(Continued from "Playing with Fire".)
An empty warehouse on the WestEnd, about three weeks ago...
Once Abaddon was gone, Rhys sank into a chair, picking up the parchment and reading it over again, almost as if to see if there was anything he'd missed, any way out of the bargain, some small clause or loophole.
"Yeah, I'm real funny," he said regarding the fallen angel's parting remark. "Gonna laugh my way straight to hell." Somehow, he knew after what he'd just done, heaven more than likely wouldn't want him.
"Jesus Christ, Rhys, what did you just get yourself into?" he asked himself with a sigh as he yanked his cellphone from his jeans and dialed Luke's number.
"This is Luke." That's how he answered the phone.
"It's going down tonight. I need you here asap so quit screwing around with your pretty brunette and get your ass to the warehouse, pronto. And pick up some burgers on the way. I'm starving."
"Damn, okay. Be there in a few."
Rhys hung up the phone and looked over the parchment again while he waited for Luke. He felt uneasy about the whole thing, especially the deal, but he didn't think he'd had much choice. He was just finishing up the rest of the Devil's Trap when Luke came in.
As promised he was there in a few minutes, burgers, fries and even a couple of beers. He pulled the door open, stepping over the salt line, and pulled the door closed. "Hey, Rhys." Bags rustling and wrinkling as he walked on over there toward him. "Burgers, Fries, Beer." Said as he put the stuff on the table and then looked at the circle of stuff. "What is that?"
Rhys put the finishing touches on the symbol and set the paint can on the table, grabbing a bag and reaching inside to snag a few fries. For some reason, it felt like his last meal, but it always felt like that before a hunt. "Devil's Trap. That's where we're going to summon her." He shoved the fries in his mouth and popped open a can of beer.
"What's it do?" He cracked the top on a beer, looking at what to him, looked like graffiti.
"Just what it says it does. Traps a demon." Rhys took a swig of the beer and dropped into a chair, swinging his feet up onto the table and looking over at Luke. "You sure you're up for this?"
He nodded as he looked at the burgers, and passed Rhys one. "I am ready, and mine has jalapeno."
"Do you even know what you're ready for?" Rhys continued. They'd been over it a hundred times, but once more wouldn't hurt.
"Whatever comes through the door you open, nothing of which can possibly be worse than my ex Mother In Law."
Rhys grabbed the burger and started unwrapping it from the foil. "That's real funny, Luke. I hope you're still laughing when this is all over with."
"Come on, Man. Just trying to lighten the mood." He took a big bite of his spicy burger then.
Rhys looked over at the man who'd become about his only friend in Rhydin. Not exactly a replacement for John or Adam, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and Luke had his own charm. The two had become as close as Rhys would allow. "You should go. I've got this."
"Bullshit," He took another bite. "I signed up, I'm gonna help."
"I'm not so sure I want you to."
"Too bad, I'm here. We are eating burgers and drinking beers to seal the deal."
Rhys winced without really realizing he was wincing, reminded of the deal he'd only just made with Abaddon.
He looked at the man when he winced. "What's up" Cracked tooth?"
"Look, I..." Rhys set the burger down and sighed. "I can handle this. Seriously. You should go. You've got a pretty brunette to live for." He almost wished he hadn't gotten him involved.
"Yeah, and I've got a friend that I told I'd help. Don't make me have to kick your ass," he was grinning as he shoved some fries into his mouth.
Rhys smiled. "You can try." He reached for the beer and held it aloft in a toast. "To friendship."
He lifted his beer in salute. "Friendship!"
"And women," Rhys added before taking a gulp.
"Women!" he too took a couple of long swallows.
Rhys ate most of what he considered his last meal in companionable silence, a little lost in his own thoughts.
"Cold as a witch's tit in an iron bra out there," Luke said. He wasn't one big on silence. "This deep freeze ever warm up?"
"Eventually," Rhys muttered, not big on words at the moment, though there was something he needed to say.
He nodded, and finished his fries.
"Not much different from back home. It'll be spring soon," Rhys remarked, seeming a little distracted.
"Down in Nawlin's we'd be in storm watches," he added, as the last bite of the burger was had.
Rhys closed his eyes, visualizing the Northeast in spring time, the gray of winter fading, the grass turning green, trees in full bloom. "It'll be baseball season soon," he remarked idly. "My dad loved baseball."
He watched the man, wondering what he was thinking, but decided he wasn't going to ask, but there was baseball. "Yeah' I enjoy going to the games. It's a relaxing sport."
"Took me to a few games when I was a kid." Rhys' eyes were still closed and there was a small reminiscent smile on his face.
"My old man didn't want to do anything that didn't involve making money," he watched Rhys as he was in thought then. "Sounds like good times."
"Yeah, good times," Rhys echoed, the moment lost, the memory fading. He opened his eyes finally and took a swallow of his beer. "Sorry about your old man. Sounds like a dick."
He nodded, "A rich one."
"Well, at least you had that."
"That's what everyone says," he chuckled at that.
"Money doesn't buy happiness, huh' I bet it sure as hell makes life easier though."
"Oh it buys happiness, just not for yours truly." Another laugh at that. "He wanted me to go to school, make the grades, make him proud..."
Rhys checked his watch. There was still a little time left, but he didn't want to tarry too long. "What did you want?"
"What every kid wants, what you had."
Rhys arched a brow. "What did I have?"
"Some kind of decent memory with the old coot, but all I can remember from him is sighs and stink eyes. You got the good memory of a baseball game, Man."
"Yeah, baseball," Rhys repeated sourly. He didn't mention the memory of his father strangling his mother or the bullets he'd lost count of that he'd pumped into his father's body. "It's an awesome memory." Rhys took another swig of his beer and swung his feet off the table. "Funny thing is, I'd rather have him still alive, even if all I ever got was sighs and stink eyes."
"Oh, didn't know your dad was gone. I'm sorry, man."
There was a lot Luke didn't know about Rhys and vice versa. Rhys got to his feet and started sorting through the array of ingredients he'd gathered up for the summoning. "Yeah, well....it was a long time ago."
Luke carried his beer as he stood, walking over to look at the stuff. "Still, you have a decent few memories."
Rhys struck a match and started lighting a few candles. "Yeah, I have a few."
He watched him lighting the candles, still trying to lighten the mood. "This isn't the part that you tell me you love me, right?"
Rhys chuckled. "Sorry, dude, you're not my type."
"Thank you, Jesus!"
Rhys' eyes slid to Luke, turning serious a moment. "Would you do something for me?"
He looked at Rhys then. "Sure, man, anything."
Rhys turned back to the table, grabbing a chalice, and adding various ingredients, some of which looked highly questionable. "If this goes bad....if anything happens to me..."
He listened, no more jokes.
"If you ever go back....home, I mean..." Rhys frowned, shaking his head. "Never mind, it's probably better this way."
"Finish it, man."
Rhys hesitated, unsure if he should say anything more. He wasn't sure why his thoughts had been straying to Kellie lately, especially now that Riley was married. That ship had sailed, gone forever. He just wanted to know that he'd be remembered and missed by someone. "Kellie Duncan, she's got a place in Chicago....Just tell her..." Rhys sighed. "Hell, I dunno. Tell her I'm sorry."
"Tell her ya care?"
"Yeah, whatever. Doesn't matter, does it?"
"Dude, come on."
"Poofed on her, left her with a dead body and no explanation. That's not gonna go over well."
He watched Rhys, seeing him like that was a little odd. "Same goes for me. Tell Vic, don't be afraid to take chances."
Rhys' head shot up and over at Luke. "You're not dying, man, so forget it."
"Well, I don't plan on it....but you know, I'll take your message, you can take mine."
"You're back up, that's all. You stay out of sight and shoot to kill if and when necessary. This bitch doesn't mess around, and she's not gonna take lightly to us calling her here. I have no idea what we're in for."
"Brought a 30.06, and my Colt."
Rhys nodded, lifting both brows at him. "You ready to get this show on the road?"
"I am as ready as I'm going to get, Rhys."
An empty warehouse on the WestEnd, about three weeks ago...
Once Abaddon was gone, Rhys sank into a chair, picking up the parchment and reading it over again, almost as if to see if there was anything he'd missed, any way out of the bargain, some small clause or loophole.
"Yeah, I'm real funny," he said regarding the fallen angel's parting remark. "Gonna laugh my way straight to hell." Somehow, he knew after what he'd just done, heaven more than likely wouldn't want him.
"Jesus Christ, Rhys, what did you just get yourself into?" he asked himself with a sigh as he yanked his cellphone from his jeans and dialed Luke's number.
"This is Luke." That's how he answered the phone.
"It's going down tonight. I need you here asap so quit screwing around with your pretty brunette and get your ass to the warehouse, pronto. And pick up some burgers on the way. I'm starving."
"Damn, okay. Be there in a few."
Rhys hung up the phone and looked over the parchment again while he waited for Luke. He felt uneasy about the whole thing, especially the deal, but he didn't think he'd had much choice. He was just finishing up the rest of the Devil's Trap when Luke came in.
As promised he was there in a few minutes, burgers, fries and even a couple of beers. He pulled the door open, stepping over the salt line, and pulled the door closed. "Hey, Rhys." Bags rustling and wrinkling as he walked on over there toward him. "Burgers, Fries, Beer." Said as he put the stuff on the table and then looked at the circle of stuff. "What is that?"
Rhys put the finishing touches on the symbol and set the paint can on the table, grabbing a bag and reaching inside to snag a few fries. For some reason, it felt like his last meal, but it always felt like that before a hunt. "Devil's Trap. That's where we're going to summon her." He shoved the fries in his mouth and popped open a can of beer.
"What's it do?" He cracked the top on a beer, looking at what to him, looked like graffiti.
"Just what it says it does. Traps a demon." Rhys took a swig of the beer and dropped into a chair, swinging his feet up onto the table and looking over at Luke. "You sure you're up for this?"
He nodded as he looked at the burgers, and passed Rhys one. "I am ready, and mine has jalapeno."
"Do you even know what you're ready for?" Rhys continued. They'd been over it a hundred times, but once more wouldn't hurt.
"Whatever comes through the door you open, nothing of which can possibly be worse than my ex Mother In Law."
Rhys grabbed the burger and started unwrapping it from the foil. "That's real funny, Luke. I hope you're still laughing when this is all over with."
"Come on, Man. Just trying to lighten the mood." He took a big bite of his spicy burger then.
Rhys looked over at the man who'd become about his only friend in Rhydin. Not exactly a replacement for John or Adam, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and Luke had his own charm. The two had become as close as Rhys would allow. "You should go. I've got this."
"Bullshit," He took another bite. "I signed up, I'm gonna help."
"I'm not so sure I want you to."
"Too bad, I'm here. We are eating burgers and drinking beers to seal the deal."
Rhys winced without really realizing he was wincing, reminded of the deal he'd only just made with Abaddon.
He looked at the man when he winced. "What's up" Cracked tooth?"
"Look, I..." Rhys set the burger down and sighed. "I can handle this. Seriously. You should go. You've got a pretty brunette to live for." He almost wished he hadn't gotten him involved.
"Yeah, and I've got a friend that I told I'd help. Don't make me have to kick your ass," he was grinning as he shoved some fries into his mouth.
Rhys smiled. "You can try." He reached for the beer and held it aloft in a toast. "To friendship."
He lifted his beer in salute. "Friendship!"
"And women," Rhys added before taking a gulp.
"Women!" he too took a couple of long swallows.
Rhys ate most of what he considered his last meal in companionable silence, a little lost in his own thoughts.
"Cold as a witch's tit in an iron bra out there," Luke said. He wasn't one big on silence. "This deep freeze ever warm up?"
"Eventually," Rhys muttered, not big on words at the moment, though there was something he needed to say.
He nodded, and finished his fries.
"Not much different from back home. It'll be spring soon," Rhys remarked, seeming a little distracted.
"Down in Nawlin's we'd be in storm watches," he added, as the last bite of the burger was had.
Rhys closed his eyes, visualizing the Northeast in spring time, the gray of winter fading, the grass turning green, trees in full bloom. "It'll be baseball season soon," he remarked idly. "My dad loved baseball."
He watched the man, wondering what he was thinking, but decided he wasn't going to ask, but there was baseball. "Yeah' I enjoy going to the games. It's a relaxing sport."
"Took me to a few games when I was a kid." Rhys' eyes were still closed and there was a small reminiscent smile on his face.
"My old man didn't want to do anything that didn't involve making money," he watched Rhys as he was in thought then. "Sounds like good times."
"Yeah, good times," Rhys echoed, the moment lost, the memory fading. He opened his eyes finally and took a swallow of his beer. "Sorry about your old man. Sounds like a dick."
He nodded, "A rich one."
"Well, at least you had that."
"That's what everyone says," he chuckled at that.
"Money doesn't buy happiness, huh' I bet it sure as hell makes life easier though."
"Oh it buys happiness, just not for yours truly." Another laugh at that. "He wanted me to go to school, make the grades, make him proud..."
Rhys checked his watch. There was still a little time left, but he didn't want to tarry too long. "What did you want?"
"What every kid wants, what you had."
Rhys arched a brow. "What did I have?"
"Some kind of decent memory with the old coot, but all I can remember from him is sighs and stink eyes. You got the good memory of a baseball game, Man."
"Yeah, baseball," Rhys repeated sourly. He didn't mention the memory of his father strangling his mother or the bullets he'd lost count of that he'd pumped into his father's body. "It's an awesome memory." Rhys took another swig of his beer and swung his feet off the table. "Funny thing is, I'd rather have him still alive, even if all I ever got was sighs and stink eyes."
"Oh, didn't know your dad was gone. I'm sorry, man."
There was a lot Luke didn't know about Rhys and vice versa. Rhys got to his feet and started sorting through the array of ingredients he'd gathered up for the summoning. "Yeah, well....it was a long time ago."
Luke carried his beer as he stood, walking over to look at the stuff. "Still, you have a decent few memories."
Rhys struck a match and started lighting a few candles. "Yeah, I have a few."
He watched him lighting the candles, still trying to lighten the mood. "This isn't the part that you tell me you love me, right?"
Rhys chuckled. "Sorry, dude, you're not my type."
"Thank you, Jesus!"
Rhys' eyes slid to Luke, turning serious a moment. "Would you do something for me?"
He looked at Rhys then. "Sure, man, anything."
Rhys turned back to the table, grabbing a chalice, and adding various ingredients, some of which looked highly questionable. "If this goes bad....if anything happens to me..."
He listened, no more jokes.
"If you ever go back....home, I mean..." Rhys frowned, shaking his head. "Never mind, it's probably better this way."
"Finish it, man."
Rhys hesitated, unsure if he should say anything more. He wasn't sure why his thoughts had been straying to Kellie lately, especially now that Riley was married. That ship had sailed, gone forever. He just wanted to know that he'd be remembered and missed by someone. "Kellie Duncan, she's got a place in Chicago....Just tell her..." Rhys sighed. "Hell, I dunno. Tell her I'm sorry."
"Tell her ya care?"
"Yeah, whatever. Doesn't matter, does it?"
"Dude, come on."
"Poofed on her, left her with a dead body and no explanation. That's not gonna go over well."
He watched Rhys, seeing him like that was a little odd. "Same goes for me. Tell Vic, don't be afraid to take chances."
Rhys' head shot up and over at Luke. "You're not dying, man, so forget it."
"Well, I don't plan on it....but you know, I'll take your message, you can take mine."
"You're back up, that's all. You stay out of sight and shoot to kill if and when necessary. This bitch doesn't mess around, and she's not gonna take lightly to us calling her here. I have no idea what we're in for."
"Brought a 30.06, and my Colt."
Rhys nodded, lifting both brows at him. "You ready to get this show on the road?"
"I am as ready as I'm going to get, Rhys."