Seven Come Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Jake left his car at the church. After all, Father Cresson had said it was Holy ground and demons couldn’t touch it. What better place for his prized car? As he walked along the boulevard towards his casino he had a strange feeling he was being followed or watched. He chalked it up to paranoia and shrugged it off. But he knew better. After that session with Father Cresson he felt different. An energy was growing within his solar plexus, spreading a relaxing warmth all over him. Logically, calm was the last thing he should be right now but he felt like he could almost take a nap.

So while Nadia and Alan were still resting, Jake relaxed on the sofa in his office. The TV across the room was on, but Jake wasn’t paying much attention to the African lion documentary. His mind wandering, creating almost dream-like hallucinations in the altered half-conscious state. Things he would not remember upon waking but would recall as if by magic when the time was right.

It was late afternoon when Jake’s phone buzzed. he sat up quickly from his lounging position on the couch. Had he been asleep? He couldn’t tell. Groggily, he answered, “Hello?”

“Are you at the hotel, Jake?” a British accent crackled on the other end. The connection sizzled lightly.

“Yes, I am. Who is this?” Jake stood up, now. He knew it was Hollingsworth. A sudden bolt of excitement filled him.

“You know who I am, come down and meet me by the bar,” Richard chuckled.

“How did you get in? The place is closed.” Jake hurried to the window to view the street in front of the casino and there was no car there. There were only throngs of tourists passing by.

“Ah, and so it is. Impressive, no?” Another sizzling hiss went through the line.

“I’ll be down in a moment,” he replied.

“Bring the case,” Richard said quickly and ended the call.

Jake hadn’t had time to form a real plan, like everything else in his life, he was winging it. He removed the case from the cash room before leaving the office. He thought of Nadia asleep upstairs, hoping she stayed asleep long enough to miss whatever was going to happen.

When Jake stepped off the elevator on the main floor, he realized something was off right away. It was too quiet, he thought. He had sent the staff on their way, but there wasn’t even the distant sound of music from the sound system that was eternally playing. Most of the lights were out but the few that were on buzzed and flickered, creating a horror movie type vibe he didn’t care for. Out on the gaming floor, he walked through the lines of tables and slot machines looking for Richard.

“All right! You want me, here I am!” Jake called into the darkness of the casino bar. He leaned on the bar, waiting in the silence.

“Ahh, good.” Richard appeared in front of him. “Just hand over the case and I will be gone.”

“I am sure you would. But you see, I opened the case. I know what’s in it.” Jake enjoyed the look of concern on Richard’s face. “How about we negotiate?”

“You think it’s that simple?” Hollingsworth replied, his eyes narrowed. “You got another thing coming.”

Jake shrugged. “I didn’t even believe in this stuff until afterwards when Miles died.”

“Ignorance is no excuse. Hand it over.” Richard had been so stunned at the very audacity Jake showed by even suggesting negotiation that he didn’t see Jake’s hand slip under the rim of the bar to press the alarm button that would ring in the office and in Alan’s suite.

“You return my security guy, cancel the contracts of my old band mates, and you can have the rest of the contracts.” Jake tapped the case. He was in no way sure what he would do should Richard agree. Once again he felt that energy welling up inside of him.

“No deal,” Hollingsworth snarled predictably. “Griffin doesn’t wish to return. It seems he enjoys being my assistant.”

“You two an item now?” Jake raised an eyebrow, taunting.

“Stop your joking around,” Richard hissed. “I will ask once more. That is it. Then there will be consequences. Dire ones.”

Jake was not swayed in the slightest, he maintained eye contact. To his surprise he felt no sense of fear at all even knowing that Richard was a demon.

Alan stepped off the elevator, he didn’t know exactly what was going on but Jake had summoned him for good reason. He too felt the odd chill and darkness surround him. By the bar, in the dim flickering lights, he saw Richard and Jake. Casually he made his way over.

“Ahh, you’re the lad who spritzed me and my suit with water,” Richard turned and sneered at Alan when he sat on the stool beside him.

Before Jake could comment, Richard spoke with a dark chuckle, answering unvocalized questions as if he had read Jake’s mind. “You see, that water works on lower level demons, ghosts, poltergeist, and entities. It does nothing for high level demons and humans. It is up to you to guess which I am.”

Jake had expected nothing less, Richard was always immaculate, his scent covered by expensive cologne. At the moment, though, his true scent was escaping. It was something like a burned match. Jake had read that the smell of sulfur was common among demons.

“I don’t have to guess.” He narrowed his gaze at the man. “Either way, I am not afraid of you. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So I choose to go down fighting like Hell.”

Glenn entered the room behind Richard. Alan frowned deeply. “You! Where have you been? You stepped into an elevator and poof!”

Griffin laughed a little at Alan. “I was the mole. I am the one who breached the perimeter and set up the portals. Sucker.”

Alan made a move to attack, not realizing Griffin wasn’t human or just not caring. Jake threw out his arm and stopped him. “Stop, Alan. You have no chance one on one.”

Griffin moved closer to Jake, “Give us the case and we will be on our way. Maybe we’ll even let you go.”

Jake glanced at Alan, who seemed to understand something was about to happen. With the quickness of a cat, Jake threw the case at Alan and sucker punched Griffin. Despite being a demon, his human shape was not indestructible, just repairable. He stumbled backwards to the floor. Richard was on them in a second, Jake absorbed a few punches that should have taken him right off his feet and left him unconscious. He was beginning to understand he indeed was growing stronger somehow.

Richard sent him flying with a punch, though, and Jake landed against the elevator doors. His fingers rapidly slammed into the elevator button. The door opened in the face of Nadia, her eyes widened at the sight before her. She had no time to react before Jake fell into the elevator with her, loosing his footing and slipping to the floor.

“Catch!” Alan yelled at Jake, tossing the case into the closing doors.

It landed in Jake’s lap with a thud. Nadia pushed every button on the wall by the door, having no clue where to go but desperate to escape. The bells dinged as the floors passed, but the doors didn’t open. “Where are we going?”

“Probably the basement.” Jake reached up to grab the handrail and pull himself up to standing. “It will go all the way down before it stops.”

When the elevator door opened to reveal the basement, Jake and Nadia stepped out into the darkness. Jake’s hand shot out to hit the light switch automatically. The lights came on, a dull blue hue that illuminated some areas and cast dangerous shadows in others.

“Stay close,” he said as he led her through the shelves. “We need a weapon. Something we can protect ourselves with. The water doesn’t work on these guys. But I noticed when I hit Griffin- he fell like a rock. Their human bodies aren’t indestructible. But it will slow them down.”

She held the case, watching him tear through boxes of utensils. A bag fell off the top shelf, exploding on the floor with an avalanche of salt coming from the bag.

“Demons don’t like salt,” Nadia blurted. “Do you think it will work?”

“Who knows?” Jake grabbed a handful of the white stuff and let it sift through his fingers back to the pile on the floor. “I haven’t seen this much white stuff since nineteen-eighty-nine.”

His jokes were lame as always and horribly timed. But she couldn’t help a chuckle. “You’re hilarious.”

“I’m truthful.” He looked up from where he was squatting, digging in the salt. “If we survive this, I promise, I’ll take you on a month long bender in the desert with some bands I know.”

Nadia’s eyes widened. “You— would? You mean you want me around after all this?”

“For f**k sakes, woman.” He stood up suddenly. “Why would I blame you for this? This has nothing to do with you.”

She smiled. “Thank you— what’s that?”

He looked where she was pointing and for a moment it didn’t register what the item she pointed at was. At first he thought it was a pump sprayer but then with a sudden jolt, he realized it was a flamethrower. He had bought it last summer to take out the fire ant mounds around the property.

Ha! I almost forgot about that thing.” He picked it up, testing the weight and feeling pure relief when he felt it was mostly full. “My flame thrower!”

Nadia grinned, “That’s what I thought it was. Do you think we could--”

“Hell yeah, we can try. We will at least have a fighting chance.” A noise drew their attention across the dim basement. The elevator was coming down and once it stopped, the doors opened. Footsteps clicked on the cement floor, and Jake stood up on tip-toe to see past the boxes on the shelf. He saw a shock of disheveled brown hair that he recognized as Griffin. Nadia clung to the case, both arms wrapped around it, pressing it to her chest. It had become a reality that their lives and a few souls depended on her and Jake getting out of here.

Griffin wandered the lines of shelves, looking aimlessly for them. Jake realized he needed a distraction. The elevator door was open and would remain so until the buttons were pushed on the above floors. He looked around quickly, his eyes falling on a box above him. Nadia bit her lip nervously, watching him work it down as silently as possible. A puff of dust followed the box down and Nadia clapped a hand over her nose to avoid sneezing.

“Thank you, God.” Jake mused silently when he peered into the box. The box contained fireworks in an ancient cloth shopping bag. Probably several years old, he couldn’t recall the last time they had set them off around here. Shouldering the strap on the sprayer and grabbing the bag of fireworks, he gave Nadia a pointed look, pointing towards the elevator. His voice was barely audible. “Just go!”

Griffin stopped at the sound of her footsteps and turned around. Jake sprang from his hiding place, dropping an empty box with a bang. Griffin’s face brightened a little, then dulled when the sparkling, hissing object was launched at him. The firecracker landed at Griffin’s feet, sparks flying as it spun around screaming. In the cloud and shower of sparks, Jake got across the basement and into the elevator with Nadia. Already the acrid smell of the spent explosive was filling the room.

“We gotta find Alan. No telling what they’ll do to him— or what they’ve done.” He looked up at the elevator ceiling, noting some lights were out, as if that mattered right now. The doors popped open on the first floor where the gambling tables and bar was.

The lights were out completely now, only the emergency lights along the floor kept it from being pitch black, but the lights barely cut the darkness. Jake felt a shudder up his spine, he had never seen the place this dark since he had bought it. He had bought it as a working casino and so it had remained for the past two decades.

“Where are we going?” Nadia looked around nervously, it had occurred to her they were not headed towards the door.

Jake tried a switch in a far corner but the lights remained off, he realized there was no sound from the cooling system either. The power was cut off, except the emergency generators that kept the lights and elevators going. Those were outside on the side of the building, though. He wondered if the main switch had been throw, but there was no time to look. “Damn it. They somehow cut the power. It won’t be long until they figure out how to cut the emergency lights too.”

That wasn’t the answer she wanted. Huddled against Jake she scanned the dark open floor. The slot machines and tables loomed eerily in the dim shadows. “Why don’t we just leave? Let ‘em have the place?”

“Oh, so you think they won’t find us if we just run? Hell no, I ain’t giving this place up, it’s all I got.” Jake looked down at her, annoyed she’d even suggest such a thing. Footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Someone was walking around in the darkness near the slot machines. Jake tensed, hoping against all odds it was Alan since he hadn’t heard the elevator move yet. Silently he wondered, “Would demons even need an elevator?”

“Jake?” Came the low voice across the room. Alan had made out the shapes of Jake and Nadia against the darkness, “Is that you?”

“Alan?” Jake sighed in relief and with Nadia in tow he walked towards the security guard. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Quick question, though. What the hell is going on here? Who are these maniacs?” Alan looked them over, pleased to see neither of them injured. He’d have never forgiven himself if they were. He was their security guard after all.

“The bald one is a crime boss here in Vegas, not top level, but nothing to sneeze at either. I didn’t know he was a demon until now. Griffin is just some second rate demon lap dog.” Jake held up the nozzle to the flame thrower. “I am willing to fight fire with fire, you?”

“Nice.” Alan glanced around the darkness. There was no sign of anyone else around. “Where is everyone? They didn’t back off that easy.”

“They’re laid up trying to catch us off guard.” Jake pulled some of the fireworks from his belt and gave them to Alan. “Let’s hope the elevator still works.”

The elevator was dark, the lights were out or missing. The door didn’t close behind them, the button panel didn’t light up and the car didn’t move when the buttons were pushed. Alan rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Stairs it is, I guess.”

The service stairs were near the bar. It wasn’t a long walk to it but in the darkness everything was a potential enemy, so the trio remained wary. Alan opened the stairwell door as quietly as he could, allowing the other two in.

“You know, I am confused,” Jake said, looking down from the second landing. “If this guy is as strong as he says he is, he could just get us. What is the hold up? How did fireworks stop Griffin? This could end up being some sort of game for them with a boss at the end.”

“Great, a boss fight with Lucifer.” Jake sighed. “I don’t think- what was that?”

The sound of doors opening and closing above and below them echoed in the enclosed space. Richard was suddenly standing on the landing above them blocking the only door and Griffin stood on the bottom floor, a smug grin hidden behind his goatee. There was no way up or down now. Nadia was still holding the briefcase. She’d been holding it so tight, for so long, that even Jake had forgotten she was holding it. She squeezed it against her ample breasts even tighter.

“Well it appears you are out of options. You have played into my hands. I knew you humans would try the stairs. Pathetically predictable.” Richard chuckled, the sound rumbling off the walls. “Hand over the briefcase.”

“No chance,” Nadia said with far more bravado than she’d ever heard in her own voice.

“You heard the lady.” Jake shrugged and glanced back, Alan was watching Griffin like a hawk watching a rabbit. “I’ll negotiate with you for the return of the case if you are willing.”

“Never.” Richard crossed his arms defiantly.

Jake’s hand slipped into his pocket and then behind him, poking Alan with his lighter. Alan took the hint and took it and lit one of the firecrackers he had stashed in his belt.

“I’m not about to honor any deal-” The rest of what he said was drowned out by the explosions and shower of sparks from below.

The fireworks were incredibly loud in such a small space, Nadia wished she could put her hands over her ears but she refused to let go of the case so she closed her eyes as if that would help block out the sound. Jake turned the knob near the nozzle and felt the slight vibration of the gas moving into it. If not for the fireworks, he would be able to hear the audible hiss. The trigger clicked under his finger, shooting out a stream of orange flame that reached all the way to the landing.

Richard didn’t bother moving. He allowed the flames to engulf him in a fiery ball. The flames looked almost liquid against him, licking up his torso and around his face like water. Richard threw his arms wide with a maniacal laugh that rang over the screaming fireworks and the roar of the flames.

The flame receded, becoming a light blue glow before going out. Jake clicked the trigger a few times before he realized it was out of fuel. The pack felt much lighter. Hollingsworth, once again, vanished.

“Bottom door is clear, lets go!” Alan said a little louder than was necessary, his words fell loudly on ears that were still sensitive after the fireworks.

Jake shed the pump spray from his shoulder as they headed down the stairs and back out into the darkened game floor. Turning around, Jake hit the emergency latch as if that would stop a man who had withstood a fireball from a flamethrower without the slightest hint of discomfort. Nadia’s eyes met him with panic and terror when he turned around.

“Well, if fire to the face didn’t work, I doubt a bullet will.” Alan panted, leaning against the wall by the door. “That holy water didn’t work, either. You got any other ideas how to negotiate with the devil for your soul?”

“Only one and I don’t have a fiddle so that’s out.” Jake stared at the door, expecting it to blast open at any second and there would be Richard. He didn’t know where the other two were.

Nadia sighed in exasperation. “This is no time for jokes!”

“Who said I was joking. I don’t know a bit more about what’s going on here than you. I know giving up ain’t even an option.” Jake retorted with a frown.

“Let’s head for the kitchen,” Alan walked quickly towards the big swinging doors. “There are knives in there. Maybe a blade to the heart?”

“That’s vampires you’re thinking of.” Jake followed his friend and security guard.

“It’s worth a try,” Alan pressed the doors open and peered inside. The whole room was lit by two narrow windows, but it was still oddly dark even in the middle of the day. There didn’t appear to be any movement in there, so he proceeded in.

With the power cut, it was rapidly growing warmer in the casino. Nadia was becoming aware of the sweat soaking through her shirt and bra. It wouldn’t be long until the Vegas sun would heat the place up to unbearable proportions. She put the briefcase on the metal food prep table and wiped some sweat from her forehead with her shirt hem.

Jake picked up a large stainless steel salt shaker from the table. “They’re sensitive to salt. I’m not sure it’s worth the risk.”

“Anything is worth a try at this point.” Alan’s attention was drawn across the kitchen to the light tapping of claws on the tile floor. Knowing there were no animals in the hotel, Alan could only think of one thing it could be.

Jake seemed to notice as well, he pushed Nadia behind him, his eyes seeking through the darkness for the source of the sound. He heard snuffling as the animals moved closer and closer to them. Alan turned to look at Jake, silently asking what to do next.

Jake picked up the salt shaker, it was all he could think of at the moment. He intended to toss the salt onto the hell hound that was coming closer. Alan moved behind the food preparation table, putting it between him and whatever was coming.

On the edge of the shadows that cut across the floor, the two black dogs appeared. They were lanky, appearing to be underfed, their skin appeared shiny black almost like they had no hair. Their eyes glowed red, not wavering as they sized up the humans behind the metal table.

When the hounds finally lunged at them over the table, Nadia’s scream burst forward and echoed in the tile and metal filled room at a deafening volume. Jake threw the salt in a wide arc, coating them and the metal table they stood on with a shower of it, but it didn’t stop them completely.

They stopped lunging at the humans but they were still snarling and snapping viciously, making it near impossible to get around them safely. Alan struck out with the big kitchen knife he had found, driving it into one hounds neck with as much force as he could. The smell of sulfur escaped as if he had punctured a balloon filled with the stuff, and the dog seemed to vanish in a vile smelling puff of smoke.

Jake grabbed Alan’s shoulder to distract him from his amazement at how easily vanquished the hell hound was. He directed him towards the kitchen door and away from the remaining hound, who for the moment seemed distracted as it sniffed where the other had been.

“Help me,” Jake nudged Alan when they were out of the kitchen door. When Alan turned, Jake was already heaving the ice machine across the door.

Alan shoved alongside him with a groan, “Think this will work?”

“Maybe not but we gotta try,” Jake replied just as the hound tore into the door, banging it against the ice machine with such a clatter, it seemed like the metal doors would break.

Nadia’s throat was stripped raw from the sheer force of the scream she had lost control of in the kitchen. Her voice when she spoke sounded hoarse and gravelly. “Where do we go? They have us trapped.”

“The elevator.” Alan fumbled in his pocket, suddenly remembering he had keys. “They may have it disabled, but I have the keys and I can see about getting the emergency function to work.

Jake nodded, leading Nadia with an arm around her shoulder into the elevator car. Alan used one key to remove the service panel, pushing buttons and inserting another key to get the generator going. The ice machine flipped with a crash, spilling ice across the brightly colored carpet.

“Alan, you’re gonna have to hurry, buddy.” Jake said quickly. He saw the hound looking around and sniffing for a moment before it caught onto the location of its prey. Nadia had wedged herself into the corner and squeezed her eyes closed in terror.

“Dammit!” Alan angrily kicked the defiant control panel and it starting a sudden whirring noise, and the doors closed. The elevator doors closed just in time for the hound to bash itself against them, baying in wild excitement. It clearly thought it had its quarry cornered, and in a sense it was.

“Is it working?” Jake leaned forward a bit to see what Alan was doing to the panel now.

“I got the door closed, but I can’t get us moving yet,” he mumbled as he pushed buttons and turned keys erratically. He was no longer sure what he was doing. He was just trying everything and hoping something happened. Anything but the doors coming open, that is.