Obsessions: A Monster Squad Novel 7
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Lilith raised a brow and smiled at him. “Truly?” She sat up and walked to the window looking out on her minions. “I simply must test this.”
She stared out at those working in the warehouse and chose a random male with bright orange hair. She concentrated on him for only a moment and watched as his eyes flashed a brilliant yellow glow then extinguish, his body collapsing to the floor. The others around him paused for a moment and stared at the corpse now lying down on the job. Two men walked toward the body and one kicked it with his foot. The two looked at each other, bent, and lifted the body, carrying it toward the Dumpster.
“See? I told you.”
Lilith sighed and stepped away from the window, allowing the thin curtain to drop back into place. “And now I’ve wasted a perfectly good centurion.”
“You have a thousand more.” Samael lifted the cask to his mouth again.”
“Actually, I have nine hundred and ninety-nine.” She slid in next to him and ran a finger along the side of his mouth, wiping some of the wine from his face. “That’s all you gave me.” She licked her finger and gave him a wanting smile.
“And if you keep breaking your toys, you won’t have any left,” Samael laughed.
8
Mark hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. His wife didn’t like the idea of him putting in so many hours, especially so soon after the attack. She didn’t care that he appeared normal. Hell, they both knew that he was never ‘normal’, even before the attack. But now with so many questions and so few answers, she worried even more. He tried his best to put her mind at ease about the whole thing, but she was a wife and a mother. She was pre-programmed to worry.
Mark promised her that he would try to take it easier over the next few days, but he still had a ton of work to catch up. He’d just sleep at the office. She knew how comfortable the couch in his office was. He’d be fine.
He rocked back and forth and stared at the leather couch, his mind still racing even though his body craved rest. “Maybe if I count sheep?” He stood and walked to the couch, still staring at it as though it were a foreign object somebody had thrown into the office and left to rot. With a sigh of resignation, he flipped off the light, lay down on the couch, and closed his eyes. Images flashed through his mind’s eye so fast that he could barely keep up. The wolf attack, Doc telling him to drop by each day, the images of Apollo being shot…round and round she goes, where she stops…
Mark groaned and rolled to his side. He tried to count sheep but soon the fuzzy white shit factories had turned bloody and strips of flesh were hanging from their leaping bodies. He opened his eyes and stared at the leather that made up the back of the couch. Surely there was something he could do to help him sleep. He sat upright and stared into the darkness. It was almost as though a nightlight were left on. He could make out everything in the darkened office. Every detail was clear. More clear than if he were using night vision goggles. He blinked rapidly a few times and stood up. He walked to the desk and pulled out his hidden bottle of rum. It wasn’t often that he’d allow himself a drink, especially at the office, but sometimes a nice, warming nightcap was necessary.
He pulled the lid and tilted the bottle back. The first swallow fell flat, a minor burn in his throat that left him bewildered. He stared at the open bottle and took a deep sniff from it. It smelled like rum. It even kind of tasted like rum. He lifted the bottle to his mouth again and chugged back about a third of it before replacing the cork.
“Good lord. No wonder Mitchell could drink this shit all day and never catch a buzz.” He dropped the bottle back into the bottom drawer and kicked it shut. “What the hell?”
He plopped onto his couch and felt the burning liquid slosh in his stomach. He let loose a belch that caused his eyes to water. “Well, now I know.” He slumped back into the couch and stared forlornly at the corner of his desk where the bottle lay hidden. “The last vice I had left and I can’t even enjoy it.”
*****
Jack twisted the end of the flashlight to widen the beam and held it high. “I think we found it.”
Azrael clapped his hands together and turned to smile at the others. “Weapons we know how to use.”
Kalen felt a shudder under his feet and reached out to grab Azrael. “Wait. Something isn’t…”
The cavern glowed with a green light that burned with brighter and brighter intensity. Jack swung the flashlight around to find the source of the light but came up empty. “I think we set off an alarm.” He fought to steady himself under the shaking ground, Brooke holding on to his arm for balance.
“Perhaps we should leave, Chief Jack?” Kalen was backing toward the stone slowly, his eyes darting back and forth.
Before their party could move toward the door, a brilliant flash of green energy manifested in the middle of the room, blinding them all. Jack was reminded of a flash-bang grenade, just without the deafening sound to disorient. The group simultaneously raised their arms to shield their eyes and slowly lowered them as the light dissipated.
“You shall go no further!”
Jack stared at a bald figure standing between them and the weapons, his skin still glowing with the ethereal green light that had blinded them. He wore only what could be described as a cross between a loin cloth and a kilt, his feet covered in leather boots. His upper body was completely bare and heavily muscled. The light that jumped and arced across his body collected upward and flowed into his eyes, giving them an emerald glow that was more than a bit disconcerting.
“Easy there.” Jack took a half step forward, his hands extended. “We were sent by the Wyldwood to—”
“You shall go no further!” his voice bellowed, echoing in the small chamber and causing the younger warriors to step back. The being lowered his gaze to Jack and gave a slight shake of his head. “You have brought abominations into this holy place.”
Jack shot back a quizzical look. “Abominations?”
Brooke touched his shoulder gently. “I think he means me, Chief. We need to get out of here.” She could feel the power emanating from the green glowing figure and it frightened her to her very core.
“No, hold on. We’re not going anywhere.” Jack straightened and gave the fellow his best stern look of authority. “We were sent here to collect weapons to fight—”
“Never!” The being threw his arms outward in a flexed position and green arcs shot up and down his extremities. “I am the Guardian and you shall not pass.”
“Enough of this.” Azrael positioned himself between Jack and green glowing Guardian, his wings flexing outward slightly to protect the team.
“Demon!”
The Guardian extended his hand and a metallic rod flew into it. Jack was instantly reminded of a lightsaber until the Guardian whirled it overhead and a golden lash flew out of the end. The Guardian whipped it outward toward Azrael who instinctively raised his arm to block the blow. The golden lash curled around his forearm and the two giants were locked in a tug of war with the golden lash connecting them.
“Azrael!” Brooke yelled as she tried to push past Jack.
“He is not Azrael, he is a demon! Can you not see!” The Guardian loosened his pull and whipped an arc of power along the golden lash causing Azrael to scream out and stiffen, his body slowly encasing in stone.
“Stop it!” Jack raised his carbine and centered it on the Guardians chest. “He’s not a demon. He’s a gargoyle!”
The Guardian shot Jack a glare of derision then whipped another arc of jolting power into Azrael. As the gargoyle began shifting faster to stone, Jack lowered his weapon to the ground. “I don’t want to have to kill you.” He fired a short three-round burst into the ground in front of the Guardian.
The Guardian snarled at Jack then whipped the lash back from Azrael. He whipped it out again and wrapped the end of Jack’s barrel with the glowing whip. Jack instinctively fired again, aiming for the Guardian’s chest. The bullets ricocheted off before the weapon was pulled from his grip.
Brooke started to step that direction before she squared her shoulders and pulled her katana. “This isn’t over yet.” As she turned, the golden lash wrapped around her blade; it was pulled from her hand as though she had no grip, her hand and wrist going limp. “What the hell?” She stared at her hand then at the ground by the Guardian’s feet where her sword lay.
“You don’t have to die this night.” The Guardian lowered his eyes to Jack. “Take your people and leave this place.”
A scream echoed through the chamber as Gnat launched himself from a rock outcropping in the cavern. He swung his hammer with all of his might and connected with the Guardian’s jaw, sending the large glowing being tumbling to the ground. Gnat rolled with the blow and came up again, his hammer raised and ready to strike again. He stood on the Guardian’s shoulder, hammer poised to crush his skull. “Stop!” Jack’s voice held the tiny warrior mid strike.
Gnat swung his hammer to the side then rolled off the giant man. He reached down and lifted his face by his ear. “That man just saved your life.” Gnat let go of his ear and let his head hit the rock floor.
Jack turned to Kalen and Brooke, “Check on Azrael.” He slowly approached the Guardian, his prone body laid out on the cold stone floor. Jack hunkered next to the large man and gently slapped his cheek. “You still alive?”
The Guardian blinked rapidly and rolled his head to the side, away from Jack’s slapping hand. “What hit me?”
“Our resident warrior gnome.” Jack couldn’t fight the smile tugging at his mouth. “You’re lucky your head is still attached to your shoulders.”
The Guardian rolled to the side and sat up slowly. “What did he hit me with, a train?”
“My hammer.” Gnat smacked it against his palm a few times in warning. “You’ll know better than to mess with my friends in the future.”
The Guardian slowly shook his head and held a hand out toward Jack, pushing him away. “I cannot allow you access to the weapons. I am the Guardian…I must…protect…”
“Easy there, big guy.” Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him to a sitting position. “I was trying to tell you that we were sent to collect the weapons.”
“I cannot allow it.” The Guardian turned his gaze to Jack and he couldn’t be sure if it were sadness or fear behind those eyes. “My father would kill us all.”
Jack shook his head in confusion. “Your father? I don’t get it. Who’s your father?”
The Guardian pushed himself to a kneeling position and inhaled deeply. He stared at the collection of unlikely warriors and blew out the breath. “I am Nephilim. My father is Rafael.”
“Rafael?” Jack shrugged. “I don’t know any Rafael. I only know that the Wyldwood sent us to collect these. Somebody told her that we’d need these weapons to defeat some darkness that is coming.”
Kalen stepped forward and knelt before the Guardian. “You are Nephilim?”
“Yes.” The large man tried to stand, and Kalen provided a shoulder for him.
Kalen turned to Jack, his eyes wide. “Chief Jack, he is Nephilim. A child of an archangel.” Kalen pointed to the weapons behind the Guardian. “Those must be angelic weapons.”
Jack stared open mouthed at both Kalen and the Guardian. “What the hell are we going to be fighting?”
*****
“Really, peanut? You expect me to believe that cock and bull story?” Jim Youngblood shook his head, his eyes betraying his disappointment.
“Believe it or not, Dad. It is what it is.” Laura stood and walked to the window, opening the blinds to allow in the sunlight. “You know how you keep asking me who I’m dating and I…” She turned away and pinched at the bridge of her nose.
“Let me guess. He’s a werewolf, too? Once a month he sheds on everything, and you have to put papers down on the floor or he’ll shit on the carpet?”
“Jesus, Dad, will you listen to yourself!” Laura threw her hands up in frustration.
“Mouth, young lady.”
“I’m not seven anymore, Dad. I can say a lot worse than that, too. I can say shit, damn, and even fuck when I’m really mad.” She thrust her chin out in defiance.
“I may be sick, but I can still bend you over my knee.”
Laura stared at him and tried to imagine him, in his condition, ordering her to bend over his knee. Slowly she began to smile, fighting not to laugh. It must have been infectious because a moment later Jim was chuckling, then full on laughing until he had a coughing fit. Laura rushed to his side and patted at his back, offering him a drink of water.
She sat on the edge of his bed and held his hand. “Daddy, everything I told you is true.”
“So what about this guy you’re dating? I take it he’s one of them?”
She shook her head. “No. Worse. He’s a vampire.”
“Oh, for shit’s sake, Laura.” Jim tossed her hand aside. “It’s bad enough you want me to believe in shape shifters, but now vampires, too?”
“Daddy, you remember when I was little and you used to take me to the pow-wows? The elders believed in shape shifters.”
Jim shook his head. “Hocus pocus mumbo jumbo. They didn’t really. Not like this.”
“I think they did. I think they knew.” She reached for the vial and held it in front of her. “Daddy, this can save you. It will bring you back to full health.”
“Will it make me young again?” Jim smirked at her.
She shook her head. “No, but you’ll start aging from here on a lot slower.”
“Well, why didn’t you bring that crap by when I was thirty?” He laughed and reached for the vial. He stared at the blue liquid and shook it slightly. “You really believe this crap, don’tcha, Punk?”
She nodded. “And I promised the man I loved that I would tell you before you could take it.” She sighed heavily and met his gaze. “I was going to just shoot you up with it and tell you after.”
Jim raised a brow at her. “The man you love? You mean the vampire?”
“Yeah. I mean him. I told him it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission. He wouldn’t have any part of that.” She stood and walked back to the window. She stared out, but saw nothing…her mind back at Tinker with Evan.
Jim turned the bottle over in his hands then set it on the table beside him. “You were just gonna shoot me up with this stuff, but your vampire boyfriend talked you out of it.”
“Pretty sad when an undead person had more moral fortitude than me, huh?” She sniffed back the tears she didn’t want him to see.
“Sounds like I might actually like this guy.”
Laura snorted a short laugh. “You probably would. He’s a biologist and chemist and…hell, an engineer. He’s probably the smartest man I know.”
“Hey!” Jim actually sounded wounded.
She turned and gave him her warmest smile as she swiped at her cheeks. “Next to you, I mean.”
“That’s better.” He opened his arms for her to lean in for a hug. She cuddled next to him on his bed while he stared at the vial. “So, what happens if I take that? Every full moon I have to lock myself up in the basement or I chase the neighborhood cats up a tree…or, what?”
“Actually, we have these pills you can take that will keep you from ever shifting.” Her voice was low and quiet. “It’s based off of wolfsbane, and it will keep you human. You’ll still get antsy, and you’ll be an even bigger pain in the ass during the full moon.”
Jim pinched her in the ribs as she spoke. “Watch yourself.”
Laura pushed herself up and met his eyes. “And once you and Crystal get married, you’ll have to be doubly careful to never miss a dose. Or you could infect her as well.”
“Sweetie, Crystal and I won’t be tying the knot anytime soon.” He patted her arm gently.
“Once we’ve cured y
ou and you’re on the bane, I don’t see why not. There’s nothing holding you back.” She gave him a soft smile.
Jim nodded. “Actually, there is.” He cleared his throat. “You see, I told her that…”
Laura pressed her finger to his mouth, silencing him. “You have my blessing, Daddy.”
*****
As the wheels of the jet touched down, Foster was already on the phone making arrangements for cars, enforcers, security personnel, anything and everything he could get his hands on to strengthen their stance.
Rufus Thorn stepped to the rear of the plane and gently reached for the phone. “We won’t be needing this, brother.”
Foster stared at Rufus with wide eyes. “Are you nuts? You expect us to go up against Lilith alone? Just the two of us?”
Rufus shook his head. “Non, we have people on the ground looking for their hiding place. Once it is found, we will verify if she has been made whole. If she has, we alert the human hunters.”
“And you think that they can do anything against her? She is evil incarnate. They’ll be ripped to shreds.”
Rufus chuckled. “Suddenly you are worried about the human hunters? How quaint.”
Foster shook his head, his agitation and confusion fighting for dominance. “No. Hell no! I don’t give two shits about the human hunters. I just think it’s a waste of time to send them in to face her. She’ll shred them…and they’ll tip our hand.”
Rufus smiled and patted his brother’s shoulder. “They will keep her busy so that we might strike a killing blow. That is all they must do.”
Foster stared at Rufus, his mouth opening and closing as a multitude of thoughts fought for pole position. “I think…I think I understand.”
“Excellent.” Rufus slipped past him and toward the door. “Have our car brought around.”
*****
Bigby hung up the phone and stood from the chair. Everything he needed to bring the monster squad to their knees was beginning to fall into place. He stared out at the warehouse and the vehicles parked within. Pack enough of them with explosives and another wave of them with the gas, he could deliver a one-two punch that would remove them completely from the equation.