Chapter Eleven

Argumentation

Chase knocked on the front door of the apartment in Brighton and waited anxiously, shifting from foot to foot. Jen hadn’t given him the number of the home and he’d been forced to research it himself when she didn’t pick up her mobile. Jeremiah was on his way to Jen which made him hopeful, but at the same time sad that it was Jeremiah and not him going.

He knocked on the front door again and when it opened she was greeted by a girl with long black hair, sharp yellow eyes and tanned skin. “Allah.” He said quickly, waiting for some sort of reaction.

“Sorry, we’re not Muslim.” she started to close the door on him but Chase reached his hand out and held the door open.

“No, I’m not �" never mind. Look is Saint home?”

The girls eyes narrowed and she stuck her chin up in the air. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Chase.”

“Never heard of you.”

“You wouldn’t have. I’m Jen’s boyfriend.” He waited for a reaction from that and he got one.

The girl just smirked. “So you do exist. Edmund will be pissed.”

Chase frowned. “What?”

“Never mind. Jen’s not here. I haven’t even met her yet. Try Tony’s, everyone’s always there.” she started to close the door but Chase kept it open. “Um, excuse me?”

“I’m not here for Jen. I’m here for Saint.”

The girl leant against the door, and crossed her arms. “What’s your name?”

“Chase. Chase Daniels.”

“Alicia Pappas. Why are you looking for Saint?”

“Who are you, his mother?”

“His sister… Of sorts.” Alicia tilted her head to the side. “Look, the boys aren’t here and I’m not allowed to invite strangers into the house. I barely know your girlfriend and if it wasn’t for the fact I hear Greg and Angel trying to prompt Edmund to admit she’s, quote, smoking�" then I would have no idea about her.”

Chase seized up at that then tapped his foot impatiently. “Where’d they go?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“Do you realise that lives are at stake?”

She scoffed. “And I’m Mother Teresa. Want to see my miracle?” Before Chase could blink, she slammed the door shut on his face and locked the door. He seized up with anger and slammed his fist into the door. He knuckle split open and blood poured down the white painted door.

He hugged his arm to his hand and grunted in pain. “Want to back away from the door there?” Chase turned around and frowned at the people he saw in front of him. There were three older boys, one much older than the other two and vaguely familiar and two young children around eight.

Chase’s hand flickered towards his gun but then he did recognise the much older boy �" man if Chase remembered correctly. “TJ?”

Tobias raised his eyebrows in shock then looked at Zeke, Tony and the twins then back at Chase. Zeke looked stunned because he hadn’t heard anyone call his brother TJ in a very long time. “Um… Chase, right?”

“Yeah.” Chase looked at the other boys and then remembered who they were. “Zeke, Tony and…” He looked at the twins without any idea who they were.

“I’m Joe.”

“I’m Luke.”

“Is that your blood on the door?”

Chase turned and started sheepishly. “Um…”

Tony pulled the twins back behind him and silenced them with a death glare.

“You two are friends?” Zeke looked between Tobias and Chase.

Tobias shrugged, “I know his…”

“Brother.” Chase cut him off. “Jeremiah.”

“How is he?”

“Same. Um… can I talk to you?”

“How’d you know my brother would be here?” Zeke interrupted.

Chase scratched his head and bit his lip as he realised he was slowly sinking into a trap. “I didn’t. But now that he is, I could use his help.”

“Come on.” Tobias stepped in front of the others and reached out a hand to Chase. He took him by the shoulder and guided him down the hall. “We can talk downstairs.”

Chase looked over his shoulder at the other boys then back at Tobias. “I can’t leave them alone.”

“We’re more than capable of handling ourselves.” Tony smirked and pointed the black headband around his head. “That was my karate belt.”

Zeke elbowed Tony and waited for Chase’s reaction. They’re too observant. Chase was slowly realising how Jen had gotten herself into the mess. Or maybe he knows… He looked up at Tobias who was still confused and almost anxious. He doesn’t know. “This is going to sound really weird, but you might be in danger of something I know you can’t handle. I need to find Saint.”

“Outside Chase,” Time warned. “Before I call your brother.”

“He’ll back me up on this one.” Chase replied quickly. “Really, you all need to come with me.”

“No offence, but I don’t know you from a bar of soap.” Zeke growled. “All I know is that your brother knows mine and you just bled all over my friends doorway. Now why the hell go anywhere with you?”

“Are they in trouble?” Tobias asked quietly.

Chase scoffed, “More than you know. Jen got you out of prison, just so you know.”

Tobias stayed silent and looked up at the ceiling, taking a moment to pray. “Jen?” Tony frowned. “Jen from school Jen?”

“Are you Jen’s boyfriend?” Luke asked.

Joe narrowed his eyes at him. “I hate you.”

“Boys.” Tony snapped. “Go inside, okay? Alicia, you can open the door.” He shouted out to the girl and Alicia did so.

She stared at Chase curiously then opened the door wider for Joe and Luke to walk through. “So many not try Tony’s.”

“Leash, go inside.” Tobias said quietly.

She looked at Tobias angrily and tossed her hair back over her shoulder. “Sure Dad.” She closed the door behind her, slamming it again.s

“Now what is going on?” Zeke stalked forward.

“I’m Jen’s boyfriend, here to take you and whoever might be close to you to a safe location.” Chase said, deciding to go for the top secret mission act. “I need you two, plus TJ, to come with me. I also need to find Saint. It is crucial I find Saint.”

“You ain’t finding anyone until you tell us why.” Zeke went to grab Chase’s shirt and instinct kicked in. He grabbed Zeke’s arm and was about to toss him aside, but Zeke pulled away and punched his jaw instead.

“Hey!” Tobias caught Chase before he fell to the ground and dragged him back before anymore of his training set it. Tony took Zeke’s arms and pulled him back and away from the fight. “Calm down, both of you. Zeke… Trust me on this one, okay? We should go with him,”

“Explain?” Zeke asked while still glaring at Chase. Chase fought against Tobias for a minute, trying to get at Zeke, his anger growing wilder by the second. Tobias squeezed his arms and pulled him back, forcing him to desist his fighting.

“Can’t. I can’t explain a lot of things. But I trust Jeremiah Ford and I trust Jennifer Matheson.”

“She told us her name is Jennifer Rae.” Tony frowned.

“Jennifer Patience-Rae Matheson.” Chase murmured quietly, his anger totally fading as he thought about her. “Since she was adopted by Jer, she dropped her surname. She’s in danger too. Her and… Edmund.”

Tony looked at Zeke and his face fell. “She called me. She sounded scared.”

“Where’s Ed?”

“If you come with me, I’ll take you to them.” he said seriously. “Edmund’s with Jen and Jen’s in a safe place. I need to take you all there.”

Tobias pulled Chase to his feet and nodded. “We’ll come.” Before Zeke could argue, Time glared at him. “Trust me bro when I say if he says we’re in danger, we’re in danger. Real bad, ‘guns-won’t-help-us-now’ danger.”

Tony and Zeke both took Tobias very seriously and just nodded at him, their faces resolved to trusting Chase. “Well, your guns won’t help you.” Chase said. In the ultimate act of trust, he withdrew his glock and handed it but first to Zeke. He knew that Zeke was the one he had to impress in order to get the others to follow his orders without question. “Mine will.”

Zeke stared at the glock and then chuckled. “Sure they will.” he ignored the offer and walked to the door of the apartment, knocking on it. Alicia opened the door and Tony, Zeke and Tobias filed in. Alicia closed it behind Tobias and Chase sighed, waiting outside for them to get ready.

******

Edmund and Jen sat in silence for most of the afternoon. Apart from the brief moment where Jen left, heavily armed with ammunition to pick up their pizza order, neither of them left the Synagogue either.

The chains on the door rattled and Jen looked over. She wasn’t afraid. The only people who could get in were human and if the human meant her harm she was more than capable of protecting them. It would be a waste of a blessed bullet, but it wouldn’t matter. She was used to surviving and wouldn’t be changing that habit anytime soon.

Edmund stood up and just stared at the door curiously and when it opened, he tensed up.

In came Jeremiah, his jacket soaked through. “Raining?” she asked casually.

Jeremiah glared at her. “I’ll get to you later when I’m in a better mood. I don’t want to kill you yet.”

“You love me.”

“That’s why it scared the s**t out of me when I woke up this morning and you weren’t there. And you!” he turned at Edmund who stood there in shock. “What sort of gentlemen asks out a lady such as this one out before six in the morning? Huh?”

“I don’t think you’ve formally met.” Jen said. “Jeremiah Ford, Edmund A. Williams. Edmund, Jeremiah Ford �" My brother of sorts.”

He scoffed. “If your brother was alive, far you would have copped it by now. Stuff that, you both would’ve been six feet under.” He threw his coat to the ground and then dumped a massive sports bag on the ground. “Guns, charms, holy water, iron and blessed stakes and bullets. All your demon killing necessities in one easy go to sports bag.”

“Laptop?”

He pulled his backpack off which he kept under his jacket to save it from the rain. Gently, he removed it then spied the empty pizza boxes on the ground. “You bought pizza?”

Jen nodded. “I added it to your tab.”

“Brilliant. Give me a heart attack then charge me for it.” he sat on the ground and slowly, Edmund relaxed around him. “Matilda is missing.” He removed his laptop and started typing. “Went by the house, she was gone. John’s still at work. Don’t think he knows he’s wife is most likely dead, yet.”

“Who?” Jen frowned.

He waved his hand about in the air. “You know… Matilda and John… Maria and Antonio… The Arcadia’s.”

Edmund perked up, leaning forward. “What happened to the Arcadia’s?”

“No idea.” Jeremiah said, looking at Edmund. “But the wife is most likely dead.”

Edmund’s eyes widened in horror. “How?”

“Your father.” he said bluntly. “He’s possessed by a demon. Have you not caught him up?”

“Not on everything.” Jen said quietly.

Jeremiah looked at Edmund. “Well don’t you have a lot to discover. Come here.”

Quietly, Edmund walked over and sat next to Jeremiah on the floor and across from Jen. Jeremiah was the only one good at documentation and when he pulled out manila files documenting all the information the three of them had discovered over the last week, Jen wasn’t surprised. He handed it over to Edmund. “Read and memorise. If you’re going to be captured, tortured and punished, you should at least know why.” He then paused and looked up from his laptop. “And if you actually get captured, tortured and punished be a good guy and don’t tell them what you read in here. It’s kind of confidential.”

“Jer.” Jen muttered, shoving her hair from her face. “Be nice.”

“Right now, I’m pissed off.” He started typing away on his computer.

Jen sighed but didn’t have time to say anything as the door of the Synagogue opened again and in fell not only Chase, but Zeke, Tony, Angel, Greg, Saint, Tony’s brothers, and two girl’s Jen didn’t know. Behind all of them was a face she hadn’t seen for a couple of years. “TJ?”

Tobias’s face cracked open into a grin. “Hey Jen.”

Jen pushed herself up off the floor and bounded past everyone else and went straight to Tobias. “I heard you were in jail.”

“I heard you got me out.”

“Yeah, well it was my fault.”

They hugged tightly and Jen was put back down. Chase walked up behind Jen and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back. “Next time you want to go on adventures, don’t.”

“Mysterious!”

Edmund looked up and away from the manilas and smiled in relief. He got up and walked to his friends, doing a small head count then nodding tightly. “What are we doing here, man?” Tony asked.

Edmund looked at him seriously but before he could say anything, Jeremiah opened his mouth. “Your questions will be answered soon but first… who are the girls? Oh and hi Teej.”

Tobias pointed at the two girls standing next to him. “This is my girlfriend… ex-girlfriend,” he corrected himself, “Sophie and my daughter, Alicia. This is Jeremiah, the man who got me out of jail so early.”

“You helped me out, it was the least I could do.” Jeremiah looked at Zeke. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognise who you were earlier. If I had, this would’ve been much simpler. Zekehill, right?”

“Zeke.” The eighteen year old stuck his hand out to Jeremiah who shook it. Jeremiah was surprised by the grip then understood as he took in the protective stance.

“You’re safe with me, kid.” Jeremiah nodded at Chase and Jen. “Just ask my kids.”

Jen averted her eyes, ashamed of lying so much to Edmund and the others and Chase looked to the ground. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.” Zeke said quietly.

“What are we doing here?” Sophie asked seriously. “Tobias, you can’t just pull me out of work to meet your friends in freaky assed places.”

“It’s safe here.” Edmund said. “You’re safe here.”

Sophie’s eyes glazed over slightly and Chase tensed. “Don’t use magic.”

“He can’t help it.” Jen defended him.

“If you use too much, the Demons can track it.” Chase let go of Jen. “Was that what you were doing when they came to your apartment? Using it on my girlfriend, because I know for a fact Jen covers her tracks well enough to keep Demons away.”

“Whoa, Demons?” Angel looked around. “Magic? What?”

Edmund stayed quiet and just glared at Chase. “What?” Chase growled. “Can’t defend yourself now, can you?”

“You told him not to use magic.” Jen snapped. “His voice is his magic. He can’t defend himself because then he’ll be doing exactly what you said for him not to do. God, you’re acting like an idiot.”

Chase backed off as he realised Jen was right. Saint looked at Jen. “Edmund has magic too?” Jen nodded and Saint turned to look at Edmund. “And you never told us?”

Edmund shook his head slowly. He looked at Zeke and started signing. “It’s not exactly something you tell people.” Zeke translated.

“Okay, now I’m confused. Where did this magic stuff come from and who’s a Demon?” Tony looked at his brothers. “And is this G-rated?”

“Chase, take the boys upstairs.” Jeremiah said. “And cool off.”

Chase looked heavenwards and then back at Jeremiah. “Fine.” he snapped. “Joe and Luke, right? Come on.”

The boys looked up at Tony first who just nodded. “Be good.” Tony took of his back pack and handed it to Luke. “There’s a tennis ball in there. Don’t break anything, please.” Begrudgingly, Chase led Lucas and Joseph upstairs into a room upstairs and out of earshot from the rest. Once Jeremiah safely heard the door close, he looked at the others. “Sit around and get comfortable because some of you will be here for a while.”

Jen leant against a wall as Jeremiah, with the help of Tobias, explained the existence of the Supernatural World, Demons and magic. Edmund, who knew the majority of it, walked over to Jen and stood next to her, reading the folders again.

Briefly, Jen relived ten years previous when Tobias Jonas, who she knew as TJ stumbled upon a Demonic case and joined them. He was an average guy who just happened to be a great Hunter. He was pinned for the murder of a teenager but in reality, the teenager had been a demon. It didn’t stop the fact that Tobias had been the one to kill the teen. “What I didn’t know,” Jeremiah said, “After I rolled out of town with my sister, Chase and Jen, was that he had been done in for murder. I didn’t know we’d been seen by a camera.”

“I had no idea how to call Jeremiah. He never left a contact number… that’s why I just pleaded guilty and waited. Because I couldn’t do otherwise.” Tobias looked at Sophie, Alicia and Zeke as he spoke. Sophie started crying and Alicia was leaning against Greg, letting him comfort her.

Jen looked away, her beliefs reaffirmed.

Hunting breaks apart families.

Through out the entire explanation, Zeke took everything in and was processing every movement Jeremiah made and his every twitch. Jen watched Zeke watching Jeremiah and became somewhat entranced by the way she could see his eagle eyes picking up the smallest twitch in Jeremiah’s stance. A piece of paper slid into Jen’s hand from Edmund. She didn’t even look at Edmund and opened it up.

He hasn’t mentioned the fact Tony’s parents are Shifters or the fact Angel’s Dad sold his soul and became a Demon.

Jen looked at Edmund and then at the manila folder. She exhaled and quietly replied, “There are some things better left unsaid. Scorpios will never bother Angel and Maria and Atonio…”

“Could be dead.” Edmund deadpanned.

Jen shrugged her shoulders. “They’re Demons.”

“You know they’re better than that.” he muttered. “They took care of you.”

“They burnt off my tattoo and left me vulnerable to possession.” Jen knew she was being stupid but couldn’t start feeling sympathy for Demons. “You can’t have sympathy for a demon.” Jennifer said, trying to convince herself more so than Edmund. “They will kill you.”

“They’re Tony’s parents.” Edmund seemed to have forgotten the fact he couldn’t talk. “Demon’s or not, you know for yourself they saved Tony and the twins from a crap situation. They’ve raised them. You can’t deny that.”

“They are Demons.” Jennifer whispered. “You can’t have sympathy for a Demon.”

“You can repeat it all you want, but I can see in your eyes you don’t believe that.” Edmund pushed himself off of the wall and walked away from her. Jen closed her eyes and tilted her head backwards.

Slowly, she was developing a headache. She grabbed one of her guns from the ground and slid it into her back pocket, preparing to duck outside to go and buy painkillers once Jeremiah was out of full tutorial mode. He was onto explaining how Saint, Jen and Edmund were Wiccans and was trying to explain what the Demon wanted from them which meant his lecture was almost over.

“We can’t exactly speak the Demons name… you do that and he manifests… that’s why Jen is still cut up and bruised. She was possessed by him and got covered by holy water.”

“In the hall yesterday.” Zeke added.

“Yeah.” Jeremiah pulled out one of his empty manilas from his bag and wrote the name of the demon on the back. For the first time, Jen saw the name spelt properly.

Adramalech.

The named burnt into the back of her mind, the sick smoke feeling wrapping around her again. “Adra…” Alicia started to say but Sophie grabbed her mouth.

Alicia glared at her but Sophie shook her head. “Your grandmother spoke the devils name and looked what happened to her.”

“You believe in demons.” Alicia said seriously, pushing her mothers hand off her mouth. “Seriously, Mum, it’s just an excuse.”

“A crazy excuse Leash.” Greg said.

“Don’t say his name.” Edmund said, loudly.

Jen knew he said it on purpose and turned at him. “Didn’t Chase say no magic?”

“Did you just shy away when you saw the name?” Edmund raised his eyebrow. “You told me he’s dangerous.” The wind outside the Synagogue picked up speed and Jen heard the gates smashing around in the weather.

“No more arguing.” Jeremiah groaned. “Please, just no more.”

Jen rolled her eyes. “Yeah, okay. I need painkillers. I’ll be back before this storm gets any worse.”

“You’re not going by yourself.” Jeremiah said. “Chase and I will go later.”

Jen pulled her gun from her back pocket. “I’m very well guarded. Plus I have iron.”

“No Jen. Just hold out, okay” Jeremiah watched her carefully and eventually she slumped back against the wall. “Rule one, no one leaves until we figure out what to do and even then, no one leaves but myself, Jen, Chase and Tobias because we’re the only ones who know what we’re doing.”

“I’ve got to call my parents.” Tony said.

Jeremiah and Jen shared a look then Jeremiah said, “I think your parents already know where you are.” Without Jen’s consent or warning, Jeremiah outright said, “Your parents are dead.”

“Jeremiah.” Jen snapped.

“The people who have been your parents for the past how many years, are Demons.”

“Jeremiah!” Jen stalked forward. “That’s enough.”

“I’m not saying they were bad Demons.” Jeremiah said. “But the Possessor Demon went by the house and he would not have let two good Demons live. Demons who stream into human society are killed.”

Tony started hyperventilating and Jen, Sophie and Zeke grabbed Tony, carefully pulling him down to the ground. Zeke and Sophie started to calm Tony down but he pushed them off and sat back up. “My parents… My real parents… The drug addicts. They’re dead.”

“They saved you.” Jen tried calming him. “The parents you knew since you were eight that is. Your actual parents were going to kill you and they saved you.”

Tony doubled forward and grabbed his head. “What the f**k!”

Before Jen could protest, Edmund was kneeling in front of Tony and grabbed his head. “Relax.” Edmund said. The wind outside howled and everyone but Edmund and Tony looked to the door as the iron gates were slamming around outside like thunder. Jen flinched and waited.

Tony slumped back against Sophie who gently stroked his hair. His eyes were glazed over and tears slipped from the corners. Jen glared at Jeremiah for a second. “Sometimes I think you’ve spent so long hunting Demons, you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be human.”

“And sometimes I think you’ve grown so attached to humanity, you’ve forgotten you’re a hunter.” Jeremiah snapped, then turned back to his laptop and started searching for information.

******

No one spoke that evening and eventually Jeremiah told everyone to go to bed. Tony found his brothers but didn’t speak to them. Rather, he pulled both of them underneath his arms and set up in a small corner of the Synagogue to sleep with their jackets as pillows and covers.

Chase and Jen hunted around and eventually found long thick velvet drapes which they could throw over groups of people. Jen gently threw one of Tony and the twins and then stroked Tony’s hair gently from behind. “They really are good people.” she whispered. “Most Demons would have killed you but… But I’m pretty sure they love you and your brothers.”

Tony turned away from her, and pulled Joe and Lucas closer. Jen closed her eyes and walked away from him. She couldn’t force him to believe anything, she just hoped that Maria and Antonio were still alive somewhere to tell Tony themselves.

Jen walked over to Chase who was sitting at the laptop, reading something. “What is it?”

“Killings. Found along the ley lines. I think they’ve been trying to break in.”

“Where’s the prison now?”

“Alice Springs.”

Jen leant against him, resting her chin on his head. “At least we have time.”

“One week is a blink of the eye to Demons.”

“Well we’ll just start an army while they have their eyes closed.” Jen kissed his forehead and rubbed out the wrinkles from his eyes. “We’ll be okay �" we always are.”

“Maybe our luck is running out.” He murmured, running his finger along the mouse track. He looked up at Jen, his eyes wide and truthful.

“Did the Demons steal your positive attitude?” she teased. When Chase stayed deadly quiet, panic gripped Jen’s heart. “They did, didn’t they? Oh Lord, what else are you missing?”

“Guilt.” Chase muttered, pushing himself away from the laptop and away from Jen.

Author's Note

Spelling? Grammar? How do you like the plot so far?