by Michael Todd
“It’s okay, I’m not one of the bad guys. I’m going to open the door now.” She reached into the back and scooped the girl up. Once she had her out of the car, she took her blindfold off and undid the cable ties on her tiny wrists. “I’m Katie, a friend of your mom and dad. I’m here to take you home.”
Tears cut tracks down the little girl’s dirty cheeks. She reached up and wrapped her arms around Katie’s neck. Katie carried her over to the car and secured her in the backseat before climbing in beside her.
The driver caught her eye in the rearview mirror and gave her a small nod. He opened his phone. “We’ll need cleanup at the cement factory. The boys opened fire, and our agent took them down. Yes, all by herself. Yes, we have the package.”
He hung up the phone and looked back at Katie. “They are impressed.”
“Glad someone is,” Katie mumbled.
She looked down at the girl, who had curled up against Katie’s chest. She was beautiful and sad, her long dark hair, clear complexion, and bright blue eyes offset by the fear still etched into her forehead.
This was the first time Katie had the time to really get close to the person she’d saved, and she had mixed emotions about ending her involvement. The whole lifestyle was bad for the girl and she hated it for her, but it wasn’t her job. Her job was to get her back to her family, and that was exactly what she planned on doing.
The driver took them across the city and back out into the suburbs. They pulled up at a large gated house, and when the gate opened, they drove to the front of the house. Katie cradled the girl in her arms and carried her from the car to the porch. The butler answered the door and showed her straight to the sitting room.
The girl’s mother, her face ravaged by grief, jumped to her feet and took the girl from Katie.
“You’re okay!” She wrapped her arms around her daughter, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Katie. “Thank you so much.”
Katie nodded. “Of course.”
The father walked over and handed her an envelope. Katie caught a small flash in his eyes. She narrowed her eyes and set down his suitcase on the floor. He looked at it, then at Katie in surprise.
She shrugged. “There was no one left to collect it, so I figured you might want it back.”
“Thank you,” he replied, taking the case to his desk across the room and opening it.
Katie smiled at the girl and her mother. The girl clung to her mother, glad to be safely back at home.
The mother walked over and hugged Katie with the girl still in her arms. She put her mouth to Katie’s ear to whisper. “I fear for us. I fear my husband had something to do with this. He has been acting strangely. The man I love would never have put our daughter in danger.”
Katie pulled back and looked her in the eye. She turned toward the husband, who had his back to them counting the money. She walked up to him and yanked the demon out before he knew what was happening. She held the beast in her palm and crushed its neck, then wiped her hands off as it dissolved into thin air. The man wobbled back and forth, then fell to the floor unconscious.
Katie turned to the wife and nodded. “He should be back to his normal self...after a little nap.”
With that, she took her money and walked straight out of the house.
10
Timothy had been following one specific IRS agent around Vegas all day. His name was Tolbert, and he was even more of an idiot than George. He had found him on some dating website online and started up a chat, pretending to be a woman named Elsa. His demon came in handy, telling him exactly the kinds of responses to give the guy to get a bite. Timothy thought it was ridiculous, rolling his eyes at just how flaky some women could be.
I don’t know what kind of women you’re into, but whoever they are, it sounds like they wouldn’t survive natural selection.
They are spectacular survivors. They live to get laid and find some rich husband to take care of them. They will giggle at anything. It’s a technique that fucking works.
They offend me.
Don’t worry, little lady. It’s almost over.
Tolbert had told him exactly where he would be that day, sitting in the lounge at the Bellagio working on an audit. That morning Timothy had gotten up, put on his most Vegas outfit, and headed to the hotel.
Just as he’d said he would be, Tolbert was at the table, typing away at his IRS computer. Timothy chuckled to himself and walked up to the bar, sitting down next to an escort having a martini.
“I love your shoes,” Timothy whispered.
She winked. “Thank you.”
“I have a job for you if you’re interested.”
She crinkled her pretty nose in amusement. “I’m always interested, but I have to say I’m a little surprised.”
Timothy snickered. “Oh, girl, not that. Not for me, anyway.”
Timothy leaned over to whisper into her ear and pointed discreetly at Tolbert. She took the cash from Timothy’s hand and slipped it into her bra with a lascivious smile. She strutted over in her six-inch platform stilettos and ran her hand over Tolbert’s shoulder. She leaned down and whispered in his ear, and he closed his laptop and looked up at her with a mixture of shock and hope. She grabbed him by his boring-ass tie and led him toward a closet in the back corner of the bar.
As soon as the door was shut, Timothy darted over, took the cover off the back, and attached a small piece of equipment to the inside of the laptop. He clipped the cover back on again and walked away from the table.
He hurried out, jumped into his SUV, and took off back toward the base. He couldn’t believe it had been that easy. He had managed to get the IRS agent away from his computer—and away from his dull-ass life—for a good twenty minutes. Maybe fifteen, looking at the guy.
Timothy put his foot down and soon made the turn to the base. He slowed the SUV and saluted the guards as he drove through the gates, then punched it again as he headed for the garage.
Joshua was outside when he pulled up. He waved at Timothy, who waved back but didn’t stop to talk. He threw off the ball cap and jogged to the elevator.
Joshua laughed. Timothy was obviously up to something, and he couldn’t wait to find out what had gotten his friend so fired up.
Timothy burst into the IT room and turned on the computer. He found the signal of the wireless device he’d connected to the agent’s laptop, then sat and waited for Tolbert to switch it on again.
He looked down at his watch, impressed to see sixty minutes had gone by. Didn’t think that little guy had it in him.
I feel bad for the hooker, his demon replied.
Timothy shrugged. I’m sure she’s had to deal with worse.
Yeah, but guys like Tolbert are always the ones with freaky fetishes, just like George.
You think they talk about their kinks in their super-secret IRS lairs?
The demon laughed. That would be a very disgusting conversation. I can tell you that right now.
Timothy sat up straight and rubbed his hands together when the monitor showing Tolbert’s screen flickered and the IRS sign-in page came up. He’d created a backdoor into the agent’s laptop, so once he was logged in Timothy could work through it. Tolbert would type away on his boring work, oblivious to what Timothy was doing in the background. He jotted down Tolbert’s passcodes for future use and began to work his way backward into the system from Tolbert’s open project. It took a little hacking to get into the restricted areas of the site, but that was a breeze for Timothy. The hard part had already been solved.
He scrolled through the files until he came to Katie’s. He opened it and read through the information. They knew everything about her.
Everything.
From the moment she was born until the day she’d been declared dead, and then some. They knew who she’d worked for, how much money was in her bank accounts, and exactly what purchases she had made since she was Damned. It was a whole lot of information to have on someone they had declared dead, so what was its p
urpose? He narrowed his eyes as he sifted through the data, trying to find the source of the attack. Everything that wasn’t redacted was in code, and none of it added up.
Timothy was confused. There were weird requests that had been denied, and someone had gone into her account and had done the digital equivalent of nailing the door into her information wide open. Whoever was behind it wanted to be able to access her file at any time. They wanted it to look like she had been evading taxes, despite the fact she’d only just got her citizenship back. They were setting her up, but for what Timothy didn’t have the slightest clue. He couldn’t figure out who was doing it.
He had a sneaking suspicion that the general wasn’t aware of the play on Katie, and he knew it couldn’t wait any longer. He was going to have to call General Brushwood and ask him if he knew what the hell was going on. He printed out several pages and faxed them to the general’s office, then dialed the general’s direct line.
Katie stretched her arms over her head and yawned as she walked barefoot through the kitchen. She opened the fridge and smiled, seeing that Angie had filled it with soda, milk, donuts, and the leftover pizza from the night before. Katie pulled out the container of Krispy Kreme donuts and placed several of them on a plate, then put them in the microwave and waited for them to warm. She licked her lips, ready for some sugary goodness.
Pandora laughed. Look who’s obsessed now!
I think it’s your fault. It’s your constant demand for donuts. You’ve gotten me addicted.
And yet my constant pleas for you to get some fall on deaf ears. Pandora snickered. Besides, better donuts than crack, right?
Katie chuckled. Yeah, I guess so.
You’re seeing the brighter side of life already.
The microwave beeped, and Katie took the plate over to the breakfast bar and sat down. They were steaming hot and gooey, so she went back for a knife and fork so she could eat them before they cooled. She had to admit it was the first time she had ever used cutlery to eat a donut, but there was no shame in the game. Every melt-in-the-mouthful would be worth it.
She took her first bite of the donut and rolled her eyes in ecstasy. Sometimes I think these things are better the second day. Seriously, the sugar is like melted into the dough.
Are you having an orgasm right now?
I gotta get it one way or another.
Keep eating. I’m not going to complain.
Katie laughed and took a big swig of her milk. The job she’d had the night before had ended up paying really well. Not only had she been paid a hefty fee for retrieving the girl, but after the mob boss woke up he sent the ransom cash for Katie to keep as a gesture of thanks for tearing the demon out of him. She knew the man was still a killer, but sending a few fellow gangsters to sleep with the fishes wasn’t anywhere close to the evil as he had been capable of committing with the demon riding him.
Katie’s phone started to buzz on the counter next to her. She wiped her hands off and picked it up, seeing Calvin’s name on the screen. She put the phone to her ear and swallowed the mouthful of donut she was working through.
Calvin heard her hasty gulp and laughed hard. “Either you got some hot man in there with you, or you got some Krispy Kremes.”
I almost wish it was the first.
“Krispy Kreme,” Katie confirmed. “Leftover from yesterday, all warmed up and delicious. I got one of the new microwaves with the drawers, but I still can’t figure out how it works, so I just put it in the main part.”
Calvin poured scorn on her lack of domesticity. “The girl can save the world, but she can’t work a microwave.”
“Hey, I’m busy kicking ass all day. I can’t be perfect at everything, can I?”
“No, I suppose we all have our faults. Or at least everyone else does. I, of course, am perfect.”
HA! He wishes.
Katie ignored Pandora. She ran her finger through the puddle of melted sugar on the plate and licked her finger clean. “What are you up to?”
The humor dropped from Calvin’s voice. “I caught some guys from the cartel sneaking around Sofia’s house. They were gonna kidnap her. I took them down and called the cops to come get them while they were unconscious. I’ve just got a feeling it’s not going to stop unless I make it stop.”
Katie pushed the plate away. “So what are you going to do?”
“I guess I need to clean house. Whoever took over for the old boss is obviously not letting this go. They got the throne, but they’re hell-bent on revenge. Sofia thinks it might be Manuel’s little brother, but she can’t be sure. She knew the kid was irresponsible, but eventually, he would take the rightful spot as the head of the family.”
Katie tapped her nails on the table while she considered Calvin’s options. “I have an idea. Why don’t you come to New York, to the condo I just bought, and then we can work out a plan, do a little research, and head to Mexico together? I mean, it could be demons, right?”
Calvin was confused. “I don’t know, I suppose. Why?”
“I ask because I took on this side job and I had my first one yesterday. There were no demons in the kidnappers, but when I got the stolen kid back to the mob-boss father, I realized he was Damned. Based on what the mom said, there’s a good chance he arranged the kidnapping of his daughter as a way to pull his enemies out of hiding and get them taken down.”
Calvin hissed. “Damn, that’s cold.”
“If there are demons involved in the mobs here, it figures that there could be demons involved in the Mexican cartels. Even the mob boss who’s after Sofia might be infected. I’m not saying they aren’t bad guys without the demons, but they are definitely a lot less ruthless when they aren’t being driven by a gutful of don’t-give-a-shit demon.”
Katie bit into another donut with a groan. She was really hungry, more so than she normally was, which she knew was Pandora reveling in her love of donuts. She was fine with that. There were still a dozen left in the box, and she was happy to just eat and enjoy the beautiful view from her kitchen window.
Calvin had gone quiet, so she went on telling him about the possibility of demon involvement. “It’s been too long since the demons were active in other countries. They have been focused on the US, but they’re getting destroyed here. It would only make sense for them to try their luck elsewhere, and for the demons to have chosen powerful figures like mob and cartel bosses to host them while they were here on Earth. Who knows, they might have whole towns of demon infested people there.”
Calvin started to understand what she was saying. He could be walking right into a huge incursion and not even know it. That was something Katie could do with no problem, but he wasn’t as strong as she was. He didn’t want to test the waters, either. He appreciated her letting him know, and he really appreciated that she was offering to be his backup. With the team down to just her, Timothy, him, and Joshua there wasn’t a lot of backup to be had, but having Pandora and Katie by his side was like having an entire army.
“All right, I’ll grab a plane to New York. Will you send the jet to San Diego? I don’t want to leave Sofia here. It’s not safe. I think she would be a lot better off in Vegas with Timothy.”
“Of course, and I’m sure he will very much enjoy the company. Poor guy is there all by himself most of the time.”
“Awesome. I will see you soon, then.”
“Let me know your flight, and I’ll get the front desk to send a car to pick you up and bring you to the condo.”
“Check you out, Ms. Fancy Pants.”
Katie chuckled. “That’s me, goin’ up in the world.”
Calvin hung up and put the phone back into his pocket, then went to look for Sofia and found her in the kitchen. His stomach lurched at the sight of her drinking a glass of water at the sink wearing nothing but his shirt. He grinned and headed inside, closing the door behind him. Sofia turned when she heard him walk in. She put down the glass and smiled as she dashed over to him and wrapped her hands around his waist. He held her ti
ght to his body and gave her a long, deep kiss.
She pulled back, slightly breathless, and gave him the full effect of those eyes of hers. “Wow, that was…more than nice. Spill it. What’s the bad news?”
Calvin chuckled. “Nothing bad. I’m going to swing through New York and pick up a can of whoop-ass to take with me to Mexico.”
“Your boss?”
Calvin nodded.
“Oh, good!” She sighed. “I mean, I know you’re a total badass and you can handle yourself, but I was worried. I have no idea how many men they have or who has taken over now, but I didn’t want you to go in there by yourself. It’s too dangerous, and way too risky just to take care of me. We could have just packed up and left San Diego. I doubt they would have followed us.”
Calvin put his hands on her shoulders and touched his forehead to hers. “You might doubt it, but they seem pretty hell-bent on finding both of us now. I really doubt they would let a state or two get between them and their revenge. Besides, we’re not going to spend the rest of our lives running, or even looking over our shoulders. Even if we don’t work out I want to know you are safe, no matter where you are or what you’re doing.”
“And for that, you are my hero.” She kissed him before pulling away for a moment to put her glass in the dishwasher. “So, what is the plan?”
“I’m going to grab a commercial flight to New York first thing in the morning.”
A shadow crossed Sofia’s beautiful face. “What am I going to do?”
Calvin smiled. “You are going to come to the airport with me and get on the private jet, which will take you straight to the base in Vegas. You will be completely safe there, and no one will mess with you. We have an armory with a staff aboveground, but the underground part of the base will be just for you and our IT guy, Timothy. He will love having someone to talk to.”
