Reign of Evil

CHAPTER 31

Holmes was the first to the man. He reached over the pew and checked for a pulse. Nothing. He shoved the pews apart and laid the man gently on the floor. He made sure the man’s clothing was loose, then began to give him CPR.

Walker and Laws came over to assist, moving the pews farther apart. Laws loosened Van Dyke’s belt and removed his shoes. Walker took over compressing the man’s chest while Holmes supplied air.

Everyone was silent as the three men tried to save the life. After thirty seconds, Holmes checked for a pulse. He found one. As thready and weak as it was, it was at least there.

“I don’t know how much longer he’ll last.” Holmes glanced at Sassy Moore. He didn’t want that thing in her. He didn’t know what it would do to her and, frankly, he was still concerned about her loyalties.

“You have to let me do it,” she said matter-of-factly.

He wanted to weigh his options, he wanted to build a virtual decision matrix, but he just didn’t have enough data. “Fine. But if you turn into a raving monster I’m going to put you down.”

She grinned savagely. “Sounds harsh.”

“This is a harsh world. Do you understand?”

“Sure. I’d rather you do that anyway. No way will a raving monster be able to work these pumps like I can.” She raised her left foot to show off a red three-inch-heeled shoe.

Holmes stood. “How do we do it?”

“It’s not ‘we,’ big man. It’s just old Sassy.” She waved her hands at the three men. “Step away, now. Let Sassy get at it.”

Walker and Laws gave Holmes a look. He nodded to them and they stood and backed away.

Sassy immediately went into action. She stripped off her blouse, revealing a white bra. Her back was covered with some tattooed symbology Holmes didn’t recognize. Inverted stars, circles with lines, runes, and all sort of patterns created an almost dizzying array of the arcane. A fresh tattoo had been inked just above her navel. It was so new that the flesh was still raised and puckered. Seeing everyone’s eyes on it, she said, “I thought I might need it.”

She straddled the body and let her head hang back, her arms dangling beside her. Her pupils rolled so only the whites could be seen. She began to hum, the sound coming from somewhere miles deep within her. After a few moments, Van Dyke’s body began to jerk beneath her. Her knees tightened so she wouldn’t lose her balance. She rode him for a few moments, then snapped forward until her face hovered over Van Dyke’s. She spoke too fast to discern, the words falling over each other one after the other. Van Dyke’s eyes snapped open. She placed her mouth above his, her hum once again returning. They stayed in this embrace for a full moment, until Sassy raised her torso up and inhaled greatly. A look of joy suffused her face. Beneath her Van Dyke lay, eyes open, pallor gray, not breathing.

She stared at the ceiling a moment as she gathered herself; then she carefully stood, as if she weren’t used to the motion. She wobbled slightly, reaching out. Holmes ran to her and took her hand, feeling the coldness radiating from it.

“You okay?” He stared into her face and searched her eyes. “Did it work?”

Her hand became warm, then hot, so hot he had to let go. She began to shake. Smoke came from her skin. Her face turned bright red. Power shone from her eyes. Then came the sound of something cracking.

Everyone looked around, but the sound had come from Sassy.

She slowly returned to normal, finally wiping sweat from her face with the fabric of the blouse covering her left arm.

“That should do it.” She shook her head and closed her eyes as if to dislodge a headache. “Dyfed is amazingly powerful. I could barely subdue it.” She laughed a little crazily. “Almost had me.”

“What’d you do with it?” Walker asked.

“Stuffed it in a corner and made it stay.”

Laws’s brows came together. “Can it see and hear us?”

“I get that impression.”

“How are we going to be able to talk to it?” Laws gave Holmes a look. “We were doing just fine until Van Dyke suddenly kicked it.”

“Coincidence, I’m sure,” Sassy said.

Holmes didn’t like it. They had a mantra—one man’s coincidence is a Triple Six mission. “Can we speak to Dyfed?”

“You can speak through me. Now give me a second. I need something to drink and to catch my breath.”

She walked over to the table and grabbed a bottle of water, then went over to the pew that had become her private area. She sat heavily and stared at the floor.

Holmes glanced at his men, who all seemed to be expecting answers from him. He definitely didn’t like the situation now. How was he to know if Sassy was telling him exactly what the Tuatha said? She was a filter and the only one able to speak directly to the creature. He couldn’t help but sigh heavily.

“Laws, where are we with mission planning?”

Holmes’s tall second in command sighed as well. Laws understood. Like the rest, he didn’t like it, but he understood. They’d deal with Sassy when they could. Until then, they had a rendezvous with the woman in white.