by Kailin Gow
Asher picked up the cue ball, tossed it in the air, spun around and caught it behind his back. “Care to make a little wager on a game?”
“That could make it interesting. How much do you wanna bet?”
He tossed the ball in the air once more and deftly caught it. “Instead of cold hard cash, how ‘bout betting… I don’t know. How about something like, if I win you give me an hour long massage, and…”
“And if I win, you do my bidding all morning tomorrow.”
“Sweetie, I already do all your bidding, or haven’t you noticed?”
Laughing, I pulled a few quarters from my pocket and slammed them onto the table top. “Right. All right then. I’ll go for the massage as well.”
After feeding the machine with the quarters, Asher picked up the balls, and set them in a triangle on the table. “I’ll be a gentleman and let you break,” he offered.
“How very gallant of you, my kind, sir, but it may prove to be a move you’ll regret.” I carefully picked out a cue stick, rolled in on the table to ensure it was straight and sure then chalked it. Winking at Asher, I blew the excess chalk off the tip of the cue stick. He had no clue what was about to hit him.
With careful precision, I set the cue ball down just a tad off center, propped my fingers up to cradle the cue stick and leaned over as I prepared to take aim.
“I’m liking this game already,” Asher said, his eyes diving into the opening of my dress.
“I suggest you concentrate on the game, Asher. You’re about to get clobbered by a woman.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I pulled back on the cue stick and brought it to the white ball with resounding force. The triangle of colorful balls cracked wide open as the balls rolled off in every direction.
“Looks like I have the choice of highs or lows. Two and six went in, as did ten and thirteen. Hmmm,” I mused as I tapped my fingers along the edge of the cue stick. I scanned the table, analyzing the position of each ball and calculating the proper angle to get each one in. “Four in the corner.” I confidently pointed the cue stick to the purple ball and the far corner, leaned over and shot the ball in. Next I turned my attention to the yellow ball. “One to the side.” I took aim and sent the ball in.
“Beginner’s luck,” Asher said.
“You wish.” Looking across the length of the table, I pointed to the red ball at the far side. “Three right here.” I tapped the corner pocket beside me.
“Fancy move,” Asher said.
I sent the cue ball clear to the other side of the pool table where it made contact with the three ball which slowly but steadily came back to topple into the pocket beside me, while the white cue ball went on to push the five ball to the edge of the far corner pocket. “Nothing to it.”
Asher leaned his chin on his cue stick, suddenly aware he’d be taken. “I guess you’re going to go for the five.”
I glanced at the far orange ball and the dark red one. “Right. Five in the corner and seven to the side.
“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”
The balls went in as planned and then my aim was on the eight ball hidden behind the ball with the red band.
“Tricky shot,” Asher teased. “If you let me hit a few, I could get it out of your way.”
I tilted my head to the side to look at every angle of the planned shot and smiled. Leaning over my cue stick, I pulled my elbow up, tilting the tip low and gave a firm tap on the cue ball. It jumped over Asher’s untouched ball and hit the eight ball with professional precision and rolled gently into the corner pocket.
“And that’s how it’s done, my dear,” I said as I let the cue stick fall to the table.
“Nice. Double or nothing.”
“Why not?”
For the next few hours, we pumped quarters into the machine and played game after game. Finally, John and Hector emerged from the back office.
“Having fun?”
I shrugged and winked at Asher. “We’re just killing time. Are we ready to go?”
“Yes. We are, but we’re going to have company.”
Tilting my head to the side, I looked at Hector then back at John. “Really?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about having an added guest on the trip.
“Hector has been keeping low for a long time and he’s been itching to see some action.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve been on a hunt.”
“And he actually had a vision about this one.”
“Then it’s official,” I said. “We can’t deny him this hunt.”
Chapter 7
My head pillowed by Asher’s shoulder, I was lulled to sleep with the gentle purr of the car motor and the pleasant sensation of Asher’s arm that kept me warm. I only awoke when the sun pierced through the windshield and warmed my face.
“Where are we?” I said with a yawn as I pulled away from Asher and tried as best as I could to stretch in the cramped quarters of the car.
“Perfect timing.” John pointed to the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. “We’re just arriving.”
“Great. I’m starving. That greasy burger is long gone. When can we eat?”
“There’s a casino down on Fremont that has a great breakfast buffet.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Me, too,” Asher said, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
As they drove up The Strip, Asher and I pressed our faces to the car windows to look up at the strange and unusual buildings; a pyramid, a castle, the New York skyline. On one corner, two buildings, tiled with yellow and grey windows, seemed to tilt away from each other at odd angles. In the distance, the Trump building gleamed like a veritable bar of gold.
“The Flamingo,” John said, pointing to the flash of pink lights. “Such an iconic symbol of Vegas.”
“I remember hearing about the Dunes and the Sands,” Asher said. “Did we pass them yet?”
“No, and we’re not going to,” Hector said. “They were torn down a few years ago to make way for these mega resorts.”
“Too bad,” John said. “I really liked the feel of those old places.
“Well,” Hector went on, looking back at us. “They made quite a show of the whole implosion. Fireworks, a countdown. It was really spectacular.”
“Hey, when did we arrive in Paris?” Asher said as he spotted the Eiffel Tower. “Cool.”
“This is all so gorgeous,” I said, awed by the bright it all. “Look at all those statues. It really does feel like we’re in Europe.”
John, having just returned from Italy, laughed. “Not quite, but the idea is interesting.”
As we passed in front of the Venetian, I looked up at the tall bronze hotels that beckoned visitors.
“Do you think we have time to do a little shopping,” I found myself saying as we passed Fashion Show Mall. The large flying saucer like structure drew me to it.
John looked to Hector who nodded. “We might be able to arrange that. Let’s wait and see how the morning goes.”
While my gaze fell on the bright lights of the huge clown of Circus Circus, Asher pointed straight ahead.
“Did you see that?”
I leaned forward to see the Stratosphere rising up into the clear blue sky. And as we approached, I rolled down the window and stuck my head out to get a better look. Up high, I spotted a roller coaster gliding on barely visible rails. “Now that is insane.”
Asher, his head out his window, whistled. “Cool.” As the car rolled on, his head followed the very top of the tall structure. “Imagine bungee jumping from up there.”
“No thanks,” I said with a disenchanted wave of my hand.
We arrived at the intersection of Fremont street and John pulled the car into a multi-level parking garage and made his way to the second level which was completely vacant.
“This is so cool,” Asher said as he got out of the car and stretched his legs. “I’ve always wanted to see Vegas.”
“I think that’s the tenth time you’ve said ‘c
ool’.” I got out of the air conditioned car and was assailed by the morning heat. Without the breeze of the moving car to cool us, the heat was intense. “And yet, it’s so damned hot.”
“My favorite spot is this way,” Hector said, guiding them through the many people out selling their wares.
“How long you gonna be in town?” a young woman asked. “I can get you tickets. Any show. Just tell me what you like and I’ll hook you up.”
“No thanks,” John said.
“What hotel you staying at,” an older man asked only a few steps further. “Let me hook you up with the best tickets in town. You can get vouchers to any show. You gonna be in town tonight?”
We all just shook our heads and entered the casino. Hector led the way to the back of the casino where the delicious aromas of breakfast welcomed us.
“Wow,” Asher said, rubbing his belly with his hand. “I just realized how hungry I really am. I think I’m going to try a bit of everything.”
We loaded up our plates with eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, pancakes and toasts and found a vacant table.
“Coffee?” a waitress said as she quickly made her way to us.
“Sure,” John said.
We ate in silence and soon Asher rose to fill another plate, then John, then Hector.
“This isn’t the time to have a delicate appetite,” John told me, tapping the back of my hand with his fork. “You’re going to need all the energy you can get.”
Grinning, I stood and headed to the buffet table where I stacked up on pancakes and artificial maple syrup and returned to the table. “These things are delicious,” I said as I tore a bite off one.
When John finished his second plate, he looked pointedly at Hector who tossed his napkin onto his empty plate and stood.
“We’re going to take care of a few details,” John said. “You kids relax, fuel up, maybe even try your luck in a slot machine if you like.” He looked at his watch. “If you want to get in a bit of shopping, you have about an hour.”
I looked down at my mother’s white dress and felt the sudden urge to find something more suitable for the battle ahead.
“And if you haven’t yet satisfied your sweet tooth, Lux, you can try the dessert bar.”
“Dessert? For breakfast?” The notion was at once ridiculous, yet strangely appealing.
“Hey, this is Sin City,” Hector said. “You can have dessert, and all its intended euphemisms, any time of the day or night.”
They left the table and I kept a curious eye on them as they meandered through the casino and finally disappeared beyond the slot machines.
“Something’s going on,” I whispered.
“You think?” Asher said as he gobbled down fork loads of hash browns.
Looking at my empty plate, I considered Hector’s suggestion. Despite the pile of pancakes, my sweet tooth drew my gaze to the dessert bar and I found myself almost drooling over the thought of an éclair.
“Okay,” I said. “I’m going to go get a few éclairs for the road.”
“Yeah, right.” Asher smiled knowingly. He stood. “I’ll leave you to your decadent behavior and go try to find the men’s room.”
I found my way to the dessert table and contemplated the vast array of sweets laid out before me. Everything looked tempting, but I finally decided on a few easy to carry pastries and four oversized cookies. Back at the table I savored a delectable pastry and finished off the remainder of my fourth coffee. “You want energy?” I told an imaginary John. “I’ll give you energy.”
“You’re right,” Asher said, startling me as I pushed the last bite of my pastry into my mouth.
“For crying out loud, Asher. You can’t just come up behind a woman who’s savoring her pastry like that. You scared me half to death.” I clapped the crumbs off my hands and looked at him. “What am I right about this time?”
“Something’s going on.”
“What do you mean?”
“I saw Hector and John in the men’s room.”
“Last time I checked, that was pretty normal behavior.”
Asher shook his head. “They were filling bottles with water.”
“We are in the middle of the desert. We’re going to need water for the rest of the drive to Area 51. What’s so special about that?”
Again, he shook his head. “Hector was blessing the water.”
I stood to face Asher. “Holy water?”
Nodding, his eyes suddenly darkened. “This thing is a lot bigger than we thought.”
Stunned, I looked down and stared blindly at the remains of our breakfast. I knew we were going in for something major, but I never thought it could be this big.
“Lux, they had a cooler filled with holy water and they were starting to fill another.”
“This is really going to be big,” I whispered as I looked up at him. “Maybe we should stock up on holy water too.”
“Right, and where are we going to find holy water in Vegas?”
“This is the wedding capital of the world. There’s a wedding chapel on every corner. Surely we could find…”
Asher waved the idea away. “Don’t be ridiculous. We don’t have time for that. Besides, you’re angel marked, remember?”
“Right. And so that means…?”
“So… that means you have your own weapon to fight these demons.”
I looked at him, a little dumbfounded.
“You don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?”
“What being angel marked really means.”
I shrugged, unwilling to expose the extent of my ignorance regarding the subject. “Maybe.”
“Come on,” Asher said as he headed for the exit. “We’ll wait for them in the car.”
“What about a bit of shopping?” I insisted as I pulled on my mother’s white dress in protest.
“You look fine. In fact you look great… that blend of she-devil and puritan angel is perfect. Haven’t you noticed the way guys look at you when you pass by?”
I had. “I thought they were looking at how oddly dressed I am.”
“No. They’re looking at how hot you look. Believe me.” He grabbed my hand and led me back to the streets that were now already bustling with activity.
“Funny. I never thought of Vegas as a morning type of place. I’m surprised to see so many people up and about.”
“People are eager to try their luck at making a fortune.”
The searing heat had only intensified during our hour long food fest, and I suddenly felt exhausted and warn out. I let out a loud yawn.
“Tired?”
“More than I realized. I guess I didn’t really get much sleep last night.”
“You tossed and turned an awful lot.”
We reached John’s car and settled into the back seat.
“You scared about all this?” Asher said as he pulled me into his arms.
“I’m trying not to over think it.” And with those mumbled words, I fell asleep for what seemed too brief a time.
“What’s that?” I said when the car suddenly lurched. We both woke up and realized Hector and John had returned and they were packing the holy water into the trunk.
“And they got into fighting form, too,” Asher said as he looked back.
John had put on his smock while Hector now sported a clerical collar and robe.
“You guys are really taking this whole thing seriously, aren’t you?” I said when they got into the car. I didn’t know if I should be more alarmed by all their preparations or relieved to see they were taking it so seriously. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone wearing a cleric robe.”
“Hector’s been hearing about some unusual activity these days.”
“Things I haven’t heard of in a long time; strange rumblings, ominous rattlings and an unusually large number of missing persons. Las Vegas has a large homeless community and it’s gotten larger and larger over the years. People actually go out on the streets, the underground tunnels
and whatnot and take count. But when the numbers came out this year, the numbers had dropped by fifty percent. Half of the homeless community just disappeared. Even with the most optimistic outlook, it’s impossible to conceive so many people have found employment and a home.”
“And you think there’s a correlation between that and the portal at Area 51?” Asher said.
“I hope I’m wrong, but everything seems to indicate that the portal has been breached.”
“Either way,” John interjected, “we don’t want to take any chances. We want to face this thing with everything we’ve got.”
John started the car and slowly pulled out of the parking space and veered towards the ramp that led back down to the street.
Once again, he took Las Vegas Blvd and headed north. We passed the hordes of homeless people Hector had spoken of milling around the community center and I couldn’t help but look for telltale signs of demonic behavior. For the most part, everyone just seemed to peacefully go about their business, while two or three of them were a little more boisterous, but far from demonic.
Hopefully, Hector’s fears would prove unwarranted.
We continued onward until we passed the Nellis Air Force Base and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway then finally left the city altogether.
The miles stretched out in front of us; miles of rocky desert bordered by tall, jagged mountains that seemed to offer little in the way of wildlife.
“It almost seems like we’ve landed on another planet,” Asher said as he looked at the barren landscape.
“Not quite another planet,” John said as he turned onto a narrow dirt road. “But we are entering an old mining town.”
“Looks like a ghost town.” I looked at the old structures that seemed ready to collapse at the slightest touch.
Parked in front of various buildings was an array of old pick-up trucks, delivery trucks and some outdated cars. All were rusted, most had no wheels, and one of the trucks had a tree growing where the motor had once been.
“Charming place,” Asher said.
Various mining equipment lay scattered about behind the buildings. A rusted through blue tractor and an old yellow bulldozer were frozen in time, still poised to do the work they’d been built for.