The Wizards of Central Park West_Ultimate Urban Fantasy

by Arjay Lewis

“Drink more,” the old man pulled at his beard.

  “Why would I do that?” Eddie said. His tongue felt coated with fur. He wanted to spit, but controlled himself.

  “If you value your sons, do as I say,” Marlowe’s eyes were intense.

  Eddie grimaced and took another swallow. It was no better than the first. “Man, that is nasty.”

  “We’ll need it ‘ere long. It will keep you awake.”

  “If it don’t kill me first.”

  Luis noticed Marlowe next to Eddie and moved closer. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” Eddie handed the cup to Luis. “Here, drink this.”

  Marlowe raised his hand. “I did not prepare it for the sergeant.”

  “If I’m staying awake, so is he,” Eddie said.

  Luis took a huge swallow, sputtered, and fought to keep the foul beverage in his mouth, and then down his throat.

  “Jeezus!” Luis whined. “And I thought Mexican malt was bad. What is this junk?”

  Marlowe exhaled, annoyed at the turn of events. “It is a potion,” he hissed. “We will need it. Now, both of you, join the party, but stay ready. Odd things will occur this night.”

  “That’s my life,” Eddie turned to greet another friend and shake another hand.

  Luis went to the makeshift bar outside on the back porch and grabbed a beer, gulped a large swallow to take the foul taste from his mouth.

  “Hey,” a guest stood next to him and took a beer himself.

  “Hey,” Luis repeated with a nod. The stranger was a thin black man of about thirty.

  “I’m Calvin, Eddie’s cousin. You’re his partner, right?”

  “Yeah,” Luis offered his hand. “Luis Vasquez.”

  Calvin returned his grasp. “I guess we really surprised Eddie, huh?”

  “More than you’ll ever know,” Luis said with a straight face.

  “Yeah, well, even as a kid Eddie was a tough guy to surprise,” Calvin reminisced. “I can remember when he was eight-”

  Luis nodded and took another swallow of beer, then turned back to Calvin, as it was strange that the man stopped speaking in mid-sentence.

  Calvin stood, his head leaned to one side, and his eyes closed.

  “You all right, man?” Luis asked.

  The beer tumbled from Calvin’s hand, and Luis recoiled.

  “Hey, be careful,” Luis said, and with that, Calvin started to fall toward him. Luis caught him, and carefully lowered the slack body down to the wood of the deck.

  “You having a heart attack or something?” Luis put his fingers to the man’s neck. The pulse was slow, but strong and steady.

  Calvin began to snore.

  Luis laid Calvin down on the wooden floor of the deck and stood up. “Now that was strange,” he said to no one in particular.

  He turned and walked into the house, expecting to find Eddie and tell him about his cousin passing out.

  He stopped in the doorway.

  He’d only left the dining room moments earlier, but since then, it was as if a poisonous gas had been released.

  People lay about on the floor or asleep in a chair. One guest was sprawled across a large serving plate of food on the table.

  “Cryin’ out loud,” Luis carefully stepped around the fallen bodies toward the living room. “Eddie!”

  “This was not unexpected,” Marlowe exited from the kitchen. He held a steaming pot, his hand covered with a floral oven mitt.

  “What the hell happened?” Luis cried, as Eddie joined them.

  “I don’t know, everyone fell to the floor—I caught Cerise—what’s going on?” Eddie’s face creased with lines of concern. “Are these people hurt?”

  “No,” Marlowe said and stirred the smoldering liquid. “They are bewitched by a sleep spell.”

  “We weren’t affected, because we drank that stuff,” Luis ventured.

  “I suspected this might happen when you gave me the details of Mr. Cuccolo’s demise.”

  “What does that have to do with—”

  “Indulge me for a moment, Eddie,” Marlowe said, as he stirred. “This Cuccolo, he was a thief?”

  Eddie stared at Marlowe. “He was a gangster. Yeah, stealing was one of his hobbies.”

  “And his hand was removed?”

  “Yes.” Luis’ temper began to ignite, “what about all these people?”

  “A powerful charm can be made with the hand of a hanged thief. Wicks and wax are attached to the fingers, and with the proper incantations it can be transformed into a ‘Hand of Glory.’”

  “So what?” Luis said, and gazed out the windows to see if they were under attack.

  “You light the wicks near a doorway of a house, and those within fall into a deep sleep from which they cannot be roused as long as the candles continue to burn.”

  Eddie looked around the room. “So, nobody’s hurt?”

  “Correct. You and the sergeant must locate the Hand of Glory. Extinguish its candles and all will wake.”

  Eddie looked again into the living room where he could see William asleep near his mother. “What about my sons?”

  “I shall guard them. You two must find the charm. The spell requires that it be near a doorway,” Marlowe said. “Eddie, I think carrying your staff would be a good choice.”

  Eddie nodded gravely, held out his hand, and the wooden pole obliged. With a gesture, his clothes shifted into the tall boots and tunic with an over-robe. Eddie was amazed how quickly he’d grown accustomed to what would have been strange garments days ago.

  With a nod, Marlowe, who still held the bubbling pot, went into the living room.

  “C’mon,” Eddie gestured to Luis.

  “Should we split up?” Luis asked. “Cover more ground?”

  “I’ve got the only weapon,” Eddie held aloft his staff.

  “I’m big and scary.”

  “That’ll work,” Eddie responded, and the pair went out into the backyard. “Let’s go for the obvious places, back and front doors.”

  The two men walked out and across the back lawn, which was beginning to need a good mowing. Eddie was thankful he’d erected the tall, white, vinyl fence, as it blocked prying eyes.

  The two detectives, with methodical and well-practiced maneuvers, covered the entire backyard in mere seconds. They met at the back fence and drew close.

  “Front yard,” Eddie whispered and with a mutual nod, they both made their way around the house from opposite ends.

  Eddie peeked out and scanned the front yard, which was empty, except for Luis’ and Cerise’s cars. He saw Luis’ head pop out from the other side, and with a hand signal, they moved toward the front door in unison.

  As he approached, Eddie saw that the floodlight over the main entrance was casting an eerie glow that flickered and moved. He stepped up his pace and crouched low, watching Luis mimic his moves, though on a larger scale.

  He had a clear view of the entrance. The brick steps rose from the pavement, and on top of the landing sat a strange flesh-colored thing with five small candle flames.

  It was indeed a hand.

  Cuccolo’s hand, severed from his body and now used for a demonic purpose worse than any it performed in life.

  Eddie gestured for Luis to stay back as he stood and strode directly at the burning decoration. As he drew closer, he saw each finger did indeed bear a wick with a tiny flame that was unaffected by gusts of wind.

  Eddie was about to reach down and pinch out the first wick, when he felt a pressure against his chest. Suddenly, he was knocked backward, as if an invisible hand pushed against him, and fell on his butt.

  He was more surprised than injured, and he pulled himself up, taking his staff in both hands to renew the attack.

  Luis however, rushed past him with a roar that would impress any passing rhinoceros, and dove toward the flaming digits, as if to crush the charm with his huge body.

  “Luis, no,” Eddie warned in a hoarse whisper.

  But Luis was already off his feet, launched
through the air like a linebacker trying to take down a quarterback in the Super Bowl.

  His body stopped its forward motion as if he’d struck a rubber wall and Luis was repulsed.

  His huge frame rocketed in the opposite direction. He plummeted to the lawn, kicked up grass, and slid in the muddy earth. It all happened too fast for Eddie to try to break his fall.

  Eddie ran to him.

  “Luis, you okay?”

  Luis raised his head and shook it. “What was that?”

  “Something around the hand, to keep us away,” Eddie said. “Whatever we throw at it, it sends back with a greater amount of force. I got knocked on my butt, you got flung across the lawn.”

  “I’m tired of this, Eddie,” Luis whined. “How can you bring ‘em down when physics don’t apply?”

  “You were happy about it last night in the elevator.”

  “That was different. You stopped us from going splat.”

  Eddie stood up and offered a hand to his partner. Luis got up and tried to rub a little of the mud off his pants.

  “I can control fire,” Eddie realized. “It doesn’t matter what’s around it, I can turn the flames off without even—”

  “Eddie!” a cry came from inside.

  Marlowe.

  “Let’s go,” Eddie said, and the two men ran to opposite sides of the house.

  Eddie glanced through the windows as he went, but he couldn’t see anyone standing inside.

  Where was Marlowe?

  Eddie came around the house to find the huge demonic figure of Abraxas in his backyard, wearing an evil grin. He stood eleven feet tall, red, well-muscled with a goat’s legs and feet, and his enormous horns.

  In one of his taloned hands he held a limp body. Eddie stopped short, and looked up.

  There lay Douglas, his younger son.

  Action, I have to take action, Eddie thought. If I freeze up he’s already won.

  Eddie felt every bit of anger within him, from his feet to his head, focused that feeling, then lifted his staff and sent forth a plume of red light that struck the demon in the head, and made him stumble back.

  “Stop!” Abraxas bellowed. “I shall kill him.”

  Eddie made no reply, because with a roar, his partner ran out and dove for the monster’s legs.

  With a better effect this time.

  He caught the giant’s calves and the creature fell forward.

  Eddie lifted his staff, recalled the feeling of levitation, and focused upon his son. Douglas, asleep and oblivious, rose into the air out of his adversary’s grasp.

  Abraxas hit the ground and slid in the mud, one of his huge horns digging into the earth, which brought both the demon and Luis to an abrupt halt.

  Eddie guided the sleeping boy through the air toward the safety of the house. But another beam of light encircled and pulled him in a different direction.

  “No!” Eddie barked and rushed toward his son.

  A figure, cloaked and hooded, stood near the vinyl fence. The dark robe was offset against the white background, but the face was in shadows.

  “Leave off!” a muffled voice demanded from the robe. “Or I shall kill him here and now.”

  The timbre of the voice was familiar. He’d heard it before, but who did it belong to?

  Eddie withdrew his power and Douglas was surrounded by a gray light as he floated in midair.

  The demon smacked Luis away from his leg with one of his massive hands, as if the sergeant was no more than an annoying insect. Luis made a grunt, rolled a few feet away, and came to rest on the damp lawn.

  Eddie started toward him.

  “Stay!” the warlock ordered, in his indistinct, gravelly voice.

  Eddie froze to his spot.

  The demon stood, and with a look to the shadowy figure, plucked the sleeping boy out of the air.

  “Where is Marlowe?” Eddie glanced about for the old man.

  “What is that to thee?” the cloaked figure said. “Shall we negotiate for the life of your son?”

  “Let him go, it’s me you want,” Eddie said.

  “That is where you are wrong. It is your staff I want.”

  Eddie looked at the wooden pole in his hand, then over at the unconscious Luis, then at the demon who held Douglas aloft.

  “Why do you want it?”

  “Only the Five can stop us, and they must be united. Without your staff, we have won.”

  Get him to talk, look for an opening, Eddie thought.

  “Aren’t you powerful enough with your talismans?” Eddie said.

  “I wish to make certain events fall into place.”

  “What events?”

  “Armageddon, of course,” the voice sneered. “Enough talk! Surrender your staff or the boy dies.”

  Eddie glanced at the demon towering over him.

  In a hostage situation, the cop in his head spoke. Relinquishing your weapon makes two people dead.

  The demon held the boy like he was a rag doll, and as Eddie watched, he moved his free hand to Douglas’ throat.

  “Wait, wait,” Eddie cried, put his staff on the ground and stepped away from it. “There, let my son go.”

  “Fool! You must announce that you give it to me.”

  “I’m not giving it to you willingly,” Eddie glanced at the house. Where was Marlowe when he really needed him?

  “Say the words!” the cloaked figure demanded.

  “All right!” Eddie gritted his teeth. “I give the Staff of Fire and its power to you.”

  The wooden pole began to glow red and rose into the air. A flash of red appeared around Eddie, which glowed brightly then shot through the air to the hooded figure and surrounded him.

  Eddie’s clothes shifted immediately from robes into his suit.

  The staff rose into the air and landed in the free hand of the shadowy warlock.

  “AT LAST!” he bellowed, and held the staff aloft. The hood turned toward the giant, “Let us go, demon.”

  “Leave my son,” Eddie begged. “That was the deal.”

  “I don’t make deals,” he snarled, and with a flash of purple light, the warlock, the demon, and Douglas disappeared.

  Eddie fell to his knees as tears stabbed his eyes.

  Forty-Five

  “What do you mean, you gave him your staff?” Marlowe scolded. He held a cloth wrapped with ice to his head as Eddie applied a bandage to a cut in the purplish mass that was once Luis Vasquez’s eye.

  “I didn’t have a choice,” Eddie lamented. “My partner was down and my son was in danger—is in danger. This is not the time to tell me I made a bad choice. I know that!”

  His partner sat in the kitchen in his muddy pants with his shirt off, as Eddie checked him over. Eddie had roused him on the lawn and helped him into the house.

  A quick search found Marlowe unconscious in the living room, and at first Eddie wasn’t sure the old man was breathing. But a few gentle slaps on his cheek brought him around. Then, Eddie helped him into the kitchen and took to doctoring both men.

  “Ouch!” Luis said, as Eddie applied hydrogen peroxide to a nasty scrape on his side. He turned to Marlowe. “So, where the hell were you when this was all goin’ down?”

  Marlowe exhaled heavily. His eye was beginning to swell into a first-class shiner. “I was caught unawares.”

  “What kind of dumb-ass wizard are you, then?” Luis tried to stand, while Eddie pushed him back in his chair.

  “Enough! Arguing won’t get us anywhere.” Eddie turned toward Marlowe. “You’re going to have to extinguish the Hand of Glory, I can’t.”

  “Is that wise?” Marlowe said. “No one knows your son is gone. What will you tell them?”

  “Hey, you crazy gringo,” Luis snapped. “My wife is laying on the floor in the living room, I ain’t gonna leave her that way.”

  “Luis,” Eddie didn’t raise his voice. “Calm down.” He turned back to Marlowe. “I’ll think of something. Luis is right, we can’t leave them this way.”


  Marlowe nodded.

  “There is no doubt anymore,” Eddie daubed a small abrasion under Marlowe’s eye. “We both saw the warlock.”

  Marlowe hissed with pain. “You saw him?”

  Eddie’s mouth was a hard line. “Yes, and there was something familiar about him.”

  Marlowe opened his eyes and met Eddie’s. “You know who it is?”

  “No,” Eddie considered, “but the next time I run into him, I will. What I need to know is who has enough power to stop you?”

  “I was unprepared, my defenses were not in place. Remember when I struck out at you in practice today?” Marlowe recounted.

  “Yeah.”

  “That was but a small amount of power. I was smote much stronger than thee,” Marlowe said, sullenly.

  “Does Drusilicus or Caleb have the power to take you out? How about Ahbay or Eugenia?”

  Marlowe thought for a moment. “I would believe I could hold my own against most. But one of the Five or Drusilicus—he is quite adept—”

  “I need a simple answer.”

  “I do not have one, Eddie,” Marlowe could not meet Eddie’s eyes. “We were outmaneuvered yet again.”

  “That Bankrock guy was the one who warned you,” Luis said. “Could his whole ‘I’ve had a vision’ thing be a lie?”

  “This warlock is skillful, he could send a vision,” Marlowe mused. “Especially if the warlock’s powers were combined with the demon’s talismans.”

  “Those two were as chummy as peas in a pod,” Eddie claimed. “And the demon was definitely taking orders from the warlock.”

  “We truly are up against something terrible,” Marlowe rose. “I shall extinguish the hand.”

  “Then what do we do?” Luis brushed at the mud on his filthy T-shirt.

  Eddie looked at his amazingly dirty partner. “Marlowe, do you mind?” he said, with a nod of his head at Luis.

  “Hmm?” Marlowe uttered, then noticed Luis’s clothing. “Oh, yes!”

  Marlowe waved his staff, and the glowing circle of light, like a hula hoop, appeared at Luis’s feet and rose up his body, cleaning and repairing his damaged clothes.

  “Man!” Luis said, “I wish you could heal the bruises that way.”

  “Clothes are easy,” Marlowe touched his own black eye. “I am weakened and cannot even heal myself yet.”