All the Devils are Here

Mantem

Samael

I’m driving to the edge of the city where Lex and Dothan are already waiting for me. Leaving Hera in my apartment might have been a mistake considering that I have a lot of metaphorical skeletons in my cupboards. Everything is highly secured though so I’m not particularly bothered by it. I’m actually happy that could be there by the time I return. And I feel oddly content with the idea that I will have someone to come home to for the first time in years.

As I drive further away from the city and towards Mantem, I finally see Lex’s car parked by the side of the road. He and Dothan are outside the car and seem to be having a conversation but, they notice my car approaching so they pause and wait for me.

I park right behind them and walk up to where they are.

“Hey man”, Dothan greets as we share a nod and Lex asks me;

“How you holding up?”, I ignore the question and ask one of my own;

“Get any useful information out of Mara?”, the sun is a bit overzealous today despite the cool weather and we’re all squinting a little bit as we talk.

“Apparently the last council meeting was in Mantem which is why they were all there”,

“Is she saying that they were in Mantem all these months? Because that doesn’t add up”,

“Yeah. That’s what she’s saying. She also said that Xavier asked her and Slade to return back at some point but, they chose to stay. He was unto something. He wouldn’t tell them but, she knew something was up”, Lex tells me.

This only further proves that it could be very possible that this wasn’t an accident but, an order. What if whatever it is he was up to was the reason why he had to get killed?

“And the exact location of the explosion? Did you get it?”,

“Yeah. It was a hotel. We have the directions”,

“Alright, I’d be right behind you”, I say and we separate ways. I walk back to my newly repaired car and they get back into Lex’s. I wait for them to start moving and then I follow behind.

Lex drives a red Mercedes-AMG that’s an apt representation of his style. Among the four of us, Lex is the only one who has lived a truly glamorous life all his life. Born to two extremely wealthy business tycoons and spent his teenage years traveling the world. Lex’s parents are both werewolves and his mother was a core member of Banes pack when she was much younger but, she left all that to build her financial empire with her husband; Lex’s father. They both barely spend time in any one place but, they pump a lot of money into the pack and other werewolf activities. It’s part of the reasons a lot of pups in our pack can afford to live the lavish lives they live. Back when I first met Lex he used to be a bit of a d**k but, over time he’s become much more humble and we forget sometimes that he’s the most wealthy one among us.

Dothan on the other hand knows every nook and cranny of the center as he spent a lot of time in the streets while growing up. He lost both his parents at a very young age; although they were rogue wolves, they were allies to our pack and many others. They didn’t deserve to die but, they got got by hunters in the end. He grew up almost exclusively on his own with the older wolves in the packs all being very protective of him. I don’t know when he met Trinity or how but, I know that girl is the closest thing he has to family.

I notice the difference once we transition out of Northview and into Mantem. From Northview’s towering buildings, an overabundance of streetlights and pedestrians on most streets to open fields, dry air, and an endless sky. I can’t think of one thing that both places have in common.

I follow Lex and Dothan as we drive past several empty streets, make way too many turns, and finally arrive at where I assume the building the explosion happened in used to be. The building is still here, with half of it blown off and the remaining half looking like a haunted house. There are tapes surrounding what is left of the building and a construction company stationed outside of it. It seems they are in the process of tearing the rest of it down so they can build something else there.

The hotel looks much larger than I expected it to be. For the first time, I wonder how many people would have died in this explosion. I wonder how many innocent people got caught in this. The fact that I’m here to use another potentially innocent person for leverage over the council makes me feel like the villain here. Not only am I going to take someone from Mantem, but I also have the blood of that Nineteen-year-old that claims his mother is a Hunter. I’m willing to stoop low enough to threaten to find the kid and punish him instead in case the council refuses to produce the information I need. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I remember Lucien’s warning that they could come for me if I post too much of a threat but, let them come.

Dothan and I remain in the car and we let Lex do his thing. Being the son of John and Sophie Ramirez comes with a few benefits. One of those benefits is that you can show up to almost anywhere, let them know who you are, show some money and ask for the next of kin or survivors with the promise that you want to cover the bills involved because you have such a big heart and an equally big wallet.

I watch as Lex makes his way to the construction officers located around the building with an air of jovialness but undeniable class. He seems to hit it off with them and shortly later, one of them calls some other guy that appears to be the supervisor or the head of operations here. A couple of minutes go by, they share some laughs and sad sighs, and finally, he reaches out for a paper and pen and he writes down some things for Lex. I assume those are addresses or contact information of the people that we need. They share a final handshake and Lex brings out a fat stack of cash and hands it to the overjoyed supervisor who doesn’t look like he’s going to split that money with the rest of the gang.

He walks back to his car and pulls off in another direction. Once again, I follow them and when we’re a reasonable distance away from the building, we park and I get out of my car to go and meet them.

“Whatdju get?”, I ask. Lex waves the sheet of paper at me as he responds proudly;

“Where I can find the survivors that are from Northview. And he was generous enough to give me directions to where the casualties were buried.”,

“Both here in Mantem?”,

“Yeah”,

“Okay. I thinlk we can split up now. Give me the directions to where they were buried. I know they said some of the bodies are unindified but, if Xavier’s or Slade’s body is there, I intend to find it.”,

“Why does it matter?”, Dothan asks and then adds; “They’re gone. We shouldn’t waste time looking for their bodies. If they were alive then they would have come back by now”,

“I’m not convinced until I can confirm it for myself. C’mon, Lex you said it too that it’s hard to believe Xavier died in an explosion. Don’t you want proof?”,

“He’s right”, Lex has my back and tells Dothan I’m right.

“You guys can head straight for wherever it is the survivors are. All you need to do is get blood from a handful of them and bring it back. We’re not taking anyone anymore”, I say to their surprise. I changed my mind. We don’t need to take anyone yet, we can threaten the council with the fact that we can find them anytime. Atleast, I can.

“I have tubes you can store them in in my car”, I explain further. They know I can track blood but, they don’t know about my ‘blood collection’. I’m self aware enough to know that they think it’s pretty weird but, they only think that because they can’t track blood.

“Okay so we get the blood, you go look for their bodies and then we meet up later, yeah?”, I nod back to Lex. Dothan nods too in agreement.

“Just howl when you’re back here, I’d find you”, I tell them as Lex gives me the directions and we part ways to meet later. It’s a plan.

I walk back to my car and get the tubes which I give to Dothan. After that I get into my car and drive away in the opposite direction of where they ar egoing, I think about what I’m about to go do now. I wonder how I’d feel or what will be different when I go to where the casualities are buried and I see proof of my father’s death. It’ll be real to me then. Maybe it’d give me some form of closure. Honeslty, that’s one of the major reasons why I know that this is something I have to do. And if I don’t find anything to confirm that he died in this explosion then that will be up to the council to proove.