Mother of All Darkness

Author's note: The ongoing issues between Dolph and Anita (in the published books) is very well conceived by the author. Quite heartbreaking to see their tight friendship fray and fade. But I am somewhat annoyed in that the Author has not done any writing about that character rift for many years. Well… I understand that things get dropped or passed by when writing book after book. Things like Dolph and… Gretchen. Opps, my bad, that wasn't any foreshadowing now was that?

Apologies for those who will find the crime scene graphic but it is nasty, trust me that there is a reason for that. As always, thanks to LordGrise for helping craft this chapter as his knowledge of medical and criminal details is a great help.

33a: Outside the warehouse

Tammy and I exchanged glances as we exited the car, one that communicated our mutual discomfort at Dolph's behavior, as Dolph got out and waited for Illyana (A.K.A Agent Romanova) to exit the car, which she did on Tammy's side. This put her on the opposite side of the car from Dolph, and I couldn't blame her for putting a bit of distance between the two of them given what he had just said. They both exchanged a look, and then Dolph jerked his head to his left to indicate she should follow him.

He walked off to his left while she walked around the car to follow him as they walked out of earshot as I walked around the back of the car and joined Tammy and Zerbrowski. I noticed that a roach-coach was parked just outside of the police line serving coffee and donuts (yeah I know, total stereotypical but heck, rather common at major crime scenes as the processing can take a long time).

The air was still chilly even though it was approaching noon, such is early spring in St. Louis. Somedays it can get hot without the humidity of summer, and other days it stays cold like it has been for the last week; last gasps of winter before Spring was firmly in control. The idea of something warm to drink was tempting, but not coffee, and no way was I going to stoop to drinking tea (at least where anybody could see me). I know, Coke can provide the caffeine I crave in lieu of coffee, but sometimes you want something hot.

I gave Zerbrowski a silent WTF look as I walked up to him. He glanced away to look at Dolph and 'Natasha' before turning back and answering my non verbal question. For a moment his smart ass act slipped and a look of pained horror crept out of his eyes. "I know, he's out of line, but… cut him some slack until you've seen the crime scene. And… not a good time to be talking about everybody being a monster."

Zerbrowski's seen major shit, and I've seen lots of that same shit with him. He doesn't spook easily, which meant that this wasn't going to be good. Tammy semi whispered a question at him. "That bad?"

"Dolph doesn't want me saying, you know how he is about unbiased first impressions. That said, Isuggest you don't buy anything from the roach coach."

That brought a question to mind, one that was absolutely legit. "Zerbrowski, if we're here for first impressions… how in hell did a roach coach beat us here? And if it's so bad, then how's he doing to be doing any business?"

Zerbowski glanced over at the food truck and shrugged. "He's got a radio scanner, whenever he hears the initial calls and on a major scene of any kind he comes a running if there's not any close by restaurants. We checked him out when he started showing up at scenes, he's legit, and he knows to stay out of the way. And it's not like we're letting anybody in yet." Zerbowski shrugged. "You haven't been running with us lately; not surprised you didn't know."

All of us looked at the truck, and then at Dolph and 'Natasha'. Dolph was clenching his hands and looked absolutely furious about something she'd just said, and then she said something additional that froze him, leaving him just wordlessly staring at her. She shrugged her shoulders after a few seconds before leaving him and walking over to the coach where she purchased something and waited for whatever it was she bought. Dolph just watched her go and still looked stunned about whatever she'd said.

I decide to do a little mental communication. (What did you tell him?) I sent to her as she was paying for her food.

Russian accented thoughts were my answer. (Asked simple question. Son date female vampire in his file. He upset. Rage upons it. Solution simple, is not he head of RPIT, feared by vampires and weres? Did he not once hold Master of City in jail? Just order favor from Master of City, make female vampire permanently… go away, however that be. His hands stay clean, and son is safe. Problem solved.)

I was not pleased. (That's… that's a bitch move.)

Surprise in her thoughts. (Why? He already thinks it, I see it gnawing upon him. I just voice what he struggles with. Wants to do. Wishes to do. But one thing I think his hand stays.)

(What?)

(If he do that, then no longer able to pretend not a monster.)

(Still a bitch move. Dolph is my friend, don't you dare fuck with him.)

A statement that slightly surprised me, yeah Dolph and I were not… friends at the moment, but I still considered him a friend and really hoped… wanted… that we would get past our differences.

A touch of annoyance from her. (Story not finished am I. Told him falling is easy, been there, did that. Some things once done undone never can be. Plus... What if monster says no?)

What if the monster said no? I thought for a second as she walked back to us holding a toasted bagel, then answered. (I guess the reason why they said no would be key.)

(Yes… what if monster not monster? Disheartening to find true monster in situation is self.)

Yeah. I can… relate. And I got a vibe from her that she could as well. Crap, if he's thinking such thoughts then he's already getting close to possible action. It would be oddly ironic if her stating such to Dolph actually prevented him from acting upon his temptation.

Zerbrowski chimed in as 'Natasha' chewed on her bagel. "I'd advise against that."

"Why? Bagel is good."

Zerbrowski was being kind for some reason, likely that hair color promise for his wife that she'd made. "Just saying… it is a crime scene."

Just a shrug of a response from her as she reached into the back seat to retrieve her travel mug of tea. "Good am I. Bad things seen before."

That's when Officer Clive Perry walked up. He's African American and takes after Dolph on dressing nice. I've always found him to be an extremely polite member of RPIT, I have no idea what he did to get put on the squad (generally it's considered a punishment but Tammy had volunteered as she was a witch and really wanted to be involved with RPIT). He had latex gloves, nasal plugs and Bengay cream for us (you put it on your upper lip as it's right under your nose; your lip gets hot but the vapors deaden your sense of smell).

Only Agent Romanova declined the nasal plugs and Bengay because she said she wished to better sense of the scene. And damn straight I used the plugs and Bengay, you know it's going to be bad when it's on offer.

Dolph walked back over to us at that point, having regained his self control, and gestured with this thumb at the building. "Let's go."

We went, with 'Romanova' still eating her bagel.

Part 33b: Discoveries

We entered the warehouse through the office front door, past some yellow police tape. The first hints of what was coming hit us even through the Bengay and plugs, which is always a bad sign. The smell of rotting meat, a few days past bad. Agent Romanova wrinkled her nose in distaste as she briefly stopped walking and wrapped up her bagel in a napkin before storing it in her purse.

The office spaces were all empty with a sense of disuse. A bit dusty, and cold. Heck even colder then the outside air as I could feel the air flow from the air conditioning which was on for reason, you'd have thought the heat would be running. Dolph and Zerbrowski led us to the back of the office spaces where there was a stairwell leading up. We went up to a small landing at the top of the stairs where there was a door that led out onto the roof of the office space, but still within the warehouse. It gave an excellent view of the well lit open space, due to both the skylights and the lighting system.

The smell became a physical presence as soon as that door was opened, hideously thick and glutinously adhesive in the air; the kind that makes your eyes water. And heck, it was even colder then outside. I winced at the stench as we made our way to the roof edge (there was a railing) and gazed upon the warehouse space below.

There was a huge pentagram shape on the floor that was roughly thirty feet wide, which was in a huge pool of dark, almost black, liquid… Blood, it was old blood. The pentagram was… it was made from… crap… naked human bodies. Then I noticed there was a crucifix containing a body at each pentagram point. My eyes returned to the pentagram made from bodies. That's when I realized there was a hum was from clouds of flies orbiting the bodies on the crosses, which were squirming with maggots. That thick, rotting stench abruptly crawled down my throat, and suddenly the Bengay was worthless, because I could taste…

Yeah, all of the cops with us lost their lunch. Tammy and I also lost it after first trying to choke it back. Dolph and Zerbrowski knew what was coming so they kept it down (I later learned that they both had already lost it when they had first seen the scene and didn't really have anything to come up). Romanova was the only one who didn't, just looked down upon the horror with expressionless eyes and turned to ask Dolph a question.

"Does this happen in country often?"

But I could feel her disgust and some nausea on our link. It was good to know that she wasn't completely inhuman.

Part 33c: Examinations

So… we, meaning me, Tammy, 'Agent Romanova', and Larry got busy examining the mass death scene as we were the SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) on magic.

But first we needed to get properly dressed, which meant dawning light full chem-bio body suits because of that big-ass pool of blood and the dripping ick from the bodies on the crosses. Tammy, Larry, and I also had on respirators (which did help immensely) while 'Agent Romanova' was open faced because she said she wanted minimal barriers between her and the crime scene. This of course took us a few minutes, while we doing this, others were escorted in.

Who all likewise lost the contents of their stomachs.

The coroners showed up, and puked.

Other cops? One word. Vomit. Hmm, maybe three words is a better description as there was: Lots. Of. Vomit.

Crime scene hardened murder detectives… Yep, spewed like geysers.

Additional Forensic people? There she blows…

Marshal Kirkland? He had puked long and hard, so much for starting the day with the breakfast of champions.

The hardened FBI and ATF agents. Vomit… just great, more vomit.

I think you get the picture. Okay, I confess that I… might be exaggerating just a tad.

I know, crude and unfeeling to try to make jokes about such things, but humor is a coping mechanism and most cops turn to gallows humor as a way to deal. At least nobody had yet puked on the actual crime scene, dry heaves yes but nothing really comes up when you have the dry heaves after losing everything. I once vomited on a murder victim when I first started, gads Dolph and Zerbrowski didn't let me forget that for years. Barfing at a crime scene was looked down on, mark of a newbie and police group think reinforces that attitude. Now almost all rookies lose their lunch at their first not-fresh body but… this crime scene was rather unique in many ways, so losing it was normal.

There was some light conversation as we geared up. I'd asked Larry and Tammy about their daughter, always a good lead-in as most parents are always willing to talk endlessly about their kids. This kept the conversation polite, at least while we got ready.

As they both informed us about the latest antics of their pride and joy I sent Illyana a thought. (Okay, I get it. Red is not blonde.)

She sounded pleased. (You like?)

Sigh…. (It's okay.) I am so not fussing up.

Amusement from her. (Good, you like.)

Irritation from me. (I didn't say that.)

(Yes… did you.)

(No I… okay… it looks… good.)

(And not blonde?)

(No… not blonde.) Crap, so not blonde. Heck, I think she'd be more blonde if she shaved her head as I'd keep remembering that her hair had been blonde. But the flaming red… that was… I reminded myself that I needed to stop thinking about her hair.

I just had to ask. (Um… this isn't… um yours?)

The irritated mental vibe I got was a definite no.

With that we were done prepping and it was time to get to work.

The forensic team helped us while we did this in that they photographed everything before we touched any of the bodies as well as helping us turn over bodies when needed. Tables had been set up with lab equipment, so the various biological samples that would be taken could be cataloged and examined as we worked. Heck, they even sent up a drone photographing everything for posterity. Now usually the forensics team would wait for the magical types to finish their examination before collecting physical evidence, but in this situation, due to the mass of bodies, they worked with us because to examine this scene in detail we would have to alter it. Once we were done they'd be bagging the bodies after additional evidence gathering.

But to revisit the whole vomit thing for a moment, for a crime scene this bad, not vomiting was out of character, meaning 'Agent Romanova' was viewed with suspicion as I kept seeing people giving her a stare whenever her back was turned. (I likewise gave her a few stares, but that was just to fit it).

When we started we first just looked at the mass of bodied and the pool of blood. Nobody was eager to take that final step as walking in the still liquid pool of blood was going to be like walking through thick sticky syrup, beyond off-putting. Dolph and Zerbrowski were on each side of the pool so they could record down any observations made by us.

"Why is the blood still liquid?" Complained Tammy, speaking for all of us as she gazed at our task. "The flies and maggots means that time of death was days ago. The blood shouldn't… shouldn't be like this."

"Anticoagulants?" Mused Larry with that tone of voice that stated that he wasn't buying his own suggestion.

I voiced my belief. "Perhaps, but I'd bet on something magical, even if the lab boys find a non magical reason for the lack of clotting."

"Maybe spell, Detective Reynolds? You know of one?" Commented 'Agent Romanova'.

"There… is one that the church uses for… people with blood clotting problems, but that one is for healingand this…" A wave of Tammy's hands at the bodies and pool of blood. "Is not healing."

I took the lead, not that I really wanted to, best to just get the job done. "Let's take a quarter each, and walk the edge of the pool."

I was once at a crime scene where the perp had drawn pentagrams and Nordic runes to make it look like a satanic ritual killing. We were here to figure out if this was authentic, and if authenticate, authentic what; assuming we could figure it out. Here's a pro tip kids; make sure if you use runes you don't just randomly draw them; letters have meaning and that's what runes are. Spelling out nonsense just doesn't cut it.

So… was it:

Magic?

Vampires?

Weres?

Satanists?

Evil witches?

Girl scouts gone bad (I know… cut the humor).

Some other mystic baddie?

Or was it all just a put-on to hide the real reason for the crime…?

"Imagine summer and no AC. Hell, we'd have to count skulls to get a body count after first having to vent the entire warehouse to make it breathable." Was Zerbrowski's less then helpful comment. Which was horrifyingly correct; dear God, the place would be unbreathable and the flesh would have liquefied after a week in summer heat and humidity.

"Just like your car." Was my comeback. Which was a lie, while the back of his car is a wasteland of garbage, it's far from this nightmare.

Larry voiced what I was thinking. "Just how the hell do you kill this many people without anybody noticing? There must be thirty dead people here. Lieutenant Dolph, has there been a spike in missing persons reports?"

"No." Was Dolph's gruff answer. "We'll be running prints from each of the bodies as they're removed. They had to come from somewhere, but that doesn't mean they came from here."

Larry asked a question. "Who owns the warehouse?"

Zerbrowski replied. "Anix incorporated. Real estate firm. Place has been empty for three months and is available for lease. It was one of their maintenance guys who first found the horror and called it in."

Crap, it might take days to physically process and then clean this crime scene once we were done. And when this story broke, and break it would, it was going to be international. I can see why Dolph brought in everybody at the beginning. Just no hiding this.

So we got to work. Examination of the bodies, which meant walking in the blood, and turning over bodies that were face down, with help from the forensic staff. Sigh… sometimes this job sucks so bad. Thirty bodies made up the pentagram, eighteen men, twelve women, all in good physical condition. Three women and two men on the crosses, no idea as to their physical condition due to their advanced decay. No kids thank God. Extra hated it when there were kids involved.

At times like this I wish we could just raise the dead and ask them about the murder scene, but murder victims rise as uncontrollable killer zombies in search of their killers.

(Good idea.) Sent Illyana.

(No… not a good idea. Bad demon.) I sent back. Then paused… did I just make a joke? And… did she? Back to work…

We had started with the pentagram bodies because the bodies on the crosses were just too gross; meaning we'd get to them last after the horror of the scene had palled due to exposure; and yes folks, things do get more tolerable as time passes. A blessing and yet… one reason that bad people are able to do bad things; such things just get easier with repetition. The pentagram bodies were all naked, pale grey, waxy, no lividly at all; completely flaccid, no rigor mortis, no vampire bite marks. One wound per body, ear to ear cuts on the throats. Interesting, and thankfully, no maggots; decomposition was not consistent with the corpses on the crosses. That strongly suggested the possibility that this was not one scene, but two due to the differences in decay. At least decent quality fingerprints could be taken, something that was not going to be possible from the bodies on the crosses.

Agent Romanova observed. "Not resisted, they."

"How can you tell?" Asked Tammy with what sounded like suspicion.

I answered. "The cuts are too smooth. If they had resisted, then the wounds would be more inconsistent, crooked and likely multiple cuts."

Larry added some clarification. "Sacrifice enough animals rising zombies and you learn what a clean slice is and is not."

Tammy thought about it for a moment and then nodded in agreement. Yep, hacking away at a chicken or a goat is gross, and sucks for the animal, something Larry and I both knew since if you raised zombies for a living, you learned to make your cuts quick and clean. I traced one of the wounds."So either they were restrained, drugged, or unconscious."

Eventually I got to the crucified victim I'd been working towards. I simply stood still for a few moments, looking up at the body, studying it while thinking about how I wanted to approach it. It was so decomposed I was afraid it was going to tear off and fall into the mess I was wading in, and that just wasn't good practice. At a distance there were no visible throat wounds that I could observe. As I got closer, I could see no visible wounds at all; the corpse was tied rather then nailed to the cross. Of course, they're all ten feet off the ground, so they'll have to be taken down for a detailed examination... But the body was contorted and I suppose it might have had a frozen look of horror if their faces weren't so distorted and discolored. What skin I could see was pale and… a bit of lip dropped off of the one I was looking at, revealing a long incisor.

SHIT!

I shouted. "Fang! I see fang! Everybody back up! Dolph, I need a ladder, right now!"

Dear God keep us safe, for if the bodies start standing up we are so screwed. It's daylight but magic has been acting weird so best to play it safe. I gestured for everybody to back away. Crap! Dead vampires kicked this crime scene up a whole bunch of notches… I glanced at my cross, no flares, likewise Tammy and Larry looked at theirs, and all the cops who had crosses, Jewish star, or any other religious symbols. Which suddenly demonstrated that Agent Romanova did not wear any religious symbols.

"Why no cross Agent Romanova?" Asked Tammy. "Non believer?"

Romanova was staring at the body on the cross nearest me as she answered. "Cross symbol of faith is, Detective Reynolds."

"And you lack faith?"

An incomplete answer that left Tammy looking puzzled as 'Agent Romanova' started walking around and staring at the bodies on the other crosses. "Just opposite detective." To be truthful, an answer that left me puzzled as well.

"Thank God it's daylight, Anita, no chance of the vampires rising." Larry said as we had a quick confab. We then requested (ordered, actually, but asking is always the polite path when dealing with local police) that SWAT be brought in, equipped with flamethrowers. Dolph agreed (thankfully) and the call went out. St. Louis SWAT trained with ghoul exterminators so they knew the drill.

After the Forensic guys brought a ladder over, Dolph and Zerbrowski aimed their firearms at the body that I had alarmed on while other officers aimed at the other crucified bodies after direction from Dolph. Larry and Tammy just backed off while 'Agent Romanova' went back to looking hard at the body that I was getting ready to examine.

The ladder was set up behind the cross, no way was I putting my throat within biting distance. I climbed up behind the body and glanced around the side to take a close look at the mouth… yep, vampire fangs. And the body was dead, so dead that my necromancy couldn't tell that this had ever been a vampire. I spoke slowly and clearly at each of my findings, finishing as I came down the ladder.

"And the others?" Asked Dolph.

'Agent Romanova' answered. "Vampire… dry they are. Nothing left."

"And you know this how?" Asked Tammy as she walked up to stand by Romanova.

"Witch you be." Was her reply. "Can you not see?"

"Mystic gazing takes time." Was Tammy's reply.

A shrug from Romanova that communicated that that perhaps she did not share that opinion. She then got a questioning look on her face and started staring at the bodies on the ground.

Dolph wanted a second option as to the deadness of the vampires. "Marshal Kirkland?"

Larry was likewise taking a long stare at each of the crucified bodies. He finally answered. "Dead as in dead. Not a hint of anything. Even at rest an Animator can sense… call it life, within a vampire body that is at rest during the day. But these… there's nothing left."

"And the bodies on the ground?" AskedZerbrowski.

'Agent Romanova' looked up from where she'd been staring at the bodies. Then looked to Tammy, Larry, and lastly me, looked at us with an expression that clearly communicated 'Do you want to give the news, or should I?' Tammy was puzzled for a bit, the undead really were not her forte, while Larry suddenly winced as my eyes narrowed at what I suspected I knew she was hinting at.

Dolph's voice was neutral as he asked. "Kindly share your… observations, Agent Romanova."

"Not fully sure… but… some feel like lycan. All are dry… like vampires. Gone… sucked empty. Rise they will not."

Larry's statement echoed what all of us thought. "Crap, just what the hell would need that kind of power? This would be necromancy on a scale I've never heard or even read about except from the Aztecs or other ancient cultures."

"A binding, or a summoning." Was Tammy's answer, which I was certain was right on the mark.

Yeah, just one long pig (meaning one human) in a necromantic ritual could raise all kind of zombies (and yes, I speak from experience and no I don't do that kind of thing). But Illyana and I knew just what that ritual must have been for, and why they needed that much power. After all, binding a Hell Lord must take… a whole lot of mojo. Hmmm, I never did ask her about the other sites she said she had examined, needed to talk about that later with her.

"Any vampires missing, Anita?"Asked Dolph.

Good question, and one that I needed to be careful about. "None that I'm aware of. I'll ask Jean-Claude tonight."

"Hate to think your boyfriend might be hiding something." Mused Zerbrowski out loud.

"That would make two of us, Zerbrowski." Was my answer. "But I really don't think so."

"That famous temper of yours?" Was his snide response.

"Yeah…"

Later…

Damn this place was cold. Wish we could turn the heating system on or bring in some space heaters but… not a good idea. And yes it was suspicious that the air conditioning was on. Somebody had turned it on after deactivating the temperature thermostat cut-offs, and yes that was suspicious. Very suspicious, like… they had wanted the bodies kept as fresh as possible.

All non-essential activity ceased while the vampire bodies were removed from the area, a task that was not nearly as simple as it sounded. Each was lowered to the ground via the crosses they had been tied to, after photos and evidence were first taken. Removed and placed in coffins. Each vampire was prepositioned over the coffin that was prepared to receive it, and only then were their ties cut (Larry and I used our silver knives). They didn't so much fall into the coffins as splash in, yes, they kind of fell apart from the impacts, like meat falling off of stewed bones. Then the coffins were bound with silver chains and had a big cross placed on the coffin lid, because nobody was taking chances (yet more gear that the Forensics guys had, and so did the coroners). Then each was loaded into a separate transport to be removed to the morgue, who well knew what they were receiving (they have a special vault for vampire bodies, or other bodies that folks might have apprehensions about).

While we waited for the last of the vampires to be secured, Larry asked 'Agent Romanova' a question. "How on earth did you not gotten sick?"

A frown from her, then a little shiver as her expression changed to one of musing "Sad…"

"Sad?" Was Larry's question as Tammy commented.

"She's just showing that she's a major hard ass."

Romanova shook her head and the musing tone vanished. "Sad that I did not. I... Detective Reynolds, what do when first body dead you saw?"

"I got sick." Was Tammy's reply.

"Did you later?"

Tammy's answer started out hostile, but ended with a questioning tone. "Only when it… got… really bad?" As Tammy got what was being hinting at, that 'Agent Romanova' had seen much worse.

"As said… sad. Perhaps hard ass as you say but… would prefer reverse."

Larry took a step back. "Just what the hell do the Russians have you do?"

A shrug from her that somehow communicated all of what was before us as we got back to work examining the remaining bodies on the floor. One of the forensic guys shouted that the early blood tests showed that all of the clotting ability of the blood was gone as there was no platelets in the blood, and that traces of opiates had been found as well.

A few minutes later Tammy asked a question of Agent Romanova as we worked, like she was trying to make small talk. I resisted the urge to sigh and roll my eyes; Tammy always tended to being too eager. "Just what club did you go to, Agent Romanova, that you got so sick that you were unable to come to work yesterday?"

"Louder then Hell." 'Agent Romanova' replied. "Club nice was. Went to gym, then club. Then… hazy. Uber I took back as car I left. Then sick… very sick. Devil drink is Tequila. Uber to car this morning before work."

That question was a bit too obvious even for Tammy. Not that she wasn't saying what likely others were thinking, and not that Agent Romanova appeared to give it any notice. We continued working. After all the bodies had been examined and we'd poked about for a bit I got a thought from her while we took another brief break at some chairs and tables that had been setup; unsurprisingly nobody wanted to eat or drink anything. Interestingly, the Russian phrasing of her thoughts was gone, guess she was distracted.

(Nothing… I can sense nor see nothing other then the physical that lies before us. Which means it had to be those who are doing this to me.)

I replied. (Bummer, it would have been nice if you could do that aura viewing here.)

(Yes… it would be illuminating as there should be magic residual from such a ritual. But I am still blind…) A hesitation from her before she finished the thought. (But you might not.)

(Meaning sharing your ability like those few times before?)

(No… that would leave you as blind as I. I… was teaching you how when I showed you before.)

(That apprentice thing again?)

(Yes. Look with more then your eyes. You have seen it done, experienced it, you should be able to do it as you have the talent and the power.)

(Okay, I'll give it a shot, go over by where one of the crosses had been standing and look… I don't know, look like you're doing something magical and mysterious.)

(Why?)

Great, now she sounds like me, but it was a good question. (So you can take credit for anything I see, likely best to enhance your reputation and I might get all kinds of grief if I suddenly have new abilities right now.)

(Okay… um…) A sense of hesitancy in her thoughts as she got up and did as I asked. (Suggest you don't try to look at Heaven.)

(You mean up?)

(Heaven is not a physical location.)

Okay, that made a kind of sense and… kind of not. (Why?)

(It… hurts … the reminder of what I am denied. But… you are not I. Perhaps you would instead be comforted. Either way, I suggest you avoid attempting to gaze upon the Silver City for now.)

(So demons can see Heaven?)I wasn't trying to be sarcastic, it's just that… well… you know… demons and Heaven?

She responded with a bible quote. (Job 1:6-12 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.)

(So you can go to Heaven?) Was my surprised thought.

Her thoughts started sad, but ended angry. (One supposes to the gates at least, but there I do not venture. I can see it if I wish… I… I do not wish to speak more about… it. Forget what I said, as upon additional reflection you should not be able to see the Eternal City.)

An annoyed thought from me. (Not worthy?)

(No, mortal. That whole faith thing.)

(And demons don't have faith?)

(Faith is, in large part, about things unseen, Ms. Blake. I lack such faith as such matters are not unseen to such as I. Just unreachable.)

Opps, a Ms. Blake comment. I'd pissed her off about something, something that I can guess about as I'd had my own times of seeing things I couldn't have.

Sigh… ok… time for the hocus pocus. While 'Agent Romanova' stood off to the side with her eyes closed, with several folks giving her giving her odd looks I might add, I looked at the crime scene.

And got nothing other then what my eyes could see.

(Don't try so hard.) Was her thought. (Relax, just… look. Look with more then your talent.)

(Necromancy?) Was my thought back.

(Kind of, but not really. Look with your raw talent.)

And… I did. I think… she was somehow helping even though she was not sharing her abilities. As before, it was like an overlay upon reality. There was a silver glow, like the faint glow of a low watt light bulb at each of the pentagram points. And a similar glow at the center of the pentagram. I glanced about and noticed that Tammy was staring rather hard at Romanova, likely trying to figure out what she was doing without asking. Dolph had… had a kind of shifting darkness within him, crap… what the hell was that?

A thought from her. (It is his desire, to rescue his son, or so he thinks, by doing wrong. His… lust to do wrong in the pursuit of right.) I guess she was looking thought my eyes.

I looked back at where the bodies had been, there… was a blue glowing line that ran under the blood. There was also a blue glowing circle that circumscribed the pentagram. And… in the air above there was a red flickering… glyph? Some weird symbol that I had never seen before, looked like some kind of Chinese pictograph intertwined with… snakes?

(SIX!) Was her triumphant thought. (There are six who do this to me! To us! Five stood at the points of the pentagram and one in the center. And the spell was meant to be a transformation, not a binding, not a summoning.)

(Transform into what? And how the heck to you know that?)

(The glyph is one of alteration in Aklo. Alteration into what, that… I do not know. The spell is too faded.)

(What the heck is Aklo?)

(Demonic language.) Was her answer.

The overlay faded, time for her to take the credit. (Okay, explain to everybody what I saw.)

Romanova opened her eyes and explained what she had sensed, the lines and the residual of six, but she left off the alteration glyph. Dolph had a neutral expression as she spoke, Zerbrowski looked rather skeptical, Tammy also looked skeptical as she declared that silver was the sign of white magic, which made no sense as this was obviously not white magic. A statement earned her a condescending look from Illy… 'Agent Romanova' which started an argument about how things magical are not that simple from her and some denouncements from Tammy that yes they were that simple.

While they argued I got a hunch and borrowed a broom sized squeegee so I could shove some of the thick blood away from the floor. After a few iterations my suspicions were confirmed. There were incantation runes on the floor hidden beneath the blood. Looked like Latin, which meant we needed to get all of the blood out of the way so we could examine the writing. Which meant squeegees and shop vacs (yes those big drum vacuums), God you know a crime scene is beyond bad when you're using shop vacs to clean up blood and garbage cans to hold the blood. We did the squeegee work and some guys from Crime Scene Cleanup operated the shop vacs. Oh, and annoyingly the Crime Scene Cleanup guys did not barf, which seemed unfair but I guess they've seen even grosser things.

Once that little nightmare of a chore was done (I think everybody here other then Illyana was going to have nightmares about this) the circle of writing was revealed. Not just Latin, there was another language intermittently intertwined with the Latin that I did not recognize. A language that apparently 'Agent Romanova' understood. She knelt down and pointed at several characters as she spoke.

"This is Fey."

"Unseelie?" Stated Tammy who started to kneel next to 'Agent Romanova' before stopping herself.

"No… Seelie and Unseelie same language use." Corrected 'Agent Romanova'.

That earned her a scowl from Tammy who demanded "And you know this how?"

Agent Romanova stood back up and started to walk around the pentagram outside of the incantation circle. "Russia old world is, things still walk in forests that never came to new world. Learned such I did. Learned from such."

Tammy rebutted. "We have Fey in America."

Larry voiced a question. "So you think the Fey did this?"

"Would have to be Unseelie then." Stated Tammy. "Unseelie are the dark and evil Fay."

"Pfffff." Was Agent Romanova's less then stellar opinion of Tammy's statement. I think I could see how Tammy might be having issues with her that were not exclusively Tammy's fault. "Star Wars this is not. Light and dark descriptions of Seelie and Unseelie only show lack of understanding of Fey. Fey are Fey, not human. Unseelie can do good. Seelie can do evil. Unseelie are more… honest as what they are, Seelie… less so. Complicated Fey are, one must remember. Just as magic, not simple white and black. What you do matters more then tool used."

Larry repeated his question before Tammy could get too huffy. "So the Fey did this?"

A shrug from her. "Fey… may have participated. Any could have written this, but Latin means others as well. Fey have no need for incantations other then their own."

"What does the Latin inscriptions say?" Asked Zerbrowski.

Tammy and I took turns answering, since we both understood written Latin; and so did Agent Romanova but she just agreed with our translation. It was complicated; the Latin had five stanzas, each invoking the gods to hear their pleas and to constrain the energies being released. Illyana translated the Fey, it was a single stanza that guided the energies, it spoke of the living, the dead, and that which was neither. But…

I finished. "There is one part that makes no sense. It's in Latin, but nonsense."

Tammy added. "I think it's some other language, but written in Latin."

"And the Fey writing?" Asked Dolph mildly.

"Protection rituals for what unleashed they who did this." Was Romanova's answer. (There is more.) She sent to me. (Tell you later.)

The whole Fey thing annoyed Larry. "Well, crap. Are we supposed to question Fey now? How the hell do we do that?"

I glanced around at everybody before reluctantly volunteering. "I… have an idea about that."

Zerbrowski and Dolph gave me a look as Dolph spoke. "Let's discuss this in private."

So that's how the four of us, plus Zerbrowski and Dolph and my boss from the Federal Marshals, ended up in one of the warehouse's conference rooms.