The Evil Headmaster

by Dora Blume

  “So, they’re willing to help, but not enough to hurt an entire group of us. It’s got to be hard to betray your family, the group you’ve sworn loyalty to since birth. I can’t fathom how so many are working with demons. We’ve been raised to fight demons. I just don’t get how anyone of us could help them under any circumstances. There has to be something we’re missing,” Sloane said.

  “Yeah, but what? I don’t get it, either.” Jessie asked.

  “Let’s keep reading; maybe we’ll get some insight by learning more about the history.”

  “It’d be nice if Mike and Erik were here, right now. Maybe they could shed some insight into this. Mike knows more about the history than any of us.” Jessie settled back into her chair and sighed.

  “I wouldn’t mind Mike being here, right now.” Sloane crooked her mouth into a sly smile.

  “Yeah, but that’s for very different reasons.” Jess winked at Sloane.

  “True,” Sloane stared off into space.

  “Then, you wouldn’t get any work done.” Jessie raised a brow.

  “Whatever, we’d still get work done.” Sloane focused back on the page in front of her.

  “Sure, you would.” Jess rolled her eyes. She looked to Sloane, then focused back on her reading.

  Sloane flipped the book closed after skimming through the pages. “There’s quite the history of demons and spells here, but nothing on being able to hide their presence from us.”

  “Yeah, I’m not sure Shikari would necessarily have that information. We’ve only collected information based on what we’ve been able to learn over the centuries. What if Shikari didn’t know they could mask themselves from us? What if this is new information?”

  “That makes sense. If none of us have heard of this before, it could be that it hasn’t been written, yet. We should ask Bryant and Magnus. See if they’ve ever heard of that before.”

  “Wasn’t that what Erik was doing?” Jess asked.

  “That’s what he is supposed to be doing. I wonder what’s taking him so long. He said he’d meet us here when he was done.” Sloane ran her hand through her hair and set the book on the table next to her. “I’ll call Mike and ask what’s going on in Denver. Have him ask Bryant and Magnus while he’s there. Can you go find out what’s taking Erik so long?” Sloane grabbed her phone out of her pocket to call.

  “On it.” Jess rose and headed out of the room to find Erik.

  Sloane dialed Mike, “Hey, babe. How’s it going in Denver?”

  “Not great, we have two students missing here, too.” His voice was serious.

  “Oh, that’s not good. So, you won’t be back anytime soon.”

  “No, love. I won’t be back until we figure out what’s going on.”

  “Awe, are you sure you can’t come back sooner?”

  “Babe, you know how much I’d like to have my way with you, right now. But, I can’t.”

  “Okay, fine. So, we found out some info on the school. The headmaster is possessed, but not everyone there is, we’re trying to figure out how it would be possible for a demon to mask their possession from us, especially from an entire school. Only some of the students have been possessed, as far as we can tell. You got any ideas?” Sloane paused.

  “I can’t think of anything.”

  “Okay, can you ask Bryant and Magnus? Check into how that might be possible. We may have you check out some of the board members located in Denver. Since you won’t be coming back here.” She blew out a heavy breath.

  “Miss me that much, aye?” She could almost hear the sly smile over the phone.

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  “Love, you know this is important. I need to track down the missing kids here.” He paused. “These disappearances have to be connected. I will keep you informed on what’s happening.”

  “I know this is important.” She huffed. “I’ll see you, soon. Let me know what you find out from Magnus and Bryant. I miss you, Mike.”

  “Miss you too, love.” Sloane sighed and hit the end button. She stared at the phone in her lap. She wanted to join Mike in Denver but knew they had to do their job. Sloane left the study to find the others.

  Jess was sitting on the couch tucked under Erik’s arm. “Hey,” Sloane sat in the chair adjacent the couch. “I called Mike. There have been two other missing Shikari students taken since the last girl was found by her father. It looks like they will be stuck in Denver for a while. We should be keeping an eye on Mr. Hall to see if he has anything to do with the missing students.” Sloane rubbed the leather stitching of the chair as she spoke.

  “Yeah, I agree we should be watching Mr. Hall,” Jessie said as she stroked the hair on Erik’s arm absentmindedly.

  “I don’t know. Mr. Hall has an entire school of students he could have possessed. Why would he worry about students in Denver? He has a whole school of them right here.” Erik said.

  “That’s a good question. Why were these specific students targeted?” Sloane inquired, moving her hand to her chin, stroking it thinking.

  “The only reason I can think of for why students would be targeted is to cripple the next generation of Shikari. If they possess the next generation, they can’t hunt them.” Erik said.

  “That’s true, but there could be another reason. Do you remember reading what power the first missing girl had? Maybe they are targeting these students for their special abilities.” Sloane suggested.

  “Oh, that could be. I know my power would be coveted, and I’ve been asked to join other divisions when they find out what I can do.” Jess sat up.

  “Yeah, you and Bryant went looking for me for my ability. We need to find out what the missing students could do.”

  “Definitely. I’ll go grab the file on the missing girl.” Erik stood and ran up the stairs. He returned with a file in his hand. He handed it to Jess and sat back on the couch. “Here, you haven’t seen this, yet.”

  She spread the file in their laps. Sloane watched as Erik and Jess shuffled through the papers. “Look for the transcript of the interview. Maybe she talks about her ability.”

  Erik pulled out a sheet and handed it to Sloane. “Here, you look through this one. We’ll look for any notes anywhere else.”

  Sloane read the interview, but it only talked about where she was taken and the description of the guy who took her. Nothing about her or any speculative reason for taking her. They probably assumed it was because she was Shikari and didn’t think too far beyond that. It’s what demons do, why question it further. “There’s nothing about it here. If she does have a special ability, maybe her father wouldn’t want it to be public knowledge.” Sloane handed back the paper and Erik tucked it in the folder.

  “So, who would know what her power was?”

  “Her father, maybe Magnus would know. I’ll call Mike. Maybe since he’s a tracker, he can find out if the others don’t know.” Sloane pulled out her phone and hit send. “Hey, Mike do you know what power the girl who was kidnapped had?” She waited, listening.

  “No, why?”

  “Could you ask Magnus? We think the students may be targeted for their abilities. It would help prove our theory if she had a special ability.” She waited.

  “That makes sense. I’ll find out about all the missing students. You may be on to something.”

  “Will you call me back when you find out?” She asked.

  “You’ll be the first call I make, love.”

  “Thanks, I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.” Sloane was all business.

  “So, did he know about the girl?” Jessie asked.

  “No, but he’s going to ask Magnus, or find out himself. He agrees that it makes sense. So far, we don’t know why these specific students are being targeted.”

  “I’m going to go find Caroline and let her know what’s going on. See if she got any information about the board members.” Jessie got up and strode toward Caroline’s room.

  “We should probably go back to the school and follow Mr. Hall. See wh
at we can find about him, and the students that have been possessed on campus. It would be good to know if they are being targeted for their ability. We also need to figure out what their ultimate goal is. If they are targeting students for their abilities, what powers do they need and why?”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’m going to run and grab my duffle upstairs. Can you be ready to go in say, ten minutes?”

  Chapter 10

  “You ready?” Erik asked, lounging back against the counter.

  “Yeah, where’s Jessie?” Sloane asked.

  “She’s with Caroline. She’ll be up in a minute.”

  Jessie reached the landing and stepped next to Erik. “We ready?”

  “Yep, just waiting on you.” Erik bent to pick up his bag.

  They walked to the car, and Sloane threw her bag in the backseat. Erik sat in the driver's seat, and Jessie sat in the passenger seat. Erik reached his hand over to take Jessie’s. He wanted to use his senses to see what she was thinking. She’d been quiet after talking to Caroline, and he wasn’t sure why. Caroline had a habit of answering to people’s thoughts. He wasn’t sure if that was the case with Jessie. He moved his thumb to stroke her knuckles and looked over to meet her eyes. He smiled at her, and she returned his smile for a brief moment before staring ahead again. She kept biting her bottom lip. Erik knew she was anxious about something. He wished she would tell him what it was so they could work it out together.

  “Everything okay Jess?” he asked in a whisper.

  “Yeah, everything’s fine.” She looked back out the window.

  “O….kay,” Erik said and focused back on the road. Jessie looked over to Erik and back out the window. She kept fidgeting in her seat as he drove. Erik pulled alongside the school and parked.

  “Are you going to listen from here?” Sloane asked.

  “It seems like the best plan. We don’t want them to know we’re here.” Erik’s sarcastic tone was biting. He didn’t mean it, but it was bothering him that Jess wasn’t telling him what was bothering her.

  “Jeez, what’s your deal? I was just asking.” Sloane sat back in her seat and huffed out a breath.

  “Nothing. Sorry.” Erik said. Jessie looked over at him and narrowed her eyes. He shook his head and looked out the window. They sat waiting.

  “So, you got anything, because this is killing me? It’s not fun when only you, get to know what’s going on.” Sloane pouted in a whiny tone.

  “Not really, I can’t hear Mr. Hall, right now. There’s not much happening. It must be a break or something.” Erik said.

  “Can I go in there, please?” Sloane begged.

  “No, Sloane, we can’t just go into a school with kids, guns blazing. I know that’s your style, but you need to chill out. We need to get information.”

  “You and your damn information. Don’t you ever just want to act? I can’t just sit here.”

  “Why did you even come with? We have to just sit here. We’re on the side of a mountain. Where else are you going to go?” Erik glanced around the car. There weren’t many places to go. The only thing here was the school.

  “Whatever, I’m going for a walk.” Sloane grabbed the door handle.

  “What? No.” Erik turned in his seat.

  “Oh, don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m just going to walk along the road. I won’t go near the school, I promise.” Sloane opened the door before Erik could protest. She closed the door and lifted the back of her shirt, showing Erik the gun, before she began her trek up the road.

  “What do you think her deal is?” Erik asked.

  “Sloane’s never been very good at sitting still. You should know that better than anyone.”

  “Now that we’re alone, are you going to tell me what’s bothering you? I noticed your agitation after you talked with Caroline. What’s going on Jess?” He studied her. She was gripping on hand with the other. She bit her lip.

  “It’s not my place to share,” Jessie said.

  “What does that mean? It’s me, Jess. You can trust me.” He narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t believe she would keep something from him.

  “I guess. Caroline hasn’t been able to reach her daughter, today. It’s probably nothing, but I have a bad feeling. Something’s going to happen, something bad. I can feel it.” Jessie continued to grip her hands in her lap. She was chewing her lip,

  “Isn’t it Sloane’s power to see the future. You don’t have that power, Jess. How do you know something bad is going to happen?”

  “I don’t know.” She glanced down to her hands. “It’s just a feeling I have like something’s coming, and we’re not going to see it coming.” She continued to chew he lip.

  “Jess, that’s ridiculous. We’ll figure it out. We always do. It’s what we’ve always done.” Erik glanced out the window. Looking toward the school, he noticed a student heading in the direction Sloane walked. He sat up in his seat.

  “We don’t always figure it out, and lately we have no fucking clue what’s going on. So, why do you think we’ll figure it out. We’ve been playing catch-up a lot lately, and I don’t like it.” She glanced out the window. A shiver ran down her spine.

  “Are you cold?” Erik asked.

  “No, like I said. I have a bad feeling, Erik. A really bad feeling.” She rubbed her hands on her pants and clenched her hands into fists. “Will you please listen in on the school? We need to know what the hell is going on.”

  ✭✭✭

  Sloane wrapped her arms around herself. She didn’t think it was cold, but suddenly she felt a chill go down her spine. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she fished it out.

  “Hey babe, what did you find out?” She answered after seeing Mike’s name.

  “It’s not good, Sloane. The girl, she can manipulate others thoughts. She can put a thought in your head and make you think it was your thought. That’s a dangerous power for the demons to have. They also got another boy. He’s a tracker. Put the two together, and you’ve got a volatile pair. You’re right about looking for specific skills.”

  “Okay, have you learned anything actionable? We’re at the school trying to get intel, but it’s so boring here. I need something to do.”

  “Babe, where are you right now?” Mike asked.

  “Walking outside the school. Why?” She continued to kick at the gravel on the road.

  “You need to get back with Erik, right now. They were able to get the girl because she separated from her friends. They are looking for us when we’re vulnerable, and if they are at the school, they know you’re outside.” Mike’s voice sounded panicked.

  “Wait, what? How would they know?” Sloane stopped walking and glanced around her.

  “I got info on Mr. Hall. He can sense the powers of others. He knew Caroline was investigating when she walked in the school. He also knew she could read his thoughts before she even walked in. He probably knows you can see the future, too. Sloane, love, please go back to Erik. Stick together, I beg you.” The sincerity in his voice made Sloane turn around.

  “Okay, I’ll go back.” She wasn’t afraid of any of these demons, but if Mike was that worried, she figured she could turn around for him.

  “Let me know when you’re back with them.”

  “Uh, okay. Mike, what aren’t you telling me? You’re way too worried.”

  “Sloane, you’d be a huge get for them. You need to protect yourself. They’re looking for powers.” Sloane caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye.

  “Hold on; I think I see someone.”

  “Babe, no, go back to Erik. I know you. Don’t take anyone on, alone. Please, just get back to the car.”

  “Ye of little faith. I’ll be fine. I was bored anyway.” Sloane turned toward the school, but whatever she saw was gone.

  “Don’t worry so much, babe. Whoever it was is gone now.” Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck prickled. She knew there was a demon. Reaching for the gun in her waistband, she whirled around, but something h
it her head. She dropped the phone, and everything went black.

  ✭✭✭

  “What do you think’s taking Sloane so long?” Erik shifted in his seat. He wouldn’t mind going for a walk right now.

  “She’s probably scouting the entire school. Planning entry points for later. Making some kind of plan to infiltrate the school. You know, Sloane stuff.” Jess smirked.

  “Sloane doesn’t plan. She just runs in, guns blazing.”

  “That’s such a weird saying, guns blazing. I mean do guns blaze? Really? No, so why do people say it like that?” Jess rubs her forearm with her hand.

  “Are you cold? I have an extra jacket in the back. I’ll grab it if you need it.”

  “No, I’m fine.” She rubbed at the goosebumps again.

  The shrill of Erik’s phone filled the car. He hit the button. “Hey, Mike, What’s up?”

  “Sloane, we were talking, and she disappeared. I could hear a gruff male voice in the background; then her phone went dead. I tried calling back but got voicemail. Erik, find her. She’s in trouble. I’m running to my car; I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  ‘What? She just went for a walk.” Erik glanced up the road in the direction Sloane had walked.

  “No, Erik. Are you listening? Go find her, now.” His voice was commanding.

  “Okay, okay. I’m going.” He hung up.

  “Mike says something happened to Sloane. We better go to her. I’m sure she’s fine, but Mike sounded worried.” Jess had the door open and flew out of the car before Erik finished. “Jeez, it’s Sloane. I’m sure she’s fine. She’d kick anyone’s ass who even tried anything.”

  Jessie took off at a dead run up the hill. Erik shook his head but followed. She didn’t stop at the top. She ran another quarter- mile before she finally stopped. She bent to pick up something black from the ground.

  When Erik reached her, he asked, “What’s that?”

  Jessie held it up. “Sloane’s phone. Still think she’s fine, Erik?”