Daemon

by Doug Dandridge

  “I have some questions I would like to ask you, Mr. Daemon,” he said, looking over at the man. “About my investigation.”

  “Surely not now, Detective,” said Lucius, a frown on his face. “The curtain is about to go up and you must get back to your seat before the door is closed. Perhaps you can call the company tomorrow and set up an appointment.”

  As Daemon said that the door opened up to the box and the coarse faced man gestured for Jude to get up and follow him. Jude hesitated for a moment, then decided that it was not the right time to push, if that time ever came. He bowed to the mages and turned to leave.

  “Enjoy the performance, Detective,” said Lucius Daemon, a laugh in his voice. “And enjoy your companion, while you may.”

  Jude felt his skin crawl at that last statement. He was about to turn and ask what the man meant when the door closed behind him and his escort gestured for him to follow. He thought about that last statement all the way down the stairs and into the lobby. He knew it would be bothering him for the rest of the night. He thought about his evening, about his date, and pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He would enjoy the evening, and worry about the future when it came. At least for the evening. Tomorrow he could go back to full-time fretting.

  Jude got to the bottom of the stairs and hustled to the refreshment counter, purchasing a glass of wine and a seltzer water. He hurried back to his seat, making it in just before the ushers were about to close the doors. He handed Sarah her wine as he got back to his seat, then sat down next to her.

  “You’re almost late,” said Sarah, looking into his eyes. “Where were you?” She seemed agitated.

  Jude knew he had to be sending out those kind of feelings. With sweat beading on his brow he was sure he was showing physical signs as well.

  “I had to talk with someone about a case,” he said, wiping his forehead on his sleeve while she took a sip of her wine. “Nothing I can talk about right now.”

  “Oh,” she said, grabbing his arm with one hand. “It’s starting.”

  The curtain rose and the singers began the second half of the performance. Jude sipped from his seltzer and watched the spectacle. Despite his decision not to worry, his mind was running over the implied threat from the Mage and Council of Mages member. He did not enjoy the second half as much as the first, despite the woman leaning her head on his arm.

  “I really enjoyed tonight,” he said to Sarah as they rode the elevated back to her side of the town. He looked out over the brightly lit city, the dark sections of the dead zones looking like an encroaching cancer.

  “You seemed kind of distant during the second half,” she said, her big blue eyes looking straight into his.

  Straight into my soul, he thought, gazing at those orbs, noting the frown lines on her face. She could see right into him, no matter how he tried to hide his real feelings.

  “Sorry,” he said, putting his hand on her forearm and feeling the shiver go up his arm. “I really enjoyed the evening. But something Daemon said just, bothered me.”

  “What did he say?” she asked, looking out the window and following his gaze.

  “I can't tell you,” he said, shaking his head, looking up at the glowing globe on Daemon Tower, more than a mile away. “It's classified police business, having to do with the case.”

  Sarah nodded, but from the look in her eyes he was sure she didn't totally believe him. Not a good start to a relationship, he thought. She's already seen me as a drunk. Now caught in a lie. Even if it's for her own good.

  The train started to slow, and Jude could see her station coming up around a curve.

  “I enjoyed the evening too,” she said, standing up and gathering her purse and shawl. “Maybe we can do this again.”

  “I'll walk you to the church,” he said, making to stand up himself.

  “That's OK,” she said, holding up her hand and gesturing him to sit back in the seat. “I'm a big girl. I know the way to my place.”

  “But...”

  “Call on me tomorrow,” she said, her eyes flashing her anger.

  Jude settled back in his seat, watching Sarah walk through the open doors of the car onto the platform. That could have ended better, he thought. But he couldn't tell her what had been said. Not if he wanted her to remain safe.

  Chapter Nine

  The Security Guard waved them into a visitor’s parking spot near to the main entrance to the building. The rest of the lot was filled, and even the visitor's lot didn't have many open spaces.

  “I'm not surprised,” said Montoya when Jude mentioned that last fact. “No matter how crappy the rest of the economy gets, Daemon Corp will always have a lot of business. Unfortunately.”

  “Might be the place to work,” said Jude, looking at all the privately owned steamers they walked past on the way to the building. “They obviously pay well.”

  “Could you really work for them?” asked Montoya, arching an eyebrow as he looked up at his taller partner.

  “Nah,” said Jude with a grin. “I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror. And I don't know if I would want Daemon as my boss.”

  “We sort of work for him anyway,” said Montoya with a frown. “Him and the damned Mage's Council.” The door opened in front of them, the building soul taking note of two who had been authorized to enter.

  “Have to have a government,” said Jude, motioning the Sergeant to precede him through the door. He whistled as they entered the lobby. The ceiling was at least forty feet above them, and covered with frescoes. Large globes were suspended from that ceiling, throwing bright light on the overstuffed couches and chairs arranged around the room. A security desk was straight ahead, a couple of uniformed guards giving hostile looks to the plainclothes policemen.

  “I guess the welcoming committee isn't impressed,” said Jude, walking toward the desk as he pulled out his credentials. “We're expected,” he said, holding out his badge.

  One of the guards looked down at a pad on the desk, his finger tracing the list. He found the appointment that the detectives had without any of the confusion that would have been found in a government office. He still gave the detectives a hostile look, then glanced at the coat of the Lieutenant.

  “You'll have to leave your weapons here before I can let you go up,” said the Security Guard with lieutenant bars on his collar.

  “No way, rent a cop,” said Montoya, thrusting his face in the Security Officer's, making the man lean back, intimidated,

  “It’s company rules,” said the other man, Sergeant stripes on his sleeves.

  “I couldn't give a shit less about your company rules,” said Jude, feeling his face redden. “We are police detectives, here on official business. We are required to maintain possession of our personal weapons while working.”

  “And what is your official business,” said the Lieutenant, looking down at his list and not meeting either of the detectives' eyes.

  “Official police business,” said Jude, annunciating each word, leaning on the desk. “That means it is between us and Mr. Lucius Daemon. Not between me and his building security.”

  Jude took his hands off the desk and crossed his arms, glaring at the Security Lieutenant. “Now if you want us to leave, we can. And then we can summon Mr. Daemon down to headquarters so we can ask him our questions. I doubt he will be too happy with his Chief of Security, whom I am sure you answer to, if he has to go down to the fucking station.” Jude yelled out the last couple of words, smacking a fist on the desk and leaning back over it.

  “You take them on up to the boss’s office,” said the Officer, looking over at his Sergeant, his face red. “Make sure they don't get lost.”

  “Follow me gentlemen,” said the Sergeant, walking from behind the desk and heading for the bank of elevators.

  “Good play,” whispered Montoya into his partner's ear.

  “I wouldn't walk into this serpent's lair unarmed,” whispered Jude, glancing back at the Security Officer, who was staring a
fter them while talking into the air. Telling them we're on our way up, with our teeth.

  The ride up in the elevator was interesting, to say the least. Jude could not keep his eyes off the glass wall that separated them from the city they were rising above. He could see both sides of the ten mile wide island the city was built upon, and as they rose even higher he could see the northern boundary river twelve miles to the north. The city continued onto the land masses on all sides. Tiny versions of people moved on the nearer roads. He saw the battleship they had just visited, looking like a toy boat among toy boats in the wide harbor mouth. The security Sergeant remained silent the entire trip, staring at the ceiling of the compartment.

  “I wonder why it didn’t strike again last night,” said Montoya, not able to take the complete silence.

  “Maybe the battleship actually killed it,” said Jude with a shrug.

  “You really believe that?” asked Montoya, looking over at the Security Guard whose ears seemed perked up.

  “Nah,” said Jude, shaking his head. “But I don’t have any other theories. You?”

  “Nope,” agreed the Sergeant, looking back out the window and closing his mouth.

  After a five minute ride, just a little under a mile into the sky, the elevator stopped and the door opened onto a hallway wider than some apartments. The carpeting looked like it had come from the fabled, and no longer extant, East. The hall was well lit, and led to a room about the same width as the hall, where a gorgeous redhead sat at a desk. A half dozen wide doors opened onto the room, and Jude glanced at the nameplates of each while their escort handed them off to the woman.

  “And you are?” she asked in a sultry voice, her expression showing that she knew exactly who they were.

  “Detectives Parkinson and Montoya to see Mr. Daemon,” said Jude, flashing his badge. “I believe we have an appointment.”

  The woman looked into her book for a moment, frowning as if she was having problems locating them. All part of the act thought the Detective. To make the boss seem important and the supplicants seem less so. Finally she put a finger on a page and smiled.

  “Here you are, gentlemen,” she said, looking up at Jude with eyes that played to the male instincts. “I’ll just buzz Mr. Daemon’s personal.” She reached for the old fashioned looking phone, another affectation, picked it up, and asked the operator to connect her to one of the offices a few steps away. She waited a few moments, then chatted with someone on the other end in what sounded to Jude like a code. Putting the receiver down she smiled at the Detectives. “Please go through the door directly behind me if you would, gentlemen. Loris will direct you to Mr. Daemon’s office.”

  “Thank you,” said Jude, still playing along with the game. He and Montoya walked to the indicated portal and opened the big, double doors that led into a large, wood paneled office. Another striking young woman, this one a blond, sat at another large desk in the center of the room. Only one other door led from this room, on the right side wall. That door had a large bronze sign above it with the name, Lucius Daemon, in raised letters. After the introductions that were probably not necessary, the secretary walked over to the large door and knocked, cracked the door, and said something to the person inside. She came back with the normal secretary smile plastered to her face.

  “Mr. Daemon is finishing up some business on the phone,” she said, gesturing to a couch by the wall. “If you would have a seat.”

  Jude sat down on the couch, plopping, pulling out his watch and looking at it with impatience. He hated having to wait for people. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have enough things to occupy his time. When dealing with the rich and powerful though it was sometimes unavoidable.

  It seemed like an hour, but finally the big door opened and the familiar face of Lucius Daemon looked out of the office. Jude and Montoya jumped to their feet.

  “I’m ready for you, detectives,” said the man in a whiny voice. “Let’s get this over with, shall we.”

  Jude nodded as he walked toward the office, annoyed that the big man treated this as an annoyance after leaving them to wait for so long past the hour of their appointment. Probably wanted us to cool our heels to show who had the power here, thought Jude, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. He walked into the office with Montoya trailing. Daemon had already walked to his desk and sat down, motioning for the men to close the door behind them, then gesturing to a pair of comfortable chairs in front of his desk.

  Jude had to gawk for a moment before he took a seat. This was a center of power. The opulent surroundings left no doubt of that. From the thick carpeting to the gold leaf wallpaper, to the leather bound volumes competing for space with golden mementoes on the shelves. The huge window twenty feet behind Daemon really caught his attention. Twenty feet wide by twelve high, from floor to ceiling, it looked out over the two miles of city reaching to the point, the broadening bay opening to the ocean beyond it. Glass conduits of bright blue energy ran on both sides of the window into the ceiling, heading for the great globe at the top of the building, and indicating the power that this office represented.

  “So. What can I do for you gentlemen?” asked Daemon, steepling his fingers on the desk, yet another sign of who was in charge here.

  He knows what we are here for, thought Jude, staring out the window for a moment. He agreed to the damned appointment, after talking to me last night.

  “Some questions have developed during my investigation,” said Jude, playing the game, looking the man in the eyes despite the chill it brought, taking charge of the questioning as he had agreed with Montoya. The Sergeant had his notebook out and was scribbling his transcript of the interview.

  “Questions about what, Detective?”

  “Well, sir,” said Jude, crossing a leg and trying to appear comfortable. “Two of your employees were killed by what seemed to be a vortex of red energy that corresponds to no known phenomenon. Both were killed at midnight on consecutive nights. And both worked in your energy harvesting unit.”

  “It sounds like someone is targeting people in my corporation who are involved in harvesting,” said Daemon, also playing the game and nodding his head. “And do you have any leads?”

  “There are a couple of things, sir,” said Jude, glancing at the conduits with curiosity, watching as some deeper blue streaks moved through the light blue background. “Something is eating the souls of the victims, and I believe it is a sending, not just something coming out of the shadow realm. Something more of the realm of demons.”

  “Why don’t you think it is Shadow?” asked Daemon, his eyes boring into the Detective’s.

  “First off all witnesses have described it as something they had never seen before,” said Jude, ticking off a point on a finger. “That includes the officers and crew of a battleship that has fought Shadows in the recent past. Second, I have gotten a look at it on two occasions through the victims’ eyes, and it didn’t look like anything from the shadow realm. Third, Shadows don’t usually eat the souls of their victims. Souls normally hang around the area for at least a couple of weeks. And in both cases the souls are conspicuous in their absence.”

  “And you have no clue as to who might be sending this thing after my people?”

  “I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on that, sir,” said Jude, looking at the man under hooded eyes.

  “I’m not sure why you might think that?” said Daemon, squinting his eyes to glare back.

  “Because they worked for your company,” said Jude with a shrug. “I would think you would be aware of anyone who might see the Daemon Corporation as an enemy.”

  “And if it’s someone who just had something against those two?” asked the CEO.

  “I don’t think that’s the deal,” said Jude, again shrugging his shoulders. “It might be, but two murders of two different people on consecutive nights leads me to believe that is not the deal.”

  “And what do you think the, deal, is?”

  “I think the deal is th
at Daemon Corp has pissed someone or something off, and it is going after employees of the company.” Jude waited for an answer, giving the man a few moments to make a comment. When Daemon didn’t he decided to play his final gambit, feeling a shiver of fear at even opening his mouth to broach the subject.

  “Just where does Daemon Corp get the energy it pumps into the magical net?” he asked, rubbing his forehead and looking down.

  “I’m sure you’ve heard where we get it,” said Daemon, his eyes narrowing. “We have a contract to execute the condemned, and we harvest their energy. You know, murderers, rapists, thieves, tax evaders.”

  “A lot of people?” asked Jude, staring at the Mage. “I hear there's a shortage of magical energy. Has Daemon Corporation been tapping any other sources? Like maybe people who wouldn’t be missed.”

  “I don’t like that accusation, Detective,” said Daemon, his voice rising. “Daemon Corp only deals in the legal processing of humans who have been remanded to us by the courts. And such animals as have outlived their usefulness. Including those who are to be processed for their meat.”

  And the damned cats and dogs, thought Jude, grimacing. He looked at Daemon, feeling another shiver of fear, knowing this man could probably disappear a detective with no problem. But he needed to know what this man knew, if only from his reaction.

  “What about these little blue guys?” he said, watching Daemon’s face closely. The man sucked in his breath as his face turned white, giving the Detective an answer of sorts.

  “Where did you hear that?” asked Daemon in a hiss, leaning forward like a snake that was about to strike.

  “I’m afraid I cannot reveal my sources,” said Jude, forcing a tight smile onto his face.

  “I could bring this matter up to the Council of Mages,” said Daemon, his own smile growing tight. “We could demand that your department turn over any information you have on this case, including your sources.”

  “That of course is your right, sir,” said Jude, standing up and looking down at the man. “I will determine my response when that happens. But you deny there are any new sources of energy, a race of beings of which the rest of the world is not aware of, fueling the magical net of this city and the other fertile lands?”