Before another word got out, the old familiar nemesis caught her off guard again. He snuck into her thoughts, and ripped open her dark heart, letting tenderness and love shine through. Her love for him had begun to tear her apart. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop the tears. Helplessly falling on her bed, she buried her face and sobbed.
Sadness expended, angry and shaking, anger burned at Shane, followed by strong curses. “Why do you torment me like this? I don’t care about you. I can’t!” A brief pause. “... can I? Oh by Lucifer, my heart’s betraying me.” She reflected on all the years she had known Shane. It was odd that she found herself always returning to torment him; almost as though she were attracted to him. Which she was.
You love him.
She gasped. “I do not! Don’t ever say that again.” Her thoughts laughed at her
You love him. Admit it.
“Please...stop! I can’t handle emotions. They’ll destroy me. Please have mercy on me and stop this, you foolish heart.”
I’ll only stop when you admit how you really feel.
“I’m... I’m so scared. Caring makes me so vulnerable. I can’t bear the thought of someone hurting me.”
She looked up. VD stood inches away from her face.
She startled and jumped six inches, straight up. After re-gathering her wits, she said, “You know, VD: this is getting old. I really do wish you’d announce yourself...”
VD continued to stare at her -- hard. “Listen to me, you foolish demon. I’m a demon too, and I’m at least woman enough to admit when I care; I don’t mind being vulnerable. You, on the other hand, are a coward.”
She stared back at VD, trying to say something mean, but it wouldn’t come out. A long breath rushed out of her lungs. “Okay, VD. You win. My heart has won the battle with me. I can’t deny that I...” She spoke very quietly. “... care.”
VD laughed. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“Don’t push me ...” The dark angel returned, and flexed her sharp nails for emphasis,
“Try to catch me. Love is more powerful than hate, and I love—you hate.” A strange look she had never seen before covered VD’s face. “I love you Poisonous. What do you think of that?”
It stung. “Don’t say that! Not only is that un-demon like, I can’t cope with... love.” She spat out the word like it was poison, stronger than hers. She lunged for VD, but VD swiftly sidestepped her, and moved to another part of the room.
“You’d better learn, because you’re my best friend, and I do love you. Not only that, I like the way it feels. Moreover, I’m thinking seriously of talking to Evie more about the hope that lies within her.”
“Oh, now you’ve gone and done it. I’m going to go to Lucifer now, and have you exiled to the pit forever. You’re nothing but a traitor.”
“You, know what, Poisonous? I might even start praying for you myself.”
Not being able to stand it anymore, she lunged at her, talons bared and ready to inflict deadly poison.
VD’s response caught her completely off guard. “I rebuke you in the name of The Lamb.”
The words hit her like a blow from a cannonball. The powerful force of the Light stopped her dead in her tracks. Eyes wide open, she stared at VD incredulously. “I don’t believe you just said that. You’ve becoming a traitor. I think you’d better leave, and leave now!”
VD just smiled. “Love you, Poisonous. See you soon.”
“Not if I can help it. Now please leave.”
VD turned around slowly, and smiling, left.
Six
Tuesday, July 8th
The morning sun rose on the District of Columbia, promising another hot, sultry July day. At about nine thirty in the morning, Poisonous stretched, got her human body out of bed and searched for a bagel bakery where delivery was part of their services. She ordered a bagel and lox, with extra onions from the bagel shop in Union Station, and had them deliver the sandwich, along with a half-dozen cheddar jalapeno bagels. The thought of garlic shmear and plenty of extra spicy hot sauce on spicy bagels made her stomach rumble.
While she waited on her order to arrive, she brought her computer to life, logged into the Dark Web, and noticed, among other things, that an ad appeared in a community web page for weapons sales to ISIS-based organizations. One such organization needed about seven hundred such weapons, to include hand held pistols, high powered rifles, hand held grenade launchers and explosives of various categories. An email sent to the buyer got an immediate response, indicating they would be interested in doing business.
Poisonous
Name your terms
SWaddi (Buyer)
I will pay you top price for everything
Poisonous
Very well; send me your order, and I will have it delivered to you. However, I require payment in advance.
SWaddi
Okay. I will send you a purchase order. When you have determined your price, I will give you my credit card information.
Poisonous
I will send you an invoice with the price, and upon payment, will have the goods shipped to you.
SWaddi
Then we are agreed.
A half an hour later, the Purchase Order arrived in her email as an attachment. The order went to the weapons dealer, so all she needed to do was wait on the credit card information before the order went through. SWaddi sent her credit card information, and she charged just north of one half billion dollars for one hundred fifty million dollars worth of armaments. The automated clearing house approved the transaction, and she smiled at making a handsome profit.
The weapons arrived at the destination indicated by SWaddi the next day. In the early afternoon, she perused her Swiss bank account, and noticed the transaction was denied. Calling
