The Devil's Been Busy

by J. D. Blackrose

  I jumped out of my hiding spot, holding only one weapon in each hand. “What did you do to him? Why isn’t he moving?”

  “He’s passed out, not dead. I beat him, drank from him to weaken him, and he fought back. I’m afraid the time passed slowly for him.”

  “You son of a bitch. Let him go. I’ll do whatever you want, find whatever this is, but he’s innocent.”

  “Yes, he is innocent, isn’t he? He’s never supped from a human except that one drug dealer, which doesn’t count, and he’s never killed. This is a puzzlement to me, and something I plan to rectify. He’s a vampire, and he should act like one. I plan on guiding him in his journey to the shadowy side of the street.” He hoisted Liam up and held him by his neck. I noticed Pascal’s arm had grown back. Pity.

  “Forcing Liam to kill is the same thing as killing him outright. You promised you wouldn’t kill him!” My nerves morphed to rage. “Why are you doing this to me? To us? What is your interest?” I was bristling with fury but didn’t dare make an offensive move.

  “I have my reasons. Let’s get to it. I need you to find a crystal ball.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “How do you think Zric knew you would be at the museum that day? He’d gotten his hands on a magic crystal ball, which looks exactly as you would think, by the way. All crystal-y and round, or so I’ve been told. I’ve only seen a picture, and I don’t know where he got it, which I find vexing.” The vampire ground his teeth, and his nostrils flared. “If he wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him myself.”

  Liam struggled against Pascal’s hold. “Am okay. Old man thinks he’s a big deal.” Liam’s voice was weak, and his words were slurred. “Jess, don’t…danger…”

  “You are not okay, Liam, but I will find this ball and get you back, I promise.”

  “Don’t…”

  Pascal shook him quiet, Liam’s teeth rattling like old bones.

  “Do you have a starting place where it might be?” I asked Pascal, my knuckles white on my weapon. I considered methods of attack one after the other, dismissing them as fast as they came. There was no way to get to Pascal without endangering Liam. I wished another Monster Hunter was with me. Maybe Mason Dixon. He would have loved the footage. More importantly, another Hunter could attack from Pascal’s rear.

  Pascal snapped his fingers. “Jess? You with me? Do I have to do something awful to get your attention?” He smiled a sinister grin, and I wanted to smack that ghoulish look right off his face.

  “I’m listening, Pascal.”

  “The ball is in the Beachwood Mall.”

  I must have heard wrong. “The mall?”

  Pascal sniffed, pursing his lips. “Yes, the little twit hid it from me in a place I couldn’t easily go.”

  “Why didn’t you break in at night and look yourself?”

  Pascal dropped Liam, who fell in a heap, and held his hands wide. “I considered it, but I thought this would be more fun. Also, I get caught up in window shopping and get things I don’t need.”

  “Funny.”

  “No, I mean it. I pick up extras, like patrolling security officers, employees who leave late, and cleaning crews. So many cleaning crews to mop all that crappy fake wood laminate. Believe me, Jess. You want me to stay away. It’s like a smorgasbord.”

  “Macabre. Evil. Disturbing.”

  Pascal fluttered a hand. “Awww, such a flatterer.”

  Blaze took the chit-chat as his opening and flew fast toward Pascal and Liam. He managed to slap at them with one of his powerful wings, and Pascal fell to the ground with a growl of fury. I rushed to Liam’s side, grabbed his shoulders, and tried to pull him away, but Pascal was too fast, seizing Liam’s ankle.

  I was afraid we’d tear Liam in two, so I used my thumb to flip open my Tupperware mini-square and hurled the blessed Manischevitz in Pascal’s face, hoping it might sting a bit, or at least tingle aggressively.

  I didn’t expect his face to liquefy where the wine hit it or the piercing shrieks to match. Pascal’s face melted like a wax candle, skin and tissue sliding down his skull. One gushy drop plopped at his feet.

  I swung my tomahawk, letting it loose for the first time. It hit Pascal in the chest, and though it wasn’t a killing blow, it is fair to say that Pascal found his disintegrating face coupled with a bleeding chest wound a little too much to handle. He cupped one hand to his chin to catch his face, and with his spare arm, seized Liam and evaporated. I looked to my left and right, ran forward and backward, hunting for them, cursing Pascal for his disappearing act. He’d done this to me once before, and it was maddening. I clenched my hands into fists and screamed to the sky.

  My ‘hawk lay on the ground. I picked it up and reminded myself to get more wine; it was surprisingly effective. The tomahawk groaned in satisfaction, happy to be blooded, and as I watched, it absorbed the blood like a sponge, giving a little shudder of satisfaction.

  No, that wasn’t disturbing. Not at all.

  Chapter Eight

  The next morning, I slept in, something I never do, but I needed the rest. When I finally woke, I scuffled out to the kitchen, yawning a loud “good morning.” My voice echoed back. The kitchen was empty but for a note on the table. Nathaniel was worried and had taken the kids to his mother’s while I figured this out. He was sorry to leave without talking to me, but he needed to think about things. He’d call me later.

  I sunk into my chair, heaving stuttering breaths, tears cascading down my face. I gazed around my kitchen, and no one was eating, or arguing, or painting with ketchup. No one was overcooking toast or pouring gallons of syrup on their pancakes. Nathaniel wasn’t touching my shoulders each time he walked by my chair. No sticky hugs, and the fire alarm wasn’t going off because of the toast. I was abandoned.

  I stayed like that for a good couple of minutes until there was a peck at the door, followed by a sharp bark. Blaze and Shura stared at me from the other side of the sliding door, and from the way their heads were tilted, I could tell they were worried about me. I wiped my eyes with my bathrobe sleeve and sat up straight. Time fix this mess and get Liam back. And my family.

  I signaled to my outdoor friends that I’d be there in a minute. I changed into black clothes, leggings, a cotton t-shirt, and black Converse. My bra and panties were black, too, but only I knew that.

  I spent the rest of the day discussing strategy with Blaze and Shura, and packing my gear, taking things out and putting new things in until I settled on my tools. I made a quick stop to talk to Rabbi Stein about what happened and the plan I’d concocted. He agreed that I should find the crystal ball to keep it out of enemy hands.

  “Rabbi, I don’t know if I can keep it out of Pascal’s hands. He has Liam.”

  Shadows crossed the Rabbi’s face as he struggled, again, with the idea that I could care for a vampire.

  “I don’t understand your relationship with Liam, Jess.”

  “All of God’s creatures, Rabbi.”

  “A vampire is a perversion of the Eternal’s purpose. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We die and move on. Our bodies disintegrate. It’s the natural way of things. Dead bodies aren’t meant to walk and talk.”

  “Look, I understand. We eat the antelope. We die, and our bodies become the grass. The antelopes eat the grass. The circle of life.”

  The Rabbi looked a little lost.

  “Rabbi, all I know is that Liam is a good person and he loves me and my family.”

  “You would trust Liam with your children’s lives?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “You care for him very much.”

  “I love him as a dear friend, Rabbi, as a brother, and I am responsible for what happened to him. If it hadn’t been for me, Pascal would have left Liam alone.”

  Rabbi Stein was silent for a moment but then gave me a sharp nod as he came to a conclusion.

  “Love is love is love. I can’t guess the Eternal’s plan, or why He allowed this to happen to Liam, but he who saves a life, saves th
e world. You are right. You must help your friend.”

  I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. “Thanks, Rabbi. Maybe I’ll figure out a way to keep the ball, too.” I wiggled to the front of the chair, excited. “It’ll be cool, don’t you think, Rabbi? To know the future. We can make it a weapon for the good guys.”

  Rabbi clucked like an old hen, shaking his head back and forth in the manner of one explaining things to a small child.

  “The ball could only show one possible future. Humans are not supposed to know the future. That’s what makes free will matter.”

  “Ah,” I said, making subtle sounds of agreement as if I understood the wisdom he was imparting. I tapped my finger on my chin. “Yes, Rabbi, I see what you mean.” His face brightened. Anything to make him happy.

  I left still thinking it would awesome to know the future but was hell-bent on saving Liam.

  This time, Shura came with me instead of Blaze, and off we went to the unhappiest place on Earth—the mall. The mall, any mall, was the unhappiest place on Earth because it was filled with things you didn’t know you wanted and couldn’t afford to buy. Malls create gluttony and greed, envy and despair. It had four of the seven deadly sins in its pocket.

  Even I fell prey to the pull. I once stood in wonder in front of a mallet, a beautiful mallet. It was light but strong, and the advertising promised it could pound meat thin. I was going to use it to pound meat, too, not the type the manufacturers were thinking about, but close enough that I was salivating. I pictured myself wielding it, imagined the fear I’d instill in monsters of all shapes and sizes, and realized I had no place to put it. My pockets were taken, and I didn’t want to add any more weight to my pack. Besides, I told myself, it was a little too Thor.

  I’d borrowed a leash off my neighbor and pulled out a doggie jacket I’d once swiped at an airport that said, “Dog on duty.” I didn’t know why I wanted it, but it seemed like a great idea at the time and was coming in handy now. Shura was…displeased.

  “Shura, we have to pretend you’re a dog, or we’ll never get in there.”

  Shura turned her head. I resorted to flattery.

  “Shura, you are a beautiful wolf. You are so regal and powerful that people are drawn to you.” I hung my head and sighed. “That’s the problem. Without this little disguise, there is no way we could hide what you are.”

  Shura winked to tell me she knew what I was doing, but she allowed the jacket and leash. That didn’t mean she enjoyed it, and she let me know with an undercurrent of growl bitching, pun intended, as we entered the mall.

  The mall was a half-hour to closing, which is what we wanted. Shura got some glances, but we ignored them. We did a sweep of the top floor of the mall, including the food court, the sports memorabilia store, the massage station, and a store where all the mannequins wore ripped clothing. Why do people pay money for tattered jeans? You’re paying more money for less fabric.

  We descended the winding staircase, Shura’s claws making a tappity-tap sound on the faux marble. She didn’t like the open steps at all and went down at breakneck speed. This landed us in front of Hillard’s, one of the anchor department stores. She stopped in front of the entrance and gave a tug at her leash.

  “Is the ball here?”

  Shura did that wolf shrug thing that freaked me out.

  “You smell something off?”

  “More than the perfume?”

  She nodded.

  “Something with a magical energy?”

  She smiled, lolling out her tongue, which had the unfortunate side effect of showing her canines.

  “Mommy! Look at that wolf!”

  Shura and I looked away, and I rocked on my toes a bit, whistling.

  “That’s not a wolf, son. That’s a very big dog.”

  “But look what big teeth she has.”

  I could see out of the corner of my eye and noticed that the mother gave a closer look. Her eyes grew wide, and she stepped back and pulled her son along with her. “Hush, child. Let’s get to the car.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief until I heard, “Jess! I never see you in the mall! Wow. Did you get a dog?”

  Oh. Dear. God.

  Joseph whined. “How come David gets a dog and a pony? I never get anything. He’s got all the cool stuff.”

  “Uh, hi Judy. How are you?” Shura gave another smile, and my knees almost buckled. I stepped in front of her, gesturing behind my back for her to shut it. There was no way this was going to work. Any minute now…any minute… I waited for the alarms and police.

  Judy pulled on my sleeve to drag me closer and whispered in a hiss. “What does this dog do? Sniff for bombs? For narcotics? And why in the world are you working with him?”

  I cast about for an answer. “Her. Shura is a female and is a multi-talented dog. She finds guns and bombs. Sometimes narcotics. You know, whatever needs smelling.” I almost smacked my forehead with my own palm, I was so lame.

  “But why are you handling her?”

  I didn’t mean to. I never lie, so I said the first thing that came to me, which wasn’t technically untrue. “Judy, I’m undercover.”

  Judy’s eyes grew wide, and she rubbed her hands together, so excited by this news. “I knew it!” she said. Then, looking back and forth, she stage-whispered, “I always knew you had a secret job.”

  “Yeeessss, Judy.” I took the lifeline. “Exactly. A secret job. A secret mission. Right now, I need to get to it. Nice seeing you, but remember, mum’s the word.” I drew my fingers across my lips like a zipper.

  “Oh, I’d never tell!” She looked at me sideways. “Is this why you need a pony?”

  This was my chance. “Yes, Judy. The pony finds lost children.”

  She drew a breath. “Ahhhh. I wish you had told me that in the first place.” She gave me a knowing look. “I’ll see what I can do with the Neighborhood Association for you. I feel safer knowing there’s a search and rescue team right on our street.”

  “Thank you, Judy, that would be appreciated. I knew I could share my secret with you.”

  She crossed her heart. “I’ve got your back.” She sidled away, Joseph in tow.

  I sighed. God bless stupid people. I amended that as soon as I thought it. Judy wasn’t stupid. She was gullible, innocent, and blind to the dangers around her, which is why I had a job.

  Although how she could believe in a Cleveland search-and-rescue pony was beyond me.

  Shura tugged at the leash, so I got going. We entered the department store like we should be there, all boss and confident. Shura’s nose was to the ground, and I said idiotic things like, “Sniff. Find. Search.”

  “Can I help you in some way?” asked one of those perfume sample people, bearing two bottles.

  “No,” I said, my voice stern. “Just let us do our jobs, ma’am, and please try not to spray that perfume near my dog. It makes her nose blind.”

  The last part was true, and to prove it, Shura sneezed.

  “Oh, yes, of course. I’ll tell the other sales representatives as well.” Her eyes got wide and her voice low. “Is it terrorism? Are we in danger? Do we need to evacuate?” Instead of looking scared, she appeared excited by the possibility of a threat, biting her lip in anticipation of the story she could tell later.

  I leaned in close. “Nothing imminent, but we train all the time.”

  Her face dropped. “Oh, okay. Well, I guess it is good there is nothing…” She trailed off. “Nothing serious.” She perked up. “But there could be, any day. We have to be diligent.”

  I nodded, my face stern. “Exactly. Thank you for your help.”

  She gave me a conspiratorial wink and ran off to tell the other women in the department. I rubbed my eyes, gave myself a mental shake, and put my game face on.

  Our main goal was to find a place to hide. We explored quickly, as the loudspeakers were blaring that the mall would close in fifteen minutes. When the coast was clear, Shura and I squeezed under a sample bed decorated with a bed
spread and a bed skirt in bright fuchsia. I felt like Claudia and Jamie from one of my favorite childhood books. Those children hid in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and retrieved change from a fountain for spending money. I laughed at the thought, and poor Shura, who was squished and unhappy, gave me a small growl. I took the hint and swallowed my giggles.

  The managers did their last sweeps, and the cleaning crews came through to tidy up, making me think of Pascal’s threat. Shura and I were almost caught by a vacuum.

  Finally, the store was quiet, the front rolling shutters locked and the lights off, except for dim blue lights that cast an eerie glow. We squiggled out from under the bed, both of us relieved to be out of that small space and not inhaling cotton fibers.

  “Okay, Shura. Let’s start at the top and go down. We’ll move counterclockwise from the children’s clothes through petites. Make sense?” It must have because Shura led the way to escalator, turned off for the night, and we climbed the metal stairs to the top.

  The store was quiet, but not silent. There were mummers and mutterings, squeaks and groans from all corners. The air was thick, and the blue lights twisted every object into a chilling silhouette that made my skin crawl. I have never wanted out of some place so much in my life. Shura felt the same things, and her agitation made her rush.

  I stopped and bent to hold Shura’s head in my hands. “Brave den mother,” I said. “Mate of alpha male. There is nothing that the two of us together cannot face. Show no fear.” The wolf closed her eyes, gave herself a good shake, and we proceeded, Shura now carefully sniffing, and me peering at every item to make sure we didn’t miss the crystal ball.

  We proceeded through fancy brand-name sections, a display of bathing suits, petite “working woman” clothes, and finally uncomfortable-looking dressy outfits I wouldn’t be caught dead in. Oh dear, note to self, if I die, tell Nathaniel to bury me in jeans.

  I got a lump in my throat at that thought. He’d left and taken the kids, to protect them. From me. From my world. I took a moment to offer a quick prayer.