Angels of Vengeance

by David Thompson

  Tisiphone turned to Alecto. She whispered, "I know that look. You're going to help the shade, aren't you?"

  "I think they prefer the term 'disincarnate' now." Alecto smiled towards Brianna.

  ***

  Dan struggled to open the door. His arms were filled with files and two bags of takeout.

  "Dude, dinner!" He called out. He dumped the folders on a clean spot on the couch and turned to head into the dining room. He put the takeout bags on the table and stopped. A noise from the kitchen. He narrowed his eyes. He reached for his service pistol, then remembered he'd left it in his desk.

  Megaera stepped out of the kitchen, holding Dude.

  "What the fuck!" Dan stammered. "Who the hell are you?"

  Megaera cocked her head and looked at Dan, then sat Dude softly on the floor. "How rude."

  "What are you doing here? How did you get in?" Dan demanded, holding his ground.

  Megaera stepped closer to Dan, looking him in the eye. His gray eyes were full of anger. And anger turned her on.

  Abruptly, the urge to confront was swiftly gone. As she looked into his eyes, she felt something tug. Just who is this guy?

  "I'll ask the questions. How the fuck did you see me the other day?" she managed to ask.

  "What? How did I... You were two feet away! How could anyone miss you? That was an active hostage situation. You could have been killed," Dan explained.

  "Many have tried. Oh boy, have they tried." Meg laughed. She stopped and eyed the table. "Oh, good! You brought dinner. I totally forgot to eat today." Megaera grabbed a bag and headed back into the kitchen.

  "Hey! That's for Dude!" Dan shouted as he followed Megaera into the kitchen.

  "Dude has been fed. Noodles are not a proper diet for a cat of any size," Megaera explained as she poured the food onto a plate.

  Dude picked this moment to rub against Dan's legs. "Some watch cat you turned out to be."

  "That's not his fault," Megaera said as she dumped the other container out onto a plate. "Oh nice! Beef Lo Mein!"

  Dan decided to get brave. He blocked Megaera's path to the dining room. "What were you doing in an active hostage situation?"

  "That's private," Megaera smiled. She gently pressed her hand to his chest and stepped around Dan.

  Dan followed her closely. Megaera slide some file folders out of her way, placed the plate on the table. She sat and pulled a file towards her, glancing at the contents.

  "Hey! That's classified," Dan protested.

  "Come here and sit. I'm starving. First, I'll eat, then maybe, if you are good and polite, I'll answer some questions." Her look bored into Dan. "I'm known as Megaera, some call me Meg."

  ***

  Gaia hiked a deserted mountain trail. When something bothered her, she loved to walk in the most inhospitable place on the planet. This afternoon it was the mountains to the east of San Diego. She picked an area where she could still smell the on-shore breeze from the Gulf of California.

  It was also where she'd be likely to encounter the god Johanoai, the creator god of the local tribesmen.

  Instead she encountered a lone mountain lion, which was so busy stalking a skinny rabbit it failed to notice Gaia nearby.

  She cleared her throat and the poor cat jumped two feet, then gave her an ugly look as the rabbit scampered into the brush.

  "Oh, I'm sorry," Gaia apologized. "I was wondering what you might have heard anything about Johanoai? I figured he be hanging around this area."

  The large cat glared at her. He then started to groom himself, as a way to calm down. "I have no idea, mother," the cat growled.

  "It was a thought to ask," Gaia sighed. She held up her left hand. "Again, I'm sorry for interrupting you."

  A very fat hare appeared from nowhere, looking startled. A few moments ago, he was hopping along a paved highway, and now it was in the middle of thorns and cacti. He hopped to a bare spot and stood on its hind legs.

  He failed to see the angry mountain lion.

  The huge cat perked up, and in a flash, he was on the astonished hare.

  "Your god is north of here, but he's not to be trusted, mother, he's in a foul mood," the mountain lion said, while holding down the hare. "Thank you for the dinner."

  "You're most welcome. My apologies," Gaia added, talking to the rabbit. The rabbit's reply was untranslatable. Which is good, since it was fairly rough language.

  Gaia shifted her awareness and felt a presence. She allowed herself to be pulled towards a small village to the west. That was where she needed to look. She shifted time/space and was on the outskirts of a small collection of broken down adobe huts, a dry well, and a scattering of scrawny chickens ran away as she walked into the central part of the village.

  A squat structure facing the sunset caught her eye. She walked to the hut. The door was low, just an opening with a scrap of leather acting as a door. Without knocking, she pulled the curtain aside and ducked inside.

  Inside was one large room, with a few small wooden posts holding up the ceiling. A small fire smoked in a center pit, the sweet-smelling smoke drifting to a hole in the ceiling.

  Delfina sat cross-legged by the fire. She looked directly at Gaia and her cragged face broke out in a huge, toothless smile.

  "Mother Goddess," she said quietly, "I've been expecting you."

  Gaia sat next to the old woman, tucking her legs under her.

  "I was off by a bit, then helped an old mountain lion find his supper." She lifted a small animal out of her skirts. "I also brought you a hare. Her mate was the lion's supper."

  The old woman reached out and grasped the small rabbit. "Will you join me for a meal?"

  "No, I just need to know if you have any more on the warning you gave my daughter a few days ago." Gaia watched Delfina lift herself up and place the rabbit in an earthenware bowl. "What was seen, does it have anything to do with a mortal and one of my daughters?"

  "How the hell should I know? You're the god, not me," Delfina said as she began cutting the rabbit. She scooped the entrails into a second bowl and began stripping the animal of its fur. "But, yes, it does involve a mortal man. But he's not fully mortal. Neither is that niece of his."

  "The one with the sigils," Gaia grunted. This was news to her. "That can complicate things."

  "It already has," Delfina laughed. She began scraping flesh from the skin, preparing it for preservation. "It's more fun that way."

  ***

  Megaera was digging into the Beef Lo Mein.

  "A bit too much white pepper in this. Just a hint, it's all that is needed."

  "The pepper is fine." Dan felt he was on to her and her game. "So, how long have you been a bounty hunter."

  Megaera stopped eating and stared at Dan. She cocked her head and just looked at him. "What?"

  "Yeah, I met your... I guess she's your mother? Last night. Same as you, she was just in the house. Didn't bother to knock or ask to come in."

  "She was here?"

  "Yeah. She had a pretty fantastic tale to tell. All about you and your sisters. I have to admit, it's a decent business model." Dan shoveled beef with broccoli into his mouth and gazed at Megaera. I have her, he thought. Let's see if the story changes.

  "She never mentioned it. Why the hell would she come over here?"

  "I guess I'm a popular guy. So, come on, how'd you get in. I've got this place locked down." Dan smiled, victory within reach.

  "Through the wall. As usual." Megaera shrugged.

  Nope. Not what he expected. He took her plate away in mid-bite. "Okay, joke's over."

  "Hey! Not cool!" Megaera protested.

  Dan stood with both plates. "Too bad."

  "Alright. Fine. That girl's death you're investigating? Her ghost is hanging out at my place."

  Dan was frozen in place. "Bree? How did you know all that?"

  "I saw her photo in a file on the table."

  Dan whirled to face Megaera. "You better not be fucking with me or so help me..."

  Me
gaera smiled and took her plate back from Dan. "Maybe, later. If you're good."

  ***

  Gaia entered the house and walked into the living room. Alecto was polishing a Katana. It gleamed in the light. Gaia also noticed Brianna, drifting in the air near Alecto.

  "Figure out that message Tish gave you?" Alecto asked.

  "Almost. What is she doing here?" Gaia said, indicating Brianna.

  "She's a petitioner. We're getting ready to do some research." Alecto smiled and held up the katana. It glowed with a bluish light.

  "Oh! You're the one!" Gaia brightened up. "Would you care for a cup of tea?"

  Brianna looked confused. "Am I supposed to be able to drink tea?"

  "Just because you're dead, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good cup of tea. One of my best creations, frankly." Gaia explained as she bustled out of the living room towards the kitchen. "I've got some wonderful biscuits I've been wanting to share."

  "I had no idea I could eat after death," Brianna observed.

  "It's a plus of being dead. No more allergies and no matter what you eat, no weight gain. But, you can only enjoy food in the presence of someone like Mother." Alecto said as she slid the katana back into its saya. "On the other hand, I can eat and drink anytime I wish. It's a perk of being an immortal."

  "When I was alive," Brianna said. "I'd just look at ice cream, and I gain weight."

  "Welcome to the afterlife." Alecto winked.

  ***

  Dan just sat and watched as Megaera continued to eat. She paused long enough to scoop another helping of food onto her plate, then continued eating. Empty casserole dishes, discarded foam takeout containers and the occasional plastic leftover bowl were piled everywhere.

  "This stuff is excellent. What is it again?" Megaera said around a mouthful of food.

  "Fried okra. My sister makes it."

  Megaera finished her plate and pushed it away. "There. That might do me for a while." She fixed Dan with a Look.

  "What was mother doing here?" she asked.

  "Your mother? Oh, she just talked about you and your sisters. Where you're from, which I don't believe for a minute, but hey, who's the crazy one here?"

  "Well, your niece Bree needs our help. It's what we do."

  "No, that’s what cops do. Apparently, all you do it go around playing vigilante. You can't just go around killing people just because you believe they have done someone some harm."

  Megaera's eyes went wide. "Listen you fucked up trigger happy sod! WE do OUR job and we do it thoroughly! You stepped in and took out one of MY targets the other day! He was to die by MY hand, not yours!" Megaera stood up, full of fury.

  "Take me home. Now." She ordered.

  "Hey. I'm not a taxi service. You can leave the same way you came." Dan scooted his chair back, stood and attempted to stand his ground.

  She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and drew him near. Her eyes flashed in anger. "I'm calling the shots in this relationship. Understand?"

  "What relationship? We're not in a –"

  Megaera interrupted Dan by kissing him. Dan gave in a little. Then gave in some more.

  It was a kiss that curled his toes.

  Then Megaera shoved him away. "Let's beat feet, amigo."

  Dan could only stare as Megaera turned and walked to the front door. He remained motionless for a moment, shook his head. "Well, son of a bitch."

  He watched her as she waited impatiently on the porch. He let his eyes linger over her figure in the revealing outfit. He was never attracted to blondes. His ex-wife was a brunette. But, still there was something.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Dan found himself driving across town with his uninvited guest. Megaera was slouched in the passenger seat. At least by now, she'd stopped playing with the laptop mount but still eyed the controls for the flashing lights and siren system. She reached for the cruiser's radio.

  "Please don't play with the radio," Dan asked.

  "Take the next left," Megaera finally said something. She'd been busy thinking. This wasn't what she had in mind when she'd arrived at this man's house. Many of the thoughts that passed through her mind were very strange, almost alien.

  And it was pissing her off.

  "Yes, ma'am," Dan said as he swung the car to the left into a wide major residential street, two wide lanes with a grass median running down the center. "You know, this has been a lot for me to process, a lot."

  Megaera just nodded, absent mindedly. "Well, mother did say you could be useful. Take a right at this light."

  Dan slowed to the light just as it turned red. He turned to Megaera, trying to look at her face.

  "Keep an eye on the light," Megaera advised.

  "It's the longest light in town."

  "Not tonight it isn't," Megaera said as the light turned to green. "I have things to do tonight. Time does not wait for a Fury."

  "Really? Like what?"

  "An assignment," Megaera stated, flatly.

  More silence. Dan just sighed and made the turn. This put them on a residential street, lined with large trees, oaks, elms maples. Older street lamps cast heavy shadows along the street as Dan slowly drove.

  "At least your car is clean," Megaera observed.

  "It belongs to the department."

  "Okay, make a left here. I live on this street." She paused, then added, "Brianna did say someone got a photo of her with this killer. While she was being sick in the yard at some party."

  "What? Who? How do you know this?" Dan was shaken. He stopped the car and turned to look at Megaera.

  "No, it was while she was puking. I know you and she were close. We're going to find the guy, trust me," Megaera said.

  "We? Oh, no, no, no. Me, as in the police. We'll find this guy," Dan argued.

  "You won't find him, but we will. You have no idea what you're dealing with and who we really are, Dan." She pointed straight ahead. "Keep driving, we have a few more blocks to go."

  "I do know. A serial killer, that's who I'm dealing with." Dan started driving again, frowning.

  They drove in uneasy silence for a few minutes.

  "That house, that one here on the right," Megaera pointed at the Furies' house. It sat well back on the lot, trees everywhere.

  Dan rolled to a stop at the curb, and then hit the unlock button. Nothing. "Huh, must have blown a fuse on this, dammit." Dan mumbled. He then reached across Megaera to unlock her door.

  Megaera turned his face and kissed him. This one lingered. When she broke away, she looked at Dan and said, "It's even better when you help."

  She opened the door and jumped out, walking directly to the front door without looking back. Dan watched her walk and disappear into the large house. He admired her walk. No wasted effort. That young woman made the simple act of walking a very sensual thing.

  He frowned, and made a note of the address. He couldn’t remember a house being on that lot, and that house looked like it’d been there for decades.

  ***

  State of Sonora, Mexico

  Nighttime in the desert. A clear sky lit with brilliant stars cast a bluish dim light across the landscape. The great southwest desert stretched between the United States and Mexico, in the area known as the Sonoran Desert.

  An old moving van moved cautiously along a heavily worn dirt road, bouncing up and down across the ruts and dodging the occasional cactus. The van had been repainted multiple times, and the newest coat of paint was thinning out and revealing the coats of paint that lay underneath. The result was an abstract desert camouflage pattern. People in large cities would pay big money for clothing in this pattern.

  The driver was a rotund man of indeterminate age. Dark skin, a stained, tan shirt stretched across his swollen stomach. Pablo Canaris. A "coyote". On a run.

  He bounced as the truck rolled across ruts and deep cuts in the ground. A large rock slipped and caused the truck to shift. He continued driving, picking his way carefully, watching out for the opening. To his left, he spotted t
he small break in the spiky brush.

  Pablo stopped the truck. He switched off the engine and turned off the headlamps. He silently waited until his night vision returned. He grunted as he bent over and his hand searched under the seat for a set of goggles. Pablo found the case in the floorboard on the passenger side of the truck's cab.

  Pablo kicked open the door and hauled his bulky frame out of the truck, hanging the goggles over his greasy hair, setting them down over his eyes. He switched them on, and made some adjustments.

  He tilted his back and began scanning the clear sky. He was looking for movement in the sky that wasn't a patrolling owl or airliner.

  Drones. That was what the Border Patrol was using along this area of the border.

  He was patient. He scanned for almost half an hour before being satisfied there were not any unusual objects overhead.

  He snatched the goggles from his head and walked back to the truck. His weight made the truck shift as he climbed into the cab and tossed the goggles into the floor. The starter ground and the engine caught, belching blue smoke into the crisp night air.

  The truck lurched across the dirt road and into a narrow path that led north. The truck wobbled and bounced, rocked, and wiggled as Pablo followed the small dirt path.

  Eventually, a long strand of wire fencing appeared in the headlamps. As he stopped and stepped out into the night air, he heard muffled cries. He grumbled and strode to the back, then hit the side of the truck as hard as he could, yelling, "Cállate! Silencio, idiotas! Putas!"

  He spit and started forward. As he was just passing the front, he was hit hard by a fist that appeared out of nowhere.

  He fell stunned to the ground and let out a rush of air.

  As he sat up, he spotted two figures in the headlamps. One was a tall blonde in a black, tight-fitting jumpsuit. The other figure was a tall brunette, in a maroon jumpsuit.

  Megaera on her "assignment". Alecto was along for kicks.

  "Putas! Who the fuck are you?" Pablo managed as he climbed up the side of the truck and opened the door. "You're not border patrol."