Civil War 2 Chapter 14: "Loitering"

By the time Law Enforcement arrived at the scene to question those in the area about the strange noises back in late November any signs of damage had been repaired. The gate had been repaired, the strange black goo-like blood had been cleaned, and the body of Maya Kennedy?

It was simply gone.

It was as if it had never happened. The property’s new owner, complete with forged paperwork, a well-dressed man with short blonde hair and two snakebite lip piercings had explained that he had just taken possession of this estate and that he had heard the strange commotion as well off toward the center of town. They found no signs of a struggle or gunfire so….they left.

And just like that, the investigation died down.

There were no answers to the reported gunfire or the convoy of vehicles that had been reported streaking through the quiet night streets. The only evidence was that a sports car which had blown up near the outskirts of town but even that appeared to be a dead-end as within an hour of it happening the car had been reported stolen by a woman out of Chicago.

It became nothing more than a distant memory, a mystery, as time progressed and the town returned to normal.

However, life had not returned to normal inside the home that had once been the home of the familial group known as The Collective. Huge strange hounds covered in oozing sores patrolled the grounds. Residents that saw them of course called the local police to do an animal welfare check….but whenever animal control arrived on the scene there were never any dogs found….only for them to walk out of the treeline at the rear of the property nearly the instant they left.

Inside the massive complex known as “The Castle” life had become one long nightmare. The only one who seemed to sleep was the cousin of Morgan Payne, Jessie. The others seemed to be awake, aware of everything happening inside the building.

Everywhere Jessie went, she was always watched. Whether by the ever-watchful gaze of the quiet, beautiful Asian woman with the sword on her hip and her mute companion, the unamused chilly gaze of the blonde hair man they all referred to as “Lord Lucifer” or worse yet the lustful gaze of the mammoth mountain of a woman known as Josie Bridal.

Lord Lucifer kept Bridal’s impulses in check, but a shiver would run down Jessie’s spine whenever she and Josie locked eyes. Josie made no effort to hide her intentions for Jessie. What she wanted to do to her was clear in the huge woman’s eyes every time they made eye contact…and it terrified Jessie.

She was allowed to continue her life, however. Visit friends, complete. But the Children and the strange black-eyed demons were never far from her. No one ever saw them of course but every time Jessie even thought about telling anyone the truth of her imprisonment or making a run for it….she would see a set of black eyes in the crowd to remind her.

They owned her now.

On that particular day, Jessie began her day like she did all the others. She woke up with one of the strange women with black eyes standing on each side of the door. They said nothing, but they never did.

She checked social media on her phone and treated herself to a shower in the personal bathroom that was attached to her room. The same room she had always slept in when this place had been her cousin’s. She spent some time in it, enjoying the privacy and solitude, truth be told it was the only place she had any in this place. Everywhere else she went….they were watching.

After the shower, Jessie picked out her outfit and got dressed. Complete with her breast forms in a silk style shirt and black leather jacket and pair of form-fitting black shorts with her hair up in a ponytail. Once she was sure of her look she picked up her glasses from the table and put them on but as her gaze lifted to the mirror to look at herself she froze and her blood ran cold in her veins.

In the reflection of the mirror, she saw a figure seated on the edge of her bed. Brown hair and soft Latin features. Their lips were full and their faces rounded to be full without being chubby. They were admiring Jessie with a predatory leer pulling at the edges of their eyes and the corner of their mouth.

Josie Bridal.

“H..Hi….” Jessie whimpered out.

“Hello, pretty gurl.” Josie purred. “Come here.”

“Come. Here.” Josie repeated, this time with a firm snap to her voice. A tone that sent a shiver down Jessie’s spine. It whispered promises of violence if not obeyed.

Jessie crossed the distance between them and slowly eased herself down on the bed next to Josie. She swallowed hard and looked up into the larger woman’s face. Josie was looking down at the smaller girl like she was a steak.

She didn’t see Jessie as a person.

To Josie, Jessie was prey.

Josie slowly reached out and placed her palm down on the fishnet stockings covering Jessie’s thigh.

“So.” Bridal purred flexing her fingers to drag her nails up the fishnet. “You have been going out a lot lately. Lord Lucifer asked me to make sure that you understand the rules.”

“I…I…” Jessie’s heart began to pound in her chest. Not in excitement or desire, but blind panic and fear. “Lucifer told me….I know the rules, Josie….I promise I won’t say anything or do anything…”

“Good gurl.” Josie purred and glanced back at the two women standing impassively on each side of the door. Neither of them seemed to even register that she was here. Their job wasn’t to police the Angels…

A sudden smile spread across Josie’s features as she returned her attention to Jessie.

“Now.” The hulking woman purred. “I think that it has long passed since you and I had a discussion beautiful.”

“..A…about what?” Jessie asked trying to lean away from the intense stare of the huge woman sitting next to her.

Once again the fingernails tightened on the fishnets and blind heart gripping terror appeared on Jessie’s face. But before she could get a word out a third voice broke the silence, cracking like a whip.

Standing in the now-opened doorway with one hand resting on the katana sheathed on her hip was the enforcer of Lucifer’s forces. The beautiful Asian woman is known simply as Sariel.

Josie looked back as if she were bored and withdrew her hand from Jessie’s thigh. When she saw Sariel, Bridal smiled a warm, welcoming smile.

“Sister.” She purred.

“Lucifer made his command crystal clear,” Sariel warned. “Jessie isn’t yours to toy with.”

Josie uncrossed her legs and rose to her full towering height. While she towered over Sariel the smaller Asian woman didn’t seem the tiniest bit intimidated. She simply looked up into the face of the Latina with a challenge in her eyes. Josie however just smiled.

“Yet.” Josie purred.

Sariel stared at her for a moment and then turned her gaze to Jessie.

“Go, child.” She commanded. “Your friends await you.”

Jessie slowly pushed herself up off the bed and eased around Josie, daring a glance at Sariel and whispering.

Once Jessie was gone Josie sighed. Her hunt had been interrupted yet again. She moved to go around Sariel but the robed arm came up to lay her palm on the doorframe blocking her path. Josie looked down with a lifted mocking brow.

Sariel looked up into her face in silence for just a moment and then said softly.

Sariel’s eyes seemed to harden and she asked.

“There was,” Josie answered looking down at Sara. “In the beginning. But do you know what I remember most, Sister?”

Sariel looked up without speaking a word, simply locked eyes with Josie, and waited. Josie leaned down placing her face next to Sariel’s own and whispered.

“The Axe.” She hissed. “I remember that all of the things you just mentioned led straight to the Axe. And mark my words. This time? I will not settle for less than I deserve.”

Josie threw her arm into Sariel's, forcing her arm off the door frame, and stormed through it.

“I’m going to go and find some entertainment,” Josie told the Demons. “I’ll be back late.”

Sariel crossed the room to the window overlooking the driveway and watched in silence as Josie appeared and climbed into a vehicle before leaving the compound. Her hand disappeared into her kimono. She withdrew a phone and popped it open with her thumb. She hit a button and then raised the phone to her ear.

It rang a few times before being answered with just silence. The person on the other end couldn’t speak after all.

“Sasha….” Sariel said softly. “Send a watcher out with Mrs. Robinson. Abaddon is feeling… peckish again.”

When the line was disconnected Sara eased the phone closed and slowly pushed it back into her pocket. This isn’t who they were meant to be and she knew it. She wasn’t going to argue with her God and his course of action, but she had concerns.

Sara turned and left the room. Taking a left she moved around the main ground level of the house until she came to a wall just opposite the kitchen. The instant she stepped up to the wall without even touching anything the wall slid back slowly to reveal an elevator.

Stepping inside the door slid closed again resealing off the wall. She stood in silence with her head down for a few moments as the machine hummed before opening again to reveal a concrete tunnel far underground.

Making her way through the tunnel she walked passed closed doors until she came to a section where the tunnel opened up into a large circular structure. The large stone sarcophagus seat in the center of the room surrounded by a dozen mange-covered dogs the size of small cows.

When she approached, the hounds all broke into a collective snarl of warning. Sara didn’t even break stride, however. She moved around the group and through one of the doors on the right side of the group. Inside the room, the blonde man himself stood with his arms folded over his chest and looking at a wall filled with large monitors.

“I really should thank her for this.” Lucifer mused.

“Sire?” Sara asked.

Lucifer opened a hand to the wall of monitors.

“There isn’t a square inch of this place that isn’t monitored.” Lucifer marveled. “This place is a wonder of engineering.”

Sariel raised a brow but said nothing. She wasn’t here for this.

“Josie is becoming a problem again.” She told him.

Lucifer looked slightly to the side, not turning completely but enough to show he was listening.

Lucifer returned his attention to the monitors and waved his hand dismissively.

“She knows better than to overstep,” Lucifer answered in that emotionless tone. “How close she tiptoes to that line is irrelevant. Not crossing it is all that matters.”

The fact that Josie seemed to be tormenting the poor girl didn’t bother Lucifer in the slightest.

“I have ruled on that,” Lucifer growled. “Now, do I need to ask you a second time?”

Sariel slowly lowered her head in submission.

“No, sire,” she answered. “They are appearing out in the open on the televised shows but other than that? It seems to be quiet.”

“All of this….” Lucifer whispered still with his back turned. “For Danika. Why?”

“Because it’s what they want,” Lucifer answered. “Sooner or later they will make a move for Jessie and when they do?”

Slowly Lucifer’s hand closed into a fist, the flesh squeaking from the force.

Sariel stood in silence for a moment, considering her words carefully.

“Then…” She finally said. “Shouldn’t we be putting a higher priority on Jessie’s safety? What good is bait if it’s been destroyed?”

Lucifer considered this for a time in silence, his eyes scanning the screens. The clenched hand slowly opened and his index finger began to tap on his opposite forearm.

“I see your point.” He said. “Send Abaddon to me and we will have another discussion.”

Lucifer finally spun around and locked eyes with Sariel at this.

“Impudent child,” Lucifer growled. “See to it she comes to see me the second she comes back.”

“She won’t be alone, Sire,” Sariel told him but the look in those emotionless cold eyes told her that Lucifer didn’t care. Sara inclined her head in submission once again and whispered. “I will tell her Sire.”

Lucifer looked over her shoulder to the opened door and she bowed before backing out the door and closing it behind her. Lucifer turned back to the monitors. One of the cameras, in the bedroom where Jessie slept caught his attention.

“Maybe she can be of use.” Lucifer mused.

He wouldn’t send his forces after them. They would be expecting that. But with enough prodding and pressure, he might be able to encourage them into making an untimely move of their own.

And Jessie was the key.