January 2, 2022

A Heroic Trio


Previously: The Vermin Horde

"Uh...Daos?" Dominador began awkwardly, once they were back in the SUV and speeding back towards the other side of town.  "If I understand correctly, you intend to ask Hyun-jun for help."

"That's right."

"And if I understand the relationship between you two correctly, he doesn't like you," Dominador blinked.  "In fact, it's safe to say he emphatically despises you."

"Correct again," Daos snorted.  "But in this gig, Dominador, everybody's got their price.  And as for Hyun-jun's detest, trust me when I say there are folks much higher up on his list."

The detectives weren't surprised to find Im Hyun-jun up and about at this hour, wearing the hell out of one of his impeccable suits no less.  He was in his new office space downtown.  It was freshly renovated and expensively furnished, looking even more elegant than City Hall itself.

Dominador tried to ignore the discomfiting lack of "human" things in this guy's office, like a water-cooler or box of Kleenex or a mug of fresh hot coffee.  They found the demon broker behind his giant new cherry wood desk leisurely lounging in his large, leather-bound chair, feet propped up on his desk.

"And to what do I owe this displeasure?" he gleefully asked.  Dominador noticed that when this man smiled, it never really reached his eyes.

Daos was blunt, to the point.  "Hyun-jun, this town is on the brink of a full-blown infestation."

To Dominador's surprise, Hyun-jun's feet promptly dropped to the floor as he shuddered, visibly horrified.

"Good gods!" the demon broker recoiled.  "I thought you were running a clean city, Daos!"

"I was running a clean city until someone decided to play judge, jury, and executioner, going all ham on that water demon," Daos snapped.  "You want to play your little capitalist games in this town?  Fine.  I don't give a shit.  But the Horde is coming, and if you ever want to see your friend Gomez re-elected, a few plumes of your precious Hellfire would not go amiss."

***

"...Mayor Antonello Gomez of Soleado Valle is coming under fire yet again for being perceived as unprepared and ill-equipped to appropriately handle a city-wide emergency.  Hospital administrators are livid at not being informed of a possible epidemic and the Center for Disease Control is demanding to know why it was not contacted as well.  Several town residents are reporting a lack transportation and a destination to go to in the face of this rather sudden, inexplicable mandatory evacuation...."

Carmen Arellano switched off the TV in her office and turned to Trish Flores.

"Your friend is making things awfully interesting for our dear Mayor," she remarked coolly.

"True," Trish shrugged, giving her duffle bag a hitch.  "But you gotta admit, with Daos around, there's no shortage of stories."

"Have the offices been cleared out?"

"We're the last ones standing," Trish assured her.

Carmen rounded her desk to grab her tiny suitcase on wheels.  "Does Daos even know how long we'll be out of town?" she irritably inquired.

"No clue," Trish shrugged again, following her out.  "He didn't even explain why we have to leave.  He just made me promise that I'd make sure the Chief of Police got out.  He's a little sweet on her."

Carmen paused in mid-stride.  "Really?"

Trish nodded.  "I think she's into him too.  They have this weird kismet thing going.  He gave her a necklace recently, supposedly for good mojo."

Carmen beamed the brightest Trish had ever seen her beam.  "Really?"

"Oh, yeah," Trish chuckled.  "But they're going through some sort of denial phase.  Probably because he works for her, and she's older, and all that BS."

"Have they gone out any dates?" Carmen probed, resuming their walk to the parking lot.

"I think a couple, but poor Detective Ona got dragged along like some sort of third wheel."

"Of course," Carmen nodded.  "They would need to keep up appearances."

Trish gave her a stern look.  "This isn't one for the papers, Carmen," she warned.  "I'm just sharing this with you so that once and for all, you can stop thinking the Chief's going to hook up with the Mayor."

***

"The portal is most likely located near Club Piel Desnuda," Daos began, as he pulled out his weapons chest in the middle of his and Dominador's apartment and began unloading a pair of crossbows.  "Dominador, I recommend you grab a bow, some bolts, and as many stakes as you can carry.  Hyun-jun, if the portal actually opens up within view --"

"-- then I send a blast Hellfire of through it big enough to barbecue their entire race," the demon broker nodded resolutely.

Dominador was disturbed.  "Whoa, whoa...what is with the genocide?  Like, I get defending our turf and all, but we're talking about an entire species here."

"We are talking about the Horde," Hyun-jun spat, and Dominador was suddenly reminded of when the dokkaebi had faced down the rusalka.  "Mindless, rabid, flesh-eating rodents who do not belong in our world.  For the last three thousand years, it is has been explicitly understood between the Upper Beings and Lower Beings that if granted the opportunity, these vermin are to be exterminated without question."

"We may have to take cover within the Club itself if their numbers grow too quickly," Daos went on, as though neither man had spoken.  "We cannot leave the portal unattended.  That's not even an option.  Now, once we've located its exact position, Hyun-jun will seal the gate.  Which means you and I will need to cover him.

"Are we all clear?"

Next: Believer

2 comments:

  1. Nice to see Trish notices everything indeed. Although I'm sure the mayor would lose his cool if he found out Bibiana was interested in Daos.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Now I want to play Warcraft. Or Torment.

    ReplyDelete

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