“So this is the place, huh?” I scoff. “These demons sure know how to live it up.”
“You should see how it looks on the app I got.” Abby chuckles. “Come on; let’s check it out from behind. We need to find a way in.”
“Yeah.”
As we move closer, the condition of the aging house becomes more apparent. Peeling white sideboards hang loosely from the siding of the house’s second floor unveiling spots of decomposed wood previously covered by bad carpentry. I can only see pockets of the first floor because my view from the side is partially obstructed by an old wooden fence that lines the sides and backyard. It’s tall, but not impossible to scale. It was most likely made for show rather than to keep people out. Whatever the case, it fails either way.
Abby and I use the shadows as best as we can to navigate to the back of the property while staying out of sight. Once we’re there, she points out a decent spot to scale over the fence that’s angled away from most of the public eye.
“I’ll go first,” I say as I plant my foot into a wedge between one of the planks on the fence.
“Okay. Just be careful. I’ll keep watch.” Not even five seconds after she says that, I lose my bearing and slip while trying to pull myself up. Thankfully, I manage to hold on. “Take your time.”
“I…got…this, Abs,” I whisper while grunting. “My foot slipped. That’s all.” On my second attempt I manage to vault the fence in one swoop, landing gracefully on the side. The impact from my feet hitting the ground travels up to my torso, jarring my bruised ribs. Ignoring my injuries, I race to find cover behind the single wilted oak tree in the yard and wait for Abby to emerge. Once Abby vaults over, I flag her down and she rushes next to me while crouched, careful not to be seen. This place doesn’t seem to have much of anything for hiding. The grass is unkempt, but only grows in scattered patches. The rest of the yard is littered with rusted hardware tools and spare planks piled next to the red back porch outfitted with rotting railings. “We should setup on the porch,” I say, pointing my chin towards the screen door barely hanging on by a single hinge. “That door is our ticket in.” I waste no time making my way through the yard, Abby following close behind. Once we’re situated on the back porch I whip out my phone and let Blaze know that we’re in position. A few moments later, he responds back. “He’s about a block away.”
“Okay, so we have time.” Abby digs into her pocket and extends her palm to me. “Bluetooth earpiece. We’ll be able to hear what’s going on. Take one.” I grab an earpiece, fasten it to my ear, and swiftly cover it with my hair. After Abby is done setting hers up, she tinkers with her phone for a moment before pressing into the piece partially hidden behind her red hair. “The link should be live now. Push the button on the side to listen in.”
“Kay.” I press the button and a faint beep registers in my ear, then, the sound of pattering feet reverberates through my earpiece. “I can hear him. It’s working,” I turn and to Abby.
“Good. I sent him a message to let him know that we’re tuned in and ready to go. We just have to wait for the right moment.”
Abby and I wait in silence until Blaze’s walking comes to a complete stop. Then, we hear him knock. “He’s doing it,” I whisper. Abby simply nods, her face marred with tension. A slap echoes in my ear bud followed by another set of knocks. A stream of silence follows afterwards. We glance at each other apprehensively, but then, about a minute later, the harsh sound of a creaking door restores our faith.
“Hello. How can I help you?” The voice I hear is unfamiliar. It sounds smooth and relaxed. Almost too relaxed, but at the same time, occupied; like he’s putting up a front.
“I was just in the area…figured I’d do some shopping.”
“Who sent you?” the unfamiliar voice cuts in with authority. In my mind’s eye, I imagine him partially hidden by the door, barking demands.
“African guy a couple blocks down. Said I could find a guy named Gareth here and get a real good deal,” Blaze answers.
“I see,” he snickers. “Well, it’s no use talking out here, why don’t you come inside.” I hear Blaze walk deeper into the house and then the sound of the door shutting behind him. “Make yourself at home, and all that jazz.”
“I have to say, I was expecting more than this. You keep things pretty simple. No entourage or fancy shit. You’re a man with no wants…quite different from what I imagined.” Blaze chuckles and I hear the scratch of a chair grinding against the wooden floorboards.
“People talk,” the voice casually replies before trailing away. “I’ll be right back.” I can’t tell if he’s going upstairs or not. All I can make out is that he’s moving away.
“Sailor, you’re up,” Abby whispers in my ear.
“You sure?”
“Blaze knows what we’re looking to do. He would have said something if he wanted us to wait. Trust him.”
Tucking my anxiety aside, I slide across the ground on my knees and begin to work at the lock. “Damn it…he’s coming back.”
“Don’t worry about Gareth. Blaze is keeping him busy.”
“And for the record, Huston just likes to sound more important than he really is. I don’t know what he told you, but I’m a simple guy. I know it looks like crap, but this shithole happens to have beds, a fridge, and ton of drugs—everything I need if I ever wanted to take a few days off from the real world, know what I mean? People don’t ask questions around here and the bitches love the vibe this place gives off. Makes for some wild nights.”
“So you use this place to party,” Blaze flatly responds.
“Of course, but not the kind with loud music and shit like that. Nah, this place is more chill. We do other things. The more the merrier.” I’m pretty sure he just alluded to throwing some wild drug-inspired demon sex orgies…but maybe that’s just me. “Here’s a layout of what I have. I figured it’s better to show rather than tell.”
“That’s quite the collection you got there, man.”
“I aim to please.”
A faint click registers in my ears as the lock turns. “Got it.” I smile and turn back to Abby.
“Good,” she says as she pulls out her pistol. “Let’s go while he’s distracted.”
“But, it’ll creak. Give it some more time.”
“I see that. Wow, you got most of everything here…Molly, Mary, and all her friends.” Blaze laughs, amused. “Chalk and Dust. Damn.”
“What can I say? It’s a living.” A grainy sniffing sound violates my ear drum. “Want a bump? It’s on the house?”
“Nah, man. I appreciate it, but I don’t want to ruin dessert, you know what I mean?”
“Oh, yeah?” Gareth sniffs and blows from his nose.
“Yeah. Huston said you had Sphinx. I don’t see any here.”
“I got some in this vial right here, buddy-boy. Powdered. Good shit.”
“Yeah? Let me check it out…okay yeah, that’s it. The black vial threw me off, but it is blue, like I’ve seen. I didn’t know it came in a powder though. I’ve only seen it as a liquid.”
“There’s more than one way to skin a cat. I got it powered, in pills, tabs, liquid—you name it.”
“Dope.” Blaze laughs. “What do you recommend?”
“Powered gets in your shit faster, but it all works in the end. It’s preference really,” Gareth says confidently, vigor lining his words.
“Liquid’ll do it for me.”
“Cool, do you need a needle or something?” Gareth casually asks. “I got a few of them upstairs, courtesy of your new business partner. Aye, don’t lose your shit, they’re clean. I got a contact at the free clinic. They’re packaged and everything. Sterile.”
“Sure.”
I hear a set of feet thump across the creaking floor—Gareth moving towards the stairs. Now’s my chance. I slowly blow out the air from my lungs as I begin to push the door open. The decomposing door creaks and I cringe at the haunting sound. I pause for moment and press it again, this time h
arder, allowing just enough space for Abby and I to squeeze through. “This place is a mess,” I mumble as Abby shuts the door behind us. To my surprise, the backdoor leads straight to the kitchen, which smells oddly similar to spoiled milk. Dirty pots and pans litter the sink and the floor is spotted with a funky colored grime. Immediately, I post up against the refrigerator, still sticking low to the ground. Being hunched over aggravates the bruises around my torso, but at this point, it would be foolish to not ignore the pain. I peek my head around the rim of the fridge and see Blaze sitting at a small wooden table decorated with an assortment of drugs nicely organized for his viewing pleasure on a velvet mat. Without saying a word, I raise a hand in the air, garnering his attention while Abby moves to an adjacent corridor connected to the kitchen. Blaze subtly nods, acknowledging me, but before I can slide him my gun, the stairs begin to creak. Gareth. I duck back into position, but Abby is able to gain more ground, disappearing completely from my line of sight.
“Yeah, man…Sphinx is no joke,” Gareth says as he marches down the stairs. “I had one of those parties I was telling you about earlier last week and these foreign bitches popped like two of em’ and did a line. Crazy shit,” he exclaims, stretching his words for emphasis. “Thirty minutes later, they were rubbing all up on each other n’ making out. It was nuts! I fucking love it, man. It’s better than X.”
Yeah. This motherfucker here is definitely going to get a bullet in his brain.
“Well, shit…I’m not trying to make out with a dude. I’m trying to get high.”
“I feel you on that. I really do, bro. Trust me; this will get you high. Those chicks were a special case. They were messing around with some other stuff before they came here. I don’t know what they took, but they were gone. A hit of this won’t make you dry hump your neighbor’s car or nothing. Three, maybe, but you’d have to be one horny bastard. If you want, I can give you a trial run, on the house. It’ll be a quarter dose—just enough for you to feel it but not be too fucked up to get where you’re going.”
“No, I’m good. I’d rather not be on something while I’m out on the streets. Bad area. How much is it going to run me for a hit?”
“First one is fifty. Everything after is sixty-five.”
I’m too far to make an entrance and be effective, but I need to do something, fast. The deal’s closing and Blaze can only stall for so long.
“Throw in that quarter dose for the road?”
“Sure thing, man.” I peek my head out just enough to see Blaze and Gareth. Blaze is riffling through a wad of cash while Gareth towers over him, sealed syringe in hand. Even though I can only see half of him, it’s enough to tell that Gareth is in shape—broad shoulders and burly appendages. As a normal human, he could be bodyguard if beefed up a little more, easily. Not that it matters now. The standard strength of unfiltered demon is more than enough to handle a few drunkards at a bar. Three hunters can potentially give him a run for his money, but in present state, I’m like half a hunter, at best. If I had to guess, strength wise Gareth is a cut above from the rest. If Blaze ends up leaving and we get spread out, we’ll be vulnerable. Abby and I can’t do this alone.
“Nice doing business with you, G. You’re welcome here any time.” Gareth slides the syringe across the table. Seconds later, a black vial tumbles his way. “Be sure to bring your friends around here if you can, you hear? I’ll hook em’ up real nice. You too. You help me, I help you.”
“Yeah man, word.”
My grip tightens around my Berretta as I wait for my chance to make a move.
“Anything else I can help you with, or are you good?” Gareth asks. I line my sights with his shoulder and gently place my finger on the trigger.
“Just one thing,” a feminine voice demands. The demon turns around, stunned by his unknown guest.
“What th—AH!”
Blaze grabs the hidden knife from his sock and stabs Gareth in the shoulder while he’s covering his eyes, screaming in pain. Holy Water—Abby must have gotten him in the eyes. Realizing my opening, I quickly eject a Hex Bolt from my gun and rush over to join the fray. Blaze tackles him to the ground, sneaks a second stab into his chest, and presses the blade into the wound.
“Get off of me!” The demon struggles to push Blaze off, but he’s too injured to make an escape.
“Hold him still,” I comment over Gareth’s screams. Abby flicks her flask forward, dispelling a pocket of water that splashes onto the demon’s face and the back of Blaze’s head. The demon inside of Gareth thrashes in agony, inadvertently cutting the side of Blaze’s face.
“Ah! This Gareth guy is a feisty one,” Blaze says as he twists his face away from the demon’s flailing hands.
“I’ll handle it,” I respond calmly. I crouch next to the demon’s legs, draw my knife, and stab him in the thigh. Gareth bellows and I find myself twisting it half a rotation—a coy smile across my face. “Are you going to cooperate?” I ask. “Or do you want to go for another round?”
“So the little devil brings friends,” he says from the floor, still trapped underneath Blaze. “It takes guts coming back after all the shit we put you through.”
“Abby.” I extend an open palm and she hands me her knife. Without saying another word, I stab his other thigh but quickly draw the knife in order to keep the wound shallow. Gareth’s body buckles from the markings making contact with his flesh. His breaths are rapid. I bet he hasn’t felt pain in a long time. “I picked up on that trick from your friend. Keep it shallow so they don’t bleed out.”
“What, you’re going to torture me?”
“Well, we’re certainly not here for the orgy.”
“Ha. Good luck,” the demon snarls. They’re already two knives in him and he’s been stabbed four times. It should be enough to weaken him, but I go the extra mile and push a Hex Bolt into the wound I just created, further reducing his strength. I reach into my utility jacket and pull out a set of black zip ties. Abby catches my train of thought and steadies him, torquing the knife lodged in his thigh whenever he resists against my binding.
“You seem a bit different this time around. What’s the matter, darling?” he taunts between grunts. Most of his fight is gone, but he still manages to run his mouth. I guess that’s the only trick he has left. I’ll have to take that away too. It’s almost like the bastard wants to die painfully rather than take a swift execution.
I stop my prep of the other ties, stand up, and position myself so that I’m right over his face. Then, while looking directly into his eyes, I draw out my flask of Holy Water and unscrew the top. “If you open your mouth again without being asked, I’ll pour this down your stinkin’ throat.” Gareth growls at me from below, returning my glare, but it’s a horrible attempt at intimidation. I tilt the flask forward, allowing for a dribble of water to fall onto his forehead, causing his face to twist in pain. “Comprende?” I hand Abby the second set of zip ties and she begins to fasten his arms while I hover above him. “Glad we were able to come to an understanding.” I smile. The last thing I need is my secret getting out in a time like this. Gareth already called me a devil in front of everyone. Thankfully it didn’t escalate from there. Abby and Blaze know that I’ve hunted demons before, so his comment went over their heads. A couple more off-key comments and things could get messy, quick.
“Okay. He’s restrained,” Abby confirms. Blaze turns his face to me, his body still pressed against Gareth. Unfortunately, Blaze’s shirt is soaking up the blood leaking from the incision on the demon’s chest. Not good.
“Great. Go do a sweep of the house. Holler if you need anything.” I send Abby away, leaving just Blaze and I to tend to the demon. Blaze eases off of Gareth and removes the knife from his chest. Gareth squirms, but I feint as if I’m about to throw more water and he stays still. “Here, hold this.” I reach into my jacket and hand off a gun to Blaze. Blaze then instinctively points the gun at the demon like all good hunters should, covering me while I make my next move. I eject another bull
et and hold it level with the demon’s line of sight. “If you move, I’ll pour in some water to go along with it, so do us both a favor and hold still.” Gareth groans as I shove another bolt into the open wound on his chest. Hiding my disgust, I wipe his blood across his already ruined olive colored tee. “We’re not done yet,” I say to Blaze without looking back.
“What are you doing now?”
“Tourniquet,” I succinctly respond. “The stabs aren’t too bad, but they’re still stabs.” I lift up the demon’s shirt, remove his belt, and tie it around the leg that houses my bolt. It won’t do much to stop the bleeding, but it’ll serve as another line of defense to keep the bullet in place, which plays a critical part in keeping the demon at bay. After securing the hold, Abby jogs back into the room with perfect timing. “All clear.”
“Find anything?”
“No demons, no people. He’s alone.”
“Awesome. Is there a basement or anything in this dump?” My voice drags as I walk towards the front door and look through the peep hole, letting my paranoia get the best of me. I grab one of the chairs from the set in the center of the room and anchor it under the doorknob, even though it’s pointless. If demons wanted to get us, they wouldn’t go through the front door, for one. And two, these measly wooden doors wouldn’t do a thing except annoy them for the half-second it takes to shoulder charge them down.
“Yeah. There was an altar, but I destroyed it. Other than that, it’s just a bunch of nothing down there. Boxes and old junk.”
“Perfect.”
With me at the lead, Blaze, Abby, and I make our way down to the abandoned basement. Step by step, I guide them as they carry Gareth by his hands and feet down the stairs. For obvious reasons, I don’t help, but instead serve as Blaze’s eyes while he walks backwards. If I have to guess, Gareth is between one hundred seventy to one hundred eighty pounds. He’s big but he isn’t The Hulk. In fact, Blaze can probably throw him over his shoulder if he wants to…I think.
When we reach the bottom of the stairwell, Abby and Blaze shuffle towards the center of the room, next to one of the house’s support beams. “Okay, that’s a good spot. Drop him there.” Gareth grunts as his body hits the floor, the back of his head taking most of the trauma. “Abs, can you do me a favor?” I ask while fastening more zip ties. “Run upstairs and grab a chair from that table.” About thirty seconds later, Abby makes her way back to me and rests the chair against the supporting pillar in the center of the room. “Thanks.” Knowing what comes next, Blaze and Abby hoist Gareth into the chair. He starts to struggle as I come around from behind to interlock the joints of the chair with his ties, but Blaze remedies it by steadying the demon’s shoulder with one hand while flashing his knife with the other. After joining the ties to the chair, I make another set of connections, linking the chair to the support beam behind it—one for his arms and another for his feet, effectively locking him down. It’s not perfect, but it’ll get the job done. If he tries anything funny, we have more than enough resources to keep him at bay. After securing the ties, I stand and place my body in front of him. The demon doesn’t hesitate at the chance to stare at me directly in my eyes. Even with his vessel rendered virtually useless and his life at the end of its rope, a smug look still finds a way onto his face.
Sailor Ray and the Dark Descent (The Pact Book 2) Page 13