Heaven’s Rejects - Episode 3

Episode 3 – “The Ends of Des Moines"

Previously:

Yeah, we got the job to clean up after Team Six's disaster.  Worse, the Chief brought in the demon librarian.  So now we're stuck in Des Moines.  Wonderful.

Something happened.  Even Team Six doesn't go all explosion happy for no reason at all.  I'm taking Demona in under my wing, more to keep her out of Nadia's hair than anything else.  We found ground zero, but nothing strange.

My first mission with the Agency and Nadia and Ian!  I'm so excited!  Though, next time Nadia recommends the coffee somewhere, I'm having tea.  My stomach's still feels like something is chewing its way out.


Now
The next morning, Ian met Demona outside their rooms.  The mountain of a man escorted the young librarian down to the van.  "Breakfast first," he said.  "Always get a good meal when you can."

Demona stared up at the room Ian shared with Nadia.  "What about Nadia?" she asked.  "Shouldn't she have breakfast, too?"

"Nadia exists on bad coffee and bagels.  And she's not pleasant in the morning."

"Just in the morning?"  Demona smirked.  "Tell me the truth, Ian.  Does she hate me?  Because that's the vibe I'm getting off her."

Ian sighed.  "Nadia isn't exactly cuddly, okay?  Think of her as a feral cat.  One that is as likely to scratch and bite you if you try to pick her up, but might approach you if you ignore her."

"I suppose."

"Let's find a diner.  We can sit there for a bit and brainstorm where Team Six might have stayed.  Got your laptop?"

Demona patted her shoulder bag.  "Right here."

"Great!"  Ian unlocked the minivan and opened the passenger door for Demona.

Ian drove through the streets of Des Moines, trying to avoid the morning rush traffic by taking side streets and finding a way to go against the flow.  He found a chain diner near the Interstate that didn't look too busy and pulled into its parking lot.  Getting out, he checked under his coat, making sure he only had his smallsword.

Demona hopped out on the passenger side.  "Would Nadia drink the coffee here?" she asked.

"Let me check."  Ian walked up to the entrance.  "No.  There's an inspection sticker showing a good rating.  Might be bland coffee, but it won't eat you."

"Oh, good."

Ian held the door open for Demona and the camera crew.  While the crew was held up to deal with legalities, Ian and Demona were shown to a table.  A waitress came by to fill up their coffee cups, leaving menus for each of them behind.  Ian took a quick look, then tossed his menu to the table.

Demona peered up from her menu.  "You've already decided?"

"I know what I want.  I just need to check to see if it's available."

"Oh."  Demona went back to reading.  "Must be nice knowing what you want."

"It's just breakfast."

"I know.  But 'most important meal of the day' and all that."

"What do you normally have for breakfast?" Ian asked.

Demona shrugged.  "An apple, maybe a granola bar, something to tide me over until I get to the library.  Then a doughnut or two."

"You're going to need more than that today.  We may be running around.  A lot.  And by running, I mean after something or away from something."

The waitress returned.  Ian gave her his order, three eggs over hard, Canadian bacon, and waffles.  Demona stared at the redhead before she stammered out her choice, a Western omelette with home fries on the side.  The waitress checked their coffee before leaving to put in the order.

"See?" Ian said.  "Know what you want and go for it!"

"I guess.  What if you don't know what you want?"

Ian downed his coffee.  "How can you not know what you want?"

"I don't know.  It's like, ever feel that you should be doing more?"  Demona scoffed at herself.  "Of course not.  You're here fighting the forces of evil.  But me?  I fight the forces of customer service."

"Hey, don't knock yourself, Demona."  Ian held up his now empty coffee cup to signal a refill.  "You might have it harder than us.  At least I'm allowed to hit werewolves.  I'm sure your boss wouldn't appreciate you laying out some moron no matter how much he deserved it."

Demona giggled.  "You're right.  I just want to make a difference, you know?"  She took a sip of her coffee.  "It's better than yesterday's."

"It's the little things.  Help one person have a decent day, and it spreads.  How many kids feel better after talking to you.  Ignore the girls with the book."

"I guess.  It's so hard to tell, though.  I only see them for a moment."  Demona took another sip of coffee, then set down her cup.  "I can only do so much, right?"

"You did stop a rampaging demon."

"Pfft."  Demona waved the comment away.  "Tad doesn't rampage.  Tad doesn't even menace.  He's really just a big old softie under that scaly exterior."

"Still."  Ian leaned back as the waitress refilled his coffee cup.  He waited until she left before continuing, "So, ideas on where to look for Team Six's hideout?"

"You'd know them better than I do."

"Maybe, but I'm sure you have a few ideas."

Demona tapped at the table as she thought.  "I might.  Who is paying for our motel rooms?"

"The Agency provides corporate credit cards.  I already asked the Chief about Team Six's.  He's still waiting for the bill to come in."

"What about checking online?"

Ian laughed.  "The Agency barely understands computers let alone the Internet."

"Great."  Demona finished her coffee.  "Okay, what sort of budget do teams have?"

"Remember our motel?"

"Yeah?"

"That's luxury accommodations."

Demona closed her eyes.  "They really go all out for you."

Ian smiled.  "Large organization with unusual funding.  We get what we need."

"Okay.  Wait, Nadia mentioned that Team Six is assigned this area, right?  What if they rented a house instead of a hotel?  It's cheaper and they wouldn't have room service coming in and out every day."

"Makes sense."  Ian nodded.  "And that'd be a different budget.  I'll give the Chief a call to see if anything like that came across his desk.  Oh, here's breakfast."  He took his plate from the waitress.  "Thanks.  We'll need more coffee."

Demona moved so that the waitress could set down her Western omelette.  "Thanks."  She gave the waitress a friendly smile.  Once the server walked away, Demona said.  "Should I try looking for a possible address?"

"Let's see what the rent is first.  That might help narrow things down."  Ian picked up a fork and started on his breakfast.  "Hey, what about satellite photos?"

"Unless I can hack a satellite passing overhead right now, not really.  And I can't hack satellites.  Librarian, remember?  I'm lucky to have an account at work."  Demona began cutting up her omelette.  "However, if I can get the rent?  I can figure out where in the city to start looking.  It's not like you get a wide range of rents in a neighbourhood unless something weird is going on.  How big was Team Six?"

Ian swallowed his bite of bacon.  "Five people, last I knew.  I don't think they lost anyone before the explosion.  Why?"

"Ever room with others?"

"Like Nadia?"

"More than two, I mean.  With one other person, you can get used to their quirks.  I had to room with three other girls in university in a dorm room with just one bathroom.  I don't know how we survived.  Given a choice?  I'll bet Team Six went for as many bathrooms that they could get."

Ian nodded.  "Makes sense.  And they wouldn't want to be stuck in traffic if they have to leave quickly."

"Except the suburbs can be more expensive."  Demona waved down the waitress to get a refill on her coffee.  "It depends on how safe they'd want to feel.  Oh, and if any of them go to church, they may want something close."

"Good point.  Edward was Unitarian, though I don't know if he went regularly."  Ian took out his cell phone as the waitress returned with the pot of coffee.  He found the contact he wanted and made the call as the waitress filled Demona's coffee cup.  After a ring and a half, the other end picked up.  "Hey, Marcie, is the Chief in?  It's Ian.  No, Ian.  Ian Markowitz.  The other one.  I work with Nadia.  Yeah, the one in all black, her.  So, is the Chief in?  No?  Can you look something up for me?"  Ian held the phone away from his ear.  "Everytime," he muttered.  "I know, Marcie, you're the Chief's admin, not my personal research assistant.  I just need someone to look up some expenses Team Six submitted.  That's all.  No, I don't know how much."   Ian grimaced.  "Look, Marcie, if I knew how much, I wouldn't be asking.  It'd be submitted near the first of the month for the past few months.  No, it won't be on their credit card.  It'll be rent.  Thanks Marcie."

Demona looked up from her coffee.  "That sounded familiar."

Ian set down his phone.  "Marcie's good at her job.  It's just that her job is to keep the Chief doing his.  She'll get our request to the right people.  Eventually."

"I've run into her type in Iowa City, except in municipal government."  Demona set down her coffee.  "How long do you think?"

"No idea.  Best not to worry.  We've got plenty of time."  Ian went back to eating his breakfast.

The morning passed slowly.  Ian and Demona finished their meals, letting themselves linger over coffee and ignoring the stares from the waitress.  Once the plates were cleared away, Demona brought out her laptop.  She fired it up and started doing some quick searches, trying to get a feel for the different neighbourhoods in Des Moines.  Noticing the local university, she started checking on housing near it.

For his part, Ian watched the people around.  He chatted with the waitress, making sure that she didn't start getting antsy over him and Demona hanging around.  The morning crowd dissipated, leaving only a handful of other diners, mostly elderly.  Demona caught the attention of a few, though she was too focused on her work to notice.  Shortly before eleven, Ian's phone trilled.  He picked it up during the first ring, answering it before a second trill could sound.  "Markowitz," he answered.  "Really, that's all?  Thanks."  He disconnected the call.  "Demona, looks like they were paying thirteen hundred a month.  That's all they have, though.  No address."

"It's enough to narrow things down a bit.  And that's all they were paying?"  Demona typed in a search string.  "Give me a moment, and I'll have a general area."

"No rush.  We'll grab lunch before we leave."  Ian picked up his phone again to tap out a text message.  "Just letting Nadia know what's up."

"Shouldn't we pick something up for her?"

Ian shook his head no.  "She's busy.  Trust me on this, Demona.  Nadia doesn't want to be interrupted right now.  When she's ready, she'll let us know."

"Can we get her something anyway for when she's ready?"

"Another time.  How's the search going?"

"I've narrowed it down to three areas.  That's the best I can do, though.  Sorry."

Ian reached out to pat Demona's arm.  "None of that.  That's three areas more than we knew an hour ago.  Pack up and we'll have lunch."

-**-

That was a morning.  I don't think I've had so much coffee in my life.  But I did something for the team!  Yay!

Demona's a good kid at heart.  Sure, there's that half-demon thing, but she's sweet.  And she gave us the first decent lead we've seen.



-**-

The first neighbourhood Ian and Demona checked out was an older one, with houses showing their age.  While the homeowners did make the effort to maintain lawns and property, the signs of aging were obvious.  Most of the driveways were empty.  Demona wasn't sure what she was supposed to look for.  Ian kept silent as he drove through the neighbourhood, more sure of what signs Team Six may have left behind.

The second neighbourhood was much the same as the first.  Demona just watched out the passenger side window, letting Ian do the work.  She gasped as Ian threw the van into a hard stop in front of a non-descript white two-storey home.  Ian stared at the building.  "Demona, how many churches are around here?"

Demona fished her smart phone out of her purse.  After a quick look through Google Maps, she said, "Four.  Catholic, Protestant, Unitarian, and Baptist.  All within it looks like a dozen blocks at most.  There's even an Orthodox church about fifteen minutes drive from here."

Ian got out of the van and walked up to the door.  Demona and the camera crew rushed to keep up with the tall man.  At the door, Ian tried the doorknow and found it locked.  He raised a foot to kick in the door.  Demona darted between Ian's booted foot and the door.  "Wait!"

"This is it, Demona."

"You can't just kick in the door!  What if you're wrong?"

"You want me to knock first?"

"It'd be polite."

Ian stared at the young woman before laughing.  "There's no Team Six left to be inside."

"Fine, then it won't look like a home invasion to everyone else around.  Do you want the police to come down on us?"

"It'll take them fifteen minutes at the least to get out here."

Demona pointed at a neighbouring house.  "And if someone comes out?  We may want to ask them about what they've seen here and breaking in is just going to put them against us right off."

Ian lowered his foot.  "Good point.  We still need in, though."

"I know."  Demona walked over to the mailbox.  "Let's see if this is the right place, first, okay?  For me?"

"You've got something in mind?"

"The mail.  People usually pick up their mail daily, even the flyers."  Demona opened the mailbox to find it stuffed.  "Okay, this is a good sign."

Ian joined the young librarian at the mailbox.  "Man, no one's been here for a while."  He started pulling out the mail, looking through the pile trying to find the legitimate among the junk.  He held up a white envelope.  "Aha!  This is for Edward."

"What is it?"

"Mail tampering is a Federal felony," Ian chided.  "Besides, it's now part of the investigation.  No opening it until it's been checked over.  Can I kick in the door now?"

Demona sighed.  "Can we find a quieter way in?  Would Team Six leave a key hidden somewhere?"

"Too dangerous.  Anyone could find it."  Ian started walking off, forcing Demona and the camera crew to once again hurry to keep up.  "Maybe we can find a way in from the back, where no one will see us."

The backyard was starting to show signs of neglect.  The lawn needed to be mowed and dandelions appeaered the ground as yellow polka dots.  Ian tried the back door, finding it also locked.  He stepped back, appraising the windows.  "Say, Demona, if I gave you a boost, could you slip into that window there?"  He pointed at a open window on the second floor.

Demona stared at the window.  "Up there?"

"It's the only one open.  Unless you want me to break a window down here."

"No, no, I can do it."  Demona rubbed her hands on her skirt.

"Ready?"

"I guess."

Ian wrapped his massive arms around Demona's stomach and picked her up without an effort.  After some adjustment, he held her by her legs, helping her to get on his shoulders.  "You okay?"

"Peachy!"  Demona tried to keep her balance.

"Can you reach the window?"

Demona reached for the sill.  "Almost."

Ian grabbed her ankles and gave one last lift up.  "How about now?"

Demona grabbed at the sill to steady herself.  "Got it!  Can you push me up just a bit more?"

"Sure!"  With Demona balancing herself on the wall, Ian could push her higher without worrying about her falling.

Demona pushed the screen out of the way, then pulled herself through the window into a sparce bedroom.  There were two cots set up with milk crates being used for night stands.  Dirty clothes were piled in two corners.  Demona crept out of the room and went downstairs.  She opened the back door to let Ian and the camera crew inside.  "No one's here."

"Find anything?"

"I just came right here.  There's dirty clothes in a the bedroom upstairs, but I didn't go through them."

"We'll start on the main floor."  Ian led the way through the house.  The living room had two couches, mismatched and having seen better days.  The dining room had a wooden table that looked like it came from a workshop and a whiteboard mounted on a wall.  The wall opposite the whiteboard had a number of photos and news clippings pinned to it.  "They found something."

Demona examined the clippings.  "These are all the week before the explosion."

Ian stepped closer to get a better look.  "We need to see the main bedroom.  Edward would've taken it as his."

Taking the lead again, Ian went up to the second floor.  The main bedroom had just one bed, a Neiden from IKEA.  Papers were spread on the floor.  Ian held up his hand to keep Demona from entering.  "Wait here."  He stepped into the room and started looking over the strewn papers.  Tracing a path, he found a small pile that were somewhat neatly stacked.  "This should be it."  Ian left the room, handing the pile to Demona.  "Check this."

Demona started reading the papers.  "There's some older news articles.  Looks like this was printed from an archive site.  Can you look for a computer around here?  Anyway, looks like every thirteen years, there's a rash of missing persons.  Looks like they disappeared in the warehouse district.  The problem is that the last round of disappearances should've been two years ago.  The remodel of the district might have caused a problem, but there's nothing else here."

"The latest might be downstairs," Ian said.  "I'll look for a computer.  Go check the notes in the dining room.  I'll be right down."  As the young librarian left the room, he added, "Good work."

Demona beamed.  She dashed back downstairs into the dining room.  Comparing the notes pinned to the wall to the pile of paper from the master bedroom, she saw the pattern reappearing.  The one thing she really wanted was a map, to make sure she had the locations correct.  "Ian?"

From the stairs, he called back, "Yeah?"

"I think Team Six was on to something.  Not sure what."

Ian entered the dining room carrying an all-in-one printer under his left arm and a laptop in his right.  "Found their computer."

"Thanks."  Demona stepped away from the wall.  "I think Team Six found a serial killer.  Or serial killers."

"Here."  Ian thrust the laptop at Demona.  "Okay, we go back to our motel and see if Nadia found anything."

-**-

I've seen bad handwriting before.  I've seen cryptic markings before.  Ever try reading a professor's comments?  Those at least I had an idea of what they were supposed to be.  These notes are completely alien.  I hope Ian and Nadia can figure them out.

This is bad.  This is very bad.

-**-

Back at the motel, Ian joined Demona in her room.  Ian set down the papers taken from Team Six's rental house on the bed, spreading them out.  Nadia knocked on the door a few minutes later, being let in by Ian.  The lean woman glanced at the papers, then looked over to her partner.  "Seriously?"

Ian nodded.  "That's what Team Six found out."

Demona looked from Nadia to Ian and back.  "What?"

"Ghouls," Nadia said, her tone dark.

"Ghouls?"

"Flesh eaters," Ian said.  "Not quite human.  Not anymore."

"If they ever were."  Nadia sat down on the bed.  "There's something definitely going on here.  Ghouls don't come in cycles normally."

Demona picked up the room's kettle.  "What do they normally do?"

"Grab at anything they think is edible and start chowing down," Ian said.  "It's not pretty, but the locals tend to deal with them before any Agency team arrives.  Mostly from necessity.  Cops tend to get squicked out when they see someone getting eaten."

"I don't blame them.  Ew."  Demona walked into the bathroom to fill the kettle.

Nadia gave Ian a hard stare.  "That's what we deal with, sweet cheeks.  You can always go back home."

"I'm good."  Demona returned from the bathroom.  She plugged in the kettle to let it boil.  "What do I have to do?"

"Be nice," Ian warned Nadia.  "Demona, we're still working out the details."

"I'm good at details.  Goes with the job.  The librarian job, I mean."

"You're not going to shush these things," Nadia said.  "They will run you down and pull the meat off your bones."

"I'm still going.  Unless, you know, you need me somewhere else."

Ian gave Demona a warm smile.  "You did your part."

"No, no, if she wants to come, let her," Nadia said.  "Ever shoot a gun, doll?"

"Does paint ball count?" Demona asked.  "Because my dorm team rocked it against all other comers."

Nadia grimaced.  "Anyway, before we even think of going into the nest of ghouls, we have another problem.  Thirteen year cycles of ghoul outbreaks is not normal.  And this has been going on since after the Civil War."

"Maybe the original ghouls were drawn by a battle?" Ian suggested.

Demona shook her head.  "There wasn't any major fighting in the state.  We're too far west from the battle lines."

"Running away from a battlefield, then?"

"Likely," Nadia said, "but that gives the ghouls too many smarts.  They're eaters.  That's it."

"Just how intelligent are ghouls?" Demona asked.

Nadia stretched.  "Think of them as sharks.  Their only goal is to eat."

"And a group couldn't evolve into hunter-gatherers?"

"Not without outside help.  And if that help was human, it has to be dead by now."  Nadia pointed at the pile of papers.  "The extended gap is odd, too.  Fifteen years before the latest reappearance."

The kettle whistled.  Demona unplugged it.  "Tea anyone?"

"Coffee," Nadia said.

"Sorry, I make mine drinkable.  Ian?"

"I'm good, thanks."

Demona made herself a tea.  "The remodelling could have delayed their return.  All that construction would've been loud."

"All that construction would have tasty morsels all around," Nadia countered.

Ian leaned against the wall.  "Not really.  Nadia, construction is a nine to five job.  No one's around after dark except maybe a security patrol who gets a nice comfortable car to sit in.  There's more people now, thanks to all the bars in the district."

"Wouldn't the ghouls just starve?"  Demona sipped her tea.  "I mean, I get cranky if I even miss lunch.  I wouldn't want to think about being hungry for two extra years."

"Starve, yes.  To death?"  Nadia paused.  "I wish.  They'd be sluggish, though, if they haven't eaten.  I wouldn't count on it."  She pointed at the papers retrieved from Team Six's house.  "Anything from after the explosion in there?"

"Nothing," Ian said.  "Edward's notes gave us an address, but . . .."

"But that's where the explosion happened," Demona finished.

"We have to go back," Nadia said.  "Tonight.  We're finishing what Team Six started, this time properly."

-**-

This is why I hate being on clean up duty.  Missing details.  Unfinished work.  If Edward wasn't so quick to use explosives, we wouldn't be in this situation.  And he used enough to collapse an office tower.

I'm going tonight.  Nadia can't stop me.  I have to start somewhere and against some ghouls seems like as good as time as any.  I just have to go get some supplies.

I'll call the Chief and let him know about the ghouls.  I doubt there's anyone close enough to back us up, but at least the next team in will know what to expect.  It's not going to be an easy night.  I should grab a nap.


-**-

Next Week:

Going underground, investigating in the dark, while something scuttles around trying to get you.  Gets the ol' heart pumping.

We're impersonating federal agents?  I don't want to be arrested!

Blasted kibitser, not gettng the first rule of books in the biz.  Never ever read anything left out in the open.