Enter the Janitor (The Cleaners) (Volume 1)

by Josh Vogt

  That locked her gaze with his. “Truth about what?”

  Sydney wiped Ben’s sweating brow. Ben tried to flinch from the touch, but the bindings held him still.

  “Why, about your mentor here. About why the Cleaners ignored their own rules to place you with him.”

  “What rules?”

  He steepled his fingers. “One critical rule, to be precise: Those who have been tainted by Corruption shall never be allowed to train any new servant of Purity. Simple really. Can’t fathom how they forgot it in your case.”

  Her breath caught, and the first tremors of uncertainty shook her thoughts. “Tainted?”

  Ben stiffened. “Sydney, I’m warnin’ you. Don’t make this personal.”

  Sydney looked at Ben with amusement. “And do you want to know the worst of it? He’s a hypocrite. For the very fact that he remains with the Cleaners, doing their work, obeying their commands, he is impure to the core himself.”

  “What are you talking about?” Dani asked.

  Walking around Ben’s platform, Sydney took up position next to the janitor’s right arm, which kept tensing and relaxing. Fear and fury mingled in Ben’s eyes. She knew she shouldn’t let Sydney toy with him, however the mage was doing it, but she didn’t know how to stop him.

  Ben thrashed as much as the straps allowed, and Dani half-expected him to snap a bone from his efforts.

  “Lemme outta here, you coward. Too afraid to face me fair-like? Gotta kick me when I’m down? I’m warnin’ you! Don’t—”

  Sydney touched Ben’s right sleeve. The material disintegrated up to the shoulder, baring that arm.

  Dani gasped. Ben’s arm looked like it had been ripped off a corpse and attached to his body. A black stain radiated out from the inner elbow, and dark veins threaded throughout gray and flaking skin.

  Sydney waved for her to examine it closer. Dazed, Dani stared at the limb’s bleeding sores and the violent bruises mottling the skin down to the wrist—beyond which his hand looked relatively healthy.

  Ben fixed the mage with an icy stare. “You just made this personal. You’re gonna regret that.”

  “You see?” Sydney traced the black veins with a forefinger. “This is the mark of the Ravishing. A vicious infection. It only manifests in those who commit the most unthinkable acts of violence and betrayal. It is the giving over of the body, mind, and soul to Corruption … and from then on, they are a lost cause, slowly twisting into further depravity. It saps their power and eats away their life until they are nothing but a husk. This is the path Ben is on as we speak.”

  Resignation dulled Ben’s voice. “That ain’t true, and you know it.”

  “Ben …” Dani reached out to his arm, but didn’t quite touch. “What happened to you? What is this? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  His cheeks sagged. “Aww, princess … you weren’t ready …”

  “Ben killed his wife, dear one,” Sydney said, prowling around the table.

  “I ain’t never did,” Ben growled. “Wasn’t me. I’ll keep denyin’ it, no matter what.”

  Sydney continued his circuit, talking as he walked, while Dani remained rooted, unable to look away from the hideous sight.

  “Benjamin was once one of the most powerful and honored servants of Purity. He and his wife worked as a team, striking down Corruption and Scum wherever they went. Such an example to us all. But who knows quite how insanity begins? Is it a slow, creeping thing? Or does it leap and devour all at once?” He moved out of sight behind her. “Poor Ben couldn’t handle all the responsibility. During a job, something went awry. Only Ben returned, raving and infected with the Ravishing. He almost destroyed a full scrub-team before they got him under control.” He sighed. “Tragic, really. They thought they were showing mercy by keeping him alive.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “Dani, he’s not tellin’ the whole story. My wife … she—”

  “Why do you think Destin placed you in his care in the first place?” said Sydney. “To give poor Benjamin a chance to prove himself again?” His barking laughter ricocheted around the tiny room. “Maybe that’s what he deluded himself into believing. But deep down he knows they wanted him to infect you. To pass on the Ravishing so it would subdue your true power and potential.”

  Her eyes finally switched from Ben’s arm to his face. She saw the pain there, the helplessness—the guilt.

  “Is that true?” she asked. She felt numb and listless. “Are you infectious?”

  He chewed at his cheeks. “The uniform keeps it contained, mostly.”

  “Mostly?”

  “I didn’t have a choice,” he said.

  “Yes, you did. You could’ve told me.”

  “Mebbe. But … I’d hoped I could actually make a last difference before I go. Help you gain control. Get your new life started right.”

  “But you knew.” She stabbed a finger at his face. “You knew I could get infected and you kept me with you. Just so you could feel important again. All this time …”

  He shook his head. “I’ve been tryin’ to protect you! Come on, princess, can’t you see what he’s doing? He’s twisted things all up.”

  “Oh, like you’ve been straight with me. What happened to your wife, Ben?”

  “I … don’t rightly remember.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Hurt pinched one side of his face. “Somethin’ got into my head that day and I’ve never been able to get it straightened out. But I ain’t ever lied to you, Dani. Not once. And I ain’t ever gonna.”

  “That’s quite enough.” With a swift place and pull, Sydney replaced the gag strap and tightened it until Ben’s jaw creaked. The janitor’s glare bored into Sydney, but the mage didn’t appear affected by the projected rage. “There. Peace and quiet again. Better than listening to convenient excuses of memory loss, isn’t it?”

  He left her staring at Ben while he went to the door and pulled it open. Beyond waited a well-lit hallway of gray and white mason stone with doors every ten feet or so on either side. He returned to her and took her unresisting hand.

  “There are others you should meet. They’ll help you understand what’s really at stake here. They can offer you true freedom.”

  With her mind whirling, she let him put his arm around her shoulders and lead her out. The door clanged shut behind them, cutting off a last glimpse of Ben renewing his struggle against the bonds.

  ***

  Chapter Sixteen

  As Sydney guided her down the hall, Dani kicked into an internal debate about the revelation of Ben’s deceit. Was what Sydney said true? Had the Cleaners placed her with Ben in the hopes of subduing her power? Had they not offered her a new world to explore after all, but tried to throw her into a bigger cage?

  And if they had, should she blame Ben for his part in it? Maybe it had been cruel of her to leave him behind so quickly; in the confusion, her instincts had prodded her to get as far away from potential contamination as possible.

  Even if he’d truly hoped to help her, it didn’t excuse him completely. He hadn’t lied, true, but it was a serious omission, especially since he knew her hatred of filth and disease. He could’ve told her. He should’ve told her.

  She could’ve been infected. Doomed to become a shade of herself. He hadn’t denied that. Could he really protect her from himself if he’d been too far Corrupted? And if she couldn’t trust him, who else was there? Sydney?

  She eyed the entropy mage’s back as he silently led the way. “Can you really make yourself sterile? Er, that is, not as far and kids and all go, but with germs and—oh, you know what I mean.”

  He grinned back at her. “Yes, I do and I can.”

  “Think you could teach me?”

  “Sadly, not all of us share the same giftings. Your skills, while able to impact the world on a much grander scale than my own, are not so precise.”

  “You’re saying I’m clumsy.”

  “Hardly. We simply wield different instruments. You mig
ht imagine me holding tweezers while you wield a club the size of a small island.”

  Once, she might’ve thought that a subtle dig at her weight. However, she kept her focus, determined to learn as much as she could.

  “Ben said you were a handyman.”

  “There, at least, his memory does not suffer.”

  “Why’d you leave the Cleaners?”

  He grimaced. “The details are unimportant. Suffice it to say that I grew tired of living according to others’ dictums. We could never have a dissenting voice, never stray too far outside procedure without being slapped back into place by the Board and its watchdogs. So long as the proper image was maintained, it never mattered what personnel issues festered.”

  Dani tried to sort out her impression of him. While he worked for those she was supposed to consider the “other side,” at least they shared a distaste for being forced in line. Maybe coming with him wasn’t the wisest choice, but he at least seemed less inclined to hurt her if she refused to go along with whatever he had in store—unlike the Cleaners being ready to scrub her out the moment she stopped playing by the rules.

  Still, even if she decided to return to the Cleaners, she needed to know what other options existed. If Ben could rationalize cavorting with a garbage man, why couldn’t she pal around with an entropy mage? While he walked and talked like a poor man’s Phantom of the Opera, at least he made an attempt to be charming and didn’t smell like laundry detergent and talcum powder.

  She realized they’d been walking for almost five minutes without seeing anyone else.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “In the halls of fiery purification,” he said, sweeping an arm.

  She glared sideways at him. “Oh, yes, the halls of fiery purification. Dropped by here for summer vacation a few years back.”

  “I don’t mean to confuse you.” Arriving at a T-junction, Sydney turned right, into another stretch of identical walls and closed doors. “This is one of my homes, and the abode of a fellowship devoted to bringing true purity to the world.”

  Dani shoved away a momentary, irrational desire to have Ben at her side. “More entropy mages?”

  “More?” Sydney’s laughter came out deep this time. “No, no. My kind is as rare as yours. No. The ones we go to meet are … enthusiasts. While not the most open-minded folks, they certainly know how to commit to a cause.”

  “And that cause is?”

  “Better to let them tell you. While I’m a believer in their efforts, they’re much more eloquent in explaining their creed.”

  They walked in silence for several minutes more. At last, Sydney shoved open a door and pulled Dani in after him.

  She blinked in the dim yellow light that settled over them. The room appeared to be a miniature chapel with rows of cedar pews before a wooden pulpit. A single torch blazed on the wall behind this, and tiny sconces ringed the room, each holding the barest candle-flickers.

  A group knelt before the pulpit, heads bowed and hands folded. All were bald. The women among them wore loose white robes, while the men had white tunics and pants. No shoes or any accessories. It all couldn’t have looked more sterile. Even after a few sniffs, she couldn’t detect a single odor beyond her sweaty self.

  As one, the group rose and turned to the newcomers. None of them had any eyebrows, either, and their eyes looked like glowing beads in the candlelight.

  “Hail, brothers and sisters,” Sydney called out, moving to meet them with Dani at his side. “I have rescued this one from the lies of the Cleaners and brought her here to take her place among you.”

  She hissed a whisper. “I haven’t agreed to anything. I’m not a free-for-all joiner, got it?”

  “Greetings and welcome, young one,” said the closest man. Dani guessed that if he’d had any hair, it would have been combed back with a dash of dignified gray. “I am Marcus. We are honored to have one of your power in our midst. We have anticipated this day since the founding of our order.”

  They lined up before her, soft smiles directed her way. The placid expressions and submissive postures started pinging a mental warning of cult! cult!

  “Who are you?”

  “We are the Cleansers. The true servants of Purity.” Marcus spread his arms as if for a group hug. “We are your new family.”

  “Oh, for …” She turned and shook a fist at Sydney. “You said you’d help me get free. You didn’t say I’d have to join a cult.”

  Sydney’s smile drooped on one side and he made an apologetic bow to the others. “My pardon, brethren. She doesn’t realize the foolishness she speaks. I assure you—”

  “I know full well what I speaketh of, thank you. And no, I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid and no, I’m not riding the UFO or wearing one of those stupid robes.” She plucked at her janitorial uniform. “I am so tired of all this. You and your Pantheons and silly battles over a bit of spit and polish. I’m sick and done with it.” Dani turned to go. “I’m leaving. And if any of you try to stop me, I’ll—”

  Marcus stepped forward and gripped her shoulder. While his hold rooted her, his face remained gentle, even kind.

  “Young one, you cannot leave. This is where you have belonged since you were born with the spark of Purity within you.”

  Dani let out a frustrated shriek, and didn’t bother resisting as her power loosed. Its triumphant cry echoed hers as it raged free and latched onto the nearest, strongest element.

  The flame of the torch exploded and billowed out, pouring into a river of fire that cascaded through the room. It swelled and flooded the chapel until the cult members stood as dark pillars within the firestorm.

  While she rode the wave of energy, in the back of her mind, Dani flailed against the horror of burning these people to ashen skeletons. The tiniest part of her tried to cut off the spell, but it burned on until she was certain she’d be standing alone with a few piles of ash around her.

  Then it felt as if someone attached half a dozen funnels to the magic and drained it off all at once. The fire fell away as quick as she’d summoned it, revealing an untouched room. The Cleansers all stood before her, unmoved. Each of them held an aura of flame like living wicks. The fire hadn’t so much as singed their white garments. At her side, Sydney sniffed and flicked ash off his shoulder.

  Dani stared, aghast at the ineffectiveness of her spell. They smiled back, content and patient.

  “We have each been touched by the cleansing flame,” Marcus said. “We are the ones chosen to purge the disease of life from the world, just as you are.” He looked to Sydney. “She has much potential, but is sullied with doubt and confusion. We shall cleanse her mind and soul so there will be nothing but fire left within her. She will be the Cleanser incarnate, and wherever she walks, Purity will follow.”

  They pressed in, smiles unwavering. Over one woman’s shoulder, Dani saw Sydney bow to Marcus and slip back toward the door.

  “Sydney, don’t you dare leave me here with these lunatics!”

  “Only for a time.” He fluttered fingers through the crack he held open in the doorway. “Marcus, please keep her feisty spirit intact. I’d rather not have her mind shattered.” He winked at her. “When next I see you, dearest, you will welcome me with open arms.”

  “I’ll welcome you with a kick in the—”

  The door clicked shut. She lost her threat in a wordless howl as she lunged to free herself from the many clinging hands.

  “Ben!” She wrenched an arm loose and punched backward. Knuckles cracked against cartilage and drew a yelp. “Ben! Help!”

  A cloth smelling of mint slapped over her nose and mouth. Surprised, she couldn’t stop herself from sucking a deep breath. The room went hazy. The edges turned into snakes that writhed around her feet, and the flames became mocking sprites dancing above her head in a halo that spun …

  … and spun

  … and

  … extinguished.

  ***

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ben almos
t popped his left shoulder out of joint as he struggled.

  Gonna string that boy up like a gutted buzzard. Gonna flip his flapper until he squeals like a side o’ bacon.

  The slab refused to rock, no matter how he threw his weight around.

  Gonna shove his head into a bucket and make him blow bubbles. Gonna replace his spine with a slinky and kick him downstairs!

  The leather straps remained tight, and he only succeeded in exhausting himself and inventing half a dozen more insults by the time the door re-opened.

  Two urmoch strode in, hunched beneath their filthy robes. They moved to either side of him, speaking in guttural bursts. Claws ticked over his ribs and dug in under his chin.

  Ben bit down on the strap. Had Sydney promised them a meal? The entropy mage’s control over the reptilian creatures baffled him.

  One leaned over him, eyes glowing like dull gold coins in the depths of its hood. Its mouth opened, revealing bloodstained fangs. A glob of saliva plopped onto his face and slid down his cheek like a foul tear. A rough tongue licked it off. Fleshy barbs snagged his skin.

  “That’s enough,” came Sydney’s voice from the hallway.

  The urmoch retreated to the walls with sullen hisses, claws folded within their sleeves. Sydney strode in with less flair than usual, a more set look in his eyes. A touch disintegrated the strap gagging Ben and left fine dust coating his tongue.

  “What’dja do with Dani?” he demanded.

  “Such concern,” Sydney said. “I’d almost think you were smitten with her.” He put a hand to his throat. “Though the idea disgusts me. To think of your wrinkled, odorous self with such a pristine creature as her …” A shudder. “Fortunate that I came along before you could corrupt her body as much as you tried to with her mind.”

  “Get off your high horse. What’s this really about? Revenge? You gonna try and use me to get back into HQ?”