Ordo Ab Chao
Chapter IX
4:00 AM
Koreatown, California
"You know what mate? This is actually pretty good." Constantine took another bite of the street taco they had just purchased with some money Constantine had somehow managed to steal from Donald Trump's house. "You sure you don't want some."
"Don't have a mouth," Question grumbled, sounding annoyed at the moment. It was early and the streets were relatively empty but even still the Question had his large trench coat collar pulled up and his head low. It was surprisingly effective at hiding his faceless features.
Constantine still wasn't sure if the man really had no face or if he was wearing a mask. So far he'd been unable to catch him eating, drinking or even sleeping. "You've got to have something on under that mask." Constantine was probing for information.
The Question didn't bite, "What makes you think this isn't my face?"
Constantine decided to drop the subject and they walked in silence for a moment soaking up the recent victory. "We've done some good work together." Constantine mused. "Got rid of a cult or two, a pedophile ring, and saved my friends from being kidnapped a few times. Not to mention the detective work gone into finding Faust. I'd say we make a right proper team."
Question said nothing.
"Right then." Constantine finished his meal and tossed the rubbish onto the street. "So now that we know the bloke's location what's say we prepare and then pay the fucker a visit? Faust's got a whole lot to answer for."
"Couldn't agree more." The Question led Constantine up to the stairs that took them to his safe-house. He opened the door to find Zed and Chas sitting beside two tied up and gagged men.
"What the bloody hell?!" Constantine exclaimed and slammed the door. "What have you two been up to?"
"I'm going to have to relocate." Question grumbled.
"I know and we're sorry but this was serious," Zed explained. "These two are involved in some heavy shit."
"Half of this godforsaken state is involved in some heavy shit love. We don't have time for this. We've got a lead on Faust and we need to prepare so we can end this shit." Constantine's voice held some annoyed tones.
Zed nodded at Chas and he removed one of the men's gag. "Tell him what you told us," Chas demanded. The man rolled his eyes so Chas punched him hard across the cheek nearly knocking him out.
"Alright dammit alright." The man spat blood and Chas quickly looked apologetically at Question.
"Look, Zed seriously-"
"There's this rich woman, I think her name is something Pitts. She pays us very nicely to go out and acquire specific individuals for her. Real quiet like," the man interrupted Constantine.
"What? That's it? Constantine rolled his eyes. "We are on the cusp of stopping some sick fuck from gaining supreme power and this is-"
"She's a witch. I've seen her work," the man interrupted Constantine again. This time he looked right into Constantine's eyes and didn't turn from them. His gaze was that of a man who had seen things he hadn't thought possible. Constantine remembered the look well. "I...I..."
"We never saw shit like that man!" the second man finally spoke. "We don't...we couldn't tell her no. The money is one thing but what she's doing ain't right. The cops don't even care."
"What makes you say that?" Question spoke.
The men finally realized that he had no face and both eyes grew wide with fear. "Yeah, yeah he doesn't have a face. It's so scary. Continue." Constantine lit up a cigarette.
"We've been pulled over. Numerous times. With bodies, people..."
"She told us if that ever happened to tell them we worked for her..."
"They always let us go."
That caught both Constantine and Questions interest. "Even still, Faust takes priority," Question reasoned. "This can wait."
"Agreed." Constantine chimed. "Chas, knock these blokes-"
"Whatever it is she's been building up to is happening tonight!"
"We've been kidnapping people more frequently lately. She said she needs fuel."
"What do you mean fuel?" Question asked but the men both shrugged and didn't know.
"They mean the blood." Constantine tossed his cigarette and walked close to the men. "This Pitts woman is going to use them to fuel some sort of blood magic. I hate blood magic." He began smoking another cigarette to the displeasure of Zed and leaned close to the two men. "You both are gonna show me everything you know about this woman."
"Show you?" they looked confused.
Constantine placed a hand on each of their foreheads and began to chant. All three of their eyeballs went white and the two men screamed out in anguish.
"What is he doing?" Zed whispered.
"Killing them." Th Question was to the point.
The screaming continued for a long time and they all stood there silently.
"Her name's Sherrell Pitts." Constantine sparked a cigarette and inhaled deeply. The room was dimly lit but through the small openings between the blinds, some sunlight could be seen. The two men were completely slumped forward in their seats and not breathing. "She's been doing this sort of thing for a while now. She uses the blood of her victims to extend her life and for other more sinister purposes. Her most notorious name was Delphine LaLaurie."
"She was wanted for the murder and torture of slaves in New Orleans back in the 1800s," Question said. "The LaLaurie mansion fire in 1834 was what brought her the attention of the town. Everything says she's dead."
"Aye, Delphine is dead to be sure. Inasmuch as an identity can be dead. This witch, Sherrell, Delphine, whatever the fuck she calls herself, has been at this for centuries. I was hearing stories of her when I was still wetting my toes in this magical business." Constantine was pacing.
"So what are you saying, John?" Chas asked.
"We can't let her finish whatever it is she's doing. She's pure evil and the stuff of legend. This is the first time something concrete on her has ever come up. Ever." Constantine eyed his three companions. "We can't miss this opportunity."
The Question folded his arms. "What about Faust? It's only a matter of time before he finds out Trump's dead and then the trail will go cold."
"Fuck!" Constantine rubbed his forehead and continued to pace. "We'll move on him as soon as we've finished with the witch."
"Then our time working together is at an end." Question said abruptly. "Take whatever you need when you leave and then never return here. It won't be safe anymore." Question turned his collar up and went for the door.
"What about the bodies?" Chas asked.
"Not my problem. He made them and you both brought them here." Question said bluntly.
"What? So that's it?" Zed looked confused.
"I came here with a mission so yes, that is it." Question left the apartment with everyone standing in mute silence.
Constantine cleared his throat. "Well fuck me, yeah?" he shook his head. "Alright then. Search the place top to bottom and we'll take anything that can be useful to us. I'm going to make last minute prep for the witch and Faust. I'll be back in a few hours."
"No," Zed said firmly. Chas and Constantine stopped in their tracks. "This entire time we've been in this godforsaken place you've been running off doing your own thing and then we.." she motioned to her and Chas. "..have been caught up in some crazy whatever because magic is all fucked up. Question is gone so we're staying with you." She put her hands on her hips and her facial expression screamed end of story.
Constantine looked at Chas who in turn humped his shoulders. "Alright love." Constantine shook his head. "You're safer with me right now anyway. Let's finish up here and move on."
"What are we going to do?" Chas asked.
Constantine smiled a little. "A long time ago I had a chance encounter with a psychic of sorts. A lot of the buggers are frauds but she...she had an air about her." Constantine looked distant in thought for a moment then continued. "She told me some things and although it was a bit ridiculous, I did it." He lit a cigarette. "Turns out today I realize the old bitch was right."
Some time ago
London, England
Constantine stood outside on a rainy day in London under the cover of a closed shop door with a canopy hanging over the entrance. The cold and wet weather slowed the smoke down so that it danced a bit before dissipating into the air. He watched it until it vanished and then he exhaled the next large plume of cancerous smoke into the atmosphere.
The street was empty save for a dark figure that hobbled towards him. He couldn't make out who it was for a long time until they were close enough. It was a very old woman who looked half blind with a cane and no form of an umbrella.
Constantine felt guilty for some reason and took off his overcoat, "Ma'am you can use this to cover yourself if you like." It was very out of the ordinary for him but he felt the deep urge to do this.
The old woman looked at him and smiled. She was missing several teeth but it was genuine and warming. "Thank you, young man, but I'll be fine," she said in a shaky voice. "But since you showed me kindness I will tell you your future."
Constantine chuckled, "A psychic are you, ma'am?"
"Oh yes and a very good one in fact," the old woman replied while the rain continued.
Constantine felt she was a bit off her rocker but as he finished off his latest cigarette he decided to indulge her. "Alright. Go ahead then and tell me what you see."
The old woman took a swift step forward that surprised him. "Lean down," she commanded sternly. Once Constantine leaned down she took his cheek and stared straight into his eyes. She didn't blink for a long time and Constantine thought something had happened. Just as he was about to speak her eyes went white and his vision was blinded but a bright light that came from nowhere. As swift as the light appeared it seemed to vanish and the old woman was shaking her head.
"What did you see?" Constantine asked, rubbing his eyes a little.
"Much death and much sorrow." the old woman shook her head. "I will tell you this. Take the Amulet of Anubis to California. Bury it at the Inglewood Cemetery in the grave of Nathaniel Clark." Without another word she started to leave.
"California?!" Constantine thought for a moment. "Bloody America?!" he went after her. "Why there? And I don't even have the Amulet of Anubis! What are you even talking about?"
"You'll have it one day and when you do you will remember this and moment and have a choice to make." She looked at him with eyes like cold fire. "I pray you do as I told you."
Constantine laughed and looked down to get his pack of cigarettes out his pocket, "Listen love..." he began. "I'll be honest with you-"
He looked up and she was gone.
7:00 AM
Inglewood, California
"That's a hell of a story, John," Chas said when Constantine finished telling him how the Amulet ended up in a different country.
"I don't think I'd have done it," Zed admitted.
"I thought the old woman was crazy and damned her after a few drinks but then I actually found the fucking thing. I found the Amulet of Anubis during some of my past shenanigans and what she said to me happened. I remembered that moment and I made a choice." Constantine tossed his cigarette out the cab window. "I scraped up the cash and took a trip out here. Did exactly as that crazy old bat said and here we are."
"Thank God you did." Chas nodded approvingly. "Who'd have even known we'd be out here in America?"
"I know but this is where the muck up in magic led me so it's where I came." Constantine looked out the window.
"What does this amulet do anyway?" Zed asked.
"It has the benefit of hiding a person presence from magical beings," Constantine said nonchalantly.
"That's it?" Chas and Zed seemed to ask at the same time.
"It's also supposed to give the user the powers of Anubis," Constantine said as if it were nothing big.
"The powers of Anubis? Like the Egyptian God?" Zed's face said explain more.
"Supposedly Anubis made this amulet for his loyal followers to continue on his word after he died or some such nonsense like that. I'm not sure if it works, though, never tried it."
"Why not?" Chas asked.
"They say using that can make the person mad among other things."
"Oh."
While they had been conversing the cab had pulled into the cemetery. At the gate, they got instructions on where to go and the cabby was nice enough to drive them as close to the grave as possible. They paid the fare with some of the money they'd found at Question's apartment and then got to work finding the right headstone.
It took all of ten minutes but once they did Constantine knelt down and closed his eyes. "What are you doing?" Zed questioned.
"Marking the grave so I can find it again tonight," Constantine whispered. "Don't worry, it's nothing as disrespectful as oh I don't know digging a bloke up and burying an ancient artifact to come back and dig up some day in the future." Neither of them said anything, his dark humor obviously lost on them. "Right, well, we'll come back tonight after dark, dig the thing up and then go take this witch out."
"You mean you'll come back after dark and dig the amulet up." Zed started walking away and Chas silently followed her.
"What? Aww c'mon friends." Constantine started to say.
"Nope." Chas and Zed both cut him off.
11:50 pm
Bel Aire, California
"No wonder she gets away with this creepy stuff she does," Chas mused as they drove through the dark and quiet neighborhood. "Look at this place. No streetlights, no pedestrians, no police patrols or even a stray animal."
Constantine rode in silence. Bel Aire had its own entrance and once inside it seemed like the rest of the world was cut off from it. Even their cell phone signals went dead once they crossed the threshold. It had its own golden colored arch that rose over the street leading into the prominent area for the wealthy of Southern California.
"Rich cunts," Constantine mumbled as he smoked and watched another massive mansion roll by.
"You guys ain't from 'round here, huh?" the cabbie asked over his shoulder.
"What gave us away?" Constantine said in an obnoxious and sarcastic tone letting the cab driver know they weren't interested in small talk.
The streets were small but empty and had many turns. It took a while to reach the home but it was at the very end of a dead end street. The massive home was built right into the curve taking up the entire thing. Zed marveled at the size of the home. This was a cul-de-sac but the homes were so big that only three of them were able to fit here. Two on both sides and one in the curve. That one was the biggest they'd seen so far.
"Turn the lights out and let us out here," Constantine instructed the driver. He looked at them suspiciously but did as he was told.
The three companions got out of the car and moved into the shadows. Chas and Zed stood directly behind Constantine who was smoking and staring at the house intently.
"What's going on, John?" Chas asked him.
"Black magic," Constantine grumbled. "Powerful stuff." He reached into a pocket and pulled the Amulet of Anubis out then carefully placed it around his neck. He immediately felt a powerful chill spread throughout his body that quickly passed into a wave of immense heat. Constantine wanted to cry out but only grunted and struggled to control the power he was feeling. It pulsed within his body struggling to be free as if repulsed by him.
"Da-dam-damn...it..." Constantine concentrated with everything that he had within him, battling on some mental level with the powers of a god.
"John are you alright?" Zed tried to touch him but the heat coming from his body was too much. "He's burning up!"
Chas tried to reach and got the same result. Zed looked at him as if to say, 'really?' and Chas humped his shoulders. "You never know."
"I-I'm...I'm fine..." Constantine exhaled a ragged breath and wiped his forehead. "This amulet is definitely not for the weak of heart and mind." He quickly produced and lit a cigarette. "You both stay close to me and we'll walk right into that house. The witch'll never even know we're coming." after a few puffs of his cigarette Constantine was himself again.
They began walking towards the house and as they neared Constantine closed his eyes for a second then opened them and the hair on both Chas and Zed's entire bodies stood on end. They then walked right up to the front door.
"See? Ha! Ha! What'd I tell ya'? Easy as pie." Constantine whispered then he opened the door and a bright white light blinded all of them.
Chas didn't know how long he'd been knocked out but when he opened his eyes his head hurt like nothing he'd ever felt. "Did we die?" he rubbed his head and blinked a bit, trying to straighten his vision.
When it did he quickly stood to his feet. Where the hell was he? The area around him didn't match up with what the outside of the mega-mansion had been. And why did this place feel familiar to him? He looked around at the apartment and felt his heart begin to sink as realization set in.
Without knowing why Chas found himself walking down the hall. He could hear voices, muffled and distant but he could hear them all the same. It sounded like an argument of some kind but Chas continued to follow the hall anyway. He ignored everything except for one door that he had been staring at since he'd seen it.
He distinctly remembered that door. But that wasn't possible. This wasn't possible. He'd left this place decades ago and watched it burn down. How was he here?
He didn't know.
He couldn't know.
Something inside him kept pushing to reach the door. Touch the door. Open the door. He followed the alien impulse and reached out for the handle even though everything inside him screamed no, especially what remained of the little kid in him. The arguing voices grew more intense and muffled but now he was sure who they were.
It was his parents and this was the door to him and his brother's room when they were kids.
His hand trembled as he used every ounce of strength in him to turn the door knob. The old wooden door cried out and creaked as if it hadn't been used in years. Chas inhaled and swallowed the lump in his throat as he gently pressed the door open. He knew what he might find but he hoped he wouldn't. He didn't want to open the door for fear of what he'd see but the impulse could not be ignored. The door fully opened.
"NOOOO!" Chas yelled as his eyes fell onto the sight he'd been praying not to be greeted by. His brother hanging from the roof dead. The room stank of human excrement from the final release of bowels as his brother dangled and softly swung from left to right. His lifeless eyes staring right at him. This wasn't right. This wasn't how he remembered it. This wasn't how it happened.
Chas turned and ran as fast as he could toward the voices. His parents. "Safety," the kid within him whispered in a fearfully longing way. The hall seemed to abnormally stretch on but he could tell he was getting closer because he was beginning to hear parts of his parent's conversation.
"This stuff you're doing is wrong! Evil!"
"It's power! Don't you see?"
"No! You're endangering our sons! You don't even wash anymore!"
"I'm preparing for something big!"
"I don't give a damn about magic or your imaginary friends-"
Chas had never heard that before. Was that what they had been arguing about? He remembered the events of his life but there was a haze over parts that made him question the validity of the memories. Even as he ran he knew he shouldn't because he remembered how this might turn out just like the door yet the compelling push within him had taken over now.
"No...please..." Chas whimpered as the hallway ended and he came around the corner into what used to be their small living room area.
His father was dead on the ground, bleeding out from a large gash in his neck. Standing over him was his mother with a blank, almost dead look in her eyes. Knife in hand she stood silently and watched as her husband bled to death on her floor. Staring into his eyes the entire time.
Chas crumbled onto the floor. "No! Why?! How!?" He didn't know what to do. Part of him said this wasn't right, this wasn't how it happened. His father and brother hadn't died on the same night and not in the way he'd seen.
But the pain.
The pain was so real and it hurt so much that it had to be. It hurt more than the first time. Chas lay on the floor crying and holding himself.
"My poor little Chas..." It was his mother. Her footsteps approaching him. "...let Mommy help you..."
"Wake up, my child..." The voice was familiar but the ache in her head made everything feel hazy. What had just happened?
"Wake up, my child.." She blinked her eyes but could only see sparkles and bright bursts. She rubbed them softly and felt her vision returning.
"I said wake up!" A hand lashed out and struck her sending bright stars through her head.
Now, Zed opened her eyes and was able to see but blurry. As her vision came together she felt a fear she hadn't experienced in years. She knew this place and she knew this man. But how? Hadn't she just been with Chas and Constantine? That bright light when Constantine had opened the door! What had happened while they'd been unconscious?
The man struck, Zed again. "You awake yet?"
She spat some blood. "Nice to see you too, daddy."
Her father stared down at her. "You abandoned us. We were lost without you." his voice was deep and he spoke in a low and frighteningly dangerously tone. "You had a duty. A destiny for something greater and you ran from it. But we have you back now..."
"Dad! No! You don't understand! My visions aren't some prophetic view of the future from God! That's not-"
Zed's voice suddenly left her. She opened her mouth and tried to speak but nothing happened. No words, no sounds. She clawed at her throat and became increasingly frantic as she realized she couldn't speak at all. She stared at her father, forgetting the past for a moment and returning to the frightened little girl that would run to him during thunderstorms. "Daddy...please..." she tried to say but could only mouth the words helplessly.
Her father leaned down and smiled. "See. Now you're beginning to understand and accept. Silence is the best choice you've made." he turned from her and doors on both sides of the room opened and robed figures began to walk into the room, eerily chanting unknown words. Some held candles while others held knives or books.
Zed began to panic and tears unwillingly began to pour. "Constantine! Chas! Anybody!" she tried to shout with all her might but couldn't. It only served to make her more afraid and that fear kept her locked in place. She knew this cult and her father's beliefs that her visions were some kind of thing to be worshiped. She'd been locked away by them for years but escaped and had been two steps ahead of them for years.
The cult members carried out a cauldron and began making a fire. Others poured ingredients into the cauldron while the rest continued to chant. Her father passed around a large bronze cup and a knife, each member pricked their finger and shook a drop of blood into the cup.
"What happened?!" She screamed, fully fearing for her life now. She prayed that Constantine would come. Chas. Maybe even Question. They had been saved from situations like this numerous times in the past week. Surely one of her friends were coming. She tried to calm herself down but began to hyperventilate.
None of them came.
Her father came back to her, now fully robed like the other cult members but his robe was white to signify his leadership. In his hands were the bronze cup and knife. "Now we will make sure you never leave us again."
Bloody fucking hell!" Constantine sat straight up and slapped his head a bit. He was a little worse for wear but he'd been out on the town numerous times and ended up with worse headaches then this. He reached up and checked his neck. It was still there.
"Damn amulet doesn't have some kind of warning system or something. Sheesh. Bloody useless trinkets." He asked around and noticed that he hadn't moved at all. He was sitting on the porch right in front of the doorway he'd just opened. Chas and Zed were knocked out next to him.
He quickly checked their pulses and let out a sigh of relief. He immediately knew what was going on and laughed. "Old bitch put a nice little hex on the place. Got me mates going through some real mental tortures I'd say." He stood up and sparked a cigarette. "Only problem is it only works on people who aren't strong of mind."
The witch had underestimated Constantine's mental fortitude and magical protections. Coupled with the strength from the Amulet of Anubis he was more than ready to withstand her trap. He puffed his cigarette and then dragged Chas and Zed into the house leaving them by the door then locking it. "I'll be back for ya' I promise." He turned and looked at the house. It was massive but he had a good idea where to start looking. Just to be sure he closed his eyes and began searching for magical resonance and it confirmed his suspicions.
"Basement it is then." He shook his head. "Why is it never a beautiful lush garden? Or a bar full of fresh liquor and ready women?" Constantine mused as he walked through the massive home in search of the door to the basement. As he walked he became increasingly tired and yawned a bit, the urge to lie down and sleep became some powerful he almost fell.
"Damn..." Constantine leaned against the wall and gathered himself. "Another trap..." Magic that forced you into a coma-like sleep that you could only awaken from if the person who placed it allows. Powerful stuff to say the least.
Constantine clinched his fist and began to breathe heavily. He knew one sure-fire way to make sure he stayed awake and that was a pain so he punched himself straight across the face as hard as he could. The magic lightened up but was still on him so he did it twice, three, four times until finally, it let up enough for him to use his abilities to keep it at bay.
It would be a struggle until he got past the area this trap had been placed and he wouldn't be at his full potential having to concentrate on fighting it. Still, he had a job to do and needed to do it fast. Faust was still out there and needed to be stopped. Constantine began following the resonance he was led right it and carefully opened the door, this time being prepared for any sort of trap.
The door opened one inch and something from behind hit it like a ram shattering it to pieces and knocking Constantine back into a wall. "Fuck me! Another one?"
What stood before him could only be described as an absolute abomination before God and man. It was a Frankenstein's monster in true form. Pieces are sewn together, some different lengths and colors. Multiple arms and three legs with two heads upon broad shoulders. The heads had tears streaming from their faces and Constantine knew they were in agony. The people should have died but the witch had somehow trapped their souls and used them to give life to this beast.
"Don't worry...I'm gonna' set you free." Constantine stood up and produced a pen from his pocket. He whispered an incantation and using a bit of the amulet's power infused the pen with some explosive magic.
The monster charged and Constantine ducked under its punch that went straight through the wall he'd just been flung into. The monster's arm was stuck and that was all the time Constantine needed. He tossed the pen and jumped away down the hall some. The pen exploded and blew the monster into a bloody mess all over where Constantine had just been.
"Glad I avoided that." He checked his coat and clothing to make sure he was good.
The doorway and some of the stairs were now slick with blood, guts and brain matter still, Constantine walked down the staircase and was met with a pungent blend of obnoxious odors. Shit, piss, sweat, blood, death and perfume thrown together into a choking and horrid mix.
"Jesus..." Constantine coughed and covered his mouth and nose. When he reached the bottom of the staircase he understood where the stench came from.
Cages and cells lined the sides of the walls while all manner of torture devices and several bodies hung from the roof. Puddles of blood and shit were here and there along with body parts and organs. He took one step and slipped on some brain, landing right into a sick puddle of something he prayed wasn't exactly what he knew it was.
Constantine threw up.
"I'm gonna get this bugger good." He swore aloud.
"He-help...he-help us..."
Constantine's eyes grew wide and he shot to his feet, forgetting that he'd likely contracted some disease or another from his fall. He began ignoring the stench and checking the cages and cells. Some of these people were alive but all of them were severely wounded in one way or another. Missing limbs, having savage cuts and flesh missing or too starved and weak to even lift a muscle.
"There is something you can do for them, Constantine..."
He angrily turned around, "You evil bitch!" The witch was down the way from him smiling and giggling a little.
"I prefer, Sherrell now actually," she replied playfully.
"I don't give a damn what you prefer-"
"I underestimated you, Constantine," she interrupted him. "Didn't think you'd be powerful enough to resist my traps."
"I'll admit the sleeping curse got a bit heavy but I managed," Constantine cockily said.
Sherrell laughed, "What? You think this is it? This is the final confrontation?" she laughed again. "Boy, you've just reached the tip of the iceberg." Her eyes changed color and she help up her hands quickly incanting something Constantine couldn't hear.
The few people left alive in the cages and cells screamed so loud Constantine feared they would die from the agony of whatever she was doing. He started to run at her but he was too late. He looked to the right and saw a man's soul rip from his body and float into one of the piles of bloody flesh in the room. Three more did the same thing and then the witch stopped and laughed more.
"Have fun..." She turned and walked away while the souls she'd just stolen reanimated four more of the corpse abominations like the one he'd just destroyed.
"Bloody hell..." Constantine took a step back and reached for his lighter. A quick spell would ignite the room and cook the beasts to death but the innocent souls would be tortured and there were still people alive in the cages and cells. He couldn't burn them all.
The witches words replayed and he realized what she had meant when she said there was something he could do for them. Constantine found himself laughing a little as the realization dawned on him. She'd meant he could kill them, set them free from their agony. But only if he was ready to kill a few innocents in the process. Let himself be killed so these already dead men could live a few more agonizing days and the witch could do it again or burn them all?
Sherrell obviously didn't know him at all.
One of the monsters attacked and Constantine easily dodged away from it's slow but powerful punch. It struck one of the cells and Constantine heard a man cry out from being crushed to death by the blow. "Alright, then beasties." He quickly worked his magic and then tossed his lighter at the ground. "Fire up then."
Magical flames spread throughout the entire room in seconds and Constantine was thanked with screams so horrid he would never be able to erase them from his memories. The fire burned hotter than normal and so he was spared the screams for too long. It took all of ten seconds before everything in the room was dead, burned to a charred blackened crisp.
Constantine threw up again, the stench of burned bodies now blended with the previous odors was too much. "I swear I'm gonna' get her good," he swore angrily and began walking after her.
There was another staircase but this time the bottom hall only led to one door. He quickly kicked the door open to find the witch standing in the middle of a freshly drawn hieroglyph of some kind in blood. Blood dripped down the walls due to bodies being strung up on pikes or hanging from hooks. Several dead bodies were near her as well but they were more of her robed figures. Probably willing sacrifices, their blood used to draw whatever she was standing in.
Constantine couldn't make out what the design she was standing in was meant to do but Sherrell stood in the middle of it looking disgustingly happy. Beside her stood two robed figures and the unconscious bodies of Chas and Zed.
"Knew I should've stuffed 'em in a broom closet or something." Constantine cursed his bad judgment call. "Alright then, here's the deal: let my mates go and I'll only cook your soul a little bit."
Sherrell laughed and it echoed with a deep and resonant evil as if something otherworldly had taken over her body. "...I was expecting more when I saw you..." the voice was that of a man. "...your reputation seems fitting, petty dabbler..."
"What the hell is going on here?" Constantine stood his ground and silently gather some magical energies in case he needed something on the fly.
"...we've never had the pleasure of meeting, of course, but I've heard as much of you as you have me..."
"Faust?!" Constantine guessed.
"...you're not as dumb as they say then..." Faust's voice laughed through Sherrell's body.
It made sense now. He had been wondering how the witch had enough power for all he'd seen. The first spell perhaps but taking souls? The sleeping curse? Advanced stuff that required more horrors then he'd seen in her cells. The Constantine went cold as he realized just what had happened. The men who just so happened to run into Chas and Zed, eagerly offering information. The series of traps that had been meant to seem like they were intent on killing him. This entire mission. Faust had laid a trap and he'd walked right into it.
Constantine laughed as he lit up a cigarette, "This entire bloody thing was a setup from the get-go. Wasn't it, Faust? You needed more time."
"...You finally caught on...none of it seemed suspicious to you, did it?...this pathetic excuse of a living soul was simply a distraction to keep you busy while I prepared the final portion of my plan..."
"Don't worry. Once I finish here I'm coming for you."
"...no, John Constantine...I think not..."
Sherrell's body stretched out and her eyes went white. Flames began to pour from her mouth, hands, feet and eyes. Constantine immediately realized what was about to happen. He had seconds to save his friends. The only way was the power of the amulet but it might drive him mad. Should he do it?
What choice did he have?
Constantine didn't hesitate. He dashed for Chas and Zed, ignoring the acolytes in robes that were staring at the witch in awe he tackled his friends and fully gave in to the amulet just as Sherrell exploded in a gargantuan burst of fire and brimstone that destroyed the entire mansion.