Chapter Eleven:
"Flash Bomb"
"Demetre Draycott!" came a loud voice through the door after the firing ceased. "I know you're there! Come and face me, boy!"
"Prometheus must have alerted him to my presence," Geist said. "Sorry, I spoiled the element of surprise for you."
"No, thank-you for saving me, Geist," Demetre said with a smile.
Recovered from the shock of the bullet, Demetre got to his feet, reasserted himself, and gripped both his guns firmly again.
Geist turned back. Conventional human weapons could not kill him, bullets could not harm him, so he could stand directly in a volley and not be touched, his form turning transparent. But if he remained solid, despite the bullets not being able to harm him, they would bounce off and ricochet, which was what happened when the bullet nearly hit Demetre on the floor. He literally saved a human, but he not turn to dust.
"I'll distract him," Geist said. He reached behind his head and took out his boneclub from its holster. "While, I'm doing so, save the boy and the facilitator of the orphanage. Zurn and Prometheus will be able to see me, but only they will—the others won't. I hope I am not stealing your thunder and taking charge here?"
"Never Geist," Demetre said thankfully. "Your assistance and efforts are greatly appreciated. Sounds good, let's do it!"
Just then, something crashed through the office bullet-ridden door and wrapped itself around Geist. The Shinigami stumbled back as he fought against Prometheus in the form of a gigantic python.
Geist fought for control, but Prometheus coiled around him, squeezing him, his arms and legs locked together, until he lost balance and fell. The only thing that protected his face was his boneclub that he held and that was secured within the coiled form of Prometheus with him as villainous Shinigami bared sharp fangs and tried to bite into Geist's head and face.
"Geist!" Demetre cried out, as he saw the humongous snake coiled around his Shinigami friend. He didn't know what to do!
He had never seen Prometheus in person, but he had heard rumours that this was the Shinigami's main form—one of many. And he could see the Shinigami for some reason without touching its Death Note. Shinigami could do that to those they wanted others to see them. Prometheus no doubt wanted Demetre to see him for fear factor.
The Shinigami was an Ethereal type, mostly spiritual in nature, having lost its body years ago for an unknown violation, Demetre had been told, through information provided by the Savant Society. The Shinigami King had the ability to punish Shinigami for crimes committed. But could take solid form for brief periods of time. It was not only a large python right now, but was the size of the largest snake known in the natural world: an Anaconda, black in colour with red strips down its scaly sides. Anacondas did not have teeth, they enveloped their prey and dissolved it in their stomach, but Prometheus had a set of demonic razor sharp teeth in its mouth.
The boneclub protected Geist's face from its bites, so when Prometheus could not clamp down on the other that way, and even though the sound of bone cracking was heard in squeezing Geist's body, the Shinigami then used another weapon in its arsenal—fire breathing!
Prometheus belched out fire from its mouth giving purchase to its namesake of the Greek god,who gave the gift of fire to humans.
Geist avoided the erupting flame and rolled around to prevent Prometheus from launching another attack.
"Demmy, don't worry about me!" Geist said. "Go get Zurn!"
Geist used a lot of strength in his shoulders and stretched his arms out to make space within Prometheus's coiled form. He then removed his arms and grabbed Prometheus's throat. The Shinigami lunged at his face and snapped its jaws, while conversely whipping its serpent tongue that when touched Geist in any way caused an acidic reaction that burned and blackened bone.
Demetre trusted Geist, he knew it looked bad, but he knew Geist would not die in fighting Prometheus. He gripped both Beretta's tightly and then entered the MFO, pointing his guns directly at Zurn.
But the villain was ready for him.
Zurn had Sammy Baxter pressed against him like a shield with a large rifle pressed against the boy's temple. It was a high grade weapon, one Demetre had seen before when he was scouting weapons for himself to use. He settled on the twin Beretta's. Zurn's weapon was a member of the Scorpion calibre family, a pistol with a long arm chamber and a large magazine.
Zurn was unmasked now. His identity already known, there was no need to hide it any longer. Demetre saw out of the corner of his eyes the facilitator of the orphanage, Roger, unconscious on the floor with a small puddle of blood flowing from his head. Demetre did not see a bullet wound, so the man was most likely hit with the gun and dropped.
Demetre pointed his guns at Zurn, the coward hiding behind Sammy Baxter. He had to save the boy at all costs.
Zurn laughed. "Well, look at you," he said, nodding. His brow raised as if impressed. "Quite the change since last we met face-to-face. You've come up in the world. I've noticed you,chasing me around with your band of maverick hunters and now you've even armed yourself. Twin Beretta's, nice choice. When I was a member of the National Police Agency in Japan, I carried a custom weapon, but when I was relieved of my duties, it was confiscated. Too bad, it was a beauty, too—like those you have. I fled custody, and joined the League of Darkness officially. It's too bad you never saw the light before I killed your sweetheart." He chuckled. "But who do you think you are, some sort of vigilante?"
"Only when it comes to you, Zurn," Demetre replied hotly at the mention of him killing Dana. Demetre noticed that Zurn had bulked-up and he looked very much like a linebacker on a football team, broad shouldered and chested. "You killed Dana, and for that, you're going to pay! There's a special place in Hell for people like you, and one day I'll send you there first class."
Zurn chuckled. "So, what now? The ransom has been sent for the kid. As one would say in chess, you're in check."
Demetre looked at Sammy Baxter. "Are you okay, Sammy?" Sammy nodded. Demetre holstered his left gun and lower the other one at his side. Zurn was right, and as long as he had the Scorpion pointed at the boy's head, Demetre couldn't do anything. "Let the kid go and then we can settle things between us, Zurn. But I have to ask, why the ransom? I never thought you the type for blackmail?"
"My other gig was shut down by Interpol, selling organs on the black market was very profitable, so I needed another avenue of capital," Zurn said. "Some wretched special investigator within the Savant Society ruined everything for me teaming up with Interpol and the ICPO. Since I was once the main enforcer for the Society, I know where all the bodies are buried, therefore, blackmail was the next logical step. Funny thing is, this is my first venture with it. Who'd to think I would meet you here? The fates are aligned for us to face each other time and time again, eh?"
That was the problem with trusting someone implicitly with important information and then to have that person betray you, Demetre thought, about the Savant Society. Zurn has all their names, so he can go through the list and blackmail them all.
Zurn obviously saw an opportunity and took it when he learned that one of the prominent members of the Savant Society had a child who attended and played with orphans unprotected. It was no wonder that Trickster was here at this time.
The man suddenly began laughing like a megalomaniac. "You know what, this is perfect!" Zurn said. "You're a religious person, Draycott, so you believe everything happens for a reason, right? We could be doing this Sempre e par sempre, forever and always, until death do us part?"
Demetre frowned. "There is a difference between us, Zurn," he said seriously. "When I finally die, we'll be going out separate ways. I will ascend to the heavens while you will burn in hell for all eternity!"
"So, how do you really feel about me, Demmy?" Zurn said mockingly. "Isn't that what your friends call you? Come on, tell me from your heart."
"Such words shall not be spoken in front of an impressionable child."
But just then, a series of the most vulgar and foul words came out of Sammy Baxter's mouth that made everyone stare, even the Shinigami took a momentary pause.
"Ha! Out of the mouths of babes!" Matt's voice came from down the hallway. "You've been spending too much time with Mello, huh, Sammy?"
Matt couldn't see the Shinigami in a death throe on the floor near him.
Suddenly, Prometheus began to uncoil its form from around Geist and slithered towards Matt, a new enemy, and probably one of opportunity to use as another hostage, but Geist quickly got to his feet and held the serpent Shinigami at bay, grabbing hold of its snake body tightly.
"Oh no, you don't, you slippery snake!"
"Sammy! Demetre! Get down!" Matt then shouted, as he pulled the pin out to the flash bomb.
Both Prometheus and Geist looked at the boy in awe.
Demetre's eyes widened when he saw it leave the boy's hand with all the strength he could muster thrown towards the open door of the MFO. It passed through the Shinigami without friction.
"Sammy, shut your eyes and clamp down your ears, quickly!" Demetre told him, looking back.
Sammy Baxter dropped to the floor and did exactly what Demetre told him, Demetre followed suit just seconds before it went off. Zurn was stunned even before the flash bomb detonated. It exploded with a bang and a bright flash of light.
There was a loud scream from Zurn and a heavy thud.
Demetre opened his eyes just after that blast. He saw Zurn's rifle on the floor, it being the heavy thud he heard.
Zurn screamed out in agony and put his hands to his eyes, then his ears—the flash had blinded him, and blood began to exit from his ears. He had received the full intensity of the blast. He started to move haphazardly around the office, then dropped to his hands and knees completely disoriented. "Shit! My eyes! I can't see anything! Prometheus, help!" he shouted.
Demetre saw Sammy on the floor, the kid still had his hands over his ears, but he had his eyes open now, aware of Zurn's stunned fit. He quickly scurried away when Demetre waving him over.
Then he and Demetre escaped the office.
"Master!" Prometheus cried out. The Shinigami immediately then turned and slithered quickly to Zurn.
Zurn got to his feet, but continued to stagger, blinded and deaf. The effects of the flash bomb would only be temporary, but he would feel like that for a least a couple of hours. The device was designed to generate a quick explosion of light with a concussion effect after a pre-programmed five-second delay. It was yet another wonderful invention Adam had made from plans he found on the internet.
It was then, the Shinigami opened up a spacial portal, and both it and Zurn entered, Zurn carried within Prometheus's serpentile form, and then the portal shut.
Matt and Sammy had been out of sight of it, but Demetre and Geist has seen it. Zurn once again escaped, but he would not soon forget about this encounter and would no doubt be back.
Sammy flopped to the floor a little dazed, the flash bomb had affected him more than he knew. Matt went to kneel at his side.
Demetre also went to him. "Sammy, it'll be okay," he said. "The effects will wear off soon, you only received a mild dose. That's why I told you to shut your eyes and clamp your ears with your hands, but you must have been too close to the flash bomb."
"I have such a headache," Sammy then said, clutching his head.
"I'm sorry, Sammy," Matt said. "And I'm sorry, Demmy. I know Sammy was well within the blast radius, but I had to do something. The jerk had the rifle pressed to Sammy's head and he was going to shot!"
"I know," was all Demetre said. He was not going to scold Matt. He did what he felt was right. Sammy would be all right.
It was then, Demetre looked up and saw both Mello and Near staring at him from down the hall in direct view of the MFO.
What had they seen?
How the heck will I explain all this?
To be continued...
