Reapers, Inc. - Brigit's Cross

by B. L. Newport

  “Do you know what I’m goin to do to you, bitch?”

  The voice that snarled at her was as close to a demon’s as Brigit could imagine. The remaining gang member had stopped swinging at her and they now circled each other like hungry dogs. Brigit kept her eyes locked on him, aware that he could spring at any moment. She doubted that she would be so lucky with him as she was with the Chupacabra woman.

  “What are you waiting for?” Brigit asked calmly.

  The lack of fear in her voice seemed to enrage him. With a deafening roar, he charged at her just as Seamus spoke her name. As it registered in her mind that Seamus was calling for her, she was caught off guard and felt herself in the death grip of the gang member. The air was being squeezed out of her as he lifted her off her feet and crushed her against his chest. A fire of maniacal delight danced in his eyes as Brigit struggled against him.

  “I’m gonna have some fun with you in a few minutes,” he snarled.

  His breath was hot against her face as she let herself go limp against him. He gave her a good shake as he began to curse at her. When her thoughts had finally stilled, Brigit lifted her head back and looked him in the eye again. The maniacal light was still dancing there. Tilting her head a little further back, Brigit smiled briefly before snapping it forward with as much force as she could manage. There was no sound as their heads collided, but the surprise of it was enough to cause the Chupacabra to drop her and stagger back a few steps. Brigit landed easily on her feet, her mind focused, her body relaxed but ready for the next assault.

  Enraged even further, he charged her. Aware that the door to his fate was open behind her, Brigit had only to step aside as he rushed by. His roar turned to screams as he fell into the dark abyss that led to his final judgment. Quickly, Brigit closed the door behind him.

  “Brigit,”

  It was a painful moan that brought Brigit back to her senses. She went to Seamus and knelt on the ground beside him, quickly taking in the extent of the damage inflicted. The gashes in his coat and shirt revealed the open wounds inflicted by their adversaries. She knew there would be no blood, but, she also knew the sickness associated with the injuries would quickly set in.

  “I’m here, Seamus,” she assured him quietly. “Don’t move yet. Just catch your breath,” she instructed.

  “I have something to tell you,” he murmured laboriously.

  Brigit let her eyes roam down his torso and saw a long gash between two ribs. They had opened his side all the way to his lung. Small bubbles of black goo were trying to pool in the opened space; but they appeared to clot as soon as they reached the air. Brigit frowned at the sight. They were spirits now. There should be no liquid involved anymore.

  “Not now, Seamus,” she said softly. “I have to figure out how to get you out of here,” she explained as she looked around for anything to bind his wound with. The Chupacabra gang had been destroyed long before their file had been located. Anything of usefulness during their mortal existence was now long eroded to dust and blown away.

  “No, I think you need to know,” Seamus pressed, grasping her by the arm. His fingers were like claws through the sleeve of her coat. Brigit glanced down at him. His eyes were beginning to roll back into their sockets.

  “What do I need to know?”

  “I’m going to kill you for this,” he vowed before passing out.

  Brigit stared hard at him for a second, contemplating the idea of just leaving him there. She shook herself free of his grasp and clenched her jaw in irritation. John would have her head if she abandoned Seamus in the warehouse. Surely there was some rule about leaving a fallen Reaper behind. Or did that only apply to fallen soldiers?

  There would be too many questions and not enough good answers to justify abandoning her fellow Reaper – no matter how annoying he may be. In the end, Brigit mused as she stared at the unconscious Irishman, it was his own fault for being so arrogant. She had merely wanted to see him fail, if she were to be honest about it. Now, as a result of both their actions, she faced a new dilemma.

  Frustrated with the consequences she could foresee over all that she had done and all that she could do, Brigit stood and walked to the nearest door to figure it all out. As she looked over her shoulder at the unconscious Irishman, she knew she had to take the lesser of the two evils.

  With that in mind, she returned to his side and grabbed him by the arm. He was dead weight. Yet, if Seamus Flannery was going to kill her as he had promised before passing out, then, he deserved to be dragged all the way home.

  19: Decisions

  Brigit felt herself huffing for breath as she drug Seamus down the main hall of the office. A few groans had escaped him from time to time during the journey and she had taken no great care to make sure he had a smooth ride. When she reached the door to his personal office, she slammed it open, not caring that it bounced off the wall and returned to smash the wounded Reaper on the head as she pulled him across the threshold. With some effort, Brigit managed to lift him onto the couch that doubled as his bed during his down time. She stood over him for a moment longer, wondering if that should be the extent of her kindness toward him after his threat to kill her.

  Her mind was still burning with the irritation of his threat as she left the office and went to the supply closet down the hall. Inside, she found pillows and blankets meant for those Reapers who tended to reside as well as work at the main office. Though a Reaper required no real rest, the previous heads of the firm had often encouraged it as a means of prolonging the burn out stage. Quickly, she grabbed a pillow and a blanket for Seamus and returned to his office. He was beginning to twitch and shake. The infection was beginning to set in. Knowing there was little more she could do for him now, Brigit shoved the pillow under his head and unfurled the blanket over his body. She had never been the maternal type and she was damned sure not going to start acting the part now. Especially where Seamus Flannery was concerned.

  With that thought in mind, Brigit turned and looked around the small quarters. A small desk sat against the wall. The files she and John had compiled before Seamus’ hiring had been brought in and lined against the wall adjacent to the desk. There were only a couple dozen boxes, but Brigit was well aware that they were stocked full to the brims with portfolios of potentially dangerous assignments. A thick black book lay open on the desk. Brigit stepped closer to have a look. Through the dim light of the office window, she could see in a terrible scrawl the names of those assignments that Seamus had completed. The Irishman was taking his responsibilities on the administrative part of his job quite seriously, she noted as she quietly closed the book.

  Another moan escaped him and she glanced over her shoulder. He had been keeping a relatively decent pace in completing his assignments. Once he was well, he was going to be behind again. Brigit frowned. She knew John would be none-to-pleased with that notion. She would have to figure out a way to manage some of Seamus’ files in with her own. It was a risk, she knew, but it only seemed fair. She had set the firm back by allowing Seamus to get hurt. She would have to manage the work load by herself until Seamus was well or John had returned.

  Brigit’s frown deepened at the thought of John’s return. She had no idea how she was going to explain this to her mentor. The truth would probably be the best route, she decided as she sighed deeply. In the mean time, Brigit knew, she was going to be working some serious overtime. She’d be lucky to see Maggie anytime soon…

  As that thought settled in on her mind Brigit went to the stack of boxes against the wall and reached into the one missing its lid. She withdrew a stack of files and stuffed them into her coat pocket. She would just have to do the best she could until she could figure things out more clearly.

  Seamus could feel the fire running through his veins. He was unsure, though, whether it was his anger or the sickness John had warned him about in the case of a serious injury. She had let him go into the battle alone. She had stood aside and merely watched as he had taken on the gang membe
rs when she had been sent to assist him. She had always led on that she was such a brave soul, a dyke capable of taking on anything; but it had all been a farce. Dyke or not, Seamus angrily realized, Brigit Malone was still a female and females were weak. Ultimately, Seamus had lost his fight because of the female Reaper and her ruse of bravery. She would pay for that, Seamus determined as wave after wave of nausea and fire rushed through his body. She would pay dearly for it one way or another…

  20: Mama Dee

  After making sure Seamus was as comfortable as he could be, Brigit strode down the hall to John’s office. She noted as she walked that she was the only one without a designated office. Most of the time, she was only in the firm’s headquarters long enough to receive instruction from John Blackwick or to refresh her load of files. During that time, she was usually in John’s office.

  Considering the trouble I’m going to be in, I might not ask for one just yet, she thought as she retrieved some waiting assignments from the box she and John had been working from for the last week. Stuffing this pile into her coat pocket, she turned and exited the room and strode back toward the main entry to the firm’s headquarters. She paused long enough to look in on Seamus one more time before leaving. She had one more stop to make before beginning her work.

  Mama Dee was lying on her sofa with her eyes closed. By the pained look on the older woman’s face, Brigit could tell that her old friend was suffering one of her migraines. Mama had suffered them off and on during the years that she had lived across from Brigit and Maggie; but Brigit had noticed that their frequency of visits to the old woman had increased since the accident. Brigit had heard Maggie suggest on more than one occasion that Mama Dee go to see the doctor about them, but Mama Dee had waved away the notion as if she were waving away a fly.

  Brigit stood over her friend, watching in concern. She wanted to reach out and touch the woman’s face – wishing she could ease her friend’s pain if only for a few minutes.

  "I know you’re standing there, child…”

  Brigit started at the sound of Mama’s voice as it carried through the silence to her ears. The old woman’s eyes had not opened, but her mouth had moved. Brigit could feel a smile coming to her own face as a previous notion came to mind yet again. It was true after all. Mama Dee could sense her.

  “It’s Brigit, Mama,” Brigit said gently.

  “I know that, child,” Mama Dee retorted. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m just checking in on you,” Brigit replied. “Were you sleeping?”

  “No, I just like to keep my eyes closed these days,” the old woman quipped. “I’m awake. I just have another one of my pains. It hurts to open my eyes.”

  “When are you going to the doctor?” Brigit asked.

  “You startin’ to sound like Maggie. It’s just a headache. It’ll be gone soon enough,” Mama sighed deeply. “Why are you still around, child?”

  “I promised Maggie I would be,” Brigit answered. “I like to keep my promises. Does she know I’m still around?”

  “I think so,” Mama Dee replied. “She’s pretty upset about what happened with that Rubens girl. Was that you that caused the ruckus?”

  “Yes, Mama,” Brigit replied honestly. “She wasn’t right for Maggie.”

  “That makes two of us that think that. I’m glad you’re still here. I miss you and I know Maggie misses you too, even though she says she feels like you’re with her every night.”

  “I am with her every night, for the most part. I tried to be fair about the Rubens girl, but I guess my jealousy got the better of me,” Brigit laughed lightly. “Are you sure you’re going to be all right?”

  “I’m fine, child. Do you want me to tell Maggie anything?”

  “Just tell her that I’m going to be busy with work for a bit, but that I’ll be back with her as soon as I can. I’ve run into some snags at the office and I have to take care of them before I can rest some.”

  “What are you talkin’ about? Work? The office? Child, what are you doin’ now that you’re dead?” Mama Dee asked, her face wrinkling in the confusion of it all. Brigit noticed, however, that the woman still didn’t open her eyes.

  “I’m a Grim Reaper, Mama Dee,” Brigit revealed. “I pass over souls that are waiting.”

  “Oh, good lord! Is it my time?” the old woman asked suddenly. The fear of the thought expressed itself clearly on her face, but Mama Dee still didn’t open her eyes. Brigit only laughed.

  “No, Mama. I’m not here for you. You’re still very much alive.”

  “Thank you, Jesus! You scared me for a minute,” Mama Dee chuckled, patting her heart as if to calm it down. “I don’t suppose you’d want me to tell Maggie all that?”

  “No, I don’t think she’d understand any of it right now. Besides, Mama, when your time comes, it won’t be me that will come for you. You’re a part of my family and it’s against the rules for us to reap our own.”

  “Since when does the Grim Reaper have rules?” Mama Dee asked. Brigit laughed out loud this time.

  “Don’t believe everything you read or hear, Mama. Trust me on that one. Just tell Maggie that I love her, will you?” She requested.

  “I will, Brigit,” Mama Dee sighed.

  “And go see a doctor.”

  “Go on with yourself,” Mama Dee shooed with a wave of her hand in Brigit’s direction. “Visit again, child. I sure do miss you.”

  “I miss you too, Mama.” Brigit said as she opened the door to Mama Dee’s apartment and let herself out. She had been hoping there would be some way she could communicate with her old friend. After that day in the kitchen when Mama Dee had strongly urged her to keep an eye on Maggie, Brigit had held firm to the hope that she would have another chance to converse with her friend. That day had finally happened and Brigit felt herself smiling joyfully as she pulled the first file out of her pocket. For the moment, her problem back at the office was the furthest thing from her mind.

  Mama Dee opened her eyes and exhaled slowly. She had known that Brigit had been around all along. She had been hoping the girl’s spirit would eventually reach out to make contact. It was a gift she had borne for years, but kept hidden due to the stigma that surrounded it. In her day, admitting that one could see or hear the dead on a regular basis would only lead to trouble. Especially if your daddy was a deacon of the church… As a result, Mama Dee had never mentioned to anyone that she could talk to the dead. She had just been biding her time until Brigit figured it out and made contact on her own.

  As the old woman sat up, she thought about Brigit’s revelation of her new occupation. The idea of the Grim Reaper unsettled Mama Dee. It had long been a superstition she had kept a deep reverence for, sure that when her own time came that it would be the Grim Reaper that would take her. There were rules, Brigit had said. Mama Dee slowly shook her head with the thought. It was too bad. Mama Dee had the thought that it would be nice to see a familiar and loving face to help her through the moment that she knew was coming upon her soon…

  21: Belinda Yaris

  Brigit stood on the sidewalk reading the portfolio carefully. Her assignment was located in the station below, waiting for the passage to her fate on the subway train that was due to arrive soon. As Brigit read the file, she wondered how they had managed to overlook the potential of the subject as a recruit. John had scoured every file – or so he had said – and found only a few acceptable candidates. As she read, Brigit wondered why Belinda Yaris had not been considered.

  Belinda Yaris, aged twenty-three, had been the victim of a fatal mugging on the north bound N train from Brooklyn. Her dream had been to be a writer, but that dream had been cut short by the long end of a switch blade. She was a good kid with an analytical mind, organized work ethic and an imagination to reach across the universe and back. She possessed perfect qualities to be a Reaper, and Brigit’s mind was boggled by the thought of passing this one by. Besides, at this point, she needed all the help she could find.

  Closi
ng the file, Brigit rushed down the subway entrance stairs and stood patiently on the platform. Down the tunnel, she could see the light of the approaching train. It would stop for only a few seconds and Brigit knew she would have to find the car that contained Belinda fast before the train continued on its scheduled course.

  As it rumbled into the station and came to a screeching halt beside the platform, Brigit rapidly scanned each car as she walked past. Finally, in the last car, the Reaper found Belinda Yaris standing with her back against the opposite door. Silently, Brigit stepped into the car as the doors whooshed shut behind her.

  Leveling her dark eyes on the subject of her assignment, Brigit realized that Belinda was staring at her. Yet, her bright blue eyes seemed to look through rather than at the Reaper that had stepped onto the otherwise empty car. The heavy black eyeliner around those bright blue eyes seemed to emphasize the sense of apathy and boredom Belinda Yaris had succumbed to during the years of waiting for something to happen. As she looked deep into those bright blue -- yet bored -- eyes, Brigit had the thought that Belinda Yaris had succumbed to that sense of apathetic boredom long before she had ceased her existence as a mortal. Almost everyone Brigit had ever known to be a participant of the ‘Goth’ culture seemed to be bored with life almost from the moment they had finally confirmed their darker identities.

  “Belinda Yaris,” Brigit addressed the young woman out loud. She noted the sudden acknowledgement of her presence by the young woman by the keen focus of those bright blue eyes. They no longer looked through, but rather, at her.

  “Hello,” the young woman replied. “You can see me?”

  “I can,” Brigit answered. She sensed a feeling of relief pass through the young woman standing across from her. “My name is Brigit.”