by Leo Romero
“No you don’t,” I said as I fired. The blast slug caught the edge of a wing where it exploded, blowing off a chunk. The gargoyle veered on the air, smashing into the edge of the doorway, taking some of the frame with him. He landed on the stairs beyond in a sprawled heap. I raced for the exit, frantically reloading Bam Bam as I went. I got her reloaded and aimed at the gargoyle’s back, hoping to put him down once and for all. The gargoyle jutted out his tail, striking Bam Bam’s barrel, knocking my aim off. The blast slug hit the ceiling, pixie dust raining down all around me like confetti. I cursed and went to re-aim. The gargoyle flapped his broken wings and he came off the steps. He zipped up the staircase, bumping and colliding with the walls as he went. I raced up the stairs after him, some of the others following. I watched in dismay as the gargoyle burst out of the front entrance above me.
I gritted my teeth and bounded up the steps as fast as I could. We had him. I couldn’t let him get away. I let out a roar as I jumped up the last steps and burst out of the entrance. I fired Bam Bam in desperation. The aim was well off. The blast slug flew at a random angle, totally missing the airborne gargoyle as he flew up and away, his broken wings flapping wildly, a dark-gray blur against a lighter gray sky. The others came up behind me and we watched helplessly as he flew off into the distance and disappeared behind the buildings of Chicago.
I slapped my thigh in frustration. We almost had the bastard and he got away. But at least now we knew that we could kill him.
Chapter 7
“I want everyone to stay here!” I ordered as I gazed around the surviving half-angels.
“Where are you going, Gabriel?” Jerome asked. Already his swollen hands were starting to deflate and turn back to normal.
“To get us something that’ll help.”
“What? A nuclear warhead?” Jarvis said. Even through the irony, I could see the fear in his eyes.
“No. Pegasus.”
A few groans went off around me.
“A flying horse?” Olivia, another Enforcer, piped up. “How will that help?”
“Pegasus isn’t just any old horse,” I told her. “He’s a war horse. We’re at war here. And we have to win it in as low-key a way as possible. You saw that. We almost had that sucker. It’s hurting. It’s bleeding. And if it bleeds, we can kill it. The only thing stopping us is that the asshole’s got wings.”
“Get us some L45s and we’ll take it out,” suggested Ricardo.
“Yeah!” agreed Jarvis.
I shook my head. “I can’t. There’s no telling when that thing will come back. I could end up filing a hundred L45s, which wouldn’t go down well with the higher uppers. We need something we can call upon in an instant, and Pegasus will help us do that.”
“Are you sure you’re going to win him from this game tonight?” Jerome asked. There was a stern look on his face that made my back straighten.
“Hey, when have I ever lost a game of poker?”
“But you won’t be the one playing.”
I sighed. “True. But I’ve got a plan.”
“And what if that plan doesn’t work?”
“Has Gabe ever let you down?” Aurora piped up and everyone turned to face her, including me.
Everyone went silent.
“Well, there was that time when—” Donovan began.
“Can it, Donovan!” I snapped.
“What’s it to you anyway?” Ricardo said, answering Aurora. “It’s probably because of you that thing’s after us anyhow!”
I jabbed a finger at Ricardo. “Hey, you leave her out of it. The gargoyle’s got nothing to do with her. Virtually every freak and demon in the known universe and beyond wants us dead. That thing’s no different.” I took a moment to compose myself. “Look. Just give me some time, that’s all I’m asking. Just stick together at the Guild. Make sure everyone’s safe. I’ll be back to finish that bastard off.”
Jerome lowered his gaze. He began nodding. “All right, Gabriel. I’ll hold fort here.”
“And what if that thing comes back while you’re gone?” Olivia asked.
“I’ll get Rabid to stay on the door. An extra layer of protection.”
“Yeah, because he did so well the last time!”
“Hey, he did his bit! The blows he got in on that thing were like breaking the dam.”
“Before he got thrown across the room!”
“Look!” I growled. “You’ll just have to try your best. Rabid will help. That gargoyle’s injured. He would be dumb to come back now. I don’t know if he can heal, but he’ll probably try that before he comes back. By then I’ll have Pegasus.”
I glanced at Aurora. She averted her stare to the floor.
“We hope so, Gabriel,” Jerome said.
“I will,” I said adamantly. “Now we’ve got to go and get ready. Hang tight, everyone. And watch each other’s backs.”
*****
I didn’t like leaving the others behind while I went to the Netherworld, but I didn’t have any choice. We gave Rabid some smelling salts and a shot of Ambrosia and he jumped back into life, albeit with a sore head. At first he wanted to take us all on, but once he got his bearings and calmed down, he remembered about the gargoyle. And that was when his focus returned to smacking gargoyles. I put him back on the door of the Guild and masked him as a streetlight once more. He took his position with more determination to stop the gargoyle next time. That gave me a bit more reassurance.
I called Zane and we met him at his magic store. I was glad to see cards laid out on his desk, indicating he’d been practicing. A royal flush sat proud in front of an empty seat. I hoped it was a good omen.
“You ready?” I asked him.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said, “Two pair a day keeps one at bay, but thrice the kings makes one sing. Straight ahead toward the flush, but please no, do not blush. The house is full, but not with bulls, but four queens of a kind, sound mind. I really don’t ask for much, but what my heart most desires is the straight flush.”
“That’s...” I scratched my head. “What the hell was that?”
“A little ditty I made up to help me remember what hand beats what. Memory tricks, Mr. Stone. And what you said about probabilities got me thinking. I’ve been researching all day. I know the probable outcome of every combination of cards possible as well as all percentile permutations.”
“That’s all good. But this game is about bluffing and BS’ing, not permutations.”
“And cheating,” Aurora added.
I glanced at her. “And cheating,” I said with a regretful sigh.
Zane held a finger in the air. “Ah yes, but a keen memory and a mathematical approach can be the difference between success and failure.”
I grabbed my nuts. “This is the difference!” I said. “Whoever’s got the biggest and boldest wins.”
“That’s...just slightly sexist,” said Zane. “Especially in front of ladies.”
“She’s used to it,” I told him. “There’s a reason why computers suck at poker, and that’s ’cause it’s a game of emotions, not analytics. You need nerve. Need to understand the psychology of your opponent. Whether he’s strong, weak, a master BS’er, or a total amateur.” I advanced on Zane as I spoke.
He backed up, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down his throat.
“Now, have you got what it takes, Zane? I’m not going to the Netherworld Strip with a limp-wristed, half-hearted asshat representing me!” I glowered down at him as I spoke.
“Hey, Gabe! What’s got into you?” Aurora snapped. “Why’ve you gone all drill sergeant?”
“There’s a lot riding on this game,” I told her, my gaze fixed on Zane. “A lot of people are depending on me. I want to make sure he understands what’s at stake.”
“Gabe, we’ll be there with him.”
“I’m going to be in the background. I can’t help.”
“Yeah, but I’ll be there, doing what I need to. As long as he knows what hands to play he won’t
need to bluff and posture.”
“Oh yes he will. If he goes in there winning hand after hand barely breaking a sweat, someone will know something’s up.”
Zane showed me his palms. “Already got it covered, Mr. Stone. I’ve figured ways of using my mind to increase and decrease my heart rate. So even though I’ll know who’ll be holding what and playing accordingly, I’ll be sure to give off small indicators that I’m putting on an act. Sweats, ticks, trembles. You have nothing to worry about. I’m more than ready for this.”
I let out a small growl. “You better be.”
Zane gulped.
Aurora stepped between us. “Right, now that we’re all friends again, shall we get going?”
“Yeah.” I unholstered Bam Bam and dumped her on the table, and then unsheathed Excalibur and put him down next to her.
Both Aurora and Zane looked at me nonplussed.
“You’re not taking them with you?” asked Aurora.
“Strict no weapons allowed in the card houses on the Strip.” I took out my Deck of Death and left it on the table. “And there’s no link to the Void in the Netherworld, so they’re useless.”
“What about the joker card?” Aurora asked.
The joker card was like a wild card. It allowed me to tear openings between Earth and the Netherworld at will, but could only get me back to Earth from most other planes. It couldn’t open tears within planes, say London to New York, or get to any plane other than the Netherworld. If the remnants of a tear still existed, I could unzip it again, but other than that and the Netherworld, it was a one-way ticket. It could help us make an escape if things got hairy, but I couldn’t take it with me.
I shook my head in response. “The card houses on the Strip are monitored hard. The joker card will be detected and classed as a weapon. You’ll have to get us there and back. And magic is banned too. So no using any or you’ll be slung out. The Potion of Invisibility should go under the radar as it’s being ingested, so it’s not magic magic. Your ESP will work the same way. They won’t be looking out for it. They’re looking for tricks of the light, card manufacturing, magic spells working outward to influence the game directly. Inward stuff is easier to get through, so one or two of the players might have heightened concentration spells working on themselves; spells of anti-bullshit; calming spells that help them bluff easier.”
Zane swallowed again.
I gave him a stern stare. “You’ll have to be on top of your game. If you don’t win, it could mean the end of the Guild.”
Zane put on a grin. “Leave it to me, Mr. Stone. I promise I won’t let you down.”
I stared at the little bald asshole in despair, suddenly realizing the future of every half-angel lay in his hands. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
*****
After a few false starts, Aurora got us to the Netherworld. She imbibed the Potion of Invisibility before we left, turning her into a pair of eyeballs. She put on her shades and was totally gone from view. I grabbed a witch’s wig, fake mustache and glasses from Zane’s store to use as a disguise. I was planning on hanging back and keeping an eye on proceedings. If I got too close, I’d be recognized. My slim disguise should work pretty well as long as I didn’t draw attention to myself. The plan was the usual one. Get in there, bag first prize, then get outta Dodge.
I gave Zane the bag of pixie dust Duante gave to me a couple of days before. That was our entry fee. I warned him beforehand about what to expect in the Netherworld. Yeah, he was acquainted with the weird side of life, but he would never have experienced anything like the Netherworld. It was important he took it in his stride, didn’t get freaked, or he might freeze at the table. Just treat it like Halloween, I told him. Imagine you’re walking around the streets and everyone is just in fancy dress looking for candy. That way you won’t run screaming or reach for the nearest bucket to puke into.
He took a deep breath and we stepped through Aurora’s portal. It was the point of no return. The Netherworld was a plane that ran alongside the Earthly plane, the subconscious of the ‘real’ world. It was like a reflection, but not an exact one. So Zane’s magic store didn’t exist in the Netherworld, but a version of it could manifest itself if enough desire and power went into it. The Netherworld sprawls forever outward. It manifests itself out of the group consciousness of the inhabitants of the various planes. So if something is thought up, it can replicate in the Netherworld depending how much groupthink has been put into it. It’s kind of like the internet. A multitude of ideas forever growing outward and staying there, in its own contained world. Almost all the myths and legends told over the entire existence of humankind were reflected in this plane and brought back to life. It’s where I found Excalibur and most of the monsters I had in my Deck of Death.
When we left the magic store, we found ourselves on the outskirts of the Strip. A desert made of dust, not sand. It spread out into an unknown distance, flanked on all sides by Netherworld mist. It was like being trapped in Silent Hill. Above us, the sky was an inky black that was weirdly bright as if there was a sun trapped behind a porous blanket. Not a single star shone in that sky, nor moon nor sun, but there was light coming from somewhere. It caused everything to be caught in shadow as if everything had been dipped in an inkpot. It all had a noir feeling about it.
The barren dust desert spread out all around like we were caught in a Mad Max movie. Not an animal or plant in sight. Now, I knew it was just an illusion. If you walked far enough into that desert, a nearby town would suddenly appear, and then another one after that. They were just undetectable to the eye from this distance. That’s how the Netherworld was.
I brought us out here on purpose, away from the madding crowd. I wanted Zane to get used to it. I caught him staring at his own hands and all around him in awe. “You okay, Zane?”
“This. Is. Awesome!” he said, his eyes about to pop out of his head. “Where are we?”
“The Netherworld. Where all the creeps hang out.”
“I thought that was O’Reilly’s bar,” he said.
I pointed straight ahead of us. “The Strip’s thataway.”
Zane looked ahead of him. “All I see is desert.”
“Everything’s an illusion. Follow me.” I set off, that Netherworld dust beneath my feet weird and airy like walking on an inflatable mattress. It kind of crunched underfoot at the same time. Zane and Aurora followed up, Zane moving along in small circles, taking in everything. We went a little further and the Strip shot into view like it was on wheels and heading straight for us. It was a shimmering mass of odd-shaped buildings all clustered together like mushrooms. When Zane laid eyes on the broken arch that led into the Strip and the buildings and lights beyond it, he stopped, stared and gasped. “Whoa!”
Ahead of us were pointy buildings, buildings standing at crooked angles, domes, rectangles, star shapes, hexagons. Anything you could think of. There were bright lights, low lights, flashing lights, red, green, amber. Basslines rumbled out from the center of the hubbub, angry guitar riffs like the caw of crows.
“Welcome to the Strip,” I said as I stepped through the arch. The dust desert ended and now a more solid, concrete-like floor greeted our feet. When I looked down, my feet were submerged in Netherworld mist, which infested the whole area.
The Strip was buzzing with paranormal activity. All kindsa freaks were feverishly buzzing around, hoping to get either a seat at a card game, or one in the audience. They sifted through the mist like Swamp Thing. Creatures with tentacles, some with tentacles with tentacles, others with tentacles with tentacles with eyes on. They slithered and shuffled. Half-human, half-beast things, some with legs, some without. Yeah, the Netherworld was where all the weird shit lived. The stuff of nightmares, the crap that goes bump in the night. Spooks, spirits, poltergeists, tortured souls that couldn’t get into Heaven, didn’t belong in Hell and bypassed Purgatory. Usually they were the ones who as humans had been murdered, killed themselves or were just so angry they refused to be
sucked into the battle between good and evil. They remained in limbo, caught between the planes in the Netherworld. But not only was it home for the spirits, it has also become refuge for the freaks. Physical beings that could no way live on Earth and who Bracken wouldn’t let into the Underworld. Monsters, beasts, experiments gone wrong, or right depending on your viewpoint. They found refuge and home in the Netherworld. A place of belonging. And where they couldn’t find peace on Earth, they found it in the Netherworld. Yeah, they liked to drink and gamble and go to strip joints as much as humans. So they had their own version of it. Where we had the Vegas Strip, they had the Netherworld Strip. And trust me, it was just as lively and dirty and bouncy as Vegas, you just wouldn’t want to get a lap dance there.
I watched a giant caterpillar with a fly’s head go by. Its legs were all moving at the same time, its head twitching left and right, its disgusting giant eyes watching everything at once. It buzzed and ticked as it went to go and do who knew what.
Entertainers hung around, looking to score a few specks of pixie dust from passersby. They were performing magic tricks, juggling, doing body artistry. An orchid, which was a type of plant monster, was causing the small flower buds running up and down the stems that formed its body to blossom in vivid, effervescent colors—ultraviolet, infrared, lightning-blue, Matrix-green. They closed up again and re-bloomed into new colors, the orchid creating its own light show.
A three-headed serpent beast was moving its three snake heads on the air in a mesmeric dance, its trio of long necks twisting and winding like a belly dancer. Its serpentine eyes glowed hazel green, forked tongues lashing the air in time with the music.
A ring had been set up where giant gorilla-tiger hybrids were wrestling. Watchers stood around, cheering on the creature they’d backed with their money, while they tore one another to shreds.