Night Light

“Micah and Quinn got in their usual fight about who makes the rules and Micah left to blow off some steam.” Steven answered as he got out of the car. He still thought it was funny that all the jaguars drove… you guessed it… jaguars. “Hell, they taught each other how to fight, so decking each other is no big deal.”

“Then why hasn’t he come back?” Nick pointed out.

“That is the question isn’t it,” Steven sighed. “Quinn thinks Micah ran off but I know better.”

“What makes you so sure?” Nick asked curiously.

“Because Alicia had only been home a couple weeks before he disappeared. Micah had been counting the days for when he could bring her home. Even when Nathaniel was alive, it was Micah who acted more like a father to her. He’d never just up and leave now that she’s home.” He shrugged and added, “Or if he did decide to abandon the family, then he’d at least take her with him.”

Nick nodded wondering if the vampires were responsible for Micah’s vanishing act. Somehow that really didn’t sound like a good thing, so for Micah’s sake Nick hoped Micah had just lost his temper and hadn’t found it yet. He’d ask Alicia more questions tomorrow.

Steven looked up at the huge church with all its intricate carvings and statues. The fact that it looked like it had been imported from Rome spoke of the money the sinful humans that graced its door must have. The extremely rich were the most sinful, that’s why they made such a show of their religion.

The truth was this place is where the Mayor of the city came to shake hands and exchange money with the mafia every Sunday just after mass. So the question he’d been asking himself was… why had that girl been here alone in the middle of the night?

The church was mostly dark except for a couple of windows that still showed light on the second floor. From what he remembered, that was probably the office area. He wondered if the priest he’d left safely in the closet actually lived here. It was something he’d never thought to assume until now. The Catholics were a dedicated lot, he’d give them that.

He’d already filled Nick in on what happened the other night… well most of it anyway. There was no way in hell he was going to recap the choir boy robe incident. Shaking his head, Steven pulled on the front door expecting it to be locked but sadly, it swung open.

“Not very smart,” Nick frowned as he pulled the bone-handled knife from his sleeve and slipped inside. “You’d think after what happened the other night, they’d start locking the doors.”

“Maybe like the saying goes… it’s always open,” Steven shrugged but entered cautiously. “Or maybe the old priest is expecting company.”

“I repeat, not very smart,” Nick snapped knowing they weren’t the only paranormal creatures within the building. “I smell humans upstairs but there’s something else here and I doubt it came for confession.”

“I’ll go make sure the priest is safe. If you find vampires, be smart and leave them alone until we call for backup.” Steven made his way up stairs leaving Nick to make his own decision.

Nick nodded and started looking for the basement of the church. Usually the worse the monsters were… the further underground they liked to be. He didn’t bother hiding as he investigated because the enemy could see in the dark just as well as he could.

Finding the door labeled ‘basement’, Nick opened it and quickly descended the stairs. He wrinkled his nose at the dank, damp smell and sneezed. He’d always hated basements.

Steven was doing the same thing upstairs, opening doors and peering in as he passed them. Seeing the light filtering in under the door of the same office from the other night, he knocked this time. He could smell the scent beyond the door and knew the old man was alone.

“Is that you, Jewel?” the old voice came.

Steven took a quick step back when the door swung open… him and the priest coming face to face. The kind old face with the soft expression slowly changed, his eyes going wide as his lips parted. Steven put his hand out knowing what was coming next, and he wasn’t disappointed when the priest tried to slam the door in his face.

Pushing against the door, Steven entered the room letting the old man’s weight on the door shut it behind him. Swinging around, he grabbed the weapon that came next and tossed it across the room getting annoyed. “I told you last time, I’m not a vampire.”

“I woke up in the closet.” The priest reminded him as he backed up against his desk. Steven sighed as he watched the old man’s hands rummage across the desk obviously trying to find another weapon. He cocked an eyebrow seeing his fingers wrap around a heavy-duty stapler.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Steven informed him. “But if you don’t let go of that stapler, you’ll be waking up in that closet again.” He nodded thankfully when the man slowly released it and stood to his full height, which was lacking compared to his.

“I have a feeling you didn’t come here to confess.” Fear could still be heard in the old man’s voice.

“Oh father, I know I have sinned,” Steven smirked but seeing the joke wasn’t shared he grabbed a chair and turned it around noticing the man flinch at the fast movement. He refrained from rolling his eyes and straddled the chair, laying his arms across the low back. “Does it not count that I am part of the reason you’re still alive? If I hadn’t gotten you out of the way, you might not be on the side of the angels anymore.”

“How did you…” the priest suddenly looked older as he walked behind his desk and sat down heavily. “When I came to, I went downstairs and found strangers cleaning up. The mess… I stayed hidden. They were so quick and quiet about it. You could do all that?”

“Would you believe me if I told you we had an angel on our side?” When the man raised his chin and gave him a hard look Steven continued, “My friend and I are here to make sure the church is still clean.”

“You think there are more?” the priest rubbed his face.

“I know there are more. Question is, are they here?” Steven stood up knowing he’d left Nick alone for too long already. His friend was known for being fearless and that made him nervous. “We don’t want a repeat occurrence of the other night.”

The priest eyed him closely as if looking for a lie. Finally, the older man sighed and nodded his head, “Okay, for some reason I believe you. Sometimes God works in mysterious ways. Do what you must.”

“Hopefully, this time we won't find any… demons and you can stay awake if you promise to stay in here.” He remembered what the priest said when he’d opened the door. “Are you expecting someone?”

“Yes, she was supposed to come the other night, but…” he jerked his thumb toward the closet. “She called an hour ago saying she was on her way.”

Steven felt his pulse rate jump. “There was a girl here the other night and I need to talk to her… blond hair, beautiful. Do you know her?”

“Jewel?” the priest asked. “Sure, I’m supposed to marry her.”

“What!” Steven said a little too loudly then growled, “Since when do old priests marry young girls?”

“You’re a bright one,” the priest shook his head then hardened his resolve. “Not to me… and it’s not your business anyway. You leave that child alone. She has enough problems with the monsters she already knows. Don’t go dragging her into a demon war.”

Steven frowned not liking how that sounded. He’d bet money the priest had been about to say mobsters not monsters. He didn’t care for either breed, having to deal with his own share of mobsters. They liked to hang out at Night Light because it was one of the classier nightclubs in town. It helps you relax when your lower class clientele can’t afford to get through the doors.

He’d been slowly running them off for years and whenever there was a problem, something always came up and they’d move away or vanish altogether. Irish mob, Italian mob, Russian mob, IRA members, ex-KGB, Yakuza, and even rumored members of the fabled Illuminati… Steven didn’t give a damn. They were all cut from the same cloth as far as he was concerned. But sometimes it didn’t hurt to have a few on your side.

“Call her and tell her not to come here tonight.” He pushed the phone closer to the old man and crossed his arms waiting to make sure the priest did as he asked.

The old man’s lips thinned. If he called her house and her father answered, Jewel would be in big trouble and possibly wind up face down in an alley somewhere. Him being a priest probably wouldn’t save him either. “She’s not coming,” he said hesitantly, then repeated more firmly as he looked at the clock on the wall. “She would have been here by now if she was.”

Steven felt the disappointment of not seeing her and the satisfaction of knowing she was safe collide somewhere in his chest. Needing a distraction, he stood up and set the chair back the way he had found it. “I’ll be back to let you know when we’re done.”

“Wait!” the priest called when Steven opened the door. “If you should see her…”

“I’ll send her right to you,” Steven promised and walked out.

Closing the door, Steven shook his head and started down the hall. This floor was clean and he needed to catch up with Nick before something went down. Going downstairs, he looked around but couldn’t see Nick anywhere.

“All right, where in the hell did you go?” Steven muttered and started looking behind the closed doors.

He found the basement door ajar and could have slapped himself when he realized Nick’s train of thought. “Dark places, underground… DUH!”

Making sure to create a lot of noise, Steven descended the stairs and wrinkled his nose at the damp heat. “Damn it stinks down here.”

He approached another open door and stepped through. Nick was standing in front of the boiler with its door wide open and poking around at something in the fire with an iron rod.

“Find something?” Steven asked.

In answer, Nick removed the iron from the fire with the burnt remains of a skull dangling from the end by its eye socket. “I think it’s safe to say that some of the humans on the missing person’s roster won't be found any time soon.”

“I think this church is a normal place for some of the local mafia to do their business.” Steven elaborated.