Lost

Tuesday morning and nothing seemed unusual.
The low key security guards around the Whitehall complex took little notice as two men pulled in past the barriers, the car parking at a slight angle. Both were young, one dark haired and serious behind dark rimmed glasses, his snakebites a little incongruous above a smart bow tie and white shirt. The man with him was taller and broader, dressed in the uniform of a US marine and very intimidating with a buzz cut and serious expression. They walked purposely towards the main doors.
Neither did the guards notice the two workman lifting a draincover at the corner of the plaza. Both were dressed in overalls, one tall and impossibly lanky, the other movie star handsome. A third man appeared from a small tent, shorter than his colleagues and struggling to move a large bag down into the sewer. All three of the workmen followed it and pulled over the cover.
The guards continued to pace.
Inside secretaries and administrators didn’t give the two men a second glance, the reapers ensuring that nobody would notice them until they reached the outer office. Zacky and Matt opened up a side door, they had been waiting for Jimmy, Johnny and Syn to knock out all the cams and security in the place before entering the office. Shock and Awe was the name of the game and that would work best with a limited audience.
Zacky smiled sweetly at the middle aged and somewhat hatchet faced woman sitting by the door. It had taken Jimmy holding him down and nearly breaking his nose to force focus but now he was ready, all the energy of a reaper channelled into keeping his temper. Lilith had heard a little more than him, the connection between the sisters strong enough to give her a name which when Johnny had cross referenced with the address, had brought them to this office.
“We have an appointment with Mr Short.”
“Who shall I say is…”
Her words were cut short at the slight shift in his face. Zacky’s pure green eyes glowed and a little of his unearthly form showed through. Immediately the woman went pale and mutely pointed at the door. Zacky smiled again and Matt opened the door in front of them. Jimmy walked through first, his pace leisurely but assured. Zacky and Syn met up, locking eyes briefly as they followed Matt and Johnny into the room.
“LEAVE.”
The portly man behind the desk gaped as Jimmy spoke that one word to the two suited men with him. They fled, unsure as to what was happening but sensing enough to know they wanted no part of it. Syn turned the key in the door and smirked, leaning back against it as Jimmy placed two hands on the desk and got in the Minister’s face.
“You have taken my girl, I want her back NOW.”
Charles Short stared. This was not what he had been led to believe would happen. Gerard had never said that these reapers would find them, come looking for him specifically. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he stared at the men. They were unearthly now, bathed in a light that seemed to come from nowhere and he trembled as the smirking man at the door waved to him, his eyes now black marble.
“Fine, do it the hard way…”
Jimmy nodded to Johnny who reached into his pocket. The gadget allowed the witches to teleport easier, he had tried to explain the science to his friends but found himself plied with whiskey every time he attempted it. Placing it on the wall, he flipped a switch and Short automatically covered his eyes as Dani and Raven walked through the blinding light. Both were dressed in blue and beautiful, followed closely by Stefanie who was holding a modified cattle prod. The end glowed with electricity and the mortal winced as they lined up. He didn’t notice the last cowled figure until Jimmy spoke again.
“Lilith, he is hiding your sister.”
The man bit back a scream as a pale hand pushed back the hood. Lilith looked as she had the day she died a second time in 1943. Zacky and Syn didn’t want to see that, the others had steeled themselves and watched, the blue tinged lips and ashen chalky pallor somehow still alluring as she walked around the desk.
“Give me my Claire or I will show you hell.”
Short dumbly shook his head, praying that whatever Gerard was or could now make Claire do would somehow happen in the next ten seconds as cold hands pressed against his forehead. Immediately his mind exploded in red fire and pain, screams echoing around his brain as his wife appeared in front of him dripping maggots from her eyes, her nakedness all too visible as rats gnawed at her breasts. He knew he was screaming and only realised it had stopped and he was on the floor when Matt picked him up off his feet and shook him.
“Still faking ignorance?”
“G-Gerard has her! Down in the basement! Please!!”
Jimmy stared, feeling the rage and magical power peak behind him. This was not what he had expected, that threat had been dealt with. Lilith had dropped the corpse look although she was that pale it made little difference. Syn had wrapped his arms around her waist at that name, he didn’t want any of them to kill the man before they had Claire back. Dani scowled and slapped Short hard.
“Liar.”
Short gibbered as Jimmy and Matt towered over him and slammed his hand down on the desk. A portion of the wall slid back revealing a metallic staircase going down. Cold air rose up and the witches unconsciously stepped back. There was magic at work here and it wasn’t good. The mortal was almost forgotten, Johnny and Stefanie leading the way down as Dani muttered protection spells and Lilith tried again to get through to Claire. Zacky grabbed Short by the collar as he passed and shoved the man down as Jimmy pressed the button and followed them through the door.
The staircase led down at least six flights, the fat man puffing as he tried to keep up with the immortals. The whole place hummed with power, Raven aware that they had never come across these levels, not even in the battle with Patollo. All of them were tense, on edge and Zacky wanted to scream.
“Where now?”
“Keep going down.”
Lilith conjured a globe of blue light and sent it down the stairwell. They still had another six flights and by the time they hit the bottom Syn had taken over dragging the mortal along. He made sure the man’s head connected with the wall a few times before they reached a locked door. Short didn’t ask or protest, pressing his clearance badge against a panel by the door. Syn smashed his head into the wall, dropping the unconscious man as they walked into a huge room.
Gerard sat in the middle, unconcerned and with an irritating smile.
“Well now, how nice to see old friends.”
There was a flash and bang as Jimmy and Syn charged forward, the forcefield knocking them back. Gerard sniggered and walked forward to where he knew they wouldn’t reach him. Lilith hadn’t stopped staring, the two former lovers now locking eyes.
“Where’s my sister?”
“Safe.”
Zacky growled, the knife in his left hand humming quietly in his head as he allowed the pitch to build and tune in. Johnny had taken one side, Stef the other with Raven watching the door as the reapers advanced as far as they could.
“What do you want Gerard? We thought you died with your god.”
Gerard smiled again and Jimmy stepped forward, shielding Zacky from view. He knew what his boy was doing and was content to wait and make Gerard spin this out until they were ready.
“A setback, he showed me more than you will ever understand. Claire is so much more powerful than you realise.”
“I know what each of my family is. Now cut the crap before I let the twins rip your face off.”
Gerard scowled, the arrogance of the tall man was showing and it was frightening. He had always wondered why the affable Jimmy was the leader of the group and could now see why. The stone cold killer was showing through.
“You can’t even reach me, your threats mean nothing.”
Jimmy stepped back as Zacky angled the singing blade at the forcefield, it snapped and crackled, Syn already through it before Gerard realised it was failing. The demon was loose, Gates hurled Gerard across the room, the plaster fracturing as he struck it and landed in a heap. Lilith followed her man, calling for Claire as Matt pulled Syn off and the other reapers started checking out the doors dotted around the room.
“Claire!!”
Dani beamed, Claire was sitting on the floor seemingly unhurt and smiled as Zacky appeared and pulled her to her feet. She grabbed his hand and they headed out into the main room where Jimmy now had Gerard sat in the chair. Lilith had found another room and disappeared into it as her friends hugged Claire.
“Are you ok?”
Claire nodded, her face pale. She pushed her hair back from her face and Zacky felt his rage increase as he saw all the bruising around her temple.
“I’m fine.”
Gerard sniggered, the sound cut off as Zacky slapped him hard.
“Do you know why he took you?”
She nodded, standing with Matt’s help as she looked earnestly at Jimmy, an eerie smile crossing her face. For a split second there was a silence, something in her face making Syn frown and pull Jimmy back. At that point the world seemed to explode.
“Get down.”
Lilith deflected Claire’s fireball from the boy’s faces with a millimetre to spare. The room she had found was a shrine and she had been horrified as she began to understand. Not fully and not quite believing it herself but Lilith had been given a second to act.
Jimmy and Matt tumbled to the floor as Gerard dove for a button on his desk, the previously locked doors opened to reveal troops. The reapers were outnumbered and Jimmy knew that with Claire to tip the odds they were in deep shit. Dani and Lilith were fighting a loosing battle, deflecting the mass of flames flying from Claire’s fingers as Zacky and Syn battled against armed and well trained soldiers.
“We need to get the fuck out!”
Zacky screamed, his heart breaking as Claire grinned evilly at him and threw a fireball for his face.
“No!”
“Yes!!”
Lilith gave up deflecting and dipped into the old magic. Once again all the reapers dove for cover as she hurled it into the troops, Claire and Gerard. All were flung back ,the mortals killed and the immortals stunned. Matt grabbed one of Zacky’s arms as Syn took the other, dragging him back to the door.
“We can’t fight her right now, not like this.”
Still he struggled, Syn finally forced to knock him out as Dani and Raven sealed the room with everything they had and all of them sprinted back up the stairs and through the office. The building was full of screaming people, the reapers soon being forced to cloak as they headed out into the street. It was Johnny who asked the question they had all been thinking.
“What the fuck just happened?”

Notes