Past Due, page 14
part #4 of Good Intentions Series
"Aw, shit. Those black ops guys from Iraq?"
"The same. I’ve been following them since we met. They remember you, Alex." Her eyes turned to her side. "Curiously enough, they also remember you, Lorelei."
"Their commanding officer was one of my victims not long ago," Lorelei explained. Her tone betrayed no particular emotion. "The man was tied up in all sorts of ugly affairs. I didn’t linger to watch the fallout. After Alex ran into them in Iraq, I looked the matter up but found no news of scandal. Colonel McGinley officially died in his sleep. All of his horrible deeds were swept under the rug."
"Interesting. As a destroyer from the Pit, you tracked your victims no further than the moment of destruction?"
"Not as a habit, no. It was not my role."
"Did you find out what they were doing in Iraq?" asked Alex.
"Yes. You may be relieved to know they are no longer in service to the American army. At least, not directly. Their commander’s death led to their expulsion from the ranks, but their new employer seems able to access many military assets. I have seen them make use of American bases and fly on your Air Force’s planes. The quiet nature of their expulsion has left them able to take full advantage of their employer’s connections."
"Who is their employer? Do you know?" asked Lorelei.
"Yes." Zafirah gestured to the body. "Her family. The story gets more interesting here. In the museum, the thieves were led by a sorcerer calling herself Michiko, though that is not her only name. She and Helen are part of a family of Practitioners spanning nations and continents and century after century…all the way back to the Sea Peoples.
"While they did not acquire everything they were after, they did achieve their primary goal. The team took hold of a particular museum guard, a young man named Abdel. Michiko cast a spell upon him to awaken the memories of his previous lives. All of his lives, all at once…for he has, in truth, always been the same person. Michiko has always been his sibling."
"You mean like—no," Alex cut himself off. "This isn’t like what happened to me, is it?"
"No. The magic used upon you reconnected the memories of your past lives, but you are still Alex Carlisle. Your identity remains the same. Your family, your friends, your 21st Century values and outlook have all held firm. These Practitioners undergo a very different change. They remember their new lives while at heart reverting to the old. The family knows how to locate their own as they are reincarnated into each new life and how to reassert the original identity. Abdel is no more. He keeps the name for the sake of convenience, but in truth Abdel is merely a memory for a far older being."
"Holy gaping motherfuckers, are you shitting me right now?" Rachel breathed. "You’re serious? This is a thing they’ve been doing for how long?"
Zafirah gestured to Alex. "Since roughly the 13th Century BCE, as far as historians can tell."
"How many of them are there?" she burst.
"That much I have not yet learned. More than a handful, for certain. The cycle is not—"
"Wait," Rachel interrupted with both hands up. "Don’t. We need to…damn it. Fuck."
"What?" asked Alex.
"Some of this isn’t for mortals to know, okay?" she explained, and then shot their host a frustrated look. "Or jinn for that matter."
"Too late." Zafirah smiled. "I believe that cat is already out of the bag."
"Yeah, and knocking shit off the fucking countertops," Rachel grumbled.
"It is already known, and Alex is already affected."
"Rachel, she has a point," Lorelei put in, gentler than Zafirah if still cool in tone. "Any risks to Alex came into play months ago."
"It’s not like I haven’t pieced together some of this myself," he added.
"Maybe so, but there’s practical stuff and then there are principles," the angel fumed. She folded her arms across her chest. "Fine. Keep it discreet, okay? Need-to-know shit."
"Of course," said Zafirah. "I don’t believe they can control when or where one of their brood are reincarnated. Souls do not return to the world at set intervals. Their method of detecting a rebirth is unknown to me. The reawakening spell seems simple in its execution, but I believe its preparation is complicated and powerful. It requires a deep connection to the soul’s previous life. Apparently, the best connection comes from the remains of a previous life."
"Oh, this is bad." Rachel rubbed her face. "This is fucked. This is fucking fucked."
"Remains? You mean the body?" wondered Alex. "That whole mess in Iraq was over some old box with a skeleton inside. They said they were there to blow up a cult and the box was secondary. With the way they stonewalled, I felt like it was the other way around."
"I thought of that part of your story, too," said Zafirah. "When Michiko reawakened Abdel in Alexandria, she told him they had located ‘Father.’ Apparently, they have sought him out for some time. I believe that skeleton recovered in Iraq may be the family patriarch."
"Aw, fuck everything," Rachel groaned even louder into her hands.
"How bad is this?" asked Alex.
Her hands fell away from her frustrated scowl. "I can’t really answer that when half of this is shit you shouldn’t know fuck all about in the first place, lover. I’m sorry. And I don’t recognize these fuckers. But it’s pretty fucking bad."
"This family built its original power out of the pillage of the ancient Mediterranean," said Zafirah. "It would seem the passing of ages has not mitigated their ambition. Michiko told Abdel of an upcoming family gathering. She casually mentioned plans for all sorts of catastrophes from plagues to wars."
"Then if they’re running around doing all this shit and messing with this cycle stuff, doesn’t that make them a problem for the angels to handle?" thought Alex.
"You’re fuckin’ well right it is," Rachel agreed.
"Yet they have not," said Lorelei. "And Zafirah has not asked for such intervention."
Zafirah’s eyebrow rose. "You have been rather quiet."
"I have listened. I am still listening."
Alex waited, but Lorelei said no more. His eyes flicked to Zafirah, who regarded Lorelei with a bemused smile. "You said this was a test. You want more though, don’t you?"
"Three days and three nights of your services. Yes, darling, I want more. I want to stop them. I want to investigate this family and put an end to their evils. Together. You and I."
"Why?" He gestured with both hands to Rachel. "She just said it: the angels can handle this. How is this not a job for a divine airstrike?"
"How many monsters roam this world?" asked the jinn. "You have met more than a few. The world holds demons and the undead and creatures of the night you have yet to discover, along with countless walking terrors born of ordinary mortal flesh and blood. You are a student of history, yes? Pick a textbook from any of your classes and open it to a random page. You will find a day the angels witnessed staggering crimes and stood aside."
"That’s not fair," said Rachel.
"It is the truth," said Zafirah. "I speak it in front of you because I know you see it, too. You would take action, Rachel. But I do not expect this to be your decision alone."
Once more, Rachel opened her mouth, only to close it again and look away. "Fuck."
"They killed three innocent men last night out of convenience. Heaven did not intervene on their behalf. I will not wait for intervention now." She favored Alex with a grin. "I somehow doubt you are the sort to ignore this, either."
"What is your plan?" asked Lorelei.
"The family gathering Michiko mentioned is imminent. The event is more than a reunion. They have friends and connections among creatures of the night from across the globe. Grand plans are easier to hatch with allies close at hand for consultation and bargains."
"What, like an evil summit?" Alex frowned.
"No, darling. Like a party. The opulent, excessive, sexy kind, where you can trust no one. It’s even nearby, fortunately enough."
"Nearby? Where?" His brow darkened. "Oh god, it’s Portland, isn’t it?"
"No. They have a veritable castle hidden away behind an expensive neighborhood in West Vancouver. If you want a real sense of their power, consider what it takes to hide such a home in a real estate market like that."
"Van—seriously? The immortal evil wizard cabal lives in Canada?"
"Alex." Zafirah frowned. "Do you think they would live here? Your country is a mess. The whole world sees what goes on here. It’s embarrassing. You should be ashamed of yourselves."
"Fair point." He rolled his eyes. "I like Canada. Go on?"
"I mean to infiltrate and investigate. I would know who these people are and the scope of their reach. I would know the consequences of their fall before I push. And if I come away with some small measure of their wealth or toys, so much the better." Zafirah smiled. "I can think of no better companion than you."
"Are you talking about sneaking around or walking right in like we were invited?" he asked.
"Potentially both. The invitation list is broad enough that we might slip in. With an event such as this, they will not know everyone. We have time to assess our options."
"You wish to bring Alex to this party?" asked Lorelei.
"He is perfect for the role. He can obviously handle himself." Zafirah gestured to the debris all around. "A mortal who is not so ‘mere’ at all, with skills and knowledge reaching back centuries, and bearing such an undeniable appeal?" She looked him up and down with a grin. "Their eyes may fall upon him, but they will never see him coming."
"You ask too much," Lorelei replied.
"Our surroundings suggest otherwise. As does the immortal blood upon his hands."
"We did not go looking for that trouble."
"Nor did I go to my nightclub in Beirut looking for Alex and Rachel or the trouble that followed." Zafirah’s attention returned to him. "Does she speak for you?"
"I don’t take well to anyone trying to drive a wedge between the three of us," said Alex.
"Apologies. Such is not my meaning, or my intent. I take it you deal with it often?"
"A bit," he replied. "And I’m not exactly a solo package when it comes to this stuff."
"The debt between us is yours alone."
"I think you know that’s not how this works," said Lorelei. "You saw that much tonight."
"Yeah, she saw that all along," agreed Rachel. "It was part of her math."
"Perhaps not as much as I saw tonight," the jinn conceded. "I do not complain."
"What about the sword, Zafirah?" Alex pressed.
"Yes. The sword. I don’t come to you out of selfishness, Alex. I come as a friend.
"This comes back to the stone tablet from the museum robbery. The inscriptions are not reliably translated, as I said—at least, not by historians. I translated them using sorcery, for the inscriptions invoke magic. The words expressed a rejection of the past and remorse for deeds done in the scribe’s name. They called for a sundering of the bonds of family and the soul… in this life, and the next. Someone wanted to break free of the family. Someone the family still wants to find.
"Magic sometimes carries marks distinctive of its user. Call it a signature, if you will. The effect is typically subtle. Only those Practitioners who have made a study of the phenomenon will detect it. I recognized the signature on the tablet from an item I had seen only recently. You left it behind in my nightclub."
Alex looked to the blade in his hand. It was well made and reliable, but he never considered it something profoundly unique—except for the work of dear friends.
"I do not come to take advantage of your debt, Alex. I come as a friend. This is personal for you, and for those you love."
Chapter Nine:
Full Disclosure
Onyx looked to the faces around her—the angel, the demon, the jinn she’d only just met, the horny mess of reincarnations she somewhat-regularly slept with, and the fellow witch who was the love of her life—and spoke honestly: "So, this is awkward."
"Might you elaborate on that?" asked Zafirah. "Have you had encounters with this family? What can you tell us about them?"
"I mean this is awkward." Onyx gestured to her visitors from her seat on a Craigslist leather couch. The full bookshelves and low-key pagan artwork made the real statement of her home. Every other piece of furniture came second-hand or from a garage sale. "We had a whole New Year’s party here and it was fine. Now the living room feels crowded with only the six of us."
"Babe." Molly put one hand on hers. She didn’t need to say anything else.
They hadn’t expected company. Onyx was dressed down compared to her usual appearance. It was too early in the morning for more than a dark blouse and long skirt. Black hair hung to her shoulders without any special care. She didn’t even have her trademark Doc Martens on. She wasn’t prepared for visitors and even less prepared for this conversation.
"It was a great party," said Onyx. "Plenty of room at the time. I guess we still had more to unpack."
"Some things always find a way to come out again sooner or later," said Lorelei.
"Yeah, seems like it."
"You have listened intently, but said little," said Zafirah. "If you know this family—"
"We’re sitting here with people I consider family right now," Onyx replied. She shrugged. "Wow. That’s... awkward, too."
"None of us feel awkward hearing it," said Rachel.
"It wouldn’t feel as weird to say it if it wasn’t for all the sleeping together."
"I’m okay with it," said Alex. She let out a single laugh.
Zafirah inhaled as if about to try again, but waited instead.
"My dad is a school teacher in Everett and my mom works for Boeing. We lived in a two-bedroom apartment and I went to a public high school. I only scratched the surface of magic before I met Molly and her mentor, Elizabeth. And I haven’t been living under a secret identity all these years."
"Somehow I doubt Onyx is your given name," said Zafirah.
"Lots of us go by new names," countered Molly. "It isn’t weird. I know her other name." She frowned with a new thought. "Is that why you’re here, Rachel?"
"What do you mean?" asked Rachel.
"Are you here as a lie detector? Maybe you can’t read minds, but you know things the rest of us don’t. You’ve been quiet, too."
"Oh, no. I’m not here to interrogate or fuck with anyone. This shit is a mind-fuck and I wanted to be here for Onyx and for you. And I wanted to be here in case anyone took all this news too far," she added.
"I have been discreet," said Zafirah. "Only the most necessary revelations have been made."
"Uh-huh," grunted Molly.
"I need to talk to Alex privately. Is that okay?" asked Onyx.
"Sure," he answered.
"I do not push this to cause anyone distress," said Zafirah. "These people are dangerous. That is my greatest concern."
"Even if they know who and where Onyx is, she’s surrounded by bad asses right now," said Molly. "She can’t get much safer than this."
"Sucks to say it, actually, but I’ve gotta fuck off and go make the rounds," said Rachel.
"Oh. Well, the rest of us are still pretty tough," Molly corrected.
"You must leave now? Again?" asked Zafirah. "You departed while we were on our way here and only rejoined us minutes ago."
"Part of the job. My schedule is McFucked. I’m on call forever." Rachel stood, prompting the rest to do the same. She stepped close to Onyx, leaning in to include her partner. "Remember the Halloween party and all that shit I’m not supposed to tell you?"
"Yeah?" answered Molly.
"Fate is completely overrated. Your choices are your own." She bumped a fist against Onyx at her shoulder. "I’m out, bitches." With that, she walked straight through the pair and through the front wall of their living room.
Molly turned to go. Onyx caught her wrist. "Not you."
"No?" said Molly.
"Obviously."
"Ah," said Zafirah.
"Would you prefer we step outside?" asked Lorelei. "It’s a small house. Voices carry."
"You wouldn’t mind?" Onyx replied.
"Of course not." The door waited only a few steps away. Zafirah walked with her. Lorelei looked back with a smile. "It was a good party. I look forward to the next."
Lorelei stepped out onto their small porch nestled in a neighborhood of other small houses in the north end of Seattle. Tall evergreen trees broke up the skyline. Smaller trees along the street bloomed with cherry blossoms. Clouds overhead threatened drizzle, if not rain. "I’ve only been to this region a few times," spoke up the woman beside her. "They tell me the winter holds on long into spring."
"We had plane tickets and reservations near a beach in Mexico," said Lorelei.
"When?"
"Tomorrow. Jason will be off to Los Angeles to see his girlfriend, too."
"I looked at the calendar before I called, but I suppose I did not consider that you might have plans," said Zafirah. "My apologies. I have no control over the family’s timetable."
Lorelei looked back to the small house. "Given the danger this family represents, I expect we’re in this for the duration. Especially if it threatens Onyx."
Zafirah smiled. "She seems special."
"As is Molly," said Lorelei. "Though Alex would go equally far if it concerned a platonic friendship. Or even a random innocent. The rest of our friends will also want to help. A life is a life." Her eyes turned to the street. "They mean as much to me, too."
"Oh?"
"If not for those two young women, I would have been enslaved again. Alex would have been killed. We owe them everything, several times over. They are the dearest of friends."
"And more, apparently. It is an unusual arrangement."
"Onyx and Molly had designs on Alex before he ever met Rachel and I. Sometimes I wonder if we got in the way. I wonder that even more now."
"Would you step aside for their happiness?"
Lorelei’s eyes slid sideways with a quiet smile. "Our unusual arrangement has brought us all more comfort and joy. Not less." She turned back to the street almost as if she stood watch. "Nations rise and fall. Eras inevitably end. Lives carry on. You and I are too old to be attached to the status quo of the mortal world. Whatever you’re after, nothing could be worth losing any of them. Or the others."
