by R. R. Virdi
“Didn’t you once tell me your job was to step into the darkness so others wouldn’t have to?”
I had said that.
Time to live up to it.
We stepped into the darkness together.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The sound of grinding gears and aged motors returned. Metal clunked and shook as the doors closed behind us.
“Well, that’s always a good sign.” I frowned and nudged Ortiz with an elbow.
“Stop being so negative—”
Overhead lighting flickered to life with an electric crackle of protest. The light did a poor job of illuminating the place, leaving some of the garage shrouded in semi-darkness.
It was a simple and small place. A row of cherry red toolboxes, standing high above me, ran along the far wall of the place. Their silver-lipped handles gleamed like their owner took special care to clean and polish them after a shift.
The usual deep sink and mirror hung in a far corner.
A less impressive black toolbox sat against the left wall. An orange, waist-high machine of some sort stood beside. Whoever operated in that area had left an old, grime-covered computer between them. Various cables and hoses hung from it. A pair of ramps leading up to a set of rollers dominated the space near the computer. Another mirror hung behind the contraption, placed at the height of a vehicle’s headlights.
The center of the garage should’ve been bare apart from the intruding legs of automotive lifts. It wasn’t.
My fingers tightened around the stem of the rear-view mirror as my gaze fell on Anna.
She hadn’t changed her appearance at all.
Eddie was bound to a chair by a mix of chains, extension cords, and duct tape. His clothing was marred by dirt and a mix of fluids. Mostly clear stains with a tinge of pink. Some kind of automotive fluid, residue that had likely made its way onto the chains and cords now binding him.
His face looked like he’d come back from batting practice, and his mug had been the ball. One cheek sported a bruise more purple than blue. A finger-length gash made its way above his left eyebrow and was swelling. His right eye was puckered shut.
My stare made its way to his fingers, and I stopped. The whole of my upper body stiffened like I’d been lined with lead.
Eddie’s fingers were like misshapen sausages. Each digit was crooked, shaking, and discolored.
A one-inch breaker bar hung from Anna’s right hand. She smiled when she saw me notice it before turning her stare to Ortiz. “Do you think that’s going to make a difference?”
I turned to follow her gaze.
Ortiz stood, legs spread and arms out in a shooter’s position. Her pistol sat comfortably in her hands—index finger stretched along the barrel. She wasn’t willing to shoot, not yet. Ortiz cocked her head to the side, like she was weighing the decision. “I’m not sure what will happen. I’m curious though.” Her earlier feral grin returned.
Anna blinked.
I made a note not to play poker with Ortiz. That was a hell of a bluff.
To her credit, Anna recovered quickly. She sank to her haunches behind Eddie. Her head came to rest on one of his shoulders as she held the bar across his chest. “Be careful now. You wouldn’t want to hurt poor Eddie, right?” She placed her lips next to one of his ears and crooned into it.
I took a step forwards, hoping Anna’s attention was more fixed on Ortiz. “Seems like you’ve done a good enough job on that.” I nodded at his injuries.
Anna let out a sound like a low purr. “What can I say? You kept me waiting. It’s rude to do that to a girl, you know?”
“Except for the part where you’re not really a gal.”
She shrugged. “No, I guess not. Would you like to see what I really look like?”
I traded a glance with Ortiz. Last thing either of us wanted was for Anna to feel threatened enough to take on her true form. Things would only go downhill from there, and Eddie was likely to get caught in the crossfire.
“Not really. I’ve got a great imagination. See, I picture a giant, ugly bat thing.”
Anna’s eyes narrowed.
“That about right? Leathery skin—total opposite of the whole young and hot nurse thing you’ve got going on. Flabby body, big ears, veiny lookin’. Tell me, do you have a thing for blood...or bugs?”
The metal bar flexed in her grip, and the cherry coloring in her eyes deepened.
Gulp. That was new.
Ortiz shot me a look to knock it off.
It was good advice.
Anna took a breath, calming herself. “Keep talking. I’ll kill you.”
I waggled a finger and clucked my tongue in a chiding manner. “Now you’re just being batty.”
The breaker bar quivered between her hands before the inevitable. It bent into a slight hump. Anna didn’t relent with the pressure, contorting the bar into something reminiscent of a Krazy Straw.
I guess I could add enhanced strength to the list of abilities Fausts possessed.
“Wow, someone’s been eating their spinach along with their human souls.” I gave a weak chuckle.
The light in Anna’s eyes brightened. “Oh, you have no idea.” She flicked a wrist, tossing the ruined tool aside. It clanged against one of the paint-chipped legs of the car lift.
I glanced at Ortiz out of the corner of my eyes, moving them to look at the far end of the garage in a subtle gesture I hoped she caught.
The only response was an equally careful micro-twitch of her mouth as she took a measured step to the side.
“I’d prefer it if you both stayed in place.” Anna moved her hands to Eddie’s shoulders before sliding them up to his collar. She spread her fingers, wrapping them around the base of his throat and giving a little squeeze. It looked like she was giving him a gentle massage. The underlying threat was clear.
“And I’d prefer it if you took your hands off him. I thought you said you wanted to deal?”
Anna released her hold on Eddie, bringing her hands into the air and splaying her fingers. “I did.”
Ortiz and I waited for her to go on.
“It took me a while to figure it out, you know?” Anna turned her head, giving me a sideways look.
I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, but Eddie looked like he’d spent the night as Anna’s physical outlet and didn’t need any of my lip making things worse. I nodded silently.
Anna turned her gaze to Ortiz, smiling. “But it didn’t take nearly as long once I started digging around. Imagine my surprise when Daniel came back from the dead.”
Ortiz bristled. Her jaw tightened, and the gun shook for a second in her grip before settling. Whatever deep, cherry light burned in Anna’s eyes was dwarfed by the heat in the glare Ortiz shot back.
Tension. Thick. Knife. Cut.
I sucked in a breath. This was going well.
Anna rolled her wrist as she went on. “I asked around and heard the rumors about dead bodies coming back with a second chance—a vengeance. It didn’t take long for rumors to turn into stories and eyewitness accounts. You’ve left quite the impression on people, little soul.”
Ortiz looked at me without turning her head. Her index finger slipped inside the trigger guard.
Whoa-kay, things were escalating and the situation called for my classic charm and tact to defuse things.
I clapped louder than necessary to draw Anna’s attention. “Leaving impressions is what I do. Now, if you’re real nice, I won’t be leaving one of you in the wall.”
See, tactful.
The Faust tilted her head, giving me a dubious look.
As long as her attention was on me. I caught Ortiz shifting her hips and posture as she moved another half step towards the other end of the garage. “Well, congrats on figuring it out.”
Anna eyed Ortiz again briefly. “It wasn’t hard.”
Ortiz gave her a brittle smile. Her finger looked like it was exerting pressure against the trigger.
I swallowed. Ortiz may have been pr
ofessional and well-trained, but she had a limit and a temper. I didn’t need the Faust pushing her buttons. I snapped my fingers to get her attention.
It worked. Anna focused on me, a curious look on her face. She was waiting for me to ask a specific question.
I had an idea of what it was and felt it was time to cut the pussyfooting. “What’s the deal? What’s it going to take for you to let Eddie go?”
Anna’s lips spread into a smile belonging to fox walking into an open chicken coop. “Why, you, of course. Or rather, your soul.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“You’re joking...” I said.
Anna’s stared at me stone-faced.
“Oh God, you’re not joking!” My stomach shook. I had to double over, placing my hands on my knees as I laughed.
The Faust lost all color and expression in her face, going so far as to give Ortiz a quizzical look.
Ortiz shrugged. “He’s crazy. Takes some—a lot of—getting used to.”
“You should see your face.” I let out a light sigh and straightened my posture. “You want me to trade me”—I jabbed both my index fingers to my chest—“for him? Why would I do that?”
Anna’s eyes widened, and her mouth moved soundlessly for a moment. She blinked twice before composing herself. “Because that’s what you do, Little Spirit. You help people.”
I held up a finger. “Okay, first of all, enough with the ‘Little Spirit’ thing. I’m a big spirit. A big, badass spirit that puts freaks like you in the ground.”
Ortiz snorted before turning it into a poorly masked cough.
I glowered at her, then redirected it towards Anna. “Second, I don’t know where you heard that. Most things that talk about me mention how I’ve ganked monsters. I’ve got a rep for it. A good one.”
Anna nodded in agreement. “I’ve heard those stories too. I’ve also heard the ones where you risk life and limb to protect people like this.” She ran her fingers through Eddie’s hair and shook his head.
She was right. Ortiz and Church had reminded me not so long ago what my job was about. It was to protect people like Eddie, even from their own screw ups. Though I didn’t know how much the Faust knew about that and how much was rumor she’d come upon.
Time to test a theory.
I waved my hand in an exaggerated and dismissive motion. “Rumors, greatly exaggerated, so on. You get the idea. Tell me, in everything you’ve heard, where’s it said that I save people like him?” A hand reached deep into my gut, pulling forth the anger, guilt, and everything in between, into my voice. “People like Eddie who’ve made a selfish decision with no thought about the consequences? People who’ve pulled others into harm’s way. People like me? Like her?” I tilted my head in Ortiz’s direction.
Anna’s eyes widened and she licked her lips several times.
I could see her mulling over what I’d said. She wasn’t certain and I had one heck of a point.
Sometimes the unknown frightens monsters as much as it does normal folk like you and me. It’s the unlimited range of possibilities. Some of them meaning you were wrong and the consequences that would follow. Consequences like the uppity soul would risk sacrificing your human leverage and come kick your ass.
Well, if I knew how to kick her ass that was. Another blessing of the unknown. Anna had no idea I was clueless on how to put her away for good.
I rolled the rear-view mirror in my grip, hoping my idea would work. All I needed was an uninterrupted moment without the Faust close enough to hurt Eddie. Or with her eyes on me.
I figured I’d have better luck wishing for Church to make my next case something involving the murderer being within arm’s reach the second I bounced into their meat suit.
A soul can dream.
The Faust positioned herself on Eddie’s side, shrinking low again so most of her body was shielded behind his. “No, I don’t think that’s it at all. After all, you’re here.”
“I’m here, yes.” I’m the king of witty dialogue.
“And you’ve got this deal all wrong, Daniel.” She placed considerable emphasis on the name. But she hadn’t called me Vincent. Meaning there was a good chance she hadn’t come across much else about me besides the rumors.
It wasn’t much, but it meant I could stretch some of the truths she’d learned, however small they may have been.
“Yeah, and what exactly do I have wrong?”
“The details. The little things. The ones that matter.” She gave me a smile that chilled deep into my marrow. “You know, the ones that poor Eddie didn’t check up on. If he did, he might not be in this situation.”
I exhaled. That much was true.
“Alright, talk. What details? What exactly is the deal?”
She smiled. It was a crooked thing that I imagined loan sharks gave to people they were about to collect on—and collect big. “One precious, immortal soul that’s made quite the reputation over the years, for one slightly used—damaged—automotive blogger and bad negotiator.” Anna patted Eddie’s cheek lightly. “Don’t worry. It won’t be immediate.”
My eyebrows shot up at that. “Oh no? What, act now and you’ll throw in getting screwed with a rusty poker? How about this counter offer? For three easy payments, go fuck yourself!”
Anna’s smile slipped, and she grabbed Eddie by his hair. “You’re not as funny as you think.” Her lips peeled back into a snarl.
While she was busy threatening Eddie, she hadn’t noticed that Ortiz had inched her way into a darker corner of the garage and was mostly out of sight. I didn’t know how good the Faust’s night vision was, but her attention wasn’t on Ortiz. That was enough for me.
“I’m freaking hilarious. Ask every monster that’s gotten in my way. They’ll tell you that my jokes are killer. Geddit? Because they’re dead...and I’m funny.”
Anna’s eyes narrowed into slits. “I take it back. You won’t get any time. After I finish with Eddie—in front of you—I’ll make your death quick. It’s a shame though, wasting something like you.”
Crap. I needed to find a way to stall Anna and get her away from Eddie. At least far enough so Ortiz could pop her without risking Eddie’s life. Not that he was in great shape.
“What do you mean something like me? Last I checked, I’m a soul.” I pointed to Eddie. “He’s got one too. Where’s the difference?”
Anna’s mouth fell open. She gave me a look of incredulity.
A lot of people were giving me that look of late. It was starting to rankle me.
“You still don’t get it, do you? You’re not like them.” She jerked her head towards Eddie. “You’re not human.”
I sure as hell was.
As far as I saw it, I was just missing the skin suit. Other than that, I was most definitely human.
I didn’t let the doubt show on my face.
“You’re what comes after a life as a human, but you shouldn’t be here—able to do this, what you do at all. But you are. Something put you here. And you keep bouncing around, meddling, getting stronger.”
Stronger? I hopped from body to body, getting my ass kicked and kicking my fair share of asses back. But stronger, that was a new one.
Sure, I packed more of a punch than your normal human. And I could take one hell of a beating, not to mention my recovery speed. But I didn’t get stronger from each case.
“What do you mean?” I took a step towards her. Caution advised I stay planted, but curiosity took over. She had answers...or something. Sometimes that’s just as good.
Her eyes widened. “You shouldn’t be able to linger here. But you do. You shouldn’t be able to hold onto and in bodies, but you do. As a soul, the only way you can keep doing that is if you’re getting stronger. That’s not possible. Souls are static; they come into this world, and then they leave. That’s the end of it.”
Church had never mentioned that. My fingers tensed around the stem of the mirror. If I squeezed any harder, I risked cracking the cheap plastic. I needed to have a talk
with him after this case. A long one.
“You should be falling apart after each of these jaunts in someone else’s body. You’re not. If you’re not getting stronger, then something else is holding you together.” A thin, cruel smile spread over her face. “Now, I wonder what happens if that force decides to let go. Do you just vanish? Cease to exist?”
I gulped and wished it had gone unheard.
On my last case with Ortiz, I’d experienced something like what Anna had described. It was prompted and pushed by a paranormal hallucinogenic, but the experience still clung to my thoughts. My body had fallen before my eyes, like whatever force kept me together couldn’t manage it any longer. The experience had shaken me to my core.
Anna’s face lit up in glee. The reddish-orange in her eyes seemed to brighten despite the poor lighting. She knew she’d struck a nerve, and she went after it with renewed vigor.
You have to hate the tenacious monsters.
“Do you remember what it was like, losing your body? What it was like having your soul flit away? Any lingering memories of that? What about what it was like in nothingness? Anything?” Her smile seemed to grow larger with each sentence.
My scowl deepened with every word. Bat bitch.
“No, but I remember the parts where I’ve come back and iced freaks like you.” My retort didn’t lessen her enthusiasm.
“Do you want a first-hand look?” Her eyes morphed as she leaned closer to Eddie. What were small hints of red and orange now came to dominate them, growing in intensity by the second. It was a burning light, the color of a wood ember about to burst ablaze.
“Um, not really.” I took a step back, glancing at Ortiz’s position. “I think you’ve got something in your eyes. Looks hot, and um, like it might burn.” I scratched the skin below my right eye to make my point. “You should have that looked at, you know?”
“Mhm.” Her smile took on a Cheshiresque quality, stretching further than what was normal.
That’s always a good sign.
The skin of her lips thinned, looking like they were flattening against her gum line and receding. It wasn’t long before the area darkened into a shade caught somewhere between charcoal and a deeper black.