Death Among Us

by Jack Crosby

  As soon as the warm water from the shower hit me, my tension started to release. Roxanne’s hands rubbing me also helped. “You said she had information to share?”

  Her finger silenced me and then traced its way down my body. Her head followed the finger down and I realized what was happening. As soon as her mouth wrapped around me, I lost myself in the moment. Between her tongue and the slow back and forth motion, the feeling started making me feel weak in the knees.

  “Holy shit…” I could only manage a few words at a time. “Don’t stop…”

  Her reds eyes looked up and the look gave me another jolt of excitement. She picked up the speed, anticipating the climax that was about to come.

  A few tense moments later, everything built up released into her mouth. She didn’t stop until I could give no more.

  “Damn girl,” I fell back on to the seat in the shower, “that was amazing.”

  She poked my nose with her finger. “I do believe it is safe to say you are as much mine as I am yours.”

  “Semantics aside for the time being, you said you had information?”

  She put her head under the shower, letting the water cascade her amazing body. “I do. A long time ago, a Glutton demon by the name of Ezzard came here. He was a bit different than most Gluttons.”

  As she was talking, my eyes fixated on her wet, perfect breasts. “What made him different?”

  “He was a glutton for information, could never get enough of it. Beelzebub grew tired of his behavior and exiled him to Earth. I spoke to him the last time I was here.”

  “Do you think he’s still in the area?”

  She turned around and started soaping herself up. “I imagine so; he was a very lazy creature. After we finish, we could always make a trip out to see if we can find him.” She bent all the way over, soaping up her legs.

  Gulping, “That sounds like a fantastic idea.”

  Her eyes looked through her legs, “I know you want to, take me Master.”

  I needed no more of an invitation. Getting off the bench, I pressed up against her, already stiff and ready to go. As I entered, the water made it all the easier and more satisfying. Roxanne stood up a little more and put her hands on the shower walls.

  With the added leverage, it was once again easy to tell who was in control. Like putty in her hands, I bent to her control. “Be good to me Master; fill me up with everything you have.”

  Sex was dripping from her voice and she worked me over and over. It didn’t take long before I felt her constrict around me. The waves of her orgasm flowed through me and caused me to as well.

  When we finished, she turned the water off and we began to get ready.

  “Derrick, I sense you feel bad about our time in the shower?”

  “I feel like I am betraying the hurt and anger I have about Maggie’s abduction.”

  She wrapped herself up in a robe with her wet hair hanging loosely. “I hope you do not misunderstand my feelings. Darius must pay for what he has done and he will.”

  “When I reap his soul, then he’ll know the power of Death.”

  “At the same time, I have an incredibly strong feeling to you.” Walking up close again, “I cannot quantify it, but it is there.”

  Could it be? Nah, she’s a demon. “Maybe it’s just the whole master-servant thing. I’ve never been bonded to anyone before.”

  “Really?” She seemed surprised. “The all powerful Death has never had a servant?”

  Shrugging my shoulders, “I didn’t need one. My brothers were all I needed.”

  “I am glad to know that I am the first.”

  “And the last, this is too much work.” I smiled at her.

  Roxanne began to get dressed and I followed. Within ten minutes, we were both ready to go. As we walked out to Khloros, “Do you have any idea where to start looking for this Ezzard?”

  “If I had to guess, are best options would either be a library or a Starbucks.”

  I wasn’t expecting a Starbucks. “A coffee shop, really?”

  “From what I understand, the humans provide free internet connection there.”

  Oh, well that made sense. “Alrighty then, let’s find ourselves a library or a coffee shop.”

  Khloros was in a mood when we got in. I think he took it personally that Darius was able to abduct Maggie when she was supposed to be in the safety of his protection. “Why am I to locate a public library?”

  “Roxanne has an associate who may help us locate the demons.”

  The engine roared to life. “Then hang on, I am taking over controls. I will get us there faster.”

  I was terrified but Roxanne was excited. “Drive us there fast pale horse! I always thought Derrick had no sense of urgency!”

  That damn horse listened to her. Tearing out of the parking lot, Khloros pulled into the street much to the panic of the human drivers. I had to keep my eyes open since technically I was driving. The only thing I could do was hope the police didn’t take notice.

  Khloros pulled up directions to the library through the phone connected to his radio blue tooth. It was only five miles away, but the way he was driving, we’d be there in a matter of moments. By the time he pulled into the parking space out front, I was totally ready to get out.

  Roxanne, however, loved every minute of it. “We need to go for more joy rides like that!”

  “Please don’t encourage him!” I walked around and opened the door for her. “Focus, we need to go find your friend.”

  “He is most certainly not a friend!”

  Women, demons, whatever. “Well we need to find him all the same.”

  “Follow me, if he is here, he will be in the historical section. His obsession over facts is rather dull.”

  I’m sure to the passerbyers we stuck out like sore thumbs. Roxanne didn’t know how to dress modestly and I looked like I had no business being seen with her. Once in the library, the directory pointed us upstairs to the historical section.

  “So what’s this guy like? Will he spaz out when he sees us?”

  A smile flickered across Roxanne’s face. “He will not be happy to see me, that is for sure.”

  Oh God. “Why are you telling me now? And more importantly, why?”

  “Darius was close to finding me when I was here last. Not in my proudest moment, I abandoned Ezzard alone with the demon general.”

  Before I could ask anymore, more brimstone could be smelled. I looked over at the source and saw a little old fat man with a toupee. Dressed like an old timey doctor, I knew we had found Ezzard.

  Unfortunately he spotted us as well. I guess the silent rule is more of a suggestion because the little man jumped up and pointed at Roxanne. Screaming, “You!!”

  Every head in the library looked over at us. All I could do was sigh. “Great…”

  Chapter 17 – Making Connections

  We needed to get the humans eyes off of us. Improvising, “Calm dawn ladies and gentlemen, this is a DDA matter. Mr. Ezzard, if you will come with me quietly.”

  His eyes went from Roxanne to me. “It cannot be!”

  “Listen, I only wish to speak with you. If you don’t want to go downtown, then come with me.”

  Ezzard shook his head yes and we escorted him out of the building. People were still looking, but at least now they would only remember this as some shadow government agency. The last thing we needed was for them to remember a couple of demons and Death himself.

  Once outside, we went around the side of the building. “Roxanne! You said you would never put me in harm’s way and this is the second time you have brought Hell to me!”

  “Oh Ezzard, Death is not here for you. As for Darius, that was a bit cowardly of me.”

  His eyes actually bugged out of his head. “He tortured me for days! I did not know anything but he did not care!”

  I placed my hands on his shoulders, “Ezzard, Darius has kidnapped a friend of mine. I’m sure Roxanne sent you up shit creek, but I am the one asking for your hel
p.”

  His panting didn’t stop, but he seemed a bit more at ease. “Master Death, you are seriously not here to reap my soul?”

  “Nope, I promise you.”

  He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. “In that case, I will do what I can.”

  We walked over to a bench and the three of us sat down. No one said anything for a few moments, as I figured Ezzard was gathering his thoughts. “If Darius is in the city that means the plan to assassinate the President is in full swing.”

  “Yeah, that’s the other reason we’re here.”

  He continued, “If that is the case, they would need to be very close to the White House. Honestly, demons can blend in so well with those politicians, it would be child’s play to hide in plain sight.”

  That made sense. “So a trip to the National Mall is in order?”

  His eyes lit up! “May I pull out my tablet without chance of being beheaded?”

  “Yeah, no worries.”

  Ezzard nodded and pulled out a fancy looking thing from his jacket. Powering it up, he went straight to the internet. “A few weeks ago, I was on a website that was talking about the secrets of Washington, D.C. One person claimed that in the Lincoln Memorial there was a secret tunnel that led to an underground bomb shelter.”

  Humans love their conspiracy theories. “You think it’s true and that’s where they are hanging out, don’t you?”

  Snapping up to attention, “Yes! I am most positive that is where they would be.”

  The Glutton demon said it with such conviction that I was compelled to believe him. “Alright then. We’ll check it out tomorrow.”

  Roxanne, who’d been suspiciously quiet, finally said something. “You are not double crossing Death are you?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  Her eyes flashed. “Remember, your grudge is with me, not him. If you are sending us to a trap, then I will be the one who reaps you.”

  My eyes narrowed. It was always hard to tell when a demon was lying, as they specialize in that. “Ezzard, look at me.”

  He was in no hurry to meet my gaze. When he did, his beady black eyes added nothing. “I swear to you Master Death, this is no trick.”

  This was a tough one. I figured based on my reputation alone no one would lie to me on purpose. I wondered just how far his grudge with Roxanne went.

  I got up too. “Tomorrow we will check out this lead. If you are setting me up, no place on Earth or elsewhere will you be able to hide.”

  “It is as you say.” With a bow in my direction, the little demon scurried off.

  As he left, the sky was getting dark. “We should head back to the hotel. It seems we’re in for quite the day tomorrow.”

  “Angels and demons, oh my!”

  Roxanne had more talents than just sex. I needed a good laugh. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

  She winked at me as we got into the car. With the knowledge we needed in hand, we made our way back to the motel.

  I didn’t sleep very well. No, there were no shenanigans, just my guilt for letting Maggie get captured. I woke up with a fire in my stomach, one that I hoped I’d be putting out soon.

  Waking Roxanne up was a chore, but I finally succeeded. It was eight and we only had an hour to get ready to meet my angel contact, Veronica. I knew a few things and keeping an angel waiting was never a good thing.

  “She will not try to smite me on spot, will she?”

  She may, but I wasn’t about to say anything. “You’re under my protection. If they have issue with that, then they need to answer to me.”

  She leaned over and gave me a kiss. “You are so much better than Beelzebub. He would have let me fried.”

  It was super weird having a sex demon here and being a confidant. “Well, no matter what you are, you have earned my trust.”

  I think that really touched her. For a second I could swear I almost saw a tear forming in those red eyes. But that was impossible, demons can’t cry. She blinked a few times and whatever I’d seen was gone.

  “Quit staring at me Derrick and get dressed. We have a meeting to be at.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  We made it to the diner with ten minutes to spare. We got a seat and placed an order for drinks and food. The sign out front said they were famous for their cheese steak omelets and I planned to find out.

  “What is this angel like?”

  I took a drink of my orange juice. “I only met her once and she seemed like the rest; by the book and probably a badass.”

  “Would it kill them to relax a little bit?”

  The voice that answered came from the blonde lady in a business suit standing in front of us. “You are not one to judge me demon!”

  Judging by the tone in her voice, I knew my headache would be back with a vengeance.

  Chapter 18 – Down the Rabbit Hole

  The angel and demon stared each other down. “Ladies, both of you need to take a step back.”

  Veronica’s gaze went from Roxanne to me. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

  “I take full responsibility for her and for her actions. She has proven to be an asset, unlike you angels who’ve sent me on a wild goose chase with little to nothing.”

  Veronica’s face went from angry to hurt. This was getting weird. “I can only do so much Horseman. You know the agreement and the letter of the law we follow.”

  “And you know that sometimes I choose to do my own thing. If you wish to argue more about Roxanne’s presence, than you can find another to help.”

  She bit her lip. “Very well, but I will have to report this to my superiors.”

  “That’s fine, but for here and now, sit and let’s talk.”

  She relented and took a seat. “I have already been informed that you have lost a trusted companion. Unfortunately, nothing I have heard has given a location where the demons might be holding her.”

  For a split second, I was considering telling her what Ezzard told us yesterday. Right before I could, I stopped. I wasn’t sure why, but it didn’t feel right.

  “What I can tell you is that over the next few weeks there will be multiple occasions where the President will be exposed.” She slid a piece of paper across the table. “This is a list of events where he will be most vulnerable.”

  I looked it over. Speeches, public gatherings, lunches, etc… “What do you want me to do?”

  “Be at each event – when you have the chance, kill the Greed demon masquerading as the Vice President.”

  Roxanne had her normal amused smile. “What will the angels be doing to assist in this?”

  “Though it is none of your business, we are going to be the ones who will keep the President safe.”

  It actually seemed like a solid plan. “Very well, I will do everything I can to take care of this problem. Do not question my methods or try to command me from here or out. Understand?”

  Veronica stared at me for a minute before getting up. “We are giving you a week. Please Death, do not fail, the consequences would be terrible.”

  She turned and left. Good timing too as our food had just gotten there. While I was busy digging into my omelet, Roxanne seemed preoccupied.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Right after that angel left, I felt a tremor.”

  I hadn’t felt anything, so I guessed it was a demon thing. “The angel make a mess of your mojo?”

  “The angel? No, this is something else. I almost feel as if Beelzebub is here.”

  I dropped my fork. “What?”

  “Even though I no longer serve him and have been exiled, I was his mate for so long that I get feelings. As we speak, I get the feeling his power is hovering off in the distance, just out of reach.”

  It took a lot of energy to bring an Arch-Demon to Earth, either through sacrifices or ritualistic Hell magic. That’s why getting their hands on Washington’s axe would be really bad.

  “I don’t doubt you, but are you a hundred percent on this?�
�

  She was shaking. “Yes, I could never forget his presence.”

  My omelet was only half finished, but we had huge problems. “I think it’s time to go check out Ezzard’s theory.” Cursing myself, “Maybe we need to get the angels involved.”

  “How would we get in contact with them?”

  “We can see if Khloros can reach out on our way to the national mall.”

  Unfortunately when we got to the car, Khloros had bad news that seemed to add a lot of validity to what Roxanne was feeling. “There is strong outside interference. I cannot reach out to the folks upstairs.”

  Shit, this wasn’t good. “I guess we have no choice but to get there ourselves.”

  “Death, this is not a good idea. If an Arch-Demon is on Earth, this is not something to be taken lightly.”

  “Damnit Khloros, we can’t do anything!” I looked over at Roxanne, “Would the angels feel his presence?”

  “Not at first, Beelzebub is a master at concealing himself.”

  Our decision had been made. “We’re going after him then.”

  From our location, we drove over to the closest Metro station. Khloros didn’t like being left so far, but traffic getting into D.C. is terrible.

  “We’re connected now by our phones. If I need you, I’ll call.”

  “This is a bad idea. Please take caution and retreat if you must.”

  I assured my buddy that we’d be okay. When we parted, I could feel his anxiety. I was nervous too, but I was doing my best to keep it together.

  It took about twenty minutes to get to the National Mall. Walking through the hordes of tourists, we walked in silence to the Lincoln Memorial. As soon as we got to the front, Roxanne confirmed what Ezzard told us.

  “This is the place. Beelzebub’s energy is getting stronger.”

  “Listen, you don’t have to go with me. I know this is a bit daunting…”

  “No!” Her red eyes hardened. “I will not allow you to face that fucker alone. I am with you until the end Derrick Grimm.”