“Are you out of your mind, Chief?” Nadia pulled her arm away from Ian’s attempts to get her to sit back down. “What part of ‘secret organization’ have you forgotten?”
The Chief stared across his desk at Nadia. The young woman didn’t back down, but also she didn’t continue forward. “Times are changing, Ms Wallach.”
Ian leaned away from his partner. “After what happened to Team Six, it’s kinda hard to hide again.”
“Edward was a disaster waiting to happen and you know it, Chief.” Nadia sat back down. She glared at the camera crew lurking in the corner. “Just like these guys. Bringing civilians along is a bad idea.”
“You’re not in the army, Ms Wallach,” the Chief said. “You’re also a ‘civilian’. Same with Mr. Markowitz.”
“You know what I mean, Chief.”
The Chief leaned back in his chair. “This comes from on high. Even if I agreed with you, you still have to bring the camera crew along.”
“Where am I supposed to put them?”
Ian held up his hand. “There’s plenty of room in my car.”
Nadia snorted. “Your car literally has the word ‘mini’ in the name.”
“I’ll requisition a larger vehicle from the garage for you." The Chief started filling out the paperwork. "I'll have your next assignment waiting for you there."
-**-
Yeah, Des Moines was a total failure. Whoever goes in to clean up has my sympathy. Team Six got lazy. Really, Iowa? Dead zone. Vampires have to travel in daylight. Werewolves have nothing to chase. Edward just likes to go to high explosives before figuring out what's really going on. Teams are there to contain first, then eliminate. Now? The new team now has to pick up from where Team Six left off, and there's not much left after an explosion.
-**-
The new vehicle turned out to be a seven year old beige minivan. Nadia took the driving chores, grabbing the thrown key out of the air before Ian could catch it. Ian sat shotgun, turned in his seat to talk to the camera just behind him. He brushed his unruly mane of red hair out of the way. "I guess someone should tell you who we are and what we do. My name's Ian and my partner's Nadia. We work for the Agency, hunting down supernatural creatures that threaten the populace. Normally, we work in teams. What happened to Team Six - we number the teams - sort of blew the pretence if secrecy up."
"Along with themselves and a third of the warehouse district of Des Moines," Nadia muttered.
"But everyone on a team knows what the consequences can be," Ian said, ignoring his partner. "Teams usually have four to six people on them. They're the, well, I don't want to say 'front line soldier'--"
"Try 'expendable redshirts'," Nadia suggested.
Ian glowered at her. "Do you want to tell them what we do? Because I'm sure that you threw that game of Rock Paper Scissors so that I'd win."
"Go right ahead, Ian. I'm not stopping you."
"Good." Ian turned back to the camera crew. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, right, Teams are bigger. They're also assigned to areas of known supernatural activity. There's something like thirty active teams in Florida right now. Des Moines wasn't supposed to be an active site, but you can never tell with the supernatural. Sneaky bastards at times."
Nadia rolled her eyes. "I don't think you're supposed to swear on camera."
"They can bleep it out later. Or not, depending on what channel we'll be on. So if teams are at least four people, what does that make me and Nadia?"
"Named redshirts."
"Ignore Nadia. She woke up on the wrong side of the bed. No, me and Nadia are specialists, people who get called in when a team can't handle the supernatural bastard they're facing. Together, me and Nadia have twenty years of experience fighting for the Agency. We get sent to deal with problems too difficult for the local teams." Ian pulled out a sealed envelope from his jacket pocket. He opened the note and read it to himself. "Today, we're going to Iowa City where we have to recover a book from the main library there." He stared at the instructions. "Okay, why are we going when the local team could've done this in less time?"
"Team Six is spread a little thin in Des Moines right now, remember?" Nadia smirked. "Besides, this gets us out of the office and out of Chicago for a few hours. Think of it as a vacation. One where you get to spend time at a truck stop in Iowa because I'll need a coffee by then."
-**-
Welcome to the Agency, guys. We're in it for life. No retirement plan. Hell, no reaching retirement age. You know how you get to be a specialist? You survive five years and pick up tricks against a specific target. Me, I'm a specialist in magic and demons. The two tend to go together. Ian's a weapons master. All sorts, and he knows what weapon is best with what target. Vampires? Wooden stake is traditional, but beheading with an axe is far more effective. Werewolves? Wolfsbane or silver weapons. Bullets are good, but only if you're a good shot. Fire works on most targets.
What we are? We're "Heaven's rejects". Sure. we're working for the side of the angels. We're out there protecting people from the ravages of the supernatural. But the way we work? Definitely not going to let us in when we're dead. I'm looking at an eternity of damnation. But I want to leave this world better than when I came in.
Where's my coffee?
Nadia used "Heaven's rejects"? Seriously? Okay, I'm not sure what she's going on about. We take the fight to the supernatural and we're vastly outnumbered by beings that wield powers that we can only dream of in fantasy novels. So we kinda have to fight dirty. But we verify our targets. Well, normally we verify our targets. Edward was always impatient, rest his soul.
-**-
Five hours later, Nadia parked the minivan in front of the main library in Iowa City. Traffic near the library was building up to rush hour, but wasn't yet a problem. Nadia shut the engine off and got out, stretching her legs to work out the kinks from driving. Ian got out on the passenger side, pulling himself up to his full six and a half foot height. He walked to the back of the van to open the rear hatch. Inside, his long coat lay full out, weighed down by a Spanish-made smallsword. Ian pulled on the long coat, making sure the sword was hidden in the folds.
With the camera crew trailing them, Nadia and Ian entered the library. "What's the name of this book we're supposed to get?" she asked.
"Pro Daemonium Accersito, released by Whiskyjack Publications in 1548. No author's name."
"Yeah, no shit no author's name. A book on summoning demons? Who would keep that in a library?"
Ian shrugged. "Someone who doesn't know that demons are real?"
"Let's find a librarian and see if they know where the damned book is." Nadia strode off, leaving Ian and the camera crew rushing to catch up. She looked up at the various signs, looking for the one pointing people to the info desk. Finding the arrow, Nadia began her trek towards the centre of the building, then stopped dead as a cold wave passed through her. Ian caught up to her and just raised an eyebrow. Nadia nodded. "There's a demon here. We might be too late."
Ian's hand shot under his coat to the hilt of his sword. "Where is the bastard?"
Nadia closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. She turned in a partial circle, then opened her eyes. "At the info desk."
"I don't see any demons there."
"I do. Come on." Nadia resumed walking, doubling her earlier pace. She reached the info desk where a young woman, her light brunette hair pulled back in a bun, and wearing a pink cardigan over a black t-shirt, updated information on a out-of-date computer. Nadia pulled on her silver necklace, pulling a Star of David out from under her shirt. She held the Star out at the young woman.
Noticing the movement, the young woman turned her attention to Nadia. "Isn't that a bit rude?"
"Go back from whence ye came." Nadia's brows furrowed. "Tsurik tsu genem, demonspaun!"
"Look, if you cannot behave, I'll have to ask you to leave." The young woman put her hands on her hips.
Ian pulled Nadia away from the info desk. "Let me try."
Nadia lowered her hand but kept her focus on the young woman. "Fine."
Ian put himself between his partner and her prey. "I am so sorry about that. She's been up since before dawn and lives on coffee."
The young woman glanced at Nadia. "She does look tense."
"We're trying to find a book. I don't have the author's name, but it's in Latin. Pro Daemonium Accersito, Whiskeyjack Publications."
"Oh, that one! It's popular today. It's already checked out."
"What?" Nadia roared.
The young woman turned to Nadia. "Excuse me, this is a library. No yelling."
Ian held an arm out to keep Nadia from launching herself over the info desk. "That might not be a good idea, Miss...?"
The young woman held out her hand. "Demona. Youth librarian."
"You've got to be shittin' me," Nadia muttered.
Ian shook Demona's hand. "Hi, Ian. Like I said, that book really shouldn't be loaned out."
"I know. It's old. Centuries old. We keep it safe in a climate controlled room."
Ian shook his head. "That's not what I meant."
"It's a bloody spellbook, you--"
"Nadia!" Ian pulled his partner aside. With his voice lowered, he continued, "Let's not antagonize the nice library lady, okay?"
Nadia glared at Ian. "Demon. She's a demon."
"Fine. Let's not antagonize the nice library demon, not when she's helping. Okay?"
Nadia pulled away from Ian, stalking away from the info desk and the camera crew. Ian returned to the info desk. "Sorry about that. Anyway, we have to see that book."
Demona's shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry, but like I said, it's in use. A group of teenaged girls signed it out to read."
"How many girls?"
"I didn't count them, but seven, maybe?"
"Where do you keep your old books?"
"In the basement. But--"
Ian ran off, grabbing Nadia and pulling her along with him. "Bad mojo downstairs. Seven girls with the book."
"Great, why not add a power multiplier."
-**-
I don't get it. I was pouring enough power through my Star of David to send mid-level demons back to Hell. There's no way the librarian had power. I could feel it. At best, she's a minor demon. She should have been blasted back to her home plane.
Nadia's usually pretty good at finding demons. I mean, her success rate has been near one hundred per cent for the past year. I'm not seeing it in Demona. She's a librarian. At a public library. Everyone there was going about their business. Now, those girls, they're trouble. Numbers have meaning when it comes to magic. Certain numbers really ramp up magical power, like three, thirteen, and those seven girls.
They were rude. They never gave me a chance to tell them everything they needed to know. Like how the book was badly written even for 1548 and if anyone tried to use the incantations in it, all they'd get is a demonic hamster if they're lucky. Sure, they're vicious little beasts, but give then a carrot to munch and they'll be happy. The girls would need the errata and those haven't been found since the publisher went out of business in 1552 after releasing a book of accurate prophecies. There's just no market in that. The other thing they needed to know was that a librarian had to unlock the door for them. But, no, they just had to run off.
-**-
In the library's basement, Ian and Nadia stopped to get their bearings. Nadia pointed down the hall where faint flickering could be seen. Ian drew his smallsword out from under his long coat and charged around the corner. The Special Collections Room, a climate controlled room for old books, had glass walls facing the the hallways. Through those walls, Nadia and Ian could see a rough drawn pentacle on the floor, a teenaged girl at each point holding a black candle at their chest, a sixth girl in the centre holding her candle over her head, and a seventh bent over a table reading an aged book. Nadia tried the door and found it locked. She stepped back. "Ian, break the door down."
"Pity." Ian grasped his sword tight in his right hand. Actinic light played along the blade, growing into electrical arcs. The smell of ozone filled the air. Ian stepped up to the door, bringing his sword back.
"Wait!" Demona's shoes clicked along the tile. "I was trying to tell you, I have the key." She dangled a key ring off her finger.
"Hurry up and open the door!" Nadia pointed at the room, where billowing black smoke gathered over the girl in the centre of the pentacle. "Move it!"
Demona half-ran to the door. "That wasn't supposed to happen." After fumbling with the keys, she unlocked the Special Collections Room.
Nadia pushed the youth librarian aside as she ran into the room. "Stop what you're doing!"
The girl reading slammed the book closed. "It's too late!"
Ian entered the room, keeping an eye on the the smoke coalescing near the ceiling. "Get your friend out of the centre before the demon takes her body!"
"She volunteered to be the vessel."
The girl in the middle of the pentacle stared at her friend. "What? I volunteered to hold a candle. Fuck you, Taylor!" She dropped the candle and ran out of the pentagram, scuffing the chalk. The room rumbled. The smoke dropped into the middle of the ruined pentagram. Thunder boomed, shattering the glass walls.
"Everyone out!" Nadia grabbed Taylor and pushed her to the hallway. The rest of the girls didn't need encouragement.
"Yes!" Taylor's shout could be heard over the rumbling starting. "I will have my revenge!"
The smoke took the form of a tall figure, slightly taller than Ian. Glowing red eyes appeared in the smoke. "Free! I'm free!"
Taylor pointed at the neaerly formed demon. "I summoned you! I command you!"
Finally formed into a being as black as obsidian, the demon turned to the girl. "You command no one! You will pay for your insolence." The demon's tone changed abruptly, from a voice so gutteral ditches became jealous to lighter and friendly. "Oh, Demona, hi! I didn't see you there."
Demona peered at the demon. "Tad?"
The demon smiled. While the effort was meant to be friendly, far too many pointed teeth appeared. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."
Ian lowered his sword. "Okay."
"I don't believe this," Nadia said.
"No! I summoned you, not her!"
"Ian, the demon on three."
Demona stepped into where the door to the room used to be. "Don't make me use my angry librarian voice and shush all of you." She turned in a slow circle to stare at everyone remaining in the remains of the Special Collections Room. "What is going on?"
Taylor pointed at the book on the table. "That spell was supposed to get me a demon to do my bidding."
"Taylor Coffman, you already owe the library four dollars and ninety-five cents for outstanding fines. You weren't supposed to check out a book. In fact, Kayla Minnick signed the book out, not you. Where is she?"
Nadia approached Demona. "I don't think that's--"
Demona held out a hand to stop Nadia. "Shush! Wait your turn. Taylor?"
"Kayla was here. She was supposed to be one of the star points."
"I saw them all running," Ian said. "Five of them, plus the one in the centre."
"I will have to have a talk with her. Taylor, I will have to call your parents."
"You''ll call her parents?" Nadia shook her head in dismay. "For summoning a demon? Are you crazy?"
Demona turned her attention to Nadia. "No, for destroying this room and who knows how many older books that may not be replaceable. Please, who is going to believe that she summoned a demon? No offense, Tad."
"None taken." Tad grabbed a chair and sat down.
"Can we just finish what we came to do?" Nadia reached for her Star of David.
"Not until I find out who is going to pay for this mess. Taylor, you may leave. Think about what you did here today."
Taking advantage of the dismissal, Taylor ran off. Nadia began to follow, only to be blocked by Demona.
"She's not who you want," Demona said. She turned to Tad. "So, 'I'm free, I'm free'? Really?"
Tad laughed, a sound not unlike a dryer tumbling a load of gravel. "I wanted to scare the piss out of the summoners." He sniffed. "I might have gone overboard."
"Do you need help getting back?"
"Nah. I left the rift ajar so I could slip back home." He looked over at Nadia and Ian. "I'm thinking I'm not so welcome here right now."
Demona pulled Tad into a hug. "It's good seeing you again. Have you seen Mom lately?"
"A few weeks ago. She's keeping busy. You know how it is for her."
"Yeah." Demona stepped back. "Say hi to her for me?"
Tad ruffled Demona's hair. "I will. You take care of yourself." He waved a talon in the air. An opening ringed with orange fire appeared. Tad leapt up and through the rift, which closed with a click.
Nadia stared at Demona. "Just how the hell do you know a demon? And what's this about your mother?"
"If you must know, my mother is a succubus."
Nadia and Ian exchanged a look. "Okay, so that makes you?" Nadia asked.
"Half-succubus. And I didn't appreciate you trying to send me back to my home plane. News flash! This is my home." Demona folded her arms over her chest in defiance. "Try making me move."
"Half-succubus?" Ian said. "How?"
Nadia rolled her eyes. "The usual way, just like humans have been having babies since the world began."
"Sort of," Demona said. "Close enough. Mom has more control over when she wants to be pregnant. Dad must have done something to satisfy her, so she gave him me. Just showed up on his doorstep with me in a basket. Surprise! Baby!"
"You knew about the book." Nadia narrowed her eyes. "You knew and still let those girls have access to it."
"The only reason why it's here is because I read through it. Hello, librarian. It's my job. If that spell worked, there's no way I'd have let it be available to the general public. As written, it summons demonic, fire-breathing hamsters. Taylor shouldn't have been able to call Tad at all."
Ian walked over to the book. "We'll take it with us so no one else summons Tad."
Demona ran over to grab the book before Ian could pick it up. "Nuh-uh. The book belongs to the Iowa City Public Library. Unless you have a warrant or a bill of sale, this book stays here."
Nadia joined the other two at the table. "Where any teenager with a chip on her shoulder can check the book out and try to summon a demon or a demonic gerbil--"
"Hamster," Demona corrected.
"Whatever." Nadia reached for the book. "It's too dangerous to leave with the general public."
"I know. It's going to be marked as damaged, along with who knows how many other books here. Since the library doesn't have the budget as it is to repair or replace books, it's going to sit in the new Special Collections Room until it gets moved elsewhere when the building is replaced. And seeing that it's damaged, no one will be allowed to touch it." Demona smiled. "Do either of you see a problem with that?"
Ian shook his head. "It's out of circulation."
"And it beats stealing the book," Demona added. "Really, stealing a library book? You should be ashamed."
"Fine." Nadia began walking out of the room. "It's away from the general public and we know where it is. I can see I'm not going to win this one.
-**-
Apparently, the Taylor girl found the errata online. She then checked for rare books through a Google search and found that her home town library had a copy. I still don't know why she wanted to summon a demon. Demona's friend really did scare her, so she might think twice.
Half-succubus. New one on me. Normally, a succubus just drains your soul in one go. This one decided to take the long way by inflicting a poor sap with a baby girl. The teenage years, man, I wouldn't wish them on anyone, especially some guy who has no idea what he's in for. I'll let the Chief know about Demona and see what he wants done with her. She'd be great for information, but, well, half-succubus. Can we trust her?
Of course they leave the clean up to me. Thanks a lot! We have procedures in place, though. So much for a weekend off. And I wanted to go to church this Sunday. Me and Dad were going to get lunch after, then go antiquing.
Next Week:
Oh, come on, Chief! Me and Ian don't need anyone else, especially her.
Never though I'd be working beside a rookie again. I'm thinking it'll be like a break of fresh air.
I have a temporary new job while my library gets rebuilt. This is going to be fun!
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