Fury From Hell (25 page)

“Hold this,” the High Priestess said shoving the mirror into Jennifer’s sleepy hands.  “When the Fury comes in, you hide behind it and under no circumstance do you leave the center of this circle unless Betty or I tell you to.  Do you understand me?”

The High Priestess’ commanding tone made Jennifer wake up faster and take notice of her surroundings — the candles, the salt ring, the hand drawn symbols and her oval mirror — all normal parts of her life individually, but together in this grouping were entirely unnerving and out of her comfort zone.  Jennifer had no idea what had happened and why she was in the center of it all.  Then she heard the unearthly shriek that came from just beyond the closed bedroom door.  She jumped but did not move from the center of the circle.  With fear shining through her eyes, Jennifer ventured a question that she already knew the answer to. “What the world was that?”

Neither witch answered her.

Jennifer gulped and swung her gaze back to the door.  All three of them were focused on the white particle board door hoping — each in their own way —that the door would continue to hold.

***

Monday, November 12
^th
, 1:47 A.M.

“Yearwood, take a look at this.”  The veteran detective was hunched over and peering at his monitor.

The younger detective took a break from his monitor and wheeled his chair over.

“Doesn’t that look like Holden?”  Clift jabbed a beefy finger at the monitor.

Yearwood moved the man’s chunky index finger and peered for himself.  The image was blurry, for that matter, so were his eyes.  After staring without coming to a conclusion Yearwood nudged Clift and took over his keyboard.  Yearwood began tapping away and the sector of the screen in question was isolated and enlarged.  With a few more clicks, Yearwood had the woman’s face covering almost the entire center of the monitor.  He blinked in surprise.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Clift said in disbelief.  “It is her.”  He peered over Yearwood’s shoulder.  “Zoom out.  I want to see who she’s with, if anybody.”

Yearwood clicked a few buttons and the screen obeyed.  They took in the flowing full pants and the green and red sequined form fitting blouse topped off with the studded leather jacket and boots.  They both whistled.

“She’s a real looker when she puts her mind to it.  No one next to her.  But here’s the question that’s begging to be asked…”  The older cop looked at the younger one.

“…why didn’t she tell us she was there late Friday night,” finished Yearwood.

“Bingo.”

Yearwood chewed his lip while staring at the woman who had rebuffed his advances for well over a year. Holden was full of surprises and Yearwood was suddenly not liking it anymore.  He decided in that moment to turn the tables so that he was winning for a change. “You don’t really think she had anything to do with the Rennkler thing, do you?”

Clift took his time in answering.  “I’m not saying she did, but it’s mighty funny she didn’t offer this information.  It’s as if she didn’t want us to know.  But, she must have known we would have spotted her on the discs!”

“But, she and Feinster brought us the damn DVDs in the first place. 
She
was the one who pointed us to the casino.  It doesn’t make sense!  If she was hiding being there all she had to do was stay silent.  Who knows how long it would have taken us to get the investigation going in that direction.  It didn’t seem likely that it was a starting place…at least not to me.  What about you?  You thought of it?”

Clift shook his head.  “Nah.  I was focused getting forensics back and then running any prints. My next plan of action was to focus on next of kin to try and get where he was in the last few days.  You know, who he was around.  But, Holden blew us past all of that with the casino bit and the DVDs.  Now we know exactly where he was and we’ve got that hot number with the rock on her hand to look for.”

“So, again.  Why hide you were there?  If anything, she’s the luckiest damn cop around.  She was the last cop to see him alive.  She knew to center the investigation at Resorts World!”

The older cop looked at Yearwood and a realization suddenly hit him as he watched his befuddled colleague.  “I can’t believe it.  We’re dumbasses!  She was meeting someone and didn’t want us to know about him!  He’s…or maybe
she’s
on the tapes, too!  Maybe that’s why you’re getting’ anywhere with her.  She may not like guys.”

Clift barked out a laugh and clapped Yearwood on the back.

“I’m gonna get another coffee before finishing up with this DVD.  When I get back I’ll look for Holden’s girlfriend and let you know how hot she is.  Want anything?”

“No, no.  I’m good.  How’d you know I was into Holden?”  He looked up and gave the older man a sheepish grin.

“Yearwood, half the precinct knows you’ve been chasing that piece of tail for a number of years.  Just let it be and find another girl.”

Yearwood nodded at Clift and moved back to his own monitor as the older cop walked away.  As soon as he was gone, Yearwood rushed back over to Clift’s monitor and began scrolling forward to check out Jennifer’s mystery date.

Several minutes later, Yearwood found the section of the disc where a tall blond man approached Holden.  Yearwood watched her talk to the man and smile winningly at the perfect stranger.  With rising ire, Yearwood watched the man leave and come back with two drinks and grimaced as the man handed one to Holden.  Yearwood scrolled past the steamy kiss while grinding his teeth.  He stopped the recording and watched Holden leave with the suave man.

Yearwood stopped the DVD and returned it back to where Clift had left it.  Yearwood punched the air and threw himself back into Clift’s large overstuffed chair as he crossed his arms over his chest to keep them still.  Holden had picked up a random guy at the casino!  Yearwood had thought he had known the shy cop.  He had thought she wasn’t the type for one-nighters.  He had assumed — thought — she was more wholesome than what he saw in full multi-hued pixilation on the monitor.

He stood up and in a daze walked back over to his desk with his head reeling.  The blond guy seemed to have it all — the looks, the clothes and he had an air of refinement about him that made Yearwood even more green-eyed.  Yearwood couldn’t help himself.  The blond man’s image would be forever burned into his mind’s eye.  The guy’s very existence accosted Yearwood’s manhood and Holden’s rejection of his longstanding interest.

Red with shame and anger, Yearwood wondered how he had let Holden’s innocent façade fool him all this time.  If she wasn’t into him, why didn’t she just say so?  Why give him false hope then go for a guy like this buff blond?  Clearly, the woman had a taste that was far different from anything he could offer her.  All the charitable goodwill and camaraderie that Yearwood had ever felt for Holden withered in the heat of his wolfish jealousy.

Hearing Clift coming back, he refocused his attention, sat up straight and began peering once more at his own monitor.  He mechanically scanned his security disc checking for the high-class woman who had left with Rennkler.

***

The door rattled on its hinges with each shriek from the Fury.  The women continued to stare mutely at it.

Jennifer took heed and put the mirror squarely in front of her and balled herself up as much as she could while holding her head down behind the mirror which was facing the door.

With a resounding shriek that could be heard for blocks, the door blew open splintering as it hit the wall right behind it. The demon advanced into the room slowly.  Its baleful red eyes took the scene in as it hissed and spat.  Calculating its odds of getting back into the host, the Fury realized the odds were currently slim.  In fact, the Fury didn’t even see the host anywhere in the room.  Looking past the two troublemakers, the Fury saw a shimmering bubble.  Looking carefully, the Fury understood.  A magical circle!  The host must be in the center of it.  The spells were wearing down the Fury but it persevered and trudged further into the bedroom an inch at a time.  There was something glinting at the Fury.  As Abatu got closer to the shiny opaque bubble a shape began to emerge.  Smiling vengefully, the Fury prepared to dive into the host steeling itself against the shock that would surely go through its body once it sailed through the protective spells surrounding the host.

Picking up speed the Fury lumbered towards the circle and the glinting got worse.  At the last possible moment, the Fury understood the witches’ trick — a mirror!  The Fury averted its own gaze and protected itself from the majority of the damage but it could feel fissures around its face where the mirror’s rays had shined on its countenance and miniscule ephemeral body.  Covering its face with its claws, the Fury backed away from the mirror and backed out of the room shrieking its displeasure.

The Fury sent its rage-filled thought projection hurtling into the room,
“Dean Mother Witch, you’re time is coming soon!  You should not have gotten in my way.  It’s your blood I will seek out as well as that of your junior witch!!”

Lady Ariella’s eyes went wide as she heard the telepathic message and quickly glanced at the other two women to see if they had received the same message.  They were staring at the door and straining their necks to see if the demon was coming back.  Lady Ariella surmised the message was for her ears only.  She tucked the threat away to be ruminated upon at a later time.

With one last shriek, the women heard the Fury leaving the apartment the same way it had come in.

For many long minutes, the three women did not move a muscle.  They just held their collective breath and listened for any sounds of movement signaling the return of the demon.  They heard nothing except the normal street sounds of a pre-dawn Monday morning in Brooklyn.

“I think it’s gone…for now,” the High Priestess whispered.  She sent her thanks up to the Earth Goddess for directing her to the mirror and their subsequent reprieve. “But ladies, this is
not
over.  The Fury has slated me for death because I have interfered with its plans.  Jennifer, are you all right?”

Peeking out from behind the mirror, they only saw one of her eyes blinking incessantly.

“I’ll take that as a yes.  Jennifer, you stay put.  We’re going to inspect the apartment and see if it is truly gone.  We’ll come back shortly.  Remember, stay behind the mirror!”  Lady Ariella commanded.

Jennifer ducked back behind it without a word.

Lady Ariella stood up and tip-toed out into the living room.  She peered around and saw that many of the candles had blown out.  Renewing the protective spells as she walked, the High Priestess stepped into the living room and headed towards the kitchen.  She came back into the living room satisfied that the Fury had left.  “Kamali!  Come.”

Within seconds, Betty was by her side with her firearm cocked.

“Put that thing away.  It will do nothing to the Fury.  It will simply absorb it and pass it through its body.  Hmphf, it may even redirect the bullets towards us.  You would do well to remember that.”  Lady Ariella pointed to the broken bottom glass panel of the living room window.  “This needs to be boarded up.  Go see what you can find.  If nothing, we have to go to the nearest store and get something.”

“My Lady, it is two-fifteen the morning!  No one’s going to have wood.”

“Wood, cardboard, think sheets of sturdy plastic — get
something
to seal this.  The Fury was greatly hampered by our protective spells.  Didn’t you see how slow it was moving as opposed to the speed with which it broke into the apartment?”

Betty thought back and realized this was true.  “Yeah!  You’re right.”

Lady Ariella nodded firmly. “Precisely!  We need to strengthen the spells and seal up this space tighter.  Then, we’ll leave a decoy here in the apartment…but Jennifer must leave.  She cannot stay here.”

“Figured that but her place is so close to the job!  We’re due back at 7:30.  It’s too much to go to my place…”

“I have a safe house that we can all go to.  I’m not sure if any of our homes are safe now.  The Fury will be watching all of us.  I’m sure it’s not far away but it needs to regain strength — to feed.  Then, it will be back, smarter, and ready for us.  So, let’s use this time to get the herbs and start the baths for Jennifer before you both head in to work.”

“Hate to sound like a broken record but how can we get those herbs at this hour?”

“I have most of the herbs at my house and I’m sure there’s a supply of such things at the safe house. But you just said none of our homes are safe!”

“I also said that the demon has to feed.  I’m betting I can get to my house and be out of there before it gets to me.  I’m not even sure if it knows where I live, or if it can figure that out without getting inside of me.  But, we can’t underestimate its powers.  Did you notice it broke through the door without touching it?  Telekinesis.  I repeat, we
cannot
underestimate Fury Abatu. 
That
would be the death of us, I mean…me.”

Betty shot Lady Ariella a sharp look. “Did that thing really say it was coming after you?  Did it say anything else?”

Nodding the High Priestess said, “Yes, it told me telepathically it wanted my blood.  And no, it said nothing else.”  Lady Ariella prayed the Goddess would forgive the white lie.

Betty clasped the High Priestess’ hands and blinked rapidly a few times. “I’m so sorry to have gotten you caught up in all of this…”

“Kamali, this is what I do.  Why do you think I’m the coven mother?  The Earth Goddess will protect me and I, in turn, will protect those who follow me.”

Betty saw the strength in Lady Ariella’s eyes and nodded again. “I guess we better get going then,” Betty turned and headed back into the room already thinking about what things she should pack for Jennifer’s departure from all that she knew and loved.

***

Monday, November 12
^th

At 3:47 A.M. on the dot, Yearwood wheeled his chair back and began shutting down his computer.  If he wasn’t sure that Feinster was with Holden, he would have gone over to Holden’s place and given her a piece of his mind.  He seethed silently bidding his time.