Sailor Ray and the Beginning of the End Read online

  “Did Blaze turn out okay?”

  “Yeah…yeah, he did great. More than great, actually. He was amazing. He’s still out there helping his girlfriend with everything that’s going on. Everyone did fine…they make a good team.”

  “Did you ever talk to him about, well, you know?”

  “No.” I shake my head in disgust. “No. Reconnecting? Really, V? This again? I was pumped up on meds and it still came out as a passing thought. It wasn’t anything serious.”

  “Just checking. I never know with you.”

  “Right…yeah, I’ll give you that one. You’ve got a point. But like I’ve said a thousand times now, he’s happy. Like, really happy, and he’s doing good work. I don’t want to butt-in and ruin things. That’s selfish as fuck, Val. Come on, we’re trying to do the world a favor. Besides, you didn’t really see us as a couple, just what we put on display. It wasn’t bad, but we weren’t in the running for couple of the year any time soon. Me coming in and breaking them up after all they’ve done for me would be extremely shitty, don’t you think? It’s like telling someone who’s married that you had a crush on them when you know they liked you. It’s like planting a bomb… New subject. You’re good though, right? You know I don’t like talking about relationships of any kind. Comes with the package of being me…I’m just going to blame your lack of judgement on whatever you’re taking.”

  “Do that.”

  “Glad you’re doing better. Thanks for volunteering to stay up and wait for my call. Now go get some sleep. It’s past three.”

  “Same goes for you, too. I’m not the one running the streets.”

  “Oh, I will, as soon as I hang up, I’m going to take something for my aches and I’m hitting the hay.”

  “Okay, well, adios.”

  “Yup. Talk to you soon. Stay safe, be careful, and do your research. Bye.”

  The call drops and I lay in my bed, my cell still connected to my ear. I lay there for a bit before sitting up and shoving my phone back into my pocket.

  It’s three-ten…still a bit of darkness left to burn. Ever since I’ve been alone…ever since Vartal left, it’s been hard to sleep as long as it’s dark out. Around dawn, my mind eases, but before then, it’s difficult to get any shuteye.

  I’d be lying if I thought it was just happenstance. It’s one hundred percent because I’m not sure if Vartal is dead or not. He knows where I live, he knows what I drive. He knows about Blaze, Abby, and Valerie…he knows more than enough to come after me whenever he sees fit. Call it paranoia, but it is what it is. I have wards and enough guns to tear through whatever he sends my way, but I can’t exactly help the way I feel. Vartal was strong, freakishly strong.

  I trust Blaze and Abby, but putting his memory to rest this early, feels wrong. My subconscious seems to agree as well—nightmares of him doing his worst in varying scenarios. Sometimes, everything will be good, but I hear his voice whisper into my ear, reminding me of our deal or whatever psycho shit my mind comes up with to keep me on edge, instantly destroying its quality.

  So, yeah, sleep, while it’s something I cherish, it doesn’t seem to be as accessible as it used to. The only time I was really able to get a break was when I was under Vartal’s thumb and living life as I pleased. Ecstasy in union, as he would say. Yeah, fuck that.

  I climb out of my bed and take the second half of a pill I split earlier for pain. I force it down with my spit and disarm myself, placing my guns and my gear along the top of my dresser. From there, I sort them out before placing them in my storage chest and hopping into the shower to wash away all the blood, sweat, and grit from tonight’s escapade.

  About fifteen minutes later, I’m done. And by three-thirty, I’m parked in front my laptop, ready to burn the rest of the midnight oil. The topic for tonight? The same thing that it’s always been as of late; demonology. I’ve run into more than my fair share of dead ends, but brushing up on the lore can never be a bad thing. I haven’t been able to find anything on Vartal that relates directly to him. Nothing on his mark either. I’ve tried looking up symbolism, runes, phrases, similar patterns—everything, really, but the deeper levels of the occult are hard to crack by search engine, alone. Usually, you find some kind of jarred message in a forum and go off of that. Other times, you come across something that sticks out to you in a story and you use it as a point of reference. Most of the information is supposed to be invisible regarding these things. In some cases, bits of information are padded in fables, but a lot of the stuff is skewed by pop culture, try-hards, and enthusiasts that don’t know what they’re talking about. The people that know their shit are usually the ones directly tied to the paranormal, for better or for worse, and I’m not talking about your connection being the old lady down the street that tells your fortune and sells you love potions for three-ninety-nine.

  I should probably tell Abby and Blaze about my concerns, more than I already have, but it’s not exactly easy to be like, ‘hey, yeah, remember that demon you exorcised outta me? Well, I’m still freaked out about it so make me feel okay, kay?’ It’s impractical, and judging from what they saw, they assured me that he’s dead. With everything going on, it’s a bit needy to get emotional backup from my ex and co when lives are at stake. My personal streak of flagrant paranoia shouldn’t be their issue to handle, or anyone else’s for that matter…so I’ll do what I’ve been doing—deal...and handle it my own way. Maybe once things clear, I’ll ask around at Blaze’s place and see if the other hunters know anything. I just have to watch my step and get in good. They still don’t know much about me or my past.

  I want to keep it that way.

  Chapter 7: Secrets

  My body wakes with a jut and I find myself sprawled out over my keyboard. Fighting my drowsiness, I look towards the clock. It’s a little past ten. I managed to get about four hours in, give or take. Cool. I look for my cell and find it to the right of me on my desk, barely charged and with no missed calls or unanswered text. I figure I might as well make the first move.

  “Blaze? It’s me, Sailor. How did things go last night? Any developments?”

  “Yeah. Tons.” His voice catches me off guard. It’s rough. Tired…grainy.

  “Did you sleep at all last night?”

  “A little…off and on once we got things under control, but I’m good. I got off easy compared to some of the others.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Reconnaissance work. Abby’s been working on the info we salvaged from a couple of cells we came across. We’ve been getting bits and pieces from the survivors, too. Just things they picked up…the coherent ones. Some are faring better than others. It’s a lot, Ray.”

  “Damn… The other team did okay though, right?”

  “More or less. They forced us back, but we did some damage. A few injuries, but nothing impossible to bounce back from. They’re probably going to try again in a week.”

  “Okay, that’s good to hear. Anything worthwhile come up from Abby?”

  “Possibly,” Blaze says after sighing. I can virtually feel his fatigue from the other side of the phone. “She’s doing something with the texts and tracking the locations of the recipients. She told me she’s looking for new patterns. They’re being more cautious, but she’s working hard. It won’t be long.” Blaze chuckles. “We’re pressing them. Already have an idea for what we’re going to be doing next.” He pauses for a second and draws in his breath before softly exhaling. “Are you good for another go-round? We may need you again. I know you had mixed feelings.”

  “I did…but I got over it. That’s actually part of the reason I called. I need to get back into the swing of things, emotions aside. I feel like I’ve been running on easy mode for the past six months. I need to get out there and make a difference.”

  “Easy mode?” Blaze responds, his voice climbing an octave. “On what planet? You’ve been riding solo and axing demons by yourself.”

  “Heh. Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

  “You
do good work, Sailor. I mean it. Always have. Don’t beat yourself up over a slipup.”

  “It wasn’t a slipup, it was a deliberate choice… But I get what you’re saying.” I pause, taking a moment to sigh. “I’ll be over your way in a couple of hours. I’m not feeling too hot, myself…could use a few extra z’s.”

  “Do you need someone to check you out or—?”

  “No. Research. I’ve been doing a ton of research. Trying to stay ahead of the game. Crime patterns, rumors…you know how it is.”

  “Okay…well, give me a ring when you’re nearby so I can let the others know you’re coming.”

  “Will do.”

  “Peace.”

  “Hey—hey… Blaze? You still there?”

  “Yeah?”

  “…If you find something about anything that points to my dad or what happened that night…could you, you know—I’m not trying to—”

  “I got you, Ray. Go get some sleep, okay? Talk to you soon. Take care,” Blaze says gently.

  He gets it.

  My dad meant a lot to the both of us, so he knows exactly how I feel. I’m not looking for a suicide mission, but there’s still some things that need answers. Vartal’s origin being one of them.

  “Thanks,” I respond, my worries, a little more at ease. “Bye.” I pull the phone away from my ear and hang up. After that, I set my alarm for half-past noon.

  Chapter 8: He who Lurks

  “So how long are we going to be like this? Resting?”

  Not much longer. I do however, need more time before I can properly address the situation that is your body. First, I must be restored to a level fit to its demands. It’s been several days since our arrangement. Things flow differently in this state of existence.

  “Really?”

  Yes. At least, your perception to the world around you. I suggest you rest for the time being. Simply shut off your thoughts and explore whatever it is that appears before you. There is much work to do.

  “Work?”

  Yes. Restoring your brain. Mending your body. Nothing significant, yet, at least, physically, but mentally, progress is being made. When you return to the waking world, you won’t be at your best, physically, but you will be, in time—once you are away from this facility. I can’t allow you to make a full recovery so soon. Do you remember how you got here? Anything at all? Think as long and hard as you’d like.

  “A…car accident. I was in a car accident. That was the last thing I remember. I was on my phone, I think. It was my fault. I was drinking, too.”

  Good. You’re regaining access to your memories. To be truthful, I prefer this method better. It would be quite troublesome to have you return but still be a prisoner. This way, we can both gain our strength as time passes. I’ll work on sustaining us both while you continue to progress.

  “Vartal… Am I a murderer? Did I kill someone?”

  I’m afraid that is a question I do not have the answer to. However, I’m sure one day soon you’ll find the answer you’re looking for.

  “Maybe I belong here…”

  Chapter 9: Spastic

  I know what you crave. My eyes shoot open but my head never leaves my pillow. Instead, a dizzy spell permeates my senses and my ears begin to ring. The remnants of his voice linger as I stare at the wall of my room, trying my best to override it through sheer determination. Once it begins to fade, I sit up in my bed and pick up my phone towards the edge.

  Damn. Beat my alarm by thirty-two minutes.

  I stare at the digital digits awhile longer as my vision clears and mentally plot my next course of action. I don’t dwell on Vartal’s voice. It’s just bullshit. A sleep-deprived audio hallucination stemming from my fears.

  Right.

  It sounds crazier than it actually is, even though I know what it is. My room is warded. He can’t talk to me in here, one, because he’s gone, and two, because the wards lining my room are strong as hell. He’s never been able to do it before under any circumstances. At his strongest, even the outer layer screwed with him…and now I’m rationalizing with myself. I’ve got to stop doing this. I’m buying into the crazy. Vartal’s gone from me. Period.

  “Keep telling yourself that, Sailor.” I groan and rest a palm over the left side of my face before running my hand through my hair. “What a sick parting gift to leave behind.” Even with him gone he’s still screwing with my mind.

  I scroll through my assortment of texts and find nothing new. No updates from Blaze, Abby, or Valerie, which isn’t revolutionary at all considering that I barely slept. I force myself off my bed and grab my jacket, my phone still in my hand. As I exit my room, I text Blaze and let him know that I’m on my way. He responds back just as I hit the door with the infamous one-letter text. “K.” I shove my phone into my back pocket and make my way to my car, the seeping sickness of Vartal’s presence at the forefront of my mind.

  For real, screw him. Having him constantly on the brain is a draining, anxiety-ridden experience. It’s the same feeling you get when you have a big moment coming up and it’s the night before, except for the moment never comes and it might actually be something that can kill you. He can be anyone if he’s alive. It’s a crushing thought to have a demon potentially trailing you and you have no idea who he is or what he wants. He doesn’t need to sleep, he doesn’t need to eat, you pissed him off, and he knows where you live. Blaze and Abby said he was on the way out when he left me…he was dying…and I trust their judgement, but they don’t know Vartal like I do. I can’t rest easy until I have proof. Even in his weakened state he was the strongest demon I’ve ever encountered.

  I can’t keep going like this…living in fear. It isn’t healthy…and if we’re being honest, my mental health as of late has been shit.

  I cast my thoughts to the side and drive over to where Blaze and Abby are stationed. The other monster hunters greet me and show their regards, but I know they can sense that something’s on my mind. I’ve got things I need to deal with, but clearly not now. Not in front of the general population. I’ve got a reputation to keep and those survivors from the other night don’t need to see the person who rushed behind enemy lines dealing with a panic attack. It’s not that good of a look.

  “Sailor!” Abby walks up to me and greets me with a hug. Her voice is a little hoarse, probably from issuing orders all throughout the night and coordinating with all of the other hunters she has connections with. I can tell she’s working on a good four to five hours, but she hides it well and with a smile.

  “Hey, Abby!” I gently rub her back and break away. “Holding down the fort, I see.”

  “Yeah, you can say that.” She sighs, giving me a glimpse into her exhaustion. “It’s a lot, but everyone’s helping out.”

  “Well, that’s good. Don’t tucker out. You’re literally the brains of this thing…anything new with the survivors?”

  “We’re still working on getting everyone up to speed. Umm…thirty-six people, we’ve saved. All of them from the US, remarkably. We gathered all of their personal information. Names, birthdays, anything that we could find on them, and I cross-referenced them with the people in the missing person’s database to see what I can find.”

  “And what did you find?” I ask.

  “Nothing…yet. I know all of these people are who they claim to be, for starters, but they aren’t exclusive to Illinois. We have people here from all over the country. Texas, New York, Idaho, Florida...”

  “Of course.”

  “The list goes on. I’m trying to find out how they’re all connected, but I can’t find the common link that connects them. I know that demons tend to target vulnerable people, but like, there has to be a connection beyond that. Are there places that are hotspots for abductions? Is this part of a bigger thing that I overlooked? We knew about the Sphinx operation, but to be trafficking people and using them as free labor, that’s a whole other scope of logistics that I didn’t factor. I thought we were finally gaining some ground on these guys, but I’m st
arting to think that we’re only scratching the surface.”

  “Abby,” I say as I put a hand on her shoulder. “Listen up. If anyone was meant for this job, it’s you. You’ve been doing a great job on everything so far, and you’ll find whatever connection you need to put everything to rest. You’re a genius, and us common folk believe in you. You got this. I know it’s tough, but without you, we wouldn’t have saved all of these lives and given them a second chance. I bet more than a handful of these people never thought they’d have their freedom again. You did that, Abby. You gave them hope.”

  “Thanks, Sailor.”

  “It’s no problem, but one thing,” I interject. “I’m sure you’ve already thought of this, but hear me out, travel for demons is nothing. They don’t function like us. When I was captured, the first thing they did was drive me to a different location a couple of miles away. If you guys wouldn’t have found me, I’m sure they would have drove me somewhere else.”

  “Yeah,” Abby says and nods thoughtfully. “Probably to a black market.”

  “Probably,” I answer, hiding my grimace. I’ve heard of them before, but Dad usually never brought me along when dealing with them. Often times, they were deemed too dangerous, and for good reason. Anything goes at supernatural black markets. They’re highly guarded, and you’re bound to deal with a slew of supernatural related threats. The more common ones will be there for sure, but at black markets, there’s room for other nonsense to rear its ugly head, too. Objects…artifacts…trinkets…whatever you want to call them. I’ve been focusing on demons lately, but they aren’t the only threat out here. Dealing with Vartal almost made me forget, not that it’s done me any good.

  “Well, look who we got here. Sailor Ray, in the flesh.” A foreign yet familiar voice calls out, and I adjust my head to look past Abby. There’s another hunter walking beside Blaze. One that I haven’t seen since before I fell off the grid.