by Tom Keller
"He's hurt?" I asked, low crawling to the back of the car. I looked around the trunk and saw another officer with a rifle pointed at the suspect's supposed position. Every time he took a shot, a series of fireballs would explode in a line up to and over his car, forcing him back as the fire exploded and the vehicle burned. He was pinned down and they had the upper hand. He was also wounded, his left arm burned and blackened by magic fire.
The two suspects were crouched behind a four-foot brick pony wall that surrounded the house, forming a kind of courtyard. There was a gap in the front where a gate had once stood. They had good cover, but I was able to get a glimpse of them as they ducked and pulled back to avoid shrapnel from the officer's fire. One was pointing, while the other, some kind of Mage or Wizard, created magic fireballs in his hands and lobbed them one after the other at us. Damn asshole could have been a ballplayer with that arm.
Instinctively, I tried to will forth my sword. Nothing happened of course and that just pissed me off. Gaea be damned, I thought, as I watched the wounded officer fire again. Without thinking, I moved around the car as another burst of fire burned the air above my head. Screw Gaea, I was not putting up with this shit!
"I need some cover fire," I yelled to the other officer. The look on his face was priceless, but he flipped a switch on his rifle and jumped up, shooting a series of rounds in short bursts. I stuffed the Thunder Hammer and bladed weapons in my belt and clothing and then pulled out both my Sig and Walther. Then I got up and started shooting, one round after another at their position as I walked straight toward them.
They must have thought I was crazy. I know I would of. I was weaving around fireballs as they stared at me, mouths gaping as I dodged one after another. I made it into the courtyard only slightly singed, then dropped my pistols and grabbed the Thunder Hammer, pulling both triggers as soon as I had them in sight. As the weapon fired, there was a noise like the crack of thunder, and I was thrown back, landing on my ass a few feet away. Time seemed to slow as the energy from the weapon burst forth in waves, slamming into both suspects and throwing them back against the house. When the waves subsided, it looked like someone had replaced their bones with jelly. They slid down the wall, forming two giant blobs jiggling on the concrete. Son of a bitch! Whatever this thing was it was aptly named.
I stuck the weapon in my belt and picked up my guns, then turned to look back to the street. The officer whose car I'd hid behind was running toward me as other units began to arrive on the scene.
"Take care of your partner," I yelled, and then watched as three more officers made it to the courtyard. They slid to a stop and stared at what was left of the suspects.
"That's Huey Williams," one said, pointing at one of the piles on the ground. "Damn, LT. You just took out Huey Williams!"
"How can you tell?" I asked, wondering who he was. I pointed to the one that spoke. "Worry about him later. Check the house. Make sure there are no threats inside."
They turned and checked the door, one kicked it and they went inside. A minute later, the same officer stuck his head out and signaled an all clear. By this time, more units had arrived, including a Patrol Lieutenant. One of the officers inside the house waved him over and he went inside.
I walked out of the courtyard and toward an ambulance that was parked in the street. The wounded officer was on a stretcher and being hoisted up and inside. He grabbed one of the paramedic's arms as I approached and they set him back down. One of the medics noticed smoke coming from my jacket but I waved him away. Instead, I grabbed my badge and slipped it off, tossing the still burning coat to the ground.
"How you doing?" I asked, kneeling beside the stretcher.
"They're taking me to County for follow-up," he replied, scratching at his bandaged arm. "One of the paramedics is a Fae Healer. Still itches but should be okay thanks to you."
"Hey, I couldn’t let you have all the fun," I quipped. "Just get better."
He nodded and the paramedics placed him into the ambulance. As his partner closed the door, I motioned to him.
"Why don’t you meet him at the hospital," I said, knowing that he was hurting in his own way.
"I'm supposed to wait for detectives," he replied. "Besides, my cars fried. It's not going anywhere."
"Last time I checked I was a detective," I said, remembering that I'd had partners hurt on calls myself. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my keys. I took off my car key and handed it to him. "Here, take mine. Anyone asks, I ordered you there. Got it?"
"Yes, sir," he replied, smiling for the first time since all this had begun. "Thank you, sir."
By that time, the Crime Scene Unit had arrived. I gave them a quick walkthrough, starting at where I'd been when I first showed up. They weren’t happy that my car wasn't there, but the scene was still fluid as far as I was concerned so they sucked it up. I showed them where it had been parked, then turned and headed back to the house, meeting the Patrol Lieutenant as he stepped out of the doorway.
"Is that Henley that just left in your car?" he asked, pointing to the taillights fading in the distance. "He was supposed to wait here for Homicide and I.A.B. They're both on their way."
"Blame it on me, Hernandez," I replied, reading the nameplate on his pocket. "I ordered him to go. Besides, they have to interview both of them. It's not like they're going to have to take an extra trip."
"You can bet I'll put the blame on you," he said, looking serious. "Unlike O'Malley, my Captain doesn’t have a sense of humor. He seems to think we have rules and procedures to follow." Then his tone softened and he leaned closer. "Look… I don’t know you very well, but I do know MAD doesn’t follow the same rules as we do. Thanks for keeping them safe. I don’t think my guys would have fared as well if you hadn’t been here. It's been a shitty night and everyone's been running call to call. We got here as fast as we could, but you know how it is."
"I don’t know what you heard about me, Hernandez," I said, wondering what kind of person the other Robert Hoskins was. "But know this, I'm not gonna let any cop get his ass blown off if I can help it. I don’t give a shit who he works for."
"Whoa," he said, backing up a bit. "I didn’t mean anything by it. Just trying to say thanks."
"Didn’t think you did," I replied, struggling not to look angry. "And you're welcome. Besides, last I checked, magical fireballs are illegal, especially when they're used against the police." Then I smiled at him and pointed to my burned pant leg. "But you guys do owe me a new suit."
"Send me a bill," he said, chuckling as the tension eased. "Now that that's settled, you need to see what's inside."
"Okay. But first, who are these guys?" I asked, pointing to the two dead suspects.
"Don’t know the Mage," he replied. "That’s your department. But the human is a big-time pimp named Hubert Williams. Quite the fighter, too. Vice has been looking to nail him for some time. Suspected he was kidnapping girls to use as prostitutes but this is the first time we've ever been able to prove it. Not that that's going to matter anymore. He won’t need an attorney where he's going."
"Got that right," I replied, then started to follow him inside. He stopped at the doorway when his radio squawked.
"Damn. Press is here," he said. "I'd better deal with them."
He walked away as I went inside. The place was filthy, with old and dirty furniture scattered about. One of the officers led me into the back where there were three doors. In all three rooms, two Lilin females were chained to a bed. All were wearing slave collars. Motherf…!
The Lilin were a kind of Demon that had been ancient enemies of the Fae. The descendants of Lilith, they were the modern version of Vampires. Back in my world, I'd released them from a spell that had been placed on them when they were defeated. Freeing them from a type of second-class citizenship. That didn't appear to be the case here.
"Get those damned things off of them," I said to the others.
"Sorry, LT," one of the human officers said, shrugging. "We aren't auth
orized to take them off. Protocol is to wait for Vice. We've made them as comfortable as we can though. Vice is on the way, should be here in a few. They've got the proper equipment to remove them safely."
"Oh bullshit," I muttered, pulling out the dagger I'd retrieved from the trunk. The collars were made of silver, a soft metal, but it was the magic within that I was looking for. Hopefully, I'd read the glyphs on the dagger correctly and it would be strong enough to defeat it. It was.
I sliced through each collar, stopping as I stared into the eyes of the last Lilin still wearing one. Eyes I knew once, or at least a version of them. These, however, stared back in hatred. Rescued or not, there was apparently no love lost between the Lilin and the police, or maybe it was just me. Being careful to be gentle, I hacked through the collar, twisting it off as it came apart and then tossed it to the ground.
"Since when do you concern yourself with my kind, Lieutenant?" she asked, rubbing her neck.
"Do I know you?" I asked, not sure if we'd met before in this world.
"No," she replied, shaking her head. "But I know who you are. I thought we were beneath your Fae overlords notice or was there some other reason you're here?"
I tried not to act shocked at either her words or the look she gave me. To be honest, it was everything I could do to stop myself from taking her in my arms. We'd been close at one time in my world. Obviously, that wasn't the case here. But we'd been both friends and lovers for a time and she'd fought at my side in my first battle with the Dark Fae. If nothing else, maybe I could return the favor in this one.
"Don’t believe everything you hear about me, Miss Delia," I said, seeing the look of surprise on both the Lilin's faces when I used her name. "For the record, nobody tells me how to work my cases. Let's get one thing clear. I don’t give a shit what you are. No one deserves to be a slave."
It suddenly got quiet and both of them just stared at me. Then the silence was broken when someone in the hallway called my name.
"They need you outside, LT," one of the officers said, pointing toward the front of the house.
I acknowledged him with a nod and then headed back out. There were two females waiting in the courtyard as I came out the doorway. One was a female cop wearing a yellow Homicide jacket. The other, a handsome black woman, wore a uniform shirt that identified her as the Coroner. She was also an Elf.
"What's it been Lieutenant, a week?" the Elf asked holding out her hand. "Glad it was you here. Makes my job a lot easier. I'll need to see your badge and writ."
"My badge and what?" I asked, reaching into my pocket for the badge case I'd taken from my smoldering jacket. I handed it to her and she pulled out something from behind the I.D.
"Always the jokester," she said, reading from the card she'd removed. "I just needed the number, even if I do have it memorized, it's still a requirement that I see it." She scribbled something into a notebook then handed the badge and card back to me.
I almost gasped when I read the card before slipping it back into the case. It was some kind of blanket authorization to do anything I deemed necessary in the performance of my duties. It was signed by both the President of the United States and the Governor of Nevada. I'd heard of a similar thing before, but never in this country. That one had been a Queen's Warrant issued to certain RCMP members back when Canada had still been a province of Great Britain.
"Well," the Homicide Lieutenant asked, looking at the Elf.
"Everything is in order," she replied, looking back at the two bodies. Then she looked around before clearing her throat. "Know you all that in accordance with the laws of the City of Las Vegas, County of Clark, State of Nevada, and the United States of America, I proclaim this incident to be lawful and the actions of Lieutenant Robert Hoskins and any other officers involved to be in performance of their duty and their actions legal under the laws of all four jurisdictions. I will take possession of the bodies once the Department has documented the scene. The legal paperwork will be filed with the Courts in the morning and then forwarded to the appropriate agencies."
"Good enough for me," the Homicide Lieutenant said. "IAB's at the hospital, I'll let them know the case is closed." Then she turned and walked back toward the street.
"That's it?" I mumbled.
She must have heard me because she chuckled. Then she started to say something in reply but her head suddenly jerked upwards. She pointed to a dark object in the sky.
"Keres!" she yelled out, then ran into the street following the Homicide Lieutenant.
I saw them and everyone else on the scene run for cover. I looked up to see a black cloud obscure the moon as it moved swiftly down Ninth street toward me. I'd seen that type of cloud before but this one seemed… I don't know… angrier. Lightning flashed as it moved with the wind. Someone grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me back into the house.
"Get in here, Lieutenant," the officer who pulled me through the doorway yelled. "Before she takes you to the Underworld with those two dead assholes."
I watched as the cloud descended into the courtyard, the black mist slowly receding as a female form appeared. It was a Fae warrior clad in dark armor. Then I saw her face. What kind of sick joke was this? Some twisted version of old girlfriend week? Gaea was really screwing with me, I thought to myself, as I watched this world's version of Kyras, Queen of the Keres, materialize in the courtyard. I pulled away from the officer and slid out the door. I heard someone ask What the hell is he doing? and then the door slammed behind me. There was a yell from the street to get back. Which, of course, I ignored.
She'd been cautious, but friendly when I'd met her before. That wasn't the case here. Instead, she twirled about, her once beautiful face twisting into a caricature of a death's head.
"Who dares come between the Keres and their sacred duty?" the hideous skull asked, raising her sword menacingly.
Before I could answer she swung the blade toward me. Out of habit, I pulled the short sword from my waist and deflected it. Sparks flew as they made contact and then I heard the swishing sound as her blade moved and barely missed my head. She reared back to strike again but then held as I spoke.
"Is that any way to treat the one who defeated them?" I asked, pointing the short sword at her. "I am Robert Hoskins. These Souls I grant to you." Then I lowered my blade. Hey, it worked once, so why not again? "Consider them gifts to the daughters of Nyx."
"Gifts?" she replied, then her expression softened as what I said registered. The wind swirled and she floated up and moved closer, her skinless lips just inches away from mine as she spoke. "Insolent human. Not in a thousand years has one of you dared speak to me, let alone been worthy of my notice." Her red eyes blazed and her head twisted. "I have claimed the Souls of those you have slain before. Never have you acknowledged me or offered them as gifts. Always you have run away like the others. Yet suddenly you show no fear and speak the name of the Goddess of Night."
"Things change," I said.
"Do they?" she asked in that dreamy voice I'd heard her use the first time we'd met in my world. "Perhaps so. While not slain in traditional battle, these Souls do seem sweeter than those in the past. Tell me then, what is it you ask of me, human?" She pointed to the street with her sword. "No one here can truly be called your friend, but none is an enemy either. So, if not my aid in battle you ask in exchange for these… gifts… as you call them, then what? State your terms."
"I want nothing," I replied, hoping the rules where the same here as I stuck my sword in my belt. "At least not today. But I would like to call upon you at some time. If that is acceptable."
"Call upon me," she repeated, then laughed as she laid her hand over her chest. "Oh, my insolent human. You presume to call upon me? Has so much been forgotten by your kind? For such to occur you would need to know…."
"Your name?" I said, finishing the sentence for her. "How could I not know who you are? Your beauty and skills in battle are well known to me. There can be only one Queen of the Keres."
Her
death's head features shifted several times as the face of the one I once knew as Kyras slowly returned.
"Doubtful… but then again…" she replied, smiling mischievously. She placed both of her hands on my face and then kissed me passionately on the lips. "Mmm… as I suspected… delicious. You may yet be worthy… and it has been so long. I believe I will accept your terms, Robert Hoskins of the human realm. Should you call me by my rightful name, I will appear." Then her body slowly faded into a smoky black gossamer cloud. Turning away, she scooped up the Souls of the fallen and flew back the way she came.
"Have you gone insane?" the Elf asked, rolling her eyes as she stepped out of the car she'd taken cover in and walked up to me. "Even the Elves don’t risk a confrontation with the Keres. We all saw her kiss you. Why are you even still alive?"
"Just lucky I guess," I replied.
"Lucky isn't the word I would use," she said, sarcastically. "Half the press saw what happened. You're going to have a field day fighting them off."
Before she could say another word the press that she'd been talking about came out of their hiding places and ran up to confront me. Cameras were shoved into my face and lights blinded me. Questions were thrown out. All asking how I was alive and why did the Keres kiss me if she hadn’t taken me to the Underworld. I stepped back and held out my hand to shield my eyes.
"Let's go, LT," someone said as he grabbed my arm and led me away. "We've got this."
Other officers appeared in the street and pushed the press back. I looked up to see Malcolm Smith leading me away. I was glad I'd taken the time to read up on who worked in the MAD unit. He'd been my partner back in my own world but here he was a Sergeant that headed up one of the squads that worked for me. He was part Fae as well, something he didn’t have to hide here.
