Hell West and Crooked - prt 2
Eliot was the first of the team to spy Conrad and companion enter the bar. He nudged Nate with his foot and Nate looked up just as Conrad and companion approached their table. There was a sudden lull in the conversation. Not just at their table, but around the room. Eliot remained relaxed in his chair but his eyes swept the room, looking for trouble.
After the initial pause in conversation, most of the patrons returned to what they were doing. The regulars at the bar continued drinking. The few tables that were occupied continued talking. It all appeared normal. Except for the wary stance of the barman and the old man sitting near the back of the room.
“Hello, Conrad,” Nate greeted, “Surprised to see you here. We were just speaking with Ms Schaevel. She was very pleased Travis Zilgram would be standing trial for the murder of her father.”
“Kidnapping and Conspiracy to Murder”, slight difference, I know, however, as the saying goes, ‘the devil’s in the detail’” Conrad said with complete indifference.
In the periphery of his vision, Eliot saw a man approach the table nearest theirs and speak with the people sitting there. There was a rustling sound and Eliot turned his attention back to Conrad.
“I couldn’t care less about Zilgram, or anybody else for that matter. You, however, I do have concerns about,” Conrad said. Nate cocked an eyebrow and Eliot sat up in his chair.
“Whoa, chill man,” Hardison said, “This wasn’t personal,”
“Speak for yourself,” Eliot interrupted. He glanced to his side, but the people sitting at the table had gone, which was strange because he hadn’t heard them leave.
“We can’t touch you, not yet at least. Do you really want to be on our radar, Conrad?” Nate asked. There was something not right with this scenario. Something different about Conrad and it worried him. There was a rustling sound to his right and Nate turned to look at the couple seated there, only to discover they weren’t seated there at all. “Funny” he thought, “I didn’t hear them leave.”
“Oh, Conrad’s, long gone. We do have some concerns about the ‘con’ you pulled. For instance, anyone else aware of what you and your cohorts were up to?” Conrad asked.
“That’s none of your business,” Eliot said standing up, ready to fight.
“No? You’re probably right, but then again, I, don’t care” Conrad said. His eyes turned black and with a flick of the wrist, he sent Eliot flying across the room. He landed heavily against the bar.
“What the Hell?” Eliot muttered aloud, moving gingerly to his feet.
“Exactly,” said a gruff voice to his left. It was the old man from the back of the room. He stood facing the bar and was studying a shotgun the barman had just given him.
“Rock-salt?” He asked in the same gruff voice.
“Yep,” the barman said, “should be lead but these days bloody crimms have better lawyers. Rock-salt, I can blast the bastards to kingdom come and they’ll still be breathing when the law comes. Handy for other reasons, but you’d know better than anybody. Try not to destroy the place.”
That said he locked the till and went into the back room, the remaining drinker followed him without so much as a look of concern for Eliot, Bobby or their friends.
“Here, take this. Won’t kill the bastard but will hold him off long enough for me to send him and his mate back to hell,” Bobby said handing Eliot the shotgun. He took out his handgun and moved towards where Conrad and his demon lackey stood toying with Nate and the girls.
***
Nate Ford couldn’t move. Even if he could, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to.
“You see, don’t you, ‘there are more things on heaven and earth than ever were dreamt of’, and in my and my associate’s case, Hell. You and your little friends are probably going there, so why don’t I give you a little taste of what to expect.” Conrad smiled coldly.
He sent Hardiman flying against the front wall of the bar, knocking him out and then turned towards Sophie. Parker tried to get up and push him away, but Conrad’s companion battered her away like a fly. His ‘swat’ knocked her out.
“Hey,” Nate yelled in frustration. The black-eyed man just looked at him and laughed.
“You really are quite lovely, Sophie, I wonder if Nathanial will like you quite so much when you’re not?” Conrad said and flicking open a switch-blade pressed it against her cheek hard enough for blood to spill.
“Back off asshole,” Eliot shouted moving forward, shotgun at the ready.
“Really, think that puny thing is going to hurt me?” Conrad said, his black eyes glistening.
“Let’s find out,” Eliot said and fired both barrels. The demon howled when hit by the salt. It was enough to break the hold on both Nate and Sophie and they fell into each other’s arms.
The second demon rushed Eliot and tackled him to the ground. The two set to one another with fists. Conrad re-materialized, behind Eliot and struck out but Bobby plugged him with two bullets.
Conrad roared with fury and pushed out the bullets. “Hunter!? Silver can’t hurt me, idiot!” Conrad spat at Bobby.
“Maybe not, but this can,” the old hunter said and splashed Holy Water over him. Conrad raised his hands to his burning face as Bobby began reciting an exorcism prayer.
“Regna terrae, cantata Deo, psallite Domino qui fertis caelum caeli ad Orientem, Ecce dabit voci Suae vocem virtutis, tribuite virtutem Deo,” Bobby began, Conrad charged him again and he threw the rest of his Holy Water on the demon.
“Exorcizamus te, omniis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, ominis incursion, infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregation et secta diabolica,” the second demon threw Eliot clear and turned towards Bobby.
Bobby shot him full of silver while continuing the exorcism prayer. “Ergo draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica adjuramus te, cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque aeternae Perditionis venenum propinare…”
Conrad hauled him up and threw Bobby against the ceiling. He fell back into Conrad’s arms and the demon began thumping him with his fists. Nate had been too stunned to react but the initial shock had worn off and with Sophie nudging him he forced himself into action. Eliot was holding his own, mostly, against the other ‘thing’; so he got up and grabbing a chair made for Conrad.
With all his strength he swung the chair at Conrad’s back. It broke and Conrad staggered, enough to loosen his grip on Bobby, then swung up and around and clipped Nate hard enough that he went down cold. It allowed Bobby time enough to scramble clear of Conrad and with a rasping cough to clear his throat, he continued the exorcism.
“Vade, Satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae, hostis humanae salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu dei, contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine, quem inferi tremunt.” Bobby rasped out between coughs, now he had both Conrad and the other demon moving towards him, their eyes glistening with malice intent.
The sound of shotgun blasted and the demons were momentarily stunned. Bobby took as deep a breath as he could and hurried to finish the exorcism.
“Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humiliare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos.”
Nate and Sophie were distracted by the sound of Parker coming around and scurried over to where she had fallen. Hardison was also conscious, his full attention on the old man reciting latin. In front of him Conrad and his companion seemed to be having some kind of epileptic fit.
“Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae te rogamus, audi nos. Terribilis Deus de sanctuario suo. Deus Israhel ipse truderit virtutem et fortitudinem plebi Suae. Benedictus Deus. Gloria Patri.” Bobby finished the prayer.
There was an inhuman roar of fury and then black smoke poured from the mouths, ears, nose and eyes of Conrad and his friend. It gathered in an eddy above them and then seemed to light up before disappating and falling to the floor as ash.
Conrad and friend collapsed to the ground unconscious. Bobby bent over, hands on knees, gathering his breath. Eliot staggered over to where he was standing.
“What the Hell was that?” He huffed out.
“That was an exorcism. Wasn’t it? Like full-on Damian, Linda Blair spewing pea-soup, exorcism, wasn’t it?” Hardison gushed. Spellbound by what he just saw.
“No? No. That can’t be,” Nate said, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
“Why not?” Sophie asked, helping Parker to a chair and sitting down beside her.
“Look, you’d better all take a seat. There’s things you don’t know about Conrad. Damn, wish Dean and Sam were here, they’d explain better,” Bobby said and used a chair to lean against while he caught his breath. From the corner of his eye he saw the barman approach with a bottle of whiskey and shot glasses. He righted the table and put the bottle and glasses on it, then with a nod to Bobby went about tidying the bar up.
“What about those two?” Eliot asked with a head jerk towards Conrad and friend.
“They’re not going anywhere, sit down,” snapped Bobby taking a seat and pouring himself a shot, he gulped it down and poured himself another. Nate did likewise for himself and the rest of his team.
They looked at Bobby, waiting for this old man to explain what had just happened. Waiting for some logical explanation to an illogical experience.
***
Bobby Singer knows all about the supernatural and its attraction to Murphy’s Law.
He hates things not going according to plan and right now, with all Hell literally breaking loose, having to sit in a bar, explaining the supernatural to a bunch of strangers; well, that’s about as far removed from ‘the plan’ as he can get.
prt 3