God Hammer: A novel of the Demon Accords

by John Conroe

  “Ya think? If it can explode just one portion of a gas line, then why can’t it just blow up our building or any street just outside of it?” Lydia asked.

  “Declan’s spells shield the gas lines where they come in and extend out fifty yards or so in all directions. That was his idea. Kid knows a lot about fires and explosions. Comes to him naturally,” Deckert said.

  “How is he?” Tanya asked me.

  “Doc Singh says he’s got a form of food poisoning. Says he’s recuperating, but the good doctor is concerned. Declan only ate in two places—Gita’s last night and our dining room today. No one else in either place got sick. Doc’s suspicious about that,” I said. “Stacia reported that he was napping when she left him a couple of hours ago.”

  “Deliberate poisoning?” Arkady asked.

  “It would be easy for a smart, college-connected person to get a sample of the germ that was used, at least according to the doctor,” I said.

  “Revenge? For the alcohol detox I asked him to make?” Tanya asked, eyebrows and temper rising in unison.

  “That’s the suspicion. Most likely candidate is Simon. He and Declan don’t like each other,” I said.

  “Nika?” Tanya asked her blonde friend.

  “On it,” Nika said.

  “Okay, so that’s grounds for immediate termination, but aren’t we forgetting the important stuff here? The attack in the street?” Deckert asked.

  I shared a glance with Tanya. “One, Declan is a key player in our fight against Anvil, so his health is important. He doesn’t have our defenses against germs. Second, how would you react if you found out that one of your fellow workers had poisoned you?”

  “Yeah, I see your point. Potential Hansel and Gretel scenario,” Deckert said.

  “Hansel and Gretel, ha. You guys are way off. You should be thinking of Little Red Riding Hood,” Lydia said.

  “Okay, Hansel and Gretel are you two, dah? What is Red Riding Hood?” Arkady asked after pointing at Tanya and me.

  “Stacia,” Lydia said. Both Arkady and Deckert looked slightly puzzled.

  “He has a serious crush on her,” I explained.

  “Oh,” Arkady said, the light dawning in his eyes.

  “What happens when she dates someone else?” Deckert’s expression turned to full frown.

  “I’m not at all worried about that, Mr. Deckert. Call it woman’s intuition,” Lydia said.

  “I’ll go investigate this Simon right now,” Nika said, looking worried. She stood up and left the room.

  “What else is on the agenda?” Tanya asked.

  “This,” Deckert said, using a remote to turn on Tanya’s wall-mounted monitor. The picture showed a security camera view of the outside of our building. Lines of protestors walked up and down with signs. Only one sign was readable from our point of view. It read Stop the Bloodsuckers.

  “The Church of the True went ahead and fired the first salvo. They’ve posted comments with a half dozen blogs and news sites about the cured children dying and they’re blaming the Darkkin in general and you in particular,” he said, looking at Tanya.

  She studied the scene for a moment, face blank of expression. My link told me she was furious. “Ideas?”

  “Yeah, several,” Lydia piped up. “First, one of Darion’s investigators found this footage from a convenience store in the home town of Krysta Downes, the little girl cured of brain cancer who died of pneumonia.” She took the remote from Deckert, fiddled with both it and her tablet and a second later, a new scene popped up.

  “Right here, you see Krysta walking with her mother,” Lydia narrated, pointing out the little girl hand in hand with her mother. “At this point, this woman bumps into her. Note the handbag actually touching Krysta, and here you can see Krysta rubbing the impact spot on her shoulder. Now look at this copy of the autopsy results. See here where the medical examiner noted a bright red welt in the exact same spot on her shoulder?”

  “Is update of Russian micro-pellet?” Arkady asked. “Old umbrella injector changed to handbag.”

  “That’s what Darion’s people think. My idea would be to post it as an anonymous YouTube video, referencing the woman’s identity as a paid assassin, and have our friendly reporter blog about it,” Lydia said.

  “What proof do we have that she’s a paid assassin?” I asked.

  “None… yet. We’re working on it. We think she’s from Europe,” Lydia said. “We’re hoping for some information from your asset,” she said to me.

  “Well, I only just gave him the assignment,” I said.

  “It could backfire. They could try to link her to us,” Tanya said.

  “We think that Brystol’s blogging will be particularly effective in convincing the public,” Lydia replied.

  “Okay, what the hell. Better than sitting on our butts, right?” Tanya asked, looking at me. I nodded.

  “She’s gonna want something in return,” Lydia said.

  “What?” I asked.

  “An interview with the boy witch. She wants the inside scoop on witches and witchcraft, as no one has broken that story yet,” Lydia said.

  Arkady and Deckert’s phones buzzed simultaneously.

  “We can ask him,” I said, watching the two answer their phones.

  “Is Nika. She confirmed that Simon was culprit. Only Declan was nearby with Stacia and Nika might have said something out loud. Now we have situation in lobby,” Arkady said.

  “Maybe Stacia can contain him till we get there,” I said, jumping up and moving quickly for the elevator.

  “Actually, we have a Peter and the Wolf situation. Stacia heard Nika and Declan is keeping her from killing fool Simon,” Arkady said as we all rushed into the elevator.

  A small group of us can input a code in the elevator to make it speed up and ignore other calls, but the ride down was still far too slow.

  When the doors finally opened, the whole thing was front and center. Stacia was holding Simon off the ground with one hand, her other hand formed into a truly nasty set of claws. Simon looked rightfully terrified, his pants sporting a giant wet spot on the crotch.

  Declan was standing just to Stacia’s side with his hand resting on her arm, the one with the claws, talking to her quietly. His eyes didn’t even flicker our way as we moved over to the scene. “Not worth it,” he was saying.

  I moved around till I could see her face. Her eyes were yellow and her jawline was slightly extended, with enlarged teeth. Declan had one finger on her wrist ever so lightly. He looked up at me. “Hey Chris. Look, Stacia, Chris is here,” he said. “Simon here played a prank on me and Stacia’s upset about it.”

  “Prank?” she said, turning her glare on Declan. Kid didn’t even flinch. Then she glanced my way. “He poisoned Declan, Chris. Put bacteria in his food—in his tacos. It could have killed him!” She was seriously pissed and possibly the only thing keeping Simon from being disemboweled was the finger on her wrist. Her left arm didn’t even shake as she held the much-larger Simon six inches off the ground.

  “Well, it’s grounds for dismissal. In fact, he’ll have to leave or he’ll die,” I said.

  “What? Die? That’s what we’re trying to avoid right here?” Declan asked.

  “How do you think Remy will react when he finds out this idiot poisoned one of his meals and you got food poisoning from it?” I asked.

  “He’ll kill him,” Stacia said, realization coming over her. She dropped Simon and her arm and face returned to normal, if you call the evil grin on her face normal.

  “Exactly. In fact, Simon, you are fired, but we have to move you out of the city immediately or you might not survive,” I said.

  “She… she almost just killed me right here. I want to press charges, I want the police,” he babbled.

  “You’re supposed to be smart, so shut up and listen up. You are guilty of poisoning someone. That’s at least assault. Stacia’s response is completely defendable and you’re not even scratched,” I said looking him over to make
sure I was right. Oops, looks like his shirt had claw holes in it from her grip. “We have awesome attorneys so you’ll sit in jail while she stays free. But you contaminated the cuisine of a master chef, who is also a fairly old vampire. No police cell in this city would keep you safe. Remy has one passion… his cooking. And you desecrated it and poisoned one of his favorite diners. He will kill you. Unless we get you out of the city and far from here. Now.”

  “What about the project? What about my stuff?” he asked, face white as a sheet.

  “You’re off the project and bound by the confidentiality agreement you signed. You are leaving now. We’ll pack up your stuff and send it to you. Your final check will be deposited to your account,” Tanya said, speaking for the first time. She moved up and took his arm, moving him away from us, speaking rapidly and evenly about what would occur if he broke confidence.

  Stacia watched them go, eyes focused like a predator losing its prey, but not moving to follow. Declan pulled his hand from her arm and she looked down to where it had been resting, as if she just noticed it had been there. A group of interns stood twenty feet away looking upset and scared. Lydia and Deckert moved over to them, shooing them away.

  “So I guess I would have expected you to be keeping him from killing Simon, not the other way around?” I asked Stacia.

  “I heard Nika mutter something about Simon poisoning someone and knew immediately that it was Declan. Next thing I knew, I was holding that asshole, wanting to murder him,” she said.

  “Yeah, she just growled and took off across the floor. Man, you’re fast,” Declan said to her. “I figured it out pretty quick and then just tried to keep her from doing anything regrettable.”

  “Weren’t you mad?” I asked him.

  “Oh, I would have been. If I had heard it first, I might have done something bad, but I don’t have that wolfy hearing. Then I was more worried about Stacia than getting back at douche canoe with the wet pants,” he said. “Can’t have my friend sitting in jail. I’d have to break the jail or something and that would be really bad. But I never thought of the Remy angle. Would he really kill Simon?”

  “Yes, he will unless we get the idiot far, far away. Also, Declan, you might not feel like eating yet but if you request something light, an omelet maybe, from Remy, it’ll buy us time,” I said.

  “I can do that. No tacos though,” he said with a shudder.

  “You would break me out?” Stacia asked Declan.

  “Of course. I mean, I’d let Darion have a go at the legal route, but if it didn’t work, I’d have to do something. Maybe not break the whole building. Maybe something more subtle,” he said.

  “Wow, you two are truly menaces to society,” Lydia said, coming up with a shamefaced Nika.

  “I never mutter,” the telepath muttered. “I’m always silent, but not this time. Dammit!”

  “No harm, no foul,” I said. “Thought you were sleeping?” I asked Declan.

  “He was. But when I went to check on him, I found him watching TV. I thought some fresh air would perk him up, so I brought him up to the lobby for a walk outside,” Stacia said.

  “I’m pretty perked up now,” Declan said with a slight grin. Stacia swatted his arm, but it was a very light swat.

  Arkady came over from the guard station. “Idiot boy is on roof with Deckert. Helicopter will fly to airport, then plane to West Coast.”

  “What about Remy?” I asked.

  “Young Queen is with him, requesting food for wicked warlock. She will tell him after helicopter leaves. You should be up there for Remy to feed,” he said to Declan.

  “Wicked? I am so far from wicked at the moment,” Declan said. “Still, it’s good to have something to aspire to.” He shuffled over to a chair and slumped into it. Stacia watched him, concerned, and I noticed Lydia and Nika watching her.

  Outside, the protestors marched back and forth, but they all kept glancing inside as if trying to figure out what our drama had been all about.

  “Declan, that’s the work of the Church of the True. We have a possible response but it will hinge on our friendly reporter, Brystol Chatterjee. Lydia thinks she will want an interview in exchange. With you. Are you game?” I asked him.

  “I guess. What’s she gonna ask? I’ve got to be a little careful about outing the circles or I’ll have the whole witch world out to get me,” he said.

  “Aren’t they already?” Lydia asked.

  “Yeah, pretty much, but at least they haven’t gotten hostile with me yet,” he said.

  “You don’t have to answer all of her questions, just the ones you’re comfortable with,” I said.

  “Plus, I’ll be with you. Brystol and I are friends. We’ll keep it civil,” Stacia said.

  In my peripheral vision, I saw Lydia and Nika glance at each other. “Okay, that sounds good. Lydia? You gonna contact Brystol?”

  She turned slightly and I could see she had her phone already at her ear. She pointed at it and rolled her eyes at me. Duh!

  “Holy crap, does she ever give you sass,” Declan said from his chair.

  “All night, every night. It’s why I get up in the early afternoon. Gotta have a few moments without all the yakking and backtalk,” I said.

  Lydia’s eyes narrowed but she was too deep in conversation to respond.

  “When do you want me to talk to the reporter lady?” Declan asked.

  “As soon as we can get her in here,” I said, looking back at the mini-vampire on the phone.

  She turned her back on me when she saw me looking, but I have super hearing too.

  “Sounds like we’ll bring her in through the heliport. First, we’ll want to give her the clip we found, then she’ll want to sit down with you. Just answer what you’re comfortable with. We didn’t promise you would spill the secrets of the ages, just a discussion.”

  “Okay. Guess I better go order an omelet from Remy,” he said, not moving immediately. Then he pulled himself forward by the arms on the chair and stood up.

  “Right, off I go,” he said.

  “Come on, Declan, I’ll go with you so you don’t have to eat alone,” Stacia said, slipping an arm through his. The two moved toward the elevators, leaving me with Nika and Lydia. I didn’t say a word until the elevator doors closed and I heard the machinery engage.

  “So what happened there?” I asked the two vampires.

  “Offhand, I’d say that someone has gotten very attached to your intern,” Lydia said, putting her phone away. “Attached and intensely protective.”

  “Yeah, her rage was very real,” Nika said. “Part of her took it as an attempt on his life, and that part wasn’t having it.”

  “Let me guess… the wolf part?” I asked.

  “Bingo. I’m not sure if she’s even aware of how strongly she feels. Seems like it might have snuck up on her,” Nika said.

  “Okay, I didn’t see that coming,” I said.

  “Well, we threw Stacia at the kid figuring he’d follow her like a puppy, but it seems like it might work both ways,” Lydia said. “That’ll make Tanya really happy.”

  “How do you feel about it, Chris?” Nika asked, watching me closely.

  I looked at the elevator while I tried to sort my feelings. My ego was taking a hit, but I knew, deep down, that I would never leave Tanya, so while I liked Stacia and found her attractive—who doesn’t?—there was never going to be anything between us. She and Declan were only a few years apart and both were outsiders of sorts in their respective societies.

  “I think I’m okay with it. But will it last?”

  “Oh, it’s way too early for any predictions. They haven’t admitted it to each other and Stacia hasn’t admitted it to herself. But that will happen. Then we’ll see what kind of couple they might make,” Nika said.

  “Nope, I disagree. I think the writing’s on the wall. Wolves mate for life you know,” Lydia said, smiling.

  “Declan’s not a wolf,” I pointed out.

  “Please. He’s a guy. What
straight male on the planet wouldn’t want to wake up next to a beauty like that who never ages?” Lydia said.

  “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. They have different lifespans,” I said.

  “Have you seen Declan’s aunt? She looks what? Twenty-five? I think she’s pushing forty. Powerful witches age slower than mere mortals,” Lydia said. “I think they could be just fine. Now let me get these security people orchestrated so I can get my blogger in here.”