First Circle Club

by Alex Siegel

  Mammon's bulbous face suddenly appeared in the mirror. Virgil drew back in shock.

  "What were you just doing?" Mammon demanded.

  "Taking care of a small situation, sir," Virgil said.

  "The accountants in Hell noticed a hit to our budget."

  "I was using my new power. It seems I can inflict terror and guilt just by looking at somebody."

  "Interesting," Mammon said.

  "You didn't plan that?"

  "This whole mission is an experiment. The consequences are unknown. Who were you inflicting terror and guilt upon?"

  "Gangsters in Chinatown," Virgil said.

  "Why?"

  "They were harassing a man and his daughter who are helping us."

  "Sounds disgustingly heroic," Mammon said. "I didn't send you to Earth to be a champion of the weak and helpless."

  "Isn't stopping a serial killer heroic, sir?"

  "Don't get smart with me! Daniel Shipman's entertainment habits are irrelevant. All that matters is he escaped from Hell, and he must be brought back."

  "Yes, sir," Virgil said timidly.

  "What exactly did you tell these gangsters?"

  "That I'm Aamon, and if they continue to harass people, I'll take their souls to Hell."

  "You stopped them from committing evil acts?" Mammon said in a tone of dismay.

  Virgil belatedly realized he had made a mistake by telling Mammon the truth, but there was no fixing it now.

  "They were interfering with the mission, sir," Virgil said. "I had to do something."

  "You changed their destiny. They were on a path straight to Hell, and now they might try to mend their ways. Worst of all, the influence came out of our budget." The demon curled its puffy lips. "Simply killing them would've been less expensive."

  "I felt the investigation was the most important consideration. We need the Chinese man and his daughter to work for us."

  "Next time, use your powers only when absolutely necessary. I'm not convinced you had sufficient cause this time. How is the investigation going?"

  "No leads so far, but we did look at a crime scene and talk to a few witnesses."

  "Disappointing," Mammon growled. "You've had most of a day already."

  "All of us have been away for a long time, and we need to get reacquainted with life on Earth. We acquired cash, clothes, and a car. We have an ally in the Chicago police department."

  "I heard about him. Thomas Haymaker. Apparently Alfred told him everything. I hope you haven't revealed any secrets to outsiders."

  "No, sir," Virgil said quickly.

  "Good. This mess is causing too many waves as it is. You would not believe how much chatter I'm hearing. The next time we talk, I'll expect better news. You're on a short leash."

  "I understand, sir. You can count on me."

  Mammon's image faded away, and an ordinary reflection replaced it.

  Virgil turned to Alfred. "Did you see that?"

  Alfred nodded. "You have a very grouchy boss."

  "I remember yours also chewing you out earlier today. We're both on thin ice. Let's get back to work."

  They walked towards the electronics boutique at a quick pace. Along the way, a few people looked at the black stain on Virgil's chest, but they didn't comment.

  Virgil arrived at the boutique, but the door was locked. He knocked loudly.

  Mr. Li opened the door, allowing Virgil and Alfred to come inside.

  "How did it go?" Mr. Li said nervously.

  "Great," Virgil smiled. "I took care of it. You have nothing to worry about now."

  "Thank you. You have my deepest gratitude." Mr. Li looked down at Virgil's chest. "What happened to you?"

  "Uh, I spilled ink on myself."

  "But there is a hole in your suit."

  "Corrosive ink," Virgil said. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

  Sara and Lisa were standing in the shop, and they gave him dubious looks. They knew what the black stain meant.

  "Any problems while we were gone?" Virgil said.

  "Mei is working on our new ID cards," Lisa said. "In the meantime, Mr. Li was showing us how to use our new phones."

  "Do I get one, too?"

  She grabbed a phone off the countertop and gave it to him. He stared at the colorful display with trepidation. He had no idea how it worked, but the technology was obviously very advanced.

  Lisa chuckled. "It won't bite. It's actually very easy to use. I'll show you how to play a game."

  "This little thing has games?" Virgil raised his eyebrows.

  "I'm already hooked on Angry Birds."

  Alfred also received a phone. Everybody stood in the shop and practiced using their new toys.

  Virgil was normally hard to impress, but as he explored the capabilities of the phone, he became more and more astonished. It was practically a supercomputer in the palm of his hands. Making phone calls was the least of what it could do. It was a notepad, a navigation system, a camera, a game device, and an electronic book reader. He could extend its capabilities by downloading "apps" from something called the "internet," and thousands were available. The possibilities were limitless.

  Alfred had the most difficulty dealing with the technology. He became increasingly agitated as he struggled to navigate the user interface.

  "This doesn't make any sense!" he declared. "My brain isn't wired to think this way!"

  Sara put a hand on his shoulder. "Just keep at it."

  Virgil was also having a hard time with all the options on his phone. It would take him weeks if not months to learn how to use it properly. He decided to focus on the essential features he needed, and at the top of the list was making calls.

  He took Detective Haymaker's business card out of his pocket. With a little coaching from Mr. Li, Virgil figured out how to call the number on the card. Putting the thin, flat device against his ear felt awkward and silly.

  Virgil heard a ringing which sounded surprisingly clear.

  "Hello?" Haymaker answered.

  "This is Virgil. We have new phones. Ready to write down the numbers?"

  "Sure."

  Virgil gave the phone numbers of himself, Alfred, Sara, and Lisa.

  "Got it," Haymaker said. "I've been doing my homework on you guys, and your stories match historical accounts. There really was a Virgil Wheeler who served as a U.S. Marshal for two and a half decades. He put up quite a scorecard."

  "Thanks. I'm very proud of my work."

  Virgil went outside the store so he could speak without Mr. Li hearing. It was getting dark, but street lamps provided enough light to see.

  "I'm not saying I believe you're back from the grave," Haymaker said, "but that theory is looking slightly more believable. I also researched Daniel Shipman. From what I can tell, his M.O. matches today's killer down to the last detail. Same hunting grounds and same methods."

  "Of course."

  "Could just be a copycat."

  "It's not," Virgil said.

  "I'm going to look at the official court records in the morning," Haymaker said. "They're stored in the Cook County Archives. That's in the Richard Daley Center. You can join me."

  "We'll be glad to."

  "8 AM sharp. See you there."

  Virgil heard a little beep. He looked at the display on his phone and saw the call had ended.

  Alfred, Sara, and Lisa had come outside and were looking at him curiously. After making sure Mr. Li was safely in the shop, Virgil summarized the conversation.

  "We're stuck until morning?" Lisa said. "What are we supposed to do all night? Just stand around? We should be working."

  Virgil nodded. "And Mammon won't be happy if we take the night off. He already chewed me out once today."

  "He did?"

  Virgil related the encounter with the boss of the Nightshade Gang and the conversation with Mammon afterwards.

  "I was wondering how you ruined your shirt," Sara said. "Did the bullet hurt?"

  "It was just annoying. I suppose we co
uld use the extra time to set up a base of operations."

  "I'll talk to Mr. Li about that," Alfred said. "He may know of an empty apartment or something in Chinatown. After the trouble with the gang, I'm sure he'll be happy to have us nearby."

  "Good," Virgil said, "and I'll see how Mei is doing with our new ID."

  "Naturally."

  "What does that mean?"

  Alfred smirked. "You're obviously smitten with that girl."

  Lisa gave Virgil a knowing smile. Sara remained aloof.

  "I was married to an Asian woman," Virgil said defensively. "Mei reminds me of her."

  "What happened to your wife?"

  "I have no idea." Virgil shrugged. "She must be very old if she's still alive. I'm curious, of course, but looking up people from my past life seems like a bad idea."

  "So does courting a living woman."

  "I'm just enjoying the brief time I'm allowed on Earth. Permit me that much."

  "Go ahead," Alfred said. "I'm not the one you have to answer to."

  Virgil decided he was done with the conversation. He went back inside, continued to the storage room, and entered Mei's secret workshop.

  She was seated at her computer. She had an array of giant monitors, and he couldn't imagine why she needed so many. All the screens were covered with pictures or text though. He walked over for a closer look.

  A giant image of an Illinois State Police identification card was displayed on her central monitor. The picture showed Virgil's face, but the name wasn't his. Mei was using her mouse to make small adjustments.

  He took a moment to admire her work while also admiring her. Her reddish black hair shined like silk. A straight, perfect posture pushed out her small breasts.

  "That looks great," he said.

  "Thanks." Mei pressed a key.

  A nearby machine came to life. Virgil heard a high-pitched whining accompanied by a mechanical clatter. Half a minute later, a card dropped into a slot.

  He grabbed it and found the plastic lamination was still hot. The ID looked professionally printed.

  "Very nice," Virgil said.

  "Thanks," Mei said. "I'll make you a matching driver's license next."

  He realized he was still holding the bag of gold. He had planned to pay off the gang boss, but that hadn't been necessary. Gold was a very inconvenient currency.

  "Before you do that," he said, "would you mind helping me with something else? I need to turn some gold into more cash."

  "Where did you get all that gold?"

  "I'm not permitted to discuss my business. I wish I could."

  Mei frowned. "And what happened to your shirt?"

  "A gangster attacked me with a fountain pen full of black ink."

  "Huh?"

  "It's not important," Virgil said. "Just tell me where I can sell some gold."

  "A jewelry store is around the corner. They buy gold."

  "Can you show me, please?"

  "I'm kind of busy right now," Mei said.

  "It won't take long, and having a local with me might help me avoid getting ripped off. Please."

  "I suppose so. Let's go."

  He followed Mei out of the secret workshop. She carefully closed the door, but there was no handle on the outside. He didn't see how she would open it again, but apparently, she wasn't concerned.

  They left through the front of the phone store where Alfred, Sara, and Lisa were talking with Mr. Li. Virgil nodded to his teammates. Lisa glanced at Mei and gave Virgil a knowing look. He rolled his eyes.

  Virgil and Mei walked out into a warm, humid evening. The crowds of tourists remained in Chinatown, but there were fewer kids. She led him past a restaurant, a nail salon, and an "aroma therapy" place. They entered a jewelry store with a green awning over the door.

  The usual rings and necklaces made of gold, silver, and gemstones were on display in glass cases. Virgil saw much more jade than he expected though. A jade elephant on a shelf had diamonds for eyes.

  Mei introduced Virgil to Mr. Chan, the owner of the store. Chan was a skinny man with a wrinkled face. His back was bent with age.

  Virgil poured out a few gold coins from his bag. "I need to trade some of these for cash."

  Chan picked up a coin and examined it with an eyepiece. "Interesting markings. Spanish colonial. Please wait here for a moment while I check my books." He went into a back room.

  Virgil smiled at Mei, and she smiled back.

  "Umm," he said, "how did a pretty girl like you get so involved with computers?"

  She stiffened. "Do you have a problem with pretty girls having technical skills?"

  He realized he had erred. Back in his day, female computer experts had been very rare, but they were probably more common now.

  "No, no," Virgil said. "Forget the 'pretty girl' part. Not that you're not pretty. I mean, you are. Ugh, that didn't come out right. I'm just asking a question."

  "When I was a little girl, my father gave me an old cash register to play with."

  "Strange toy."

  "He wanted me to learn how to fix electronics," Mei said, "so I could help with the business. He's a very practical man. It turned out I loved that stuff. I grew up reading technical manuals for entertainment."

  Virgil was silent for a moment. He had never met a girl like her.

  "Technical manuals didn't teach you how to forge ID," he said. "You must've figured that out on your own."

  "That came later. The Immigration Service comes into Chinatown all the time and demands to see documentation. Maybe they're looking for Chinese spies or something. It made sense for me to get into that business. It's a great way to earn some extra cash and help people at the same time."

  "Aren't you worried about getting caught?"

  "I only work with people I know and trust." Mei paused. "I'm not sure why I trust you so much, but I do. I feel safe when I'm with you."

  Thank you, Alfred, Virgil thought.

  Mr. Chan returned from the back room. He placed the coin he had taken on the counter. "Where did you get this?"

  "I... inherited it from my grandfather."

  "I'll pay two thousand dollars for each coin."

  Virgil raised his eyebrows. "It's difficult to negotiate when I have no idea whether that's a fair price. I gather the coins have some historical value?"

  "Three thousand."

  Virgil rubbed his chin and contemplated. Chan was probably trying to cheat him. The coins might've come from a famous pirate ship or something. Virgil considered using his gaze to intimidate Chan into telling the truth, but that seemed too cruel.

  Finally, Virgil said, "Twenty thousand in cash for five coins."

  Chan narrowed his eyes and then nodded. "Deal."

  Virgil was now sure he had been cheated, but he didn't feel too bad. The gold wasn't really his. It had come from Hell, and whatever he didn't spend would probably go back. It just had to last for the duration of the mission.

  Chan went into a back room to get the cash. He returned, and they completed the transaction. Mei said nothing as the thick bundle of hundred dollar bills changed hands. Virgil stuffed the money into the bag of gold.

  Virgil and Mei began walking back to her father's store. Virgil had his phone in his pocket, and he couldn't get used to the unfamiliar bulk. He kept moving it around as he searched for a natural way to carry the thing.

  They arrived at the store to find the door locked again. Mei had a key and opened it.

  Lisa was standing inside, still messing with her phone. Her thumbs were tapping all over the screen.

  "More Angry Birds?" Virgil said.

  "No," she replied without raising her eyes from her phone. "I'm googling."

  "Sounds like a medical condition."

  "Try it. Open the browser on your phone and type a question into the space at the top."

  "Any question?" he said. "My phone is omniscient?"

  "Just try it."

  Mei was giving Virgil a funny look. He realized his ignorance of mod
ern ways would lead to very awkward questions.

  "Could you please finish printing our new ID?" he said to her.

  "Sure." She went to the back room.

  "By the way," Virgil said, "where are the others?"

  "Looking at empty apartments and other places we might want to use as a base," Lisa said. "They should be back in a little while. I'm holding down the fort."

  He nodded and turned his attention to his phone. He found the browser, but he hadn't used it before, and he wasn't sure what it would do.

  Using the cramped on-screen keyboard, he typed, "How much does the sun weigh?"

  The answer came back instantly. According to his magic gadget, the sun weighed 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg.

  Virgil was flabbergasted. "How does 'googling' work?" he said.

  "I'm not sure." Lisa shrugged. "It has something to do with the internet."

  Virgil frowned. Mr. Li had briefly tried to explain the internet to Virgil without much success. The whole concept seemed crazy.

  Virgil didn't understand the technology, but he had a good use for it. He googled Daniel Shipman.

  Virgil got results for several different people with that name. He tapped on answers until he found the right one. The page had a lot of information on it, much more than what Mammon had provided. Virgil read with great interest.

  "Shipman has a younger sister who lives in Chicago," Virgil said.

  "Oh?" Lisa said.

  "Patricia. She might still be alive."

  "We should talk to her tonight."

  Virgil tried to use his phone to find Patricia's current address, but the results were confusing. His search produced too many matches. Some results were services asking for money to find her. He would need Mei's help to sort it out.

  Sara opened the door of the phone store. "Both of you are here. Good! We found the perfect place. Come on. I'll show you."

  Virgil and Lisa followed Sara out of the store. Virgil made sure the door was locked behind him.

  The group quickly walked through Chinatown. They arrived at another store named Red Palace Antiques and went inside.

  Furniture and statues filled the place. Virgil saw chairs made of fine lacquered wood. Cabinets used gold leaf along the edges and had jade pulls. There were giant vases painted black and gold which seemed too large to be useful. Buddha statues came in a great variety of styles, materials, and sizes.