The Trilogy of the Void: The Complete Boxed Set

by Peter Meredith

  She said nothing to this and only the slight rise in her eyebrows lent any indication that she had even heard him. Will became irritated and his voice got louder as he spoke, "Well? I asked a question: can it be used as a gate?"

  "Perhaps...I don't know. I haven't seen it, remember?" Her response was icy.

  "I remember and don't think for a moment that I regret it," Will answered. He looked out of the window but there was nothing to see but an ocean of grey all about them. It was depressing after the sunshine of autumn Maine. After a minute of staring into the chaos of the clouds, he looked at his sister's face. It was like she hadn't been shot just the day before. She was smooth and seemed refreshed, where as he felt empty and sick.

  Talitha knew he was looking at her and smiled disarmingly. "Will, let's forget about the sword for now. It's the demon; we should be putting our minds to."

  "So you believe there really is a demon now?" Will asked, again looking hard into her face, searching for indications of deception. However, the plane bucked hard, as it began a sloppy decent, deeper into the storm and he grabbed on to the headrest for support, his eyes flicking to the window.

  "What did the other Talitha say? I hate to admit it, but she's the smarter of the two of us," she said this with a sigh, but Will didn't believe her for a second.

  "She wasn't sure, she...dang it!" he cried in alarm. The plane felt like it had dropped a hundred feet straight down and for a moment he was weightless. His stomach had jumped to his throat and he held the seat in front of him, gripping with white knuckled hands.

  "Dang it? Will, you got to learn to curse like a man." She turned her dainty features toward Jim. "Hey Jimbo...Big Jim? You can curse, I'm betting. Why don't you give my nancy-boy brother some tips on how to act like a man?"

  "No thank you," Jim growled.

  "Sure thing...but...but something has happened, right? Your voices are holding something back from me." She became excited and eagerly asked, "You have found some of the boys dead, right? Were they mutilated? Spoiled in a kinky way, perhaps?"

  Will grimaced at her.

  The hungry look on her face was unmistakably evil and exhaling heavily, he turned to see Jim staring out of the window at the grey nothingness. The big man put one of his large hands to his face and Will thought it likely he wasn't wiping the sleep away this time.

  "No, that's not it. The demon somehow got out of his room and killed a nun," Will whispered to Talitha and the glee in her face became annoyance at being wrong.

  Right after Will had chartered the flight into Boston, Jim had called the church to let Father Alba know the situation concerning Talitha and the sword. His face had come crashing down, scaring Will into thinking that the possessed man had somehow escaped. He wished he had.

  "Did the man get away?" Talitha asked sharply as the plane smoothed out.

  "He could have. But he just dumped the poor lady's body out into the corridor and somehow locked himself back in the room."

  "Hmm," she faced toward the window. It was just then that they found a sunlit valley in middle of the looming clouds. It lit up the cabin of the small plane for a precious few seconds, but the moment passed and the gloom of the storm surrounded them once again.

  "You know, I've always thought nuns to be so pathetic." Talitha began after the light departed. "They don't get the respect or the power of a priest, nor are they allowed a family, like a deacon. What's more, they're all clearly hiding from life..."

  "Talitha," Will murmured.

  "...afraid of the choices the rest of society has to make. Who to love, where to live, how many children they should..."

  "Talitha! The nun was a friend of Jim's. Show some respect or shut up," Will snapped irately.

  She stopped talking, and faced towards Will, her head slowly nodding as if in understanding, but her eyes narrowed and a mocking smile played along her lips.

  "You're really feeling it, aren't you? Your two bitches conspire to blind me and now you think I'm at your mercy. You think I'm your dog now? Sit Talitha. Shut up Talitha. Roll over and let me fuck you Talitha! I got news for you, I won't always be blind, so it's you who'd better show some respect."

  "Wrong," Will replied with savage anger in his voice. "I'm tired of your crap and if you get out of line, even for a moment, Jim here is going to put another bullet in you."

  Talitha face broke into a wicked smile. "Sure...right! You're willing to commit murder, Big Jim? Are you really willing to spend the rest of your life in jail?"

  Still looking out of the window, Jim said, "I'm not afraid of prison."

  "Yeah? What about hell? If you aren't, you are a bigger fool than you appear to be and that would be quite the fool. Here on earth you're a big guy...I bet nobody messes with Big Jim. But, down there...you'd be nothing. An ant, a maggot." She smiled a nasty delicious smile and her blind eyes came to life at the prospect of Jim in the void. "This is all moot anyways. Jim would never pull the trigger. Not to hurt sweet little Talitha."

  "That doesn't mean I won't pull it on you," Jim murmured to the window.

  "Right. I see the way you look at me...or I guess I should say, I saw the way you looked at me. Not to mention the way you smell. Do you know what pheromones are?"

  Will did and he snuck a peek at Jim, who was reddening up the back of his neck as he stared out the window. The big man snarled, "I know what they are, but they..."

  Talitha spoke over him, "Then you know they're perceived on a subconscious level...with most people. But I'm all too aware what your musk is saying to me."

  Jim glanced back at Will in worried embarrassment, the color rising in his cheeks. Talitha seemed aware of the look and paused for affect before going on.

  "You got a randy scent coming off of you in waves! Jim, you must really have the hots for her. Tell me Big Jim, is she the first girl to smile at you, to give you the time of day? Did she even get a look at that ugly face of yours? Or was she already blind and you thought: here's my chance!"

  "It wasn't like that," Jim declared the pink of his cheeks now becoming an angry red.

  "Sure it wasn't; no really, I believe you. After all, you're quite a catch." Her sarcasm was a knife to Jim, and glowering, he turned back to the window as the airport came into view below them.

  She continued, "Now don't pout. Will, how's he going to kill me if he can't stand up to a little fun? Jim? I know I'll be there for the honeymoon, but will I be invited to the wedding as well? Are you going to be wearing white? I know she won't be."

  "He'll be able to pull the trigger, if it comes to it. And if he can't, I will. Now please lay off the man." Will turned and sat down in his chair as the plane began a light bucking.

  "Shouldn't he know about his bride to be? Sorry to be the one to tell you, but she ain't no virgin. Yeah, gang raped at sixteen in an insane asylum...pretty sad if you think about it.

  A sharp breath by Jim alerted her and she put on a facade of sympathy. "You didn't know about the nightly rapes?" She asked in a tone that dripped sweet venomous honey. "Already secrets between you two...I don't see this lasting too long. But, since you attracted Talitha with your stunning looks, I bet you have other girls lined up around the block."

  Will felt drained by his sister, exhausted. "Can you please just leave him alone?"

  "Sure thing," she said with a satisfied smile and relaxed back in her chair.

  Will sighed heavily, and purposely didn't look in Jim's direction but instead watched Boston from his window as the plane's angle of descent became more pronounced. He never cared for Boston at this time of year; it was a dull city, perpetually grey and wet.

  Now, adjacent runways came into view on either side of the plane and it would only be moments before they touched down. "Talitha, listen to me. Make all the snide comments you want...go right ahead as long as you're quiet about it. If you draw too much attention to us, you'll just alert the police and we both know what that means."

  She rolled her eyes but remained quiet.

  Wil
l continued, "We're heading to the church and you're going to talk to this demon. If you try to run or if you try to hurt anyone, we will shoot you."

  "When you speak to me like that I just might not be in the mood to talk."

  "Then we take you to the police right away and let them deal with you," he explained calmly. The plane gave a jerk as its wheels tasted the airstrip and it bounced a moment before they got a proper grip on the paved surface.

  "Yeah, but maybe I'll tell them how you harbored a known fugitive...you know what? I think that's a felony!" Her mouth came open in simulated surprise.

  He hadn't considered that, but the answer came to him quickly and now it was his turn to smile in a nasty manner. "I'll turn you over to that cop you threw around at the church...what's his name?"

  "Milner," Jim said in between deep breaths. The rough weather and choppy landing had given impetus to his nausea; he was clearly concentrating on not throwing up.

  Talitha's face turned sour and Will couldn't help smile at it, saying, "Yep, I'm sure Milner will do a thorough job in his investigations. However, I bet he'll be even more thorough interrogating you."

  "Alright, fine!" Talia's anger boiled over. "I was just having some fun. Either way, I already told you that I wanted to talk to the demon. You know, figure out what he's here for—look for clues that sort of thing."

  "Sure Tal, that's fine. As long as you know we're serious." Will went about cutting her loose, stowing the ropes and wind chimes in his bag.

  A few minutes later: "St Thomas off Warren and Moreland, please," Jim said as he eased himself into the front seat of the cab. Will guessed his weight at over three hundred pounds and the cab settled perceptibly in his direction. The cabbie, small and swarthy had a smile on his mouth, but his eyes were full of worry and he glanced frequently at the giant sitting next to him as if he were fearful that Jim would eat him.

  "How can you stand the smell of this city, Jim?" Wrinkles of disgust lined Talitha's face. "It's a mixture of decaying buildings, rotting garbage and old sewage."

  Will gave the air a tentative sniff, but it smelled like rain to him. They were driving into Roxbury, an area of Boston that he'd never traveled in before. It was an older neighborhood, one that was near its death in the slow phoenix like cycle that all cities go through. The houses were a 1950s vintage, small, and crammed close together. The yards, generally covered in either weeds or trash were so tiny, Will didn't see the point to them.

  Most of houses, like the yards, were uncared for, slowly crumbling around their occupants like igloos in a rain. Porches sagged, shutters tilted, and ancient shingles were worn nearly to the roof by the dull grey showers that drenched Boston year after year. It was a depressing sight, but not a smelly one at least as far Will could tell.

  "Uhg! You two don't smell that? Does this city have gravity fed sewers?" she asked Jim.

  "I dunno," he said with a shrug of his wide shoulders.

  "Of course you don't," the words were coated in oily contempt. The girl faced out the window, blindly staring out at the rain, sampling the air every few seconds.

  "It could be worse, Talitha. Over by the Bay, on the south side, it smells like fish year round. And there's this oil plant...talk about smelly!"

  "Oil plant?" she asked with a sad look and a shake of her head. "Try petroleum processing facility. They don't make oil there, Jim."

  He said nothing, but his jaw clenched in anger and he scowled out the front window. The cabbie eyed him with a growing fear, and he shifted slightly further to his left. For a few minutes, the cab was silent save for the rhythmic movement of the windshield wipers keeping a lonely beat.

  "I'm sorry, Jim," Talitha blurted unexpectedly. "I suppose it's not your fault that you didn't have a dad and mom around to correct you like I did."

  Jim sat stock-still and silent.

  "Jim, I said I'm sorry and I meant it. Aren't you supposed to forgive me or something?" Jim only sighed in weariness when Talitha went on, "Jesus would've forgiven me."

  "Yeah well, I'm not Jesus. Why do you want me to forgive you anyways? You're only going to say something in five minutes that will piss me off again."

  "Fine, be that way...Will? Where are we? I smell old industry mixed in with the housing."

  Will wiped away the condensation from his window and peered out at the dismal view. "Yep, that's what I see."

  "We're almost there," Jim grunted.

  "Then I guess a nice hotel is out of the question," Talitha responded and then for some reason, she stuck out her tongue, and blew a raspberry at the window.

  Will had just been hating her for the way she had treated Jim when she did it. That little thing. Blowing a raspberry like a kid, made his heart remember her with fondness and his shoulders slumped; he was too weary to hate just then.

  "I'm picturing broken windows and trash and graffiti," she said dully.

  She was correct and he turned in his seat to get a better look at her, worried that her eyesight might be returning, but her eyes were vacant orbs.

  "Unfortunately, it's just like you're picturing it," Will responded, wondering why anyone would choose to live there.

  "Hey!" Talitha said suddenly. "Cabbie slow down...Will is the graffiti old around here?"

  Will looked at her first, wondering why she would want to know, before peeking through the rain at what looked like an old tire plant. "Cabbie, don't slow down. It looks old, I guess. Jim, is that old or what?

  "Yeah, I think so. Graffiti always gets tired looking after a few weeks. Why do you want to know?" His question was one Will wanted answered as well.

  "Just thinking about the socio-economic stratus of this city and how the decay..."

  Talitha went on for some time, but Will tuned her out. She was speaking for her own benefit, just to hear how smart she was. A moment later, the cab turned onto a street where the buildings were in better shape, but Will saw a freshly sprayed indecipherable word. He was just about to point out the new graffiti to Talitha, when Jim spoke.

  "There's the church...on the left." Jim took a deep breath and ran his hands through his thick brown hair. A look back at Will showed how nervous the big man suddenly appeared.

  Will glanced out to see a good-sized, red brick church with numerous stained glass windows. Attached to the rear of it and forming a rough T, were two more brick buildings, both of which had lights burning away visible in the gloom of the midday storm. The church on the other hand was dark and unwelcoming.

  At the sight, Will felt the first ripple of fear undulate through him. He paid the cabbie and helped Talitha out, her footing only slightly unsteady after the cab ride. They went under the eaves of the church and Will pulled on the front door, expecting to enter, but the doors were locked.

  There was a pause as Jim and Will looked at each other, uncertain. Terrible images of what could be going on in the dark corridor beneath the church threatened to run amok in Will's mind, but he forced them away and rapped hard on the doors.

  A minute passed with no sound emanating from the church, Jim, with his fist twice the size of Will's, pounded loudly. The sound could be heard echoing throughout the building, giving it a deserted feel. Another glance between the two men and now Will's fear became manifest and he looked away hoping the big man wouldn't be able to see it growing in his eyes.

  A peek toward Talitha helped. She was quite casually stretching her legs like a ballerina. "You can stop your oafish banging, there's someone coming."

  Seconds later, Will could hear footsteps advancing toward the door and then a priest, medium height with black hair and handsome Latin features peeked out. His eyes were wild and darted about until he took in Jim's great frame to the side of the door.

  "Jim, thank God! What took you so long?" the priest asked with irritation coloring his voice.

  "Complications," was all Jim said.

  "I suppose they do happen...you must be Will Jern." Will's hand was shaken by the priest, warmly in the manner of a politician, but d
amp in the manner of a man in great fear. He then looked with trepidation at Talitha, not offering his hand.

  "And you are Miss Jern? I am Father John Santos. Thank you for making the trip."

  Clearly, she could sense his hesitation and she mischievously held out her hand. His warm smile turned crooked on his face and robot like, he took her hand at arm's length.

  "It's very nice to meet you, Father." Her voice came out deep, husky and sexy. With firm, unrelenting gentle pressure, she pulled him close to her so that they were practically nose-to-nose.

  Will's muscles tensed preparing to rush her, but she only breathed the priest in. A long slow inhalation with her eyes shut and a contented smile on her lips, as if she were enjoying his scent.

  She breathed out slowly, "Good."

  Once she released his hand, he hurriedly wiped it on his black clothes, the uniform of the priesthood, "What do you mean, good?" he asked.

  "Mainly I mean there're no cops in there. Things would've been a little touchy if there were."

  "There's the reputation of the church to consider, you see. However, since you failed to bring the sword..." The word failed, came out as an accusation, directed at Jim. "I'm afraid we'll be forced to bring the police into this, if your negotiations, Miss Jern aren't successful."

  "You are already afraid. You stink of fear. You should be embarrassed by it. Are you?" She advanced on the priest as she spoke and he stepped back into the protection of the church.

  "Actually I am."

  "Are you afraid because what he did to..." she stopped in mid-sentence, because Jim did something Will thought wasn't too smart.

  Putting his hand on her shoulder, Jim held her roughly in place. "That's enough playing around, Talitha." His voice was deep and held father-figure authority.

  Her muscles bunched and for the slightest moment, Will thought she was going to strike the big man, but instead she pouted, "Sure...sure, no fun for poor Talitha. Maybe we can have some fun later." She was suddenly cheery and wrapped her arm around his huge one, as if ready to take a stroll. She smiled up at him prettily and he went stiff.