by Jason DeGray
“Forgive the escort, gentlemen, but as you know, these are uncertain days.” The senator was nothing like the man Wolf had known years ago. Back then, Brad Stapleton was robust and cocky and extremely overconfident. In short, he had all the traits of a political contender. But now, like Faye, the spark of life had been extinguished. His skin was pale, cheeks sunken, and he appeared almost skeletal. He waved the guards to the door and sat on the overstuffed couch, motioning for his guests to follow.
“Jonas the Unrepentant. You survived, I see. And you brought Victor Wolf. Who would’ve thought? A match made in heaven.”
“Or hell,” said Wolf and smiled.
“That’s definitely more likely.” Stapleton smiled back. “Care for a drink?”
“I’d love a scotch.”
“Of course you would. Some things never change, eh?” Stapleton poured as he spoke. “I never thought you were a chick magnet, Victor, but damn, you look like shit.”
“You’re looking pretty damn fine yourself,” Wolf retorted. “The whole ‘hiding from murdering demons’ look suits you.”
“No thanks to you. Why couldn’t you have waited, Victor? Everything would’ve worked out. You would’ve had Jonas free and clear. A promotion would’ve been on the horizon. But you blew it.”
“What were we supposed to wait for? We got a good tip and acted on it.”
“Wait, what?” Jonas chimed in. “You were going to double cross me? You fuck! Everything I did, I did at your behest, Senator!”
“Look who’s the victim! Please, Jonas. You were just as hungry for the power. But everything we did would’ve ended with you. Everything would have worked out nicely. The police would’ve come for you the next day.”
“Faye would never allow that,” said Jonas defensively.
Stapleton laughed. “Is that what you think? It was her idea! Face it, Jo-boy. Nobody wanted you around for longer than you were needed. You were a dangerous freak. Still are, only now you’re a dangerous freak with an eye patch.” He sighed and smiled at Wolf. “But things turned out differently and instead I had to concoct a bear attack story to feed to the cops.”
“That was your idea?” Wolf leaped from his seat, scars flushing crimson. Guards were on him in an instant, forcing him back into his chair.
“Of course it was my idea. You think we could let what really happened get out? I called the department that night and we worked out the details. As for you, you weren’t supposed to survive your wounds.”
“It must be breaking your heart to see me right now.”
“More than you know. But look on the bright side, the city council voted on new ordinances to help reduce the risk of urban bear attacks. You should be thanking me, Victor. Your sacrifice made the community a safer place.”
“You always were a prick, Brad. I knew that ever since you tried to steal Miri from me in college.”
“Tried? That’s not how I tell it.”
Wolf lunged at the senator and was pulled off by the guards. They beat him into submission and then returned him to his seat.
“You see there? That’s how history is written. Or rewritten as the case may be.”
Victor spit blood from his swollen mouth. “What’s with the goon squad? Afraid of bears?”
“Yes,” Stapleton said in all seriousness. It was the first and only time his façade of machismo was lifted and the terrified man beneath revealed. “Very big and nasty bears with huge ugly claws. Tell me that isn’t why you two idiots came to find me.”
“We came to talk to you about Albert Caine,” said Jonas.
“Caine? What does that shriveled ghost dick have to do with anything?”
“He’s working for you, isn’t he?” Wolf accused.
“Are you serious?”
“Somebody is trying to finish what you assholes started,” growled Wolf. “If it’s not you, then who is it?”
“Other than you? I have no idea. Martinez died when the monitors blew up in his face. The rest died when that fucked up tornado tore the room apart.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m as sure as I need to be. I wasn’t going to stick around and check for a pulse with that goddamned demon after me! If you don’t believe me, find Faye and ask her.”
“We did.”
“So she’s still alive then,” the senator said, somewhat relieved.
“She was when we left her. Who knows if Caine has gotten to her by now?”
“Very possible. Probable, even,” concurred Jonas.
“There you have it. From the mouth of the rotten necromancer himself.” Wolf finished his scotch in a gulp. “Much as I enjoy rewriting history with you, Brad, we gotta go. Evil to thwart and all. Give my best to Gloria and kids.” Wolf got up to leave and the guards stopped him.
Stapleton leaned back lording his command over the situation. “I’m afraid that’s going to be a problem. I can’t risk you leaving. I don’t know who you’re working for. For all I know, you could be on your way to report all you just heard and saw to your demon master. Or Albert Caine. Or whoever is dumb enough to try to do that ritual all over again. I can’t take that chance. Commander Ashton? My guests will be staying. Please make sure they don’t wander outside the perimeter.”
“Are you holding us prisoner?” said Wolf.
“Not at all. You’re free to roam. Just don’t break for the tree line. There’s a hot tub on the back deck and drinks in the lounge. Let me show you to your rooms.”
***
Wolf snuck out of his room, dodged the guard in the hall, and crept down to Stapleton’s study. He heard the senator’s muffled voice on the phone and melted into the shadows to listen. He felt comfortable in them, the velvety darkness covering him like a blanket and making him part of them.
“They are both here. I can hand them over tonight. Well, call who you have to. I want back in. I want my family safe! I want this to end! Tonight!” The phone slammed down and Stapleton made his way to the door. The senator passed by Wolf without so much as a glance and walked downstairs. It seemed to Wolf that he had actually become part of the shadow.
Wanting to explore this interesting development, Wolf, dodging guards by darting in and out of the shadows, crept away to find Jonas. He was in his room, scrawling glyphs on paper.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to remember the glyph for mutability.” He motioned at the window with his pen. “To bend the bars on the windows.”
“Then what? It’s like a three story drop.”
“One step at a time.” He paused his work and looked at Wolf. “What have you been doing?”
“Eavesdropping.” Wolf relayed Stapleton’s conversation.
“He set us up to save his own ass. What a dick.”
“What’d you expect? He’s a Brad. Guys named Brad are almost always assholes. Across the board.”
“If he thinks handing us over to the Lord of Murder will placate him, he’s got a rude awakening coming. How did you manage to get here without an escort?”
Wolf explained his experience with the shadows outside of Stapleton’s study.
“Shadow melding,” said Jonas, impressed. “That’s a hard trick to get. Impossible, some say. Your natural talent is really starting to show itself.”
“Might as well make the most of it while we’re waiting to find out what Brad is up to,” said Wolf as he pulled a flask from his coat. “Show me what you’re working on.”
A little over an hour later, a sharp rapping on the door silenced the conversation instantly. “Jonas? Is Wolf in there with you?” said Stapleton.
“Yeah. Why?”
“I need you both to meet me in my study.”
“Let’s get this show on the road,” grumbled Wolf and snatched the one good glyph they’d manage to scrawl before following Jonas out the door.
***
Barber woke with a start. He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep, but it was dark.
“Great, Frank,” he said to
himself sourly. “Seventeen years on the force and you finally fall asleep during a stake out.” He was just about to leave to grab a cup of coffee when he saw Caine stealthily creeping into his office. He unlocked the back door and the light went on for a few minutes. Barber couldn’t believe it. Where had he gone? When did he leave? He didn’t even remember falling asleep. He had simply been waiting a little ways up the block when…he woke up and it was dark.
Caine emerged from his office shortly after, got in a beat up Toyota and drove north out of town. Barber followed as close as he could and thought for sure Caine was going to Taos when he lost track of him. Dumbfounded, Barber drove into Taos, looking for signs of Caine. It was late and the town was asleep. Barber gave up and got a room. First thing in the morning, he’d go back to Caine’s office. And this time, he wouldn’t fall asleep. This time, he’d find out what the old man was up to.
***
Neither Wolf nor Jonas were surprised to see Caine waiting for them in Stapleton’s study, leering victoriously. The senator sent the guards down the hall for privacy, closing the door behind him.
He turned to his captives. “I believe you guys both know Mr. Caine?”
“Sleeping with the enemy, Brad? I thought you were smarter than that,” said Wolf.
“Depends on the enemy,” said the senator haughtily.
“Well, this enemy isn’t the least bit sexy.”
“I have my family and my future to worry about. You put me in danger just by coming here. What’d you expect me to do?”
“Indeed. Self-preservation trumps all other obligations and loyalties,” said Caine.
“You always got something to say, don’t you? Where’s your gorilla boys?” Wolf said as he scanned the shadows for Hugo and Creepy.
“The twins will be along shortly,” assured Caine. “I would’ve been here sooner, but someone trashed my wax Indian and robbed my office.”
“Senseless barbarians,” Wolf said. “Town just ain’t what it used to be.”
“Indeed. Not to mention, they finished, rather crassly, I might add, a game I’d been playing against a certain spectral chess master for almost three years now!”
“Took you three years not to see that move?” Wolf smiled. “You wizard types never cease to amaze me. I mean, traditionally you all wear dresses and pointy hats and waste your lives trying to make sense of gibberish books, summoning imaginary spirits, and sacrificing black cats. You think you’re so smart, so much more important than everyone else. When really, you’re just a bunch of frightened old men in dresses, too afraid to face the inevitability of death.”
Stapleton roared with laughter. “I think he pegged you, Caine!”
Caine shot him a deadly look before returning to Wolf. “Quaint observation. I take it you aren’t going to cooperate?”
“You take it right,” growled Wolf and slugged Caine in the jaw. He reeled and crashed into Stapleton’s oversize desk.
Jonas bowled over Stapleton and bludgeoned him stupid with a skull shaped paperweight he pulled from the senator’s desk. He rifled through the senator’s pockets and came up with a key ring. “Let’s go.”
The front and back doors were both guarded. Instead, they headed for the garage and Stapleton’s Hummer.
“Fuckin’ politicos,” spat Wolf at the sight of the gaudy and unnecessary vehicle. “Always expecting others to do without so they can keep getting fatter.”
“Well, now it’s time to take some back,” said Jonas with a smile before he threw the SUV in reverse, crashing through the garage door. Two guards dodged and barely missed being flattened. Security came out of the woodworks. Jonas ran down the guards in front of him, but not before they got some shots into the engine. It immediately began smoking. The one-eyed trickster threw the SUV into reverse and backed over two other guards creeping up behind them before speeding down the driveway to the gate. They were just about to celebrate their escape when they hit the spike strips. The Hummer careened out of control and crashed into the thick stone wall next to the gate. Jonas threw it into reverse, the SUV’s engine smoking more than the Marlboro Man, and barely missed smashing into the large gates.
“The gates are locked! Use the mutability glyph!”
“Hold on!” Wolf raced for the gate and checked the lock.
“Hurry up!” Jonas yelled as Commander Ashton and four of his hulking guards sprang from the brush with guns ready.
Wolf dug the scrap of paper from his pocket and laid it over the lock. Gunshots from the quickly approaching soldiers whizzed by him and into the SUV. Jonas screamed hysterically to hurry. Wolf ignored them all and traced the glyph while mumbling the trigger. The glyph flared with energy, burning away the paper, and the metal melted in his hands, flowing through his fingers like quicksilver. He pushed the gate open and hopped back in the car. Jonas gassed it and spun off on the wheels, leaving a trail of smoke behind.
They ditched the SUV about a mile up the road, where the engine finally gave out. They weren’t far from Wolf’s car, so they crept through the forest, dodging search parties until they recovered the car and peeled out onto the first road away from Taos.
Back at the senator’s cabin, Caine watched the escape with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. He shook his head and turned to Stapleton, extending his hand. “We really appreciate your service.”
“So it’s over then?” The senator asked before accepting the handshake. “Even though they got away?”
Caine shrugged. “In the great game, we are but pawns, senator. And those two…well, they are something more. They are the knights and bishops. So to answer your question, yes, it’s over. For now. For you.”
The men shook hands and Stapleton sighed in relief. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am. This was all one big misunderstanding, you know? It wasn’t my fault, any of it. I had no idea what Jonas or the others were up to.”
“Right, right,” said Caine dismissively, motioning for the twins.
Hugo and Creepy appeared in the tree line surrounded by half-lifers and immediately attacked the senator’s guards. The skirmish was gory, but short lived, the soldiers of fortune’s bullets doing little to stop the onslaught of the undead monstrosities.
“What’s going on here?” shrieked Stapleton.
Caine smiled like a parent does to a foolish child. “We just went over this. You are a pawn. And worse yet, you are a pawn with grandiose dreams of becoming a queen. Quite a dangerous liability in any game.”
“You bastard! You said I was forgiven! Goddamn you!” The senator retreated into his house, rallying his remaining soldiers as he ran.
“There is no forgiveness in Hell! Only damnation!” Caine called. Cackling, he got into his car and drove down the long driveway to the road.
He was a pawn, too, after all. And he had his own dreams to pursue. Dreams that could only be achieved by a book he had a long history with. A book with no title, only a name: the book called Power. Albert Caine’s dreams were old dreams. They were dreams that went beyond mere trading up of material value. His dreams went beyond his self-conceived metaphor for the game altogether. Albert Caine wanted to be above the pieces, he wanted to become the hand that moved those pieces, a cosmic chess master pitting his wits against other bored divinities. And if that meant sacrificing other pawns to reach his lofty summits, then so be it. Albert Caine would join God in heaven one day. And when he finally looked that smug bastard in the face, on that day, Albert Caine would spit in God’s face and take all of creation into the abyss with him.
He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Stapleton’s cabin collapsing in flame. His crowing swelled into a laugh, hideous and shrill, that inexplicably followed Stapleton into oblivion as the minions of the Lord of Murder claimed his soul.
CHAPTER 17
“Where are we going?” Wolf asked Jonas after they’d driven aimlessly for a while.
“Ragnar.”
“Why?”
“When physical help fails you, it’s time to summ
on your own.”
Wolf followed Jonas’ obscure directions and after a few hours, they pulled up outside Ragnar’s dilapidated pueblo. The hulking shaman sat on his porch drinking whiskey.
“Look who it is,” he said with a drunken leer. “Now, how did I know you two would be showing back up?”
“Maybe you’re psychic,” Wolf said.
“Maybe I am,” he agreed. “What do you want?”
“We need help to summon,” said Jonas.
Ragnar’s eyes narrowed. “You know damn well I don’t summon demons.”
“Not demons. A spirit—Faye’s spirit.”
“Faye is dead? Your little club seems to be shrinking,” said Ragnar.
“Then it might as well shrink to my—,” he glanced at Wolf, “—our advantage.”
“Alright then. Follow me,” Ragnar grunted and walked to his backyard, where inside a small adobe shed, he kept his ritual space. He prepared the circle while Jonas briefed Wolf.
“Basically, it works like this: we’re going to raise Faye’s spirit and ask her a few questions.”
“What if she doesn’t want to be raised?”
Jonas smiled. “If her soul is where I think it is, she’ll be glad for the reprieve.”
“How does it work?”
“When you summon a spirit, you can use it for one of three things. You can set it to a task which it will be forced to complete before it can return from whence it came. You can bind it, which is where you trap the spirit in a container. Or, if you’re lucky and strong enough, you can banish it to the abyss where it will float in eternal nothingness for, well, eternity or until it finds a way back into the physical world.”
“What? There’s not a ‘send it to heaven’ option?”
“Not just anyone can get through those gates. Modern religions make it sound like it’s a free for all. Like the pearly gates are flung wide open with shit tons of people clogging the streets of gold.” Jonas smiled and shook his head. “Boy, they’re gonna be surprised.”