BELIEVE in DEMONS

by Richard Alanson

  Carter stood in front of the skating rink, blocking Seth's view. Empty seats were all around him, stretching up to the ceiling. When there was a competition this place would be packed but as it was, there were only a few people in the entire building. Carter spoke quietly. Seth was too calm for Carter's liking.

  “Good day detective, what can I do for you?” Seth said. He always acted like there was nothing wrong. His entire demeanor made Carter uneasy.

  “You can tell me the truth about a little matter that I discovered this morning,” Carter replied.

  “I'm sure I'll be able to help you with anything you need. I'm always willing to help the law. You know, I look around at this city and I often worry about the state of it but then again there are only so many things men like me and you can do.” Seth smiled thinly. Carter ignored the bait. He and Seth had nothing in common. They never would.

  “What can you tell me about Paulo Hernandez?”

  “He's a great fighter; one of the best. He's made me lots of money over the years. Good kid as well. Sometimes he's too smart for his own good, the lad should concentrate on fighting but you know what people are like at that age. They always like to dream.”

  “He won't be dreaming anymore. Hernandez was found dead this morning in an alley. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?” As Carter asked the question his eyes darted between the two broad-shouldered bodyguards. Seth licked his lips and leaned forward a little.

  “Usually word travels around to me quickly but no, I hadn't heard about this. What a shame...before you ask me any more questions no, I don't know what he was doing in that alley and I don't know anyone who wanted to kill him. I wasn't the man's keeper. I don't know anything about his life outside of the fights. Damn shame. We had a good thing going. He'll be hard to replace.”

  “It's good of you to show such grief over his death,” Carter replied dryly. Seth's blood must have been like ice and his heart just a cold dried up stone. The man showed barely any hint of emotion and was more concerned with his business prospects than the fact a man was dead.

  “Life must go on I'm afraid.”

  “Indeed. You've got a good thing going at that gym it seems. I popped over there this morning to try to find you. There were a lot of guys training.”

  “Fighting is big business. You know what this town is like. They have so little to keep them occupied it's important to give them something to distract them from the monotony of their lives. I'm happy to provide the service.”

  “Especially when it's illegal underground fights.”

  “I don't know what you mean. All my fights are clean,” Seth said without batting an eye. Carter narrowed his eyes. He wished he could grab Seth by the scruff of his neck and throw him onto the rink until he told Carter the truth. There was something definitely off about the man. Something he was hiding. Seth was the key to all of this, something in Carter's gut told him so and Carter always trusted his gut. It had never let him down yet, trained and honed after years on the force. But Carter couldn't touch Seth. He had to play it cool, play it smart.

  “Of course they are. Well, anyway, I was at the gym and I ran into Leo Tanaka. We had an interesting conversation. I just wanted to ask you, as a concerned citizen, if you've heard about any new drugs circling the market.”

  “New drugs? Like what?”

  “Well, this one seems to make people go crazy. One minute I was talking to Leo like I'm talking to you and then suddenly he was having a fit and spouting a load of Latin phrases.”

  Seth licked his lips again. He clenched his jaw and stood up. “I don't want to hear about these ridiculous stories. I don't know anything about Hernandez and as far as I know, there are no new drugs going around. I don't know anything about Tanaka either. Maybe there's something seriously wrong with him and you should be getting him medical attention rather than coming to bother me. We're done now. I suggest you go and harass someone else.”

  Seth went to turn away and Carter instinctively reached out a hand to pull his shoulder back. As soon as his hand met the man's flesh the two bodyguards leaped into action. They were quick; Carter had to give them that. They yanked his arm back and Carter yelled out in pain. He called after Seth to get him to call off his men but Seth was willfully ignoring him. Carter stamped his foot down and the man closest to him cried out in pain. The other one already had Carter's arm jerked back behind his back though. Pain lanced through Carter and he couldn't quite twist away. The two men, one of them was black, the other white, both packed with muscle with hands like gorillas, hauled Carter out back and tossed him to the ground. Carter rolled on the hard concrete and tried to push himself up but just as he was about to he felt a foot thunder in his ribs. The breath was pushed out of him and Carter heaved to try to fill his lungs. He was kicked again and rolled onto his side. Curling his body as small as it would go he tried to regain some semblance of focus. His vision was blurry and all he saw was a dark figure coming at him again. Carter was done being a punching bag and used a burst of strength to grab hold of the man's leg and used it to pull himself up. Jerking the leg upwards violently, he sent the man crashing down to the floor on his back.

  Carter felt a sense of triumph rush through him but it was short lived. A heavy fist cracked against the side of his face. Carter was groggy, and he felt the warm metallic taste of blood fill his mouth. Dazed, he staggered to the side and felt another punch jab against his already-damaged ribs. The man then rushed towards Carter and pushed him towards the wall. Carter slammed against the bricks and the breath was once again driven out of his lungs. He beat his fists limply against the man's back but it was as though he had been hit by a truck. He slumped to the ground and coughed up blood. His eye was swollen, and he ached all over.

  “Let's finish him off,” one of the men said. Carter suspected it was the one he had pushed to the floor.

  “Are you crazy? He's a detective. The boss won't want that kind of heat on him. This is just a warning. He'll know not to bother the boss anymore,” the other one said. Carter braced himself for more violence but thankfully the two men went away. Every breath that Carter took hurt his lungs and although he wanted to move he couldn't, not for a long while. He sat there against the wall cursing himself for getting into this situation, cursing Seth for being such a lowlife, cursing Tanaka for going crazy, cursing Hernandez for dying. There was something he was missing, some crucial piece of the puzzle that was just out of reach...his mind was foggy and it was hard to concentrate but he knew if he could just hold it together for a few moments more he would be able to put everything together and solved this damned mystery. But every breath was labored and the pull of darkness was too tempting. Carter felt himself try to push himself up, but it was no good. All the strength had been sapped from his body and he needed to rest. All he needed was to close his eyes for a little while, yes that would do, just for a little while...

  Chapter 8

  H e awoke with a bright light around him. His head ached as did his body. He pushed himself up and looked around. There was a machine beeping beside him and the sound of people rushing around. He groaned knowing that he was in hospital. He hated hospitals. Only bad things ever happened there. Wires and tubes had been inserted into his body. He leaned forward and winced.

  “Don't move Detective McBride, you've suffered quite a heavy beating,” the doctor said.

  “It's fine, I'll be fine, I just need to get out of here.”

  “Oh that won't be possible quite yet I'm afraid. We still need to run some tests and make sure that there are no lingering effects from this.”

  “Honestly. I know my own body. It's not the first beating I've received and it won't be the last. This bed should be used for someone who really needs it,” Carter said, although in truth his head was swimming and all he wanted to do was lie down. It was embarrassing. Things like this shouldn't happen to a detective. He was stupid for not having anticipated the attack from the two guards. He'd been too focused on trying to get
to Seth. There was definitely something that Seth knew, something he wasn't telling Carter. At the mention of Tanaka, Seth had shown a flash of genuine surprise, but why? Was there some new drug that was flooding the market or was it something completely different? At this point, Carter wasn't even sure if Hernandez's death was related to all this or if he had stumbled into something else. But he wasn't going to find any answers lying in a hospital bed. He needed to be out there. The wounds would heal given time. He had always been a robust man, and he didn't need doctors telling him that he was going to be off his feet for weeks. The world moved quickly. Criminals moved quicker still, and he was damned if he was going to let himself fall behind in this race for the truth, in this sprint for justice.

  The doctor though was not having any of it. He folded his arms and raised his eyebrows, looking like he was about to scold a child. “You're not going to leave without my say-so. You think you're the first cop I've dealt with? You're all the same; think you’re heroes and that you need to be out there. The world isn't going to end if you're healing, and you're not going to be good for anyone if you're coughing up blood and fainting when you should be chasing after a suspect. Think about the bigger picture. Rest up. You're not Superman and your body can't handle everything you're throwing at it. Oh, and while I'm here, it's my duty to remind you that you should cut down on the cigarettes and alcohol.”

  Carter grunted. “I eat plenty of fruit. That's what all you people go on about all the time isn't it, a balanced diet?”

  “That's not what we mean by balance and you know that full well. Just work with me here, I really don't have the time to argue with you about this.” The doctor was getting more exasperated by the second. Then another voice appeared. Father Constantine entered through the door and stood beside the doctor.

  “Why don't you let me handle this doctor? Perhaps I can provide some comfort to this man's soul and he will be calmer later.”

  “You can try anything you like,” the doctor said as he moved away and went to the next patient. Carter was still lying with his arms folded across his chest. Pain throbbed through every part of him and he tensed his jaw to try to not let any of it show. His pride wouldn't allow him to admit that the doctor was right. Constantine's presence was a surprise. Carter arched an eyebrow when he saw him. Was the priest following him? Carter had seen him too many times in one day. The hours were dwindling, and the sun was setting outside. Carter had to make it home soon. He'd made a promise to Nicky, and he'd already let her down enough in their relationship.

  “I see you've had an eventful day since we last saw each other,” Constantine said with a small smile. He pulled over a chair and sat down beside Carter's bed. Carter breathed deeply and was glad of the interruption to his thoughts. He didn't need to spend any more time thinking about what a failure he was as a husband. Nicky deserved better than him, he knew that for sure, and part of him worried that one day she would wake up and realize it herself.

  “Life is never dull in this city,” Carter replied dryly. “What are you doing here?”

  "I was making my rounds. There are a lot of people here who can't make it to the church and it's only fair that they have the opportunity to talk to someone if they need to. There are also a lot of people, far too many really, who are alone and just need some company. I never feel as though I do enough but I try to do what I can. I was just passing outside when I heard the commotion coming from this room. It seems as though the Lord has positioned us together again." Carter growled, which Constantine did not acknowledge. "I know you were in a rush earlier but I was disappointed that you left before I could talk with you. At least there's no chance of that happening now," the priest said, chuckling to himself softly at his own joke. Carter merely rolled his eyes. "There's something important that I need to tell you about Paulo." At this Carter's ears pricked up. He ignored the pain as he leaned forward.

  "What is it? What can you tell me?"

  "Well, after I left the station this morning I went around and I asked a few people if they knew anything about Paulo and what he had been getting up to. I felt so sorry for the poor boy. I knew he was mixed up with a bad crowd and I want to see them brought to justice as much as you and with all due respect detective, there are some things people will tell a priest that they won't tell a detective. I went to his neighborhood, and I saw some of his friends there so I spoke to them. Well, they were very unhappy to hear about the terrible news but none of them seemed too surprised. Indeed, when I asked them why they all looked at each other and told me that they hadn't been seeing much of Paulo recently. I pressed them for answers but they were reticent. They almost seemed embarrassed and at first, I thought they might even know who had killed Paulo but then they told me that it was something I might not like hearing about. I assured them that any information would be vital in finding out who killed him.

  One of the gentlemen, I believe his name is Lemar, eventually told me that Paulo had become involved with a satanic cult," Father Constantine seemed to shudder as he said the words, "and that it was this cult who had been taking up so much of his time. They told me that they hadn't believed it at first when Paulo had told them, but he'd taken them back and shown them some ornaments and figures and spoke with zeal. These boys were not involved themselves because they didn't want to get mixed up in any of that but unfortunately it seems as though Paulo was tempted by the darkness.

  My heart is filled with sadness at the news. Now that I think about it the young man did seem conflicted on the last few occasions I spoke with him but I thought it was more to do with his fighting career than anything else. I have been blind though. I should have seen that there was something more, and it explains the presence of evil I felt around his body. When I saw it in the station-"

  "I'm going to stop you right there Father," Carter said, holding up a hand. He wasn't about to believe that there was some satanic cult running riot through the city. "I appreciate your efforts at trying to find some information but I think you should leave that to the police. I think those kids might have been humoring you." He felt a little bad for deflating Constantine's ego but the man was getting agitated and actually starting to believe in this supernatural nonsense. As far as Carter was concerned there was nothing else to this other than a simple fight deal gone wrong.

  The challenge was in finding the evidence to prove it, not going on a hunch that there was some ritual to worship Satan. Constantine seemed surprised at Carter's attitude.

  "I thought you would have been more open-minded about this. Do you not want to do all you can to solve this crime?"

  "Of course I do, but you can't expect me to believe this."

  "Why not? The world is bigger than you or I can comprehend. There are forces in this world that are twisting around like a fine mist, forces that have warred with each other for centuries. There are weak men who fall prey to the temptation of evil and if such men are in the heart of this city, then we must do our best to root it out and vanquish it.

  I knew Paulo. He was a good boy and had the chance for a fruitful future if he had stayed on the path the Lord had set out for him. I am truly saddened by his loss but if he had given himself over as a tool for evil then perhaps it is right that he is gone, although I'd like to think that eventually, his conscience would win in the struggle. I refuse to believe that he went along with this willingly.

  There must have been others putting pressure on him to turn away from the light and be swallowed up by the shadow. I have heard many stories about cults throughout history and this is one of the most dangerous. I went to his house you see so that I could see this figures for myself. He was a servant of the Lords of Baal."

  "I've heard enough Vincent. Come on, I need to get back out there and you're telling me all this crap? It's one thing to believe in some almighty god that has our entire lives planned out for us but then lets innocent kids die while criminals get to live a life of luxury, or lets entire communities get wiped out by natural disasters. Now you expect me to
believe that here, in this city, there's some kind of satanic cult that worships this Baal, whoever that is. No, I'm sorry Father, but no, I just cannot accept this."

  Vincent Constantine bowed his head and clasped his hands together. He muttered something under his breath. Carter strained to hear the prayer. He was regretful that he had exploded with anger at the priest but he'd had just about enough of this nonsense. All he wanted was to get out of the hospital and back onto the streets so he could figure out who had killed Paulo, and why. Maybe it would finally be enough to get Seth behind bars, maybe not, but at least justice would be served and he would have to be swept up in this grand conspiracy theory.

  If there was one thing Carter hated it was conspiracy theories. He always thought they were there for people with too much time on their hands. There was already enough wrong with the world without having to make up stories about these other fanciful things. While Carter was sure that there were cults like this throughout history he found it impossible to believe that they were there in his city.

  "Then this city is in grave danger," Constantine began, "Detective I can sense you are a good man. You may wish to refuse the light of the Lord but it burns within you. I know that if there is a coming war between good and evil, we will need men like you in order to emerge victorious.

  When I was first told about the Lords of Baal, I did not quite believe it either. I didn't want to consider the possibility that such evil could have a foothold in this world, but it does. Earth is a battleground between good and evil. Heaven is the realm of the Lord. I understand your frustration about the atrocities that happen, but that is because the Earth is imbalanced. Evil and Good battle it out for supremacy and we are the soldiers. Unfortunately evil is the easier path to follow and too many men have been lost to it.