The Blood Eagle in the Big Easy

by K. A. Lange

  Both women gave me sly looks as they greeted me. “Good morning, Mr. Warden.” Katharine looked tired yet in good spirits as she gave me a wry smile.

  Something about that smile made me highly self conscious. You know the dream you have where you show up somewhere and you’re half naked... yeah that feeling. Part of me wanted to run. It was probably the wiser course of action just to take my medicine and be done with it. “I can come back.” That’s right, I still tried to chicken out!

  Kira smiled as she stood to give me a kiss on the cheek as I walked around to my chair. “Don’t be silly.” She said as she gave her mother a knowing wink. “It would appear that we have much to talk about.” She curtsied. “My lord.”

  Crap! I really should’ve ran when I had the chance. Part of me wished that Katherine had waited for me to at least be present before breaking the news about my alter ego to our daughter. Classic move on her behalf. She was always looking for an advantage even if it was at someone else’s expense and especially when it was at mine. “I see you’ve been brought up to speed.”

  Katharine gave me one of those that’s right I did it what the hell are you going to do about it looks. “I couldn’t help myself.”

  She really couldn’t! Katharine chewed her lip in her excitement. Kira however, was thoroughly curious, and hell I couldn’t blame her. There was a lot to know and unfortunately I wasn’t sure I had all of the answers.

  “I have so many questions!” Her voice was high pitched with excitement as she squirmed in her seat. “I can’t believe you’re Comus! Is there anything else I should know?”

  I took a deep breath as I focused my thoughts and closed the office door. “There is much to discuss.” Kira and Katharine jumped as the door closed much harder than I’d intended. “First things first however. Were you able to find Creepy George’s villainous lair?” Even to me I sounded more annoyed than usual. I did my best to try and hide it but it still bled through.

  Katharine leaned forward giving me a nasty little wink as she slid a piece of paper across the desk. “I believe you can find your creepy little friend at that address.”

  She could have waited for me but as usual she went that extra mile to try and embarrass me with our daughter. After everything is said and done and all the cards on the table, I had to wonder just how smug she’ll feel. It was a very shitty thing we’d done to our daughter by hiding all of our secrets for so long but I suppose every parent makes mistakes along the way. Ours were just a little more monumental than most.

  “Would you mind if we picked up this discussion after I wrap up this mess?” Eyeing Katharine I noticed that she lost a little of her smugness as she thought through the ramifications of such a conversation. “I just don’t think we could do it justice in the next few minutes, or even hours.” Unfortunately Katharine and I were nearly out of time and all of our secrets would soon be laid bare. I honestly didn’t know who I felt worse for us or our daughter. “We will need some time to go over everything. In the meantime however I’d really like to keep the entire Comus incident under wraps.”

  Kira smirked as she spread her arms wide. “You do realize that New Orleans is the biggest small town to ever exist.” She straightened up in her chair as she tried to keep a her excitement at bay. “No one has secrets in this city for very long. Someone always makes it their business to butt in.”

  “Be that as it may, I would still prefer if we at least pretended like we were going to keep a lid on it.”

  “Good luck with that.” Katherine snipped as she was going to try and press the issue for as long as she thought she had the upperhand. “While I am sure that most of the shock will wear thin soon enough, I doubt people will simply forget who you are.”

  Unfolding the piece of paper with the address and trying to ignore her comment, I found that I still had a few hours drive ahead of me before I could get to Creepy George in Folsom. “You’re probably right but who knows maybe over time it will become one of those urban myths.”

  Katharine slowly got to her feet as she resigned herself to the fact Kira wasn’t going to hold the whole Comus debacle against me just yet. She gave Kira a nudge encouraging her to follow. Reluctantly she too got to her feet even though I could tell that she had a thousand questions begging to be asked. “We will leave you to your errand.” They walked to the edge of the office before Katharine turned back and smiled. “We’ll be around when things settle down.”

  “Thank you both.”

  Katharine nearly had to pull Kira along forcefully as she was positively brimming with curiosity. Pulling my cell out I hesitated a moment before dialing Gregory's number for fear of waking him at such an early hour, but then I remembered that turnabout is fair play and sort of fun some days. Luckily for both of us he was already awake and after he heard what I had to say quickly agreed to meet me here at the office shortly. The plan was simple really. Terminate Creepy George and have the SOG team waiting nearby for cleanup.

  We were about halfway across the Causeway as the sun slowly rose out on the horizon in the east, as if it were birthed from the primal waters of the lake. The purpling sky gave way to several shades of fire reds and oranges until crystal blue blazed across the horizon dotted with cotton ball clouds that were gently pushed through the crisp morning air by zephyrs whipping across the calm surface of the lake. Little would anyone suspect we were about to face down a serial killer only a few miles away.

  Passing through the furthest edge of Folsom we made a right at the one and only light in the small village. Our destination lay a mere five miles away. As we made our way down the rural road we got our first glimpse of the old horse farm. It had been a beautiful place not so long ago, where championship thoroughbreds were bred and trained by masters of the trade. The once lush green immaculately kept pastures were now choked with weeds that had grown unchallenged over the last several years. An uprooted ancient oak tree lay sprawled across the fence line and the old fence timbers had shattered under the weight of the tree leaving a gaping hole in its wake. It was one of many breaks in the fence either due to disrepair or neglect. It was hard to believe that this farm had once been home to a loving couple with three children who had cared deeply about this place.

  Few understand the symbiotic relationship man has with the land, especially land he owns. What was once a vibrant farm full of life was now a distant echo of what it once was. Darkness enveloped the grounds as it tried to fight off the light of the sun. No supernatural boogie man claimed this land as their own, but instead it was man’s neglect and negativity that tainted the place with a wrongness that pervaded the area. The earth itself is a living organism which can become ill, and like anything else this place was definitely feeling the cancerous effects.

  Turning onto a side road we were finally able to get a view of the rotting main house along with its two dilapidated barns. The nearest of the two barns had collapsed in on itself while the other looked to be barely standing. The main quarters was a two story farm house. Whatever paint that had once graced the aged wooden walls had long since been stripped away by wind and rain. Several windows on both floors were broken giving the place a wounded animal vibe. We continued down the road another half mile before finding a safe place to pull off.

  “I take it that is the place?” Gregory shivered as he spoke. “There’s something wrong about the it.”

  “Tell me about it.” The whole place made me feel uneasy. Something more than sickness infected the land and we were about to march headlong into it. “The SOG is standing by?”

  “Yeah. They can be here in thirty minutes or less.” His voice grew strength from the thought of the calvary right around the corner. “Are you sure we shouldn’t have them closer, maybe with us?” His voice faltered as a sense of foreboding overtook us.

  “If Creepy George is here I don’t want to worry about others getting hurt or killed while I’m subduing him.” The very air around us seemed tainted as something noxious hung in it. I was starting to think th
at a few extra hands could come in handy but it was far too dangerous even for the SOG. “Besides we’ll be fine.”

  “That almost sounds convincing.” He said as he nervously checked his weapons. “So you still want me to scout around the outer edge of the property while you...”

  “Walk right up to the front door and knock.”

  He made a face that clearly told me he clearly thought that I was crazy. “That just sounds like a bad plan.” He placed his pistols back in their respective holsters. “But I suppose it’s all we got.”

  “Remember I will need at least thirty minutes to secure the area.” My definition of securing the area meant either disabling Creepy George or preferably killing him.

  “Your definition of the word ‘securing’ and mine I think are very different.”

  Gregory was a perceptive guy after all, so I wasn’t exactly surprised by the comment. We parted ways as he headed for the treeline and I approached the house via the driveway. Before my foot ever hit the gravel driveway I focused my will, allowing my shields to wrap themselves around me tightly. Keeping an eye on the windows as I approached the house I couldn’t discern any movement. Something nagged at the back of my mind that I was being watched, but no matter which direction I looked I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Reaching the front door I checked my watch. I had twenty minutes left to clear the area.

  The front door stood slightly ajar and swung open at my slightest touch. Pulling my pistol I proceeded to clear the overly large room which I could only assume was a den of some sort. Making my way through the cluttered kitchen to the far end of the house I opened the last door. Heaped in the center of the room was a broken bed along with several other pieces of bedroom furniture piled high. Satisfied the room and the bathroom beyond were clear I proceeded up the stairs.

  Taking the first stair carefully to ensure it would hold my weight I caught the heavy scent of blood in the air. Reaching out with my senses I couldn’t detect anyone laying in wait for me. At the furthest end of the house I sensed a prone form of what I hoped was Creepy George. Perhaps today was my lucky day after all and he would be unconscious and easily detained but something felt off about the entire situation. My heart started to race yet I couldn’t determine what had me spooked. I didn’t need a repeat of what happened during our last meeting. Keeping a sharp eye out for any sort of trap I proceeded through the hallway with trepidation clearing each room as I passed to ensure I didn’t miss anything.

  Opening the door to the room where I had sensed the prone body, I was nauseated by the condition that Creepy George was in. His left arm had been ripped off at the shoulder and thrown across the room where it lay motionless. He lay there nude with a crudely ripped Y incision starting at his navel, up through his sternum and across to his right and left shoulders. Several of his organs were strewn about having been roughly ripped from his body. I hoped that George was a corpse when this had happened. If Gullveig had kept him alive while she ripped his chest open I could only pray that he had bleed out before she ripped out his organs. I had a sense though that the whole scene was somehow unfinished. The heart and lungs still lay in place.

  No matter how much death you see I’d like to believe no one ever gets used to it. Desensitized yes, but comfortable? God I hope not. Still feeling slightly queasy I opened the window overlooking the back half of the property to allow some fresh air entrance.

  I called Gregory from my cell, who hurriedly answered. “Did you forget about the whole stealthy bit of this operation?”

  “Creepy George is already dead.” I wasn’t exactly disappointed by the idea but I missed an opportunity to gain some valuable information. Something still felt off about this whole thing, and that nagging feeling that I was being watched hadn’t left me. “Be careful out there. I have a bad feeling about this place.”

  “Calling Jones now!” His voice was tense as he seemed to feel that something was amiss as well.

  “Probably not a bad idea.” Suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I thought I felt something behind me but when I turned nothing was there. “You might want to double time it to the house.”

  Suddenly the screeching of some otherworldly creature filled the air causing me to drop the phone and bring my weapon to the ready. Something powerful lurked on the floor below and it was playing cat and mouse with me. At the moment I wasn’t so sure I was the cat in this particular equation.

  Chapter 17

  It’d been a couple of hundred years since I heard such a scream but once you hear such a thing it can’t be forgotten. The unholy sound slicing through the air was the howling screech of a wraith. A vile creature, wraiths were created at the dawn of time by primordial forces which somehow had gone awry. Cloaked in living shadows, its true form was obscured from view. What they looked like beyond those swirling black shadows was a mystery no one in their right mind would try to solve. The shadows would mold and pull tight around its vaguely humanoid form like saran wrap whenever it attacked, casting it in sharp relief with fangs and long razor like talons at the end of its long wiry arms. They were able to slice through steel as if it were wet tissue paper and have the strength of an elephant. The wraith existed in both the spirit and physical world simultaneously making it nearly impervious to most forms of attack. These creatures can only be killed while corporeal, simply pausing long enough to allow physical attacks to pass through it unharmed.

  My pistol could only act as a delaying agent instead of its intended use as a weapon of death. I really didn’t have a lot of choices in the matter so I brought the weapon to bear at the open door as the wraith flew through it, its lower extremities never seeming to touch the floorboards. Pressing its hideous form against the darkness of it’s shadows it howled again as it darted towards me. Pulling the trigger four times as I stepped back against the open window it paused for a fraction of a second to allow the hot lead to pass through it unimpeded. That was long enough. I threw myself through the window frame, taking more than a few pieces of glass with me as I fell onto the hard ground below.

  Landing hard I felt my spine pop, but quickly realized I cracked by back and was unharmed. This was probably the only bit of good news I was going to get for the rest of the day. Rolling to one side I avoided the creature as it dived through the gaping opening above, its talons chewed through the earth missing me by mere inches. The creature howled with rage. I guess it wasn’t used to prey trying to fight back or run away as the case may happen to be. Scrambling to my feet it struck my shield near my shoulder with a wicked backhand, spinning me through the air only to be stopped suddenly, if not a bit painfully, against the rotting wall of the house. No matter how much I wanted to believe that I looked graceful in flight I had to believe I looked more akin to one of those flailing, less than graceful idiots in a John Woo spoof. What can I say? Everyone wants to look cool, especially me since I just gotten thrown around the day before. The wraith dove at me again as I rolled to the side barely avoiding the creatures talons. As it pulled itself free of the wall large chunks of the rotting siding splintered as it fell to the ground.

  Hearing several shots ring out, the beast halted its advance as it turned its attention to its new adversary. Looking in the same direction as the wraith I watched as Gregory advanced slowly as he emptied the clip before ejecting the spent cartridge to be quickly replaced by another. Gregory didn’t have a chance of surviving the beasts initial onslaught so in a desperate move I tackled it. That’s right, when in doubt try something utterly stupid. It just might work. It swatted me away as if I were no more of a concern than an insect. Rolling to my feet and forcing my will into my shields I stood my ground as the vile creature advanced upon me once more. As it swung its razor sharp talons at my face I felt a surge of power course through me as I lifted my arm to block the attack.

  My forearm erupted in flames as it connected with the wraith’s talons, turning them to white ash and fall harmlessly to the ground. Coming up with a left hook I caught the creature
in what should have been it’s chin, it screamed in agony sending shivers up my spine. The wraith tried to retreat as confusion seemed to set. I don’t think that it had ever known fear until this moment. Something deep within the creature knew it couldn’t escape and chose to stand its ground. Bravery was not something I thought the creature was capable of. Perhaps it was just desperation.

  Quickly closing the gap between us, I felt sluggish as the new abilities were rapidly draining me. Suddenly the wraith stopped and turned back towards me, striking at me again, catching me in the chest. I took a step back from the force of the blow while the creature pulled back a nub as more ash fell to the ground. Throwing a quick jab to the creatures midsection, to my surprise I punched a hole through the it as more white ash fell. The creature’s howls were a combination of rage and agony as it slashed out again catching me in my stomach. I felt my shields quiver slightly but they held which thankfully kept me from being eviscerated.

  As I drew in more power the fire wrapped itself around my entire body. Advancing quickly upon the wounded wraith, it retreated in slow motion as black liquid oozed from the creatures wounds and fell to the ground like acrid tar. With a running leap I brought my knee up catching the creature in the chest, causing it to stagger back as more of its form fell away. As it doubled over in pain as I slammed my fists down into the creatures back, then I brought my right knee up catching the wraith in the face. The flames took hold of the creature in a blue haze, producing acrid fumes that caused me to fall back, coughing as I covered my face to shield myself from the heat of the wraiths burning remains. In a matter of seconds the poor creature was nothing more than a pile of white ash a few feet away. The fire rapidly faded from my shields as a weariness deep into my soul as I staggered backwards.

  Turning at the sound of footsteps quickly approaching I could see Gregory running towards me with fear etched deep across his face. Falling to my knees I swayed weakly in the wind as Gregory reached out and steadied me, keeping me from falling over face first. “Thanks...” I rasped.