Mimi's Demons

Chapter 103: Just Bodies

Mimi wouldn't talk to him. He didn't even see hide or tail of her cat.

Duke would have dwelt on that more if his workload didn't suddenly spike.

Forget the bodies. Trusted regional leaders beneath him were suddenly filling his inbox with emergency calls. Crucial footmen were found dead. Drugs that were supposed to be pure had become laced with lethal additives, killing customers by the hundreds. Local and federal governments were being forced to pay attention by those who could not be paid off. Children and teens with nothing to do with the underworld were disappearing off the map, sending concerned parents into a wild fervor. Mules were suddenly ignoring the rules and handing off drugs to children, even those as young as elementary. Prostitutes and brothels were being overrun. Hidden pornographic studios were being raided for bogus crimes or knocked for violent trafficking.

His phone line buzzed non-stop with his more affluent customers. Each one had their own problems of being discovered or suddenly having the urge for more of their illicit poison.

It was a hell of both booming business and busted plans.

Duke put down his fourth mug of coffee to the hard patter of rain on the window and rubbed his itching eyes hard. Cromwell, who sat across the desk from him, didn't look much better.

"Someone breeched the system, sir," he said, too tired to even do his usual sass.

"No shit." Duke leaned forward on his elbows to rest his forehead against his fingers while his thumbs rubbed hard at his temples. "These sorts of things don't just happen. They're gradual. They build up. It's not just a breech from one person, it's a group."

"I've been following the IP addresses, but there are just too many, and they're everywhere." Cromwell leaned forward to bury his pale face in his hands as well. "It's nothing we can't handle, but damn. It's almost like they're two groups: one against us and one for us."

"No. It's the same group. They're trying to distract us. Overwhelm us."

"Evidence?"

"Intuition. Especially since those marked bodies have stopped showing up."

Cromwell gave him a bleary, furrowed look above his forefingers. "Are you suggesting that group of serial killers are changing tactics? Why? I still haven't figured out why they were killing people to begin with. What's the point of trying to scare you?"

"Attention." Duke leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Recognition is power. It's a trait of the vain and weak. They think if those more powerful recognize them as a threat they will be."

"I think the people who were murdered would think otherwise."

"It's all about influence. If they're ignored, demons can't influence. Then they might as well not exist."

Cromwell made a strange gurgle sound in his throat, but Duke just kept looking at the dark red backs of his eyelids.

"And we're back to demons again." Cromwell sounded like he wanted to hit his head against the wall till it bled, which, all the power to him. As long as he cleaned up after himself.

"They want Mimi."

"Yes yes."

"If you're not going to take this seriously, leave."

"I might just. I, after all, have a kid who will still talk to me."

Duke raised his head and looked hard at Cromwell with his bloodshot eyes.

Cromwell just bobbed his head like a chicken and stood up.

"Yeah, I'll just go."

Which left Duke alone, with his cold office unaffected by the Spring sunshine pouring in.

After a few more minutes of brooding and wishing he were dead (at least he'd get some sleep then), he pulled up an extra monitor he used just for occasions like this and revved up the rarely used desktop. Duke usually preferred laptops, as he could then work in a comfortable seat and easily destroy it should a compromisable situation arise. But, even in the modern age, a desktop could pack more computing power than a laptop could.

As he set it up, he dialed up the last person he felt like talking to.

It rung two times before they answered.

"Louis here."

"That monk in Tibet you mentioned," Duke pushed in the HDMI chord. "I need you to find him and bring him to me."

"You mean the one with the abilities like me and mon Cherie?"

"Who else?"

There was a pause before Duke could practically hear the toothy grin on the other line.

"Well, I'm rather proud of my ability of acquiring persons, but this should prove to be a good stretch even for me. But I'll get him to you, boss. Just prepare a space for him. He won't be happy."

"Can he speak English?"

"Hell naw. I'll get a translator too."

"Good man."

"I've been smelling a storm brewing. I take it's not just down here we're getting a bit of traffic?"

"Worry about yourself."

Louis cackled. "Oh, sir, I always do. There's just these whispers, you see, that even I can hear from the other side."

Duke hesitated, feeling a big disgusted with himself that he was going to ask this. "Like what?"

"He wants her. Your little one."

The hairs on Duke's arms prickled. He ground his teeth.

"It's just one little girl."

"Ah, but no soul is like unto another. Ever read 'The Screwtape Letters' by C.S. Lewis?"

"Why the hell would I?"

"I'd advise you give it a read. Your darling is capable of great things, terrible or not. We can smell it."

"I'm getting real tired of you treating everything like a scratch and sniff sticker. You have a week."

"Yes sir."

Even after he hung up, the hairs on Duke's arms wouldn't go down. He rubbed his eyes hard again and opened up a tab to look up the book Louis mentioned. After reading the synopsis, he snorted in derision. Then, after a moment wondering how his life had come to this, he bought it. 

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I don't wanna function today. Stop making me. STOP! Ugh, I hate my sense of responsibility and my own self drive. Why can't I just hang out in exercise pants like the rest of the people of Wal-mart and feel no shame? Why do I have to have dignity? There's Zelda to be played! And it isn't like my children care. But I care! Why do I have to care? Uggggggghhh.