by Scalzo, Russ
“All of you, stand to your feet!” their master commanded.
Although Dante, Marduk, Nabu and Asaru were all close to seven feet tall, even they still had to look up to the huge, menacing being in front of them.
“I grow weary of your lack of respect. I fear you are enjoying your life as a human a little too much, Dante. Maybe I need to make a change. Do you feel I should make a change?” he demanded.
Dante knew he was indulging in the lusts of the flesh way more than he should, but he was becoming addicted to his new life. Lying would certainly not work in this case. That only worked on humans. He needed to be more careful or there would be hell to pay. “No, master. All is going according to plan. I can handle my assignment and whatever comes my way.”
The huge, dark figure moved his head from side to side checking for any reactions from the others. None of them wanted an assignment to the U.S. Victory carried with it the greatest reward, but it was also the most difficult spiritual battle to fight. As far as they were concerned, Dante could keep it.
Satisfied there were no comments or twitches, he turned his laser-like gaze on Dante. “There will be no more warnings. We are in the best position to rid this planet of the Jews since World War II. Iran must keep moving forward. America must keep moving away, and hate for the Jews must continue to grow. So, give me your reports. What have you been doing to move our cause forward?”
Nabu and Asaru spoke first, “We have stirred up the spirits of the Medes here in Iraq and Syria who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. Their bows will strike down the young men. They will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children. And they loath Jews and Christians.”
“Well done!” the master responded with zeal.
Marduk extended his wings out full and stretched his neck, moving to the left and then to the right. “I have awakened ancient Magog to the north. He and his cohorts are gearing up for battle. They are moving troops and military hardware into Syria and are sending the needed weapons to Iran. They will be ready when the time comes,” he said proudly.
Dante smirked, always looking to outdo his peers. “I have been busy blinding the U.S. to Iran’s plans for an Israeli invasion, and I am preparing the next President of the United States along with a number of U.S. senators so that when the new administration takes office, they will denounce Israel actions and cut off military aid. I must say, my job is far more difficult than arousing an already militant people to hate and war.”
Marduk Nabu, and Asaru’s eyes blazed with hate. There was no camaraderie between these dark beings, only self-edification and envy.
Their master sneered, “We are done here for now. Make sure you follow up on your assignments. There is a rustling among the angels in Heaven. I sense our time is short. No mistakes this time. This time we win!”
With that, he vanished without a sound, leaving his four princes alone and uncomfortably silent. One at a time, they extended their wings and with fire in their eyes, took one last death-like stare at Dante and rocketed straight up into the night sky. Within seconds, the three were out of sight leaving Dante by himself in the torrid Iranian desert. He grinned, and then let out a deep-throated laugh that echoed through the surrounding mountains. He rolled himself up in his large wings and vanished in a puff of red mist.
* * *
It was eight o’clock in the morning when Senator Wellsenburg walked into Urbana at the Palomar Hotel. The décor of Urbana restaurant was inspired by 1920s New York, and the Mediterranean sunset palette made it popular with hotel guests.
The restaurant was busy. All but a few tables were filled. Dante was already seated at a table set off by itself in the corner of the restaurant, taking great pleasure in a cup of black coffee, when the senator came in. He had developed a real taste for the addicting bean. The more time he spent in human form, the more he envied the many sensations these mere mortals could experience. It only served to increase his hatred for all humankind. He never understood how God could love such inferior beings. They failed constantly, they were tempted easily, and few were actually appreciative of anything. The more he thought about it, the greater his resentment grew. He couldn’t allow himself that luxury if he was to successfully complete his mission. He looked up and saw the senator walking towards his table and quickly changed his demeanor.
“Good morning, Senator! Would you like a cup of coffee? It’s quite good this morning.”
Wellsenburg sat down and motioned to the server to pour him a cup. He was always amazed, as well as a bit annoyed, by Dante’s constant over-the- top, upbeat attitude. He wondered how someone could possibly be that upbeat all the time.
“Did you sleep well? And how was your meeting?” Dante asked.
“It went well. Things are moving forward as expected.”
The senator took a sip of his hot java. “I have to be back on the Hill in an hour, but I am hungry. I usually eat before this, but I was tied up with several early phone calls.” He motioned to the server that he was ready to order.
“Do you know what you feel like eating?” Wellsenburg asked Dante.
“Yes. I’ll have the mushroom, spinach and goat cheese omelet. I’ve had that before and found it very nourishing,” Dante told him.
The senator tilted his head slightly and smirked. Very nourishing? he thought. There were many occasions when he thought Dante reacted strangely to certain things. It was like he was an alien visiting planet Earth for the first time. Most times, he wrote it off because Dante had so many other traits that were far more mysterious, but it still bothered him.
“I’ll have the Nutella French Toast,” Wellsenburg told the server.
The server nodded. “Very good, sir.”
“So, what’s your meeting about this morning?” Dante asked, always digging for more information.
“Russia is causing concern on Capitol Hill because of the latest military moves into Syria. No one knows what their real intentions are. It is also making Israel very nervous and when that happens, Washington gets nervous.”
Dante was well aware of their intentions for he and his cohorts were deeply involved in maneuvering and calling these nations to battle, or at least they thought so. “The world is a dangerous place and always has been. We need to focus on your candidacy and prepare for your announcement declaring your decision to run for President. It’s the middle of May, so we shouldn’t wait too much longer.”
Wellsenburg’s heart leaped in his chest. He had been waiting a long time to have this conversation. He was anxious and excited at the same time. His mind raced. President of the United States. He let the thought fill his mind. Amazingly, possibly, hopefully, this could be his reality by the end of next year.
“I think I should announce next month. This will give us enough time to raise the needed funds,” Wellsenburg explained.
Dante smiled. “Oh, I don’t think you will have to worry about that. That’s my job. But first, we need to slow down Mr. Bennett and his partner Frank Lederman. You mentioned you have a few men you trust. Is that true?”
The senator’s demeanor abruptly changed. He had hoped Dante would take care of all that. He personally didn’t care what had to be done or to whom it had to be done, he just didn’t want to have to do it himself. He studied Dante and answered, “Yes, it’s true. What’s your plan?”
Dante waited to respond as he saw the waiter approaching out of the corner of his eye with their order. The waiter placed the dishes on the table and poured them both another cup of coffee. They nodded their approval and the waiter walked away. “We need to make contact with the girl, if you know what I mean. Can your men be trusted not to screw this up?” Dante asked.
Wellsenburg’s eyes widened. He put his hand over his mouth so no one could read his lips, and then nervously leaned in and whispered, “You mean kill her?”
“What?” Dante said, seemingly shocked that Wellsenburg would ever think of such a thing. “No, of course not. What kind of
person do you think I am? No. We just want to scare them. Have your men follow her and grab her one night. We’ll hold her for a couple of days, and then let her go as a warning. That’s all. I’m sure they’ll back off after that.”
Wellsenburg looked perplexed, his mind racing. Didn’t Dante just say the other day that he had people everywhere? And that he had all the resources in the world? He wondered, Why then, does he need my help? He looked at him for a moment then said, “I am confused. Why aren’t you using your resources for this operation?”
Dante was attacking his omelet like the invasion of Normandy. The senator had barely touched his food, but Dante had nearly finished all his breakfast already, another oddity that Wellsenburg had noticed since he met him. Dante ate like he had never tasted or eaten food before in his life.
Dante looked up at him, fork in hand, “I understand your confusion, Senator, but my resources are currently unable to touch Jack Bennett at this time. I can’t get into it right now, but as long as you have the men that can handle this mission, you have no need to worry.” Dante finished his breakfast and motioned to the waiter to bring more coffee.
Wellsenburg raised his left eyebrow. “You might want to take it easy on the caffeine. You already seem a little more hyper than usual.”
“It does have a curious effect on me, but I do like the way it feels.”
The senator tilted his head, slightly bewildered once again by Dante’s odd response.
“Okay, I will arrange it,” Wellsenburg said.
“No, let me handle this. You know too much already. Write down the number of your contact, and I will call myself. I will have them meet me here at the hotel at eight o’clock tonight. I will fill them in and tell them exactly how and what I want done.”
Wellsenburg reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black notepad, grabbed a napkin, and wrote the number down.
“Ah, a little black book?” Dante commented.
“Yeah, no digital footprint. It’s much easier to make this little book disappear than any digital device.”
Dante reached over and put the napkin in his pocket. Wellsenburg looked at his watch, took one more sip of coffee, and stood up, “I have to run. Keep me updated.”
“On the contrary, you will have no knowledge of this operation whatsoever. That’s the way it has to be.”
The senator nodded, turned, and walked out of the restaurant. Dante motioned to the waiter and he came over to the table. “I would like to try the Nutella French Toast that the senator ordered. It smelled very interesting. And bring another fresh carafe of hot coffee.”
The waiter looked surprised, but nodded his head and started back to the kitchen. He had never had anybody ask for a second breakfast before. He knew this fellow was way too large to be from the Shire. Even as he thought it, he chuckled to himself. Dante sensed his sarcasm even though he had said nothing and had even tried to hide his smirk as he walked away. Dante decided that if the food was good, he would not make the server pay for his insolence.
The waiter brought the new carafe of coffee and as he did, he glanced at Dante. Their eyes met and fear suddenly gripped his heart. He couldn’t explain it, but it was real and it was scary. Dante smiled in a way that sent a chill down his spine.
“Thank you, young man. I hope the French Toast is as good as it smelled.”
The waiter’s eyes grew wide. “I’m... I’m... sure it will be, sir. We get many compliments on that dish.” The waiter quickly turned and walked away, wishing he didn’t have to return to his table. Dante smiled. He was pleased with himself. He had obviously made his point.
At the opposite end of the room, at a table near the entrance, a man sat alone, his fingers busy typing on his paper-thin MacBook. He was a rather short man, a little stocky, but not fat. He had a balding head and he wore a suit. His jacket carefully lay on the back of the empty chair next to him. He glanced over to where Dante was sitting, then just as quickly, his eyes ran back to his keyboard. He had come in right before Senator Wellsenburg walked in and sat down with Dante Adal.
The man stopped typing, took one more look around, picked his phone off the table, and made a call. He talked only for a few minutes, but the conversation was intense. Then he closed his MacBook and placed it in his briefcase. He reached into his pocket, left some cash on the table, and then proceeded to walk out the door. Dante Adal never looked up. He was unusually distracted by the waiter who cautiously brought him his second breakfast and then turned and scurried away.
* * *
Dante sat in his 650 square foot, two-room suite getting prepared for Wellsenburg’s henchmen to show up. He had read the description of the room online. King size bed with custom 300 thread count, Egyptian cotton linens, a luxury bathroom with a soaking tub for two, and a large working desk with a comfortable ergonomic chair. He mused at the Egyptian cotton linens. They weren’t anything like what the Pharaohs had on their beds, but all in all, he did enjoy all the comforts mortals supplied themselves with. He made up his mind to take the time to enjoy all the amenities.
A firm, heavy knock on the door broke the silence in the room. Dante got up from the desk where he had been perusing the Internet and opened the door. Two men stood in the hallway. One had a large scar on his right cheek. Both were around six feet, two inches with medium builds. They appeared to be Slavic, possibly from Russia. Their faces were pinkish-white with grey eyes. They had thin lips and eyebrows and straight noses with the tips rather thick and roundish. They looked like they could handle themselves in most situations.
“Come in, gentlemen,” Dante scoped them out as they walked in. He could sense these men had a long and wicked history and that pleased him. Pointing to his left he said, “Have a seat and we’ll get down to business.”
Dante sat on the edge of the bed, his forearms resting on his knees. The two men sat down on the two leather chairs that faced the bed without saying a word and just stared at Dante. He had no idea if or what the senator might have told them in preparation for their meeting, so he thought it best to go over a few ground rules.
“First, I don’t need to know your names, where you’re from, or what your favorite weapon is. I just need you to carry out a few instructions, and when I say carry out, I mean perfectly and without incident. Do we understand each other?”
The two men glanced at each other and nodded.
“Good,” Dante said leaning forward. “What I am about to tell you must not be repeated, not even to the man who sent you here. Are we still on the same page?”
The men looked straight ahead and nodded again, their faces unchanging.
“Excellent. Here are your instructions. You are to kidnap a young woman named Emily Richardson. She is a waitress at a café in Blackstone, Virginia called CJ’s.”
Dante reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and a photo and handed it to the one with the scar on his face. Dante addressed him because he perceived he was the leader.
“Here is a photo and the address of her apartment building. I want you to follow her and make note of her schedule - where she goes, when she goes and with whom. From that, determine your best opportunity to take her. You only get one shot at this, so get it right.”
Dante’s voice got louder and his eyes flared slightly, briefly changing color. The two men’s eyes shifted towards each other while barely moving their heads. They would talk about that later.
He continued, “You will find a white Ford van parked on the first level in the parking garage at 2135 M Street. The keys are under the front wheel. When the opportunity presents itself, grab her, throw her in the van, and take her somewhere where no one will hear her scream.”
He could tell by the way they were gawking at the picture he gave them that they liked what they saw.
Dante added, “You can have your fun with her, but when you’re done, put a bullet in her pretty little head.”
The two men looked at each other, than back at Dante.
Dante gl
ared at them. “Is there a problem?” he asked in a low, haunting tenor.
The one with the large scar fixed his eyes on Dante and said in a matter of face tone, “We usually get paid more for something like this.”
Dante bent over, reached down between his legs, and pulled out his briefcase from under the bed. He placed it in front of him, and with one foot slid it over in front of the two men.
“Open it!” Dante commanded firmly.
They opened it and smirked. Dante stood up, walked over to the desk, and sat down in the desk chair. “There’s twenty thousand in there. When I am satisfied that the job is done according to my specifications, you’ll get twenty thousand more.”
The two men nodded, grabbed the briefcase, and stood up. Dante turned around in his desk chair and opened a bottle of scotch he had out waiting for him. He lifted his right arm, flicked his wrist, and said, “You can show yourselves out.”
The two men didn’t hesitate. They walked over, opened the door, and they were gone. Feeling pleased with himself, Dante thought, It’s not what the good senator expected, but it will do the job.
He smiled and took a drink. These humans know how to live, he thought to himself. Too bad it won’t be for much longer.
His laugh pierced the night and traveled to the darkest parts of hell.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Jack woke up as the first rays of morning sun peered through his bedroom window. He had gotten a good night sleep and wanted to make the most of what looked to be one of the best days of spring so far. He had already prayed, showered, and loaded up a new post to his blog site. It was Emily’s day off so he wanted to drive by her place and see if he could convince her to take a nice, long, early morning walk with him. He had been meaning to start exercising lately, especially now that it was spring and more importantly, because he now had a girlfriend. Emily was much more than a girlfriend and Jack was hoping to upgrade that title into something more permanent as soon as possible.