First Circle Club

by Alex Siegel

  Daniel smiled at the sight of his enemies frantically searching for him. All four were running around like headless chickens. They were wearing dark camouflage and body armor. Daniel recognized their faces from pictures Ken Walton had possessed.

  Daniel was tucked inside the chimney on the roof of the pastor's house, and only the top of his head was poking out. With the dark sky as a background, he was practically invisible.

  He examined his adversaries from afar. A muscular man with brown hair had to be Virgil because he was yelling orders to the others. He was carrying a big gun with a flared, golden barrel. The style reminded Daniel of guns from the Renaissance. He remembered the face mentioning a powerful weapon called Furies' Bane.

  A black woman also impressed Daniel with her uncannily quick, graceful movements. The other man and woman were slower and clumsier. Physically at least, they behaved more like normal humans.

  The search was widening out, and as Daniel's enemies moved further away, he felt safer.

  The fire was starting to burn through the roof of the house. When the hole was big enough, he jumped out of the chimney, dashed across the roof, and dropped into the hole. He fell into the heart of a blazing fire, but he didn't care about that.

  He looked around. He had to find the pastor.

  * * *

  Virgil saw unexpected movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked in time to see Daniel drop into the house through a hole in the roof.

  "He got behind us!" Virgil yelled. "He's in the house!"

  He ran as fast as his feet could carry him. He sent his body through the back door of the house like a missile and kept going. After checking a few rooms, he discovered the pastor in the kitchen.

  His throat was slashed. He was already dead.

  Virgil gritted his teeth.

  Daniel exploded out of a cabinet, surprising Virgil. Furies' Bane was knocked out of his hands. Daniel instantly grabbed the weapon off the floor and turned it on Virgil. Daniel clutched at the handle uselessly as he tried to figure out how to fire it.

  Virgil lunged forward and tried to punch Daniel in the face. Daniel jerked out of the way with supernatural quickness.

  Daniel extended the fingers on his right hand. His fingertips extruded shiny blades which merged to become a sword. He swung the sword, and Virgil barely avoided being beheaded.

  Virgil backed up to assess the situation. Daniel was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. A revolver was jammed into his waistband. The rectangular outline of a cell phone in his pocket looked incongruous for a serial killer who had died forty years ago.

  Blades began to pop out all over his body, cutting slits in his clothes. He soon looked like a metal porcupine. It would be hard to strike him without getting gashed. Interesting ability, Virgil thought.

  "Let's do this," Daniel said with a smirk.

  Lisa flew into the room and fearlessly crashed into Daniel feet-first. The impact drove him into a wall hard enough to shake the house. Then she hit his face with a spinning kick that would've snapped the neck of an ordinary man. It sounded like a sledgehammer striking meat.

  Daniel was unfazed. He drove the blade of his sword-hand through Lisa's gut. Black blood oozed out. She pushed him off and disengaged.

  Virgil drew his gun, but Daniel decided to flee at that moment. He crashed through a kitchen window head-first before Virgil had time to aim.

  Virgil went after him the same way. He landed in the grass outside and straightened up. Rapid-fire gunshots at close range created disorienting flashes of light. Bullets tore into his face. He tried to return fire, but he wasn't sure what he was shooting at. He had lost one eye, and the other wasn't working too well.

  A dark shape landed beside him. "You OK?" Lisa said.

  "Yeah, sure," Virgil said. "Go get him!"

  She ran off.

  * * *

  Daniel was sprinting back to his car. He had wanted to stay and fight, but doing so wasn't wise. The mission was far more important than his pride. Besides, the night had been a great success. He had killed the pastor, had stolen Furies' Bane, and had humiliated his adversaries.

  Daniel heard approaching footsteps. He glanced back and saw the black woman getting closer. He was fast, but she moved like a cheetah. He was impressed.

  She pulled a huge, semi-automatic pistol from a holster and aimed at him without breaking stride. He barely had time to weave out of the way before she lit up the night with booming gunfire. Bullets whistled past his head. He tried to shoot back, but his gun clicked empty. He stuffed it into his pocket.

  Daniel still had Furies' Bane in his other hand, but the weapon had no obvious trigger. The handle was just a smooth, apparently solid piece of bronze. Now wasn't the time to work out how to use it.

  He decided to show this woman it was foolish to mess with him. He stopped abruptly, turned, and met her with a blade extended from his free hand like a short sword. She was still firing her gun, and rounds struck his chest with enough force to shake him. She ran out of bullets before she could do enough damage to seriously affect him though.

  She tried to hit him with another flying kick. He ducked and lacerated her thigh as she sailed past. Black blood sprayed from the deep wound. She landed on her feet and faced him.

  "You're handy with those blades," she said.

  Daniel nodded. "They are my essence. Before I cut you to shreds, what's your name?"

  "Lisa. Remember it when you're back in Hell."

  Lisa was still holding her gun which Daniel judged to be .50 caliber. She ejected an empty magazine, grabbed a fresh one from her gun belt, and slapped it in.

  He heard more approaching footsteps. He glanced back and saw the last two members of the team running towards him. The man and woman were a bit slower than Lisa, but they were still faster than any normal human. They also had big guns in their hands.

  Daniel dived at Lisa. She shot him, and bullets gouged his back and legs, but he didn't let the injuries slow him down. He sliced off her gun hand with his sword, and then he took off her right foot at the ankle.

  He knew the damage wasn't nearly enough to kill her, but he didn't have time to finish the job. At least she wouldn't be able to follow him.

  Daniel continued running at top speed. He risked a glance over his shoulder. His two pursuers were about fifty feet back and keeping pace. The woman took a few shots, but she wasn't good at aiming on the run, and the bullets went wide.

  He saw his car up ahead. There wasn't time to open the door, so he jumped and crashed through the windshield. He scrambled amid broken glass to get the key into the ignition. Bullets struck the metal body of the car, and one hit his shoulder.

  Daniel managed to get the car started. Instead of driving away, he backed up onto the sidewalk and crashed into his pursuers. He heard a satisfying double-thump.

  He put the car into drive, stomped the accelerator, and sped away.

  * * *

  Haymaker was sitting in his car two blocks away from the church in case he was needed. He heard a series of gunshots at first. They were loud enough to set off a few car alarms. Lights turned on in houses all around. Then the police radio came alive as the local dispatcher sent every available unit to the scene.

  Even though it might be hard to explain his presence to the other officers, Haymaker decided to respond. He turned on his car and sped towards the church.

  He saw Alfred and Sara first. He was helping her up even though her leg was obviously broken. Her foot was almost pointed backwards.

  Haymaker pulled up and rolled down the window. "What happened?"

  "It was a disaster," Alfred said.

  "I'll be fine in a few minutes," Sara said. "Lisa was hurt worse." She pointed down the block.

  Haymaker drove a short distance and saw Lisa sitting on the sidewalk. Black blood was all over her clothes.

  He parked, got out, and ran over to her. Her injuries made him gasp. Her right hand and foot were amputated, and her entire thigh had been sliced open to reveal
the black meat inside. A stab wound in her gut had a matching exit wound on her back.

  "What did this?" Haymaker said.

  "Turns out Daniel is a walking, talking knife collection," Lisa said. "Get me into your car quick. I can't be seen like this."

  "Is it safe to move you?"

  "Sure. Hurry!"

  Police cars were coming up the road. Their sirens and flashing lights spurred Haymaker into action.

  He helped Lisa up. She hopped on her one good foot while he supported her other side. He eased her into the back of his car. He belatedly realized he now had smelly, black gunk all over his suit and on the back seat of his car.

  "Will this stuff wash off?" he said.

  "Probably not," she replied. "Get my hand and foot. Come on!"

  Her amputated hand was still clutching a gun. He picked up her body parts off the sidewalk and tossed them to her.

  A police car pulled up, and an officer got out.

  Haymaker flashed his badge. "Detective Thomas Haymaker, Chicago PD. I got the situation under control here. Keep going and see if anybody else needs your help."

  Yellow, flickering light made him look up the street. The pastor's house was on fire. Not good, he thought.

  "What's that black stuff on your clothes?" the officer said.

  "Just some mud. Go!"

  The officer sat in his car and drove off.

  Haymaker looked at Lisa again. She was pressing her severed hand against her wrist stump as if to reattach it.

  "Will that work?" he said.

  "It might," she said. "Go get Virgil. He was shot in the face and can't see too well."

  "Where is he?"

  "By the house. Run!"

  Haymaker sprinted towards the burning house. As he got closer, he saw most of the building in flames. Three police cars were there, but no fire trucks had arrived yet.

  He looked around. The fire illuminated surrounding trees and bushes.

  "Hey!" he yelled. "Virgil! Where are you?"

  A familiar hand stuck out from behind a tree. Haymaker ran over and gulped when he saw Virgil. He had four ugly bullet wounds in his face and one in his shoulder.

  "The pastor is dead," Virgil said. "Do you know if the others caught Daniel?"

  Haymaker grimaced. "Doesn't look like it. Sara has a broken leg, but Lisa got the worst of it. She may need a dunk in the mud barrel."

  "What a catastrophe. Daniel also stole Furies' Bane."

  "Ugh."

  "Indeed," Virgil said. "Guide me out of here. I only have one good eye, and it's not that good."

  Haymaker grabbed Virgil's hand and led him away from the police. They worked their way back to Haymaker's car, staying in the shadows as much as possible.

  "How does that face feel?" Haymaker said.

  "It's bugging me," Virgil said, "but I can tell it's healing already. Daniel was firing a .38 revolver. Those little bullets don't do a lot of damage. I'm sure he'll pack something beefier next time."

  Haymaker shook his head in disbelief.

  By the time they returned to his car, Alfred and Sara were there. Her leg had healed enough for her to hobble on it, but her foot still flopped around in a disturbing way.

  Haymaker looked into the car. Lisa's hand reattachment had apparently worked because she was flexing the fingers on her right hand. Her severed foot was still next to her on the seat. The upholstery was certainly ruined.

  "I don't have to tell everybody how badly we performed tonight," Virgil said. "It's humiliating."

  "Daniel was tougher and smarter than we expected," Lisa said.

  "A good cop always expects the unexpected."

  "And it wasn't so unexpected," Alfred added. "Daniel was specifically chosen ahead of all the other serial killers in Hell. Of course he's tough and smart. We were fools to underestimate him. I got the license plate of his car, but it won't help. He'll dump the car at the first opportunity."

  Haymaker took out a notepad and pen. "Let me have it anyway."

  Alfred gave the number, and Haymaker wrote it down.

  "Did anybody else see a clue?" Virgil said.

  Silence was the answer.

  Haymaker noticed Virgil's face had healed significantly in the last few minutes. The black gunk was forming a new eyeball, but the process was mildly horrifying.

  Two police officers were walking along the sidewalk with flashlights in hand. They were obviously searching for evidence.

  Haymaker hurried over to meet them. "Hi guys." He showed his badge.

  "What's going on?" an officer said. "Are you talking to witnesses?"

  "That's right. Interviewing witnesses. Come back in a few minutes."

  "There could be evidence. In fact, I see some." The officer pointed into the grass.

  Haymaker looked and saw a brass casing. "We won't touch anything."

  Alfred came over and said, "We'll be done here shortly. Please, come back later."

  His special voice filled Haymaker's head with a pleasant feeling. It was like warm, maple syrup for the brain. He knew exactly what was happening, but it was still hard to fight.

  "Sure," the officer said with a dreamy smile. "No problem."

  He and his partner went back the way they had come.

  "We should get out of here," Alfred said.

  Haymaker looked over at the burning house. A fire engine had finally arrived, and firefighters were spraying water onto the house, but it clearly couldn't be saved. Police cars were filling up the street.

  "Yes," he said. "Let's go back to Chinatown and figure out a new plan."

  * * *

  Virgil shuffled into the basement headquarters. His face had healed, but his ability to see again had failed to ease his depression. Tonight's operation had been an epic failure. The pastor's death was a particularly bitter pill to swallow. More than anybody else, Virgil had been responsible for protecting him. Virgil should've never left the house.

  The team followed Virgil, and everybody flopped down on the couches and chairs. Nobody spoke.

  Virgil looked at Lisa. Except for badly stained clothes, she had fully recovered from her injuries. The clean, straight cuts had healed quickly, even the amputations. Virgil still had a few bullets in his head, but he didn't mind. They would remind him to be more careful next time. He always treated failure as a learning experience.

  "We need a new plan," he said.

  Again, he was met with stony silence.

  After a long moment, Alfred said tentatively, "We could create a decoy."

  "How?" Virgil said.

  "A perfect kid that we can use as bait. Daniel will try to kill him, and we'll kill Daniel instead."

  "We would have to advertise somehow to get Daniel's attention. Seems very dangerous for the kid, and Daniel might guess what we're up to."

  "It doesn't have to be a real kid," Alfred said.

  "Daniel will want to see a legitimate, flesh and blood child before he makes a move. What do we know about him? What are his weaknesses?"

  "He's an obsessive, compulsive serial killer driven by shame and self-loathing. He grew up with a dead mother and an emotionally abusive father. He hates his own sexuality. He uses religious argument to justify premeditated murder."

  "Besides that," Virgil said.

  Alfred raised his eyebrows.

  "He's obsolete," Lisa said.

  "What do you mean?" Virgil said.

  "He's been dead for forty years. He's out of touch. I bet he barely understands the internet."

  "He arrived on Earth a couple of weeks ago. That's enough time to pick up the basics."

  "Why would he?" she said. "Walton has been taking care of him."

  He furrowed his brow. "He had a cell phone in his pocket. I saw it. I bet he doesn't even know those things are like homing beacons."

  "So?"

  "I'll be back!"

  Virgil got up and ran out of the basement. He jogged through Chinatown which was very quiet at this time of night. A minute later, he arrived at Li
and Li's Electronics Boutique.

  The store was closed and locked up tight. He looked up at the windows on the second floor where the Li's lived. They were dark.

  Virgil took out his phone and called Mei.

  She answered in a sleepy voice, "Hello?"

  "This is Virgil. I need your help right now."

  "What time is it?"

  "Late. I'm in front of the store. Let me in, please."

  She paused. "OK."

  A few minutes later, the lights in the store turned on. Mei unlocked the door and the security gate. She was wearing a red nightgown and silk slippers. Her hair needed to be brushed.

  "What?" she said.

  "We tried to catch Daniel tonight, but it went very badly. A good man died."

  "Oh. I'm sorry. What happened to your face?"

  "I was shot," Virgil said, "but it's almost healed. That's not important. I was close to Daniel tonight, just a few feet away. I noticed he had a cell phone."

  "But you didn't get the number."

  "Of course not, but the phone company tracks the locations of every phone in the system, right?"

  "Sort of," Mei said.

  "So you can find phones that were very near mine tonight. You can pick out the ones that have suspicious accounts. I'm sure Ken Walton gave Daniel that phone but used a fake name."

  Her eyes widened. "I think I can do even better than that. I tracked down that other phone which was also under a fake name."

  "The one carried by the Irish guy who hired Silver Bullet Security. Slattery."

  "Right. I bet Daniel's phone will have a similar setup. Both phones probably came from the same source. I can compare the identification prefix...."

  Mei's face showed excitement now. She hurried back to her workshop and sat before her computer. Virgil just watched silently. He didn't want to distract her.

  Her rapid typing made her keyboard rattle. Windows full of information appeared on her computer screens.

  "Got it!" Mei yelled after a few minutes. "If Daniel is still carrying the same phone, I can tell you where he is."

  Virgil narrowed his eyes. "Where?"

  * * *

  Daniel arrived at a motel in Villa Park. He had abandoned his car miles back just to be safe, and he was travelling on foot. He had a heavy suitcase in either hand, but the weight didn't bother him. He could walk forever without tiring.