Death Among Us (8 page)

My plan to leave early failed miserably.  Roxanne didn’t wake up until well after eleven and it was one in the afternoon by the time we were all loaded up in Khloros.

“This is ridiculous!  Why did Roxanne have to have so many bags?  Only two of mine would fit!”

“It is easy mortal; in my line of work I need options.  Besides my master likes it when I change things up.”

Women…we hadn’t even reached the interstate yet and they were already arguing.  “Knock it off both of you.  Believe it or not, but your clothing situation is the least of my concerns.”

My first problem was the fact I really had no idea where we were going.  Angels kind of do their own thing, so my hope was when we got to DC, Veronica would appear somewhere and give me more direction.  The second problem was that obviously Beelzebub was on to me.

The drive to Interstate Ninety-Five was uneventful, unless you are excited about women arguing about everything.  The radio station wasn’t right, one always had to pee, and worst of all, both whined when they had to sit in the backseat.

“Enough already!  Lord Almighty, can’t you two just enjoy the ride!”  We’d just left the rest stop and Roxanne was being pissy about sitting behind a ‘mortal.’

She started pouting, “But Master is it not right that I am not beside you?  We are bound together!”

“Don’t give me this master bullshit demon.  Derrick, tell her to fuck off, please?”  For good measure, Maggie slapped Roxanne’s hand off the chair.

Khloros added to my bad mood by starting to laugh.  “You have gotten yourself into quite the mess.  I do not think I have ever seen you so irritated.”

“Shove it horse brains.”

The chirping continued.  With only twenty miles left to go, I did my vest best to block it all off.  It was working too, until…

“Death, are you listening to me?”

“What, yes…well no I wasn’t.”  Yep, I’d even tuned Khloros out.

“If you had been paying attention, you would have known that we are being tailed.”

Immediately, I snapped out of my daze.  Looking out the rearview mirror, “Which car?”

“The black SUV has been following us since we left the rest area.  It has stayed two cars behind no matter what I do.”

I picked it up, it looked like a Trailblazer and the windows were blacked out.  Neither of the girls said anything, which was a blessing.  Deciding it was time to find out if my buddy was paranoid or on to something, I began to push the speed.  This also gave me an excuse to bob and weave through traffic like an asshole.

Maybe ten minutes passed and I looked back; the SUV was still there.  “Khloros, it’s time to confront this guy.”

Roxanne answered, “Are you sure about this?”

“Of course I am!  I’m Death for crying out loud and if someone is dumb enough to follow me, than they forfeit their soul!”

Maggie looked over at me.  Fear was in her eyes.  “Derrick?”

“What?”

“You’re scaring me…”

I took a deep breath.  “I didn’t mean too.  This has been a shitastic day and I don’t appreciate being followed.  When we confront whoever this is, stay in the car, got it?”

She nodded her head.  Under her breath, “Fuck, this got real.”

Yes it did.  I pulled off the exit, which didn’t have much.  Turning left, I drove for another mile or two before I found an old parking lot to an abandoned drug store.  This was the perfect spot.

Opening the door, “Roxanne you’re with me.  Khloros, if things get bad, get Maggie out of here.”

“You can count on me.”

Maggie leaned up and hugged me around my neck.  “Be careful out there.”

“I will.”

Roxanne walked around the car and came up beside me.  “Let the waiting game begin.”

I figured it wouldn’t take too long.  I placed my scythe in my jacket.  I didn’t know what to expect and if for some reason our pursuers were human, I didn’t want them to freak the fuck out.

The black SUV came into view.  It pulled into the parking lot where we were and stopped about fifteen feet away.  The smell of brimstone (and not just from Roxanne) filled the air.  A shiver went down my spine from the demonic power pouring out of the car.

“Darius…”  The words were a whisper from Roxanne’s lips.

The door to the SUV opened and a large man exited.  Decked out in black, the man was bald, towered over me, and had a vertical scar that ran the length of his head.  Two more demons came out of the back door, smaller, but still rather impressive looking.

“Horseman Death, I bid you greetings.  My master Beelzebub sends his regards.”

Darius’s voice was awful.  It was like it was worming its way into my brain.  “It’s a shame I get the B team and not the real thing.  Was Beelzebub too scared to show up himself?”

The large demon laughed.  “I heard stories that you were a rather amusing entity.  However, your reputation is one that can back up your asshole like personality.  I look forward to the test.”

He snapped his fingers and flames appeared.  They turned black and formed into one wicked looking axe.  Roxanne put her hand on my shoulder, “Ifrit’s war axe…”

Pointing it at us, “I am glad you remember whore.  The things I plan to do to you once Death is out of the way are unspeakable.”

Reaching into my jacket, I pulled out Leviathan.  It flared to life causing the two minor demons behind Darius to jump.  “You’re not the only one with an awesome weapon.”

“Horseman, your time as the boogeyman is over.”  Darius spit on the ground.  “Your kind no longer commands the fear once granted you.  You have become fucking insects.”

My anger took over.  My celestial fire blazed to life, forming a chain in my left hand.  It’d been a long time since this power came to life.  “I will show you who the fucking insect is.”

Darius started laughing again.  “Not today Horseman.  But I will take a parting gift to make sure I see you again.”

The demon disappeared in a flash.  I heard a scream from behind us and looked.  “Maggie!”

Where she’d been sitting in the car was empty.  Darius materialized back in front of us.  “You have something of my lord’s and now I have something of yours.  I will be in contact, be ready.”

I lashed the chain out at him, but he disappeared again, with Maggie in tow.  My rage took over, directed at the two demons left behind.  The one on the right charged me, but I through Leviathan as hard as I could, separating his head from his body.  As the body fell, black blood squirted from the neck until it turned to ash.

The demon to my left never moved.  Resigned to his fate, I granted him some mercy.  It’s rare that I produce celestial fire, but the chain melted and I formed it into a glowing silver ball of fury.  With all my strength, I put the blazing ball of energy right into the demon’s chest.  He disintegrated on contact.

With both demons dead, Roxanne came to me.  “This is not your fault.”

“Yes it is.  I should’ve never gotten a human involved.”

“Perhaps, but she also made the choice herself.  The time for second guessing is over.  We must save her.”  She brought me in to a hug.

Looking into her red eyes, “You’re right, this is our fight.  Let’s show these Hell bastards they pissed off the wrong guy.”

“I know this is the wrong time, but you always turn me on when you get angry.”  Those big red eyes started flaring.

“We’re to meet Veronica tomorrow at the little diner down the street.”

On the drive into Washington, Khloros had been able to get in touch with Yuri.  I told him what’d happened and that we needed angel help.  As soon as he realized a human was in trouble, he immediately took the cause.  He also gave us the address to the place we’d be staying until the end of our mission.

“Derrick, I do not like leaving Darius to the angels.  Maggie is our friend; we should be the ones to find her.”

I was completely taken back by Roxanne’s sympathy.  They two girls had sorta bonded but I also got the impression they’d been fighting over my affection.  “We aren’t going to let them steal the glory.  We’re going to get our friend back.”

“What are we to do until the meeting with this Veronica?”

With the loss of Maggie, I had kinda forgotten my plan.  “Obviously, we need to scrap our original plans.  We know Beelzebub has a Greed demon in place plus Darius running around.  We need to go to ground and start getting information.”

Roxanne headed over to the bathroom.  Not even waiting to get in, her clothing started dropping.  “Do you have any contacts I do not know about?”

Lord above her ass was amazing.  “Me?  No, you’re my contact.”

“Oh Derrick, you are so lucky you are cute.”  She winked and beckoned me forth with her finger.  “Come shower with me and let me share with you what I know.”

I know what you’re thinking.  How can you be so insensitive?  Maggie was just kidnapped and here you are going to shower with a demon!  Don’t judge me, especially because I think I was starting to fall for her.

As soon as the warm water from the shower hit me, my tension started to release.  Roxanne’s hands rubbing me also helped.  “You said she had information to share?”

Her finger silenced me and then traced its way down my body.  Her head followed the finger down and I realized what was happening.  As soon as her mouth wrapped around me, I lost myself in the moment.  Between her tongue and the slow back and forth motion, the feeling started making me feel weak in the knees.

“Holy shit…”  I could only manage a few words at a time.  “Don’t stop…”

Her reds eyes looked up and the look gave me another jolt of excitement.  She picked up the speed, anticipating the climax that was about to come.

A few tense moments later, everything built up released into her mouth.  She didn’t stop until I could give no more.

“Damn girl,” I fell back on to the seat in the shower, “that was amazing.”

She poked my nose with her finger.  “I do believe it is safe to say you are as much mine as I am yours.”

“Semantics aside for the time being, you said you had information?”

She put her head under the shower, letting the water cascade her amazing body.  “I do.  A long time ago, a Glutton demon by the name of Ezzard came here.  He was a bit different than most Gluttons.”

As she was talking, my eyes fixated on her wet, perfect breasts.  “What made him different?”

“He was a glutton for information, could never get enough of it.  Beelzebub grew tired of his behavior and exiled him to Earth.  I spoke to him the last time I was here.”

“Do you think he’s still in the area?”

She turned around and started soaping herself up.  “I imagine so; he was a very lazy creature.  After we finish, we could always make a trip out to see if we can find him.”  She bent all the way over, soaping up her legs.

Gulping, “That sounds like a fantastic idea.”

Her eyes looked through her legs, “I know you want to, take me Master.”

I needed no more of an invitation.  Getting off the bench, I pressed up against her, already stiff and ready to go.  As I entered, the water made it all the easier and more satisfying.  Roxanne stood up a little more and put her hands on the shower walls.

With the added leverage, it was once again easy to tell who was in control.  Like putty in her hands, I bent to her control.  “Be good to me Master; fill me up with everything you have.”

Sex was dripping from her voice and she worked me over and over.  It didn’t take long before I felt her constrict around me.  The waves of her orgasm flowed through me and caused me to as well.

When we finished, she turned the water off and we began to get ready.

“Derrick, I sense you feel bad about our time in the shower?”

“I feel like I am betraying the hurt and anger I have about Maggie’s abduction.”

She wrapped herself up in a robe with her wet hair hanging loosely.  “I hope you do not misunderstand my feelings.  Darius must pay for what he has done and he will.”

“When I reap his soul, then he’ll know the power of Death.”

“At the same time, I have an incredibly strong feeling to you.”  Walking up close again, “I cannot quantify it, but it is there.”

Could it be?  Nah, she’s a demon.  “Maybe it’s just the whole master-servant thing.  I’ve never been bonded to anyone before.”

“Really?”  She seemed surprised.  “The all powerful Death has never had a servant?”

Shrugging my shoulders, “I didn’t need one.  My brothers were all I needed.”

“I am glad to know that I am the first.”

“And the last, this is too much work.”  I smiled at her.

Roxanne began to get dressed and I followed.  Within ten minutes, we were both ready to go.  As we walked out to Khloros, “Do you have any idea where to start looking for this Ezzard?”

“If I had to guess, are best options would either be a library or a Starbucks.”

I wasn’t expecting a Starbucks.  “A coffee shop, really?”

“From what I understand, the humans provide free internet connection there.”

Oh, well that made sense.  “Alrighty then, let’s find ourselves a library or a coffee shop.”

Khloros was in a mood when we got in.  I think he took it personally that Darius was able to abduct Maggie when she was supposed to be in the safety of his protection.  “Why am I to locate a public library?”

“Roxanne has an associate who may help us locate the demons.”

The engine roared to life.  “Then hang on, I am taking over controls.  I will get us there faster.”

I was terrified but Roxanne was excited.  “Drive us there fast pale horse!  I always thought Derrick had no sense of urgency!”

That damn horse listened to her.  Tearing out of the parking lot, Khloros pulled into the street much to the panic of the human drivers.  I had to keep my eyes open since technically I was driving.  The only thing I could do was hope the police didn’t take notice.

Khloros pulled up directions to the library through the phone connected to his radio blue tooth.  It was only five miles away, but the way he was driving, we’d be there in a matter of moments.  By the time he pulled into the parking space out front, I was totally ready to get out.

Roxanne, however, loved every minute of it.  “We need to go for more joy rides like that!”

“Please don’t encourage him!”  I walked around and opened the door for her.  “Focus, we need to go find your friend.”

“He is most certainly not a friend!”

Women, demons, whatever.  “Well we need to find him all the same.”

“Follow me, if he is here, he will be in the historical section.  His obsession over facts is rather dull.”

I’m sure to the passerbyers we stuck out like sore thumbs.  Roxanne didn’t know how to dress modestly and I looked like I had no business being seen with her.  Once in the library, the directory pointed us upstairs to the historical section.

“So what’s this guy like?  Will he spaz out when he sees us?”

A smile flickered across Roxanne’s face.  “He will not be happy to see me, that is for sure.”

Oh God.  “Why are you telling me now? And more importantly, why?”

“Darius was close to finding me when I was here last.  Not in my proudest moment, I abandoned Ezzard alone with the demon general.”

Before I could ask anymore, more brimstone could be smelled.  I looked over at the source and saw a little old fat man with a toupee.  Dressed like an old timey doctor, I knew we had found Ezzard.

Unfortunately he spotted us as well.  I guess the silent rule is more of a suggestion because the little man jumped up and pointed at Roxanne.  Screaming, “You!!”

Every head in the library looked over at us.  All I could do was sigh.  “Great…”