Crossroads

by Alexie Aaron [Aaron, Alexie]

  “To show our loyalty to Macario.”

  “Nope.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Your half-life cousin made a deal with a demon. In exchange for his half-life, he sold your and your army’s souls to Udo. It’s how he controls you. You’ve been killing yourself playing these awful games with the Glynns not out of loyalty or guilt. Macario has been controlling you. I took the control away.”

  “How?”

  “Yours wasn’t going to be the first head to roll…”

  “Holy Mary. What are you?”

  “I’m your best friend right now. In a few minutes, the Feds are going to receive a package containing Demetrio’s little insurance policy. The plan was then to give them your location, but Murph and I got to thinking that maybe you didn’t have to go down with the ship. You may have to hightail it to a country without extradition, but no sense in repeating the cycle of putting a Franco in jail only to have another rival family kill you and then have to deal with all this shit all over again.”

  “Why would you do this for me?”

  “Because, oddly enough, I think I can trust you. I can trust you to make sure your family is finished with this sick game you’re playing with these innocents. But Murphy, on the other hand, thinks it’s just better to kill you. You haven’t earned his trust.”

  “What can I do?” Gaspar said.

  “Soon, your cousin is going to come back here and recharge. I want you to act like everything is normal. Except maybe the coffin is up here, sitting on those pallets. And maybe when he enters the coffin, we’re going to have a little fire. He’s going to think you’re going to set him free of his putrid remains.”

  “But the priest warned me that burning him would only make him stronger.”

  “Trust me, that contingency is no longer available.”

  “What if I fail and he senses the trap?”

  “Failing is not an option for you. You die. For us, we’ll just have to chase him around until he has no other choice. I’m just trying to reduce the amount of paperwork. Do we understand each other?” Mia stressed.

  “Time to move the coffin,” Murphy said.

  “Gaspar will move the coffin.”

  The Brazilian smiled. “You knew it was boobytrapped.”

  “I know a lot of things. It’s almost as if I can read your mind. Bring up the coffin.”

  ~

  Ted looked at the text Mia sent. He opened the all-com. “PEEPs, it’s ghost-hunting time. Remember, the object is to tire the ghost out. Make it painful.”

  Burt, Cid, and Enos smiled and entered the Glynn house.

  Macario heard the door open. He watched as a man dressed in black walked backwards, talking about techniques in ghost hunting. Behind him was a cameraman, and behind him was a tall muscular young man - presumably the muscle? Macario watched them for a while and didn’t really see them as a threat.

  Burt, according the infrared, the ghost has been following you. You have his interest,” Ted said.

  Burt reached in his pocket. “I sense a spirit near. I’m placing a box down with a blinking light on it. I can’t hear you, but maybe it will pick up your voice. How can we help you?”

  “GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS HOUSE! BRING ME THE WOMAN! BRING ME THE BOY!” Macario screamed.

  Ted yanked off his headset.

  Cid groaned in pain but held on to the camera.

  “I guess we don’t need the recorder,” Enos said.

  Burt shook off the ringing in his ears. “I’m Burt Hicks from the Paranormal Entity Exposure Partners. We’re here to help you.”

  Macario Franco manifested and stared down the ghost hunters.

  “I’m not seeing any Quimbanda tattoos,” Ted said. “Make sure he doesn’t get a look at his reflection.”

  “Who are you?” Burt asked.

  “Macario Franco, and I’m going to kill each of you slowly unless you bring the woman and the boy here.”

  “What woman? What boy?” Burt asked, playing dumb.

  “Demetrio’s whore and his bastard son.”

  “I’m sorry, who?” Burt said through his teeth.

  “Calm down, big boy,” Ted said. “They are only words meant to intimidate you.”

  Macario waved his hand, and a framed photo of Paula and Noah flew off the table and headed towards Burt’s head.

  Enos intercepted it and handed it to Burt. He then pointed from his eyes to Macario and bared his teeth.

  “Yikes? Who knew that brilliant smile could make me pee a little,” Ted said.

  “They’re gone. Long gone,” Burt answered.

  “YOU LIE!” Macario screamed.

  All the doors opened and slammed shut. The kitchen sounded like a tornado was going through it. Furniture started lifting off the floor and slamming back down.

  “Here you have an example of simple ghost tricks,” Burt said into the camera. “The duration of the chaos depends on the strength of the ghost. Enos, toss a salt star at our irritating guest.”

  Enos fired one, hitting Macario in the throat. The chaos stopped, and the ghost withered.

  “Salt is a simple solution for simple ghosts,” Burt said to the camera. “Notice he is losing the ability to manifest. Also, there seems to be a little pain involved. Enos, squirt the spirit with a little holy water.”

  Enos obliged.

  Macario lost manifestation, but he still had enough power to pop all the lightbulbs. It rained glass.

  Burt picked a few pieces out of his arm and said calmly, “Enos, finish him.”

  Enos pulled out a rusted iron bar and took aim at the distortion in front of them and swung through.

  The pain was too much for him to hold on. Macario felt the pull of his body and allowed the ether to return him to Simpsonville. When he arrived, he found his cousin aboveground, standing next to his coffin.

  “What is going on?” Macario managed.

  “I sensed you needed power, cousin. It’s time for your next incarnation.”

  “I will need a vessel. Where are the men?”

  “They are following the woman and the child. Homeland has them. Stupid us. Did we think that attempting to blow up a gas line wouldn’t attract attention?”

  “I need a vessel once my remains are gone.”

  “Use me. We are family.”

  “You are a horrible judge of accountants, but you are loyal. You will be rewarded for this,” Macario promised.

  “Enter the coffin.”

  Macario did.

  Mia encircled the pile of wood holding the coffin up with salt. She did it twice.

  Macario sensed something was up. He lifted his head out of the coffin and saw Gaspar standing next to a blonde woman. She was holding… THE BRIEFCASE! Macario flew upwards and was smacked down by something he couldn’t see. He tried to move away from the coffin, but an invisible force kept him from getting to the woman.

  “Dear cousin, this woman has something you lost,” Gaspar said. He took the briefcase from Mia and tossed it to the manifested ghost.

  The moment it made contact, Mia filled it with fire.

  Macario opened the case and flames shot out. He dropped it even though he could not be burned by fire. He laughed. “Fools, I am immortal! I bear the markings of Quimbanda!”

  “About that…” Mia walked over, wrenched the mirror off Gaspar’s SUV, and tossed it to the ghost. It landed on top of the coffin.

  Gaspar started to walk around, starting the wood of the pyre on fire.

  Macario looked in the mirror. Aside from the puffiness that death brought, his face was clear. He looked at the woman, and she hunched her shoulders.

  “No tattoos equal no power. No power equals no immortality.”

  “YOU BITCH!” Macario shouted. “Gaspar, stop the fire!”

  “Sorry, cousin. I just don’t feel like it.”

  “I COMMAND YOU TO STOP THE FIRE AND GET ME OUT OF HERE!”


  “No tattoos equal no power over your kin,” Mia said. “Also, as your body burns, I pretty much remember a great deal of pain is involved. But I could be wrong? What do you think, Murphy?”

  An axe-wielding ghost stood next to the woman and scratched his head. “Dunno?”

  Macario ripped the top off his coffin and pulled the gooey mess of flesh and bone out.

  “Oh barf,” Mia said, gagging. “I forgot how bad decomposition is.”

  “I’ve had to live with that smell for four years!” Gaspar said. “The smell sticks to you.”

  “Did you try Axe bodywash? I think that’s what Murphy uses,” Mia lied.

  Macario tossed his body, hoping to clear the fire, but the salt kept it in. It broke where the bones were weakest, and it landed head down with the backside of the drug dealer facing Mia and Gaspar. The heat of the fire caused the remains to shrink and shudder.

  “I think that’s called twerking,” Mia said. “But I could be wrong. Murph?”

  “Bad Mia.”

  Gaspar tossed the magnesium flares into the fire where the body parts still roasted. He knew, without Mia telling him, that it was imperative for the remains to be ash. Mushy bones were hard to burn. He walked over to the SUV and pulled open a box, but before he could pull out any plastic explosives, Murphy was there. He slammed the box down with his axe. “You’ll kill us and break the salt line. Be patient.”

  Gaspar raised his hands and walked back over to where Mia was keeping an eye on things.

  When all the wood was gone and the metal melted from the coffin, Mia broke the salt line.

  Macario rushed out. He grabbed for Mia, but he had no power to connect with her flesh.

  “What happens now? Does the bastard just go free?” Gaspar asked.

  “Oh no. The crossroads demon has released his hellhounds. Maybe you’d better go now,” Mia suggested.

  “That wouldn’t be a gentlemanly thing to do. I will see this through.”

  “You see, when you make a deal with a demon - no matter if he reneges on the deal - he will extract payment. In this case, you made the deal with Udo through the priest. Gold was exchanged, but also Macario’s eternal soul was pledged. When Udo died, his contracts became Takemi’s. Takemi has the best closing rate of all the crossroads demons.”

  “Mia, I can hear them coming,” Murphy said.

  Mia nodded. “Go, I’ve got this.”

  Murphy disappeared.

  “Sometimes the dogs take any other loitering spirits down with them. It’s kind of like a bonus.”

  Macario backed away from Mia and Gaspar. His eyes were filled with terror.

  “It almost looks like he knows what’s waiting for him in Hell,” Mia said. “But I assure you, it’s worse. Lucifer doesn’t take kindly to beings who threaten women and children.”

  “Save me! I beg you!” Macario pleaded.

  The dogs arrived. Gaspar could not see them, but Mia and Macario could. Mia put a protective hand on Gaspar’s arm.

  The dogs circled Macario, and when he made a break for it, they brought him down hard. The ground opened, and the dogs waited.

  “What’s going on?” Gaspar asked.

  “The dogs are waiting. One has Macario in his jaws. Ah, I see the problem.” Mia walked to the steaming pile of ash and poked around. A charred skull rolled out. “Sorry, my bad.” Mia kicked it over to a dog, and it pounced on it as if it were a squeaky toy. The hellhound carried it joyfully in his mouth and jumped into the hole, followed by the hound carrying what was left of Macario’s spirit.

  Mia’s phone vibrated. She pulled it out and looked at the message. “I’ve got to get going. Supper is waiting. Ugh, barbecue,” Mia said, shaking her head. “I suggest you beat feet out of here.”

  “You were serious about letting me go?”

  “Yup.”

  “I’m going to clean up and leave.”

  “If you blow up this place, do it soon. I don’t want any first responders to get hurt,” Mia said.

  Gaspar nodded. He turned to open his SUV, and when he turned back, the woman was gone.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Mia took the time to shower before she fed the girls. She kept sniffing her hair and washing, again and again, with a fragrant soap. “Serves me right for the comment about Murphy and Axe bodywash,” she scolded herself.

  On the side porch, Don and Cid had the barbecue up and cooking. Mia, who was sitting on one of the padded loungers, didn’t think she could eat a bite of food until Susan walked out carrying a large casserole of baked beans. Susan looked over at the delight in Mia’s eyes and felt very rewarded.

  “We will be leaving in the morning,” Susan said. “Whit has moved out, and the house will once again be mine.”

  “It’s very hard to live in someone else’s home,” Mia commiserated. “My Neyer grandparents go out of their way to make us comfortable, but nothing beats your own bed, bath, and being able to walk around without someone asking if they can get you anything.”

  “How did it feel to go back to work?” Susan asked.

  “Good, but it was too soon. Working with Murphy and PEEPs is always fun, but I seem way too touchy these days.”

  “It’s the hormones. They will quiet soon. I like your Nanny Berta. I was determined not to like her, but she won me over with how she handles not only the little ones but my husband and your father too.”

  “Infants,” Mia said, shaking her head.

  Susan laughed. “You have a week until the christening. Is there anything I can help with?”

  “Just keep Tom on track. I think the last thing on his mind right now is being a godfather.”

  “He’ll settle down as soon as Whitney leaves. He’s a very competitive man when Whit is around. Whit still treats him like a subordinate.”

  “Whit’s an ass.”

  “I’ll stop by and see how Andrew is doing too. He is taking this being a godfather very seriously. He has camped out on the doorsteps of just about every priest, pastor, and rabbi in the county. He knows them all from the graveyard. He told Tom that, since he didn’t know what direction Maeve was going to go religion wise, he wanted to have all the bases covered.”

  Lazar walked over, pushing a baby buggy set up for twins.

  “Where did that come from?” Mia asked, getting up. She admired the Bugaboo Donkey 2 Twin. It was covered in classic gray and very expensive.

  “Quentin sent it. He calls it a pram,” Lazar said. “It even has a bug net. I thought the girls would be more comfortable here.”

  As if on cue, Nanny arrived with Charles in tow. They put the girls in the pram so they could see each other.

  “My, how things have changed over the years,” Nanny said, admiring the stroller.

  “I just tossed a blanket on the ground when Mia was a baby. She turned out fine,” Charles said. He bent down and kissed his daughter. “Your mother would have loved these little girls.”

  “No, she wouldn’t, but thanks anyway,” Mia said.

  “Are you kidding? A sociologist being able to observe twins? She would have a typewriter attached to the stroller and be taking notes all day long.”

  “If you say so, Dad.”

  Charles looked at Mia. He and Amanda had really hurt their child. He was happy that Mia had a forgiving nature, and he was determined to build some kind of connection between the two of them.

  “Thanks for all the attention you’ve given Varden,” Mia said. “I’m not worried anymore about him feeling left out.”

  “My pleasure. I find him a sturdy little guy who isn’t worried about getting his hands dirty. You should have seen him at Ed’s house. He was in his element. He followed Cid around like a baby duck. Everything Cid did, Varden wanted to do. When Cid was waving his arms, describing what he wanted done, Varden was waving his arms behind him. I think I caught Ed smiling watching the tyke.”

  “I think it was gas. Ed doesn’t smile.”

&
nbsp; Charles laughed.

  “Incoming. Cops and Feds. Mia, you may want to skedaddle,” Jake announced.

  “Honestly, I’m just too tired to run,” Mia said.

  Ted brought Mia over a lemonade and sat down at her feet after looking in on the babies. “How are you going to play this?” Ted asked.

  “Dumb.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yes. Where are Paula and Noah?” Mia asked.

  “Burt has taken them out to eat.”

  Mia lifted her eyebrows. “He’s smitten.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Burt’s pretty cheap. A meal out is a major investment in his eyes.”

  “So, he’s not just being nice.”

  “Nope, he’s smitten,” Mia said, getting to her feet. She walked over to the girls and placed a hand on each of them and sent calming thoughts before she walked down the steps and over to the two vehicles.

  Whit watched as Mia walked over. She looked relaxed. “We’re having a barbecue. Beer is in the tub under the serving table.”

  “I’m not here to socialize,” Whit said.

  “How about your associates?” Mia asked, looking at the three agents with him.

  “They’re on duty.”

  “Hello, I’m Mia Martin,” Mia said, extending her gloved hand to the closest agent.

  The tall black man was a bit taken aback by Mia’s hostess demeanor. He took Mia’s hand gently. “Agent Adams.”

  “Agent,” Mia said and turned to the female agent and offered her hand.

  The agent took it, looked Mia in the eyes, and said, “Agent Carol Prim.”

  “Agent.”

  The last agent stepped up and took Mia’s hand in both of his and shook it enthusiastically. He was an older man with intense blue eyes. “Agent Bobby Navarro. Pleased to meet you.”

  “Agent,” Mia said, appreciating the lighthearted manner.