Sometime later, Chloe lay beside her, smiling broadly. “Perri, you’re amazing..”
“My pleasure. I’m beginning to understand what they mean when they say, ‘It is better to give than to receive.’” A kiss on the lips followed. “Chloe, this has been amazing. We’ll have to revisit this.”
“Sure,” Chloe said. She got up and took a pen and paper from the nightstand. “Why don’t you give me your number and I’ll call you sometime.”
Ire rose in her again, unreasonably, she knew, but she hated taking orders from anyone. She contemplated melting away Chloe’s body, but too many people—some who were probably her friends and acquaintances—who would be suspect of a person disappearing altogether. Thinking better of it, she said, “Sure.”
Numbers exchanged, she waved goodbye and walked out of the bedroom.
Her rumbling stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten for a while, so she headed to the hors-d‘œuvres table. Roger walked up to her from across the room, and put his arm around her shoulders. “You know Perri—you’re good. You had her in the bedroom in less than five minutes. She must see something in you she likes. You must have been nice to her.”
She turned around, smiled, and pulled him close, kissing him. "Mmm." After the kiss, she said, “Oh, no, sweetie. I’m good at what I do—my skills have nothing to do with being nice. You should know by now that I’m only nice to get what I want. Then I’m evil through and through.”
“Yes, you’re formidable, but I’m right there with you. To me, it’s all in the hunt, and the eventual conquest.”
“Keep talking like that, and I’ll take advantage of you myself.”
He grinned. “And what’s stopping you?”
“I’m still feeling good after being with Chloe. Mmm—I want your bedroom this time.” On their way, they passed by another of Roger’s spare bedrooms. A woman cried out.
She frowned. “I would never let anyone raise their hand to me... ever.” Breathing quickened; her pulse arose; her fists clenched. She let go of Roger’s hand and stared hard at the bedroom door. Her heart pounded and her body shook.
Fury within her intensified to a boil: hands clenched like claws; her talon-like fingernails twitched, ready to strike. Her mouth opened slightly to reveal tightly clenched teeth. She shook with anger and fear. She hated knowing of pain inflicted: it reminded her of the torment that awaited her.
She looked through Roger, as though he weren’t there. The door slowly faded from view, and the nightmare that had haunted her since her arrival on earth crept up on her, floating into her mind like noxious clouds enveloping her thoughts, and suffocating her.
She lay on a stone table in a hot and suffocating room in Hell. Dank, fetid odors filled her nostrils. Handcuffs restrained her hands and feet. She squirmed and trembled. Eyes wide open, her tormentor drew her attention to himself.
Her tormenter hovered over her, close to thirteen feet high. Huge muscles bulged from his arms, chest and legs. Grayish-green scales covered his skin, while sharp, boney horns protruded from his skull and jaw line. Dark, expressionless eyes looked right through her. He bared his sharp fangs, and hissed, “You will reap your just reward, daughter of Eve.”
"But... I’m not a daughter of Eve. I'm one of you—"
“Silence!”
The demon ignored her plea, and beat her ragged with foot long nails, sharp as swords. Each blow made her recoil, crying and begging for mercy.
A voice quietly called, “Perri.”
She wanted to answer, but could only scream as the razor-like nails smashed against every part of her body, inflicting deep gashes, and exposing underlying muscle and organs.
“Perri,” the voice called again.
The dream faded back into the recesses of her tortured soul.
Roger held her, and called her name again. “Perri, are you all right?”
Roger’s puzzled expression bewildered her; she stared at him until recognition returned her to the present.
“Are you all right?” he repeated.
Before she could say another word, she heard, Slap! Slap! The woman cried out again.
“Okay, that’s it! I’m going in there. I’ll tear that son of a dog into a bloody pulp. She turned toward the door, and charged. Just before she reached the door, Roger’s two strong hands stopped her.
“Don’t interfere with me, Roger, or I’ll hurt you as well,” she snarled.
“Perri, calm down: the woman in there will be fine, I promise you.”
“How can you say that? Don’t you hear her crying out?”
He removed one hand, and pointed it at the bedroom. “If someone was hurting her, don’t you think she’d yell for help?”
His words finally sunk in. “Oh.” Her eyes flew wide open. “Oh! I forgot about that.” Rosy redness flushed her cheeks. Hands unclenched, and a smile slowly returned. Still trembling, she said, “Promise me you’d never raise a hand to me to hurt me. Trust me; I’d get ugly; I mean evil ugly, and that’s a part of me you don’t want to see.”
“I promise you I’ll never hurt you. I’m a gentleman.”
A cold, hard stare locked onto his eyes for several moments. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m quite sure. I may break your heart, but I’ll never hurt your body.” He flashed a nervous grin.
Her face relaxed, her body stopped shaking and her shoulders loosened. “Okay. I believe you.” The smile returned to her face. “All is forgiven.” She kissed him. “But I may cry if you break my heart.”
He laughed. “I don’t think there’s much danger of that.” He pulled her close and kissed her gently.
“Tease...”
“Hope so...”
She put her hands on his shoulders, drew him near, and gave him a long kiss. At length, she pulled away, but kept her arms firmly around him. “Roger?”
“Yes?”
“I’ve been awfully naughty lately.”
“Well, young lady, we’ll just have to remedy that.”
Seven
Sunday, July 13th
The sun rose into the sky on a day that promised to be hot and steamy; sultry, heated thoughts ran through Poisonous’ bored mind, equaling the weather outside her window. “Okay. The hunt is nice and all, but it’s becoming predictable. I need more of a… challenge. “Yes! That’s it.” She stayed in bed that morning thinking of something even more evil to do. Several minutes later, she sprang up and snapped her fingers. “Oh, by Lucifer. That’s it!” Her evil grin spread as the thoughts in her head churned furiously. How to make it happen? “Ah yes. Roger.”
His number was now on speed-dial.
“Roger, be a dear, would you? Invite a couple you know to a party of yours. You know... a couple that are, say we say, a little on the outs with each other. Can you do that for me, sweetie?”
“I feel something sinister coming on. Do I dare do this?”
“You dare not defy me...” The fury rose in her, uninvited, sneaking up on her when she hadn’t expected it. Calm down, woman. Get a hold of yourself. Be in control. A few deeps breaths later, she calmed down, and smiled again.
“… naughty boy.” She made sure Roger was still listening. After a few moments, Roger answered.
“Yes. I am naughty, and I have a feeling defying you would prove... well, we’ll not go into that.”
She answered him in slow, even tones. “No. We won’t. After all, you already know how evil I can be. Now don’t you?”
“Say no more. I’m working on it.”
“That’s my Roger.”
* * *
Monday, July 14th
Dan sifted through the paper with the pertinent info about Samantha Boyle. Sighing, he put down the piece of paper, and decided to bring in reinforcements. His calendar software contained the number of Computer Forensics. A good buddy of his, Stan Lindahl worked in that department, so he jotted down the number and dialed his extension.
The phone rang once, and then, the voice on the other line said, “
Lindahl, Computer Forensics.”
“Hey, Stan. Dan Hightower here.”
“Hey, Dan! Watcha know good?”
“Well, I’m working on a case of a missing girl, and we’ve been reviewing the Metrorail Security tapes. We’ve seen the perp, but we can’t get a clear picture of her face. Any way you could do your magic, and review all the security footage from that day?”
“How long ago was this?”
“The incident occurred on June 28th, a little over two weeks ago. We have footage from the car Samantha Boyle disappeared from, and we have some woman with her, but she has her back to the camera. Can you go through as much footage as you can from that date? Maybe we can catch a glimpse of her face.”
“I’m on it, boss. Give me a little time to access Metro’s tape footage.”
“You can do that? Without going to Metro?”
“I have my ways, boss.”
“Alright. I’ll leave it in your capable hands…thanks”
* * *
Tuesday, July 15th
An exasperated sigh through puffed cheeks blew slowly out of Dan’s mouth. His thumbs rubbed his temples, an effort to calm the splitting headache. Before him was a huge stack of papers with more evidence accumulated on human trafficking. Another heavy sigh blew past his lips as he reached for the next case. The number of cases made his heart sadden: more with every case. The number of children being abused for profit had skyrocketed to over three hundred cases in the last month, and over a quarter of them were sex for profit. Disgust made bile rise slowly from his stomach to his throat. A picture of his girls being captured in such a barbaric way came into focus in his mind’s eye, and his blood pressure rose, and his heart pounded at more than one hundred twenty beats per minute. An overwhelming urge to throw all the papers out the window was soon drowned out by the ringing of his telephone. Recognizing the number, he quickly picked up the handset, and answered.
“Hightower.”
“Dan, I picked up some new information for you,” said Stan Lindhall.
“I need some good news right about now. Whatcha got?”
“We went through the surveillance video in the station, and caught a glimpse of the woman who was with Samantha Boyle the day she disappeared.”
“Really? Is her face in any of our databases?”
“Nope. That’s the mysterious part. It’s as if she appeared out of nowhere. No past history, no nothing.”
Now frustration as well as his blood pressure arose in him. “Well, keep me posted if you come across any more information.”
“Will do.”
* * *
Saturday, July 19th
A good representation of the upwardly mobile younger generation milled about in Roger’s apartment. Most lived in the District; couples with two incomes, unencumbered by children. The rest represented the single demographic, and did the mating ritual that only singles do well. She looked over the prospects, keeping in mind that what she wanted was a married man.
Roger approached, exuding his trademark charm and seductive manner. “Hey, Perri. How’s the hunt going?”
“Just lovely, dear, but I need to concentrate if I’m to succeed at a grander adventure. Be a dear, and mingle with your guests.” She smiled politely, but grey-green orbs of ice concentrated on their mission.
He remained quiet for a few moments, and looked hurt. “As you wish.”
“Thanks. You’re a dear.” She thought a moment, and called him back. “Roger?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be callous, but I have to stick to my plan. You understand, don’t you sweetie?”
“Of course.” He turned and left.
She turned back to the crowd, taking in the candidates. Then her eyes stopped on a young man and a woman who appeared to be his espoused. Her mind clicked into stealth mode, honing in on her next victim. “Roger.”
He walked back in her direction. “Yes, your evilness. What do you require of your servant?”
Poisonous ignored the subtle verbal jab. “You know, that man over there appears to be married. Is he, and if so, what’s his name?”
He followed her gaze, and saw a young couple in the corner near the door to the terrace. “That would be Kyle Barrett, and his wife, Amanda.”
“Thank you, Roger. You’re a dear... as always.”
She gave him a perfunctory peck on the cheek, and fastened her sights on Kyle: a fair man, blonde and blue-eyed; very European. His wife stood near him, a pretty woman, but not with the mental dullness typically assumed to accompany those looks. Kyle’s wife and another gentleman and his wife talked animatedly. “Oh, good; pretty and sure of herself…for now.” Her grin belied the caustic thoughts churning though her wicked mind. “I’m going to make sure I knock her down a few notches.”
Moving in closer, exchanging pleasantries with various people in her path, she finally stood right next to Amanda’s arm, which zigged and zagged as she spoke. Poisonous moved close enough to be sure to be in the path of that errant arm, which, conveniently, held a drink.
“…I was appalled. The woman wouldn’t leave me alone. So I turned around and—”
Poisonous gasped, as the Mojito cascaded down the inside and the outside of her dress, leaving her to experience the smooth, refreshing coolness of rum, lime, and bubbles, with a touch of mint. The longer she stood there, the stickier she felt.
“Oh! I’m so sorry! I’ve ruined your dress...” Amanda grimaced. “Oh dear. If you need, I can drive you to your house, so you can change. I’ll even pay for the cleaning.”
She smiled too sweetly. “Oh, that’s perfectly all right. I’m sure you just didn’t see me; and don’t worry about the dress. I’ve left a few here at Rogers’s condo. I’ll just go change.” The menace in her eyes spited her smile. She turned away slowly, and walked towards Roger.
“Roger, could you be a dear, and let me change clothes?” She pointed in Amanda’s direction. “That klutz over there spilled her drink all over me.”
Roger’s face remained expressionless. “And I’m sure you had nothing to do with it.” He looked towards his room. “Help, yourself. Mi casa es tu casa.”
Upstairs, Poisonous found the clothes she had left with Roger, ‘just in case.’ The drink had spilled all over her, and the sugar in it now made her sticky. “Hmmm. Maybe I’ll take a quick shower.” As she dried off, she looked in the mirror, and admired her bare body. “By Lucifer, Perri. You’re very attractive. If I weren’t you, I would hit on you myself.”
She donned an outfit, and headed back downstairs. As she walked towards the hors d’oeuvres, a woman came up to her, and flagged her down. “Hi. I’m Shelby. I saw the whole thing. Are you all right?”
“Yes. But it’s annoying to have someone be so clumsy that they spill their drink all over you.” A disparaging glance in Amanda’s direction underscored her ‘incensed’ look. Following the look, a tasty tidbit fell into the mix. “You, know... I can’t be sure, but it seems like Kyle only enjoys talking to other men. In fact, he looks like he’s flirting with them. I think he likes them a little more than usual.”
The other women who had gathered around her looked in Kyle’s direction. Then in unison, they turned discretely away.
“You know. I never noticed, but you’re right. Kyle always seems to be talking to men... and enjoying it.”
“Yeah,” said another. “Kind of odd, if you ask me.”
“I’ve heard he’s seen a lot with this guy named Joe. They’ve been very chummy lately... if you know what I mean,” added another.
The hen party continued for several minutes.
“Excuse me ladies. But I need to catch my friend over there before she leaves.” She positioned herself at a perpendicular angle behind Amanda’s back, and then motioned Roger over, who obediently came. She whispered in his ear, “Stay here and talk to me.” He did, and as planned, Amanda turned around and bumped into her, knocking her over.
“Oh dear! I’m so sorry.
I’ve not had very good luck with you tonight. Are you alright?” She offered her hands to Poisonous.
She took Amanda’s hand and got back on her feet, purposefully maintaining a sunny disposition. “Oh, I’m just fine. Just a little shaken up, that’s all.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” A glance at her watch indicated that the hour had become late. “Actually, I must be going. I’m sorry we met by ‘accident.’ My name’s Perri; yours?”
“I’m Amanda Barrett.” Amanda turned to her husband. “And that is my husband, Kyle.”
Kyle extended his hand, which she took as daintily as possible. “Nice to meet you, Perri.”
She held his hand with both of hers. “Oh, Kyle... believe me, the pleasure is all mine.” She let her soft gaze hold his eyes a few moments longer. “Well, Kyle...” She turned towards Amanda. “... Amanda. It’s been a pleasure. Hopefully I’ll see you two again, sometime.”
“Absolutely. And hopefully, I won’t bump into you, or spill something else on you,” Amanda said, turning red.
Poisonous just turned to the members of the hen party. Sure that her back was to Amanda, she rolled her eyes. The hen party contingent agreed, smiling back at her discretely. Once outside the door, she smiled all the way to the subway station. “Oh yes. Step one was a success.”
Sunday, July 20th
Satisfied with her plan from the night before, the plan for Kyle and Amanda Barrett needed to keep moving. She dialed his number on her cell phone.
“Roger, Hi. It’s me.”
“What’s up?”
“Can you arrange another soirée with Kyle and Amanda in attendance? I want to continue my hunt. It started out very well, and I need to take it to the next step.”
Poisonous: A Visit To Earth (DC Angels Book 2) Page 10