Izzy and Saleena headed upstairs to the master bedroom. A king-size canopy bed sat in the center of the room. On the right side of the bed sat a tall dresser flanked by his and her walk-in closets. On the left side of the bed was the door to the bathroom, which had a bathtub, a walk-in shower, and his and her sinks. On the wall to the right of the bathroom door was a desk with a high back chair.
Izzy pulled Saleena into the bathroom, cut on the shower, and then began taking off his clothes. “What are you waiting for? Take off your clothes.”
They slowly stripped and eyed each other. Saleena’s unadulterated beautiful body was like a dream come true, and Izzy looked the part of a stud gigolo. He admired her while she took in his firm muscular chest, and six pack abs.
They spent the next hour in the shower, kissing and exploring each other’s bodies. He had witnessed many of his clients make love. She may have been an eight hundred year old demon, but she was new born to the flesh, and she reacted like any other young lady losing her virginity: fretful and apprehensive.
“Now that we got that out the way, we have to that again.” Said Seleena.
Izzy nibbled on her ear and said, “Yeah, but not now. The flesh needs sleep.”
She lay her head on his chest. “I thought it was me. I’m tired too.”
“Good,” he said and kissed her on the forehead. “We always have tomorrow.”
Saleena closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm touch of her body lying against his. She had imagined the moment for over a decade, and it was finally upon her. She went to sleep happier than she had been in her entire existence.
Chapter Five
By dawn the crime scene Saleena and Izzy had left at the waterfront warehouse was crawling with investigators. Police officers walked in and out of the place as the bodies of the five guards and eight goons lay in front of the building in body bags. Nat pulled up in a dark blue sedan and parked within the maze of other medical and law enforcement vehicles. He got out the car and glanced around. Although the sedan screamed government agent, his Prada shoes and tailor-made suit announced there was more to him than met the eye. He strolled over to an officer near the entrance and flashed a fancy badge.
“Agent Nathaniel Brenner,” he told the officer.
The officer eyed the badge and said, “Homeland Security, huh?”
“Who’s in charge here?” Nat asked.
“Detective Jones, he’s inside,” the officer answered.
Nat walked in the warehouse and yelled, “Detective Jones!”
Another officer shouted, “He’s in the room in the back.”
Nat nodded and headed to the back room where he found Detective Jones and several other detectives cataloging ecstasy and Viagra.
“Detective Jones?” Nat asked.
“Yeah, that’s me. What can I do for you?” Jones asked.
Nat sized up Jones’ short pudgy frame and flashed his badge. “Agent Nathaniel Brenner, Homeland Security.”
Jones eyed the badge and asked, “What can I do for you?”
Nat looked around and said, “I need you to clear out this room. I need to examine it alone.”
Jones scratched his chin. “Sorry, but I can’t do that.”
Nat’s face turned ice-cold. “Are you familiar with interagency protocols?” Nat asked, referring to the ultra-secret jurisdiction overrides enacted by Congress after 9/11.
Jones sighed, “Yeah, I heard of them.”
Nat pulled an envelope from the inside pocket of his blazer and handed it to Jones, and Jones read it and passed it back.
“How long you need?” Jones asked.
“Half hour tops,” Nat replied.
“Okay,” Jones nodded. “Everybody out!” he yelled to his people.
Nat told Jones, “I don’t want anyone within twenty feet of this building until I come out.”
“I understand,” Jones said as he ushered his people out.
Nat waited until the building was empty and then opened the secret door by turning the lamp and then went into the basement. His hands were steady and his mind was clear as he made his way down the corridor to the cell where Charles lay on the floor whimpering in pain, still in the charred condition Saleena left him.
“What do we have here,” Nat mumbled.
Charles’ eyes widened at the sound of Nat’s voice, and he tried to crawl but barely moved.
“Now who could have done this to you?” Nat asked. “Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about that.” Nat noticed the chains hanging from the wall and rushed over to examine them. “Demon restraints,” he mumbled. “Yes, you have a lot to tell.”
Nat pulled out his mother’s crystal from his pocket and stood over Charles. “Time to go,” he said and held the crystal high above his head. “Pass your being into the light, demon!”
A bright, thick ray of light beamed down at Charles from the crystal. The ground shook and Charles screamed in pain as the beam of light disintegrated his body into tiny particles and sucked the particles into the crystal.
“Got you,” Nat said.
He eyed the crystal in amazement for a moment and then tossed it in his pocket. He couldn’t believe he did it. He had captured his first demon. He took a deep breath to calm his excitement and then walked out the warehouse looking as serious as possible.
Jones approached Nat as soon as he stepped out the warehouse. “Is everything all right,” he asked Nat.
“Just fine,” Nat said firmly. “The place is all yours.”
Jones nodded and waved to his fellow officers. “It’s our show people.”
Nat patted the crystal in his pocket before hopping into his car and pulling off. He gripped the wheel and thought about his mother. It had been fifteen years since she was murdered, but he could see her face in his head as if he had just seen her that morning. Then he thought about Angela and Todd and all they had done for him.
“You took everything I knew and love,” he muttered as he drove away from the waterfront. “But your days are numbered, Simon.”
Angela and Todd had indeed trained him very well, and he sensed a storm was brewing that would put that training to the test. He also sensed two guys tailing him in a cream Lincoln Navigator. The two guys had been discreetly parked up the block from the warehouse, watching and waiting for the police to clear out. They knew something wasn’t right when the police cleared the warehouse for Nat. They also knew that what they sought inside the warehouse was no longer there. They had felt a demon’s presence on Nat as they watched him exit the warehouse and get in his car, so they followed him.
The sun was just rising, and there wasn’t much traffic on the streets of Rochester. Nat decided to try to shake the tail. He eyed the Navigator in his rear view mirror and then floored the gas for a few blocks and made a hard right into a rat-infested alley. Then he hopped out the car and quickly popped his trunk. The Navigator turned into the alley just as Nat pulled a sheathed Samurai-looking sword from the trunk. Nat unsheathed the sword as the guys got out the truck. The driver quickly studied the sword’s unique blade. It was black, but shined like crystal. It appeared to be made from some kind of polished carbon fiber. The guys approached Nat and stopped a few feet away from him. Nat tossed the sword’s sheath back in the trunk and held the sword at his side.
The driver chuckled. “Where’s Saleena, Reaper?”
Nat said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, demon. Now run along before you get hurt.”
The driver looked over at his partner. “You have the wrong weapon,” the driver joked.
Nat smiled. “This is not a fight you want to pick.”
The guys pulled semi-automatic handguns from the back of their waists and aimed them at Nat.
“Have it your way,” the driver said. “Let’s show him what pain feels like.”
The guys opened fire, but within a fraction of a second, Nat braced himself and swung the
handle of the blade upward until the blade was parallel to his body and the point was facing the ground. The sword emitted an invisible force field in front of Nat and one bullet after another hit the force field and fell harmlessly to the ground.
The whites of the driver’s eyes darkened. “I’m going to send you to hell,” he threatened in a demonic sounding voice before throwing his gun at Nat and lunging at him with rage. Nat nonchalantly knocked the gun away with the sword and spun right and down to his right knee while thrusting the sword up behind him. The driver ran his stomach onto the tip of the sword and it came out his back, leaving him bent over yelping in pain. Nat then quickly stood, pulling the sword from the driver’s stomach, and spun left, swinging the sword around and down across the driver’s neck, severing his head clean off.
The other guy stood there frozen as the driver’s body burst into flames and disintegrated.
Nat held the blood-drenched sword in his right hand and tapped the handle with his left hand, causing all the blood to magically slide off the blade.
“It’s your turn,” Nat told the other guy.
The other guy scrambled into the Navigator and sped off.
Nat sheathed the sword and tossed it in the trunk before climbing back in the car and pulling off.
***
Izzy and Saleena slept like new born babies after their first intimate escapade. Izzy woke up a little before noon and lay there enjoying the warmth of Saleena’s body lying on top of him. About a half hour passed before Saleena stirred awake. She sat up and kissed him on the cheek.
“Humans have it so good,” she said, stretching.
“Last night was just the beginning,” Izzy promised.
Saleena rubbed his cheek and said, “Let’s get in the shower.”
She put her hand under the sheet and massaged his thigh. Izzy moaned and hopped out the bed. “What are you waiting for?” he asked, heading into the bathroom.
They got in the shower and it wasn’t long before they were kissing and exploring each other bodies again. When they finally came down from their room, the smell of turkey bacon, egg omelets, and blueberry pancakes filled the house. They walked through the living room, which was lavishly furnished with a sectional sofa and a 50-inch wall- mounted plasma screen TV, and went into the antique furnished dining room, which had a custom made cedar dining table that sat ten. Bowls of oranges, strawberries, cherries, bananas, and apples sat on the center of the table surrounded by the elaborate breakfast.
Tess entered the dining room from the kitchen carrying a serving plate full of turkey links. “You’re finally up, huh?”
Saleena motioned to the table. “What is all this?”
“Food,” Tess answered. “Breakfast,”
“Why?” Izzy asked.
Saleena added, “We don’t need to eat.”
Surprise covered Tess’ face. “You haven’t tried food yet?”
“No,” Izzy answered.
Tess sat the serving plate on the table. “Food is one of the best parts about being here.” She grabbed a strawberry and held it in front of Saleena’s lips. “Here, bite it.”
Saleena reluctantly bit the strawberry and sighed with pleasure. She closed her eyes and savored the taste. “Wow,” she exhaled.
Saleena took the rest of the strawberry from Tess and held it to Izzy’s lips. “Try it,” she told him.
Izzy bit the strawberry and his eyes grew wide. “Umm,” he sighed, licking his lips. “That was...it was...”
“Delicious,” Tess said and waved to the table. “It all is.”
Saleena grabbed a cherry while Izzy grabbed a banana. Izzy attempted to bite the banana without peeling it and Tess stopped him and peeled it for him. He quickly devoured the banana while Saleena moved on to an apple. They spent the next two hours eating everything Tess had placed on the table, of course with Tess’ help.
“That was almost better than sex,” Izzy said as they sat at the table staring at the empty plates and bowls.
Tess nodded. “Close, but not exactly. After sex, the food is what I missed most while I was chained up in that basement. I went food shopping when I woke up this morning. There was no food here, but don’t worry. I got enough to last for weeks.”
Saleena rubbed her stomach. “I feel funny.”
Tess laughed. “You’re stuffed. We don’t gain weight or get sick like humans, but you’re going to have to go to the bathroom after you eat. It makes room for the next time you eat.”
Saleena asked, “When do I go?”
“You’ll know” Tess said.
Izzy bluntly asked, “Why did Simon have you chained up like that. I mean, weren’t you like his mate or something like that?”
Tess inhaled before she answered. “I was one of the original five demons that crossed over with Simon, and you could say I was the closest to him. As you know, demons have always crossed over, but there have always been rules. We can tempt human beings, and any of them foolish enough to fall into our temptation open themselves to our wrath and our whims. But we can’t do harm to those who do not fall to our temptations. Every now and then a rouge demon crosses over and breaks a rule.”
“And what happens?” Saleena asked.
Tess explained, “A human fraction called the Order of Light tracks him down and annihilates him.”
“How?” Izzy questioned.
Tess said, “It’s complicated, but it involves crystals and light.”
Izzy shook his head. “But what does that have to do with why Simon had you chained up?”
“Simon is like his father,” Tess observed. “I mean all of us demons love chaos and mischief, but Simon needs to feel challenged. For two hundred years he’s had his hand in every kind of human corruption, but men made it too easy for us to get everything and anything we wanted from them. Simon needed a challenge, and there was only one challenge left on earth, and that was the Order of Light. First he killed as many of them as he could find, then he captured one of them and made her tell him everything there was to know about them. He told us we had to do something to draw the Order of Light out into the open, and he concocted a plan.”
Saleena raised a brow. “What kind of plan?”
“Release a wave of hate into the world so powerful that it made even the most kind-hearted human fall to our temptation,” she revealed. “Only this time, we wouldn’t just tempt humans to do evil, we would execute the evil act against good humans. We placed one of the original five, Bin Laden, at the head of the operation, and he pulled it off to perfection. We started small and then unleashed one of the worst atrocities in human history.”
Izzy asked, “How did the Order of Light respond?”
“They didn’t,” Tess replied.
“But I thought—” Saleena started.
“Simon had lied to us,” Tess said in frustration. “He had already secretly waged a war against the Order of Light that left them all dead except one. What Simon hadn’t told us was that we weren’t rogue demons. The Order of Light acknowledges that some demons are meant to be here to test the wills of men. However, they also believe in the coming of some kind of human- angel Warrior who would emerge specifically to slay Simon.”
Saleena frowned. “But why would Simon want this warrior to come?”
“Because that is Simon’s destiny. That is why he is here,” Tess stated. “Your brother is here as part of your father’s design. Your father seeks to establish his reign on earth, but he cannot do that until the appearance of the warrior known as the Host.”
Saleena thought for a moment and said, “But that doesn’t explain why you were chained up.”
Tess confessed, “I tried to talk Simon out of summoning the Host because I was afraid of losing the life I built here, but he refused to listen to me, so I seduced some of his demon-lords into helping me overthrow him—and I failed.”
Saleena and Izzy lovingly looked into each
other’s eyes as Saleena replied, “You won’t fail this time.”
“I hope not,” Tess said, eyeing the couple enviously.
***
A barbwire fence prevented any unwanted guests form approaching the six-story office building where Simon lived and based his organization’s headquarters. It was tucked away in a remote location in Upstate New York. Two armed guards stood at a security booth in front of the fence’s electronic gate entrance. The guy Nat had let get away pulled up in the Navigator. His name was Ben, and he and his dead comrade were Simon’s top enforcers. They specialized in exterminating anyone who got on Simon’s bad side, whether it was demon or human. Ben had also played a major role in executing Simon’s assault on the Order of Light.
“Good afternoon Ben,” one of the guards greeted Ben when he stopped in front of the gate.
“Just open the gate,” Ben snapped.
The guard quickly hit a switch and the gate opened. Ben drove through the gate and parked in an underground garage. He was overwhelmed with shame as he entered the building’s lobby. He had helplessly stood by as his partner was slain, and now he had to face Simon. He started pass the reception desk, where a woman sat, and headed for the elevators.
“He’s waiting for you in the training room,” the woman told him.
Ben didn’t reply. He took the elevator to the fourth floor and then made his way through a maze of corridors before walking into a large room with high ceilings. They called it the training room. It was about the size of a professional basketball court, and was mostly open space. A weapons rack filled with swords, sticks, and spears of all sorts sat along the wall to the left of the entrance. A balcony was built into the wall directly across from the entrance, overlooking the room from about ten-feet above. Ben walked into the center of the room and stood with his head lowered in respect and humility. Simon appeared in the balcony flanked by Stacy and Tracy.
“What happened?” Simon asked Ben.
Ben humbly narrated the morning’s events, providing special details of his encounter with Nat.
Simon then asked, “And you did nothing?”
Ben kept his eyes glued to the floor. “I couldn’t. It was like I couldn’t pick up any of his intentions. I couldn’t anticipate any of his moves, and neither could Jim. He wiped Jim out like it was nothing.”