Demon Seed Read online

  After two hours, she’d reached her limit for his distractions. “You. Out.”

  Another rubber band he’d been playing with shot out of his hands. “What?”

  She pointed at the door. “You’re worse than a five-year-old strung out on M&M’S. Go send Will down and take his place before I bop you one.”

  He looked a little sheepish. “I’m sorry, Kal. You know I don’t like sitting still for too long. I like to be in the middle of things.”

  “I know, and I love you for caring enough to try, but go.”

  “Maybe I should wait for Will—”

  “Now! I’ll be safe for the ten minutes it takes Will to get down here. In fact, I need a break to stretch my legs. Go.” She also had to empty her bladder, and she didn’t need him babysitting her while she took a leak.

  He reluctantly left. Kal breathed in a deep sigh of relief and stretched, her muscles groaning in protest as she did. She thought the world of Purs, but if she didn’t want to bean him, she needed him out of her base camp.

  Kal grabbed her two-way radio and headed down the hall toward the bathrooms, in the opposite direction Purson went. Between the coffee and water she’d been drinking, she couldn’t hold it any longer. They were set up on the third floor, in an empty corner where tenants had already vacated but no construction had yet occurred because it would disturb the remaining occupants. It was perfect for what they needed, including air-conditioned.

  The ladies’ room on this end of the floor only had one working florescent light at the far end, away from the door. That cast the rest of the room in a creepy, dim, flickering glow. She’d be better off with the small flashlight clipped to her belt.

  After using the facilities she set her two-way on a little shelf over the sink and washed her hands. A sudden chill swept through her and she looked up when a flash of movement in the mirror caught her eye.

  Behind her in the bathroom stood a young boy.

  She whirled around and found herself alone.

  Kal glanced in the mirror again. He was clearly visible. Red hair, freckles, dressed in what appeared to be white pajamas. Maybe nine or ten years old.

  Kal looked behind her. No boy.

  She looked back to the mirror.

  He hesitantly smiled.

  With shaky fingers, she grabbed her two-way without taking her eyes off the boy’s reflection. “Aidan.” She hoped her voice didn’t tremble too much.

  After a moment, Aidan’s chipper reply. “Go for Aidan.”

  “Where are you?” she whispered.

  Now a slight hesitation. This was an open frequency, and she knew she had to be careful. If she had her druthers, she’d summon him demon-style, but she couldn’t do that with the film crew around and he knew it. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. Where are you?”

  His voice definitely sounded concerned. “Tenth floor. We just finished a sweep and we’re heading down for break. Didn’t you see us on the monitors?”

  “Who’s there with you?” She stared at the mirror as the boy stood a few feet away, watching her.

  Aidan’s voice had changed tone again, from concerned to commanding. “It’s just me and Jeff, we’re waiting on the elevator. Film crew already went down.” Code for, We’re alone. “What is going on, babe? Talk to me.”

  She put the radio down, then softly spoke into the room. “Aidan, appareo.”

  He immediately appeared, alone. “Kal, what the fu—” His gaze followed hers into the mirror. “Holy shit!” he whispered.

  “You see him, right? Please tell me you see him.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, babe. You’re not seeing things. I mean, you are seeing things, just not imagining them. I’m seeing the same thing you are.”

  “What are you seeing?”

  “Little boy, red hair, and white pj’s.”

  “Okay.” She felt palpable relief at the confirmation, immediately followed by more nervous anxiety.

  Will’s voice, sounding tight with tension, barked over the two-way. “Kal, what’s wrong?” She knew he still had a film crew in tow because he was the star. Until he was back at base, they’d keep rolling on him. She couldn’t speak to him mentally that far away yet. She’d noticed her distance was constantly increasing as Will’s powers returned, but she was too nervous and scared to concentrate to even attempt to project that far right this minute.

  Aidan replied through his radio as he stared at the apparition in the mirror. “Nothing, dude. Just a big spider. It’s okay. Under control. I’m taking care of it.”

  “What do I do?” Kal whispered. In her time with the show she’d seen things, but never anything like this.

  “You got your BlackBerry on you? Mine’s out in the van.”

  She nodded and handed it over. It had a still and video camera built in. Aidan activated it and pointed it at the mirror. While the little boy was visible to them in the mirror, he wasn’t visible in the image on the phone. He also wasn’t visible if the phone was pointed directly at him.

  “Damn.” He handed it back to her. “So much for that. I can’t bring a FLIR to me, they’re all being used by the volunteers. Someone would notice if one suddenly disappeared right out of their fricking hand,” he snarked. “Might cause a commotion.”

  “Can you talk to him?”

  Aidan closed his eyes and fished his tiger’s-eye amulet out from under his shirt. After a moment he opened his eyes and took Kal’s hand. She felt a weird sort of energy flow through her, not unpleasant but definitely not fun.

  “Go ahead,” Aidan whispered.

  Kal swallowed to form spit. “Hey there. What’s your name?”

  The little boy looked surprised. “Bobby.”

  “Hi, Bobby. My name is Kal. Why are you here?” She realized Aidan had released his amulet and now held a digital voice recorder. Maybe they could get some proof, at least.

  “I can’t find my mom. I went to sleep and now she’s gone. I’ve been looking for her. Have you seen her?”

  It was times like this Kal felt most conflicted. Knowing the truth of the universe, versus her father’s stringent Baptist dogma that had taught her from childhood all good kids go to Heaven, emotionally pulled at her. In reality, this boy had no heavenly options. Only to move on into another life or hang out, perpetually confused and alone, in an old office building and missing his most likely long-dead mother.

  “Bobby, how old are you?”

  “Nine. I was really sick. I went to sleep for a while and I feel better now. But I can’t find my mom.”

  “What’s your last name?”

  “Martinez.”

  “Where’s your dad?”

  The little boy looked sad. “He died last year. He drowned.”

  “Last year?”

  Bobby nodded.

  Kal shared a glance with Aidan. “This will sound like a silly question, but can you tell us what year that was?” she asked. “When he died?”

  “1940.”

  Aidan gently squeezed Kal’s hand. “It was the Tampico Floridian Hotel then,” Aidan whispered.

  “Why were you and your mommy staying in the hotel?” Kal asked Bobby.

  “She got a job here after my dad died. We live in a room for free. I help her clean rooms sometimes when I’m not in school.”

  “What’s your room number?”

  “709. We share it with Aunt Carol. Uncle Michael died with my dad. They were out fishing together.”

  Kal felt torn between wanting to interrogate the little boy and wanting to cry for him. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thank you.” His image faded in the mirror. “If you see my mom, please tell her I’ll go wait in our room.”

  His image completely disappeared as Will burst through the bathroom door. Somehow, he’d managed to shake the film crew. “What is going on? Kal, are you okay?”

  Aidan took a deep breath as he released Kal’s hand. “Thanks a lot, dude. You scared him off.”

  Will whirled around
. “Scared who?”

  Kal slumped against the sink as her tears flowed. “Bobby Martinez.”

  Chapter Four

  Once fully reassured the entity wasn’t malevolent, Will agreed to let Kal go back to the bathroom with Aidan, a FLIR, and a regular camera. They worried a film crew would only scare the little boy off. After an hour, Bobby didn’t reappear.

  While they were taking a break, Kal had a flash of inspiration. “What did he say their room number was?”

  Aidan thought it over. “709.” She consulted the old blueprints the building manager had loaned her and sorted through them. Alone with Aidan, they made their way upstairs into the empty space that would have been where room 709 was located back then. It was a vacant office, only partially demolished.

  They felt something, but still couldn’t find Bobby. Aidan sensed his presence, yet the little boy still didn’t appear.

  Kal had an epiphany. “Can you bring us a mirror?”

  Aidan closed his eyes, as if searching the building. “Remind me I got this from the third floor.” A small over-sink mirror appeared, leaning against the wall. Aidan and Kal repositioned themselves so they could sit on the floor and see most of the area in the mirror. After twenty minutes, Bobby reappeared.

  “Did you find my mom?” he asked.

  Kal shook her head. “No, sweetie, I’m sorry. We didn’t.” She glanced at Aidan, who had started filming with the regular camera. He grimly shook his head. She knew that meant Bobby wasn’t appearing on camera.

  She pointed the FLIR at the mirror but only saw their reflections. Then she pointed it at the area of the room where Bobby would be in relation to his reflection. He appeared on her monitor in stark contrast to the rest of the space.

  “What’s that?” the little boy asked.

  “These are special cameras.”

  “Oh.” He looked at the floor and shuffled his feet. “I’m not going to find my mom, am I?”

  Aidan shut off the camera he held and closed his eyes. A moment later, Ryan appeared in the room, out of the field of view of the FLIR. Without saying anything he studied the two of them, then looked into the mirror. Apparently he was having a silent conversation with Aidan that Kal wasn’t privy to. After a moment, Aidan switched off the digital voice recorder. The FLIR didn’t record sound.

  Ryan touched his amulet and looked at the place in the room where Bobby stood. “Hello there, Bobby. How are you?”

  In the mirror, Kal watched as Bobby looked surprised, then pleased. “Hello! Who are you?”

  Ryan held out his hand. “My name’s Ryan. I’m a friend of your mommy’s. Would you like me to take you to her?”

  Bobby eagerly nodded. Kal had to shut off the FLIR because her hands were trembling too badly to hold it. She felt her tears just below the surface.

  Aidan slipped his arm around her shoulders as they looked in the mirror.

  They watched Bobby walk over to Ryan and take his hand. Both disappeared.

  Kal closed her eyes and softly wept against Aidan’s shoulder.

  “Hey, it’s okay, sweet cheeks. Ryan will make sure he goes on.”

  “I wonder how many nights he said his prayers and wondered if his daddy and uncle made it to a Heaven that doesn’t really exist.”

  Aidan sighed. “It doesn’t matter, does it? He’s in a better place now, really. No one, not even the shit weasel, lives forever. Some of us just live longer than others.”

  “He’s right.” Ryan’s soft voice startled Kal. He’d silently returned. Ryan walked over to her and knelt next to her, then looked at Aidan. Aidan took the hint and disappeared.

  “Kal, love, we’ve talked about this. Souls go on. It’s energy. He’s not stuck here anymore.”

  “Why did he get stuck?”

  He reached out and gently brushed her tears from her cheeks. “It’s hard to say. Sometimes it happens. There are various reasons.”

  “What did you do to him?”

  “I sent him on his way. He’ll go on, at some point be reborn, and live again.”

  “You lied to him! You told him he’d see his mom!”

  Ryan shrugged. “Who’s to say he won’t?” His face grew sad as his voice softened. “We’ve discussed this, too, love. Meeting others in different lives, as different people.” He let out a sigh. “It’s an endless cycle, as old as the Universe itself. Aidan, appareo.” As Aidan reappeared, Ryan disappeared.

  When Kal felt a little better, Aidan sent the mirror back to its original location and returned with her downstairs to their base.

  Will immediately shuttled her outside to talk in private. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” She sniffled. “I’ll be okay.”

  He enveloped her in a hug. “I’m sorry, babe.”

  “What for?”

  “That you’re upset.”

  She harshly laughed. “What’s worse, is I think I’m some sort of freak.”

  “Why?”

  “Because on the way down I thought dang it, we didn’t even get a lot of good footage for the show from all of that.”

  He processed her comment, then laughed and hugged her again. “Hey, that just means you’re a damn good producer, babe. Not a freak.”

  * * * *

  The next afternoon, Kal worked alone in her office. On her laptop she had pulled up the state vital statistics database.

  Having the head of the Underworld as your boss guaranteed you special access you might not normally have. Fortunately the records had been digitized. She found Bobby’s death certificate.

  Influenza.

  After a little more checking, she located the uncle and father’s death certificates. With those dates, she was able to go to the Tampa Tribune archives and pull up old newspaper stories about the drowning. They were fishing in Tampa Bay when a summer squall blew up and swamped their small boat. She also found the funeral notice for Bobby, including a picture of him. Except for the fact that it was in black and white, it was obviously the same boy. He’d been interred in the Oaklawn Cemetery in Tampa.

  After a little more looking, Kal located information on Bobby’s mother and aunt. Both long dead. Apparently Bobby was an only child.

  Kal returned to her office and shut the door, stewing, in a foul mood. Unable to take it anymore, she left the office and drove first to a florist, then to the cemetery. It took her some searching, but after an hour she found him. His small, plain marker was tucked in a shady corner near the fence. Being here reminded her of her trips to Abby’s grave.

  She pulled a few weeds that had grown around the edges of the marker, then carefully tucked the flowers against the gravestone so they wouldn’t fall. She also knew it had been many, many decades since anyone put flowers on Bobby’s grave.

  She closed her eyes when she smelled the faint hint of familiar cologne. It was the only reason she didn’t flinch when Ryan spoke. “It’s all right, love. It is the natural cycle of things, truly.”

  Kal sat back on her heels and opened her eyes so she could look at the grave. She sensed Ryan stood right behind her, and that if she leaned back, she’d be comfortably nestled against his legs. It would feel so right…and yet just wrong enough that she didn’t do it.

  “Part of me was happier when I didn’t know the truth, I think.”

  “This is why The Firm works so hard to keep the truth out of the hands of humanity. It would take away their hope, those who have it.”

  “Wouldn’t it be a comfort to them to know they go on indefinitely?”

  “Not necessarily. One person’s Heaven is another’s Hell. It’s best everyone believes as they wish. Goes back to free will and all that. Our job is to preserve man’s free will, the ability to believe as they choose, not inform them of all the Universe’s truths. Most people don’t want to know anyway, they’d rather stay safely ensconced in their comfortable denial.”

  “Why are you here?”

  She sensed him kneel behind her, intimately close but still not touching. “Will asked me to chec
k in on you.”

  “Why didn’t he do it? Come here himself?”

  “He sensed you didn’t want him here.”

  At first she prepared to object, then realized Ryan was right. She’d wanted to be alone. “So why the heck do you think I’d want you here more than him?”

  “You don’t want me here, love. I know that. However, I am available to answer any questions you may have, to the best of my ability.”

  She studied the marble stone. Robert Martinez—Beloved Son. He wasn’t buried with his father or mother. The hotel had paid for Bobby’s funeral. The manager at the time personally donated the marker.

  A widowed wife, and now a bereaved mother. It was no surprise. Bobby’s mother could probably barely make ends meet as it was.

  She’d died three years after her son, at the young age of thirty-three. Cardiac arrest was listed as the cause of death.

  Kal suspected “broken heart” would have been more accurate.

  “Beloved” certainly seemed to be a commonly used phrase on gravestones. Did most of the people who had it chiseled into the cold rock really “belove” their dearly departed before they departed?

  “So where did Abby go?” Kal quietly asked. “Did she get a happily ever after with someone else? She’d what, be about my age if she was reincarnated immediately, right?”

  Kal finally turned to look at him, a wave of anger washing through her. “Why don’t you go find her now and be with her?” Kal didn’t try to mask her bitter tone. “She was your soul mate in her previous life. Go grab her before someone else can! Why sit around on your butt miserable and moping about her? Will’s got a soul mate now so it wouldn’t matter anymore, right?”

  Kal regretted the barb as she felt a thick wall go up in Ryan’s mind. “It’s not as simple as that, love. I wish that it were.” He disappeared without another word.

  Kal closed her eyes and silently swore. She shouldn’t have said that to him. Especially not as good as he’d been to her.

  Well, despite the whole wraith-possession-deflowered-by-a-demon thing.

  She’d felt like lashing out, angry that a young boy’s life was cut short, a family destroyed. Angry that she felt guilty she and Will were so happy when so many people around them were miserable.