Demon Inhibitions: Caitlin Diggs Series #3

by Gary Starta

  Its growl rose in volume as it padded toward me with purpose. No doubt I would be its prey if I didn’t act soon. I reached behind me, my right hand jiggling the doorknob in desperation but I couldn’t reopen the door in time. The cat flew at me, a blur of darkness. I ducked as it careened against the door, its full weight nearly smashing it to smithereens in the process. I pirouetted in a half turn as if a ballerina. I would not attempt to outrun it. I decided to confuse it. I hadn’t attempted a cartwheel since my youth. As it rolled to right itself, I transformed myself into a human wheel. Hands, feet, then hands again, launching me across the wooden floor towards the kitchen. I recalled a back door entrance there. If I could just reach it in time I might escape with my life. My tactics had worked for the most part. From the corner of the eye, I watched the monstrous cat eye me, head cocked in wonder. I finally fell against the doorjamb that led to the kitchen. I used it to stumble back to my feet, and in that instant, I instinctively grabbed onto a wheeled food cart. I had a split instant to act. I could either ride the cart to the exit or use it to impede the cat’s progress. An ominous, guttural cry made up my mind. With a swooping one-armed fling, I tossed the cart at the cat. It tumbled and flipped, steel grating against wood, my fleeting hope of escape vying against the fangs and claws of a phantom intruder. Odds favored me in the next moment. The cart had delayed the cat’s entrance into the kitchen long enough to allow me to skid across linoleum on my knees. But by the time my hand fumbled for the doorknob, I could hear the scratch of claw against floor. My eyes latched onto the first thing in sight. A rack of pans hung suspended from the ceiling. Fueled by adrenaline, I willed their release. I couldn’t discern how, but panic conspired to free the pans from their hooks. The din and clatter of metal must have startled the cat because as I finally swung the door open I dared a peek to eye the cat once more. Still across the room from me, it had momentarily stopped pursuit. But now, locking eyes with me, it began to reassess the situation, rocking on its haunches, prepared to spring. One launch and I would be toast or more aptly--meat. I slammed the door shut and the cat crashed against it. With the realization that I probably would not have escaped a second aerial assault by the cat, I teetered slowly away from the door.

  Eventually, I found my wits and ran back to Brahms’s vehicle. Locking myself inside, I phoned Briana. How I managed to dial with shaking hands I do not know, but the ordeal had done wonders for restoring my motivation. Her voice mail kicked in on the second ring.

  “Briana. There is a huge panther in Diggs’s home. I barely escaped, I’m afraid for Bastet. I didn’t see her inside so I’m going to need to go back in to find her. I’ve got one question, will regular bullets kill it?”

  My hand fumbled for the gun. Yes, still in its holster despite my acrobatics. This time I would go in prepared. I mustered courage to unlock the door, the will to save Bastet strong enough to even allow myself to put one foot on the pavement. Then Briana picked up.

  “I’m here Caitlin! I’m here!”

  “Yes. Briana?”

  “Caitlin, don’t go back in the house. And for goddess sake, don’t fire your weapon!”

  “But Bastet’s in there, I’ve got to…”

  “No. You don’t need to save her. She’s all right. The panther is Bastet.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I’m sorry. I thought Agent Diggs had told you. And with the bad news, it slipped my mind to remind you. Bastet has a condition. She is simply protecting the house. She just needs to smell a familiar scent; then she’ll calm down.”

  I plopped myself back into the car and shut the door. At that instant, I realized even a glamour spell wouldn’t keep my secret forever. Sooner or later, someone or something would sniff me out. Bastet knew I wasn’t her Caitlin. Evidently, the despair in my voice triggered Briana’s maternal instinct. Speaking softly and calmly she implored me to stay in the car until she arrived. “We’ll come up with a new plan, Caitlin. Just breathe and think of a meadow filled with songbirds. Their quiet chirping steadying your heartbeat, your pulse lapping in lazy rhythmic time to long blades of grass gently swaying back and forth in a warm breeze…”

  The next thing I knew, her car rolled in behind me.

  “Must have dozed off,” I said as she knocked on my window.

  She took the house keys and entered the home. Seconds ticked by like minutes. I had all I could do to resist drawing my weapon. Finally, she poked her head out the front door. “It’s okay Caitlin. She’s shifted back.”

  True enough. I entered to find Bastet eagerly rubbing her body against my shins, pleading for attention.

  Briana began to fix tea as I tried to wrap my mind around what had just transpired. The placid blue eyed little Tonk before me only moments earlier transformed from a bloodthirsty panther.

  “How did it happen?” I asked as Briana joined me on the living room couch, pouring tea from a silver kettle.

  “She got loose from her carrier one time. You see Bastet’s an alpha cat. Always up for a challenge. Agent Diggs and I were on a stake-out. We heard a growl, probably the same bloodcurdling, menacing type growl you experienced. Before we could react, Bastet punched open her cage door and flew out the window in pursuit. When we arrived, we found her lying on her side, blood spouting from her neck. We feared the worst, but by the time we carried her back to the car, her wound had started to heal over. Moments later, she began pouncing about the car. We saw no need to seek medical attention as the bite mark miraculously disappeared one hour after the attack. Neither of us wanted to admit what happened in days to follow. We knew she had bitten by something supernatural. Something with advanced healing properties. And weeks later, Bastet experienced her first change: Turning into a panther to confront a Federal Express deliveryman. In time, Bastet grew to become a great asset on stakeouts, willing herself to transform in response to threat. You see, although it is likely Bastet had become infected by a werecat, she never grew slave to nocturnal transformations. She only changed when she perceived danger. So, I’m sure now that Bastet sees you as family, there will be no need to fear her.”

  That’s great, I thought, as she settled in for a nap on my thighs. I wondered when I would be sleeping again--with both eyes closed.

  Briana sensed my apprehension. “I think she’ll come in handy, Caitlin. If Mollini should appear, you’ll have plenty of advance warning.”

  I smiled and stroked Bastet’s back. She had just lost her owner.

  “We’ll both have to be strong for each other,” I said.

  “Aha,” Briana said.

  “I’m sorry. I was talking to Bastet.”

  “I know you were. And I have no doubt you’ll become friends for life.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that, Briana. I mean, once we report Diggs’s death I’ll need to find a way back to my world. That is, after I capture Mollini. I was wondering if Manners might--”

  She interrupted me. “No, Caitlin. I’m afraid Manners can’t teleport humans to your reality, and vice versa. If he could, he would have brought his Briana over to our world a long time ago.”

  My heart sank. “So what would happen…?”

  “You would not survive. The rules are different in this reality. Here, you can transport safely, as long as it’s in the confines of this world.”

  “But I don’t want to teleport in this world. I need to go home, eventually.”

  “We’ll do everything to help you get there. But for now, I think it is best you remain here. That you pick up where Agent Diggs left off.”

  “Oh! You don’t mean…?” I could feel my face forging into a deep scowl. Briana’s idea and my subsequent response were doing their best to defeat my moisturizing regimen.

  “Yes, I do. Caitlin would have wanted you to take over. So I want you to step into her shoes, at least until we stop Mollini.”

  I smiled without a trace of joy, a cruel leer at what the universe had metered out for us. “I could do that… for the time being. But
in the long run, it would never work. We weren’t exactly alike. And even if we were, how do I justify taking over her life? Her relationships, her belongings… they’re not mine, Briana.”

  “It’s natural to feel guilt. You think it should have been you.”

  “It would have been… easier. I am the stranger to this world. I don’t belong here. And speaking of guilt, I need to see my family again. My sister…” I cupped my face in my hands. “Oh, she must think the worst.”

  “I’ve discussed this with Manners. He’s willing to teleport back to your world do some recon on Mollini. Find your family, even. Let them know you’re okay.”

  “He… he would do that? He could be arrested…”

  “Most definitely, but the judge and I weighed the consequences. He deems you a worthy risk.”

  While we shared a hug, Bastet relocated herself to my shoulder. So maybe I did have some friends in this world after all.

  “Now if you can get yourself freshened up, we’ve got a meeting to attend.”

  Her pronouncement rocked me out of my sentimental journey.

  “You mean at the FBI headquarters?”

  “Yes,” Briana answered. “Did you think the preternatural crime division convened in bat- caves?”

  “What about security?”

  “You said you had Caitlin’s badge. Just act like you did when you were an agent, you’ll be fine.”

  Easy for her to say; I had been out of my Bureau for nearly a half year. And if I hadn’t been suffering enough of a personality crisis in my world, I sure as hell was here.

  “How does she act around the assistant director? Is she secure?”

  “You mean does she talk back?” Briana smiled.

  “I take that as a yes.”

  She explained the AD would be assigning us a new case.

  “What about Mollini?” I asked.

  “He knows all about your pursuit. He also knows Mollini eluded us in our efforts to save the hostage and that the trail has gone cold. In essence, he knows everything--about Brahms, the portal--”

  “Everything except the fact his Diggs is dead and I’m an imposter,” I cut in.

  “You’ll see this is for the better. If we reported Diggs’s death, the AD might be forced to assign additional personnel to the case. And maybe those personnel might not be so careful, if you get what I mean.”

  I did. She meant non-preternatural agents, or non-PCD’s, might employ conventional weapons against Mollini. Worse, they might blow any rapport we might hope to have with Brahms. “They would put Brahms in a cell, wouldn’t they?”

  “In a heartbeat, Caitlin.”

  “Okay.” I paused to exhale. “I can do this.”

  “Just one bit of advice.” She leaned closer and pointed a crooked finger at me.

  “Yes, Briana?”

  “Stop sighing. My Agent Diggs never did that.”

  “Oh.” I put my hand to mouth. “Oops. Sorry.”

  ~ * ~

  It wasn’t until we arrived at the J. Edgar Hoover Building that I happened to ask what I thought to be a casual question.

  “So how do I address the AD? What’s his name?”

  She hesitated telling me until we were in the elevator.

  “AD Grant.”

  “Grant? Tell me,” I asked, feeling the full onslaught of a dry mouth, “does he happen to have green eyes?”

  “Like the sea, my dear. Like the sea.”

  That shut my mouth. Well, at least I wouldn’t be sighing--or so I thought.

  I stood about two feet from the man who had made me melt on the plane. I felt his eyes assessing me. Did he already know I wasn’t his Caitlin? Briana, sensing my discomfort, guided me to a seat in front of his desk.

  “I realize finding and capturing Aldo Mollini is first priority, Agents.” He leaned back in his leather chair, hands in a steeple, resting on his fine chest. “But we must respond with similar urgency to another terrorist threat. A threat we had originally believed to be from humans. Recent Intel suggests demons are to blame for a rash of breaking and entering, some involving mere vandalism, others theft. All focused on corporations, all mayhem caused after hours. No one hurt. This clearly says the disturbances are all about sending a message.”

  “Uh-huh,” I said. “So why do you suddenly suspect demons?”

  “Only demons have the ingenuity to avoid alarms and biometric detection systems. Most recently, a video cam caught one in the act.”

  “Oh,” I said. “So I guess this now falls under the jurisdiction of the PCD.”

  “Bingo,” Grant answered. “Now the corporate crime unit has done a lot of legwork for you. They know all the companies attacked share a commonality. They regularly fund grants for the purpose of medical research. It’s a way to supposedly rid demons of their dubious DNA or in other words, to turn monsters into humans.”

  I caught myself before I sighed. I already knew firsthand about human monsters. They didn’t have to have tails or horns. Humans could choose to be just as evil as demons.

  “So,” Briana said, casting a sidelong glance at the way Grant and I were staring at each other. “The motive doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Why would demons be attacking those who want to help them?”

  “Exactly,” Grant said, his sea green eyes still refusing to part with mine. “I believe humans are behind the terror, employing demons to do the deeds as a guise. There are many human supremacy groups. And they are all quite openly against any means to aid demons.”

  “Aid demons?” I blurted out. “By turning off their genetic disposition to harm, are they blind or just plain stupid?”

  “For all intents and purposes, Agent Diggs, the medical means to transform demons is years, maybe decades away. Still, there are humans who believe providing any benefit to demons is sacrilegious. The Bureau believes these terror factions are most likely operated by humans. Those who have lost loved ones to demons, and from their standpoint, I can see why they are so jaded. They will never come to terms with their loss; never be able to trust demons, even those who have never committed a crime. To them, demons represent evil, plain and simple.”

  “But we as humans must also realize the line separating us is never so black and white, that it is filled with gray. Even they must realize their own hypocrisy, employing demons to commit the terrorist acts.”

  “That’s an accurate and humane assessment, Agent Diggs. I can’t really argue with you. But by that same token, maybe we shouldn’t be interfering in demons’ lives. If they are to be respected, maybe we might begin by not treating them as diseased. By proposing a means to change them, we are also admitting they are dangerous and carnal by nature, a lesser breed of beings than ourselves.”

  I couldn’t argue. I especially couldn’t argue with those gorgeous eyes.

  “You’ll want to prepare yourself for a stake-out tonight.” Grant laid a folder across his desk. “Inside is all the pertinent information. I think this is a slam-dunk case in that there is probably a ninety percent chance you’ll apprehend a perp. Now those odds wouldn’t be so good with our human crime division. In truth, Briana, we need your mystical assistance on this one.”

  Hmm... So Briana wasn’t so tentative about casting spells after all.

  I could deduce that her magic would help us catch our demon. But would her magic be enough to coerce answers from him? Would he willingly tell us who had hired him? I wondered if that part would be as simple as AD Grant made it out to be.

  “Sir, are we to use any means necessary to enlist the demon’s cooperation?” I had to ask. I had to know if this Bureau respected rights--whether the being was human or demon.

  “You’ll use your good judgment. The preternatural division has--and always will operate in a fair and just manner. I’m sure you know that all too well, Agent Diggs. It’s always easier to arrest a demon than to convict one.”

  I nodded. I believed his Agent Diggs would have.

  He excused us a few moments later, but hedged. “A
gent Diggs would you mind staying behind a few more moments?”

  “No, of course not.” Briana gave me knowing look before leaving. What did she know that I didn’t?

  Apparently, Briana knew all about Agent Grant’s charms. If I had to guess, I would say that his Agent Diggs had always resisted them--for what reason I did not know.

  He positioned himself behind my chair. “Is everything all right, Caitlin? You seem so on edge.”

  “Oh. I’m just lacking sleep.”

  “May I?” he asked. I turned when I found his hands resting on my shoulders.”

  I whimpered something that he took as a yes.

  Before I knew it, his strong hands were kneading into my tense muscles, freeing tension, stress and my inhibitions--all in one swoop.

  He laughed, nervously. “I guess this is a first.”

  I could only deduce he had made passes at Diggs before without success.

  After a few moments, I rose from my chair. My body ready to dive into his welcoming green sea of relief. Truth was I couldn’t divide the line between lust and the need for simple human comfort. I had been alone in my universe and in this one as well for quite some time. And I realized the last time I had sex with a human it had been supercharged. I had just come into my powers and that sexual encounter had been unrivaled. So was this mere attraction, a simple black and white scenario--or maybe a shade of gray? I wondered if my selfish need for human contact after my recent experiences outweighed any prudent behavior towards casual sex.

  I opted to answer this question later.

  He led me towards a couch directly behind him. We stumbled together, little tiptoe baby steps towards our destination, our breathing becoming quite heavy. Maybe Agent Diggs should have given in to a sigh every now and then, I thought as he began to part me from my jacket. My hands worked on his belt and zipper. Then his hands freed me from pants and panties. Oh my goddess, unprotected sex. He didn’t seem to be concerned. Maybe sex was always safe in this universe. I wondered if I had stumbled into paradise, caught in a delightful waking daydream, our lips pressing against each other’s more urgently by the minute, our tongues dancing lightly and provocatively over each other’s.