Incubus Hitman

by Jack Porter

  For her part, Sandy didn’t seem to mind. Her winning smile remained firmly in place, and when she shrugged out of her negligée, she did so with enthusiasm.

  If it hadn’t been for Rachel and the fun I’d had with her over the past few days, I would have just stared at Sandy with my mouth open and my eyes wide as I tried to take everything in. As it was, I still had to express my appreciation.

  “Wow,” I said, grinning broadly. Then I pounced on her, flipping her onto her back among the pillows, doing my best to channel a pack of wild animals as I nuzzled the side of her neck, nibbled her collarbone, and then kissed her on the lips.

  She giggled under my ministrations and wrapped her legs around my hips at the same time as she caught hold of my shoulders to hold me close. With our noses nearly touching, I soaked in her beauty and lined up to impale her in the nicest possible way.

  But before I did, there was something I needed to say.

  With Rachel, I hadn’t known what would happen, but this time I did. It wouldn’t be right to proceed without giving Sandy the choice.

  “Don’t,” Azrael’s voice echoed in my mind. I knew he would be quite happy to not say a word until after the fact, but Sandy deserved to know.

  I’d rescued her from the clutches of a serial killer who chewed through his victims. She’d never done me wrong in any way, shape, or form, and deserved to be treated with equal respect.

  So, with my body yearning to continue and Azrael voicing his irritation in my mind, I pulled back a bit.

  “There’s something you ought to know before we go any further,” I said, keeping my smile firmly in place.

  Sandy didn’t cool down completely, but she did ease the pressure off my hips just a little. Yet her smile remained in place as well.

  “What, you’re not going to tell me you’re married, are you?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “Nothing like that. I do have another lover, but she’s known from the start I would be looking for more. But that’s not what this is about.”

  Sandy seemed unfazed by the thought of another. She reached up and played with my hair, and I was reminded once more of how much Azrael had changed my life in such a short time. Would Sandy have been so willing to play with my hair if I was still balding?

  “Just you keep remembering that,” Azrael said.

  “Then what’s this about, then?” Sandy asked.

  “I have a demon inside me,” I said.

  She frowned at me, slightly puzzled. “You what?”

  “I’ve bonded with a demon. Like some of the politicians have done. The guys who are really famous. Although, this is a little different. Instead of just answering me when I summoned him, we are literally one in the same. I can hear his voice in my head and can use his powers through me.”

  She looked at me. “You’re serious? Like, a literal demon? Not like some artifact or other, but a real, born in Hell, creature-of-the-damned?”

  I nodded, unsure how she would respond to the knowledge. To my surprise, she took it in her stride. “But it’s still you I’ll be sleeping with, right?” she asked.

  Again, I just nodded.

  “Then why is it an issue at all? Why did you feel like you needed to say anything?”

  This was it. The point where I could, in Azrael’s words, mess everything up. I drew a deep breath. “Because the last time I had sex with someone, my demon brought out her demonic nature as well. It bound her to us, in a way I don’t fully understand. But we’re now linked. As my demon grows in power, so will she.”

  Sandy considered this for a moment. She pushed me off her but didn’t seem to be pushing me away. Instead, she rested half on my chest and half propped up on an elbow, as if just giving herself a moment to think. Her eyes fell on the runes on my chest, the scars and the tattoos.

  “So, you’re telling me you have a ticket to the top? Like, you’ve won the lottery, found the holy Grail. And you can share that with me?”

  It wasn’t exactly the way I thought of it, but I had to admit she was right. “Yes. Except I don’t have a choice. If we go through with this, then my demon will call to whatever demonic aspects you have in your nature as well. And you will be bound to me the same way Rachel is. But, yes. The higher I’m able to rise, the higher we will be able to take you as well.”

  Sandy didn’t even hesitate. She was grinning very broadly even before I stopped speaking. “Thank you for telling me,” she said. “And I’m more than happy with that.” Then she frowned a little. “I’ve always thought this life wasn’t quite offering me everything I wanted. And that recent experience with Bob…” She pulled a face. Then shrugged, dismissing it from her mind. “I would be more than happy to let my own demon nature out into the world. As for the other part–you seem a decent guy. If you’re on a fast track to high status living, then I’m more than happy to come along for the ride.”

  I was somewhat surprised by Sandy’s easy acceptance. “Are you sure?” I asked her.

  In answer, Sandy gave me a wicked grin and arched an eyebrow. She looked me up and down, spied her target, and turned about so she could take me into her mouth. Our conversation had robbed me of some of my hardness, but it all came back as Sandy circled the tip with her tongue. At the same time, she moved one of her legs over me, showing me a well-maintained landing strip a shade or two darker than the hair on her head. Faced with such a sight, I figured she was indeed sure, and it was all I could do to return the favor, wrapping my arms around her waist as I did.

  For long minutes, we each gave as good as we got, with Sandy pausing from time to time to let out a moan as she pressed herself to my face. Then, all at once, she clambered down my body a little bit further and showed me how wet she had become when she guided me in.

  With her hands on my knees, she ground herself against me, reverse cowgirl, and I gripped her perfectly shaped hips and did my best to crush her against me. Within moments, we were pounding away at each other with an increasing tempo and unrestrained enthusiasm.

  It didn’t take long before Sandy clenched everything, from her legs at my hips to her hands on my knees, and even her teeth as she tried to keep from crying out loud. As for me, I had also reached my point of no return, and I found myself exploding within her.

  Just like with Rachel, I felt Azrael’s moment of triumph, and once again felt an explosion of energy that felt like being hit by a whirlwind. I knew how Connor MacLeod felt in that Highlander film when absorbing the power of a foe he had killed, but for me, there was no floating in the air, and I was pretty sure the lightning was just in my mind.

  It continued for long minutes, and when it was over, I was left gasping and panting.

  Just like with Rachel, the awakening of her demonic self was too much for Sandy. She collapsed onto the bed as well, and I held her in my energized exhaustion until she began to recover.

  And just like with Rachel, I could see Sandy’s demonic form begin to appear, and she could see mine as well. She looked at me with an expression of wonder, raising her hand to touch the side of my face.

  “You’re beautiful,” she murmured.

  Nobody had ever called me that before.

  I held her for a long time, just enjoying the afterglow of binding that was so much more powerful than just that of sex. I could sense Azrael gloating inside my mind and wasn’t surprised when he finally spoke.

  “Well done,” he said, and Sandy’s eyes opened wider in surprise.

  “Was that–?” she began, and I nodded, answering her unspoken question.

  “Where would you like to allocate your points this time?” Azrael asked.

  Chapter 29

  As much as I would have liked to be taller, better looking, and have the body of a male fitness model, I also wanted to keep breathing. My first two contracts had gone surprisingly well, given my complete lack of training. But I knew full well that both of them could have gone very badly. If I had been just a little slower, or if I had made some small mistake, I might not have even
survived.

  Which meant that the points I’d already thrown into strength and reflexes had been well worthwhile.

  So instead of upgrading my look, I upgraded the abilities I might need to stay alive in my new profession.

  At first, I thought about dividing this new lot of points evenly between strength and coordination again. But then I started thinking about endurance and durability as well, and even my ability to heal. What an advantage I’d have if I could go all Wolverine if I got hurt. The bruise I’d gained to my shoulder would already be gone, and I could even regrow arms or legs if needed.

  But then, that level of regenerative ability was probably many seductions away from my demon’s current power level. And, anyway, I had another thought I needed to ask about.

  “Is luck something you can influence?” I asked Azrael. “Like, if I was to throw all my points into luck, would I then lead a charmed existence?”

  “It would help,” Azrael responded. “But it wouldn’t be a magic bullet. Luck alone will only get you so far if it isn’t backed up by skill, strength, effort, and intelligence.”

  In the end, I went for a split between strength and coordination again, as well as luck, endurance, and stealth, and it was only after Azrael had applied the changes did I remember Rachel’s comment about increasing the size of a specific part of me.

  Oh well, I thought to myself with a quiet chuckle. She would have to make do with me as I was, at least for the time being.

  The done, I gave Sandy my contact details and took Big Bob’s car home, parking in Chad’s allocated spot in the apartment garage. I knew I couldn’t leave it there long in case someone noticed a dead man’s car in my missing roommate’s parking spot, but it would do for now.

  I was feeling pretty good about life, the universe, and everything. So I went upstairs to check how my status was doing (my illegal one, at least), and was pleasantly surprised to see it had risen into the low twenties. Apparently the Syndicate had learned of the fire already. Killing Big Bob Morris had provided a smaller jump than killing Marcel Marionetti, but it was still pretty good. If I kept taking contracts, my status should slowly creep up, and within a short time, I figured I would be doing very well.

  Then, out of habit, I logged into the Syndicate contract app just to see what was happening.

  As expected, Big Bob’s contract was marked complete, and I could expect my fee to be paid within a short time. I was starting to scan the open contracts again, more out of habit than a desire to try my luck so soon after the last, when a message alert appeared in the top corner of my screen.

  Once again, it was Megadeath#4. This time, his message was very short and somewhat foreboding.

  “That’s twice,” was all it said.

  I sat for long moments, just staring at the screen. What did he mean by that? I wondered. Was he pissed that I’d taken two contracts he could have fulfilled? Or was he just offering some sort of oddly worded congratulatory message?

  I couldn’t be sure, but given the tone of his first message, I was more inclined to believe the former.

  Which meant that he might not be simply out to intimidate. He might be looking at me as a potential threat, a competitor in what must have been a very lucrative business for himself.

  I didn’t have much insight into the etiquette around competitor behavior between hitmen, but I didn’t exactly like the idea of the Syndicate’s best holding a grudge toward me. I made a mental note to learn more about Megadeath’s intentions, then put it out of my mind.

  For that moment, I was feeling too satisfied with myself to be unduly worried.

  Chapter 30

  Interestingly, Big Bob’s death made the news just as Marcel Marionetti’s had done, but not for the same reason. That Big Bob had been murdered wasn’t even mentioned. The big news was what had been found in the remains of his basement.

  The fire had made a real mess of the place, but the forensics were still clear. Nineteen heads had been recovered from the property, not including Big Bob’s. As well as that, in the remains of a chest freezer, the police had found what looked to be to arms and a leg. What had happened to the rest of the bodies, none of the commentators knew, but the guesses ranged from the impossible to the scarily accurate.

  I watched it all with interest, feeling I’d done the world a service by taking out such a monstrous man. But mostly, I just watched to make sure my face didn’t appear on the screen. Once I had verified that it hadn’t, I took some of my money and paid for a storage building big enough to park the Mustang in. Luckily, the facility was only a couple of blocks from my apartment building, so it was an ideal location for me to store the car for use when I wanted it.

  Over the next few days, I settled back into the same general routine I had developed before. I no longer needed to worry about my status clients, so I spent the time I might have used with them practicing with my weapons, getting used to my new strength and speed, and figuring out where to go next.

  I still needed to get a gun of some sort. Something small enough that I could easily conceal, but powerful and simple enough to use that I could get proficient fairly quickly. Of course, the problem was still how to find one without leaving a trail, and I hadn’t yet figured that out.

  Other than that, the only difference to my life was that Sandy was now part of it. Like Rachel, she began hanging out at my apartment. And even though they were essentially opposites in looks and much of their nature, the two women shared enough similarities–including their relationship with me and their demonic selves–that they got on very well right from the start. There was no jealousy. Each of them knew the score and were happy with it.

  In fact, when Rachel found out that Sandy worked in marketing, she immediately suggested the way the blonde woman could help me out.

  “Why don’t you have a look at his dating site profiles?” Rachel said. “See if you can find some way to make them more effective. His status is improving, but he’s still not getting any hits.”

  Sandy was all on board. “The more women he sleeps with, the stronger Azrael gets, right?” she asked.

  “Exactly. So we want him to get out there and meet as many as possible.”

  To my dismay at how much my life had already changed, Sandy was completely okay with the idea. She took it and ran with it, improving everything she could about my profile, including choosing an image that showed what I looked like but made me seem far more confident, outgoing, and interesting than I actually was.

  It worked. Over the space of a couple of days, I went on half a dozen coffee dates, and while most of them were dismal failures, I had high hopes for a serious, soft-spoken brunette named Heather, who’d seemed to be open for at least a follow-up meeting.

  But before I could see if I could add her to our little group, I saw a new contract opportunity that seemed to have my name on it.

  Mr. Steve Daniels, one of El Diablo’s many legal prosecutors. Apparently, Mr. Daniels was involved in a case against one of the Syndicate’s leading lights. Immune to both bribery and threat, the powers that be had decided to make an example of him.

  A quick glance through this file suggested that while he had plenty of means to protect himself, he preferred a simpler life.

  I knew at a glance that this was going to be an easier job than Marcel Marionetti or even Big Bob. Mr Daniels lived alone, and while there were guards on his estate, there were none in his house.

  Did I have any qualms about taking out one of the good guys when my first two targets had been on the wrong side of gray?

  Perhaps just a little. But I rationalized it with the understanding that if I didn’t take the contract, then Megadeath certainly would, and Mr. Daniels would be dead either way. Given that, I figured there was no real harm in signing up to do the job, and in just a few seconds, I’d done exactly that.

  Once again, I looked at the congratulatory message that popped up on the screen and took a deep breath.

  I was more prepared for this one than I h
ad been for the previous two. It should, I thought, be a walk in the park.

  Chapter 31

  My best option for approaching Steve Daniels was at his home in the evening. He worked in one of the corporate towers in the middle of the city, splitting his time between his office and the criminal court. I had no way of knowing where exactly he would be at any time, and neither of those locations enabled an easy approach to completing my contract there.

  In fact, both the court and the corporate office operated under strict security protocols, with every visitor and their luggage going through a metal detector. Thanks to Azrael–and Sandy, of course–I was stronger than I’d ever been, but that didn’t mean I wanted to kill Mr. Daniels with my bare hands.

  I mean, I was getting pretty good with my knives, and knew where to strike with them to do the most good. But I didn’t want to get into some sort of wrestling match if I could at all help it.

  Steve Daniels’ large but not spectacular home in a well-to-do suburb was a far, far softer target. Sure, it was a gated community, complete with a wall and a security guard at the gate and another who patrolled the community on a regular basis. But all that meant was I had to pick my spot and keep an eye out for trouble.

  Of course, I had to leave my car parked a few streets away, but what did that matter? It wasn’t like I was planning to run him over or anything.

  I waited until I was sure Daniels would be home for the night. It was already dark by the time I left the security of Big Bob’s car and made my way to the section of the wall I’d picked out for my attempt. The guard had passed by only a few minutes before and wasn’t due back for nearly half an hour or so. I knew there were security cameras by the main gate, but the rest of the wall had none.

  I’d worn my darkest clothing, including gloves and that classic criminal accessory, a black ski mask. I’d added my bullet-proof vest just to be sure and felt as ready as I would ever be.