Maria, Maria

by Quintin Fortune

  # # #

  Deadguy leaned back in his chair, reading over the morning paper. His eyes caught the headline 'ANOTHER MEMBER OF 'SHOCK' CULT CAPTURED'. He skimmed over the article. "A broken window and the guy pissed himself," Our Hero said, summing up the piece. "Valk made the paper again." He flipped the paper to show Jill. "We should put this in the scrapbook."

  "We don't have a scrapbook," she replied.

  "Fine. I'll cut it out and tape it to his computer." He grabbed a pair of scissors out of his desk and started cutting the article. "Any word from our little stab-happy hero?"

  Jill shook her head. "You know as well as I do he only shows up when he's done."

  "Yeah, but I thought with you two..."

  "You two what," she asked sharply.

  "Nothing boss." He finished cutting the article and taped it onto Valkadaidan's computer screen. Kiri walked out of the break room with two bulky bracelets on her wrists. "Where you wearing those when you came in this morning?"

  "Nope. I took the cult's crude design and refined it a bit to make my own weapons," she explained. "Aren't they cute?"

  "Anything looks cute on you," he replied. "What do we do, boss? I'm getting a little tired of just waiting for another cult member to just show up randomly." He turned to look at the front door. The others watched him. "Hm. I guess that's not happening. I expected some cult member to walk in."

  "The real world doesn't work like that," Jill remarked.

  "Yeah. Real world. Just keep telling yourself that."

  "I have an idea," their boss said, standing up. "Let's go take in a concert. Something local."

  Deadguy eyed her with suspicion. "Are you asking me out?"

  "Oh no. No no. Aaron said he had a gig tonight. Let's go to it. With any luck, those cult members will be there to kill him."

  "Yay concert," Kiri exclaimed. "I need to pick out an outfit. Maybe the pink one? Or the yellow one? Or the pink and yellow one? No, that one's a bit loud..."

  "How are we going to find out where the gig is," Our Hero asked.

  "FaceSpace, how else," Jill explained. "I'm sure he's posted something about his band and the gig tonight."

  "I don't see him as a FaceSpace kind of guy."

  "Not him, but I'm sure his band mates are," she said. "Besides, I'm sure he's been tagged in a photo or two for band promo purposes."

  "I'll take care of it," Kiri said with enthusiasm.

  "Take care of what," Jill asked.

  "I've got a program that can search for a person in a picture," she explained. "All I need is their picture."

  "And how are you going to find him in a picture if you don't have a picture," DG asked.

  "He was in the office, right? I can snag a screen shot from the security cameras."

  Deadguy looked around. "We have security cameras? Since when?"

  "Since I was made Head of Security," she answered with a huge grin.

  He looked at Jill. "You made her Head of Security?" Their boss nodded. "Do I get a cool title? I want a cool title."

  Valkadaidan scratched his two day beard. He held Schlag, a portly older man with his black hair slicked into place, over the edge of the building. The thunder rumbled overhead. "I'm losing my patience, Schlag," he said. "and my grip. You might want to start telling me what I want to know."

  "Never," Schlag spat. "I will gladly die for my queen." Valk quickly jerked his arm, as if he was about to let the man go. He screamed like a little girl. "I...I still won't talk."

  "In a city like this, your secrets don't follow you to your grave," Valk said. "I have no problem letting you fall several stories. I will get the information I need."

  "Okay! Okay," he screamed finally. "I'll talk, just pull me away from the ledge."

  "No. You'll talk, then I'll decide what to do with you."

  "There's a plan. Get all of The Enemies into one place and electrocute them."

  "Who are The Enemies?"

  "They are the ones that broke her heart, captured her, and had her wrongfully imprisoned."

  Valkadaidan swung his arm around and flung Schlag into an air conditioning unit. "Where is the place you plan on trapping The Enemies?"

  The man sat on the floor, slumped over. "You'll get nothing out of me," he growled.

  "We're still on the rooftop," he reminded.

  "The Blesk. It's a small music venue in the Streak."

  "Thanks. You're help has been greatly appreciated." The Dragon-Blooded then grabbed the man by the neck and held him over the ledge again.

  "What...what are you doing," he screamed. "I told you everything you wanted to know."

  "You also orchestrated a string of murders. Did you think I was going to let you walk away?" He then opened his hand, letting the man fall several stories and land on the roof of a car. The vehicle's windows shattered like a glass pinata. He walked away, dialing up Jill on his phone. "They're planning a trap for us," he told her.

  "Why us," she asked.

  "We've been labeled as 'The Enemies'."

  "Great. Just what we need. Well, we're going to the Blesk to watch over Aaron as he plays his gig. Meet us there."

  "The Blesk is where the trap has been set," he said, concern in his voice.

  "All the more reason for us to be there then," she replied in a cheery tone. "I'll notify the police when things get out of hand."

  Valk gave a low growl. "Just...be careful," he said softly.

  "Just get there," Jill replied in an equal tone before hanging up.