Virgo's Vigilantes (The Zodiac Book 6), page 17
"Can't hide well if we're popping into the middle of the hangar," I said when Bilba stepped through.
Ralrek grunted in agreement.
"Why do we need to hide?" he asked.
"We don't know who might be in here when we need to visit. We just might want to be more discreet, that's all."
"You want me to open rifts in the bathroom?"
"Right on top of one of the shitters," Ralrek snorted.
"A side office?" I said. "That would be safer."
Bilba tipped his head. "Sure. I'll talk to one of them or Virgo and see which is best."
Three Vigilantes watched a movie—I was believing they watched more movies than I did, which was true now that I didn't even have a television. They looked at us from the couches surrounding the TV. They weren't unfriendly looks, but I wouldn't say we were received like friends either. We were being watched the way demons watch unfamiliar, drooling devildogs. Based on a few expressions, I guessed we had a bit of a bite to our look. I'd blame that on Ralrek, but the fact was, we had to build trust with this group before they'd open their arms for us.
A long bench propped up one wall. It was covered in silver coils, springs, black grips and barrels, and just about any part of pistols and rifles imaginable. I only identified them because of my time in the mortal army. Not an aficionado by any stretch of the imagination, I enjoyed shooting. These weren't props. The group was getting serious. Seeing the Vigilantes with a small armory was encouraging. They were formidable enough when they were a disorganized gang. Now that they'd fallen under the formal leadership of Virgo, they seemed capable of handling the hostilities that were sure to come.
By the sounds of Cassie's ominous and cryptic note, hostilities may already be rising. The group couldn't prepare soon enough.
A stocky woman in a bulky, green sweater, tan slacks, and combat boots rounded the bench. "What do you need?"
Friendly? Not so much. "We're looking for Virgo. Is he here?"
She bobbed her head toward the side of the hangar with the three doors where Virgo's Vigilantes was born.
"Thanks," I said, and we made our way to the meeting room. I knocked.
"Yo," Virgo's deep, rich voice said from the other side of the barrier.
We stepped in.
Virgo sat at the head of the table with Cassie in the first chair to his left. This time, Virgo's closest confidants didn't fill the room. Steve was here—I nodded, feeling the serious tone—as was another man. The unknown might have rivaled Ralrek's height. His skin was as dark as the mood. Whoever he was, he hadn't been in the previous meeting. He wore a long, white tunic and a bill-less matching cap that sucked to his skull. Long, black hair curled from underneath.
Cassie got to her feet, coming around the table and dishing out hugs. "Thank you for coming. I'm sorry about the cryptic messages. I hate sending those, but I don't know what else to do. "
"I totally understand," I said as we took our seats.
"Commandant, should we leave?" Steve asked.
I shot a look at Virgo. "Commandant?"
Virgo tipped his head into a shrug and the corner of his mouth twitched. Three smiles in two visits. Virgo was on record-pace here. "Not my idea. Everyone thought the leader needed a title. I disagreed. We took a vote. They won."
"I like it," Bilba piped in from two chairs away.
"Oh, if I knew you better, I'd give you such a hard time about this," I said.
"Don't worry. This lot does enough," Virgo jabbed a hand at Steve. "Though they tell me I'll get used to it. One day."
"Jawohl, Commandant," I said in German, receiving strange looks from Steve and the dark man at the end of the table. As a demon, I could understand every mortal language without translation. "To what pleasure do we owe this visit?"
The focus shifted to Cassie. "Just as I worried. Trouble is spreading."
"They're still harassing mortals?" Ralrek asked.
"Worse, unfortunately," Cassie said.
"They burned down my mosque," the dark man at the end of the table said with a burst of heat to go along with a sharp Middle-Eastern accent.
"This is Arham Assad, imam for the local mosque," Virgo said, with a dip of his head toward the stranger.
Ralrek loosed a low growl, so low I don't even think anyone but me heard. I kneed him. He squashed the noise about as well as he squashed his reaction to the man of Yahweh at the other end of the table.
Cassie flicked a scowl at Ralrek. Great, she'd heard. "It happened two days ago."
"Burned to the ground. My community has nowhere to go now," Arham said, his voice rising with pain and anguish. "What are we supposed to do? I was told you could help, God willing. We need help. Our people need help."
"Are your faithful being targeted?" I asked.
The imam shook his head. "Not personally. Not yet. God willing, not ever. But our spiritual home is nothing more than ashes. Might as well be a parking lot!" His fingers wrestled with each other and he snapped his arms back toward his chest. "My apologies. I shouldn't speak so harshly. I know you are here to help."
"It's okay," Cassie said, leaning toward him and tapping the table. "They are friends. They will help too." She sat straight again, looking at us. "That wasn't the only attack. A synagogue and a Baptist church were also burned on the same day, at the same time."
"A coordinated effort?" Bilba said with a gasp.
"For everyone. For one. For all."
I jumped at the sudden voice, intimately close. A voice that did not belong to either friend at my side.
Cassie tilted her head.
"Sorry. Knocked my shin on the table," I smiled apologetically, bending to rub my leg to really play off the lie.
Great, the disembodied voice was hanging in the Overworld with me. Awesome.
Cassie nodded, not thrown off by my interruption. "Definitely coordinated. These attacks required a number of… people to pull off."
We couldn't talk freely in front of the imam. That was a no–brainer. So I offered an out to the group. "If we could speak privately, I have thoughts on the matter."
"But you will help?" Arham said.
I gave him a slow nod. "Once we chat, I'll have a better idea of what we can do. I'll make sure I let Virgo know my thoughts, and he can pass them on to you. Will that be okay?"
The imam looked at Steve, his fingers tap dancing on his chest. "Yes. Yes, thank you. Thank you all so very much," he said as he stood to leave.
I watched Cassie watch the imam leave. Her eyes were absolutely stunning—I'm sure I've mentioned that before. I didn't do it to be a creep. I just didn't want to be rude and watch the struggling imam walk out of a room of 'people' who were actually immortal creatures from the Underworld who were there to help. For a dark, snarky second, I wondered what would happen inside his brain if he knew he was consorting with demons. Mortals can be finicky about that.
When the door clicked closed, I asked, "Okay, what's really going on? You didn't ask us here because you thought we could help with a mosque. That's a matter for firefighters and police, not the spawn of Satan."
"I believe these attacks are growing because they're all coordinated," Cassie said.
"That's obvious," Ralrek interjected.
Cassie shot him a dark look—well, as dark is that smooth, perfect expression could. "What I mean," she said slowly, "is that these attacks hit the three major Abrahamic faiths purposely. One after another. Making it look like each was retaliatory. This was a deliberate attempt to raise tensions amongst them."
"Don't they do a good enough job of that on their own?" I asked, realizing too late that it sounded antagonistic. Cassie was an angel after all, and unless something changed recently, the three faiths weren't exactly on speaking terms with Hell's head honcho. An angel would see people of those faiths as one of their tribe. I raised my hand in apology. "I mean, the three have so much history between them this makes sense."
Cassie nodded. "Exactly. Why not leverage historical animosity to your advantage? It's a great way to spark a conflict."
"But Olympia? Why now? I don't get it," Bilba said. "There are dozens of locations where this would have been more effective, especially if their aim was to elevate tensions. Olympia is hardly a religious hot-spot."
I turned to Virgo. "Did any of you get involved?"
He shook his head. "We didn't know about it until it was in the news. We didn't think about a supernatural influence, not until it was too late. But we've heard things."
"Like what?" Ralrek asked.
"After the arsons, we sent out members to see what they could find," Virgo said, his jaw clenching. "Because of the circles we've run in for years, we're connected around the city. Easier to get information from authorities and others. Mostly from the homeless. They trust us more than the fire investigators or the police. After talking to a bunch of them, finding other witnesses that were mentioned in the news or who we saw in interviews, we started piecing everything together. We don't have much, but we have enough to corroborate Cassie's information."
"What information?" I asked the angel.
"These weren't mortals," she said. "Magic was involved."
"Your operatives sensed the signatures of the spells?" I said, drawing my own conclusion.
Cassie shook her head. "Our sensors. The spells were demonic."
"Sonofabitch," I said, shaking my head. "So, the Council used and abused us and threw us away like yesterday's garbage, only to hire other agents and torch houses of worship? Great."
"No," Cassie said.
"But… you said the magic was demonic?" Bilba asked pensively.
"I did. But it wasn't agents or operatives of the Underworld who cast the most powerful spells. Not according to what we picked up on our sensors or to eyewitness testimony," Cassie said.
"Tell him," Virgo said.
Cassie's gaze fell on me. Somewhere deep, I quivered. Then she looked at Bilba and Ralrek in turn, spending the longest time on Ralrek. Good thing I'm not the jealous type.
"It wasn't an agent or operative who set the fires. It was Be—Beelzebub."
I groaned. Bilba shot back in his chair. Ralrek growled.
"That's why I wrote," Cassie continued, almost apologetically. "This isn't just a tactic by the Underworld, or even the Upperworld, to influence the Balance. This was an act of war. Be—b—Beelzebub is trying to play the sides off each other to create chaos. Chaos that is going to unravel the tense peace we have between our realms. He has to be stopped."
My mind spun. The Prince of Demons, likely without the approval or knowledge of the Council—no way Azazel was cool with burning down houses of worship—was committing terrorist acts in the mortal world. My gut said he wasn't acting alone. I'd bet the coin the rebel cell gave me that he had a half–tattooed-faced moron cooperating.
My jaw clenched. "I'm in."
"Me too." Ralrek snarled.
Bilba delayed before saying, "Oh, sorry. Of course I'll help."
Cassie sat back, her chest rising and falling in relief.
"I'll talk to the Vigilantes and ensure safe passage for the four of you and whoever you need to help. But," Virgo said, popping the table with a finger, his forearm's muscle rippling, "keep your numbers small. I don't want any of you bringing a horde of demons or angels here. We won't stand by and ignore it. I'll be blessed before the Vigilantes turn a blind eye to one side asserting too much power or influence."
"That won't be a problem," I said. "No one even knows we're here. I can't exactly walk around the Underworld telling everyone I'm in open rebellion against one of Lucifer's own."
"I understand as well, and wouldn't think to abuse your trust," Cassie acknowledged. "I have permission to use the resources I need, but I only have a few of my kind in mind. Nothing more, I promise."
"Good," Virgo said, his hands closing in a fist. "So how do we ruin Beelzebub's day?"
12
Underworld, Sixth Circle
"You know, with all the drama going on in the Underworld, I think it'd be nice to chill in the Overworld for a bit. Maybe I should get myself Abandoned," Ralrek said, crumbling his napkin and throwing it on my plate.
"Joking about my personal trauma now, are we?" I said with a grimace, not at his comment, but at his soiled napkin, which I plucked from the middle of my unfinished pile of rice.
Ralrek stretched, pulling his shirt tight over his thin, fit chest. If I looked closely, I could see the ripples of a stomach with not a bit of fat on it. The chest of someone who looks like their second home was a gym, but who had never been to one. Ralrek had almost everything a demon needed.
"I don't know. Sometimes I'm half–serious. Not about what happened to you. That was wrong. But I get so tired of this stuff. Nothing ever changes. Can you imagine another sixty or seventy thousand years of this crap?" He said, a well–formed argument.
"Hard to admit, but I can't fight you on that," I said. "Except that if you were Abandoned, you wouldn't get to see me or Bilba. You'd start decaying. Lucifer knows how long that would take. Oh, and the constant longing, somewhere deep inside you, like an itch on the bottom of your foot when you're wearing shoes. A longing for back home. It never goes away. Just hangs over you like a cloud. Is that how you'd want to spend the last years of your life?"
Bilba returned to the table, his plate piled with rice and broccoli—I told you, Hell's food is bland. My mind drifted away to chicken wings. Maybe Ralrek's argument was stronger than I first gave it credit.
"Look at it this way, guys. Things are changing. We're part of that change," Bilba said.
Ralrek scoffed. "I doubt we'll live long enough to see the other side of any change."
Another point for Ralrek. This was turning into a rout.
"Well, maybe you're not looking at it the right way. For example, look at how we can move around the Underworld freely, to any Circle we want," Bilba said.
"We can only do that because you figured out how to open gateways and rifts," Ralrek said. "And the only reason we get away with it is because they're undetectable. The second that changes is the second your neck is in the same noose Gemini's was almost in."
"Wow, dark, buddy. Really dark," I said.
"My ability is just the beginning," Bilba said, his forkful of rice paused halfway to his mouth. "We have Virgo's Vigilantes up there. We can travel, and I think others will travel in the future too. We have someone close to the Council who is helping. We have the rebels."
Now it was my turn to chuckle, a hint of venom in it. "Yeah, all ten of them." Hey, I'm for idealism, but it has to be grounded in something viable for me to go full-in for it.
Bilba's fork dropped to the plate with a loud clink. Five kernels of rice tumbled onto the table. He ignored them. "You two are so frustrating. You only see what's right in front of you. You don't see what is possible. Maybe you think you do, but you get so focused on why things can't be done instead of how they can be. If I thought like that, I would have never tried to open that first gateway. A rift? Without trying something simpler first? Never. But I took a chance at being discovered by local authorities, or even the Council." He extended a finger, jamming it down on the table with each word. "Because it was worth it."
"You're right," I admitted after a moment. "Things are changing. If we want change for the better, we have to act instead of sitting around talking. If we don't do it, no one does. I want to see a little more excitement from my fellow demons. I mean, less than twenty rebels since all this crap started? How long ago did they spring up? Right after Aries. We've dealt with Taurus, Gemini and Cassie, and went to war, and still… Less. Than. Twenty."
"Give them time, and they will," Bilba said in a fatherly tone.
Sometimes my best friend was so annoying with his rational arguments.
"Speaking of demons who are excited to see things change, what would it take to get you to open a rift to Baghdad so I can check on Cancer? Leo hinted she's still alive. I want to check on her as soon as you think you can pull that off. We don't have to wait for someone to figure out how to cure any curses she might or might not have. I want to see her."
In my periphery, Ralrek's head lifted as he eyed me. Bilba met my gaze. I knew what he was silently saying.
We didn't know if Cancer was alive. Leo had passed on Azazel's message that her reported death was still unconfirmed. I hadn't seen Azazel since the trial by combat. I hadn't even heard a word from him or any secret messenger representing him. Completely in the dark. Again. With Bilba's ability to open undetectable rifts, I could pop into Baghdad and get answers.
"Do you know where she is?" Bilba asked.
I shrugged. "In Baghdad."
"Do you know how big of a city that is?" Ralrek asked. "She could be anywhere."
"If you remember, I was there along with you on those patrols."
"And that was only one section of a vastly larger city. One which, by the way," Ralrek said, holding a finger in the air, "is at the center of the world war."
"A world war where Cancer is helping mortals and in constant danger of her safety," I countered.
"Zeke, I would do it for you in a heartbeat if you knew where she was," Bilba said. "Have you reached out to her through a notebook?"
I had. A hundred times. And I got nothing. Instead of entering that dark thought tunnel, I said, "I haven't heard back."
"She's surrounded by war," Bilba said kindly, probably sensing the strain of my worry.
He had met Cancer, had been there through the struggles of her curse. So had Ralrek. But I had grown closest to her because of our mutual Abandonment to Seattle. We moved to Olympia together, not because we shared the experience of being rejected demons, but because we had built a powerful bond. We had started that end of our lives as a circle of two. My connection to the succubus was far deeper than either of these incubi imagined.
Yet, the back of my rational brain forced me to recognize both Bilba and Ralrek were only trying to help.
"You're right," I finally said, trying to focus on something that didn't bring about a bout of despair for my friend. "I'll keep reaching out. But the minute I hear from her, you're taking me there."
