by Ren Hamilton
Father Carbone looked at Agent Litner, who seemed rattled by this latest information. “Steven, you look like you know something. Have you heard of these Cripulets before?”
Agent Litner was silent for a long moment, then cleared his throat. “No. No, I’ve never heard of a Cripulet. It’s just intriguing, that’s all.”
Father Carbone nodded, but his gaze lingered on his friend. Litner seemed to be lying. Carbone let it go, knowing that secrets were part of being a government agent. It was probably the old If I told you, I’d have to kill you scenario. If Litner knew something about Cripulets, it was something he was not willing to share.
Robin mentioned the way Shep had that one section of rock marked off with a circle of blood on the cave wall. “Could that have been one of these Cripulets you’re referring to?”
“Yes, Robin, Father Carbone told me about what you witnessed in the cave,” Father Bello said. “Pearl Chasm is thought to have formed near the end of the last ice age, approximately fourteen thousand years ago. The chasm may have been formed by the sudden release of dammed up glacial melt water. It is a prime location for a Cripulet, assuming that such things actually exist.”
“Pretty creepy bedtime story,” Copie said. “Is that the end of it?”
Father Bello flipped through the pages. “Just about. There’s a bunch of malarkey at the end about thunder being caused by Zirub trying to break his way through to earth, and so on. Things to scare kids. Oh, and there’s a scripture quotation at the very end, from The Epistle of Jude. Would you like me to read it?”
Litner shrugged. “You might as well.”
Father Bello cleared his throat. “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.”
Copie snorted. “Well. I guess ‘He’ had better get some stronger chains, because the suckers got out early.”
“Can I ask a practical question?” Robin said. “If we’re going to assume this story has some basis in truth, and that these things did happen, then who wrote it all down? How did we come to know about it in the first place?”
“I thought of that as well,” Father Bello said. “Throughout history, there have been accounts of actual messenger angels appearing before humans and telling them tales. It’s all through the bible, as if this happened regularly. Perhaps this tale was passed on in such a manner. Why they’d feel the need to tell the tale of Zirub, I do not know. Perhaps as a cautionary tale, wanting us to know that even they are not above God’s law. Or maybe they just like to gossip.”
“So should we proceed under the assumption that Melvin Eugene Shepherd is in fact this mythical Zirub?” Father Carbone asked.
Robin blew out a long slow breath. “It’s hard enough to accept that Shep’s a closet maniac. To believe he’s some sort of mythical character is nearly impossible. Although this Zirub does sound like kind of an idiot.” She met Father Bello’s eyes. “What are our other options?”
He shrugged. “Well, the way I see it, there is only one other feasible explanation. That would be that Shepherd is a scholar of ancient folklore. In so thinking, for whatever reason, he has read the story of Zirub, and has gone to great lengths to performatively parallel it to his own life. Personally, I’m not buying that. Everyone in this room has witnessed things that go beyond a natural explanation. Oh, except for Agent Litner. Am I right?”
All eyes turned to Litner, who held his usual blank expression. “That is correct. Aside from witnessing a rather unsavory scream from Juris that caused several windows to crack, I’ve not personally witnessed any of these unexplainable events. I have only the testimony of the others to go by.”
Robin looked hopeful for a moment. “If you have a more logical explanation, I’d be thrilled to hear it, Agent Litner.”
“I believe it,” Litner said. “I think Shepherd is Zirub.”
Robin’s mouth fell open. “What?”
“You, Steven?” Carbone said. “You believe it?”
“Yes, Luigi.”
“But you’re the rational one,” Copie said. “And you haven’t even seen any of the really weird shit!”
Father Bello grinned. He seemed highly amused that Agent Litner should be the first to profess his belief in the boogie man.
“You can all stop looking at me like that,” Litner said. “It’s a simple matter of logic and reasoning.”
Father Carbone narrowed his eyes. “I know you, Steven. You’re playing some sort of head game with yourself.”
Litner shrugged. “The worst mistake I’ve seen colleagues make is underestimating their opponent. Sometimes, the truth about someone is so horrifying that we just can’t believe it. This leaves us at a disadvantage if the opponent truly is the horror we suspect. For instance, a cornered bank robber is holding a baby hostage to negotiate his escape. You must always assume that he will indeed kill that baby if you don’t stop him. I’ve learned it’s wise to go into a situation under the assumption that the worst-case scenario is true. If we imagine the worst, then there are no surprises. Therefore, in this case, the worst possible scenario is that Melvin Eugene Shepherd is not of this world. Nor are his brothers.”
Father Carbone tilted his head. “And you’re okay with that?”
“Hell no. But I’ve been underestimating this Shepherd character all along. If I tell myself that he’s some crazed other worldly being, I can’t possibly underestimate him again.”
Father Carbone shook his head, then looked at Father Bello. “I can understand that celestial beings are not perfect, but this band, these brothers, how did they get so…evil?”
“They are not evil,” Father Bello answered.
“With all due respect Father Bello, I had one living in my basement until recently. They tried to kill Copie, and Robin and Patrick saw them kill an old man with their own eyes. Christ, one of them tried to kill you! If not evil, then what?”
“They were following orders, Luigi. It’s what they do. They don’t know from morality. They come from a place where all commands are divine.”
“Do you mean they truly don’t know the difference between right and wrong?”
“Where they come from, there is no wrong. They don’t question the commands that their leader gives them. Right and wrong are not concepts they understand. Don’t you see? This is one of the reasons they’re forbidden to cross the realms! They are not prepared to live in this world.” Father Bello lowered his voice to a whisper. “They’re not supposed to be here!”
“What about Shep?” Robin interjected. “Does the leader know the difference between right and wrong?”
“Ah, yes,” Father Bello said, leaning back. “I suspect he does, though that’s clearly not staying his hand any. Shepherd is more adapted to the human realm, and probably of a higher intelligence than the others.”
Father Carbone whistled. “Well, considering how smart we found Juris to be, that’s rather frightening.”
Father Bello glanced around at them all, looking serious. “If the dating alleged in this story of Zirub is even close to being correct, we’re talking about a being that stayed awake for over two thousand years looking for a way out of his confinement. Persistent little bugger to say the least.”
“So we’re dealing with a creature who outsmarted God somehow.” Carbone rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah. I think we can take him. Piece of cake.”
“Man!” Copie gasped. “How do you stop someone like that?”
Father Bello shrugged. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”
This got Agent Litner’s attention, and he glared at Father Bello. “Excuse me?”
The Priest held up his hands as if to ward off the heat of Litner’s gaze. “I’m just saying, hypothetically speaking, we can’t be sure that this isn’t all part of God’s plan.”
“Oh come on!” Litner snapped. “I find it hard to believe that if there is a God, they’d put any portion of their so-called plan into the hands of a
lunatic like Shepherd.”
“I’m just speculating,” Father Bello said. “I mean, who says it’s our place to interfere?”
“The security of this country says it’s my place to interfere,” Agent Litner said. “No offense to the clergymen in the room, but I don’t answer to God. I answer to my boss, a human man with a bad attitude, and he is awaiting my interference as we speak.”
Father Bello looked solemn. “I know that, Agent Litner. And I can’t stop you from doing your job. But I pray you be careful dealing with Shepherd. You need to be ready for anything. I don’t know what a couple thousand years of nothing can do to one of these creatures, but I’m betting he’s not just a little insane.”
“Shep has to have a weakness. He must,” Litner said determinedly. “Everyone does. Melvin Eugene Shepherd has a weakness. We just need to find it.”
“What about the brothers?” Robin said. “He clearly loves them.”
Litner shook his head. “We took one of his brothers away and he’s still functioning quite nicely. I’m talking about something that gets to him. Something that could throw him off his guard.”
“Wesley J. Shepherd,” Robin said. “The name Dr. Lichtenstein wrote in the dirt. Juris recognized it as soon as we said it, remember? He said Shep refuses to speak that name aloud.”
Litner pursed his lips. “I haven’t had a chance to profile the name yet. I’ll get to that later tonight.”
Robin smiled at him. “You must be losing your edge.”
“Yes, well, I’ve had a lot on my mind.” Robin’s smile dropped to a concerned frown as she watched him begin beating his temple with his pen again.
Father Carbone perked up suddenly. “Hey, speaking of Juris, what about the other thing in the basement? The apparition that made me wet my pants. What the hell was that?”
Father Bello consulted his books. “You said Juris called it a Principality?”
“Well, yes and no. He called it a Schlarr. He said that our ‘dumb religion’ calls it a Principality.”
Father Bello scanned the page. “Principalities are just below Powers on the list of ranks, I know that much,” he mumbled. “Not sure why one would come here, though.”
“It’s lower in rank? Really?” Copie said. “Because it sure didn’t seem intimidated by Juris.”
Bello nodded. “Remember though, Juris is flesh now, not in his primary form. He may be seen as an abomination by these other celestials. An out-of-place threat.”
“What does it say about the Schlarr in your books?” Litner asked.
“One of their main duties is given to the protection of religion. Not just Catholicism, but any gathering place that maintains a devotion to the spiritual realm. Ancient Pagan tribes apparently summoned such creatures for protection when performing rituals or during harvest festival celebrations, when enemies were prone to attack. It says here that a group gathered together in unified focus on something higher than themselves, will create a coveted energy source that is directly syphoned by the light.” He glanced up. “Odd wording, but I’d interpret ‘the light’ as referring to God.”
“That makes a sort of sense,” Father Carbone said. “While the thing was…growling at me, Juris made a comment. He said something like ‘It can’t hurt you, it thinks it’s protecting this place from me’.”
“It says here that various demons try to steal from the energy being syphoned by the light during a gathering.” Father Bello frowned. “These Principalities normally ward demons off when this happens in the material realm and warn Powers about an impending attack in the spiritual realm. But clearly, this being saw Juris as a threat.”
“I’ve got Juris under a twenty-four-hour watch,” Litner said. “I’ve warned the guards to be on alert. I also had them reinforce his restraints. As Father Bello said, we need to be ready for anything.” Agent Litner pulled his phone out, and they all heard his last sentence on audio playback. “Okay, this was productive. But I’ve got to get going.”
“You recorded all of this?” Father Bello asked.
“Patrick will be in the city mid-week for a briefing. He needs to be informed of this new information.”
“I’m not a betting man,” Copie said, “but I predict this information won’t make Patrick feel any safer out there at Camp Crazy.”
“The information might not be settling, but I know Patrick will want to have it. He’s had enough deception for one lifetime.”
“Which brings up another point,” Robin said. “What about the hoax? How does my cousin Joey fit into the whole Zirub scenario?”
“We definitely don’t have all the pieces to this puzzle,” Father Carbone said, “but we know that whatever Shep is planning to do here, he can’t do it alone. You saw those scriptures he wrote. Joey is the Sword, and Patrick is the Shield. He had to get Joey into a position of prominence somehow, like a false prophet. He’s going to use him for something. He has a plan in the works, and he’s had to use earthly resources to bring it about.”
“So what we may have here,” Father Bello said, “is a genuine celestial being, using false prophecy and false miracles, to create a real catastrophe.”
Robin began to pack her things up.
“I want pizza,” Copie said. “What are your plans tonight, Robin?”
“To try and save my cousin.”
“How?” Litner demanded. “Where are going?”
Robin glanced at the two priests. “To see a witch.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Kelinda rocked slowly and sensuously on top of him. The room was filled with the golden half-light of candles, the hue flickering outside the sheer canopy of Joey’s enormous bed. She had the whole scene set before he walked through the door, waiting. Once he arrived, she’d wasted no time.
Her breathing quickened as she slid her naked body up and down his, their hot skin gliding like velvet. She was so beautiful, he thought. But he did not love her, and he knew that she did not love him. At least not anymore. She feigned affection for him now, while once it was genuine. It didn’t bother him. It was merely an unexpected change. He also got the sense that she was hiding something from him, something dark and sinister behind the sweetness of her rich, full-lipped smile.
Her sexual desire was real enough. She truly could not get enough of him. But it wasn’t about him anymore. It wasn’t about Joey Duvaine, boy wonder. It was his fluids she wanted. This bothered him once, but now he didn’t care. Shep was the one behind all the mystical crap, and Shep could be the one to worry about it.
Kelinda delved her tongue into his mouth as though she’d eat him alive. At the same time she expertly moved her hips with him inside her, careful not to go too fast lest he waste his precious explosion before she was ready. His arousal, combined with the scent of the candles made his head spin wildly. His orgasm started with a shudder in his abdomen, causing him to inhale sharply. This was the signal she’d been waiting for. In one fluid motion, she dismounted and dropped down, sliding her lips onto him a mere second before ejaculation. It was precise timing—practiced.
Joey’s back arched, ecstasy pulsing in waves as he surrendered his fluids to her welcoming mouth. As always, she didn’t want to let go, coaxing every drop from him with a suctioning force.
“Enough,” he said. She did not retreat. He grabbed her head and painfully pulled her from him. “I said enough!”
She stretched her back, cheeks flushed, then fell back onto the bed, smiling and running hands down her neck, over her breasts and ribs. He’d seen the ritual before. She was like a junky after a fix. Finally, she got up and slinked over to her closet, slipping into a sheer black dress. She spun and the bottom of the dress flared out like a bell. Crossing the floor, she danced gracefully, a macabre ballerina.
Joey watched her from the bed. “Why do you always wear black now?” he mumbled.
Kelinda went over to the vanity mirror and picked up a brush. “Because black looks good with this outrageous hair color you picked out for me. Besides,
I look good in black, don’t you think?”
“You’d look good in anything,” he said without a hint of emotion.
“My my, Joey,” she said. “Was that a compliment from the man without a heart?”
“I have a heart. It’s just different than yours.”
“Not so different anymore.” She applied hot pink lipstick, then a sheer gloss over her full lips.
“Where are you going?”
“Just out to the fields,” she answered curtly.
“You know Shep doesn’t want you going out to the fields, Kelinda. Not without one of us.”
She turned from the mirror. “Shep doesn’t let me do anything. Those people are the only friends I have now.”
“They’re a bunch of zombies,” he said, voice muffled through the side of the pillow.
“You really shouldn’t talk like that. After all, they are your followers. They worship you.” Joey remained silent. “So? Are you going to tell?”
He was on the cusp of sleep. “What?”
“Are you going to tell Shep if I go out to the fields?”
Joey turned over and pulled the covers over his head. “I don’t care what you do.”
****
Patrick sat in the dark outside on the deck, his back leaning against the house. He was hiding from the brothers, who couldn’t seem to give him a moment’s peace. His ‘party’ ended up being a small affair, consisting only of himself, the brothers, Joey and Shep, Kelinda, Russell, and one or two of the followers. Apparently Shep stopped having full-scale parties after the last one, where Joey was nearly taken out by sniper fire. Go figure.