“You’re fucked, I suppose,” Finn said.
“We’ll be there to back you up. We’re not exactly powerless.”
“He’s a fucking God,” Finn said.
“And Faith’s a fucking Fáidh,” Duncan said.
The uncharacteristic expletive from the usually mild-spoken Scottish detective made Finn laugh out loud and lightened his mood considerably.
“All right, what should we do?” Finn asked.
“I’ll get Aaron to help,” Ed said.
Duncan was about to protest when Ed waived him off, and said, “Just wait here,” ran up to the roof deck, and transported away.
His first stop was to pick up his car at the Marriott. Then, he made the short trip to the Suffolk County jail and Aaron Sinclair.
Aaron was surprised to see him again, at all, let alone so soon.
“Still want to clean up your act?” Ed asked.
Aaron nodded.
“Then call Braden Druce and tell him that Faith and I will be at the Boston Convention Center today at five.” He thought for a moment and then said, “Tell him it’s where we had our first date, and I’m taking her there to propose.”
Aaron looked at him. Jealousy, was, once again, beginning to well within him.
Sensing that particular scenario was not going over well with inmate Sinclair, Ed said, “I’m not proposing, but she doesn’t want you. Are you clear on that?”
Aaron nodded. He didn’t actually love her. He just wanted her, and he didn’t like to lose.
“I’ll do it,” Aaron said without hesitation. “I’m stuck in here, and I need you to get me out someday.”
“I will. You play your cards right, and one way or the other, after you serve some time, I’ll get you out.”
Ed got Aaron permission to make the call and stood with him, listening, while he spoke to Braden.
The operator asked if Braden would accept a collect call from the jail, and Braden agreed.
“You all right?” Braden asked.
Ed wondered if Aaron was about to double-cross him but took a chance and let Aaron continue.
“Can’t you just leave?” Braden asked Aaron.
Aaron gave Ed a look but said nothing. For now, at least, he would keep the fact that they’d bound his powers to himself.
“Probably, but I’m biding my time. What’s going on?”
“There’s been a complication. I need to find Faith Ferguson. You know where she lives?”
Aaron lied and told him that he didn’t, and then asked Braden why he needed to find her.
“I’m in trouble. I contacted a god to help you get Faith, and she evidently killed the demon he sent after her. He wants revenge on her, or he’ll take it out on me.”
“No shit,” Aaron said looking, once again, at Ed. “So, what’s he going to do?”
“He has to know where to go. Evidently, he’s not all seeing. Anyway, I have to figure out where the fuck to send him, or it’ll be the end of me.”
“Well, Sinclair was just here. He’s trying to rehabilitate me. What a joke. Anyway, he had to leave because he’s proposing to Faith at the Boston Convention Center later today.”
“What time?”
“I don’t know,” Aaron said. “In a couple of hours, I think.”
“Great, thanks. I won’t forget you,” Braden said. “Once this is finished, I will help you get out.”
“You better.”
“I will.”
Hanging up the phone, Aaron said, “If you lose, I’m gonna let him get me out.”
“Understood,” Ed said. “So, this wasn’t Druce’s plan.”
“Evidently not.”
“So, what’s his actual plan?”
“I know you won’t believe me, but I don’t know. All I know is that it’s not some major battle.”
“All right, but understand, it would not be wise to cross me,” Ed said.
“You’re one of the good guys. I don’t think that I have much to fear.”
“I’m new to my power, and even I don’t know what I’m capable of, so it would be unwise to test me.”
“Well, I’m not going to, but like I said – if you lose …”
Ed nodded. If they were all dead, he frankly didn’t care what happened to Aaron. Feeling as if he had at least a germ of a plan, Ed drove back to Faith’s and rejoined his compatriots.
******
“So,” Ed said after relaying the plan. “Let’s go.”
“The roof will likely come off the building,” Finn said to Duncan.
“I’ll obscure it. I’ll transport Faith,” Duncan said to Ed, “You transport Finn.”
“I can transport myself,” Finn said.
“You’ll be naked. Oh, and bring some pants for when you’re done with Phthonus.”
“Good point.”
“I wish I could fly,” Faith said.
“You’re kind of greedy, aren’t you?” Duncan said.
“Little bit,” she said with a grin.
******
Looking around inside the convention center, Duncan said, “It’s not perfect, but it’ll have to do.”
“You and Faith go over there by the stage, and I’ll be near-by,” Finn said. “Your job is to draw him in, and once the trouble starts, to get out of the fucking way. Way out of the fucking way. I don’t need you.”
Finn amazed his admirers when, rather than hide, he merely stepped into the other realm, rendering himself invisible. He could still see and hear what was taking place but could not be seen. Duncan removed his clothing, transformed into his aggressive form of a lion, and stood in the shadows. Now he was not only ready for battle. He wanted one.
“I don’t have a ring,” Ed said to no one in particular.
The disembodied voice of Finn Bell said, “This isn’t a movie, just act all lovey-dovey.”
“We can do that,” Faith said.
She led Ed to the edge of the stage, where the two began to kiss and gaze into each other’s eyes.
“I really do love you,” Ed said.
“Me too, you.” Faith said.
“No, really,” Ed said, “You are the love of my life.”
“You know I feel the same,” Faith said.
“Good thing,” Ed said.
“I know, right.” Then glancing up, Faith said, “I think we have company.”
Seeing a ten-foot horned god standing in the middle of the huge auditorium, Finn stepped back into Earth’s realm, walked toward him, smiled and said, “Phthonus, I presume.”
Ed was about to do as Finn had commanded and get out of his way, but Faith wasn’t so sure. She didn’t know what she could or could not do, but what she did know was how much she loved her cousin.
“Go,” Finn said sensing her reluctance.
“Ahh,” Phthonus said, “Finley Bell, it’s said that you killed my brother Erebus.”
“No need to thank me,” Finn said.
“How’s this for thanks,” Phthonus said, as he peeled the skin from Finn’s body.
Out of almost pure instinct, Faith threw a power surge at Phthonus, knocking him over, and almost rendering him unconscious. She kept coming at Phthonus, pushing her force field at him with one hit after another, and with each strike, Phthonus moaned with pain. Faith had him down and unable to move, but Phthonus was not defeated.
Ed had followed Duncan’s lead and transformed into his outsized panther, but as powerful as the two cats were, there wasn’t much that they could do against a god. They were surprised, however, and not displeased to see that Phthonus had not come alone. As Faith continued her attack, several of his demons stepped out of the underworld. They began to pull her down, but as they did, the two giant cats came into view and with almost disturbing joy ripped them from her. The demons knew they were in trouble, but they couldn’t retreat. Facing familiars was known to be almost certain death, but deserting Phthonus would leave no doubt about their fate, so they fought. Two or three demons were attacking each of the anim
als but to no avail. Ed had his massive fangs into the neck of one shaking him with ferocity, while his front paws made short work with two others. Duncan, the more experienced fighter, paced amid the others, who were frozen with fear. As with his human form, his manner was calm and deliberate. Finally, ending them quickly and, somewhat compassionately, by gashing their throats.
Faith had managed to keep Phthonus at bay but was weakening. When she looked over at Finn, Faith was relieved to see him recovering. His skin and physical being were, in fact, a persona. He was more spiritual than physical, so after recovering from the shock of the attack, with minimal effort, Finn reimagined his skin, and it reappeared.
“That stung,” he said to the god who lay before him bleeding and still being held down by Faith’s force of will.
“You are really something,” Finn said to Faith. “Now get out of my fucking way.”
The god had also begun to recover, but before he could move, Finn opened an endless hole below him, and pushed him into it, the further that Phthonus fell, the more he burned, and the more he burned, the louder his screams. So loud, that Finn himself was being disabled by his shrieking and had begun to waver. For the first time in his life, Finn questioned whether or not he could win a battle. Undeterred, Finn resolved to dive into Hades with Phthonus. A place from which he well knew, he would likely never return. As he went to descend into the depths of the underworld, Finn felt a hand on his shoulder.
Across the room, Faith looked up from where she was crouched, ears covered and said, “Elise.”
Her two companions couldn’t hear what she’d said. They had seen her lips move, but all they could do was continue to shield themselves from the devasting and unworldly sound.
Without a word, Elise held Finn’s hand, and, as they turned into their godly forms, sent Phthonus into the abyss.
“He was a noisy one, wasn’t he,” Elise said, as she and Finn once again took on human form.
“I had him,” Finn said.
“Of course, you did, dear,” Elise said. “I just didn’t relish the idea of visiting Hades to get you out. Now, let’s clean this place up,” Elise said as she removed any trace of blood. Finn sent the molecules of the departed demons into the universe, after which, he closed and repaired what remained of the crater.
Finn took her in his arms and kissed her so passionately that they fused as one in their godly form, once again.
As the two familiars returned to their human forms and were dressing, Duncan said, “Now that’s a kiss.”
“She’s a friend of mine,” Faith said.
Ed and Duncan looked at each other and then back at Faith.
Sensing their skepticism, Faith said, “I know lots of gods.”
As the kiss before them continued, and the two demi-gods left this plane without a word to the mortals they left behind, Ed said, “She’s evidently a friend of Finn’s, too.”
“I was really worried about you,” Ed said holding her in his arms.
“You have to get over that,” Faith said.
“I never will.”
“That’s okay,” she said embracing him.
Changing the subject, Duncan said, “You know. There was no sign of Druce, and we have no idea what he has planned.”
“This wasn’t it,” Ed said.
“I know that, but he’ll have to be discouraged to find that we knocked off a god and his minions.”
“Let’s go get him,” Duncan said.
“Can’t we eat first? I’m starving,” Faith said.
“No. We can’t let him get away,” Duncan said.
They drove over to the Marriott Wharf and ran up to Braden’s room only to see a maid cleaning. Faith walked in and after a brief conversation came out and said, “He just checked out.”
“Damn it,” Ed said. “Now what?”
“Now we eat. This place looks nice,” Faith said.
Her companions agreed, and the three went to find a place to eat where they could both recover from the battle and strategize.
Chapter Seventeen
In spite of the previous day’s adventure, and the fact that it was Sunday, Ed was getting ready for work. He and his partner were scheduled to meet with Maggie Dunham. His phone rang, and, not surprisingly, it was Paul.
“You taking your own car, or should I pick you up?” Ed asked.
“Where were you yesterday? I was trying to get a hold of you for hours,” Paul said.
It was true. There had been numerous phone and text messages from Paul, but by the time they had dealt with Phthonus, Ed was just too jaded to get back to him.
“Sorry it was a Buidseach thing,” Ed said relieved that, at least, he no longer needed to lie.
“No kidding? What’s up?”
“I’ll tell you on the way,” Ed said thinking that he’d give Paul some sanitized version of what was going on.
“Problem is,” Paul said, “Karen’s sister’s getting married this morning and I’m in the wedding. I thought that I could do both, but Karen made it very clear to me that I couldn’t. That’s why I was desperately trying to reach you.”
“No big deal, I’ll do it. She hates me, but if she flips; she flips. We’ve got her dead to rights. And she’s never getting out of that hospital, so, no problem.”
“All right. I did contact Dan Ryan. He’ll be there to help out if you need him.”
The urgency of doing it that day seemed odd to Ed, but then again, Maggie was in a mental hospital. It might have thrown up more of a red flag if Ed had known that Maggie had summoned Faith, as well. Faith had not thought to mention it. She suspected that Maggie was up to something but felt quite capable of handling anything that Dr. Margaret Dunham might have up her sleeve.
Ed was first to arrive. Since Maggie had arranged the meeting, Dan allowed them to use the solarium, figuring that since it was her idea, she’d be less likely to act up.
Ed met Dan at his office, and, as they stepped into the hallway, Dan looked in the other direction towards the activity room and said, “That’s quite a crowd in there.”
He asked one of the nurses to see what was going on, and also told her that the police would be conducting an interview in the solarium, so they shouldn’t be disturbed. Then Dan asked two of the attendants to stay close by in case he needed them.
Ed and Dan walked in to find Maggie in conference with her criminal attorney, Irena Marchenko.
“I don’t believe that you represented Dr. Dunham last year,” Ed said, offering her his hand.
“No, I’m Irena Marchenko,” she said. “I was out of the country.”
Ed was setting up his tape when Irena casually walked behind him and pulled out a gun out from behind a curtain, where Maggie had stashed everything she’d need for her plan.
Dan saw the weapon, yelled for Ed to duck, and got close enough to Irena to push her arm. Had it not been for his heroics, Ed would have been killed. As it was, the bullet carved a slice through the back of his skull, and while seriously injured, Ed was alive. Irena regained her balance and was about to shoot again when, ever the dedicated physician, Dan dove, once again, at Irena as she was about to take the kill shot. Dan was also screaming out the hospital’s emergency code but got no response.
The heavy wooden doors to the solarium were closed, and the attendants that he’d instructed to stay nearby, had left their posts. They’d been called to the activity room where a massive riot was underway. The disturbance had been prearranged by Maggie. She remained, as always, a master manipulator. Her not unimpressive skills in that area were aided by the fact that money had been transferred into the accounts of all those she needed to instigate the diversion. Her goal, of course, had nothing to do with Ed or Dan. It was to impress Faith, who she expected to arrive any moment.
As Maggie issued orders to Irena, Dan was trying to disarm her, only to be pistol whipped and knocked out cold.
“Get the zip ties and secure them on the chairs,” Maggie ordered.
“What’s the
point of this, again?” Irena asked as she pulled back the curtain, exposing both the rope and a pile of zip ties.
She was, after all, an attorney and while still prone to magical thinking, Irena was a few steps up from the intellectual level of Maggie’s usual followers.
“Faith Ferguson is a witch. She will admit it to me. Well, she actually did admit it the other day, but it’s her fault that I’m here and she’s going to get me the hell out,” Maggie said.
“All right,” Irena said as she dragged both Ed and Dan up and onto chairs and bound their hands. “Where’d you get all this?”
“Money talks,” Maggie said.
“All right. Now what?”
“Use the bat,” Maggie said. “Faith is going to regret gaslighting me.”
Irena took several good swipes at Dan’s legs, then walked over to Ed, who was bleeding profusely from the back of his head and said, “I think he’s dying.”
“Well, he’s not dead, yet.”
Irena gave a few half-hearted but still significant hits across Ed’s torso, hoping that would satiate Maggie’s need for revenge, and for the moment, at least, it did.
“Now,” she said. “Stand next to the doorway and when Faith comes in, subdue her.”
Maggie, of course, had no idea what she was about to unleash. Faith was barely a fledgling witch during their last encounter, but in nine short months, she had become one of the most powerful Buidseach on Earth. And, unlike Ed, Faith was clairvoyant.
Watching out the window, Maggie saw Faith’s car drive into the lot. Maggie was elated. It was true that she wanted Faith to get her out, but what Maggie really wanted was Faith’s attention, and it didn’t matter to her how she got it.
All the way there, Faith knew something awful was going to happen, and she was ready for it. But until entering the building, Faith had not known that Ed would be at the hospital. Now, she knew he was there and that he was in trouble. She figured that he was on Maggie’s floor, and to get to him, she had to take the elevator, which seemed painfully slow but finally got her to the third floor.
As Faith got off, she was fascinated at the commotion that was going on to her right, but she knew that had nothing to do with her. She turned left and headed straight for the solarium. She literally ran to the door, but before she opened it, Faith said, “Ut in statuim,” freezing everyone inside the room, where they stood.
The Power of Faith: Science Fiction Faith Ferguson Series Book 3 Page 26
