by Joshua Brown
Priest River, a name so holy, yet a place so forsaken.
Chapter 2
Onyx
Priest River: a jewel among the wasteland of America - a glistening gem, sparkling, through acrid mist.
Such a perfect place deserved a hero of equal match, a savior to rid those beautiful streets from the vile who wished to taint her perfection. I was Priest River’s champion, a servant to the crown, an unmistakable visage of purity and light in the darkest of hours.
But I was never alone in my venture of purification. At my side, the Earth Mother stood. My Goddess, driving power, sword, and shield, ready to break from Heaven’s gates and end the tyranny which set to take Priest River from us.
Together we stood, ready to fend and fight against the Inquisition and those who desperately sought to destroy. Those demons who rode on the backs of their hell beasts with malice-driven hearts to crumble all that I held dear.
She spoke to me, fueled my hungry heart, empowered my mission. Priest River was no average town of concrete and wanton faces—she was a living, breathing vessel carrying my salvation within her roots. My Goddess flowed through her and called to me, beckoned me, forced me to stay, and her magnificence humbled me.
But everything pure will someday be corrupted. Thus was the mission of the Inquisition. By destroying this once sacred land, they’d lay waste to the last vestige of the Earth Mother. Trembling hearts would quake at the iron clasp grip of hell’s enforcers, while the few remaining purists felt the worst of the devil’s scorn.
Their mission was to bring malls, hotels, casinos, and attractions, all unsustainable growth for money and glory. These men and women brought with them a plague—one which tainted the hearts of Priest River’s pure.
Corruption, greed, a twisted sickness of rancid decay…
I’d never let them take her, not while her blood pumped through my veins and held me honor-bound. I was her sword, vigilante, a knight in shining armor, and I’d fight to the death in Earth Mother’s glory.
I saw them at first, in their modern armor of suits, ties, and dresses. Their yellow, hard hat helmets, a testament to the impending war. Blueprints of the future dangled from their gangly fingers, plotting the inevitable doom of our true last standing Goddess.
From across the river, I watched them scheming within the walls of the Trinity Baptist Church. Not even the holy grounds were safe from their thieving hands. Demons disguised in human skin, their slithering tongues betraying the senses of our holy virtues.
A fine, soft rain drizzled through the canopy of trees in which I stood. The rain brought life to this dying land of ours. We’d stood together, ready for battle, in one last fight to save what was ours.
“I will not let them take you,” I muttered the words, my hand stroking the bark of a nearby tree. Though she did not speak, I knew the Earth Mother was by my side, listening to my words.
For now, she was weak, but I’d bring her back to strength. I’d fuel her with the very monstrosities who wished to take her from me.
After all, the Earth Mother, my Goddess, was nature, the center of the universe, a culmination of perfection delivering life through my town.
My mom was a proud woman, but she was merely a vessel to bring me into this world. My true mother was the Goddess that flowed through Priest River.
“I will not let them devour your innocence,” I hunched over, eyeing those men and women in the distance.
They held their schematics, spoke over one another, accusatory fingers pointing to future grand constructions of impurity. Their lecherous, sinful tongues spewing lies to the good people of my Goddess’s realm.
I’d not allow it.
They’d already torn up the natural greenery along the river as a foundation for their upcoming casino. The first of many fresh additions to my hometown. Those business people, contractors of evil, looked to renew Priest River, starting with a temple of sin.
My poor, foolish brethren barely comprehended the meaning of this. Their greedy eyes saw only gold in the future, unaware of the destruction it would bring. Our Goddess, a once-proud mother to all, in the birthplace of humanity, turned to ash for man-made steel and warped pylons to Lucifer.
How did they find her? I had to wonder. Our last crusader of the old gods standing against the tyranny of monsters. It was always only a matter of time. And I squandered years and youth, believing I had more time. If only I’d been diligent, hardworking, better prepared, their arrival may not have taken me off guard.
But with most things in this life, one can only be so ready. The time for caution had ended. At least she has me to do her bidding. I’d take action, bring them to their knees, and make them quake in their sinister desires. That day my mission began; a crusade to rid the Goddess of the devil’s horde.
Chapter 3
Jack
Since my arrival in New York City nearly twenty-five years ago, I rarely left it. This city burned its mark on me early, hunkering me down in place and holding me tight–never to let go. Nor did I want it to, either.
The world beyond the self-constructed walls surrounding New York hid a putrid wasteland. I understood the rotten core of the Big Apple, the filth that lived within those streets, and I knew how to break it. The wide-open vistas of what lay beyond were a sinister cesspool of disaster and self-loathing.
And for the first time, in what must’ve been decades, I felt afraid to leave. The thought of venturing out of the concrete jungle left me shuddering. I’d become a hermit, lost within this artificial wood, abandoning all of what waited beyond. To leave was giving up my utopia for a world unknown–desert my realm of light for whatever waited in the shadows.
I entered my office a little after eight, having packed my bags for my flight that afternoon. I filled Lauren Beckett, my secretary and friend, in about what was going to happen over the phone to ensure there wasn’t much delay when I had to leave. She set my mind at ease, letting me know she’d take care of Skylar in my absence.
I tossed my coat and hat on the rack beside the door.
“Morning, boss, I hear you’re going on a little vacation,” Aaron was the first to speak.
Aaron Hart was a brilliant man, one of the few I trusted with my life. The longer we worked together, the more I saw the makings of a true detective in Aaron. His heart of gold remained freely displayed on his sleeve, always ready to help those in need but not afraid to show his teeth where necessary. Like me, Aaron had a no holds barred attitude towards injustice. And damn, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner and friend.
“That’s if you can call Priest River, Idaho a vacation,” the words escaped me through gritted teeth.
“It’s not all bad, right? You’ll be able to see your family again,” Lauren chimed in, tucking a strand of red hair behind one ear. She wore a tight black dress that clung to her curves, leaving little to the imagination. Her bright smile made her blue eyes sparkle.
She looked absolutely astonishing that morning, and I felt a little embarrassed looking at her the way I did.
All thoughts and feelings soon returned to normal. The idea of seeing my kin left a dark void in my soul, and I vowed not to. Not that Aaron or Lauren knew much about my past. I’d always been secretive of my youth, even to my closest. It never came up in conversation, and I wasn’t much one to dwell on the past. I buried it for a reason, after all.
Yet, if I’d divulge my secret to anyone, it’d be Lauren. She was my confidant, always helping me through the worst of times and praising me at the best.
“I’m not going to be in long,” I changed the topic of conversation before anyone asked questions that only had tough answers. “Just need to collect a few things before I head out.”
Both Aaron and Lauren continued on with whatever they were doing while I went into the back room. The Mercer Detective Agency had an open-planned space where Lauren and Aaron worked. Behind it, my office was the only space that could close for privacy with new clients. Not that Lauren ever gave us
that privacy, really. She’d always be listening in, and I’d always thank her for it later.
Having someone to bounce ideas off of always came in handy.
Back when I opened the Mercer Detective Agency, I never had dreams of a partner. Before my time as a PI, I worked as a detective in the New York Police Department. It was a different time back then, well before technology boomed. And though I never wanted to bring Aaron Hart in for anything other than working the computer, somehow, he ended up as my partner all the same.
With someone who could work the net, a lot of cases were open and shut through footage on surveillance cameras or tracking down a person by social media habits. Aaron had a way of working his computer, playing its strings like a Flamenco guitarist trying to woo a lover. Change was a necessity, not a want—but you either adapt or disappear into obscurity.
I went into the office, mainly to collect my firearm’s travel license, my recorder, and a few other odds and ends for the job. I didn’t know what to expect out there, and I wasn’t going to take any chances, either.
All I knew, it was a missing person case. I didn’t have all the time in the world to bring it to a close, either. My office needed me more than a blast from my past, Valentina Shelby, and her druggy son. When I had all my belongings tucked away in a leather shoulder bag, I fell into my chair and lit a cigarette.
On my desk, a manila folder sat closed. It was the last case I worked on, involving a man named Firefly and the Ladies in Red. Having some time after concluding it, I scoured the pages once more, trying to learn anything new about a stone Firefly gave me and the promise of mystical grandeur.
Though I put those notions mostly to bed once Firefly found his prison cell, I couldn’t shake the feelings I had. I met a woman named Lizbeth in Central Park. She wasn’t much special, though her odd mannerisms left me unsettled. For all the explaining I could do against whatever other paranormal occurrences I saw, Lizbeth was the only unknown.
So real, even having pet Skylar, and yet she was never there. I opened the folder, greeted by the harrowing mugshot of Firefly’s pale skin, bruised and battered. Had I more time, I’d have no doubt read those pages again, hoping to find any secrets they might’ve held. Deep down, I knew, whatever happened during that case, it wasn’t over. No matter how desperately I wanted it to be.
For now, it would have to wait.
After collecting my things, filing some paperwork, and finishing my day’s chores, I stepped out of my office. Aaron was busy at his computer, and Lauren was on a call.
“You pushing off, boss?” Aaron asked, looking over at me. His fingers typed away without him needing to look at the screen. His tie hung loosely around his neck, with the top two buttons of his off-white shirt undone.
“Yeah, should head out now if I want to catch the plane,” it was a little before noon. My flight left at three, but I wanted to grab lunch and a drink before jetting away. Before I could carry on, Lauren ended the call and jumped to her feet, joining Aaron and me.
“If anything happens while I’m out, give me a shout. I don’t want my good name to go down while I’m away from the office,” I forced a chuckle. If anything came up, I had full faith in my crew to handle it. “All jokes aside, Aaron, I’m sure you can handle it if we have a new case. But let’s keep it to tail jobs for suspicious wives, rather than diving into a murder mystery, alright?”
“Sure thing,” Aaron replied, extending a hand to me. I shook it.
It was an odd thing, leaving the team behind. I’d become so used to Aaron and Lauren’s help during cases that it was going to be hard going at it alone. Since all I’d be doing was finding a junky, probably holed up somewhere, running from the law or reeling from a hangover, I was sure it would be easy enough.
“And you’re sure you can take care of Skylar while I’m away?” I asked Lauren. “The shelter would be happy to put her up while I’m away on this.”
“We both know that I’d never let my precious little girl go back to the shelter. It just wouldn’t be proper,” Lauren said, walking me to the door. “I’ll head over and pick her up after work. We’ll go on a spa day, and I’ll pamper her up good.”
Lauren giggled, and a smile stretched across my face.
“I knew I could count on you, but no snacks after eight. Don’t want her getting chubby while I’m away.”
“You know, if she asks me, I won’t be able to say no to the little face,” Lauren pulled open the door for me while I got my coat and hat back on. “Have any idea when you’ll be back?”
“Not a clue. I’m hoping it won’t be more than a few days, though. The job doesn’t seem all that hard, but you know how things work when I’m called into the picture,” I shrugged.
I’d made a name for myself in this city as the go-to man with mysteries unsolvable. Hell, even the police came to me from time to time when they couldn’t break any new leads on a case.
“I do, you’re right,” Lauren paused, adding an element of dramatic effect to her words. “The job always gets done when Jack Mercer’s on the case.”
~
I left the office and headed back to my apartment to collect my bags.
Skylar excitedly jumped and bounced around as I entered through the door. She followed me into the kitchen, and I grabbed a handful of dog biscuits, feeding them to her one by one.
I fell to my ass on the kitchen floor, and after Skylar finished a biscuit, she hopped into my lap. I rubbed her back, kissing the top of her head.
“I’m gonna miss you,” I said, rubbing her face. Skylar let out an excited bark at all the affection she received. “Now, you’re going to be a good girl for Lauren, aren’t you?”
Another bark, as if responding yes, followed.
I fed her another treat.
I sat with Skylar until my taxi arrived. I really had no idea how long I’d be gone and didn’t want to waste a second with Skylar before I left. After a little while longer, just sitting on the ground with her, I got up and made my way downstairs.
The cab smelled musty, and the leather seats looked worn out and felt stiff from years of service. The driver was on a phone call, and apart from taking my destination to the airport, didn’t get off it until we arrived. If I cared enough, I would’ve reported him.
But my distracted mind for where I was heading left me with no want for conversation, anyway.
At the airport, I stopped at a steakhouse for lunch. I had a glass of scotch to settle my nerves of flying, accompanied by a porterhouse steak and fries. Before I knew it, I had another two single malts down, and I was boarding the plane.
An eight-hour flight in total, with an hour’s layover in Minneapolis. And after a full day of traveling, it wasn’t over yet. From Spokane airport, there was another hour to go, this time by car, until I arrived in Priest River.
Since I was on billed time, in a place I never wanted to see again, I splurged on my rental vehicle. If I was going back to my roots, I’d at least be driving in style. And it just so happened the rental place had a metallic blue Camaro SS with my name on it.
I drove with the radio playing, watching as the world around me morphed from serene beauty into the hellscape that made up my childhood town. The closer I arrived to those old, familiar streets, the harder I fell into the torment of my past.
Nothing set my mind at ease, not even stopping at the Eagles Nest motel, a beautiful lodging overlooking nature and the Pend Oreille River. Letting no one know of my arrival, I spent the night locked in my room, trying my utmost to prepare for the mental journey in this god-forsaken land.
I barely slept that night, uneasily tossing and turning, while my mind drifted through once suppressed memories.
Chapter 4
Onyx
“Hey, sugar, you going to come over to mine tonight?” Lee-Anne Jefferson asked, leaning over the table and taking my hand.
She was a delicate flower, one of the Goddesses’ true blessings in Priest River. Her gray eyes enhanced her smooth skin and p
latinum blonde hair. Her small body carried perfect proportions from breast to hip to calf. Freckles specked across her cheeks, somehow amplified the smile on her face.
Though my heart belonged to the Goddess, I was still a man. A human with primitive needs and desires. The Earth Mother understood these cravings and let them pass. But Lee-Anne was also a prop to serve the future of the Earth Mother’s mission. Though she fulfilled my desires, I had to win her over anyway I could.
Her form was perfect, from head to toe. Lee-Anne was the damn nearest thing I’d ever seen to a Goddess, so why not use her to bring the Earth Mother from her slumber into our corporeal realm?
“Nah, baby, I don’t think it’d do much good if I came over tonight,” I said. Focused like a razor’s edge, spending the evening with Lee-Anne would only lead to mishap. “I don’t have much in me after the day I had.”
“You’re working yourself to death, sugar. And old Bobby Rocket doesn’t even care a lick for you,” Lee-Anne said with a humph.
Bobby Rocket was a good man in his own right. Worked just outside the city on cars, making sure they ran optimally. He was a wizard with machinery, always able to bring even the dead back to life.
Being somewhat of a recluse, rarely entering the city, Bobby Rocket was the easiest escape from Lee-Anne during the days. Sure, she worked the day shift at Hopewell’s Diner, but I didn’t want her thinking nothing by my not working. I had a higher power guiding me, a call to greatness, and she never understood it.
I created the façade of Bobby Rocket’s employ to set her nerves at ease while I did the Earth Mother’s work. I didn’t suppose she’d look at me the same way if I told her all that was happening in Priest River. The Earth Mother never approached her, after all. I often had a telling to those touched by the Goddess's good graces. I suppose, like me, the Goddess knew Lee-Anne served a purpose.
“Oh, Bobby’s not so bad, darling. He pays me a decent wage for the work I do. Hell, that old dog’s the only one keeping me out of trouble. You know that good as I do,” I said, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles.