Author's Note: I'm sooooooo sorry this took so long to get posted. My life has been a comedy of errors lately and things got kinda real for a moment there, but everything is sort of stable now and the muse is back. Hopefully the universe won't throw anymore curveballs my way and the next update won't take as long.
Stefan talks a lot in this chapter. I'm apologize for that in advance. Also I'm an abuser of commas. So sorry for that too. Bonnie's dad makes a small appearance this chapter, and I'm taking his character in a completely different direction since the show has given no explanation as to where he's been this whole time and how he's suddenly mayor material (R.I.P. Carol.)
I'm gonna go back and edit the previous chapters because I've noticed a few grammar and spelling errors, so if you've noticed anything please let me know. I edit for a living but when it comes to my own work all my skills go out the window.
Warnings: Language.
Born Under a Bad Sign
Chapter 2
Bonnie felt like laughing.
She clenched her fists together, digging her nails into her palms hard enough to feel sharp pain because she knew if she let that bubble of giggles out she might not be able to stop. She'd be hysterical with it and it would do nothing to convince her friends that she hadn't cracked up.
Demons.
That word resonated in her head as she held Stefan's steady gaze. She felt Caroline shift in the doorway behind her. Out the corner of her eye she saw Elena open her mouth as if to say something, probably some words of comfort, but close it just as abruptly. Beyond the front porch the sky was void of clouds, a perfect balance between summer and autumn where the air seemed cleaner and sharper. Across the street a neighbor was using an electric trimmer on his hedges. Down the block a group of kids could be heard laughing as they ran from yard to yard. It all felt so mockingly normal. While her life was quickly turning to shit around her the world outside just kept rolling on.
The laughter dried up as suddenly as it appeared, replaced by a bitterness and plan old envy at all the naïve people around them. She wished she could be like them, where the only thing supernatural in her life was watching re-runs of X-Files and trying not to roll her eyes at her Grams' wine induced ramblings. It was childish and ultimately useless, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't jealous. There was safety in their ordinary lives. While she wouldn't trade her knowledge of what was lurking in the shadows for anything, she knew their ignorance more times then not kept them out of harms way.
She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath, holding it a few seconds before letting out a sigh that sounded world-weary even to her ears. Elena was looking at her expectedly and Bonnie felt a wave of empathy towards her. She was usually the epicenter of all things crazy in their world for the past year and she honestly didn't know how she held it together. One week and she was beyond ready to pass the mantle back to her.
Then again, she didn't have two vampire's hell bent on proving how much they loved her and were willing to protect her by any means necessary… and at the expense of anyone who got in their way.
Shaking the thought away she stood, one of the books Stefan brought still in her hands. "I haven't had nearly enough coffee for this."
Caroline made an agreeing noise behind her, "I'll go put another pot on."
Bonnie thanked her over her shoulder before turning back to the two left on the porch. "You might as well come in, Stefan. I have a feeling this pow-wow is gonna be a long one."
He stood after collecting the books off the worn porch, nodding his head and giving her a quiet thank you. Even still she blocked his path after Elena had entered for a few seconds, giving him a stare that clearly told him not to make her regret the invite inside.
They ended up in the living room. Caroline played host, handing out steaming mugs as they settled down around the coffee table, the books spread open on it's wooden surface. As Bonnie folded her legs under her while getting comfortable on a floor pillow she caught a whiff of alcohol from her mug.
"Caro," she protested with a frown.
"What? I figured you could use a little Irish pick-me-up," she said with a shrug before plopping down on a nearby loveseat, crossing her stretched out legs at the ankle. "You can thank me later, once you realize you probably need it."
Bonnie wasn't sure she could argue with that. Still, she pushed the spiked coffee to the side and looked at Stefan wearily. "So, you say I have a demon problem?"
"It's what I suspect." He leaned forward on the couch so that his elbows rested on his knees, his mug clutched tightly in his hands. "You have to understand that I've never actually met a demon before, that I know of. They have no real reason to deal with vampires since we already have one foot in the grave, so to speak. They can't get a hold on the thing they really care about with us. But humans still have souls. And they are valuable.
"It wasn't something I remembered until recently. Something Klaus made me forget. He's always kept…questionable company, and given his age and his hunt to break the Sun and Moon curse he's met his share of supernatural beings. Most of them have been witches who don't share your benevolent way of practicing. They use magic for gain, which goes against the natural order of everything it stands for."
He gave her a pointed look. "You know what happens to a witch who does that. There are consequences. Always. But the witches Klaus has a tendency to gravitate towards use magic as if they have nothing to lose. These type of witches are a dime-a-dozen. I've met hundreds over the years and very few have the family history that yours does, with magic that's passed on from generation to generation. The kind that's strictly for the purpose of keeping the natural balance. The ones that don't have opened themselves up to something dangerous. Sold a pivotal part of themselves for a power they weren't meant to have and abuse.
"The only way for them to do this is to summon a demon. In in exchange for their soul they can abuse the gift you have with no limitation and no fear of repercussion. The spirits can't control them because whatever they tap into is darker then anything they've been a conduit of before."
He took a sip of coffee, licking the excess liquid off his bottom lip before continuing. "I wasn't trying to imply anything earlier when I asked if you'd been tampering with anything dark. But Klaus had just forced you to do the unbinding spell and I thought maybe there was something in it that would have put you on it's radar. Drawn it to you."
"No, nothing like that." She shook her head. "I mean, it was a difficult spell but the only thing demonic about the entire situation was Klaus and his psycho sister's torture room."
"I was hoping that would have explained what happened to you and why you have a demon sniffing after you," he said, frowning. "If it wasn't the spell then it means it sought you out on its own. It wants you for something, Bonnie. And the only thing I can guess is possession."
"Why would it want me?"
"Because you're powerful. Demons need a vessel in order to function, and what better one then the body of a genuine witch?"
There was a moment of silence and Bonnie swallowed heavily. This was way over her head. It was hard enough trying to wrap her mind around the fact that demons apparently existed. But to know that one was after her, for whatever malicious purpose, was enough to make her stomach turn.
"More then likely it scared you the way it did to tear down some mental barriers. It needs you weak and vulnerable in order to possess you. But I don't think it realizes how strong your will is. Being a witch helps. It's the reason you're naturally resistant to compulsion. But I think most of it is just you. You're stronger then you give yourself credit for. Still, from what you told me this demon is older than dirt. That means it's patient and it's going to keep trying, Bonnie. It will wait however long it has to and do whatever it takes to break you."
"What do I do?" she asked him softly.
"We," Elena spoke up, putting heaven emphases on the word, letting her know she wasn't in this alone, "have a few options. I guess your Grams already had this place pretty heavily protected, but it wouldn't hurt to go through and check all the wards. Maybe add a few more just to be extra safe."
"That's what the books are for." Stefan gestured to the table. "There are protection symbols in there. I've got rock salt in the trunk, we can use that to line all the windowsills and main doors. It's a barrier that many supernaturals can't cross."
Caroline wrinkled her nose. "That actual works?"
"Yeah," Bonnie said. "Witches use it all the time. To shield themselves or to contain something. As long as the line isn't broken and depending on how you're using it, nothing can get in or out."
"Well that's great and all, but these are only temporary solutions," Caroline said. "You can't stay here forever, Bon. And there's no guarantee it won't find a way in eventually. There has to be a way get to rid of it for good. Either a way to kill it or, I don't know, go all The Exorcist on it's ass."
"I've exhausted mine and Alaric's book collections and everything I've found has been pretty vague on that subject. It's all about balance. If there's a way to summon and demon there has to be a way to send it back. But they've only mentioned the rituals, they never actually wrote them out." Stefan sighed. "I'm gonna have to talk to Klaus. He has experience with this type of thing."
"No," Elena said emphatically. Obviously this part of the plan was new to her. "No way! Last time you went to him for help he forced you to become something you hate."
"I know," he said, looking as if the prospect of doing it was slightly worse then drinking Drain-O. "I'm out of my league here. We all are. But if anyone knows what to do it's him. He's had a habit of palling around with demons in the past."
"And he also doesn't hand out freebees either. He'll want something in return," she shot back. "And who's to say he isn't responsible for all this anyway? For all we know he sent one of his hell buddies after Bonnie just for a good laugh. We can find someone, anyone else. Even if it means leaving town."
"We don't have time to find someone else. This needs to happen soon before that demon gets wise and does something drastic like burn this house down, protections spells and all, just to get what it wants. Klaus will have answers."
And just as looked they were getting amped up to really start arguing about it Caroline silenced them.
"I'll do it."
Both Bonnie and Elena start to protest but she held up a hand to quiet them. "Look, I'm the better bet. For whatever reason he likes me. I don't think he'd make me do anything extreme for the information."
"Um, hello?" Bonnie shook her head. "He had your boyfriend bite you in order to get into your good graces by saving your life. That sounds pretty extreme to me."
"So he has a twisted way of courting." She shrugged. "I'm not saying I like the idea, but if it means finding a way to help you then I'll take one for the team. I don't think he'll do anything to hurt me. Not again."
She didn't sound so convinced of it herself but Bonnie could see a determined set to her jaw that let her know there'd be no talking her out of it.
"I'll go with you."
"Elena." Stefan turned in his seat to get a better look at her. "I don't think that's a smart idea."
"He needs me. He won't do anything to me."
"You set him up to have his mother kill him and staked his brother." Stefan reminded her gently. "He'd probably drain you and leave you for dead just out of spite."
She deflated, sinking back into the couch cushions with a slight pout. "Fine."
"So it's settled. First we'll work on demon-proofing the house then I'll go have a talk with the Original bastard. And hopefully we can find a way to get you out of this mess," Caroline said, a wide smile gracing her lips. If there was one thing Bonnie always admired about her friend it was her optimism, even when faced with the worst of odds.
She was used to doing things solo. Solving her problems on her own. Grieving on her own. To have them rallying together to help her felt so foreign. She was usually the one with a solution, whether it was a premeditated plan or a hastily executed one. But now she was literally stuck having to rely on them to find answers and probably fix them while she twirled her thumbs, hoping that no one got hurt or killed in the process. She didn't like it, that feeling of helplessness. It rubbed her wrong on a base level and she knew she was going to have a hard time not being proactive about the whole situation.
It was a trust thing. So many people had let her down in life that it was easier to just take matters into her own hands. That way she wouldn't be disappointed. Maybe it made her jaded, but at least that way she would be the sole cause for any hurt she might experience. It was something she knew she'd have to work on getting over eventually, but she certainly hadn't been in a rush to do so.
Now it looked like she didn't have much of a choice.
She looked them over, worrying her bottom lip before letting her shoulders slump with a sigh. "Alright. But before we do anything I'm going to take a shower and get dressed."
She stood just as Stefan did. He pulled his keys out of the front pocket of his jeans.
"Can you help me grab the supplies from my car, Caroline."
"Sure." And they were both out of the room with a blur and rush of air.
Bonnie started to collect the coffee mugs and Elena was quick to help. When they reached the kitchen sink to dump them, Elena shooed her away.
"I'll take care of this, you go get showered and dressed. Oh, and wear something you don't care about getting stained. There's paint involved."
"Thanks," she said, turning on her slipper covered feet just as Elena turned on the faucet. She was halfway across the room when her friend got her attention again by calling her name.
"I know it doesn't sound like much right now, but I promise we're going to figure this out. We always do."
Bonnie forced what she hoped was a confident smile but didn't reply. Instead she shuffled her way up the back staircase to her bedroom. The assurance was made to make her feel better, but it was such a hallow one. When it came to the monsters they dealt with nothing hardly ever went right. And if it did there was always a terrible price to be paid. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be this time.
Taylor could feel her eyes on him as he packed the meager amount of clothes he brought along into his football gym bag. The motel he'd been staying at was trashy, to say the very least. With it's horrible split-pea colored wallpaper, water stained ceiling and a décor that obviously hadn't been updated since the mid-80's at best, he could say for certain that he wasn't sad to leave it behind.
But it didn't mean he was any eager to return to Mystic Falls. Especially since he was no where close to achieving what he set out to do when he put the town in his rear-view mirror weeks ago.
But the master called, and like the welled trained dog he was he had no choice but to come running.
With a resigned sigh he tossed a pair of socks that he was sure had been white at one point in the bag. The smell of unwashed laundry made him scrunch up his nose in distaste as he stood and headed to the bathroom to collect his toiletries. Hayley was still leaning against the wall by the television, arms crossed as she watched him move around the small room with a scowl on her face.
He'd been putting up a good front at ignoring her, but he knew from experience it'd only be a matter of time before she opened her mouth and say her peace. He didn't want to hear it because it wouldn't change anything. Within the next hour he was going to be back on the road, because despite his best efforts and even her help, he hadn't been able to break the sired bond.
He could still feel the lingering pain from his last try, the joints in his neck and shoulders protesting sharply if he moved faster then they were ready for. The constant, burning strain in what felt like every muscle in his body as they healed from the extensive damage the forced transformations caused. He was pissed that all that self-inflicted agony hadn't gotten him anywhere. That tether of connection was still pulling at the back of his mind. He still felt that blind compulsion to do whatever Klaus asked of him; to please him.
Even his phone call left him in excited in a way that was similar to a child who wanted to gratify their parents. It disgusted him down to his very core but he just couldn't help himself.
Returning to the bed he tossed in his toothbrush, deodorant and razor, a little bummed over the fact that his life had been reduced down to one smelly duffel. Behind him he heard Hayley finally move from her place holding up the wall and his shoulders reflexively tensed.
"It's a girl isn't it?"
Taylor continued back to the bathroom without answering to gather up the half-used complimentary shampoo and an unopened bar of soap. It was probably the one thing that the motel was good for, restocking the tiny bottles whenever he made a call to the front desk. The coffee machine in the lobby was a second close. It certainly wasn't the imported stuff he was used to back home, but it was cheap and didn't taste like grounds and ash. He was learning to appreciate the small things that made his situation a little less miserable.
"It's not like that," he said finally, tossing the bottles in the bag and turning to glance at her. Her face read that she was unimpressed and he sighed before rolling his eyes. "Yeah, it's a girl. Alright? But it's not in the way you're thinking."
"Then enlighten me, because the only reason that I can think of that would make you go back is some vagina in distress that you've have the pleasure of being up close and personal with," she said, raising her eyebrows. "And maybe you hope by swooping in and saving the day you can be reacquainted with it."
Tyler was already exasperated by the conversation and it had barely even started. "Look, she needs my help and there's nothing more to it. Bonnie has never been anything more to me then a friend."
That word felt weird as it rolled off his tongue and he suddenly realized he'd never considered his relationship with her before let alone tried to classify it. He used to chalk it up to small town living. Growing up with the same people you automatically started calling them friend simply because you knew so much about them. But at best you were mostly acquaintances, connected by Southern hospitality and the ever present small community gossip that gave the illusion that you were more familiar with a person then you really were.
That wasn't the deal with Bonnie, though. The truth was he hadn't bothered to get to know her any better because there had always been something about her that unsettled him.
Even before he activated the werewolf curse and learned what she was (and that their town had a long history of being a hotbed for supernatural madness), there was a part of him that always shied away from getting too close to her. He, to this day, couldn't quite put a finger on it. It was something in the way she looked at him at times. Like she could see right past the privileged jock front he projected out to the world and truly know him. There was a connection there he'd always been afraid to explore in the past, but with everything going on now he was a little more willing to see what the hell it was. Because that jolt of powerful awareness he'd always get whenever she was near had to mean something.
Maybe it was a witch thing. They were apparently responsible for werewolves very existence, among other things. Or maybe it was the whole creatures of nature part that made him feel drawn to her at times. He didn't know and it just was another question added to a very long mental list of things he was clueless about. It bothered him, being so ignorant about the secret world he'd found himself thrust unwillingly into.
"Bonnie?" Hayley scuffed at her name and if Tyler didn't know any better he'd think she was jealous.
He was used to getting double takes from women. Being well aware of the fact that he was an attractive guy he could willingly admit that he'd used it to his advantage. He even tried it a few time with her, testing the boundaries of their budding friendship with flirty smiles and not-so-subtle innuendo. He didn't know why he did it, exactly. She was a beautiful woman but he wasn't interested in her in that way. Habit, he supposed. In the end it didn't matter because she was utterly indifferent to his teenage charm, treating him more like a little brother that was feeling himself because of ragging hormones then anything else.
"Yeah, Bonnie," he reiterated. "And even if that blood-sucking dick hadn't ordered me to, I'd still go back."
It was the truth. He normally tried to keep out of whatever Elena related drama was unfolding at any given moment. Dating Caroline and being what he was kind of threw him in the mix of things despite his wishes. And Caroline always gave him a play-by-play of what was going down. Sometimes he felt biased because he usually only got her view of what was happening but he finally figured out that, though Caroline could be emotional at times, she had a very good grasp at reading people and situations. One of her biggest complaints was how Elena and her boy toys treated Bonnie, calling her only when they needed her for a magical fix to some problem they, more times then not, created on their own.
Caroline saw it and she absolutely hated how no one even acknowledged the sacrifices her friend made, let alone thanked her.
Even he was guilty of it. He'd benefited, mostly indirectly, from her altruism and still he never went out of his way to see how she was doing, even when he knew she was in a bad way. Being with Caroline opened his eyes to the grand levels of shit she went through just to keep her loved ones safe while at the same time trying to do what was expected of her as a Bennett witch. If playing Kevin Costner to her Whitney Houston for a few days was one way of showing his appreciation, then he'd do it.
Plus, wherever Bonnie was Caroline was sure not to be far behind. It was a crappy thing to think when her best friend was in trouble, but he missed her more then he thought possible. The few late night phone calls and texts they sent each other weren't nearly enough. He wanted to be able to feel her cool skin in his arms and bury his face in her hair that always smelled like wild flowers.
So really, Hayley was sort of right about the whole 'vagina in distress' bit. Well it was more like his dick being in distress. He had to fight a chuckle at the thought.
"I guess short of knocking you out and chaining you up somewhere, there's nothing I can say or do to get you to stay, huh?"
"Nope," he replied as he gave the tiny room a quick once-over to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. Not that he had much to leave behind anyway.
He heard her sigh. "Well at least let me come with you. You might need someone to watch your back."
He turned finally to give her his full attention. "It's not safe for you there, Hayley. Klaus probably knows what I've been doing up here, and if he finds out that you've been helping me-"
"Yeah, I get it," she cut him off with a slight eye roll. "I just don't understand why you have to rush back there. What we've been doing must have helped some. The simple fact that you're still here taking the time to argue with me is proof enough that the bond isn't as strong as you said it used to be. We can keep trying. Maybe this is the kind of push you need to server the tie for good. Maybe actively fighting a command is the key. You just can't go throwing that all away for some girl in a place where you said no one gives a damn about you!"
"I just…" Caught in his own lie he stepped closer to place his hands on her upper arms, lowering his head to get a better look at her. "This is something I have to do. Sired bond or not, one of the few friends I have is in trouble and this time I can do something to help. I owe her that."
"Okay," Hayley said after a long moment while reaching up to squeeze his wrists briefly. "You do what you've got to do for your friend. But the second it's done, you drag your butt back here. We have work to do."
He nodded. "That's the plan."
She gave him another hard, assessing look before stepping out of his hold and moving towards the door. Tyler watched as she grabbed her jacket off the back of a chair as she went. She turned back to him as she slipped it on.
"You have my number," she said. "If anything changes or you need help, let me know. You might not think you're part of the pack, but we're still here for you. So don't be a stranger."
Before he could say in reply she was gone.
He stood there for a while staring at the closed wooden door. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about being in a pack again, considering the disaster that happened to the last group of wolves that let him into their fold. He was sure that Hayley had some inkling of the truth from the small bits and pieces of his real life he'd been adding to his Florida cover story. She didn't seem to care about his reluctance, though. And from the few other members that he'd been introduced to, he got the impression they didn't much care either.
It would be nice to be belong to a pack again, but he wasn't willing to risk their lives for a bit of camaraderie. Especially if it led Klaus to another group of people being turned and forced to kowtow to him.
"Fuck it," he muttered to himself after dragging his hand across his face. He had other things to worry about at the moment. He zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder before grabbing his keys off the discolored nightstand. Flicking off the lights, he slipped out the door and headed down the cement walkway to the motel's front desk.
He inhaled deeply as he walked, trying to settle the anxious feeling that had been flirting through his veins all day. It had taken a lot of focus to not show it around Hayley because if she'd sensed his unease she probably would have tied him up to keep him from going anywhere.
He tried to convince himself as he checked out that he was just nervous about returning. He left one hell of a mess behind and hadn't lived up to the promise he made of fixing himself. That was part of it. But his instinct was telling him that whatever he was about to walk in to was a lot bigger then the babysitting job Klaus had assigned him to.
It would figure. Things in the Falls were never as easy as they were made out to be.
"Hey, it's me. You, ah, you've probably heard from the school by now that I haven't been there all week. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not sick or hurt or anything. I know you don't like talking about… well you know. But something happened and it's kinda dangerous for me to go anywhere. I've been at Grams this whole time and it's safe here. The girls are with me and Stefan, you know Elena's boyfriend, has been helping. So don't freak out, alright? I'm okay.
"I know you said you won't be back until Tuesday but is there any way you could cut your trip short? I'm in a little over my head and I can't find Grams' journals and everything is a mess… I just– I'd feel better if you were home Daddy. So umm, call me back if you're not too busy. If not I guess I'll see you whenever you get back. Bye."
Rudy pulled his cell phone from his ear and pressed 1 to listen to the voicemail over again. He couldn't remember how many times he'd done that, just like he couldn't remember that last time he'd heard his daughter call him Daddy. Bonnie had always been independent, even when she was just a little thing running around with coltish limbs and pigtails. There was no coddling her over skinned knees or childhood nightmares. She kept a flashlight under her pillows to chase the monsters away and her skill with pouring rubbing alcohol and applying band aids was almost surgical. Her favorite words growing up where "Dad, you're not doing it right," while plucking whatever he was fiddling with out of his hands or moving him gently away from whatever kitchen misadventure he was about to blunder himself in to.
Most of the time it was a good thing because it meant she was responsible and he rarely had to worry about her while he was away. As the years passed and she got older (and he in turn spent more time away) she learned how to take care of herself. He had purposely raised her so that she wouldn't always need him because there were no guarantees in his line of work and his next trip out of town might be his last. But his way of parenting also bred a level of resentment that made asking him for help akin to getting a root canal.
She was asking for it now though, in her own round-about way. And he felt like crap warmed over because he was halfway across the country, in clothes that had three days of body funk on them and a stomach that was protesting the fact that it had been surviving on nothing but protein bars and coffee. And he wasn't there to reassure her.
He wasn't going to win any father of year awards anytime soon. Hell, he wasn't even in the running. He knew that but it didn't mean he wasn't doing what he could to keep Bonnie safe. Which is why he was leaning against his Bonneville outside an old paper mill with his phone pressed to his ear, listening to her try to hide the desperation in her voice.
He heard the crunch of feet on gravel behind him and he quickly closed his phone and shoved it into his pocket with one hand while at the same time reaching for the gun wedged in his waistband.
"Hey Uncle Rudy, you ready? We're all set up inside."
He relaxed a little, recognizing the voice and turned. "Yeah, was just checking my messages."
Derek stopped at the hood of the car, his thumbs hooked in the belt loops of his jeans. "Everything alright?"
Rudy sighed and rubbed at his forehead with the heal of his hand, trying to erase the frown lines he knew where there.
"Something happened back home." He cleared his throat. "I need to get on the road after this. Bonnie… she needs me."
Derek tilted his head towards the building behind him. "Then lets get this over with. The less time we have to spend here, the better. Place smells like ass anyway"
Rudy let out a chuckle as he they headed inside. Though the abandoned mill hadn't been in use in over a decade the air still smelt of rotten eggs. It wasn't pleasant but it served it's purpose by being off the beaten path and away from prying eyes. He held the door open for his nephew and let him lead the way through a labyrinth of halls and rooms. Not that he really needed him as a guide to were they were headed. All he had to do was follow the screams.
"He's a stubborn one," his brother, Mitchell, said as soon as they entered a larger room that at one time might have been used for storage. Derek gave his shoulder a brief squeeze before going to join his older sister by a portable water irrigation tank set off to the side. Rudy saddled up next to Mitchell, who was standing with his arms crossed, glowering at the figure that was tied to the chair in front of them.
"We knew this wasn't going to be easy," he said, watching the smoke still raising off the soaked man.
Mitchell uncrossed his arms to rub the back of his neck. "He's all yours. Just don't get too close. Derek and I bolted the chair down, but you know how slippery these bastards can be."
"I'll be alright." He assured him.
Rudy wondered who their captive was before all of this. He was dressed normally enough in a t-shirt and khaki shorts, though somehow in the struggle to get him here he lost one of his Converse sneakers. The hair in need of a cut and slight stubble on his checks screamed aimless post-grad student. It was a shame really, he was still a damn kid in so many ways.
Rudy frowned as he circled around him, checking the trap they'd painted on the concrete ground earlier and watching as he flinched every time water dripped onto him from the outdoor showerhead they'd rigged up earlier.
Completing his inspection, he came to stand in front of him again. "What's your name, son?"
The bowed head came up and Rudy found himself looking into hazel eyes. "I already told them. My name is Brandon. Brandon Hart."
Rudy looked over at Brittany, his niece, who was leaning against the wall by the water tank. She nodded her head once before twisting a lever hooked up to a hose. It took a few seconds for the water to make it's way through the suspended pump, but when the sparse trickles finally turned into a steady stream the screaming began again. He watched dispassionately as the young man cursed and writhed around as much as his tight constraints would allow. He didn't know how much holy water really hurt a demon but judging from how they reacted to it, it must have been like acid raining down on them. The seconds turned to minutes and Rudy kept a close eye on the level of the tank. They started out with fifty gallons worth, which was probably overkill. But at the same time he didn't know how long they would be there interrogating. It was better to be over prepared than to fall short and lose the upper ground.
"That's enough," he said after a while, his ears ringing slightly from howls echoing off the walls. The water cut off as he pulled up a spare chair. He waited a moment for the pain-twisted face to go lax and to see eyes that had gone completely black. Aside from Mitchell tensing slightly behind him, no one was startled by the change.
"Ah, there you are," Rudy said. "Let's try this again. What's your real name?"
"Mal," he said with venom in his voice, even though it had gone horse from yelling, before shaking his wet hair out of his face.
"It's nice to meet you, Mal. I'm-"
"I know who you are. Word was that you'd gone soft, started a little family and retired."
Rudy shrugged. "Yeah, well I had to get back on the hunt. You know how this economy is."
Mal chuckled a little. "What is it that you want? Or is this just a training exercise to get you back on your game?"
"I just want a few questions answered. Truthfully," he replied. "If you do that to my satisfaction then you're free to go."
"Answers, huh?" Mal raised a brow. "And if they aren't to your satisfaction?"
"Well…" Rudy gave Brittany another pointed look and Latin words started rolling off her tongue with an ease that he was slightly envious of. Mal started thrashing around in the chair again.
"Alright! I get your point," he yelled, straining against the chains that held him bound. "STOP!"
Rudy nodded and Brittany cut the exorcism off abruptly. He waited for Mal to catch his breath before he started speaking again.
"So, are you going to cooperate? Or should I call this a wash and just have her finish?"
Mal groaned as his head lulled back. "Fine. I'll answer what I can."
"Good." Rudy smiled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. "It seems your bosses downstairs are planning something. Something big. I want to know what it is and how my daughter is involved."