Crossroads

by Alexie Aaron [Aaron, Alexie]

  “I’m worried that Brian is too mean with his words.”

  “He’ll learn. I used to be called Miss Mouth by my peers,” Paula said. “I just told it as I saw it. I didn’t think my words could wound anyone. But I made a girl cry in my class, and my teacher took me aside. She didn’t scold me but asked me to be more aware of the people I was conversing with. She pointed out the tender hearts and the bullies. She said my words made me a bully. I so didn’t want to be a bully. Still, I will run off at the mouth from time to time. I’m a tiger inside and cannot completely change my stripes.”

  “Excuse me, Mia,” Nanny Berta said, stepping in the room. “Maeve is winding up for a good cry…”

  “That’s my cue. Feel free to take a shower and…”

  “Make myself at home,” Paula finished.

  “Just lock the door. There are too many males in this house who’ve not learned to knock,” Mia warned.

  Burt arrived with Paula’s suitcase. He hated to see her leave but knew that she would be safer at the Martins. Enos was fine company, but he had gotten used to having Paula there.

  John Ryan walked in. John had moved on from being Big Bear Lake’s sheriff to consulting with the FBI. He had special skills and connections that made him very valuable to several departments of law enforcement. He shook hands with all and when Mia arrived, accepted the kiss she gave him on the cheek.

  “So, when do I get to see those babies I’ve heard so much about?”

  “Stop in after the meeting.”

  “Tom’s bringing Whit. Are you going to behave yourself?” he asked Mia.

  “Probably not.”

  “Mia…”

  “Okay, but you keep him in line. I’m not going to hold Murphy or Ted back if he continues to insult me,” Mia warned. “Do you know how demoralizing it is to have to take his shit? I got more respect from ten legions of demons.”

  “He doesn’t know what you’ve done,” Ryan reminded her.

  “Does that matter? I think a bad example has been set at the top of the Federal chain.”

  “I hear you,” Ryan said. He bent down to look Mia in the eyes and said, “This will pass. Until it does, we have to tread carefully.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Ted felt for his wife, but he respected what advice Ryan was trying to give her.

  Ryan took her hand and squeezed it affectionately. “The object of today’s meeting is to free Paula and Noah from this horror. If we must take it on the chin, we’re going to do so. You’ve recently had to deal with more extreme personalities, and you survived. Treat Whit like he is every bit as dangerous.”

  Mia nodded.

  Paula walked in, dressed in PEEPs sweats, and had her long hair pulled up in a ponytail. Her face was pinched, but she managed to smile when she was introduced to John Ryan.

  “Incoming,” Jake warned. “Sheriff Braverman and Agent Martin.”

  “I’ll ring for Murphy. Cid’s not joining us today,” Enos said, walking out towards the bell.

  “I didn’t see him,” Ryan admitted. “How could I not see someone so big?”

  “He’s stealthy. Enos Ahlberg is an incredible warrior and a pretty damned fine investigator,” Mia said.

  “Ahlberg as in Victor Ahlberg?” Ryan asked.

  “One of his wards.”

  Ryan nodded and stored the information. PEEPs had upped their game in taking on a birdman trained by Victor. Did this mean Mia would be retiring her sword? He understood, but privately he prayed she did not.

  Mia busied herself with bringing coffees and snack cakes, never making eye contact with Whit. She sat down, turned her back to Whit, and engaged Paula in conversation.

  Ted was amused by this. He typed into the computer: five points Slytherin. Jake picked it up and ran a marquee line on the bottom of the screens.

  Burt brought the meeting to order. He gave a brief explanation of the material that Ted and Mia found, omitting the bank account Derek opened for his family. He also mentioned that, as of the night before, they had a fix on where the body of Macario Franco was.

  “His ghost was in the Glynn house,” Tom reported. “All night, he was opening and closing cupboards, drawers, and doors. He tuckered himself out by four-thirty.”

  “Let’s back up,” Ryan said. “Tell us about the fallout shelter in Simpsonville.”

  Mia told him all she knew. She stopped and asked if Murphy had anything else, but he said she had it covered.

  “Why leave two trackers?” Whit asked.

  “The first to establish location and the second for when they move the coffin again.”

  “Why didn’t you call us when you found Gaspar and his thugs?” Whit asked.

  “I thought we should go in with a well-thought-out plan. They were armed. I couldn’t sanction any PEEPs involvement with that much firepower around,” Mia said.

  “That’s not your call,” Whit said.

  “I think it is,” Mia said. “Also, I didn’t want the coffin disturbed until we know fully what we have there to deal with.”

  “I assume, a dead body.”

  “A powered-up dead body. I suspect he’s more than a ghost. He could be half-life. If he is, and we cremate him, he can possess anyone. He’ll be able to control the body and the mind. I have a CI working on getting information on the situation. We may be able to take its power away without confronting the spirit.”

  “Who’s your CI?”

  “C as in confidential, I as in…”

  “Honestly, you’re a pain in the ass,” Whit said.

  The scroll announced: three points given to Slytherin.

  Whit turned to Paula. “I understand an offer was made to you yesterday.”

  “Offer?”

  “Off the record…”

  “I, on the record, decline the invitation to be used as bait to bring the Francos in. I’m not guilty of anything more than being married to a man who made bad choices. I should not have to risk my and the life of my son to make a case for you. Ted has plenty of material evidence for you to be able to go after their assets.”

  “But none that points to individuals,” Whit said.

  “Be happy for what you have,” Paula said. “Leave us alone.”

  “I’m not going to be able to make a deal with the marshals unless you play ball, Mrs. Glynn.”

  “I can,” Ryan spoke up. “I think we’re losing the big picture here. We don’t need to catch them in the act. Take away the money, and they will move on.”

  “But we can’t guarantee the Glynns’ safety,” Whit stressed.

  “If we take out Macario Franco and free his cousin Gaspar from his bad influence, then I think Paula and Noah will be able to get out from under the U.S. Marshals’ jurisdiction,” Burt said.

  “We’ll protect Paula and Noah from Macario here. As long as they don’t leave the property, they will be safe,” Ted said confidently. “The only thing I worry about is his cousin and his small army. I’m depending on you guys to keep them from finding out where Paula is.”

  “I’ll do what I can from my end,” Whit said. “I don’t control the locals, so Tom will be responsible for his own crew.”

  “I have a chatty group,” Tom admitted. “To combat this, I’ve let it be known that Paula and Noah have been taken into custody by Homeland.”

  “It nearly happened,” Paula said, rubbing her arms. “Imagine blaming me and a five-year-old boy for attaching a bomb to the gas line.”

  “One positive is that access to the fallout shelter has been blocked. It has a new door on it, and it has been sealed off at the lot line,” Tom said. “My parents never knew it was there. I think the fence, for the most part, kept my mom’s nose on her side of the property line.”

  “I’m going to have to break it to Noah that he isn’t going to be able to go to summer school. He was looking forward to the craft time.”

  “Instead, he will have fields to run in, flowers and weed
s to pick, and friends to play with,” Mia reminded her.

  “Can we move on from this domestic bliss and to the matter at hand?” Whit asked, irritated.

  “I’d like to turn over the accounting information I’ve gleaned from the coded papers Derek left,” Ted said. “I’ve used the program we used to track Cynosura assets, and it has unearthed a lot of shell corporations. I’m not available to see this project through as I still have the Cynosura project to finish,” Ted said.

  Ryan nodded. “Whit, Ted has been doing all of this gratis. We have brought an international conspiracy for global domination to its knees. I’m sure that, with the right guidance, Ted will be able to train the people involved to do the same to the Francos.”

  “Then all that’s left is the ghost of Macario Franco to rest,” Whit said. “Can I put that into PEEPs’ hands?”

  “Yes,” Burt answered for the people in the room.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Udo stood next to Takemi on the crossroads, and even though they were the same class of demon, they were vastly different. Udo didn’t care for clothing. He wore whatever was at hand. He let his hair fall in dreads, and his dark skin emphasized his large demon eyes. He was quick and agile, as were many demons of his young five hundred years. He had worked his way up the ladder and intended to keep climbing. He had recently found his way into using the loopholes in old religions to tempt his prey.

  Mia arrived with Murphy at her side. Mia spoke in Dual Demon trying her best to be understood by both classes of demons. “Thank you for coming. It’s hard for me to travel these days.”

  “Roumain said you would pay well for information,” Udo said.

  Mia dug into her pocket and tossed a pouch to Udo. He opened the pouch and poured out the gemstones. “These are stolen.”

  “The best always are. We know it’s the stories that go along with them that increase their value,” Mia boasted.

  “I accept your currency,” Udo said, pouring the gems back into the pouch. “Ask your questions.”

  “What did Gaspar Franco offer you to bring his cousin back to the half-life?”

  “He is a ghost. He is dead.”

  “His anger controls his kin. He is no ghost. He is half-life,” Mia insisted.

  “How do you know?”

  “I have been introduced to Gleb.”

  Udo shivered. “Gleb was not my doing.”

  “Of course not, he pays in art.”

  Takemi watched Mia with interest. She wasn’t just strong in arm but strong in words.

  “Gaspar offered me the souls of his army.”

  “That’s impressive,” Mia said. She looked at Murphy and shook her head. “I can’t do better than that. You are almost as good a dealmaker as Takemi is.”

  “Almost?” Udo asked, confused.

  Takemi raised an eyebrow. What was Mia doing?

  “You are a beautiful creature and will continue to attract many, seducing them into deals, but Takemi will deliver the product. His experience is his greatest talent.”

  Udo looked at the crossroads demon. “I have delivered product.”

  “Not enough to make a name for yourself. I had to have help locating who gave Macario half-life. I should have known it already,” Mia said, stifling a yawn.

  “I’m up and coming. Udo will soon be a household name.”

  “Who do?” Mia asked.

  “Udo! If I am less, than why have you paid me so much?” he taunted.

  “What happens if you cease to be? What happens to all your half-lifers?” Mia asked.

  “They become dead, ghosts maybe, but ghosts with not much power.”

  “Ah.”

  “Before you take out your sword, I should remind you that demons don’t die.”

  “Aosoth died.”

  “She was fallen, not a demon. Demons can only be killed by other demons and fallen.”

  “And then what becomes of their wealth?”

  “It goes to their killer. Hell’s rules.”

  Takemi looked at Mia, finally understanding what she had set up. He pulled a knife and, with one move, sliced Udo’s head off. It rained gold around him.

  “How can this be?” Murphy asked. “Demons are honorable.”

  “Udo was standing on Takemi’s crossroads making a deal. He wasn’t honorable,” Mia sniffed.

  Takemi waded through the gold and picked up the pouch and tossed it to Mia. “I will release the half-life Macario. He is protected no longer.”

  “Thank you, Takemi.”

  “May I ask why you have chosen me to have Udo’s wealth? Surely there are others more deserving.”

  “Nonsense. It was you who stood at my side and protected me as a young child while I screamed. You protected me when the Countess wanted to possess me. I stood on your crossroads, and no one dead dared venture to take me from that spot. For this, I owe you.”

  “I had forgotten,” Takemi lied.

  “I didn’t. Although, I didn’t recognize you until I saw your eyes.”

  “The eyes are the windows of the soul and the soulless,” Takemi said. He waved his hand, and the ground opened, and the wealth of Udo was now Takemi’s.

  Mia bowed in reverence before she walked away.

  Murphy was gobsmacked.

  Mia looked at him and spoke in English. “Now is the time to go for Macario. Time to wear him out and then extinguish his flame.”

  ~

  Gaspar felt different. He got up and walked out into the open ruins of the factory to breathe the fresh air. His team was restless, so he sent them into the city to enjoy themselves. Macario was spending most of his time at the house waiting for the Glynn woman to arrive.

  “She has to come for her things. When she does, I will be there and kill her,” Macario warned.

  “I think she was taken away when the Feds found the bomb.”

  “And who was at fault with that?” Macario spat.

  Gaspar wanted to tell Macario to shove off. Gaspar awoke this morning and felt like packing this operation up and leaving Macario on his own. His loyalty to the entity was gone. It wasn’t his fault that Macario put too much of the business in Demetrio’s hands or that the accountant wasn’t adequately protected and the Feds nabbed him.

  “Rest up and return. You may get lucky,” Gaspar said.

  Gaspar walked over to his SUV and looked at his reflection. He looked like crap. He felt itchy. He pulled his neck down to examine the tattoo the priest put there, and it was gone. He pulled off his shirt, and all his other tattoos were there. Just the one Macario insisted he and his team get was missing.

  “It will bind us together. It is the Franco way,” the half-life ghost insisted.

  Macario was too strong to resist, and Gaspar and his thugs endured the pain of the tattooing process.

  Gaspar picked up his phone and called.

  “Hey boss,” Little Ray answered.

  “Freakiest thing happened.”

  “You live in a hole in the ground with a rotting corpse and something freaky happened,” Little Ray teased.

  “My Quimbanda tattoo is gone. Check for yours.”

  He listened to Little Ray talking to someone else. “Babe, hand me your compact. Fuck. Boss, it’s gone.”

  “Check in with the others.”

  “Will do.”

  “But after you finish…”

  Little Ray laughed. “You said to enjoy myself.”

  Gaspar hung up and turned around to see a curvy hot chick, dressed in low slung sweatpants and a cut-off shirt, standing behind him. Stunned at her proximity, he instinctively went for his gun, but it wasn’t there.

  The blonde smiled at him. “Sorry, I didn’t think that we could have an adequate conversation with that lump of metal between us.”

  “It’s a 9MM,” Gaspar said.

  Mia pointed to a smoldering mass on the broken cement of the floor and shook her head. “Not anymore.”
r />   Gaspar, determined not to be unnerved by this bitch, smiled. “I have other weapons,” he said, reaching out.

  He was yanked back so fast, part of his life flashed before him. He flew backwards and landed hard on his back.

  The woman walked over. “Stay down,” she warned.

  Icy cold hands burned his shoulders, and he couldn’t move if he wanted to. He looked for the source of his confinement, but there was no one around.

  “Let’s try this again. I’d like to have a conversation with you, Gaspar Franco. You may find what I have to say to be for your benefit. But if you persist, I’m just going to throw you to the Feds.”

  “I’m listening,” Gaspar said.

  “Let him up. I’m not here to demean the man,” Mia said to Murphy.

  Gaspar was hauled to his feet.

  “A ghost. A fucking ghost!” he blurted out. “I have a ghost too, lady.”

  “One with an axe?” Mia asked. She pointed to his side.

  Gaspar watched as a steely-eyed ghost with a wicked axe, cocked and ready to swing, stood within decapitation distance. Gaspar put his hands up in front of him. “I’m not going to hurt you, miss.”

  “Good, I can’t imagine the paperwork Agent Martin would have to fill out to explain finding your headless corpse.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want you to listen. Then you’ll decide your fate.”

  “Go on.”

  “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “What does…”

  CRACK!

  The axe landed a centimeter from the front of Gaspar’s foot. It took everything he had for him not to pee himself.

  “Let’s start again?”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Different. My Quimbanda tattoo is gone. My lieutenant’s is gone too.”

  “I expect they are all gone. Do you know why you had to have them done?”