The Awakening Read online

  “Where do we do this? Do we need holy ground or holy water or something?”

  Saul shook his head and sighed with his eyes looking up at the ceiling.

  “What?” she asked.

  “First of all, holy ground and water are Christian concepts. Second of all, it doesn’t matter as long as the possessed can be secured properly so that he does not harm himself or others during the exorcism.”

  “Does he have to be awake?” Liam asked. “It’d be a whole lot easier to just drug him up and let him sleep.”

  “Interesting question,” Saul said. “That is something not discussed in any of the accounts. But I think it best if we do not.”

  “So where do we do this?” Katarina asked when it seemed Liam was out of questions.

  “Some place secure,” Liam said.

  “And sound proof,” Saul offered.

  “Sound proof?” Katarina asked in surprise.

  “The accounts describe horrible screaming of the possessed as the demon is expunged. I can imagine how quickly anyone hearing that would call the police.”

  “How long does this take?” Liam asked.

  “Takes as long as it takes,” Saul said with another of his shrugs. “One case took minutes. Another, days.”

  “Days?” Katarina asked.

  “So, we need more than just any place,” Liam said. “We need a location that’s secure, isolated and can support us for as long as necessary. And we’re going to need help. He’s going to need to be watched around the clock and I can’t do that by myself.”

  Katarina made a production of clearing her throat.

  “Sorry. We can’t do that. Not keep the location locked down and be ready for when and if the demon emerges. We need at least two more bodies that know what they’re doing.”

  Forty-One

  “Three-eleven,” Liam said, handing a plastic keycard to Katarina.

  He had just checked them in to a hotel near the airport. They both felt they were being slightly paranoid, but also acknowledged the very real possibility that they were being spied on. Katarina had tried to remember exactly what they’d discussed with their phones close enough to pick up the conversation, then given up when she realized the answer. Everything.

  “Our first time in a hotel.”

  She playfully bumped Liam’s hip with hers as they rode up in the elevator.

  “Somehow, I thought I’d take you to one nicer than this,” he said. “This place doesn’t look like it’s been remodeled since the nineties.”

  “Doesn’t smell like it, either.”

  They arrived at their floor and went to the room, looking around carefully when they walked in.

  “Do you really think this was necessary?” Katarina asked. “They can’t listen in with our phones anymore. Or even know where we are, for that matter.”

  “The things we have to discuss are best kept private,” Liam answered.

  He stretched out on top of the bed’s comforter, grimacing slightly as he laid back. Katarina watched him for a moment before sitting on the edge of the mattress and gently lifting his shirt.

  “Roll over.”

  He sighed but did as she asked. Katarina carefully pulled the shirt over his head. She started to touch the massive bruise but stopped with her hand hovering over his back.

  “How does it feel?”

  “How’s it look?”

  “Looks like you went one on one with a truck. And lost.”

  “Funny. That’s how it feels,” he said.

  “Are we going to get out of this?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “How are you so sure?”

  “I can’t believe anything else,” he said. “Positive attitude. May not make things turn out the way you want, but it’s a hell of a lot better than wasting time dwelling on the negatives.”

  “Maybe we need to get you a motivational speaking gig,” she said with a smile.

  “What’s the plan for the money?” he asked, startling her with the sudden change in topics.

  “The money?” she asked, not knowing what else to say.

  “Yeah. The money. What are you going to do with it? You never told me that part.”

  “There was an idea. Now, I’m not sure if the best thing isn’t to just dump it in the forest where the plane crashed and let someone else find it.”

  “Too late for that. Someone sent the Retriever. They know he failed by now. That means they’ll send another. Doesn’t cost them a dime and there’s a whole army of guys out there that’d do about anything for a crack at a quarter mil.”

  Katarina looked at him with worry creasing her face.

  “So, they’re just going to keep coming?”

  Liam rolled over to face her and nodded.

  “One thing I know about drug dealers. They don’t forgive and they never forget. Their world is brutal. Dog eat dog doesn’t begin to describe it. By now, word has gotten around that a certain somebody lost two and a half million. It’s one thing if law enforcement had seized it. That’s part of doing business and why they’re not worried about the twenty-seven point five mil. But the two point five you’ve got is different. They know some of their money is floating around out there, and if they don’t do something about it, they’ll be perceived as weak and a feeding frenzy will begin.”

  “So how do we make them stop? Give it back?”

  “Won’t work. They’ll still want their pound of flesh, even if you return the cash. At this point, there’s really only one way this ends.”

  “They got their revenge!” she protested. “They killed Matt!”

  “According to all the headlines, you killed him. Besides, this isn’t about revenge. It’s a message. An example of what happens to anyone who steals from them. Mess with us and you will pay a very steep price.”

  “So, you’re saying I either kill a drug dealer or he’s going to kill me?”

  Katarina stared at him in horror, neither option acceptable to her.

  “We’ll find another way.”

  “What way?” she asked, seizing on his words.

  “Don’t know yet, but I’m working on it,” he said, tapping the side of his head with a finger.

  “Well that’s certainly a relief,” she said, holding a grin.

  “Are we already into the sarcasm phase of our relationship?”

  “Guess you haven’t been paying attention. We’ve been in that phase all along. You do positive; I do sarcasm.”

  Liam thought about that for a minute, then nodded.

  “Okay. I can deal with that.”

  There was a knock on the door and Liam was instantly on his feet. Approaching cautiously, he peered through the spy hole then nodded at Katarina. He slipped his shirt back on before opening the door and letting Jimmy into the room.

  “Jimmy’s got what you asked for,” he said, smiling broadly when he saw Katarina. “Hello, gorgeous lady!”

  “Hi, Jimmy. Good to see you again.”

  “Even better to see you,” he said, starting to cross the room with his arms outstretched.

  “Jimmy,” Liam said warningly.

  He stopped and looked over his shoulder.

  “Relax, bro! Jimmy was just being friendly. Not like he was gonna do anything.”

  “You bring it?” Liam asked, ignoring the hurt expression on Jimmy’s face.

  “Of course!” he said brightly. “You ask, Jimmy delivers!”

  He shrugged a small backpack off his shoulder and reached inside, producing a device made from machined aluminum. It was about the size of a thick cell phone with a single switch, one red and one green LED light.

  “All you gotta do is turn it on. Green light good, red light bad.”

  He flipped the switch and the green LED glowed to life.

  “And no one can listen in?”

  “Nope,” Jimmy said with a broad smile. “Disrupts all electronics, audio and video, and even fucks with long range microphones and lasers.”

  “So, what’s th
e red light?” Liam asked, turning it over in his hands.

  “Low battery,” Jimmy said with a shrug. “Or something’s not working right. That happens, just give Jimmy a call and he’ll fix it right up!”

  “Thanks, Jimmy,” Liam said, setting the device on a table and clapping him on the shoulder. “You came through again.”

  “Of course, of course! Anything for you, dude. You saved Jimmy’s ass!” He turned to look at Katarina. “For real! He saved Jimmy’s ass! Jimmy’s ass would have been really popular in prison.”

  Katarina managed to keep a straight face and suppress the laugh that wanted to come out. She could only nod to Jimmy before turning away and clamping a hand over her mouth.

  “Alright, Jimmy. Thanks again.”

  Liam’s hand was still on his shoulder and he guided the smaller man towards the door. Pulling it open, he paused in surprise to see Baldwin, hand raised in preparation to knock.

  “Holy shit!” Jimmy exclaimed excitedly. “It’s Samuel L. Jackson! You’re Samuel L. Jackson!”

  Baldwin looked down at the much shorter man, a deep frown on his face. It was obvious he couldn’t tell if Jimmy was serious or trying to be funny at his expense.

  “Oh man! You were great in Pulp Fiction, dude! Fuckin’ awesome! Hey! Is John Travolta here, too?”

  Jimmy leaned to look past Baldwin into the hallway.

  “Goodbye, Jimmy,” Liam said firmly.

  “Oh. Okay. Bye, bro!” He glanced over his shoulder at Katarina. “Bye-bye gorgeous lady!”

  She was still trying to suppress laughter, shaking shoulders giving her away.

  “Bye, Jimmy,” she croaked.

  He turned to the door and Baldwin stepped aside.

  “Bye, Samuel L. Jackson!” Jimmy said with a wave, then hurried out and disappeared around the corner.

  Baldwin watched him go, then slowly stepped into the room and waited for Liam to close the door.

  “Exactly what the fuck was that?” he asked, looking around when Katarina completely lost it and dropped into a chair as she laughed.

  “Jimmy,” Liam said.

  “What the hell’s a Jimmy?”

  “Don’t ask,” Liam said with a grin.

  “And I do not look like Samuel L. Jackson!”

  Pulling a chair out from the table, he dropped into it and shot a look at Katarina who was still laughing.

  “Yeah, Baldy,” she gasped. “You kinda do.”

  Forty-Two

  Baldwin stared impassively at Katarina when she finished speaking. Over the past hour, she’d told him everything. From her first encounter with Zophiel in the forest when she’d gone back to get the bag of money, to their recent conversation with the Rabbi.

  “Say something,” Katarina said when he remained silent for several minutes.

  “What do you want me to say, Kat?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t care! Just something instead of looking at me like I’ve lost my goddamn mind!”

  Baldwin stared at her some more before taking a deep breath and shifting his eyes to Liam.

  “You believe this? Demons possessing people?”

  Liam had stayed quiet while Katarina had been telling her story. He hadn’t missed the few times Baldwin’s eyes had slid to the side, checking on his reaction to something especially fantastical. But he’d remained stoic, not giving anything away with his body language or facial expression.

  “I’ve seen it.”

  “You what?” Baldwin asked incredulously.

  Liam nodded his head, stood, pulled his shirt off and turned so Baldwin could see his back.

  “Last night. Guy attacked us in an alley. I shot him. Two rounds, center mass. The fucker was down, then this... thing, just kind of rose up out of him.”

  “Bullshit,” Baldwin said, then pointed at his bruising. “Blow like that, even if it wasn’t to the head, can fuck with you.”

  “I watched it happen. And I watched her kill it.”

  Baldwin frowned at him for what felt a long time, then turned his gaze on Katarina.

  “You’ve known me a long time, Baldy. Have I ever made things up or lied to you?”

  He turned back to Liam without answering.

  “You see these things, too? Inside people, like she said?”

  “No,” Liam said, shaking his head.

  “Then why do you believe? You’re not a kid. You know the kind of crazy shit you see when you’re in a fight.”

  “Baldwin---” Katarina began.

  Liam held up a hand asking her to let him respond.

  “I know what I saw. I wasn’t drunk or on drugs, and I never lost consciousness. Besides, even if I hadn’t seen it, there’s something inside me that knows she’s telling the truth. I realize it sounds insane, however, neither of us are schizophrenic. We have a clear grasp on reality. So, you can either trust us... trust her, or walk away.”

  “Why haven’t you?” Baldwin fired back. “Dump her and move on. Shit load of baggage hanging around her neck. What do you think’s gonna happen? You two get married and buy a house in the suburbs? White picket fences and mini-vans and shit?”

  “Why haven’t you dumped her? You’ve already put yourself at considerable risk. Put the Retriever down and would be sitting in a cell if it wasn’t for me.”

  “She’s family,” Baldwin said without hesitation. “You’ve known her, what? Three or four days?”

  “Baldwin!” Katarina warned and he looked at her.

  “He’s a big boy. Let him speak.”

  She sighed and shook her head, leaning back and crossing her arms.

  “It is what it is,” Liam said. “But that doesn’t matter at the moment. What does is dealing with the situation and getting her clear of these charges.”

  “Maybe stopping this whole demon invasion thing wouldn’t be such a bad idea, either,” Katarina said sarcastically.

  They turned to look at her, but she ignored Liam in favor of glaring at Baldwin.

  “If all you’re going to do is worry about whatever my relationship is with Liam, you might as well leave. If you don’t believe me, or think I’m crazy, there’s the fucking door and don’t let it hit your ass on the way out!”

  “Christ, Kat,” Baldwin said. “I was just asking some questions!”

  “Yeah, and they’re bullshit ones, too!”

  Their eyes were locked on each other’s and stayed that way for several tense seconds before he looked away.

  “Fine,” he grumbled. “Not saying I believe you. Either of you. Not saying I think you’re lying to me, either, but there may be another truth here that you’re not aware of.”

  Katarina leaned forward, but he forestalled her protest.

  “I’ll help, I’ll help. Okay? Demons or no demons, pretty-boy here’s right. This is about getting you out of a jam. Frankly, I’m a little offended you’d even think I wouldn’t help.”

  “Thank you,” Katarina said.

  “Pretty-boy?” Liam asked.

  “Looked at yourself in the mirror lately?” Baldwin asked with an arched brow. “Oh, wait. That probably happens every five minutes.”

  “Only cause I’m checking to make sure there isn’t a Jarhead behind me, waiting for me to bend over.”

  Katarina sighed and shook her head in surrender. After a few beats, Baldwin cracked a smile.

  “Just ‘cause I’m smiling doesn’t mean you’re not an asshole,” he said.

  Katarina interrupted before Liam could respond.

  “Boys! Can we get back on topic or do you want to drop your pants and I’ll get out a ruler?”

  “Oh, he’ll definitely lose that one!” Baldwin said loudly.

  “I wouldn’t---”

  “Enough!” Katarina shouted. “Save it for later when I don’t have to listen to it. Now, what do we need to do?”

  They looked at her, both appearing properly chastised. A few seconds passed then both of them began to speak at the same time, then stopped.

  “Gonna use my p
eople, I’m calling the shots,” Baldwin said.

  “Seriously? We’re dealing with an FBI Special Agent in Charge, here. What do you know about covert surveillance and finding the right time and location to take him?”

  “Took plenty of enemy fighters---”

  Baldwin stopped and looked up when Katarina came forward and put her hand on his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, Baldy, but Liam’s right. This is the world he and I live and work in. This isn’t a war zone. We’ve got one shot at this, so trust him. Please?”

  He looked up at her then shrugged.

  “Whatever. You make the plan, but I’m in command of my guys. Don’t try to go around me or we’ll be having a conversation.”

  Baldwin got up quickly when Liam stood and they stared at each other from a few feet apart.

  “Not interested in going around you, Baldwin,” Liam said. “Just want to do this right so all of us can go home at the end of the day.”

  Baldwin exhaled, nodded slowly and gripped Liam’s hand tightly when he extended it.

  “Damn if you don’t look just like Samuel L. Jackson,” Liam said, grinning in Baldwin’s face.

  Forty-Three

  Command structure resolved, at least for the moment, Liam called the front desk to find out if the adjoining room was available. They needed a space to act as a war room, as well as somewhere for Baldwin to sleep. They weren’t too keen on the idea of sharing a room with him. It was vacant, but he had to go down in person so the hotel could swipe his credit card.

  “Get another one, too,” Baldwin called, stopping him on his way out the door. “I’ll stay next door, but my guys will need a room.”

  “How many you bringing?”

  “Four, so two double beds’ll do.”

  “Balls to buttholes, huh? Heard Marines like to spoon,” Liam said and left before Baldwin could respond.

  “He’s an asshole,” he said to Katarina.

  “You two don’t have to like each other,” she said. “You just have to get along long enough to pull this off.”

  “Actually, I do kind of like him. But if you say anything, I’ll tell him about you and the pool cue.”

  Her eyes opened wide in surprise as she stared at the mischievous grin on his face.