TAINTED SPIRITS

by Richard Alanson

  A Carter McBride Supernatural Thriller

  TAINTED SPIRITS

  Book Two in the Demon Wars Series

  Richard Alanson

  ****

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental

  Published by Richard Alanson©2018

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorised reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher

  ****

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  Chapter 1

  S weat poured down Carter's face. His lungs burned. The ground seemed to shake under him with every powerful footstep that propelled him forward. The air was hot and heavy. He had to blink away the sweat so that he could see as he ran through alleyways and across rooftops. Ahead of him, the man he was pursuing flung himself forward with every step, determined to escape, but Carter knew he wouldn't get away. Carter clenched his jaw and summoned his reserves of strength and energy.

  There were few men who could escape Carter in a foot chase. Despite his fondness for alcohol and cigarettes, Carter had spent years running along the beach in a methodical routine. Some would say he was obsessed. The only ones who really understood were other cops though. He needed the release to escape the stress and horrors of his job, and horror was certainly the right word for it nowadays.

  Controlling his breathing, Carter never took his eyes off the man in front, trying to focus on the chase and not think about everything that had happened recently.

  He tried not to think about the murder case that had turned into something far different.

  He tried not to think about a man called Leo Tanaka who had been possessed by a demon.

  He tried not to think about the shadowy black being that had lunged at him and left a trail of destruction in its wake, including taking the life of Mick Sosa.

  Sosa had been Carter's rival and although he didn't want to think ill of the dead the truth was that Carter had never had much time for Sosa. Still, he was a good man and hadn't deserved to die like that.

  The entire world had changed and Carter had had to change with it. Abstract concepts were made real and Carter was a surprising weapon in the fight for the light, and recent events had made him into a willing soldier.

  The man he was chasing was one of Seth Aguilero's men. Seth was mixed up in everything, of that Carter was sure, but on this occasion Carter was trying to pin him for being involved in a prostitution ring. Working on the vice squad was much the same as working in homicide. There were always bad guys to subdue. If there was anything illegal happening in the city of Los Angeles, Aguilero was most likely a part of it. He had his greedy hands in so many pies yet he always seemed to get away clean. Not any longer. He had also been close friends with Leo Tanaka.

  Thinking about this only made him angrier, and he roared as he sprinted forward and began to gain on the man he was chasing. Yet while the sight of a roaring Carter, all broad shoulders and dark beard, would have scared most normal people this thug did not respond in the expected manner.

  “Stop, police! Get on your knees and put your hands in the air,” Carter yelled. The man did stop, and Carter heard him panting. Carter walked up to him but as soon as he was in range the man suddenly whirled around swinging his fist and connected perfectly with Carter’s chin. The blow took Carter by surprise and he staggered back, but it only served to stoke the fire that raged within him. The man tried to use the opportunity to run but Carter was too quick grabbing the man by the scruff of the neck and dragging him back.

  “You made a very bad mistake,” Carter growled. The man was all flailing limbs and he couldn't even speak clearly. Spittle flew from his mouth as he tried to wrestle free of Carter's grip but Carter wasn't going to let him go. A loose elbow found its way into Carter's gut. Carter breathed through the pain, tensing every part of his body. He wasn't going to let this man go. Carter placed his foot in front of the man and tripped him over, using his body weight to hold the man down while he reached around for his cuffs. The man struggled. Carter was lost in a hazy sea of sweat and grime as he read the man his Miranda rights through gritted teeth.

  The man didn't say anything though. In fact he was more animal than man, making incoherent noises, floundering like a captured creature. In the heat of pursuit Carter hadn't realized the similarity between this man and the way Leo Tanaka had also reacted when being arrested.

  Just as he felt the click of the cuffs Carter reached around his waist for another weapon in his crusade, one that wasn't usually assigned to detectives. Holy water. A present from Father Constantine, Carter's greatest ally in this war and the man who had recruited him into the fold. While Carter was busy pounding the streets, Constantine was trying to find out what he could about the Lords of Baal, the cult who were threatening to end the world.

  It was a hell of a life Carter led and it was better if he didn't think about it too much.

  As he sprayed the man with holy water Carter prepared himself for another struggle as demons writhed in agony when touched with the pure liquid. In this instance however, the man seemed to break out of his rage.

  “Where am I? What happened?” he said, looking totally bewildered.

  “You're under arrest,” Carter replied, and hauled him to his feet. The man was filled with questions as Carter escorted him back to the station but Carter didn't give him anything. He was too busy trying to work things out for himself. If he had been possessed by a demon then surely he would have reacted in a different manner, but then again Carter was new to all this and there was still much he didn't understand.

  He was still getting used to the idea that he was now a soldier serving God. Sometimes it felt as though he had betrayed his own beliefs. For years he had refused to entertain the idea that God was sitting up in Heaven looking down upon the world and all the troubled souls it contained. Then all this had happened and he had to accept God into his heart. It had been perhaps the most difficult thing he had ever had to do for Carter was a stubborn, prideful man, yet he knew that it had been the right thing to do.

  He would do anything to ensure that this cult would not bring about the end of days.

  There was still much Carter didn't understand, and for the most part he had kept this to himself. He and Nicky had made a promise to each other when they got married that they wouldn't keep secrets from each other. Carter didn't know how he was supposed to explain all this though. It was unreal and he barely believed it himself, yet he had seen it happen with his own eyes! Nobody else knew though. As far as anyone else was concerned Leo Tanaka was a disturbed man who had killed a cop. At his trial Carter had tried to sway the jury to show sympathy for the man. It was the demon who had used Leo's body, but as far as the jury was concerned it was all Leo and the man was sentenced to death. Carter didn't know how he was supposed to fight this war, or how they were even supposed to win, but he had to have faith that they would.

  ****

  After booking the suspect and getting something to eat and a change of clothes, Carter walked into the interrogation room and sat opposite the man who he had learned was called Mario Roth. Mario was a slim man with slicked back hair and sk
in that had a yellow tint. His eyes were dark and brooding, and he obviously had an affinity for his ancestors as he spoke with a thick Italian accent.

  The room was small and humid, and the odor of Mario's sweat hung heavily in the air. He sat leaning forward with his hands in his lap and his head hanging down resembling some kind of pathetic creature. Carter was tired of having pity for these people though. Some, like Paulo Hernandez, were swept up in something they didn't understand and they made one mistake after the other, like Carter's brother too. But people like Mario knew exactly what they were doing. Carter folded his arms on the table and leaned forward.

  “Come on now Mario, just tell me what you know and we can help you out. I'm sure the last thing you want is to be sitting in here all day and night staring at my face. Frankly I don't want that either so if you just cooperate then we can both get out of here and have a nice warm bath,” Carter said, trying to play the role of good cop, although that had always been a challenge for him.

  “I don't know what you want from me,” Mario said.

  “I want anything you have on Seth Aguilero. I want to know about this prostitution ring. You know we don't really care about you Mario. You're just trying to make some cash. Times are hard, we get it. Sure, you'll get a rap on the knuckles but if you help us that's all it'll be. We want Aguilero. You can help us get him.” Mario didn't seem to be listening to Carter though.

  “Who were they?” he murmured to himself. He seemed to be searching the recesses of his mind for some kernel of information. “I was...I don't remember much. I had to go there and they...they were chanting.”

  Carter's ears pricked up. “Who were chanting Mario? Who?”

  “Some dark figures. I...I don't remember their faces.”

  “Do you remember what they were chanting?”

  “No I...I don't. It's all just. Oh God, what did they do to me?” The color drained from his face and Mario's voice trembled with fear. In that moment Carter did indeed feel pity for the man. Looking at his criminal record, Mario had shown little aptitude for anything other than being a thug but nobody deserved to be used as an instrument of evil. It was clear to Carter that he had been placed under some kind of mind-control where he acted more aggressively. To what end Carter could not say, nor could he see what the Lords of Baal would want with a man like Mario.

  “I'll cut you some slack Mario. Obviously you're suffering a bit here so I'll do you a favor. I won't tell anyone that you tried to resist arrest or that you attacked me. That's off the table. This is how it works, see? We're not all monsters. Now what do you say? Just give me something I can use.”

  Mario remained silent. Carter peppered him with questions but still Mario refused to yield anything. Carter used all his willpower to keep his temper under control but it was difficult. His two worlds were crashing together again. He needed to find out about the prostitution ring in his role as a detective but he was more intrigued about Mario's role with the Lords of Baal. It was his hope that one would lead to the other and that Aguilero was the piece he needed to make it all fit together.

  “Why are you doing this Mario? What do you owe these men? They obviously don't care about you. You're a thug. You go to jail and there's another ten guys ready and waiting to take your place. Try and be smart about this. Try and use your head for once in your life and realize that talking to me is the best choice.”

  “I'm going to be going to jail anyway. You've seen my record. There ain't no way I'm going to be let off for all that. And it's like you said, I'm just a criminal so what the hell do I know that could help you anyway? Nobody tells me nothing.”

  “Names, places, anything. I can get you a reduced sentence; make it so you're out quickly. Just give me something and we can bring a crime lord to justice. You've got one chance here Mario. Don't blow it.”

  Mario threw back his head and laughed at this. “I don't mind going to jail if it means I'll keep my life. I ain't giving you anything because I don't have anything to give, and even if I did I ain't that stupid. There ain't no justice anywhere.”

  Carter hung his head and pressed his lips together. Exhaling deeply he walked over to Mario. “Have it your way then,” he said as he leaned into Mario's ears, “but next time hooded figures stand over your body and put a curse on you, you may not be coming back to your own mind. I told you that you had one chance to help yourself and you blew it. You're at the mercy of them now.”

  Mario's eyes went wide with fear. Carter allowed himself a little smile as he walked out of the room and told Garrett to take care of Mario. Garrett obeyed instantly. There needed to be more cops like him. Carter grabbed an apple from the canteen before he left and crunched it on the way home. There was much on his mind and he had to find a way to untangle the web.

  Staring out at the horizon which burned a warm orange, Carter tried to feel a sense of peace within himself yet he had a foreboding sense of doom. Ever since he had been made aware of the darker forces in the world an unsettling feeling had resided in the pit of his stomach. There was a secret war brewing and most of humanity weren't aware of it. Even if they had been they likely wouldn't believe it.

  Much about the enemy was still unknown. As far as Carter knew only he and Constantine were fighting against the forces of evil. The odds were stacked against them but he and Constantine had God on their side. That meant they couldn't lose, right?

  Chapter 2

  “ I'm home!” Carter called out as he walked in and dumped his keys on the coffee table. He walked into the kitchen and kissed Nicky.

  “Good day?” she asked. Carter shrugged. “You stink by the way,” she added.

  “That's why I love you, you always tell me what I need to know,” he grinned. “I had a long chase today. I'm going to grab a shower. Pizza and movies tonight?”

  “Sure thing. Robbie is looking forward to it. He's in his room.”

  “How is he?”

  “Yeah he's fine,” Nicky said, and smiled. Robbie was at that age where it was difficult to know what was going on in his mind. He wasn't a teenager yet but it was quickly approaching and since Carter didn't have him all the time, sharing custody with Robbie's mother, it wasn't always easy to keep a firm grip on his son. His ex was far too slack in his opinion, and let Robbie get away with too much. In the custody battle Carter had been the more stable of the two parents but Robbie's mom had a big influence on him in the time that she had. Whenever Robbie came back to Carter he was surlier than he had previously been. Carter wasn't entirely sure how to curb that behavior. Carter was also worried for Robbie and Nicky too. With this holy war on the horizon he didn't want his family to be at ground zero and yet he couldn't send them away. He had thought about the possibility of letting Robbie stay with his mom more just for the sake of keeping him out of harm's way. That idea didn't sit well with him though. Before he had been made aware of the Lords of Baal, Carter would have sworn that his ex was the devil.

  Carter nuzzled into Nicky, curling his hand around her waist and kissing her neck. She arched her neck back and he felt her soft flesh under his lips but then she batted him away. “I love you Carter but seriously, go and shower!” She laughed and went back to what she was doing as Carter ascended the stairs. Robbie's door was ajar. Carter knocked and entered.

  “Hey buddy.”

  “Hey dad,” Robbie was laying on his bed involved in a game. He paused it instantly though. He hadn't quite reached the rebellious phase yet, for which Carter was immensely grateful. He had a holy war and criminals to worry about. The last thing he needed was a moody teenager.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I'm good. How was work? Catch all the bad guys?”

  “One of them. I had to chase him a long way though.”

  “Dad...how do you know that someone is a bad guy?”

  Carter creased his brow. He walked further into the room and perched himself on Robbie's bed, sitting on his Spider-Man sheets. “Well, we have evidence and witnesses and we try to get a confession f
rom them. We look at a lot of different factors. Why do you ask?”

  “Nathan said that his dad was being held for something he didn't do, but if he's been arrested then he's a bad guy, right?”

  Carter sighed. Robbie had always been smart but when he had been younger it had been easier to deal with questions like these. “Robbie, that's a very good question,” Carter began, and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. “You're getting older now and you're going to start realizing that the world isn't as simple as you'd like it to be. I've always tried to teach you the difference between good and bad. You're a good kid and I'm proud of you, but not everyone is like that. Sometimes good people can make bad decisions, like your uncle.”

  “Oh.”

  “I know. I wish you could have met him and known him properly. He was a good man but he made some mistakes and ultimately he paid the price for them. I'm not saying it wasn’t his fault mind you. But I'm just trying to say that when you do anything you should think about it carefully because the choices we make define how other people see us.”

  “So is Nathan's dad a good or a bad man?”

  “I don't know. I'm sorry if this is confusing to you. It's not exactly easy for me either. The concepts of good and evil are not easy to talk about, but it's always good to think about these things. The thing is though, sometimes mistakes are made and innocent people are punished. I wish it wasn't the case and we certainly do all we can to make sure that it doesn't happen but the world isn't perfect, and it's not always the case where the good guys win. I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear but you're growing into a man, and a man must look at the truth with open eyes because it does no good to hide from it.”

  “So what do you when a good man is punished?”

  “You fight for them. Even if you think it's a losing cause, even if you think the odds are against you and there's no hope for winning you should always fight for what you think is right otherwise there's no point in being alive. If you don't stand for something then you'll fall for anything, and that is really how the bad guys win.”