Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (12 page)

“Why?” I said. “What the hell does Norah Delaney want with me?”

He shrugged. “No idea. Ron thinks she’s scared shitless. All these political types turning up dead. The way Delaney sees it, you’re her best chance to prevent her from being the next victim. She was one of the star witnesses to testify against your dad.”

“Let me get this straight,” I said. “A few days ago I was an inch from getting evicted, having Sofi sent home from the hospital, getting the power turned off in the middle of the winter, and the Department was looking for a way to toss me into a cell and throw away the key. Now they’re all begging me to help them. The mayor is writing a blank check? What the hell is really going on here, Eli?”

“Dunno,” he said, smiling. “Want to help me find out?”

“Why do I feel like I’m being manipulated?”

“Because you probably are,” said Eli. “But you know you want to find out why.”

“Bastard,” I said. “Fine. But I have to go see Sam first.”

“The guy that hired you?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’m supposed to check in after the job’s done. I have to go to a bar called the Deep Blue Sea. You know it?”

“No, but I’ll drive if you tell me where to go,” said Eli.

“Peachy.”

It took us a while to find the Deep Blue Sea. The last time I’d been wandering around on foot in the dark, not paying attention to where I was going. I knew the general area because I’d been there before with Sasha. But we only found it because we spotted Gage’s beat-up New Yorker parked right out front.

“Should I wait here?” said Eli.

“Shouldn’t take long,” I said. “Come in and have a drink while you wait.”

Gage was sitting at the bar with a beer in front of him. I sat down next to him.

“Don’t get comfy, sister,” he said. “Sam’s waiting for you.” He nodded to a booth in the far corner of the bar. Sam raised a glass to me.

“Oh, good. Private meeting with Sam. Sounds fun.”

Gage shrugged. “Glad you’re okay, Niki,” he said in a low voice, as if embarrassed.

“Thanks, Bobby,” I said.

“Eli,” said Gage. “Grab a stool, I’ll buy you a beer.”

I walked toward the booth to the sound of Janis coughing out a “Hello, handsome.” I slid in across from Sam. I liked the guy, but he made me uneasy, and I was feeling pretty nervous for no apparent reason. I fidgeted with a cardboard coaster on the table.

“It’s perfectly normal, you know,” said Sam.

“What is?” I said, looking up at him.

“To feel uncomfortable around me. It’s human nature. It doesn’t offend me.”

“I don’t feel uncomfortable around you,” I said.

“It’s very kind of you to lie,” he said. “But it’s really not necessary. I have had a great amount of time to accept my role.”

“What role is that?”

“You’re the detective, Miss Slobodian,” Sam said. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually. Now, about your job.” He took a sip of his drink, something amber-colored with a few ice cubes floating in it. “You’ve had a rough couple of days,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” I said.

“That’s what you tell them.” he said, motioning with his thumb towards the bar, “but you’re not really fine. No one would be fine after having a Dark inside of them. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

I shrugged. “I can handle it,” I said.

Sam gave a dry chuckle. He loosened his tie and sat back in his seat. “You may be able to pull that line on Eli Cooper or Robert Gage, but not on me. It’s obvious that you’re in a great amount of discomfort.”

“You know Eli?” I said.

“I know everyone,” said Sam. “But only a rare few know me.”

“I’m fine,” I insisted. “We finished the job. Just came here to tell you that.”

Sam leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Let me help you, Niki. I can take the itch away. I wouldn’t want you to claw out those pretty eyes of yours.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What are you suggesting?” I said. “Are you hitting on me?”

“Of course not,” he said. “Not that you’re not an attractive woman, you see. But we have a professional relationship.”

“What are you going to do?” I said.

“Just a touch,” he said. I noticed he wasn’t as impeccably groomed as he was before. His hair was disheveled and his face looked drawn, like he’d been up for days. He put his hand over mine and squeezed ever so lightly. “Close your eyes,” he said. I did.

It was the oddest sensation. My whole body shuddered as the scraping, itching sensation deep in my guts balled up into my chest. I gagged at the feeling, but just as it concentrated in one place, it scattered, gathering again at the spots where Sam’s hands rested. I felt like I wanted to tear my flesh open to the bones, the itch was so strong, but just as quickly as I felt it, I felt it dissipating, being sucked right out of my body through Sam’s fingers. And finally, after a long moment of realization, I breathed. The taste had left my mouth, the pain and itch had gone. I opened my eyes to see Sam closing his. I wondered if he would be sick because he seemed to blanch for a second. But then he turned his head away and exhaled, a dark cloud dissipating into the air along with his breath. He smiled at me.

“You could see it, couldn’t you?” he said.

“What was it?”

“Just a sort of residue left by the thing that was in you,” he said.

“Does everyone feel that way after it’s out?”

“The ones that survive,” he said. “It goes away with time. Not pleasant, though.”

“I killed an innocent man,” I said. “When the Dark had me.” I frowned. “I’m actually not sure it was the Dark, though. I may have pulled the trigger by accident.” I shook my head. “I just don’t know.”

“Not you, Niki,” he said, his voice gentle. “It wasn’t your fault. That creature should never have been out of its pit. Besides, there are other things to worry about right now. You can mourn later.”

“What other things?” I said. “The job is over. We took care of the Dark.”

“Indeed. Quite efficiently, too. However, the Dark may have been released as a distraction. So you wouldn’t notice what was really walking around in the city. That is why I need you to settle another matter for me.”

“Anything to do with Hugh Perry getting his heart ripped out?” I said.

“Perhaps,” he said. He leaned back, looking at me. “What do you know?”

“I know that the prosecutor and the police commissioner were both killed the same way,” I said. “And I know everyone thinks it reeks of Sasha.”

“Oh,” said Sam, “there is no doubt that Alexei Slobodian is involved.”

“He’s in prison, Sam,” I said. “How could he possibly be involved?” But even as I said it, I felt doubtful.

“Can you think of a way he could
not
be involved?” said Sam.

“No,” I said. “Something weird is going on in that prison. Something to do with the warden. And he’s got this freaky guard. I don’t know what he is, but I got the strangest feeling from him.”

“Niki,” said Sam, “do you remember when we met, and I told you about the Dark getting out?”

“Frankly,” I said, “the whole meeting’s a little fuzzy.” I looked away, embarrassed.

“Right,” he said. “I overdid it on the booze again, yes? I always forget. Let me remind you. When someone broke the seal and opened the gate, they let the Dark out, and something else, too. The problem was that they had cloaked themselves so expertly that even I couldn’t tell who it was or what they let out.”

“Cloaked?” I said. “Like with magic?”

“Exactly,” he said. “But it wasn’t the sloppy magic that humans usually conjure. It was precise, effective. A finely-honed skill of someone that had mastered the art. To be able to hide something from me is quite a feat.”

“Obviously you are incredibly impressive,” I said.

“Your sarcasm does not escape me,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I have looked into the matter. And what I found was quite disturbing.”

I sighed. “I’m not going to like this, am I?” I said.

“I think you will find it to be quite, what is your word? Peachy, ” Sam smiled grimly. “The missing entity is Abaddon. He is an extremely powerful demon in charge of the pits.”

“Abaddon. The Dark talked about him. He said he wouldn’t be in the pit anymore,” I said. “But Gage said that you’ve brought demons back before.”

“Yes, but not like this,” said Sam. “Even I avoid Abaddon. He is unpredictable. And he has, over the millenia, acquired a great amount of power and skill in his abilities. Including some enviable cloaking spells.”

“So the Dark was from the pits,” I said, “and this Abaddon, he was in charge of them?”

“Yes.”

“So the Dark, it was what? A decoy?”

“I believe that is correct,” said Sam. He ran a hand over his face. “This is so very, very bad, Niki. You have no idea the destruction this could cause.”

“Why do you think Sasha’s involved?” I said. “Why not some other summoner?”

“Because Abaddon is the demon your father was trying to summon when he was put away.” Sam shook his head. “I should have taken care of the matter then, but I chose to let the human authorities handle it. I thought it would be enough. I believe that Alexei established a connection to Abaddon, before he was caught, but didn’t manage to get the demon out of Hell.”

“So they’ve been, what? Talking to each other all these years?”

“Not exactly talking,” said Sam. “But they would be able to feel each other. Feel what the other is feeling, know what the other knows. I know it sounds quite unbelievable, but your father didn’t actually fail when he was arrested. He was just delayed.”

“The worst mistake people make about Sasha,” I said, “is underestimating him. So you want to hire me again?”

“It won’t be easy,” said Sam. “Abaddon is extremely powerful. I think he must have found a way to transmit his power to your father to pull him into your world. Alexei may believe that he is in control, but I don’t think anyone can control Abaddon. Not for long anyway.”

I nodded. “What about payment?”

“I will pay you twice what I paid you before.”

“You’ll pay me triple,” I said. “And my name will never be put on the Registry again.”

He smiled. “I agree to your terms,” he said.

“Peachy,” I said. I rose to leave.

“Wasn’t there something else you wanted to ask me about?” said Sam.

“What do you mean?”

“About your boyfriend. Mr. Cooper.”

“Eli is not my boyfriend,” I said.

He folded his hands and tried to hide a small smile. “He’s going to need you more now than he ever has.”

“He says his father was a demon. Is that even possible?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised,” said Sam. “They are a very passionate race.”

“What’s going to happen to him?” I said.

“He will go through some minor changes, just like the rest of you.”

“Like what?”

“Hard to say,” said Sam. “It’s different for every demon, just as it is for humans. As I recall, his father had a penchant for fire, but that doesn’t mean anything. Your father is a Summoner, but that doesn’t mean you are.”

“Gage used the word ‘Halfer’.”

“That is a term I’ve heard before. But you do have to consider the source.”

I smiled. “So wouldn’t he find out about this when he was younger? All the Abnormals I’ve ever met found out when they were kids.”

“Mr. Cooper is only half demon,” he said. “It takes a bit longer. But they can be every bit as powerful as someone such as yourself.”

“This is all pretty new for him,” I said.

“You will be very supportive, I’m sure of it.”

“Can they hide it—do you think he’ll be able to hide it from the Department?” I said.

“Those horns are going to keep getting bigger,” said Sam. “It’s going to become more and more difficult to hide, I’d wager. “

I nodded. “Thanks, Sam. Can I ask you one more question?”

“Would it stop you if I said no?”

“Probably not. Why don’t you go out and get Abaddon? Why employ us?”

“I have my reasons,” said Sam. “It is hard for me to hide in your world, for one. I would have a very different face in the world. I prefer to stay here in my little bar. Also, my work keeps me very busy.”

“Work?” I said. “What work is that?”

“You have a demon to catch,” he said. “I suggest you start at the penitentiary.”

“All straightened out?” said Gage, as I returned to the bar.

“Much better, thanks,” I said. “You in on this Abaddon thing?”

“You bet,” said Gage. “Anything for Sam.”

“I have to go,” said Eli. “Gotta go check in with Shipp. I kind of left him hanging with a whole lot of paperwork over the highway killings. He’s probably pretty mad at me right about now.”