by Michael Todd
“Better to be safe than sorry, though,” Eric replied. “It would be just our luck if we didn’t do something. We would definitely run into someone we knew, and then there would be mind-erasing and a scene. That is just not what I’m looking for tonight.”
“I mean, there are so many tourists,” Jeremy said. “There are bound to be some of them who look like us. We should be able to blend right in, with the right hair and civilian clothes.”
“You would think so.” Katie sighed, thinking back to her review of the social websites over the last year when she couldn’t be strong. “But like Eric said, it’s better to be safe than sorry. My ‘death’ has already put my family and friends through enough. The last thing I want is to have to erase their memories because of me.”
“You are absolutely right,” Jeremy agreed. “We all lost people when we switched to Korbin’s Killers, and I wouldn’t want to put my family and friends through anything else either.”
“All right.” Katie waved to the guys. “I’m going to go get ready. I’ll meet you guys back out here shortly, and we can inspect each other’s disguises.”
“You should wear a beard.” Jeremy laughed. “You can be the Bearded Lady.”
“Uh, I don’t think so.” Katie laughed and walked toward her room.
Katie made it to her room and closed the door, then rummaged through her closet. She wasn’t sure what the guys had in mind for the evening. She didn’t want to be too fancy, but at the same time she didn’t want to be left out of going into places on the Strip because she wore jeans shorts and a tank top.
She pulled out a pair of wide-leg black dress pants and a sexy black top and changed her clothes. When she was done, she walked into the bathroom and arranged her hair differently than she had done it before. She pulled it back in a ponytail, but created “the bump” in front.
She put on some makeup, and stood back to stare at her reflection in the mirror. She looked at herself from all angles, surprised at how toned her entire body was. She had known she would be in shape from all the training, but dang! She had “guns.”
You look hot, Pandora told her. I’m proud of you for picking this outfit.
“Thanks.” Katie sighed. “You know, I think I could go out on the Strip with no makeup, in jeans, and anyone who might or did know me would pass right by without another thought. No one is going to think I’m that girl anymore. I’m taller, more muscular, and have tits the size of Texas. They will notice my boobs before they ever look at my face.
Bahaha, Pandora howled. “Tits the size of Texas!”
Yeah, Katie bitched, adjusting her shirt. My tops and bras don’t fit right anymore. I told you to leave the boobs alone.
Honey, Pandora explained, Texas is as big as France. You’re no bigger than Arkansas, at the most.
I was exaggerating, Katie snapped. They seem huge to me, because I have always been just average in the breast department. Now I can’t even see my fucking toes, and not only are they enormous, but they are perky—like I need steel plates to hide my nipples, even with a bra and a tank top underneath what I am wearing.
I know what we could do for a disguise, Pandora offered.
This should be interesting, Katie replied, adjusting her boobs in the mirror.
We could cut your hair, she suggested. Give you some kind of cute and trendy haircut. That would be the icing on the cake. No one would recognize you.
That’s an interesting suggestion, Katie agreed. I have one for you, too. Why don’t you try to be celibate for a thousand years? I’m sure your body would thank me.
Wow, Pandora said with a sniff. A simple “no” would have been sufficient. You didn’t have to be so ugly with me about it. I mean, there is a huge difference between a thousand years without any dick and cutting some of that hair off. Besides, you are a different person now, and not just on the outside. Maybe it would be good for you to lose some of it.
No, Katie told her firmly. I am not cutting my hair. We’ll just have to make do with what I’ve got.
Fine, fine, Pandora grumped. Don’t take my advice! God knows I failed the other times…except I didn’t!
Katie frowned into the mirror. As much as I love your help on everything else, this one is non-negotiable, I’m afraid. My hair is pretty much the only thing I have left from my former life, and I’m not ready to give it up.
Okay. Pandora sighed. It was just a suggestion.
“This is really good,” Joshua said, taking a bite of his casserole.
“Thank you,” one of the girls said. “I made it myself.”
“It’s nn-nnn-nice to have a home-cooked meal,” he told them.
“So, Joshua,” Eliza, the older girl began. “Why are these knives you make so important?”
“Yeah, how did you start making these things, anyway?” Tabby, another of the girls, asked.
“I’ll be honest with you,” Joshua replied. “I can’t tell you everything. There are some secrets about this place and what I am doing that can’t be revealed. I wish I could tell you ladies everything, though, especially since you have gone out of your way to come out here and help me.”
“Gosh, it sounds like these weapons are super-secret?” Tabby exclaimed. “Why is that? I mean, can’t you buy swords and knives everywhere nowadays?”
Joshua dug his fork through the casserole. He didn’t know what to say, or how much he was allowed to tell them.
They worked there, but they didn’t get paid for it.
He assumed that if Katie had wanted them to know the whole truth, she would have told them herself. Still, he couldn’t just push them off when they were coming here every day to help out with the business. If he were them he would have a lot more questions, including what went on next door at all hours, why they snuck out all of the time, and why the building was under high security. He figured the girls didn’t really think about those things or notice them.
“Well, they are made differently than the ones you can just buy at the store,” he explained.
“How?” Eliza asked.
“Well, it’s a bit complicated,” Joshua replied. “My family has been making them, or has known how to make them, for centuries, apparently. When my father died, I was given the tools and books and told it was of dire importance that I continue the family business. Most everything has been passed down from generation to generation in books and diaries. Normally a father would explain everything to the next generation, but he died so suddenly that it was impossible.”
“Do you miss him?” Tabby asked.
“I do,” Joshua admitted, looking down. “I miss him all the time, really. But I am doing what he wanted for me, and that makes me feel close to him.”
“Did your dad do this too?” one of the other girls asked. “I mean, did you learn all this from him.”
“Well, no, not exactly,” Joshua said. “My dad, he taught me some stuff, but he wasn’t really very interested in it. He had his own way of helping out, though, and it was like what Katie and Korbin and the rest of them do.”
“Which is super-secret.” Tabby laughed.
“Yeah, it is.” Joshua blushed. “But my grandfather…he tried to do it, but he didn’t really understand everything. To be honest, neither did I when he first gave everything to me. He wasn’t able to explain too much more than the basics. My father understood it, but by the time I was old enough to start doing it my father was gone. I couldn’t do what my father did, because I have Asperger’s Syndrome and it would be too risky. At least, that is what he used to tell me, and now I agree with him. So when it came time for me to take care of myself, I took up the other family business.”
Tabby was playing with her hair. “But if your dad was dead, how did you figure out all the missing pieces?”
“I started to travel to find out what I needed to know,” he said. “It was the only thing I knew to do. My father had left me money and my mother passed away soon after him, so I had to do something. I am the last person in my family, and whe
n I die this knowledge does too. I couldn’t let it die with my father.”
“So where did you travel?” Tabby asked. “To like California and stuff?”
“N-n-no.” He shook his head. “I went to Israel, Europe, and the United Kingdom. There were also a few places in Central and southern America and Asia that I was led to through different contacts. Oh, and there were a few stops in Egypt as well. I really just followed the trail, picking up little bits of information here and there and piecing it all together until I had the full picture. Sometimes I didn’t get anything, sometimes I got a bunch of info, and sometimes I just got a clue as to where to go to next. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill weapon-making, so people were very secretive.”
“So what did you find out?” Tabby asked. “I mean, what is the metal used for?”
“I can’t really go too deep into that,” he replied. “It’s not something that I am allowed to reveal. I will just say that the knowledge that I found helps to create a very special metal that harmonizes energies.”
“What exactly does it do?” Eliza asked.
“Well, in a scientific explanation,” he began, trying to craft something he knew they wouldn’t fully understand and would never speak of in fear that they would look stupid, “ultimately what it does is unknown, but the indications I found lead me to hypothesize that the metal is very disharmonious to those whose energy is dark.”
Chapter Six
Katie put her phone to her ear when she saw the dealership number show up. “Hi, Elizabeth! I just wanted to let you know that your car should be arriving in just a couple of days,” Brian told her. “I found one in San Diego, and they are just finishing up the additions to bring it to your spec. I’ll call you when it comes in, and we’ll make sure it’s gassed up and ready when you get here.”
“That’s really great news!”
Katie pressed End and squealed, excited that she was going to have her car in a few days. She knew she wouldn’t be driving it far, but just having something like her new baby was thrilling. She not only had never been able to afford something so nice, but it also made her feel a little bit more normal.
During the test drive she had been on cloud nine, feeling like a regular person—just driving a car with the top down through the streets of Las Vegas.
Maybe it was a stupid waste of money since she had access to the SUVs, but she didn’t care. She didn’t do those kinds of things ever, and she’d definitely never had anything that nice before.
The ride is gonna be here soon? Pandora asked.
Sure the hell is, Katie replied.
Yessss, Pandora hissed. I can’t wait to roll through Las Vegas feeling the wind in your hair, seeing all the jealousy on everyone’s faces, and seeing just how much of a man-magnet this thing is going to be. I mean, you should be able to seriously pick up some dick with this thing.
That was not a priority, Katie told her, nor was it a consideration in buying the car.
“Attention,” Korbin announced over the loudspeaker. “We are going to be starting our team workout in exactly ten minutes. Please make sure you are dressed for PT, not combat. Thank you.”
Uh oh, training time, Pandora said. And by the way, you should always weigh your choices as to whether they will get you dick or not.
Can we stop saying “dick” all the time?
Sure! By the way, you should always weigh your choices as to whether they will get you Richard or not.
Katie rolled her eyes and headed down to the training center.
Everyone else was already there, sparring in the ring, practicing with weapons, or using the weights. Katie wasn’t sure where she wanted to start, so she walked over and grabbed a couple of wooden swords and started to go through the motions in the center of the pit.
She had gotten used to having swords in her hands, and was able to wield them in a showy but dangerous (to demons) way. She twisted her body, swirling them over her head and kicking her leg out for an extra boost, following the jiujitsu moves Calvin had started teaching her. She wasn’t perfect with the moves, but she was really good with the hand motions.
When she was done with the sequence, she dropped to one knee and breathed deeply to center herself. She glanced up at Korbin’s office and saw him watching her, which was nothing new for her—but she had never shown anyone what she could do with swords. She stood back up and returned the wooden swords to the holder.
You know, I think I know the perfect weapon for you, Pandora offered. You need to start training with a quarterstaff, then move up to a double-bladed staff.
A what?
It’s basically a six-foot pole that has spikes on the ends, she explained. They are really popular in militaristic societies, and have been used for centuries in hand-to-hand combat. The length is ideal, because you never get too close to an enemy.
And why would I need these? Katie said. When Pandora didn’t answer she called, Hellllooo? Pandora, come back.
Pandora had gone dark. Katie stood in the middle of the floor with her hands on her hips, thinking about the quarterstaff. She was proficient with all the weapons on the base, so she figured maybe it was a good time to expand her knowledge.
“Hey,” Damian said, walking up behind her. “You look like you are deep in thought. Is your demon talking to you?”
“Actually, the opposite.” She chuckled. “She went silent on me, so I guess I should just enjoy it.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” He laughed.
“Hey,” she said before he could walk away. “You don’t by any chance know how to use a quarterstaff, do you?”
“I haven’t heard those words in a long time,” Damian said with a chuckle. “You are taking it way back old-school.”
“Yeah, but sometimes we have to fight old-school, so it’s important to be ready for that,” she told him.
“Ok, very true.” He scratched his chin, thinking. “Unfortunately I don’t know anything, but go online. I know there are a ton of videos on it.”
“Okay.” Katie looked at the computer on the table against the wall. “Thanks, I’ll do that.”
Katie wasn’t sure why she was listening to Pandora, especially after she had just dropped off, but she was intrigued.
She walked over and sat down at the computer and put on the headset. She googled Quarterstaffs and found several videos that explained how to fight with them. It didn’t look that much different then what she was already doing, and the simplicity of it drew her in.
No one had time for long drawn-out moves during a demon battle, so it needed to be a tactical fighting technique that would improve their kill rate while not putting them in more danger. The Quarterstaff seemed simple and useful, and put a distance between the demon and the wielder. She was pretty impressed.
Now all she had to do was physically maneuver the pole, but she knew that just because it looked easy didn’t mean it would be.
For the next two days, Katie spent most of her time researching the quarterstaff and practicing the moves in the training area. She didn’t have an actual staff, so she used a six-foot-long, one-inch diameter wooden dowel from Joshua’s workroom to practice with. She was starting to get the hang of it.
Damian would come and go, watching Katie and keeping his eyes and ears open for anything else sneaking up on him.
On that day he had something he had to do, and he wasn’t sure that it was going to be a pleasant experience. He left the sanctity of his chapel and took a deep breath, then made his way up the stairs to Korbin’s office. Their leader was working on the construction designs for the company’s building next door.
Damian stood in the doorway and waited until Korbin noticed he was there. He knew his news would put Korbin on high alert, and he hated to do that. The man had enough on his plate as it was.
Korbin finally glanced up. “Oh, I’m sorry. How long have you been standing there?”
Damian chuckled. “Not long. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“What’s up
?” Korbin asked, motioning to the chair.
“I’ll stand.” He smiled. “I just wanted to let you know that I have to meet with a priest of my order in town, so I might be unreachable for a bit.”
“Okay,” Korbin said. “Is it something that I should be worried about? Should I put together some back up just in case you need it, or do you need me to be there with you?”
Damian thought about the situation, but figured it would be safer and more efficient if he just went on his own and took care of whatever the problem was. He shook his head. Korbin looked at him for a moment as if he were studying his soul.
“No,” Damian said. “I got this one.”
“All right,” he said, waving him off. “Do what you need to do. If you happen to need us for something, please don’t hesitate to pick up your phone and call or text us. We are so close that we could be there in a matter of minutes.”
Damian smiled. “I appreciate that. I think I should be more than okay this time, but I will keep my phone close just in case I need anyone’s help.”
“Good.” Korbin sighed. “In the meantime, I’m just going to burn down the place next door so I don’t have to design anything else for it.”
“Please don’t.” Damian laughed.
“I’ll do my best to practice restraint.” Korbin chuckled. “Go ahead and get out of here. I don’t want you guys to be out there in the middle of the night if you don’t have to be.”
“Got it, boss.” He saluted him and left.
Katie yawned as she sat up on her bed and put her book down. She didn’t want to take another nap because then she would end up not sleeping that night, but she was exhausted from all the work she had been doing on the quarterstaff.
Pandora still hadn’t talked to her at all, and it made Katie a bit suspicious.
She stood up and went down to the main area, hoping that someone would do something to help her wake up. She walked through the living room, finding only Jeremy, who was asleep in the reclining chair.