Grace blocked the punch, the black haired woman in the formal business wear moving with surprising speed. She yanked the police officer forward then twisted the arm behind the man's back. "All you had to do was play ball," she murmured into the blonde haired man's ear, "look the other way when we asked." "Go to hell," he gasped, struggling weakly. "You first," and with that Grace grabbed him with her other hand by the chin and in a violent motion broke his neck with a sickening crack. "They always have to do it the hard way," she shook her head regretfully. Dialing her cellphone she waited until it was picked up then said, "I need a cleaning crew sent out to the docks." "Ma'am," Lina said, "I'll send one out immediately." She paused before adding, "There may be some good news on the Descent front." "Oh?" Grace asked as she cleaned off her hands. "It seems the kamikaze gambit may have worked," Lina reported calmly, "the two targets were at ground zero when the blast went off." "Bodies?" Grace asked promptly. "None yet," Lina reluctantly conceded that point, "they may have been given assistance in leaving the scene. The weapon was laced with the holy essences we were recommended, it should be quite lethal to a demon." "Don't report any of this to the Lady until we have the bodies," Grace said to Lina finally, "I have no wish to give her good news that would be proven wrong later on." A pause and she added wryly, "That tends to annoy her." A much more subdued Lina signed off with, "Of course, ma'am." Grace hit the off button, then turned the phone back on and dialed quickly, "Aileen?" A smile, "We used the ingredients that you suggested and the bomb may have been successful. However, your personal touch might be required to finish it." "I'll look forward to that," Aileen answered, the smile evident in the redhead's voice. Grace smiled back at the former Templar's eagerness and replied, "I'll contact you when we know more." Signing off once again Grace left the building, nodding a greeting as a vehicle pulled up, several men and women climbing out to walk over to her. "How do you want this handled, ma'am?" the leader asked, her long silvery white hair flowing down her back. "I want the body found later as a warning to any other officers who don't cooperate," Grace answered her, "clean of fingerprints and all other traces, of course." "We'll get right to it," and they filed by her into the little room. Grace's mind was already on other things as she climbed into her car, starting the engine and driving away. 'Where could that demon bitch have ran too?' she wondered. "How is she?" Alex Conner called from the front seat of the squad car. "Her bleeding is getting worse," Sister Samantha Teresa, also known as Sam, answered the woman grimly, her black priest's coat off and being used to try to slow the blood that was gushing from Descent's shoulder wound. The demoness who was laying on the back seat was a mess, frankly. Descent had used her body to shield Sam from a series of explosive devices, taking the brunt of both the blast and flying shrapnel. Her reddish skin was now a pale pink, the dark blood staining the seat beneath her. "Considering the hit she took," Alex answered, her red hair falling into her eyes as they raced along just under the speed limit, "it's understandable." She was tempted to use the lights and siren, but that would draw too much attention to them. "No she heals almost instantly, usually," Sam answered Alex grimly, "there's got to be something else involved." "Which doesn't leave us a lot of choice," Alex said seriously. Sam made a face, her brown hair falling into her eyes. "No, I guess not," she answered, "get us to Jess Drake as fast as you can." A few moments later they pulled up in front of the little tattoo parlor, one that was situated just beyond what was considered to be the Lady Diana's territory. It existed in an odd demilitarized zone, an area where no gang or major organization would dare to intrude. Why this was, few police or residents knew, only those in touch with the real powers in the city understood that it was due to the manager of this place that the area was free. Sam picked up Decent with a grunt, rushing by the large windows that were hung with girlie art. Gorgeous women bent and twisted there seductively, at least until you looked into their dark eyes. Then you began to realize that these were dangerous women pictured there, not toys for one’s amusement. The front room served only a certain kind of customer, and even fewer knew about the room in the back, and what might be going on in there. "Jess," Alex yelled as they burst in through the front door, the bell hanging above it loudly ringing out into the shop. Almost as soon as she was called Jess Drake came out of the back room of the tattoo parlor, the slim black haired young woman's eyes narrowing I concern. "What the hell's going on?" she blinked, taking in the three figures. "Drake," the look on Sam's face clearly said she did not want to be there as she continued, "we need your help." Jess was all business as she quickly took in Descent's still form, then she said "Get her into the back room, now." The four of them rushed past the curtain into the darkened back room. the scent of incense and ink, blood and certain fragrant oils hanging in the air. With surprising gentleness Sam laid Descent on the cloth covered table even as she looked over at Jess, "Please, save her." "Do my best," Jess answered dryly as she bent over her, unmindful of the blood staining her clothes, "what happened?" Sam quietly sketched in the details, starting with her and Descent's war with Lady Diana and ending with the explosion. "Wow," Alex managed softly. Jess was scowling, "A simple explosion wouldn't do this damage...." She held her hands over Descent's still form and chanted, power rising up around the, The demoness' body seemed to fade, conduits of power flowing through her form only to break off at certain points. "Poison?" Sam realized. "Blessed silver fragments, probably," Jess answered grimly, "I'll have to pull them out." Just then the door bell rang out and Jess cursed softly, "I'll be right back." Sam held a piece of damp cloth to Descent's shoulder wound, watching it darken with blood as seconds swiftly ticked by. Her patience waning as she heard conversation in the background Sam called, "Get back here, Drake! We don't have much time." A few moments later a pale Jess came back as she grimly said, "Your timing sucks, Sam." "The wounds aren't closing," Sam said tersely, "but the flow of blood is slowing a bit." "She's bleeding out," Jess realized grimly. She looked at Alex and Sam, "I'm not going to be able to do this neat, so you're going to have to hold her down, hard." "What are you going to do?" Alex asked as she grabbed at Descent's legs, Sam reluctantly taking hold of her upper body. "Get all the contamination out in one go," Jess said coldly. The words that she spoke grated on the ears, teasing the brain with fear as she gestured, red light dancing around her hands, then she grabbed at mid air..... ....and Descent jerked wildly as her flesh tore. Shining fragments burst from all over her body, splattering the other women with blood as they swept over to where Jess stood. It took only seconds then Jess dropped the wet mass of glittering fragments into nearby basin with a thump, looking at Descent's bloody form intently. Free of contamination the wounds began to close, but so slowly, her body remarkably pale. "What's wrong?" Sam asked. "She's lost a lot of blood," Jess answered grimly, "and she's not strong enough to replenish it all on her own." She looked up at the two women, "It's going to have to be at least partially restored by an outside source." Sam looked down at Descent a moment, then up at Jess, "I'll do it." "Give me your arm," Jess gently cut into the flesh then pressed the blood into Descent's chest as she murmured something. "God!" Sam staggered, feeling suddenly weak as blood pumped from her body into Descent's, Alex steadying her. Jess counted softly a few seconds then with another word pulled Sam free, briskly tying up the wound with a piece of bandage. "You all right?" Alex asked. "Just dizzy for a moment," Sam waved off the officer's concern. She looked at Decent was relieved to see her color coming back. "Is she going to be all right?" she asked Jess. Jess wiped her hands, looking almost as tired as Sam felt. "It'll be a few days before she regains her strength," she said frankly, "but yes, she'll be fine." "Thank you," Sam murmured before smiling a bit wryly, "I guess this puts us even for that whole skin-walker mess." "I guess it does," Jess agreed. She looked over at Alex, "Though I'd say the two of you owe this officer for going above and beyond the call of duty." "No, you don't need to...." Alex started to protest. Sam reached out to silence her, "Thank you. I suspect she would have died before I could have gotten Descent to help." To be continued.... Notes: Alex and Sam first dealt with Jess Drake in chapters four to six of 'Blood, sex and Magic' also on fictionpress and For those who don't read that series Jess is an occultist and tattoo artist who chooses to use her gifts to make up for the unsavory things she had done in her past.
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