Lucifer's Apostles

Lucifer's Apostles Episode 35

Hearing the ceremony end, Snake did not believe he would feel guilty about Maria when he saw her dead body, but he was wrong. Nobody deserved this. It did not matter what they had done. He could not stand by and let it happen to Sally.

There was a lot of blood tonight, the worst he had seen. As he uncuffed her, he realised she had also bled between her legs. He called Jacko and waited for him to come and carry her before he returned to help the volunteers clean up.

When everything was cleaned, including Maria. Jacko dumped her into the van before they drove to their newest destination. Snake had been informed the police were watching sheds, nowhere near the church and nowhere near where they were heading.

The church, the beach and then the school. Snake did not know who was thinking up these destinations. They were original, if nothing else. He hoped there would be no trouble with this job. They had been lucky so far. He looked at the big man driving and asked, “You seem quiet tonight, mate. What’s up?”

“I thought I’d be happy to see her dead. It didn’t help anything. Melissa still isn’t here anymore, and she never will be. They’re gonna replace her with someone like Tipsy, who drives me crazy talking at a hundred miles an hour and never shuts up. I know they are. Melissa was nice and quiet and always polite”, Jacko said.

Snake wanted to say, “She was to you, mate. She treated everyone else like dirt under her feet”. Instead, he said, “You’ll miss her for a while, and then you’ll be okay. Do you want to put your playlist on? We’ll sing a song or two in memory of her?”

“That’d be good, Snake. You’re a good friend. It’s lucky that she didn’t choke you. I would have cut her head off with the chain around her neck”, Jacko said. Snake had no doubt he would have tried. He did not think it would have been possible. He thought it may have gone close the way Maria had been pulling on it around Melissa’s neck. Your neck was a lot tougher than people thought.

Snake put on Jacko’s playlist. They sang some songs together until they arrived at their destination. Snake thought it was handy having someone inside the police force that told them their every move. When they found this body in the morning, panic buttons were sure to be hit. The police were getting closer and then being led in a different direction. If they got too close, Ruby knew Snake would stop. His business was too important to him. He needed to support his son, which meant he needed to be paid. For that to happen, the job had to be finished.

When they arrived, Jacko picked Maria’s lifeless body up, like he had Melissa’s the night before, only this time not so gently. He carried it to the steps and laid her down. Snake positioned her. He placed the pennies in her eyes and one in her mouth. He then took the tea towel from his waistband and tucked it under her chin.

She looked peaceful. He had used a lot of makeup on her burn marks and scratches that Jacko had inflicted on her. Her shoulders were not plum, plus her feet were at an angle. Jacko had done some damage to her ankle as well. She would have looked better if she had been laid out in a coffin. Snake thought you could only do your best with the tools you were given as he and Jacko returned to the van. “Let’s sing some more songs for Melissa on the way back”, he told Jacko.

January 18

Louise messaged Ned after she left the ceremony and told him to wait for her in front of his place. It was just after midnight when she picked him up. “You told me that you wanted to be alone tonight. I was in bed asleep”, Ned said. He did not need to pack anything. Most of his clothes were at Louise’s apartment. He only had the essentials where he lived. He spent six out of seven nights at Louise’s.

“Are you whining about coming to my place? If you are, I’ll stop this car right now, and you’ll never step foot in my front door again”, she scolded him.

“N-no, I’m sorry. I w-want to come to your place, please”, Ned Stammered.

While driving, she thought about the conversation she had with Ruby and Joe Hawkins earlier in the evening about Lisa Blythe. Ruby had surprised her by nominating Katie Phillips as well. Joe thought it would be too risky to take either. Lisa fit the description better than Katie, not that there was anything wrong with Katie. She was out of the age frame set by Bronwyn. Ruby agreed with Louise that both might distract Tank Dodge enough so they could finish their ritual. In the end, the final decision always came down to Ruby, and she loved the idea. She had already set the ball rolling for Katie.

Louise pulled her car into her parking space. “Come and open my door”, Louise ordered. Ned did as he was instructed. Getting out of the car, Louise led the way to her apartment. After they had entered, she told him to make her a coffee with biscuits. Whilst drinking her coffee, Louise thought about a man in the vestry from earlier.

His name was Harry Kemp, a member of parliament, and he was hot. He worked out a lot, and he had an eight-pack. They flirted with each other constantly. Nothing had come of it yet, although she was wearing him down. He was in a relationship with another of the disciples, Anita Devlin, a barrister in the city’s heart. The two hardly even made eye contact all night, while Louise and Harry had watched each other constantly.

When he got in the shower, his eyes never left hers as he washed himself. Louise had taken all her clothes off, and when he finished, she walked forward to take his place. As they passed, Harry touched her on the bum. While she showered, his eyes may not have met hers, although they looked at her body numerous times until Anita came across and held him. She gave Louise a harsh stare. Even while they were in each other’s arms, Harry continued to look at her body.

Louise was hot and flustered. She needed a man, and all she had was Ned. “I bought you a present pet, put it on and say thank you”, she ordered him. It was a studded collar with a chain. Putting the collar around his neck, he said thank you. Louise left her half-finished coffee and took the end of the chain. She led him to her bedroom and ordered him to strip. She would make him rub her feet, then pleasure her, and he might even get lucky in her current mood. While he rubbed her feet, she thought of Katie lying on the birthing table. As Ned moved from her feet up her legs, her thoughts changed to her on the table and Harry coming towards her. Louise grabbed the chain before pulling Ned’s head up to where she wanted it and said, “Good boy, Pet, that’s a good boy”.

***

Katie woke Tank and held him, “I wish we could have a sickie,” she said. He moved in to kiss her, and she pulled her head away, “What have I told you about morning breath. Behave yourself, Sarge, or I will put you in the naughty corner”, she told him, giggling again.

Tank laughed back. He had never been put in a naughty corner. It would have been better than Jack’s leather strap. His mother’s loving arms always soothed him, with Jack telling Suzy that she spoilt the children. “How about I put you in the naughty corner?” he stood and quickly picked her up.

She wrapped her legs around him and forgot about the morning breath, kissing him for close to a minute before she pulled her head away, saying, “Yuck, That is so grouse. I told you no morning breath”.

Tank complained, “You kissed me”. Then he lifted her over his shoulder, carried her into the bathroom, stood her in the shower enclosure, and turned the cold water tap on. Katie punched into his arm, laughing so hard they could not talk.

Turning the hot water tap to make the water a tepid temperature, Katie dragged Tank in. All thoughts of morning breath faded quickly as they washed each other’s bodies with a sponge. When Katie finished washing Tank, she pushed him out of the shower. “We do not have time for this, Sarge”, she said, “Clean your teeth and have a shave. We need to get going.

After showering, they dressed in their work clothes, and Katie made Tank breakfast. She poached eggs and put them on muffins. She poured hollandaise sauce on them and served them up for them both to eat. Tank said, “I’m only with you for your cooking”. Katie reached across and feigned to hit him, both laughing.

“You’re a s**t stirrer Tank Dodge. You already know that don’t you?” she said through her laughter, spitting food fragments into the air. That made them both laugh harder, Katie covering her mouth, embarrassed.

“Say it, don’t spray it”, Tank told her, making her get up and slap playfully at his arm. “You lost your posh talk just then. I hope you realise”, he said, laughing harder.

“I beg your pardon?” Katie asked.

“When you talk, you hardly ever say don’t, or it’s. You say do not, or it is. It’s the way you were raised to speak proper English. It’s one of the things I love about you”, Tank said.

“Did I just hear you say the L word, Sarge? she asked. Tank’s face turned a bright red, and Katie sputtered out, “Got you back”, and started giggling again as Tank took her in his arms. “So much for breakfast”, she said and finished with, “I told you before we do not have time for this”. Tank let her go, and they finished breakfast.

Tank said, “That was delicious. I can’t fault your cooking. No one’s perfect, Katie. What demons are you hiding from me?” He smiled, and she knew he was being playful.

“I suffer from depression and anxiety”, she said thoughtfully. “I have been on medication since Gary, and I split. You make me happy. I have not been like this for years, thank you”. She had tears welling in her eyes.

Tank stood up and held her again, “The only reason I don’t say the L word Katarina Phillips is because I think it’s much too early. It doesn’t mean I don’t”, he said before she jumped up into his arms and kissed him.

“I feel it too, Sarge”. Before putting her down, she said, “We should get moving, we will be late”. Just as she spoke, his phone rang. By the time it touched his ear, hers started ringing, too. Let the day begin, Tank thought.