Richie POV- The next few nights everything was silent. No more demons but also no news on Kate. A man convicted of murder was brought to Jacknife's by one of Richie's Culebras.
If Richie found him to be guilty, he and his Culebras would all feed on him. Alexa knew he would sometimes do this to punish those too evil to simply go to jail. She was down in their room waiting for him to bring food for their date night. She'd already picked out a movie for them.
"So I just want to know, you good at anything?" Richie asked the man tied to a chair in his back room.
"Say what?" the man replied.
"You know like drawing? Woodwork? You play the piano? Violin? Bassoon? You know I played bassoon in junior high. Oboe first but that was too girly so I went to bassoon" Richie said spinning two billiard balls in his hand.
"This wasn't part of the deal man. People who got me out, they said all I had to do was pay. I got the money all right? I got the money!" the man said.
"It's a simple question" Richie said.
"I used to do magic tricks. For the guys in the yard. I should have been an escape artist. That's how I got here right?"
"That's how you got here" Richie said setting the billiard balls slowly on the pool table.
"Was your last trick making your wife disappear?" Richie asked lightly hit one ball with the other sending it into the pocket.
"I never touched her man. I'm innocent. Hey get away from me man. Are you crazy?" the man said as Richie walked over to his chair and put his hands on the arms leaning in close.
"Little bit" Richie replied.
Richie shifted to Culebra form and sank his fangs into the guy's neck. He saw him do magic tricks but also saw him brutally murder his wife and enjoy it. Richie pulled back and put tape over the guy's mouth.
"That was intense" Richie said before wiping the blood off his mouth.
The man was guilty, so Richie's Culebras could now feed as well. Having seen his memories Richie texted Alexa that he'd be a little late. He didn't want to go to the woman he loved with fresh memories of a man who enjoyed killing his wife.
So Richie went out to the bar and ordered a bottle of whiskey. Feeding off people like that man always left him feeling depressed and disgusted.
"Rough night? That's an awful lot of encouragement you've got there" a woman sitting at the bar said.
"I'm fine. Just need a little personal space really" Richie said trying to put her off.
"Is that why you keep disappearing into that room back there?" the woman pressed.
"You like asking questions?" Richie said annoyed.
"Only when I'm curious" she said.
Richie turned and looked at her. He decided maybe he could turn her and get some better memories before joining Alexa.
"I own this bar. That back room is my office."
"Here's your check miss" the bartender said.
"Hold up" Richie said taking the check.
Using his new skill from the man he'd just bit Richie made the check disappear.
"Nifty trick huh?" Richie said.
"You learn that in Third grade?"
"Actually I uh just picked it up. It's on the house."
"So why do you need to finish an entire bottle by your lonesome?"
"In my line of work I come into contact with a lot of poor souls. Sometimes they take their toll. I don't always know how to handle it."
"Maybe the trick is to get to know your own soul first."
"So what kind of doctor are you?"
"How'd you…?"
"Your ID's right here. Dr. Dakota Block" Richie said pulling her ID out of her bag.
"My doctorate was in Psychology. I'm actually a very good listener" she said handing him her card.
"I'll try to remember that Dr. Block."
"Whatever's ailing you I can assure you it's not the end of the world."
"Not yet" Richie said.
Then Richie got a text saying Gonzalez was on his way over with Scott.
"Well back to work. Have a nice night Dr. Block" Richie said leaving her at the bar.
"You owe me" Alexa said meeting him out back waiting for the Ranger.
"I know I'm sorry."
"I get it it's okay" Alexa said taking his hand.
When Gonzalez pulled up they could hear snarling coming from the bed of his truck. When Gonzalez pulled the top off they saw Scott thrashing and snarling all chained up.
"Holy shit" Richie said.
"This is her brother?" Alexa asked.
"Yeah this is Scott" Richie said.
They grabbed Scott as the sun began to rise and dragged him into the warehouse.
"I don't know how he got to her first but it was Kate. If I hadn't stopped her she would've killed him" Gonzalez said as they put Scott in a cage.
"What do you mean 'stopped her'?" Seth asked angry.
"I shot her just a wound. But it worked. It's like she's still human" Gonzalez explained.
"Maybe part of her still is" Richie said.
"No, not the part that did this" Seth said.
"Looks like what she did to Santanico's girlfriend but she didn't finish. It's like she's sucking them dry but... of their souls" Richie said.
"That's fascinating Mr. Spock but the bottom line is this kid's a golden ticket. We can end this thing a whole lot quicker" Seth said.
"What do you mean 'end it'?" Richie asked.
"It's not like he can tell us where she's at" Gonzalez said.
"Maybe not but…" Alexa said.
"She came looking for him remember? Yeah she'll do it again and when she does we're gonna be waiting" Seth said before he turned and walked out.
"That or…she'll send something to find him" Alexa said.
"Either way we'll be ready for it" Richie said.
They set up a perimeter, got their guns all loaded and prepared to wait. Gonzalez went to the local prison to pick up food for Scott.
"What'd the prisoner do?" Richie asked watching as Scott fed.
"What does it matter?" Gonzalez said.
"I wanna know" Richie said.
Alexa was still with him watching as Scott fed.
"Set his house on fire. Killed his two kids. His own mother turned him in" Gonzalez said.
"He got off too easy" Alexa said.
"Any hidden talents?" Richie asked.
Gonzalez just looked at him.
"Queen of Xibalba thinks we're all a plague" Richie said to Scott when he was back to normal.
"So what does this have to do with me?" Scott asked.
"She took over your sister's body. If Kate's still in there you can help us get to her" Gonzalez said.
"Before she tried to kill me she told me to run. It was like she tried to warn me" Scott said.
"So she is alive" Richie said.
"I don't know. I don't know how any of this works okay? Just let me go" Scott said.
"Not until you help us. You still got them swords?" Gonzalez asked.
"Traded my swords for an Axe" Scott said.
"Good thing I like weapons I have swords you can use" Alexa said.
"I'm about my music now" Scott replied.
"Your music sucks" Richie said.
"Fuck you! If it wasn't for you and your brother I wouldn't be in this shithole for a life all right? So thank you for your offer but I'm going to go my own way" Scott said.
"All right enough of this shit. We're not asking. Now either you are with us or you stay in the cage" Seth said walking into the room.
"Oh yeah? You going to keep me in here forever?" Scott asked.
"Long enough to get what we need. Come on boys let's go circle the wagons" Seth said.
Alexa POV- "Go ahead I'll keep watch" Alexa said.
"You sure?" Richie asked.
Alexa smiled and kissed him softly.
"Go don't worry bout me" Alexa said.
"We'll be back soon. Here take this" Richie said taking a walkie talkie and handed it to her.
Then Richie hesitated and Seth tugged his jacket with and eye roll.
"Go I'm okay" Alexa whispered with a laugh.
Finally the boys were gone and Alexa was left with Scott.
"Seriously you're with him?" Scott said.
Alexa turned to face Scott her smile gone her eyes cold as death.
"Yeah I'm with him and if you got anything else to say about it we'll find out how many appendages you can grow back" Alexa said pulling out her knife in the blink of an eye.
"Holy shit" Scott said stepping back.
"That's what I thought. Now shut up unless you decide to help us" Alexa said with a smile.
Then in another blink of an eye she slid her knife back where she hid it.
Richie POV- "We're trying to catch a monster not plan a family reunion" Seth said as they walked the perimeter.
"But what if she's still in there?" Richie said.
"Richard stop."
"I know a thing or two about souls and they can hang around. What if she's trapped? Trying to get out?"
"She's dead all right? How many times do I have to say it?"
"How can you be so sure?"
"Just let her go" Seth said
"Think we got a perimeter breach" the lower perimeter guard said.
"Perimeter you there? Talk to me" Seth said.
"Freddie here. I'll go check on Nacho" Gonzalez said.
"We got company. They got Nacho with some kinda poison dart" Gonzalez said a minute later.
"Okay sweep the rest of the south side. Profirio I'm coming to you" Seth said.
Then Seth looked at Richie and spoke again into the walkie talkie.
"Alexa I'm sending Richie to trade places with you. I want you to meet me."
"Good with me. We're all clear down here" Alexa said.
"Seth…" Richie said.
"Man don't, she's good."
"I know she is."
Richie tossed Seth the shotgun and headed toward the lower level. Half way there a horrible shriek filled the building. Richie quickly covered his ears. The sound was almost loud and high enough to break eardrums.
Alexa POV- Alexa saw a guy dressed in animal skins walk past the far hallway. She knew Richie would be close enough to watch over Scott so she went to follow the guy.
As she rounded the corner she saw him turn another corner a ways down the hall. However when she turned that corner he was gone.
Then a shrieking noise pierced the silence and it sent her to her knees, her hands over her ears. Above the noise she heard a gunshot. She turned and ran toward it.
Richie POV- Richie grabbed another shotgun and made his way to where Scott was being held and saw a man about to open the door. Richie fired but the guy ducked and the shot hit the cage door.
"Hey watch it dipshit" Scott yelled.
The man spun through the air and landed low kicking Richie and knocking him off his feet. They both got to their feet and Richie blocked the knife thrust at his heart but not the punch to the gut.
When Scott tried to open the cage door the man flipped Richie over and into the door. The man waited for Richie to stand up and then swung his sword at him.
Richie dodged the sword and punched the guy in the face. When he went to punch the man he spun Richie around into a neck lock.
Finally he knocked Richie into a crate and threw his sword piercing Richie in the chest pinning him to the crate. Scott snuck out and left and the man gave chase.