled in frustration. "Where are you? Why have you abandoned me?"

  He looked at the gruesome remains of the little girl. A mixture of bodily fluids covered the bottom of the bathtub. He had tortured her for a solid hour before finally slitting her throat with a ceremonial knife. He had chanted Satanic prayers the entire time, accompanied by her fading screams. He had drawn symbols on the walls with fresh blood. He was certain he had performed the ritual properly. He had even gone to the trouble of ejaculating onto the corpse. The unholy horrors he had committed would satisfy the sadistic nature of any demon. Orcus couldn't think of any reason for Forneus to not appear. Orcus felt terribly betrayed.

  He clamped down on his temper. There was nothing he could do but press onwards. At least he still had his powers and strength.

  He turned on the shower and washed the blood off his arms. After he cleaned himself, he would begin his journey to Houston. He couldn't wait to have Diana back in his life.

  * * *

  Pounding on the door of his motel room woke Stony.

  "We don't need room service," he grumbled.

  "Police!" a man yelled from outside the door. "Open up!"

  Stony sat up. He looked over at Mia, who was lying in the bed beside him. She shrugged. He decided to play it cool with the cops. He had done nothing wrong. If they gave him any trouble, he would deal with it then.

  "Hang on!" he yelled. "I need to put some clothes on."

  He had been sleeping in his underwear. He groggily pulled on his pants.

  Somebody unlocked the door from the outside. Two police officers in blue uniforms burst in with their weapons drawn. Mia squeaked and pulled the bedsheet up to her neck. Stony knew she had a gun hidden under the sheet.