Depths of Chaos Ch. 13

Depths of Chaos Chapter 13

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.

Kali wished she hadn't mentioned it, even in passing. She'd now spent the last hour or more with a shrink. To make matters worse they remembered the attack in the fall and tried desperately to get her to admit all sorts of things in regards to that as well. She and Simon had come in, of their own free will, to help out the police with information about a suspected crime lord, and they were being treated as criminals themselves. At least, that's what she hoped. If criminals, or even suspects, got treated worse than this, she had infinite pity on the poor people who were falsely accused of a crime.

Kali understood what they wanted. They wanted to her to admit that Armageddon had kidnaped her. If they couldn't get that, they wanted to find some snag in their story which let them at least claim he had. Unfortunately, the Sorcerer had been far too careful. The only person they could remotely accuse was not only a cop, but confirmed dead. At least with that corpse they had dental records.

Now, they had her statements for numerous situations, her description of the alleged criminal mastermind, and a complete psychiatric work up. Kali was most nervous about the final one. She'd had no idea what she could possibly tell them that wouldn't slap her in an insane asylum. She'd done her best to be honest without revealing any of what was truly happening.

You see doctor, I've absorbed the powers of a demon. Simon is a member of a group of paranormal police and together we're trying to pin not only the recent string of brutal murders on him, through a rogue weredragon, but also the attack last fall in the park. Yes that's right, the one that happened to a bunch of frat boys on the very same night I was brutally raped.

Yeah, that would go over really well.

Kali slumped back in the chair. The psychiatrist, or maybe psychologist, she wasn't really sure of the difference, had left to find her some coffee. At least now she was being treated like a human being once more and not just another suspect. The difference in attitude came as soon as the timer buzzed to let the doctor know her time with this particular patient was over.

What was their next move? It was possible that the shots had been a coincidence, but Kali really didn't think so. Neither did Lieutenant Michaels or Simon, to judge by their reaction. She still wasn't sure what it all meant however. She could only hear half of the phone conversation, and while Simon had mentioned that the hotel floor Armageddon used was set up to protect him from legal authorities she'd gotten the feeling that he'd meant much more than just a small time crook. He'd gone on to confirm her suspicions.

Mostly, Kali spent her time wondering where Simon was. The moment they had shown up at the station, Lieutenant Michaels had shoved her over to a handful of detectives and taken Simon for another debriefing. She'd dutifully filled out the paperwork on the auto incident and made sure to mention that while Simon had been on the phone at the exact moment of the near accident, it had been with the police. It might not be the best defense against any laws regarding distracted driving, but it was better than nothing.

Kali waited until the psychologist handed her the coffee and sat back down before she broached the subject. "I came in here with someone. He was the one driving when we were shot at. I was wondering where he is and if I could see him?"

"My dear," the woman was careful to keep the condescension from her voice, "I'm sure it wasn't really you that was being shot at. I'm sure it was simply an unfortunate case of ill luck and poor timing. Nothing you've told me would lead me to believe there's any reason anyone would want to kill you."

Kali wasn't sure if she tried to annoy her as some obscure psychological ploy or if the woman was simply intentionally dense. To be fair, the psychiatrist might not have been told about the fact that Kali and Simon were at the station to deliver a fairly large amount of information about one of the city's most feared mob bosses.

Well, Kali admitted to herself, if no other, it's really Simon who has most of the information. I'm simply the alleged kidnaping victim and another who can describe him for the sketch artists.

Undoubtedly Simon knew much more than she did. Kali could barely remember the name of the hotel, much less any details beyond the number of doors between her cell and the dining room. She didn't remember her arrival and when they had left she thought the matter settled amicably and didn't worry about anything but what they would do next. Simon, on the other hand, suspected he would have a fight on his hands both when he came and went. With that kind of certainty he likely memorized as much of the layout, as many of the security features, as he could.

Kali looked around and found herself in a chair in the waiting room. The doctor's annoying response had succeeded in buying her enough time to distract Kali and dump her on someone else before she beat a hasty retreat. At least she managed to get a cup of coffee out of the bargain. Only now she was acutely aware of how long it had been since she'd eaten. She'd had a light lunch with Armageddon, followed by a small salad. Then she'd had hours worth of classes and even more hours in the station. And they hadn't had time for breakfast in the morning.

"Miss Donnoly?" Kali looked up and couldn't help but flinch in fear. It would probably be a long time before she saw a police officer tower over her, and not think of the way Armageddon had captured her. It didn't help that this one was cut from a very similar mold as the Sorcerer's victim had been. And that was the truly tragic part; she knew the officer, even the dragon inside the body, were nothing more than another pair of victims of Armageddon's ambition.

Simon was right. The man was entirely too charismatic. Even now she found herself wanting to blame the gunshot on coincidence and the bodies on cruel circumstance. Sure, he'd put the dragon into corpses, but he had to have dug them up. It was hard to believe that the relaxed surfer who had offered her lunch, then let her go when asked, could be behind murder and attempted assassination.

But then there were the police. They, apparently, had tried to send numerous undercover officers into the organization of someone who called himself simply 'Armageddon.' Each and every one had died before they delivered a report of any kind and all, mysteriously, had died of sudden, yet natural, causes. The rival Mafia had fared possibly better. They had gained warnings? Maybe that's because the mob wouldn't be restricted by the need for facts before retaliation. Or perhaps he simply figured he could use them someday.

Kali knew what he was. Simon had explained the rest of it in the car on the way over. Yet she still found it all so difficult to believe.

"Miss Donnoly?"

Kali started as the officer brought her back out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry. I'm kind of distracted right now. What did you need sir?" Simon knew how to tell at a glance what their ranks were. Kali hadn't the foggiest idea, so she settled on the polite standby.

The officer smiled kindly. He understood how hard a day it had been for her. "That's quite all right Miss. I just came over to let you know that your friend, the specialist, would be done momentarily and had asked about you. Is there anything you need?"

Kali laughed slightly. "Dinner, but I'm willing to bet so will he. Thank you though." The officer smiled shyly and moved over to a desk. And though she dropped back into her thoughts, she couldn't help but notice that the officer kept looking over with glances that had nothing to do with suspicion.

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

Simon wasn't happy. When the police had split him and Kali into separate interrogations he'd been mildly unhappy. When he'd discovered that they had moved her into a psychiatric evaluation that had changed to downright pissed. He'd turned on Lieutenant Michaels and shouted at him to get her out of there. To the man's credit, he did immediately. By the way his eyes had widened when that little fact had been revealed to the two of them, he hadn't known any more than Simon had.

It wasn't that Simon feared that she would let anything slip. In theory that should have been his biggest worry. A mention of being raped by a demon wouldn't mean much to a psychiatrist, everyone had their 'demons' after all, but one or two words about Sorcerers or weredragons and things would change rather quickly. Since most PIA agents held degrees in psychology, they also knew how to avoid being thought insane.

Kali didn't have that background. She was smart, probably a lot smarter than Simon himself, but she didn't have the right kind of experience. A computer science major showed a lot of intelligence, but it wouldn't help her much among the PIA, except possibly as a researcher.

When Lieutenant Michaels led Kali into the office, he read from a folder. "I take it you didn't let slip any of what's really going on here." To his credit, there was a measure of respect in Lieutenant Michaels' voice. Simon would have dressed him down for thinking that she would have revealed anything, but he knew his own thoughts would have made a hypocrite of him.

Instead, to show his faith in her, Simon opened up the computer and slid it over to where Kali had collapsed into a chair. She clutched a mug of coffee as if it remained the sole anchor to a tenuous reality. More likely she was simply stressed and exhausted. When the laptop slid in front of her, her eyes widened, however, and the cup instantly found the table. Both Simon and the lieutenant couldn't help but stare as her fingers became a blur on the keyboard and touch-pad mouse. Simon recovered first however.

"We think we have a workable plan here. Someone needs to go in first in order to confirm that he's there. Unfortunately, because of the sensitive nature of his abilities, I can't wear a standard wire when I talk to him. If I can bind his power, I will, otherwise, things could get a bit hairy. Either way, once we know he's there I'll send a signal to the lieutenant to let him know to come in with backup."

Kali watched him over the computer throughout the entire explanation. "Isn't that a little risky? I mean, we don't know that there's anything illegal there. We didn't see anything. Heck, we didn't even see anyone aside from Sascha. He probably runs everything out of somewhere else entirely."

The lieutenant's eyes finally narrowed as he smiled and looked over at Simon. "Now I understand what you really see in her."

Simon smiled. It was true, but he still felt the heat of a slight blush as he thought of some of the other things he liked about Kali. Meanwhile the lieutenant turned back to Kali.

"You're right, of course. It's a risk, but mostly just to my career. It is, however a risk I'm willing to take. Here we have what we already suspect is a vicious son of a bitch, if you'll forgive my language, and one who has powers my officers can neither understand nor compete with. From what Agent Pie has told me, what the man can't do with his criminal connections, he can do with magic. That makes him a top priority in my book."

Lieutenant Michaels continued. "At the same time, it's not a complete risk. There is enough evidence to warrant extreme measures, provided we can catch him in the middle of at least one crime. In this case, that is Agent Pie's first priority. He is only supposed to send his signal in the event that Armageddon refuses to release Miss Kazisk."

Kali turned to Simon. "That's all well and good, but you're not going in alone. I'm coming with you!"

Simon smiled. "Actually, that was exactly my plan." If he went in without Kali, he'd end up worrying about her more than if he brought her. With her by his side he could at least fight off whatever spells the Sorcerer threw at them. Elsewhere, he wouldn't even know if she was in trouble. And that could be just the distraction a deadly man like Armageddon could use.

"I'm not exactly happy about it," Lieutenant Michaels interjected, "but I've agreed. I even understand the motivation. However, I want you to keep your head down and find a place to hide if things go sour. I'm not happy about Agent Pie being there, seeing as he's a civilian consultant, however I know that he won't take any action unless he's actively being attacked. And then only with the least force necessary."

The last bit had been directed at Simon. Since he was working with the police he had to at least try to let them have the collar if possible. There were field agents who didn't like to play like that. Generally they were also the ones who tended to shoot first and ask questions later. Simon preferred the least PIA involvement possible. As his first encounter with Kali had proven, they had a bad name in some circles and, he suspected, those circles were much wider than anyone in the agency realized.

"I understand lieutenant."

Michaels nodded. "Good. Then you two should head back to your rooms. I would go with this tonight, but the two of you look like you are in desperate need of sleep. Besides, if we wait until mid-morning we can probably get an official missing persons report out of Miss Kazisk's sister."

"We will. And we will meet you here in the morning to make sure everything is ready." Simon looked over at Kali. From the way she looked at him he probably looked as ragged as she did. The one thing he was fairly certain of was that they weren't going to return to their respective rooms. Most likely it was the hotel for them both.

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

Kali woke feeling completely refreshed. It wasn't that much of a surprise when she rolled over to check her watch. It was almost ten. After they'd left the station, they'd agreed that dinner took precedence over anything. It had been a mostly silent affair, but that was because Simon had suggested that she check out the computer's programs so she could help him get up to speed with them. She was fairly sure it had been a ploy of some sort, but she couldn't help but fall for it.

As expected the programs had been pretty bland, and predominantly text based. Her skills could definitely be used among the PIA to clean up the systems they used, even if she was only halfway through her degree. She continued to mull over the eventual presentation as she scanned the computer.

When they managed to get back to his hotel ~there was no way in hell she would spend the night in her dorm room~ they had pretty much crashed right away. She was pretty sure the fatigue had been mutual, but part of her desperately hoped that she hadn't inadvertently shunned an advance as she collapsed onto the soft bed.

She needn't have worried, as she rolled back over, she realized that the arm half draped over her was still covered with the same light green button up that he'd worn the previous night. At least she had been conscious enough to strip down to her underwear before she crawled under the covers. He hadn't even made it that far.

A feeling of contentment flooded over her and she pressed her head back into the equally soft pillow and closed her eyes. She couldn't help but feel safe around Simon. A small part of her despised the need for someone else to make her feel safe. That was the part that grew up inundated with the message that all modern women had to be as completely self reliant as men were. All the while they tried to teach the men to be more open, emotionally, and willing to accept help.

Kali understood the balance. In theory the two genders should meet in the middle, equally self-reliant but willing to accept help. In practice the men who took it too far ended up simpering wrecks and the women cold natured zealots. And all that in the name of progress.

While Kali hadn't seen Simon cry, he certainly showed more flexibility than a lot of men she knew. Rather than try to take on someone as dangerous as Armageddon himself, he had gone straight to the police and opted to work with them. By the same token, almost every man she could think of would have tried to argue that she needed to be safely behind the battle lines somewhere.

Most likely, Simon felt as she did. She would be safer by his side than anywhere else. Armageddon could just as easily strike at her back in her dorm room, except Simon wouldn't have the first clue that he had. Even more important, however, was the fact that only Simon could protect her, and everyone else, should the demonic powers go wrong. Well, not so much protect her as guide her through it.

Kali opened her eyes and turned her head. Simon had a very serene expression when he slept. He was untroubled by his life. He did what needed to be done in order to protect the people. If that meant sometimes he had to kill a monster, apparently it didn't disturb his sleep. Of course, it could also have meant he complete lack of conscience, but she was fairly certain she hadn't misread him that horribly. He strained to be as good as he possibly could and didn't worry overmuch about the rest.

Kali gently shook his arm. The peaceful smile widened only slightly, but his arm pulled tighter around her. His eyes had yet to open, but he was awake. Not only that, but he thoroughly enjoyed the position he was in. Kali, mostly uncovered, blushed from head to toe at the thought.

"Come on lazybutt. The lieutenant is probably straining at the leash to get this show started."

The glittering brown eyes finally opened as Simon smiled. Kali felt her body respond to even that small sign of affection; her breath caught and her heart raced. His eyes glanced down and noted the difference in their respective states of undress. The smile took on a decidedly sheepish aspect.

"I think I was a little overtired last night."

"You can make it up to me later," Kali replied with a wink.

Simon's eyes widened for a second at her brashness but then his face smoothed into a content smile. The mischievous twinkle in his eyes, however, told her that he very much looked forward to the possibility. Although neither had acknowledged it, the relationship was far more than a simple teacher-student bond.

Simon rolled off of the bed and shuffled into the bathroom. It wasn't until he opened the door that Kali realized she too needed to go. By the time she got to the bathroom he was already ensconced inside. She stood, vaguely annoyed with herself, and waited. Not soon enough, the door opened to reveal Simon in nothing but his boxers. "I figured you'd probably need to use it before we took our showers."

He stopped and stared. Kali didn't begrudge it, she stared at him from the moment the door opened. It was all still so new, and she just couldn't get enough of the sight of his body. Muscles very deep within her twisted with anticipation and need as he began to grow. She had done that! Simply an awareness of her, nearly naked before him, had caused him to grow very hard, very quickly. And nothing more than the sight of him, and the thought of that solid length buried within her, was enough to spread moisture between her legs.

Simon pulled his gaze back up to hers first and leaned forward. A quick, sincere, kiss on the cheek wasn't nearly enough in Kali's opinion, but that's all she got as he slid around her to give her access to the bathroom. She felt the hard bulge brush against her and almost turned to drag him back to the bed. Only the knowledge that the lieutenant probably waited impatiently stopped her. There would be time for that later. Now she needed to get ready.

After bathroom and a quick shower, Kali once more opened the door and Simon scurried in for his turn at the shower. Another bout of willpower again kept her from dragging him back to the bed, or better yet the shower, when she surreptitiously watched him strip in the mirror. Likely, he knew she wasn't simply primping her hair, a fact that was confirmed as he bent over to turn on the water and flexed his butt. A growl erupted deep in her throat which prompted him to grin and jump behind the illusory protection of the curtain.

Kali fled the room. For the first time since she met Simon, her habit for restrictive clothing began to look like a boon once more. They might actually be able to get to the police station in a reasonable time.

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

Lieutenant Michaels was very unhappy with Simon and had made it abundantly clear. The PIA agent had refused to wear body armor. Kali's gaze had been even and appraising, obviously in an attempt to determine if he was simply being macho. He wasn't and explained the refusal. If he faced off against Armageddon, it wouldn't be a battle where the police issue protection wouldn't do him much good.

If it had been just that, likely Simon would have accepted the offer. Unfortunately PIA agents, field and researchers alike, weren't known to wear any. If he walked into the Sorcerer's headquarters wearing it, Armageddon would know exactly what was about to happen. And the vest didn't exactly fit smoothly underneath the button-up shirt.

Unfortunately, the reasoning also meant that Kali couldn't wear it either. Simon had been impressed that she had a second skirt suit with her. Apparently, she had thought to collect some clothes from her dorm room between classes, and among the selection of outfits was the beige suit and lilac blouse that she now wore. The only frustrating thing about it was the skirt. It only fell halfway to her knees and his eyes couldn't help but be dragged constantly to those powerful, smooth, limbs.

Simon forced himself to focus on the moment, and although those delightful legs were certainly in the moment with him, so was the elevator that settled open before him. He smiled and waved Kali in first. The smile quickly shifted to a smirk as his eyes flittered down to watch the soft rear sway back and forth in time with the few steps in. By the time she turned to face the front once more, he once more schooled his expression forward. From the mock glare he received, she knew. The return grin was a little sheepish.

Here we are, about to face a very powerful, and potentially deadly, Master Sorcerer, and we can't stop flirting!

Simon was vaguely embarrassed by the fact, but he realized that it was a form of tension release for the two. This was far better than stress over the possible outcomes. Besides, it was possible Armageddon could read auras well enough to detect their mood, despite any attempt at deception. If he could, this would mask their true intents.

The elevator settled onto the hidden floor. There was no way the Sorcerer didn't know they were there. In fact, Simon was surprised to see a door quickly slam shut, to hear the lock click, when the elevator doors slid open. It wasn't the door that led to the dining room so he suspected there were flunkies present. Thankfully that, confirmation of other individuals beyond the primaries, was one of the signals that the lieutenant had taught him.

Kali and Simon walked side by side down the incredibly well appointed hallway. They both knew the route and strolled without a care, past the expensive paintings. There was little that could be done. Either Armageddon knew why they were there, in truth, or he didn't. Simon had a cover prepared in case the Sorcerer's network didn't extend deeply enough into the police department. And like all of the best lies, it maintained a fair measure of the truth.

A door ahead, the door to the dining room, opened. Sascha stepped out and waved them in. Although she acted as a maid or butler, she hadn't been allowed to change out of the jogging outfit. Simon wasn't sure if that was because Armageddon enjoyed the way she looked in it, because he didn't think of her as still alive with the need for cleanliness, or possibly both. Regardless of the reason, it didn't bode well for Sascha, yet would be a boon to his mission.

Simon gave her a slight nod as he entered. The answer to the clothing question wasn't answered in her eyes. If he were to guess, he would say that both the human and dragon were miserable. He tried to quirk her a half smile, but she didn't notice. She was too lost in her pain. The only thoughts that flowed from her were an odd combination of pity and despair.

Armageddon stood by the window with his back to his 'guests.'

"Do you realize that there are laws in this day and age regarding harassment? If they apply to the secular authorities, I can only assume that they apply to the Paranormal Investigation Agency all the more strictly. After all, it would take but one mere lawsuit and your whole organization comes tumbling down."

Simon didn't respond. The Sorcerer wanted him to react, which was more than enough reason for him not to. Privately, he admitted it was a slightly puerile response, but anything that kept Armageddon off balance should play to their advantage.

Armageddon turned and faced the two. His smile was that of a teacher, bemused by the sullen defiance of a delinquent student. He thought himself more mature than a man ten years his senior. But Simon saw the truth in the depths of his eyes. This man saw himself as a villain in the most dramatic sense.

Armageddon, his name said it all. He had powers beyond what most could achieve, beyond what many who trained could accomplish. He held little conscience or ethical standards. He was a criminal. All of this led the man to a single conclusion. Not only was he one of the 'bad guys' he was the baddest. He saw himself as an arch-villain.

And this arch-villain wanted his monologue. When Simon calmly sat behind the long edge of the table, opposite Armageddon, and simply motioned Kali to join him, the corners of that condescending smile tugged tight.

"Let me explain. Your organization, your P. I. A. depends on absolute secrecy to protect humanity from their own terror. If one of you were to be brought to court, well then, your organization would have no alternative but to feed you to the wolves, so to speak. Would you not agree?"

Simon felt the urge to grit his teeth, but kept his expression neutral as he answered.

"Yes, I would have to agree."

He was fairly certain he knew where the line of reasoning was headed. He didn't like it, but neither could he fault the inevitable conclusion. He could only hope that others did not realize the concept Armageddon was about to reveal. Fortunately, the Sorcerer would be in no position to test his hypothesis.

"Good. Now, follow that line to the end. From an agent's perspective that is unacceptable. You do nothing more than your duty, yet you eventually get prosecuted for it with no recourse." Simon nodded mildly. "Now, the other end of things. We, the supernatural ne'er-do-wells, spot the ultimate weakness. One by one, we intercept your field agents and file charges."

Armageddon's hands slammed down on the top of the table for emphasis. "One by one we pull the teeth, the claws, and leave you helpless. It need not be an organized resistance, but think of the boons owed to the originator of the concept."

He sat opposite Simon and calmly folded his hands atop the table. All trace of annoyance that Simon refused to play his game, refused to react at all, had vanished.

"Now, Mister field-agent-for-the-Paranormal-Investigation-Agency, I shall ask you politely, before I tear your world asunder, will you please leave me, and my businesses alone?"

Simon didn't smile, but knew the time was right to make his move. He nodded over his shoulder at the door. "Only if she is allowed to come with me."

Armageddon's confusion was genuine, as he looked up. It was as if he suddenly noticed Sascha's presence within the room.

"The dragon? You jest! You have no authority over her. She's mine! And for the mere suggestion I think I'll keep your little demonling. The two of them make quite a nice pair. And I can think of quite a number of things to do with such a matched set of trapped spirits!"

The glimmer in the Sorcerer's eyes suggested far too many possibilities. None of them were overly pleasant. Fortunately, neither woman would ever be subjected to the abuses that those eyes foretold. All it would take was a press of the thumb that rested comfortably in his coat pocket and the cavalry would arrive.

Unfortunately, his body refused to move.

"You thought I just like to listen to my own voice? Do you think I would brag, and reveal my grand designs while you plotted my destruction?"

Armageddon simply shook his head and pushed back from the table. Once more the door opened. Simon couldn't see the men enter, but he knew how many. There were five, and all fairly large to judge by the tread of their feet.

"You three, dispose of him, you two can begin with her." His hands gestured to unseen people even as he slipped out of Simon's frozen peripheral vision. "Likely she needs to learn obedience. Just don't take them from this floor while they are alive. And you, I want to see no signs of harm to her! Not like that other one!" A large hand spun Simon slightly so that he faced a wall, and nothing much else.

There was the key, however. On this floor, his headquarters, his spells reigned. He had bound Kali's powers, as he had before, and this time Armageddon had discovered a way to hold Simon's body.

The pocket around his hand shifted and he felt the remote device slip from his grasp. "Interesting. Is someone expecting a signal from you? Well then, it is a good thing you shall never send it."

He was spun back towards the table and the small radio flopped on the table before him, followed quickly by a hammer. In seconds flat the last chance of calling for backup shattered into painful shards. What surprised Simon however was the sound. Instead of plastic and circuit-board, it died with the sound of glass. As shocked expressions looked at the window. Simon knew the signal had been sent. He didn't know how, but they knew it was time.

Copyright July 2007, by Deathlynx