by Shawn James
“I’m just sayin, you’re doing a lot to keep a promise.”
I just know how much value someone’s word has. “The things we adults say to children can shape who they become in the future.” I say. “And I’d like to think me keeping my promise to her could restore her faith in people.”
“You don’t want her to become like you.” Kim says.
“I’d like to think Melissa has the potential to be a better person than I ever was.” And I’m gonna bring her back to you so she can be that person.”
Chapter 11
I rush out of the Banks’ living room onto their balcony. As I climb out onto the parapet, I feel Robbie and Kimberly’s eyes on me. I’m going to do everything in my power to bring their daughter back to them.
After I jump off the parapet I make my bat wings sprout from my back and begin my flight downtown. I tap the button on my Bluetooth earpiece and hear the tone of John’s number being dialed. I’ll let him know what’s going on before I head over there. “What happened with the Banks?” John asks as he picks up the phone.
“You were right. Jack was planning on asking for a ransom for Melissa.” I tell him.
“You going to pay it?”
“I’m going to pay him a visit.”
“Don’t hurt him too bad.”
“Don’t worry, I’m going to leave enough of him to stand trial for kidnapping Melissa.”
I push end and fly through the maze of skyscrapers towards Times Square. As I make the turn around 4 Times Square on my way cross-town, I notice the topography changing. The bright lights of the city become dimmer as I pass Eighth Avenue. I start seeing the tourist attractions change into sleazy dives and adult video stores I descend down towards Ninth Avenue. By the time I land on the sidewalk of Tenth Avenue the mood of the neighborhood changes from the bright and festive to dark and somber.
As I chant the spell that makes my wings shrink into my back and mends my dress, I quickly spot the neon sign hanging above the 666 Club in the middle of the block between Tenth and Eleventh Avenue. As I grab the handle of the grimy metal door and step into the lobby I’m cut a cold look by one of the burly Black men in cheap suits standing at the front. “You here for an audition sexy?” He asks.
Like I’d work here. “I’m here to pay Brimstone Jack’s cover charge.” I tell him.
“Cover charge?”
“That’s what he told me over the phone.”
The bald headed burly Black man at the door smiles at me. “Well, to get through the front door is $25. And a there’s a two-drink minimum when you get inside.”
“…But seeing how you ain’t got no purse maybe we could work something out in the VIP Room.” His friend says as he leers at me.
I flash him a smile. “Maybe we can.”
The first man leans in for a kiss. He’s surprised when I grab him by the front of his shirt. His muscular co-workers’ eyes grow wide when I lift his body in the air above my head. After I hurl him through the red leather double doors his body crashes into the table of group of Japanese tourists enjoying a lap dance from one of Brimstone Jack’s demon dancers. Before he passes out I catch his eyes and smile at him. “Looks like we worked something out.” I jab.
I flash the tourists a smile as I step over the unconscious bouncer and stroll onto the floor of the club. Hip-hop music thunders from the speakers in the ceiling as I scan the floor for Melissa. One of the strippers gyrating around the pole on stage gives me a nervous look as I hear the second bouncer’s footsteps rushing behind me. The baseball bat he swings at my head at full strength shatters into splinters when it connects with my skull. I smile at him as I grab him by the front of his shirt. “You said it was a two drink minimum?” I ask flashing him a smile.
“Y-Yeah.”
I conjure up a twenty-dollar bill and stuff it in his jacket pocket. “Order whatever you want on me when you wake up.”
A roar of gasps fills the room as I toss the burly man across the room. The bartender ducks as the man’s body crashes into the glasses and bottles of whiskey behind the bar. After his unconscious body slumps behind it, the bartender gives me an anxious look when I approach the counter. “Wh-What can I get you ma’am?” He asks nervously.
“Information. Where can I find Brimstone Jack?”
“H-He’s in the back. You want me to get him for you?”
“No, I’ll find him myself.”
Chapter 12
I suck my teeth watching the commotion on the floor of the club from the monitor on my desk. I thought Robbie would come to bring me my money. Instead he sent E’steem. I need to buy some time.
I start to get nervous when I see the doorknob jostling. I grab my pimp cane and make hellfire erupt from its handle. I let out a sight of relief when I see Candy rushing into my office with a worried look. “E’steem is here!” She tells me.
“I know. And she’s putting on a show.”
Melissa’s eyes light up on hearing the news that her hero is here. “She’s gonna get you!”
“She ain’t got me yet.”
“What we gonna do Jack?”
She’s gonna buy me some time. “You wanted yo cut, go out there and earn it!”
Chapter 13
I feel eyes on me as I leave the bar and head up to the stage. Usually in these establishments there’s dressing rooms and an office in the back. That’s probably where Jack is holding Melissa.
The music changes from a hip-hop to a techno beat when one of the strippers storms out from behind the velvet curtain onto the stage. The mocha skinned woman wearing a black lace front wig, black thigh high boots, a silver sequined bra and matching panties cuts a cold look at me as her brown eyes meet mine. “No customers beyond this point.” She snarls.
I have too much class to ever do business here. “I’m not leaving without Melissa.”
“Then you’ll be leaving in a body bag.”
The woman’s face changes into a demonic visage as she clenches her fists. Her brown eyes change into reptile ones as short black horns shoot out of her head and her fingernails turn into black cloven claws. She snaps her fingers and at least a half dozen she-demons dressed in skimpy costumes file out from behind the curtain. “Get her!” she barks.
Time to show them what I’m working with. The lead dancer swings at me and misses, I judo flip her off the stage and she crashes into the lap of a fat man. I catch the red lights of Smartphone cameras coming on as I throw a right cross in the face of a second woman that knocks her over into a table of smiling businessmen who whoop and holler as they toss dollar bills on stage. They want more of a show. I need to find Melissa and get out of here.
I’m about to rush through the curtain when I’m kicked in the back by one of the dancers. I stumble about and look behind me to see her jumping back on the stripper pole to attack me again. As she twirls around I grab her by the ankles and yank her off the pole. Her eyes grow wide as I smile at her and start twirling her around at a higher rate of speed. I use her body to bat three more dancers off the stage, and then I let go of the demon dancer I’m twirling around and send her slender body flying across the room. She lets out a scream before she crashes into the DJ booth.
Seeing how intense things are getting between the strippers and me, men start rushing out of the club. As the last four dancers start charging at me, I look over at the stripper pole and get an idea. I’m nowhere as nimble as Isis is but I think I can beat these dancers at their own game. The ladies rush behind me as I jump onto the stripper pole. As I build my momentum, I use my super strength to twirl around it at a high rate of speed. As the women try to grab me, the impact from my superstrong tornado kicks send bodies crashing into booths across the room.
While I’m jumping off the pole, I notice the lead dancer scrambling up the stairs and through the curtain. She’s probably going to tell Brimstone Jack about me making light work of his dancers. I’ll tell him myself.
I rush through the curtain behind her. When
she hears my footsteps, she turns around and makes yellow hellfire erupt from her fists. “Damn, you just don’t quit.” She spits.
She should have seen me in my herald days. “When I make a promise I keep a promise.” I say.
“You not gonna stop me from getting paid.” She says swinging for my head.
So that’s what he promised her. I duck the flaming punch and throw a right cross that connects with her cheek. “Well, let me give you a tip.” I say. “Don’t try to fight demons who are out of your league.”
I throw a flurry of super strong punches at the woman’s face that knock the wig off her head and send her staggering down the hall. When I hit her with a right cross at full strength she goes crashing through the door of Brimstone Jack’s office. On seeing his dancer’s body laid out on the carpet, a nervous Brimstone Jack tries to play it cool. “Man, I thought Candy would have earned her money.” He says.
“Don’t worry,” I say stepping over the fallen stripper. “I gave her a tip.”
Melissa smiles and jumps out of her chair. “E’steem! I knew you were gonna come for me!” She says rushing up to hug me.
Seeing her smile makes all this worth it. “I said I was gonna get you home.” I say smiling at her.
“You’re gonna keep your promise?”
“Yeah. Just wait out in the hall for me. I just have to take care of some unfinished business with Mr. Jack here.”
Melissa steps over the fallen body of Candy and darts out into the hall. I cut a cold look at Brimstone Jack as I crack my knuckles. “You said something about a cover charge?”
Brimstone Jack cuts a cold look at me as he jumps out of his seat. “You got my money?”
“No, but I’m gonna make you pay for what you did to my new nightgown.”
“Guess I’m gonna owe you for a new dress too.” Brimstone Jack says pointing his pimp cane at me.
Oh no, I’m not having another wardrobe disintegration. When I see the tip of it starting to ignite with blue flames I clap my hands together and make a thunderclap that shakes the office and makes the wall behind him explode. As he takes the brunt of the impact Brimstone Jack tumbles about into the alley and crashes into a dumpster across the street.
I step through the rubble and storm towards Brimstone Jack’s fallen body. Just as I’m about to approach him, he turns and hurls his cane at me. I’m surprised when his wooden cane changes into a giant snake and starts to slither around me. As it tightens its grip and I fall to the ground gasping for air, Brimstone Jack smiles proudly. “Thought you were gonna get one over on ol’ Jack didn’t you.” He gloats as he gets to his feet.
The snake’s head snaps at me as it constricts tighter around me. “I guess you’re full of surprises.”
“That’ll hold you long enough for me to get out of here.” Brimstone Jack says as he starts walking up Tenth Avenue.
That’s what he thinks. I was charming big snakes like this when I was eight years old. And this little magick trick was one of the first ones Aunt Sekhmet ever taught me. I find the pressure points on the snake’s spine and once I press them, the serpent stops constricting around me. As I pull it off me I chant the spell to turn it back into his cane. “SERPENTUS STAFFUS!”
I spring to my feet and put on some super speed to catch up with Brimstone Jack. Before he can disappear into a flash of light, the door of his club swings open and hits him in the face. When he looks down and sees Melissa coming out from behind it, I chant the spell and hurl his cane at him. “STAFFUS SERPENTUS!”
Brimstone Jack’s eyes grow wide when he turns around and sees his big snake coming at him. As he falls to the sidewalk with his serpent constricting around him I greet him with a smile. “That’ll hold you long enough for the police to take you to jail.” I tell him.
“Man, I can’t believe I got beat by a witch!” Jack snarls.
“Sorceress. There’s a big difference.”
“I told you E’steem was gonna beat you!”
I give Melissa a disapproving look as I meet her eyes. “Er…Didn’t I tell you to stay in the hall?” I admonish. “You could have gotten yourself hurt.”
The precocious Melissa looks up at me before letting her eyes fall back to the sidewalk. “I got scared when I saw the Candy lady moving.”
I’m more scared about all the things she saw on the way out here. But I’m glad she was in the right place at the right time. “Alright.” I say taking my Smartphone out of my boot sleeve. “Let me call the police to pick up Jack and his dancers and then I’ll get you home.”
Chapter 14
Police officers are leading Brimstone Jack and his demon strippers into the back of a police wagon as a police detective approaches us. I greet the red haired officer in charge of rounding up the criminals with a smile as she approaches me. “I figured I’d run into you sooner rather than later.” She tells me.
I have a feeling someone is familiar with my work. “So you’ve seen my YouTube escapades?”
“I have.” She says extending her hand. “Detective Pauline O’Brien.”
“E’steem Katious.” I reply shaking it. “Guess you’re gonna have a hard time explaining this one to the Lieutenant.”
The detective smiles at me. “I’ve been dealing with these kinds of cases for a while now. I just try to leave all the crazier stuff regarding all the gods and monsters out of my reports.”
I cock an eyebrow on her awareness of our presence. “So you know about us?”
“I ran into Isis a while back.”
I give her a curious look. “So you’ve worked with my sister-”
The detective smiles back at me. “I helped her out on a case a month ago.”
“You have a way of holding Jack?”
“We’ve got a cell block designed to hold these demon types at Central Booking and Rikers.”
“So you’re aware of us?”
“For some time now. Horus consulted us on tactical matters regarding demons years ago. And Hephaestus provided us with handcuffs to keep them contained.”
Seems like they’ve got international support from the deity community. “What about the more powerful demons?”
“We call you gods in. Off the record of course. You want me to give Melissa here a ride home in the squad car?”
I’d love to take her up on her offer. But there’s something I want to show Melissa. “I promised I’d take her home myself.”
I conjure up a business card and hand it to Pauline. “If you ever need any help on one of your cases, just give me a call.”
“I’ll do that.”
I take Melissa’s hand and lead her down Tenth Avenue. “Why couldn’t we ride in the police car?” Melissa asks.
“Because there’s something special I want to show you.”
We disappear in a flash of light that takes us from the streets of Tenth Avenue up to the roof of the rebuilt 4 Times Square. There’s an awe-struck look on Melissa’s face as I pick her up and hold her in my arms. “Everybody looks so little down there!” She gasps.
“That’s how the world looks from up here.” I tell her.
“Are you gonna fly me home?”
“Yep.”
I can hear Melissa’s heart pounding in anticipation as we jump off the rooftop. As we begin our freefall, I make my wings sprout from my back with a thought. As we soar above the skies Melissa’s eyes light up taking in all the bright lights and the sights of the city. “Wow, how do you hide the wings?” Melissa exclaims.
“Magick.” I tell her. They used to help me get around where I used to live.”
“So you used to live in the bad place?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t belong there. You’re too nice.”
Awwww. That’s sweet. “That’s why I left there.”
“So you’re going to the good place now?”
“I won’t know until Judgment Day.”
“If you’re going to the good place, then you should be an Angel instead
of a demon.”
“But If I were an angel I wouldn’t be able to scare the bad guys.”
“But you saved me without your demon face-”
I did. “I think you could still be able to do good things for people without your demon face.” Melissa continues. “Maybe you’d be able to help a lot more kids like me.”
“I thought you liked my demon face-”
“I think your regular face is a lot prettier.”
I’m just starting to see the beauty behind it. As we pass over Central Park I spot Melissa’s building. As I swoop down for a landing, Robbie and Kimberly peer up at us with an awe-struck look. “One little girl brought home as promised.” I say landing on the balcony of the penthouse.
“Thank you so much for bringing Melissa home.” Kim says.
“You’re very welcome I reply. “Now don’t you go trying to fly like me.”
Melissa smiles at me. “I know. Only angels and demons can fly.”
“Only God can make someone an Angel.” Robbie says.
“E’steem’s gonna be an Angel. I know it.” Melissa proclaims.
All things are possible with God. If a wretched creature like me can find Salvation, then maybe I can join the Angels in Heaven one day. “Maybe I can be Melissa. But for now I’ll just try to help people being who I am right now.”
“Bye E’steem.” Melissa says giving me a hug.
“Bye Melissa.” I say breaking the embrace.
There’s a big smile on my face as approach the parapet of the Banks’ penthouse. As Melissa rushes over to her parents to tell them all about her adventure in Times Square, I ponder what she said to me. Maybe I really don’t need this face to do my good deeds. Maybe I need to take this mask off once and for all.
FINAL CHAPTER
I see the light on in John’s bedroom as I begin my descent. Looks like we’re going to be able to pick up where we left off.
I land on the concrete walkway and head through the open glass sliding door to find my boyfriend sitting in his favorite leather chair front of the late movie. “Did Melissa get home?” John inquires.
“She did.” I say unzipping my boots. “And she gave me something to think about.”