“Did the voice call itself Lucifer?” Andrea asked.
“One and the same. Didn’t that worry you?”
“That’s the reason I started going to church. I used to be a skeptic, but a few things began occurring weeks before that call that changed me. Strange occurrences, you know, like an envelope of money was delivered to me from nowhere. Then I was approached by someone that really did something terrible to me when I was a child. He ended up apologizing and then ate a bullet in front of me. I didn’t think they were connected until the call came in. The voice told me to remember that number and things would be alright, with a little faith.”
“Faith,” Azazel said, shaking his head. “I’m not sure what to think right now, but someone is definitely looking after me and I highly doubt it’s God. So, what’s up with that number?”
“Follow me.”
Andrea led Azazel into the basement of the church, and found a trunk tucked in the back corner. Inside was a sheet of paper, a letter to Azazel, and a crystal skull-handled dagger.
“I was told to give you this. Is Azazel the name you’re using today?”
“Yeah, I didn’t know it was going to get me into trouble when choosing it as a screen name.”
“The Scapegoat. Is that how you feel right now?”
“I’m not sure what I feel.”
The page headed Hebrews 9:22 was from the Bible, and a line was highlighted: Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
“How appropriate.” Azazel laughed. “I suppose whose law I’m abiding by is the key here.”
“I guess so. I never read the letter because I was afraid of the implications of what it could be for a being named Azazel. What does it say?” Andrea asked.
Azazel opened the envelope and the letter said:
Hello, Azazel. If you are reading this right now, things are going right and you haven’t been killed yet. Just know that a few of today’s interactions will directly affect the lovely lady that you should be talking to at this moment. She was going down the wrong road, but was wise enough to readjust her heading with a little nudging. You may or may not bring her along with. That’s up to you and her, but I believe she’d be willing to assist. She is intelligent and has a skill set that may aid you along your redemption day.
Azazel handed the letter over to Andrea who smiled after reading it. “Wow!”
Azazel looked at her and she looked at him, both not really knowing what to say to each other. Finally, he broke the silence. “Do you want to help?”
“I’m not sure. What have you been doing?”
“Exterminating the demons of my past.”
She looked down at the paper once again and thought about how much she had changed in the last year, growing into an honest girl, but also increasingly restless. She was bored with her lifestyle that revolved solely around belonging to the church. “May I have a moment to think?”
“You have twenty minutes. I must leave after that.”
“Ok. Could you wait for me outside?”
“Sure.” Azazel stuffed the intricately designed clear dagger into his pocket along with the two sheets.
He left the church and leaned against the F-Type. Thoughts of the significance of the blade, as well as the meaning behind the verse kept him preoccupied until Andrea ran up to him.
“I’m ready,” she replied.
“You sure? What I’ve been doing today, there’s no going back.”
“I’m sure. I want to help you, and I believe I can help considerably.”
“Too much time inside that building made you a little crazy, huh?”
She laughed, “Let’s just say that I’ve reached my limit.”
6 P.M.: Mike Barbatos
With an accomplice at hand, Azazel was ready for whatever came next. He didn’t know what sort of skills Andrea possessed, but Lucifer vouched for her and that was golden.
“Call me Eris, by the way,” Andrea said.
“What’s wrong with Andrea?”
“Nothing, but Lucifer insists that I use my screen name as well.”
Azazel nodded and asked, “Why would you pick that name?”
“It came to me when sleeping. Repeatedly, I was called this name by the inhabitants of my dreams. I thought it was strange to have reoccurring visions that kept a constant theme, but the name Eris was really cool.”
“Sounds spiritual.”
Eris nodded. “Yeah, well one day they told me what it meant.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“The Greek Goddess of Chaos.”
Azazel laughed out loud, a deep bellowing followed by, “That is absolutely outstanding. Your were named the Goddess of Chaos?”
“Bingo. I’m not one for coincidences, so I lodged that name deep into my memory.”
Well, Eris, I hope you’re up for a long six hours. Or maybe a short six hours, I don’t know.”
“I am. I know it sounds kind of funny to leave the church under the circumstances, but you may understand by day’s end.”
“I have a feeling your dreams gave you a clue as to what’s going on.”
Eris nodded. “That, they did. So how are your children?”
“Lucifer has them, and I just found out today that I have a daughter that I never knew anything about.”
“Really? Do Luke and Josh know about her?”
“I don’t think so, but Lucifer has probably introduced them by now.”
The phone rang. “Azazel, pick up the envelope labeled Mike Barbatos. That’s your next target.” Click.
“I guess he wasn’t much for small talk this time,” Azazel said.
He grabbed the envelope and found the address, 1140 Canterbury Lane. This was relatively near to the YMCA he was directed to earlier this morning. The packet contained a second Ether Camouflage for Eris, as well as legal papers, photographs, and a gold coin, a Stater with Alexander the Great imprinted on it. He figured this was one of the rewards for the duties today, an exquisite addition added to his collection.
Azazel showed the name on the envelope to Eris and she smiled.
“You know him?”
“Yes. Mike is the reason why my parents are in jail.”
Azazel thought back and felt slightly embarrassed that he couldn’t remember the reasoning. He had never been close to Eris’s parents and didn’t even notice their absence. Of course, he hadn’t been to a family gathering in years, so it was no surprise to be out of the loop.
“What were they accused of?”
Eris was stunned. “You don’t know?”
“Listen, I know it sounds bad, but I’ve been in an alcoholic daze for years. Today is the first day in many months that I haven’t had anything to drink.” Azazel raised his hand and it was trembling from the withdrawals. He also realized the cold sweats were taking over.
“I see. I thought your condition was from all the action earlier.”
“That’s partly correct.”
“Well, my mom and dad were, you know, they had a business together. It was an Italian restaurant that was barely making it. They decided to take a loan through Mike’s company. Everything sounded good until they couldn’t make the third payment and he became an unreasonable a-hole. He knew the position they were in and harassed them and when they couldn’t make another payment, he claimed they stole from him. When they were at work, he planted things in their house.”
“I can see why Lucifer had me open this envelope with you at my side. I’m not exactly sure what he has to do with me, though. Anyway, how do you feel about guns?”
“I used to play around with them quite frequently. My dad taught me, just in case.”
“Good man. Here, take this.” Azazel handed her the MP7 along with a couple of clips, and a ballistic vest that magically appeared next to the box in the connecting room. Lucifer must’ve dropped it off after Eris joined his party, before they returned to Kushiel.
; They headed towards the mansion at the north end of Pyre Farms forest preserve. Daylight was fading quickly, to Azazel’s relief. As they cruised up the driveway, Azazel thought twice about this sort of direct approach. Instead, he turned around as he recalled a possible back way into the house. There was a parking lot to the rear of the home leading to a bike path going out towards the Cain State Park. This parking lot was close enough in proximity to be useful for them.
Azazel parked the car in the empty lot and beckoned Eris to follow as they ran through the woods towards the rear of the mansion. A large cast iron fence stood in their way, and Eris showed off her agility, easily scaling it. Azazel tumbled over slowly and clumsily and felt much older with Eris around.
“You alright, old man?” Eris teased.
“Ha-ha. Don’t worry about me. Let’s go.”
They ran up to the back door, and looked into one of the picture windows attached to the living room. Mike wasn’t alone, which was something that worried Azazel. Luckily, Lucifer was right on top of things, and a call came through. Azazel wasn’t able to hear what was said, but everyone left except for Mike, who was sitting in front of the TV, watching football. Eris crept around the front of the house and waited until the family was gone before returning to Azazel’s side.
“The coast is clear.”
Azazel grabbed the back door handle and opened it slowly, walking into the entry hallway, heart pounding and anxious. He rounded the corner into the living room with the gun pointed towards the couch Mike was sitting on. Only problem was, Mike was no longer there. Azazel felt the cold imprint of metal on the back of his neck, the second time that happened today, and he froze. He realized how far his ghosting skills had diminished over the years.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my house?” Mike asked.
Gunfire popped from behind and Azazel thought for a moment that he had been shot. Mike dropped to the ground and the weapon fell out of his hands as he grabbed the knee with a new hole in it.
“Settle down, Mike,” Eris said. “We’re here on business.”
Azazel realized just how innocent Eris wasn’t. She was calm and cool and somewhat frightening in her ease at shooting a man. With the near-death experience quickly fleeting from Azazel’s mind, he could redirect his attention to why Mike was chosen for him. Would this task have been available still if Eris had chosen not to come with? Was this task for him or Eris? Then he thought how ridiculous it was to feel the slightest bit of jealousy.
“Please, drag yourself over to the dining room table,” she demanded.
Mike was a big man, about 230 pounds, 6’2”, and all muscle. Azazel thought how strange it was to see Eris, the petite girl that she was, commanding control over him.
“You know you’re making a tremendous mistake.” Mike warned.
“Big words from the big man. That’s cute. Do you have any idea who I am?”
Mike shook his head. “Not a clue.”
“Well, I know who you are and what you did to my parents, and I’m sure you’ve done similar things to plenty of others. Do you remember what happened to Bonnie and Gary?”
“Yes, I gave them a loan to help them out.”
“So when they couldn’t pay, what did you do?”
“Nothing. I was beginning the legal proceedings to gain control of the business, as per our agreement.”
Azazel pulled out a photograph of Mike inside Eris’s home.
“Explain this,” Azazel said.
Mike’s mouth dropped. “What the hell is this?”
“Judgment day for you. Look, we can play your game and say that you’re innocent, but we know better. You wouldn’t have been chosen for us to deal with otherwise. All I’d like to find out is what you might have in common with me,” Azazel said.
“And who the fuck are you?”
“Thomas Mormo ring a bell?”
“Mormo?” Mike thought back. “Wait, Lori Mormo? I know her.”
“And what exactly is your connection with her?” Azazel began digging into the envelope for another photo.
“No, look, alright. Now I know what this is all about. It’s not this little girl’s parents. You’re here because of Lori, ain’t you?”
“Yeah, but probably not in the same way you’re thinking.”
Mike explained, “Look, check this out. Lori came to me one day. She needed cash bad but said she couldn’t pay me back. She said she’d do things.”
“What did she need the money for?”
“I don’t know, something about not wanting something else around. I don’t know.”
“Was it for an abortion?” Azazel pried hard.
“Look, you can’t get mad at me for that. Whatever she did with the money, that’s up to her.”
“Alright, I’ll give you that, but what did you make her do?”
Mike became as pale as a ghost as he looked back at Azazel and was about to speak, but words wouldn’t come out. Azazel searched once again through the envelope and saw a piece of paper taped to the inside wall. He pulled it off and dropped it into Mike’s lap.
“You disgust me.”
Azazel lifted the gun and one bullet made its way through Mike’s head and two through the chest. He didn’t feel good about this one, hanging his head low. Even so, he still couldn’t believe how easily his arm lifted the gun to unleash the rounds.
“Should I ask?” Eris asked.
“No, I wouldn’t. You don’t want to tarnish whatever image in your head that you have of Lori.”
“Fair enough.”
7 P.M.: Teri Vera
Azazel appreciated Eris’s ability to refrain from asking questions at such a time. The two of them returned to the tunnel and Azazel sat against the wall for a few minutes, staring at the opposite wall. Eris began searching through the remaining files, wondering what each might have that connected to Azazel and her.
“Is there any order to these?”
“No, but Lucifer had me pick yours and Mike’s at certain times, so I guess in a way there’s a pattern.”
“Well, I’m just going to pick one. Is that alright?”
“That’s fine. Lucifer should be calling soon anyway.”
Eris grabbed a file named Terry Vera and sat next to Azazel. “Would you like some consolation? The Lord knows that I’ve been getting pretty good over the last year.” She smiled sympathetically.
“You know, I had a feeling Lori was into some grimy shit, but actually seeing it makes all the difference in the world.” His throat tightened up again, holding back the tears.
“I can’t even imagine what you’re going through, but at least you’re able to do something to rectify it.”
“You know what, I’ve never been a religious man, but I wonder how today’s events are going to play out on my judgment day.”
“I can give you some babble about what the Bible says, but I don’t think at this point any of that will help. We have missions to complete and yes, I am here every step with you. Let’s make today run as smooth as possible.”
“Thank you, Andrea.” Azazel kissed Eris’s forehead and hugged her.
“You’re welcome.” Eris smiled then opened the file. “Alright, here’s the next target. Teri Vera. I like how that flows.”
“Fuck, I hate going after women.”
“Well, I’m here. Maybe I’ll do the honors.”
Teri Vera lived at 2550 East River Road, a small two bedroom house along the Cain River. This residence wasn’t part of the wealthy community like the lawyer. Azazel was appreciative that his targets weren’t just rich or poor people, it was a collective of all sorts. The game wasn’t some sort of class warfare game Lucifer was playing. No, it was fairly and equally distributed vengeance.
Lucifer called and asked, “What’s the next target?”
“Teri Vera,” Azazel answered.
“This one should have quite the interesting reaction.”
“Can it be any worse than the previous contestants on the Lucifer Gam
e?”
“Let me just put it this way, go to the next building inside Kushiel and look for a packaged marked Vera. All you have to do is deliver this package. Simple, right?”
“That’s it?” Azazel asked.
“That’s it,” Lucifer replied. Click.
“What did he say?” Eris asked.
“He just said we have to deliver a package to her.” Azazel felt slightly alarmed with the request, but now the curiosity of what was in the package became a strong factor. He already had the wrong impression from the box to Beth earlier.
Azazel and Eris took the subterranean walkway into the connecting building which opened up into a nearly identical factory style setting. They searched the first floor and found two packages, one was to Teri Vera, and one just had an unusual star/hexagram symbol on it. Both cardboard boxes were approximately the same size and weight, around ten pounds. They brought both packages to the collective center and placed the one with the symbol next to the hit list. Eris kept Teri’s package in hand and they went on their way.
The twenty minute drive felt like forever to Azazel as the fatigue of hell day had returned. Eris saw this, so she began playing around with the radio, finding some heavy metal on the satellite connected system. Azazel perked up, but the thrash metal was more annoying than enjoyable, although it did provide effective stimulation.
“So, what made you want to join me?” Azazel asked, forcing a conversation.
“I saw something in your eyes. You needed help and I thought I could be the one to do that for you.”
“I’m finding it hard to understand how you can stomach these activities without flinching.”
“Remember, I had a past,” Eris said. “I don’t really want to get into that, but just know that Mike wasn’t my first kill. I really did want to redeem myself inside that church in the eyes of God, but my nature got the best of me.”
“Do you have any remote idea who Lucifer could be? I mean, I never really believed in the devil, and even today with the things that have gone on, especially the unexplainable stuff, I still feel way too skeptical.”
The Djinn Trials: Azazel Page 10
