“It’s your phone,” said Osiris.
She didn’t listen, just kept crying, with her hands on her face.
“It’s your phone!” He shook her by the shoulders.
The phone kept buzzing.
“Go away! I don’t want to see you!” Athena pushed his hands off her and stepped back.
He walked up to her. “Answer it,” he repeated.
Athena kept sobbing, unable to move. Osiris plunged his hand into her pocket. Athena tried to stop him, but he offered the phone to her.
“Answer the phone. Look who’s calling!”
It was Max.
CHAPTER 12
The Succubus
The light coming from the luxurious azure-blue pool glittered on the walls and the ceiling. By the pool there were two lounge chairs and a small glass table. On the table sat a bowl of strawberries, a bottle of Jack Daniels, and two glasses of whiskey and ice cubes.
Stinger was sitting in the lounge chair. He was wearing his black velvet robe, playing with his file, and casually looking at Linda. She stood up and walked to the pool, untying her red silk robe. It was hard to look away, and the view of her curves distracted Stinger from his heavy thoughts.
Linda took off her robe and, fully naked, gracefully walked into the water. Stinger gazed at her. When the water reached her shoulders, her long hair floated and drifted apart. There was something mysterious about it.
Linda dove and swam across the pool under the surface. Then she kicked off the far wall, turned around, and floated motionless. Her body kept drifting along for a few moments, then stopped.
Linda stared at the ceiling. The angels pictured there seemed to be looking down on her in disapproval of her beautiful body.
Stinger put his file into his pocket, got up, and walked to the edge.
Linda turned over and swam toward him.
“I don’t quite get what you want from me, darling,” he said.
“I want you to quit this game.”
Stinger chuckled.
She leaned up onto the edge. “Did I say something funny?”
“Look, darling.” Stinger squatted. “I don’t mind quitting, but first I want to visit the treasure spots in Zet’s maps and get to places that we could not reach before.”
Linda said nothing. She got out of the pool, wrapped herself in her towel, and sat on the pool chair, reaching for a strawberry.
“The bracelet must be destroyed. Here and now. It’s best for everyone,” she said.
Stinger approached the table, helped himself to whiskey, took a meditative sip, and put the glass back. Suddenly, as if he’d remembered something, he turned around, walked up to Linda, and sat on the edge of the pool chair. He took her hand in his and kissed her fingers.
“Do you have any idea what is on those maps?”
She looked away, released her hand and tried to get up. He put his hand on her shoulder and softly but insistently pushed her to remain seated. She arched her eyebrows in surprise.
“Everyone takes their own loot in this world. The bigger it is, the better… so that kicking the bucket eventually won’t hurt so much,” Stinger whispered into Linda’s ear. “Or do you think you’ll live forever, as my brother does?”
He threw his head back and laughed, though it sounded forced and theatrical. Linda attempted to get up, but he pressed her down even harder. A diabolical fire started to burn in his eyes. He leaned in and kissed her on the neck.
“We should help each other, cherish our alliance…” he whispered.
She drew back. “What the…? Are you drunk?”
Stinger ignored her questions. “I just want to take what is mine… as we all do. This is how it works and I can’t change it.”
He released her shoulder and got up.
“Did you try?” she chuckled, as she got up and headed for the exit.
Stinger emptied his glass in one shot and stared into space, clenching his fists. Yes, he had tried. Seven years ago. When he really had believed that the world could change…
* * *
Stinger sat at the round table opposite his older brother in the conference hall. It was just the two of them. The weekly meeting of adepts had finished and everyone had left. While his brother spoke, Stinger was all ears, as usual. At thirty-three, he was a handsome, lively young man, inspired by the work Zet and he had been doing for over ten years.
To say that he was “inspired” was an understatement. He was a zealot, because he knew he was helping the Master in his work, which was to rid the world of sinners. He also knew that he had been chosen by Him as one of the key adepts. Stinger was a true believer; he was willing to fulfill his duty till his last breath. Zet was proud of his younger brother and trusted him with the most difficult and delicate matters. One of these he wanted to discuss right now.
“We have a lot of men coming to us. Every age, every walk of life. And the most common reason is their moral decay caused by women. Luring, seductive, like succubi, they enchant men,” Zet said.
Stinger paid attention to his brother’s words. Vengeance was not targeted at every sinner. But if Zet tackled the case, it meant Providence itself had authorized him. And that meant that the sinner really deserved punishment. It was always this way. Stinger trusted his brother unconditionally.
“She works in a brothel,” Zet continued. “She serves a whole variety of men. Mostly the married ones. They need a break from their wives, need to add some spice to their sex lives. Yes, this is a sin too, but they understand that and therefore come to us when…They repent…”
Stinger nodded.
“This case is special. The woman is a true succubus. With her diabolical tricks, which she utilizes very skillfully, she ensnares weak men. Having visited her once, they won’t be able to do without her or her charms. I won’t tell you what she does exactly, as other adepts have already heard that during confessions. But one thing I will tell you. They felt so uneasy after hearing those confessions they had to purify themselves many times after that abomination. And that was just from hearing things about her! Now imagine what ordinary people felt when they encountered the spells of that sinner. They didn’t belong to themselves any longer! They forgot their wives, their lives. They kept visiting that whore and their souls sank deeper and deeper into a hell of no return. The world must be stripped of this blight, and a lot of souls will be freed and recover their purity.” Zet finished and dropped his head. He ran his fingers slowly through his beads.
“I got you,” Stinger said after a brief pause.
He tried to not lose control, but it was obvious that rage boiled inside him. The passionate speech of Zet had ignited righteous hatred. It was not the first time that he’d had to get rid of the devil’s minions. And never did he feel any remorse or disappointment for what he did. Those women… they deserved vengeance. Covetous, dissolute, deceitful, and sly women they were. Stinger was certain that Zet was talking about one of those.
“Where do I find her?” he said through his teeth.
Zet’s face remained still. He got his phone from the cloak. He swiped through several pictures, found the one he needed, and gave the phone to Stinger.
One glance was enough. A striking beauty looked at him from the screen. Long dark hair framed her face, one of regular features, but phenomenally deep eyes, which emanated magnetism even from the picture.
Chills ran down Stinger’s back. She hadn’t changed a bit. Here she was, the same as she had been seven years ago. He could not look away from the picture. He felt an adrenal spike and his heart pumped faster. He didn’t say a word, trying to suppress his emotions, but Zet had caught his hesitation.
“What?” He looked at his brother suspiciously.
“She’s beautiful indeed,” Stinger said with constraint.
“Yes, she is. Your heart is cool, and that’s why I trust you with this uneasy task. I’m certain you can do it.”
“Have no doubt, I will do it. Give me the address.”
Sting
er listened to the instructions; he would not say that he recognized her. At least for now…
An hour later, Stinger arrived at the destination. The building was in one of the roughest districts of New York City.
He parked his car a few blocks away to walk the rest of the way.
Night came and the street lights went on. In this neighborhood, however, they were mostly broken, and the streets were heavily littered with trash. The place grew busier as its usual night life began.
Stinger walked past the local hot spots. Strip clubs, beer pubs, adult theaters, cheap diners. Some freaks sneaking about. The whole variety of the criminal world could be seen here: pimps, candy men, thieves, hookers.
He walked along the gloomy street and turned into the lane he needed. A small dim street light shone on the whorehouse. Stinger approached the door and pushed the bell. He could hear it ringing inside. Shortly, a sweet woman’s voice answered through the intercom.
“Good evening. Please state the purpose of your visit.”
“I’ve come for Daisy,” Stinger said.
Zet had warned him about the local rules. Those were simple but necessary for security reasons. Girls’ names were used for passwords. Any visitor had to get through a professional face control.
“Come in,” the same voice invited.
The heavy door opened with a click. Stinger entered and found himself in a small entrance chamber.
The security guard cast a suspicious glance at him, frisked him without a single word and scanned him with the metal detector. He didn’t skip the private parts either. Stinger indifferently let him do his job.
“You’re okay,” the guard uttered.
Stinger walked down the hallway and entered a sitting room with sofas and armchairs. Dim light and a sweet aroma brought about a feeling of serenity. He sank into one of the armchairs.
He didn’t have to wait long. A few minutes later, a slender beauty came in. Her face was cared-for and pretty. A low-cut dress outlined her exquisite curves. She approached the visitor with a warm smile, offering her right hand, with the left behind her back. “Welcome to our club!”
Stinger stood up and returned the handshake.
The woman piercingly looked into his eyes, as if trying to read something that people normally wouldn’t ask about directly. Stinger felt a little uneasy.
“Make yourself at home,” she went on. “This place is visited by those who lack comfort in their everyday lives. Here their dreams come true. You have dreams and whims, don’t you?”
These delicate, unexpected questions confused Stinger. But before he had a chance to answer, she interrupted.
“Don’t bother. Relax. She who will guess all your desires awaits you.”
With the same smile, she reached out with her left hand and opened her fingers. In her palm lay a round metal token that looked like a coin. Stinger took it with caution. On the gilded token, which covered half of his palm, was a girl’s portrait. He would recognize her among millions of others. Astounding! It was her…
He turned the token over. There was an etched flower and the name Daisy.
Stinger looked questioningly at the hostess.
“It’s the key. She’s waiting.” She pointed up the staircase to the second floor.
Stinger nodded and, with the token in his hand, walked toward the stairs.
The hostess watched him go and then left the room.
The hallway on the second floor had nice soft carpet and a tapestry on the walls, which absorbed any sound. He couldn’t hear his own footsteps as he walked down the hallway.
There were several doors along the wall. He noticed in the middle of each door a round slot with an image of a flower. Rose, tulip, lotus… Stinger stopped at the door with the image of a daisy.
It’s here, he thought with excitement. His heart skipped a beat. He was astonished that his emotions and feelings were still alive after all these years.
He opened his hand and held the token to the slot. It happened to be a simple magnetic lock, as they usually have in hotels. With a click, the door opened. He gave it a light push and entered. The door closed automatically.
Stinger found himself in a small, dark entrance hall. From here he could see the bedroom, from which emanated soft music and the flickering of lit candles. He hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and entered the room. There was a huge round bed in the middle and the curtains were tightly drawn.
There was nobody in the room. He looked around and noticed two more doors. One must have led to a bathroom, the other maybe a closet or another room. Both doors were closed.
Suddenly, he heard steps behind one of them, and she entered.
Stinger was thunderstruck. He could not speak a word, and there was no need to. A pair of huge eyes looked at him…
Yes, it was Linda. She stood there for a few moments and without a word looked at her guest. She suddenly buried her face in her hands and started to cry. She sobbed, her shoulders moving up and down.
“Linda!” Stinger broke the silence.
He approached and hesitantly hugged her. She did not resist, cuddling up to him and putting her hands around his neck.
“Hello,” Stinger said quietly.
“You? Is this you?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
They stood there in silence. He was hugging her and she was crying.
“Where have you been?”
Linda looked up at him. Her eyes reflected so much pain that he could not find the words, so they stood in silence.
“Linda, I’m sorry,” he said eventually. “Let’s sit down. I’ll tell you everything.”
They sat down on the bed. Stinger could not believe his eyes. He recalled how they’d met seven years ago in Miami. She’d come there with her friends for a weekend, and he had been on a business trip. Several unforgettable nights…That had been the kind of affair after which lovers understand that they’re meant for each other. These two had known that from their first moments together.
“Thirty minutes after your plane took off, I got into a car accident. I survived by miracle… My ID, money, phone disappeared from my car. The cops didn’t find anything. I stayed in the hospital for months. When I got out, I started looking for you, I drove every street racer in Detroit nuts bugging them. But without your phone number or your last name even…”
“I didn’t return to street racing. I quit.”
“Yes. They told me they hadn’t seen you in a while. I tried to find you. I’m sorry…”
Linda looked down quietly as she listened to him, but then spoke. “I’ve been waiting for so long… A week after we parted, my Diablo was stolen. I rushed to the phone every time it rang. I lost count of days, weeks, months…” She had calmed down and was now speaking in a low and monotonous voice. “A year later I stopped caring. My friends suggested I try some junk. I agreed… I don’t remember how long I was on it. It was a nightmare…” Linda paused and continued. “And recently, I got into this fine establishment. You know, I didn’t much care much…”
Stinger stood up and knelt before her. He took her hands in his. It wasn’t easy to catch Linda’s eyes. She stared down, her hair covering her face.
“Listen, you’re in danger.”
She jerked her head up and looked at him. “What?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
She looked at him cautiously, like a scared wild animal.
“I’ll hide you where you’ll be safe. You’ll stay there until I sort it out.”
He walked away, got his phone, and found Zet’s number. He typed the text in agitation: ‘DONE.’ He hesitated for a second and then sent it. Then he took Linda’s hand and they walked out.
* * *
Stinger’s usual parking spot near the Church of the Spider was occupied by the red Lamborghini Diablo. Stinger moved closer and saw the door slide up and his brother get out. He wore his usual long cloak, which swept the scarlet threshold of the car and then the concrete slab of the parki
ng lot.
Stinger felt uneasy chills running down his spine as he parked by the Diablo and got out. Zet chuckled, watching his brother.
“Do you recognize the wheels?” Zet asked.
Sure, Stinger did. It was that very Diablo, Linda’s favorite car, which she had been driving in Florida and which had been stolen right after they had parted. Without a word, he walked to the scarlet Lamborghini and touched it.
Zet’s lips curved in a sneer. “Have you ever wondered why everyone has been tried but you?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t. We’re brothers after all. Why would you try me?”
“Well, you know, all are equal before the Master. And laws of the Church are uniform. Every adept is to be tried.”
“Did you steal her wheels?” Stinger asked.
“Sure. This too.”
Zet fetched Stinger’s phone out of his cloak, the one which had disappeared after that car accident. He set it on the scarlet hood.
Dark suspicions popped into Stinger’s head, increasing his anxiety.
“While you were in the hospital, I checked your phone and understood how you ought to be tried.”
Stinger’s stomach tied in knots. He tried hard to not lose control and smash Zet’s sneering mug, and continued their talk. “You wanna tell me that my test is to kill the girl I still love?”
“We only kill those who are weakened by their sins.”
Stinger felt his despair mix with hatred, the emotional cocktail about to burst out any second.
This was Zet, his own brother, the person Stinger trusted more than he did himself.
“Oh really? And I believed that you were a true… messiah, empowered by the Master, and we adepts are His instruments…” Stinger said.
“What do you mean?”
Stinger didn’t answer. The veins on his head were popping out.
“What do you mean?” Zet repeated louder.
“But for you, she would have never become the sinner which she is now!” Stinger yelled.
Zet’s eyes glared. “It’s odd to hear this from you. We’ve been working together for years. How dare you question my authority? Did you forget how we went to the bank and collected gold bullion from the safe-deposit boxes? The bullion I left there in my past life! You knew well that I could have never earned so much gold in this lifetime. And you knew well how old that bank account was, and it was there waiting for me! You forgot how we went to Mexico and I pointed to the exact spot where the treasure was buried. And we found it! Because it was I who buried it there, three hundred years ago! What about the other things?”
The Intangibles Page 10