by Lincoln Cole
“Maybe. In either case, his problem is because your problems are dealt with. Leopold can’t do anything else to you anymore. You’re free.”
“So, it’s over? It’s really over?”
“Yes. Well, mostly. The children that he was gathering are still out there somewhere. We’re working to find them, but the Bishop didn’t exactly leave a guide about where we would find them. They are scattered all across the country and the best we can do is chase them down after they hurt people.”
Arthur glanced over and saw that Desiree wasn’t even looking at him. He watched the realization of what he had said sink in. How hard, he wondered, must this be to hear?
“Leopold…he’s been such a huge part of my life…I’ve never really thought about what things would be like if he was gone.”
“I know what you mean. I felt the same way about my family. I took them for granted. For the first several days after they were gone I couldn’t even come to terms with the idea of them being dead, and for months after I didn’t know what I was supposed to be without them. I’m still not sure what I’m supposed to do now that they are gone. I mean, what is the right thing?”
“Maybe exactly what you are doing?” she said. A moment passed in silence. Suddenly she burst out laughing. “Well, you know, minus the kidnapping people part.”
He chuckled. “I really am sorry about that.”
“I get it. I mean, I don’t get it, but I forgive you for it. You aren’t really the trusting sort, are you?”
“Not anymore.”
They stood in the entrance to his cabin for a moment longer. Arthur needed to go gather up his supplies and get back on the road, but he felt awkward just walking away. He cleared his throat.
“Well, uh…I better—”
“What do I do now?” she interrupted. Her expression turned back to pensive, her mood somber.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what am I supposed to do next with my life? How do I move on from this?”
“That’s up to you. Now that Leopold is out of your way you can do anything you want. Are you ready to leave this cabin and get back out into the real world?”
“Go back home, you mean?”
She acted like the idea was a terrible one. Arthur frowned. “Yeah. The Bishop is gone and you shouldn’t have anything else to worry about. You can return to your life. Just tell the people you know that you took a short sabbatical, sorted things out, and things can just go back to normal.”
She hesitated. “What is normal? Normal for me has been keeping to myself and dreading waking up every morning for fear of what Leopold might do to me. I honestly don’t know if I have a life to go back to.”
“What do you mean?”
“I spent the last thirty years being afraid of Leopold and what he could do to me. I never really had a chance to stop and evaluate my situation, you know? I just kept on running, going through the motions, and always glancing back over my shoulder. I … don’t really think I want to go home. Not yet, at least. There’s nothing to go back home to.”
Arthur knew what she meant. It was the same thing he’d been dealing with himself since his family had died. The farmhouse where he grew up and raised his daughter felt like a foreign place now, a part of another life that was no longer his.
“So, where do you want to go instead?” he asked. “You can take Niccolo’s car and go anywhere. I’ll pay for the rental as long as you need it.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know where to start. You tell me I can go anywhere, but instead of too many options it feels like I have none. I want to … I don’t know. I want for my life to have meaning. I want it to be more than just this. Where are you guys going?”
“Ohio.”
“Can I come with you?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Arthur laughed, shaking his head. “You can’t go with us.”
She frowned, and Arthur realized she wasn’t joking. She was dead serious. “Why not?”
“Where we’re going, it’ll be dangerous, and you aren’t exactly ready for something like that.”
“I’ve been practicing with that silly dart gun you left me for the last couple of days. I can hit the bullseye pretty often now. I’m also a trained lawyer and great at research. I’m sure that could come in handy, wouldn’t it?”
“That’s a stretch.”
“Still.”
“You aren’t ready for something like this. It’ll be risky and we don’t know what we are up against.”
“What about Niccolo? He wasn’t ready and you still took him out there.”
“And look what that got him? He won’t talk and killed a man. Clearly, I made the wrong call.”
It was a sore spot for Arthur: he knew that what had happened to Niccolo was as much his fault as the priest’s, if not more. He never should have brought Niccolo along in the first place. When he went out after the Bishop, he should have gone alone, no matter how insistent the priest was that he could handle it.
The truth of the matter was: this wasn’t Niccolo’s world. He had lived a sheltered life, protected from the dangerous underbelly of Arthur’s world.
Niccolo could help when it came to church matters and exorcisms, but he wasn’t ready for something like this. Arthur had been so caught up in what use he could get out of Niccolo he hadn’t stopped to think that maybe it would end up hurting him.
Arthur should have known better.
“I’m not him, though.” Desiree said.
“No, you’re not Niccolo, but you also aren’t a Hunter. The things we do are dangerous. More importantly, though, you don’t deserve to have to deal with something like this. With the Bishop gone, you’ve been given a clean slate and a chance to start over. Don’t waste it.”
“I’m not wasting it. It’s my slate, and I want to help. I don’t need to go anywhere dangerous with you. If you think a situation will be risky, then you can just leave me behind. Just let me come along, though. I can help, or I can stay out of your way, but right now I only know two things for certain: I can’t go back home, and I sure as hell don’t want to stay here. No offense.”
“None taken.”
“So, can I come with you?”
Arthur thought it over. He had no intention of bringing her – or Niccolo, for that matter – into any situation that might end up being difficult or dangerous, but he could sympathize with her desire to stay busy. It was the same thing he was trying to do with Niccolo.
If nothing else, he could get her out of Colorado until she decided she was ready to go home. Plus, the selfish side of Arthur knew having her along would help with a lot of logistics: it meant one more driver to keep them moving until they reached Ohio.
“If I say yes, you will do whatever I say when I say it, right?”
“Of course. You tell me to jump, I’ll just ask how high. You’re the boss.”
He laughed. “First time anyone’s ever called me that.”
“So, we have a deal?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Ever been to Ohio this time of year?”
“No, why?”
“It’s going to be cold. Don’t worry, we’ll pick up some coats on the way. Let’s finish packing and get on the road. We’ve got a long way to go.”
◆◆◆
They made good time on their cross-country trek from Colorado to Ohio. He got them well on the way until about two in the morning, at which point she took over while he got some rest.
A few times either Desiree or Arthur tried striking up a conversation with him, but Niccolo didn’t even acknowledge their questions. Finally, Desiree gave up and spoke only to Arthur.
He had to admit, having her on the road was a pleasant distraction from just riding with Niccolo. She was talkative and interesting to listen to, telling stories about her life, family, and road trips she had taken when she was young. She was also quite funny and intelligent.
“So, what is our plan when we get there?” Desiree asked
when they were about halfway to Ohio. They had just gotten back on the road after a fast food stop and driver change, and Arthur was lying out in the back seat with his eyes closed.
He hadn’t managed to actually fall asleep, though. He was too busy worrying over that exact question. He honestly didn’t know what to expect or where to start searching for Jeremy. He had a couple of ideas of people he could ask, and he knew how important it would be to find Jeremy quickly. He knew how dangerous the child was and the kind of damage he could cause if left to his own devices.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t have the slightest inkling what Jeremy is planning or where to start looking. If you’ve got any ideas, I’m open to suggestions.”
“I wish I did. If only I had access to the Bishop’s paperwork.”
“The Church has their best people looking through them as we speak.”
“The church’s best people?” she asked skeptically. “Will they tell us if they find anything?”
“I hope so,” Arthur admitted. He could understand her lack of trust for the Church, though. He didn’t have a lot of faith either.
“At least he’s only a child,” she said. “And the Bishop is out of the picture. What kind of damage can he really do alone like this?”
“You have no idea.”
“What do you mean?”
“He was the central piece of the Bishop’s plan to build his army in Everett.”
“Really?”
“It gets worse. When I was back at the shipyard, he got into my head.”
“Into your head?”
“Like controlling my thoughts. Forcing suggestions for me to do things, and it almost worked.”
“How the hell can he do something like that?”
“No clue. He’s psychic, and it was like he was … suppressing me. Like he was taking over my mind and pushing me down. It was almost like demonic possession.”
“Demons are real, too?”
Arthur laughed. “You’ve got a lot to catch up on.”
“I guess so. Was he able to read your thoughts?”
“I don’t know. All I know is that he was able to suppress my thoughts, at least for a few seconds, and make me vulnerable. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to deal with that when I face him.”
“Your dart gun works pretty well.”
“Yeah. If I can get a shot off. The thing is, no matter what happens I need to get the jump on him. Not the other way around. If he sees me coming I won’t stand a chance.”
“Where are we going to start looking?”
“You,” he said, emphasizing the word, “are going to lay low and wait until we hear back from the Church or something changes. If nothing happens, then I’m going to search around, talk to people I know, and try to shake something loose.”
“If you don’t have a lead, why are we in such a hurry?”
“I’m guessing Jeremy is going to be impatient and want things to happen quickly, so I don’t think we’ll be lacking a lead for very long.”
“Maybe I can be of assistance outside of knocking on doors with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I told you I’m good at researching things. Local news and whatnot. I had to do it a lot for the law firm I interned at to find clients. I’ll go to a local library and see if I can find something that might indicate a target Jeremy would pick.”
“You think that will work?”
“Beats me, but if the Bishop had this place pegged as his biggest target, then he’s probably got some history here. If we can figure out what that is, we’ll have the upper hand.”
Arthur shrugged. It was worth a shot. “Let’s hope so.”
Chapter 2
“We’re here.”
The booming voice of the driver woke Jeremy up from his slumber with a jolt. He found himself blinking and groggy in the backseat of the black Ford SUV he’d spent the last three days cooped up in. He was disoriented and confused: it took him a minute to remember his journey and mission.
Or his father’s recent death.
The pangs of loss hit him like a punch in the stomach, taking his breath away. His heart ached and he doubted it would ever stop hurting. He’d spent the better part of the trip crying and wallowing in self-pity over the loss of Bishop Glasser.
Empty fast food wrappers surrounded him in the backseat like a disgusting fort and it smelled musty and rotten. He hated every single moment he had spent in this vehicle traveling to Ohio.
“We’re here,” the driver repeated, looking at him in the mirror.
“I heard you the first time,” he said, grabbing a half empty drink from a cup holder. His mouth tasted horrible, like cotton. He took a sip of the diluted beverage and let out a groan. “I’m not deaf.”
“My apologies, sir.”
The driver was the last remnant of what he had from the previous mission out in California. He had been guarding Jeremy while they were at that shipyard, and he had dragged Jeremy away after the Bishop was killed.
He followed orders well enough. Fighting, though…not so much. A bottom tier demon in a less than exceptional vessel. The last demon they had summoned before Leopold died, before he was brutally murdered by that sycophantic priest.
Jeremy hadn’t wanted to flee the docks, nor leave his father, but he knew the hunter was the real danger. He’d heard stories about Arthur Vangeest from the Bishop, and he knew better than to stand in his way.
Demon Hunters: a festering rot as far as Jeremy was concerned. He would have killed him just to rid the world of another of his kind. They murdered and butchered everyone, working outside the law. Still, fighting him was problematic: it wasn’t a fight he would willing to engage in while he didn’t have to.
Jeremy yawned and stretched a little bit, rolling down the window. He didn’t recognize the scenery, and they weren’t at a restaurant.
“Where is here, exactly?”
“Akron, Ohio. We’re at the location you requested. Megyn Willford’s hideout.”
Jeremy perked up a little bit. He hadn’t realized he’d slept for as long as he did and they were already at their final destination. Megyn’s home away from home. However, when he glanced out the window at the service station again, he saw a worn and abandoned building off an old country road
It didn’t even connect back to a major highway for twenty miles. The building was collapsing in on itself and seemed at least thirty years old.
“This is the place?” he asked skeptically. It didn’t look livable at all.
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
“Quite.”
Jeremy shrugged. Megyn had been living here for months, hiding away until the time came for the events to begin. She had three loyalists staying with her, caring for her and protecting her from discovery. Jeremy had known them for years, back when he and Megyn were training together with the Bishop.
Jeremy, not Megyn, had been the one to accompany the Bishop to Everett. He had been the favorite, not her.
Bishop Glasser had recruited dozens of people to his cause over the last forty years, but most of them were just normal civilians who believed he did important work. They followed him, but offered little except for their sycophantic devotion.
Useless servants, in point of fact.
Jeremy groaned at the idea of living in the service station. He had spent the last few months living a life of opulence with the Bishop in Everett. This simply would not do.
At least they wouldn’t have to be here for long.
“This dump is the best we can do? There are no other hideaways or safe houses in the area?”
“I don’t know, sir.”
“How can you expect me to live here even if only for a few days?”
“I don’t know, sir.”
Jeremy waved his hand in the air. It was a rhetorical question, but sometimes this particular demon was too stupid to understand conversational nuances.
Of course this was the best they
could do right now. Anything more elaborate ran the risk of discovery, and even as important as Megyn was to the cause she wasn’t worth more resources wasted on her.
“Alright. Come on, let’s go.”
Jeremy opened the door and stepped out of the car, and the demon moved to follow. They headed across the cracked pavement of the street to the dingy service station that would serve as his home for the next couple of days.
He just had to hope that the inside was better than the outside.
◆◆◆
The door opened before he could knock on it and he saw a woman standing just inside. She had a pistol in her hand, but for now it was hanging down at her side instead of aiming at him.
She looked to be in her mid-fifties, though Jeremy knew from experience that she was actually much younger. A rat face and beady eyes. Bishop Glasser had assured him in the past that she was once quite a beautiful young woman, but Jeremy didn’t believe him. Leathery and awful skin adorned her face and she smelled rancid.
He had requested that Leopold send her with Megyn so many months ago simply so he wouldn’t have to see her anymore. She had a soft spot for him, though, and he knew just what buttons to press to get his way.
“Come now, Aunt Sheila. Is that anyway to greet your favorite nephew?”
A moment passed, and then her eyes went wide. “Jeremy?”
“The one and only,” he said, smiling at her. “Aren’t you going to give me a hug?”
She slipped the gun back into the waist of her pants and rushed out the door to him. She squeezed him tightly, and he squeezed back, careful not to breathe during the embrace. It was quite a bit worse than normal: she smelled like she hadn’t showered in weeks, but it might have been months.
“What are you doing here?” she asked breathlessly once they had separated. “Aren’t you supposed to be in India by now?”
“That was the plan,” he said. “Things have changed though and we have new business to attend to. I’d rather not talk about it out here. Is there somewhere inside we can talk?”
“Certainly. Megyn will be thrilled to see you.”
