"You wanted to see me Captain Americ?"
"Choi...come in...shut the door." Police Captain Stephen Americ...don't you dare call him Captain America...he simply wears the shield. An older silver haired veteran of 30 years he was a straight shooter in every way. Intimidating to the rookies that's a certainty. "Take a seat. Fill me in on your report here over the bus attack. It looks a little thin in my opinion. Same for the Crowley Manson victims...even the Coroner reports have natural causes listed. Since when does a guy blow his penis up no matter how hard he gets? Same for the Drewbeck woman...that much blood loss can't be natural."
"Well Cap...I can't speak for Russ and Keith's findings on the Girls Home Administrators. Two in 24 hours is kind of creepy I'll give it that, but I'm not picking up foul play."
"You've always had good instincts Heather I'll take your word on anything you write. I'd just like to hear your side of what went on out there."
Sighing she knew that no matter what she said an innocent Bus Driver was going to prison for life. It was not his fault in what Argus...aka SUGAR did while being possessed and under his influence. While it appeared the Boston P.D. themselves who were similarly inflicted by the Incubus and having been forced to rape the poor girls on the bus were subject to some kind of mind wipe by the redheaded woman who came to rescue them. Some too young to even understand sex the girls too were mind wiped to simply think they were hostages. Losing virginities galore did not even go into question. Not even Heather Choi understood it all but she was in a sense grateful the kids were spared the trauma of mental torture in their future. So far at least.
"Statements from the girls on the bus said they were too terrified to run while the Driver was off the bus. Mainly because of that Pemberton fellow whose body was on the ground dead. What I'm not getting is how did our guys not fire on the Driver? They had ample opportunity to bring him down. So did you I believe."
"It was chaos Cap. Too many innocent neighbors and kids to start shooting heavily, more might have been hurt."
"What about Officers Eaton, Maller, and Prather? They looked as if they were ripped apart by some big cat, yet there are no paw prints on site. How is that explained?"
"Honestly Chief it's all a blur. You know if I had witnessed any large..." She suddenly thought of the black cat that kept following her and got a chill, rubbing her forearms.
"Unlike you to show fear Choi. You okay? Looking pale there."
"Are you superstitious Cap?"
"Walked around a ladder just yesterday. Why?"
"Well, when I was running through yards there was a black cat that kept following me. Not a big cat but it just wouldn't go away. When guns started going off it did disappear though. I know it's a stretch but it's irony I guess." She didn't tell him about her clawed tire on her car having changed it out before heading back to the Precinct. Hiding evidence was not smart but she managed to swap it out without questions.
"How do we account for our ladies in blue? They can't seem to recall who wounded them. We both know there's more to this than a simple hijacking by a whacko Driver. What about that Media chopper dropping a camera on the Alonzo yard? Why in fact was the Driver using the home of a deceased Administrator as a final destination?"
"Well, the girls are from the group home he presided over. Maybe there was a connection between the Driver and Alonzo. We haven't gotten that deep into the case yet. The Driver is catatonic right now so it's difficult to get answers."
"Right! Awful convenient the guy going into a coma."
"I know!" She admitted that once the Driver was arrested he was distraught and bewildered, on the way into custody the man simply passed out and could not be woken up. That was good for Raven Moore...Mourn as Heather recalled the orphan's change in name, if not legalized. "All I know is I won't be sleeping much. Hearing all those young girls screaming...it was horrible."
"Why were the kids not removed to safety?"
"Turmoil! Gunfire? Safer on the bus? Look Cap we might not have had our best day ever but the kids are safe and in hiding at a new safehouse. Let's just hope nothing further puts them in danger. Before you ask why I say that...let's look at the facts here...two Admin's in 24 hours dying under odd circumstances, a bus load of students from the same home was abducted by a Driver who we know very little about other than pristine qualifications and no criminal record. It's beyond me at this point why he acted like he did." Technically that was true. How would she ever understand demonic possession let alone prove it? While the mystery woman in the red Ferrari did seem to take care of things to prevent too many questions and mental breakdowns, she was still out there. Not only that, but Heather by all reasoning should be bringing in Raven Mourn but her intuition said that would only make matters worse.
"So...our crime scene was a bloodbath at our own peoples hands."
"I wish I had more..." Moore even! Why did she just picture kissing the girl. Shaking it off she finished with, "...to offer Cap."
"You look pretty jittery. Take the rest of the day off."
"Shift was over long ago Cap."
"Damn! Time went by quick today. Take tomorrow off then. Until we get that Driver to wake up, all we have is questioning our own people. Bullets from our own guns, shooting our own people is just bad press. Even neighbors who we questioned were at a loss of how to explain things. No help there!"
"Eerie!" She had that right!
"Too eerie! Go on Choi. Take some Z-Quil or something and sleep off tomorrow. Come back with fresh eyes." Hearing Captain Americ say eyes made Heather take a closer look at his. He noting her behavior winced, "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing!" His eyes were normal so she let it go. But, the fear that this Argus/Sugar demon taking over the Captain made her worry further. Standing up she stepped to the door and paused in turning the knob. "We will get to the bottom of this Cap."
"That or the bottom of a bottle."
"Stiff one does sound good right now." Leaving with that she hadn't noticed her leader drop his eyes to check out her ass. Stiff one indeed! Stephan had always enjoyed stealing glimpses at her perfect little ass. Married or not Americ had a roving eye. Back to business at hand, not the under the desk kind either.
********
Many miles from Boston...in the thicket of Ebontide Woods...not far from the reputable town of Salem...rather secluded...spell casting kept it that way.
"Look at that bloody windmill. What ever happened to the old days when things weren't so...eye sore?" The old woman in her 70's teetered in her wooden rocking chair.
"We did good Granny." The tall redhead in leather that appeared to be the Mother of Raven Mourn stood on the front porch of a grand old Victorian style three story home with a view that was simply breathtaking. Except for that damned white fiberglass windmill over the treetops. "At least our best considering."
"Did we Jezzie? Did we really? Interfering in Raven's future is going to get us into trouble. The Coven will demand answers."
"One thing at a time. She's...different than we were at her age. I don't know what to make of it."
"Old sayin'...the times they are a changin'."
"I feel strange now that my mark has transferred to Raven."
"Had to happen Jezzabel. How do you think I felt when I was relieved of it when your Grandmother Arcadia turned 18, then your Mother when she reached that age?"
"Yes but...it was darkness Granny. Now...I can feel a light...emanating from my daughter. The mark has...evolved?"
"Until we learn more we keep an eye on Raven. Intervening like we did today is going to cost us."
"I'm prepared! Whatever the Coven decides I'll...abide by it."
"Conjuring a large scale mind wipe will be noticed."
"There would have been too much damage to our livelihood if we had let Sugar destroy so many lives."
"You know that pecker head isn't done. We can't kill him...he..."
"Sired us...yes I know! I'm not calling him Daddy."
"Not your Daddy and you know it...just a seed in a plot of soil Jezzie."
"Vessel for the...Dark One!"
"One beast at a time Baby."
"Do you think...Raven being different will...alter the future?"
"Already has...Tall, Dark, and Horny will demand Sugar keep tryin' until he impregnates Raven."
"Why did it not take when Sugar raped her the first time?"
"Like you said...the mark has evolved. It must be rejecting his attempt."
"What does that mean?"
"Askin' the wrong crow Baby girl...I'm old school and you know it. Just like that fuckin' windmill out there...progress is...ugly!" She waves her hand in a circular motion toward the distant windmill and a blade falls off forcing it to shut down. "One wing clipped. Two more to go."
"You would think after the last time you did that they would get the hint." Jezzabel smirked, "Nice one! We should go hunting for quail it's been ages."
