First Circle Club

by Alex Siegel

  "Sara?" he said. "Alfred? That was quick."

  Mei walked in through the open doorway. When she saw Virgil, her eyes widened, and she screamed hysterically.

  "Hey! Hey!" Virgil yelled. "Calm down! Don't freak out. I'm OK."

  She ran out of the basement. He wanted to chase after her but couldn't.

  "Bring her back," Virgil told Haymaker, "please. She might do something foolish."

  Haymaker ran after Mei.

  After he was gone, Lisa said, "This is not good."

  "What am I going to tell her?" Virgil said. "The time travelling alien story or whatever isn't going to work this time."

  "Maybe the time travel machine broke while we were in it, and the malfunction tore us up."

  "What if Mei wants to see the machine?"

  "Uh, it jumped to another time," Lisa said.

  "Without us?"

  "Yeah, sure."

  Virgil shook his head. What a mess.

  He heard footsteps on the stairs. A moment later, Haymaker entered the basement with his arm around Mei's shoulders. The Chinese girl still had a terrified expression, and she was taking dainty steps.

  "The detective told me you came from Hell to stop a serial killer," she said in a small voice. "You have the body of a demon. That can't be true."

  Virgil took a deep breath. Now that the truth was out, there was no point in fighting it. "Look at me. I'm obviously not human. Can you think of a better explanation?"

  Mei frowned. "There must be one. I don't believe in time travel or demons. What's really going on?"

  "For once, I'm telling you the truth. I was a U.S. Marshal, and I died thirty years ago. I'm particularly skilled at catching fugitives, which is why I was sent back to Earth for this mission."

  "You're a mess! How can you still be alive?" She averted her eyes.

  "I'm not alive, but that's not a problem. I guess you could say I'm undead. If Sara and Alfred do their job, I'll be fine. Why did you come here? How did you find me?"

  "I haven't seen you all day," Mei said. "I was curious where you were, so I checked the location of your phone."

  "I don't understand."

  "Your phone has a GPS receiver. That's how the navigation system works. I setup your phone, so I have the password for your wireless account. I asked the phone to locate itself for me."

  Virgil raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know it could do that."

  "The feature is normally used to recover lost phones. I was surprised when I found out you were still in Chinatown this late, so I came over to see why. I never expected... this." She looked at his ruined body and gulped.

  "It's really not as bad as it looks."

  The cracked, filthy mirror was still standing on the table. The reflection suddenly became cloudy and dark. Mammon's flabby face appeared.

  "What's going on?" the demon said angrily. "My accountants just reported another unusual charge against our influence budget."

  Mei screeched and hid behind a chair.

  "What's that girl doing here?" Mammon bellowed. "What did you tell her?"

  "Sir," Virgil said quickly, "it was an accident. She walked in unexpectedly. Detective Haymaker told her everything before I could stop him."

  The demon's eyes burned with blue flame. It ground its teeth together making a sound like a cement mixer.

  "Mei Li," it hissed. "Stand before me now!"

  "Do it," Virgil said urgently.

  Mei fearfully stood up and walked over to the mirror. "Yes?" she squeaked.

  "You will not tell anybody else what you saw here tonight. You will not speak of this to your father. You will take this secret to your grave. If you fail to obey this order, you'll be in your grave much sooner than you would like. You were never meant to be part of this, but now that you are, you will play by the same rules as the rest of the team. This is a secret mission. Top secret. Do you understand?"

  Mei nodded.

  "Haymaker!" Mammon said.

  "Sir?" Haymaker said.

  "You screwed up tonight. Do it again, and there will be consequences. I have the power to curse people, and I'm not talking about verbal profanity."

  "I'm sorry. She was scared. I didn't know what else to say to her."

  "You've been warned!" Mammon vanished, and the mirror reverted to normal.

  Nobody spoke for a moment. Virgil felt terrible about Mei being threatened by a demon. She hadn't done anything to deserve it.

  She looked at Virgil. "What was that thing?"

  "Mammon, patron demon of greed and not an entity you want to piss off. I'm very sorry. I never intended to put you in any danger. I certainly didn't want you to meet my boss. I'd give you a hug, but my arms aren't working."

  "Just tell me what's really going on. I want to know the whole truth. No more lies."

  "Sure," Virgil said. "It started with my death. Three decades later, I was filing Hell's paperwork...."

  * * *

  Sara was getting very tired of tunnels, and the tunnels leading to Limbo were particularly unpleasant. The searing heat and toxic smoke would've killed any ordinary person. Razor sharp rocks threatened to slash her bare skin to ribbons. More than once, she had waded through pools of bubbling lava. Her angelic body had resisted all these insults, but that didn't mean they weren't annoying.

  She and Alfred finally emerged into a vast cave. It was so huge, Sara couldn't see the far side. The arched roof curved upwards into darkness. Flaming lava provided all the light.

  People filled the cave, but they were acting strangely. They were wandering randomly and looking in odd directions. They seemed completely unaware of the enormous crowd all around. Some were performing physical actions like grasping or pushing, but their hands were empty. Some were having conversations with invisible companions.

  "Their delusional," Alfred said.

  "No," Sara said, "I think they're all condemned to their own isolated realities. Welcome to Limbo."

  "There must be millions."

  "Maybe billions."

  Alfred shook his head. "What a terrible waste. Instead of being trapped in meaningless illusions, they could be doing something useful and real."

  "Heaven wasn't much better," Sara said. "What did we do? Drink non-alcoholic beverages, sun bathe, and tell stories about the past."

  A demon ran up to them. It was a small, lumpy creature with stubby black wings. Its misshapen face looked like somebody had hit it with a sledgehammer. It was wearing black pants and a white shirt, and both had holes.

  "No, no, no!" it screeched. "You don't belong in here. You smell like—" It sniffed. "—like Heaven! Disgusting! Get out!"

  "There is nothing I want more than to leave this horrible place," Sara said, "but we're here to pick up some mud. Mammon sent us."

  The demon's eyes widened. "Mammon?" It gulped.

  "I see you're familiar with the name. I recommend you assist us. You wouldn't want us to tell Mammon you were uncooperative, would you?"

  "Follow me," the demon said quickly.

  It waddled off, dodging human souls with great nimbleness. Sara and Alfred trotted behind the demon.

  "What sort of punishment is this?" Alfred said.

  "Denial of love. Denial of friendship. Those who turned away from God are condemned to spend eternity alone."

  "Forever?"

  "Of course," the demon said.

  "That's tremendously cruel."

  "These are the lucky ones. At least they're not in pain. Now what kind of mud did you come for?"

  "Mud from the Plain of Fire," Sara said. "It was supposed to be delivered to Limbo for us."

  "Hmm. We'd better talk to the foreman."

  The little demon ran faster and faster. Sara expected to be left behind, but she found she could keep up if she concentrated. Distances mattered much less in Limbo than on Earth. She glanced back and saw Alfred following easily.

  "This is fun," he said.

  After running hundreds of miles in just a few minutes, the demon skidde
d to an abrupt stop. Sara found herself before a large, much better formed demon. It had large wings worthy of a dragon, but it had the head of a crow.

  "May I present Marquis Naberius," the guide said.

  The crow sniffed the air. "Satan help me!" it said in a rough but human voice. "What is that nauseating stench?"

  "We were made in Heaven," Sara said, "and we're here to pick up some mud. Mammon sent us."

  Naberius bowed like a servant. "Oh, you must be the ones."

  It turned its head and squawked loud enough to shatter windows. A moment later, a huge demon arrived. It was built like a rhinoceros standing on its hind legs. Thick folds of skin hung loosely. It was carrying a stone barrel under each arm, and when it set the barrels down, Sara felt the impact through her feet.

  "Your mud," the rhino demon grunted. "Still hot and fresh."

  Sara stared at the barrels anxiously. They had to weigh hundreds of pounds apiece. Exotic symbols were carved into the stone surfaces.

  "Those look pretty heavy," she said.

  Naberius snickered. "Denizens of Heaven have the strength of God's love. I don't understand why you would have any difficulty with such a light load."

  "Nonetheless, I think Mammon would prefer this big, strong demon carry them to the surface for us. That would be the most expedient approach."

  "A weak excuse for laziness."

  "Shall we ask him?" Sara smiled innocently. "Mammon! Oh, Mammon! Where art thou?"

  "Shh!" Naberius looked around. "Don't do that!" It nodded to the rhino demon. "Carry the barrels as far as you can."

  The rhino lifted the barrels again, grunting with effort. It followed Sara and Alfred as they ran back towards the entrance to Limbo.

  Chapter Fifteen

  "So why didn't the trap work?" Mei said.

  "Because we're not really demons," Virgil said.

  "What are you?"

  "I don't know. Sorry I lied to you before, but my boss insisted."

  Mei had calmed down. She was sitting on an antique chair with green velvet upholstery. Virgil wanted to reach out and touch her, but his arms were still useless.

  Detective Haymaker yawned. Virgil didn't know the time, but it had to be well past midnight. He wasn't tired, but he expected Haymaker and Mei were.

  "Let's get back to business before I fall asleep," Haymaker said. "Our adversaries won't give up. They'll figure out some other crazy plan to destroy you. They know this team is the biggest threat to Daniel on Earth."

  "And I'm sure they watched us as we followed the trail of clues," Virgil said. "They know our faces. They have a good idea of our capabilities. They have the tactical advantage."

  Haymaker's eyes widened. "I haven't been trying to hide my identity. They must know who I am. I'm in a lot of danger, and so is my wife. I need to get her out of town."

  "You're right."

  The basement was silent for a moment.

  "We can use this to our advantage," Lisa said.

  Virgil struggled to bend his neck so he could see her. She was lying on another couch. Her black blood had soaked into the fabric, and he expected it was permanently ruined.

  "How?" he said.

  "Haymaker is the link to us. The bad guys will follow him."

  He smiled a little. "That's true. We just have to follow the followers."

  "Hold on," Haymaker said. "Suddenly I feel like bait. I could be kidnapped or shot."

  "Not right away," Virgil said. "Our enemies will wait for you to lead them to us, but instead, you'll lead us to them."

  "This idea feels incredibly dangerous."

  "You're in trouble one way or another."

  "I could run," Haymaker said. "I could take my wife to Mexico."

  "You're too good a cop to abandon a murder case. Think about the young people Daniel might kill in the future. And do you really think you can run far enough, fast enough to escape this mess?"

  Haymaker gazed at the floor and bit his lip. "You're right, but I'm hiding here until you're healed and the whole team is available to protect me. And I have to get my wife into protective custody. Damn. She hates when my work screws up her life."

  "You can use one of my secure phones," Mei said. "Let's go back to my workshop. It's just around the corner. Come on."

  "Thanks."

  Haymaker followed her out of the basement.

  After they were gone, Lisa said, "He was right about the danger. The bad guys might kidnap him and torture him for information."

  Virgil nodded. "We'll keep him safe."

  She looked down at her ruined body. "We can't even protect ourselves."

  * * *

  Sara and Alfred pushed open the rusty iron hatch. They climbed out of the hole and were back on Earth.

  "It's freezing up here," Alfred said.

  "It just feels that way," Sara said.

  They made room for the rhino demon. The beast had somehow managed to squeeze its huge body through the tight passages below while carrying two giant stone casks. Sara had come to admire its stubborn determination. It only knew how to go forward no matter what obstacle lay in its path. On the other hand, the demon was as dumb as a tree stump.

  It set the casks of mud on the floor with a loud thump.

  "I go no farther," it said in a ponderous, deep voice.

  The demon turned back to the hole.

  "Wait!" Sara said. "Don't leave yet. We may still need you."

  "I cannot stay on Earth."

  "Just hang on. You can survive up here for a minute or two."

  She walked over to the casks and tried to pick one up. It didn't budge. She was stronger than a normal human but not strong enough. The cask weighed at least five hundred pounds.

  "We're not hauling these things to Chinatown," she said.

  Alfred tried to lift the other one. "You're right. We'll bring our injured comrades here. They weigh a lot less."

  "Good idea, but how do we get at the mud?" Sara knocked on the side of the cask, and it sounded solid.

  "Pry off the lid," the rhino demon said.

  She saw a hair-thin seam around the top of the cask. She used all her strength, but the top remained firmly stuck on.

  "Take it off for us," she told the demon.

  It shook its enormous head. "Those were not my orders."

  "Do we have to get Mammon involved? He won't be happy about being bothered."

  The demon's burning eyes widened. It bent down and placed the tip of its horn against the cask. With a mighty grunt, it popped off the top.

  Brown gas billowed out, making Sara gag.

  "That's the most disgusting odor I've ever smelled!" she said.

  The demon inhaled deeply. "Delightful. So pure. So potent."

  She looked inside. The cask was full of a dark shiny liquid. It had the sheen of petroleum but it was lumpy like mud.

  "Just get the top off the other one, and you can go."

  The demon removed the lid on the second cask. Then it hurried down the hole in the floor and disappeared from sight. Sara and Alfred closed the hatch.

  She started walking. "Let's get our friends."

  "Shouldn't we get dressed first?" He pointed at the clothes on the floor.

  "Right."

  * * *

  The sound of footsteps made Virgil look up. The basement door opened, and Alfred and Sara barged in.

  "Shh!" Virgil said. "Haymaker is asleep."

  They became quiet. The detective was sleeping on a bed of cushions and pillows on the floor. He was still wearing his clothes except for his shoes. His gun was just inches from his hand.

  "Where is the mud?" Virgil whispered.

  "Too heavy," Sara said. "We're taking you to it."

  She grabbed him under one arm, and Alfred grabbed him under the other.

  * * *

  "Thank you for coming at this obscene hour," Ken Walton said.

  "No problem, sir," Mr. Slattery said. "I'm used to working at night anyway."

  The two men were sitting
at a table by the swimming pool behind Walton's mansion. The night was dark, but lamps provided adequate light. Slattery had a plate full of eggs and sausages which he was rapidly consuming. Walton was snacking on a grilled cheese sandwich. It had been a long night, and he was hungry.

  "As usual, I have a... delicate job for you."

  Slattery grinned with a mouthful of food. "My favorite kind. They pay the best."

  He had a round, pink face. His red hair and red mustache both needed a trim. A long scar bisected his forehead. He was wearing a jean jacket over a plaid shirt with a sweat-stained collar.

  Walton was holding a manila folder. He took out several photographs and placed them on the table. He also provided some written notes.

  "Three men, two women. One of the men is Detective Thomas Haymaker, Chicago PD." He pointed at a picture.

  "Who are the others?" Slattery said.

  "Unidentified and extremely dangerous."

  "They don't look so tough except for this big guy."

  "Trust me," Walton said. "You don't want to mess with them. Your task is simple. Locate all five people for me. Finding Haymaker should be trivial. The address of his home and his office are in the notes. Follow him to the others. They're working as a team."

  Slattery furrowed his brow. "Sounds easy. What's the catch?"

  "You can't be seen. More importantly, you can't lead them back to me. I strongly recommend you use intermediaries, ones that can be sacrificed. Take every possible precaution. I will pay for all your expenses."

  "You sound scared."

  "You're my best operative," Walton said, "but you may not be qualified for this job."

  "I've never failed you before."

  "You've never had an assignment like this one. It isn't the usual corporate espionage. These other four are... different. They can do things which would astonish you. Do not engage them. Do not let them catch you. Do you understand?"

  Slattery nodded. "Yes, sir."

  "Enjoy your breakfast." Walton said. "Good luck. I'm going to bed."

  He stood up and walked away.

  * * *

  "Almost there," Sara said.

  She and Alfred were carrying Virgil through a filthy subbasement. The walls were just concrete slabs, and mold had grown where cracks allowed groundwater to seep in. Dust and cobwebs covered the light fixtures. Bulbs had burnt out, but there was enough light to see. The corridor had the feel of a horror movie. Virgil remembered the place as being nicer, but he had just come from Hell last time. All things were relative.