Fury From Hell (5 page)

Jennifer turned away from her monitor; all her merriment instantly gone.  She stared defiantly into Betty’s eyes as a subtle shift happened within Jennifer’s mind.

“I don’t have to answer to you,” Jennifer said in a low voice.

“Yeah, ‘ya kinda do.  I’m the closest thing to a partner you have and besides, we’re friends.  Or, so I thought.  What’s going on with you, anyway?  You’re…different.”

When Jennifer’s eyes narrowed, Betty pulled back and warded off Jennifer’s angry look by putting her hands up in defense.

“Whoa, I mean in a good way.  You’re focused, observant and your instincts are squarely on point.  Everyone’s saying that. 
But
, this good stuff seems to be coming at the loss of the sweet girl we all knew and loved.  Leaving us with a royal bitch —
that’s
why I’m asking about the Babs thing.  You know the women on the force have to band together to hold our own.  You going after Babs gives the boys something to point out and use to justify when they treat her like shit when she won’t date ‘em. It’s not her fault she’s hot but in this macho man’s world we call the 84
^th
Precinct, her being beautiful is a felony especially if she doesn’t pick one of them.”

The Fury backed down.  Betty’s reasoning was sound.  Babs’ femininity had not gone unnoticed but the obstruction of not getting a name from the sizable database seemed incomprehensible to the Fury.  It shot venom out uncaring if the receiver was male or female.  The Fury realized that the world had changed a great deal since it had last visited.  The Fury would have to tread more carefully.  This Betty was an ally.  The Fury allowed Jennifer’s natural soft response to flow and pulled back ever watchful but now more cautious.

Jennifer blinked and looked at Betty with a faint air of confusion coloring her eyes regarding their proximity.  Blinking once more, she inched back looking down at her keyboard to collect herself and her thoughts.  Jennifer recalled their conversation perfectly but had no idea where the flash-fire rage had come from, nor where it had gone.

“Look, I know that I shot off at Babs unfairly but this case has gotten me all twisted inside.  I feel so…helpless!”

Betty put a reassuring hand on Jennifer’s shoulder.

“Jen, I know.  The Barnes case is a rough one for anyone but being your first solo case, it must suck.  She was mutilated, raped and sodomized.  It’s as if he hates women or something.”  Betty’s soothing tone touched Jennifer.

“I suppose that’s it.  I just couldn’t find the words…”

“Yeah, that’s ‘cause you’re busy trying to find her killer.  That’s your
job
and you’re doing a damn good one…just remember the rest of us are here to help.  We’re not blocking you.  In our own way, we all love each other — and you.  Now, here’s what I think you need.”

Jennifer looked over at Betty with a hint of worry in her eyes.

“What?”

“A drink,” she said with a broad smile.  “You’ve been working too hard.  I’ll buy your favorite.  What’s it again?  Uhm…don’t tell me — a Lemon Gingerini, right?”

Jennifer laughed, her old soft snorting loveable laugh and Betty let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

“Yeah, that or a Georgia Peach.  But now, not sure if that’s what I want.”

“Whatever you’re hankering for, the first one’s on me.  Shall we?  It’s quitting time.”

“But it’s only 4:30…”

“What time did you get in today?”  Jennifer’s cheeks turned red.

“About 4:45.”

“Yeah, A.M.!  Saw that when I clocked in.  So, you’re pulling twelve hour days, drinking double shots of straight caffeine and chasing it with Red Bull.  You’ve had this case for only eight days.  At this rate, you’ll be dead in a week.”  Betty got up and clapped Jennifer on the back. “Let’s go, workaholic.  What are your next days off?”

“I have the next three days off.  But, I’ve got to go apologize to Babs…”  Jennifer said as she shut down her computer.

“You’ve got a three-day weekend?  Lucky B!  Anyway, I’ve already talked to her on your behalf.  She knows we’re cool.  We all see what’s happening.  Even though you’ve been on the force a while, you’re like a rookie in some ways and this being your first case, it’s your baby.  She gets that.  Just don’t go ape-shit on her again because
then
you’ll have some real problems like your evidence going MIA.”

Both women sniggered as they left the bullpen.

***

Showering, Jennifer felt better.  The cloud of fuzzy vagueness left her and she felt whole again.  She looked over at Betty two showerheads down who was soaping her broad back.

“Thanks, Feinster.”  Betty’s response was to swat water at her.  Jennifer smiled and left it alone.  She shut off the water and grabbed her towel.  Trudging over to her locker while drying her hair, she bumped into Babs along her route.  The Fury poked her awareness out a bit and nudged at her host to override Jennifer’s natural reticence.

“Hey, Babs.  Glad I ran into you.  I wanted to apolo —”

“Forget it.  I did.  Feinster explained,” Babs said waving her hand dismissively as she shouldered her way into a beige cashmere mock turtleneck.

“We’re headed to Cody’s on Court for a drink.  Wanna join?”  Popping her head through the neck Babs tilted her head to the side.

“You’ve never invited me to join you in anything before.  What gives?”

Jennifer shrugged.

“Do I have to have a reason?”

“Yeah, you do.  I’ve known you for three years and you’ve barely acknowledged my presence.  So what you yell at me today.  That should make it even more of a pain for you to invite me anywhere.  So, again, what gives?”

With another nudge, Jennifer began speaking more freely than she ever had in her adult life, sighing all the way through her little monologue.

“If you really must know, I’ve been avoiding you.  You…kind of scare me, in a way.”

A look of incredulity suffused Babs’ face.

“Me?  Why ever for?”

Jennifer, exasperated, said, “Look, let me just get through this.  If not, forget about the invite.”

Shocked Babs pulled her head back and a bit of starch crept into her voice.

“What are you, bipolar or something?”

The Fury pulled back totally and allowed Jennifer to handle it since the doors to communication were now open.

“Sorry, I’ve been on edge lately.  I swear it’s gotta be that damned caffeine.”

“Yeah, don’t forget the Red Bull chasers.  I’ve been hearing how you have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  That stuff’s gonna kill you…”

“Thanks,
Mom
.  But, what I was saying is you’re so…beautiful.  I’m so plain and shaped just like one of the guys.  I figured hanging around you would just emphasis what I don’t have.” Jennifer finished and looked down while playing with the hem on the white towel covering her.

Babs looked at Jennifer with a knowing smile.

“I guess I should have figured it was something like that.  But, I never figured you’d be one of those.  Usually that comes with jealousy and bitchiness, but you?  You just stayed out of my sight and were…mousy.”

Babs wrinkled her nose and grinned.

“That’s kind of sweet, in a totally nerdy way.”

She paused thoughtfully, sat on the bench and began pulling her jeans over her well-toned legs.  Pursing her lips she looked up at Jennifer who was still lost in her own thoughts.

“Jen, why don’t I help you out?”  Jennifer lifted her eyes to meet Babs’ clear green ones.

“What do you mean?  You can’t help me.”

“Sure I can.  Why don’t I give you some tips on how to make the most of what you
do
have?”

“I don’t
have
anything!”

“Yeah, you do.  You’ve got great legs, a flat stomach, strong arms and you’ve got a cute face.”

Jennifer crossed her arms across her chest and pursed her lips as one eyebrow rose.

“No really!  You do,” exclaimed Babs putting her hands up to ward off the evil eye Jennifer was directing at her.  “You just need a haircut and some makeup to emphasize your great eyes.  Add a nice lip gloss along with some blush and we can create the illusion of cheekbones.  ’Cause, yeah — you don’t have any solid bone structure.”  With a wry grin, Jennifer fake punched Babs’ arm.

“So, you’re saying fake the funk?”

“Doesn’t every woman do that?”

“But you don’t have to.”

“What I’m saying is you think I have green eyes.  I don’t.  You think I am a full C cup.  I wasn’t always.  And do you know how hard I work out to keep my waist and hips tight?  If I didn’t I’d be a cow with blonde hair and regular brown eyes.”

Jennifer’s eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect circle.

“And you better not tell anybody or else I’ll know it was you.  You’re the only person I’ve ever told about the contacts and the boob job.”

Jennifer gave her a genuine smile but one more thing popped into her mind.

“Your secret’s safe with me but there’s one thing I gotta know.”

“What’s that?” she asked in a wary tone.

“What’s your real name?  Don’t think I’ve ever heard it.”

“Barbara Strickland.”

“Officer Strickland?”  Jennifer snorted.  “You sure as hell don’t look like an Officer Strickland!”

Laughing right along with her new friend she said, “Now you know why everyone calls me Babs!  But, before we head out to Cody’s, I’m going to put on a new face for you so you can test out my idea.  Game?”

Jennifer stiffened a bit.  Make-up wasn’t her thing and she didn’t want to do it at all.  But the Fury nudged her gently.

With an exaggerated sigh Jennifer asked, “Do I really have a choice?”

“Nah, not really.  So you’re cool with it?”

“Hmmm.”

“Meet you at your locker in 6 minutes.”

“Six?  Why not 5?”

“Cause it takes me a minute to put my face on — I’m that good.  And you probably need 5 minutes to get dressed, right?” 

Impressed, Jennifer whistled and raced back to her locker.  Grinning to herself, Jennifer realized it was kind of cool to have girlfriends.

***

Walking into Cody’s was a welcome relief.  Jennifer wanted a drink more than she even realized.  She glanced back at Babs Strickland and smirked.  Just walking doing nothing out of the ordinary Babs was getting oogled from the moment she came into the crowded bar.  Glancing over at Betty, Jennifer shook her head.  Although out of uniform, Betty still walked and moved like a cop.  Even in black skinny jeans with a matching black ribbed T-shirt a very cool looking smooth oval black stone on a black leather cord finished off with cute brown shoe boots and a warm-looking fur lined brown suede jacket Betty looked as if she could eat a box of nails and spit them all out with accuracy on the dart board twenty feet to their right.  Snickering, Jennifer followed the tough dark blonde cop and the dainty platinum blonde forensics cop as they slid through the narrow parting of bodies on their trek to the bar.

The Fury watched as the host observed her friends.  However, Abatu stilled when it recognized the obsidian amulet the one called Betty wore.  The demon wondered if the lady cop knew what she wore.  The demon couldn’t see into Betty’s mind; the amulet protected all who wore them from basic intrusion by dark forces.  Furrowing its brow, Abatu sniffed the air cautiously.  It sniffed a second time to be sure.  It did not catch any scent other than that of sweating humans.  The sweet fragrance of magic with a hint of spicy musk was no where to be found in this establishment.  Abatu chided itself.  It knew that in this time true witches were far and few in between.  Relaxing, it turned its attention to the crowd.

Abatu began getting excited at the number of men present but it simmered down.  Tonight was not for the Fury’s pleasure; it was for the new host to relax and unwind.  The Fury knew that all of the newness was stressful for its host.  But stress was the last thing the host needed.  Stress sped up the depletion of the host body.  The host had to find Kyma’s killer before the host was killed or became too depleted.

Finding seats at the bar, the three women cased the place before settling in and getting comfy.  Jennifer turned to the barman feeling lucky to be alive.  She was about to order her usual when the urge for something much stronger hit her.  She knew if she had another fruit-filled girly drink this lifetime she would hurl.

“What can I get for you ladies?”

“What’s strong, packs a mean punch, and will leave me breathless?”

The rugged looking bartender smiled broadly.

“Other than me?”

Betty and Babs snorted and then play-punched Jennifer.

“Gotta use that pick up line some time,” muttered Babs under her breath.

Jennifer realized her innocent request was misunderstood and didn’t bother to clean it up.  Instead, she tried again.

“The drink I’m looking for shouldn’t be a girly frothy sugar bomb.  I want a harder liqueur than the average girl deals with.  Got something like that?”

“Sure do.  Ever heard of Jägermeister?”  Jennifer shook her head but her curiosity was piqued.

“Nope.”

“It’s a German herbal liqueur with fifty-six herbs and spices.  It’s seventy proof — that’s thirty-five percent alcohol by volume — and it packs that mean hook you wanted… the left
and
right.  That strong enough for you…?” he asked.  With his elbows on the bar, he leaned over and smiled right into her blushing face.

“That should do it.  What would you put with it?  Or, do I take it straight?”

“You could do it straight, with no chaser, but a better harder way would be to have a Jäger Bomb Shooter.”

“I’ve heard of those!” said Babs. “They had those at a Christmas party I went to a few years back.  These brolic cops from the 73
^rd
precinct invited me and Feinster but we arrived
after
these Jäger Bombs were served.  Those cops were reduced to mere stuttering hunks of flesh.   They only had two and a half each and were toast!”

Raising an eyebrow, Jennifer asked the obvious.  “So, what’s in it?”

“Half a glass of Red Bull with a shot of Jägermeister dropped in — glass and all,” the bartender said with a disarming smile while he tickled the inside of Jennifer’s arm.  She jerked back not realizing how close he had gotten.