The Serpent and the Light

by Bo Luellen

  Hyde’s eyes stopped burning, and he reverted back to his earlier form as he continued, “I apologize, my child. I hold onto my grudges. Now, if it gives you a consolation, I do my best to be a benefit to my Vessels. I only operate their bodies when they are asleep and generally attempt to be a good little Angel. With your former boss, I made sure his business stayed afloat, and he was happy. I exposed his wife as a cheater and made sure he had money for his daughter's college. For the most part, I slept, and to tell you the truth, it was a good nine years of cohabitation. Lewis was a good man, and I'm glad to say he sits in Heaven right now."

  Henry shot off the chair and sprang into the Demon's face, yelling, “No! You got him killed!”

  The Angel gave a belly laugh and repeated what he just said in a mocking tone. A flash of rage came over him, and before he knew it, his fist connected on Hyde’s jaw as his hand drew back a mangled mess of broken bone. Hyde's eyes turned a dark red, and an unearthly cackle came from deep within the belly of the monster. Jekyll's gripped his right wrist as the knuckles and fingers turned a pitch black where his fist had struck the Celestial. The pain intensified, while Hyde became enveloped by black smoke and a dark fog warmed around the room. The inky stain trailed up Henry’s arm, making the skin dark as pitch and rough like leather.

  A double pair of curved grey horns stuck out from the pitch-black cloud and was followed closely by the Demon's goat fur-covered magnificence. The monster’s salt and pepper wings whipped out from under the folds of his back and dissipated the rest of the smoke. Black talons stretched out from its fingers, and fanged teeth dripped saliva onto Henry’s forehead. Hyde stomped a cloven foot down onto the hardwood floor of the Library and burst through the wooden planks. Books and papers flew into the air as suction from the hole drew in everything around it. Beyond the floor, Henry saw the stars and the vast vacuum of outer space.

  He reached out and grabbed an oak pillar, and saw his right arm was now completely black. Maggots were feeding on the soft flesh between his fingers and taking chunks out of the muscle. The crack in the floor spread throughout the room, and the Angel lurched forward into Henry’s face. They were so close he could feel the hot breath and tasted the rotted meat of its last meal on his tongue. The living nightmare that was Hyde let its forked tongue slip out of its mouth and carefully drew a line across Henry’s chin. Henry hyperventilated as the floor gave way. He helplessly tumbled into open space, unable to scream. Feeling his lungs collapse from the vacuum and the cold penetrated into his flesh.

  A familiar strobe effect flashed in his eyes, and he found himself sitting in the high backed chair again, holding his tea with Hyde looking at him calmly. The Demon appeared just as he did when Henry first entered the Study. Henry glanced at his once black arm to find it back to a pink color. Out of breath, he turned his palm over when he felt something crawling on his skin. A single maggot wormed its way along his forearm and was quickly brushed off by the disgusted Henry.

  The Celestial took a sip of his fresh glass of Whiskey and offered calmly, "Please forgive my outburst, but I don’t take insults well. Do try to calm down. The human part of your being has a fragile mind. I would so hate to waste this opportunity simply because you were lost to madness. I need you fully aware of free will and able body for us to continue."

  Henry collected his thoughts, as Hyde continued, "I want to talk to you about what you said while you were hanging on that cross. You proclaimed that you wanted vengeance for what had happened to Juste. You bargained with me that you were willing to do anything to achieve that. That allowed for our merger to begin, but what I want to know is, are you ready to find out what that means?”

  The young man looked at him and managed to nod.

  The Angel plucked a cigar from an ornate silver ashtray and admitted, "I must confess Henry, you taught me something. While we were strung up and I waited on her to collect my soul. I realized Miniel is willing to go places forbidden to our kind to hunt me, and I must confess that I’ve grown weary of the chase. Both you and I have been running all our existence, letting the paths of others roll over us as we pat ourselves on our backs for maneuvering out of harm’s way. To achieve our freedom, we must complete our transformation and become something truly unique and powerful.”

  Henry spat back at him, "Become a Devil, you mean."

  Hyde shrugged dismissively and replied, "That is a human label meant to keep the sheep scared. Don’t buy into the opinions of prophets and wise men who walk blindly with their hands out, asking for your faith, money, and obedience. Humankind always has a choice as to what path they wish to walk. I made mine long ago for reasons I still hold sacred. You made one such choice when you entered into a pact with me, and now we are becoming one. When the merging is complete, neither of our consciousnesses will control the Vessel. We will become a blend of our two selves. The personality traits of each of us will melt into one being, and we will become a Nephilim, a creature that can magically affect both the mundane and the magical worlds. We will be able to walk both paths in a way that few creatures can.”

  Jekyll’s breathing was even again as he managed a, “I feel a ‘but’ coming on.”

  Hyde flicked some ashes off onto the floor and replied, “But, it will take training and understanding on both of our parts. We will be vulnerable at first, as we lay dormant in this comatose Vessel. Personally, it’s a great sacrifice as I will no longer have the ability to affect those that harbor evil in their souls with the Seven Deadly Sins. If we manage to unite, we will be able to cast Enochian spells in a mortal body. That blasphemy will shake the pillars of Heaven and stir the pits of Hell."

  Henry sat and listened as the musical voice of Hyde filled his ears. He heard the lust in his words, and Jekyll pondered the idea of living a life in which something could be done about the injustices that had been served to him. A new life where he could do something about the wrongs of the world and rail against the oppression he felt.

  The Angel leaned over and held out a cigar for Jekyll and offered, “The road will be difficult, but the rewards will make us something extraordinary.”

  A long moment went by as Henry thought, Everything that has happened since Halloween night only managed to bring pain and torment to people I care about. If I could right some wrongs, and make the wicked pay, then Lewis and Juste might rest easier.

  He took the cigar from Hyde and replied, “When do we start?”

  Chapter 18: John V

  Tahlequah, OK - Thursday, October 18th, 2018 – 5:32 p.m. CST

  Something startled him awake to find everything spinning and out of focus. John Utterson brought himself up to his hands and knees to the tune of an ominous low wail from a group of horns. He forced himself to look over towards the clearing to find the landscape had changed dramatically since he went unconscious. Through the haze of his vodka and pill-soaked mind, he vaguely made out the black-cloaked Brotherhood members as blobs carrying torchlight.

  He slowly stood up and leaned on a tree to center himself. With a clearer vision, he peered out from behind the leaves at the assembly of cultists. He did a count and came up with 52 armed and able-bodied Crimson Brotherhood followers. A large grouping of cars was parked along the clearing, with no way of knowing how many more were just out of eyeshot.

  Cussing, he grabbed his crutches and cell phone from the ground, then checked his service weapon. The painkillers were doing their job, but the alcohol was still making him misjudge his balance. The catnap on the ground had let the chill move into his bones and made his muscles stiff.

  He saw he had a message from Detective Michaels on his phone that read, “John, we got an anonymous tip about an hour before you messaged us. SWAT and the Oklahoma National Guard are already en route. Hold tight, we’re coming.”

  Utterson pursed his lips together in anger, The Calvary is on its way and some David ass anonymous tip is going to get the credit. I’m the one that did the work and figured it out. I’m not waiting for SWAT! Henry Jekyll is
my collar.

  He saw some headlights in the distance that moved into the clearing. It was a black Lexus, which was parked just a few yards from the stage. Four purple-robed cultists opened the rear door, and a massive octopus-masked person wearing a black robe stepped out. The sheer size of the cultist made John cuss quietly to himself and marvel at the unearthly way the figure glided along the ground.

  Looking towards the crucifixion stage, he saw Jekyll tied to a post. His heart quickened at the sight of his suspect. Henry Jekyll seemed to be passed out and hung by his arms without a stitch of clothing on. A fat man in white robes buzzed around Henry and chanted in a circle while throwing a white powder in the air.

  Utterson let out a determined, "Jekyll!"

  The thoughts of the dead police officers and his friend Terry lying on an operating table flashed into his mind. The rage inside of him sobered him up and cleared some of the cobwebs in his head. With his left hand, he adjusted his grip on the Glock and checked the magazine. He holstered his service weapon and positioned his crutches under his arms.

  He thought, It looks like Henry Jekyll has fallen out of favor with his friends in the Crimson Brotherhood. Well, don’t worry, Henry, you won’t be dying today. You’re going down by the book, and I’m going to be the one to do it!

  He worked his way along the tree line towards the back of the platform. Utterson was numbed to the dangers of his situation by the drugs and booze and had a hard time focusing on his surroundings. His ribs jabbed at him with each step, and his ankle screamed for relief.

  As he reached an angle that would give him the least obstructed approach to the stage, John’s mouth flew open as a nude man climbed up on top of a car and started to yell at the cultists. Utterson shook his head, thinking he might be seeing things, but the scene persisted. The dirty-looking intruder pounded a crooked staff on the top of one of the vehicles and ordered them out of the forest. The Brotherhood shifted away from the platform and gathered around the uninvited guest. He gripped his crutch tightly in his right hand and double-timed across the opening to his target, Henry Jekyll.

  As he made his plodding drive towards his suspect, a familiar collection of people were sprinting parallel towards his objective. Dr. Lanyon and David Keller were the first to launch upon the stage as a blonde-haired man slid to his knees and aimed a rifle at the cultist. A familiar three-legged dog attempted to bound up along with Amanda but seemed too injured. He stopped dead in his tracks and watched as she took the leader of the Crimson Brotherhood hostage. Keller kicked one of the purple guards in the stomach and tossed him off the side of the stage.

  As chaos broke out all around him, Utterson clapped his hands and shouted, “Charlie! Come here, boy!”

  The dog perked his ears up and looked through one eye at him. The animal’s right eye had been gouged out, and it seemed to have been severely beaten. Hopping along on three legs, the retired K-9 hurried over to him and looked up anxiously.

  Utterson commanded the dog to stay at his side and thought, We’re two old cops who didn’t know when to lay down and die.

  The pair made haste to Jekyll, as gunfire blasted from the fat man in white robes and robbed Lanyon of her hostage. He saw Amanda hit hard as the body of the leader fell on top of her.

  The Detective caught a glimpse of the dead man’s face, Juste Theriot! That idiot was the leader of the cultists and not Henry.

  Charlie paced him on his right as he threw away his crutch and grabbed for his pistol. He had just touched the wooden planks of the platform when an explosion of sound erupted from the surrounding trees. SWAT and police swarmed out from the woods and opened fire. Two dozen cops in riot gear acted as the vanguard for the assault and were greeted by dozens of cultists who returned fire. A single helicopter swooped in over the hill and lit up the night with a high powered spotlight. The advancing police froze for a moment as half of the stage turned into a fireball. John backed away from the hot flames and searched for another way to get to Henry Jekyll.

  He watched as several cops went down and thought, Damn! These maniacs are too fortified!

  As he closed in on the part of the stage that wasn’t on fire, he saw the professor loosening the bonds of Jekyll. Everyone in the cult was dealing with the oncoming police and didn’t take notice of Amanda. Before he could attempt to get her attention, a claymore exploded inside the woods and threw two members of SWAT high into the air. The scene became a battlefield, and the casualties were mounting on both sides.

  He looked back over to find Lanyon had managed to untie Jekyll and was dragging the slumped-over man off the platform. She hauled the suspect's dead weight, as bullets whizzed past them and blasted woodchucks into the air. The night was on fire with muzzle flashes and the sounds of small arms fire, while he maneuvered over towards her.

  Amanda saw him and yelled, “John! Where the hell did you come from? Never mind, help me!”

  Together the two pulled Jekyll off the burning structure and onto the cold ground. They were on the opposite side of the gunfight and were partially sheltered from the bullets. John pulled out his handcuffs and put one end on Jekyll, then other to his own wrist. With Charlie walking at his side, he and Lanyon each grabbed a wrist and dragged Henry towards the cover of the trees. Utterson’s broken ankle made him almost useless, and Dr. Lanyon was doing most of the work.

  Keller appeared beside him, sporting a cut over his right eye and yelled, “I’m never answering your brother's phone calls again!”

  Amanda pointed at the blonde man as they passed him, “We need to get everyone to cover! Help Utterson!”

  The blonde man left his position, went over to John and shouted, “Detective, I’m Josh Dyer, I’m a friend of Amanda’s.”

  Through the intense pain from his foot, Utterson replied, “I give a shit! Help me pull!”

  From the darkness of the woods, a short, muscular woman wearing a ski mask moved towards them at a surprising speed. Before anyone had time to aim a weapon, she struck Dyer flush in the chest with a spinning back kick that sent him flying over the body of Henry Jekyll. The weight of his prisoner hitting the dirt yanked on the cuff, and John followed the young man to the cold ground. John quickly drew his firearm and felt a sting on his right hand, as it was slapped out of his hand by the mystery woman. The blow was freakishly strong, and he felt like his hand might be broken.

  Charlie charged at the ski-mask wearing cultist and lunged for her. The trained and tested K-9’s aim was true, as its jaws clamped down on the woman’s forearm and let his body dangle. Unphased by the weight and ferocity of the animal, she grabbed the dog's throat and hoisted him into the air. Charlie whimpered in pain and let go of its hold on her. The woman put one hand on the dog's neck and the other on the animal's spine. With a look of anger and determination, she began to bend its spine back. The dog let out a whimper as the bones hit their breaking point and pee streamed out of the animal to the ground.

  The woman’s look of satisfaction washed away, just as David Keller’s sizeable right hand landed square on her jaw. Charlie dropped hard to the ground, and the short woman staggered back. The dog tried to get up, but it’s rear legs were no longer working. Utterson reached out with his injured hand and grabbed the dog's collar and pulled him close. The animal was shaking, and the detective pulled his arms around the K-9 to keep him still.

  Lanyon dry fired her pistol and yelled, “I’m out! Where is your pistol?”

  Utterson pointed in the direction the woman had knocked it and directed, “Somewhere over there!”

  In the hail of crossfire, Dr. Lanyon combed the ground in the darkness, while Utterson put his attention on the woman and Keller. The petite Brotherhood woman steadied herself, and much to his surprise seemed unphased by the punch. She lifted her small hands and squared off at the massive six-foot-three-inch Keller.

  Over the gunfire in the distance, Utterson heard her shout, “Cheap shot, pussy!”

  Keller lifted his hands and warned, "Back off! I don't want
to hurt you!"

  As the last word exited the man's mouth, she feinted a punch to his face causing him to cover up. Her movement was almost unearthly fast as she sailed a left hook towards his liver. Keller dropped his elbow to block it, but the savage power of the blow lifted him three inches off the ground. The man backpedaled to get his breath and his balance, while she danced to the left and stalked her prey.

  In a blur of motion, she sent a flurry of blows that looked practiced and precise towards the large man’s legs and midsection. Even the ones that Keller was blocking were still causing him to be thrown around like a rag doll. Keller responded to the painful strikes by evading as many of them as possible in a display of skill that surprised Utterson. Even with his training, the superwoman’s knuckles and shins hitting his flesh and bone sounded like two wet steaks being slapped together. Her moves kept accelerating and changing patterns, making it hard for the eye to keep up. Utterson had no idea how the big man was standing, much less still defending himself. She left the ground, whirled in a circle, and extended a kick into the center of his belly. This time Keller had no time to get out of the way and was launched ass first backward. The man didn’t touch the ground for six feet and then bounced to a stop on the cold grass. A gasping sound came from him that made John feel sure the air had been knocked out of him and that he had possibly suffered some broken ribs.

  The ski-masked woman turned towards the detective, who was still holding Charlie and lying next to his suspect. She marched over and knelt down next to Jekyll while keeping her eyes on Utterson. He reflexively pulled away in fright as she put two fingers on Henry’s neck and checked for a pulse.

  From the direction of the platform, a man wearing a purple face covering and robes strolled out from the smoke and gunfire towards them. He carried the Athame dagger in his hand and seemed calm despite the pandemonium. In his path was Dyer, who was trying to catch his breath from the kick he took. The Purple Man sent the top of his boot into the blonde man’s face as he passed by. Josh's head made a dull thud and rolled onto his back, unmoving. He marched past Dr. Lanyon, who sidestepped Mr. Purple to give him a wide birth. She looked terrified, and that told John she was smarter than he gave her credit for.