whimpered cries piercing my heart at every painful jolt, I came across what I needed.
At a stop light sat a beat up Chevy Impala, its muffler spewing black smoke, its sub-woofers rattling the trunk. I saw the driver slouched in his seat, bouncing his head in rhythm to the music, his arm hanging out the open window, oblivious to the world around him. I ran up alongside the Chevy, shifted Veronica so I had a free arm, and reached into it, putting the car into park. The banger inside stared at me with wide eyes, at least as wide as the bandanna on his forehead allowed, while I yanked the door open.
“This is what you get for not locking your door,”
I told him as I snatched him out and shoved him down onto the street, away from the car. He tumbled back, uncertain of how to react. I’d caught him off guard.
“And wear your seat belt next time.” I wasn’t in the mood to be witty.
I eased Veronica inside, from the driver’s side, and slid in after her. I slammed the door shut just as the owner found his courage. He stepped up to the window shouting obscenities in Spanish, calling me out as he reached for the handle. Not interested in playing, I pointed my. 45 at him. He took a quick step back, his arms raised in surrender. Like most wannabes, his courage fled once faced with the barrel of a gun. With no time to waste, I gunned the Impala and shot off down the road, leaving the vato in the dust. I saw him in the rearview mirror, jumping up and down, shouting. He’d found his eggs again.
Unconcerned with his antics, I was in a race for Veronica’s life. I had to save her, especially if there was to be any chance of my having sex before Asmoday brought about the end of the world.
I didn’t want to die horny.
The Precipice
Back at my house, I screeched to a stop in the driveway. I hopped out of the appropriated Impala and raced to the passenger side to collect Veronica. Even in the short drive, she had paled a good deal. She was slumped down in the seat, lethargic. The blood loss had taken its toll, the seat beneath soaked in dark fluid. I pulled her out of the car and rushed to the front door. I fumbled in my pocket for my keys and after a heart-pounding moment where I’d believed them lost, I fished them out. I got the door open, calling out the password that would shut down the defensive wards in an emergency, and ran inside toward the bedroom. Unceremoniously, I dropped her on the bed and tore into the hidden stash of Lucifer’s blood. I yanked a vial free of the pack, and popped it open, leaving the rest on the floor. I knelt beside Veronica and fed her a couple drops of the blood, urging her to swallow. When she did, albeit weekly, I leaned back against the headboard loosing a sigh, having done all I could. From then on, it was all in the hands of my uncle. Well, it was all up to his blood, at least.
As I watched over Veronica, her eyes fluttering behind their closed lids, I tried to catch my breath. The rush I’d felt earlier was wearing off fast, exhaustion welling up to take its place. Like a thick, gray cloud of smog, I felt it coming on, choking my senses. I sealed the vial and stuffed it out of sight between the pillow and mattress as I fought to keep my eyes open. The frantic voice ringing about inside my head helped.
“Are you there, Frank?”
Good old Rachelle. “I’m here.” I kept my voice low.
“What happened? Were you attacked?”
I nodded, then remembered she couldn’t see me.
“Yeah, we were. It seems Asmoday got the bulk rate on those Dread Fiends of his. We had four of them pop up. I managed to take out three, but one got away.” I glanced over at Veronica. She twitched gently, squirming on the bed with her eyes closed, her face flush with color. I could see her wounds knitting themselves together, the skin bubbling and inching closed. I felt the weight of my conscience lifting itself from my shoulders. I really didn’t want to be responsible for her death, my earlier testosterone-fueled anger a distant memory. I still cared too damn much.
“I’m glad you’re all right, but I’m afraid there’s more.”
Not surprised, I shook my head. “What now?”
“The Dread Fiends were nothing more than a distraction.”
“From what?” My heart started to pound. If the fiends weren’t the worst of it, I was hesitant to know Page 191 what was.
“While we were busy with Asmoday’s pets, he was performing yet another ritual to draw power from the Demonarch.”
I thought about that for a second, the words chilling, but yet they felt empty. There was something missing in the equation. “Well, we’re all still here. The world isn’t a flaming ball of smoking ash, so what happened?”
“I’m not exactly sure. With my focus drawn to the fiends, I failed to notice the dead zone that cropped up until the ritual was already complete.” Her voice drifted off, coming back strong. “There was something different about it this time though, Frank. The footprint seems much smaller than it did at the last two locations, the scarring less drastic. I don’t sense the same kind of damage to the dimensional wall, although there is some. It just doesn’t seem like the same level of event.”
“Another trap?”
“No. Katon has already surveyed the area. He found discarded ritual trappings there, yet nothing else.”
“Maybe this has something to do with when the ritual was performed.” I took a second to get my thoughts in order. My head was still pretty scrambled.
“We’d estimated Asmoday had been tapping the Demonarch’s energy every two days and it’s only been about one since the last time. Could that have anything to do with it?”
There was silence on the connection as Rachelle contemplated the possibility. They really needed to pipe in some music during the pauses. She chimed back up, sounding almost hopeful.
“That may well be it. The previous power outputs had been on such a grand scale that it’s possible Asmoday has been burning himself out each time he performs the ritual. It is quite tasking. That could explain the apparent reduction of this attempt.”“It would also explain why Asmoday needs Gabriel’s help, though it does nothing to explain why Gabriel needs his.” I felt the bed shift as Veronica sat up, her blue eyes staring at me from above a wide, grateful smile. I grinned back, waggling a finger to request patience. She gave me a pouty-faced look, but nodded. I continued, lowering my voice again and stepping away from the bed. “If he’s blowing all his power, we need to find him soon so we can take advantage of it. His greed is the only thing that’s keeping us in the game.”
“I agree. I’ll convey what we’ve deduced to Rahim. Once we’ve figured out the course to take, I’ll contact you.”
“I’ve my own lead to follow up on, so I’ll let you know if it pans out. Talk to you soon.”
Rachelle said her farewells, breaking the connection. Once more, it was just me and the multitude of my own questionably sane inner voices bouncing around inside my head. Trust me. They’re more than enough to keep me busy.
“Anything exciting?” Veronica asked, her voice still a little raspy.
Once again, I didn’t really want to give much away. Our history aside, you just can’t trust a succubus.
“Just work stuff, that’s all.” I looked her over, her shredded clothing leaving little to the imagination.
“Besides, the only exciting thing in my life these days is you.”
She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Sure, buddy, whatever you say.” She got up from the bed and sauntered over to me. “I do want to thank you for saving my life though. Those fiends had me. Another minute and I’d have been dead.” She shivered, no doubt remembering them hovering over her, their claws tearing into her flesh.
I wrapped my arms around her arched back and pulled her close. “If you hadn’t dragged them away, neither of us would be here. You’re the hero on this one. I was just following your lead.”
She drew in closer, pressing her body against mine in a ferocious hug. “Sounds like we both deserve a reward.” She looked up at me and winked, her face all kinds of sultry.
I felt the seam of my torn jeans go tight as my mind ran amok with all the possibilities her statement conjured. She purred, rubbing against me, her hips gently swaying from side to side. I shuddered and pressed back against her, hard. She moaned low in her throat as she slid her warm hands beneath my shirt, her fingertips sliding under my waistband. Pulling me along, she backed up toward the bed unbuckling my belt as we went. At the bed,
