by Rowena Rede
“I just told them I was a witch and if they didn’t do what I said, I would put a curse on them.”
“No you didn’t,” Thatcher refused to believe it was that simple.
“Yes I did, I find that the truth always wins out when I need it to. Plus, I started chanting some nonsense words and pulled out my pentagram necklace.”
“So you threatened some very superstitious ladies into giving you a badge. You could’ve maybe asked politely?”
Maya stopped in her tracks and stared at him. “Park, I’m a witch, not a fairy godmother.”
Stone had screwed up royally. These schmucks were getting lucky at every turn. The werewolf hadn’t done them in and despite having the best scrubbers in the business, they still managed to find a clue that could lead them to break this case. He needed to stop them before all his plans came unraveled.
He sat at his cold black marble desk and stared blankly out the large window, the city skyline and the Hollywood sign, were usually an inspirational view for him. Today, he couldn’t appreciate any of it. Everything was about to go to shit if he couldn’t get a handle on the situation. His phone began to vibrate across his desk, causing him to momentarily stop his brooding. It was one of his informants sent to watch a high-risk former employee. Great, another problem.
“Speak,” he growled into the speaker.
“Looks like Grey had a lunchtime visitor. It’s one of those iners HRH had you hire. How do you want me to proceed?”
“Are the other two there? The other human and the witch?”
“Negative, it’s just one human.”
“Then let’s bring him in and not a word to HRH, he doesn’t need to be bothered with minor details.” Stone abruptly ended the call and exhaled in relief. At least one loose end could be tied up quickly. Now he just needed to get the other two.
Maya and Park were having no luck searching Martin Grey’s office. Gray walls, fluorescent lighting, mass-produced print art, and standard-issue office supplies left little to go on from an investigative perspective.
“This could be the office of any mid-level executive. It doesn’t look like he even spends time in here. Look.” Maya sighed and gestured around the room with her arms to ground her point home.
“I agree. I wonder if this is a dummy position. I mean, he takes two-hour lunches. What office drone is allowed to do that?” Thatcher was picking the lock on a file cabinet, hoping it yielded something useful. “I hope Ison has better luck than us.” He continued fiddling with the lock for a few more seconds until a loud POP! Erupted from the bottom drawer. He slid the drawers open, frantically searching for clues. Anything with the name Origin on it would be a huge godsend about now.
Maya joined him, opening the top cabinet and rifling through pristine manila folders.
“There’s nothing here,” she huffed and slunk against the desk, allowing herself to slide down the side and onto the floor. “This blows.”
He had to agree. There wasn’t anything in here about Origin or Martin’s previous line of work. He slammed the file drawers shut out of frustration and joined Maya in her sulking.
“Let’s hope Ison had better luck,” he pouted. After a few minutes of silence, Maya pulled herself up and offered her hand to Park. “The real Lupe needs her badge back. Let’s go.”
He hopped up without her assistance and followed her out the door. Navigating their way out of the office labyrinth, quickly, the intercepted Lupe who was cowering beside the employee entrance. Maya gave back the badge, and began to walk away.
Thatcher, remembering how Maya had procured the badge, faltered when he met the scared woman’s gaze. “I’m sorry, she’s not a people person. Uh, thank you for your help and uh, I’ll make sure she uh charms your family with many blessings in the future!” He stumbled past her and repeated his thanks for her help.
“You’re such a dork,” she grinned when he caught up to her.
“She was terrified of you. I was just trying to be decent and smooth things over,” he replied as he patiently waited for her to press the unlock button on the jeep.
His phone started to buzz wildly, indicating he had an incoming call. “It’s Will, just in time too.” He answered immediately. “Tell me you have something good for us.”
“I have your partner. Is that good for you?” The gravelly voice on the other end wasn’t William Ison. “Who is this?”
“Jake from State Far-.”
Unamused, Thatcher cut him off. “Who is this and why do you have my partner’s phone?”
“Listen closely. We have your partner. He’s safe. There was an attempt on his life earlier today. We intercepted on behalf of our mutual acquaintance, the vampire. The ones who tried to assassinate him work for Oberon Industries. We can send you coordinates to their location.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“You don’t. I’ll text you directions. Your friend is under the protection of our nest, no harm will come to him. The vampire will be coming with reinforcements at nightfall. You need to get there to prepare the way for them.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Relay the message to the witch.” The voice on the other end went silent, the call dropped.
Seeing the anger and fear on Thatcher’s face, rallied Maya.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“I guess Merle was on our side after all. He’s had people working behind the scenes, which was a blessing. Oberon’s men tried to take out Will. Whoever Merle had working for him, has him now. Some wise guy with a shitty sense of comedic timing.”
“Get in the jeep and tell me everything!” Maya hopped in and revved the engine, putting it in drive before Thatcher could even close the door.
“They said Ison was safe with them in their nest. I don’t like the sound of that, but they also said that Merle was bringing reinforcements to help us at nightfall, we just needed to get to this location.” He turned on his phone’s GPS and relayed the coordinates from the incoming text message he had received immediately after the strange phone call had ended.
“Can we trust these people with Will? I don’t like any of this.”
Maya stared straight ahead, concentrating on the road, her expression was blank.
“We can’t not trust them,” she said finally.
“We can’t not trust them? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Merle helped us in his own strange way. He must know something we don’t, otherwise, he would have moved on his own. Vampires are perfect killing machines with endless strength and endurance. If it was a small gang who’d taken Apple, he could easily have gotten her back on his own. If he had people tailing us, it shows he needed our help, which indicates something bigger than he could handle. The source said he was coming with reinforcements; I can only imagine he went to his coven to plea for assistance. I can also imagine; it didn’t go over well. He needs us as much as we need him right now. If we do the daytime legwork, he’ll keep his word about Ison.”
“What supers have nests? I keep imagining Ison holed up unconscious in something like Big Bird’s place.”
“Well, that makes sense. I thought you guys were Bert and Ernie from the moment I met you.”
The coordinates led to the Salton Sea. A thriving resort town in the 1950s, it was dead now. A ghost town with nothing but a few outliers inhabiting the place. It was a good place to live if you wanted to be left alone. Nothing flourished here anymore. Thatcher and Maya arrived with only a few hours until nightfall. The coordinates led them to an abandoned church in the north part of the empty town.
“Well, this is exactly what I expected after the last few days,” Thatcher mumbled as Maya cut the engine.
“Oh, stop being so dramatic. Churches are safe from a lot of really nasty crap. I don’t think this is where Apple or the other victims are though. It’s not big enough. I think, maybe this is our new friend’s headquarters. That question you asked earlier, about creatu
res who refer to their groups as nests? The answer would be Demons and Gargoyles. Gods I hope it’s demons, at least they’re funny.”
“Demons are funny?” Thatcher asked in disbelief remembering the phone call from earlier. “Can demons hide in churches?”
Maya hopped out of the jeep. “Well, not really, unless the church was desecrated. So there’s the rub. I like working with demons because they’re funny, but if they’re hiding in a desecrated church, then so can everything else bad. You’ve only seen the surface of this world. Things can get real dark and scary real fast.”
“I already thought things were dark and scary. You’re telling me it gets worse?”
“Stick with me kid, I’ll show you things you only dreamed of.” She winked and slammed her door shut.
He shut his door and followed her to the back cargo. God, he wanted a drink.
“Load up, everything here is silver. Good enough to maim or kill whatever comes our way. He grabbed two pistols and enough clips to destroy a small army. Maya grabbed a set of silver-plated knuckles and placed them on her fingers. On each knuckle was a different religious symbol and sigil. She tucked her handy little dagger into her boot and shut the cargo hatch.
“That’s all you’re going in with? Your powers aren’t predictable right now.”
“I’ve seen you in action remember? I trust that you’ve got me covered. Don’t worry, I’ve been doing this since I was fifteen. I haven’t died yet. You saw, my power worked just fine when you scared me. I trust that if I’m in fear of our lives, they’ll show up. Self-preservation is a powerful tool.”
They approached the church cautiously. Thatcher’s training taking over, as he took point to cover Maya. While she remained calm on the exterior, Maya, was thankful Thatcher was as good in person as he was on paper. She trusted he would do everything he could to see that they both made it out. She twitched her fingers absently as she thought about what might be hiding behind those big double doors.
To her dismay, it wasn’t demons. It was a lone gargoyle. Gargoyles were the most boring and lifeless creatures you could encounter. They were made of stone literally and figuratively. This one met them at the entrance and immediately noticed Maya’s disappointed look.
“Ah, you hoped it might be demons then. Perhaps you won’t be too disappointed to find out that a demon contacted you. I was dismayed to find myself working with one, but I could see the ultimate goal was one of good, so I weighed the situation and agreed to give your friend sanctuary. “
“Where is he now,” Thatcher asked, wasting no time on pleasantries. “I’m so tired of getting the runaround. I want to know what everyone else knows and it needs to happen now.”
The gargoyle nodded and backed up to allow them entry. “I’ll tell you everything I know.”
He led them through the main aisle and back through a door behind the altar. Park assumed it had been a Sunday school classroom at one time, it was now a living space. Ison was lying on a cot tucked away in a nearby corner.
Maya immediately ran up to him and checked him over.
“He got a nasty bump on the head, but I think he’ll be fine. I gave him a sleeping drought infused with a few special ingredients to help speed the healing process.”
Park wasn’t sure if he believed any of it until Maya spoke up. “It’s true about the sleeping potion anyway. I can smell the herbs from it. Nothing harmful in it, I promise.”
He relaxed a little, knowing his best friend was going to be ok.
“Let’s start at the beginning. What is going on around here?”
“May I offer my salutations first? I’m Martin Grey. Your friend was trying to inquire about my time at Origin. I was about to tell him that he wasn’t the first person to come rooting around for information when I sensed an evil presence. It was a demon emissary for the vampire known as Merle. The one mated to a Fae. He warned us that we were in danger, but it was just a hair too late. We were attacked by one of Oberon’s paid mercenaries. The demon and I were adequately protected, but the human was not. I tried to shield him, but he’d already been knocked out cold. The demon contacted you as soon as he dispatched our attacker, while I flew myself and your friend to safety.”
Thatcher pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, trying to process everything. Maya continued prodding. “That’s good of you Martin, for saving our friend here. Did the demon disclose any helpful information? Like where our missing persons are? Or why Oberon would participate in trafficking? Or why Merle just didn’t tell us any of this from the start to save us a shit ton of trouble?”
Martin sighed. “I’m afraid I can’t answer as to why the vampire was so secretive with his plans. I can tell you that Origin planned on marketing the DNA kits heavily to super clientele. You know that some species are on the verge of extinction. Wouldn’t you want to preserve your own kind if it were in danger? The idea was to map participants' genetic markers and match them up with the best partners according to their DNA. To strengthen species and get them thriving again. A few extremely wealthy investors got wind of what was happening and wanted to participate personally. A few witches, a leprechaun, a selkie, a shifter, and finally, a fae. In a show of good faith with his product, River, his sister Apple, and their cousin Stone, all participated in the beta testing. Apple happened to be a match with our Fae client.” The gargoyle paused and frowned as he relayed his story to them. Worry and frustration, marking his face, the first true sign of emotion he’d shown since they’d met.
“I was fine with the way things were going as long as the participants were willing. We pooled suspected supernaturals that could fit the criteria that our investors wanted and to cover our tracks, we threw in a number of human candidates as well. Once we matched beta testers with clients, I thought that was it. I never in a million years thought it would lead to kidnappings. After the disappearance of Lisa Pratt, I resigned. I knew that she had probably declined meeting her genetic match. They just wouldn’t take no for an answer. I can’t in good conscience be a participant in a trade like that. It’s deplorable and heinous.”
“Well, you didn’t contact any authorities or the governing councils did you? How is that being helpful? You got a cushy job at another company in exchange for your silence,” Maya crossed her arms over her chest, anger rising within.
“What would have happened? Those investors were well known to the governing councils and the high royal family was involved. Who polices the privileged in this community?”
“We have safeguards. The witches council, the shifter alliance, someone would have done something,” she was livid.
Martin looked down at the floor. “You are young still. I’m centuries old. Governments are easily corrupted and politicians are easily tempted down the dark path. You might be right, but I’ve lived long enough to know better.”
Maya felt hot tears of anger welling up inside her. Her rage was nearly uncontrollable. As she tried to compose herself, Thatcher noticed the wind picking up outside. He knew it was more than a coincidence.
“Well, that explains the ‘Why’ on Oberon’s part. Now do you know where these people are,” he asked, diverting attention away from Maya so she could take a breath and refocus.
“They’re here. This town is a refuge for supers who don’t wish to function within human society. This town is cursed and repulsive to humans, but under the veil, it’s a paradise.”
Thatcher looked confused and turned to Maya for clarity.
“The town is under a glamor spell. It’s supposed to repel humans, but attract the supers who want to find it. To you, everything here is wrong. The vibe feels off, the energy dark. The buildings look decrepit and the town is deserted. If the town accepts you, it shows its true self. I imagine it’s really beautiful. It’s a common tactic for us. If you come across a ghost town, odds are, it’s just a glamor to scare you away.”
“So if they’re here, we just look for the biggest, ugliest building?”
She nodded, “I would imagine
so. Probably a warehouse though, not a private residence. Private places can be warded and booby trapped. If you’re trying to sell something you want it to be open and inviting for whatever species is paying.”
“This town used to be a fishing destination. I would bet the marina has a warehouse that fits the bill,” Martin offered. “I promised to watch over your friend and I’ll keep that promise.”
Trusting that Will was in capable hands, Park turned and headed toward the exit. “Then let’s go fishing Maya.”
Stone waited impatiently for his buyer to show up. Apple was under a magically induced coma and not a threat, but he felt uneasy. His small army of mercenaries surrounded the boat storage house, each one on high alert. He had the manpower to stay protected and a dimensional key at his disposal for a quick escape.
He was going to cash out after this and disappear in another dimension, so he wasn’t worried about repercussions. He was worried about loose ends and how quickly everything had began to unravel once River had insisted he hire an outside crew. Even now, they could be on their way. If River had left things alone, there wouldn’t be a mess to clean up. He would’ve used his powers as chief of security to make it look like Apple had had an untimely accident. Maybe even blamed the vampire she’d been cavorting around with. He shuddered at the thought of his perfect Fae cousin debasing herself with a creature of the dead, then remembered that the humans and the witch were the threat now.
Those humans had proven to be resilient pests. Cockroaches in human form. The witch was clever and fearless. He looked at his watch, his buyer promised to meet him at nightfall. It was just the beginning of dusk. A sudden storm was moving in, making it darker than it should be. He wished the whole thing was done. Soon he would be on his island paradise in the alternate dimension, politics and burdensome family ties forgotten.
The faster they walked toward the marina, the stronger the wind whipped around them. Maya’s anger was fueling her abilities. Park hoped she could harness it when it came down to the nitty-gritty. Nightfall was quickly approaching, and if Merle was to be trusted, the calvary was due to arrive soon.
