Chapter 4

Catlyn found a parking spot in the strip mall close to the little Mexican eatery. The hole-in-the-wall place served the best fresh fish tacos, and their smoky black beans were to die for. A breeze tugged on her floppy hat, and she threw a hand up to keep it from blowing away. As she hurried into the restaurant to escape the sudden wind, she noticed a man standing by the door. She took off her hat and scanned the room for Bri and Lisa. As she did, she turned her head toward the door. Something about the man’s shadow against the frosted glass caught her attention. For an instant, she thought he snapped a tail once in irritation before curling it around his feet.

Bri half-stood and waved her hand. Catlyn weaved around the tables to join her friends sitting next to the window. Sunlight warmed Bri’s brunette hair, and her blue eyes sparkled with pleasure. Her spaghetti-strap top revealed toned and tanned arms from playing tennis. Lisa’s long hair shimmered down her back in ebony waves. Her smile lit her hazel eyes as Catlyn slid into the booth across from her two friends. Like Catlyn, Lisa’s curvy shape held a few extra pounds.

The waitress came to take their order.

“I’ll take two cheese enchiladas with rice and beans,” Lisa told the waitress.

Catlyn didn’t even glance at the menu. “I’ll have the number thirteen.”

Bri placed her order. “You always get that.”

Catlyn shrugged. “What can I say? I like their fish tacos and chicken enchiladas.”

They chatted, munching on chips and salsa while waiting for their food.

Catlyn took a sip of her Dr. Pepper, then glanced at her friend’s faces. “How do you think you’d react if you started seeing weird shit?”

“Define weird.” Bri crunched on a chip. “We’re in Southern California after all. We see weird shit all the time.”

“No, I mean mythological creatures or magic weird … like unicorns or harpies or satyrs.”

“Oh, that changes things a bit. I’m not sure if I’d be freaked out as hell or jubilant. Probably both.”

“I think I’d be scared shitless,” Lisa’s eyes widened, “and afraid I’d be thrown into the psychiatric ward. Why? Are you seeing strange stuff?”

Catlyn nodded, then waited for the waitress to place their hot plates onto the red-checkered vinyl tablecloth and leave.

“Yeah, just now, on my way here, I swore I saw a woman shift into a unicorn. And last week at the grocery store, there was a satyr—in all his glory. Whew, let me tell you, he had some glory to show off.”

Bri leaned forward, her elbows on the table and her eyes alight. “Really? That is so cool!”

“It is, isn’t it?” Catlyn grinned.

Lisa shivered. “With my luck, I’d probably see evil crap.”

Catlyn’s smile fell, reminded about the car accident. “You aren’t the only one. I’ve seen some seriously creepy things too.” She told Bri and Lisa about the incident and the various evil creatures she’d seen.

“Holy shit, that’s messed up.” Bri slumped back against the padded seat of their booth, fiddling with her fork. “Have you talked to Jade about it? She’d know what those creatures were and what’s going on with you.”

“Not yet. I plan on it tonight after the full moon ceremony. You’re coming, aren’t you?”

“Of course, I love the ceremonies,” Bri said.

“If I can get off in time, I’ll come and help set up,” Lisa added.

“Too bad we can’t find a real coven to work in,” Bri sighed. “I like my solitary Wicca studies and doing ritual with you two. But it would be so much more fun to celebrate the holy days of the wheel of the year in a group, not only at the community gatherings at the store.”

“I know what you mean.” Catlyn pushed her plate away and rubbed her tummy. She shouldn’t have eaten that last tortilla chip loaded with beans and rice. “I wish Karl was more open to doing magic with me. I assumed he would after meeting him at the psychic faire. He’ll only grudgingly come to the full moon ceremonies with me.”

Bri made a face. She didn’t like Catlyn’s current boyfriend. “I told you from the beginning. All he was there for was picking up women.”

They finished lunch, and Bri headed to her retail job, while Lisa returned to her office. Catlyn drove to the Mystical Enchantments for her afternoon shift as the store’s cashier. When she arrived, she let out a breath of relief when the salamander wasn’t curled around the door handle.

As evening drew near, Michelle bustled around the large room at the back of the shop used for ceremonies, rituals, and other gatherings, readying it for the full moon ceremony. Since autumn equinox was in a few days, they’d be combining the Sabbat celebration with the full moon mediation. Catlyn helped set the candles around the room, scatter pillows on the floor, and place chairs in a circle. She frowned when Michelle spread a beautiful orange autumn print cloth in the center of the room for their altar and laid crystals, flowers, and pictures on it.

“Isn’t Jade leading the ceremony tonight?” Catlyn asked.

Michelle shook her head as she adjusted the position of the large piece of quartz in the center of the cloth. “No, she called me this morning. She’s still out of town on business. She’d hoped her current job would be finished by now. There were some complications that forced her to stay in San Francisco longer.”

“Darn, I wanted to talk to her.”

“That makes me very happy to hear.” Michelle beamed at her. “She mentioned she’d be home on Friday.”

“Thanks, I’ll call her then.” Catlyn chewed on her lower lip. She didn’t like to call Jade while she was investigating for someone or on bodyguard duty. It could endanger her. Living this close to Hollywood, some of Jade’s clients were famous movie stars. Her newfound ability to see peculiar creatures wasn’t an emergency. She could wait for the weekend to talk to her.

A half hour before the ceremony, Lisa came into the store. “Hey, Catlyn, Michelle.” Lisa set down her purse.

Catlyn waved at her. “Looks like you were able to get away early.”

“Yeah. I finished the report I was working on and traffic was surprisingly good. Is there anything I can help you with to set up for tonight?”

“We’re pretty much done.” Michelle glanced around. “You could clean up the tea service area and put on a fresh pot of water.”

“Sure, I can do that.” Lisa picked up the electric kettle and took it to the small kitchen.

A few minutes later, a tall man with close-cropped blond hair entered the store. He seemed familiar and the hair on Catlyn’s neck rose. Her stomach clenched as he walked past her, and she caught the faint smell of an obnoxious incense. He wandered around the shop, not picking anything up to examine. When Lisa carried the pot back in and set up the tea service table, his eyes followed her every move.

There was something off about him. Catlyn narrowed her eyes and opened her third eye to see his aura. She blinked her eyes when his face blurred out.

He doesn’t have an aura!

Everyone had an aura. She rubbed her eyes and forehead and tried again. He whirled around to face her and snarled. Catlyn stepped back, her hand flying to her chest. Her breath caught in her throat as she glimpsed red skin, knobby horns on his head, and a tail.

He was the man standing outside the Mexican restaurant at lunch!

He glanced at Lisa again, licking his lips, then exited.

“Catlyn, are you okay?” Michelle asked.

“Didn’t you notice that strange man ogling Lisa?”

Michelle shook her head. “There hasn’t been anyone in the store except the three of us for the last fifteen minutes.”

“That can’t be right. A tall, blond man entered the store right after Lisa. He just left.”

Lisa heard them and glanced all around her. “I didn’t see anyone, but I felt the creeps a few minutes ago. It’s gone now.”

“I wish Jade were here. She’d know what’s going on,” Catlyn mumbled. Jitters still tightened Catlyn’s stomach when she closed the shop for the ceremony.

Michelle opened the ceremony, then led the group in a guided meditation. It took some time for Catlyn to relax. When she finally went deeper into the mediation, all sense of the room disappeared. Michelle’s voice faded away.

A pair of brilliant cerulean-blue eyes, surrounded by white, emerged from the darkness. They bored into Catlyn. Fear swept through her after everything she’d seen lately. A sense of calm immediately replaced it. The being projected love and curiosity. The striking eyes dissolved, leaving her bereft of the entity’s warmth. She sucked in a breath as loneliness swamped her. Tears leaked from her closed eyes.

The sensation gradually passed.

Gray filled her vision. The Goddess Hecate strode from the mist and approached Catlyn. She searched the Goddess’s face, expecting cerulean-blue eyes. Disappointment flared when Hecate’s hazel eyes bored into hers.

“Daughter of my line. It is time.”

“Time for what?” Catlyn asked, but the Goddess had vanished.

Michelle’s voice returned, calling the people back from their meditation and into their bodies. As Catlyn stretched, she wondered what the Goddess had meant. Time for what? Why is all this bizarre stuff happening to me? The weekend couldn’t arrive quick enough so she could talk to Jade about it.

The morning after the riot at the Block, Sean combed through the reports, hoping to glean a composite of the creature from the various descriptions.

Captain Green crossed the floor and loomed over Sean and Jerry. “Well, what have you learned? Was it a terrorist attack?”

“No, Sir.” Jerry shook his head. “We don’t know what caused that riot yet. We’re still shifting through the statements.”

Sean leaned back in his chair, looking up at his boss. “Something terrified all those people and turned them violent. But damned if we can determine what caused it. I have the lab checking their blood for anything, a drug or some substance, that could explain their actions—”

“—or their mass hallucinations and hysteria,” Lourdes added.

“Keep me informed.” Captain Green tromped back to his office.

Jerry headed to the coffeepot. Sean leaned forward, tapping on his computer. He opened a new file to compile the description, only to be interrupted by Captain Green returning, shaking his head.

“Another crazy incident has been reported,” Green said. “Go check it out.”

Sean saluted, then pulled Jerry from fixing his coffee. “We’ve caught a new case.”

Jerry rolled his eyes. “Not another weird one.”

“Yep.”

“This is getting ridiculous.”

They drove into an expensive gated neighborhood. The ashen-faced guard directed them to the crime scene. The two-story beige house had a Mercedes Benz and BMW parked in the garage. Palm trees edged the immaculate yard.

Sean stepped inside and paused.

Blood covered the white marble floors and cream walls of the open concept living space. A man lay sprawled face down on the living room floor. The back of his head bashed in, presumably by the large geode bookend covered in blood laying next to him. Strands of dirty blond hair stuck out in weird angles to the dark purple agate. A semi-automatic gun lay abandoned a few feet away. He’d also taken a shot in the leg and chest. Sean’s eyebrows crunched in confusion. Why had the woman resorted to using the bookend when she’d had a gun? The trail of blood showed the confrontation had started in the kitchen before ending in the living room.

Lourdes approached the officer standing next to the body, then drew him aside. They talked quietly for a moment before Lourdes followed the officer and the blood trail into the kitchen.

Sean’s attention was on the woman in her early thirties, who sat on the floral couch across the coffee table from the body. She held her infant close and rocked back and forth, whispering over and over, “Don’t worry, little one, he isn’t going to hurt you ever again.”

Sean talked to the responding officer to get the details, then carefully stepped over the blood and approached the woman. He crouched in front of her.

“Mrs. Holcomb, I’m Detective McLarkin. Can I call you Carol?”

She nodded, dazed.

“What happened here?”

“He tried to eat my baby!” Carol cried, hugging her child closer to her chest. The baby cried weakly. “I stopped him. I wasn’t about to let that … that thing hurt my baby. I don’t know what it did to my husband, David.” She pointed a shaky finger at the body. “Whoever … whatever that is, it isn’t my husband. I’ve known David for ten years, and I can assure you, he wasn’t a fucking demon!”

Sean pulled back, blinking in surprise. He turned his head to glance at the body, which seemed human enough to him. He turned back to Carol, noticing for the first time the blood dripping onto the couch.

“Um… ma’am, are you hurt?”

“What? No, I don’t think so.” Carol glanced down and saw the blood, her eyes going wide.

She hurriedly laid the baby on her lap. As she leaned forward, Sean’s jaw tightened. Something had ripped the back of her blouse to shreds, and great bloody gouges covered her upper back. A bite on her upper trapezius oozed blood. Before Sean could comment on her injuries, Carol finished unwrapping the blankets around her baby. He gaped at the blood seeping from the soaked bandage placed on the infant’s arm. The baby whimpered through his blue lips.

“Oh, my God!” Carol cried. “He’s still bleeding. Call an ambulance!”

“Hardy!” Sean yelled at the young patrolman guarding the door. “Grab a first-aid kit and call a bus! Tell them we have an injured baby and woman.”

“Yes, Sir!” the young man called. His face blanched as he took in the blood dripping from the baby’s arm. “I’ll tell them to hurry.” He ran outside and returned a few moments later to Sean’s side, handing him the white first-aid box.

Carol tried to remove the child’s bandage but cried out as the movement caused fresh blood to gush from her own wounds. Sean took over for her and grimaced at the large wound revealed underneath the baby’s bandage. Hardy gasped, then ran for the kitchen, returning with a wet cloth. Sean gently cleaned off the blood, only to have it well back up as soon as he’d wiped it away. The jagged bite nearly encompassed the boy’s entire arm. The teeth marks didn’t appear human. He hadn’t seen any sign of dogs in the house.

“Where is that ambulance, Hardy?” Sean growled.

“It’s on its way. It should be here in a few minutes.”

“We might not have a few minutes,” Sean muttered.

The baby quit whimpering and lay still. The only signs of life were his rapidly rising and falling chest.

Damn it! Damn it! I won’t let this child bleed out! Sean cast about the room. He grabbed a bib sticking from the diaper bag. Luckily, it was an old-fashioned type with ties instead of snaps or Velcro. He used the ends to tie a tourniquet around the baby’s arm. Carol snatched up the baby, holding him close to her chest.

Sirens blared, announcing the ambulance’s arrival. The paramedics raced inside, stepping over the body and blood, then crouched down in front of Carol. The female paramedic tried to pry the baby from Carol’s tight grip. “We have him now…”

“Carol,” Sean supplied.

“Carol, let us take him. We can’t help him if you don’t let go.”

With a sob, Carol released her hold on the infant, and the paramedic gently placed him on the gurney. The child looked so tiny as they fit a respirator over his face.

“What hospital are you taking him to?” Sean asked the lead paramedic.

“CHOC, in Orange.” She continued to work on the child.

“You need to examine the mother. She’s hurt too.”

The second paramedic hurried to her, his lips thinning at the sight of her bleeding back. He worked feverishly to staunch Carol’s wounds. Her eyes stayed glued to her baby, wincing when the paramedic touched her back. She passed out. The paramedics made room for her on the gurney with her infant.

“We’ll take the woman to St. Joseph’s, since it’s close to CHOC,” the lead paramedic told Sean.

Lourdes scowled at the retreating paramedics. “You’re not buying her claim of self defense, are you? She shot her husband two times before braining him.”

“I am. She may have shot him, but it was after she and the baby were viciously attacked. She might be confused from the blood loss about what she saw, but nonetheless, something horrible happened here. You didn’t see the baby’s wound. I did. It wasn’t like any human bite I’ve ever seen. And her back looks like claws raked her. I don’t know what’s going on in this city, but something isn’t right.”

Anger gripped Sean, and he turned away from his partner. The older man should retire soon if he was getting so jaded. Sean slipped on a pair of latex gloves and walked the crime scene, beginning in the kitchen. A small spray of blood marred the gray painted cabinets and drops spattered the pale granite countertop. Shards from a shattered mug covered the floor, and the dark scent of coffee rose from the puddle. For a moment, he saw a ghostly Carol wander into the kitchen. He shook his head to clear his fantasies.

As he surveyed the scene, he let it tell him the story. He imagined Carol getting a cup of coffee while her husband held the baby, and her horror at finding him taking a bite from the infant’s arm. Sean stepped to where another spatter of blood covered the kitchen doorway leading into the living room. This must be where she was slashed with the unknown weapon. The trail led him next to the buffet cabinet, where a drawer gaped open. Bloody fingerprints marred the handle and inside of it. She ran here to find the hidden gun.

“Lourdes,” he called out, “how many shots were fired?”

Jerry examined the gun. “Just the two. She knew how to shoot. My guess is she shot him in the leg first, then the chest, before finally smashing his head with that bookend. The coroner can confirm it.” He shook his head. “Why would she need to shoot him so many times?”

Sean pointed to the bloody footprints, marking where the man had continued to follow Carol, even after being wounded. “From the evidence, he wouldn’t stop.” As Sean studied the footprints, a foul, rotten smell drifted up. He knelt to take a better whiff, gagging at the stench. It wasn’t the normal coppery scent of blood. He followed the trail to the living room. Shards of glass from broken knick-knacks littered the floor, smears of blood marred the tile, and bloody fingertips clawed the coffee table. A smaller puddle of blood on the coffee table showed where the infant had lain while his parents fought. In Sean’s mind’s eye, the man held Carol down, even as she fought him, until finally her questing fingers snatched the heavy bookend. A mother terrified for her baby would have the strength to bash in a man’s head.

Brian, the crime technician, came in carrying his bag. He glanced around and wrinkled his nose. “This is a bad one. Although, thankfully, not as bad as the Iron Maiden murder scenes.”

“Don’t remind me,” Sean grumbled. “We’re due for another one of those within the next two weeks.” He took Brian into the kitchen. “This is where it started. We should have three sets of blood and DNA: the deceased, the mother, and an infant.”

Brian set up, then moved around the house, marking the crime scene, taking pictures, and collecting evidence.

Everything about this case made Sean’s hackles rise and his instincts burn. He couldn’t shake the feeling something supernatural had occurred here.

He hunkered down next to Brian, who was collecting evidence near the body, and murmured, “Check his blood and DNA against David Holcomb’s, will you? There’s some question of his identity. I’m not sure this is David Holcomb. His wife claims it isn’t.”

Brian raised his eyebrows. “Anything else?”

“If you find any strange blood samples, see if they match anything we’ve found at the Iron Maiden killings. There may be a link, but damned if I know what it is, I just feel it in my bones.”

Finished with what they could do, Sean and Jerry left the scene in the care of the crime scene investigation team. Later in the evening, Sean checked with the hospital. The infant was in intensive care, and they weren’t sure yet if they’d have to amputate his arm or if he’d survive. The receptionist transferred him to the hospital where Carol had been admitted. Her injuries had become severely infected. What had happened to that poor family?