by P. S. Power
“I mean for him to help procure for you, not be food. Kindly don’t eat our friends. I know some of them look young and tasty, but we have other plans for them.”
Hally reached over and took Keeley’s hand again, seeking comfort .People were talking about getting human blood after all. It had to sound a little weird. She gave it a little squeeze and kept eating, a bit faster than was polite. She’d gotten behind in eating again. She was doing better though, so at least there was that. The cute red-head wrinkled her face like a little kid for a second, an almost imperceptible thing.
“So, were going after the people that killed Rob? How? Do we beat them up… or have them arrested?”
Eve raised her eyebrows and made a soft sound, almost a snort, but shook her head gently and took a bite of roll before speaking herself, drawing it out, even though everyone was watching her, or in Keeley’s case, watching while trying to not look like she actually stuffed food into her mouth like a starving person.
“How do you think that would work? No, we kill them all. The question is, how do we get away with it? Do we know who they are really?”
That got a serious look from Darla, who nodded, looking at Gary, since he was the one she expected to have a problem with what she was going to say, no doubt. What she said made sense to Keeley at least, though Gary did act offended for about ten seconds.
“We know who they are and have a plan, but I want all of you to stay here with Rebekah until it’s over. To answer your questions, yes, we’re planning to kill the one responsible and possibly those that did the actual deed, though there are others involved in this that we may kill, even though they’re innocent in all of this. It can’t be helped, though we seek to try.” The head cheerleader didn’t look much like one, as she fixed a solid gaze on Gary. No, she looked fierce.
Dangerous.
“If you get stupid, think that you can handle this better than two Greater Demons with hundreds of times more experience than you can possibly imagine, not only will you die, but probably get our other friends killed as well. This isn’t a children’s tale. The stakes are life and death. People will die before the month is out. Rob will have his vengeance and us our revenge. If that isn’t enough for you, please let me know now, so that we don’t have to lose everything later when you decided to mess with my plans.”
She didn’t glare, but Gary looked down after a few minutes and shrugged his muscular shoulders.
“Fine. Make sure to kill them though. If you don’t, I will. Somehow.”
Nodding Keeley kept eating. It seemed fair to her after all.
Darla outlined her plan, which was a lot more complicated than Keeley figured, but didn’t involve her going off to fight either, which was sensible. It was Darla’s problem after all. Her asset had been destroyed, Roberto the human was hers, so it was up to her to get revenge and make sure this Gatherer didn’t make the same mistake twice. She did want Keeley’s help though.
“We need to make certain Edith isn’t at her hiding spot when I go in. I can kill her easily enough, but I want to wait, if possible, until after we break the device holding her slaves in thrall. That gives them the best chance of survival. Any ideas?”
Reloading her plate, she thought, and snagged two more of the vast rolls. They were good.
“Sure. She expressed a bit of worry over the dancers that we had at the party, she figures, probably correctly, that the PTO is going to gritch at her over that. I’m planning on a community Halloween party, another thing with the police and Coretechs supporting it, though with a smaller budget and just one large event. It should be more family friendly anyway, but if I offer her a spot on the planning commission for it, so that she could report to the angry mob of parents that she’s already taking steps to prevent another fun event from happening, she should jump at the chance. We need some other people on it too… Honestly I could use the help.”
Darla smiled, a vulpine thing, curling mainly at the corners.
“I have some in mind. Get your Clara in on it, and Karen Benson. Eve, would you be willing to sit in on that as well? You have a good sense of such traditional parties. Besides, I think it’s time you met with Karen a little more closely. She’s your stepmother after all, and a good person. An old friend of mine too, like you are now.”
Eve grimaced.
“I don’t know, I’ve met her, but she and I aren’t close. It could be awkward.”
Hally stared around the table and finally looked at Darla, then down at her plate.
“Not much left for me to do then, is there… I get it. I mean I’m not that smart, so maybe I should just go home?” The voice was tiny, barely heard even as everyone else went silent.
Rebekah’s eyes went wide.
“No, that isn’t true. We need some shopping done… I can’t do it very easily,” she gestured with a pale hand at her strange slightly bulging mouth filled with rows of fangs and her solid, blood red eyes. Hally went very still, as if just now realizing what the other woman really looked like. The Vampire kept talking.
“I got paid last night, so could use some things. Balthias might want some as well.” She didn’t look at the corner, but the Lesser Demon smiled.
It was an evil looking thing, but Keeley could only expect so much from him. Lesser Demon after all.
Darla interjected happily though.
“Oh, yes, Keels, those funds you arranged for have come in. I took the liberty of having my man set up several accounts for you, I have some bank cards and checks for you. I didn’t know what pattern you wanted on them, so they’re a little plain. I hope that’s all right?” She hopped up and came back a minute later with three different cards suck to white pieces of paper. Keeley memorized the pin numbers and picked out the easiest to remember one, just four five’s in a row, which was a horrible number if you cared about it being stolen, and handed it to Hally.
“We need clothing and toiletries for Elis as well.” She schooled her face and looked at the corner where Balthias stood.
“Some sex lube too. Balthias, how are things going that way?” She didn’t expect an answer, but he made himself visible to the room, which got a whimper from Hally, and spread his massive hands.
“No need for such. Yet. He weakens though and soon shall be my conquest. Perhaps if the Lady Hally could provide such it would entice him further? He fears the pain of my mightiness might be too great to bear.”
Eve nodded and tried to act like seeing giant Demon looking things appear was common place now, which in her life it very nearly was.
“That sounds good. At least to tease him with. I don’t actually want him raped though. I’ve decided that making him hunt down the others would be better. I don’t want to go all evil or anything. Not on him.”
Balthias grunted, a dark sound. He shook his head slowly and looked right at the cute black haired girl.
“Cockblocker.” It was too modern a term for his regular speech pattern, so got a giggle from the table. Even Rebekah managed a grin. Gary didn’t, but with a flourish of a hand Eve sighed.
“Don’t worry, well get you something. I just don’t want him broken, yet.”
That got a bow from the huge form, still standing over in his corner.
Darla made some calls, Hally nervously got with the girl Vampire and the Lesser Demon who was very, very courteous to her the whole time, and Gary… fumed.
He was planning to runoff and kill someone. It was so clear Keeley didn’t have to touch him to get the idea. They didn’t have a lot of time for that though, did they? Him being a dork and getting himself killed or making Darla rush in to save him.
Not at all.
“Stop it. This is a serious thing for a Greater Demon. She needs to do this in a very specific way. I know that you’re angry, but if you do what you’re thinking, a lot of people may die for it, that haven’t earned anything of the sort.” The words weren’t enough and were falling on deaf ears.
That was Darla’s problem though, not hers. She just
needed to arrange a meeting.
For the next day.
Honestly, “Mrs. Gibson” did most of that. Keeley just had to call the Edith Givens and her own school Principal. He was easy to convince, but Edith was her normal cheery self, which meant she had to make everything into a problem.
“Why should I do what some little girl wants? I’m already going to have trouble because of you. First you ruin my plans for the school party by co-opting my caterer, then your behavior, strippers, girls flashing the crowd, so many police it felt oppressive. Hardly a ringing success.” The sound of her voice was bitter. Probably because the media had thought it was pretty darned well planned and thought that the “adult” stuff, at least the dancers, added just the right touch of naughty without doing anything illegal.
The police department had actually confessed to having arranged that part. Not Chief Benson, but the actual officers had taken up a collection to pay for it and called in some favors. It was a big hit with all the kids, showing that the police were just pro-law, not anti-fun. It was something that could get lost in their day to day work, Keeley realized.
They’d just taken the local police from the buzz killing Gestapo and made them nearly cool in one action.
Keeley had to like that.
So did Roy, who was quite pleased when Darla had arranged for Karen to be on the panel for the Halloween party. As if giving her work to do was a great favor.
Keeley looked at the phone in her hand for a second before speaking, knowing that calling Edith on her stupidity wouldn’t actually fix it. That never worked. People were either blind to their own errors due to ego, or honestly unable to think well enough to correct them. Edith wasn’t dumb, so she just needed to be guided into the correct course of action. If Keeley turned it into a fight the woman would balk and not come.
“Oh? I can see that. Kind of the reason for asking you. So that you can give your ideas, but I can get where you’re coming from too. No problem if you don’t want to do it. It’s not directly for a school function, and while Mrs. Gibson wanted to work with the school district on this, we already have the Raintree principal, so we can just focus the press on him for this… Well, sorry to take up your time, thanks for talking to me about it. We’d still love any input you have to add, if you think of anything…” Keeley tried to sound innocent and sincere. It was harder to do than it sounded, Demon emotional control or not.
She kept wanting to slip into sarcastic. The woman was just that abrasive.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. Learn to listen girl. Fine, When is this meeting?”
It was slated for the Chief of Police’s home at seven the next evening. They had a real deadline after all. It was kind of being rushed along, but that had nothing to do with this little side project. Edith repeated the information, and said she’d be there. That didn’t assure it of course, but adding anything else would probably seem suspicious. She didn’t want to set off alarm bells.
Though if it had been her being called by a schoolgirl on a Sunday and she were the Principal, Keeley wouldn’t have bought it at all. Still, it was a real meeting.
Hally went out to get some shopping done, taking Eve, who drove well enough, but didn’t have a license, barrowing Darla’s nice little convertible. No one on the police force would pull it over. They knew better. Still, it was a poor plan. They really needed to get Eve a driver’s license. Hally and Gary too. What if they needed to go out of town or something?
Gary moped and acted put upon right up until Keeley got ready to leave. He followed her out to the garage and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Keeley… This is so weird, you’re a Demon? You seem so nice all the time. Darla too… Anyway, I won’t get in the way, I promise. Just, make sure this works will you. I really liked Rob. I’m not dumb enough to think it was more than a temporary thing, we weren’t soul mates or anything, but he was with me and those… things, killed him. Over a stupid game we probably wouldn’t have won anyway. That witch of a Principal has to be stopped. If you need help with that or anything…”
Keeley put a hand on his upper arm, gently squeezing it.
“Then I’ll get in touch with you first. I should get a cell phone, but my “parents” don’t think a young girl should have one. Probably correct too, so I can’t say much, can I? It would be handy though. Remember, we don’t want or need you going off to prison for this. Darla is perhaps one of the best planners in the world on things like this. Trust in her abilities and don’t go off trying to play hero.” It was likely even true. She’d be better at it than Gary at least.
Of course it wasn’t some kind of super- plan, was it? Distract the Gatherer, make sure the device got destroyed, if possible, and then kill Edith, all of which was really up to Darla, though Keeley would be keeping an eye on the woman. And working. The party was real enough. She needed to make certain that guy from her father’s office was invited too. It was his plan.
Really, he should be in charge. At least sort of.
Keeley would have to take care of that too. She fought a sigh and, a little impulsively, gave the boy in front of her a warm hug. His anger hadn’t subsided much at all, but he didn’t seem to currently be planning any personal mayhem. It would probably happen though, eventually. Unless he was managed pretty carefully. The memories in her head told her that. Rage manifested eventually, if you knew enough to see the signs and had a long enough view of things.
This wasn’t just a little anger either.
The boy hugged her back, clinging to her, not really believing she was anything other than what she looked like. He bought Balthias was what was claimed, and could nearly accept Rebekah, as exotic as she looked, but Keeley was just… Her. Darla was the same in his mind. That was fine, as long as he didn’t get himself, or anyone else, killed.
How likely was that though? Cynical maybe, but Keeley figured that at least some of her friends would die in the coming days. Not because they had too, just because they were too easy as targets went. Too hard to really miss. Even a Gatherer could remove them from being without sweating it as a problem.
That was going to make her sad, if it happened. She really hoped it just didn’t.
Chapter thirteen
“Pure favoritism on Darla’s part, but you both have the needed skills for it, so why not?” Keeley openly teased Karen Benson, who was near forty, but looked a lot younger, not more than thirty really. Lean, well made up, and dressed almost perfectly for a group party planning session. The woman had greeted her with a hug even though they’d never met, and Eve with shock, clearly both recognizing the girl and not expecting her to be there at all.
Nice of her sister to forget to mention that to the woman. Too late to do anything about it, Keeley acted like it was normal.
“I’d like you two to work together. If you could kind of take her under your wing for a while Karen? Things are possibly getting a little rough, and her mother…” Keeley didn’t want to speak ill of the woman. Or rather, she wanted to bad mouth her for several hours, and possibly convince Roy to arrest her, but that couldn’t happen and being a gossip, or seen as catty, would just reflect poorly on her.
The slightly older looking woman nodded, and pulled Eve into a tight hug.
“I know. Some of it at least. Darla told us, about six months ago. I…” Real tears formed in her eyes, but it was slightly misplaced. Mistimed at least. The others were showing up. Dan Carmichael in his nice silver car, which was someone Keeley hadn’t expected, but could see being there, since he was kind of the money man for side projects as far as Coretechs was concerned.
Not that they were going with a vast budget. It was just a Halloween party. Candy, games and prizes, decorations and some food. Music. Maybe some fog machines. What else did they need?
Her school’s Principal, Mr. Morton, was there and he nodded to her and Eve, but didn’t approach overly, being positively entranced with Karen. The woman seemed pleased enough right back, and since both she and Roy w
ere swingers, into having an open relationship and multiple sex partners, it might even be worth the man’s time to flirt with her. Who knew? Well, Karen… but who else?
Keeley smiled at Eve, but the girl didn’t get it at all. Then, she really didn’t know Karen, did she?
They both liked sex as a hobby though, so they at least had that in common. She’d have to point that out.
Edith was the last one there, not late, just exactly on time, walking in the door at seven, with at least four strange devices on her, powerful enough things they stressed the very fabric of reality as she moved, a visible warping of the air around her. Keeley could see it at least. She also had three people with her. Daryl was there, as was a woman in her forties or so, who looked like the stereotype of a trailer park dweller, and very unhappy to have been dragged along. The last was a giant man, who just looked insane, bearded and with a nearly cylindrical body. Nearly six-eight at a guess too.
Keeley didn’t know what he was, but it wasn’t strictly human, that was for certain. Edith’s back-up then. As if she needed it for a party planning session? Keeley just smiled and put a light skip into her step, making her seem a bit perky and happy. It was all she was allowing herself to feel. Edith wasn’t her favorite person, but it was good she’d come, they needed the help. She’d even brought some friends.
Cool. That they weren’t normal looking was fine, it was for Halloween anyway, right?
Bob Richards looked like what he was, a middle management guy from Coretechs, who at forty-five had realized he wasn’t moving any higher in the company in his section, so if he wanted to go anywhere before he retired, he had to start coming up with new ideas. Like this PR gimmick. That Charles Thomson’s daughter had gotten him the spot wasn’t lost on him at all. He figured that Thomson was angling to get a favor later, in return. If it worked, that could be done. Help your friends out, and all that. Keeley knew all this because he kept touching her. Just arms and shoulder, not anything too over the top, not even on purpose.
