The Night Beat

just your soul against the Prince. You can’t save anyone else if you aren’t saved yourself. You, more than many others, know this. You need to remember it now. You’ve been used, so you’ve been tainted. They’ll try to take you again. And no one can save you but you. Yahweh helps those who help themselves.”
    He nodded. “Got it.” Johnson leaned over Ralph and kissed Helen. “You’ll help with the others?”
    “Of course.” Helen released Ralph’s harness. “We’ll be fine, Gerald.”
    “Ralph, guard Benny. Benny, guard Ralph. You’re both going to be targets, big time.”
    Ralph put his head next to mine. “You be careful. You’re more of a target than I am now.”
    I nuzzled my face into his fur. “No worries. Just look at it as my side of the family being a bunch of back mountain wacko polygamists with scary religious views. I escaped the compound, they’re unhappy about my career and romance choices, the arranged shotgun wedding didn’t work out, and now I’m trying to run off with a long-haired militant.”
    He barked a laugh. “It’s scary how accurate that assessment is.”
    “Any other suggestions?” Benny asked.
    “No. But I do need one thing out of the bag of wonder.” I took the bag and rummaged through it. “If I touch the totem, will that harm me or anyone else?”
    “No, at least as far as I know.” Benny sounded worried. “Let me stress that I don’t know for sure.”
    I wrapped my hand around Adlet’s image. It felt as icky as it looked. “Well, what’s unlife without a little risk? Everyone ready?” Nods all around. “Great. Then let’s go rock the baddest guys in the baddest part of town.” I couldn’t help it, I started humming “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”.
    We all got out of the car. The rest of the civilian humans did the same. The Night Beat cops were already in typical standoff positions.
    I stepped away from the car. Ralph and Benny, holding tight to the bag, flanked me, with Sexy Cindy and Freddy flanking them. “You guys aren’t supposed to go to the front lines with me.”
    Sexy Cindy snorted. “Girl, as if. We came in with you, we go out with you.” She put her hand on Ralph’s head. “Like your dude says, a pack together can never be defeated.”
    “What she said.” Benny smiled. “We survived the car ride. Clearly the Gods and Monsters are on our side.”
    “Hilarious. Freddy, Ralph, any comments?”
    “Once more unto the breach, dear friends,” Freddy said.
    “Watch each other’s backs, fight for right, and bite your enemy where it counts.” Ralph looked up at me with the doggy grin on. “That was Black Wolf’s favorite.”
    “Then it’s good enough for me.”
    The Three A’s were back in formation. I checked out their minion support aside from Jack again. It was still light. A little too light, all things considered. But that confirmed which being I was pretty sure was waiting to make an impressive entrance now that we were here to see it.
    I thanked the Gods and Monsters I’d had Jude put the block in my mind. I also hoped Jude was monitoring my thoughts. The glow from the convergence chasm was so bright I could barely see the other side of the street, but after a little squinting and scanning I could just see him, in front of the Sanctuary Center.
    But Jude wasn’t who I was here to see. The Three A’s and Jack weren’t either. I took a deep breath and we sauntered over. “Yo, boys, how goes it in Evil Land?” I asked as we walked past them.
    “You dare,” Abaddon hissed.
    “Yeah, I do. Because, when it comes down to it, it’s me against the Prince.” The glow from the chasm got brighter. I grinned. “Or, in this case, it’s me against the Morning Star.”
    On cue, he rose up, like he was on a rotating platform, though I knew he wasn’t standing on anything but air. The light radiated from him like he truly was a star fallen to Earth. Then he faced me and I saw Lucifer for the first time.
    Unlike the other fallen angels, Lucifer was still beautiful to look at. I wondered how he both maintained that and wasn’t an object of massive suspicion because of it in the Depths. He was, I had to admit, the most beautiful angel I’d ever seen.
    He nodded to me. “Victoria.” Nice voice. Seductive.
    “Lucifer. Nice of you to join the party.”
    “My presence was…required.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at the Three A’s.
    “Yeah, well, I’d like to suggest you take your flunkies and go back to the Depths.