Catching Hell

by D. B. Sieders

  Yay! Looked like I’d be getting info.

  “Not yet.” Hannah took over the voice function again. “Rumors of war are eternal in our realm. And theirs. There have been no other signs. Unless, of course, you’ve experienced unauthorized opening of your portals, recruitment of summoners to the cause, or unrest among outsiders inhabiting the earth, there’s nothing to substantiate your theory.”

  Well, that sucked. My hopes for finally being in the loop were dashed. And since neither the boss nor Hannah had seen fit to clue me in on whatever clarity Hannah had gained from Mephisto—not to mention her sudden “recognition” of the boss—I was less in the know than ever.

  Thanks, Hannah.

  And what was this “ours” and “theirs” business? There was only one demon realm as far as I was aware. Then again, maybe that was yet another piece of information that was above my pay grade.

  Barbatos, Mr. Helpy Helperton, chimed in, renewing my hope of getting some real information. “If there are no open portals, how do you suppose Mephisto made it onto this plane?”

  The boss moved from behind his desk and began pacing. The wall monitors flashed with seemingly random images. A wooden doorway to some rundown building, a sewer cover, a large tree with a split at the base of its trunk, the small opening covered with a tangle of gnarled roots. I was confused at first but caught on quickly.

  These were all portals.

  I had no idea this many existed around the city. Demon hunters generally weren’t allowed near the portals since our energies and the demons we carried could accidentally send us on a one-way trip to the hell realm. The boss employed others to guard the portals—summoners—deciding who went in and out and when they were permitted to travel between realms. But like most other non-demon-tracking operations, the rest was shrouded in secrecy.

  I was getting really fed up with secrecy.

  Apparently, so was the boss. Either that, or he didn’t like sass from Hannah and Barbatos. Implying that he had anything less than absolute control of demonic activity on his home turf tended to make the boss a tad testy.

  The boss walked back to his desk and placed his hands firmly on the smooth wood surface. Then he graced us with yet another malevolent smile. “I believe it’s time we questioned Mephisto.”

  Hannah’s next words floored me and everyone else in the room. “No. Mephisto will go free and deliver my reply to our mutual acquaintance.”

  The glass container holding Mephisto cracked. I stared in horror as the swirling demon inside expanded and then ducked when the glass shattered and the incorporeal demon shot out and started flying around the room, presumably looking for an exit.

  Chapter Nine

  What. The. Actual. Fuck?

  Hannah released the demon again? Not normal and not right. We captured demons. We protected the earth from them. We didn’t just set them free to eat people, especially unauthorized demons as powerful as Mephisto.

  The boss recovered quickly. He snarled, and for a split second I caught a glimpse of the demon hiding behind the facade of a businessman. “Summon him back. Now.”

  “No,” Hannah said. Personally, I would have considered complying, but this had apparently turned into a demon-style pissing contest.

  Barbatos rose and began creating sigils from demon magic, waving his hands as glowing symbols appeared. A trap. He shot the trap at the demon zipping around the room, but Mephisto evaded it and disappeared into a vent. “The lower levels are secure,” Barbatos said. “I’ll catch him.”

  The boss nodded and then turned his angry gaze to me. “If you refuse to cooperate, Intercessor, I’ll simply have to question Mephisto’s accomplice.”

  Intercessor? Was that Hannah’s title? That wasn’t her real name, but surely it had something to do with her past, her nature.

  Hannah was powerful. I’d only had a glimpse of her true power once, and it had been enough. She was scary. And it seemed she’d known the boss sometime in the past, possibly when they’d both been in the hell realm, which meant the boss had probably known who and what she was all along.

  He’d known, and he’d never told me. Something about that past association was connected with Mephisto, hell realm wars, and a demon lord who wanted Hannah—and me—as his newest recruits.

  But how?

  A loud noise from behind us made me turn in my chair. All thoughts philosophical, snarky, and otherwise fled my mind. A platform rose from the floor. It had a glowing, magical pentagram swirling above it, sigils twinkling in the corners. No candles. True demons used magic for summoning, though they still needed names. It wasn’t the hypnotic power of the pentagram that had my heart racing, though, or even the impressive figure of D—Dominic—as he stood outside the circle, controlling the spell.

  It was Mara. She stood in the pentagram’s center, helpless gaze darting around the room. Hands bound in front of her and feet in enchanted chains, her form shifted in rapid succession in a desperate attempt to appeal to any entity in the room with the power to set her free. I wondered if the damsel in Medieval getup was meant for the boss or D. Then there was a sleek African queen, and an alluring seventeenth-century lady in powdered wig with a bodice that left little to the imagination. The prim schoolmarm with the tight bun surprised me, but I’d learned not to judge.

  Then, turning to me, she assumed the form of D.

  I would have been mortified if outrage hadn’t already seized my heart. I rose to my feet—me, the tiny human, not Hannah the Intercessor—and faced the boss in outright challenge. Hannah had gone silent. Again. Looked like I’d have no backup.

  “Let her go,” my feral voice sounded through clenched teeth. “She didn’t help Mephisto willingly. He forced her through means of summoning.”

  “Just as I intend to obtain answers from this temptress by means of summoning. She’s already on probation. If she cooperates, I’ll send her back to the hell realm rather than casting her in solitary confinement in one of your little human penitentiaries in this plane.”

  No, he couldn’t.

  “You unbelievable bastard. She’ll starve.” Shocked and appalled, I imagined the limp and emaciated body of the succubus wasting away in some sterile cell, devoid of sustenance or even the comfort of companionship.

  The boss scowled at me. “Ah, yes, Jane McGee, the bleeding heart. I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long as a demon hunter.”

  “And I’m surprised you let an unauthorized demon lord slip through the cracks so he could make threats in your domain,” I countered.

  What was I doing? I’d never crossed the boss openly before. Sure, I talked smack when he wasn’t listening, but apparently, I’d located my ovaries and decided enough was enough.

  And it was. I’d given my word to Mara that she’d be safe. I promised I wouldn’t let her take the fall for this. I had to protect her. I wasn’t sure how I could do that without Hannah’s cooperation, but at least she didn’t seem inclined to stop me.

  Pain gripped me as an invisible hand closed around my throat and squeezed. The pressure wasn’t enough to choke me. It just reminded me of who—and what—I was up against. The lines of the pentagram’s glowing sigils blurred, as did the images flashing on the boss’s television screens as my vision faltered. My heart pounded in my chest as adrenaline combined with moxie I hadn’t realized I’d possessed.

  It wasn’t Hannah. This was all me.

  “The truth will set you…free,” I whispered through my aching throat. D had moved, slowly inching toward us as if ready to step in. “But first it will piss you off.” If ever there was a time for Gloria Steinem, it was this sausage fest.

  At least my vision had cleared enough to see the boss’s face in the middle of the spots dancing in my vision. The spots really brought out the red demon menace in his eyes. Mine probably just looked bulgy and bloodshot. Not my best look. I totally needed a makeover if I survived.

  I had bigger fish to fry now. I scrambled to formulate a plan, a bit of brilliance I could use to pu
t my money where my big fat mouth was.

  “You’re an insolent whelp of a mortal. I could snap your neck and take the Intercessor from you in a heartbeat. Think carefully before you speak again.” The boss’s calm voice contrasted the iron grip his demon mojo had around my neck.

  “Thought…you said…” I spoke between gasps, “separating from Hannah would…kill…us both.”

  I’d caught him in another lie. We might both survive, like Mephisto implied. Maybe I wouldn’t, but it was possible that Hannah would kill him. I’d call his bluff.

  “If…you let…me…breathe…we can have…a civilized conversation.” I almost wished I hadn’t wasted precious breath on back talk. My mouth would be the death of me someday.

  But I didn’t plan on checking out quite yet.

  That strange sensation I’d experienced earlier in the alley bubbled up within me again, going from slow, rolling boil to violent maelstrom in the making. It was more powerful than any demon strength Hannah had ever loaned me.

  I hoped the new power could save me from the boss like it had saved me and Hannah from Mephisto, but I wasn’t sure it would be enough. I could really use some demon mojo right about now.

  “How…about a little…help here?” I asked Hannah. She answered inside my head.

  I cannot give the Arbiter what he seeks. Too much is at stake. You must find a way to save the tempter.

  Wonderful.

  If I couldn’t use Hannah’s demon strength, I’d have to hope that the strange energy creating a storm within me would help. I jumped into the maelstrom and let it swallow me as power coursed through my consciousness, fueling my resolve and strengthening my body. It wasn’t Hannah’s demon power, but it would do. Throw survival and protective instincts into the mix, and I’d be a force to be reckoned with.

  At least for a few minutes—I didn’t know how long I could keep it up. I placed my hands over my throat and seized the intangible force that held me in its grip. Casting off the enchantment, I barely managed to stay upright. At least I could see clearly again. The television screens flickered, and the sigils surrounding Mara seemed to dim a bit. Weird.

  I caught sight of Barbatos out of the corner of my eye. He’d returned empty-handed. Not good. But I’d apparently floored the boss and made Barbatos’s jaw drop to the ground. D, on the other hand, looked pissed. He probably hated not being able to rescue the damsel in distress.

  Too bad.

  “Here’s what’s going to happen,” I said, my voice still hoarse. “You’re going to release Mara into my custody so she can help me find out how Mephisto got to this realm. I want access to everything you have on Murkowski, and I want access to every portal Mephisto could’ve used to travel from the hell realm. The rest of the team can question local summoners and demon associates to gather intel.”

  Wow. That sounded good. Professional, even. Score. I should’ve located my ovaries years ago.

  Barbatos threw his head back and laughed. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or if I’d just signed my own death warrant, but at least I’d impressed someone in the room. And I’d apparently landed a high-stakes demon-tracking case. I should really ask for a raise.

  “Add finding Mephisto to your list, pet. He’s gone,” Barbatos said. He was so helpful.

  The boss’s tan skin had gone from red to a very interesting shade of purple.

  Yeah. Best save any discussions about my salary for later.

  “And why in the name of Lucifer’s Legions would I do that?” the boss asked.

  He held his stance, but I had his attention. The maelstrom of power swirling within me held, too, for now. I doubted it would last much longer. I needed to bargain with the boss. If I made it worth his while, perhaps I’d walk away with my life, Mara, and my demon.

  “You’re going to do it because I’m going to solve this case for you and make sure no more demon lord messengers—or demon lords—go sneaking through unsecured portals or by means of rogue summoners. I’ve got a bigger stake in this than you. A rebellion leader in the hell realm is after me, too, not just Hannah. I’m highly motivated to save my ass from a one-way trip to your hometown.”

  His face returned to its normal hue as he considered my proposal. He walked back to his desk and sat on his leather throne. Mara had stopped whimpering and appeared to hold her breath while waiting to see if her head was off the proverbial chopping block. D stared at me with a whole lot of “What the fuck?” written over his face.

  Barbatos was the only creature in the room enjoying the show.

  “And if you fail?” The boss’s gaze lit with demon sparks.

  We were bargaining for real now. He’d expect a substantial sacrifice on my part if I didn’t manage to pull off what I’d promised. And he’d basically confirmed that Mephisto was indeed set on capturing and delivering me and Hannah to the hell realm general. If I failed in my mission, I’d be in the hell realm’s boot camp before being shipped off to certain death. How much worse could the boss’s idea of a punishment be?

  I shouldn’t have asked.

  He grinned. Uh-oh. Second rule of demon hunting? Never make a deal with a demon. They were masters of the loophole, always stacked the odds in their favor, and were experts at winning something from their victims no matter the outcome.

  I should’ve learned my lesson by now, especially since the boss hadn’t produced D like he’d promised—thus failing to keep his end of our first bargain—for years. And he hadn’t separated me from my demon, which he apparently was capable of doing.

  I’d keep that one in my back pocket for leverage.

  Drawing a deep breath, I channeled my inner lawyer. “If I fail, that will stack the odds in the rebellion leader’s favor. That’s not a win for either of us.”

  “It’s not a win for anyone aside from Belial. But I’m not bargaining with him. What do you expect to happen when he captures you? Do you think I’ll bargain for your release?”

  The boss was good. My maelstrom of confidence waned. I needed to wrap this up. Still, I’d learned something important. I now knew the rebellion leader’s name—I’d have to get my roomies on research duty for this demon while I investigated Murkowski so I could hopefully track where and how Mephisto the messenger traveled to earth and snagged himself a body.

  I’d also have to locate Mephisto’s new host. Immaterial demons needed a human host to remain anchored to earth, or so I’d been taught. But I dealt with tempters. Maybe higher-ranking demons weren’t bound by the same rules.

  The boss’s arched brow brought me out of my musings. He was waiting for my answer.

  “No.” I snorted. “I’m not worth that much to you. The way I see it, you have nothing to lose.”

  He appeared to consider my argument. “And what do I have to gain?”

  Oh, for the love of lollipops… “Peace on your turf? No more illegal crossings through whatever portal Mephisto used? Your reputation? Seriously, a demon messenger slipped through the cracks on your watch. That’s got to be embarrassing.”

  The lights flickered, and Mara gasped as the sigils around her pentagram glowed. Not good. Had I pushed him too far? I was terrible at bargaining. I couldn’t even haggle my way to a decent price for my car. Roice had to do it for me.

  “You owe me, and you know it,” I said, low and menacing. “You didn’t summon D. Told me he was dead. He’s not. You were supposed to bring him back to me in exchange for demon- hunting services. That was our bargain. You failed. You also didn’t release me from possession by Hannah. Mephisto almost managed it, so I know it’s possible. You. Owe. Me.”

  The boss casually strolled from behind his desk and walked over to me, looming. I hated it when anyone used the height advantage. Had none of these demons heard of the Napoleon complex?

  Leaning down until we were nose to nose, he spoke. “You will solve this case, secure the portal, and root out the traitor in the summoning community, and you will do it in a week’s time. Should you fail, I will consume the souls of yo
ur mother and sister before I devour their flesh. I will cast Mara into mortal prison until she goes mad with hunger. Then, and only then, will I pull you from the hell realm and teach you the true meaning of eternal damnation. That is my bargain, you insignificant bag of meat. Now get out of my sight.”

  Panic seized my body and mind. My soul was one thing. Loved ones were quite another. He’d threatened me plenty of times in the past, but never my mother and sister. “No, you can’t take my family, I—”

  He reached down and wrapped his hands around my throat again, only this time with his own slender and surprisingly strong fingers.

  “I can and I will. Don’t ever forget your place, Jane McGee. Dominic!” He turned his gaze to D as he barked out his name. The pentagram disappeared, along with Mara’s chains. D was in front of us before I could blink and grabbed the boss by his arm.

  Then D growled. He actually growled. “Let her go.”

  The boss looked back and forth between us and smiled before dropping me on the ground. Being short had its advantages, though, since I drew on Hannah’s strength to do one of those cool leg flips that brought me back to a standing position. D tried to stand in front of me, and I almost let him assume the macho protector stance. But I couldn’t in good conscience endanger the life of one more entity. It was bad enough that I’d put my family’s life in jeopardy, and Mara’s.

  I couldn’t risk D, either, no matter our history.

  The boss had outmaneuvered me. I realized too late what he’d done. I was a loose end, proof that he’d broken his word and, I suspected, proof that he’d been keeping secrets—like Hannah’s identity—from his fellow demon bosses. This business with Belial and a brewing hell realm rebellion would put him under unwanted scrutiny. If I solved the case and sent Mephisto packing, the boss’s colleagues wouldn’t find out. If I failed, he’d kill me, my family, and then deal with Hannah himself—weakened from extraction from my body—and tie up loose ends.