by Olsen, Lisa
“I’ve been out walking,” she replied, her voice muffled by his chest.
“Walking.” He pulled back to stare at her, willing her to explain. “This whole time?”
“No, only for the last hour or so. I had to make sure I gave the cops the slip before I came back here.”
“Why do you think the cops were following you?”
“Because that’s exactly what I would have done if I was them. Let me go, but then trailed me from the coffee shop, to see if I’d lead them back to you.”
“I think maybe you’d better start at the beginning.” Ethan let go of her and she picked up a couple of plastic bags, setting them on the counter.
“Okay, but I’m gonna make something to eat while I talk if you don’t mind, I’m super hungry. You must by starving by now too. Do you want anything?”
“I want you to tell me why the cops are even in this equation.” His eyes darted to the door, and he set the locks while she messed around with the coffee pot.
“I might have made the teensiest little mistake,” she winced, and the story started to spill out. It was hard not to blame her for the rookie mistake, but he could understand why she’d called and left the message for her brother. They’d both underestimated the police’s involvement so far, and he wouldn’t make that slip-up again. She wouldn’t like it, but Ethan resolved not to let her out of his sight again.
The intel the police had amassed on him troubled him more deeply. He’d been unaware that they’d linked some of his past identities together. There was no way he’d be able to keep that from the Company, in fact, he was surprised they hadn’t alerted him to it in the first place. It could be handled, especially if the connections had only been made by a few people. Ethan decided to consider it a blessing in disguise, the better to fix it before it got out of hand. It shouldn’t prove too difficult, unless this Detective Lucas turned out to be a crusader. If so… then he’d have to take steps.
“So, did I do the right thing? Or should I not have come back here at all?” Cady was asking him, and he drew away from his internal thoughts to reply.
“No, you did the right thing.” The twists and turns she’d related to him on her journey back to the safe house were dizzying to behold, and he was fairly confident she’d eluded any tail the police had on her.
“Good, I was worried,” she breathed a sigh of relief.
“What is all this?” he asked, watching her process in the kitchen with interest.
“Ah, well I had planned to stop somewhere for takeout on the way back, but I decided it was safer not to wait around in the open. So, this is the best I can do for a hot meal.” She’d made mugs of instant chicken noodle soup with the first batch of hot water from the coffee pot. On plates she’d spread out a layer of tortilla chips and warmed up a jar of Cheez Whiz in the hot water carafe until it poured like liquid gold. Thick blobs of jarred salsa followed. “We can do chili dogs like this too, but I didn’t get any hot dogs today. Good thing too, or they would have gone bad in the sun. Are you hungry?”
Suddenly ravenous, but not for food, he could only nod mutely as she set the spread out on the small coffee table. He would have been content with the bag of chips and some beef jerky, but she’d made them a hot meal. How had he ended up so lucky?
His eyes followed her through the room as she went back for napkins and sodas, clucking over the fact that they were warmer than she liked. With everything that was going on around them, she was constantly surprising him with how normal she was.
Normal and innocent and sweet and beautiful and… and…
“What?” she asked, her head cocked to one side.
For once Ethan felt like there might be more to life than the hunt, and it was at once both scary and liberating. He pictured them in a different apartment, bigger, nicer. He had money enough to provide them both a comfortable life, she wouldn’t have to go back to letting men drool over her for a living. He’d have to work of course, and there would be dangers, but he could protect her.
What would it be like to come home to her fussing over him? To have someone to bandage up his hurts and scold him for taking chances? To share meals with and watch movies. To talk. The concept had become foreign to him, but Ethan realized he enjoyed talking to her, even when it was mostly listening to her chatter.
Shit. He loved her. It took him a while to recognize it, but he loved her. He wasn’t lucky, he was cursed. “Nothing, let’s eat.”
* * *
“What’s this?” Ethan held up a box of black hair dye from the drugstore bag. “I hate to see you cover up your hair like this, but it’s a good idea. You hair is pretty recognizable.”
“This isn’t for me, it’s for you. You’re the one with your picture on the evening news. I’m not putting that junk in my hair.”
“I don’t think it’ll make all that much difference. I’ll stick to this and I’ll be fine.” He pulled the hoodie up over his head.
“At least wear the hat I bought you,” she frowned, pushing back the hood and replacing it with the stiff cap.
“No… that’s no good.” He tipped it off again. “It looks all brand new, it’ll stick out like a sore thumb. This is better.” Ethan pulled the hoodie back into place.
“Fine, be a baby,” she muttered, and Ethan suppressed a smile at her disgruntled expression.
“What about you? You’re not going out like that, are you?”
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” She turned around, examining the shorts and tank top with a critical eye, giving him a nice view of her backside.
“You have to cover up or you’ll have every pair of male eyes on us each step of the way.”
“You’re kidding, right? It’s still eighty degrees out there. I’m not wearing pants and a sweater, that’ll stick out more in this heat. Besides, I’m not wearing anything as slutty as I have to dress for work.”
“Used to dress for work,” he reminded, and she made a very unladylike snort.
“When did you get to be so bossy?”
“When you became my girl. Now let’s get a move on, we’re running out of time.” Despite the urgent words, he felt good. Light. As he guided them through the darkened streets he felt more in control than he had in a while. Proactive instead of reactive.
Gobi lived in a sprawling apartment covering the entire second floor over a converted bank that was now a jewelry store. Four rooms that had previously been bank offices had been remodeled into bedrooms, usually inhabited by a changing stream of hangers on. The man himself commanded a large suite of rooms on the north corner of the building. The ceilings were high, at least ten feet, the marble tiles cracked in a few places, but largely intact. The original moldings needed a new coat of paint, but they were still impressive. Ethan happened to know that Gobi owned the entire building.
Despite the signs of wealth in owning such a large piece of real estate, Gobi lived simply. The furnishings were eclectic, a nubby brown couch sat next to a glass and chrome coffee table. A large papasan chair jostled for space next to a brocade covered wing back and an ancient bean bag scarred with duct tape.
Instead of calling ahead, Ethan decided it would be best to show up unannounced. Giving Cady a reassuring wink as he lifted his hand to knock, he was disconcerted when a shouted, “Come in,” sounded from inside.
Ushering her in, Ethan led them to the main living area. Gobi slumped on the beanbag chair, attention fixed on the videogame controls in hand. An orgy of carnage displayed on the large screen TV as he navigated a dungeon-like maze, a huge two sided axe in hand. “Die, you commie bastard, die!” he yelled, fingers pressing spastically before giving a whoop of triumph, pausing the game. “Hey, Ethan,” he yawned, reaching his hands over his head, ankles rotating in a long stretch.
“He knows your name?” Cady startled beside him and Ethan shrugged.
“Can’t fool a psychic, sister,” Gobi grinned, stumbling to his feet. He wore a flowered, Kimono style robe over a pair of long shorts and
a classic I’m a Pepper t-shirt. His dirty blonde hair hung into his eyes, little braids tied with colorful rubber bands sticking out every which way. A distinct odor of marijuana and incense hung heavy in the room, making him want to sneeze, but Ethan switched to shallow breaths and the urge passed.
Ethan’s head twitched to one side, listening carefully, but he couldn’t detect the sounds of anyone else in the apartment. “Empty house tonight, Gobi? What happened to your entourage?”
“Nah man, vultures, all of em,” the man scowled. “I needed some time to myself to recharge. Always glad to see an old friend though,” he brightened. “Can I get you some refreshments? A little toke to take off the edge?”
“No, thank you, we’re here on business.”
“It’s always business with you, man. When are you gonna live a little? Or wait… you dawg! You’ve been living just fine.” Gobi’s gaze fell to Cady, his smile stretching wide. “What’s a fine piece like you doing with an old geezer like this?” he asked, reaching for her hand, but Cady gave him a frosty glare.
“I guess this piece prefers men whose brains haven’t leaked out their ears,” she retorted, looping her arm through Ethan’s.
“Ouch, I like her, she’s feisty. Relax, I have nothing but respect for the man, especially seeing as how he can snap me in half with his pinky,” Gobi waggled his little finger in the air. “But if you ever find yourself wanting to chill…”
“I’ll pick up some ice cream,” Cady interrupted. “Ethan, are you sure this guy can help us?”
“Madam, you wound me.” Gobi laid a hand over his heart, tottering back a few steps. “I can hook you up, but it’s going to cost you.” His eyes looked her boldly up and down and Cady recoiled from the implication.
“Ick, no deal.”
“Relax,” Ethan steadied her, knowing Gobi was mostly harmless; he just couldn’t control most of the garbage that came out of his mouth. “Stop hitting on my girl or I’ll forget how far back we go. You know I can pay, so let’s get this show on the road.”
“No sense of humor,” Gobi muttered with a shake of his head. Striding to the papasan chair, he curled himself into the bowl, grabbing a pad of paper and a pencil from the end table next to it. “What are we looking for today?”
“That’s part of the problem. We don’t know what form we’re after.”
“That complicates things. Slap me some skin, bro.” Gobi held his hand out, palm up, and Ethan placed his tattooed hand over it. “Just relax and let my fingers do the walking,” he breathed, eyes staring straight ahead.
This was the part Ethan hated, giving the man admission to his thoughts. A solitary man by need, it chafed to allow such intimate access. Still, it had proven helpful in the past, and it was the only way he knew how to convey who the target was.
The psychic picked up the pencil with his other hand, the sketch pad propped up on his knees. The tip of the pencil traveled lazily over the page in a loop, crossing back over itself in the other direction in an infinite pattern. Over and over it traced over itself, following the lines, making it darker, moving faster. Then the pencil shifted, scratching against the paper as he scribbled, hand traveling over the page in jerky movements. Ethan couldn’t make out what the words said from his vantage point, but it had to be a good sign, he’d never seen him fill the page so quickly.
Finally his hand stilled, and Gobi blinked, breaking the connection between them. “Let’s see what we got here,” he said, a pucker appearing on his brow as he squinted at the page. “Sorry dude, alls I got is Cady, over and over again.”
“That’s me!” Cady popped up and Gobi waved in her direction.
“Well, there you go.”
Ethan’s heart sank, it was no better than his visions. He knew well enough that the subject was obsessed with Cady, but it put them no closer to catching him. “That’s really all you got?”
“Hey, the gift don’t lie. She’s your key, she knows his true form.”
“What are you talking about?” Cady demanded, recoiling as Gobi leaned close to sniff the air around her.
“I can see his mark all over you.”
“That’s because he attacked me,” she insisted indignantly. “I don’t know where to find him, I swear.”
“She can lead you to him,” Gobi persisted, but Ethan was already shaking his head.
“No good, I won’t risk her. We have to find another way.”
“Then you’re screwed, man. There is no other way. I’m telling you, she’s your key.”
“How can I lead you to him?” Cady asked. “I have no idea where he is.”
“If you call him, he will come. Like that baseball movie in the cornfields,” Gobi smiled wide. “Let him come to you and…”
“No way,” Ethan interrupted, all set to pull her out of there before she got any ideas. It was far too dangerous to invoke the demon directly, it gave him too much power. Gobi knew that. “She’s not going to open herself up to that… that…”
“It’s all good, man.” Gobi held up a hand, reaching behind his chair and coming up with a plastic baggie of black powder. “I got you covered.”
“Is that what I think it is?”
“You know it. Guaranteed to ward off all manner of psychic attacks as long as we keep this in the astral plane. Are you game, sweetheart?”
“What is that?” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the baggie.
“Black salt,” Ethan replied. “It should keep him from being able to hurt you in the astral plane.” It wasn’t a bad idea, but he still didn’t like giving the demon access to her like that.
Cady accepted the explanation readily enough, quicker than he would have thought, but then again, she’d seen plenty over the past few days to suspend her normal disbelief. “How could he hurt me in the astral plane anyway?”
“Some demons don’t only feed from humans in person, they also steal life force in the form of dreams. Remember how tired you were before you started covering the mirrors at night? That was him.” Ethan noted the slight paling of her cheeks and quickly got through the rest of it. “Subject Q has the ability to feed in the astral plane as well. If he chose to sever the tie to your body in this plane, you would slip into a coma and eventually die.”
“Subject Q, I love how you make them sound like lab rats,” Gobi snorted, but they ignored him.
“But he can’t do that if you use that black stuff.”
“It should protect you, yes,” Ethan nodded, reaching for her hand. “But you don’t have to do this. We can find another way.”
“What good does it do if I make contact with him? I can’t kill him there, can I?”
“No, but he might show you what body he’s in now. That would be a big help. The astral plane shares the same space with this one, so it could also give us a clue to where he is.”
“What would I have to do?” she breathed.
“Let me put you in a trance,” Gobi replied. “Then you just have to call his name and bam, you’ll connect.” He clapped his hands together.
“What’s his name?”
Gobi smiled wide. “You already know.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
More than a little anxious over the prospect of deliberately seeking the demon out, Cady deliberately ignored their preparations, trying and failing to take out orcs on the psychic’s video game. It helped to get out some of the nervous energy by hacking and slashing at monsters, she only wished she didn’t keep dying so much. It seemed like a depressing omen.
All too soon Ethan laid his hand on her shoulder, and she briefly considered chickening out. The idea passed quickly though. Better to get it over with than have to keep hiding out, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She let the health run out on the game, unsure how to pause it, and Ethan helped her up out of the bean bag chair.
“You’re going to be fine. We’ll be right here,” he assured, his voice low and calm. “If it looks like you’re in the least bit of distress, we’ll pull you out of it.”
“You promise?”
“I do. Just… try to remember he’s volatile, so treat him with kid gloves. He claims to love you, so use that to your advantage if you can.”
Cady nodded, letting him lead her to the center of the floor where a series of symbols were drawn on the marble tile with black grease pencil. She recognized some of the markings as the same ones on the walls of the safe house, but she had no idea what they signified. “One of these days you’re going to have to teach me what these symbols mean.”
“That might not be a bad idea,” Ethan agreed readily. “Though I’m not sure if you’ll have the ability to spell them. It takes practice.”
“If this doesn’t work we’re going to have plenty of time on our hands,” she pointed out, stepping carefully over the black marks.
“Go ahead and lie down in the center. You’re going to want to be as comfortable as possible.”
“Why do I feel like a human sacrifice?” Cady muttered, doing as she was told.
“No, that’s an entirely different ritual, and I thought you said you weren’t a virgin?” Ethan deadpanned and she stuck her tongue out at him. She could appreciate his efforts to make her feel more at ease, and it worked up to a point. “Just lie back and breathe deeply while we seal you in. You’ll start to feel light, like you’re floating when it starts. Try not to worry, that’s supposed to happen.”
“That’s right. Then when you leave your body behind, make your booty call and you should be good,” Gobi added, hopping over parts of the circle, embellishing the curve of a symbol, making the tail longer on another.
“Right, when I leave my body behind. No problem,” Cady breathed, getting as comfortable as she could on the hard tile floor.
“You’re going to be fine, I promise,” Ethan brushed the hair away from her forehead, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to her lips and Cady caught at his hand.
