Death Among Us (15 page)

“Are you sure about this Derrick?  How do you know it was really this Washington talking to you?”

I wasn’t surprised she’d be skeptical; hell if I’d heard the story from someone else I’d question it too.  “I know George and it was him.  The Almighty wouldn’t send in an imposter.”

How can you argue that reasoning?  She couldn’t and we went back to the task at hand.  Knowing the angels would come by the house at some point to check on me, we were across the street hiding behind our new neighbor’s fence.  No one was home and it looked like it was another house that was probably vacant.

“I never asked, how did we end up here?”

“When I rescued you from Darius,” she placed her hand on mine, “I ran into Yuri as we exited the tunnel.  He led me here, saying it was a safe house for them.”

“I wonder why he didn’t give us this place to start with?”

That would have to be answered at another time.  Out of nowhere, the two angels, Yuri and Veronica, appeared on the side walk.  They walked up to the door and knocked.  With no answer, they entered the house.

“Do you think they will spot us over here?”

“They shouldn’t.  I’m using my aura to cover us.  Hopefully they won’t pick up on any abnormalities.”

We stopped talking as they came back out.  Yuri went over to Khloros and he opened the door for him to get in.  The plan was to try and slip a tracking device on one of them, and since Yuri was in the car, he was the lucky target.  The device was hidden in the seat, so hopefully the horse could manipulate it into a back pocket or something.

“Once we are successful, then what?”

Phase two of this plan.  “We should assume that since we know the angels have the axe that Darius knows too.  Our plan is to take the fight to them.  The angels will have to side with us and that should give us the numbers advantage we need.”

She still didn’t seem all that confident.  “This plan hinges on a lot of if’s and but’s.”

“The only butt I care about is yours.”  Her face got all red and she muttered ‘men.’  “Oh, here comes Yuri!”

The angel got out of the car and walked over to Veronica.  He said something to her and the two of them walked for a bit before blinking out.  Roxanne was ready to go, but I stopped her.  “Give it a minute or two just to make sure.”

When enough time passed, I got up and we walked back over.  Slipping into the driver’s seat, “Did you get the tracker in place?”

“I slipped it into his back pants pocket.  I must say I’m surprised you still had that thing.”

The tracker was a supply I’d gotten from Azrael a long time ago.  It was the size of a watch battery and easily placed.  Luck smiled on us when I found that in my jacket pocket.  “Good, with this USB plugged in, we’ll be able to keep track of those two.”

I plugged the USB into Khloros’s radio.  The music and song selection screen went away, replaced with a map of the surrounding area.  The first ping happened about a mile and a half away at another diner.

“What is it with those two and eating at those little greasy shacks?”

I wish I had an answer for her, but I didn’t.  “With those two on a leash, I say we go back to the pit under the Lincoln Monument and see if there are any clues for us in regards to the demons.”

Roxanne bitched and complained from the house all the way to the Lincoln Monument, but I had a good feeling about this.  The tide was turning towards us and with a bit more luck; we’d be on the offensive.  The trip down the hidden passage and into the catacomb was a ton less stressful.  When we got there, it was abandoned.

“No one’s here thankfully.  Let’s walk around and see if we can find a clue.”  With that, I hopped down into the pit and left the upper level for Roxanne.

The first thing I saw was a giant scorch mark in the middle of the pit.  That must’ve been where Beelzebub’s rift had been opened.  The bones of the sacrifices still littered the area to make that happen.  I also saw the different places where Darius and I had been fighting.  There was a giant crack in the wall where I had collided.  That was no bueno.

I continued to walk around, not seeing anything.  Roxanne is seemed had, and she started yelling to get my attention.  “Derrick, over here!”

I made my way over and jumped up to her level.  She was standing over the charred body of a demon.  “Is that Ezzard?”

“It sure is.  It seems the little weasel was no longer needed.”  She handed me a piece of paper that was burned up around the edges.  “This is the clue you wanted.”

I read the paper, the parts that weren’t burned to a crisp.  It looked like address information and dates.  “Hmm, the first date on this was yesterday, but the next one is tomorrow.  We need to find out where this address is.”

She pulled out her phone.  “Thanks to modern technology, we can find out.”

“You have service done here?”  She just smirked and took the paper.

While she did her phone voodoo, I looked down at the body of the demon who gave us this information.  I hoped whatever they promised him to deliver me on a platter was worth it.  The look etched into his charred face was one of pure terror.

“Found it!  It’s outside of Washington, about ten miles down the interstate.  It looks like it is an auditorium.”

Roxanne handed the phone to me.  An auditorium, that was weird.  “Can you do an internet search for this place?  Why would the demons want to go there?”

She grabbed the phone back.  Her eyes were blazing with excitement.  “I’m really enjoying the detective work.  Maybe after all of this is over, we can start our own investigative company.”

“Yeah, that’ll be the day.”

A few more moments later and we got our answer.  “I found its website.  Tomorrow there is going to be a speaker giving a lecture to a group of local college kids.”

“And this is important how?”

She handed me the phone to read for myself.  The speaker was named Yuri Christian and he was going to be talking about Christianity in the Twenty-First century.  When I saw his picture, I just wanted to break the phone into a million pieces.

“Ah damnit, those idiots!  What do they think they are doing?”

Taking the phone from my hand before I could cause any harm, “Well they are either idiots like you proclaimed or they are trying to set a trap.”

Wonderful.

As soon as we got back to Khloros, I pinged that moron Yuri.  He was about fifteen miles south, somewhere in Virginia.  I put Khloros into gear and floored it back onto the interstate.

“I don’t know what they’re playing at, but we’re about to find out.”

I pushed the pedal to the floor and cranked up Khloros.  We were flying down the interstate; the only intentions in my mind were tearing Yuri a new asshole.  How could he be so stupid?  This is the reason he enlisted me, to do the stupid shit!

We came off the interstate and followed the signal into a smaller town and into a neighborhood.  This one was much more upscale than the dump they put me in.  I pulled Khloros up to a house where they were said to be and killed the engine.

“We move carefully.  I’ve never surprised an angel like this and I don’t know what the reaction will be.”

Roxanne opened the glove box and pulled out the gun I’d purchased for her from Azrael.  “Is this thing loaded with the right bullets?”

I opened the arm rest and popped out a box of bullets.  “Here you go my lady.”  She took the box of hollow points that were laced with obsidian and loaded it up.  “Listen carefully, we’re not here to start a holy war, got it?”

“Of course, I just don’t want to be unprepared.”

“Khloros, make sure you’re ready to leave at the first sign of shit hitting the fan.  Again, just being precautious and planning for the worst.”

“Understood.  This is Yuri, so everything should be okay.  I will monitor the situation from here as you requested.”  What would I do without this guy?

Loaded up, I got out of the car and met Roxanne.  We walked up to the house together.  As I was getting ready to knock, she grabbed my hand.

Whispering, “What’s up?”

“Shhh, listen.”

I put my ear close to the door.  Yuri had company and it didn’t sound like Veronica.  “My master will be pleased with your decision.  Trust us; you have made the right choice.”

I looked over at Roxanne.  She mouthed the name, “Maggie.”

Not even thinking, I kicked the door down.  Both of them jumped back, taken by surprise by my sudden appearance.  Laying on the living room floor was the body of the angel Veronica.  She’d been stabbed in the stomach and left for dead.

“Yuri, you rotten son of a bitch!”  My chains flared to life.  “How dare you betray the Almighty!”

Maggie gave Roxanne and me a wicked smile.  She reached behind Yuri and grabbed the axe I recognized as Washington’s.  “I would love to stay and chat with you dumb fucks, but I do have an appointment to attend.”

I lashed a chain out towards her, but she disappeared in a puff of red smoke.  I turned towards Yuri who was cowering on the ground.  “What have you done?”

He started sniveling, “I had no choice in the matter!”

I brought one of my chains across his face, knocking him to the floor.  “You always have a choice!  How long have you been in the demons pocket?  ANSWER ME YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!”

His face was bruising from where I hit him.  “From the beginning, this has all been a set up.”

Roxanne cocked the gun, ready to shoot him.  “What don’t we know?”

“I have been doing exactly as I have been told.  Everything has been a ruse, they need you.”  He pointed at me.  “If you are the sacrifice, the demons can invade Eden.”

Eden, the heart of all the celestial power, I felt sick.  “You’re not walking about of here alive.  Make sure your last words redeem your life.”

Tears fell from his eyes.  He looked over at Veronica’s body and then back to me.  “The human, Maggie, is a witch.  When you spared her life, she was granted with even more power.  I’m sorry Death, but they have been playing you from the start.”

In one swift motion, Leviathan flared to life and removed Yuri’s head from his body.  As the angel fell to the floor dead, I stood over him and said a small prayer.

“Almighty, forgive your son of his transgression.  He redeemed himself in his last moments and faced Death and didn’t flinch.  I ask this in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.”

“Derrick, this one still lives!”

I looked over and Roxanne was tending to Veronica.  The wound was deep, but the angel was still with us.  Her soul was faint, but there.  “Can you help her?  Saving people isn’t my strength.”

She nodded.  “Go and see if there is anything we can use to stop the bleeding.”

I ran into the kitchen and found rags and then into the bathroom.  I grabbed peroxide and some antibacterial paste.  With any luck, this might work.

I came back into the living room and handed the stuff to Roxanne.  With moves that I’d only seen on those EMT reality shows, the Lust demon seemed to know what she was doing.

Once Veronica was wrapped up, “Derrick, can you move her onto the couch?”

Gingerly, I picked her up and took her over.  Veronica needed angel help and unfortunately the only other one in the room was dead.

“I will take it from here Horseman Death.”

The room grew warm and I felt full of energy and happiness.  “Michael, how good of you to come!”

His laughter was like harp music.  “You have done us a great deed in saving Veronica’s life.  It is a shame that Yuri had fallen so far.”

“Yuri’s fate is entirely my doing, but saving this angel’s life is because of that amazing girl right over there.”

Michael smiled and turned to Roxanne.  “Daughter of Lilith, your actions have been noticed by everyone.  To say we are pleasantly surprised is an understatement.”

“He’s noticed me?”

“Yes, he has.”  He spread his arms, “Continue on this path and your deepest desires will come to fruition.”

Roxanne smiled brightly.  “Thank you Archangel and tell Him I won’t let him down.”

“I wish I could say the work you two have is done, but as you know it has just begun.  This Pride demon Darius is out for your blood Death.  Finish the original job Yuri commissioned you and be brave in the face of darkness.”

I wanted to ask a follow up to that, but he held his hand up.  He walked over and picked up Veronica and with a brilliant flash, the angels were gone.

Roxanne walked over.  “The original job was to take out the Vice President, right?”

“Yeah, that’s the task.  I guess we have our marching orders huh?”

“On the bright side, we now know everything and can be ready to send that bitch to Hell.”

I knew who she meant.  We’d been hoodwinked and with Yuri’s final words, the curtain was off my eyes.  “Yep, Maggie’s number is now up.”

The great thing about public figures is that their schedules are easy to follow.  Knowing that the demons weren’t trying to open the gates of Hell, we focused our efforts of putting down the Greed demon known as John Keen.  It’d been two days since I dispatched Yuri and Mr. Keen was scheduled to speak at the National Mall.

It was a beautiful day.  According to the program we’d been given on our way in, today’s speech was about foreign wars or something ridiculous.  What did a Greed demon know about war?  They were incredibly lazy.

Security was tight.  There were at least seven agents lining the perimeter and another ten blending in with the regular population, undercover.  It was nowhere near presidential detail, but it was rather secure.

“You remember the plan?”  She rolled her eyes at me.  “I’m just checking, don’t you roll your eyes at me.” 

Thanks to my meeting with George, I’d come up with a brilliantly simple plan.  The best chance to undue your enemy is by presenting him with another enemy.  Keen would have no idea where the real threat was coming from.

“I know exactly what I’m supposed to do Derrick.  Trust me, this will be most satisfying.”

I pulled her close and gave her a big kiss.  “Be careful, okay?”

It took her a second to recover, but the smile on her face grew.  “And you as well.  I’d be very sorry not to have you around anymore.”

With one last kiss, she went her way and I made my way into the crowd.  I looked at my watch; we had about five minutes before Keen showed up.

The group that I was in seemed to be very anti the current regime.  This would actually work in my favor.  I started thinking about how I would do what I needed too.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” I looked up and a lady was on stage, “welcome on this wonderful day!  Vice President John Keen will be ecstatic to see all of you here in support!”

I doubted all of these people were here for support, but everyone did give a polite clap.  The very enthusiastic woman on staged beamed.

“With great pleasure, I introduce Vice President John Keen!”

I looked over to the right and saw the Greed demon for the first time with the smell of brimstone touching my nose.  Keen was short, looked underfed, and I think he was wearing a toupee.  It screamed used car salesman.  Even his smile was greasy and slimy.

He walked over and gave the woman a put on the ass for her to move.  “Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be here today.”  His voice sounded snake like.  “Before we get to the questions, allow me the honor in sharing my vision.”

And so it began.  The Greed demon started yammering about politics with this country and that country.  He talked up the importance of showing this country as one that was mighty but fair.  I couldn’t tell if he was actually a good politician or if this was written for him beforehand.  Either way, it wouldn’t matter much longer.

He continued talking for about thirty minutes.  I’m pretty sure at one point I was sleeping with my eyes open.  It was only when the lady from before came back up and her voice blasted over the microphone.

“Wasn’t that amazing everyone?!  Before we say goodbye to the Vice President, he so graciously is opening the floor to questions.”

Boom, it was game time.  I raised my hand and the lady pointed to five of us.  She pointed to me fourth, so I just needed to be patient a little bit longer.  While I waited, I wondered if Roxanne had any problems getting into position.

The first question was from an old man and it was very long winded.  Keen’s answer was short and sweet, cutting him off from asking a follow up.  The second question was just as painful, followed by an actual good question from the third person.

It was my time.  The lady pointed to me and I walked up to the question area.  I was handed a microphone and before I had a chance to ask my question, Keen spoke.  “Look at this, a fine young man interested in politics!  How delightful.”

“Umm, thank you I think.  My question is a bit less political and more interested in the man himself.”

The Greed demon’s eyes sparkled, eating up the attention.  “You flatter me young man.  What would you like to know?”

“Well Mr. Keen,” I went from calm to lunatic in a second, “how could you abandon mom and I like that?!”

Ever hear a few hundred people gasp at the same time?  You really should if you ever get the chance, it’s quite funny.  Keen wasn’t laughing though; his face was turning all sorts of red colors.  “What is the meaning of this?”

“When I was five, mom said you left for a trip across the ocean and died in a plane crash.  She didn’t want me to know you were a no good two timing asshole.”

The crowd was really getting fired up.  People were starting to yell profanities at the stage.  On old man close to me pointed at Keen and called him a ‘dirty fuck stain.’  I had to bite my tongue not to laugh at that.

Keen pointed to two of the agents nearby.  “Would you please get this kid off my stage?”

“Throw me away again will you?  I hope you can answer to your master for this behavior!!”

He cocked his head at me, like that was a curious choice of words.  It was in that position he stayed at the bullet went through his head.  The hollow point left a small hole right between his eyes, but from the back his brain splattered all over the stage.  The anger from the crowd immediately turned to fear.  Knowing I had no time to bolt, I ducked into the crowd and ran as fast as I could.

I guess when you have the Almighty on your side you can make a clean break.  No one chased me and I made it back to the metro station.  Roxanne was already waiting for me.  “That was a hell of a shot!”

“You think this was the first time I handled a fire arm?”

I put my hands on my knees, “I didn’t know and I certainly don’t care.  The job is done, just like we were asked.”

She put her arm around me.  “What do you think will happen now?”

“I don’t know.  Michael said we needed to complete this task.  Something tells me he knew something we didn’t.”  With the death of the Greed demon, I’m sure Beelzebub would be out for blood.

When the train got there, we quickly boarded and to the horror of the passengers on the train, Roxanne and I started making out.  After what we just accomplished, our sexual energies were out of control.  Thankfully for everyone, our stop came by before we took it any further.

When we got into Khloros, he wanted the entire story before he’d even let me start the engine.  “I want to know every detail.”

“It was pretty brilliant actually, thanks to George.  I distracted the agents and the Greed demon with a ridiculous story about being his kid.  While he was busy trying to have me beaten and whipped, Roxanne here put one right between his eyes.  I felt his soul get banished back to Hell.”

The car started, “I apologize for ever doubting you.  Miss Roxanne, how were you able to get off such a clean shot?”

“That was easy.  I found a very well hidden location that gave me the perfect angle to the stage.  All it took was for the Greed demon to turn just the right way and bang!  One dead demon for the win!”

We were back on the interstate.  “I saw tonight we celebrate with an actual nice hotel.  I know one right outside DC.”

A sly smile crossed Roxanne’s face.  “That sounds most promising and enjoyable.”

Our moment was crashed by Khloros of course.  “Death, we got a call originating from Downstairs.  What do you want me to do?”

“Well,” I looked at Roxanne who just shrugged her shoulder, “I guess patch it through.  The sooner we deal with these assholes the better.”

“Fair point, call coming up now.”  The radio flashed off and the screen was replaced by a very handsome looking man, all except for his eyes.  They were black, soulless eyes, the mark of the Fallen.

“Beelzebub, what do I owe this pleasure?”

His voice was angelic, smooth, almost like it was in harmony.  “You have been busy Horseman.  I understand you were successful in removing my Greed demon from office today.”

He was taking this rather lightly.  “It seems your guy pissed off the wrong guy.”

His attention turned to Roxanne.  “I can see why you picked him my dear, very resourceful and powerful.”  She made no move to respond, just a middle finger.

“Listen, I know you’re here for a reason so let’s cut the small talk.  What do you want?”

Washington’s axe came into view.  “I want your blood on this.  With that power I can finally invade Eden and turn the tide of the war.”

It was my turn to laugh.  “Even if you made it to Eden, you’d still have Archangels and the other Horsemen to deal with.  Killing me only brings you closer to your own doom.”

“Concern yourself not with my plans, but your own well-being.  It is time we end this dispute.  Today is yours to celebrate but at sunset of the second day, we settle this.”

I stared into those deep, black eyes.  Beelzebub was right; the time to end this was close.  “You pick the time, so I pick the place.  We go back to where this all started, the catacombs below the Lincoln Monument.  It will be sweet irony to see you leave Earth at the same spot you made your grand entrance.”

“Agreed.  Darius has fond memories of you there.”  And just like that, the call was disconnected.