The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (7 page)

           
"Wow!..." Iliana gasped but did not have time to gape over it as Father Benjamin led
the group towards the door of the warehouse.

           
He pushed the door open causing an echoing creek. It was very dark until Jung after
fondling the walls for some time found a switch and a handful of weak amber lights
flickered on. The spacious interior was packed with so much clutter. The ground was
littered with glass bottles and broken glass. Wooden crates were piled up everywhere and
either side of the warehouse standing tall over everything were large white cylinders.

           
Looking around Iliana could feel a negative force in the darker areas that the light
could not reach. And as the group slowly walked forwards Iliana tried to sense if there were
any water nearby.

           
"They are lurking in the dark." Jung said pointing his guns around him ready to
shoot anything that moved.

Deep murmuring noises echoed around the warehouse. It grew louder and louder making
Iliana and boys stop and stand in a circle with their backs to each other. They all faced the
silhouetted figures that slowly emerged from the dark. The dim light showed the pales faces
of the people that surrounded the small group. Their eyes were black and dark veins
stretched across their dry skin. They all varied in ages, size, height and even the clothes
they wore.

           
"They must be those who were reported missing!" Jung remarked staring at the large
number of possessed people before them.

           
"I thought you said you only had a few
reports on missing people!" Kazuki said with
a hint of sarcasm.

           
"I think... I might have under exaggerated that comment!" Jung responded sounding
a little astounded.

           
"Yeah... just a little."

           
"It shocks me on how you managed to keep this quiet for so long!" Father Benjamin
added opening his bible.

           
"It kind of shocks me too!" Jung replied after a nervous chuckle. "Now you know
the true powers of the police force."

           
"And they are all possessed?" Iliana asked unable to take in the mass of people
around them.

           
"Yes... unfortunately their inner demons have taken control." Father Benjamin said.
"I will begin the Chant... Once I start it will get them irritated and it will not take
long before the Demons Arise... so be ready."

           
"Got it chief!" Jung said light heartedly saluting with his gun still in his hand.

Father Benjamin grinned at him before opening his bible. The possessed crowd covered
their ears as Father Benjamin read out loud the phrases from his book. Falling to their knees
they screamed and wailed. Black smoke emerged out from their eyes and mouths, within
seconds the human bodies collapsed on the floor. The black smoke materialised into dark
creatures which stood in their place. And as if it was a race to who could attack them first
the demons leapt towards the little group. Their wolf like teeth was revealed as they
growled and their sharp claws stretched out in front of them.

           
Jung fired away with his guns, every silver bullet he shot hit the demons right in the
middle of their forehead and causing them to disappear in a wisps of white smoke.

           
Kazuki whipped his sword around him slashing the demon’s heads off completely
and also making them disappear in wisps of white smoke. Iliana watched the demons
before her getting closer and closer as soon as she suddenly sensed the presence of water
that made her hands tingle a demon grabbed her arm and pulled her throwing Iliana into a
pile of wooden crates. Father Benjamin stopped his chanting and shouted.

           
"Iliana!..."

           
Iliana covered her head with both her hands as the wooden crates and empty glass
bottles from inside it fell on top of her.

           
"These demons have a thing of throwing people around." Iliana grumbled lifting
herself up and sitting down on the ground. When a group of demons started to surround
her, she used her hands and feet to push herself. Iliana shuffled backwards away from them
until she banged the back of her head on something. Massaging her head Iliana turned to
find a bronze tap which was attached to the white cylinder behind her. While Iliana tried to
turn the stiff tap on which she failed to do so... she heard gun shots close-by and Jung
called out to her. Iliana spun round to find the demons that had crowded her were all gone
and Jung stood there lowering his guns.

           
"Are you all right?" He asked.

Iliana nodded and was helped up to her feet by grabbing hold of Jung’s arm, when she
noticed more demons surrounded them.

           
"Jung... can you cover me please?"

           
"What for?" He asked watching her crouch back down and trying again to turn the
tap.

           
"I think there is some kind of fluid in these cylinders."

           
"The club used to use this warehouse to store wine as well as other alcohol, but I
didn’t think they had any wine left in the cylinders!" Jung said loudly shooting the demons
that kept gathering round. "I did not think you were type to drink, and you couldn’t have
picked a better time."

           
"I am not going to drink it, silly!"

           
"Oh... you had me worried there for a moment."

The taps were so stiff that even though Iliana put in all her might to turn it, it still did not
budge. Seeing her struggle Jung said...

           
"Step back... and get behind me quickly."

Iliana followed his order and he shot a few silver bullets at the taps causing a spray of red
wine to burst out. Iliana instantly stepped in front of Jung, raising her arms up and guiding
the burst of wine towards the demons around them. The red wine then turned into clear
liquid when it hit them and made them disappear.

           
"Whoa!... Now that is something you do not see every day!" Jung remarked.

Jung watched in awe as Iliana waved her arms around with the jet of wine following her
every movement and demons vanishing quickly. Kazuki turned round to look at her as she
danced her way towards him, but he then carried on whipping his sword at the demons.

           
After a while most of demons were almost gone but a figure caught the corner of
Iliana’s eye. It ran down a gap in between the piled up wooden crates and was heading
towards a side door. Iliana ran after it bringing a stream of red wine with her which hovered
above her. She forced a jet of wine to rush ahead of her to hit the demon, but the demon
stopped running and turned round. It held a hand in front of itself and the stream of wine
suddenly dissipated in thin air.

           
A little shocked and surprised at that outcome Iliana waved in another water jet but
instead of towards the demon she directed it at the wooden crates either side. The dark
figure was instantly buried under a mass of wooden crates and glass bottles. Iliana quickly
ran to the demon and stood in front of the pile of rubble, not exactly knowing what to do.
She looked around to see if any of the boys were nearby and was just about to call out to
them when suddenly the rubble exploded out everywhere. Iliana ducked from the flying
glass bottles and debris of wood. And in a split second was pushed back with great force
and somehow found herself pinned to one side. Her back against the wall metres away from
where she was just standing... her feet barely touched the ground and a hand tightly gripped
around her small neck.

           
Choking and hardly able to breath Iliana stared into the eyes of the demon. Looking
deeply into it’s dark brown almond shaped eyes. Iliana knew instantly that it was not a
demon but human and the tight grip was that of male. Although his eyes were that of a
human it was different in someway. It was as if there was no soul or life behind it, just
emptiness. The male figure was completely dressed in black cloth, even his head, nose and
mouth was covered. His eyes and hands were the only body parts which were not covered.
He looked exactly like a ninja but without the weapons. For a few minutes both of them
stared at one another. They were so close Iliana could just smell the faded woody scented
cologne that he had on. But when Iliana’s name was called out which sounded like Father
Benjamin, the male figure loosened it’s grip then let go of Iliana’s neck and walked away.
But as he did Iliana noticed his pale manly hands that had just gripped her neck. There was
a tattoo painted between his thumb and index finger, then continued down towards his
wrist. It was a small bird with a white belly and grey wings with black streaks. Its long tail
stretched down to the male figures wrist.

           
"Iliana!..."

Iliana turned to Father Benjamin who ran towards her as she coughed uncontrollably and
massaging her sore neck.

           
"Are you alright?... What happened?"

Unable to answer him she waved her hand then turned round. She already knew that the
male figure had long gone but she could not help but look anyway.

           
All the demons were gone and all of the people awakened completely oblivious to
what had happened and utterly confused to why they were in a warehouse. Father Benjamin
and Jung had to convince them that they were all part of a police experimental test which
they had previously agreed to participate in. Surprisingly they all went with it.

           
Standing outside the club watching the last bundle of people making their way back
home Iliana thought of the man dressed in black. Wondering who he was and the kind of
power he possessed. Father Benjamin suddenly appeared and stood next to her making her
jump.

           
"Sorry... I did not mean to startle you."

Iliana shook her head.

           
"I was in my own world for a moment."

           
"Back in the warehouse... did something happen to you?"

           
"W-what do you mean?" Iliana asked trying to sound innocent.

           
"Your neck is a little pink and earlier you were coughing away like no other, it was
as if you had been strangled!" Father Benjamin said looking at her in concerned way.

           
"Strangled?... N-no... I think it must have been where I crashed into those wooden
crates... I must have grazed it then." Iliana replied avoiding his gaze and hoping he would
not see through her unconvincing lie.

At that moment Jung came out from the alley with two well built men behind him and
Kazuki hot behind their heels.

           
"I’ll see you guys at work next week. Take a good few days to relax... you have
worked hard and have earned a break." Jung said to the two men patting them hard on the
back.

           
"Er... thanks Jung." Said one of the men who looked like Popeye the sailor man with
his muscular arms and bald head. "But what about... what happened here and all those
people?"

           
"I said not to worry about it Dave... didn’t I?... Just go home and I will explain next
week at work, okay!" Jung said.

Still looking a little baffled like the other crowd of people who had gone home, the two
men walked off with Jung waving them goodbye.

           
"They only know a little
about possessions of people... I will definitely not invite
them to the Unknown World ." Jung said in a serious tone but then excitedly added turning
to Iliana. "That was an eventful night wasn’t it? And Iliana... you were totally amazing...
you were like a swan."

           
"Now that is a bit of an overstatement!" Kazuki remarked.

           
"You would say that, wouldn’t you!" Iliana exclaimed narrowing her eyes at him.

           
"I still do not understand why all those people were in the warehouse." Father
Benjamin said frowning. "There must be a reason behind that gathering."

           
"Hmm... it seemed all too easy." Kazuki agreed. "It was as if they were waiting for
something or someone."

Jung sighed as his eyes surveyed the quiet street.

           
"You wouldn’t believe that this street used to be bustling with people... and this club
was the most popular in the city." He said changing the subject.

           
"You mentioned that before... and you said it was heaving with life before it was
ruined." Iliana said. "What happened to this side of the city?"

           
"Lord Baddesley is what happened!" Jung answered quickly and quite loudly that it
echoed around the street.