Chapter 53)
Group of teenage heroes were sitting close to improvised interrogation room. Agent 'Mickeymouse' instructed them about disassembly shotguns for cleaning and reassembly weapons back to 'ready-to-action-state'. Kagami was only one of them, who knew it from before, Adrien was not allowed by his father and Chloé, however she did skeet shooting several times with her father, into clay pigeons, but she never did cleaning, it was work for servants in her eyes. But she said no word about that, observing Kagami being handy with her weapon. Alya and Nino had firearms for first time in their lives in hands, it was quite different from using weapons offered by akuma and they naturally did not remember anything from those moments.
"Use oilcan here and here," explained agent 'Mickeymouse', pointing with oilcan on proper places. "It's possible, we'll need it another time. Once you finish cleaning, load rubber ammo."
It was not easy to clean marine salt out of the shotgun barrel, Adrien estimated it needs some fifty rounds to clogg barrel enough to cause explosion of weapon. Not a very nice picture…
They vaguely listen interrogation of captured boy, transmitted by simple baby monitor. Boy was identified as Pascal Vilerett, whose mother worked in theather as usherette. They found several keys in his pockets, copies of keys for usually unused doors, not equipped with card-reading lock. Boy was relatively clever for his age of 13, considering he found the passage into warehouse without any electronic device.
"We must know, how and where he purchased that book," explained Père Thibault. "It's quite easy to buy spell books through internet, but none of them really works. This one has inside functionous manual to invocate demon. Maybe low-rank demon, but real demon any way."
Priest for a moment paused and shook his head with sad grimace on his face.
"I have strange feeling now," he said silently. "Today something really bad is to happen, I believe. So… It's my mission to find source of this knowledge. Today it still could go even really worse way, than right now. If you need later talk about anything, or ask for Sacrament of Reconciliation or maybe for Spiritual Renewal, you could find me at Église Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis, Rue Saint-Antoine this weekend. Ask sacristan or local parish priest. 'Armaund' made pact with Papal Inquisition to guarantee spiritual guidance for his operatives. This work is real strain for soul and contrary to other priests, I DO know, what you'll speak about. Not every inquisitor looks like Tomás de Torquemada…"
XXXXXXX
"So Pascal, you don't want talk to me," noted Consultant Orlowski. "It means, if you don't talk, you don't need your mouth," he said, clogging boy's mouth with gauze pack and plastering it with adhesive plaster.
Consultant Orlowski observed scared boy for a moment.
"If you don't want talk to me, you probably don't want to see me either," said interrogator, covering boy's eyes with gauze and plastering it with adhesive plaster too.
Heroes, who had already their shotguns ready-to-use, entered room to see, what was happening there.
"Speak no evil, see no evil," said Kagami, aka 'Samurai' right now. "There's missing one, isn't it?"
"Sure," answered Orlowski. "Hear no evil."
He observed scared boy's face for a moment. After that he placed ear plugs into boy's ears and plastered it with plaster, same as eyes and mouth. Boy started to writh and shudder. Orlowski wordlessly gesticulated, so they left interrogation room.
"You expected me to really physically torture thirteens year boy?" asked with annoyance in his voice.
"It IS torture!" said Alya aka 'Fox' right now.
"Kind of," agreed Orlowski. "We often needed to show, that we do no physical harm to interrogated person. They usually aren't monks, so they're not used to be kept alone in own head. This kind of sensoric deprivation works often better, than torture with the rack or Spanish boot. But I cannot let him such a way too long, he could end insane…"
XXXXXXX
Luka observed Lila, who ended with adding components into mixture. She continued boiling the extract, but when the volume was reduced to 100 ml, she snuffed off the burner. From her bag she produced Erlenmeyer's flask and glass funnel, placing paper filter into funnel aiming into flask. She slowly filtered the liquid from beaker. To Luka's surprise, it was only slightly yellowish and perfectly limpid…
XXXXXXX
I'm a Hex girl
And I'm gonna put a spell on you
I'm gonna put a spell on you
I'm a Hex girl
And I'm gonna put a spell on you. Oh Yeah
With this little cobweb potion
You'll fall into dark devotion
If you ever lose affection
I can change your whole direction
I'm a Hex girl
And I'm gonna put a spell on you
I'm gonna put a spell on you
I'm a Hex girl
And I'm gonna put a spell on you
We're gonna put a spell all around you!
From 'Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost
XXXXXXX
Five minutes later Consultant Orlowski returned to Pascal Vilerett. He removed ear plugs from boy's ears.
"Will you talk to me?" Orlowski asked silently.
Boy nodded.
"Do you want to see me?"
Boy nodded again.
Interrogator removed covers from his eyes and mouth.
"Now, explain me, WHY did you invocate that demon and especially, WHERE did you obtain that book?"
XXXXXXX
Lila poured liquid into two 50 ml centrifuge tubes with yellow lids. One of them she handed to Luka.
"Let it become ripe for seven hours sharp. Adjust time on your phone. After that, drop seven drops of your blood into tube."
Lila handed him sterile disposable injection needle.
"After that, let it become ripe another seven hours. Marinette must drink at least ten ml of this potion, not later, than before tomorrow midnight."
"Sure, after midnight our concert starts," answered Luka. "Will you use your potion on Adrien or another boy?"
"I will see," smirked Lila. "Tomorrow will be very interesting day…"
XXXXXXX
"You will not believe me," said Orlowski, placing pieces of paper into 'Mr. Armaund's' and priest's hands. "Do you know, why he did invocate that demon?"
"No idea," said Adrien, aka 'Lynx' now.
"An idiot of his classmate told him, that he can cure his acne by real sex with woman," old spy shook his head. "In 'massage parlor' they kicked him out, he's too young and none of professional girls wants to risk being charged for child sex abuse. But he wanted invocate succubus, not Lamia."
"Something was wrong with that spellbook," said Pére Thibault. "On the other hand, succubus would steal his soul, so he would be totally lost."
"Fine Pére, you have the address too," 'Mr. Armaund' was impatient. "'Loutre' will give you scooter. Ask boy, if he wants Sacrament of Reconciliation and meet us there after his possible confession. We will give reason to fear wrath of God to those assholes, who sell spellbooks with manual to invocate demons to children."
'Agent Mickeymouse' produced gun with silencer from his underarm holster. It was an old Manurhin P1, Walter P38 French clone. Operative checked loaded chamber, released magazine to see, whether it is full. It was full. Heroes observed, bullets were partially cutted, the Federal HST, jacketed hollowpoint that opens up into a deadly looking flower of expanded copper and lead, so once hitting the flesh of body, they would cause much more severe wounds…
XXXXXXX
Rose gave Juleka scared glance.
"What will we do?" she asked.
They both observed, how Lila and Luka are preparing some strange potion, most likely some kind of love potion.
"It's simply not right!" Rose was adamant.
"We will inform Marinette tomorrow morning," decided Juleka. "Luka is my dearest brother, but this is far over the line…"
XXXXXXX
Chloé being Chloé moved to boy in next room. For him she was just another cocooned person with unknown, but probably cruel intentions. She fulfilled his expectations:
"Baby boy, rather go to dermatologist! Your face looks like a disgusting bowl with porridge. Don't meddle into sex. You don't have enough money and charisma for that!"
When their group moved out of earshot of boy, as well as of Pére Thibault, Plagg left his hiding place:
"He could have sex with Lamia, in fact. But she would eat him alive during that…"
XXXXXXX
Van with operatives moved to next place. Agent 'Valkyrie' started short explanation:
"Suspect bookshop is on Rue du Dr Roux. Occult bookshop, what a cliché. We'll left van near, but not too close. We'll need help of an kwami to open the door for us inconspicuous way. Owners are Madeleine Deshayes, age sixtyfive, widow and her doughter Catherine Corriveau, age thirtytwo, also widow. Catherine Corriveau is only daughter of Mrs. Deshayes. Mr. Deshayes died on hearth attack four years ago. Mr. Corriveau died during traffic accident, just two months after miscarriage of his wife, their first and only attempt to have child, two years ago…"
"That could be the moment, when they turned evil," said Tikki, who left her hiding place. "Like feeling the all Universe being against them."
"Maybe," agreed 'Mr. Armaund'. "But if they sell books with manual for dark arts, what other rampage they could do?"
Tikki shook her head:
"I have no idea. Just, THIS is, what we usually do all our history. Searching for those, who abuse dark magic. Men as well as women."
"Fine," nodded 'Valkyrie'. "Let me continue. Their shop is in black numbers, but not really prospering. No suspicious activity like drog distribution or so…"
"I think, it's enough," interrupted her 'Mr. Armaund'. "Everybody should check earphones, now."
He covered his mouth by his right hand and whispered:
"One, two, three, raise your hand, who hears me from earphone."
Everybody raised their hands. They were still in balaclavas and felt sticky sweat on their faces. Adrien looked forward for possibility for shower.
They reached suspicious place. Bookshop was dark, shop window hidden under metallic roller shutter. In fact, there was no visible light at all, like if there is no living being inside…
Adrien felt strange cold on his back and he was not alone with this feeling. Van moved to one free place for parking. Street was empty, only in some windows were visible lights of TV screens or computer monitors. 'Mr. Armaund' texted somebody and three minutes later street lamps went out. Darkness, untypical for 'City of Lights', greedily captured the street and light inside of houses seemed to be so lonely…
'Mr. Armaund' wordlessly pointed on one of his operatives, who moved a bit aside from van, positioning himself as perimetr guard, one shadow amongst shadows…
"Ask two kwamies to check the building," asked 'Mr. Armaund' Adrien aka 'Lynx'. "They should go together, to watch each other's back and they should NOT let themselves to be caught."
'Mr. Armaund's' whisper seemed to be inappropriate aloud. Adrien did not understand, how it was him, who was to give kwamies orders, not Marinette or Kagami, but decided not to argue about that.
"Roaar, Trixx, check the place," whispered Adrien. "Roaar is on command."
Trixx gave him stinky eye, but followed Roaar.
It was short time and Trixx returned alone, scared and urged to operatives:
"HURRY! GO! GO! GO!"
Group silently followed panicking kwami.
"MickeyMouse, tip of the spear!" whispered 'Mr. Armaund'.
When 'Agent MickeyMouse' checked door, Trixx flyed to his face.
"All doors are unlocked. Hurry!"
House was dark and silent. Poor light was visible under one door, leading to basement, as operative on first position guessed, he slowly opened door to observe downtrodded wooden staircase.
"There are old wooden stairs downstairs. Go slowly, right side seems to be less downtrodded. So keep as close to wall, as it's possible. Avoid creaking noise!" instructed experienced spy.
Downstairs they found embarrassingly cliché scene. Big stone with young girl on its top, both hands and legs shackled by chains. Adrien was thankful, that she was not undressed. Two women in capuches with kniwes completed idiotic situation.
"DROP THE KNIVES!" yelled 'Agent MickeyMouse'. "STEP BACK!"
None of women seemed to intend following orders…
TO BE CONTINUED…