“Well, yeah, that too. . . . I wish Myers was here. Should we tell the SAC?”

“Bring in the Butcher? For all we know she’s in league with Stricken . . . Crap. I just thought of something.” Grant stood up. “Strayhorn’s in surgery. He saw whatever happened. His prints were all over that Colt. There’s no way he took it from Franks, so Franks must have given it to him. If they think he’s going to say something that goes against the official story when he wakes up . . .”

When the MCB needed to stop a witness from talking, first they would try intimidation, which usually did the trick. When it did not then they would try ruining or discrediting them. In extremely rare circumstances other measures had to be taken—drugs, blackmail, up to and including permanently silencing them—but if this was STFU, they would go ugly, early. “We go to the hospital, we’re going to get busted.”

Grant was thinking about it. “I was ready to throw my career away to do the right thing yesterday. Might as well throw my life on the pile too.”

“You know what? Screw those black ops assholes.” Archer stood up and patted his side to make sure his Sig was in place. “No more badges in the fountain.”

Grant gave him a look of grim determination. “Let’s go.”

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7

When this body was complete, I struck.

It had been placed on a slab, wired into several arcane machines. The awakening took a terrible amount of energy, both natural and paranormal. The later fictions based upon my creation are more accurate than the first in that respect.

Yes. There was lightning.

. . .

That’s a stupid question . . . No. The book is not very accurate. She wasn’t there. She hadn’t even been born yet. I met her while I was on a mission in London once. I think she had a thing for me . . . Yes . . . I have at times had groupies. Sensitive? Shelley’s romanticized account has been a pain in my ass ever since. Bring it up again and you’ll be digesting teeth.

With the Elixir of Life being pumped through the veins and the arcane animation of the tissues, the body returned to life. This would have only been a temporary victory—the creation of an empty shell—if I hadn’t been there to take advantage of it.

I do not like to admit it, but Cursed was stronger than I was. But like most demons, he was proud, and his pride made him stupid. I rushed in and cut him off. I possessed Dippel’s new body before he could. He was furious. He tried to follow me in. But I was there first, and I’d observed how humans withstood possession, so I pushed him out.

It turns out he has held a grudge ever since.

What was getting a body like? Hmmm . . .

Like putting on a glove made of fire.

8 Days Ago