by L. J. Sealey
“Hi. How’s things? It’s been a while huh?”
“Yes it has. I’m good. And you seem to lose more of that cute British accent every time I see you. You’ll be one of us soon.”
Lacy laughed and rested her arms on top of the counter. It was nice to see her friend after so long. It must have been over a year since they’d talked last−apart from the odd hi or hello in passing−just after Teresa had started work as a full time deputy after completing all of her training. She looked different now: older, without the makeup she used to always wear, and her deep brown hair tied back off her face in a tight bun. But she still had that same way of making Lacy feel welcome.
“Anyway, I’m guessing you haven’t just popped in for coffee, as this stuff tastes like piss,”−she mumbled that last part so no one else could hear−“what can I do for you?”
“I’ve come to give a statement about what happened last night at work.”
“Something happened at the college?” Teresa asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
She didn’t know? Strange. “Yeah. Two friends of mine just brought a guy in that tried to attack me after I’d left my office last night,” she explained, wondering why Teresa didn’t already know. “He tried to get into my car before I drove off. We think he might know something about what happened to Nina Murphy.”
Teresa still looked confused. “The girl who tried to commit suicide?”
Lacy nodded. She began to worry. It had to have been at least thirty minutes since Michael had called.
“Hold on. . . My shift only started fifteen minutes ago. I’ll go through and speak to Don; he’s probably got them in the back there in one of the interview rooms.”
That’ll be why. Lacy let out a relieved sigh. The sooner she got the statement over with, the sooner she could get home and flop into bed. What a rough night.
She took a seat in the waiting area and began to pick the chipped polish from her thumbnail. She jumped as the front door flew open and two officers hauled a man who was in cuffs inside. He was protesting loudly and two more officers appeared behind the desk. As the scruffy man with the dishevelled black hair got dragged passed her, he noticed Lacy sitting there and his leering smile made her physically sick.
“That’s enough Milton.” One of the officers ordered as they pushed him to the front desk.
Lacy wondered how Teresa could stand having to deal with this kind of thing every day. She’d only been sat waiting for five minutes and she wanted to bolt out the door and forget giving the statement altogether. But she knew she had no choice and managed to stay in her seat for another five minutes until Teresa finally returned. Avoiding the commotion at the desk, she sat next to her.
“Lacy, when did you say your friends brought him in?” Teresa asked with the same puzzled look that she’d had a moment ago.
“Would have been a little over thirty minutes ago. . . I guess.”
“Don said no one’s reported anything like that tonight, and your friends haven’t been here.”
What? Where the hell were they?
“Oh. . . Um, perhaps they’ve been delayed for some reason.” Lacy said as she stood up from her seat, her mind began to think all sorts of things: What if Jake had gotten violent and hurt them, what if they’d been involved in an accident. She couldn’t understand why Michael would lie about bringing Jake in. She had to call him.
“Are you okay? Would you like to make the report yourself? What happened at the college?”
She hadn’t even realised Teresa was talking until she felt her place a hand on her arm. “Lacy?”
“I. . . I need to go home actually. I’m not feeling too good. Can I call in sometime tomorrow?”
“Sure. Or I can call round after my shift’s finished in the morning.”
She heard her friend’s rushed reply fading away behind her as she hastily walked out of the station.
Lacy raced back to her house and immediately checked her answering machine. No new messages. She knew if Michael had turned up at the sheriff’s office after she’d left, Teresa would have called her straight away. Not knowing what to do, the pacing started up again but this time she was right by the phone, waiting for the damn thing to ring again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
At a motel just off I.52, Michael stood by the window of Evo’s room watching his buddy who was kindly taking out his mood−that lack of sleep had caused−on their captive’s ass. Jake was all skin-stealing demon strapped in that chair, no question about it. It was staying silent though. No matter how much Evo pressed, the bastard wasn’t talking.
Evo turned away−his frustration clear by the way his lips were tightly pressed together−as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a different knife to the one that he’d used in the hospital stairwell. This one was much bigger, like a Bowie Knife on steroids, with an unusual gold coloured blade protruding from a black, leather bound handle. “Looks like I’m going to have to try another way to get this asshole to talk.” His mouth curled up at the sides as he winked at Michael.
“What’s that going to do?” was the first thing to come from the demon’s mouth since they’d captured it. Michael sensed its enjoyment.
Evo smirked. “Well, lucky for you, you’re just about to find out.” He pulled the guy’s sleeve up, placed the blade down on his forearm and cut a small slit down to his wrist. At first the demon looked totally unimpressed with what Evo had done. His eyes looked down at the sliced flesh, which Jake’s blood was now trickling from, as though he’d just drawn a line down it with nothing but a sharpie. Jake smiled.
Evo stood perfectly still, watching the demon like he was waiting for some kind of reaction. After a couple more seconds, and just after Jake had started to grin up at Evo, the cocky expression changed dramatically. He looked down at his arm as if the thing had sprouted legs and was about to run away from him. His eyes widened, his mouth opened and his breath caught. Evo continued to watch with both arms folded over his chest without saying a word.
Michael wondered what the hell was happening and left his position by the window and approached slowly. As he looked down at the guy’s arm it began to twitch uncontrollably. His skin looked like it was moving then he noticed creeping black veins growing out from the fresh cut, spreading outward in all directions. He watched as the demon began to pant frantically, struggling against the tight restraints on his wrists and ankles. Jakes eyes widened with fear as they locked onto the arm that was now almost black all over. . . then came the hellish scream.
“What the..?” Michael had no idea what was happening. He’d never seen anything like it before and he’d dealt with many demons in the past. He looked at Evo waiting for some sort of explanation but the guy just continued to watch with an eerily satisfied grin on his face. As the demon continued to react to whatever the hell it was that was happening, Evo began to repeat the line of questioning that he’d gotten no response to before.
All he got was a, “Fuck you!” then an “Arghhhhh. . . ” before Jake’s head flipped back with the pain that was now obviously shooting up his arm.
“Burns doesn’t it?” Evo sneered. “I can make it stop, as soon as you cooperate.” It was said with complete military composure−one of the things Michael admired most about his friend: his ability to interrogate his subjects with such prowess, whether human or not, was impressive. He had to hand it to the guy, he was no longer the nervous, scruffy, male that he’d met in that alley all those months ago. Now he was a warrior, a beefed up assassin that could hold his own with anyone or anything.
Yes. . . he was actually jealous of the guy.
But all that tough-ass came with a price. Evo was well known in the underworld and when you’d managed to carve out a reputation as lethal as he had in such a short time it got you noticed, and often by the wrong people or. . . things.
“Arghh. . . ” The demon possessing the male in front of them was having a hard time in there. Whatever it was that Evo had done to the SOB, it was having a pro
found effect. His face had begun to distort in such a way that his features were no longer Jake’s own, and the screeching that was now leaving his mouth and filling the room could only be likened to that of a tortured animal.
His eyes flicked up to Evo as he continued to pant and growl like a rabid dog. “What have you done to me?”
“I’d be more worried about what will happen next.” Evo smirked. “Start talkin’ or things are gonna get much worse for you. You feel me?”
A deep rumble came from Jake’s throat which then erupted into a sinister laugh. The demon glared at him through evil eyes which had now turned crimson. He’d stopped panting by now and was looking Evo straight in the eyes. “You’re playing with fire, boy.” His voice had become deeper, and it sounded like two people talking, a mix between poor possessed Jake and the evil itself. Still, Evo wasn’t fazed.
“You have no idea who you’re messing with. Your actions will lead to your deaths I assure you−you and your friend. . . ”−he turned his head away from Evo and straight towards Michael−“Michael? Isn’t it?”
Michael was momentarily aghast and noticed Evo looking straight at him with an equally shocked expression. “How the fuck. . . ?”
“How do you know who I am?” Michael asked through gritted teeth as he took a couple of steps towards the demon.
“Oh. . . we all know.”
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” The demon just smiled at him in a way which almost made Michael’s borrowed skin crawl. “Tell me you son of a bitch!”
“You’ll know soon enough. He’s coming for you; sooner rather than later when I tell him where you are. And what a good demon I’ll be, delivering that good news to him myself.”
Michael’s voice grew louder. “Who? What the hell are you talking about?” The demon said nothing. Only the sound of deep breathing was coming from the man whose eyes were still burning Michael.
“Enough of this. This bastard’s full of shit.” Evo said as he waved his knife right by Jake’s face. “Are you going to tell us why you’ve been offing those students?”
Silence.
Before Michael could blink Evo had stabbed his knife through Jake’s leg so hard, he heard the blade hit the wood from the chair below it.
The demon let out a vicious roar and black smoke began to rise up from where the knife had penetrated the poor, innocent young man’s skin right up to the hilt. Michael knew Jake had no chance of living through this. They rarely survived possession anyway. If the demon had its way, it would make sure of it. Michael knew that from experience. Those wounds were sure to kill the guy. Besides, the first slice that Evo had given him had bled out all over the floor. He had no chance.
Poor guy.
“Talk!” Evo shouted over the deathly scream that was filling the motel room. He clamped his hand over Jake’s mouth, halting the demon who was now scowling at him from under heavy eyelids. There was a long pause and then Evo pulled his hand away. He bent down so that his mouth was by Jake’s ear “I said, talk!” Just as Evo looked set to pull the knife back out−no doubt ready to drive it into the other leg−the demon’s face changed. He knew he was defeated. Damn his buddy was good.
“I have a debt to pay.” The demon growled the words with fierce intensity and howled with pain again. “Remove it and I will tell you what you want to know.”
Evo reached down and yanked the knife out, satisfaction evident as he looked briefly towards Michael for approval. All Michael did was roll his eyes. Smug son of a bitch.
“Continue. . . or this goes straight back in there.” Evo ordered, assessing the guys weeping thigh.
“I am bound to Varesh. Indebted to him for a crime I committed more than a century ago. He feeds off human souls, they empower him, make him stronger. But the only way he can get those souls is if a human ends their own life: suicide, I think you call it. The creator doesn’t accept those who take their own life, so there’s no going through the pearly gates for them. Instead they go down, where Varesh intercepts them and can claim them for his own. And where better to find those souls than a place where there are lots of vulnerable humans. There are plenty of parasites in a college campus−depressed little whiners, hormonal, with nothing better to do than feel sorry for themselves. Places like that are full of them. I just gave them a bit of guidance, a push in the right direction.”
His words enraged Michael. “You’re not exactly giving them guidance by taking over their bodies and doing it for them.” he bit out at the demon that had now calmed. “They are not choosing to end their own lives, you are!”
“But it’s inevitable. I see what’s in their minds, the way they imagine doing it. So I help them. It just saves time. The more souls I collect for my master, the easier my existence becomes. You see, I’ve always believed in self-preservation.”
It took all of Michael’s strength not to knock the guy’s haughty expression right of his face, but what would be the point in striking him? He’d only further injure the innocent male who was being possessed, and besides, he knew it would take a lot more than that to affect the evil bastard. Why waste the energy.
“I’ve given you what you asked for?”
Evo stepped up in the guys face. “Oh no. . . We’ve not finished yet.” He flipped the knife in his hand and smiled at the demon as he held it over Jake’s other leg. “What do you know of my buddy here?”
Michael had seen many demons before this one−had fought against them numerous times, knew their ways, their weaknesses−but there was something very different about this one. This one was a whole other level of evil; he could see it in those crimson eyes.
“I know this”−he warned, looking only at Michael−“Varesh has been looking for you for a very long time but for some reason, you weren’t to be found−hidden somehow. Then all of a sudden there were whispers amongst my kind that you’d been seen. We found out you were hunting us. My master has had his ear to the ground, so to speak. So after all of this time trying to find you, imagine my joy when you came wandering right into my hands.”
Evo laughed. “You have a strange way of looking at things. From where I’m standing, you seem to be in our hands.”
The demon smirked at Michael, ignoring Evo’s words. “This news will be received along with great repute. Varesh will be most pleased when I tell him you are this close and when he finds you−”
“Who is this Varesh and what does he want with me?” Michael was done with the pleasantries.
A subtle laugh came from the demon and Michael thought he looked surprised for a moment. “You really don’t know do you? I must say. . . Great look you’ve got going on there; although I did prefer you as a brunette,” the demon mocked.
Michael walked around the guy that was tightly bound to the chair. He had no doubt that this demon knew exactly who he was. This was the first lead he’d come across. The demon might actually have relevant information which could help him find out the truth.
“Dammit! Just give me a straight fucking answer,” he demanded. If he could just get him to say something, anything. . .
Evo snarled and began to lift the knife again but before he had chance to do anything with it, the demon began to shake violently before snapping at Michael. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Evo gave Michael a look that indicated he had nothing to do with what was happening. Both men slowly backed away as the shaking began to get more violent. Jake’s skin began to glow from within as if someone had just hit a switch on his internal organs, lighting him up like a goddamn neon sign.
“Shit!”
Both Evo and Michael stood watching as the glow underneath the guy’s skin grew brighter, his veins and arteries becoming visible under the surface. The demon continued to writhe, an evil laugh rising from deep inside his gut as an eerie chill filled the dark, damp motel room.
“You won’t stop him!” the demon growled. “No one can. He knows who you are and he doesn’t fear you.”
What the hell was he
talking about?
Michael threw a bemused glance at Evo, who now looked about ready to pounce on the guy. He wasn’t sure if he should stop him but soon had the decision taken out of his hands as the glow coming from the captive’s body grew so bright that they both had to look away. Then, just like that, it was gone.
And so was the demon.
Jake’s body was slumped forward. He wasn’t breathing. Michael walked towards him, carefully assessing him before placing his hand on his shoulder and pushing him back. “Jesus,” he said.
His face was contorted, eyes wide with no trace of colour in them as they stared, lifelessly.
Evo let out a sigh as his fingers pressed against Jake’s neck confirming that he was dead. “Poor bastard.”
“Have you ever seen anything like that before, Evo?” Michael asked, knowing how much he knew about this stuff. Hell, Michael had sent enough of them back down where they belonged, but nothing like that had ever happened.
“Shit! No.” he replied, brushing his hand over his short hair, looking as perplexed as Michael felt. “I have no idea what just happened.” He wiped the blade of his knife on Jake’s trousers before bending down to slide it back in its holster around his ankle.
“What is that thing anyway?” Michael asked as Evo pulled his trouser leg down over his boot concealing the knife once again.
“That’s my fail safe against those bastards. Or at least it was until tonight.” Evo’s eyebrows drew together as he looked over at Michael. “‘He knows who you are.’ What the fuck does that mean?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to do everything I can to find out.” Michael drew out a long breath as he sat down on the bed, raising an eyebrow at Evo as he felt around the lumpy slab of concrete that was posing as a mattress underneath him.
“Seriously? This is the best you could do?” His eyes roamed around the room taking in the dingy, old fashioned decor. The place looked like it hadn’t been touched since the seventies: Leafy patterned wallpaper hung off the walls at regular intervals and the once red carpet was threadbare with dark, patchy stains.