Authors: Angella Graff
They continued to scour the apartment until well past ten when Mark’s phone finally rang, Ben’s cell phone number displayed on the caller ID.
“What’s the good word, detective?”
There was a slight pause before Ben answered. “My petition for a warrant was denied,” he said in a rather subdued voice.
“I’m sorry,” Mark said, trying desperately to convey the sound of sympathy. “What now?”
“Don’t pretend to feel sorry when I know you’re not,” Ben said, sounding more defeated than anything. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you and your doctor friend were behind this. However, as I have no evidence, I’m just calling to apologize that we can’t attempt to find your friend and we move on.”
Mark froze, his eyes darting to Greg and Abby who were waiting patiently for the word. “You do realize we have another plan, don’t you?”
“I realize
you
do, yes,” Ben said, “but it’s a plan that’s not only illegal, but would also cost me my job if I went through with it. I’m sorry but you’re out of luck. I’m washing my hands of this whole situation and I’m getting back to work. Tell my sister I’ll call her a little later and we can chat.”
Mark sat there, the phone pressed to the side of his head even after the line had gone dead. Eventually he dropped his arm and let out a long breath. “He’s not going to help us.”
“What?” Abby asked. “What do you mean?”
“Well, our little plan worked, and his warrant was denied, but he’s decided that he’s not going to help,” Mark said with a helpless shrug.
“So we go without him,” Greg said.
“And do what? Risk everything to get Yehuda out?” Abby asked. “It’s all well and good for you and Yehuda,” she said, pointing at Mark, “but what about the rest of us? Greg, are you okay risking your life, your career, for this?”
“Yes,” Greg said with a shrug. “I’m sorry, Abby, but I thought you were as well. When you consider the consequences…”
“No,” Abby said. “We need my brother’s help.” She got up and stormed to the table, rummaging around in Greg’s little black bag. “This is the only way.”
It took Mark and Greg too long to realize what she was doing. She had obviously paid attention when Greg was explaining how to administer the dosage of opiates, because before either of the men could rush to her side, she had jammed the hypodermic needle full of opiates into her arm and pushed the plunger down.
“Abby, don’t!” Greg cried, but it was in vain.
Abby wavered on the spot for a moment and then smiled at the pair. “Just call him when it wakes up.” And then, before their eyes, she hit the floor.
Mark looked over at Greg, his eyes wide with panic. “What do we do?”
“She’s going to be out cold for hours,” Greg said. He stepped over her lying body and grabbed his bag, plopping down in a chair next to where she lay. Inside was the vial of liquid anti-depressant and he pulled out a second syringe. “The only thing I can do is give her this and hope it has enough counter effect.”
Mark wrung his hands, feeling utterly helpless. “And if it doesn’t?”
“I don’t know,” Greg said. He began to measure out the proper dosage into the syringe. Greg slipped from the chair to his knees next to her. Picking up her arm, Greg began to search for a vein with his thumb.
Mark watched as he pressed the needle just under the skin, but to his absolute horror, before he could depress the plunger, Abby’s eyes flew open and her hand closed around Greg’s wrist, hard. Mark heard a crackling noise as Greg’s fingers went limp and he let out a small cry of pain.
“I think not,” came a deeper, more gravelly sound from Abby’s mouth. Her hand released Greg’s wrist and she tossed the syringe aside. “I’m not entirely sure what you three apes have been planning, but whatever it is, consider your plans changed.”
Holding his wrist, Greg backed up as Abby’s body stood, shaking her hair out and grinning a little. “Who are you?” Greg asked as he struggled to his feet.
“That, my pretty little meat-puppet, is none of your business. What is your business is giving me that little black bag of tricks and the keys to your car.” Her eyes flashed, mouth turned down into a terrifying frown.
Greg looked over at Mark and then handed the bag and his keys over. “Look, if you try and keep her body for too long, you’re going to kill her.”
The thing walked over to Abby’s wall mirror and began smoothing down her hair, turning from side to side with a grin. “Oh don’t you worry your pretty little head about that. I have no plans to kill this one. She’s going to be very useful in the future.”
Mark slowly closed the space between himself and Greg. “Any idea who she is?”
Greg shook his head slightly. “Not a clue. I’m afraid my mortal consciousness isn’t very familiar with most of them.”
“With good reason,” the thing said as it turned to Mark and Greg. “Your little friend Asclepius is a pain in our ass, so damn nosy, so damn unnecessary.
So damn addicted
to the feeling of this mortal coil.” The thing rubbed its hands up and down Abby’s front. “Mmm but some of it is nice, isn’t it?” It grinned at Mark and gave a small wink. “We certainly had a good time, didn’t we?”
Mark felt bile rise into his throat and he couldn’t bring himself to answer that question. “What are you going to do with her?”
“I’m afraid you already know about our little compound, so all I can really do is warn you to stay the hell away. Believe me, if you don’t want everyone dead, and I mean everyone, you’ll mind your business and move on with your lives.”
The thing inside Abby tossed the keys to the car up in the air and caught them. “Well boys, I’m on my way. It’s been very nice, and maybe if I come around again, we can have a little bit of fun. If you’re ever lucky enough to talk to Abby again, tell her I said thanks.” With a smile and a nod, the front door flew open and the creature disappeared.
The moment the door shut, Mark began to panic. “We can’t just let her go.”
“We don’t exactly have a choice,” Greg said in a very right voice as his hand held his wrist, his face grimacing in pain.
“Is it broken?” Mark asked quietly.
Greg gave a short nod. “It’s definitely broken, in several places I’m guessing. Whoever is inside of Abby is extremely strong.”
“That could be anyone or anything,” Mark said pacing the room a bit. “My strength far surpasses that of natural human capacity. I figured that wasn’t unique amongst the old ones.”
“I suppose it’s not,” Greg said. He walked into Abby’s kitchen and Mark could hear him pulling ice into a dish towel. When he came out, he was pressing the makeshift ice pack onto his arm.
“We have to go after her,” Mark said. “There’s no telling what she’s going to do, and they obviously have some sort of plan beyond healing people.”
“I picked up on that as well,” Greg said. “Look, if I’m going to be of any help, I’m going to have to let Asclepius take over for a bit. Luckily for me, my god is the god of healing, and therefore can accelerate the healing process in my wrist. It does, however, also mean that you’re going to have to put up with him and reign him in. He has some idea of how dire this situation is, and how much worse it could get, so as long as you keep reminding him of that, he should stay in line.”
“And Ben?” Mark asked.
“Let’s call him before I bring Asclepius over,” Greg said and fished out his phone gingerly with his uninjured hand. He pressed a key on the phone and then handed it over to Mark.
It rang several times before Ben’s tired voice picked up. “What now?”
“We’re having a bit of a situation,” Mark said.
“Is that so?” Ben asked. “Look, I’ve already explained to you that I’m washing my hands of this entire operation…”
“Abby’s gone,” Mark blurted out.
“Excuse me?” Ben asked, his voice dangerously quiet.
“Abby’s gone. This god thing took her,” Mark said.
“How is that possible?” Ben demanded.
“She was a little flustered that you wouldn’t help so she got into Greg’s medicine bag, injected herself with a sedative and it took over,” Mark said.
“And where is she now?”
Mark let out a little sigh and rubbed his hand down his face. “She broke Greg’s wrist, stole the bag of sedative and the bag of the antidote and took Greg’s car.”
“Please tell me this is some sort of sick joke in order to get my cooperation,” Ben said, his tone almost begging.
“I wish it was,” Mark said in a rush. “I promise you Ben, I’m not lying. She’s heading out to that compound in Washington, and whatever their plans are, we’ve got to get inside there before they can begin to carry them out.”
Ben was silent for so long Mark thought for a moment Ben had hung up. “Where are you now?”
“We’re at Abby’s place. We were trying to rid her house of anything that might have been used to drug her,” Mark said.
“I’m on my way.”
The line went dead, and Mark set the phone down on the small table. He turned to Greg, who was looking very pale and his hands were trembling with the pain. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Is Ben coming?” Greg asked in response.
“He said he’s on his way,” Mark replied with a short shrug.
“I’m going to let Asclepius come through, then. Ben’s pretty good at keeping him in check, and as long as you keep focused on the plan, you should be able to pull this off. When Asclepius takes over, let him know that the serum is in my jacket pocket, and there’s enough to last for six days. Tell him to pay special attention to my liver though. The last time he had taken over for more than a few hours, my liver enzymes were elevated to a potentially dangerous level, and I’m not sure if it’s from the possession or from the drug cocktail I’m taking to let him in.”
“Okay,” Mark said.
Greg reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of clear liquid. He gave Mark a weak smile and said, “See you on the other side,” and with that, he took a sip and laid his head back, eyes fluttering closed.
Mark watched with bated breath as Greg lay there. For quite some time, nothing happened. Mark thought maybe something had gone wrong, but as he stood to shake Greg and make sure all was okay, Greg’s eyes flew open and he sat up.
“Jesus, what did he do?” The voice coming out of Greg was not Greg’s, but the voice Mark had heard at the hotel a couple of nights before. It was Asclepius. Asclepius twitched the wrist and winced. “It’s broken.”
“He, er, he said you could heal it,” Mark said.
Asclepius’s eyes darted over to Mark, looking almost surprised to see someone else there. “You’re still here? And no coma friend still, eh?”
“Not quite yet,” Mark said, feeling suddenly exhausted and overwhelmed. “We’re in a bit of a tight spot, it seems.”
“Well from the tension in this body, I can tell,” Asclepius said, standing up and giving his back a stretch.
“Greg wanted me to tell you that there’s enough serum in the coat to last six days,” Mark said in his subdued tone, “and to keep an eye on the liver. He said something about dangerously high liver enzymes… I think.”
“I was afraid of that,” the god said, pulling a face. “Six days though, eh? We going on an adventure?”