Ashburton

Ex priest deals with demons from his past in the rundown corrupt city of AshBurton

CHAPTER 1

"Jasper, there's been another one".
Jasper Le Croix held the phone to his ear, taking in the news of yet another crime in the run down forgotten city of AshBurton. Not a day went by when there wasn't a murder and he was always the one to be called in when the lazy corrupt law enforcers couldn't make head or tails about a specific crime that was just too bizarre.
"Where are you Klark?" He said, downing his final beer. He left the money owed for the countless drinks he drowned his sorrows in from the ugly experiences of his ruined life Day to day. Jasper was a tall man with a long trench coat draped over his shoulders down to his knees, leather bound boots, his hair was long and strands fell in front of his eyes but he swiped it away with his hand when it got to him at times. Eyes like death, so brown they looked black. Underneath the black coat he hid multiple weapons. Guns, knives, bombs, salt and more. Every weapon to fight every supernatural creature known to him. He was the reason evil stayed at bay. Evil feared the hunter.
"The Steeple man. You got to get here quickly because I can't explain it" Klark Hallewell said in a quick panic.
"Alright" Jasper said, unlocking his car, as the rain poured down over the dark and sinful city. Like everyday. It never stopped and nobody ever saw the sunlight. If you wanted to see sunlight you had to drive out to the next state because this was where no man goes for holiday. This was purgatory now and its inhabitants fought each day to see another. "I'll be there in 5" and hung up, starting his car and driving off to The Steeple.

The Steeple, a ruined and well fortified building that housed the poor population of AshBurton. Equipped with 23 floors, it was one of the tallest and oldest buildings in the city. But there was no happy days in this apartment building, death lurked in its corridors, slithering into the rooms of the unfortunate that couldn't free themselves of the evil in this world.
Jasper pulled up on the front of the building. He spotted one car right opposite the road. A black BMW, new edition probably, he thought. Obviously Klark tried to blend in but a black BMW just shouted out for attention.
He walked into the lobby, it was empty, two chairs were neatly put in the far right corner of the room and a wooden table on the side for anyone waiting. There were only a few, not quite expensive, paintings hanging on the wall, it wasn't the normal art you would see in buildings in other cities. These were dark paintings, one was of a fallen angel descending to earth or in Jasper's opinion, Hell and the fallen angel was Lucifer along with another two paintings that Jasper didn't pay attention to. He wasn't here for sight seeing, he was a detective not a damn tourist. Not a soul was seen about except for the apartment guard, who was hunched back on his chair behind the counter, trying to hid himself from society.
Jasper slammed his hand on the table to grab the man's attention. "Lenard!" He shouted.
Lenard Crux. A former drop out police cadet who turned apartment doorman because that was the only good job you could get in AshBurton. He was not the type you would see with other people, he much rather preferred the company of himself. And Jasper couldn't blame him. He had trust issues, everyone he ever tried to like or trust just used it to their benefit and left him for dead after he served his purpose.
A scrawny man, not very well built, even Jasper was bigger built and he wasn't no security guard, or police officer even. Lenard had green eyes, like the greenest grass colour you ever laid eyes on along with a short black haired combover. But probably the rudest son of a b***h anyone would ever know.
Lenard leaped out his seat, in shock and surprise. "Why Father. What brings you here?" He enquired.
"Don't call me Father" he said defensively.
Lenard swallowed hard, afraid to even reply to that statement. "I-I take it you're here to see detective Hallewell?" He said, trying to hide his shakiness in his voice.
Jasper lifted his eyebrow and nodded.
"I'll call him. He's waiting on the 13th floor" and reached for the phone to alert Klark to Jasper's presence.
He smiled in appreciation and walked off with out another word, turning to see Lenard slouch back in his chair. "Lazy bugger" he whispered. He clicked the button to the thirteenth floor and waited for the elevator to come down and take him to his destination. The light indicating the number floor flickered on and then off, slowly. As he stood there waiting for the elevator he suddenly got a burning sensation in his chest, burning like hell itself. A craving. A craving that had to be filled. He slowly reached into his coat pocket and pulled a brand new box of Pall Mall cigarettes. He tore the wrapping off and flicked a single stick out. He put it to his lips and lit the cigarette just as the elevator doors opened.
He got in and clicked the thirteenth floor number and proceeded up. He took another drag of his cigarette as a memory started to flash into his mind...

Screams and crying were heard in every corner of the room, gunfire sprayed the walls and floors with blood. A woman dropped to her knees crying as her husband was thrown back against the wall, bullet holes penetrating his chest. He took a final breath before the light in his eyes faded silently.
"Please I beg you!! No!!" Cried the Priest as he tugged at the gunman, trying to disarm him but the man took the butt of his gun and slammed it into his face. It knocked the priest down to the floor. He gazed up and saw the people of his congregation on their knees, some running and others standing and screaming to be killed or asking them to not kill anyone more.
Fire engulfed the building and slowly the priest's vision turned into a Burning furnace of the congregation on fire....

DING!!!! The ring of the elevator as it came to a halt, the doors sliding open, knocked Jasper into reality. He gazed up and suddenly felt a uneasiness in the room as if a supernatural force was at work. Jasper put the cigarette to his mouth and swiped his hand to his side and hoisted a gun out. He held it and scanned the room. A black fog started to seep through the walls and cracks. It filled the room in seconds and Jasper jumped out of the elevator, away from the black fog. The doors closed immediately as he exited and the tension eased.
"Jasper" a voice yelled out down the hallway. A deep voice from the sound of it.
Jasper turned, gun in hand, and dropped eyes on his friend, Klark Hallewell.
Klark Hallewell. A middle aged man, the years of carrying the weight of the department was showing in his facial features. His hair had been shaven leaving him bald, he preferred that. He said it made him look his Age. He wore a a black and white suit, typical of detectives in this world.
Jasper lowered his gun when he recognized him and holstered it then went to put out the cigarette. He walked up to him, in a hurry. This was business not a time to catch up and chit-chat. "Hallewell, what's happening?" He asked, reaching for another cigarette.
"A man was found dead in this apartment" and indicated by pointing to the door. "It's strange. No bullet holes or even knife wounds".
Jasper asked to see the body and Klark walked him through to the victim.
The victim was sprawled on the kitchen floor, his face in distorted and agony. It was as if someone had killed him from the inside. There was no traces of any wounds as Klark had said. No blood. No cuts or stabs. "Any significance of the victim? Motives for murder?" Jasper asked, tracing his eyes for any clues undetected by Klark.
Klark knelt down opposite Jasper, following his eye contact, "That's the strangest thing of all. There is no connections at all. It's a random killing" he said.
"There's always a motive or theory to madness old friend" he whispered. Jasper inspected the body and something caught his eye. He saw a small mark on the victim's shoulder, just sticking out as if wanting to be noticed. Jasper tore off the shirt. Jasper and Klark jumped back.
Two letters were cut into the victim's chest, CJ with a carving of a drawing of a doll-like girl. Jasper knelt down and ran his finger along the cut. It was cold, definitely done when the victim was killed. Although he couldn't determine if it was made before he died to torture him or after he was killed. But one thing he knew for sure. It was a warning. The killer wanted to be known. Wanted the law enforcers to know about him.
"CJ?" Klark exclaimed, "Someone's initials?" He asked bewildered.
"Could be" Jasper said, taking in the thought.
"That drawing" Klark pointed out, "looks like something from the occult or someone with a really sick twisted humour".
Jasper chuckled, "some humour this man must have. But I wouldn't say from the occult, voodoo perhaps" he extrapolated.
"Voodoo? How would you know about that?" Shocked at this new insight on Jasper.
Jasper smirked, "I had a life before you knew me Hallewell".
"Haha well maybe someday you'll tell me about it" he said smiling.
"Don't count on it Hallewell" he said, drawing the line.
They shared a laugh before Jasper brought them back to the topic at hand. "Look we can't do anything more here. We found a clue so that's a start. I'll search around the city and find out who this CJ character is but if anything new comes up let me know" and proceeded out the door of the apartment.
Klark hurried behind in pursuit. "Sure but let's not draw any attention too soon. You know what I mean?" He said, standing in front of the lift with Jasper.
The alert of the elevator sounded, signaling that Jasper had to depart.
"I know but don't worry I can handle it"he said.
"That's what worries me. Say, mind if I bum a smoke off you? Old time sake" he added.
Jasper smiled and smacked a cigarette out handing it to Klark. "Maybe someday you will afford your own" as he entered the elevator.
"That's no fun" Klark said in retaliation.
Jasper laughed as the doors closed in front of him.

CHAPTER 2

Jasper drove off in the rain, leaving the Steeple behind him. He thought about the new information. CJ. he racked his head, trying to divide his attention between the road ahead and the new killer on the loose. If that was even his initials. He gazed out around him at the city, it was a combination of disgust and anarchy. People stayed within their houses at all times. Only the bravest and boldest of the citizens stayed out after dark. There were beings out there, some friendly but others not so friendly, they were pure evil, a person's worst nightmare. And the worst things was they walked among the city in disguise, normal people unable to see their true form.
Jasper thought where to start first, to look for any information for this killer. There were many but only one place, one place where evil and good had peace with one another, one place where dark and good forces interacted in a non-violent way. If he could get any information it would be at The Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary, a two story square building, with a long vertical column going up from the middle of the building to two stories high. It was charcoal black, with graffiti sprayed on the sides of the wall. The sign going down from the top of the column read; The Sanctuary.
Jasper walked up to the door, two muscle bound men, bouncers, stood at the front of the door. Obviously to check what people were allowed in and to kick the living hell out of anyone disobeying the order.
The order was....nobody could fight in The Sanctuary, it was a a place where enemies came and left their worries and grudges and what not, outside. If anyone fought in The Sanctuary then the bouncers would throw you out. Well not throw you out, they'd beat you to a pulp then take the pleasure of throwing you out.
Jasper smiled as he stood before the doormen. "Gentlemen, may I pass through?" He asked politely, almost mocking them.
The bouncers regarded him for a second then stepped aside, signaling him to enter.
"Thank you" he said and disappeared inside.
The music blared to all corners of the room and the roof above, dozens of people, majority drunk, danced to the heavy music, others were seated at the bar, drinking and drowning their lives in alcohol. Jasper ducked and weaved as he made his way from the chaos to the quietness of the bar where he could get a drink without anyone disturbing him.
Girls stopped him as he passed them, flaunting their bodies to him, seducing him slowly. It was one of the sins that Jasper tried so hard to reject but nowadays he went with the flow of things. He smiled as one girl flowed down to his waist and came back up slowly. Her eyes were a dark green, skin light like snow and hair red as blood in curls. She smiled at Jasper and Jasper smiled back, liking the charisma the girl had.
"Like what you see?" She shouted into his ear. A sweet almost squeaky voice of a girl in her early twenties or late teens.
Jasper leaned in, and whispered into her ear, loud enough for her to hear, "I do but it's not safe to be in this place" he warned.
The girl looked at him, then she laughed. She moved forward and draped her arms around Jasper's neck, resting her arms on his muscular shoulders. "Ooooh" she cooed, "so strong".
Jasper stepped to the side, although this was relaxing him and he did take a liking to this girl, she was just a girl and he was here for business. He smiled at her, "Look what's your name?" He asked.
The girl walked around him, sliding her hands around his waist, across his chest and up on his neck. She grinned as she gave him his answer, "Cathy Jade" she said in a melodic voice.
Jasper tilted his head toward her, his eyes falling upon her ravenous beauty. Cathy Jade met his eyes and Jasper felt like he wasn't himself. As he continued to stare into her eyes, her eyes all of a sudden turned to a light gold like snake eyes then they turned back to their normal green.
Jasper staggered back, confused from what he saw if it really happened or an hallucination. He stood frozen, as Cathy Jade backed up, slowly vanishing into the drunken crowd. Within moments Jasper stood alone with people dancing and going crazy all around him. He walked, tripping and staggering over people, tables and chairs. His head felt dizzy as he managed to find a seat by the bar and he sat down. Regaining his senses.
"Le Croix!".
Jasper looked around, eyes looking crazed and body shaking as if an ice cold breeze had swept into the building. Jasper saw a woman, in a leather tight pants and a crop top loosened around her upper body, exposing her flat stomach and arms. Her hair a bright blond with pale blue eyes matching with the hair that flowed down her back.
"Angela!!" He exclaimed. "Good to see you again".
Angela laughed, "Its only been a few hours Jas" she said, standing opposite him over the counter.
Jasper chuckled, as if to himself as he removed his coat, tossing it on the counter next to him. He gazed down at his lap, the dizziness slowly disappearing. He looked up and swiped his hand through his greasy hair, "It's just been a long and very strange night" he explained for being absentminded.
Angela studied Jasper and a look of worry came over her. "Are you okay?" She asked with worry.
"Yeah, fine" he snapped, as if irritated by the question. "Get me a double whiskey" he demanded.
Angela wanted to know what was bugging Jasper but she decided to play it safe. She got busy preparing his drink.
Eyes fell upon Jasper, guns were holstered and knives jabbed into their sheaths. Jasper looked like a guy coming to blow the whole damn club sky high but nobody in the club dared tell him to get out. They would lose their head or at least lose something.
Jasper looked about him, he gave evil looks to the people staring at him. As he stared, each of them started to look away, uncomfortable and ashamed. Jasper hated it. He was no goddamn sideshow attraction. After he was satisfied that nobody was looking at him he turned back to the counter. He couldn't get the girl, Cathy, out of his mind. A young and beautiful woman but he felt a certain negative energy, like she was hiding something. He sat deep in thought then a hand clasped down on his shoulder.
"It's just me".
Zane Malum stood by Jasper's side. A young man, barely out of his teens, dark brown hair with light blond highlights, brown eyes like Jasper and just a tad shorter than him. He wasn't the man who dressed mean to intimidate anyone. He was casual with brown Sweat pants, a t-shirt which was covered by a black hoodie.
Jasper nodded his head toward a seat beside him to tell Zane to sit.
"Heard about the murder" Zane said taking his seat.
Jasper frowned, "how did you know?" He asked.
Zane shrugged as if not bothered by the question, "nevermind that. What did you find out?"
Angela walked back and handed Jasper his whiskey and departed silently. Jasper took the drink and put it to his lips, taking a long and eagerly awaited sip. He exhaled,satisfied. "Found a word or initials, I'm not sure but it was carved into the victim's chest".
Zane gave a disgusted look, "Carved?" He repeated. "What word was carved into his chest?"
Jasper smiled, "Two words" he said, indicating with his fingers. "CJ".
Zane hesitated and moved in his seat, "It has to be initials" he said, making up his mind to the information.
"That's my bet" and he took another long sip of his drink.
Zane took a quick glance at the drink and he thirsted for one himself. He ran his tongue along his dry, cracked lips. He signaled Angela and she came to him. "Can I have the same drink please?" He asked pointing to the half drunken whisky.
Angela nodded and disappeared once again.
"The victims' initials?" He asked turning his attention back to the situation.
"No" Jasper immediately interrupted. "Think about it. Why the hell would a killer carve his victim's name into his chest. That's just absurd. In my opinion, it's the killer".
"Woah!" Zane said lifting his hands in the air, in mock surrender. "That's just a no brainer Jasper. It's a dead give away".
Jasper was starting to get annoyed. "Really??" He yelled. "Because so far we don't have a lead on the name so sorry but I have to disagree with you".
"Alright man okay just calm down. So this CJ word is his initials, would you say it's his M.O?" He asked as Angela dropped his drink in front of him.
"The initials maybe but there was a drawing of a voodoo doll next to the word" he added.
"What the f**k? Voodoo in AshBurton?" He yelled.
"Hey! In AshBurton anything can happen. Look what happened to the Congregation" he said, finishing his drink.
"How many times do we have to go through this, this city hates churches" he exclaimed.
Jasper laughed softly, "look around you" he said, turning with Zane, eyeing the crowd of people. "What do you see?" He asked.
Zane sighed and observed the club. "I see people delving into the sins this disgusting city has to offer. Alcohol, drugs and God knows what else".
"Don't you just see a bunch of people having a good time?" He asked, tugging at his shoulder.
Zane gazed at him but remained silent.
"You see my friend" he said turning his back on the club. "Things can be more than they appear".
Meaning?" Zane asked joining him, back on the crowd.
"Meaning that just because voodoo hasn't been heard of in this city doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Which is the same here, just because people look like they're having a good enough time doesn't mean they not falling into sin. You can't see them going into sin but they are. You don't see voodoo being practiced but it is".
Zane smirked and nodded.
"So I'm going to make a visit to Inigo. You want to come along?" He offered and put his coat on.
"Sure. I haven't seen the poor soul in so long, who knows it might be good for me and you" he said.
They both paid their bills for the drinks and made their way out of the bar, most of the people that danced went and took their seat. Calming down. Jasper gawked at the customers and he caught sight of Cathy Jade.
But something was different. Wrong. She looked like she had aged almost double her actual age, skin developed wrinkles and the clothing like some old dusty rags found in a attic. Jasper blinked then saw Cathy Jade back to her youth. Her beauty the way it should have been. She smiled at Jasper, almost devilishly. Then she skidded into the surrounds of the bar and Jasper lost sight of her.
"I need sleep" he whispered to himself. He rubbed his eyes, trying to chase the sleepiness back. But he hadn't been sleeping well for a while and the sleep he gave himself just wasn't enough.
He saw Zane standing by the door with a questioned expression but Jasper didn't want to explain to him who Cathy Jade was. Not now.

The ride to Inigo's residence was long. He resided on the outskirts of AshBurton. Inigo was a Native American, 47 years of age, from the tribes except a modern one with a farmhouse instead of a tent and technology instead of ancient tools they used many years ago. He had served in The Gulf for a few years, he was a solider and after his duty of proving himself to his commander he had his very own platoon but due to all the death and destruction he developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and it poisoned his mind. After a while he was honorably discharged.
Due to all this, he moved to AshBurton, where nobody would find him and where he could get away from the rest of the world, filled with evil and death. He saw enough of that. Although AshBurton had its own genre on evil.

By the time they arrived at the farmhouse of Inigo, darkness had descended on the city. But there was no stars, no moon. There was no hope. They, the city, was abandoned. The land was huge, stretching on for miles. There were trees that circled the house from a distance, leaving the house in a open stretch plain of land.
Jasper's mustang broke through the dense populated trees, it's headlights falling onto the darkness of the land making the darkness retreat to the shadows. Jasper drove the car up to the driveway and parked the car at a screeching halt.
"Bloody hell Jas!!! Steady on the brakes" Zane remarked.
Jasper ignored him and stepped out his car. Zane jumped out in pursuit.
"So you think Inigo will be oh so glad to see us?" Zane said, as they walked around the house to the front door.
Jasper looked around, taking in the beauty of the countryside. It was a miracle to Jasper that this city had some goodness in it. But he knew it wouldn't be long before this countryside burns to the ashes of AshBurton. "I need help so it's professional business".
They walked in silence to the door. Jasper was about to knock when a voice startled them from behind.
"Jasper I've been expecting you" came an old, mean voice from behind Jasper and Zane.
Jasper spun round and smiled at Inigo. "Old friend" he said greeting him warmly like a brother. "It's been a long time" he said.
Inigo looked up at him, eyes asking what he wanted here. Darkest brown eyes but they spoke silently. Inigo stood in silence for Jasper to explain his business.
"There was a murder in The Steeple. Quite bizzare and I need your help".
Inigo made sure nobody was watching them outside and hustled them into the house. Inigo slammed the door and locked it.
"You know what's out there Jasper. Certain beings don't want you talking about certain things. It is a dangerous thing to do and even speak about" he said.
Jasper nodded his head in agreement.
Zane walked up to Inigo, but he wasn't smiling. They shook hands and Zane moved back next to Jasper.
"I've heard of this murder. I foresaw it in my dream two nights ago" Inigo said walking to his chair that was centered in the corner of the room.
Jasper and Zane exchanged puzzling glances and walked after Inigo.
"Tell me about your dream. What happened?" Jasper wondered as he sat down on the opposite side, taking his seat.
Inigo held his pipe and lit a match, lighting the pipe up. "The murder took place in an apartment building. The room number is 58, a middle aged man, a lawman, he was found dead on the floor of his kitchen".
"Did you see any words, let's say carved into the victims' chest?" Zane chipped in.
Inigo glanced at Zane then at Jasper and lifted his eyebrow.
"I'll answer your question now Inigo but I need to inform you, there was no number 58 where the murder happened-"
"Ah" said Inigo, lifting his hand to silence Jasper. "Friend you not looking beyond. 58, what is five plus eight?" He asked.
Jasper replied, "thirteen".
Inigo nodded and smiled. "What number was the floor where the man got killed?" He asked.
"Thirteenth floor" Jasper gasped in surprise.
Inigo chuckled, "My dreams might not be exactly accurate but somehow it all makes sense if you put it all together". Zane and Jasper sat in silence. "So what of this scar?" He enquired from Jasper.
"Carving" Zane corrected.
"Yes?" Inigo instigated.
"The killer, or least that's what I'm suspecting, carved the letters, CJ, into the victim's chest. CJ is a person, the killer" Jasper explained.
Inigo took another drag from his pipe and Jasper felt the need for a smoke himself. He reached into his coat pocket and removed his box. He pulled a cigarette out and lit it then he handed one to Zane and he took it and lit it.
They both inhaled.
"There's nothing much I can help you with. I had this dream and I tried to get hold of you Jasper but you disappeared for a while and nobody saw you".
Jasper went red in his face and he sunk down into chair.
"How are you finding controlling the souls within you?" Inigo asked, changing the subject.
"I'm battling with it Inigo. I change to a different person every time. It's why I went away" Jasper said.
Inigo walked up to Jasper and knelt down in front of him. "But you never left the city, did you?" He asked with concern.
Jasper shook his head. He wanted to go home. His head pained and he was tired. He heaved himself up and Inigo back up, standing up in front of Jasper. "Thank you old friend. It's been good seeing you but I just need to get home. I haven't slept well and right now I need to".
Inigo nodded in understanding and walked him to the door.
"You coming along Zane?" He asked stepping out of the door.
"Yeah but you can drop me off along the way. By The Sanctuary".
Jasper agreed and they said their goodbyes and departed leaving Inigo alone for the night.

The rain had came back when they reached the city. They drove on, through the dark and dodgy streets.
"Why did you disappear?" Zane asked breaking the silence.
Jasper held onto the steering wheel, knuckles white from the grip. All his attention was on the road or just not on the present moment.
Zane nudged Jasper, Jas?"
Jasper shot a look at Zane. What?" He asked blankly.
Zane eased back in his seat, "I uh just wanted to know, why did you disappear?"
Jasper turned to look at the road and back at Zane. He sighed. "The genocide of the congregation was just too much for me. I lost myself man! And the souls that are in me, that was just... I couldn't control myself with other people within me. So I went into hiding.".
Zane sat and looked at Jasper, listening to what he had to say. "Where about in the city did you hide?"
"I got a question for you" Jasper said, ignoring Zane. "How did you know about there being a murder?" He asked.
Zane froze. He hesitated at the question but remained silent.
"Zane?" Jasper asked this time impatiently.
"I walked by The Steeple and I saw a few cop vehicles and I put two and two together" he said finally.
Jasper stared at him, deciding. He calmed himself down and eased his driving. He could hear his pulse, it felt like it was going to explode from the tension that lingered within the car, between him and Zane. The rain came down harder and he turned his wind wipers on.
"Since I answered your question, you mind answering mine?" Zane mentioned over the racket of the pouring rain.
"An old friend hid me".
Zane nodded in acknowledgement and there was silent all the way to The Sanctuary.
Zane opened the door and back to Jasper. "So when will I see you?"
Jasper looked at The Sanctuary. "Soon. Real soon" he said.
Zane walked off into the rainy night without a glance back.
Jasper put the car in gear and skidded off into the stormy night.

People were laying on the ground, blood soaked the entire room, the congregation was ransacked and desecrated. The cross that stood above the altar now stood upside down in homage to Satan. The chairs were broken and burning as the gunman lit it on fire, burning the building to the ground.
He walked over to the priest, zero emotion showing in his eyes. He was soulless. He stood towering above the priest. "Where is your faith now priest?" He snarled.
The priest backed up against the wall, utter horror and terror showed in his appearance and face. He held his hand toward the man as if trying to push him away like a person being possessed. He was broken, physically and emotionally but he needed to get back up. "Dear Lord man this is a house of God" he gasped.
The gunman snarled and lifted one of the people up off the ground and put his gun to the person's temple. "God isn't here today priest" and with that said a gunshot rang out....

Jasper shot out of bed, he screamed, sweat poured down like a fountain, eyes wide in terror and bloodshot. He clenched the sheet so hard his knuckles turned white. He looked around his room. He was back. In his apartment. Safe in the present and not back there in the congregation. It was a dream. "Just a room" he whispered, reassuring himself over and over.
He calmed himself down and got out of bed. He stumbled and found the light switching it on. He walked to the bathroom and rinsed his face in the ice cold water. He stood by the basin. "F**k" he said to himself.
He glanced up at the mirror. He saw his reflection in the mirror. He didn't look too bad. His face was still youthful at twenty eight, skin smooth and wrinkle free. Hair still there as twenty years ago. No signs of boldness yet but the bags under his eyes had put strain on his features. With little sleep the blackness around his eyes were spreading. He needed sleep but if he slept the nightmares weren't far behind.
As he contained to observe himself a figure zipped past the corner of the mirror. Black and tall like death. Jasper jerked round and scanned the small bathroom but there was nobody just Jasper. But he knew they were out there. They were waiting for him and it wasn't going to be long till they exposed themselves to him and the rest of the city.....

CHAPTER 3

Jasper couldn't sleep after the nightmare and the hallucinated figure which might or might not be real. He had driven around the town, parking at Ash bridge, smoking and having an occasional sip of his whisky from his hip flask. Two years ago he never thought he would be here in this state. A smoker and alcoholic, not believing in God or good. But life took its course and now here he was.
He looked at his watch, 06:33 am. A new day was a raising but nobody would say so with the darkness of the sky that hung over the city like a blanket. He sighed and killed his cigarette and drove off to the hub of the city. He needed to find out this killer, CJ, who killed without a person without a weapon or even a mark on the victim's body.
The city looked deserted, the residents had taken shelter in the lodgings centered around the city. The w****s had retired from their job, sleeping the day away till night when business cooked up again.
He drove to The Steeple. He knew that the cops would be long gone, probably left so quick and reported that it was a suicide, the lazy fuckers. He wanted to do a bit of investigation to find out anything more and a killer always left a partial piece of evidence and he would find it.
The street that The Steeple was built on was deserted just like any other street in this hellhole. He parked a few blocks away as to not draw any attention to himself. He causally took his time to the building, Christ! It was still early morning so he had the whole goddamn day anyway.
The lobby looked the exact same as yesterday when he came. There was no new security or officers standing or even sitting in guard to watch the building in case the murderer struck again. He hated the law enforcement, they were a bunch of corrupt bribed B******s.
Lenard Crux was in the same position he was always in, slouching in his chair. Jasper didn't want to go up to him and disturb him and he wasn't here for him, he was here for the crime.

After a few minutes he arrived at the thirteenth floor. He observed the hallway for signs of citizens. He caught sight of a woman opening her door, quick frantically then she disappeared inside, leaving Jasper alone. He walked over to the apartment door of the victim. He made sure he was alone till he kicked the door in, snapping it off his hinges. He kicked it a few more times till it was flat on the ground.
He walked in. The place didn't look like an investigation went on. The only thing that was different was that the body was gone but it must have been quite recently that they removed the body because the flat stunk to high heaven. Rotten flesh. Jasper switched on his flashlight and searched the kitchen. It wasn't anything different, a gas stove, few cupboards to store the kitchen supplies. He didn't touch anything that proved pointless because he knew that these cops would tie him to the murder. Crime solved.
The place was dark. The curtains still draped, sealing the darkness in and light out. He went into the bedroom, the bed was ruffled up, duvet thrown on the floor, pillows thrown about. He sent to the cupboards and shuffled through the clothing for anything of importance. He departed the jackets and other clothing that hung up and he shined his light in the back of the cupboard.
He dropped the flashlight as he backed away.
"S**t!" He whispered and retrieved it. He shinned it back on the cupboard and eased forward slowly. At the back of the cupboard, in thick red paint, pray least that's what Jasper thought was paint, were the words, "GOD ISN'T HERE PRIEST".
Jasper hesitated for a few seconds then grabbed his gun and moved about the room, not wavering an inch as he waited for the damn coward to come out and reveal himself. "Come on!!!" Jasper yelled. "I'll still take you down! I don't need no God!!" He shouted into the empty room.
He went through the rest of the house, making sure he was alone and after searching the whole apartment with his gun in hand, he was sure he was safe and alone.
He walked back to the cupboard where the words were painted. He sat down on the bed, head drowsy and his body trembling. His meds. He grabbed a bottle from his coat and swallowed half a dozen white pills. Doc said it helps with major migraines. The shakiness just had to be he thought. He put his head down and remained in the position till he was sure he could stand.
He stared at the words. How could anyone know he thought. Everyone that day died. Nobody could have known.... Unless.... Jasper shrugged the idea off but he couldn't, the theory came back. It must be Semias Depraysie.
He zipped out his cellphone and dialed Nicholas Serphent.
After the third ring a voice shot through the receiver, "Hello?"
"Nick! It's Jasper here, listen where about are you?" He asked, pacing around the room nervously.
A ruffle came before he got an answer, "Just woke up to be honest so I'm in bed" he grumbled.
Jasper sighed, "I'm sorry man but something has come up and it is far from normal" he snapped.
"Okay where are you?"
"The Steeple, thirteenth floor and the apartment number is 23".
"Okay I'll see you there" and he hung up.
Jasper put his cellphone away and grabbed his box of cigarettes. He removed one and lit it up. This was real medication. It calmed Jasper's nerves down and reduced his stress levels. He rested his head against the doorframe and soon was eloped in his own world.

The gunshot defended the priest's ears. He screamed out as he fell back on the floor. The innocent member of The Congregation was sprawled on the floor, dead, with a bullet wound on the side of her head. The priest inched forward and held her small head in his palms. He cried over her as he said the rights for forgiveness to allow her to enter Heaven.
The gunman yanked him from the woman on the floor. He shoved the muzzle of the gun under his chin, his breath smelled of sulphur and a lot of it. The priest almost gagged from the smell of it.
"What you saying to the dead b***h? You asking God to bring her back? To make me go away?" He asked. "Well sorry to disappoint you and break your beliefs priest" he said with utter disgust, "But the Lord cannot help you. He doesn't have your back anymore" and he paused, "he doesn't exist" he whispered into his ear.
The priest felt his heart die. He grabbed at his chest and he found it hard to breath.
"You feel it don't you?" The gunman asked. "It's the false hope you have been storing within you. It's finally gone and you're free" he said.
The priest looked up at the gunman, the priest's eyes were dark and he clenched his fits together. "I'm going to kill you" he said and spat in the face of the gunman.
The gunman roared as he laughed then he let go of the priest and stepped back. He stretched out his arms and looked down. "How do you kill what's not of this world" he said and of out his back sprouted black wings. Sharp and Jagged from fighting. About ten meters high as it soared to the top of the roof. Blazing red eyes, with a black cloak. This was no ordinary gunman. Horns started to sprout from his head, rising until it stopped a meter long. A Demon.
"Who are you?" The priest yelled at the Demon.
A wing suddenly shot down towards the priest...

A knocking pounded on the front door of the apartment. Jasper jerked as he was alerted to someone's presence. He made his way across the lounge from the bedroom to the door and unlocked it.
"Nicholas" he said seeing him standing in front of the door.
Nicholas Serphent, a man in his early thirties, same height as Jasper much more muscular built. His black and blond highlighted hair was brushed back, very untidy but he didn't care. He wore a white wife beater vest with a black shirt slung over, a 80's fashion with black jeans and Levi sneakers.
Nicholas and Jasper go far back, when Nicholas was lost, working as a bounty hunter for the Devil himself. He had a power that nobody else had, he had the ability to communicate with serpents. A gift he got from the time he was born. Jasper had found him, drunk and hiding away from the demons that were on the hunt for him. He had enough of being the Devil's b***h. Doing what he said he must do. He wanted to be free of him and of the demons within him so Jasper found him and months later Jasper had turned him away from the darkness, rid of his demons but not entirely.
"Jasper! What's the emergency?" He asked stepping into the room.
Jasper shut the Door and stood next to Nicholas. "A guy was murdered here yesterday or at least we found his body yesterday but we estimate he couldn't have been dead for long".
"Who's "we"?" He asked walking to the kitchen.
Jasper watched him as he studied the floor of the kitchen. "Klark Hallewell and I" he said.
Nicholas spun around, he had a aggressive look. Jasper knew why. He hated the law in AshBurton. They had personally ruined Nicholas' life, beating him up when he had helped capture criminals, sometimes with Jasper, for them after he turned away from his dark past, they had tried to shoot him, stab him, run him over. Any type of way of killing a man, the cops tried it on Nicholas. But he wouldn't die. And his hatred for the cops grew.
"You sure you could trust him?" He said, making his hatred and disgust for the law known.
Jasper couldn't look him in the eye. He thought about it. Klark was a cop and a honest cop at that, unlike the other corrupt officers just in it for the paycheck. But he was a personal friend of Jaspers'. He trusted him. "Yes" he said firmly, "I trust him".
"I was like you, ya know? Trusting and believing in the greater good. Cops, detectives and whatever other ranks are in that filthy rat department".
"Yes Nicholas! I know" Jasper said clearly annoyed. "But I didn't bring you down here to debate about trusting the law-"
"So why did you drag me down here?" Nicholas interrupted.
Jasper looked at him and indicated him toward the bedroom. "Follow me".
Jasper showed Nicholas the red words written at the back of the cupboard. The fluid was dry now, probably written when the poor tenant got killed.
"Wha, uh, why you showing me this for?" Nicholas asked.
Jasper nodded his head toward the writing. "A Demon said that the day the congregation came under fire and death".
Nicholas looked at the words then back at Jasper. "Semias Depraysie".
Jasper nodded. But said nothing.
Nicholas walked up to the writing and brushed his fingers through the red fluid. He yanked his hand back and turned to Jasper. "Blood".
"And I can take a wild guess who's" Jasper chirped as he laid on the bed. The cops weren't investigating the damn murder so it didn't matter if he left his finger prints everywhere.
"So why would Semias do this? What's he after?" He asked standing on the foot of the bed, hands in his pockets.
"Me".
Nicholas gave him a puzzled look. He waited for Jasper to explain.
"I was the last person left in the mass murder of The Congregation. I was supposed to have died that day but I didn't and now...." He paused, "He's come for me".
Nicholas did not understand. "Why wait two years though?".
Jasper laughed and sat up. "That's the very question I want answered".
"It's not like Semias Depraysie. If he wants to kill someone he does it". Nicholas knew Semias far back. He was one of the Demons he worked with. He was a mean son of a b***h. Like Nicholas, Semias could also talk with snakes. And that's also what made them a rivalry. They wanted to prove to the Dark Lord that each of them was better than the other. They tried killing one another for years, but every time they tried it proved useless till Nicholas wanted out. Semias couldn't have that so he went and fought him, the battle went on for days till they came to a stalemate. Nicholas knew that the fight would never end. And so he turned into a python and disappeared into the dense growth of a jungle for years, hiding out until Semias grew tired of looking and disappeared.
Nicholas eventually found AshBurton while traveling, wanting to find a city or town where it was quiet and forgotten. He hid out underground, remaining undetected. He drank away his worries every night only for them to surface back the next day. Slowly he became an alcoholic. Then when he was on the brink of death, Jasper found him. Back when he was a believer. He helped Nicholas recover and he saw AshBurton for the city it was. Run down and corrupted with demons and Angels everywhere.
Nicholas saw them. Jasper had seen glimpses of them when they wanted him to see them. But sometimes he battled them in their true form, like Semias Depraysie. But unlike the Demons, the Angels preferred to be neutral, influencing the people of AshBurton positively but the Demons took advantage of this and the town became theirs. But that didn't mean, a Angel or two, didn't kick a Demons' a*s. They did.
But it was left up to Jasper Le Croix, Zane Malum, Inigo Wolf and Nicholas Serphent to help the city and keep it away from Demons and monsters and murderers.
"He is a Demon so who knows. It's not like they obey a certain set of rules" Jasper remarked.
"I want you to accompany me. I want to find Semias and kill him before he finds me and kills me" Jasper said, looking with his guns and weapons to see if it was loaded.
Nicholas sighed and walked up and down next to the bed. "You don't f**k with Semias, he f***s with you. I've spent my entire life hiding from him and now you want me to help you kill him?".
Jasper regarded Nicholas. "I'm going after Semias, you" he said, pointing at him, "will find his accomplice".
He stepped forward, "What you talking about "accomplice"? Who?" Nicholas demanded.
"That I haven't quite figured out yet although the person deals in Voodoo".
"How do you know that?"
"A drawing was carved into the victims' chest, of a doll. It was a Voodoo looking doll" Jasper informed him.
Nicholas was getting restless, "A mortal working with a Demon? Why would Semias strike a deal with a human?"
Jasper gave it a thought before replying, "Well the person deals in Voodoo and in a way that's tied in with dark arts, evil".
"F**k!" Jasper shouted, "This investigating just exploded out of the water didn't it!?!" He said and Jasper could almost hear a glint of happiness in his voice.
Jasper smiled and nodded. "So" he said walking over to Nicholas, "Are you in?"
"Hell Yeah!!"


CHAPTER 4

Inigo strolled through the dense forest on his way to over look AshBurton from atop of a hill. He missed these times when he could go for a walk and not be disturbed. The birds were nowhere to be heard, animals cowered from the world, the only life in this forest was Inigo.
He came through the opening, the opening that left the forest behind and welcomed the clear view of AshBurton and its surroundings. He stopped at the foot of the hill and gazed down upon the city.
The city was dark, correlating with the darkened sky and it was like a blanket with the clouds covering the city. There was lights on in the hub of the city, tall buildings occupied by the most filthy people ever to walk the earth, murderers, rapists, thieves and not mention the unfortunates. The w****s. It was a Demons' playground but there were those, Inigo's friends, that helped keep the evil at bay.
He could sense, feel, the Demonic activity as well as the Angelic activity. It was strong. They were at war, at war with each other and the mortals of AshBurton. Inigo knew it was only a matter of time before this city was engulfed in flames.
A rustling of leaves caught Inigo's attention and he gripped his knife that was fastened in the front, on his belt. He waited and the noise grew louder till he heard footsteps approaching him. He turned and swiped his knife, inches from the intruder's throat.
Inigo breathes hard as he gripped the blade hard. "Why are you here?" He asked the intruder.
The intruder smiled and stepped to the side out of the way of the blade but Inigo kept the blade in the direction of the man. "To enquire a bit of information" he said, looking beyond Inigo at AshBurton.
Inigo's eyes were hard on the man, "What makes you think I will give a Demon like you any information?" He growled.
The Demon laughed and walked around Inigo but careful not to come into contact with the blade. "I'm sure we can come to a agreement or...a deal" he said in a sneaky voice.
Inigo pounced on him but as he come within a inch of the Demon he was flung back. He landed hard on the edge of the hill. He groaned as he gasped for air.
The demon gripped him and threw him into the air and flew up to meet him and he slammed him into the ground. Inigo laid in the ground, unconscious and badly bruised.
He knelt down and pulled Inigo's hair, looking him in the eye. "So what about a deal now? That sound good?" He asked again, trying his luck.
Inigo looked at him, blood oozed down his forehead. He spat in the Demon's face. "Go to Hell!!!" He roared.
The Demon grunted and then he smiled. "Where do you think I come from" and punched Inigo. Inigo groaned and grunted. He tried to push himself up, to gain leeway but he was knocked down again. "A little bird told me that Jasper Le Croix has been investigating a murder" he said.
Inigo looked at the Demon, eyes fixated on him like a crazed zombie for human flesh. He uttered something softly, unable for the Demon to hear or even see. But he didn't say anything. All in due time he thought.
"He made a wild accusation today. Blaming my master for some words written on a wall. Now this is where you listen Wolf! Got it?!?" And kicked him in his ribs. Inigo yelled out. "You are going to tell Le Croix that Samias has nothing to do with this crime he is instigating. There is another person that was there that day. That person saw everything and now Jasper has to pay. This person is out for revenge. Samias isn't always part of everything. Jasper's partner should know that best of all".
"Samias might not personally be involved but you Demons, you like to pull the strings from behind and as always nobody suspects you. Well" and he paused. "I will find out just how much Samias is involved and I'm going to bring him down and anyone else who stands in my way" he threatened the Demon.
The Demon walked up to him, wings drawn out and ready to strike. Suddenly a bark and howling pierced the silent air. The Demon turned around but it was too late. Six giant wolves tackled him to the ground. The wolves wasted no time in snapping at the Demon's flesh, biting chunks of flesh off. The Demon yelled out in pain and he brought one of his wings down and sliced one of the wolves through the back. The wolf cried out as it was thrown aside and left to die.
The pack of wolves pounced on the demon now, more furious than ever. They bit at the Demon's wings, tearing it to shreds while the rest bit at any body part they could sink their teeth into.
The Demon threw his arms about wildly, trying to grab and hit a wolf to fend them off but it proved useless as the wolves dodged him and continued the attack. The Demon knew he couldn't win this battle and he took off into the air. The wolves stopped their attack and jumped off as the Demon flew into the air. All but one. The one wolf was hanging on, biting the Demon's neck from behind. The Demon gripped the wolf and turned him to face the fierce animal. The wolf barked and growled at The Demon before the Demon choked the animal. It whimpered at the pain of his neck snapping.
Then the wolf went limp and the Demon tossed the dead animal towards Inigo who ducked as the animal came flying past him. He staggered and looked at the animal that hit the ground. It was dead. He glanced up at the Demon and hissed at him and the Demon hissed in retaliation. Then he flew away Into the inky darkness and became one with the dark sky.
Inigo watched the Demon disappear. "This isn't the end" he whispered into the air. The wolves circled round him and watched the sky with their master.

Jasper and Nicholas walked by to the table in The Sanctuary, were all the losers and alcoholics and losers sat and watched the strip dancers or more professionally exotic dancers. They didn't remove their clothing but only danced in it. That didn't stop the men from drooling over the women.
Plenty a night Jasper and Nicholas drooled along with the other scumbags at the exotic dancers but not tonight. It was business.
"Who do you see?" Jasper asked, nudging Nicholas so as to not cause any attention or let others know their business.
Nicholas eyed out every person he saw in eye contact. He saw them, Angels and Demons. Some disguising themselves while others made their true forms known but only to certain people, like Nicholas. Nicholas then spotted his man. He beaconed the man over to the stool available next to him.
The man slouched into the chair and looked at Nicholas. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked.
Nicholas spat in disgust from the man's presence. He gave him a mean look, "there's no pleasure for sitting in your company" he spat. "I want to know something".
"Go on" said the man with a brush of his hand.
"My old buddy Samias has been busy as of late" he said swinging his head into Jasper's direction.
The man glanced at Jasper and back at Nicholas, he gave a puzzling expression. "With him?" He asked.
Nicholas smiled and nodded. "That's Jasper Le Croix" Nicholas informed the man.
The man slanted back in his chair and folded his arms as if bored with the talk he was having with Nicholas. "I know. Who doesn't know The Great Jasper Le Croix" he said in mockery and took a bow, insulting Jasper further. But before the man knew what happened he was hit off his stool, sending him sprawling to the floor as customers looked on.
Nicholas and Jasper got off their chairs and dragged the man to his feet. "Lets go out back. We need to talk" said Jasper and they hurried out of the back dolor of the bar, leaving everyone looking on at them.
The back door flew open with a bang and the man came flying out and hit the wall opposite. He groaned and yelled. As he opened his eyes a boot collided with his face, knocking him further to the ground.
"Tell me where Samias' whereabouts are?" Jasper demanded.
The man grunted and remained silent.
Jasper gripped him and pulled him up as he took a gun from his coat. "Maybe you ain't hearing me well" he groaned as he held the man's weight in the air. Then the gun went off and Jasper shot the man in the stomach.
The man yelled out on pain as blood splattered his shirt and Jasper. Jasper dropped him like a sack of potatoes and sat opposite him with Nicholas standing over the man in case he tried to run. Jasper pointed the gun at the man.
"Now you know we mean business" he said, "Tell me what I want to hear".
The man lifted his head up slightly, his face bruised and bleeding from the beating he had just sustained. The man's shirt was smudged in blood from the bullet wound but through this wounds and bashings he actually managed to smile. An evil grin.
A force knocked Jasper flying into the wall. Nicholas gasped and went to help Jasper when he was suddenly stopped in his tracks. He groaned and looked down and saw a sharp black object slice through his chest. He coughed and blood splattered his mouth and the floor below and he coughed more then the sharp object removed itself from his chest and Nicholas fell down to the floor.
"No!!" Yelled Jasper as he saw Nicholas hit the ground. He ran toward the man, full anger and vengeance in his eyes. He removed a sword from his sheath and swung it as he jumped above the man and he brought the sword down on the man's head when he was knocked out in the air and the next thing he knew he was going up, away from the man and further into the dark blanket sky. He turned and saw a demon, wings out, lifting him up further as he held onto Jasper's shirt. He gazed down at Jasper and hollowed in amusement.
"You broke the rules Le Croix" the Demon barked and swirled in the air, swinging Jasper back and forth like a rag doll till they stopped and the Demon turned Jasper's face toward the man and Nicholas.
The man gripped Nicholas, who was barely conscious. He smiled up at Jasper and the Demon before he sank his teeth into Nicholas' neck. Nicholas screamed in agony from the pain as the man sunk his teeth further into his skin. The Man held onto Nicholas as if he was the last human being to drink blood from. Jasper screamed but it was too late. The man let go off Nicholas and took off into the The Sanctuary. He knew he would be safe there as nobody could fight anyone. Smart m**********r he thought.
Then Jasper was falling and he looked back as the Demon flew off in between the buildings loosing himself in Jasper's eye sight. Jasper turned down just as he slammed into a car and rolled to the ground. He groaned and heaved himself up, only worrying about Nicholas who he knew needed his help and he wasn't going to give up. He fell to his knees and grabbed Nicholas.
Nicholas laid there in his arms, eyes flinging as he was loosing himself from blood loss, his neck was flowing out water like a fountain and the whole in his chest had tore his. Heat in two. He opens his mouth to say something but only blood came forth.
"Come on! I'm going to take care of you" he said to Nicholas as he put him over his shoulders and carrying him to his car parked around the corner. Inigo. He could help Jasper thought.
He got to his car and put Nicholas in the back seat, gently as to not hurt him further. Time was running out as the blood kept flowing and that man, that vampire, bite him and now that he bite Nicholas, he might become a vampire himself and he couldn't have that.
He dived into the car and started it and screeched away from The Sanctuary, leaving the crime scene behind and head out of the outskirts of AshBurton.
He grabbed a cigarette as he sped out of the city. He put it to his mouth and lit it. "On't worry Nick! Inigo will ow what to do" he said trying to reassure Nicholas that he would make it but Jasper was scared he wouldn't. He couldn't tell Nicholas that though.
He turned back to the road and a red and blue light flashed in his rear view mirror. "Oh s**t".
He hit the gas and the car zoomed away from the squad car trailing him. Nicholas groaned in the backseat as the car veered from left to right.
"Some corrupt son of a b***h is after us. Just hold on we almost out of the city" he said and threw his cigarette on the floor in anger.
The cop car again caught up to Jasper and slammed into the his car as the cop tried to knock him off the road. Jasper looked at the car and looked back at the road. He was coming out into the countryside, leaving the city behind. He grinned as he saw the hill that tilted to the right leaving a dip on the right side of the hill. Jasper kept in constant speed with the cop car till he neared the hill and he saw his opportunity. He turned and collided with the car and sent it idling down the dip as Jasper turned back to the road, speeding away and leaving the cop car crashing to the ground below.

He crashed into trees, bush and wild life as he desperately sped to Inigo in hope he could save Nicholas. He gripped the steering wheel to prevent it from speeding out of control. He screamed and braces himself as he smashed into a tree, sending it crashing onto the bonnet of the car but he accelerated forward and the tree skidded of. He ramped out of the woods as he entered the clearing of Inigo's house but he didn't stop and instead sent the car crashing into the house with a loud roar of wood and furniture being thrown about and broken.
Inigo came stumbling and crashing out of his bedroom in shock as he had his gun in his hand. He tripped over the debris but pulled himself up and stood on top of the bonnet with his gun in his hand, ordering the men in the car to come out with their hands up.
"Don't f*****g shoot Inigo!!!" Jasper yelled, "it's me!!!".
Inigo lowered his gun and run up to the car and stared in as Jasper was pulling himself out of the wreckage. He was in a bad condition, coat was torn, hair in a greasy mess, cuts and bruises over his face with his eye busted up. He looked at Inigo. "The back" he said pointing, "Nicholas needs help!!! Quickly!!!".
Inigo looked to the back and saw Nicholas. He was even in a worse state than Jasper. Inigo broke the back window and yanked Nicholas and heaved him out. Nicholas screamed softly as he was pulled. He saw Inigo and then his vision went black and he passed out with the echoing voices of Jasper and Inigo.

"What you talking about!?!?" Came Jasper's voice.
"He told me that this CJ person you're after, he told me, that you have met the guy...or girl. I don't know he wasn't precise on that" Inigo said.
Jasper paced up and down, gripping his hair and pulling it in frustration. Now the killer could be a woman? He thought. He was going insane with this killer. "So Samias isn't involved?" He asked Inigo.
Inigo hesitated and fiddled with his necklace around his neck. "No" he finally declared.
Jasper knew he was lying, "Who was the Demon? What is his name?" Jasper firmly asked.
"That I cannot say" Inigo said shaking his head.
Then they were interrupted by the approaching footsteps of Nicholas Serphent. He limped as he entered the room. His chest was bandaged up, and the wound on his neck had been injected with saltwater. Saltwater was a prevention against vampires. A deadly virus that, just like sun burning, the salt chocked them when the swallowed it and killed them in seconds. Inigo had supplies of saltwater in his room and so he put some saltwater on the wound and within it then made Nicholas swallow the saltwater to kill any poison that was in his body.
Jasper's expert driving had saved Nicholas's life even when they crashed into the house of Inigo. Nicholas was mere minutes away from turning into a new born vampire.
"Nicholas!" Exclaimed Jasper in relief. "How you feeling?" He asked.
Nicholas gripped his chest in agony and limped. "Painful. I'm in a lot of pain but I've had worse" he said managing a smile.
"You took a beating and a half man" he said as he took a drag of his cigarette.
"Clearly you haven't felt pain till you battle in a fist fight with Samias. Now that's a beating" Nicholas stated and laughed. They all did. Nicholas saw the cigarette in Jasper's clutched fingers and he indicated with his fingers if he could have one. Jasper tossed it to him and he lit it up. "What were you guys arguing about?"
Jasper looked to Inigo and back at Nicholas then took another drag. "A demon made a visit to Inigo on Ashes Hill, just a few kilometers from here and he said something vital. It might help us".
"Which is?"
"He said that I have seen the killer and interacted with the person" Jasper said.
Nicholas' jaw dropped and he stared blankly at them. "You saw the f*****g killer and you didn't tell me?!?" He roared and drove Jasper against the wall and pinning him against it. Fire raged in his eyes and he was beyond reasonable. "For years I've hidden!!! I've kept a low but now you got me into this s**t of finding Samias because you, Jasper, you! Said that he was behind this so called murder!!".
Jasper gripped Nicholas and pushed him back. "I didn't f*****g know I saw the killer!!!" He shouted. "But Inigo told me that Samias isn't involved so calm the f**k down!!".
Nicholas stood his ground, his fists clenched and his eyes burning with hell.
"Nicholas! Listen to Jasper okay. He is right, Samias isn't involved so you are safe as you always were. There's no reason for this and have you forgotten who you were when you served those Demons?" Inigo said stepping in between Nicholas and Jasper.
Nicholas started to walk off "Have you forgotten what I am?" He said as he exited The house.
Jasper lit another cigarette, his nerves were shot and he was in no mood to listen to lectures from Inigo. "So what exactly did the little devil say?" Jasper said.
"That the killer was there that day the congregation got destroyed and that the person is out for revenge....on you".
"Why me?" He asked.
"Ay I ain't the investigator. That's your job" Inigo smiled.
Jasper smiled and walked outside to check up on Nicholas.
Nicholas was standing on the edge of the woods, a yellow flickering light was seen in front of him. Jasper jogged up to him and stopped as he stood next to him. He looked at Nicholas. He was gazing into the fire in a trance, eyes cold and tears flowed down as they burned up flowing down his cheeks. His hands were clenched hard. Jasper looked at the fire. It was blazing high as it reached his eye view and he stepped a step back as the heat burned through his clothes into his skin but Nicholas didn't seem to be affected by it.
Jasper took a second glance at the burning inferno and he froze. In the fire he saw a dark and cloaked figure walking up to him then it evaporated and the congregation building came into view, burning and Jasper could hear the screams of the people dying within the building. He wanted to silence the screams but he couldn't and all he could do was stare on and listen.
He started to feel heat conjure all around him and he looked around him. He was surrounded by fire and it burned into him. He opened his mouth to scream but only a faint agonizing groan came forth. He closed his eyes as he burned.
A scream suddenly told him to open his eyes and he did. People fell all around him. Shot down, stabbed and thrown across the room he was in. He wanted to run away and not see the carnage but he was stuck. Then The Demon came walking by and he picked up a man that lay at his feet. He regarded the mortal for a mere moment and then sliced him in half. Tears of fire rolled down and burned Jasper's cheeks. The Demon caught sight of Jasper and walked up to him, wings swung back and forth, ready to slice into the next victim. The Demon stopped in front of him and there was the silent moment of a connection between the Demon and Jasper.
"Let's go quickly" Jasper heard someone say. He looked around the inferno of the building. He couldn't see anything for a moment then two people were walking slowly behind the Demon. Jasper's eyes widened. It was the smithsons'. A husband and wife who had been part of the congregation since its first roots started to grow. Fantastic Christians Jasper had thought and they had to be in this massacre. "No" Jasper heard himself whisper.
The Demon halted and looked at Jasper who stared at the Smithsons'. The Demon turned around and saw the husband and wife trying to get out undetected.
The wife caught sight of The Demon watching them and she screamed. The husband halted into his wife and saw The Demon. He was scared and Jasper saw it.
"Come on Martha!!" The husband, Nathaniel Smithson shouted as he tried to run away and escape but Martha was frozen. He was about to grab her to get her to escape when something collapsed on him and he cried out. Martha ducked next to her husband when he was grabbed by her hair and she screamed. Screamed to be shown mercy but on this day mercy wasn't a option.
Jasper couldn't take it and run up to the Demon and smashed into him. The Demon moaned and let go of Martha. Jasper threw a punch and it connected but it didn't cause the slightest pain to the Demon.
The Demon grabbed Jasper and held him in front of the Demon. Jasper struggled and punched uselessly at The Demon but he just laughed at the failed attempts.
"You can't stop this" the Demon said. "You want to know who I am?" He teased.
Jasper stopped struggling as he saw the Smithsons' looking at him in horror. He mouthed the words to them, 'Go' and he flung his head back as he head butted the Demon.
The Demon growled and the Smithsons' ran at the diversion but The Demon caught them and he sawed his spinal part of his wing through Jasper and it sliced through Martha. Martha groaned and blood sprouted from her mouth and the wound in his stomach. She didn't last long and she fell. Jasper gazed on and saw her burn away in seconds.
Nathaniel cried at the death of his wife and charged to The Demon but Jasper was thrown into him and the wing of the demon still connected into Jasper, sliced and gutted Nathaniel.
The Demon removed his wing and stood laughing at the death he caused.
Jasper fell into Nathaniel, who was on death's door. Jasper held him and sobbed. "You did well my friend" he said in between sobs.
Nathaniel shrieked and flames started to slowly engulf his body until Jasper couldn't hold onto him and he burned to ashes and was lost to the fire.
He gazed up, wanting to see the Demon but there was nobody there in the room. Only Jasper. He scanned the room and he saw someone standing in the doorway of the congregation. Jasper stood up and walked over to the person.
It was a girl, no older than 19 at the most. She had green eyes, dark Greene eyes, skin white as snow and curly red hair down just past her shoulders. She was crying and tears flowed down and her body was shaking. She trembled at Jasper's presence. Jasper stopped and he flinched. He recognized her. Catherine Jade Smithson.
"Cathy!" Jasper called out.
Catherine opened her mouth and she screamed. Her face turned to a grotesquery and twisted appearance like a demon or witch.
Jasper stared in horror and all of a sudden she and along with the rest of the congregation burned to flames...
Jasper blinked and he was again standing by the fire along side Nicholas. He looked at the fire but that's all it was now. A fire. He grabbed Nicholas who turned to him, I pain and anguish.
"Nicholas I know who the killer is!!! I've seen her!!" Jasper said in relief.
"Get Inigo" Nicholas said and Jasper ran to get Inigo who appeared a minute later with Jasper. They stood around and waited for Jasper to explain.
"This is going to sound like I have gone insane but I haven't" he said panting still trying to gain his breath that the fire burned out of him. "That day of the congregation massacre I saw a family in the middle of the carnage, The Smithsons. Great people but anyway Samias was about to kill me when he saw the family, only the husband and wife, and he went up to them and was about to kill them when I tried to help but I couldn't. He still killed them" and there was a pause and Jasper had to steady himself. "He used me as distraction to make it look like I killed them. That's what Catherine saw".
"Who's Catherine?" Nicholas asked stepping forward.
Jasper looked at him and back at the ground. "Catherine Jade Smithson. The daughter of the family that the Demon killed".
"CJ" Inigo whispered.
There was a silence for a moment then Jasper nodded, "Yes. When the Demon killed her parents he made sure...he made her see that it was only me with her parents and that I killed them. It was like he was invincible to her. And no doubt she thought I killed the rest of the other people".
"How come you only remembering now?" Nicholas asked.
He shrugged, "I don't know. But I've been having vivid dreams or flash backs of that day recently".
"And you saw this, what you telling us now, you saw this in the fire?"
"Yes".
Inigo ran his fingers through his hair. "The Demon I encountered, he told me that you met her".
Jasper racked his mind and walked in small circles. "I met a girl the other night" he finally said, "but she didn't look like Catherine" and shook his head. "No!"
"Jasper....it's been two years. Lots can change in that amount of time" Nicholas said in a faint statement.
Jasper looked at his friends and for the first time they could see the heartache in his eyes. "I knew her once. She was such a lovely and kind girl" he said.
His friends said nothing. They knew this was his way of letting his hurt and remorse out.
"That girl at the bar, she reminded me of nothing of Catherine".
"Did she give you her name?" Nicholas persisted.
Jasper looked down at the ground and whispered, "Cathy Jade".


CHAPTER 5


Jasper, Nicholas and Inigo came to the agreement of going in search of Cathy Jade. Jasper said they should start at The Sanctuary, where he first encountered her. They drove Inigo's Ford Truck, a old 1980s model. It was old but it got them where they needed to be. Jasper didn't speed in the truck, he was still worried about the police if they found out about the car that was trailing them yesterday And had every car out searching for them.
"Keep a eye out" Jasper said to Inigo and Nicholas. As far as he could see all the roads were empty, no people walking around, no shops were open. A ghost town Jasper thought.
Inigo sat in between Jasper and Nicholas. He was looking at the road but his mind was else where. He was thinking of the time Zane Malum had shown up on his doorstep with the injured and nearly dead Jasper Le Croix....

The banging on the front door had awakened Inigo from his meditation. He cursed and walked over to the door and opened it with a rude greeting afterwards.
"Who the hell is banging this damn time of the night!?!?" He shouted.
A young kid was walking up the steps of his house, he was carrying something slung over his shoulder but Inigo couldn't tell what it was. "Inigo help me" said the kid.
Inigo hurried to meet him. "Zane!!" He said, "what happened?" He Asked as he helped Zane.
It was a person that he was carrying. He looked badly injured. A dozen bruises marked all over his face and the rest of his body. His clothing was torn and raged like some wild beast had scratched and bite into it trying to get to the man. He looked up at Inigo and passed out.
"Who is this?" Inigo asked as they slammed the door closed and laid him on the couch.
Zane moved back and sat in the armchair across from the man on the couch. "Name's Jasper Le Croix. He is a priest or at least was until his congregation got burned down just a few hours ago".
Inigo shot him a look. "The congregation on the south side of AshBurton?"
He nodded. "That's the one".
Inigo walked up to Jasper. "How did he get these bruises and cuts?" He asked signaling, tracing his fingers along the cuts and bruises.
Zane lit his cigarette and relaxed himself for a moment and inhaled again. "A demon. Semias Depraysie".
Rain started pouring down on the house and it silenced their talking. The rain came down accompanied by thunder and lightning. Inigo gazed up at the roof then back down again. "Did you see him?"
He nodded his head. "When I saw the fire coming from the congregation I hurried over and in between the flames I saw that poor soul and Samias".
Inigo looked at Jasper Le Croix. "I heard about him in AshBurton".
"Who hasn't?" He said sarcastically. "But you and I both know that this city hates good people and especially the church".
"I had a vision. This city is going to be burned in fire and brimstone".
Zane tilted his head. He took a drag. "When is this going to occur?" He asked.
"Zane I've known you for quite some time and you must understand that I can't give you a clear indication of when it will happen. My visions are subjective and I will try everything in my power to stop it even if it's true".
"It's not like I care anyway Inigo. My family left me in this hellhole so it's only fitting enough to stay here" he said sadly.
Zane Malum had come to AshBurton years ago at the tender age of 13 . He lived where ever he could find a place in AshBurton. Streets, brothels, bars. It didn't matter to him. Even at that age. While living the hard life he learned to look after himself and defend himself from the gangs and criminals of AshBurton but he didn't know how bad the city really was till he saw the demons that occupied every corner.
He became a small anti hero to certain people in the town. He looked out for the dames of AshBurton when they weren't treated good, either by their customers or random people. The police force were after him, blaming and criticizing him for doing their job but they were corrupt so they're job was just a saying. It didn't mean anything to anyone in AshBurton anymore.
And so he lived in AshBurton like a ghost of the night.
"Why did you save him?" Inigo asked. He knew that Zane never really rescued anyone and if he did he had something to gain.
"I saw something in him" he simply said.
Inigo stared at him. He wanted to see if maybe he could see the clinch in his amour that suggested otherwise of what he was saying but he saw none.
Zane heard Jasper moan and looked at him. "We need to get him back to health. Come on Inigo lets get him to the back and help him".
They picked him up and carried him back to the back room of the house...

They stopped around the corner from The Sanctuary. There were men patrolling the bar outside, in casual clothing, trying to blend in with the crowd but Jasper knew they were corrupt cops hired by demons and gangs to catch him and Nicholas and also now Inigo.
"We going to have to sneak in" Nicholas said, eyeing their options out.
Jasper turned in his seat and looked at Nicholas with a raised eyebrow. "And how we going to do that genius?"
"Well that's were you come in" he smiled.
"I'm always saving your a*s and doing all the thinking and the work".
They quietly exited the vehicle. Jasper removed his silencer pistol, Nicholas took his sword out and Inigo had his knife coiled around his fist. They were ready for a war. They walked to the edge of the bar's wall, keeping to the shadows as much as possible.
"What do we do?" Nicholas asked keeping a watchful eye on the undercover cops.
"Well Catherine is in that bar I'm certain of it" Jasper whispered, "and we are already wanted so why lay low?" He asked.
What?" Inigo snapped.
Before Nicholas and Inigo knew what was happening Jasper had sprinted over them and started shooting his silent bullets into the cops and bouncers. One of the cops saw Jasper run and removed his gun from his holster but four bullets penetrated his chest and he collapsed to the ground. Jasper jumped out of the way of the bouncer who threw a punch and Jasper landed behind him and gripped his head before snapping it, killing the big bouncer instantly.
One of the cops ran up and got hold of Jasper's hair and he yelled out in pain. He flung wildly to try and get the cop to let go but the cop was trained and he kicked Jasper's knees in and he collapsed to the ground. The cop took out his knife and brought it to his throat.
Inigo suddenly got behind the cop and sliced his throat open and dropped the man. Jasper gasped for air as the rest of the last few seconds were a blur as Nicholas and Inigo took care and took out the rest of the cops and the other bouncer.
"Come on Jas! We got to move!" Inigo shouted and helped Jasper to his feet.
Jasper removed his guns and they walked into The Sanctuary.
Everybody turned their heads and stopped the activities going on as they entered the building. Jasper halted and Inigo and Nicholas stood behind him. Weapons ready.
"Catherine Jade?!?" Jasper shouted across the bar. There was silence and followed by soft murmuring and muttering. Jasper spoke louder and this time one of the bar's owner stepped forward.
"Gentlemen you are wanted by AshBurton" he said making his way to them.
Jasper stepped forward and pointed his gun at the man. "Shard, we don't mean any violence".
The Shard moved about around Jasper, not breaking eye contact. "So what happened yesterday? Or was that not you and your buddy behind you that assaulted that poor man in this building, which might I add is the number one rule when you enter this bar; no fighting. And you my old friend disobeyed that order".
Jasper moved forward and lowered his weapon for just a second before pointing it against his cheek. He was in no mood to talk this situation out. "That 'poor soul' which you call him..is a vampire! And he bite Nicholas Serphent".
Nicholas looked at The Shard and removed his collar to expose and show him the scar.
The Shard looked at the scar. "Doesn't look bad" he said and turned back to Jasper.
"All we looking for is a girl, Catherine Jade, she is connected and wanted for the death of a man that was killed in The Steeple".
A uproar of laughter suddenly filled the bar. The Shard even laughed and then as suddenly as it started, it died away.
"Le Croix...Catherine Jade died a few days after her parents. There's even a grave site with her tomb next to her parents. So what are you doing? Chasing a ghost?" And he chuckled.
Jasper pulled back the trigger. "Does it look like I'm chasing a f*****g ghost?" He said sharply.
The Shard looked the gun squarely and eased back a step. He opened his arms. "You come in here with weapons to kill us. That doesn't sit well with me or the Demons in this bar which are threatened as well". His hands suddenly expanded and and slide together to make a long knife. Both of his arms turned to silver like knifes. He swiped his bladed arm into the air and it sliced Jasper's gun in two.
Jasper dropped the gun as it smashed in two. He moved back with Nicholas and Inigo.
The Shard moved forward and swiped his blade at Jasper who ducked and Nicholas clashed his sword with the blade. Jasper got up behind The Shard and took his knife and stabbed it into his throat. The Shard roared and turned and knocked Jasper over.
The Bar suddenly turned into chaos as Demons exposed themselves and charged at Jasper and Nicholas. Angels tore away their disguise and clashed with the Demons. A war had erupted within The Sanctuary.
The Shard marched to Jasper who swiped a kick, staggering him and he got his revolver out and blasted The Shard but he blocked it as he brought up his blades. He grunted as he looked past his blades. Jasper charged and kicked The Shard as he brought his blades around to kill him.
Nicholas was swinging his sword, killing dozens of Demons left, right and centre. One of The Demons tackled him to the ground and brought his wings out to slice him but Nicholas countered it and tore a cut from the bottom of his pelvis to his chest. The Demon screeched and took off but Nicholas couldn't have that and jumped on him as they flew off into the air going to the roof of The Sanctuary.
Nicholas brought his sword up and stabbed it into the Demon's back, breaking the tie between the body and the wings. The Demon fell from the roof like a fallen angel from Heaven descending into Hell. Nicholas jumped and rolled as he hit the floor and went to help Inigo.
Inigo was holding 3 demons at bay, swiping his knife at them, inflicting painful but not big wounds. Nicholas jumped up and swirled his sword and slicing all three demons. Inigo ducked under and pulled one demon under and landed on him and punched him till the demon laid unconscious.
Jasper and The Shard were tearing up the corner of the bar as The Shard ripped and sliced through the tables and chairs, all in desperation to end Jasper. Jasper unhooked his sword from within his coat as The Shard jumped and landed next to him. Jasper threw a punch and brought the sword down and sliced his knees open. He gripped his sword hard and took a swipe as he cut a scar across his face.
"You Mutha.." But he couldn't finish his sentence as Jasper sliced into his chest before The Shard could block it. the Shard took one last look at Jasper and fell to his knees. He gripped his chest wanting to stop the blood but the wound wasn't just in the front but sliced him all the way through to his back. He collapsed as Jasper took off to help his friends.
He got behind the demons that were putting Inigo and Nicholas in a corner. He took out his developed and aimed it point blank at a demon. He fired and blasted the demon to kingdom come. All the Demons turned at the sound of the blast and Inigo and Nichols saw their opportunity.
Inigo summoned three wolves and they appeared from the shadows of the room. They stood big, over 6 ft and pitch black. They growled and the demons turned to see them but not for very long when Inigo gave them the order to attack.
Nicholas went to help Jasper as he sliced the demons in half and Jasper blowing one demon away by the minute.
"Jasper we got to move!! Let's get outta here!!" Inigo roared over the gunshots and screams.
Jasper shot the demon that he was struggling with and looked over at Inigo. He nodded and run up to meet him.
BOOM!!!!! A loud thunderous blast shook the building with such a force that the fighting halted. Jasper was thrown across the room and smashed into the wall on the far side of the room. He laid still, like the dead, for a few seconds. He opened his eyes, slowly as they burned and blurred. He saw a foggy scene in front of him. Demons were flying around the room, on fire and other people were laid across the room. Dead. He scanned and saw Nicholas under the weight of 5 demons. Then he heard it. That voice.
"Jasper. I've heard you been looking for me tonight".
Jasper tilted his head up and saw Cathy Jade walk up to him. Even through all the dirt and death that laid around them, Jasper couldn't help but notice her beauty. God! He wanted her. But he couldn't.the world wasn't meant for them two to be together. She was evil and he was good.
He grunted and slid across the floor and hunched his back against the wall. He could feel his body breaking from within. Broken ribs, bones, bruises and cuts were inflicted all over him. But somehow he managed to say. "I remember you".
Cathy Jade walked up to Jasper and got to her knees in front of him. She smiled. "I'm not that same girl I was" she said and Jasper suddenly felt a soaring pain pulse through him. He felt like his body was twisting and snapping from within. He screamed.
Cathy Jade laughed from the pain that he was experiencing. And she walked over to him and gripped his face. "You killed my parents and I will kill for that" she threatened and started to walk away the turned. "Oh and the name isn't Cathy Jade....its Crimson Jade" she said and in an instant she was gone.
Jasper collapsed from the pain and hardly had any energy to even look up.
Nicholas heaved himself and pushed the unconscious and dead demons off him and ran to get Jasper. "We getting out of here" he said and grabbed him as he made his way out of the building along with Inigo staggering behind them.
They ran out of The Sanctuary, which was burning from the blast and fire inside the building. They got into the car and Jasper was thrown in the back seat as Inigo sat with him to heal him while Nicholas took the wheel and drove as far away as they could away from The Sanctuary.
"We got to get back to my place. I need to heal Jasper properly" Inigo said as he struggled with Jasper in the backseat.
Nicholas shook his head. "We can't! Those Demons and gangsters saw you with us. Your place will be swarming with them and I ain't going to get into another big fight. We almost didn't get out of this one" he said angrily.
Inigo frowned, "Did you throw that bomb?" Inigo asked anxiously.
"No!"
"Who was it?" He whispered.
Nicholas looked back and saw Jasper moving up, his eyes closed and his face grotesque. "Jasper!" He yelled. Jasper opened his eyes but only slightly. "The bomb? Did you throw it?" He demanded.
Jasper grunted and breathed In a painful breath as he coughed, "Crimson".
Inigo and Nicholas looked at one another in confusion.
"Wha-"
A blast knocked them all into a spiral upturning and they rolled in the car. The car turned and rolled and smashed into a concrete building and knocking all three passengers out. Another car stopped in front of them and half a dozen men jumped out and run up to the car wreckage.


A splash of water woke Jasper up as he coughed and cursed. He was tied to a chair, his hands and feet bound in rope and a blindfold tied around his eyes. More water till they were sure he was awake as he coughed harder.
"Jasper Le Croix. You don't need to worry. You're in safe hands" said a man.
Jasper cocked his head up to the direction he heard the man talking from. "And what hands are those?" He asked.
Footsteps walked up to him and a punch connected with Jasper's face. "Ooh ouch!" He said as he shook off the shock.
"We finally got you man you piece of white trash!" He thundered and proceeded to punch him a dozen more times. Jasper fell over in his chair to the floor. "You broke out a war in The Sanctuary Le Croix. Dozens are dead. By your hand!!"
Jasper laughed. "I should have known. The dirty scumbags of AshBurton. A name you shouldn't even be associated with" he spat.
"You know me. And now I'm going to take you in... Or maybe just hand you over to Samias and see what he'll do with you" then he spoke louder addressing the room. "He sure is paying a high price! $500 000 is the prize!!" He shouted and laughter came from the room.
Jasper thought that there was at least quite a few men, corrupt men of the force.
"I wonder what you did to piss him off eh??" He whispered into Jasper's ear.
Jasper tilted his head and shot foreword, hitting the man in the face and he fell. "I brought the demon out in him" he said.
The man shot back up and ordered his men to rain down judgement on Jasper. Dozens of punches and kicks hit into Jasper who laughed at the pain. More and more punches rained down but it was no use. It wasn't getting to him.
"That's it" the man said and pushed his way past the men. "Maybe I should take care of you myself" and pulled a Snubnose .38 out and jammed it into Jasper's neck. "Put a bullet in you and rid AshBurton of the scum" he snarled.
One of the men spoke up "Wait man!! Let's see what Samias has to say" he said to the man. Then he collapsed to the floor with a bang.
The man lowered his weapon as the man he shot hit the floor. "Anyone else want to say something?" He growled. Nobody did. He turned back to Jasper and removed his blindfold. "I want you to see the man who shoots you" he said and brought his gun up to his forehead and pulled back the trigger.
"Benjamin Barr!!!".
The man, Benjamin Barr looked up and saw a figure emerge in the room from the shadows. "Klark Hallewell" he snarled and this time grabbed Jasper and pointed the gun to his temple. "Not another f*****g step or else he gets it".
Klark halted and looked around at the rest of the backup that stood by Benjamin. "That there is a innocent man" Klark said watching his back.
"Innocent?? This man killed everyone at the Sanctuary!!" He shrieked.
"And the marks over his body?" Klark pointed out. "He do that to himself now?" He asked rhetorically.
Benjamin looked at the marks on Jasper and back at Klark. "That doesn't change a goddamn thing!!" He shouted.
"Drop the f*****g gun or you're dead!!" Zane shouted from behind as he held a gun to Benjamin's head.
All the men suddenly had their weapons at and pointing it at Zane who didn't retaliate holding his gun at Benjamin. The room went silent as they all exchanged eye contact.
"Man, who the hell are you pal?" Benjamin asked as he held the gun tighter against Jasper.
"You're worst nightmare" he shot back.
Klark suddenly turned to the one guy on his left and punched him in the gut making him go to his knees and brought his knee up and kicked him in the face. Klark grabbed his gun and started shooting at the rest of the men in the room who also started to fire back.
Zane saw the shootout and gripped Benjamin around his throat And started to choke him. Benjamin gripped his arm and tried to break free of his grasp but Zane tightened his hold and Benjamin started to loss consciousness. He gagged for a few more seconds then went limp. Zane let go and he slumped to the ground. Zane pointed his gun and started to shoot the men left over and he ducked behind a table and flipped it as a hail of bullets shot down at him. He sneaked a quick peek and saw Klark behind a door, firing when he got the chance.
"Goddamn! They hardly missed! Somebody take them down!! They're only two guys!!" The man yelled and they opened a new round of bullets. Two of them run up to Zane, quietly and on their knees, their guns at the ready. They got to the table on the other end. The other guys made their way to the wall nearby where Klark was standing behind the door.
"Now" Zane mouthed to Klark and in an instant Klark jumped up from behind the door and blasted the two men to kingdom come hiding behind the table and Zane fired at the two men standing by the wall, pinning them to the wall in a hail of blood and bullets.
Zane got up off the ground and walked over to Jasper, his gun ready and loaded just in case one of the b******s got up and tried some funny business. He got to Jasper who was looking at him waiting to be set free. "Yeah, yeah!" Zane said and took his knife and cut the rope.
"About time!!" Jasper yelled as he made his way to his feet. He looked at the dead men laying all over the ground and smiled. "How did you know I was here?" He asked.
Zane smirked and said nothing.
Jasper laughed and hugged him in relief of seeing them when he was at death's door.
Klark walked up to them. He was tucking his gun back. "We have to move. These guys were in the pay pockets of big business men and they want you dead. That's why they brought you over here to hand you over to them. I imagine they not far off so we have to get out of here right now".
Jasper walked over to Benjamin who was laying unconscious on the floor and Jasper started to kick him. He was furious and he wanted someone to take his anger out on and Benjamin was the idle candidate.
Zane gripped him by his torn shirt. "No!" He shouted.
Jasper stared at him and for the first time that Zane had known Jasper he saw a a darkness in his eyes. Like that of death and he let go, backing up. Jasper walked past him and grabbed a bottle of water on the floor. He poured it over Benjamin and he coughed and groaned. Jasper grabbed him and slammed him against the wall.
"Where the f**k is Inigo and Nicholas??" He demanded. Benjamin said nothing and Jasper took his knife out and stabbed him in his shoulder blade and Benjamin screamed out as he felt the steel tip pierce his flesh. "Now"he shouted, "Tell me or the next time it's your eyes" and held the blade an inch from his eyes.
Benjamin stared at the blade in front of him and started to quiver. "Alright man! Okay just get that blade away from me" he cried. Jasper shook his head, no. Benjamin sighed and glanced past him. "I'm not sure where he is but I had guys take them to the outskirts of town to kill em" he looked back at Jasper. "But it's too late pal. They're dead so all you'll be doing is wasting your time".
Jasper sticked the blade on the edge of his eye and Benjamin squirmed in fear. "You better not hope that is true" he threatened. "Because I'll come back here and it won't be pretty".
Jasper let go of him and Zane and Klark hurried after him, leaving Benjamin in the aftermath of his doing and a bunch of bad business men on their way.

They drove along the old, dirt and forgotten roads on the edge of AshBurton. It was close to one o'clock in the morning but none of them wanted to go to bed and leave this nightmare behind because Nicholas and Inigo were out, smack bang in the middle of it.
"Damn Jasper" Zane said, "we've been looking for hours and so far there is no sign of another car or Nicholas and Inigo".
Jasper turned around in the passenger seat and looked at Zane in annoyance. "Look!! Where exactly must we go? The city is crawling with the AshBurton Police Force and not to mention the Demons, which, might I add, Samias is with!!" He shouted. Klark was shocked to hear the aggression from Jasper but said nothing and concentrated on the road. They had gone a little further when they saw a up turned car just on the side of the road.
"Stop the car!!!" Jasper yelled. Klark hit the brakes and all exited the vehicle. Jasper grabbed his gun from his coat and run to the car, with Klark loading his weapon and Zane high tailing behind them.
The car was a old Jeep. It was a black wreck as it tipped on his side, the bonnet was crumpled backwards and the doors dented in and windows smashed to tiny shards of glass. Jasper ducked down and glanced in. It was empty but he could see traces of blood all along the interior of the vehicle. Either from the accident or there was fight of some kind he thought.
"They can't be far. We'll split up and look for them but we meet back here in an hour if we don't find them" Jasper ordered.
Klark and Zane nodded and they took off into the night in search of Inigo and Nicholas.
Jasper had got his sword out and run across the grassland of AshBurton. The moon was hidden as always, thunder roared and lighting flashed in the distance.
The rain drenched Jasper as he continued to look for his friends. He swiped his sword as he cut down any place where people could hide. Nicholas wouldn't be the one to hide and he knew Inigo would go to a place he knew was safe so it shouldn't have been hard to locate them. He glanced at his watch and saw a half hour had gone by but still no luck. He wondered if Klark or Zane had found them but he couldn't go back to see. He had to search for the next remaining half hour and hoped he found them.
A light suddenly blasted nearby and Jasper sprinted to it. The light was fire and it was electrifying the land. "Nicholas" Jasper gasped. Panic overcame him and he ran toward the fire, screaming and yelling Nicholas' name. As he reached the top of the floor a blast shook and Jasper tumbled over. He collapsed and stayed down till the light vanished into darkness and he looked up. He ran and stopped when he saw Nicholas standing at the hill.
"Nicholas!!! It's Jasper!!!" He shouted but Nicholas continued to stare at something and was fixated on it. He didn't turn as Jasper approached him, he looked down at something and it was as if someone hypnotized him. "Ay" he said and shook his shoulder and Nicholas broke free of his trance and looked at Jasper. Jasper saw, just for a second, but it felt like minutes, red, fiery eyes that burned of evil from hell, his body tensed up as his veins stuck out like vines. Jasper went cold but he remained firm. "Nicholas what happened?" Jasper demanded.
Nicholas pointed to the ground ahead of them.
Jasper followed his finger and froze. In front of him just a few meters from them, laid a man, in a grotesquery manner, his clothes like small rags, his whole body wrinkled and burnt like he was burned from the inside out. He was tortured Jasper thought and he realized who it was. He looked back at Nicholas and knew. "What happened?" He asked in an empty voice.
Nicholas smiled a evil smirk, "he pushed me over the edge" he responded.
"You tortured him" he said, "why?"
Nicholas turned to Jasper. He shrugged "I wanted him to feel what it was like. He tortured innocents. He killed people and he paid for his sins".
"You not like them Nicholas. You're not a monster like him okay!! You know what it was like but that you is gone. Don't bring him back".
"Evil can sometimes be a good thing" and walked away from his crime scene.
Jasper ran after him. "Where you going?" He shouted.
"I need to hide away. This is all becoming too much for me. I've spent a helluva long time keeping my demon under control and for the first time since I caged him, I'm loosing control and I need to regain myself" then he took off into the night, not waiting for Jasper to respond.
Jasper ran after him, determined to pursued him against his decision but Nicholas was gone.
He looked for a few moments more but decided to let Nicholas come to his senses in his own time.
He looked at his watch and saw it was over an hour and he needed to find his way back just in case Klark and Zane had made their way back and hopefully with Inigo.

He got back to the rendezvous point and caught sight of Zane and Klark with Inigo. He ran up and hugged Inigo, relieved to see him and knowing he didn't disappear like Nicholas. He looked at Inigo. He was bashed up, a scar cut down his arm, his eyes blue, bruises everywhere. He took a beating probably before he was meant to die.
"Where's the men that did this to you? He asked.
Inigo looked at him. "Certain animals took care of him. He is gone. But I had to" he said and grabbed Jasper on the arm, "Nicholas-"
"Nicholas is dead!!" He interrupted.
Inigo went pale, "what?"
Zane and Klark gathered round in shock. Jasper nodded his head. "I got there too late" he lied.
The was silence, everyone taking in the lie of Jasper's. Zane walked in s circle and pulled at his hair. "Why!!" He screamed but it wasn't at anyone particular, "why?!" He shouted.
Jasper tackled him and Zane fought against him in anger and frustration. "He wouldn't want this!!! Zane pull yourself together!!" He roared and held him down.
Zane brought his hands up and screamed into them.
Inigo knelt down and tapped Zane, reassuring him that everything was going to be okay. They were all heartbroken. But they knew they had to carry on.
After a few more minutes of struggling, Zane calmed down and Jasper got off him. "Listen!! Crimson Jade is still out there. She is dangerous and I need to put a stop to her because she murdered that man in the apartment to get to me. To warn me. If she isn't stopped then Nicholas' death will be for nothing!" He shouted trying to boost their confidence.
"For Nicholas" Inigo said and stood by Jasper and slowly Zane walked over. "Let's kill this b***h" he said and they turned to Klark.
Klark looked at them, almost in confusion.
"We don't have time to inform you who Crimson Jade is but if you're with us" Jasper said looking in his eyes pleading, "you will be a hero".
Klark hesitated then walked up to the rest of them and smiled. "So what do we do??" He asked as he stood next to Zane.
Jasper smiled and informed them.


ALLIES


Screaming and cursing was yelled from the back of The Sanctuary, the place was in silence except for the screaming. The back room of The Sanctuary was full of doctors, not qualified as they worked on their patient. A mean, cold blooded and heartless beast. The Shard.
"F*****g do it!!" He cursed as he grabbed one of the doctor's by their shirt.
The doctor panicked as he resisted against the intensity but he knew it was useless. "W-ww..we're doing our best" he stuttered. Then something pierced his chest. We gasped and lost his breath and looked down to the stinging sensation and saw a long steel blade half way into his chest. Blood poured out around the wound and he coughed as blood rose up in his throat. He felt his body go numb and he closed his eyes and fell to the floor dead.
The Shard removed his blade as the dead doctor fell to the ground. He had a angry look on his face as he gazed at the other doctors around the room who backed up as they saw their colleague die from The Shard. "If you don't fix me up" he said, "you'll all end up like him!! Do you understand!!" He growled.
The doctors nodded and opened the door to..... Samias Depraysie.
"Just what the doctor ordered" The Shard exclaimed.
Samias smirked and walked over...


CHAPTER 6

Zane, Jasper, Inigo and Klark all sat around in an apartment in The Steeple, renting it for only one night but that was all they needed. They closed the curtains, double locked all the doors and had their weapons loaded and in reach. They all could feel the tension as they heard the sirens, the shouting and screaming from the demons, the cops and gangs that were hunting them.
Jasper got off his chair and walked over to the window and peeled back the curtain just a fraction. At one glance he saw the city below, dark, unmoving, people hiding and confiding in their homes or with some they confided in bars and clubs. Alcohol was their safe haven. And that brought Jasper a feeling. A feeling circulating in the pit of the middle of his stomach.
He thirsted for the taste, the quench it would satisfy but he had none just a cold glass of water. It got him by in the least.
"What do you see?" Zane asked from across the room.
Jasper took a final glance and turned away from sin city. "Nothing now but you know they're out there. We just got to keep low. With Nicholas dead they'll be wanting to finish us off".
The death of Nicholas was still weighing heavily on them. But they put the hurt and heartbreaking incident behind them and decided to seek out the cops responsible along with Crimson Jade and any demon who got in their way.
"So you have a price on your head" Inigo said.
Jasper regarded the tone he said it in. "I certainly doubt there isn't one for you" he said. "Even Klark has one" he said as he nodded at him.
Klark looked at him and had a firm expression on his face as if he just lost all sense of humor. "It's funny ha know. I'm the only honest cop and I get hunted down for sticking to the law" he said, "which is my job!!" He yelled.
"Yeah well your job means s**t now" Zane stated in annoyance.
"Samias is behind the reward. That Benjamin character said so" Jasper said sitting down on his chair. "A solid f*****g 50 000 dollars!!" He cursed.
Zane tossed in his chair. "How are we going to bring an entire city to justice when there is none" Zane said.
"We're the justice" snapped Jasper.
"We need a plan" Klark chipped in, "Our enemies. What their powers are, their names and so forth". There was silence and Klark continued "There might be a whole city behind these guys but once we take out the big parties the rest will fall in line".
Jasper stroked his strands of hair, deep in thought, "what you say could be true" he said "But Crimson Jade is working for herself".
Inigo sat up and hunched over, "With her... It's personal. You and her. The deal with Samias is...." And he trailed off. Jasper leaned in in full attention. "It's a smaller situation compared to Jade. But the way we have been carrying on, we've made it a big deal and now we have a war on our hands".
Jasper sighed and put his hands up and cupped his face, "I don't want to kill Jade. She is lost because revenge has over taken her but she can still come back. She can stop but I need your guy's help" he said and looked with pleading eyes.
They nodded in silent agreement.
"Ok" Inigo said and clapped his hands. "Who we taking on first?"
"We going to go hunting. Grab your weapons" Jasper said and the clattering of guns being loaded and emptied and swords being sharpened could be heard all around the room.

Angela stood in the back bathroom of the bar, leaning over the basin as she felt the bile rising and sinking in her throat. The past few days had been hectic. Jasper and company coming into The Sanctuary and destroying it to kingdom come and her boss who turned out to be a monster from hell. Her normal world had turned into a living hell. She looked up in the mirror, her eyes were puffy, black and red from the countless nights of no sleep. She barley had the energy to attend work but it was work and she had to be here. She rubbed her eyes more, the pain and tiredness overcoming her and she tried desperately to keep it away. The light suddenly flickered on and off, a dozen times then went black.
"S**t" she whispered. She grabbed her box of matches from her breast pocket and lit it. The room illuminates to the color of the flaming match, a dark yellow and orange. Angela looked around, eyes widened in fear. The past days she had, she saw monsters and demons and she hoped she had none in the room with her. She walked over to the exit as she felt her way on the walls and bathroom doors.
She suddenly hit something and fell back on her knees, she screamed and wrestled for another match stick but something knocked it out of her hands. She looked up and two yellow eyes were glowing at her, the smell of sulphur penetrated the room and Angela held down more bile from the horrible stench that threatened to make her vomit.
Light invaded the room and Angela shrieked and covered her eyes. The darkness had been there for so long she had gotten used to it and those yellow eyes.., those yellow....
"Angela" a voice shouted.
Angela removed her hands and opened her eyes and looked up. A man stood before her, black coat, black leather pants, black spiked up hair and piercing blue eyes, dark like the Mediterranean Sea. He smiled and knelt down and extended his hand out to her. "Don't be afraid" he whispered and his voice was that of something Angela had never heard before and she almost got into a trance at wanting to be with him. But she shook the mutual feeling away and backed up till she was against the wall and was sure she was safe from this stranger.
"Who...are you?"she said as she struggled to get her words out of her mouth.
The man walked up to her and smiled again. "I know the last few days have been a bit hectic for you" he said and stood against a bathroom door. "You've seen things you only thought were myths and legends. Your world has been turned upside down".
Goddammit she thought, is this guy ever going to tell me who he is she wondered to herself.
"I'm Samias. I'm here to help you" and for a moment she trusted him. All too much. She reached out, wanting to grab his hand and Samias reached out to connect to her.
A blast shook the building and Samias yanked his hand back as he stopped and listened to the commotion. He snarled and in a blink of an eye he disappeared from the bathroom. Angela stood up and dashed out into the bar. She saw people screaming and running, guys reaching into their pockets, under tables and from every hiding space she could see they took out weapons, swords, knifes, guns and some sizzled fire in their hands as they made their way out, where the blast was and went to see what had happened.
She grabbed her jacket and ran out, among the gangsters and citizens, to try and get away from a war that targeted The Sanctuary. But she was stopped as Samias grabbed her and tackled her to the ground. His eyes no longer blue but a pitch black. "Don't try anything. You're coming with me" he hissed and pushed his way out of the building.
Outside, an explosion had gone off at the opposite building from The Sanctuary. A old warehouse, just a scrap of old concrete and it was blown to high haven. During the blast, several cars had been overturned, alarms blared and fire has broken out all around the vicinity. Angela just looked on.
The cold steel end of a gun had prodded Angela in her throat and she froze. "I'd like to see what he does now" he said and laughed. The he dragged Angela into the middle of the road and pointed the gun squarely at Angela on the side of her head. "Jasper!!!!" He yelled into the quiet city of AshBurton. He was met with utter silence. He stuck the gun harder against her head. "I have something of yours! Got someone you want" he said and grabbed her around the throat and started to choke her and Angela gagged and struggled against his strength.
A gun jammed against Samias. Hard and cold just like his own and Samias could tell who it was and laughed but never letting Angela go. "Jasper..." He croaked, "what you doing with that powerful m**********r of a gun?" He said.
"I'm gonna blow your f*****g head off and send you back from whence you came!" He said in anger.
"You blow my head off and I blow this beauty in my arms to hell!!" He said.
Jasper hesitated as he saw Angela in tears, pleading silently for him to let go and do the right thing. He dropped his weapon and Samias chuckled.
"My my my! Jasper is infatuated with this doll!!" He said to his friends and men around them and laughter echoed in the street. "You see AshBurton now" and swiped his hand around him but never taking his arm off Angela, "I own this city and everyone in it. You're the monster that needs to be taken out".
Jasper gazed around him and the world froze. It was still. The men and women standing around were still and dead like the grave. Guns and swords out and pointed at him, the papers flying in the air were stuck, crumpled and torn and wind coming to a screeching halt. "What have you done?" He asked and stopped observing the surroundings.
Samias lifted his hand and suddenly fire sprouted from beneath them, engulfing the space around every person close by but not burning them. Samias smirked, "Hell on earth".
The words echoed into his mind, Inigo's words; "AshBurton will burnin fire and brimstone". From what he was seeing that prophecy was coming to be true. "Let her go alright?!? All I'm here for is Crimson Jade".
Samias lifted an eyebrow and looked toward the crowd. "She's here. And she wants you now more than ever". Then he wiped his hand in the air and the fire and stillness was gone. The men and woman standing around stated to talk and walk around as if they never noticed the time standing still and fire that sprouted and flamed around them. "Crimson!!" He yelled and looked for her out of the crowd. "You're man is here. This is your chance to do what he have been wanting to do for two years" he said.
Then suddenly there was a up roar, men and woman moved aside and allowed Crimson Jade to make her way to Jasper and Samias in the street. She smiled as she held her knife in the hand, tightening it for the kill she had waited so long for. Her once green eyes now we're dark brown, consumed with something powerful within her, her skin was pale but marks were seen all over her arms and on her neck, they were symbols from voodoo that she practiced, she wore tight leather jeans that stuck and exposed her thigh and leg muscles, she wore a brown snake leather sleeveless jacket that actually looked too small for her, but Jasper needed to concentrate on what the situation was. "Samias I thank you for bringing him out here with no where to run" Jade said and stopped a safe distance from the two.
Jasper pointed the gun at Jade and Jade froze in terror. Jasper snarled "You killed three people in the past few months, why?" He asked.
"I'm sure you know the answer to that Reverend" she smiled.
"I didn't kill your family Jade" he said and he turned his eyes to Samias who was backing up into the crowd with Angela in his grasp, gun still to her head. "He did".
Jade looked at Samias and laughed, "He is a business man. How, let alone why, could he accomplish such a task?"
Jasper didn't hesitate and pulled the trigger and released the bullet, sending it swirling toward the victim. Crimson Jade. The bullet moved but out of nowhere suddenly dropped to the ground as if hitting an invisible wall. Jasper gasped out loud and Jade smiled and dropped her hand down. "How.." But the shock of the unexplained scenario had taken away his voice. He didn't know what to say.
Jade twitched her fingers and giggled. "I have my ways" she said. "Nobody can touch me let alone harm me" she confidently said.
"How about me?" Came a man's voice from behind her and was smacked to the ground. Zane swiped his left foot against Jade's throat and pinned her to the ground. She cursed and moved in desperation to get free of Zane. Zane hissed as he tried his efforts to hold her down. "Don't even try it witch! You can't do anything to harm me" he stated.
Jade stopped struggling and gazed at Zane then smirked and out of sight she twisted her hand toward Zane. Zane screamed out in agony and his hold over her was free as he was sent collapsing to the ground in agonizing pain.
"What are you doin?" Jasper declared and ran toward Jade and Zane.
Jade shot him a powerful and evil stare and Jasper knew to not take another step. "Take one step more and I'll break his neck" she threatened. She looked at Zane and basked in the satisfaction of him squirming and pleading in pain. "And you wouldn't want to witness that".
Jasper swallowed hard before able to respond. "What do you want? I'll do anything just let Zane go and Angela please" he begged as he dropped his gun and removing his trench coat which hid multiple weapons inside. "Please" he whispered.
Samias stood in the crowd and watched in shock as Jasper got to his knees, in defeat and desperation, and laughed uncontrollably. "Oh my God!! Look at you reverend. Begging at the mercy of this lunatic voodoo witch".
Jasper looked at Samias but said nothing. He had to now think of his friends that were paying the price of his deeds.
"I'll make a trade" Jade offered. "You for Zane" she declared.
Jasper immediately replied. "I'll do it" and walked over.
Jade looked at Zane and released her hold on him. Zane coughed and rolled on the ground and whimpered in pain. He grabbed his ribs as cursed. His body seemed all tensed and he crawled to the pavement to get away from Jade. He closed his eyes and brought himself to regain n his strength that disappeared from him seconds earlier. "Don't" he his second fought the pain that moved within him.
"Shut up" Jade said "or I'll tear you apart".
Jasper fought her arm and held it forcefully. "We have a deal" he said "now release them".
Jade signaled to Samias, "Let her go" she ordered.
Samias hesitated but never let Angela go "Don't you tell me what to do" he shouted and hit Angela and sent her falling in the road. "But I also need to settle some things with Jasper" and moved to Jasper and delivered a devastating punch into his face. "That felt good" he said as Jasper whimpered like a dog from a beating.
Angela run up to Zane and held him. "Jasper don't do this" she said with tearful eyes but she could see Jasper's expression and knew it was a futile attempt.
Samias ordered his men, his demons, in disguise, to fire an assault on Jasper to keep him down. His men kicked and delivered punches on him. Blood spilled from his mouth, his nose and forehead as more kicks and blows rained down on him but all he could think about was his friends and letting them go. "Enough!" Samias said. His henchmen stopped the assault and backed up. "Escort his friends out of here".
Zane and Angela fought the men off but Jasper told them to stop and do as Samias said. They didn't like it but Jasper had given them a order and decided to listen to him. They walked away with the men behind them as they disappeared down the road, not looking back as Jasper came under attack. It was heartbreaking but they needed to let Jasper do what he had to do.
Jade walked up to him and two men grabbed him and held him down on his knees. She brought the knife up and stabbed Jasper in the gut. She twisted the blade inside him, wanting him to feel it. He did. He didn't scream or cry out because Zane and Angela would come back. He looked at the rest of the crowd and spotted Inigo standing out with his gun on his side getting ready to hit another surprise attack but Jasper wouldn't have it. He mouthed to Inigo to get out and go after Zane and Angela. Inigo looked at him and drifted toward the road and took off into the night. Jasper dropped his head and closed his eyes. It was over.

Jasper was sitting, tied and bound to a wooden chair in a small confined room with nowhere to go as he was surrounded by Jade, Samias, his gang of demons and other wannabe men and woman who watched in cold blood as Jasper was beaten. His face hurt and throbbed with the blows he sustained, his body full of bruises and cuts but he remained strong about it.
"Two years" Jade said, "Two whole goddamn f*****g years of waiting and dreaming of this day when I could extract pain on you Jasper. But never would I have dreamed it was going to be this great" and laughed.
Samias walked over and put his hands in his pockets and looked at Jasper. He had satisfaction from the wretched and beaten man who changed his plans those years ago. He was going to kill him, tear him limb from limb, but this voodoo witch had shown up and at the last minute his plans were changed. Jasper taking the fall, and in the aftermath his faith and religion had been broken and he deserted it. He knew that the city was in darkness and he set out to set it right. Samias sat back for a while and actually took a liking to see his little mistake taking justice into his hands. Then the murders started and people started to show up all grotesquery faced with no marks on their body but nonetheless dead. Samias started his own investigating into the murders just like Jasper had and found out about Crimson Jade and the revenge plot she was spinning till Jasper had made the biggest assumption of all; that he was involved in the crime and that he was after him. He wanted to go after Jasper and finish what he didn't accomplish those years ago when the congregation burnt to the ground but seeing Jasper masquerading as this detective who lost his faith was priceless enough.
"Jasper you killed your whole congregation and tried to make up for it by saving people in this city afterwards that were just simply making mistakes and you thought that would give you redemption and not serve your time?" He asked.
Jasper looked at him and spat blood in his face and smirked, "By mistakes you mean you corrupting them with sin and putting them in your pocket?" He shouted as he struggled with the ropes that bound him. He hated that only he knew what this son-of-a-b***h looked like.
Samias wiped his hand across his face and growled but he quickly calmed himself to a normal level but for a being like him it wasn't easy. "I'm a simple business man Le Croix. Yes, I have people working for me but that's there choice and what they do with the power I grant them is their business. I provide and they have the will to do with it what they will.
Isn't that what your God does? He planted the tree of good and evil and said to Adam that he had a choice, that he gave them power to use how they see fit and that there was more power from that tree but he warned them it would destroy them so he gave them a choice; love the life he gave them or go against him and define his life he gave them. They had will power. So please enlighten me. How am I forcing people to sin or whatever it is you're on about?"
Jasper sat quietly as he listened to the little sermon Samias had lectured in him. He wanted to laugh because he didn't believe in God, that was a lost cause a long time ago and also because he just lied right through his teeth. "How.... Right you are Mr. Samias but next time tell someone who gives a s**t" he remarked sarcastically.
A punch connected Jasper square in the face but it wasn't Samias who delivered it, it was Crimson Jade. "That's enough!!" She yelled and brought her foot across his jaw, almost damn well dislocating it but Jasper was strong and he pulled through.
"That all you got!?!" He teased.
Jade shook with fury and without a thought, she delivered punch and kicks on Jasper like judgment day but Jasper only laughed as the pain worsened. Jade punched him again then stopped, huffing and puffing. "Enough foreplay" she said "Time for the real deal" and smirked. For a few seconds nothing happened. Jasper pulled back against the chair in a sudden fright and in a desperate attempt he jerked his hands back and forth, trying to loosen the rope so he could run before something terrible came down on him but it was no use, they tied it like any professional would.
Jade moved her hand, fingers twitching as she pointed them at Jasper. A few seconds went by before Jade frowned and looked at Jasper who looked at her confused.
"Hahahahaha!!!" A laughing shriek came from the far side of the room. Samias laughed and he clapped his hands together, stunned and surprised. He sighed "Remarkable. He doesn't succumb to your...abilities" he hissed and gave Jade a mocking glare and smiled that evil grin. He walked over to Jade and moved in close, inches from her face "He has them. Your parents" he whispered.
All the color drained from Jade's face as she froze in shock, her body going numb and eyes soulless as she looked at Jasper then dropped to the floor. Tears flowed forth from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She whimpered and hailed silently.
"All the souls, everyone from that congregation that he slaughtered, they live within him" he said and shoved air against Jasper and he flew back as the chair snapped under his weight. He cried out in pain and rolled over. Then Samias outstretched his hand and a long, brown and green anaconda slithered forth from within him and Samias whispered something but nothing in a language anyone had heard of before. The snake suddenly charged to Jasper and Jasper ran. He didn't get far as the snake sunk his fangs into his neck and Jasper fell paralyzed as the snake slowly slithered his body round Jasper, tighter and tighter till Jasper started to gasp for breath. Then the constricting stopped and Jasper went limp.
Samias smiled and turned to Jade, who laid on the ground, clutching her stomach and tears dripping down. "This is your chance" he encouraged her "Finish him" and in her hand he placed a gun, the steel barrel cold to the touch but Jade wasn't clutching the weapon and Samias gripped her face and faced her toward him. "Take it!!" He shouted "and kill that b*****d" he said. He held her hard as he waited for her reply. He screamed and shot back, staggering for some ground to stand on but he wasn't stable and slammed into the concrete. He yelled, cursing and screaming at Jade. "We had a f*****g deal!!!" He screamed as pain soared through him like an electric current. He jerked and spasmed on the ground. Jade smiled and pointed the gun to Samias and pulled the trigger, bullets ripped through him. He roared and wings srang out and charged toward Jade. She saw it coming and ducked down as the wings sliced and twisted in the spot she had been standing in just mere seconds ago. She saw Samias as he ran toward the corner of the room, the pain still throbbing in his body but all he thought about was getting far away from Jade as possible. She took off but hit into Jasper as he tackled her to the ground. All the men under Samias' command locked and loaded their weapons but looked at Samias for the order to finish them both. Samias slugged back against the wall and saw one of men running up to him.
"Orders my lord?" He asked.
Samias grunted and opened his eyes to see Jade and Jasper throwing blows to one another. He grabbed his man and bite his neck. The man screamed and then went limp as Samias ripped his head from his shoulders. All the other men looked on in shock before Samias flew into the air and charged over his men, striking them down and slaughtering them. Some of them tried to fly away but only to be caught by Samias and torn in two. Blood rained down on the ground and on Jasper and Jade. They both looked up and witnessed the onslaught before Samias stopped and looked at Jade. Jade screamed in terror but then a body came flying toward her and pinned her down. Jasper gasped before he was picked up from behind and hurled into the air.
"Where the f**k did you think you were going?!?" And let him go sending him crashing into the floor below before Samias dived and slammed Jasper's face into the ground. He didn't move.
Jade saw him coming toward her and lifted her hand and Samias stopped and moved back, clutching his chest from the pain he was experiencing.
"I ain't scared of you Samias!!" She yelled and then she threw the body aside. She got to her feet and pointed her gun at Samias "Eat this" and blasted a hole into his chest sending him disappearing among the trail of dead bodies.
Jade kneeled down and breathed in, catching her breath before searching for Jasper. The main reason to be in the situation she was in tonight. She saw him laying on top of the remains of dead bodies and she moved her hand, twisting it in Jasper's direction. Her heart sank. She couldn't break his soul because she could feel the others, hiding within him. Among them was...her parents. Just like Samias said. She screamed and yelled in fury and frustration. Then without a second thought she grabbed him and hooked the gun under his chin. She looked into his eyes. "How did you do it?" She asked.
Jasper crouched backward to get as far away as possible. He couldn't die like this he thought but he knew that they wouldn't leave him. They're stubborn and just like him they'd come for him. "How did I do what?" He lied.
She held her breath. She pulled the trigger and it fired right next to Jasper's ears. He screamed. "Don't f**k with me!" She roared.
Jasper flinched and spat in her face. "You're not my type b***h" he said.
"You want to play games. Sure..." And before he knew it he was being shot in his leg and he yelled to distract himself and let the pain go but it was not going anywhere. "Now tell me how the f**k those people at your congregation are in you?!?"
"Darlin you asking the wrong guy. Maybe somebody from..." and pointed to the ceiling "up there had pity on me and decided to infect me with these souls. How do you think I've found you so quickly?"
"Explain further" she ordered with the gun at his face.
"Each soul within me, each person, has a certain ability no? So for instance Gordon Sheridan was a explosives expert, former member as I recall of the demolition squad and anything that goes boom, anything explosive, he comes out or I gain his ability to help me disarm or create a explosive device".
Jade had grabbed a chair and sat down but the gun still on target. She was listening intently but not what she wanted to hear. "My parents".
Jasper nodded "Ah! You're parents, well, can you think of what your father did for a living?" He asked and he smiled as the rope that bound his hands loosened. Now it was just buying his time he thought.
"My daddy" she said but fell silent and Jasper saw a tear flow down her cheek but quickly swiped away. "He was a boxer but he did it for us, to keep his family alive. Then you" and kicked Jasper on the side of his temple.
Jasper twitched his head and succumbed to the pain throbbing in his head. "Back to the subject. You see, I know how to fight, the basics of course but your daddy's fighting or as you put it, his boxing talent, it gave me a boost and I learned to fight better. And we both know that if anyone in this town who is on the wrong side of the law needs to know how to defend himself against the macho Oakes that is oh so faithful to AshBurton" and he looked around the room that housed the unconscious and dead bodies of the people that were law abided to AshBurton or to higher powers. "But then again" and his voice went low, "physical fighting isn't the only way to deal with people that are after you. I with my fighting and you with your voodoo practices".
"Something that will help me get my vengeance I've been after for years".
"Speaking of which" he chirped, "where were you that day when the congregation was attacked?"
Jade sunk back into the floor, her hand wavering before she dropped her gun and the light in her eyes vanished. She didn't hear anything as she crept into her own world again, where she was with her parents, when everything was perfect and Jasper was still a man she had respected. She looked at Jasper who looked at her but he knew what she was feeling and said nothing.
Jade slowly lifted herself off the chair and walked over to the back of the room and knelt down on her knees and mumbled words which Jasper couldn't make out.
"You think killing me is going to take away that pain in your heart? Him, he will kill you once you kill me" and he pointed to the pile of dead bodies where Samias had been last seen tumbling over. "If he wanted me dead, he would have killed me that day in the Congregation but I'm still here so he needs me and he won't let you intervene in his plans".
Jade turned and threw out her palm. Jasper felt the cold, harsh and intense force hit him as he gripped the chair to stay down but he flung back and groaned hitting the back wall. "Well I'm just going to have to take care of this myself. Kill that son of a b***h and then deal with you all by my own" and she smirked at this marvelous plan that she thought of at the tip of her tongue.
"I wouldn't say he's alone!!" Klark yelled as he smashed through the room accompanied with Zane and Inigo standing side by side next time with their guns loaded and pointed at Jade. "Get away from him".
Jade hesitated and then smiled. "And if I don't? You going to shoot me?" She teased like she was gambling on a million rand.
"You confusing me with someone who gives a s**t" Klark replied.
Jade held her gaze, playing a game of cat and mouse. She eased backward, the blood and guts crunching underneath her weight and stood against the wall. "You think this is over huh" she said.
Klark ran up to Jasper, leaving Zane and Inigo with guns firmly on Jade's direction. He lifted Jasper off the ground. He smiled as he slapped his friend's back. "How did your plan pan out old friend?" He jokingly said.
Jasper smiled a wee bit, the pain and gunshot wound still sizzling within him. They shared a moment of silence. "So Kl-" and he froze in shock.
Klark let out a soft pitch scream as something tore into his shoulder and hooked Jasper an inch into his shoulder blade. Klark let go, ever so slowly of Jasper and slumped into Jasper's body but Jasper went numb and didn't catch him. Klark then flew back as if heaven had exiled a archangel from the heavenly realm. He landed on the other side of the room with nothing but a loud bang as his body connected with the wall and he went limp.
Zane and Inigo hardly had anytime to register what had happened before they were knocked off their feet with a nothing but a swipe and skidded on the blood soaked floor. They crouched and moved back and forth in agony.
Jasper and Jade turned to see Samias standing at the back of the floor. He glared his black eyes at each of them and laughed a eerie laughter. "Tsk tsk tsk" and swayed his finger at Jade as a mother would to a child when he didn't do something he was told. "Naughty little girl".
Jade was silenced for the first time of her life as she realized the outer horrific truth that Samias was as Jasper put it, a demon. She looked around for her gun but among the dead bodies, body parts and blood and gore it was hard to find.
"You can't have him Jade. He's mine".
Jasper stood unevenly at both of them and sniffed, "Why don't you guys debate on this and I'll come back another time" he added sarcastically.
Samias cocked his head in annoyance. "You ain't going anywhere Le Croix. We have plans to discuss".
"Samias did you do it?" Jade suddenly asked, breaking free of her silence.
"Do what?" He asked and turned his attention back to her.
"You kill my parents?" And Jasper could hear the heartache in every word.
Samias dropped his eyes to the floor and slowly walked in a circle as he wrestled with himself weather or not to explain the terrifying truth to this voodoo girl. He had Jade in his palm and he was controlling everything. The only reason why she got so far was because of him and Jasper only found Jade thanks to his influences. Was he now going to give up this power of control because some girl was asking questions. "Jasper tell you that?"
"It doesn't matter. You lied about who you were. You have powers, wings at the back of your body and he don't die when I shoot you or when someone tries to kill you. You're a....a..." Something stopped her. The horrible truth.
Samias grinned "A demon" he finished what she only thought of saying. "Yes" he said loudly and threw his hands up, "I lied but did I kill your parents? Come now" and his voice was almost a trance to Jade to believe his every word, like seduction and Jade was weakening at the knees from every beautiful sound that exited his mouth. "Why would I tell you that Jasper did it if I did it myself? What would be the point?" He said, dodging the "bush of truth".
Jasper couldn't hear anymore and stretched out his arm to Jade. "Don't listen to him Jade. He's lying and your parents would agree with me" he said.
Jade screamed at him, "Don't you f*****g mention their names!!!"
Jasper wanted to shout back in retaliation but somehow he found himself unable to and remained silent.
"You know the goddamn truth Jade but you will not kill him, punish him, sure. Why not? But if anyone here is going to take Jasper's life, it ain't going to be you" he said, drawing the line in the sand.
"Your master wouldn't agree" Jasper said and made a gesture for a cigarette to Samias. Samias smiled and in a flash of light, like that of fire, a cigarette popped into his hand. Jasper walked and snatched it out of his hand. "You wouldn't perhaps have a light on you would you?" He asked sarcastically. A flame instantly sparked in between his fingers tips. Jasper put his cigarette in the flame for but a second before easing back and inhaling the tar and tobacco. "Much obliged".
"My master doesn't worry with me" he said talking to Jasper as If he was the only other person in the room.
Jasper took another drag and nodded. "What did you do to deserve a father's hatred?"
"He ain't my father and you know what it is like working for someone else. Why live a life following some else's wishes? What is the point?" He said anger rising in his tone.
"We're all slaves to something. I to AshBurton, you to pride and Jade to vengeance. And just like your master, it will be your downfall. Mark my words".
"If I go down then you can be damn sure you're coming with me" he threatened and came inches from Jasper's eyes.
A blast of a bullet blasted into Samias' back and he growled. The flesh of his body hissed and in seconds went to a pale green and grey color then the flesh spread over the wound and it healed as if nothing happens only to be followed by another shotgun blast.
Jasper dived to the side to dodge the bullets tearing in his direction of Samias. He saw Zane firing his gun, round after round as he struggled to climb to his feet. The blood had soaked his clothes, flesh and hair. He had a look that Jasper never in him before as he charged and shouting a war cry as he shot Samias again till the click sounded, signaling he was out of bullets but that didn't stop Zane. He took the butt of the gun and smashed it against Samias' temple, knocking him to the ground and giving Zane time to catch is breath. But it was short lived.
A chair appeared in the air out of nowhere knocking Zane to the ground and his weapon went skidding out of sight. Jasper turned to see Jade with her hand in the direction where Zane was seconds earlier. He ran and tackled her to the ground. He struggled to sustain her but the force she had rivaled Jasper's. He threw a smack in her face and hissed at her through gritted teeth. "Catherine Smithson!! Repent and leave this mission of vengeance. You've been blinded and you're the only one who can break their hold over you" but he was only met with grunts and curses from Jade. He hesitated and lunged off her. She turned and grabbed a sharp piece of glass on the floor and spun to her feet and stabbed Jasper in the back on his shoulder, the exact place where Samias had struck him when he stabbed Klark and Jasper screamed.
"NOOOOO!!!!!" Samias roared and his wings wrapped around Jade like snakes and she was hoisted into the air and she stood in front of Samias, wrapped like a gift. "You're not going near him again, not for a very f*****g long time and I'm gonna make sure of it" he whispered and Jade yelled and screamed. Fire engulfed her and her skin started turning charcoal black. Her red curly hair started burning and gave off a horrible sensation smell.
Jasper watched on at the scene of Jade dying from the flames burning her. "Don't do it!!" He screamed but it was already too late as Jade was reduced to nothing but a skeletal form. Samais unwrapped his wings from around the skeletal form of which was once Crimson Jade. Samias sighed and spat on Jade's bones, "I'll be seeing you". He looked at Jasper "Why did you scream? Huh?" He screamed, being fed up with how everything he planned and worked for suddenly took a wrong turn. "She was going to kill you and I saved you! I saved you m**********r!! I I did!!!" He growled in a demonic like voice.
Jasper felt his Adam's apple tense up and stick in his throat as tears swelled in his eyes. He knew Jade had gone insane with the death of her parents, it drove her to demonic practices, voodoo and demons started to influence her, telling and spinning her lies about that day she witnessed her parents deaths and the fall of the congregation but she was a good hearted and sweet girl. He knew it from the time he spent with her before their lives turned into a living nightmare. "Why did you do it?" He cried.
Samias frowned angrily and snarled.
"Why burn the congregation down? Destroy my life? F**k! Not just me but Jade and everyone else in that god forsaken building that day!!! Why??" He demanded.
Samias straightened up but said nothing. "You seen AshBurton for what it really is Le Croix. It's a sin city. Drugs, sex, crime on a scale you have never ever seen before and in this one hell hole there is but one man. You. A man of God or a former man of the Lord. Whichever. You're a strong man Le Croix. A man so powerful that does the only sin that is not allowed here. To preach the goodness.
You've seen demons, monsters, since you were young. Quite a lineage you have. A grandfather who went into a mental institution on Devils Hill, for saying he saw things not from this world. He had a connection with us. Even with him" and pointed to the roof but not the roof, beyond that. "He said that all humans are slaves, nothing but...puppets on strings that we, demons, pull but that ain't exactly true. We don't control you. We influence you and let you sin from your own choices and wait, just wait for you bring about your own fall. He told his family that they needed to fix their wrongs and not be slaves to these influences. But his family resented him, told him was sick. What do they do? Put him in a mental institution and his, your, family slowly started to forget about him and live a normal life again. Such as it was and your mother and father had you. Jasper Le Croix. The greatest supernatural investigator and preacher ever to spread his Name. As I said he had a connection with us but his children didn't share that same connection. Why?"
Jasper knelt down as he listened to his family oral history being lectured to him. He knew a bit of it. The mental grandfather of his but this was nothing like what he learned or heard. This was different. "Skips a generation" he whispered looking at the blood drenched floor.
Samias nodded and continued. "Exactly so you started to see things you were born to see. Like that time you were a small boy, on a bus. You saw a old man, like your grandfather, and he turned to look at you. You remember what you saw?" No reply came from Jasper as sat intently listening. "You saw his face turn to a rotten flesh, like fungi eating at food that's expired, his eyes turning into a empty less black void and teeth lie fangs and that old man growled at you. A demon Le Croix. You're first demon you ever saw. The gift your grandfather possessed. You never told anyone did you. Your father later found out from the drawings you drew and he slapped that connection out of you but it wasn't totally gone was it.
You saw them everywhere. They plagued you at your school, your friends, your own home and no matter what you did. They wouldn't go away. So when you just couldn't take it anymore you attempted to rid yourself of the burden and hung yourself".
"I didn't die though" Jasper interrupted.
"Oh no!" Samias said correcting him. "You did. For a solid five minutes and that's all you needed now wasn't it? You saw everything which you only saw glimpses of during your waking life, through your childhood. Demons surrounded you in that fiery, wasteland that you people call Hell. They tormented you as you walked through our home, our history and I saw you. At that moment I knew you were special. Lucifer, although he hasn't been called that in many a centuries, since the Great Fall, he had a plan for you. You're a gift Le Croix. Lucifer watches over you almost like an investment, watching it grow till the day comes to cash it in".
Jasper snarled and looked at Samias. "How's right now looking? Can't get any bigger than this" he snapped.
"Le Croix.... Le Croix.... Le Croix" and his voice rose and rose higher. "You don't do anything unless it suits you. So I'll cut to the chase. What is it?"
"You corrupted Jade. You killed her so what I want is for her to be brought back and don't you dare f*****g say you can't because I know you can so bring her back, tell her the truth and never ever hurt her again" he said in a stern lean voice.
Samias had expressed no emotion as Jasper spoke his side of the deal. "You want her back then I need something in return. Something much more precious than her".
"You get me" he said without a thought.
Samias didn't do anything for a few moments and a smile crossed his face. He observed him to see if there was any tricks that Jasper was hiding but he didn't see anything and noticed even less. Suddenly a pack of three wolves lunged on Samias and he groaned and screamed from the bites inflicting into his flesh. They bite into his arms, neck, face and legs. He struggled to hold them off as they weren't the normal size of wolves more like werewolves but he was a demon and nothing could defeat or even kill him. He brought his hands on the one werewolves' back and dug into its flesh, tearing the dog in half with nothing but a squeal to know the wolf was dead.
Inigo ran to Jasper. "We have to go" he cried. "We have some time and" then he started to look around frantically in all directions around them. "Where is Klark?" He asked.
Jasper pointed to the spot where Klark laid hunched on his back at the far side of the room. Inigo and Jasper ran and Zane spotted them running but decided to not follow pursuit and went into the opposite direction. Jasper and Inigo stopped as they came in view of Klark just a few meters from him.
"Jesus!!!" Jasper yelled and dived to his knees in front of Klark.
Klark laid on the ground, on his stomach with his back in a crouched position, his clothes were all torn and ragged, his hands were full of scabs, his flesh pealed away like skin pealing from a sun burn, his arms were covered from his shirt that he wore but Jasper noticed some parts were the shirt was torn open and nothing but blood and cuts could be seen underneath the shirt sleeves. His face though, took a lot of damage as his hair that was always so neatly now was all spiked up and hanging and pointing in all directions, his eyes were barely open from the bruises, his face had minor cuts cut there was about a dozen or so Jasper saw with a quick look.
But the worst injury on Klark was by far the wound that Samias had sliced into him. The wound was bigger than Jasper thought it was, it showed the shoulder blade and collar bone beneath the veiny and blood soaked flesh that gave way. Blood was seeping out like the Victorian Waterfall. The perimeter around them was full of his blood and Jasper as well as Inigo knew that Klark didn't have time. He was already far too gone.
"Klark?" Inigo whispered and held his head gently in his hands, trying to reduce the blood loss.
Klark tried to gather his strength and open his eyes to the man calling his name, it was hard from the energy and blood he was loosing but they opened after some struggling. He caught both Jasper and Inigo looking at him. "Guys he- I'm fucked huh?" He coughed in exhaustion.
Inigo chuckled but a heartbreaking chuckle and quickly changed to a serious tone of voice. "You're fine" he choked.
"We're getting you out of here my friend" Jasper reassured him but Klark was stupid.
He shook his head in disagreement. "You know it's too late Jas" and tears started to crinkle down his bloodied face. "But" and for a moment he gurgled before a splash of blood spilled fro, his mouth. "Promise...me...one...thing?"
Jasper leaned forward,stopping the water, the tears, and focused on what Klark wanted to say. "What is it?" He said raising his voice.
He tensed his body and started to choke in his throat from the blood boiling in his throat. He's eyes suddenly expanded on a scale that made his eyes double in size. Jasper and Inigo feared for the worst but then Klark eased back and started to breathe very slowly like before. "Kill that m**********r" he said and in that instant he flinched and he breathed his last before his eyes rolled back to the back of his head and his soul died out with the twinkle in his eyes.
Jasper screamed and held Klark in his arms. His one good friend of the law of AshBurton and now he was laying dead in his arms. Inigo came up behind Jasper and put his hand on his shoulder and whispered words, no doubt of comfort, to Jasper but he wasn't registering.
Jasper suddenly stopped screaming and his body stopped tensing then he slowly dropped Klark back on the ground gently and rised. He stood there, his head bowed and he turned. Inigo saw the red eyes of Jasper's, his hands in a fist and veins popping out his skin from the anger that stored in him all this time.
"Don't Jasper!" Inigo said trying to get him to calm down but there was no way to calm down now and sadly Inigo knew it.
"Get out of the way Inigo!!" He shouted. "This cocksucker is mine and I'm sending him straight where he belongs" and with that said he walked past him and ran up to Samias.
Samias trapped the last werewolf and grabbed the wolf's front legs and tore them off their limbs , making the wolf howl out in pain and he dropped the mongrel to the floor. It whimpered in pain and tried to stand up and walk but he laid on the floor as the blood sprayed everywhere. With a final knock to the animal he crushed the wolf's head under his foot and the wolf went limp. He breathed and moved a step back. "Goddamn mute" he cursed. He turned and was caught with a a flam engulfing his face. He growled and stepped back and tore at his face to rid himself of the heated faire. He opened his eyes and saw Jasper spin and kicked him in his chest sending him to the ground but he bounced off the ground like he hit a trampoline and came with a punch to Jasper but Jasper dove to the ground and rolled hitting Samias in the gut.
"Aren't you pissed off Le Croix" he mocked and yanked Jasper as he slide between his legs by his hair and Jasper groaned before being dangled above the ground like a rag doll. "Oh and that offer you made" he said grunting from holding Jasper in the air, "I decline".Jasper reached behind him and gripped a bottle throwing it into Samias face which forced him to drop him to the ground. Samias walked back then hissed. "Holy water?" He said in a breathless and then roared out in anger and went to his knees as the Holy water burned into his skin.
Jasper ran up and gripped Samias around the throat, careful not to get caught in the line of fire with the sharp wings that flew uselessly in the air trying to get Samias away. He tightened his grip and Samias choked and gagged as he felt Jasper beating him down. Jasper looked around him quickly to spot where his jacket with his full weapons was but couldn't make out where it was. He brought his knee up against Samias' back and bent backwards and arched his back, breaking bones in his body.
"Motherfuckin" he roared but the pain stopped his words coming out. He pushed his weight back on him and he along with Jasper fell to the floor but Jasper still did not let go of the hold. Samias reached behind him trying to throw him off but Jasper kept dodging him.
"You're getting old you piece of s**t" Jasper said and sent a blow to his head dazing him.
"Jasper!!" Zane shouted and Jasper saw Zane as he ran out throwing Jasper's trench coat toward him and it landed a few meters from him. He kept his arm draped around his throat and stretched out his hand to try and reach it but he was too far away.
"You reach it and I'll kill you Le Croix!!" Samias said and started to swirl back and forth in an attempt to break Jasper's hold. He then twisted his arm and it started to transform to a snake and sent it to Jasper in an attack.
Jasper saw the snake as it pounced on him and it sank its fangs into his chest. Jasper yelled and the hold he had on Samias broke. He hit the floor with the snake as it released its bite on his chest and wanted to go for a second strike before Jasper rolled out the way and the snake landed face first in the ground. Jasper took a breather and got to his feet and skidded to his coat, grabbing it and pulling out a old knight Templar like sword. He turned round and saw the snake strike and brought the sword up, slicing the snake's head clean off.
Samias felt a stab in his heart as he witnessed Jasper slice the snake in half. He screamed and he took off into the air but Zane countered it by jumping into the air and colliding with him and taking him back down. Zane grabbed at his left wing on his back and with some effort of strength he pulled it down, snapping and breaking it off his back. But he didn't waste anytime in wasting a victory and proceeded to break the other one but Samias countered this and the wing was brought up and cut into Zane's face sending him screeching to the floor.
Samias walked up to Zane "You've been hiding some secrets of your own from your friends" he slyly said before kicking him in the gut making Zane grunt.
"Hey A*****e!!" Came a loud shout from across the room.
Samias looked up and turned around. He was met with a explosive blast into his chest sending him back through the wall out of the building. He didn't move as his skin started sizzling and burning up at a rapid speed that Samias didn't notice.
Jasper put his gun down, holding it in one hand and a bottle of empty holy water in the other. He didn't smile and walked over to where Samias fell. The gore, blood, dead bodies and body parts didn't bother him anymore. He stopped a safe distance from Samias and when he saw no reaction from him he walked up to him. He stood over him like the devil himself, blood soaking him, body parts dangling off his arms and clothing. "Next time you want to destroy and burn a man's congregation make damn sure you finish the job next time" and brought the gun to his his face nudging it against his cheek.
Samias laughed even though he was staring death in the face. He cocked his head straight and the gun barrel was now by his mouth. He nudged his head. "You can't kill me Le Croix. You think that will put you in his good graces hmm? You made the choice to abandon your past teachings to become some washed up no good detective. I can tell you now if it wasn't for those friends of yours you would have never got to where you are now" he boasted, "here with a gun pointed in my face".
Jasper started to snap within and brought the butt of the gun down on Samias' face, over and over. He shouted as he smashed his face to a pulp. He stopped and caught his senses then knelt down gripping the gun harder than before and he was far gone to show any mercy.
Zane grabbed Jasper and chucked him aside and picked up the gun. "You can't kill him Jasper".
Jasper looked at him and brushed his hair out of his face. "Have you lost your f*****g mind Zane?" He snapped. "He killed innocent people. Jade, Nicholas and God knows who else!!"
Samias laughed as he sat on the ground then coughed from the pain the laughing caused.
"What are you laughing at unclean one?" Zane snarled.
He smiled and replied "Well, I'd much prefer to be killed by the right hand of God" and spat in Zane's face.
Zane froze and the gun hit the ground with a loud clang of the steel connecting with the black tar like that of cancer in a person's lungs. He looked at Samias but said nothing. Jasper watched on but didn't move as he tried to grasp what had happened when Samias said something. He wrecked his brain to remember. "Right hand of God" he whispered.
Zane was then tossed back into the building and knocked unconscious. Jasper jumped and grabbed the gun and connected its sight with Samias then fired. The bullet shot out like lightning, fire sizzling around it and water dripping as it pierced its victim's face, Samias. He fell down and didn't flinch. Jasper landed on the ground next to Samias and nudged him with the gun then when nothing more happened he got to his feet and tossed the gun away.


CHAPTER 7

Jasper and Inigo sat around Zane who was gasping for air as he leaned against a wall with one Samias' dead officers next to him. Zane saw the dead man and was disgusted by the appearance and he kicked the body aside to the floor. "F****n p***y mate" he said and reached into his jacket for a smoke then started scrounging through s soldiers pockets and found a lighter and lit his cigarette. He exhaled and relaxed as the wound through his chest healed slowly.
Samias had stabbed Zane through the chest when he froze at his remark and sent him hurling back. Zane didn't feel it at first but when he laid there in the blood soaked ground he felt the burning sensation and clutched at his chest. The blood was already in the form of a small pool around him and he collapsed as he closed his eyes and waited for his life to be ravaged from him.
Inigo then come up to Zane and grabbed him but asked none questions and started to whisper chants Ina foreign language which Zane knew was probably one of his own language native to him. He started to see his wound start to heal, close up with inch by inch and the blood starting clotting. And now here he was waiting for the energy to flow back into him while polluting his lungs.
"How you feeling?" Inigo asked as he sat observing him.
Zane moved his head and gave him a stupid like "no s**t" expression, "what do you think?" He asked rhetorically.
Inigo smiled broadly "you're going to be just fine".
Zane nodded and looked back to the floor. "You know your little charms didn't work right?"
Inigo nodded in agreement. "I know but we have to put it that way to Jasper because he don't know Zane" he concluded.
Zane remained silent and finished off his cigarette before extinguishing it. He grunted and moved off the ground as Jasper met up with them. Zane didn't smile or meet to greet him "You killed him didn't you?" He asked angrily.
Jasper stopped and sunk his head as if ashamed. "Yes" he let out.
"He'll be back" he said breaking his confidence. He clasped his eyes as if at peace.
Jasper made a smile but it was fake and Jasper saw it. "Hmm?" He said and let out a small laugh then his smile faded and eyes going pitch black, "I'll send him back again" he said furiously.
Zane wanted to counter that statement but he was in pain and all he wanted was too get away from the carnage around him. He walked off without another word but Jasper grabbed his arm and he stopped. "Let go of my arm Le Croix" he commanded.
Jasper looked at him sternly "Where is Angela? Is she okay?"
Zane looked done and hesitated. "She's fine now let go".
"Where?" He repeated.
Zane speared him to the ground but the wound took a lot on him and he cried out in pain and he bowled on the floor. Jasper grunted and held his guts as if they were falling out of his stomach. Zane caught sight of Jasper crawling toward him and sent his foot flying into his face and knocked him backward. "I told you to let me go Jasper!!" He shouted at him. He walked up to him at a fast pace but suddenly something stopped him and no matter how much he wanted to move forward he was stuck in the same spot. "Da f**k?" He whispered.
"Zaaannneeee......." Someone said hissing his name.
Zane turned his head and saw a being so powerful, so great, so beautiful walking up to him. He was dazzled and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't take his eyes off the spectacular being walking up to him. Wings of pitch black swayed in the breeze like a leaf on a warm hot day, his hair brushed back as if he had wax in his black wet like hair and his body built like a brick s**t house. But that didn't bug Zane, none of that, what bothered him was why he was here in front of him.
"What are you doing here son of petition?" He asked coldly and eyes focused on him.
The man stopped walking and his dark eyes scanned Zane all over; up, down, right and left. He smiled, white shinning teeth exposing themselves to Zane. "Petition hmm? I like that" he said in a melodic like voice.
Zane brushed his comment aside with his hand "I don't want to hear what you like. Say what you've come to say and go back where you came from" he spat.
The man laughed a hysterical hyena laughter and his smile broadened like that of Tim Burton's joker. He clapped his hands in delight. "Care to come back with me?"
"I've been there. I was there when it was created from fire and brimstone. Level upon level of agonizing torture for those beings that sinned and didn't gain acceptance into his paradise. And I've stayed there once when I lost my way so don't think for a second I'll ever go back there".
The man shrugged his shoulders and frowned. "What a pity. We all miss you there Son. Rid yourself of this burden" he horsed and his skeletal jaw came into view and then disappeared into his flesh.
Zane walked up to him, in a sudden flash and delivered a punch to him. "I'm not your son!!!" He shouted and proceeded to punch him more when the man pushed at the air and Zane flew back but didn't hit the wall but instead hovered in the air.
The man clicked his neck and growled like a beast. "You're brave Zane. But you know what I'm capable of so don't push it!" He said. "Now" and wiped his hands together, "what are you doing helping that.... Insect?"
Zane puffed but didn't say a word.
"Don't give me that. You think helping a man like him is going to get you back into his good books? You think you will be allowed back now that you somehow on their side?" And he shook his head "You're not one of them. You're more important both to me and to him. But you not doing this to help him, or his friends or this town which if you haven't noticed, doesn't need him. You're doing this out of spite and selfishness. Now you know that ain't the right to go. If you ask me that's going in completely the opposite direction" and a certain satisfaction could be heard in his voice.
Zane bit his lip and thought for a second. "Samias is gone" he said quickly "So I'm not doing too bad so far, actually he should be with you right now" he said as if he had all the time in the world dangling in the air.
The man spat to the ground at his feet and didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Have some bad news for you then hey" and he raised his eyebrows "he didn't come back".
Zane turned his head side ways and widened his eyes in surprise.
The man nodded. "Samias is his own.... Individual".
"He's a f*****g traitor and coward....just like his daddy".
"You can't save yourself or Jasper so I'll tell you what, in exactly four years from now I will come back and believe me when I do you will be following me back" and started to walk back. "Oh and until then I'll be watching you....Fallen" then he brushed his arm across the air and Zane dropped with a thud into the cement floor.
Zane mustered his strength and saw the man open his wings and they wrapped around him like blanket for comfort in a cold storm and then he was gone in nothing but a whisper of his footsteps fading into the darkness in the corner of the room. And everything around him went back to normal as it was before Zane's encounter with the man that visited him.
Jasper crawled and bent down on his knees as he coughed from the tackle. "Where is she?" He shouted louder getting frustrated.
Zane sighed and bowed his head. "At your apartment Jas".
Jasper threw his hands and exhaled. "So why the f**k couldn't you tell me that before?"
"Cause I'm f*****g sick of this s**t Le Croix! These past few weeks have been a hectic goddamn time and all I want to do is get the f**k outta here and drink myself into a coma" Zane exclaimed and without another exchange of words he left the bloodied building.

Jasper crashed the car into his apartment building, a run down drug ridden building that the cops and detectives left to be maintained and searched by the owners and managers of the building. What they didn't take into fact was that they damn owner along with the managers were supplying half the residents with tick and cocaine among others. They tried to bring Jasper into the little drug ring but he saw them coming a mile away and sent them packing back never to return.
The rain came down hard and his heart was racing as he ran through the doors, shoulder hitting into hit and fell to the floor before sprinting up again and skidded to a halt. He checked the elevator but somebody was using it and by the looks probably one of the drug owners because only he lived on the top floor.
"F**k!!" He shouted and ran to the right side of the building and grabbed the stair rail and ran up the staircase two steps at a time. His legs were paining with every step he took, his arms stung with pain so bad it felt like someone was dropping weights on them so he couldn't pull himself forward as he gripped the rail to pull himself faster. He didn't mind the pain, he took because Angela was his priority right now and leaving her here in this building was the worst thing Zane could have done. But Jasper blamed himself because he didn't tell him what doings went on here but still maybe a better place than this he thought. He got to the top of the last level of stairs and as he hoisted himself he was caught off balance and he fell on the side of the railing. He tried to balance all his weight on the stairwell but he was too late and fell over the railing but gripped it quickly. He dangled over the edge of the stairs from the 20th floor so it wasn't a small distance to fall if he let go. He grunted as he used what energy he had left and no matter what he had done he had the energy and in a few seconds was pulling himself back to the safe side of the stairs and fell on his back, the jabbered edges stabbing into his skin and he shrieked out in pain. He waited there as the pain slowly faded then turned and made for the exit door to the 20th level apartment rooms.
The hallway was dark, three lights dimly shining from the ceiling as he walked over to the door of his apartment. He then heard a woman's screams and he stopped and feared the worst. Angela. He reached into his coat and pulled out a revolver. He checked the chamber to make sure it was fully loaded, seeing that it was he loaded it and ran to the door. He stopped then with a powerful kick he broke the door off its hinges, snapping the door in two and he walked in.
Angela laid on the black double seated couch in the middle of the lounge with four, muscular and drunk men surrounding her. They were holding her down, their strength no match for her as all hands held her arms and legs. The one man was pulling Angela by her hair making her scream while the others started to take their clothing off.
Jasper brought up his revolver and intended to kill each of them but a force tackled him to the ground and he dropped the gun letting it spin out of his reach. He saw a middle aged man, broad shouldered, scruffy in his facial features from not shaving and very little sleep as his eyes started to get rings underneath them. Jasper saw multiple injected needle wounds, probably from heroine being pumped into his system. He brought his knees up and kicked the man in his crotch. The man crawled in pain and got out of Jasper's radar of punches and kicks. Jasper turned to reach for his gun and fired into the man's face killing him with ease. but somebody came up and bashed his face in and Jasper laid stunned for a moment and then the man stepped on Jasper's hand and pinned him down.
"Mr. Le Croix" said the man in a deep aggressive voice "You've brought us some nice new a*s over there" he said, signaling with his eyes as they went back to Angela being pinned down by two big men. Henchmen of this man standing above Jasper.
Jasper spat and struggled to get free of the man towering over him. "F**k you" he grunted.
The man laughed at Jasper's remark. "We prefer that b***h over there" and he looked at his men and laughed and they laughed along with him.
This pause of laughter allowed Jasper to reach into his jacket and pulled out a Swiss Army knife which he had got back in the army in Iraq and brought it down stabbing it into the man's foot through his cheap supposed leather boot.
The man yanked his head down at Jasper and bent down to him and smacked Jasper in his face but due to the man's foot on his hand he couldn't go anywhere. He looked at Jasper and pulled the knife out of his boot then grabbed Jasper with his left arm and brought the knife up to Jasper's face. "You're brave .... stupid too but brave none the less. Now let's put a smile on your face" and brought the blade to Jasper's jaw.
The blade felt ice cold, like death, and it stuck into his skin, drawing blood on the surface but he wasn't going to die like this or be pawn to some sick game of this drug addict. He pulled back and his t-shirt tore from his body and he stumbled back but kept his balance. He grabbed his coat and flung it sides into the man's face and as he swung it a gun slide out of his holster and Jasper grabbed it and fired through his coat piercing the man in his chest and he fell to the floor.
Jasper didn't have time to rejoice from almost being killed because two guys brought him down and they beat him, punching and kicking. Jasper brought his arms up to try block the punches and they helped but he could still feel the blows soaring into his arms. He caught a glimpse but it was a mistake as a punch squared him and he was blinded. He screeched.
"Get him up!! Come on!!" He shouted and they picked him and threw him into his lounge table, breaking it and the wood snapped into Jasper's back. He didn't move as he breathed slowly. The man grabbed Jasper and held him on his knees, staring helplessly at Angela. "Now watch" the man whispered.
The other man walked over to Angela and held her pretty face in his palm. He smiled at the sight of a terrified Angela before planting a kiss on Angela's mouth. She squirmed at the forcefully kiss from the aggressive man but he held her down and next she knew he was ripping at her clothing, tearing her blouse off with ease. Angela screamed as she was stripped from her clothing.
Jasper looked on terrified and in shock. He couldn't say anything from the sudden realization that the woman he had secretly admired was going to get raped. He started to fight back, grabbing the arms and tried to break the hold over him. The man laughed.
"Youre making this worse mister" and smacked his gun on Jasper's temple.
Jasper's vision blurred and he heard the echoing screams of Angela as two men started to assault her before they started to get down to business. He felt a cold fluid flowing down the side of his head till he tasted it as it ran over his mouth. Blood. He tried to focus his vision back but everything was still a blur.
"We've heard about you lately and how you've been caught up in the law" then he whistled to his men that were doing their for play with Angela. "A 50 000 motherfucking dollar reward!' He shouted. The other men laughed. "Maybe we should hand you over, what do you say Jas?"
Jasper didn't answer for a second then looked up at him. "You'll have to go to hell to retrieve that reward you poes!!!" He spat "Coz the men are dead!!"
The man looked at Jasper and then back to his men on the couch. He thought for a moment then the man pointed the gun at Jasper's leg and fired.
"Aaaaahhhh!!!!!" Came the scream as the bullet shot through his leg. He held his anger and pain as he bite down on his lip to stop himself from screaming.
The man went down on his knees in front of Jasper and pointed the gun to his face. "So you killed them?"
Jasper smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah I did and I f*****g used their skulls to drink to their f*****g damnation" he said.
He laughed "Ooooooh hahahaha. Aren't you the f*****g devil" he teased. Laughter was echoing around from the rest of the guys.
"Oh trust me I'm the Devils master. Every time I see him he still greets me as "Sir"". Once he finished he grabbed at the man's legs and pulled them from under him. The man fell but Jasper wasn't wasting time now and grabbed the gun in the man's hand. He tried to gain the upper hand but the man held onto the gun and a struggle insured. He held the barrel and twisted the gun in his hand but the man fought back. He brought his left arm up and punched Jasper but Jasper brought his arm back and retaliated.
Jasper slid his finger by the trigger where the man also held his fingers and Jasper pushed down resulting in the gun firing off.
The man froze then coughed as the realization hit him that the bullet entered and pierced his heart. He tensed up and his face went grotesquery before he fell back cold and lifeless.
The other two men froze as the witnessed their friend being killed. They dropped Angela on the couch naked and walked up to Jasper who was getting to his feet. Then there was a black out as the lights around the room burst and went out and darkness consumed the room.
There was the sound of guns being loaded and low murmuring. The sound of wood creaking and breaking could be heard but Jasper and the two men couldn't make out in what direction it was coming from. Jasper cautiously moved as he allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness to try and make out where the two men were. But he could guess they weren't far behind. Jasper instantly felt a cold icy breeze fly past him and he skidded backwards, fumbling over broken wood and his hands were struck with glass as they struck into his soft smooth tanned skin. He stopped, startled but held himself as to not let himself give up his location.
"You hear that Tommy?" Came an thick English accent.
"Just keep your gun loaded" came another a accent that Jasper couldn't identity. Jasper thought it probably was South African or Australian but Jasper strongly thought it was more South African.
Jasper gripped and tugged at his pants and pulled it up, exposing his smooth shaven legs and after pulling it up his hand slithered down till his fingers rested on a cold solid object. Jasper smirked. He wrapped his hand round the barrel and his index finger coming to a rest on the trigger of his Snubnose 38, stainless steel and heavy in the hostel weighing his hand as he gripped it hard. He held his breath and listened sharply to hear in what direction the mumbling. He lifted his leg, still keeping his hand on the gun and finger on the trigger. He stopped in what he thought was the direction of the two men.
Suddenly a shout or scream shot out into the air, startling Jasper and he fell over, letting go of the gun and his finger squeezed the gun. The first man let out an English accent and fired lighting up the room in a hail of gunfire as dozens of bullets tore through the air into walls and the floor bed below his feet. As Jasper kept his stare on the mad English man firing like a loose cannon, the South African man fired around him too in a blind frenzy as if something supernatural was attacking them.
Through the hail of gunfire and terrified screams Jasper heard the familiar cries of Angela. She was sitting all alone, naked on the couch in the dark with two maniacs firing their guns off. The bullets could hit her Jasper thought and without even thinking it over he scrambled, keeping to the ground, to the couch and where the two men were reloading their weapons. Jasper froze and watched as they walked in circles, poking at the air for a sound or feel of someone waiting to pounce on them.
Jasper kept his gaze on them and slowly crawled, careful not to push his weight on the floor that was shattered with broken glass and splattered wood. He could hear the panic and heavy breathing of the men. They were scared and Jasper was too but Angela, she needed him and he was going to get to her one way or the other. He was right underneath where the men were standing and the couch with Angela sitting on it right behind them.
A smashing of glass caught the men's attention and they run up to the kitchen opening fire. Jasper saw his chance and heaved up, diving straight and caught the edge of the couch. Angela let out a scream.
"Get away from me you b*****d!!!" She shrieked and smacked her hands on the couch where Jasper held on to heave himself up.
"Wait!!" He shouted "It's me! It's Jasper!!" He shouted defensively.
Angela stopped her assault on the couch and, in pitch black with no idea where about Jasper was on the edge of the couch, she threw herself off, hoping, into the arms of Jasper. She landed with a mighty thud on Jasper and they went tumbling together over the carnage that laid on the floor. Jasper cursed with Angela landing on his chest. He folded his arms around Angela's waist and bringing her into his embrace.
"Relax Angela. It's alright I got you but you need to be quiet please" he whispered.
Angela sobbed into his shirt, tears flowing making a small pool of watery tears on his shirt, her breathing hard and fast from the fright she got from Jasper by the couch and also nearly being raped. "Thank you" she whispered between sobs.
Jasper held her tighter and whispered for her to remain quiet and calm. He looked over to the two guys, they were walking around the kitchen area, their eyes still not adjusting to the darkness of the room. A clap of thunder and a spark of lightning light up the room like God himself came with his astonishing beauty from heaven and that's when it all happened. Like a movie going in slow motion.
A black and eerie mist swirled around and in between the two men, knocking their weapons out of their hand and hit them down to their knees. They looked around as their knees hit the floor and they made a creaking crunch sound. Bones broken Jasper guessed. The South African man saw the black mist slicing to him and brought his hand up and punched the mist but his hand went right through and the man was thrown into the air and hit the wall at the back of the kitchen and collapsed screaming in pain. The Englishman, no sooner than he realized what was happening, when he was grabbed by his throat and he along with the black mist soared to the ceiling. The Englishman smashed into the roof, his face beaten to the white Cellini and the mist brought the Englishman down then flew back up and proceeded to mash his face further. The Englishman grunted and moaned, all energy drained from his body. Jasper heard bones being snapped and broken and he could feel the pain in his own body. Then he was thrown one more time up to the ceiling and this time there was a loud crack and the Englishman's neck snapped and broke from the impact then he hit the ground and remained there. Dead.
The South African got to feet but it was for only a mere second before the black mist shot like a bullet through him and the South African dropped to the floor in a pool of his own blood and guts. Joining his friend in death.
Then everything returned, the lights an the time. Jasper and Angela blocked their eyes from the bright light after being in the dark for well of ten minutes. The men that invaded the apartment all laid on the floor, dead with blood sprayed and splattered everywhere like a artistic painting. Glass was smashed in every spot in the room, mirrors, light bulbs and glasses were destroyed but that didn't bother them. The black mist was gone suddenly just how it came only moments before.
"W-what h-h-happened?" Angela asked shally and stuttering. The fear showing in her eyes of the near encounter of being raped.
Jasper scanned the room one more time then turned to Angela and held her tightly to reassure her that everything was over and that she was safe now. "Everything is over. Don't worry" he panted and grabbed her tender, smooth and loving face in his palms and gazed into her eyes. "Nobody will hurt I promise" but somehow he even doubted himself and he hated it and quickly pushed the doubt far out of mind.
Angela sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. They were red from fear and the crying. She had to reassure herself that Jasper was here with her now and that everything was going to be alright and that the men, those cruel evil b******s were now dead and would not be coming back. Ever. She patted Jasper on the chest and without a word said she climbed off him and grabbed her clothing which was torn and thrown all over the couch and the floor.
Jasper watched her as she scattered for her clothing then realized that he was being rude by looking at Angela who was stark naked. He excused himself and covered his eyes and looked the other way. He saw three men laying in awkward positions but dead none the less. The man who had first assaulted and attempted to kill Jasper laid dead, his face unrecognizable from the bullet that dislodged his face clean off. A smirk formed across his face when he thought back to the memory. He saw the rest of the men and he knew that if didn't get out of here he and Angela would be found guilty of killing these sneaky sick dogs and no doubt tie Zane and Inigo into it too, probably even the poor soul Klark.
"Angela we gotta get out of here, before these b******s bosses come here to find out what went down".
Angela put the last piece of clothing on and turned to Jasper. "Where can we go?" She asked.
Jasper racked his brains. Inigo was out of the question and Zane never really had his own place but Nicholas...yes. He had some hiding place. Equipped, low and out of sight. The ideal place for them now. "I've got a place" and stood up next to Angela and took her hand smiling. "Let's go" he said.
Angela returned the smile and hooked her fingers and held Jasper's hand but didn't say a word. The state she was in and her pleading eyes said it all.
They walked out of the apartment, leaving the mess and death in their wake but that contract that was on Jasper never dwelled too far from his thoughts and as long as they had a contract on his head nobody was safe, not himself, no Angela, not Inigo or Zane. He needed a way to clear his name and fast.

CHAPTER 8

Jasper walked into the dark lounge that was in a chaotic mess, glasses sprawled over tables and on the floor, dirty cutlery was laying all over the show; plates with bits of old food, cups half drunk with coffee or alcohol still dwelling in its holder. He fumbled for the lounge light and slammed it on.
"Excuse the mess" he said as Angela walked in when she saw the light emerging in the doorway. "Nicholas never was the cleanest man" he added with a laugh.
Angela waved away his apology and brushed her hair out if face. It was all greasy and a mess. God she needed a shower and she hoped that she could be able to in this pigsty household. "I'm just glad to be away from that building and those men" she said feeling relieved. "I can't imagine what would have happened if you hadn't shown up" and she felt tears threatening to come out and stopped what she was saying.
Jasper sighed and hugged her. "Sssshhh. It's okay now Angela you don't have to think about it and I'm always here for u. Nobody will ever come near you again".
Angela nodded her head and tugged at his shirt God near almost tearing it off his body but the fabric stuck to Jasper's skin. She sniffled and looked up at Jasper. "So this Nicholas you talking about who's place this is, is he the Nicholas everyone talks about?" She asked and giggled.
Jasper laughed and draped his arm over her shoulder and looked around the room with Angela. "That is indeed the one. Nicholas Serphent" and somehow Jasper couldn't help but say it with pride and respect. Nicholas was a great man. One of the best. Pity you had to disappear man he thought.
"Where is he?" She asked out of wonder.
Jasper only thought it was understandable. Nicholas' house but no Nicholas, he'd ask the same thing. "Ah you know him, well...I mean..he's just got business" he replied bluntly. To explain to Angela the reason behind his disappearance he would be sitting here for hours going mad.
"Okay, well I'm going to go take a shower. You must be revolted be me" she said cracking a joke to ease the atmosphere in the room.
Jasper eyed at her, "Hey! You're beautiful to me no matter how you look" and gave her a calming yet charming smile.
Angela blushed and her eyes had a twinkle that burned into Jasper's irises. "Thank you. You're just being modest" and swiped her hand through her hair and brushed it back. "You want to show me where the bathroom is?"
"Sure. Come on" and he held her hand as he guided her down the hallway to the shower.
The hallway was a narrow passage, empty with painted white walls looking like it was painted that very evening. The ceiling above them was a grey painted scrub, the wearing of the ain't chipping from years of just dying away like a deserted landscape. A smell also hung in the air like fog, not moving nor eroding, the smell of damp. It was spreading like a disease through a body, decaying till it consumed everything. It was smudging above on the roof like tar to a healthy pair of babies lungs, on the walls and spreading like roof except there was black small lines that could remind someone of veins interconnecting with the human body but this was more like evil consuming the light that the house held.
The floor, the cheap old wooden floor creaked and moaned as it had life underneath the weight of the couple like they were holding onto the last bit of hope that they would make it to the bathroom in one piece.
"Where the heck is it now?" Jasper said suddenly observing the dark spaces in the hallway. He peered into the first doorway but couldn't see anything beyond his own f*****g hand, and if that. He saw only darkness and peered back out. "It's around here somewhere" he said.
"Maybe here" came a voice from behind him and he turned to see Angela standing there in the hallway, the light emanating from the room, the bathroom, making her scruffy clothing glow in a sparkle, something that reminded Jasper of the beauty he saw somewhere when he was a young boy. Her blue eyes were staring in a dream like state at Jasper and he felt himself lost in her eyes. It was heaven with her and without he was in hell.
He smiled and walked up to her, taking it slowly and stopped, centimeters from her. His breathing came down, taking it slow as he controlled himself unlike Angela who was breathing fast like her heart was going to explode but just like Jasper she found the will to control herself. He raised his hand, like a God coming down to express his love for a mere mortal and touched her pale white skin. Angela jerked back, in fright and Jasper took his hand away from her, feeling embarrassed and ashamed for what he had just done.
"I'm sorry" he apologized but couldn't lift his head up to look her in the face.
Angela had her shoulder up and her body twisted to the side like a shield that the soldiers used back in the medieval era but her eyes transfixed on Jasper. For some reason she couldn't distract herself from him, not matter how hard she tried. She forced herself to regain herself and she stood straight up but not moving away from Jasper. She reached and intwined her fingers with his and pleaded to him. "Don't stop" she said. She knew that right now she was feeling sad almost a lonely feeling accompanying it, she was tired but her hormones had awakened as she and Jasper stood out in the hallway with the bathroom light illuminating their figures. But above all else she was tired and had no control of what she was doing.
Jasper opened his mouth to protest but no words came out, his eyes held every word and they scanned Angela, her blond straight hair, fizzled and bushy tailed from being mistreated by the past days events, her pale but bright skin covered in bruises and cuts just cried out to him to smooth them to make them vanish and he was overwhelmed with that feeling again, of guilt but Angela was safe now and that's what he had to keep reminding himself no matter how hard or how painful it was to do so. He brought his gaze down to her raged and torn blouse, not covering all her cleavage that the tailor had previously intended as blood stained were splattered across, drenching the once white shirt to a dark red. He could see the outer shape of her breasts as they took form from the blouse pushing her breasts up. He could see the marks scratched and cut, some long marks and others short but he couldn't even begin to fathom the pain she went through with it and deciding that was enough of peering over her body he gently stroked her cheek and brought his head down and cocking it while Angela returned the same body language. They closed their eyes simultaneously as if nature was guiding them and they inched further till their lips brushed against one another.
Angela felt the rough yet smooth lips hook on to her own and becoming one. Time seemed to come to an abrupt halt like someone slamming on the brakes of life and everything around them went silent and froze while only they twirled in a love struck daze, their lips slowly coming unhinged only to be brushing back against each other one more time. Angela then decided to be bold and brought her hand up and travelled her hand through Jasper's hair, tugging and feeling the thin strands of hair slithering under her fingernails and wrapping around her fingers. She held her hands in his hair as she kissed with more force to Jasper.
Jasper pulled Angela tighter into his arms feeling the heat between them and he ran his hands all the around her, holding her like a giant teddy at a carnival he had just won, stopping his hands by her waist and focused again on her lustrous cherry lips. The taste on her lips submerged on to Jasper and he could taste it. She forces her lips and embrace into him like a rocket it hurts. He took a step further toward Angela and she walked back till her body rested up against the door frame and Jasper let his hands run down from her waist and he run his fingers on her smooth black leather pants feeling the tightness as the pants stuck to her skin like another layer. He started to breathe rough but then slowly departed his lips from hers and he felt his heart sink down into an abyss, lost and broken for eternity. When he felt himself no longer smooching her he opened his eyes slowly but shaky. He locked eyes on Angela and her beauty could stop time itself as it stopped Jasper from departing and by looking at Angela all he wanted was to do was resume his passionate kissing but he knew they weren't themselves, although the both felt the same as they kissed lovingly and passionately; lovestruck.
Angela felt the sudden yet electrified lips brush away from hers silently, leaving her cold and just like before, alone. She opened her blue eyes and saw Jasper standing in front of her, like a statue who could have been standing in front of her for a lifetime. She didn't say a word, she didn't want too, felt no need to. They exchanged words with their bodies, when they locked lips and become a single entity in the universe. Instead she rested her head against the doorframe and looked to the ceiling.
"I'm sorry I.." But he couldn't finish his sentence, out of guilt, feeling ashamed, he didn't know and probably didn't want to.
Angela blushed, "It's fine. Best get out of my clothes so I'm going to shower" and without waiting for a reply she ducked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, leaving Jasper in the hallway like a dog out in the cold icy night.

A few hours later, Jasper and Angela were sunk into the leather couch, absorbing them into the sofa's orbit with nothing but the rain piercing the rain like bullets on the window but holding it like a bullet proof vest. Jasper didn't care, he didn't take notice, only Angela who was resting her head against his shoulder which reminded Jasper of a painting he saw... when was it? he thought, ten tears ago? Longer? Jesus have I lost it that bad he said to himself.
Angela snuggled closer to his shoulder, knowing with him he'd somehow protect her from the monsters from hell. "What you thinking about?" She asked.
Jasper shifted, bringing himself back to reality. The dream world, the fantasy where he wished he could get lost in and never find the door back to reality. His waking life was a nightmare, everyday getting worse and every time he lost or destroyed a piece of his sanity, his soul but sooner or later when you're in a dream world, you always got to wake up. Wake up to what though he asked himself. To death, misery and heartache. It was killing him but he just couldn't climb out of that dark pit.
"Do I seem different to you?" He asked but he immediately knew how crazy that sounded. He'd probably be sent to Broadmoor Lunatic Asylum by a stranger who thought he had lost his goddamn mind. But Angela is different came a voice suddenly asking in his mind. He thought about that question. She had to be, the way she always spoke to him and listened to the nonsense he blabbered about, always worrying about his well being....and the kiss they shared with one another tonight. By God she had to be he concluded.
"Different?" She asked seeming confused.
"Yeah" he snapped but not in an angry or irritated manner, "like you've known me for a few years, f**k it's been so f*****g long I can't even remember" sipping his hand over his eyes to throw away the feeling of sleep and the dream world wanting him back. "But I just feel I've changed so much that I'm living without a cause. It's strange I know but..." He couldn't find an excuse or reason "I don't know".
Angela sat still with her blue puppy eyes looking on with concern at him. She dropped them and for a moment was lost looking at Jasper's white shirt, loosely unbuttoned at the top. It was stained with all sort of substances, blood, dirt and Angela couldn't even guess what else could be mixed with it. Then she looked back up at Jasper and smiled. "Well why don't you find a reason, a cause, to live for" and Jasper almost heard a certain hint in the way she said it but couldn't be precise what the hint was exactly.
"And where would I find that cause?" He asked turning his head down at her and wiped her hair from the front of her face exposing her facial beauty to his eyes.
She smiled and caressed his hand lovingly in an affectionate way. "What if I told you that the cause was here in this room?" She asked.
Jasper lifted his eyebrows and dropped them again then smirked. "And do you mind showing me where?"
She pushed herself up to his height where his head rested on the sofa's headrest and leaned into him, "Right here" she whispered and locked her lips back to his pale pink lips.
Jasper was surprised as Angela kissed him when he had objected to them kissing earlier in the evening. He found himself returning the love as he kissed her back but with more lust. Something about Angela stopped him from departing from her. He just couldn't and he never felt this way with her as he did with other women. He lifted and rested his hand upon her neck gently and muttered a "uh uh" sound to say stop and once free of her kiss turned his head away. "Don't get me wrong. You're, Angela, you're an amazing woman and I'm attracted to you and I have been and also know you do to from this evenings activity this evening in the house here but you're just scared from what happened the past day. You need a good night's rest babe".
Angela again had that disappointed expression on her face just like she had back in the bathroom earlier. She nodded silently and distanced herself from Jasper. She leaned on the side of the armrest and looked at the floor which was illuminated black from the night except for the occasional flash of lightning. "I want to learn to fight like you" she said suddenly.
Jasper was taken aback almost near by having a heart attack from the words he had just heard. He observed her trying to find some madness in her for wanting to... what was it? Fight like him? He sat up straight and sighed in disbelief. "You want to-"
"Kill. Fight. Be part of your world".
"You talking about monsters here, you do know that?" He asked her.
She nodded "I know. I want to kill the monsters like the ones who tried to kill me" she said and she sounded enthusiastic when saying it.
He shook his head. "The...those guys..,are nothing compared to what I fight".
She snapped at him "Jesus Christ Jasper!!! I know the demons you fight. Tonight I saw something not normal kill those raping shitheads!!"
"What did you think attacked them?" He asked to test her knowledge on his life of fighting.
"Well you said it already. Monsters" saying like she knew exactly.
He smiled at her guess which wasn't a long shot. "Monster...maybe or a demon".
She gazed at him wide eyed. "I saw a demon".
This caught Jasper's attention and he shot her a look of excitement but then he worried. "Where? When?" He snapped.
"At The Sanctuary. I was in the bathroom drenching water on my face. It was a long day but anyways while I stood there I saw a black substance like mist you know?" And looked at Jasper for confirmation.
Jasper knew what it was. She had seen or that Demon that visited her allowed her to see him but he didn't tell her that, he wanted to hear the whole story. "Like that mist there at my apartment?"
"Yes actually almost identical and this mist had the most bright yellow eyes I've ever seen. I mean I watched documentaries on lions and their eyes glow in the dark but you couldn't compare this...this things eyes to the lion you just can't. The stench that came off it was like bile, a sulphuric smell that made me gag. Then the black mist transformed into a human being. And I could say he was quite a handsome man but something of him set me off edge and I didn't know what it was".
"He give you a name?" He asked cutting to the climax of the story.
"Sure" she said sounding disappointed "Samias".
Jasper sunk into a soundless world where Angela's screaming was like a million miles away, everything around him shrunk like a black hole sucking everything into its abyss of death. Samias had shown himself to a mortal, someone who posed no ability or significance for absolutely no reason at all. He now was consumed with fear, fear for himself, for his friends, for AshBurton but mostly fear for Angela. If he knew his weak spot then he knew he would have to protect her no matter the cost.
"Jasper?" Angela shouted but it sounded like a voice so faint from across the universe.
Jasper breathed in and shook his head to allow himself to take control of himself. He looked at her and grabbed her hand cupping it in his own. "When do we start?" He asked anxiously.
She smiled at her mission to finally get through to him. But then she realized she didn't know what to say. No answer. She didn't think he'd say yes so she never had a answer to follow on his question. "Uh" she said clearing her throat, "well it's raining and it's late so how about tomorrow?"
Jasper looked at but didn't smile, didn't feel any happiness to have her now permanently in her life but just thought of protecting her and teaching her to train to look after herself in case he wasn't around. "Tomorrow it is" he said. He then gently put her hand down on her leg and pushed himself up and stood in front of Angela like a God. "I'm going to secure the house to make sure no boogeyman comes in. You can sleep on the couch here. Don't wait up for him I won't go sleep anytime soon" and bent down to plant a kiss on her forehead.
Angela closed her eyes at the touch of the ice cold lips of Jasper suck at the skin of her forehead then he pulled off. She looked at him then she saw him walk off and exited the door and leaving her to the praying deadly darkness of the house, rain shattering the place in God's wrath, lightning striking down the sinners that were lost to his light and thunder roared signifying shouts of anger that could not be understood to humanity. She slumbered down on the couch resting her head against the pillow which provided little comfort but she figured it would do. In seconds she dazzled from AshBurton to her dreamscape.

Bottles smashed to pieces like a suicide Bomber off the wooden fence. Angela stood by observing while Jasper took aim and shot the glass into thousands of tiny pieces. He held his .45 in his hand, firm and tight, knuckles going white and eyes squared and sharp focusing on his shooting practice.
"Right" he said and lowered his weapon removing the empty magazine and replaced it with a fresh fully loaded one. "I'm going to test you now. Shoot on bottle and I'll see if you need practice from me. If you need it I'll help" and handed the gun into her hands.
Angela felt the weight of the gun holding her hands down like chains. She let out a " ooh" kind of whisper before getting used to the weight and lifting the gun up testing which hand was best to hold it with. The conclusion: right handed. Just like Jasper and probably the majority of every person who wielded a gun.
Jasper came up behind her and put his strong hands on her exposed shoulders. "Relax your body" he whispered as if seducing her. He massaged her shoulders carefully and smoothly. "People tend to make mistakes when the aren't calm. I know it's a nervous wreck when taking someone's life".
"Not a person. A It" she corrected.
Jasper hummed an okay word under his breath and nodded. He slithered his hands down to her arm and held it there. He lifted her arm up, the gun held tight and shifted the weapon till it came into view with the glass bottle. He leaned to her ear. "Fire".
She didn't need another word and she pushed her finger backward on the trigger. A single bullet, golden and thick blasted out of the barrel as fire held on like class to the bullet as it travelled across the grassy plain to the bottle and it connected with the white stained glass. It cracked then exploded.
"You're hired" Jasper could only say.

THE END..... ?


EPILOGUE

The hallways hid shadows that fought to plague themselves on the very earth they saw created by their former maker. Yellow eyes glared down from above on a figure in a black cloak walking like the Grim Reaper on the hunt to collect a soul for Hell itself. His face was hidden underneath the hood with no light around to shed his face from the darkness. In his right hand something glowed, something red like a planet as a red giant but a million times darker and deadly. He steadied his hand and flew his hand out to his surroundings like a man slicing wheat with a scythe and a loud hissing noise invaded the silence from the shadows of yellow eyes retreating further into shadows for protection.
Suddenly a path was lit up, like a highway, with flames on all sides burning and the metal crumbled from the intense heat. Even with the light from the fire the man's face remained un identified. The steel cackled under his footsteps. Shadows poked out of every corner trying to sneak a peak at this spectacular scene in front of them. The hallway he had walked on disappeared behind him and left nothing but fire in its place. As he walked on the highway path behind him burned to ashes and vanished with every step he took signifying no way out except forward.
He got to the end of the highway, the highway to Hell, and he stopped and stood like a solider wanting for his commander to allow him access to travel further. A tall gate stood at his feet, extending for miles to the air and at the top a hoard of demons stood like gargoyles on the tip of the spiked fence. They brought their eyes down to the figure standing at the bottom of the fence waiting to enter.
A loud creaking echoed around them and the gate slowly departed into two as a giant being suddenly surfaced out of flames of fire and brimstone. The figure was well over 8 ft and weighed over 200 lbs but lbs of pure muscle, a long black pants tied at the wast to hid his lean muscular legs with nothing hiding his exposed pectoral muscles and his muscles exposed at his stomach. His hair long and black tied down his back, his yellow eyes hiding hell within them and with every step he took the ground rumbled like a earthquake.
The giant being halted at a foot away from the figure in the cloak. He observed him, familiarizing himself with the figure then his narrow mouth formed into a snarled grin.
"You've come home".
The figure did nothing but nod his hooded head and a loud triumphed scream of cheers took to the red flamed sky....