The Serpent and the Light

by Bo Luellen

  Utterson's eyes squinted at the sudden plume of flame, as one of the Brotherhood cars on the other side of the clearing exploded, sending it straight up into the air. The blast illuminated the grassy field for an instant and revealed the bullet filled bodies that were strewn on the ground. Charlie wiggled in his arms and bared his teeth at the loud sound.

  Stopping a few feet from Jekyll, Mr. Purple addressed the ski-masked superwoman, "Good work. Now, get him up, so we can end this!"

  She put her hands under Henry's armpits and lifted him in the air. Utterson's handcuffed wrist was dragged upwards and was terrified at the sheer power of the short cultist. She held the two-hundred-pound Jekyll off the ground as if the man weighed as much as a drinking glass.

  Mr. Purple raised the Athame Dagger up and placed the point on the bare chest of the unconscious Henry Jekyll. He muttered something in Latin and waved his hand dramatically in front of him. Utterson noted that the cultist seemed to be struggling with the words and had to repeat several phrases over again as if someone was correcting him.

  The man stopped at one point and looked off into thin air and demanded, "Go slower, you old fool!"

  The detective scooted back a little and thought, These people are insane!

  The purple-robed man sounded out the next Latin phrase while looking to his left, seemingly at nothing. To John, it was as if he was following along with some invisible friend or psychologically induced split personality. He had seen this kind of behavior before in mental patients, those on psychedelics or burnouts.

  A chain of explosions went off from behind the stage as the battle heated up. The cult members threw grenades at the oncoming police, and the SWAT members had been pushed back into the woods. John’s heart sank, as the black tactically garbed Crimson Brotherhood gained ground and executed the wounded cops left behind.

  Mr. Purple placed the point of his dagger just above Jekyll’s heart with his left hand and reared back his right hand in preparation to pound the blade into the flesh. With the utterance of a few more Latin words, the handle of the knife gave off a the same glow he had seen from Willow’s video. The outline of the symbol of Cthulhu burned with white light, and Utterson was at a loss to understand what he was seeing.

  With the Athame poised, two giant arms wrapped around the ski-masked woman’s waist and hugged her tight. David Keller dropped his hips just under the superwoman’s and lifted her straight up. She released Jekyll and grabbed David's forearms in an attempt to get free. With a sharp, crisp movement, the man arched his body and suplexed the woman onto the back of her head. The cultist's skull bounced twice off the hard ground before her body flew out of his arms and rested ten feet away. The maneuver took what was left out of Keller, and he stayed down, holding his chest.

  Purple Man shouted as the body of Jekyll tumbled on top of Utterson, “No!”

  As the detective ached in pain from his suspect’s dead weight falling on him, the fat man in white robes approached from the darkness. The man was singing in a language Utterson had never heard before. John noticed that the side of the man’s face was black and burnt, with several fresh bullet holes dotting the pure white of his garment. As the pudgy man turned his head, he saw the flesh on his cheekbone was missing, and Utterson could see the white of the cultist's teeth all the way back to the hinge of the jaw.

  The Burned Man grabbed Mr. Purple by his neck and asked, “Do you really think I would allow Hyde to be turned over to your god? No, you will complete this ritual and hand over the Athame to me. If you don’t, I will end your line on this planet, and then take your life. Your only chance of living to see tomorrow will be to finish, and then hand it over! ”

  The Burned Man let go, and Mr. Purple fell to the ground with a thud. Utterson noticed that the ski-masked woman was back on her feet and moving around towards the two. She moved to intervene and protect Mr. Purple, but suddenly stopped.

  Grabbing the dagger on the ground, Mr. Purple commanded, “Get him up!”

  The woman rubbed the back of her head and then did as he commanded. This time when she lifted Jekyll up, it seemed to take some small degree of effort. There were no words of Latin this time, and the Burned Man moved in close, with eyes lit up in excitement.

  The Burned Man looked at the unmoving Henry Jekyll and announced, “Finally, you will pay for all the past wrongs. There will be judgment!”

  Mr. Purple put the point of the dagger on the young man’s bare chest and planted his feet. Utterson almost said something in protest but thought better of it. His heartbeat throbbed in his ears as the flames of battle flashed warmth on his scruffy face.

  The dagger-wielding cultist took a deep breath, pulled the blade over his head, paused, and suddenly turned while driving the Athame deep into the Burned Man. Mr. Purple released the weapon, leaving the hilt of the knife sticking out, just over the heart. A look of astonishment and confusion came over the victim’s face, as the dagger’s handle glowed a bright white light, and pulsed. Then Utterson heard a woman’s shrill voice screaming in the air above him.

  Mr. Purple took the blade out with a triumphant flourish and examined it. The dagger no longer glowed, and the white carvings of the Brotherhood symbol had turned to a bright blue. The Burned Man fell onto his back like a stiff plank of wood, and the wound where the knife had penetrated sparked a small flame. In a matter of seconds, the white ornamental clothes were burning, and soon the body was engulfed in a blue flame. Mr. Purple looked up in the trees behind Utterson and made a hand motion as if he was signaling someone.

  Having no apparent interest in Jekyll, the cultist ordered the superwoman, “Go get the car and bring it to me. We won’t be far behind.”

  From the battle, Utterson heard new layers of gunfire coming from another section of the clearing. He ducked down to the ground, as the camouflage fatigue wearing soldiers of the Oklahoma National Guard came storming through the woods. A pair of Black Hawk UH-60’s joined the police helicopter and were liberally firing an M240-Bravo machine gun out of the cargo door. The rain of 7.62×51mm NATO rounds cut through most cover the Brotherhood was using, and turned the tide of battle. The soldiers let loose with their M4 Carbines and shredded the line of cultists that had been entrenched behind the bullet-riddled cars. The bulk of the surviving Crimson Brotherhood retreated back to the cabins and scrambled for better positioning. The SWAT who were still alive joined the advancing National Guard troops and dragged their wounded out of harm's way.

  Utterson looked back just in time to see the superwoman set off into the woods with the grace and speed of a deer. Mr. Purple put the knife in his waistband and followed at a light jog into the trees. Utterson checked the pulse of his suspect and found a slow rhythm under his two fingers. Amanda quickly kneeled down beside him and asked, “Is he still alive?”

  The detective nodded, and then she continued, “John, we have to get after them! You don’t understand. I don’t think Jekyll is guilty of anything but being a victim. I think this could have been him being in the wrong place and surrounded by the wrong people. Our best lead for really solving this case is that man dressed in purple that just left.”

  Utterson propped himself up to a seated position. “Professor, guilty or innocent, I have Jekyll. You came here without my consent and nearly got my suspect killed. Go look after your boyfriend. You’re fired!”

  She slapped him hard and shouted, “And you’re a drunk that let his partner die but kept his addictions. You think arresting this man gives you back your dignity? Sit here and sober up. I’m sure they will put a medal on you for this.”

  With that, she ran over to Dyer and whispered something into his ear. He nodded groggily, obviously still feeling the effects of the kick to his chest and handed her two red cylinders that she put in her pocket. She turned and ran off into the woods after Mr. Purple and the Superwoman.

  Utterson shouted at her, “Wait! Damn it. Wait!”

  She continued on amid the hail of continuing gunfire and disappeared into the w
oods. The fighting in the distance came closer, and he saw several soldiers moving around the perimeter towards his direction. He pulled out his badge and held it up, as they closed in.

  The nine-man group shined their rifle flashlights on him, as John yelled, “I’m Detective John Utterson, of the Tulsa Police Department. Don’t shoot! This man is my prisoner, and these people are on my task force.”

  The soldiers surrounded them and shouted for everyone to hit the ground. Utterson gladly complied, as his body was unable to do much else. The lead soldier approached him carefully and shined his flashlight on his badge.

  The soldier examined his ID and keyed his radio, saying, “Aztec main, Aztec main, this is Aztec niner November over.”

  A few seconds later, he continued, “Aztec main, have Utterson, and a few civilian survivors.”

  The man pulled his weapon down and told John, “I’m Sergeant West. Stay low, and we will get you to some cover. Do any of you need medical attention?”

  Josh was clutching his broken ribs and pointed to the woods, saying, “Mandie went after two of them. A woman and a man dressed in purple robes. She wouldn’t listen. You have to go after her! Please, you must hurry!”

  Sergeant West ordered four of the troops to fan out and search in the direction Dyer had given them. The woods were so overgrown that the men had disappeared in the darkness within seconds. Utterson saw the expression of miserable love etched on Josh’s face.

  He let out a little laugh and told the blonde man, “So you are the outside consultant Professor Lanyon mentioned?”

  Dyer never took his eyes off the dark tree line where Amanda had disappeared. His clothing was ripped, and blood from the head wound had poured all over his khaki-colored shirt. The bandage on his finger wasn’t holding up, and it was hanging off to one side.

  Utterson rubbed Charlie’s head and thought, The man’s not in bad enough shape to stop worrying about “Mandie.”

  A few minutes later, Karl ran up to him with two more soldiers in tow, and the two hugged as he got John to his feet. The pat on the back he felt pounding his sore body made Utterson smile and filled him with a sense of accomplishment. It felt good to see that glint of pride from his sibling, and bringing Jekyll to justice was the first step towards getting his respect with the Department back.

  Ten minutes later, the battle was over, and the last of gunfire had stopped. Military and police vehicles had siphoned in from the single road that leads into the clearing. EMT trucks couldn’t get through, so the military brought them the wounded police and soldiers.

  David Keller picked up Charlie, who snapped at him when he touched the broken hip. The big man spoke in a soothing tone and shifted his hold to make the dog more comfortable. After a few moments, the K-9 allowed him to carry him without protest.

  Utterson leaned on West for support and thought, Keller is a good fighter, but that heroic soft spot will get him killed one day.

  During the walk to the Humvees, he looked around the clearing at the dead bodies that littered the ground. He stepped over a mangled arm that had been blown off of its owner. A gold wedding ring held fast on the dismembered appendage. It reflected the red light of the flares that had been deposited on the ground by the National Guard.

  The Crimson Brotherhood had fought with the conviction of religious zealots. It had been well prepared for such an incursion. Several of the trees in the surrounding woods were on fire from various incendiary bombs set off by the cult. The Guard stormed the cabins to find that the final holdouts had shot themselves to avoid capture.

  He stopped dead in his tracks as he looked down at the familiar face of Nancy Bell. Charlie whined at the sight of her body and wiggled in Keller’s arms. The former addict had deep cuts on her wrists from the restraints. She had an IV running out of the back of her wrist that was used to feed her narcotics. Nancy’s face was contorted in an odd look of mayhem, and her lifeless body sagged in the cold grass.

  David tried to calm the dog by saying, “It’s alright, boy. We will get you help.”

  Utterson kept his gaze on the woman and replied, “This is Nancy Bell. She was Charlie’s owner. The woman ran a homeless shelter downtown. I guess she got caught in one of the Brotherhood’s nets. That explains how Charlie got here.”

  John looked at the mainline that still had traces of heroin and thought, Well at least she died doing what she loved.

  They continued their trek, passing half-burned bodies and bullet-riddled corpses lying on the ground. The exposed organs, blood, and ripped tissue were giving off steam into the cold night air. He heard Keller swear from behind him in disbelief, as the sounds of pain and agony from the surviving law enforcement filled the clearing.

  Utterson saw his boss, Captain Angel Andino, marching up to him wearing a bulletproof vest and flanked by Detectives Michaels and Cobb. The old Puerto Rican had lost some of his dark curly hair, but what was left had turned grey. He lumbered along with a hunched back and weaved his way around the dead.

  Captain Andino grabbed him by the arm and exclaimed, “John, are you okay?”

  Utterson nodded a lie and thought, Great, all I need is for this prick to smell alcohol on my breath. The last thing I need is for this pencil pusher to find a way to pull this victory away from me.

  Angel looked over at Henry Jekyll, “Is that…??”

  John’s chest swelled as he revealed, “Henry Jekyll.”

  His captain’s eyes looked down as he divulged, “John, I don’t know what to say. You came through and against the odds. When you took that tumble down the hill going after that suspect on the bridge, my mind was made up. I thought you were off the wagon. I’m sorry.”

  Utterson was afraid to open his mouth in fear that Angel would catch a whiff of the vodka. A feeling of vindication swept over him as they arrived at the EMT station on the main road where a medic looked at each of them.

  He watched them drive away with his suspect, while Jessup waddled from around one of the patrol cars and laughed in glee at the sight of all of them standing in a group. He told them how Karl had managed to notify the police, only to find they were already in the area.

  Jessup had asked, “Where’s the little lady and that weird fella with the thick glasses?”

  Dyer spoke up in a low tone, “Booth is probably dead. He was in the middle of the crossfire when the raid started. Mandie’s still out there, tracking some of the cultists. We couldn’t stop her. She could be lost or worse.”

  A tear went down Dyer’s face as Jessup counseled, “Now you listen here, you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you got. If she ain’t been found, then that means we ain’t done hoping. I’ll tell you another thing, that girl tracked those heathens right to their den and took charge when things looked dark. I’d say if you have some worrying to do, I’d worry more about those blasphemers than her.”

  A few minutes later, the EMTs transported Dyer to the hospital in one of the ambulances along with an injured officer. They didn’t know if his finger could be saved, but Utterson promised to contact him when word came about Lanyon. David Keller’s arms were turning black from the deep bruising from blocking the Superwoman’s onslaught. He had refused medical treatment and insisted on seeing Charlie get medical attention. One of the county sheriffs stepped up and agreed to take them to an animal clinic and then get Keller to a hospital.

  Utterson shook his hand and commended, “Thank you, Mr. Keller. You’re a good man.”

  The sore and injured mountain of a man nodded from the back seat of the cruiser, and drove off towards Muskogee. As John watched the taillights disappear over the hill, he noticed the pain was starting to cut through the Oxys. He pulled out his pills and washed one down with his nearly dry flask of vodka. Putting the bottle away, the detective took out a box of Tic-Tacs from his jacket and chewed on a few to hide the smell of alcohol.

  He jumped a little as Captain Andino saddled up beside Utterson and informed him, “John, Chief Kelly wants us
to help the FBI come up with an official statement. You and I will need to be at the press conference in two hours. Are you okay with reporters asking you some questions?”

  Utterson turned and replied with satisfaction, “No problem at all.”

  Chapter 19: Richard V

  Tahlequah, OK - Thursday, October 18th, 2018 – 6:17 p.m. CST

  Richard Enfield’s purple robes were getting snagged on every passing thorn, as the thick woods were starting to rip apart his covering. He angrily pulled the Leviathan’s ornamental garments off to reveal black cargo pants and a black turtleneck sweater. He swung a pair of night-vision goggles off his back pouch and clicked it to life. Suddenly the forest burst into a green hue and allowed him to negotiate the woods with ease.

  He wormed around trees and thought, The police are too busy trying to count their dead and arrest the Brotherhood to worry about me.

  The ghost of Samuel Howard floated next to him, saying, “It was so nice of them to arrive right on time. Here you thought my idea of calling in a tip to the FBI was too risky. Now all those who opposed your ascension to the position of Master of the Tulsa Sect are busy being gunned down for the glory of Cthulhu.”

  Richard pulled off his purple face covering and thought, Any survivors will kill themselves in payment for failing The Great Dreamer. There will only be corpses in black robes for authorities to find.

  Samuel floated beside him, replying, “If death is payment for failure, then shouldn’t you be nibbling on a cyanide capsule or eating a bullet right about now? Hyde is not in your possession.”