The Company of Darkness (18 page)

“Ugh, I’ll knock your head open,” she growled, not at all amused by the juvenile gag, but he fell instantly contrite. 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, I was kidding,” he declared and she punched him once more for good measure.

“
So
not funny!  Try that again and I’m out of here.”

“I’ll be good, I promise!” he begged, rubbing his shoulder painfully.  “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“Try harder next time,” she scowled.  “Now are you serious about doing this or not?”

“No, I am, really,” he promised. 

“If you’re doing this for an excuse to hold my hands…”

“You’ll kick my ass, I get it.  I’m a lover, not a fighter, baby, but I’ll try and tone down my natural magnetism for now and help you like I promised.  Why don’t we close our eyes and try to chill out again.”

Still suspicious, Cady waited for him to close his eyes first, and she peeked a couple of times before she settled down enough to focus, or go blank as he advised.  This time she thought more about the sound of Ethan’s voice.  His low timbre, full of concern and love, and the occasional clueless quality she found so adorable about him. 

“Good,” Gobi said gently.  “Just open your mind and let him come to you.”

Images washed over her, brief moments from the past, some lasting only milliseconds and some drawn out as if in slow motion.  They centered on the time she’d spent with Ethan, though there were occasional bursts of her dreams with Ash that brought a surge of adrenaline, especially when they focused on the more intimate memories of the demon’s hold over her.  Flickers of the recent past, the incident in the movie theater, the fight near the water, they filled her with a sense of dread, knowing the images would soon come to an end, but instead she burst through to something new. 

A flash of him hurriedly shoving his laptop into the black duffel, of looking at his phone with her number on the display…  A dark stairwell…  The stain of charcoal on his hands as he furiously covered the walls in desperation.  A flash of neon, from a marquis across the street as he pulled down the cheap window shade. 

“Did you see that?” Cady said, her voice sounding loud to her ears.  “What do I do to make it go back?”

“There’s no science to it, man, it’s more of an art.  You gotta be open and see where it takes you.”

Only she wanted it to take her back to the sign across the street.  If she could find out what it said, there was a much better chance of figuring out where Ethan was.  The trouble was, it didn’t work.  The next flash she got was of more scribbling on the walls and then it took her back to the first time she’d seen him back at Inferno.  Stifling the urge to yell obscenities at the top of her lungs, Cady tried dig deep for patience to sit through the whole thing again, hoping she got a better look by the time it took her to the window again, but her concentration was blown by an outburst from Gobi.

“Talk to me about gay porn.  Did the two of you have a thing for it or what?” 

Her eyes popped open.  “What?”

“Hey, I’m not judging, whatever gets the flag up the pole, right?” he said with a smarmy grin.

“No, we didn’t have a thing for gay porn.  Why would you even ask me that?”

“Because that’s what I’m seeing right now. 
A Few Hard Men
.” 

“I’m telling you we didn’t have a thing for any kind of porn.  We never even watched a regular skin flick together.”

“Hey, I see what I see.  And that’s the marquis in front of the Tea Room Theater, with All Male entertainment.  Movies and live shows all in bold letters with Hollywood lights all around it.”

The name of the theater touched a chord, though she couldn’t for the life of her figure out how at first.  “Wait… was this marquis decked out in green with rainbows all over it?”

“Yep, that’s the place,” he grinned.  “You dog.  Watching dirty movies in public.  I guess that’s one way to avoid his bosses, am I right?”  Gobi held up a hand to high five her, but she ignored it.

“That’s it, that must be what I saw.  I’m guessing the adult theater is across the street from wherever he’s staying right now and he’s maybe two or three stories up from what I could see.”

“Are you sure about this?  I didn’t get any of this at all until you started talking about going back.  In fact, all I got was this dude with a scar on his eyebrow and a bunch of tats.”

Ash.  She didn’t want to get into why he’d be getting visions of her dream lover, it was too intimate to admit to.  “I’m sure I’ve never been there before, so it must have something to do with where he is now,” Cady replied with more confidence than she felt.  But she needed to do something.  What if the Company ordered him to move on to a place she’d never been to before?  How would she find him then? 

“He hasn’t asked for a transfer yet.”

“How do you know that?  Are you one hundred percent sure of that?” she countered, unable to accept the prediction.

“I just do.  Just like I know you’re thinking about going out there now, which is batshit crazy at this time of night.”

“How much do you know about the Company anyway?”  It occurred to Cady that a guy like Gobi must be considered even more of a threat than she was. 

“Enough to leave that shit alone and I’d suggest you do the same whenever possible.  I don’t get mixed up in their business unless Ethan pays me, and my discretion is part of that fee.  It’s a workable arrangement, and the less I know the better.”

“Yes, but you must know something about them, right?  You know things without him having to tell you anything, like you knew Ethan’s real name.”

“Unh uh, I’m not having this conversation with you.  I’m not the only psychic in town.  If word gets back that I’m talking smack about them, then my goose is cooked.”   

“Believe me, I’d like nothing better than avoid them too,” Cady said wholeheartedly.  “But it seems like no matter what I do, I keep getting caught up in their business.”  Of course here was a perfect way to walk away from it all – only she wasn’t willing to give up Ethan in the bargain.

“Well, be careful, that’s all I can say,” Gobi said, pushing himself to his feet, stopping before he had a chance to take more than a single step away.  “There’s something about this that’s throwing me off though.  Something about Ethan doesn’t feel like Ethan.”

Cady wasn’t surprised at all, Ash had changed Ethan’s life in a big way.  “Yes, I know, that’s why Ethan left, to protect me from Ash… from the Big A.  He’s been influencing him more and more since Ethan bound him.”

Gobi shook his head.  “Nah, I don’t mean the demon.  I mean there’s something else there, trying to break free.”

“What?  One of the
other
demons?”  Was that even possible?  Did it have to do with Ash’s strength?  Had he somehow figured out a way to bust them all free?

“Nah, it’s not a demon at all, it’s…”  His face twisted with frustration before he gave up trying to articulate it.  “Shit, I don’t know.  Maybe I should just have another brownie,” he said, reaching for the plate again.  “You want?”

“No, I should get going.  I need to try and find that theater.”  It should be easy enough to find online, and the busses were still running.  After that… she’d have to think about whether she wanted to start knocking on doors at that hour, but mostly she hoped to get lucky and spot him through a window or something.  Or who knew, maybe she’d be able to sense him through their great connection?

“Why don’t you crash here for the night and I’ll run you out there tomorrow when we don’t stand as much a chance at getting knifed?” he offered, and she patted his cheek with a smile.

“Sweetie, you’re running that risk at any hour if you show up looking like that.”

“Don’t be hatin’ on the threads,” he frowned.  “The guy in the pro shop assured me this look is all the rage on the links this year.”

“And it’s sure to get you killed on the streets of San Francisco.  Listen, thanks for the offer, but I’d better be getting home.  My brother will freak if I’m out too late,” she lied, not wanting him to worry.  “Thanks for your help, Gobi.”  She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek and he beamed like a kid on Christmas morning, but before she’d pulled back two inches he caught hold of her hand. 

“You can’t fool a psychic, sister,” he said, eyes narrowing.  “Just… be careful, okay?  You might not like what you find.”

“I have to try, I love him.”

“He loves you too.  Both of him.”

Going to the Tea Room Theater in the middle of the night wasn’t the stupidest thing she’d ever done.  That was probably shoplifting in junior high when she personally knew all of the cops in the precinct.  Or possibly losing her virginity at a party to a guy she barely knew because she was too chicken to tell him to stop when he got
there
.  Or maybe Stefan, gorgeous, narcissistic, lying, yummy, asshole, Stefan.  That whole relationship was one of the dumber things she’d suffered through. 

But the magnitude of the stupidity of her decision to brave the street traffic outside a porno theater in the wee hours of the night multiplied exponentially every time she got propositioned.  Especially when she figured out they thought she was a
male
prostitute.  Somehow that made it worse.  “I am not a dude!” she scowled after the fourth car rolled to a stop asking if she was available.

“Don’t let it bother you, honey, it’s these lights.  They make us all look a little… controversial,” a tall blonde in a black cocktail dress with suspiciously broad shoulders winked at her and Cady smiled back.   There were a few other “ladies” of the night on the same stretch of sidewalk, plying their trade.  Every once in a while one of them would disappear into a car and be dropped off a half hour later and the cycle would start again. 

“That’s why we like it here,” the blonde smiled.  “It lends an air of mystery, don’t you think?”

“The only mystery is what a piece like her is doing out here in the first place.  Shouldn’t you be at home playing with your dolls,
chica
?”  Shorter and thin as a rail, the Hispanic lifted her nose in disdain, as if Cady smelled bad and the smell was catching.  Her dark hair was teased within an inch of its life, adding at least three inches to her height, as did the spiked heels that made Cady’s ankles hurt just looking at them.  The bright pink scarf tied around her throat didn’t quite hide the Adam’s apple there, but overall she made a pretty convincing woman.  “This probably isn’t the best corner for you to get a mochaccino.” 

“Shut up, Crystal, you don’t own this street,” the blonde championed her.  “Besides, I think she’s good for business.   We’ve had way more cars stop since she got here.  You stay as long as you want, honey.”

“Um, thanks,” Cady replied, keeping one eye trained on the window across the street and a good chunk of her peripheral vision on the Latina, who looked like she might put those long lacquered nails to use at any moment.  “I’m not here to mess with your business, I promise.  I’m just ah… waiting for someone.”

“Must be a special guy for you to haul your cookies all the way out here at this time of night,” the blonde dimpled, but Crystal gave a snort of derision.

“Bitch, please, there ain’t no such thing.”

“Crystal… do you remember when you asked me to tell you when you’re being rude and judgmental?  Well, you’re doing it right now.” 

The shorter woman fixed her with a flat, unfriendly look, but spun on one spiked heel and stalked off to the other end of the block without saying another word. 

“Don’t pay any attention to her, she’s just starting another round of hormone shots and I swear it’s like she’s OTR all the time.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”  Cady wasn’t sure what the appropriate response to a comment like that was.  “Seems like it would suck big time.” 

“It’s the only way to get these babies short of surgery and who can afford that, right?”  She gestured to the swell of breasts under the sequins.  “I’m Lola, by the way.”

“Cady, nice to meet you,” she smiled back before her eyes darted back up to the window she was almost certain belonged to Ethan.  “Tell me, are you girls out here every night?”

“Yeah, pretty much.  Except for on Sundays.”

“Religious?”

“No, but business is always slow on Sundays for some reason.  Maybe nobody likes to get sucked off the same day they went to confession?” she shrugged. 

Cady opened her mouth to say something, but changed her mind.  “Uh, anyway, I’m wondering if you’ve seen the guy I’m looking for?  He’s about your height, medium blonde hair, a bit shaggy on top, but not too bad.  He’s not that pretty boy kind of good looking, but he is cute and he’s got a great smile, though… I’m thinking he wouldn’t be doing so much of the smiling lately.   Muscular, not like bodybuilder big, but nice and bulgy in the right places.”  At the last minute she remembered not to mention the tattoos, since they wouldn’t be visible. 

“No, but he sounds yummy.  Is he your guy?”

“He used to be, but we got separated over something stupid and I need to talk to him.”

“Beat some sense into him, huh?”

“Something like that,” Cady said with a grim smile. 

“Shoot, I wish I could help you out, hun, but I haven’t seen him around.  I could ask Crystal and some of the other girls if you want.”

“Oh, no, that’s okay.  If he found out I was asking around that might spook him and then I’d have to start from scratch and track him down again.”

“Loving the dedication I’m seeing here,” Lola smiled.  “Don’t you let him get away if he’s the one.”

Cady didn’t intend to.  Her eyes went up to the window again.  The light was still on behind the drawn shade.  She could go up there and knock on the door, but what if he didn’t let her in?  What if he went out the window instead of confronting her?  She already knew he could survive a five story drop, he’d leap out a second floor window in a heartbeat.

“By the way, love the hair, love it,” Lola added, drawing her attention again.  “Born with it?”

“It’s henna,” Cady replied distractedly.

“Yeah?  I’ve never used henna before, is it hard to work with?”

“No, not really.  It’s thick and goopy and you have to leave it on for a long time, but it’s pretty easy to use.  Only you can’t use it over hair that’s been treated with regular dyes before.”  She looked up at her platinum locks and Lola waved her away with a laugh.

“Oh this?  Honey, this ain’t my real hair.”

“Then you should try it.  It’s much gentler on your hair and the more you use it, the redder your hair gets.”

“I will, thanks for the tip!”

Such a friendly person for her line of work – or maybe that made it easier with her line of work?  The ability to strike up a chat with a total stranger must come in handy when meeting so many new people.  Cady was never the shy type herself, but she didn’t usually approach total strangers except for that time she’d first really talked to Ethan.  She smiled over the picture of Lola being the one to strike up a conversation with Ethan that night, and how he would’ve reacted to her boldness.  And then it hit her, the perfect solution to her problem.

“Um, hey… do you think you could maybe do me a favor?  It’ll only take a minute.”

* * *

“Coco, we’re gonna be late!”  Lola pounded on the door, her voice loud in the empty corridor.  “Come on, shake your bootie and get it out here pronto, Crystal won’t wait for long!” 

The knocking didn’t stop until the door opened, and Cady heard Ethan’s deep voice, sounding tired and strained, but polite.  “Miss, you have the wrong apartment.”

“I don’t think so, honey,” Lola smiled, using her height advantage to look over his shoulder.  “Come on Coco, get your skinny ass dressed and get out here!”

“Miss, I’m telling you, there’s no one named Coco here.  Would you mind taking it somewhere else?”

“Ooh, you’re so polite.  I like polite boys,” Lola focused her attention on him.  “Especially when they fill out a t-shirt like that.  How about if I come in and we make it a threesome?” she asked, hands on her hips, small breasts thrust out invitingly.

“No, thank you,” Ethan said slowly, pushing the door open wider.  “There’s no one else here, see?”

“We could make it a private party then.”  Lola’s smile didn’t vanish.

“No, thank you, I’m not interested in a party.  I hope you find your friend.”

Lola’s head cocked to one side.  “How about if I find one of yours instead?”  

“I really don’t think…” 

Cady chose that moment to step into the hall, prepared to give chase if he showed any sign of running, but Ethan froze the moment he saw her, his face locked in a struggle between pleasure and pain. 

“Hi,” Cady said simply, not sure what else to say. 

“You know I think I had the right door after all,” Lola beamed, hips swaying as she sashayed down the hall toward Cady.  “You’re right, honey, he’s positively yummy.  Good luck!”

“Thanks, Lola,” Cady offered a brief smile, not wanting to take her eyes off of Ethan long enough for him to give her the slip.  The blonde passed by, clomping her way down the stairwell and Cady approached the door cautiously, not knowing what to expect. 

“You found me,” Ethan said, mostly blocking the doorway with his body, but he hadn’t bolted yet, she took that as a good sign.

“I did.” 

“How?”

Cady gave a half shrug.  “Gobi.” 

“Ah.  I should’ve remembered him, that was sloppy.”

“Or you secretly wanted me to find you.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, kid.”  His eyes narrowed, lips hardening.  “What are you doing here?  I thought I was pretty clear about not wanting to see you again.”

Cady ignored the sting of his words.  She’d come that far, she wasn’t about to let him push her away before they had a chance to talk.  “Can I come in?  It’s not the sort of thing we should be talking about in the hall.  Don’t you think?”

Ethan let the door swing open and stepped deeper into the room, turning his back on her.  “Might as well, it’s the only way to get this over with.”

“Good to see you too,” she murmured, following him in.  The symbols she’d seen in the vision were there, covering most of the wall space and all over the window shades too.  Shutting the door, she saw the familiar sigils on the back of that as well.  Far more than she’d had to use on the windows she’d spelled.  What kind of thing was he using so much power to keep out?  Or was it to keep something in?

She opened her mouth to say something, but Ethan beat her to the punch.  “Look, I don’t know how else to say this, so I’m going to be blunt.  I don’t want to be with you.  It was fun as a distraction, but I’m clearly not boyfriend material, and I’m tired of pretending to be something I’m not.  So why don’t you save us both a lot of pain and eventual boredom and let it go.”

“Wow, how long did you practice that one for?” Cady blinked, impressed by how convincing he sounded.  If she hadn’t been sure it was all a load of crap, she might really have believed him. 

“I’m serious.  I’m done with you and it’s time you moved on too.  Go back to the club and pick up somebody else, it’s what you do best.”

“Really?  That’s what you think of me, huh?  That I’m gonna say screw you and go right back out there and hit on some new guy?”

Ethan didn’t skip a beat.  “Why not, you did it with me.”

“You know I wasn’t there to pick you up that night.”

“And yet you came over and bugged me when I told you I didn’t want you there anyway.  That’s what you do, Cady, you push, push, push and then you act like you’re surprised when people push back.  I’m sorry if the truth hurts, but I’m tired of tiptoeing around your feelings.  It’s over.”

Cady stared back at him, her resolve starting to crumble in the face of his stinging words. She knew she pushed people too far sometimes, it wasn’t like she’d never heard that from someone before.  And she’d been more pushy with Ethan than most, trying to get to the bottom of his dealings with the Company and demons and all that crap.  But he hadn’t told her to get lost when she was nothing more to him than an annoying neighbor, she couldn’t believe he’d leave her over that when he’d claimed to love her only a couple of days ago. 

“I’m not an idiot, I know what you’re doing.  You’re totally trying to White Fang me.”

He stared at her blankly.  “I’m, I’m… what am I doing?”

“You’re trying to save me by pushing me away.  What is this really about?  Ash?”

His hand came up to stop her.  “Don’t… just don’t.  There’s no point in talking about him, it only makes him stronger.”

A tiny flare of hope surged as he didn’t argue the point that Ash was involved.  “Then you believe me now.  He’s influencing your actions?”

“It doesn’t matter what I believe, what matters is this thing is over.  And I should’ve known better than to start anything up with you in the first place.”

Cady perched on the edge of the single chair in the room, trying to wrap her head about his objections.  None of it made any sense.  Ash wasn’t a long term problem, and she didn’t buy his statement that it would’ve been better not to start anything between them at all.  She knew he’d felt the same about her as she did about him.  Knew it deep in her bones. 

“I don’t get it.  Why are you trying so hard to push me away?  Why can’t we agree to stay apart until you get him removed if that’s what it takes?  Why are you trying to get rid of me completely?”

“It’s not just about that.”  Ethan sank down on the corner of the bed, losing the detachment as his face twisted with distress.  “I never wanted this life for you, Cady.  You’re too young, you have your whole life ahead of you.”