John walked into one of the apartment's rooms, where Cartahpilus stood with hit coat off and his shirt unbuttoned, and before him on the table was a square board carved with a pentagram.
"Giles has his men tacking the Demon's car," said John and the saw Cartahpilus rubbing in the now healed wound in his stomach, "What the hell is that?"
"The Demon's work, he stabbed me during his escape this afternoon"
"And yet here you stand"
"That's my curse; I'm condemned to wander the land, unable to die till Jesus returns"
"Sucks for you. Now what are you doing?"
Cartaphilus raised a blood coated index finger and brushed it on the board.
"It's an ancient Hebrew spell, they used it in the time of Abraham when someone would be killed and his murderer would escape, the spell would be used to cause the killer to suffer great pains. But since he is only half human this will slow him down only" explained Cartahpilus, who then started chanting, "Ssalit alaman ala mumazik haza lefsh."
The Pentagram seemed to glow for a second then it stopped.
"It is done."
Jason was in his car, attempting to flee New York, listening to the radio promising a clear night, which was rather wrong seeing as how it the sky was thundering for the last ten minutes.
One hand of his leaves the stein wheel to caress the pocket of his coat for the fiftieth time in the last hour, his stomach was turning. Feelings of fear and desperation were growing inside him, there was no way he could elude countless agents of the Order whom he betrayed, on his way to where the key would be made no more.
Jason soon realized the turning in hiss stomach had nothing to do with his feelings, as he could feel his stomach spazming and was overcome with feelings of nausea and dizziness.
He hit the brakes hard and jerked the wheel to one side, causing him to make a halting stop on the side of the highway, causing numerous motorists to honk their horns, call him with obscenities and vulgarly saluting him.
He crouched a few feet from the car and stat hurling blood and puke as cars zipped by and the thunder roared in the sky, increasing in magnitude till a single thunder bolt descended from the sky and truck the roof of his car, turning it into a heap of twisted metal.
Jason looked to his side to where the black heap was; oddly enough the lightning bolt that struck the car was green. Which he knew was the doing of the Order of Galat.
Jason caressed his pocket one more, the key was still there. His body was suddenly aching, though he stopped vomiting. He couldn't risk being caught, so he stood up, put the hood of his coat on and started walking.
"I have news." said Giles as he joined Cartaphilus and Constantine. "You found Bauer?" asked Constantine.
"We've found his car. Of course right now it's not as much a car as it is a mass of melted iron.
"What"
"Struck by lightning, on a highway heading upstate. Which is peculiar since everywhere else in the city is thunder-free"
"Mystical lightening"
"That's correct, it's not been confirmed but I suspect it's the order of Galat trying to prevent their turncoat from reaching his destination"
"Is he dead"
"No, witnesses saw him leave the car."
"He's traveling on foot, and I'm betting he's still trying to make the journey." said Constantine, "We should follow him."
---------------------------------------
Jason was walking along the highway, every muscle torturing him, trying to force him to stop and lay down, but he kept going.
Jason had the instinct to turn and look around, a distance behind him was a fed-ex truck, and he suddenly had an idea that would save him some time and effort.
As the truck came past him, he leaped towards it and clung to the edge of its back, his whole body jerked towards the truck and he was able to hang on. After a while he climbed to its top and collapsed, surrendering to the over whelming pain.
---------------------------------------
The cops were present when Cartaphilus, Constantine and Giles finally reached the scene where the Chevrolet Caprice was, and after slipping by them to where they noticed a wet substance on the asphalt, which was recognized as puke and blood.
"Is this Bauer's blood?" asked Constantine as he gestured at the puddle of fowl matter.
"Yes, it is." answered Cartaphilus.
Constantine crouched down and dabbed a napkin with some of the blood.
"This is Bauer's blood; we can use it to devine his location"
"Shall I inform the order?" asked one of Giles' men, who was also their driver.
"No need, Philips. I don't want to get struck by lightening in the crossfire."
---------------------------------------
Jason got off the fed-ex truck as it left the city, and got on a buss heading for Middletown; once he got there he staggered to a low rent apartment building, which was on the verge of being condemned, but not there yet.
By this point he could barely move, the pain form Cartaphilus's curse was getting the best of him, but he mustered all the strength left in him and walked up the stairs to the third floor, where he banged on a door.
It opened to a young man of twenty.
"Christ!" said the young man in a thick Irish Brogue, "You look like hammered shite"
"Seamus." said Jason weakly, "I need... ."
Jason then collapsed, leaving Seamus to drag him in.
--------------------------------------------
"I lost him!"
John had performed the spell using a map of the state; a burn indicated an area where Bauer was.
"Haven't you divined his location already"
"Yes, I did. But now if he moves we won't know"
"That's just great!" barked Cartaphilus.
"We have to get there sooner then." said Giles.
The three of them had already reached Middletown when the psychic connection between John and Jason was lost.
----------------------------------------------
"JASON!"
"You don't have to yell..." said Jason as he opened his eyes weakly.
"Who did this to you?" asked Seamus, as he was rummaging through the broken cabinets of his dimly lit kitchenette.
"I dunno, I was driving my car when suddenly I started puking blood and.. puke"
"Did you inject anything"
"No"
"Did you kill anyone"
"I... there was a man, he had gray hair and a beard."
Jason had started speaking in an Irish accent not much different than Seamus'; he was too weak to focus on changing his accent like he had been doing for the last year. If it wasn't for his frightening demonic eyes, one would have felt great pity for him.
"Did 'e wear a black trench coat"
"Yes"
"I know the bastard; let's see how he enjoys this."
Seamus pulled out an amulet from a drawer and placed it on Jason's forehead, then started chanting, while his eyes turned blood red, "L'Tastader al laa'anah. L'Tahel Ala Sane'eha. Let the curse be turned, and be setup upon he who has casted it."
-----------------------------------
Cartaphilus howled in pain as Seamus' spell kicked in.
"What's happening?" asked Constantine.
"My spell... I... AAAA! I RELINQUISH MY DOING!"
A wave of excruciating pain flowed through Cartaphilus before the pain went away.
------------------------------------
"I feel better." said Jason as he struggled to his feet, "I have to go"
"Like 'ell ye can." said Seamus.
"Try and stop me."
Seamus merely shoved Jason and he fell right back to the cot he was laying on.
"Get some minutes of rest, I'll get you some breakfast and you bugger off to-"
Seamus noticed a key on the floor, which has fallen from Jason's pocket.
"Bloody... H..." said Seamus in a whisper, "You found it! The mother load! Jason Bauer, you magnificent bastard!"
Jason picked it up and held it to his chest.
"What's the situation with the order of Galat"
"My group was killed of by the wanker who did this to me. How did you stop it?"
"It's an ancient spell, used to make murderers feel great pain; the thing is there is only one man who knows how to do it"
"Who"
"The very man you killed; Cartaphilus."
"THAT was Cartaphilus"
"Aye, and I used a Celtic spell to make him feel what you feel, he may be immortal but he can't take the heat."
Jason exhaled in bewilderment. While Seamus poured some coffee in a mug and threw him a pack of cigarettes.
"'Ere's your breakfast." said Seamus, and as Jason took a drag and sipped from the coffee he continued, "I'm impressed, Bauer. Infiltrating the Order, Stealing the Key, pissing off Cartaphilus. Not bad for a Demon mutt like you."
"You should talk, warlock."
Seamus laughed, "Where ya headin"
"North"
"Need anything"
"Some guns, suitable to kill Human or Demon, and a car"
"No problem."
---------------------------
"I am going to kill that Demon." said Cartaphilus as he straightened his coat.
"Not before he tells us what we want to know." answered Giles.
Constantine took a shotgun out of the trunk as h, Giles, Cartaphilus and the driver headed to where Seamus' building stood.
---------------------------
Philips the driver knocked the door of an apartment and cocked his shotgun as he heard the door being unlocked.
"What's the Ide- Whoah!" said Seamus as he saw Philips pointing the shotgun at him. Philips then walked into the apartment forcing Seamus to retreat.
"Oy, Prick!"
Philips turned around to see Jason as he stepped away from where he was hiding behind the door, his retractable sword was extended and he batted the shotgun with it, causing Philips to fire a shot into the wall, before being knocked out by a single punch.
Seamus frisked Philips till he found the keys to his car, then picked up the shotgun and handed in to Jason, "'Ere is your gun. Now let's split."
-------------------------------
Constantine, Giles and Cartaphilus heard the shot as they were looking through the other apartments, so they all headed to where the sound came from, Constantine cocking his shotgun, Giles readying his axe and Cartaphilus preparing to unleash jolts of mystical purging energy.
Constantine was the first to fall as Jason came out of nowhere charging at him and slamming him hard against a wall, causing him to relinquish the shotgun and collapse in a heap on the ground after some well dealt punches from Jason.
Giles tried to creep up behind Bauer to deliver a devastating swing of his axe, but ten feet away from him; Jason turned around and picked up Constantine's shotgun and fired at the axe, blasting out of his hands. Seamus then hit him in the back of the head with Philips' shotgun, knocking him out as well.
Jason stood up and saw Cartaphilus, standing twenty feet away from him in the corridor, ready to exact some revenge. Seamus had the common sense to step aside.
"Mr. Bauer"
"Mr. Wanderer"
"Clearly by now you know I can't be killed by traditional firearms"
"I know, but it'll be a hoot watching you recover from a blown up head"
"Give me the key and I'll let you live"
"I appreciate the offer, but no"
"You should reconsider; I can save you from the order. We told them we'd turn you in, but you must not use it"
"You think I'm going to use it"
"Why else would you steal it? The Order told us you had disserted them and that you had other plans for the key."
Jason was silent for a few moments, then burst laughing and lowered his shotgun.
"The Order said that, huh? Let's have a little talk. You old bastard."
----------------------------------------
"I'm impressed with you, Jason." said Seamus, "You've managed to be stalked by the order of Galat, the Watcher's council, Cartaphilus and THE John Constantine, and cleaned their clocks good. No offense mates."
"Non taken." said Giles.
Giles and Constantine were dragged to Seamus's apartment where they were woken up and the five were talking out the misunderstandings.
"How did you manage to drop off my radar?" asked Constantine as he nursed a slightly stingy jaw.
"I've got me flat sealed from all psychic powers, only God can see what's beyond these walls." said Seamus.
"How about the Order of Galat? I thought they were the guardians of the key"
"They were," said Jason as he lit himself a cigarette, "At the beginning, but the thing with Demonic covens who serve under heaven, thy have a very unstable sense of loyalty. They switched sides recently. They struck a pact with the five fallen angels. They'll track down the key, which ended up as a piece of some sort of funky sculpture. Give them they key so the can unleash the beast, the Order gut's to rule what's left after every human is dead."
"What is the beast"
"I donno, But It's unstoppable, and can not be killed by a mortal man, but by a powerful angel. The only hope is for it to remain locked up in its cell"
"And of course, you have no idea where the cell is"
"I actually do."
Seamus was the only one whose jaw didn't drop at that instant.
"Wh"
"It's on an unpopulated island off the coast of Scotland"
"Ho"
"Two questions," said Constantine, "If you don't work for the Order, then who do you work for? 'Cause frankly, I don't think two Irish guys like yourselves are doing this on you own."
Jason took a puff and said, "I'm a rogue agent, frankly. Primarily I serve as part of the force of good, and over the years I've been on the payroll of many governments, organizations and Religious orders. My current employer is no one you'd know; suffice to say she's powerful and ambiguous. Next question?"
"What are you?" asked Constantine, for as he looked at him, he saw a figure of a man with skin, eyes and hair as pale as ice, all of his body covered in bloody scabs.
"I'm a half-bread demon, but not lie you've know them. My mother was possessed when she was pregnant with me and dies shortly after my birth, I never knew my father. Raised in a Belfast orphanage. Same old sob story."
The group was silent for a few seconds till Cartaphilus broke the silence, saying, "Where do we go from here"
"The key can only be destroyed at a stone's throw the Beast's cell. I'm heading for Scotland."
"You've done a remarkable job," said Cartaphilus, "Now you should hand the key over to us"
"The Hell I am"
"We have more resources than you can ever manage. We can have the key destroyed within twenty-four hours"
"No, you can't"
"Forget it," said Constantine, "We're not going to entrust a demon with saving the world."
A fight was about to ensue as each started to bark out accusations and obscenities, when Seamus yelled, "Pipe Down, You bunch of tits!"
All eyes looked to him, "I think you are all over looking a simple and obvious option; A partnership"
"I don't trust him." said Constantine.
"That's your right; but think how much you'd be benefited; a half demon ally isn't the worst thing in the world."
"He could have killed us, you know." said Giles, "I'm all for it"
"So am I." said Cartaphilus.
Everyone looked at John now, who was yet to make his decision.
"What the Hell, half a demon is more trust worthy than a whole coven of them."
"Marvelous," aid Seamus, "The four Knights ride, the Four Anti-Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Trench Coat Brigade."
"I'll make arrangements for a plain to take us"
"That's not an option; you know what they did to my car. They could try and do the same to the plain, and then were all fucked"
"What do you suggest"
"We make the trip by land and sea"
"You must be joking!"
"Gentlemen," said Seamus, "You're in Heaven's service, there are traditions to consider, protocols to exercise; a pilgrimage must be taken."
"It's all about the Journey, eh"
"Exactly, now get the hell out of my flat."