TAINTED SPIRITS

by Richard Alanson

  “Believe me Carter; these times are testing for all of us. Do you not think I have my doubts? Do you not think I am scared that we are forsaken? I understand you have had your difficulties with faith but if we are to prevail then we must believe that our cause is righteous. We are the instruments of God. He is working through us. We are divinely inspired by him and you must have faith that he will see us to safety.”

  Carter settled down and when he spoke next it was in a hoarse, weary voice. “You know, I spoke with Robbie yesterday about the nature of good and evil. He asked me how I knew if a man was good or bad. I said that we looked at the evidence and witness testimonies but that's not what we're doing here is it. We're going on faith, on instinct. We're caught in this war and we still don't know who it's for or who our allies are...if we even have any.”

  “Even if we do not then we still must fight on. The sign of a good man is that he does the right thing no matter how hard it is. You are a good man Carter. You would not be here if you weren't. You saw what needed to be done and you did it. You could easily have turned your back to all of this and continued with your life. You could have blinded yourself to this war and lived in denial but you saw the truth, and you took it upon yourself to do something. That is why God has chosen you. I have faith in God and I have faith in you Carter. I just wish you had the same faith.”

  Carter smiled. It wasn't often that people expressed that sentiment. Most of the people on the force saw him as a troublemaker and he'd only lasted this long because he always got the job done and the results spoke for themselves. “I had no choice.”

  “That's the point. You are not the type of person to turn away from the truth, to live in denial. That is why you are here Carter, and that is why you are still fighting.” Carter nodded and sat back down. “If you are willing, perhaps it would calm our souls somewhat to pray. It seems as though the demons are getting stronger. They may even be preparing for a full-scale assault on our world. I am almost afraid to say it but I fear that things are going to get worse before they get better.”

  Carter sank to his knees and joined Constantine in prayer. It seemed the natural thing to do, although Carter only mouthed the words rather than spoke them. But in his heart he did feel the warm surge of faith. It was unfamiliar to him and his first instinct was to push it away but he resisted that impulse and let it flow through him.

  “Father,” Constantine began, “we offer our love and service. In return we ask that you guide us through these dark times. A shadow is looming over the world and we are afraid. Give us the courage and the strength to sustain us through these challenging times. We need you Lord.”

  Chapter 6

  T he following day Carter returned to the precinct to see if he could get any more information out of Mario Roth. While he didn't think all prostitutes had the ability to sprout wings and escape he was reluctant to approach any of them again in case the unlikely happened. Praying with Father Constantine had offered some solace but he was still conflicted about his faith. He had spent so long refuting God it was difficult now to accept the Lord into his heart. Yet with demons possessing people and other women able to grow wings and fly into the air, it was a time where miracles could happen. The doubts that resided within Carter's soul were still there but talking with Father Constantine helped. It was comforting to know that he wasn't the only soldier in the war. He only hoped that at some point others presented themselves. It was fine for Father Constantine to sit there and talk about the two of them being God's instruments but this war needed an entire orchestra if they were to triumph and drive back the forces of evil.

  “Which cell is Roth in? I need to see him,” Carter barked to Garrett. The officer quickly grabbed the keys and walked down with Carter to the cells.

  “What's the deal with this guy?” Garrett asked. He was often eager to learn about the big crimes.

  “Prostitution. I only really want him to get to the man behind it all.”

  “Aguilero?”

  “You know about him?”

  “Who doesn’t? Everyone knows he's involved in some shady dealings. You'll get him Carter, I know you will.”

  Carter smiled his thanks and opened the cell door. When he did he looked shocked. Mario was lying on the floor, dead. Carter rushed in and inspected the body but there were no signs of how exactly he had died. Garret was already calling down a forensic team.

  “How the hell does this happen,” Carter muttered, although he knew very well how it happened. It was the same way that Leo Tanaka had first managed to escape the interrogation room. The Lords of Baal had something to do with it. Their dark arts had either killed this man because he knew more than he was telling or punished him for being captured. Perhaps it was a little of both. Once again Carter felt as though he was up against it all and he was tired of the cult always being one step ahead. Walking away, he slammed his fist against the wall as the forensic team rushed past him. It was a waste of time. They wouldn't find anything conclusive.

  That afternoon, Carter wanted to get away from the precinct so he was glad that it was time for his weekly visit with Tanaka down at the Metropolitan Detention Center, where he was being held until his sentence could be carried out. Ever since the revelation that Tanaka had merely been possessed by the demon Carter had tried to keep him company. The harshest punishment a man could have was to be ignored and forgotten by the rest of the world.

  When Carter thought of Tanaka he thought about the conversation he'd had with Robbie. Tanaka wasn't a good man by any means. He had been mixed up in a lot of illegal dealings, but he had been possessed by a demon and he didn't deserve to languish on death row.

  Despite his predicament Leo looked calm and in good health. Evidently the prison diet was ensuring he shed a lot of the bulk that had weighed down his stomach.

  “How are you doing Leo?” Carter said.

  “I am well Detective. I still get nightmares sometimes but that is to be expected after... what happened.” Leo and Carter rarely mentioned the possession when there was a chance that somebody could overhear them. “And how are you?”

  “The same as ever.”

  “That bad?”

  Carter smiled. As he had gotten to know Tanaka the two of them had developed camaraderie. He'd had to be sly about his visits though. For all intents and purposes Tanaka was a cop killer and those at the precinct wanted to see him punished properly. The funeral had been tough. Sosa's wife and kids had been there. But for the grace of God it could easily have been Nicky and Robbie standing there, looking down at Carter as he was lowered into the ground. Sometimes he just wanted to throw this whole thing in and get a steady office job where he wasn't in danger. But what was the point of that now. If he didn't do anything the Lords of Baal would win and Nicky and Robbie would be in danger anyway. No, he had to fight on.

  “Just trying to keep the world safe,” Carter replied.

  “Then you have your work cut out for you.”

  “I'm sorry I couldn't get you off death row. I tried all I could but I ran out of favors a long time okay,” Carter said, hanging his head.

  “I understand. Thank you for all your efforts. I know it can't have been easy after...what happened.”

  “You weren't yourself. I'm surprised you're so calm. I'd have thought you'd be foaming at the mouth, or at least a little afraid.”

  Tanaka's mouth turned up at the corners in a slight smile. “We're all afraid of something but I have resigned myself to my fate. I found Jesus you know. There's a lovely chapel in the prison and the sermons delivered even serve to give someone like me hope. I guess it's never too late for anyone to turn to the Lord.”

  “I guess not,” Carter said. Leo had certainly developed a calm aura about himself since his sentence. Carter was surprised that he could form coherent sentences after having his mind twisted by the demon. “There is a higher justice at work in the world and I must pay the penance for my crimes. The Lord will judge me when I am in heaven ad I am ready to meet my ma
ker. I have made peace with my place in the world.”

  “I'm glad one of us has,” Carter muttered. “I've been trying to get evidence against Seth. I figure if I can pin something on him and get him to trial then you can testify against him and maybe even get your sentence revoked or reduced.”

  “Have you had any luck?” Leo said, his beady eyes looking inquisitively at Carter.

  “What do you think?” Carter said dryly, and sighed in the same tired manner as he often did when talking about Aguilero.

  “The man is more slippery than an eel. Just when I think I've got something on him someone mysteriously dies or they fly away.” At this Tanaka raised an eyebrow. Carter shook his head as though he was exaggerating. “My point is that I can't get anything on him. He's connected to every bad thing in this damned city and I can't get to him. All I need is one piece of evidence, just one and that's enough to get a trial. Once there all his sins will come out of the woodwork and I can put him down forever. Its men like him that should be in here, not you. There's only one explanation I can think of and that's that he's involved with the Lords of Baal. It's the only thing that makes sense. He's involved with everything else that's going on so why not that? And it explains how he can be so protected,” Carter said, thinking aloud. Tanaka merely wore a simple smile.

  “I can see why you would follow that logic but it is not so. Seth is not the leader of the Lords of Baal but they did grow up together and they were once friends. Seth is involved, but not in the way that you think. I suspect that a war is brewing between the two of them,” Tanaka said.

  Carter blew out his cheeks. “Well that's just great,” he said. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”

  “I'm afraid not. Only cursory bits and pieces like this. Honestly you know I would help you if I could. You have done so much for me in here and I am eternally grateful.” For all of Tanaka's new found religion Carter was still suspicious of the man. This was a man who, after all, had lived a life of crime and loyalty among thieves like Tanaka and Aguilero ran deep. Carter suspected Tanaka knew a little more than he was saying but he knew he wouldn't get anymore. There were no cards left to play. Tanaka was going to die and he was only going to share what he wanted to share. The two of them spent a little more time talking and then it was time for Carter to leave.

  ****

  He stepped out into the afternoon sun and shielded his eyes. As he drove home he looked around at the vibrant life of the city. Kids were running along the sidewalks coming home from school. Couples were strolling hand in hand. Other people were jogging or walking their dogs. Friends were laughing and talking with each other. It was almost sad how none of them knew about the secret war. It was almost easy to forget that the end of the world could be closer than anyone thought.

  Chapter 7

  W ith no new leads Carter was at a dead end. He was no closer to finding Aguilero or anything on the Lords of Baal. With little else to do he returned to Seth's gym, almost where this whole thing had first began. It started when an MMA fighter called Paulo Hernandez had been killed. Carter had found Tanaka at this gym when he had been looking for Aguilero. Tanaka had started speaking in Latin and had a fit. Little did Carter know that at the time Tanaka had been possessed by a demon. It was almost natural to return to this place to see what other surprises lay in store. It was almost too much to hope that Aguilero had left a clue behind, but there was always the chance...

  The place was decrepit though. It hadn't been in the best state even when it had been used but since Carter had been poking his nose around Aguilero's men had moved out, and took everyone with them. The door was barred shut. Carter kicked it open. It wasn't as though anyone would care. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, highlighting the specks of dust that hung in the air. Old punching bags hung, useless now. The boxing ring in the middle was covered in a layer of dust. The floor was still stained with blood and sweat.

  Carter walked through, idly glancing around to see if there was anything left. His soft footsteps echoed around. He walked up to the office but all the paperwork had been taken away. Being alone like this made his mind wander. It was so strange to think that a cult of evil could have been brewing in a place like this, but it was there. He thought back to the demon they exorcised from Tanaka warning of how something was coming that would baptize the world in Morning Star and fire. It promised nothing but doom. It was a foul evil, one that Carter could barely comprehend. His entire career he had dealt with murderers, drug dealers, pimps, the lowest of the low but they had all been human and mortal. This was a threat that required a higher kind of justice. This was something that he couldn't simply slap cuffs on and see taken away. It was troubling to think how he was going to deal with it all, let alone how it connected. Tanaka had been possessed by a demon. There were the Lords of Baal. Aguilar was apparently working against the Lords of Baal, so who was the leader of that cult? Then there was Anja too...who knew what part she had to play.

  Despite being allied with Father Constantine, Carter felt alone. He stood as an isolated figure in the old gym, wondering if the decisions he was making would lead him down a good path. He wondered how his brother had felt, if in those moments he had been aware that he had been making the wrong choices. Yet there was little else Carter felt he could do.

  Carter stood in the middle of the gym and then sank to his knees. It wasn't a church but the only thing that felt right was to pray. He clasped his hands together.

  “Lord, I know I haven't been in touch for a long time. I know I've said a lot of bad things about you and I do not seek forgiveness for them. For some reason you have chosen my as your weapon in this war. I guess it's not my right to know why, but I hope you have chosen well. I want to do the right thing but I need to know what's going on. At the moment I feel lost and alone. I don't know where to turn. There are enemies all around and few friends. There is nothing to point me in the right direction. Please, show me the way.”

  At that point the sounds of glass smashing filled the gym. Carter looked up and saw the shards spray over the floor. Anja was floating there with her wings outstretched, looking like a grim demon. The wings were about five feet long and were slick and black. Claws protruded from her hands and feet but it was the eyes that filled Carter with terror the most. He hadn't noticed them when he had seen her previously. They were glazed over and filled with darkness, and he stared into the abyss. For a moment she stayed still, then with a flick of her wings she swooped forward and a piercing screech made Carter cover his ears. She dived down and clawed at Carter, tearing at his shoulder. His jacket was ripped. She rose up to the high ceiling and barreled down for another attack, this time swiping at Carter with her hands. He managed to roll away at the last instance and scramble to his feet. He ran to the boxing ring and slid in so he at least had a little higher ground and lessened her advantage. There was no time to wonder how on earth he had managed to get into a fight with a winged creature.

  “Anja, stop! I don't want to hurt you. I just want some answers!” he cried out but she was deaf to his pleas. She swooped down again. Carter tried to watch her angle of descent and prepared himself for another blow; he backed up towards the ropes and used them to propel him forward, intending to meet her in the middle of the ring. Anja hurtled down and Carter clenched his teeth. It had never been in his nature to fight defensively and he wasn't about to start now. When he thought the moment was right he launched himself at Anja and tried to punch her, he didn't much care where the punch landed.

  Anja was agile though and she tilted her body to deflect the blow. Carter couldn't stop running forward though, straight into her clutches. She held him tightly against her and then rose into the ceiling again. Carter struggled to let go but then looked down at the ground that was quickly receding. Panic struck his eyes when he felt her loosen her grip, and then he fell, screaming louder than he ever had before. All the air was hammered from him as he landed on the mat, which thankfully managed to hold. Any higher and he would hav
e plummeted through it. Anywhere else in the gym and he would have broken every bone in his body.

  The inhuman screech sounded again as Anja came down for another pass. Carter spat out some blood and crawled to his knees. This time when she came down he slid out of the ring to the floor and she narrowly missed him. How the hell was he supposed to handle this? He glanced towards the door but it looked too far away. She'd get him before he escaped and that wouldn't help him get any closer to solving the mystery anyway. He needed to talk to her and find out where she came from and what her part in all this was. He didn't know how she had found him here or even if it had been a coincidence that she was the prostitute he had chosen that night. The more he thought about it the more it seemed like she was the obvious choice...had made herself the obvious choice. But if that was so then how had she known he was even there?

  There were too many questions and Carter was getting tired of not knowing the answers.

  Looking around for anything he could use as a weapon, he saw the punching bags hanging there. He raced over to them just as Anja was sliding down through the sky. If he hadn't been fighting for his life Carter would have taken a moment to appreciate the beauty and grace of this sight. It was a wondrous thing; something that few men were likely to have seen in the world, but Carter did not have the time to appreciate it.

  As Anja made her final descent with claws bared, Carter took hold of the punching bag in both his arms, hauled it back and then swung it powerfully like a pendulum. Anja was fast enough to dodge the brunt of the attack but it still caught her legs, sending her off balance. By this time Carter had already sprinted to another punching bag and had pulled that one back, letting it fly again. It hit Anja full in the chest and disrupted her flight. She thudded to the ground and before she could rise again Carter had already pulled his gun and fired at her. She screeched like a banshee and wrapped her thick wings around herself. If the bullets had any effect it was negligible. Carter ran forward in the hopes that he could catch her by surprise and knock her out but Anja was too quick. Just as he came upon her she batted him away with her wings and sent him flying.