Chapter 10
“We should make like Scooby-Doo and split up,” Micah advised, after a few minutes of chasing nothing but shadows and sounds through the endless aisles.
Chad had already sent out the command to all of the cops, letting them know they were to avoid the rug rats, since the children were not their intended target. They were on a demon hunt pure and simple.
“Good idea,” Chad agreed. “I’ll take Vincent with me, and you can do a sweep around the store since you can move a lot faster than us mere humans.” He smiled to let his friend know he really didn’t hold the speed advantage against him. The cougar nodded at him and took off towards the produce section… probably hoping to catch sight of Kane thrashing a few mini-monsters. He shook his head and sighed heavily.
“There has got to be a better way of doing this,” Chad remarked, as he and Vincent kept walking. “So far we’ve accomplished nothing.”
“How long have you been a cop,” Vincent asked, now that they were finally alone. He was curious about Chad’s resurrection, since he hadn’t met any other human’s that had returned from the dead without a demon pulling their strings like a marionette.
“Since I graduated high school,” Chad answered, with a hint of pride in his voice. “After my parent’s death, it was all I ever wanted to be. I decided it was the best way to look after my little sister Envy. I was able to raise her and give her a normal life before she grew up on me and got a job at Moon Dance. Still, I wouldn’t trade the last couple months of mayhem for anything.”
“Why’s that?” Vincent was genuinely curious, having never heard of this Moon Dance. “What does Moon Dance have to do with it?”
Chad smirked, “Not much of a club hopper… are you?”
“Let’s pretend that I’m new in town,” Vincent answered, with a quirk of his lip.
“Moon Dance is a night club owned by the local werejaguars… and Envy is now mated to one of the owners. That’s why I got pulled into PIT. I know way too much for a human, but like I said… no regrets. We’ve met a lot of great people recently, though calling them people might be stretching it a bit.”
Chad shrugged, “One thing is for sure… life isn’t so boring anymore. Hell, one of my best friends is a very powerful paranormal and I didn’t even know it for years. We’re human, but they all make us feel like we’re part of the bigger picture.”
“It sounds like PIT takes in all the strays, but I guess it’s a far cry better than being a lackey for demons,” Vincent said with a slight nod of his head.
“You worked for demons,” Chad asked, making a face, as he parted the clothing on a circular rack, so he could see in the center of it.
“Afraid so,” Vincent answered. “I was caught trying to steal one of their toys and I didn’t have anything better to do at the time, so I stayed and followed their orders.”
“In other words, if you stayed with them then you got to live,” Chad concluded, since the cop side of him was a pro at reading between the lines.
Vincent swallowed the urge to laugh at that misconception considering he had died for the demons many times. Instead he just shrugged. “Some might look at it that way, but the truth is, I was already addicted to stealing valuable paranormal trinkets and it didn’t matter to me if the owner or buyer was a billionaire or a power hungry demon lord.”
“Sounds dangerous,” Chad said, with a heap of sarcasm.
“It was a lot of fun,” Vincent shot back, with a grin.
Chad glanced over at him, “Are you serious?”
Vincent’s grin grew broader, “Rarely ever.”
“Good,” Chad said. “I was beginning to wonder if you were as crazy as the rest of us.”
“So, what’s the rest of your story,” Vincent asked.
“What do you mean,” Chad wondered with a frown.
Vincent cocked an enquiring eyebrow. “Well, it seems a little odd that there’s nothing really special about you, yet you’re almost the highest ranking officer in a police force full of paranormals that are stronger, faster, and a hell of a lot more durable than you are… no offense intended. Granted, you are a cop but you are, as you said, human.”
“I was killed and brought back to life,” Chad mumbled, wishing he could forget that freaky little detail.
Vincent paused, pretending Storm hadn’t already told him as much. “What do you mean by brought back to life?”
“I was killed by someone or something in my own apartment and a couple of my paranormal friends resurrected me,” Chad explained, with a guilty smile. “The problem is… no one really knows what’ll happen to me if I should die again. Not even the paranormals in PIT know for sure, but Storm seems to think there’s a slight chance I won’t stay dead.”
“Sounds bloody well horrible,” Vincent growled and meant it.
“What’s so horrible about coming back to life,” Chad shrugged. “Being able to do something like that would be a good thing in my book.”
Vincent scowled darkly at him. “And what if you begin to outlive everyone you care about?”
Chad nodded, “Yeah, there’s a downside to that if it does happen. But on the upside, it’ll mean I can help more people.”
Without hesitating, Chad drew his pistol and fired at the floor in front of an overly long shadow being cast by the black eyed child that was making a poor attempt of sneaking up on them. The shadow had been in the shape of a serpent and he could have sworn it had blood red eyes with black slits for pupils.
The little boy actually growled at him like a cornered animal before disappearing back into the clothing department, dragging the creepy shadow behind it. Chad knew the children were unable to help themselves and didn’t want to truly hurt any of them, if at all possible. He hoped the wolf pack was giving the little ones the same consideration.
“Damn demons know we can’t fight them like this,” Chad hissed and holstered his piece. “Using children to do their dirty work is more than enough to piss me off.”
“I know that’s not the same child from earlier, but I’ve got my fingers crossed that it’s the same snake and it’s just playing musical chairs with the children. It would really suck if there was more than one bloody shadow beast running around in this store,” Vincent announced, knowing the kind of demons that used the beasts as weapons were normally of a vicious temperament.
“This snake was longer and thicker than the one that bit Tasuki,” Chad offered, without remorse. “It was a nice wish though. We best stay in well lighted areas, so we can at least see them coming. I, for one, do not want to die and test Storm's theory.”
“So you have no problem with living forever,” Vincent stated, having had many nightmares over the same question. “What if a plague came and wiped out all human life and left you standing all by yourself? It seems to me that you haven’t thought this through.”
“Look, all I want to do is help people… like a knight from a hero’s tale,” Chad admitted, with a sheepish expression. “Not necessarily a hero but definitely someone that protects the weak… like these children. I am here to help them because I am still alive. It’s as simple as that.”
Vincent shook his head knowing that Chad would never understand the kind of monsters that were out there… evil creatures that have innocent little faces and teary eyes. They pretend to be weak so a hero will come save them but their end game is to turn that hero into a monster.
“Those that appear weak can also be bloody well dangerous.” Vincent gave voice to his silent rant.
“I’ll give you that,” Chad agreed. “We’ve run into more than one demon in the last few weeks that’s been the living embodiment of that statement.”
“So you do understand the dangers that come with trying to play the hero,” Vincent mused aloud.
Chad shook his head, “Never said I didn’t. Humans have also been known to pull that same trick, but most cops tend to learn that lesson really quickly… the hard way. Tears and a pretty face do not mean they are innocent.”
“I’ll give you a bit of advice mate,” Vincent said, remembering Storm's warning. “Don’t go around telling people that you died but didn’t stay that way. Some idiot might kill you just to see if you will wake up again.”
Chad turned a frown on Vincent as the advice sank in and, for a split second, he felt nervous about telling the man beside him. He hadn’t known Vincent long enough to completely trust him.
Vincent’s steps faltered when he saw a child creeping up behind Chad wearing a horrid mask that he remembered from a movie. The main character was a doll called Chucky if memory served him correctly. This one was adding an even sicker twist to the movie’s reputation because there was a serpentine shadow wrapped around its body and along the arm that was gripping the handle of a large butcher knife.
He cocked his head to the side wondering if the whispered laughter was real or just his imagination. Vincent very briefly played with the idea of letting the other man die, just to see if they had the same curse. After all, if he wasn’t standing there it would have been the hand of fate that caused Chad to be injured… right? Who was he to get in the way of fate?
Vincent’s shoulders sagged knowing he just couldn’t do it. He wasn’t a killer of the innocent… he was a knight at heart, not much different from the police officer beside him. Chad was correct about that… the knights of old were the present day’s version of the police.
He reached for his new partner just as the snake tightened its control on the child’s arm and forced it to plunge the knife forward in a lethal strike.
Chad felt himself being jerked backwards and heard Vincent hiss in pain. He looked down to see the butcher knife sticking out of his new partner’s stomach and a freaking Chucky clone staring back up at him with black bottomless pools for eyes.
“My master will eat your soul,” the little one said, in a hauntingly eerie voice, that gave away its gender… it was a little girl.
“Where the hell did that come from,” Chad demanded, ignoring the instant chill bumps the little creep-void gave him.
Going into cop mode, Chad shot at the floor between them and the possessed child, hoping it would back the hell up. The snake dipped down to wind more of its body across the child’s arm before snapping its sharp fangs forward with several warning strikes.
“Don’t know,” Vincent growled and pulled the knife out of his tender flesh with a quick jerk, while throwing a glare at the Chucky impersonator. “But I always did hate that bloody movie.”
“Same here,” Chad said, keeping a wary eye on the kid and its deadly pet. He could see the splatter of blood on the floor from where Vincent had pulled the knife out. He needed to get him outside to the ambulance as quick as possible, but first he had to put an end to this standoff.
“Why the hell are they only possessing children?” Vincent growled. “I want an enemy I can at least fight.”
Chad gritted his teeth in frustration. “That’s it you know. The demented demons are using kids so we won’t fight back. An adult we could punch in the face and not feel so bad about it afterward… but a child? That’s true evil.”
Vincent exhaled slowly knowing that Chad was right. It was indeed harder to hurt a child over an adult… but that didn’t stop him from wanting to take the little lassie over his knee.
“Freeze! Stop right where you are,” another voice rang out, making Chad and Vincent glance up at the source.
A Wal-Mart security guard, who looked like he’d already been put through the ringer, stood there with his pistol in both hands and he was pointing it directly at the masked child. His shirt and left cheek were smeared with fresh blood and he was shaking with rage.
“I got you now you little bitch,” he yelled.
“Don’t,” Chad exclaimed, trying to position his body between the gun wielding security cop and the possessed child. At that moment, both of them were equally dangerous. “You don’t understand what’s going on. She’s only a little girl.”
The guard shook his head, his lips thinning, “That’s not a girl… it’s a monster. I saw it stab a woman back in electronics with the same knife your friend just pulled out of his gut.”
The eerie laughter wasn’t Vincent’s imagination this time. The black eyed child knew exactly what it was doing when it darted forward to retrieve its bloody weapon from where Vincent had tossed it on the floor. The sudden movement caused a domino effect that honestly happened too fast for Vincent to stop.
Chad dove for the child just as the security cop opened fire. He grunted when a burning pain sliced through his back, followed by a rain of blood exploding from his chest all over the Halloween mask the child was wearing. Those evil eyes turned toward him… so hollow and unfeeling, until another shot rang out and the child jerked in his arms, as Chad fell.
The last thing he saw was those wide eyes flicker between black and the most beautiful shade of green. He had no regrets.
Vincent pressed himself against the shelf behind him, when the injured child opened its mouth to scream, but instead of sound coming out, she started vomiting up black smoke. That ominous blackness swirled out in a spiraling circle, and then shot straight toward him. The mass stopped dead and hovered for a moment, only a couple inches in front of his face.
He defiantly stared into the glittering blackness before the shadow demon rejected him as a host and took off down the aisle, in a head-on collision with the now completely freaked out security cop. The man’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted just in the nick of time, dropping like a rock and causing the black cloud to pass over him and turn the corner out of sight.
Vincent scrubbed at his face hating the fact that the demon had been so close to him. Heading toward the man that had been lucky enough to faint, he bent down and grabbed the gun, putting it in the waistband of his pants in case the crazed fool woke up again.
Turning, he placed a hand over his own bleeding wound and limped back to where Chad and the child had fallen. He gently rolled Chad to the side so he could see the both of them.
“Damn it,” Vincent hissed, not bothering to check Chad’s heartbeat because he knew there wouldn’t be one.
Turning his gaze to the child, he felt his chest tighten at the sight. The mask must have been knocked to the side when Chad had grabbed her, leaving the innocence of the childish face half exposed. He could see the rise and fall of the child’s chest as she continued to breathe.
“Good,” he sighed with a nod. “That’s a good lassie… keep on doing that.”
Grabbing the com-link from Chad’s still form, he pressed the button. “There’s a child down in front of the women’s changing room… shot by one of the Wal-Mart security guards… need assistance ASAP.”
Without another word, Vincent picked Chad’s body up in his arms ignoring the pain that spiked just below his belly button… it would heal. He needed to get the man out of sight before anyone noticed his death… including the other cops on the police force.
Gritting his teeth, he made his way down the aisles toward the very back of the store. Vincent pushed through one of the stockroom doors into the dim interior, looking around for a place to hide the dead man away from prying eyes.
He wasn't stupid… this was why Storm had paired him up with the cop for the night. Still… if Storm had known it was going to happen, then why the hell hadn’t he stopped it? All he’d had to do was keep Chad at the police station. He blinked realizing he was a hypocrite. Hadn’t he just argued with Chad about the uselessness of saving people?
Weaving his way through the maze of long shelves where the back stock had been stored, Vincent finally found what he was looking for. Knocking the stacks of towels onto the floor, he kneeled down and gently laid Chad on the softness, instead of the cold concrete. He knew Chad was past feeling the luxury but that didn’t stop the memory from haunting him, of how many times he’d woken up from death wishing someone had at least dragged his dead body out of the rain.
Vincent slowly rose to his feet, then glared up at the long bright light bulb hanging from the ceiling directly above them, like a damned spot light. Grabbing a broom that was leaning against the rack nearby, he raised the long handle. Ramming it upwards, he busted the annoying thing, plunging the area into shadow.
Rubbing his eyes with his fingers, he gave into the weary sigh and slid down beside the cop, to wait for the unknown to reveal the truth.
“Well Chad,” Vincent whispered, as he leaned back against the concrete wall. “You got your wish and played the hero. If you come back from the dead, you are so completely screwed. But if you don’t…”
He frowned at the concept, having mixed feelings for once. Storm put him with Chad for a reason and he hoped he was right about what that reason was… even if it meant Chad was completely screwed.
***** Damon was just a few steps behind Michael as they finished searching the pet department. Part of him was relieved the fish tanks hadn’t been destroyed but there was enough hard pet food on the floor to create a thick chucky film on the bottom of their already wet shoes.
He’d been careful not to lose his temper in this section, figuring the fish would appreciate their watery homes not being demolished. It also didn’t help matters when they’d heard the gun shots a few moments ago… he could only imagine what had happened there.
He could hear a few cops cursing in the next section over, where the shampoo and conditioner were displayed. That area was now like a demented form of a slip-n-slide since bottles of the slippery stuff had been poured all over the floor.
“Disgusting,” Damon grumbled, knocking the heel of his boot against the concrete, trying to dislodge some of the gunk.
“Haven’t been to a lot of Western bars have you,” Michael said with a grin. “Spilt drinks and peanut shells on the floor create the same crunching sensation.” As if to make a point, he took another step, smiling at the crunching sound.
Damon glared at him, “Just because I've been overseas for so long doesn’t mean I don’t know what a Western bar is, but since you like the sound so much… here.” He looked down at the mess and every single piece of hard dog food littering the floor, rose into the air and made a chorus of crunching sounds, as they shattered into smaller pieces.
“You’re making it worse,” Michael complained, as a thin cloud of ALPO dust hovered in the air.
Their banter came to an end when Michael heard something that made him stop. One of the wolves was coming closer to their location and their radio was on low but still loud enough for Michael’s sensitive hearing. A child had been shot. Heaven help these demons if Kane found out about that.
“Excuse me,” Michael whispered, and left Damon standing there, still swatting at the dusty air he’d just created.
Within seconds, Michael was kneeling over the small body of the child. There was blood pooling all around the young one, making him growl in anger. Reaching out, he gently removed the lopsided mask seeing the paleness of her cheeks and soft blonde curls. His own chest clenched in pain… this little girl was the true essence of innocence and evil had no right to touch her. He felt the floor under him start to tremble and realized he was the cause.
Repressing his anger and blocking out the noise of the store, he listened intently to her heart as it struggled to keep beating. Knowing she was bleeding out, he quickly ripped the neck of the girl’s shirt and found the bullet wound just below the line of her right collarbone.
Michael glared over his shoulder at the unconscious security guard, silently cursing the stupidity of some humans before returning his attention back to the dying child.
Her lips were already turning blue from loss of blood but luckily the bullet had gone all the way through. Holding his hand above the bullet hole, Michael ignored the fact that two other humans had bled here and concentrated on healing the child’s injury first. He would find out about the others later.
He felt a sense of calm wash over him as his healing ability reached for her. The ends of his hair lifted and swayed around his face as new flesh began to form… healing the wound from the inside out. Flawless skin finally appeared, erasing all evidence of the child ever being shot. He smiled softly when bright green eyes opened and stared up at him in wonder.
“Would you mind wiping her memory before I take her to her mother,” Storm asked quietly, from behind the Sun God.
Michael nodded and touched the girl’s temple, watching as the bright eyes closed in peaceful sleep. “Someone else is injured… at least two other humans. I can smell the different strands of their blood here.”
“Don’t worry… this child’s heroes are already being healed. Now she has three heroes, thanks to you.” Storm smiled softly, before flickering out of existence with the girl.
Michael slowly stood up and turned around just as the security guard sat up and shook his head with a groan. He watched as the man pushed himself to his feet and reached for his empty holster. Striding forward, Michael fought the urge to swing his fist at the man. Instead, he tapped the guy on the forehead and kept going not caring as the man dropped back to the floor like a stone.
