by Michael Todd
Father Christoff spoke in his deep, mumbling voice. “These are important people. We want you to understand that your primary focus is to get the leaders out alive and safe.”
Father Judah waved his hand but just barely, enough to see the waves in the sleeves of his robe. “It is not to say that you will not be responsible for exorcising the congregation, but the heads must come back to us.”
Father Leopold took a calm step forward. “There have been concerns within the church that you spent decades as a mercenary, and we want you to understand that is not how business is handled with the church. Do you understand the terms?”
Damian gave them a charming smile, which they did not return. “Of course. The ways of the church and my role were thoroughly outlined to me during the briefing.”
Father Leopold merely stared at him. “If the situation arises and you find that it is too much for you and your mentee, then we can call in the mercenaries. That is our last choice, as you can imagine, but if it is unavoidable, let the Secretary know, and she will make arrangements.”
The words went right in one of Damian’s ears and out the other. He didn’t see any reason to call the mercenaries when he had been one only a month before. Still, he agreed but only to please them. “Understood, and I will make sure to exhaust all measures before making that choice.”
Father Judah walked slowly to the table and picked up a glass of water, taking a sip before setting the glass back down. He was the youngest member—though still gray-haired—and the most talkative. That was saying a lot for the group, but nonetheless, Damian knew he could count on him to tie up any loose ends. He looked at Damian and clutched his hands together, small beads of water sitting on his beard. “While you are here, how is Max doing? He showed great promise during training, and we know he has the church in his mind and God in his heart.”
Thoughts of the young man covered in green goo flew through his mind, making him choke slightly on his words. “He is doing well. We had the exorcism yesterday, and he showed great promise. He is open to critique and seems very ambitious in the ways of our job.”
Father Judah nodded. “And his hand-to-hand combat skills?”
Damian shifted slightly on his feet. “We haven’t had a chance to delve into that yet.”
Father Leopold spoke over his colleague. “You need to immediately. You have twenty-four hours to take care of this. That should afford you enough time today to give Maximus the basics of protecting himself. This isn’t a ghost. They are real demons.”
The whole idea of twenty-four hours made Damian nervous, but if they had flown all the way to London, then he knew it must be important. “Of course, I understand. I will put him through the moves today, and we will set out after dinner tonight. There are some details we must attend to, of course, but I can do that when I leave here.”
“Then we won’t keep you any longer,” Father Leopold said, bowing his head slightly.
Father Christoff went to turn but stopped. “And please contact the Secretary as soon as you have the heads of the church in your safe custody.”
Damian agreed. “Of course, Father.”
The three Wise Men headed for the side door to the room. Father Christoff glanced quickly at Damian as he walked, then closed the door behind him. He stood alone in the large room, looking around at the pictures on the walls. His eyes fell on a large photo, on a wall in the back beneath the shadows, of the three Wise Men. He looked back to make sure the butler wasn’t there yet and took a closer look.
The three Wise Men were much younger, much as he remembered when he had taken the assignment from them to join the mercenaries and the church together through his participation with both. Back then, they had made him nervous, but nowadays, nothing really rattled him other than cheap liquor.
The Wise Men stood side by side, only there was a fourth man in the picture. Through the dust, Damian could tell the man was a cardinal. His robes were different, and the symbol on his breast was of that rank. He squinted, not recognizing the man, but if they had a picture of him with the three, he had to be someone of importance.
Damian reached up to wipe the dust off and get a closer look when he heard the butler’s footsteps approaching. He dropped his hand and whirled around toward the door as the butler turned the corner. “I can show you out, Father.”
He clasped his hands behind his back and swayed back and forth. “Of course. Thank you.”
As he left the room behind the man, he glanced back one last time, seeing the smile on the cardinal’s face. Everything about the picture struck him as odd, and he filed it away in his brain to puzzle out later. As much as he liked trying to solve the mysteries of his church, he had a job to do and not a ton of time to do it in. They would need to prepare, load in, see what was needed that he didn’t have in his possession, and get some training in with Max before they headed to the church. Luckily, it wasn’t too far away, but he had to make sure that the young priest could handle a demon incursion. It wasn’t something he should have been introducing for months, but things didn’t always work out the way he wanted them to.
In the next room, the three Wise Men stood quietly, each absorbed with their thoughts. Father Judah coughed and looked at the others. “We need to make sure that our instructions don’t come off as pushing that priest around. He isn’t the same as the rest. We could have a real chance of losing him otherwise.”
Father Leopold narrowed his eyes and spoke gruffly. “We are the Church. He is connected and bound to us.”
He nodded. “Yes, but remember, the priesthood is a choice. His last employer is part angel. He might think that is good enough.”
The other priest huffed, and Father Christoff glanced at Judah. “We will treat him with respect and honor, and if he chooses to go, we have our ways. You know this better than anyone, don’t you, Leopold?”
Father Leopold immediately shut up, knowing that wasn’t a conversation he wanted any part of.
Chapter Twelve
Personally, I think that went well, especially since you wore the polka dot bow tie…or any bow tie for that matter, Ravi said as Damian walked down the street.
He reached up and adjusted it. I think you put way too much into fashion. I really doubt the three Wise Men cared two bits about what I was wearing.
The demon sighed dreamily. I wonder what those old geezers wear under those robes. Probably pajamas. That’s what I would wear.
I really don’t ever want my brain to shift to what is beneath the three Wise Men’s robes ever again.
Ravi gasped. Oh, my God. What if they were wearing, like, speedos, or even worse, absolutely nothing? Grosssss.
Damian rolled his eyes as he turned the corner and headed down the straightaway toward his house. Okay, now that you got the twelve-year-old out of your system, can we change subjects?
For once, I am not going to fight you on that. Oh, oh! I wanted to talk to you about bourbon.
He smirked. I’d rather be drinking it, but I’ll settle for discussing it.
Ravi sniffed. Calm down, you old booze hound. It’s too early to be drinking, even for the likes of me. So, I couldn’t sleep last night when you retired early like an old geezer, so I sat up thinking about all the years I spent on Earth, as well as a conversation I have overheard while being captive in here for thirty-some years.
This should be interesting.
The demon ignored his comment. So, first, when I spent some time in Kentucky in the thirties, I met this fine young man who liked to impress me. His father owned a distillery called the Blade and Bow. He would take me there to show me around, but I never retained information because we ended up doing it on the whiskey barrels in the back. However, now that I think back, I heard it was some of the best bourbon out there. The only thing I really remember is the five process steps of distilling whiskey which is grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation, and aging.
Damian stopped and looked around, making sure no one was watching his facial expressions.
First of all, that’s really awesome that you remembered that. Secondly, they closed that distillery in the nineties, but they are coming out with a new bourbon and some of that aged twenty-two-year-old stuff really soon. We will definitely have to get some. Good looking out.
Ravi was proud of herself. On top of that, I’ve taken note through the years as you talked with different people about whiskeys. I have a list of ones I would like to try. I want to try Blanton’s, either the Gold Edition or Straight from the Barrel. I would like to try Evan William’s twenty-three-year-old whiskey. And last, but certainly not least, The Jack Daniel McCallan Fine and Rare Collection.
He whistled loudly. That right there is over ten grand. However, those are some good choices, so I’ll see what I can make happen. Oh, and by the way, I’ve been wondering. What is your favorite food?
Ravi thought for a minute, whispering to herself. I would have to say, out of everything I’ve tried here on Earth, it would have to be…cereal. No specific kind, just cereal in general.
Damian laughed and shrugged. Well, that’s better than oysters or squid.
He strode into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, nodding at the young priest. “Come on, Maximus. We got things to discuss.”
Max put up his finger. “It’s Max—oh, never mind.”
The two of them pulled out chairs at the dining room table, and the trainee stared across at him. “Did you talk to them?”
Damian merely gave him a look. “Of course, I talked to them. They said to throw you out.”
His companion chuckled. “Don’t tease me with good news.”
He smiled and took a sip of his water. “No, we actually have an assignment. There is a large church in London, and it’s become overrun with demons. They’ve formed cults and are sacrificing or turning the congregation one at a time. Right now, they have gone through about half and are turning their attention to the heads of the church.”
Max grew still with a serious look on his face. “Jesus, that’s terrible.”
“Mmm. Our job, whether we choose to accept or not, is to go to the church, exorcise as many as we can, and get all the heads of the church out of there safely. The Wise Men put a lot of emphasis on the heads of the church, but you know how I feel about leaving anyone behind.”
Max took a deep breath, letting the information sink in. “Okay, so this isn’t a ghost. These are real demons. Do we know how many actual demons?”
Damian shook his head. “No, but you can expect a lot. It will probably be one of the largest incursions you have ever been a part of, and it will be a lot for only one priest. I’m going to need you to put your nose to the grindstone and prepare yourself because you are probably going to have to help me.”
“But am I ready for that?”
He could see a little fear in his eyes. “I wouldn’t choose to throw you into the deep end like this, but at the same time, I’m not the boss. I think that with some quick studying this morning and some defensive training tonight, you will be good enough to follow me in there.”
“When do we leave?”
Damian smiled. “They said twenty-four hours, so we leave for the church tonight. Can’t take it in daylight.”
Max chewed nervously on his thumbnail. “I can do this. Let me just ask you, will we have to kill anyone?”
He wobbled his head from side to side. “We will go in there and exorcise as many people as we can possibly handle. There is always the possibility of a kill, but we will do our best to kill as few as possible. You don’t have to worry about that. I will handle that part.”
Max relaxed a little. “I got you. Okay. I can do this.”
Damian got up from the table. “Yes, you can, and I’ll be there the whole way. Now, I know you have basic knowledge of exorcisms, but let me try to broaden that a bit before tonight. Come with me.”
The two of them went into the study, and he started pulling journals from the shelves around the walls. He walked over to the desk and slammed them down, motioning for Max to sit at the desk. The young priest complied, pulled himself up to the desktop, and looked at his mentor.
Damian flipped the first journal open and pointed. “This is an exorcism to take down a small, stupid demon, like most of them are. This will work on your run of the mill guys. It is also short and sweet, which is good in situations like the one we are walking into. We won’t be able to take time to do full-out exorcisms.”
He opened the next book and flipped through, pointing his finger at the cursive handwriting. “This is an exorcism to use on your mid-ranged demons and small ones with intelligence. It will also freeze for a few moments, giving you time to complete the entire thing. Remember this one. Write it in your notebook. It will be useful.”
Max pulled his notebook from his pocket and started jotting down notes. Damian opened several others and pointed to them. “These are all really good ones. The last is for large demons. Now, write it in your notebook. I won’t let you get that close to any large demons tonight, but for emergencies and the future, this is a good one to know.”
The young priest scribbled fast. “This makes things a lot clearer. I mean, in training, the exorcisms could take days. I wondered how your job was possible during an incursion. I simply thought that maybe you did very few exorcisms in incursions and battles.”
Damian scanned the books but didn’t pull any more down. “They need to create an exorcism class for those who do what we do. I’ve exorcised hundreds of demons in the heat of battle. It’s not as hard as it may seem. No holy water or shaking bodies, only the words. They work the best. God seems to do the rest for us. The church misrepresents the process we go through, but then again, they may have no idea.”
Max shook his head. “I guess not. They aren’t really in the thick of it.”
Damian knew all too well just how true that was. He stood back and looked over what he had put on the desk. “So, those six books have really good information and should help you tonight. I wanted to show you more, but the reality of it is that we simply don’t have the time for that. However, these will allow you to really help me out tonight.”
The young man nodded, flipping through the pages. “Can I keep these for a while?”
He looked back at him as he headed toward the door. “Yes. Come on, gather them up, and follow me. We will have to do some multitasking today to get everything done.”
Max stuck his notebook in his pocket and gathered the books up, holding the top one with his chin so they didn’t topple over. He hurried out of the study and into the garage, then tilted his head inquisitively as Damian opened the driver’s door of the SUV. “Where are we going?”
He walked around and opened the passenger side to help him since his hands were full. “I need more information. Telling me what church it is isn’t going to do me any good if I don’t get more information.”
“What kind do you need?” Max asked as he fumbled with his books, climbing into the passenger seat.
Damian closed the door, walked around, and jumped in the driver’s seat. “I need background on the church—blueprints, history, and most importantly, information on who the heads of the church are.”
Max set the books at his feet as he put on his seatbelt. “They didn’t give you any of that information?”
He shrugged. “I’m sure the Secretary will give me some of it. But as far as all the history is concerned, I doubt that will be sent to me. They don’t really think I need that, but it helps to understand the mindset of the demons. It’s a unique situation and something I haven’t approached before. Usually, churches are pretty safe places away from demons, or at least demon incursions. Though I have a feeling that we will see more and more of this as we go.”
Max held on to the ceiling handle as Damian pulled quickly out of the garage and down the alley to the main road. “So, who can we get all this information from on such short notice? That’s a lot of stuff to have on some random church in the middle of London.”
; Damian smiled. “We will pay Ms. Misty Schumacher a visit. She is the girl I told you about.”
Max nodded in understanding. “The cartographer.”
“More importantly, the girl who can get me anything I need at the drop of a dime. Trust me, she is the biggest asset we have in the game right now. You’ll understand when you meet her.”
The young priest lifted an eyebrow as they sped toward the city. His demon cleared his throat. I hope he’s right. Humans tend to be useless in situations like these.
Max expelled the air from his lungs. With my life on the line, I hope he’s right too.
Chapter Thirteen
Damian slowed the SUV as he turned left and proceeded through one of the more run-down parts of London. People were out on the street, prostitutes loitered on the corners, and bars shielded the shop windows. Stray animals ran through the gutters, and trash littered the sidewalks. He drove about two miles before turning left into a small alleyway. The SUV took up most of the space, but there wasn’t anything down there except old boarded-up structures and random clotheslines hung close to the buildings.
He came to a stop, put it in Park, and shut off the ignition. Max looked around the shaded back street, not sure he even wanted to get out. Damian looked at him and patted the steering wheel. “You ready? Well, doesn’t matter. Come on.” He got out and closed his door.
His companion groaned and opened his door, mumbling, “Gonna get mugged and stabbed before I even get to the incursion.” He put his hands in his pockets as he followed his mentor, keeping an eye out around him. “I never liked damp, dark alleys. There was something about them that sent a shiver up my spine. Doesn’t help I was infected in one, either.”