The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘Good,’ Nathaniel raised his glass as Cameron did the same.

  ‘To making that bitch pay,’ Cameron promised vehemently.

  ‘To making the bitch pay,’ Nathaniel smiled, placing his untouched glass down on the bar and watching as Cameron drained his own, swaying slightly in his seat.

  Nathaniel stood slowly, beckoning the bartender forward and dropping another fistful of dollars on the bar.

  ‘Get him a cab.’

  He scooped the money up, stuffing it into his pocket as he nodded, eying the man who was now slumped forward on the scarred wood.

  ‘Sleep it off deputy,’ Nathaniel smirked. ‘I have work for you to do.’

  Cameron’s only reply was a light snore.

  Nathaniel adjusted his sleeves and turned away from the semi-conscious man. His gaze once again scanned the room, this time catching the eye of a tall curvy blonde.

  She glanced back at him, her blue eyes sweeping the length of him from head to toe, appreciatively. After all, when in his true form he was not unattractive. She was not the first human female to show interest. Most of the time he didn’t even notice as it didn’t interest him. As far as he was concerned humans were no more than domestic beasts, good for nothing but serving and carrying out basic tasks. Coupling with one amounted to nothing more than bestiality in his mind.

  However, there was something about the woman, something enticing, which had him pausing and taking a second look. It wasn’t her curvy body, which filled out a pair of skin tight jeans, nor her full rounded breasts which spilled from her low cut shirt that had him taking an involuntary step in her direction. It was something else, something far more powerful and primal.

  Her blood red lips curved in arrogance as she watched him, watching her. She knew she was attractive, she was no stranger to casting out lures and reeling in interested males. She sent him a sultry inviting look, making sure he was watching before she turned and walked slowly towards the back of the room, her curvy ass swaying provocatively in invitation.

  He moved to follow her, the music faded away, as did the other sounds and scents of the bar. His eyes locked on her as every now and then she’d turn back, her mouth curved in a knowing smile. Nathaniel watched as she disappeared through a doorway marked private. He didn’t even bother glancing around to make sure no one was watching him as he slipped through the doorway behind her.

  He stepped through and the door clicked quietly closed behind him, dulling the music to a muted throb. It opened out into a wooden paneled corridor with a sticky unwashed floor.

  The woman was nowhere to be seen, but directly ahead of him was a heavy door marked exit. He pushed it open and stepped out into the cool night air. It was a welcome relief from the stench of humanity inside the building. He would’ve loved nothing more than to burn it to the ground with all the people still inside. He’d enjoy it, he was sure. Hearing their pain filled shrieks as the flames seared the flesh from their bodies, filling the cool air with the acrid, oily smoke of burning flesh. He shook his head to clear the delectable image from his mind.

  A waft of cigarette smoke suddenly blew across his field of vision. He turned his head slowly to the side, to find the blonde woman leaning up against the wall, taking a slow leisurely drag of her cigarette, her blue eyes fixed on him.

  ‘Don’t usually get your kind in here,’ her voice was a low feminine husky tone.

  ‘What kind is that?’ Nathaniel asked, his voice colored with amusement.

  ‘Fancy suit,’ she lifted her chin, indicating the way he was dressed, ‘shiny shoes and a pretty face. You’re too polished to fit in. You a banker?’

  ‘No,’ his mouth curved slowly.

  ‘Lawyer?’

  ‘Why, have you broken the law?’ he asked mockingly.

  She laughed huskily.

  ‘Honey I live for trouble,’ her eyes glittered as she flicked her cigarette butt in the direction of the huge metal dumpster.

  ‘Well then this is your lucky night,’ his mouth split into a wide smile. ‘You’ve just found it.’

  She stepped in closer to him, grasping the lapels of his jacket and yanking him toward her so his hard body collided with her lush overripe curves. Her mouth latched onto his.

  She tasted like an ashtray he thought dispassionately, but she was eager, he’d give her points for effort. He ignored the after linger of alcohol on her breath and breathed her in, there was something there, something deeper, something far more intoxicating than her cheap perfume.

  He felt her eager hand slip down between their bodies stroking the rock hard length of him beneath the expensive material of his pants. She purred in approval mistaking his obvious arousal for the need for sex. He didn’t want her, not that way. It was something else entirely that had him intensely aroused and unfortunately she was about to discover what that was.

  He pulled back to look at her, her eyes slumberous and lids at half mast, her lips swollen and curved. Nathaniel glanced into her eyes and struck her hard.

  A sharp jab to the throat had her stumbling back her hands wrapped painfully around her neck. Her mouth hung open in shock and pain, and she dragged a painful breath in, as a wheeze escaped her mouth. She couldn’t make a sound, she couldn’t scream, couldn’t call out for help. She stumbled back, trying to escape, her eyes wide with fear.

  ‘Did you know,’ he stalked toward her slowly and methodically, his voice even and conversational, ‘that a blunt force trauma to the throat will cause the cartilages of the larynx to be crushed against the spine of the neck?’

  He paused as if giving her the chance to answer.

  ‘Help!’ she wheezed but her voice was little more than a breathy whisper, ‘help…’

  ‘This type of injury will result in the loss of your voice to varying degrees and possibly difficulty breathing,’ his eyebrow rose slowly. ‘Are you having trouble breathing?’

  She stumbled back nearly losing her footing and falling to the dusty ground. Her eyes darted around, desperately searching for anyone to help her.

  ‘Anyway,’ he continued, ‘you may also experience, some bruising, difficulty swallowing and some pain in the neck.’

  He grabbed her roughly and pulled her against his body, rubbing up against her crudely, allowing her to feel how much her pain aroused him.

  ‘I wouldn’t worry about the pain though,’ he smiled coldly, ‘we’re only just getting started.’

  He dragged her struggling body around behind the dumpster where no one would see them. Throwing her to the floor, she landed with a muffled thud, not even able to cry out. Watching her in amusement, he straddled her body, reaching down and tearing her shirt open to reveal her naked torso, her milky flesh glowing pale in the moonlight. She fought against him as much as she could but he was too strong. He leaned into her body, inhaling deeply as he pressed his face against her skin. He ran his cool hands up her torso, groping her flesh, squeezing her breasts painfully as he rocked his hips against her pinned pelvis.

  Suddenly he reared up, his eyes flashing hungrily as he plunged his hand into her chest with the sickening sound of tearing flesh and cracking ribs. Her spine arched in shock and agony, her mouth open on a wide soundless scream of inhuman pain. He could feel her heart beneath his palm sputtering, the tiny helpless wing beat of a wounded bird. Suddenly it gave one final lurch and stilled. A loud exhale filled the air as the breath left her body.

  Her exposed chest cavity was suddenly flooded with a pure white, blinding light. Nathaniel felt himself harden even more with an awful kind of desperate need. His mouth flooded with saliva, he’d never felt a hunger so dreadful, that he was willing to do absolutely anything to sate it. As he pulled his hand from her chest, covered in blood, a ball of pure white light pulsed blindingly in his palm.

  He opened his mouth and crammed the ball of light into it, shoving it down his gullet, swallowing desperately, the light causing the skin of his exposed throat to glow a sooty orange as it
descended past his throat and into his body. He sucked in a deep shuddering breath, realizing he’d experienced a sexual release even as he’d absorbed the soul of the woman. He leaned forward over her splayed corpse, his dirty hands braced either side of her head, breathing heavily. He stared down into her vacant eyes and pressed a deep kiss to her mouth.

  ‘Thank you,’ he breathed raggedly against her bloodied lips.

  After moment he stood, stroking himself through the front of his pants feeling the dampness. He reached down and picked up the woman, slinging her corpse over his shoulder like a sack and covering himself further in her blood. With one hand he opened the dumpster and hauled her inside. Closing the lid once again he took a deep breath, looking up into the night sky.

  A slight movement caught the corner of his eye and when he looked across he could make out two black colored birds sitting on the corner of flashing neon bar sign, watching him with white eyes. His eyes locked on theirs for a moment before they launched themselves into the sky, the pair of ravens circling each other as they rose higher and disappeared into the dark clouds.

  Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed. He knew the Ravens would go running straight to the Hierophant to tell him what they had just witnessed, but he didn’t care. The Arcana had declared themselves neutral, it was neither in their power nor their nature to judge him. He turned abruptly in a swirl of green demon smoke, the dusty parking lot of the bar disappeared and he suddenly reappeared in his motel room.

  He shed his clothes, revealing his powerfully muscled body and stalking unapologetically naked through the room into the bathroom. He flicked on the light and stood, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes, which had begun to darken as the last soul he stole faded, were once again white. He glanced down at his naked body, the evidence of his climax still evident, glistening on his skin, his chest and hands stained with drying blood. Finger marks of blood were smeared across his mouth where he’d ingested the soul which even now pulsed and throbbed with power deep inside him.

  He inhaled deeply, letting his eyes flutter closed and his arms rise in a grotesque parody of angel wings. He felt the power flood his body, his veins bulged and rippled along his powerful frame as he let the power take him. His head dropped back as he tilted his face to the cheaply tiled ceiling and let loose a cry of triumph. The whole room trembled and the ground of the whole motel complex shook as if caught in a throes of an earthquake.

  12.

  Mac took a deep swig of his coffee and tried to focus on the files in front of him.

  ‘You look like crap Mac,’ Jake sipped his own coffee, ‘no offense.’

  ‘None taken,’ he shrugged, ‘I’m just tired. Didn’t sleep well last night, then that earthquake woke me up.’

  ‘Earthquake?’ Jake frowned, ‘what earthquake?’

  ‘Woke me up last night, about 3am,’ Mac looked up at him. ‘It was a relatively minor one I’ll admit, maybe a 2 or 3 at most, but still, I’m surprised you were able to sleep through it.’

  ‘There wasn’t any earthquake last night Mac,’ Jake told him.

  ‘I could have sworn I felt the ground shake,’ he frowned in confusion.

  ‘You still at that damn motel?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Mac sighed, ‘haven’t had much of a chance to look for something else.’

  ‘You’ve had plenty of chances Mac,’ Jake replied carefully. ‘Something else has been holding you back.’

  Mac’s hand froze, his cup inches from his mouth as he stared at Jake. ‘You’re very observant.’

  ‘I’m a cop, you pay me to be observant,’ he replied dryly, ‘so come on, what is it?’

  ‘I…’ he dropped the cup down on the desk and shrugged, ‘is this just between us? Or between you, me, Roni, Olivia and Theo.’

  ‘Just between us,’ he smiled in amusement.

  ‘I guess I thought by now… I thought I would be sharing with someone else.’

  ‘Tammy?’

  ‘Not much gets past you does it?’

  ‘Not much of a secret to be fair Mac,’ he replied. ‘It doesn’t take a genius to figure out something is going on between you two.’

  ‘Was,’ he frowned, ‘not is.’

  ‘Nothing’s ever simple, is it?’

  ‘You got that right,’ he shook his head. ‘Anyway, where are we at with the Julia Nash case?’

  Realizing Mac didn’t want to talk about it, Jake went with the change of subject.

  ‘Husband’s got a solid alibi, was out of town at a conference. We double checked his flight information and hotel booking. Got hotel footage of him in Chicago during the time frame for her murder.’

  ‘So where does that leave us?’

  ‘With the lover.’

  ‘Lover?’ Mac repeated curiously.

  ‘Turns out she wasn’t home that night either. Left their kid with the nanny and spent the night in the Black Cat motel with…get this…her boss.’

  ‘Does he have an alibi?’

  ‘Unfortunately,’ Jake nodded, ‘like I said she spent the night with him. Left him early morning to get back home and being the great guy that he is, he nailed the maid as soon as she left. We have her sworn statement. According to her they were at it for at least an hour and a half after Julia left.’

  ‘He sounds like an absolute peach,’ Mac replied dryly.

  ‘We’re looking at his wife but so far nothing. Sachiv came back with the autopsy report. Julia’s chest was cracked open, messily I might add, there was no surgical incision and her heart was crushed.’

  ‘Crushed?’ Mac frowned.

  ‘Yeah, almost to a pulp,’ Jake answered a bit sickly. ‘Sachiv said it looked like it had been put through a blender.’

  ‘Christ,’ Mac swore.

  ‘I know,’ he nodded in agreement, ‘problem is we can’t identify the murder weapon. We know what killed her but we have no idea how it happened. It looks like someone ripped her open with their bare hands. There’s no way the lover’s wife had the strength to do that, she’s a tiny, petite little woman.’

  There was a sudden knock and one of the other cops stuck his head around the door.

  ‘Sorry to interrupt Chief, but I thought you’d want to know straight away. There’s been another body found, just out of our jurisdiction. County Sheriff’s office called it in as a courtesy; seems the MO matched the woman we found the other day.’

  ‘Matched in what way?’ Mac asked.

  ‘Blonde, pretty, late twenties, found with her chest ripped open.’

  ‘Shit,’ Jake swore as he stood and grabbed his jacket.

  ‘Tell them we’re on our way,’ Mac replied.

  ‘Theo,’ Olivia winced, ‘ease up there big guy, you’re crushing my fingers.’

  Theo glanced down at their entwined hands and relaxed his grip.

  ‘Sorry,’ he blew out a breath, glancing around uneasily as they climbed the steps to the museum.

  ‘Relax,’ she stroked the length of his arm comfortingly with her other hand. ‘It’ll be fine.’

  He said nothing, but she noticed the way he clenched his jaw and the tension in his posture. It was the first time they’d left the safety of their house since the demon Sabine had tried to abduct Olivia and she knew he was feeling too exposed.

  ‘Theo,’ she stopped and tugged on his hand, forcing him to look down at her.

  ‘It will be okay,’ she repeated, ‘you heard what Sam said. Hades has the Gata stalking me twenty four seven, I’ll be okay.’

  ‘Forgive me if I don’t place my faith in a couple of make believe animals I can’t see,’ he growled.

  She knew he was still blaming himself for leaving her alone in the first place and honestly she didn’t have a clue how to comfort him, or convince him they weren’t making another big mistake by leaving the house.

  ‘Come on,’ he glanced around again, pushing the door open. ‘Roni’s expecting us.’

  Sighing in resignation she stepp
ed through the door and into the museum.

  They were barely through the door when Roni appeared, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she smoothed her skirt and tucked her hair behind her ear.

  ‘Hey,’ she smiled wrapping her arms around Olivia.

  Olivia stepped into her friend’s warm embrace, chuckling when she was pulled up short. Looking down to see what had stopped her forward momentum, she realized Theo still had hold of her hand.

  ‘Theo?’

  ‘Oh, right,’ he frowned and let go of her hand.

  ‘Sorry, Theo’s a little tightly wound right now,’ she smiled.

  ‘That’s understandable,’ she answered softly, ‘how are you doing?’

  ‘I’m good,’ Olivia nodded, ‘honestly.’

  ‘Okay then,’ Roni relaxed. ‘I’m sorry I had to call you in, but what I wanted to show you was technically part of the Caribbean exhibit and as it’s on loan I can’t remove any of it from the museum premises.’

  ‘That’s okay, I was getting cabin fever anyway.’

  ‘I figured as much. Jake didn’t want me to say anything, he didn’t want me dragging you out of the house.’

  ‘That doesn’t surprise me,’ Olivia sighed. ‘Everyone seems to want to wrap me up in cotton wool right now.’

  ‘I’ll bet,’ she murmured. ‘Why don’t you come with me and I’ll show you the exhibit. I’m assuming you didn’t get to see much of it the night of the reception?’

  Olivia shook her head, as Theo once again took her hand and they followed Roni toward an archway.

  ‘Afterwards I’ve got a private room set up for you to review the manuscripts.’

  ‘What exactly are these manuscripts?’ Olivia asked curiously. ‘Your message wasn’t too clear.’

  ‘I remembered you telling me that your friend Tituba, the slave woman you met in Salem, was from Barbados. You said she remembered a legend told to her as a child, of a demon coming to her island, bringing disease with him. These manuscripts are part of the Caribbean exhibit; no one knows for certain who wrote them. They date back to the 11th century at least four hundred years before the Europeans laid claim to the islands.