Episode 10: Hexed of Kin

“You wanted to see me, Captain Americ?”

“Choi! Come on in and shut the door.” Police Captain Stephen Americ ... don’t you dare call him Captain America; he simply wore the shield. An older silver haired veteran of 30 years he was a straight shooter in every way. Intimidating to the rookies, that was a certainty. “Take a seat. Fill me in on your report here over the bus attack. It looks a little thin in my opinion. Same for the Crowley Manson victims. Even the Coroner reports have natural causes listed. Since when does a guy blow his penis up no matter how hard he gets? Same for the Drewbeck woman, that much blood loss can’t be natural.”

“Well, Cap, I can’t speak for Russ and Keith’s findings on the Girls Home Administrators. Two in 24 hours is kind of creepy, I’ll give it that, but I’m not picking up foul play.”

“You’ve always had good instincts Heather I’ll take your word on anything you write. I’d just like to hear your side of what went on out there.”

Sighing she knew that no matter what she said an innocent Bus Driver was going to prison for life. It was not his fault in what Argus, aka, SUGAR did while being possessed and under his influence. While it appeared the Boston P.D. themselves, who were similarly inflicted by the Incubus and having been forced to rape the poor girls on the bus were subject to some kind of mind wipe by the redheaded woman who came to their rescue. Some too young to even understand sex the girls too were mind wiped to simply think they were hostages. Losing virginities galore did not get questioned, simply emotional trauma removed as if it never occurred. Not even Heather Choi understood it all, but she was in a sense grateful that the kids were spared the agony of mental torture in their future. So far at least.

“Statements from the girls on the bus said they were too terrified to run while the Driver was off the bus. Mainly because of that Pemberton fellow whose body was on the ground dead. What I’m not getting is how did our guys not fire on the Driver? They had ample opportunity to bring him down. So did you I believe.”

“It was chaos Cap. Too many innocent neighbors and kids to start shooting heavily, more might have been hurt. Not only that but bloodshed on our part would have only scarred those children for life.”

“Now that you mention it, how did the kids not see Officers Eaton, Maller, and Prather? They looked as if they were ripped apart by some big cat, yet there are no paw prints on site. How is that explained?”

“Honestly Chief it’s all a blur. You know if I had witnessed any large...” She suddenly thought of the black cat that kept following her and got a chill, rubbing her forearms.

“Unlike you to show fear Choi. You, okay? Looking pale there.”

“Are you superstitious Cap?”

“Walked around a ladder just yesterday. Why?”

“Well, when I was running through yards there was a black cat that kept following me. Not a big cat but it just wouldn’t go away. When guns started going off it did disappear though. I know it’s a stretch but it’s irony I guess.” She didn’t tell him about her clawed tire on her car having changed it out before heading back to the Precinct. Hiding evidence was not smart but she managed to swap it out without questions. “Yeah, I don’t get how the kids missed that either. Not with paramedics everywhere.”

“How do we account for our ladies in blue? They can’t seem to recall who wounded them. We both know there’s more to this than a simple hijacking by a whacko Bus Driver. What about that Media chopper dropping a camera on the Alonzo yard? Why in fact was the Driver using the home of a deceased Administrator as a final destination?”

“Well, the girls are from the group home he presided over. Maybe there was a connection between the Driver and Alonzo. We haven’t gotten that deep into the case yet. The Driver is catatonic right now so it’s difficult to get answers.”

“Right! Awful convenient the guy going into a coma.”

“I know!” She admitted that once the Driver was arrested, he was distraught and bewildered, on the way into custody the man simply passed out and could not be woken up. That was good for Raven Moore ... Mourn, as Heather recalled the orphan’s change in name, if not legalized. “All I know is I won’t be sleeping much. Hearing all those young girls screaming, it was horrible.”

“Why were the kids not removed to safety?”

“Turmoil! Gunfire? Safer on the bus? Look Cap we might not have had our best day ever, but the kids are safe and in hiding at a new safehouse. Let’s just hope nothing further puts them in danger. Before you ask why I say that let’s look at the facts here. Two Admin’s in 24 hours dying under odd circumstances, a bus load of students from the same home was abducted by a Driver who we know very little about other than pristine qualifications and no criminal record. It’s beyond me at this point why he acted like he did.” Technically that was true. How would she ever understand demonic possession let alone prove it? While the mystery woman in the red Jaguar did seem to take care of things to prevent too many questions and mental breakdowns, she was still out there. Not only that, but Heather by all reasoning should be bringing in Raven Mourn but her intuition said that would only make matters worse.

“So, our crime scene was a bloodbath at our own people’s hands.”

“I wish I had more...” Moore even! Why did she just picture kissing the girl. Shaking it off she finished with, “ ... to offer Cap.”

“You look pretty jittery. Take the rest of the day off.”

“Shift was over long-ago Cap.”

“Damn! Time went by quick today. Take tomorrow off then. Until we get that Driver to wake up, all we have is questioning our own people. Bullets from our own guns, shooting our own people is just bad press. Even neighbors who we questioned were at a loss of how to explain things. No help there!”

“Eerie!” She had that right!

“Too eerie! Go on Choi. Take some Z-Quil or something and sleep off tomorrow. Come back with fresh eyes.” Hearing Captain Americ say eyes made Heather take a closer look at his. He noting her behavior winced, “What are you looking at?”

“Nothing!” His eyes were normal, so she let it go. But the fear that this Argus/Sugar demon taking over the captain made her worry further. Standing up she stepped to the door and paused in turning the knob. “We will get to the bottom of this Cap.”

“That or the bottom of a bottle.”

“Stiff one does sound good right now.” Leaving with that she hadn’t noticed her leader drop his eyes to check out her ass. Stiff one indeed! Stephan had always enjoyed stealing glimpses at her perfect little ass. Married or not, Americ had a roving eye. Back to business at hand, not the under the desk kind either.

Many miles from Boston in the thicket of Ebontide Woods which was not far from the reputable town of Salem, rather secluded. Spell casting kept it that way.

“Look at that bloody windmill. What ever happened to the old days when things weren’t so ... eye sore?” The old woman in her 70’s teetered in her wooden rocking chair. In saying Look sounded silly considering she was blind.

“We did good Granny.” The tall redhead in leather that appeared to be the mother of Raven Mourn stood on the front porch of a grand old Victorian style three story home with a view that was simply breathtaking. Except for that damned white fiberglass windmill over the treetops. “At least our best considering.”

“Did we Jezzie? Did we really? Interfering in Raven’s future is going to get us into trouble. The Coven will demand answers.”

“One thing at a time. She’s different than we were at her age. I don’t know what to make of it.”

“Old sayin’, the times they are a changin’.”

“I feel strange now that my mark has transferred to Raven.”

“Had to happen Jezzabel. How do you think I felt when I was relieved of it when your Grandmother Arcadia turned 18, then your mother when she reached that age?”

“Yes, but it was darkness Granny. Now, I can feel a light emanating from my daughter. The mark has evolved?”

“Until we learn more, we keep an eye on Raven. Intervening like we did today is going to cost us.”

“I’m prepared! Whatever the Coven decides I’ll abide by it.”

“Conjuring a large-scale mind wipe will be noticed.”

“There would have been too much damage to our livelihood if we had let Sugar destroy so many innocent lives.”

“You know that pecker head isn’t done. We can’t kill him ... he...”

“Sired us ... yes I know! I am not calling him Daddy.”

“Not your Daddy and you know it, just a seed in a plot of soil Jezzie.”

“Vessel for the Dark One!”

“One beast at a time Baby.”

“Do you think Raven being different will alter the future?”

“Already has! Tall, Dark, and Horny will demand Sugar keep tryin’ until he impregnates Raven.”

“Why did it not take when Sugar raped her the first time?”

“Like you said, the mark has evolved. It must be rejecting his attempt.”

“What does that mean?”

“Askin’ the wrong crow Baby girl. I’m old school and you know it. Just like that fuckin’ windmill out there. Progress is ugly!” She waves her hand in a circular motion toward the distant windmill and a blade falls off forcing it to shut down. “One wing clipped. Two more to go.”

“You would think after the last time you did that; they would get the hint.” Jezzabel smirked, “Nice one! We should go hunting for quail it’s been ages.”

“Grab your gun and get out of those silly leather pants. Waders youngun!”

“No time today. I have things to brew.”

“Witchy talk!”

“Something like that.” Jezzie leaned down and kissed her grandmother’s cheek.

“Cupid move?”

“It’s nice to bring others together, after years of taking them apart.”

“Speakin’ of, that gal I picked up on the backroads?”

“The woman that Raven hugged at her home?”

“One and the shame. She’s got angelic markings on her.”

“Wonderful! How did I miss that?”

“You been dealin’ brain drains tryin’ to keep our secrets safe. I think Raven is minglin’ with the light and the wrong. She’s toyin’ with her powers and doesn’t realize the trouble she’s makin’. There were three souls inside that hitchhiker. She’s not a Succubus like we are Jezzie. How do we explain her housing all that energy when it should be in Raven until used up?”

“That’s incredible!”

“Gets worse...” Granny grits her false teeth.

“Meaning what?”

“Bitch is knocked up.”

“WHAT?” Jezzie flared her sparkling eyes.

“Angel in her is not going to be happy poppin’ babies. That hasn’t happened in ... has it ever happened?”

“I knew I sensed Angelus around, but I was too busy to study it. The woman in the morgue had a halo around one eye, our former mark around the other.”

“Best of both worlds ... the dead gal in purgatory?”

“No! I released her soul from Raven’s curse.”

“How did that feel? A first?”

“Of course! When was the last time we let one get away?”

“You’re gettin’ soft Jezzie!”

“So are you Old Crow!”

“QUAIL!” Granny raised her voice pointing out at the windmill. A second propeller blade fell from its housing as she acted as if holding a shotgun shooting at it.

“One more and that windmill is going to be a giant wand.”

“Now that’s an intriguing image.”

“Gotta go! Love you Granny.”

“Sure, you do.”

“Figure of speech.”

“Soft I say.”

In the blink of an eye Jezzabel was in her Jaguar and tossing dirt beneath spinning tires. New tires at that! Firestone!

“Don’t you ever lock me away again.” Jody Alonzo was pissed off. For the last three hours she had isolated herself away from Raven Mourn just to show her how angry she was. Now that she had powers of some kind that appeared to make her invincible her attitude was becoming equally as tough. Her loyalty and heart were with this insanely hot redhead and being away from her for even an instant wounded her soul. Maybe it was because Raven was an alluring Succubus and feeding on her emotions. She didn’t care, Jody wanted to protect her at all costs.

“You would have tried to stop me, Jody. I did what I had to do to save my friends.”

“Did it help? They still got molested by the cops.”

“Only because Noigel ... I mean Argus was controlling all the male officers. It was going to be a slaughter if I hadn’t given in to him.”

“You had three cops on you at once. How was your first DP?” She rolled her eyes acting smart in her expression.

“Oh, I want more of that.” Raven flared her eyes with a hungry grin, “Under better circumstances though. You need to stop acting jealous.”

“Jealous? I’m being protective Raven.”

“Will you two please calm down?” Jody’s mother Gwen entered the bedroom where they were holed up. “I have things to say as well. Now that the bus has been removed and the police have stopped questioning me. That was pure hell trying to not admit to them about Brandon’s death.”

“Sorry babe!” Brandon’s soul within Gwen apologized feeling sad for her ordeal, his even more for leaving her physically. At least he still had time with her for a proper goodbye someday.

“SIT! BOTH OF YOU!”

“Ummm? We can’t sit ... kinda just hover.” Brandon spoke for he and Gwen’s ex Hector.

“She meant the girls Brandon.”

“Oh, right! My bad!”

Raven and Jody grumble but comply sitting hip to hip, Raven shoving her luggage of birthday cards aside. At least the blood was only an illusion, her things back to normal. She still questioned how Argus did that. Was it Argus? It was like a warning.