They had been working together for over five years, and Sam believed he knew how to read Ella. He usually knew when something was up with her.
“Yeah right. You think I’m dumb enough to believe that? Besides, how long has it been, Ella?” Sam walked over and leaned against the copy machine.
Ella tried her best not to make eye contact with him. She just wished he would leave her be. “What are you talking about, Sam?” Ella finished copying her documents and rolled back over to where she was previously.
Sam followed his partner to her desk and continued to be a pest towards her. “Come on. You know what I mean, how long has it been since you were with another man? Your husband left over three years ago—and I have never seen you get serious with anyone. The kid needs a father figure in his life.” Sam pulled out a chair and sat beside Ella.
“Sam, stay out of my business. Don’t you have your own issues to work out?” Ella rolled her eyes, wishing he would change the conversation.
“Yeah, whatever. I have asked you on dates several times, but you wouldn’t even sit down in a cafe to have coffee with me. The only time we eat or drink together is when we are in the cafeteria or with the other detectives—and now you are going out with some bum you never met. Come on, Ella. What’s up with that?”
“I have told you a hundred times: I don’t date men I work with. Besides, you’re a married man—and that is something I don’t want to be mixed up with.” Ella stapled the last of her documents together.
Sam face turned red, and he looked around the room for someone else to bother. It was obvious to him he wasn’t going to get what he was after from Ella.
“Well, I’m finished. It is quarter till eight. I will see you in the morning. And if anything comes up, don’t page me.” Detective Abdul reached for her handbag.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I hope your date turns out to be a monster,” Sam replied as she walked by him.
Ella’s eyes widened and she turned to look at her partner, “Sammy, you know that’s not a nice thing to say—and don’t jinx me. Every time you say something like that, it turns out to be true.”
“Yeah, sure. What ever you say, Zahara.” Sam smiled at her and waved good-bye.
Before Ella could rush out the door, a detective shouted, “Hey, you two. The chief wants to see you!”
Ella rolled her eyes, Sam shrugged, and they walked to the commissioner’s office.
Commissioner Karl Windslou was in his late fifties. He was stuck in the seventies—with a salt n’ pepper afro— he was five foot seven and weighed 250 pounds. “I know you two have personal lives, but make sure you keep your eyes and ears open for any word on this ‘Orange-Haired Vigilante.’ I had put you two on this case for months now, and all you guys have given me so far is him rescuing children from a burning orphanage.”
“Well, Chief, you see … I was hoping to go on patrol tonight with Detective Abdul, but it seems she has other plans. Isn’t that right, Ella?” Sam had a cheeky grin on his face.
Ella frowned at Sam, turned to the commissioner and said, “Chief, I have a very important lead that I have to meet up with at nine tonight, and I’m running late. It’s already five till eight.”
The commissioner asked, “A lead? What do you mean, detective? Does this have anything to do with the vigilante?” The commissioner took his glasses off and rested them on his desk. He waited patiently for her response. He could see that Sam had a look on his face stating something was up.
“Go ahead, Zahara, tell the chief.” Sam snickered and looked away after he saw her giving him an immoral look.
“Mr. Skyler is not happy with our progress. What are you not telling me?” The mayor was being a thorn in Commissioner Windslou’s side about the vigilante, and he needed his crew to stay on top of things.
“I will inform you on everything I gather, Chief. I will let you know first thing in the morning, but I gotta go.” Ella rushed out the door.
“Hey, I’m not done with you,” the chief said. “Damn it! She always does that. Where is she going, Sam?”
“You know Ella, boss. Once she says something, she means it. She has a lead.”
The commissioner slammed his palm on his desk, and the paperwork blew into the air.
Ella got to her apartment in Queens, thirty minutes before her date. The detective rushed upstairs, panting and sweating. Ella fought to get the key into the door. She couldn’t wait to meet the man she had grown so fond of without them meeting each other. Ella thought about the pictures on her date’s page. She still couldn’t believe he was true.
Ella walked in and saw that Randy was watching television in the living room, and his sitter was running her mouth off on her cellular phone. Everyone stood up to greet Ella as she closed the door behind her.
“Hi, Mom. How was work today?” Randy asked as he hugged her.
Ella held his hand to look at the bruises. “How are you feeling?” She made sure the Band-Aid were still in tacked. “Does it hurt?”
“I’m fine, mom.” Randy smiled when Ella kissed him on the cheek. “They’re just scratches. I’ll be okay.”
Ella smiled at him and looked over at the sitter.
The sitter hung up her cell phone. “Miss Abdul, you made it. Before I leave, I just want to say that Randy has been a good boy. He did his homework before he sat down to watch TV.”
Ella put her purse down on the table and noticed something on the stove. “Thanks, Nancy. What did you guys eat tonight?”
“Nothing really. I just put together some lasagna.”
“It smells delicious. Too bad I don’t have time to eat,” Ella said. “I know it’s a school night. You can head home. I will see you tomorrow night.” Ella took off her coat, kicked off her shoes, and headed to the shower.
“Okay, Miss Abdul … and don’t forget about Friday. I have a lot of things to pick up at the store. I’m looking forward to getting paid on time.”
“Okay, Nancy. I won’t forget!” Ella rushed to the shower.
Nancy smiled at Randy before she closed the door. She lived in the building across the street.
“Mom, can I have a new sitter?” Randy asked.
“Why, baby? What’s wrong? Isn’t Nancy nice to you?” Ella asked from the shower.
“She is nice… sometimes, but she stays on her phone the entire time she’s here. I’m surprised her cell phone doesn’t run out of power.” Randy sat down on his mother’s bed.
“Oh, I see. You need some attention from her.”
“Something like that. She doesn’t really help me with my homework.” Not that he needed it –he was a bright boy—but he wanted her to at least try to help.
“Okay, baby. I will talk to her.” Ella came out the shower with a towel around her. “Go put your shoes and jacket on. Don’t forget I told you you’re going to Uncle Sendhil’s apartment tonight. I will pick you up when I’m heading back here.”
“Okay, Mom.”
Ella only had ten minutes to get to her destination. She was nervous and unsure she still wanted to meet her date. For some reason Ella was drawn to this man, and she couldn’t help but feel the way she did. She didn’t go on dates often, especially blind dates, but she wanted to try something different. This stranger seemed different from the previous men she had dated, and she just had to meet him.
“Tell me, baby.” Ella held her eyes on the road as she rested a hand on Randy’s leg. “What really happened at school yesterday? Did someone actually threw a grenade in the window like it said on the news?”
Randy didn’t really want to remember. “No, mommy. It was something else.” He looked away from her to watch the other vehicles driving by.
“Well, baby, what was it? What really happened? You don’t feel like talking about it?”
“The Bishop said it was a demon,” Randy said his words bold and straightforward.
Ella swerved into traffic and almost bumped into another vehicle. She got control immediately and droved level again. The oth
er drivers blew their horns out of frustration.
“What? That sounds like nonsense. What are they teaching you kids nowadays?”
Randy didn’t bother to say anything else. He knew his mother wouldn’t believe him. In actuality, he couldn’t believe his own eyes either. It sounded too bizarre and he hadn’t mentioned the incident to anyone because of that. The bruises on his body reminded him of the encounter and the boy wished he could forget it ever happened.
When they arrived at Uncle Sendhil’s apartment, Ella gave her son a kiss and waved good-bye.
“You made it. Come on. Sit down.” The tall, slender man was dressed pleasantly and had blond hair and blue eyes.
They were at one of the most exquisite Italian restaurants in Manhattan. Ella had always wanted to go there and hoped he wouldn’t have left because she was late.
“Hi, Jonathan. Sorry I’m late. I got held up at work earlier.” Ella sat down across from him, and her heart fluttered in his presence.
“You look marvelous,” Jonathan said with a welcoming smile. “So, how is your son doing?” Jonathan signaled for the waiter to come take their orders.
“He’s doing okay. He had an incident at school yesterday,” Ella said as she took a sip of her water.
“Yeah, I heard something about a demon looking for a book.” He snapped his fingers at the waiter for him to bring the appetizers.
Ella’s eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat. Ella was surprised that he knew about the incident. But she just assumed he must’ve heard his story from a source. After all, her son did mentioned the same thing.
Eventually, Ella got comfortable with her date because he was very pleasant, sweet and had a sense of humor. Jonathan talked to her in a way that made Ella felt like she could open up to him about anything.
“What is that cologne you’re wearing?” she asked. “The smell is ravishing.”
“Thank you. My cologne is called Strata Gem. I got it as a gift.”
After the waiter took their orders, Ella giggled and said, “Well, whoever gave it to you surely has good taste. I mean it’s so … it’s hard to explain.”
“Thanks.” Jonathan smiled at her.
When the waiter brought out their orders, Jonathan thanked him.
“How is your meal, Ella?” Jonathan wiped his mouth with the white towel on his lap and took a sip of his drink.
“It’s quite appetizing,” Ella responded.
After their meal, Jonathan took Ella for a stroll in Central Park. She wished the night would not end. She insisted on seeing his place after he bragged about it being one of the finest in New York City. Before long, they were back at his place.
Chapter 4
My Knight in Shining Armor
At ten o’clock, Peter stood on the roof of the Empire State Building and looked down at the city that never sleeps. He discerned the emotion within them. The people bellow him were busy working, some lingered, and some chased unrealistic dreams of getting rich overnight. Peter looked down on the people as they walked by and thought, ‘How innocent mankind is.’ They were not aware of the reality that surrounded them. Armageddon could come sooner than the prophets had anticipated.
Peter looked up at the dark sky while the clouds moved leisurely below it. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to focus. He tried to seek out the man the lady had described to him. He was aware of whom it was, someone that he disliked and had a dingy past with. He could not wait to see this thing that he was disgusted with. Internally, he searched through every soul in Manhattan. Peter could feel their emotions, and read the thoughts of each and everyone he connected with subconsciously—one after the other—a task he had to do on a high plane without any disturbance.
Peter listened closely, the horns and revving engines, and impatient motorists made it hard to focus. He could hear the cries of avid children and families, the hunger from the stockbrokers on Wall Street, and he could read the emotion from the people who painted pictures on the corner streets. But he did it.
Peter found the creature and said, “Gotcha.” He jumped from the roof of the 102- story building toward another building. His coat flapped in the wind like a kite on a windy day. Peter prowled from building to building toward the demon he had sought out.
“So, did you have a good time with me tonight?” Jonathan asked as they took the elevator to his luxurious dwelling in the Marriott Eastern Hotel.
Ella blushed. “Yes, I had a great time. I normally don’t go back to a man’s place on the first date, but something about you … is so different.” Ella leaned into Jonathan’s arm.
The elevator took them to the top floor, and Jonathan smiled when the door opened.
Ella marveled at the size of the hall and the shimmering antiques. “If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do for a living?”
He wrapped his arm around Ella and said, “I work on Wall Street. I’m in stocks.”
His living room was the size of her apartment. “Wow, your place is wonderful. Hard to believe a man who is as handsome and successful as you is not married.”
“Well, my love, nothing better to warm up my house than your presence and a kiss from your lips.” Jonathan clapped his hands twice, and the lights dimmed, the music came on, and the fireplace lit up. The blue-eyed man approached Ella and embraced her.
Ella looked deep into Jonathan’s eyes, and they kissed.
Jonathan wrapped his arms around Ella, and she felt weak. Her energy started to be withdrawn from her. She opened her eyes and tried to resist.
Jonathan grinned devilishly as she fought to escape. Soon, she lost all her energy and fell into a deep sleep.
When Ella awakened, she was in a dark room. She felt and heard a loud, slow pulse coming from within the walls. She was hanging upside down with chain-like vines wrapped around her legs. The blood was rushing to her brain, and her eyes were itchy and red. “Jonathan! Jonathan, where are you?”
A loud voice asked, “Jonathan? Who is this Jonathan she spoke of, brother?”
She looked down at a hideous, dark demon with two heads. One head was bigger than the other and had a snout of a boar. The smaller head resembled an old bulldog. Its wings were broad and long. The demon was hunched over like an old man. The demon stared at Ella with fiendish white eyes.
She trembled in fear and screamed at the site of it.
“I think she spoke of the one who sold her soul to us, dear brother,” the smaller head said.
The demon waved a hand like a magician, and then the vines lowered Ella close to the ground.
The two-headed demon walked toward her and flapped its wings in excitement.
“What am I doing here? What are you gonna do to me? Where’s Jonathan?”
The smaller head transmuted into Jonathan and said, “My love, why does your sweet voice scream?”
Ella eyes widened. “No! You’re not Jonathan! Get away from me! You just can’t be him!”
The demon laughed at Ella. Its voice echoed in the dark region.
Ella struggled to get loose, but her hands were tied behind her back. One of the heads licked her face, and the other clenched its teeth. Its breath was fowl and Ella almost threw up.
The two-headed demon grabbed Ella by the back of her head and muttered, “You should be flattered. I only chose two of you. That is rare for me.”
“What … do you mean?” Ella asked.
The demon waved its hand again, and Ella saw a cocoon-like embryo hanging from the ceiling came into view. The bottom of the cocoon opened to show a head of a teenaged girl. Her blonde hair hung low, her eyes were closed, as she seemed to be sleeping.
“Who is she? Why is she in that thing she’s in?”
The demon let go of Ella’s head, walked toward the girl, and clunked its knuckles on the cocoon. “This is a mollusk. It is use to draw out an individual’s vigor and spirit.” The demon jabbed its claws into the embryo, and yellow pus squirted out of it.
Ella looked away; she was disgusted from
looking at the wound.
“Don’t worry. She is not dead … yet.” The demon laughed and walked back over to Ella. “Don’t think you’re gonna get away with this. I am a police officer.”
The demon placed one of its hands on Ella’s bosom and laughed.
Ella’s body began vibrating, and liquid-like tissue began to surround her body. She screamed as she struggled. Before long, only her head was exposed. “Somebody help me!” Ella tried to wiggle her way out of the material that surrounded her.
“No one can hear you, my dear. This place is secluded. Even if an explosion went off inside here, no one would ever notice. Now it’s time to finish the job.”
The tissue was crawling toward the detective’s face. She screamed, and her body trembled as the mollusk slowly covered her head.
Suddenly, a sharp blade sliced a triangular opening in the side of the gloomy room. Blood squirted from the wall and the pulse in the room increased tenfold.
Peter emerged, he did numerous somersaults through the air and landed in the room. “Beruser, what are you up to now? I thought you were a Hellbound? Free from traveling here to earth.” He stood with his massive sword rested on his shoulder.
The demon gasped. “Gevurah, the fifth child of Sephirot, why do you oppose me?”
“I no longer go by that name. My name is Peter the Demon Slayer.” Peter walked forward fearlessly.
“You’re a demon slayer? You dare turn against us? You dare turn against the word of Ablis?” Beruser stumbled backward.
“Tell Ablis I will see him in hell after his brother’s Second Coming.” Peter aimed his pistol at Beruser, cocked the hammer, and shot off one of the demon’s legs.
The demon fell to the floor. “You son of a bitch! You shot me! I can’t believe you shot my leg off!”
“Let the women go—or it will be one of your heads next,” Peter cocked back the hammer again as he walked closer to the fallen demon.
“Let us transform, brother, and gobble him up. His vigor is everlasting. After all, he is a former angel.”
Hellbound Second Advent Page 3