Hunter 3 : Lost Souls

by Heath Stallcup

  “Just spill it. What do the Fairy Fuckers say will happen?” I was losing patience.

  “Gossipers.” She corrected. “They claim that if you were a vampire, became a god, got your soul back, and was stripped of the god powers…you’d still have your vampire abilities, but you’d basically be human. Day walking, eating real food, have kids, the whole nine yards. You’d just live a very, very, very long time.”

  I leaned back and gave Laura a cautious look. “What are your thoughts?”

  She shook her head. “I have no idea.”

  Helen cleared her throat. “I can tell you that usually the Gossipers are spot on.”

  “How often?”

  She shrugged slightly. “More than nine times out of ten. Probably closer to…I dunno. Ninety five percent.”

  I felt somewhat better, but I was still concerned. Even if they were right that often, that still left a five percent error margin, and I knew how my luck ran. “Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter. Whatever it is, we’ll find out.”

  Helen seemed suddenly anxious. “Have you already set up a time and place?”

  I shook my head. “He hasn’t contacted me yet.”

  She gave me an evil grin. “Can I come along?”

  Laura and both did a double take. I shook my head at her. “Not just no, but hell no.”

  She licked her lips. “I’ve never met a ‘real’ god before.” Her features twisted a bit. “Only you, and you basically stole those powers.”

  I was actually speechless. Laura broke the awkward silence and asked, “Why would you want to see him? He’s a twisted, lying, double crossing asshole.”

  Helen shrugged. “He’s still a god.”

  “Lesser god,” Laura and I said together.

  Helen’s eyes flashed with jealousy. “If I could tempt him….mmm. I wouldn’t mind a little ‘oh my god oh my god oh my god…’ if you know what I mean.”

  “Eew.” Laura and I both reacted.

  “What? Seems obvious. Do you have any idea what screwing a god could do to my magic? Not to mention my anxiety…” She flashed another evil grin. “I could be unstoppable.”

  Laura stood suddenly. “Thanks for stopping by, Helen. I appreciate it.”

  “Hey, I’m serious. When you talk to him, just ask him if I could maybe watch. And if he’d like a romp while he’s here.”

  “I’ll definitely put that at the top of my list.” I muttered as Laura escorted her out. Not that I had a lot of respect for Helen, but what little I might have had was shot right out the window.

  “Self serving horny little bitch, isn’t she?” I sighed and walked back behind my desk. Of course, Loki’s ugly mug was on the screen, grinning at me.

  “You heard?”

  “Most of it. What’s she look like?” He leaned back and steepled his fingers together. “So. Ready to take me up on my offer?”

  “Sure.” His eyes brightened until I spoke again. “Just as soon as you give me proof that the soul in that jar is actually mine.”

  His brows knit together and his face twisted in anger. “How in the nine worlds am I supposed to do that? I told you that they have no corporeal form.”

  “Unless you grant them one.” I shrugged. “Grant this one a corporeal form and let me see who it is. I think I know what I look like.”

  Loki growled. “The only way to do that is to let it loose in Valhalla. Thor already tossed it. If I try to sneak it back into the great hall…”

  I thought of my kin, all ready to eviscerate me when I was there. If my soul was released back into the great hall and they caught sight…it wouldn’t matter that it was my soul and not the draugar that they faced earlier. They would beat the shit out of it.

  Loki continued, “No. If I let it loose in the great hall, it would immediately be purged. Thor’s law is law. Even I can’t break it.”

  I felt my guts twist. “Then I guess it’s no deal.”

  Loki practically jumped at the screen. “Wait!”

  My hand hovered over the switch on the monitor. “What?”

  He sighed heavily and gave me a tight lipped smile. “What if I allowed you to accept your soul back first? You’d know if it was yours or not.” He hesitated. “Then I will take my power back.”

  I settled back into my chair. “What would prevent me from double crossing you and keeping both?”

  Loki’s face twisted and I was almost afraid for a moment. “You would die eventually Sven Ericson. And when you did, I would ensure that your soul ended up in Elivdnir, to be tortured for eternity.” His voice took on a snarl and he growled deep in his throat.

  “So, you’d threaten my afterlife?” I smiled. “But I’d be a god. Who says I would die?”

  Loki leaned in so close that his breath froze the camera again. “You nearly killed me before, Northman. Imagine if a real god came after you…perhaps Thor? Odin? Freya? Any of your gods could tear you limb from limb and there wouldn’t be anything you could do but die. Slowly.” He smiled again and it didn’t reach his eyes. “Then your soul would be mine.”

  “You mean Hel’s. It would be hers.”

  “She is my daughter!” He screamed. “She will do as I say!”

  “Maybe. I know girls that do nothing their fathers ask.”

  While he fumed, looking for a comeback, I considered his words and nodded absently. “I need to think. You say that I would somehow know if the soul was indeed mine. I don’t know how I could know, but… I need time.”

  “Don’t take much longer, boy. I’m feeling hungry.”

  The screen went black and I sighed heavily. Dealing with this lying dog seemed to sap me of my strength.

  * * *

  Laura seemed pained at my indecision. “I thought this was what you wanted.”

  “It is. I just don’t know if I can trust him; there’s a lot at stake here.”

  She settled in next to me on the couch, another old movie on the television providing us our usual background noise. “You know you can’t trust him.” She tapped at a tooth with her fingernail. “Why is he wanting to strip you of your power so badly, I wonder?”

  I shrugged. “Perhaps the parts I have taken from him have left him weakened? I do not know.”

  “Regardless of his motives, he seems adamant. He wants it back.”

  “And losing this power is truly beginning to worry me.” I pulled her close and felt her head against my ribs. “I don’t know that I could protect you.”

  She pulled back and gave me a soft punch to the arm. “You are assuming I need a big strong man to keep me safe?”

  I groaned. “You do fine on your own. But since you’ve met me, you can now be threatened by gods. How many people are equipped to defend themselves from a god?”

  She gave me a silly grin. “You forgot the magic sword you gave me.”

  “That only goes so far.” I sat up and rubbed at my neck. “If a god decides they truly want you dead, they needn’t meet you face to face. Thor could strike you with Mjolnir from another realm. Loki could poison your drink. They could send–”

  She pressed a finger to my lips. “I got it. Point made.” She leaned back in the chair and studied me. She could read the worry in my face and I knew that she believed my fears were very real to me. I’d lost far too many loves in my lifetimes and I wasn’t prepared to lose her. “I trust you, Sven. Whatever you decide. Keep the god powers, don’t keep the powers, get your soul back, don’t get your soul back…whatever you decide, I’m with you one hundred percent.”

  I stared into those sparkling brown eyes of hers and wondered what I could have done to have deserved someone like her in my life.

  “I pray I make the right decision.”

  Chapter 16

  We made love that night.

  We have had many nights of passionate sex and some nights of acrobatic delights that still blow my mind. It must be her cat-like reflexes and animal desires that fueled those bouts. But that night, it was slow, sensual, loving and beautiful. It was a
s if somehow our souls touched and we truly became one.

  Well, if I had a soul.

  The next morning I awoke without a care in the world. I had slept as peacefully as I ever had since my initial change and the world felt fresh and anew. We showered together and I enjoyed washing her hair, feeling the foamy lather as my fingers massaged her scalp. It seemed that every little thing we did now was for the pleasure of the other, rather than to satisfy out usual human, but selfish, impulses. Something about the possibility of facing life changing events…

  I know. I’m no wordsmith. All I can tell you is, things were different.

  And I really, really liked it.

  We went through the motions of our daily habits. We dressed, we ate, we made light banter…but there was something else. Something that surrounded us like a ray of sunshine on a flower’s petals. Something that made everything just…better.

  I actually smiled as I sat behind my desk and prepared to face the daily routine. I still had no idea what I should do about Loki, but in my present mindset, I didn’t dwell on it. He could keep the soul for all I cared. Or he could trade me. If he suddenly appeared in my office and demanded an answer, I’d shrug and tell him to do what he wanted. It had stopped being a big deal.

  If I were previously in a depressed state, this must have been the manic opposite. I never thought I was bipolar, but the way things had been lately, I probably would diagnose myself as being one. My emotions were all over the place; I was anxious, then carefree. I was frantic, then calm. I found myself easily distracted and it usually had to do with Laura, her presence in my life.

  I did fear for her safety, though. I desired to wrap my arms around her and never let her go; wished that we could live some semblance of a “normal” life together. All my fears, all my wishes, they revolved around this woman; I hadn’t seen that coming.

  I finished my letter to the council. Although I had my own issues to work through, I still had an obligation to my job. No matter how hard I tried, the visual of the enforcers in control of each region left me wanting to scream. How could anybody have assigned these clowns positions as enforcers?

  I printed the letter for my own records then copied it into an email and sent it off. I was still nearly computer illiterate but I found I could do more and more without Laura standing over my shoulder and pointing out what icon to press, which picture to double click, or simply pushing me out of the way and doing it herself.

  I went back over the training regimen and the proposed dates for the regional meetings then shoved them into a file folder for Laura to make happen. All in all, I felt good about being caught up and there were currently no fires in the field that needed putting out.

  I had just sat back when the office phone rang and I had to do a double take to realize what it was. I wasn’t actually sure that the phone on my desk worked. I had more or less taken it to be a prop–something to hold papers down while I dug through others.

  I picked it up and listened.

  “Hello?”

  “What?” I needed to work on my telephone skills.

  “Sven?”

  “Who is this?”

  I heard a sigh on the other end. “Brock. We need to talk.”

  I held the phone closer to my ear, listening. He didn’t say anything. Was I supposed to? “What?”

  “This…email. There are those who are…questioning your assessment of the field personnel.”

  “Tough.” I expected some blowback, just not quite this soon.

  There was an awkward silence that stretched on and I was about to hang up. I considered the conversation over. They gave me the ultimate authority over the enforcers. There shouldn’t be any conversation about it.

  “Look, Sven…”

  “Do I, or do I not, have authority over the enforcers?”

  “Well, yeah. You do, but–”

  “Then there’s nothing to discuss.” I tried to keep the growing irritation out of my voice. He was, technically, my boss.

  “Yeah, but there are…look, some people think that you should consider perhaps retraining the enforcers we have rather than replacing them.”

  I fought not to growl into the phone. “Some people aren’t cut out for the job. It’s my job to make that assessment then make the changes necessary for all of this to work.”

  “I understand that, Sven.” Brock was starting to sound exasperated. I took a breath and let him speak. He had suits on his end wanting to maintain the status quo, then he had his brute Viking hunter on the other telling him that it wouldn’t serve. “Look, maybe you could give them a shot first?”

  “They aren’t cut out to be enforcers.” I loosened my grip on the phone before it shared the fate of the desk. “Brock, you know some people are meant to be paper pushers, admin, support staff. Others are field people. I can’t speak for all of the enforcers out there, but the few that I’ve met are lacking, meaning they won’t last a week.”

  “So train them. Don’t just pluck them from their jobs and shove somebody else in there because they…what? Look meaner?”

  “Brock…”

  “Sven, all I’m saying is, give them a chance. You might be surprised.” He exhaled hard into the phone and it came across as static. “For me? A personal favor. Just give them a chance to train before you start firing the whole team. If they can’t cut it, they can’t cut it. But at least you’d have tried, they’d have a chance to measure up and those in power here can agree that you were willing to work within the system.”

  I could tell he was waiting for me to agree. I really didn’t want to, but he had to toss in that personal plea.

  Damn it.

  “Fine.” So I capitulated. Even the mighty oak sways in a strong wind. I’m sure that means something and probably isn’t appropriate here, but it made me feel better to think it.

  “Excellent. You won’t regret it.” He sounded much happier than I was.

  “I’m sure I will, but I’ll give them a chance to step up. I’m telling you now though, if they don’t impress me, they’re out.”

  “Agreed.” He sounded relieved. I had no idea who on the council was giving him shit, but if my giving the field people a chance to change made his life easier, then so be it.

  “Is there anything else?”

  “No, that pretty much covers–”

  I hung up the phone. I had other things on my plate to deal with.

  * * *

  I hadn’t realized the sun had gone down as I kept myself locked away in the office. Laura entered and had someone in tow. “The local enforcer would like a word.”

  She showed the man in then backed out, pulling the doors shut as she did. The man who entered looked the part for this area. He wore faded jeans, a western work shirt and boots. He held a battered felt hat in his hand as he made his way into the office. “I’m sorry to intrude.”

  I held my hand out, offering him a chair.

  “I didn’t want to notify the council of this because…well, it’s a bit embarrassing. I know you’re in charge of us now, so I thought I’d come and have a chat with you. Maybe pick your brain on how to deal with this.”

  I nodded. “Name?”

  “Oh, heavens. My apologies. Name is Caldwell. Tex Caldwell.” He stood and thrust a hand out.

  He had a strong grip, even though the polite cowpoke persona wore thin quickly. “Go on Mr. Caldwell.”

  “Call me Tex.” He shot me a toothy grin and I fought the urge to puke. Okay, I get it. This is Texas, but there’s something wrong with going full native.

  “What is the problem you didn’t want the council to know about?”

  “Well, sir, I work the field hands. I guess I should say ‘migrant workers.’ We have a lot of them come up from the south and most of our kind appreciate them. They’re easy fodder. If you accidentally drain one, you simply bury the body in the fresh plowed earth and nobody is the wiser. The only one to really miss them is family back home.”

  “And?” I waved my hand at him
, wanting him to get to the point.

  “Well…one of our locals may have, accidentally, mind you, killed someone that he thought was a migrant. But they weren’t.” He avoided my gaze.

  “And the problem is…what exactly?”

  “Well, sir, the problem is, this person may have been the son of a politician. Rumor has it that the kid was up this way partying with his friends over some break in school. He was ‘slumming it,’ sir, dipping his wick in some migrant pussy, pretending to be an illegal. I guess that way if the gal ended up with next morning regret or worse, came up pregnant, he could disappear back to his world and she’d just figure he went back across the Reeoh Granday.”

  I still didn’t see the problem. So the kid was an asshole. He probably deserved to be drained.

  “So what’s the problem?”

  “Well…if he really is some senator’s son, we might have a problem on our hands.”

  I shook my head. “If you dance with the devil…” I let that hang out there for a moment.

  He stared at me. Eventually he shook his head. “I’m not following you, sir.”

  I stood and made my way around my desk. I could tell by the look on his face that he hadn’t heard about just how large I was in person. “If the kid decided to ‘slum it’ as you say, well, that’s dangerous fun for some spoiled rich brat. Whatever happens to him is his own fault.” I sat on the corner of my new granite desk and gave him a sly grin. “Who’s to say it wasn’t some drug cartel that got hold of him?”

  Tex nodded. “I reckon that could work. But usually cartels will blackmail for the return of–”

  “If they didn’t know he was the son of anybody important, they’d just put a bullet in his head.” I stood from the desk and eyed him carefully. “Has the body been buried yet?”

  He shook his head. “No sir. We just discovered what happened when the local called for a clean up.”

  I nodded. “Plant a slug in the back of the kid’s head. Cut him up into pieces, toss out anything with a fang mark. Dump him someplace public. Maybe leave something behind, a cartel calling card.”