by Kim Faulks
He didn't know who occupied his skin at that moment, because it was no longer him as he screamed, smashing his fist over and over into the man. Riccardi moved like a wrestler, twisting and turning until he straddled Darrion. But, he had something that Riccardi didn't. Rage. And he had that shit in spades as he unleashed his fury in blows.
He could feel arms grip him, wrapping around his waist, pulling his blows away from Riccardi.
"You are fucking finished, Hunter. You hear me!" Riccardi screamed, blood and spittle flying his way.
Fisher growled in his ear. "Come on Hunter, this isn't helping man. Come on pal, settle down."
He wrenched his arms away from his friend, wiping away the sweat on his brow. He was a ticking time-bomb. One that needed to diffuse or risk exploding. He nodded towards Fisher and turned back, taking a great deal of satisfaction that Riccardi looked far worse than he did.
Chapter 17
The jewels were safely hidden away in the last place that someone like X would look. Behind wagging tails and big brown eyes, that weren't afraid to take a hunk of flesh out of anyone who tried to get to them. The shelter seemed to be her salvation in more ways than one, so it seemed only right that she became theirs.
The unusual turn of events with Hunter intrigued her, enough to make her return to the Police Headquarters and lie in wait for him to make a move. He was smarter than the others gave him credit for, but not her. She knew enough of him to be cautious at the very least. So, she waited, peering out behind concrete pillars until he pushed through the door to the police car park and walked towards his car.
Complete annihilation of him was what she hoped for, prayed for. Anything to end this sickness inside of her that Darrion Hunter had become. But, as she listened to the one sided conversation and watched the pain distort his face in the rear vision mirror, she suddenly found herself wishing for something else, something that she could neither provide nor obtain. Something she had never experienced herself, let alone wished for another. Happiness.
Walk away, she demanded. Walk away now, before this gets out of hand. But the problem with that was it was already out of hand. Way out of hand, and the fact that she found herself thinking about those feelings only highlighted just how out of hand this actually was.
The tires of the car squealed on the concrete floor as Hunter sped from the parking lot. She told herself it was to make sure he was preoccupied with whatever was happening. She told herself it was for no other reason that she followed, keeping well behind the scope of his rear vision mirror. But, deep down, she knew she was lying.
Hunter parked in the middle of a long line of other unmarked, undisruptive dark colored sedans, as Kellah stayed hidden in the shadows of the trees, watching the situation unfold.
She was spellbound as Hunter made his way towards the plastic sheeting on the ground, kneeling and lifting the corner. She couldn't see who it was, but she suspected that whoever lay under the dark plastic was someone that Hunter not only knew, but someone he was involved with. The image of a dark silhouette came back to her the curves of the woman's body snapping the guarded demon inside of her to attention. Was the body under the plastic this woman that Hunter was involved with?
It was in her nature to feel a sense of satisfaction if that was the case, knowing that Hunter was hers and only hers once more.
Thoughts were entertained, demonic thoughts, delicious and inviting. And for a second while she remained hidden in the shadows, engrossed in Hunter as he stood and walked away, she allowed herself to be carried away in the fantasy, a fantasy where Hunter was not her opposite, but another of her kind. Someone she could give herself to, someone she could bear the mark of. She reached to her breast, feeling the pulse of her flesh as it raced with the pulse of her heart.
She had hoped the biker Samael would have grown on her, forcing out her insane desire for the Detective. But even though he had allowed her to share the taste of his flesh and blood, he still tasted like ash in her mouth. It was Hunter she wanted now more than ever, his haunting cries of ecstasy driving her to a deadly obsession.
She snapped her attention back to why she was here, disgusted with the way she allowed this human to affect her. She turned her focus back to him, seeking him out, watching the moment he swung his fist at another, and was wrestled to the ground. She smiled as she turned away. Bye, bye Darrion Hunter, she whispered, for after this little episode, he was going down. This was the beginning of the end of Hunter and to her it couldn't have come soon enough.
Tonight she would go back for her jewels and once she was sure the shelter would be cared for, she was out of here. She was leaving the decrepit suburb of Red Valley, and most importantly Darrion Hunter for good. She had already made plans to where she was moving to next, somewhere that she would be welcomed, somewhere that the degree of evil was a little closer to her own, even if they were still humans.
The deciding factor was Lucy. Kellah had to get her to the shelter, once there the human would see the need to save the animals. This was made even more evident from Kellah's last visit. No one had visited the animals in days and the small amount of food and water they had was all but gone. After she had refilled their water she picked the lock on the office, checking where she had last placed the roll of bills. She knew what she would find before she even opened the drawer, the money was gone, their last caretaker a few bills richer for her trouble.
The decision to involve the human woman was not taken lightly. But, there was no other option and the mousy woman seemed to be a perfect fit to off-load this on to. Lucy would be perfect here, if only she could work out how to get her there without her knowing what she was.
It would only be a matter of time before her plan started to play out. She would be free of Hunter, even if it meant pissing Xeno off. Sure X would be angry, but if he wanted his jewels back, he would lift her ban and hand over what was owed to her. She would need to wait until dark before luring Lucy to the shelter, then it would be a matter of time before she would be over to the Northside and collect that little black bag that waited for her.
She headed for home, with the weightless feeling of a demon living amongst these insignificant humans, their world at her feet.
Kellah's phone bleated once before she quickly hit the button, making sure she held her anger in check. It would do no good to have to steal another phone. "What?"
"I think it's time, demon. I feel death comin' over me girly, you better get here quick. I'm in the back."
"Fuck!" she screamed as she hung up the phone. Could this shit get any worse? Yeah, it could ... she could be stuck here forever.
She forced herself to slow down as she made her way towards Paradise and tried not to think about the fact that she was about to lose the one human who knew what she was, and didn't give a fuck.
Gerry was the reason she came to Red Valley and she was the reason he was still alive, well, until now. Alleyways and backdoor brothels were her home for a long time after coming here and that was where Gerry Brom found her, huddled in a corner, a mere skeleton with skin.
She had been living in the alley for about six months, being mistaken for someone homeless, surviving on scraps of food. Surviving may not have been appropriate, as she was sure that she would have died in that alley if she had been anything less than what she was.
He walked past her, flanked on either side by armored evil, his quick eyes catching her huddled form before slipping through the door behind his men as they entered the brothel. The silence of the alley was shattered with the brutal screams inside the building. The loudest had been a man, and by the sounds that had echoed along the alley he had begged for his life, forgoing his pride in the process.
A second later the door opened and human women in various stages of undress ran for their lives. Human dealings didn't concern her in the slightest. She was too pre-occupied with staying sane here on Earth. When Gerry and his men exited the building, she stayed where she was, watching them walk past. One of his men move
d quickly towards her, his fist pulled back, feigning a blow. If he expected her to cower he was mistaken. She held his gaze and smiled.
Food, raced through her mind a moment before he was pulled back.
"Leave her," growled Gerry, his hand on her next meals arm. Her eyes flashed towards the one that denied her a meal, mine racing through her thoughts.
"We mean you no harm," he said, pulling the man with him as he walked away. "Come on, Marco."
She knew then that he saw danger where the others saw only flesh and bones. The confirmation of this was mirrored in his wide, glassy eyes, eyes that never left her as he pulled his men after him and disappeared from the alley, so she slept.
"What are you?"
She opened her eyes noting that night had fallen and she was still hungry. Pain, hunger, anger, Earth, all felt the same to her.
"You're not human, that's for sure," he continued.
It was the human from before, the one that was scared of her, the one that smelled like death.
"I have food if you are hungry." he said, holding out a large wrapped package. She snatched it from his hand faster than he could see and she heard the sharp intake of his breath as her mouth bit down on the food. The steak was barely cooked, tasting soft and fleshy in her mouth as she chewed and swallowed.
"I have a place in Red Valley ... it's a fucking shit-hole, really. But it's better than sitting in this dump, and you are welcome to come with me. I know someone that would be interested in the, ahm, gifts that you have. That is, if you aren't opposed to a little pilfering. There's something that tells me that this is well within your scope."
"Why?" She growled, wondering when in this conversation he would turn tail and run, like all the rest.
"Why what?"
"Why would you want to help someone like me?"
She stood slowly, rising to her full height before the human. He wasn't like the others, he had more balls than any other she had ever know. To know that she was different, dangerously different, and still stand before her, offering her something that no one had before. Could she accept this, this wretched excuse at solidarity?
She took a slow step forward, holding his gaze. Her eyes more revealing than they should have been as a flicker of her true being shadowed her human features. "What makes you think I would let you even get as far as your car, human?"
His body trembled and she was sure he was about to run before he cleared his throat, holding the tremble in his voice as he answered. "I have my reasons, and I suspect that you despise it here?"
"You have no idea how much I hate this depraved plane of existence."
His eyes narrowed, not understanding exactly what she meant.
"I can't promise you what you dream of. But, I can promise it will be better than this."
Maybe she should take the human up on his offer. Did she really plan on spending eternity in this alley, or any other for that matter? She stepped away from the filthy blankets that had been her home and motioned with her head for him to lead the way.
"Make one move to touch me human, and I will gut you where you stand."
He nodded, his voice low as though only he needed to hear the affirmation to make it real, "I have no doubt about that."
That had been the start of their relationship. It was a good one as far as being friends with a human goes. But she had nothing to compare it to, and probably never will again. Now Gerry was dying, leaving her alone here with no one.
"Fuck," she said, this time a little softer as pain took its hold of her heart, and she reached for the doors to Paradise.
The bar was as silent as she had ever heard it before and she moved quicker, feeling the absence of his presence even more.
"Gerry?" she said, pushing open the door to his private quarters in the back. She had lived with Gerry when he first brought her here. He had made her shower twice before sleeping in one of the hooker's rooms.
"I'm here, girly," he said, calling out in the darkness. Father below, he sounded so frail and weak. It wouldn't be long until he left her. All she could do now was to provide him a better life down below. Contract or not, she would have done this for him, he was after all, her friend.
"I feel it now, girly. I feel the black claws ripping into my soul, cutting away my tie to this Earth."
His voice cried out for comfort, needing it in his dying moments. Her throat closed on itself, tightening into a hard ball that she could not swallow. Say something, she growled to herself, do something for Hells sake! She stopped at the end of his bed, he looked so small there with the covers pulled up to his chin, his wide eyes seeking her out in the darkness. She didn't know what to do, what to say. She was a demon, for fucks sake!
She licked her lips, swallowed hard and moved towards him at a snail's pace, reaching her hand out to find his shoulder under the blankets. "There, there," she murmured, patting his shoulder hard and fast with as much emotion as she could muster. "There, there."
He seemed to ignore her, reaching out with his hands to her. "Come closer, girly."
She allowed herself to relax and bent lower towards him, any moment she would share her blood with him at the moment of death and the contract would be fulfilled. He would have her demon essence inside his soul as he passed through the veil and met the underground keeper. The keeper would know instantly he was destined for a Superior and would send him to the marking station. After that, well he was on his own. But she suspected that he would be right at home.
"Give a dyin' man a last wish?" he croaked, and she instantly felt his thin wrinkled lips push against hers, parting them roughly as a thick meaty tongue pushed its way into her mouth. She pulled back instantly, but he was quick ... real quick for a fucking dead man. His hand was already sliding up her leg, in a dogged determination to explore the crevice nestled neatly between her thighs with gusto.
"Oh, fuck no!" she said, pushing him roughly back. His body bounced off the bed, spring boarding and he hit the wall with a thud.
His low cackle filled the room, and as he stood she could see he was completely nude, his erection pointing accusingly at her. "Can’t stop an old man for trying, now can you love?
"Ugh," she yelled, throwing her hands up in the air as she stormed from the room. How could she be so gullible? She actually thought he was dying? Fucking senile old man, she should kill him herself for trying a stunt like that.
She didn't want to go straight home. Instead she went to the shelter to check on the jewels, spending time with the animals. By the time she arrived home she was smiling at the audacity of the old bastard. Lucy was waiting for her as she hit the last step and the smile died on her face as she stifled a groan.
"Hey, I've been waiting for you," she said, stepping towards her as she pushed the door open to her apartment. Lucy looked at the busted lock, and turned back to her with a finger pointed in question. The expression on Kellah's face let her know she was in no mood for foolish questions.
"My sister Francine and I are getting together tonight for a girls night out and I want you to come."
Was this a request or a demand? Because it sounded very much like a demand from the mousy woman in 2C.
Her answer was clipped and to the point. "I can't."
Shit! Her sister is going to ruin my fucking plan to get out of here tonight. Maybe I can go and ... No, don't become involved, she warned herself. I don't want her to know it's me that lures her to the shelter.
"Come-on, please? Fran is having a hard time with her pathetic cop boyfriend at the moment and she could really do with some girl time."
Her hair floated around her head as she shook her head. "Ain't gonna happen. I don't do ... friends."
"Why not?" she asked, folding her hands across her chest. "It's not as if you have something urgent to attend to, and us girls, we gotta stick together, especially in this place."
Us girls? Shit, what was happening here? Next minute they'll be swapping recipes and watching re-runs of Friends. Gotta make sure she sees the n
ote first, then I'm free as a fucking bird.
"Thanks anyway, but I probably won't be here tomorrow. I'm moving on."
"Oh," she said, her voice flattening. "Well, that's a shame, just when we were getting to know each other."
"Yeah ... a real fucking shame."
Chapter 18
Darrion found himself dragged back at the station quicker than he had anticipated when he left only an hour ago. He was being royally grilled, but thought that giving Riccardi a punch in the mouth was completely fucking worth it, even if they stripped him of his Detective’s badge.
He looked toward the round clock on the wall. Sergeant Daniels had been going at it for close to thirty minutes now, and quite frankly he was running out of steam. Darrion nodded when it was needed and said all the right words. He was sorry. He just snapped under the pressure. It won't happen again, and no, he didn't need some time off, he just wanted to resume his duties.
A couple of times Daniels left the room, like just now, he could only guess to report and take orders from above. He was yet to see Superintendent Harris and he could only imagine what kind of evidence that he, and that scum Riccardi, were compiling to get his arse kicked off the force. The fact that this hadn't already happened told him that his brother had received his message and even though his pathetic arse didn't deserve it, he would go to bat for him.
It had been a long time since he had seen his brother Michael and the memory of their last encounter threatened to open old wounds that were best left alone. He missed his brother, and as he sat reflecting on the wrong side of the interrogation table, he realized that he hadn’t known how well.
Memories flooded back to him and the imposing sterile environment around him didn't help. He stood up, pacing alongside the stainless steel table, trying his best to sidestep what his mind seemed determined to conjure. It didn't work.
