Taking a guess at the strength Rygen had thrown into his attack, Angel stood at the side of the wrecked Prius and shook his head softly as he ran his hand along the dented driver's side door. Despite nearly dying, Angel had to appreciate the power that Rygen held and knew that if Charlie ever let herself go, she could likely do as much, if not more, damage. Moving to the back, Angel pulled on the trunk and lifted the tailgate and took inventory of the mess. Most of what he'd bought would be salvageable, and only some of the cold food items were wasted. Still, it was the weapons he'd purchased that drew his attention. Picking up the box he'd stored his purchases in, Angel lifted up the second gun he'd acquired, a Smith & Wesson M 5.7. Opening a box of bullets, he swiftly loaded it and slipped it into his waistband. He then gathered up the rest of what he could salvage into the box and set it on the ground to close the trunk.
Turning his head to listen, Angel could barely hear the girls on the roof sparring and smirked as he picked up the box and made his way to the back door. Propping the box on his knee, he twisted the handle and slipped inside just as he saw Amanda come from the shop, pale and shaking.
"Amanda!?" Angel dropped the box and ran to her.
She looked at him with wide eyes, her body shaking. "Angel! Oh, my God! It's horrible!"
Reaching her, Angel took her by the shoulders to stop her shaking, and she melted against him. "What happened?"
"The shop. It's…the young man…he's…" Amanda stuttered, and Angel looked past her to the door, which was propped part way open; the frame busted outward. He moved Amanda aside, carefully walked to the door, and pulled it open the rest of the way. Angel gasped at the condition of Cassie's shop. Everything was burned, but no fire was present, nor was there any apparent stench of a fire. He stepped in carefully, pulling the gun from his waist as he moved into the shop, with Amanda following behind at a distance. After a few steps, Angel stopped. Closing his eyes, he stilled himself and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he took in Davis's body and grieved. Kneeling next to the body, Angel quickly assessed the damage.
"Did you see anyone?" Angel turned to Amanda, who was holding her arms in her hands. He understood her fear. She'd just met Charlie, and now this.
"When I pulled up, I thought someone might have been coming from the shop, but I wasn't really paying attention."
Rising, Angel quickly moved to the front door and pulled, but it didn't budge. Noticing it was locked, he turned the latch, pulled the door open, and looked outside. With a quick turn of his head left to right, he took in the tourists moving along the sidewalks and roads. He scanned down the street in each direction, noticed a few empty parking spots, and took a deep breath. Letting the air slowly seep out through pursed lips, Angel Stepped back into the shop, re-locked the door and froze.
"Angel?" Amanda's soft voice came from the counter next to Davis' body: "Do you see anyone?"
Switching the safety off his gun, Angel slowly turned and lifted the weapon to point directly at Amanda, who's eyes widened in shock. "Angel!?"
"Who are you?" Angel's voice was colored with deep suspicion.
Amanda shook her head. "Jesus Christ, Angel, what are you doing? It's me! Amanda!"
"No. You're not." Angel cocked the gun and warned, "Last chance."
Angel watched the change happen before him as 'Amanda' straightened up and smiled darkly. "I gotta know, meat. How did you figure me out so quickly?"
A shudder ran down Angel's spine, and he swallowed audibly. "Rygen?"
As Amanda's features started to melt away and the demon beast that nearly killed him the night before took her place, a low chuckle answered his question.
"Charlie killed you!"
"Almost. Almost." Rygen's smile thinned at the memory. "But not quite. Maybe I'll regale the tale of my survival if you'll tell me how you figured me out so fast. I really want to know."
"The side door bolt is busted, the frame was bent outward. I'm guessing you were in a hurry?" Angel had to control the shaking in his hands, and explaining to Rygen helped, "The front door was locked. It means that whatever killed Davis came in the front and left from the side door, but the only one I saw from the side was 'Amanda'. You said you pulled up to the shop, so I assumed 'she' drove. When I checked outside, I didn't see her car, and there were open parking spots."
"Impressive." Rygen nodded as he shifted again into his own human form, the elegant gentleman he'd taken up upon his summoning, giving Angel a slight bow. "As for my miraculous survival, you may thank Samedi for that. He summoned me back just as your princess speared me. A few seconds later, and she would have succeeded in my death."
"It seems I have a lot to owe Samedi," Angel glowered. "Where's Amanda?"
Rygen licked his lips, eager to share the truth, but knew a different tactic was necessary at the moment. "We have her, and if you don't do as I say, she'll be my next meal." To make a point, Rygen looked directly at Davis's body, "And I'm very, very hungry."
Angel looked up towards the ceiling, and Rygen clicked his tongue, "It won't do you any good. The shop is inside a silence spell, which quells all sound from the outside world. It's how I was able to—how shall I say—conduct my business with the young man here."
"You fucking asshole!" Angel lifted the gun towards Rygen's face
The demon just laughed. "Kill me, and your little agent bitch dies."
Anger nearly decided his next action, and it took all of his self-control not to pull the trigger. "What is it you want?"
"Oh, it's not what I want. It's what Bible wants. You!"
Bible! Angel eased his finger off the trigger, his eyes shifting around the room to see what he could use, but Rygen was starting to catch on to Angel's ways.
"Kill me, and Amanda dies. Try to run, and I'll kill you before your demon bitch can reach you. You have no choice."
It tore at his soul, but Rygen was right. He had the upper hand on all counts, and Angel saw no other choice. There was also the risky addition of meeting Bible to consider. Switching the safety on, Angel dropped the gun and kicked it away. Rygen smirked and motioned with a single finger for Angel to come to him. Lips pursed and eyes cold, Angel obliged and stepped up to Rygen, careful not to disturb Davis' body. He watched Rygen open the satchel that he'd been carrying and pull out a vial of black liquid.
"What is that?" Angel felt a chill seep into his voice.
"Oh, do not fear. This will simply mask your scent and put you into a walking trance, so you won't be able to scream or call out for your bitch princess. It won't harm you, I promise. You're to be kept in one piece. But, in your trance, you'll follow me out of the shop to meet up with Samedi, who is waiting down the street for us."
Popping the stopper off, Rygen handed it to Angel, who hesitated. "As if I believe you'd keep any promise."
Rygen's smile faded, and his voice turned cold. "Take it, meat, and drink it, or my promise to kill your women will be kept."
With a stuttered breath, Angel obeyed and took the vial and swiftly downed the black liquid, which tasted like spoiled milk, and nearly gagged. The spell took affect immediately. Angel's eyes glazed over as black liquid seeped into his orbs to cover his brown eyes to pitch, and his expression became mute. Rygen lifted his hand, which had shifted into his massive claw, and caressed Angel's cheek to test if the spell had taken full control. As he saw no reaction whatsoever from Angel, Rygen was satisfied. Reaching again into the satchel, Rygen took out a burner phone and sat it on the counter, placing a small note next to it. He then smiled darkly, motioning with his finger for Angel to move. "Follow me, meat."
Rygen stepped past Angel, who deftly turned and matched Rygen's stride to the front door. Flipping the lock, Rygen took a moment to shake his head and chastise himself for almost screwing up the entire plan by making such a small mistake. Opening the door, Rygen ushered Angel outside, pointed down the sidewalk, and quietly ordered him to walk slowly while Rygen turned and closed the door, with the inner latch clicking, indicating it had locked. Rygen didn't need a tourist going in and seeing the state of the shop before they'd put some distance between them and the demon princess. Matching pace with Angel, who walked steadily but without so much of a hint of emotion, Rygen guided him to the corner where a black sedan sat, idling.
The passenger window lowered to reveal Samedi's crooked smile. "Looks like you didn't screw things up, pet."
Rygen glowered but then let his lips lift in a smile. "I admit, Master, it was fun. Sims and Stefon are dead, and the shop is destroyed, taking the witch out of the game, and of course, we have Angel."
Rygen opened the rear door and shoved Angel inside, who hit the seat face first but made no sound, only righting himself to take a seat casually. Samedi chuckled, "Bible will be most pleased, pet. Get in. We need to be in the air before our deeds are discovered. You left the phone where the Collins girl could see it?"
"I did," Rygen confirmed.
"Excellent. By the time they find it and realize what's happened, we'll be safely out of reach." Samedi explained, "Once she makes the call to Bible to set up the trade, all will be set in motion."
"We won't actually be trading, right?" Rygen eyed Angel with a hungry look.
Samedi motioned for the driver to merge the car into traffic and head towards the airport. "Of course not. But don't get any ideas yet, pet. Bible wants to see Angel in person."
"Why?" Rygen found himself more curious than he liked.
"Let's just say it's a reunion long overdue."
"Pity." Rygen frowned. "I owe this human some payback."
"Patience." Samedi smiled. "I said Bible wanted to see Angel. He didn't say he was going to let him live."
Rygen leaned in to whisper in Angel's ear, "Did you hear that, meat? Soon we'll have the princess, and once we do, your soul will belong to me." Rygen traced his human tongue along Angel's cheek, tasting the fear on his skin, then sat back in the seat and laughed.
Neither of them saw the single tear that traced a path down Angel's right cheek.