“Here you go, sweetie. Just the way you like it.” Aunt Rose returned to the living room carrying a pot of steaming tea and two cups on a silver tray.
“That was quick.”
Aunt Rose bent over, hugged Dixie, and nodded. “I had a feeling you would be here early; call it a hunch, so I prepared tea and a bite for brunch.”
Dixie stared at her aunt. “Something’s going on—you’re rhyming.”
“Well, this is the big day, isn’t it? The return of Adam Steel. If the colonel has done his part, and I know he has with all my heart, then everything will soon be well. I’m a bit excited, can’t you tell?”
“Yes, I can,” Dixie said with a grin. “It’s been a strange few months, hasn’t it? Like the participants say on all those reality TV shows: an amazing journey. And now Adam’s coming home. I hope he’s okay.”
“Of course he is. He’s strong and fit—”
“I don’t mean physically. I mean, I hope he doesn’t think I’ve forgotten about him, or worse, he’s forgotten about me.” She held out her hand and drew Aunt Rose down onto the couch next to her. “We’ve all been working so hard, and it wasn’t until Major Ransom insisted on his presence—”
“She also insisted on Charlie Nguyen. Don’t forget about that.”
“You’re really worried about Nguyen, aren’t you?”
“With good reason—and so should you. Remember, Nguyen was on the side of the evil Daemons during The Disaster.”
“Why do you say Disaster? Why don’t you call it what it was: The Convergence?”
Aunt Rose frowned. “We needn’t give that word any more power than it already has. If The Las Vegas Disaster is good enough for the humans, then it’s good enough for us.”
“Major Ransom doesn’t seem concerned about Nguyen.”
“Ha. Once a viper, always a viper, and Nguyen was quite the snake. You can’t change your stripes just like that.”
Dixie grinned and snorted. “Adam and I once discussed changing stripes. I’m so worried about him, Rose; about what he’ll think of our plans—about what he’ll think of me.”
“Nonsense, my dear. You have nothing to fear. He gave up everything for you. Besides, we didn’t even know where he was until Major Ransom told us. Without her, we still wouldn’t know if Adam was alive or—” Aunt Rose shifted her gaze to the fireplace. “I’m sorry, sweetie.” She touched Dixie’s cheek and stared into her eyes. “Stop all the negative thinking. We have more pressing problems.”
“For instance?”
“I believe Gorgeous and her ilk may very well be at the root of our problem.”
“Gorgeous?” Dixie felt the air in her lungs escape in one big whoosh as she said the name. “But Gorgeous is dead.”
Once again, Aunt Rose avoided Dixie’s inquisitive eyes.
“You killed her, didn’t you? Tell me she’s dead.”
“We stopped The Disaster. We succeeded in driving the evils from Las Vegas, but,” Aunt Rose looked down and whispered, “I could not kill her.
“Couldn’t, or wouldn’t?”
With a sigh, she said, “It’s complicated.”
Dixie bolted up and marched to the fireplace, staring at the framed photo of her parents. Without turning around, she said, “Tell me what’s so complicated about killing that witch.”
“Daemon, my dear, she’s a Daemon.”
“What does it matter?”
“Oh, it matters a great deal. You see, there are very strict rules in our world—the world you are now a part of; rules I should have told you about long ago.” Aunt Rose smiled. “Why, if Gorgeous were a mere Witch, I could have killed her with ease; or a Muse, a Succubus, an Imp—”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, I’m just getting started, my dear. None of us can directly destroy each other: a Daemon may not kill another Daemon, a Muse may not kill another Muse…you get the idea. Now, most of us cannot directly harm humans, but a Devil may kill a Daemon and a human, although a Witch cannot touch an Imp, but a Devil—”
“Stop.” Dixie rolled her eyes. “How do you keep track of all that?”
“Yes, it is a bit complicated, but you’ll learn.”
“How? How am I ever going to learn who can do what? You just said a Daemon can’t kill another Daemon, right?” Dixie twirled away from the fireplace and stared at Aunt Rose. “Gorgeous had no trouble with that. She killed my parents.”
“She lit a match. The fire killed your parents.”
Dixie shouted, “What’s the difference?”
“We may not kill directly; end of argument. The evil Daemons have learned to use intermediaries to do their bidding: Humans, Devils—”
“Giant Irish Wolfhounds.”
Aunt Rose nodded.
Dixie moved away from the fireplace and stood across the room from her aunt. “So you’re saying we have no power at all.”
“Nonsense. Together we are strong, a force to reckon with.” She chortled, “I’d like to see a Devil try to tele transport. But the others, the evil Daemons, they are cunning, and quite determined to rid the world of humans. They found methods—call them tricks of the trade—to achieve their goal without directly breaking the rules. Believe me, my sweet, if I was able to end Gorgeous, it would be a treat.”
Dixie came back to the couch and plopped down, her head resting on Aunt Rose’s shoulder. “There are so many rules. How am I ever going to learn them all?”
Aunt Rose kissed the top of Dixie’s head. “I’ve neglected your education far too long, that much is obvious, and I was wrong. I shall arrange your Suffering at once.”
“My suffering?”
“A formal education, that’s all—nothing to worry about.”
“Suffering?”
“It sounds worse than it is, believe me. A rite of passage, nothing more.”
“Aunt Rose, I don’t think I’m ready for—”
“You’ll be fine. All of your questions will be answered.” Aunt Rose stroked Dixie’s hair and hugged her. “Perhaps then you’ll understand why Gorgeous lives, something I really should have told you long ago. Am I forgiven?”
Dixie nodded.
“Now then, tell me again why Major Ransom insisted on the help of that beast, Charlie Nguyen?”
“I don’t know. She said Nguyen’s involvement was vital. Besides, I’m not too worried about Nguyen. It’s Adam I’m concerned with right now.”
“Sweetie, you have nothing to fear: his love is unconditional, he told you as much two years ago.”
“That was two years ago.”
****
My eyelids slide open just a bit as my hands and feet twitch. I’m still trapped in the nightmare; blurred visions of what they call The Las Vegas Disaster. I’ve had this dream so many times in the past two years, I know it by heart—racing through the backstreets of the city in the form of a Giant Irish Wolfhound; ripping through canine fur, and human flesh; being bitten and pawed; blood and screams. Mikael, my brother, chases after me, grabbing my hind legs with his claws. I paw at the ground, but can’t escape his hold. His mouth springs open, fangs gleaming in the moonlight as he drags me back for the kill.
Reality pours in as the sound of tires racing across the road and cold air blasting through A/C vents, jerk me out the nightmare that will always be part of my life.
Just as my heart rate evens into a steady rhythm, I glance through the window at the scene ahead. Once again, my pulse kicks up a notch and sweat coats my brow.
“Oh my God.” I can’t believe what I see; the reality of The Las Vegas Disaster hits me. The Daemons reduced the city to just a few hotels and some outlying structures surrounded by miles of desolate sand dunes.
Colonel Dayton turns around in the front seat. “What’s the matter?”
“Are you joking? Look around. Is this all that’s left of Las Vegas?”
Both the colonel and Cutty snicker.
My hands ball into fists. “How can you laugh at this?”
“Relax,” Colonel Dayton says, “this isn’t Las Vegas. It’s Prim. We’ve still got about an hour to go before we reach Vegas, depending on traffic.”
Prim: a familiar name.
“I’m kinda munchy,” Cutty says, “mind if we pull over?”
“Good idea. How about you, Adam?” Colonel Dayton grins. “Are you munchy?”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Are you hungry?” Cutty says as he flips on the turn signal and steers us off the freeway. “I’m starving, you?”
“I could eat.”
Cutty parks the sedan on a gravel lot in the shade of a scraggily pine tree. To the left, paved parking lots lead to a large casino. On the right, a small pet area and a lot reserved for campers. Just behind us is a combination convenience store, fast food restaurant, gas station.
“C’mon.” Cutty is out of the vehicle, looking back at us from the front door of the restaurant. “You guys coming, or what?”
Colonel Dayton chuckles. “That boy can eat almost as fast as he can talk.” He opens his door and glances back. “At least get out and stretch your legs if you’re not hungry.”
I do as he suggests, but can’t seem to shake a strange sensation. Humans call it déjà vu; the feeling you’ve been somewhere before, but can’t remember when. On the heels of my nightmare, this feeling is just plain eerie.
I hurry and catch up to Colonel Dayton at the front door of the restaurant. He holds it open for me, and I step inside. My nose works double time, taking in the aromas of meat and cheese and bread and lettuce, even the condiments make my mouth water.
We join Cutty at the counter.
“Let me have two double cheeseburgers, two regular hamburgers, large fries, a cookie, and a vanilla shake.” Cutty turns to us. “What about you guys?”
Colonel Dayton grins. “Chicken sandwich and a small coffee. How about you, Adam?”
I study the menu, but don’t know where to begin. I want to try everything. “I definitely want a hamburger, that’s for sure.” The girl behind the counter rolls her eyes and huffs. A line grows behind us.
“He’ll have the same as me,” Cutty says.
“C’mon, Adam.” The colonel puts his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s find a place to sit down. Cutty can bring us our order.”
I follow the colonel to a booth, and we sit. The establishment is noisy, but I like it. I’ve almost forgotten what a crowd sounds like. Not counting doctors and guards, I’ve lived alone for two years. My spirits are lifted even higher when Cutty arrives holding a tray crowded with food. He places it in the middle of the small table and we all dig in.
The first bite of hamburger stirs up more strange feelings—more déjà vu. The tastes, smells, and sounds hit me hard, but that doesn’t deter my appetite. I’m onto the second hamburger before Colonel Dayton has eaten half his sandwich.
“This isn’t a race,” the colonel says.
Cutty laughs between bites. “If it was, you’d lose.”
“Sorry,” I say, “I guess I was more munchy than I thought.”
After a few minutes, I decide if this is a race, Cutty is the winner. He finishes his meal long before I do, slurping down the last of his milkshake.
“Man that was good,” he says with a grin, wiping his mouth. “Didn’t know if you liked milkshakes so I got you a soda instead. You haven’t even touched it.”
“He’ll get to it.” The colonel wags a finger at Cutty. “If you want another drink, order one. Let Adam eat in peace.”
“I never had a soda,” I mumble through a mouth full of fries, “but I always like to try new things.”
“Groovy.” Cutty stands up. “I’m gonna get one for the road. Anything for you, Colonel?”
Colonel Dayton dismisses Cutty with a wave of his hand. “The lad sure can eat. I don’t know where he puts it. Must be his wooden leg.”
I watch Cutty, but can’t detect a limp; he hides his loss well. I grab my soda and follow the colonel outside. Cutty catches up to us, and we pile back into the scorching sedan.
Cutty starts the engine and turns the air conditioning up all the way. “That’s what I’m talking about. It’ll cool down in a little bit. Man, I hate this heat.”
“You drive pretty good for a man with one leg.” Colonel Dayton greets my compliment to Cutty with an unexplained laugh.
Chapter Four
“So, what’s our next move?” I say from the backseat. I gulp down some soda through a straw and burp, the first time that’s ever happened. I like it.
“Our next move?” Colonel Dayton repeats.
“Sure, I mean, you must have a plan. You told me you always have a plan, right?”
Cutty clears his throat and speaks quietly. “Are we ready to show him?”
My ears perk up. “Show me what?”
Dayton gives Cutty an odd look, then turns around to stare at me. “Yeah, there’s a plan, not a very solid one, but a plan. When we get to Las Vegas, we have to pick someone up at The Tropicana. Dixie said Major Ransom insisted on it. I’ve never met the gentleman, so…” He let the words, and his apprehension hang in the air. “Before that, however, there’s something you need to see.”
My heart catches in my throat. He’s so serious and I imagine the worst: did something happen to Dixie?
We jump on the freeway and head north. The highway cuts a path through endless miles of white sand and dry, open flatland. Las Vegas, the world’s playground, is straight ahead, hidden in the misty haze of the desert heat. A never-ending line of vehicles crams the road ahead of us, all melting together in a shimmering mirage.
Before long, a familiar sight looms in the distance. A small peak juts up out of the valley floor about ten miles south of Vegas: Claremont Estates—the place where everything began, where I was born. I close my eyes, hoping Cutty drives past it as fast as he can. Instead, the car slows down and the turn signal blinks.
Cutty takes the Claremont exit and drives to the base of the small hill. The road changes from blacktop to gravel and rises steadily upward, winding its way through tall pines, slender palms, and short Joshua trees. Memories skitter through my mind. I think of my family—my pack. I recall when Dixie drove me here and later saved my life. I remember The Las Vegas Disaster.
“What are we doing here?”
“You’ll find out,” Dayton says.
“No. Tell me now.”
Dayton puts a hand on Cutty’s shoulder, and the sedan’s tires crunch to a stop. The engine keeps running and Dayton swivels around to face me. “Hundreds of Giant Wolfhounds were brought to Las Vegas the night of The Disaster. Most of the wolfhounds were killed by the military. Some survived.”
A form scampers across the road in front of us. It moves so fast I can’t tell what it is.
Dayton continues, “Aunt Rose, Dixie, myself, and Cutty have tracked down most of the survivors and settled them here. They’re off the radar, so to speak. Without the Daemons or Alphas guiding them, they live quietly in the surrounding houses.
“Dixie said Major Ransom insisted I help with their relocation. I agreed, reluctantly at first, but soon saw the merit in what they were doing. These wolfhounds were unwilling pawns in The Disaster. Once their bond to the Alphas ended, they were lost; homeless and hungry.”
My hands start to sweat.
We continue climbing the hill and park in the cul-de-sac outside my old house. This is the last thing I want to do; the last place I want to be.
Cutty rolls down his window and honks the horn twice. The door to my old house creaks open, and a girl steps out. She wears a white sleeveless blouse and blue jeans. A big dimpled smile accompanies a friendly wave. Her gait is quick and light down the driveway to our sedan. She leans into the open window, her arms folded across the door.
“Hi, Cutty. Hi, Colonel. Who’s that in the backseat?” Her dishwater blonde hair hangs in curls around her freckled face. Her manner is open and trusting. I don’t trust her.
“Tina, meet Adam Steel. A
dam, this is Tina.”
“He’s cute.” She sniffs the air. “He’s one of us. Are you dropping him off?”
“No.” I can’t get the word out fast enough. “They’re not dropping me off, and I’m not one of you. I’m human.”
“Okay, okay.” Tina frowns. “In denial.”
“Colonel.” I lean forward and place my hands on the front seat. “We need to leave. I don’t know why you brought me here.”
“Sure.”
Cutty turns off the engine.
My heart races. “What are you doing?”
“Need to unload the stuff we brought.” Cutty steps out and grins at Tina. He calls out, “Hey, Adam, want to give us a hand?”
“No.”
Tina giggles. “Suit yourself.”
Cutty makes two trips to the house and back. Tina helps him carry in cases of bottled water and bags of ice. Another person scampers out of my old house to help with the supplies.
“Hey, Jake,” Cutty says, “thanks for the hand.”
“Oh boy,” I hear Jake say, “Pop Tarts. Ciminum, my favorite. Yuminum.”
The joy in his voice makes me smile.
Dayton clears his throat. “I thought you’d want to know, you’re not the only one of them left alive.”
I don’t know what he means. I’m no longer one of them.
“At one time, I wanted them all put down,” he says, “including you. I’ve done a complete one-eighty. Obviously.”
I don’t say anything back right away. The trunk slams shut and Cutty and Tina make small talk and laugh.
I lean forward and put my arms on the front seat again. “How many of them are here?”
“About seventy.”
Cutty slips back in behind the wheel. Tina leans through the window. “Come back when you’re ready, Adam.”
Glancing over her shoulder, I see faces staring through the windows of my old house. We drive down the hill and hop back on the freeway heading north. I guess I’d always thought about survivors, but never dwelled on it. The night of The Convergence, I witnessed hundreds of them slipping into the shadows and running off to the desert. “You say there’s only about seventy of them?”
Sin City Daemon Page 3
