The Abyss Stares Back - 09
“Are you insane?!” Inspector Tiege spat out.
This was a tirade that Sloan had heard many times before. It typically followed a severe and successful hunt.
They stood in front of the apartment building surrounded by watchers and a couple of other inspectors. Several watchers had been sent up to survey the bloodbath and to take statements from the building’s other tenants. A large crowd of onlookers had gathered to observe the display. The rumors were undoubtedly already spreading like wildfire.
“An entire apartment floor slaughtered?! Have you lost your mind?!?!”
The vein in his forehead was popping so hard it threatened to burst. His pasty face was red with anger but his brow was heavily perspired. There was fear mixed with his fury.
“They were possessed by demonic spirits.” Sloan replied with the utmost calm.
“Every single one of them?!” the inspector scoffed as he paced about. “How convenient is that!!”
“At least one of them was possessed by a greater demon while the others were mere wretches…that means lower level demonic spirits.”
“I assumed!”
“There was also a demonic flesh golem that attacked us and I’m certain if you have your men take a closer look at the organs embedded in it you will find a few that may match the ones missing from your murder victims.”
Inspector Tiege stopped and slowly turned his head to look at the woman, his eyes on the verge of popping. “You’re sure of this?”
“Haven’t done a thorough inspection yet myself but it all fits. I also found this.”
Sloan pulled out the bone charm and showed it to the inspector. Most of the nearby watchers exchanged nervous glances, most of them having never seen something like this. A familiar inspectors, a large hyperian man who most likely had some giant blood in him with long mutton chops, that reached out from under his bowler hat and enveloped his face. Seeing the demonic rune he cocked an eyebrow curiously.
“What do you make of that, Eldon?” asked Inspector Tiege.
The half giant man shrugged. “Looks like the real deal, but I wouldn’t be able to say without consulting with a specialist first.”
Tiege sighed.
“Inspector this was driven into Ailene Butler’s bedroom wall, surrounded by growing living tissue that would’ve eventually formed a portal into Pentaghast.”
The inspector furrowed his brow as if to push through a mounting headache. “Alright, that sounds like some fairy tale shit.”
“Welcome to my world, inspector.”
“So surely that means Ailene Butler is involved!”
“No.”
Sloan watched the momentary expression of relief vacate the inspector’s face.
“What do you mean? She was hospitalized for hearing voices right? And then people get killed and suddenly the entire floor of her apartment building supposedly winds up possessed with…this thing embedded into the wall of her room? Walk me through this, blackguard, how is she not involved?”
“I was able to interrogate Ailene’s father, or the thing that was puppeting him, which helped me determine that these demonic spirits are involved with a very powerful demonic godling. One who does not do simple plots.”
“And?”
“And Ailene herself didn’t react the same way when I put her through this test, while the thing that possessed her father reacted violently. Not to mention her parents admitted her into Grimwald Sanatorium when she started acting strange herself. My theory is she was an early warning sign. A canary in the coal mine if you will.”
“You think the parents had her admitted before they themselves starting falling under the influence?” asked Inspector Eldon.
“That’s exactly right. I think she was more sensitive than the others on her floor and was removed before any permanent damage could be done to her.”
“The woman’s in an asylum, raving like a lunatic. That’s not permanent damage?” asked Tiege.
“I suppose it’s all relative.” Said Sloan.
“Fine, Eldon and I will have to go and have a chat with Miss Butler ourselves. Try and corroborate your story at all.”
“We can’t leave yet.” Said Sloan with fierce determination in her blackened eyes.
“Excuse me?”
“We have to do a thorough search through the rest of the building, make sure none of the other occupants are showing any signs of demonic influence.”
“And who are you to be giving me orders in this matter?”
“On all demonic matter the blackguards have jurisdiction.”
“Jurisdiction?!” Inspector Tiege screamed with fury, turning all heads to look at them. “You’re lucky I don’t throw you into solitary confinement after the massacre you just committed!! If I find so much as a hint that you killed someone who wasn’t possessed I WILL throw you into the deepest darkest dungeon we’ve got and make sure all paperwork involving you is promptly lost, forever!”
Sloan maintained her cold stare fixed on the man, fighting a losing battle within her to maintain her stoic demeanor. She knew she should just shut up. That this was how they always acted, because they could not possibly understand what they were up against. But the anger was now seething in her. That fire that she had quelled for so long. She knew it was a bad idea, but in this moment she didn’t care.”
“Oh yeah? And how do you supposed you’ll do that?”
“With all the powers invested in me, you curseborn bitch.”
And there it was. The final straw.
Sloan’s cold gaze grew hotter as she stood to her full height and grinned, baring her sharp teeth back at the short man. The initial dropping of his furious expression and quick step back only fueled her anger.
“You’re gonna need a lot more people than that. I’ve just gotten warmed up.”
Almost every single watcher around them drew their batons or revolvers at that.
“Now, now.” Said Inspector Eldon, stepping between the two. “There will be none of that. Everyone calm down and put away your weapon for gods’ sake.”
The surrounding watchers hesitantly put away their weapons, looking at one another with uncertainty. Sloan and Tiege remained locked in eye contact.
“It’s true what they say about you people.” Inspector Tiege muttered. “You’re nothing but blood crazed butchers.”
“And it is true what they say about yours. “Sloan answered, seething with venom. “You are nothing but cowards who hide behind your walls. You’ve forgotten how dangerous the world truly is. You’ve forgotten the hell that resides below our feet. You can scarcely imagine. But one of you can. Watcher Wulfgang Petersen. Ask him, he can tell you. He saw.”
Inspector Eldon inserted himself between them again, breaking their line of sight. “Watcher Petersen is currently recovering at the sanatorium. We’ll get his statement when he is fit to answer. In the meantime I suggest you go back to your hotel room and wait for us to get back to you. We’ll have further questions about this incident.”
“Did you not hear a thing I said? I am not leaving until we have questioned everyone in this apartment building. I need to make sure the infection has not spread further.”
The tall man stared at her with his piercing blue eyes. His heritage made him easily stand two feet taller than her. He looked like he had military training, which meant he would be a decent threat if things came to blows.
“We know what to look out for. You need to rest and nurse your wounds. We can send medical staff to your lodgings if you need them but we cannot allow you to get further involved in this matter. I think it is best for everyone’s sake if you leave this to us.”
“I have a right to be here.” Hissed Sloan.
“Your rights in this matter are questionable at best. It is our job to uphold the law and it is your job to quell demonic influence. You’ve quelled. You’ve slaughtered an entire floor’s worth of people. Now our job is to sift through the evidence and to make sure that you have not overstepped the limitations of your role. So obviously we cannot let you back in there for fear that you may tamper with evidence, nor can we let you leave either. So we ask you to stay until we close out our investigation.”
Sloan looked back at him, her burning gaze meeting his icy cold stare.
“This isn’t over. There is a missing piece to this puzzle. The demonic godling behind this would not stop at this. I have to figure out what it is.”
Inspector Tiege scoffed. “Eager to continue the hunt. Soon she’ll be pointing at us as “under the influence”.
Sloan rolled her eyes.
“Go back to your hotel room and get some rest. Let us do our job. If there is evidence of further demonic activity we will contact you.”
Sloan got up and walked towards the carriage.
“But leave your weapons. The ones you used for the killings. We’ll need to inspect them as well.” Added Inspector Tiege.
The blackguard stopped for a moment before complying. She left the bladed cane and serrated blade behind before boarding the carriage. But before she could have the driver take her away she found Inspector Eldon lean in through the open window.
“A watcher asked you earlier if you had help. Someone saw you make your way back into the building with a woman.”
“And I’ll tell you what I told that watcher. Their witness must have imagined it because I walked back in there by myself.” Sloan lied back, effortlessly.
Eldon peered his eyes at her.
“Rest up. We’ll be in contact with you.”
The inspectors and the watchers observed as the carriage rode off up the street. The air became immediately diffused once the blackguard woman had left.
“Can you believe this?” mumbled Inspector Tiege. “How are these people legally allowed to go around and just kill indiscriminately?! It’s utter madness!”
“This law wouldn’t be written into the Kingsfall Accords without reason.” Answered Inspector Eldon.
“But who decides? Who manages this? Are we leaving that to these people?”
“They are the experts.”
Tiege scoffed. “Them? They deal with these things so often that all they see is demonic influences and dark magic.”
The squat inspector turned around to look at the towering apartment building before them. Dreading the job that now awaited them.
“That fucking bitch needs to learn her place.”
In a nearby alleyway a figure lingered in the shadows, watching from afar. The figure watched in frustration as the watchers and inspectors returned into the building and knew that it’s plan had been foiled. Or at least, this part of it. But it had further machinations yet to cultivate.
The figure skulked away, returning to the shadows and disappearing from view.
