Depths of Chaos Ch. 12

Depths of Chaos Chapter 12

This story is part of a series. Although it can be read on it's own, parts of the story may make more sense when read in order. I highly recommend reading the story "The Demon" in order to discover the origins of our beloved Kali. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.

The police Lieutenant, Michaels, stared at Simon as he calmly ate his salad. Kali didn't blame him, honestly, after all it was so much to take in. Even Kali found it a little difficult to believe; both parts of her memory. Demons had little contact with dragons. The elder race was a serious threat to the chaotic beings. They knew elder magics that could drain a demon's power quickly, or even destroy them outright. Likewise, their sheer size allowed them to overpower most demons with ease.

Unfortunately, such segregation meant that demons knew dangerously little about their feared enemies. In fact, Kali could think of far more times she'd seen dragons in movies than the millennia old demon had seen real ones. Even back in the days when the two worlds were more closely aligned, dragons were a rarity. And while demons could reside in the astral realms, they tended to prefer the corporeal. After all, it was from mortals that they drew their sustenance.

"So, this ghost-dragon was stuffed into the corpses of people sacrificed in failed attempts to summon a demon that no longer exists?" When the lieutenant put it that way, it really did sound a bit insane. Simon nodded patiently. "And because he thought he didn't need this ghost-dragon anymore, he stuffed it into a live person."

"Lieutenant, I know how this is even harder to believe than just demons, but you trusted Chu enough to call us. Frankly, I'm glad you did. The Sorcerer we're dealing with is very powerful and, if he's attempting to contact demons and perform human sacrifices, he is very lacking in moral governors."

"Okay, say I believe you about this. Why do you need me? I mean, if he's sacrificing people and making deals with demons then why can't you just go in there and shut him down."

Kali turned to regard Simon, very much interested in his response. He looked down and began to roll a cherry tomato around the plate with his fork. "The truth is, we don't have proof he killed them, because of what the dragon did when she tried to get free. As for deals with demons," he finally looked back up and shrugged, "free will."

"We don't go around stopping people from demonic contact any more than you can stop people from surfing for fetish porn on the internet. Not only are they technically doing nothing wrong, there are actually too many to really do anything about it. People these days don't think much about their immortal soul." He leaned towards the lieutenant. "Look, I honestly don't know where souls go after we die, but I can tell you that demons really do feed off of them."

He leaned back and Kali's attention hinged on every word. "As I said before, like you, I'm restricted by the burden of proof. Even more so, because a number of the solutions we sometimes have to consider are very permanent."

Michaels' eyes narrowed. "I hope I didn't just hear what I think I did."

Kali could feel the tension rise between the two men. But Simon's voice remained calm and neutral.

"Yes and no. I've had to kill in self defense before. And, like with a few on the force, there are agents with the 'shoot first ask questions later' mentality but they are a blessed minority. But there are other means that simply strip a person of their paranormal abilities. However since they can be very permanent, some transcending reincarnation if you're inclined to believe in it, we need to be very careful."

Kali knew it was time to take over. "The problem is, we're fairly sure that he's not one of the good guys, but only have circumstantial evidence. Heck, I can't even prove he kidnaped me. All I know was that I was picked up by a cop, likely the one the dragon used as a vehicle and later tore apart, and woke up at the Sorcerer's lair so to speak. I don't even remember falling asleep. I barely remember getting in the cruiser. The truth is, he's a smooth operator."

Lieutenant Michaels eyes flashed with anger when she mentioned being kidnaped. She knew he would see her as a helpless young woman and played on that streak for all it was worth. What made her plea doubly poignant was the fact that her abductor had been dressed as an officer. He might have been one in life, but in death it had been nothing more than a spirit pretending to be the police.

"He's changed his M. O. however." Lieutenant Michaels turned back to Simon. A slow grin began to play across his face. Kali was slowly beginning to think like an agent. She knew what it meant even before Simon spoke. "That may very well be his undoing."

When someone develops a pattern they won't think of all of the details when they change it.

"So he'll be used to having this dragon around, stuffed in a body. He'll forget to treat her like a living person?" Kali realized the lieutenant deserved his rank, perhaps more.

Simon nodded cautiously. "Oh, I'm sure he'll think of the little things. He'll make sure she has plenty to eat and drink, she'll have a place to sleep and the like. But what he'll forget is that she'll have people looking for her. Somewhere in the back of his mind he would have known that he could always pull the dragon out of the others and dump the corpse somewhere to be found. He can't do that this time, unless he knows spells that we don't."

The lieutenant nodded and rose. "I'll get on that check. I won't bring anyone else in on this one though. This way I can bill it as a continued search for potential victims." Simon nodded in response. "If there's anything else, call me right away."

He paid at the counter on his way out. Kali and Simon had finished their small meals already and moved to leave without a word. It wasn't until they were almost to the car that Kali spoke.

"Do you think he could? I mean, Sorcerers seem to be able to do almost anything, might he be able to pull a spirit free? It could be useful to know, a cure for the lycanthropes."

Simon smiled at her, but the look was bitter.

"Unfortunately, it wouldn't help. Although we're sometimes able to destroy only the maddened spirit, even most of those times it has deeply affected the host. You didn't get a chance to really meet Sascha, but I understand now why. The two personalities blend to a degree. The insanity of the spirit remains with the host. Only the strongest minds can survive it. And the only way to heal them is the old fashion way; time and care."

There was such regret and sorrow in his voice that Kali wondered about all of the things Simon had seen. Of course, she realized that he was much older than she was, possibly as much as a decade over twice her age. The difference didn't matter on a personal level, but this was the first time he'd shown the wear of the years. It didn't turn her away. Instead it drew her to him all the more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And to think, I almost handed this case off to someone else.

Simon knew he hadn't, never would have. It was an idle thought in truth. He glanced at Kali out of the corner of his eye as he drove. He had to wonder how many other agents would have found her. There were some of the more experienced that would have but he wasn't sure what they would have made of her. And he had the sneaking suspicion that there were many who would have turned their back on her.

There. He had admitted it, at least to himself. There was a problem in the PIA. Everyone referred to the various guidelines that had been written as strictures of conduct. It had been a formal concession that there were many more agents these days than in the past and they needed some form of rules. That had been two decades before. The fact that there'd been an amendment, already, that released some powers back to the field agents made him nervous. Simon had been trained by the last of the old breed and had heard first hand reports about agents that turned rogue.

"So what do we do now?"

Simon nearly jumped as Kali intruded on thoughts that were too deep and too dark. He laughed slightly at himself, but mostly it was an attempt to relieve some tension. He turned to regard her and paused for a moment as he took in her expression. It was clear she had correctly interpreted his mood and this had been her attempt to break it. Although her voice was bright, her eyes were dark and narrow with concern.

Simon smiled easily for her. Kali's eyes opened slightly, then she smiled and the uncertainty fled. At the sight of her smile something seemed to loosen in his chest. The smile that he'd donned for her benefit turned legitimate. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the doors. It took them a moment to both settle in and he used the time to make sure he was fully composed, and the engine was running, before he glanced over to answer her.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. We could try to go back and scout his place, but there's likely to be wards against astral projection." He looked back at the road. "You mentioned earlier that the memories came back?"

"Yeah. When Armageddon kidnaped me I couldn't use the powers, couldn't even access Tral'zla'thor's memories." She paused and cocked her head in thought. "I'm not really sure when they came back. Given how long it took me to remember about dragons it didn't come back until at the latest when we left the hotel."

That reminded Simon that he had forgotten to mention Armageddon's name to Michaels. He was fairly sure the Sorcerer was involved in criminal undertakings of a purely secular nature as well as the ones associated with paranormal activities. Unfortunately, he probably used a different name in those circles. The alias 'Armageddon' would raise quite a few eyebrows, if not tempers, amongst the very Christian Mafia for example. He would mention it to the lieutenant the next time they spoke, but he had few expectations that the name would ring any bells. Quite likely the police didn't even have a name or face for him. If mentioned at all it would be as a rumor or inference; 'the man at the top,' or 'Mr. Big.'

Simon brought his thoughts back to the present and focused on Kali. "Undoubtedly he cast a binding spell on you. To be honest, he's lucky he didn't kill you. Since we're not exactly sure how the power has connected to you, it's possible it has wound into your very being. The method to bind a Demon is much different from one used to keep a human from access to their powers."

"So," Simon could see Kali work through a line of reasoning, "is it possible that knocking me unconscious wasn't actually intentional? Like, he didn't chloroform me or anything, he just tried the wrong binding on me and it began to drain my energy?"

Simon nodded. "If that was the case, then the time you were out was the time it took him to figure out how to adjust it to your unique situation. Unfortunately, I can't really find a win proposition in that thought for us. Not only does it mean you have a rather strong reaction to one of the two forms of binding spells, but it also means that Armageddon now knows about it. To make matters worse, he's figured out how to block your powers without knocking you into a coma."

"Do you think we should experiment to figure out which method I'm weak against?"

Simon paled and his breath caught. While he was very skilled at a couple of mortal binding spells, his experience with Demons pretty much left him with banishment spells. And even the spells designed for humans were intended as permanent measures, either for a single lifetime or multiple ones. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally put Kali into a permanent coma because his spells worked too well. He finally pulled in enough breath to reply.

"I... I think we should wait until there's a research agent available to help with that, love."

A glance over told Simon that Kali had noticed his nerves and taken that for an acceptable answer. It seemed she had already learned to trust him to give her as much info as she needed at the time. More than likely, the naked fear that he'd been unable to hide had helped her decide this was not a good time to push. He felt compelled to explain, however.

"I'm too afraid that my limited spells would turn you into a Snow White. And I'm really afraid that the only Prince Charming is a Sorcerer playing on the other side. While he has the experience and natural ability to modify spells, I don't."

"He's like a theoretical mathematician while the rest of us are struggling with Algebra and Trig?"

Simon laughed. It was easy to forget, when he saw the undeniable beauty of the young woman, exactly how intelligent she was. Of course, the fact that she was far outside of her element didn't help either. That part, at least, he could help to rectify.

"If he's a theoretical mathematician, which really is a good analogy, by the way, from what we know of Sorcerers, then I'm nothing more than a child handed a very powerful calculator. I plug in the numbers that I'm told, where I'm told. I'm not saying I'm an idiot, I've just never spent much time learning spells. I leave that to those more comfortable with it and focus much more intensely on investigation and combat."

"Following the same analogy however," Simon continued, "you would probably be a self-defining algorithm or something."

He wasn't actually sure if that was a mathematical concept or not. To judge by Kali's burst of laughter it probably wasn't, but just as clearly, it had relayed the intent to her.

"Maybe we should avoid quantum mechanics? I've always been much better at hard physics anyway. You know, magnetic fields, current and voltage. Those kinds of things."

Simon smiled. "Speaking of which, do you have any other classes today?" By the way that Kali avoided his gaze, he wasn't the slightest surprised when she nodded slightly. "Okay, so I'll drop you off to get ready, but this time we'll make sure to schedule a time to meet, before, so I won't worry when I don't hear from you." He paused with a slight laugh. "And afterwards you can start teaching me how to use that infernal machine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two more classes in a row, but Kali didn't mind. At least these ones weren't machine language. Data Storage Systems was a dull class, but not nearly as frustrating as the programming course. And she actively enjoyed the Macro Economics class. It was a holdover she allowed herself from her previous dreams of power and fortune.

Kali laughed as she leaned back against the tree and waited for Simon to pick her up. E-con had let out early, so it wasn't his fault that she had to wait. Besides, it gave her an opportunity to reflect on the changes of the past couple of days. Where once she had dreamed of becoming a CEO, rich and powerful, she now contemplated a small, invisible organization which was organized to help humanity.

She hadn't seen the true scope of the PIA computer network, but she suspected it wasn't really state of the art. Likewise, while she had been moderately impressed by the fact that they had some form of search engine, there were probably numerous programs she could design to make the various agents' jobs easier. And she never would have thought of it if she hadn't run into Simon.

Kali didn't know if what she and Simon had would last. After all, they'd only known each other for a couple of days. But that wasn't really her primary motivation for her thoughts on ways to improve the PIA. Only three people on Earth, to the best of Tral'zla'thor's vast knowledge, actually knew how the PIA was funded. As an organization, however, it took care of its employees. Although the pay wasn't great, there was absolutely no overhead for an agent to worry about. And when it came time to retire, which was entirely optional for research agents, they provided a house and a considerable pension.

But economics wasn't the only reason Kali had begun to think of the agency as an employer. She had always wanted to be a success because of what it would allow her to give back. She had always admired the doctors who worked at the clinics in the inner cities. But she also understood that they only could help so many people. And without funding, they couldn't even help those relative few. What those types of places needed was financial backers.

Now, Kali knew more about the world. There were issues bigger than that. The PIA was the closest thing there was to a truly global police force. They helped humanity around the world daily. Although many of the supernaturals tended to fear or resent their intervention, she now understood that was because of misinformation and misunderstanding. And that was something else she could work towards. Perhaps she could even convince the PIA to accept some more of the paranormal world as agents.

Simon drove up and the passenger side window began to roll down of its own accord. "You lookin' for a party?"

Kali almost burst out laughing! Through the windows, it was almost impossible to distinguish the color of his shirt. Unfortunately, it was light which made the combination, washed of color by the tinted windows, once more look like the classic man-in-black. Such a proposition became ludicrous. But Kali decided to play along.

"Maaaaaybe. You got what it takes to party with me mister?"

The looks Kali got were absolutely priceless. It was wonderful and terrifying all at once. For half a year she feared these very expressions would be cast her way. To have them appear for nothing more than a little harmless fun finally loosened a tension in her chest. These people heard an exchange that should have taken place on the seediest corner in the red-light district, and thought a monster had appeared in their midst. Compared to the possibilities the world truly held, that they blinded themselves to, this was simply absurd.

As Kali slid into the car, Simon noted her absurd grin. "What's up? Were classes that good?"

Kali shook her head, unable to explain. Besides he already knew the truth. After all, it had been he who had tried to teach it to her. It seemed, through all that the two had experienced at least some of his lesson had sunk in. Now, if only she could learn the control he tried to teach her half as easily, she would be ready to face the world with complete confidence.

"They were fine. I was just thinking about finding the biggest costume contest I could, come October, and taking first prize."

Simon laughed. The glint in his eyes, as he turned back to face the road, told Kali that he understood the meaning behind her comment. He knew why she grinned.

"You're certainly good, no question about that, but I don't think you give them enough credit. They've taken over after all. And even though they don't remember their heritage, the magic they're capable of, they do pretty well without it."

Kali smiled as they sped off. She knew what he meant by they. Simon, with all his PIA taught skills thought of himself as a mystic, slightly apart from normal humans. Kali, through accident of fate, was farther still removed. But he didn't see himself as better than them. Some, possibly most, mystics did. Of a certainty Armageddon did. But that was what drove Simon; the need to protect the people and let them live in ignorance.

And now, Kali found herself driven by the same goal. She wouldn't let him down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The cell phone rang as Simon drove back to their hotel. Kali looked at him in surprise when the police show theme chimed from within his coat pocket. "Lieutenant Michaels." Her eyes rolled at the simplistic humor of it. He only smiled and answered the phone.

"Agent Pie? I think I've got something." Simon's eyes narrowed. He already knew what this was about, but he was suspicious. There should not have been a missing persons report for at least twenty four hours. And since the dragon had still been in the body of a police officer that morning, the time certainly hadn't elapsed.

Simon didn't let his suspicion or concerns reflect in his tone however. "I'm impressed! What've you got?"

"Well, it seems there's a report of one Sascha Kazisk being attacked this morning. The timing would put it shortly after the most recent crime scene, and not that far away. There was a single witness and the officer who took the report figured it was either a prank or a pathetic excuse to file a missing persons report early, seeing as there's no evidence of any of it. Here's the thing, the witness claims she was mauled by a sewer alligator."

Simon couldn't hold the snort of laughter. That was certainly a new one to him. Kali gave him a questioning look at the same time that the lieutenant asked about his reaction.

"Lieutenant, you see, we find that most people make up some sort of seemingly reasonable explanation on their own when they see something that doesn't fit their world view. Well, sewer alligators are a new one to me."

Kali smirked.

"Well, whatever you think of it, the officer was simply going to dump it, but figured he'd send it on to me instead. Even though we're keeping the mutilations fairly quiet, most of the force knows. Without the body he figured she pulled something to avoid someone she didn't want to see. Probably because he's insane."

"But we know more than the officer in question." Simon continued for Michaels. "Is there any way I could take a look at that report? I might be able to confirm for you if it really was our dragon being stuffed into a victim or just someone's ravings."

"Hey, you're the psychologist here. It wouldn't even look odd for me to hand over a copy of the file for a preliminary evaluation. Could you get the poor sod off without charges of filing a false report? I can fax you a copy if you've got a machine."

"I'm not sure if I do, but the hotel I'm staying at almost certainly does. Send the fax there with my room number and they should have it for me at the desk by the time I get there. I'm on my way right now anyway. Oh, and if you could send along any information you have on Miss Kazisk as well it would be helpful."

"That'll be a separate page, not to mention unofficial, but I'm sure I can pull together a little bit about her."

"Anything you can get would be helpful, but I mostly only need the vitals; profession, age, relatives and the like. And lieutenant, thank you. I have a feeling this will help against Armageddon." Simon reached for the phone to snap it shut when a shout at the other end brought him short.

"Wait! Agent Pie? Did you just say your suspect's name was Armageddon? Agent Pie?"

"Yes lieutenant. I'm still here. And yes, the Sorcerer's using Armageddon as an alias. Why? Is that significant to you?"

Although Simon expected that the man had serious underworld connections, he hadn't figured the Sorcerer would have used the same handle in mortal affairs that he used in supernatural spheres. That would have been as ludicrous as if he used his given name openly in a bank heist. Of course, the Sorcerer might have just enough of an ego to assume that his abilities would keep him safe from the police while his contacts could take care of any agents that moved too close.

"Agent Pie, I need you to understand this quite clearly. Armageddon is reputed to be a moderate player in the local organized crime. He has his own group. They might be relatively small, but that appears to be only because he wants it that way. The other groups all tried to remove him when it looked like he was becoming a threat. From what we can figure, he somehow got to the heads of each in turn and convinced them to stay out of his way. After a couple of those visits, well they fell all over themselves to avoid him. If there's a piece of the action he wants, they roll over."

Michaels paused for a deep breath. Simon was so surprised by the news he didn't even try to break into the explanation.

"Agent Pie. The man is incredibly dangerous. I don't have many friends in Undercover, but I know that we've lost quite a few agents trying to infiltrate his organization. And never through anything suspicious. They all just suddenly reappear at home one day, dead of natural causes. And all while they were supposed to be deep undercover."

"Lieutenant Michaels, I appreciate the warning," Simon began after the lieutenant wound down. "I had suspected, by the layout of his headquarters, that might be the case. It's designed to confuse and protect against regular authorities as much as it is my agency. Unfortunately, what you have just told me only confirms that I need to take care of this situation. He's ruthless and powerful and capable of means that your officers have no method to combat."

"Agent Pie," Lieutenant Michaels voice was low and soft, and very serious, "you've been inside his headquarters. You're a very perceptive and intelligent man, that means you probably know where it is. Does that also mean you have seen this man? Armageddon?"

Simon paused. He knew that, in itself, was nearly an admission, but he was hesitant anyway.

"Yes lieutenant, I have. I also know that he has a very charismatic and disarming personality. You could walk by him on the street and have no idea who, or what, you were looking at."

"I have one more question I need to ask you. Do you think, from what you have seen, that we would be able to make any convictions based on what you saw at his headquarters?"

Simon's laugh was entirely too bitter. "Based on what I saw? You could film him pull a gun on the president and a conviction wouldn't stick." He couldn't help but glance at Kali. He knew she was still uncertain about the Sorcerer's motivations. Doubtless the man would be able to similarly charm at least a handful of jurors, even without magic. "As for what I saw in his headquarters, an awful lot of locked doors."

"I understand. If you could at least come down to the station at some point and work with a sketch artist to give us an accurate description, it would be appreciated."

If the lieutenant said anything else, Simon didn't hear it. The windshield turned into a spider web of cracks. Instinctively, he yanked the wheel hard over. Simon counted his blessings that he had already turned onto the freeway when he bounced off of the guardrail. Cars screeched around him as his sudden move threw a considerable stretch of traffic into utter turmoil.

Even before the car was back under control, Simon glanced into the rearview mirror in order to confirm his suspicions. There was a matched set of holes in front and back. Whoever had taken a shot at him had been in a car on the same level. And since he hadn't noticed a gun in the car in front of him, he could only assume they had been behind. Unfortunately, it had taken him so much by surprise that he didn't notice even the type of vehicle. For all he knew, it could have been a scooter.

"Agent Pie!!!" The voice was quiet, but enough that Kali heard it and remembered the dropped cell.

"Lieutenant, I'm fine. But I'm going to have to hand you over to Miss Donnoly so I can focus entirely on the road."

Without further talk, Simon motioned for her to grab the dropped phone. He began to scan the surrounding cars. He received numerous glares for his erratic behavior, but no one looked overly hostel or paid them undue attention.

"Yes sir. Someone just tried to shoot at us. No sir. We're both fine, just a little shaken up. It was only one shot that we know of. From the looks of it, it came in from behind us. Probably a truck or SUV or the like since it came in higher in the back than it left in the front. We're on the freeway. It was the easiest way to get back to the hotel I guess. I'm not really sure honestly."

Simon was impressed once again with Kali's calm head. He hadn't noticed that the hole in the rear window was higher than the one in the front. That certainly boded well for innocent casualties. The bullet was far more likely to have buried itself in the street. Had it been a straight shot, it could have continued through multiple cars until it finally hit someone.

Simon was shaken by this. He wasn't a stranger to someone trying to kill him, that happened quite frequently, but he wasn't nearly as used to more mundane attempts. Typically the worst physical threat was a straight up brawl, or possibly a sword fight. Mystics and supernaturals tended to rely on their innate abilities, or else rather antiquated customs, when threatened. A standard mob hit was certainly unexpected.

"We will sir. One moment, I'll ask." Kali covered the phone's mic with her hand and turned to Simon. "Is there anything we absolutely need at the hotel or can we head directly over to the station to fill out a report. They've already gotten a couple of calls about a reckless driver so they know where we were. He said he can send someone over there when the traffic dies down tonight, in order to check for the bullet."

Simon thought for a moment then shook his head. "I don't know what we'll be up to afterwards, so I really would like to get my computer. I tried to find out anything I could earlier on Armageddon but it was a bust. I'm hoping that maybe you'd have more success than I did with the thing."

Kali nodded. "Lieutenant Michaels? There is actually something he needs to pick up at the hotel, but as soon as we do we'll make sure to get to the station. We'll see you then. Thank you."

She closed the phone and looked at Simon. Her concern was almost palpable. "We're in trouble aren't we?" Unsure what to say, he simply shrugged.

Copywrite July 2007, by Deathlynx